iSgs- 



GARDENING. 



43 



licap of manure as that; if it didn't bum 

 up with fire, it would burn up of its own 

 li at, and rende the manure of very little 

 fertilizing worth. 



Sl'I.NKLKSS GoOSICllIiRRV IlLSllKS. — We 



have read a good deal about them sincea 

 year. The Gardeners' Magazine tells us 

 that the first one was raised among a 

 bateh of seedling gooseberry bushes by 

 M. Billard, of Franee, in 1860. It 

 attraeted no particular notice till M. 

 Lefort took hold of it in 188+ and raised 

 several good varieties from it These have 

 now passed into the hands of MM. 

 Letellier et Fils, Caen, France. "Four 

 varieties have been selected for distribu- 

 tion, and these are Souvenir dc Billard, a 

 vigorous growing variety with spreading 

 branches productive, and bearing large red 

 fruits, Edouard Lefort, remarkable for its 

 productiveness and the high quality of its 

 vinous red fruit; Madame Edouard 

 l-efort, dwarf in growth and bearing 

 medium-sized red fruits, which remain in 

 condition upon the tree for some time 

 alter attaining maturity, and Belle de 

 Meaux, vigorous in growth and produc- 

 tive, the fruits bright red." 



"Gooseberries, whether English or 

 varieties of native growth, do not suc- 

 ceed well in the I'nited States of America, 

 owing to the prevalence of drouth and 

 the ravages of mildew. Try again, Ameri- 

 can cousins; plant in cool, fairly moist 

 situations." So we read in a trans- 

 .\tlantic contemporary. If our foreign 

 friends should visit the exhibitions of the 

 Mass. Hort. Society at gooseberry time 

 they'd see that even Jonathan knows 

 something about growing their big 

 gooseberries; at the same time we can- 

 didly allow that this is no gooseberry 

 country, the game isn't worth the candle. 

 We can grow very fair natives, but then 

 there is a big difference between them and 

 what we used to pick in Lancashire. 

 Vour advice is lost upon us, w* have tried 

 that too many years, without success, to 

 have a ray of hope left. Still, now and 

 again some painstaking amateur sur- 

 prises us with the fine gooseberries that 

 lie raises; but we in our hurry can't stop 

 to do it. 



The use of plants in and around fac- 

 tory buildings has already been com- 

 mented on in Gardening. A gratifying 

 example of this is the Scotten tobacco 

 factory at Detroit. A strip of well-kept 

 turf separates the building from the street, 

 and this is embellished by palms, small 

 liay trees and beds of flowering plants, 

 while the entrance arches display hang- 

 ing baskets. The Japanese ampelopsis is 

 to be trained to cover the walls. Mr. 

 Orrin Scotten, an enthusiastic amateur, 

 ])Ossessing one of the most beautiful 

 jilaces in Detroit, is anxious to encourage 

 a love of flowers among his employees, 

 and the factory planting will certainly 

 further this. Another Detroit idea was 

 the use of fine specimen palms and other 

 decorative plants in the power house of a 

 street railway. The Michigan Central 

 Railway is greatly to be commended for 

 the beautifully kept gardens at all the 

 st.itions throughout the state. At Ypsi- 

 laiiti, where the display is equal to that 

 made at many ambitious parks, every 

 woman passenger on the through trains 

 is presented with a little nosegay from a 

 lieaping basket provided for the purjiose. 



Very Fine Asters.— C. W. R., White- 

 hall, Mich., writes: "I have had White 

 Branching China asters this.scason whose 

 flowers measure +',2 inches across and 

 ijerfectlv double." 



Miscellaneous. 



flow I GROW CflNNflS. 



In A- 



LS of 



soil, retaining one and not more than two 

 eves to each piece; these make larger 

 growth and finer foliage the nif moreeyes 

 were left. When they have grown a foot 

 high, about the third week in May, we 

 plant them out in open ground if the 

 weather is suitable, if not we pot them 

 singly until we are ready to set them out. 

 In windy situat ions it is best to plant them 

 out as soon as their first leaf shows itself 

 above the ground, when they do not break 

 off so easily and are hardier and stronger 

 than plants having a lengthier growth. 



To be effective the beds should not be 

 too large. Mr. William Robinson of Lon- 

 don, in Sub-tropical Gardening, truly 

 says that "enormous meaningless masses 

 of them are things to avoid, and not to 

 imitate." A circular bed about 15 feet 

 wide is a good size to p'ant the tallest 

 varieties in. It should be made level and 

 filled with good soil enriched with one- 

 fourth its bulk ofgood well-rotted manure. 

 Indeed if the bed is little below the sur- 

 rounding surface, so that the water will 

 not run off it would be better than if 

 raised above the level. If the bed is larger 

 than 15 to 18 feet in diameter for the tall- 

 est variety it will look low and squatty, 

 and if smaller it will look too high. After 

 they are planted we give them a good 

 watering, then when they have started 

 to grow rapidly, say about July 1, we 

 place the hose on the ground in the centre 

 of the canna bed, and let the water run 

 slowly all night. During the warm and 

 growing season they cannot have too 

 much water at the roots. Don't water 

 the foliage in the beds more than once a 

 week when the plants are in bloom, as it 

 spoils the flowers. Keep cutting the old 

 flowers oft' before they set seed, and the 

 bloom will be continuous until frost. 



