POPULAR GARDENING 



AND FRUIT GROWING. 



"AOOVaE NOT NATVBS, SHB HATB DONB HJCB FART; DO THOV BUT THINS."— IliLTOv. 



Vol. IV. 



SEI=TEli^BE3ie, 1889. 



No. 12. 



Once more the liberal year lauRhs out, 



O'er richer stores thau gems of sold ; 

 Once more with harvest souk anti shout 



Is nature's bloodless triumph told. 

 Our common mother rests and sings, 



Like Ruth, among her garnered sheaves : 

 Her lap Is full of goodly things, 



Her brow Is bright with autumn leaves. 

 O favors every year made new! 



O gifts with rain and sunshine sent! 

 The bounty overruns our due. 



The fulness shames our discontent. 

 We shut our eyes, the flowers bloom on: 



We murmur, but the corn ears fill; 

 We choose the shadow; but the sun 



That easts it, shines behind us still. 



Whiltier. 



Now FOH fall slipping of plants. 



I.x THE Buffalo parks September sowing of 

 lawns is preferred. 



Protection. Tender plants that are shielded 

 from the early frosts usually pay large returns 

 in bloom during the warm days which follow. 



Wood Wool. This material begins to be re- 

 garded in Europe as most suitable material in 

 which to pack soft fruits. Imported toys are 

 usually thus packed. The material is soft elastic, 

 cheap. It comes from the wood of the Aspen 

 Poplar and does not seem to impart its woody 

 smell to fruits packed in it. 



Primula Oboonica. We observe that this in- 

 teresting little plant is becoming cjuite popular, 

 and frequently seen on the exhibition table. It 

 may be well to once more call attention to its 

 poisonous qualities. An exchange cites several 

 instances of inflammation of face and hands, 

 being caused by working these plants. 



Horticulture in Schools. The " Industrial 

 Agricultural Education Bill" has been intro- 

 duced into the English House of Commons. Its 

 < >bject is to secure for children in rural districts 

 practical instruction on fruit, flower, and veg- 

 etable growing, packing fruit for market, keep- 

 ing cattle and other like subjects, and also to 

 carry on this instruction after the children leave 

 school by lessons to begin evenings and Saturday 

 afternoons. An admirable move, indeed. 



Septe.vibek F.iiRS. Of course our readers will 

 visit the autumn fairs freely. By a close 

 study of the exhibits, and in conversing with the 

 exhibitoi-s, who are always glad to talk about 

 their exhibits and their ways of managing, many 

 valuable new points will suggest themselves to 

 the observant visitor. It is true there are traps 

 set for the unwary, rum stands, wheels of for- 

 tune, auctions of "gold" watches, etc, (let this 

 be said to the shame of the fair managers i; but 

 the sensible visitor will pass the swindlers by, 

 take the information that is so freely offered 

 keep his money, and put in a day or two much 

 more profitable than he could at home. 



J.\p.\NESE Vegetables. The prefix Japanese, 

 Chinese, Russian, etc., gives us by no means an 

 assurance that a variety of fruits or vegetables 

 is of special value, or unusually promising. Far 

 from it. The real good ones among all the 

 many newer introductions are few. We have 

 already noticed and pictured the Japanese 

 Squash, which has often been introduced into 

 Europe and .America under the name "Yoko- 

 hama." Now we feel inclined to say a good word 

 forthe Japanese Egg Plant, of which we have two 

 varieties. Early Round and Early Dwarf. Both 

 are hardy, so that we had no trouble in starting 

 plants early in April in a very cold frame. The 

 round sort gives quite fair-sized fruit, is early, 

 apparentl.v productive without spines. Perhaps 

 net large enough for market, but valuable for 

 the home garden, and altogether interesting. 



American Florists in Convention at 

 Buffalo. Well Attended 

 Sessions. 

 It does one's heart good to meet with the 

 florists. The sessions during the three days 

 of the meeting, Aug. '^Oth to '2'2d, were well 

 attended, and every indication pointed to a 

 state of prosperity unparalleled among hor- 

 ticultural societies, which like the flori.sts', 

 stand solely on their own resources. The 

 annual membership fee, a year ago, had 

 been raised from .*2.00 to *;3.00: yet, accord- 

 ing to the Secretary's statement, members 

 have paid their annual dues without com- 

 plaining, and the society counts as many 

 members as ever. The treasury is more- 

 over now well suppUed with funds. 



How different is this state of affairs com- 

 pared with the usually cramped finances of 

 national and state fruit and vegetable 

 growers societies. 



For place of next meeting Boston was 

 unanimously chosen. 



The election of oflScers for the ensuing 

 year resulted as follows, secretary and treas- 

 urer being re-elected, viz.: 



President, J. M. Jordan, of .St. Louis, Mo.; Vice- 

 President, Michael H. Norton, of Boston, Mass.; 

 Secretary ,'Wm. J. Stewart, Boston, Mass.; treas- 

 urer, M. A. Hunt, Terre Haute, Ind. 



An abstract of President May's address is 

 given elsewhere in this issue. A large num- 

 ber of valuable papers were read. Ab- 

 stracts of the most important of them will 

 appear in our columns latter on. In the 

 following we give a synopsis of the proceed- 

 ings. 



