POPULAR GARDENING. 



October, 



S^f.^i 



^^To^ 



-fTOP H C I E S > 



Bring Lilies tor a maiden's grave, 



Rces to deck the bride. 

 Tulips tor all who love through lite 



In brave attire to ride: 

 Bring each tor each, in bower and hall. 



But cull the Columbine tor all. 



previous to their out-door flowering time. But 

 some years ago Valley Lily blooms began to be seen 

 in the market as early as October and November 

 ot each winter, and still later, in about every month 

 of the twelve This remarkable achievement is to 

 be credited to the skill of Mr. CarlJurgens, of New- 

 port, R. I., who is now widely known as the " Lily 

 ot the Valley man." Mr, Jurgens possesses some 

 secrets by which he seems to rule the habits of this 

 flower, and which not a few florists would give a 

 small fortune to possess. He appears to have a 

 " corner " on supplying the flower to the florists, 

 tor about eight months of the year. 



ADDITIONAL FRUIT AND VEGE- 

 TABLE NOTES. 



Marigolds are wet weather flowers. 

 The sentiment of Moss is Maternal Love. , 

 Wreaths of natural flowers are beginning to be 

 worn on the hair. 



The craze tor Orchids in floral decorations, is 

 even more manifest in Europe than with us. 



Funeral designs made ot a single kind of flower 



and this not white, are now considered appropriate. 



For evening wear, young ladies place one small 



tuft of flowers in the hair and another on the 



shoulder. 



Cut flowers will keep longer for changing the 

 water daily, and at the same time snipping back 

 the stem ends a little . 



A St. Louis florist boasts of having the finest 

 photograph album of floral designs in the country. 

 Will the Chicago florists see about this? 



Baskets and Vases of Birch bark are now in 

 vogue as flower holders. This material is very 

 elegant while partaking of a rustic nature. 



One year with another the taste tor " large bud " 

 roses increases. The old favorite Satrano, has al- 

 most been crowded out of some cut flower shops. 



For a light, graceful and inexpensive bouquet for 

 the table or mantle, nothing can be flner than Car- 

 nations with long stems, set in their own foliage. 

 A narrow vase is the most suitable holder. 



When all other trades are retrenching, the flor- 

 ists seem to be biulding up as much glass as ever. It 

 is a healthy indication of the deep-seated love tor 

 flowers, when people forego necessaries that they 

 may enjoy these luxuries. 



With the increasing use of long stem flowers along 

 with their own leaves, the demand for Smilax is 

 said to be falling off in a measure. Well, tor such 

 good reasons let it. Every flower is more beautiful 

 for being supported by its own foliage. 



The growth of the cut flower and plant trade in 

 America during the last twenty years is one ot the 

 wonders ot the ninteenth century. No doubt, tor 

 every commercial greenhouse establishment that 

 existed twenty years ago, we now have not less 

 than twelve, and many ot these are ten times larger 

 than the average one ot the previous time referred 

 to. Mr. John Thorpe, in his address recently, 

 before the Convention of American Florists at 

 Cincinnati, put the number of florists in America 

 to-day at no less than 8,000. Allowing 4,000 feet of 

 glass-covered surface to each florist, would give a 

 totalof 3.200,000 square feet or 730 acres of glass. 

 This would be equivalent to six farms of 120 acres 

 each, covered over with glass for growing plants 

 and flowers, for the American people. The num- 

 ber ot private establishments devoted to a similar 

 use, would swell these figures largely. 



In packing flowers to send by mail or express, 

 the inexperienced often make the mistake of plac- 

 ing them so loosely in the box, as to cause them to 

 shake about to their damage. The best way of 

 packing is to place some springy material like 

 crumpled leaves, hemlock twngs or even cotton in 

 the bottom ot the box first, covering this with 

 water-proof paper, on which to place the flowers. 

