8o 



POPULAR GARDENING, 



January, 



Correspondent B are urged to antMpate the season In prr 

 sentina questions. To ask, for instance, en April \f> or "^ 

 tehat Peas had best be sown, could brinQ no answer in 

 the May issue, and none before June, when the answer 

 vsmld be unseasonable. Questions receivedbef ore the- lith 

 of any month stand a good chance of being answered in the 

 next paper. Not more tfian three questions should be sent 

 at one time. Anfttrers to questions benrina on the com- 

 parative value nf inip!ements, etc., offered by different 

 dealers must not be expected. Neither can we promise to 

 oomply icith the request sometimes madi' to "please answer 

 by mail." Inquiries appearing without name belong to the 

 name next foUouying . 



Replies to Inquiries are earnestly requested from our 

 readers. In answering such give the number, your 

 locality and name, the latter not for vuhlioation, unless 

 tiou desire. Write only on one side of the paper. 



2,137. ScalUon Onions from Sets. Plants grew 

 luxurlaDtly, but most produced worthless scallions. 

 Is It the faultof soil, treatmant or stock? Would break- 

 Ins the tops down have remedied It?— A. J. S., Dans- 

 i^ille. Pa. 



2,13S. Value of Ashes. I can get ashes from acid 

 works at four cents a bushel, and Canada ashes for $10 

 per ton. Which would be the more profitable to use? 

 — E. A. S., Pa. 



2.139. Cauliflowers Not Even. Some of my plants 

 produced pretty solid heads, others formed branches 

 with small knots of Cauliflower balls on the ends. 

 What Is the cause? 



2.140. Celery Failing to Bleach- It was banked at 

 proper time, and taken up three weeks afterwards. 

 Why did it not bleach? 



3.141. Keeping Celery After it is Trimmed. Would 

 like a good, practical plan.— J. H., Defiance, O. 



2.142. Transplanting Large Forest Trees. How 

 should I treat Maples and other trees to be taken from 

 the forest and planted as street trees? R. N. F. 



2,113. Summer Pruning of the Grape. Is this ad- 

 visable?— G. M. 



2.144. Elderberries for Culinary Use. How best 

 used?— Frfit Grower's Wife. 



2.145. Plants for Shade. I have a border three feet 

 wide and 30 feet long close up to the north side of my 

 house. What bulbs and small shrubs will succeeii 

 there?— W. — . 1'., Oneida Co., N. Y. 



2.146. Lime as Insect Killer. What do you think 

 of spraying trees in blooming season with lime water 

 (six gallons of fresh lime to the barrel of water) for 

 Insects?- O. J., Ind. 



2.147. Book on Flowers. I want a practical work 

 on treating flowers, both in the house and in the flower 

 garden, devoting large space for Pausies and Roses?— 

 H. L. S., Jllinoi.s. 



2.143. Trimming Clematises. Probably the differ- 

 ent kinds have to be trimmed differently. Should 

 Jaokmauii be cut down as close as Crispa, Duchess of 

 Teck, ete.?— J. W. K., Mass. 



2.149. Growing: Prizetaker Onion. For large crop, 



If seed is sown early, say in April, will the bulbs ripen 

 up well in September? Where can pure seed be ob- 

 taiued?— J. D, R,. Ontario, Can. 



2.150. Prunus Simoni. Do you know any one who 

 has fruited it north of Ohio river, and can speak defln- 

 itely as to its merits?~J. R. W., Illinois. 



2.151. Do Ants Kill Trees? A flue young Cherry 

 tree, also a De Soto Plum apparently dying. Ground 

 around them infested with ants. Have used plenty of 

 wood ashes. Is a bushel per year too much for a young 

 tree?— Subscriber. 



2.152. Pruning Pear Trees- When should this be 

 done?-MRS. F. U. T., Ohio. 



2.153. Building an Amateur Hot-house. Slope 

 facing south. Lower side two feet above ground. Size 

 13 X 20 feet. What is best or necessai-y slope of roof? 

 How deep should 1 dig into the ground? How close to 

 the glass should be the trenches, and how much soil 

 should they hold?— J. E. M., Dw-on, III, 



2.154. Propagation of Hydrangea Paniculata. How 

 is this best done?— P. B., m. Carmel, Ills. 



