i886. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



51 



are rows of trees or plants, and then write the 

 name of every variety clearly, in its proper place. 



Root grafting is work for this niontli. It is much 

 practiced for increasing the apple, but answers as 

 well for many other plants and woody growths. 

 Whip grafting is the method usually employed, and 

 this we will illustrate, as for the apple. For a stock, 

 the root of a seedling that was stored in earth or 

 sawdust in the cellar in the fall, is used. This .should 

 be about the diameter of an ordinary lead pencil. 

 The graft to be used, should come from the sort of 

 tree that is to be increased, and may equal the stock 

 in diameter, or be a little smaller. In grafting, the 

 roots are washed perfectly clean. Then a root is tak- 

 en in hand, and with a sharp knife, a smooth slop- 

 ing cut is made upwards at the collar A, tsee engrav- 

 ing), and in this, a slit or tongue is made downward, 

 as at B. A graft three or foiu- inches long is cut in 

 a similar manner, excepting with a downward slope 

 and upward slit as shown at C. The two are then 

 closely united, tongue within tongue, sloi>e against 

 slope, as shown at D. The bark of the two parts 

 should be even, at least on one side. Tightly en- 

 closing the joined parts by a strip of paper or cloth 

 saturated with grafting wax, completes the opera- 

 tion. Put away the grafts as the work proceeds 

 into boxes of earth, in the cellar, here to remain un- 

 til the planting-out time arrives. The entire matter 

 is so simple any one may expect to succeed with it. 



Top Grafting. Do not be imi)atient to get at it. 

 If the grafts have been cut and properly buried in 

 earth (this may yet be done, if done at once.t to 

 keep them naturally moist, late grafting, ay just at 

 the time the leaf -buds burst, is better than earlier. 

 With such grafts on hand, it may be done, even 

 in June, with success. By that time the sap is in 

 a condition to support larger grafts than if the 

 grafting were to be done earlier, and the use of such 

 proves to be a gain. 



should be on hand for covering the glass every cold 

 night. The hot-bed is a suitable place for sowing 

 all kinds of seeds for early plants, starting Sweet- 

 Potatoes, bulbs, etc.. rooting cuttings, growing early 

 vegetables, pot and bedding plants, and the like. 



Lettuce sown in a box in the window, hot-bed or 

 green-house now, will give nice jilants for frames w 

 a warm spot in the garden in April, to mature in 

 May. Curled Silesia is one of the best for early. 



Bhubarb, if covered in the beds with boxes or 

 barrels, and plenty of manure is packed around 

 these, will come weeks earlier than without this. 



Seeds, Uet around a complete supply in ample 

 , time. Test old ones. 



I Site. In choosing a site for vegetables, a south- 

 east aspect should be preferred, as aiding earliness. 

 Lay off in squares, with plenty of narrow walks be- 

 tween the divisions, devoted to different crops. 



VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



At the South, Asparagus, Rhubarb and Horse- 

 radish beds may be made. Potatoes may be planted, 

 and in the more southern i)arts the seeds of 

 Squashes and Melons, provided some means of pro- 

 tection are at hand against hard weather. The 

 most successful gardeners are always ready to take 

 some risks in starting their crops early. See last 

 month, under this heati. 



Cold Frames. As the weather grows warmer, 

 Cabbage, Lettuce, etc., in these will need more air. 



Dig Parsnips, Horee-radish and Salsify when the 

 groimd is open. 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER 

 GLASS. 



Cucumbers. Any fruit that shows before the 

 plants are tolerably strong, nip out. When fruiting 

 may go on, the hills will want earthing up some- 

 what with nice light loam. As bearing begins, stop 

 regularly one joint beyond the fruit. 



Figs that are being forced should now be freely 

 syringed. They need more water also, at this time, 



Grapery. Vines started early should be kept 

 trainetl. and have the laterals disbudded. After 

 blooming, care should be taken not to syringe the 

 biuiches, but every ineh of wall and path should be 

 well moistened to keep down Red Spider. Avoid 

 the extreme, however, of creating so much mois- 

 ture as to generate mildew. On newly starting up 

 vines, see directions in the January issue. 



Lettuce is a crop that grows finely under glass 

 during this month and later. Provide about 45° of 

 heat at night, (iive an abumlance of air in mild 

 weather. Water liberally, but not to excess. 



Orchard House. Peaches or any other trees in 

 these, will set their fruit better for free airing while 

 blossoming is going on. Keep the atmosphere as 

 dry as possible at this important stage, but after 

 the fruit is set syringe freely, using tepid water. 



Bhubarb may be had early by taking some roots 

 under glass or to any warm place, even if it is not 

 well lighted. 