 Lay the firmer kinds, like unopened Rose-buds, 

 Carnations and the like in first, and finish with the 

 more fragile ones If a tubular flower like the 

 Calla is to be sent, place a bit of cotton in its throat 

 to prevent crushing. Finish off at the top with 

 paper and of the other material used in the bottom. 

 The contents as finished may stand out above 

 the box somewhat, so that with closing the cover, a 

 gentle pressure will prevail throughout the mass. 

 In packing, most kinds of flowers should be 

 sprinkled hghtly, but Carnations, never. 

 The Lily of the Valley is naturally a spring-bloom 



!)0t9.nic^l0)^d^et 



Stems, when green, perform the ofllce ot leaves. 

 The Sweet Potato is a root the Common Potato 

 a tuber. 



The University of Nebraska has established a 

 Botanic garden . 



To THE Botanist every plant possesses some 

 points of interest. 



The bark, leaves and cones ot the Alder have 

 value tor tanning. 



The late George Bentham bequeathed £1000 to 

 the Linnaean Botanical Society. 



The Herbarium of Cornell University has been 

 estimated to be worth $1000, by evidence given in 

 a recent wiU suit. 



A SMUT on cultivated Violets, named Uroctjstis 

 VioUe, has appeared in France, and is proving very 

 destructive. 



Birches have a wide range throughout the 

 northern hemisphere. Some stunted shrubs are 

 found north up to the limit of perpetual snow. 



It is more logical to say that a plant multiplies 

 than that it divides by branching. A vegetable 

 may thus be looked upon, not as an individual 

 but as a collective being, or as an aggregation 

 ot individuals nourished in common like the 

 zoophytes of a coral.— La Maout. 



Make Frequent Excursions to the fields and 

 forests, while pursuing your botanical studies, it 

 you would find them full ot interest. A closet 

 botanist never yet made attainments that were 

 worth much. Text books are valuable aids, but 

 the book of nature should be the main reliance. 



Cement for Mounting Plants.— Mr J. H. Oyster, 

 ot Paola, Kansas, says, that the best cement he 

 has ever used for specimens is made by dissolving 

 crude India rubber in bisulphide of carbon, of any 

 desired quantity to make the proper consistency. 

 This is a strong cement always ready for use, and 

 adapted to many purposes. 



A GOOD SIGN tor the future of botany as a study 

 in America, is found in the fact that now it is 

 looked upon as a branch necessary to a fair 

 education. As an interest in this study increases, 

 a field also opens up for private instructors in 

 botany. We caU to mind the case ot one woman 

 who has such a class ot seventy students. 



The PEOPLE ARE MANY, who would be glad to de- 

 vote more attention to the study ot botany, were 

 increased encouragement given to them in the 

 shape ot books, written by scientific men in non- 

 technical language, to meet a popular want. With 

 this demand well supplied, there would follow such 

 a hungering tor more knowledge on this subject as 

 would soon lead many a non-scientific reader to 

 become a scientific student. 



The Memory of Linn.eus, the great Swedish 

 Botanist, is not in danger of soon dying out in his 

 native land. Recently there was unveiled in the 

 j Humlegarden Park of Stockholm, amid much 

 ! ceremony, an imposing statue to the great natural- 

 ist. Its central figure represents him at sixty, 

 meditating over a bunch of flowers. Four 

 allegorical female figures, representing botany, 

 zoology, medicine and mineralogy respectively 

 surround the main one. 



"Agassiz Bulletin," is the name ot a 4-page 

 monthly published in this city, from the State 

 Normal School, and^ devoted to natural sciences. 

 Its contents are of an attractive character, as well 

 ing plant! and one tha't tew others can equal for i to the ordinary reader as to trained naturalists, 

 charming qualities. It is to many people's minds Although a small paper, it is all " meat," no adver- 

 the ideal flower tor bride's bouquets. The tore- tiseraents being inserted. The August number 

 ing of the flowers out of their natural sea- 1 contains an excellent article on " The Enemies of 

 son, has long been practised with success so ; Our Shade Trees," by Prof. D. S. Kellicot. Fifty 

 far as concerns a period of three or tour months i cents a year is the paper's price. 



yi 



Clear op after the crops. 

