26 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



November, 



Mixing of Melons. Mr. Greiner has 

 noted some interesting results on this point. 

 As his grounds are limited in extent, there 

 is no chance to keep different varieties far 

 separated, and sometimes it has seemed de- 

 sirable to plant seed from those which have 

 grovpn along with other varieties. 



For instance the Emerald Gem Musk- 

 melon he has found to be much superior in 

 quality to any other he has ever grown; and 

 such varieties as Chicago Market, Millers' 

 Cream, etc., he estimates as better to sell 

 than to eat. But seed saved from the Em- 



The Onion Crop. 



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



The Onion has been grown in this vicinity 

 for years; there are Onion beds (so called,) 

 that have been cropped vrithoiit interruption 

 for 30, 40, or more years; up to a few years 

 ago there was one that had probably been 

 cropped continuously for nearly 7.5 years, and 

 what is peculiar about this course, is that it 

 does not seem to deteriorate the crop in the 

 least, but rather seems to be the best treat- 

 ment that could be adopted. 

 Results go to show that there are certain 

 climatic condi- 

 tions that ex- 

 ert either a dis- 

 astrous or a 

 beneficial in- 

 fluence, as the 

 tase may be. 

 The prepara- 

 tion of soil, 

 , manuring, cul- 

 tn ation, and 

 general atten- 

 tion is about 

 the same year 

 after year, but, 

 setting aside 

 any effect of 

 insect depre- 

 dators, the 

 growth and 

 quantity of the 

 eraldGem which was growTi with the.se,came j crop Is quite variable in different seasons, 

 nearly true, and even after planting a second 



FIG. 1. IMPROVED PLANT PIT WITH AIR FLUE. 



year with other varieties, the seed still gave 

 but few mixtures, aud these, although differ- 

 ing in outward appearance, still retained 

 the flavor of Emerald Gem; a similar re- 

 sult followed with a small early Water- 

 melon after growing with Citrons. 



An Improved Plant Pit with Flue. 



The following description, with a sketch, 

 was sent us by a correspondent from the 

 State of Texas whose address has been mis- 

 laid. The simple idea is, a cold frame warmed 

 some degrees above the outside temperature 

 by air without Are heat. Its distinctive fea- 

 ture is an air flue leading from a point down 

 the incline on which the pit is situated, 

 through the earth mainly below the frost 

 line, in order to temper the fresh air that is 

 admitted, somewhat. A chimney for creat- 

 ing an air draft is also Included as shown in 

 the engravings. 



In Figure 1 is given a view of the pit in 

 perspective, showing also the manner of 

 banking up vrith earth and the two doors at 

 the entrance. The lower cut gives a length- 

 wise sectional view and shows the peculiar 

 interior arrangement. In its construction 

 there is first a pit, b, some four feet deep 

 and about seven feet wide, as long as desired, 

 of the shape shown. Above this the frame- 

 work, a, is erected, resting on a foundation 

 of stone. The sides of the house are banked 

 up nearly to the top; above the bank, c, 

 glass is used on ends and roof. 



Some fifty feet from the pit, a trench two 

 feet deep is dug and extended to the side of 

 the pit, and opening into it from beneath the 

 foundation. Five inch drain tile, e, are laid 

 in the bottom, beginning at the pit and 

 running to the surface at d, the ditch being 

 filled in again. At the rear end of the pit, 

 a ventilator pipe runs up from the pit, thus 

 causing in all mild weather, when the pipe 

 cut offs are open, a constant current of air 

 to pass under the stage on which the plants 

 stand. The cold air in its underground 

 passage from d, through o, is said to become 

 sufficiently warm to keep the plants from 

 being harmed by the cold. Of course, only 

 plants like Roses, in a dormant state, or half 

 hardy and hardy sorts, are to be stored in a 

 frame of this description. 



Last season the crop set out with much 

 promise; the young plants looked healthy 

 and vigorous, and continued so until the 

 season was well advanced, when the tops 

 were attacked by a blight which seemed to 

 be wide .spread, that immediately checked 

 the development of the bulbs, and the result 

 was a large crop of small Onions; but this 

 season the conditions, whatever they may 

 have been, favored a continuously healthy 

 growth, and a development of the roots in 

 an vinusual manner; inasmuch as both of 

 these conditions existed without any appar- 

 ent cause, we are led to the conclusion, that 

 the crop may be affected, favorably or 

 unfavorably, by imperceptible conditions. 



Pears, Persimmons and other Fruits. 



