POPULAR GARDENING 



AND FRUIT GROWING. 



''ACCUSE NOT NATURE, SHE HATH DONE HER PART: DO THOU {BUT THINE." -iiuJIQN. 



Vol. VI. 



a"U"L"Z", 1891. 



No. lO. 



A Summer Day, 



Loud Is the summer's busy song, 



The smallest breeze can tlnd a tongue, 



While Insects each of tiny size 



Grow teasing with their melodies, 



Tin noon burns with Its blistering breath 



Around, and day lies still as death, 



Until the sun slopes In the west 



Like weary traveler, glad to rest 



On pillowed clouds of many hues. 



Then Nature's voice Its joy renews. 



—John Clare. 



Try Thinning. Tbls to those who doubt 

 whether thinning the fruit, flowers etc., on 

 heavily-loaded plants will pay. Try it on a 

 small scale at least. 



Potato Leaf Buoht. The diseases of the 

 Potato need further investigation. In various 

 parts of the country we have seen and watched, 

 for several years, a form of WiKht which worked 

 its mischief only by destroying part of the foliage, 

 apparently in a way resembling the work of the 

 flea beetle, thus preventing full development of 

 the tubers, but without attacking the latter in 

 any case. What is it ? 



HORTlCtTLTUBE AT THE WORLD'S FAIR. We 



now learn that Mr. Walter Maxwell's appoint- 

 ment for Chief of the liureau of Horticulture, 

 failed to get the sanction of the Fair managers. 

 This fact would be fortunate, but tor the ap- 

 pointment of another Californian for the same 

 position. There is Just grounds for the fear that 

 in the case of proper representation of Horticul- 

 ture, the tall is going to wag the dog. 



The Green Moiintain Grape. Whether the 

 later-introduced Winchell Is Identical or not with 

 this variety, we have not been able to ascertain 

 as yet. The former originated with Mr. J. M. 

 Paul, of Massachusetts, was named by him, and 

 then given to Messrs. Stephen Hoyt's Sons for 

 propagation and introduction. This firm, who 

 introduced It in 1877, will be heard on the subject 

 more fully in our next issue. We shall also be 

 pleased to hear from Messrs. EUwanger & Barry 

 concerning the Winchell. 



A Look Ahead to the Winter Garden. 



BY AN OLD PLANT GROWER. 



But few plant lovers can have a green- 

 house, while all occupy dwellings that have 

 windows, and in these some plants can be 

 grown. Even should the window have but 

 a northern or eastern exposure, yet there 

 are kinds that may here be had to thrive. 

 Plants are so adaptable in their natures. 



In a window in which flowering plants 

 would throw off but little bloom, owing to 

 the lack of sunshine, such kinds as Ferns, 

 Aspidistras, India Rubber Tree, Ivy, Cac- 

 tuses, Palms, etc., in a suitable temperature 

 could be counted on to do very well. Their 

 beauty lies in the leaf and the habit of 

 growth. They may be healthy without 

 direct sun; then if the form is good and the 

 foliage green and bright, how beautiful 

 they may be. 



But whether the object in winter plant 

 culture Is bloom or fine foliage, the provision 

 for success must be made in summer. That 

 is, the plants should be so prepared by sum- 

 mer growth that when the less congenial, 

 dark, autumn days arrive, there is stored 

 up either in a developed form or one yet to 

 appear, the beauty of the days to come. 



Take the Ivies and Aspidistras for in- 

 stance, if they are handsome of foliage and 

 form at the time of taking in, only misman- 

 agement in the future can prevent their 



continuing to be handsome during the win- 

 ter. The treatment, therefore, in summer 

 should be to prevent a strong growth, 

 whether the plants are bedded or are in pots. 

 Attention is required to provide, first, good 

 soil and space; second , pruning and training 

 in the case of climbers and strong growths; 

 third, that they do not suffer from dry- 

 ness at the roots, from insects, etc. Still 

 there might be a possibility of inciting too 

 rank a growth from over-feeding and water- 

 ing; it is a vigorous, healthy growth only 

 that should be sought. 



