1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



153 



have the line between the walk and the culti- 

 vated beds plainly defined; a variety of material 

 being used, as sea shells or stones, terra cotta, 

 cast iron, ornamented tiling or briclss. We illus- 

 trate a simple manner of using the latter; pressed 

 bricks being preferred because of having more 

 regular outline. They are laid sloping one 

 against the other, one corner only being above 

 ground, thus forming a neat rustic-like border, 

 not easily disturbed. 



Oarret Conservatories. A contributor "Sister 

 Gracious" from Michigan, relates how one man 

 in Detroit has worked out a good plan for using 

 his garret. His house is a small frame building, 

 with an L at the back for a kitchen, and above 

 this he put glass on both sides of the roof, finding 

 it as cheap as shingling, a register in the floor 

 heating it sufficiently from the kitchen stove, 

 while a iloor and steps lead down into the yard. 

 Two rows of shelves on each side gives him room 

 for 400 pots, besides a row of large plants in tubs 

 in the center. A glass door communicates with 

 the upper main entry of the house. He tells me 

 he works an hour a da.v in his greenhouse through 

 the winter, and finds it a great relief from busi- 

 ness cares, and good for his health. 



Successive Crops in the Season. The most 

 successful raai'ket gardeners crop their soil with- 

 out intermission throughout the whole season. 

 Spinach, Radishes or Lettuce, Beets, etc., or 

 Tomato plants and Cucumbers follow each other 

 in quick succession in their cold frames, and a 

 similar rotation is practiced in the open ground. 

 Winter Spinach is harvested in March, and the 

 ground prepared at once for Radishes or Onion 

 sets. These crops will be ready tor market the 

 latter part of May or early in June, when later 

 crops. Beets, Melons or Cucumbers, late Cabbage, 

 etc., may be planted, or the ground prepared for 

 Celery. In warm soil and a favorable location, 

 it is by no means an impossible thing to grow 

 four fuU crops in one year on the same land. 



The Catalognes, We wish it were possible for 

 us to spare the space in which to speak ade- 

 quately of each one of the many fine catalogues 

 of horticultural stock that of late have reached 

 our table. They have came by hundreds, and 

 without an exception, scarcely they are most 

 beautiful and most interesting, standing in this 

 respect, as a whole, far in advance of anything 

 the world before has ever seen. To begin notice- 

 ing these catalogues as they deserve, would, of- 

 course, require in justice that none be slighted, 

 and this obviously renders the work quite an 

 impossible one in these crowded columns. But 

 we have in a special department with great 

 pleasure acknowledged the receipt of each copy 

 that has came to us, and indicated its character 

 and size in pages. The catalogues are also kept 

 on file at our office, and are open for consultation 

 to all visitors. 



About the Colors in Fruit. Prof. Bessey calls 

 the attention of students to the fact that the 

 green state of fruits is in most cases not a pri- 

 mary condition; but they are white as a rule. 

 The greening powers is a development, quite as 

 much as the reddening, or yellowing, at a later 

 period. Many trees blossom and fruit, as do the 

 Elms, in spring, before there are any leaves, and 

 durmg this period the great mass of green fruit- 

 bearings tissue flUs precisely the office of leaves; 

 and the whole assimilation of the tree goes to 

 ripening the seed. The natural time for seed 

 production is the autumn, and whatever of this 

 is done in spring needs the full force of the tree. 

 So if we speak of green berries we should here- 

 after understand that the green is not a negative 

 state of simple unripeness, but one stage in the 

 process of ripening. The signlflcance of color is 

 one of the most delightful problems in nature, 

 being in no case simply ornamental.— E.P.PouieU. 



