1 888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



6i 



Bnib Flowers and Balb Culture in Holland, 



One enthusiastio visitor to the great Inilb grow- 

 ing district of Holland last year, ri'niarked that 

 on each side of the road the country looked like 

 two immense crazy quilts, whose patches were 

 represented by laige fields of Hyacinths in a hun- 

 dred different varieties, as well as Tulips and 

 Narcissuses. The soil is very sandy, and it is be- 

 lieved that this part of Holland was formerly the 

 bed of the sea. In September the bulbs are put 

 into the soil; in December they are covered with 



Ihrlis in an K.ri-i'!h:nl Sliaiii /or IVintir I'si: 



hay, remaining until February when the covering- 

 is removed. The.v are allowed to be in blossom 

 untilJuly, when the flowers are cut off as grass 

 is mown, and after lying on the field to rot are 

 used for manure. Immediately after the blos- 

 soms are cut the bulbs are pulled and taken to the 

 dry-house. The crop depends very largely upon 

 the weather.and the quantity of rain this year has 

 harmed the Hyacinths considerably; the produc- 

 tion being twenty-five per cent less than last year. 

 The e.\portation to America is on the increase. 



The Window Pot Culture of the Fig, according 

 to a ecu-respondent, is a simple matter if the fol- 

 lowing points are observed: .-ibout the middle 

 of October, or as soon as all the leaves have 

 fallen, the wood having been ripened out-of-doors 

 during the summer, it is thoroughly washed and 

 placed in a light warm window. Along the mid- 

 dle of March it will begin to show signs of life. 

 Water it during the spring months with tepid 

 water, and do not allow it at any time to become 

 dry. As soon as six good leaves are made each 

 shoot is stopped, and when the weather becomes 

 warm, the tree is occasionally taken outside and 

 well syringed, which keeps it clean and healthy, 

 a most essential point if a good crop of fruit is 

 desired; the tree should also be placed out-of- 

 doors during every shower. Keep the bottom 

 side of the leaves clean, for if this is neglected 

 i-ed spider will quickly make its appearance. 

 When the fruit is swelling, an occasional watering 

 with liquid manure assists both the fruit and 

 wood, although it must not be too strong. In an 

 eight inch or larger pot the plant will not need 

 repotting every year if an annual top-dressing 

 of loam, ground bones and wood ashes is given. 



On this You may Depend "I hope you will do 

 as you say and not sell anything from your E.\- 

 perimcnt Farm, for then we can have confidence 

 in your opinion on new varieties." So writes an 

 esteemed reader from Missouri, We do not won- 

 der that people write in this strain when with 

 perhaps a single exception aside from the present 

 journal, all of the so-called horticultural periodi- 

 cals in the country are conducted as advertising 

 adjuncts to some nursery or seed house. But 

 here, good reader, is one which is a marked ex- 

 ception to that rule, and so it shall remain in- 

 definitely. Within one year after ha\'1ng become 

 owner of this fann we shall have planted more 

 than g.T0O worth of fruit and ornamental trees, 

 shrubs and plants, with the sole view of report- 

 ing (in the comparative merits of kinds, and 

 methods of cultiire, for the benefit of our read- 

 ers. We are prepared to defy any person 

 directly or indirectly , or by cunning, if you please, 

 to buy .so much as a single plant, tree, slip or cion 

 at any price from tliis place. This journal 

 was st^irted in the belief that the American 

 people would be ready to support a strictly first- 

 class independent horticultural journal, whose 

 opinions were not measured by the nursery stock 

 its owners may have for sale, and the older 

 we grow iis publishers, the better are we pleased 

 to stand by that principle. The fact that we 

 have consented to allow the sale of the excellent 

 articles included in our premium department, 

 has no bearing on this matter, for they have no 

 special relation to horticulture. 



