1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
839 
THE GARDEN 
WINTER PROTECTION OF SHRUBS. 
M ANY of our choice evergreen shrubs > 
such as variegated box and euony- 
mus, yew, and some of the choice reti- 
nosporas, suffer much in appearance 
when unprotected, the foliage being 
badly “burned,” and thus disfigured. 
In many cases, they are sufficiently pro¬ 
tected when merely sheltered from the 
sweep of the wind. The ground should 
first be heavily mulched ; this must al¬ 
ways be done. Then slip over the shrub 
a headless and bottomless barrel, driv¬ 
ing a stake on either side to hold it in 
the place. If more convenient, boxes 
from which top and bottom have been 
removed, may be placed, one on top of 
the other, until the desired height is 
reached, then braced with stakes. In 
the case of a more tender subject, dry 
leaves may be placed inside the lower 
box or boxes, making a deeper mulch, 
and the bottom left in the uppermost 
box, which, when turned over, com¬ 
pletely incloses the plant. Young trees, 
whose hardiness is suspected, can often 
be well protected by slipping over two 
barrels, one on top of the other, these 
being held firmly in place by stakes. 
Where a shrubbery bed is exposed, it 
is often necessary to put up a wind¬ 
break at the north and west sides. Along 
the coast, where tall reeds are plentiful, 
these are often built into a sort of fence, 
held in place by stakes and braces. Ever¬ 
green branches, where readily obtained, 
built up into a fence, are excellent, and 
not nearly as unsightly as boards. The 
tops of pampas grass and similar mate¬ 
rial may also be used. The idea is, not 
to protect the shrubs from the tempera¬ 
ture itself, other than by mulching, but 
to preserve them from the cutting sweep 
of the wind. Many shrubs which are 
really thoroughly hardy suffer in appear¬ 
ance every winter, merely because this 
protection is not afforded. e. t. r. 
PRUNING ROSES IN CALIFORNIA. 
R OSE culture outdoors presents, in 
California, a number of differ¬ 
ences from methods employed in eastern 
climates. Philip G. Schluch, of Fresno, 
writing to the Interior, says that the 
strong growth made by roses there ren¬ 
ders strong pruning a necessity. As soon 
as the first flowers are fully open, they 
should be cut off, never allowed to fade. 
This advice is as necessary in our cli¬ 
mate as on the Pacific coast. All growth 
coming forth from underneath the sur¬ 
face, and coming from below the bud on 
budded roses, must be kept down. The 
latter are easily pinched off while they 
are young, but with others the soil must 
be taken away and the sprouts taken 
off clean from the trunk. With roses on 
their own roots, all growth beneath the 
old branches is also to be kept down, 
except such growth as is necessary to re¬ 
place the old growth afterward. Every 
six weeks, at least, during the summer, 
all branches which have done flowering 
should be cut back to the next well-de¬ 
veloped bud or new sprouts. All growth 
which will never produce flowers, and 
which is easily recognized by its pointed 
top, or top without sign of further 
growth, should be cut off, if possible, 
without injuring the main trunk or mar¬ 
ring the general outline of the bush. 
This advice is exclusively for bush 
and not for running roses. It also ap¬ 
plies to standards, whether budded or on 
their own root. All running roses should 
be freed from all faded flowers before 
their second growth is too far advanced, 
in order to get a good second display of 
flowers. At the same time, all outward 
growth and all branches not growing in 
the desired direction, should be brought 
in proper position and tied. If they are not 
required to fill any space, they must be 
MOTHERS .—Be sure to use “ Mrs. Wins¬ 
low’s Soothing Syrup ” for your children 
while Teething. It is the Best — Adv. 
cut back to not more than three or four 
buds. Such running roses as Banksia, 
Cherokee, Greville, Prairie Queen and 
all similar ones should be freed from 
their faded flowers and kept free from 
suckers and all extraneous growth dur¬ 
ing the year._ 
THE SWEET DAPHNE. 
O NE of the prettiest greenhouse 
shrubs is the Chinese fragrant 
daphne (Daphne odora). It has stout, 
rather leathery, laurel-like leaves, and 
produces a bunch of exquisitely fragrant 
flowers, flesh white shading to pink on 
the outside, at the tip of each branch. 
It is often seen in greenhouses, but very 
rarely as a house plant, though satisfac¬ 
tory and easily managed. Even a tiny 
plant with but one bunch of leaves will 
produce a head of flowers in that bunch. 
