i8g6. 



' • • GARDENING. 



329 



them constantly growing, or do they 

 require rest? 



Ans. The passion flower vine is an 

 evergreen and must be kept somewhat 

 moist all the year round. It requires 

 greenhouse protection in winter. The 

 cissus. however, is practically a deciduous 

 vine requiring a rest in winter; at least 

 while we can keep it on as j-oung plants 

 they may be retained as evergreen, but 

 old plants should be rested by being kept 

 dry in winter. Air,isT SmvKi.nixK. 



Missouri. 



SUMMER TREATMENT Of CflRNflTIONS IN 

 THE FIELD. 



The main |)ointin caring for field grown 

 carnations during the summer is proper 

 and thorough cultivation. I much pre- 

 fer to plant my carnations in rows 3 feet 

 apart and 12 inches asunder in the row, 

 using a horse and Planet Jr. horse hoc 

 constantly, runnL g through the rows 



not less than once in two weeks and if 

 rains are frequent once each week. 



The cultivator is r gulated so as to cut 

 not to exceed 2 to 2V2 inches deep. It is 

 this constant loosening of the top soil be- 

 tween the rows that keeps the under soil 

 where the main root growth takes place 

 in that moist condition (even in dry 

 weather) so essential to a proper vigor- 

 ous growth. The cutting off of the roots 

 between the rows, which so many com- 

 plain of is of much benefit, causing a 

 spongy growth of fibrous roots close to 

 the plants as well as balancing the top 

 pruning which the plant receives in top- 

 ping back. If the cultivating is done after 

 each rain and a space 8 inches wide in the 

 row when the plants stand is left uncult- 

 ivated the plants will not receive any 

 check of any moment. 



In hoeing around the plants care must 

 be used to hoe very shallow and not to 

 draw the soil away from the plants, 



leaving the surface roots exposed. When 

 one has pulveriz d the soil about the 

 plant leave three-quarters of an inch of 

 fresh loose soil about the plant (neck 

 must be free however) so that the surface 

 roots will be nicely mulched with the 

 pulverized soil. 



In pinching back I prefer to leave the 

 growth to advance well into bud forma- 

 tion and then break or cut off, leaving 3 

 or 4- good breaks to come. Pinching is 

 best done after a rain, when the plants 

 are crisp and cut or break easily. I go 

 over the fields and cut back as often as 

 the growth shows it is needed, pinching 

 right up to the time of planting in. 



In spraying we use a solution of 

 sulphate of copper, IV2 pounds to 50 gal- 

 lons of water and spray each week if pos- 

 sible Care must be used in spraying to 

 keep the mixture thoroughly agitated, as 

 sulphate of copper is heavier than water 

 and the solution will become concentrated 

 a^ the bottom of barrel or sprayer if much 

 care in stirring is not used. 



1 prefer not to irrigate if possible, but 

 if 1 had proper arrangements would not 

 hesitate to do so, especially in the interior 

 when drouths prevail. Irrigation must 

 be done thoroughly and followed up when 

 needed, and above all thingsdon't neglect 

 to keep the cultivator going while irri- 

 gating even more thoroughlv than when 

 not. C. W. Ward. 



Oueens, N. Y. 



The value of leaf mould.— Leaf 

 mould is simply tree leaves rotted to 

 earthy fineness. It is a light open soil 

 excellent for SI eds, seedlings, fine rooted 

 plants like azaleas and rhododendrons, 

 and ferns, and capital for rendering tena- 

 cious clay open, pervious and friable. It 

 lias no great manurial value, in fact we 

 look upon one load of farm manure as 

 being worth at least three loads of leaf- 

 mould so far as plant food is concerned. 

 But never before now have we come so 

 sharply face to face with the value of leaf 

 mould for potted plants. The loam in 

 Schenley Park, even the rotted surface 

 sod loam is tenacious clay; being com- 

 posted with manure lightens it somewhat, 

 but after being used in pots and watered 

 daily for some months it isn't the genial 

 soil we would wish it were; now a large 

 proportion of leat soil added to this com- 

 post would have a sweetening, openingef- 

 fect upon it that would be of great benefit 

 to many plants. But alas, the leaves were 

 raked up and burned up! Not even a 

 cart load saved forrhododendrons. This 

 has stopped, however, and in the future 

 the leaves shall be saved as jealously as 

 the sod, and rotted for potting and plant- 

 ing purposes. We can feed our plants 

 from the surface with mulchings and 

 liquid manure, but no fertilizer either in 

 the soil or as a mulching can have the 

 same opening, ameliorizing effect as the 

 leaf mould mixed in the compost. 



Tuberous Begonias fro.m Cuttings.— 

 A western reader asks: "Will cuttings of 

 these root and grow?" Ans. Yes, but the 

 process is tedious and often uncertain, and 

 it must be done early enough in the sum- 

 mer to ensure the formation of a small 

 tuber before the cutting goes to rest in 

 vvinter, for it will rest. Tuberous bego- 

 nias are so easily raised from seed that 

 few people now bother raising them from 

 cuttings, except fanciers who wish to per- 

 petuate in exact form certain varieties. 



If vou appreciate Gardeni.ng please 

 recommend it to those friends to whom 

 you know the paper would be useful. 

 You can assist us materially in this wa\'. 



