1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



•93 



The soil for Dahlias can scarcely be too 

 rich— where there is failure to obtain satis- 

 factory results with them the case may 

 usually be laid to lack of fertility. It. has 

 been my practice when planting; to take out 

 three or four spadefuls of soil anil replace 

 the same with the same quantity of rich 

 rotten stable manure, I liuisli the plant ing 

 hole liy bavins a little earth around the 

 tubers. After the root is covered with earth 

 I usually water the earth thorout,'hly with 

 manure water. Hy dusting a little lime 

 around the newiy-.set plants, slugs, which 

 are fond of them, are kept away. 



Dahlias are thirsty as well as hungry sub- 

 jects, and repay by a profusion of bloom 

 any attention given them in the matter of 

 e.xtra watering during the season of growth. 

 Water should be applied towards the close 

 of the day, that which is .soft and clear over 

 the foliage, and mild liquid manure to the 

 roots. .\s the plants grow the manure water 

 may be used stronger. Such treatment is 

 the secret of having tinely-developed flowers 

 during dry weather. 



I never set the plants closer than four feet 

 apart and am better pleased to have five 

 feet between, as this affords ample room for 

 development. My course is to drive a stake 

 four feet high firmly in the soil and then 

 planting against this, which then serves as 

 the main support of the plant during the 

 summer. In arranging the bed I place the 

 taller-grown in the center and the dwarfer 

 plants nearer the sides. 



It is interesting to manage some plants 

 for growing flowers of extraordinary beauty 

 to show at the^fatrs or elsewhere. For this 

 one should, besides the center stake, drive 

 four other stakes at equal distances apart 

 and about a foot from the center to all such 

 plants as have been chosen for the purpose. 



To each of these stakes a strong side shoot 

 should be tied and all others be cut away. 

 The main stems of Dahlias grow rapidly 

 when they are fairly started, therefore the 

 ties should be loose enough to permit of 

 growth. If there is any place about the 

 garden where a little attention paid to order 

 and neatness counts for a good deal it is 

 about the Dahlia bed. 



In growing single Dahlias, the pegging 

 dovm system doing away with stakes, may 

 be adopted. This is especially true where a 

 large bed is devoted to these choice flowers. 

 The course to take is to lay the plants down 

 sideways at planting, and pegging them 

 down at once. No leaders should be allowed 

 to assume the perpendicular, until the bed 

 is covered, and the plants are ready to 

 bloom. A proper distance to set the 

 plants for this method is three feet apart. 

 The planting is begun in the center of 

 the bed, pegging dowu as you go, and 

 then there is no danger of treading on 

 plants already set. 



A fact which may not be known to 

 most growers, is that the best time to cut 

 Dahlias for indoor decoration or other 

 purposes, is early in the morning, as they 

 then retain their beauty for a longer 

 period than those gathered later. 



Dahlia roots may be easily kept over 

 in any dry frost-proof cellar, by covering 

 them lightly with a little soil to prevent 

 shrivelling. As soon as the frost destroys 

 the blooms, I cut the stems down to with- 

 in six inches of the ground, and in the 

 course of a few days take the roots up 

 carefully and dry them in the sun. Xo 

 frost should at this or any time be allowed 

 to touch them. Each tuber should be 

 labeled with name or color of the variety. 



success. The accompanying engravuig 

 represents a perfect specimen of Aliiililim 

 rt rnuirium cm: (luninii thus trained, as 

 seen last season in the privateganleus of 

 Uaron Nathaniel von Hoth.'~cl]ild near 

 Vienna, Austria. 



Mr. Anton .Toll, a horticultural authority 

 of that city, recommends in the Oaertner 

 Zeituug the A. rcriUnihim as a winter 

 bloomer, worthy of more general culture. 



Specimen of AbuHlon as seen in tht BotlischiUl 

 gardens near Vienna. 



This Abutilon, he says, is especially beauti- 

 ful, when top-worked upon stock of A. 

 Thtiiiiiisonii, or A. Snou-b<tU (bnl etc nciije), 

 or any other of the strong, erect growers. 

 It is an exceedingly free bloomer, and when 

 grown in this form, all its flowers show to 

 best advantage, suspended as they are like 

 veritable little bells. Especially eflfective 

 and charming is A. I'r.riUnrUim var. 

 ainxiiin with its yellowish leaves by arti- 

 ficial light in the evening. 



