176 



Garden and Forest. 



[April 10, i! 



niiiiate or to grow after having started. The importance of 

 niore care in this direction cannot be overstated. Observa- 

 tion and experiment made in planting various seeds at dilTer- 

 ent deptlis show some wonderful results. Take, for instance, 

 Sweet Corn, and in planting several rows, cover from one-half 

 inch in depth to five inches. The first will germinate without 

 a loss of five per cent., while the last will not grow five per 

 cent., and an almost exact ratio will hold between the increased 

 depth and the percentage of failure ; at the same time, the 

 vitality of the plants will vary in the same proportion as the 

 germinating properties. Tlie cause for this difference is, that 

 at the season of Corn-planting sufficient warmth is not found 

 much below the surface. Again, Corn planted at a depth of 

 three or more inches will not make as rapid or healthy growth 

 as when covered only half an inch or one inch, because it 

 makes two sets of roots— surface and underground roots— the 

 one being quite as important as the other. The surface roots 

 form at the first joint, just above the kernel, when it is cov- 

 ered to the depth of three inches ; this joint is below the sur- 

 face, and the plant ceases growth until a new or unnatural 

 joint is formed at the surface of the ground, from which these 

 roots proceed. When Corn is planted in mellow ground 

 the hoe should never be used in covering, the feet being the 

 l.>est implement that can be employed for the purpose. When 

 the Corn is dropped, with the foot scrape sufficient earth over 

 it to cover to the depth of half an inch, then step on the hill in 

 such a manner that it will get the whole weight of the body, 

 and the work wjll be well done. The same rule will apply to 

 the planting of many other seeds. The diameter of a seed is 

 generally the proper depth for its covering when planted. 



Mechanical assistance in planting will often help the germi- 

 nation of seeds, and consequently the growth of plants. If seeds 

 of squash and the like are put in the earth endwise and germ 

 down, they will sprout much sooner and with more certainty. 

 It is true, also, of Lima Beans, that when planted edgewise 

 and eye down they come up more quickly and surely. 



Pertinent to this time and suljject is a word on transplanting, 

 as it shows the importance of firming the soil around the 

 roots of young plants. Last year in Garden and Forest, I 

 gave a few hints on transplanfing, taking the ground that the 

 proper time for this work is in pleasant weather rather than a 

 ramy day. I stated then that plants, when removed from the 

 seed-bed into the position they are to occupy, should be pud- 

 dled in, and that the earth should then be pressed around the 

 roots, after which loose dry earth should be scattered around 

 the plant to prevent evaporation. I never put out plants in 

 any other way, and never lose one ; while plants set in a rainy 

 day often fail, unless the rain is very heavy after transplanting, 

 so that by its own force the earth is thoroughly packed aroun^d 

 the roots. If plants are taken up when the soil is quite dry it 

 drops from the roots without injury ; on the contrary, if wet 

 and heavy it carries away, in parting, many of the fine roots 

 with it, and from this injury the plant is slow to reco\'er. 



But a few days since a gardener from Long Island, thanked 

 me for the article of last year, saying that he followed the in- 

 structions to the letter, put out die plants on a pleasant day 

 without discomfort, and did not lose a single plant, and had 

 the largest and finest crop of cabbage and caulifiowers ever 

 known in that section. His neighl)ors, who waited for a rain, 

 had only half a crop. 



In cases of failure in germination the blame is usually 

 charged upon the seedsman. He is sometimes guilty, but I 

 am convmced that fully ninety per cent, of the failures result 

 from unproper methods of sowing and planting. 

 Garden City, N. Y. C. L. Allen. 



Palms. 



A LITTLE extra care given to this class of plants at this 

 ^ ^ tmie of the year will be well repaid by a more vigorous 

 growth and greatly increased beauty during the remainder of 

 the season. Cleanliness is absolutely essenfial to their welfare 

 at all tunes, Ixit especially now, when careful washing with a 

 sponge will effectually rid the plants of the various insect 

 pests, such as scale in variety,- and mealy-bug, so often found 

 upon them. Thrips and red-spider, though capable of doino- 

 much injury to the foliage, are not often found in quantity 

 when the plants are syringed regularly and thoroughly. By 

 giving this work proper attention now, much labor will l:)e 

 saved later in the season and finer plants secured. There is a 

 difference of opinion as to the best wash to use. Many grow- 

 ers consider "Fir-tree Oil" the most efficacious, but although 

 this is undoubtedly good, it will be found more expensive and 

 also niore likely to injure the tender young foliage than a solu- 

 tion of whale-oil soap. The kerosene emulsion has also been 



tested for this pur]i()se, but needs careful preparation, and its 

 use is also attended with some danger when the mixture is 

 allowed to remain on the foliage for any great length of time. 

