POPULAR GARDENING. 



October, 



bones. Another lot flourishes by a celler 

 window, the cool shaded place seems to 

 agree with them exactly. These are Forists' 

 Ferns, and in the fall will be carried up 

 stairs, planted in a zinc tray, placed in a 

 north window and covered with a glass case. 

 Ferns flourish in the summer in the cool 

 shaded roonLs. My friend has a large pot 

 filled with our native Ferns in the front 

 entry. All they seem to need, to make our 



Sargent's Weeping Spruce. See Page 8. 



homes beautiful is to bring some of the soil 

 from the woods where they grow, and a 

 daily watering. We cannot all have Or- 

 chids, but Ferns can be gathei'ed by our- 

 selves, and no costly bric-a-brac equals them 

 for loveliness about a house. 



A Floral " Guide Post." Detroit public 

 park is on an island, and contains seven 

 hundred and fifty acres. It is being im- 

 proved year by year, and this season much 

 attention is given to beds of flowers and set 

 designs. Opposite the Casino is a splendid 

 stretch of turf to the water's edge, and 

 in this is a design made of Coleus, and 

 thousands of Echeverias. It is in the 

 shape of a star with a circle in the 

 centre, and in this are the words, 

 " Points of the Compass." The points 

 then in the right position have the 

 words, North, South, East and West, 

 respectively. And it is a real floral 

 "guide post." Hundreds stop beside 

 it and puzzle out the design. 



"Sister Gracious." 



fruit is large in size and, I think, excellent 

 in quality for any use. We received it 

 under the name of "Alpina " and have 

 scattered it under the name of Amdaitchicr 

 jLJpinn. But I think, it is now classed as a 

 variety of A. ulniftilia, OT should be. The 

 other three varieties were introduced into 

 Iowa, I think by the returning gold and 

 silver seekers from Colorado, Wyoming and 

 Montana. At points in Iowa they were 

 grown for a number of years under the 

 name of " Bush Huckleberry." As they 

 had no variety name as .Tuneberries we have 

 taken the liberty of naming two of them 

 from the parties from whom they were ob- 

 tained viz.: the "Gardener" and "Williams." 

 The third one was grown by many in Greene 

 County, Iowa, and has been sent out as 

 "Greene" or "Greene County." 



They are clearly varieties of A. alnifolw, 

 though varying much in color and serra- 

 tions of leaf. In fruit the four varieties 

 named do not vary materially in size or 

 quality. But they do vary several days in 

 season of ripening and all are worthy of 

 trial. When fully ripe the fruit is superior 

 in quality for dessert or culinary use to 

 many varieties of the swamp Huckleberry, 

 and I prefer it to the Blueberry. Unless 

 covered, the birds take the berries when 

 they begin to color. But musquito bar 

 coverings seven feet square will cover the 

 largest bushes and with careful handling, 

 and dry storage between crops, they will 

 last several years. 



I will only add that of the European and 

 Asiatic varieties we like best a variety of 

 A. vulgaris we found bearing heavily on the 

 grounds of the Agricultural College near 

 Moscow. With us it bears equally well, 

 and the fruit is nearly equal ,in size and 

 quality to those above named, but the bush 

 grows to a height of from ten to twelve feet 

 with no more bearing wood than the dwarf 

 plants. Hence it takes more room, and will 

 be more troublesome and expensive to cover. 



Notes from the Popular Gardening 

 Grounds at La Salle-on-the- 

 Nlagara. 

 The Dwarf Juneberry. We have but a 

 single variety on our grounds, the Moscow, re- 

 ceived from Prof. J. L. Budd. A branch in fruit 

 is Illustrated on opposite page. We think highly 

 of the Juneberry in general, and have often 

 wondered why not more efforts have been made 



allow the fruit, so abundantly set on some "f the 

 varieties, to come to its fullest development and 

 perfection. We sometimes doubt whether all 

 the efforts of modern propagators have made 

 any improvement on the best of the wild sorts 

 as we find them in old wood lots and fence cor- 

 ners. To eat out of hand no Blackberry can be 

 more luscious than the fine sweet berries we find 

 growing wild The large cultivated sorts, Law- 

 ton, Kittatinny. Erie, etc., are not even enjoya- 

 ble when eaten out of hand, unless dead ripe. 

 Luscious and tempting as they appear, they have 

 too much acidity, and too much core to suit us. 

 The bowl of sweet Blackberries, milk and bread, 

 is a gleam of especial brightness in our remem- 

 brance of early farm life. A bowl of the large 

 acid fruit of our days with milk would be a most 

 unfitting combination— if not altogether an 

 abomination to us. 