 Let Beets grow until sharp frosts. 

 Tod cannot raise fine berries on poor land. 

 Don't let manure come against the roots at 

 planting time. 



There is little use ot trying to make raisins 

 from our native grapes; its not in the blood. 



Some of our readers may not know that the 



Black Raspberries are much hardier than the Beds. 



A lady recently stated at a horticultural meeting 



that she planted Raspberries forty five years ago 



that are bearing good crops yet. 



A GOOD DEAL ot difference exists between red 

 cabbage heads. Give us our choice for pickling 

 and we take those that are plump, dry, solid. 



Until it is tried, few growers have any idea of 

 ■what can be done in working up a home market 

 for fruit, and vegetables. It's a reliable one. 



A Mrs. Mitchell, ot Oxford, Ohio, says the best 

 Grape trellis she knows of is a tree. On this the 

 fruit never mildews or rots. The best specimens 

 are at the top. 



Where rust prevents success with Blackberries, 

 it is said that to sow red clover among the bushes 

 after they are well established, and allowing the 

 clover after each mowing to remain as a mulch, 

 the disease will be prevented . This is easily tried. _ 



The Pear is, for family use, a more reliable fruit 

 on an average, than the Apple. It's crops are more 

 certain, and come earlier in considerable quantity. 

 No tree takes care ot itself so well. This has been 

 our experience; we believe it is a universal one. 



Salsify or Vegetable Oyster. 

 This delicious and healthful vege- 

 table is not found so often as it 

 should be in American gardens. 

 Why this is so, it is difficult to con- 

 cieve, for it is grown with the 

 greatest ease. The same treat- 

 ment that will suit the Parsnip 

 suits this plant also. But it may 

 be said that where any person 

 fails with either ot these winter 

 vegetables, it must be because 

 either the ground is not rich or 

 deep enough, or else the plants 

 are too much crowded during the 

 time of growth. Directions tor 

 planting Salisfy will be given in 

 Popular Gardening early next 

 year. Here we wish to say that 

 the roots may be wintered in the 

 ground where they grow, the same 

 as Parsnips. But a portion ot the 

 crop should be lifted before the 

 ground freezes hard, or kept in 

 pits or in the cellar, to be used 

 from during the winter. 



The bush small fruits, includ- 

 ing Currents, Goosberries, and 

 Raspberries, do not object to some 

 shade. A good place tor them is in 

 a row against the garden fence. 

 Here with a light rail in front of 

 the plants, and the fence behind 

 them, the branches, whether of prickly kinds or 

 not, are kept well out of one's way. By setting a 

 six inch wide board on the ground under the rail, 

 and filling in the space back of it with leaves every 

 tall, the trouble of cultivating the plants will be 

 about done away with. This is what we call a 

 simplified course of culture. 



Cultivating Orchards. Evidence accumulates 

 to show that orchards in grass are more productive 

 than those kept cultivated, provided there is no 

 lack ot fertility along with the grass culture sys- 

 tem. No continued good results can be expected 

 from the orchard without manuring, whatever 

 the plan of management is. October is a good 

 month to top-dress the grass-clothed orchard with 

 manure. Let this be done every year. 



If AN Asparagus bed is wanted to supply the 

 family, we can hardly recommend the plan of a 

 friend, who, in his first attempts at gardening, 

 bought a paper of the seed along with Radish and 

 Lettuce seed.and sowed them.expecting Asparagus 

 tor the table in a month or two. It takes several 

 years to grow this root to a productive size from 

 seed. As strong nursery grown roots two years 

 old, can be bought tor about two cents apiece, 

 I what's the use of bothering. 



SALSIFY. 



