POPULAR GARDENING. 



223 



Sab-Irrigation for Droughts. Thus lur it is 

 shown that a partiul remedy a^ainat drought may 

 be gained witli very little addition to the cost of 

 drainage; but there are seasons when the earth 

 beeonies dry both above and below the tile, an<l 

 in siK^h seasons all the wateT retained by theelos- 

 ing of the traps would disaiipe"r,loa\-ing the erops 

 in a dying condition for want of moisture. II 

 would then be necessary to u.se the tile for the 

 jnirp!)se of nnder-irrigation, which when laiil (in 

 tliis system co\dd be easily accomplished in the 

 following manner: Dig a reservoir (which could 

 Im- utilized iis a fish pond) at the heaci of main tile 

 A, li, C, having u connection with the tile, gov- 

 erned by a flood gate. The water supply in this 



l^—^l 



Old and New Methods of Urainiim ciintraKtcd. 



pond could be kept up by means of a windmill 

 pump. When it becomes neees.sary to supply 

 moisture to the crops, close trap " a " and f)i)en 

 the flood-gate; the water would then flow into all 

 the tile on section A, where it could remain for a 

 lew hours until it percolated to the roots of the 

 plants. Then close trap " h " and open trap "a" 

 until section B is saturated; repeat the same 

 operation on section C, and the whole tract is 

 moistened. It will not be found necessary to 

 irrigate more than once or twice during the dry- 

 est seiison to insure a bountiful crop, when with- 

 out it the crop would be a failure. 



Where Applicable— Cost. It may be argued 

 that this system will not apply to all farm lands, 

 owing to unfavorable contour of surface, dis- 

 tance from outlet, etc. This, I am willing to 

 admit, but there are few places on which under- 

 irrigation and retention of moisture may not be 

 applied in a form perhaps somewhat modified 

 from the above. The cost also may be advanced 

 as an argument against the plan. Even this is 

 not so great as may be at flret supposed. The 

 tiles laid in this manner cost no more than when 

 laid in the common way. Then all we have to 

 consider is the traps, which may be simple and 

 cost very little. The fish-pond (which any farmer 

 may construct himself with a plow and scraper), 

 say ai.OCIU cubic yards at !i cents per yard, $100. 

 The tubular well and pump, $1.50. The wind- 

 mill, $7.5. Total, $:j2.5. 



Now if this plan will increase a crop of corn a) 

 bushels to the acre on SO acres, we get l,(iOO 

 bushels of corn with no additional cost in culti- 

 vation. This to-day, is well worth 41) cents fwr 

 bushel, or $1140, which pays for the whole plant 

 and leaves a surplus of $.315. Nor do the advan- 

 tages end here, as who can measure the value of 

 flowing water on a farm. 



The Garden Culture of Roses. 



iCtnitinucd from pauc 191).) 



Other Garden Eoses. The ne.xt list comprises 

 a few fine garden K<»ses. Except Paul Itic-at and 

 Stanwell, they are not perpetuals — 



Cheshunt Hybrid, a Hybrid Tea. 



Itlairii No. 2, cupped. Hybrid China. 



< -atherine Bell, Hybrid <_ hina. 



Souvenir de Pierre Uupuy, Hybrid China. 



Charles Lawson, Hybrid Bourbon. 



Coupe de Hebe, Hybrid Bourbon. 



Mme. Planlier, Hybrid Bourlion. 



Paul Kicat, Hybrid Bourbon. 



Paul V'erdier, Hybrid Bourbon. 



Stanwell Perpetual Scotch. 



Some of the latter introductions which bid fair 

 to become desirable acifuisitious are- 

 American Beauty (called l)y some of the Eng- 

 lish growers, Mme. Ferdinand .laiuiiin), 

 Clara Cochet, Earl Dutterin, 



K<louard Herve. Grand M(jgul, 



Her Majesty, Mile. d(i hi Seigliere, 



M me. Joseph DesboLs, Mrs. Caroline Swuiles, 

 Victor Hugo, Mrs. John Laing, 



Puritan, Sir Uowland Hill. 



.Mme. (f. Bruant is one of a new class obtained 

 by crossing the single Japan sjiecies rit{/osti with 

 Sombreuil (Tea). It flowers all the year, and 

 although the foliage is of the riiyi.xd type, the 



young .shoots are purple. The flowers are large, 

 half full and of a dazzing white, very fragrant 

 and rather |iointed like Nijihetos; they are l«irne 

 in clusters of from si.\ to twelve. 