The following is an account of the behavior of 

 the varieties on our grounds the past season, 

 which is the second after planting: 



Ancient Briton. Very prolific, late. Fruit 

 of medium size, and in its sweetness resembles 

 the wild berry. For home use we would give 

 this the preference to most other sorts, especially 

 to the large acid ones. 



Brinton (Brinton's Early) A weak grower 

 and without a sign of fruit. Probably of no ac- 

 count here, and not worth planting. 



Dehring, Dorchester and Early Cluster. 

 Apparently early; further trial needed. 



Erie. Prolific; in most cardinal points not 

 materially differing from Lawton. Season me- 

 dium to late. The original discoverer, Mr. L. B. 

 Pierce, tells us that on his place the bush has a 

 different habit of growth from that of Lawton, 

 but it did not so appear here. Berry somewhat 

 rounder than Lawton, and like all large l)erries, 

 acid and lacking in richness of flavor. 



Kittatinny. Large in cane and fruit; prolific 

 aud generally reliable. 



Knox needs further trial. 



Lawton. Enormously prolific, almost too 

 much so for the amount of foliage, and conse- 

 quently for the character of the fruit. Berry of 

 very large size . 



Thompson's Early. Of medium size, and fair 

 quality and early. 



MiNNEWiSKi. This makes a large, hardy and 

 healthy bush, prolific of fruit of largest size. 

 Medium to late in season. Evidently it is the 

 best in quality of the lot of large-fruited varie- 

 ties. We would plant this with entire confidence 

 both for market and home use. 



Missouri Mammoth. Appears to be a shy 

 bearer of somewhat imperfect fruit. Season 

 early to medium. 



Early Kino needs further testing. Appar- 

 ently a weak grower here, but from earlier ac- 

 quaintance with it we know it to be one of the 

 earliest Blackberries, and the fruit, though 



Western Dwarf Juneberry. 



PROF. J. I.. B0DD, IOWA AOEICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



During the past seven years we 

 have bad on trial a number of varie- 

 ties of the dwarf Juneberry from the 

 eastern and western states, from 

 Canada, and from various portions 

 of Europe and Asia. 



The result of the extended trial can be 

 given from a cultural stand point, in few 

 words : 



Four varieties of the Amflanchicr alni- 

 foJia type from the eastern slopes of the 

 Rocky Mountains are superior in foliage, 

 habits of bearing, and size and quality of 

 fruit to the others from all sources. 



One of these we received from the moun- 

 tains near Pueblo, Colorado. It is strictly 

 a dwarf, not attaining on our grounds a 

 greater height than four feet, and often 

 bearing on stolon shoots at a height of one 

 foot. The leaves are thick, rather large, 

 dark in color, with quite sharply serrate 

 edges to near the base. Its annual load of 



R«»irier Plantx nf Qolden Defiance Strawheii-y with Fruit in Augjist. 



to improve it and bring it into general cultiva- 

 tion. The bush bears young and abundantly, 

 and the fruit of some varieties, as we have seen 

 them, is of quite respectable size for a " small 

 fruit." The flavor is of the Huckleberry type- 

 sweetish, unobjectionable, unobtrusive. Fruit 

 ripens immediately after the Strawberry, and 

 comes esi)ecially gratifying at that time, and 

 after free indulgence in the acid " Queen of 

 Fruits." In some places the Juneberry is sub- 

 ject to the attacks of a fungus that often ruins 

 all the fruit. Here both fruit and bush have 

 been healthy thus far. In regard to species 

 and varieties we refer to Prof. Budd's article 

 preceeding this. 



The Blackberhy Patch. On the whole our 

 lllackberrp crop was fair, but nothing to brag 

 over. The foliiigo rusted badly, and did not 



small, of high quality, aud altogether worthy of 

 planting for home use. 



Snydeb. Early; making large canes and good 

 foliage. 



Stone's Hardy. Apparently prolific. The 

 smallish fruit is the best of all in flavor, as good 

 as the wild. Season medium. 

 ! Taylor, itesembling Stone's Hardy In size 



and quality of fruit. Season early to medium. 

 [ Wallace makes good strong canes. Fruit 

 early. 



Western Triumph. Iteiisonably prolific; berry 

 of medium size aud medium iiuality. .Season 

 early to medium. 



Wii^ON is early, prolific; fruit of Lawton 

 qualily. 



Wilson, Jr. We have been unable to note 

 any difference between this and the old Wilson. 



