Evening Star Newspaper, February 27, 1926, Page 17

€ REAL ESTATE, Gardening in Washington AND ITS E CHESTER J. H VVIRONS , Garden Editor, The Star. WHY SPRAY? FERTILITY. Manures add plant food to the sofl and also improve the physical con- dition of most solls. Both phases are of importance in garden and lawn making about Washington. Rough strawy manure is best applied in the Fall before plowing or spading. The pring applications should be made of well rotted manure, applied after plow- ing or spading and to be worked into the surface soil in the further prepa- ration of the land. If possible, com- post all barnyard manures for a few months before using them in the small garden. Composting breaks down the coarse " strawy material, makes the plant foods more available and, fur- ther, the sprouting weed seeds are kill- ed by the several turnings which the pile should receive. Use well rotted ard manure at the rate of 100 pounds for 100 square feet of surface soil or at a greater rate if the mate- rial is available. Chicken manure is very strong and should be mixed with equal parts of dry earth before it is applied to the land. Use this half-strength chicken manure at the rate of 25 pounds for 100 square feet, applying the fresh ma- terial in the Fall and the well dried material in the Spring. Pulverized sheep manure is usually on sale at the seed stores and s excel- lent for mixing with the soll to im- prove its character. It also carries a fair amount of plant food and is used in the Spring at the rate of 25 pounds for 100 square fee:. Barnyard manure and sheep manure can also be used in the liquid form. The liquor is made by suspending a. bag of either material in a bucket or barrel of water. The solution is ready for use when it has the color of weak a. The solution Is used in small antities for each plant, sprinkling it over the area occupled by the roots of growing plants. The spent manure can be dried and applied as a thin mulch under the shrubbery Use of commercial fertilizers will be discussed March 6. TIMELY HINTS. l 1t the weather should warm up do not take the annual Spring cleaning- up fever too seriously except to prune and spray. All the cleaning up of the fower beds and borders should be de- tomato wilt, | bved until Spring really arrives. The troubles, controf | MUICE: of leaves serves as a protection “praving will mot be | 0 the reots and the young plants dur- the result of modern [N the Frusty nights and cold days reh, e mow hive | Which come in March. o resistant straing | Lawwe an pe dressed in March with le some prog.d¥eo& ashes, bone meal or cottonseed ade with tyes |Meal. Rotted manure is often used, immunity to the |but besides being unsightly this ma. . nure i3 usually” a carrler of weed seeds. Plant a bush fruit border in the back ¢ along the back fence. raspberries and blac! b esanib tled up to the fence o to present a smooth surface, out of the feal science, should follow the |Way of garden operations. Berry methods of Board of Health in hes like the above, currants and R orchard and garden |gooscherries or even a grape trellls sanitation. Much can be done in re.|Will make a good division border be- SHoNIne a1l inrectad .| tween the grass of the lawn and the as from disea | gurden, ind the above-ground parts of | IS everything ready for that Spring ble plants. Decaved and mumi- |€arden drive? You need tools, seeds, me fertilizer and a homemade cold frame. Pruning of the rose of (althea) and the, ordinary panicled bydrangea is now in order. They pro- duce flowers from buds which form early this season. The late Winter pruning of shrubs applies only to Summer and Fall bloomers. Do not | prune the Spring bloomers like the colden bell (forsythia) and bridal wreath (spirea) until after they have bloomed. Plant fruit trees and vines early, but after all danger of severe weather is passed. The ground should be dried out somewhat and In good condition for working Soil for the starting of plants in s should be taken from the upper of soll in some fertile part of It can be slowly dried near the furnace in the cellar. After drying, the soil is sifted to remove the lumps and coarse material. Many people bake the soil after it has been on and insect curing good, inst plant diseases enemies Is essential to se- sound fruit from healthy trees, and wholesome, clean produce from our 1t spraying is timely and is effectively done with the proper mate it will afford such protection o this end, it is a wise pian to know the life histories of the common insects and diseases. There are various bulletins on these subjects, fssued from the State Hxperiment Sta- »ns, while the United States Depart- ment of Agriculture issues such farmers bulletins “Informatlon for fruit growers about insecticides, 1ying apparatus, and important in- ct pests Discases and insects of the vegetable garden.” These bu ins will in > the right remedy, the rig , and at the right time. Insects.