i888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



45 



6'.il. Mulberries for Profit. In your section 

 there would be no raone> in (growing Mulberries. 

 Downing is !is good as any.— E. E. S. 



694, Evergreens for Texas. See answer to 827 

 in last issue. 



6«i. Propagating Weeping Trees. European 

 Ash (F. cm-Uktr), English Goat Willow (S. 

 Caprea), and seedling stocks of the the Wych or 

 Scotch Elm ( U. Mrmtana'. Fuller's Propagation 

 of Plants for sale at this ofti«^. 



698. Started Cucumbers Fairly. The most 

 likely cause is a fungus, the history and treats 

 ment of which is but little known. 



702. Uarket for Hoarhound Herb. Inquire of 

 some wholesale druggist in Chicago or other 

 large city. 



703. Leading Snap Bush Bean. Early Bed 

 Valentine, Refugee or Golden Wax, are all largely 

 grown for market. 



708. Non-blooming Ozalis. There may be 

 something wrong about the soil for continuous 

 bloom, or they do not receive sunlight enough. 



709. Time for Shrub Pruning. The safest 

 guide is found in the manner of flowering of the 

 various kinds. Those shrubs which bloom on 

 last years growth should be pruned immediately 

 after Howering in the summer. This class in- 

 cludes such as Lilac. Honeysuckle, Deutzia, Japan 

 Quince, Rhododendron, .\zalea, V'iburnum, 

 etc. Such as flower from the new or spring 

 growth are pruned in the fall or early spring, 

 and embrace the Althea, Fall-flowering Spirea, 

 Hydrangea, Rose, etc.— E. E. Summey. 



710. Improved Horning Glories. Probably 

 the most certain way is to carefully pick the 

 worms oft by hand. 



712. Clematis Under Glass. With their proper 

 seasons of rest being observed, there is likely to 

 be no especial difficulty in growing them in the 

 Grapery.— Remle. 



821. Baspberry Picking, A light picking stand 

 large enough to hold si-T or nine pint boxes, is a 

 favorite with many growers. 



722. Tomato Shipping Package, Nothing, 

 unless it might be a light crate or box holding a 

 half bushel. 



726. Book on Hnrsery Uanagement South. 

 There are many valuable works, no one of which 

 perhaps contains all the points. For two, Barry's 

 Fruit Garden and White's Gardening South, 

 would be valuable. For sale at this ofBce. 



744, Growing Winter Onion, The time of fall 

 sowing varies according to locality, and they do 

 not always do well. I should think that a light 

 covering of straw would be of benefit.— Remle. 



862. Lapageria From Seed. As they grow 

 quite readily, no especial treatment is required 

 other than that the soil have in it coarse sand, and 

 be rather fibrous. Giving free drainage is the 

 most important point.— Ke.mle. 



904. Tan Mulch for Strawberries. I have used 

 this material with good results. It is thought 

 best not to apply the tan fresh from the yard, 

 but to haul it some weeks before using. Fresh 

 tan is thought by some to induce worms.— E.S.G. 



881. Nitrate of Soda in Lawns. The effect of 

 this is to stimulate the growth of grass and to 

 impai-t to it a rich, deep green color. 



882. Tomatoes. The Mikado is not one of the 

 earlier varieties. It is. however, productive and 

 of good quality, though the fruit is often rough. 



920. Introducing New Fruits. Now that 

 every State has its Experiment Station, the very 

 best way of introducing new fruits to the public 

 would seem to be to have the varieties tested on 

 the station grounds. Their reports and bulletins 

 have extensive circulation and their testimony 

 is entirely impartial. One of our leading origi- 

 nators of" new fruits said recently in a private 

 letter, that he should do all he could to discour- 

 age the introduction of new fruits until they 

 had first been critically tested at the Experiment 

 Station.— E. S. Goff. 



924. Black Cap Cultivation. The failure to 

 secure plants noted by the inquirer, would indi- 

 cate that his soil is decidedly unfavorable to this 

 fruit. The plants are propagated from the ends 

 of the canes. Late in summer these grow down 

 to the surface of the ground, and under favora- 

 ble circumstances will strike root of themselves. 

 But the rooting may be much encouraged by 

 burying the tips slightly with soil.— E. S. G. 



894. The Blue or Sour Gum Tree. No, they 

 are not; growing tall and slira, similar to a Pop- 

 lar, thev cast a long shade, in consistency with 

 their shape. The "Pepper" and Texas "Umbrella" 

 Trees are best, but only for climates like our own. 

