62 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



January, 



THE HOUSE PLANTS. 



Allyssum is so useful a house and garden i)lant 

 that attention should be given to propagating a 

 good stock in season. This may be done at any- 

 time now, either by sowing the seed or by slipping 



Begonias. After any heavy crop of bloom is 

 over, prune out the older growth and keep rather 

 dry at the roots. Sometime later they will start 

 new shoots, then shake out the present soil, repot- 

 ting into the same-sized pots, using fresh soil. 



Gallas ought now to be coming in with vigor. Let 

 us not forget that they are sub-aquatic, hence in but 

 little danger of receiving too much water. Still it 

 will never do to have them in water-tight casks, or 

 in crocks without drainage, the soil of which can be 

 little else than sour mud. Their wants are easily 

 summed up: A very rich soil, good drainage, plenty 

 of water and not to be much crowded. 



Camellias thrive in the window only on the con- 

 dition of having their leaves almost daily sponged 

 off with water. They dislike high heat, 



Fern Cases are often over-watered, causing the 

 soil to become sour, a thing always to be guarded 

 against After watering do not for several days 

 keep the case quite as close as usiial, in order that an 

 excessive state of moisture within the case may be 

 obviated Air should be daiij' admitted by tilting 

 up the glass, but not when dust is in motion. 



FuchsiaB may be brought from the cellar at in- 

 tervals, to provide for a succession of bloom. Prune 

 as needed at such a time; a week or more later, 

 when new leaves show, repot into fresh soil that 

 abounds in richness and is porous, using at the first 

 shift clean pots of the size they were taken from. 



Heat. Jack Frost nuist be kept at bay by all 

 means. With coal-burning there is not much 

 trouble to keep up continuous warmth. A screen 

 consisting of a light wooden frame the size of a sash, 

 and covered with paper on both sides, to set between 

 the plants and the glass, will do much to keep out 

 cold. A kerosene lamp kept burning through the 

 night near the plants may make the difference in a 

 severe night of life and death. On severely cold 

 nights it should occur to any one to place all mova- 

 ble plants back in the room on a table inot on the 

 colder floor) and shelter with newspapers and sheets. 



Hydrangeas. Where early bloom is wanted, 

 plants for this may now come from the cellar or pit. 

 For bringing in, to suit general purposes, a month 

 or six weeks later would be better. 



Insects. For a small collection the thumb-nail 

 remedy applied under the direction of a vigilant 

 eye answers admirably in the case of the larger 

 kinds like aphis, scale and mealy bug Red spider 

 is quite a common enemy and can only be well dealt 

 with by free applications of water with a sponge or 

 otherwise. Its presence is noticeable by a grayish 

 discoloration on the under side of the leaves; then 

 if one looks sharp they may see the very minute 

 and sprightly insects, of a brown color. Their pres- 

 ence must not be tolerated. 



Lemon Verbena. Grown for its pleasing foliage, 

 some plants of this may as well be brought from 

 the cellar and be started into gi'owth now, They 

 make the finer plants for also being severely pruned. 



Primroses should soon be at their best. They 

 are plants that easily suffer from over-watering. 



Propagation. As slips of suitable size appear 

 let them go into sand for rooting, with a view to 

 strong plants for spring use. 



Stocks of the Ten Week class sown now will come 

 on to a flowering size by May . 



Sponging off the leaves of India-rubber Plants, 

 Dracfienas, Palms, Callas, in fact of all Plants, but 

 especially those of large leaves, should be done at 

 least once a week, using tepid water. Thus moisten- 

 ing the foliage not only benefits the health of the 

 plants but keeps them free of accuuuilatt-d dust. 



LAWN AND FLOWER GARDEN. 



Borders. Manure roughly spread over them will 

 both protect the roots and provide needed food to 

 make up for the exhaustion caused by the past 

 season's growth. Such treatment will be repaid 

 with finer bloom on the plants next year. 



Equipments such as trellises', stakes, labels, hand 

 glasses, arbors, rustic vases, etc., which enter as 

 elements into every good garden, should be made 

 during the season of outdoor inactivity. Where 

 Cedar is wanted for rustic arbors, gates and the 

 like, the winter season when the swamps are frozen 

 up affords the best time to gather a supply, and 

 these articles may now be constructed. 



