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ALL PURCHASERS OF OUR BOOKS,
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Practical Floriculture,
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OR
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ARE ENTITLED TO RECEIVE OUR MANUAL OF
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EXPLANATORY NOTE.
FOR the past twenty-five years the senior member of our
firm, Mr. PETER HENDERSON, has, by his writings, been
prominently before the horticultural community both in this
country and in Europe, and as one of the results of this
prominence, we are constantly receiving inquiries from friends
and readers of his books for his photograph. In deference to
these oft-repeated requests, we have taken the liberty to
place his portrait in front of the present volume, which, from
the diversity of subjects of which it treats, is likely to have
a wider circulation than any of his previous works.
PETER HENDERSON & CO.,
Publishers.
GARDEN
AND
FARM TOPICS
:
> or THE
'TJNH ERSITY
ilEOB,^-
PETER HENDERSON,
AUTHOR OF
'•'Gardening for Profit," " Practical Floriculture," "Gardening for
Pleasure, " and ' 'Hand-Book of Plants"
NEW YORK:
PUBLISHED BY PETER HENDERSON & Co.,
35 & 37 CORTLANDT STREET.
1884.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the. year 1884, by
PETER HENDERSON &^Co.,
In the office of the Librarian o/^ongress, Washington, D. C,
PRINTED BY E
. 8. DODGE, 95 CHAMBERS STREET, NEW YORK.
CONTENTS.
PAGB.
Popular Bulbs and their Culture, ------ 9
The Hyacinth, (ffyacinthus,) 9
The Tulip, (Tulipa,} 13
The Lily, (Lilium,) 18
The Lily of the Valley, (Convallaria,) - 23
The Narcissus, (Narcissus,) 25
The Gladiolus, (Gladiolus,) 27
The Tuberose, (Polianthes tuberosa,) ----- 32
The Calla, Egyptian Lily, Lily of the Nile, (Richarctia,) - 37
The Amaryllis, (Amaryllis,} 39
The Crocus, (Crocus,) 4*
The Iris, (Iris,) - 42
The Cyclamen, (Cyclamen,} - - - - - - 43
The Ranunculus, (Ranunculus), - - - - - 45
The Wind Flower, (Anemone,) 46
The Crown Imperial, Fritillary, (Fritfflatui.) - - - 47
The Snow-drop, (Galanthus,) 47
The Tropseolum, (Nasturtium,) - - - - - 48
The Arum, (Arum,) --.-...go
The Ixia, (Ixia,) 51
The Guernsey Lily, (Nerine,) - - - - - 51
The Sparaxis, (Sparaxis,) - - - - - -52
The Babiana, (Babiana,) - - - - - - 53
The Amazon Lily, (Eucharis,) ------ 53
The Oxalis, (Oxalis,) 54
Squills, Scillas, (Scilla,) 56
Window Gardening, Basket Plants, and Care of Plants in Rooms, 57
Propagation of Plants by Cuttings, Layers, Division, and Seed, 67
6 - CONTENTS.
PAGR.
Rose Growing in Winter, - 87
Green-house Structures and Modes of Heating, - - - - 99
Formation and Renovation of Lawns, - - - 117
Onoin Growing for Market, - - - - - - -123
How to Grow Cabbage and Cauliflower, (Early and Late,) - 137
Growing and Preserving of Celery for Winter, - 159
Strawberry Culture, 169
Root Crops for Farm Stock, - - - - - - - i?7
Culture of Alfalfa or Lucerne, (Medicago sativa,*) - 187
Manures and their Modes of Application, - 193
Market Gardening around New York, - - 201
The Use of the Feet in Sowing and Planting, - - 211
Popular Errors and Scientific Dogmas, - - - 219
Humbugs in Horticulture, - 227
Draining, __-------- 241
INTRODUCTION.
THE demand for special information in a condensed form, on
most of the subjects embraced in this work, by hundreds of our
patrons each season, is the chief reason for its publication. For
example, an inexperienced grower of Cabbages, Celery, or Onions,
wishes for information about methods of getting the best crops;
another is about to form a Strawberry bed, a lawn, or construct a
green-house, and he asks the benefit of my veteran experience.
No reply by letter on such subjects can be very satisfactory, and
hence the necessity of brief printed instructions, which, I trust,
have been as clearly given as the limited space would admit.
Such, however, as require a more elaborate treatise on the
general subject I beg to refer, if full information is wanted for
Market Gardening, to my book, " GARDENING FOR PROFIT;" if
for Commercial Floriculture, to " PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE;"
if for reference to Nomenclature and History and Description of
Plants, to the "llAND-BooK OF PLANTS ;" and if for General
Gardening for Amateurs, to "GARDENING FOR PLEASURE."
PETER HENDERSON.
JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS, N. J.,
Jan. i, 1884.
v- '?>
'UNIV1ESITY
GARDEN
AND
FARM TOPICS.
POPULAR BULBS ANI> TMBIR. CUI/TURK.
THE HYACINTH, (Hyacinthus.)
THE Hyacinth is placed first in the list of bulbs, as it
certainly deserves to be. Its easy culture, both in-doors
and out ; its immense variety of double and single flowers,
embracing nearly every shade of color ; and its delicious
fragrance, all combine to make it pre-eminent above all
other bulbs, if not above all other families of plants, the
Rose excepted. It was first introduced into England in
1596. Gerarde, in his " Herbal," published near the end of
the sixteenth century, describes four kinds, the single and
the double blue, the purple, and the violet ; and John
Parkinson, writing in 1629, describes eight kinds, among
which, by this time, white and red colors had appeared.
During the two and a half centuries that have passed
since Parkinson wrote, there has been a steady improve-
ment in the size, form, and color of the flowers of this plant.
From the eight varieties of 1629, described by John
Parkinson, more than four thousand varieties have been
produced and catalogued, from which number upward of
10 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
two hundred varieties are subjects of extensive commerce.
The Hyacinth is a universal favorite in the most extended
application of the word. The number of its varieties is
now fully equal to that of any other florist's flower. They
are largely grown for forcing into flower in the dull,
cheerless months of winter and early spring, when their
delicately-colored flowers and rich fragrance lend a charm
to be found in nothing else.
FORCING.
For forcing, the bulbs should be potted about the mid-
dle of September in five or six inch pots in rich, light
earth, and placed in a cold frame or under a wall,
where they can be covered with wooden shutters, or some
similar contrivance, to keep off heavy rains. In either
case they should be covered a foot thick with hay or
leaves ; and being once well watered after potting, they
may be left for a month to form their roots, when the
most forward should be brought out, and after re-potting
into larger pots, according to the apparent strength of
the bulbs, should be placed in a temperature of about
50°, Some care is necessary in the application and in-
crease of heat, or the flowers will be abortive. It should
not exceed 50° for the first three weeks, but afterward
may be increased gradually to 60° or 65°; and if the pots
are plunged into bottom heat the same careful increase
should be observed, or the points of the roots will infal-
libly be killed. One-third the depth of the pot is fully
sufficient at first, and if the heat is brisk they should not
be plunged more than half way at any time. When the
flower stems have risen to nearly their full height, and
the lower flowers of the spike are beginning to expand,
the piants should be removed to a lower temperature,
THE HYACINTH. II
usually afforded by the green-house ; and when the flowers
are fully expanded, the plants can be taken to the sitting-
room, or wherever their presence is desired, observing to
protect them from sudden changes or cold draughts of
air, and it will help them if the water given to them should
be moderately warm, say from 80° to 100°.
GROWING IN GLASSES.
Hyacinths in glasses are an elegant and appropriate
ornament to the parlor, and for this purpose occasion
little trouble. The bulbs should be procured and placed
in the glasses as early in the season as possible, keeping
them in the dark until their roots are well started, after
which the lightest position that can be afforded is the
best. The water in which they grow should be changed
twice or thrice a week, and in severe weather the plants
must be removed from the window, so as to be secure
from frost.
OUT-DOOR CULTURE.
For decorating the flower garden, the bulbs should be
planted in October or the early part of November, at six
or seven inches apart each way, in light, rich soil, at a
depth of four inches from the crown of the bulb to the
surface of the earth, and covered over, as soon as the
ground freezes, with three or four inches of leaves or
rough manure. It may be necessary to place sticks to
them when in bloom, to prevent them from being broken
by the wind ; and this is all the attention they require till
the foliage is withered, and the season has arrived for
taking them up, when, instead of the usual practice of
drying them at once in the sun, we would advise the
Dutch method to be adopted, namely, to place them
12 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
side by side on a sunny spot of ground, and cover them
with about an inch of loose earth, to thoroughly ripen by
the subdued heat imparted to the earth which surrounds
them. Left in this position for a fortnight, they will
become dry and firm, and an hour or two of sunshine
will finish them properly for storing. So treated, they
will be but little inferior to imported bulbs.
The multiplication and growth of Hyacinths for sale
is principally carried on out of doors in the vicinity of
Haarlem, in Holland. The sandy soil, and moisture of
both soil and climate in that country, are peculiarly favor-
able to the growth of the Hyacinth. Hundreds of acres
are there devoted to the culture of these and kindred
plants, and the Haarlem gardens are a gay sight from the
early season of the year till far on in the summer. The
process of multiplication is carried on by sowing the
seeds or by taking offsets from the parent bulb. By
seeds new varieties only are obtained; it is by offsets that
the already known and valued kinds are increased. The
bulbs are cut crosswise, and sprinkled with sand to ab-
sorb any superfluous moisture that may exude from the
incisions. After a time they are planted in the earth,
when numerous small bulbs are formed on the edges of
these incisions. At the expiration of one season they are
again lifted from the ground, and the numerous small
bulbs, still only partially developed, are separated from
the parent root and planted out again and again, year
after year, for three or four years, before they become
flowering bulbs of fine market quality.
WHITE ROMAN HYACINTH.
The white Roman Hyacinth is largely used for forcing
for winter flowers by the florists of New York and all
THE TULIP. 13
large cities. In New York alone upward of five hundred
thousand bulbs are used during the winter, and the
number is rapidly increasing each year. The flower
spikes average four cents each at wholesale. By a suc-
cession of plantings in boxes six inches deep, beginning
in September, they are had in flower from November till
May, and even later. The method pursued is similar to
that for the Lily of the Valley. (See Lily of the Valley,
(Convallaria,) where the method is described.)
THE TULIP, (Tulipa.)
TULIPS are divided into several classes, and of these
we shall speak in the order of their flowering. . The
single and double varieties of the Due van Thol, of which
the type is Tulipa suaveolens, (from the Latin suavis,
sweet,) are the earliest and most suitable for pot culture
or forcing. If, in autumn, they are planted singly in
four-inch pots of light, rich soil, they will flower extremely
well in an ordinary room, and contrast finely with Hya-
cinths in glasses. The culture is the same as for Hya-
cinths. They will flower in water like the Hyacinth, but
with less certainjy and less luxuriance ; hence they are
better grown in pots of soil. The Due van Thol was
introduced into English gardens from the South of
Europe in 1603.
The Single Early Tulip, (Tulipa Gesneriana^} the
parent of our ordinary garden varieties, is a native of
Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Calabria, and Central Italy.
Conrad Gesner, a Swiss naturalist, in whose honor it
was named, first made it known by a description and
drawing in April, 1559. Of this class of Early Single
Tulips there is almost an endless variety. They have
14 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
received, for more than two hundred years, all the care
and attention that could possibly be bestowed on a plant,
not only by the Dutch florists, but by nearly every
skilled gardener throughout the Old World.
Notwithstanding the " mania " has safely passed over,
one of the Haarlem florists this season (1883) offered
two thousand varieties. To select from a list so large
with a view of pleasing, or of securing the most desirable,
would be to play a game of chance. Nearly every color
and shade, except black, is represented, either alone or
mixed, striped or shaded ; in fact, every possible com-
bination of color may be obtained. Double Tulips are
almost as common as the single, many of them very
showy and desirable. But, like all others who have made
a specialty of the Tulip, we could never admire the
double as much as the single varieties. Late flowering
or Show Tulips have been grown from seed by millions,
the result of which has been the acquisition of many
superb varieties.
There is a singularity in Tulips which belongs to no
other flower. The seedlings generally, when they first
bloom, produce flowers without any stripes or markings,
but with a yellow base, the upright portion of the petals
being self-colored, brown, red, purple, scarlet, or rose.
In this state, when they have been grown for years with-
out variation, they are called Breeders or Mother Tulips.
These are planted every year until they break into
stripes, when, if the markings are fine, or different from
any known, they are named. Each person who has
"broken " one claims and has a perfect right to give it a
name ; but much confusion naturally exists, because of
the fact that different names have been given to those
that have broken almost exactly alike. In a bed of a
thousand seedlings, it is not probable that any two will
THE TULIP. 15
be very nearly alike in their markings, and none are ever
identically the same. This uncertainty adds greatly to
the charm of Tulip cultivation. The hope of something
new in the markings and penciling is a sufficient stimu-
lus for the enthusiast to persevere in his labor until he
has found one worthy of a name. A singular feature in
the Tulip is, that after it breaks it ever remains the same.
Show Tulips are divided into three classes : i.
Byblcemens, such as have a white ground, variegated with
purple, the edges well feathered, the leaflets erect, and
the whole forming a perfect cup. 2. Bizarres, having a
yellow ground, variegated with scarlet, purple, rose, or
violet. 3. Roses, with white ground, variegated with
rose-color, scarlet, or crimson. The properties of a good
Tulip as a florist's flower, according to the London
Horticultural Society's rules, are, " i. The cup should
form, when quite expanded, from half to a third of a
round ball. To do this, the petals must be six in number,
broad at the ends, smooth at the edges, and the divisions
between the petals must scarcely show any indenture.
2. The three inner petals should set closely to the three
outer ones, and the whole should be broad enough to
allow of the fullest expansion without quartering, as it is
called, or exhibiting any vacancy between the petals.
3. The petals should be thick, smooth, and stiff, and
keep their form well. 4. The ground should be clear
and distinct, whether white or yellow. The least stain,
even at the lower end of the petal, renders a Tulip of
less value. 5. Whatever be the disposition of colors
or marks upon a Tulip, all the six petals should be
marked alike, and be, therefore, perfectly uniform. 6.
The feathered flowers should have an even, close
feathering all round ; and whether narrow or wide, light
or heavy, should reach far enough round the petals to
l6 OARDfcN AND FARM TOPICS.
form, when expanded, an unbroken edging. 7. If the
flower have any marking besides the feathering at the
edge, it should be a bold mark down the center, but not
reaching the bottom of the cup. The mark must be
similar in all the six petals. 8. Flowers not feathered,
and with the flame only, must have no marks on the
edges of the flowers. None of the colors must break
through to the edge. The color may be disposed in any
form, so that it be perfectly uniform in all the petals, and
does not go too near the bottom. 9. The color, whatever
it may be, must be dense and decided. Whether it be
delicate and light, or bright, or dark, it must be distinct
in its outline, and not shaded, or flushed, or broken. 10.
The height should be eighteen to thirty-six inches ; the
former is right for the outside row in a bed, and the
latter is right for the highest row. n. The purity of the
white and the brightness of the yellow should be perma.
nent ; that is to say, should stand until the petals actually
fall." Parrot Tulips are ignored by those florists who
claim the right to say what is and what is not beautiful.
Not being bound to observe the " laws " that regulate
the form, shape, and "perfect markings," we prize this
class very highly, on account of their singularly pictur-
esque appearance. The flowers are very large, and the
colors exceedingly brilliant. They are unequaled for
groups in mixed borders, or conspicuous places in front of
shrubs. The varieties of this class are limited, but they
are, nevertheless, particularly beautiful.
SOIL AND CULTURE.
The best soil for the culture of the Tulip is a rich,
rather light, well-drained loam. A bed of sufficient size
for planting the bulbs should be dug at least twelve
THE TULIP. 17
inches deep. The bulbs should then be planted six
inches apart each way ; pressed deep enough to keep
them in their places, and covered with mould to the
depth of three inches on the sides of the bed, and
five inches in the center. This precaution is necessary,
that water may not stand on the bed during the winter.
When the bed is planted and covered, it may be left to
the weather until the Tulips come up, or about the first
of March. A slight protection of litter is then required,
as the frost has a tendency to check the bloom. When
the flowers appear, if they are protected from the sun by
a light canvas, the period of bloom may be kept up for
three or four weeks. The colors are generally better if
not shaded at all, but in that case the bloom would be
soon over. Sometimes a single day's hot sun will
completely spoil them.
When the flowers begin to fade, they should be cut
away and removed from the bed. As soon as the stems
of the Tulip turn yellow, and the leaves begin to dry
they may be taken up and put in a cool, dry place. When
dry, thoroughly clean off the old skin and dirt, and put
in paper bags, ready for planting out again in October.
The Tulip is also now extensively forced for cut flowers
during the winter and spring months. The method of
culture is identical with that of the Roman Hyacinth
and Paper Narcissus, which see.
1 8 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
THE LILY, (Lilium.)
OUT-DOOR CULTURE.
THIS genus, the type of an extensive order, numbers
upward of sixty species, and is eminently distinguished
for its surpassing loveliness, and its rare combination of
grandeur and chaste beauty. A remarkable feature in
this family of plants is, that it has no poor relations. In
a general collection of the species, all that can be
imagined desirable and perfect in floral forms will be
realized. A great inducement to the cultivation of
this genus is their ease of culture, and their almost
perfect hardiness, thriving with all the vigor of indig-
enous forms when planted in the flower border. All of
them delight in light, rich soil, such as is afforded by a
mixture of loam and well-rotted manure, and one uni-
form treatment is applicable under all circumstances to
the whole of the species ; all may be grown together in
the border, and remain undisturbed a number of years,
frequent removals being injurious, by destroying the
roots. All the species thrive best when planted in partial
shade, the shrubbery border, or in large beds in an open
grove. They are propagated by offsets or by scales.
When the old bulbs have several small ones formed
around them, take them up in October, divide them into
single bulbs, and replant the large flowering bulbs im-
mediately in fresh, rich earth, where they are to flower.
Plant the small bulbs in a bed of the same kind of soil by
themselves ; let them remain until sufficiently large and
strong for flowering, which should require but two years;
then take them up, select the larger bulbs, and plant
them where they are to remain, taking care to enrich the
earth with well decomposed manure, the small ones to
THE LILY.
be replanted as before. L. candidum, "Easter Lily,"
should be taken up and replanted in August or first part
of September, as the bulbs make a growth in autumn,
upon which in a great measure depends their flowering
the coming season. In selecting the situation for the
Lily-bed, care should be taken to have the dryest spot
possible, where water is
not liable to stand in the
winter. A good mulch-
ing of leaves, coarse
manure, or evergreen
boughs will prove highly
beneficial.
The species are pretty
generally distributed
throughout the temper-
ate regions of the north-
ern hemisphere ; a few
only are found in the
mountains of sub-tropical
Asia. California has fur-
nished several that are
among the more difficult
to cultivate here, because
of the difference in the
seasons of growth. Japan
has furnished by far the
greater number of really excellent species, among
which are L. auratum, or Golden Banded; L. speciosum
and its varieties ; L. Kramerii, L. Leichtlinii, L. tigrinum
flora plena, L. Thunbergianum in variety, L. longiflorum,
L. candidum, the oldest known species, comes from the
Levant. Asia furnishes L. Chalcedonicum ; Siberia the
beautiful little L. tenuifolium, which is there grown as an
LILIUM AURATUM.
20 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
article of food. The United States contributes L. super bum,
L. Canadense, L. Philadelphicum, L. Catesbm, L. Caro-
linianum, and L. Columbianum, together with L. Wash-
ingtonianum, L. Humboldtii, L. parvum, L. Calif ornicum,
L. pardalinum, L. Roezlii, L. Parryi, and L. Walkerii,
from California. It may be added here that the California
Lilies often remain in the ground a whole year before
growing.
FORCING.
All the varieties succeed well grown in pots ; but
two, L. candidum and L. longiflorum, bear what is
termed forcing, or are made to bloom out of their natural
season. The L. speciosum class and L. auratum do not force
well. L. candidum, or the white panicled Easter Lily,
is the species so extensively forced for flowers for Easter.
The method is to plant the bulbs in six-inch pots, deep
enough to merely cover, the bulb, any time from Sep-
tember ist to December ist, plunging the pots of those
potted early to the rims out of doors in a sheltered,
warm spot, and covering up with leaves as cold weather
approaches, so that they shall not get frozen at any time.
Those that are potted later, say from the middle of
November, should be plunged in the same way either in
the soil under the benches in a cold green-house or in a
cold frame. The object is in all cases to get them to
fill the pot with roots in a low temperature. When the
pots are well filled with roots, they may be brought into
a higher temperature, say 55° at night and 10° or 15°
higher in the daytime. If the pots are well filled with
roots they will come into flower from eight to ten weeks
after being placed in the above temperature. When the
flower stems begin to ascend, the plants may be liberally
supplied with liquid manure (made from one bushel of
THE LILY.
Y,
22 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
cow manure to fifty gallons of water) once a week or so,
taking care, however, never to water unless the plant
shows indications of being dry.
The treatment given above for L. candidum will also
answer for L. longiflorum, the white Trumpet Lily, except
that the latter should first be put in four-inch pots, and
remain until well filled with roots, or until the plant is
three to four inches high ; then shift into a six-inch,
placing the ball on the bottom, so that all, or nearly all,
the fresh mould is at the top. When the second pot is
well filled with roots, shift as before into a seven -inch pot
pot, where they can remain until they come into flower.
Soon after flowering this variety will show a disposition
to rest, and if allowed but a short period, and repotted
into an eight-inch pot without disturbing the roots, and
kept in a cool house, they will again come into flower in
September and October. Again, after a short rest, they
will, without a change, make a new growth and flower in
the following spring, by which time the bulbs will have
become so exhausted as to need planting in the border
for at least two years. A new variety of L. longiflorum^
known as L. Harrisii, has larger flowers and is more
abundant in flowering. The treatment is the same as
for the older sort. These Lilies may also be forced by
placing the bulbs at once in the pots in which they are
intended to flower. Large numbers of them are forced
for Easter.
LILY OF THE VALLEY.
23
LILY OF THE VALLEY, (Convailaria.)
THE Lily of the Valley, Convailaria majalis, is a plant
so well known, and such a universal favorite, that little
need be said by way of description, unless we add that of
Gerarde in 1596, which is as follows : " The Lilly of the
Vally hath many leaves like the smallest leaves of Water
Plantaine, among which riseth vp a naked stalke, halfe a
foot high, garnished with many white floures, like bels,
with blunt and turned
edges, of a strong
savour, yet pleasant
enoughf, which being
past, there come
small, red berries,
much like the berries
of asparagus, wherein
the seed iscontained."
A modern writer in
I! the "Treasury of Bot-
I any " says: " Without
poetical or fanciful
conventionalities, the
Lily of the Valley is
as perfect an emblem
of purity, modesty,
and humility as the floral world can afford. It may
seem idle to observe that a flower of this description
cannot be that referred to in the Sermon on the
Mount ; but as that opinion is frequently broached in
popular works, it may simply be observed that it never
grows in the open field, and that there is nothing in its
array to which the term * glory ' is applicable. Not a
litlte unprofitable commentary might have been spared if
24 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
the same general meaning had been attached to the term
* Lilies of the Field * which has, by common consent, been
ascribed to the parallel phrase ' Fowls of the Air,' while
the passage itself would have gained in force and dignity
by being kept clear from botanical disquisitions."
The flowers of the Lily of the Valley are used during
the winter months in immense quantities, New York city
alone probably using a million, the average price of which
is about five cents each, so that for this flower alone
$50,000 are annually paid by the bouquet makers to the
florist, the consumer paying, no doubt, one-third more.
The Lily of the Valley is nearly all imported from
Germany and France, usually in single crowns or
" pips."
FORCING.
The method of culture is to place these very thickly
together in shallow boxes, as soon as received in Novem-
ber, placing them in a cold frame, or in the open ground,
covering them up so that they do not get frozen. It is a
popular belief that they are benefited by being frozen ;
but this is a mistake. They must be kept at the low tem-
perature to be found usually in a cold frame or when
covered up in the open ground, which is usually from 35°
to 40° ; but they gain no advantage by being even
slightly frozen, and may be seriously hurt by severe
freezing. They should remain in this condition at least
four weeks before they are brought in to force,
which should be done gradually, beginning at 50° and
running up to 65° or 70°. If taken in every few weeks,
a succession may be kept up from January until May.