In October, the daphne may be placed 
in a good light position in the house, 
where it will speedily begin to show 
buds. The flowering season will, prob¬ 
ably, extend over about six weeks. If, 
for any reason, the owner wish to re¬ 
tard the bloom, the plant may be placed 
in the cellar for a time, and there kept 
a little on the dry side. When the 
blooming period is past, probably about 
February, the plant may be rested by 
placing in the cellar until the end of 
April. It is then taken outside, at first 
in some sheltered place, as a porch, and 
later put in the open garden. It will be 
ready to bring in again, invigorated by 
summer growth, before sharp frost sets 
in. It is a long-lived plant, growing 
slowly bnt steadily, and, in the course 
of time, makes a fine specimen for a tub 
or large pot. It is free from disease, and 
subject to few insect enemies. Apart 
from the delightfully fragrant flowers, 
the broad evergreen leaves are hand¬ 
some, and the plant deserves to be better 
known in the house garden. It is not 
by any means a novelty, having been in 
cultivation for half a century, k. t. r. 
GENERAL NOTES. 
Succulent plants, such as cacti, house- 
leeks, aloes and agaves, will now be 
resting, and they should receive very 
little water. Poor drainage or water 
standing at the root is disastrous, and 
should be avoided. 
Old stock fuchsia plants, which have 
been rested for two months past, should 
now be encouraged to make a good 
growth, for the purpose of taking off 
slips or cuttings. The young plants, as 
soon as rooted, will grow rapidly, but 
they should not be allowed to get too 
tall before the top is pinched off, to en¬ 
courage a branching habit. 
Tub early azaleas, such as the white 
variety Deutsche Perle and the rose-red 
Mme. Vander Cruyssen will be seen in 
flower in January, the former blooming 
as early as Christmas. Syringing the 
foliage will keep red spider and thrips 
at bay, these insects being liable to at¬ 
tack azaleas in a dry, hot place. In 
watering, give the earth a good soaking 
when it is dry, not a series of frequent 
small doses. 
“ Pretty 
Pill” 
says 
Pretty 
Poll 
She’s just “poll parroting.” 
There’s no prettiness in pills, 
except on the theory of “pretty 
is that pretty does.” In that 
case she’s right. 
Ayer’s Pills 
do cure biliousness, constipation, 
and all liver troubles. 
The lawn should now be raked free 
from all leaves, sticks and litter, and its 
winter top-dressing applied before it is 
snowed under for the rest of the season. 
There is no reason for putting on a 
violently ill smelling mulch. A well- 
rotted stable compost will have but 
little odor, and that little disappears 
after a storm. In some of our well-kept 
parks and cemeteries, the only fertilizer 
used on the lawn is a commercial lawn 
dressing in place of stable manure. 
This does away with the risk of trouble¬ 
some weeds, which are often introduced 
in barnyard manure. 
A golden-leaved myrtle (Myrtus 
communis aurea) is a new ornamental 
shrub. It must not be confounded with 
the trailing plant commonly used in 
cemeteries, known by this name ; the 
latter is a vinca or periwinkle, Vinca 
minor. A larger leaved variety, Vinca 
major, is much used by florists in filling 
baskets and veranda boxes; there is a 
handsome variegated form, as well as 
the plain green. The true myrtle is not 
common in America, though one often 
sees a little plant of it in a German’s 
window garden. In many parts of Eur¬ 
ope, myrtle is indispensable for a bridal 
wreath, and it is customary to plant a 
sprig from the wreath, which after¬ 
wards forms the most cherished plant in 
the window garden. 
The tender hydrangeas which have 
been resting, may now be started up 
ready for spring blooming. When in 
active growth, the pots will be the bet¬ 
ter for a top-dressing. These hydran¬ 
geas need plenty of food and water. If 
they are ever allowed to flag from ex¬ 
cessive dryness, they receive a check 
from which they do not readily recover. 
Every now and then we are asked how 
we may fix the color, either pink or 
blue, of this Hydrangea Otaksa. The 
truth is, we don’t know, and no gardener 
knows authoritatively. Sometimes it 
seems as though a certain course of 
treatment settled the delicate blue so 
much admired m these plants, and then, 
when everything is fixed to our satisfac¬ 
tion, the ungrateful plants will per¬ 
versely produce pink flowers. It is the 
general opinion that the blue tint is pro¬ 
duced by the preponderance of either 
iron or alum in the soil, and, sometimes, 
the use of iron filings in the water used 
appears to have a marked effect, but 
still this is uncertain. 
Throat Troubles. To allay the irritation that 
Induces coughing, use “Bro ton's Bronchial 
Troches " will give effective relief. —Adv. 
