I89I. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



121 



2,218. Annaala for Cut Flowers. Centaureas 

 make good flowers for cutting and the New 

 Double WTiite Achillea, the Pearl is fine for this 

 purpose. It is so much superior to the old 

 Double White that the latter is not worth grow- 

 ing. The demand for cut flowers in fashionable 

 places is growing more and more exacting and 

 there is.little use in trying to do anything in 

 that line without plenty of Hoses, Carnations, 

 Chrysanthemums or Orchids and other flowers 

 only work in to supplement these If there is 

 a demand for common flowers in your place the 

 following are good: Euphorbia corollata. Dahlias 

 Camelliaflora and Guiding Star and Perennial 

 Candytuft tor white, also Spiraea Reevesii fl, pi, 

 and White Cosmos For various colors Platyco- 

 don grandifiorum, Gentlana Andrew-sii, Salvia 

 splendens, Helianthus latifolius. Coreopsis lan- 

 ceolata. Golden (Camomile — Wm. F. Bassett. 



2,265. Barr's Mammoth Aepara^s. We have 

 heard this well spoken of by good market gar- 

 deners for several years. It is the same as Phil- 

 adelphia Mammoth. We do not think the inquirer 

 will run any risk by planting this if he has the 

 plants on hand. Even if not greatly superior to 

 Conover's Colossal, we are sure it is by no means 

 inferior to it.— G. R. 



2,264. Building and Heatini; Oreenhofises. 

 Some highly valuable information touching on 

 this subject was given last year in Bulletin 63 of 

 the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 embodying the researches of Prof. L. R. Taft. 

 The gist of thematter was published, with illus- 

 trations on pages 20 and 21 (October number) of 

 the present volume of Popular Gardening. 

 We think that practically there is not so much 

 difference between a brick and a wooden wall, 

 providing either one is properly constructed. 

 Any such wall should be holl'»w, the wooden wall 

 containing at least two dead airspaces. We are 

 decidedly in favor of the butted system of glass- 

 ing: and for small houses, such as the inquirer 

 has in view, we should prefer the hot water 

 system to all other modes of heating,— G. R. 



2,204. English Filberts from Seed. The fruit 

 from trees or bushes you raise from pure seed 

 may vary somewhat, but will probably all be 

 good enough. The trouble, 1 think, will be to 

 get the nuts to germinate, unless you get them 

 fresh in the fall, and keep them from drying 

 out.— G. R. 



2,251. Chrysanthemnms for Cat Flowers. Con- 

 cerning the sale of Chrysanthemum blooms in 

 northern cities, there certainly isa large demand 

 for such each autumn, but the supply as pro- 

 vided by the local growers is also large. Still, if 

 your location is such as would enable vou to 

 grow a superior article, it is not un'ikel.v that 

 you might succeed in working off a large stock at 

 prices remunerative to you. 



