12 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



[January, 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED, 

 Niagara. — A pamphlet descriptive of the 

 Niagara Grape and containing many testimoni- 

 als of the press and penologists. Issued by the 

 Niagara Grape Co., Lockport, N. Y. 



Prentiss. — Circular giving description, history, 

 and a large number of testimonials in regard to 

 the growth, health, and market value of this Grape. 

 Issued by T. S. Hubbard, Fredonia, N. Y. 



Ellwanger & Barry. Rochester, V. Y. — Descrip- 

 tive Catalogue of Ornamental Trees, Shrubs, 

 Hardy Perennial Plants, new revised edition, 

 with a beautiful colored frontispiece of Weigela 

 Candida. The pamphlet contains condensed and 

 clear descriptions of all the most desirable hardy 

 ornamental trees and shrubs, together with 

 valuable directions for planting, pruning, and 

 general treatment of them. 



New Jersey State Horticultural Society.— 



Programme of the Annual Meeting to be held at 

 Freehold, N. J., on January 9th and 10th. These 

 meetings, which are attended by the most suc- 

 cessful and progressive farmers and horticul- 

 turists of the State, are always interesting and 

 enjoyable as well, and this being in one of the 

 richest agTioultural regions, promises to be as 

 successful as any ever held by the Society. 



ing through all the varied stages of improvement 

 ! up to the present century— the era of paper-mak- 

 ing by machinery. This highly interesting treat- 

 ise, which is now published in a substantial and 

 elegantly gotten-up volume, appeared originally 

 in the Paper World, a handsome monthly journal, 

 devoted principally to the interests of paper, but 

 which, under the broad and liberal views and 

 management of its editor, Mr. Clark W. Bryan, 

 has developed into an organ of general industrial 

 advancement, journalism, art, science and litera- 

 ture, taking a high rank among the progressive 

 publications of the day. Both are published by 

 Clark W. Bryan & Co., Holyoke, Mass. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS, 

 Light Soil. — Mrs. M. T. M., Clinton Co., Ohio.— 

 By this is understood soil that does not bake 

 after rain. Heavy soils can be made light by 

 adding sand and muck, and by frequent and 

 thorough working. 



Corn for Northern States.— H. D., Greenwood, 

 Dakota.— For the short summers of this climate 

 the earliest varieties are required, and the seed 

 should be obtained from as far north as Corn will 

 ripen fully. Queen of the Prairie, Early Canada, 

 and Compton's Earl}- -will be the varieties most 

 likely to ripen with you. 



New York State Agricultural Society.— " No- 

 vember Bulletin."— From the two hundred and 

 thirty-four replies of correspondents, residing in 

 every county in the State, it is seen that the more 

 remarkable characteristics of the season were the 

 improvement, beyond expectation, of the Com 

 crop, and the disappointment, very generally, of 

 the early promise of the Potato crop. The severe 

 drought affected all but the most northern coun- 

 ties, and the reports of the condition of autunm- 

 sown grain are, consequently, with some notable 

 exceptions, more or less unfavorable. The failure 

 of the Apple crop is general, except in the 

 northern counties. 



Massachusetts Horticultural Society. — 



"Transactions for the Year 1882. Part I."— These 

 reports are always distinguished by their careful 

 editing and the great amount of useful information 

 contained in them. The one before us is in nowise 

 inferior to its predecessors. It contains, in addi- 

 tion to an eloquent address by the president, Hon. 

 Francis B. Hayes, valuable papers on Ornamen- 

 tal Arboriculture, Apple and Pear Culture, New 

 Varieties of Pears, Hardy Herbaceous Plants, 

 Vegetable Culture, Flowering Plants, new and 

 old ; A List of Trees and Plants growing in the 

 Garden of Hon. William T. Brigham, in Boston ; 

 Mineral Constituents in Plant Growth ; Yellows 

 and Fungus in Peach Trees. 



Complete Guide to Silk Culture, by L. Capsa- 

 dell, published by W. B. Smith & Co., New York. 

