1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



159 



Hard wooded Plants. During active growth or 

 bloom, all such must have water enough at their 

 roots to keep the growth unflagging. Watering by 

 driblets is not a good plan; when the earth needs 

 water see that it becomes thoroughly soaked. 



Izias, after blooming, to be ripened off, by grad- 

 ually withholding water till dry. then remove the 

 soil and keep in paper bags till wanted for starting. 



Oranges, if allowed to fruit, do not produce 

 flowers as freely as otherwise. During the growing 

 season, manure water, to which soot is added, fre- 

 quently applied will be of benefit. Scale or Mealy 

 Bug soon render plants unsightly if notattended to. 



Poinsettias, Good propagating wood of these 

 should now be present on plants that were started 

 a short time ago for propagation. Take cuttings 

 with a heel of the old wood attached. By keeping 

 such close, moist and warm they will quickly root. 



Stephanotis now will stand strong heat. Any- 

 thing like au excess of moisture in the air is 

 detrimental to best blcom. Mealy Bug and Scale to 

 be prevented by sponging with soap suds. 



Stove plants in bloom to be kept in cool, shaded 

 places for extending flowering as much as possible. 



FRUIT GARDEN AND ORCHARD. 



Blackberries. As the new growth reaches a 

 height of three feet the tips should be nipped out to 

 induce a thickening of the canes, as well as side 

 branches and new leaders. AVhen the latter reach 

 a length of two feet or more they should have the 

 ends similarly pinched out. 



Cherry Trees. Moderate shallow culture for 

 young trees until they are well established with a 

 good mulch, will keep them in growing condition. 

 Should any gummy discolored spots appear on the 

 trunk or branches a poultice of five parts fresh cow 

 manure and one part flowers of sulphur, bandaged 

 on the atTected parts, is an approved remedy. 



Currants should be grown to the bush form with 

 little trimming, beyond the cutting out of dead or 

 weak wood. They require rich land, and do better 

 for having a mulch throughout the summer. For 

 worms see last month's paper, page V^l 



Gooseberries. Directions for Currants to apply. 



Grafts. All other shoots in close conjunction 

 with grafts to be removed. Overhanging branches 

 in large trees that crowd or interfere in any way 

 with the free growth of these must be cut out. 



Grapes. See article on bagging elsewhere in this 

 issue. Prune away all superfluous shoots Vines 

 bearing for the first time should have but a single 

 cluster to a shoot. Over-fruiting of young or lay- 

 ered vines is weakening and tends to mildew. 



Peach, grabs should be sought at this season by 

 the use of knife or wire probe Their presence may 

 be known by gum exudations and excrement. Hill- 

 ing up the trees a foot high with coal ashes or soil 

 is useful for keeping down the grub. 



Pruning. Some orchardists prefer this month 

 for general pruning, as the wounds heal very readily. 

 Summer pruning may judiciously be applied to 

 supertluous growth before it has advanced far. 



Baspberries. About the middle of the month the 

 new growth should be pinched back one-fourth to 

 prevent a spindling form, and to induce side 

 branches to push out freely. Constant cultivation 

 between the rows is important in growing this fruit. 



Strawberries on poor or drj- soils will be greatly 

 benefited by good waterings when the fruit is 

 swelling, but if commenced it must be thoroughly 

 done. Watch the pickers; under-ripe or over-ripe 

 berries soon affect quality. Where the plants are 

 cultivated in hills clipping the runners may need at- 

 tention before the month is out. Pot plants wanted 

 for forcing or other purposes should be secured by 

 striking in pots from early runners. 



Thinning Fruit. This seemingly wasteful pro- 

 cess is really a most judicious one for securing an 

 abundance of fine, large fruit. Where the tree is 

 in good soil, is thrifty and well set with fruit to re- 

 move one-half or more of it as soon as it can be 

 handled will leave enough for best results. In thin- 

 ning aim to do so evenly over the whole tree. 



VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



Asparagus should not be cut after this month, as 

 the value of future crops depends largely upon the 

 amount of top growth made during the summer. 



Carrots often receive great injurj' from a few 

 days' neglect in weeding, at this season. 



Celery needs a rich moist soil, and where it is 

 grown after early Peas, Spinach, Radishes, etc., 

 as a second crop, planting is done during July. 

 During June, when the seedlings are getting in 

 planting condition, keep the seed beds free from 



weeds, and if the plants from rapid growth, or other 

 cause, become at all drawn, are spindling and weak, 

 shear the tops down to within several inches of the 

 root. This ensures stocky plants. 



Corn. Plant for succession each week or so. 



Cucumbers. Sow for pickles about the middle of 

 the month. To do so in well enriched drills fl feet 

 apart, and to have the plants at a foot apart when 

 up, is a good course. 



