226 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



August, 





"He that questioneth much shall learn much."— 

 BACON. 



Oorrespond^ntB are urged to antUyipate the Beaaon in pr e- 

 aenting questions. To aak, for inatance, on April 15 or 20 

 what Peas had best be sown, aould bring no answer in 

 the May isatu. and none be/ore June, irhen the ansiper 

 would be unaeaaonnble. Questions reeetvedbefore the \2th 

 of any month stand a good chance of being answered in the 

 neiXt paper. Not more than three questions should be sent 

 at one time. Answers to questions bearing on the com- 

 parative value of implements etc., offered by different 

 dealers must notbe expected. Neither can we promise to 

 comply with the remiest sometimes made to ^'please answer 

 by mail.*^ Inqutrua appearing urithout name belong to the 

 name next following. 



Replies to fnquiriea are earnestly requeated from our 

 reaaera. In answering auch give the number, your 

 locality and name, the latter not for publication, unleaa 

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



2,471. Oheap Flower Pit. How should a pit be ar- 

 ranged to keep my plants alive during winter without 

 artificial heat?— Amateur, Ohio. 



a,J72. Best Time for Marketing Onions. We ean 

 have the mature bulbs ready iu May or June. Would 

 they find ready sale In New York or other cities at 

 that time? Or at what time had we better market?— 

 North Carolinian. 



2.473. Tomatoes Cracking. What causes it, and how 

 to be prevented?— N. S. T., Maryland. 



2.474. Raspberries in Orchard. Is it advisable to 

 plant Raspberries in young orchard? Will shade be a 

 detriment to the crop?— Oil. M., Western New York. 



2.475. Manuring Asparagns. What is the best 

 season for manure application?- T. T. S., Mass. 



3.476. Raspberry Rust. How can I prevent or cure 

 it?— .1. P.,Jeildo, N. T. 



2.477. Cherry and Plum Trees Ailing. Bark cracks, 

 and gum runs out then they die. Our winters are 

 cold; themioineter sometimes down to 24. How should 

 I treat my trees?— Utah. 



2.478. Shade Trees Around Duck Pond. What 

 kinds would you select?— T. T., Utah. 



2.479. Remedy for Rose Bug. What would you 

 recommend to prevent their reappearance next season? 

 H. L., Montclair, N. Y. 



2.480. Aphis on Elm Trees. Underside of Elm 

 leaves are full of whitish insects exuding sticky sub- 

 stance, which latter covers evei'ything around the 

 trees. What remedy would you recommend?— N. H.R_ 



2.481. Grafting Russian Mulberries. What kind 

 of fruit can I graft in them successfully? They are a 

 nuisance so far as fruit is concerned.— G. H., Kansas. 



2.482. Restoring Land to Productiveness. A 

 strip across my place has been for a long time covered 

 with copperas water from coal mine, and produce 

 nothing. How should 1 treat It.— E. B., Dcnnison, C>_ 



2.483. Idaho Pear. Is It a good grower, a good an- 

 nual bearer, and fruit of good quality? 



2.484. Quince Trees from Cuttings. Can they be 

 grown thus?— A. E. P., Cat. 



2.485. Tomatoes Not Fruiting. Last season my 

 plants bloomed freely but the fruit did not stay on. 

 Can I avoid a recurrence of this this year?— R.F., iVcb. 



2,48(1. Handline Pickles. Please give some infor- 

 mation on picking and packing pickles.— S, F., Ohio. 



2.4.''7. Repotting Old Cactus. A large plant has 

 been in same not several years. Shall I repot or prune? 

 K. a. M., Mich, 



2.488. Arsenites and Bordeaux Mixture. Would 

 you really recommend a pound of Paris green to " l(tO 

 or even 5(1 gallons " of the Bordeaux mixture for the 

 Rose bug?-Q. B. W., Warsaw. Ills. 



2.489. Strenethof Liquid Manure for Plants. In 

 what way can proper strength be known or deter- 

 mlned?-0. M. R., Ohio. 



2.490. Pinching Ends of Melon Vines. Is this a 

 good practice? 