The True Geranium or Crane's Bill. What arc 

 known as the common Geraniums, are in a bo- 

 tanical sense Pelargoniiuns. Among the distinct 

 class of true Geraniums, or Crane's Bills, and 

 which are in the main hardy everywhere, are 



illtpiisitc IKlilC. 



some plants quite well wox*th growing, either in 

 rock work or as border plants. They will succeed 

 in almost any well-drained soil. With a selection 

 of kinds, bloom may be had from May until late 

 in September. Those better adapted to border 

 culture, none beingoverafoot high, are the Iber- 

 ian Geranium (G. Ibcrica) with large blue llowers, 

 and its variety poly petal um, having \iolet flowers 

 with reddish veins; the Dusky Geranium (G'. 

 p/i<r Km ) almost black with white spot on base of 

 petals; the Meadow Geranium (G. pratciisci a 

 lilac purple, bloom- 

 ing in July and Au- 

 gust. A double form 

 of this is excellent 

 and sh o w y. Kn- 

 dress Geranium (G. 

 Enflrcnail) is a light 

 rose, useful for cut- 

 ting and one of the 

 best; Richardson's 

 Geranium (G. Rich- 

 anlsiinii) large red- 

 dish purple. The 

 Spotted Geranium 

 (G. maculatum), 

 pale lilac, is good for wet places. Such as are 

 more suitable for rock work are the Silvery Ger- 

 anium (G. argeiit(uin), pink flowers, darker 

 veined: the Gray Geranium {G. cinereum',, red, 

 dark striped, very green foliage. Large-rooted 

 Geranium (G. macmrhizon\ bright purple, and 

 the Blood Red Geranium (G. sanguineum], a hand- 

 some neat spreading species, with crimson 

 flowers all through the season. All the kinds are 

 easily propagated from seeds or root cuttings, 

 and they also hybridize freely. The most of these 

 varieties may be had of the leading growers of 

 hardy plants.— Remk, Newport Co., R. I. 



An Introduction to Entomology. There has 

 come to our table a work under the above title, 

 and to which we take the utmost pleasure in 

 calling the attention of our readers. It is the 

 work of an able entomologist and teacher, John 

 Henr.v Comstock, formerly United States Ento- 

 mologist, now Professor of Entomology at Cornell 

 University, assisted by Anna Botsford Comstock 

 who drew and engraved a large share of the 200 

 very fine illustrations, in Part 1, now before us. 

 What makes the publication especially valuable 

 is that it has been prepared as a text book for 

 anyone who desires to find out something about 

 common insects. When the aggregate loss of 

 products by insects, to our Amei ican cultivators, 

 runs up into the hundreds of millions of dollars 

 annually, it is beyond a doubt time that thou- 

 sands who have never given the study of the de- 

 stro.vers serious attention should do so. Here is a 

 work that will provide exactl.v the help this class 

 needs and by which they may instruct themselves. 

 One feature of the work that impresses us as 

 being especiall.v valuable, is that which relates to 

 descriptions of the species that are of interest to 

 horticulturists and other land tillers, and to indi- 

 cate methods of controlling the injurious ones. 

 By means of that part of the work which leads 

 to a thorough knowledge of the elementary prin- 

 ciples of Entomology and then the analytical 

 keys similar to those used in Botany, the student 

 can readily determine to what famU.v any insect 

 of which he has specimens belongs. Only the 

 first iiart of this work has been issued up to this 

 date. It can be procured of the author at Ithaca, 

 N. Y. A sufficient recommend for the general 

 elegance of the work will be given when it is 

 stated that it is from the DeVine Press.New York, 

 the same firm that prints the Century Magazine. 



Random Flower Notes by our New 

 York Correspondent. 



Many are the autumn weddings, but very few 

 are the novel wedding decorations. Of course 

 autumn flowers and foliage have been well used, 

 but they have lost their novelty. At one pretty 

 wedding reception the rooms were banked in 

 ferns and palms, with large Makart bunches of 

 bright-colr. d leaves put on the walls above 

 them. The regular mantel bank is giving way 

 to a more irregular and picturesque grouping. 



