POPULAR .GARDENING. 



January, 





Correspondents are urged to anticipate the season in pre- 

 Benting questions. To ask, for instance, on April IS or 20 

 iphat Peas had best be sown, could bring no anstcer »n 

 the May issue, and none before June, leken the answer 

 would be unseasonable. Questions received before the mft 

 of any nuinth stand a good chance of being answered in the 

 next paper. Xot more than three questions should be sent 



at one time. Answers to qu.stiiyns bearina en tue com- 



of implements, etc., offered by different 



dealers must not be expected. Xeither can we promise to 



parative valu 



comply urith tfic request sometimes made to "please ansuvr 

 by mail." Inquiries appearing leithout name belong to the 

 name, next following. 



Replies to Inquiries are earnestly requested from our 

 rea^trs. In anstrering suoh give the number, your 

 loeality and name, the latter not for publication. unUas 

 you desire. Write only on one side of the paper. 



1.581. Golden Queen Raspberry. What is the color 

 yield, and market value?— M. J.. Norwich, X. T. 



I.5S2. White Alpine Strawberry. Where can I ob- 

 tain a plant or seedV-L. E. R. L., Big Horn City, Wyo. 



1.583. Apple Stock. Are the roots of trees three or 

 four years old good for stock? 



1.584. Root Grafts. Should they be kept in cellar, 

 or out doors, and how? How deep should they be 

 planted in spring?~C. C. L., Old Fort. N. C. 



1.585. Kandline Celery. What Is understood by 

 this term? 



1,5S6. Sweet Corn. Has the Gold Coin proved a 

 success?— B. F. M,, Sanquoit, N. Y. 



l.yi. Planting Asparagus. What distance is best? 

 Toset one third acre uest spring, is it better to raise 

 plants from seed, or to buy them f 



1,588. Fruit and Vegetable Growing. What work 

 would you recommend for the novice? -C. D., St, Paul, 

 Minn. ' 



1.5S9. Orchid Culture. Where can I get full infor- 

 mation?— Mrs. T. M. P., CastroviUe, Te^. 



1,59<X Starting Flower Seeds. When is best time to 

 start them In hot bed lor outdoor planting? How 

 made and managed?— S. R. H., Ashtabula, O. 



1.591. Poultry Manure. What is Its value for the 

 garden and flower bed?— R. S., Columbus, O. 



1.592. Vine Leaved Abutilon. Where can it be 

 bought?-C. C. "R, Buffalo, A'. Y. 



1.593. Althaeas. Can they be grown from seed, and 

 If so, when gatJiereU, and sowed?— F. E. N., St. Louis. 



1,5*4. Root Grafting. How done? Are the adver- 

 tised machines of any account.— W. W. R., Iowa. 



1.595. Hardy Roses. Please give a list of best six— 

 W. M. W., Chicago, Ill-i. 



1.596. Fruit Evaporating. What are the leading 

 principles?— C. F., Hart. Mich. 



1.597. Coal Soot. Is it a good fertilizer for plants 

 as claimed?— F. F. R., Boston, ^ass. 



1,593. Growing Asparagus. Should it be bleached 

 or not for market?— S. X., Fairport, I. 



1,599. Rochester Nurserymen. Please give list of 

 plant aud tree growers.- M. M. M., Ripley, O. 



1,6U0. Prizelaker Onion. Please give address of 

 seedsman who has It.— J. D. W., Savannah, Ga. 



1.601. Chestnut Orchard. Would you advise setting 

 a Paragon orchard for profit?— Ffti7a., P. 



1.602. Disposal of Rubbish. Is burying in trenches 

 a good practice?— B. F. H,, Warsaw. 



I,»i03. Turnip Tops for Greens. Is any call for them 

 in market? Are they good for home use?— TFes^c/i(?sfer. 



1,6 -A. Soil for Peanuts. Should It be very rich, aud 

 how prepared?- M. N. S., Indiana. 



