Evening star., 1934-07-15
The Home Gardener
Practical and Seasonal Hints for the Amateur for
Beautifying Surroundings of the Home.
By J. W. WELLINGTON.

the soil TO EeTminGte the SEED prompt
IL and to start the young plants, such
as cabbage and celery. The prospects
at present are most excellent, making
il possible to produce considerable
food before the end Of the year.
The need Of fertilizers in vegetable
gardens goes almost without saying as
most Of our vegetables must make a
rapid. well-sustained growth to be
really worth while. This is especially
true OF the late Summer garden. where
competition with Autumn froSts be-
comes an important factor One
pound Of a well-balanced fertilizer per
35 or 40 square feet of area is suf-
fcient. BY well balanced is meant a
material snalyzing at least per cent
nitrogen. per cent phosphoric acid
and per cent Of potash.
Bedding Plants.
7 ANTANA gains popularity as
II bedding plant because Of its bright
colors and its habit of continuous flow
ering from June until frost No other
plant contributes the same array of
orange and red hues. Lantana is a
perennial in its native habitat. but in
this locality has TO be handled in
much the same manner as heliotrope.
that Is, cuttings must be taken each
Fall
Begonia semperfiorens makes a
splendid bedding plant. except that it
is somewhat slow in developing. BY
August, however, beds of begonia be-
come a truly handsome show.
~ ara
known to every one as house plants.
The same vigor that makes this plant
a treasure in the home makes them
desirable bedding plants Mrs. S. A.
Mutt is the name of the brilliant
scarlet variety so often seen outdoors.
Heliotrope, verbena, coleus, agera-
tum. petunia and many others find
their place in the formal garden bed.
There is, in fact. a very large list af
plants that are useful bedding ma
terial.
COlumbine Leaf Miner.
COLUMBINES or aquilegias as they
are technically known are at
tackled frequently by an insect which
tunnels between the upper and lower
surfaces of the leaves As a result
the foliage appears as If marked with
grayish lines running in scroll fashion.
There are, according to the extension
service of the University of Mary
land, three or four generations each
year. The last generation Winters
in the pupal stage on and in the
soil at the base of the plant The
university entomologist, DR.. E. N.
Cory, suggests that stirring the soil
in early Spring should be helpful in
reducing the population. Removal
and destruction of the infested leaves
in May before the infestation be-
comes general is advisable.
Garden Notes.
ORIENTAL PoPPIEs die down at
this season, only to come back
fresh and strong in late September
or early October One growing these
flowers for the first time might very
well fear that the plants we're about
to perish. During this Summer dor
NANCY is safe period to move the
plants If this is desired
Bouquets of the butterfly weed or
orange milkweed may be seen in many
of the outdoor markets. This is rather
unfortunate because the plant is alto
gether too beautiful to suffer eradi-
cation. 1t is to be hoped that home
gardeners will introduce this species
into their gardens. Plants may be
purchased from certain of the large
seed houses. Attempts to move roots
from the wild are not likely to succeed
at this season for much of the plants
energies have been utilized in bloom
ing.
Crepe myrtle quite evidently pos
sesseS strong capacity for recovering
after freezing injury to the tops and
in very few cases were the plants
completely killed.
Aphids are very fond of nasturtiums
and it requires two or three sprayings
Of solution of nicotine extract to rid
| the plants of this pest. One must
spray the underside of the leaves to
really make success of the eradica-
ton attempt
| Many privet hedges are having a
| difficult time of it this season because
| of freezing injury during the past
Winter. In certain cases it will pay
to cut these weakened hedges almost
to the ground next Spring and let new
growth come from the base. Where
/ plants are dead they must need be
| replaced. Barberry hedges proved
fully hardy and appear to be in ex-
| cellent condition.
! Why certain varieties of apples,
such as Stayman Winesap and Grimes
Golden, thrive in Maryland and Vir-
ginia and amount to little or nothing
in the strictly Northern States has
always puzzled thoughtful fruit grow
ers. Now it would seem that part of
| the answer is at last available At
the University of Chicago small Stay
man and Baldwin trees were grown
| in constant temperatures of AS, 20
and 95 degrees. 1t was found that the
! Stayman would make little or no
growth at As degrees, while the Bald
| win did much better. At 95 degrees
| the Baldwin couldn't grow while
| Stayman maintained its color and
| vigor.