204 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



July, 



" He that questioneth mmch shall learn much."— 

 BACON. 



OorrcapofiAents are urged to anticipate the season in pie- 

 tenting qurationa. To aak, for inatanae, on April 16 or 20 

 tphat Peaa had beat be aovjn. ooulii bring no nnawer in 

 the Mav iaau^, and none before June, when the anawer 

 would be unaeaaonable. Queationa reeeivedbefnre thelith 

 of any month atanii a good phance of being anaipered in the 

 next paper Not more than thre^ queationa should he aent 

 at one titne Ansirers (<» qurati'ina bearing on the com- 

 parative rvalue of impLementa etc., offered by different 

 dealera muat not be expected. Neither can we promiae to 

 comply vHth the requeat aometinies made to " pleaae anawer 

 by mail " Inguiriea appearing without name belong to the 

 name next fotlotmng. 



Relies to Inquiries are earTiestty requested from our 

 readera. In anaicering auch give the number, your 

 locality and name, the latter not for vuhltcation, unless 

 you desire. Write only on. one aide of the paper 



•2,4S). Apricots for Cold Olimate. What varieties, 

 ff any. will suct-eed wliere the mercury oecasioually 

 drops to 35 degrees below zero?— H. J, Ml. Mich. 



2.431. Remedy for Green Fly on Plum Trees. The 

 leaves at end of twlRs rulllng up: seeiu to be infested 

 with green bugs or lice. What shall I do?— M. N. 0„ 

 Toledo, O. 



2,4:B. Unleached Ashes for Fruit Trees. How 

 much can be safely applied to eacb tree In a bearing 

 orchard?— 0. F., Omaha. 



2,433. Winter Treatment of Dwarf Rhododen- 

 drons. They are said to be hardy, but few have sur- 

 vived the winter. How should I manege them?— G, W. 

 P., 1 ori-. Neb. 



2,4:^4. Pruning G-ooseberries. When and how 

 sliould it be done?— Novice. 



2.435. Removing Trees and Shrubs. Sometime 

 next fall I am going to move, Have some flue fruit 

 trees and small fruits, which 1 would like to take along. 

 Which Is the best way of removing them?— J. C. B., 

 liockvilU', Neb. 



2.436. Wintering Roses Out doors. Can this be 

 done with tender varieties, such as Bon Sllene and 

 Safrano? Am willlmt to give any kind of protection 

 necessary.— C. N. C, Chicago, Ills. 



2.437. Girdling Apple Trees for Fruit. Red Astra- 

 ehaus and Northern Spy, planted 24 by 13 feet In 1883, 

 have never bloomed. Will girdling every other one 

 tend to make them fruit. When should It be done and 

 how?— O. W., Canon Cilu, Col 



2,t«. Remedy for Maple Tree Borer. Borers work 

 ou my young trees Just above the ground. —W. P., Btgh- 

 land, Slich. 



2,4.«. Green encumber Pickles. Please give recipe 

 how to lay them down with Grape leaves.— J. O. R., Mo. 



2,44IJ. Soil for Cabbage Plants. What kind is best? 

 1 cannot succeed in raislug plants.— R. S., Canmlo. 



2.441. Winter Apples for Southern Illinois. Please 

 give list of good sorts for Market.— G. N. P. 



2.442. Manure for Fruit Trees. Barnyard manure 

 In scant supply. What can I use, and in what quantity? 

 My orchard trees, though apparently healthy, make 

 but slow growth,— Young Opchabdist, Ohio. 



2.443. Camellia Buds Dropping. What is the cause 

 and remedy?— F. N. R. 



2.444. Extra Early Pearl Onion. Is this as hardy as 

 reported? Can sets be planted or seed sown In fall in 

 open ground at the north with safety?— Orlando, Jl/(c/i. 



2.445. Mignonette in Pots. Please give proper 

 treatment to bring Hue flower spikes.- E. W. W., Ind. 



2.446. Early Chrysanthemums. Are they worth 

 bothering with when the later ones are so much better? 



— A.MATEUR. 



2.447. Persimmons Bloom but do not Fruit. What 

 can I do to get fruit?— Soitthern Pennsylvanian. 



