1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



61 



176. Cnttinf^iof lapageriaBosea. Feat is the 

 best soil, but tlie cuttings take a long time to 

 t'oira routs. Tliey should be Itept under liell- 

 glasses until they are rooted. A greenhouse 

 teuiperatu!*e is best. The plants arc propagated 

 by layers, in preference to cuttings. A strong 

 shoot ought to be pegged in-to the ground with 

 the leaf at eacli joint protruding; roots and 

 shoots will grow from each eye in the course of 

 twelve months.— A. H. E. 



48;i. Booting Le Conte Pears. The Le f'onte 

 Pear does not grow very readily from cuttings, 

 except in very favorable locati()ne. one of which 

 is Thomas^ille, Ga. The cuttings are made of 

 pieces of matured wood about six to eight inches 

 long, which are cut just below a bud and set 

 early before vegetation starts in spring. The 

 rooting commences at the buds and is much more 

 certain when the cutting is made with the bud 

 near the bottom of tli'' i-'utting. The season and 

 st)il hiis much to do witli the success. The entire 

 cutting, except the upper bud, should be set in a 

 loose, warm soil, well firmed. Warm sun and a 

 fair amount of m( )ist ure adds much to the chances 

 of success, which anywhere, except in Thomas- 

 ville, Ga., is very uncertain. We should advise 

 root gi-afting the Le Conte on pieces of Apple 

 roots having the bud near the junction of the 

 Apple roots. The cutting is kept alive by the 

 Apple root, to which the Le Conte takes kindly 

 until it makes roots of its own, which it does in 

 such cases readily, then when well rooted the 

 Apple root, being of no farther use, can be re- 

 moved, gi\ing a (>erfectly rooted Le Conte.— Eli 

 MiNCH, Shiliih. I\'. J. 



4ft5. Transplanting Young Walnuts. These 

 can be transplanted in fall or spring, if care is 

 taken not to break or cut the roots too much. 

 They will not stand rough usage like many of our 

 forest trees.— P. 



496. Peaches from Seed. Peach-stones should 

 be planted in the fall in an exposed place, in 

 moist soil, where they wUl have the full action of 

 irost. In the spring raanj' of them will be found 

 opened and the kernel exposed; the remainder 

 can \x carefully cracked and the kernels planted 

 permanently an inch and a half deep. — P. 



■49.5. Transplanting Young Walnuts. There 

 is but a small portion of this country in which 

 the shell-bark or shag-bark Hickory {Caryaalha) 

 is known as Walnut. But Mrs. J. D. E. must 

 mean this Hickory. Three-year old seedlings of 

 nearly all this family of trees, especially the 

 Hickorys, left to grow undisturbed where the 

 seed was planted will not live when transplanted, 

 tnless great care is taken. Seedlings of this 

 family usually have a main or tap root running 

 directly downwards, and make but few small side 

 roots under two to four years, and when these 

 do form, they are so deep down in the ground 

 that a sufliciency of them to support the tree 

 when transplanting is hard to get. Therefore, as 

 a rule, all such seedlings should be transplanted 

 when one, or at the farthest, two yeai-s old. 

 This transplanting gi\es them, after gi'owing 

 one or two \'rai-s, jtlenty of roots that can be got 

 when tran.s'phuitiiig again. Mrs. E. should dig 

 out her seedlings \ery deeply, getting all the tap 

 root possible; then dig a hole deep enough to 

 plant ttie tree two or three inches deeper than it 

 was before lifting, and i>ack good surface soil 

 very firmly around the root next spring or this 

 fall!— D. B. WiEH, hacon. lU. 



.514. Forcing Bulbs Early. Where Hyacinths, 

 Tulips, etc., are reifuired for early flowering, one 

 sees various plans employed for forwarding thera, 

 and amongst others the objectionable one of 

 keeping thera close as soon as potted, forgetting 

 that root action must be in full sway before the 

 flowers will advance. For early flowering the 

 chief point is to pot early ; then to place the 

 pots out-of-dooi-s, and cover them with coal ashes 

 to prevent damage by slugs, and also to keep the 

 bulbs in a more unifoi-m state as regards tem- 

 perature and moisture than when exposed. 