- s secure their ms of plants, by suckin th gar as injurious in- by chewing the leaves, or | ses from the plants. The includes caterpillars, sshoppers, crickets ts can be de- 1 on plant parts ed with so- Against in- such as oppers v the act” spra , or clog the © pes nt ngi, parasites ns of pant disturb- ances. Some these diseases ar monly known as cgn izhts, rusts, milgew, to which type of plant special treatment and, niedical practice, these f-eatments ar t best more preventive han curative, Fungus disca ittackiag the above grot > usua,ly spr . lodging upes ~%a plants, and infect the ants. plant with a flm ents such in- diseases such as pear like infested e d when they fe L have been cove ed “stomach” poisons. sects having suck part scale insects, plant lice, les and others, control is s use of so-called “cont which corrode the bodie: breathing pores of the n other ete. parts blight, b, which' ave measures ctive. gricy recourse to ¢ i some vegetable: ress has also been s which show ht. lL—Detailed information on can be secured om the s mentioned earliw in this ar- ntrol measures outside of ve much to commend them. out the simile with the med- w l the of diseased branches d by burning in the | insects lay their especially on the n may be Many rden . while still frufts ar d be destry pile. on plant and the egg crushed between the kinds of insects hibel refuse and among others live in the ground over Winter The cleaning of the garden and its environs and the prompt plowing or spading of the soil will expose these insects to the rigors of Winter. Ample fertilization and cultivation, especially in the veget garden, the an- fruit treds are good ectivorous birds and worth our pro. shoul trash PRES leaves, Sharon fla 4 inche: the garden. THE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C. sifted in order to kill any weed seeds which might be in it. If the soil is heavy, a liberal proportion of sharp sand can be added. To make the soll ideal for most seeds the gardner adds some “leaf mold.” This is the black, well-decayed layer of soil which accumulates in the woods under trees and is composed largely of de- cayed leaves. Soils for the seed bed should be loose and loamy and mod- erately retentive of moisture. Do not add any manure or fertilizer. Seed- ling plants, like the infants of the animal kingdom, cannot assimilate strong foods. A little well-rotted ma- nure may, however, be added to this soil mixture when the seedlings are transplanted. Prepare soil now for seed flats. SPRAY MATERIALS. l The following spray materials are of service to the home gardener. Their particular use is herein briefly explained: Lime sulphur selution (Winter strength) or miscible oils, such as Scalecide and others are used in the late Winter or early Spring as dor- mant sprays on trees and shrubs. | Strong solutions of these materials are required to kill scale insects and may be so used without injury while trees are dormant. Lime sulphur solution (Summer strength) is also used for fungus con- trol during the growing period, espe- clally on certain kinds of fruit trees, as apples, pears and cherries. On certain stone fruits, such as peaches and Japanese plums, where the Sum- mer use of lime sulphur is very liable to result in burning, either seif-boiled lime and sulphur or dry mix sulphur and lime are standard spray ma- terfals. Sulphur dust has also come into extensive use on stone fruits where the dry method of application is preferred to the liquid spraying. Bordeaux mixture is used for dis- ease prevention, mostly after trees and plants are in foliage. combination of copper sulphate and hydrated lime and can be obtained for use efther as a liquid or as a dust. It is not recommended as a spray for in- sects. Arsenate of lead is a polson used