i8go. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



6i 



2,119. Celery CuUnre. Our leading growers 

 count on Celery as a second crop almost wholly. 

 The plants throughout the North are for the 

 winter crop set out from about the 10th to the 

 end of July. The later plantings hare this ad- 

 vantage: That the product keeps better in win- 

 ter when the demand for a prime article at a 

 high price is never fully satisfied. The flavor of 

 late Celery is also superior to that of the early 

 crop. Where formerly this vegetable was 

 planted into trenches of varying depths, now 

 market gardeners practice surface culture quite 

 generally. This consists of setting out the 

 plants as one would set Cabbage or Lettuce in 

 rows about 3^ or 4 feet apart, and two to three 

 foot in the lows. The culture consists of keep- 

 ing the surface stirred and free from weeds 

 until the plants are half-a-foot high, when the 

 first move towards hilling is begun by plowing. 

 Loose soil is pressed around the plants by men 

 who follow the plough so as to have the plants 

 grow up straight and compact instead of other- 

 wise. If the product is designed lor fall market- 

 ing this operation of hUling should be repeated 

 several times in ordertoinsurethorouahbleach- 

 ing when dug. But if the Celery is to be used 

 during the winter, the first hilling will be suffi- 

 cient, as it has a superior flavor, and will keep 

 better if packed in a pit and there allowed to 

 bleach. This banking process is rather expen- 

 sive, growers placing the cost from $15 to 820 

 per acre. It is considered there are advantages 

 to be gained by leaving that which is for winter 

 use in the ground until cold weather sets in. It 

 will be none the worse for a heavy frost. When 

 treated by the banking method the crop can be 

 most expeditiously harvested by one man push- 

 ing a spade through the bottom of the hill be- 

 neath the roots, and being followed by another 

 who carefully lifts out the stocks allowing all 

 the earth to hang to the roots that will. They 

 are then placed in boxes and carted to the stor- 

 ing place where the roots are drenched with 

 water before they are packed away for winter. 

 They are allowed to bleach here until it is desii"- 

 able to market . Right here we would say that 

 the demand for Celery is comparatively' small 

 until Thanksgiving. The White Plume is always 

 in demand and especially by hotel keepers. It is 

 attractive and shows off well on the table, but 

 among gardeners the Golden Dwarf is ranked tar 

 above it, both as to flavor and keeping qualities. 

 In preparing for market, trim off all the roots 

 neatly and remove the dried and coarse outside 

 leaf stems. They should, of course, be thor- 

 oughly cleaned before bunching. Then tie into 

 bunches of either six or twelve stocks as the 

 market maj- demand. Carefully pack in suitable 

 clean boxes and you will be sure to realize good 

 returns for all of your Celery.— G. B. W., Arenac 

 Co., Mich. 



2.107. Nitrate of Soda. This can be had from 

 any of the large fertilizer firms at the sea ports. 

 In small quantities, the prices asked for it at the 

 seaport is about 2H cents a pound. By the ton 

 it may be bought at $40.00 or thereabouts. To 

 this the freight to Nebraska will have to be 

 added, which will make the aggregate cost some- 

 what high, yet for Onion growing and the pro- 

 duction of many other garden crops, nitrate of 

 soda will be worth all it costs. The nitrogen 

 contained in this chemical is all in the most 

 readily available form, and will not cost you 

 more than IB cents per pound at the highest. We 

 know of no substitute for it, nor of a cheaper 

 source of nitrogen thus immediately available. 



2.108. Scallion Onions. In view of our own 

 success with the Prizetaker, and the fact that 

 there is probably but one strain of seed in the 

 country, the cause of your crop of scallions can 

 hardly be traced to poor seed. With other va- 

 rieties the seed makes often a great deal of diff- 

 erence; but in this case we are inclined to lay the 

 blame to the management, especially injudicious 

 selection of soil or of treatment Deeply tilled, 

 loose, musky soils, or any soils not in vegetable 

 moulds, but scantily supplied with minerals, es- 

 pecially if such soils be moist, or in a wet season 

 are verj- liable to produce scallions. The follow- 

 ing treatment will almost invariably insure 

 sound bulbs. Select well-drained soil; plow in 

 autumn in beds or ridges with deep dead furrows 

 between, that will carry off the surface water 

 fast enough that it will never stand on the beds. 

