258 



GARDENING. 



May 15, 



It isn't a tree that is subject at all to 

 insect or fungus diseases. 



We mustn't confound this tree with the 

 Chinese double flowering apple tree, which 

 is not uncommon in our gardens; it too 

 is a handsome garden ornament, bloom- 

 ing a few davs later than the Japanese 

 crab apple. 'We hope to give j'ou a pic- 

 ture of ic in next issue of G.4RDENING. 



fl HEDGE BY T«B SEASIDE. 



T. D. S., Conn., writes: I wish to screen 

 some property with a thick growing 

 hedge. The salt sprav will strike it occa- 

 sionally. What can I use? I would like 

 to use a willow unless there is something 

 much better. 



If you can giye it good soil and keep its 

 root's away from the salt water the laurel 

 leayed wil'low should do fairly well in 

 such a place. You can cut it in eyeryyear 

 as much as you want to. While it makes 

 a fine growth in summer it is naked 

 enough in winter. We have tried several 

 willows on the coast where the salt water 

 got to their roots once or twice a year, 

 but all have failed; where the salt water 

 didn't get to their roots, however, they 

 have braved the storms nicely. The 

 golden barked willow, a bushier tree, has 

 also done well with us, but a salt water 

 soaking at the root will injure it greatly. 

 California privet will do well if the soil is 

 rich. Honey locust will both stand the 

 sprav and a little root soaking too, and 

 it makes a quick, light hedge; sea buck- 

 thorn should do extra well, so should 

 barberry, but probably neither is big 

 enough for your purpose. 



BOX HEDOE-ROSES-BOOK ON FLOWER 

 GARDEN. 



A. B. C, Orange, N.J. , asks; "1. How 

 can I start a box wood hedge from a box 

 wood shrub? 2. Are English, German 

 or American roses the best to buy for a 

 rose garden? 3. What is the be.st book 

 to consult for advice about a flower gar- 

 den?" 



1. There are two kindsof box, namely, 

 tree box, which is usually grown as iso- 

 lated specimens. and dwartor edgingbox. 

 The tree box would make a low or me- 

 dium hedge in the north, and a strong 

 hedge in the south; although the dwarf 

 box will in time make a hedge two or 

 more feet in height, it looks best when 

 restricted to edgings of shorter growth. 

 Both are propagated by cuttings, and the 

 dwarf one in particular by division. 

 From cuttings (supposing you have no 

 cold frames to put them into): Take a lot 

 of healthv leafy branches, 6 or S inches 

 long, and'shorten their tips a little; then 

 in a thinly shaded place in moistish 

 ground plant these close together in a 

 row, burying them half their depth. 

 Tamp the "ground firmly about them, and 

 sprinkle them overhead. And for a week 

 or two sprinkle them overhead once or 

 twice a day, but not so as to soak the 

 ground. A good many of them will root. 

 Then in a year or two lift them and plant 

 them out so as to form the hedge row 

 you wish to make. In resetting the 

 dwarf box we dig up the old plants, chop 

 off' the deep rooted part, then tear the 

 clumps apart into many pieces, which we 

 cut into all about the same size, and 

 replant them, keeping them so well down 

 in the row that nothing but the leafy part 

 IS above ground. Of course some of the 

 old roots are retained to each piece. They 

 soon root afresh, mostly near the surface of 

 theground. Packing tlie soil firmly about 



them at planting time and a few sprink- 

 lings overhead helps them very much. 



2. American bv all means. 



3. "The EngUsh Flower Garden," by 

 William Robinson. London. Price, post- 

 paid, $6, and it may be had from thepub- 

 lisher of this journal. Although this is 

 an English work, it is, with a little dis- 

 cretion on our part quite applicable for 

 use in this country. Its teachings are 

 sound and practicable; it is the voice of 

 actual and briUiant experience; it is right 

 up to date and lavishly illustrated. In the 

 matter of refined flower gardening, know- 

 ing it and practicing it, and being able to 

 communicate the art to others, its author 

 stands head and shoulders above any 

 other gardener living. 



ft FEW DESIRABLE SHRUBS FOR FLORIDA. 



Tbevetia iieriifolia bears some resem- 

 blance to the oleanders, and on that ac- 

 count is often called yellow oleander, 

 though erroneously. Its varnished-like, 

 pinnate foliage causes the shrub to be 

 highly prized as a lawn plant. Its flow- 

 ers are bell-shaped, and borne continu- 

 ously and profusely. They are of a beau- 

 tiful" shade of yellow. All summer 1 he 

 plant is a mass of golden bells, often 

 weighing the branches to the ground. 

 In the fall it bears fruit, which are called 

 geigar apples. They are not edible, 

 though not poisonous, as some appear to 

 think; yet the plant belongs to a genus of 

 plants,' some of which are poisonous. 