Kerns have always been in favor, but their use 

 seems to be decidedly on the increase like that 

 of all foliage plants. The favorite colors may 

 be considered pink and yellow, though piirples 

 and violets are often employed. 



Of course there is the usual Chrysanthemum 

 cyclone, sending other flowers out of the way 

 for large decorations, loose Posies, and Corsage 

 knots. But every year proves that designs of 

 Chrysanthemums are regular monstrosities, and. 



entre nous, most Chrysanthemum bouquets are 

 the same. One cannot help thinking that any 

 man who will make up a bouquet of these flow- 

 ers in conjunction with Adiantum is lost to all 

 artistic feeling, and yet this is often done by 

 peojile who know enough to do better. Let us 

 have loose I'osies, or big jars or baskets fllled 

 with these flowers, but set designs or arrange- 

 ments with fine foliage— never ! 



Asparagus plumosus— which is not so much 

 grown as A. teuuissimus, is likely to be used for 

 the finer work, while the latter, which is much 

 more readily propagated, is used like Smilax in 

 large decorations. Neither are so well-used for 

 bouquet work as Adiantum, which can ne\-er be 

 impro\-ed upon. While the delicate bridal bou- 

 quets fringed with light Orchids are used for 

 special orders, the average bride is content to 

 carry a bunch of Roses and LUy of the Valley. 

 The Lily is now produced twelve months in the 

 year: the price averagas about $» per 1(10, all the 

 year round. There is not really such a great 

 demand for it during the summer, but some 

 jjeople want it at all seasons. 



Some very pretty bridesmaids' bouquets seen 

 recently, were round loose bunches of Grace 

 Wilder Carnations, fringed with Adiantum and 

 tied with pink ribbon. Others were of pink 

 Bouvardia, a flower for which many women 

 have a great fondness. 



Some very pretty table decorations have been 

 made in foliage, for which our English cousins 

 have quite a fancy. Irregular ornamentations 

 of trailing Wnes have been introduced with good 

 effect; the Japanese Ampelopsis, when in its 

 rich autumn colors, is particularly handsome. 

 Quite a novel and artistic lunch decoration was 

 made with Hop vines. 



Many of the new baskets are eccentric varia- 

 tions of the old ones, carried out in odd wicker, 

 with much gilding or metallic color. The rush 

 baskets, though pretty, are not quite so much 

 used. Flat wicker creels with high round 

 handles, miniature wine baskets, hampers and 

 Japanese fish baskets, are all pressed into service. 

 The highly ornate ones have really less chance 

 of jiopularity than those of simpler form, in 

 which the flowers take precedence of the basket. 



Ribbon may be considered indispensable for 

 some uses in connection with flowers, but we do 

 not now see an epidemic of bows breaking out 

 all over a basket or design. Following the 

 milliners' lead, the florist must now put aside 

 satin and moire ribbon, and use heavy gros- 

 grain, with a plain narrow satin edge. 



Some of the plaques used to cover a casket, in 

 lieu of the old-style funeral designs, are beauti- 

 fully made of Violets, with a trailing bunch of 

 Perle Roses or pale Orchids. Orchids are especi- 

 ally decorative for such use. An arrangement 



Cliufa, nr Earth Almond. See opposite page. 



of decorative plants about the casket is also 

 used; this makes a beautiful setting for the 

 pUnpie covering. 



People who demand set designs still call for 

 the orthodox pillow, often with lettering, making 

 it as nearly hideous as a floral arrangement may 

 be. A pillow arranged in two diagonal sections 

 with loose bunches of fine flowers is often very 

 handsome, but this is because something of the 

 set apjicarance is removed. Broken wreaths 

 still remain a favorite form, but the fact remains 

 that in the city-trade funeral designs are greatly 

 out of date. For every other occasion they are 

 more used than ever; but, unfortunately for the 

 trade, the prices realized are not as large as tue.v 

 might be. So far this season has not been an 

 encouraging one, and it is likely to be a short one 

 in the bargain. Emily Louise Taplin. 



