92 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



March, 



I am not an advocate for so many mixtures 

 of soil as some recommend. Use a light and 

 fibrous loam; always guard against a heavy, 

 clayey soil. Soil is often blamed for not grow- 

 ing good plants, when the fault lies in not 

 ventilating and s>Tinging properly. 



Why do so many Azaleas perish in the hands 



Soulange's Magnolia— White and Purple. 



of amateure, and why are they so unsuccessful 

 with the cuttings of this plant? Red spider is 

 the whole cause of the failure. Sand and soil 

 are seldom in fault. My advice to the inexpe- 

 rienced is, pay less attention to the mixtures of 

 soil, more to aii-ing and syringing, and success 

 wDl be better. — From "Azalea Culture.'" 



The Culture of Annuals. — " Bad 

 Seeds" and the Seedsmen, 



N. ROBERTSON, STTPT. OF GOVERNMENT GROUNDS. OT- 

 TAWA, CANADA. 



The time is now at hand for looking through 

 the catalogues for the seeds to be sown the 

 coming season. And we must not be too hard 

 on the seedsmen if their stock does not always 

 produce exactly as represented, for they have 

 to depend, in a measure, on growers for their 

 descriptions. Then, too, locality and position 

 have their influences. 



In the purchase of seeds, I recommend buy- 

 ing in distinct colors, and the seedsmen tell me 

 it is not now the prevailing practice. One 

 large seedsman with whom I deal says I am 

 the only one that does so with him. The plants 

 can be mixed afterwards, if one likes, for 

 although beds from mixed seeds are well, yet 

 where one has many beds to fill, the benefit 

 found in distinct colors is that you can make 

 many pleasing yet distinct variations. 



Take, for instance, what I supjjose is the best 

 of all annuals, the Phlox Dromniondi, in its 

 varied colors, and especially the Red and White 

 Snowball and Fireball, one can make many de- 

 signs. But never attempt to make very acute 

 points or intricate figures with this flower, for 

 although a good deal of trinnning and tying in 

 is allowable to keep the form desired, still the 

 better plan with it is to take plain designs. Many 

 annuals can be wrought in this same fashion. 



Many complaints are heard about bad seeds. 

 I very rarely meet with such. The great fault, 

 I feel sure, is in the germinating of those seeds. 

 When once a seed becomes wet it should be 

 kept so, for if once it starts and becomes dry, 

 it is done for. In hot-beds I sow what seeds 

 wUl germinate in the same lapse of time 

 together, moisten and cover up until they are 

 coming through the soil. If there should ap- 

 pear to be too strong heat or too much damp in 

 the frame, I open the frame, when the weather 

 is favorable, and let the steam escape, but 

 never, imder any circumstance, uncover and 

 allow the sun to dry them out. Along with 

 sun they must be kept moist. Immediately the 



seedlings appear, give light, or you will have 

 weak, spindly plants, or a damp-off. 



In outside so\ving, the same thing holds good, 

 more especially with fine seeds that require a 

 light covering. An hour of a bright clear 

 sun may so dry them that germination is de- 

 stroyed. In such cases I protect by covering 

 with a few Cedar branches or any- 

 thing else that wiU ret£iin the moisture, 

 until they are seen peeping through the 

 ground, then uncover. It is at this crit- 

 ical point really where the fault of 

 so-called bad seeds largely lies. In the 

 case of large seeds, there is less need of 

 this precaution, but when once they are 

 wet keep them so, or you will be likely 

 to suffer loss. 



An Attractive Class of Trees. 

 — The Magnolias. 



Wherever the Magnolias are well 

 known they are highly prized as orna- 

 mental trees. The large-leaved native 

 species are grand in their foliage and 

 produce not unattractive flowers, while 

 the Asiatic and hybrid sorts are when 

 in bloom magnificent to a degree quite 

 without equal among trees. It is the 

 charm of the flowers and the profusion 

 with which they are borne by the better 

 class of these that have made the name 

 Magnolia so prominent among orna- 

 mental growths. 

 For fine effect the Magnolias may be planted 

 as single specimens or in groups on the lavni. 

