1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



249 



tier the lawns and gardens as " luime " quite 

 as much or more than the house. I hope 

 these notes will answer the letter and pos- 

 sibly help otliers besides. 



Notes from the Popular Gardening 



Grounds at La Salle-on-the- 



Niagara. 



llw West Lawn. This month we invite 

 our readers to a peep at the grounds at 

 " Woodbanks," as made possible by the 

 photofc'raphif (hence accurate) \iews on 

 this and the opposite page. The fli-st of 

 these views is of a portion of the West 

 Lawn, with its cultivated borders, and 

 the natural fringe of trees at the back. 

 These trees are located on the bank of 

 the (^ayuga creek, a sight of which is 

 caugrht beneath the foliage at the ex- 

 treme left in the engraving. 



This view is interesting from the fact 

 that all the improvements shown have 

 been made since April 1 last. Previous 

 to that time (^orn and Oat stubble occu- 

 pied the space which now consists of a 

 beautiful grass sward, embellished with 

 tree, shrub and Uower bonlers. In its 

 preparation the land was tirst plowed 

 and subsoiled, then graded and evened- 

 up with scraper and float to its present 

 form. It will be observed that the 

 grounds are slightly undulating with 

 the border of young Conifers to the left 

 front situated on one crown and the 

 distant borders on another, a slight 

 valley extending crosswise between 

 them. This pleasing form of contour, 

 while in a degree natural, was consider- 

 ably emphasized by scraping a small 

 quantity of soil from the valley to the 

 crowns. 



Following the evening-up process, 

 lines of sod were laid to define all borders and the 

 drive (a little of the latter is shown at the extreme 

 right lower corner). After this the bordere were 

 given form by elevating their centers with earth 

 taken from next to the sod edge and the 

 main surface for turf was prepared and sown 

 with grass seed. The planting was done as 

 described in a previous issue of this journal. 



The bordere of woody growth are planted with 

 trees and shrubs in the main from two to four 

 feet in height. The small circular one in the 

 foreground is referred to in another department 

 of the paper as being very hamlsome; it is 

 planted with Blood-leaved Plum (Prunus Pis- 

 nardi) in the center and a line of variegated 

 leaved Cornelian Cherry shrubs outside. The 

 large irregular border to the left is devoted to 

 Evergreen trees of numerous kinds. Beyond 

 this is met a narrow stretch of grass and then a 



and crisp, brittle stalks and foliage. We here 

 give a photographic view of part of our Lettuce 

 bed, showing our method of growing the veget<i- 

 ble in drills. The plants are thinned as fast as 

 wanted for use from the time they begin to head. 



Salamaittlcr^ we find, is yet a superior sort for 

 market, giving fine solid heads, although in our 

 whole collection it was the very first to go to seed. 



Prize Hecut is a strong growing sort of dark 



THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE TESTING GROUNDS AT WOODBANKS. 

 LETTUCE IN FOREGROUND. 

 brown color, with large but rather loose heads. 

 Not a variety for city market. 



Califcrrnia Butter has thick dark green leaves, 

 makes fine solid heads, and is slow to go to seed. 



Early OhUi Cahtjagc is an exceedingly vigorous 

 grower, a beautiful variety with curly leaves, 

 and forming large solid heads. 



Bvttereui) seems to be appropriately named, 

 and is truly beautiful with its golden butter- 

 colored leaves. Nothing more delicate in the 

 Lettuce line has ever come to our notice. The 

 plant is only a moderate grower. 



Improved Hanson, of the well-known and 

 excellent Hanson type, grows very vigorously, 

 heads solidly and stands the heat moderately 

 well, but although as crisp and brittle under our 

 treatment as any of the others, appears some- 

 what coarse in leaf. 



iN^eu' White Rxttisian Summer stands the heat as 

 double line of bordere with grass walk between, i well as any sort in the lot and makes large. 



and which is known as the Shrubbery Walk for 

 these borders on both sides are filled with hardy 

 flowering shrubs in large assortment. At one 

 point the inner borders are broken in two by the 

 grass walk meeting the main lawn and here a 

 bed of scented Geraniums, as seen in the 

 engraving, is located. Borders oi shrubbery 

 and hardy perennial ti(.>wers extend along the 

 margin of trees as far as our view shows and 

 even beyond. Throughout the margin of trees 

 on the creek bank is a pleasing wood path along 



AN EXCELLENT NON-PATENTED CULTIVATOR. 



which numerous wild shrubs, flowers, ferns, 

 aquatics, etc., abound. 



The Lettuee Plot. There are so man.v fine 

 varieties of Lettuce now in cultivation, and new 

 ones constantly l)eing introduced, that we might 

 plant any one or two out of dozens of them, and 

 claim that we have the very best, especially 

 when a cool moist season, and top dressings 

 of (luickly available nitrogenous fertilizers aid 

 in the production of tender, succulent growth 



firm and tender heads. 



Gold Nitgtjet, in fine, delicate appearance 

 only second to Buttercup and of fair growth, 

 began to send forth seed stalks with Salamander. 

 New Queen, a large sort with solid, often 

 IJOinted heads, of somewhat coarse appearance, 

 but not inferior to others. 



Bhmmsdale Early Summer forms good heads, 

 standing a little longer than Salamander; a 

 good sort for market. 

 California All Heart makes curly leaves and 

 fair heads. 