A Fine Balsam ; Impatiens Sultana. After a 



12 months' trial with this plant, 1 think it de- 

 serves a prize for blooming over anything yet 

 grown. Starting with a small cutting, I gave it 

 a compost of mulch, fine loam and well rotted 

 hen manure, taking care not to overpot it; and 

 now the plant is 37 inches in circumference, and 



13 inches high, during the whole time has been 

 covered with flowers. It will not allow of pinch- 

 ing back, as a branch so treated, will in a short 

 time, drop off. Cuttings do not readily root un- 

 less the sand is kept at a high temperature 

 through the day; it can be layered, however, and 

 is also easily propagated from seed which can be 

 treated as for other Balsams. In a dry hot position 

 the red spiders thrive best as they seem to be its 

 only worst enemy; as it ought to be somewhat 

 cool, although an occasional sponging of the un- 



derside of the leaves with tepid water will do 

 away with the spiders.— Pat, Crawford Co., Pa. 

 A Twelve page Insect Supplement Extra next 

 Month. Has the reader noticed a shortage by 

 two pages of the regular reading matter of this 

 journal for several issues past ? This was made 

 necessary by the urgent demands of advertisei-s 

 for space too late in the month to permit of 

 further enlargement of the paper. But what has 

 been our readers loss temporaiily shall prove a 

 gain to them next month, for at that time a 13 

 page illustrated supplement, entirely devoted to 

 the insect foes of fruits, vegetables and flowers. 



experiment work ui a manner becoming the 

 Empire State of the Union. 



Snapdragon Plant and Flower. 



will be sent to every subscriber along with the 

 regular issue. This course only accords with the 

 constant desire of the publishers to do more 

 and better for our readers than strictly fair deal- 

 ing would demand. Our readers understand the 

 great importance of the subject, and will know 

 how to appreciate the value to them of a com- 

 pendium embodying far more practical points 

 than any work on insects now in existence. 

 This supplement will be worth more to every 

 reader than the price of our journal for an en- 

 tire year. 



Antirrhinum or Snapdragon. This plant is 

 such a continuous and pretty bloomer that it 

 should be found in every garden. It thrives in 

 any reasonably dry soU, and is especially adapted 

 as an ornamental in places not abundantly sup- 

 plied with moisture. It is easily grown from 

 seed, or propagated by cuttings. Sow the seed 

 early under glass, and when large enough set 

 them out where wanted to bloom: or the seed 

 may be sown in the open border in May. If the 

 seeds are removed a continuous bloom; is kept 

 up, and the plant does not seem to become ex- 

 hausted. For general purposes of ornamenta- 

 tion,8eedlings are preferable because most easily 

 grown; but when a good collection of choice 

 named sorts is wanted, it will be necessary to 

 perpetuate them by fi-equently taking cuttings 

 from young shoots, as they can not be depended 

 upon to come true from seed, and even the old 

 plants are liable to revert to the common form 

 after the first season. There are two races, one 

 growing two to three feet high on good soil, and 

 the other only a few inches high. The tall race 

 is generally used and most useful. 



Our Loss a Gain to Other States. One after 

 another the efficient specialists of the New York 

 State Experiment Station have been called to 

 other fields of work, until now but few promin- 

 ent men remain on the working stalf of the 

 place. Our latest loss is that of Prof. E. S. Goff, 

 horticulturist to the station from its establish- 

 ment, and well known to our readers by his 

 numerous practical contributions to the columns 

 of this journal. This gentleman has recently 

 been elected to the chair of horticulture at the 

 Univereity of Wisconsin, his new duties to begin 

 April Ist. He will also have charge of the hor- 

 ticultural experiment station connected with the 

 University. Mr. Goff is an intelUgent and con- 

 scientious experimenter and will add much 

 strength to the stafl' of the Wisconsin University. 

 The recent loss of such men as Professors Goff, 

 Arthur, Plumb and Beckwith to the New York 

 Station, seriously handicaps the work of the 

 directors of this Station, and is owing to the 

 meagre appropriations granted by our legisla- 

 ture. It is time that New York awakes to the 

 situation and takes steps to sustain her special 



Flower Notes from New York. 



Taken all around, this has been a winter de- 

 void of novelties in tlie flower trade. The ball 

 given to Miss Hargons by her brother, at which 

 the decorations consisted .so largely of Peach and 

 Apple blossoms, had a great deal of originalit.v; 

 other entertainments have been more in the 

 beaten track. The largest proportions, if not all 

 of the fruit blossom mentioned, came from the 

 south, though they are forced here. Peach 

 blossoms travel quite well from Virginia, and 

 doubtless would carry even farther. But the 

 prospect of getting Roses from Georgia or Flor- 

 ida, now discussed by some hopeful capitalists, 

 does not alarm the growers here. They say, 

 quite confidently, that even if the flowers 

 would travel all right they are good for nothing. 

