1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



207 



especially for shade on the highway; but I 

 do not think it is yet as fully appreciated as 

 It deserves, except as a sugar tree. In many 

 regions the tree is quite common in the for- 

 ests, but this should not hinder us from us- 

 ing it more freely for shade and ornament. 



Destroying White Grubs and Rose 

 Slugs. 



HYACINTH, SCUTT CO., IOWA. 



Last spring while having ground spaded 

 for the planting of Gladioli, I found many 

 grubs, in fact every turn of the spade 

 brought them up by the half dozen. Kvery 

 one thus exposed was of course put to 

 death. I covered that Ijed with unleached 

 ashes, thoroughly working them in the soil 

 to the depth of several inches and planted 

 the bulbs. They came up, grew finely and 

 when dug in the fall 

 the bulbs were quite 

 smooth and free from 

 grub marks. 



I attribute the ab- 

 sence of the grub to 

 the free use of ashes. 

 The whole earth in 

 this part of Iowa last 

 year seemed tilled 

 with these pests. Po- 

 tato ground which 

 had been heavily ma- 

 nured in previous 

 years, suffering by far 

 the most. 



Rose slugs do not 

 scare me any more, 

 having effectually ex- 

 terminated them the 

 past two years by 

 sprinkling the bushes 

 with white Hellebore 

 in solution, a tea- 

 spoontul to a quart 

 of water. If one 

 application is not 

 surticient,try again. 

 If they have succeeded in getting a foothold, 

 perhaps three applications will be required. 

 Make an application before the insects ap- 

 pear, and their ravages will in a manner be 

 prevented. If there is any way to extermi- 

 nate Rose bugs, besides hand picking I 

 should be pleased to be told of it. 



most gorgeous spectacle in a garden, 

 whethen seen from afar or near. There are 

 varieties differing in size, habit, and color 

 of llower. Some may be called a deep 

 orange, while in others the scarlet is 

 softened in the direction of salmon color, 

 the buds when flr.st showing color, being in 

 this case of a very delicate salmon-pink. 



A group of five or more strong clumps 

 of these Poppies makes a magnificent effect 

 in a flower border. It is well to cut away 

 a good number of the weakest flower stems, 

 as the plants always bear more than are 

 needed. Unfortunately they require stak- 

 ing; the great heads of flower are so heavy 

 that the stalk, unless supported, is in dan- 

 der of breaking down from the very root, 

 but it is best to stake at only half their 

 height — not only that less stake may be 



The Handsomest of the Poppies. 



The Oriental Poppy {Papavcr OrientaJe) 

 was always considered one of the finest of 

 this class of hardy plants. The variety 

 Bract eatum, superior in size and attractive- 

 ness, forms huge masses of handsome foli- 

 age. The flowers are carried on stiff stalks 

 with leafy bracts, and one well developed 

 bract under each of its brilliant scarlet 

 flowers, which are often nine inches across. 

 The original Oriental has large pure scarlet 

 flowers. A new variety of this, the Bush 

 Queen, mentioned and described In Garde- 

 ning World, has enormous flowers, and ap- 

 pears a valuable acquisition. All these va- 

 rities are highly ornamental herbaceous 

 perennials for borders or for isolated 

 masses on lawns, and will flourish in any 

 kind of well drained soil. Our illustration 

 represents the older variety. 



Among hardy garden plants no other ones 

 can be named that are so useful for the most 

 gorgeous effects as these Orientals. Their 

 blooms in early summer are from six to 

 eight inches in diameter, of a brilliant 

 scarlet color, and the large black blotch at 

 the base of each petal and the center mass 

 of anthers liberally supplied with pollen, 

 that looks like deep purple soot, make the 

 -scarlet petals appear still brighter when the 

 flower is looked at closely ; while a group 

 ot established plants, each plant well fur- 

 nished with its flaming flowers, forms the 



CLUMP OF THE ORIENTAL POPPY PapaiKV Orlentale. 

 seen, but also that the upper half of the 

 stalk may bend about at its own will, for 

 though some stems grow well upright, as in 

 the engraving, a good number, and often 

 those with the largest flowers, twist about 

 somewhat in the way that the singular look- 

 ing Parrot Tulips do. 



Has this noble plans defects? The only 

 one we call to mind is that after flowering it 

 becomes ragged and unsightly, and for ap- 

 pearance sake must be cut away, thus leav- 

 ing large empty gaps in the flower border. 

 To cover this defect it is a good plan to in- 

 tergroup them with Tritomas, whose foliage 

 is growing strongly by the time the Poppies 

 are over, then by flowering time they will 

 have covered the whole space. Plantain 

 Lilies would answer the same purpose. 



