I20 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April, 



274. Oxalis not Blooming. I have an Oxalis 

 that has not bloomed this season, and last year it 

 only had one bunch of blossoms (pink). It looks 

 very thrifty. Cause? 



275. Swanley White Violets. Two years ago I 

 got a Swanley White Violet, whieh has never 

 bloomed yet. It grows and looks well and has had 

 buds on it several times, but they always blast. A 

 neighbor has one which acts the same way. Cause? 



2TG. " Chinese Lily." I have a " Chinese Lily " 

 which did not bloom. All others of the same lot 

 bore blossoms. It grew vigorously, the leaves be- 

 ing nearly two feet long. What treatment shall I 

 give the bulb? W. C. S. 



277. Geraniums not Blooming. My plants last 

 year grew rank but had few flowers. How ought I 

 to treat them to get good flowers? Sly soil is good, 

 with sunshine all daj'. I have been told to plant 

 pots and all. I watered very freely during the hot 

 weather. Mrs. M. A. Y., Essex Co., Mass. 



278. Moles in Cemetery. Our cemetery lot is 

 enclosed by a stone curbing eighteen inches deep. 

 Moles have made their way inside this and have 

 completely upturned the beautiful Blue Grass 

 sward, causing it to die in large patches. Is there 

 a remedy? Mrs. W. M. I., Madison Co., Ky. 



279. Oxalis not Blooming. I should like to 

 know what to do with yellow and large pink win- 

 ter blooming Oxalis to make them deserve their 

 name of winter bloomers? 



280. Eucharis in the House. Also if Eucharis 

 Amazonica will bloom in the house? I had one 

 three years without a flower or bud. R. E. D. 



281. Freesia Culture. Will you tell me what is 

 the trouble that I get no bloom from these after 

 all my care? How should they be treated? E. 

 M. M., West Branch, Iowa. 



282. CurrantWorm Remedy, (a) . We have about 

 1,000 bearing Currants liable to be infested with the 

 worm next summer— not the * web worm" but the 

 one coming in June, stripping off the leaves. Most 

 of those to whom we have talked recommend the 

 use of hellebore, but we have reason to think this is 

 dangerous to human hfe, and customers would be 

 deterred from using our fruit were it known that 

 hellebore was used. What shall we do ? ib). We 

 understand that Prof. Lintner of your State re- 

 ported regarding a parasite that he thinks preys 

 upon the currant worm. Can anything be done to 

 introduce it west? Hallet& Son, Jo Daviess Co., III. 



REPLIES TO INQUIRIES. 



210. Sweet-scented Chrysanthemums. There 

 is only one in cultivation, viz., Mrs. Akers Allen. 

 The best late-flowering Chrysanthemums are Cul- 

 lingferdi, Christmas Eve, Mrs. C. H. Wheeler, Mrs. 

 C. L. Alien, Count of Germany. Purple King, Sadie 

 Martinet, VV. Falconer, The Virgin, Mrs. Wm. 

 Mencke, Jupiter, and Lady Slade. They can be 

 procured of Hallock & Co., Queens, N.Y. C. E. P. 



22.3. Potting Old Fuchsias. As soon as they 

 show signs of growth, trim them back into shape, 

 tnrn them out of their pots, and repot into as 

 small pots as possible. Water thoroughly when 

 first potted, afterwards sparingly until growth 

 commences, when a liberal supply should be given. 

 When first potted place in as warm and light a sit- 

 uation as possible, and as growth commence.s re- 

 move to a cooler atmosphere, liepot as often as 

 necessary until the plants attain tlie desired size. 

 Do not repot too freely if flowers are wanted. A 

 compost composed of two-thirds rotten sods, one- 

 third well-decayed manure with a sprinkling of 

 bone dust wiU suit them very well. C. E. P. 



