I89I. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



93 



represented about naught in consumption 50 

 years ago, it is safe to say that they have ad- 

 vanced to the very first ranis among vegetables 

 in this day. The crisp, toothsome Celery cer- 

 tainly occupies a position fordeliciousuess never 

 accorded to any subject of the vegetable kingdom 

 in the past. One cannot help wondering how 

 the next score or two of years will effect the 

 rank of our culinary vegetables respectively. 

 We welcome manyotherstotbehigh place occu- 

 pied by the two kinds named. And yet— we say it 

 with regret— there are thousands of people who 

 are not in the way of indulging freely in the use 

 of these choice edibles. Strangely enough they 

 are largely among the soil tillers of the land. 

 To all such we would suggest 

 that it is yet time for resolves 

 as effecting an improvement 

 in this direction during the 

 present year. 



A Beaatifal Hedge. A writer 

 in the Garden says truthfully, 

 and, we think as coming from 

 the land of Hawthorn hedges, 

 very significantly, that for an 

 ornamental deciduous hedge 

 almost anywhere there is noth- 

 ing to surpass, if to equal, the 

 Japan Quince iCydonia Japoni- 

 ea). There are a number of 

 deciduous plants that make 

 pretty hedges, but the most of 

 thera are difficult to form and 

 troublesome to keep in good 

 shape and order. The Gydonia 

 is almost free from these ob- 

 jections, provided only that 

 young plants be used to start 

 with. What a lovely sight it is 

 when in bloom, and how pictur- 

 esque at all other times! Those 

 who have a fancy for more than 

 one color can use the rose and 

 white-colored to mix with the 

 crimson. There is tbis farther 

 to be said in favor of the Japan 

 Quince, that scarcely any man- 

 ner of neglect can spoil its 

 beauty. It can be easily and 

 quickly brought into shape 

 again. It will always retain 

 its beauty, though it may lose 

 its primness by neglect to be 

 sheared. No amount of shear- 

 ing, however, can give it that 

 hard, solid surface so common 

 to evergeen hedges. 



Bonneta and Birds, Olive 

 Thorne Miller asks in the New 

 York Herald, how can woman 

 reconcile her conscience to 

 the constant object lessons in 

 cruelty, which the wearing of 

 murdered birds holds up. 

 Putting entirely aside the 

 responsibilities of people and 

 the rights of animals, it is 

 a simple, bare alternative, she said, that is pre- 

 sented to us: Shall the birds be allowed to live 

 or shall the earth be reduced to a barren wilder- 

 ness? One of the two is certain to be, for the bird 

 is almost our only protector from insects To one 

 who has not Informed herself it mny seem like a 

 wild statement, but, nevertheless, it is true that 

 the insect is one of the most powerful forces on 

 earth, and one against which man, with all bis 

 boasted ability, is helpless. It comes in innum- 

 erable armies, too minute to be handled; nothing 

 can discourage, nothing can eradicate it. It 

 multiplies by millions; it preys upon every vege- 

 table and animal substance under heaven. In a 

 world abandoned to the insect not a green thing 

 could grow, and without vegetation neither man 

 nor beast could exist. The birds, and the birds 

 only, can cope with these fearful hosts of our 

 most fatal foe, and it takes unceasing labor on 

 their part to do it. No creatures have such ap- 

 petites — " incarnate voracity " Ruskin calls them 

 —none require such constant supplies. Woman, 

 the tender hearted, the lover of beauty and song, 

 has reallj' cast the great weight of her influence 

 against the tribes of the air, and the birds fall at 

 her behest by millions. 



Smllaz Beminisences. Who is entitled to the 

 greater honor, the one who introduces a plant 

 or the introducer to wide use of the same, after 

 it has for a long time been next to out of culti- 

 vation? We have in mind the case of the Smilax 

 Myralphyllum axijaragoides, now everywhere 

 known as the most useful of all greenhouse 

 plants in yielding foliage for decorative purposes. 



This plant was introduced to cultivation as far 

 back as 1702, but never made much headway in 

 gaining popular favor. About twenty-five years 

 ago, however, Mr. Louis Davenport, of Milton 

 Mass., saw enough merit in the foliage and bloom 

 of the rare old climber that he ventured on cul- 

 tivating it on a small scale to sell to florists. The 

 beautiful garlands or strings produced found 

 appreciative buyers, and soon he engaged in 

 Smilax culture for commercial purposes on a 

 considerable scale. From that time on the use 

 of the plant developed rapidly wherever there 

 was a trade in cut flowers, and this gentleman 

 lived to see the day when hundreds of greenhouses 

 were devoted exclusively to growing the vine 



YELLOW-THROATED PETUNIA. The Throat Rayed on Yelloiv Ground as in 

 Salpiijlossls. See opposite pane. 



for cutting. The beauty and lasting character 

 of the clean-cut, shining foliage, the delicacy 

 and sweetness of the bloom, and withal the grace- 

 ful habit of growth, were found to render the 

 plant unequalled for nearly every purpose where 

 foliage or garlands were needed for decorations. 

