98 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



January, 



of course straightening the crooks some- 

 what. If there is a regular slope like the 

 roof of a house, only not so steep, the mains 

 shoulil take the place of the eaves troughs, 

 and the laterals, if any, shoulrl run straight 

 down the slope as nearly as may be. If the 

 fall is very slight, it may need a field level- 

 ing instrument to lay out the system. But 

 usually a very wet time is the best to locate 

 drains. A furrow plowed then by the eye 

 will work its own grade or show it. 



Digging Ditches.— It you have not a 

 ditching machine, use a heavy breaking 

 plow and strong team to throw out the first 

 eight or ten inches, only drive straight. If 

 possible, dig when there is just enough 

 moisture down deep to ooze slowly into the 

 bottom of the ditch as you dig. Begin the 

 spade digging at the outlet and work along 

 up the mains and laterals. The water will 

 show the level. Permit no dips or depres- 

 sions. Dig as narrow and true as possible 

 to the required depth, and groove the bottom 

 of the ditch with a bottoming scoop of size 

 adapted to the tiles used. This and the 

 ditching spades, at least, you should have 

 for 3,000 feet of tiling. I usually establish 

 the grade pretty nearly with the plow, plow- 

 ing deeper through knolls, and shallower 

 through depressions, and then dig two or 

 three depths of the spade, according to depth 

 required, keeping the spade at the same 

 angle all the time, and thrusting it full 

 depth each time. This preserves the grade. 

 It takes a true eye. If you have not one 

 naturally, you had better hire a good, prac- 

 tical tile ditcher, and learn of him a few 

 days. That was what I did at first. If 

 there was no water in the .soil to show level, 

 the surest way is to draw some into the 

 Held and, when your eye on the span level 

 says your groove is cut straight and true 

 for a hundred feet or more, turn in ,iust 

 enough water at the upper end to test it. 

 It takes less water than you would think 

 and is aljsolutely sure. If it stands any- 

 where in long puddles, you must cut down 

 the high portions until no puddles remain. 

 Laying Tiles.— The groove should be cut 

 so that the tiles will fit without rolling and 

 shall touch bottom all the way. Different 

 sized scoops should be used for different 

 sized tiles. Lay the tiles from the outlet 

 np stream, look thi-ough each tile to see 

 that it is clear of obstructions and lay it so 

 that it will not rock or wobble, i. c, curved 

 up, and not down in the middle, if curved 

 at all. Chuck it up tight against the pre- 

 ceding tile and then step forward upon it 

 and lay the next. I prefer to stand in the 

 ditch, lay each tile by hand and stand on it 

 to press it firmly to its place. Assort the 

 tiles in scattering them along the ditch so 

 that the harder burned (smaller; ones shall 

 come together and not be mixed among the 

 softer burned ones. But lay none that are 

 not hard burned enough to give a clear, 

 metallic ring when struck with a hammer, 

 and, lay no cracked 'or broken ones. For 

 junction with the latterals get from the 

 kiln, if possible, main tiles with junctions 

 formeil, or at least, holes cut for junctions. 

 If you have to cut with a trowel, use great 

 care and secure great perfection. Remem- 

 ber all the time that the drain, if well laid, 

 should last 100 years or more, but if not well 

 laid, it may not last a year; also that it is 

 no better than its poorest part. 



Covering Tiles.— First, stand in the ditch 

 when the,tiles are laid, and with the ditch- 

 ing spade shovel in the fine clay (the sub- 

 soil last dug out) and see that it rattles or 

 fills clear down on both sides of the tiles. 

 Tramp very thoroughly with the feet as you 

 All, until you have llUed in some eight 

 inches deep. The rest may be plowed in by 

 running a very long evener and long inside 

 lines and having one horse on each side of 

 the ditch. If possible, the Held drained in 



the fall should have been tilled in hoed 

 crops all summer. The soil and subsoil are 

 more moist early in fall, and dig far more 

 easily than when in turf, or even in wheat 

 or oats. Still further, the filling by teams 

 is far easier, and the plowing of the field 

 for the next crop will efface all signs of the 

 ditch. In digging to fill with the plow, 

 about half of the earth had best be thrown 

 on each side. 



Sizes of Tiles, etc.— In very compact 

 clay subsoil, thorough drainage requires 

 laterals from thirty-three to fifty feet apart, 

 to drain the soil rapidly and thoroughly 

 enough to prevent damage to crops after very 

 heavy rains. This porous soil of Iowa will 

 "draw" 100 feet or more each side of a main 

 laid in a ''draw" or "slough," and main 

 drains through depressions, branching up 

 minor depressions, will usually be enough. 

