POPULAR GARDENING 



FOR TOWN AND COUNTRY. 



"ACCUSE NOT NATURE, SHE HATH DONE HER PART; DO THOU BUT THINE."— JiivroK. 



Vol. 1. 



JTJI.-Y-, 1886. 



No. lO. 



A Summer Picture. 



A cloudless sky, and a stretch of meadow 



Dotted with dais}- aud clover blooms; 

 A farm-house old, in the white trees nestled. 



And hum of bees in the lilac plumes: 

 Tassels of alder so slenderly swaying, 



And flower-bells swinging in every breeze: 

 A song of bird from the woodland shadow, 



And carol of joy in the budding trees: 

 A lake's dark calm in the distance Ij'ing, 



With cliff's gray turrets reflected deep, 

 And flag-fringed shores where the trees are 

 bending 



O'er stilly shades where the lilies sleep. 



— Youths Companion. 



Lifting Plants in July. 



For varioii.s purposes there is a gain to be 

 found in lifting pot plants in Jul}' instead of 

 September. Take for e.Kample such free 

 growing kinds as Geraniums, Coleus, Helio- 

 trope, Abutilons, Salvias and the like, that 

 may be wanted for fall decoration or for fall 

 flower shows, and they can be gotten up in 

 much better shape for the purpose if potted 

 now than if done two or three mouths later. 

 Indeed, we are disposed to think that if all 

 plants designed for fall and winter use in the 

 house, were lifted earlier tliau the customary 

 time of September, gains would be made. 



The reason for these advantages in earl}' 

 lifting are obvious. Plants set into the flower 

 beds in May will have become well estab- 

 lished and be pushing vigorously root and 

 top by July. But at this date the roots, ac- 

 tive as thej' are, will not have spread so far 

 but that by lifting the plants carefull}-, 

 nearly every one of the former may be re- 

 tained. As root growth, especially in early 

 stages is generally in advance of top growth, 

 we may therefore have, by lifting now, the 

 favorable condition of roots in (juantity to 

 correspond fully with the top. 



With later liftings it is different. From 

 now on, the roots of most plants extend to 

 such lengths, that it is impossible to retain 

 them all if lifting be deferred several months. 

 But the top will all be there, giving us the 

 condition in September lifted plants of more 

 top than roots. Plants under such circum- 

 stances, even with pruning, cannot possibly 

 recuperate to as good advantage, as where 

 root and top are in good balance. 



To those, especially of our readers, who 

 may have the opportunity of hel|iing to get 

 up autumn flower shows, we would say, be- 

 gin the lifting soon. Bj' putting the plants 

 now into six or seven inch pots, using rich 

 soil and giving them all the water needed, you 

 may easily outdistance, in beauty of exhibits, 

 those growers who for the same purpose 

 defer the lifting of stock until September. 



be grown, the distribution becomes ■wider. 

 The Gloxinias can be flowered as easily as 

 a Geranium, only requiring a little knowl- 

 edge of its likes and dislikes. A good col- 

 lection may be secured from one package of 

 seeds; in purchasing, get the finest strain. 



By starting Gloxinias tubers at intervals, 

 a succession of these splendid flowers may 

 be had nearly the whole year. In potting, 

 do not entirely cover the bulb, as its shoots 

 are unable to push up through the soil like 

 a Calla, and the soil should be put in loosely, 

 settling after the bulb is planted, by giving 

 the pot a sudden jar. After potting, water 

 thorough!}', place in a warm, rather shaded 

 .situation, and they will need no more atten- 

 tion, excepting a moderate supply of water, 

 till new growth is noticed, when the sup- 

 pi}' of water should be gradually increased. 

 In mixing up some soil, add a small quan- 

 tity of decomposed cow manure from the 

 " sod heap " when potting or re-potting. By 

 the way, if that " sod heap " has not b^en 

 made, let it be attended to right away, and 

 this is as good a mixture as can lie had for 

 a general collection of plants: Two parts 

 sandy sods, laid grassy sides together, and 

 one part cow or horse manure, or better still, 

 rotted refuse hops from the breweries. This 

 should lie repeatedly turned, until it be- 

 comes friable. 