2.491. Insects on Pear Trees. What are the snow- 

 white Insects that weave a web on the branches of my 

 Pear trees, and hop from leaf to leaf? What remedy 

 should be applied?— P. K„ Ala. 



2.492. G-rowine Stone Fruits. Will all other stone 

 fruits do well where Cherries succeed? 



2,49;f. Peaches on Marianna Plum. Will they do 

 as well as on their own roots?— W. A. S. 



2.494. Plums for Evaporating. What varieties are 

 best for the imroose near Norfolk, Va? Is that section 

 healthy?- s. M. C, New York. 



2.495. Horse Radish G-rater. Please give address 

 of firm making Horse Radish grating machines.- G.W., 

 Ontario. 



2.496. Saunders Strawberry. Is It good for Eastern 

 New York? Where can plants be obtained?- C. S., 

 Dutchess Co., N. Y. 



2.497. Lawn Mower. What kind would you rec- 

 ommend? I want one that does not leave streaks If 

 grass gets a few inches nigh.— W. T. C, Ohio. 



2.498. White Grub in Strawberry Bed. Bed planted 

 last year destroyed by grub. Will salt applied to land 

 prove a preventive, and If so, how much will be safe 

 to put on an acre?— E. P. C, ioteo. 



2.499. Egyptian Winter Onion. Is this the old 

 winter Onion or Shallot? If not, what Is the difference? 

 -C. J. P., Ont. 



2.500. Transplanting Hardy Roses, Must be moved 

 to a new i>lace. When should it bo done?— B. H., Ohio- 



2,501. Best Swede Turnip. What variety could I 

 plant August 1st with hope of success?— Edith, R. I. 



'i.fttU. Sludgite for Rosebug. Where can this be 

 procured?-— J. E., Pa. 



2.503. Refuse Hops as Manure. Has It any value? 

 How does it compare with stable manure?- H. J. H. 



2.504. Resin Compound for Scale Insects. Please 

 give directions how to make it.— A Colorapo Fruit 

 Grower. 



2,205. Strong Flavor in Turnips How can this be 

 prevented?— C. M. N., Iowa. 



2,506. The Pear Midge. Please describe it and give 

 remedy. It is said to come this way.— On the Hudson. 



2.307, Cause ol Apples Dropping When Small. 

 Apples all dropped off when from }4 to H Inches In 

 diameter. Have 80 acres of the finest Ben Davis 

 orchard without fruit.— S. T. H., Dorchester, Mo. 



2.508. Peaches Under Glass Rotting. Fruit Just 

 beginning to ripen. What causes their rotting?- A 

 Gardener. 



2.509. Horse Radish Culture. Please give essentials 

 for success.- S. F. F., Illinois. 



2.510. Grape Protecting Bags. Where can the 

 bags mentioned in Popular Gardening be obtained?- 

 Sub. 



2.511. Root Grafting Pear on Quince. Is this prac- 

 ticable? 



2.512. Planting Marianna Slocks. Would it be ad- 

 visable to plant in fall here?— A. B., Winona, Ont. 



2.513. Leal Cutting Bee. This Insect iMegachile 

 centurecjilaris) despoils my Roses, Desmodiunis and 

 Plumbagoes. Does it cease cutting the leaves after its 

 nests are made and eggs laid? Has it got a sting?- 

 L. C. L. J., New York. 



2.514. New Onion Culture. In what states will the 

 method detailed on page 128 most likely be a success?— 

 A. J. S.. Pa, 



2.515. Growing Onion Setts. Please give full in- 

 formation alwut seed, sowing, harvesting, etc.— P. S,, 

 Batavia, N. Y. 



2.516. Cats in Garden. Some old Toms have made 

 me about sick of gardening. How can I get rid of 

 them?— R. K., Rockland Co., N. Y. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 



2,476. Easpljerry Rnst. The foliajre of Rasp- 

 berries seems to be rather sensitive and apt to 

 be inliired by funcicides. The only thing- we 

 could advise is to tear out and burn every cane 

 as soon as affected with the disease.— G. R. 



