26o 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



September, 



vertical lines of the garden thus serving to 

 relieve the eye. very agreeably. 



The frame of the fence is the simple 

 one shown to the right in the cut. It will 

 he seen that by employing boards just long 

 enough to make two boards each by sawing 

 throTigh the middle at an angle of 4.5°, 

 there can be no waste in fitting them to 

 the base board of the fence. 



The Apple Tree of the Future, for 

 the North. 



D. B. WIER, FORMEELT OF LACON, IIX. 



The general failure of fruit trees during 

 the past 20 years all over the west and 

 northwest, has caused many expert horti- 

 culturists to study the situation, to see if 

 there is any way in which a tree can be 

 grown, so that it will stand our trying 

 climate. 



At the last annual meeting of the 

 Illinois State Horticultural Society at 

 Princeton, 111., the subject was opened 

 by Mr. J. B. Cotta, a nurseryman of 

 long experience in the climate of 

 northern 111. Mr. Cotta had found the 

 general cause of failure of orchard 

 trees to be that of the trunks being 

 killed on the south and southwest 

 sides, by extremes of heat and cold in 

 winter, and by great heat and drought 

 in summer; therefore, if there are any 

 varieties of the Apple, the trunks of 

 which have never been thus injured, 

 the hardier varieties can be top- 

 grafted on them and we would gain 

 our desired end. Mr. Cotta has been 

 practicing this plan for several years, 

 and had many specimens of trees so 

 grovpn on exhibition. 



His plan is to root^graft the variety 

 having a hardy trunk, in the usual way, 

 except in using a very long scion and _ 

 a short piece of root, and then, after -^^as^p 

 the young trees have grown two to Fiq. i, Mr. CottaSPtan, B bciiio 

 four years, top-graft the variety on 

 them three to five feet from the 



the country. It is this: For the stem A 

 we will choose a variety that has proven 

 perfectly hardy, in trunk and forks, every- 

 where, having the best possible foliage for 

 withstanding insects and diseases. A free 

 %'igorous grower, and if possible one that 

 bears littU or no fruit, and certainly 

 never overbears; then instead of grafting 

 all the branches we leave one, preferably 

 on the north side, ungrafted, as shown at 

 D, Fig. 3, for the direct purpose of giving 

 vigor to the whole tree with its fine foliage, 

 and for other reasons. It would be better 

 for not bearing fruit, as its office is to sus- 

 tain the other fruiting branches and to keep 

 up the vigor of the whole tree. A Mr. Speer, 

 of northern Iowa, said he had succeeded in 

 getting crops of Apples in this way year 

 after year, where all other plans have failed. 



e point of Grafting, Drafting done abore crotche 



THE GROWING OF A HARDIER CLASS OF APPLE TREES. 



ground; growing them one year more when 

 they are ready to plant in the orchard. For 

 instance, the Uuchess of Oldenburg, Whit- 

 ney's No. 30, Roman Stem, Fourth of July, 

 and also nearly all the variety of Central 

 Russian origin, have never been known to 

 be injured in their trunks. These varieties, 

 then, are root-grafted, and the best of the 

 nearly hardy varieties such as Domine, Ben 

 Davis, Jonatlian, etc., grafted on them. 

 Figure 1 shows a tree ready for planting in 

 the orchard. The hardy stem ^4 was grafted 

 when four feet high at B, forming what 

 Mr. Cotta calls a safe tree for the West. 



But this fruit tree has one weak point that 

 his plan does not cover: namely, the forks, 

 C, or where the branches join the body. All 

 orchardists west have found that some 

 varieties of Apple trees were injured in 

 these forks, while the tops and bodies 

 escaped; when this happened decay set in, 

 and the trees broke down under the weight 

 of fruit. The writer has seen certain varie- 

 ties, .so broken down,— though they seemed 

 hardy enough in other points. 



Now if we can secure Mr. Cotta's hardy 

 trunk, and also improve the forks or junc- 

 tion of the branches with the stem that 

 they will not be injured, we have a safe 

 tree. Instead of working the tree with one 

 graft or liud in the nursery, as Mr. Cotta 

 does, grow the same kind of a tree in his 

 way until it is two or three years old, 

 then plant it in the orchard. Cultivate it 

 thoroughly, and then, after one to three 

 years growth, insert a bud or graft into each 

 of the branches as at B, B, B, B, Figure 3, four 

 to eight inches from their bases. We then 

 have a tree with a safe trunk and safe forks. 



Now if we go one step fartlier, we have the 

 most perfect tree possible for every part of 



The writer has had great experience in 

 top-grafting in northern Illinois for over 40 

 years. The first orchard on the old home- 

 stead consisted of l.liUO seedling Apple trees 

 planted in 1834. Many of these are yet stand- 

 ing, good, vigorous, productive trees. Many 

 were entirely worthless for fi-uit, and these 

 had their branches in the past grafted with 

 fine varieties as they came into the then new 

 country from the east. Some of these east- 

 ern varieties such as R. I. Greening, Rox- 

 bury Russett. Baldwin, Newtown Pippin, 

 etc., usually very tender as trees, grafted 

 into the branches of these hardy stocks have 

 withstood everything they have met with, 

 in the way of climate, and bear immensely. 



