1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



147 



The Periwinkle asa Bedding: and Pot 

 Plant. 



Among the many desirable and worthy 

 plants that are undeservedly neglected, 

 or have not yet found the place in popular 

 favor to which their (jualities seem to en- 

 title them, is the tender Vinca or Peri- 

 winkle. This is all the more remarl<able 

 in view of the fact that almost everyone 

 who has once grown it, pronounces it a 

 very satisfactory subject. Our engraving, 

 reduced from the Garden (London), repre- 

 sents a well-grown speci- 

 men of Vinca rosea. This 

 Is the Madagascar Periwin- 

 kle, a beautiful tender 

 greenhouse plant. The 

 hardy trailing species and 

 varieties are among the best 

 known of garden plants. 



The Ilowers of one varie- 

 ty of the tender section 

 illustrated are rose colored, 

 those of another white, 

 those of a third white with 

 crimsom eye, and com- 

 pletely cover the bushe-s, 

 which grow to the height 

 of thirty inches during the 

 entire summer if proper 

 attention is paid to the 

 plant's requirements. The 

 flowers may be found use- 

 ful for cuttlowers. 



To grow nice specimens, 

 they should be started from 

 seed in hotbed or green- 

 house about the first of 

 January, in at least TO de- 

 grees Fahr., or from cut- 

 tings later on. They require 

 plenty of sunlight to pro- 

 duce short jointed wood, 

 may be potted ofi' in small 

 pots, and kept frequently 

 pinched to make dwarf and 

 compact plants with many 

 shoots upon them. For pot 

 culture they require about 

 the same treatment as Fuch- 

 sias, but they also make 

 a very superior plant for 

 the border. At the proper 

 time tor planting out other 

 tender bedding plants, Co- 

 leus and the like, the Periwinkle is to be 

 removed to a suitable location in the flower 

 garden. Here it will flower freely without 

 Intermissions to the end of the season. 



Old plants, if so desired, can be taken up 

 at the approach of winter, cut bark severly 

 and wintered over as greenhouse plants. 

 The more satisfactory way, however, is to 

 start new plants every year from seed or 

 cuttings, as described. 



north we And It to be the earliest, the Etampes 

 iie.xt, while we have had to discard the Early 

 Jersey Wakefield altogether, the Henderson's 

 Early Summer being fit to sell very nearly as 

 early,'and as soon as they are on the market their 

 is no more demand for the Early Jersey. I find 

 the succession a great improvement on Hender- 

 son's Early Summer Cabbage. To grow our 

 plants, we make our hot-beds the last week In 

 February, and sow our Celery seed between the 

 rows of early Cabbage, and towards the end of 

 March transplant the Cabbage into other frames. 

 It does not injure the Celery in the least, as the 

 Celery seed takes much longer to germinate than 



COMMENTS BY READERS. 



A department to which all are invited to send notes 

 of experience and observation concerning topics that 

 recently have been treated on in this journal. Many 

 such contributions monthly are welcome. 



Vegetable Growers' Association. A great 

 deal of useful information on vegetable culture 

 is brought out by the Massachusetts Horticul- 

 tural Society and by the Boston Market Garden- 

 er's Association. Why is it that so little is done 

 in this direction elsewhereV Certainly Massa- 

 chusetts is not the only place where people take 

 an interest in gardening, or could make the pro- 

 duction of garden stuff profitable. There are 

 yet great undeveloped opportunities for winter 

 gardening in the vicinities of Inland cities and 

 larger towns. The diffusion of more knowledge 

 on forcing Lettuce, Spinach, Kadisbes, Tomatoes 

 and other vegetables— an enterprise which is not 

 only highly interesting, but offers no great diffi- 

 culties to those who know how, would certainly 

 lead to a better development of opportunities.— 

 Arnold Arnim. 



Early Cabbages. My experience with the 

 Early Express Cabbages is quite different from 

 that of Mr. Hubert M. White. In our cold 



THE PERIWINKLE AS A POT PLANT. 



the Cabbage seed. We like the White Plume for 

 early, and the Paris Golden; the Dwarf White for 

 winter.— B. BrodU, Montrenl, Can. 



