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JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
July  4,  1896. 
LEDUM  PALUSTRE. 
As  dwarf  evergreen  free-flowering  shrubs  the  Ledums  are  worth 
a  place  wherever  peat-loving  plants  are  grown  and  an  American 
garden  is  provided.  The  leaves  of  L.  palustre  (fig.  3)  have  a 
balsamic  odour,  an  aromatic  bitter  taste,  and  contain,  among  other 
ingredients,  volatile  loil'and  tannin.  \  They  have  been  sometimes  used 
to  allay  irritation  in  wbooping  cough  and  various  cutaneous  diseases. 
FIG.  3. — LEDUM  PALUSTEE. 
In  complaints  of  the  skin  they  are  used  both  externally  and  internally 
in  the  form  of  decoction,  When  placed  among  clothes  they  are* said 
to  prevent  the  attack  of  moths.  In  Germany  they  are  sometimes 
substituted  for  hops  in  the  preparation  of  beer.  An  oil  is  obtained 
from  the  leaves  by  distillation,  which  is  yellow,  with  an  intoxicating 
odour  and  a  burning  aromatic  taste.* 
HARDY  FRUIT  GARDEN. 
Propagating  Strawberries. — There  are  various  methods  of 
securing  rooted  plants  for  forming  early  beds  and  to  grow  in  pots  for 
forcing.  The  chief  object  in  assisting  early  and  quick  rooting  is  to 
obtain  strong  plants  that  will  be  progressing  while  the  growing  season 
remains,  making  abundance  of  roots  and  building  up  bold  crowns. 
These  ends  secured,  fruitfulness  the  first  season  is  assured. 
Small  Pois.— Rooting  in  3-inch  pots  is  perhaps  the  best  and  handiest 
method  that  can  be  recommended.  Each  pot  may  be  drained  sufficiently 
with  a  piece  of  substantial  turf  pressed  firmly  down,  filling  with  loam 
and  manure  in  equal  parts,  also  made  firm,  and  used  moist. 
Squares  of  Turf. — Square  cubes  of  turf  3  inches  thick  laid  grass 
side  downwards  provide  a  ready  rooting  medium  in  preparing  stock  for 
early  beds.  Soak  these  immediately  before  use  in  water  or  liquid 
manure.  Bury  them  slightly  in  the  s^il,  which  will  partially  prevent 
their  drying  so  quickly  in  hot  weather. 
Selecting  Plantlets. — Select  those  of  sturdy  character  with  good 
centres,  the  first  on  the  wire  or  runner  in  many  cases  being  the  best, 
though  the  second  may  also  be  employed.  It  is  essential  that  they  have 
from  the  first  been  fully  exposed  to  light,  so  that  the  foliage  is  not 
weakened  and  the  leafstalks  unduly  lengthened  by  overcrowding. 
When  the  rootlets  are  just  issuing  is  the  exact  time  to  fasten  down  the 
plantlets  on  the  rooting  medium.  For  pots  nothing  acts  better  than  a 
stone,  which  will  not  only  keep  them  in  position,  but  act  as  partial  shade 
for  the  soil.  Small  wooden  or  wire  pegs  are  perhaps  the  best  for  turves, 
the  object  being  simply  to  keep  the  runners  in  position  until  roots  have 
penetrated  the  soil.  Stop  all  growth  extending  beyond  this  point,  and 
immediately  roots  are  increasing  abundantly  detach  the  runners  from 
the  parent  plants. 
Watering. — Water  freely  night  and  morning  in  bright  weather, 
which  will  prevent  any  possibility  of  the  rooting  medium  becoming 
dust  dry.  Moisture  facilitates  the  emission  of  roots,  therefore  the 
sooner  these  are  secured  the  easier  will  be  the  management,  as  the 
plants  may  be  stood  closely  together. 
Raising  Young  Plants.— K  portion  of  the  young  stock  required 
may  be  propagated  on  the  soil  between  the  rows,  or  on  the  spaces  out¬ 
side  the  plantations  if  there  is  room.  If  the  soil  should  be  poor  and 
hard  it  ought  to  be  forked,  and  a  little  manure  added  or  some  good  loam 
intermixed  before  pegging  down  the  plantlets.  This  is  a  good  plan  for 
obtaining  the  general  stock  of  fresh  plants  for  establishing  beds  in 
August  and  September. 
