30 



Horticulture. 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



Buy Your Trees at Home. 



As the seasou for planting trees is almost liere we 

 desire to call the attention of our readers to one fact 

 in regard to it ; that is, the buying of the trees. We 

 have in Lancaster county several nurseries. The 

 proprietors of them are all personally known to us. 

 They are honest, reliable men, who have been in the 

 business for years and have a thorough knowledge of 

 everything pertaining to nurseries. They know that 

 a man who purchases trees from them once is very 

 likely to do so again. It is to their interests to sell 

 him young, vigorous trees, and trees that will give 

 satisfaction when they arrive at a bearing condition. 

 They also take particular pains to represent them 

 just as they are when an order is given to them by 

 mail, or when the purchaser is not at the nursery. 

 Evrey tree they sell is an advertisement. If it is all 

 that a man expects it is a good advertisement ; if, on 

 the other hand, it does not turn out as was repre- 

 sented, is smaller, a mistake in the kind, an un- 

 healthy tree, it is a bad advertisement and not a de- 

 sirable one. If these misrepresentations were made 

 by any ef our home nurserymen, for the purpose of 

 making a sale, they would gradually lose their trade. 

 Nearly every season our county is visited by several 

 tree agents, representing some far off nursery, and 

 they generally succeed in selling thousands of dollars 

 worth of trees to our farmers. It is not often they 

 sell two lots of trees to the same party, as in the 

 majority of the cases, when the deliveries of the trees 

 are made a great deal of dissatisfaction is expressed 

 by the purchasers. We do not mean, in our article 

 to cast reflections on the honesty of all nurserymen 

 outside of Lancaster county. There are good men 

 engaged in the business all over our country, and no 

 risk would be run in dealing direct with them, but we 

 think it is much safer for our farmers to deal with 

 home dealers than with agents. If any of them have 

 not the stock on hand you desire they would gladly 

 order for you from any one who would have it. It 

 would not cost the buyer more, and be more satisfac- 

 tory. Again, if the money is given to the home trade 

 it stays in the county instead of leaving it. So, in 

 conclusion, we would again repeat, that if you 'in- 

 tend planting trees this coming spring buy from our 

 home nurserymen, men whom you know and who 

 will do all they are able to do to give you complete 



done this oft^en with the happiest results. The fruit 

 buds form after this, and the operation in suddenly 

 cutting off its growth, produces buds; while he 



wood.'' °'' ^"^^ 'P""° P'""'"^ "■'" P''°^"'^« °°iy 



In pruning ornamental trees in mid-summer the 

 bark instead of receding from the stump, trows 

 over It, and in a few years will completely cover it 

 and make a perfect amputation. We have noticed 

 this upon our own premises, as well as upon those of 

 ?i "•'' ?l"^ ^'T^- T"' P'-"'""^ 's lone when the 

 tree is taking its midsummer "siesta," and then 

 '?»h'° h^' ^'^T''^'! f""- another start, and the bark 



fh.hhf V^ f •''"' """ "'^ '^"""P "^ "■ ashamed of the 

 snaoby looking exposure. 



When the tree is in full leaf, and presents its full 

 should be done in order that while the overgrowth 

 n-eir" '^"'T'^' "',« symmetry of the tree may be 

 preferred. Especially is midsummer pruning to be 

 preferred, first, to produce buds on fruit-b=carin| 

 tiees as before stated ; and second, when large limbs 

 are to be remoyed.-Genmu.lowu Teleiiraph 



Winter Peaches. 

 It sounds strange in Northern ears to hear of 

 peaches ripening the first of November. The editor 

 oUhe Gardeners' Monthly, in the November number 

 of that excellent periodical, speaks of specimens of 

 Harris' Winter, Lady Parham, and Baldwin's La"e 

 peaches (all free stone), just received from a North 

 Carolina correspondent. The Harris is described as 

 a new peach that last year ripened November 1st. 

 (This year it will last until December.) It is frost 

 proof, never fails to bear, has large flowers, is very 

 roductive, and a good keeper, having sometime! 

 been kept until Christmas. Why can not Southern 

 orchardists make fortunes at growing these late 

 peaches for the Northern markets? It seems to us 

 Southern peach orchards in this way mav become as 

 profitable as Florida orange groves."^ Thl peach ha 

 greatly the advantage in that it comes into bearing 

 much earlier than the oranpc. "cauug 



[February, 



petunia 



Floriculture. 



satisfaction. 



The Albemarle Apples. 



The Savannah iVcKis says : Mr. D. G. Purse has re- 

 ceived froin a friend, at Culpepper Court House, 



.'^■.T' *'"\'-'-el of the celebrated Albemarle apples 

 noted for their delicious flavor and for the historica 

 reputation they enjoy. 