S. MILLER, MONTGOMERY CO., MO. 



The LeConte Pear I fear will not stand 

 the test, as some that were gathered at the 

 proper time and ripened according to rule, 

 got soft in the middle first, an unpardonable 

 fault in a Pear. 



The Persimmon Seedless was sent to me 

 as .such, yet there are a few seeds in some. 

 The St. Thomas will not be ripe for some 

 little time yet, while some of the Seedless 

 and Josephines have ripened and fallen. 

 The one got for Early Golden is not so early 

 as some others. The Ruby, although not 

 large, is an excellent one and 

 dried on the trees well. 



The Persimmon is worth 

 more attention than it has thus 

 far received. We have them 

 ripe here now, and will most 

 likely have some until well Into 

 February. 



DeSoto Plums have ripened 

 splendidly the season ,iust now 

 passed. It is nearly as large as 

 Wild Goose, and much better in quality. 

 Golden Beauty has also ripened a full crop, 

 free from curculio or gouger marks, and is 

 sweet and good. For market however, it 

 should be gathered before ripe, as it will 

 drop as soon as it becomes the least soft. 



The Smock Peach is fruiting for the first 

 time, and one before me measures just 11 

 inches in circumference and is a beauty. 

 October Beauty is also loaded with fruit, 

 but I fear we will get a frost ere it ripens, 

 as the weather threatens a visit of old Jack. 



In my fifty years of fruit growing, never 

 was I favored with such a splendid crop of 

 all kinds of fruit that grows in this latitude. 



The largest Pecan Nuts In the North, 

 heretofore, have been received from Texas 

 and Louisiana. But a year ago I learned of 

 a large one not far from here, and received 

 some of the nuts which were as large as any 

 from the South. These will no doubt prove 

 hardy, while those from Texas are not; a 

 friend of mine Invested ^0 in nut trees from 

 Texas which freeze every winter, and are 

 now no larger than they were when he got 

 them five years ago. I recently spoke with 

 the gentleman who owns the tree of those 

 large ones here, and engaged the crop, 

 which I will keep in dry sand to distribute 

 to those who wish to try them. 



They should be planted at once where 

 they are to remain, in which case they will 

 usually bear in six or eight years I am told. 

 Those who wish to procure any had better 

 let me know in time, and the number they 

 want, under a half pint, as no one can 

 get more than that. Otherwise some would 

 monopolize it and prevent its dissemination. 



The Hybrid Pecan grafts of Nussbaumers 

 have made a handsome growth, and may 

 bear fruit next year. As mentioned in a 

 former number, all my Hickory grafting 

 of last spring failed, hence I have no grafts 

 for distribution. 



A Protest Against Exaggerated Il- 

 lustrations and Descriptions 

 in Catalogues. 



A. T. GRANT, WORCESTER CO., MASS. 



This subject is one about which I have 

 never as yet seen anything written. It bears 

 on the matter of the pictorial exaggerations 

 in the catalogues of many dealers. Does the 

 gardener or fruit grower think, when looking 

 over a catalogue to select seeds or plants, that 

 he is going to get car loads of Watermelons of 

 119 lbs. each. Onions of .5 or 6 lbs.. Potatoes to 

 cover the ground after being dug, so com- 

 pletely that they could be gathered best with 

 the horse rake? If he thinks such things are 

 to be common to him, after buying seeds of 

 Mr. So and So, why, he will be mistaken. 



If these things cannot be, why do dealers 

 illustrate in this way. I have at hand now 

 a catalogue from a responsible firm, show- 

 ing a Geranium with .34 clusters of bloom in 

 sight and a small plant at that. I find most 

 everything in this way; how can the buyer 

 get any knowledge of a variety by these cuts. 



We certainly want new sorts, we want 

 varieties that are free bloomers, but when 

 the dealer gives us to understand that ,50 

 clusters of bloom on a small Geranium are 

 possible, we get disgusted, and I for one 

 cannot trust other statements, some perhaps 

 that are true. I have to buy seeds, and 

 must have the earliest and best kinds for 

 market. I want a way to find out which are, 



T7777777777f77//' 

 LENGTHWISE SECTIONAL VIEW OF PLANT PIT AND FLUES. 



at least, the best to try, and when any dealer 

 decides to give us this information in his 

 catalogue, I want to hear from him. 



I hope that this evil referred too may be 

 done away with before long. 



A True National Flower. The Per- 

 ennial and Other Phloxes. 

 We would ask those members of the 

 Society of American Florists, and all others 

 who are interested in the question "What 

 shall be styled our National Flower," why 



