198 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



August, 



The window balcony referred to was tiuite 

 brilliant. Creepers ran up on both sides, such 

 as Ampelopsis Veitchi Vitis purpurea and 

 while Clematises festooned overhead and 

 drooped over the front, and as for other pot 

 plants to be seen, they consisted of India-rub- 

 ber, Sweet Verbenas, Fuchsias, Begonias, 

 Coleus, and the more hardy Pahus. 



So much for a window-garden in one of the 

 finest streets of the most brilliant city in the world. 

 Yet 1 was told that the whole window arrange- 

 ments did not cost $25. This is one of the lessons I 

 would emphasize— bright effects are often owing 

 more to taste than lavish expenditure, and this 

 is characteristic of the French. 



I was subsequently shown an elaborate window 

 arrangement in Oxford Street, London, in which 

 were displayed some rare Orchids— nothing impos- 

 ing, except to the initiated— yet one Cattleya, I was 

 told, was very costly. I mention this by way of 

 contrast, and as characteristic of wealthy London. 



I am not sure if a window-box, noticed in Dubhn, 

 the cost of which must have been merely nominal, 

 wag not as efifective. though it contained no flower- 

 ing plant, its brilliancy being dependent on foliage. 

 Sunk in the box were flno specimens of Coleus, of 

 the richest tints, capable of being lifted readily 

 and taken inside if storms threatened to shatter 

 the soft foliage. Alternately with these were 

 small plants of Berberis, Choisya ternata, variega- 

 ted Aucubas, aud variegated Euonymus; while at 

 each end, like feathery sentinels, waved two hand- 

 some specimens of Acacia lopantha. 



This box. together with the window-sill, were 

 draped with variegated Ivy, and running up from 

 a lower story, and skirting the window sides, were 

 a Sweetwater vine, with brilliant foliage, on the 

 one side, and Passiflora cterulea on the other. This 

 was not far from a brilliant balcony of flowers. 



I have thus given illustrations showing that beau- 

 tiful window effects are not dependent on great 

 wealth, nor on flowering-plants alone. Indeed, a 

 more lasting result can be obtained by combina- 

 tions of leaf foliage of different sorts. 



Equipments. The window-gardener who would 

 succeed in growing to perfection any plant what- 

 ever in red i^ots on the window-sill, in the open air, 

 would deserve a prize. One day's hot sun will 

 roast the roots, if not watered— while a heavy 

 shower will, as a rule, make them water-logged. 

 A box is better, either with soil to put the plants 

 in, or without soil, to drop the pots into In either 

 case, there should be holes to allow the superfluous 

 water to pass away. 



One great advantage in having the plants outside 

 the window of a room, is that Hght and air are not 

 impeded, and a further advantage is that the 

 evaporation from the box or plants, which might 

 be injurious in a room, passes away. As I have 

 stated, windows intended for plants should either 

 be worked by means of pulleys, to move readily up 

 and down, or at least be capable of opening in- 

 wards. Windows only capable of opening out- 

 wards cannot be readily utilized when plants are 

 being tended. An iudispensible requisite, besides 

 the plant box, is some good, loamy soil, not always 

 easy to be had in towns. 



Suitable "Window and Room Plants Too con- 

 stant watering is avoided by planting the edges 

 of boxes etc. with Sedums, or hardy Saxifrages, or 

 Moss What is best to have in boxes is the next 

 question. 



I am not sure if I were limited to one annual 

 that I would not grow Mignonette, which would 

 scent the air all around it until cut off by the frost 

 in December. Variety might be produced by 

 having Asters or Stocks growing through the 

 Mignonette, or the box might be edged with Blue 

 Lobelia, and have Sweet Peas, Canary Creepers, 

 and Pelargoniums of different sorts behind. 



When the annuals begin to decline, at once re- 

 move them— say in September or October— and 

 plant bulbs of various kinds— Crocuse8,Snowdrops, 

 Daffodils, Hyacinths, &c., and a succession will be 

 obtained at a trifling cost the whole year round. 

 This shows how one can be agreeably amused, who 

 may have but a window-sill to grow plants on. 