2 196. Uarianna Plum for Stock. Latter part 

 of December I cut my Marianna wood into cut- 

 tings about five to six inches long. I took it 

 directly from the trees, and intended tying in 

 bundles of one hundred or more each to heel in 

 for spring planting. But as the weather was so 

 fine, and the ground in excellent order, I set 

 them at once where they are to grow, in rows 

 three and a half teet apart, six inches apart in 

 the rows. This plan in years past has been most 

 successful. The cuttings were set upright, and 

 so that the top bud was just even with the sur- 

 face of the ground. Tread lightly on each side 

 of row; then the earth is levelled off again and 

 covered with old sods and litter to prevent them 

 from being heaved out. The next l)est plan is 

 to cut the wood into six inch lengths, tie into 

 bundles and bury in the ground with the butts 

 up, covered six inches with earth. If the ground 

 is frozen, so as to make this impossible, the cut- 

 tings may be packed in sand in a cellar, such sand 

 to be kept merely damp enough to keep the cut- 

 tings from shriveling. Here they will callus, 

 and they are then to be set out as early in the 

 spring as the ground will permit. This talk of 

 double working for the Peach is all moonshine, 

 as the Peach will take readily if set at the proper 

 time. I have both Peach and Apricot on the 

 Marianna that seem to be as vigorous as on the 

 Peach root. The Marianna never sends up 

 suckers, and is not troubled with the borers, thus 

 making it the most valuable stock for all our 

 stone fruits. This is its great value, as its fruit 

 is in my opinion of so little merit, that were it 

 not for its usefulness as a foundation for better 

 sorts, I would not have it on my grounds.— Sa.m- 

 tiEL SliLLER, Montgomery County^ Mo. 



2,212. ClaT Soil for Boses. Good clay loam 

 mixed with the poor sandy soil, and enriched 

 with a little bone dust, will do very well for 

 Roses. The sand alone has very little absorbent 

 power. Stiff clays are often comparatively rich 

 in plant food, although it may not be in a form 

 readily available for the plants. When it is 

 thoroughly incorporated with a sandy soil, the 

 ingredients may be rendered more readily avail- 

 able, besides increasing the capacity of the re- 

 sulting soil to absorb and retain moisture and 

 the various gases from the atmosphere. Apply 

 the clay on top, let the frosts act upon and disin- 

 tegrate it, and then fork it well into the soil. 



2,238. Colens Sporting. Concerning the var- 

 ions forms of Coleus leaves of which you speak, 

 we see nothing especially strange in this, con- 

 sidering that the Coleus genus is one very much 

 given to variations and "sporting." No plant 

 now in cultivation has changed so very materially 

 in the matter of forms and colors of foliage as 

 has the Coleus. 



2,217. Impoverished Lawn. The general un- 

 satisfactory appearance of the lawn is undoubt- 

 edly due to impoverished soil. Until fertility is 

 restored the grass will remain thin and poor. 

 Apply a good top dressing of compost, or in its 

 absence, of wood ashes and bone flour, or of any 

 complete fertilizer you may have on hand. Put 

 it on evenly, at the rate of from 600 to 1,000 

 pounds iier acre. 



2.213. Baising Early Canliflower. Sow seed 

 of Snowball or Earliest Erfurt in hot-bed or 

 greenhouse at once, pushing the plants ahead as 

 fast as compatible with their healthy develop- 

 ment, harden off properly, and set in well-pre- 

 pared, highly-enriched, somewhat moist, well- 

 drained soil as soon as this is in condition to be 

 worked. Still better, it might be to get cold- 

 frame-wintered plants, if good ones can be had, 

 and set them in soil prepared as stated If the 

 land is slighly sloping to the south or southeast, 

 all the better for early setting and early making 

 of the crop. 



2.214. Winter Flowers from Seed. ' What bet- 

 ter plants do you want than the old standbys, 

 such as Cyclamens, Cinerarias, Primulas, etc. 

 Two or three sowings should be made to insure a 

 succession of bloom throughout the winter. 

 Make the first sowing early in March. To get 

 good Cyclamens, sow seed in the summer as soon 

 as ripe. They will flower the second winter. If 

 seed is sown in early spring and the plants can 

 be grown on in sufficient heat and without check, 

 they will become large enough by next winter 

 to produce a few flowers.— M. N. 



2,21.5. Border Flowers from Seed. Among the 

 most thankful of plants for the purpose are 

 Phlox Drummondi and Verbena. If arranged 

 in masses, leither in mixed colors or the latter 

 judiciously blended, a most gorgeous display can 

 be obtained during the greater part of the season. 

 Seed may be sown directly in open ground, or 

 the plants may be started under glass, then 

 pricked out into four or flve inch pots, four 

 plants in each pot, and afterwards transferred 

 to open ground without dividing. 



