i886. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



99 



In such a case one could readily pass along 

 each side of the row, applying needed rem- 

 edies with good effects 



While the plants of such a screen are 

 young it would at least be well to keep the 

 soil ou each side of the line thoroughly cul- 

 tivated. Later on, the grass might be allowed 

 to extend up to and under the bushes, as 

 shown in our engraving. 



insects which Trouble Roses. 



These, as Mr. EUwanger has said, are the 



bugbears which prevent many from culti- 

 vating the Queen of Flowers, but tlie}' offer 

 little discouragement to loyal subjects ; gen- 

 erally it is only the careless and indolent 

 who greatly suffer from the pests. If proper 

 attention is paid to soil, planting, watering, 

 etc., and a few simple directions heeded, 

 you will not often be much troubled. To 

 be forewarned is to before armed; hence, we 

 will here treat briefly upon the various kinds. 



One of the earliest enemies to be met will 

 have put in its appearance before tliis time 

 in most places. We refer to the Rose Cater- 

 pillar, which appears with the coming of 

 the leaves, and makes its shelter by bringing 

 together several leaves, attaching them with 

 glue. Its house easily leads to its discovery, 

 and at the first sight of the former, the 

 worm should be crushed in it. A daily 

 lookout must for a while be kept against 

 their appearance and increase. 



Late in Maj', and up until some time in 

 June, Rose Saw-tiies present themselves, if 

 at all. They are small, shining, black insects, 

 hardly over a quarter of an inch in length, 

 and may be met on the under side of the 

 leaves, or flying aroimd the plants. These 

 cause a great deal of the Rose-grower's 

 trouble, not so much directly (although they 

 disfigure and feed on the leaves) as by their 

 laying the eggs which develope into Rose 

 Slugs. The latter are pale-green jelly-like 



A SCREEN OF HARDY FREE-GROWING ROSES. 



tormenters, that throughout June may cause 

 great havoc with the leaves, turning them 

 brown, as if the}' had been .scorched. 



Immediatel}' this slug makes an appear- 

 ance, meet it by .sprinkling the leaves when 

 they are in a moist state from dew or the 

 water-can, with powdered White Hellebore. 

 This will poison and destroy them. Repeat 

 the application if necessary. 



The Rose Bug, or Rose Chafer, is another 

 frequent aunoyer. It is a small grayisli in- 

 sect about half an inch long, and having a 

 slender body. It appears usually about the 

 middle of this month, and feeds mainly on 

 the opening buds and flowers We know of 

 no remedy but hand picking, or brushing 

 them into vessels of water and then destroy- 

 ing. The best time for this is early in the 

 morning, the insects then being less active. 



In hot and dry seasons the minute Red 

 Spider often troubles Roses. Moisture it 

 cannot tolerate ; hence to sprinkle the af- 

 fected plants frequent!}', and particularly to 

 syringe the under side of the leaves, can 

 be relied upon to destroy it. 



That common insect the Green Fly or 

 Aphis, does not often trouble outdoor Roses 

 seriously, and yet it may sometimes be found 

 abundent enough to need attention. As it 

 usually attacks the end growth of shoots, 

 these may be bent over into a pail of 

 Tobacco or Quassia water, which will kill 

 them with but little labor. 



From the West it is reported that the 

 Thrip is quite destructive to Roses in some 

 places. This is a small black or brown hop- 

 ping insect that is active on the leaves. A 

 solution of whale-oil soap, made at the rate 

 of one pound of soap to eight gallons of 

 water, is sijoken of as a sullicient rented}'. 



At the sight of any insects, in alarming 

 numbers, on Ro.ses, let vigorous steps at once 

 be taken to overcome them. A little per- 

 severance at the start will work wonders, 

 and leave you, often easily enougli, master 



of the situation and in the enjoyment of the 

 flowers you liave cherished 



Notes on the May Number. 



BY WM. FALCONER, GLEN COVE, N. Y. 



Single Dahlias grow from seed as freely 

 as do Zinnias. Sown in April they begin to 

 blossom in June or July. 



The Japanese Zebra Grass is %vith me the 

 best and strongest growing of its race, even 

 more vigorous than the plain gj-een-leaved 

 typical form. 



Canna Ehemanni is the grandest of all 

 Cannas so far as I know them. Noble in foli- 

 age, robust in growth, and free and beautiful 

 in bloom. But its roots are more apt to rot in 

 winter than are those of the commoner kinds. 



Rhododendrons. I don't protect ours over- 

 heafl, but I mulch among them so heavily with 

 dry oak leaves in fall as to exclude frost from 

 the ground and their roots. Their heads shiver 

 in the breath of zero, but their roots know no 

 frost, and not a limb is dead! 



Horse-radish. I don't like the httle sets 

 put in a foot deep, p. 99. I use stout, clean 

 roots ten inches long and dibbled deep enough 

 to be three or four inches below the surface of 

 the gi'ound. These yield me large, solid, clean 

 sticks next fall. I never keep it two years. 



Gold-fish. The Gold-fish story, p. 91, re- 

 minds me of my first attempt at pis<-iculture. 

 I got a roomy gla.ss aquarium and several Gold- 

 fish. I used well water and changed it daily but 

 my fishes didn't thrive, and one after the other, 

 several of them died. Upon advice I stopped 

 using the well water and used rain or pond 

 water instead. From that time on I had no 

 further trouble, the fishes thrived splendidly. 



Catalpas. Some think old trees are hand- 

 some. In summer when in bloom they may be, 

 but as a gaixlen tree, apart from its flowers, I 

 don't know of a dirtier tree under the sun than 

 the Catalpa. From fall till next summei- its 

 pods keep dropping and littering up the place 

 in the most aggravating way. 



Scarlet SA<iK. Sow some seed alx)ut the 

 first of June, set out the plants in i-ich, good 

 ground, and next October these late seedlings 



