1^88. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



197 



as these would soon completely cover and mar 

 the effect of the rugged rock work. The Vir- 

 ginia Creeper, Bitter-sweet, Virginia Silk vines, 

 or such other vines as clauiber over bush or rock 

 work as they will, while some small tioweiing 

 p hint, as Dew Plant, Oxalis, Sweet Alyssum or 

 Otluinna, is very lovely. Any of the white foliage 

 phmts mixed with Portulaca is a gof)d contrast; 



Plant of Caladium Escukntum. 



indeed, it matters little what you plant if there 

 arc plenty of vines and bright colors.— L. H. T. 



Garden Cemeteries, The idea of rendering our 

 burying grounds places of pleasant aspect instead 

 of being, as they too often are, places of neglect 

 and gloom,is well worthy of consideration every- 

 where. An improved state in these cannot be 

 better brought about than by careful and judici- 

 ous planting of trees and shrubs. There are 

 many of these suitable tV)r such a purpose, in- 

 cluding such interest-giving plants as the vari- 

 ous smaller growing forms of trees, like the 

 Mountain Ash, Weeping Birch, Kilmarnock, and 

 other Willows of similar growth, cut-leaved 

 Alder, Cork-barked Maple, Panicle-tiowered Hy- 

 drangea, Japan Quince, Persian Lilacs, Weigelias, 

 and dozens of other equally deserving kinds. 

 Pleasant associations wtiuld not detract one whit 

 for our veneration of the dead ; indeed, in the 

 too common state of these we have too much 

 expression of living grief i-ather than of love for 

 the departed. 



Growing Large Caladiums. A course of stinted 

 feediug and watering must be avoided if one de- 

 sires the greatest satislaction in growing the 

 Caladium esculentum. This point obser\'ed and 

 it is amazing what results in size of leaf and plant 

 can be secured shortly after planting the tubei-s. 

 But to neglect high feeding and watering is to 

 lead to a smallness of growth, precisely such as 

 one sees in perhaps three times out of four, where 

 the culture of this noble plant is attempted. 

 The course we have pursued with the best results 

 has been to give to each plant a bushel of mold, 

 consisting of one half of rich rotten manure, and 

 then watering the plants almost daily thr< lughout 

 the season. Then we lia\e been rewarded by 

 specimens three feet high, and showing about 

 the proportion of our engraving. To keep in 

 mind that this plant naturally grows in the rich 

 alluvial soil at the edges of streams is to get the 

 right idea as to its needs. 



The Niagara Experimental Grounds. Each 

 reader of this journal is invited to feel that he 

 has a direct interest in the wf)rk to be carried 

 on here in testing kinds antl varieties of fruit, 

 garden and ornamental gr<iwths, and of methods 

 of culture and protitable -nianagement. And 

 inasmuch as the grounds are located but ten 

 minutes travel by rail from Niagara Falls, and 

 i'ight minutes walk from La Salle station, and as a 

 large proportion of our readers expect at some 

 time to visit the great cataract, all such are most 

 cordially urged to tjike one of the numerous 

 traiiLs daily from the former place and visit the 

 grounds to see the work in progress. Or a car- 

 riage drive from the falls along the river banks 

 W(^uld be found plea.sant and instructive. The 

 trip should be well worth making, also on 

 account of visitors here finding themselves in 

 the midst of thous)in<Is of acres of successful 

 fruit orchards and gardens, which ha\'e contrib- 

 uted their share towards making this section 

 famous for its products. But let not too much 

 be expected of the new place in its first year, 

 it was purchased too lat^_' in the spring for the 

 work to even fairly commence this season. 



Propagating Cactus. Failure is frequently 

 met in this operation by keeping the cuttings 

 too wet. Mr. Bhnie in his "Hints on Cacti" 



illustrates a method of setting the slips, which 

 we have practised for years with success, and 

 can recommend to our readers for all kinds of 

 this interesting family that may have elongated 

 leaves or branches. This is done by taking a 

 cutting and tying it to a small plant stake, about 

 3 inches alxne the lower en<l of the stake, taking 

 good care to have the cutting growing-side up. 

