1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



99 



Some Flower Notes. 



L. W. G., HAMrsHIKE CO., MASS. 



Amaranthus Gibbosu.s is an excellent 

 plant for decorative purposes, differing from 

 Caudatus in the sjiikelets being fewer in 

 number, Init mucli longer, often two feet or 

 more; only about .lO per cent, of the plants 

 come true from the seed. 



CANDYTUFT, "SNOW QUEEN," iS the old 



sweet-scented Candytuft {Iheris pccthinta), 

 with a new name. The flowers being tinted 

 with Lilac. The best white Candytufts are 

 the Dwarf or Tom Thumb, and the Mam- 

 moth or Empress. 



Phlox Dhu.mmondii Aspidata, or Star of 

 Quedlinburg is a very singular form with 

 toothed petals, the center of each being pro- 

 longed to a point, thus the flower is star- 

 shaped, deep bluish purple with a narrow 

 white margin, and is likely to be popular. 



Salvia Prunelloides is an annual from 

 Mexico, of a fine blue color, but the flowers 

 are too inconspicuous for garden culture. 



Chenopodium atriplicis "Victoria." 

 A European novelty with variegated foliage 

 that turned oiit to be a poor, sickly thing 

 which soon died and is of no value. 



Verbena Hvbrida Compacta makes a 

 poor growth, has flowers of dull color and 

 is of no account whatever. 



Anchusa Capensis. a seed grown 

 annual, although not new, is one of the fin- 

 est of flowers for cutting. The plants grow 

 about 18 inches high, bloom freely; flowers 

 of a rich blue color, about the size and 

 shape of the large-flowered Forget-me-not. 



Celosia, Fire Feathered, is a poor, 

 weedy plant in no way different from the 

 old feathered Celosias discarded a dozen 

 years ago. The only one that is worth grow- 

 ing is Plumosa superba, and this, if well 

 grown, is elegant. 



A Fine Rustic Stand for the Lawn. 



THOMAS HARVEY, DEARBORN CO., IND. 



There is a charm about rustic work in the 

 garden that will always make it popular. 

 This fact, coupled with an additional one, 

 namely, that it is easily within the province 

 of the average amateur to construct some of 

 the finest specimens of this kind of work, 

 and at a very small outlay, renders the sub- 

 ject a particularly interesting one. I desire 

 in the present article to illustrate how I 

 made a rustic vase which when filled with 

 fine plants and flowers was the admiration 

 of everyone. A neighbor's vase of iron, 

 which cost fifteen dollars, has not attracted 

 as much attention as this one, which cost, 

 aside from the time of making, less than 83. 



The foundation 

 shown in Fig. 3 is 

 constructed of inch 

 pine free from sap 

 and strengthened at 

 the corners with 

 scantling. The pieces 

 for the bottom part 

 (without slope) are 18 

 inches long and from 

 this the base tapers 

 upwards to be 13x13 

 inches at the point of 

 the projecting board 

 which surmounts it. 

 On this board is set a 

 square Ijox 13x13 

 inches and .5 inches 

 high, which in turn 



Fig. 2. Stand and Vase 

 Begun. 



supports the earth receptacle, 11 inches high 

 and about 11 inches square at its top. 



The material used for covering this foun- 

 dation is rough-barked branches of Cedar 

 and Oak split through the center, smoothed 

 off and nailed on with the bark side out. 

 Any design that one chooses to use may be 

 worked out in the manner suggested. If 

 all the wood used, and especially the foun- 



dation boards, are well soaked in crude 

 petroleum, it will last much longer than 

 otherwise, while to secure the longest and 

 most satLsfactory service one can have a 

 watertight zinc or galvanized iron form 

 made to receive the soil and which will fit 

 into the upper box. 



In the way of plants for such a vase I use 

 ordinary greenhouse plants of full growth, 

 taking care to fill the center with tall 

 upright growing kinds like Geraniums, 

 Coleus, or even a Palm, or Begonia. 



Fig. 2- Crown Grafting, Fig. 3. Tongue or Splice 



iltiistrated. Orafting. 



Around the edge such plants as have trail- 

 ing habits, among which may be included 

 nearly all climbers. Ivy Geranium, Lobelia, 

 Tradescantia, Thunbergia, Maurandia, 

 Verbenas and others are used. 



With good, rich soil and proper attention 

 to watering during the summer (bearing 

 in mind that all lawn vases dry out quickly) 

 nothing can be more effective in the line of 

 floral decorations for the lawn or cemetery; 

 the plants will grow and bloom fi-eely during 

 the whole season. These notes may suggest 

 to those who desire to construct window or 

 verandah boxes for plants, of rustic mate- 

 rial, how to proceed in doing the work. 



