248 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



September, 



|g©#R^^ 



*'He that qaestioneth much shall learn much."— 

 BAOON. 



Correspondent B are urged to antidvute the»eaaon in pre- 

 senting Qiifationa. To ask. for insfatior. on April Ifi or 20 

 what Peaa had beat be notfin. conld bring no answer in 

 the May issue, and none before June, when the answer 

 toould be unseai^onable . Questions received before the 12(h 

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

 ne^et paper. Not more than three questions should be sent 

 at one time. Answers to qn-ations benHng on the com- 

 parative value of implements, etc.. offered by different 

 deaUrs must not be expected. Neither can rre promise to 

 oompJy *Hth the request aometiniea made to "please answer 

 by mail " Inquiries appearing without name belong to the 

 name next foUoiPing 



Relies to Inquiries are eai^estly requested from our 

 readers In ansirwrino snch give the number, t/our 

 locality and name., the latter not for vublication, unless 

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



2,517. Keeping Cider Sweet. Please give simple 

 method. -W. F.. Clevelaml O. 



2,513. Raspberry Anthracnose. Will you give life 

 history and means of prevention.— J. M . South Port- 

 land, Me. 



2,519. Fruit Tree Seeds. Where do nurserymen 

 obtain their supply? Are the seeds of our ordinary 

 tree fruits good to plant for raising stock. 



2.52U. Startine Evergreen Seeds. How managed? 

 F. W. B., Itahca, 3Iich. 



2.521. Melons Splitting. Some of my Melons split 

 Instead of ripening. What Is the cause and cure?— R. 

 F. T., Central New Jersey. 



2.522. Amaryllis Seed. Where can it be obtained? 

 Also a bulb of the hardy A . Halli?—mRS. C. V. P. 



2.52:^. Barn for Thirty Acre Fruit Farm. How 

 should It be built?— J. S. L., Bristol, Ind. 



2.524. Cherries, Etc., irom Root Cuttings. At what 

 date should root cuttings of Cherries, etc.. be prepared 

 for raising trees, as mentioned by Prof. Budd?— C. G. 

 A.. Me. 



2.525. Bordeaux Mixture. Is spraying with this a 

 certain reinedv or prevention for black rot in Grapes? 

 E. E., Wakefield, Kas. 



2.526. Storing Sweet Potatoes. Give simple and 

 safe method. How should they be harvested?— R. Y., 

 Maryland . 



2.527. Apple Butter. Can you give a good recipe?— 

 Pennsylvanian. 



2.528. Plans lor Greenhouses. Would like to see 

 some In time for putting up before winter.- W. A. S., 

 Virginia. 



2.529. Everbearing Blackberry. Is there a Black- 

 berry that bears at intervals until frost? 



2.53(1. Alpine Strawberry Plants. Where can I ob 

 tain them?— M. L. MoQ.. Canton, Ills. 



2.531. Best Varieties Sweet Corn, Peas and Pota- 

 toes. Which would you recommend for family use? 

 We want a successional supply throughout the season. 



2.532. Tannery Ashes. What Is their fertilizing 

 value?— M. N. O., Erie. 



2,53.1. Fall Planting of Strawberries. We are 

 usually busy In spriim and must plant now. What is 

 best way and best time of planting?- R. F., Central, 

 N. T. 



2.534. Perry's Scarifier. Where can I get It and at 

 what price?— R. S. N.. Christian Co., Jits. 



2.535. Chemical Manure for Pot Plants. Where 

 can It lie had and at what price?- .1. L., WTieeling, W. 

 Virginia.. 



2,53(1. Pine and Cedar Seed. What time of year is 

 it gathered? We have plenty of White Pine, but I can- 

 not And seed. — W. A. M., Grange, Utah. 



2,53;. Pinching End of Melon Vines. Is this ben- 

 eficial?— O. K.. Ala. 



