46 



The Horticulturist and Joimial 



and drooping, are very gay, and fragrant as 

 well ; and nothing can be sweeter than 

 mignonette grown in this way. Transplant 

 some seedlings in August. The Tropoeo- 

 lums may be very easily rooted in sand, Soil 

 or water at the same time. The German 

 Ivy {Senecio scande7is) is always graceful and 

 of very easy growth. I have found it most 

 likely to bloom if left undisturbed in a bas- 

 ket or vase for two years, blooming freely 

 toward spring the second season, with clus- 

 ters of yellow balls, rather pretty. Last 

 fall, in gathering ferns, I found some exqui- 

 site sprays of the Virginia Creeper, which I 

 pulled up by the roots, and planted in a bas- 

 ket, with ferns and other wildwood treasures. 

 The leaves turned scarlet and dropped, and 

 I supposed all was gone ; but in March it 

 sprouted out, and is now growing as lustily 

 as though perfectly at home. I presume 

 this is not a new experiment, but I have 

 never seen it before, and think it will make 

 a fine basket-plant. 



As to my ferns, I am more and more in 

 love with them day by day. It is said that 

 our native ferns are not a success for house 

 growth, because they are deciduous. It is 

 true that those planted in autumn lose most 

 of their leaves ; but they start into growth 

 very early, are more delicate and graceful 

 than ever, and it is very interesting to watch 

 the brown fronds develop into a perfect leaf. 

 Then, if they are allowed to remain in the 

 window all summer, the leaves grow more 

 beautiful and do not wither, but retain their 

 greenness all winter and commence growing 

 earlier, so that they are " things of beauty 

 and a joy forever." — N. Y. Indjpendent. 



Irrigation. 



EDS. Horticulturist :— Dear Sirs : You 

 inquire in November No. in regard to 

 irrigation. Now, we raise all we have by that 

 style of fertilizing by moisture, and take 

 pleasure in giving your readers the benefit 

 of our experience. To begin : the plat of 

 ground you wish to moisture must be below 

 running water, and should be graded, or 



terraced according to lay of ground, in such 

 manner that the water rows be nearly level, 

 only allowing fall sufficient for water to run 

 slowly. Now make your (strawberry) rows 

 two feet apart, and plant a foot apart in 

 rows, and make a small, even furrow with 

 the hoe between the rows, either before or 

 after setting the plants. Rows should not 

 exceed four rods in length without a head 

 ditch. 



Now, either by damming or otherwise, turn 

 water enough for your purpose from natural 

 to an artificial channel, and bring it into a 

 nearly level head ditch, at the top of ground 

 to be watered, and cai'efully manipulate, so 

 that the water be evenly distributed in the 

 rows you wish to wet at the same time. If 

 you wish rows longer than three or four 

 rods, make other head ditches and bring the 

 water along outside the patch, and into the 

 head rows as desired. 



There may be walks between the terraces 

 or platoons, and also a tail ditch to catch 

 the water from the terrace above, and which 

 should be brought around the walk into the 

 head ditch ; water can be put upon a garden 

 when desired, and remain until the ground 

 is well soaked. We have had strawberries 

 from April to Christmas, from any variety 

 of plants. By keeping plants well wet, 

 after first crop the vines go on blossoming 

 constantly, though not in full crop as at first 

 in spring. The command of a stream of 

 water for irrigation would be invaluable to 

 a gardener oftentimes. 



Yours, J. E. Johnson, 



Editor The Utah Pomologist. 



St. George, Utah. 



Quince on the Thorn.— A correspondent 

 of the Country Gentleman says the quince 

 does admirably upon the White Thorn, 

 either by budding or grafting. So propa- 

 gated, the grub, which works upon the root 

 of the quince, is avoided. The tree is some- 

 what dwarfed, thus worked, comes into 

 bearing sooner than upon its own roots, and 

 a crop almost a sure thing annually. 



