I04 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



February, 



be obtained that will prove long-keeping 

 below latitude 45°. 



Unquestionably many European trees are, 

 in their seedlings, gradually adapting them- 

 selves to the American climate. The law 

 of the survival of the fittest is all the time 

 in operation, and interested parties are find- 

 ing along the not'thern limits of our orchard 

 region (and even within it) seedling varieties 

 which show unusual resistance against 

 cold. After trying several hundred of the 



Bot Bed Heated with Fire. 



hardiest Apples of Southern Maine, New 

 Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts in 

 vain, and after coming to believe that there 

 were no iron-clads among Massachusetts 

 Apples, it was accidentally discovered (at 

 the Centennial, I believe), that an Apple 

 which I had received frcjm Canada as the 

 Strawberry of Montreal, is really the Found- 

 ling, which originated in Gorton, Mass. 



Now that an interest has been aroused by 

 the practical successes already attained, 

 hardy seedlings are being sought out and 

 tested all aloug our northern borders and 

 in Canada. Scott's Winter is one of the 

 Apples thus obtained, and though not an 

 Apple of high quality or large size, it is a 

 reliable keeper and a useful fruit, not only 

 in itself, but as a future beacon of hope. 



As for the Pears and Stone fruits, the 

 future is pretty secure, not only from the 

 improvement of our native species of the 

 last, but in the importation of the highly 

 satisfactory Russian, Siberian, and North 

 Chinese varieties. 1 see no reason to doubt 

 that, by discoveries already made, the 

 orchard region on this continent can be ex- 

 tended from two to three degrees of latitude 

 northward. That this is a wonderful gain, 

 as the result of scarcely two decades of 

 effort, is manifest; and there is more to 

 come, for the work is scarcely begun. 



Hot Beds With Fire Heat. 



CHRISTIAN WECKESSEK, WAYNE CO., O. 



My experience has demonstrated that in 

 many cases these are more satisfactory and 

 probably cheaper than where manure is 

 used. They can be started earlier, be regu- 

 lated better and can be cheaply and easily 

 constructed. The first one I put up was 

 somewhat defective; profiting by my exper- 

 ience I shall construct the next one pretty 

 much after the following plan: 



As coal is best for heating, being easily 

 regulated , a simple furnace to be constructed 

 of brick, or a large coal stove that is of no 

 further house service, can be put in instead 

 of a furnace, throwing the ground against 

 and around it on all sides except the front 

 one, but in either case leaving a large open- 

 ing by which the flues can connect; this can 

 be made by setting up several flat stones on 

 edge and covering with a larger one and 

 connecting three six-inch tiles with this, 

 closing any openings at the connections 

 with stones or brickbats to prevent the soil 

 from rattling in. Common hard burnt drain 

 tile will do for the flues, one of which is to 

 run through the middle of the bed and the 

 other two branch out on each side running 

 near the border of the bed. 



They should be three to four feet below 

 the surface where they start from the fur- 

 nace, gradually rising about one foot in 

 fifteen. They may extend about sixty feet 

 where the tiles again unite in the same 

 manner as at starting, into an upright flue. 



which may be made of planks for use as a 

 chimney. For raising Cabbage ami other 

 plants requiring less heat it could no doubt 

 be advantageously extended an additional 

 forty or fifty feet. 



On a gently sloping side hill would be the 

 most suitable place for the construction of 

 such a bed, as then no excavation for the 

 furnace would be necessary. Where availa- 

 ble the basement of a building is a con- 

 venient place for the furnace. If properly 

 made a comparatively small amount 

 of fuel will keep up the temperature 

 to a sufficient degree in any weather 

 and usually will not need to be fired 

 up more than three times a day. 

 The great advantage of such a bed 

 lies in the fact of its being ready 

 for use at any time. 



In the annexed engraving a indi- 

 cates the furnace, b the head of flue, 

 f c c the tile flues, d the chimney, c the 

 margin of the bed. 



Short Notes on Some of the Newer 

 Vegetables and Flowers. 



BY A PENNSYLVANIA tJ.ARDENER. 



Bush String Bean Extra Early Flat is the 

 earliest and most productive, with large 

 green pods of robust growth and should be 

 sown thinly; it does well on all .soils; its 

 abundant foliage also protects the pods from 

 early frost so it is valuable for a fall crop. 

 The Extra Early Refugee is an enormous 

 cropper with large, succulent pods, both 

 early and late, and lias given great satisfac 

 tion the past unusually cool, wet September. 



Stablers' Sugar Corn has proven very 

 good, of medium height, fine full ear of 

 best quality, used either fresh or evaporated. 

 Free from smut and yields well on ordinary 

 soil; medium early. Corn Banana is a 

 dainty high flavored variety, tender, and of 

 a beautiful color, but more suitable for 

 amateurs as the ears are small; but two to 

 four are borne on each stalk. It roots so 

 firmly that storms seldom injure it. Carrot 

 St. Valeroy is one of the flnest, in shape 

 tapering regularly from crown to tip; large, 

 of a beautiful color and mild in flavor. 



