664 
<THl2i RURA.L, NEW-YORKER 
Ruralisms 
Lachenalias as Window Plants.— 
Few neglected bulbous plants are so 
well worth consideration as the Lach- 
,’nalias or Cape cowslips. Lachenalia 
is a very distinct genus of dwarf lily- 
like flowering plants, all natives of 
South Africa. There are perhaps 40 
species, but only four or five have at¬ 
tained horticultural importance. Some 
hybrids have been raised that are su¬ 
perior in a decorative way to the 
parents, and there is promise of still 
further advance. The improvement of 
Lachenalias, as far as it has gone, ap¬ 
pears to be due almost entirely to Brit¬ 
ish clergymen who have a fondness 
for this manageable flowering plant. The 
favorite species are L. tricolor and L. 
pendula. The former has drooping 
leaves, generally handsomely spotted 
with brown, while Pendula is character¬ 
ized by upright foliage, less conspic¬ 
uously marked. The blooms are tubular 
or bell-shaped, from one to nearly two 
inches in length, and of various bright 
shades of red and yellow, marked with 
purple and vivid green. They are car¬ 
ried on stout stalks, nine inches or more 
high. Under good treatment each bulb 
will send up from two to six spikes, 
carrying from six to 12 blooms each, 
and lasting in good condition two 
months or more. It is this lasting qual¬ 
ity, together with their distinct appear¬ 
ance, that gives the Lachenalias their 
special decorative value. Figs. 248 and 
250, from photographs, taken before the 
subjects had attained full development 
give some idea of their appearance. 
Nearly 150 blooms were perfected in 
the clump of L. pendula shown in Fig. 
249 before new spikes ceased to be 
thrown up. The species mentioned are 
well worth growing, also L. reflexa, 
with spreading yellowish bloom; L. or- 
chioides in varied colors from brown to 
purple, and L. glaucina with red, yel¬ 
low or white flowers, often tinged with 
blue. 
Hybrid Lachenalias are of more in¬ 
terest, as the foliage is better and they 
are freer in bloom. Those in cultiva¬ 
tion have chiefly been bred from L. 
tricolor and L. pendula, and run to red 
and yellow in their coloring. L. Nel- 
soni is a great favorite, bright yellow 
faintly tinged green; Luteola, lemon 
yellow; Aurea, golden yellow; Cawston 
Gem, vigorous and free, yellow tipped 
with red; Delight, orange, tipped with 
red, purple margin; Rector of Caw- 
ston, yellow, scarlet and brownish pur¬ 
ple—truly an improved L. tricolor. 
These varieties cosh from 12 - to 25 
cents each in Holland. The species 
only are generally offered by bulb deal¬ 
ers in this country. Probably the 
choicest of all hybrids is Primula; very 
large bells, clear yellow tipped rose. 
This originated in Australia and is still 
scarce. The price of Primula has not 
fallen below six shillings or $1.50 each. 
Culture.— Lachenalias are in every 
way suited for pot or basket culture in 
the window garden or mild greenhouse. 
L. Nelsoni, the earliest and one of the 
best hybrids was raised in a window 
garden. Any sunny window or con¬ 
servatory that can be kept free from 
frost in Winter is suitable for their de¬ 
velopment. Five or six bulbs should be 
planted in a six-inch pot, using light 
but not overrich soil. Free drainage 
should be provided, as the plants, though 
moisture-loving when in growth, do not 
thrive in sodden soil. Planting should 
be done in August or as early as the 
bulbs can be procured. The pots may 
be conveniently stored ill a frame until 
November, giving them a rather scanty 
supply of water until the plants are well 
started. They stand mild Autumn frosts 
without harm, but the soil should never 
be permitted to freeze. When taken 
inside they should be placed in a good 
light and the soil moisture considerably 
increased. They thrive best in a com¬ 
paratively cool temperature—an average 
of 50 degrees at night suits them best. 
The bloom spikes should show in Feb¬ 
ruary, and during their development 
well-diluted liquid manure may be given 
with advantage. The flowering period, 
by avoiding high temperatures, may be 
extended from eight to 10 weeks, after 
which the foliage begins to fail. The 
water supply may gradually be lessened 
but the plants should be kept in a good 
light and in a growing temperature un¬ 
til the leaves are quite yellow, after 
which the pots may be dried off and 
stored in a cool dark cellar until time 
to shake out the dormant bulbs for re¬ 
planting. There is generally a good in¬ 
crease, and the larger bulbs may be ex¬ 
pected to be in better condition than 
when received from the dealer. Seeds 
are sparingly produced, but grow 
readily, and bloom in about two seasons, 
with fair treatment. 
I would like to know through Ruralisms 
how to grow carnal ions successfully; how 
to treat them so as to get big blooms and 
bow to slip them so they will grow; if 
they need plenty of root room; in fact 
anything that would help one who is 
ignorant in growing flowers. 
Tecumseh, Kan. u. h. m. 
The best carnation blooms are grown 
from “slips” rooted in February or early 
March and planted out nearly 20 
inches apart in April or May in good 
garden soil. Clean cultivation should 
be given the plants throughout the 
Summer and when bloom buds appear 
they should promptly be pinched out. 