In fact, the flowers are now to be had all the year round,
as some growers find it sufficientlv profitable to keep the
roots in refrigerators, and, thus retarded, they are forced
THE NARCISSUS. 25
to bloom at will at any time during the summer or fall
months. This same system might be used with many
other bulbs, such as the Tuberose or Hyacinth, but it is
only in very valuable flowers, such as the Lily of the
Valley, that the expense would be justified. The plant
does well in the garden, and may be put under the shade
of trees ; but wherever placed, the roots should not be
disturbed for several years, if at all, as many clumps will
not otherwise bloom. It is useless to save the Lily
of the Valley roots after having been forced. It is better
to throw them away, as it takes years for them to recu-
perate.
THE NARCISSUS, (Narcissus).
IN this genus we have a long list of established favor-
ites, remarkable alike for the elegance, fragrance, and
earliness of their flowers. In one respect the species are
all alike : they delight in rich soil made porous with
plenty of sand and well-rotted manure. All of them are
also quite hardy, and from the early period at which
their flowers are produced, they are of the utmost con-
sequence to the flower gardener.
FORCING.
Several of the species are found to bear forcing well,
and for this purpose have become a staple article in the
Dutch florists' trade, and several varieties have been
originated by them, suited, by the selection of their
parentage, to bear this trying course of treatment. The
following are commonly grown for forcing : JBazelman
Major, Soleil cTOr, Grande Primo, and Grande Mon-
arque. These, with the double Roman and others, should
be potted in September in a mixture of equal parts of
26 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
fresh loam, rotted manure, and leaf mould, with half of
either quantity of sand. In potting, the neck of the
bulb should be kept above the surface of the soil, that
the roots may have so much more space in the pot ;
and when the potting is completed they should be placed
together, either in a cold frame or in some convenient
place, so that they may be covered a foot thick with
fresh leaves. These exclude light and prevent frost
from getting to the roots, both essential to a speedy
excitement of root-growth.
In about five or six weeks it will be found that many
of them have filled the pots with roots, and these may be
taken into a temperature of 55° to bring on their flowers ;
and if re-potted when the first two leaves have grown a
few inches, the flowers will be considerably larger ; but
before any plant is taken from the bed of leaves, be sure
that it has made a good stock of healthy roots, or it will
be spoiled by the forcing process. Narcissi do not re-
quire a powerful heat to bring out their flowers, (55° will
do it better than any other,) and the supply of water
should be sufficient, but by no means excessive.
The Paper Narcissus, JV. papyraceus, is now, perhaps,
more extensively forced than either of the above men-
tioned. It is grown in immense quantities by the florists
of New York and other large cities, and, next to the Roman
Hyacinth, is the bulb most extensively grown for this
purpose. When grown on a large scale it is planted in
boxes of soil about five inches deep, at a distance of
three to four inches apart, and treated as recommended
above. This, like nearly all other bulbs, is of no value
after being forced, and the roots may be thrown away.
When grown in the open borders the bulbs should b&
planted in October, in newly dug and well-manured
ground, at a depth of three inches, reckoning from the
THE GLADIOLUS. 27
top of the bulb to the surface of the soil. This will not
be too much for any, except, perhaps, the Jonquils,
which, from having smaller bulbs, may be placed an
inch nearer the top. At this depth, and with plenty of
manure about them, water will not be required, but they
will grow strong and flower finely. When planted in
beds, and it becomes necessary to remove them to make
room for other plants, it should be done as soon
as their beauty is past. As the bulbs are by no means
mature at this time, they should be " laid in " in some
slightly shaded place until the foliage is quite withered,
when they may be taken up, dried, and stored away
until wanted for the next planting season.
Most of the species are from the south of Europe, and
are propagated by offsets. They were among the earliest
cultivated garden flowers.
THE GLADIOLUS, (Gladiolus.)
THIS extensive and well-known genus consists of up-
ward of sixty species. With but few exceptions, which
will be noted in their descriptions, they are natives of
the Cape of Good Hope. They are remarkable for ease
of culture, grace of habit, and for the beauty and intense
coloring of the flowers, which varies from the most
brilliant scarlet to pure white, from clear rose to pure
yellow and bright purple. The habits of the species are
as varied as their colors ; some delicate and light, others
strong and robust, with constitutions adapted to any
climate excepting the most frigid. From these species
some of the most remarkable hybrids have been pro-
duced. In no branch of floriculture has the skill, the
zeal, and the perseverance of the hybridizer been so
28 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
liberally rewarded. A class with almost unlimited num-
bers of varieties has been produced, that, for the size of
flower, beauty of form, size and strength of plant,
together with the enormous length of flower spike, are
entirely unknown to the species. So popular have these
hybrids become that the species are only to be found in
botanical collections.
HYBRID GLADIOLUS.
The hybridization of any popular tribe, particularly
when it is attended with so little labor, in proportion
to the results produced, as in this class, is speedily
carried to an extent which renders characteristic distinc-
tions indefinable ; and perhaps the introduction of the
numberless names which necessarily arise out of such
a circumstance is to be regretted, as occasioning difficulty
and labor beyond what most cultivators are disposed to
submit to. For the purposes of sale, however, and also
to enable the producer to recommend very particular
sorts to dealers and amateurs, it is essential that every
seedling or variety that is at all deserving of being per-
petuated should have a distinctive name. The many
hundred named garden varieties of Gladioli are descend-
ants of G. Gandavensis, but how and where this variety
was produced has been for a long time an open question ;
why, we could never fully understand, for we have the
word of one of the most prominent horticulturists in the
world, Louis Van Houtte, whose word was authority
whenever given, that it was produced at Ghent, and was
a cross between G. psittacinus and G. cardinalis. This
we should consider a full settlement of the question ; not
so, however ; for the late Hon. and Rev. William Her-
bert, an acknowledged authority on bulbs, says Mr. Van
THE GLADIOLUS. 29
Houtte is in error; for after repeated attempts to hybrid-
ize the two, he, Mr. Herbert, could not succeed; con-
sequently it could not be done, and what Mr. Van Houtte
said had been done was a mistake. All the English
writers agree with Mr. Herbert, and say the origin of
G. Gandavensis is obscure. There is no question, how-
ever, as to the fact, that to G. Gandavensis we are indebted
for all our fine garden varieties, as it crosses freely with
many of the species, and each cross seems to possess
merits superior to either parent. It is a common mistake
to call our many varieties hybrids, when in reality they
are all, or nearly all, cross-breeds ; and this is one of the
most interesting features in Gladioli culture, that every
cross between well-known varieties tends in almost every
case to improve, not only the beauty of the flower, but
the vigor of the plant.
RAISING FROM SEED.
We wish now to remove, as far as possible, the preva-
lent erroneous idea, that it is a difficult task to raise new
and choice varieties from seed. The only secret, the
only mystery is, that one can with so little trouble and
expense produce flowers that will give such intense satis-
faction and pleasure. 'It is no more trouble to raise
Gladioli from seed than it is to raise the most common
vegetable. With the simplest garden culture, there is an
almost absolute certainty of success. Prepare your bed
in spring as for any hardy annual, sow your seed, and
cover to the depth of one inch. Hoe as often as needed
for other crops ; keep them well weeded ; take up the
bulbs after a frost, or before, if they show signs of ripen-
ing ; store them in a dry cellar, free from frost ; plant
them out again the next spring, and the ensuing summer
30 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
very many of them will flower. If the precaution is
taken to sow the seed in a hot-bed, close the same upon
the approach of a heavy rain, which they dislike exceed-
ingly. Very nearly all the bulbs will be large enough to
give their most perfect flowers the second year. The
fact that the best rarely flower first, will tend to create
in the amateur a warm and lively interest.
A pertinent question is, how to obtain the best seed.
Commence by making a careful selection of the best
varieties in cultivation, keeping in view those of the best
form, largest size, and of the most intense and positive
colors ; wherever they are marked or variegated, have
the markings bold and distinct. Plant all in a bed so
that they will not be more than one foot apart each way.
Without further care you will get some good seed ; but
a better quality and much larger quantity will be obtained
by crossing them in all sorts of ways, which is the most
effectually done on a dry day, when there is but little
air stirring. It is not necessary to cross fertilize for good
varieties, though it is a more certain way ; yet very many
of our best seedlings were accidentals ; artificial fertiliza-
tion being necessary from the fact of their rarely fertiliz-
ing themselves.
SOIL.
The Gladiolus dislikes a stiff, clayey soil, but will
thrive well in almost any other, its preference being for
one of a moist, sandy nature, or light loam. It does best
on what is termed sod ground, with but little manure,
and that well rotted. Successive plantings in the same
ground should be avoided Change the locality of the
bed every year, so as not to return to the same spot for
at least three years. It is much the best plan to make
your ground very rich this year, and put on some light
THE GLADIOLUS. 3!
crop ; then it will be in perfect order for your Gladiolus
the next.
INCREASE BY BULBLETS.
Increase of desirable sorts is effected by the small
bulbs or bulblets that form at the base of the new bulb,
which are produced in greater or less quantities. Some
varieties will have on an average a hundred in a year ;
others will produce scarcely any. The bulblets should
be planted in spring, and given the same treatment as
recommended for the seed. If planted in rich, light soil,
and attention given to careful weeding and mulching
with leaf mould, saw-dust, or any such non-conducting
material, so as to prevent the sun's rays from drying and
heating up the soil too much, nearly all of the young
bulblets will flower the second year. They should be
sown in drills about six inches wide, or the width of a
common hoe, and the drills about one foot apart. The
bulblets or seedlings should be sown thick enough to
touch each other. In this way they will do better than if
sown too thin, as then the soil between the plants would
get heated and dried up.
TIME TO PLANT.
During the winter, Gladiolus bulbs, whether large or
small, should be kept in a dry, cool cellar. As the bulb is
nearly hardy, plantings may be set out as soon as the
ground is fit to work in spring ; and even should the
ground be frozen after, they will sustain no injury.
Bulbs set out during April will be usually at their best
flowering in August, but "succession plantings " may be
made every ten days until the middle of July, which will
give a succession of bloom the entire season. It is a
32 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
common practice, with the New York florists, to reserve
Gladiolus bulbs until August, which are then planted
in boxes six or seven inches deep, in rich soil. The
boxes are kept out-doors until frost, when they are
placed in a cool green-house, where they flower in
November, at a time when everything is done outside.
THE TUBEROSE, (Polianthes tuberosa.)
THE original Single species is a native of the East
Indies, and was introduced early in the sixteenth cen-
tury. At a much more recent date the common or tall-
growing/?^^ Tuberose was raised from seed by Mons.
Le Cour, of Leyden, Holland, who for many years would
not part with a root, destroying all surplus, so that he
could say that he had a monopoly of the only Double
Tuberose in the world.
The recently introduced variety, known as the Pearl,
is a sport, having originated on the grounds of Mr. John
Henderson, of Flushing, L. I., in 1865. Its strong habit
of growth, and dark, heavy foliage attracted Mr. Hender-
son's attention, causing him to give it every chance for
perfect development. The result was a variety far supe-
rior to the parent, both in size and number of flowers,
with a marked superiority in habit of growth, the flower-
stalks not being so tall by nearly a foot as the original, a
feature making it invaluable for green-house culture. I
purchased the entire stock from Mr. Henderson, paying
him about five hundred dollars for a barrel of the roots,
and sold it for the first time in 1867.
The Tuberose delights in a strong, rich soil, deep and
rnoist. Manure, heat, and water are essential to its per-
fect development. For cultivation in the open border,
THE TUBEROSE. 33
the bulbs should be planted about the first of June, cov-
ering the tuber about one inch with light, fine soil. No
other care is needed than that usually given garden
plants. The only care required is in the selection of the
bulbs, which, if kept moist and cool during winter, are
liable to rot away in the center, rendering them worthless
for flowering. Perfect tubers will always be green at the
top, or at least sufficiently so to show signs of life ; and
in choosing, all others should be rejected.
FORCING.
Forcing the Tuberose, so as to have the flowers from
January to March, is an exceedingly difficult operation,
and is now but little attempted here. The plant being
of tropical origin, to have it at all times in a growing
state requires a high temperature — not less than an aver-
age of 80°; consequently, few ordinarily-heated green-
houses or private sitting-rooms are at a temperature high
enough to insure the continued and uninterrupted growth
necessary to the production of flowers in the dark winter
months. It is, however, comparatively easily forced so
as to produce flowers during April, May, and June, and
again, by retarding the bulbs, during November and De-
cember. By the first method, the bulbs are, about the
first of January, placed closely together in boxes three
inches deep, having two inches or so of damp moss in
the bottom. These boxes are placed in some warm spot,
v.-hcre the temperature will average 75°. If for green-
house culture, the best place is on the hot-water pipes.
In about four or five weeks the Tuberoses will have
rooted all through the moss, and they should then be
potted in four or five inch pots, or planted in a bench of
soil four or five inches deep, and kept in a temperature
34 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
at no time less than 75°, and flowers will be had in
abundance in April. For succession crops, place the dry
bulbs in moss, at intervals of three or four weeks. The
last crops will usually be the best, as by May and June
the temperature will have increased, and less artificial
heat will be required.
If flowers are wanted during November and December,
the retarding process alluded to is resorted to. This is
done by selecting such bulbs as are wanted, (care being
taken to use only such as are sound and firm,) and placing
them in some cool, dry place until the middle of August,
when the first crop may be planted, either in pots or in a
bench of the green-house, as described above for the
spring crop. This planting will produce a crop by No-
vember. For the succession crop for December, planting
must be delayed until the middle of September, this
being as late as the bulbs can be kept sound in the usual
way ; but they may be retarded in refrigerators, and in
that way may be had all through the winter months, pro-
vided a high enough temperature, with plenty of light,
can be given. The same high temperature is indispensa-
ble as in the spring crop, namely, an average of 75°.
The variety best for forcing is the "Pearl," which grows
only about half the height, and has flowers nearly twice
the diameter of the old sort ; but for planting in the open
ground in the ordinary way, when the flowers are only
wanted for fall, the common double variety is the best ;
as, being less full, the flowers open better under the
often unfavorably dry atmosphere that we have in Oc-
tober.
Tuberoses are often forwarded, so as to be got in
flower in the earlier fall months, in sections of the country
where the season is too short. This is done exactly
in the way recommended for the spring forcing, by
THE TUBEROSE. 35
starting the bulbs in damp moss ; but for this purpose
the dry bulbs should not be placed in the moss until the
middle of May. By the middle of June, when the weather
has become warm, and they are set out, they will start to
grow at once, and will in this way flower from three to
four weeks earlier than if the dry bulb had been put in
the open ground, cold as it is in most of the Northern
States in May. Of course, it will be understood, that
when the dry bulbs are placed in the moss to start, it
must be in a green-house, or in some place where the
thermometer will average 75° or 80°, or they will not
start at all, or, at least, very feebly. It will thus be seen,
from the foregoing remarks, that it will be utterly useless
to attempt to grow Tuberoses at any season unless in a
tropical temperature, which at no time should be less
than 75°, and if it averages 80°, all the better.
TENDENCY TO SPORT.
Many growers of this flower have been sadly disappoint-
ed in the results, their flowers coming single instead of
double, and they naturally ask the cause. We can only say,
there is a tendency in all sports and hybrids to return to
the original or type, and this plant is no exception to the
rule. The conditions of growth may have much to do
with it. We have known large stocks that were wholly
double one year to come nearly all single the next. We
cannot satisfactorily account for it, and only know that
the annoyance is common in every place where they are
grown. From a very close observation, we believe much
i.s due to poor cultivation, and the best remedy is to be
found in giving them a very rich soil and good cultiva-
tion. Like many other plants, we have found they do
best when given a rotation of soil.
36 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
FIELD CULTURE.
The field culture of Tuberose bulbs is now a large and
important industry in this country, millions being grown,
not only for home use, but for exportation to Europe.
Hitherto they were grown almost exclusively in Italy, but
within the past ten years European dealers in the bulb
find they can buy a better article at a cheaper rate from
us. We ourselves have for many years grown nearly
half a million roots annually. Our plan of late years has
been, after thoroughly plowing and harrowing, to mark
out furrows, three and a half feet apart, with the plow
(or, what is better, with the implement known as a
furrow marker) six or seven inches deep and ten or
twelve inches wide. In the bottom of this furrow is
spread two or three inches of well-rotted stable manure,
or bone dust thick enough to cover the soil. Two or
three inches of soil are placed on the top of this, and the
Tuberose sets are then planted in this prepared furrow
in two rows nine or ten inches apart, and five or six
inches between the sets. The object of this plan is, that
we get the benefit of the manure for two rows instead of
one, as is the case when one row only is planted in the
furrow, in the usual way. It is a little more labor to cul-
tivate, but the saving in manure, in time in making
furrows, and in planting by the double row plan, we
have found more than offsets this.
A great many Tuberoses are now grown in the South-
ern States ; but, unless they are lifted and dried at the
proper time, there is danger of the flower bud starting
prematurely, which renders the bulb worthless. I had
20,000 sent from Florida a few years ago, that were per-
fectly worthless from this cause. They were left in the
THE CALLA. 37
ground until November ; probably two months too long,
if the sets were large, and in consequence all had started
an embryo flower bud in the dry bulb. It seems to me
that the only safe way to grow good Tuberose bulbs in
extreme Southern States is to use sets no larger than
peas, if they are to be left in the ground till November.
From such small sets there would be no danger of the
flower bud forming prematurely. If larger sets are used,
they should be lifted in September. When Tuberose
bulbs are raised in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York,
or other Northern States, the largest sets that can be
obtained (provided they are not large enough to go to
flower) we find make the best bulbs. Such sets are
usually an inch long, and about half an inch in diameter
at the thickest part.
Great care is necessary in harvesting Tuberose bulbs.
They should never be placed in heaps large enough to
generate heat. In Southern latitudes they can be dried
in the open air ; but North, the green-house benches or
dry air sheds are a necessity. We find the safest way
to keep them, after being dried, is to place them closely
together, tops up, in single layers, in a dry, warm shed,
or in some place under the benches in a green-house,
where they will be safe from water.
CALLA, EGYPTIAN LILY, LILY OF
THE NILE, (Richardia.)
Calla, the now popular name of this genus, was given
to it by Pliny, and by this name it is still known, though
the white species, universally cultivated, is now known
to botanists as Richardia ALthiopica. It is a native of the
Cape of Good Hope, and was introduced into England
38 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
in 1731. It is of easy culture ; the only particular atten-
tion it requires is abundance of moisture when in a grow-
ing state, and as warm a room as can conveniently be
given it; say an average temperature of 70°.
The Calla is largely grown for winter flowers, and is of
the easiest culture. Although it will grow and flower
during the entire season without resting if sufficiently fed
by being re-potted, yet it is more profitable to dry it par-
tially off, say from June ist to September ist. This is best
done by placing the pots on their sides, so as to prevent
the rains from wetting the soil, and covering them slightly
with hay or moss, so as to keep the sun from drying the
roots too much ; or, if a position of partial shade can be
had, there will be no need of covering the pots. The
roots thus rested will flower more abundantly and produce
fewer leaves, and thus twice the number of flowers may
be obtained from the same space.
It is not well to give the Calla too much pot room, else
too much foliage is produced. We have found the best
method to be not to use too large pots, and to use liquid
manure freely, made from one bushel of cow dung
to twenty-five or thirty gallons of water, or one pound
of guano to ten gallons of water. When an excess of
leaves occurs, cut them off freely, withholding water some-
what for a week or so after cutting the leaves off. By
this method the plants can be grown closely together,
and a larger crop of flowers obtained from the same
space.
The Calla is one of the best of winter-flowering plants
for room culture, needing little care beyond abundant
water, and an occasional syringing or "washing of the
leaves, to keep them free from dust and red spider. It
is also a good plant for a large aquarium. J?. albo-maculata,
a species with beautifully variegated or spotted foliage,
THE AMARYLLIS. 39
makes a showy plant. The flowers are smaller than the
Calla, and white, with purple throat. It comes into flower
in June, making it valuable for a succession. It is also
desirable in a collection of plants with variegated foliage.
Another species, R. hastata, is somewhat similar to R. albo-
maculata, except that the flowers are deep yellow with a
purple throat. There is still another kind of " Calla,"
sometimes called the " Black Calla," from the very dark
crimson of its velvet-like flowers. It is really, however,
a plant of another genus, known as Arum Palestinum. It
is quite a scarce plant as yet, but will be a great acquisi-
tion from its unique and novel color. Unlike most
species of the genus Arum, the flowers of this are of a
pleasing fragrance. (See Arum'.) The species are all
propagated by offsets, which should be taken off when
the plant is at rest, and grown on in small pots for one
season.
THE AMARYLLIS, (Amaryllis.)
THESE are bulbous plants, mostly natives of the Cape
of Good Hope and South America, but which have been
increased in number tenfold by hybrids and varieties
raised in England and on the Continent. All the kinds
are eminently ornamental, and they are all easy of culture,
the great secret being to give them alternately a season
of excitement and a season of repose. To do this
effectually, the plants should be abundantly supplied
with water and heat, and placed near the glass when
they are coming into flower, and water should be
withheld from them by degrees when they are done
flowering, till they have entirely ceased growing, when
they should be kept quite dry and in a state of rest.
When in this state they may be placed in any obscure
40 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
part of a green-house where it is dry, and of a tempera-
ture not under forty or fifty degrees. If kept in such a
situation during winter, some kinds may be turned out
into a warm border in spring, where they will flower ; and
if the season be fine, they will renew their bulbs in time
to be taken up before the approach of frost.
The chief value of these plants, however, is to produce
flowers in the winter season, which they readily do if
they are kept dry
and dormant during
the latter part of the
summer and autumn.
Indeed, by having a
large stock of these
bulbs, a regular suc-
cession of flowers
may be procured
during every month
in the year. When
the dormant bulbs
are intended to be
thrown into flower,
they should be fresh
potted in sandy loam
and leaf mould, and
(VittataType.) put in a hot-houseor
hot-bed, kept rather dry, and covered up with leaves until
the pot is well filled with roots, just as is done in forcing
Hyacinths or Lilies, except, in the case of Amaryllis, the
temperature requires to be kept ten degrees higher, the
heat beginning at fifty degrees, and ascending to sixty or
seventy degrees ; and when the leaves appear, the plants
should be abundantly supplied with water. Our long
and warm summers enable us to cultivate many of these
AMARYLLIS.
THE CROCUS. 41
beautiful bulbs in the open air, merely protecting the
roots in the winter in the same manner as those of the
Dahlia.
THE CROCUS, (Crocus.)
THE Crocus is divided into two classes : the first, those
that flower in early spring, too well known to need de-
scription ; the second, the autumnal flowering, or naked
Crocus, so called because the flowers are produced in the
absence of leaves, which, with the seeds, are thrown up
in the spring.
The spring Crocus is of the easiest culture, and we
need only remark, that it is a mistake to put them into
poor ground, since no plants in our gardens delight more
in, or make greater returns for, rich soil. They require
a dry situation, and in such a place and soil they flower
profusely. The bulbs or corms should be planted at least
three inches deep ; for, as the new corm forms above the
old one, they will in three or four years push themselves
out of the ground if planted too near the surface. As
often as once in three years the corms should be taken
up, separated, and planted out as quickly as possible;
the longer they are left out of ground the weaker they
become, and the later they will come into bloom.
In starting a new bed, the corms should be planted as
soon as they can be obtained, which is usually about the
first of September. If left until November, as is the
too common practice, very few will flower strongly the
coming season, and none satisfactorily. When left in the
ground they commence new life about the first of Sep-
tember, and before winter they have their preparations
for spring work complete ; the flower buds will be nearly
42 GARDEN AN-D FARM TOPICS.
their full length above the bulb, ready for the first sunny
days in March to break forth into bloom.
The situation for the Crocus bed should be a warm
one, and before hard frosts it may be mulched two or
three inches with leaves or coarse litter, which is to be
taken off as soon in spring as the season will warrant.
The mulching, however, may be omitted where it is not
convenient to apply it. C. sativus, which is the type of
the autumnal flowering species, should be planted in
midsummer, and it will come into flower in September.
All the species and varieties are increased by offsets.
