238 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



August, 



THE 



SOCIETIES 



TO BirwnBvf RMovnb 



House Slops for the Gard- 

 en. If |iiiji>frlj- liistributed 

 the slops (it an ordinary 

 . sized family will furnish all 

 . the fertilizing needed for 

 the village garden. -E.G. Coo. 



Insect vs. Insect. Noxious 

 insects should be fought by 

 means of parasites. This is the true scientific 

 method, and the use of poisons a grave mistake. 

 —Dr. BnnUe. 



The Cottonwood is a kind of a thief, a 

 murderer. It will kill every tree within its im- 

 mediate reach by absorbing all the moisture 

 there is in the soil, and then, after killing the 

 other trees, it commits suicide.— iVf. Carpenter. 



The Home Garden. The garden must be near 

 the hftuse, where the owner will see it many 

 times a day, and often improve the waiting 

 moments. It must be enclosed, at any rate, a 

 part of it. It must be well manured ever.v year. 

 —lllis. Hurt. Sneictij. 



Frtiits for the Children Wo are often told if 

 fruit-trees were planted in the street the boys 

 would get the fruit. That would be one great 

 object in thus i>lanting, so that the boys and girls 

 could get the fruit. The fact is that children are 

 starving for fruit; and what with the scarcity of 

 the article and the enclosures surrounding what 

 there is, the average boy is forced into being a 

 thief.— M)>-. Helen V. A u.itin, N. J. Hurt. Society. 



Judging Frnits at Fairs. So much fruit is 

 e.'shibited under a wrong name, says Orange 

 County Farmer, that the need of an expert is 

 always greatly felt. Let such an one be engaged 

 and the fact aimounced before the fair, coupled 

 with an invitation to those who have fruits which 

 they cannot name, to bring them to the fair. He 

 will have one or two days work on hand at least. 

 We have attended fairs where half the fruit 

 was wrongly named. 



Picking Stunmer and Antumn Fears. While 

 many varieties will ripen upon the tree with 

 rich golden or crimson colors, like the Bartlett 

 and Sekel, all varieties of Pears will attain a 

 richer tint as well as a higher flavor by a little 

 attention. For the attainment of the best result, 

 darkness and warmth in the masses of fruit are 

 necessary. Fruit picked green should be ex- 

 posed long enough to become perfectly dry, 

 and is then packed in cloth-lined barrels and 

 cases.— Hoc*. Suciety af A'ortft Ills. 



Birds as Planters. It is wonderful to notice 

 how far seeds of berries are carried by the birds. 

 The Wax Wing and Cedar birds carry seeds of 

 our Tartarian Honeysuckles, purple Barberries, 

 and many other kinds, for miles distant, where 

 we see them springing up near the lake shore, 

 where these birds fly in flocks to feed on the 

 Juniper berries. It seems to be the same every- 

 where. I found European Mountain Ash trees 

 last summer in a forest in New Hampshirel the 

 seeds of which must have been carried two 

 miles the way the crow flies.— R, F. Dimglass, 

 Am. Asgoeiatum of Nurtfcrymen. 



Strawberry Syrup. At the Cash Strawberry 

 and Rose show of the Marshall County (I IlinoisI 

 Horticultural Society, there were on exhibition 

 samples of syrup, manufactured from the juice 

 extracted from the Strawberry, which were 

 highly commended, looking as though the parties 

 may have found a new and paying industry. 

 Strawberries can be grown by the 100 or l.OtK) 

 acres and pressed in the ordinary cider presses 

 of the country, and evaporated in the ordinary 

 sugar cane evaporators, and be made worth 

 much money to our State, I believe. Strawber- 

 ry-growers of our county will look after this 

 new and promising industry. 



Pollen for Crossing. When the first blossoms 

 of the variety we wish to use for fertilizing have 

 expanded, we pluck out, with forefinger and 

 thumb, the stamens and pistils and drop them 

 into a cup. In an hour a smart boy can gather 

 in this way enough of the anthers— in the ' hard 

 pellet' state— to fertilize a thousand or more 

 blossoms. After gathering we dry it, in a warm 

 close room. In the process of drying the anthers 

 ripen and burst, and when needed for use a 

 camel's hair jxincil, moistened, will come out of 

 the dish laden with the golden dust. To show 

 the duraliility of pollen gathered in this rough 

 way, I will state that three years ago we laid 



aside a cup of pollen not used for four weeks. 