2.155. Best Apples Crop for Maine. For 100 trees 

 which are the four best kinds here?- E. D. C. Me. 



2,15fi. Clinton Grape Not Bearing. Concord vines 

 have borue three good crops*. Clinton nothing. AH 

 treated alike. Whatisthe matter?— J. KuNKEL,iS'c/iu i/;- 

 kiltCo.,Pa. 



2.157. Grasshoppers. They used up the buds and 

 foliage of my Roses, etc. What sliould I have done? 



2.158. Keeping HorseManure from Heating. What 

 is the best method? 



2.1.59. Hybrid Tomatoes. Will they mix with grow- 

 ing side by side? 



2,160. Tulips from Seed. Can they thus be grown? 

 — T. .1. L.. De.rfer. 



2.1(11. Rust on Erie Blackberries. Should affected 

 ptauts be destroyed? Will it spread to other varieties 

 near by?— F. s. Mc. 



2.102. Grapes in Pear Orchard. Would Grapes suc- 

 ceed amouj; Dwarf Pears where trees are set 40 by 40? 

 What Is the best variety for here^— PaI'l M., Columbi- 

 ana Co., O. 



2,16.3, Grafting Pears on Quinces. Would it prove 

 successful?— Allen Uhos. 



2.164. Potato Blossoms and Fruit. Are plants 

 likely to yield more tubers If we remove blossoms?— 

 R. S. T. 



2.165. Bean Weevil. My seed Beans badly infested. 

 How shall 1 treat them? 



2.166. Peach and Cherry Seedlings. As an experi- 

 ment, I would like to raise a few hundred new varie- 

 ties. What seed should I select?- M. S. R. 



2.167. Pollen Production in Strawberries. Is the 

 greater productiveness of pistillate Strawberries due 

 to the fact that their energies are not wasted in pollen 

 production? 



2.168. Hedge in Damp Soil. I wish to plant a hedge 

 in a damn but well-drained soil. What shall I plant, 

 and how?— Bl. Y. R,. Alexander Co., N. C. 



2.169. Care of Epiphyllums. How shall I treat 

 mine? They are lartre and have not been potted for 

 severalyears.—C. R. Springer, ^/tsabef/i City Co., Ta. 



2.170. To Propagate Dracaenas. How shall I go at 

 It?— D. W. H., Cass Co., 3Tich, 



2.171. Ferns for Conservatory. What are the most 

 desirable kinds?- E. L, W.. New York City. 



2.172. Grafting Roses in Spring. Is it a diflQcuIt 

 operation? How Is it done?— James R. L,, Monree Co 

 N. Y. 



2.173. Mealy-bug. My house plants are badly 

 affected. Remedy ?-C. L. W.. Chicago, III. 



2.174. Forcing Lily of the Valley. What is the best 

 way in which to proceed?— C. W. M. 



2.175. Tea Koses in Pots in Winter. What culture 

 do they require?- John M. S.. Chicago, III. 



2.176. Young Fruit Trees Injured by Babbits. 

 How shall I protect them?— W. L. M., Loraine Co., O. 



2.177. Green Worms on Cannas. How would you 

 treat such as roll themselves In and eat the leaves?— 

 S. E. R., Mobile Co,. Ala. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 



2,135. Surface and Subsoil Drainage. When 

 the land is leval enough so that there is no dan- 

 ger of surface washes, throuf?h surface drainage, 

 by means of deep dead furrows, or shallow open 

 ditches, may take the place of under-drainage. 

 In a case like this we would lay out the land in 

 narrow beds, with deep furrows between, and 

 take good care to have all the furrows end in an 

 open ditch suflficieutly deep and with sufficient 

 fall, to carry the water off as fast as it comes. 