2.400. Narcisans Bllehtine. The Narcissus 

 will bliffht in the bud it planted too deep. The 

 crown shotild not be over one inch below the 

 surface.— Nellie M. Beynolds. Iowa. 



2,4R0. Aphis on Elm Treei. Spray the infested 

 foliasrc thorouffhly with kerosene emulsion or 

 strong Tobacco tea.— G. H. 



2,479. Bemedy for Eose B»p-. Sludgite was 

 recommended by Col. Alex. W. Pearson, of Vine- 

 land, N. T.. but the Rural New Yorker did not 

 find nnv virtue in it for the purpose. In last 

 number we save the Rural'? "sure" remedv. 

 namely, snravincr with water that will reach the 

 bug at 132° Fahrenheit. The Rural says it is 

 sure death to the pest. 



2,481. Oraftlng Russian Mulberries. If the 

 Russian Mulberry trees were mine, and I did not 

 wish to keep them (as most likely the case), I 

 would not bother with grafting or budding, or 

 trimming, etc., but simply dig them out, root 

 and branch, and burn them up. so as to he sure 

 they would not come to life again. Then if I 

 wanted fruit worth having. 1 would plant the 

 kinds desired. It may be well, the next time, to 

 be somewhat slower in planting highly recom- 

 mended Russian fruits.— fi. R. 



2,.501. Best Swede Turnip. We consider Laing's 

 Improved one of the very best of the Yellow 

 Swedes, but you can also plant Burpee's Bread- 

 stone (white). White Russian or American Pur- 

 ple Top with full confidence. The Flat or Strap 

 1 eaf varieties, like Milan, Munich, Purple Top 

 can be planted much late'-, and will give a crop 

 under less favorable conditions, and in less time 

 than the Swedish Turnips. 



2,502. Slndeite for Bosebue. The stuff is made 

 and offered by a firm in Brooklyn, N. Y., but its 

 effectiveness is now (iisinitcd by good authority. 



2.484. Quince Trees from Cuttine^s. Quince 

 cuttings, especially of the older wood, grow quite 

 readily, and some varieties can be propagated in 

 this way as easily almost as Willows. —G. R. 



2,487. Bepottine Old Cactus, An English 

 florist gives the followinir directions: Large old 

 plants are generally allowed to remain in the 

 same pot for several years, and indeed they suc- 

 ceed and flower better thus than if frequently 

 disturbed at the roots. The plant ean certainly 

 lie pruned after flowering, and if kept warm and 

 not o\erwatercd for a time subsequently, is sure 

 to start into growth again; or it niav be trans- 

 ferred to a larger pot, this bring best done at the 

 same period, but yon mtjst not prune and repitt 

 togethei'. Use a slight mixture of loam, peat, 

 leaf-mould, mortar-rubbish and coarse sand. 

 Two or three applications of li(|uid manure 

 would have increased the size of the blooms; and 

 this is always safe in the case of pot-bound plants. 



2,498. White Ornb in Strawberry Bed. We do 



not look upon salt as an effective remedy for the 

 white grub, although it might be so if applied in 

 very heavy doses, that would also destroy the 

 plants. You might put on a barrel or two per 

 acre without doing damage to the Strawberry 

 plants, but we do not know exactly how much 

 they would stand. We would prefer to try mur- 

 iate of potash or Kainit, the former at the rate 

 of 400 pounds per acre, the latter at the rate of 

 800 pounds. On the whole it is difficult to clear 

 an infested field fiom white grubs, and it would 

 be better to select a piece known to be free from 

 it, or to prepare it a year or two in advance. If 

 hogs could be confined in the plowed field they 

 would dig out and devour many. Frequent 

 plowing, growing Buckwheat and plowing it in, 

 late fall plowing, etc., are all good ways of pre- 

 paring a piece of ground for Strawberries with 

 the object in view of clearing it from grubs. 



2,483. Idaho Pear, This is known to me only 

 from reputation and hearsay, and seems to be a 

 good thing, but like all new fruits that have not 

 been generally tested, it would not be safe to 

 plant it extensively. The fruit certainly is good, 

 this our palate has told us.— G. R. 