In plants designed for winter bloom some- 

 thing additional must be seen to. We refer 

 to preventing summer flowering. It is not 

 reasonable to expect Geraniums, Roses, 

 Carnations, Petunias, Heliotropes, Fuchsias, 

 Begonias and others to bloom all summer 

 and in the winter too. So with kinds that 

 bloom naturally at this season we must take 

 some means of removing the buds, allowing 

 all the strength to remain in the plant to 

 sustain the later bloom. It is a pleasure to 

 have in hand a lot of winter bloomers, and 

 once a week through the summer go over 

 them pinching out all flower buds in sight, 

 and at the same time heading back any 

 shoots tending to Irregularity. Such plants 

 develop the finer in general respects for 

 being relieved of flowering at this stage. 



Potting soil. How much the professional 

 grower depends on his soil pile for the suc- 

 cess of his winter flower crops. He may 

 leave many jobs to his help, but this one of 

 getting the foundation material ready in 

 ample quantity, he gives very close personal 

 attention to. Let the amateur do likewise. 



It is a simple matter. Pass the chip earth, 

 the rotten logs, even the leaf mould in 

 the woods, and if possible go to the old 

 pasture lot or the road side for your supplies. 

 Pare off several inches of surface sod, 

 pile it up, wet it through and through, and 

 let it decay, which it soon will do to a de- 

 gree fitting it for plant food. This material, 

 being largely composed of the fibrous roots 

 of the herbage, is possessed of great life- 

 sustaining properties for all plants, while 

 the abundaace of fibre causes it to remain 

 in a sufficiently porous condition for roots 

 to travel freely, and to let the excess of 

 water escape. 



Such a loam, just as it is, will be rich 

 enough for most plants. Still the good 

 gardener wants a pile of well-decayed ma- 

 nure besides, from which to draw when 

 something richer is desired. Add one part 

 of finely divided rotten manure to two or 

 three parts of the old sods broken in lumps, 

 and you have an earth in which nine-tenths 

 of the subjects of the window garden will 

 do wonders. 



Such soil should be quite firmly pressed 

 into the pots, when you come to lift or shift 

 the winter-flowering plants. 



Ways of Poling Beans. 



The most popular plan for giving support 

 to Lima and other running Bean varieties 

 is by setting a pole in the center of hill, and 

 planting the Beans around it. This does 

 first-rate, but it takes poles, and these are 

 not always readily available. 



We yet use the same treUis described and 

 pictured in these columns about two years 



ago, and which consists simply of two wires, 

 one stretched over posts four five feet high, 

 and the lower one about six Inches from the 

 ground, with white cotton yarn wound ziz- 

 zag around them. The Bean plants take 

 very readily to this support, require very 

 little coaxing, and no tying. This trellis, 

 when covering with thrifty Bean foliage, Is 

 as ornamental a feature of the garden as 

 one would wish to see. 



Recently a friend showed us his way of 

 making one pole serve as a support for four 

 hills. This plan is illustrated in accom- 

 panying sketch. The pole is set into the 



F'llinu BtdKS. I me Pah- to Four Hilte. 



center of the four hills, and a string stretch- 

 ed from its top to hooked peg in center of 

 each hiU. It is a simple way, and answ,erg 

 quite well. 



Simplified Celery Culture. 



The progress that has been made towards 

 the simplification of methods in horticul- 

 ture in recent years is strongly exemplified 

 in the production of Celery for both home 

 use and market. The old process of grow- 

 ing the crop, with its deep trenches, its waste 

 of good manure put way otit of sight, and 

 out of reach of succeeding crops, its wide 

 rows and high banking, etc., was a most 

 clumsy and laborious one, and with many 

 cultivators is so still. 



No wonder the crop did not become a 

 popular one, and remained the especial dread 

 of the home gardener, until ways were found 

 of producing good Celery with less labor 

 and inconvenience. 



There is nothing about Celery culture, as 

 at present practiced by progressive garden- 

 ers, that is especially diflicult, or should 

 scare us out of a liberal home supply. July 

 is the month for planting the main crop for 

 late autumn and winter. The first thing, of 

 course, is to get the plants. The cheapest 

 and safest way, usually, is to sow the seed 

 and grow the plants. This, although re- 

 quiring some skill, is not so viery difficult if 

 seed is sown early in well-prepared, very 

 rich soil, and plants kept well cultivated, 

 free from weeds and properly thinned at an 

 early stage. 



Another good and reasonably cheap way 

 is to get a supply of the thinnings from some 

 neighboring grower or plantsman, say by 



