i887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



1 '3 



hidden by fragrant pink and white bloom, 

 making it a most attractive object. The flowers 

 appear before the leaves, and sometimes so 

 early as to be blighted by frost. From this 

 fact no doubt has originated its signification of 

 "thoughtlessness." The Orientals, however, re- 

 gard an abundance of bloom upon the Almond 

 as an omen of a fruitful year, hence give to it 

 the signification of " hope." 



The ancients had a pretty legend to account 

 for the origin of the Almond tree. They state 

 that beautiful Queen Phyllis, had become enam- 

 oured of Demaphoon, who upon his return 

 from the siege of Troy had been cast upon a 

 foreign shore. The young queen, when her 

 lover failed to return, died of a 

 broken heart and was transform- 

 ed into an Ahuoud tree. On 

 Demaphoon's return, after a long 

 time, and in sorrow for her death, 

 he offered a sacrifice upon the 

 seashore, when, it is said, the 

 bare branches of the tree burst 

 into bloom, as a sign of her love 

 and forgiveness even after death. 



The Flowering Almond be- 

 longs to the Rosacea', hence is a 

 near relative of the Rose. It is 

 usually hardy in this latitude, but in a severe 

 winter has been known to have been killed. It 

 is well to protect with straw, wi-apped around 

 and tied tightly to the stem, in all localities 

 where the thermometer reaches zero. In the 

 spring this covering should be removed early, 

 or as soon as the ground thaws, and the bush 

 wiU soon be in full bloom. 



A row of flowering Almonds planted along 

 an Evergreen hedge, the latter to serve as a 

 back-ground and for winter protection, is a 

 very attractive way of cultivating it. The 

 deep gi-een of the hedge sets off to perfection 

 the lovely pink bloom of the shrub. 



small descriptive drawing herewith of the other 

 and somewhat better box. 



Its construction is most simple. Ordinary 

 manilla or wrapping paper is taken and cut 

 into squares, varying according to the size of 

 tlie box wanted. For a small one '2x2x3 in size 

 the sc|uare should be six inches on each side. 

 Then on two sides, at points two inches from 

 the corners, slits should be cut in toward the 

 center, but parallel with the outer sides and 

 exactly two inches deep. This would leave the 

 paper reaily to fold into the form that is shown 

 under way of construction in the engraving. 



In the folding, first the two sides be- 

 tween the sUts referred to, (A in engi-av- 



kinds neai'ly uniform in size. From the setting 

 out time on throughout the season, a system- 

 atic course of pinching or shearing should be 

 resorted to with such kinds as will bear it, for 

 maintaining a regular width and height, not 

 overlooking a cleanly defined edge for each line. 

 With due regard to these points little difficulty 

 would be had in reaching very satisfactory re- 

 sults in working after the suggestions given. 



Marking Tools. 



To mark steel tools, says a scientific ex- 

 change, first cover the article to be marked 

 with a thin coating of tallow or beeswax, then 

 with a sharp instrument, write the name 

 clear. With a feather fill the place on which 

 are written the letters, with nitric acid ; let it 

 remain from one to ten minutes, then dip in 

 water and rub off, and the marks are etched 

 into the steel or iron. 



Paper Transplanting Boxes. 



The extent of the roots and not the top of 

 a plant is the true measure of its worth. This 

 fact is recognized in the use of pots or boxes 

 for bringing along early plants up to the set- 

 ting-out time. The desire is that the shift from 

 the forwarding place to the open ground shall 

 be done without the loss of roots, a thing (juite 

 possible, if these are confined within a recep- 

 tacle containing the earth in which they grew. 



Common earthen pots answer the end referred 

 to very well, but these are not everywhere eas- 

 ily or cheaply procured. A most useful substi- 

 tute, and one available to all, may be found in 



Paper Transplanting Boxes.— Forming the Box. 



sxich a simple article as a paper box, made 

 expressly for the purpose. 



Our correspondent, Mrs. S. H. Sherwin, of 

 Mitchell County, Texas, writes us that it has 

 been her custom for some years to rely on home 

 made paper boxes in which to bring along early 

 plants. The same correspondent sent us a 

 sample of the box she employs ; had it not been 

 the case that one we ourselves have seen in use 

 was a slight improvement on it, we would 

 have gladly described hers. As it is we give a 



SCROLL DESIGN FOR A GARDEN BED. 

 ing) are turned up. Then the two sides, 

 represented in the engraving bj* B and C, 

 are turned against the first two, with the 

 end section C bent ai-ouud to the outside 

 of A. This, with a single stitch of thread 

 on each of two sides, to keep sections C and A 

 together, completes the box. 



Our corresj^ondent referred to says further 

 on her use of paper boxes, " The bottom of the 

 paper box is gashed crosswise with a knife, 

 and at planting-out time box and all are set 

 into the ground, the former soon decaying and 

 the roots promptly finding theii- way into the 

 soil. The making of the boxes before needed 

 is light and pleasant evening work." 



A Scroll Design for Bedding. 



In planning for the tasteful use of tender 

 bedding plants it should not be overlooked that 

 simplicity of design is a prime element of all 

 true beauty. A plan simple in its character, if 

 it be otherwise pleasing, is quite certain with 

 the average planter to turn out far better than 

 is one very elaborate in design. 



For a simple bedding design the scroll in some 

 of its modifications affords an excellent pattern. 