2,488. Arsenites and Bordeaux Mixture. It is 

 not at all sure that even so strong a poisonous 

 mixture as one pound of Paris green in fifty 

 gallons of Bordeaux mixture would destroy the 

 Rose bug, and we would hardly ad^^se to use it 

 in such shape. On the other hand, all our au- 

 thorities seem to be agreed that the lime of the 

 Bordeaux mixture (or even the simple addition 

 of lime water to Paris green solution) neutralizes 

 the caustic effect of the pure Paris green water, 

 making it perfectly safe to apply as strong a 

 mixture as one pound of the green to 100 gallons 

 of Bordeax mixture (or water), and perhaps even 

 a stronger one. If you desire to try the com- 

 bination, why not experiment in a cautious 

 manner, feeling your way as it were?— G. R. 



2,4.54. Eillintr Sprouts. Prof. S. B, Green rec- 

 ommended the following treatment: If the 

 sprouts are kept from growing for one season 

 they will die out. If you feel that it would be 

 too much labor to attend to them all summer, 

 they may be allowed to grow until July, and 

 from that time be cut close or plowed up. If 

 cut at this time the roots will have no material 

 stored up in thera to start them into growth next 

 spring, and so must die. Almost any bush cut 

 in July will fail to sprout the following spi-ing. 

 for at this time the plant has used all the material 

 'starch, gum, etc.) stored up the year previous 

 to start growth, and is depending for its susten- 

 ance upon the material prepared from day to 

 dav in the leaves, and the leaves have not yet 

 had a chance to get ahead of the actual daily 

 needs of the plant, while a little later on there 

 will have commenced a gradual storage of plant 

 food in the wood and roots of the plant. 



2,49!). Egyptian Winter Onion, There are two 

 kinds of winter Onion, both differing from the 

 true Shallot. One is the Egpytian Tree Onion, 

 which bears bulblets on the top of the stalk, said 

 to be excellent for pickling. Underground bulbs 

 are also produced around the old bulb. The 

 plant is propagated by the top bulblets as well 

 as the voung underground bulbs. The other 

 winter Onion is known as Perennial or Tree 

 Onion and, like the other kind, produces top 

 bulblets, only smaller ones, and has no under- 

 ground bulbs. Its long, white, fibrous roots take 

 a firm hold in the ground, and when once planted, 

 the Perennial Tree Onion has come to stay, and 

 spreads from year to year. Its flayer is not par- 

 ticularly pleasing to our taste.— G. B. 



2,4.58, Winterine Passion Vine. I have for 

 three winters kept Parsiflora Pfudtie by putting 

 it in an eight-inch pot, cutting back to 2 or 214 

 feet and keeping a second story room warmed 

 by a register in the hall off the floor; average 

 temperature, perhaps 50°. Have nevertried any 

 other variety; have had them grow all winter, 

 and in one instance bloom before I was ready to 

 put them out. -T. H. Eddower, lU, 



2,4a5, Tomatoes not Fruitintf. Under fairly 

 favorable circumstances, few things are easier 

 to grow than Tomatoes. G i ve the plant a chance. 

 It is not necessary that the soil be very rich, if 

 only well provided with mineral plant-foods. 

 Aslies make a good fertilizer, and so are any of 

 the high-grade complete manures, the so-called 

 vegetable or Potato manures of our leading fer- 

 tilizer manufacturers. Barnyard manure will 

 answer first rate. The Tomato, on the whole, is 

 not a daintv feeder. The mistake made by many 

 home growers, is to set the plants to close. Then 

 they are very apt to produce a great mass of 

 vines, and to bloom freelv. but the plants crowd 

 each other and suffer for want of air and sun- 

 light, ronsefpiently the first does not set. On 

 such .soil I would plant the vigorous varieties, at 

 least five feet apart each way. The more dwarf- 

 ish sorts— Dwarf Champion, or any of the first 

 earlies, Eailv Rubv. or King of the Earlies in- 

 cluded, may be set four by four.— G. R. 



2,40,5. Horse Badish Grater. Implements of 

 this description ai-e quoted in the catalogues of 

 many leading seedsmen. Look, for instance, in 

 that of Peter Henderson & Co., ol New York. 