 In.sert this in a^inchpot filled with clean sand, 

 placing a little moss or peat over the hole in the 

 pot to keep the sand fnun running out. Let the 

 cutting just fairly touch the sand, and not be 

 buried in it. Hoots will form in about two weeks, 

 and aft<?rwards a new shoot will appear. You 

 may then shake the sand out and replace it with 

 good, rich soil, one-fourth sand and one-fourth 

 manure. In about 8 days set your plant in the 

 full sun, water it well, and let it grow until c<»ld 

 weather. (Jradually withhold water, and during 

 winter let it remain in a very sunny place in- 

 doors, where it will not freeze. If this place is 

 very dry, water your plant about once a week. 

 Toward the end of March, when growth begins, 

 water may be given more freely, and the plant 

 may be shifted to a larger pot, where it can re- 

 main for several years. 



Girls in the Garden. If there is any one thing 

 more beautiful than another in a garden of 

 flowers, remarks a recent writer, that thing is a 

 beautiful girl, with a sunbonnet on her head so 

 wide and capacious that you have to get right 

 square before her, and pretty near her, toseethe 

 glowing cheeks that are sure to be there if she is 

 at all accustomed to garden walks and work. 

 Physically, there can be nothing better for 

 daught^n*s, and, indeed, for many wives, than to 

 take sole charge of a small flower garden. The 

 benefits derived from early rising, stirring the 

 soil, sniffing the pure morning air, are freshness 

 and glow of cheek and brightness of eye, cheer- 

 fulness of temper, vigor of mind and purity of 

 heart. Consequently, she must be more cheer- 

 ful and lovely as a daughter, more dignified and 

 womanly lis a sister and more attractive and con- 

 fiding as a wife. If you have not the dooryard 

 ground, then get a dozen pots and plant the 

 seeds of flowers to your tastt?. The care and at- 

 tention required to rear and train the growing 

 plants occupies the mind, to the exclusion, often- 

 times, of senseless novel reading, a useless 

 waste of time. You listless, pale-faced, fragile 

 thing of a girl, throw off your mock delicacy, 

 put on gloves, if you will, but work in the garden 

 till your cheeks will vie in color with the blush 

 of the Rose you cultivate. 



The Bhododendron. It has often been a matter 



of surprise to me, remarks our correspondent 

 Mrs. M. D. Wellcome, of Yarmouth, Maine, in 

 the Independent, that these exquisitely beauti- 

 ful and hardy shrubs are not more frequently 

 cultivated in the gardens of amateurs. It may 

 be, in many cases, for lack of knowledge respect- 

 ing them. Ten yeai's ago I received from New 

 Yf>rk two varieties of the Cataivhknxe species, 

 with biids set. They bloomed well, and ha\'e 

 e\ery June since. Never were they so beautiful 

 as last year, in the largeness of their trusses and 

 individual flowers. The bright evergreen foliage, 

 with stems of bright yellow, is very attractive 

 before the coming of the flowers. They thrive 

 in any good garden soil. In my own garden 

 they have a strong element of clay in which 

 woods-earth and sand have been intermixed. 

 Peat is injurious. They are growing in a i)retty 

 sunny position, and a large Hydrangea grandi- 

 fiora protects them on the north. Evergreen 

 boughs are placed over the roots late in the 

 autumn. There are several species of Khododen- 

 dron, but the Hybrids produced from the Ca^au'- 

 ItU'uxi- are the only perfectly hardy. This species 

 is a native of North Carolina. U. pimiicnm is a 

 native of the Himalaya Mo\intains in Asia, and 

 from this many beautiful varieties ha\'e lu'cn 

 produced, but they are too tender for our winters 

 in the open ground. Tliere are coloi*s of purple, 

 lilac, pink, crimson, white, and scarlet, of beauti- 

 ful shadings and markings. The seed-pods ought 

 always to be removed soon after bh>inning, as 

 the ripening <d' seed draws very largely upon the 

 vitality of the plant. I have never seen an insect 

 pest on them, and if 1 could have only one hardy 

 blooming shrub, it should be a Uhodculendron. 



Floral Fancies Noted by a New 

 Yorker. 



Just now the city florists are chiefly occupied 

 in makingsouvenii-s for departing tourists; apart 

 from this, trade is duller than it has been tor 

 years. However, every steamerday brings them 



something t<) do in this line. The usual glftLs 

 a basket; fretiuently it is filled with fruit and 

 flowers combined. One beautiful basket given 

 to a liidy departing on a Fri-nch steiimer was of 

 flat wicker, diamond shape, aliout four feet long. 

