1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



53 



a we(lt;c lightly inserted as shown a ((, and 

 the pes driven in firmly, so that the wedge 

 is driven home at the same time, spreading 

 the inside end of peg. and giving the latter 

 a firm hold, as seen at /). The other end of 

 peg is now sawed off evenly with the out- 

 side, and another wedge driven in, as appear- 

 ing at c. The whole operation is as simple 

 as it is eflfective. 



COMMENTS BY READERS. 



A dfpartnunt to which all are inrited to send notes 0/ 

 experience and observation concerning topics that re- 

 cenllu hare (xfil treated on in Ihia journal, ilany 

 .•ufA contributions monthly are tcelcome. 



Keepisi! Sweet Potatoes. Our southern 

 methods are somewhat different than those given 

 in your columns. The following: plan is prac- 

 tised here where cheapness is a leading consider- 

 ation. Harvest Potatoes as soon as possible after 

 the first frost has blackened the leaves, and by 

 all means before the next rain. Make a bed about 

 eight inches thick of dry Corn stalks on the south 

 side of a building or windbreak of some kind, 

 and on high ground, so that water will run off 

 and not rise into the heap. Now pile the Pota- 

 toes in a conical heap on the bed. being careful 

 not to bruise tnem. and pick out all badly bruised 

 and broken ones. Place Corn stalks lengthwise 

 around the heap to the depth of about five or six 

 inches, the butts resting on the bed, and the tops 

 coming together at the apex of the heap. The 

 size of the heap may vary, but generally should 

 be four or five feet high. If there are many 

 Potatoes, a series of heaps, or one long wedge- 

 shaped heap may be made. Coverall finally with 

 soil to a depth of about six inches on the south 

 side, on the north side ten inches or more would 

 perhaps be better. Leave a small space at apex 

 of heap uncovered by soil, but well protected by 

 the stalks. Cover the heaps with a cheap shed 

 to keep oft rain. It is better to have a number 

 of small heaps so that one can be used without 

 disturbing the others. It is doubtful if the Sweet 

 Potatoes grown in the States north of Kentucky 

 ever reach a state of maturity that will admit of 

 their being kept so well as the southern-grown. 

 This is an inexpensive method, however, and it 

 would be well to try it and report results to this 

 paper. It is now too late, perhaps, to treat the 

 present crop, unless the Potatoes have been pre- 

 served in cellars or elsewhere, without exposure 

 to cold.- IT. B. i:tark. State College. Ky. 



Lady Birds. A year or two ago on a warm 

 bright day late in autumn, myself and some 

 friends in strolling through a pleasant country 

 district of this State, came to a large Plane or 

 Cottonwood tree, the base of which from a little 

 distance appeared as if painted red. On exam- 

 ination we found the sunny side of the base and 

 the ground next to it covered with a thick layer 

 of the spotted lady bird, millions of them being 

 out sunning themselves. We might have scooped 

 them up by the quart. The thought struck me 

 to gather a lot and take them to the greenhouse 

 to give them shelter over winter, and have them 

 assist me in the warefare against the Potato bug 

 next season. But Mr. W. Sanders in his " Insects 

 Injurious to Fruits" has failed to instruct us 

 about the life habits of these useful little insects, 

 and so I did not know whether my interference 

 would be of help or detriment to the lady birds; 

 so fearing the latter I left them to their fate. 

 Would it not be well for our entomologists to 

 Impart more knowledge on the life habits of 

 useful insects, so we can find out in what way 

 we might be of help to them, protect and shelter 

 them?— JVcic Jergian. 



SlTB-lBRIGATIOX FOB GARDENS. NO dOUbt 



some ponds and streams carry weed seeds, and 

 when tapped for surface irrigation are apt to 

 seed the land with most undesirable and annoy- 

 ing crops. In such case the only thing to be 

 done is to irrigate by means of tile placed ten or 

 twelve inches or more below the surface. I fijid 

 this by far the most preferable method anyway, 

 and it meets Henry Rupky's objection in a per- 

 fect way. On my soil, which is very porous with 

 porous subsoil, the water sinks too fast to be 

 quickly distributed over the surface layer, and I 

 need great quantities of water in order to irrigate 

 every part of the surface and do thorough work. 

