i888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



221 



wjLslicdiiownovertluMlnp, orsometimes thrDUK-h 

 pipes into clofiely comontofl cist4?rns. ('liildron, 

 playinjf, often putsueh objects in out-of-the-way 

 places, to see if they will swim, or to tempt some 

 bin] to procure his <linner. 



To Uake Bose Perfume. The manufact- 

 urei-s of Rose perfume, according to an 

 Kiig^lish KxchauB-e, when they wish to pre- 

 serve Itosi'-leaves fresh until they have got 

 u sufficient quantity to distil, or use in 

 other ways, are in the habit of separating 

 the leaves from the stalks, and mixing them 

 int^> a piustx" with salt, in the proportion of 

 li lbs. of leaves to I lb. of common salt. This, 

 put in jars, will keep any length of time. 

 Packing alternate layers of salt and fresh 

 Hose leaves away in jars is a flrst-rate, sim- 

 ple way of getting a tine essence of Hose. 

 liet the jars remain covered in the cellar 

 for a month of two, then put the pulp into 

 nnislin, and press the moisture from it. 

 Bottle this essence, and let it stand out, well 

 corked, in the sun and dew until it is <iuite 

 clear. One pai"t of this essence, one part of 

 spirits of wine, and ten i>arts of spring 

 water will glN'e you a floe flavored rose- 

 water, A gotMl tincture of Hose leaves may 

 be made by simply steeping them in .strong 

 spirits; while three parts (d" leaves of just - 

 opened Uost»8 to four parts of sweet oUm- 

 oil, pounded in a mortar, kept still for a 

 week, and then expressed, will give yoti 

 an excellent oil nf Hoses. 



The Variegated India Eubber Tree, The 

 ordinary grcfii-lea\ed Rubber Tree, Ficus 

 d«.sfico, is nt»t excelled by any other plant 

 in existence as a handsome window plant. 

 To call attention therefore to an interest- 

 ing form of the si>ecies the tree named in 

 the headingand known hotanically as F(>c«x 

 et(u<tk'a ranVya/a should here prove desira- 

 ble, for this variety is almost as well adapted 

 to house culture a.s the i)arent, and the 

 pleasing variegation in the leaf gives it a 

 peculiar charm. Though this plant is not 

 new, it is not common, and when well 

 grown is unquestionably beautiful. It was 

 first brought out at one of the Liverpool, 

 Kngland, flower shows a few years ago, and 

 was awarded a first-class certificate. Since 

 then the plant has gradually spread, though 

 it is by no means seen everywhere; yet it 

 api)eai*s to improve on nc<piaintance, and 

 we know has been bought freely by some 

 growers who anticipate it will prove good 

 for the market and the million. In its early 

 stages the variegation is not very clear, but 

 the greenish yellow portions change with age 

 to creamy white, and when the plant is healthy 

 and the normal crdor rich and deep the contrast 

 is highly effective. 



Budding Roses Early. I have added to my 

 little list se\'eral Hoses this spring, but canniit 

 expect t<i see them bear flowers u]) to the mark 

 this season on their own roots, but d() expect tt) 

 have them on large strong stocks upon which 

 they will 1k' budded as soon as they have wood 

 from which buds can be taken. As soon after 

 budding as the bud has taken hold pinch the 

 points of the sti>ek, and when the young begins 

 to swell cut back t<) within six inches of the bud, 

 pinching all the shoots off above and beh)w the 

 bud. In a short time the bud ivill begin to grow, 

 and by the fall frosts there will be Koses far 

 sui>erior to those grown on the little plants. 

 There is a Imd of Star of Lyons two years old in 

 my garden, from which I cut the last Rose this 

 morning which was the sixteenth for the first 

 crop, and there are other buds coming on. And 

 such Hoses! three inches in diameter, with the 

 darkest shade of yellow I ever saw in this variety. 

