1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



99 



Structures. With too little fresh air when free 

 growth is going on, plants become weak and vastly 

 more liable to disease and to the attacks of insects. 

 An excess of cold air in the form of rough draughts 

 checks growth and causes mildew. To have stocky, 

 healthy plants depends largely on judicious airing, 

 with ample space for each plant. 



Watering at this season of free growth and 

 when moisture becomes so rapidly taken up, is 



Toung Orchards. Thorough cultivation for these 



will be repaid by future increased fruitfidness. 

 In trimming avoid the formation of crotches. 



FRUIT GARDEN ANDORCHARD. 



Canker worm ravages may be lessened by pre- 

 venting the female from ascending the tree in early 

 spring by this simple device: A strip of tin, 4 inches 

 wide and long enough to encircle the tree, and 

 leave a space of t5 inches between on all sides. 

 An 8-inch strip of muslin as long as the tin is fas- 

 tened to the upper edge by turning the edge down 

 on the cloth. When around the tree the ends of 

 the tin may be clasped by bending them in opposite 

 directions. Secure the free end about the trunk 

 with a stout cord, the tin hanging down, thus form- 

 ing an impassible barrier to the insect. 



Cherry Trees. P. M. Augur recommends the 

 following mixture as a disease preventive: One 

 pail" of common whitewash, one pint of soft soap, 

 with one pound sulphur, applied to trunk and main 

 branches of trees. For seedlings sow the Cherry 

 pits immediately after the ground thaws. 



Currants. Larger dusters and berries will re- 

 sult if the bushes are thinned out to 6 or 7 shoots. 



Girdled Trees are a deplorable sight. If the 

 girdling is not clear to the wood a simple and effi- 

 cient course of treatment is early in spring to paint 

 over the cut with dilute gum shellac, hilling the 

 soil to cover it. Should the wound be too high for 

 this, a paste of cow manure and clay bound on to 

 exclude the air will usually save the tree. For 

 stock that is badly girdled the inserting of several 

 scions around the wound, with one end below and 

 the other above the cut. and covering as above, may 

 prolong the life and usefulness of the tree, but it 

 can never be as good as it was before. 



Grafting for most trees should be done when the 

 buds are fairly swollen. With Cherry and Phun, 

 however, the earlier it is now done the greater cer- 

 tainty of success. See last mouth under this head. 



Limbs broken off by high winds and leaving a 

 jagged surface should be smoothed with a sharp 

 knife and covered with grafting wax. 



Orchards of old trees are benefited by yearly 

 sowing two bushels of Peas to the acre, having the 

 land well fertilized, and then when nearly grown, 

 after marketing the main part, turning the pigs 

 in to them. Where the orchard is in sod, extra care 

 is necessarj- in preventing borers, field mice, etc., 

 from doing injury, as the turf affords these lodging. 



Peaches. For providing a more uniform tem- 

 perature to the roots during the spring sea.son of 

 alternate thawing and freezing a mulch of shav- 

 ings over them will be of benefit. As a fertilizer 

 for the Peach, wood ashes are excellent if not the 

 very best. Prof. Goessman, of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural College, also recommends a compost 

 of three hundred pounds guano, two hundred and 

 fifty pounds bone black, and two hundred pounds 

 muriate of potash per acre. This is his remedy 

 for the yellows, besides being a good fertilizer. 



Strawberries. Plants found to be upheaved 

 when uncovered must be firmed by rolling or tramp- 

 ing the soil before the sun's heat does them injury. 

 Some fine manure, if applied early in the spring, 

 will greatly help the crop on any but the richest 

 of soil. A part of the plants might be advanced a 

 week or more in bearing by enclosing the bed with 

 twelve-inch boards and covering with muslin. The 

 earlier the plants for new beds are set out after the 

 ground works up well the better. 



Trees frozen in transportation to be so sheltered 

 or covered as to allow of gradual thawing. 



HANDLING TV/0 POTS AT ONE MOVE, 

 liable to be inadequate unless special pains be taken 

 to water often and regularly. Some kinds require 

 more water than others, and such should be attended 

 to at least twice daily when this is demanded by 

 the state of the weather. 



VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



Cabbage, as well as Cauliflower of the earliest 

 sowing in the hot-bed, may soon be readj- for trans- 

 planting. This should be done into shallow boxes, 

 using rich soil, giving each plant the use of an inch 

 by two inches. About April 1st, for the North, these 

 boxes may be placed in cold frames that are well 

 banked with manure and covered securely against 

 hard freezing at night, but giving plenty of air by 

 day. Seed of these as well as of Lettuce may now 

 be sown for the main lot of plants. 