The culture is simple, and exactly like 

 tli.-it nf other variftifs. Tlicy UKiy bo i>laiif- 



The Spring Snowflake 



The Si)ring Suowflake, l,ni<'iijiiin rcniinn 

 is a hardy bulb, which in earliness comes 

 along with the Narcissus and early Tulips. 

 It grows to a height of one foot, or in the 

 best localities somewhat more, and bears 

 pretty flowers. It is one of the best early- 

 tlowering bulbs, being neat and compact in 

 growth, it increases by offsets from the 

 bulb, the plants looking not unlike the 

 Narcissus, except in the (lowers. 



The flowers are delightfully fragrant, and 

 somewhat resemble those of the Snowdrop, 

 but are much larger and appear a month 

 later. The color is white with a yellowish 

 green spot on each petal near the point. The 

 plants are entirely hardy and well suited 

 either for a sheltered border or for rock- 

 work. In common with other bulbs the 

 Suowflake is impatient of a wet soil. 



This is not a new flower. It was first cul- 

 tivated in England in l.")!>6, having been 

 brought from Germany, where, as also in 

 Switzerland, it is found wild in the woods 

 and other shady places. It is said to have 

 become naturalized in some parts o_f Eng- 

 land. Bulbs of the Snowflake may be pro- 

 cured of about all dealers in hardy plants 

 and bulbs. 



Beautify the House. 



WM. H. YEOMANS, TOLLAND CO., CONN. 



To keep the boys on the farm, make the 

 home attractive. One reason why so many 

 seek employment in the city, is because in 

 the mind's eye, if in no other sense, there 

 are greater attractions in the city, than the 

 home furnishes. Reverse this condition of 

 things and then mark the change. 



Many farmers' homes possess in their ap- 

 pointments and furnishings too little that 

 is attractive. There are many that have no 

 more than a single weekly newspaper, and 

 hardly a book other than those that the 

 children have studied at school; no pictures 

 upon the walls, or plants in the windows. 



What a dismal picture is this to those who 

 en.ioy different things ! What if it does 

 cost a little effort and some labor to care 

 for them, is not the presense of blooming 

 plants in winter, with the cheery spring-like 

 atmosphere which they give, a sufficient 

 recompense? We are led to these thoughts 

 by the presence in our home of a large speci. 

 men of Amarylis .Johnsonia in full bloom. 

 It is a vigorous growing plant, sending out 

 its dark green lancelate leaves three feet or 

 more in length. It commenced to send up 

 its flower stalks some time ago, seven of 

 which have already been produced rear- 

 ing themselves to the height of three feet 

 from which have been suspended the 

 very rich deep red blossoms, five stalks 

 of which produced four flowers each. 

 There have been ten in full bloom at 

 one time. It has been an object of beauty 

 and lent a peculiar cheerfulness to the 

 home, of far more value than the little 

 care it required. It is the little things 

 that by combination and special arrange- 

 ment add very much to the attractive- 

 ness of the home. 



The Abutilon in Tree Form. 



The tree form with many shrubs and 



flowers, and even bush-fruits, is far more 



popular with gardeners in Europe than it is 



among American cultivators,'and usually a 



THE SPRING SNOWFLAKE. Leucojeum Vernum. 



ed out in the open ground during summer, 

 headed back once or twice, depending on 

 the wishes of the grower concerning the 

 time of blooming, whether early or late; 

 then potted off in autumn, and brought in 

 a cold house, or one with moderate heat. 

 Thus treated they will bloom in winter for 

 a long time. An occasional application of 

 strong cow-manure water, etc., will be of 

 material benefit. 



l,T9ti. Exotic Graps Vines. To propagate 

 exotic Grapes, select one-year old, well- 

 matured wood with strong buds, and make 

 single-eyed cuttings, by making square cuts 

 a little less than one-third inch above and 

 below each bud. These cuttings are split 

 through the center, and the halves with the buds 

 laid bud side up in shallow boxes filled with 

 wood's earth and pressed down tightly. They 

 are then covered up with a thin layer of sand, 

 with a little moss on top ot this as a mulch, and 

 then placed on the propagating bench, where 

 thev should be kept moist and warm. When the 

 buds have started, the plants are potted off, and 

 nlaced on bottom heat to be kept in strong 

 growth. The plants are repotted as often as re- 

 ouired If this process ot propagation is begun 

 in January, the young vines will be strong 

 enough in the autumn, to be used for forcmg 

 and to bear the summer following. 



