1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



19 



430. Moon Flower. Although I cannot answer 

 the questions lately asked in your eolunins eon- 

 ceminpr tliis plant, and myself desire to know 

 more about it, I take the lit)erty of writing you 

 in ref^ard to one of my own. This has formed 

 (juite a euriosity and some think it far supeinor 

 to the Nittht BloomiuE Cereus as a nijrht flower. 

 Tlie Mowers with us bloom about half past si.\, 

 .iust ulioiit the time we have supper, but ever.v- 

 thiiiB' has t(j wait when the flowers are eominft 

 out and sometimes supper is mueh deferred to 

 watch it bloom. It was planted May ^(ith and 

 bloomed for the tti'st Augrust Ifjth, at wliieh time 

 it had ^rown all over the back of the house. It 

 is now, AuKUSt :Klth. easily 'St hv -Hi I'eet in size. 

 From the Kith to the ->!ith of Aujiiist it has had 13 

 flowers, each one frtan live to si.\ inelies aeross. 

 I have had many elimbing plants, but never one 

 to jfrow like the Moon Plant. M., BriiuMyti, N.Y. 



433. Pruning Pa83ion Flower. If the plant is 

 Krowin^ in a lifJfht, siuin.v situation where it ean 

 be jri\'en sutheient heat and moisture, the flower- 

 ini; shoots may lie eut back and all weak wood 

 remo\'ed. then with amonthorsi.x week's rest the 

 plant niu.\' be started into f^-owth, and another 

 crop of flowei-s obtained. 0. E. P. 



4;J7. Stephanotis Culture. Your plant is pass- 

 ing;: into a state of rest, and I am of the opiniftn 

 that you are Ki\'in^ it too mueh water at the 

 roots. When the plant is at restitsh<nild be kept 

 dry at the roots. You migrht ^ve your plant a 

 thoroupfh wa.shinK with soapy water, and if the 

 shoots are ver.v much crowded remove some of 

 the weaker ones. C. E. P. 



441. Fenstemons from Seed. Under glass the 

 seed shoidd be sown sis early in the season as 

 possible. Sow thmly in a well drained pot or pan 

 filled with turfy loam. Cover slightly and place 

 in a warm, moist situation as close to the glass as 

 possible. Water carefully as required, and as soon 

 iis the yountr pltnits are strong enough to handle 

 transfer thrill into stiaUow boxes or iianssiniilarl.v 

 prejiarcil, and placed in rows an inch and a half 

 apart each waj' and grown on until the weather 

 becomes warm and settled, when they can be 

 planted out in a nicely prepared border. Ov the 

 seed can be sown in a nicclj- prepuriMl cold fi-amc. 

 early in April, \ cry thiidy. and if the young plants 

 are not too close together the.>' can lie grown on 

 here until they are large enough to be planted 

 outside. With this treatment, howe\'er, many 

 will not bloom until the second year, and as not 

 man.\' of them are hardy (in this \icinity) the.v 

 should be taken up about the end of* )rtober and 

 placed in cold frames to be wintered mer. C.E.P. 



448. Dark Worms in Flower Pots. Reference 

 is had to angle worms, no doubt. These, as well 

 as any other soft skinned kind, ma,v easily be de- 

 stroyed by soaking the soil thoroughly with clear 

 lime water. To prepare the water drop a piece 

 of fresh lime the .size of a fi.st into a bucket of 

 water, and after the solution clears by settling 

 appl.v the clear water. Another kind of worm 

 that sometimes infests tlower pots ma.v be killed, 

 it is said, by appl.ving a solution of mustard water, 

 a teaspoonful of mustard to a pint of water, to 

 soak trie liall. We have heard of a case where 

 the phos]ihorus ends of matches stuck into the 

 soil e.viielled the worms. 



