1 888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



127 



feet apart. (Iwing to this dwart'ness of habit the 

 work of hilling is greatl.v reduced over tliat for 

 the larger liinds. Its beautiful Koliic" I'olor 

 rendei-s the variety deeideiily attractive wlien 

 ready for the tiilile. 



Losses Arising from Grafting. Vouiijr, vigor- 

 ous trees must be grafted «-ith some dejiree of 

 caution, as well as with a thorougli Itnowlcdfje 

 of the worli in liand. A larg-e proiuirticm of ti>|is 

 cannot lie removed from such without in.iury, 

 as there may not be enough top left to elaborate 

 the How of sap through its leaves. Then the 

 grafts are often destroyed and the tree in.lurcd 

 by what grafters call "flooding." I have seen 

 orchards completely destroyed from such causes. 

 One which I recall—a Bellflower orchard— the 

 owner was led to think would pay better to have 

 grafted. He had it grafted and it is now among 

 the things that were. One of the men who 

 grafted this orchard stated that it had been 

 heavily trimmed ,iust before giaftiug. No doubt 

 a great many times there is more lost than is 

 gained b.\- grafting young, vigorous trees.- B. 

 C. FaiirhWln. 



Home Made Hanging Baskets. We make 

 ours for ferns and flowers in bad weather in win- 

 ter. Two sizes of wire are required. One to 

 form the framework and strong enough to bear 

 considerable pressure when made into a basket. 

 A pair of pliers and a small cutting instrument 

 to cut the wire into lengths are required. A 

 basket is formed of three circular rings, made of 

 the strongest wli-e. The smallest ring is placed 

 at the bottom, tlie largest at the top, the other 

 size between. Our baskets are made some a foot 

 in size and some quite small. A small ring of a 

 lesser-sized wire is to form the center in the bot- 

 tom, and from this ring pieces of wire just long 

 enough to reach round the sides of the basket 

 and fasten at the top are placed at regular Inter- 

 vals of 2 to 3 inches aU round the basket till the 

 whole is bound neatly and strongly together. 

 Four pieces of wire are then fastened in the top 

 to hang it up by. The whole is painted two ^ 

 coats, and when the jiaint is dry the baskets 

 may be lined with moss, and then UUed with 

 anything ai>propriate. We always cover the 

 sides of the ba.skets with hanging growth, so 

 that no part of the basket is seen. 



Bhabarb at the South. Our correspondent, 

 H. A. Green, of Chester Co., South Carolina, re- 

 ports it is his experience after several trials, that 

 Rhubarb cannot be successfully grown as far 

 south as his State. He says that other practical 

 gardeners in hLs >icinity have reached the same 

 conclusion. But this does not agree with the 

 statement of that able work. White's Gardening 

 for the .South, at least so far as some States still 

 farther South are concerned. In that work we 

 learn that Rhubarb succeeds perfectly well in 

 middle Georgia. Try again friend Green, ob- 

 serving to plant good roots in a rich, rather light 

 loam, that has been worked two spades deep. 

 The plot should be in an exposed position, open 

 both to air and sunlight. Coverthecrownsabout 

 two inches deep: do not gather any leaves the 

 first year. If any plants fail remove them with 

 the soil near about the roots, and replace both. 

 For new plants you can uncover an old crown 

 and cut from it a bud with a piece of root at- 

 tached. The plants should have the flower-stalk 

 broken out each sea.son after it fairly appears in 

 sight. A coat of manure ought to be scattered 

 over the surface of the patch annually. It is well 

 at the South to plant newly every flve yeais. 



Hedges. The Barberry, Since the general in- 

 troduction of barb-wire fences, the importance 

 of hedges has greatly diminished, but for both 

 oraament and utility they ma.v still be employed 

 to advantage. The most perfect and really sub- 

 stantial are a union of wire and hedge plant. 

 Formerly the Honey Locust and the Osage 

 Oi-ange made the best bai-riers ; but the Honey 

 Locust requires much and frequent cutting back; 

 and the Osage Orange as much so, with the addi- 

 tional drawback of winter-killing in regions of 

 se\ere winter. The Buckthorn and the Bar- 

 berry arc both hardy, and both have a hedge- 

 like growth, but neither are still' enough alone 

 for farm barriers. But with two or three barb- 

 wires included with them, stretched successively 

 while the hedge is growing in height, they be- 

 come perfect— requiring but little cutting back, 

 forming a stiff hedge, and presenting a fine or- 

 namental apjiearance when kept in good shape. 

