44 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



January, 



The Marechal Niel Rose at the 

 South. 



Oue of oui- readers at Spartausburgh, South 

 Cai-oliim, takes exception— so far as the South- 

 ern States are concei-ned, — to the statement 

 marie in an eai'ly number of Popular Garden- 

 ing regarding the unfitness of the Marechal 

 Niel Rose for out door culture. We give her 

 report of two instances in that part of the coun- 

 try, where this rose has succeeded remai-kably 

 well, as follows: 



" Some 1-3 years ago, my father, an ardent 

 lover of roses, purchased a small plant in a pot, 

 of Marechal Niel, which was planted in the 

 open ground, in a dark, damp sticky loam, 

 where once was a pond. This rose grew, 

 tlu-ived and bloomed. It was the admiration 

 of all beholders. Each summer vases filled 

 with cut roses from this plant almost became 

 monotonous— so freely were they used in every- 

 thing that would hold water and flowers about 

 our house. Sometimes over one hundred buds 

 were cut in a day. It grew in the course of 

 three yeai's to such a size, that a lattice wall, 

 four sided, was built around it, fully 5 feet high 

 and then its branches trailed over that and fell 

 to the earth outside. 



" In Charleston, this state, I saw in the garden 

 of Mr. Casper Chisolm, an arbor full 12 feet 

 high, 12 feet wide and 2.5 feet long, built as we 

 here in the south put up supports for grape 

 vines, on which was Marechal Niel, Lamarque 

 and Solfaterre, so thick that the wood of the 

 arbor was concealed. I think there were thou- 

 sands of each variety in full bloom at one time. 

 He told me the plants were grafted or budded." 



Save up the Coal Ashes. 



Years ago we satisfied ourselves that the 

 notion, then very prevalent, that hard-coal 

 ashes were injurious to crops, was all wrong. 

 AVe found in the case of pot plants in a green- 

 house, which stood on a bed of ashes, that the 

 roots of the former would pass through the 

 holes in the bottoms of the pots and run into the 

 ashes below, and by theii- healthy appearance, 

 showed that they derived benefit from the ashes. 

 Frequent experiments on a small scale since 

 that time have fully corroborated this view of 

 the case. Now we not only keep up for the 

 garden all the ashes yielded by our own 

 heaters, but those of a near neighbor besides, 

 and the larger the heap of this material is by 

 each spring, the better are we suited. 



Our garden is not what could be called heavy 

 -oil, but rather a black loam. On this soil we 

 (ind that a coat of coal ashes turned in every 

 season is of real value. It renders the soil 

 more open and easily worked than without, 

 and the crops are the better for the good effect 

 of this material on root growth. The effect 

 may come, more from the mechanical action of 

 the ashes on the soil than from any manurial 

 value possessed, although this is also consider- 

 ble, no doubt. Oue thing is certain, plant life 

 is more vigorous where the ashes ai-e used, than 

 where they are not. 



We also use sifted coal ashes as one ingredient 

 (say making it oue-fifth of the whole) of our 

 hot bed loam, or of any soil used for seed beds, 

 potting and similar purposes, with good results. 

 But the value of coal ashes in the gai'den is not 

 limited to its good effects in fitting the soil for 

 the growth of roots alone. It is now recog- 

 nized as of great worth for meeting the attacks 

 of some of our worst insect enemies. Experi- 

 meuts have shown that a liberal dressing of 

 coal ashes, thoroughly mixed with soil in which 

 Radish seed is sown, will prevent the maggot 

 from injuring this vegetable. This will be 

 good news t« those pereons wh<i have lieen, for 

 years, unsuccessful in growing the Radish, be- 

 cause of the attacks of the larva" of the fly. It 

 may be added that the effect of the ashes as a 

 preventive in this case, does not tell fully until 

 the second year and later, after applying. 



In combating the attacks of the wonn on 

 (_'ni-i'ants and Gooseberries, coal ashes also jios- 



sess positive worth, if used freelj' a.s a mulch 

 to plants. Whether the presence of the ashes 

 over the roots proves obnoxious to the worms, 

 or whether the increased vigor of the plants 

 by their application have to do with the matter 



LONG BLACK WINTER RADISH. 



we cannot say, nor do we much care, so long as 

 the fact remains that the worms are scarce. 

 when the ashes are plentifully used, as is the 

 case. By their use as a mulch the plants may 

 be brought thi'ough the "worm season" with- 

 out resource to poisoning the leaves, and with 

 it in some degree the fruit |X)ssibly. 



These various considerations should lead at 

 this season to the saving up of coal ashes, as a 

 valuable and cheap material for the uses 

 indicated, wherever gardening is done. 



The Long Black Winter Radish. 



This continues to be a standard Radish for 

 winter use, and varies but little except in aj)- 

 pearance from the Round Black Winter Radish 

 and the Long White Spanish Radish. All the 

 Radishes of this class are remai-kable for their 

 keeping qualities. If but pains are taken at 

 the end of the growing .season to bury them in 

 an abundance of earth in a cool cellai', or else 

 to put them out of doors, they will keep crisp 

 aU winter, affording an agreeable table relish. 

