266 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



September, 



CorrespondentH are uryed to anticipate the aeaaon in pre 

 tenting 'Tuestions. To ask, for inittaTWe, on April l^ or £0 

 what Peaa had bent be aoum, could bring no answer in 

 the Mat/ issue, and none before June, when the answer 

 would be unseasonable. Questions receivedbefore the litn 

 of any month stand a good chance of being answered tn the 

 next paper. Not more than three questions should be sent 

 at one time. Answers to questions bearina on tMcom- 

 parative value of implements, etc., offered by different 

 dealers must not be expected. Neither can we promise to 

 comply with tne request sometimes made to "please answer 

 by mail." Inquiries appearing unthout name belong to the 

 name next following . 



Replies to Inquiries are earnestly requested from our 

 readers. In answering such give the number, your 

 locality and name, the latter not for publication, unless 

 you desire. Write only on one side of the paper. 



1,97U. Celery Blieht. OutslUe leaves are affected 

 with yellow and brown spots, and die of. What Is the 

 cause and remedy?— SrBsoRlBER, Mercer Co.. Pa, 



!.971. Irrigating a Knoll. Level of water supply 

 ten inches below highest point. What Is best means 

 of raising the water? Can I do so by making use of 

 the pressure of one foot at mouth of flume thorough 

 an aperture, and force It out of other end through a 

 great deal smaller aperture?— F. R. W., Riverside, Cat. 



1.972. Lucretia Dewberry. Is it a good fruit for 

 market? Iff so. where can 1 get a few thousand plants 

 cheap and true to name? 3. \.Vi ., Klickitat Co., Wash. 



1.973. Phosphoric Acid in Bones. What percent, 

 age of the acid U cotalned in bones when burnt to 

 ashes? 



1.974. Rotten Wood as Fertilizer. Is it of any 

 value? 



1,975. Nitrate of Soda. Where can it be obtained 

 and at what price?— W. L. H., Fort Collins, Col. 



1.976. Wintering Spinach. Can the plants be dug 

 up in autumn and wintered successfully in pits like 

 Celery?-M. E. W.. Mich. 



1.977. Pears in Alabama. W hat kind would be best 

 here for orchard planting? Will heavy clay underlaid 

 with gravel do tor Pears? The land is very level and a 

 little cold, but uo water standing on it. 



1.978. Apple Twig Blight. Ends of twigs have been 

 dying down quite badly. What is the cause and how 

 cured?— J. S., Floreiice, Ala. 



1.979. Ants on Lawn. How can I best dispose of a 

 colony of small red ants on my lawn?— G. H. C, Jr. 

 Edsallville, Pa. 



1.980. Remedy for Tomato Worm. Worms are 

 boring holes into the Tomatoes, doing much damage. 

 Can you suggest remedy?- H. C. C, Memphis, Tenn, 



1.981. Quince-leaf Blight. Ends of the top limbs 

 are dying. What is the trouble and best treatment?— 

 H. P."W., .SV. Catharines, Onl. 



1,983. Plan of Ice House. Can you give plan for 

 keeping small ijuantity of ice, say two tons, for family 

 use during summer?— W. T. Q„ Wauken, Iowa. 



1.983. Black Spot of Rose. Can you suggest a pre- 

 ventive or cure?— Rose Lover, Pa. 



1.984. Broom Corn Culture. Please tell how grown 

 and prepared for market?- W. S. M., Virginia. 



1,935. Maple Bark Louse. How can I clear my fine 

 shade trees of this pe8t?~E. N. T., Ohio. 



1,986. The Wine Plant. This some years ago was 

 sent out as a new variety of Rhubarb, from which a 

 choice wine could be made. What is the truth about 

 thls?-VV. R.Siioouer. Wis. 



1,9-7. Exochordia grandiflora. The leaves turned 

 brown at the edges: In June the foliage all burnt up. 

 and plant died, shall get another plant. How must it 

 be treated?- E. R., Ida Grove, Iowa. 



1,988. Skeleton Lily. What is its botanical name? 



1,9S9. LiliumKrameri. Is It as hardy asL.auratum? 

