i8g6. 



GARDENING. 



If so, they should be "flowering" bulbs. 

 But much depends upon the cultivation; 

 if the bulbs were small they should have 

 been potted early in fall and kept rather 

 cool so as to give them a long season of 

 growth without exciting them into early 

 bloom; if large they could have been forced 

 into bloom earlier. Raised from seed the 

 plants bloom nicely the second year, but 

 of cou'se much better ihe third season. 

 Hut freesias are increased more from a 

 multiplication of bulbs than from seed. 

 These bulblets should bloom nicelv the 

 second year. 



Fuchsias. — A reader asks "what is the 

 cause of young leaves of fuchsias turning 

 yellow and falling?" Ans. Withoutknow- 

 ing anything about the condition of the 

 plants or how they are grown, we cannot 

 tell. But if they are will rooted and the 

 leaves are turning yellow we should let 

 them go to rest, that is keep them cool 

 ruid rather dry at the root. This may, 

 after awhile, defoliate them completely, 

 I ut that doesn't matter, towards spring 

 cut them back somewhat, set them up to 

 the light, give them a little more water, 

 and let them grow. 



CoLOCASiA.— P. H C, Paris, Ontario, 

 nsks about the correctness of this generic 

 name. Ans. The name Co/ocas/a is good 

 and the description of your plant seems 

 to fit it. Alocasia, Colocasia, and Cala- 

 (Ihim are generic names that are a good 

 (leal mi.xed up in catalogues, lor instance 

 the proper name of the big green leaved 

 plant commonly known as Calacliurn 

 csculentuw is Colocasia esculenta. 



Bego.nia Vernon.— a reader writes: "A 

 cutting of B. Ternon rooted last spring 

 has sulked for two months, or since I 

 liinchcd ofi' the buds, as it was but four 



inches high." Ans. A year old olant 

 should be a deal bigger than that. Pinch- 

 ing: off the flower buds should do the 

 plant good. If the roots are good and the 

 plant otherwise healthy we would let it 

 live along till next May, then plant it out; 

 but if it is at all unhealthy we would 

 dump it out, and raise a fresh lot from 

 seed. 



Lemon Oil.— I have tried it as an 

 insecticide and find it all right for thrips 

 on azaleas, and we had some ferns which 

 were troubled with aphis, and it killed the 

 insects without injuring the voung fronds. 

 F. C. Curtis. 



The Fruit Garden. 



VVc find Garber's Hybrid an unprofita- 

 ble pear and only good for preserving; it 

 is a long while in coming into bearing 

 and ripens in November. Le Conte ripens 

 in October and is a beautiful fruit but 

 lacking in quality, it rots as soon as ripe 

 and cooks soft, and both are inferior to 

 Keiffer, which all who appreciate aSeckel, 

 Bosc or Anjou as dessert pears as grown 

 here do not highly esteem. 



PRUNIS SIMONI. 



When this plum was first known wc 

 planted five trees, expecting to realize the 

 glowing description we had read, but 

 alas, when they bore fruit no one could 

 be induced to take a second bite. We 

 gralted them with the Abundance plum 

 and they arc truly named, and are good 

 to eat, prolific and fine for preserving. 



All hail to the Japan plums. All the dan- 

 ger is in allowing them to overbear; wc 

 have to prop the branches up or they 

 break, and so far they are almost free 

 from knots and but little troubled by the 

 curculio. Our domestic plums rotted 

 badly, and we felt sad to find all the 

 S|iaulding, a most excellent dessert fruit, 

 lot on the tree. 



lisopus Spitzenburg Apple.— In an 

 agricultural paper the question was asked 

 wliy the Esopus Spitzenburg apple was 

 not more planted here. About -tO years 

 ago we planted four trees in our orchard, 

 they lingered and grew slowly; three have 

 since died and the one left has not borne 

 a full crop yet and the apple is deficient in 

 the aroma and highflavorof those grown 

 in Western New York. 



Cultivate the ground in summer.— 

 The last summer we kept the cultivator 

 going through the drouth both in the 

 garden and nurserj', and the trees and 

 plants scarcely were affected by it. Keep- 

 ing the ground stirred is the best irriga- 

 tion we can give a mellow soil, it pre- 

 vents to a great extent e aporation from 

 the surface, and although it is dust on the 

 top it is a great protection. Try it. 



Isaac Hicks. 



Westburv Station, Long Island. 



THE F. BflRRy PEAR. 



During late summer and fall we have 

 lots of pears, enough for every purpose of 

 dessert, stewing and cannirg, evtn up till 

 Christmas we have feveral, but later than 

 that, notwithstanding V\ inter Nelis, Glou 

 .Morceau, Easter Beurre, and some others 

 we have a scarcity of real good pears, and 

 it is right here where the P. Barry pear 

 comes in. We are indebted to theco'urtesy 

 of Messrs. EUwanger & Barry, the intro- 

 ducers forthe useof theillustration. They 

 say of it: "Another of the late-keeping 

 Fox seedlings. Large, pyrifonn; skin 

 orange yellow, covered with russet spots 

 and blotches, flesh very juicy, buttery, 

 fine grained; flavor sprightly, rich, excel- 

 lent. The best late winter pear. Resem- 

 bles Anjou in texture of flesh and Winter 

 Nelis in color of skin and juiciness of flesh. 

 Tree a good grower and must be top 

 grafted. Ripe in April. We exhibited fine 

 specimens of this pear at the World's 

 Fair latter part of May." 



GROWING BERRIES. 



Growing berries successfully requires 

 good taste, industry, determination and 

 a natural love for the work, doing that 

 which ought to be done at the right 

 time and in the best possible manner, 

 determine to overcome bug. blight, frosts, 

 drouth aud short crops. None of these 

 essentials can be omitted without loss, if 

 not failure. Study quality of soil, location 

 and adaption to your wants. The soil 

 must be well drained and made rich and 

 the fertility maintained with the best fer- 

 tilizers. None are better than barnyard 

 manure and wood ashes. 



Study the best varieties for your loca- 

 tion. In the north hardy plants are 

 essential. Studv plant growth, enemies 

 and remedies. The labor of years may be 

 lost if this is neglected. It is safest to 

 grow several varieties having something 

 tn pick at all seasons. If strawberries fail, 

 raspberries, currants and gooseberries 

 may succ ed; these gone, we still h-ipe for 

 blackberries, grapes and other fruits. 

 Complete failure in a single variety may 

 come often, entire failure of many varie- 

 ties, seldom. M. A. Thayer. 



Sparta, Wis. 