Their introduction into British gardens dates back as far
as 1600. The new named varieties introduced recently
bear very large flowers, and are, in all respects, very great
improvements upon the older kinds.
THE IRIS, (Iris.)
THERE are three distinct kinds of Iris, besides innu-
merable species, hybrids, and varieties. These are, the
fibrous-rooted kinds, which grow best in a fine, sandy
loam, and which increase rapidly every year by suckers
from the roots ; the tuberous-rooted kinds, which are
very apt to be destroyed by snails, or to rot from too
much wet; and the bulbous kinds, which should be taken
up and replanted every second or third year, as the new
bulbs, which are formed every season, are always
directly under the old bulb ; and thus in the course
of a few years the bulbs descend so low as to be out
of the reach of the air, and consequently incapable of
vegetation. Thus it will be generally found that persons
in the habit of growing Irises are always complaining of
losing their plants, this being the cause. The bulbous
THE CYCLAMEN. 43
and tuberous-rooted Irises succeed in any light and dry
soil. The splendid Chalcedonian Iris is one of the tu-
berous-rooted kinds ; and it not only requires a dry soil
during winter, but to be allowed plenty of pure air during
the whole period of its growth, or it will be very apt to
damp off.
Among the species of late introduction is /. K&mpferii,
from Japan. The plants are perfectly hardy, and are
very free-flowering. The flowers are double and single,
the colors pure white, purple, maroon, blue, and many
with the various colors marbled with white. They grow
readily in almost any situation, in full exposure to sun,
or in partial shade. They are increased by division, or
may be grown readily from seed, which, if sown in the
open border, will make plants that will flower the second
year. These are really grand plants, and worthy of a
place in all gardens. That they do not flower until near
midsummer, when the season of the common Iris is past,
will be an additional recommendation to most lovers of
plants. Another species, /. Robinsonii, from New Zealand,
is dwarfer than the preceding, and produces beautiful
orchid-like flowers. It is yet very rare.
THE CYCLAMEN, (Cyclamen.)
THIS genus contains some of our most popular and
desirable plants for fall, winter, and early spring flower-
ing. They are all neat and dwarf in habit ; all have
foliage of pretty form and beautiful markings, and the
flowers in every case are beautiful, some exquisitely so.
C. Persicum stands at the head of the family, and is the
one in most general cultivation.
The Cyclamen should be grown from seed, which
44
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
should be sown as soon as ripe in pans or shallow boxes
filled with a compost of well-rotted manure, leaf mould,
and coarse sand thoroughly incorporated. As soon as the
plants have made two leaves, prick out, at one inch apart,
into similar pans or boxes filled with the same compost,
and place upon the shelf in the
green-house, near the glass, and
shade from direct sunlight. Care-
fully water; to dry them or drown
them is equally fatal. As soon as
the plants are well rooted, shift into
a three-inch pot, observing the same
instructions in all respects. By the
first of September they will require
a five-inch pot. With proper care
and attention, they will be in
CYCLAMEN. flower from November through the
entire winter months. They require a more even tem-
perature than is usually given to green-house plants, not
above 60° nor below 50°; with it bulbs two inches in
diameter can be grown in one year.
After flowering they should be gradually ripened off,
but never allowed to become thoroughly dry. During
summer keep them in a frame, shaded, and give occa-
sionally a little water. They should be repotted again
about the first of September, without breaking the ball,
and the next flowering will be their perfection of bloom.
This species is a native of Persia. All the species are
famous for their acridity, yet in Sicily the Cyclamen is
the principal food of the wild boars ; hence the common
name of Sow-bread.
THE RANUNCULUS.
THE RANUNCULUS, (Ranunculus.)
THE species may be divided into two kinds • border
flowers and florists' flowers. The latter consist of
some hundreds of varieties obtained from the species
Ranunculus Asiaticus, a native of the Levant, with tuber-
ous roots, which is rather too tender to endure the winter
in the Northern States in the open air without some kind
of protection. The wild plant grows naturally in Persia,
in meadows which are moist during winter and in the
growing season, but dry during a great part of summer.
The usual season for planting the Ranunculus is No-
vember. The roots may be placed about six inches apart
each way, covered with two inches of soil, and protected
by straw, mats, or rotten tan, during severe frosts, or they
do splendidly when grown in cold frames. The plants will
come into flower in June, and when the leaves wither the
roots may be taken up, dried in the shade, and preserved
in a dry place until they are wanted for replanting. As
the plant seeds freely, even when semi-double, new sorts
without end may be raised from seed, which may be sown
in pots or flat pans as soon as it is gathered, and placed
in a cold frame.
The tubers, if kept dry, will retain their vitality for two
or three years ; and hence, if roots which should be
planted in November are kept out of the ground till the
November following, and then planted in pots and pro-
tected from frost, and when they appear above ground
put into green-house heat, they will flower at Christmas.
If not planted till December, they will flower about the
end of January ; and if not planted till January, they
will flower in March. In this way, by always having a
stock of old roots, and planting some every month in the
year, Ranunculuses may be had in flower all the year
4>N
4S
46 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
round. The common mode of propagating the Ranuncu-
lus is by separating the offsets from the larger roots.
Several of the species are weeds with us, and common
in moist pastures, having been introduced from Europe
at an early day. They have become extensively natural-
ized, so much so as to be a nuisance to farmers in some
places. They are popularly known as Buttercups, ft.
bulbosus, a double-flowering species, would be regarded as
an acquisition to the flower garden if it were half as diffi-
cult to get as it is to be got rid of when once established.
THE WIND FLOWER, (Anemone.)
THE species are showy flowering plants, valued for
their hardy nature, and also because they will flower at
any required season, according to the time the roots are
kept out of the ground. The roots of the Anemone are
solid, flattened masses, closely resembling ginger. They
should be planted in the garden as early in the spring as
possible, in very rich soil, and in partial shade. When
the tops are dead, take up and store in a dry, airy place,
where they will keep well for two years without injuring
their vitality. For in-door cultivation they can be planted
at any time in very rich soil in pots or boxes, or cold
frames, such as are used for Pansies.
The prevailing colors are red, white, and blue; flowers
double or semi-double. One of the earliest spring flowers
is A. nemorosa, the white Wind Flower of our woods. A.
puhatilla and its varieties, with whitish, violet, and purple
flowers, are known in cottage gardens as Pasque Flawers.
Anemone fulgens, the scarlet Wind Flower, is the most
brilliant and beautiful of all winter and spring flowering
Anemones.
THE SNOW DROP. 47
THE CROWN IMPERIAL, FRITILLARY,
(Fritillaria.)
SHOWY bulbs for the border, mostly attaining a height
of from two to three feet, though F. meleagris and its
varieties are dwarf. This species, and one or two others
like it, have had much attention paid them by florists
in Europe, who have succeeded in obtaining many beau-
tiful varieties by seed, and now these flowers occupy a
prominent place in their catalogues.
They delight in very rich soil, frequently dug and well
pulverized previous to planting. The bulbs may be
placed in the ground either in autumn or early spring,
covering them with about three inches of earth.
In the blooming season, should the weather prove
dry, the ground must be frequently well soaked with
water, that the growth may be sufficiently vigorous, or
the flowers of the following season will be deficient in
size. When the stems begin to decay, the bulbs should
be taken up, but not dried to any extent, it being far
preferable to preserve them till the following planting
season in sand or light and partially dried earth. F.
imperialis is the well-known Crown Imperial, a native of
Persia, of which there are several varieties. They will be
greatly benefited by mulching with leaves to the depth
of six inches, just before the ground freezes up. They
can remain a number of years without being taken up.
THE SNOW-DROP, (Galanthus.)
G. nivalis, the common Snow-drop, for its poetical
associations as the ever-welcome harbinger of spring, is
universally cultivated, and by potting and very gentle
forcing may be made an interesting ornament to the
48 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
green-house in mid-winter. It is perfectly hardy, how-
ever. Loudon remarks : " It is rather singular, and also
to be regretted, that no variations or hybrids have been
produced from this early and pretty little flower." By
way of episode, we may mention that there are but two
species of the genus and one variety, but it is probable
that a cross might be obtained between it and the allied
genus Leucojum, or, indeed, other genera of the same
order, the great difficulty being, however, to have the
different species in flower at the same time. The earli-
ness of the Snow-drop putting it out of the question in a
natural manner, it would be necessary to retard the latter
till the blooming season of the genus to be selected.
Natives of Great Britain.
NASTURTIUM, (Tropaeolum.)
AN extensive genus of hardy annuals and green-house
tuberous and herbaceous perennials, all natives of tropical
America. The tuberous-rooted varieties are confined to
Peru. The well-known annual plants called the Nas-
turtium are common in every garden, and only require
sowing with the other hardy annuals in spring. There
were formerly only two kinds of the annual Tropaeolums,
T. major and T. minor, but since 1830 numerous varieties
have been raised. One, with very dark flowers, is called
T. minor atrosanguineum, and another, with dark stripes,
is T. minor venustum. The young shoots of these plants
are succulent, and taste like the common land Cress, the
botanical name of which is Nasturtium, and hence they
have received their popular name.
Besides the hardy annual kinds, there are several
tender tuberous species, most of which are kept in the
THE NASTURTIUM. 49
green-house. The best known of these is Tropaolum
tricolorum, with flowers marked red, black, and yellow,
which has tuberous roots, and such very weak and slender
stems, that it is found necessary always to train them
over a wire frame, as they are quite unable to support
themselves. In Paxton's " Magazine of Botany " it is
stated that the tuber of the root should not be buried,
but only placed on the surface of the soil, so that the
fibrous roots may penetrate it. This, it is said, will
enlarge the size of the tuber in " a truly astonishing
manner ;" and though the plants will not appear healthy
the first season, they will afterward become extremely
vigorous. It is also recommended to use double pots
for these plants, and fill up the interstices with river
sand, which should always be kept moist. Substantially
the same plan has been followed in this country for
many years, and found to succeed well. T. brachyceras
may be treated in the same manner, and it would prob-
ably succeed with T. tuberosum, a species which it is
very difficult to throw into flower under ordinary treat-
ment, but which grows best in the open ground, in rich
soil, and with plenty of air and light.
T. peregrinum, the Canary Bird Flower, was formerly
considered a green-house plant, but it is now found
much better to treat it as a half-hardy annual, raising the
seeds on a hot-bed, and planting them out in May near
some trellis-work or other support, which the plant will
soon cover in the most graceful manner, producing
hundreds of its elegant, fringe-like, pale-yellow flowers.
It is propagated from cuttings and by seeds.
$6 GARDEtf AND FAkM TOPICS.
ARUM, (Arum.)
THERE are several interesting species contained in this
genus, which may be accounted pretty additions to the
collections of the hot-house and green-house, though
most of the flowers possess a disagreeable odor. In
contrast with the other species is A. Palestinum, that has
flowers of deep crimson, with a delicious fragrance not
unlike the Violet. In shape it resembles Calla sEthi-
opica; in fact, when it was introduced, in 1876, into the
United States, it was under the name of " Black Calla."
They are easily cultivated in sandy loam, and should
have a liberal supply of water. Numerous offsets are
usually produced, by which the species are extended. A.
dracunculus, the Dragon Arum, deserves a place in the
flower garden for its large and very remarkable flowers.
This variety requires the same treatment as the Gladiolus.
The roots of all this natural order, when green, contain
a milky fluid, which is exceedingly acrimonious, excit-
ing a painful sensation of burning heat in the tongue and
mouth. When cut in slices and applied to the skin, it
will very quickly produce a blister. This same active
principle is not confined to the roots of the various
genera and species, but is found in the leaves as well. A
piece of the Calla leaf, not larger than a pin's head, if
taken into the mouth, will produce violent and painful
burnings. By drying, these roots lose all their poison-
ous properties, and some of the species yield an excellent
quality of Arrow-root.
THE GUERNSEY LILY. 5 1
IXIA, (Ixia.)
A GENUS of beautiful Cape bulbs, with narrow leaves,
and slender, simple, or slightly branched stems, bearing
spikes of large showy flowers, various in color, and ex-
ceedingly attractive when fully expanded by sunshine.
/. viridiflora, which has large sea-green flowers with
black markings at the base of the segments, is a very
singular-looking, as well as very beautiful plant. There
are many species and some varieties, and the greater
part of them are worthy of cultivation. They are half
hardy, but with us should be grown in pots in the green-
house. About midwinter they will begin to show their
handsome flowers freely. When done flowering they
should be dried off till September or October, which is
the proper time to start them again. They grow well in
a light loam with the addition of leaf mould and sand.
They are propagated by offsets.
GUERNSEY LILY, (Nerine.)
SHOWY bulbous plants, the type of which is the Guern-
sey Lily, and which are natives of the Cape of Good
Hope, China, and Japan. The Guernsey Lily is a native
of Japan, and the reason why it has obtained its. English
name is said to be, that a ship laden with these bulbs
and other plants from China was wrecked on the coast
of Guernsey; and the bulbs being washed on shore, took
root in the sandy soil of the beach, and flourished there
so remarkably as to be supposed to be natives of the
island. Whether this story be true or not, it is quite
certain that for nearly two hundred years these bulbs
have been cultivated in Guernsey with the greatest
success, growing freely in the open air, and producing
52 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
an abundance of offsets every year, from which the market
is supplied.
The bulbs are usually planted in September and Octo-
ber, in pots of very sandy loam, and placed in the green-
house or in a window where they will have plenty of
light. They will flower in December and January, and
remain in flower for a long time. After flowering, and
when the leaves begin to turn yellow, water should be
gradually withheld till the bulbs are ripe. During the
summer, while the bulbs are dormant, the pots may be
kept in the green-house or placed in the open air, the
latter being the better way. Shift into a larger sized pot
about the beginning of September, or earlier if the bulbs
show signs of growing, but do not break up the cluster
of bulbs, or disturb the roots more than is necessary to
break away a portion of the old soil. Water moderately
till growth has freely started. The true Guernsey Lily
is N. sarniensis.
SPARAXIS, (Sparaxis.)
THIS genus is fast rising in the estimation of both the
florist and the gardener. Varieties, very pleasing in
color, are annually raised in Europe. It is a dwarf
bulbous family of plants from the Cape of Good Hope,
producing flowers about the size and shape of those of
the Crocus, the colors of which are now of infinite variety;
pure white, yellow, orange, red, purple, and violet, are to
be found, either separate or blended in pleasing varia-
tions. They succeed best planted in a frame, where they
can have a slight protection during winter. They suc-
ceed well also grown in pots in a cool green-house. The
bulbs should be potted in September, and kept under a
bench until they begin to grow, when they should be
THE AMAZON LILY. 53
given light and water. Three or four bulbs may be put
into a five-inch pot with good effect. They increase
rapidly by offsets.
BABIANA, (Babiana.)
A GENUS of Cape plants, with solid bulbs or corms,
which are eaten by the Hottentots, and which, when
roasted, are said to resemble chestnuts. All the species
have showy flowers of various colors, blue predominat-
ing. Some of the varieties are finely variegated. They
succeed in very sandy loam, and may be grown either in
pots for ornamenting the green-house, or planted in a
cold frame, where, if protected from frost in winter, they
may be allowed to remain altogether. They increase
rapidly by offsets.
THE AMAZON LILY, (Eucharis.)
THIS is a free-growing bulbous plant of rare beauty
and delicious fragrance. It should be grown in the hot-
house or a warm green-house. The flowers are produced
in a truss of from four to eight, according to the strength
of the bulb and the manner of treatment, and are borne
on a stem that lifts them just above the leaves. They
are pure waxy white, and of great substance. The species
are of comparatively recent introduction, and owing to a
general impression that they are difficult to manage, are
but little grown. The plant is found growing by the
side of a river ; consequently, moisture and heat are es-
sential to the development of its flowers. The ease with
which it is no\v cultivated, and the fact that a dozen or
more large pots of it will furnish flowers nearly the whole
year, make it invaluable in all collections of choice plants.
54 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
The plants may be potted at any time of the year, tak-
ing care not to damage the bulbs or roots, and removing
as much of the old soil as possible. The soil should be
composed of loam, leaf mould, sand, and well-rotted
manure in equal proportions. Give the pots liberal drain-
age. While they are growing freely they should have
plenty of water and liquid manure twice a week. They
should be syringed twice a day. The temperature of the
house during winter should not fall below 70°, and the
plants should have a good share of sunshine.
If wanted to flower during the winter months, water
should be used sparingly from August to October. The
bulbs should be disturbed as little as possible, repotting
when necessary, without division. Side shoots may be
taken off at any time and potted in small pots, and, if
well managed, they will flower in a year. The green fly
and thrips are apt to trouble them. They should be
sponged off or got rid of by smoking every alternate day
for a week.
The three species at present known are E. grandiflora,
the largest and best, E. Amazonica, and E. Candida, a small-
flowering species, but very beautiful. They all require
the same general treatment. The plant was first intro-
duced in 1864.
THE OXALIS, (Oxalis.)
THIS genus comprises a great number of species, differ-
ing widely in their habits and manner of growth. Some
are annuals, some herbaceous perennials, and some green-
house shrubs. Many have tuberous roots, and others are
bulbs. Some are tender, and others perfectly hardy.
The flowers are always handsome in form and beautiful
in color. The leaves vary considerably, but they are
THE OXALIS. 55
mostly trifoliate and slightly acid. Many of the species
are grown in the green-house, one of the most useful
being O. floribunda, which was introduced from Brazil in
1829. This very beautiful species requires the protection
of the green-house during the winter. It has bright rose-
colored flowers, which are produced in great abun-
dance during nearly the whole year. There is a variety
of this species with pure white flowers. Both are rapidly
increased by division of the root.
Of the bulbous species, O. Bowiei is decidedly the
handsomest. The flowers are large and of a brilliant
rose color, and produced in the greatest profusion. There
is also a white variety of this species. O. Bowiei is gen-
erally cultivated as a green-house plant; it will, however,
endure our winters if planted in a rockery or in the border;
and so tenacious is it of life that it will dispute possession
with almost any other plant in the bed. This species
was introduced from the Cape of Good Hope in 1824.
Another most desirable kind for conservatory decoration is
O. lutea, also a Cape species, with large terminal clusters
of golden yellow flowers on long, slender scapes. O. versi-
color is still another beautiful species. It requires the
sunlight to expand its flowers ; but they are generally
thought to be more beautiful when closed than when
open. The colors are crimson, white, and a pale shade
of yellow. It is rapidly increased by offsets. There is
a number of other species that deserve a place in the
green-house. They are all of the easiest culture, and
grow freely in a sandy loam. The bulbous species take
a season of rest, and should be potted in fresh soil in
September or October.
56 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
SQUILLS, SCILLAS, (Scilla.)
AN extensive genus of very pretty bulbous plants,
nearly all of which are hardy, and very desirable on ac-
count of their early habit of flowering. They should be
planted in October, either in the open ground or in pots.
They prefer a light, rich soil. S. campanulata is a native of
Spain, and has beautiful blue flowers, of which there are
varieties with white and pink flowers. S. amoena, with
blue flowers, from the
Levant, is a very early
flowering species. S.
bifolia, with red, blue,
or white flowers. S.
Sibirica, with intense
blue flowers.
These are all beauti-
ful plants, and well
adapted to the open
border. They come
into flower with the
Crocus, and continue
in bloom much longer.
They may remain undis-
SQUILL. (Scffla.) turbed where planted
for a number of years, as crowding from their natural
increase does not seem to injure them. S. Penwiana
is one of the best for pot culture. It is a native of
Italy and Spain, and not of Peru, as is generally sup-
posed, and as its name would imply. Its flowers are
dark blue, and produced in long racemes. S. ciliaris is
also desirable for growing in pots. The last two are not
hardy. All the species are well worth a place in the
garden or the green-house.
WINDOW GARDENING. 57
WINDOW GARDENING, BASKET PLANTS,
AND
CARE OF PLANTS IN ROOMS.
No one, unless engaged in the business extensively, as
we are, can have any conception of the extent to which
plants are used for window gardening, so-called, and also
for the decor -.don of the sitting-room or parlor during
the fall, winter, and spring months.
WINDOW BOXES.
Window gardening, as it is done in England — and it is
yet there done much better than with us — consists in
having boxes fitted so as to rest on the window sill out-
side the window ; these, of course, being used only at
those seasons when it is warm enough for plants to be
placed outside. Such boxes may be made of wood, terra-
cotta, iron, or wire patterns. The latter are probably
the best, as they give free drainage for water, and for
the easy admission of air to the roots. A simple and
cheap window box is often made of square slats an inch
or so in thickness. These are placed at from half an
inch to an inch apart at the bottom and sides. This,
like the wire window box, gives ample drainage, which is
always a great advantage to the plants ; for, besides
freely allowing the water to pass off, the spaces allow the
air to get through the soil to the roots, a most valuable
advantage to the health of the plants. As in wire boxes,
moss, or some such material, must be placed against the
58 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
slat-work, to prevent the soil washing through when
watering. No matter what material the window box be
made of, outlets for water must be provided, either by
making holes an inch or so in diameter, at distances of
six inches apart, on the bottom, or making the bottom of
slats placed half an inch or so apart.
Window boxes are often made to be quite ornamental,
but this is of little consequence, for if the plants in them
are properly grown, they will be the most attractive
ornament ; and as drooping plants are essential to the
beauty of the window box, these quickly cover up all
parts of it. The length and breadth of the window box,
of course, should conform to the size of the sill, but it
should never exceed six inches in depth.
SOIL.
There is nothing special in the soil used for window
boxes ; the same rule applies here as for plant culture in
pots. The best soil is what is called a turfy, sandy
loam ; that is, the soil formed by rotted sods that have
been cut two inches thick from some good pasture land.
That, with the addition of one-fourth rotted stable
manure well mixed through it, will answer for almost
any plant grown. But it is often troublesome to get the
materials to compost small quantities of soil, and it is
usually the best plan to get what soil is wanted, either
for window boxes or the potting of plants, from the
nearest florist.
KINDS OF PLANTS.
When the window box is placed at a great height from
the street, it is essential that the colors used should be
of the brightest, particularly those that droop or hang
WINDOW GARDENING. 59
over. An excellent combination is made by planting
the first or inner row of Scarlet Geraniums, the middle
row of the Golden Feather plant, while the outer or
drooping line should be of Lobelia gracilis, which has
flowers of rich blue, drooping, when well grown, from
one and a half to two feet. Another style is to plant the
inside line with/f»6 Geraniums, the middle line of the
" Rainbow Plant," as it is sometimes called, (Alternan-
thera parychoides major,) the leaves of which are tinted
yellow, violet, crimson, orange, etc., and the drooping or,
outer line of scarlet Tropceolums. Sometimes a mixed
variety is preferred, which may be made of Heliotropes,
Lemon Verbenas, Fuchsias, or such plants as taste dictates,
having the finer kinds of Verbenas, Petunias, or scarlet
Nasturtiums to droop. The plants should be set out
about five or six inches' apart.
Window boxes are often used to grow annual plants
only, from seed, such as Mignonette, Sweet Alyssum,
Asters, Portulaca, Drummond's Phlox, etc. These may
either be sown separately, or two or three kinds may be
sown in rows in the same box. If several kinds are
sown, the drooping, such as Phlox, should be the out-
side line. After having the box filled with proper soil,
draw a furrow in it about half an inch deep, and in that
sow the seed, the ordinary sized packet being enough.
Cover the soil carefully over it, and then press the soil so
as to moderately firm the seed. When dry, water gently
with a fine rose watering pot. If the seeds are sown in
the window boxes inside the house, it may be done any
time in April ; but if not so soon wanted, the boxes are
placed outside, and the sowing deferred till May.
After the seedlings or plants have grown so as to be
well established in the boxes, they should be copiously
watered once every other day. If the weather be dry,
60 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
and the boxes are exposed to the full glare of the noon-
day sun, no light sprinkling will answer ; the water must
be poured on until it runs out at the bottom of the box.
If, however, they are partly shaded, or if the weather be
cloudy or wet, judgment, of course, must be used in the
matter of watering. The rule with all plants in pots or
boxes is, never to water until the soil is dry, and then
water thoroughly. This dryness can be determined by
the soil getting lighter in color, or by examination by
stirring it up with the fingers.
HANGING BASKETS.