 The Purple Barberry is as hardy as the common 

 sort, and makes as good a hedge, and when in 

 bloom early in the season, or in scarlet berries 

 later, is an object of gieat beauty. The plants 

 are ea.sil.v raised from seed, and are very readily 



and safely transplanted. The Privet has natur- 

 ally a hedgy growth, and is often recommended 

 for hedges, but it is not perfectly hardy, and is 

 liable to die out in patches.— Country Gentleman. 

 Plant Propagation, Aphis, etc. "M. R. W." 

 writes to us as follows : I think February or 

 early in March a most excellent time to raise the 

 summer bedding plants. To those whose space 

 in sunny windows is limited, no better plan than 

 to root the cutting in the same pot with the plant 

 from which it was taken. Take a well ripened 

 cutting, one that will not snap off too easily, 

 pinch out the top and insert to a good depth in 

 the soil; it will root easily, grow and make a 

 thrifty plant for bedding out in May. You may 

 in this way have several dozen made ready with- 

 out taking up any extra room. Has any reader 

 trouble with Aphis on potted Tuhps / I believe 



GOLDEN DWARF CELERY. {See OppoxlU Page.) 

 in the " ounce of prevention." I have been much 

 pestered in times past, but now when I bring 

 Tulips out of the cellar I just sprinkle " flne-cut " 

 Tobacco over the top of the soil, so that when I 

 water the soil the fumes are enough to disperse, 

 even Mr. Aphis if he chances to be making a 

 friendly call on that shelf. I had a beautiful 

 Salvia splendens, but all of a sudden it began to 

 droll its leaves, and I immediately examined it 

 and found another much to be dreaded insect 

 pest, red spider, at work. I prepared some tepid 

 water, and made quite a suds of whale oU soap, 

 Then taking the pot of Salvia I set m the pan of 

 water, and using an old soft tooth brush, I care- 

 fully washed every leaf, both upper and under 

 side, this I did three times, then sprinkled a little 

 sulphur on top of the soil and the plant is now 

 growing finely, and shows no sign of the attack. 

 About Some Double Flowers. Double Petunias 

 are favorites with many, but in my opinion a 

 flrst-class single variety is much superior; the 

 plants of the finest double soi-ts are so apt to be 

 of poor and sickly growth. The double Lilliput- 

 flowered is, I think, the finest class of doubles, 

 the plants being of dwarf, bushy, healthy growth. 

 The flowers are small, have dark velvety petals, 

 some variegated with white, and what they lack 

 in size is more than made up by numbers. 

 Double Balsams are very erratic things; plants 

 that produce perfectly double flowers to-day may 

 bear nothing but single or semi-double ones a 

 week hence, and perfectly double and single 

 ones are often found on the same plants at the 

 same time. In general the production of double 

 flowers on plants grown from seed is often un- 

 certain from several causes, even when the best 

 of seeds are sown; the soil and character of the 

 season, and also the mode of culture, have more 

 or less influence. Asters show a tendency to be- 

 come the most double in a wet season, while 

 single and semi-double ones are most abundant 

 in a dry one. This is probably due to the well- 

 known law in plant life, that anything which 

 checks growth or threatens the life of the plant 

 causes it to expend its remaining vitality in the 

 efl'ort to iierpetuate its kind in the form of fruit 

 or seeds. High culture and luxuriant growth 

 are, as a rule, most favoiable to the production 

 of double flowers. Double flowers are the result 

 of cultivation— monstrosities from a botanist's 

 point of view— and rarely found in a wild state. 

 —L. IT. Ooodell. DtrigM, Mass. 



New York Fashions in Flowers. 



Some new flower-pins introduced by Siebrecht 

 & Wadley are quaint and appropriate. They 

 are ordinaiy long pins, but instead of the usual 

 glass knob they have a bit of bark or natural 

 wood forming the head. Some have the seed of 

 Li<iuidambar, but this is rather cumbersome; the 

 prettiest are those with a little twig or bit of 

 bark. The wood is pf>lished or varnished. 



