1884.] 
AMEEIOAI^ AGEIOULTUEIST. 
105 
extent, that they are quite sure to die if planted 
with their entire heads. If these trees are made 
into bare poles, cuttino- off every branch, they will 
be quite sure to live, and will form a new head in a 
very few years. Laurel or Kalmia, one of our most 
beautiful broad-leaved ever<>-reens, is regarded as 
very difficult to transplant. If every branch is re¬ 
moved at the time of transplanting, so that not a 
leafy twig remains, it is quite sure to succeed. 
Let Us Have More Stocks. 
By “stocks,” we do not refer to those of Wall 
street, but to those charming flowers which were 
among the chief ornaments of the flower garden a 
lew generations ago. The more recent Verbenas, 
Petunias, and other more showy introductions, 
have crowded aside the Stocks, the Wall-flowers, 
the Daffy-down-dillies, and other old-fashioned fra¬ 
grant flowers. We wish that our horticultural so¬ 
cieties would otter premiums for Stocks. They 
offer prizes for Orchids, which can only be grown 
by the wealthy, and offer no prizes for Stocks and 
other flowers which every one can grow—those 
dear old favorites, which bring to us the odors 
that delighted the garden-lovers of former genera¬ 
tions. The “ Stocks,” as they are now called, were 
the “ Stock gllliflowers,” or “ gillies,” of the older 
gardens. They were favorite flowers with that ec¬ 
centric statesman, William Cobbett, who, during 
his sojourn on Long Island, took much pleasure in 
cultivating them. He writes : “If I were to choose 
amongst all the biennials and annuals, I should 
certainly choose the Stock. Elegant leaf, elegant 
plant, beautiful, showy and most fragrant flower.” 
The Stock has not changed since Cobbett thus 
praised it, and we know of no flower more worthy 
of attention. There are several kinds of stocks, 
but the so-called “Ten Weeks Stock,” is the kind 
we have in mind. A packet of mixed seed will 
make a great variety, but those who are willing to 
pay for them can get separate colors. The flowers 
may be had much earlier by sowing the seeds in a 
window box, and when an inch or so high, trans¬ 
planting them to another box. When the weather 
becomes settled, plant them out in the garden, set¬ 
ting a foot apart each way. To get a fair share 
•of double flowers, make the ground very rich. 
But let us by all means have more Stocks. 
Root-Grafting of Shrubs. 
Sometimes a shrub is found to be difficult to 
propagate b}'^ cuttings of either the old wood or of 
unripe shoots. When 
other means fail, root¬ 
grafting will usually suc¬ 
ceed. A fragment of root 
is taken as a stock, and 
the cutting is inserted as 
shown in the engraving. 
If the root is large enough, 
cleft-grafting maybe prac¬ 
tised, or if the stock is too 
small for that, the cion 
may be attached by whip¬ 
grafting. Root-grafting is 
veiy useful with those va¬ 
rieties of the grape which 
GRAFTING ON ROOT. 
tings, such as Norton’s Virginia, and related kinds. 
The Time for Grafting. —Those grafters who 
go about the country grafting old orchards desire 
to make their season as long as possible, and they 
extend it at both ends. In February they claim, 
“ the earlier the better,” and in May And good rea¬ 
sons for preferring to set grafts as late as possible.. 
We would answer several inquirers by saying that 
we have always bad the best success with grafts 
set just as the buds on the stock were swelling. 
A cion inserted in February is exposed to the dry¬ 
ing winds of early spring. Until vegetation com¬ 
mences in the stock this loss of moisture by the 
cion cannot be made up. A great many grafts are 
lost in this manner, they actually perish in the cold 
dry winds. If obliged to choose between grafting 
in the end of winter and when the trees were in full 
bloom, we should prefer the latter time for the 
operation for all fruit trees save cherries and plums. 
Spring and Summer Chicken Coops. 
Mr. J. D. Woodhull, Barnesville, Ga., sends us a 
sketch of his chicken cooiJ (fig. 1) for chickens in 
spring. A frame is made of two by four-inch light 
stuff for rafters, spreading two and a half feet at 
the bottom. The ends and rear are boarded, and 
the front has a foot-wide board at the top, with 
slats two and a half feet long covering the lower 
one and a half foot. The slatted side is turned to¬ 
ward the sun, ^ but from it in very warm or hot 
weather. We add sketches made from a variety 
of other forms which we have seen at various times 
in different places. Figure 2 consists of boards 
two feet wide running a little over two similar 
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. 
boards on the other side to shed rain. The rear is 
boarded, and the front also about one-third the 
way down ; the rest has lath nailed across at 
proper distances. A narrow cleat across the bot¬ 
tom and top holds each pair of side boards to¬ 
gether. They should fit closely, or be tongued and 
grooved or battened to shed water. This is prefer¬ 
able to fig. 1, as rains will drive in less. It is 
Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Fig. 6. 
quickly cut and nailed together without any frame. 