 E. P. R., Kennebunk, Me. 



1.990. Lime Water ior Earth Worms, How pre- 

 pared to be safe for use on Begonias, etc.? How often 

 to be applied?— U. A. B„ Scranton, Pa. 



1.991. Manure for Rose Beds. Would a dressing of 

 bone dust or nitrate of soda restore exhausted beds? 

 When should it be applied? Where can nitrate of soda 

 be obtained? 



1.992. Tuberous-rooted Begonias. How propa- 

 gated?— H. K. D., W. I'll. 



1.993. Orange Rust on Raspberries. One bush in 

 every five Is alfected. What can 1 do? What is the 

 cause of the disease?— S. W. H., Henry Co., Illinois. 



1.994. Keeping Cider Sweet. How best done with- 

 out the use of dangerous chendcals?— Walther. Conn. 



1.995. Sweet Violets for Cut Flower Trade. Please 

 tell me about making frames for growing them In, 

 variety of soil, distance between plants, general treat 

 ment, variety, etc.?— U. A. S., Queens Co., N. V. 



1.996. Golden Elder Leaves Dying. What is the 

 cause and remedy? La-st ye^r was wet, this year is 

 dry, but the partial burning or dying is the same.— 

 Wm. R. C, Mass. 



1.997. Keeping Seed Beans Pure. Is it safe to gather 

 Beans for seed where more than one variety is grown? 

 I wish to keep them pure.— subscriber. Conn, 



1.998. Plant-Eating Lady Bug. What can be done 

 for the hairy slug that eats our Bean leaves?— R. S. T., 

 Coloradx>. 



1.999. Remedy for Ants. Lawn infested with black 

 and red ants. What is the best remedy?— H. J. S., 

 Chicago, Ills. 



2,000. Wintering Monthly Roses in Open Ground. 

 How best done?- R. M. S., Indiana. 



2.001. Mango and Cauliflower Pickles. Please give 

 a few good recipes.- R. S. N., Oft to. 



3.002. Preventing Tomato Rot. Krult is badly 

 struck with a black rot at the free end. What can we 

 do for it?- W. S., Yarmouth, Mass. 



2.003. Eradicating Burdocks. Notwithstanding 

 frequent cutting they manage to live. What is to be 

 done?- F. S. N., Ontario. 



3.004. Top-Set Onions. What relation have these 

 to the black seed Onions?- Si'bscribek. 



3.l«i5. Best Harrow for the Orchardist. Which Is 

 II/-0. S. F., Pa. 



2.0<>6. Winter Covering for Fansies, Spinach, etc. 

 What material is best?— W.ykmdth, N. Y. 



2,l*yi. Roses for Out-Door Culture. Please name a 

 few of the best of each class.— G. S. W., Syracuse, N, Y. 



2,008. Pruning Pear Trees. How should this be 

 done?— Inquirer. 



2,0*jy. Flowers for Perfumery Purposes. Can 

 flowers be used to scent hair oils, or to make perfumery 

 In a simple and practical way?— M. N. P.. 11, Va. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 



1,!<79. Green Fly on Hawthorne. Syringe tree 

 with stioDg Tobacco water.— H. W. S. 



1,891. Cultore of Tropical Frnits. Spons 

 Tropical Cultivator, published in London, could 

 be obtained through any large book concern, 

 possibly for $6.50.— H. W. .S. 



1,99.3. Orange Rust on Baipberries, The only 

 thing that can be done with an.v hope of eradica- 

 ting the disease, is to pull up and burn every 

 cane as soon as it shows the affection. 



1,967. Weeds on Qarden Paths. The best and 

 cheapest way of preventing growth of Grass 

 and small weeds on garden walks is to salt them 

 during dry weather in the spring with common 

 salt, it may be sprinkled all over the surface 

 except near the edges. If the wallis are edged 

 with Box there will be danger of killing the Box. 

 It walks are turned over every spring, put into 

 the best shape (slightly convex) for throwing off 

 the water, there will not be much trouble with 

 weeds. A boy or a woman, after a shower, will 

 soon pull out any weeds which show, and the 

 roller will make all firm again.— A. H. E. 