2.538. Soft Soap in Kerosene Emulsion. I made 

 emulsion according to Prof. Bailey's formula in Horti- 

 cultural Rule Book. Spraying with this nilxtun- has 

 apparently kilted all niv firape vines, rould tlils be 

 due to the soft soap, which was obtained trom a neigh- 

 bor, and niarie in the ordinary way witii t_'ouceutrated 

 lye?-H. F.. Washingfon. 



2.539. Peaches in Holmes Co., O. What varieties 

 of Peaches would you recommend me to plant for 

 market? Soil :i little wravelly and hilly. I waut large 

 size, good ijualltj . and late season.- D. H. H. 



2,510. Utilizing Bones. I have quite a cjuantlty, 

 and woidd like to use them to manure my orchard. 

 Ilow hh'UlId 1 treat them?— M. G. 



2.541. Replanting Rhubarb. Plants are too thick, 

 and leaf stalk getting to be small. What should t do? 



2.542. Setting Asparagus. Is fall a good time? If I 

 use two-vear old plant-; when can 1 expect a crop?— 

 J. G. K, Jietrmt, Mirh. 



2,M'3. Treatment of Winter Pears. Please give 

 general directions. We desire to keep some late Into 

 winter, and have them In llm- condition for the table. 

 \V. <i., Aithurn. .V. Y. 



2,244. Sultana Grape. Is this free from weeds? 

 Where was It originated?— Thomas, .S. C. 



2.fvt5. Grafting Gooseberry on Missouri Currant. 

 Will Mr. Jacob Dhnler. Sehu.vlklll Co., p.i.. please de- 

 scrliie th:it " tedious process" of grafting mentioned 

 by Idtii In last P'ebruary numl)er, page 93?— C. G. A. 



2,547. Over-fod Soil. Ground now tn strawberries 

 was made too rich by heavy applications of very oily 

 tlsh churn, strawberry plants are not doing well*. 

 Can anything be done?— E. W. W., Jl/e. 



2,546. Dill tor Pickling Cucumbers. How is it used? 

 —Inquirer. 



2,54S. Tea Roses Ailing. Leaves are dropping. 

 What treatment Is required?- E. R., Ohio. 



3.549. Irrigating the Garden. Is any method pos.sl- 

 ble where no running stream or pond ts available?— 

 S. F. 



2.550. Ants in the Garden. Do they destroy Insects? 

 Are they generally beneficial or otherwl.se?— K. F., 

 W. Va. 



2.551. Manure for Mushroom Growing, should 

 this be free from litter? Should soil he mixed with It, 

 or sh ould clear dung be used?— Amateur, Indiana. 



2,552- Manettia Bicolor. How should this be treated 

 for winter flowering? Does It bear out the high de- 

 scription given It in advertisements?— M. S., Penn. 



2.553. Preserving Wooden Labels. Can anything 

 lie done to make wooden labels hold out longer?— Ex- 

 perimenter. 



2.554. Propagation of Highland Blueberry. What 

 is best method?— G. F. S., New York. 



2.555. Asparagus Varieties. Is the Palmetto or any 

 of the newer sorts superior to Conover's Collosal? — 

 M. G., Iowa. 



2.556. Rhododendrons. How propagated most 

 easily?— G. N. Y.. St. Lvuis. 



2.557. Pelargoniums Ailing. The plants are cov- 

 ered with di-e and grow quite spindling, What Is to 

 be done? 



2.558. Azaleas for Winter Bloom. How treated?— 

 Mrs.D. E. R.. Me. 



2.559. Planting Currants In FaU. Will It have as 

 good results as spring planting? 



2.560. Chestnut Culture. Will the trees Impoverish 

 the soil adjoining? 



2.561. Wood Ashes for Raspberries. Is the appli- 

 cation of unleached ashes beneficial?— O. H., Le Moyne, 

 Ohio. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 



2,517. Keeping Cider Sweet. Iteaube done by 

 the following directions, which are easy to apply: 

 To one quart of milk add half a pint of ground 

 black Mustard and six eggs. Beat together 

 thoroughly and put into the barrel. It will keep 

 it sweet a year or more. 