The leading shoots should also be 
pinched out two or three times that the 
plant may grow thick and stocky in¬ 
stead of spindling. In August the 
plants are carefully lifted and brought 
inside, planting them one foot apart in 
greenhouse benches, containing five or 
six inches of compost, composed of two- 
thirds well-rotted sods and one-third 
fine old manure. About a handful of 
fine ground bone, and double the quan¬ 
tity of clean wood ashes, may be added 
to each barrow load of soil. If for the 
window garden we would use boxes 10 
by 16 inches and eight inches deep, well 
provided with drainage holes and con¬ 
taining nearly seven inches of similar 
potting compost. Carnations do need 
considerable root room, but boxes of 
this pattern will very comfortably ac¬ 
commodate two strong plants each. Car¬ 
nations rarely thrive well in pots, 
even of the largest size, but grow vig¬ 
orously in greenhouse benches or boxes 
as above described. It is, of course, 
presumed that the tender, everbloom- 
ing varieties such as are found in com¬ 
merce, are desired. The hardier garden 
kinds may be left outside over Winter 
with a suitable protection of litter or 
strawy manure. If they survive they 
will probably bloom profusely in Spring 
and again sparingly in late Summer, but 
the flowers, though bright and hand¬ 
some, will be small and inferior to 
those of the regular forcing kinds. For 
free Winter blooming in greenhouse or 
window carnation plants require abun¬ 
dant light, good ventilation and a pretty 
steady temperature, ranging about 55 
degrees. Draughts, dry heat and severe 
chills quickly ruin them. The plants 
should be sprayed on bright days to 
keep insects and dust in control, and 
watering should be regularly and care¬ 
fully attended to, keeping the soil con¬ 
stantly moist but not muddy. As the 
blooms appear top-dressings of guano, 
chicken or stable manure or other 
stimulants may be worked in the soil to 
maintain vigor, but this extra fertiliza¬ 
tion should not be overdone. If in the 
window the boxes should be turned two 
or three times a week so that both sides 
may receive an equal amount of light. 
Propagation.— The hardy garden 
kinds are best raised from seed, which 
may be had in excellent quality from 
high class dealers, but the choice forcing 
kinds are propagated by cuttings. As 
the knife is scarcely used in carnation 
propagation the word “slip” is more 
truly descriptive than with most other 
plants. 
The portions used are the young 
branches coming out at the axils of the 
firm leaves about half way down the 
flowering shoots. They are pulled or 
slipped out with a sidewise jerk and 
need little trimming before planting ex¬ 
cept to cut off any adhering strip of 
green bark. A good carnation slip or 
cutting is two or three inches long 
and fairly firm at the freshly broken 
base. They are readily rooted in pure 
moist sand in the propagating bench, or 
in pots or boxes in the window. Or¬ 
dinary road sand will do, but it must 
be fairly coarse and free from dust or 
earth. Good drainage must be provided 
and the sand firmly packed and wetted. 
The cuttings are carefully dibbled in 
one or two inches apart. The sand 
must constantly be kept wet and the 
cuttings lightly sprayed on clear days. 
They should not be exposed to direct 
sunshine, which might cause wilting. A 
pane of glass covered by a sheet of 
thin paper is an excellent protection for 
propagating boxes or pots in the win¬ 
dow garden. Cuttings root in about 
four weeks, when they may be potted 
off singly or put two inches apart in 
trays containing a shallow layer of good 
soil. Carnation blooms are naturally 
produced in clusters, and to secure the 
finest flowers it is necessary to remove 
as early as possible all but the main bud 
on each stem._ w. v. F. 
Fighting Squash Insects. 
M. li., Providence, p. I .—IIow can I with 
success combat the squash bug and squash 
borer ? 
Ans. —Both of these pests are hard to 
control. The eggs which produce the 
borers are laid by a moth at the base of 
stems of young plants in early Summer. 
One of the best remedies is to sow a sur¬ 
plus of seeds which will act as a trap 
crop, and thin out after danger from 
borers is past. A vine that has begun to 
wilt from this cause may sometimes be 
saved by slitting it lengthwise, taking the 
borers out, and burying all joints of the 
vine to induce rooting. Hand picking of 
squash bugs in early morning is feasible 
on a small scale. Small pieces of board 
laid on the ground among the vines will 
harbor many of the bugs in the night, 
and they can be destroyed early the next 
morning. Good results have been re¬ 
ported from putting a clamshell full of 
moth-balls on each hill. The commercial 
dry insecticides sold for this purpose are 
more or less effective. The crop of 
squash bugs may be materially lessened 
by cleaning up and burning all garden 
litter in the Fall, as they winter in this 
rubbish. _ 
“So, your son is now a soldier, hey, 
Uncle Ben?” “Yes, sail; he’s done jined 
de malicious corpse, sail.”—Baltimore 
American. 
Write Us About 
Harvey Springs 
Ask ns how they save you H on every load of perish¬ 
able fruit (a fact). We don’t want a cent if the springs 
are not just as we claim—worth doublo their cost to 
you. You simply return them if not what you want. 
