Show I YARD FARMER I Interesting Pointers on Gardening Gardening Gardening Garden Garden- ing for the City Man or Suburbanite WHAT HAT TO JO PLANT AND WHEN Advice by an an Expert on Agricultural Matters Matters Window Window Boxes coxes and HangIng HangIng Hang- Hang Ing lug Baskets EradIcating Baskets Eradicating Weeds Beautifying the Yard By PROF JOHN WILLARD BOLTE A comparatively small number of ol tho the people In our large cities havethe havethe have the ground available anable for a vegetable garden A much larger number have some little little plot that will raise flowers flowers flowers flow flow- ers but the flat fiat dweller has nothing of or ortho tho the kind This does not indicate that flat dwellers may not have flowers in summer Bummer however as they can always ha have havo vo them in window boxes and freQuently frequently frequently fre fre- in porch boxes and hanging baskets Flowers of many kinds and hues Will twill grow to fullest fullest perfection in boxes of various kinds and all they need is sunshine and a little careful c attention They constitute t the tho o chief joy of the summer season and ana no ino one ono should be without them from May until frost time Almost any sort of ot a a. box will do so long tong as it is deep enough for the roots to grow In and strong enough to hold the earth An wIndow window window win wIn- dow box can ba be made of of three terin inch ter-inch h lumber one foot deep and andone andone one foot wide tho the len length h being regulator regu regu- later lator of course to the s size ze of ot the opening in which the box Is to fit The width of the window or porch box Is immaterial but the depth should not cot be less than ten to twelve Inches Bore Bore a few three-quarter-inch three holes In the bottom to allow for drainage and fasten the box firmly in place as it will weigh a great deal after being filled Fill it with rich greenhouse or garden garden garden gar gar- den earth having mixed In a quantity of well rotted manure Some fine finewood finewood finewood wood ashes will assist the blossoms wonderfully but coal ashes are a detriment Have the earth fine and mellow menow and plant the flowers as soon lifter filling the box as possible The quickest and most satisfactory way to stock these boxes is to buy pott potted plants from the florist and transplant them They are more sturdy than plants grown from seed in the boxes and they bloom much earlier The cost is prohibitive inmany in inmany inmany many cases however and almost any annual fio flowers ers will grow from seed In such boxes Where the amount of sunshine is limited It Is almost necessary necessary necessary sary io to o put in plants instead of weeds Geraniums are probably the most satisfactory flowering plants for the formal window box and they are very widely used Foliage plants are excellent and withstand the hot afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon sun better than flowering plants Ferns do well in shaded locations Small plants of English Ivy Wandering Wandering Wandering Wan Wan- dering Jew and many of the smaller vines s are useful for draping effects and we have seen some of the larger growing vines such as Wild Cucumber Scarlet Runner Beans and Morning Glory used in window boxes with excellent results the long graceful graceful graceful grace grace- ful vines either climbing in the usual way or trailing down over the side of the box Hanging baskets either fern balls bans moss baskets or boxes can be hung In any sheltered location and they are very satisfactory We recommend hanging baskets baskets baskets bas bas- the use of watering self-watering as ns the ordinary hanging device Is inconvenient to handle handlo and it must be watered constantly Remember that success with boxes demands lots of water every day three times as much as you would give the same plants in a bed Weeds Weeds have been aptly defined as plants out of their pro proper er place Thus Kentucky blue grass is a treasure in inthe inthe inthe the lawn and a weed in the adjacent corn field We Ve are all more or less familiar with what we generally call weeds weeds dandelion dandelion quack grass thistles es burdock pigweed mullein milkweed and many others others' because b these plants are always out of place as far as the ordinary back yard farmer farm farm- er is concerned They are easily controlled In the flower beds because these beds are usually small smaIl In n size the soil Is loose and the weeds pull out easily and ity if it y you u wait long enough your our wife wite will probably get disgusted and pull th them m herself In the tho vegetable garden It is an entirely entirely entirely en en- different proposition however H Hero Here ro the weeds weed start about two laps ahead of the earliest vegetables having having having hav hav- ing planted themselves the y year ar before before before be be- fore lu Iu preparation for a flying start The soil soU Is firm and they anchor themselves for the tho season in a very determined manner If Ir we assail them early before they are anchored we can win out but they never give up the battle and success is the result of constant labor Its It's really remarkable too how a man grows weaker as the gardening season t I regresses The sun gets hotter the hoe duller the weeds more defiant the soil h harder hard hard- rd- rd er tho the mosquitoes start business earlier and stay later and it Is only the thought of previous labor Invested that saves most gardens about the Fourth of July Under such discouraging Usco raging conditions j it behooves us to study the habits of ot I