I89I. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



183 



a.428. Copper Carbonate. This, known in paint 

 shops as "mineral green," may be bought from 

 any large dealer in painting materials. Since a 

 new use for it has been found in horticulture, it 

 is also offered for sale by some of the Arms that 

 deal in spraying outfits, in agricultural chemicals, 

 etc., such as the Force Pump Co., of Lockport. 

 N. Y., W. S. Powell & Co., Baltimore, Md., Weeks 

 & Potter Co., 360 Washington St., Boston, Mass., 

 etc. Copper carbonate will cost about 60 cents 

 a pound in small quantities. Dr. Thaxter of the 

 Connecticut Experiment Station suggests that a 

 very large saving may be made by preparing the 

 carbonate of copper by the following method, 

 instead of buying it, as its market price is much 

 greater than that of the materials necessary 

 for its preparation. Take two lbs. of sulphate 

 of copper and dissolve it in a large quantity of 

 hot water; in another barrel or tub, dissolve two 

 and one-half lbs. of carbonate of soda (sal soda) 

 in hot water. When both are dissolved and 

 cooUd, pour the soda solution into the copper 

 solution, stirring rapidly. There will result a 

 blue-green precipitate of carbonate of copper, 

 which must be allowed to settle to the bottom of 

 the vessel. Now draw off the clear liquid above 

 the sediment, fill the vessel with (resh water and 

 stir up the contents thoroughly. After the cop- 

 per carbonate has once more settled to the bot- 

 tom, again draw off the clear fluid above. The 

 carbonate may now be removed from the vessel 

 and dried, when it is ready for use. From the 

 amount of blue-stone and sal-soda given above 

 will be produced one pound of copper carbonate, 

 and the amount of each necessary to produce 

 any given amount of copper carbonate is easily 

 calculated. The ammonical solution of copper 

 carbonate in its improved form, is prepared from 

 three oz. carbonate of copper, one lb. carbonate 

 of ammonia, and 50 gals, water. Mix the carbon- 

 ate of copper with the carbonate of ammonia, 

 pulverized, and dissolve the mi.xture in two 

 quarts of hot water. When they are wholly dis- 

 solved, add the solution to enough water to make 

 the whole quantity fifty gallons. This prepara- 

 tion has been found to be better and cheaper 

 than that made according to the original formula 

 (three oz. carbonate of copper dissolved in 

 one quart acqua ammonia 2i^ B. and reduced 

 with 2.5 gallons of water). These suggestions 

 should help you over every diflficulty in procur- 

 ing the needed materials, or preparmg them for 

 the spi"ayer. The nearest drug store can furnish 

 you all that is wanted. 



2,364. Scale on Oleander can be destroyed by 

 scrubbing the bark with a stiff brush and strong 

 soap suds.— H. C. T. 



2,369. Cannas as Annuals can be grown as such 

 with good success, but better success is attained 

 by taking up the roots in the fall, preserve them 

 in a warm cellar, and set out in May in rich soil 

 where they will make a luxuriant growth supe- 

 rior to many of our tropical plants. — H. C. T. 



2,336. Botten forest leaves make an excellent 

 mulch during dry weather. Do not use for pot- 

 ting plants unless thoroughly rotted. Leaf mould 

 mixed with potting soil Is very beneficial to 

 many kinds of plants. If not thoroughly rotted 

 throw your wash water on the compost heap 

 during the summer.— H. C. T. 



2,301. Cost of Spraying Qrapes. This depends 

 (1) on the number of sprayings required, which 

 is influenced by meterological conditions and the 

 severity of the attacks of the fungous diseases, 

 and (2) on the price you have to pay for your 

 sulphate and carbonate of copper. Sulphate 

 (blue-stone) should not cost you over eight cents 

 a pound; but if you buy in small quantities at 

 the drug store, you may have to pay four or five 

 times that amount; and carbonate should not 

 cost over 40 or 50 cents. These copper salts do 

 not lose in value by age, hence you might lay in 

 a good stock of it, thus getting the advantage of 

 wholesale rates. If economically administered, 

 each spraying should not cost over one-half cent 

 per vine, and as six applications are about what 

 will be required in an average season, the aggre- 

 gate cost will be almost three cent-s per vine. 



