208 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



June, 



Sometimes they gather around a little 

 pool of water in large niimljers, so that if 

 one loads a gun with flue sand instead of 

 shot, and gets within ten or fifteen feet of 

 them, more can be destroyed in an instant 

 than one can kill with a brush in a day. 



Abortive Plum Blossoms. It seems an 

 established fact that the Blackman Plum is 

 no good; that it blooms but never bears fruit. 



KITCntM OMOai 



KITCHCH CASDLN 



Borner ler Striwbtfrln, HtrHi, Ac- 



Plan of Half Acre Garden. 



How this ever got a name antl a place on 

 lists of fruits I cannot tell, but certainly it 

 has been a mistake. 



This spring my Deep Creek Plum bloomed 

 finely, but did not set a single Plum; the 

 same with the Caddo Chief. liut this latter 

 has a habit of doing this on young trees, I 

 am told. That the Deep Creek may need a 

 fertilizer might be an excuse in the minds of 

 some; but in one place it is on the same tree 

 with Golden Beauty, which bloomed at the 

 same time and which is full of fruit. 



I am sorry for the Deep Creek, as it is con- 

 sidered the best of Plums. My Mariannas 

 are now well set and will need curculio 

 watching. Hope this will come up to its 

 description better this year than heretofore. 



A Fruit Grower's Home. How a man 

 owning land can live without choice fruits 

 and fiowers is a mystery to me. From where 

 I now sit I can look out and see Spirteas and 

 Japan Quince in variety. Locusts, Snow- 

 balls, Laburnum, Roses, P.vionies, etc., on 

 the lawn in their glory and coming on. 



Pass through the house and on the other 

 side look upon a show of Tulips that would 

 do an artist's eyes good. Looking from my 

 back door I can in one sweep of the eyes see 

 Apple, Pear, Peach, Plum, Grape-vines, 

 Currants, Gooseberries, Service Berry, Mul- 

 berry, Quince, and in fact almost every 

 fruit-bearing tree worth raising here. Look- 

 ing towards the northeast one can see Hick- 

 ory trees, upon which are grafted Pecans. 

 Pecan Hybrid,and varietiesof Hickory Nuts. 



A few rods off is a hot-bed KJx.S, filled 

 with splendid plants ready to set out. No 

 rain here for three weeks, too dry to set out; 

 but this morning, April 2!i, we are having a 

 splendid rain, and it makes things look fine. 



Talk about dull care, or getting lonesome 

 in this isolated place ! Why a man would 

 have to be lost to all that is beautiful in 

 nature to get the blues here. 



Thinnini; Out Fruit. This is the time to 

 see to it that fruit trees don't overbear. 

 Some say it is too much trouble, but they 

 may have never tried it. It is snrprising 

 over how many trees a man can go in aday. 

 Ai>i)les, Pears and Peaches often need it. 

 Some will say how many shall I leave? I 



say thin out so that where grown no two 

 specimens touch each other. I have often 

 got Just double the price for fruit of the 

 same variety on similar trees, and simply 

 by thinning out so as to have them all fine. 

 I once sold Crawford's I>ate Peaches at ^i per 

 bushel, when a wagon load just across the 

 street was measuring the same variety for 

 .50 cents per bushel. My load was sold out 

 first, and many disappointed by not getting 

 of mine. 



Plan of Half Acre Garden. 



The annexed engraving represents a small 

 garden planned to a good purpose. The 

 space allotted to each subject being regulated 

 in such a way as not to allow of any one 

 essential of a garden about the size of that 

 given predominating above the rest. 



At the first glance, perhaps, the space 

 marked out for shrubs would appear to be 

 somewhat in excess, taking into considera- 

 the space at disposal. When, however, our 

 suggestions of intermixing a few standard 

 fruit trees among the other deciduous and 

 evergreen trees and shrubs are carried out, 

 this will greatly modify any such apparently 

 undue extent of ground. The margins of 

 shrubs can also be most suitably planted 

 with hardy herbaceous and other dwarf 

 flowering plants, allowing a broader margin 

 for such where the width marked out is pro- 

 portionately wide. 



In a small garden we would prefer to allow 

 for these necessaries in this way, far liefore 

 cutting up the opeu spaces into fiower-l5eds, 

 as may very frequently be seen, even where 

 the garden space is most limited in extent. 

 The lawn will then appear of greater dimen- 

 sions than it really is, and more facility will 

 be offered for the arrangement of such gar- 

 den recreations as lawn tennis, etc. 



