2IO 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



JULV, 



put with siich admirable effect that it would 

 he a pleasure to see the methods ofteu ap- 

 plied. Fig. 1 shows an entrance to grounds 

 with the posts and front fence covered with 

 this Creeper. In this case the posts were of 

 good size, eighteen by eighteen inches 

 square, with a top yet larger. 'Any ordi- 

 nary sized posts could be built out to thus 

 support the vines for forming strong pillars 

 of green to flank the entrance of a place. 



-^fr« 







Fence and Garden Arbor Clolhed in Oreen 

 For the sake of economy in material even 

 rough unpainted boards would answer, as 

 after the first or second season it would be 

 completely covered from view. The 

 fence in this case consisted of a lattice-work 

 of wire, but something yet cheaper than 

 this would answer for giving it body. Such 

 an enclosure to the grounds would be as 

 ornamental as a hedge, iu some respects 

 more so, and there would never be the 

 trouble of spots appearing, through the fail- 

 ure of the growth, as this vine knows hardly 

 any such thing as fail. 



Fig. 3 represents a garden fence somewhat 

 similar to that of the first engraving, but 

 with a most delightful arbor of green ex- 

 tending out from and covering a seat at the 

 termination of one of the garden walks. Iu 

 constructing the frame work of such an af- 

 fair it matters but little for appearances 

 whether the material be wood or metal, so 

 long as a form of good shape as to general 

 outline is obtained. Of course metal would 

 for the lighter parts be the most durable. 



Figure 3 shows an exceedingly graceful 

 and pleasing division mark for ))etween 

 vai-jons parts of the garden, as between tiie 

 ornamental, vegetable or fniit part. The 

 construction of the supporting part is very 

 simple. It consists merely of low Cedar 

 posts set at eight or ten feet apart along the 

 division line, with a chain or twisted wire 

 extending from end to end through holes 

 near the tops of the posts, and to droop 

 slightly between the posts. Another wire 

 should extend similarly from post to post 

 but in this case lixcd and to be six inches 

 from the ground. By then planting one 

 strong i"oot of the Ampelopsis on each side 

 of each post in rich soil the entire support 

 should .soon be covered with the vine. 



While the Virginia Creeper will bear ill- 

 usage as well as any other plant that grows, 

 it responds quickly to liberal culture. If 

 therefore the grower would have the hand- 

 somest results very shortly after planting, 

 he should see to it that the ground is made 

 decidedly rich and stirred up to a good 

 depth whei'ever a plant is set. 



Retarding the Crop. 



DANIEL B. LON(J, KRIE COUNTY, N. Y. 



To retard a crop of flowers, fruits or vege- 

 tables beyond the natural season of matur- 

 ity is often quite as desirable as to force a 

 crop ahead of Its ordinary time. As show- 

 ing what can be done in this line, I will 

 slate my experience with some Tulips in my 

 garden the past season. The same plan 

 would be applicable to most any other kind 

 of hardy growth. 



In the fall of 1887 I planted two beds of 

 equal size and shape with Tulips, an equal 

 number of the same varieties in each, and 



each containing over 300 bulbs. In Feb- 

 ruary, when the ground was frozen, I pro- 

 cured a load of solid ice blocks or cakes, 

 covering one bed with a layer of these ice 

 blocks. I framed around it with boards one 

 foot high, similar to the sides of a cold 

 frame, and packed between the boards and 

 the ice over the latter with straw and 

 Sphagnum Moss, varying from three to six 

 inches thick. The latter material, especially, 

 seems a most excellent non- 

 conductor. 



On May 34th, when the 

 Tulips of same kind in the 

 uncovered bed were past 

 flowering the ice had not yet 

 entirely melted from the 

 covered one. Fearing the con- 

 tinued moisture from it might 

 rot the bulbs, I removed 

 what was then left. The sur- 

 face of the ground had now 

 thawed, but the bulb tops 

 were not in sight. They soon 

 showed, through, and without any general 

 exception all came into perfect flower be- 

 tween June 13th and 30th, fully three weeks 

 after the others had, and apparently none the 

 worse for their extended artificial winter. 



This may be a useful point to growers of 

 florist's flowers, the demand usually being 

 ahead of supply during June Jor flowers of 

 showy nature like Tulips and Hyacinths. 

 Watering-place hotels, where they open just 

 after the bulb flowering season, could em- 

 ploy it to advantage on their grounds, at a 

 very nominal expense, and gardeners in 

 private places could readily extend the 

 season of such classes of bulb flowers to the 

 advantage and delight of their owners. 



No doubt a similar course could be pur- 

 sued with many other kinds of vegetation, 

 such as Strawberries, Asparagus and other 

 vegetables, and some flowering shrubs. 



Loose Bark of the Cherry ; Cherries 

 to Bush Form. 



J. L. BITDD, IOWA AGRICULTUKAI. COLLEGE. 



In answer to the query of F. N. as to the 

 cause of loose bark on Cherry stems, Mr. A. 

