1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



215 



Frimulas. Pot off the seedliuKS, plunge them into 

 frames, giviug shaiie and water. Repot when needed* 



Sowinu Small Seeds, Gloxinia, Calceolaria, and 

 other flue seeds should be sown on a smooth surface of 

 moist soil, a small quantity of dried peat moss sifted 

 over it, and a pane (or panes) of glass placed on top 

 until germination takes place. Or a little damp moss 

 may be placed directly upon the seeds until the time of 

 germination. When large enough the seedlings are 

 potted off. A good method, also, is to invert a small 

 pot in the bottom of a large one, and filling up with 

 rich sandy soil to within .one Inch of the top. Press 

 the soil firm and smooth and set the pot In a dish with 

 water In the bottom to soak up the soil without dls 

 turblng the surface. Now scatter the seed and cover 

 It lightly with finely sifted soil. A cover of strong 

 white paper Is then tied over the top of the pot, and 

 water poured upon It so to form a depress^im, and this 

 should now be constantly kept filled with water until 

 the seeds are well up. 



Window Sills and Balconies. A balcony not too 

 exposed to sweeping wiuds may be readily utilized by 

 those who live in the crowded part of the cities. Plants 

 should be protected from the noon sun, otherwise they 

 can stand full exposure to the sun, but it should not 

 strike directly on them for too long a time. A stand so 

 arranged as to have soil in boxes, or the pots plunged 

 in moss or other cool material, is just the thing. 



Young Plants. Geraniums, Heliotropes. Fuchsias, 

 and other young plants kept during summer with just 

 enough water to keep alive and in pots small enough 

 to prevent large growth, make good window plants in 

 the winter. If young plants are not at hand, obtain 

 them by rooting cuttings now. 



LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN. 



Annuals. Thin to the proper distance. Keep sur- 

 face of ground stirred or mulched. Stimulate with 

 manure water or a weak solution of nitrate of soda. 

 Pick off seed pods before seeds form. 



Bedding out of Coleus, Achyranthes, Alternan- 

 theras, Heliotropes, Rtcinus, Begonias, Caladiums, etc. 

 should now be finished. 



Bulbs. Tulips, etc., now being past their ornamental 

 stage, should be cleared off the beds, and the latter re- 

 planted with summer flowers. The bulbs taken up 

 may be stored in a cool dry place, and when thoroughly 

 dry put in paper bags until planting time In October. 



Lawn mowing should be attended to as regularly as 

 any chore on the place, say twice a week without fail. 



Perennials. Remove dead leaves, cultivate beds 

 freely or apply mulch, also give support by stakes, etc., 

 where needed. If open spaces occur flll them with 

 annuals or biennials, such as Dianthus, Asters, Stocks, 

 Dahlias, Zinnias, Sunflower, Ricinus, Hollyhocks, etc. 



Phloxes and plants of simllai* habit of growth should 

 be pegged down to make them cover the ground early. 

 Wire plus are best, but wooden pegs will answer. 



Pinks. Support by neat stakes to preserve their 

 bloom in perfection and unsoiled. 



Roses. Look out for Rose slugs and bugs. Hand 

 picking will do in most cases, but when bugs are very 

 numerous, the Bubach spray may be found necessary. 

 Dissolve the powder in alcohol and dilute with water. 

 Apply with syringe. Cut off all parts affected by rust. 

 Sulphur is the remedy for mildew. 



Shrubbery. Plants that flower on the old wood 

 should be pruned Immediately when done blooming. 

 Cut away all branches that seem to be crowding or un- 

 necessary, and shorten those left on. This treatment 

 will cause a free growth of wood, and insure next 

 season's bloom. 



Trimming, etc. Blossoms appearing shortly after 

 planting should be picked off from nearly all plants. 

 Give shape to straggling specimens. To secure strong 

 stocky plants for winter, pinch in Chrysanthemums, 

 Carnations, Stevias, and similar fall and winter bloom- 

 ers. Remove the sprouts and shoots coming up from 

 the roots of Lilacs, budded Roses, Willows, as also of 

 most fancy-leaved trees and shrubs. 



PLANT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



Achimenes. Give Il'iuld manure to improve both 

 bloom and foliage. 



Amaryllis. Reasonably small pots are best for these 

 when done blooming. When repotting is thought 

 necessary, use a mixture of good loam with a little 

 sand, pack solid into the pots, water and syringe well 

 and set In nearly full sunlight. 



Azaleas to harden after having flnished their growth 

 should be given a sheltered, shady position out doors. 

 Keep worms out of the pots, either by having a piece 

 of mosquito netting over the hole In the bottom, in- 

 side, or by placing the pots on bricks or stones. 



Crotons can go outside after warm weather is well 

 established. In the house they need rich soli, moder- 

 ate light and considerable heat. They do well In com- 

 paratively small pots. 



Hardwooded plants need a constant supply of moist- 

 ure during active growth and while In bloom. When- 

 ever wat«r is applied It should be given copiously, so 

 hat the earth becomes thoroughly soaked. 



