i8 97 . 



• GARDENING. 



HYDRANGEA ON THE PORCH AT EGANDALE. 



sons in succession in outgrowing their 

 less fortunate brethren, certainly empha- 

 sized the fact that this clematis not only 

 needs ample moisture for successful cul- 

 ture, but that it is almost impossible to 

 give it too much during the summer 

 months. The bed in which they are grow- 

 ing is not tile drained, but is of a rather 

 light soil in a hole dug in a sandy clay 

 loam. W. C. Egan. 



HYDRANGEAS FOR TORCH DECORATION. 



P. M. asks atout the treatment of 

 Hydrangea Otaksa for porch decoration 



1. How should they be treated after 

 blooming? .4ns. All that is required 

 after blooming is to cut off the flower 

 heads but do not cut far back and take 

 the flower heads only. Set away in some 

 place where they can get full attention in 

 regard to watering as they should never 

 be allowed to get dry at the root. 



2. If cutting back is to be done, state 

 where to cut, and whether the shoots 

 that come from the base of plant and 

 flower are to be cut back the same as the 

 older wood. Ans. After the plants are 

 well ripened in October they can be cut 

 back a little, but the final pruning is bet- 

 ter left till the soring when the plants 

 should be well pruned, cut back to about 

 two plump buds to each shoot; that is 

 leave two joints; each joint has two buds, 

 rub off one bud at each joint, one at each 

 side ot the shoot; the shoots that start 

 from the base of the plant, if they flower 

 and there is room for them without 

 crowding the plant, retain them, but if 

 the plant is well furnished I would cut 

 them out. All weak shoots should be cut 

 out as they appear; this will throw all 

 the strength into the other shoots and 

 give better buds for another year. 



3. When flower buds are expanding 

 are the weaker ones cut out? It so, how 

 far back? Ans. If your plants are well 

 furnished with large flowers and a little 

 crowded, cut them out altogether, but 

 this is not necessary. Your own judg- 



ment will have to govern. One of the 

 main points to watch is not to let your 

 plants get too crowded in the center. Let 

 the light get in; in this way you can 

 always expect good buds, but if your 

 plants are left to themselves and all 

 shoots retained, all the buds in the center 

 of the plant will be weak and not apt to 

 flower. 



4. Is it advisable to change the soil 

 each year? If so how is it done, and 

 when? Ans. If your plants are in large 

 tubs it is not necessary to change the soil 

 each year; every second year will do. The 

 best time to repot is in spring before the 

 plants begin to start into growth. This 

 is a job that has to be carefully done, as 

 the buds are easily broken off. Our mode 

 ot doing this where very large tubs are 

 used is this: A pully is attached to the 

 ceiling of the work room, a stout soft 

 rope with a hook on the end is tied around 

 the base of the plant, the rope run through 

 the pully and the plant is raised up. The 

 tub is then removed by striking the top 

 with a hammer. The ball of roots is then 

 loosened and part of the old soil taken 

 away. The new tub, well drained, is 

 then put under the plant and it is lowered 

 into it and the soil rammed in with a 

 stick just as hard as it can be. Where 

 many plants are to be handled this is a 

 good way to do, and a great many can 

 be done in a short time. 



5. Will a frost-proof cellar do to keep 

 them over winter in? .4ns. Yes. Al- 

 though a few degrees of frost won't hurt 

 them it does them no good. A cellarwith 

 a temperature running from 35° to 40° is 

 about right. They should never get dust 

 dry in their winter quarters, but no more 

 water than is needed should be given. 



David Fkaser. 



GOLDENRODS. 



Among some notes sent you lecently 

 were some referring to three goldenrods 

 noted for producing their flowers in axil- 

 lary clusters. These were Solidagocwsia, 



S. latiiolia and S. bicolor. Goldenrods 

 are so beautiful and so useful for garden 

 adornment that I am tempted to continue 

 the subject to the extent of mentioning 

 some other species of value which are 

 native to these parts. As is generally 

 known the genus is nearly altogether an 

 American one, one only, virga aurea, 

 being of European origin. So valued are 

 our kinds in Europe that it is common to 

 find some of them in all extensive gardens. 



It is common to think of these flowers 

 as accompanying late fall. It is true 

 there are late flowering species which can 

 be found in bloom in November, but it is 

 equally as true that there are sorts that 

 flower in July. I have seen one of the 

 early blooming ones, patu/a.infull flower 

 in July, and in particularly favorable sit- 

 uations blossoms have been culled as 

 early as the fourth of July. 



There is no doubt of the utility of these 

 plants for general garden decoration, as 

 all are of easy growth and can be propa- 

 gated rapidly and cheaply. 



I will give a list of the dozen kinds 

 familiar to me as growing wild in this 

 vicinity, naming them in the order of 

 their flowering. The first named can be 

 gathered in the woods in July and the 

 last one in November: odora, bicolor, 

 patula, serotina, Iatifolia, canadensis, 

 lanceolata, tenuitolia, altissima, nemora- 

 lis, sempervirens and cssia. I should say 

 that sempervirens is not native to our 

 woods but comes from near the shore, in 

 . New Jersey. 



As a further guide to those who may 

 wish to plant and arrange for the order 

 of flowering let me say that I am writing 

 this on September 3, and the following 

 kinds are not yet in flower: altissima, 

 nemoralis, sempervirens and cassia. I 

 have referred to the last named one before 

 as being such a beautiful and graceful 

 kind. This is the one that I have found 

 in November at times, usually at that 

 time in some woods where its growth 

 had been retarded. 



This summer having been a wet and 