V
These may be formed of materials similar to those
used for window boxes, although the usual kinds are
such as are formed of rustic work and wire. These last
are rather the best suited for the health of the plants ;
for, as in window boxes so made, they allow full oppor-
tunity for the free passage of water from the soil, and for
the admission of air to the roots. As hanging baskets
are exposed on all sides to the air, they will require more
attention in watering than window boxes. The simplest
and most efficient way, after the plants have become well
established, is, when dry, to immerse the whole basket in
a tub of water. This is particularly essential, if the
basket is made of wire or any such material. Rustic
baskets, of course, do not drain off so freely, and immers-
ing them in water is not so essential, so that the rule for
watering window boxes may be adapted to them. The
plants for hanging baskets may be similar to those used
for window boxes, except that it conduces much to the
appearance of the baskets to have some graceful plant
placed in the center of each for that purpose. Nothing
is better than some of the Palms or Dracaenas. Of Palms,
WINDOW GARDENING. 6l
Latania borbonica and Corypha australis are excellent;
and of Draccznas, D. terminalis, with its crimson leaves,
and D. indivisa, with its drooping green, fountain-like
foliage, are good types, though there are scores of
others, prominent among which are the fancy leaved
Caladiums, Rex Begonias, and Crotons, for partially shaded
verandas. If the basket has handles, some climbing
plant, such as Ivy or Climbing Fern, etc., may be trained
on these, while the plants used for drooping over the
sides may be such as are advised for window boxes.
If baskets or vases are in very exposed situations, such
as cemeteries, where water cannot be easily given, it is
best to use succulent plants, such as Echeverias and
Sempervivums, (House Leek,) for the centers of the vases
or baskets, and for the pendent plants, some of the
beautiful forms of the Mesembryanthemums or Scdums,
(Stone-crop.) All of these plants thrive with compara-
tively little moisture when once established in the soil,
and present a good appearance, even if watered copiously
only once a week in the driest weather.
PLANTS IN ROOMS.
Although plants can now be purchased almost every-
where at very low rates, it is always a satisfaction to the
housewife who is a lover of plants to know that the plant
she now admires and cares for was of her own creation ;
that she herself raised it from a slip or a seed. But as
the best modes of propagating plants would involve too
much space in this article, I must refer such as need
instruction on the raising of plants from slips or seeds
to the article on The Propagation of Plants, page 67.
But whether the plants have been raised at home or pur-
chased from the florist, it is all important that they be in
62 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
vigorous health to start with, or success is not likely to
ensue ; for once a plant gets unhealthy, it is a loss of
labor to attempt to get it again in health. It is better
to throw it away, and start again with healthy slips,
seeds, or plants.
If the young plants have not been raised at home, by
slips or seeds, it is always better to purchase young,
healthy plants than large plants that have been forced
into flower, although we well know that, with the great
majority of plant cultivators, this advice will be thrown
away, as five people out of six buy only plants in flower.
It is really far better for the purchaser to be guided by
catalogue descriptions than to buy plants that hav been
forced into flower at a high temperature.
Supposing, then, that the plant has been purchased
from the florist, and has been growing in a pot three
inches deep and wide, it is usually in a condition to
require a larger pot, which will be known by observing
that the roots mat the outside of the ball of earth. Such
a plant, whether it be a Rose, Geranium, Fuchsia, or any
other similar free-growing plant, will require a pot one
or two inches wider than that it has been grown in. It
is usually the safest plan to shift it into only one size
larger ; but if two sizes larger are used, then at least an
inch of " drainage " should be placed in the bottom of
the pot, so that the water can pass freely from the
greater mass of soil. This drainage may consist of
charcoal, broken pots, oyster shells, etc. If the plant
has been only placed in a pot one inch larger than it
has been growing in, then there is no need for drainage.
We ourselves never use drainage in our flower pots,
unless for some reason we are obliged to give them an
extra large pot, when the drainage is used to counteract
the evil effects of using a too large pot.
WINDOW GARDENING. 63
REPOTTING.
The indication that a plant needs repotting into a size
larger pot is known by knocking it out of the pot, by
giving a smart rap on the edge of a board, just as is done
in taking a form of jelly out of a mould. If the
roots have become matted on the outer surface of the
ball of earth, then it is in a condition to require a larger
sized pot. For the soil to use in potting, that recom-
mended for window boxes will answer equally well for
plants in pots. We are often asked if -saucers should be
. used to stand pots in. As a matter of keeping the place
clean where the plants stand, it is a necessity ; but the
saucers should never be filled with water, unless when
sub-aquatic plants are grown, such as Agapanthus, Callas,
Hyacinths, Tradescantias, or other plants of similar char-
acter. The best temperature for parlor plants is about
55° at night, which may be increased to 10 or 15
degrees higher during the day.
A
. ASPECT.
The best aspect for plants grown in rooms is east or
southeast, south or southwest, but never north. It is
necessary, once in eight or ten days, to turn the plants,
so that each side gets an equal share of light, else the
plants will get lop-sided. If plants drop their leaves, or
the leaves become yellow, it is usually owing to one of
two causes : either that the soil is too wet or too dry.
Either condition will destroy the small rootlets, which is
indicated by the condition of the leaves. There is usually
more injury done from the plants being too wet than too
dry.
64 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
INSECTS.
There are only three insects that are really trouble-
some to parlor plants, the aphis, or green fly, the red
spider, and the mealy bug. The first is easily destroyed
by tobacco in any form, either as liquid, dust, or by
smoke. The most convenient way to use it for house
plants, is to first wet the leaves, then dust snuff or tobacco
dust over them. The red spider insect is not quite so
easy to manage. It never appears unless the air is hot
and dry, when it. attacks the lower side of the leaves.
The best remedy is to wash the leaves off with a sponge ;
or, if the plants are very large, lay the plants on their
side, and strike the leaves forcibly with water from a
syringe or hose. The mealy bug insect looks like little
bits of white cotton, and is usually found at the axils of
the leaves. It is best removed by a strong hair pencil,
after which syringe or sponge the plant.
All these instructions refer to plants that are grown in
rooms from October until May. After that date, if cir-
cumstances permit, the plants should be shifted into
good sized pots, and placed in the open garden, sinking
the pots in the earth to the rim, care being taken to pinch
out the leading shoots of the plants, so as to make them
grow into good shape. If the pots are sunk in the ground
in this way, care must be taken to have them turned
around every two or three weeks, else the roots will get
through the hole in the bottom of the pot, which would
have to be broken off, and this would seriously injure
them. Perhaps the best way is to stop up the hole
entirely, so that the roots cannot get through. A cork
is best for this purpose, as it must be taken out if the
plants are again used as house plants.
WINDOW GARDENING. 65
Many plants, such as Geraniums, Heliotropes, Abuti-
lons, all the Coleuses, Ageratums, and similar strong grow-
ing plants, usually get too large for house plants the
second year, and it is better with all such to use young
slips, or procure young plants of them in the fall ; while
such plants as Carnations, Roses, Azaleas, Camellias, Jes-
samines, etc., are better when older, if they have been
properly cared for. One of the most popular house
plants for fall and the early winter months is the Chrys-
anthemum, of which there is now an endless variety,
embraced in the three types known as " Large Flower-
ing/' " JaPan," arid " Bouquet " or " Pompone." They
are grown with the greatest ease ; and if the flower buds
are pinched back as late as September ist, they may be
had in bloom nearly to Christmas.
There are a great variety of plant stands and other
contrivances on which to set plants in rooms, but as
these can best be understood by illustrations, florists'
catalogues must be consulted.
CLIMBING PLANTS.
Among this class of plants there are some that are
well adapted for culture in the sitting-room or the parlor;
and these, aside from the small additional trouble of
giving them something to climb on, are as easily grown
as any other kind of plant, and do well with the same
kind of soil and treatment. While some are admired for
the beauty of their flowers, the greater number are also
valued as furnishing a graceful drapery for the window
and its surroundings, and a not less picturesque frame of
living green for the plants on the table.
Among the more desirable climbers for room culture
is the comparatively new so-called German Ivy, (Senecio
66 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
macroglossis,) a much better plant than the old kind. It
is a strong and rapid grower, with glossy leaves that so
much resemble those of the common Ivy as to be easily
mistaken for it. As free-growing plants of this kind are
troublesome to repot when trained, it is a good plan to
give them at the beginning a pot sufficiently large to last
during the winter, taking the precaution, in this case, to
give a sufficient quantity of drainage to prevent the soil
from becoming sour. These remarks will apply to all
plants of this kind.
Another pretty climber for the room is the popular
Smilax, (Myrsiphyllum asparagoidesj) universally admired
for its graceful foliage and the sweetness of its tiny little
flowers. It should be repotted in August, or at least as
soon as the new growth appears. Shake off all the old
soil that will come away, (only do not expose the roots
too much,) and replace it with fresh, rich soil.
Still another good climber for room culture is the
Japanese Climbing Fern, (Lygodium scandens.) The
peculiar beauty of this plant is not seen till it gets age,
and produces abundantly its lovely fertile fronds. A
cool room will suit it better than a hot one.
For training on small wire frames, either flat or round,
few plants are more desirable than the Ivy-leaved Gera-
niums. There are varieties with single, and others with
double flowers, of various shades of color. The leaves
are of a glossy green, and closely resemble those of the
English Ivy. Except that they should be trained to a
stake or a frame, they are treated as other Geraniums.
The foliage of all these climbers should be washed off
or syringed occasionally, not only to free them from
dust, but also from insects, especially the red spider.
There are other climbers that do well in rooms, but the
above are among the best and easiest grown.
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS.
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS
BY
CUTTINGS, LAYERS, DIVISION, AND SEED.
PROBABLY there is no horticultural operation so inter-
esting as that of Propagation. Although I have been at
the business now for nearly forty-five years, still there is
no part of the work that to me compels such unflagging
interest as that of calling into separate existence a dozen,
a hundred, or a thousand slips from one plant, or of watch-
ing the varied forms of tiny seedling plants when called
into separate individual life by the methods used for that
purpose. No matter how well able the lover of plants may
be to buy them in their full development, they never have
the charm that the bantlings of his own raising give.
This is particularly the case with amateur florists, who
have but a few plants, and who have time enough and
interest enough to pet and care for each particular plant.
The following instructions in the art of propagation, I
trust, will be so plain and simple that the most inexperi-
enced amateur, as well as the young florist, will be able to
understand and follow them. The instructions will con-
tain all our most recent experience; and though some of
them will be nearly identical with what I have before
written on this subject in the Hand-book of Plants, yet
there is such additional information (particularly on Rose
Propagation) as will be interesting and instructive, I
trust, even to such as have already read what I have
before written.
68 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS.
This is the way in which the largest number of plants
are propagated. As now understood, this is a simple
matter. Formerly no operation in horticulture was more
befogged by ignorant pretenders, who, in writing or
speaking on the subject, so warped the operation with
troublesome conditions as to discourage, not only ama-
teurs in horticulture, but inexperienced professional gar-
deners as well.
One of the first necessary conditions in the propagation
of plants by cuttings is, that the plant from which the
cutting or slip is taken must be in vigorous health. If
weak or tainted by disease, failure is almost certain to
result If, for example, we wish to root cuttings of green-
house or bedding plants, such as Bouvardias, Chrysanthe-
mums, Fuchsias, Geraniums, Heliotropes, Salvias, Verbenas,
etc., one of the best guides to ib& proper condition is when
the cutting breaks or snaps clean off instead of bending
or "kneeing." If it snaps off so as to break, then it is in
the condition to root freely; if it bends, it is too old, and
though it will root, it will root much slower, and make a
weaker plant than the slip that snaps off on being bent.
With very few exceptions, and those of but little import-
ance, cuttings of all kinds root freely from slips taken
from the young wood, that is, the young growth, before it
gets hardened, and when in the condition indicated by
the "snapping test," as it is called.
I believe I was the first to call attention to this valu-
able test of the condition of the cutting (snapping) in
my work, Practical Floriculture, first published in 1868.
A very general idea is current that cuttings must be cut
at or below an eye or joint. The practice of this system
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 69
is not only rarely necessary, but it leads undoubtedly to
many cases of failure; not that the cutting at or below a
joint either hinders or assists the formation of roots, but
from the fact that, when a slip is cut at a joint, the shoot
often has become too hard at that point, while half an
inch higher up, or above the joint, the proper condition
will be found. I know that it will root even when in
the too hard condition, but the roots emitted will be hard
and slender, and, as a consequence, will not be likely to
make a plant of the same vigor as that made from the
cutting in the proper state; besides, as the hard cutting
takes a longer time to root, its chances of failing from
unfavorable atmospheric conditions are thus increased.
With these instructions for the proper state of the cut-
ting, I now proceed to describe the medium wherein
it is to be placed, and the conditions of temperature,
moisture, etc. If these are strictly followed, failure is an
impossibility ; for the laws governing the rooting of a
slip are as certain as those governing the germination of
a seed. In our own practice, when these conditions are
strictly followed, failure is unknown, when the cutting or
slip is in the proper condition of health.
The best degree of temperature to root cuttings of the
great majority of green-house and bedding plants is 65°
of bottom heat, indicated by a thermometer plunged
in the sand of the bench, and an atmospheric temperature
of 15° less. A range of 10° may be allowed, that is, 5°
lower or 5° higher; but the nearer the heat of the sand
can be kept to 65°, and that of the rest of the house to
50°, the more perfect the success will be. If a much
higher temperature be maintained, it will be at the
expense of the ultimate health of the plants. These
temperatures refer to propagation under glass from
November to April Of course, when the outside tern-
7O GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
perature is higher these temperatures cannot be main-
tained.
Sand is the best medium in which to place cuttings;
color or texture is of no special importance. What we
use is the ordinary sand used by builders; this is laid on
the hot-bed or bench of the green-house to the depth of
about three inches and firmly packed down. When
" bottom heat " is wanted, the flue or pipes under the
bench of the green-house are boarded in, so that the heat
strikes the bottom of the bench, thus raising the temper-
ature in the sand. We prefer the bottom of the bench to
be of slate, as it is a better conductor than boards; but
in the absence of slate boards will answer.
From the time the cuttings are inserted in the sand
until they are rooted, they should never be allowed to get
dry; in fact, our practice is to keep the sand soaked with
water until the cutting is just on the point of emitting
roots, the cutting bench being watered copiously every
morning, and often, when the atmosphere is dry, again
in the evening, (when the green-house is artificially
heated.) Kept thus saturated, there is less chance of
the cutting getting wilted, either by heat from the
sun or from fire heat; for if a cutting once gets wilted,
its juices are expended, and it becomes in the condition
of a hard cutting, the condition in which, when bent, it
will not snap nor break, which has already been described.
To avoid this wilting or flagging of the cutting, every
means that will suggest itself to the propagator is to be
used. Our practice is to shade and ventilate in the prop-
agating house or hot-bed just as soon in the forenoon
as the action of the sun's rays on the glass raises the
temperature of the house to 65° or 70°. Of course,
in hot weather the temperature cannot be thus lowered,
and for this reason the propagation of plants is a diffi-
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 71
cult matter during the months of June, July, and August,
except such plants as Coleus and others of tropical
origin.
This practice of ventilating the propagating house or
hot-bed is, I am aware, not in very common use, many
contending that the place where the propagating is done
should at all times be kept close. I have tried both
methods long enough and extensively enough to satisfy
myself beyond all question, that ventilating and propa-
gating at a low temperature are capable of producing a
larger number of plants during the season than a high
temperature and a close atmosphere. There need be no
failures; and it has the important advantage of produc-
ing a healthy stock, which the close or high temperature
system would fail to do in the case of many plants. I
have often heard propagators boasting of rooting cut-
tings in five days. I am well aware that this may be
done, but I am also aware that it is often done in damp
and cloudy weather at the risk of the whole crop, and it
must be done at a high temperature, which at all times
causes the plants to draw up slender, and thus impairs
their vitality.
FUNGUS OF THE CUTTING BENCH.
Permitting a moderate circulation of air in the propa-
gating house tends to prevent the germination of that
spider-web-like substance, which, for want of a better
term, is known among gardeners as the "fungus of the
cutting bench," Every one who has had any experience
in propagating knows the baneful effects of this; how
that, in one night, it will often sweep off thousands of
cuttings that a few hours before were in healthful vigor.
But this dangerous enemy of the propagator requires,
72 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
like vegetation of higher grades, conditions suitable to
its development, which are a calm atmosphere and a
temperature above 55° or 60°. Hence, to avoid this
pest, we make every effort, by shading, airing, and
regulation of fire heat, to keep the atmosphere of the
house so that it shall not exceed 60 degrees. This, of
course, is not practicable when the outside temperature
in the shade is above 60°; but the temperature can
be reduced considerably by dashing water on the path-
ways and other parts of the house. It is rarely, how-
ever, that the outside temperature ever exceeds 60°
at night for any length of time in the vicinity of New
York before the middle of May, and all propagating
had better be finished previous to that time, unless* of
tropical plants. In the fall months, about the middle of
September, operations in propagating may again begin.
The temperature is prevented from rising in the house
in various ways, some using canvas, or bast matting,
or syringing the glass with a mixture of naphtha and
white lead, made about the color and consistency of thin
skim milk. We find, however, the best and most con-
venient shading to be that formed by flexible screens
made of common lath, planed and attached together like
Venetian blinds, the laths being an inch or so apart.
These can be quickly rolled or unrolled, and give an ever-
varying modified shade, sufficiently cooling to the house,
yet not darkening the cutting enough to impair its vigor.
These are not unrolled in the morning until the tempera-
ture inside indicates it to be necessary, and are rolled up
in the afternoon as soon as the sun ceases to shine on the
glass, for it is of the utmost importance that the cuttings
receive as much light as they will bear without becoming
wilted. An objection to these screens, however, is their
expense, as they cost about ten cents per square foot.
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 73
The time required by cuttings to root varies from
eight to twenty days, according to the variety, condition
of the cutting, and temperature. Verbenas, Fuchsias,
or Heliotropes, put in in proper condition, and kept
without ever being allowed to wilt, will root, in an
average bottom heat of 65°, in eight days, while Roses,
Pelargoniums, or Petunias will take at least double that
time under the same conditions.
It is best to pot off the cuttings at once when rooted,
no matter how small the roots may be; half an inch is a
much better length for them to be when potted than two
inches, and the operation is much quicker performed
when the roots are short than when long. But the main
evils of delaying the potting off of cuttings are, that when
left too long the cuttings grow up weak and spindling,
the roots become hard, and do not take as quickly to the
pot. The same care is required in shading and watering
after potting, nearly, as in the cutting bench; for no mat-
ter how carefully taken up, in the operation of potting
the delicate roots get less or more injured, and until
the cuttings begin to emit new roots they are nearly as
liable to wilt as the unrooted cuttings.
Cuttings should always be placed in small pots, the
best size being from two to two and a half inches wide
and deep; if placed in larger pots the soil dries out too
slowly, and the tender root, imbedded too long in a mass
of wet soil, rots, and the plant dies. Though we generally
prefer soil to be unsifted in potting large plants, yet for
newly-potted cuttings it is better to be sifted fine, not
only that it is more congenial thus to the young roots,
but also that the operation is quicker done with finely-
sifted soil.
After potting, the .cuttings are placed on benches cov-
ered with an inch or so of sand,, watered freely with a
74 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
fine rose watering pot, and shaded for four or five days;
by that time they will have begun to root, when no further
shading is necessary.
"SAUCER SYSTEM "OF PROPAGATION.
The above methods of propagating by cuttings are
such as are now practised by commercial florists, but for
amateurs in horticulture, or gardeners who have charge
of private green-houses, there is usually no necessity for
a regular propagating house, unless the requirements for
plants are unusually large, as the "Saucer System" of
propagation will answer every purpose, and it is the safest
of all methods in inexperienced hands. I was, I believe,
the first to introduce this system some twenty years ago,
and here repeat the directions first given in one of the
horticultural journals at that time: Common saucers
or plates are used to hold the sand in which the cuttings
are placed. This sand is put in to the depth of an inch
or so, and the cuttings inserted in it close enough to touch
each other. The sand is then watered until it becomes
of the condition of mud, and placed on the shelf of the
green-house, or on the window-sill of the sitting-room or
parlor, fully exposed to the sun, and never shaded. But
one condition is essential to success: until the cuttings
become rooted the sand must be kept continually saturated,
and kept in the condition of mud; if once allowed to dry
up, exposed to the sun as they are, the cuttings will quickly
wilt, and the whole operation will be defeated.
The rules previously laid down for the proper condition
of the cuttings are the same in this case, and those for
the temperature nearly so; although, by the saucer sys-
tem, a higher temperature can be maintained without in-
jury, as the cuttings are in reality placed in water, and
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 75
will not droop at the same temperature as if the sand were
kept in the regular condition of moisture maintained in
the propagating bench. Still, the detached slip, until
rooted, will not endure a continuation of excessive heat,
so that we advise, as we do in the regular method of
propagating, that the attempt should not be made to root
cuttings in this way, in this latitude, in the months of
June, July, or August, unless with plants of a tropical
nature. When the cuttings are rooted, they should be
potted in small pots, and treated carefully by shading
and watering for a few days, as previously directed. All
kinds of plants may be rooted by this method when the
young green wood is used, whether of soft wooded plants,
such as Fuchsias, Carnations, Geraniums, Heliotropes,
etc., or of hard-wooded plants, such as Roses or Azaleas,
provided that the same condition of cutting is adhered to
as advised for the other methods.
PROPAGATION OF ROSES BY CUTTINGS.
As the propagation of Roses by cuttings is a matter of
very wide-spread interest, I will give a special descrip-
tion of our method. The rule that applies to the proper
condition of soft- wooded plants, such as Fuchsias, Helio-
tropes^ or Verbenas, (that is, that the young shoot should
be in a state to snap or break off instead of bend,) does
not apply to the proper condition of the Rose cutting.
The young shoot of the Rose is also what is to be used,
but it must be hard and woody. For example, when a
Rose bud is developed enough to be cut, the shoot on
which it grows is about in the right condition for cut-
tings, each leaf of the shoot with its bud at the axil, and
two or three inches of stem, making a cutting; that is,
what is called a single eye cutting. They are simply
76 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
made by making one rather slanting cut between the
joints, or about a quarter of an inch above the eye.
About one-third of the leaf is cut off, mainly for the
reason of allowing more cuttings to be put in the cutting
bench. If by any accident the leaf is all taken off, a
Rose cutting in this condition will never root to make a
good plant; or if, from any cause, the leaves drop off
while the cuttings are in the process of rooting, not one
in ten will ever make a satisfactory plant. Besides the
system of using cuttings made from one eye or bud,
the " blind wood," so-called, (that is, the shoots that do
not produce flower buds,) is also used, and generally
makes the safest and best kind of cuttings, as these blind
shoots are hard and slender, and root rather quicker
than cuttings made from single eyes. These shoots
are usually too short-jointed to be made into single eye
cuttings, and have of ten two or more eyes in the cutting;
but the foliage should be shortened off about one-third,
as in the single eye cuttings, A good length for a Rose
cutting is three inches, though in some short-jointed
kinds no more than one inch length of cutting can be
obtained.
There is no difficulty in propagating Roses from cut-
tings of healthy young wood, if // is grown under glass,
anytime from September to May; but during the months
of June, July, and August, it is a process requiring great
care and attention. We, however, grow hundreds of
thousands in this way by the following method: About
the middle of May we plant out our stock plants on the
green-house benches, in four or five inches of rather
poor soil, containing not a particle of manure, the object
being to induce a hard and slender woody growth of
cuttings, instead of a soft and pithy one. Obtaining
cuttings of this kind, there is no great difficulty in root-
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 77
ing them. I will state, however, that after they are
potted off, carefully shading from the hot sun is neces-
sary until the root strikes through to the side of the pot.
I have found it to be a great help in propagating
in summer to sift a thin layer of fine moss or cocoa-
nut fiber over the Rose cuttings after potting. This
keeps them moist, acting as a mulch, and also, after they
have rooted, it keeps them cool in hot weather, both
materials being excellent non-conductors.
It is a curious fact that, no matter how healthy Rose
cuttings may be when growing in the open ground, they
can rarely be got in condition, during the summer
months, to root. I have tried them at all seasons and
in all conditions, but do not think I ever made a success
during the months of June, July, or August. They in-
variably drop their leaves, and this means failure every
time. Why they should do so more than those grown
inside, I have never yet been able to discover, but that
such are the facts any one trying it will very quickly
find out. My experience in this matter has been con-
fined to the latitude of New York. I believe tnat in
some sections of the country, by the shoots becoming
better ripened, they may be successfully propagated
from out-door wood in the summer.
