176 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



July, 



^HT 



FROM 

 'THE- 



GLEAMS. 



Give higb culture to 

 j Gooseberries. — -E. A. 

 Brovso7i. 

 A swing ou the Plum 

 tree saved one Michgan man's Fruit from cureulio. 



The Marianna Plum. Mr. D. B. Wier thinks it 

 will be tlip- stock for Cherries. 



The sale of poor seeds affects the future crops 

 as well as the present —W. J. Beal. 



Tightening the tree by firming the soil is the 

 most essential part of the work of planting. 

 — Robert Douglass. 



The White Spruce would have a better reputa- 

 tion were it not that many of the inferior Black 

 Spruce art- palmed off for the White. — Z>. Hill. 



Ill-shaped Sharpless Berries. Mr. G. W. Grant, 

 of Indiana, attributes the monstrously irregular 

 form sometimes seen to imperfect fertilization. 

 Side of Wilson and Downing the fruit comes perfect. 



Grape Hot— Sulphate of Copper Cure. Mr. G. 

 W. Campbell reports to the Dayton Society the suc- 

 cessful experiments of G. M. High, of Middle Bass 

 Island, in using sulphate of copper for this grievous 

 ailment in the Grape. Sixty vines that were affected 

 by mildew and rot on the fith of August had a mix- 

 ture consisting of 1 1-2 pounds of sulphate of copper 

 in three gallons of water, and 4 1-2 pounds of fresh 

 lime in two gallons of water, put together and then 

 applied. Where this mixture wa^; used the foliage 

 was preserved and not a berry rotted or mildewed 

 up to October 1. He was of the opinion that two 

 applications, one late in June and the other a month 

 later, is all that will be required. This remedy, 

 remarked Mr. Campbell, has been successful in 

 France and will doubtless prove fully as effective 

 in this country. 



Sweet Pea Culture, Etc. Joseph H. Woodford 

 said that for Sweet Peas he digs a trench two 

 spades deep and fills in with manure and mixes it 

 with the soil, so as to be two or three inches below 

 the surface. On this he sows the seed, covering it 

 an inch, and when the plants are up drawing more 

 soil on, so that the ground is level when he sticks 

 them . He puts in heavy sticks, as he must to sup- 

 port them. The flowers must be picked every day, 

 or you will not have any late ones. The object of 

 all annual plants is to grow, bloom and perfect their 

 seed, and when they are allowed to do the last, they 

 die and you get no more flowers. The first flowers 

 of the Aster are from the center of the shoots and 

 are very fine, and if you pick these you will get 

 flowers from the side shoots, Pausies are fond of 

 moisture and cool soil, and will bear the highest 

 manuring if the manure is somewhat decomposed. 

 He manures them highly in a trench with the cool- 

 est manure he can get. If very dry he would water 

 with pretty strong liquid manure— not immediately 

 around the plants, but would make holes between 

 them and pour the manure in. He picks them be- 

 cause he wants them, but never lets them mature 

 seed. Mr. Faxon said it Is very necessary to pick 

 the flowers as fast as they bloom. If they make 

 a few seed-pods it is too late to stop them. He 

 recommended the Meteor and Prince of Orange 

 Calendulas — Massachusetts Report. 



Export of Apples— Some Interesting Figures. 

 According to the recent circular of A. C. Lombard's 

 Sons, Boston, the total exports of Apples from the 

 United States and Canada in the years LS86-87 were 

 811,410 barrels. In the year 1885-0 the exports were 

 893,375 barrels, and the year previous the aggregate 

 was 787,785 barrels. The largest exports within 

 eight years were in the year 1880-81, 1,328,806 bar- 

 rels, while during the year 188^-84 the exports 

 fell to 81,532 barrels. During the past year. 



BEl NQ-MATTER-TH AT-DESERVE5' 



•TO-BE -WIDELY-KHOVM- 



1886-87, Boston shipped 306,fi92 barrels of Apples. 

 New York 175,771, Montreal 10(5.703, Portland 102,764. 