Strawberries  frequently,  if  left  alone,  propagate  themselves  very 
largely,  especially  in  a  moist  season  ;  but  if  this  is  depended  on,  an 
early  thinning-out  of  crowded  runners  must  be  adopted.  Given 
abundance  of  light  and  room  to  develop,  plants  obtained  in  this  way  are 
excellent  for  general  autumn  planting  ;  but  the  most  reliable  methods 
for  pot  plants  and  the  earliest  beds  is  to  ass’st  early  rooting  in  small 
pots  or  turves. 
General  Treatment  of  Strawberry  Beds, — Plants  of  whatever  age 
or  size  that  have  shown  no  bloom  this  season  should  be  uprooted,  as 
they  are  invariably  useless,  and  stock  ought  never  to  be  propagated  from 
such  plants,  because  it  will  have  the  same  characteristics. 
Young  beds  not  in  bearing  must  have  all  runners  cut  away  as  they 
form  in  order  to  strengthen  the  plants  for  next  season.  Clear  away 
regularly  superfluous  runners  on  all  beds,  also  weeds,  retaining  nothing 
but  what  is  or  will  be  profitable. 
Gather  ripe  fruit  in  the  early  morning  while  firm  and  fresh.  Plants 
with  fruit  still  swelling  may  be  assisted  with  water  applied  freely  to  the 
roots,  afterwards  giving  a  little  liquid  manure,  this  assisting  the  fruit  to 
enlarge  considerably. 
Clearing-  Insects  from  Plum  and  Cberry  Trees. — Plum  trees 
are  infested  with  the  blue  aphis,  and  the  points  of  Cherry  shoots  are 
attacked  with  black  aphis.  Clear  water  applied  vigorously  with  the 
garden  engine  will  do  much  to  wash  the  infested  foliage,  and  the  points 
of  shoots  attacked  ought  to  be  dipped  in  some  insecticide  which  will  kill 
them  without  damaging  the  growths. 
Tobacco  liquor  diluted  with  six  parts  water,  or  2  to  3  ozs.  of  softsoap 
dissolved  in  a  gallon  of  water,  is  safe  and  efiectual.  A  solution  of 
quassia  chips  is  a  favourite  remedy  with  many  people,  but  it  is  not 
advisable  to  employ  it  on  choice  fruit  trees  such  as  Peaches,  Nectarines, 
and  Apricots,  or  other  trees  when  fruit  is  ripening,  as  the  bitter 
principle  in  the  chips  may  be  imparted  to  the  fruit.  In  preparing  the 
quassia  solution  soak  the  chips  for  a  day  in  cold  water,  4  ozs.  of  chips  to 
the  gallon  of  water.  After  well  soaking  pour  off  the  liquid  and  add 
4  ozs.  of  softsoap  dissolved  in  a  gallon  of  hot  water.  Mix  well,  and  if  a 
little  more  water  is  added  the  solution  will  be  safe  for  the  tenderest 
shoots.  Dip  as  many  shoots  as  possible,  spraying  the  rest,  which  is  more 
economical  than  syringing. 
Wall  Trees. — Attend  to  summer  pruning  and  laying  in  shoots  of 
Peaches,  Nectarines,  Apricots,  Plums,  and  Cherries,  It  is  not  at  present 
necessary  to  fasten  them  permanently  in  position,  but  they  may  be  laid 
in  the  direction  it  is  intended  they  shall  assume.  This  gives  some  idea 
of  the  number  required  and  prevents  undue  crowding,  as  those  not 
wanted  may  be  cut  clean  out  or  shortened  to  form  spurs.  Trees 
swelling  good  crops  of  fruit  may  be  assisted  greatly  by  removing  the 
least  promising  fruits,  affording  water  and  liquid  manure  to  the  roots 
and  mulching  the  surface  of  the  soil, 
FRUIT  FORCING. 
Vines. — Early  Houses. — Vines  from  which  the  Grapes  have  been 
cut  should  be  well  syringed  every  evening  until  the  foliage  is  thoroughly 
cleansed  from  dust  and  red  spider,  afterwards  recurring  to  it  occasionally 
so  as  to  keep  the  leaves  as  long  as  possible  in  a  healthy  condition,  for 
when  the  foliage  dies  early  from  red  spider,  lack  of  moisture  at  the  roots, 
or  other  causes,  second  growth  not  unfrequently  takes  place  when  the 
Vines  ought  to  be  going  to  rest.  Admit  air  to  the  fullest  possible  extent, 
maintaining  a  moderate  degree  of  moisture  in  the  borders,  particularly  at 
the  surface,  so  as  to  keep  the  roots  there.  A  moderate  extension  of  the 
laterals  will  not  do  any  harm,  but  good  in  keeping  the  sap  active,  and  so 
