158 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April, 



The treasures of food that hare been prorided 

 for us in the fungus tribe are sadly neglected 

 in both this country and England. Of more 

 than thirty species of edible Fungi in England 

 only about four are eaten by the inhabitants. 

 We have probably as many or more species, and 

 they are certainly as sadly neglected here There 

 are only two or three that are eaten or even 

 known and these only by a few; the rest of the 

 supply are allowed to go to waste, rot under 

 trees or be eaten by slugs, field mice, toads and 

 other creatures to which they afford many a 

 dainty repast. 



On the contrary, over the continent of Europe 

 the edible Fungi are eagerly sought after by all 

 classes of people. They form the chief diet of 

 thousands who would otherwise be scantily pro- 

 vided for. They are also highly prized by the 

 rich man and the epicure. 



Massachusetts Horticultural Society 



{"Chri/santhcmums", a paper by W. A.Mandabefore 



the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. ) 

 (Cuntinuedfrmn paye 137.) 



The place where Chrysanthemums are 

 grown should have all the light, sun and air 

 from the time the cuttings are rooted until 

 the time the cuttings are again ready to be 

 cut. The soil that these plants seem to pre- 

 fer is good turfy loam, well mixed with 

 clay and enriched by ground bone, sheep 

 manure or other manures or fertilizers. 



Many of the thousands of varieties are not 

 grown at all, while others could be dispensed 

 with, and only those possessing the best qualities 

 and distinctness should be kept. 



Incurved Varieties. Among the best old sorts 

 we may count Alfred Salter, lilac pink; Brazen 

 Shield, bronze color; Bronze Queen of England, 

 Frank Wilcox, golden amber color; Golden Queen 

 of England, yellow; Helen of Troy, deep rose; 

 Hero of Stoke Newington, pink; Jardin des 

 Plantes, golden yellow; Jeanne d'Arc, blush 

 white; Lord Wolseley, bronzy red; Miss Mary 

 Morgan, pink; Prince Alfred, )Ose carmine; 

 Venus, pink; "N'irginalis, white. 



Japanese Varieties. Among the multitude of 

 the Japanese varieties those found to give the 

 Ijest results are. Admiration, Ulac; Bend d'Or, 

 golden yellow; Ceres, white; Bras Rouge, dark 

 crimson; Comte de Germiny, nankeen yellow; 

 Duchess, deep red; Ed. Audignier, crimson 

 maroon; Edwin Molyneux, Elaine, white; 

 Fantaska, coppery maroon; Gloriosum, yellow; 

 Grandiflorum, yellow; Joseph Collins, coppery 

 bronze; John Thorpe, deep lake; Marvel, white 

 shaded; Mrs. G. Bullock, white; H. Cannal, Mrs. 

 H. Waterer, white; Mi-s. F. Thompson, white 

 purple; Newport, rose; Pelican, white; Peter the 

 Great, lemon yellow; Robert Bottomly, white; 

 Robert Craig, pink; Sadie Martinet, yellow; Stars 

 and Stripes, carmine; Superbe Flore, carmine 

 rose; Thomas S. Ware, rose; Va\ d'Andorre, 

 coppery bronze. 



Beflexed Varieties. The reflexed are not so 

 numerous but contain such varieties as Culling- 

 fordii, brilliant crimson; Golden Christine, light 

 yellow; Phoebus, yellow; Sam Sloan, pale blush; 

 President Ayde, rich yellow. 



Anemone-Flowered Varieties. As the best we 

 may class Princess, delicate lilac; Thorpe .Tr., 

 Mme. Cabrol, white; Bessie Pitcher, deep rose. 

 Those of late years' introduction that have 

 proved superior to the already long list are Mrs. 

 A. Hardy, white; Alaska, pearly white; Ramona, 

 yellow, Adirondac, white; Moadnock, yellow; 

 Narragansett white; Mrs de Witt Smith, white; 

 Advance, pink; Avalanche, white; Excellent, 

 rose; Bell Mickey, white; Bell Poiteatine, white; 

 Colossal, pearly white; E. H. Fitter, yellow;Kivo, 

 yellow; Capucine, Vermillion; LaFortune, yel- 

 low; L. B. Dana, red; L. Canning, white; L. B. 

 Bird, shrimp pink; Magicienne, chamois color; 

 Mrs. W. K. Harris, yellow; Violet Rose, rose; 

 William H. Lincoln, yellow; Philippe Lacroix, 

 rose; Snowball, white; Sunnyside, flesh color, 

 Nessima, yellow; Mrs. Sam Houstan. white; Mrs. 

