46 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



December, 



THE HOUSE PLANTS. 



Airing. Study this closely. What is right for 

 human lungs is right tor plants, .\void drafts. 



Clirysanthemums. On care now see page 48. 



Cinerarias want a cool place, as heat spoils them. 

 Re-pot as needed to keep up a constant growth. 



Coboea Scandens. This winter favorite has two 

 enemies, green fly and red spider. Crush the former 

 between thumb and finger; they can easily be seen 

 towards the light. Sponge for the latter. 



Frosted plants should in all cases be promptly 

 moved to warmth of only a few degrees above the 

 freezing point, say :)ti° ; here to thaw out gradually. 

 Nothing can be worse than to subject them in this 

 state to high heat. Carefully dousing the frosted 

 ones with cold water, taking pains not to handle 

 the leaves, will help along the thawing well. 



Hyacinths in glasses, the roots of which are well 

 extended into the water, to be brought to light and 

 warmth for flowering. 



Ivies. The beauty of these lies m the leaf. Of 

 all plants they should be kept absolutely clean of 

 dust and insects for looks and for health. 



Light, and all that can be had, is at this dark 

 season needed : window curtains should be rolled to 

 the very top through the day. No plant or other 

 object should be placed against the glass of the 

 upper window sash, unless to the extreme side. 



Lily of the Valley. Some Ufted clumps taken 

 where the plants are strong will flower well in a 

 warm light window. 



Mignonette likes light; stir the soil occasionally. 



Oxalis. tiive a Ught position; increase the water. 



Primroses need a rather warm corner. where they 

 will be safe both from dampness and rough drafts. 



Solanoms of the berry class, including the old 

 Jerusalem Cherry, are now at their best. But 

 beauty here depends upon cleanliness; keep fruit 

 and foliage clear of dust by covering when sweep- 

 ing, building fires and so on; also wash sometimes. 



it down bj' brush or rails. New ones may be formed 

 in the rough, to be finished.next spring. 



Roses should be prepared for winter if not yet 

 done. Halt-hardy monthlies of the Bourbon. Bengal, 

 Polyantha and similar classes to be bentover, cover- 

 ing the bushes with soil or sods laid grass side up. 



Hybrid Perpetuals and other hardy kinds, es- 

 pecially such as are designated in the catalogues as 

 l3eing delicate, to be protected with straight straw, 

 tying this on with heavy twine. 



The surface of all Rose beds to be heavily mulched 

 with manure now before winter; that which is halt- 

 rotten or less than this answering even better than 

 such as is thoroughly decayed, tor this is not a de- 

 sirable article as a Rose bed mulch. 



Staking Trees. Under "Fruit (iarden and Or- 

 chard " is shown the method of staking young trees 

 having trunks : all such in exposed places to be thus 

 treated. fWith Evergreen trees two, or better 

 three, stakes should be driven at the circumference 

 of the tree, and from each of them a coarse cord be 

 brought to the stem and back again, protecting the 

 bark of the latter where the cords come with a band 

 of duck or leather. A mound of earth placed in 

 addition around the base of the tree, as directed last 

 month, will aid further in steadying it. 



Trellises and supports that are moveable to be 

 brought to shelter, repairing and painting if needed. 



LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN. 



Altheas are not hardy at the North tor one or 

 two years after planting. Such to have the soil 

 mounded up over the roots and the tops tied in straw 

 or Evergreen boughs. 



Clematis. To be cut back to within a toot or eigh- 

 teen inches of the ground, protecting each plant 

 with several forkfuls of manure. 



Compost Heap, A good sized one for supplying 

 material to fertilize beds, cover seeds, make hot- 

 bed loam, potting soil, etc., should be found in 

 every garden. Now is a good time to prepare such 

 a one. The chief substances for It to be turt 

 rich in vegetable fibre ^such as has been plowed 

 from a pasture or roadside), and manure, say two 

 parts of the former to one of the latter. In addition 

 there may go to it muck, wood's earth, road scrap- 

 ings, leaves, soil sittings, old plaster or ashes, hen- 

 manure and all like materials to be gathered about 

 a place. These should be built up in regidar layers 

 to form a shapely pile. By making it now it will be 

 frozen through and through during winter. Then 

 in the spring with sUcing it down finely, working 

 from one end of the pile, all the matter will soon be 

 in capital shape for use, especially should it be 

 thrown over once or twice. 