 Halifax 97,474 and Annapolis 22,005. The largest 

 weeklj' shipments made during the year 1886-87 

 made from Boston to all points was on Nov. C, I8S6, 

 aggregating 34,353. The largest shipment from 

 New York to all ports was made Oct 23, 1886 and 

 aggregated 16,637 barrels. The largest shipment 

 from Portland, Me., to all ports occured Nov. 27, 

 1886, showing a total of 10,032 barrels. The largest 

 shipments to Liverpool during any one week from 

 all ports was on the week ending Nov. 20, 1886, 

 when 36,527 barrels were received. To Glasgow 

 from all ports the largest weekly receipts occurred 

 on the week ending Nov. G, aggregating 21,030 bar- 

 rels, and to London from all ports the largest re- 

 ceipts occurred on the week ending Dec. 4,1886, 

 aggregating 28,9117 barrels. The season of export 

 for 1886-87 opened Aug. 14 and comprised thirty-six 

 weeks. The season for 1885-86 opened Aug. 20 and 

 comprised thirty -six weeks, and the season of 1884-85 

 opened Aug. 16 and comprised thirty-nine weeks. 



Culture of House Plants. 



[Bi/ Ellen B. Freeman, before the Illinois State 

 Horticultural Society.] 



I know of windows where the beauty and 

 profusion of flowers is the wonder and admira- 

 tion of every person — where Geraniums, Be- 

 gonias, Fuchsias, Primroses, Heliotropes, Bou- 

 vardias, each seem striving to outdo the others. 

 Where lies the secret of success ? It is neither 

 magic nor moonshine, only judgment, experi- 

 ence and faithful care. 



First of all, do not expect plants that have 

 bloomed all summer to keep right on blooming 

 all winter; resist all temptations to lift plants 

 full of flowers from the ground just before 

 frost comes. They are a delusion and a snare 

 in the light of ordinarj' window culture. 



Do not go to a greenhouse and buy large 

 plants in full bloom. Buy small plants, seed- 

 lings or cuttings just well rooted — or, if you 

 wish to get the full enjoyment out of plants, 

 root your own cuttings. It is an easy matter 

 to do this, especially if the slips are only partly 

 severed from the stalk and left to callous over 

 before cutting off completely; then place in a 

 box of mixed earth and sand, kept moist until 

 roots are formed; then set into snmJl pots. 



This should be done in early summer that they 

 may become well established plants before autumn- 

 As they grow, pinch off all blossom buds that ap- 

 pear until nearly time to house for winter. When 

 that time arrives, some way must be contrived to 

 moisten the air — a vessel of water on the stove or 

 tank in the furnace cliamber-and, of course, there 

 must not be too great variation of temperature. A 

 weekly shower bath, will guard against chok- 

 ing the pores with dust and keep them clean and 

 healthy. I have found that a spray from an ato- 

 mizer, or even sprinkling with a little whisk-broom, 

 dipped in water, at night, answers every purpose. 

 Nature moistens her plants with dew at night-fall, 

 not when the sun is shining, 



I have also found this nightly sprinkling one of 

 the best preventives of insects. Insect powder 

 gives the easiest solution that I know of to this 

 question; it may be blown upon the plants with 

 bellows or an atomizer. 



For the watering of house plants no rules can be 

 given, except that they must be watered when they 

 need it, and not oftener. One soon learns by lifting 

 the pots if the earth is dry or not. Always use 

 warm water; it may be quite hot in fact. 



Plants should be repotted whenever the rootlets 

 that reach the pot turn dry and brown, though this 

 may be delayed a long time by the use of liquid 

 stimulants, such as ammonia, copperas, barn-yard 

 fertilizers dissolved in water. A top-dressing of 

 soot often acts like a charm; powdered charcoal 

 mixed with the earth suits some plants, and 

 lime-water has a tendency to destroy earth worms 

 that have found their way among the roots. 



