1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



245 



1,988. Bordsanx Mixture. The formula for 



preparing this is as follows: In an earthen ves- 

 sel dissolve ri pounds of copper sulphate iu water ; 

 in another vessel slake i> pounds of lime. Mix the 

 two solutions, and when ready tor use, dilute 

 with 'ii gallons of water. This is sprayed on the 

 Grape vines, the tirst application to be made Just 

 as soon as the leaves have started in spring, and 

 others at intervals of ten days or two weeks 

 through the season. The great objection to 

 late applications is that the lime of the mixture 

 adheres to the fruit and often tiadly spots and 

 discolors it so that it may l)e necessary to dip the 

 bunches into acidulated water (water anil 

 strong \nnegar.l To meet this objection, the 

 ammoniacal carlwnate of copper solution may 

 be substitute*! for the Bordeaux mixture in the 

 later applications. This solution is cheap and 

 easily prepared. IDissolve 3 ounces of carbo- 

 nate" of copper in one quart of ammonia (24° 

 Baume) and dilute with S gallons of water. 

 Prof. Galloway also advises to try this solution 

 in place of Bortleaux mixture in all applications, 

 making the first spraying when the Howers are 

 opening, and the others at the usual intervals. 

 Former experiments had lead him to believe that 

 in ordinary seasons this solution will prove as 

 elfective ais the Bordeaux mixture, and its ad- 

 vantages over the latter are (1) ease of prepar- 

 ation and application, (2i cheapness, and ri) its 

 proi>erty of not spotting the fruit. The chief 

 troublewith it is that tlie average druggists do 

 not keep the carbonate of copper in stock, and 

 will have to order it from some wholesale house. 

 It should not cost more than about 6.5 cents per 

 pound at retail. 



1,931. Value of Wood Ashes. Good unleached 

 wood ashes have a fertilzing value of from $10 

 to 515 per ton. If you have engaged a car for 

 moving your goods, and consequently will be to 

 no great expense in moving your wood ashes, it 

 will certainly pay you to do so. 



1,906. Seaion of Btldding. in a general way we 

 will say that budding can be done at any time 

 when the stock is making vigorous growth, so 

 that the bark peels readily, and when good buds 

 can be had. 



1,8T6. Japan Honeysuckle. Evidently the root 

 suffered some injury during the winter that 

 should have caused the plant to die in the spring. 

 If as in western New York, the soil was very 

 wet in the fall, the root may have received in 

 jury in the way for being unprepared to stand 

 freezing. It is not invariably the coldest win- 

 ters that are the most serious. — A. H. E. 



1,870. Foinsettia in Tree Form. There is no 

 disadvantage in growing this plant to a tree 

 form, indeed it is its most natural form. Still 

 we would not recommend a very long trunk 

 say not l>eyond a length to make the tree from 

 two to four feet high. Thus we would cut 

 back the growth freely every year depending an 

 new growth for the top and bloom each season. 



1.990. Propagating Choice Strawherry Vari- 

 eties. Plants are set as early in .spring as the 

 ground can be worked in rows 8 to 10 feet apart 

 and 2 feet apart in the rows. In a day or two 

 the soil is stirred around the plants with a rake 

 or hoe ; so as to break the crust and destroy the 

 germinating weed seeds. Strawberry plants ap- 

 preciate good culture and to obtain the best re- 

 sults they should be stirred every day. To 

 obtain the most rapid growth use nitrate of 

 soda, a spoonful to a plant scattered around the 

 hill We have been very successful with barn- 

 yard scrapings, putting it on an inch deep all 

 over the surface. Liquid manure in dr> weather 

 is best of all : but be careful that it is not too 

 strong. Cut off the first runners that appear to 

 give stockiuess to the plant. The runners 

 that are allowed to grow should be held in place 

 by a stone or a little earth till well rooted. In 

 order that the young runner may root readily it 

 is verv important that the soil be kept mellow by 

 frequent stirring. By the above method we 

 were able last year to grow 500 plants from 5 

 parent plants that had been taken up in Kan- 

 sas after the fruit was set and shipped to X. Y. 

 by mail. I believe I could grow ICKJI plants from 

 one single setting of the Cloud variety.— i. J. 