 In this little volume the author, Secretary of the 

 New York Silk Exchange, has given in the shortest 

 possiblo space concise and practical directions in 

 every detail of silk culture ; Silk-food Trees, and 

 how to Raise them ; Cocooneries ; Eggs, and how 

 to Hatch them ; the Roaring of Silk- worms ; Races, 

 Varieties, and Value ; Gathering, Stifling, and 

 Packing Cocoons; Reproduction; Reeling, and 

 Spinning, and Requisites for Silk Culture are 

 plainly described and illustrated. The wide and 

 promising field which, at present, is opening for 

 American silk culture, which cannot but develop 

 into a most important industry, in the near future, 

 makes the publication of such a work most 

 desirable. 



A History of Paper, its Genesis and its Reve- 

 lations. Origin and Manufacture, Utility and 

 Commercial Value of an Indispensable Staple of 

 the Commercial World, by J. E. A. Smith. The 

 author, commencing with the earliest records of 

 printing, the inscribed bricks of Babylon and 

 Nineveh, antedating even the civilization and 

 the papyrus of the Egyptians, traces clearly 

 and interestingly the connection between the in- 

 vention of printing and paper, and the reasons 

 for the delay of both. He describes all the articles 

 used in the place of modern paper before its in- 

 vention, their gradual development to hand- 

 made paper from vegetable pulp, the Rice, Silk, 

 Bamboo and Bark papers of the Chinese, follow- 



Seedling Potatoes — 8. Y. K., Cadiz, O.— Seed- 

 lings generally reach their full size during the 

 third year from seed, and many of them even 

 earlier. Yet the permanent character of a seed- 

 ling becomes not fully developed until the fourth 

 or fifth year. A seedling Potato which does not 

 show decided vigor and health in its second and 

 third year will rarely improve in this respect in 

 after years. 



Propagating Begonias.— F. L. West, Bridr/e- 

 water. Pa. — All Begonias, and especially the Rex 

 varieties, may be propagated by cutting the 

 leaves in sections, so as to form a junction of the 

 ribs at the lower end of the cutting. These cut- 

 tings should be i>laced flat upon sand on a 

 propagating bench, with good bottom heat. They 

 should be kept damp only, not wet all the time, 

 else they will surely rot before making roots. 



Soot — Several Readers.— The matter which 

 rises from burning wood and bituminous coal, 

 and which becomes condensed and hardened by 

 the cooler air in the stove-pipes and chimneys is 

 what is understood by soot. Soot from hard coal 

 exclusively is of less value, still it is worth sa v- 

 ing. Soot consists mainly of impalpable charcoal, 

 and is rich in ammonia. All plants are benefited 

 by its use. It is also valuable as an insecticide, 

 on account of the creosote contained in it. 



Chicory. — J.. G. P., Brunswick, Ga.—We are 

 not aware that Chicory is cultivated here to any 

 extent. It is frequently used for adulterating 

 coffee, and its addition to that beverage is rather 

 preferred by some persons. Large quantities are 

 annually imported from Europe. It is cultivated 

 similar to Parsnips. The roots, when they have 

 reached their full size, are dug, washed, cut into 

 slices, and thoroughly dried by artificial heat. 

 The roasting and grinding is done by the coffee 

 manufacturers. 



Carduus Benedictus.— Br. D. G., Granby, P. 

 Q.—Ae, far as can be determined from the imper- 

 fect specimens the plant is Carduus or Cnicus 

 benedictus — the. Holy Thistle. It is really a very 

 ornamental plant, the pure white veins on its 

 large, shining leaves producing a beautiful effect. 

 As tradition has it, these white stripes were pro- 

 duced by some of the Virgin Mary's milk having 

 fallen upon them. The herb was formerly offi- 

 cinal, and held in high esteem as an expectorant 

 and diuretic. 



Amaryllis.— Br. Ph. M., Washington, B. C— 

 None of the Amaryllis are hardy, except the 

 A. atamasco, and even this should have some 

 protection during winter. The principal condi- 

 tion for successful culture of all kinds of Amaryl- 

 lis is to keep the bulbs entirely dry during their 

 season of rest, and well watered during their 

 growing and flowering period. Although they 

 are most valuable for house culture, they do well 

 outdoors if planted in spring, taken up after 

 flowering, and stored similar to Gladiolus bulbs. 