A 30-day trial doesn’t cost you a cent. Hurvey Springs 
are on or off in a moment, so this is no trouble. We 
make the best springs because we mako nothing but 
springs. Wo know how. Every pair guaranteed. Bend 
us the weight of your heaviest load and the name of 
your dealer. We'll send yon our catalogue^ and 
arrange for this trial. Let us prove at 
our risk that you need Harvey Springs. 
Write today—do it now— a postal will do. 
Harvey Spring Co.,44 7 17thSb, Racine, Wi*. 
July 4, 
When you write advertisers mention Tun 
R. S.-Y. and you’ll Ret a quick reply and 
“a square deal." See guarantee, page 8. 
Genasco 
Ready Roofing 
is not only waterproof, but stays 
waterproof. Made of Trinidad 
Lake Asphalt. 
Ask your dealer for Genasco. Write for 
Book 10 and samples. 
THE BARBER ASPHALT 
PAVING COMPANY 
Largest producers of asphalt, and largest 
manufacturers of ready roofing in the world. 
PHILADELPHIA 
New York San Francisco Chicago 
THE DEYO 
POWER SPRAYER 
It is protected from spray mixture. Our3-H.P. 
air-cooled engine can he easily detached and used 
where ever power is needed. Six years of success. 
Ask the user. Write for catalog 19. 
R. H. DEYO & COMPANY., Binghamton, N. Y. 
Leggett 
’o fliicforc distribute 
0 UUOlGlO INSECTICIDES 
.■■—I IN DUST FORM 
NO WATER TO HAUL 
LEGGETT'S 
CHAMPION 
,DUSTER 
The CHAMPION 
dusts two rows of pota¬ 
toes or tobacco as fast 
as you walk. 
The BEETLE 
Potato Duster (Horse 
Power) dusts four rows. 
Illustrated Spray Calen¬ 
dar gives concise infor¬ 
mation with name of 
nearest agent. Mailed 
on request. 
LEGGETT & BROTHER, 301 Pearl St., New York. 
For Rapid, Easy Spraying—The 
"AutO-Pop” nozzle 
Slight pressure on lever starts dense 
spray. Automatic shut-off. Doubles ca¬ 
pacity. Saves solution, time, labor. 
INCREASE THE CROPS 
by using the "Auto-Pop” nozzle on 
the "Auto-Spray" pump. 
Write if you want agency. 
E. C. Brown Co., «* Rochutar, N. T. 
FERTILIZER 
Tankage an ideal Fertilizer for Wheat and the 
permanent enrichment of all soils. Free from sul¬ 
phuric acid or other injurious chemicals. Licensed 
for sale and analysis guaranteed under the laws of 
the State of New York. Sold direct from factory 
to farm. $16.00 per ton delivered freight prepaid 
to any railroad station in New York State. 
AMERICAN REDUCTION COMPANY OF 
PITTSBURGH, Pittsburgh, Pa. 
FREE Trial to You 
LPaToOa, My Great Buggy 
R ■ Proposition 
r Also My Large General Line Catalog 
Mv nmnncMAn I*. * ree —Fall of Bargains In High 
JSSdto ti -? <l ? Harness , ^ 
by any factory. meats. dBEiNigl ONLY 
GALLOWAY 
Saves You 50 PerCent 
f26,000 Guarantee—Altogether 
different from any other propo¬ 
sition. Get ray proposition sure 
before you buy any buggy of any 
make or kind—from 129.00 up. 
WM. GALLOWAY CO. ^ 
G66 Jefferson St., Waterloo,la. 
JsO Days’ Zree Trial 
i am the Paint Man-; 
Get my Big Free Book, Including Big 
Color Cards to select from—also free 
Book of Painters’Supplies sold ut Dt- 
rect-to-You Prices. 1 make Paint to 
order—sell it on three months' time— 
allow two full gallons free to try—and 
nay all frelghtcharges. Write postal 
for full particulars and FREK Books. 
O.L.Chase.Thc Paintman, Dept. 45 St.Louis, Met. 
masm 
HEAVIEST FENCE MADE 
, All No. 9 Steel Wire* Well galvanized. Weighs 
M more than most fences. 13 to li5c per rod, 
t delivered. Wo send free sample for inspection , 
and test. Write for fenco book of 133 styles. 
The Brown Fence Wire Co. 
Cleveland, Ohio* 
Stjckney Gasoline Engines 
ARE THE BEST 
(thcTcnoiwc WITH twc 
—w 
BECAUSE OF ITS DESIGN 
OF IGNITER. COOLING SYS¬ 
TEM. VALVE MOTION. GOV¬ 
ERNOR. THE QUALITY Of 
ITS MATERIAL ANO THE 
ACCURACV_O F^IT S _WO*K- 
M AN SHIR 
BECAUSE Or~'lTs'"87 REA-} 
SONS WHICH ARB TOLD IN 
( 
OUR FREE CATALOG ANO 
CATECHISM- 
'STATIONARY, PORTABLE W000 SAWING OUTFITS 
SEND^TODAY FOR FREE CATALOG, 
CHAS. A. STICKNEY GO., 55 Batterymarcti St., Boston, Mass> 
i- _ 
