1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



277 



leads under floor of hoxise to stack. The 

 turuaee is set in the middle of the room op- 

 posite exhaust pipe. My furnace will burn 

 either coal or wood. 



Many 



COMMENTS BY READERS. 



A ih<iin rtnu-nt In irh ich all are in filed (o send notes of 

 ej-tierlenre <ind ol'^erralion concefning topics that re- 

 eeiilltt hare lieen treated on in this journal, 

 fueh eantrihutions monthli/ are welcome. 



Statues in Parks. What you quote 

 from Mr. Hifrsinson in reference to 

 statues in parks is mostly sound, yet I see 

 no occasion to object to a tine statue in 

 the center of small parks or triangles in 

 thickly settled cities, as in Washington. 

 In large areas of grass, like the croquet 

 and base ball grounds in Central Park 

 one or or two monuments or statues do 

 not, I think, injure the general effect- 

 The main trouble is that the introduction 

 of one leads to another and everybody's 

 favorite finally gets admitted until the 

 busi ess is overdone. A laughable in- 

 stance of the misuse of statuary has come 

 under my notice. A man who, by a for- 

 tunate invention had suddenly become a 

 millionaire, made the tour of Europe, and 

 brought back with him a taste for statues, 

 ami three marble statues which were dis- 

 tributed in his closely planted grounds 

 i>f three acres. One, a beautiful statue 

 of a winged Mercury, was poised on a 

 painted pedestal at the corner of the 

 greenhouse, and appaiently read.v for a 

 night in the direction of the stable two 

 rods distant. Between the statue and the 

 stable was a massive Oak tree that would 

 pretty elfectuall.y stop the tiigbt of a 

 rc^bin, to say nothing of a full-sized god, 

 and it left the disagreeable impression 

 that the gocl would ignominiously be 

 balked in his attempt to fly to the peak 

 of the stable. The statue represents the 

 god t)f commerce and gain {a fact of 

 whit'h I presume the owner was ignorant) 

 and it would have been more appropriate 

 to have him start from an appropriate 

 pedestal in front of the office, or from 

 a niche near the library window of the 

 rich man's palatial residence. As it was, 

 one's admiration for the beautiful mar- 

 ble imitation of perfect youthful manhood was 

 lost in curiosity as to why he should be trying to 

 fl.v from a painted wooden stump to the peak 

 of a very inferior barn. In the winter it was not 

 so bad, for one could imagine the naked god as 

 starting for the hay mow to seek some protec- 

 tion from the bifter cold.— /j. B. Pierce. 



Photewlnq Cherries from Birds. Mr. 

 Charles Gibbs, of Abbottsford, Canada, has re- 

 marked that the worst drawback to the culture 

 of some of the dwarf-growing East European 

 Cherries is the fact that the fruit turns red, and 

 is attractive to the birds several days before it 

 gets its final size and perfect maturity of flesh. 

 This is especiall.v true of Spate Amarelle, Shadow 

 Amarelle, Large Long Late, and Double Natte. 

 These varieties are very hardy in tree and fruit 

 V>ud, i>erfect in foliage, and they bear full annual 

 croj)S when yoimg, but they are not ripe and 

 ready for picking in their most perfect state in 

 less than twelve days after they redden suiTccient- 

 ly to attract the birds. This season every Cherry 

 was taken from the trees not protected, while 

 those protected with musquito bar have given 

 full crops of fruit of large size and excellent 

 quality for any use. The trees are small in size 

 and easily covered, but musquito bar is too light, 

 fragile, and perishable, to be profitable. In 

 Kurope I saw netting made exclusively for this 

 use. Is it obtainable in this country ? If not, it 

 shoidd be a hint to manufacturers to produce it. 

 As properly made covers would last several years, 

 the demand would rapidly increase.— J". L. Buffil. 



Peach Tree Culture. You often tell us 

 about Peach growing, and that we would have 

 more nice fruit if we would go at it in the proper 

 way. But here where the crops were winter- 

 killed tor Ave years in succession, we lost confi- 

 dence in the fruit, consequently our trees were 

 somewhat neglected. The severe winters in- 

 jured the wood of the trunks and larger limbs, 

 and they are now almost ruined by a dry rot, 

 wlule the outside has sufficient life to produce 

 foliage and fruit. The heading back annually 

 was omitted, hence the trees grew long, limber 

 and straggling. The past two seasons have given 

 fidl crops, and although the fruit was properly 



thinned out, the defective wood, and the long 

 leverage, luia brought nearly half my fruit to the 

 ground at one end of the limbs, while the other 

 end is still attached to the tree by a little bark 

 and wood, which will, in many instances, convey 

 sufficient sap to mature the fruit. The young 

 trees that are now coming on will be bi'tter cared 

 for, annually headed back and culti\ated. My 

 opinion is that to obtain the most substantial 

 Peach orchard, the pits shoulrl be planted where 

 the trees are to stand. When a lot of Peach trees 





GRAFT KILLED BY SUCKERS. 



on the same groumi wear out, the ones that last 

 the longest are volunteers, whether budded or 

 left natural. I attribute this to the tap root be- 

 ing left perfect. Cultivate well from youth up; 

 bead back half the previo\is year's growth each 

 spring and thin out the fruit when too much sets, 

 and if the seasons permit we will have Peaches. 

 A young orchard without a crop of fruit should 

 not be cultivated too late in the season, as it will 

 have a tendency to make late growth which a 

 severe winter if following, will injure, but if a 

 full crop, the cultivation should continue 

 throughout the season. Once in company with 

 a friend in York Co., Pa., standing on a hill we 

 could look across about a half mile to another hill 

 sloping t(iwards us on which were about five 

 hundred Peach trees. About one-half the or- 

 chard had a rich green color and the trees nearly 

 double the size of the other part. When asked 

 whence the difference, the reply was that the 

 whole orchard was planted at one time with the 

 same kind of trees, the land prepared in the 

 same way and of like quality. The treatment 

 alike with this exception, that when plowing, 

 one summer, intending to go over the whole 

 piece, something occurred to prevent finishing. 