2,176. Keeping Babbits from Frnit Trees. I 



use common fly screen or wire screen, cut into 

 strips two feet long and two inches wide, on trees 

 H or M inch in diameter. This will reach 

 18 inches in height. Begin at the ground, wind- 

 ing the strips spirally around the tree; draw 

 tight and give an extra squeeze at the top end of 

 the wire screen, and it is there to stay. Where 

 trees are not over 16 feet apart, I can wrap 60 to 

 70 trees per hour. Wire cloth costs 2 cents per 

 square foot, which makes the material cost about 

 4-7 cent per tree. The screen can be kept on for 

 another year.— Henry A. Horn, Ohio. 



2.223. Onions on Same Land. The old practice 

 and teaching is to plant Onions on same soil just 

 as long as desired. The land, under the liberal 

 manuring required for the crop, gets richer from 

 year to year, and also freer from weeds, and 

 generally in good tilth, all of which circum- 

 stances favor the crop. But there are drawbacks 

 also. Onion mildew may take possession of the 

 field, and the insects troubling the crop— espec- 

 ially the Onion maggot— are liable to increase to 

 an extent so as to become a real danger to the 

 crop. On the whole, therefore, a proper system 

 of rotation is much the safer plan just as it is 

 with all other crops. Alternating Onions with 

 Clover, each crop to occupy the ground for two 

 years in succession, may give excellent results 



2.224. Strawberries and Baspberries. Straw- 

 berries and Red Raspberries if set out in Septem- 

 ber or October in the inquirer's locality (Ont., 

 Canadal, may give berries enough for a taste the 

 following season, but there will not be enough 

 for what the most liberal interpretation might 

 call a crop. Blackcaps will not bear until the 

 second season. 



2,227. Fropigation of Babber Plants and Hi- 

 biscus. The varieties of common India Rubber 

 tree (Ficus elaMca), according to A. S. Fuller, 

 are readily propagated by cuttings of the green 

 wood or mature shoots planted in rather coarse 

 sand or pulverized brick, in the open ground in 

 warm climates, and under glass in cool ones. 

 The two shrubby species of Hibiscus (B. Syrlacus 

 or Rose of Sharon, and H. Sinensis or Rose of 

 China) are propagated by seeds and cuttings of 

 either the green wood qnder glass, or ripe wood 

 in open ground. Ripe wood cuttings should be 

 made in the full, in cold climates, and stored 

 where they will not freeze in the winter. They 

 should also be kept rather dry, too much moist- 

 ure being very injurious. The same is true of 

 the plants raised from ripe wood cuttings, and 

 they should be dug in the autumn of the first 

 season and heeled in, either in a cool cellar or 

 some dry place in the garden.— P, 



2,222. Hannre Unlch for Strawberries. Coarse 

 horse manure, if free from weed seeds, makes a 

 good mulch for Strawberries The winter's rains 

 and snows wash out the fertilizing elements of 

 the manure, and these go to feed the plants, while 

 the remaining washed litter remains on top 

 preventing rapid evaporation. Altogether the 

 material gives the double advantage of fertilizer 

 and mulcli. No ill effects need be feared from 

 the application.— G. R. 



2,221. Prizetaker and Spanish King. I find 

 these decidedly different. The true Spanish King 

 was introduced by Johnson & Stokes in 1887, and 

 is a good variety of the foreign classs. Wm. H. 

 Maule sent out the Prizetaker in 1888, and I 

 think we have nothing superior to it in that 

 class of Onions. The confusion arises by some 

 of the seedsmen catalogueing them as identical. 

 I would take;this opportunity to warn against 

 planting any of them on a very large scale as a 

 first venture You should first see whether these 

 varieties are fitted to your locality and to your 

 particular soil and treatment. Planting on an 

 acre scale involves heavy expense, and some of 

 our correspondents report that the Onions have 

 given them more scallions than solid bulbs. 

 Don't rush wildly in a new business. Keep cool, 

 and use deliberation and good judgment.— G. R. 