Early Crops. It is to be borne in mind that 

 crops which mature early must grow quickly, hence 

 need more stimulant in the shape of plant food 

 than those having a longer time in which to grow. 



Onions should be sown among the earliest of 

 vegetables, in order that the bulb may become well 

 formed before the dryness and high heat of sum- 

 mer checks the growth. A fine, rich soil is required 

 for this crop. For some to come early, seed may be 

 started in a hot-bed, transplanting the seedlings to 

 several inches apart later on. By this course one 

 can easily get a large patch of early Onions agoing. 



Potatoes. By placing the cut tubers in a warm 

 room till the buds start somewhat, and then plant- 

 ing rather deep to avoid freezing, one may have 

 new Potatoes considerably ahead of the ordinary. 



Seed Planting, The soil must not be worked 

 while it is wet and stick}'; much injury may thus 

 be done to its texture, and from which it may take 

 years to recover. Besides there is not so much 

 gain to come on the score of earliness, for seed sown 

 a week later in warm, mellow ground, will germin- 

 ate more certainly than in the colder and soggy 

 soil, and stronger plants, with an earlier crop, will 

 usually result. Yet it is equally important to get 

 the seed in the ground as early as possible after the 

 ground is really fit. Everything that can be done 

 preparatory to this should be promptly gotten along 

 with, so that at the proper time all seeding may 

 be pushed with vigor. 



Starting early vegetables of kinds Uke Tomatoes, 

 Melons, etc., in individual wooden boxes, is a satis- 

 factory course and yet not costly. The boxes can 

 be used a number of times by being fairly construc- 

 ted in something of the following style: use one- 

 eighth in. material for sides and bottom, and one- 

 quarter in. stuff for the ends, a good size being 

 three in. wide and deep, 4 in. long; nail the sides 

 but slightly, so that when ready to set out, the 

 plants may, by removing a side, be easily sUpped 

 out. From these boxes plants in bloom may be 

 transplanted without injury. 



Tomatoes sown this month and well grown in 

 boxes (see directions above) will make large plants 

 by the middle of May. To have vigorous plants the 

 transplanting from the seed-bed should be done be- 

 fore there is any danger of the plants becoming 

 draivn and weak. There is some question as to the 

 advantage of sowing Tomatoes under glass, some 

 claiming to get ripe fruit, but several days later, 

 from seed sown in the open air the last of April. 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER 

 GLASS. 



Asparagus. Old roots that were lifted in the 

 autumn may go into heat, covering them here with 

 4 inches of earth. A space 3 ft. by 6 ft. ought to 

 accommodate near a hundred roots. 



Cauliflower. About the middle of the month, on 

 the stages from which the last crop of early Lettuce 

 was taken, Snowball Cauliflower which have been 

 brought along for this purpose may be planted a 

 foot apart each way, for marketing several weeks 

 before the outdoor crop is ready. 



Grapery. In hot-house water freely now, giving 

 some air. Do not allow too many bunches to con- 

 tinue growth. Head in the laterals in cold house. 

 While the leaves are expanding syringe daily until 

 they are completely out. 



Pines to be liberally supplied with water, and an 

 increase of bottom heat. For young plants, roots 

 or suckers may be encouraged by placing these in 

 an active dung or tan bed. After roots have formed, 

 they can go into pots ranging from 5 in. to 8 in. 

 across. Plunge these into the bed at once, close to 

 the glass, providing ample space. Do not water 

 until they make roots into the new soil. Keep a 

 heat of 55" to 60° at night, and lO" higher by day. 



Badishes. Sow thinly in rows about 3 inches 

 apart, and when an inch or so high thin out to one 

 inch apart in the rows. The Early Round Dark 

 Red and Small-topped Forcing are among the best. 



'HQUte 



\ ™S®^ 



luIHR 



This being the People's Paper, it is open to all their 

 Inquiries bearing on gardening. 



Replica to Inquiries are earnestly requested from 

 readers. In answej'ing such give the tiumber, your 

 locality and name, the latter not fur publication, unless 

 you desire. Urite only on one side of the paper. 



22&. Raised or Flat Flower Beds. Which are 



best in the ordinary cultivatiun of plants of these? 