 Irring Clark, pearly white; Mrs. Fottler, .soft 

 rose; Mme. Louise Le Roy white; Miss Mary 

 Wheeler, pearly white. 



New Chrysanthemunn. Of the new ones that 

 are going to be sent out this spring, those that I 

 have seen and which are to my mind the most 

 promising are Shasta, white; I'ortez, red; Huron, 

 mauve; Tacoma, creamy white; President Har- 

 rison, a new shade of bright red; Harry E. Wide- 

 ner, yellow, Bohemia, Venetian red; Mrs. Hicks 

 Arnold, soft pink (very early); Virginia, rose; 



Iroquois, red; Kearsarge, mauve; Crown Prince, 

 red; Ada Spaulding, light pink; Cyclone, creamy 

 white, and Thomas Edison. The above are all 

 American-raised varieties, and there are scores 

 of others of more or less pretence. 



New Japanese varieties of last year's importa- 

 tion are not numerous; some of them are Rohal- 

 lion, with stiff chrome-yellow petals; Raleigh, 

 buff color; Ithaca, rose; Arizona, yeUow, and 

 Ellicott E. Shepard, broad, clear, yellow petals, 

 and a few others requiring further test. 



From a commercial point of view. Chrysanthe- 

 mums play quite an important part in the nur- 

 sery and florists' business. Millions of plants 

 are sold every spring from the many nurseries 

 throughout the country, while in the flowering 

 season Chrysanthemums are the principal flowers 

 used by the florists. Some maintain that Chrys- 

 anthemums injure the florists' trade, or that 

 they are not profitable to grow tor cut flowers, 

 yet I have always seen good flowers bring good 

 prices, and they are nowadays like anything else. 

 Only the best is wanted at good prices, while the 

 poor stuff cannot be given away. 



Nomenclatore. In naming Chrysanthemums, 

 the reform started by Dr. Walcott should be fol- 

 lowed; that is, the names should be as short as 

 possible, and, certainly, such names as Alaska, 

 Shasta and Cortez are far preferable to such as 

 our English or French competitors aflBx to their 

 novelties; for example, Bronze Queen of Eng- 

 land, Hero of Stoke Newington, Monsieur le 

 Comte de Foucher de Cartel. By all means give 

 us names that can be written on one label. 



Fremiam for New Sorts. As to Chrysanthemum 

 exhibitions, while the various societies and clubs 

 offer fair prizes for either plants or cut flowers, 

 there is a very small inducement for the raiser 

 of new varieties, which branch should be en- 

 couraged more than anything else,so that before 

 long we may see our ideal Chrysanthemum, com- 

 bining all good qualities necessary to make a 

 perfect plant and flower. 



Raspberries and Blackberries. 



(Extract of paper read by H. B. Cotta, before the Hort. 

 Society of Northern Illinois.) 



With Raspberries and Blackberries, as 

 with all other fruits, we must not expect 

 profitable returns unless we work for them. 

 On the other hand, I find them quite 

 profitable where proper attention is given. 



I drove by a small field of Turner in this city 

 a few days ago. The plants had been set some 

 years ago in squares, and are still cultivated 

 both ways. Each plant stands in a block of sod 

 about two feet square. I suppose it I had talked 

 with the owner of that field about the profitable- 

 ness of that crop, he would have told me it did 

 not pay to raise Raspberries. 



In this section of the State, Raspberries have 

 been neglected, and Blackberries left to care for 

 themselves. There is not one grower in ten who 

 will give his Raspberries and Blackberries as 

 good cultivation as he does his Corn. 



To succeed in this industry, we must give as 

 close attention to every detail as we would if 

 managing a store. Do not attempt to grow 

 berries unless you can attend to them when they 

 need it, any more than you would attempt to 

 fatten your live stock on half rations. 



Soil and Planting. Any good Corn land that 

 is not too low can be made to produce profitable 

 crops of Raspberries and Blackberries. Prepare 

 the ground as well as possible, setting the crown 

 of the roots about three inches below the surface 

 of the ground. Blackberries and strong-growing 

 Raspberries, like Shaffer's Colossal, should be 

 placed three by eight feet apart ; Black-cap 

 Raspberries, two and one-half by six feet apart. 



Cabbage, Potatoes, Corn, or some other hoed 

 crop, should be planted between the rows of 

 berries the first year, which will partly pay the 

 expense of cultivation, and of the berry plants. 



Cultivation should be done frequently and 

 thoroughly, and the weeds kept down. 



