438 



Garden and Forest. 



[NovEMriF.R 7, i8S8. 



is the best stock for Tsi/ga Sieholdii ahd toi" varieties of T. 

 Canadensis. For tlie Retinosporas, Lawson's Cypress and 

 other species of Cliamsecyparis, together with Libocedrus de- 

 curreiis, tiie common Arbor Vitae, and tlie Wliite Swamp 

 Cedar, make good stocks, but plants of tliis class do better on 

 stocks of the common form of Chaincecyparis pisifera. This 

 last roots readily from cuttings and makes good stock in two 

 years. The common Red Cedar is the proper stock for all 

 species and varieties of the Juniper except J . occidenfalis. I 

 find no better stocks than White Pine for all Pines of the five- 

 leaved section, while for the two-leaved Pines, the Scotch Pine 

 is generally used, although the Red Pine would be better if it 

 could be easily procured. Some three-leaved Pines, like P. 

 rigida, P. Tccda and P. pojidxrosa, do iiuife as well, so far as I 

 have observed, on this same stock. Varieties of the common 

 and Japanese Yews graft well on seedlings of the common Yew. 

 Thuyas do well wlien grafted on stock of common Arbor 

 Vitte. The Western Larch, the Japanese Larch and varie- 

 ties of the European Larch graft readily on this species. 

 l;)ut I have not been successful witli Pseudolarix Ka:iiipferi on 

 the same stock, nor on Larix leptolepis. Sometimes it will 

 make good growths for a year, but, with me, it gradually dies 

 out. 



I usually begin to graft Conifers late in Decemljer, and can 

 graft with success, if need be, until the first of March. After 

 tliat time they are more difficult to manage. The very best 

 results are secured from Decemfier to February. The mode 

 of grafting depends much upon the time of year and 

 other conditions, but I have found the simplest method the 

 best, although other ways may be tried for experiment's 

 sake. The side tir veneer method is most easilv learned, and 

 has this advantage over cleft grafting — namely, that if the graft 

 does not take at the first operation, the stock is not destroyed 

 for the season, but the operation can be repeated on another 

 side or a little lower down. In making this graft a smooth 

 place should be selected on the stock, and a slight downward 

 cut should be made with a thin-bladed knife a few inches 

 from the base of tlie plant, cutting entirely through the l>ark, 

 but, if possible, not into the wood. Then the blade is in- 

 serted two or three inches above, cutting a thin slice off the 

 bark down to the cross cut below. A similar slice is cut 

 from the scion and the end of the scion is cut with a slight 

 angle on the opposite side to iit into the lip of the stock. 

 The two are then closed together, care being taken that the 

 cambium layers come in contact with each other. They sliould 

 then be bound firmly with strands of bass niffa, or other soft 

 tying material. The grafted plants are then laid on their sides 

 in a close frame which has been previously prepared Ijv put- 

 ting in a few inches of sand or moss. No wax is needed at 

 this season. For the first few weeks the frames must lie kept 

 close, and the plants need a slight daily syringing in fine 

 weather. When they show signs of knitting together, which 

 will be usually in two or three weeks, a little air may lie given, 

 and after the house is closed, the sashes may be raised for 

 several hours, and finally air may be given them all night. 

 The grafts will need looking over occasionally to see that no 

 ties are cutting through the stock or scion. If they are, loosen 

 and retie. Union will be eft'ected easily in from five to eight 

 weeks, although in some species a longer time is needed. As 

 soon as the grafts are establislied they should be taken from 

 the frames; and the tops of the stocks should be shortened. 

 They should be set on benches in the green-house and treated 

 as other plants. Do not cut the stock back closely until the fol- 

 lowing spring ; this is especially necessary in the case of Pines 

 and Spruces ; many plants are lost by heading back too early. 

 As soon as the weather is settled in May, the plants can be taken 

 from the green-house and plunged in beds. If the roots are 

 matted they should be carefully separated and spread 

 out, for wlien once the roots of Conifers are pot-bound, 

 unless the}' are separated, they will Continue growing in a 

 contracted way, and many valuable trees liave beeni lost 

 from this cause. When evergreens have been grafted and laid 

 on their sides in damp sphagnum, and covered several 

 inches, they recjuire much less care, and a few moments' 

 neglect will not be felt as it would otherwise. A few years 

 ago, for experiment's sake, I grafted loo stocks of Picea 

 pungens and laid them on a side bencli which was covered 

 with six inches of s|:ihagnum. I then covered the grafted 

 plants about one-third of the way up. These were syringed 

 lightly once or twice a day in sunny weather, and the tem- 

 perature of the house was kept at about 50" at night, the moss 

 being on a slate bench over the pipes which were kept at an 

 even temperature of 65°. The result was ninety-two strong- 

 plants without the aid of a double frame. Some nurserymen 

 seeing the experiment liave tried the same with ecjual success. 



