114 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



July, 





c^ 



Daisy Nurses. 



The daisies white are nursery maids. 



With frills upon their caps; 

 And daisy buds are little babes 



They tend upon their laps. 

 Sing " Heigh-ho! " while the wind sweeps low, 



Both nurses and babies are nodding— just so. 



The daisies love the golden sun 



Up in the clear blue sky ; 

 He gazes kindly down at them. 



And winks his jolly eye. 

 While sett and slow, all in a row, 



Both nurses and babies are nodding— just so. 



—Treasure Trove. 



The sentiment of the Poppy is consolation. 

 A corsage bunch, half and half of Marechal Niel 

 Roses and Double White Water Lilies, is charming 

 for this season. 



For a pretty effect combine the Candidum Lilies 

 with the rose-colored Spireas, and some Funkia 

 leaves in a loose arrangement. 



Branchlets of Mock Orange, intermixed with 

 Penstemons or Hardy Gladiolus of pink to soft Ver- 

 million colors, produce a tasteful effect. 



In fine Hot-house Eoses the Marechal Niel is 

 about the only one to be relied upon at this season. 

 It is at its best in June, July and August. 



Let the city damsel, on her first summer visit to 

 the country, get sight of Ox-eye Daisy or early Gol- 

 den Rod patches and a desire to glean the crop at 

 once fires her soul. The farmer wishes she would 

 take back a cart load of the pesky things, instead of 

 a double armful. 



A most pleasing ornament for the table or win- 

 dow at this season is a well developed plant of the 

 wild Maiden Hair Fern, lifted with its roots and set 

 into a wide-mouthed ornamental jar. The soil in 

 the jar should be kept moist constantly. By plac- 

 ing the plants where the sun cannot strike the leaves 

 to burn them, it will keep very nice for weeks. 



Bose-colored Water Lilies, of the same form and 

 size as the white kind, are a fashionable mid-sum- 

 mer flower. These are grown in Mas.sachusetts by 

 specialists and are shipped to florists in all but the 

 more distant parts of the country in the bud state. 

 A bouquet, made one part of the rose-colored species 

 and two parts of the common double white, is very 

 handsome. 



rield Daisies. A very effective arrangement of 

 these simple little flowers. Field Daisies,was recently 

 made at a dinner-party. A long garland was placed 

 on a bed of ferns down the center of the table and 

 about each plate was a horse-shoe of them, with a 

 few scarlet Roses at the corner. Bridesmaids' bou- 

 quets, halt Daisies and half crimson or pink Roses, 

 are in favor and look tasteful with white gowns. 



Sweet Peas are as durable for wear and bouquets 

 as they are lovely and sweet. The favorite colors 

 are white, delicate pink and pale blue. Simply ar- 

 ranged in almost any shape they are effective. On 

 an outgoing steamer for Europe last week a young 

 lady traveler received a little barrel of wicker work 

 filled in the top with Sweet Peas in three colors, 

 and a band of deep pink ribbon about it. The bot- 

 tom of the barrel was filled with bon-bons. 



If a table is to be decorated, vi-here Sweet Williams 

 of good quality are plentiful, the task is an easy 

 one. Take half a dozen or more small flsh globes or 

 other glass vessels of a uniform size, into which 

 place masses of the scarlet and crimson sorts, 

 using the same number of each color. These should 

 be set in a ring around the lamp, one of a 

 glowing mass of color being the best. H in the 

 daytime, instead of a lamp in the center, use a tall 

 vase containing flowers of different colors from 

 those below. 



Those persons who have for the first time tried 

 to make tasteful-looking bouquets or designs know 

 that this is not so easily done as might seem. Now 

 that flowers are plentiful, and cheap if they must 

 be bought, it is a good time to acquire skill at this 

 delightfid business. One great trouble with begin- 

 ners is, they usually lose sight of the principle of 

 simplicity in their compositions. They jumble to- 

 gether many colors in little bits of each, where if 

 less colors, and these arranged more in masses, 

 were used, the improvement would be great. The 



have the flowers so crowded that anything like in- 

 dividuality of kinds is lost. Both-of these faults new 

 beginners usually fall into. It should be the constant 

 aim to avoid all such errors from the start. 