 — F. Weidenmiller, Calif '/rnia. 



933. Vineyard Posts Betting. I know of no 

 preparation that will assist the posts in resisting 

 decay, but as Cedar or Locust wood is the most 

 durable would advise the use of such for posts 

 if they can be procured. For a trellis there is 

 nothing so good as wire stretched on posts. It 

 may cost more than others, but from its dura- 

 bility will prove cheapest in the end.— C. E. P. 



H4.'!. Wintering Strawberries. strawberry 



plants are readily kept o\'cr winter by heeling- 

 in. either in the open ground <>r in a cold frame. 

 Cover with a little straw ox- other litter to keep 

 the gi-cmnd about thcra from heaving by alter- 

 nate freezing and thawing.— E. S. G. 



94y. Wintering Strawberries. If I understand 

 this query right, would say that you cannot pre- 

 pare Strawberry plants for planting this fall and 

 keep thciii n\fr. st) as to have them in a proper 

 condition in the spi-iii^'. without going to consider- 

 able labor and expense; I would not advise the 

 attempt.-C. E. P. 



895. Plum Grafts Failing, Plums should be 

 grafted earlier than Peai-s or Apples; the scions 

 should be cut some time before the grafting is 

 done— March would be none too early. If you 

 want to graft them in Api-il you should cut the 

 scions in March, as the stocto should be in ad- 

 vance of the scions.— Wm. Hale. 



901. Blistered Peach Leaves. The trees are 

 affected with the disease known as " curl-leaf," 

 due to a fungiis K.r')a,sci/.s ih'forniaiiit. No certjiin 

 cure has been discovei-ed, but a \~igorous cutting 

 back of the new gi-owths each spring tends to 

 lessen it.— E. S. G. 



875. Hollyhocks Changing Color. No. As a 

 rule these always come true to color, either from 

 seed or where plants are kept over from one 

 year to another.— A. A. H., BcWiws Fatts, Vt. 



908. Blanching Celery. No material, on the 

 whole, has been found so satisfactory as earth. 

 Drain tiles and paper answer well early in the 

 season. It is unnecessary to tie the stems to- 

 gether in using earth, proWded they are held 

 firmly together with the left hand, while the 

 earth is placed about them with the right. 



911 Plantain and Weeds in Lawn. It is 

 doubtful if there is any better device for destroy- 

 ing weeds in the lawn than the lawn mower per- 

 sistently used. The soil should be kept fertile, 

 and in places where there is a dearth of grass, a 

 mixture of June Grass and Red Top seed should 

 be sown as soon as the frost is out of the ground 

 in spring. I have never seen the plantain or 

 dandelion eradicated from the lawn by digging 

 out. The attempts that I have seen made re- 

 sulted in a multiplication of the weed.— E. S. G. 



925. Purslane Killing. It will be impossible 

 to kill out Purslane as you suggest. I know of no 

 other wa,v of killing it than to keep the ground 

 well cultivated so that they will be destroyed 

 while small.— C. E. P. 



926. Ammonia for Trees. The trees will not be 

 benefited by using ammonia water as you sug- 

 gest. C. E. P. 



927. Le Conte Pears, I am selling the Le 

 Conte and Duchess in bushel boxes. The Le Conte 

 are fair and large and sell more readily than the 

 Duchess, which are equally as large, but dark; 

 yet I would not ad^Tse the growth of them in 

 the north; they are grown in immense quantities 

 in Georgia and ripen early. They sell well in 

 New York City to the Italian fruit dealers, at 

 street stands.-^C. W. Idell. 



930. Lncretia Dewberry. I do not think that 

 this would prove profitable if grown as a market 

 crop.— C. E. P. 



931. Hen Manure. Plaster is the best for mix- 

 ing with hen manure. It should be applied in 

 the drill and well mixed with the soil.— C. E. P. 



932. Stable Manure or Artificial. Stable ma- 

 nure is the best and cheapest for you to procure, 

 and for soil of your description you cannot ap- 

 ply too much.— C. E. P. 



937. Bark Coccus on the Magnolia. This 

 Coccus can be destroyed by an application of 

 Tobacco soap which may be procured at any 

 seed store in ixmnd boxes. Apply according to 

 directions which accompany it. Or dissolve two 

 pounds of potash in two gallons of water, and 

 apply with a paint brush to all the infected parts. 

 —One or two applications will be sufficient.— 

 Chas. E. Pahnell. 



938. Growing Onions. Onions can succeed 

 Cabbage if the soil is in a proper condition, and 

 no weeds have been permitted to mature their 

 seeds.- (!. E. P. 