A group of these fine Poppies would have 

 a very striking effect among dark foliaged 

 dwarf shrubs in a shrubbery border, par- 

 ticularly if there were no other flowers near. 

 They enjoy a deep, well enriched, rather 

 light soil in full sun, and are very easy to 

 cultivate and increase; indeed, in warm soils 

 every little piece of broken root grows. In- 

 teresting varieties may be raised from seeds, 

 which should be sown at any time from 

 Spring to midsummer the bloom appearing 

 the second year from sowing. 



Eastern States can be profitable has not been 

 determined, says Mr. Fuller, but I learn that 

 a number of persons are preparing to test 

 the matter by actual experience. The plant 

 appears to thrive best in a rather light and 

 moderately dry soil, for when planted on 

 heavy clay, or on low, moist land, the roots 

 are likely to be thrown out by frost in win- 

 ter, but when growing in a dry soil they 

 withstand a low temperature without l)eiug 

 injured. If the seed is sown in early spring 

 in open ground, or in frames, and given 

 water sufficient to keep the soil moist, but 

 not saturated, the plant will be large enough 

 to transplant in about two months. Some 

 cultivators recommend transplanting twice 

 — tliat is, as soon as the plants are large 

 enough to lift with the point of a knife, set- 

 ting those young plants about six inches 

 apart ; then when a 

 little larger, trans- 

 plant again, setting 

 in rows, and about 

 fifteen inches apart 

 in the row. The dis- 

 tance between the 

 rows must be varied 

 to correspond with 

 the kind of imple- 

 ments with which the 

 plants are to be cul- 

 tivated ; they should 

 not be less than two 

 feet apart for con- 

 venience in cultiva- 

 tion and gathering 

 the flowers. If given 

 '^?;sij good care the plants 

 will bloom freely the 

 .second year, begin- 

 ning in this climate 

 about the 1st ot June, 

 and continuing till 

 September. Flowers 

 should be gathered 

 just as they open or 

 have become fully ex- 

 panded, and then spread on shelves or floor 

 in the shade to dry. Artificial heat should 

 not be applied in drying the flowers, and 

 when dry they should be immediately pul- 

 verized and the powder kept in tight cans 

 or jars. When a large quantity of the 

 flowers are raised, and for commercial pur- 

 poses, a mill will be needed for pulverizing, 

 but a small quantity can be reduced to 

 powder in an ordinary mortar. 



The Cultivation of Pyretrum 

 Roseum. 



There is an apparent demand for ad- 

 ditional information, and for the benefit of 

 readers who may wish to try the practical 

 usefulness of the " Insect Powder Plant," 

 we call attention to what A. S. Fuller writes 

 in a recent issue of N. Y. Tribune. 



Whether the culture of this plant for mak- 

 ing insect powder from its flowers in the 



1,128. Treatment of NarcisBus. I would taise 

 them up and divide as soon as their foliage has 

 tlioroughly matured and store until wanted for 

 the next planting season.— C. E. P. 



1,231. Pear Bark Louse, To destroy this pest 

 dissolve two pounds of potash in two gallons of 

 water and apply witli a paint brush to all the 

 stems and branches. One or at the most two ap- 

 plications will be sufHcient.— C. E. P. 



l,2:c Grafting Wax. This can be made by 

 melting together three parts ot beeswax, three 

 part5 of rosin and two parts of tiiUow, and while 

 warm it may be worked with the aid of a little 

 water by the hand. The French grafting liquid 

 is made of half ol pound of pitch, half a pound of 

 beeswax, and a pound of cow dung boiled to- 

 gether. It is laid on with a brush in a fluid 

 state.-O. E. P. 



1,2:!4. Water Lilies and their Culture. Water 

 Lilies can be raised from seed. Seed of several 

 species can be procured of Peter Henderson & 

 Co., 3.5 Cortlanat St. N. Y. I would ad\nse you 

 however tx> procure plants and you can get them 

 of K. 1). Sturtevant, Bordcntown, N. J. Mr. 

 Sturtevant's Catalogue contains a great amount 

 of \'aliiable information on the culture of these 

 interesting itiants and it sliould be carefully 

 studied by all interested in Water Lilies.— C.E.P 



1,225. Nicotianca. Affinis when grown as a 

 pot plant, should when it has become exhausted 

 by excessive blooming be thrown away and re- 

 placed by another coming into bloom. Tn order 

 to ensure a succession of bloom, young plants 

 should be started at intervals and grown on 

 specially for the purpose. It is readily and easily 

 increased bj' seed.— C. E. P. 