Hybrid Perpetual and even Monthly Roses, however,
can be propagated from cuttings of well-ripened hard
wood grown in the open ground, put in in October
or November in any place, (a cold green-house or a cold
frame,) where they can be kept just above the freezing
point at night; say from 32° to 40°, with 10° to 15° more
during the day. They must not get much frost, though
a few degrees would do no harm, except to retard them;
but artificial heat, for any length of time, above 40° to
hard wood cuttings is almost certain to destroy them. I
78 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
remember, some years ago, my foreman insisted that we
should put in a lot of the prunings of a lot of new Hybrid
Perpetual Roses that we had received in December from
Europe, in our regular Propagating House. I told him it
was useless; but he insisted on being allowed to try. I
gave him the privilege, provided he did the work in his
own time at night. He worked most diligently, and got
three or four of the hands to help him for a week at nights.
He got some 20,000 cuttings in the propagating bench,
where the temperature of the sand marked 65°. The
cuttings threw out shoots an inch in length, callused
beautifully, and up to that point any one that had not
gone through the thing before would have said that the
operation was a success. One morning, about ten days
after being put in, he called me to witness his victory ;
but I astounded him by saying, that for every plant he
made from the 20,000 cuttings I would give him 25 cents.
He watched and redoubled his care; but it was no use. In
less than a month every cutting had blackened and
rotted.
Had the temperature of the sand never exceeded
40°, a large proportion would have rooted; but it would
have taken four or five months to do so; and then the
results are never so satisfactory as when cuttings are
made from the green wood taken from growing plants
under glass. When, however, there is no green-house at
hand, but only cold frames, such as are used for cabbage
or lettuce plants, the hard wood cuttings of Roses placed
in such in October will, if not too much frozen, root
strongly by April. One of our market gardeners here has
followed the plan for twenty years. His cold frames,
where he keeps his cabbage plants, are well sheltered,
and he roots thousands of Hybrid Perpetual Rose cut-
tings simply by sticking them between the rows of cab-
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 79
bage plants. He thus gets four or five hundred in a 3 X 6
sash, without detriment to the cabbage plants, as they
are leafless, and look like dried sticks until the cabbage
plants are taken out in spring, when they begin to leaf
out, and are rooted sufficiently to pot by the ist of May.
PROPAGATING ROSES IN THE SOUTHERN STATES.
The method of propagating Roses at the South is very
simple, particularly in the vicinity of Charleston, S. C., Sa-
vannah, Ga.,or in almost any part of Florida. There the
long, heated summers raise the temperature of the sandy
soil as high as the atmosphere in the winter months, if not
higher, forming, in fact, a sort of natural hot-bed. All, then,
that it is necessary to do in such a case is to make cut-
tings of Roses, either Monthly or Hybrid Perpetual, into
lengths of five or six inches, and make a trench deep
enough to plant them, leaving only one or two eyes or
buds above ground. Care must be taken to firm the cut-
tings well in with the foot, so as to exclude the air. The
cuttings may be set in the trenches four to six inches
apart, and two or three feet between the lines. Cuttings
of Roses planted in this way, in these or similar states, in
November and December, will form roots by February;
and if left to grow where placed without being disturbed,
will have made growths of from one to five feet in the
following September, according to the variety or class.
PROPAGATION BY LAYERING.
Propagating by layering in the usual way in the soil is
but little practised now-a-days, since the ways of rooting
plants by cuttings have been so greatly simplified; but
occasionally some one may want a few plants of a Rose
8o GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
or other shrub growing in the open ground who has not
other ways of propagation at command, when this plan
may be safely adopted.
Although layering may be done with the ripened wood
of vines or shrubs of the growth of the previous season,
yet it is preferable to use the shoot of the present year
in its half green state; for example, a Rose or flower-
ing shrub is pruned in the usual way in spring; by
June or July it will have made strong shoots one, two,
or three feet in length from or near the base of the
plant. Take the shoot then in the left hand, (after
having stripped it of its leaves for a few inches on each
side of where it is to be cut,) keep the fingers under the
shoot, and make a clean cut on the upper part ', an inch or
so in length, and to about half the thickness of the shoot,
then slightly twist the " tongue " or cut part to one side.
Having opened a shallow trench, fasten the branch
down with a hooked peg, and cover with earth. It is a
good plan to place a flat stone over the layer to prevent
the soil from drying out.
This plan of cutting the shoot on the upper side I
have never seen in illustrations showing the manner of
layering, it being usually either on the side or under;
but I have found in practice that it is much* the safest
plan, as the " tongue,'' when cut on the top part of the
shoot, has far less chance to be broken off.
PROPAGATION BY LAYERING IN POTS.
This is the process of layering shoots or runners of
plants in pots, so that, when the root forms in the pot,
the plant can be detached without injury to it, as the
roots are confined exclusively to the soil in the pot. Lay-
ering plants in pots can be done with Roses? vines, or
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 8l
shrubs of any kind, with always more certainty of making
a plant quicker than by the ordinary way of layering the
shoot in the soil, because when lifted there is no dis-
turbance of the roots. This system of propagating
Strawberries has been largely practised during the past
ten years in the United States, and is now a favorite
method. For details, see Strawberry Culture.
PROPAGATION BY LAYERING IN THE AIR.
About twenty years ago I published a method of
propagating Geraniums, that I believed originated with
me, and which I called, for want of a better term, " Lay-
ering in the Air." It consists in tonguing the shoot to
be used as a cutting half through with a knife, as in the
ordinary layering. The shoot so treated forms granula-
tions, or "callus," on the cut surface, and is in a condi-
tion to form roots immediately on being detached and
put into the earth.
A year or two ago I bethought myself of my long-
forgotten plan of "layering in the air," but this time
I improved upon the former way of doing it. In-
stead of tonguing the shoot to be used for a cutting,
as before, it was merely snapped short off at a point
where the condition of the shoot or slip would make it
hang on to the plant by the merest shred of bark. Slight
as this strip of bark is, it is sufficient to sustain the cut-
ting, without any material injury from wilting, until it
forms the <; callus," or granulated condition, which pre-
cedes the formation of roots.
The cutting, or slip, may be detached in from ten to
twelve days after it has been broken in the manner
described, and then potted in two or three inch pots. If
watered and shaded rather less than required by ordinary
82 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
cuttings, it will form roots in ten or twelve days more,
and not more than two per cent, will fail. Plants of the
Tricolor Geraniums, which all know are difficult to root
under the ordinary modes of propagation, particularly in
hot weather, do excellently by this plan.
The advantage of this method is not only that the
slips root with far greater facility, but the injury to
the stock or mother plants is far less than if the slips had
been cut clean off instead of being only partly detached.
Many other plants can be thus propagated with safety,
notably Begonias, Petunias, Poinsettias, and such plants,
the cuttings of which have a tendency to damp in hot
weather.
PROPAGATION BY DIVISION.
This is the simplest of all methods of increasing plants,
but it is almost exclusively confined to hardy herbaceous
border plants, although Cannas, Dahlias, and various other
tender plants can also be propagated in this way. But
whenever plants are propagated by division, it is best
done at their natural period of starting to grow. Thus
Phloxes, Chrysanthemums, Paeonias, Iris, and grasses of
all kinds start to grow in the Northern States in the open
ground about May ist, which is the best time to divide;
while Cannas, Dahlias, and other tender tropical plants
should not be divided, if to be set out in the open ground,
until a month later, or say the first week in June. In
all cases, here as in cuttings, firm the divided roots well
with the foot to exclude the air ; otherwise the operation
may fail.
PROPAGATION BY SEEDS.
The most natural way of increasing plants is by seeds;
and whenever it is practicable to do so, it is preferable to
all others, so that in our own practice, any plant of which
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 83
we can procure the seed, we rarely increase in any other
way, unless, of course, in cases where particular varieties
are wanted that we know will not reproduce themselves
from seed, so as to be certain of color or form, for it is
believed to be highly probable that no plant ever pro-
duces identically the same individual from seed. The
resemblance may be so close that, to casual observation,
it may seem identical; but reasoning from analogy, it is
fair to presume that no generated organism of animal or
vegetable life, whether from the lowest molecule to the
highest type of existence, is ever identical. No two
human beings are ever identical in face or form; and even
acquired habits, such as handwriting, are never the same.
Some species of animal and vegetable life, when under
domestication, become what is technically termed " brok-
en." Thus we find the pigeon, when domesticated, run-
ning into a great variety of plumage, while its prototypes
of the woods seem to be all alike; but it is fair to pre-
sume they each possess a distinct individuality, though less
apparent than the others. So it is in plant life When
we sow i.ooo seeds of Verbenas or Coleus, (species that
have been "broken,") to the experienced eye no two ever
are exactly the same, though the original types from which
they sprung will seem to produce varieties identical; but
in this case also it is reasonable to presume that a dis-
tinct individuality is present, though the distinction is so
slight that ordinary observation fails to mark it. The
eye requires to be educated to nice distinctions of indi-
viduality. Shepherds in charge of five hundred sheep
can often individualize every member of the flock, which
to the inexperienced observer seem all alike. The reader
will excuse this digression; but there is a great deal of
misconception on this interesting subject.
In all cases where seed taken from a variety or species
84 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
will reproduce itself nearly the same, as in special
colors of Hollyhocks, or in cases where a general
variety is wanted, such as Verbenas or Petunias, the
propagation by seed is largely practised. As propa-
gation by seeds refers more usually to ornamental
plants cultivated under glass, I will briefly relate cur
own practice, which we have greatly improved during
the past few years, and in which we have attained
almost unfailingly satisfactory results. We have found
that seeds sown in shallow boxes, from one and a half
to two inches deep, can be given a far more uniform
degree of moisture than when sown in earthen flower
pots, or earthen seed pans made specially for that pur-
pose. These boxes are made from the ordinary soap box,
from four to five being made from each, with the bottom
boards so put on as to allow free escape of moisture,
though, of course, not so wide apart as to allow the soil
to wash through. These boxes are filled with finely
sifted soil, such as has been run through a sieve fine as
mosquito netting. This surface is then made perfectly
level and smooth, and the seeds sowed on it as evenly as
possible, and in thickness corresponding to the variety
sown, though it must be here remembered that in
" union there is strength," and that, if sown too thin, weak
seeds may fail to press up the soil if isolated too much.
After the seeds are sown, and before they are covered,
they are pressed down by a smooth board into the soil,
so that the surface is again smooth and level.
The seed box is now ready for its covering. For
several years past we have used finely-sifted Moss
(Sphagnum) or Cocoanut fiber exclusively for covering.
To prepare these materials they are rubbed through a
mosquito wire sieve when dry, and sifted over the seed
only thick enough to cover it, usually about one-sixteenth
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS. 85
part of an inch. In the absence of Moss or Cocoanut
fiber, dry refuse hops or leaves will answer, prepared
in the same manner, the great object being to use
a material light in weight, having non-conducting proper-
ties, and that will thus hold the moisture uniformly. Of
all these, we now think Cocoanut fiber the best, and use
nothing else, as its sponge-like character keeps just the
right degree of moisture wanted.
These seed boxes should be placed in the open
sunlight, in the windows of the dwelling room, in
the hot-bed or green-house, and never shaded, in a
temperature running from 55° to 65° at night, with 10°
higher during the day; and if a proper degree of moist-
ure is applied, say a light sprinkling once a week, if there
is life in the seed, germination is certain. As soon as
the seeds have grown so as to attain the first true
leaves, (that is, the first leaves that show after the seed-
leaves, j they must be " pricked off " carefully in soft,
light soil, similar to that used for the seeds, at from one
to two inches apart, according to the kind. This will not
only prevent them from damping off, as many of them
are very apt to do, but they will be much stronger and
suffer less when put into flower pots or replanted in the
open ground. We prefer to replant the seedlings in the
shallow boxes already described. And here we again
find, that if the soil is mixed with half its bulk of sifted
Cocoanut fiber or Sphagnum, we get a far better devel-
opment of fibrous roots. They are more portable if
planted in boxes than if planted in the soil of the
hot-bed, or bench of the green-house, though, of course,
after planting in the boxes these are put again in the
hot-bed or green-house. After the seedlings have been
planted in these boxes, lightly water them and shade for
two or three days.
S6 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
To such as have not the convenience of a hot-bed or
green-house, vegetable or flower seeds may be sown in
the shallow boxes above mentioned, and placed in the
window of a south or east room, where the thermometer
does not average less than 70°. Success would be more
complete, however, if panes of glass were placed over
the seeds, resting on the edge of the box an inch or so
from the soil. This would prevent evaporation, and ren-
der watering less necessary, and hence less liability to
wash up the seeds. With very small seeds it is a good
plan to place a sheet of blotting-paper over the boxes
after the seeds are sown, and pour the water on the
blotting-paper until it soaks through sufficiently to
dampen the soil.
ESSAY ON ROSE GROWING. 87
ESSAY
ON
ROSE GROWING IN WINTER.
BY PETER HENDERSON.
(Read before the New York Horticultural Society in 1881, with some
additions and alterations made in 1883.)
THE intense interest now so generally taken in the cul-
ture of the Rose, not only for outside decoration, but
for the production of Rose buds in winter, has induced
me to attempt a detailed account of the methods of cul-
tivation practised in the vicinity of New York City, which
is believed to be unequaled in any other part of the
world, particularly in the methods in use for the winter
forcing of the Rose. For this purpose, strong, healthy
cuttings are put in to root at any time from September
to January. We keep the sand in our cutting benches
about 65 or 70 degrees Fahr., with the temperature of
the house 10 degrees less. Rose cuttings, under these
conditions, will root in from twenty to twenty-five days,
and are then potted in any good soil in two and a half
inch pots, and placed in a green-house having a night
temperature of about 55 degrees, with 10 to 15 degrees
more in the daytime. (See article on Propagation of
Plants, p. 75.)
The young Roses are regularly shifted into larger pots
as soon as the " ball " gets filled with roots, great care
being taken that the plants at no time get pot bound.
88 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
Syringing i^ done once a day to keep down red spider,
and fumigating by burning tobacco stems to kill the Aphis
or Green Fly must be done twice a week. With such
attention, plants which ware put in as cuttings at the
season named above, by the middle of July will be from
one and a half to two feet in height,- with roots enough
to fill a six-inch pot. They should at this date, or before,
be placed out of doors, and stood on rough gravel or
cinders, so as to make certain of free drainage.
Now, if intended to be grown in pots, the shifting into
larger pots should be repeated whenever the ball gets
filled with roots, (which is usually in about five or six
weeks after every shift,) until the ist of October, when
they will have reached a size requiring a pot of eight or
nine inches in diameter. These pots should be amply
drained with broken pots or charcoal, using soil com-
posed of three parts decomposed sod from a good loamy
soil to one of well-rotted cow manure, or the soil here-
after advised for benches will do equally well. They are
then in condition for winter forcing, no further shifting
being required. But if they are to be planted out on
benches, or in solid best of soil, the planting should be
made from the pots from the i5th of July to the i5th of
August.
SOLID BEDS AND RAISED BENCHES.
There is quite a difference of opinion as to whether
Roses can be best grown in solid beds or on raised
benches. We believe that it really makes but little
difference, as we find them grown with nearly equal
success by both methods where drainage is perfect,
although the method mainly in use at Madison, N. J.,
where, at present writing, Roses are probably grown
ESSAY ON ROSE GROWING. 89
better than anywhere else in the country, is the raised
bench system. The green-houses used are about twenty
feet wide, and are what is known as three-quarter span ;
that is, three-quarters of the glass roof slope to the
south at an angle of about thirty degrees, while the other
quarter slopes north at an angle of twenty degrees,
(see Fig. 5, p. 103,) giving a base space for the benches
on which the Roses are to be planted, (taking out the
walks,) of about fifteen feet. The benches may be either
a level platform, or divided into four or five platforms
about three feet wide, or so as to be about equal distances
from the glass ; the bottom of the benches may be from
three, four, or five to six feet from the glass, as desired.
There is no necessity for bottom heat for Roses, so that
it is best to have the pipes for heating run under the
front and back benches of the Rose house, with none
under the middle benches.
SOIL AND BENCHES.
The soil in which the Roses are to be grown should not
be more than five inches deep, the boards being so
arranged as to allow free drainage for the water. Per-
haps the best way to make the bottom of the bench is to
use wall strips or other boards, not to exceed six inches
wide, leaving a space of at least half an inch between the
boards or strips, so as to make certain of perfect drain-
age. The bottom is first covered with thin sods, grass
side down, and then the soil is placed on to the depth of
five inches. This soil is made from sods cut three or four
inches thick from any good, loamy pasture land, well
chopped up, and mixed with about one-thirtieth of their
bulk of pure broken bones and bone dust, or one-third
of well-rotted cow dung to two-thirds of sods, as may be
9o GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
most convenient. In our own practice we use the cow
manure in preference to bone dust. It is perhaps best to
let the sod be well-rotted before being used, although, if
this be not convenient, it will do fresh, if well chopped up.
DISTANCE TO PLANT.
The distance for Roses such as I describe, (those
that have been grown in six-inch pots, and averaging
twenty inches high,) should be one foot each way, so as
to get the full benefit of a crop by January. It is true
that, if planted twice that distance, they would be thick
enough before spring; but they would not fill up suffi-
ciently until the middle of January, if planted much wider
than one foot. The temperature at which Roses are
grown in winter is an average of 55 to 60 degrees at
night, with 10 to 15 degrees higher during the day.
WATERING AND MULCHING.
Watering is a matter of the first importance, and
requires some experience to know what is the proper
condition. As a guide, whenever the soil shows indica-
tions of being dry on the top, a thorough watering should
be given, sufficient to completely saturate the soil. Such
a watering will not usually be required more than once
in two weeks. Syringing may be done once a day,
sufficient only to moisten the foliage, and often this
will be all the watering the Roses require, as getting the
soil too wet is certain to destroy the crop. Better to err
on the side of dryness, particularly from October to
March. Whenever there are indications of the soil being
too wet stop syringing, but keep the air of the house
moist by watering the paths. Three or four inches of
ESSAY ON ROSE GROWING. 9!
well-rotted cow manure may be used to great advantage
as a mulch, put on about the ist of September, and again
about March, as by that time that put on in September
will have become exhausted. Fumigating with tobacco
smoke for the suppression of the Aphis, (Green Fly,)
should be done twice a week; or, what will answer equally
well, a mulch of two or three inches of tobacco stems will
keep off the Green Fly for five or six weeks.
VARIETIES TO FORCE.
The varieties grown are changing every season, and
no list we can give to-day is likely to remain as the best
ten years hence. The favorite Tea Roses now grown
for winter are Perle des Jardins, (yellow,) Niphetos,
(white,) Catherine Mermet, (rosy pink,) Souvenir d'un
Ami, (delicate peach color,) Cornelia Cook, (white,)
Marshal Robert, (pale yellow,) Belle Allemande, (pink,)
Bon Silene, (carmine,) and Andrew Schwartz, (violet crim-
son.)
There are still a number of the older sorts, such as
Safrano, Douglas, and Isabella Sprunt, yet grown; but
they are fast giving way to what are known as " fancy T'
Roses, of which the yellow variety, Perle des Jardins, is
a type. A new sort, named
SUNSET,
a "sport" from Perle des Jardins, has just been orig-
inated with us. It is identical in every way with that
famous Rose, except that its color, instead of being a
canary yellow, as in the Perle des Jar dins, is a beautiful
orange shade of saffron, often seen in the shading of our
skies at sunset. For this reason I have given it the
92 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS. s
descriptive name of "Sunset." Whether for forcing in
winter or for out-door in summer, " Sunset " will prove
to be one of the most valuable Roses ever introduced.
Of Climbing Roses, which are grown on the rafters
NEW TEA ROSE " SUNSET."
of the green-house, Marshal Niel, (yellow,) Lamarque,
(white,) James Sprung (crimson,) Gloire de Dijon, (salmon
rose,) and Red Gloire de Dijon, (carmine,) are the best.
Another class of Roses, the Hybrid Perpetuals, par-
ticularly the variety known as General Jacqueminot, are
now grown in immense quantities. These, we think, may
soon be supplanted by a newer class, known as " Hybrid
ESSAY ON ROSE GROWING. 93
Teas," of which Duchess of Edinburgh, (bright crimson,)
La France, (light pink,) Duke of Connaught, (crimson
scarlet,) Duchess of Connaught, (deep carmine,) Coquette
des Alpes, (white,) Her Majesty, (blush,) and Wm. Henry
Bennett, (crimson,) are at present types. These require
an entirely different treatment from the Tea Roses proper,
as they are not strictly evergreens, but partly drop their
leaves in the fall; and hence, like all deciduous plants,
require a rest of at least two months, either by drying or
by a low temperature, before they can be forced into
flower, so as to produce the best results.
FORCING HYBRID PERPETUALS AND HYBRID TEAS.
To get the Hybrid Perpetual and the Hybrid Tea
classes early, (say during January,) requires special skill
and care, but well repays the trouble, as this class of Roses
now bring an average of $50 per hundred buds at wholesale
from the i5th of December to January i5th. The method
found to be necessary is to grow these Roses on in pots,
exactly as recommended for the evergreen or Tea Roses,
except that, as they have a tendency to grow tall, the
center should be pinched out of the leading shoots, so
that from five to six shoots run up, and thus not only
make the plant bushy, but, what is of more importance,
these slimmer shoots are less pithy and ripen off harder,
thus insuring with more certainty a greater production of
buds.
The plants, if started from cuttings any time from Sep-
tember to January, which is the season we prefer to root
them in, will, if properly grown, by August ist, (or at
less than one year old,) have filled a seven or eight inch
pot with roots. Now is the critical point. The plants
must be ripened off and rested, if a crop of buds is
94 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
wanted by January and February; so, to do this at a
season as early as the ist of August, the plants must be
gradually dried off sufficiently to make them drop their
leaves, though not to so violently wilt them as to shrivel
the shoots. A rest of two months is necessary, so that
the plants begun to be dried off by the ist of August may
be started slowly by the ist of October, and those begun
to be dried off by the ist of September may be started,
also at as low a temperature as possible, by the ist of
November. These, like the Monthly Roses, are best
ripened off by placing them in the open air; though, if
continued wet weather occur when they are thus placed
to dry and ripen their wood, the pots must be placed on
their sides, or some arrangement contrived to keep them
from getting wet, otherwise the rest absolutely necessary
for early forcing cannot be obtained.
When the forcing of General Jacqueminot or other
Hybrid Perpetual Roses is successful, it is very profitable.
Why it is profitable is from the fact of unusual care and
skill being required to have the plants in the proper con-
dition. We may here state that many failures have re-
sulted from the attempt to grow the Hybrid Tea Roses
without resting, notably the Duchess of Edinburgh, which
was sent out from England some five or six years ago as a
"Crimson Tea." The misleading name of "Tea ' in-
duced hundreds of florists to attempt its growth under
the same conditions as the Safrano or Bon Silene class,
and the consequence was in every case almost complete
failure. This type evidently partakes more of the Hybrid
Perpetual than of the Tea class, and as they are hardy
and deciduous, refuse to blossom in midwinter, unless
given the rest that their nature demands.
ESSAY ON ROSE GROWING. 95
MILDEW.
Roses, when grown under glass, with proper attention
to temperature and moisture, are not usually attacked by
mildew ; but as a preventive it is well to paint the hot-
water pipes once every two or three weeks with a .mixture
of sulphur and lime or sulphur and guano, made of the
consistency of whitewash, (the guano or lime is merely to
make the sulphur stick better to the pipes.) The fumes
of sulphur, as diffused by the heated pipes, is a never-
failing means of destroying the germs of mildew or any
other fungoid growth, and also holds in check, to some
extent, the Red Spider insect, often so troublesome to
the Rose.
ROSE BUG.
For the Rose Bug, so destructive to success in Rose
growing under glass, there seems no remedy except the
slow and unsatisfactory one of catching and killing the
insect as soon as it is seen on the leaves. It is not easily
observed, as it gets under the leaves and close to the
shoots of the plants. Its presence is known by the bitten
leaves showing where it is feeding; but even with the
greatest diligence enough will usually escape to deposit
their eggs in the soil^ which, when hatched out to the
grub or pupa state, rapidly begin the work of destruction
by feeding on the roots. In this stage, all attempts to
destroy them have thus far, I believe, failed.