 Farmer , S 1'. 



1,8.39. Crops Among Frnit. -\11 kinds of an- 

 nual vegetable crops may be grown among 

 Grapes, Blackberries and Raspberries. On a 

 pinch, a row of early Potatoes, Peas or Beans 

 might be grown between the Strawberries and 

 renewed before the plants begin to run. We 

 plant Potatoes between the Raspberries and 

 Blackberries the first year. Afterwards the 

 Berry plants take all the room. Berries may be 

 grown in the young orchard with good results. 

 Don't plant Strawberries among Raspberries or 

 Blackberries, as the frequent cultivation that 

 would be necessary for the Raspberries, etc. 

 would be detrimental to the Strawberries when 

 ripening, and if no cultivation is given to the 

 Blackberries, etc, their growth is seriously re- 

 tarded and the ground gets full of weeds. Then 

 two things must be looked to in succotash treat- 

 ment of crops. There must be more fertilizer ap- 

 plied, and of course more hand lab(jr ; but it will 

 pay where land is dear.— i. J. Farmer. 



1,734. Treatment of Berry Plants. When 

 plants and vines are received from the nui-sery 

 they shouUf Ix" immediately opened and taken 

 from the package. Keep from wind and sun 

 as either will destroy the Hue rootlets in a few 

 moments. Plants that are not to be set the next 

 day, should tx; heeled in. Plow a furrow long 

 enough to hold all the plants, being careful that 

 the land side is kept straight. Break open the 

 bunches of Strawberry plants and spread them 

 out up against the land side ; so that all the roots 

 will come in contact with the soil. Draw the 

 soil up around the roots and give it a good fir- 

 ming. Water when necessary Raspberry tips 

 should be treated likewise. If the bunches are 

 heeled in without being broken open, all but the 

 outside plants will rot . Red Raspberries, Black- 

 berries and Grape vines may be set in the center 

 of the trench about 3 inches apart and earth 

 hauled around them from both sides. It is a 

 good plan to have plants come early and heel 

 them in. Then when we are ready to plant we 

 can tell better what will grow and be more sure 

 of an even stand.— I,. J. Farmer. 



1,714. Propagating Blackberries. Blackberries 

 are propagated from root cuttings by cutting 

 the roots into pieces about 3 inches long in 

 autumn or early spring. These cuttings are 

 sown in rows about 3 inches deep. If done in 

 autumn the cuttings had better be kept till 

 spring packed in earth or damp moss. Another 

 way IS to take a sharp spade or shovel and cut 

 circles about 6 inches from each other all around 

 the parent plant as far as its roots extend. 

 Every piece of root will produce a plant. Black- 

 berries proper are not propagated from the tops. 

 The running Blackberry or Dewberry, propa- 

 gates from the tips early in the autumn same 

 as black Raspberries, .is soon as the Dewberry 

 cane begins to swell, burj* the end in soil about 

 2 inches.— I/. J. Farmer. 



1,766. Applying Wood Ashes. In applying 

 wood ashes or any fertilizer of an alkaline nature 

 one should be careful that the Strawberry leaves 

 are perfectly free from dew or rain. The ashes 

 should be sifted on the plants when dry. Just 

 before a heavy I'ain is the best time. What 

 lodges on the foliage may be swept off with a 

 broom. We nearly destroyed a tine patch of 

 Eurekas last summer by not brushing off the 

 superphosphate that lodges on the foliage, be- 

 fore a heavy dew.— i. J. Farmer. 



1,833. Plnm Tree Suckers. My neighbors dig 

 up the suckers t&at spring up around the bear- 

 ing trees and set them out, same as trees from a 

 nursery. They bear the same fruit as the parent 

 tree and lots of it.— i. J. Farmer. 