The engravings show different methods of closing 
and slatting the fronts. Fig. 6 is similar to fig. 2, 
but is boarded at the lower front corners, and a 
hinged cover, shown turned up, is let down during 
very cold nights, and in storms. The hinges may 
be bits of leather. The size in all these forms will 
depend upon the breed, or size of the hen, and 
room required. When skunks are troublesome, a 
bottom board will be needed, and strong slats. 
For ordinary use common lath will answer. An 
hour’s work will make almost any of these forms. 
The Back-Yard. 
It has been said by some one that the back-yard 
is the true criterion of the refinement of the house- 
dwellers. So many things drift around to the 
back-yard, and in such a free and easj' way find a 
lodging there that it requires a sliarp eye and skill¬ 
ful hand to keep this place in trim. Not only 
must all useless and uncomely rubbish be carefully 
kept down for appearance sake, but the sanitary 
state of the back-yard needs careful looking after. 
If your home is in the country the impure water 
from house and kitchen, and wash tub, should 
never be poured on the surface of the ground near 
the house. This is a vexatious point, especially if 
one keeps a servant. The average domestic be¬ 
lieves and stoutly maintains it by her works, that 
water of any description is properly disposed of 
when emptied on the ground, the nearer the house 
the better. “ But in cold weather may we not ?” 
asks my friend. Nature works while you sleep, 
and while the earth is frozen, and if you give her 
foul materials to work with her mysterious chem¬ 
istry is almost sure to evolve something which in 
the coming bright spring days, or languid summer¬ 
time may smite you, or some of your household, 
down to sick beds. The pails of soiled wash water 
and soapsuds emptied too near your dwelling week 
after week, may not be remembered, but in the 
shape of miasma, or tainted drinking water, will, 
like “ curses have come home to roost.” In my own 
back-yard—out of sight of the house—we have a 
homely reservoir, and deodorizer in the shape of a 
pile of ashes.—A hollow in the middle receives all 
slopwater ; impurities of which are absorbed by a 
daily covering of ashes from the house fires, and 
an occasional sprinkling of lime. In due time the 
whole pile becomes a fertilizer for the garden. 
An authority in domestic matters tells us if we 
“ take care of the back-yard, the front will take 
care of itselfand the longer the writer keeps 
house the more ready is she to witness to the 
truth of the saying. Lucy F. 
Garden Trellises for Vines. 
been e. kbxford, shiocton, wis. 
A honeysuckle or climbing rose needs some sup¬ 
port to dispiay itself to the best advantage. When, 
as usual, they run on and through a fixed trellis, it 
is very difficult to take them down when cold 
weather comes, and I do not grow climbing roses 
or other large plants of like habit about verandas, 
but prefer such vines as the clematis or Wistaria for 
this, because of their more graceful habits and 
greater tractability. Roses and honeysuckles, and 
the like, are more satisfactory on the lawn, left 
to their natural development, having only a cen¬ 
tral support. I have a simple trellis in use which 
I find quite satisfactory for lawn and garden. 
It is made of a straight-grained pine board, 
slitted into thin strips as in fig. 1. These are bent 
curving outward to each side, and held apart by 
tacking one or more thin strips across. The bottom 
part, left unslitted, stands between two side stakes, 
and an iron rod passes through them and edgewise 
through the base of the trellis. It is kept upright 
by tying the bottom post, or driving one or two 
stakes on the side or on two sides of the bottom 
pieces. By unfastening this, the trellis will turn 
down on the rod. 
Another plan is to make the bottom piece longer 
and run through two iron or wooden pins as in fig. 
2. A simpler way still for a smaller trellis, is to 
leave the bottom piece longer, fig. 3; sharpen it 
and thrust it in the ground with no side stakes, and 
if desired to lower it remove the earth from one 
side, if it can not be drawn up without breaking the 
plant. We have used these of various forms and 
sizes, from a foot up to six feet high, and for most 
plants painting them dark green. They are on 
sale at most horticultural stores and some others, 
but may be easily made at home, and this can be 
done well the present month, to have them In 
readiness. The main thing is to have straight 
grained, strong wood, so that when sawed into 
thin strips they will not break on bending out to 
any desired curve and spread. The thickness of 
the strips will depend upon the hight, the quality 
and strength of wood and the amount of vines and 
Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. 
foliage to be supported against strong winds. 
A very pleasing rustic trellis may be made from 
the top of a red cedar. The branches should be 
cut back, leaving the lowest ones eighteen inches 
long, the others gradually shorter. It may be used 
with the bark on, but will last longer if peeled 
and receives several coats of crude petroleum. 