Brains. New ones may be laid in fau" weather; 

 old ones to be watched, seeing that they are in 

 workingshape. Sometimes drains hecomed stopped 

 near the mouth by the work of rats done in dry 

 weather, or other causes. This must be corrected 

 by following up the drain tile by tile from the open- 

 ing back to the place of trouble. 



Lilies like Auratum and other delicate sorts to 

 be protected by a cone of earth or ashes over them. 

 Protection. Plants like Pampas Grass, Chi-ysan- 

 themums, Tender Roses, etc., may in many places 

 be wintered outdoors by treating as shown in the 

 engraving on opposite page. The leaves to be so 

 roimded up as to remain highest after settUng. 



Sockeries, Old ones to have some maniu-e or 

 litter strewn over the more exposed places, keeping 



PLANT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



Ageratums to be raised from seed for fine early 

 plants should have this sown during the month. 



Air-loving plants like Azaleas, Oamellias,Heaths, 

 and so on, should be freely provided with this ele- 

 ment in its purity daily when the state of the 

 weather is favorable to its admission. 



Bulbs. Hyacinths, Tulips, Narcissus, Crocuses 

 and Scillas, to be brought into heat tor a succession 

 after the Roman Hyacinths, and the earliest larger 

 kinds of this class are over. 



Calceolarias will now be rapidly on the make. 

 Such to have a cool atmosphere near the glass, but 

 protected from cold winds, and above all else, frost. 

 Ventilate above them only enough to keep down 

 mildew, .-^void both the extremes of over-watering 

 and of letting them suffer for want of water. 



Callas are now going ahead rapidly. See that 

 they be kept clear of aphis; no plant suffers more 

 than this once it becomes infested. .Vvoid crowd- 

 ing; water freely, using liquid manure sometimes. 

 Camellias are apt to show white scale now, if at 

 all; look over often, and cleanse with water and a 

 cloth, or on parts hard to reach use a small brush. 

 Water carefidly and syringe lightly twice a week. 



Cannas. Keep the roots of plants in pots di-y, 



storing the pots one above another in a cool place. 



Centaureas for strong plants to be sown promptly. 



The Candida species is much the slowest grower. 



Cinerarias. Directions for Calceolarias will suit. 



Cold Pits in which half-hardy plants are stored, 



to be aired freely in all mild weather and covered 



well in cold nights. The plants will endure some 



cold, but illy stand sudden and extreme changes. 



Cyclamens for young early plants may be sown 



now in greenhouse, keeping the pans near the glass. 



Fern spores may be sown in rough peat, either in 



pans or pots under bell-glasses. We have known 



them to be grown to advantage when sown over the 



surface of a bud-producing Rose bed. 



Hellebores (Chi-istmas Roses) force well in a cool 

 house, with flowei-s scarcely inferior to Eucharis. 



Mildew is often present on Roses, Verbenas and 

 so on at this season. The most simple remedy is a 

 dusting of powdered sulphur over the plants in the 

 morning of a sunny day, first wetting the foliage, 

 and then keeping the house close tor the day. 



Orchids require careful management now, as any 

 drip from the root is likely to be highly injurious, 

 and w^hile many kinds are still at rest others are in- 

 clined to move and should be encouraged. Hu- 

 mor the latter ones by moving to the stove or for- 

 cing pit and let them go ahead. Re-potting or 

 renewing the Sphagnum or baskets should not be 

 attempted at this season. 



Roses, Syringe blooming plants twice daily. 

 Prune the " monthly" class, as the buds are taken, 

 back to within two eyes of the base of the shoot. 

 Once in a while go over the plants removing all 

 "blind shoots," in other words, such as have ended 

 their growth. A night heat of from 56° to 00° is 

 the best suited to development of bloom. 



Verbenas, Keep the plants cool and well aired. 

