1 888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



67 



homes. And it may be added that the same 

 plot served as a nursery as well, from which 

 many a poor child carried home in triumph 

 at the end of the summer's term a little 

 well-rooted slip that it could call its own. 

 The same thing happened witli numerous 

 otfsets of hardy plants at the spring garden 

 making time every year as old plants were 

 taken up, divided and reset. So that while 

 the district as a whole gave to the garden it 

 enjoyed the advantages of the part the gar- 

 den played as a disseminator of plants into 

 numerous gardens within its precincts in 

 the course of years. 



This flower garden was far enough from 

 the boys' recognized playground to tlie right 

 of the school house that it rarely, if ever 

 suffered from intrusion by far-Hying balls 

 and the seeking for the same. We never 

 saw the least disposition on the part of 

 any boy to misuse his privilege of looking 

 through the garden. On tlie whole the boys 

 seemed as much interested in its beauty and 

 completeness as the girls themselves. To 

 all the little garden afforded a vast deal of 

 recreation and happiness. It spread a halo 

 of good influence over the scholars that was 

 in value simply beyond estimation. 



In this matter of throwing light on .school 

 yard improvement in our columns we in- 

 vite the co-operation of the friends of the 

 schools everywhere. Here and there 

 throughout our country there must be many 

 similar instances of improvements; these 

 we would gladly illustrate and give place for 

 having them described if our readers will 

 favor us with the needed information. 



temperature again .'5.5 degrees, which of 

 course at once quickly rose to the tempera- 

 ture of the atmosphere at 7.5 degrees. 



I know that in many of the old European 

 works it is often recommended to use water 

 at the same temperature as the house, and 

 if it can be done, certainly so much the bet- 

 ter, but if you have not success in cultivat- 

 ing Roses or anything else, you must look 

 for some (jther cause than that hydrant or 

 cistern water has l)een used on the plants. 



Syringing Roses with Hydrant 

 Water. 



PETEB HENDERSON, .rERSEY CITY, N. .1. 



In response to the inquiry of A. A. H., of 

 East Weymouth, Mass, as to whether the 

 use of hydrant water in syringing and 

 Rose forcing in winter is injurious, I would 

 say it certainly is not, as the hundreds of 

 acres of Roses grown under glass in the 

 vicinity of New York and other large cities 

 well proves; for I know of no one who grows 

 to any extent but what either uses hydrant 

 water or water from elevated tanks. The 

 water in both cases would range from 40 to 

 50 degrees, and as syringing should never 

 be done until the temperature of the Rose 

 house is 7.5 degrees, the mean between the 

 water at 45 and the temperature at 75 will 

 be 60 almost instantly; and in 15 minutes the 

 water syringed on the plants, wherever it 

 has lodged on the soil or on the plants will 

 have risen to the temperature of the house 

 at 75 degrees; so there is not sufficient (hhc 

 for injury to result from the low tempera- 

 ture of the water. It is the long duration of 

 extremes of temperature that does the mis- 

 chief. You can take a Coleus or other 

 tropical plant from one greenhouse to 

 another, occupying a iew seconds of time, 

 without injury when the temperature is at 

 zero; but expose it to the temperature at 

 zero for two or three minutes and it is cer- 

 tain to be injured or killed outright. 



Of course, if it was practicable to iise water 

 of the temperature of tlie house it might be 

 slightly better to do so, but that could not 

 he done except at a cost greater than the 

 benefit would be. We have long ago proved 

 that in Rose growing vising water at a low 

 temperature had no i)ad results. I remem- 

 ber in my early exinience, liefore we used 

 hydrants or cisterns, that our water was 

 drawn from a pond where the ice had to be 

 broken to get at the water, and yet, even in 

 that case, when the temperature was proba- 

 bly as low as .35 degrees, I never saw injury 

 result; for the same reason already given, 

 that the water at 35 degrees was poured on 

 the soil of the pots or on the benches in the 

 greenhouse at 75 degrees, making the mean 



your readers who are familiar with the writ- 

 ings of this celebrated English novelist may 

 be able to give the exact passage. J have 

 forgotten the name of the story. 



The Moon Flower and Other Ipomeas. 



R. \V. ll.\RCtAI>INE, FICLTON, DELAW ARE. 



In the October number Peter Henderson 

 proves conclusively, contrary to the earlier 

 statement made in his "Hand-book of 

 Plants," published in 18.S1, that the Ipomea 

 grandiflora or "Moon Flower" is entirely 

 distinct from Ipomcii Bo/KjiV'o.r, or common 

 white Evening Glory, which latter so many 

 persons were Induced to plant last spring, 

 through the representations of seedsmen, 

 much to their disappointment. The true 

 Moon Flower certainly scarcely seeds at all 

 in this latitude, as I have grown it for ten 

 years and have not seen as many seeds in 

 that time. 



While the real Moon Flower is certainly 

 the most striking representative of this class 

 of summer climbers, there are two others 

 not so well known which should be largely 

 planted, as they produce a charming effect 

 when planted with the white Moon Flower; 

 these are Ipomea Learii and Ipomea palmata, 

 or Ipomea Mexicana. The former is a true 

 Evening Glory, opening its deep azure blue 

 flowers at the same time as the white Moon 

 Flower. The flowers are of the richest 

 shade of blue imaginable. 