Snowdrops.— R. J. W., Eufaula, Ala.— The 

 Snowdrop, Galanlhus nivalis, grows in almost 

 any soil and position fit for any kind of bulbs or 

 bedding plants, and on account ot its early 

 blooming and modest beauty should be seen 

 more frequently in our gardens. They should be 

 planted in the fall, about two inches deep, and 

 not be disturbed for several years. They may 

 also be grown in pots, similar to Crocus. Closely 

 allied to it is the Snowflake, Levcojum vernum, 

 which flowers a little later, grows taller, has 

 green spots on the tips of its petals; and has a 

 peculiar, sweet fragrance. 



About Tomatoes. —F. B. C, Natchez, Miss.— 

 1. It would be a difficult matter to choose the 

 best Tomato among the many excellent varieties. 

 Acme, Conqueror, Mayflower, Trophy, and some 

 others, are as good as any. 2. Three feet, each 

 way, is not far enough apart ; four by five, or five 

 by five, is close enough. 3. It requires about 

 eight weeks from sowing the seed to planting 

 out, but the plants are generally pricked out a few 

 weeks before the final transplanting, i. Moder- 

 ately rich soil produces more fruit than when 

 surcharged with fertilizers, in which case the 

 plants are apt to run too much to vines. 



Chinese Lily.— Miss M. T. F., Claverack, N. Y. 

 —We do not know of a Lily under this name, nor 

 of any which the Chinese worship. Most of the 

 Japanese Lilies grow probably in parts of China. 

 The Lily which from the remotest ages has been 

 revered as the emblem of purity and virtue, and 

 which the Greeks and Romans consecrated to the 

 goddess Juno, is L ilium candidum, the common 

 white garden Lily. 



True Lily bulbs should not be kept too dry 

 during winter. Covered with moderately damp 

 moss, they keep well in a cool cellar, and should 

 be planted as early in spring as possible. 



Sowing Vegetable Seeds. — W. S. W., Shawano, 

 Wis.— To produce Cabbage very early the seed 

 should be sown in hotbeds, in March, or better 

 still, in the fall i>revious, and wintered in a cold 

 frame. For late crops it may be sown outdoors 

 as soon as the ground is in working order. Cel- 

 ery is now generally sown outdoors by market 

 gardeners. Tomatoes are sown in hotbeds, as 

 earliness is a main consideration. Onion sets 

 produce bulbs earlier than seed. The great point 

 with Onion seed is, next to good quality, to get it 

 in the ground as early as possible. It is impossi- 

 ble to raise good Onions in hot weather. The 

 March and April, 1882, numbers of The Ameri- 

 can Garden contained an excellent and compre- 

 hensive article on Onion growing. The questions 

 about Sweet Potatoes will be answered in our 

 next number. 



Concentrated Fertilizers. — How to secure the 

 greatest amount of fertilizing material at the 

 least possible expense has always been a most 

 important problem in modern husbandry. The 

 freight charges for long distances are so high 

 that the shipment of stable manure is generally 

 out of question, and even with commercial ferti- 

 lizers, the additional cost for transportation 

 makes their use sometimes unprofitable. The 

 Powell's Prepared Chemicals are intended to 

 mitigate this evil by furnishing the fertilizers in 

 their pure, concentrated form. The claims for 

 these chemicals, as set forth in our advertising 

 columns, are strong, but they seem to be well 

 backed by statements of successful trials by lead- 

 ing farmers in many States ; and the manufac- 

 turers, the Brown Chemical Co., of Baltimore, are 

 an old and honorable firm of first-class commer- 

 cial reputation. 



A KNABE IN THE "WHITE HOUSE. 



(From the Baltimore American.) 

 There was seen yesterday at Messrs. Knabe & 

 Co.'s factory a magnificent concert grand, just 

 finished by them for the presidential mansion. 

 President Arthur, who is a thorough connoisseur 

 of music, in selecting a piano for the White House, 

 decided in favor of the Knabe Piano as his pref- 

 erence, and ordered, accordingly, the instrument 

 referred to. It is a concert grand of beautiful 

 finish in a richly carved rosewood case and of 

 superb tone and action — an instrument worthy in 

 every respect of the place it is to occupy. It was 

 shipped to its destination yesterday. 