A well grown canna is a helpful addition 

 to any kind of architecture, and is suitable 

 for planting at base or side of steps or 

 porch. Cannas are also very eftective 

 planted in clumps or singly along walks 

 or lawns, and are useful for screening tm- 

 sightly views. A very handsome bed may 

 be made of one color, say Chas. Hender- 

 son, Alphonse Bouvier, with a border of 

 one of the dwarf yellow varieties. In a 

 neighbor's terrace lawn the owner has 

 planted clumps of these cannas (assorted) 

 at the foot of three terraces, and the 

 plants five to six feet apart; the efiect is 

 very pleasing, especially with the grassy 

 background. At the World's Fair last 

 year, between Horticultural Hall and the 

 greenhouses were two novel round beds, 

 raised eight to twelve feet high, the 

 mounds being made, so I was informed, 

 of old boxes, manure and refuse sphagnum 

 moss and soil from cleaning out the 

 greenhouses and sheds They were planted 

 chiefly with Mme. Crozy cannas, yuccas, 

 castor oil plants and smaller things to fill 

 the bare spots; being so high and abun- 

 dantly watered they were very etTective. 



Seedlings. — Cannas are easily grown 

 from seed and the seedlings bloom the 

 first year. Soak the seed in warm water 

 for twenty-four hours before planting it 

 and most of it will germinate. Good 

 varieties arc raised in this way, and rais- 

 ing seedlings should be encouraged, but 

 my advice is throw all new varieties on 

 the rubbish heap unless they are decided 



and distinct improvements on such 

 varieties as Chas. Henderson, Alphonse 

 Bouvier, Florence Vaughan, Capt. P. de 

 Suzzoni, Mme. Crozy, Paul Marquant, 

 and other good varieties now in use. 



Insects.— The canna is remarkably 

 free from insect pests. Red spider and a 

 small white hairy worm which rolled up 

 the leaves and cut holes in them, disfigur- 

 ing them badly, are the only insects I have 

 found on themf the remedy for the red 

 spider is the hose and lots of it, for the 

 worm hand picking. 



Taki.sg Up.— The first day after frost I 

 cut off most of the tops, leaving a few 

 leaves on, then take up the roots and 

 plant them, without dividing, in boxes in 

 sandy soil, and place these in a light cellar 

 or under a bench in the greenhouse, care 

 being taken to sec that they are given 

 only enough water to prevent them from 

 drying up, and not enough to cause rot. 

 If I have plenty of room we plant them 

 on a greenhouse bench and keep them 

 growing all winter, and at Christmas and 

 Easter we cut flowers enough from them 

 to pay for their keeping. 



Qualifications.— A good canna should 

 possess good foliage, a sturdy habit, a 

 large bright flower, composed of wideand 

 not too long petals, ofgood waxy sub- 

 stance; the flower stalk should raise well 

 above the foliage, and a good bright 

 color. The flowers on the stalks should 

 not crowd one anothertoo much and they 

 need not necessarily be upright, as is the 

 standard set by some, but may droop, as 

 in the Irldifolia or Ehemanni type; to 

 some they are more graceful and beautiful 

 than the upright type. For years I have 

 been testing all the new varieties as they 

 were introduced. Some were extra fine, 

 but many should not have been sent out; 

 some had new shades and markings but 

 lacked substance and breadth of petals, 

 etc. Some years a variety would do 

 especially well, andthenextyear a variety 

 that was poor the previous season would 

 take first place. Some plants of a variety 

 do better in some locations than in others, 

 planted at same time and given same 

 treatment. 



The best twelve grown this year by me 

 of the previous introductions are: 



Chas. Henderson, of its color (rich vivid 

 crimson) the best canna to date; petals 

 wide, not too much reflexed and of fair 

 substance; very desirable planted singly 

 and good for beds of all one color. 



Florence Vaughan, the gem of all 

 cannas, color bright golden yellow, thickly 

 spotted with bright crimson; petals 

 broad, not too long, and of good sub- 

 stance; flowers lasting well this dry 

 season. A fine companion plant to Chas. 

 Henderson. It is not quite as showy as 

 Capt. P. de Suzzoni for a bed of yellow. 



Alphonse Bouvier, the brightest canna 

 we have for bedding (richest crimson). 

 Grand for massing in beds. 



Capt. P. de Suzzoni is the best yellow 

 for planting in solid bed of one color; it is 

 a canary yellow shade spotted lightly 

 with red. 



Mme. Crozy keeps up the reputation of 

 being the most free flowering of the Crozy 

 type of cannas. It often comes true from 

 seed. 



Paul Marquant is another grand canna, 

 color of flowers, salmon scarlet. 



Geoffroy St. Hilaire is, this season, the 

 best dark or purple leaved variety. It is 

 fine for massing in beds; flowers orange 

 red. 



J. C. Vaughan is another equally good 

 purple leaf canna with larger and darker 

 flowers than the preceding. 



J.D.Cabos,agem,and President Camot 

 are both good varieties that cannot be 