1,96». Ants in the Garden, We have found 

 several efficient remedies as follows : A trap is 

 made, by sinking a small-necked bottle level 

 with the ground near their entrance; the ants 

 will run in and fall in, and a few days' perse- 

 verance will catch a large colony. The ants in 

 the bottle can be killed by a few drops of 

 kerosene, and the bottle put into the place again. 

 Another way is to dig up the hill, early in the 

 morning when the ants were all in the nest, and 

 with a pail of water work the nest over 

 thoroughly until the whole mass was thin mud. 

 Where toads are very nunierous they cut ni;ui,\- 

 ants in the garden, but do not tind tlmsi.' on tin.' 

 sidewalks. We have called them to nvir spmlul 

 help by building a little pen around the ant hill, 

 and put into it a good-sized toad, and find no 

 ants there after a few days.— Bender Bros., 

 Munroe To., N. Y. 



1,969. How to Force Bhnbarb. If the crowns 

 of the Rhubarb plants are strong place the roots 

 in the frame about the first week in December, 

 or any time from that onwards. They may 

 stand close together, but all the interstices be- 

 tween should be filled up with light rich soil 

 flrml.v rammed in. Keep it well supplied with 

 moisture, and cover the frame with mats, to 

 save the heat. Rhubarb forces best in the dark. 

 -E. H. L., Erie. A. I'. 



1,994. Keeping Cider Sweet, cider to be kept 

 unfermented should be made as late in autumn 

 as possible, as it would be difficult to keep from 

 fermenting when made early in the season. 

 November-made cider, if bunged up tight and 

 stored where a temperatuse near the freezing 

 point can be maintained, will probably keep 

 sweet indefinitely, Some people put in a half- 

 pound or a pound of Mustard seed to the barrel, 

 of cider, and others use sulphite of lime in the 

 same way. The old-time method of scalding is 

 considered by many people one of the best and 

 least objectionable methods. We see this de- 

 scribed as follows : When the cider has slightly 

 fermented, it should be drawn or dipped from 

 the casks, where it has been standing to settle, 

 into large copper kettles or an old copper still. 

 and be heated Just up up to the boiling point 

 and no longer, when it should be again put into 

 open casks to settle and become cold. It will 

 then be ready to be tightly bunged in barrels 

 and stored away. During the heating a large 

 cjuantity of scum will rise to the top to he skim- 

 med off, and during the <(«>linK most nt the im- 

 purities still held in solution will he dcpcmited as 

 sediment in the bottom nt the casks. While 

 cider thus created will afterwads taste slightly 

 of the scalding, it will not be unpleasant to those 

 who like it sweet, and is to be preferred to that 

 in which fermentation has been arrested by 

 Mustard seed or chemicals. This process will 

 stop fermentation at the right point to leave it 

 sweet, and will quite thoroughly cleanse it from 

 impurities, but will effect it unfavorably for 

 making into vinegar afterwards— G. K. 



1,8.53. Hollyhock Blight. So far as our own 

 experience goes, there is no cure for Hollyhock 

 disease. It is common here in Miissaclnisetts. 

 We grew them very suciiessfully iti Passaic, N. 

 J., for yeai'S, but it is useless to attempt jrrowing 

 them here, owing to the fungus.— E. O. O. 



l,9!il. Manure for Kose Beds. There is prob- 

 ably no better way to restore the fertility of 

 worn-out Kose beds than by the application of 

 at least two inches of well-rotted stable manure 

 and working this thoroughly into the soil to 

 the depth of one foot. In the absence of suit- 

 able stable manure bone dust may be applied at 

 the rate of ten pounds to every one hundred 

 square feet of surface. This also shoul<l be well 

 incorporated with the soil to the depth mention- 

 ed. I would also use nitrate of soda, if to be 

 used conveniently, in light but repeated dress- 

 ings, say at the rate of one pound to two hundred 

 square feet, or in solution at the same rate. 

