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Garden and Forest. 



[Number 294. 



Winter Protection of Raspberries and Blackberries. 



IN northern latitudes winter protection is one of the most 

 important points to be looked after in the garden and 

 orchard, and wherever the thermometer falls below zero 

 small fruits should never remain without some cover. The 

 higher the cultivation, the more abundant and succulent the 

 growth, and, therefore, the greater the danger from change 

 of temperature ; for even when plants are not killed, their 

 vitality is weakened and the succeeding crop is impaired. 

 In the last number of the Country Gentleman, Mr. M. A. 

 Thayer, of Wisconsin, gives the following admirable direc- 

 tions for winter preparation in the cold parts of the Union : 



The best winter protection for Blackberries and Raspberries 

 is to lay the plants down and cover them lightly with earth. All 

 old canes and weak new growths should be cut out and burned 

 soon after fruiting, so that nothing is left but strong and 

 vigorous plants. In laying berry plants down where the rows 

 run north and south, commence at the north end and remove 

 the earth from the north side of the hill to about four inches 

 in depth, then gather the branches closely with a wide fork, 

 raising it toward the top of the bush and pressing gently to the 

 north, at the same time placing the foot firmly on the base of 

 the hill and pressing hard toward the north. If the ground is 

 compact, or the bushes old, a second man may use a potato- 

 fork, inserting it deeply close to the south side of the hill and 

 pressing over, slowly bending the bush by turning the root 

 until it is flat on the ground. The bush is then held down with 

 a wide fork until properly covered. The top of the next hill 

 should rest near the base of the first and thus make a contin- 

 uous covering. In the spring the earth can be carefully re- 

 moved with a fork and the bush slowly raised. In mild win- 

 ters hardy varieties are protected sufficiently by laying them 

 down and covering the tips only. Grape-vines, being more 

 flexible, need not have the earth removed near the root. 



Correspondence. 



Lessons of the Drought. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — The extreme south-western corner of Missouri never 

 fails to have a longer or shorter "dry spell" each summer. 

 The little valley in which is my home, walled in as it is by the 

 Ozark Mountains on every side, is a winter and spring para- 

 dise ; but when the vertical sun of midsummer beats down 

 upon us, and the hills to the south and west of us intercept the 

 breeze and the rain-giving clouds, our valley is like a furnace, 

 with the thermometer ranging from 100 to 109 degrees in the 

 shade, and not a drop of rain falling for weeks, or even months 

 sometimes. Usually the wheat crop is out of the way, and the 

 corn in the milk, before dry weather sets in, but the drought 

 is certain to overtake the flower and vegetable gardens while 

 yet in their prime, and usually burns them up. This explains 

 the small gardens and the dearth of cultivated flowers in this 

 section. Our climate is so mild that many half-hardy plants 

 are entirely hardy here, and flowers can be grown in the open 

 air ten months in the year, but very few persons take any in- 

 terest in floriculture. The few old-fashioned plants that are 

 grown are nearly always spring or early-summer blooming 

 sorts, for the old residents believe the late summer too dry for 

 any possible display of flowers. 



This opinion we have never accepted, and since our moving 

 to Oak Lawn, eight years ago, it has been our ambition to se- 

 cure a continuous display of flowers from the time of the first 

 Snowdrop of February to the last Pansy of Christmas, and in 

 this we have succeeded. This season has been the most se- 

 vere test of the eight. From the middle of June until late in 

 September it has been dry, and hot beyond precedent, the 

 thermometer even in late September climbing to over 100 de- 

 grees in the shade. The blades of late-planted Corn have 

 burned into crisp, brown streamers, and in some places have 

 fallen from the stalks like bits of burned paper. The river that 

 in winter and spring is crossed by ferry, is dry in many places. 

 The dry dust blows out of the scorched meadows, and our 

 modest water-works have been pumped completely dry. 



Yet, besides house-plants, pot-shrubbery and a few speci- 

 men plants that have been regularly watered, there are still 

 many plants in bloom in our yard. A walk about the grounds 

 shows representatives of forty-seven different floral families 

 now in bloom, together with plants of ten more families grown 

 for colored foliage or fruit — all these without any watering. 



