426 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November, 
referred to this, our object is to call attention 
to it as a pleasing garden plant, and one which 
offers to the amateur an excellent subject to 
experiment with in hybridizing or crossing ; if 
a variety of brilliant colors could be obtained, 
and retain tbe hardiness of the present plant, 
it would be something worth working for, and 
introduce to our gardens a most acceptable 
novelty. The plant should be set in rather 
poor soil, as in rich soil it grows too straggling. 
“Gardening for Pleasure.”—Plants in 
Winter. 
Perhaps the relationship between the two parts 
of tbe above title is not very manifest, and may 
need some explanation. Mr. Peter Henderson 
some years ago wrote “Gardening for Profit,” 
which at once became a standard work; he then 
wrote “ Practical Floriculture,” which is the most 
useful work of its kind in the language. In his 
business as florist and seedsman, he has found that 
there is a large class of amateurs, who do not 
garden for profit, nor are they practical floricul¬ 
turists, persons who have small suburban or coun¬ 
try places, and whose gardening is done for the 
pleasure they find in it. Such persons wish to have 
all their directions for cultivating fruits, vegetables, 
and flowers, in a compact form in one volume, and 
to be instructed in the process most suitable to the 
amateurs. To meet the wants of this large class, 
Mr. Henderson has prepared a work, now publish¬ 
ed by the Orange Judd Company, the scope of 
which is indicated in its title of “ Gardening for 
Pleasure.” To give an idea of the manner in which 
the topics are treated, we give an extract from what 
the author says on a subject concerning which we 
at this season have numerous inquiries, viz.: 
“ Plants in Winter. —The plants best suited 
for flowering in winter may be divided into two 
classes. First, those requiring a moderate temper¬ 
ature, at night, say an average of 50 degrees. 
Whether the plants are grown in the parlor or sit¬ 
ting-room of a private dwelling, or in a greenhouse 
especially constructed for their culture, the condi¬ 
tions should be as nearly as possible the same; 
that is, uniformity of temperature ranging from 
45° to 55°, and an avoidance of a dry atmosphere ; 
it is easy .enough in the greenhouse to get a proper¬ 
ly humid atmosphere by sprinkling the paths with 
water; but in a room in the dwelling house, the 
only thing that can be done is to place pans of 
water on the stove, furnace, or whatever may be 
the source of heat. If plants are kept in a sitting- 
room or parlor, an east, south-east, or south as¬ 
pect should be chosen. Plants of the class that may 
be grown at an average temperature of 50 degrees, 
are Azaleas, Abutilons, Ageratums, Carnations, 
Cinerarias, Catalonian Jessamines, Cape Jessa¬ 
mines, Camellias, Callas, Chorizemas, Geraniums of 
all kinds, Hibiscus, Hyacinths, Myrsiphyllum, 
(Smilax), Mahernias, Primulas, Stevias, Roses, 
Violets, and the various kinds known as greenhouse 
plants, which, together with those above named, 
are fully described in the florists’ catalogues. 
“ The second class, orhot-house plants, require an 
average temperature of 60 degrees at night, the 
range of which, however, may occasionally run 
from 55° to 65° without injury. Of these we name 
the following: Begonias, Bouvardias, Cleroden- 
dron, Euphorbias, Epiphyllums, Fuchsias, Helio¬ 
tropes, Poinsettia, Roses, (these will do in either 
temperature), Tuberoses, etc. The necessity for 
this difference in temperature is not absolute, as 
many plants will do partially well in either; but 
we make this distinction as a guide to those 
having a choice of temperatures, in order that 
they may select the plants that are best adapt¬ 
ed to the one at command. In a greenhouse, par¬ 
ticularly if heated by a flue, there is often a differ¬ 
ence of five or ten degrees between one end and 
another: in such a case the plants named in the 
first class must be placed at the cool end, and those 
of the second class at the other. 