 A similar objection holds against the vise of a carl)olic acid 

 solution, although it has proved most effective in some cases. 

 If not already re-potted, this work should be attended to at 

 once, since active root-growth has commenced, and if the 

 ]:>lants are allowed to become very much pot-bound the foliage 

 will soon lose color and become more or less stunted. 



Clean pots should always be used, and they should be well- 

 drained with potsherds, cinders, cliarcoal or some similar sub- 

 stance, because a majority of Palms luxuriate in an abundance 

 of water at the root as well as overhead during the growing 

 season. If any plant should be found with unhealthy roots, 

 the old soil should be shaken out or washed off the roots, and 

 the plant should then be re-potted in as small a pot as possible, 

 care being taken to work the new soil firmly in among the 

 roots. Where a rapid growth is desired, it will be found best 

 to make the compost rather light, by the admixture of about one 

 part of peat to two of loam, and some good sharp sand, witli 

 the addition of one-sixth of the mass of short, \\'ell-rotted 

 stable manure. If the space at liand is somewhat limited, it 

 may be advisalile to merely top-dress some of the larger 

 plants, or to shift into a heavier soil than the above mixture, so 

 tliat the plant will be kept in healthy condition without being 

 encouraged to rapid growth. It will also be found necessary 

 to give a light shading on the Palm-house quite early in the 

 season ; at least on the side exposed to the afternoon sun, 

 otherwise the foliage of some of the more tender varieties 

 may suffer, but it is well to avoid over-shading, particularly 

 where some of the plants are used for house decoration, as 

 the leaves become too delicate for this purpose, and conse- 

 quently are soon disfigured. 



As to general treatment, it may be added that Palms should 

 never be allowed to become very dry, and during the growing 

 season should be watered very freely, niany of the stronger- 

 growing sorts being benefitted by a good watering with liquid 

 manure occasionally. This treatment, combined with a moist 

 atmosphere, plenty of fresh air, and a temperature of sixty to 

 sixty-five degrees' at night, includes the most essential ])oints 

 of culture for those in general use, Ijut is not intended to ap- 

 ply to all species without any qualification, as some of the deli- 

 cate sorts require a special treatment. 



Holmeshmx, Pa. >^- H. Tapltn. 



Orchard Notes. 



North and South Slopes. — There is a wide difference of opin- 

 ion as to the best aspect for fruit. Some contend for northern 

 slopes, some for southern, and both are right. The decision 

 turns upon locality and varieties of fruit. Near large bodies 

 of water late spring frosts seldom do damage. Spring comes 

 on more gradually, evenly, and plants do not start so early. 

 In such localities southern slopes are usually preferable. But 

 away from such bodies of water spring temperatures are com- 

 monly more fluctuating, and plants start relatively earlier. 

 Here northern slopes are usually best, as blossoming is re- 

 tarded. This is particularly the case with early blooming va- 

 rieties. I often hear people remark that in certain years the 

 only peaches they had were on trees standing on the north 

 side of a building. The reason is that these trees had blos- 

 somed late and had escaped late frosts. In many localities 

 late frosts are more to be dreaded than severe winters, and 

 the only successful practice comes from close study of one's 

 individual conditions. 



Atmospheric Drainage.— Cultivators usually overlook the fact 

 that with many crops atmospheric drainage is fully as import- 

 ant as drainage of the earth. Cold air is heavier than warm 

 air, and settles in the hollows. The chief reason why hills 

 and slopes are better for fruit is because the cold air drains 

 off. Hedge-like wind-breaks and natural barriers often ob- 

 struct atmospheric drainage, and late spring frosts and early 

 fall frosts are the result. I have known a hollow to be drained 

 of cold air, by a channel cut through a bank, with remarkable 

 results. 



Grafting Cherries. — A current horticultural journal says diat 

 Cherry-trees are very difficult to graft. I have never found 

 them so. The buds swell early, and the grafting must be done 

 very early, otherwise there is no difficulty. Cherry-tops can be 

 changed as readily as Apple-tops. I often hear it remarked 

 that stone fruits cannot be grafted, but the remark has no 

 foundation. Did not Thomas Andrew Knight give us the 

 practice of root-grafting as the result of experiments upon 

 stone fruits .'' 