4.59. Protection from Babbits. Of various 

 remedies in the shape of washes that have come 

 up for this purpose, it is be- 

 lieved that none equals that 

 of crude petroleum in which a 

 small quantity of Paris green 

 or strychnine has been mi.\ed, 

 l>ainting this on the parts lia- 

 ble to be affected. It has no 

 in,iurious effect on the bark. 

 Petroleunj alone is quit^' safe 

 and usually effective, but for 

 .some I'eason it sometimes fails. 

 A wash of tobacco, qiia.ssia, or 

 soap water answers the same 

 end until removed b.v rain. 

 Linseed oil is often 'recom- 

 mended, but this has been 

 known to harm young trees. 

 The writer recalls a method descrilied in a French 

 .tournal somi- tinir ago for ginii- ling trees against 

 rabbits and which is illustrated herewith. It 

 consists simply of Willow branches a half inch 

 or so in diameter, cut in lengths of two or three 

 feet and with their lower ends thrust in the 

 ground and the uppers fastened by twisting in 

 some small switches. The bark of the Willow is 

 bitter and the rabliits will not touch it, while 

 they cannot get to the tree to gnaw the bark. 



4.51. Wintering Plants. Such a room as you 

 describe would be an admirable place for pljint,s 

 during the winter and the young Geraniums 

 shfiuld thrive well here. A house room which 

 thus derives its heat indircctl\'. and of the tem- 

 jieraturc .vou speak of, is preferable to one hav- 

 ing the heat sujiply within it-, walls. If the object, 

 ho\vi'\ er. is merely to keeii o\-cr the plants with 

 the least trouble, imt caring for their beauty in 

 the winter, the cellar would answer well. ' We 

 ha\c no faith in any method of wintering Gera- 

 niums (such as laying them with bare roots on 

 shelves, etc.). aside fi-ora setting the roots com- 

 pactly in earth, |iriiniiig the to|is liack fully one- 

 third at the same time. The soil should be kept 

 fairly moist in wintci', l.»ut not wet. 



Pfotri'tUm from 

 nabbits. 



303. Rings in Wood Indicating Age. Concen- 

 tric or annual rings, which were accept»>d iLs good 

 legal evidence, fail, except where climate, soil, 

 temperature, humidity and all other surround- 

 ings are regular and well balanced. Otherwise 

 they are mere guesswork. Annual measurements 

 of White Elm, Catalpa, Soft Maple, Sycamore, 

 Ootton-wood, (chestnut, Honey Locust, Oak, Wal- 

 nut, Pine, Ki'd Cedar, and Mulberry made in 

 Southeastern Nebraska, show that annual growth 

 is \'ery irregular, sometimes scarcely perceptible 

 and again quite large. As trees increase in age 

 inner rings decrease in size, sometimes almost 

 disappearing. I have found twelve rings in a 

 Black Locust six years old, twenty-one rings in a 

 Shell bark Hickory of twehe years, and only 

 twenty rings in a ( 'liestniit ( lali of tweiity-l'ouV 

 years. An American Chestrnit of onl\' four \'<:-ars 

 had nine rings, while a Peach of eight \ ears had 

 only five rings. Dr. A. M. ('hilds, of .Nebraska, a 

 careful observer for the Smithsonian Institute, 

 who counted rings <m some Soft Maples ele\en 

 veal's two months old, found on one side of the 

 heart of them forty rings and not less than 

 thirty-li\c un.vwhere, which were quite distinct 

 when the wood was green, but after it had been 

 seasoned only twent,\-four rings could be dis- 

 tinquished. Another expert says that all our 

 northern hard wofids make many rings a year, 

 sometimes as many as twelve, but as the la.st .set 

 of cells in a year's growth are very small and the 

 first very large, the annual growth ean, by the 

 appearance, be determined, except when from 

 local causes there is in any particular .year little 

 or no cell growth. R. W. Furnas, 0/ U. S. For- 

 estitj Departiiifnt. 