 When to be used, the winter radish should be 

 placed in colrl water for an hour before coming 

 to the table. It may not be generally known 

 that the Radish possesses some gentle medicinal 

 virtue. The part that is eaten, is both demul- 

 cent and stimulating in character. The juice 

 mixed with sugar candy, is a popular and use- 

 ful (iermau remedy for hoarseness and cold. 



Effects of Freezing on the Soil. 



Spade or plow a piece of land late in the fall, 

 leaving it in rough clods through the winter, 

 and spring will find the roughness largely re- 

 duced to fineness. Run the rake or harrow- 

 over it now, and with little labor it will be in 

 fai- better shape for croi)sthan it possibly could 

 be had the fall spa<ling or iJowing been left un- 

 done. Just how freezing, thi'ough exjjosing the 

 soil in this wa^'. benefits it, is told as follows in 

 the Aitif'rh'dn Afjrivulfnrist: 



It is a well-known fact that water in the act 

 of freezing, expands considerably, and with a 

 force that is irresistable. It is the fi'eezing of 

 water in their crevices and pores that causes 

 the rocks to be gradually worn down, and 

 " weathei'ed" as it is called, into soil. It is this 



also which is continually reducing the soil to 

 finer fragments, and which breaks up the hard 

 clogs and mellows the ground. Fall plowing 

 or spading assists this effect by breaking up the 

 compact soil into lumps, which are further 

 broken into small particles. As water and air 

 can only act upon the surface cif these pai'ticles, 

 it is clear that the smaller they are, the more 

 surface is exposed to the weather, and the soil 

 is made soluble. If a block of hard soil of 12 

 Inches cube is exposed to the weathei-, there are 

 864 square inches only of it affected ; if it is 

 broken up into cubes of one inch lH,:i68 squai'e 

 inches are exposed to these beneficial influences ; 

 if the soil is further broken up in fragments of 

 one-twelfth of an inch, there are more than 

 124,1100 square inches thus affected. This fact 

 shows how gi-eatly the effects of frost benflts 

 the soil, and therefore how necessary it is that 

 the land should be fall plowed ; and opportuni- 

 ty given for this beneficial action of the weather. 

 In the garden, even, all the soil possible should 

 be spaded before it freezes. 



The Winter Meetings of the following named 

 Horticultural Societies will be held during Jan- 

 uary onthe dates given: 



Western New York: at Rochester, Januaiy 

 27, P. C. Reynolds, Rochester, N. Y., Secretary. 



State Horticultural Society of Pennsylvinia: 

 at Reading, Pa., January 3(>, E. B. Engle, 

 Waynesborough, Pa., Secretary. 



Ontai'io Fruit Growers Association : at Strat- 

 ford, Ontario, January 31, D. W. Beadle, St. 

 Catherine, Out., Secretai\v. 



Buffalo Horticultural Society, at Buffalo, 

 January 13. W. Scott. Buffalo, N.Y., Secretary. 



The Keiffer Pear has now been weighed, and 

 found utterly wanting. As a tree it blights 

 badly and is tender in winter. The finiit if not 

 unattractive in appearance, is utterly wanting 

 in flavor, and would not be sought for a second 

 time by the eater. More trees of it are cut 

 down now every year, perhaps, than ai'e planted. 

 So much for another one of the long list of 

 worthless varieties that are introduced at 

 high prices with a flourishing of trumpets, flnd- 

 ing many eager victims. Stick to the well 

 tested sorts, kind readier, until new comers prove 

 their worth beyond a doubt. It's the safe rule. 



The Beet draws its nourishment from an 

 area of twelve to twenty square feet for each 

 plant. This has been proven by exploring to 

 the ends of the roots carefully, it being found 

 that these extend dowuwai-d and outward in 

 all directions for several feet. It is evident 

 that where size of root is desired, the plants 

 must be given plenty of room. 



In Choosing Market Fruits, Mr. Lyons, a vet- 

 eran fruit growei', would look first to produc- 

 tiveness: next tokeepingand shipping ([uahty: 

 then to size: then to appearance and lastly to 

 eating quality. The points of merit should 

 stand in a different order where the object is 

 fruit for the home table, iu fact should be just 

 reversed, placing quality first. 



In shipping by the Express Companies, much 

 fruit is injuried by being in cars that are too 

 warm. On this account many shippers do not 

 patronize these carriei-s and by the means save 

 largely on freight also. A temperature of 

 between 4(i° and .W is the most suitable for fruit 

 transportation. 



Shape of Crates. Parker Eaile offers the 

 good suggestion, that fruit crates should not be 

 made so nearly square as at the present time. 

 When of this shape, it cannot be readily seen 

 which side belongs up, and the fruit suffers 

 from bad handling and bad ]iositions iu ship- 

 ping- 



A good New Year's resolve: to make ycjur 

 berry patch double its present size. 



Even the hardiest Strawben-ies do better for 

 a winter covering. 



Plan to have the best garden you ever saw, 

 this year. 



Cut the small sappy shoots from A]jple trees. 



