254 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



July, 1918 



Privet hedges. Not that there is no place 

 for Privet. Quite the contrary, we need it as 

 an exceptionally rapid grower. But whenever 

 you set out a Privet hedge, set Hemlock, 

 Spruce, or any hardier line of defense immedi- 

 ately behind it. This method of hedge insur- 

 ance is employed with remarkably satisfactory 

 results in many western sections. When the 

 winter "gets" the Privet finally, it leaves 

 behind a sturdy evergreen hedge, as a testi- 

 monial to the owner's foresight. 



Many of the recent introductions of "Chi- 

 nese" Wilson have stood the test and those 

 enterprising nurserymen who have secured 

 stocks of those desirable aristocrats will be 

 found to have been rendering American 

 horticulture a real service. 



Gardening — the Great Democrat- 

 izer 



OUT in an exclusive suburb, on his acre 

 lot, lived Bill Jones. He knew his 

 neighbor, Henry Jones, well enough to 

 pass the time of day and comment 

 upon the weather. There, relations stopped. 

 Out of a clear sky, on April 15, 1917, came 

 that memorable proclamation of the Presi- 

 dent, making gardening a patriotic duty. 

 Bill Jones began to dig; so did Henry. One 

 bright May morning Henry discovered a new 

 species of bug; so did Bill. They got to- 

 gether about this new menace, they talked it 

 over across the back fence. Then, figuratively 

 the fence — a barrier — was broken for all 

 time! 



In all sections of the country, this scene 

 repeats itself. Everywhere, gardening proves 

 the great leveler. It has come into its own 

 as the great humanizer that wins where 

 other factors failed. That great heritage of 

 the human race — the ability to dig, sow 

 seeds, and gather crops — is making this 

 nation the truest, greatest democracy extant. 



should be heaped up around the stem as in- 

 dicated by the dotted lines in the illustration. 

 — S. Leonard Bastin. 



The Right Way To Layer Carnations. 

 - — The best time for layering Carnations is 

 about the end of July. This is a very satis- 

 factory way of propagating the plant if it is 

 done in the right manner. The first step is to 

 take away the leaves from the branch which 

 is to form the layer. An incision is then 

 made below a joint on the underside of the 

 stem as can be seen in the photograph. This 

 incision should be carried upward about half 

 way through the joint. It is a good dodge to 

 put a wee pebble in the opening to keep the 

 parts from closing together again. The layer 

 is then pegged down with wire, or in some 

 other way. A little sand and leaf mold 



Layering, a method of rooting a cutting while it is still at- 

 tached to the plant, is an easy method of propagation 



Combining use and utility. Beta grape as a porch vine giv- 

 ing shade and a bushel of fruit 



The Beta Grape. — It is becoming a common 

 thought among us that luxury must give 

 way to necessity and that something useful 

 must be tucked into every spot not hitherto 

 used to maximum capacity. When this 

 idea takes full growth, there should be a 

 voluminous demand for the Beta grape. 

 To show how this remarkable variety is 

 doubly useful I may simply state that my one 

 root provides my home with the most de- 

 lightful, vine-embowered porch that one could 

 wish, and yields one to two bushels of fruit 

 per year beside. The Beta grape originated 

 at Carver, Minn., with one Jacob Suelter. 

 It is said to be a cross between the wild north- 

 western Frost Grape 'Vitis vulpina', and the 

 Concord grape. The cross was made in 1870. 

 Seedlings flowered first in 1881. That Beta 

 is really a hybrid I gravely doubt. Certain 

 it is, that of very many seedlings which come 

 up under the vine, none have yet shown any 

 indication of reversion to the Concord type. 