The list of these is too long to give here, but it includes such 

 sorts of foliage-plants as Eulalia zebrina and variegata, and va- 

 riegated Honeysuckle and Passion-vine and Coieus ; such 

 vines as Clematis Jackmanni, Manettia cordifolia, Solanum 

 jasminoides, Ipomoea, Cyperus and ornamental Gourds ; such 

 bedding-plants as Carnations, Cannas, Nasturtiums, Verbenas, 

 Ageratums, Balsams, Roses and Dahlias ; and such herbace- 

 ous perennials as Helianthus multiflorus plenus, Plumbago 

 Larpentse, Funkia, Double Hollyhock, etc. Some of these 

 give rather small and scattering flowers, but the Cannas, Day- 

 lilies, Verbenas, Roses, Dahlias and others give almost as fine 

 flowers as in a more favorable season, only in less profusion, 

 as a rule. 



To accomplish this we have kept three things steadily in 

 view, (i) We have put our ground in perfect condition for 

 quick and vigorous growth, so that the long plant-roots may 

 penetrate to the subsoil, where they can always obtain some 

 moisture ; (2) our choice of planting stock is largely of those 

 families or species that will stand considerable dry weather 

 without injury. Of more exacting plants we plant no more 

 than we have time and water to care for. This shuts us off 

 from most annuals and many tender bedding-plants, but al- 

 lows us almost unlimited latitude in shrubbery, bulbous and 

 herbaceous perennials and succulents, together with many 

 vines and quite a number of drought-resisting fohage-plants 

 and annuals ; (3) we husband soil-moisture and plant-strength 

 in every way, which means that we mulch everything well, 

 pick off every seed-pod before it has time to form, and give 

 those plants of which we are most doubtful the advantage of 

 shelter from the afternoon sun and the worst drying winds. 

 By this last precaution alone we have had no difficulty in keep- 

 ing a fine display of Dahlias and Balsams, while these same 

 plants bedded out on the south lawn in full exposure to thesun 

 have long since ceased to bloom, and the Balsams have burned 

 up, root and branch. 



We find that closely related varieties of plants often differ 

 widely in their ability to withstand the drought. Out of nearly 

 one hundred Roses, La France, MadameCharles Wood, Wash- 

 ington, Hermosa and Mignonette alone have bloomed con- 

 stantly. Mrs. John Laing, Victor Verdier, Countess of Rose- 

 berry, and several Teas and Polyanthas have given now and 

 then a stray rose, while all the other sorts refuse to give a 

 bloom. Canna robusta is nearly burned up ; C. Ehemanni and 

 C. gladioliflora are rank of foliage, but have ceased to bloom. 

 Crozy's crimson hybrid is fine in leaf, and tries heroically to 

 bloom, but each bud is crisped and brown before it is half-devel- 

 oped. C. Childsii alone is a mass of gay bloom, even more 

 brilliant than it was three months ago, yet these Cannas were 

 all planted side by side ! I sometimes think that florists ought 

 to plant experimental beds of the leading plants, sheltering 

 them from rain, and exposing them to sun, until they have 

 demonstrated which varieties will best endure drought. A re- 

 liable list of that kind would be a great help to their western 

 and southern customers. 



Pineviiie, Mo. Lora S. La Mattce. 



Tuberous Begonias. 



To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir,— I observe that several of your correspondents report 

 failures in their attempt to grow Tuberous Begonias in the sun. 

 I have had a bed of these plants this year, and although the 

 bulbs were small originally and set out too late, and also had 

 the disadvantage of being moved in August, not to speak of 

 being whipped by violent gales, they have, nevertheless, been 

 for a long time bright with flowers, and this, too, in a bed ex- 

 posed to the full glare of the sun the greater part of everyday. 

 I am aware of other beds which are equally successful, and 

 which are not shaded in the slightest degree, and I can hardly 

 imagine finer flowers than those which- are now to be seen in 

 some of those beds of which I speak, 



Hingham, Mass. £■■ J- BouVe. 



The New Forage-plant. 

 To the Editor of Garden and Forest : 



Sir, — There never has been a time when the question of 

 forage-plants did not merit consideration here. Portions of 

 the west have passed through a drought such as we have not 

 had for years. There can be no question that certain of our 

 best forage-plants have suffered seriously and that we shall 

 have a thin stand next year. In Garden and Forest of Sep- 

 tember 20th attention is called to Polygonum SachaUnse, 

 which has received such high praise in Europe. It is certain 

 that this plant will prove valuable in many parts of the United 