 If mildew shows, apply sulphur; if moss on the 

 soil, take off a little earth, replacing with fl-esh. 



FRUIT GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 



Clearing up. There may be stakes, ladders, bar- 

 rels, etc., out yet; all such to be sheltered, as ex- 

 posure works more injury than ordinary wear does. 



Dwarf Pear and other bush trees must not suffer 

 from accumulated snow; shovel or shake it away. 



Fruit. Aim to keep the storage room at a uni- 

 fonn temperature, a little above freezing. As the 

 earlier varieties approach ripening bring to a war- 

 mer place to finish the process. Market before 

 softening begins. Well kept Pears are sure to find 

 a good market about the holidays. 



Grape-vines, Finish pruning in mild days; those 

 set out last spring to be cut back to three eyes; 

 older ones to have the past season's canes cut back 

 to six or eight buds, according to strength. Even 

 hardy sorts are better tor winter protection; lay the 

 canes on the ground and cover with straw, branches 

 or soil, having an eye to covering the roots well 



Moss or vermin on the bark to be dispelled by a 

 wash of lime, soot and clay appUed with a brush. 

 Work the brush upwards, for if the reverse many 

 fruit spurs may be destroyed. 



Pests. Mice work under the cover of weeds, 

 snow, etc., barking trees when other food is scarce. 

 Clear the former away ; tread down the latter. Bab- 

 bits are often destructive to yoimg orchards. To 

 wrap the trunks with tar felt, or cheaper yet, smear 

 blood or fresh Uver over them, will prevent this. 



Propagation of young trees by root grafting can 

 be done at any time during the winter. Cions 

 should be cut in mild weather, choosing good rip- 

 ened shoots, and paying close attention to labeling. 



Staking. Young trees in the path ot sweeping 

 winds to be steadied by stakes. Om- engraving 

 shows, perhaps, the best way ot securing a tree to a 

 single stake. Drive the latter close to the tree, 

 wind up a wisp of straw to place between the stake 

 and tree; out a piece of old heavy duck, or else 

 leather, of a length to pass from the stake around 

 the tree, and back; bring all to positions shown in 

 the engraving, drawing the tree tightly against the 

 wisp, and nailing through the duck into the stake. 



Water in fuiTows must not be allowed to stand 

 long; ditches should be opened to cari^y it off. 



Winter Study. Now that there is comparative 

 leisure, growers should study up improved methoils 

 and ideas, this by reading horticultural books and 

 papers, visiting and consulting other growers, etc. 

 In fruit localities fruit growers' meetings held 

 monthly or oftener would be found profitable. 

 Such should be rather informal as to character. 



VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



Cabbage should receive final treatment tor win- 

 tering over as directed in last month's paper. 



Cellars tor vegetables to be kept as near a5 de- 

 grees as possible — 

 there should be a 

 thermometer to keep 

 one on the right 

 track. In warm cel- 

 lars all roots to be 

 kept well covered 

 with moist soil. 



Celery. As the cold ^ 

 weather increases 

 that in trenches 

 should from time to 

 time have additional 

 protection, in the 

 shape of leaves, litter 

 and the like. 



Cold frames con- 

 taining Cabbage and 

 other plants to be 

 aired freely evei-j- s,„ji.,„y „ free: 

 day in mild weather, 

 but to be kept close and protected with shutters or 

 mats at night and during severe spells. Cauliflower 

 plants are less hardy thau Cabbage or Lettuce. 

 It mice trouble, trap or poison. Snow to be cleared 

 from the sash promptly, unless the ground within 

 is frozen, when if it lays a week no harm. 



Kale, In the North treat as directed for Spinach . 



Manure is the foundation ot all profitable vegeta- 

 ble gardening; it should be collected from all avail- 

 able sources. Have an eye to securing the waste 

 from slaughter houses, breweries and the like. 



Ridging the garden may be done any time before 

 the ground freezes hard. If with the plow the 

 ridges to be about tour feet wide and as high as pos- 

 sible; by ^ade-work there would be less ot a ridge, 

 but the gi-ound should be left laying uneven. It 

 part of the garden is thus worked over and a part 



See abifve. 



