1 888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



135 



m\. Mortgages and Fruit Cultnre, lu my 

 first experience in selling plants it was my custom 

 to offer credit to such parties as I considered 

 good, with the imderstanding and expectation 

 that money could be realized from the plants tf> 

 pay such liills in a year or two, but I think that 

 in a large ma.iority ol such cases it would have 

 been better int both sides to have done less busi- 

 ness ami umili- terms cash, and my advice is not 

 to run in dclit to any extent for fruit trees or 

 plants, unless you thoroughly understand the 

 business ami thi? markets you expect to supply, 

 and above all, unless j'ou have more than nrduiary 

 business talents.— W. F. B. 



!m. Propagating Hydrangea panicnlata. 

 Sometimes green wood cuttings root readily in 

 summer if inserted in a box or pot of sand and 

 kept quite wet and wholly in the shade. In grow- 

 ing these, I generally partly till the box with fine 

 rich soil, into which the roots can k"(» when the>' 

 get through the sand. This plan, h(»wevcr, some- 

 times fails from too hot weather interveuintf 

 before roots are formed. Layering is quite sure 

 under favorable circumstances. Make the earth 

 around your plant very rich and fine, and as soon 

 as the young growth is a few inches long bend 

 down and cover all but the ends of the shoots, 

 pegging down if necessary, and all the young 

 shoots will root. Early in the following spring 

 these should be taken off and planted in nursery 

 rows, in fine rich soil and the next season they 

 will make nice plants. — W. F. Bassett. 



•552. Wintering Fansies Pansies require a 

 great deal of fresh air, and for this reason are 

 not usually satisfactorj- as greenhouse or room 

 plants. A good cold frame, sunk a little so as to 

 be somewhat in the nature of a pit, the side pro- 

 tected by banking with earth or pine brush, 

 covered with sash and some proWsion for cover- 

 ing in very cold weather and nights, is the best 

 place for them in this climate. Sow the seed 

 early in August and transfer to the frames in 

 September, making the soil very rich. Open the 

 sash in all sunny days enough to ventilate freely, 

 closing early in the afternoon, and covering with 

 mats or shutters whenever it is cold enough to 

 freeze the ground when not protected, and they 

 >vlll often bloom all winter.— W. F. B. 



.547. Arbor Vitse Hedges. I find two feet the 

 most satisfactory distance for hedge plants, and 

 this should be adhered to without regard to size 

 when set, although if different sizes are used it is 

 best to plant those similar in size next ("at--h other. 

 There is, as r. E. P. sa.vs, no particular diflit-ulty 

 in transplanting, yet a little carclrssmss is quite 

 likely to cause a failure. Everffrcen roots sutter 

 much woi'se than other trees it allowed to dry, 

 and it is therefore \ery essential that the roots 

 be kept wet, and covered from sun and wind 

 while planting, and also that the earth should be 

 well packed aroimd them by tramping quite 

 hard after enough earth is thrown on to prevent 

 , bruising. When Hemlock succeeds it make a 

 very much finer hedge than Arbor A'ita'. Prune 

 before growth commences in spring, sloping the 

 sides so as to narrow it about two or three inches 

 to every foot in height, making a horizontal cut 

 of one to two feet wide at top. It is best not to 

 allow more than an inch per year increase in 

 height after the hedge gets started.— W. F. B. 



.5.S2. Keeping Hibiscus Dwarfed. I see no 

 objection to old plants, as the flowers are all pro- 

 duced on the wood of the present season's growth 

 and one or two buds is enough to leave of the 

 pre\ious year's wood, and some branches may be 

 cut wholly away if required. Whenever a new 

 tub or pot is needed, or the soil gets too poor, it 

 may be shaken out, (while dormant), and, if de- 

 sirable, root pruned enough to go back in the 

 same pot, using fresh, rich soil, and it will be as 

 good as new again.— W. F. Bassett. 



.5H3. Variegated Umbrella Tree, f'yperus 

 alternifolius variegata is the botanical name of 

 the plant you i*ef er to, and it requires a treat- 

 ment similar in all respects to that given the 

 plain leaved variety, but as it is not so strong or 

 rapid a growing jilunt it should not be overpotted. 

