142 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April, 



2,isa. Increasing Ontdoor Vines. The Cle- 

 matis is incieascd by layeriiig, and tliis is the 

 easiest way. It can also be propagated by root- 

 grating and cuttings in heat. The Aristolochia 

 Is in almost every case raised by layering, or by 

 division ot the roots. The Ampelopsis or Vir- 

 ginian Creeper and the Wistaria are also easily 

 propagated by layering. Grape vinus, Honey- 

 suckles and Jasmines can be raised from cut- 

 tings, and the Lathyrus or E\erlastiDg Pea by 

 seed or by division of the roots. Ivies can also 

 be readily increased by cuttings. Climbers that 

 are annuals are best raised from seed, even in 

 the spring on a hot-bed— H. W. Smith. 



2,^9. Trimming Evergreens in Spring. Yes, 

 by all means prune them in spring, it you wish 

 to, and they need it.— W. F. 



2,'.!54. Bemedy for Curculio on Peaches. In 



the present state of our knowledge of the effect 

 of poisonous mixtures on the foliage of Peach 

 trees, it would be at least risky to advise the use 

 of the sprayer in the Peach 

 orchard. It is now reason- 

 ably certain that the 

 easiest way to light the 

 Curculio on Plums, Pears, 

 and Apples, is by means of 

 spraying with simple Paris 

 green water, which should 

 not be stronger for the 

 Plum than at the rate of 

 one pound of green to 250 

 or 300 gallons o( water, and 

 which should be kept con- 

 stantly stirred while spray- 

 ing, and even reduced by 

 addition of more water 

 when barrel is more than 

 half empty. On the Peac^, 

 however, further experi- 

 ments should be tried. The 

 foliage is very sensitive. 

 Another difficulty is the 

 fuzz that covers the young 

 fruit, and keeps the spray- 

 ing liquid from coming in 

 actual contact with the 

 flesh of the fruit. Un- 

 doubtedly, however, we 

 will yet find mixtures that 

 can be applied with perfect 

 safety and yet kill the Cur- 

 culio as it eats the just 

 expanding foliage or other 

 parts ot the tree. Whether 

 this mixture will be the 

 London purple solution, 

 which has been rendered 

 harmless to the foliage by 

 additions of lime, or what 

 else, is yet an open ques- 

 tion. The only safe preventive that we know 

 of now, is the jarring process, for even the car- 

 bolized gypsum, thrown into the tree, has not 

 proved an absolute preventive.— G. K. 



2,2.3:^. Niagaras Dropping from Stem Before 

 Bipening, If the cause is not blight nor rot, it 

 may bean excess of alkali in the applications of 

 fertilizers Sometimes heavy dressings ot un- 

 leached ashes have this effect on Grapes. Yet 

 there may be other causes of which we know 

 nothing, or which do not appear very plainly. 



2,340. Passion Vine not Blooming. Keep it 

 growing along till the end ot May, then plant it 

 out of doors in a sheltered, but warm and sunny 

 place, and in rich, well-drained soil, and give it 

 plenty of water.— W. F. 



2,242. Brussels Spronts. Will an ordinary 

 plant produce more than a quart of sprouts;' 

 No, indeed. Extraordinary ones will, and lots 

 won't bear a pint. We only count the usable, 

 hard knobs; the open, flabby sprouts are not 

 used.— W. F. 



2,218. Annuals for Cut Flowers. Among the 

 best for this purpose may be mentioned Cen- 

 taureas, of different varieties. Candytufts, Sweet 

 Peas, Godetias, Marigolds, Larkspurs, of se\eral 

 species. Mignonette, Agathu>a Ccelestis, several 

 species of Lychnis, Stocks, Dahlias, and Zinnias. 

 Of hardy plants, a large number are suitable, 

 and much information could be gained bv 

 si)ending an hour or so in the study of a good 

 catalogue. The following are very useful: 

 Spirieas, Pinks, Carnations and Picotees, Gladi- 

 olus, Tuberoses, Columbines, Balsams, Helian- 

 thus multiflorus and rigidus, Petunias, Ver- 

 benas, Heliotrope, several varieties ot Ane- 

 mones and Anemone Joponica, Lilies, Snow- 

 drops, Daffodils and Lilies of the Valley, and the 

 Everlasting Pea. Of shrubs, Hydrangea h<irtcn- 

 sis and paniculata. Dogwoods, Weijicla rosea, 

 Deutzia gracilis, Clematis, Honeysucles, Lilacs. 

 Jloses, Syringas, and many ornamental grasses. 

 Many more plants could be menti<mcd. — H. W. 

 Smith, Lauigiana. 



3,.531. Chrysanthemums as Cut Flowers. Quan- 

 tity abounds in every northern city, but it is 

 quality that finds a market, and southern flowers 

 would have to be uncommonly good to get here 

 in good condition and find a market. 



2,331 Planting Asparagus, Plant in early 

 spring. Make the ground quite rich, plow deep- 

 ly and pulverize well. Then plow furrows five 

 feet apart, strew some good compost or high- 

 grade concentrated fertilizer along the furrows, 

 and set good one-year old plants eighteen to 

 twenty-four inches apart;sijffor eight inches deep 

 if you want "bleached shoots," or halt that 

 depth, if you prefer the green stalks broken off 

 at the surface ot the ground. Cover lightly at 

 first, and in due process of cultivation gradually 

 fill in the furrows even with the ground.— G. R. 



2,3.53. Begonias in Summer. Begonias dislike, 

 during any period of their life, a saturated soil, 

 hot direct sunshine, or an arid atmosphere. 

