1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
523 
Dwarf Japanese Trees. 
Subscriber, Massachusetts —Are the tiny Japan¬ 
ese evergreens seen potted in ornamental jardi¬ 
nieres really adult trees, dwarfed to such size, 
or are they young plants ? 
Ans —They are really old dwarfed 
trees, in most instances. Favorite coni¬ 
fers for the purpose are the Mugho pine 
and Retinispora obtusa. It is said that 
the dwarfing is chiefly produced by a 
process of root pruning and scraping. 
The gnarled and knotty appearance of 
these little trees shows that the dwarf 
stature has been obtained by severe 
checks to the growth. Dauble flowered 
cherries and peaches are also dwarfed. 
The Japanese use these tiny trees to 
decorate the miniature gardens they so 
much admire, where brooks, waterfalls, 
mountains and forests all appear within 
a space but a few feet square. Within 
the past few years, many dwarfed plants 
have been imported into this country 
for the decoration of corridors, vesti¬ 
bules and verandas. 
Treatment of India-Rubber Plant 
A. B., New York .—My Rubber plant, which is 
otherwise doing well, shows brown spots in the 
leaves, which become dry and brittle. The plant 
stands in the porch during the day, but is taken 
indoors at night. Can the trouble with the leaves 
be removed by tobacco applications ? 
Ans —The trouble aif-cting the plant 
is a species of leaf blight, but outward 
applications would be useless without 
removing the original cause. There is 
little doubt that the plant is suffering 
from over-watering, which has caused 
injury to the roots. When kept in the 
shade, the earth in the pot dries out 
very slowly, especially during humid 
weather, and frequent watering, re¬ 
sulting in soddened soil, will greatly 
injure the fine roots. The plant should 
be kept outside entirely so long as 
the warm weather lasts. While suffi¬ 
cient shelter to avoid injury from rough 
winds is desirable, the plant does not 
need complete shade. A very shady situ- 
tion is conducive to lanky growth, and 
a Rubber plant is much handsomer when 
it grows strong and stocky. 
Mealy Bugs on Wax-Plant. 
ordinary soap. Two ounces of the soap 
to a gallon of water may be used with 
safety, but in the case of Mealy bugs, it 
is likely that a weaker emulsion would 
be efficacious. Where the insects are 
closely huddled down in the axils of the 
leaves, they should be rubbed out with 
a bit of wet sponge on the end of a 
pointed stick. All the house plants 
should be carefully examined for Mealy 
bug when taken in in the fall, not only 
the leaves, but also the stem where it 
enters the ground ; the insects increase 
so rapidly indoors that they will soon 
overrun the plants. Whenever the in¬ 
sects are noted on plants inside, they 
should be sponged off immediately, be¬ 
fore there is opportunity for them to 
spread. 
Seasonable Notes. 
Hollyhocks may be sown now, ready 
for next summer’s flowering. They 
should be wintered in a cold frame, and 
planted out very early in the spring. If 
there are signs of rust on any of the 
little plants at planting-out time, de¬ 
stroy these affected specimens. A num¬ 
ber of useful perennials may be sown at 
this time. 
The Adam’s Needle (Yucca filamen- 
tosa) has been a beautiful sight during 
the past two weeks, with its tall branch¬ 
ing spike of waxen-white flowers. This 
is a most desirable plant for garden, 
rockery or cemetery planting, and is 
especially fine when grouped in a colony 
near shrubbery. It is very hardy, and 
demands little care. It is planted in 
early spring, before new growth begins. 
The persistent leaves sometimes die off 
when it is transplanted, but if planted 
firmly, with a good watering to settle 
the soil, and slightly protected from sun 
and wind for a week afterwards, there 
should be no loss of foliage. 
The very wet season has caused many 
of our ornamental plants to make abun¬ 
dant foliage at the expense of flowers. 
This is very noticeable with Cinnas, 
which have grown extremely strong 
without making a great quantity of 
bloom, even in a very open, sunny place. 