A Small Hot-bed for Family Use 



Hot-beds. Some hot-beds are made by market 

 gardeners for early crops during this month, but for 

 family use, next month ought to be early enough in 

 most parts of our land. A small hot-bed of several 

 sash or upwards in size, is a pleasant addition to 

 any garden. It comes in during the early spring 

 months as a minature green-house at a trifling cost. 

 The heating agent, besides the sun, is horse and 

 other manure, but chiefly that of the former. A frame 

 is made of plank, or better yet, double-walled of 

 studs, covered inside and out with matched boards, 

 and of a size to suit the munber of sashes to be 

 used. These are to slide on the top, supported by 

 cross-bars, and made to fit tightly. 



What is wanted, as to manure, is a body of this 

 which is fresh, not spent by heating. It should be 

 of a size two feet longer, and wider than the frame 

 of the bed, and about two feet deep, closely packed 

 by tramping. This may be placed above ground or 

 it may be lowered one or more feet into the earth, 

 with some saving of heat. If above earth, the ex- 

 posed manure should be sheltered bj- banking some 

 soil, tanbark or similar material against it. 



After the frame is in place, some fine, rich loam, 

 enough to cover the manure three or four inches 

 deep, should be put into it. A thermometer now 

 thrust into the manure ought to soon indicate as 

 high as 100 degrees of heat. AVheu such a degi-ee 

 of warmth subsides to 90 degrees or less, the bed is 

 ready for use. Straw mats or light board shutters 



The Annual Spring Gardening Cata- 

 logues. 

 These are now reaching us, one after another in 

 quick succession, from seedsmen, florists, nui-sery- 

 men and othere, with more yet to be 

 heard from. From fu-st to last these 

 yearly trade publications are a re- 

 markably handsome and useful class 

 of prints, and, with rare exceptions, 

 show much care in their preparation. 

 Indeed, we question whether any other 

 line of business in existence, bestows 

 an equal degree of attention to retail 

 trade announcements as is here shown. 

 But the people are, after all, the real 

 catalogue makers. As the fountain 

 cannot rise above its source, so the 

 catalogues, as to their beauty and 

 worth, must be taken as an index of 

 the taste and the expenditures in this 

 line, of the people, who support them. 

 The American gardening catalogues, indeed, 

 speak well for the growing taste for gardening 

 in all its departments among our people. Hailing, 

 as Popular Gardening does, gladly, every sign 

 of advancement here, we take pleasure in call- 

 ing the attention of our readers to all such cata- 

 logues received at this office. A number of these 

 are also announced in our advertising columns. 



DeVeer & BooNEKAMP, ID Broadway, N, Y. Cat- 

 alogue of Dutch BuU.is and Plants for Spring, IBSG. 

 Benjamin Hammond. Fishkill-on-Hudson, N. Y. 

 Circular of Hammond's Slug Shot Insect Killer and 

 Lawn Fertilizer. 



Peter Henderson & Co., 35-37 Cortlandt St., New 

 York. Manual of '* Everything for the Garden." A 

 remarkable catalogue, of i:38 pages, containing hun- 

 dreds of engravings and three colored plates of 

 flowers and vegetables. It contains descriptions 

 and prices of all desirable garden requisites. 



Hill & Co., Richmond, Ind. Catalogue of Roses 

 and other plants. This is a large, handsome pam- 

 phlet of 00 pages, bearing many marks of taste and 

 originality in its get up. 



T. S. Hubbard, Fredouia, N. Y. Wholesale and 

 special price list of grape vines. 



J. E. Jeffords & Co., Philadelphia, Pa. Illus- 

 trated List of Flower Pot*!, Seed Pans, and other 

 Florists' crockery supplies. 



W. H. Johnson, Mineral Ridge. O. Circular and 

 Price List of the Plum Tree Poultry Yards 



C. A. Kuehn's, St. Louis, Mo. Catalogue of Pal 

 ent Clamp Florist's Designs. 



D. Landreth & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa. Kitchen 

 Garden Price List of American Pedipi'ee Seeds. 



Chas. Lorenz, Erfurt. Prussia. A handsome UO- 

 page catalogue of garden seeds, issued from this 

 German house for amateurs, and printed in the 

 English language. Well illustrated. 



W. E. Morton it Co.. Portland, Maine. Morton's 

 Annual, a work of -IK pages, substantially bovmd in 

 cloth. Besides containing prices of plants and flow- 

 ers, it gives the Language of Flowere. Floral Knowl- 

 edge, etc., and is altogether interesting. No price 

 is given. 



Stark Nurseries, Louisiana, Mo. Spring Price 

 List and announcement of the Mariana Plum. 



