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THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA. 



QUERIES and ANSWERS 



IVe believe the greatest good can be accomplished for the greatest 

 number, by instituting a query column; or an exchange of txpe- 

 nences, on practical propositions, by our readers. 



You are invited to contribute questions, and answer others. 



Each question as received mill be given a number, the question- 

 er's name wilt not be published, but the source of the answer will 

 be given unless otherwise requested. 



IVe all have something we would like to know more about. Here 

 is your opportunity to ascertain somebody's experience in just that 

 matter. 



Nothing will tend to better fellowship than helping each other. 



Take advantage of this "Question Box." 



REPLYING TO DISCUSSION OF THE QUESTION OF 



HARDINESS AND VIGOR. ENGLISH vs. DUTCH 



RHODODENDRONS. 



'I'ci iiip, the most interesting contributimi to your last mimlier 

 (April, p. 199), w;is the letter by Hans .1. Kolilcr. Although this 

 «a~ mainly in the form of interrogations, it was evident that ilr. 

 Koehler knows more about rliododendrons than his letter would 

 lead tlie uninitiated to susi)ect. I hope, for the sake of this noblest 

 and grandest of all lloweving shrubs, that a good discussion will 

 result. I know too little myself to speak authoritatively on the 

 sulijeet. yet add my testimony for what it is worth. First, then, 

 question 1: The rliodudendrons grafted on pontioum. from whii/li- 

 ever country, are less hardy than those on catawl)iense. There 

 is no possible reason why the Dutch rhododemlrons should l)e less 

 hardy than Enniisb. Botli are grown in triable, sandy peat soil, 

 and the winter in Hollanil. on the whole, is i)robal)ly nn)re severe 

 on the average, tlian the winter in southern England, where the 

 majority of the rliododendrons are grown — at Bagshot. Of course, 

 the Holland .stock may be more "succulent," owing to much moi-^t- 

 ure in the soil causing fast growth. 



Question 2 is answered in the foregoing. 



Question 3 (or cl. and 4 may be answered by saying that for a 

 long timejiast the cliief Engl'isli raisers aiul exporters of rliodo- 

 dendrons have been devoting s]iecial attention to the prod\iction 

 of ]ierfectly hardy, free growing and ttoriferous hybrid and cross- 

 bred varieties. The l)eautiful Gmner Waterer is the best example. 

 But look over the list of the favorite kinds and see how- many 

 bear English names. 



Question 5 (e). — Layered rhododendrons, while quite desirable, 

 are too slowly i>rocurablc to make them profitable to the com- 

 mercial "rower. A. BEACOX. ^Massachusetts. 



Can any of your readers advise me of the value of spent hops 

 from breweries as a fertilizer? What is the best method to use 

 for mixing and applying them to the soil? 



New York. PELHAM. 



In answer to your inquiry as to the value of .spent hops as a 

 manure will say. that we have used it for the past two years as a 

 mulch for shrulibery borders and for toj) dressing of lawns. We 

 prepare it as follows : The spent hops are deposited in long piles, 

 and permitted to lay till early winter when the piles are turned 

 over and mixed with two thirds of well decomposed stable man\uv. 

 This is again turned over the following winter, and in the month 

 of February loaded on cars shipi)ed to our various country places 

 and applied as you would manure to the lawns and mass plantations. 



In early spring the suri)lus material is raked off the lawns ami 

 u.sed as a nuUch wherever needed. 



This season we are using a few carloads of this mixture on laud 

 ■which will be planted with corn. 



As to its value for this purpose, the tollowiug abstract from a 

 ■ letter of March HI. Iftl4. written me by Professor J. C. Whitten, 

 of the LIniversity of Missouri, may be of interest : 



"With regard to the fertilizing value of spent hops or their value 

 as a mulch for plants. I might .say that the spent hops contain a 

 relatively small amount of plant food material or of fertilizing 

 value. On clay soils which do not contain much humus or 

 vegetable matter, they are a good toi) dressing, however, to furnish 

 a mulch. They are a very good top dressing for lawns, especially 

 in heavy clay loam where something in the way of decaying 

 vegetation is needed. For this purpose they would have approxi- 

 mately one-half the value of stable manure. They are also a very 

 good mulch for young newly planted shade trees, shrubs or 

 shrubbery masses on the lawn. They have quite as good qualities 

 of mellowing, loosening and floculating the soil as stable manure 

 has. but since they contain much less plant fooil. they probably 

 would have about half the value of manure as a muhh." 