They are doing best in a light soil, with 
abundant drainage. Where Cosmos is 
in pots, plunged to the rim in the ground, 
it is necessary to lift the pot weekly, 
to break off any wandering roots, and 
pinching must be attended to, as these 
plants are making an abundance of soft 
growth, and will be late in forming 
bloom. Coleus will be the better for 
pinching out again at the tips. They 
have grown freely this summer, but the 
colors are dull, the rainy season causing 
an unusual quantity of green in leaves 
ordinarily brightly colored. Abutilon 
Souvenir de Bonn is growing vary lux¬ 
uriantly, requiring several pinchings to 
keep it in bounds, and its clear green 
and white foliage excites much favor¬ 
able comment. Abutilon Svitzei, a va¬ 
riety containing more white in the 
leaves, is a newer sort, judged likely to 
rival Souvenir de Bonn in general use¬ 
fulness. 
Callas, which have been resting out¬ 
side, will soon be ready for attention. 
The tops should be all dried off by the 
middle of August, and the roots should 
be taken out of the pot, and all the old 
soil shaken off. The little offsets may 
be removed and potted separately to 
grow on to flowering size. For potting 
the old roots, a coarse loam should be 
mixed with one-third of well-rotted 
cow manure ; a little old mortar is an 
excellent addition. The Calla needs an 
abundance of water, so there must be 
plenty of drainage. Several lumps of 
charcoal, with some green moss laid over 
them to prevent clogging, will be excel¬ 
lent for this purpose. After repotting, 
the Callas should remain outside until 
cold nights begin ; the growth will be 
much stronger than if brought in at 
once. 
About the middle of this month, pan¬ 
sies should be sown for early spring 
blooming. They may be sown in drills 
half an inch deep, the soil being mellow 
and finely cultivated. When well up, 
thin out or transplant to another bed. 
During hot, dry weather, there is al¬ 
ways danger of Red spider on seedling 
pansies, and this pest will soon ruin the 
little plants. The best preventive is a 
good hard spraying with clear water 
every evening. These pansies will pass 
the winter outside without harm, but 
they should be planted in a slightly 
raised bed, so that there is no danger of 
water lodging about them and, at the 
approach of hard frost, they should be 
covered with a mulch of straw or ever¬ 
green boughs. The boughs are prefer¬ 
able, because field mice will not be 
likely to find a home among them. 
Burglars won’t bother a street or house 
that is well lighted. The Steam Gauge 
& Lantern Co.’s Tubular Globe Street 
Lamp is equal to gas. Cannot blow out. 
Can be set to burn from 4 to 16 hours, 
and gives 4 hours’ light for a cent. 
Buy it of your dealer. He has it, or ran get it. 
Send f >r catalogue, prices and detailed descrip¬ 
tion. Please mention this paper. 
STEAM GAUGE & LANTERN COMPANY, 
Syracuse, N. Y. 
Amateur, New Jersey.—\ have a climbing Wax 
plant (Hoya), badly infested with a small white 
insect, which looks like a speck of cotton. The 
insect now seems to be spreading to other plants. 
What is it, and what remedies may be used ? 
Ans. —The insect is, without doubt, 
Mealy bug, a pest very likely to infest 
hard-wooded plants kept in conserva¬ 
tory or dwelling house. From these it 
goes to other plants, being almost im¬ 
possible to eradicate when on Coleus, 
Sword ferns or Geraniums. It is, how¬ 
ever, quite easily destroyed by contact 
poisons, the old insects being more 
difficult to destroy than the young ones, 
on account of their thicker covering, 
which is a sort of secreted wax. Emul¬ 
sion of whale-oil soap is a good remedy 
to use as a spray. A whale-oil soap 
made with caustic potash instead of 
soda is excellent for this purpose ; it is 
semi-liquid and mixes easily with water, 
being much less troublesome than the 
MOTHERS.—Be sure to use “Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup ” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Acbv. 
VICTORIES. _->• 
FOUR MEDALS—3 Gold and 1 Silver. World’s Centennial 
Cotton Exposition, Now Orleans, 1834. 
HIGHEST AWARDS—Nebraska Agricultural Fair, 1887. 
DIPLOMA—Alabama Agr’l Society, Montgomery, 1888. 
AWARD—Chattahoochie Valley Exposition, Colum¬ 
bus, Ga., 1888. 
HIGHEST AWARDS—St. Louis Agricultural and 
Mechanical Association, 1889. 