Ixias when done flowering should be dried off grad- 

 ually until September or October, which is the proper 

 time to start them again. The bulbs may be stored In 

 paper bags like Tulips. 



Lemons, Oranges, etc.,!thrive In a mixture of rich 

 loam with a little rotten manure. When allowed to 

 fruit they do not flower as freely as otherwise. Their 

 flowering propensity can be stimulated with manure 

 water effectively. Guard against scale or mealy bug. 



Poinset lias- Cuttings of the young wood ( from plants 

 started for propagation) with a heel of old wood at- 

 tached to tliem, If kept close, moist and warm, will 

 root readily. 



Stephanotis. Sponge with soapsuds to prevent 

 mealy hug. Guard against excess of moisture in room. 



FRUIT GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 



Blackberries. Early and severe trimming of the 

 young growth favors stocky canes able to endure cold 

 and winds, besides giving better fruit. Nip oif the 

 ends of the young canes at not over three feet high, 

 and again afterwards the ends of the laterals. 



Borers. The carbolic acid and soap emulsion (see 

 page 187) applied now to the trunks of Peach and other 

 trees at the usual places of attack wiU keep the borers 

 off. A small square box placed around the trunk of 

 each Peach tree is also said to be sure protection. 



Cherries. To protect from birds try an imitation 

 l)ird of prey suspended In the tree. Use the shot gun 

 only when milder means fall. Cultivate the young 

 trees or keep them mulched. 



Cultivation of recently planted orchards is needed 

 as much as that of Corn or Potatoes, but try to keeep 

 the implement of tillage, or any of its parts, from 

 coming in contact with the roots or bark or the trees. 



Currants. Remove dead wood and weak growth. 

 Keep free from grass and weeds. Mulch if conveu 

 ient. Use hellebore for Currant worms. 



Gooseberries to be handled like Currants. Layering 

 the branches in June is the surest way of propagation. 

 The green wood takes root readily when buried in 

 loose soil if the tips are left exposed- These rooted 

 layers are taken up in late fall, planted out in rows, 

 and kept mulched during the winter. 



G-r aits set this spring need occasional examination. 

 Remove the shoots that are not wanted, also overhang- 

 ing Umbs of the tree when crowding and depriving the 

 grafts of room for full development. 



Grapes. Tliin by removing every alternate bunch 

 where they are thickly set. Try bagging as a protection 

 from disease and birds. Look out for Rose bugs. Spray 

 with copper mixtures for mildew and rot where these 

 prevail. No vine, should be allowed to overbear. 



Plums. Spray or jar for the curculio- Paint the 

 black knots with turpentine or linseed oil as fast as 

 they appear. Cultivate the orchard and thin the fruit. 



Pruning at this season is coming into general favor 

 with the orchardlsts. Rub off sprouts not wanted. 



Raspberries should be pinched back same as Black- 

 berries. The under-sized fruit always grows on the 

 extremeties of unpruned canes. Cultivat* freely. 



Strawberries. A clean mulch aroimd the plants 

 keeps berries free from grit and dirt. Only good fruit 

 is wanted in the baskets, but sorting should only be 

 done while picking, as Strawberries are not improved 

 by much handling over. Cultivate the new beds, and 

 if desired, clip off the runners. The earliest runners 

 make the onlylpot plants worth having, if fruit out 

 doors next spring is the object. 



Thinning. This practice Is gaining more friends 

 every yi*ar among orchardlsts. Give it a trial, even If 

 on a small scale at first. It pays with Peaches, Pears 

 Plums, and most other tree fruits. 



VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



Asparagus should be allowed to grow up after this 

 mouth, needing little attention. 



Beans. Plant the Llmas In hills four feet apart. In 

 very rich, warm soil, setting a pole, which need not be 

 more than six feet high, to each hill. A wire stretched 

 over posts four or five feet high also makes a good 

 trellis. Plant bush sorts for succession. 



Cabbage Plant for winter use. Spindling plants 

 will answer better If set Into the ground clear to the 

 crown. Guard against cutworms. Cultivate freely. 



Oarrots. Use wheel hoe and weeders freely. Thin 

 where needed. 



Celery. Keep the seedbed well cultivated, and the 

 plants stocky, by thorough thinning. Applications of 

 nitrate of soda make large, thrifty plants. Alter mid- 

 dle of the month set out the self-bleaching kinds for 

 earliest crop. 



Corn should be planted for succession alt through 

 this month. 



Cucumbers. Plant for pickles in well enriched soil 

 In hills four to six feet apart each way, or in drills six 

 feet apart, havlngplants one foot apart in the drill. 



Egg Plants. Plant in warm and very rich soil. 

 Keep well dusted with Paris green mixture to save 

 from Potato bugs. 



Melons. Plant at once in warm soil and well man- 

 ured hills, flve to six feet apart, for the Musk varielies. 

 and eight to ten feet apart for the Water Melons. Use 

 plenty of seed, and when plants are comparatively out 

 of danger from bug depredations, etc., thin to three 

 plants to the hill. Washing suds applied to the hills 

 occaslonly are of great beneflt. Free use of cultivator 

 and hoe will aid growth materially. 



