122 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



f:0.\"nU(TK» EY JOSBrn FltOST. 



BEDDIXG PLANTS. 



Ma.nv lovei-a of plants a lew yeai'.s a^u iuiiuJ it 

 quite iiiip()8.sihk' to iiidiilj^o tiieir taste witli choice 

 bed(Iiiii» out piauts, owiucr to the groat expense. Some 

 otliers; liviim- at a^distunce, m'Iio woulil otherwise have 

 had iheni, were deterred by the vexatious dehiys and 

 irreualarities oi" all puldic conveyances, fearing the 

 great liibility of perishable articles of this descrip- 

 tion not reaching their destination in good condilion. 

 Many more were wlioliy unaeqnainted with them, and 

 would rerjuirc many indncements before venturing to 

 plant theii!. Xow Ibe.-'c difficvdties seem to be re- 

 moved, as the r.iur,y commercial gardens thi-oughout 

 the country i)rodu<e thousands of these plants every 

 spring, and furnidi them at such low rates tliat they 

 are -within the reach of all ^ho desire ■them. The 

 express cliargos ha^"e been so much reduced that it 

 can be resorted to without incmi'ing much expense, 

 if plants have to travel long distances ; if short, the 

 ordinary railway route wotdd be preferred. 



^\'ithoa1 a collection of bedding plants, no garden, 

 however large it may be, is complete. tStiil it is quite 

 doubtful if upon any other part of horticulture or 

 floi-ticnliure the great portion of American amateurs 

 show less ac([uaintance than with this. In part we 

 find the Daldia, the most magnificent and showy of 

 a ! aiitunm flowers, comprising alniost every conceivi;- 

 h\i color; the Verbena, each one of the' fiov.-ers in 

 f ;-elf being a miniatui e boqucl— some of them (juite 

 f arrant — and its diversities of color and number of 

 ki.ids are but little less than the hundreds of named 

 kinds of Dahlias; the graceful and beautifid liabit of 

 the Fuchsiii, son.eiimes called Tadies' lOar JJrop, and 

 its delicate and singularly formed. .flowers; the' high 

 and exquisite fragram a of the Heliotrope ; the vivid 

 c do s of the S.-arlet (iJeraniuu.s; the mass of flowers 

 formed by the Petunias; and v.-i'.h many othpr va- 

 rieties of plants adapted for blooming constantly 

 through the season 'are the Xoisette, 'i'ea, and Chlaese 

 or Daily roses, which make themselves the faNoiiles 

 of all who know them. 



All bedding plants re<|uire to be jilanted from th.e 

 1st of May to the l.'ith of June, or as Soon as no 

 fears may be entertained from frosts or cold nights. 

 All succeed well in any good garden soil. In giving 

 the treatment and habits of the respective sorts ve 

 would like to devote an article to each one, but now 

 will give only a brief sketch of each. 



The Dahlia is a tubcrous-rooiod j)lant. grow ing from 

 two to six feet liigh. The tubers or plants cultivated 

 ill pots are equally fit for planting to produce blooms, 

 tiiough pot plaiits arc best, as they form but one 

 stem, unless all the. eyes but one from the dry root are 

 removed by a knifc, either before planting or as fast as 

 they make their appearance at the surface of the 

 ground. As soon as they are eighteen inches high, a 

 s ako should be driven firmly into the ground, to which 

 t'le plants should be tied, to pi-event their being br(d<en 

 by the winds. A very neat and suj)enor method of 

 staking is by fixing in the gi-ound three slender stakes of 



wood, in a triangular form, and Ibrming rings of split 

 Willows, which are within the rea'di of every one, and 

 tying them to the stakes at regular distances ; or the 

 stakes may be j)ierced with holes, and wire passed 

 through them. Mulching altout the stems of the 

 plants with saw-dust or tan-bark is a good thing — or 

 what is much better, decayed leaves — as it keeps the 

 ground moist, and obviates the necessity of watering. 

 Here the Dahlia is infested with a small brown in- 

 sectywhich destroj's the extremities of the plant, tiius 

 preventing sometimes the young shoots from growing, 

 or the buds from expanding. We have tried various 

 means as a remedy, none of which have been suc- 

 cessful. 



The A'erbena is one of the very finest of the plants, 

 enduring without being injureil every kind of weather, 

 not excepting our hot summer sun. It trails upon 

 and com])Ietely covers the ground, and at its joints 

 I'orms roots. The following are among the finest col- 

 lections, though some are old sorts : Mba Odorata, 

 nearly jmrc white, an<l fragrant ; Beauty Supreme, 



pm 



Defiance, brilliant scarlet ; St. Marguerite, 



shaded crimson; Reirie de Jour, blush, with rosy eye; 

 Ipliigene, lilac, with purple center ; Eiiole de Venus, 

 blush, very large, with jmrple eye ; Malvina, dark 

 purple. 



The Fuchsia thrives well in any good soil, but re- 

 quires rather a shaded situation. 



Petmiias have much the same habit of growth as 

 the Verbena, and retjuire much the. same treatment, 

 but are more coarse, comprising a great variety of 

 bell-shaped flowers. 



The llehotrope too is quite similar in habit and 

 appearance to the Verbena. It is quite a favorite 

 from its fragrance, strongly resembling the Vanilla, 

 and is very pleasant to those that like strong per- 

 fumes. Many cultivators offer a number of vaiieties, 

 but we can not perceive more than three distinct 

 sorts that are desirable. 



Scarlet Geraniums produce their brilliant flowers 

 constantly through the summer and autumn months, 

 e\cn during the hottest and dryest weather, making 

 them among the most desiralde plants. 



Roses that generally require protection during the 

 winter of the 'IVa, Noisette, and more particularly of 

 the Chinese or Daily class, are admirably adajited for 

 bedding*. 



To produce a fine effect in grounds, nothing is finer 

 th;i!i to form groups of the different colors. A pyra- 

 mid of flowers is easily eflected by planting scarlet 

 Dahlias, (xcraniums, Roses. Verbenas and Petunias in 

 a circle or oval plot, the tallest in th.e center, as tlie 

 Dahlia, the Geranium or Rose next, and so on extend- 

 ing the circumference tifl the Verbena suriomids the 

 whole. If one of white is desired, obtain such va 

 rieties of the respective kinds. These qualities make 

 that portion of the flower garden devoted to bedding 

 plants among the most pleasing of all 



THE GOOSEBERRY. 



The goosebeiTv is held in the highest esteem in 

 Englancl, where it is grown in great perfectionj 

 There the moderate temperature and humidity of the 

 climate seem to suit the fruit. It is very wholesome' 

 and is found in nearly every cottage gardeiL During 