 Treated in this way, by the middle of November 

 the pots will be full of roots and the tops just 

 starting— that is, if they were potted early in 

 Septemlier. When introduced into the forcing 

 house rafist progress is made when the crowns 

 are kept in darkness ; therefore at that time they 

 mav be plaieil anywhere underneath the stasre. 

 and should ha\c another pot inverted over thciu. 

 as they can then lie examined at any time with- 

 out inconvenience. Lilies of the Valley, on the 

 other hand, flower without any signs of root 

 action ; therefore they may be introduced into 

 heat iis soon as potted ; indeed, when recjuired to 

 bloom before Christmas such a course is abso- 

 lutely necessary, and for that ]jurpose well 

 ripened crfiwns must be obtained, and they can- 

 not be had thoroughly ripe much tx-fore Novem- 

 ber. A prettv subject for fiireing, and one with 

 which then- is but little ■iillirolt.N'. is the Siberian 

 .Siiuill (S<'( i»<l .Si/n Tied I, the lirjijllt bl\le tlowers of 



which are \ery effective during the dull season. 

 It requires similar treatment to that usually 

 given to Tulips. 



48.5. Onion Planting in the Fall. I do not like 

 to plant Yellow Denver Onion sets in the fall, 

 nor .vet Potato Onions; prefer to plant in the 

 spring just as soon as I can get to work on the 

 ground.— M. T. Thompson, E. Ruckport, (Jhki. 



494. The Cuba Lily. The Scilla Peru \iara, which 

 I suppose is meant, requires the same treatment 

 as the rest of the Squill family ; leaf mf)ld, peat, 

 .sand and well-rotted manure m equal parts suits 

 it well. Not being quite hardy, it must be grown 

 in a pot or frame.— P. 



51.5. Qrubs in Cyclamens. Cyclamens appi'ar 

 to be rather liable to th<- attack of akind of white 

 gi'ub, and I would advise you in future to shake 

 them quite (ait of the ftld soil by the end of May, 

 washing the roots so that every particle of mold 

 is cleared ofl', leaving the base of the cor ms clean. 

 Then lay them in a cold frame, using very light, 

 sandy soil, and keeping it just moist. In the 

 course of a month fresh roots will be pr-odneed 

 from the old ones, and direct from the undeiside 

 of the corms, when they may be potted. Uv 

 treating thera thus, any eggs or larvie which 

 may l>e in the old mold will be got rid of, and 

 the plants will be tree for the season.- A. H. E. 



517. Enphorbia Jacquinseilora Culture. Not 

 the least of the merits of this plant is the fact of 

 its blooming at a time when flowers are scarce, 

 viz., from the middle of December to the end of 

 February. It requires a high temperature, noth- 

 ing less than 65° or 70» is sufliciently high for it. 

 Young shoots taken off with a heel in February, 

 inserted in light, sandy soil, and placed in a close, 

 moist heat will root freely. They should be 

 potted off before the roots get entangled together, 

 using a mixture of about three parts good light 

 loam, one of leaf-soil, and one of well-decayed 

 cow manure, with a good sprinkling of sand, 

 after which they shotild be replaced in strong 

 heat till established in the new soil, when they 

 may be removed to an ordinary greenhouse for 

 the summer, and be repotted at discretion. The 

 plant may with advantage be trained up a trellis, 

 as in this form it occupies less space than amongst 

 other plants. 



.529. Benewing Old Trees. In answer we can- 

 not do better than to give the directions which 

 the late Ben: Perley Poore, a most successful 

 tree grower, put into practice in the case of both 

 forest and fruit trees. This was to dig a trench 

 four feet in width and three feet deep around 

 the tree. A ball of earth was by this means left 

 directly around the trunk of the tree, containing 

 the main roots. In this trench he would put soil, 

 with liberal allowances of manure, refuse from 

 a blacksniith's forge and some potash, and have 

 them all well mixed together. The effect of such 

 treatment wsis to clothe the tree with the luxu- 

 riance and vigor of a young tree. 



531. Azalea Leaves Dropping. There is noth- 

 ing unusual in the leaves of Azaleas falling off 

 in the autumn— in fact, it is perfectly reasonable 

 for them to do so. They do so in large numbers 

 when in perfect health at this time of year, but 

 it is quite necessary to water them with great 

 care from this time until the end of February, as 

 the soil should be kept only just moist, and not 

 wet, for days together. 