The latter variety, the Ipomea palmata, is 

 a morning bloomer; it has beautiful palmate 

 or fine figured leaves, its flowers are of a 

 pleasing shade of rose color. This variety 

 has the advantage over the others of having 

 a tuberous root, which can be kept through 

 the winter as easily as a Dahlia; this is 

 especially desirable on this account, as none 

 of these varieties are disposed to seed, but 

 must be propagated from slips or cuttings. 



We have had growing on a wire fence 

 this season, and flowering freely for the past 

 two months or more, the three varieties 

 intermixed. The two evening bloomers 

 remain open till after the Ipomea palmata 

 has opened its flowers in the morning, and 

 during cool or cloudy days are open all day, 

 presenting a sheet (.if blooms of different 

 colors, the pure white of the Moon Flower 

 heightening the beauty of the other varieties, 

 the whole producing an effect strik - 

 ingly beautiful. If any of your 

 readers wish a beautiful screen or 

 trellis of raiiid growing vines let 

 them try the above three varieties, 

 which can be purchased of most 

 florists at a reasonable cost the 

 approaching season. 



While on the subject of Moon 

 Flowers it Ls worthy of note that 

 the origin and history of the Ipomea 

 grandillora does not seem to be 

 known, even by those supposed to 

 be best informed. A year or two ago there 

 were several inquiries in the Gardeners' 

 Monthly as to the botanical name and origin. 

 The editm- of that journal called on Mr. 

 Peter Henderson to answer these inquiries, 

 which Mr. Hender.son did, but not satisfac- 

 torily; thovigh he was, I believe, the first 

 florist to offer it in this country, and might 

 have been supposed to be well informed as 

 to its origin. I would mention that in read- 

 ing one of t'harles Reade's novels a year or 

 two ago I met with a descriptive passage, 

 which I (|Uote from memory and which may 

 throw some light on this subject: "In the 

 far off islands of the Indian Ocean where 

 the Moon Flower unfolds," etc. Some of 



An Effective Sparrow Trap. 



Years ago that feathered Anarchist of 

 Europe, the Sparrow, was induced to take 

 up his home on our shores, and for a long 

 time he received great consideration at our 

 hands. But at length it was found that the 

 experiment of bringing him over to rid our 

 trees of insects was a most grievous mis- 

 take. It was soon seen that at his best the 

 sparrow had no special liking for insects, 

 while it is now demonstrated by leading en- 

 tomologists that the little fellow in certain 

 ways actually promotes the increase of some 

 of our most destructive insects. 



As an enemy to the fruit and grain grower, 

 therefore, the English Sparrow proves to 

 have no equal among our birds. Add to 

 this the fact that the species multiplies with 

 marvellous rapidity, and it is no wonder that 

 In the older States like New York legisla- 

 tive action has been taken looking to their 

 reduction, by making it a misdemeanor to 

 feed and shelter them. As the problem of 

 reducing these pests is looming up seri- 

 ously the means for trapping them, which 

 we herewith illustrate and describe, will 

 prove widely interesting. The idea comes 

 from a correspondent in Germany, who 

 said that this and similar traps are fast 

 coming in use in that country for effecting 

 the Sparrow's decrease. 



The trap consists of a box, of which fig- 

 ure 1 shows a front view, and figure 3 

 a lengthwise sectional view. This box is 

 made of light lumber and is set in the fav- 

 orite haunts of the bird. There is a small 

 hole at the end of the converging opening 

 from the front, which hole is defined and 

 armed by the sharp points of a number of 

 straight pointed slats extending inward. 

 By this opening the birds can easily enter 

 the box, but to escape is almost impossible. 

 Escape is rendered all the less liable by 

 means of lighting the bottom of the trap 

 with glass across the front on the floor. 

 There are two rows of lights, one at the ex- 

 treme front, the other some six inches back, 

 for keeping the birds from jiressing against 

 the outer glass to frighten away others by 

 the discovery of their predicament. 



As it is, the cries and commotion of the 

 captured birds attract their followers out- 

 side, which crowd around in great num- 

 bers, and work their way into the opening, 

 not to get out again of their own will. A 



Fig. 



1. Front Vieu'. Fiff. 2. Sectional View Lengthicise. 



AN EFFECTIVE SPARROW TRAP. 



small slide door at one side just back of the 

 i inner line of glass affords all the means 

 necessary tor removing the birds. 



The Postal Impkovement Association, re- 

 ferred to hist month, reports that it is receiving 

 a cordial welccimc from the people. And why 

 should it not with such objects as these in view ? 



1. To .secure retlucod postage on seeds, plant-s, bulbs 



and elons. 



2. The reissue of fractional currency, for use In the 



malls. 

 3 Abolition of postal notes. 

 i. Issue of money orders for $5.00, or less, for a fee of 



three cents. 



With W. P. Nixon of the Chicago Inter-Ocean as 

 President, a man who has been quite successful 