 They contrast particularly well when brought 

 in close conjunction with Evergreens. One 

 drawback to their populai-ity is the dilflculty 

 of transplanting them. On this point the well- 

 known nurserymen, EUwanger & Barry, of 

 Rochester, N. Y. , and to whom we aie indebted 

 for the use of the accompanying engravings, 

 say: To insure success 

 in the transplanting 

 they should be moved 

 in the spring, never in 

 the fall, and the Chinese 

 varieties at that period 

 when they are coming 

 in bloom, and conse- 

 quently before the 

 leaves have made their 

 appearance. Great care 

 should be exercised in 

 their removal, the 

 fibrous roots being pre- 

 served as regularly as 

 possible and carefully 

 guarded from any ex- 

 posure to wind or sun. 

 While almost any good 

 soil is sufiBcient to iji- 

 sure their growth, they 

 succeed best in a soil 

 which is warm, rich 

 and dry. 



Of the flowering sec- 

 tion of the Magnolias, 

 the Great Laurel Mag- 

 nolia, M. fjrandijlora. 

 of the Southern States 

 is remarkable for its 

 large fragrant flowers 

 and evergreen leaves. 

 This one is not hardy 

 north of Washington. 

 It is to the Chinese and 

 Japanese Magnolias, 

 with their varieties and 

 hybrids, that we are 

 throughout the North 

 indebted for our hardy 

 kinds, noted specially 

 for their attractive 

 flowering qualities. 



One of the finest and hardiest of the Asiatic 

 Magnolias is Soulange's Magnolia, M. Soulan- 

 geana^ shown in figm'e 1, which closely re- 

 sembles the White Chinese; flowers, cup- 



shaped, white and purple; foliage, large and 

 massive. The Showy flowered Magnolia, M. 

 speciosa, of figure 2, differs from the last- 

 named in having smaller and somewhat paler 

 flowers, but producing them in great prof usion, 

 and they remain on the tree longer than those 

 of any other variety. This one forms a con- 

 spicuous specimen tree. 



The variety known as Norbert's Magnolia, 

 ^f. Xorhertiana, resembles Soulange's, but is 

 lighter colored. Lenne's Red-Plowering Mag- 

 nolia, M. Lennc, has very large deep-reddish- 

 purple flowers, and good-sized showy leaves. 

 Thompson's Magnolia, rur Jliompsoniana, is a 

 hybrid between the American Umbrella Mag- 

 nolia and the Sweet Bay, partaking mostly of 

 the character of the latter; it has large leaves, 

 large, fragrant, creamy-white flowers. It is 

 tender in the North. 



Among native species which possess large, 

 handsome foliage, rendering them valuable as 

 ornamental trees, are the Cucumber Tree, M. 

 acuminata, a rapid, upright grower, with ob- 

 long-pointed leaves, often nine or ten inches 

 long; bell-shaped, greenish yellow flowers; the 

 fruit of which, when it is green, resembles a 

 Cucumber. The Heai-t-Shaped Magnolia, M. 

 cordata, blooms usually in May and August, 

 producing tulip-shaped yellow flowers; it has 

 oval, slightly cordate leaves that are downy 

 beneath. Unbrella Magnolia is a rapid grow- 

 ing tree, with immense light-green leaves; 

 creamy- white flowers, which are often a foot 

 across. Great>Leaved Magnolia, M. mac- 

 rophylla, has enormous leaves, two to three 

 feet long; white bell-shaped flowers, nine or 

 ten inches across ; requires protection in the 

 North. Ear-Leaved Magnolia, M. Frazeri; 

 leaves near a foot long, with earlobes at the 

 base ; the white flowers are six inches across. 



The Sweet Bay Magnolia, M. glauca, has 

 glossy leaves, whitish beneath; flowers pure 



Fig. 2. 



Tree of the Shmiry-ftowered Magnolia in bloom, the Flowers 

 preceding the Leaves. 



white, very fragrant. If caiefuUy trained 

 this forms a beautiful small tree. The Long- 

 leaved Sweet Bay, vai: longifolia. is a variety 

 of the preceding, with larger leaves. 