 It also should be given a porous or soft-baked 

 pot and this should be filled at least one-third 

 with drainage. Give a light, sunny situation and 

 an a\erage temperature of from 40° to M", with 

 water as required, and there will be no difficulty 

 in growing the plant.— C E. P. 



582 Keeping the Hibiscus Dwarfed. About 

 the first of May you can turn the plants out of 

 theii- tubs, and after carefull.v reducing about 

 one-half of their earth and roots, replace in the 

 tubs, giving them good drainage and perfectly 

 fresh compost. At the same time the tf>ps of the 

 plants must be cut back in proportion to the 

 amount of roots removed. Water must be care- 

 fully given until growth commences. It is not 

 advisable to place the plants in smaller pots or 

 tubs. This operation can be repeated for any 

 number of times, but in the case of such rapid 

 growing plants as the Hibiscus it is best to have 

 a young stock coming on to replace the older 

 ones after they have had their roots reduced 

 twice. Oleanders, to which you refer, and some 

 other species, will stand this treatment far better 

 than the Hibiscus, and some other plants of rai>i<l 

 growth.— r. E. P. 



.5««. Worms in Flower Pots. Water the plants 

 two or three times with lime water, then, as the 

 worms come to the surface remove them. Wa- 

 tering with Tobacco water will also produce the 

 same effect, besides, the Tobacco water is said to 

 be an excellent fertilixer.— C. E. P. 



027. Grape Query. («) Champion both colors 

 and ripens in advance of the Ives; the latter, 

 however, coUn'S a long time before it is really 

 ripe. They are, both of them, too often put into 

 market as early Gi'apes as soon as they are fairly 

 colored, and while they are utterly unfit to eat, 

 and calculated only to disgust the unfortunates 

 who may be tempted by their attractive ap|)ear- 

 ance to buy without first testing their quality. 

 It is not of much conse(|uence, whether the 

 Champion is ripe or not, as it is abominable to a 

 cultivated taste, and when fully ripened is only 

 a degree less offensive than while green and im- 

 mature. And although there may not be much 

 choice between the two when first colored the 

 Ives, by hanging two or three weeks longer and 

 until perfectly matured, becomes quite eatable, 

 esiiccially for those who press the Orapr into the 

 mouth fi-om the skin, and swallow the pulp with- 

 out pres.sing out the seeds; as there is in a ripe 

 Ives Grape a very plea.siint and high-fiavored 

 juice next the skin, but the pulp is always rather 

 hard and acid about the seeds. The Ives is not 

 ripe as early as the Ciim-ord, though \imlcr simi- 

 lar circumstances it usually colors a little in ad- 

 vance. The Chamiiiou, I think, ripens ten days 

 or two weeks earlier than Concord, under the 

 same conditions of soil and cultivation, (h) 

 There is not m\ich, if any, difference in the hardi- 

 ness of the three varieties named. If there is 

 any, I think the Ives and Champion rather the 

 hardiest against some winters, the Concord the 

 most productive, (r) It is impossible to answer 

 this question accurately, as much would depend 

 upon the steepness of the hillside, shelter, etc., 

 but there would probably be a few days, perhaps 

 a week, difference in favor of the south hillside. 

 — G. W. Campbei,!-. 



614. Wasps and Bees. In regard to a means 

 for protecting the early fruit from bees and 

 wasps, I would suggest covering the trees with 

 mosquito netting just as the fruit commences to 

 ripen. If the trees are kept properly cut back, 

 this method, though it might prove somewhat 

 expensive, strikes me as i)racticable. — E. S. G. 



615. Pruning the Peach, The advice to tut 

 away half f»f new growth take in general terms. 

 In practicing it I am careful to preserve a fine 

 form to the head, and at the same time remove 

 about half of the last year's growth on the princi- 

 pal branches rather than to apply it literally 

 to all the branches.- E. S. Gofp. 



586. Worms in Flower Pots, If they are the 

 commtm Angle worm, simply remote the ball of 

 earth from the pot in the usual manner and pick 

 out the worms. If of the small white species, 

 which sometimes infest flower pots, give the soil 

 a thorough soaking with lime water, and repeat 

 in two or three weeks if necessary. — G. H. M. 



