1891. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



241 



Oardens in Waahington. This Pacific coast 

 climate, according to the English settlers, is as 

 much like old England as it is possible to be with- 

 out being England. Beautiful Howers that I had 

 to coax in Kochester are veritable weeds here. 

 I am sure the English Filbert will do well here, 

 as 1 have seen a variety of the Filbert family 

 growing wild on Puget Sound. The English 

 Hawthorns, Ivies, Hollies, Primroses and Daisies, 

 that I planted when I first came, a year ago, are 

 doing remarkably well. The PUiras and Prunes 

 have to be seen to be appreciated.— r. H. Carter, 

 Clallam Cn., Wash. 



Eose OallB. The presence of round, prickly 

 bodies of reddish color on bushes of the wild and 

 some other Roses, often excites the interest 

 of beholders. The editor has been asked to 

 explain what these are. Most observers of 

 nature will understand that they are galls 

 (See 1, on this page), similar in origin to galls 

 on Oak,Maple and other trees. If one of these 

 galls is carefully cut in two a grub will be 

 reached asshown by Figs. 2 & 3 herewith. The 

 grub in due time turns into the gall-fly. This 

 may be called Cynips hicnlm: Its head and 

 thorax are black, and rough with numerous 

 pits; its hind body polished, and, with the legs 

 of a brownish-red color. In the engraving 

 4 shows the head of grub magnified; .5 pupa 

 magnified; 6 the perfect insect magnified. 



A Secret. We have iisked a successful am- 

 ateur who has DO greenhouse, how she man- 

 aged to have so fine a show of Geraniums an- 

 nually on her lawn. This was her answer: "1 

 do not allow them to freeze down, I cut them 

 down to about six inches from the ground . 

 Then I pack them firmly and closely in a ho.x 

 of earth; keep them in the shade and under a 

 sash for a few weeks. Then they go to a 

 cool cellar for the winter. A few plants 

 that start strong by December are shifted 

 into pots and brought to the light of the 

 kitchen window. From these I propagate 

 some dozens of iilants in March. In April 

 I place the old plants under a sash; in May I 

 set them in my beds, with the young batch 

 next to the margin. That, with good summer 

 treatment, is all there is to it." 



How did it Occur? Dr. Masters, editor of the 

 Gardener's Coronicle, says he is now able to give 

 a correct explanation of the surprising phe- 

 nomenon of a Potato being perforated by Couch 

 grass, as shown by the engraving, reduced from 

 his journal. He says the roots of plants are 

 formed within the substance of the plant, and 

 make their way out from the center to the cir- 

 cumference, not only (if at all) by pressure ex- 

 erted during growth, but by secreting a digest- 

 ive ferment, which softens and dissolves the 

 tissues and allows of the emergence of the root. 

 Now the roots of the Couch, coming into con- 

 tact with the Potato, exercise a similar prop- 

 erty, and are thus enabled to penetrate the 

 tuber. This is no theory, but has recently been 

 demonstrated by a French experimenter, whose 

 name we have unfortunately mislaid. 



Things I Have Learned. That Parsely makes 

 a very fine edging in a vegetable garden. I have 

 a path seven feet wide and 100 feet long edged 

 on both sides with it. and many are surprised 

 at its beauty. As the season advances it grows 

 more and more beautiful, and is the last thing 

 that the frost destroys. Sow it thickly as early 

 in the spring as possible in rich soil. — The ground 

 under Plum trees must not be kept loosened 

 Spade up under them in the spring, and after 

 that cut the weeds down, but do not rake and 

 keep the soil loose. The soil natural to Plum 

 tress is a heavy clay loam and not a loose sandy 

 soil.— In cooking Beets and Peas the water should 

 be all boiled away, being careful not to let 

 them burn. So many cook them and pour off 

 the water, thereby losing much of the richness 

 and sweetness. Shell Beans and Peas should be 

 washed clean before podding them for cooking, 

 as it is almost impossible to fi-ee them from the 

 sand and dirt after they are shelled, as both sink 

 in the water.— K. ir. L.. Schenectady, N. Y. 