Indoor, without any forcing arrangements, plants 

 of various kinds can together be had in bloom the 

 whole year round— say Chrysanthemums and late 

 Fuchsias during October and November; early 

 Hyacinths and Lily of the Valley at Christmas; 

 Daffodils and Dielytra, and the beautiful Nile Lily 

 —best of all room-plants— during the spring months ; 

 Pelargoniums, Tea and Perpetual Roses, with 

 Fuchsias and Japanese and American Lilies- capi- 

 tal window-plants^during summer; while, for 

 variety, many of the fine-foliaged plants, such as 

 Yuccas, Aloes, Aspidistras, Grevillea robusta, 



several Palms— such as Phrenix sylvestris and P. 

 reclinata, Chama?rops expelsa, and C. Fortunet— 

 with proper treatment, will last healthy for years 

 In fact any plant with fleshy or coriaceous foliage 

 will stand well the dry atmosphere of rooms. 

 Generally, small pots are to be preferred. 



Some one member of the family should take 

 charge of the p'ants. Sponging or syringing the 

 foliage is most desirable; aud, lastly, water should 

 not remain in saucers, with the one exception— 

 that of the Musk plant. 



The Life of an Apple Tree. 



[Abstract of paper by Charles Teubner before 

 Missouri State Horticultural Society.] 



A prominent horticulturist has said that an 

 Apple tree was of little profit after its twenty- 

 fifth year. But I have seen abundant eyidence 

 that such need not be the case, and that we can 

 add years of usefulness to this, our king of fruits. 



Causes of Shortened Life. 1st. Poor or ex- 

 hausted soil, or such as does not afford proper 

 drainage. — 2d. Overbearing. — .'5d. Allowing the 

 trees to stand for years in the sod. — 1th. Omit- 

 ting to replace by artificial means, the fertility 

 which crops of fruit draw out. — 5th. The want 

 of sufficient moisture during droughts. In 

 short, it is the enfeebled condition into which it 

 is forced that causes the tree to die prematurely. 



Some secondary causes of decay are injury 

 by borers, rabbits, mice, cattle and sheep, the 

 plowshare and doubletree, heavy pruning, and 

 the sowing of grain among young trees. 



In order to give trees a longer lease of life, 

 we must hold the following points in view: 



A Rich, Deep, Well-Drained Soil. In 1847-8 

 my father planted some fifty acres to orchard, 

 mostly of Apple trees. About one third were 

 planted on the fiattened ridge of a hill, one- 

 third on the eastern side of it, and the other 

 third at the foot. In from twenty to twenty- 

 five years the trees on the side of the hill 

 gradually died off, those on the ridge soon 

 following ; but those on the lower ground stood 

 for years after the others were gone. The 

 reason for this was obvious. While the trees 

 on the hillside and ridge were being deprived 

 of the rich layers of top soil by rains and melt- 

 ing snows, those on the lower level not only 

 retained most of the original soil, but received 

 valuable additions. Some of the same varieties 

 which stood on the lower ground were also dis- 

 tributed on the side and ridge. 



It is a serious mistake to plant Apple trees on 

 poor soil. Nor should it be so steep that the best 

 soil is soon washed away. 



For Strong Constitution, build up from the 

 start. All planters of experience agree that young 

 trees start off quicker than the old ones, become 

 better established, and will live longer. Rich soil 

 aud cultivation will not only make the tree thrifty 

 and strong, but it also tends to save it from the 

 injury due to over-bearing. 



In thus building up. the tree will require some 

 longer to come into bearing, but to the gain of the 

 future. Trees which naturally come late into bear- 

 ing, are strong and robust growers (probably be- 

 cause of this), as for instance the Yellow Bell 

 rtower. Northern Spy, Large Romanite and others. 

 These outhve by from ten to twenty years such 

 early bearers as the Wine,sap,Ben Davis, andthelike- 



Over-bearing of Young Trees. By this many 

 are irreparably injured. IManj' planters are so 

 afflicted with the early nickel in their eye, that 

 they sacrifice the prospective dollar. Trees just 

 coming into bearing should lie carefully watched, 

 and if the crop forming is too large for their 

 strength, evil should be averted by thinning. 



