382 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[October, 
before it is marketable from the open ground, 
and averages about $10 for each 3x6 foot sash. 
It must be borne in mind, however, that forcing 
to some extent injures the roots, and for that 
reason it is only practised by those who have a 
surplus. By the system of propagating from 
seed, an account of which was given in these 
columns in March last, the roots may be pro¬ 
cured at trifling expense. As then stated, three 
year’s time is required for their maturity. 
——-**»-« tomi t --—- 
The Gigantic Digger-Wasp. 
Every year we are in the receipt of specimens 
of a very large and showy wasp, which is the 
Gigantic Digger-wasp, Stizus grandis. The 
Digger-wasps belong to several genera, and are 
distinguished from the true wasps in not fold¬ 
ing up their wings when at rest, in having 
generally oval eyes, and their legs furnished 
with numerous bristly hairs. They make their 
nests for the most part in the ground where 
they deposit their eggs, and the young are rear¬ 
ed. One of the remarkable characters of the 
Digger-wasps is the manner in which they pro¬ 
vide food for the larva, or young. The larva 
is carnivorous, and the parent wasp places in 
the cell with the egg a store of food sufficient 
to supply its wants until it attains its growth 
and undergoes its transformation to the perfect 
insect. This food consists of the bodies of va¬ 
rious insects and spiders; in Texas there is a 
wasp which uses the Tarantula for the pur¬ 
pose. The Giant Digger-wasp uses the Locust 
{Cicada) as food for its young. The singular fact 
concerning it is that the wasp does not kill the 
insect, but stings it in a manner to paralyze it 
so that it can offer no resistance, w leaving it 
sufficiently alive to :.u goon eating con¬ 
dition for the young of the wasp. We give an 
engraving of the Giant Digger-wasp, from the 
American Entomologist for March, 1869, in 
which number of that excellent journal will be 
found an interesting account of numerous 
species of wasps which have similar habits. 
’Plants that will Bloom in Winter. 
BY VETER HENDERSON. 
At this season of the year (the first week in 
October) in almost every section of the country, 
the flower borders are yet in profusion of bloom, 
and most of our lovers of plants are at a loss 
to understand why the Geranium, Verbena, 
Rose, Fuchsia, Heliotrope, and scores of other 
plants that have bloomed profusely during the 
summer months, cannot now be lifted, pot¬ 
ted, and placed in the parlor or greenhouse, and 
continue to bloom there during the winter 
months. Experience tells us that such cannot 
be the case; there are few plants that can be 
lifted at this seasoii without more or less muti¬ 
lation of the roots, and this injury to the roots 
is what does the mischief. When a strong 
growing Rose or Geranium, for example, is dug 
up, it may seem to have been but little injured 
at the roots, but the feeding or “working roots,” 
as we call them, are almost invariably torn off; 
and before the plant can recuperate, its ability 
to flower is suspended for months to come. 
For this reason, plants that we grow for cut- 
flowers in winter, are, with few exceptions, 
grown in flower-pots of size suited to their needs. 
As a rule, the diameter of the flower-pot should 
be the same as the diameter of the plant. The 
exceptions—plants that can be lifted from the 
open border and placed in pots, and that will 
bloom in winter, are the following: 
Monthly Roses. —The plants sold by the florists 
for setting out in spring usually average from 
one to two feet in bight. Such plants, if lifted 
now with all the earth that will adhere to the 
“ball,” and carefully potted, watered, shaded 
and kept cool for a week—during the month of 
October, outside in the open air is best—will 
bloom from January throughout the winter, if 
an average of 60 degrees can be maintained. 
Carnations of all varieties may be treated 
precisely as directed above for Roses. 
Geraniums may be treated in the same 
manner provided they were old plants when 
put out in spring and have remained stunt¬ 
ed in growth; if they have grown luxuri¬ 
antly and extended their feeding roots, 
then they will not be likely to do well. 
Chrysanthemums , if carefully lifted, and 
kept cool and partially shaded out-doors 
until middle of Nov., may be had in bloom 
in the parlor or greenhouse a month later. 
