THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
9i 
1891 
THE GARDEN 
Gladiolus—Starting Canna Roots. 
Village Blacksmith , New Madison , 0— 1. Give 
me your first choice of four varieties from the 
following list of gladiolus; also second choice 
from same list: Brenchleyensis, Carnation, 
Ceres, Couquete, Eugene Scribe, Isaac Buchanan, 
John Bull, Lamarck, Leander, Mme. Monneret, 
Napoleon III., Reine Blanche, Van Spandonk, An- 
tonius. 2. Which is surest, safest, and least 
trouble, to purchase dry canna roots, or plant 
from pots that have started to grow ? Give treat¬ 
ment to start dry roots. 
Ans —1. We should select, in the order 
named, Brenchleyensis, Ceres, Isaac 
Buchanan, Napeleon III., Mme. Mon¬ 
neret, Eugene Scribe, Reine Blanche, 
Lamarck. While Brenchleyensis is still 
one of the best vermilion scarlets for 
massing, we should recommend Grand 
Rouge, a brilliant scarlet with very large 
spike, if but few of the color are wanted. 
Africain, very deep crimson, with a 
white blotch in the throat, is the deep¬ 
est color of any variety. Shakespeare is 
a fine white, shaded flesh, with a large 
rose blotch. Why not try some of the 
mixed Childsii varieties ? They are of 
remarkable size and beauty. 
2. It is certainly “least trouble ” to 
buy cannas already started in pots; as 
far as safety goes, there is nothing to 
choose between these and the dry roots, 
and when you start them yourself, you 
have them right at hand when you want 
to plant them. In April, divide the 
roots, retaining one, or at the most two, 
eyes to each piece. These will make 
stronger leaves than where more eyes 
are retained. Start them in a mild hot¬ 
bed, in six or eight inches of soil. If the 
weather is suitable, plant them out about 
the third week in May ; if not, pot them 
singly until ready to plant. In a very 
windy situation, it is wiser to plant when 
the first leaf shows, rather than wait 
until it has made more foliage, as it will 
then be tougher than when more fully 
grown. 
The Water Hyacinth. 
This pretty plant (Eichornia crassipes), 
is a member of the Pondweed family. 
Unlike most aquatic plants, a fixed habi¬ 
tation is not by any means necessary for 
the Water hyacinth, as it floats about 
on the surface. It is provided with in¬ 
flated pseudo-bulbs at the base of the 
leaves, which make it buoyant. The 
color of the foliage is a bright green, 
and it produces showy spikes of mauve 
flowers. During the summer it is a very 
noticeable feature in ponds of aquatic 
plants, where it spreads rapidly, but we 
rarely see it grown as a house plant, 
though it is very satisfactory for this 
purpose. It is merely left to float on 
the top of a vessel full of water. If in 
a cold room it will simply stand still, 
but in proper warmth it grows rapidly. 
This plant, which is a native of South 
America, has been introduced into some 
of the rivers of Florida, where it has be¬ 
come a positive nuisance, blocking navi¬ 
gation in some instances. However, 
there is no danger of such a spread in 
northern waters, and the Water hyacinth 
will remain one of the most attractive 
aquatic plants we know. Where there 
is no sheet of water to form an aquatic 
garden, it may be grown very well in a 
water-tight cask sunk in the earth to 
its rim. 
Plants in the Cellar. 
Where there is no greenhouse for 
winter storage, a good many plants may 
be kept in the cellar. These include 
tender evergreens, such as Oleanders, 
Myrtles (the true myrtle, not the creep¬ 
ing Vinca), orange and lemon trees, 
pomegranates and bay. These plants, 
though resting, must receive water ; not 
a heavy soaking, but still enough to 
keep the earth moist. Other plants, 
such as fuchsias, lemon verbenas or 
geraniums have the tops cut down, and 
are simply kept alive, without growing 
MOTHERS .—Be sure to use “ Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup ” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best — Adv. 
at all. The roots are packed close to¬ 
gether, with but little soil, and though 
the earth is not allowed to become dust 
dry, very little watering is done. 
