I89I. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



22I 



I picked out the choicest to ship and evapor- 

 ated the culls and seconds, which would have 

 damaged the whole lot it shipped together. The 

 \Tnegar Apples made nearly as much money as 

 any. I netted S8.5, using a cider mill that cost 

 S15. We use a Pear corer and slicer to prepare 

 the Apples for drying. Wife and two little girls 

 did the work. Apples and wood being brought 

 to the house tor them. 



Some of the Apples kept a year and a half, 

 were as white and good as when first put up. 

 No trouble to keep them five years. We used 

 about a tablespoon of sulphur to a half bushel. 

 When dry, we put the fruit right into flour 

 barrels, and headed it up tight. Some kept 

 eighteen months, are as nice and fresh as when 

 first put up. They are better to cook than fresh 

 fruit, as tliey don't require sugar, while fresh 

 fruit does. 



We pack them hot, right from the trays. It 

 they stand opeh, the miller will get into them. 

 Turn them from the tray into the barrel, and 

 keep them perfectly close. Just as soon as a 

 barrel is full I headed them up. 



The Cactuses an Interesting Class 



of Plants. 

 I Extract of paper read by F. A. Miller before the Cali- 

 fornia Floral Soctety,) 



Some species of the Cacti family produce 

 most gorgeous flowers, and some of the 

 Succulents are extremely ornamental, and, 

 when we add to their good qualities the fact 

 that in our favorable climate we can grow 

 them without protection and almost with- 

 out any care, it seems strange that their 

 cultivation is so much neglected. 



The Cactus family consists chiefly of Cereus, 

 Ecliinocactus, Epiphyllum, Echinocereus, Mam- 

 millaria, Melocactus and Opuntias. 



The Cereos Family, This includes the most 

 showy flowering species, and are met with most 

 frequently. Among them we find Cereusspecios- 

 issimus, the most showy of all; its flowers are 

 large, of a beautiful scarlet with a purple or 

 metallic blue shading inside, the numerous 

 stamens being white; usual time of blooming, 

 June to August; plant three to four angled, 

 erect; its native country is Mexico. Cereus ful- 

 gidus, flowers large, orange-scarlet, freely pro- 

 duced; from Tropical America. Cereus grandi- 

 florus, the night-blooming Cereus, stems five to 

 six angled, climbing. The calyx of its large 

 flower is yellow inside and brown outside. The 

 petals are pure white; very fi-agrant. The flowers 

 begin to open about 8 o'clock in the evening, are 

 fully expanded about 11 o'clock and then meas- 

 ure ten to twelve inches in diameter. About 5 

 o'clock in the morning they begin to fade; it is 

 one of the grandest and most beautiful flowers 

 ever produced; a native of the West Indies. 



Cereus Macdonaldia; is another most elegant 

 night-blooming ispecies from Honduras, sepals 

 bright red .and orange, petals white. There are 

 many other beautiful species. Cereus giganteus 

 is a native of New Mexico; grows from forty to 

 sixty fleet high and about two feet in diameter; 

 some of them are branched, most of them are 

 not, looking like huge telegraph poles. The 

 branches issue at right angles from the stem and 

 then grow upwards, parallel with the main 

 trunk. The flowers are borne at the summit of 

 the stems, four to six inches long and four inches 

 in diameter, of a light cream color. The fruits 

 are about three inches long and oval. The crim- 

 son pulp is used by the Indians as an article of 

 food and makes an excellent preserve. 



The Epiphylltim. This popularly known as 

 Fuchsia Cactus, is a genus of free-flowering 

 plants, blooming during the winter. There are 

 three species and a number of varieties, all 

 natives of Brazil, where they are usually found 

 growing upon the trunks of trees. The leaf -like 

 branches growing out of one another form a 

 neat and graceful, somewhat bushy plant, and 

 the flowers are hanging from the end of the 

 branches. The flowers are all of bright colors, 

 deep scarlet, bright orange-red, white edged with 

 purple, bright rose, reddish salmon and other 

 shades. By grafting the Epiphyllum upon 

 Pereshia stocks, very fine specimens can be ob- 

 tained of any desirable height and these are most 

 beautiful ornaments. 



