1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



107 



potted them, as yoii told me, tliough I used 

 some common sense in the mixture of soil 

 in addition to what 1 found out from the 

 pot I jiot of you." 



In the garden I had some fine ones of the 

 February pottiut?, growing in the borders, 

 bu( kept in the cellar until April iith, then 

 plunged pot and all four inches under 

 ground. But I should add that these pots 

 are old peach baskets, about (he size and 

 shape of an eight-inch pot; leave 

 these out over winter with protec- 

 tion from frost, and they «ill be 

 good for several years. Two years 

 have passed since they were planted, 

 but my Lilies have been very flue. 



Auratunis that have flowered in 

 the greenhouse had better be ripened 

 in the house before returning to the 

 cellar, and in September replace the 

 top soil with fresh; I do not dry 

 them dust dry but keep them ccjol 

 and moist through their resting 

 season, and when I notice they want 

 to grow I move them tt) the green- 

 house and let them. 



to call attention to some of these, in the 

 hope that they may as a result more i)ften 

 find a place among the embellishing material 

 used about homes. The place which t hey are 

 especially suited to adorn is the Wild (iarden 

 — any plat that is given up to free growing 

 ornamental plants which after once they are 

 planted will thrive and bloom without 

 cultivation. 

 The best known plant of this rlivision is 



Tying up the Stalks 

 Gladiolus. 



of 



JAHES nUNTEK, BERKSHIRE CO., M.4SS. 



I can give a plan which I think 

 is much better than any other I 

 have yet seen. On three sides of 

 several plots about .50 feet square 

 in my vegetable garden I plant out 

 about two thousand Gladiolus bulbs 

 each season. I set them in double 

 rows, the first one being nine inches 

 from the grass border, and the 

 second row nine inches from the 

 first,' alternating the bulbs, plant- 

 ing both rows with a garden line at 

 the same time, setting the bulbs four inches 

 deep and six inches apart in this style: 



As they look better this way than if exactly 

 opposite or in squares. 



As soon as the flower stalks begin to ap- 

 pear I drive a stake one inch square sawed 

 from good straight grained pine, and about 

 3}{ feet long, at the end of each row and one 

 near the centre. Then I tie a strong cord 

 (that called wool twine is excellent) to the 

 first stake and run it along on the outside 

 of the double row about 18 Inches from the 

 ground as it is much easier thus to tie the 

 stalks to the string. 



When the buds are all above the cord, I 

 pass a piece of string around the stalk, 

 wind it once around the cord, and tie, being 

 careful not to make it too tight. The sun 

 will likely cause the cord to become slack 

 by drying it, and this trouble can be remed- 



Fig. 2. Aponogeton growing in water. 



ied by nailing a small cleat crosswise of 

 the stakes, then as soon as the string loosens 

 wind it on the cleats until taut again. 



The Ornamental Brambles. 

 Besides those members of the Bramble 

 genus that are cultivated for their fruit, 

 namely the varieties of the Raspberry, and 

 Blackberry, there are still others that are of 

 interest chiefly for their ornamental quali- 

 ties. It is the purpose of the present article 



BRANCH OF THE WHITE POMPONE-FLOWERING BRAMBLE 



the Purple Raspberry (Bubus odoratm), a 

 fine shrub that abounds here and there in 

 uncultivated land over a large part of the 

 continent. The flowers are nearly two 

 inches across, of a pleasing purple color, ex- 

 cepting the conspicuous crown of stamens, 

 numbering from 100 to 300, which are of a 

 creamy color. The form of the blossom is 

 not unlike that of a single Rose. The time 

 of bloom is from June to September, especi- 

 ally if the plants have the benefit of a shady 

 location. Indeed one of the best recommen- 

 dations for this plant is that it succeeds to 

 perfection in shade that hardly another 

 flowering shrub could endure. In town 

 gardening there is a constant demand for 

 plants that will succeed in the shade of 

 buildings, fences and trees; in this and 

 other Brambles they are exactly found. The 

 present one attains to a shrub form and 

 reaching a height of about five feet. 



Quite similar to the foregoing except in 

 the color of the flowers is the White Bram- 

 ble {Rubus NiMd mis). In this as the name 

 indicates the petals are white, and somewhat 

 narrower than those of the last named, but 

 the flowers are large and showy. It is also 

 less free-blooming than the Purple. The 

 leaves are coarsely toothed. Native to the 

 northern belt of the country from Michigan 

 westward to the Pacific. 



Among other native ornamental species, 

 the Rocky Mountain Bramble fR'ibus 

 dclicioinis), is one of the finest and this has 

 received more attention from European 

 growers than from our own. Unlike the 

 White Bramble, the canes of this one has 

 neither spines nor prickles. It forms a 

 round spreading bush about four feet high. 

