1879.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



267 



about twelve or eighteen inches in height its 

 elegance can scarcely be surpassed. The stem 

 is smooth and slender, slightly mottled with 

 brown, the leaves are alternate, and the leaflets 

 • deepl}' cut or laciniated, of a light or pleasing 

 green color. Native of the South Sea Islands." 



Hyacinthus candicans.— This pretty Sum- 

 mer blooming Hyacinth, which was first made 

 known to Americans by a German exhibitor at 

 the Centennial, is becoming a very popular bulb 

 for Fall planting. 



A Striped Forget-me-not.— The list of va- 

 rieties of cultivated Forget-me-nots is by no 

 means numerous, and the addition to it of a 

 pretty novelty that Mr. Cannell showed us the 

 other day is a welcome acquisition. Its flowers, 

 which are of moderate size, have a ground color 

 nearly white, with five stripes of blue radiating 

 from the centre in a star-like manner, producing 

 a pretty as well as quaint appearance. At pre- 

 sent we are unable to speak of its habit, or 

 whether it exists in quantity or merely as a soli- 

 tary sport. — Garden. 



SCRAPS AND QUERIES. 



Dalmatian Insect Powder. — We have had 

 many inquiries as to where this can be obtained. 

 We find on inquiry that it is so well-known an 

 article in the drug trade, and so readily to be ob- 



tained if one wants to oblige a customer, that 

 the druggist who knows nothing about it can be 

 safely set down as behind the times. 



Propagating Double Petunias. — Mrs. J. 

 M., Newton, Ohio, writes: "Will some one 

 please tell me how to propagate a double Petu- 

 nia? There are no seed pods formed yet, and I 

 would like to know if I can grow some from 

 slips? I have tried the common way but 

 failed to get them to root. Is there any particu- 

 lar way of treating them to make them form 

 seed pods? I have such a grandly beautiful one 

 that I would like to propagate it in all its beauty 

 if possible." 



[Double Petunas are generally raised from slips 

 or cuttings by florists. These are taken off" be- 

 fore the plant has fully exhausted itself by 

 blooming. Not the extreme points nor the ex- 

 treme lower parts of the branches are taken, 

 but those usually known as " half ripened." 

 They grew very well in September. Sometimes 

 where great certainty is required in getting the 

 cuttings to grow some of the branches are cut 

 back half way and new ones come out, and 

 the cuttings are made from these before any 

 flowers exhaust the branch. The best double 

 Petunias rarely seed. They are obtained by 

 taking pollen from half double flowers and plac- 

 ing it on the stigmas of the single ones. The 

 progeny will be double in various degrees. — Ed. 

 G. M.] 



Fruit and Vegetable Gardening. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



The vegetable season is almost over, though 

 some care may be used to advantage. 



Tomatoes will still repay care bestowed in 

 keeping them in shape. Those grown on stakes 

 should be tied up, and will continue bearing for 

 some time yet. Where the ground is very dry 

 waste water from the kitchen will benefit them. 

 Some say that if plants are raised at this sea- 

 son, or cuttings made from old plants now, they 

 will fruit very early next year. It may be worth 

 thinking of at this time. 



Egg plants like plenty of moisture, with sun 

 and air. If the ground be dry, give them abun- 

 dant manure water ; they will bear until frost. 



Potatoes, as soon as the tops are well decayed, 

 are best taken up at once, as they appear less 

 liable to rot afterwards, than if left long in the 

 ground. , 



Turnips also may still be sown. In fact, if 

 the soil be rich, a better quality of root for table 

 use will be obtained than if sown earlier. 



The main crop of spinach should now be sown. 

 Properly cooked, there are few vegetables more 

 agreeable to the general taste, and few families 

 who have gardens will wish to be without it. It 



