POPULAR GARDENING. 



October, 



antiquarian to tell of the ivy-clothed ruins 

 of the old world— ruins still remaining be- 

 cause the ivy-dried walls defied the pick of 

 the iconoclast to reduce them. "The physi- 

 cians" had said. The vines had to go. 



Just now the great bugaboo is Bacterium. 

 Bacillus, Micrococcus, and an innumerable 

 string of hard words are slung at us by "the 

 physicians," and to read what they write for 

 us makes it a wonder that any human life 

 is left on our planet, but there are bacteria 

 in dew drops, and more of these terrible 

 creatures in the teeth-tartar of every body's 

 mouth than in all the water they drink in 

 a whole life time. 



Flowers are banished from our living 

 rooms. "The physicians" say they are un- 

 healthful; especially at night, but the poor 

 consumptive, given up to die, takes his tent 

 and camp utensils, sleeps out on the fresh 

 green grass for months, and conies to the 

 flower-banished home anew man— but only, 

 In time, to become the doctor's patient again. 



It is quite sickening to read the miserable 

 twaddle in the daily papers, whenever mat- 

 ters connected with horticulture, — especially 

 sanitary matters affected by horticulture or 

 the kindred sciences, come before them. 

 Here are papers that pride themselves on 

 their accuracy; papers that have a rule to 

 discharge at once any reporter whose state- 

 ments of every day facts are found in the 

 slightest degree inaccurate; and yet can 

 scarcely ever offer a paragraph bearing on 

 horticulture that does not teem with error, 

 or even absolute nonsense. 



Is the fault with horticulturists them- 

 selves? Do they make it a point to keep 

 abreast with the world in the march of 

 general intelligence? 



I will not answer these questions now. 

 I only know that horticulture affords scope 

 for a greater breadth of human knowledge 

 than any other pursuit, — and if the true 

 horticulturist would take pride in diffusing 

 the varied knowledge they ought to possess, 

 not even the crude ipse dixit of "the physi- 

 cians" could lead to the perpetration of the 

 enormities I have briefly outlined. 



Do Varieties Run Out? 



PETER HENDERSON, JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS, N. J. 



If, by the question is meant that varieties 

 of any kind under general cull ivatiou run 

 out, I say. No. That, under unfavorable 

 conditions, varieties are appnrenUy less 

 vigorous than when first originated from 

 seed is certain. But it is a run of unfavor- 

 able conditions only that can bring about 

 such results; such as over-propagation from 

 weak cuttings or slips, planting in poor soil, 

 or in temperature unsuited to their nature, 

 (such as growing hardy plants in tropical 

 latitudes), or in doing anything inimical to 

 the nature of the plant. Thus, the Violets, 

 and some of our Carnations, and Roses, are 

 beginning to lose vigor,and become diseased. 

 No wonder that they rebel, when instead of 

 giving them the rest that their nature 

 demands in the winter months, they are 

 "forced " without cessation, year after year, 

 at a winter temperatiu-e averaging perhaps 

 70 , when in their natural condition, the 

 temperature is probably 30° less for two or 

 three months in winter. 



I believe that there is no such thing as 

 permanent degeneration of any fruit, flower 

 or vegetable that is propagated by cuttings, 

 grafts or roots. Our hardy Concord Grape 

 is found, when grown under proper condi- 

 tions, to be just as perfect as when intro- 

 duced nearly half a century ago, and the 

 foreign Grapes, such as the Black Hamburgh 

 and many others, are as perfect, even under 

 artificial culture, — but which gives them 

 the needed vrinter rest — as they were one 

 hundred years ago. The Wilson and Sharp- 

 less Strawberries and the Early Rose Potato 



can, under the most favorable conditions, 

 be found just as perfect as when first in- 

 troduced. New plants when first sent out, 

 often suffer from over-propagation, and 

 seem to be weaker than they actually are, for 

 example: When we sent out the "Sunset" 

 Rose some six or eight years ago, the de- 



FLOWER SPIKE OF LACHENALIA PENDUUA. 



mand for it necessitated every inch of it be- 

 ing u,sed for propagation, which so enfeebled 

 the stock that for two or three years it was 

 generally condenmed, until its vigorous 

 nature asserted itself, so that now its size 

 and coloring are fully up to the original 

 specimen from which it sprung. 



