1 886. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



41 



success which many have had with dwai'f Pear 

 trees on account of their liability to blight. 

 But there is no reason in this, for witli dwarf 

 Apples there is no danger wliatever from this 

 disease. As a class the trees prove perfectly 

 hardy where the temperature falls twenty de- 

 grees below zero. The most suitable soil is one 

 that is dry and viarm. 



To show what results may be expected from 

 planting dwarf Apples, under fair conditions, 

 we give some figures of an orchard of our 

 acquaintance that embraces almost every 

 known variet}'. 



Trees that have been planted thirty yeai's 

 measure about as follows: Stem from six to 

 eight inches in diameter, height six to eight 

 feet, and branches about the same in diameter. 

 These trees have frequently yielded in favorable 

 seasons from three to four bushels per tree. 

 Trees planted for t%velve years will average as 

 to stems four to five inches in diameter, height 

 four to six feet and branches about the same in 

 diameter. The largest of them will yield from 

 one to two bushels per tree. 



For a list of some of the most desirable 

 varieties for dwarfing the following could 

 hardly be improved upon: Snnimcr Ap])li's: 

 Astiachan Red, Early Harvest, Keswick Cod- 

 lin, large Sweet Bough. AittituDi Apples: 

 Alexander, Oldenburg, Gravenstein, St. Law- 

 rence, Sherwood's Favorite. Whiter Apples: 

 Baldwin, Yellow Bell-flower, King, Lady Ap- 

 ple, Mother, Northern Spy, Reinette Canada, 

 Red Canada, Melon, Spitzenburg Esopus, 

 Twenty Ounce, Wagener. 



Dwarf Apples are especially desirable for 

 small yards or gardens, where not much room 

 can be spared, but where some Apples are 

 wanted every year for home use. Mention 

 must also be made of their ornamental value ; 

 few trees or shrubs have more claims to beauty 

 than a well proportioned dwarf Apple tree, 

 when in spring it is covered with a mass of 

 blush and white bloom, and again in autumn 

 with its load of highly colored fruits. 



As to the variety of Parsnips for planting I 

 prefer Carter's New Maltese. It has a shorter 

 root and is lesstrou'ole to dig than some others, 

 and is of fine quality. 



It may be stated that all roots. Turnips, 

 Carrots, Beets, etc. , can be kept through the 

 winter in the same way, that is, by being well 

 covered with Potatoes. We always keep our 

 vegetables over in this way. E. W. L. 



An Easy Method of Keeping Pars- 

 nips for Winter Use. 



Concerning the statement that Parsnips are 

 better for remaining in the ground in winter 

 until used, than to be lifted in the fall and 

 stored, I beg to differ, and would like to tell 

 what I know about Parsnips. 



I raise them for our own use. I leave them 

 in the gn >und as long as possible in the fall, and 

 have them dug just before the ground freezes 

 up, and am very careful that they are not cut 

 or broken, as they will soon decay if they are. 

 Then they are stored carefully in a box or 

 barrel in the cellar, filling this to within about 

 nine inches of the top with the Parsnips. To 

 keep them fresh no dirt or sand is used, but I 

 fill up this space of nine inches with Potatoes, 

 always being particular when any Parsnips are 

 taken out to cover them again to this depth 

 with the Potatoes, as the moisture in the 

 Potatoes keeps the Pai-snips from drying up. 

 In this way they can be kept till late in the 

 spring, and they can be used all winter, and 

 they will be found to be sweeter and dryer than 

 those that remain in the ground until spring. 

 When first taken up they are not so sweet, but 

 by the 1st of January they are very sweet, and 

 we seldom use them until then. 



I think those who will try the experiment of 

 taking them up in the fall will never again 

 leave them in the ground until spi'ing. Instead 

 of planting them in a bed in rows I plant them 

 along the wide paths in my vegetable garilen. 