 This in measure reconciles me to the lf)8S of my 

 Marcchal Neil and Perle des Jardins. The man 

 who will produce a hardy perpetual yellow Rose, 

 with the color of the old single yellow I used to 

 see thirty years ago, will have a fortune left him. 

 That rich deep golden color has not yet been at- 

 tained in any of the i)erpetual8.~S. MiUer. 



On the lawn at " Woodbanks^' stands a hand- 

 some specimen of Kilmarnock Weeping Willow. 

 It is nine feet high, of the same width, and has a 

 trunk six inches through. No particular atten- 

 tion ap[>ears ever to have been given to this tree 

 except that of keeping its top primly rounded 

 over l)y training, with the result of giving it a 

 syrametrieal rather formal appearance. A con- 

 siderable degree of stiffness might also be said to 

 have been present in its looks pre\ ious to a few 

 weeks ago, owing to an accumulation of dead 



branches on the bottom of the head, and which 

 tended to direct the growth outwards rather 

 than giacefully downwards. We early detMded 

 on a simple change of treatment, namely, to 

 alliiw the tree at its extreme top to grow as it 

 will, with u view to some irregular grace in its 

 outline, and every particle of the stiff dead wood 



THE VARIEGATED INDIA RUBBER TREE. 

 in the lower interior part of the tree has been 

 trimmed out. The result even at this date is most 

 satisfactory in the respect that the side branches 

 droop more pleasingly, and the top outline is 

 already slightly relieved from the formality that 

 the pruning knife had here induced. And this 

 reminds us to say that the Kilmarnock Willow is in 

 appearances more <)ften injured than lienetlted 

 by the use of the knife on any but dead branches. 

 In this of course we do not refer to the wild 

 sprouts that sometimes spring directly upwards 

 from the trunk; all sueh must be removed as 

 soon as they appear. 



Saving Time in Garden Work. Even with a 

 small garden it is an easy matter to arrange it so 

 that the labor of cultivating will be considerably 

 increased, and then, if in addition you have poor 

 tools to w^ork with, you can increase this so that 

 it will be quite a task to keep up sufficient culti- 

 vation to insure a proper growth. Planting in 

 long rows so that the larger plants can be culti- 

 vated with a horse and plow, or with small garden 

 plows and cultivators, will reduce the labor 

 required materially. With using a reel and line 

 and a marker to furrow out the rows, a diill 

 to sow or plant the seed, and a garden plow and 

 cultivator to do the work <tf cultivating, a very 

 considei-able difference in the time required can 

 be saved. It is comparatively a small matter to 

 go into the rows with either the plow or cultiva- 

 tor, and the narrow space left by them is very 

 readily cleaned, at least I find itso. I have a family 

 of eight and corisider it necessary to ha\e a good 

 sized garden, and by following this plan I find It 

 requires considerable less work than when I used 

 to make all the gaiden in small beds and expected 

 to do all the work of cultivating with the hoe. I 

 can cultivate now a considerably larger garden 

 with less time and keep in a better condition now 

 than by the old plan. The tools cost but little 

 and will pay for themselves in time saved in a 

 short time. I always consider it economical to 

 purchase and use implements, or adopt a plan 

 that is surely labor saving.— iV./. Shepherd, Mil- 

 ler Co., Mo. 



Floral Matters in New York City. 

 Ily the time June is i)ver the florists have little 

 to do, except in the way of funeral work. Dec- 

 oration day did not bring as much as was anticipa- 

 ted, though u good many plants were s(dd. Plants 

 and loose fiowers always take the lead now, on 

 any special occasion. In designs, the wreath 

 was first favorite. It can Im- varied more 

 than any other fonn, antl it is more used 

 than anything else in the cemeteries. There 

 was the usual display at General (Inuit's 

 tomb, in Riverside Park, in the way of a 

 great many designs in Immortelles, which 

 were, (us a rule, hopelessly ugly. The Cape 

 Flowers, in spite of Everlastings, are really 

 pretty, but designs in ordinary Immortelles 

 always look as if they were made with a 

 trowel. A design in memory of (Jeneral 

 (iiant. ordered by the Mail and Kxpress, 

 was a column some ten feet high, topped 

 by an urn. (>n one side was an eagle and 

 the American coat-of-arms. As it was to be 

 exposed for some time, the foundation of 

 the design was of Cape fiowers, though filled 

 in and garlanded with fresh blooms. 