 But they have not been allowed to get above 

 six inches tall. And that is no matter for 

 our present purposes. My stock came from a 

 nurseryman in Yankton, So. Dak., and this 

 attests the hardiness of the variety. It is 

 believed to be as iron-clad as its wildling par- 

 ent. It is easily propagated in the usual way 

 by cuttings, and is a prodigious grower. The 

 first year my plant grew a shoot 8 ft. tall. I 

 cut it back to 4 ft., and the next year three 

 canes shot up to the top of the porch and be- 

 gan to interlace along the eavestrough. In 

 its sixth year it covers three sides of a 10 x 12 

 porch, has spread along the east end of the 

 house on each side of the porch, and is start- 

 ing around the corners upon the north and 

 south sides. Meanwhile the grapes are more 

 numerous every year, and the bunches are 

 bigger and better. The bunches vary very 

 much in size and density. Six inches long 

 is almost a maximum, though some exceed 

 that. Frequently the bunches are heavily 

 shouldered. The berries are of small or 

 medium size, black with copious waxy bloom. 

 They begin to color in August — earlier or later 

 according to the season. From this time on- 

 ward they are excellent for cooking; and also 

 excellent food for robins and catbirds and 

 brown thrashers and orioles. Indeed, I 

 usually lose a large part of the crop by these 

 marauders, and finally gather the remainder, 

 still unripe, in order to have a share for the 

 family indoors. If birds are kept away, the 

 grapes become quite ripe and rich by the first 



of September. But they stay in good condi- 

 tion until October first, and still show no sign 

 of dropping. They are injured by severe 

 frost just as ordinary grapes are. The flavor 

 is very rich, strongly acid, but not biting or 

 irritating to the lips. The juice, prepared 

 and bottled, needs about 3 volumes of water 

 to make it first rate for drinking. It "goes a 

 long way" with the housekeeper. Those who 

 know Beta prefer it to any other kind for 

 culinary use. It is rather strong for eating 

 out of hand unless fully ripe. If you want a 

 vine to shade a back porch, a pergola, and 

 arbor, a shed or a hen-yard, why not use this 

 vigorous, beautiful, hardy and productive 

 Beta grape? — Henry S. Conard, Grinnell, 

 Iowa. 



Begonias for Hanging Baskets. — I want 



to say a word in favor of Begonias for hanging 

 baskets, which deserve a much wider culti- 

 vation than they now enjoy. This may 

 be due to the fact that very few American 

 seedsmen list this charming summer-blooming 

 bulb. Two years ago I obtained half a 

 dozen bulbs from E. Krelage & Sons, Haarlem, 

 Holland. The bulbs resemble those of the 

 tuberous-rooted Begonia, but the habit of 

 growth and of bloom is quite different. To 

 obtain the best effect three bulbs should be 

 placed in a 6-inch basket. Each bulb sends 

 up two or more shoots, which develop rapidly 

 and begin at once to produce blossoms. 

 These are borne in clusters of three — a double 

 staminate flower between two single pistillate 

 blooms. The weight of these blossoms causes 



Bunches of Beta grape (centre) compared with wild fox 

 grape (left) and labrusca Worden (right). It is intermediate 

 in size, taste, and texture 



the slender stalks to droop gracefully over 

 the sides of the pot. They branch freely, 

 each branch producing its quota of flowers, 

 and by midsummer the basket is covered 

 with a mass of foliage starred with brilliant 

 blossoms. They may be had in white, yellow, 

 pink, and red. The foliage differs from other 

 Begonias, the leaves being long and narrow. 

 The bulbs may be carried over from year to 

 year, by drying them off in the fall and storing 

 them in a dry cellar or closet, in the same 

 manner as the tuberous-rooted Begonias. 

 They could probably be propagated by 

 cuttings. — Anna M. Burke, North Easton, 

 Mass. 



Where Can These Plants Be Obtained? — 

 Can any one inform me where I may be able 

 to purchase Azalea (Rhododendron) praecox 

 and A. dahuricum. I saw plants of these at the 

 Arnold Arboretum, but they were unable to 

 tell me where I could get roots, and I fail to 

 find them listed in the catalogues; also, where 

 can Oxytropis be obtained. — Harold G. Rtigg, 

 Hanover, N. H. 