 In other words I have to deliver the water in a 

 rush, so to give some of it a chance to reach the 

 points furthest from the head before all of it 

 finds its way into the subsoil. This is one reason 

 why I prefer the full supply of river or pond to 

 the slow delivery of windmills. On the other 



hand I find the temperature of pond and stream 

 water in summer much more cougenlal to plant 

 growth than that of deep wells, and otherwise 

 more suitable. But if well water has to be used, 

 I would construct an overground reser\ oir or a 

 pond above my field, pump this full and allow it 

 to get warm in the sun, then use it for sub- 

 irrigation in the way I now practice with my 

 natural pond supply.— .V/orri.s Mmirrey. 



Construction of Gree.nhouse Wai-ls. Far 

 too little attention is generally paid to the con- 

 struction of greenhouse walls, and other walls 

 too, and also to the matter of excluding cold and 

 preserving heat in houses, stiibles, etc.. by a little 

 painstaking. My neighbors, for instance, con- 

 struct a vegetable forcing house. The sides, two 

 feet high, are put up of a single thickness of 

 boards, and so is the end facing the north with 



REPAIRING HOT-BED SASH. 



the door. It is true the sides are banked up with 

 soil, but a few inches next the glass are left bare, 

 and the cold has an excellent chance to work in 

 at this Line. How much warmer and more com- 

 fortable would it be inside, how much better 

 would the plants thrive, or how much less fuel 

 be needed, if the sides were constructed as sug- 

 gested by Mr. S. B. Green (see page 35, November 

 issue). Such a double wall would not require 

 much outlay for boards, and sawdust can usuall.v 

 be had tor little besides the hauling. Paper is 

 also quite cheap. People are too careless in such 

 matters. A little time spent in padding and 

 stopping up crevices, putting in lights where 

 broken, etc., will often save much coal or suffer- 

 ing.— C?iaric« Sterling, Camden, iV. J. 



Effects of Arsenites. I have just read with 

 much interest the articles in the November num- 

 ber of Popular Gardening on the effects of 

 the arsenites, London purple and Paris green, 

 upon foliage. As I have conducted extensive 

 experiments for the express purpose of deter- 

 mining the comparative effects of these different 

 poisons, applied in different ways to the foliage 

 of various trees and plants, I can hardly help 

 adding a word. In Bulletin 2 of this station I 

 gave the results of a series of experiments that 

 proved most conclusively that white arsenic 

 should never be applied in solution to any foliage 

 for the destruction of leaf-feeding insects. I 

 have verified and reverifled those experiments, 

 and have always met with the same results. 

 Arsenic dissolved by boiling in water and then 

 apphed to tender foliage like Peach and Plum 

 has done quite serious injury, when as dilute as 

 one pound of the arsenic to 1.500 gallons of water. 

 I also found last year that the larvsp of Datana 

 ministra when fed day after day upon the leaves 

 of Apples that had been sprayed with dissolved 

 arsenic in the strength of one pound to 1200 gal- 

 lons of water, were not affected bj' the poison. 

 During the past two months I have made in the 

 neighborhood of 400 applications of London 

 purple, Paris green and white arsenic in strengths 

 varying from one pound of the poison to .W gallons 

 of water to one i>ound in 800 gallons. The foliage 

 used in the experiments has been of Apple, Pear, 

 Peach, Plum. Cherry, Alder, Elm, Locust, Bar- 

 berry, Raspberry, Poplar and Soft Maple. It is 

 my intention to conduct these experiments 

 farther before publishing the full results in the 

 station bulletins, but they have gone far enough 

 to show that London purple is far the most 

 injurious of any of these arsenites when freshly 

 mixed and applied in cold water to foliage. This 

 destroyed nearly one-halt of the foliage of Apple 

 trees when applied once in the proportion of one 

 pound to 160 gallons of water, and on Plum 

 foliage it did even worse than this. Until farther 

 experimentation proves me to be wrong. I shall 

 never recommend London purple in preference 

 to Paris green for the destruction of insects, 

 provided the liquid is in a condition to be con- 

 stantly stirred while being applied. In my 



exi>eriments Paris green hasbeen next to London 

 purple in amount of injury, and much to my 

 surpri.se, pure white arsenic freshly mixed (not 

 dissolved) and applied has been least injurious. 