 '•^27. Pansies Devoured. Last season my Pan- 

 slesiuasmali bed untler a tree seemed to have 

 been eaten away by some insect, but I never cuuld 

 discover it. Will some one help me to a remedy 

 for the coming year? L H., Langden, Minn. 



228. Dewberry Culture, will you please tell 

 how this should be conducted? Is tillage or heavy 

 mulching the best course? 



229. Apples Failing in Dakota, After the trees 

 get 8 or Rt years old here they commence at the 

 top to die about July; the leaves dry up, bark 

 comes off on south side and the tree may live 2 or -i 

 years. What is its cause and ciire? D. M. Dicker- 

 son, Union Co., Dakota 'Tei'ritory. 



230. Hibiscus Leaves Ailing. The leaves en. 

 closed are affected by a white substance, also some 

 specks as if caused by an insect. "What are these, 

 aud how to be exterminated? 



2:31. Swanley White Violets. What treatment 

 should these receive to bloom in winter? 



232. Bermuda Lily in Pots. Will this flourish 

 as well in pots as in the ground? A Subscriber. 



233. Sheep Manure for Gardening. I desiie in- 

 formation as to the value of sheep manure com- 

 pared with other manures for market crops on 

 rather sandy prairie soil. T. R., O'rtat Bend., Kan. 



•^i^. Propagating Fay's Prolific Currant, is 



this variety increased in the same manner as the 

 common Currant? H, G. I\I., Kokomo., Ind. 



235. Gesnerias in the Window. Will some of 

 your many readers please give their experience on 

 the habit and successful treatment of the Gesneria 

 as a window plant, and oblige Plant Lover. 



23C. Chrysanthemums Dropping Leaves. Last 



season after my plants were about a foot high the 

 lower leaves began to dry up and fall. There were 

 no insects or mildew. This continued until fall and 

 by which time there were not leaves enough left to 

 bring out the blossoms. It was an utter tailure. 1 

 have tried the experiment before with the same re- 

 sult. It I take plants from the open ground into 

 the house it is tUe same. Why is this thus? B. 



237. Treating Hyacinth Bulblets. How do you 

 treat the young bulbs on the old ones? Mine are 

 single ones— in water. T. C. S., Malvern., Ark. 



2;i8. Amaryllis from Seed. How shall I pro- 

 ceed in so raising Amaryllis? 



239. Dahlia Planting. Should the roots be set 

 out the full size as when dug, or be divided? 



240. Primroses from Seed, When is the best 

 time to sow for nest winter's bloom"? 



241. Flower Garden Site. Which side of the 

 house would you prefer for flowers and plants? 

 Mrs. a. E. D., Hastings, Mich. 



242. Dwarf Apples for Ohio. Would you please 

 state the names of those that would do well here? 

 I. L., Zaiiesville, Ohio. 



243. Berries did not Develop. Last year my 

 Strawberries all ripened, after the first crop, with a 

 knot on the end. I allowed runners; rows were 

 very thick, ground fairly rich. What was the cause? 



244. The Crimson Beauty. Does this Rasp- 

 berry need a fertilizer? If so, what is the best? 

 M. J. P. Jr., EvansvHh\ Ind. 



245. Chickasaw Plums Failing. I have 24 

 Chickasaw or Wild Goose Plum trees on my fruit 

 farm. They are large, perhaps full grown, and re- 

 quire a great deal of trimming, which they regu- 

 larly get, as well as plenty of manure. For three 

 years they have blossomed freely, but the fruit 

 seldom gets bigger than a large pin head and grad- 

 ually shrivels and drops off, so that I have never 

 got all told a pint of ripe Plums from the 24 trees. 

 Can any one suggest a better remedy than the axe? 

 Is the latitude too far north in the vicinity of De- 

 troit, Mich.? A. M. 



24G. Dividing Primroses. When should these 

 be divided, and bow done ? Should the blossoms 

 be removed when they fade? 



247. Callas Turning Brown. Will some one 

 give directions for the treatment of Calla Lilies. 

 Mine put out leaves, which quickly turn brown at 

 edges, and will not bloom, is it for want of water? 

 Mrs. K. K., Charlestown, W. Va. 



248. Raising Winter Onions. I would like to 

 increase on raising these, and would feel obliged 

 for good points from growers. G. I., Erie Co., Fa. 



249. Pruning Boses, The Rose bed I planted 

 last year will need its first annual pruning soon, 