our garden weeds and attack them inthe in inthe the most effective manner After plowing and pulverizing the Ute tho the early crops and let the weeds get a good start on the rest of the patch Cut every one off below bolow the ground with a sharp hoe just before bo- bo fore tore planting later crops As soon as they thoy start again cut they ot off again Those that grow from perennial root rootstock rootstock stock like the dandelion should l be e pulled pulled up When the vegetables come up keep the earth between tho the rows hoed at atall atall atall all times going over the garden aft after r reach each rain to break up tho the earths earth's s crust and andr hold the tho moisture in tho the ground Never let the tho weeds get the start on you and it will not take half halt as much work to handle handlo your garden this year Why should wo we keep the weeds out of the garden Principally because they steal water from the vegetables and water Is the very lifo life blood of plants Secondly the weeds are re all very hearty feeders and every everyone one in your garden Is using up a considerable proportion of tho the available plant food Remember that hoeing is good for both the tho garden and you th the more hoeing the better beUer and a wheel hoe hoe or or hand cultivator Is about tho the best tool that that ever was made e especially In July Essentials Essentials' of Beautiful Yard Every home should be surrounded by a beautiful and artistic yard Almost Almost Al Al- most all of us appreciate this fact and it will not bear argument but there thero is considerable divergence of of opinion as to what can be done to tomake tomake to make male the yard beautiful In order to ass assist st our readers to secure se sea secure cure the most gratifying re results possible possible possible ble we will try to outline the essential essential essen essen- features to be borne in mind when planning landscape gardening at home The one ona most Important feature e In planting operations is harmony This is the keynote of all beautiful scenes scenes It does not mean that we may not employ contrasting colors and forms but that these features give a pleasing pleasing pleasing pleas pleas- ing general effect If your our house is of any particular architectural style let the shape of your walks roadway flower beds shrubs and trees be of such a a character charac charac- ter as to carry out the lines and spirit of the house as far as possible The formal house should be surrounded by natural things of geometrical patterns square corners formal shaped shrubs straight wa walks ks etc rather than the graceful forms The bungalow bungalow bungalow bunga bunga- low and the less Imposing and rigid type of building must be treated in ina a decidedly different m manner as its lines are more on the graceful and beautiful order and the lines of the surrounding grounds should carry out the same idea Curved lines even of ofa a rather indefinite character may be used to advantage Flowing shapes in inthe inthe inthe the trees and shrubs profuse vines beds and banks of wild flowers and related subjects should be adhered to largely Do not attempt to mix these two distinct styles tyles of landscape art Nothing Nothing Nothing Noth Noth- ing can be more unattractive than a formal square house set in a woodland unless it be a a graceful unpretentious country home in the midst of an an Italian Italian Italian Ital Ital- ian garden The house while it Is not really reany a apart apart apart part of the yard is still the most Important Important important Im Im- feature of the whole scene from the standpoint of the person on the outside This is why we place such special emphasis asis on the appearance appear appear- ance ante and style of the building We take for granted grante that the importance importance tance of the lawn is thoroughly under under- stood The arrangement of the buildIngs buildings build build- Ings w walks roads and plantings will determine its shape and e extent tent but it itis itis itis is highly essential that the ground be covered ered by a smooth velvety turf where not otherwise taken up for some specific purpose City front yards are are usually so sm small that all we can hope to do with them themis is to keep them covered with a good lawn n. Suburban front yards are much more ample and are covered by the general principles set down for city back yards The first care Is to join the house to toto toto toto to the ground in a natural and artistic manner The color of the house has has' hasgood hasgood hasa a good deal to do with this and nd the rest can be accomplished by a judicious use of flower beds vines or shrubs near the house In planting for the small 11 yard do donot donot donot not put beds or shrubs in the middle of any stretch of lawn Keep them either along the walk and roadway road or around the outer edges of the lot By using t taller and more distinctly colored colored color color- ed and formal plants close to the house and smaller and less prominent varieties varieties varieties vari vari- farther a away way we can secure an appearance of distance in the the view from the house and this is a very important important important im im- feature in the tho effect of any landscape picture For the small city back yard the house must be ignored to a considerable considerable consider consider- I able e extent tent and the planting is largely a question of the gardeners gardener's individual taste Much more effective results will be secured even on the smallest lot if it the few Jew simple rules here given are carefully borne in lin mind |