1,605. Pruning the Plum and Pear. Should this be 

 done, and If. how?— J. M. M. 



1,61)6. Red Currant. What variety is most produc- 

 tive on clay ? 



1.607. Donbling the Yield. What Is best treatment 

 to make soli yield double crop? 



1.608. Quick Garden Crops. What vegetables will 

 answer to raise two crops in one season from same 

 ground?— J. M. M.. Embro, Ont . 



1.6119. Mulberries from Cuttings. How grown? 

 have tried but failed. -H. W., Clinton, Ills. 



1.610. Mountain Holly. When is best time to trans- 

 plant from forest to lawu?— J. B. S., Highlands, N. C. 



1.611. Elberta Peach. Does it succeed at north as 

 well as at the south?- J. D, B., Ann Arbor, Mich. 



1.612. Swamp Muck. How should it be treated to 

 make it a complete fertilizer for vegetables?— E. G., 

 Monmouth Co., X. J. 



1.613. Chrysanthemums not Blooming. 1 have 

 Count of Germaula, and Robt. Craig, strong, healthy, 

 no bloom.— J. B. T., Winncpcg. 



1.614. Propagating the Quince. Can it be done 

 from cuttings, and how?— S. W. T., North Royalton, O. 



1.615. Propagating Begonias. How are Manicata 

 aurea, ami Count Louis Erdmlv to be treated?— L.P.H., 

 West Rutland, Vt. 



1.616. Tariff on Plants and Seeds. What is the 

 present tariff rate:'— L. K.. Stay.slehurst, Neb. 



1.617. Hardy Fruits. Name two hardiest Plums 

 and Russian Apples for Northwest,— F, B., Olenboro, 

 Mon. 



1,6IS. Pruning Peaches. What is best season, aud 

 how done?— J. E. M., Rov7^dhead, O, 



1.619. Rhododendron at North. Can they be grown 

 as far north as Fort Wayne, Ind.? What kinds are best 

 and when to plant?— S. H. S.. Titman, Ijid. 



1,{\H>. Blue Gladiolus. Where can it be obtained. 

 If existing? 



', 1,621. Crinum Americanum. How best kept over 

 winter? 



1,622. French Cannas. What are the parents of the 

 new hybrid dwarfs?— L. B., New York. 



1.633. Southern Market Gardening. How exten- 

 sive are shipments of fruits an<l vegetables from south 

 to northern market^?- A. SI. N., New England. 



1.624. Bagasse as.Mulch. Will mulch of sorghum 

 cane refuse be Injurious to Strawberries by causing 

 ai-ldity?— J. C. H.. lown. 



1.625. Roses from England. Can they be sent by 

 mall successfully? 



1.626. Variegated Pittosporum Tobira. Is It bene- 

 fited by manure water before blooming? 



1.627. Amaryllis Belladona. When is its natural 

 blooming season? Bulb planted seven weeks, no sign 

 of sprouting.— W. S. J., Cnicago, Ills. 



1.628. Celery Seed. How la It grown?- F. T.. H., 

 Oakfield.N. Y. 



1.629. Gooseberries among Dwarf Pears. Pears 

 ten feet apart each way. Will a Gooseberry set be- 

 tween succeed?— L. S., Canada. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 



1,588. Fmit and Vegetable Growing. We are 

 not acquainted with any work combining- the 

 two branches, except Henderson's " Gardening 

 for Profit," which not only gives fnll informa- 

 tion on the subject of vegetable growing, but 

 also has a chapter on small fruit culture. As a 

 guide book for the novice in fruit .growing, we 

 would commend Bairy's Fruit Garden. The 

 mtist complete lists of varieties are found in 

 Cliarles l^owning's Fruits and Fruit Trees of 

 America. 



1,546. Jewell Grapes. Vines can be had of Dr. 

 Stayman, Leavenworth. Kansas. 



