232 



POPULAR GARDENING, 



September. 



growing in my garden for years, and paid 

 15 cents for a packet of seeds a year or two 

 ago to get something like the cut. I just 

 got the same old straggling plant I did be- 

 fore, only got 15 cents' worth of experience. 

 The question arises, is this business any 

 better than stealing? If any better, how 

 much better? 



The descriptions of novelties in far too 

 many cases are so worded, and the illustra- 

 tions so drawn, as to certainly deceive the 

 purchaser, to say nothing of a habit some 

 seem to have of putting out old plants under 

 new and attractive 

 names, as in the case 

 of the Sweet Nightin- 

 gale above referred to. 

 Why cannot these cuts 

 be made from photos, 

 a method now adopted 

 by some of the most 

 enterprising florists? 



The third season, the shoots can be cut 

 for the table, care being taken to cut all 

 both large and small, as soon as they are in 

 proper condition, but do not cut late in the 

 season unless the shoots are very robust. 

 The shoots can be cut when about five or 

 six inches in height, and while the bud is 

 close and firm, cutting a little below the 

 surface with a sloping cut. After cutting 

 ceases, treat the plants precisely as advised 

 for the first season. An Asparagus bed 

 should be well made, and if properly cared 

 for will last longer than the maker, and it 



How Good Aspara- 

 gus Is Grown. 



CHAS. E. PARNELL, QUEENS 

 CO., N. T. 



The great majority 

 of amateur cultivators 

 seem to be under the 

 impression that As- 

 paragus is a very diffi- 

 cult vegetable to grow, 

 This is a great mis- 

 take. Although As- 

 paragus prefers a moist 

 sandy soil, it can be 

 grown in any soil or 

 situation if properly 

 planted and cared for. 



Asparagus is grown 

 in what are termed 

 beds, these are formed 

 by setting out in rows 

 during the spring or 

 fall months, one or 

 two years old plants. 

 Anyone can raise these 

 plants from seed, if he 

 desires to, but in pre- 

 paring new beds both 

 time and trouble are 

 saved by procuring 

 roots two years old. 



The formation of 

 the permanent bed is 

 the most important 

 part of the work, for 

 unless this is properly 

 done, it is useless to 

 expect to obtain a 

 satisfactory Asparagus 

 bed. Select if possible 

 a deep rich sandy 

 loam, and work in as 

 deeply as possible an 

 abundance of well decayed manure, as no 

 more can be applied after the beds are 

 planted except as surface dressings. There 

 is no danger of making the ground too rich, 

 forthe tenderness and sweetness of the shoots 

 depends on the rapidity of their growth. 



In planting, let trenches be opened about 

 two and one-half feet or more apart, about 

 one foot in width, and eight inches in depth. 

 At the bottom of the trench some two or 

 three inches of well decayed manure should 

 be placed and well mixed with the soil. On 

 this the plants are set about eighteen inches 

 apart, spreading the roots out in a natural 

 position and covering with two or three 

 inches of soil. These young plants must be 

 well cultivated, and at each hoeing, let a 

 little earth be drawn into the trenches, so as 

 to gradually fill them. About the end of 

 October the stems should be cut olT, and if 

 the trenches are not already filled, fill them 

 with well decayed manure, or good rich 

 compost. Tiie second season, treat precisely 

 as directed for the previous year as far as 

 cultivation is concerned. 



JOOST VAN V ANDEL TULIP. Closed and open. Drawn from Life on the Popular Gardening Grounds. 



should be borne in mind that the plants are 

 gross feeders and that there is no danger of 

 giving them too much manure. Good 

 stable manure is best, but any concentrated 

 or chemical fertilizers can also be applied 

 generously. To obtain young plants, seed 

 should be sown as early in the spring as 

 possible. Select a deep well enriched piece 

 of ground, and mark it ofiE into rows sixteen 

 inches apart. Sow thinly and cover to the 

 depth of two inches. Soak the seed in tepid 

 water for twenty-four hours previous to 

 their being sown. 