939. Tent Caterpillar. If the nests are on 

 small limbs it is best to cut them off. and destroy 

 by burning. Or they may be brought down and 

 destroyed by means of a round brush fixed to 

 the end of a long pole, and worked around in the 

 nest. All this, however, should be done as early 

 in the morning as possible, before the cater- 

 pillars leave their nests which they usually do 

 about eight or nine o'clock.— C. E. P. 



939. Tent Caterpillar. Rub off the nest with 

 a swab saturated with kerosene or turpintine. 

 SiM-aying the foliage of the trees with water con- 

 taining Paris gri'iii or Lon.lou purple- an ounce 

 to 10 gallons will destroy them— E. S. G. 



940. Trees and Shrubs for Wet Places. The 

 basket Willow would proliably thrive if the 

 ground is not too wet, and in many localities 

 would prove fairly profitable. Cranberry cul- 

 ture would doubtless pay if the soil and other 

 circumstances were adapted to this fruit.— E.S.G. 



966. Getting Out Stumps. It no stump ma- 

 chine is within reach, try boring a large auger 

 hole into the soundest part of tlie stump, and 

 filling with sulphuric aciil.— E. S. G. 



927. Le Conte Pears. This is not a success in 

 Western New York.— E. S. (!. 



962. Baiting Tea. The reports of the Departs 

 ment of Agriculture is.sued during Commissioner 

 LeDuc's administration, give much information 

 upon the subject of Tea growing, with the results 

 of experiments in growing it in the Southern 

 States.— E. S. Goff. 



967. Lawn Infested with Worms. It you can 

 saturate the entire mass of earth with the lime 

 water, you may succeed in banishing them. Two 

 applications would be necessary to ensure a fair 

 trial. Otherwise I know of no remedy.— C. E. P. 



One of the Harvest Flies. 



Cicadas or Harvest Files and 

 Beetles. 



CLARENCE M. WEED, OHIO AOR. EXPERIMENT STATION. 



No summer sound is more familiar than 

 the loud drumming of the cicadas or har- 

 vest flies, one of the commonest of which is 

 shown in the ac- 

 companying illus- 

 tration. There are 

 several species of 

 these insects, the 

 most notorious be- 

 ing the periodical 

 cicadas or 17-year 

 locust, a.s it is com- 

 monly called. This 

 noisome pest has 

 appeared this year 

 in many parts of 

 the country in 

 great numbers. 

 As is well known 

 it only appears in 

 a given locality 

 once in 17 years, 

 though Dr. Riley 

 ha,s found that there is also a variety which 

 appears every 13 years. 



But we have our common species with us 

 every year. The one illustrated is the dog- 

 day harvest fly, and is about an inch and a 

 half long, with a wing expansion of about 

 three inches. Its body is black above, ex- 

 cept a portion of the head and thorax, which 

 are marked with olive-green lines. A large 

 portion ot the under side is while: the legs 

 are olive-green as are the eyes. The head 

 is almost square, and the thorax (the part, 

 next behind the head, to which the wings 

 are fastened), is very robust, as would be ex- 

 pected from the strong and rapid flight of 

 the insect. The wings are olive-green near 

 the body, and brown a short distance away. 

 The dogday harvest fly deposits its eggs 

 in the twigs of various fruit and shade 

 trees. Soon after hatching, the young are 

 supposed to drop to the ground, like the 

 young of the 17-year cicada, where they bur- 

 row down and eat the roots of trees and 

 shrubs. When ready to become adults, they 

 come out of the ground, attach themselves 

 to some support, when the skin splits along 

 the back and the adult insect emerges. 



Dr. Harris describes tlie curious drum- 

 ming process as follows: "The musical 

 drums of the males consist of a pair of ket- 

 tle-drums, one on each side of the body, 

 which, in some species are plainly to be seen 

 just behind the wings. These drums are 

 formed of convex pieces of parchment 

 gathered into numerous fine plaits, lodged 

 in the cavities of the body behind the thorax. 

 They are not played upon by sticks, but by 

 muscles or cords fastened to the insides of 

 the drums. Wlien these muscles contract 

 and relax, as they can do with great rap- 

 idity, the drxim heads are alternately tight- 

 ened and loosened, recovering their natural 

 convexity by their own elasticity. The 

 eff'ect of this rapid alternate tension and 

 relaxation is the production of a rattling 

 sound, like that caused by a succession of 

 quick pressures upon a slightly convex and 