2,390. Preserving Small Frnits for Exhibit. 

 A Icohol does very well except in regard to the 

 preservation of color. In fact it is not an easy 

 thing to preserve the original tempting appear- 

 ance, the bloom and charm of the fresh berry. 

 Try salycilic acid in water. Dissolve a little in 

 hot water, cover the berries with it, then put la 

 layer of cotton over the opening of the vessel. 

 some strong paper or oiled cloth over this, and 

 tie firmly. 



2,.S94. Spraying Apples for Codling. A single 

 spraying immediately after the blossoms fall, if 

 well applied, should be sufficient to dispose of 

 the codling worm. Use about one half pound of 

 Paris green to 100 gallons of water, and if prac- 

 ticable use some lime water, made by slacking 

 a few pounds of fresh lime; or, still better, com- 

 bine the two treatments, for the insects and the 

 scab, by using the Bordeau.x mi.xture, with a 

 pound of Paris green added to each 200 gallons 

 of the former.— a. K. 



2,396. Nitrate of Soda on Cabbages, Apply a 

 tablespoonful around each plant shortly after 

 setting it. In most cases it will pay well.— G. R. 



2,3!i6. Heating a Greenhouse. The brick Hue 

 in a greenhouse 60 feet long is certainly out of 

 date. Hot water pipes, although more costly in 

 construction, will give you a much more even 

 and controllable heat, involve less attention and 

 risk, and altogether are more convenient and 

 satisfactory than the other way. Still there are a 

 great many such houses heated by flues. A single 

 flue is suflicient for a house only 14 feet in width. 

 Fire brick must be used for the fire place. Terra 

 cotta pipe of proper size might do well enough 

 for the tlue, except the ten feet or so next to the 

 flre place —E. K. 



-',343. Mnshroom Browing. Mushrooms can 

 be raised almost the whole year round, and cer- 

 tainly with a living profit, if the business is 

 intelligently conducted. The first thing to do, 

 of course, is to gain full information upon every 

 phase of the business, and to read one or more 

 books on the subject. The hints and instructions 

 there found will save you much unneccessary 

 expense and useless experimenting. Mr. Fal- 

 coner's book, "Mushrooms and How to Grow 

 Them" (price $1,50) is in itself a complete instruc- 

 tor. The following is an extract of Chapter II: 

 Mushrooms require a uniform, moderately low 

 temperature and moist atmosphere, and will not 

 thrive where draughts, or sudden fluctuations of 

 temperatui-e or moisture prevail. Therefore an 

 underground cellar is the best of all structures 

 in which to grow Mushrooms. The cellar is 

 everybody's Mushroom house. The cellars under 

 dwellings, barns, etc., are imperative for domes- 

 tic purposes, for storing Apples, Potatoes, etc., 

 and for these uses we need to make them frost- 

 proof and dry. These cellars are ideal Mushroom 

 houses, and, anyone who has a good cellar can 

 grow Mushrooms in it. In fact, our market 

 gardeners, who are making money out of Mush- 

 rooms, find it pays them to excavate and build 

 cellars expressly for growing Mushrooms. A 

 Mushroom cellar should be made as warm as 

 possible with double windows and double doors, 

 also where the entrance is from the outside. A 

 chimney-like shaft or shafts rising from the 

 ceiling should be used as ventilators in winter, 

 when we cannot ventilate from doors and win- 

 dows. There should be some in-door way of 

 getting into the cellar, as by a stairway from the 

 building above it, also an easy way of getting in 

 fresh materials for the beds, and removing the 

 exhausted material. Provision should also be 

 made for the artificial heating of these cellars, 

 and room given for the heating pipes wherever 

 they are to run. But wherever flre heat is used 

 in heating these cellars, if practicable, the fur- 

 nace itself should be boxed off by a thin brick 

 wall from the main cellar, and the pipes only in- 

 troduced. This does away with the dust and 

 noxious gas, and modifies the parching heat. 