 M. Purdy says: "Frozen to death is our 

 verdict." As bark bursting of the cherry, 

 and of the stems of young apple trees oc- 

 curs in climates where the thermometer 

 ne\er goes much below freezing we cannot 

 assume the terse answer to be always correct. 



Those who have access to the third volume 

 of Downing's Horticulturist, published in 

 1840, will And a suggestive paper on this 

 subject, written liy Prof. .T. B. Turner, of 

 Illinois. His verdict is "death by tiglit 

 lacing," and his remedy is, "Cut the corset 

 strings." In practice his idea of stripping 

 off the tough "outer ring bark" is not juac- 

 ticable, but in thesame volume A. .1. Down- 

 ing gives Nature's own remedy for the 

 trouble in answer to a question from 

 Milwaukee, Wis. He says: "You say the 

 Cherry with you suffers from bark -cracking 

 and gumming. Allow your trees to form 

 low, bushy heads, as near the grouu<l. as 

 may be, prune them scarcely at all, and 

 manure them with wood ashes." 



Sooner or later this idea of growing the 

 Cherry in bush form will be adopted in all 

 dry interior sections where hardening of the 

 outer bark of the stem is liable to take 

 place. The effect of this hardening of the 

 tough, stringy epidermis of the Cherry and 

 Plum is well illustrated by grafting the 

 Cherry on well-established young Miner 

 Plum stocks. The scions unite perfectly, 

 and the plentiful ascent of sap through the 

 alburniim of the Phun stock pushes rapid 

 gro^^•th. But about the time that new wood 

 begins to form rapidly the trees are apt to 

 die, stock and in'anch, unless, as Prof. 

 Turner expresses it, the corset strings of the 



stock are cut by the total peeling off of the 

 tough epidermis. 



During the rapid spring growth of the 

 scions the bark of the stock has less than its 

 normal supply of water, and the corky 

 layer absolutely refuses to expand to give 

 room for the new wood deposit. 



I only write this to direct attention to the 

 need over wide areas of our country of 

 adopting the bush plan of Cherry growing 

 common to large parts of Europe and Asia. 



For like reasons the low cordon system of 

 training the Cherry will become popular 

 with us in yards and along walks and 

 drives when its merits are better known. 



Early Strawberries, Late Season. 



E. WILLIAMS. ESSE.X CO., N. J. 



Old " Strawberry Day," the first Monday 

 in .June found us unable to find a berry ap- 

 proaching ripeness, the season being later 

 by 10 or 13 days than many of its predeces- 

 sors. It was June 13th before I noticed the 

 birds had been sampling the blushing 

 cheeks of the advance guard. The season 

 has been cool, with a superabundance of 

 wet, damp weather since the 10th of May. 

 The nuiuth preceding that date was cool 

 and dry, and now we are dry again, and the 

 Strawberries are feeling the need of mois- 

 ture. Such extremes have an unfavorable 

 effect on the condition and prospect of the 

 Strawberry, and I notice they are not as 

 promising now as they were 10 days ago, as 

 the rust has struck them in many places, 

 and as heretofore it does not confine itself 

 to any one or a few varieties, though as us- 

 ual, more prevalent on some than others. 

 By the way this is a good subject for our 

 experiment stations to study and investi- 

 gate in view of finding a remedy. 



The reports of the Strawberry crop in this 

 region is somewhat conflicting. One grower 

 writes he thinks he will have 1,000 bushels 

 (?) while a near neighbor of his told me to- 

 day he had just been inspecting them and 

 he did not think he would have half that 

 amount. I hear that the Monmouth Co. 

 crop will average about half the usual 

 amount. If these reports prove to be a true 

 index of the crop it will doubtless still be 

 suflTiciently abundant to keep the prices 

 down below the point of profit to the grow- 

 er. Good berries are now to be had for 10 

 cents, which with picking, freight, commis- 

 sion and the retailers' profits taken off, does 

 not leave a very large margin for the grow- 

 er. No need of anyone going Stravs-berry 

 hungry, that is certain. 



A year ago this spring I received a pack- 

 age of Strawberry plants I)y mail from K. 1). 

 Cole, of Cumberland, Co., N. J., and aletter 

 declining to say anything about them 

 further than requesting I should give this 

 new kind, and known as "Pearl," a fair trial 

 along with others, and report results. 



The only available place for them at the 

 time seenie<l to be a row of young vines just 

 trellised in my vineyard, and there they 

 were located with little expectations that 



A Neat DivisUm Mark. 

 they would prove more of a bonanza than 

 many other more pretentious and highly 

 extolled sorts sentnie for the same purpose. 

 I find the Pearls are ripening among the 

 first, and their good size, perfect form, hand- 

 some appearance, and vigorous healthy 

 foliage, together with their good quality, 

 entitle them to further trial under more 

 favorable conditions. As compared with 

 the .Jessie along side, it is fully as vigorous 

 in growth, a little earlier in ripening, fully 

 as handsom*, and though the first berries 