 Its basis is the circle and Hogarth's ' ' waving 

 line of beauty." In the accompanying engrav- 

 ing is shown one arrangement of this, so simple 

 that any person possessing a little skill in the 

 use of line and pegs, at laying out, may transfer 

 it to the ground to work after. For a bed 12 

 feet wide the curved sections should possess a 

 width of about one foot each, reducing or en- 

 larging on this as the bed is narrower or wider. 

 A bed of this style may be of any length de- 

 sired from two segments upwards. 



In the matter of plants suitable for use the 

 following selections would prove effective. The 

 numbers refer to the numbered spaces in the 

 accompanying cut. 



Selection A. — 1 Altemanthera aurea, of 

 golden hue; 2 Variegated Alyssum, whitish 

 hue; 3 Altemanthera parychoides major, 

 crimson: 4 Othonna sedifolia, green with 

 yellow flowers ; .5 Echeveriasecunda, whitish. 

 Selection B. — 1 Coleus Hero, black; 3 

 Coleus, golden-hued ; 3 Coleus Verschaffelti ; 

 4 Achyranthes, crimson; .5 Centaurea, white. 

 Selection C. — 1 Scarlet Geranium; 2 Centau- 

 rea gyjnnocai-pa, white; o Coleus, dark; 4 

 Dwarf Ageratimi; .5 Geranium Mde. Solleroi, 

 white and green. 



Of the above selections the one A would be 

 suited to a bed six feet and upwards in width, 

 Thoseof Band C consLstingof stronger growers 

 would require a width of '.) feet or upwards ; 13 

 feet would be perhaps the best. 



In the planting of such a pattern care should 

 be bestowed upon the selection of plants of 



B. G. Northrop on Arbor Day. 



Teachers can easily interest their pupils in 

 adorning the school grounds. With proper 

 pre-arrangement as to the selection and pro- 

 curing of trees, vines or shrubs. Arbor Day 

 may accomplish wonders. Many 

 hands will make merry, as well as 

 light, the work. Such a holiday 

 will be an attractive occasion of 

 social enjoyment and improve- 

 ment. Theparentsshouldbeledto 

 approve and patronize the plan. 

 The planting and improvements 

 thus made will be sure to be pro- 

 tected. They will remain as 

 silent, but effective, teachers of 

 the beautiful to all the pupils, 

 gradually improving their taste 

 and character. Such work done around the 

 school naturally extends to the homes. You 

 improve the homes by improving the schools 

 as tiuly as you improve the schools by im- 

 proving the homes. Our youth should early 

 share in such efforts for adorning the sur- 

 roundings of their homes, and planting trees 

 by the wayside. How attractive our roads 

 may become by long avenues of trees. 



Arbor Day will become one of the institutions of 

 the country, in which our boys and girls will take 

 an eager share and genuine pleasure, and thus gain 

 a liking for trees that will never be effaced. Ne- 

 braska has the honor of originating Arbor Day. 

 Some ten years ago, at the request of the State 

 Board of Agriculture, the governor appointed the 

 second Wednesday in April as the day to be de- 

 voted to economic tree-planting, and it is claimed 

 that twelve millions of trees were planted on that 

 day. The successive governors have continued thus 

 to recognize this day. The schools last Spring 

 adopted the plan of planting "memorial trees." 



The recent spring floods and summer droughts 

 in Indiana, Ohio, and elsewhere, increasingly and 

 now alarmingly destructive, are calling public 

 attention to the cause and remedy as never before. 

 The denudation of the hills and mountain sources 

 of the springs is the leading cause of these freshets, 

 and these can be remedied only by the extensive 

 re- foresting of such lands. This great result, which 

 must be the work of time, will be best accomplished 

 by interesting the young, as well as the old, in 

 tree-planting. The Arbor Day in schools will do 

 immense good in this direction. We need to popu- 

 larize and diffuse the sentiment of trees. 



The public needs to understand that the interests 

 of all classes are concerned in economic tree-plant- 

 ing. In Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, and other 

 European countries, this subject is so taught in 

 their schools that the people generally appreciate 

 the value of trees and the need of protecting them. 

 Hence an enlightened public sentiment is a better 

 guardian of their forests than the national police. 



Grape Culture. At a late meeting of the Henne- 

 pin County (Minn ) Horticultural Society, Mr. Isaac 

 Gilpatrick described his system of Grape culture, 

 which he has practiced with good results for 

 twenty-three years. While there is still much to 

 learn, in his opinion he believes the Grape growers 

 of Minnesota will soon be able to compete success- 

 fully with those of California, especially so far as 

 the quality of the fruit is concerned. His plan has 

 been to plant the roots in boles from one and a half 

 to two feet in depth cultivating the ground thor- 

 oughly and placing the roots eight inches below the 

 surface. Ordinarily growers had not taken suffi- 

 cient pains to set out in deep and wide holes; too 

 much wood is left on the vines each spring and care 

 should he taken to rub off the wood blossoms. 

 After the preparation of the vine it was trained in 

 a slanting direction from the bottom to the top of 

 the trellise. Last year he had gathered thirty -six 

 pounds of Grapes from a vine four years old. By 

 the renewal system of cutting away the old wood. 

 he had been able to double his crop of Grapes and 

 their quality had been perceptibly improved. 