 Upwards of twenty applications of this poison in 

 the proportion of one poimd to bO gallons of 

 water, have been made to the foliage of various 

 trees, including Peach and Plum, without in any 

 case doing more than very slight harm, as shown 

 in two or three weeks' time. White arsenic is 

 very cheap when purchased in quantity, but it is 

 objectionable on account of its being diiBcult to 

 mix, and when mixed it .settles rapidly, and it is 

 more dangerous to have about the house, as it is 

 more liable to be taken for flour, soda or other 

 articles used In cooking.— C. P. OUlette, litwa Ex- 

 periment Station. 



Zanzibar Badsam. I read with much pleasure 

 and can heartily endorse the remarks in Novem- 

 ber issue regarding the Imijatiens Sultani. A 

 plant purchased last fall was never without 

 bloom. All winter it delighted the family with 

 its wealth of blossoms, and in the spring was 

 planted under a Grape vine in the garden. Con- 

 trary to all expectation, the tops ha^^ng been 

 taken off for cuttings, it spread out, increased 

 rapidly in size, and soon was one of the bright 

 spots in the garden with its hundredsof blossoms. 

 E\'eryone seeing it wanted cuttings, and no diffi- 

 culty was found in rooting them in water or sand. 

 The original plant was killed by the frost, as it 

 was altogether too large to be taken up for the 

 house, but its cuttings are in blossom on the 

 shelves, together with cuttings of Browallia; 

 the two flowers contrasting well together, and 

 the same height. Flowering plants make a win- 

 dow look bright and cheerful, and my experience 

 is that the Sultani, BrowalUa and Sweet Alyssum 

 are much more satisfactory, require less care, 

 and under every condition give a greater wealth 

 of bloom than Geraniums, Fuchsias, Helio- 

 tropes or any other window plant. The Sultani is 

 the best of the Impatlens, the Lucy and Hawkeri 

 not being so free bloomers. I have never raised 

 any of them from seed, but suppose this could 

 be easily done.— Ja;?. H. Bancroft, Mass. 



Remedy for Rabbits. A much better preven- 

 tion against the depredations of rabbits than the 

 " grease and blood " recommended in Novemtier 

 i.ssue, is a wash of one pound of copperas dissolved 

 and mixed with a bucket of whitewash, and 

 applied, well thinned with water, with a white- 

 wash brush. This same wash will also keep out 

 the Apple borer if applied in May, and it does 

 not damage the trees. Further it is a partial 

 protection against mice, while the '^ blood and 

 grease " attracts them. This is a very valuable 

 wash, and I have used it for five years on thou- 

 sands of trees,young and old .—Be ;v.Bwc?c77ian, /(Is. 



Bleaching Ev.iporated Fruits. In reply to 

 a recent communication in your columns I will 

 tell why I do not consider bleaching evaporated 

 fruits injurious. Sulphurous acid is not readUy 

 oxidized in the presence of air and moisture, as 

 there claimed; it requires the addition of nitric 

 acid fumes to produce sulphuric acid in any con- 

 siderable quantity, the reaction being chemically 

 represented thus, 3 S. O 2 plus N. O .5 = 3 S. O 3 

 plus N. O 2. The whole matter was carefully 

 investigated and reported upon by Samuel A. 

 Lattimore, Ph. D., in the sixth annual report of 

 the State Board of Health of New York State, 

 submitted March 19, 18.S6. Referring to sulphur- 

 ous acid he says: "In no case has the writer 

 found any trace of this acid in evaporated Apples 

 or other fruit." He also failed in everj' instance 

 to find traces of free sulphuric acid. Further: 

 " Should it appear that the quantity of sulphates 

 found in sulphured Apples always exceeds the 

 normal quantity, the excess would very reasona- 

 bly be credited to the treatment. The compara- 

 ative analysis of the samples of the same fruit, 

 part of which had been treated with sulphur and 

 part not, showed no wider difference than may 

 be fairly referred as permissible error of experi- 

 ment. The largest quantities found were so 

 tririal that the writer cannot entertain the 

 opinion that it excedes the quantity of sulphuric 

 acid normally belonging to that particular 

 sample." Then after considering the question 

 whether the juice of the Apple acts upon the 

 zinc of the fruit trays to form a poisonous salt, 

 he says: "In conclusion it appears plain that 

 there can exist no well f on nded cause of appre- 

 hension as to any dangerous contamination of 

 evaporated Apples or other fruit from either of 

 those two sources." Hence I trust no one will 

 be frightened away from the use of evaporated 

 Apples by your correspondent's alarm.— i^erf W. 

 Caril, Tompkins Co., N.Y. 