The only safety, when the Rose Bug is known to be
present in sufficient numbers to injure, is to throw out
the plants and start with young ones. I have, for three
years past, adopted the plan of growing the plants
only one year old from cuttings rooted during the fall or
winter months, and have since then had no trouble what-
96 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
ever from the ravages of this insect. I know, of course,
that there are many Rose houses that are even nine to
ten years old, that never fail to produce abundant crops,
particularly such as Marshal Niel and other climbers ;
but in such cases it seems to be that the Roses planted
either had escaped the visitation of the Rose Bug alto-
gether, or had got so deeply and strongly rooted before
being attacked that the grub could not injure the plants.
SHADING THE HOUSE.
There is some difference of opinion as to the propriety
of shading Rose houses during the hot summer months.
I believe that a slight shading is beneficial from May
to September, and for that purpose use naphtha, mixed
with a little white lead, just enough to give it the appear-
ance of thin milk. This is thrown on the outside of the
glass with a syringe. It costs only about twenty-five
cents for every thousand square feet. This shading is
the best I have ever used. It is just enough to take
the glare of the sunlight off, without much lessening the
light ; and though it will hold on tenaciously during the
summer, it is easily rubbed off in the fall after the first
frost.
GARDEN CULTURE OF THE ROSE.
But little need be said on this branch of the subject,
all that is wanted being a deep, rich soil, in an unshaded
position. For the dry climate of the United States, a
class of Roses should be grown very different from those
grown in England. There the "Remontants," or "Hy-
brid Perpetuals," in the humid atmosphere that prevails,
with few exceptions flower nearly as freely as the
"Monthly" Roses do here; but with us, experience has
ESSAY ON ROSE GROWING. 97
shown that, after the first bloom in June, no full crop of
flowers is again obtained, unless with the comparatively
new class known as the Hybrid Teas, of which u La
France" and "Duchess of Edinburgh" are types; so
that, when a continued bloom of Roses is desired during
the entire summer and fall months, the class known as
monthly (embracing Tea, Bourbon, Bengal, Noisette, and
Hybrid Tea) are the best. True, these varieties, except
the " Hybrid Teas," are not usually hardy, unless in that
portion of the country where the thermometer never
gets 20° below the freezing point ; but they can
be saved through the winter in almost any section,
if pegged down and covered up with five or six
inches of leaves or rough litter. This covering, how-
ever, should not be done until quite hard frost comes;
in the locality of New York, about the first week in
December. If done sooner, there is danger, if the season
is mild, (as it usually is here until December ist), that
the shoots may be smothered and decay by a too early
covering. This same rule I adopt in covering Grape
Vines, Clematis, Raspberries, Strawberries, or, in fact,
any other plant or shrub that I believe to be benefited
by winter protection, as I have never yet seen injury
done to half-hardy plants by frost previous to that date.
In this matter of covering, the amateur in gardening
often errs ; first, from his anxiety to protect his plants
before there is danger in the fall ; and next, in his en-
thusiasm in spring, he is deceived by some warm day in
March to uncover what is not safe until April.
ROSE BUDS IN SUMMER.
The great want of fine Rose buds during the summer
months induced me, last season, to adopt a method that
98 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
promises great success. In August strong plants were
set out in cold frames, (such as are used for keeping
Cabbage, Pansies, or other half-hardy plants,) at a dis-
tance of one foot each way. On the approach of cold
weather in November they were mulched with two or
three inches of dry leaves, and by the time the thermome-
ter began to fall to 10° or 15° below the freezing point,
the sashes were put on, care being taken to give ventila-
tion, so as to keep them cool. They thus become hard-
ened enough to go safely through the winter. By the
middle of April the sashes may be left entirely off,
provided care has been taken to keep them cool through-
out the winter. Roses being thus "rested," (which
is the great necessity for the best results in Rose
culture,) an abundant crop of buds may be expected
from June to October, provided that proper attention has
been given to watering and mulching with well-rotted
stable manure, or moss and bone dust. This mulching
should take the place of the dry leaves (which were placed
on in the fall) about the latter end of May or first of June.
The Roses to be used for summer buds must be all
full, double flowers, else they will quickly fall to pieces in
hot weather. Such kinds as Safrano, Bon Silene, and
Douglas, are of no use for this purpose. The kinds we
have used are as follows: Perle des Jar dins, (yellow,)
Cornelia Cook, (white,) La France, (light rose,) Coquette des
Alpes, (pure white,) Madame Welch, (blush,) Duchess of Ed-
inburgh, (crimson,) Malmaison, (deep blush,) Catherine
Mermet, (rosy pink,) Letty Coles, (carmine and blush,)
Devoniensis, (deep blush,) and Sunset, (the new orange
saffron variety,) all of which, under proper conditions,
will give perfect flowers in the hottest weather.
^ <
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES.
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES,
MODES OF HEATING.
THE construction of green-houses is now a matter of
much interest to a large portion of the community.
I have many applications every season from florists,
private gentlemen, and market gardeners, asking me
which is the best way to build this and that kind of a
green-house. I find it practically impossible to intel-
ligently reply to all these inquiries by letter, and have for
this reason written this article, giving such information
FIGURE 1. (Scale ^ of an inch to the foot.)
as I possess on the most approved methods of con-
struction and heating up to the present time.
When a green-house of any large extent for private
use is to be constructed, involving an amount of, say
$5,000 and upward, I always recommend it to be the
cheapest plan to get the advice of a professional green-
too
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
house architect on the subject; but as a great many
parties wish to build only small green-houses for private
purposes, doubtless to such my experience may be of
interest and value. The scale used in all the plans
throughout is one-eighth of an inch to the foot.
For a small green-house, that shown by Figure i,
having a cuivilinear roof, is a convenient and desirable
form, the dimensions being 20 feet wide by 50 feet
FIGURE 2. (Scale ^ of an inch to the foot )
long. Figure i is the end elevation. Figure 2 is a sec-
tion, showing the inside view of walk, benches, and heat-
ing-pipes.
It is often desirable to attach a green-house or con-
servatory to the dwelling-house. That shown by Figure
3 has a width of 12 feet, though, of course, the width or
length is a matter of taste or convenience. If the green-
house is wanted for commercial use, what the particular
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES.
101
use is must be determined before beginning to build. If
for the general purpose of growing bedding plants, then
FIGURE 3. (Scale l/& of an inch to the foot.)
nothing, we think, is better than the style of houses we
ourselves use, (Figure 4,) which average 20 feet in width,
and are of a uniform length of 100 feet. Of course the
length is a matter of convenience, but the width we find
is an important point to consider ; for if over 20 feet the
benches are too wide to reach easily, and if under 20
feet room is lost by the necessity of having two walks in
a narrow space. Figure 4 shows the inside arrange-
ment of this style of green-house as we have it in use.
One section shows a bench in the middle, the other a
solid bed of soil. The scale (one-eighth of an inch to
the foot) will give the height of the wall, benches, etc.
These green-houses are joined together on the ridge
and furrow plan, having one ^lope to the west and the
other slope to the east ; but if wanted for the purpose of
102
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
growing rose-buds in winter,
or, in short, for almost any
kind of plants grown for
the flowers during the winter
months, this style of green-
house (that shown by Figure
4) is not suited, as it is found
that, when joined on the
ridge and furrow plan, there
is too much shadow, and the
necessary light required for
the best development of
flowers in winter is not ad-
mitted, so that I now find
that for all kinds of flowering
plants, Roses particularly,
the green-house structure
should stand alone, and be
of the style known as the
three-quarter span ; that is,
having an angle of about
32 degrees to the horizon to
the south, and an angle of 36
or 38 degrees to the north,
as shown by Figure 5, which
is on the same scale.
For the same reason, (the
necessity of sunlight in win-
ter,) the wood work should
be made as light as possi-
ble consistent with strength,
and for this purpose I
prefer to use well-seasoned
yellow pine, as it has more
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES.
103
strength, in proportion to bulk, than white pine. It is
also necessary to use glass not less than 10 x 12, put in the
12 way. This style of green-house is now preferred
for forcing Lettuce, Strawberries, and other fruits and
FIGURE 5. (Scale ^ of an inch to the foot.)
vegetables in winter, as well as flowering plants, as they
too require all the light that it is possible to obtain.
Although this style of green-house would also shade,
if joined together on the ridge and furrow plan, when
built on level ground, yet, whenever a convenient loca-
tion can be had, where the ground slopes to the south at
an angle of 10 or 15 degrees, they maybe joined together
as seen in Figure 6, (one-eighth of an inch to the foot
scale,) which shows a slope or angle of 15 degrees.
It will be noticed in this design (Figure 6) that the
larger number of pipes are placed under the front bench,
there being four there, while there are only two under
the back bench. The slope of the ground makes this ar-
rangement necessary in order to secure an equal distribu-
tion of heat. With the ordinary arrangement of pipes,
(half under each bench,) the back of the house would
always be much the warmest, as a moment's reflection
104
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES. 105
will make manifest. The position of the ventilators near
the ridge is distinctly marked in this and all the other
figures, the dotted lines showing a ventilator raised or
open. The position of the benches is also shown.
Through the middle there may be either a bench or a
solid bed of earth. By use of the scale (one eighth of an
inch to the foot) the proportions of the details of this
house may be readily obtained.
The construction of green- houses for private purposes
is often very costly and elaborate, the foundation being
formed of concrete, stone, or brick ; but after the wall
has risen to the surface of the ground, it is found that,
unless the wall of stone or brick is very thick indeed, the
high temperature and moisture inside of a green-house
soon injures the mason work by warring with the low
temperature outside, particularly on the north or north-
west side. For this reason it has been found that wood-
en walls, for ordinary purposes, are equally as good as
an eight-inch brick wall for resisting cold, far cheaper,
and more durable.
A common error with the inexperienced is to build the
wooden wall of a green-house hollow, filling up the space
with sawdust, or some such non-conducting material.
The method found best is to sink locust, cedar, or chest-
nut posts to the required depth, and at distances of four
or six feet apart ; against these (outside) nail common
rough boards ; then against these tack asphalt or tarred
paper, and against that nail the ordinary weather board-
ing. Such a wall will resist cold better than an eight-
inch brick wall, and will last for twenty years if kept
painted. If a better finish is desired inside, the posts
can be hid by weather boarding ; but nothing should be
put in to fill the space. When the walls have been fin-
ished to the required height, the wall plate to secure the
106 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
rafters is laid on. Supporting posts should be placed
under the ridge pole, and also near the middle of the
rafters, where these are very long, as is the case in many
of the three-quarter span houses.
GLASS AND GLAZING.
If for winter forcing of either fruit or flowers, the glass
should (as we have before said) be not less than 10 x 12 in
size, and laid in the 12 way. It should be of what is
known as second quality French, and it is economy al-
ways to use the double thick. All panes should be re-
jected having flaws or lenses, else these will form a focus
for the sun's rays and burn the leaves of the plants ; but
even with the greatest care, some flaws will usually re-
main, and less or more burn the leaves after the sun
becomes strong, to counteract which a slight shading had
better be used on the glass from April to September.
We use naphtha, with just enough white lead mixed in it
to give it the appearance of thin milk. This we put on
with a syringe, which sufficiently covers up all flaws in
the glass to prevent burning, and at the same time tends
to cool the house from the violence of the sun's rays.
This is by far the cheapest and best shading we have
ever used. It can be gradated to any degree of thick-
ness, and costs only about 25 cents per 1,000 square feet
of glass, for material and labor.
In glazing, the method now almost universally adopted
is to bed the glass in putty, and tack it on top with
glazier's points, using no putty on the top. The glazier's
points are triangular, one corner of which is turned down,
so that when it is driven in, it fits the lower edge of
each pane and prevents it from slipping down. A great
mistake is often made in giving the glass too much lap ;
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES. 107
it should only be given just enough to cover the edge of
the pane, (from one-eighth to one-fourth of an inch.) If
given too much, the water gets in, and when it freezes it
cracks the glass.
GROUND GLASS.
The use. of ground glass is gradually becoming greater
every season. I confess to having had a prejudice against
it, thinking that it obscured the sun's rays too much, and
was apprehensive that, for that reason, it would not be
so well suited for plants in winter ; but from an examina-
tion last season of a large lot of green-houses glazed with
such glass, and used for various purposes, I am convinced
that it obscures the light only in a very small degree, if at
all ; for in the green-houses referred to, plants of all de-
scriptions, both for foliage and for fruit, as well as for
producing flowers in winter, were under culture, and they
could not have been in better condition than they were.
The advantage of the ground glass is, that it entirely
prevents the burning of the foliage, which is a source of
great annoyance in the cultivation of plants and fruits.
I am so convinced of the utility of it, that whenever I
again construct more green-houses for my own use I
shall use it. It costs but little more than the glass in
common use, and must be a great saving, as it does
away with the necessity for shading during the summer
months, shading being mainly used to prevent the burn-
ing or blistering of the leaves.
HEATING BY HOT WATER.
The mode of heating in general use is by hot water,
though many beginners with limited means still use smoke
I08 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
flues. In heating by hot water it is important that the
work be given to some reputable firm, whose knowledge
is such as will enable them not only to judge what is the
proper capacity of the boiler for the number of pipes to
be used, but also how many pipes are necessary to be
used for the surface of glass to be heated. Men who
have done a large business in heating green-houses have
far better opportunities for knowledge in this matter than
the average gardener or florist ; and if those erecting
green-houses have not had extensive and varied practice,
they had better be guided by the men who make a busi-
ness of heating, as the want of the requisite knowledge
of these matters often works serioys mischief. Of course,
the size of the green-house or green-houses to be heated
must determine the capacity of the boiler wanted ; but
the boiler being properly apportioned to the length of
pipe, the following data, used in our own establishment,
may be useful. In our houses, which are 20 feet wide
and 100 feet long, when a night temperature of 70° is
required in the coldest weather, ten runs or rows of four-
inch pipe, five on each side ; when 60° are wanted, eight
runs of pipe, four on each side ; when 50° are wanted,
six runs of pipe ; and when only 35° or 40° are wanted,
four runs of pipe. This is for the latitude of New York
city, where the temperature rarely falls lower than 10°
below zero. Latitudes north or south of New York
should be graded accordingly. If estimated by glass
surface, about one foot in length of four-inch pipe is ne-
cessary for every three and a half square feet of glass sur-
face, when the temperature is at 10° below zero, to keep
a temperature of 50° in the green-house. We now place
all our pipes under the side benches, as that enables us
to use the space under the middle for stowing away many
plants safely, which otherwise could not be done if the
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES. log
pipes were there. There are scores of kinds of hot-water
boilers in use, and our opinion is repeatedly asked as to
the relative merits of many of them. This can only be
determined by a comparative test, which we have never
had time or inclination to try. We have used the boilers
made by Hitchings & Co. for the past twenty years with
the most satisfactory results. There may be better, but
we do not know it, and do not care to take the risk of
experimenting.
HEATING BY FLUES.
For beginners with small means, when personal atten-
tion can be given to the fires, by heating green-houses
with flues a great saving in cost can be made ; in fact,
nearly half the cost of construction ; for we find that the
hot-water heating apparatus usually is half the cost of
ordinary commercial green-houses, while if heated by
flues the cost would not be more than ten per cent, of
the whole. A new method of constructing flues, (or
rather a revived method, for it originated in 1822,) has
been in use for the past few years, which has such mani-
fest advantages that many now use it who would no doubt
otherwise have used hot-water heating. Its peculiarity
consists in running the flue back to the furnace from
which it starts and into the chimney, which is built on the
top of the furnace. As soon as the fire is lighted in the
furnace, the brick-work forming the arch gets heated,
and at once starts an upward draft, driving out the cold
air from the chimney, which puts the smoke flue into
immediate action and maintains it ; hence there is never
any trouble about the draft, as in ordinary flues having
the chimney at the most distant point from the furnace.
By this plan we not only get rid of the violent heat
given out by the furnace, but at the same time it insures
110
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES. Ill
a complete draft, so that the heated air from the furnace
is so rapidly carried through the entire length of the flue,
that it is nearly as hot when it enters the chimney as
when it left the furnace. This perfect draft also does
away with all danger of the escape of gas from the flues
into the green-house, which often happens when the
draft is not active. Although no system of heating by
smoke flues is so satisfactory as by hot water, yet there
are hundreds who have neither the means nor the inclina-
tion to go to the greater expense of hot-water heating,
and to such this revived method is one that will, to a
great extent, simplify and cheapen the erection of green-
houses. Many old-established florists, who have had the
old plan of flues in use, have changed them to the one
here described, and with great satisfaction. The wonder
is that such an important fact has been so long over-
looked, for at the time it was discovered heating green-
houses by flues was almost the only method in use.
Figure 7 (one-eighth of an inch to the foot scale)
shows a green-house 20 feet wide by 50 feet long, with
furnace room, or shed, 10x20 feet. Here the flues are
so disposed as to avoid crossing the walks, being placed
under the center bench, but as near as possible to the
walk on each side, so that the heat may be evenly dif-
fused throughout. If a difference in temperature is re-
quired in a house of this kind, it may be obtained by
running a glass partition across the house, say at 25 feet
from the furnace end, which will, of course, make the latter
end the hottest. It will be observed that the plan (Figure
7) shows by dotted lines this new or revived plan of flue
heating. Figure 8 (the same scale) is a section, showing
the arrangement of the benches, etc.
In constructing the furnace for flue heating, the size
of the furnace doors should be, for a green-house 20 x 50,
112
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
about 14 inches square, and the length of the furnace
bars 30 inches ; the furnace should be arched over, and
the top of the inside of the arch should be about 20
inches from the bars. The flue will always " draw "
better if slightly on the ascent throughout its entire
FIGURE 8. (Scale J^ of an inch to the foot.)
length. It shou/d be elevated in all cases from the
ground, on flags or bricks, so that its heat may be given
out on all sides. The inside measure of the brick flue
should not be less than 8x14 inches. If tiles can be
conveniently procured, they are best to cover with ; but,
if not, the top of the flue maybe contracted to six inches,
and covered with bricks.
After the flue has been built of brick to twenty-five
or thirty feet from the furnace, cement or vitrified drain
pipe, eight or nine inches in diameter, should be used, as
they are not only cheaper, but radiate the heat quicker
than the bricks ; they are also much easier constructed
and cleaned. Care should be taken that no woodwork is
in contact with the flue at any place. It should be taken
as a safe rule, that woodwork should in no case be nearer
the flue or furnace than eight inches. In constructing,
do not be influenced by what the mechanics will tell you,
as few of them have any experience in such matters, and
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES. 113
are not able to judge of the dangers resulting from wood-
work being in close contact with the heated bricks. (For
cost of construction see page 116.)
HEATING BY STEAM.
Steam heating, we think, in all probability will soon be
extensively used, particularly in large establishments that
are put up at one time. The following is from E. H.
Bochman, Pittsburgh, Penn., who has been eminently
successful with steam heating for green-houses. He is
strong in the belief that it will eventually supersede all
other methods. He says :
" The New System of Heating Green-houses by Low-
pressure Steam, by which are gained important advan-
tages in every essential requisite in a heating apparatus,
viz., efficiency, economy of fuel and attention, safety, and
simplicity, consists of a series of steam tubes of not less
than two inches in diameter, placed under the benches or
suspended along the walls, as may be best suited, in such
a manner as to drain themselves into a water and steam-
tight vessel, which, therefore, has to be situated at the
lowest convenient point. These tubes or pipes should
present a radiating surface of about one square foot to
ten square feet of glass surface ; or, better expressed, one
square foot to seventy cubic feet of space to be heated to
at least 55° in any weather up, or rather down to 25°
below zero, and at a pressure of steam not to exceed fif-
teen pounds to the square inch. If a higher temperature
is desired, say from 65° to 70°, make the radiating surface
equal, say, one square foot to fifty cubic feet for the same
pressure of steam. The form of boiler is immaterial ;
whichever is best suited and most economical for the
particular fuel you use, is the one to adopt, and its ca-
1 14 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
pacity should not be less than one horse power to 120
square feet of radiating surface, which, represented in
two-inch pipe, is, in round numbers, 240 lineal feet. This
boiler should be provided with an automatic and positive-
acting steam trap, to return the condensation which gathers
in the vessel above mentioned to the boiler, thereby main-
taining at all times sufficient water; in fact, establishing
complete circulation, much the same as by hot water ;
and when you add to this an efficient automatic damper-
regulator, (do not let yourself be humbugged into any dia-
phragm nuisance,) you have ' The coming heating appa-
ratus? compared to which any other hitherto in use, of
whatever form, is a cumbersome, wasteful, and inefficient
affair. Five seasons' use speaks volumes for its superi-
ority, and it has already the entire endorsement of some
of the most successful and progressive commercial florists
of the country."
HEATING BY HOT-BEDS.
(From Henderson's Hand-Book of Plants.)
The preparation of the heating material for the hot-
bed is a matter of importance. It should be manure
fresh from the horse-stable, and when they can be pro-
cured, it is better to mix it with about an equal bulk
of leaves from the woods, or refuse hops. If the weather
is very cold, the bulk of manure must be of good size,
from five to six wagon loads, thrown into a compact
round heap, else the mass may be so chilled that heat
will not generate. If a shed is convenient, the manure
may be placed there, especially if the quantity is small, to
be protected from cold until the heat begins to rise. The
heap should be turned and well broken up before being
used for the hot-beds, so that the rank steam may escape,
GREEN-HOUSE STRUCTURES. 115
and the manure become of the proper " sweetened " con-
dition. It is economy of the heating material to use a
pit for the hot-bed. This should be made from two to
three feet deep, six feet wide, and of any required length.
After the heating material has been packed in the pit
to the depth of twenty to twenty-four inches, accord-
ing to the purpose for which it is wanted, or the season
of the year, (the earlier in the season, the deeper it is
needed,) the sashes should be placed on the frame, and
kept close until the heat generates in the hot-bed, which
will usually take twenty-four hours. Now plunge a
thermometer into the manure, and if all is right it will
indicate 100 degrees or more ; but this is yet too hot as
bottom heat for the growth of seeds or plants, and a few
days of delay must be allowed until the thermometer
indicates a falling of 8 or 10 degrees, when four or five
inches of soil may be placed upon the manure, and the
seeds sown or plants set out in the hot-bed. Amateurs
are apt to be impatient in the matter of hot-beds, and
often lose their first crop by sowing or planting before
the first violent heat has subsided. Another very com-
mon mistake is in beginning too early in the season. In
the latitude of New York nothing is gained by beginning
before the first week in March, and the result will be
very nearly as good if not begun until a month later.
There are two or three important matters to bear in
mind in the use of hot-beds. It is indispensable for
safety to cover the glass at night with shutters or mats
until all danger of frost is over ; for it must be remem-
bered that the contents of a hot-bed are always tender,
from being forced so rapidly by the heat below, and that
the slightest frost will kill them. Again, there is danger
of overheating in the daytime by a neglect to ventilate
when the sun is shining. As a general rule, it will be
Il6 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
safe in all the average days of March, April, and May, to
have the sash of the hot-bed tilted up from an inch to
three inches at the back from 9 A. M. to 4 P. M. Much
will, of course, depend upon the activity of the heating
material in the hot-bed, the warmth of the weather, and
the character of the plants in the bed, so that we can
only give a loose general rule. Numbers of inexperienced
amateur cultivators often lose the entire contents of
their hot-beds by having omitted to ventilate them, and
on their return home from business at night find all the
contents scorched up ; or the danger of the other extreme
is, that the plants are frozen through neglect to cover
them at night. A hot-bed requires a certain amount of
attention, which must be given at the right time, or no
satisfactory results can be expected.
COST OF CONSTRUCTION.
Estimates of the cost of green-houses must necessarily
be only approximate, according as to how the work is
done, when done, and the ever-changing cost of material
and labor. In this vicinity, at this time, a green-house
20 x ioo would cost about $12 per running foot. If two
together, (ridge and furrow, as in Figure 4,) each 20x50,
about $10 per running foot for each house. A green-
house like Figure 3, attached to a dwelling, would cost
about $10 per running foot; and one 20x50, like Figures
i and 2, (curved roof and double pitch,) would cost pro-
portionately. (These estimates do not include heating.)
