April lo. 1895. J 



Garden and Forest. 



147 



year. We find it better to fertilize in spring tlian later in tlie 

 season, for later applications have a tendency to produce fall 

 growth that does not mature well, and often gets killed by 

 frost. Besides this, the soluble parts of the chemicals, if ap- 

 plied late in the season, will leach out and wash away after 

 growth is over, while if put on in spring we get its full value 

 in the growth of the plants. Barnyard manures are good for 

 new plantings of Roses, and would be good as a mulch all 

 summer, but where it must be dug in to hide it, we prefer the 

 commercial fertilizers, and avoid disturbing the roots of the 

 Roses as much as possible. 



Flowering shrubs need attention at this time ; some need 

 pruning back hard, like Hydrangea paniculata, to get good 

 results. We find that this is one of the few shrubs that must 

 be pruned back to a certain distance every year and all weak 

 shoots cut out, and then strong flower-shoots come away ; 

 even these are sometimes reduced when too numerous. 

 Nearly all flowering shrubs, however, are best not cut back 

 in this way, or we sacrifice the growth that is to flower later. 

 It is better to prune after the flowering period, if necessary, in 

 all shrubs that flower in early summer. It is painful to see so 

 often in suburban gardens, where the hired man has been 

 round with the knife and reduced all the deciduous shrubs to 

 a regular, or irregular, shape, regardless of the nature of the 

 subject or of the possibilities as to bloom later. Deutzias, 

 Syringas, Pyrus, Wiegelias, Chionanthus and Rhus cotinus are 

 served alike, and the owners go on expecting some day to see 

 a beautiful flowering shrub such as they see in the lists of tree 

 agents. 



One of the first things to attend to in spring is to reduce 

 within reasonable limits such perennial plants as have a habit 

 of taking up more room than is allotted to them. There are 

 many good plants that offend in this way, and would soon over- 

 run the garden if left a year or two. Helianthus rigidus, Mo- 

 narda didyma, Achillea serrata and its variety, the Pearl ; some 

 of the Spiraeas, as S.lobata and S palmata ; most of the peren- 

 nial Asters and Golden-rods, Boltonias, and some of the Core- 

 opses, such as C. tripteris and C. verticillata — these, and many 

 others which reproduce themselves too freely from seed, must 

 be taken out remorselessly, or other plants of more value will 

 be choked out before the summer is over, and too late to 

 remedy the matter. We have often lost rare plants, not so 

 much on account of their inherent weakness as because of the 

 vigor of their companions. It is the old story over again, sim- 

 ply the survival of the stoutest. 



As soon as the soil is in a fit condition to work freely the 

 Pansies will be planted out in the flower garden, and in the 

 mean time they are being kept as cool as possible to prevent 

 the too early bloom that sometimes comes in the frames. The 

 first crop is always the best, and we like to have this in the 

 open ground, and to this end we cover our Pansies in fall 

 with shutters and not sash, no leaves or straw is necessary, for 

 this makes a fine harbor for mice, and when these shutters 

 are taken off at the end of March the plants are in the best 

 order to transplant in the middle of April, and will stand all the 

 cold we get after this time. Last year we had snow on tliem 

 for several days in the beds, but it did not hurt them a particle. 

 We like to plant Pansies along the margin of the Rose beds ; 

 they do well in this rich soil where it is cool and moist ; they 

 are past about the time the Roses need to be cleaned up after 

 flowering, and can then be cleared away. We have also a bed 

 of Pansies by themselves each season, and too much cannot 

 be said of these beautiful strains that are now offered at such 

 reasonable rates, more especially those strains that are of 

 French origin, Bugnots and Cassiers, and those known as the 

 Parisian and Trimardeau are the highest development to 

 which the Pansy need be brought. 



South Lancaster, Mass. E. O. Or pet. 



'X'HE work of cleaning up the flower garden after a long 

 -'■ winter requires a good deal of care, and only experienced 

 persons should be intrusted with the work. The customary 

 practice of digging over the borders is a bad one, for, no mat- 

 ter how careful we may be, many plants just starting into 

 growth will be injured. To put a spade or a fork into a clump 

 of Narcissus and lift it partly out of the ground, as is often 

 done, before it is seen, does incalculable harm, as growth with 

 these, and all spring-flowering bulbs, commences in early 

 autumn. Roots destroyed now will not be renewed this sea- 

 son. So it is with Paeonies, Delphiniums and all other plants 

 not directly in sight. We find it better to put a mulch on in 

 the autumn, and clear only the loose litter off in spring, break- 

 ing the soil only in places where renewals are to be made. A 

 general overhauling, a replanting, and dividing of clumps 

 which have grown too large, every three or four years will be 

 often enough. 