Tea Roses. A l)ed of Tea roses should ac- 

 compiuiy the Hybrid Perpetualsin every garden, 

 for the purpose of prolonging the blooming 

 term, as the leas aie the only true perpetuals. 

 They should be |ilanteil in beds in a rather dry 

 position, somewhat shaded frfun the strong sun, 

 and in regular rows, .so that the plants can l)e 

 covered with soil, leaves or litter for their pro- 

 tection. The best way is to place soil and leaves 

 about the plants in alternate laj'ers; these freeze 

 together and make a solid barrier against the in- 

 roads of moles or mice. They will well repay the 

 trouble by a magnificent display of flowers, com- 

 ing into bhxmi quite early and continuing until 

 late in autumn. The essayist has grown Dexiin- 

 iensis, one; of the most tender of this cliuss, for 

 five or si,v years in the same position, and the 

 plants have gi-adually in<?reascd in size from year 

 to year. He cut Devoniensisand GloiredeDijon 

 Koses on the •5th of Jinie last; the latter is one of 

 the hardiest varieties of this c]a.ss for bedding 

 purposes, other e.vcellent kinds are Mme. Lam- 

 bard, Marie van Houtte; Perle des Jardines, 

 Souvenir d'un Ami and Sunset. Homer is a 

 little gem, and iiuitc sturdy in constitution. 

 We must bear in mind that it is in this class 

 that we find our yellow Roses, in which Hybrid 

 Perpetuals are lacking. 



Noisette Roses. Some of the Noisettes should 

 be include<l in a bed of TciUs, as Celine Forestier, 

 pale, yellow, fine and fragrant, and Mme. faro- 

 line Kuster, gloliular flower, pale yellow, free. 

 Marechal Niel can be used as a Climber or Pillar 

 Rose, laid down in the autumn, to be covered 

 with soil, as is done with the Raspberry; it will 

 then withstand the winter, and if cut back 

 slightly in the spring will produce a good crop of 

 rich golden yellow flowers the next summer. 



Pruning, Disbudding, Etc. Having selected 

 our varieties and iiroiierly planted them in the 

 fall, drawn the soil nicely about the plants from 

 eight to twelve inches high, and heai>ed abo\'e 

 thLs either manure or spent hops, as early in 

 April as the ground is dry enough to work freely 

 level otf the soil in the rows, covering the manure 

 under as much as possible if it was put on in the 

 fall. In a few days, when the buds have swelled 

 sufliciently to show their condition, the plants 

 should be cut back to the plumpest bud, cutting 

 in the weakest growers to within four or six buds 

 above the ground, particularly if growing for 

 exhibition purposes; if large blooms are not re- 

 quired the shoots may be left longer. The strong 

 growers must be left as long as sound buds and 

 the wood will admit. Intei-secting shoots should 

 also be cut out so as to leave the center of the 

 plant with a free exposure to the air and sun, for 

 it is among these short stems that the red spider 

 and other pests harbor in the summer. Another 

 important point for exhibitors to remember a 

 few weeks later in the season is that for growing 

 large flowers a certain amount of disbudding 

 must be practiced. Around the central flower 

 bud will be noticed two or three smaller buds, 

 which must be removed to throw the entire 

 strength into the central bud; then, if properly 

 cultivated, the single stem will carry a splendid 

 flower. Several applications of liquid manure to 

 the root of the plant (not too strong, about the 

 color of weak tea) a few weeks before the bud 

 opens will have an invigorating eftect upon the 

 flowers. This application should be made again 

 after the first crop is over, to give increased 

 strength fiir the autumn bloom. 



Insects. But we cannot have good blooms 

 without fine foliage, and this can be secured only 

 by early and constant attention. As soon as two 

 or three lea\es are formed in the spring we must 

 dust or sprinkle them with hellebore, and watch 

 for the worm that ties the tender leaves t^igether 

 to destroy him, for he will soon be ready to nip 

 the delicate' bud. He is easily found by a little 

 attention at the right time, and after overcoming 

 his advances we may expect to gather a harvest 

 of beautiful flowers. The rose-bug will be the 

 next invader, and nuist be picked otf as sotai as 

 he appears; last season there wei-e but few with 

 us. 'I'he green fly must also be looked for, and 

 hellebore is useles.s ftir them, whale oil, sfiaji and 

 tobacco ste'CiH-'d t<»gether being the only remedy. 