Heating by hot water would cost about two-thirds more,
making the cost complete about $1,650. If heated by
flues, as in Figures 7 and 8, only about two per cent,
more would be required, or say about $1,100 complete.
FORMATION AND RENOVATION OF LAWNS. II'J
FORMATION
RENOVATION OF LAWNS.
BY PETER HENDERSON.
(Read before the National Convention of Nurserymen, Florists,
and Seedsmen, held at St. Louis, Mo., June 2Oth, 1883.)
WE not unfrequently see, after a dwelling costing
$5,000, $10,000, $20,000, or $30,000 is erected, that the
grounds surrounding it are left to the tender mercy of
some ignorant pretender to grade and put in shape. The
educated, intelligent architect's duties in many cases end
with the completion of the building, and the " garden
architect " (likely some pretentious laborer) is installed
to grade for the lawn; and a common consequence is,
that the beauty of the place may be forever marred; for
this matter really in many cases requires as much intel-
ligence and good judgment as the construction of the
dwelling itself.
DRAINING AND GRADING.
One of the first conditions for a perfect lawn is, that
the land be perfectly drained either naturally or artifi-
cially. If the subsoil is sand or gravel, so that water can
quickly pass through it, then there will be no need for
artificial drains; but if there is a stratum of adhesive
clay for a subsoil, then drains are indispensable every
Il8 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
fifteen or twenty feet. As the formation of the lawn is
the foundation of all subsequent operations, it is impera-
tive that it be carefully done; for if badly done at first it
cannot be changed or altered, unless to the great detri-
ment of trees or shrubs that have been planted, or flower
beds or walks that have been laid out.
The first thing to be done is to get the ground shaped
to the desired grade, taking care, in grading, that when
hills or rocks are removed, sufficient subsoil is also
removed to be replaced with top soil, so that at least five
inches of good soil will overlay the whole in all places;
and where trees are to be planted there should be twice
that depth of good soil. When the grading is finished,
if the nature of the ground requires it, drains should be
laid wherever necessary; and then the whole should be
thoroughly plowed, a subsoil following in the wake of the
common plow, until it is completely pulverized. A heavy
harrow should then be applied until the surface is thor-
oughly fined down. All stones, roots, etc., should be
removed, so that a smooth surface may be obtained. We
have used, with great effect and saving of labor, a com-
paratively new implement known as the " Disc Smooth-
ing Harrow," which fines and levels the land equal to a
steel rake; and whenever large areas are in preparation
for lawns, or, in fact, for any field culture requiring a
fine, smooth surface, this implement will be found to be
of great value.
SOWING.
When the seed is sown a light harrow snould be again
applied, so as to sink the seed two inches or so in the
soil, and after that a thorough rolling given, so that the
surface is made as smooth and firm as possible. In the
latitude of New York, the seed may be sown any time
FORMATION AND RENOVATION OF LAWNS. 119
during the months of April and May, and will form a
good lawn by July or August if the preparation has been
good, or in from sixty to one hundred days from the time
of sowing. If sown in the hot months of June or July,
a sprinkling of oats should be sown at the same time, so
that the shade given by the oats will protect the young
grass from the sun. Lawns are very often sown during
the early fall months (September being the best) with
excellent results.
In my extensive experience, I have found that the
formula for seed for lawn grass, which I call the " Cen-
tral Park Mixture," is in all respects the best. On some
soils Kentucky Blue Grass is used alone, but for a firm,
carpet-like lawn I consider the " Central Park Lawn
Mixture " preferable. For small plots, of course, dig-
ging, trenching, and raking must be done instead of
plowing, subsoiling, and harrowing, and the surface,
after sowing, should be patted down with the back of a
spade or rolled down with a roller.
SODDING.
In sloping banks it is often necessary to use sod, as
the rains wash the soil off before the grass seed has had
time to germinate. It is sometimes even necessary, in
sodding very steep banks, to use pins eight or ten inches
in length to pin the sods in place, to prevent them from
being washed down by excessive rains before the grass
roots have had time to fasten in the soil. In small yards
sodding is often done so as to get immediate results; but
in all such cases great care should be taken to see
that the sods used are of the proper quality, otherwise
it is much better to wait a few months for the lawn seed
to produce the lawn.
120 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
QUANTITY OF SEED.
As a guide for the proper quantity of seed required to
form a perfect lawn, I may state that one quart of
" Central Park Lawn Mixture " is sufficient to thoroughly
sow an area of 20 feet by 15 feet, (300 square feet;) or,
to cover an acre, four bushels will be required. It should
be borne in mind that, in order to produce the best
results, grass seed for lawns should be sown at least
twice as thickly as if sown for hay. In fact, if very
rapid results are wanted, a lawn will be much quicker
obtained by using twice as much seed per acre. In a
lawn of about an acre in extent, which I made this
season, eight bushels of " Central Park Mixture" were
sown on the 25th of April, harrowed well in with the
ordinary farm harrow, and then rolled firmly with a
heavy iron roller. The result was, that by July ist, or
about sixty days from the date of sowing, a perfect lawn
was obtained, having had to be twice mowed over by a
machine previous to that date.
FERTILIZERS FOR THE LAWN.
The question of fertilizers for the lawn is an important
one. If the soil is naturally a deep, rich loam, it is not
indispensable that manure at all be used the season of
sowing, although in every case it would be an advantage,
and is really essential if the soil is poor or light. Per-
haps the best way to apply well-rotted stable manure, is
to spread it thick enough to cover the ground after plow-
ing or digging, and then harrow or rake it in; but when
cost is no special object, the best plan to insure perma-
nency for the lawn is to use, as above, from 2,500 to 3,000
FORMATION AND RENOVATION OF LAWNS. 121
pounds of coarse ground bone per acre, or in that pro-
portion for lesser areas, as the bone decomposes slowly.
This quantity, harrowed or raked deeply in, would insure
a "velvet lawn," under ordinary circumstances, for six
or eight years without further application of manures.
TOP DRESSING.
When the land has not been fertilized before sowing,
it is necessary to use some top dressing of manure each
season to keep up the fertility of the lawn, and nothing
is better for this purpose than to spread over it late
in the fall, (November or December,) enough short
stable manure to partially cover the surface. This should
be allowed to remain on until such times as the grass
shows signs of starting in the spring, when the rough
portion should be raked off and a heavy roller ap-
plied, so that the surface of the lawn may be rendered
smooth and firm for the mower. If the top dressing of
stable manure has been omitted in the fall, fine bone
dust, mixed with finely sifted coal or wood ashes, in
equal parts, may be sown on the lawn about as thick as
sand is usually strewn on the floor, and rolled down.
MOWING.
Mowing should be begun in the spring as soon as the
grass is two or three inches high, and continued every
seven or eight days until the cessation of growth in the
fall. If the lawn is gone over with the mower once
a week, the clippings are best left on, as the sun quickly
shrivels them up so that they never appear unsightly;
but if mowing is delayed two or three weeks, then the
grass must be raked off; and besides the labor of so
122 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
doing, the rake always more or less injures the lawn
during the growing season.
DESTROYING WEEDS.
It sometimes happens that the soil contains seeds of
perennial plants! Such seeds are rarely found in the
grass seed, such as Dandelion, Dock, or Thistles, but they
seriously interfere with the beauty of the lawn. When
such occur, there is no other remedy than the slow pro-
cess of cutting them out with a knife. It is not necessary
to take them out by the root; if the " crowns " of these
perennial weeds are cut just below the surface, they will
not again grow.
RENOVATING LAWNS.
To renovate lawns that have become worn out by
neglect or other causes, and where it is not convenient
or desirable to renew by plowing up, they may be greatly
benefited by running a light harrow over them, if the
surface is large, or by a sharp steel rake for smaller
areas. After stirring the surface by such means judi-
ciously, so as not to too severely hurt the roots, lawn
grass seed should be sown over the surface, using about
half the quantity advised for new lawns. After sowing,
the surface should be harrowed or raked over, and firmly
rolled or beaten down; but if spurious grass or other
weeds have got possession of the lawn, then this way of
renovation would not be satisfactory, and it had better be
plowed under and sown afresh, in the manner already
given for the formation of the lawn.
(
ONION GROWING FOR MARKET
TJ DIVERSITY
. T2J
ONION GROWING
FOR
MARKET.
SOIL.
IT is the generally received opinion that Onions grow
best in old ground. This, I think, is an error. It is not
because the ground is "old," or has been long cultivated,
that the Onions do better there, but because such lands,
from their long culture, are usually better pulverized;
and experience has shown me repeatedly, that when new
soil has been equally well pulverized and fertilized, an
equally good crop is obtained, and usually a cleaner crop,
more exempt from rust or mildew. As a matter of fact,
the finest crop of Onions I ever beheld was on sandy
swamp land, which had been first thoroughly drained and
broken up. In fact, new soils, particularly when broken
up from pasture land, (turned over early enough in the
fall, so that the sod is rotted completely,) make excellent
land for Onion crops, as they are usually free from weeds.
Such land, however, must be well pulverized by the use of
the plow, harrow, and smoothing harrow, or good results
may not follow. Much depends on the quality of such
soil. If rather sandy loam, it will, of course, be much
easier to pulverize than if stiff or clayey loam, and such
soil, in my experience, is always preferable for most
crops. Such soils, also, are nearly always free from un-
der water, rarely requiring artificial drainage, if the land
124 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
is level, and it always should be selected as level as pos-
sible for the Onion crop, as when land slopes to any
great extent, much damage is often done by washing out,
the Onion roots being near the surface, and, consequently,
cannot resist floods as crops do that root deeper.
Many Onion growers, who make a specialty of the
business, find it is economical to alternate the crop with
a green crop, such as German Millet, which can be cut
for hay in July, and the " stubble " plowed down in Au-
gust, giving a fresh fibrous soil, clear of weeds, for the
Onion crop to be sown next spring. It is not claimed
that the alternation of a green crop with the Onions is a
necessity, as it is well known that the Onion is one of the
very few crops that does not seem benefited by alternat-
ing ; but it is claimed that it gives almost entire freedom
from weeds, as after a crop of Millet which has been cut
before its seed ripens, few troublesome weeds will come
up the next year.
MANURES.
I have always held the opinion, that when well-rotted
stable manure, whether from horses or cows, can be pro-
cured, at a cost not exceeding $3.00 per ton delivered on
the ground, it is cheaper and better than any kind of
concentrated fertilizer. It should be plowed in at the
rate of thirty tons per acre. The concentrated fertilizers
in the market are now so numerous that it would be in-
vidious to specify particular brands. We ourselves, ex-
cept in using occasionally the " Blood and Bone Fertil-
izer," which we have proved to be excellent, use only
pure ground bone and Peruvian guano, which, for
Onions, we prefer to mix together in equal parts, sowing
it on the land after plowing, at the rate of at least one
ton per acre of the mixture, (when no stable manure has
ONION GROWING FOR MARKET. 125
been used,) and after sowing to be harrowed in, as de-
scribed in "Preparing the Ground."
One of the most valuable manures for the Onion crop
are the droppings from the chicken or pigeon house,
which, when mixed with twice their weight of lime, or coal
or wood ashes, so as to disintegrate and pulverize them,
may be sown on the land after plowing, to be harrowed
in, at the rate of three or four tons per acre of the mix-
ture. Night soil, when mixed with dry muck, coal ashes,
charcoal dust, lime, or lime rubbish, as absorbents, and
spread on after plowing at the rate of six or eight tons
per acre, and harrowed deeply in, will never fail to pro-
duce a heavy crop of Onions in any suitable soil.
There are many other manures that will answer the
purpose, often to be had in special localities, such as the
refuse hops and "grains" from breweries, which should
be used in the same manner and quantities as stable
manure; while fish guano, whalebone shavings, or shav-
ings from horn, when pulverized so as to be in proper
condition to be taken up by the plants, are nearly equal
in value to ground bone. Wood ashes alone, spread on
at the rate of five or six tons per acre, will usually give
excellent results.
It is well ever to keep the fact in mind, that it will
always be more profitable to fertilize one acre of Onions
well than two imperfectly. If thirty tons of stable
manure or one and one-half tons of concentrated fer-
tilizer are used to an acre, the net profits are almost cer-
tain to be larger than if that quantity had been spread
over two acres; for in all probability nearly as much
weight of crop would be got from the one well-manured
acre as from the two that had been done imperfectly,
besides the saving of seed and labor in cultivating two
acres instead of one,
126 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
PREPARING THE GROUND.
In preparing the ground for the reception of the seed,
(if it has not been plowed the fall previous,) plowing should
be begun as soon as the land is dry enough to work, first
having spread over the land well-rotted stable manure,
at the rate of thirty tons to the acre. This should be
lightly turned under, plowing not more than five or six
inches deep, and covering the manure so that it will be
three or four inches under the surface. For this reason,
the manure must be well rotted, otherwise it cannot be
well covered by the plow. If concentrated fertilizers are
to be used, it is best to plow the land up roughly, sow
the fertilizer at the rate of one to two tons per acre, ac-
cording to its fertilizing properties, and then harrow
thoroughly, so that it is regularly incorporated with the
soil. After harrowing with an ordinary toothed harrow,
the surface should be further leveled with some kind
of a "smoothing" harrow, either Meeker's Smoothing
Disc Harrow, or some sort of chain harrow. The former
I like best, as the revolving discs pulverize the soil to a
depth of three inches much better than it can be done
by raking, and the smoothing board, which follows in
the wake of the revolving wheels, makes the surface, if
free from stones, smooth as a board, and far better than
it can be done by raking.
SOWING THE SEED.
The ground being thus prepared, the next thing is the
sowing of the seed, about six pounds being used per
acre. This, of course, now-a-days, is done always by the
seed drilling machine, of which there are a dozen or
ONION GROWING FOR MARKET. 127
more in the market, nearly all of which do the work well.
In our business at the present date, we sell the Matthews
and the Planet, Jr., giving the preference in the order in
which they are named. In sowing the first row, a line
must be stretched so as to have that line straight, after
which the sower can readily regulate the other lines.
The favorite distance for Onion rows to be placed apart
is fifteen inches, though they are sometimes sown as close
as twelve inches, leaving out every ninth row for an al-
ley, thus forming them into beds of eight rows each.
Where there is reason to believe weeds may be trouble-
some, this plan of forming in beds has the advantage of
the alley (twenty-four inches wide) to throw the weeds in.
I so firmly believe in the value of firming in the seeds
after sowing, that I advise, in addition to the closing
and firming of the seeds by the drill, to use a roller be-
sides, particularly if the land is light, or where the soil
has not been sufficiently firmed down.
CULTIVATING.
There is no crop where the adage of " a stitch in time "
is so applicable as in the Onion crop; so that just as soon
as the lines can be well seen, which will be in twenty or
thirty days after sowing, apply the hand cultivator be-
tween the rows. There are a great many styles of hand
cultivators. On light soils, the best we have used is
known as the " Universal.'1 The distance at which On-
ions should stand is from one to two inches, and if the
crop is sown evenly and thinly few will require to be
taken out; but whether it be weeds or Onions that are to
be removed, one thing should never be lost sight of, that
when this operation is done, every inch of the surface
should be broker;. This is best done after having been run
128 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
through by the hand cultivator, by using a wooden lawn
rake all over the land, lightly raking across the rows. It
is one of the most common mistakes in a laborer when
weeding or hoeing, if he sees no weeds, to pass over such
portions without breaking the crust. By this neglect, he
not only most likely passes another crop of weeds in em-
bryo under the unbroken crust, but the portion unbroken
loses the stirring so necessary for the well-being of the
crop. In my long experience in garden operations, I
have had more trouble to keep the workmen up to the mark
in this matter than in any other; and I never fail, when
I discover a man in such negligence, to set him back over
his work until he does it properly; and if he again fails
to do so, promptly dismiss him.
HARVESTING.
The Onion crop is usually fit to harvest in this section
from the 5th to the 2oth of August; that is, when the
seed has been sown in early spring, which should be not
later than May ist, if possible, and if by April ist, all the
better. If the seed be sown too late, it may delay the
time of ripening, which may result in a complete loss of
the crop; for if the bulbs are not ripened by August,
there is danger, if September is wet, that they will not
ripen at all; hence the great necessity of early seeding in
spring. If the Onion crop is growing very strong, it will
facilitate the ripening process by bending the leaves down
with the back of a wooden rake, or some such implement,
so as to ''knee ' them, as it is called, at the neck of the
bulb. This checks the flow of sap and tends to ripen the
bulb.
After the tops of the Onions become yellow and wither
up, they should be pulled without unnecessary delay; for
ONION GROWING FOR MARKET. 1 29
if continued wet weather should occur and delay the
pulling too long, a secondary growth of the roots may be
developed, which would injure the crop seriously. After
pulling, lay the bulbs in convenient rows, so as to cover
the ground, but not to lay on each other. By turn-
ing them every day or two, in six or eight days they will
usually be dry enough to be carted to their storage
quarters, where the shriveled tops are cut off, and the
Onions stored on slatted shelves, to the depth of six or
eight inches, in some dry and airy place.
It is of importance to have the bottom of the shelves
slatted, so as to leave spaces an inch or so apart, that air
may be admitted at the bottom as well as the top of the
heap. The shelves, when all the space at hand is to be
made available, may be constructed one above another.
But if to be kept through the winter, they must be pro-
tected in some building capable of resisting severe frost,
or covered with hay or straw, as a protection against ex-
treme cold; for although the Onion will stand a moderate
degree of frost, yet any long continuation of a zero tem-
perature would injure it. When frozen they should never
be handled, as in that condition they are easily blemished
and would rot. When kept in barrels, holes should be
bored in the sides, and they should be left unheaded un-
til shipped, so as to permit the escape of any moisture
that may be generated.
INSECTS AND OTHER ENEMIES.
For such insects as attack the Onion crop, I am much
afraid there are few, if any, effective remedies. Every
year's experience with the enemies that attack plants in
the open field convinces me that with very few of them
can we successfully cope. The remedy, if remedy it is,
130 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
for rust, smut, or other mildew parasites, must, in my
opinion, be a preventive one; that is, whenever practi-
cable, use new land or renew the old land by a green
crop, such as Rye, Timothy, or Millet, in all sections
subject to these diseases. The same plan had better be
adopted in all sections where the Onion maggot, or other
insects, attacks the crop.
The theory for this practice is, that it is believed that
nearly all plants affected by insects or disease have such
peculiar to themselves, and that the germs lie in the soil
ready to fasten on the same crop, if planted without in-
termission on the same ground, while if a season inter-
venes the larva or germ has nothing congenial to feed
on, and is, in consequence, destroyed. In practice, we
usually find that cultivated land " rested " for a season
by a grass crop gives always a cleaner and healthier crop
to whatever vegetable follows it. In cases, however,
where the land cannot be rested, or when it has been
rested to be cropped in spring, it is a great preventive
of the ravages of all kinds of insects to plow the land in
the fall as late as possible, so as to disturb the larvae of
insects and expose them to the action of frosts and rains.
THE PRODUCT.
The average product of the Onion crop varies very
much, ranging from 300 to 900 bushels per acre, the
mean being about 600 bushels per acre. The price is
variable like all perishable commodities, ranging from
fifty cents per bushel, the price at which they usually
wholesale in the New York market in fall, to $i or $1.50
per bushel for winter and spring prices. The estimate,
then, of profit per acre may be given about as follows;
ONION GROWING FOR MARKET. 13!
Manure, per acre $72 °°
Plowing, weeding, and harvesting crop, per
acre 100 oo
6 Ibs. seed, average $2 per Ib 12 oo
Rent or interest on land, per acre 9 oo
Marketing crop, per acre 7 oo
$200 oo
600 bushels per acre, at 5oc $300 oo
Cost. . 200 oo
Profit $100 oo
This estimate is a moderate one; for if the crop is sold
in spring, the chances are that the profit may be two or
three times as much.
ONIONS SOLD GREEN.
All the foregoing relates to the Onion crop ripened;
but in all large cities immense quantities of Onions are
sold in the green state, many of them before they have
attained half their growth. To get the earliest crop of
Onions in this condition, the Onion sets are used, which
are small Onions from the size of a pea to the size of
three-quarters of an inch in diameter; but the smaller the
better, as they make a crop nearly as quick and never run
to seed, while the larger ones occasionally do. Onion sets
must all be planted by hand, in rows made by the garden
marker at about nine inches apart, and the sets being
planted from two to three inches apart. They are most
conveniently planted in beds of eight rows each, leaving a
space of eighteen inches for an alley-way.
The green Onions are tied in bunches of eight or ten
132 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
each, and often sell at eight and ten cents per bunch.
The crop is usually begun to be marketed by the middle
of June, and is sold off by the middle of July. This
garden crop of Onions is usually heavier manured and
requires more labor than the field crop, but its market
value is often three times that of the field crop. Onions
are also sown in this vray when grown from seed, but of
course this matures two or three weeks later, and is not
usually so remunerative as the green crop from the sets.
POTATO ONIONS.
These are increased by the bulb, as it grows, splitting
into six, eight, or ten sections, which form the crop from
which the "set'' or root for next season's planting is ob-
tained. The sets are planted in early spring, in rows one
foot apart, the Onions three or four inches between, and,
like the Onions raised from sets, are generally sold
green, as in that state they are very tender, while in the
dry state they are less desirable than the ordinary Onion.
TOP ONIONS.
Top Onions, so called, are propagated by the peculiar
property of this variety of Onion producing a cluster of
small bulblets on the Onion stalk. An excrescence of
bulblets is formed instead of flowers and seeds. In all
respects its culture is the same as the Potato Onion, only
that, as the bulbs are smaller, they can be planted closer.
SHALLOTS.
A vegetable nearly allied to the Potato Onion, only
that it never forms an individual bulb but always grows
ONION GROWING FOR MARKET. 133
in clusters. It is planted in the fall, the same distance
apart as the Potato Onion, and starts to grow on
the first opening of spring, so that the crop is usually
marketed in May.
VARIETIES OF THE ONION.
We here give a short description and illustrations of the
leading varieties of Onions. The seeds of Onions have
heretofore been raised mainly in Connecticut, Massachu-
setts, Rhode Island, and Michigan, but of late years large
quantities have been raised in California. A prejudice
against that raised in California originated in consequence
of the first lots raised there being from inferior stocks,
but later experience has shown us beyond question that,
when the quality of the stock from which the seed was
raised has been the same as used in the Eastern States,
the crop has been in all respects equal. In our " trial
grounds," where upward of fifty stocks of Onions are
tested annually, we find that the California raised seed is
in no way inferior to that raised in Connecticut or Massa-
chusetts.
Onion seed loses its germinating power sooner than
almost any other seed, and, unless the sample is very fine
indeed, it is of little use the second year. This is the
reason for the great disparity in the price of seeds, for as
the Onion seed crop is a very uncertain one, and from its
germinating qualities being limited so that no stock can
be held over, the price in different seasons fluctuates from
$i to $5 per pound.
134
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
EXTRA EARLY RED ONION.
FIRST EARLY, EXTRA EARLY
FLAT RED. A thin, rather
light colored Onion, and a
good keeper, but earliest
of all.
LARGE RED WETHERSFIELD.
One of the favorite sorts
for the general crop, and
a good keeper and yielder.
YELLOW GLOBE DANVERS.
A half-globe shaped stock,
one of the best yielders
and a splendid keeper.
EARLY RED GLOBE. One
of the earliest of the Globe varieties, smaller than the
Large Red Globe.
LARGE RED GLOBE.
Later and larger
than the last, but
a favorite market
sort, and a perfect
globe shape.
SOUTHPORT LARGE
WHITEGLOBE. One
of the best, and a
favorite sort in New
York markets, al-
ways bringing the
highest price.
SOUTHPORT LARGE
YELLOW GLOBE.
Similar to the White LARGE RED WETHER^FIELD ONION.
ONION GROWING FOR MARKET.
Globe, except in color,
and a good keeper.
WHITE PORTUGAL, OR SIL-
VER SKIN. One of the
leading sorts of white
flat Onion, a most ex-
cellent keeper and good
yielder.
YELLOW DUTCH. A flat
yellow Onion, a good
yielder, but not so desi-
rable as the other yellow
sorts, on account of its
color and shape. This
and the Flat Yellow Dan-
vers are very similar.
One of the heaviest crop-
pers.