 Compare an out-door southern-grown Rose wiih 

 a good specimen of the same variety grown 

 here indooi-s; it is like comparing an ungroomed 

 scrub with a thoroughbred. Nor have these out- 

 door flowers the substance or lasting quality of 

 forced bloom. 



One of our city florists tried the experiment of 

 getting Roses from Florida. They were very 

 carefully packed, each flower separately wrapped 

 in oiled paper, kept moist with damp moss. But 

 before they had been unwrapped two hours 

 every petal had fallen. Out-door bulbs from 

 South Carolina have also been tried in our flower 

 market, but they do not tra\'el in first-class con- 

 dition, nor do they compare in color or perfec- 

 tion with the northern forced flowers. Another 

 disadvantage complained of was that the odor 

 was so very much stronger than that of in-door 

 flowers; buyers complained that they were as 

 strong as Onions, and refused them on this 

 ground. Even if the projected fiuit and flower 

 express from Florida shortens the time consider- 

 able between that point and New York, there 

 must be a decided improvement in the quaUty of 

 the flowers, before they will suit New Yorkers. 

 Nor would there be a tremendous profit in bulbs 

 at this season if the growers shipped them from 

 a distant point; Lily of the Valley bringing $1.50 

 to $3.00 a hundred, and Tulips about the same. 



The only horticultural event so far this month 

 is Siebrecht and Wadley's Orchid show, held as 

 previously, at the Eden Musee. It was an ex- 

 ceedingly well-arranged exhibition. Why is it 

 that the deceased Horticultural Society could 

 not get up such a good show as these individual 

 growers? The show plant of the place was Mr. 

 DeForrest's white Cattieya Trianie, labelled as 

 valued at $1,000. Two or three years ago, before 

 so many rivals were in cultivation, this plant 

 would have been worth twice as much. It was 

 a large mass, bearing 13 flowers; very strong and 

 vigorous. Another C. Triana; from the same 

 owner bore 39 flowers. Fifty distinct varieties 

 of C. Trianas were shown by F. Mann. There 

 were plenty of Cyclamens at this show, and 

 some vei-y good ones; this plant is increasing in 

 favor. 



A quantity of Primula Obcouica gave a good 

 ettect; this a pretty thing when good, but if 

 poorly grown, or of a poor variety it is to tell 

 truth, very weedy looking. An interesting lot 

 of Cypripedes at the show came from Pitcher 

 and Manda, but naturally the largest display was 

 from Rose Hill Nurseries. 



A very charming wreath lately noted consisted 

 of a loose arrangement of some pearly-white, 

 delicate-looking flowers, relieved by pink Roses. 

 Investigation proved that the dainty white 

 blooms were AlUum Neapolitauum, which is now 

 being forced. It is a beautiful thing, and no one 

 would imagine, if it were not bruised, that it had 

 any connection with Garlic. 



There is an effort to popularize.Russian Violets, 

 but they do not take so well as the double ones. 

 Among Roses large hybrids take the lead; a single 

 lai'ge Rose is preferred to a bunch of smaller ones 

 for a favor. The most elegant baskets are large, 

 loose arrangements of these hybrids. The most 

 popular gifts are boxes of loose flowers. Bou- 

 quets are still the tremendous loose affairs that 

 have prevailed for the last two or three seasons. 



Table arrangements still usually take the form 

 of low plateaus, the most sensible and conven- 

 ient style, though in some cases small palms are 

 used. Cattieya TriauiL', being the most vilentiful 

 orchid in the market, is used a good deal in de- 

 corating; a plateau filled with maidenhair Ferns, 

 with a few (-'attleyas stuck in here and there. It 

 makes a beautiful table decoration at compara- 

 tively small cost. Emily Louise Tapjlin. 



