1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



195 



bread-orunibs. In return for this favor, tliey here- 

 by engag:e, as soon as the warm weather returns, 

 to wape unrelenting war against destructive insects 

 of every variety." 



ThLs pathetic advertisement was very generally 

 answered, and the birds of Geneva fared very well 

 as long as the snow lasted tliat season. 



A FRINGED DOUBLE PETUNIA. 



"The Propagation of Plants." No more wel- 

 come book for the plant and tree grower has 

 appeared in many years than Mr. Andrew S. 

 Fuller's new work on propagation, recently issued 

 by the O. Judd Co., of New York. Besides treat- 

 ing elaborately of the practical side of the question 

 it also takes up the principles which govern de- 

 velopment and growth, the botanical aftinities of 

 plants, crossing, hybridizing, etc. A large part of 

 the book is devoted to the subject of suitable stocks 

 on which to work, and the special methods for 

 working hundreds of different hardy and tender 

 plants, bulbs, shrubs, ornamental and fruit trees. 

 It is a book which should prove alike interesting 

 and valuable to the amateur and the nurseryman. 

 It is scientific without being dull to the common 

 reader. It is practical as coming from an emi- 

 nently practical cultivator. A volume of 349 pages 

 containing 113 engravings, and sold at $1.50. It 

 may be ordered through this office. 



Petunias in the Window. These plants are not 

 seen among winter collections as often as their 

 merits for the purpose deserve. They may be grown 

 (iuickly, and with little care. Seeds that are sown 

 this month make good plants for the coining win- 

 ter. The plants should be brought along for occu- 

 pying about six-inch pots by November 1st. As 

 to form of growth, winter Petunias may be trained 

 over a trellis, be given a position on a bracket to 

 droop, or may be kept pinched for inducing a 

 compact, stocky growth. We recall one plant of 

 a single majenta-colored sort, started in the fall 

 and grown over a trellis, that by the next February 

 pretty nearly filled one window, and at a cer- 

 tain counting showed as many as UK) flowers. < )nly 

 ordinary care was given in the way of keeping the 

 soil moderately moist, and to remove all blossoms 

 as they began to fade. For freedom of bloom the 

 single varieties excel the doubles in the window, 

 but with a fair degree of care even the latter may 

 be relied upon to give excellent satisfaction. 



Double Glazing. The instances where a tine ad- 

 vantage would be found in double glazing com- 

 mercial as well as private glass structures are 

 not few. It is especially adapted to all lean-to or 

 other houses facing south, as here, aside from 

 other gains, the effect of the light passing through 

 two thicknesses of glass is an ameliorating one, of 

 advantage to plant life. In the case of houses the 

 roofs of which face east and west, we are less 

 sanguine in recommending this method, for here 

 the dertection of the sun's rays may cause too little 

 light and sun-heat. The advantages of the double 

 glazing in the many Instances where applicable, 

 are as follows : A great saving of fuel, amounting 

 to 50 per cent., or upwards ; greater uniformity of 

 temperature, with scarcely any risk from sudden 

 changes or extreme eold ; easier management; the 

 necessity of mats and other outside shutters obvi- 



ated, and lastly, but not leaat, the almost complete 

 avoidance of frozen moisture on the glass, and of 

 the consequent troublesome roof-drip. The man- 

 ner of cutting the bars for double glazing is shown 

 in the cut on preceeding page, the space between 

 the glass being two inches. The outer surface of 

 glass is laid in the ordinary niauner, bedding 

 in putty, the inner is simply slipped loosely 

 into the groove, pane to pane, with no over- 

 lapping. The saving of fuel in one winter 

 should almost pay the extra expense for the 

 improvement. l»ouble glazing is of special 

 value also for sash to be used in covering 

 plant pits and winter frames. 



Summer Pinching of Fruit Trees. The 



pinching of young growing shoots has well 

 been called anticipated pruning. Not only in 

 this way may heavy cutting be obviated, but 

 by taking the work in hand in good season 

 nutriment and growth may be directed into 

 proper branches instead of into superfluous 

 ones, with a gain over winter pruning both 

 in form and earlier fruitage. One of the most 

 common eases in which summer pinching 

 may well serve is where on leading shoots 

 numerous buds start up below the terminal 

 one, and these, if not pinched, acquire so 

 much vigor as to injure the leaders, produc- 

 ing bad shaped branches. In such cases the 

 side shoots should be pinched as soon as 

 they begin to show a tendency to outgrow 

 the leader. Other instances where pinching 

 is demanded is in case of shoots starting up 

 well back on the branch, and here, if not 

 prevented, taking up sap enough to cause 

 strong growth where not needed at the ex- 

 pense of needed growth elsewhere throughout 

 the branch. All such should be pinched out 

 before much growth has been made. Where 

 the gain for fruitfulness by summer pinching 

 comes in is through concentrating the sap in the 

 remaining part of the shoot or tree, giving greater 

 vigor and strength. The term summer pinching, 

 implies the performance of the act at a time when 

 the growth is yet so soft as to yield to the pressure 

 of thumb and finger. That the place of severing a 

 shoot should, unlike in knife pruning, be somewhat 

 bruised is of no consequence; it thus serves as a 

 greater check if anything. No set time can be laid 

 down in which to pinch the growth; the right way 

 being to be continually on the watch, pinching as 

 its need is apparent, be the season earlier or later. 

 This much may be said: more or less of it is in 

 order at all times of active growth. The principles 

 governing the summer pruning of fruit trees are 

 equally applicable to ornamental trees and shrubs. 



The Use of Summer Flowers About 

 New York. 