 After plowing, and by Spring put on a good coat 

 of weU-rotted compost. In Spring, pulverize 

 the surface of beds thoroughly by means of 

 Disk or Acme harrow, followed by smoothing or 

 Meeker harrow, and otherwise iirepare the 

 ground thoroughly; then sow seed in the usual 

 way, or better set out seedling plants previously 

 started in hot-bed. Thorough drainage is of 

 utmost importance, and water should never be 

 allowed to stand on the surface. Deep tillage is 

 not required nor desirable, and a positive damage 

 especially on deep, moist, mucky soils. Wood 

 ashes are the best fertilizer for soils of that 

 character.— G. K. 



2,111. Trimming Cedar Hedge- All authorities 

 are agi'eed that the Red Cedar is not well adapted 

 for hedge purposes. It may do well for awhile, 

 but usually gives out when a dozen or so yeai-s 

 old. The proper time to prune Cedar as well as 

 other Evergreens is in June, and it should be 

 done lightly then. Further south, a second light 

 pruning might be given in October.— G. K. 



2,109. Eeroiene Fames in Greenhouse. Th^ 



result of incomplete combustion isCQi or carbon 

 monoxide, which is very poisonous. When kero- 

 sene burns in the atmosphere, it finds plenty of 

 oxygen to combine with, and forms CQs or car- 

 bon dioxide (carbonic acid). An atmosphere 

 containing more than 1-10 per cent of this gas is 

 hardly fit for human and animal respiration for 

 any length of time, while it would not be inju- 

 rious to plants There could be little objection 

 to burning an oil stove in a greenhouse so long 

 as you have proper \'entilation. Vet it might be 

 still better to catch the results of combustion by 

 a sort of funnel above the stove, and carrying 

 them outdoors by means of a horizontal tin pipe 

 say three or four feet long, and just reaching 

 outside through one side of the hjuse.— G. R. 



2.120. Land Plaster for Onions. The effects 

 of this on any croji are so different with various 

 soils, that only a trial can decide whether it 

 would benefif your crop.- If it will help your 

 grass it will improve your vegetables. Appl.v 

 two hundred pounds to the acre. For Onions 

 manure the soil very heavily, no matter what 

 kind of land it is.— L. R. Granger, FrauhUn (.'o., 

 Iowa. 



2.121. Starting a Baspberry Plantation. The 

 best way to manage a raspberry plantation, ac- 

 cording to successful growers, is to set it in rows 

 six feet apart, plants two feet apart in the row. 

 Only three or four canes are left in each stool; 

 two strong canes are better than half a dozen 

 weak ones. The ground is kept clear with the 

 shovel-plow and cultivator, and the rows are 

 kept clean with the hoe. Some cultivators plant 

 three feet in the row, but with two the plants 

 stand up better than if more remote. The 

 laterals are cut back to ten inches, which gives 

 fewer berries, but they are so much better as to 

 be of more value. Some leave the laterals much 

 longer. The cultivation is shallow, and not very 

 near the rows. The Gregg is kept clean easier 

 than other varieties because it stands up better. 

 It is usually good for three crops. Doolittle and 

 Ohio give six or seven crops.— Chas. Callahan, 

 aar}i Co.. in. 



2;122. Borer on Plnm Trees. The borer which 

 injures your Plum trees is very likely what is 

 known as the "Shot borer." We would advise 

 a mixture of soft soap and soda with a little car- 

 bolic acid to be applied as a wash. 



