BUDS, BLOSSOMS, FRUITS. 



687 



III. COMMENTS BY READERS. 



[One idea of ten suggests anoiher. Here is a fiagf in which all 

 readers are invited toexpiess the?nselves regarding any mailer 

 that has recently appeared in these columns. If you think you know 

 better regarding sume point than the writer of some rrcent article, 

 or if you think you can forcibly confirm or add to some present or 

 late statement in these columns, the Editor wouhl be glad to hear 

 from you. Many such contributions would be cuelcome each inonlh?\ 



Various Floral Matters. — I smiled in sympathy 

 when I read in the September Popular Gardening 

 a complaint about the ways ot some plant dealers, 

 for I swallowed the bait and was caught on that very 

 hook; and in consequence I have a manettia vine, a 

 Solanum grandiflariim and a sweet nightingale or ghost 

 plant — one name will do as well as the other, for there 

 is not a ghost of a blossom to tell whether it is sweet or 

 not ! My manettia vine has done fairly well, plant- 

 ed out on south side of the house in rich soil, but 

 has never had such abundance or size of blossoms as 

 the catalogue represented. Solaniim grandijloriiin is very 

 enterprising as a vine, and has made wonderful growth 

 but of its blooming qualities I have a poor opinion, and 

 the few blossoms it has are about as fine as a potato blos- 

 som. However, one likes to experiment with new plants, 

 and while I heartily agree with M. S. in condemning the 

 practice of exaggerating the good qualities of novelties, 

 so called, perhaps the experience, if passed along to our 

 floral friends, will be beneficial all around. I still stand 

 by old Cobaa scandens, thunbergias of the different col- 

 ors, lophospermum, etc., for vines for my conservatory 

 in winter, and these with climbing nasturtiums, morning 

 glories, sweet peas, abobra, madeira, and some others 

 for out of doors in summer. I have experimented with 

 the different sorts of ipomea, moonflower, etc., but do 

 not find them desirable for this climate. It is to be re" 

 gretted that so few persons mention their state in writ" 

 ing of their success or failure with different plants, as 

 climate makes all the difference in the world. Con- 

 stance Elliott is a much-lauded passion vine, and in a 

 climate of perpetual warmth may bloom as profusely as 

 some of the catalogues represent, but in this climate it 

 will not, though the vme will cover a porch, roof and 

 all, and the foliage is very pretty ; so I keep it in a tub 

 and take it to the cellar in the fall, cutting it back well, 

 bringing it out again in the spring. — Miriam Parker, 

 Minn. 



Early Tomatoes. — It is the opinion of some growers 

 that the tomato requires a certain age to mature its 

 fruit, and that no manner or degree of forcing can in- 

 duce the plant to ripen much inside of four months and 

 a half. I believe it depends on soil, weather and culture, 

 and that it is possible to raise plants so as to get ripe 

 fruit in less than three months. One season I sowed 

 tomato seed, of the Trophy variety, the nth of March, 

 in a hot-bed. I use no sash, but cover only with boards. 

 April 7 the plants were taken from the seed-bed and 

 planted in another hot-bed, five inches apart. On May 

 2 I set them in the open ground. The land was well 

 broken and worked mellow, and marked off in rows. 



four feet apart. I put two shovelfuls of well rotted ma- 

 nure every three feet in the rows, mixing the manure 

 well with the soil. The plants here set were cultivated 

 every three days, if the weather would admit. When 

 ten or twelve inches high, stakes were set at each hill, 

 and the plants kept nicely tied to them. Suckers were 

 taken off. On the 13th of May they were in bloom. All 

 imperfect fruit was taken off. On the 3d of July I sold 

 the first ripe fruit, making one hundred and fourteen 

 days from seed until ripe fruit. In another year since 

 I sowed on the gth of April the Acme variety, in a hot- 

 bed without sash, just covered with boards. On the 2d 

 of May I took the plants from seed-bed and planted 

 them in the open ground. The land was treated the same 

 as in the first case, except that when they were worked 

 the third time, a liberal top dressing of hen manure was 

 given. Good cultivation was given, and the plants kept 

 to stakes, and all imperfect fruit kept off as before. 

 They were in bloom the ist day of June, and July 11 

 I sold the first ripe tomato, making ripe fruit in 93 

 days from seed. To cultivate the tomato in a way to throw 

 as much of the force and vigor of the plant into the fruit 

 will cause the plant to produce ripe fruit much earlier. 

 — T. D. B., Ky. 



Wild Oat Grass in Michigan. — The wild oat grass 

 [Dant/uniia .ipidtta), noticed by F. H. Horsford of Mass- 

 achusetts, in The American Garden, August, is a 

 very common Michigan grass, growing on dry sterile 

 soils. In such places it sometimes holds exclusive pos- 

 session of the ground. It is common along roadsides, 

 and in open woods where the ground is dry and sterile, 

 especially upon the high hills of Oakland county, Mich. 

 Never saw it on cultivated land in Michigan, or on any 

 but poor soil. Still it is evidently spreading, growing 

 as a rule where nothing else would grow. The present 

 writer has considered it a fair pioneer plant to add 

 humus to sterile soils, ultimately fitting it to grow better 

 things. As it is worthless for other purposes, and seems 

 to be rapidly spreading, Mr. Horsford's remarks are 

 timely and deserve careful consideration by farmers. 

 Would like to know in what states this grass grows. — 

 Wilfred A. Brotherton, Mich. 



Where the Eucalyptus Grows Out-Doors. — The 

 " tenderfoot, " on his first visit to southern California, 

 finds many trees that are new to him. Foremost 

 among these is the tall eucalyptus, which was briefly 

 mentioned in May Popular Gardening. It is a native 

 of Australia, valued highly for its rapid growth. Many 

 persons residing near San Diego have small groves 

 of eucalyptuses, from which they obtain a large part 

 of their firewood, cutting off the entire top of the tree 

 every few years. The tree seems to be in no way 

 injured by this excessive pruning, but immediately sends 

 out new shoots to furnish another supply of fuel. By 

 steeping the leaves an excellent remedy for coughs is 

 procured, one that is not in the least disagreeable 

 to the patient. Tainted meat wrapped in the leaves a 

 few hours is said to become fresh again. The bark of 