61S. Peach Culture, Varjring Eesults. The 

 only reason I can suggest why the correspondent's 

 trees, on the brow of the hill, did not bear, is that 

 the soil which had been used as a market garden 

 may have been too fertile, as I inter from his 

 statement that the foliage and growth were per- 

 fect. Those on the lower ground were trembled 

 by borers, which may have served to check the 

 e.xhuberent growth, and so cause the trees to 

 bear.— E. S. G. 



635. Potato Seed, (a) It can be had of A. W. 

 Livingston's Sons, HI N. High Street, Columbus, 

 Ohio, or W. W. Kawson & Co., 34 So. Market St., 

 Boston, (h) Sow the seeds in a cold frame, or in 

 bo.xes in the house about April first. Treat the 

 plantsexactly as you would Tomato plants, trans- 

 planting to the open ground in May. It is quite 

 imi'ortant to ro\-cr them for a week or two after 

 transitiaritiiig, ^\■ith some kind of a plant protec- 

 tion, a* the Potato beetles are very likely to de- 

 stroy them if left unprotected.— E. S. G. 



636. Boses for Winter Bloom. For varieties I 

 would name Douglas, red; Bon Silene, carmine; 

 Papa Gontier, carmine crimson; Safrano, M. 

 Falcot, saffron; Sov. d'un Ami, pink; M. Cusin, 

 pink; Niphetos, white. A night temperature of 

 'S to till is ni'ces.sary to attain the best results in 

 winter blooniing Hoses. These varieties will do 

 well at the temjieiutun' uanied, viz.: SO" at night. 

 I wouiil plant tliem out tln' latter part of July or 



1st of August.— (.'HAS. A.NDEKSOX. 



649. Japan Persimmon and Plum Culture. 

 Yes, you can gi'ow the Pei*simmon. But it will 

 winter-kill, so that it is no use out-doors. Kel- 

 sey's Japan Plum is hardy here and will no doubt 

 l)ear; but will not ripen with you. It takes the 

 full season to mature them in iatitude 35°. But 

 there are several other of the Japanese Plums, 

 some of whi(/ii may ripen w^ith you. — S. Millek. 



650. Babbits and Dwarf Pear Buds. When the 

 Rabbits have eaten the Pear buds out of the 

 Quince stocks, you can graft them quite low 

 down, bv the crown system, tie well and give 

 each graft a stake as a guai-d. In the fall when 

 taking such trees up, care must be taken to not 

 break them off, as they will not be as strongly 

 set as ordinary budgiowth would lie.— S. Mili,eu. 



628. Pine Spines and Strawberries. I have 

 never tried the abo\e, but know that no insects 

 will breed in that mulch. I have covered plants 

 with cedar branches in the fall, which shed all 

 the leaves by spring, that done first rate. I don't 



think the pine needles would have any bad effect, 

 unless put on too thick, which might retard the 

 plants in the spring, as they are quite a non-con- 

 ductor. The aiipearance of this will no doubt 

 bring out the ex]iciience of others.— S. Millek. 



KK. Cranberry and Huckleberry Culture. 

 There is ntt earthly use In your planting Cran- 

 berries on land that you cannot keep wet all the 

 time. The fact is they nuist have their roots in 

 soil constantly wet, and t he water should be over 

 the ground a little at various times. I have tried 

 them repeatedly and failed. As to Strawbenies, 

 there will be no difficulty in growing them there. 

 Plough deeply, puherize thoroughly. Plant in 

 rows three feet apart, one foot apart in the rows. 

 Let each plant make about five runners, then 

 stop all further rininers. Mulch in the fall as 

 soon as the ground freezes. In setting the plants 

 spread out the roots instead of cramming them 

 in a bunch, as is often done. Cultivate all sum- 

 mer.— S. Miller. 



640. Grapes for Market. I would plant, Con- 

 cords 100, Ives 2(XI, Tolinan UK), PockUngton 40, 

 Worden 200. Plant the rf)ws se\'en feet apart and 

 vines in the rows ten feet. Ha\e the ground 

 plowed and subsoiled at least 2tl inches deep if 

 you want a permanent vineyard. There are 

 many better Grapes than the above, but in that 

 latitude one must confine themselves to such as 

 will stand the climate. The Ives is a much better 

 Grape than it has credit for, being usually eaten 

 before ripe. It makes a very good wine also.—S.M. 