216. Covering Grape-vines. Manure is apt to 

 heat and scald the butls. Dry hay, straw or leaves 

 are much better for that purpose, but earth is the 

 best of all coverings. If the vines are planted the 

 proper depth the roots do not require any extra 

 protection— unless under a combination of circum- 

 stances which does not very often arise, viz., a very 

 dry fall followed by a hard winter devoid of snow 

 ^a heavy mulch is then necessary between the 

 rows to prevent the wholesale destruction of the 

 vines. Alex W^oou, Pottawattamie Co., Iowa. 



227. Pansies Devoured. No doubt it was the 

 work of Slugs, for these are great pests to Pansy 

 growers. The reason you never saw them was be- 

 oiuse they worked at night. The best way to get 

 rid of them is to go round with a lamp at night, 

 after a shower of rain, when they are feeding, and 

 put them into a vessel of quick lime. If Green-fly 

 appears on the plants, two ounces of soap dissolved 

 iu two gallons of rain-water, with one-half ounce 

 of dark Tobacco added, is the most effectual rem- 

 edy. Water the plants with the mixture through 

 a fine-rosed watering*can. But no flne flowers can 

 be expected for a few days after appyling. 



2A'i. Sheep Manure for Gardens. I regard 

 sheep manure an excellent fertilizer for lands to be 

 used in the culture of garden vegetables, and espec- 

 ially advantageous to sandy lands. It should be 

 thoroughly composted with turf or common earth 

 and weU rotted, in equal parts each. Well-rotten 

 stable (horse) manure I regard as most valuable for 

 general lands to be used for market gardening pur- 

 poses. Hknrv Munwaring, Lawrence., Kan. 



231, 275. Swanley White Violets. See article 

 en the&e elsewhere in this issue. 



226. Raised or Flat Flower, Beds. So far as 



the mere keeping of the soil of a bed moist is con- 

 cerned there would be advantages in a flat bed, but 

 we plant flowers for looks, and a bed of these 

 somewhat raised, or at least rounded over to be 

 somewhat higher in the center, shows off much 

 better than a flat one. By keeping the surface of 

 the higher land inner parts) somewhat irregular, 

 where it is hid by large plants, the water from rains 

 or the hose may be retained on the bed where it 

 falls without any loss from shedding off. A. H. E. 



332. Bermuda Lily in Pots, This is one of the 

 very easiest Lilies to force, in this respect surpass- 

 ing even /,. candidum, as its season is shorter. 



224. Pruning Vines in a Grapery. The sooner 

 this is done the better. The best course you can 

 pursue will be to obtain the services of a gardener, 

 or some one who has had experience with vines 

 under glass, and let him trim them for years. 

 Chas. E. Parnell, Queens, N. Y. 



261. Blood, Etc., for Grapes. No stronger fer- 

 tilizer can be had. but it must be used with great 

 care; first by mixing, at the rate of a quart of 

 blood to one peck or even a half bushel of dry 

 earth (dry sand is good) and then working, say this 

 amount, in soil around each Grape-vine. A. M. P. 



202. Mulberries from Seed, Put your Russian 

 Mulberry seed in a pail and pour boiling water over 

 them to cover an inch. Let them stand in this 

 same water a day or two (not in boiling water) until 

 they begin to swell, and then pour off water and 

 mix with dust or plaster and sow like any other 

 seed. A. M. Purdy. 



2t)5. Soap-suds and House Slops. There is 

 really very little of mauurial value in these of them- 

 selves. The best way of utilizing them is to use 

 them in composting different materials for soil. 

 W^atering plants with these in moist weather may 

 easily be overdone. During the dry months of 

 summer they may be used about free growers with 

 benefit. E. G. 



200. Lilium Auratum, This should have been 

 potted last fall when the stem had died off, rather 

 than to have waited until new growth had com- 

 menced. As it is now, keep the soil barely moist 

 in the same pot, and a second stem will probably 

 be put forth weaker than the first. The small off- 

 shoots to be removed. All Lilies should be potted 

 in autumn, usually in October, the foliage being 

 then ripened. G. S., Erie Co., N. Y. 