2,12:3 Yield of Plums. Plums vary a good 

 deal in growth and bearing. Taking the average 

 ten-year old tree Lombard and Victoria will bear 

 about five baskets; Columbian and Gen. Hands 

 to 8; Yellow Egg about the same; Washington 

 and Golden Gage 5; Bohemian Prune 6 to 8; 

 Duane's Purple .5; Smith's Orleans and Bradshaw 

 about 4 to 5, sometimes more; Imperial Gage 4 

 to 5. There are perhaps 30 or 40 varieties good 

 to plant, and a great many more of no use at all 

 but to fill the nurseryman's pocket. 



2.116. Propagation of Lilies. These are mul- 

 tiplied by offsets and bulb scales. In increasing 

 them by means of the offsets these are detached 

 from the bulbs when lifted during the season of 

 rest, and planted rather thickly in a nursery' bed. 

 They are lifted annually until they are large 

 enough to bloom, and each year they are allowed 

 more space. In effecting their increase by means 

 of the bulb scales, it will be necessary to exercise 

 much care and considerable patience. When the 

 Lilies of the kinds you are desirous of increasing 

 are at rest lift the bulbs and carefully detach 

 the outer scales from them, and spread them 

 rather thickly over the surface of a shallow box 

 filled with light sandy soil. Then cover them 

 thinly with fine soil, and place in a frame. Dur- 

 ing the winter maintain the soil in a moderately 

 moist state, and keep safe from frost. Under 

 these conditions the greater portion of the scales 

 wiU produce plants, and these will rise to a height 

 of two or three inches in the course of the sum- 

 mer. They must remain undisturbed until the 

 growth has died down, when, provided the soil 

 and weather are alike favorable, the bulbs 

 should be planted in a nursery bed in the open. 

 It Is most important to bear in mind that the 

 removal of the scales weakens the bulbs, and 

 that those from which comparatively large num- 

 bers are taken will not bloom satisfactorily until 

 they have had sufficient time to regain their 

 wonted vigour. 



2.117. Potted Hyacinths Forcing Themselves 

 out of the Ground. The cause of their lifting 

 themselves from the soil is their having been 

 potted too firmly. The roots of Hyacinths and 

 other Dutch Bulbs, being of a coarse, or rather 

 thick description, and at the same time quite 

 brittle or tender, require a very open and easil.v 

 penetrated soil. In potting Hyacinths the soil 

 should hardly be pressed at all with the fingers, 

 two or three smart taps on the bench being sulli- 

 cient to settle it; press the bulb very gently into 

 the little hollow prepared for it, placing a pinch 

 of sand underneath the bulb; then fill up. round 

 it with a little more of the compost, which may 

 be very lightly pressed in place by the thumbs, 

 tapping the pot on the bench at the same time. 

 If the soil is made hard underneath, the roots are 

 sure to lift the bulb in their efforts to penetrate it. 



2,077. Clematis and Honeysuckle. Both of 

 these classes of plants are hardy, although the 

 formermay sometimes winter-kill the first season 

 after planting if not protected. It is well, there- 

 fore to cover the plants the first December after 

 setting out, while to lay them down and protect 

 them slightly over the roots and, tops is good 

 treatment at any age. In the matter of pruning, 

 some growers prefer to cut the Clematis close to 

 the ground every fall, thus ensuring a rank 

 young growth the next year, while others prune 

 the plants but little or none. Honeysuckles are 

 not pruned regularly, except it be to give them 

 better form or to adapt them to their surround- 

 ings. 



2,118. Carnation Disease, In all probability 

 the disease which effects your Carnations is the 

 same spoken of by Mr. Luther Armstrong, at the 

 Florists' Convention. He said he had succeeded 

 in checking the disease by applying a compound 

 of sulphur and ciuicklime subjected to intense 

 heat. Use one gill of this compound, which is 

 nothing more or less than sulphate of calcium, 

 to two galk)ns of water, and syringe the plants 

 heavily with the solution twice a day; the plants 

 will revive, and even those nearly dead receive 

 new vigor. This compound seems to act directly 

 in the way of promoting healthy root action. In 

 cases where it is stated that sulphate of ammonia 



fave good results in its use on plants, it may 

 ave been due to the sulphur acting as a fungi- 

 cide, and thus increasing the vigor of the plant 

 instead ot having so much value as a fertilizer. 