Although flowers of all kinds are plentiful, 

 there is in house decoration a rage for artistic 

 effects in foliage. Panels, arches, canopies, cor- 

 nices, and screens are made in wire and mossed 

 frames for the ornamentation of walls, doors, mir- 

 rors, and windows In these designs the most de- 

 lightful shadings in green are brought out and the 

 charming tracery to be made with foliage are 

 shown. A canopy made of ivy leaves, for instance, 

 has a cluster of Cibodium fronds in relief. Cor- 

 nices of dark foliage are embroidered with the new 

 asparagus. A tenuissiimus. At the base of mirrors 

 is made a banking of Lycopodium, upon which the 

 gorgeous Begonia, Louise Chreitern, is planted 

 here and there. Mantels are also arranged in this 

 way. Small fronds of Cocus Weddelianea, called 

 here the " Japanese Palm," are very fashionable 

 for table and dress garniture. 



Botanical B)\id^et 



bouquets, too, as they leave their hands are apt to I held in this city August 18 to 24 



Do not collect specimens in the rain or dew. 



Several correspondents of the Botanical Gazette 

 state that fleshy plants, such as Sedum, dry readily 

 after being dipped in boiling water. 



In a recent Journal of the Linnaean Society there 

 were flgure<i the pollen gi-ains and an anther of 

 Papaver Rhceas taken from funeral garlands found 

 in Egypt, and which were nearly 3,(X10 years old 



The beautiful Purple Flowering Raspberry is 

 to be met in flower in all parts of the Northern 

 United States about this time. It is a fine shrub, 

 growing four or more feet high, and is worthy of a 

 place in every wild garden. 



Cultivation has so affected the evolution of the 

 Tomato thattheseeds are fast disappearing and bid 

 fair to pass out of existence entirely, as in the case 

 of the Banana, leaving their propagation dependent 

 on cuttings. This from the Am. Cultivator. 



The Grape wiis found very abundant on the coast 

 of what is now Massachusetts in the year 10111, when 

 the coast was discovered by Erickson and his thirty- 

 six companions from Norway ; and it was on ac- 

 count of the abundance of grapes there that what 

 is now America was named by them Vineland. 

 They also noted the existence there of the Reed or 

 Wild Rk'e.Zizaniaaquatica.—Gardetier'sMouihl!/. 



The Mulleins (rerboscitm) lift up their spikes of 

 flowei-s prominently during this month. Weeds that 

 they are in our pastures and neglected grounds, 

 every lover of the beautiful must stand before them 

 in admiration of the delicate beauty of the flowers 

 and the stateliness of the habit.which in the common 

 one, Verhascum Wop.si(.s, may be said to approach 

 grandeur. This last named species is indeed grown 

 tor ornament in some places, and all the members 

 of the family are desirable in the wild garden 



The Butterfly 'WeeA.,Asclrpias h(hpi-.«o, formerly 

 known as the Pleurisy Root is one of our fine native 

 plants, that is more esteemed abroad than at home. 

 An English authority speaks of it as " the flnest of 

 all American herbaceous perennials." This month 

 finds it very commonly in bloom, about dry hills 

 and fields in many parts of our country. The 

 flowers appear in terminal corymbs and are of a 

 bright orange-red color. It receives its name from 

 the fact that its sweetness is attractive to butterflies 

 and other insects. The plant is mostly obtained by 

 division of the roots. It is a shy seeder, but when 

 seeds are to be had, good plants can be grown from 

 these in about two years. Clumps of this plant 

 should oftener be found in our gardens. 



The Natural order of Labiatae, to which such 

 common plants as Salvia, Rosemary, Jlonarda, 

 Coleus, Sage, Thyme, and so on, belong, enjoys the 

 distinction of being one of the most natural groups 

 of plants. By this is meant, that the character of 

 its several thousand members, is more distinct and 

 uniform than is generally the case in a natural order. 

 In fact the variation from one type throughout 

 the family is no greater than that often found in a 

 single genus in other orders. The chief character- 

 istics of the order are, stem herbaceous, or sub- 

 woody, usually square; leaves opposite or whorled, 

 exstipulate and usually aromatic; flowers labiate, 

 mostly irregular. While it requires but a slight 

 familiarity with botany to determine the order of 

 any new labiates met, the discrimination of the 

 genera is often difficult. 