 But in a snug, warm cellar artificial heat is not 

 absolutely necessary, by using a larger body of 

 material in making the beds, which, however, is 

 a wasteful way. 



2,419. Filling Vacant Spaces in Vineyard. 

 The most satisfactory plan of replacing missing 

 vines in a bearing vineyard is by laying down 

 canes from the nearest thrifty vine of a good 

 variety. Dig a trench a foot deep, lay the vine 

 in it, and have it turn up with a short bend at the 

 place where the new vine is desired. The trench 

 should be fllled with nice rich loamy soil. Treat 

 the upturned end same as you would a sepa- 

 rate vine. The cane roots all along in the trench 

 and the new vine comes in bearing almost im- 

 mediately, and certainly much quicker than 

 when a new plant is set out. Whole vineyards 

 may be easily, cheaply and often profitably, be 

 renewed in this way. Two, three, and even more 

 new vines, even on a single cane, may be thus 

 started from one old vine. If the variety is not 

 such as desired, but otherwise a healthy and 

 thrifty grower, the new layer may be used as a 

 stock upon which to graft the desired sort. Un- 

 desirable thrifty growers can be simply cut down 

 into the ground and grafted with the variety 

 you want.— (J . R. 



2,382. Fseonies Ailing. There are several 

 causes, either of which may effect the flowering 

 of your Pa?onies. The continued dry weather 

 we have had, want of moisture or fertilizer, may 

 be the cause. Paeonies succeed in almost any 

 soil if they are not starved, and they will starve 

 themselves if not lifted carefully, divided and 

 replanted in good rich soil.— E. O. Orpet. 



2.424. Fertilizers for Cucumbers and Beans. 

 I do not think that anything is much better for 

 Cucumbers than a nice decaying Clover sod and 

 plenty of good old compost. The latter may be 

 used in and about the hiUs. A handful of some 

 high-grade concentrated manure scattered about 

 the hills, will answer a good purpose to hurry up 

 the croi). For ordinary Beans, Clover sod is also 

 good, and if supplemented with mineral sub- 

 stances, as wood ashes and bone meal, or some 

 good vegetable manure, analysing say eight to 

 twelve per cent phosi>hi>ric acid and five to eight 

 percent potash, all the better. Much depends, 

 of course, on the composition of the soil itself. 

 For Pole Beans, and any of the Limas, Bush or 

 Pole, you will find nothing superior to rich old 

 compost, lil5erally applied. -G. R. 



2,422. Spruces from Seed. The Spruces and 

 Firs are grown from seed, usually kept dry 

 overwinter and sown in spring in framis or in 

 protected borders. Cones should be fully ma- 

 tured before being gathered. If they hold the 

 seeds tightly they should be placed in a dry place, 

 sometimesevenin an oven until the scalesspread. 

 In order to obtain stocky plants, ttie seedlings 

 should be transplanted the following spring. 

 The named varieties and species which do not 

 produce suificient seed are winter-worked upon 

 seedling stocks which are potted from seed beds 

 in the fall. One year old stocks are commonly 

 used, but in some cases the requisite size is not 

 reached until the second year. Any of the com- 

 mon operations of gi'afting may be employed. 

 The Conifers are not difficult to graft. The 

 European Silver Fir lAhies pectinata) may be 

 used as a stock, but the common Norway Spruce 

 is now the most popular stock forspeciesof both 

 Abies and Picea. 



2,425. Southern Competition in Vegetables. 