208. Grubs in Onion Land. An experienced 

 Onion grower in this vicinity says that sulphuric 

 acid is an effectual remedy, though somewhat ex- 

 pensive. It kills every living thing in and on the 

 soil, both animal and vegetable. This acid should 

 be diluted with twelve times its bulk of water and 

 apphed in the fall quite liberally. Nitrate of soda 

 may also be used, at the rate of four hundred 

 pounds or less to the acre, two or three times 

 through the season, when the foliage is dry, if pos- 

 sible just before a rain, otherwise it should be 

 watered m. If the nitrate gets on wet foliage it 

 will burn or shrivel it. A remedy for the fly is 

 forty bushels of soot mixed with two hundred 

 weight of salt for an acre, sown broadcast early in 

 the season. Onions once attacked cannot be saved, 

 but Grubs may be lessened by destroying all 

 affected plants. Gypsum also has been found to 

 be effective applied at the rate of one ton to the 

 acre during dry weather, after the first rain the 

 ground being hoed. This is a cheap remedy if it 

 proves upon further trial to be found generally 

 effective. From its use the Grubs in the plants are 

 to be found dead after several days. 



273. Grapes Bursting, in my judgment the 

 bees could tell the secret of Grapes ''bm'sting."" 

 Putting paper sacks, so often descdbed, over the 

 clusters will stop it. A. M. P. 



209. Lettuce Forcing, The best varieties for 

 forcing under glass are the Tennis Ball (black 

 seeded), Boston Market and Early Curled Simpson, 

 the two first-named varieties being generally pre- 

 ferred. For growing in the open air, in addition 

 to the sorts previously named. Salamander, Hen- 

 derson's New York and White Summer Cabbage. 

 To keep down the Green-fiy, dust the plants very 

 freely when small with Tobacco dust Keep the 

 walks covered with Tobacco stems and renew them 

 frequently and fumigate very frequently with moist 

 tobacco stems. Chas. E. Parnell, Queens., N. Y. 



213. Cutting Back Fuchsias, Etc. All such 

 plants should be cut back before they are repotted 

 and not disturbed until they have made shoots at 

 least half an inch in length. Chas. E. Parnell. 



221. Treating a Large Wax Plant. Procure a 

 tub several sizes larger than the pail in which the 

 plant now is, drain it properly and place the pail 

 in the center of the tub Now carefully break up 

 the pail and remove it. Fill up the space with 

 fresh compost similar to that which was in the 

 pail. Do not set the plant deeper. This method 

 will be much less trouble than feeding the plant 

 with liquid manure. C. E. Parnell, Queens, N. Y. 



234. Propagating Fay's Prolific Currant. Yes, 

 this can be increased in the same manner as the 

 common Currant. 



215. Gooseberries Under Trees, They will not 

 do well under spreading trees. C. E. P. 



249. Pruning Boses. It is very difificult to 

 teach this by merely writing about it; but it is, 

 nevertheless, an important part of the cultivation 

 of the Rose. An experiented Rose cultivator will 

 first ascertain the name of the Rose, and he will 

 thin out the wood or cut back the young growths, 

 in reference to the general characteristics of the 

 particular variety. As a rule the strong-growing 

 varieties must not be cut back so freely as those of 

 a more weakly habit. Those varieties that have a 

 tendency to form a thicket of young wood should 

 be disbudded during the summer; this allows a full 

 development of leaf and growth with the conse- 

 quent production of Roses of a much superior 

 quality. Hybrid Perpetual and Moss Roses should 

 be pruned very much alike. The young growths 

 ought to be cut back to within from three to six 

 buds from the base. Very weak growers may be 

 cut back to within two good buds. Rose Grower. 



2TI. Cuttings from Young Vines and Trees. 



We consider such, as a rule, as good as any. It 

 might be the case that if this were to be followed 

 up year after year with trees it would make a dif- 

 ference, but no difference with Grapes. A. M. P. 



