270 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



September, 



When the runners begin to grow, the first I 

 ones should be removed to give stockiness j 

 to the plants. If the first runner is left on, ! 

 it will draw the life from the parent plant 

 so as to prevent its sending out other run- 

 ners. Whichever side of the row this run- 

 ner happens to strike root will be covered 

 with plants and the other side vacant ; and 

 thus a very uneven growth is secured. By 

 cutting oft the first runner or two. the plant 

 becomes larger and soon sends out several 

 large runners, all at once, which may be 

 layered on both sides and make an even 

 stand of plants. In hoeing Strawberries 

 after the runners start, if there be several 

 runners and only a few new plants rooted, 

 we turn all the runners over on one side, 

 while the other side is weeded and hoed. 

 The runners are now all turned to the side 

 that has been hoed while the other side is 

 treated the same. Earth should be drawn 

 around the plant to replace that which has 

 been scraped away with the hoe m removing 

 the fine weeds. One should be very care- 

 fvil that all the fine weeds be cut away, for 

 in dry weather they are sure to grow 

 through, if covered up. Strawberries may 

 be hoed after the runners have rooted t/oo 

 strongly to disturb, by the following 

 method : The ground is cultivated deeply 

 between the rows so as to give plenty of 

 loose soil. All the large weeds are pulled 

 out. The earth is now drawn up around 

 the plants, covering the small weeds and 

 runners. This not only retards the weeds, j 

 sometimes smothering them ; but also in- 

 sures the young runners rooting readily. 

 They will root and grow up through an 

 inch of soil. This covering of the runners 

 with soil is the safest and most rapid way 

 of securing a good growth of plants even 

 in dry weather. ^ 



In pulling large weeds around a Straw- 

 berry plant, the plant should be held down 

 with one hand, while the weed is pulled out 

 with the other. I,arge grass weeds may be 

 split in pulling and with less danger to the 

 Strawberry plant. I have great difficulty 

 in getting men to pull the weeds properly 

 around the plants, and also to layer the 

 runners as they should be set in, parallel 

 to the rows and those about to root, put in 

 place and held down with a stone or pressed 

 into the soil. A runner that has once rooted 

 will never root again, unless it is pressed 

 down with a stone or covered with soil. 



The cultivator should be kept going con- 

 tinually ; at least once a week so long as 

 growth continues, to keep the soil mellow 

 and turn the runners that start across the 

 path. As the the runners spread, the culti- 

 vator should be narrowed up and run only 

 one way in the row. 



SUMMEK Fertilization. There is noth- 

 ing that will pay the grower so well next to 

 thorough cultivation, as liberal manuring. 

 I think that Strawberries should be given 

 an application of some quick-acting fertili- 

 zer such as nitrate of soda, superphosphate 

 or guano soon after they are set out, to give 

 them a nice send-off. At this time, they are 



very feeble and undecided whether to grow 

 or die. Plants never stand still. They 

 either grow or go back. The weather may 

 be too cold for growth, the soil either too 

 wet or too dry. Some tonic manure applied 

 just as they are to start growth, may ensure 

 their safety. The fertilizer may be scatter- 

 ed along the row and hoed in around the 

 plauts. The plants will need another dress- 

 ing of superphosphate soon as they begin 

 to run nicely. By this time the leaves will 

 be large, and whatever fertilizer lodges on 

 them, should be brushed off with a broom. 

 In applying commercial fertilizer it is safest 

 to apply a small quantity several times 

 rather than all at one time. If the ground 

 is weedy, it should be scattered on after hoe- 

 ing, for in cutting away the weeds, the fer- 

 tilizer will be drawn from the plants, where 

 it cannot benefit them. Otherwise put it 

 on before the plants are hoed. We put on 

 about 300 lbs. superphosphate to the acre 

 at one application. This is about 10 quarts 

 to 3.50 feet of row. The largest and finest 

 crops of Strawberries grown hereabout 

 were produced from rows that had been 

 treated to barn manure and super-phosphate 

 about September 1st. "The rains wash it 

 down to the roots, very little is lost and its i 

 value goes to forming the fruiting crowns 

 and new plants. If one has a manure 

 spreader it may be used here to advantage, 

 scattering the manure on to the rows, in 

 among the plants. 



The warm soap suds on washing days are 

 always carried to our Melon and Cucumber 

 patches, and emptied near the hills. Can better 

 use be made of the valuable plant food they con- 

 tain?— «. R. 



The Crape Myrtle Is a satisfactory plant for 

 lawn or garden, and flowers perfectly until cold 

 weather. But it should be stored during winter 

 where it is sate from freezing. Any cellar is a 

 good place for it. 



Florida forGrapes. I find this agoing to be a 

 most glorious state for the Grape. I have year- 

 ling rtnes now that would take vines at the 

 north at least three or four years to equal them in 

 growth.— £. S. Oandy, Florida. 