A few days ago I was sorry to see a lot of Spirsa Thun- 

 bergii and S. Van Houttei clipped " into shape." All flowering 

 wood was cut away. Treated thus, I tried to think what splen- 

 did hedge-plants they would make. Those who can get over 

 the idea of mutilation should give them a trial. No spring- 

 flowering shrubs should be pruned in spring-time more 

 than to cut out dead or weak shoots, or any that mar their 

 graceful symmetry of form. Bushes of Rosa rugosa getting 

 too tall, as they will when in masses, might be cut back. 

 These will fill up the breaks quickly, and flower well by the 

 autumn, but it is hard to make up one's mind to do this'with 

 such a charming and deliciously scented Rose, especially as it 

 blooms so early. 



We find sound wood of Clematis paniculata from ten to 

 twelve feet above the ground, but consider it better to trim it 

 back to within six feet. We also cut out weak shoots, and 

 leave only a spread of the strongest. As it is a rapid-grow- 

 ing climber, it quickly covers a large space, and we have the 

 trellis uniformly covered, where we would have only a con- 

 gestion of growth at the top if it was left unpruned. Last sea- 

 son we worked in three or four pounds of commercial fertilizer 

 about four feet away from the plants, and were rewarded by 

 the most luxuriant growth ever made. One plant covered 

 over three hundred square feet, and grew to the height of fif- 

 teen feet. When pruning the Chinese Wistaria, after it has 

 made all the growth needed, we should select for cutting the 

 long whitish spinous growths, and leave the shorter-jointed, 

 darker-colored wood, which only produce flowers. It is im- 

 portant to make this distinction between ordinary running 

 growths and flowering wood, as many amateurs make the mis- 

 take of cutting the latter out. Autumn-flowering shrubs gen- 

 erally bloom on the current year's growth, and may be safely 

 pruned back if getting out of shape or straggly, as will happen 

 in the case of the Rose of Sharon, Hibiscus Synacus. Hy- 

 drangea paniculata grandiflora is another well-known shrub 

 which can be cut back in spring to within two or three eyes 

 of the old wood. 



It is too early yet to overhaul the rock garden, but as soon 

 as possible we shall clear up all dead matter and top-dress 

 with a mixture of loam and lawn fertilizer. We use this in 

 preference to common barnyard manure, which is usuallv 

 full of weed seeds. Some plants will be dead, and against 

 such a misfortune we make a sowing of new or selected kinds 

 every year. Now is a good time to sow seeds of perennials 

 and hardy annuals. Cold frames are best suited for this pur- 

 pose. They are to be preferred to outside culture for the 

 majority of kinds. Better attention is given in the matter of 

 watering and shading when we have them under our eyes, so 

 to speak. Sweet Peas ought to be sown as soon as the ground 

 can be worked. It is not open here yet. Trenches such as we 

 use for Celery do very well. This gives us a good chance to 

 water thoroughly during dry weather. No plants suffer more 

 from drought and more quickly go out of bloom if neglected. 

 Gladiolus, Crocosmias, Tritonias, Millas. Galtonias, Amaryllis 

 and other summer-blooming bulbs should be planted as early 

 as possible, and the sooner hardy plants of all kinds are put 

 out the better, so as to get them well established before the dry 

 hot weather comes. 



Wellesley, Mass. T. D. Hatfield. 



Nicotiana affinis. 



"JVJICOTIANA AFFINIS is a hardy annual now well known 

 -'-^ in gardens. It grows very vigorously in ordinary soil, at- 

 taining a height of three or four feet, and has strong thick roots. 

 It produces rather thin dark green leaves, which decrease in 

 size from the base upward. It produces in abundance tall 

 flowering stems with numerous flowers borne on these at in- 

 tervals of several inches. These flowers have long narrow- 

 tubes with spreading five-lobed corollas. The three upper 

 lobes are crimped backward to the tubes, giving a unique 

 character to the bloom, which is pure white, with a tinge of 

 light green in the tube. Once grown in the garden it usually 

 propagates itself by self-sown seeds, and these furnish often 

 young plants in the late year, which will survive moderate 

 winters. The mos<annoying limitation of N. affinis is that in 

 the borders in summer the flowers open in the late afternoon 

 and close in the morning, and the plants in midday are not 

 attractive. Lately I have found that this plant is an excellent 

 species for the conservatory and cool greenhouse, when at this 

 time the flowers, curiously enough, do not close in the day- 

 time, so that the plants are continuously attractive and scent 

 the house with a delicate fragrance. As cut flowers they are 

 also useful, and last three or four days perfectly in a warm 

 room. Cut with long stems they have an informal look, and 

 are very effective. They grow readily in a solid bed, and are 