to kill chewing insects and is applied in dry form in dust mixtures, or as a liquld alone or in conjunction with lime sulphur or with Bordeaux mlx- ture. “Black Leat ‘40’ is a concentrated liquid tobacco extract which can be greatly diluted. It is used for con- trolling sucking insects after growth has started. Dusting sulphur is recommended for use on roses and other plants for mil- dew. Hydrated lime should be kept hand to dilute dusting sulphur arsenate of lead when these ma- terfals are used in dry mixture or when arsenate of lead is used alone. Milk of lime s also a good addition to spray mixtures in which arsenate of lead is to be used on tender foliage, such as peaches or Japanese plums, in that burning is less likely Noteson Spray Materals—Thorough- 1y strain all liguid solutions to prevent the clogging of the spray nozzle. Store spray mixtures in a dry place and keep the containers closed. Cau- tlon—Keep spray materials, some of which are poisonous, out of the reach of children, animals and poultry. Se- cure a State or Government bulletin on spraying and use the right ma- terlal for the particular plant pest. PRUNING OLD TREES. The problem of renovating old, neg- lected trees involves drastic pruning. However, rather than lopping off hit or miss, it is better to prune back to some strong side limb, or, in over- thick trees, to remove entire branches. Hasty work, or lack of skill in this type of pruning, may severely injure the tree, since heavy limbs, in falling, often tear away great strips of bark. ‘Inis type of injury is best avoided by first making a cut part way into the under side of the branch before mak- ing the upper cut. After the branch is removed, the remaining stub should be cleanly cut away. leaving a smooth surface which nature can cover with a new coat of bark. Wounds over 2 on and inches in diameter should be painted | with shellac or white paint. Since these wounds at the best are a po- tential source of imjury to the tree, it is recommended that the cutting of large limbs be avolded as much as possible. In fact, such drastic prun- 1 hould be kep: as a I resort P e Y ou are on the 1’\t’€$1\01(1 of Sprll\g' Will it fdeOtl on the Threshold of your own’ @25 Suburban’ Home*? LAIR-TAKOM SILVER SPRING Where the comparatively low cost of a Suburban Home arries Sixteenth Street values and advantages N Detached Houses and Bungalows lots — Cit}' charm—Only. improvements $6,500—10, on large and Suburban 25 minutes from the Treasury 900 Bungalows, $4()() Cash—%G5 a Month All With Built-in Garages TO INSPECT PROPERTIES Drive out 16th Street or Georgia Ave. Ave. a short to District Line, north on Georgia distance to new bridge on right, over bridge one square to Blair- Takoma; office just over bridge—Or take 16th St. bus or Georgia Ave. (9th Street) street car. NORTH WASHINGTON REALTY CO., Inc. P. BLAIR LEE, E. BROOKE LEE, President Jice-President It is a|garden paper, to overcome storm injurles or long neglect. In the sclentifically managed orchard or home garden there will be little occasion for such pruning, the regular annual thinning of the small- er branches and twigs being the more logical nnd profitable practice. When this latter type of pruning accom- panies good ~culture and spraying, there should result annual crops of fine fruit. SECT C RO While passing the home of an ac- quaintance several months ago, the garden editor was asked to look at some apple trees and the Japanese Burning Bush (Euonymus japonica) which were not in a thrifty condition. An inspection showed that all the plants were infested with scale in- sects. There are several types of this pest —the San Jose scale, the oyster shell scale and the scurfy scale. The in- dividual scales are about the size of a pin-head and are somewhat raised in the center. With the point of a knife they can be tipped back, exposing the organism. When abundant the scales |literally ~incrust the limbs and branches, giving an ash-gray appear- ance. They damage frult trees and shrubs by sucking the sap from the 1es of the plants. These pests are successfully con- trolled by the annual use of very strong sprays—either the Winter strength of lime-sulphur spray or one of the miscible ofls—applied during the dormant season. Inspect your trees and shrubs for scales, and spray during the next few weeks. CLUB NOTES. Join one of the many local