44 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[February, 



Sweet Violet, The "White Czak.— This is 

 anewA'ariety ofthe well-known violef'The Czar" 

 so largely grown for the market on account of 

 the size of its flowers and the length of their 

 stalks, their fragrance and their abundance. To 

 these advantages the new variety adds the merit 

 of having white flowers, which come into market 

 at a season when white flowers are very scarce. 



Habranthus. — The Garden calls attention to 

 these as among the most beautiful of Spring flow- 

 ering bulbs. II. pratensis especially. They are 

 from Chili. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



"Wall Flower.— F. H.,Xew Bedford, Mass. 

 The plant you send is the common European Wall 

 Flower. It is scarcely hardy in this country, and 

 is therefore neglected; but it is an admirable 



plant for window or greenhouse culture, and we 

 are glad that our correspondent has given us the 

 chance to say this good word for it. 



Seedling Carnation. — Mr. Wm. A. Bock, 

 North Cambridge, Mass., writes: I send by this 

 mail sample of flowers of a seedling carnation 

 which I have raised. I have tested it now two 

 years and find it to be a very profuse bloomer, 

 and of very dwarf habit. Enclosed please find 

 postal card for reply. I would like to have your 

 opinion as to whether it is really a new pink or 

 an old one reproduced. 



[We have never seen a variety like this. It is 

 a pretty rosy pink in color, and deeply fringed 

 around the edges. Every flower shows that the 

 great value of a Winter blooming carnation de- 

 pends on habit, more than on the individual 

 flower. All we can say from the flower alone 

 is that it promises to be a valuable variety. — Ed. 

 G. M.] 



Fruit and Vegetable Gardening. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



In practical hints suited to the season, it is 

 very hard to say much that is new, or that has 

 not been often gone over before. The greatest 

 gain of the few past years has been in divesting 

 fruit culture of much of that mystery with which 

 it was formerly surrounded. Almost any soil 

 will grow fruit trees tolerably well, and a very 

 little common sense and observation will teach 

 people how to manage them in a tolerable sort of 

 a way. Of course, if the very highest excellence 

 is desired, then extra care in the selection of 

 spots, and extra expense and skill, are necessary. 

 But the trouble has chiefly been that new begin- 

 ners have been taught by writers who were aim- 

 ing at the highest excellence, wliich after all can 

 only be reached by experience ; and starting at 

 this wrong end, so many people fail. The fact is 

 very few men who recommend spending from 

 two to five hundi-ed dollars an acre in getting 

 ready a fruit orchard, ever do it themselves. 



Wherever grafting is td^'be done, many proceed 

 at once when they think frost is over. Our ex- 

 perience is that the best time is just as the leaf 

 buds are Ijursting. The grafts must be cut long 

 before, and buried in the earth to keep them from 

 shrivelling. When the scions are thus preserved 

 grafting may be done to near midsummer. Very 

 strong and long grafts may be used on all trees, 

 if not done too early. Marshall P. Wilder gets 

 strong trees very soon by this plan. If too early 

 done these long shoots would dry up. These re- 

 marks are for amateurs who have but a few trees 

 to do ; and it is now almost a necessity for every 

 one to have some varieties which are not found 

 to do well in a locality re-grafted with those that 

 will. N'urserymen who have much to do, must 

 ' begin early ; but they use short grafts, with little 

 evaporating surface exposed. For wax to keep 

 out the air from the wound, farmers use common 

 earth, with a piece of rag tied around to keep it 

 from washing away. Others who have more to 

 do, use beeswax, rosin, and lard in about equal 

 proportions, melted, and applied a little warm. 