“ One of the most troublesome pests of plants 
grown in the greenhouse, or sitting-room, in win¬ 
ter, is the aphis, or ‘ green fly,’ as it is termed ; 
we have no difficulty in getting rid of it in the 
greenhouse, when it is separate from the house; 
all that is necessary is to get some tobacco stems, 
(such as are thrown out as refuse by cigar makers), 
and soak them in water for a minute or two ; about 
half a pound or so for a greenhouse 25 x 20 feet is 
placed over a small handful of shavings, only 
enough to light the dampened tobacco, as too 
many might injure the plants by smoke ; the burn¬ 
ed tobacco stems give out a smoke that is quickly 
fatal to the ‘green fly.’ To thoroughly prevent 
the least appearance of this insect, the greenhouse 
must be fumigated every four or five days. We 
fumigate all our greenhouses twice each week dur¬ 
ing the entire year ; our rule being that an aphis 
must never be seen upon any plant in the houses. 
If the greenhouse is attached to the dwelling, so 
that the tobacco smoke would find its way into the 
rooms, recourse may be had to another remedy; 
take these same waste tobacco stems and steep 
them in water until the liquid is of the color of 
strong tea, with this water syringe the plants free¬ 
ly twice a week, this will not only effectually de¬ 
stroy the green fly, but will keep in check most 
other insects that infest plants. Where only a few 
plants are kept in rooms, the easiest way is to dip 
the plants entirely in the tobacco water, moving 
them up and down in the liquid, to wash the insects 
off if they have a firm hold. The “ red spider ” is 
another pest to winter blooming plants, and where- 
ever it is seen you may be certain that the atmos¬ 
phere has been too dry, and very likely the temper¬ 
ature too hot, as it is rarely found in a cool, damp 
atmosphere. The treatment for this insect in the 
greenhouse is copious syringings with water, but 
where but a few plants are grown in the house, it 
is best to go over the leaves, especially on the un¬ 
der side, with a wet sponge. The red spider is so 
minute that it is hardly distinguishable by the 
naked eye, but its destructive effects are quickly 
perceptible, as the leaves upon which it works 
soon become brown, and if the leaves are closely 
examined, particularly the under side, the minute 
insect will be seen in great numbers. 
“Another troublesome insect among plants that 
are grown in a high temperature is the ‘ mealy 
bug.’ The insect is flat, of whitish brown, usually 
nestling at the axils of the leaves, where it is cov¬ 
ered with a white powder, making it easily distin¬ 
guishable ; this is one of the most annoying of all 
insects that attack plants, as nothing seems to 
kill it, unless the remedy is strong enough to injure 
the plants ; so that rubbing it off with a small 
brush is the only safe remedy that we would care 
to recommend amateurs. We find alcohol thrown 
on by what is called an ‘ atomizer,’ sold by drug¬ 
gists for bedewing with perfumes, to be very ef¬ 
fective in destroying the ‘ mealy bug,’ as the 
alcohol reaches to every part of the plant, but we 
find that some plants when in very soft growth 
are injured by even this light application of al¬ 
cohol. Another pest, not an insect, but a vege¬ 
table parasitic growth kuown as mildew, affects 
but few plants in-doors except the rose, still 
as it is most injurious to this, we give the 
most effectual remedy for destroying mildew on 
roses either outside or under cover. Boil one 
pound of lime and one pound of sulphur in two 
gallons of water, until it is reduced to one gallon ; 
allow the liquid to settle until clear, and bottle it 
for use ; one gill only, no more, of this liquid, is 
mixed in five gallons of water, and this syringed 
thoroughly over the rose plants in the evening. If 
in the house, so that syringing can not be done, 
dip the plants in it as recommended for the to¬ 
bacco water. As with most other remedies, we 
prefer to use this lime and sulphur mixture as a 
preventive rather than a cure, and we apply it to 
our roses at least once a week, even though there 
is no appearance of mildew. In proportion as 
plants are kept free from insects and mildew, so 
will be their vigor and their thriftiness. 