Express Rates. Mr. Peter Hendei'son states 

 that the express companies now charge double 

 rate for plants, flowers, etc., forwarded in open 

 packages. To secure single rate, the plants, etc., 

 must be done up in such a way that they can be 

 mixed up with other merchandise. This is a 

 hardship, since plants during summer cannot be 

 shipped safely unless more or less exposed. The 

 only remedy we have against the express com- 

 panies' unjust decree is to ship all plants as much 

 as possible by freight, which, however, will not 

 do for long distances. 



Duty on Bulbs. Mr. Henderson speaks in 

 favor of the reduction or entire abolition of the 

 duty on flcjwering bulbs. Bulbs for forcing can 

 not be grown in America, hence we have no need 

 of any dutj- on them " for protection," and such 

 tax only serves to make them dearer and to re- 

 duce their use. Mr. .\llen, of Garden t'ity, has 

 stated to the speaker that he can grow Gladiolus 

 and some other out-door bulbs cheaper thau they 

 could be imported, hence protection is not needed 

 in this case either. The abolition of duty on Lily 

 of the Valley bulbs has been beneficial to the 

 florists and to the public at large, and there is no 

 reason why the duty on other bulbs should not 

 be abolished also. This sentiment prevailed after 

 some discussion, and a resolution was adopted 

 expressive of a desire for the reduction or entire 

 abolition of bulb duty. 



Badge Book. To facilitate the mutual rec- 

 ognition of members at the meetings, the society 

 on recommendation of the committee having the 

 matter in charge, adopts the "badge book" 

 system which has given such good satisfaction 

 to the nurserymen at their conventions. Mr. 

 Chas. A. Green, who has a copyright on the 

 badge book, has graciously given his consent to 

 its use by the societ.v. 



NoMENCL.tTURE. The committee report com- 

 plains of the exaggerations in cuts and chromos, 

 and calls it a nuisance which it seems should be 

 abolished. The recommendation that a com- 

 mittee he appointed to whom catalogue makers 



should submit their catalogues, and cuts and 

 chromos of novelties with specimens for com- 

 parison and endorsement, is readil.v adopted by 

 the society. The general feeling against the 

 abuse in question appears to be ver.v strong. 



So.ME OF THE BEST KOSES OF RECENT YE.IRS. 



What has become of all the new introductions'!' 

 asks Mr. Wm. C. Barry. Of nearly 4(W varieties 

 introduced in England in four years, only 40 or 

 so are generally exhibited, and only 10 are com- 

 monly planted and really good Rt>ses. His com- 

 plete list and description of varieties which he 

 has found superior for out-door culture, will be 

 given later. In the discussion following this 

 papei', Mr. John Thorpe says Roses in the garden 

 are of as much importance as Roses in the green- 

 house. Out^door Roses are the people's Roses. 

 Has seen Mr. Carman's hybrids of Rosa rugosa. 

 The.v do not seem to be affected by black spot. 

 The society should try to make the cultivation 

 of hardy flowers more popular, not confine them- 

 selves so exclusively to cut flowers. Mr. Hen- 

 derson states we should grow the Monthly and 

 Tea Rose varieties in preference to the Hybrid 

 Perpetuals. The cry is always for hardy Roses 

 and perpetual bloomers. The Hybrid perpetual 

 is in most cases disappointing. 



Elevation of P'lorists' Business. This sub- 

 ject was treated by Mr. Robert Craig, of Phila- 

 delphia, Pa., and very ably too. Horticulture 

 itself, he says, is elevating in its character— mor- 

 ally, mentally and ph,vsically. In our relations 

 with one another we have often been too lax. 

 Just obligations ought to be met and considered 

 sacred. The catalogues, although in some in- 

 stances guilty of exaggeration, in the main con- 

 tain sound teachings. One firm last year had all 

 cuts taken from photographs. Novelties should 

 be well tested before sending out. Few of the 

 great things survive the first year. Generally 

 the man who reaches highest success is the spec- 

 ialist. In seeking to improve we should not think 

 to see very rapid or startling results. Improve- 

 ments go slow. Boston first and Philadelphia 

 next, have been made horticultural centers in 

 consequence of large appropriations from private 

 individuals for the establishment of horticultural 

 institutions (.\rnold Arboretum, etc.). Such in- 

 stitutions should be established in other large 

 cities. Mr. Craig also alluded to the World's Ex- 

 hibition in 1893, and spoke of the importance of 

 having the floral industry well represented in 

 the Committees. The exhibition will be another 

 means for us to learn and advance. French 

 florists e.xcel in tasteful conception of decorative 

 art, but Americans are ahead in the cut flower 

 business. 



(To be Cnntinued.) 



By-Notes of the Convention. 



Boston's turn next. 



CAN.4DA was well represented. 



President Jord.\n sounds well. 



Five hundred florists saw Niagara Falls. 



The Florists Hail .Association is a success. 



It was ideal Convention weather, cool and 

 bracing. 



The exhibition of four herbariums was a 

 stride in the right way. 



It was the most business-like convention yet 

 held by the as-sociation. 



James Hendrick of -Albany is a ready debator 

 and makes telling points. 



The Florists' Protective Association is now 

 a regular bi'anch of the Society. 



The Treasurer now receives $300 in compen- 

 sation for his arduous labors. It is well. 



The Buffalo BOO Acre Park proved a surprise 

 to many of thetX*) visitors who drove through it. 



The Society has reached its Jordan after 

 climbing a western Hill and enjoying a delightful 

 May-day. 