Hedges of deciduous kinds might now be clipped 

 in fine weather for keeping hands occupied. 



Perennials. If the sowing of the seeds of Del- 

 phiniums. Sweet Williams, Hollyhocks, etc., was 

 neglected last summer, by starting them now in the 

 window or greenhouse, and treating for fair growth 

 inside until spring they may usually be had in bloom 

 by September. Young plants from summer seed- 

 ing should have winter protection. 



Plans. Now there should be time to thoroughly 

 study up ways and means of making improvements 

 about the place The best gardens are not the re- 

 sult of plans made in the haste of spring work, but 

 of such as are well considered beforehand. Cata- 

 logues should be ordered and stock selected. Bear 

 in mind that early orders receive the first attention 

 at the nurseries, so it is well to get them made out 

 and sent on a month or two in advance of planting 

 time, that the stock may be at hand early. 



Snow will often break down deciduous and Ever- 

 green shrubs or part the heads of dense globe- 

 shaped ones of the latter, to prevent which shake 

 it out or invert a V-shaped board affair over each. 



Walks neatly shoveled or scraped with a horse 

 scraper after each snow storm, both about the 

 house and in the highway, are sure of being gener- 

 ally appreciated. To be prompt in scattering ashes 

 over these where they are slippery is also a good 

 way of winning the gratitude of all who use them. 



PLANT CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



Azaleas. Early plants as they go out of bloom 

 to have a warmer place and frequent syringing, to 

 induce free growth for next season's bloom. 



Carnations. After a heavy crop of bloom, clean 

 out the old stalks, retying at the same time. If red 

 spider has affected them, syringe in bright weather. 

 Water the soil occasionally with lime water. 



Geraniums of all classes should be advancing 

 rapidly now. <")ld plants may need repotting, doing 

 this in each case a few days after thej' have been 

 relieved of cuttings. The 



tri-colored section will 

 bear some petting; noth- 

 ing suiting them better 

 than shelves near the 

 glass in a warm rather 

 dry house. 



Hyacinths and other 

 Dutch Bulbs should con- 

 tribute liberally to the 

 show of bloom in this 

 month. They like sun, 

 and an abundance of 

 water, the latter fact be- 

 ing clearly shown by their 

 readiness to grow and 

 bloom with the roots in 

 no other element than 

 water . As any pass out 

 of bloom, remove the flower stalks and set the pots 

 in a cool but not dark place, keeping moderately 

 watered until spring, when they may go to the beds 

 for future use there. 



Ice and Snow are on the whole a fruitful source 

 of glass breakage. ^Tiere the edge of a roof over- 

 hangs any kind of lean-to or the end of an abut- 

 ting glass house, an ice shield as figured herewith 

 should be provided for the winter. For removing 

 soft snow the use of a light scrajier, some three 

 feet long to ride on the glass bars is an excellent 

 tool. For a shovel, one that is not considerable- 

 wider than the distance between two sash bars 

 should never be used; one having a blade fully 18 

 inches wide, is the best of all. 



Lily of the Valley. The pips that were started 

 earlier iu sand (they might also be started yet) to 

 be brought in twice a mouth from now on. This 

 plant, if the clumps are of good quality and rightly 

 started, will bear as much heat as anything in cult- 

 ivation, say above 80° bottom heat, and nearly as 

 high for the house. By shading with cloth to keep 

 off sunlight and cold air, the flowers will be finer. 



Mignonette from early sown seed should now be 

 in bloom. A temperature of 45° to 50° is the most 

 suitable for flowers. Plants from later sowings for 

 spring bloom to be kept somewhat cooler than in- 

 dicated, having only enough heat to keep out frost. 

 They should stand near to the glass. 



AN ICE SHIELD. 



Orchids. These when resting should be provided 



with not a drop more of water than is absolutely 

 needed to keep the bulbs from shriveling. Cattleyas. 

 Oncidiums and others with large fleshy bulbs, need 

 less water than the Vandas. Saccolabiums, Aerides 

 and others of a similar character. When water is 

 demanded, let it be given early in the day and with- 

 out splashing the tender foliage. The temperature 

 to be kept as regular as possible from day to day. 