 At the end of that time Dr. Halsted germinated 

 it on moistened slides quite as perfectly as that 

 freshly gathered.— Prof. J. L. Budd. 



Effects of Lime in Soil. At the last session of 

 the Florida Horticultural Society, the following 

 summary was mentioned. 1. Lime acts with 

 felspar or clay, setting free potash or other 

 alkalies. 3. It acts on vegetable matter setting 

 free ammonia, water, nitric acid and carbon 

 dioxide tending to destroy exess of humus in the 

 soil 3. Neutralized organic acids- humic, 

 ulmic, geic, etc., — thus sweetening the soil. 4. 

 Takes up nitric acid as formed by the nitrifying 

 bacteria. .5 It is a plant food itself. H. Ren- 

 ders harmless injurious salts of copper, iron, etc. 

 7. Opens up clay soil from the "curdling" efl'ect 

 it has on the molecules of that substance. Soils 

 which contain more than 4 per cent of lime 

 (carbonate) should not be treated with lime. 



Handling Apples. Mr. True in a paixsr read 

 before the Maine State Pomological Societ.v re- 

 commended trees to have all of the same variety 

 in one locality, nearly so, to save time in har- 

 vesting. His favorite ladder he made in fifteen 

 minutes out of two Spruce poles two inches in 

 diameter at the butt, fourteen feet long and 

 strips nailed across with clinch nails, having 

 ladder narrower at the top. All light-colored 

 Fall apples he picked right from the basket into 

 the barrels. Late Fall fruit might be put in 

 piles and sorted. Varieties like Northern Spy 

 should never be jioured from the basket. The 

 stems will penetrate the skin of those they come 

 in contact with, and be the means of decay. 

 Baldwins may be carefully turned into a cart 

 and sorted before storing. When one produces 

 a large quantity of apples it is better to build a 

 regular fruit cellar. A temperature of 30° 

 is about right. A moist cellar is best. There is 

 little danger of putting too many in one bin. 

 Baldwins may thus be kept till April or May. 



The Bordeaux Uiztare as an Insecticide. 

 Professor Garman told of recent experiments 

 which had proven that the mixture (sulphate of 

 copper and lime) not only acts as a fungicide in 

 remedying Grape mildew and black rot as well 

 as Potato rot and scab, but that it also both 

 deters and destroys the insects infesting these 

 plants, so that one appication of the mi.xture to 

 Potatoes, for instance, will not only prove a 

 remedy for rot but also for the flea beetle and 

 <rolorado beetle. Professor Riley mentioned that 

 the discovery of the fungicide propei'ties of this 

 mixture had been accidental. For years the 

 vinegrowers near Bordeaux had been in the 

 habit of poisoning their outer rows of vines to 

 deter thieves. On the appearance of the mildew 

 (peronospora) some years ago.it was noticed that 

 the outer rows did not suffer, and it was not 

 long before it was discovered that the poisoning 

 was the cause of the immunity, and this particu- 

 lar mixture has since remained at the head of 

 the chea|> remedies for many fungous diseases. — 

 Entomol-ogieal Society of Ontario. 



Essays by Toung People. The Illinois State 

 Horticultural Society sets apart one session of 

 the series to the young people. One of them 

 presided and the essays read were written by 

 farmers' boys and girls and the discussions on 

 the papers were carried on without any prompt- 

 ing from the elders. Of course, this was the 

 most interesting session of all the meeting. The 

 .voung men and woman showed how carefully 

 they had studied by treating the subjects given 

 them in a broad and thoughtful way, and, having 

 brought a fresh intelligence to bear upon the 

 <luestions, the old rut and routine were aban- 

 doned and the meeting went on with a sparkle 

 that surprised the listeners. One result was that 

 the city people discovered how much there was 

 to keep the minds of young people on the farm 

 alert and active if they are only properly direct- 

 ed. The farm ought not to be a dull place, with 

 all the processes of vegetable and animal life in 

 full tide all the time before open ej-es and inqui- 

 sitive minds. Another result was that this shar- 

 ing of the intellectual portions of a horticultural 

 meeting with the young folks is a capital way to 

 enlist their interest— to encourage them to add 

 the work of mind to that of the hand, to make 

 thoughtful and intelligent cultivators, to put 

 brains into the conduct of the farm— P/iita- 

 (ielijhia Presn. 



Asparagrus, House-Plants, Etc. 

