1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



133 



situation without any iiiie wliattvcr, ami must 

 be considered necessary in every garden. For 

 the wild garden, shrubbery borders, margins of 

 water, rookwork, etc., they arc admirably adapt- 

 ed: in fact hardly any place can be fouud in 

 which some of this section will not thrive. The 

 Irises are both old-fashioned and new-fashioned 

 flowers, much attention being now paid to im- 

 proving tliem. 



The Apple worm. A new Apple pest has made 

 its ap|>eaniiice in I'eutral New York. 

 It is reported to Garden and Forest 

 by Dr. Hoskins of Vermont and not 

 unknown in the western states. I first 

 saw it in a basket of Golden Sweets 

 which 1 selected for a friend, and set 

 in my fruit room to become nicely 

 colored. Xo handsomer basket of 

 Apples could have been found than 

 those when I thought them ready for 

 delivery. But tasting one I fouud it 

 honey-combed and black to within 

 half an inch of the skin. It was in- 

 fected with a minute worm of a dull 

 yellowish white color. I threw away 

 the .\pple presuming it to be an acci- 

 dental attack; but on examination, 

 found every .ipple in the basket 

 utterly spoiled: the whole center was 

 a mass of corruption The outside of 

 nearly all the fruit was brilliant 

 yellow, showing no mark of the 

 havoc within: but a few showed diuk 

 lines under the surface. The name 

 of the ix-st is Trypela pomonella; but 

 that will not help us much in getting , 

 rid of it.— E. P. Pnu-cll. / 



Leisons in Economy. What curious ' 

 developments of possible domestic 

 economy constantly occur. In one of 

 the I'alifornian valleys, it has recently 

 been by chance discovered that Peach X 

 stones make as good a fire as the / \ 

 best of coal. The fruit growers are ' 

 now saving what has always been 

 thrown away and hard to get rid of; 

 and selling the stones at six dollars a 

 ton. A sack of Peach stones weighs 

 eighty pounds and will last as long 

 as eighty pounds of coal, and give 

 more heat. It pays to consider noth- 

 ing as settled, and to experiment in 

 every direction. Our greatest wealth 

 ma.v be outside the door, or be 

 dumped in the waste heaps. It is im- 

 possible to find a farm in half a days 

 drive where there are not palpable 

 wastes enough going on, openl.v, to 

 pa.v for, or explain the mortgages that 

 overload them. I know of a farmer 

 who is now making a fortune out of 

 a marl bed, but he owned it for many 

 years before he knew it More enter- 

 prise is needed in the way of utilizing 

 whatever we have held heretofore to 

 be useless.— E. P. Pmi-cU. 



The Cabbage Syrphus. One of the insect 

 friends that help us fight our foes is the Cabbage 

 syrphus; a beautiful insect. Larva green with 

 two lighter green stripes down each side of the 

 middle of the back ; head small and pointed, 

 posterior end much the wider and having two 

 short bristles ; body soft and slimy looking, re- 

 minding one of a snail In repose it lies next 

 the ribs of the leaf and when hungry seeks a 

 flock of aphides, usually not far distant, and 

 does not retire until it has devoured eight or ten 

 of these pests. When full-fed the body contracts 

 into a pear-shaiied puparium remaining on the 

 leaf until the fly emerges. The fly is gaily 

 colored, yellow and dark green. These flies greatly 

 reduce the number of aphides and should be 

 spared when we are waging war on Insects. It 

 would be of considerable value to the gardener 

 and fruit raiser to be able to recognize his friends 

 among the hosts of insects that share with him 

 the profits of the farm, and he should study their 

 life-history and habits, that he might know which 

 to destroy, and which to protect.— ^rgynni*. 



Beform in Cider Making, A late consular 

 report on cider making in Europe tells us that in 

 the rural districts of France there are yet to be 

 found many who think no good cider can be 

 made without the liquid of the barnyard is 

 added in the press. This statement seems in- 

 credible: but can any one look into the bins of 

 a great cider manufactory without horror? 

 Cider making has degenerated into a general 

 squeeze up of all the wormy, foul, decaying trash 

 of our orchards and the addition of drugs. When 



our fathers made cider. tlic.\- .selected the licst 

 fruit, or at least carefully axoided grinding up 

 wormy and rotten fruit with a liberal additii>n 

 of mud and manure. Our whole method of 

 dealing with the orchard and Apple crop needs 

 revolutionizing. The packing of barrels in 

 some sections is being quite reversed from the 

 common method of twenty years ago. I know 

 brands of barrels that I can buy without looking 

 farther than the iiackers name on the outside. 



IRIS GERMANICA MADAME OHEREAU. 



That means fine fruit well packed from end 

 to end of the barrel. But who shall take 

 hold of this cider business and reform our 

 national drinkV-E. P. PoUiU. 



New York Floral Notes. 



The florists feel a little aggrieved because so 

 few flowers were worn by the ladies attending 

 the great Patriarch's ball. So many jewels were 

 worn that they could not crowd any flowers on, 

 and more women carried elaborate fans than 

 flowers. But when flowers were carried the 

 bouquets were very large. 