 The fact that the handsome plant is easily grown 

 from seed is not the least of recommends for it. 

 We are lead to indulge in these reminisences 

 through having learned with sorj-owof the death 

 of Mr. Davenport recently at the advanced age 

 of 83 years. 



Two Kinds of Rose Cultsre. Let "us point out 

 a few of the differences between the course pur- 

 sued by the grower of Roses who raises millions 

 of matchless blooms for market, and the average 

 amateur who complains of only tolerable 

 success with Roses. The former lays great stress 

 on good soil, and accordingly prepares a com- 

 post for the bushes, consisting largely of decaj'ed 

 vegetables, rotted sods from a pasture lot suiting 

 the best The latter acts on the notion that any 

 garden loam with chip dirt or stable manure 

 added, will answer. Our skillful Rose grower 

 sees that his Rose beds are thoroughly under- 

 drained, and besides that the soil contains vege- 

 table fibre, leaf mould, old decayed manure, and 

 most likely a liberal dash of bone manure for the 

 plants to feed upon; the other thinks that any 

 spot that will grow Currants or Corn should suit 

 Roses, even though water in excess may not pass 

 away from the spot quickly. In the period of 

 growth, the formerstirs the soil about the bushes 

 80 constantly, that not a weed is brought to 



sight. The latter perhaps says " wild Roses grow 

 in grass, why shouldn't others do as well in my 

 yard." The former meets what few insects 

 appear on his vigorous plants with a solution of 

 Paris green or white Hellebore, and any sign of 

 mildew with sulphur; the other, discovering 

 after it seems too late to apply remedies, that his 

 stunted plants are overrun with devouring insect 

 hordes, or with mildew, says, " no use fighting 

 them." The one top-dresses about the Roses with 

 a rotten sod and manure compost in the fall, 

 protecting the plants by some means in the same 

 season for the coming winter; the other says, 

 "that soil's purty rich now," and adds nothing 

 more, while protection for the plants is with- 

 held on the principle, that what 

 must be covered in winter isn't 

 worth bothering with. The suc- 

 cessful grower prunes his Roses 

 with discretion, the other has no 

 thought of the necessity of such 

 an operation. The one says it's 

 easy to grow plenty of good 

 Roses, the other concludes that 

 he must give up Roses, for after 

 all his trouble, insects, disease 

 and failure figure more largely 

 than anything in the returns. 



An Amateoi's Intereating 

 Notes, Mr. Jacob Dimler, of 

 Schuylkill Co., Pa., sends us the 

 notes which follow, and which 

 we take pleasure in holding up 

 as an example of the writing 

 any one of our readers could 

 engage in with interest to all 

 other readers. It is true that 

 Mr. Dimler apologizes for what 

 he assumes Is the Imperfectness 

 of his composition; but that is 

 as nothing. He writes intelli- 

 gently of his experience, and 

 his article as printed reflects 

 only credit on its author. We 

 wmuld be glad to receive thous- 

 ands of other just such letters 

 as his. Here is the letter. " It 

 is well known that the large 

 English Gooseberry can not be 

 grown in this country with sat- 

 isfaction on account of mUdew, 

 unless grafted on the Missouri 

 Currant. At the Centennial 

 Exhibition, 1878, I saw some 

 such grafts planted in tubs with 

 a heavy crop of berries of 

 enormous size; trees about six 

 feet high. The process of how 

 the grafting was done was de- 

 scribed about that time in a 

 public journal, but it was so 

 tedious that very few common 

 fruit raisers would undertake it 

 or could succeed with it. I tried 

 the easier way of budding in 

 the fall, but generally failed. 

 Later I concluded that on 

 account of the thin bark the bud dried up before 

 a connection was formed. To prevent this I tied 

 a handful of Moss, such as is found in wet and 

 shady places {Sphagnum), around the budded 

 stem, soaked well with water, and as we had a 

 wet season it did not need another watering, as 

 Moss keeps moist a long time. I left it on about 

 three weeks, and when removed I found a per- 

 fect connection, andthebudinthe best condition ; 

 but I also found small rootlets where the bark 

 had been cut. and these soon dried up. Now 

 here I got a hint to raise young trees or shrubs 

 without seed or grafting (nut bearing trees ex- 

 cepted). When tried successfully I found good 

 roots formed in about four weeks. My way of 

 operating was to select a limb about the size of 

 a lead pencil, and after taking a ring of bark out 

 about a (luarterof an inch wide, tie around the 

 cut part a liberal handful of Sphagnum so it 

 could not slip. This I kept moist if weather was 

 hot and dry for about tour weeks, when roots 

 were formed. Then I cut off the branch below 

 the roots and planted. I performed the opera- 

 tion in August and found the little tree well 

 settled before winter. This practice for 

 amateur use comes very handy. For budding 

 Gooseberries and Currants I use the Crandall as 

 a stock; it is a wonderful grower and reach- 

 ing a great size. This is about the only use 

 I can make of the Crandall fruit, as there is no 

 market for it, although good enough for home 

 consumption. The Crandall seems to me only a 

 selected Missouri Currant, such as is grown for 

 its bloom in most gardens." 