garden clubs and share your garden experi- ence with others. Be a reader of some alning inspiration from the many seasonable articles and in- formation about making your home place a better place in which to live The {llustrated lecture glven last { Saturday evening at the Smithsonian by M. Henrl Correvon, on Alpine plants, was received with enthusiasm by a large audience. There are many people who would know more of Alpine plants, books on which may be found at the Congressional | Libra Some of these plants are | adaptable to rock gardens which would | be one of the forms in which these plants can be grown in Americ Most of the literature on rock garde ing is published in England and, course, does not treat of th gardening from the Americ point. However, several Americans_can be found stand books by at the Li- nsulting Rock Garden,” by H. That Rock Garden of Ours, Hulme, and “Adventure en_and Rock Garden,” by B. Wilder. The last author has written a number of articles on rock gardening. some of which have appeared within the past two years in one of the garden magazines. The Arlington County den Clut holds its regular meetings at the Clarendon Library, the third Thursday ry month. Mr. I. N. Ander: <ident and Mrs. Charles L. T Va., n e Adams; d- . The | ared under the ch: Lilllan Guernsey. The Georgetown Garden Club will offer an llustrated lecture on “Per- enmals” at the:Georgetown Preshyte- rian Church, on P street, on March 12 4 o'clock. The lectt llen of New York on sale and can be had upon application to Miss Catherine Weaver, treasurer, 2405 Wisconsin northwest, or admission may for at the hall. Through the ac ville Horticultural ty over roses were planted in Hyattsville, Riverdale and adjacent territory. Thi rmanship of the Hyatts. 7 Rooms, | | Em I | e e | e was the soclety’s first concerted effort to get back of the planting of one kind of shrub. It was so successful that many non-members have asked to participate in similar efforts this Spring. An innovation in club information is the issue of “Landscape Service Bulletin, No. 1, February, 1926,” by the Takoma Horticultural Club. This manuscript was prepared by Mr. B. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1926. Y. Morrison, landscape architect of the club. The directions on “Steps in planning grounds on a site where the house is already bullt” are concisely written. Appended are lists of shrubs for foundation planting, for bound- artes and for groups or specimens in the corners of the yard. This is the first of a series of articles on beautify- ing the home grounds. The pruning demonstration of the REAL ESTATE. ‘Takoma Horticultural Club took place at the home of Mr. La Pelle, 6419 Blair road, on Washington's Birthday, and was attended by a large group of interested people. Mr. E. C. Powell led the pruning on fruit trees and grapes, Dr. D. N. Shoemaker took charge of the bush fruits, while Mr. C. C. Carroll demonstrated the prun ing of roses. We have all noticed with interest the campaign carricd on in The Star by the Wild Flower Preservation So- ciety, especially in asking people to save the “dogwood.” This soclety is a national organization with chapter in many localiues. Dr. E. T. Wherry, the president of the Washington chapter, will give a radio talk on the history of this society, over WMAL on March 2. Tune in and learn more about this splendid activity. subject | of | form of | on | ie club are | of | Tickets | e will he Mrs. | avenue || be paid | 617 Fern St. N.W. Cor. Blair Rd. and Fern a.m.i., 1414 K St. NW. ' SIXTEENTH STREET HIGHLANDS 1101 Fern Street N.W 1200 Geranium Street N.W. Corner Property Center Hall Plan Semi-detached Brick Corner Alaska Ave. and 12th St. Exhibit Homes Open Sunday and Daily Until No Investment Is Better Than Earth Itself 8-Room Detached, Brick Garage CYRUS IMMON Realtor jnle—— o ——=n|——|o|——|s|——=[n|cojal——|alc———|o| ——— | o] ——= b —=[ =] A Suburb of Opportunities = lol—=lale——xlal——xalc| KURTTII BB £ 1§ W BlBl—— Il —— o] ——m Al —oo 867 Van Buren St. 7 Rooms, Center Hall Plan, Built-in Garage 611 Whittier St. N.\W. 8 Rooms, Open Fireplace, Sleeping Porch, Built-in Fixtl'lres in the Bathroom. Lot 40x130 feet to alley $2,000 Cash and Small Monthly Payments Sample Houses Open From 9 A.M. to 9 P.M. Call Sunday, Adams 7584-J, for Sedan to take ycu to these properties Main 1022 Realtor kit 100