 On my farm the laterals thirty-three feet 

 apart and with good fall, are all two-inch 

 tiles and are large enough. With fair fall, 

 a tile will drain an area equal to one-half its 

 diameter (In Inches) squared. That is, a 

 two-inch tile should carry the water from 

 one acre (two divided by two and squared), a 

 four-inch tile four acres, a five-inch tile 

 about six acres, and a six-inch tile about nine 

 acres; the less the grade, the wider the 

 "suction range" and the longer the drain, 

 the larger the tiles required. A drain may 

 begin at its lower end with four-inch tiles 

 and diminish to three and then to two to- 

 wards its upper end. 



The Vallota or Scarborougfh Lily as a 

 Show Plant for Amateurs. 



We want to give a hint now to those per- 

 sons who delight to grow fine pot plants 

 either for their own sake or for the purpose 

 of exhibition at the horticultural shows to 

 come next August and September. It is 

 with reference to the use of the valuable 

 plant named in the heading of this article. 

 Without question there is not another plant 

 in cultivation that It is possible to bring to a 

 finer appearance of foliage and flowers by 

 August next then can be done with this easi- 

 ly managed bulb. And yet we would say to 

 those who are accustomed to have but a 

 weak plant in a pot with two or three flower 

 scapes, that they can hardly form an ade- 

 quate idea of the extreme attractiveness of a 

 specimen bearing from 15 to 20 scapes and 

 forming a solid mass of brilliant scarlet 

 Howers. 



The proper course to take, when desired to 

 form large specimens, is to commence with 

 eight or more bulbs in each pot, and then 

 examples of the most magnificent propor- 

 tions can be produced in a comparatively 

 short period. The best rule is to begin with 

 eight or ten-inch pots, and put as many 

 bulbs in each one as it will hold, without 

 their being overcrowded. 



The bulbs are now at rest, and very favor- 

 able opportunity is afforded for proceeding 

 with the formation of specimens. The pots 

 must be well drained by having a layer of 

 crocks, ranging from two to three inches in 

 thickness, placed in each, and this layer 

 must be covered with some loose material to 

 prevent the fine soil working down between 

 them, flaky leaf-mould being very suitable, 

 or that wanting Moss, or Sphagnum may be 

 used. The compost most suitable is one 

 consisting of mellow fibrous loam four 

 parts, and well-rotted manure from an old 

 hotbed, leaf-mould, and sharp .sand, one 

 part each. 



Fill the pots to about one-half their depth 

 with the prepared compost, placing a little 

 of the rougher part immediately over the 

 material upon the crocks. Make it moder- 

 ately firm, and then proceed to arrange the 

 bulbs, and in so doing, well work the soil 

 between the roots and press it moderately 

 firm. The bulbs should be so arranged that 



they are equally distributed over the pot, and 

 buried just deep enough for the whole of 

 the neck to be exposed. 



It may be remarked that the appearance 

 of the specimens will be materially improved 

 by the elegant foliage of small bulbs peep- 

 ing up here and there amongst the large 

 leaves of the flowering bulbs. Especially is 

 the small foliage desirable round the edge 

 of the pots; and, as far as practicable, bulbs 

 that have an offset attached to them should 

 be placed outside. If a few small offsets are 

 available, they may be distributed amongst 

 the large bulbs for the sake of the finish 

 they give. 



Very little water will be required for the 

 bulbs, until it is seen that they are commenc- 

 ing to make new growth, still the soil ought 

 never to be allowed to become dust dry and 

 remain so for any length of time. When in 

 full growth, Vallotas require rather liberal 

 supplies of water, and examples that have 

 filled their pots with roots will be immense- 

 ly benefited by weak liquid manure occa- 

 sionally. The best time tor application of 

 stimulants being during the interval be- 

 tween the appearance of the flower scapes 

 and the expansion of the flowers, as it is 

 during that period the new growth is in 

 active progress. 



The Scarborough Lily being not at all deli- 

 cate in nature, may be grown in the open 

 air after the end of May, and when the 

 plants are placed out of doors, a rather sha- 

 dy position should be selected. Probably, 

 the best quarters that could ;be found for 

 them during the summer season, are in spa- 

 cious pit covered with sash, plants be within 

 a moderate distance of the glass and enjoy 

 a free circulation of air about them. 



There is one other point which must be 

 alluded to, and that is the liking which 

 slugs show for the flower scapes when first 

 making their appearance. Therefore wher- 

 ever these marauders abound, the closest 

 watch should be kept upon the plants dur- 

 ing the time the buds are pushing up, or 

 much damage will be done. As these pests 

 feed in the night, they should be taken by 

 the help of a lamp. 



Nevir York Market IQuotatlons, 



Showing Tendencies. 



Week eniiing 

 Dec. 18. 