When Hon Andrew Stephenson was Minister to 

 Eng and under the administration of President 

 \^cnH,-n '"''''!' ^^ P^<"';"'«J Her Majesty, Queen 

 Victoria, with a barrel of these apples, wh ch are 

 grown eoly in Albemarle county, Virginia. Her 

 Majesty was so much pleased with the fruit, and so 

 much enjoyed their peculiarly delicious flavor, that 

 she had an act of Parliament passed admitting the 

 Albemarle apples into Great Britain forever there- 

 alter Irce of duty. 



We learn that since then large quantities of them 

 are shipped to England every year from the county 

 ,L^ T'V'- '""'.^'''^ ^'S'^'y P"^^'! a°tl command 

 country to England upon which no duty is paid. 

 Those of .Mr. Purse's friends who have sampled some 

 of tiie lot he received express no surprise that Eng- 

 and s Queen should have been so well pleased with 

 them, as their flavor is certainly delicious. They are 

 of medium size and firm. ^ 



Pruning Fruit and Ornamental Trees. 



We read a great deal about the proper time of 

 S!;r?»"f ir'^"' """^ fiP'^^^'ly the apple tree. Some 

 prefer fall, some mid-winter, some early spring • but 

 scarcely one recommends the very best time in our 

 humble opinion-mid.summer. Doubtless some old 

 logics will open their eyes and hold up their hands at 

 such an innovation and denounce it as an absurdity • 

 but we think we will be sustained by a majority of 

 the "live" men of the day. J J ^ 



If we desire to improve the form of a fruit tree and 

 get rid of some of the superfluous wood, we should 

 prune m winter; but if we desire fruit and a per- 

 fectly healed stump, we should prune from the 

 fifteenth of June to the twentieth of July. We have 



Growing Ivy in Rooms. 



Ivy will succeed better in our warm, dry rooms 

 than any other plant, and all that is needed to make 

 it at ractive is the exercise of a little ingenuity in the 

 appliances for its home. A vase, n?t necessarily 

 costly by any means, will answer a good purpose ■ 

 and this reminds us of an excellent idea that we 

 lately noticed in a foreign periodical for growinn- this 

 very plant. Long shoots of the ivy were procured, 

 with the young and tender aerial roots very abun- 

 tben. T''%'"^«^ ends were wrapped in moss, and 

 then some five or six of these were lightly tijd to- 

 gether at the bottom and placed in the vase Fill 



the hnff 'f"'"" ^ *■"•", i"^"""' "*■ ^^^ '°P' ^^^ suspend 

 the ball of moss within. The roots will soon com 

 mence to grow, and afterward the moss should not 

 quite reach the water, as the roots will extend down 

 into it, and prove all sufficient. So many different 

 varieties of ivy are now in cultivation, thatbv select 

 ing kinds that will form a decided contrast in shape 

 and color, the^ effect will be sensibly heightened. 

 The centre of the vase may be filled with cut flowers 

 or grasses, or nothing would look better than ferns 

 The ivy may be allowed to hang down over the sides 

 of the vase in graceful festoons, or else be trained 

 and placed over and around the window It will 

 .".?»£'?"' ''"h' ^' """,' '" strong light as when partly 

 shaded, as the ivy loves shade and an even cool 

 atmosphere. It can be planted in tubs and trained 

 up a stairway, thus forming a mass of green foliage 

 from the hall below to the floor above. A covenieut 

 way to grow a small ivy is to fill a small fish globe 

 with clean ram water, putting in the bottom lome 

 tiny shells and gay-eolored stones for ornament- 



S^f^ K° '■„''* ^ *"P ?J P'""'"'" '^y- ""<' suspend the 

 globe by three small brass chains, which may be 

 bought at any hardware store. This may hang from 

 the window cornice or from the centre of the chande- 

 lier, or in any other place where the light is not too 

 strong. By filling up with fresh water as fast as it 

 evaporates, you may sustain the life of an ivy through 

 t Iree'rt"" "''f ' ^° '■^P'^uishing the water add 

 three drops of ammonia to it.— (?. A. T. in Ohio 



s^een V}"" P''*^"',"'' arrangements for plants we have 



''troj.rs geraniums, pinks, 



asand oUier plants, all as 



bp"lh,uvJ' f °"'" '" =',.S''^-"i-l'ouse. They should 



watered sparingly every second day. On very 'cold 

 niguto newspapers may be placed between the win- 

 dow and the plants, to protect them from frost. 



Flowers for the Table. 



