390 



Garden and Forest. 



[OCTOliER lO, 1888. 



Beets, namely Egyptian and Eclipse, now in use, were sown 

 July i8th, and the same sorts, sown July 27th, are also fit for 

 use. But Long Blood Beets sown July 27th are not yet fit for 

 pulling; they need a longer season of growth. 



Water and Musk Melons, Cucumbers and Squashes are now 

 past bearing and should be cleared off the ground. As soon 

 as Corn, Tomatoes and Snap Beans have been bitten by frost, 

 they, too, should be cleared off the ground. Limas are very 

 tender. Where they have been grown thickly together it often 

 happens that while the tops get frozen, many fresh leaves and 

 young Beans along the stems escape unhurt ; in such cases 

 it may be well to let them alone till they are cut down by a 

 more severe frost. 



Celery has grown finely this season ; the recent cold 

 w.eather has suited it exactly, but, until the last week of Sep- 

 tember, we could hardly get dry weather enough to permit 

 the earthing up of the crop, and to bank it up while it is wet 

 causes it to rust and rot. 



Frame crops now demand attention. It is useless to sow 

 Radishes out-of-doors or in cold frames after this time of year. 

 We must raise them in hot-beds or in a green-house. Wood's 

 Early Frame, French Breakfast and Early Red Turnip are capi- 

 tal sorts. Snap Beans, Tomatoes and Cucumbers here have 

 been covered with frames and sashes, and in the event of cold 

 nights, mats or thatch will be spread over the glass. Some 

 earth or manure has been banked up against the frames to 

 help keep them warm. A few weeks hence these frames 

 anfl sashes will be at liberty for use in covering Spinach and 

 Cauliflower. Fill up all spare frames with Lettuces, keeping 

 the large plants in frames by themselves and the small ones 

 by themselves. But be careful at this time of year not to 

 keep frame crops close and warm, else they will perish dur- 

 ing severe weather in winter. A temperature which just 

 escapes frost is the best for large Lettuces, and a few degrees 

 of frost will do no harm to small Lettuces, Parsley or Cabbage 

 plants. IVu'. Falconer. 



Glen Cove, N. Y. 



The Flower Garden. 



T T often happens that after our fTrsf frost some bright, warm 

 -*■ weather comes, and Dahlias bloom out again quite gen- 

 erously. But after tender plants are sharply nipped their par- 

 tially recuperated beauty seldom compensates for their un- 

 gainly appearance, and it is often better to clear them away at 

 once. Bulbous and tuberous rooted plants should be cutover 

 close to the ground, and brought indoors and stored away for 

 the winter, each kind according to its nature. The ordinary 

 Cannas when lifted may be shaken free from earth and stored, 

 one deep, on a shelf or lloor in a dry, frost-proof cellar or 

 shed, or under a green-house bench, but the finer kinds, as 

 Ehemanni, should be placed on a moist earthen Hoor or 

 planted in earth in a green-house or warm frame — anywhere 

 where they may be kept growing. Dahlias may be treated as 

 common Cannas. Montbrietias may be lifted and kept dry 

 over winter after the fashion of other bulbs, but it is better 

 to keep the roots in moist earth, either in pots or bo.xes, or 

 planted out in benches or frames. Green-leaved Caladiums 

 live well enough when wintered in the same way as Dahlias, 

 only it is unsafe to keep them in a temperature lower than 

 45°. Tuberoses should be kept dry and warm ; but Mr. 

 Michels, of St. Louis, has found that the new Albino Tuberose 

 must be kept growing in winter in the same way as Ehe- 

 mann's Canna. Last winter he lost three-fourths of those 

 ne dried off in the usual way. Tigridias should fie tied in 

 bunches and hung m a shed for some days, sometimes weeks, 

 and then the bulbs, with stems stripped off, should be stored 

 on shelves; but in all cases preserve them from frost, also from 

 rats, which are very fond of them. Rats are also very fond of 

 tlie tubers of the fancy-lca\'ed Caladiums. Young Inilbs of Gal- 

 tonia (Hyacinth us) candicans are hardy enough, but old fiulbs rot 

 in the ground in winter. But as lifting and saving them indoors 

 over winter are very little trouble, it is the safer plan to prac- 

 tice. Gladioli should be treated like Tigridias ; but all the 

 bulblets about the base of the large bulbs should be saved. 