Egg plants require very rich soil and constant 

 cultivation. Plant two feet by 15 inches. Potato 

 Bugs devour them and must be kept off. 



Lima Beans should have a sandy spot with plenty 

 of fine strong manure in the hills, and these three 

 or four feet apart. A stiike is needed at each hill 

 some eight feet high, or else instead a wire for each 

 row may be stretched from the top of stakes If) or 

 '^} feet apart, with strings running up from (he hills- 

 June first is usually early enough to plant these. 



Melons. Directions for Squashes will apply. 



Parsley to be grown in rich soil, with good cul- 

 ture. It takes several weeks for seed to come up. 



Peppers. For culture see Egg-plants. 



Planting Cabbage, etc., with a dibble is a job 

 that must be carefully performed, so that the soil 

 is firmly pressed to every fibre of the root. Then 

 one should also tread close against the plant with 

 the foot to further firm the soil. The careless use 

 of the dibble may close the soil about the neck of 

 the plant, but leaving the roots hanging free in a 

 space below, and soon to die out. 



Striped Beetles. Judge Miller recommends pull- 

 ing some plants of Melo^, Squash, Cucumber, 

 etc., and placing several such at each hill, the beet 

 les gathering on the wilting leave.s, and can then 

 be gathered and destroyed. Bottomless boxes a 

 foot square with a covering of netting kept over 

 the plants till they are hardened, will protect them. 



Sweet Potatoes. In the North, setting the plants 

 may begin this month. 



Squashes should now be planted in manured hills, 

 which for the running varieties are to be six to 

 eight feet apart, while for the bushy ones three to 

 four feet is sufficient distance. In each hill plant 

 about eight seeds, and after getting their rough 

 leaves thin to three or four of the strongest. 

 Light soil with several shovelfuls of good manure 

 added to each hill are among their requirements. 



Weeds. Constant cultivation of the soil and the 

 destroj ing of weeds is important work at this 

 growing time. Both the fertihty and moisture 

 needed by the crops are taken by weeds, and if al- 

 lowed a start they greatly injure the quality and 

 size of everything useful among them. 



FRUIT AND VEGETABLES UNDER 

 GLASS. 



Figs. With much bright weather a night tem- 

 perature of W° to 05° maj' be given, but should the 

 weather be dark a lower degree will be better. 

 Figs, though delighting in heat and moisture, do not 

 get along well without corresponding air or light. 

 Top dressing the soil with fresh horse manure is 

 beneficial, because of the ammonia thus secured. 

 Do not allow the fi-uit to be too thickly placed. 

 For young stock put in cuttings in sandy, well 

 drained soil, in a sharp bottom heat. With good 

 treatment fruit may be had in two years. 



Grapery. Ripened fruit on early vines having 

 been removed, the vines must have wat^r gradually 

 withheld in order to give them their required ppriod 

 of rest, day and night, airing freely, and exposing 

 fully to the sun. Ripening crops will need high 

 heat. Flowering vines in cold house, a midday 

 temperature of Sli" to 90° may iJe given, watering 

 being largely discontinued . Thinning may be done 

 when the berries are of the size of Peas, but one 

 bunch of fruit being allowed to each cane, this be- 

 ing pinched three leaves beyond the fruit 



Melons. Remove all surplus fruit from the 

 earliest and support that which remains. Top- 

 dress with strong loam and rotten manure, freely 

 watering with warm guano or manure water. Syr- 

 inge abundantly daily after closing. Preserve all 

 the old leaves on vine. Fertilize female fiowers ps 

 they open. In Melon culture cleanliness counts. 



Pines after blooming will be benefited by light 

 syringing daily. Once a week water all those ac- 

 tually needing it. If well rooted, guano water used 

 alternately will stimulate to good growth. To pro- 

 mote atmospheric moisture dampen the walls and 

 every available space, and keep evaporating pans 

 filled. The temperature to range from 70° at night 

 to 85" during the day. Increase the air as the tem- 

 perature ascends. From ripe fruit withhold water, 

 keeping it cool. 



HQUJC 



lilRR 



Thin bHno the PfopWa Papfr, it in opm to all their 

 InquirifH henrinu on O'trtlrning. f'nrrei^pnndetita are 

 urni-tt til inilii-ijiittr thr si-hhihi in prpufntinii qtwutinnn. Tii 

 nnh,ft>r inatanre, on April \b III- i» jfhat Piaa luut best be 

 «<)H'«. fout'l briny no ansirer in the Mitn isnue, and none 

 before June, tehen l/ie anHVer teonlti br unnensonnbte. 

 QneHtioni* rereivril be/or the ntho/ony mnnthntandat/ood 

 rhaner ofheing answered in thf nr.rt jiitper- yot more than 

 three questions shonld be sent at one time. 