 Plant them out in summer where they will be 

 sheltered from wind and faintly shaded from 

 afternoon sunshine, and if they are heavy- 

 branched, tall-growing sorts, they should be at- 

 tended to in the way of staking. In protracted 



and a half feet wide. The leaves are tinted 

 prettily with red when young, and when 

 mature they become of a dark green color, 

 although the red veins remain, and con- 

 tribute to the fine appearance of the plant. 

 Like all other varieties it is easily grown 

 from seed, sown in hot-bed in March or 

 April. A group ot these Giant plants will 

 impart a decided tropical appearance to the 

 bed. Our illustration is reduced from 

 Gardener's Chronicle. 



CLUMP OF THE GIANT TOBACCO 



dry weather they should get occasional heavy 

 waterings. After Begonias get thoroughly 

 hardened off and used to out-door sunshine, the 

 vigorous kinds seem to enjoy it. All required 

 for potting, tor keeping over winter, should be 

 lifted early, say end of August, so as to get them 

 well established before cold weather sets in. 

 Tuberous-rooted Begonias may stay in the 

 ground till frost comes, then lift the "bulbs" and 

 store them in somewhat dry sand or soil in a 

 cool place, but where frost can never reach 

 them Begonias in pots, in summer, may be 

 placed outside on the piazza, or on a stand, or 

 plunged in some nook in the g;arden, but in a 

 faintly shaded place, secure from wind, and 

 where there will be no chance of rain or other 

 water standing in the pots. Saturated soil in 

 the pots always rots the roots. A good summer 

 temperature for them is between 60 and 80 de- 

 grees, or as near that as the weather will per- 

 mit.— Wm. Falconer. 



2,279. Selection of Apples. In the report of 

 State Society of Indiana for 1889 the following 

 winter sorts are recommended for Steuben 

 County : Baldwin, R. I. Greening, Wagener, 

 Grimes' Golden, Doninire, .Jonathan, King, Tal- 

 man Sweet and named as promising ; Lawyer, 

 Slark. The Spy is probably not a reliable Apple 

 in your section We suppose you wish to plant 

 for market. Baldwin and R. I. Greening are 

 thoroughly reliable, and you will be safe in 

 planting them largely. Your next choice will 

 be among King, Wagener ( a most excellent 

 Apple and early bearer, but usually not of long 

 life). Grimes' Golden and Lawyer. What exact 

 number of each to i>lant must be left for your- 

 self lo decide.— G. R. 



A Tobacco Giant 



Among the novelties of the season is the 

 stately plant shown in accompanying en- 

 graving. It is introduced by F. C. Heine- 

 man, German seedsman, under the name 

 NifiitidHd Ciiltixsra or Giant Tobacco. The 

 plant, he says, reaches a height of ten feet, i 

 as do some other strong-growing varieties, , 

 but the leaves are very much larger, full 

 grovra ones being three feet long and one j 



Judge Miller's Garden Notes. 



Cover for Hot-beds. When there is no 

 glazed sash, nor oiled muslin, common 

 strong muslin itself will do, if the beds are 

 not started too early, and if covered with 

 old carpet or boards on 

 cold stormy days and 

 frosty nights. I have 

 grown plants as success- 

 fully under it as under 

 glass, but it takes 

 watching in changeable 

 weather. 



Ri lOT Grafting Roses. 

 All who have bought 

 these trifling little Rose 

 plants that are offered 

 and sent out so cheap, 

 have learned the un- 

 certainty of success with 

 them. I think I know 

 how to treat plants of 

 that class, and with the 

 utmost care and atten- 

 tion with the use of a 

 hot-bed in the bargain 

 always lost a number 

 of them. Thus again 

 they need careful nurs- 

 ing if we expect to see 

 any good-sized flower 

 the same season. 



More than fifty years 

 ago 1 root-grafted Roses 

 in a way similar to that 

 in which nurserymen 

 now graft Apple roots. 

 They grew and I sold some. They thrived, 

 bloomed for a time, but complaints would 

 come that the Roses bad changed, and 

 instead of the fine ones the plant bore when 

 they bought it, now bear but an indifferent 

 Rose, and that only once a year. The 

 trouble was they did not protect them in 

 winter as directed. The plant got frozen 

 and died. This causes suckers from the 

 original root which was a common one. 



Quite recently I grafted a lot of choice 

 ones on pieces of our wild Briar Ro.se which 

 does not sucker at all ; and if they grow 

 will be permanent. These are in a hox 

 ,1ust now, and look promising. The hox 

 will be set in a hot-bed after awhile and if 

 successful, these will be set out soon. 



If these don't make good strong plants by 

 fall equal to ordinary two year plant, be- 

 sides giving us some fine flowers, I will be 

 disappointed. My collection just now is 

 not complete, but so far is satisfactory. It 

 consists of Star of Lyons, Marshal Niel, 

 Perles des Jardins all yellow and my favor- 

 ites; Genl. Jacqueminot, Baron de Boustet- 

 ten, Ferd. de Lesseps, Caroline de Sausel, 

 Vicks' Caprice, La France, Morgan Aggri- 

 pina, Magna Charta, Madame Clert, Her- 

 mosa Sanguinea. Some half dozen of the 

 old annuals, such as George 4tb, Coronation, 

 Fulzinnes, etc. As 1 stated before, I can 

 only raise good Marshal Niel Roses when 

 Ijudded on strong hardy stems so as to ad- 

 mit ot bending to the ground and covered 

 in winter. Last summer some were budded 

 in stiff stock so that bending was out of the 

 question, so the buds, and some had started, 

 made a few inches of growth. These were 

 wrapped well with pieces of old canvas. 

 Recently I found them all right. 