272. Market for Sage. Sage is in good demand 

 in all Northern towns at about thirty cents per 

 pound. Your best plan is to write to commission 

 nouses in different towns North. Names of some 

 of these appear in our advertising department. 



232. Bermuda Lily in Pots. Yes, this can be 

 grown in pots inside, as well, if not better than in 

 the open air. 



23fi. Chrysanthemums Dropping Leaves. I do 



not understand this case. If you will give me your 

 method of treating your plants I may be able to 

 suggest a remedy. I think that your plants were 

 given an unsuitable situation or else planted in very 

 poor soil. They might, also, have been permitted to 

 suffer severely from drought at some period of 

 their growth. 



237. Treating Hyacinth Bulbs. If your bulbs 

 have been grown in water your best course wiU 

 be to throw all away and procure fresh bulbs 

 another season. To raise flowering bulbs from little 

 bublets recjuires more time and attention than most 

 persons are willing to bestow upon them. C. E. P. 



240. Primroses from Seed. The best time to sow 

 Primula seed is I find from the first of March until 

 the tenth of May. Not only do the seeds germinate 

 better but the plants will be much stronger for 

 winter blooming. 



239. Dahlia Planting. By all means divide the 

 roots and leave only one good crown to each cluster. 



235. Gesnerias in the Window. I do not think 

 that the Gesneria can be successfully grown as a 

 window plant. It requires for its successful culti- 

 vation a warm, moist atmosphere as well as many 

 other essential requisites that cannot be bestowed 

 upon it in such a situation. Chas. E. Parnell. 



230. Hibiscus Ailing. The leaves are undoubt- 

 edly infested with the Red Spider. Dissolve two 

 ounces of whale-oil soap in a gallon of water and 

 sponge off the stems and both sides of the leaves 

 with this mixture, occasionally while the plant is 

 insid,e. The spots on the leaves may be caused by 

 keeping it too wet at the roots, or by growing it in 

 a cool temperatiu'e. 



22G. Raised or Flat Flower Beds. I prefer to 



have all my flower beds an inch lower than the 

 walks When the beds are on the lawn let them be 

 an inch lower than the sod. The advantage of this 

 method will be apparent to all when they have 

 occasion to water their flowerbeds during the sum- 

 mer months. 



227. Pansies Devoured. I think that they were 



destroyed by slugs or wood-lice, and as a remedy 

 would suggest placing a fevc pieces of boards on the 

 ground between the plants in the evening; early the 

 next morning carefully examine the boards under- 

 neath and m most cases the destroyers will be 

 found underneath and can be destroyed. Repeat 

 for several days if necessary. Turnips hollowed 

 out and placed among the plants are also excellent 

 for this purpose. Chas. E. Parnell, Queens, N. Y 



260. Roses for Market. Much depends upon the 

 market. Among standard kinds that are always in 

 demand are Bon Siiene, Perle des Jardins, Marechal 

 Neil, Niphetos, Catherine Mermet, Bennett and 

 American Beauty. Good Plants suitable for next 

 winter's flowering can be bought of the leading 

 Rose-growers from $10 per hundred upwards. 



282. Currant Worm Remedy, (at Hellebore is 

 the best of known remediesand a perfectly effectual 

 one. Properly applied no harm can possibly result 

 from it. It should be used in the following man- 

 ner: Early in the spring, as soon as the leaves of 

 the currant have fully put forth, watch for the first 

 indications of the hatching and commencement of 

 feeding of the young larvae. You have only to look 

 for these on the lowest leaves of the bushes mar the 

 ground. The indications will be numerous smaW 

 holes eaten into the leaves. Sprinkle powdered 

 hellebore over these leaves, renewing it if washed 

 away by rain, and the desired end is accomplished. 

 If the hellebore remains upon the leaves during the 

 time that the larvte are hatching all will be killed, 

 and none will remain for subsequent spreading 

 over the leaves and for the need of future atten- 