 At the meeting of the Alton, Ills., Horti- 

 cultural Society on June 6th, Mr. E. Hollls- 

 ter in his paper on Asparagus growing said: 



It is claimed'^by some that there is but one 

 variety of Asparagus. I differ with them. Some 

 years ago I set out a small exi>erimental lot of 

 Conover's Colossal, More's Crossbred and Small- 

 ey's Defiance and noted the result, which was in 

 favor of the latter, both in size and quantity. 

 More recently I have tried the " Palmetto," and 

 was much pleased with it, and think it an im- 

 provement over the other sorts. As to market- 

 ing, the third-bushel box is in so general use, 

 and other packages are seldom seen or used; 1 

 have used with satisfaction a half-bushel baled 

 basket with cover, setting the Asparagus bunches 

 on end, packing two dozen in each. 



In the after-discussion Wm. Jackson said he 

 liked Barr's Mammoth twice as well as he did 

 Conover's. 



In reply to a question as to using salt on As- 

 paragus Mr. HoUister said, " I would use enough 

 to make the ground look white, and put it on in 

 the spring. I would not cut until after two 

 year's planted, though plants that are three or 

 four year's old when "planted can be cut quite 

 freely the first year." 



Mr.Riehl is down upon the whole salting busin- 

 ess. Is an old notion, not of any benefit to the 

 Asparagus, and a somewhat expensive way to 

 kill the weeds 



Miss Hilliard in her paper on the summer care 

 of house plants said she had tried all plans on a 

 small scale, and liked best to keep her plants on 

 low shelves on the north side of the house, not 

 close to a high wall, but where they will be well 

 shaded through the hottest half of the day. If 

 object of summer care is to secure Hne speci- 

 mens for next winter's enjoyment, we must 

 study the habits of each different class, and give 

 to each the individual treatment it requires. If 

 we depend, as many of us do, on such common 

 things as Geraniums, Heliotrope and the like for 

 our Christmas blooms we should not bestir our- 

 selves. Take slips from the finest varieties, and 

 after rooting then change them from small to 

 larger pots about once a month, pinching and 

 trimming them into shape constantl.v all sum- 

 mer, allowing no blossom buds to expand. Do 

 not let a hot sun strike the sides of the pot. 



The first of September we should have well- 

 shaped plants in five or six inch pots, and they 

 should not be shifted after this date, for they 

 will not blossom so freely with too much root 

 room. Continue pinching for a month longer, 

 making them compact, symmetrical, full of short 

 Jointed branches. The first of October they are 

 ready to remove to the south window of a mod- 

 erately cool room. Foliage and Rose Geraniums 

 will do in larger pots than is required for the 

 flowering kind. 



Young Roses in course of preparation for next 

 winter will do best if started in small pots early 

 in the spring, shifted into one size larger pots 

 once a month as they make root growth. By the 

 middle of August they should receive their final 

 repotting into six or eightinch jars. Thisissome 

 trouble, but I am convinced it is the best way to 

 insure tine winter Roses. In every case all the 

 buds should be removed. 



She favors tin cans of rich earth for Tuberoses 

 and wooden boxes for Violets or Primroses. 

 " Potted Chrysanthmums for December blossom- 

 ing need constant watering and clii>ping." She 

 confesses that the Amaryllis " is an enigma." 



The Sulphuring of Dried Fruit. 



\ Prof. Hitgard of the California Experiment Station. 



The question whether sulphuring of dried 

 frnit is a harmful practice or not, continues 

 to be a bone of contention. 



This sulphuring of dried fruits has two chief 

 objects;one,and that most generally kept in view, 

 is the brightening of the color, which always 

 darkens, particularly in sliced fruit, in whatever 

 way it may be dried; the change of color being 

 due to the action of the air upon certain easily 

 changeable substances contained in all fruits. 

 This darkening is a practically inevitable result 

 of drying any fruit in contact with air, whether 

 in sunshine or by artificial heat, and should be 

 looked for by every consumer, as the natural 

 mark of an honest, unmanipulated article. 



The .second object sought to be attained by 

 sulphuring, is to render the fruit secure from 

 the attacks of insects; whether by rendering its 

 surface unpalatable before the eggs are laid, 

 or by killing eggs laid during sun-drying that 

 might subsequently hatch in the packages. The 

 latter object involves, of course, the sulphuring 

 of the dried fruit, the former is to a greater or 

 less extent attained by sulphuring before drying. 