Set flowers on your table-a whole nosegay if you 

 can get >t, or but two or three, or a single" flower-a 

 rose, a pink a daisy, and you have something on 

 your table that reminds you of God's creation, and 

 oives-vou a link with the poets that done it most honor. 



flowers on the morning table are esneciallv snitpfl 

 to them. They look like the happy wakeniiil of the 

 creation ; they bring the perfunre'^^of the breath of 

 nature into your room ; they seem the very repre- 

 sentative and embodiment of the very smile of vour 

 home, the graces of good morrow ; proofs that some 

 intellectual beauties are in ourselves or those about 

 us, some Aurora (if we are so lucky as to have such 

 a companion), helping to strew our life with sweet- 

 ness, or in ourselves some masculine wilderness not 

 unworthy to possess such a companion or unlikely to 

 gam her. — Lenjh Uiinl. 



Smilax. 



Smilax is an exceedingly graceful vine, with 

 glossy, green leaves, and is now more extensively 

 used than any other plant for decorating parlors, the 

 hair, and for trimming dresses. 



With a little care it can be grown successsfully as 

 a house plant. The vine does not require the full sun, 

 but will grow well in a partially shaded situation. It 

 can be trained on a small thread across the window 

 or around the pictures. It is grown from both seeds 

 and bulbs. Pot the bulbs-as soon as received, water- 

 ing but little until you see signs of growth Thev 

 grow very rapidly, and should always have strings 

 to twine on. Give plenty of fresh air, but be careful 

 and not let a direct draught of cold air blow upon 

 the vine, as they are very tender when young Give 

 ' arm place and they will amply repay allcare. 



them a 



Growing Fuschias in Baskets. 

 May is a good time to put young fuschias into 

 baskets, to obtain a good display late in summer and 

 throughout the autu.nu. Varieties of slender habits 

 aie best adapted for the purpose, and if the slioots be 

 kept persistently slopped the plants will f,„ ,u dense 

 bushes, which will co^er the sides and bottom of the 

 basket, and when suspended from the roof of the 

 green-house or conservatory, laden with bloom, they 

 will form striking objects. The flowers, indeed, are 

 shown oil to belter advantage in this ivay than when 

 tlie plants arc grown in | ots and trained in a pyra- 

 midal section. Good, rich loam, plenty of water and 

 timely attention to stopping the shoots, so as to ob- 

 tain a dense, pendulous habit at first, are all the 

 plants require to liring them to a high state of per- 



fection. 



Flower Pots. 



Save the tin fruit cans and convert them into taste- 

 ful flower pots in the following manner ■ With a can 

 (jpener cut off any rough or projectii.g portions of 



wn! Jt"' r°f- '^ °'""''°'^ '■'°' t° P™J<^ct inward. 

 ^y.th a pair of pliers, or a small hammer, bend this 

 iim down. This gives firmness to the top of the can. 

 Punch three or four small holes through the bottom 

 of the can. Then paint it with varnish made of gum 

 sliel ac dissolved in alcohol, and colored with lamp- 

 ^n?.^ ^ T,,^ ""'" ^'^"°"' °<='""''' '° ff'^-e a dark brown 

 H?„^"rJ, i'M^^yJ^'^ ornamented by pasting on 

 them little medallion figures or pictures. Thev are 

 handsomer than the ordinary flower pots, require 

 less watering, and keep the plants free from all 

 insects, owing to the presence of iron rust in the can 



Ampelopsis Vietchii. 

 The common Virginia Creeper is one of the most 

 beautiful and best known of ornamental vines, and 

 its habit of clinging of its own accord to walls and 

 trees renders it particularly us.ful in oruaraenlal (^ar 

 dening. But it is questionable wjifiher the .Japan 

 species A. Vietehii is not a rival to it. It will not, of 

 course, replace it, for each will have lovers of its o'wn 

 for some purpose or other, but slill without any 

 special comparison, it is intrinsically beautiful. We 

 are moved to these remarks by a photograph of the 

 dwelling house of Mayor Conover, of "Geneva, the 

 walls of which are covered by this vine. It must be 

 a beautiful sight when really seen, for the stereoscopic 

 view alone is particularly attractive.— r/if Gardeners^' 

 Monthly. 



Window Plants. 



Were we required to furnish a list often plants for 



window culture during winter our choice would be 



as follows : Rose geranium, zouale geranium varie- 



gated gerainiim, (Mrs. Pollock,! fuchsia, heliotrope, 



ivy aeraiiiums, tradescantia, 



egouia rex. We can hardly 



iiLsh this list, which offers 



ol :j hardy nature, a thrifty 



learanec, vet we would de- 



indering Je 



many var 



nd plea 



lums, the ole- 



sire to add many, as the double gc 



ander, panicura variegatum, cyeli „ „^„ 



rose, etc. Towards spring the collection should be 

 ' ■ Scien- 



FoK the winter all flower borders should have a 

 good covering of stable manure. In the spring the 

 long stuff should be raked off, and the rest forked in. 

 It will not only protect the roots against all inju'-y 

 during the winter, but the plants \vill appear in the 

 spring greatly improved, and the flowers ivill be 

 much more abundant and prove of much higher and 

 greater beauty. 