2.448. Returns from Grapes. What is the average 

 yield and average price obtained tor the Grape crop?— 

 A. Z. K., Ontario. 



2.449. Killing Osage Orange. How can I get rid of 

 the Osage Orange hedge?— M. N., West Virginia. 



2.4.50. Russian Mulberry as Hedge. Is it useful 

 for that purpose? 



2.431. Water Crees Culture. Please t^l how I can 

 get It to grow.— B. F. S., Rhode Island. 



2,1.52. Trees Near the House. How far from the 

 dwelling house should thcv be planted to be a blessing 

 rather thau an injury?- Roswell. 



2,45:i. Pop Corn for Market. Is it a profltable crop? 

 What i>ricc docs it usually bring in market, and what 

 is the yield per acre?— L. M. B.. Western New York. 



2,4.54. Killing Sprouts. How can 1 kill the sprouts 

 springing up around trees cut down?— F. W. W., Ohio 



2.455. When to Sow Seeds or to Plant. Is it jirefera- 

 ble to do this before or after a rain?— YouNci Gardener. 



2,4.5fi. Canning Vegetables. Is there a simple way 

 of canning sweet Corn, Peas, Lima Beans and the like? 

 — B. C. Y., Wisronain. 



2,457. Wintering Canna Roots. Have tried a ntmi- 

 ber of ways and fnilcd. Someone In reply to 2,.3(i(l says 

 "they are so easily wlutt'red;" but please tell how? 



2,158. Wintering Passion Vine. Can It be done In 

 this climate (lowat without agreenhouscorstove heat? 

 Have tried several ways and failed. 



2,4.59. Wintering Tuberous rooted Begonias. 

 Which is the best way?— M. M s., nilisca, Imca. 



2,4611. Budding Peaches and Cherries. What lathe 

 proper time and method?— J. E. R„ Jlfass. 



2.461. Farlow's Mixture for Plum Knot. What 

 portion of red oxide of iron to linseed oil should be 

 used? Raw or boiled oil?— Ce. E. H,. Mass. 



2.462. Flat Turnips for Green Manuring. Can 

 they be utilized for this purpose with advantage, they 

 being of quick growth?— M. X., Maryland. 



2.463. Address of U. S. Pomologist. What Is Mr. 

 H. E. Van Deman's address?— T. H. C, Washington. 



2.464. Climbing Hydrangea Not Blooming. Ap- 

 parently in good condition. What may be the cause? 

 -H. A., Philadelphia. 



2.465. Book on Peach Culture. What treatise can 

 you recommend as best for northern Georgia?- H.S.W. 



2,466 Strawberry Leaf Roller and Grubs. A small 

 worm or caterpillar is eating tlie foliage. In some 

 places plants are being destroyed at the roots. What 

 am I to do?— S. G., Emmcttsbtirg. Md. 



2 467. Broccoli and Cauliflower. What is the essen- 

 tial diflference between the two?— R. F. N. 



2,463. Wintering Cabbage for Market. What 

 method is safest?— Market Gardener. N. J. 



2.469. Forcing Tomatoes, etc., in Winter. Is a 

 work on this subject in existence? If so where can I 

 get it?-J. A. S.. Pa. 



2.470. Pandanus TTtilis. Is It a good vase plant for 

 full exposure to sun? What treatment is required?— 

 E. C.H..AV6. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 

 2,346. Pure Pansy Seed. From the structure 

 of the Pansy blossom, crossing, except by insect 

 or by hand, is hardly possible, or at least prob- 

 able. Asainst insects, distance is a good safe- 

 guard. You do not state if you hare had any 

 trouble from accidental crossing- Have had no 

 trouble in my own e.xperience.— D. M. F., Mar- 

 quette, Mich. 



2,423. Cotton Seed Meal as Fertilizer. This 

 is valuable chieBy for its nitrogen, of which it 

 has about ti per cent, and which is in quite good 

 shape for immediate use by plants, so good in- 

 deed, that the stations concede to it a value of 1.5 

 cents per pound. It also has about IJ^ per cent of 

 phosphoric acid and about IH per ceiit of potash. 

 A ton of the material is worth $20 to 824 or more 

 for its plant foods alone.— G. H. 



