1885.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



141 



chased our stock of a florist in Indiana, as a new 

 double yellow variety named lutea plena, which 

 from the description given us of the color and 

 size of flowers we were led to believe was an en- 

 tirely new and distinct variety. Our first plants 

 bloomed with us during the past few days ; the 

 flowers are of large size, and nearly the same in 

 color as chrysanthemum Mr. Geo. Glenny, and 

 quite double. We are tempted to believe, as Mr. 

 Slocombe says, it is Cernua plena, nevertheless it 

 is a very pretty little plant." 



The Bridal Rose, Blackberry. — Mr. John F. 

 Clark says: "I send you flower of the 'Bridal 



Rose,' Rubus rosaefolius. This plant I consider 

 well worthy of cultivation, yet it is rarely met with 

 nowadays. I am sure the florists could use this to 

 advantage. It is a profuse bloomer. The flowers 

 are pure white, very double, and as large as a 

 Camellia. At this date I could cut from a plant 

 in 9-inch pot from seventy-five to a hundred 

 flowers." 



[This is the new form introduced of late years, 

 and much superior to the old one that has been in 

 cultivation for nearly a century. A well-grown 

 plant like this of Mr. Clark's must be a beautiful 

 object.— Ed. G. M.] 



Fruit and Vegetable Gardening. 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



The most paramount question with the fruit gar- 

 dener is the destruction of insects. We have to 

 confess to a belief that all schemes for their whole- 

 sale destruction have proved failures, and that 

 our best hope is in their individual destruction. 

 The different kinds of moths and flies may be en- 

 trapped by the thousand, in a persevering employ- 

 ment of wide mouthed bottles of sweet liquids 

 hung about the trees. The curculio, whose most 

 tempting allurements do not lie like moths in the 

 way of sweet food, but in finding a nice juicy 

 nidus for the deposit of eggs wherewith to per- 

 petuate its species, can be slain by the hundreds, 

 by perseverance in the shaking process. A snag, 

 made by sawing off a small branch a few inches 

 from the main trunk of the tree, should be secured 

 on each, on the point of which to hammer, — 

 otherwise the bark of the tree would be irrepara- 

 bly injured. With a sheet spread under the tree, 

 and a sharp, quick jar with the hammer, all the 

 pests then on the tree may be secured and de- 

 stroyed. They are rather lazily inclined, but still 

 a few will come from your neighbor's trees ; but 

 a few jarrings occasionally will keep them down. 

 E.\perience has shown that this course, which 

 only demands a little labor, is much more effectual 

 than the thousand schemes that have been de- 

 vised for hanging various charms about the 

 branches, and then kneeling down and crying on 

 Hercules for assistance. 



When, however, the plum tree grows stout, even 

 the snag plan of jarring is not wholly successful, 

 and the Geneva plan of having a padded end to a 

 long pole — a sort of crutch — by which the larger 

 branches are jarred over the sheet, is found a 

 great improvement. 



If large fruit is wanted thinning assists. Straw- 

 berries are increased in size by watering in a dry 

 time. Fruit should be allowed to bear only ac- 

 cording to their strength. If a transplanted tree 

 grows freely it may bear a few fruits, — but bear in 

 mind growth and great fruitfulness are antagonis- 

 tic processes. 



Handsome forms are as desirable in fruit as in 

 ornamental trees. No winter pruning will do this 

 exclusively. It may furnish the skeleton — but it 

 is summer pinching which clothes the bones with 

 beauty. A strong shoot soon draws all its nutri- 

 ment to itself. Never allow one shoot to grow 

 that wants to be bigger than others. Equality 

 must be insisted on. Pinch out always, as soon as 

 they appear, such as would push too strongly 

 ahead — and keep doing so till the new buds seem 

 no stronger than the others. Thus the food gets 

 equally distributed. 



Where water can be commanded, there is noth- 

 ing so profitable as to well soak the soil about 

 small fruits ; first about the time that they have 

 set their fruit. Much of the value of this opera- 

 tion, however, will depend on the nature of the 

 soil. The advantages are least in a tenacious, 

 and greatest in porous soil. It is said that an ani- 