The Periwlnkle (Vinca minor) is one of the 

 few plants that will flourish in the shade of trees, 

 where no sod can be established. It is very 

 useful in cemeteries, to beautify graves with 

 its dark, glossy, green foliage. 



Evaporated Fruit will tail us this year to some 

 extent. Evapcrating establishments might turn 

 their attention to vegetables. We see it stated 

 that a company in San Francisco is engaged in 

 drying and packing Potatoes, Turnips, Onions 

 Carrots and other vegetables. They are to be 

 packed in tin cases, and will keep indeflnitely. 



A Fine Gooseberry. Mr.E.P.Powell forwards 

 to this oftice a branch of a new Gooseberry with 

 fruit. Ho writes that is a true cross of foreign 

 and native, the first he has ever seen or heard 

 ot.entircly tree from mildew, proUflc, fruit Inrge, 

 and of fine flavor, being tart rather than sweet 

 It looks somewhat like Houghtou.but is consider- 

 ably larger. 



The mole, we should remember, lives exclus- 

 ively on insects, not on grains or roots. If this 

 quadruped tunneLs through the lawn, we may 

 be sure he is after the grubs that gnaw at the 



roots of the grass. The question for you to de- 

 cide is only which is the least of the two evils; 

 the mole burrows, or grubs killing the grass. 



Rural Improvement Ai5SoriATiONS Needed. 

 We had in this town tor 25 years a Rural Art As- 

 sociation, the object being monthly meetings to 

 discuss horticultural and kindred topics, and to 

 engage in planting our streets with judiciously 

 selected trees. The result was a vast amount of 

 practical work, and much education of the 

 public— B. P. P. 



Savoy Cabbages. Even the Savoys which have 

 been crossed and increase'' in size and coarse- 

 ness, like the Drumheu. -avoy, are still far 

 superior to the ordinar "lat Dutch and Drum- 

 heads. And now we . , e a variety known as 

 the Netted Savoy, which combines fair size with 

 the higest quality. We never miss Cauliflowers 

 while we have good Netted Savoys.— W. F. 

 Massey in Garden and Forest. 



Fire for Insects. A subscriber of Frankford, 

 Pa., suggests the plan of killing insects at whole- 

 sale by piling up heaps of brush, weeds and Tuh- 

 bish of all sorts, and burn them off on warm, 

 still evenings, to attract night-flying insects to 

 their death. He has seen as many dead insects 

 as would fill a quart measure nightly taken from 

 the globe of one electric Ugbt. 



Camphor Tree. This tree, Camphoi- officinalis 

 furnishes the camphor of commerce, which is 

 produced from the wood by boihng the chopped 

 branches in water. The cami>hor becomes de- 

 posited, and is purified. It is then brought into 

 a state of vapor by heat, and again condensed 

 as a solid. The leaves are bright, shining green, 

 and resemble the Laurus. This beautiful and 

 useful tree grows remarkably well in most parts 

 of California.— Cal. Florist and Garden. 



Plant in the Fall. The culture of the choice 

 Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocuses and other Dutch 

 bulbs would be vastly more common could they 

 be grown by planting in the spring garden-mak- 

 ing time. It seems unseasonable to most people 

 to plant in the fall. Still in this case it must be 

 done if we would enjoy a class of flowers 

 which contains some of the handsomest, sweetest 

 and most satisfactory blooms of the entire floral 

 realm. The earlier the buds are planted after 

 September 1 st, the better. 



Dutchman's Pipe and Laburnum.- Whether 

 by accident or design I cannot say, but a novel 

 and beautiful combination I recently saw was 

 formed by a strong plant of Aristolochia Sipho 

 clambering through and over a common Labur- 

 num. Its handsome broad leaves contrasted 

 well with those of the Laburnum, and the ef- 

 fect was simply perfect, as there was just enough 

 of the one to contrast with the other. The 

 Laburnum appeared to be giving support 

 without hurt to itself, but in a year or two the 

 encircling folds of the Aristolochia may destroy 

 it. Even then to have this beautiful climber 

 growing so naturally and free would be a dis- 

 tinct gain.— London Garden. 



Antiscoptic Value of EuCALVPTUS.~In soak- 

 ing up (lid wine or vinegar casks.we throw a few 

 Blue-gum boughs with their leaves into the 

 water, and it uever becomes putrid, while with- 

 out the Blue-gum we would have to change the 

 water daily to prevent putridity and spoiling of 

 the flavor of anything afterward kept in the 

 cask. A decoction of green leaves is a stronger 

 and more lasting stimulant than tea or cofl'ee, 

 and more salutary in its efi'ects, as it does not 

 cause wakefulness. It seems to have the stimu- 

 lating effect of quinine without any of its in- 

 jurious qualities.— Selma Irrigator. 



END OF 



VOL. V. 