GOLD MEDALS and 6 DIPLOMAS—WorhTsTColum- 
bian Exposition, Chicago, 1893. 
HIGHEST AWARDS—Western Fair Association, Lon¬ 
don, Canada, 1893. 
SIX GOLD MEDALS and Diplomas—Cal. Midwinter Fair '94. 
SILVER MEDAL —Industr ial Exposition, Toronto, Canada, 1895. 
345,584 llome Comfort ItangesSold to Jan. lst,"!»7 
CWRange illustrated sold throughout the United States and 
the Canadas at a uni form prico from our ow n wagons. 
Made of open hearth, cold rolled steel-plato and malleable 
iron —will last a life-time with ordinary care. 
WROUGHT IRON RANGE CO., 
Founded 1864. Paid up Capital $1,000,000. 
Factories, Salesrooms and Offices: ST. I.OUIS, MO., and TORONTO, CANADA. 
Western Salesrooms and offices: DENVER, COLO, 
firwe manufacture and carry a complete stock of notel Ranges and Kitchen goods; also the 
anequuled UOMK COM FORT STEEL FURNACES. Write for catalogue and prices. 
—This little circlet 
of balls. They make 
The easiest 
running 
machine of 
its kind. 
Ball 
Bearings 
Like a 
Bicycle. 
A Thorough 
Cleanser. 
No wear 
and tear on 
clothing 
Booklet Free. 
CLARK, QVIRN & MORSE, 
315 W. St., Peoria, Ill. 
\ \ f\wt ** 0 *//' 
1 
P 
n 
1 
A 
V 
_ 
FRUIT EVAPORATOR 
uTUC PR/HVPPR family use. Cheapest in 
1 llLi uilrUI ViLul, the market. $8. *6 & $8. Clr. 
EASTERN MFG. CO., 257 South 5th St., l*hila.,Pa. 
OUTFIT FREE 
AGENTS ’"-'' 1 ”- k " eu - 
w big money. 
We make a high grade DID 
as low as 824 . 00 . Dili 
Fully guaranteed. Shipped anywhere^ 
on anproval, direct from our factory. 
ALPINE CYCLE CO.. Dept.90 .Clnrlnnatl.O. 
Harvest Excursions! 
Alir Q ll|n IT To the Farm regions 
AUu. OAHU I/, of the West, Nortli- 
orrvr 1 ■ tin 01 west aud Southwest. 
\rr I ANU / I Round trip tickets will 
Xl' 1, l Va.Ja 7«’ he sold on dates named 
OPT A N n Q at all C„ B. & 0. stations 
Uul. J Hliu I J. and at many Kastern 
points at about half fare, good for 21 days. Stop 
over allowed on going passage. Ask your local 
agent for particulars. 
GO WEST AND LOOK FOR A HOME. A handsome 
illustrated pamphlet describing NEBRASKA sent 
ree on application to P. S. EUSTIS, Geu’l Bass. 
\gt.. C., B. & Q. R. R.. Chicago. 
A FARM LUXURY. 
With milk selling in the country at 
one cent a quart and cream in propor¬ 
tion, there is no cheaper or more de¬ 
licious luxury than a plate of ice cream, 
and there are no other people in the 
world who can have it with all its rich¬ 
ness and smoothness and freshness and 
delicacy as can the farmer and his fam¬ 
ily. This we know from actual experi¬ 
ence. The strange thing about it is 
that many farmers sell the milk at one 
cent a quart and buy ice cream at 30 
cents a quart, and then take an article 
inferior to that which they could make 
themselves right on the farm. All you 
want is a little ice and a four-quart 
White Mountain Freezer. We have 
made arrangements to get oDe for each 
of our readers that wants it this month. 
Get one of your neighbors to give you a 
dollar for a year’s subscription to The 
Rubal New-Yohkeb, send his name and 
address and $3.25 and we will have the 
freezer sent you at once, and the paper 
will be sent your neighbor for a year. 
This is the exact cost of the freezer, so 
you see we pay you liberally for getting 
the new subscription. This freezer is 
made by the White Mountain Freezer 
Co., at Nashua, N. H., and we will 
guarantee it to give perfect satisfaction. 
This is an especially liberal offer and is 
only good until August 15 It will 
positively not be repeated after that date} 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New Yokk 