If obliged to confine myself to one class of plants 

 for window culture I would select the flowering 

 Begonias. They bear dry heat, and occasional neg- 



lect, as well as any, and are not liable to the 

 attacks of insects, while the number and va- 

 riety of species is large. Nest to Begonias I 

 would place Geraniums. Everyone knows how 

 endless is the variety of shades and forms of 

 these beautiful flowers. Then the scented, the 

 silver-leaved, the bronze, the ivy-leaved, th© 

 tri-color— a charming array. One can have a gay 

 window without any flowers at all. The list of de- 

 sirable plants is almost endless It comprises in 

 addition to the commonly -called green-house plants 

 many bulbs, and not a few annuals. 



I should never recommend any one to attempt 

 Roses in a sitting-room, and yet I know ladies who 

 keep them in constant bloom. A sunny kitchen 

 window is just the place for them, the steam from 

 cooking furnishing the requisite moisture without 

 too great heat. Roses, Carnations, Camellias, 

 Daphnes and many other greenhouse plants are 

 apt to be not successful. 



If one has only a north window, train an 

 English Ivy up each side and across the top; set a 

 Sword Fern in a hanging basket and on a shelf below 

 set Chinese Primroses. They are beautiful plants, 

 with flowers single, double or fringed, white or of 

 shades ranging from palest pink todeepestcrimson, 

 with a faint, woody fragrance, reminding one of 

 shady ravines, brooks and moss-covered stones. If 

 not content with this, try a Wardian case with Rex 

 Begonia, in winter surrounded by delicate ferns- 

 gathered in some forest ramble— and running up 

 the sides some fine-leaved Lycopodiums. 



The American Nurserymen's Con- 

 vention at Chicago, June I 5- 1 S. 



The annual meeting of the nurserymen 

 brought together nearly 300 members from all 

 parts of the Union. They came for business, 

 and the meeting, notwithstanding the extreme 

 heat, was a great success as a business gather- 

 ing. An excellent programme was carried out, 

 and close interest was shown in the proceedings 

 throughout. The exhibit in the line of horti- 

 cultural wares was larger than usual and did 

 much to round out the success of the meeting. 



Following are the officers for next yeai*: 



Presiiient, C. L. Watrous, Des Moines, la. 



Vice-President, L. G. Bragg, Kalamazoo, Mich. 



Secretary, D. W. Scott, Galena, Ills. 



Treasurer, A. R.Whitney, Franklin Grove. Ills. 



Executive Committee, S. D. Wiflard. Geneva, N. 

 Y. ; Leo. Weltz, Wilmington, 0., and W. C. Emery, 

 Lake City, Minn. 



The next meeting will be held at Detroit, 

 Mich., in June, 1888. 



ABSTRACT OF PRESIDENT WATROUS' APDRKSS. 



President Watrous began b3^ saying that it 

 was extremely gratif3'ing to see so many 

 familiar faces together. He thought that no 

 outlay of the year gave better returns in dollars 

 and cents than the money and time invested in 

 such gatherings. 



Business transacted face to face is much more 

 likely to be so understood as to save future 

 disputes than when done by correspondence. 

 This friendship-producing feature of our meet- 

 ings has ab-eady shown itself to have a value 

 beyond estimation in business relations. 



On these jounieys to the annual meetings, 

 also, if in no other way, will members realize 

 the vast extent of our territor}"", with its infinite 

 diversities of soil and climate, and by observa- 

 tion gather some idea of the importance of that 

 great truth that different soils and climates 

 must needs have different plants and ti*ees. 



He referred to the fact that a new plant is fruited 

 a thousand miles away and we cannot rest without 

 an investment in the wonder, though in nine cases 

 out of ten it may be unprofitable in the new situa- 

 tions. They of the West have spent money and 

 labor in testing trees from the frozen steppes of 

 Russia, where nbne but the hardiest trees and 

 plants may survive. But under different skies and 

 in a different soil these strangers have frequently 

 proven a most woeful disappointment. 



"It seems to me." said Mr. Watrous, "that the 

 most important work of nurserymen to-day is the 

 systematic production of new varieties of fruits 

 and plants by seedling propagation. Our fore- 

 fathers, contenting themselves in the main with 

 seedlings, had the aid of nature in keeping a healthy 

 race of trees and plants. The sickly ones never 

 got as far as the orchard, only the able ones being 

 allowed a chance to propagate their kind. If our 



