1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



165 



At this meeting there was one pleasure trip, 

 that to the Dayton Soldier's Home, a trip that I 

 am sure did more to introduce members to each 

 other and to educate them in various matters 

 pertaining to their calling than any other day 

 of the convention. Here they broke up 

 into little groups and wandered thi'ough the 

 grouiids discussing what they saw, and gain- 

 ing much practical knowledge. 



The same was true of the trip to Mr. 

 Childs' place, and to Wm. P. Dreers', in 

 Philadelphia, last year. The trip to Atlantic 

 City, while full of novelty and pleasure to 

 many, was not of so much practical utility 

 as the others. 



Much dissatisfaction has been expressed 

 in reference to essays and general discus- 

 sions at the Philadelphia meeting, but it 

 seems to me that when we consider all the 

 circumstances : that florists, as a class, have 

 grown up to the business, and that many 

 of them are only slightly educated in the 

 ways of writing or speaking, it is a matter 

 of congratulation that the report is as good 

 as it is. The last day brought a multitude 

 of resolutions and gave an appearance of a 

 vast quantity of unfinished business, but 

 when sifted much of it was really of trifling 

 importance. 



One tiling I was disappointed in at Phil- 

 adelphia, namely, the exhibition. Leaving 

 out the florist's supplies exhibit and the 

 show of Cacti, and there was scarcely any- 

 thing left. If every one of the COO visiting 

 florists had only brought a single specimen 

 plant it would have made a beautiful col- 

 lection, and added greatly to the value of 

 the meeting, and I would suggest that such 

 an e.ifhibit be made a special feature at the 

 Chicago meeting. At the Philadelphia 

 meeting of the American Pomological Socie- 

 ty five years ago there was a magnificent 

 display of pot and cut flowers and quite a 

 collection of floral designs, some being of 

 mammoth proportions, and it struck me as 

 strange that a society exclusively of flor- 

 ists should be so far outdone by one that 

 never discusses flowers. 



until the next spring. Potted plants of the 

 Hollyhock can be usually bought of florists in the 

 spring, a thing very convenient if one has on 

 an}' account neglected to get up stock. 

 From some sections reports are heard of a 



Hollyhocks and Their Culture. 



Among border flowers there is no other 

 class which has such a noble appearance as 

 the Hollyhock when its nature is suited by 

 fair soil and good culture. Neither can 

 a finer or more stately summer flower be 

 named for cutting than this, when it hai> 

 pens to be grown in such abundance that 

 entire shoots may be taken and arranged 

 either by themselves or by intermixing 

 loosely with other flowers and foliage. 

 Such an effect arising from a stalk of fine 

 Hollyhocks being placed singly in an orna- 

 mental vase is shown by our engraving. 

 But even this beautiful picture fails to do 

 justice to the real article from which this 

 was taken. 



In the Hollyhock we find also one of 

 those valuable types of plants that are 

 adapted to the needs of all amateurs who 

 have gardens of suitable soil. Its culture 

 is of the most simple kind. ' Seed of a good 

 strain, such as may be purchased of all 

 first-class seedsmen, may be sown in the 

 open ground at any time from May to July 

 to provide plants for flowering the next 

 year. The plants are hardy. The seeds ger- 

 minate readily if sown in light deep soil that is 

 well enriched, shading the beds with straw or 

 boughs until they come through. When the 

 seedlings have made half a dozen leaves they 

 should be set out where they are to bloom. 



The soil best suited to this plant is one that 

 is deep, rich and underdrained. During the 

 season of growth it should be kept well culti- 

 vated. In wet land the plants are sure to suf- 

 fer from winter killing. In such cases disas- 

 ter may be averted by growing the seedUngs 

 in pots and not planting them out to flower 



fashion: When the flowering season is about 

 over in August cut down the stalks to near 

 the ground; then divide the roots carefully by 

 the aid of a sharp knife, and plant the parts 

 into light, rich soil. Such plants will soon 

 start and will flower the next season. 