4C1. Canning Sweet Corn. To do this succe.ss- 

 fuUy is a rather more dilficidt undertaking than 

 to can fruits, although the process is simple. 

 Cut the Corn off the cob with a sharp knife and 

 put into fresh water and bring to a boil. When 

 it comes to a tioil ladle it into the cans with as 

 little of the water as jiossible and then while hot 

 solder the top on — leaving in the center of the 

 top a hole as large as a iiin, then set the cans in 

 hot water, not deep enough to cover them, and 

 boil for two hours. At the end of that time take 

 up and seal the vent hole with solder while steam 

 is still coming out. A. H. E. 



4.53. Home Grown Tobacco for Fumigation 

 Certainly it can be used. The leaves should be 

 dried by remo\-ing the raid-rib, and laying them 

 out or hanging in an airy shed. When they are 

 well dried gather them together in the morning 

 and press them firmly into a box or barrel. If 

 the leaves are dried in the sun they crumble into 

 powder on being touched. 



454. Pear Tree Scale. This scale is often very 

 troublesome. It must be scrubbed off with a 

 brush and soft soapy water. It will come off 

 easier if the trees are well douched with hot 

 water first. Water at 130 degrees or more will do 

 the wood no harm after the leaves drop; a little 

 sand may be added to the water that is used to 

 scrub the scale off. A. H. E. 



4.5.5. Flowers in Winter. The best flower for a 

 cool house to bloom in winter is the Chinese 

 Primula, both red and white varieties, and which 

 properly grown comes into flower by December, 

 lasting all through the winter months. Either 

 sow the seed in April or procure plants later on, 

 growing them according to the directions more 

 than once gi^■eIl in this iournal. Another fine 

 wintf-r tlower is Paris Daisy Etoil d'Or; if grown 

 into good plants b\ iiutumn will bloom all through 

 winter and spring. Then there are winter flower- 

 ing TroiiaMiliims and (■\"clamens, and late bloom- 

 ing kinds of <.'hr.i("santhcmunis, such as Fleur-de- 

 Marie, Mrs. *'. (_\ire.v, and others. E\-er>thing 

 intended for winter liloom must be taken iii hand 

 in spring, so as to get the plants strong b.\' autumn. 



.3.56. Propagating Double Nasturtiums. The 

 young rather slender growths which have not 

 flowered, and which generally spring from the 

 base of the plants, strike readily in summer and 

 earl.v autumn, inserted in sandy soil, and kept 

 close in a frame. Keep the sou moist, and give a 

 little air for an hour or so in the morning. A.H.E. 



445. Double White Feverfew. This is a half- 

 hardy i>erennial, not to be trusted out in the 

 average of seasons, but we have seen it live over. 

 The best place for it is a well protected pit or 

 greenhouse that Is not too damp. We thmk it 

 would winter in the (.■ellar with the same treats 

 ment its Geraniums require, but should prefer 

 gi^^ng it the lightest place here. 



44(i. Grubs in Strawberry Land. We have 

 known land that was badly stocked with white 

 grubs to be e*)mplctcly cleared of them b.v turn- 

 ing the soil fiver kio.sely in No\'ember, they 

 freezing to death. With the saltremed.v we have 

 had no experience, but our fears would be that 

 this or any similar dressing strong enough to kill 

 the grubs would be injurious also to plant life. 



418. Sheldon Pears Cracking. The disease 

 known as "cracking of the fruit" attacks some 

 sorts more than others, and is more liable txi 

 occur in some localities and on some soils than 

 others. It is generall.v iM'lieved to be caused by 

 a minute fungus. The life history and mode o'f 

 proitagation of this fimgiis arc not known, and 

 no remedy has been found to jireveut its attacks. 



