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POPULAR GARDENING. 



June, 



tips of leaves tied together to insure blanch- 

 ing. Paris White Cos is as good as any, but 

 none of them are grown to any great extent 

 by American gardeners. 



Mae.ioram ( Sweet, class F). The leaves 

 and enils of shoots are used for seasoning. 

 Sow in warm soil in rows one foot apart 

 and give ordinary cultivation. 



Eyy Plant: Early Long Purple. 



Martynia (class D). An annual of the 

 easiest possil)le culture, often grown to 

 furnish pickle material. The pods which 

 while very young are used for this purpose, 

 are of singular shape, and have procured for 

 it the popular name ''Unicorn plant" in 

 England. Plant the seed when ground has 

 become warm, in rows two feet apart, and 

 thin to about the same distance in the row- 

 Plenty of seedlings generally spring up the 

 year following from seeds in pods that were 

 left on the old plants to ripen. The illustra- 

 tion shows single pod, and branch with pods. 



Melon (class D). To come to perfection, 

 Melons need soil with considerable sand in 

 its make-up, a warm location, and sunny 

 exposure. Watermelons often do very well 

 on soil of medium fertility, especially if 

 planted after Clover, but for Muskmelons 

 the land can hardly be made too rich. No 

 fertilizer equals well-decomposed stable ma- 

 nure for the purpose, although it can gener- 

 ally be supplemented to advantage with 

 wood ashes or a good complete commercial 

 fertilizer. The following practice can be 

 safely adopted for the musk varieties; Plow 

 under a good coat of stable manure, mark 

 off rows from 5 to 8 feet apart each way, 

 according to vigor of variety to be planted, 

 and at eacli intersection mix a quantity 

 (several handfuls or even more) of wood 

 ashes and one handful of some good com- 

 mercial fertilizer thoroughly into the soil 

 and in this drop a few seeds. Cover them 

 lightly, and firm the soil over them with the 

 back of the hoe. Rows may also be made 

 of uniform width, say 8 feet, for varieties of 

 varying vigor, and the "hills" prepared at 

 greater or smaller distance in the rows to 

 suit the variety planted. 



The enemies to be dreaded are the yellow 

 striped Cucumber beetle and the Melon vine 

 fungus. The former can be kept in check 

 by keeping the young plants dtisted freely 

 with plaster, or air-slacked lime, and by 

 pushing the plants to rapid growth. The 

 Melon-vine fungus has to be fought or pre- 

 vented by crop rotation, or perhaps by pre- 

 ventive applications of sulphate of copper, 

 or sulphate of iron. 



Cultivation is an easy matter since the 

 hills are so far apart, but frequent hoeings 

 should be given, always drawing the soil 

 up toward and around the plants. Cultivate 

 freely, and keep all weeds down, until the 

 vines cover the ground. Applications of 

 washing suds, fresh and hot from the wash- 

 house or kitchen, during dry weather are 

 always appreciated by the plants. 



Hackensack is the most popular variety 

 for market, and Early Nutmeg, Casaba, 

 Bay View, are much grown. Montreal Mar- 



ket is a large variety much esteemed for 

 forcing at the north. In the newer Emerald 

 Gem we have a variety of exquisite quality 

 but rather small in size, and moderately 

 prolific. It is really the "gem" of the 

 Melons, and can be grown in hills as close 

 as four feet apart each way. 



Watermelons are grown in a similar way, 

 except that they are more partial to sandy soil 

 but can get along with smaller rations of ma- 

 nure. The hills should be from 8 to 10 feet 

 apart each way, and cultivation given same 

 as Musk varieties. Of the many varieties 

 grown for market,Mountain Sweet,Ice Rind 

 and Ice Cream are quite ;^popular, and in 

 fact, there are a great many other good 

 varieties. For the home garden the round, 

 medium-sized Volga has hardly an equal in 

 crispness, delicacy of flavor, productiveness 

 and general desirability. 



Mint (class F). The leaves and ends of 

 shoots are used for seasoning. It is a per- 

 fectly hardy perennial, preferring cool, moist 

 soil, and is generally propagated by division 

 of the creeping root-stock. Plant In early 

 spring one foot apart. 



Mustard (class F). Both the white and 

 brown variety, which are quick growing an- 

 nuals, the latter often a troublesome weed, 

 are much esteemed for greens especially in 

 some parts of the South, and the young leaves 

 are sometimes used for salad. A large 

 curled-leaved variety is very superior for 

 either purpose, but seems to be only little 

 known. Sow seeds in early spring rather 

 thickly in one-foot rows, and give the usual 

 cultivation. Guard against the tlee beetle. 



Some Giant Trees of America. 



W. A. ENGARDE, FHILAJ)ELPH1A, PA. 



Information relative to the forestry of the 

 world, and particularly that concerning the 

 woodland giants of this country, will always 

 prove valuable and interesting reading to 

 those interested in facts associated with the 

 wonders of the vegetable kingdom. 



Among the conspicuous representatives 

 of American trees is the celebrated North- 

 brook Chestnut tree,which grows in Chester 

 County, Pennsylvania. It is eight feet in 

 diameter, and is still green, vigorous, and 

 thus in distinguished contrast with the 

 famous, but somewhat smaller. Chestnut 

 trees at Cedar Croft, in the same county. 