Double 'Neapolitan Violets may be lifted 
and treated in the same way; but be care¬ 
ful in all cases not to place them too soon 
under cover, no frost will likely be severe 
enough to injure them or Chrysanthemums 
before the middle of November. With tropical 
plants the case is different. If any of these 
are yet out in the borders, they must be 
lifted at once, and carefully shaded and watered 
and kept from getting chilled by covering with 
glass, at night at least, as soon as lifted. Of 
these best suited for winter flowering are the 
Boumrdias of all kinds, Begonias (winter flow¬ 
ering), Poinsettias, Salmas , and Heliotropes. But 
the same rule applies to them as to the hardier 
sorts; if they have not been plants of good size 
when planted in spring (1 or 2 year old plants) 
that have made but moderate growth, they will 
not do so well; at least will not flower as early 
for the reason that the fibrous roots will be in¬ 
jured in lifting. It may be taken as a safe guide 
that the stronger and healthier a plant looks in 
the fall as it grows in the open border, the worse 
it will answer to lift for winter flowering; while 
a stunted plant that has made but little growth 
is the better, for the reason that it has fewer 
feeding roots to injure. 
The varieties of plants just named, such as 
Roses, etc,, being hardy, need not be placed in 
the parlor, frame, or greenhouse, until the frost 
has been hard enough to kill down Dahlias, 
Heliotropes, etc. But those classed as “ Tropi¬ 
cal,” should bo protected as soon as lifted. They 
must have plenty of light and be watered spar¬ 
ingly until they begin to make white, or work¬ 
ing roots, which mry be ascertained by turning 
the ball out of the pot, handling it, of course, so 
carefully as not to disturb it. If a choice of tem¬ 
perature can be had, that for plants named as 
“ Tropical ” should range from GO 1 - 1 to 70°. That 
for those of the hardy section from 50° to 60°. 
Treatment of a Diseased Pear-tree. 
In the spring of 1869 a Bloodgood pear-tree 
in my garden had all the appearance of the dis- 
ease called Yellows in peach-trees. I had just 
come into possession of the garden and am not 
able to tell the past history of the tree. About 
one-third of the tree was badly affected, and the 
tip ends of the branches in other parts were 
dead or dying. There was not a blossom upon 
the tree, though it had been there fifteen years 
or more. Considering the tree nearly worthless, 
I concluded to experiment with it, and cut off 
about one-third of the whole top close down to 
the trunk. The remainder was cut back severe¬ 
ly, removing all the affected parts. The tree 
took a new start under this treatment; sent 
out vigorous shoots from the trunk below the 
large wounds, made a foot or more of wood at 
the ends of the branches, and formed blossom 
buds abundantly. This spring the ground was 
liberally manured, and the tree blossomed, and 
set with more fruit than it could mature. After 
some thinning I gathered a fine crop of pears, 
the first I ever raised of this variety, after repeat¬ 
ed trials and failures. The wood of the Blood- 
good does not seem to be healthy. It needs as 
much cutting back as the peach-tree, and requires 
a fertile, well-drained soil. On moist land the 
fruit lacks flavor. Connecticut. 
Notes from the Pines. 
There was so much grading and road making 
to do last spring, that flower gardening did not 
receive as much attention as I intended to give 
it. Nevertheless I have managed to try a num¬ 
ber of new things, and to grow others which, if 
not altogether new, I had never cultivated be¬ 
fore. The drouth has been severe upon shrubs, 
but the subtropical plants have reveled in it. 
Coleuses have been very fine, and new ones 
have become so numerous that one can hardly 
keep track of them. The old Coleus Verschaf- 
feltii holds its own by the side of all the new 
comers. A circular bed of it, edged with Arte¬ 
misia Stelleriana makes a fine display. Of the 
many Golden Coleuses, Her Majesty has pleased 
me best; when the plants become old, and the 
leaves take on their peculiar bronzy tinge, they 
may be properly called “golden.” Albert Vic¬ 
tor, Baroness Rothschild, Princess Royal, and 
Queen Victoria, are all good, and somewhat 
alike, but differing in the width of the yellow 
margin and depth of the body color of the leaf. 
The Glory Pea, Clianthus Dampieri, has af¬ 
forded much satisfaction. I put out one plant 
that had been started under glass,, and sowed 
seeds at the same time. The early plant spread 
over a circle of six feet in diameter, and by the 
time it was exhausted by its abundant bloom, 
those from the seed sown in place took up the 
work, and between them both we had an abun¬ 
dance of these gorgeous flowers from June until 
frost. Dr. Iv. trained his up to supports, and 
the red spider made havoc with them, and 
they soon stopped flowering, while ours, which 
trailed upon the ground, were not touched. 
Double Geraniums. —It is likely that the 
days of single geraniums are numbered, as the 
recent double ones show qualities much superior 
to those first introduced. The Gloirede Nancy 
and some others, are too shy flowering. Wil¬ 
liam Pfitzer is a free flowering dwarf, with a 
brilliant, light scarlet flower and a good truss. 
