88 



* * * GARDENING. 



Dec. f, 



SEASONABLE NOTES. 



At this season there cannot be much 

 done in the flower garden except prepar- 

 ing for winter in the way of giving pro- 

 tection to all plants that may need it. 

 But it is well not to be in a hurry to heap . 

 on a lot of manure or other covering 

 before cold weather sets in. A light cov- 

 ering of decayed manure on the perennial 

 borders will be beneficial to the plants, as 

 any rains in the fall will wash the strength 

 of it into the roots, and as a general rule 

 perennial borders need this, being often 

 left undisturbed for a number of years, 

 and as the majority are all large rooting 

 plants the}' soon impoverish the soil in 

 which they are growing. 



It is a good rule to lift and divide the 

 plants in the perennial border about 

 every four years. The best time to do 

 this is in the early fall, say from Septem- 

 ber 15 to October 15, but the earlier it is 

 done the better, as the plants have then 

 time togetestablished before cold weather 

 sets in, and have less chance of being 

 heaved out by the frost. 



All tender roses, such as the tea and 

 hybrid teas should be well protected as 

 they are far from being hardy. There are 

 many ways of giving protection, some 

 prefer covering them up with soil orsand, 

 but we have found a good way is to put 

 a piece of sod around the neck of each 

 plant, placing boards around the bed and 

 filling in to the depth of a foot or fifteen 

 inches with dry leaves and covering the 

 whole with boards or something that 

 will shed the water. In this way we 

 have had them come out all right in 

 spring, but if a pit is handy no doubt the 

 best way is to take them up and pot 

 them about the end of October. Plunged 

 in such a place, where frost can be kept 

 from them, they make nice stock to plant 

 out in spring, but they do not give such 

 a good return of flower as the ones left 

 out in the bed. 



The hybrid perpetuals do not need so 

 much covering as the hybrid teas forthey 

 are much hardier, but they are the better 

 for a good coat of rotted manure as some 

 are not quite hardy. Two ol the late 

 ones introduced, Margaret Dickson and 

 the Marchioness of Londonderry (both 

 grand roses) were cut to the mulch line 

 last winter. They appear more tender 

 than most of the H. I'. class. Whereonlv 

 a few are grown it is advisable to straw 

 them, that is tie the rose to a stake and 

 wrap straw around it. In this way they 

 generally come out all right. Crimson 

 Rambler needs very little protection. It 

 seems to be one of thehardiest rosesthere 

 are. Last winter it came through all 

 right with not a twig hurt, having been 

 left to itself in a very exposed situation. 

 Of the White and Yellow Ramblers we 

 cannot speak, for we have not yet tried 

 them during winter, but we have some 

 just planted and will see how they 

 behave. 



If there are any corn stalks left in the 

 garden or field they will be very useful for 

 making wind breaks to protect the frames 

 or tender trees and shrubs. By driving a 

 few posts into the ground and nailing 

 some strips to them, to which the corn 

 stalks are tied, they make a cheap and 

 splendid windbreak and just what is 

 needed around trees and shrubs that are 

 not over hardy, such as rhododendrons, 

 azaleas, retinisporas, Japan maples 

 and the like. By giving them such a 

 protection, they are less liable to get 

 burned and nothing looks better than a 

 well furnished tree or shrub. 



When the lawn is sufficiently frozen to 

 bear a barrow or cart it is then a good 

 time to topdress it, if it should need it. 



Two parts soil, one of wood ashes and 

 one oi well rotted manure make a nice 

 top dressing. A light coating of this will 

 be very beneficial and early in spring a 

 light coating of bone meal could also be 

 given. 



The cold frames should now be well 

 banked with long manure, so as to ex- 

 clude all frost. Shutters, matts or straw 

 can be used to cover the sash. Where 

 violets are grown in frames and intended 

 for winter flowers, k^ep them snug and 

 warm, but give air freely on all bright 

 dav'S, putting on the glass before the sun 

 goes down in the afternoon. In this way 

 the heat of the sun can be retained for 

 some time. Keep the soil clean and well 

 stirred between all plants that are in the 

 frames. This will cause them to dry out 

 quicker and the plants will be less liable 

 to rot. Very little watering in the frames 

 will be needed, have them rather on the 

 dry side, but when it is needed water just 



were always very much admired. His 

 were grown in a cold frame. 

 Pittsburg, Pa. David Fraser. 



A GOOD NATIVE SHRUB. 



The common American elder Sambucas 

 canadensis, is in many respects better 

 than the European species. This is par- 

 ticularly true of course at blooming time, 

 when the American elder is a perfect 

 glory. As it grows in some places in this 

 neighborhood, on the shores of Lake 

 Champlain in bordor of timberland, it is 

 a real inspiration. The luxuriance of its 

 foliage, flowersand fruit, and its informal 

 home-likeness make it one of the easiest 

 plants to use in free,' loose plantings, 

 especially where the lawns are not clipped 

 and where the gardener cannot afford to 

 be always pruning and clipping and 

 training. 



The accompanying photograph is of a 



AMERICAN ELDER 



as soon as the sash can be taken off safely. 

 This will give the foliage time to dry be- 

 lore night. See that the bulbs for winter 

 flowers, if outside, have enough protec- 

 tion to exclude all frost, or the pots may 

 get broken by the soil freezing in them, 

 and furthermore it does the bulbs no 

 good, although we have flowered them 

 well after they were frozen hard. Some 

 of the early Roman hyacinths and paper 

 white narcissus should be in at once for 

 Christmas flowers. 



Lily of the valley, if not yet planted, 

 should be at once. Clumps are the best 

 for outside work and pips for forcing in 

 the greenhouse. If the ground is in work- 

 able condition many sorts of lilies can be 

 planted in the garden. In planting lilies, 

 or in fact all bulbs, they are the better for 

 having a covering of sand before the soil 

 is filled in. This keeps them fresh and less 

 liable to rot. If a bell glass or frame is 

 put over the Christmas roses (helleborus) 

 they will give you some nice flowers in 

 early winter, but if left to themselves 

 thev' become dirty and are useless for cut 

 flowers. If covered by glass and pro- 

 tected from hard lrost they are all that 

 could be desired. While at Dosoris Mr. 

 Falconer had them in fine shape and they 



typical roadside plant, quite uncared for 

 and always subject to damage from 

 roaming cattle. The elder can be easily 

 propagated by cuttings or layers. Every 

 wild garden ought to have from one to a 

 hundred. F. A. Waugh. 



Universitv of Vermont. 



FUTURE ROSES OF THE PRAIRIES. 



Prof. J. L. Budd of the State Agricult- 

 ural College, Ames, Iowa, is evidently doing 

 good work in his experiments Wequote 

 some a'jstracts of his letter tothe/oiva 

 State Register. 



In the spring of 1892 we began the 

 work of crossing the blossoms of the 

 beautilul Russian Rosa rugosa with 

 pollen of General Jacqueminot, Lamarque, 

 La France and other fine tender roses. 

 We now have quite a large plantation of 

 the resulting hybrids. The vigor and 

 luxuriance of the plants is a surprise to 

 all visitors, and the same is true of the 

 singular variations of the foliage, habit 

 of growth, and the flowers. A large per 

 cent, of the flowers are single, but in size 

 and color they have a wide range. In 

 size they range from the button rose to 