 Recently an illustration has been given of 

 the monstrous Chestnut on Mount ^tna, 

 which is sixty feet around. This venerable 

 monster is now reduced to a mere shell, but 

 in days of yore was the scene of many im- 

 portant gatherings of royalty. 



Many magnificent and colossal White 

 Oak trees are growing in different parts of 

 the United States. Prominent among these 

 are three : first, that at Mantua, Monmouth 

 County, New Jersey, which is more than 

 six feet through ; second, that at Berkeley, 

 in the same state, which is about eight feet 

 through ; and lastly, the mammoth tree 

 known as the "Preaching Oak," which 

 stands near the James River, back of Harri- 

 son's Landing, Virginia. 



The large Cypress in Bartram's garden, 

 Philadelphia, as well as the large ones that 

 grow in the swamps of the Pearl River, are 

 notable trees. The famous Montezuma or 

 Cortez Cypress, now in the last stage of de- 

 cay, illustrates the size, age and whole 

 character of the largest of the Mexican Cy- 

 presses. This tree is rich in historical asso- 

 ciations. It was standing at the period of 

 the conquest of Mexico, and near it some of 

 the most tragic events of that great struggle 

 occurred. 



The old Monteray Cypress, in California, 

 is probably one of the oldest trees in North 

 America, and stands among the naked gran- 

 ite rocks like a sentinel watching the ad- 

 vancing waves of the Pacific Ocean. 



The Zephyr Flower. 



MRS. J. S. R. THOMSON, SPARTANBURG CO., S. C. 



Until recently the Zephyranthes were 

 classed among Amaryllis; now they are 

 generally known as Zephyranthes or Zephyr 

 Flowers, and no name being more appropri- 

 ate. Best knovm among them are Zephyr- 

 anthes rosea, Atamasco and Treatia, cata- 

 logued usually as "Fairy Lilies." The 

 fiower of Z. rosea is a delicate, lovely pink; 

 Z. Atamasco a pure pearly white, with del- 

 icate green throat; Z. Treatia, a native of 

 Florida, has flowers same color as Z. Atam- 

 asco, but otherwise inferior to it. Z. Atam- 

 asco is a native of the country from Virginia, 

 south to Florida and Texas. 



In Z. Candida we have another very de- 

 sirable variety with flowers entirely dis- 

 tinct in shape and of two colors — white and 

 rose, and with Rush-like leaves. As a com- 

 panion to these I have a variety of a deep 

 yellow with brown throat, known to botan- 

 ists as Habranthus Andersonii, but classed 

 recently among the Zephyranthes. 



The bulbs are all hardy south of Virginia, 

 half-hardy north. All are lovely and easily 

 forced into bloom, 11 desired in greenhouse. 

 They are planted here in the south as border 

 plants, require little room, and are easily 

 cared for, yet no flower I' know gives a more 

 ethereal gracelto a collection than thesedeli- 

 cate Lily-like Zephyr flowers. 



Southern Dewbeby. Aseetllingvarietyof this 

 found glowing originally in the corner of an old 

 eornfielcl in Florida, was mentioned by Mr. P. W. 

 Reasoner of that State as having proved very 

 productive of delicious fruit, Ijetter in Havoi 

 than any Blackl)erry. Mr. Reasoner considered 

 this Dewberry, which ripens in Florida about the 

 middle of April, and bears for three weeks, more 

 profitable than the Strawberry in that section. 



Insects against Insects. The work of breed- 

 ing and introducing insects to destroy insects goes 

 merrily on. Though the efforts of Prof. Riley of 

 the Department of Agriculture, an Australian 

 parasite of the cottony scale so destructive in 

 California Orange groves, has been introduced 

 by the thousands, and the results seem to Justify 

 the highest expectations of the promoters of tliis 

 enterprise. Perhaps it will not be many years, 

 before insect parasites and insect diseases will be 

 the most potent means at the grower's command 

 of fighting the bugs, grubs and other insects that 

 threaten to destroy his crops. 



Ampelopsis Hoy alii. I have been acquainted 

 with this and studied its habits for many yeare. 

 It is as yet but little known, and I have found out 

 its proper name only recently. When young it 

 seems at fii"st to be identical with A. Veitchii, 

 but after three or four yeai-s shows its great 

 superiority, having large leaves and bearing 

 more berries. The plant which I have had under 



Martynia, or Unicorn Plant. 

 observation has been growing for the past eight 

 or ten years upon the cottage walls of one of my 

 acquaintances, a plant of A. royalii on one side, 

 one of A. Veitchii on the other. At the bloom- 

 ing and seeding season the greatest difference is 

 noticeable, A. Veitchii bearing few seeds and 

 sparsely scattered over the vines, while A. 

 royalii beare them in greatest profusion and in 

 great clusters resembling Currants. In gather- 

 ing the seed the vine is so vigorous that branches 

 eight to ten inches long can easily be spared 

 from it, whilst it requires patience to gather 

 seed of A. Veitchii. The leaf is of the same 

 shape as that of A. Veitchii. A. quinquefolia, a 

 native of the south, has five lobes and also climbs 

 differently from the other two varieties. 