2,434. Pruning Gooseberries, The right time 

 to prune them is after the leaves have fallen, or 

 any time during autumn and winter. Where 

 the branches are thickly together, remove the 

 weakest entirely, thus admitting light and air to 

 the remainder. Also cut back the young side 

 shoots to a few buds. Gardening Illustrated 

 advises to cover branches infested with green 

 grow h with lime, with which is mixed some 

 grease of any kind, melted in a pan over a fire 

 and mixed with the lime while hot. This will 

 prevent the lime washing off the branches. 

 Tills coating will also in-eveut the birds from de- 

 stroying the buds, and to a great extent the 

 spread of ihe green worms. If a little soot and 

 a small portion of clay be added to the lime and 

 grease, the mixture will adhere all the better. 



2,453. Pop Corn for Market. This can often be 

 made to pa.v well. An acquatnauce of the writer, 

 last month, sold his crop in New York City and 

 Buffalo at five to six cents per pound, and claims 

 he can raise as man.v bushels per acre as any 

 ordinary field Corn, besides being a surer crop, 

 as it is early and never gets caught by early fall 

 frosts. It is better to plant the Po|) Corn in a 

 piece bj' itself, says one grower, where it will 

 not get mixed. The Pop Corn should be planted 

 as other Corn, except that it may be put in a 

 little closer. It will raise a good deal of fodder 

 to the acre, and as many or more bushels of Corn 

 than the common Held Corn. The Corn will 

 readily bring $1 per bushel of measured ears and 

 often $2. It always finds a ready market in the 

 large cities when the oars are clean, sound, large 

 and bright. The Klint Pop Corn is regarded as 

 the best, and each stalk will bear two ears and 

 •ften three ears. The Rice Corn is of ecjuai value 

 per bushel, but does not yield nearly as much 

 per acre, and it is a terror to husk. Pop Corn 

 seed may be obtained of any seedsman, and they 

 often pay a good price for a crop if it is extra 

 good. Why not give your boys a quarter of an 

 acre of good Corn land and see if they can't 

 make $2(1 or$2.5 ofl' of it. It will encourage them 

 to stay <in the farm, too. 



S.f.W. Trees Near the House. The dwelling 

 should not stand in a grove of ti'ces where no 

 sun ray can reach it. Too much shade brings 

 moisture; moisture brings mildew, sickness. Ac- 

 cording to Dr. O. G. Groff, the diseases liable to 

 prevail in an over-shaded house are rheumatism, 

 catarrh, neuralgia, consumption, heart trouble, 

 ana-mia, general debility and the diseases of 

 childhood, notably scarlet fever and diptheria. 

 Sunshine and air dry and disinfect, anil are ab- 

 solutely necessary to the hcalty development of 

 the inmates of the house. Gn the other hand we 

 like to have some growths not too far from the 

 dwelling. The roots of trees and shrubs absorb 

 a vast amount of moisture, thus in a measure 

 pro\-iding drainage. They also absorb much of 

 the foul stuff that is only too liable to find its 

 way f tf>m the inside of the house to the soil sur- 

 roiiiiduig it. The I olio ge cools and purifies the 

 atmosphere, and makes summer heat less op- 

 pressive. Altogether there is a golden mean in 

 this matter which gives both safety and comfort. 



!l,tsa. Camellia Buds Dropping. The cause 

 may be one of many, or a combination of several. 

 If the plant has set more than it can bring to 

 perfection, some must drop, or theie may be 

 loss of buds by over-dryness of air or excess of 

 water. Excessive drainage, says an intelli- 

 gent gardeners is freiiuentiy a cause of loss, 

 and it is one that is liable to act on the plant 

 in two ways by a too rapid parting with the 

 moisture afforded the plant, and the consequent 

 need for frequent waterings, to the impoverish- 

 ment of the soil. Camellias are better when 

 potted in rather retentive soil and it burnt earth 

 and charcoal be used in it, with only a double 

 layer of large crocks over the bottom of the tub 

 or pot, there will be less need for watering much 

 in the autumn and winter than where the reverse 

 01 these conditions is found. When plants have 

 stood near to hot-water pipes, or over a drain 

 containing hot-water mains, or near a hot-air 

 flue, or immediately over steam-heated pipes, 

 the highly-heated dry air has sometimes caused 

 a total loss of bloom buds in a day or two. 

