CURRENT GARDEN LORE. 



illustration of alba will give an idea of its bloom in mid- 

 winter. Those who grow collections of the flowering 

 almonds will tind in this new variety a valuable addition ; 

 and those \vho have not an almond in their grounds will 

 be delighted with it as a hardy and ornamental winter- 

 floweiing shrub. — Gardening World. 



Prof. Massey's Vegetable Notes. — A great many 

 new beets are continually offered, but for family use the 

 old Extra Early Bassano is as good as any. Some object 

 to its light color ; but this is only a fancy, for in quality 

 it is vastly superior to the dark Egyptian. Its big top 

 makes it objectionable to the market-gardener, but as I 

 am writing mainly for amateur gardeners, I would say 

 use the Bassano and Eclipse for early sowing, and sow a 

 few seed a little earlier than you consider safe. Once 

 fairly above the ground, they will stand some frost ; but 

 if caught just as they are coming up, they are easily 

 killed. Some gardeners sow salsify and parsnips very 

 early because of their hardy nature, but I have found 

 that this is an error. The early sowings get into a stunted 

 condition about midsummer, and later on begin to grow 

 again. In this latitude (N. C.) salsify makes its best crop 

 sown in July, while at the north seeds sown in June will 

 make better roots than those sown earlier. The Sandwich 

 Island salsify is so much better than the old sort that we 

 use it altogether. While spring-sown spinach does not 

 amount to much, it can very well be allowed to occupy 

 the land intended for snap-beans later on. The beans 

 can be sown between the rows of spinach, and by the 

 time they need work the spinach will be gone. Onions 

 sown in a coldframe and transplanted to the open air, we 

 find to make a much heavier crop than if sown and 

 thinned out where they are to grow. — Garden and 

 Forest. 



Low-Trained Fruit-Trees. — Dwarf bush trees can 

 be grown and kept fruitful for many years without much 

 repression in the way of pruning. For small gardens 

 these little trees may be utilized as backgrounds to divi- 

 sional walks with very good effect, and produce the finest 

 fruits. Pears, apples, plums and cherries do well on 

 this system. Espaliers, or trees trained horizontally on 

 wood or iron and wire supports, are among the oldest 

 and certamly most useful forms of framed trees we have. 



useful character of the place by training pears, apples 

 and other fruits on them, and the fruit, being fully ex- 

 posed to the sun and air, attains a high color. Cordons 

 are much used in large fruit-gardens as edgings to the 

 fruit-tree quarters, and when well kept give a nice finish 



In situations much exposed to storms of winds they are 

 invaluable, as the fruit holds on during the most violent 

 gale if securely tied to their supports. Arches of w-ood 

 or iron for spanning the walks of fruit or kitchen-gardens 

 may be made to add considerably to the ornamental and 



HORlZONTALLY-TRAINtU Al 



to the whole. They are simply formed by confining the 

 tree to one or two branches, and training them to a stout 

 wire fixed to short posts set into the ground at about i or 

 iVz feet from the ground ; they are kept closely pinched 

 and spurred in, and yield very fine fruits. The illustra- 

 tion shows horizontally-trained cordon apple trees in 

 fruit. — Gardening Illustrated. 



Removing Large Plants. — J. M. Samuels, chief of 

 the Department of Horticulture of the World's Fair 

 gives the following directions for the construction of 

 sectional boxes and the removal of large specimen plants 

 to be used for the coming exhibition. The box repre- 

 sented is the one most commonly used for good-sized 

 specimens, but the dimensions must necessarily vary 

 according to the 

 size of the plant 

 to be moved. The 

 box is made in four 

 sections, and for 

 one of the follow- 

 ing description \\- 

 mch boards should 

 be used. "A" 

 shows the inside of 

 two opposite sec- 

 tions ; 4 feet wide 

 at top, 3 feet 

 bottom and 3 feet deep. Scantlings 2x4 are nailed to 

 each end, through which are bored holes to correspond 

 with the size of the iron rods to be used. " B " gives the 

 outside view of the other two sections ; 3 feet 4 inches 

 wide at top, 2 feet 4 inches at bottom and 3 feet deep. 