1,877. Blackberry Suckers. Blackberries will 

 produce suckers anyway. The less the ground 

 is plowed and cultivated deep, the fewer the 

 suckers. Mulch and shallow cultivation is a 

 partial preventive. When the green shoots come 

 up, cut off, same as weeds, all except those you 

 wish to grow into canes for bearing fruit next 

 year.— L. J. Farmer. 



L,915. Cactus Culture, Cacti will bloom every 

 year if given a complete rest from the latter 

 part of December until April. Place on a shelf 

 away from the light where the temperature does 

 not fall below 35°; withold water until each plant 

 shows signs of growing. As they make small 

 root growth, small pots are best. Give rich soil 

 with at least one half sand and keep growing 

 through the summer. Autumn and spring 

 flowering varieties should be treated alike.— 

 Mrs. B. L. P. 



1,936. DoUchos Species, The species usually 

 found in cultivation is 1). Uffuosens (woody 1; the 

 flowers are rose-colored, with a purplish keel, 

 umbellate; leaflets, ovate, acute, smooth- 

 glaucous beneath ;;stem, woody; branches, twin- 

 ing, rather villous. The species in your pos- 

 session, however, may be D. hieo)itortus itwice 

 twisted). Its Bowers are white and purple, sus- 

 pended on long peduncles, leaves, trifoliate, on 

 long petioles. This half hardy climber was 

 brought from Japan in 1869. 



1,914. Cactus Culttire— Treating for Bloom. 

 The culture of this family is very simple, namely 

 the plants should have a protracted rest during 

 the fall and winter by withholding water almost 

 wholly, and then providing water freely during 

 the season of growth and bloom. They prefer 

 a light, sandy soil and rather small pots. 



1,917. Dwarf Bed-flowering Horse Chestnut. 

 You will find this variety offered in the catalogue 

 of Parsons & Son's Company, Flushing, N. Y , 

 under the name of Aei^culug hippoca^anum rit- 

 hicunda nova. 



l.HS.'i. Columbine Flowers Double. The cause 

 of the flowers growing more double as years go 

 on is that as the growth increases the vitality of 

 the plant is slightly reduced by the crowding of 

 the roots and shoots.a condition that tends to in- 

 crease the doubleness of the bloom. Divide and 

 reset the roots into fresh soil next October or 

 April, and with the more vigorous growth that 

 will follow, the flowers will again assume a 

 larger and more single form. 



l.itis. Bulb Growing at the South Undoubt- 

 edly there arc chances, here and there at the 

 South, to make a living by growing flowering 

 bulbs for sccdmen and florists at the North. 

 But It looks to us dijcidedly risky, to say the 

 least, for anyone not an expert in the production, 

 use and sale of such produce, to start for the 

 sunny South with the hope of making a living 

 out of the business. This is a trade that has to 

 be learned and studied. An acquaintance of the 

 writer, a good florist too, some years ago. en- 

 gage^l in growing Tuberose bulbs and flowers by 

 the acre in the southern part of Virginia, but he 

 found trouble in selling his crops at remunera- 

 tive prices, and has abandoned the business. We 

 shaU be glad, however, to receive further in- 

 formation on this subject by our southern 

 friends and readers. 



1,942. Ctirl Leaf of Peach. This disease, with 

 which the trees of (.lur inquirer were affected, 

 like almost all trees we have seen this season, is 

 produced by a parasitic fungus which develops 

 its spores in minute sacks in the swollen and 

 distorted parts of the leaf. This fungus is 

 konwn as Ascomye^ defininaus. or more recently 

 as Exoa-fcuit deformau.f. It always appears early 

 in the season, and usually the diseased leaves 

 drop after a tew weeks. The disease can not 

 well be otherwise than an injury to the tree, but 

 it is not a fatal one. There is no known remedy ; 

 but the attacks may possible be prevented by 

 judicious pruning, through cultivation, and 

 liberal maining, especially with potash. 



