234 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



August, 



several of the beds, and these we have had 

 engraved for the benefit of our readers. 



Mr. Dunning's present collection of 

 •Roses embraces about .50 varieties, which 

 represent the choice of a much larger num- 

 ber that have in past years been tried on his 

 grounds. As is always the case with suc- 

 cessful plant growing, Mr. Dunning malces 

 thorough cultivation, fertility and careful 

 attention to details, the base of his success. 

 His Roses are planted in beds cut in the 

 sward, and which had first been worked to 

 a depth of two feet and properly supplied 

 with plant food. His favorite compost for 

 the Rose consists of rotted turf and manure, 

 which substance,besidesbeingusedfor fitting 

 up the beds, he spreads to the depth of three 

 or more inches over the .surface of all the 

 beds each fall. Occasionally some is added 

 after the beds are stirred with the hoe dur- 

 ing the season. 'RTien 

 the beds get too full 

 he takes away of the 

 older, partly exhausted 

 soil. By this course the 

 plants are kept con- 

 stantly supplied with 

 acceptable food, but 

 which is not of a rank 

 kind, and the returns 

 in a growth of stroTig 

 firm wood and free 

 bloom correspond. 

 Just as the buds form 

 he also applies liquid 

 manure to the beds, 

 and this adds to the 

 success. 



Another gain from 

 such feeding is that it 

 gives comparative im- 

 munity from insects 

 and diseases. It is the 

 under-fed weak plants 

 that first invite attacks 

 from these. Some 

 insects and mildew 

 are met, to be sure, by 

 Mr. Dunning, but 

 they yield to ordinary 

 methods of treatment. 



some of the Mosses require but little or no 

 pruning at any time. 



Regarding varieties, the following run- 

 ning comments were made by Mr. Dunning 

 on these, and notes were taken as we passed 

 through the grounds: Louis ^''an Hnuttc, 

 the best dark Rose ; requires protection. 

 Marie Rady, is a full deep Rose; hardly 

 equal to Marie Bau]nann, but of the same 

 general character. Ahel Carrlerc, hand- 

 some velvety crimson flowers of fine form, 

 but to offset these charms it is subject to 

 mildew, requiring careful culture ; with this 

 it makes a good growth and blooms freely. 

 La France is a favorite, being a very free 

 bloomer, sweet and of exquisite color. Cap- 

 tain Christy we here saw for the first time. 

 It is one of those kinds the flowers of which 

 should be thinned, then none can be more 

 admirable ; flesh color, deepening towards 



FIG. 1 . 



On certain Roses, 

 Abel Carriere, for example, mildew is sure 

 to appear sooner or later. But for such he 

 finds a dusting of sulphur a suflicient rem- 

 edy and not surpassed by any of the many 

 others that he has in times past tried. For 

 the little white Rose-leaf Hoppers, which in 

 recent years have plagued Roses very much, 

 he simply syringes with water. 



The course of pruning Hybrid Perpetual 

 Roses here carried out is not only simple, 

 but it permits of variations, which in one 

 direction, namely, that of producing Tree 

 Roses, leads to the successful results shown 

 in the large engraving on this page from 

 a photograph. Here are trees far more 

 satisfactory than those budded in tlie usual 

 way on a trunk of some strong growing 

 stock, and very easily grown. 



The principle of cutting followed out is, 

 for the bush system, in the fall after the 

 leaves are gone to prune close to the ground 

 all wood older than the i)resent year's 

 growth, and for trees a slight modification 

 of the rule, and which is shown in detail by 

 the use of Fig. 3, with explanations. Thus 

 no wood is ever allowed to become two years 

 old, and the sap cannot become sluggish 

 and checked from the ett'ect on the tissues 

 of our hot summers and severe winters, as 

 is the case in older wood. By such a course 

 the bush plants present a young, vigorous 

 appearance, as shown In Fig. 3, taken from 

 a photograph. The first figure annexed, 

 showing Tree Roses, presents in addition an 

 undergrowth of about an equal number of 

 bushes. The above remarks on pruning ap- 

 ply mainly to Hybrid Perpetual and June 

 Roses. The Persian Yellow species and 



A BED OF TREE ROSES ON MR. DUNNING'S GROUNDS— FROM 



the center. Eliza Boelle, exquisite, almost 

 white; Hybrid Noisette. Olory of Ches- 

 hunt does not come up to its high recom- 

 mendations, the flowers lacking size and 

 perfection. Horace Vcrnct, of the Victor 

 Verdier style, scarlet and crimson; although 

 of delicate growth is fairly hardy, the petals 

 having the appearance of being cut out of 

 paper. Jean Liabaitd is of very dark Roses 

 the strongest growing. 31. P. Wilder is so 

 much like Marie Baumann that it would 

 hardly be needed except for its being of 

 freer growth. EuQcnc Verdier has flowers 

 about the best of any light-colored Rose ; 

 shows a shade of salmon ; free bloomer. 