Lettuce, Yellow Seeded Butter, supplies 

 every requirement. It is remarkably tender 

 in every stage of growth and heads when 

 others fail; delicate color, crisp and free 

 from bitterness all through the summer. 

 Okra, White Velvet, made a stately growth 

 but is not as productive as some of the older 

 sorts. A group of it would present an orna- 

 mental aspect on the lawn. 



Pea Stratagem has proven quite recom- 

 mendable. Extra large pods, fine flavor, 

 long and late continuation of bearing, re- 

 quiring no brush. Minimum, very dwarf, 

 extra early, productive and more satisfac- 

 tory than American Wonder. It fills every 

 requisite for fine quality and in rows 1 foot 

 apart yields more per square than taller 

 varieties. Melting Sugar is one of the best 

 edible-podded Peas. Large, fleshy, tender 

 and sweet. Much superior every way to 

 the older Tall and Dwarf Sugar sorts. 



Pepper, New Celestial, forms a fine com- 

 pact bush, setting fruit early and by late 

 summer is thickly studded with green, 

 cream colored and bright scarlet sharp 

 flavored Peppers. Golden Mango is of good 

 size, thick flesh, mild, of a fine shape for 

 mangoes and superior to Dawn in every way. 



Tomatoes have been a specialty with me 

 for years and of many varieties none had as 

 many good qualities as the Cleveland, sent 

 out in 1887. It is a most vigorous, healthy 

 grower, the foliage protecting the fruit well 

 from scorching sun and early frosts; medi- 

 um early and very, prolific with extra large, 

 round, smooth, bright red fruit. Mikado is 

 an immense cropper, good for canning but 

 too irregular in shape for a profitable mar- 

 ket fruit. But why grow a small or irregu- 



lar shaped Tomato when so many good 

 round varieties are to be had? Volunteer 

 stands next to the Cleveland. 



Salsify Mammoth Sandwich Island is so 

 much superior in size and vigor to the com- 

 mon that it will doubtless supercede it. 



The new Aster Comet has proved highly 

 satisfactory the past two seasons. It is a 

 compact grower, with many large double 

 Rose colored blooms like a Japanese Chrys- 

 anthemum, each petal being bordered with 

 white. Delphinum Hybrids are very fine 

 and showy, blooming the first year from 

 early sown seed. They are various shades 

 of blue, with attractive distinct centers, 

 very hardy and when planted in clumps 

 is quite effective. 



Mina lobata is a rapidly climbing vine, 

 with vivid scarlet buds, slowly changing to 

 creamy white flowers in racemes; very at- 

 tractive, but begins to bloom late and is 

 in.iured by the flrst frost so it must be started 

 early in pots and somewhat starved until 

 planting out time. Pansy Giant Five 

 Spotted, is among the vanguard of this 

 much improved flower. They are stronger 

 growers than some others of the fancy 

 types, with very large blooms of finely pen- 

 ciled, brilliant shades. 



Petunias, Yellow Throated, have been 

 improved amazingly by careful selection. 

 Their strong, sturdy growth and abundant 

 foliage set off' the fine delicate flowers very 

 effectively. The blooms are abundant, but 

 not so variously colored as some other 

 strains. Striped Zinnias have so far made 

 but a poor show. Amongover lOU seedlings 

 less than a dozen were really fine, but as 

 the season of '88 was an improvement on '87 

 there is some prospect that this strain 

 can be established. 



Hovi I Force Asparagus. 



CHAS. B. BROWN, BENTON CO., IND. 



It is well known that the one great draw- 

 back to lifting and forcing this highly 

 esteemed vegetable under glass is that the 

 strong three year or older plants required 

 can only be used a single time, the strain 

 upon their vitality being such as to render 

 them practically worthless for future 

 use. 



Now I would like to describe how I have 

 for several years secured a crop of Asparagus 

 earlier by two weeks than usual and the 

 means are very simple, as may be seen by re- 

 ferring to my sketch. A trench some three 

 feet deep and as wide as the distance between 

 rows allows, is dug lengthwise of the rows 



On Forcitig Asparagi(Si in the Open Air. 



and then packed full of manure as in hotbed 

 making. Some scantling are set up along 

 on the ground at the right distance for sup- 

 porting the sash, the idea being to cover the 

 whole surface, having the glass sutficiently 

 high to permit the stems growing up for 

 cutting. Before the tops show themselves 

 above the ground the sash should be kept 

 closely shut to retain heat and to hasten 

 root growth, but as soon as they appear some 

 air is admitted in suitable weather. 



While by this method we can not get a 

 supply as early as under glass, yet it has 

 this advantage: the same plants can be used 

 indefinitely by giving natural culture in 

 alternating years, not repeating the forcing 

 business on any one part for two years. 



