HARDY HYDRANGEAS 
I NOTICE that there are two kinds of hardy 
hydrangeas catalogued, one Hydrangea pani- 
culata and one Hydrangea paniculafa var. 
grandijlora. Which is the one most frequently seen 
in gardens and which is the best ? O. M. P. 
The one generally grown is the variety grandiflora, 
composed almost entirely of sterile flowers as is the 
common snowball. This makes a more showy 
flower on account of its size, but this increased size 
is its chief fault when artistic, natural elf'ect is 
desired, as in heavy rains or winds the flower 
stems are unable to carry the weight of the heads, 
which lop over to the ground in an untidy manner. 
Staking them properly may help them to a certain 
extent, but each flower stalk must have an indi¬ 
vidual stake and even then they look unnatural. 
The type H. paniculafa has a flower head composed 
of numerous, small, white star-shaped flowers, with 
a few sterile ones. Their weight being in proper pro¬ 
portion to the strength of their stems the bush is 
more natural and pleasing in its form than its variety 
grandiflora. Both of these bloom in tbe fall. 
Lately a new species has been introduced in H. 
arboresce7^s sterllis, a splendid early summer bloomer 
of good habit, in which the flowers somewhat 
resemble the snowball. 
THE BLACK BLISTER BEETLE 
Last year my Chinese asters were entirely ruined 
by a black looking beetle. What can be done to 
prevent it the coming season Mrs. J. C. P. 
The black blister beetle, as well as its striped 
relation, often destroys many plants and vines.' They 
are especially fond of the Clematis paniculafa, and 
kindred varieties. Often the first brood is not 
numerous, and, if exterminated, but little damage is 
done, but if unmolested they breed rapidly and 
danger ensues. 
Immediately, at their first appearance, take a 
saucepan having a handle, fill half full of water and 
pour some kerosene in, which will float to the top. 
Approach the infected plant silently and look for 
the beetles. Hold the pan under the insect and 
gently strike the plant above it. The habit of the 
beetle, when alarmed, is to drop to the ground, and 
it is an easy matter to have it drop into the oil. Early 
in the morning they are more sluggish, and more 
easily caught, and may at times be hand-picked. If 
too numerous for the above plan or one supple¬ 
mentary to it, sprinkle your plants thoroughly with 
a fine water spray and then give a good dusting with 
Dalmatian insect powder. Sometimes a thorough 
spraying, under a strong pressure of water, will 
drive them to a neighbor’s garden where, if unmo¬ 
lested, they may remain. 
A GOOD VINE FOR HOUSE DECORATION 
What is a good vine to grow for summer decoration 
m the house—a long stranded vine preferred 
B. M. P. 
Nothing can be better than the Chinese yam, 
Dioscorea batatas, the fragrance of whose blossoms 
has given it the common name of cinnamon vine. 
The tuber is edible and an effort was made to grow 
it as a commercial vegetable, but its tubers grew so 
long and deep and were so brittle that the labor of 
digging was too great. Its foliage is heart-shaped, 
glossy, and will remain fresh and plump when cut, 
for several days, even without water, thus making it 
usef ul to train over doorways, mantels or in situations 
where it is almost impossible to place its stems in 
water. I usually cut it the evening before it is 
wanted—placing its stems in a bucket of water and 
laying the vine on the grass in a situation where the 
morning’s sun will not strike it, and give the whole vine 
a spraying with water. While all this is not necessary 
for a one day decoration it certainly helps it. 
Young tubers make the most useful vines for 
decoration, being slender and devoid of the seed- 
balls that later in the season appear on old plants 
and detract somewhat from the fresh, clean, glisten¬ 
ing appearance the younger vines possess. Like all 
vines, if grown closely, they intertwine. It should 
be grown as the florists grow smilax, on strings held 
far enough apart to keep each vine separate. One 
way is to select an out-of-the-way, sunny place and 
erect a frame composed of telephone poles standing 
at least fifteen feet out of the ground. Run two by 
six scantling along the top. Plant your tubers 
immediately under the scantling, two feet apart in 
(Conttniied on page 17, Advertising Section.) 
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