 Baroness Rothschild, a fine grower and one 

 of the favorites ; light pink. Fisher Holmes, 

 a fine deep crimson, rather more like Horace 

 Vernet than Gen. Jacqueminot, to which it 

 has been compared. Mabel Morrison here 

 enjoys the distinction of being the best 

 white Hybrid Perpetual in cultivation. 

 Marijuerite dc St. Amande is one of the 

 most valuable Roses cultivated; bright rose; 

 good grower, a free bloomer, atid yielding 

 more fine blooms than any other in the 

 class. Oahriel Luizet is one of the greatest 

 acquisitions ; free bloomer, hardy, fragrant, 

 a somewhat tangled center. t)ther varieties 

 besides those named that rank highly here 

 are Princess C.de Rohan, Merville de Lyon, 

 Etienne Levet, Annie Wood, Anne de Die.s- 

 bach, Francis Michelon, Alfred Colomb, 

 Charles Lefebre, Chas. Margottin, Gen. 

 Jacqueminot, John Hopper, and Jules Mar- 

 gottin. In Mosses, Gracilis and Crested 

 Moss are the first choice ; in Yellows, Per- 

 sian Yellow; in June Whites, Madame Har- 

 dy and Madame Plantier. 



Cucumber Pickle Packing. 



S. D. POWER, NORFOLK CO., MASS. 



White Oak firkins are the best things to 

 make Cucumber pickles in; next to that 

 comes stone ware. Pottery or earthen ware 

 will not do, as the vinegar is apt to dissolve 

 the glazing which the pickles absorb, and 

 become poisonous. The little 3 inch pickles 

 are considered the proper sizes by people 

 who don't know much about them, but no 

 good housekeeper will tolerate the acrid 

 unwholesome things. The best pickle for 

 popular use or for sale is one which must 

 be cut lengthwise for the table, an inch and 

 a half thick at least. Such are nearer 

 maturity and of finer flavor,keeping better 

 than the very small ones, and do not tax 

 the digestion so frightfully. 



Gather early in the morning or after sun- 

 set, as the Cucumbers are better, crisper, 

 and the vines are in- 

 jured less by picking. 

 Leave an inch of stem 

 on the fruit, pour 

 cold water over to 

 clean them, but do not 

 rub off the spines or 

 black points, or it will 

 decay in vinegar. 

 Handle carefully from 

 first to last, for a very 

 slight Ijruise will help 

 pickles to spoil. Drain 

 in the air so as to be 

 dry as possible before 

 putting in brine. Use 

 the cleanest rock salt, 

 or if making choice 

 pickles in small quan- 

 tity, take the pure, 

 dry, diamond salt. 

 Lay two inches in the 

 keg, then four inches 

 of pickles crosswise 

 so the brine can get 

 at them. Cover with 

 salt and a gallon of 

 cold water which has 

 been well boiled. The 

 A PHOTOGRAPH. succeding layers are 



covered with salt but no more water is 

 needed. Spread a cloth over them, then a 

 board fitting the firkin close with a stone on 

 it to keep the pickles under water. Cucum- 

 bers must be put in brine when freshly gath- 

 ered, for if left a day they will not be nice 

 and will be hard to keep. When more are 

 added, skim off all the scum and wash the 

 board, stone and cloth perfectly clean, rins- 

 ing well. It is surprising what a flrkin of 

 pickles will throw off if they are sound and 

 lively. Wipe every particle from the pickles 

 and sides of the vessel. When it is nearly 

 full cover with salt, tuck the cloth round 

 the sides, put the cover and weight on, with 

 a tight barrel cover and cloth above, and 

 the pickles will go round the world in good 

 condition, W^hen wanted remove the covers 

 carefully, lift the cloth with the scum on it, 

 and wipe every particle from the inside, 

 washing and wiping the covei's, weight and 

 cloths clean, put the pickles wanted in four 

 times as much cold water, and let stand 

 three days, changing the water daily, then 

 scald them in weak vinegar, one quart shar[) 

 vinegar to a pint of water, with a teaspoon 

 of powdered alum to each gallon. Put the 

 pickles and vinegar in a porcelain kettle or 

 stone crock, cold, with vine leaves, Horse- 

 radish leaves, or green Cabbage leaves all 

 around and over them to give a fresh color. 

 Never put pickles in metal of any sort, or 

 green them withanythingbut leaves. When 

 they come to a boil for a full minute set 

 them closely covered with a cloth and cover to 

 keep in the steam, on the back of the stove, 

 or the hearth, or in the sun, to cool slowly. 

 When cold put into jars, and pour over them 

 strong spiced vinegar which has been boiled 