By this plan and it only — I am fully con- 

 vinced—can we have permanent orchards 

 in the west and northwest, and I also 

 believe it the best plan for every part of the 

 country. There are many reasons why this 

 is so, some of which I may give in future. 



All Around Notes. 



E. r. POWELL, ONEIDA CO., N. Y. 



Dandelions. The value of Dandelions is 

 not well understood. They are as useful for 

 animals and fowls as for human beings. I 

 have a flock of forty hens, and they are ted 

 with less than a bushel of Dandelions with 

 some admixture of grass each day. No 

 matter what other green stufl' is thrown in, 

 they devour the Dandelions with the most 

 avidity. This is a hint for those who do not 

 know how to dispose of this plant that is 

 making such rapid encroachments in some 

 sections. The hens prefer the blossoms, but 

 gi'eedily devour the leaves. 



E.XPERIMENT AND STUDY FOR BoYS. The 



second story of my hen house is an exten- 



sion of my carriage floor, and is a room 18 x 

 18 for my boys experimental and study 

 room. This is neatly furnished and arranged 

 for experiments in chemistry, for drawing, 

 etc. They have a telephone and telegraph 

 apparatus. The story still above is a room 

 .3<i feet long for workshop and play room. 

 A carpenters bench and gymnastic appar- 

 atus are most prominent. Of course all 

 tools are furnished them. My oldest, twelve 

 years old, is a natural mechanic, and at 

 fourteen or fifteen they will be furni.shed a 

 teacher in the technical use of tools. For 

 the present they learn what they can in their 

 experiment room. A teacher of drawing 

 and kindred stiulies meets them three days 

 a week. A teacher of botany and zoology 

 three days a week meets them on the lawns, 

 or anywere they find it advantageous to 

 study flowers and living creatures. 



Educating Children. I am radi- 

 cally opposed to the common system of 

 education. My boys and girls till six 

 or seven are only taught to observe and 

 study nature. Herbert at Ave would 

 scorn an insinuation that he could not 

 detect a novelty in my hot-beds; or 

 among fifty flower beds fail to distin- 

 guish and tell a good deal about each 

 plant. They are allowed to pick up 

 letters and figures. At six they begin 

 drawing; elementary geology and 

 geography follow. These are suc- 

 ceeded by the two branches of biology, 

 that is zoology and botany. Of course 

 my object is not to give you the pro- 

 gram of study they pursue, but to show 

 farmers and horticulturists that a little 

 thought in this direction may be wise. 

 Our children should know the world 

 and themselves. 



Flower Lawn. Now tiirn to the 



flower lawn. Every land owner should 



have oue; not a few beds stuck about 



An Improved Plan, the in the grass for his wife and daughters 



to get misery out of with a few 



flowers as part compensation. Find 



the neatest plot, the prettiest for shrubs 



and the nicest for seats and walks. Place 



a driveway around it, or hedge it in with 



evergreens; and devote it to shrubs and 



flowers. Cut Ijeds and make them large; and 



do not begrudge manure of the best. Five 



or six beds will be enough to begin with; 



add more when needed. Send for Roses, 



Gladiolus, Geraniums, and plants easily 



cared for. In a warm nook, facing southeast, 



have a good cold-frame or hot-bed built, 



and then help your ''folks" to keep the 



whole in prime order. A few rustic chairs 



and hammocks, and you can begin to have 



a home. Eating and raising things to eat 



constitute the life of too many farmers. 



HoLLYUOO'KS. I should like to introduce 

 you to my beds of Hollyhocks, great masses 

 of all colors. One bed is fltted with pure 

 whites — about twenty-flve plants; another 

 holds crimsons. Then others are stately, 

 with black, red, buff, yellow, crimson, and 

 all intermediate shades. These plants are 

 so easily grown, and the finest sorts of 

 doubles— and singles also— are so very beau- 

 tiful they should be grown in profusion. I 

 know one farmer who has bordered his 

 whole corn field with Hollyhocks. It is the 

 grandest show imaginable. But his farm 

 is neat and handsome all over. 



TjILIES for the Farm. Another exceed- 

 ingly fine flower for easy farm growth is 

 the Lily. (Jo down to the meadows and dig 

 a quantity of the wild Lilies and plant them 

 about the house. If you grow Grapes put 

 them under the trellises. Then get a few 

 bulbs of Lilium candidum. They increase 

 fast, grow as readily as Potatoes, and endure 

 neglect. You will soon have enough to 

 plant in masses and singly. The flower is 

 very large, pure white, and very sweet. 



