i886. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



from England) was usually a personage of 

 mystery and over-weening conceit, who 

 guarded his knowledge with a miser's hand, 

 if he did not actually lock the door of the prop- 

 agating house against all his fellow employees. 

 Few of that ilk can get a foothold here to-day. 

 The knowledge of propagating has now teen 

 so diffused by books and magazines that all the 

 mystery of those early days has been dispelled. 

 Now there are no secrets in horticulture. Of 

 course experience or special advantages give a 

 knowledge that the want of such cannot give. 

 But the underlying principles never change, 

 though undoubtedly in methods we have made 

 vast strides in the past 20 years. Whether we 

 have made much advance in the classes of 

 plants grown now, from what was grown 40 

 years ago, there may be some question. 



But the most wonderful advance in floricul- 

 ture has been in the construction of bouquets 

 and other designs. Forty years ago some of 

 us did not know enough to use a thread to keep 



past season there were probably shipped and 

 sold in the New York market and at auction 

 not less than .50,(XK1,OOU of ornamental plants. 

 Last year the trade sold 24,0()0,(l(M) cut Roses, 

 and 1'30,(1()0,<H)0 Carnation flowers. 



If the business increases in the same ratio 

 for the next forty yeai's, rest assured the florist 

 will have a place in the community. Now 

 hundreds of j'ouug persons are training direct 

 in the business in all sections of the country. 

 I think it safe to predict that the leading flor- 

 ists, fort}' years hence, will be far better busi- 

 ness men than even the most prominent among 

 us now. — Suiiunary of Paper read before the 

 Philadelphia Florists' Convention. 



Permanent Bulb Beds. 



BY GEO. N. ELLSWORTH. 



To lift and replant Tulip, Hyacinth and 

 similar bulbs every year, as is so much prac- 

 ticed now wherever summer bedding prevails. 



this it may be put in place again, as the bulb 

 growth readily penetrates it. 



Because Hyacinths and some of the more deli- 

 cate varieties of other bulbs do not thrive well 

 under this neglected culture system, this 

 amounts to but little against it. Such should 

 have the benefit of border treatment with rich 

 soil, but the border may even then well be 

 made in these partly shadc-d situations. Of 

 Tulips I prefer to plant only the single, free- 

 growing kinds in the neglected spots, placing 

 1 the double and delicat<? ones in clumps on a 

 well prepared border instead. 



Crocuses and Snowdrops are only seen in 

 perfection when left undisturbed for years in 

 the soil. Single lines of these look meaning- 

 less, compared with a sheet of blossom. If 

 there is any plant that shows to poor advau- 

 ' tage by the frequent lifting and planting plan 

 I it is this same chaste and delicate Snowdrop, 

 for when set in fresh soil the blossoms are cer- 

 tain to be splashefl and soiled in a way that is 



AN EFFECTIVE ARRANGEMENT OF A LAWN. (See article on opposite page.) 



each flower in place as the construction went 

 on, and it was some years later that the centre- 

 stick was used to steady the structure. The 

 wire-design man did not appear until 20 years 

 later, and when a cross or wreath of flowers had 

 to be made, pieces of lath or old barrel hoops 

 furnished the foundation. The bouquet was 

 usually a one-sided affair, the ground-work 

 being a flat bunch of ArborVitae, through which 

 the flowers were rlrawn. 



Forty j'ears ago Camellia flowers freely re- 

 tailed at SI. 00 each, while Roses were going 

 a-begging at one-tenth of that .sum. Now the 

 Rose is Queen indeed, and the poor Camellia 

 finds none so poor as to do her homage. Tube- 

 roses were quoted in November, 186.5, at S8.00 

 per 100. That year my receipts from a house 

 (10x100 feet) sold for Sl,-500 in November; now 

 they are rarely sold at all in New York. Just 

 here comes the question. May there not be 

 danger of a rebound in the Rose boom? 



The increase in sales in the past 40 years has 

 certainly kept pace with most industries. I 

 have but little doubt that the aggregate sales 

 of cut flowers in the city of New York, for the 

 past year cannot be short of 3 millions, which 

 is probably twice that of any European city of 

 its size. An equal advance has been made in 

 the output of plants. We have good reason to 

 believe that Mr. William Elliott, the auctioneer, 

 often sells more plants in two hom-s from his 

 warerooms than were sold during a whole sea- 

 son by the florists of New York in 1844. The 



is not favorable either to economy or best 

 results. This is equivalent to treating the 

 bulbs as annuals, and thus they never have 

 j a chance to perfect even one season's gi'owth. 

 To get the most satisfaction out of this class of 

 flowers it is much better to treat them to per- 

 manent culture for years in the same place. 



Most kinds of our hai-dy bulbs, if planted 

 permanently in good soil, grow well and in- 

 crease in beauty the longer they remain and 

 the larger the clumps or masses become. I 

 cannot say that I find them so satisfactory by 

 themselves as when they are interspersed in 

 bold clumps among hardy border flowers or 

 shrubs, or even when allowed to spring up in 

 the grass. The Narcissuses, for example, never 

 show to better advantage than when thej' lift 

 their bold leaves and flowers somewhat above 

 I a ground-work of dwarf -growing kinds. They 

 I succeed well even in grass, as may be seen in 

 many a deserted old garden now run wild. 



The best position I find for a permanent bulb 

 bed is under the partial shade of deciduous 

 trees. Wherever there is just enough shade 

 from overhanging branches to cause the grass 

 to grow thin and weakly, there bulbs succeed 

 well. On many places such spots abound some 

 of them in waste and semi-wild corners, and 

 those could be thus improved. To have bulbs 

 succeed in such situations it onlj' becomes 

 necessary to t<ike out a spadeful of the present 

 soil, replacing it with good loam in which to 

 plant the bulbs. It any turf was lifted for 



anything but jileasing to the eye to behold. 



Bulbs in Window Boxes. 



About now the outside window boxes may 

 be restocked with Tulips, Hyacinths, Crocuses, 

 etc., for adorning the inside of the window 

 later on. Most bulbs do even better in a 

 window box than in pots. They should be 

 planted not later than November (this mouth 

 would be better), using good, light, well-enriched 

 loam. Tulips may be set at 4 inches apart; 

 Hyacinths, .5 inches; Crocuses and Snowdrops 

 at 3 inches apart. It would be well to arrange 

 the taller gi-owers in the center, with the smal- 

 ler kinds along the front lines. With respect 

 to Tulips, there are enough kinds to ensure 

 bloom without break for six weeks. The little 

 scarlet Von 1 hols should be used for the earli- 

 est ones, following with other good kinds, like 

 Rex Rubrorum, La Candeur and the Double 

 Yellows. After planting set the box in a cool 

 place, covering over the surface with three 

 inches in depth of sawdust or coal ashes. 

 After six weeks it may be brought to the win- 

 dow for forcing. 



A Timely Hint. For the early spring dis- 

 play in the greenhouse and at flower shows 

 some forced hardy plants, such early bloomers 

 as Bleeding Heart, Double Lychnis viscaria. 

 Hardy Candytuft, Fennel-leaved Paony and 

 the like are as lovely as can be. Lift and pot 

 for this purpose any time during this month. 