Regular coi'sage bunches are not worn, but 

 pretty trailing knots of Roses are seen with some 

 evening gowns. They are arranged from the 

 shoulder, beginning with one Rose: this has per- 

 haps two or three others twisted around its stem, 

 as many as are desired, and then some others are 

 added, reversed, flowers downward, so that they 

 make a trailing spray, half knot, halt garland. 



A sumptuous dinner arrangement consisted of 

 a center plateau of Orchids, delicate Cattleyas 

 and Maidenhair, while around it were low baskets 

 of Gabrielle Luizet Roses, used as favors. 



A good many beautiful Bowers were seen at 

 the funeral of Peter Henderson, whose sudden 

 death was a painful shock to many. Among the 

 designs was a very large slanting cross of Mermet 

 and Niphetos Roses, with a wreath of Violets 

 hung over its arms; it was very handsome. Some 

 flat bouquets, arranged on a background of Cy- 

 cas leaves were also handsome. A wreath of 

 Violets makes a lovely funeral design, hnd they 



have been used a good ileal this winter, these 

 flowers being both popular and very plentiful. 



Some, of the growers say that they have not 

 really sold as many decorating plants this winter 

 as they expected, and they really think the mar- 

 ket is not so good as anticipated. Perhaps some 

 explanation of this may be found in the fact that 

 a good many big decorations depended more on 

 Evergreens than on decorating plants. Of course 

 they were well arranged, tut they were cheap, 

 ^~" and they looked cheap. One may 



fill up with such stuff, but it can 

 never compare with hot-house plants. 

 Perhaps the decorators are actuated 

 by prudence as well as economy, as we 

 have record of one ball of upperten- 

 dom at which the cultured guests 

 wound up the festivities by smashing 

 the decorations to pieces and then 

 pelting one another with the frag- 

 ments. 



A beautiful dinner decoration con- 

 sisted of a quantity of pale pink India, 

 bunched up in graceful folds. In the 

 center was a large mound of Gabrielle 

 Luizet Roses, without other foliage. 

 Loose Roses were scattered here and 

 there, and a bunch was laid at each 

 cover. Little fancy baskets of gilt or 

 silver, or colored Rushes, filled with 

 flowers, often take the place of a 

 bouquet as dinner favors, being filled 

 with the flowers prevailing in the 

 decoration. Some charming arrange- 

 ments in Orchids are used, and their 

 costliness adds to their style. One 

 very aesthetic dinner decoration was 

 of Cypripedium insigne. Mignonette 

 and Maidenhair. There was a flat 

 center basket filled with these fiowers, 

 while around it were the favors, 

 small, round baskets filled with the 

 same flowers, and tied with bunches 

 of pale green ribbon. 



White dinners are still extremely 

 fashionable, one very beautiful ar- 

 rangement being of Bride Roses and 

 White Lilac; while Orchids and White 

 Cyclamens make another beautiful 

 decoration. There is but little decor- 

 ation at afternoon teas, but Violets 

 are very popular at such functions. 



Tulips are still used, but they are 

 not very popular for dinners or other 

 fine arrangements. The largest Tulip 

 decoration of the season was the 

 annual dinner of the Holland Society 

 in Xew York, where it was said over 

 3,000 Tulip blooms were used, chiefly 

 Due Van Thol. No other flowers but 

 these Dutch bulbs were used. 



Pot plants are much used on the 

 table, the pots being stood in Delft or 

 Leeds jars or rush baskets. Cyclamens 

 are much admired for this purpose, 

 varying from pure white through all 

 the varying shades of pink to deep crimson. 

 Little Holly trees, covered with berries, were 

 imported from England for use in decorations, 

 but they were rather clumsy for the table. 



Brides rarely carry Orange blossoms now; 

 sometimes a spray or two is mixed in the bouquet, 

 but the favorite bridal flower now is White Lilac. 

 Lilac is always in favor, either the cut blooms or 

 the small French plants in pots, which are used 

 for decorating. Next to the Lilac. Lily of the 

 Valley is favored by brides. The bridal bouquet 

 is stUl extremely large, tied with a very long 

 white sash. 



For luncheons the decorations differ in charac- 

 ter from dinners. One pretty yellow luncheon 

 was decorated with Jonquils; in the center was a 

 large yellow bowl of Leeds pattern, filled with 

 these flowers. Two other flower holders of quaint 

 shape stood at opposite corners, and there were 

 several smaller glasses, all filled with the same 

 flowers. -\n ingenious idea at luncheons is to tie 

 the favors at the back of each chair with ribbons, 

 so that they are easily moved. When the flowers 

 are laid at the plate they are often in the way 

 during luncheon. Little oriental straw baskets 

 are filled with flowers for luncheon favors. 



A large ball of flowers suspended from the 

 center of the ceiling, is a showy feature in dec- 

 oration, especially when garlands of flowers are 

 looped from above it to the sides of the room. 

 Poinsettia has been used a good deal in showy 

 decorations; and its vivid color makes its highly 

 effective. 



Emilt Louise Tapldj. 



