1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



n 



COMMENTS BY READERS. 



A department to wh ich all are invited to send notes of 

 e-J^perience and observatiojl eonceming topics that re- 

 cenllu have been treated on in this Journal. Many 

 such contributioiis monthly would be u'eleome. 



Lachenalias in Hanging Baskets. >rary 

 B. Spamfield has a good article on bulbs. Apropos 

 of her remarks about Lachenalias I may say that 

 in thebeautifulgardensof Mr. George \V. Childs, 

 of Philadelphia, I noticed a lot of hanging bask- 

 ets in the greenhouses, which were filled 

 with Lachenaliiis. The plants were sprouting all 

 around the biiskets and looked quite pretty. The 

 gardener declared himself highly 

 jileased with Lachenalias grown in 

 this way, and said they are very easy 

 to manage. 



Catalogue Illustrations Not 

 Entirely Bad. Mr. Grant, don't get 

 angry; take everything with a grain of 

 salt. Buy unknown species or varie- 

 ties on probation. No fear of this 

 thing being " done away ^vith before 

 long," it is only in its infancy. It may 

 be "evil" still there is good in it. It 

 causes people to buy, sow, grow and 

 reap, and become interested in horti- 

 culture, who could not otherwise be 

 reached. And so long as you get a 

 good gardening paper for a dollar a 

 year, and which will gladly give you 

 any information you may wish for 

 alwut novelties or other horticultural 

 subjects free and just for the asking, 

 the proper way, as it appears to me, 

 of heading 08E these exaggerations is 

 by spreading the circulation of Popu- 

 lar Gardening. Put it where these 

 glaring catalogues are sent, and then 

 If the readers are gulled, affix this 

 proper verdict— " served them just 

 right." 



That National Flo^ver. The 

 Phloxes are magnificent and indis- 

 pensable, both the annual and peren- 

 nial. But many of the European 

 varieties ai-e not good enough for 

 America. I remember about a dozen 

 years ago EUwanger & Barry, after 

 trying most every kind in cultiva- 

 tion, simmered down theii' collection 

 to about eighteen really desirable ones 

 (of the late blooming perennials) for 

 here. Now, while it is all very well to 

 grow the cream of our already choice 

 sorts, we may have great pleasure and 

 reap a rich reward in raising new 

 varieties for ourselves from seed. 

 Seeds are freely y>roduced, and we 

 oftfn find tops of little seedhngs 

 around the old stools. The finest 

 bright crimson colored Phlox that I 

 know of anywhere, was raised from 

 seed by John Thorpe. It is still un- 

 named. And as these handsome 

 flowers are hardy any person in the 

 country may have as good success in raising 

 new and extra fine varieties as John Thorpe has 

 had. Try it. 



Nepenthe " Easier to Grow Than Ver- 

 benas." Not much. In May or June Verbenas 

 are advertised in New Jersey— Stock plants, $3.00 

 per 100; rooted cuttings Sl.OO per 100, $8.00 per 

 1,000. There isn't a florist on earth who will or 

 can supply Nepenthe plants or rooted cuttings of 

 them at this price, nor, do I believe at ten times 

 this price. 



Philodendrons AMD Clethras as Window 

 Plants. "What Philodendron is referred toV 

 The finer fruited one with " palm-like leaves 

 with slits in," I should think would be Monstera 

 deliciosa, a plant I have never known to be 

 grown as a window plant. But we have 

 many true Philodendrons of more vine-like na- 

 ture, but lesser leaf proportions, and of which 

 small plants can be cultivated in warm rooms in 

 glass cases as ferneries where sunshine cannot 

 reach them. Clethras are mentioned among 

 shrubs recommended for window work. As their 

 ordinary season of blooming is July and August 

 it would be interesting to know how they are 

 treated and how they behave as window plants 

 and when they bloom. 



Tree Planting- Right and Wrong. When 

 planting " grasp the stem firmly about the lower 

 part and move the tree up and down ^■igor- 

 ously " (page 39). No, no, don't do anything of 

 the sort. Leave that with your grandfather's 

 ancestors. Get up your tree with all its roots 



fresh, plump and moist; have your hole ready, 

 deep, wide and filled in with a hillock rather than 

 a basin in the middle, and so that the incoming 

 tree may set on it firmly, and at about the same 

 depth as it was before; then with your coat off 

 and your shirt sleeves rolled up, bend your back 

 and spread out the roots so that they shall ha\'e 

 an outward and downward tendency. Then with 

 yoiu- left hand regulate the roots, while with 

 your right y(^u introduce fine earth among them 

 and jiack it with your right hand into every hole 

 and cranny. But positively avoid moving or 

 shaking the tree while it is being planted. After 



THE MOVER QilAPE, RED. 



the hole has been well filled and the soil firmly 

 packed as filling proceeded, if you are at all 

 doubtful that all the holes about the roots have 

 not been filled with soil form an earth basin 

 about the bole of the tree and give a thorough 

 soaking of water. We transplant a large num- 

 ber of trees every fall and spring, and many of 

 these are big trees, too — in some cases requiring 

 two teams of horses to haul each of them— but 

 there isn't a man on this place who would dare 

 shake a tree when planting it. With what suc- 

 cess? Come here and see, we will gladly show 

 you.— n'ni. Falcuncr. 