Petunias. Where to be raised from seed, this 

 should be sown during January. Slip propagation 

 should go on as suitable young growth appears. 



Pots. The season's stock of these should be 

 promptly engaged. It is well to make a cfl-reful 

 estimate of the number wanted, judging by the 

 plants coming on, and then order somewhat beyond 

 this; nothing is so aggravating as to have cuttings 

 ready for pots and the latter not on hand. The 

 capacity of the potteries is severely tested during 

 the next five months; if necessary, insist on all pots 

 being delivered within certain safe dates, under pen- 

 alty of a definite curtailment of the bills. 



Primroses. Plants of the Double White, to be 

 kept clean of dead leaves, and to have more space 

 if needed, looking to having them in order later on 

 for propagation. Wash any pots that are soiled. 



Propagation, Before the month is out this 

 should go on rapidly for Verbenas, Geraniums. 

 Heliotrope, Roses, Carnations and most other sum- 

 mer ptamts. Favor any kinds the stock of which 

 is short. In slipping Geraniums we lose less by 

 potting the cuttings at once into two-inch pots giv- 

 ing them close attention as to watering. 



Seed sowing should commence in this month for 

 Mignonette, Maurandia, Lobelia, Petunia, Centau- 

 rea gymnocarpa, Golden Feather, Stocks, etc. 



SchizanthuB. Stake as the growth proceeds. 

 They like moderate heat, plenty of Ught and air. 



Spacing. A right distance apart for plants, when 

 growth is inactive, is too close for them as this 

 starts up with the coming in of better sunshine. 

 Nothing hurts plants more than over crowding, 

 a condition the good plant grower will aim to avoid. 



FRUIT GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 



Cuttings of Grapes or Currants made iu the fail, 

 and outside, to have some protection. Several 

 inches in thickness of straw should answer. 



Fruit in storage to be kept as cool as possible 

 without frost, aiming at a uniform temperature. 



Grafts for spring setting to be cut during any 

 spell of mild weather. The greatest care should 

 be observed to label each kind correctly, trusting 

 nothing to appearances or memory. Such should 

 be packed in saw- dust or sand until used, the former 

 preferable, as then there will be no danger of grit 

 on them to dull the grafting knife. 



Insects. In mild weather is a good time to look 

 for and destroy the eggs of certain insects. A sharp 

 eye run over the young twigs should detect the 

 rings of tent caterpillar eggs on them near their 

 ends, also of cocus insects, when present. Remove 

 all that can be found ; each ring of caterpillars eggs 

 destroyed now is equivalent to lessening the next 

 seasons caterpillar crop by some hundreds. 



Labels and labeling should receive attention in 

 the winter's leisure. The labels that are on the 

 trees when purchased must not be trusted, but 

 something more durable be provided. For ordinary 

 purposes a heavy pine label, well painted and writ- 

 ten upon with soft lead before dry, is excellent: 

 while one made of zinc and similarly written upon 

 is still better. In either case fasten to the trees by 

 use of No. 16 copper or brass wire, making loops 

 so large that years of growth will not fill them out. 



Manure may be carted out much better over 

 frozen ground than to wait until soft spring weather. 

 By spreading at the same time under trees, extra 

 protection is provided and with benefit to the roots. 



Orders for trees and plants that are wanted for 

 spring setting, should early be made out and sent 

 to the nursery. As a rule give little ear to the ped- 

 dlers. Even if they are reliable (so many times they 

 are not) there is almost always an advantage in 

 dealing with the nurseries direct. 



Protecting material on strawberry and other 

 plants if blown off, to be replaced, securing the new 

 with branches or boards in exposed places. 



Pruning of the hardier kinds of trees may go on 

 in all suitable weather. See article on page 53. 



Root-graft during the winter, packing the grafts 

 in sand or saw-dust awaiting the spring setting. 



Scraping the trunks of trees of their loose bark 

 is good winter work. By the means the retreats of 

 many insects are removed, and with benefit to the 

 trees. For a bark wash that is most effective and 