 The seed is sown about six inches from the edge 

 of the path, afterwards thinning out the plants 

 when the latter are large enough. They make 

 a fine bordering and add nmch to the looks of 

 the garden. Here let me add also that the 

 Fern-leaved Parsley makes a fine bordeiiiig 

 plant to beds, and it gi-ows nuist beautiful late 

 in the season. I had about one hundred and 

 fifty feet of it the past season, and enough of 

 Parsnips to make about six or seven bushels. 



Growing Pot Roses for Market. 



BV ROBERT CRAIO, BEFORE THE PHH.ADEI.PUIA FLOR- 

 ISTS' MEETING. 



Roses in pots will always be of great im- 

 portance to the market gardener, as they are 

 one of the main sources of his revenue. The 

 problem from a commeriial view is to produce 

 good plants by the best and quickest methods. 

 Most of the varieties, especially the Teas, 

 Hybrid Teas and Hybrid Perpetuals can be 

 grown more profitably under glass in summer 

 than when planted outdoors. As usually the 

 houses are empty in summer this use of them 

 will not be costly. 



I am aware that many good growers still 

 plant in open ground most of the varieties, but 

 how frequently they are disappointed in the 

 size of the plants in the fall! Strong growers, 

 such as Magna Charta, Jacqueminot, Hermosa, 

 Agrippina and Madame Plantier may, under 

 favorable conditions, grow to a sufficient size, 

 but this isnotthecase with such valuable kinds 

 as La France, Madame Charles Wood, Baroness 

 Rothschild and many others, while all sorts 

 worth growing at ail, will, under glass, with 

 suitable treatment, grow to a large size. 



It is said that in the South Roses can be 

 gi'own to large size in one season. It certainly 

 cannot now be done about Philadelphia and 

 many other sections northward. Take for ex- 

 ample about New York, where Roses are ex- 

 tensively grown for market, ten or twelve 

 j'ears ago they would grow in one season large 

 enough for O-inch and 7-inch pots; now they 

 do not attain one-fourth that size. This fall- 

 ing off is not caused by continual cropping; 

 the failure is as great when land that has laid 

 in sod for years is used. Whether this bad 

 state of affairs is caused by "black spot" I 

 cannot say. But at any rate I am satisfied the 

 in-door treatment will insure better results. 



What varieties should be grown? Many 

 grand Roses are not suitable for market. The 

 requisite qualities for this are, good habit, 

 freedom of bloom, good constitution, vigorous 

 growth, and the addition of fragrance. I will 

 give further on a partial list of the best ones. 



As to methods of culture, the best way to get 

 healthy plants is to propagate from cuttings of 

 well ripened wood (that grown under gla.ss will 

 usually root easiest) in November, or early in 

 December. If the largest flowers are desiied 

 prune the old plants closely, put the cuttings in 

 a cold house with slight bottom heat, main- 

 tained by three or four feet of fresh tan under 

 the sand bed; one or two heating pipes nmning 

 through the tan some two feet down will supjjly 

 a little helpful additional heat, which should be 

 turned on as soon as the callous is well formed. 

 The main point in propagation is to keep the 

 top of the cutting vei'y cool without freezing. 



By the first of March the cuttings should be 

 well rooted and may be potted ofl' and put into 

 a cool house or frame ; shade for a few days and 

 give air and watei' as required, keeping them 

 here until the houses are emptied liy s]7i-ing 

 sales. Then shift into 4 or .'i-inch pots, or plant 

 out on benclies, if possible, not later than 

 June 1.5. For soil use five parts fibrous loam, 

 one part well-rotted cow or horse manure, one 

 part pure ground bone: if the soil be heavy, 

 one part sharj) sand or rotten micaceous rock. 



A heavy clayey soil is usually g(iod for Hoses. 

 The addition of some Mnelygi-oundoystershells, 

 (carbonate of lime),oue part to twenty-five, will 

 keep the soil sweet. Burnt earth is also valua- 

 ble, at the rate of one-quarter of the whole. 



