1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
587 
California Violets in Frames. 
J. L., Massachusetts .—Can I bloom California 
violets in a frame ? If so, how should they be 
treated ? 
Ans—T he California violet does well 
in frames, and is treated like the other 
members of its family. Young plants 
from the strongest runners are planted 
either in the open field or in frames for 
the summer, being put out early in May. 
They are kept free from weeds, and the 
runners are removed during the summer. 
About the middle of September, they 
are planted in the frame, in earth well 
enriched with old cow manure and a 
sprinkling of bone dust. Air should be 
given freely day and night until freez¬ 
ing weather begins, when the frames 
should be covered nightly with mats 
and shutters. During very inclement 
weather, it may be necessary to keep 
the frames wrapped up for days at a 
time. Watering must be done with 
great care during the winter, and con¬ 
fined to spots that appear dry upon the 
surface. Careless watering is a prolific 
source of disease. 
Treatment of Peonies. 
W. O. 8., Essex County, Mass .—What ia the 
proper depth to set peonies for a permanent bed? 
I planted mine seven to eight Inches deep, but 
they did not do well, and all are dying now; some 
died in July, the leaf-stalks rotted underground. 
Are they not too deep ? Is it best to give them a 
slight winter protection of strawy manure mulch? 
Do they need poor or rich soil for best results ? 
Ans. —Peonies are usually planted from 
four to six inches deep, the depth vary¬ 
ing according to the character of the 
soil. In a light soil, the depth named 
by W. G. S. would hardly be likely to 
weaken the plants to the dying point; 
but if the soil is heavy, the effect natur¬ 
ally would be disastrous. Peonies are 
not very critical about locality, but their 
natural preference is for a deep, moist, 
well-worked soil. Before planting a 
permanent bed, the ground should be 
thoroughly prepared by spading to a 
depth of 18 inches, enriehing with old 
manure. Situation or exposure seems 
to affect peonies but little, either full 
sun or partial shade appearing to suit 
them equally well. As far as protection 
is concerned, there is no necessity for a 
winter mulch, for our garden peonies 
are as hardy as an oak ; but we like to 
put a mulch of short manure over the 
surface of all herbaceous beds in the 
fall, the same being lightly forked into 
the soil in the spring. In the case of 
smaller herbaceous plants, this prevents 
heaving out by frost, but the peonies 
are too strongly rooted to be troubled 
by this. 
Wintering Chrysanthemum Plants. 
Next month, the Chrysanthemums 
will be with us again, and many people 
who buy the blooming plants in pots 
are anxious to keep them for another 
season, without having any very clear 
idea on the subject. Mr. T. D. Hatfield, 
a high authority on this subject, observes 
in the Transactions of the Massachusetts 
Horticultural Society that, when it is 
remembered that Pompon varieties are 
MOTHERS. —Be sure to use “Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup ” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best.— Adn. 
quite hardy in Massachusetts, and many 
others nearly so, it will be seen that no 
pampering is necessary in wintering the 
plants over. Such as have been grown 
in pots are, by the nature of their pre¬ 
vious culture, too tender to be turned 
out at once. A very cool cellar, such as 
a barn cellar, on a shelf near the light, 
would be a good place to keep them. A 
little frost would do them no harm. It 
is better to keep the plants cool, for if 
the place is at all warm, they start into 
growth, and this weakens them. They 
freeze sometimes, but come out all right 
in spring. When spring comes, most of 
the plants will be a mass of growing 
shoots. What is generally done is to 
divide up the old stool, and plant a 
number of shoots together. Mr. Hat¬ 
field considers that it would be better 
if a few of the shoots, with a piece of 
root attached to each, could be started 
afresh into separate plants in sandy soil. 
This could all be done before June, after 
which there would be ample time to 
transplant the young plants and get 
good bushes before the autumn. Young 
plants always have more vigor than 
detached portions of the old stock. 
During the months of June and July, 
when the plants are growing fast, they 
should be frequently topped to induce 
stocky growth. Some localities are 
much infested with insects, which often 
blight the shoots so badly that few 
flower buds appear. A good plan in 
such cases is to place a frame-work of 
mosquito netting about the plants, with 
an opening on one side. This will 
keep out their worst enemy, the Chinch 
bug. Green and Black aphides—small 
insects which cling to the leaves and 
buds near the ends of the shoots—often 
gather in such large numbers as to 
cripple the shoots seriously. The fre¬ 
quent application of tobacco dust will 
keep them in check. The plants should 
be taken up early in September, potted 
carefully, and stood in some shady place 
to recover. As cold weather comes, they 
should be housed at night and stood out 
during the day time. 