 Mildew, Rust, &C. We come now to one of 

 the worst drawbacks to .satisfactory Rose culture, 

 \iz., mildew, a peculiar disease which, if neg- 

 lected for a single day. increa.ses with wonderful 

 rai-ddity. The essayist ga\'e a full description of 

 this fungus, and also of the orange-colored fun- 



gus which attacks the leaves, both being illus- 

 tnitcd by iliagrams, Mihlew does not seem 

 seriouslj- to allect the life or strength of the plant, 

 being a surface disease and not striking in. The 

 Comtesse Serenye is one of the most lioble to 

 mildew, y<'t it grows with gT,^at vigor from year 

 to year. In fa(;t, mildew does not claim as its 

 victims the weaki'st growers, but takes the 

 strongest, such as that splendiil variety Mme. 

 (iabriel l.uizet and others of like character. The 

 last of July and August is the time to be on the 

 watch for it, when cool nights follow warm days; 

 you must then \w ready the next morning with 

 your sulphur bellows, for the enemy will surely 

 be there. If all affected leaves coidd be gathered 

 and burneil (which woulil becjuite possible with 

 a snuiU collection) Hie chances for transmitting 

 the iliseasf! woulil be greatly lesseneil. 



Orange rust or fungus is the reverse, in its ac- 

 tion, of mildew, coming from the inside of the 

 lea\es and stem. It chiefly attacks the lower 

 leaves of the smooth-wooded class of Rose plants, 

 such as Victor Verdier, Countess of (Oxford, Hip- 

 polyte Jainain, and the like, while it is worthy of 

 remark that Mme. Clemence Joigneaux, William 

 Warden, Edouard Morren, and those of similar 

 character of fidiage, are seldom sub.iect to these 

 forms of fungoid diseases. Cutting oft' the affect- 

 ed branches and burning them is the best remedy; 

 cut freely, as is done for the blight on the Pear, 

 but be careful to prevent the rusty powder on the 

 underside of the leaf from being scattered to dis- 

 seminate the disease, and keep the decaying 

 leaves raked up and burned. 



Black spot on Rose leaves is another form of fun- 

 gu,s,caused undoubtedly by atmosiiheric changes; 

 no remedy is known except tf) pick off the leaves 

 and burn them. It attacks them in the green- 

 house when the thermometer falls at night, and 

 soon att'ects the health of the plant, but can there 

 be avoided by a careful control of the tempera- 

 tuie and prudence in the use of water. 



The concluding advice to a beginner in Rose 

 culture is to plant a few kinds at the start, 

 thoroughly acquaint himself with their charac- 

 ter, and gradually plant more ; practical ex- 

 perience being the best guide. 



Marketing Vegetables at Boston. 



[Mr. Sullivan before the Market Hardeners' Club of 

 Boston.^ 



There is no market of the United States 

 where the standard of quality of vegetables 

 is so liigh as the Boston Market, and no 

 market where the style of arranging and 

 displaying of vegetables is so necessary it 

 you want to get the top price. 



The standard in demand requires that three 

 dozen roots of Celery must constitute a barrel 

 box. Si.v dozen Lettuce (if from glass culture) 

 must fill a barrel box, four and one-half dozen if 

 from the field. Ten Itadishes make a bunch, and 

 the Radishes must be of a size that 100 bunches 

 fill the box; in fact all varieties of vegetables 

 have their especial requirements, to meet the de- 

 mands of the tirade. What other market in this 

 country have such iron-clail rules that must be 

 complied with V A breach of these rules is pun- 

 ishable by a reduced price for such truck. 



So you will see that in order to have your goods 

 in shape and style partially enumerated as 

 above, the garderner finds it necessary to tie 

 somewhat (jf an expert in many of the arts and 

 sciences. He must be a farmer and gardener, a 

 carpenter and a glazier, good salesman, also an 

 understanding director of help. His head must 

 be continually taxed with the great number of 

 petty details i>t his business. 



Dates of the year play an important part in his 

 operation, certain seeds must g<) into the ground 

 at fixed dates. Plants require handling at a cer- 

 tain stage t)f their gr<)wth; cultivation by the 

 several implements going through at certain 

 stages of their growth of both wce<.is and phints; 

 and these same exactings carried through the 

 year even to the smallest operations. To be a 

 succe.s.sful market-gardener reiiuires the brains 

 of u lawyer anil the skill of a doctor. No slow, 

 young, lazy, illit<'nite man can compete with the 

 standard gardener of t-i»-ilay. 



Our skilled market-gaixleners are pushing their 

 way into Southern territory and their influence 

 is felt by the transporting of their goods into our 

 Northern markets t^) such an extent that when 

 our goods are .sent to market they find the iialate 

 of the people has been Sidisfied in advance by 

 these same skilled pioneers who have pushed 

 themseh'es into Southern territory. Who is 

 there among our number that would entertain 