Nourishment. When the soil is not sufficiently 

 rich it should be made so by applying fertilizers, or 

 clover plowed under. For strengthening and reno- 

 vating Apple trees, wood ashes are the true elixir 

 of Apple-tree life. Nothing is so deleterious as 

 grain, while long-continued grass-sod comes in 

 second. These drain the moisture just when trees 

 most need it After a few years of cultivation 

 clover may be sown to advantage, the first crop be 

 used as mulch, and the second crop plowed under. 



Sfulching is a prime factor in keeping a tree at 

 a vigorous, healthy growth. Enriching the orchard 

 soil with manure is with many an impossibility, 

 but a mulch to a great extent answers the same 

 piupose, It retains moisture, and the tree will 

 flourish, even in a moderate soil. We have proofs 



of this in rainy seasons when crops flourish in even 

 ordinary soils. For this purpose, straw, corn stalks, 

 grass, and even weeds, or as mentioned, clover, 

 cut in the orchard, is near and easily supplied. 



An example of the value of mulching: In my 

 yard is a Ben Davis, twelve years old, from the 

 body of which the bark was gnawed several years 

 ago. by mules, to such an extent that I considered 

 the tree past all redemption. It never bore, and 

 the limbs on the injured side (almost one-third of 

 the tree), were in a dying condition. Last winter I 

 piled our stove-wood all around it, four or five feet 

 high, and to a radius of six or seven feet. The 

 fruit set, and kept on growing on the sound limbs, 

 which showed a considerable improvement in 

 growth, and even the diseased limbs showed signs 

 of life. The improvement continued all summer 

 in spite of drought, and the tree ripened one-and-a- 

 half bushels of fruit. It would have died in a year 

 but for the mulching. 



A word of caution to the inexperienced: Never 

 apply mulch close to the tree; under cover of it 

 mice will girdle them, old or young, like a rabbit. 

 Besides, the fibrous roots or feeders are farther 

 from the trunk. To get the best results mulch with 

 a lavish hand, especially on poor soil. It should 

 extend out beyond the extremities of the limbs, 

 leaving an open space around the trunk from two 

 to three feet or more in diameter. 



PREPARED FROM DIARY NOTES BY CHAS E. PARKELL, 

 IjirEENS, N. Y. 



HOUSE PLANTS. 



Abutilons. Turn the pots occasionally to prevent 

 rooting through into thf- plunging earth. 



AUamandas tlowering freely should be given 

 liquid manure at times. Cuttings of the half- 

 ripened wood will now root readily. 



Begonias. Flowering ones to be shifted into lar- 

 ger pots, neatly staking as required. 



Callas can now be started up. They do not want 

 too large pots. I>rain well. 



Chrysanthemums. Oive liquid manure now 

 once a week. Stake as required. 



Geraniums. For winter treat as for Abutilons. 

 The fragrant varieties should be kept pinched for 

 nice bushy specimens. 



Ivy Geraniums. Old plants to be lifted should 

 be cut back; then as growth starts place in 

 rather small pots. Young plants to be shifted up 

 for rapid growth. 



Lemon and Orange trees, will be greatly bene- 

 fited if their leaves and stems are occasionally 

 sponged with soapy water. Repot if necessary. 



Mahernia odorata should be repotted about the 

 middle of the month. Keep the young plants 

 growing rapidly. 



Palms, Repot as required. Sponge off the 

 leaves occasionally, seeing that the young ones re- 

 ceive no injury. Keep well watered. 



FLOWER GARDENS AND LAWNS. 



Ageratums for winter flowers to be cut back. 



Asters. Tie neatly to stakes and stir the ground 

 between them often. 



Climbing Vines require training so long as there 

 is space to be covered by them. 



Climbing Soses.- Prune away the superfluous 

 shoots, tying the remaining ones neatly up. 



Coleus and other like foliage plants to be fre- 

 quently pinche^i back for the inducing of compact- 

 ness and shape. Young plants for wintering over 

 now to be propagated. 



Dahlias. Keep them tied to stakes. For fine 

 flowers some of the branches should be removed. 

 Allow but one main shoot to a plant. 



Euphorbia jacquinaeflora should be repotted 

 early in this month, and strong shoots be pinched 

 back for inducing bushiness. 



Everlasting Flowers for winter use should be 

 gathered before fully expanded, tied in small 

 bunches, and these hung, with heads down, in a 

 dry, shady situation. 