 This substance may be bought of ail fertilizer 

 firms near the sea cost, and costs about g2.50 per 

 100 pounds in small quantities. In the absence 

 of nitrate of soda (Chili saltpeter) nitrate of 

 potash (common saltpeter) applied in somewhat 

 smaller doses, will probably give good results. 



1,857. Slug Shot. We have used this the past 

 season with excellent success for Potatoe bugs 

 and slugs : one thorough application cleaned the 

 vines from the pest within '24 houas, so that 

 hardly a bug was left to tell the story. There 

 was no ill effect from the application.— G. K. 



1,901. Cu ting Sweet Potato Vines. This was 

 never done in Northern Indiana, my old home, 

 where I have grown and seen grown many acres. 

 There some practised moving or raising the vines 

 with a fork and rake handle to prevent their 

 rooting on the sides of the ridges. But they 

 were never cut until digging time. In Florida, 

 it is never done except in June or July when 

 cuttings of the vines are taken off to set new 

 plantations.— W. C. Steele. 



1,891. Cnlture of Tropical Fruits, Florida 

 Fruits and How to Grow Them, by Helen Har- 

 court, is a popular treatise on Cultivation of 

 plants and fruits iii<iuired about. The directions, 

 however, arc feu- outdoor culture in Florida. I 

 know of no l)ook gi\ uig dircctn»ns tor cultiva- 

 ting them in the house in a cold clnnate. By the 

 use of a little common sense tlic directions of 

 the above book might be ad.justcd to home cul- 

 ture.— W. C. Steele. 



1,621. Crinum Americanum. This question 

 "How best kept over winter?" appeared in the 

 January number. Though out of season, some 

 information may be useful now. This species is 

 a native of Florida, being common in this part 

 of the state and also in the extreme south- 

 western parts. The tops are usually killed by 

 frost every winter and when this happens it 

 rcnmins dormant until spring But if as occa- 

 sioUiiUv hiipiiens, we have a frostless winter, it 

 kci-|ps on ^'ro^ving all wiiUer. At the north the 

 first frost might lie allowed to kill the foliage 

 and tnen the pot or tub could be kept in any 

 cellar that is free from frost, keeping the soil 

 barelv moist enough to prevent the bulb roots 

 fromshriveling. But much the best way is to 

 keep the plant growing all the year. If given a 

 very rich soil, plenty of sunlight and abundant 

 moisture, the growth and beauty of the siecics 

 will surprise you. In a wild state it always 

 grows in very wet places, usually with its roots 

 in water.— W. C. Steele. 



1,985. Maple Bark Louse. The presence of 

 the pests is shown by the occurrence upon the 

 twigs of Maple trees, especially on the under 

 side of a brown, circular, leathery scale about 

 one-(iuarter of an inch in diameter, beneath 

 which is a fluffy, cottony mass, that at this time 

 is alive with hundreds of young lice, appearing 

 to the untrained eye as minute, white specks 

 moving about. Soon after hatching they fix 

 themselves upon the leaves were they remain 

 throughout the season. They insert a tiny beak 

 into the leaf and suck the .sap. In autumn 

 before the foliage drops they desert the leaves 

 and fasten themselves to the twigs. Much of 

 the sup that is sucked from the foliage passes 

 through the bodies and falls to the ground. This 

 is frequently called honey-dew. The simplest 

 way of clearing shade trees of the scales and 

 young lice is by using a stream of water from 

 the hose, forcing it into the trees and washing 

 them off. This treatment should be repeated 

 several times. The more water pressure on at 

 the time of treating the better. The next 

 best method is spraying with kerosene emulsion 

 made by adding two parts of kerosene to f)ne of 

 a solution made by dissidviug half a pound of 

 hard soap in one gallon of boiling water, and 

 churning the mixture through a force pump 

 with a very small nozzle until the whole forms a 

 creamy mass, which will thicken into a jelly-like 

 substance on cooling. The soap solution should 

 be hot when the kerosene is added, but of course 

 must not be near the tire. The emulsion thus 

 made is to be dilutcil licfore using, with twelve 

 parts cd' cold water. This must be applied soon 

 after the lice hatch with a force pump and spray 

 nozzle. 