If the ijlants are potted, plunge halt waj' up 

 in old hops or other light material, and do not 



over-water. Unless great care is taken in wat- 

 ering, better not plunge. Syringe and water 

 regularly ; keep the plants staked. 



By October 1 such plants should be from one 

 to four feet high, according to variety. Those 

 in ))ots may then be put outside to make room 

 for a crop of Chrysanthemums or othci- fall 

 plants, and should, after being ripened by the 

 frost and air, be plunged in fi-ames oi- put into 

 cold lionsps until it is tinu' to force them into 

 bloom. While in a dormant state little water 

 is required. Those on beuches shouM be potted 

 the middle of October and treated likewise. 



If the planting-out method is adopted it may 

 be well to put such sorts as La France, Pierre 

 Guillott and Malmaison in a house by them- 

 selves, keeping them growing here until after 

 the liolidays. When cold weather sets in they 

 will, of course, require fire heat. The tempera- 

 ture should be kept at from ob' to 60° at night. 

 The blooms obtained will pay for the expense 

 of growing. The plants may be potted late in 

 December or early in January, and after being 

 kept a week or two in same temperature, to 

 somewhat establish them in pots, may be put 

 away in a very cold house or plunged in frame 

 (taking care that severe frost does not injuie 

 the roots) until spring. With this treatment 

 they will make fine plants for late spring sales. 



If fine specimens are desired do not place the 

 pots close together, but allow a sjiace of at 

 least one inch, so that the air may have access, 

 causing the plants to swell their lower buds 

 and become furnished with foliage from the 

 rim of the pot upwards. If crowded, they will 

 break only towards the top, the lower branches 

 remaining bare and unsightly. 



[To be concluded next month.) 



The Poinsettia— A Fine Pot Plant. 



Throughout this month, and even later, this 

 remarkable plant will be in its most attractive 

 season in our hot-houses, the gayest of early 

 winter decorative plants. The plant also suc- 

 ceeds in window culture and here it is too 

 rai'ely seen. 



The splendid appearance of this plant while 

 in bloom comes not from the flower, for this is 

 inconspicuous, but from the fiery scarlet floral 

 bracts surrounding the former. These possess 

 the texture, as they do the appearance, of 

 flowers; but being very large, often measuring 

 more than one foot across, they are much in de- 

 mand in all large towns for decorati\e purposes 

 about the holidays. It may be added that the 

 beauty of these will be longer preserved, either 

 on the plants or when cut, if cai'e be taken that 

 no water or dust collects upon them. 



While not classing the Poinsettia among 

 plants difficult to grow even as a pot plant in 

 a warm room, still tbei'e are some peculiar i"e- 

 quirements which if attended to at the jjroper 

 time will promote needfully the health and 

 productiveness of the plant. For some time 

 before they begin to flower, for one thing, the 

 temperature ought to rarely, if ever, get below 

 the sixties, and still higher up than this will 

 be enjoyed. Watering fieely at this time, and 

 occasionally with liquid mauure, which pro- 

 motes a luxuriant growth, is also to be closely 

 attended to. After the bloom is over only 

 enough water should be given to prevent a 

 dust-dry contlition of the soil, and now the 

 plants require no light l)eyond that received 

 uuder the staging in the hot-house or any part 

 of a living room. 



The time for re-potting and pruning is in the 

 spring. As to the former operation, the roots 

 shouhl have every bit of the ohl soil shook out; 

 then use any good rich soil that is light, and 

 if some old leaf mold be incluiled all the bet- 

 ter. The pots shoidd be well drained. Cut 

 back the plants to nu^re stumps of old wood. 

 The young plants should be brought along in 

 heat until June, when they should be jilunged 

 in a frame outside, here to remain until the 

 cool nights of September are at hand, when 

 they nmst go into warmer (juarters, at least so 

 far as the night time is concerned. 