Electric Light and Plants. It has been noted 

 that the buds on trees exposed to a strong elec- 

 tric light, expand in the spring somewhat in ad- 

 vance of those on the opposite side. A case in 

 which electric light was found of use in the ship- 

 ment of plants, in a vessel's hold, is reported in a 

 recent bulletin issued by the Kew Garden, Eng- 

 land. Some delicate plants were shipped from 

 England to the West Indies, in November. Ow- 

 ing to the cold weather, the cases containing the 

 plants were placed below in the main saloon of 

 the vessel. There was very little direct Ught in 



the daytime, but the question of warmth was for 

 the moment of the greatest importance. The 

 weather continued so cold that it was impossible 

 to expose the plants on deck, and under these 

 circumstances, it was fortunate that the electric 

 light with which every part of the ship was sup- 

 plied, was available to try an experiment of con- 

 siderable interest. The plants received very 

 little light during the day, but they had a good 

 supply of the electric light during the night, and 

 thoseiu the cases more fully exposed to the light, 

 were subsequently found to be in the most satis- 

 factory condition. 



Lining Graves. The association of flowers 

 with the dead, assumes the form in many places. 



The Oall on the Base: The Insects causing it. 



of lining the graves with flowers and greens. It 

 is a pleasing custom, relieving the grave of much 

 of horror to the friends. To apply the lining is a 

 simple task. The grave should be made about 

 four inches wider each way than the ordinary 

 size. If the soil is sandy or loam, it is sufficient 

 to stem the flowers on tooth picks or short, stiff 

 wires, thrusting these into the soil for holding 

 the flowers. In the case of gravelly soil a cover 

 of thin muslin should be attached to the earth, 

 on which to attach the flowers by pins or other- 

 wise. For the lining a base of green is used, con- 

 sisting of evergreen twigs, Fern leaves or other 

 foliage, against which the flowers rest. While 

 flowers may be inserted quite close together 

 near the top of the grave, the effect will be quite 

 as good, if they are used more sparingly further 

 down, as here they are seen in perspective. Some 

 sprays of foliage should extend down into the 

 rough-box, and more foliage, besides some 

 flowers, be scattered in the bottom. Some per- 

 sons would use onlj' white flowers in grave 

 linings. We prefer a sprinkling of colored ones 

 besides. The ground from the excavation should 

 be evened-off somewhat, and covered with a 

 light scattering of evergreens. 



The Colored Glass Craze. It is not very many 

 years ago that the properties of blue glass, in 

 greenhouses, was much discussed. The belief of 

 some was that such glass was beneficial to 

 vegetation. This view however was dropped in 

 time, the conclusion having been reached that 

 colored glass was really injurious to plants. 

 Professor Henslow has now demonstrated this 

 scientifically, and read a paper at the last meet- 

 ing of the Linn^an Society, wherein he gives the 

 results he had obtained by experimenting on the 

 growth of plants under the influence of glass 

 tinted red, yellow, blue and green, as well as un- 

 der clear glass and in the open. Of these the ' 

 green proved not only worse than the clear, but • 

 worse even than the red, the yellow or the blue. 

 The best results were obtained from plants 

 grown in the open. If the temperature will ad- 

 mit of it, then all plants are better outside than 

 when under glass. The second best results were 

 shown by plants grown under clear glass, and 

 here again practice is at one with the professor. 1 

 Blue proved worse after green, then red and 

 then yellow. He had never seen red or blue ' 

 glass used in horticulture, butwhatisconsidered 

 bad glass has a yellowish tint. It all comes to 

 this, then: Pure light is best of all for plants, 

 and the next best is that which passes through 



the medium that least obstructs it— namely, 

 pure, clear glass. Of course the intensity of the 

 light is another matter. Horticulturists who use 

 green stipple as a summer roof shade for green- 

 houses must substitute blinds or a white stipple 

 if they desire to have the best results. This is a 

 matter which deserves attention. 



A New Dictionary. It need hardly be said, 

 that people ot horticultural taste, rank among 

 the most intelligent persons in every community. 

