24 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



November, 



Work Ahead for the American Hor- 

 ticultural Society.— State Officers. 



At the Cleveland meeting, in September, a 

 committee, appointed for the purpose, deemed 

 the points in President Earle's address, which 

 follow, worthy of wide notice and future action: 



Fi rst The establishment of a bureau of pomology 

 in connection with the Department of Agriculture 

 at Washington. . . 



Second. The creation of a commission of pomo- 

 loeical experts to investigate the fruits and culture 

 of foreign countries, especially the interior region 

 of Europe and Asia, with the view of ohtainiiig 

 valuable products suited to the wants of this 



countrv. . ^ , ^ ..■ 



Third The endowment of experimental stations 

 in connection with the agricultural colleges of the 

 country. . ^ , , 



Fourth To call the attention of our people and 

 their legislators to the overshadowing importance 

 of some practical methods by which the cultivation 

 of our remaining fruits may he attained and their 

 destruction prevented, as well as to the needs of 

 common systems of plaoting tor the future. 



Fifth the devising of some practical method 

 for the better and more equal distribution of our 

 fruit crops to all parts of the counti-y. 



The names of the new president and chief 

 officers of this society were published last 

 month, but those of the 



STATE VICE-PRESIDENTS 

 were crowded out of that issue. We now give 

 them here, as follows: 



Alabanui,'Dr. Charles Mohr of Mobile; Arkansas, 

 W. R. Tipton, Little Rock; California, Prote.ssor 

 E. W. Hilgard of Berkley; Colorado, D. S. Grimes 

 of Denver; Connecticut, P. M. Auger of Middlefleld ; 

 Dakota, E. M. Fuller of Bismarck; District of 

 Columbia, Norman J. Coleman of Washington; 

 Delamire, W. P. Coosa; Florida, E. H. Hart, of 

 Federal Point; Georgia, Dr. Samuel Hope of At- 

 lanta; Idaho, George L. Shoup of Salmon City; 

 Illinois, Professor T. J. Burrill of Champaign; In- 

 diana, C. M. Hobbs of Bridgeport; Iowa, Professor 

 J. L. Budd of Ames; Kansas, F. Wellhouse of 

 Fairmount; Kentucky, A. D. Webb of Bowling 

 Green; Louisiana, John T. Hardie of New Orleans; 

 Maryland, T. Davis of Baltimore; Massachusetts. 

 W. C. Strong of Brighton; Michigan, J. T. Lyon of 

 South Haven; Minnesota, J. S. Harris of La Cres- 

 cent; Mississippi, Dr. H. E. McKay of Madison Sta- 

 tion; Missouri, L. A. Goodman of Westport; Ne- 

 braska, R. W. Tumas of Brownville; Nevada, Ross 

 Lewis of Franktown; New Jersey, John S. Collins 

 of Moorestown ; New I'ort, S. D. Willard of Geneva; 

 North Carolina, J. Van Lindley of Salem Junction ; 

 Ohio, N. Ohmer of Dayton; Ontario, Professor Wil- 

 liam Saunders of London; Oi-egon, E. W. Allen; 

 Pennsylvania, H. B. Engle of Marietta; Quebec, 

 Charles Gibb of Abbottsford; South Carolina, S. C. 

 Satterthwaite of Aiken; Tennessee, C. M. Menvin 

 of Medina; Te.ra.>r, J. M. Howell of Dallas; Vermont, 

 Dr. T. H. Hoskins of Newport; Wisconsiti, J. M. 

 Smith of Green Bay; Virginia, J. F. B. Leighton 

 of Norfolk. 



This variety proves to be hardy, productive and ex- 

 cellent here, but no earlier than .Hartford Prolific. 



The Strawberry crop of this year was large. Of 

 fifteen varieties cultivated, May King excelled in 

 growth and uniformly large, delicious fruit. Next 

 to it comes Crescent, with its vigorous growth and 

 large crop of uniformly good sized and fine flavored 

 berries. It ripened with the earliest and continued 

 with the latest. The Great American bore moder- 

 ately of medium sized rich flavored berries. It is 

 a good hill sort, making few runners. Manchester 

 was a failure. The plants grew well the first year 

 and the second, until its large crop of berries were 

 half grown, when rust set in badly. Trhimph and 

 Kentucky did weU, the latter no later than Crescent. 

 Jersey Queen and Sharpless bore fair crops of fine, 

 very large fruit. James Vick does not promise 

 well, but shall be tried further. 



The Gregg Raspberry has with us borne its first 

 crop of fine large fruit, and promises well for here. 

 Colossal justified its name in strong growth, size 

 and great abundance of fruit. For the family and 

 near markets it leaves nothing to be desu-ed. Sou- 

 hegan very productive, firm, jet black, hut small. 

 Cuthbert, Marlboro and Hansel each bore well on 

 young canes. These promise well, and all sorts 

 named stood 13° below zero last winter without 

 hurt. J- E. A., Greenville, Tenn. 



A Reader Reports on Fruit In 

 Eastern Tennessee. 