Good merchants find out 
that it pays to sell Macbeth 
lamp-chimneys because they 
make friends. 
But look out for the one 
that is made for your lamp. 
Let us send you the Index. 
Geo A Macbeth Co 
Pittsburgh Pa 
..STEAM.. 
engineering 
( Stationary, Marine, 
and Locomotive .) 
Mcchnnlrnl Drawing 
Electricity 
Architectuml Drawing 
Plumbing A Heating 
Civil Engineering 
Surveying A Jlapplng 
English Branches 
Book Keeping 
TO WORKINGMEN 
PROFESSIONAL MEN 
YOUNG MEN 
and others who cannot 
afford to lose time from 
work. Send for Free 
Circular and Reference * 
Stating the Subject you 
wish to Study, to 
The International 
■ iniiilnnnn tleluwilv 
ll/CCl/1 V $3,000 yearly, no experience re- 
VVCL1U.I qutred, failure impossiblei our 
scheme a new one; particulars free. Address 
8.8. Ware Co Box 5aOS.Boston.MaM 
Wanted-An Idea 
Who can think 
of some simple 
thing to patent? 
:t your Ideas; they may bring you wealth. 
Write JOHN WEDDEKBURN & CO.. Patent Attor¬ 
neys, Washington, D. C., for their $1,800 prize offer 
and list of two hundred inventions wanted. 
Rogers’ Farm Account Book able Christmas 
present for husband, son or father. Send 60 cents to¬ 
day to North Andover, Mass. 
Look It Up! What ? 
Our adv. on page 828 of last week’s Rural. Are you 
interested? Write us to-day. Our large special edi¬ 
tion Is going like “ Hot Oakes." 
J. U. WHITNEY & CO., Broadalbin, N. V. 
Are You Keeping 
cows 
FOR PROFIT 
NOT AMUSEMENT— add to your knowledge the 
knowledge of others, and you will do better and have 
in greater measure the pleasure and prolit of suc¬ 
cess. The readers of Tiie Rural New-Yorker are 
progressive, and not content to rest with only the 
knowledge gained of their own experience, and we 
are pleased to have made such atrangements with 
the publishers of Hoard's Dairyman, published at 
Fort Atkinson, Wls.. preeminently the Leading 
Dairy .Journal of the country, that enables us to 
offer both 
Hoard’s Dairyman 
AND 
The Rural New-Yorker 
ONE YEAR FOR $1.70. 
There is no Journal in the world that furnishes so 
large an array of dairy facts, ttgures and experiences. 
Edited by W. D. Hoard and practical dairy farmers 
from all over the country. There is no journal com¬ 
paring with it on the information itglves concerning 
the breeding and feeding of dairy cattle and the 
handling, manufacturing and marketing of their 
product. Don't miss this offer. Hoard's Dairyman 
is a 20-page weekly, and regular subscription price is 
il per year. 
All who take advantage of this offer will 
receive both to January 1, 1808. The rest 
of 1806 EltEE. 
Permanently cured by using DR. WHITEHALL'S KHEUiVL ATIC CURE.. The latest, surest and best. Sample 
sent free on mention of this Magazine, TJLJC DH. WHIT I'.II ALT JI15G RIJtllN 1C CO., South Rend, hid. 
THE RURAL, NEW-YORKER SEWING MACHINE, 
We believe that there is no better machine made than this. There are now, 
at least, a half dozen of them in homes connected with The Rural New-Yorker, 
and we believe that no better machine is made, at any price. We have contracted 
with a large manufacturer to supply our readers with these machines, freight 
paid, at a very low price. We add enough 
to cover the cost of correspondence, etc., 
and give subscribers the benefit of the 
special price. It must be remembered that 
it usually costs more to sell a machine than 
to make it, and that is why local agents 
charge $40 to $60 for machines no better 
than this one. They must get pay for 
their time, and also for the time of their 
horses and wagons. We simply save you 
the cost of selling, and give you the bene¬ 
fit of wholesale prices. Every machine is 
warranted for 10 years, is sent on 20 days’ 
trial, and, if not satisfactory, we will 
return the money, and pay freight both 
ways. It is a staple machine, and new 
parts can be secured at any time. A com¬ 
plete set of attachments and instruction 
book accompany each machine. Price, delivered east of the Rocky Mountains, 
$19.50; with one year’s subscription to The R. N.-Y., $20; or we will send it, 
freight paid, and a club of 20 yearly subscriptions, for $25. 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER, New York. 