 Such surface drainage should be provided on all 

 soils so situated that water from a higher eleva- 

 tion is liable to flow upon it in larger quantities- 

 Than could be carried off by under-drains, even 

 if such be there. While mere surface drainage 

 may answer in some cases, and in the ma.iority 

 of seasons allow us to raise pretty fair garden 

 and other crops, ypt it can never quite supplant 

 under-drainnge. The latter has indeed so great 

 advnntao-es over the other method that we can 

 hardly afford, in a financial ^^ensp, to do without 

 it. and depend ^n the f^n-mpr alone. Surfnce 

 drainage is at best but a make shift, while ^ood 

 iinder-drainaffe backed up, if needed, by surface 

 drainaere makes eood crops, under otherwise 

 good managpment, almost a dead eevtainty. We 

 should bear in mind, that S'^rfacp drainaire often 

 involves a drainaare of fertUitv off the onjl. while 

 on the other hand, the water carried off by the 

 under-drains has b^en tilterpd throno-h thp soil, 

 and Ipft in it almost evprv bit of Plant food that 

 was dissolvpd in it. whilp thp watpr rnnnino- off 

 in surface drains is not thus strainpd of its 

 manurial elements, but takes them alone: with 

 it, occasioning considerable Iocs. This is not all 

 what can be said in favor of tbp undprtrround 

 method. The latter only takes off water that is 

 actually in excess, and gives the soil a chance to 

 absorb all the water it mav need, before any of 

 it reaches the drains A further advantao-e of 

 subsoil drains in the admission of air to the lower 

 strata of the soil, which renders thp cround 

 warmer, and aids in makinsr inert plant food 

 available bv chemical action, thus resulting not 

 only in earlier but also in better crops. Surface 

 drainasre is often good; but subsoil drainaee is 

 far. far better. AH this, however, applies to 

 soils of a more tenacious character, and resting 

 upon more or less impervious subsoil. It has 

 little force so far as deep sandy soils are con- 

 cerned.— G. R. 



2,104. Starting Barberry TTedereB. Plants can 

 easily be grown from cuttings of the mature 

 wood made in autumn, and treated similar to 

 Currant cuttings. Layering in the ordinary way 

 as practiced with fJ rapes or Roses is another sim- 

 ple and sure method of propasration. To grow 

 plants from seed, wash the ripe seed from the 

 pulp, mix them with sand and bury them in the 

 ground over winter. In spring sow them in a 

 half shady place. The younsr plants, when first 

 appearing above ground, can not endure much 

 exposure to the direct sunlight.— G. R. 



2,151. Do Ants Kill Trees'! Ants are not 



known to do any direct injnry to trees. Their 

 presence on and around the tree is accounted 

 for by the the fact that the tree is affected by 

 insects or disease. To kill the ants, try a boiler 

 full of boiling water poured into the antsMiill ; 

 also wash the body of tree with an alkaline so- 

 lution, for instance soft soap, or lye water. A 

 pailful of hot washing suds from the kitchen 

 may be poured down the body of the ailing tree 

 with the expectation that it will do good in 

 clearing it from insect eggs. 



2,150. Prunus Simoni. Prof. .1. h. Budd of 

 Iowa, has grown Simon^^s Plum on the CoUepe 

 grounds for a number of years, and he could 

 give definite information concerning its value. 



2,152. Prunine Pear Trees. This may be done 



on mild days during winter, or in early spring. 

 Usually there is but little pruning needed with 

 this fruit; but all branches showing blight, etc., 

 if not removed m proper time which is as soon as 

 the disease shows itself, should now be cut off 

 and burned.— G. R. 



2,127. Eradicatinsr Plantain on Lawn. We 



accomplished this by the following method. 

 Father gave the children fifty cents for the first 

 hundred plants, twenty-flve cents for the second 

 hundred, and ten cents for each remaining 

 hundred. They took a common table knife, 

 and cut the plants as far as they could below 

 ground. In a short time all plants had disap- 

 peared, ~3/rs. Eva Cox Hoover. 



2,058. Bemedy for Curculio. I advise the in- 

 quirer to take a lump of fresh (unslacked) lime, 

 and use water enough to slake it to a fine pow- 

 der, adding at the same time some carbolic acid. 