1,587. Planting Asparagus. We believe in 

 giving each plant plenty of room for full de- 

 velopment, and both in field and garden culture 

 would have rows about five feet apart, and the 

 plants two feet apart in the rows. This looks 

 like wasting space ; but it is not. On rich warm 

 soil and otherwise well treated. Asparagus 

 planted at this distance will give better, larger 

 aud more salable *■ grass," and bring more 

 money than if planted closer. Plants standing 

 at the distance suggested by our correspondent, 

 namelj' in rows two feet apart, and six or eight 

 inches apart in the rows, are too much crowded 

 for space to produce anything, but weak spind- 

 ling sprouts that are not in demand in the 

 markets, or can be sold only at a low price to 

 fourth-class boarding houses. The large succu- 

 lent stalks, three quarters of an inch or more 

 in diameter, are what is wanted, and what will 

 find quick sale at top figures. Why should the 

 home grower plant closer than is found most 

 suitable for the market garden? Close planting, 

 of course, is also objectionable on account of 

 greater difficulty in cultivation. Wide rows are 

 convenient in every way. 



1,584. Handling Celery. Handling is merely 

 a preparatory step to blanching.and its object is to 

 make the plant grow upright and compact. The 

 leaf stalks are all gathered up, and held closely 

 together with one hand, while the other packs 

 soil tightly around thera to keep them in this 

 position. This is '* handling." Banking, or 

 earthing up for the purpose of bleaching the 

 stalks is done afterwards. 



1,591. Poultry Hanore. This contains more 

 of the nitrogenous element in an available form 

 than any other yard manure, and forthisreason 

 is especially suited to stimulate plant-growth. 

 Its value, of course, depends largely on the way 

 it has been handled and kept. An average sam- 

 ple of well-preserved poultry droppings, slightly 

 mixed with sifted coal ashes, dry muck or other 

 absorbents, and moist but not wet, will be worth 

 §5 or St> per ton. Clear, dry, pulverized drop- 

 pings would have a much higher value. On the 

 other hand, most of our poultry writers and 

 poultrj- editors are prone to exaggerate its value 

 and effectiveness. We are not afraid to spread 

 it on the garden pretty thick as a t(»p dressing, 

 often using all the manure produced by a 100 

 fowls during fall and winter on less than one- 

 sixth of an acre. Such an application has a tell- 

 ing effect. If to be used as a top dressing in the 

 flower garden and border, we would mix the 

 droppings with plenty of absorbing material, 

 especiaUy dry swamp muck, leaf mold, rotten 

 turf, etc. Sifted coal ashes is always a good 

 admixture, but wood ashes should not be used 

 to mix with it. 



1,600. Prizetaker Onion. This was introduced 

 by Wra. Henry Maule, as stated in last issue. 

 Watch our advertising columns for his address. 

 The reply to No. 1.5l»9 on page 81 applies to this 

 and all similar cases. 



1,593. Boot Grafting. This can be done in the 

 house any time. Home Journal gives the follow- 

 ing directions: The requisites are Apple seedlings 

 one or two years old; cions of the desired varietj', 

 as near the size of the j'oung trees as may be ; 

 and a knife with a thin blade and a keen edge. 

 The cions are shoots of the past season's growht 

 —wood of one year. For stocks only young 

 trees should be used. Some have grafted on 

 pieces of the roots dug up frf)m large trees; but 

 these, as a general rule, do not make good trees. 

 The young trees are first washed to free them 

 from grit; then the small fibrous roots are 

 trimmed off ; then as each tree is taken up to be 

 grafted, the top is cut off at the collar, with a 

 sloping cut about an inch long. A ciou about 

 three inches in length is then prepared with the 

 same kind of a cut on the lower end— the cut on 

 the root, it will be observed, is on the upper end. 

 In each of these two sloping cuts, a slit of nearly 

 three quarters of an inch Is made, allowing the 

 knife to enter about a third of an inch from the 

 thin end. This makes two "tongues," as they 

 are called, each to be fitted into the slit in the 

 other, and pushed together firmly and made to 

 agree exactly at one side, in case cion and stfick 

 do not quite agree in size. A little wrapping 

 with spool thread will hold them togetnor. 

