Document YDBOK5enVRxdw5ZJ4RJDM4rn8

8 THE d DIART of a Plain Dirt Gardener . r. a orr. s -bat that tells me a lot about PAINT n y b o d y who's ever A- worked with lead knows it's a grand metal. If you-could cover a house with lead, it would just about last forever. And it's not far wrong to say that the next best thing to a metal coating when it comes to protection, is white lead. Fact is, white lead is made from lead. You can't use any other metal for making paint and get the same result. What I mean is, white lead paint gives a tough, elastic coat--a coat that never brittles up or flakes away. Don't take my say-so. Ask any painter who's been at his job long enough to time the life of white lead. Ask him what he'd paint his own house with. Any way you look at it, you're money ahead when you paint with white lead. You'll Jeern e Jot of helpful feett ebout point if you rood* "Whet to expect from White Lend Point," Write tor your copy today. Le a d In d u s t r ie s As s o c ia t io n 420 Lexington Avenue New York, N. Y. Bt Harry R. O'Brien Cwkiiwxi by tow Ctiiiti* (1 I 7 breakfast, nothing frUL7 * special on my mind, I set forth to the back to catch up on weeds and pests and summer-propa gation work. Now there be some folks who're all for show. When they set out to get the place all weeded and cultivated, they begin in front, with whatever is nearest the street. But my wav is to begin at the back and work forward. So that's why. at the far corner of the last vegetable row, 1 took up the job of getting over everything on the place, which will keep me busy about all month, what with the regu lar daily chores. First, I used a wheel David pumped, Donald sprayed, I bowed. It was fun** hoe. I rested from this by weeding beets and carrots on my knees. This evening 1 took it up again, this time hand-w'eeding an annual bed. 1 put David to w'ork at hoeing weeds out of the sweet corn. "Daddy, how long will I have to work?" he called after a bit. "Until dark," says I. Shortly he called out again. "Dad dy, the sun's down." he said, mourn fully. But 1 told him to keep on. A little bit and he called out once more. "Daddy, don't you think we'd better quit when the fireflies begin to make light?" he asked. "All right, that's a good idea,*' I replied. Whereupon he grabbed his little hoe and beat it for the toolshed. He had just seen a firefly. work over and reset most of i;.-~ Iris need division about even djv to five years, depending or. they're doing. After a bit, for variety. I a second big summer chore--h r-rt over carefully and deeplv j]; the peonies. These like lots of cu:;v>* tion, and the digging around :hnt now makes for good bloom* r.r\: vear. *1 / q Rain last night, and thn V * afternoon the Ground : just right to be worked. Beyond tomatoes and cabbage in thi \ra table garden is a space left unpiar.:rc up to now. I've gone over this u times with wheel hoe and hanc her to keep down w eeds. Right now r mellow, moist, and w'gediess. Hit - ? to be mv little nurserv or prop.i.'j'' ing bed for this summer. So here this afternoon I 1yr.'.r. transplant the thrifty perennial lings I have growing in the frame up by the toolshed-- planted along in the spring. Tl.1 dug out carefully witha small' 1 so that as much soil as possible w . cling to the roots, then back ' * them out. If you must know, ti:- :t things I transplanted were the : red pvrethrums or Painted D " Next after seedlings. I tun --I dividing. A good many pen r: -i can be divided and reset now. -i"" blooming, just as well as ir. spring. I began by digginc t" clumps of Memorial Daisic* pulled them apart to make little c vision plants. These I put back .si ,rwith the seedlings. Next, 1 divide clump of armeria, or thrift, some j pine pinks, and so on. In some years, when thine* r right, 1 get at this work about j month earlier. But it can be d<>n" anytime now, when the ground *' moist enough. I prefer to do planting toward evening and if f***' sible on a cloudy day. (7 / #y As VVC were eating supp^ druiy if |0night, a neighbor dr in with a nasturtium plant thnt w dying. Could 1 tell [ Turn to t-:* '* A food pointer is Always good investment. For ex ample. pointing up open joints and cracks on wood trim--filling them prop erly with white lead putty so they will stay water tight ---is one of the doxens of thingsthat a real painter knows bow to do. <JUL 8 *ow jt ^fcl1 i1*1 f 7 hotter today than yesterdav. so I'm clad I managed to get out a half-hour earlier than usual before breakfast to begin on one of the big summer chores--dividing and resetting iris. With so much travel in recent summers, this has been neglected and my iris have be come run down. It's high time I I began in earnest ^ divide and reset the iri* BETTER HOMES & GARP-'s'S UA l39