2,i42. Manure for Fruit Trees. On the whole 

 we believe in mineral manures for the fruit trees, 

 and if we are short of barnyard compost, or have 

 a place for it in the garden. Potato or Onion lield, 

 we leel we are just as well it not better off when 

 using wood ashes and bone dust or other phos- 

 phates, say at the rate of forty bushels of un- 

 leached ashes and 200 pounds of phosphate per 

 acre, or a corresponding quantity of potash salts 

 and phosphates. If the treesshow by slow growth 

 and yellowish color of the foliage, that nitrogen 

 is needed also, we can soon supply the deficiency 

 by sowing one or two hundred pounds of nitrate 

 of soda, which of course must be done in the 

 earlier part of the season, not in late summer or 

 fall, as such an application would stimulate late 

 growth, and perhaps result in giving us imma- 

 ture wood, and winter-kill. Such early nitrate 

 applications are sometimes of especial effective- 

 ness and usefumess for Peach trees growing on 

 rather thin soil. 



2,544. The Sultana Grape- This, according to 

 the California fruit growers, is a distinct variety 

 of the Grape family, grown and cultivated in 

 precisely the same manner as other raisin varie- 

 ties. The fact that the fruit of this varietyof 

 the vine is seedless, is owing to its nature, and is 

 one of its chief characteristics. When this is very 

 youna:, just commencing to bear, the rapes 

 sometimes contain a few seeds; but after the 

 tirst or second year the Grapes grow seedless 

 without a special effort on the part of the vine- 

 yardist, and are harveste<l just as yon tind them 

 in the various markets of the country, after 

 having been cured and made into raisins. 



2,513. Leaf-cutting Bee. The females cease 

 cutting the leaves after their nests are made and 

 tlieir eggs :uv laid. The insect pn^sesses a sting 

 butitsiioiscui inland is \ cry small —L. ( t. IJinvaril, 

 Actinu tJtitniiinh'itist, U.S. Ihpl .liiricultun. 



2,514 New Onion Culture. The method of 

 growing seedlings in hot bed or green house and 

 transplanting to open ground in early spring, is 

 a decided success here in Western New York; 

 and there is little doubt in our raind that it will 

 be equally so wherever the crop can be grown. 

 Prizctaker and White Victoria are jiroving the 

 best varieties here for this purpose. Perhaps 

 the Extra Early Pesirl, with its hardiness, nnik- 

 ing fall sowing and fall planting of setts practic- 

 able, may open up new possibilities, and an cn- 

 tirelj' new Onion culture. It should be stated 

 however, that notwithstanding all the favorable 

 reports received, concerning this "Pearl" 

 among Onions, Landreth & Co , <if Philadeliihia, 

 say the Onion is as tender as anything of the 

 Onion kind.— G. K. 



2,455 When to Sow or to Plant. Tt is not a 



good rule to sow seed immediately before or af- 

 ter a rain. The best time is when the soil is in 

 proper condition, light and loose. After a rain 

 the soil is more or less packed dtnvn and soon 

 bakes in the hot sun, so that seed sown on the 

 same is sure to amount to a failure, —H. C. T. 



2,511. Boot Graftinf^ Pear on Quince. Pears 

 are usually propagated by budding in same way. 

 as the Peach, and this method seems to be prefer 

 able. A few nurserymen practice root grafting 

 as with the Apple. 



2,4:36. Wintering Boses Out Doors. This 



<luestion has been ably answered, but my way is 

 somewhat different, though probably no better. 

 Towards the latter part of September I pinch 

 back all growing shoots, as this has a tendency 

 to harden the new growth. Late in October I 

 place Pine boughs around and over the Roses in 

 such a way as to protect but not shelter them, as 

 the hardening process would be incomplete with- 

 out some slight nips. About the latter part of 

 November sods are placed over the roots, and 

 the loneest branches pegtred down and thickly 

 covered with Pine boughs, over these a light 

 covering of sod, unless the weather is extremely 

 cold before there is much snow, in which case 

 more sod should be used. The sod may be re- 

 moved by the first of April and the branches 

 allowed to assume a natural position, but still 

 covered closely with boughs until all danger of 

 frost is over.— E. L. P., Linef^^ville, Pa. 