Parsnips. Cultivate and thin. 



Peppers. Plant in rows two feet apart, and flfteen 

 Inches apart in the row. Treat like Egg Plant. 



Squashes. Plant and manage like Melons, having 

 hills ten feet apart each way for the running 

 varieties, while four feet is enough for the bush sorts. 

 As a protection against borers, cover the rtrst Joints of 

 the running vines with earth. Dusting the plants 

 with plaster in a measure protects them from the yel- 

 low striped beetle. Watch for th^ Squash bug. 



Weeds should be killed by the free use of the wheel 

 hoe and hand weeders. Let none escape. 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER 



GLASS. 



Figs delight in heat, moisture and plenty of air and 

 light. Top dress the soil with fresh horse manure. 

 Thin the fruit. For young stock put In cuttings In 

 sandy soil with considerable bottom heat. 



Grapes. Ripening crops need high heat. Thinning 

 may be done when the berries are of the size of Peas, 

 allowing one bunch of fruit only to the cane. Point 

 the latter tlu-ee leaves beyond the fruit. When fruit is 

 taken off the viues, the latter should have a period of 

 rest by gradually witholdlng water. Air them freely, 

 and expose fully to the sun. 



Melons. Top dress with compost, and wat*r with 

 warm guano or manure water. Apply pollen to the 

 fruit blossoms as soon as they open. 



Pines, when done blooming, should be syringed every 

 day. Water when needed. To keep the house moist, 

 sprinkle walls and walks dally, and keep evaporating 

 pans filled. Temperature should range from 70^ to 85° 

 during the day. Withold water from ripe fruit. 



THE POULTRY YARD. 



Preventing Waste. Don't thi-ow soft feed on 

 the ground, where half of it will be wasted, and 

 then complain because " it costs so much for 

 feed for those hens."— Kural Canadian. 



Trees and Shrubs Best. Poultry yards should 

 have some kind of shade provided for the hens. 

 Ducks suffer greatly if exposed to the heat of 

 the sun the whole day.— Florida Dispatch. 



Males Not Needed. When egg production 

 alone is your object you need no males. The 

 hens will lay as well without them (and some- 

 times better), and the eggir, will keep much longer. 



Fatten the Faulty Chick. Don^t forget that 

 the choicest stock all through nature produce 

 many poor specimens, and that poultry is no ex- 

 ception. Weed out the Hock, by fattening all 

 faulty specimens, for the table. 



Shipping Fowls. Make neat, light coops, and 

 provide feed and water for the journey, says the 

 Poultry Review ; and we will add that a light 

 frame, set upon a solid bt>ttom, and covered with 

 cheap muslin, with o{ieniu^s on top to give the 

 fowls a chance to stick ttuir heads out, makes a 

 very serviceable coop tor shipping a pair or two. 



Secret Worth Knowing. Tl\e Chinese, accord- 

 ing to the New York Ledger, have a way of 

 keeping eggs for forty years or more in sound 

 condition. The older the eggs the more valuable 

 they are, and it is a trick of the Chinese grocer to 

 ring in fresh eggs on his customers wlienever he 

 has a chance to cheat them in that way. Our 

 Government should at once instruct our consular 

 agents in China to discover what this valuable 

 method of keeping eggs is, for the benefit of 

 American poultry raisers. 



To Distingiush Fresh Eggs. The following is 

 a simple French test for telling whether eggs are 

 fresh or not: Dissolve two ounces of salt in a 

 pint of water. A fresh-laid egg j)laced in this 

 solution will descend to the bottom of the vessel, 

 while one which has been laid the day previously 

 will not quite reach the bottom. An egg three 

 days okl will float in the liquid; and if more 

 than three days old it will float on the surface, 

 projecting above the latter more and more as it 

 happens to be lighter with age.— Famiei*s'Ue\'icw. 



Koosters for Plc-Nics. Fannie Field stxys some- 

 where: 'Mienerally speaking, after the hatching 

 season is over, there is no sense or profit in keep- 

 ing the roosters. They will eat as much, or more, 

 than the same number of hens, and will worry 

 and torment the hens through moulting time. 

 Eat them, or send them to market soon, and thus 

 save the food and "■ botheration". Pressed 

 cliickeu is a dish always appreciated at the sum- 

 mer picnics. The old roosters, if properly pre- 

 pared, answer very well for this purpose, and 

 might thus be " pressed into service " with profit 

 and satisfaction. 



Breaking Up Sitting Hens. Let her stay on 

 the nest a week, giving her no food the first three 

 days, and only one meal the next two days, and 

 one the next two, which completes the week, but 

 let her have all the water she desires. She should 

 then be taken from the nest, and placed in a lath 

 box, with open sides and open bottom, with no 

 nest or anywhere for her to sit, gi\'ing only one 

 meal a day of stale bread soaked in milk, and 

 a little chup]ied clover. Keep her in the box two 

 or three ihi.\'s, and then let her be placed with 

 the other fowls. She will then be in good laying 

 condition, not too fat, and will not attempt to 

 set for quite a time.— Mirror and Farmer, 