449. Managing a Fruit Farm. It certainly 

 was bad business for one who knows "little about 

 fruit culture " to ha\e the responsibility of a 

 large, ycning plantation iilaccd in his hands, with 

 a view to early profltable management. Fruit 

 growing is a trade which caiuiot be mastered to 

 make money without a great deal of schooling; 

 hence, where the advantages of an extended sor- 

 vico on a fruit farm have not been en,ioyed, we 

 have more hope from those who work into it 

 gradually from a small beginning than from those 

 starting off on a large scale lait in ignorance. 

 Then again the fact that yfiur agent was a man 

 not to be depended upon gi\-es the ease even a 

 darker aspect, for what assurance ean there be 

 that the stock is reliable, or the varieties at all 

 adajited for marketing purposes or for your 

 .section. But having begun the enterprise your 

 only way is to make the bi'st of it, and by indus- 

 trious inquiry, obscaviition, n'udiug and work to 

 make uji for the elements of weakness in the 

 ca,se. As for your direct question we would sav, 

 (a) by all means .itiservc clean culture; this may 

 be done through ].lanting tillable crops, provided 

 the in-oiier richiirss of .soil is maintained both for 

 the trees and crops. (W A mulch of stable ma- 

 nure woiilil unquestionably have a good effect 

 on Currants. Illneklieirii's and Quinces, for it 

 would iiroNidc both teitility and moisture and 

 would keep down the weeds, (c) For young trees 

 of one season's growth we prefer pruning in 

 early spring to fall. 



4M. Failure with Lilies. As you do not state the 

 characterof the soil in which yourLllIes were grown.lt Is 

 not easy to give yuu a remedy; but should infer that they 

 had been planted where wat<?r had covered them dur- 

 ing the winter, and expo.sed to alternate freezing and 

 thawing, which is very ln,1url()u.s. They will bear a 

 hard frost, but when once frozen in the ground should 

 remain so until spring. We think your bulbs can be 

 restored to their usuiil vlf;nr liv traiisril.intlnK tliein. as 

 soon as the tops are dead, in a cnniiinsl prciiaiH.l as fel- 

 lows: Take equal parts ef leam ami l.at ni.ilrl well ,le 

 compo.sed; pull this to pieces with vein- hands until the 

 fibrous portion Is thonnigiilv hrokcii up and mixed 

 with the leaves; add t<i tlils almiit one sixth of Its hulk 

 in sharp, clean sand, all of wlilrli sliculil he thoroughly 

 Intermixed. It for pot culture, the soil should be Hrml'v 

 pressed around the liullis, which sheuld be covered 

 about an Inch from the crown; do net omit a few crocks 

 in the bottom of the put for drainage. If designed for 

 culture in the garden, choose a situation where water 

 win not stand during winter, nor where It Is very dry 

 during summer ; excavate a portion of the soil a foot 

 deeji. which should he replaced with the above com- 

 post, and the bulb covered Ki the ile|ith of four Inches 

 from the crown; cover during winter with leaves to 

 the depth of eight or ten inches, which may he removed 

 as soon as the frost Is out of the ground in spring. The 

 same treatment will answer for the Auratum. it will, 

 perhaps, be as well to cidtivate this variety in pots, 

 and winter in a cool, dry cellar. Plant out as .soon a.s 

 the ground can be gotten ready In spring. 



4T0. Sweet Peas Failing. We ean explain the blight- 

 ing of your Sweet Peas before opening only ou the 

 ground that the soli was too rich, causing too luxuriant 

 a growth; and the strength of the plant went to leaf, 

 and not to flower, until the heat of summer .somewhat 

 cheeked the growth, when more flowers appeared. 

 This Is not uncommon with this flower and especially 

 In a wet season. Try a poorer and If possible a sandy 

 soil and I think you will succeed better. A. H. E. 



Received at this Office. 



CATALOGUES, ETC.— FIGURES INDICATE PAGES. 



Thos. .1. Ward, St. Mary's, Ind., Nursery; 4. 



Albertson & Hobbs, Bridgeport, Ind., Nursery; 8. 