Blackcap Raspberries. I first planted the 

 Mammoth Cluster in the spring of 1872, and the 

 original hills are stUl standing and producing 

 fruit each year equal to any Easpberry, and 

 better than some kinds I have. The Mammoth 

 Cluster is hardier, and more prolific, and will 

 stand cultivation tjetter than any variety I have 

 growing,except the Johnston Sweet and Shaffer's 

 Colossal. 1 have grown the last two named 

 varieties only three years fruiting. My ground 

 is of heavy clay with natural drainage. The 

 Gregg has been a leading feature with many fruit 

 growers, but with me and in my acquaintance, 

 the Gregg is placed about third-class in hardi- 

 ness, productiveness and flavor. It is a very 

 shallow rooter, hence will not stand drouth. I 

 And the Mammoth Cluster to give better returns 

 at the fifth picking than the Gregg at the third 

 picking. The Mammoth Cluster is easily picked 

 when the berries are only red, and will not shat- 

 ter when dead ripe, while the Gregg will not 

 leave the stem until quite ripe, and If left a 

 little too long, will drop very bad. In 18 years 

 growing the Mammoth Cluster, I have not had 

 any signs of winter kUl, nor have I seen the 

 fruit killed by late frost in all that time and 

 I have never failed to have from a fair to good 

 crop of fruit on the Mammoth Cluster, while I 

 have known the Souhegan and Tyler to be a 

 failure. I am now trying several of the new 

 varieties. So I would recommend to plant 7.5 per 

 cent of Mammoth Cluster, and experiment on 

 the others.— ^'. B. Linton, Carrol Co., Ind. 



Gold Com Sweet Corn. We regard it as the 

 most delicate, tender and delicious Sweet Com 



ever introduced. I have made a specialty of 

 testing varieties of Sweet Corn since 18.50, and 

 during that time have grown many very good 

 varieties, but for handsome appearance, delicacy 

 of texture, and delicious flavor, the Gold Coin 

 has no superior. It ripens late, thus furnishing 

 a supply of Sweet Corn of superior quality after 

 the earlier varieties are out of season. It re- 

 mains in condition for the table longer than any 

 other variety, and in case of frost that might kill 

 the fodder, it can be cut up and stacked, or 

 carried into a barn and remain in condition for 

 use for a week or ten days longer. Perhaps for 

 the extreme north it may be little too late in 

 opening.— F. B. Palmer, Ohio. 

 Brighton and other 

 Grapes. I was glad to learn 

 that Brighton Grape needs to 

 be planted near other kinds to 

 fertilize it. My very finest 

 vine of the newer varieties is 

 (if that kind, and I expected 

 wonders last year, as every- 

 thing that could bear fruit 

 was loaded. Imagine my cha- 

 grin when not one berry was 

 fit to eat, only a few small hard 

 things, the plant being isolat- 

 ed on the lawn, while 20 or 30 

 feet away are Pocklingtons, 

 small plants, and very full, and 

 Moore's Early, both corres- 

 ponding well with what Mr. 

 Crissey says of them except, 

 with us, the Moore's Early has 

 made the best growth of any 

 vine we have had, probably 

 because the ground is very 

 i-ich and loose. The White Ann 

 Arbor makes poorest growth 

 of any, and has never even 

 bloomed, although it has had 

 the best of care being laid 

 down each winter, pruned and 

 tacked up again in spring. 

 This is a great disappointment 

 since it was the one Grape of 

 great promise. The Stayman's 

 Karly Blackberry too has 

 proved of no value with us, 

 although having a choice place 

 and good care, its growth is 

 good, but fruit small and little 

 of it.— G. A. P/cdjs, jHd. 



Warming Cold Soils. 

 You speak of making additions 

 to, such as sand, muck, and es- 

 pecially stable manure to cold 

 clay soils in order to make them 

 warmer and earlier. This is all 

 right so far as it goes. But 

 the trouble is usually deeper. 

 Such lands are usually not only cold, but moist 

 and often quite wet. The drainage is faulty, or 

 else there is not enough of it. This then is the 

 first thing that needs looking after. All your 

 additions of sand, mold, manure, etc., will do 

 very little toward making the land earlier and 

 warmer, so long as it remains wet. The addition 

 needed is plenty of good and perfect working 

 tile drains. Draw off the surplus water, and 

 give the surface a chance to become reasonably 

 dry, and in shape to be mellowed. If then the 

 substances named are added, we can expect to 

 get the full benefits from them, and eventually 

 see the land become warm and early.— Hard- 

 dealer, Ohio. 



Principle Points in Tomato Crowing. 



In a recent bulletin the Cornell Univers- 

 ity Experiment Station gives a summary of 

 points, which it is thought were well estab- 

 lished by the results of the season's experi- 

 ments. 



Of the following twelve propositions or 

 principles we heartily endorse all except 

 points in No. 1 and 5, and also in consider- 

 able mental reservation in regard to the 

 comparative value of the varieties named: 



1. Frequent transplanting of the young 

 plant and a good tillage are necessary to 

 best results in Tomato culture. 



3. Plants started under glass about ten 

 weeks before transplanting into field gave 

 fruits from a week to ten days earlier than 

 those started two or three weeks later, 

 while there was a much greater difference 

 when the plants were started six weeks 