Hollyhocks may also be propagated by 

 making cutting of the young stalks in eaily 

 siunmer, cutting them to lengths of half 

 a foot, and inserting these to half their 

 length in sandy soil in a sash-covered frame. 

 The glass of the frame should be shaded 

 lightly, and air be admitted to the cuttings 

 daily. They should be frequently sprinkled 

 from the start. After such are well rooted 

 treat as directed for seedlings. 



A STALK OF HANDSOME HOLLYHOCKS, 

 disease of fungoid nature, which blasts the 

 plants of the Hollyhock. With us this disease 

 is unknown, but observations have convinced 

 us that it is always worst in crowded beds. Our 

 own opinion is that if the plants have a deep, 

 well-worked and well-manured soil that is 

 drained, and they are planted at such a distance 

 apart that the air can circulate among them 

 it will rarely be met. 



The individual plants of Hollyhocks after 

 flowering for two seasons die. But the stock of 

 such may be perpetuated not only by gathering 

 and sowing the seed, but by division after this 



Rotation In Farm Cardeninc 



D. N. LONG, ERIE COUNTY, N. Y. 



Where land is not too limited a rotation 

 of the farm and garden crops has many 

 advantages. By the well-tried system I 

 shall here outline I succeed in getting one 

 heavy crop of Wheat, one of Cabbage, Caul- 

 iflower or Onions, and one each of early or 

 late Potatoes, and one of Rutabagas or 

 Turnips, and Wheat again, all within three 

 years, and with one dressing of manure. 



Commencing with a Wheat crop well 

 seeded to Clover, our practice has been to 

 spread manure directly from the stables 

 on the stubble and Clover during the follow- 

 ing winter, inducing a heavy growth of the 

 Clover to be turned under when about 2 ft. 

 high, and planting the land to late Cabbage 

 or Cauliflower. One-half or less of the usual 

 large amount of manure needed for this 

 crop along with the clover gives as good 

 results as the heavier coat of manm-e would 

 do. Part of this plot is again manm-ed with 

 fine manure after the Cabbage harvest and 

 to be occupied by Onions the next season. 

 The remainder goes to early crops of Beets, 

 Cabbage, Cauliflower, Potatoes or any crop 

 that matures by September 1st. Then the 

 ground is thoroughly cultivated and again 

 sown to Wheat. 



When the land is devoted to Potatoes 

 these are planted in furrows made by 

 setting very wide and about 2 1-2 to o feet 

 apart, thus causing deep furrows and 

 ridges. To have the plow go up on one side 

 of plot anil down on the other till all is 

 ridged makes the best work with not much 

 surface for weeds to start from. The Pota- 

 toes are covered but lightly with a hoe, and 

 by the time they begin to come up all 

 weeds that have started are killed by 

 thoroughly harrowing the gi-ound to level 

 the soil. The Potatoes are duly hilled and 

 as soon afterwards as weeds again start the 

 soil is well tilled, setting the cultivator very 

 narrow, and Rutabagas and Turnips sown 

 between the Potatoes. By Potato digging 

 time the roots are large enough to be culti- 

 vated, the weeds being mostly covered 

 from the Potato ridges. The ground is 

 kept well cultivated and is sown to Wheat 

 while the roots are standing, as is also 

 that cleared from Onions, early Cabbage, 

 etc. The Wheat crop is again seeded to 

 Clover and the rotation already outUned 

 is again repeated. 



A great advantage of such a system is.that 

 the manuring for vegetables fits the soil 

 for Wheat, while the Clover added makes an 

 excellent condition for the vegetables. Weeds 

 that ordinarily interfere with the farm crops 

 are killed by the clean culture of the vegetables 

 and those which are the woi-st in the garden 

 are killed by growing the farm crops. The 

 clover sod not being plowed before June 1st 

 allows seeds in the manure and soil to stai-t 

 before plowing, hence are killed by horse power. 

 It should be said that I have never found the 

 harvesting of the roots any material injury to 

 the Wheat. We have had no Purslane in oiu- 

 Onions to speak of since adopting this method. 