The Echlnocactas. These popularly known as 

 Hedge Hog Cactus are chiefly cultivated for 

 their grotesque forms, although some of them 

 produce very showy flowei"s; all are more or less 

 fluted and ribbed. Peshaps the largest species 

 is the Echinocactus visnaga of Mexico. Fifty- 



one thousand spines have been counted on one 

 plant. These are used by the Mexicans as tooth- 

 picks. Plants have been found weighing one 

 ton and measuring nine feet in height by three 

 feet in diameter. Some very handsome varieties 

 are found in Southern California, Arizona and 

 New Mexico. 



Echlnocerens a class of dwarfish-growing 

 Cacti, not growing over twelve to 1.5 inches high. 

 The flowers are quite apart but handsome. One 

 of the prettiest species is Echinocereus pecfina- 

 tus of New Mexico. The spines are brightly 

 colored, the fruit is purple, resembling a (ioose- 

 berry, and is veiy good eating. 



The Mammillaria. or Pincushion Cactus, are 

 of very dwarfish growth, and cultivated only for 

 their odd shapes and forms. 



The Opnntias, commonly called Prickly Pears, 

 are interesting, but not so desirable as orna- 

 ments. Some of the tall-growing ^■arieties are 

 used for hedges, some bear food, edible fruits, 

 while a few of them produce quite showy 

 flowers. One species is largely cultivated in 

 Mexico for the rearing of cochineal insects, the 

 females of which are placed upon the plants in 

 August and in four months the first crop of in- 

 sects is gathered, with several more crops to 

 follow. 



The Phillocaotus. These are cultivated on ac- 

 count of their large, white flowers, which are 

 quite fragrant. It has been classifled from time 

 to time as Epiphyllum and again as Cereus. It 

 is distinguished from both, however, by the 

 curious, flat, broad, leaf-like branches, and by 

 their flowers being produced from the notches 

 along the edges of the branches. The species 

 cultivated here and shown at our floral exhibi- 

 tion is Phyllocactus Anguliger. The flowers are 

 seven inches across. It is a native of West Mex- 

 ico. There exists also a scarlet-flowering species, 

 called Phyllocactus Ackermanni, and a large, 

 wine-colored, flowering variety. 



Practical Greenhouses for Florists. 



{Extract of paper read by J. L. Billon before the Flor- 

 ists' Club of Philadelphia.) 



The first consideration is the location. On 

 this will largely depend the work, and cost 

 of building, and in many instances the 

 profits of after years. 



After many years experience we would choose 

 a hillside, sloping to the south, with a pitch of 

 13° to 16°. We would build the bouses three- 

 quarter span, 23 feet wide, and when practicable 

 about 200 feet long. To present shading the 

 front benches, the houses should be ten feet 

 apart, which space can be used for a driveway, 

 or can be covered with glass, and will make a 

 fine house for propagating, or for growing 

 Violets, dormant Roses and pot-plants of all 

 kinds. With a pitch of 20°, the houses could be 

 joined together, and no damage would occur 

 from shading. 



By sinking the front walk a few inches, and 

 filling up the back walk, we can have all walks 

 on the solid ground, thereby doing away with 

 the expensive unreliable staging. 



For growing cut flowers, make the side 

 benches three feet wide, walks two feet and the 

 middle bench 11 feet, with a walk one toot wide 

 in the center. Make raised benches on the sides 

 and the center bed can be made solid or raised, 

 as desired. We make the lower half of the middle 

 bench solid and the upper half raised except 

 where we have the cistern, which we will de- 

 scribe later. Give the house lengthwise a slight 

 fall, say Vi inches to the 100 feet. This will carry 

 off the water in the gutters and walks, and the 

 steam or hot-water pipes can be run through 

 then at an equal distance from the glass and will 

 have the needed fall, insuring quick circulation. 



CiBternB. We have in each of our houses, at 

 the lowest end. a reservoir or cistern, into which 

 we conduct the rain-water off of the houses. 

 We make them eight feet wide at the top, five 

 feet deep and 30 feet long, holding when full 

 ",.300 gallons. 



From these cisterns we always get pure water 

 for our boilers, saving the disastrous effect of 

 scale, moderately warm water for our Roses and 

 other flowers in winter time, and one of them we 

 have turned in a liquid fertilizing tank, using in 

 it in solution nitrate of soda, sulphate of am- 

 monia, sulphate of potash and liquid manure. 