A Scarcity of Black Currants. People as 

 a rule don't like the smell of the bushes, let alone 

 the smell or taste of the fruit. 



The Bubach Strawberp.y. T consider the 

 Bubach No. 5 Strawberry with a good kind to 

 fertilize it the "boss" of the Strawberry field.— 

 A.W.Nifhnlg. 



Fast Budding. New Jersey Heard From. 

 For fast budders I think New Jersey can hold 

 her own. I can pick ten men right here who can 

 set 50,000 Peach trees in ten hours. Where every- 

 thing is in good working order they will have the 

 buds cut from the trees for them and the leaves 

 cut off, but they will do all beyond that up to 

 tying, which is done by men or boys. A few 

 years ago four of our men rode five miles and 

 set 40,800 buds up to tying, in three days of about 

 ten hours each, and part of the time it was rainy. 

 We have had our men set 19.000 in one day; these 

 were not all the fastest of budders, nor were they 



paid by the 1,000, but were our regular monthly 

 men. We have men here who can bud t),000 in 

 ten hours, and one man who has set 800 in one 

 hour. I am not of a betting character, but if 

 any one doubts my assertions, and feels like put- 

 ting up money, he can be accommodated on any 

 sum from S.'iOO to $1,000 that what I here say can 

 be done. And furthermore I will guarantee that 

 as many buds will live as of any man who sets 

 but -,.'500. There are scores of budders here, and 

 few if any but can bud 3,000 and over. We have 

 grown millions of Peach trees, and have brought 

 every part of it down to a science. Men bud here 

 for $1 per 1,000, and then make good 

 wages.— (JliarlesBlac}(,Hwhstf)n'n,N.J. 

 Golden Queen Raspberries. In 

 your Octolier number E. P. Powell is 

 made to say of this berry, " I am not 

 so well satisfied that it is a sport from 

 the Cuthbert. Probably this is a typo- 

 graphical error and should read 

 sport. The Golden Queen was found 

 simultaneously on the fruit farm of 

 Ezra Stokes in Camden Co., N. J„ 

 and at the Monmouth Nursery in 

 Monmouth Co., but was undoubtedly 

 carried to the latter with Cuthbert 

 bought of Stokes. The Stokes farm 

 is only 16 miles from here, and I re- 

 peatedly visited it before the Golden 

 Queen was introduced, and saw it 

 growing in several places in a field of 

 Cuthberts, and examined the growth 

 and compared the berries, and never 

 could detect any difference in either 

 except in color, the canes ha\ing the 

 same growth of foliage, but, like the 

 the fruit, being of a light color. My 

 oldest son was employed at the Mon- 

 mouth nurseries for several years,and 

 informs me that he saw plants at these 

 grounds not only bearing both red 

 and yellow fruit, but specimens which 

 were partly red and partly yellow, 

 which I think may be considered de- 

 cisive evidence that it is a sport. 

 This a matter of some importance, 

 partly as a historical fact and especi- 

 ally as going to prove that in quality 

 the Golden Queen stands exactly with 

 the Cuthbert. Any apparent differ- 

 ence may readily be accounted for 

 by difference in soil and circum- 

 stances, and from testing it at differ- 

 ent stages of ripening, all of which 

 often cause a marked difference in 

 quality.— II"m. F. Bassett. 



Prunus Pissardii. This has fruited 

 several times here, but as yet only 

 produced a few specimens. In color, 

 both outside and the flesh, the fi-uit 

 is much like the foliage; in quality, 

 whUe there is nothing harsh or un- 

 pleasant, it is neither sweet nor rich, 

 and the most I can say for it is there 

 is nothing bad about it. In texture 

 it is much like the European Plums, moderately 

 acid, and may prove good for cooking. We have 

 not had enough to test them in this way yet.— 

 Win. F. Baesctt, AUantic Co.. N. J. 



The New Red Grape Moyer. 



Specimens of this fruit were received at our 

 office from the vineyard of Louis Roesch, Fre- 

 donia, N. Y., on September 17th, last, which may 

 be considered very early, as none but the earliest 

 Grapes in this section were yet ripe. The fruit 

 somewhat resembles that of the Delaware in 

 color and flavor, but is rather darker, and not 

 quite so sweet and delicately flavored; as it ripens 

 some weeks in advance of that variety, it wiU 

 seldom come in direct comparison with it, but 

 with the earlier varieties. The pulp is juicy, 

 rather tender, and without the foxine^ common 

 to many early Grapes. It is said to be sweet and 

 good as soon as fairly colored. The skin is thin 

 but tough, which is in its favor for shipping. 



The Moyer originated some eight years ago, in 

 Lincoln County, Ontario, The vine is said to be 

 very hardy and vigorous, though rather a short- 

 jointed, compact grower. Its disseminators do 

 not claim that it will yield as many tons to the 

 acre as either the Niagara or Concord, or that it 

 is necessary for it to do so in order to be profit- 

 able, for owing to its earliness and fine quality 

 it will always command a good price; and on 

 account of its hardiness and freedom from 

 disease it is believed that it will almost certainly 

 always yield a fair crop of fruit. 