Most of our fashionable florists have out-of-town 

 establishments, where they betake themselves at 

 this season, when their chief patrons make their 

 annual hegira to the summer resorts. So, during 

 the warm weather, we must look to these places 

 for our novelties. 



Some charming effects are to be seen in Lilies. 

 The ordinary Pond Lily is to be seen everywhere 

 on the street, in stiff little bunches, tied up with 

 hardy Ferns, and in the florist's stores, made up in 

 every eccentrically beautiful style the florist's in- 

 genuity can suggest. All these 

 summer flowers must be put 

 up in artistic disorder; stiff- 

 ness of arrangement is ruin- 

 ous to them. And great care 

 must be taken, if the designer 

 is bold enough to mix green- 

 house flowers with them. 



Pond Lilies are at their best 

 when loosely arranged with 

 light Sedges and Grasses, or 

 other aquatic plants. Fill a 

 flaring basket of bronzy -green 

 Rushes with these simple ma- 

 terials, and you have a gift 

 fit for Undine herself. 



Some of the other Nym- 

 phseas are used effectively by those fortunate 

 enough to possess them. The beautiful rose-pink 

 Devoniensis and the blue Zanzibar Lily are ad- 

 mirable, and the beautiful K;jyptian Lotus {Nelum 

 biuin sptciosum) always attracts by its legendary 

 glamor, ag well as its beauty. 



At the summer resorts, woodland flowers, put up 

 in odd styles, are popular. During the warm 

 weather the street vendors sell corsage boujjuets 

 of Roses all over the eity, espeeially Jacks, so Miss 

 Flora MacFliuisey rather looks down upon them. 



Big bundles of Corn Flowers, Sweet Peas, or a 

 combination of Clover and ('orn Flowers find favor 

 because of their rusticity. Hand Iwuquets are still 

 the loose nosegays, such as were carried last 

 winter. The only variation in shape is when they 

 are carried during a drive; for this purpose they 

 are flattened on one side, for the convenience of 

 laying upon the lap. 



One very pretty country wedding recently made 

 a charming display of wild flowers. The church 

 was simply decorated, and outside was an arch of 

 wild flowers, under which the bridal party passed. 

 The bride's eountry home was a perfect bower 

 of wild flowers, and the bride and her maids wore 

 garnitures of Pond Lilies and fleUI flowers. 



Our florists are so often called upon to decorate 

 the staterooms of ocean steamers that they are 

 studying effects in these somewhat cramped quar- 

 ters. The decoration of boudoir cars and Pull- 

 mans is another branch that brings grist to the 

 horticultural mill. The dining cars are very pret- 

 tily decorated now. It is rather a nice idea, too, 

 followed in some New York i-afes, to pass bouton- 

 niers to all the guests dining at the table d'hote. 



Flower baskets are not specially novel in shape, 

 though novelties in materiiil are constantly intro- 

 duced. Nor is there anything very new in designs. 

 One beautiful and rather novel design was recently 

 figured in the American Florist; it was a large 

 standing crescent wreath of Roses, with a lyre ar- 

 ranged within its circumference. 



Funeral designs are hardly so much in demand 

 as less stiff and formal arrangements. Sometimes 

 the casket is draped and garlanded with flowers, or 

 a single exquisite design is laid against it. Great 

 skill and taste is displayed in the arrangement of 

 the garlands used in this work. Colored flowers 

 are very largely used, except at the funerals of 

 children, where white is preferred. All througli 

 the summer months Palsies have been much used 

 for draping children's coffins. 



We are told that it is becoming customary to 

 decorate the room in which the cotliu is laid pre- 

 vious to interment. It is certainly a very beautiful 

 idea. Instead of merely draping the mirror it is 

 entirely covered with flowei-s; an iesthetic form of 

 the old custom, still followed in most parts of Eng- 

 land, of keeping the mirrors covered so long as 

 there is death in the house. 



The sweet girl graduates have been adding to 

 the florist's revenues of late. In addition to bou- 

 (.luets and designs, they have used flowers largely 

 in garnishing their gowns. But natural flowers, 

 tbough charming, do not keep their freshness long 

 enough to be thoroughly satisfactory in such use. 



Let us add that the best way we know of for 

 keeinng cut flowers or foliage as long as possible 

 in a fresh state when not in use is to roll them up 

 in damp paper. Even vase flowers In rooms, unless 

 they are very fragile, may thus be wrapped up in 

 paper and their usefulness longer extended. 



Some very fine work is displayed in the floral 

 rugs used as wall decoration; fre<iuently an ori- 

 ental pattern is followed with curious exactitude. 

 For this fine level work flowers that work in 

 smoothly must be used. Panrties are very desirable 

 for such work. Fine shaded effects are produced. 



Carnations seem to be regaining something of 

 their old-time popular! tyT They are used con- 

 siderably in fine work, and in corsage bunches they 

 are specially desirable when travelling, through 



OPEN 



liouquet Fastenerti for the Dress, referred to in our July 

 New York tetter. 

 their keeping (lualities. The new ones are, as a 

 rule, very fine; there are many novel shades 

 among them. Our old friend Buttercup is a great 

 favorite; in harmonies of yellow it combines pret- 

 tily with Perle Roses or Yellow (Jenista. Prince of 

 Orange is a deeper Carnation, very effective. Of 

 scarlets, perhaps K I i. Hill Is one of the best. Next 

 winter we expect to see a witler range of choice in 

 cut flowers, since we are permitted to leave tlie 

 old rut, wherein little was allowed but Rosea and 

 Carnations. Ehily Louisb Taflin. 