2,022. Calla and Amaryllis'Propagation. Pro- 

 pagation is ettected by offsets, which, should be 

 taken off when the plants are at rest and grown 

 on in small pots for a season, repotting as neces- 

 sary. The Amaryllis can also be increased by 

 seeds, which should be sowed in a well-drained 

 pot or pan filled with light sandy loam, and 

 placed in a warm, moist situation as near to the 

 glass as possible. If the young plants are potted 

 off as soon as they are an inch or two in height, 

 and shifted as soon as they require it, they will 

 attain a flowering size in 15 or 2U months. Drain 

 all pots thoroughly; this is a most essential point. 

 — C. E. P. 



2,076. Hardy Passion Flower. The Passion 

 Flowers are not hardy north of Virginia and 

 southern Ohio, from which sections to the Gulf 

 States the native species Passiflora incarnata, 

 known as Maypops aud P. luta abound. We can 

 only hope therefore to save any of the species in 

 the north by planting them in very favorable 

 localities, and protecting by covering the plants 

 and roots with soil or some other coating. The 

 better place for the other varieties in winter is 

 in a pit or cool greenhouse. 



2,055. Transplanting Hybrid Boses. These 

 may be transplanted in the fall if carefully pro- 

 tected the first winter. Indeed if the soil is of a 

 kind that is free of excessive moisture in winter, 

 fall may be considered the best time to trans- 

 plant Roses. If the planting is deferred until 

 spring, it should if possible be performed as early 

 as the soil can be worked. 



2,088. Iris Susiana, This plant is generally 

 hardy, but is far better treated as follows: Here 

 in the Eastern States the rhizomes come to hand 

 in the fall with other roots and bulbs. Presum- 

 ing the roots in question are newlj- imported, it 

 is decidedly unsafe to plant them out in the open 

 ground, no matter how they are protected. Pot 

 them up and place in a cool house or frame; and 

 if they are strong enough flowers may be ex- 

 pected in early spring. In any case the plants 

 may be planted out in May, in a sunny place in 

 light sandy soil, where the.v will ripen off and 

 rest during the summer months, commencing to 

 grow again in September. If desired the plants 

 may now be lelt in the open, but much better 

 results may l)e obtained by lifting, potting and 

 protecting as with newly imported plants. The 

 great thing is too well ripen the plants after 

 flowering. English growers place a hand light 

 over plants to concentrate the suns rays, and 

 thus accomplish their purpose; but here in the 

 Eastern States the natural heat of a sandy soil 

 will be found quite sufficient tor the purpose. 

 Last March we flowered this lovely Iris under 

 the above treatment, and the flowers were the 

 largest we ever remember seeing. We have 

 found Iris Iberica an equally beautiful plant, 

 but of.dwarfer habit, to be perfectly hardy in 

 the open ground. It should be remembered that 

 both these Iris rest during the summer months; 

 root action and top growth commencing with 

 the return of cooler weather in the fall months. 

 — E. O. Orpet. 



2,076. Hardy Passion Flower- Presuming 

 your hardy Passion Flower is P. incarnata, and 

 has been recently planted, a liberal covering of 

 dry leaves will be found a sufficient protection 

 if boards be placed over them to keep out wet. 

 If the plantis well established the above covering 

 will not be absolutely necessary, but at the same 

 time will be beneflcial. A great deal depends on 

 your location. P. incarnata has considerable 

 root vitality, and though often killed to the 

 ground will spring up again equally vigorous as 

 before. So far as our experience goes, the above 

 is the only hardy Passiflora for the Eastern 

 States.— E. O. O- 