I was first led to this method l>y accident. I had a corner 

 filled with moss, and late one evening buried a few plants 

 that had been graftetl. Then I forgot them until I had oc- 

 casion to remove the moss, and found that the plants had 

 taken well. This led to further trial, which has proved of 

 considerable value to me. 

 A.rH.iil AilM.rchiiii. _J Jacksoii Dawsoii. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



ALL tender crops, as Snap and Lima Beans, Egg Plants, 

 Peppers and the lilce, have been destroyed by frost, and 

 are now cleared away and the ground they occni>ied manured 

 and dug. But many crops are not yet gathered, and it often is 

 inconvenient to manure and dig a piece of ground lately oc- 

 cupied by a tender crop — like melons, for example — till the 

 hardier crops, as Parsnips, growing in contiguous plats, are 

 also lemoved. Asparagus tops have been cut, cleared away 

 and Ijurned, and we are now manuring and digging the ground. 

 We plant our Asparagus deep enough to allow us to plow or 

 dig over the crowns without touching them. The stumps of 

 the stems which are left in the ground cannot now be re- 

 moved, but ill April and before Asparagus cutting begins they 

 can be pulled out with the greatest ease. Were they left in 

 the ground in spring they would be in the way of the knife 

 used in cutting the crop for use. Asparagus can be planted 

 now as well as in spring, dn the level and only a few inches 

 deep ; but if planted in trenches eighteen inches deep, as the 

 large market growers do, then pilanting had better be deferred 

 till early spring. 



It is now time to attend to the lifting, topping and storingfor 

 winter of the root crops. Pull up. the Beets, and save the nice, 

 well shaped, tender oiu-s. Large, coarse, old roots are not 

 wortli saving for culinary use. \n cutting off the leaves do not 

 cut quite close to the bulb, else it will lileed, and never cut ofi' 

 the end or tap root. Lay them on the ground in heaps of one 

 or a few barrelfuls, and cover them with tops or straw 

 enougli to exclude frost, witli a shutter over that to protect 

 them from rain, and leave them here for a week or ten days to 

 sweat. Then bring them into the pit, cellar or other winter 

 quarters; do not store them for the winter in large bulk, else they 

 will rot. In order to keep them plump and fresh pack them in 

 open, narrow, well ventilated bins in the vegetable house, and 

 use a good deal of ordinarily moist sandy soil thrown in among 

 them. Treat Carrots in the same way, only the leaves can be 

 cut close to the roots and they may be stored in large bulk if 

 desired. Although Carrots keep fresher when packed in sand 

 or earth, this is not at all necessary. Parsnip's may be treated 

 as Carrots. But as Parsnips lose much of their flavor when 

 kept out of the earth, we pack them in sandy soil and in this 

 way retain their good taste. Salsify, Scorzonera and Skirret 

 should l;ie treated like Beets. Do not crop them close. Treat 

 Turnips in about the same way as Carrots. Much difliculty is 

 often experienced in keeping Jerusalem Artichokes from rot- 

 ting in winter, but with proper care they keep very well. The 

 tuliers mature slowly and should not be lifted till late in the 

 season. Then store them on the ground in very small bulk, 

 covering them with some straw and a little earth, or a shutter 

 over the straw to keep the tubers dry. At the end of a week 

 or two store tliem in the root-house in small bins and with 

 |ilenty of earth or sand among them. Horseradish is another 

 root that should now be lifted and stored in sand or earth. If 

 not kept in this way it wilts and loses much of its pungency. 

 In preparing it for storing, cut off the tops, also the thong roots, 

 which are not large enough for culinary purposes, and save 

 enough of these long, straight, fleshy roots for sets for next 

 year. Instead of having sets two or three inches long, have 

 them eight or ten inches long'. 



In lifting and storing root crops, be particular not to remove 

 them at once into their winter cjuarters unless they are excep- 

 tionally congenial. Never store away roots that are wet or in 

 any way decayed. See that the root-house is diy overhead 

 and at the bottom, that it is moderately dark and well venti- 

 lated, and that it can be kept uniformly cool, say about 34" 

 to 40°. Never store roots of any kind in large bulk. 



Turnips, Carrots and Potatoes, of which we usually have the 

 largest bulk, may be successfully wintered in out-door pits. 

 We always store hundreds of barrels of Carrots in this way; the 

 jiits are five feet wide, six inches deep and of a length to con- 

 tain the crop. The Carrots are heaped up three feet high 

 along the middle. Some thatch is spreatl over the roots, then 

 a coating, some eight to twel\-e inches thick, of earth, is placed 

 over the straw. Drain tiles, as ventilators, rise from the roof 

 of these pits every five feet. 



It is not well to lift root crops, except Potatoes, before sharp 

 frost occurs, and even then we should not cover them up 