While all these plants are kept from 
frost, the temperature of the cellar is 
quite low ; keeping them in a warm 
place, where there is a furnace, would 
be disastrous. The cellar should also 
be freely ventilated whenever a mild 
day will permit it. If cactus or succu¬ 
lents, such as Century plants, are stored 
in a cellar, they should receive no water, 
and be kept free from dust. All the 
plants in the cellar should be looked 
over from time to time, and kept free 
from decay or vermin. Bulbs of the 
Elephant’s Ear caladium, amaryllis, 
Tuberous begonias, or cannas, should 
lie on shelves or in wooden flats ; they 
must be periodically examined and kept 
free from decay. 
A pretty vine is the annual Thunber- 
gia alata. The flowers are deep orange, 
with a black throat. It is admirable for 
window or veranda boxes. 
It is now time to prepare the hotbed 
for early vegetables. Full instructions 
for making a hotbed were given in The 
R. N.-Y., page 817, issue of December 12 
last. Lettuce and radishes may be 
sown, but there is no great hurry. 
Straw mats or wooden shutters will be 
needed to conserve the heat on very cold 
nights. 
A Little Child 
With a Little Cold. 
That’s all! 
What of it? 
Little colds when neglected 
grow to large diseases and 
Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral 
CURES COLDS. 
’96 
’95 
’94 
’93 
’92 
’91 
’90 
’89 
’88 
’87 
’86 
’85 
’84 
’83 
’82 
’81 
’80 
’79 
’78 
77 
76 
751 
1897-1847 
This Year is the 
Qolden Jubilee 
I Anniversary of 
To commemorate our fiftieth 
business year, we have pre¬ 
pared the most beautiful and 
!valuable SEED and PLANT 
CATALOGUE the gardening 
world has ever seen. Every 
copy costs us 25 cts. to produce, 
but in honor of this our “JU¬ 
BILEE” year, we will send it 
this season rn pp to any one 
on receipt rlvCCof 10c. (in 
stamps) to cover postage and 
mailing. This “JUBILEE ” 
CATALOGUE of “EVERYTHING 
FOR THE GARDEN” is a mag¬ 
nificent book of 170 pages, on 
which are displayed over 500 
beautiful illustrations of Seeds 
and Plants, the work of our 
own artists. Also six full-size 
colored plates which in artistic 
beauty have probably never 
been equaled, certainly never 
surpassed. 
I A “JUBILEE SURPRISE SOU¬ 
VENIR” will also be sent without 
’53 
’54 
’55 
’56 
’57 
’ 58 ' 
’59 
’60 
’61 
’62 
’63 
’64 
’65 
charge to all applicants for the 
Catalogue who will state where 
they saw this advertisement. 
PETER HENDERSON & GO., 
35 & 37 CORTLANDT ST.. NEW YORK. 
’66 
’67 
’68 
74 73 72 71 70 1’69 
m 
THIS JUBILEE BOROEft IB CQPYRIQMTID.i 
TREES CHEAP 
If you will send tor our catalogue. which is free 
we are very sure you can save money. 
THE ELIZABETH NURSERY CO., Elizabeth, N. J 
3 \Ji o|.) [.[I 0 , 
cm R/ 0 
Vs 
DELAY MEANS DECAY 
A bouse and barn, farm tools, wagons, bug¬ 
gies, everythingisimproved with paint. There 
are almost as many different kinds of paint as 
there are things to be painted. 
The Sherwin-Williams Buggy Paint 
was made originally to paint buggies with, but 
it is just the thing to use on articles requiring 
an out-door exposure—porch and lawn chairs, 
boats, benches, etc.—where a fine varnish fin¬ 
ish is wanted. 
Our booklet, “Paint Points tells of the 
different kinds of paint, tells what is good 
paint, what is bad paint, tells how to paint ami 
what to paint, tells how to take care of your brushes. It can be had for the 
asking. You may not be thinking about paint to-day, but send for “ Paint 
Points ” anyway —it will keep. 