 Apples— We.^tern King, perbbl.. .S50(a4 00 

 Western Greening, perbbl.. 2 75(?3 25 



Western Baldwin, per bbl 2 75@2 25 



We.stem Spy, per bbl 2 25'<i2 75 



state Winter Mixed, per bbl. 2 00(!j2 .W 

 Greening up-river, per bbl.. 



Baldwin & Spy. per bbl 



Grape.s— ConcnrdW.N.Y.,51b.b't. 22® 25 



Catawba, W.N.Y.,. Sib. basil. S6@ 45 



Cranberries— Cape Cod. per cr'te 3 (Ht®3 50 



Jersey, per crate 2 75@3 25 



Oranges— Florida, per H bbl box 1 5(i(«2 50 



Tangerines, Fla., per box 4 00@6 00 



Mandarins, Fla., per box 8 0l«r«4 00 



Apples— Ev,iporated, 1889 7 -gilO 



Evaporated, 1888 6 ® 7}< 



N. C . , sliced. 1889 Sfj®, 04 



Ohio & Michigan. 1889. bbls.. 4^4® 5 



Tennessee, 1889, bags S^nj SJj 



Chopped, per lb 3H>® 



Cores ami Skins. I'-'S'.l. per II). 2'^.('t '2\i 

 Peaches— Del. evp'lil.pi'il.d'<N. ir, mJij 

 Del., evap't'd. iiiii'eclcd S4, , , s dtlit 

 N.C. sundrlcd, pe.-lcd wi . s ■■■.U 

 Oa. siinclrlc.l. p.clc.l.iss'.i.... (;i,_.m v<, 

 Soutlicni. inip.'.-led, Iswl,,,, i',.,!..; :! 



Ra.spberrie>-Evnpl'<l 1SS9 W (*2I 



Kundried 1889 21 @?2 



Cherries— 1^49. per lb., choice... 9 @12 



Hu(klebirrlc.s--18.89, per lb 11 ® 



Blackbcrrlis priiiie. perlb S ® Sk 



riuras— Slate, issii, per lb 8 a 8)^ 



Soutlieni I ■unison, 1889, p. lb. ® 7 



Cal,. IWI, per ili 8 ® 9 



Apricots, Cal., 1889, per lb 12 al4 



Potatoes-L. 1., bulk per bbl. ... 1 S7®2 CO 



Jersey, per bbl I 2.'i®l 75 



State, per bbl 1 50® 1 87 



Western, per bbl 1 00@1 87 



Sweet Jersev, per bbl 2 50®3 75 



Virginia YeUow, perbbl.. . 



Oabbage-L. I., per 100 5 00®7 00 



Cucumber— Florida, per crate 2 00@5 00 



Egg plaut-Florlda, per bbl 4 00@6 1)0 



SI TlnK Ileims- Sf.ulh'n, p. crate. 2 0fl@4 00 



Caullll..wer-|.er l.lil 2 I10®7 00 



(.)nions < irunge Co.. red, p. bbl. 1 50(52 50 



Westiru. red, per bbl 1 50®2 25 



Eastern, red, perbbl 225®3 00 



Eastern, white, per bbl 5 00®S 00 



Yellow, per bbl 1 50®2 00 



Siniash- L. 1., Marrow, iier bbl. . 1 25®1 50 



L. I., llubbar.i. per bbl 1 .50@1 75 



Clelery— L. I., pcrdoz. bunches.. 75@1 50 



Wes'n & State, p.doz. roots. 

 Turnips- Russia.Canada, p. bbl. 75® 90 

 Russia, L. 1., perbbl 7.5®U0 



Week ending 

 Dec. 4 



4 00(si4 6a 

 2 60(»3 0o 

 2S0(B3ai 



2 25(«2 50 

 150(52 23 



3 0O@2 25 

 1 75® 2 00 



20® 28 



25® SO 



'i 5^3 00 



(i 00®; n-i 



4UO(?oS 



10 



5 & 



a^jM ; 



,20 



i.ii. 



2«® S^ 



2.1 " " 



21 

 9 



11 

 5 



8 



j3 

 |24 

 e22 



1 <% 



8 ® ,, 

 io (S) 9 

 '■ fflH>^ 

 12502 00 

 1 25®1 t2 



1 110®! 87 



2 50SU87 



2 25®3 .'0 

 3 .50®5 00 

 1 5Kui to 



3 0O(»6 00 

 I 50®1 75 



1 oivae (») 



1 50(u 2 50 



1 50®2 25 



2 35®3 00 



3 00@5 00 

 1 60@2 00 

 1 00®1 25 

 1 25®1 50 



7.%«1 00 

 20® 35 

 60® 65 

 76® 90 