 The acid might also be added to the water with 

 which the lime is slacked. Adding the acid 

 should not be delayed until after the lime is 

 slacked, as it would not so easily permeate the 

 entire mass. Then fasten a tin can on a pole, 

 and shake the dust on and through the Plum 

 tree. If applied early in the day while foliage 

 and young fruit is wet with dew, and during a 

 liffbt breeze, it is easily done, and effective. 

 With the curculio disposed of, the tree will 

 probably over bear, and may need thinning, if 

 fruit is wanted the year following. Of course it 

 is best to apply the lime and carbolic acid several 

 times, especially if washed off by rain. Spraying 

 with eau celeste may also prevent rot, at least it 

 is worth a trial.— Uhcr, 



2,149. Growine Prizetaker Onions. This 

 variety is somewhat late. If sown in open 

 ground in Apiil, or by first of May, it will be 

 pretty well along in September before the bulbs 

 are fully matured. The right method to grow 

 this variety is by the transplanting process, 

 which makes success a dead sure thing, and re- 

 quires no more labor and expense than the old 

 way of sowing into the open ground directly. 

 The plants are started in frames six weeks or so 

 before the time that they could be sown outdoors. 

 The seed can not be bought of foreiarn dealers. 

 The variety was introduced by Wm. H. Maule of 

 Philadelphia. What other dealers, if any. will 

 catalogue it this season we do not know.— G. R. 



2,1 48. Bnok on Flowers. The best work for 

 your purpose, undoubtedly, is Henderson^s 

 " Gardening for Pleasure." Price $2.00. If you 

 desire something special on Roses, read " Par- 

 sons on the Rose." Fine Pansy seed can be 

 had of any reliable seedsman ; most of the 

 Pansy seed sold here comes from Europe, but 

 good seed is also grown here. 



2,154. Prnpa""tion of HTdrnncF^a ^aT»<c"1«ta. 

 The various Hydrantreas are propaeroted by 

 suckers, layers, and cuttings of the green and 

 half-rippnpd wood. According to A. S. Fuller, 

 the Hyrfranffpa Paniculata, and some others of 

 the hard-^oodt'd class, trrcpn enttinsrs are most 

 certain, if taken from plants forced under glass. 



2.1^5. Rooting ftratiA Vlnft HrnrchpR. This 

 should be done in early spring. Ditr a shallow 

 trench into which the branch or stem is to be 

 laid. Cover lierhtly to kepn in plnee. When the 

 buds start into growth, fill the soil back into the 

 trpnch. With such treatment, each shoot will be 

 likely to produce a plant. 



2,146. lime as Inject Killer. Pure fresh lime 

 water may be very good remedy for maggots 

 that infest Radishes, Cabbages and the like, but 

 what good it could do if sprayed upon trees 

 when in bloom T fail to see. The Bordeaux mix- 

 ture, used as a preventive of fungus diseases, 

 contains lime, but the function of the latter is 

 not to destroy germs or insects, but to make the 

 sulphate of copper more adhesive and more 

 effective. The sovereign spraying remedy now 

 used for the tree pests that live on the foliage 

 and fruit, is Paris green, or in some emergencies 

 London purple, and certainly we have nothing 

 to gain, but a good deal to lose, if we omit the 

 Paris green spray, and in the mean time only ex- 

 periment with lime water. 



2,140. Celery Failing to Bleach. We should 

 not be mislead by the term "bleaching." Our 

 object in banking Celery is not bleaching, strictly 

 speaking,!, e. not to make the old green stalks 

 assume a white color, but to prevent the new 

 growth from turning green under the influence 

 of light. Consequently this " bleaching " presup- 

 poses new growth, and without new growth, the 

 plant will remain green. This accounts for the 

 much shorter time required for bleaching in the 

 early season, than in the late fall. We have 

 taken up well-blanched Celery ten days after 

 banking in September, while three weeks are 

 often wholly insufficient to blanch Celery nicely 

 after October. Your plants were probably of 

 some large coarse-growing variety, and during 

 the three weeks intervening betweening bank- 

 ing and taking up, made but little growth. 

 Whether this was due to an unpropitious season, 

 or to insufficient manuring, we are of course un- 

 able tell from the data given by the inquirer. 