After the first year, there will not be room to 

 raise any other crop with the berries, but the 

 cultivation must be kept up year after year as 

 long as you want profitable crops of fruit. In 

 small fields and gardens, mulching may be done 

 in place of cultivation, where cultivation is not 

 convenient. The first year I pinch off the tips 

 of the largest canes when they are about eigh- 

 teen inches high, and the following spring I cut 

 back the side branches, .^fter the first year, I nip 

 off the ends of the young canes when they are 

 about two feet high, with my thumb and finger, 

 going over the same field two or three times, at 



intervals of a week or ten days, as the canes are 

 not at all tall enough when I go through the first 

 time. The trimming of side branches or laterals 

 I do in the spring after new growth begins; then 

 I leave them eighteen to twenty-four inches long 

 except when they are injured, when I cut the 

 injured part all off. After the fruit is all gather- 

 ed, the old canes should be cut out at once, or 

 may be left till the following spring. 



Picking, If you have a number of pickers- 

 it is necessary to have some one in the field to 

 watch them, and watch them closely too, so they 

 will pick all the ripe berries, and only the ripe 

 ones, never putting dirty or moldy berries in the 

 box. This is important. Always use new, clean 

 boxes, of uniform size, to market your fruit in. 



Now, as to varieties; don't plant too extensive- 

 ly of some new variety that will produce " fully 

 five times as much fruit as any other," unless 

 you wish to be disappointed. Stick to the old 

 stand-bys that have been doing well in your 

 locality, or one similar to yours, until you have 

 proven the newer to be at least as good as the 

 older kinds. If you wish to keep up with the 

 times, try the best of the new kinds in a small 

 way, as now and then there is something valu- 

 able among them. The best early black-caps 

 with us are Tyler and Souhegan, which are 

 nearly identical, and hardy and prolific. The 

 best medium is Ohio; hardy, very prolific, and 

 fine-flavored. The Gregg is the largest, and 

 latest to ripen, but lacks in hardiness. 



Of red, suckering varieties. Turner for early, 

 and Cuthbert for late, have the lead. Marlboro, 

 Hansen, Reliance, Scarlet Gem, and many others, 

 have not been satisfactory. Shaffer's Colossal is 

 a dark red berry, and propagates from tips. It 

 has been more profitable for local markets than 

 any other Raspberry with us, and is rapidly 

 growing in favor throughout the country. 



Snyder, Ancient Briton and Stone's Hardy, are 

 the best Blackberries, but to insure a good crop 

 every year, they must be covered in winter. 

 Blackberries were an abundant crop throughout 

 Northern Illinois last summer, better than for a 

 number of years. The canes of many kinds of 

 Raspberries were injured more than Blackberries 

 last winter. 



Growing Strawberries. 



(Extract of paper read by D. J. Piper before the Hort- 

 icultural Society of Northern Illinois.) 



My advice is, have the Strawberries well 

 ripened for your own use, well colored for a 

 near market, and only about haK ripe for a 

 distant market, and they will color inside of 

 twenty hours. Otherwise the seeker after 

 information can do little better than to read 

 all the literature within his reach, treating 

 upon these matters, inform himself, and use 

 his best judgement in the selection and 

 cultivation of varieties. Success with any 

 variety which is adapted to the soil in which 

 it is placed, depends more upon the prepa- 

 ration of the soil previous to planting than 

 upon all other circumstances combined. 



No amount of manuring or cultivation after 

 planting can atone for previous neglect. The 

 soil must be made rich, fine and friable to the 

 depth of twelve or eighteen inches if possible. 

 This in most cases can only be done by several 

 plowings. My plan of setting the plants is to 

 mark off the ground as I would for Corn, and set 

 the plants m the hill system as I would plant 

 Corn. Cultivate both ways until the plants run, 

 then cultivate only one way. 



In growing the Strawberry, I have tried many 

 different kinds, and find most of them do well, 

 when I have prepared the ground well previous 

 to planting. There is such a thing as having the 

 soil too rich, unless you stop the increase of the 

 young plants b.v cutting off the runners. I have 

 had single plants that a bushel basket would not 

 cover. Some say that a variety will run out; so 

 say I. 



In the case of the Wilson, we cannot grow 

 such crops of the Wilson as we used to do. I 

 care not how you cultivate, and this will hold 

 good in every case. The old must die, and the 

 new or young must take its i)lacc. Plants have 

 a certain age to live and produce, and then die, 

 and I think the heavier we crop them, the 

 shorter their lives will be for production; hence 

 we must grow new plants from seed again, and 

 we again have the proper vitality to produce 

 what we cannot get from the old and worn-out 

 plants. Take any species of plants that .vou can 

 grow from seed, and you have got to renew it 