Revties to Inquiries are earnestly requested from our 

 reiiders. In answering sueh qive the number, your 

 locality and name, the latter not for publication, unless 

 you desire, ii'rile only on one side of the paper. 



.■JIG. Tuberous Tropaealum Treatment. Is it 

 necessary to take up the tubers in fall and store in 

 cellar, or will tubers live in ground during winter? 

 How close to be planted and how deep:- J. Khmer. 



SIT. Easpberriea Ailing. Many of my plants 

 are dead at the root. Last year at fruiting time 

 some of the black caps seemed to be sun scalded 

 and the fruit had a bad taste, but otherwise the 

 plants seemed in good condition. The winter was 

 unusually mild. If diseased I want to take; them 

 out. Constant Rkadeh, Eureka Springs, Ark. 



318. Pruning Baspberries. Should they be 

 pruned as soon as through bearing? Ohio Grower. 



319. List of Shrubs and Hardy Bases. Will you 

 give me lists of these, the latter of the ever-bloom- 

 ing .section, the former of kinds five or six feet high, 

 specifying the sizes respectively. 



330. Hardy Palms, Are there any such which 

 will live through the Northern winters with little or 

 no protection. 



331. Hardy Cactuses. Are there any hardy 

 sorts that are spineless. E. S. L., Clipper, Iowa. 



333. Flower Bed Designs. I take the liberty to 

 ask for some good points in laying out Hower beds. 

 I mean the different shapes. Are patterns made 

 out of boards used? Is there any cheap work 

 giving designs construction, etc.? T. .J. Talley. 



333. Gladioluses in Pots. Will some one with 

 experience, tell a town resident, with very limited 

 facilities for gardening, how to grow these. Eljhu. 



334. Wire Worms in Grapery. Jly grapery 

 reveals numerous wire worms in the soil, and I 

 need a remedy. C. E. L., Ch:veland, Ohio. 



335. Camellias with Yellow Foliage. I have 

 a number of Camellias, the foliage of which has a 

 yellowish look that concerns me, and I very much 

 would like light on their condition, and if it can be 

 remedied. Mrs. P. P. L.. Wheeling, West Va. 



336. Bearing Wood of the Dewberry. Does 

 the fruit grow on last year's wood like in the Grape, 

 or on the present year's, as in the ca.se of the Rasp- 

 berry? Reader 



3'Jr. locality for Fruit Baising and Market- 

 ing. There is no local market for sueh products 

 here to speak of, and any suggestions you could 

 give as to a more profitable locality would be ap- 

 preciated. Would you advise Florida, or El Paso, 

 Texas? T. A. B., Atmena, Kas. 



338. Peas for Seed. Can you tell how these 

 should be raised to be free from the weevil or bug? 



339. Cabbage Seed South. How should this 

 vegetable, and also Cauliflower, be managed to pro- 

 duce seed here in this climate, where the heads do 

 not seem to keep over beyond the maturing. W. 

 L. R., Douglas, <!a. 



3.30. Fall-blooming Hybrid Perpetual Boses. 

 I should esteem it a great favor if you would give 

 me a list or some of the best late summer and au- 

 tunm varieties. A..K.&., Muhunk iMke, N. Y. 



331. Cyclamen Dying. After blooming in the 

 winter my plant died off. Was this proper? What 

 treatment is the best? 



333. Wallflower that does not Flower. I raised 

 it from seed a year last summer and to date it has 

 not bloomed. Does the plant need a large pot? 



3.33. About Ixias, I would be glad for informa- 

 tion concerning these plants, hardiness, time of 

 bloom, treatment, etc. Mrs. R. E.T., ButlerCc, O. 



3:W. Celery Queries. How late can seed be 

 sown for plants for winter use? Can Celery be 

 kept in winter in any other way than in the cellar' 

 E. W. tf.,Sitlell, 111. 



ms. Treating a Neglected Fruit Farm. I 

 bought such a place, with KKi Apple and llXl Peach 

 trees, 1500 (irape-vines. Pears, Cherries. et«.. all in 

 a terrible state of neglect. ISeing a novice I desire 

 to know how best to treat them; also, what manure 

 to apply. I have access to leaf mold, but no other 

 manure. .T. J. L , Frinee William Co., Va. 



33tj. Carnations for Winter Bloom. Plants 

 that have been cut back and repotted this spring, 

 will they need repotting again in the fall? 



.■»7. Eepotting Winter-blooming Plants. 

 Which is the best time for such kinds as Abutilon! 

 Begonia. Heliotrope. Veronicas, etc., spring or fall? 



ass. Buellia Hacrantha Culture. I have had 

 no luck in managing this plant in three times trying; 