5.32. Chrysanthemums after Blooming. I have 

 tried several ways of managing my plants after 

 blooming, and have found the following tf) 

 answer admirably: As soon as the bloom is over 

 I cut them down to within 6 inches of the soil, 

 and place the pots in a well protected frame, in 

 whic'h it never quite freezes, and let them have 

 plenty of air. They will soon throw up strong 

 healthy cuttings, which can be taken off when 

 about 3 or 4 inches long, and inserted in sandy 

 soil, around the sides of :3-inch pots. Then water 

 well and they will soon root.— C. W. 



492. Pests on the Mushroom Bed. Mice betray 

 their presence by the prints of their front teeth 

 (ra the portion attacked, and rats make holes in 

 the beds. The ordinary traps will be found effec- 

 tual, or one may readily Iw improvised with the 

 aid of a flower pot. For wood-lice, place Pota- 

 toes cut in half and hollowed out,in their haunts. 

 They will congregate on the Potatoes, and a dip 

 in boiling water will soon settle them. The pas- 

 sage of snails may be ea.sily tracked; visit the 

 beds at night, when they can quickly be found, 

 or jihue hi 're and there little Ileal is <'t damp bran 

 orbits iif cabbage leaf. These traps should be 

 frequently examined. The flies are attraeteil in 

 clouds by 'the manure; they may be destrnyeil by 

 placing about a number ot pans filled with water, 

 to whicha few drops of oil or turpentine urs.iapy 

 water have been added. They are attracted by 

 the odor, and thus drown them-sehcs. If a float- 

 ing light is placed in a convenienient pnsitinn, 

 they will fly around it, burn their wings, ami fall 

 into the water. Mite'S may be destroyed by lime- 

 water, and beetles mu.st be hunted for.— A. H. E. 



485. Onion Planting in the Fall 1 would not 

 advise any ( me to plant Onion sets in the fall. 

 The repeated thawings and freezings would 

 throw them out, and eventually destroy thera. 

 Potato Onions should be iikintid early in the 

 spiing in rows eighteen inclies apart, the bulbs 

 being filaced four or Hve inclii's a|iart in the row. 



486. Oreenhouse in Small Town. 1 do not 

 think that the profits arising from the sale of 

 flowers alone would be enough to warrant a be- 

 ginning, but if you wiaild a<ld two or three acres 

 of well grown fruit and vegetables you f)ught 

 to make a respectable living. Keep as near to 

 the business center of the town as you can.— C.P. 



49ii. Chiysanthemnm Leaves Falling. It is 

 no strange thing for Chrysanthemums to lose 

 their leaves when grown in pots. It is, 1 think, 

 caused by beginning to feed thera too late or 

 feeding too strongly. Sf)me growers recom- 

 mend a little top-dressing with some artificial 

 maiuire, but I have found a slight dressing with 

 guano-water (one t^aspoonful to a gallon of 

 water), very successful. Your Chrysanthemums 

 were taken in too soon. I do luit take mine in 

 until tlie>- slmw color, and, when under glass, they 

 ha\-e aluinilance of air. For mildew, wash the 

 leaves with soft soai) and water and dust with 

 flowers of sulphur. — A. H. F. 



482. Oranges not Setting. Flowers of cultivated 

 Oranges are often imi>erfect, and when this is the 

 case cannot, of course, produce fruit. If they 

 are examined soon after they expand, it will be 

 seen what flowers are perfect, and what are male 

 flowers, only producing stamens. In the jterfect 

 flower, the' st.\ie suniiouiiteil by n iirmiiinent 

 stigma will equal the staiiieiis in lenjjth at flower- 

 ing time, wiierea.s thest>ie in ntllersis \'ery often 

 rudimentary, and such flowers iK^ver produce 

 fruit. The house should be kept dry and airy in 

 which flowering ( iranges are grown, and this will 

 assist the setting of jierfect flowers. 



489. Weigelia Bosea for Hedge. The Weigelia 

 has been tried with fine success, making very fine 

 hedges. The distance apart will depend much on 

 the size of the plant you use; say, small plants 

 eighteen inches apai-f . larger ones in proportion. 