1,965. An Ailing Oaiden. It is more than 

 likely that you have overdosed your garden with 

 foul animal manure. I would advise you to 

 place no animal manure on your garden for at 

 least two years. Instead of that I would rec- 

 commend covering the soil with a dressing of 

 fresh lime, and turn it into your ground, at least 

 two spades deep. A Carrot, three pounds in 

 weight, is all very well to grow for exhibition 

 or for a horse to eat, but is quite unfitted for 

 anyone to eat who values the clean, sweet flavor 

 of a vegetable. Small, sweet vegetables, fit for 

 the table, is what should be aimed at, and these 

 you cannot produce if you use foul animal 

 manure. Y'ou should manure with leaves and 

 lime, not gas lime, and trench deeply.— A. H. E. 



1,892. Plants Flowering in Hay. The time of 

 bloom of the following named flowers is about 

 that of Memorial Day, varying accordingly as 

 the season is earlier or later, H.\rdy Flowers 

 Garland Flower I Daphne Vreoumn>; Double 

 Hoc^etAHe^peris matrionalisfl.pl.); Early Irises, 

 Lychins viscaria.Virginian Lungwort [Mentemsia 

 Virginica); Creeping Phloxes, May Apple or 

 Mandrake, Greek Valerian, {Polemimium); Early 

 Crowfoot or Buttercup, Speedwell, ( Teroiica 1; 

 boronicum caucasium. Bleeding Heart, iD/cen- 

 tra speetablis]; Pa"onies, LUy-of-the- Valley, 

 Pansies, Daises, Shrubs. Three Pa?ony. Lilacs, 

 Bush Honeysuckle, Rough-leaved and Lantan- 

 leaved Viburnums, Plum-leaved Spira?a Thun- 

 berg's Soir-.ea, Flowering Almond. Tulips: 

 Y'ellow Rose, Pieony Gold, Parrot, Roses, Bi- 

 zarres. La Candeur Marriage de ma Fille, By- 

 looms, etc. 



1,919. Pomegranate not Blooming. The fact 

 that you comment upon the vigorous condition 

 of your plant which does not bloom, would indi- 

 cate that the tendency is too much towards 

 growth of wood, this being caused perhaps by 

 having more and richer soil than is desirable for 

 promoting bloom Very likely if you were to 

 defer shifting into a larger box or pot until fully 

 a year later a crop of bloom would set in the 

 intervening time The plant is a lover of sun- 

 shine, being very suitable for lawn or veranda 

 decoration in the summer. It requires the pro- 

 tection of a cool greenhouse or cellar during the 

 winter. 



1,918. Buffalo Berry. This shrub Shepherdia 

 argentca) is seldom found in the nurseries. The 

 firm of Gillett & Horsford, Southwick, Mass., 

 pay much attention to the cultivation of native 

 plants and shrubs, and it is possible that they 

 could furnish the one referred to. Another 

 species Shci>herdia canadensis, is mentioned in 

 their catalogue. 



1,911. Deutzia crenata not blooming. It is 

 possible that the soil is too rich for your plant or 

 else that it stands too much in the shade, both of 

 which causes might be suflBcient to hinder bloom. 

 In our own grounds this shrub has always 

 flowered freely. 



1,954. Planting Clematis Jackmanii. We pre- 

 fer planting in the spring before new shoots 

 start up. As good a position as any for the roots 

 in planting is to make a crown of earth in the 

 hole with its highest part but a little below the 

 surface of the surrounding soil. Over the crown 

 spread the roots evenly in all directions and 

 cover with soil, firming it down well. The 

 hybrid Clematises are impatient of a wet soil, 



1,9.')7. Worden Grape. Most growers consider 

 this a rather poor shipper, and having a tendency 

 to drop the berries from the stem. It ships quite 

 well, however, if picked as soon as fully colored. 