The Buffalo Meeting. The next meeting of the 

 American Association of Natural Sciences will be 



Botanists who 



have once attended the meetings of this society 

 since the Botanical Club was organized need no 

 urging to come again. The coming meeting in this 

 city bids fair to be one of the best yet held A local 

 club has been formed, to more effectually devise 

 and carry out plans for the entertainment of the 

 visitors They propose to do all that time and op- 

 portunity will permit. Among the most prominent 

 means of entertainment will be a special excursion, 

 during some afternoon not yet decided upon, to as 

 good collecting ground as can be found within con- 

 venient distance of the city This will doubtless be 

 to Niagara Falls to one of the several swamps, which 

 afford a rich flora, or to the lake shore. 



ABOUT THE PLACE. 



Destroy the road weeds. 

 Bad fences cause jumping animals. 

 Summer is the time to replace old wooden cellar 

 floors with the better and healthier ones of cement. 

 Asparagus. It is an injury to the bed to cut out 

 many stalks at this season, for fly roosts or merely 

 for adorning the rooms, as one often sees done. 



Milk-weeds or A.iclepins yield much honey, but 

 bees are often injured or killed through coming in 

 contact with the cohering masses of pollen pecu- 

 liar to their flowers. 



While we endorse the great service of toads as 

 garden helpers every time, yet we don't want them 

 near the bee hives They will as readily snap up 

 heavily laden bees as they do the most offensive 

 bugs and worms. 



'Watering Troughs. As you yourself like clean 

 water to drink, so keep the animal troughs clean. 

 The difference between these being kept scoured 

 out of all filth and rot makes all the difference be- 

 tween having the water clean and wholesome or 

 otherwise for the live stock. 



Starting Wild Flowers. To Miss H. D.: The 

 simplest way is to notice at w'hat time the seeds of 

 wild flowers are ripe. Collect them, and sow where 

 wanted. You can procure some sorts from seeds- 

 men. Remove patches of grass, so as to sow the 

 seeds. You can also collect plants with a ball of 

 earth, but this would entail heavy labor. 



Earth in the Stable. Nothing will purify and 

 keep a stable so free from odors as the free use of 

 dry earth, and every one keeping horses or cattle 

 will find it pays to keep a heap of it at hand, to be 

 used daily. A few shovelfuls of earth scattered 

 over the floor after cleaning will render the aii- of 

 the apartments pure and wholesome. The value of 

 the season's manure pile nuist be largely increased 

 by the free use of such absorbents. The strength 

 of the gases and liquids is retained, and is the very 

 essence of good manure.— .Scientific American. 



Bees Clustering. The cause of clustering is an 

 overfull hive. While bees are clustered, work is in 

 a measure suspended. As this is very liable to take 

 place in the midst of a valuable gathering spell, and 

 may last a number of days oreven weeks, —the only- 

 natural remedy being swarming,— a large loss may 

 be entailed imless steps are taken to prevent it. Ar- 

 tificial swarming is much thought of by some as a 

 remedy, and in the hands of a skillful aparian is a 

 good one Those who are not capable of going 

 through with this operation may reach the same 

 end by merely managing to add more honey boxes 

 to the hive. This may be done by boring holes in 

 the tops of the present ones to agree with those of 

 the new boxes, and then place them on top of the 

 present ones, hole to hole. Such a course will dissi- 

 pate the clusters by leading the bees to go to work. 

 This will Apply some Places. Mr. Topnoody de- 

 livers himself with enthusiasm to Mrs. Topnoody 

 concerning the appropriation of a large sum of 

 money for the cleaning up of the streets of their 

 town, closing with the remark that ' Tm glad to see 

 the prospect of an era of reform and cleanliness, 

 because we need it, not only in the streets, but every- 

 where else." 



"And are you ready to do your share in cleaning 

 the city, Topnoody?" 



"Aye, that I am, ready and willing; more, I am 

 eager to do my humble portion," and he swelled all 

 up with municipal patriotism. 



" Very well, then, Topnoody," returned his wife 

 who could not let the opportunity pass, " go out there 

 in the back-yard and begin . It's too dirty to think of, 

 and I want you to help make your own surroundings 

 respectable I like to see you men blow about clean- 

 ing the streets, when you leave your wives to paddle 

 around in ferry-boats in their own back-yards. Bah I 

 at your street cleaning and your million-dollar ap- 

 propriations. I don't want to hear from you, Top- 

 noody, until you've disinfected that back-yard!" 



Topnoody is at the present time a silent partner 

 in the yard cleaning enterprise.— CTucoso Drummer. 