Florists who have a large clientele among 

 poor people usually make the foundation of 

 their designs in these Cape Flowers. Of 

 ooui-se a grower can't be expected t-o ap- 

 prove of the custom, nor does it commend 

 itself to i)ersons of fine taste, but it enables 

 l»eople of narrow purse to give very 

 handsome-appearing designs at alnait one- 

 third their apparent cost. Emblematic 

 designs in Cajie Flowers are always kept 

 Mu hand, so that they may be "made over," 

 like a last year's bonnet, to fit half a dozen 

 different f)ceasions. 



The few enfei'tainraents now taking i>lace 

 lire all \ery quiet, and there is little in 

 the way of dee<tration. A pretty thing for 

 the dinner table, ordered by a woman of 

 original t^iste, is a large loose wreath of 

 Meriiiet Roses, nestlingin their own foliage. 

 N(tt a bit of foreign foliage must be ad- 

 niittx'd, and the Roses must lie in an irregu- 

 lar form, as if carelessly thrown down. A 

 centerpiece, earelesslj- filled with the same 

 sort of Roses, is stoo<l within the wreath. 



A ]>retty basket, presented on the occa- 

 sion ot a golden wedding, wsis a graceful 

 flaringshape f)f wicker, filled with apparent 

 carelessness, the flowers being Bride Roses 

 and Lily of the Valley. A bow of old gold 

 ribbon wjis tied f o the handle. 

 An exquisite plac]ue for covering the to\t of a 

 casket was filled with white Roses and Lily of the 

 Valley. Three Palms were laid upon it, spreading 

 like the Prince of Wales feather, and tied togeth- 

 er with a sjish of white ribbon. Below the leaves 

 WHS a loose cluster of pale lavender Orchids. 



Boxes of loose tlowei-s still seem the favorite 

 gift. Among the outdf)or stuff used in this way 

 are the big old-fashioned Pteonies, crimson and 

 pink, they are not by any means to be desi)i8ed 

 as a decorative feature. A big old china bowl 

 loosely filled with these striking flowers, is strik- 

 ingly handsome. 



Masses of Hydrangeas are much used in room 

 decoration; they are both plentiful and effective. 

 All the out<loor flowering shrubs are being much 

 used in rooms; (piantities of Weigelia or Deutzia 

 are particularly showy. 



For weddings, a floral screen seems to be much 

 admire<I; at a utmntry wedding in the end of 

 June this wils to be e(»\ered with roses, gi\ing as 

 much as possible, the effect of nature. Brides- 

 maids prefer baskets, rather than boquets. 



There is a revival of the wreath or chaplet for 

 a bridal head trimming; it is very picturesque 

 when woven with a veil, but must be tastefully 

 arranged. A recent bride wore a beautiful 

 wreath of Florida Orange blossoms, and carried 

 anosegay of thesame. Asa rule. Lilac and Lily of 

 the Valley have been the favorite bridal flowers; 

 well made garlands of these flowers are very 

 dainty. Probably we shall see an introduction 

 ot Myrtle wreaths worn by German brides; they 

 are very ])retty arrangements, apart from their 

 legendary value. 



Rome of the florists say that the use of flowers 

 is certainly increasing every year, but there are 

 so many in the business now that the increase 

 does not add to their profits. 



The most shown corsiige bouquets are displayed 

 at coaching parties; roses as a rule. Still they 

 are not such immense flower-gardens as they 

 were, but the days of the corsage bouquet are 

 not over yet, by any means. 



Emily Loitise Taplin. 