Seleel Curled India has curly leaves 

 and forms large but loose heads. 



Midsummer is of dark brown color, 

 somewhat like Prize Head; growth 

 moderate and heads somewhat loose. 

 Qolden Curk^l, a large-leaved sort 

 of the character of Improved Hanson 

 or New Queen, and forming fine solid 

 heads. 



New Forfc again comes out with 

 dark green foliage, exceedingly large 

 curled leaves and fairly good heads, 

 one of the most vigorous growers of 

 the whole tribe. 

 I'lmi/KtiiHoch is the peer of New York in im- 

 mense growth of foliage.which is curled, brown- 

 ish,beautif ul, but on account of loose heads only 

 adapted to the home garden. 



Brown, of brownish color and fairly good 

 growth. Heads are very firm and excellent 

 tor the table. 



Home Made Hand Weeder. Hand weeding is a 

 tedious job at best and we should always try to 

 relieve it of its woi-st features by the early use of 



the steel rake wherever there is a chance for 

 stirring the soil about young plants, perhaps 

 even before they have broken ground, and of 

 good hand weeders afterwards Promptness of 

 action is the chief point of importance, however. 

 We have the Lang and Hazeltine weedei's. and 

 they do very well indeed, but are in no way su- 

 perior to the simple contri\anee illustrated on 

 first page. It is nothing more nor Iciis than a 

 silver talile knife, which had its point 

 broken off by accident. The blade was 

 heated in the fire, and hammered into 

 a curve, and both edges sharpened on 

 the grindstone. The illustration makes 

 its use plain. Any knife of goo<l mater- 

 ial, spoUed for table use by wear and 

 tear, or by the loss of point, can easily 

 be transformed into a very serviceable 

 weeder. 



PTcerf Cutter and (\iltivator. We have 

 tinted with considerable satisfaction the 

 i;radnal reduction in the width of cul- 

 tivator blades, from the old clumsy 

 plow shape to little more than finger 

 size. Small and many-bladed cultivators 

 make the very best of soil stirrers— but 

 they are not perfect as weed cutters. 

 Where thistles and larger weeds of that 

 class abound as they do (or did) on our 

 grounds, a tool is needed, such as man- 

 ufacturei*s have not yet given us; one 

 with a sharp edge t hat will cutoff every 

 larger weed smooth and cletm below 

 ground. 



Our illustration shows the knife at- 

 tachment which we had made at the 

 nearest blacksmith shop, and which 

 works to our entire satisfaction. It not 

 only slashes dt)wn the weeds, thistles in- 

 cluded, wherever it goes along, and en- 

 ables us to keep drives and walks per- 

 fectly clean, but also serves a most 

 excellent purpose in loosening up hard 

 baked soil, and asa cultivator generally 

 The knife part consists of a simple piece of 

 spring steel, IM-inches in width, and about six 

 feet long, costing less than 50 cents. It is bent 

 in the shape shown, and firmly attached to the 

 shafts of an old-fashioned cultivator, with 

 bi-aces, etc., as required. The forward or cutting 

 edge should be kept well sharpend Can be 

 made of any width desired; is simple, cheap, 

 and decidedly useful and effective. 



Pruning Bush Fruits. In old country gardens 

 we generally find the (Currant in bush form, but 

 the Gooseberry as standard. The latter as a 

 little tree always looks neat and trim with its 

 large and magnificent fruit, and presents quite a 

 favorable contrast to the neglected Gooseberry 

 bushes we find in some American home gardens. 

 Our Eurojiean brethren, however, have the 

 climate in their favor. To fight against heat, 

 and drought, and mildew, as we have to do here, 

 is uiihill work. The tree form shown in Fig. 3 

 of our illustration, has never given much satis- 

 faction to American growei-s. The wood soon 

 gets old, and ceases to bear freely ; and then we 

 have no remedy except to start a new plantation. 

 For this reason the bush or renewal system, prac- 

 ticed also with the Currant, and illustrated in 

 Fig. 1, is much to be preferred. We allow the 

 canes to bear fruit for a year or two, and then 

 cut them out and let young canes take their 

 places. This insures thrifty wood, and iilenty of 

 good fruit. Mildew is the great enemy to the 

 cultivation of the large and fine foreign sorts of 

 Gooseberries in the United States, hence we try 

 to guard against infection by giving free circu- 

 lation of air, thinning the canes thoroughly, and 

 leaving fewer of them to each plant than indi- 

 cated in Fig. I , and than would be safe for the 

 Currant. With Raspberries and l)hickl«rries we 

 believe in close pruning. This has many advan- 

 tages. It thins the fruit and consequently makes 

 it larger. It forms close, strong bushes that are 

 able to stand up against the winter's storms. It 

 makes cultivation and picking easier and safer, 

 and saves torn clothes and flesh. The canes 

 during summer assume the form as shown in 

 Fig. 3. When three feet high for liaspberries, 

 or four for Blacklierries, the young growth is 

 pinched back, and the smaller canes removed en- 

 tirely, so the next season there will be only four 

 or five strong canes as in the Blackberry bush. 

 Fig. 4. Stopping the growth from the tip of the 

 cane by pinching naturally brings out the la- 

 terals, and when these ha\e grown a toot or so, 

 we pinch them back also, but leave each one a 

 little longer than the next one above it, thus 

 getting each cane with its laterals into the shape 