2,261. Dissolved Bone Black. This is bone 

 charcoal (burnt bone) treated with sulphuric 

 acid to make the phosphoric acid soluble All 

 leading fertilizer men offer it for sale. It costs 

 about $20 or less per ton.— G. R. 



2,282. Leached and Unleached Ashes. The 

 former are deprived of most of their potash by 

 leaching, usually analysing about 114 per cent 

 each of phosphoric acid, while unleached ashes 

 contain 5 to 8 per cent potash and 1 to 2 per 

 cent phosphoric acid. The former have a 

 fertilizing value of about three or four dollars 

 per ton the latter of $10 to $13.— G. R. 



2,225. Boot Grafting Pears and Apples. Pears 

 are root grafted like Apples, the only difference 

 being that whole roots (usually French seedlings) 

 are always used for stock, never piece roots. 

 Good strong Apple stocks for root grafting may 

 be cut into three pieces, the end or tip piece be- 

 ing thrown away. The other two cuts will 

 answer every practical purpose for stocks —G. P, 



2,230. Poisoning Holes. The recipe usually 

 given is to sprinkle a little arsenic or strychine 

 on little bits of raw beef, and drop them into 

 the runs. We are sure that it is useless to 

 attempt poisoning moles with poisoned Sweet 

 Corn, as the moles live on insects, grubs, worms, 

 etc., but not on grain. We also have little faith 

 in the poisoned meat remedy. The best way to 

 manage moles where they are very numerous 

 and therefore more of an injury than a blessing, 

 is to reduce their number by keeping a number 

 of ordinary mole traps (such as are now on sale 

 in every hardware, and at every seedsman's) 

 continuosly and faithfully set Moles are easily 

 caught in this way, and we can at least keep 

 their numbers sufficiently within bounds that 

 the damage they do will be comparatively slight. 

 — G R. 



2,234. Ashes for Potatoes. If the application 

 is but a light or moderate one, say 10 or 15 bush, 

 per acre, I think I would put the ashes into the 

 drills over the lightly covered seed pieces. If a 

 large dressing is to be given, say of 40 or 50 

 bushels or even more per acre I should apply 

 it broadcast after plowing and before harrow- 

 ing. Usually, however, the mode of application 

 is of less influence than the mere fact that it is 

 applied, and the quantity that is used.— G. R. 



2,236. Ashes for Frnit Trees. A mulch of 

 good strong wood ashes, even if liberal, is not 

 likely to do any harm to fruit trees, but can be 

 applied with every hope of good results. Scatter 

 the ashes evenly all over the ground, not simply 

 close up to the tree, as often done —G. R. 



2,243. Cranberry Plants. Almost every large 

 nurseryman catalogues these plants. Some of 

 the seedmen also do this, among them for in- 

 stance James J H. Gregory of Marblehead, Mass. 



2,24.5. Hyrica Cerifolia. The information de- 

 sired is given in Henderson's "Handbook of 

 Plants." Myrica cerifolia is a shrub common to 

 New York and the Atlantic cost, growing four 

 to eight feet high The foliage has a pleasant 

 fragrance, and is used to a large extent in mi-xing 

 with flowers used in summer bouquets In New 

 England the wax which invests the berries is 

 collected in considerable quantities. It is ob- 

 tained by boiling the berries in water, when the 

 wax melts and rises to the surface. Under the 

 name of Bayberry tallow it is often used to make 

 tallow. It is also employed in soap making. 



2,2-24. Field of Brussels Sprouts. My success 

 with Brussels Sprouts has never been phenome- 

 nal. On most of my plants the sprouts have 

 usually appeared rather too scattering for profit, 

 and where they did set close and compact, the 

 little heads or buttons were seldom perfect 

 enough to induce me to eat them. 1 find it much 

 easier to raise good Cabbages and Cauliflower 

 than Brussels Sprouts. Perhaps the latter need 

 higher cultivation than I have given them. 

 Would like to know what Mr. Falconer has to 

 say about it?— G. R. 