 The flowers are large, single, and snow 

 white, exquisite in form and borne in sprays 

 in June, at which time no flowering shrub 

 can excel it in elegance and beauty. The 

 Salmon Berry (H. njjcctabiliif), is spoken 

 of by European authorities sis an elegant 

 shrub, flowers bright-red, though somewhat 

 less profuse than Ls common with the above. 



Perhaps the tinest of all this cla.ss are the 

 double flowering Brambles of which Riihiis 

 fnwticosiis is tlie type, and which has curi- 

 ous, fine, double flowers or masses of narrow 

 petals. This is to be ha<l of several of our 

 nurserymen. A variety of the last named 

 is the Pompone Flowering Bramble (/{. /. 

 1/1)111 i>i))iiiix, oriilhiix iih'iiiixvf some), shown 

 in our engraving. Tliis one, together with 

 its companion the Double Pink Bramble 

 {R. t. rosi'iin II. pi.), is from its pic- 

 tures(iue habit, suitable for isolated 

 specimens on the lawn. The flowers 

 of the Pompone Bramble remind 

 one of the miniature Roses more 

 than of their real relatives; they are 

 semi-double, pure white, and afford 

 a charming effect in contrast with 

 the foliage, which is paler hned than 

 are many of its family. It thrives 

 often where no other ornamental 

 plant would grow, and in any soil, 

 though preferring one light and 

 warm. Its full beauty can only be 

 seen where it has a chance to fully 

 spread itself in every direction, mak- 

 ing a large symmetrically shaped 

 bush, which from early spring until 

 late autumn bears more or less 

 bloom. 



The Cut or Parsley-leaved Bram- 

 ble (R. f. Uieiniatufi), is a distinct 

 trailing variety with finely cut foli- 

 age, and bearing a profusion of 

 white bloom followed by a not un- 

 palatable fruit. 



One of the Brambles well-known 

 to florists is the half-hardy winter 

 flowering Rose-leaved Bramble {R. 

 roswfolius co)'OH(U-ii(.s), which some 

 years ago was a favorite in all 

 greenhouses. It has a small dense 

 bush like form, of upright habit, and bears 

 miniature double Rose-like white flowers. 



1036. Scale on House Plants. Wash the plants 

 in strong soap suds, taking care that the liquid 

 touches all parts.— E. S. G. 



10B5. Cyclamen Infested by Grubs. I am not 

 acquainted with this pest but advise you to de- 

 stroy by burning all infested plants promptly 

 and not to use any soil contained in the pots for 

 other plants.— C. E. P. 



1038. Apple Tree Borers. Cutting the trees 

 down and regrafting would hardly be advisable, 

 though if they are very badly infested they may 

 as well be abandoned. If, however, a tree con- 

 tiiins but a single borer this may often be des- 

 troyed by prolilng tlie liolf with a flexible twig. 

 Then wash the trees tile iinuffhly the latter part 

 of next May, and again 111 August with a strong 

 solution of soap in which is dissolved a Uttle car- 

 bolic acid. In addition to this keep a lookout for 

 the entrance of borers during the summer and 

 autumn.— E. S. G. 



988. Book on Flower Orowlng. Practical 

 Floriculture, by Peter Henderson; and the Home 

 Florist for sale at this office. 



1016. Chip Manure Insects. Cover the chip 

 manure with tine soil, make holes in it with a 

 crow bar into which pour a few ounces of bi- 

 sulphide of carbon. Then fill the holes with the 

 earth and let the heap remain undisturbed for a 

 few hours. Bi-sulphide of carbon may be pur- 

 chased at the drug stores. It should be handled 

 with care as it is very poisonous and explosive. 

 — E. S. G. 



1024. Storing Cabbage. Set a barrel in the 

 soil in a well drained place, up to its top. Place 

 the Cabbage heads cut from their stumps in this, 

 cover with a top made of boards (not too tightly) 

 o\ev which throw a little straw. Or by another 

 method; place a thin layer 1 if straw on the ground 

 floor of an outbuilding on which place the heads 

 cut from their stumps, only one layer deep, 

 ttover with two feet of straw. In this situation 

 the heads will not readily freeze, but having 

 frozen they will remain frozen throughout the 

 winter or liutil taken out.— E. S. G. 



1014. drapes in Orchard. It would doubtless 

 answer well to plant Grapes in the orchard 

 while the trees are small, as the shade will not be 

 great and the vines would bear .several crops at 

 least before the trees would spread sufficiently 

 to obstruct the sunlight much. If the trees are 

 already full grown they would probably shade 

 tlie vines sufficiently t-o retard the ripening and 

 injure the flavor of the Grapes.- E, S. G. 