Some Strawberry Experience. 



S. p. SHEFARD, LORAIN CO., O. 



In the year 1883 I bought eleven acres 

 partly planted to Apples and Peaches, about 

 one-half of the latter being too old to be of 

 any use. I cut them down, plowed the 

 ground the following spring, and planted 

 part of it to Strawberries. 



I did not get many berries the next year, 

 taking most of my pay in experience. The 

 first season I noticed that the plants began 

 to wilt along in August, and it seemed to be 

 contagious, and I did not know what to 

 think of it, but upon taking a plant up I 

 found it eaten off just below the ground; 

 old fruit growers know what the trouble 

 was, but I will say for the benefit of begin- 

 ners, don't plant Strawberries on new or 

 sod ground, as they are likely to be eaten 

 by the white grub. 



In the spring of 188.5 1 Interested a neighbor 

 in the matter, who agreed to pay for the 

 plants, furnish the land and the necessary 

 straw for mulch, oversee the picking and 

 pay for half of it, while I was to see to get- 

 ting the plants, plowing, planting, cultivat- 

 ing and harvesting, and pay for half the 

 picking, we to run the patch four years. 



I got 43,000 plants of standard varieties of 

 a nurseryman near home at ^i per thousand. 



He bought 35,000 of them from an eastern 

 flrm a very poor looking lot, as they had 

 heated some and looked dead; 8,000 he got 

 of another eastern flrm which did well; the 

 balance he secured somewhere near home, 

 and they became homesick before I had 



them a month. I did not get much of a 

 growth the first year as the plants were poor 

 and tlie season dr.v. 



Our first crop was about 1.50 bushels and 

 sold for about .^iOO. Though the land was 

 somewhat poorer than I expected we put no 

 fertilizer on, as there was nothing said about 

 that in the contract. Our next crop sold for 

 about .*300, and tluityear we burnt the straw 

 off of the patch after fruiting, but as the 

 season was very dry, the plants got a poor 

 start, so our crop in 1888 was light, and we 

 concluded not to run the patch another year. 



During these years of experience I was 

 getting my own ground in condition for 

 Strawberries, and last spring I set about 

 5,000 plants of three different varieties be- 

 tween Raspberries, which were planted at 

 the same time, and I got a splendid stand; 

 rows all full and about two feet wide. They 

 are all mulched with fine manure and coarse 

 manure, and clean wheat straw; and last 

 week, just before a rain, I applied about two 

 hundred pounds of phosphate to about two- 

 thirds of the patch. 



I have had experience in Strawberries, 

 Raspberries, Blackberries and Peaches; have 

 bought it in large lots and paid well for it. 



But these lessons learned by experience 

 win not be soon forgotten, and while I know 

 several fruit growers who think they know 

 it all, and do not take horticultm-al papers, 

 I certainly have learned that I cannot get 

 along without them. 



1,0.53. Snails in Bose Soil. The snails may 

 give you considerable trouble when the Koses 

 start into growth and you should take measures 

 for destroying tliera. By iihieing Cabbage leaves 

 among the plants the snails may be readly cap- 

 tured as they will collect thereon and can then 

 be destroyed.— C. E. P. 



1,057. Spent Hops as'Mannre. These are fully 

 equal to the best stable manure and may be 

 used in the same manner. They heat more rap- 

 idly and require attention in this respect. As a 

 top dressing or mulching in summer or winter 

 they have no equal. I consider them so valua- 

 ble that I use all I can procure.— C. E. P. 



1,059. Stopping Hot in trees. In many cases 

 the decay or rot can be stopped by carefully 

 remo\ing all the decayed portion to the sound 

 wood, then covering it with liquid shellac or 

 common white lead, being careful not to paint 

 the bark.— C. E. P. 



1,0«0. About Artemisias. I don't know what 

 plants are referred to. The Chinese Chrysanthe 

 mums are frequently miscalled Artemisias and 

 full directions for their cultivation can be found 



Fig. 1. Fine Rustic Vctse and Stand. 



in back numbers of Popular Gardening. The 

 genus Artemisia contains among other plants 

 the Southernwood or Old Man {A. abratanum) 

 and the Wormwood (A. absinthium). These are 

 perfectly hardy and will thrive in any common 

 garden soil.— C. E. P. 



1,0B4. Ferns Eaten by Snails. Tou can readily 

 capture these pests by placing fresh Cabbage 

 leaves among the plants early in the evening. 

 ITndcrru-ath those the snails will collect and the 

 next mnrning t lu'.\- can be gathered and destroyed 

 Kepeat until all are captured. 