Apple orchards here consist mainly of the leading 

 varieties from Northern nurseries, but such are 

 proving most discouraging. The longest keepers 

 as well as the fall varieties drop before ripe, only to 

 quickly rot, some showing rotten spots even before 

 falling. Such varieties as the Winesap, Green 

 Crank, Limber Twig and Neverfail do fairly some 

 seasons, yet we rarely save one-third of a crop. 



Thus the Apple crop, however promising early, 

 ends in dead loss except what goes into cider. With 

 this experience, I am grafting over most of my 

 trees with Southern varieties that promise to "hold 

 on " and be good keepers. 



In Peaches we too find the usual standard varieties 

 quite discouraging. The trees grow well, but the 

 fruit is apt to set poorly or else rot. Seedlings 

 around here fruit well. The very early Alexander, 

 Amsden and Asliby do much better than later ones. 

 We must select Apples and Peaches for our climate 

 more carefully than in the past. In 1885 I grafted 

 two large native Pear trees with improved varieties 

 Some of these grafts, among them LeConte and 

 Keiffer, blighted some the past summer. But 

 LeConte and Keiffer trees on LeConte stocks have 

 grown well and without blight for two summers. 



Grapes usually do well, but this year there has 

 been general failure from mildew, rosebngs, etc. 

 An exception was a three-year old Moore's Early, 

 of which we enclosed most of the clusters in paper 

 bags. Every berry of these ripened perfectly. The 

 last cluster was cut Sept. 16th, about two months 

 later than the first, and it was rich and delicious 



16T. Kainite. What is tliis article that I fre- 

 quently see named among the commercial land fer- 

 tilizers offered for sale? G. S., Rutland, Vt. 





umR 



This being the People's Paper, it is open to all their In- 

 quiries bearing on gardening. Oil the otherhnnd, Ansicem 

 to Inquiries are earnestly requested from readers. 



The editors and special contributors are ready to do a 

 large share of the answering, but the experience of many 

 being more valuable than of the few, howex'er varied that is, 

 and conditions and localities being so different, they primer 

 to receive answers, even several of them to the same ques- 

 tion, from readers everywhere. Don't hesitate to send 

 answers because you may feel you are no fine writer; we 

 wilt see that they appear in good shape. 



In writing, give the number of the question you are an- 

 swering, your locality and name, the latter not for publica- 

 tion, unless you desire. Writeonlyon one sideofthepoper. 



Flowers gladly named, promded, first, that no more than 

 three be sent at one time; second, that these befutlyprepaid; 

 third, that several specimens of each reach us in good shape. 

 We cannot undertake to name florists' varieties. 



1.53. Blight on Onions. Can you give me any 

 information in regard to this ailment? What causes 

 it, and is there auj' way of preventing it? F. W. C, 

 Sylvania, Pa. 



1.54. Keeping over Bedding Plants. Mine are 

 Geraniums, Petunias and Hydrangeas. I have a 

 good cellar. Can I keep them in this? J. A. H., 

 Derrick City, Pa. 



165. Narcissus Blasting. Can any oue tell me 

 why the various Narcissus hud and then blast in- 

 stead of Ijlooming? L. E. P., Ladora, Iowa. 



156. Gazania Culture, Etc. Not having a green- 

 house, please inform me how to propagate Gazania, 

 and the best mode of preserving them during the 

 winter? What white or gi-ay leaved plants are 

 handsomest for isolating on a lawn? A Subscriber. 



15T. Raspberries Failing. In my field of black- 

 caps, picked the second year, some of the bushes 

 are dying. Their leaves shrivel and turn greenish 

 yellow and look as if they had not fully expanded. 

 The canes are strong and healthy. Some died 

 down during fruiting. All are not aifected, but I 

 think it spreads. It in not the "red rust;" but what 

 is it and how should it be treated? My bushes are 

 of the Gregg and Mammoth Cluster sorts. I. C. E., 

 Giirrettsrille, N Y. 



158. Garlic Weed. My land is considerably in- 

 fested with Garlic or Wild Onion, and I would be 

 glad tor information to destroy it. G. I. U., Nor- 

 folk, Va. 



159. Japan ftuince Fruit. Is the fruit borne on 

 Japan Quince shrubs edible, or poisonous? G. C. C. 



160. Work on Grape Culture. Do you know of 

 any good work on Grape cultivation? If you do, 

 please let me know, and what the price is ? Success 

 to Popn.AK Gardening. A. S. Rounds, Bristol, R. I. 



161. Earth Worms in Flower Pots. Will some 

 one he kind enough to tell me how to get these out 

 of my flower pots without injuring the plants. 



163. Best time to take Cuttings. Please men- 

 tion which is the best time for this. Mrs. G. W. M., 

 Sacramento, Cal. 



16:3. Insect on Honeysuckle. My plants grow 

 well, but are infested with a green louse or insect 

 that gets in the tip end and destroys the blossoms. 

 The leaf curls over and protects the insects from 

 harm. Can you give me a remedy? 



164. Cheap Concord Vines. Can you inform me 

 where Concord Grape-vines can be bought for 10 

 cents 8yeai-s old? F. C. D., Syracuse. 



165. Cinnamon Vine. Will they have to be 

 lifted in the fall, or do they live out of doors? 