The florists whose business is amongst the most 

 fashionable people all say that set designs and 

 elaborate, evidently labored decorations, are 

 ra!)idly going out of style. One Fifth Avenue 

 florist says he makes surprisingly few funeral 

 designs, but he is often called upon to dec<irate 

 a room where a funeral is held, or where the 

 remains are laid. The mirrors are veiled with 

 graceful vines, and the room is simply decorated 

 with plants and a few flowers. Colored flowers 

 are used even more than white, not merely pale, 

 tinted ones, but such glowing blossoms as Jacks 

 or Beauties. 



Pink and white, or yellow and white, still lead 

 as dinner table decorations. Artistic simplicity 

 is the efl'ect sought after. The favorite center- 

 piece with one prominent florist is a flat, dia- 

 mond-shaped basket. It is loosely curled up at 

 the sides, and has a handle crossing diagonally. 

 It is made of bronzed or gilded willows, and is 

 loosely filled with a mass of flowers. One ex- 

 quisite combination was of Cypripediums, Mig- 

 nonette and Acacia. Mignonette and Yellow 

 Daffodils is another combination, or Daffodils 

 and Freesias. The favors with these decorations 

 show the same tints, though made with different 

 flowers. Some contain Daffodils and Freesias; 

 others the tlrst-naraed flowers, with Lily of the 

 Valley, or Roman Hyacinths, or White Lilacs. 



One elegant arrangement in yellow was at a 

 dinner given by a lady who is the happy pos- 

 sessor of a solid gold dinner service. Sprays of 

 Acacia were laid on the table, forming a grace- 

 ful tracing over the cloth, and there were baskets 

 and favors of similar flowers. 



Mme. Cusine Roses are the favorites for basket 

 work ; they show up well at night, and in a pink 

 and white decoration they do weU with Grace 

 Wilder Carnations. 



Another dinner arrangement was remarkable 

 for its simple taste. The center was a low, flat, 

 round basket. It was filled with a mass of Lily 

 of the Valley, bordered with pale-tinted Lilacs. 

 About a foot from the basket was a sort of 

 wreath or garland laid on the cloth ; it consisted 

 of the Lily and Lilac laid loose on the table and 

 formed the favors. 



Bouquets seem larger than ever. One beauti- 

 ful one was about 30 inches across. It was a loose 

 bunch of La France Roses, edged with a fringe 

 of Lilac and tied with a pink sash. Hardly a 

 thing one would want to carry an entire evening 

 without aid, however. 



A beautiful and— be it said— fashionable gift is 

 a graceful bunch composed of a few Orchids, 

 Laelias or Dendrf)biums, tied up with Maiden 

 Hair Ferns. 



The usefulness of the Adiantum grows more 

 apparent every day. It f<inns the simplest 

 table decoration, yet nothing is more charming 

 than pots of Cuneatum slipped into silver bask- 

 ets. Flat baskets filled with these Ferns are 

 readily transformed by a few < irchid flowers into 

 very handsome center pieces. 



In set funeral designs Le Moult doubtless has 

 the largest trade in the city. He has to fill so 

 many out-of-town orders he is often called on 

 to make very elaborate symbolical designs. 

 What is called the Beecher design is very |popu- 

 lar among his customers. It consists of a pillow 

 of ivy leaves, in the center of which is a wreath, 

 raised above the pillow ; from each of the four 

 corners springs a Cycas leaf; the four leaves 

 meet arch-like above the pillow; two doves in 

 the arch hold white ribbon in their beaks, and 

 this appears to support the wreath ; four other 

 Cycus leaves curve over the pillow and meet 

 under the wreath. Of course these Cycus leaves 

 have a wire down the mid-rib; with that they 

 can be bent into any shape. 



This desire for a symbolical design is some- 

 times carried rather tfio far for taste. A recently 

 deceased employee on the Elevated Road was 

 commemorated by a floral piece representing a 

 section of the " L" road, pillars, girders, and all, 

 with an engine and cai-s standing on the track. 

 An ordinary engine and tender is not at all un- 

 common : but all these designs, while called for 

 by some, are left severely alone by persons with 

 any pretentions to taste. 



EMit,Y Louise Tapun. 