 The apple contains a hard shelled seed 

 which is very peculiarly shaped. They are 

 often worn by sailors and colored people, 

 and are called "Tricky" seeds. They 

 germinate readily. The plant is increased 

 by root division, cuttings and seeds 



'Poinsettia pvlcherrima, though agrcen- 

 house plant at the north, grows to good 

 sized trees in some parts of Florida. Its 

 tropical foliage is very attractive, and 

 when in bloom it is magnificent. The 

 flowers are very insignificant, but the 

 bracts that surround the flowers are 

 brilliant. They remain in bloom a long 

 time. For Christmas blooms, the cut- 

 tings are rooted in summer. At the north 

 they are prized highly for Christmas 

 dec'orations. When they are growing 

 the ends of the branches are broken out, 

 so as to cause them to branch out, and 

 thus obtain more blooms. Each branch 

 has a bloom. 



.\llamanda is highly ornamental as a 

 climber, or in bush form. Its immense 

 blossoms of golden yellow are borne in 

 great profusion. When a fine specimen 

 is covered with blooms it calls forth ex- 

 clamations of dehght from all who be- 

 hold it. 



Duranta is a shrub also known by the 

 name of golden drop, and very appro- 

 priately so, as golden drops follow the 

 lavender blossoms. It may be grown in 

 bush form or as a climber. Cuttings root 

 readilv and soon make fine plants E. 

 Florida. 



The Flower Garden. 



that come what may, your hardy peren- 

 nials will be in line and take their place 

 ill the floral procession at the proper 

 time. For this they ask, and deserve, 

 good treatment. Exuberance of flower 

 and foliage re()uire a proportionate 

 amount of food. One must remember 

 that a plant is like a horse tied to a man- 

 ger, he cannot forage for food, it must be 

 brought to him. 



No garden plant responds to generous 

 treatment more cheerfully than the tall 

 growing phloxes. Hybridizing has caused 

 a wonderful improvement in this familj- 

 since the days of our grandmother's gar- 

 dens, both in size of bloom and brilliancy 

 and variation of color. In the picture 

 here illustrated are two varieties, the 

 one in front being the dwarf white Pan- 

 ama, about eighteen inches tall, and back 

 of it is Woolson's "Resplendens," which 

 measured exactly five feet high when in 

 its prime last August. The color of this 

 phlox is a crimson remarkably brilliant 

 and effective at a distance. The plants 

 retain their foliage down to the ground 

 and completely hide the cane stakes used 

 in protecting them against the heavy 

 wind storms. This staking is a very 

 necessary help where an even mass of 

 bloom is desired, and each individual 

 truss is given its proper place. This bed 

 is ten feet square, two feet deep, drained; 

 soil rather heavy and well manured at 

 the start. Each'winter a coating of old 

 manure is put on, some four inches deep. 

 In the spring only the rougher part is re- 

 moved, and during the summer water is 

 given freely. Even,' third fall the plants 

 are taken" out, divided and replanted, 

 some soil being carted away and fresh 

 loam added. The two beds of grasses 

 consist of -4runrfo Do na.Y (first year) for 

 the center, then one row of Eu/a//a/apon- 

 ica zebrina with Eulaliajaponica striata 

 for the outer row. They receive about 

 the same winter and summer treatment 

 accorded to the phlox, except that the 

 crown of the Arundo Donax is covered 

 with a board or anything to keep the 

 water from it. I have carried the arundo 

 through five winters thus protected. 

 Highland Park, 111. W. C. Egan. 



HARDY FLOWERS-OLD FRIENDS IN FRESH 

 DRESSES. 



.\mong all the pleasures of gardening, 

 and there are <nany, none are more wel- 

 come than the annual development of 

 hardv perennials, whose simple wants, 

 your' cor science tells you, you have sup- 

 'plied. Amid the .-mxiety attending your 

 hotbed occupants, the fearof tardy frosts, 

 and the antics of the nocturnal cutworm, 

 tlure is a ])eacel'ul feeling in the assurance 



LILIES FOR THE GARDEN. 



Lilium auratiim (golden rayed lily) 

 stands at the head of the list of cheaper 

 sorts, and perhaps of the whole genus. So 

 far as I have seen in growing it here, a 

 rather heavy soil, principally loam, but 

 with perfect "drainage and always moist, 

 is what it needs. For a fertilizer to be 

 worked into the bed before setting, a 

 compost of leaf mold, peat and turf loam 

 is as good as anything. This should.be 

 worked in to a" good depth below the 

 bulbs, and the bulbs surrounded by half 

 an inch of sand or pure loam. Never let 

 the bulb come in contact with theenriched 

 soil, if possible. Plant the bulb in autumn 

 or early spring, to a depth of five inches; 

 then after it is up a foot or more mulch 

 with two or three inches of fine peat or 

 leaf mold. Other mulches may be substi- 

 tuted. I prefer the peat to anything else. 



Autumn is considered the best season 

 to set lilies, but I have had good success 

 with spring planting. In fact I think 

 spring the best for some. I never lost a 

 bulb of L. longiflorum when set in spring, 

 but have lost many with autumn plant- 

 ing. L. auratum does nicely among low 

 shrubbery, where it gets the sun a part of 

 the day and is sheltered from severe 

 winds. ' It should not be placed very near 

 trees or tall shrubs lest their roots rob 

 the lilies of the fertility and moisture in 

 the soil. Especially should niai)le trees 