“I may here warn the amateur against the too 
common practice of placing plants in too large 
pots. As a general thing, when plants are received 
from the florists, they are sent without xiots, and 
are usually in a condition requiring them to be 
shifted into a pot larger than they had been grow¬ 
ing in ; for example, if they have been growing in 
a pot of 3 inches diameter, place them in one a size 
larger, or 4 inches in diameter ; if they were in 4- 
inch pots give them one 5 or 6 inches across, and 
so on. Though we entirely ignore the use of 
crocks, or drainage in pots in our own practice, 
where we have always the proper sizes to use in 
potting, yet in cases where a suitable sized pot is 
not on hand into which to shift, (for example, if a 
plant that has been grown in a pot of 3 inches di¬ 
ameter, must be put in one of 6 inches), then by 
all means till up one-third of this too large pot with 
broken pots, charcoal, or some such material to 
drain off the surplus moisture that would other¬ 
wise be injurious, in consequence of the pot being 
too large for the plant; but if the pot into which it 
is shifted is properly adjusted to the wants of 
the plant, the putting in of crocks for drain¬ 
age is worse than useless, I care not what the 
plant may be. Our greenhouse establishment now 
covers nearly two acres, yet not a pot is so 1 drain¬ 
ed.’ The need of a larger pot is shown by the 
earth becoming so filled with roots that they well 
cover the outside of the ball, but shifting into a 
larger pot should be done while the roots are yet 
white; if left until the roots get thoroughly mat¬ 
ted, brown, and hard, it is too late, and the future 
growth will be seriously retarded. If the plant has 
been allowed to reach this condition, which we call 
‘pot bound,’ it is best to lay the ball of roots in 
one hand and slap it smartly so as to loosen it; by 
this treatment the new fibres strike out more read¬ 
ily from the hard roots than if left with the ball 
still compact. After shifting a plant, give it one 
good watering, so that the soil will be thoroughly 
soaked to the bottom of the pot; but after that, 
keep rather dry until there are indications of new 
growth. We are often asked as to the use of gu¬ 
ano and other fertilizers on in-door plants. As a 
general thing we use none in our own practice, 
preferring to shift the plants into fresh soil at the 
proper time, rather than to do so, and we would 
advise the same to those of less experience, for the 
use of all such stimulants is, under certain condi¬ 
tions of the plants, dangerous in unpractieed hands.” 
Some of the New Grapes in Ohio. 
BY GEORGE W. CAMPBELL, DELAWARE, O. 
The past season has not been a favorable one for 
grape-growing in Ohio, and I think the same re¬ 
mark will apply to the west generally. The “hy¬ 
brids ” have mostly had rather a hard time between 
mildew and rot, and have made a poorer record 
with me than for several years. Delawares, except 
on walls and in sheltered situations, have lost their 
leaves by mildew, and have not ripened their fruit. 
Croton has perhaps been a little better, holding 
its foliage with somewhat less mildew ; but in gen¬ 
eral habit seems much like the Delaware ; and I 
think wherever that succeeds, Croton may he plant¬ 
ed with fair prospect of at least equal success. 
Senasqua has remained quite healthy, both in 
fruit aud foliage, and from my present and past ex¬ 
perience, I regard it as one of the most promising 
of the newer introductions of black grapes. It is 
claimed to be a hybrid ; but its foliage seems near¬ 
ly equal in health and hardiness to the pure natives. 
It is a little later than Concord in ripening, but is a 
grape of fine quality, tender in pulp ; vinous and 
sprightly in flavor, and without foxiness. Another 
grape by the same originator, Mr. S. U. Underhill, 
which has been named 
Irving, but not much disseminated, I have fruit¬ 
ed several years, and have found it so invariably 
healthy, I cannot but regard it as very promising. 
It is a large white grape, very handsome in appear¬ 
ance, and very good in quality, as well as free from 
foxiness. It may be a little too late in ripening for 
extreme northern localities, or where Concord can 
not be ripened—but it is in general habit of growth 
equal to Senasqua, and worthy of trial. 
Secretary is the name of a Clinton hybrid, origi- 