 The healthy looking tract was the one that had 

 been plowed, the other part the one left un- 

 jilowed. He said the crops corresponded in point 

 of quality and product with the looks of the 

 trees. It was a surprise to me that the omission 

 of one plowing should make so vast a difference, 

 but thirty years' experience since then has con- 

 \ineed me of the necessity of stirring the soil in 

 a Peach orchard. Here we know nothing of the 

 yellows, and I am somewhat sceptical about its 

 being a disease. While the borer seldom injures 

 our trees, yet it is well enough to look for them, 

 and, if found, cast them out. Our early Peaches 

 here nearly all rotted; the curculio and wet 

 weather done the business. Heretofore we were 

 not troubled with this insect on the Peaches, but 

 now we will have to spray our trees, or trap the 

 turk somehow. The past mild winter seems to 

 have been to their advantage. I would advise 

 the planting of good, hardy varieties of stones 

 and let them come into bearing. I have two 



trees Just now coming in, seedlings of Baltimore 

 Beauty, that surpass the original. Planted last 

 si)ring a dozen trees from seed sent me from afar 

 off that shall fruit without budding. If the fruit 

 does not siut me they can be budded with what- 

 ever we wish in the Peach line, and but one 

 year's time lost.— S. Miller. 



Kr.uE Gum Thee. Your article in July number 

 is rather misleading, and does injustice to one of 

 th<; best trees grown in Southern ('alifornia. In 

 San Diego County it is grown tor fuel— for shade 

 and wind break, and in many places for the 

 health giving properties it is said to pos- 

 sess. A forest of Eucalyptus is a pleasing 

 sight, as this tree has a majestic appear- 

 ance when properly grown, growing .so 

 /• clo.sel5' as to form a dense shade. The tim- 

 ^- ber from such a forest will be ready for 

 t. use in three years— the trees can then 



be cut to within a few feet of the ground, 

 and soon the old trunks will be a mass of 

 young shoots. The Eucalyptus is easily 

 propagated from seed. I had about .50 

 young plants raised from one packet of 

 seed sown in a cheese-cloth covered hot- 

 bed It may be "disease afflicted in 

 Florida" but certainly not in Southern 

 California. The Eucalyptus belongs to 

 the order Myrtaciv and is a native of Van 

 Diemans Land.— Mrs. Z. May fVaite, Cal. 

 Eucalyptus Thee An item in your 

 publication for July must have caused 

 a smile on the face of every Californian 

 who read it. You say that the Blue Gum 

 tree is entirely unsuited for open air cul- 

 ture in this country, being disease-atHic- 

 fed in Kloritla, anil too tender every- 

 where much north of that State. Here it 

 grows everywhere, whole f orests of it for 

 fire wood; and I have never heard or seen 

 any disease upon it. Its growth is very 

 rapid and one is seldom out of sight of 

 the trees from 75 to 1.50 feet in height. 

 It seems funny to us that it should t.e 

 raised in pots. It is plain, however, that 

 California is still almost a foreign ctamtry 

 to many people of the east— E. BirtlsalL 

 Birds and Grapes. In June number 

 a correspondent recommends planting 

 fins as a preventive of damage to Grapes. 

 I advice planting Sunflowers near vines. 

 I have practiced it for years, and 

 never yet failed. The seed is also ex- 

 cellent feed for fowls and horses You have to 

 plant them but once, as some of the seeds drop 

 to the ground and will come up the following 

 spring.— I/. Fiix. Out. 



Enolish Sparrow. Yes, he may have some 

 good points— they are far and few between, like 

 $.5.00 gold pieces in a church contribution box. 

 May the blizzards have what the U'th of Maich 

 1S88 has left. In the mean time it will Ix; well to 

 assist a little in clearing the country of this 

 nuisance. Mr. Coleman recommends to dissolve 

 arsenite of soda in warm water, at the rate of an 

 ounce to a pint. Enough of this is poured upon 

 wheat in a closed vessel to cover it, and the 

 wheat left to soak for at least 24 hours. Then 

 take out, dry it, and it is ready to do its murderous 

 work. Three kernels of it are sufficient to kill a 

 sparrow. The best time for operation is winter, 

 when other birds are alisent, and the sparrows 

 hungry. The poisoned wheat may be scattei'ed 

 in the streets and highways, where the birds are 

 in the habit of congregating in flocks after pass- 

 ing teams, and it will have a quieting effect on 

 them — K. O. K. 



Crafting and Suckers. 

 The accomjian.iiing illustration taken from an 

 English paper, very forcibly reminds of two 

 common errors which can not be too often and 

 too emphatically called to the reader's attention. 

 One is the disregard of many growers for the 

 congeniality of stock and graft in grafting fruit 

 and ornamental trees; the other the common 

 evil of neglecting to remove suckere of the stock 

 especially in Roses, and thus allowing them to rob 

 the graft of its nourishment. The result of both 

 errors is the gradual decline, and perhaps final 

 death of the graft. The habit of forcing unsuita- 

 ble unions in grafting ornamental stuff seems to 

 be a very conmion one with English propagators; 

 at least so we infer from the Wgorous protests 

 again.st the jiractice in the English Journals. The 

 lesson which we wish to impress upon our read- 

 ers, is this, that a frequent inspection of grafted 

 shrubs on the premises will often reveal a ten- 

 dency towards just such a development as the 

 illustration shows. Kemove the suckers. 