 These bulblets, sown next spring in drills about twelve or fif- 

 teen inches apart, and as thick as dwarf Peas, will, most of 

 them, bloom when two years old. Bessera elegans may be re- 

 lieved at once of its leaves and stem and the bullis \vintered 

 in paper Ijags or on shelves. Milla biflora maybe treated in 

 the same way, except that it does not keep as well in a dry 

 state as in slightly moist earth. Of these last two bulbs and o'f 

 Cycloboi/iraflava there is likely to be a scarcity in the market, 

 owing to some trouble at the source of supply in Mexico. 

 hnienc calathina and Amaryllises may be lifted and kept dry 



over winter, or in slightly moist earth or sand; in a tem- 

 perature of over 45°. Tuberous Ipomseas, Erythrina roots 

 and Daturas that have been grown and flowered in sum- 

 mer, mav now be shortened back and kept dry over winter, 

 or, better yet, in moist earth, or laid on an earthen floor. 



G. C. 



Silenes. — Among these are pretty perennials, biennials and 

 annuals ; nearly all are hardy, easy of culture, and excellent 

 plants for the rock-garden. A soil composed of loam, peat 

 and sand is most favorable for their growth. They will not 

 thrive in heavy soil or in the shade. They can be propa- 

 gated by seeds, division or by cuttings. S. acaulis forms a 

 neat evergreen cushion, with white fiowers. S. alpestris 

 grows about six inches high, and its white flowers are borne 

 in abundance. S. ElizabethcE is a rare and beautiful species, 

 rather tender, with large, deep rose-colored flowers. S. 

 Hpokeri has large pink flowers, two inches or more in 

 diameter. Coming from California, it is not hardy here. 5. 

 maritiina,fl. pi., is a very free-flowering, double white variety, 

 like the type in every other way. It is a neat trailer, its hand- 

 some, glaucous-green foliage clothing the stones completely. 

 S. pendula, var. compacta, is the variety so much used in Eng- 

 land for spring beddmg. It is most effective when planted 

 amongst yellow Tulips or blue Hyacinths. 6". Pennsylvattica 

 is a common native, but very pretty species. S. Schcifta flow- 

 ers at a season of the year when all other Silenes are past. A 

 mass of it in the rock-garden here was strikingly beautiful in 

 late August. It is one of the best, and although it winter- 

 killed with me in New Jersey, it proves quite hardy here. The 

 flowers are a lovely pink-purple. 6". I'irginica, the Fire Pink, 

 is one of the most striking, and one of the few hardy plants 

 with clear scarlet flowers. 7". D. Hatfield. 



Wellesley. Mass. 



Rose Cuttings. — It is now claimed that blind wood of Roses, 

 if made into cuttings, will produce equally floriferous plants 

 with those made from flowering shoots of the same varieties, 

 and, judging from some extended tests made bygood growers, 

 this seems to be an established fact. This view is exactly op- 

 posite to that held by many growers in former years, and 

 though contrary to the traditions of the trade, yet it seems to 

 be quite reasonable. When blind shoots are used for this 

 purpose, they should be clean, healthy pieces, such as are "fre- 

 quently produced by Catherine Mermet, The Bride and 

 other varieties during the winter; for, though both of the 

 above-mentioned Roses are very free in regard to bloom, they 

 also make a considerable amount of non-flowering wood in a 

 season, and this growth, when in a healthy condition, makes a 

 desirable addition to the cutting-bench. There are some con- 

 servative growers who still prefer to make cuttings only from 

 shoots which have produced flowers, but it frequently hap- 

 pens that some difficulty is found in procuring enough wood 

 of this class at the time when it is wanted most, and.therefore 

 it is advisable to put in all the healthy wood at command, as 

 weak or sickly plants can easily be discarded if any such are 

 found at the time of planting. And when it is thought desira- 

 ble to have a stock of young Roses for early sales, or for sum- 

 mer use, it will be found best to commence putting in cuttings 

 as soon as they can be obtained in the fall ; for instance, in 

 October or November, or earlier if suitable wood is to be had 

 without injury to the crop, because plants struck at this time, 

 and shifted on as it becomes necessary, will be in good con- 

 dition for early planting the following season. Of course 

 these remarks will be understood to apply especially to Roses 

 of the Tea class, such as are used for forcing. 



Phiiadelphia. ' 'f . ■ 



Gladiolus-flowrered Cannas. — We quote the following from 

 T/u- Garden, London, in addition to what was said last week 

 concerning tliese plants, because we believe they have a most 

 promising future : 



"This very expressive name has been given to a new 

 class of Cannas conspicuous for the beauty of their 

 flowers, which much resemble those of a Gladiolus in 

 form and size. Hitherto, with a few e.xceptions, the Cannas 

 have been grown more for the beauty of their foliage, 

 which imparts to them a very dignified aspect, and is, more- 

 over, quite distinct. L'sually, plants which are grown foi- 

 beauty of foliage alone, do not produce very striking 

 flowers, and it has been so for many years with the Cannas, 

 l)ut these new varieties, which are of French origin, show evi- 

 dence of a rapid and marked improvement, which probably 

 will continue, and we may shortly look for something quite 