The large flowers we see on trained 
specimens are obtained by reducing the 
number of buds on a shoot to one only. 
More flowers, but smaller, would natur¬ 
ally come were all the buds allowed to 
remain. The newest varieties are not 
always the best. Mr. Hatfield’s selec¬ 
tion for the present season is : Morning 
Crow, pink; Mutual Friend, white ; O. 
W. Holmes, red ; Marion Henderson, 
yellow ; Norma, pink ; Ivory, white ; 
Columbine, bronze ; Garza, white ane¬ 
mone ; Savannah, yellow pompon ; JohD 
Shrimpton, crimson ; W. H. Lincoln, 
yellow ; Joseph H. White, white. 
Seasonable Notes. 
Violets to be grown in frames during 
winter should be looked over, and the 
runners removed, as we need good, 
strong crowns for this use. The plants 
may be lifted from the middle to the end 
of the month. If any pansies are to be 
grown in frames they may be lifted at 
the same time. Keep the sashes off the 
frame until the approach of sharp frost. 
Geranium plants that are intended for 
winter flowering indoors must have all 
the flower buds now forming plucked 
off, until the end of this month. They 
are the better for remaining outside as 
long as possible if there be no danger 
of sharp frost. Palms, ferns, India- 
rubber plants and the like will not 
suffer yet if the season be bright and dry, 
but a cold easterly storm at this time is 
very likely to give them a chill that 
results disastrously. It is well to bring 
such plants up on to the veranda, or in 
some such shelter, even before it is 
necessary to bring them inside. 
During the present month the florists 
are lifting carnations from the field, and 
planting them in the houses. Amateur 
growers often find it difficult to obtain 
pot carnations in the spring, but some 
of these field-grown plants, purchased 
now and carried over winter in a frame, 
make fine spring-blooming specimens in 
pots. They should be potted firmly in 
four or five-inch pots, with all the buds 
and tips of leading shoots pinched off, 
and have the pots plunged in the frame. 
For a week after they have been lifted, 
they should be kept close and shaded ; 
after that, air freely, keeping the 
sashes off entirely on bright days. 
During winter, wrap as a violet frame, 
airing on warm days. Rather bushy, 
compact varieties make the best pot 
carnations. President Garfield, bright 
red; Lizzie McGowan, white; Grace 
Wilder, pink, and Little Gem, creamy 
white edged with carmine, are excellent 
for this purpose. 
Lenameune. ; 
The Modern 
STOVE POLISH 
DUSTLESS, ODORLESS, 
BRILLIANT, LABOR SAVING. 
Try it on your Cycle Chain. 
1. L. PRESCOTT & CO., New York. 
-<—VICTORIES_ 
FOUR MEDALS—3 Gold and t Silver, World’s Centennial 
Cotton Exposition, New Orleans, 1884. 
HIGHESTawARD S—N ebraska Agricultural Fai 7 , 1887. 
DIPLOMA—Alabama Agr’l Society, Montgomery, 1888. 
AWARD—Chattahoochie Valley Exposition, Colum- 
bu s, Ga., 1888. __ 
HIGHEST AWARDS—St. Louis Agricultural and 
Mechanical Association, 1889. 
GOLD"mEDALS and^ 6 DIPLOMAS—World’s^olum- 
bian Exposition, Chicago, 1893. 
HIGHEST AWARDS^Western Fair Association, Lon¬ 
don, Canada, 1893. 
SIX GOLD ME DALS an d Di plomas—Cal. Midwinter Fair ’9 4. 
SILVER MEDAL—Industrial Exp ositio n, Toronto, Canada, 1895. 
345,584 Home Comfort Itanjfes .Sold to Jan. ljjt,'5)7 
Range illustrated sold throughout the United States and 
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WROUGHT IRON RANGE CO., 
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Factories, Salesrooms and Offices: ST. 1,0 FIS, MO., and TORONTO, CANADA. 
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unequaled HOM£ COMFORT STEEL, E4JRNACE8, Write for catalogue and prices. 
SAVE * YOUR FUEL 
By using our (stovo pipe) RADIATOR. 
With its 120 Cross Tubes, 
ONE stovo or furnace does tho work of 
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TO INTRODUCE OUR RADIATOR, 
the first order from each neighborhood 
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Rochester Radiator Company, 
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FRUIT EVAPORATOR 
uTUF rPANTPI?P ,f —For family use. Cheapest in 
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Harvest Excursions! 
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GO WEST AND LOOK FOR A HOME. A handsome 
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17, 
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Round trip tickets will 
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at allC., B. & Q. stations 
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