645. Blue-black Grape Beetle. It is the Graix; 

 beetle you allude to. The only way to prevent 

 their mischief is to spray the vine with a solution 

 of London Purple, one pound in 20 gallons of 

 water. This must be renewed if there is much 

 rain. Next best is to go along the vines in the 

 forenoon cautiously, and you can catch most of 

 them, hold one hand under so as to catch it in 

 case it drops ere you can pick it off, crush them 

 at once. If you watch the rolling of the leaves, 

 you can crush the insect in the worm stage, as 

 some say it is the young of the blue beetle. 

 Whether it is or not, the latter is a regular nuis- 

 ance, and should be carefully destroyed. It takes 

 careful work, however, as when you unfold a 

 leaf they begin to squirm and wiggle and make 

 their escape to the ground.— S. M. 



648. Myrobolean Plum Stock. Forty years 

 ago I got the Myrobolean Plum Stocks, and at 

 the same time some Chickasaw f re im this state. 

 That was in Sharon Co. Pa. 1 could see no differ- 

 ence in the value as a stock. Here the Cluckasaw 

 and Common Wild Plum are all that any one 

 could wish for. The f'« inner for the strong grow- 

 ing varieties and the lattei- t'cpi- slower growing 

 ones. I have the Wilil Goose and Marianna 

 gi'afted on the native wild stocks here, that keep 

 pace in growth so that it is hard to tell where the 

 union is. The Marianna will, I think, make a 

 good stf)ck, and it can be grown from cuttings. 

 I never budded a Peach on a Plum in my life, 

 nor do 1 want it. Peach is the proper foundati<m 

 for Peach in the jilaces where I have lived.— S. M. 



6.52. Early Tomatoes for Market. My course, 

 which has been satisfactory, is as follows ; Be- 

 tween February 22 and March 1 I sow the seed 

 in shallow bo.xes filled with good soil, and, when 

 the plants are several inches high, and before 

 there is any danger of injury b.v over-crowding, 

 they are transplanted, preferably into beds of 

 rich soil, two niches apart each way. Here they 

 should push forward rapidly, receiving at the 

 same time abundance of air to prevent a weak 

 growth. I transplant again before crowding in- 

 jures them, this time singly into bo.xes four inches 

 square and three inches deep, the sides and bottom 

 being ;^-16-incli stuff, the ends having a thickness 

 of if inch. The sides are fastened only enough 

 to hold and yet admit of being jiuUed off when 

 taking the piants from them for planting. These 

 bo.xes, with ordinary care, last three or four 

 years and have proven to be about right. The 

 plants in them are grown along as quickly as 

 possible, without causing a s^iindly habit. A 

 good suppl}' of water is essential, and close at- 

 tention at this stage to the airing, and giving in- 

 creased space promptly as reipiired. About the 

 middle of April they may be put outside in 

 frames, protecting with prepared cloth, and in 

 this wa.v securing extra strung, well-hardened 

 plants, that by the last of .May can, with us, be 

 planted outside, in well-tilled but not over-rich 

 ground. With exei-cisitig the care required to 

 secure early pro.lucts. 'rmiiato plants gi'own in 

 this way wiU ha\ <■ on small fruit, as well as blos- 

 soms, when plantc'l. ami these iiroduce ttie i-arly 

 crop of fruit, alter whirti a new crop must fonii 

 that will ripen din-iug the summer. In order to 

 have the best possible results as to earliness, 

 one can not well ^let ahmg without a greenhouse 

 of some sort, in which the work early in the sea- 

 son can be carried on. From four to five months 

 are required from the time of sowing the seed to 

 have sufficient ripe Tomatoes to begin the mar- 

 keting, and it seems as if no amount of forcing 

 would hasten the crop. My experience with 

 starting them earlier tnan the date named, has 

 been that the gain did not r<'pa.\' for the increased 

 expense of time, space and care re<|uired during 

 the dark weather. The \ arieties that have given 

 the best satisfaction are Livingstone's Favorite, 

 Perfection, and Beaut.\', no great difference ex- 

 isting in the time of ripening of these in plants 

 grown as above.— Geo. Sdmmey, Buffalo, N. T. 