The Boston Market Gardeners' Association at a 

 recent meeting discussed the question whether 

 southern competition injures northern producers 

 or not, and brought it to a vote. Twenty-six 

 members voted in the affirmative and six in the 

 negative. There can be no doubt that prices of 

 garden truck in our markets are greatly in- 

 fluenced, to the disadvantage of the northern 

 grower, by the stuff shipped in from southern 

 localities. Competition has always the effect 

 to depress prices. Still it is only reasonable 

 to suppose that in the absence of southern com- 

 petition (which is by no means an unmixed evil, 

 as it lengthens the period of fresh vegetables in 

 our markets and increases their consumption), 

 the competition would come from the north 

 itself, and prices be kept down to the lowest 

 point where they are profitable to the skillful 

 producer. Mr. Allen, of Arlington, mentioned 

 that before southern competition became so 

 strong " our first bunch Beets sold for $1.00 per 

 dozen bunches, now 50 cents is an outside price. 

 Set Onions were .50 cents per dozen bunches, now 

 25 cents, and everything in proportion. By hav- 

 ing southern produce on our market six weeks 

 or two months before ours comes, the public 

 palate is satisfied long before our ti-uck makes 

 its appearance. In the case of Cabbages we can 

 get only a very low price if ours come to market 

 while southern ones are offered." But we must 

 consider that the general tendency of prices for 

 all products in recent years has been steadily 

 downward, and if the old prices, as mentioned, 

 still prevailed, the rush of people into so profit- 

 able a business would be such as to create com- 

 petition more than enough to offset that from 

 the south. It is a fact which nobody can dis- 

 pute, the bulk of the southern truck shipped to 

 northern markets is poor, and that the fresh ar- 

 ticle from near by finds a ready market and good 

 prices when the stale southern stuff goes a beg- 

 ging for a customer at any price. We notice 

 this even in our local markets, inland, every 

 summer, especially with Tomatoes, Cucumbers, 

 etc. A good gardener at the north, in short., 

 need not tear southern competition; he can 

 make the production of gnnd vegetables pay him 

 in spite of all competition, especially of that by 

 southern truckers. Mr. W. W. Rawson went still 

 further; he said, "Southern Spinach comes some 

 time before ours, and the people get to using it 

 freely; when it is about gone, ours comes after 

 with an advanced [iiice, and large quantities can 

 be sold. If the southern had not preceded ours, 

 we could not sell as much. The same principle 

 applies to Tomatoes. We do not get any less 

 than formerly; our first bushel always receives 

 from $10 to S15, and the use of Tomatoes has be- 

 come so largo that great quantities can be sold 

 for $2 and j53 per bushel, while the southern are 

 bringing only 50 or 75 cents." 



2,3.50. Fuchsia Ailing. Take your Fuchsia 

 from pot and carefully wash all dirt from roots; 

 wash pot well and re-pot in very rich soil, using 

 care in spreading roots and sifting soil over 

 them. Having cut away all old roots that have 

 no fresh white "working roots" on them, water 

 well and firm soU well about the roots; put in 

 shady, airy place, with good light. Give plenty 

 of water and a little liquid manure, weekly, and 

 watch it grow. You might prune the top care- 

 fully, also. Fuchsias like a warm, moist air, 

 plenty of water and rich soil, and very little 

 direct hot sunlight. Set them near a north wall 

 in summer.— £». M. F., Marquette, Mich. 



2,a52. Culture of Lily of the Valley- I have 

 always had excellent results with practically no 

 culture. Make a bed of fairly rich soil, rather 

 deep. Set young plants in rows six inches apart, 

 two inches apart in the row. This will give them 

 room to spread. Bed should be shaded from too 

 much hot sun and be where you can control 

 their spreading by digging up where they run 

 over the line. They spread like Burdocks when 

 once started. Avoid disturbing the roots alter 

 they are set out, also when in bloom water the 

 roots without wetting the blossoms. A light 

 mulch in the fall will be of benefit. You do not 

 mention house-forcing, so hope the above will 

 aid you.— D. M. F., Marquette^ Mich. 



2,3TS. Killing Superabundant Trees. What 

 is the matter with girdlingv— D. M. F. 



