CONFERENCE CORNER. 



Tropaeolum Speciosum. — " Subscriber." — This sort 

 requires a moist and shady position, in a peat border 

 and must not be disturbed at the roots. We have never 

 raised it ; can any of our readers tell us how it can best 

 be succeeded with in this country ? 



Coal Ashes — Novelties. — U. S. W. — Coal ashes are 

 of little value in the garden in any condition. We have 

 no reason to believe but that you will receive what you 

 order from the firm you name, but you must make due 

 allowance for the rather strong description. 



Roses for Winter Forcing. — C. T. D. — We would 

 hesitate to select so small a number as four varieties, 

 and question the advisability of growing so limited a 

 number. Among those classed as "teas," which have 

 a steady sale in the large markets, are the following, 

 named in the order of the price quoted for them (March 

 15) in the New York markets: Bride, Mermet, Hoste, 

 Cusin, Bennett, Perle, Niphetos, Sunset. The La 

 France, known as a hybrid tea, should be grown. 

 Among hybrid perpetuals, those bringing the highest 

 prices are Jacqueminot and American Beauty. 



White Grub in Aster Beds.—/'. B. J.— If the insect 

 in your aster bed is the white grub of the strawberry 

 bed, and it is quite likely, the best plan would be for 

 you to change the location of the beds and occupy the 

 ground with some hoed crop, as is recommended with 

 strawberry plants ; that is, if you want to get rid of the 

 grub and care to have the land occupied. 



Caring for Cemetery Plots. — //. W. — You can tell 



what it would be worth to care for a cemetery lot for a 

 season better than we, supposing you figure your labor 

 at its value, as well as the plants and loam in the same 

 way. Among hardy plants, roses, hydrangeas and other 

 lawn shrubs, various vines, such as Ampelopsis I'litcliii 

 and qitinqiiefolia, and in fact almost anything the owner 

 desires. Among tender and herbaceous plants, anything 

 may be used that is desired. 



Paper Berry Baskets. — /. D. — We consider the 

 paper berry baskets most desirable, and they will usually 

 help sell the berries. After all, their general adoption 

 will be slow until consumers are willing to pay the cost 

 of the box in addition to the price paid for the fruit. 



Roses for Canada. — H. R. D. — The class of roses 

 known as hybrid perpetual would stand your climate 

 with some winter protection. If you can give teas and 

 hybrid teas the protection of a " pit " in winter, you will 

 be well pleased with the class. 2. — If planted in rows, 

 set three feet apart each way for close pruning, and four 

 feet for ordinary culture ; prune in early spring, cutting 

 off all decayed and dead branches and enough of the 

 live wood to make the bugh good of form. 3. — For 

 bouquet green during summer, use geranium leaves, fern, 

 vinca., Asparagus tcmtissiintts, feverfew, and with roses use 

 the rose leaves. 4. — We see no advantage on your soil in 

 using land-plaster in connection with guano and nitrate 

 of soda. 



Cosmos. — Helen PI. — Cosmos can be made to flower 

 before frost, if treated in the following manner : Grow 

 the plants in four-inch pots until they are pot-bound ■ 

 then they will show buds, when they may be turned out 

 into the open border, and they will come into flower in 

 August and continue in bloom until cold weather sets in. 

 But why grow cosmos when the single dahlia can be 

 grown with half the trouble and is far more beautiful ? 



A Sensible Query. — "Why grow rare and costly 

 flowers — rare because they rarely flower — when the 

 garden can be filled with beautiful subjects all the time 

 at a moderate cost ? " Why give a dollar for a plant that 

 will bear only half a dozen flowers in a season, when the 

 same dollar will buy seeds sufficient to plant an acre, and 

 the acre will be carpeted with far more beautiful flowers 

 the entire summer ? Why not look with as much delight 

 upon the bountiful gifts that all can enjoy as upon those 

 that can be seen only by the few, because of their cost ? 

 Why not value a plant in proportion to the flowers it 

 yields, as we value a tree because of the fruit it bears 

 rather than because of its barrenness ? Let us grow 

 pansies and nasturtiums rather than plants that are too 

 selfish to bloom or shed perfume. — C. L. A. 



Chrysanthemums. — C. M. B . — You can grow hardy 

 chrysanthemums with a good amount of satisfaction, 

 and the Japanese or Chinese varieties as well ; but you 

 must do your part well. The soil for the plants must be 

 kept stirred and be well fed. Cut them back the first 

 week in July, so that they will branch out, which will 

 cause them to flower more freely. Always commence in 

 spring with a single shoot ; separate the old stools to 

 single eyes. Upon the approach of frost, have some 

 frames covered with oiled paper, to be put over and 

 around the plants for protection. These can be re- 

 moved during the day, or a hot-bed sash can be put 

 over-head, to remain until the flowers are done, and then 

 the paper-covered frames put round the sides will give 

 you flowers in abundance. By means of these appli- 

 ances the chrysanthemums were grown that took the first 

 premiums for a number of years at the New York Hor- 

 ticultural Society's exhibitions. 



Passifloras. — C. M. B. — No ; none of the passifloras 

 are hardy. /'. cieritleaxs rated as half hardy, but we do 

 not think it could endure your climate, even with pro- 

 tection. But get P. Pfordti, a magnificent climber that 

 will flower all summer, and it can be taken up and kept 

 in the house during winter. It is an evergreen, and 

 easily managed. 



Banksia Roses are greenhouse plants, and cannot be 

 induced to flower elsewhere satisfactorily. 



Books. — Same. — The information you need has not 

 yet been published in a single book ; the facts are scat- 

 tered through many, and should be collected and put in 

 shape to meet the demand for just such information ■ 

 how to get the mostflo wers from a city lot. 