 It follows, therefore, that they are inteiestcd in 

 all the latest advances in dictionary making. 

 But more than that, horticulturists are inter- 

 ested in a branch of natural science, modified bj' 

 art, that deals with an endless number of techni- 

 cal and other terms, hence they of all persons* 

 require a comprehensive book of definitions 

 and illustrations. In calling attention to 

 the new Standard Dictionary of Funk 

 & Wagnalls of New York, a prospectus 

 of which is before us, we are referring to 

 what promises to be the most useful work 

 of its kind now before the English speak- 

 ing people. Next to the costly encyclopedic 

 Century Dictionary, the Standard will be 

 the largest and most comprehensive work 

 of this kind ever published, while its cost 

 will be with that of the ordinary unabridged 

 dictionaries or less, namely, $12.00 after 

 its completion, or $7.00 to those ordering in 

 advance, paying $1.00 down. It is to contain 

 70,000 more words than any other single-vol- 

 ume rival. In botanical and horticultural 

 terms and illustrations it is to lead allworks in 

 its direct line. For example: it contains the 

 name, size, form, color, quality, use, season 

 and localty of 368 varieties of Apples. The 

 definitions and engravings in botanical terms 

 are unusually full. The different parts of 

 each science are so treated that the stiident 

 can easily trace the definitions of all its 

 branches, and have before him the full mean- 

 ing of the science. A unique feature will 

 be the extensive appendix grouped under a 

 single alphabet, thus greatly facilitating the 

 finding of the information desired. A pros- 

 pectus giving further information of this work 

 may be had by addressing Funk & Wagnalls, 

 New York. 



Oaks for Ornament. Mr. Josiah Hoopes of 

 Pennsylvania is a strong advocate of Oaks. In 

 an interesting talk ou this subject in the Weekly 

 Tribune, he says that while the annual growth 

 is not equal to that of Poplars, Ailantus, Silver- 

 leaved Maple, and other very rapid species, 

 neither are they so slow in arriving at maturity 

 as many other trees. Some of the Oaks, as 

 Quercus palustrls, Q. bicolor, Q. phellos, P. pri- 

 nos, etc., with good culture and congenial soil, 

 quickly form fine specimens. Another unfort- 

 unate impression against the genus is the idea 

 that all its members are difficult to remove. 

 They are no more troublesome in this i-espect 

 than most other native forest trees; indeed the 

 peicentage of failures is less than with the Hick- 

 ories and many others inclining to taproot. 

 When nursery grown and carefully dug, it js 

 seldom we hear of loss, especially if the roots be 

 protected from drying winds when out of the 

 ground. With few exceptions Oaks prefer a low, 

 moist situation, and rather heavy soil; this is not 

 imperative, but they seem to thrive better than 

 when the ground is sandy and dry. In deep, rich, 

 mellow soils, even should they be upland, most 

 of the species will make strong growth and per- 

 fect a firm, well-ripened wood, thus preventing 

 injury from severe weather. In the list of avail- 

 able trees for ornamental planting no other genus 

 embraces so many elements of beauty as the 

 Quercus . They possess an appearance of grand- 

 eur and massiveness possibly unequalled, cer- 

 tainly unexcelled, and therefore admirably 

 adapted for grouping, as well as for planting 

 singly in large domains. When young they are 

 the most beautiful of trees, and at maturity the 

 most picturesque. The dissimilar character of 

 the various species should be thoroughly under- 

 stood by every intelligent landscape architect 

 before employing them in his plans, as their in- 

 discriminate use will lead to meaningless effects. 

 The Pin Oak, Q. palustris, with pointed top and 

 drooping branches; White Oak, Q. alba, with 

 rounded head; or Black Jack, Q, nigra, with 

 irregular outline, are all l)eautiful examples of 

 their respective classes. It is unnecessary to 

 speak of the intrinsic worth of their timber, some 

 of which is unapproachable for strength and 

 durability; it is a question well worth considera- 

 tion, whether their culture for this alone would 

 not prove profltable. 