An excellent example of how growing a 

 plant foreign to its nature, induces tempor- 

 ary degeneration is found in the Oat. Oats 

 from England, Scotland, or Norway, weigh- 

 ing 44 lbs. to the bushel, the first year after 

 sowing in our tropical summer,fall to 40 lbs. ; 

 that product being sown the second year, 

 again is further reduced to 35 lbs., which 

 again being sown the third year falls to the 

 normal weight of our American Oats which 

 is 38 or .30 lbs. per bushel. Were the culture 

 again reversed, by sowing these same Oats 

 (which had become degenerated by being 

 grown in our climate) in the lower temper- 

 ature of Britain, they would climb up in 

 three years to their normal weight there of 

 44 lbs. or 46 lbs. per bushel. 



This subject is too comprehensive for an 

 ordinary magazine article, but I think a 

 large majority of cultivators of experience 

 will agree with me in believing that there 

 is no such thing as permanent degeneration 



of any plant, whether increased by seeds or 

 slips, even should the cultivation reach into 

 thousands of years. 



Lachenallas and Their Culture. 



E. ORPKT, PASSAIC CO., N. J. 



Amongst the many beautiful Cape fiower- 

 ing bulbs these take high rank, flowering 

 as they do, in winter or early spring when 

 flowers are by no means plentiful. As they 

 may be grown very successfully in a house, 

 provided frost is excluded, or in auy cottage 

 window, Lachenalias are sure to become 

 popular when better known. 



In their management, now is the best time 

 to repot them, shaking them out of the old 

 soil and using five-inch pots or nine-inch 

 shallow pans, with a compost of two parts 

 loam and one of leaf mould and dried cow 

 manure, with enough sand to keep the soil 

 porous and to ensure good drainage. The 

 bulbs should be placed one inch apart and 

 covered with one half inch of soil and given 

 one good watering; this will sutflce until 

 growth commences, which will be in about 

 three weeks. After planting place the pots 

 or pans in a cool moist place with plenty of 

 air, taking care to avoid cold draughts, or a 

 stunted growth will be the result. All 

 Lachenalias do much better when kept 

 altogether in a cool place away from the 

 drying influence of fire heat. Under these 

 conditions each bulb will produce flower 

 spikes, and these keep in good condition for 

 nearly two months. When the flowering is 

 over, the plants should be placed in the full 

 sun to ensure thorough ripening, after which 

 no water will be needed until repotting time. 



Apart from the beautiful colors of the 

 flowers of Lachenalias, many species have 

 foliage, spotted with dull purple, as in L. 

 tricolor, which is perhaps best known, with 

 flowers of bright green, red, and yellow. 

 L. pendula has deep piu-ple, red, and 

 yellow flowers about an inch long and 

 very showy. L. pallida, whitish, more 

 or less tinged with red; but the best of all 

 is L. Nelson's, a handsome hybrid with 

 golden yellow flowers, in long racemes, de- 

 serving general cultivation though, rather, 

 scarce as yet. The above are a few of the 

 best out of about thirty known species. 



Lachenalias are easily increased, forming 

 as they do, a number of offsets from the 

 old bulb every year, which in two years 

 will make good flowering bulbs. 



A Fruit Album. 



S. MILLER, MONTGOMERY CO., MO. 



The colored plates of fruits and flowers 

 can be had so cheap that a collection can be 

 had with but little expense. Yet there are 

 often new fruits that we like to have a sketch 

 of, and for Apples, Pears, and such like, a 

 very simple method will give us the exact 

 outline and size of them. 



Take a sharp, thin-bladed knife and cut 

 the fruit lengthwise, splitting it through 

 the middle, stem and all; rub ink on the 

 face, stem, and blossom parts; press upon 

 the paper; the stem must be pressed down 

 firmly as also the little angles of the blossom 

 end, and you have a very complete picture 

 of it. Herewith is a specimen [reduced to 

 two-thirds size in the engraving] of an Apple 

 ripe here, just now, sent to me under the 

 name of Rebell. Although I detest the 

 name the Apple pleases me very much. 



There is an album in my book case that 

 has impressions, taken forty years ago, of 

 fruits from a number of horticultural friends, 

 some of whom have long since passed away. 

 If one had water colors, and knows how to 

 use them, the colors of some might be appro- 

 priate and would add to the picture. To 

 each specimen I add the name of the orchard 

 from which it came, date of ripening, and 

 various descriptive points. 