.Tohn Lewis rhlhls. Floral Park. N. y.. Bulbs, etc,; 28 



L. Templln ,<: Sous. (•all;i, 1 1.. liulbs. etc.; 84. 



W. C. Beckcrt. Allcu-hciiv. Pa.. Bulbs, etc.; 30. 



Peter Hen.leison ,";: Co., New York City, Bulbs, etc.;44. 



Cleveland Nursery, E. Roekport. o.. Nursery; 22. 



M. .1. Graham. Adel. la., Nurscr\'; «. 



Bloomington Nurseries, Bloomlhgt^jn. III., Nursery- 20 



(iirard Nursery Co., Cirard. Kas.. Nursery; 4. 



S. M. Bayles, St. Louis, .Mo.. Nursery; 12. 



.1. A. Roberts. Jlalvcni, I 'a., .Nursery; 4, 



Mt. Arbor Nurser.^-, shciiaiidoali. la.. Nursery; 8 



,Ioel Horner ,S Son, Jlerchantville, N. .J., Nursery; 2 



Dambman Bros. ,t Co., Baltimore. Md., Fruit; 16. 



Geo. L. Snuler Mfg. Co.. Buffalo. N. V., Windmills; 16. 



W. C. Wilson. Astoria, N. v.. Plants, etc.; 24 



Thos. S. Ware. Lcin.loii, i;iig., I .afl.KjlJs and Lilies; 28. 



Hiram Sibl.-v .-^ i o.. Pochcstcr, N, Y.. Seeds- 4 



H. R. Van Eps, Peoria Ills., Window .shelves; 4. 



Thos. S. Ware. London, Eng., Bulbs; HI. 



.1. M. McCullough's Sons. ( ■incinnati, O., Bulbs, etc.;;i2. 



H. S. Anderson, I'liion Springs, N. V., Nursery; 8. 



Shady Hill Nurseries, ( ■anitirldge, Ma.ss.; im. 



P. J. Berckmau's Nurscrv. .Vtlanta, fia. 



Chas. A. Reeser, siirlngti'dd. CI.. Bulbs and Plants; :}|. 



naage & Schmidt, Erfurt. Prussia. Seeds; 44. 



.1. Jenkins, W'luona, n.. Nurserv; 10. 



Oscar R. Krelnberg. Philadeljihia, Pa., Seeds, 8. 



Weld & Co., Lyndonvllle, .N. Y.. Small Fruits; 8. 



Schlegel & Fottler. Boston, .Ma.ss.. Bulbs, etc.; 16. 



Parker & Wood, Boston, Ma.ss.. Small Fruits Bulbs- 8 



Hiram Sibley & Co., Rochester, N. Y., Bldbs; 8. 



Geo. A. Schultz, .lamcsburg, X. ,1., Peaches; 4. 



Hillside Nm-sery, Marksvllle, La., Nursery: 4. 



Steeher Lithographing Co., Rochester, N. Y., Trade 

 Supplies; 20. 



''List of Premiums Montreal Horticultural Society." 

 W. W. Dunlop, Secretary. 



" Fifth Biennial Report of the State Board of Agricult- 

 ure, Kansas." 188.'isS6. \Vm. Sims, Secretary, Topeka 

 Kansas. 



"Transactions of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society for 1886; Part II." Robert Manning, Secretary 

 Boston, Ma.ss. ' 



" Department of Agriculture Report, 1886." Norman 

 J. Coleman, Washington, I). C. 



"A List of Ornamental Plants which are hardy In 

 Michigan." L. H. Bailey, ,Ir., Agricultural College, 

 Michigan. 



"Transactions of the Wisconsin State Horticultural 

 Society." 4 Volumes, (ico. .1. Kellogg. Janesville, Wis 



"Coiiiinercial Fertilizers lns]«ctlon of 1887." Being 

 Bulletin No. 37 of the Agricultural College of Michigan 

 Agricultural College P. U., Michigan. 