2,503. Befuse Hops as Manure. In a long ex- 

 perience in gardening and plant raising, I have 

 learned to place a high value on this article as a 

 fertilizer. 1 would any time pay as much for a 

 load of refuse hops as for the same amount of 

 the best stable manure. Besides the excellent 

 results arising from its richness in organic sub- 

 stance, it has a very favorable effect in opening 

 up the texture of the soils, on which account it 

 is much prized by florists as an ingredient in pot- 

 ting soil. In many establishments the hop bin, 

 containing a quantity of the refuse decayed to a 

 degree 'in which all sourness and smell has 

 disappeared, is as much drawn from as if it con- 

 tained peat, an article which it has in no small 

 measure supplanted.— A. H. E. 



2,459. Wintering Tuberous Begonias. My 



method is as follows: When towards autumn 

 the foliage begins to turn dull and yellow, indi- 

 cating the approaching resting stage, water is 

 gradually withheld. In time the leaves will ripen 

 and drop. Then I set the pots containing the 

 bulbs in some place where no frost ever reaches 

 them, to remain without a drop of water until 

 spring. I would not put them close to direct 

 beat, as near the stove or a furnace in the green- 

 house. They are left in their winter quarters 

 until the following March, when I repot them 

 into fresh mellow, rich earth, and bring them 

 into a warm place, giving them a little water at 

 the same time, and increasintr this when growth 

 begins. -Some recommend taking them from the 

 soil and packing in sand or sawdust. My success 

 has been so satisfactory by the above course that 

 I see no reason for advising any other treatment. 

 —A H. E. 



2,459. Wintering Tuberous-rooted Begonias. 

 This can be successfully done by letting the 

 bulbs gradually dry off in the fall, and setting 

 the pots containing the same away in a warm, 

 dry cellar, free from frost till spring, when they 

 should be brought out and repotted before they 

 begin growth.— H. C T. 



2,457. Wintering Canna roots is very simple. 

 My method is this and I have never failed of 

 of success. Id the fall, after frost has cut down 

 the foliage, let them remain in the ground for a 

 week or so, then cut away the tops, liftthe roots 

 break them apart so as to handle conveniently, 

 set them as close together as you can in shallow 

 boxes, throw a shovelful of dirt over them, shake 

 it down among the roots and remove to a warm, 

 dry cellar, free from frost. Ti e moisture in the 

 dirt ripens the bulbsand keeps them in a healthy 

 condition all winter, Should the roots get chilled 

 with frost while out of the ground they will be 

 rendered worthless. The same treatment will 

 also apply to Dahlias -H. C. T. 



2,436. Wintering Boses Out of Doors. I win- 

 tered a number of monthly Roses out doors last 

 winter by laying them down and covering with 

 leaves aiid dirt to the depth of six inches. With 

 one exception all came through safely. Some of 

 them had the tops killed, but the roots this spring 

 sent up such a strong, healthy srrowth, and have 

 bl4)omed so freely, that with me 1 pronounce the 

 above method a success, and shall try it again.— 

 H.C. T. 



2.541. Beplanting Bhubarb. Early nextspring 

 (<ir perhaps in the fidi) take up the roots, divide, 

 leaving only one good crown to the piece, and 

 replant in well-prepared and well-manured soil, 

 about four feet apart each way. Rhubarb will 

 not give you tine, large stalks if in the least 

 crowded or stinted in the matter of manure. 

 The land cannot easily be made too rich.— G. R. 



2.542. Setting Asparagus Plants. This can be 

 done either in full or spring. Use good, strong, 

 one year old roots, or two year old. You cannot 

 hope to get sho(ds tn cut next year even with 

 the best two year old roots, planted in good soil 

 this fall. The year following you will have to 

 cut s])aringly, and <)nly the third summer it will 

 be safe to cut all shoots as they come.— G. K. 



2,r);i0. Alpine Strawberry Plants can be had 

 of Kllwan^rer & liarry, Rochester, N. Y., and per- 

 haps of other nurserymen.— G. R. 