In the event no such games being desired, 

 we would advise the addition of a few strong 

 clumps of comparative dwarf shrubs or 

 plants, such as Pa?onies, Hydrangeas, or 

 Rhododendrons, in preference to marking 

 out any set designs. 



Some Simple Bedding Arrangements 



I have found the following combinations 

 very effective: — 



One massing or combination is most 

 beautiful— Heliotrope and Cineraria 

 maritima. One or more big beds Should 

 be of these. 



Calceolaria ample.xicaulis makes a 

 grand bed, but does not mix very well 

 with many flowers; does well with sweet 

 variegated-leaved Geranium. 



Geranium. Indian Yellow, a lovely sal- 

 mon pink, with G. Lucius, a deeper pink. 



Verbenas, deep and light purple; also 

 with Cineraria maritima and Centaurea. 



Verbenas, scarlet and pink together. 



French and African Marigolds. 



Bed of Zinnias and bronze-red Canuas. 



Small bed of Fuchsia, single white 

 and scarlet (Cannell's Gem and Delight 

 are two beautiful sorts.) 



Salvia patens with green ('annas and 

 sweet-leaved Geraniums. 



Some pink Geraniums, with Mme. 

 Crousse, salmon-pink, Ivy-leaved Geran- 

 iums towards edge. 



Bedding Nasturtiums in any combina- 

 tion. 



I think this list Includes the most desirable 

 things in good mixture.— .1. in (iarden. 



set closely in pans and boxes ready for use. 

 This is best done a day or two beforehand. 



3. Have an active boy take abunchof these 

 and stand in front of yon and facing you. 



4. Take a common hoe and strike the 

 corner into the ground where the plant is to 

 stand. Raise the dirt just a little, and the 

 boy holding the plant by the leaves sets it 

 into the hole. Remove the hoe quickly and 

 step on the raised dirt close to the plant, 

 thus "setting " it firmly. Every plant will 

 live, even in a dry time, if the hoe is put 

 down into the fresh dirt. One can keep 

 regular steps across the field, stand up 

 straight, keep clean hands and pants, and 

 set them as fast as a boy can drop them. If 

 the plants lean a little no matter, they will 

 stand upright after they get to growing. 



I can set plants in this way faster than 

 with a "dibble," and what was one of the 

 hardest and most unpleasant jobs of the 

 season has now become one of the easiest. 

 I think a trial of this way for a few minutes 

 will convince any one that it is a great im- 

 provement—in comfort at lesist. 



New Pruning Implement.— The Myti- 

 cuttah. 



This is an implement that has been recently 

 perfected in England by the Standard Manu- 

 facturing Company, Derby. Some years ago 

 the same company introduced the standard 

 tree pruner, which has proved of great ser- 

 vice in lopping and pruning tall trees, the im- 

 plement combining lightness with strength. 

 The myticuttah is on the same principle, but 

 of the length of hedge-shears, and though 

 much lighter will sever branches ten times 

 stronger than any ordinary shears can re- 

 move. It is a small implement of great 

 power, easy in action, and will be found ser- 

 viceable in thinning fruit and other trees 

 and bushes, of which so many are in need of 

 assistance in the manner indicated. Those 

 who have tried the new implement find it 

 answers its purpose well. It is represented 

 partially open and closed in the engravings. 



Getting Rid of Rose Bnos. This vexatious 

 pest it seems impossible to dispose of except by 

 shaUhig and liand-picking. And even by these 

 means many give up the task in despair, for the 

 simple reason that they neglect to do the work 



How to Set Cabbage Plants Easily 

 and Rapidly. 



S. L'. KARNilAM, UENESEE CO., N. Y. 



1. Mark out the ground ready to set. 



'i. Pull the plants, sort them, placing the 

 roots all the same way and as evenly as 

 couveuieut. Then puddle them in mud and 



The Myticuttah Pruuiuu Intithinent. 



early in the morning. Defer it for a few horn's 

 and it is difficult to catch them. At night, .iust 

 as dusk approaches, is also a good time to gather 

 them. Twice a day is none too often. Onewa.v 

 is to tiike a small hand-dish and hold itinider the 

 bushes, and knock the bugs otf into It. By such 

 means you may very soon clear your bustles of 

 Rose bugs. Rose culture may be helped against 

 this pest by initting among them occasionall.v an 

 old-fashioned WhiteIto.se. The.v prefer this to the 

 hybrid pcrpctuals. To get them all together on 

 one bush they are so much more easily destroyed. 