 Too great wetness of the soil causes loss of buds 

 and foliage, too, and is often made noticeable by 

 the yellow vegetation apparent on the foliage 

 and the entire denudation of the young shoots 

 of leaves The remedy is simple. Avoid all 

 these unfavorable conditions. 



2 437. Girdling Apple Trees for Fruit. Gird- 

 ling in a case like this, where you care little 

 what becomes of the trees themselves, may be 

 all right. Take out a ring of bark, one or two 

 inches wide, just below the branches or on any 

 other part of the main body of each tree; and do 

 this at once. Ordinarily we would prefer root 

 pruning to girdling. Dig a trench in a circle 

 around the tree, within a radius of five or six 

 feet, deep enough to cut through some of the 

 larger roots. Put some good compost into this 

 trench and fill up again. This will check the 



frowth of the wood and aid in the formation of 

 ruit buds for another season. If this method 

 will not set the trees to bearing, we know none 

 that would.— G. R. 



2,440. Soil for Cabbage Plants. As Cabbage 

 plants can be grown successfully on almost any 

 soil between sand to clay, and muck, provided 

 such soil is well provided with plant foods, the 

 repeated failure of the crop on various soils 

 must come from sources other than the soil. 

 Perhaps flea beetles or other insects have de- 

 stroyed the young plants while yet small. If 

 plants are grown in frame, try new"soil from rich 

 fence corners or old pastures, with some fine old 

 compost, say one quarter of the whole, mixed 

 in. If the soil is clayey add some sand. For 

 open ground cultivation, try applications of 

 ashes, a half bushel to the square rod, if un- 

 leached, or more if leached. Scatter Tobacco 

 dust freely over the young plants as a protection 

 against flea beetles and other insects G. R. 



2,4;jg. Green Cucumber Pickles. Use larere, 

 well-grown Cucumbers, soak in cold water over 

 night, brush briskly with a stiff brush to free 

 from dirt and other matter. Then put a layer of 

 clean, washed Grape leaves in the bottom of a 

 barrel, keg or tub, a single layer of Cucumbers 

 upon this, next another layer of leaves, and so 

 on alternately, the leaves forming the last layer. 

 Make a brine of. say, a pint of salt to an ordinary 

 bucketful of water, and pour this over the top 

 until it reaches high enough to cover the top layer 

 when weighted down. Cucumbers and leaves 

 should be kept under the brine constantly, or 

 part of the pickles, if not all, will spoil. The 

 pickles will be fit for use in about ten days of 

 warm weather These are the "Sour Cucum- 

 bers " of the Germans, and may be eaten with or 

 without vinegar. They are very palatable. 

 Many people also put in some Dill plants for 

 flavoring.— (i. R. 



2,54B. Early Chrysanthemums. It may be 

 true that the early-floweiing sorts are not equal 

 to the best of late-flowering sorts, but they are 

 beautiful flowers nevertheless. They are ad- 

 mired by people of taste, says John Thorpe in 

 (jarden and Forest, and they will always be 

 grown. Even if we can never have the best 

 Chrysanthemums in early September, we may 

 have better ones than we now have, and the 

 people who are working to improve these early 

 \'arieties deserre encouragement and not criti- 

 cism. A plant of any of tlie Desgranges, when 

 in healthy condition, as early as the 10th of Aug- 

 ust makes one of the most effective of all garden 

 plants. Unfortunately, however, not one plant 

 in twenty-five of this variety will maintain a 

 healthy growth from start to finish, because the 

 thin lea\cs are not able to endure the heat and 

 drought of our summers. But I feel assured 

 that there is a section of these plants, of which 

 M. E. Nichols is the type, which will give us a 

 very satisfactory list of early Chrysantliemuras 

 for flowering from the first t»f September to the 

 middle of Octol)er. t'hrysanthemuras of this 

 type have all the qualitiesof good garden planif; 

 dwarf growth, shrubby habit, thick, leathery 

 loaves, and flowers of medium size, freely pro- 

 duced on stiff foot-stalks. From ray experience 

 I have no doubt that we shall very shortly have 

 a fair showing of Chrysanthemums with these 

 desirable characteristics. 