"For mulching trees even fresh hops are suitable for top dress- 

 ing. While they rot somewhat slowly in the air. if they are 

 ■worked slightlv into the surface of the soil as tillage is nuide 



around trees, shrubs, etc.. they will make a good mulch even 

 fi'om the beginning. For lawn purposes they ought to be eom- 

 jiosted until they are fairly well rotted. Y'ou can decompose 

 them most quickly if you mi.v them about equal parts with 

 manure. They will not only rot much more quickly in the manure, 

 hut they will also absorb a great deal of the soluble plant foods 

 that otherwise would leach out of the manure and be lost. They 

 will also tend to catch and licdd some of the nitrates in the manure 

 which will otherwise break up ami be lost into the air. 8o the 

 mixing of equal jiarts hops and manure will not onl.v decompose 

 yiiwr hops aud get them iuto good condition, but will also economize 

 the manure used by absorbing most of what would otherwise be 

 wasted." 



L. P. .JENSEN. St. Louis, ilo. 



In answer to "I'elham. New York." i>. 19!l, April issue. I think he 

 may use spent hops from brewei'ies with e\'ery prospect of success, 

 l^specially for nudching newly ]danted hardy plants in beds and 

 borders, or ornamental shrubs, the spent hops will be serviceable. 

 They conserve the moisture in the soil and keep the roots cool 

 during a hot spell. It may interest him aud others to know that 

 a tirni in London. England, derives a considerable income from the 

 sale of "Hoj) ilanure." which is simply spent hops that have 

 been "treated" witli certain chemical fertilizers. A good fertilizer 

 should contain nitrogen. ])hosphoric acid and potash. l)ut the 

 mixing of these calls for knowledge and care. The spent hops 

 can be gradually workeil into the top-soil and so furnish inganie 

 material. They are excellent for rose beds, but if used liberally it 

 is best to rake otV as nuich as possible late in the season, as they 

 tend, after a year or two. to lighten tlie soil too much. Though 

 these ho|)s smell so scnir, they do not seem to transmit their 

 sourness to the soil. But if the soil should become sick or out 

 of sorts, dress the surface witli slaked lime at the rate of 4 ozs. 

 [ler s(p yd. 1)A\TD DUNLOP. New Y'ork. 



Having had my peach crop ruined the last two seasons by late 

 spring frosts, I have decided to experiment by burying 25 pounds 

 of ice about the roots of my trees, in the expectation that this 

 will retard budding until the danger of frost is over. If any of 

 your readers have ever attempted a similar experiment I would 

 appreciate hearing of their results, or of any other method that 

 might hold the trees from budding until after all danger of frost 

 is past. A. C. S. 



Oklahoma. 



Surely that is a very novel experiment that "A. C. S., Okla- 

 homa." ]). 199. April number, suggests for checking the growth of 

 his peach trees, which, he says, have been injured the past two 

 vears bv late spring frosts. Let him try it with a few and tell 

 us liow it acts. But I would prophesy that he will find it as 

 trouldescune and laborious as using snuidge fires, which is one of 

 I lie preveutives of spring frosts, and of which he has doubtless 

 heard. If not, the Garue.neh.s' Chronicle will eidighten him 

 before another spring arrives. Perhaps "A. C. S." has exception- 

 allv early varieties, and his plantation may be on low' lying 

 ground. Frost gets trees alwavs in such situations. The cold 

 water cure might be tried if the trees are caught by frost, i. e., 

 early in the morning after a frost, spray the trees w'ith cold 

 water before the sun strikes upon them. This helps to thaw out 

 the frost, for it is the sun. striking on the frozen buds, that does 

 the damage really, as the sudden expansion of the tissues ruptures 

 them. Fighting the frost, however, is not an eas.v ,job. He 

 should remember, moreover, that even if the roots are held in 

 check, growtli can start in the brancbi-s. W. RICHARDS, Ohio. 



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I Of Interest to Estate Owners f 



I The National Association of Gardeners maintains | 



i a Service Bureau vk'hich is at the disposal of all who i 



i may require the services of efficient gardeners in I 



i their various capacities. i 



1 The association seeks the co-operation of estate i 



I owners in its efforts to secure opportunities for | 



1 those engaged in the profession of gardening who f 



I are seeking to advance themselves. It makes no 1 



I charge for services rendered. It endeavors to sup- 1 



I ply men qualified to assume the responsibilities the i 



i position may call for. 1 



j Make your requirements known to 1 



I M. C. EBEL, Sec';, National Associalioa of Gardeners. i 



I Madison, N. J _ 



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