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H R T ICUL T URE 



November 22, 1919 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



There is much satisfaction in read- 

 ing from time to time about the forma- 

 tion of new garden clubs in different 

 parts of the country. It is evident 

 that interest in gardening is growing 

 apace. Possibly it was given an im- 

 petus by the war. At any rate garden- 

 ing is being taken up more enthusi- 

 astically, it seems to me, than ever be- 

 fore. Moreover, there is a tendency to 

 do it in a better way. Amateurs in 

 particular are eager to learn about the 

 best plants for garden effects and are 

 expressing interest in the making of 

 good color combinations. 



To a large extent apparently these 

 clubs are made up of women which 

 leads one to the belief that women are 

 to play an important part in the de- 

 velopment of the garden movement 

 which is now taking place throughout 

 the country. Indeed, if it were not for 

 the women who are interested in the 

 making of gardens it is doubtful if 

 very great progress would be made at 

 all. 



For a long time a great gulf seemed 

 fixed between the pretentious gardens 

 of the rich laid out by landscape 

 architects of note and cared for by 

 professional gardeners and the little 

 backyard garden of the average home 

 maker whose love for flowers was far 

 greater than her knowledge. Now this 

 gulf is being bridged through the aid 

 of the garden clubs which are teaching 

 even those who have only a small 

 amount of ground available to make 

 the best use of the space and to bring 

 about results which are just as har- 

 monious if less ostentatious than those 

 of the big estates. 



The members of garden clubs are 

 able to have lectures and talks by men 

 and women who are particularly fa- 

 miliar with certain lines of garden 

 work or experts in the growing of par- 

 ticular flowers. Certainly there is no 

 better way to learn about the different 

 plants than to have a practical talk, 

 possibly accompanied by a demonstra- 

 tion at the hands of someone fully 

 conversant with his subject. When 

 Robert Pyle comes to a club to talk 

 about roses the members of that club 

 are going away with a new apprecia- 

 tion of the rose as a garden subject as 

 well as a better understanding of how 

 to make their roses flourish. Bertrand 

 Farr, of Wyomissing, by his pictures 

 and his descriptions is able to arouse 

 any flower lover to new heights of en- 

 thusiasm for the peonies and the irises. 



Mrs. Hammond Tracy, of Wenham. 

 Mass., can tell much about the gladi- 

 olus which the average person never 

 knew before. 



So many garden clubs have been 

 oreanized that it is proving rather diffi- 

 cult sometimes to get a list of avail- 

 able lecturers for preparing a course. 

 I happen to know that the editor of 

 Horticulture has been getting to- 

 gether a list of the men and women 

 who are available for lecture work and 

 I have no doubt that he will gladly 

 send this list to any who apply for it. 

 Probably, too, he will be only too glad 

 to have the names of people who are 

 open for engagements. Perhaps Hor- 

 ticulture can become a sort of clear- 

 ing house in this matter. 



After all, though, it isn't necessary 

 to have an experienced lecturer at a 

 club meeting. Not long ago I hap- 

 pened to attend a meeting at which 

 J. K. Alexander, the dahlia grower of 

 East Bridgewater, Mass., was present. 

 Now, Mr. Alexander does not claim to 

 be a lecturer, but he was able to give 

 a very entertaining and helpful practi- 

 cal talk, for he had with him many 

 dahlia blooms by which he was able to 

 illustrate the various types and forms. 

 He also had a clump of dahlia roots 

 which he divided in the presence of 

 the club members in order that they 

 might learn just how this work should 

 be done for best results. A demonstra- 

 tion talk of this kind is exceedingly 

 valuable. There are few garden clubs 

 which cannot induce local growers or 

 professional gardeners to help them 

 out by talks of this character. 



how beautiful is the delicate tracery 

 of the elm trees, the oaks, the friend- 

 liness of a gnarled old apple tree, con- 

 trasting in all the detail of their out- 

 lines with the dark dense beauty of 

 the cedars and pines. The sunsets 

 assume a new beauty. We can see 

 more of the horizon than in the sum- 

 mer and then we have the outlines of 

 the trees against the deep red skies. 

 M. R. Case. 

 Hillcrest Farm, Weston. 

 November, 1919. 



NOVEMBER. 



Gray November has been with us 

 this autumn with few blue days 

 among the gray ones. Yet the gray 

 sombre skies set off the beauty of the 

 grasses shading from browns and 

 yellows to exquisite shades of rose. 

 Most of the leaves have fallen, but 

 how beautiful the rich red leaves of 

 the blue berries are against an old 

 gray stone. Is there any season when 

 one more enjoys the colors of an old 

 stonewall; yellows, greens, manves, 

 reds, blacks, whites and grays. Our 

 fields become very tempting to a 

 painter in November. 



The bright blaze of October is over 

 with its flaunting red and yellow 

 maples, but the softer beauty of 

 November is none the less charming. 

 The trees have lost their leaves but 



THE BLACK ROT OF GRAPES 



The most serious menace to grape 

 growing in most sections of the United 

 States is the black rot (Guignardia 

 Bidwelli) a fungus of American origin, 

 the effects of which have been known 

 tor considerably more than half a 

 century. 



Its ravages are more serious under 

 the conditions which commonly en- 

 courage the growth of parasitic fungi; 

 that is, moist, warm days, or the 

 muggy weather of midsummer, being 

 particularly favorable for its rapid de- 

 velopment and spread. 



The black rot fungus occurs upon 

 the berries and leaves and sometimes 

 on the young canes. The berries are 

 most seriously affected although the 

 disease may first be seen upon the 

 leaves. Upon the latter it appears as 

 sharply defined, nearly circular brown 

 spots. 



After the usual pruning is done in 

 the early spring, clean the vineyard 

 or arbor as well as possible of the 

 pruned and diseased litter, and de- 

 stroy it by burning. The old berries 

 in the vineyard should be covered by 

 early plowing and those in the arbor 

 should be scraped up and disposed of, 

 or else spaded into the ground. 



Sulco-V. B., at the ratio of 1 to 25, 

 may be thoroughly applied, covering 

 vines, posts and trellis just as the 

 buds are swelling in the early spring. 

 A second application of Sulco-V. B. 

 at 1 to 50 should be made as the 

 buds unfold, and subsequently the 

 vines should be sprayed about every 

 two weeks until 5 or 6 applications 

 have been made. The nature of 

 the season, however, will determine 

 how late it will be necessary to con- 

 tinue spraying. If the season is warm 

 and dry the first two sprayings will 

 usually suffice. If the weather is un- 

 usually moist when the berries are 

 one-half to two-thirds grown, it will 

 be good insurance to spray them with 

 Sulco-V. B. at 1 to 50 in order to pro- 

 tect them against attacks of the vari- 

 ous fungus diseases and continue this 

 protective spraying at bi-weekly inter- 

 vals until the fruit is ripe. 



Charles Fremu- 