Supports. Locust posts with the underground 

 part charred are set five and one-third feet 

 apart, against which are nailed boards planed on 

 the inside aud painted white, next tarred felt 

 paper, covered aud finished with German siding 

 on the outside. For gutter plates we use 10x2}^ 



inches, placed edgewise, kept well painted, and 

 they will out-last two that have been tinned. 



To prevent shading as much as possible, we 

 use sash sticks lJ4x3 inches ha\ing grooves on 

 the sides to carry off the water. In addition to 

 the ridge-board we use two purlins the length of 

 the house to support the long sash sticks, size 

 214x3)^ inches, beveled for the sash sticks to lay 

 on. By placing them six feet four inches apart, 

 and the same distance from the gutter-plate and 

 ridge-pole, we will have one row of the upright 

 supports, which we place eight feet apart, on 

 the upper side of our lower walk, one row in the 

 center of our middle bed, and those which sup- 

 port the ridge-board on the lower side of our 

 upper walk. 



Ventilating. We use ventilators the whole 

 length of the house, 30 inches wide, opening at 

 the ridge. Arms are fastened to one inch pipe, 

 placed 14 inches below our ridge-board, and 

 attached to our sash, and the sash is raised by 

 levers on our pipe, placed about every 40 feet. 

 Iq practical use these levers seem to be fully 

 equal to any of the patent ventilating appara- 

 tus now in use. 



Qlassing. Always use double thick glass, 

 first or second quality. It is much stronger and 

 saves breakage, and will pay for its extra cost in 

 two winter by the saving in heat. As we are in 

 a situation, where there is no dust or soft coal 

 used, we butt the glass; first with a Scolly putty 

 bulb, putting in a mixture of one third each, 

 white lead, putty and oil, on the groove where 

 we lay the glass; after laying the glass we cover 

 the sash sticks with zinc strips, three feet long, 

 bent oval, and nail with one inch wire nails, 

 these not only keep the glass solid, and prevent 

 any from blowing out, but protect the sash 

 strips from the weather and save painting. 

 When there is dust and dirt the glass will have 

 to be lapped, as the dirt goes through the cracks 

 between the glass, and lodges on the inside, 

 making it dark and dirty. 



Heating. We heat our houses with steam, 

 and have the necessary valves so as to run one, 

 two or more pipes as needed. If practicable I 

 would place one u nder the back and first bed; 

 one along the gutters, and three or more equally 

 distant as necessary, hung from the root of the 

 house, which insures an even temperature 

 through all the house. 



Our side-hill makes it possible to set our 

 boilers and have no deep ash pit; and no trap to 

 return the water. It protects us from the cold 

 north winds, and makes it warmer for us when 

 the sunshines, thereby saving coal and labor in 

 tending the fire. 



Watering. With 30 pounds of steam, we are 

 able to take the water from our cisterns and de- 

 liver it in every part of our house with such 

 force that all the red spiders are easily destroyed, 

 and by changing cisterns, we can make the 

 plants grow with lertiUzing water delivered in 

 every part of the house just a^e we want it, and 

 where we want it, through the hose. 



The coal house is placed up on the hill above 

 the boilers, and the coal can be led by chutes 

 down to the boilers, thus saving the handling 

 usually necessary. 



Rocky Mountain Evergreens. 



{Extract of Paper read by Mr. Harrison before tlie 

 Association of American Nurserymen.) 



The problem of clothing the western 

 plains with forests is an important one. 

 Deciduous trees are not sufficient to break 

 the power of the blizzard and check the 

 siroccos. We need evergreens. 



Conifers by the million have been shipped 

 over the Missouri Kiver and by the million they 

 have failed. Near the 100th Meridian, the White 

 Norway and Black Spruces and the Arbor-Vit;e 

 are failures. The Scotch Pine does well while 

 young, but in the time of trial it goes down be- 

 fore the drought. 



Near Kiverton in the Republican Valley there 

 was a Pine grove of thirteen of these trees 

 which reached the height of ten feet; they did 

 fairly well till last summer when the terrible 

 death struggle commenced with the high winds 

 and drought, and they are dead. 



A Western Pine. The Austrian does well 

 while young, but the White Pine is uncertain, 

 so we must look elsewhere. Looking down 

 from the foothills of the west and belting North- 

 ern Nebraska, there is a Pine, however, which 

 is equal to the emergency. It was invented and 

 reared for the very purpose, and has been wait- 

 ing for these centuries to come down into the 