The Sherwih-Wilumis Paints 
The Sherwin-Williams Co. 
Cleveland. Chicago. New York. Montreal. 
OR 
FOR BOOKLET ADDRESS, 7 MICHIGAN ST., CLEVELAN D, O. 
° . Hi o 
Copyright 1897—The Bates-Whitman Co., N.Y.—686.—l 
tfch /$?<& OGh. ^ 
TREES-SHRUBS-ROSES 
The largest and most complete collections of GENERAL NURSERY STOCK, 
in America, including all desirable novelties. Beautiful Catalogue (168 pages—1866 
edition) free to customers; to others 10 cents. Every intending buyer should have it. 
ELLWANCER A BARRY, Mount Hope Nurseries, Rochester, N.Y. 
BURPEE’S FARM ANNUAL 
Leading American Seed Catalog, 
mailed FREE to any address. 
W. ATLEE BURPEE CO., 
Philadelphia. 
HICH CLASS SEEDS 
Our Ninety-sixth ANNUAL CATALOGUE is now ready, and will be 
mailed FREE on application. It contains the largest 
Collection in the World of 
Vegetable, Flower and Farm Seeds, 
Including the new WHITE PEACHBLOW POTATO, orders for which should 
be sent in early, as the supply is limited. 
Beautifully Illustrated with Hundreds of Cuts. 
We Mail it FREE, h Dft 
J.M.THORBURN & Co. 15 JOHN ST.NewYork 
k 
WONDERFUL TREE TOMATO. J 
OEL A PERFECT MARVEL. THE BEStR 
TOMATO IN THE WORLD and jiiKt what 
V. / I If U everyone wants. It is extra kaiily and bears 171 
n V ( abundantly and continuously through the entire 
1 #\ \» V season. The fruit is bright red and of the finest 
A* * ^ . f FLAVOR ; the plant is DISTINGUISHED from AI.I, 
OTHERS BY its TREE FORM, standing erect, and 
requiring no support at all. No ONE who has a 
garden should be without it. 
F. B Stokes, Franklin,Tenn.,writes: “I’ve tried 
your Extra Early Tree Tomato the last two years 
and its the finest vuriety I’ve ever grown or seen.’’ 
BEET, lie wings—Good round table sort. 
RADISH, Srnrlrt Turnip— A splendid early variety. 
I,ETTI CE, Hansons—A head variety of line quality. 
We will send one packet each of the Tree To¬ 
mato, Beet, Radish and Lettuce for only Ten Cents. 
Some Rare German pansies. 
To those who do not wish Vegetable Seeds we 
will send one packet each of the following rare 
Pansies for only Ten Cents: Beauty, fawn.—Snow 
queen, white.— Blue Prince, blue.—King of Yellows, 
yellow.—Or for 6 cents iri stamps wo will send 
either a packet of tlie Extra Early Tree Tomato or a large packet of our star Hived Pansy Seeds. Our 
Handsome Illustrated Catalogue and 311 cent Certificate mailed with order for any of Hie above. 
MAY &. CO., Seed Growers, ST. PAUL, MINN. 
^ When you ^ 
plant seeds, plant 
FERRYS 
Always the best 
For sale everywhere. 
D. M. FERRY & CO., 
L. Detroit Mich. 
SEEDS! SEEDSI 
73d Annual Priced Catalogue of 
Vegetable, Farm and Flower Seeds 
is now ready, and mailed free to all applicants. 
BRIDGEMAN’S SEED WAREHOUSE , 
37 East 19th St., New York City. 
1897 Catalogue 8583?- 
VAUGHAN’S SEED STORE, 
New Yorki CHICiAGrOi 
14 Barclay St. 84 and 86 Randolph St. 
EST 
THE 
RLD 
EE 
BOOK EVER PRINTED. 
SEEDS CHEAP 
lc to 4c per pkg. Cheap by oz. & lb. Send 
Yours, and Neighbors address for Grand Cat. 
alogue. R. H. Shumway, Rockford, III. 