Herman Perlich, 18:^ South Broadway, Baltimore, 

 Md. Circular of Excelsior Fumigator. 



Pratt Brothers, Rochester, N. Y. Announce- 

 ment of the Empire Stato Grape, with handsome 

 colored plate. 



Chas. A. Reeser, Springfield, O. Winter offer of 

 Roses and Greenhouse Plants. 



James Vick, Rochester, N. Y. Floral Guide com- 

 bined with the January number of Vick's Magazine, 

 and together forming an elegant and useful work 

 of nearly 2(K) pages. 



This being the People's Paper it is open to alt their In- 

 quires, bearing on Gardening. 



On the other hand, ansicern to published inquires are 

 enrneslly requested from readers. 



The editors and special contributors are ready to do a 

 large shure of the unswerving, but the experience of many 

 being more vaiuaiiie than of the fen', however varied that is. 

 ayidconditiuns and localities being so different, they prefer 

 to receive answers, even several of them to the same ques 

 tion, from readers evet^uhere. Don't hesitate to write 

 because you may feel you are no fine writer; give facts and 

 ideas and the editors will see that they appear in credi- 

 table shape. 



In writing, give the number of the question you are an- 

 swering: your locality and name, the lattei' nf>t for publica- 

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



Flowers will be gladly named provided first, that no mart 

 than three be sent at one time. Second^ that these be fully 

 prepaid. Third,4hat several specimens of each reach us in 

 good shape. H'e cannot undertake to name fiorists' varie- 

 ties, 



28. —Budding Chrysanthemums. We would like 

 information on this subject. —Two SrsscRiBERS. 



29.— When to buy Orchids, which is the proper 

 time to get Lycaste Skiuneri:'— Mrs. H. W. S., Bel- 

 mont Co.. Ohio. 



30.— Passion Vines Fruiting. I>o either of these 

 bear under cultivation, and if so, how should they 

 be treated for this/— W. Shinton, Paterson, A'. J. 



31. — Bouvardia. I would like some one to tell me 

 how to treat Bouvardias twe never have any frost, 

 so I have all my i>lants in open ground). Are they 

 ever-bioomei-s or not? Mine bloomed in the fall and 

 now stand still.— B. H. Young, *'fl;i Dieyo, Cal. 



32.— Seedling Lemons. I planted seeds two years 

 ago and the plants fr(tm them are now only nine 

 inches high. What will liasten their growth? 



3;i.— Puny Geraniums. The leaves are very small 

 and they sprout from the root. What is the trouble? 



^34.— Plant Fertilizer. Please tell me what is 

 good to enrich the soil. 



;i5.~Puny Fuchsia. How should such an one be 

 treated. Would it be well to cut it back.— Mi.ss 

 Fannie Purple, AVw York City. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 



15.— India Rubber or Ficns Trees can be raised 

 from seeds.— B. 11. Yoitjo, tian JHegn, Cnl. 



in.— My Cactus was 5 years old and luid never 

 bloometl in the house, so I sunk the j^ot in the 



f round in my garden last spring, and then it 

 loomed well — B. H. Young, Son Dieyo, Cal. 



24 —Plants for Growing under Stages. Trades- 

 canthia, zebrina. Isolepis gTaeilis. Selaginella deu- 

 ticulata, Fittoiiia ufg.\rea, and Ferns of the Pteris 

 tribe, succeed with the greatest ease here, while 

 many others,such as Begonia. Rivinias,Gymnostach- 

 yms, and so on, do nearly as well.— A. H. E. 



25.— Tacsonia. I have raised these by sowing 

 seed in Marcli. in a warm i)lace, to be '^^ feet in 

 length, ill l^< mouths time.- A., sfaten Ishiud. ,V. V. 



20. —Palms for Greenhouse. In answer to "Ig- 

 noramus," 1 would Siiy. llie tollowing do well witli 

 me; Fan Palm, clioiiiii^rojis t'.rccls(t, African-hair 

 Palm, CUamwrops hmiiiliu,, Bourbon Palm. Latanitr 

 borhonica. Bungalow Palm, St-n/orthia ei('(j(tns, and 

 Kentia australis. I pot in loam and sand and keep 

 nicely moist. Cii.\s. H \'<\siiM.\.,^teitbin Co., y. Y. 



27— Quick-Growing Hedge. Honey Locust, 

 Privet and Norway Spruce are all rapid growers in 

 good soil. -A. H. K., En'r Co., A*. Y. 



:^!t.— When to Buy Orchids. At most any season 

 when they are out of blouni. L.ycaste Skiuneri, 

 being a winter bloomer, should be bought between 

 spring and autumn.— Mrs. P. L. Wade. Barmtultle 

 Co.,, Mass. 