 It does not flowi'i- niueli when cut close, but 

 makes a very pretty dwarf hedge. 



469. Cutting Scions. I prefer to cut about the 

 end of November or first of December; tie in 

 bunches label securely, and pack in sawdust in 

 dry, cool cellar until wanted for use.- C. E. P. 



488. Evergreen Hedge in Shade. The Ameri- 

 can Arbor Vitic will be the most suitable for the 

 purpose. Do not trim it back severely, and 

 every fall give a dressing of good, rich compost, 

 this to be worked in in the spring. 



479. Apples for the South. A list embracing 

 two dozen select varieties might comprise the 

 following: Sunimet\ Early Red Market, Family. 

 Horse or Haas, Hominy, Julian, Red Astrachan. 

 ^i/(i(nui, Buncombe, Carter's Blue, Carolina 

 Greening, Equineletee, Tauntrm. Yapp's Favor- 

 ite. IViutfr. Black Warrior, Ben l)a\"is. Common 

 Pearmain, (_'hatfahoochee, HoeketCy Sweet, Mav- 

 erack. Moultrie's, Pryor's Red, Romanite, Shock- 

 ley, Stevenson's, Yates. The majority of these 

 can only be obtained from Southern nurseries. 



5.33. Blanching Celery, One of the most com- 

 mon causes of Celer.v not keeping in trenches is 

 from getting wet, or else freezing too hard after 

 blanching, leading in either case to rot. Celery 

 should also be set perfectly upright, for if this is 

 not done it will fall down more, causing it to 

 curve out of shape, and if rotting begins it will 

 spread faster. An approved course of treatment 

 is to make a trench in drained soil and to be at 

 least two feet deep,— three would be better, — and 

 about a spaiie's width. The trench mav be several 

 hunilieil feet lung. Info this the Celery should 

 be paekeil staniling upright, after which the 

 trench should be eo\ereii with boards to keep out 

 wetness, and on top of the boartls two feet of 

 soil. There should be straw over the open ends. 



4.5.S. Fig Culture North. The trees can be 

 grown in the North in sheltered situations, by 

 laying them down in winter and covering with 

 earth, forest leaves or evergreen branches. Or 

 they may readily be brought along to fruit in 

 tubs or boxes, placing thera in a pit or cellar 

 through the winter. Under such circurastances 

 their outdoor culture could of course never be 

 followed to any great extent with advantage, or 

 beyond gratifying eiiriosit.v. The trees are 

 mainly propagated bj' seeds and cuttings, the 

 latter only answerin'.r fur iierpefuating the im- 

 proved varieties. Cuttings nia.\- be taken off late 

 in the fall, and kept in the cellar until sjiring and 

 then be planted out. Green or summer cuttings 

 may also be rooted with bottom heat. The Fig 

 is siiffieiently harily fostand the ordinary winters 

 of sertiiins s'uutli iif Washington. In the North 

 the eu\ eriiig of t.'artli should be aiqilied in No- 

 vember and taken off in April. It should be 

 about six inches deep. 



4.50. Gladiolus Failing. I think that the bulbs 

 of yeur Purpurea aurea were destroyed by 

 worms; or else you planted them in contact with 

 rank stable mainire. Either would cause them 

 to act in the manner ymi describe.— C. E. P. 



519. Saving Zinnia Seed. As soon as the 

 flowers have faded or liefore frost jiick the heads 

 and spread them out thinly in a dry place under 

 cover till thoroughly dry. If only a few are to 

 be saved, when ilr> . they may be cleaned by rub- 

 bing the heads between the hands to remove the 

 dried petals, then winnow by i>ouring from one 

 pan to another in a light wind.— L. W. Goodell. 



4.59. Protection from Babbits. Not haxing 

 crude petroleum in the Far West, I reply as fol- 

 lows: Melt together one third Frazer axle grease 

 and two thirds lard; when cold, apply to the trees 

 by rubbing a little in the hands, then rubbing the 

 tree, one application in early winter is sufficient; 

 it has given me the best of satisfaction the past 

 five years.— S. Hilton, Spokane 0>.,Wash. Ter. 