 Usually the root will be too long, and several 

 inches of the lower end may be cut off and dis- 

 carded. The grafts are now to be tied in bundles 

 of twenty-five, with the proner labels attached, 

 and put away in damp earth in the cellar until 

 the spring. In planting out, only the upper bud 

 should remain above ground. The dis- 

 tance apart in the row may be eight to twelve 

 inches, according to the time the j'oung trees are 

 to be allowed to stand. Now about machine 

 work. We have seen and tried some of them, 

 but do not consider them of much value. A 

 skilled grafter can handle the grafts about as 

 fast liy hand, and make a surer job of it. We 

 would like to hear from our nurserymen, whether 

 any of them is using grafting machines to any 

 extent. We greatly doubt it. 



1,601. Chestnut Orchard. No, we would not 

 advise you to plant a large Paragon orchard at 

 the present price of trees. It might be a pay- 

 ing investment, but we do not believe in rushing 

 headlong into any new thing. We believe that 

 a Paragon Chestnut orchard would yield large 

 returns after a few years, but the way we would 

 manage, if we intended to plant largely is as 

 follows: First we would secure some trees and 

 plant them, for the purpose of growing grafts 

 from them. At the same time we would plant a 

 regular orchard of seedlings of either Spanish 

 or American Chestnuts, or else plant nuts ; and 

 as soon as we can get the grafts, we would graft 

 the seedlings with the Paragon. 



1,599. Growing Asparagus. To bleach or not 

 to bleach— that has been a point of dispute for a 

 long time. Personally we prefer large tender, 

 white stalks to green ones, but we do not want 

 them when poorly grown and tough. If the 

 "grass " is grown for market, we must of course 

 grow it to suit the demand. If people want green 

 stalks, we have to furnish them in this way, aud 

 vice-versa. In most citj' markets the white and 

 tender shoots bring a better price than green 

 ones. Consequently, says the Florida Agricul- 

 turists, the aim of the grower should be to have 

 his shoots as large and at the same time tender 

 as possible. These two requisites must be co- 

 existent; one without the other will amount to 

 but little. The amount of soil on top of the 

 crown to a great extent regulates the textui*e, 

 color and size of the shoots. If the soil is of con ■ 

 siderable depth, the shoots will be longer and of 

 a more desirable color. But at the same time, if 

 the depth of soil is too great, the shoots will 

 expend vitality, in forcing their way through it 

 to the surface, and will consequently become 

 "spindling," tough and fibrous. In some sec- 

 tions of the south, where the rays of the sun 

 will color and harden the tips within a few hours 

 the gardenere resort to numerous devices to pro- 

 tect them. A very tedious, laborious aud expen- 

 sive process is that of muk-hing the beds during 

 the cutting season. The .'mulch, consisting gen- 

 erally of straw and leaves, must be removed 

 every morning in order to get at the sprouts. 

 aud replaced when the cutting is finished. 

 Another plan is to have tlu- beds quite narrow, 

 and to plant Ras]"li«_'n-y bushes on each side of 

 them, and to train tht-ni agauist a low trellis that 

 they will overreach and lap above the bed, 

 making quite a dense shade. This is an excellent 

 plan, and magnificent Asparagus is grown in 

 these Kaspberry-shaded beds. The cutting, of 

 course, is somewhat unpleasant and difficult. 

 Another plan practiced extensively in gardens 

 exclusively for home use, is to get small tiower 

 pots, fill the hole in the bottom with ulay or 

 beeswax, and every morning place the i«>ts over 

 young shoots just showing themselves on the 

 surface; at the same time pulling the soil well 

 up to the inverted pot. This excludes the air 

 and sun, and the shoots will remain white and 

 tender until the pots are nearly filled. 



