426 



BUDS. BLOSSOMS, FRUITS. 



It is perfectly hardy, and in spring is covered with 

 myriads of white, star-shaped flowers. As an edging 

 for herbaceous plants, or for carpet-bedding, where a 

 low-growing white-leaved plant is desired, this cannot 

 be excelled. Iberis scmpervirens is a fine low-growing 

 evergreen plant with pure white flowers. It is perfectly 

 hardy, and fine for masses of color or for ribbon lines. 

 It flowers very early and remains perfect a long while. 

 This and the pink Phlox subalata, is unsurpassed for 

 producing a combination of color grateful to the eye in 

 early spring. The easy culture, hardiness and cheap- 

 ness of these plants recommend them for general use. — 

 John Dallas. 



Every Plant to Its Place. — Because such plants as 

 the double calystegia, polygonums, wild asters, sedum, 

 etc., are recommended for " naturalizing, " or planting 

 in wild gardens, many people seem to think them val- 

 uable for all purposes and situations, and plant them 

 often in rich borders. Then after a year or two the cry 

 is " weeds that run over everything," and perhaps the 

 plantsman who furnished the stock is sorely blamed for 

 selling such weedy things. Had these same plants been 

 given a place in a rough spot among grass and other 

 growths, with no manure, they would have given great 

 delieht. The same thing is true of Spircea sorbi- 

 foUa and the aralias among shrubs and the ailantus 

 among trees. Rightly used in masses, in the wild gar- 

 den, or at some distance from the dwelling, we have ab- 

 solutely no finer hardy wooded growths than these. Al- 

 though cheap to buy and of the easiest culture, they all 

 will vie with the very expensive, tender palms for pro- 

 ducing fine foliage effects. If one will turn to Robin- 

 son's " Parks and Gardens of Paris," he will find both 

 the Aralia Japonica and the ailantus honored with 

 handsome engravings showing their charming effect 

 when properly used. And yet these plants are called 

 perfect nuisances, by many who have not yet learned 

 how to employ them in gardening. Other illustrations 

 of this wrong use of plants are seen where moisture- 

 loving plants are given place on dry hillsides. In all 

 such cases the misguided planter seems to become dis- 

 gusted with the plants instead of with his own work. 



Trellises for Grapes and Raspberries. — Not- 

 withstanding the warning given me six or seven years 

 ago — that grapes could not be grown successfully on the 



Fig. I.— Grape-Trellis. 



shores of Cayuga Lake — I made the experiment, and am 

 satisfied that there is no better grape-land in the state 

 than can be found on the west shore, in Seneca county. 

 So far. my vineyard has escaped the late frosts in spring 

 and early frosts in fall, and the grapes are of the 

 very best quality. 



Our soil is a sand and gravel loam with shale subsoil. 

 The plants are set gxg feet, trained on the Kniffin sys- 

 tem, and trimmed on the renewal plan. The first wire 

 is feet from the ground, and the second 2 feet above 

 the first. The lower arms are started first ; then I start 

 a cane as near 18 inches from the ground as I can get it 

 and carry this to the second wire. By this plan I get a 

 much more even distribution of fruit than by the old 

 method. This is my new method of putting on the 

 lower wire : First the wire is made fast to bottom of end 

 posts, and staples are driven in all the other posts except 

 the second from the end. Here we use a wire-spike, driv- 

 ing it at an angle of 45 degrees. When the wire has 

 been tightened, we lift it over the head of spike. This 

 brings the strain, or pull, on the bottom of the end posts, 

 and does away with braces. When you wish to slacken 

 the wires in the fall, lift them from the spikes and 

 you have them as slack as you want them. This leaves 

 a space without wire between the first and second posts 

 at both ends. You can use short pieces to fill in these 

 spaces — No. 9 wire should be used. I send herewith a 

 rough sketch (fig. i) of the wire when in position, hold- 

 ing a vine as I trim and train it. I find four or five 

 buds to an arm are enough. 



I have visited a great many vineyards in this and other 

 states, and have tried several ways of trimming and 

 training, but have adopted this one as the best for many 

 reasons : It is the cheapest ; the grapes are up from the 

 ground ; never have muddy 

 fruit ; have a free circulation 

 of air under vines, and less 

 mildew than by any other 

 system ; the fruit is more 

 easily clipped from the vines; 

 and I can grow more pounds 

 per acre. 



I also send you sketch of 

 post and cross-piece (Fig. 2) 

 I use for holding up red 

 raspberries. I cut my posts 

 5 feet long, sharpen them and Fig. 2.— Raspberry-Trellis. 

 drive them 16 feet apart in 



the row. I nail a piece of lath 13 inches long just 3 feet 

 from the ground and saw a notch, as shown, at each 

 end of the cross-piece. When the wires are made fast 

 and moderately tight, then I lift them into the notches. 

 This trellis is simple, cheap, and will hold the canes with- 

 out tying, — Mac. 



Flowers for Perfume. — An esteemed correspondent 

 asks: "In flowers which is preferable to most people, 

 brilliancy of color, or fragrance ? The perfect garden 

 must have both. We miss the fragrance of the sweet, 

 old-time favorites which showier flowers are crowding out. 

 The wallflower is one of the sweetest of blossoms and 

 is easily cultivated, but for six years I have not seen one 

 growing." While we can agree with this writer, that 

 the good old-fashioned flowers have in some measure 

 been crowded aside by the craze for brilliant bedding- 