 Arountl the edge was a fringe of whit<' Lilac; at 

 each entl were clusters of lavender Orchids, and 

 the center was filled with American Ik^auty Uoses 

 relieved by Lily of the \'alley. The whole was 

 veiled in Maiden Hair Fern. It was an exceed- 

 ingly beautiful thing. A floral horse-shoe pre- 

 sented to Austin < orbiu on his departure for 

 Rurope was made of Jacqueminot Roses and 

 Lily of the Valley, with caulks of Violets. It is 

 very rarely, however, that such designs are 

 called for by the patrons of up-town florists; a 

 basket is the usual gift. 



Pouch baskets of rushes resting on easels arc 

 much in favor. A handsome one had towards 

 the back a few dark-colored Cypripediums re- 

 lieved by Maiden Hair; in the front were Uoses, 

 shading from deep pink to pale yellow. A trail- 

 ing bunch of Roses on the front of the pouch 

 was fastened so as to appear a continuation of 

 the mass in the basket. 



Globular rush baskets resting on a tripod are 

 most admired when containing a single handsome 

 plant; when filled with flowers they are apt to 

 lo(jk clumsy, unless very careftilly done. 



In spite of the fancy for Violets, one sees almost 

 more Lily of the Valley now in the form of cor- 

 sage bouqets. It is very plentiful, and ai>art 

 from its spring-like look it harmonizes with the 

 delicate greensso fashionable in millinery, which 

 is quite a consideration to the feminine mind. 

 The immense bunches which used to make a 

 fashionable girl look like a perambulating gar- 

 den are out of date n()W, but a breast knot of 

 mtjderate size is an indispensable finish to the 

 toilet, and certainly more women wear flowers 

 now than in former seasons. They have ceasecl 

 to be a luxury for the matinee or evening func- 

 tion, and are a necessity for every day wear. 



Very few decorations of any note have taken 

 place lately; there have been few entertainments. 

 At one reception the rooms were prettily adorned 

 with Hj^draugeas in pots, placed singly and in 

 nuusses; the effect was i)articularly good, white 

 flowers only being used. .^It the many April 

 church weddings Palms were the chief adorn- 

 ment; comparatively few flowers were used. 



At several larger luncheons lately the guests 

 have been seated at small round tables, each ac- 

 commodating four to six, and each of these tables 

 is decorated with a single variety of flower. One 

 will be Lilacs, another Hoses, another Violets, 

 and so on. Where large Roses were used on such 

 an occasion, each lady would receive a single 

 flower with her name written on a leaf in gold, 

 but this is a comparatively hackneyed idesi. 



All table decorations sh(jw apparently un- 

 studied taste, rather than the heavy elaboration 

 of former yeai's. The loosely filled basket, fmm 

 which the flowers are taken to form the favors, 

 is a vastirai>rovement on the old formal arrange- 

 ment, with Ixiuiiuets lying at each plate. In 

 spite of all we hear about the excess of ribbon 

 in floral arrangements the best flor- 

 ists use but little; the fashi<m hsis 

 become vulgarized, and people of 

 taste desire fine flowers rather tlian 

 millinery "fixings." 



Lilac enters into the favorite bou- 

 quets; brides carry white Lilac and 

 Bride or Niphetos Uoses; their maids 

 f)f honor i)ale-tinted Lilac with pink 

 Uoses. La France, Mcrmet and ( 'usin 

 seem always to take fii-st rank. That 

 new sidphur coloi-ed Carnation, An- 

 delusia, seems likely t^) be a favorite; 

 /j „ it is a very desirable color. Those 

 jjij*-^ terrific dyed Carnations which j>ained 

 iV ^ oiu' eyes earlier in the season have 

 M disappeared totidly. 



W The Pansy is enjoying a little 



w boom, tlirough Mrs. (leveland's 



'' fancy for it. However, it is always 



a favorite flitwer; a suburban florist 

 declares that it sells Iietter than any 

 other flower that grows. Not that <me can ac- 

 tpiire a fortune by growing it for the city trade. 

 Some of the choicer wild flowei-s are to be seen 

 in the city stores, as well as on the street. Little 

 posies of Tniiling Arbutus are admired by many, 

 and always sell to some ext4'nt. A little later we 

 shall see Uh(idoden<irons and Kaliuia. The cul- 

 tivated Rhododendrons have been used more this 

 year than usual, both as cut flowers and decor- 

 ating plants. Orchids are .»itill in high favor, and 

 tlrui place in all the choicest designs. 



Emily Louise Taplin. 



Pj'opayatinff 

 thf Cactuft. ' 