166. Marguerites in the House. Do Marguer- 

 ites do well as house plants? Beatrice. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 



131. Daphne odora. This plant is a slow-grower 

 and somewhat tardy about bloom. If the drainage 

 is imperfect that works against them. See article 

 on potting in September issue. The soil preferred 

 by the Daphne is one that is pretty sandy, rich and 

 containing some fibrous peat or turf. If the young 

 plants can be had to make two growths in a season 

 that will hurry up bloom. For this they should be 

 repotted as needed in February and kept in a moist 

 atmosphere, in a heat of 5.5°, keeping them well 

 watered. After the first growth is made, say in 

 about ten weeks, the points of the young shoots 

 may be pinched out, and the plants kept in drier 

 and more airy quarters. Four or six weeks later 

 they may go into increased heat and moisture for 

 the second growth. After that remove to a drier 

 atmosphere, so that the wood may be well ripened 

 and the flower buds set. 



1.33. Garden Walks. The best course will be to 

 break the walks well up, and get all the weeds out 

 possible. Take some of the old soil away, and fill 

 in with dry builders' rubbish, ashes, or rough gravel 

 stones, then finer gravel to the necessary level, but 

 keeping the path slightly higher in the middle, cov- 

 ering with a coat of finely -sifted gravel for the sur- 

 face. Gravel may be got in many localities cheaply. 

 6ravel,\vith a little lime and cement, or burnt earth, 

 with or without cement, lime, or tar, will make a 

 good surface, free from weeds.— J. P. Law. 



133. Lapageria not Blooming. By no means 

 cut the plant down ; it ought to flower on the old 

 shoots; but something must have been wrong for 

 the leaves to fall off at the base. Lapagerias love 

 a cool, moist atmosphere in summer, .iust about 

 what a Fern delights in, with plenty of light, but 

 scarcely any sun from May to September. In win- 

 ter the soil" should be only moist, but iu summer 

 liberal supplies should be given, especially if the 

 soil has become full of roots. You will not succeed 

 with cuttings; it is by layers Lapagerias are propa- 

 gated.— J. C. B. 



163. Blight on Onions. The Onion is sometimes 

 attacked by two different diseases of fungus nature, 

 one of which we believe preys chiefly upon the 

 foliage, and the other upon the bulb The first is 

 known as the "Onion Blight," or " Onion Mildew," 

 and the second as "Onion Smut." The two are 

 probably often confused by Onion growers In the 

 case of our correspondent we cannot tell which is 

 meant. It is as well, however, as no remed.y for 

 either is known Changing the planting gi-ound 

 would perhaps be as likely to secure freedom from 

 the disease in the future as anything we could 

 recommend.— E. S. Goff. 



154. Keeping over Bedding Plants. If by a 

 good cellar you mean one that is moderately damp, 

 frost-proof and lighted in one or more places, this 

 should prove an excellent place to keep the kinds 

 named. The soil at the roots should be kept just 

 so dry that the foliage of the Geraniums and Pe- 

 tunias will all but wilt. In the case of the Hy- 

 drangea the leaves will drop, and this is natural. 



15". Raspberries Failing. You fail to state 

 whether the soil in which the Raspberries are planted 

 is very rich, or otherwise, and whether the crops 

 picked were very large, or not. On rich ground. 

 Raspberry plants frequently overbear so much the 

 first full crop, i. e., the second bearing year, that 

 they are never worth much afterwards. It this has 

 been the case, and the sea.son during May and June 

 was warm and dry, I think the shrivelled appear- 

 ance of the foliage and the premature dying of the 

 canes is fully explained. If, however, the soil is of 

 only medium fertility, and the crops gathered have 

 not been particularly large, I should not be able to 

 assign the cause of the failure from the facts given. 

 — E. S. Goff. 



159. Japan Quince Fruit. Nothing poisonous 

 about it. On the other hand, it has been used for 

 culinary purjjoses, and might he quite desirable 

 were it not so acrid. We were some time ago shown 

 a sample of jelly made from it, and acidity was the 

 only defect we could find in it. But then we have 

 a " sweet tooth . " The jelly was handsome. 



160. Work on Grape Culture. Fuller's Grape 

 Cultm-ist, Price, $1.60, tor sale at this ofBce, is a 

 standard work on the Grape. The Illustrated Cata- 

 logue of Bush, Son & Meissner, Bushberg, Mo., is 

 a large and valuable work, costing $1.00 in cloth; 

 35 cents in paper covers. This can be ordered from 

 the firm named. 



161. Earth Worms in Flower Pots. Angle- 

 worms no doubt are meant; in which case use fresh 

 lime, the size of a fist in a bucket of water, and 

 after the solution settles, apply the clear water, to 

 thoroughly soak the ball of earth. 



162. Best Time to take Cuttings. When the 

 cuttings are in the best condition for rooting is the 

 best time. This is a matter more easily to ascer- 

 tain than might be supposed. In the first place 

 the cutting should come from a succulent shoot, 

 one that is rather young, but not too young. Old 

 and tough cuttings root slowly and as a rule make 

 inferior plants. The place Jof taking off a cutting 