When the young plants are up and strong 

 enough to handle, they should be thinned 

 out so that they stand about three inches 

 apart, and during the summer they should 

 be kept well cultivated, clean and free from 

 weeds, and if the work has been properly 

 done the plants will be fit for use the en- 

 suing spring, although it will be best to al- 

 low them to obtain another season's growth 

 before their removal to the permanent beds. 



The only variety worthy of general culti- 

 vation is Conover's Colossal. 



Notes from the Popular GardenlriK 

 Grounds at La Salle-on-the- 

 Niagara. 

 Tulips at Woodbanks. It is hard to under- 

 stand why the choice named Tulips are not 

 more generally grown, unless it be that ama- 

 teurs are not yet aware of their merits. The 

 bulbs cost but little, about fifty cents per dozen 

 on the average, and by most dealers the buyer 

 is allowed to choose as few as three of a kind, at 

 dozen rat«s. Thus, one can secure a large as- 

 sortment for a small outlay. No flowers are 

 more easily grown than Tulips; they are per- 

 fectly hardy everywhere; and, unlike some other 

 Dutch bulbs, they retain, in rich soil, their qual- 

 ity over an Indefinite 

 period. To fitly describe 

 their beautiful forms and 

 gorgeous coloring is im- 

 possible—no flowers can 

 excel them in these re- 

 spects. But not least 

 among the merits of 

 Tulips is the fact of their 

 coming into flower fully 

 a month ahead of the 

 profuse floral bloom that 

 characterizes flowery 

 June. No flower garden 

 can be devoid of brillian- 

 cy in April and May, if 

 Tulip culture be engaged 

 in to a reasonable extent- 

 Of varieties on our 

 grounds, we will name 

 certain ones that have 

 given unqualified satis- 

 faction. Our engraving 

 illustrates the charming 

 Joost van Vandel of deep 

 chsrry-red color, suf- 

 fused with crimson, and 

 with a large part of each 

 flower pure white. The 

 flowers are shown re- 

 duced about one-third 

 from their natural size, 

 the one open, the other 

 closed. What has especi- 

 ally attracted us to this 

 sort, is, the graceful 

 beauty of the elongated 

 closed blooms, as shown 

 to the left. In this par- 

 ticular, they excel every 

 other Tulip that we can 

 recall. The fact that 

 Tulips are closed at night 

 and a part of each day, 

 renders the matter of the 

 beauty of the unopen 

 flowers a point not to be 

 disregarded. 



Criinson King is an 

 early single variety, of 

 bright crimson color, 

 blooming at the same 

 time as the last named. 

 Among other fine singles) 

 in our garden are Cardl' 

 iia(,brilliant carmine red; 

 Cottage Maid, rosy pink, 

 with the parts edged 

 with white; Crysolora, large, handsome, pure 

 yellow; Duehess de Parma, ground color red, 

 with yellow marginal band; Golden Pritiee, one 

 of the finest single yellows; Groosmeister, a very 

 pleasing red and white variety; Kai»crkroon (al- 

 so known as Grand Z>i(c), a most effective and 

 enduring variety, the color deep orange-yellow 

 at the margin, and dark crimson towards the 

 center of the points, i' Immaculate, pure white; 

 La Reine, rosy white; Pottcbakcr White and 

 PottehaUer Tellow are both fine for their colors; 

 Pruaerpine, of remarkably rich, rosy carmine 

 tint, large and handsome, sometimes called the 

 Queen of Tulips; Simpson, red, of extra fine ap- 

 pearance; VermilUm «rttlian(,deep, dazzling ver- 

 milion, a magnificent Tulip. To the foregoing 

 early single Tulips, may be added as indispens- 

 able, the later, Blzarres, Bybhiomsand Parrots. 



It is perhaps, in the named double Tulips, that 

 we meet the greatest departure from the type 

 of common garden Tulips. Some of the varieties 

 are of extreme brilliancy and unexcelled among 

 spring flowers for attractiveness. We have 

 marked the following as being particularly wor- 

 thy of culture. Among the earliest to bloom: 

 Due Van Ttwl, red and yellow; Gloria Snluf, 

 crimson with yellow margin; Helitinthus, scar- 

 let and gold, of excellent quality; Imperator 