When Gloxinias are through blooming, 

 many recommend drying them off. I do 

 not favor this. Of course the supply of 

 water must be diminished, or the tubers 

 will decay, but it is not necessary to stop 

 watering altogether — indeed, I think the 

 plants are improved by keeping the soil 

 moist enough for them to start again, which 

 they will do .soon. 



But few named varieties of Gloxinias are 

 offered in this country, and I find some of 

 the imported named kinds I have grown 

 quite inferior to my tmnamed seedlings. I 

 have one extra strong plant (in bud now) 

 given me by a friend, which showed twenty- 

 four flowers in perfection at one time last 

 season, which, alone, rivalled all of my im- 

 ported named varieties in both foliage and 

 richness of Iiloom. 



Gloxinias require a larger pot than most 

 plants as dwarf as they. 



Wilbur F. Lake. 



About Gloxinias. 



Early started bulljs of this elegant plant 

 shoidd be in bloom during the present month. 

 Formerly it was quite rare to flnd the 

 Gloxinia outside of a green-hou,se, but as 

 people begin to learn how easily a plant can 



Who Will Join the Audubon Society? 



The bir(is of America should find their 

 warmest friends among the gardeners of 

 America. The killing of birds means the 

 increase of insects that spoil aud consume 

 our crops. The small toll they take from 

 the crops is a very light compensation, on 

 the whole, for the good done. 



Con.siderjng the heartless slaughter of 

 millions of useful birds in the past, at the 

 demand of dame fashion and by sportsmen, 

 and even by the boys, it is time that those 

 who are their friends should stand by them. 



It is said on good authority, that in one 

 month last year, one million Rails and Boli- 

 olinks were destroyed about Philadelphia 

 for the millinery market. We are indeed 

 glad to see that an awakening is taking place 

 as to the worth and rights of birds, both in 

 this country and in England, and which 

 promi.ses to breakup the ruthless killing of 

 them that has so long gone on unchecked. 



The Audubon Society, referred to in our 

 heading, is an association recently founded 

 in New York City, for the protection of 

 birds. It desires the co-operation of all lov- 

 ers of the feathered songsters, and asks such 

 to become members of the association. This 

 may be done by any person without cost, 

 who will write out and sign the following 

 pledges, mailing them to The Audubon So- 

 ciety, No. 40 Park Row, New York. When 

 the pledges are received, a certificate of 

 membership in it is returned to the sender. 



Plt'dije 1. I pledge myself not to kill, wound 

 or capture any wild bird not used for food, as 

 long as I remain a member of the Audubon 

 Society; and I promise to discom'age and pre- 

 vent the killing, wounding or capture of birds 

 by others. 



Plcdye 2. I pledge myself not to rob, destroy 

 or in any way disturb or injure the nest or 

 eggs of any wild bird so long as I remain a 

 member of the Audubon Society; and I prom- 

 ise to discourage and prevent, so far as I can, 

 such injury by others. 



Ph'dgi' 3. I pledge myself not to make use 

 of the feathers of an}' wild bird as ornaments 

 of dress or household furniture, and by every 

 means in my power to discourage the use of 

 feathers for decorative purposes. 



Is there in our family of readers one per- 

 son who will not gladly sign these pledges, 

 and be enrolled among the members of the 

 Audubon Society ? We are free to say that 

 inasmuch as the women of our land — too 

 often in thoughtlessness — have been ar- 

 raigned among the bird destroyers, so now 

 the women of our land should be among 

 the first to work out an effective, time-en- 

 during remedy for an obvious evil. We are 

 sure that they will quickly respond. Every 

 mother should take it ujion her to inspire 

 her children with due regard for the rights 

 of these feathered friends of num. When 

 a proper public seutiment is created with re- 

 gard to the value of these for their living 

 beauty, utility and song, then may they re- 

 joice that they had a hand in the gracious 

 work. In that day every true woman would 

 be ashamed to wear feathered adornments 

 purchased at the cost of blood. And in that 

 day the lament that destructive insects are 

 " worse than in former years," will less 

 rarely be heard by cultivators of flowers, 

 fruit and vegetables. 



Summer Pruning of Grape Vines. 

 BY E. WII.LIA.MS. 



Do I believe in it? I do most assuredly, 

 and practice it, too. Its object and advant- 