Italian varieties well
adapted for growing in the
Southern States :
QUEEN. The earliest of
all Onions, small, flat,
white, and mild flavored.
NEAPOLITAN MARZAJOLE.
An early white flat Onion,
fine flavor.
LARGE WHITE ITALIAN
TRIPOLI. Grows to a
large Size, and IS later SOUTHPORT LARGE YELLOW GLOBE ONION.
136
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
than either of the pre-
ceding.
LARGE RED ITALIAN
TRIPOLI. Similar to
the preceding, except
in color.
GIANT ROCCA. A very
large-growing globe-
shaped variety of a
reddish brown color;
flavor mild and sweet.
WHITE PORTUGAL, OB SILVER SKIN ONION.
YELLOW DUTCH ONION.
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 137
HOW TO GROW
CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER,
(EARLY AND LATE.)
IN answer to hundreds of inquiries that are made to
me each season in relation to the various phases of Cab-
bage and Cauliflower culture, I find it necessary to write
a special article on this subject, much of the information
given being in reply to and in anticipation of the various
questions that have been and are likely to be asked.
SOIL.
Cabbage is much easier managed than Cauliflower, and
is, consequently, more certain of giving a crop, even
under unfavorable conditions. The first condition of
success with the Cabbage crop, like that of nearly every
other vegetable, is the right kind of soil. The best soil
for Cabbage is a rather sandy loam, not less than ten
inches deep, the subsoil under which should be sand or
gravel; a clayey or stiff subsoil is uncongenial to almost
every crop. Not only does it delay operations in spring,
as such soils dry slowly, but even when fit to work, the
labor on soils having a clay or " hard pan " subsoil is
nearly twice that of lighter soils, and usually with less
satisfactory results. It may be superfluous to say that,
unless the soil for Cabbage is drained artificially or
naturally, (by a sand or gravel subsoil.) success is impos-
sible. This, of course, is true of nearly every crop
grown.
138 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
The proper pulverizing of the soil is a matter of the
utmost importance. Although many of the large market
gardens in Europe are yet dug with the spade or digging
fork, it is rare that anything else is used with us than
the plow and harrow. We ourselves are so satisfied of
the superiority of the plow, as a pulverizer of the soil,
over the spade or digging fork, that we would not allow
our grounds, for any purpose, to be dug, even if done
for nothing, and no digging is ever done on our grounds
in any spot where horses can be worked. Experience
has shown us that it is always beneficial to plow land in
the fall, not only that when thus thrown up in ridges it
gets pulverized by the action of the frost, but also that
the turning up of the soil exposes the larvae and eggs of
insects also to the frost, which tends greatly to lessen
their numbers the succeeding year.
MANURE HEAP.
When the ground to be used for the crop is far off
from the manure yard, it is advantageous to have the
manure placed in convenient heaps on the land, say of
100 or 200 loads in each, but care should be taken that
the heap is not spread over too large a surface, as, (if
the land has been heavily manured the previous year,)
wherever the manure heap has lain, it will so "poison"
the land that nothing will grow. If, however, the land
is newly broken, never having been manured, where the
manure has lain the crop will likely be the best. A good
height for the manure heap is from four to six feet. For
the early Cabbage crop, it should always be spread on
broadcast, and in quantity not less than 100 cart loads,
or 75 tons to the acre, which will leave it, when spread,
about two or three inches in thickness.
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 139
It is not usual that much choice can be made in stable
manure, but when such is the case, equal portions of
cow and horse manure are preferable; not that there is
much difference in value, weight for weight, but that it
is advantageous to have the manure of the cow stable
mixed with that of the horse, so as to prevent the violent
heating of the horse manure, which, if not repeatedly
turned, will generate heat so as to cause it to " fire-fang "
or burn, which renders it comparatively useless. Always
bear in mind that the more thoroughly rotted and disin-
tegrated manure can be had, the better will be the
results. When manure is thoroughly rotted and short, it
may be turned in by the plow just as it is spread on the
land; but if long, it is necessary to draw it into the furrow
ahead of the plow, so that it is completely covered in.
After plowing in the manure, and before the ground is
harrowed, our best growers in the vicinity of New York
sow from 400 to 500 pounds of guano or bone dust, and
then harrow it deeply in, and smooth over with the back
of the harrow, when the bed is ready to receive the plants.
VARIETIES TO PLANT.
In the vicinity of New York, and, in fact, now wher-
ever the business of market gardening is intelligently
followed, the best varieties of Cabbage for the early crop
are recognized to be the " Early Jersey Wakefield " and
" Henderson's Early Summer " for general culture, and
to describe others of the scores named would be only
confusing. The " Jersey Wakefield " is the earlier, and
is a little smaller. Our prize head received in June, 1883,
from Mr. J. B. Souders, Vinton, Iowa, weighed 17
pounds. It is planted usually 28 inches between the
rows and 16 inches between the plants, thus requiring
140 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
from 10,000 to 12,000 plants per acre. The "Early
Summer " grows a little larger. Our prize head, received
in August, 1883, weighed 24 pounds. It was grown by
HENDERSON'S SELECTED EARLY JERSEY WAKEFIELD CABBAGE.
Mr. George Hattie, Fallston, Penn. It should be planted
30 inches apart and 18 inches between the plants, requir-
ing from 8,000 to 10,000 per acre.
The reason for placing the rows so wide apart and the
plants so close in the rows is to admit of a row of Let-
tuce, Spinach, or Radishes between the rows of Cabbage.
All of these vegetables mature quickly, and can be cut
out before the Cabbage grows enough to interfere with
them, and it is necessary that this double crop should be
taken off the land so as to help pay for the manure that
is so lavishly used, but which is absolutely necessary to
produce a good crop of Cabbages. Where early Cab-
bage is grown alone, it would be better to plant about
two or two and a half feet each way, so that cross culti-
vation can be done; and also, in cases where manure in
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 14!
sufficient quantities is not attainable, they are better
thus planted when manure has to be applied in the hill.
If applied in the hill, a good shovelful of stable manure
HENDERSON S EARLY SUMMER CABBAGE.
should be used to each, mixing it well with the soil, but
raising the " hill," so-called, no higher than the general
surface.
RAISING OF CABBAGE PLANTS.
The raising of plants for the early crop is a very im-
portant point. The great majority of plants for the early
crop are sown by the New York market gardeners
between the i$th and 2oth of September, that is, when
the "Early Wakefield " is used; but the " Early Sum-
mer " should not be sown until the 25th to the 3oth of
September. Careful attention is given to have the sow-
ings made as near as possible to these dates; for if
earlier, many of the plants will go to seed, particularly the
142 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
" Early Summer " variety. Again, if much later than
the dates last given, the season will be too far advanced,
and the plants would not be strong enough to keep over
winter in the cold frames.
A case occurred some years ago in Philadelphia, where
a market gardener sowed " Early York "Cabbage on the 5th
of September, and nearly every plant ran to seed. The
gardener sued the seedsman for damages, and got non-
suited, as he deserved, as the seedsman had no difficulty
in showing that other gardeners who had purchased this
same seed, and who had sown it at the proper ^time, (in
that latitude 2oth of September,) had no such bad
results.
In about thirty days from the time Cabbage seed is
sown in September, the plants are of the right size to
"prick out," or transplant into the cold frames. The
plant must be planted down to the first leaf, and the
root well firmed with the dibber. About 500 plants are
allowed for a 3 x 6 feet sash. The cold frame, as most
gardeners know, is simply two boards run parallel six
feet apart, the back board being ten inches and the front
one seven or eight inches high. We generally have all
our Cabbage plants transplanted here from the seed-bed
to the cold frames by the istof November, and it seldom
happens that we have the weather cold enough to have
the sashes put on before the end of November.
We are repeatedly asked the question,
WHAT DEGREE OF FROST CABBAGE PLANTS WILL
STAND
in the" frames before being covered with the sash. Much
depends on the condition of the plants. It sometimes
happens, after the transplanting is finished in October,
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 143
(we usually begin the transplanting in the frames about
the 1 5th,) that we have a continuation of comparatively
warm weather, which induces a quick and soft growth in
the plants, which, of course, renders them very suscepti-
ble of injury from frost. When in that condition, we
have seen them injured when the thermometer only
marked 27° above zero, or but 5° of frost; while if
gradually hardened by being exposed to chilly nights,
they would receive no injury even when the thermometer
marks 10° or 12° above zero. This will be well under-
stood when we remember that in midwinter, when
covered with sash alone, they sustain a cold, often for
days together, of 10° below zero; but then, of course,
they have been gradually inured to it. In sections of the
country where the thermometer falls to 15° or 20° below
zero, it will be necessary to use straw mats or shutters
over the glass. At all times, from the time of putting
sashes on in fall until taking them off in spring, (which
is usually from the i5thof March to April ist,) abundant
ventilation should be given, so as to render them as
hardy as possible. The sure indication that they are in
the " frost proof " condition is when the leaves show a
bluish color, which they get when they have been gradu-
ally hardened off.
SPRING SOWING.
Although the most of the Jersey market gardeners
still use the cold frames for growing the bulk of their
early Cabbage crop, yet of late years the system of spring
sowing and transplanting, and sometimes even without
transplanting, is also used to a considerable extent. This
is usually done by sowing the seeds thickly (about one
ounce to three sashes) in a hot -bed or green-house about
February ist, and transplanting into a slight hot-bed
144 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
about March ist, placing about 600 or 700 in a 3x6
feet sash. The hot-beds must, of course, be carefully
protected by straw mats from frost, and with the proper
attention to ventilation and watering, fine plants can be
obtained by April ist. We ourselves have grown nearly
a quarter of a million plants each spring in this manner
for years with most satisfactory results.
COLD FRAMES.
Another plan is to sow the Cabbage seed in cold frames
from the i5th of February to March ist, or even later for
second early. By this method one ounce of seed is
enough for five or six sashes, and it had better be sown
in rows at six inches apart, as thus sown the air gets
better around the plants, making them stronger. When
the seed is sown in the cold frames in this way, it is
absolutely necessary that the frost should be excluded by
covering the glass with straw mats and shutters; for, of
course, unless kept above the point of freezing, the
plants cannot grow. The cold frames to be used for
this purpose should be placed in the warmest and most
sheltered place possible; the soil should be light and
well enriched with short manure, nicely dug, and leveled
and raked for the reception of the seed. If sown in
drills, they should be about two inches deep; if sown
broadcast, it is best to " chip " the ground all over with
a steel rake so as to sink the seed to the depth of an inch
or so; but in both cases do not omit to firm the soil by
patting the surface over with the back of the spade.
All these directions for spring-sown plants are given for
the latitude of New York, where the operations of plant-
ing Cabbage plants in the open ground are usually begun
about the 25th of March and finished by the middle of
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 14$
April. For it must be always borne in mind that Cab-
bage, being a hardy plant, when wanted for an early
crop, should be set out in spring in any section as soon
as the land is dry enough to work. As a guide, we may
say, that whenever spring crops of Rye, Wheat, or Oats
can be sown, Cabbage may safely be planted in the open
field; for if the plants have been properly hardened, they
will not be injured after being planted out, even by eight
or ten degrees of frost.
The conditions in the different Southern States ars so
varied that it is not easy to give directions. It may be
taken, however, as a general rule, that in any section of
the country where the thermometer does not fall lower
than 15° above zero, Cabbage seed should be sown about
October ist, the plants left (without covering) in the
seed-beds all winter, and transplanted to the open ground
as soon as it is fit to work in the spring, say in February
or March. In some sections, where the fall weather
continues fine into November, transplanting is done in
that month where the crop is to mature.
CULTIVATION.
After planting in the field, no crop takes so kindly to
hoeing or cultivating as Cabbage. In ten days after
the planting is finished, cultivation should begin. If the
Cabbages have been set two or two and a half feet apart
each way, then the horse cultivator is the best pulverizer;
but if a crop has been sown or planted between the rows
of Cabbage, then a hand or wheel hoe can only be used.
We ourselves now use the wheel hoe exclusively, and
find it a saving of three-fourths in labor, with the work
better done.
The price at which early Cabbage is sold now varies so
146 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
much at different dates, and in different parts of the
country, that it is impossible to give anything like
accurate figures, the range being all the way from $2.00
to $12.00 per 100. Perhaps $4.00 would be a fair aver-
age for "Wakefield" and $5.00 for " Early Summer,"
so that, counting 11,000 as the average per acre of the
former and 9,000 of the latter, we have respectively
$440.00 per acre for " Wakefield " and $450.00 for
" Early Summer." These are the wholesale prices for
large markets like New York. In smaller cities, where
the product is sold direct to the consumer, one-third
more would likely be obtained.
LATE CABBAGE.
•%
These are such as mature during the months of Sep-
tember, October, and November, the seed for which is
sown in open ground in May or June. Perhaps the best
date for sowing for the general crop is about the ist of
June. We always prefer to sow Cabbage seed for this
purpose in rows, ten or twelve inches apart, treading in
the seed with the feet after sowing and before covering.
We then level with a rake lengthwise with the rows, and
roll or beat down with the back of a spade, so as to
exclude the air from the soil and from the seed. Sown
in this way, Cabbage seed will come up strongly in the
driest weather, and is less likely to be afflicted with the
black flea than if it made a feeble growth.
As the ground used for late Cabbage only yields one
crop, it will not often pay, unless manure is cheap and
abundant, to use it in the profusion required for the early
Cabbage, so that it is usual to manure in the hill, as is
done for the early crop, with stable manure; but when
that is not attainable, some concentrated fertilizer, such
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 147
as bone dust or guano, should be used, applying a good
handful to each hill, but being careful, of course, to mix
it well with the soil for about nine or ten inches deep and
wide. In this way about 300 pounds per acre will be
needed, when 6,000 or 7,000 plants are set on an acre.
In our practice, we find nothing better than pure bone
dust and guano mixed together. For further information
on this subject, see Essay on Manures and Modes of
Application.
TRANSPLANTING CABBAGE.
In transplanting from the seed-bed to the open field in
summer, the work is usually done in a dry and hot sea-
son, (the end of June or July;) and here, again, we give
our oft-repeated warning of the absolute necessity of
having every plant properly firmed. If the planting is
well done with the dibber, it may be enough; but it is
often not well done, and as a measure of safety it is
always best to turn back on the rows after planting, and
press alongside of each plant with the foot. This is
quickly done, and it besides rests the planter, so that he
can with greater vigor start on the next row.
In some sections of the country, particularly in the
New England States, six or eight Cabbage seeds are put
in the hills, and when the plants are of the height of two
or three inches they are thinned out to one plant in each
hill. This we think not only a slower method, but is
otherwise objectionable, inasmuch as it compels us to
place the manure in the ground for three or four
weeks before the plant can take it up, to say nothing of
the three or four weeks' culture necessary to be done
before the seedlings in the hill get to the size of the
plants when set out.
The cultivation of late Cabbage is in all respects similar
148 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
to that of early, except that it is usually planted alone.
The work is done entirely by the horse cultivator, the
rows and plants in the rows being, according to the kind,
from twenty-four to thirty inches apart. There are a
great number of kinds offered in the different seed lists,
but experienced cultivators confine themselves to but very
few kinds. These I give in the order in which they
are most approved: " Henderson's Selected Flat Dutch,"
"American Drumhead," and " Marblehead Mammoth."
In addition to these, the "American Drumhead Savoy"
is grown to a considerable extent, and it is really sur-
prising that it is not grown to the exclusion of nearly all
other sorts, as it attains nearly as much weight of crop,
and is much more tender and finer in flavor. The
"Green Scotch" and "Brown German Kale" belong to
the Cabbage family, but do not form heads. The curled
leaves of the whole plant can be used, and are, like the
" Savoy," much finer in flavor than the plain head Cab-
bages, particularly after having been subjected to the
frost in fall.
KEEPING CABBAGES IN WINTER.
There are various methods of doing this. It is best to
leave them out as late as possible, so that they can be
lifted before being frozen in. In this latitude, they can
be safely left out until the third week in November.
They are then dug or pulled up, according to the nature
of the soil, and turned upside down (the roots up, the
heads down) just where they have been growing, and the
heads placed closely together in beds, six or eight feet
wide, with alleys of about the same width between, care
being taken to have the ground leveled, so that the Cab-
bages will set evenly together.
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 149
They can be left in this way for three or four weeks,
or as long as the ground remains so that it can be dug
in the alleys between the beds, the soil from which is
thrown in on the beds of Cabbage, so that, when finished,
they have a covering of six or seven inches of soil, or
sufficient to cover the roots completely up. Sometimes
they are covered up immediately on being lifted, by plow-
ing a furrow, shoveling it out wide enough to receive the
heads, then plowing so as to covei up, and so on till beds
six or eight feet wide are thus formed. This plan is the
quickest, but it has the disadvantage, if the season proves
mild, of having the Cabbages covered up too soon by the
soil, and hence there is more danger of decay. After
the ground is frozen, stable litter, straw, or leaves, to the
depth of three or four inches, should be thrown over the
Cabbage beds, so as to prevent excessive freezing, and to
facilitate the getting at the Cabbages in hard weather.
INSECTS.
The insects that attack the Cabbage tribe are various,
and for some of them I regret £o say that we are almost
helpless in arresting their ravages. Young Cabbage
plants in fall, or in hot-beds in spring, are often troubled
with the Aphis, or, as it is popularly known, the " Green
Fly " or " Green Louse." This is easily destroyed by hav-
ing the plants dusted over once or twice with tobacco
dust. This same insect, of a blue color, is often disas-
trous to the growing crop in the field; and on its first
appearance, tobacco dust should be applied, as, of course,
if the Cabbages are headed up, it could not be used.
Another insect which attacks them in these stages is a
species of slug or small caterpillar; a green, glutinous in-
sect, about one-fourth or one-half of an inch in length.
150 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
This is not quite so easily destroyed as the other, but will
succumb to a mixture of one part white hellebore to four
parts lime dust, sprinkled on thick enough to slightly
whiten the plants. This same remedy I have found to
be the most efficacious in preventing the ravages of the
Black Flea, or "Jumping Jack," that is often so destructive
to Cabbage plants sown or planted in the open ground
during May and June; but in this case its application
may have to be repeated daily, often for two weeks.
Another most troublesome insect is the Cabbage Cater-
pillar, which attacks the crop often when just beginning
to head. This is the larva of a species of small yellow
butterfly, which deposits its eggs on the crop in May or
June. When fields of Cabbage are isolated, or where
neighbors can be found to act in unison, the best plan is
to catch the butterflies with an insect-catching net as
soon as they show themselves. This is the most effective
and quickest way to get rid of them. However, if that
has been neglected, the caterpillar can be destroyed by
dusting white hellebore on the Cabbages; but, of course,
this cannot be done when the heads are matured enough
to be ready to use, as the hellebore is to some extent
poisonous, though, used when the plants are about half
grown, it will do no harm, as the rains will have washed
it sufficiently off by the time they head up.
A correspondent from Michigan recommends a solution
of common alum, made by dissolving one pound of alum
in three gallons of water. This, he says, will effectually
destroy the Cabbage Worm on Cabbage. I have not yet
had an opportunity to test it, but it seems a rational
remedy, and has the advantage of being cheap and of not
being poisonous to human beings. The solution is best
made by dissolving the alum in boiling water, and then
adding cold water to make it of the requisite strength.
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 151
It should be sprinkled over the Cabbage or Cauliflower
plants every two or three days until the worms have dis-
appeared. It is also recommended for all plants that are
affected by worms or caterpillars.
The insects here described are not, probably, all that
afflict the Cabbage crop. A letter just received from a
gentleman in Montgomery, Alabama, says that the young
Cabbage plants in that region are often swept off in
twenty-four hours by a small green worm; a species of
slug or caterpillar, no doubt. The remedy for all such
is white hellebore powder, which had better be dusted on
the plants once a week as a preventive, before the insect
makes its appearance. In fact, all remedies against in-
sects are best used as preventives, or, at least, on the very
first appearance of the pests.
But the insect enemies that attack the roots of the Cab-
bage are not so easy to destroy. In fact, with the Wire
Worm and Cabbage Maggot we are almost helpless, so
far as my experience has gone. For the latter, which is the
worst enemy, a remedy has recently been recommended
to me, which, as yet, I have had no opportunity to test.
It is to make a hole with the dibber, five or six inches
deep, close to the root of each plant, and drop into it
nine or ten drops of bi-sulphide of carbon, and closing
up the hole again. An observing market gardener from
central New York has saved his Cabbage and Cauliflower
plants from the maggots for years by observing that the
eggs are laid close to the stem of the Cabbage. When
half grown, the maggots are no larger than a pin's head,
and are loosely attached to the stems of the Cabbage. One
movement of the finger displaces them, and no further
harm ensues. The eggs are deposited by a fly about half
the size of the common house fly, usually here about the
middle of May, when the Cabbage starts to grow. Last
152 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
year the Cabbage and Cauliflower in our "trial grounds"
were attacked by the Cabbage Maggot at the roots early
in May. A small handful of Peruvian guano was at once
strewn around each plant and hoed in around the roots.
This at once started an unusual vigor of growth, which
sustained the plants until they matured excellent heads.
Understand, the guano probably did not injure the in-
sect; it only enabled the Cabbage to outgrow its attack.
CLUB ROOT.
For the destruction of the insect which causes
the excrescence known as "club root" in Cabbage,
a heavy dressing of lime in fall and spring will
check it to a great extent. In fact, on lands
adjacent to the shores of New York Bay, where the
soil is mixed with oyster shell, "club root" is rarely
seen. Cabbage having been grown on some fields suc-
cessively for fifty years without a trace of it being seen,
showing that the insect that causes the "club root " can-
not exist in contact with lime; for it is found that on
lands where there is no oyster shell deposit, a quarter of
a mile' distant, Cabbages cannot be grown two years in
succession on the same land, unless heavily dressed with
lime, and even then it is always deemed safest never to
plant Cabbages two years in succession on the same
ground; for while such crops as Onions show but little
benefit by rotation with other crops, Cabbages, perhaps
more than anything else, are benefited by such alterna-
tion. When it can be done, nothing is better than to let
the Cabbage crop be alternated with grasses, such as
German Millet, Timothy, or Clover, or a crop of Oats or
Rye. This is the method pursued by many of the Long
Island market gardeners, who grow for the New York
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 153
market, where their lands^ are cheap enough to allow
them to do so; but the gardeners of Hudson County,
New Jersey, which is in sight of New York city, whose
lands now are limited in area, and for which an average
of $50.00 per acre rent is paid per annum, cannot well
afford to let their lands lay thus comparatively idle, and
in consequence do not now raise as fine crops as the lands
thus "rested " by the grass or grain crops.
If the land for the Cabbage crop is of a kind suitable
to grow a good crop of Corn or Potatoes, and is tilled or
fertilized in the manner advised, it is rare indeed that a
crop will fail to head, if the plants are in good condition,
and have been properly planted, unless they are attacked
by the maggot or "club root." In our trial grounds,
where over a hundred different stocks of Cabbage are
tested each year, we have found that every kind of Cab-
bage tested, early or late, has produced solid heads,
showing that when the conditions are right all kinds of Cab-
bages will head up and produce a crop.
A circumstance came under our notice in the summer
of 1882, which well illustrates the necessity for care in
planting. We had sold, some time in February, a large
lot of our " Early Summer " Cabbage seed to two market
gardeners in Rochester, N. Y. The orders were filled
from the same bag of seed. Some time about the end of
June one of the men wrote, saying that he had evidently
got some spurious kind of Cabbage from us, as his
neighbor was marketing his crop, while in his field of ten
acres he had not a head fit to cut, nor were there any
appearance of their ever doing so, he thought. Investi-
gation showed that no maggot, " club root," or other
insect was affecting the roots; the land was nearly iden-
tical with that which had made a successful crop, and
had been equally well manured and cultivated. So the
154 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
only probable solution of the matter was, that the plants
in the case of failure had been loosely planted, and had
failed to make a prompt start, as in the other case where
the planting had been properly done, so that, while the
one lot advanced without a check, the growth of the
other lot was arrested. This was most likely to have
been the case, for there could be no cause for the differ-
ence unless on some such hypothesis.
But there was a fortunate sequel to the case. It luckily
happened that a heavy rain storm occurred while the
Cabbages were yet in this unheaded condition. This
started, as it were, a second growth, which resulted in
their forming splendid heads by August ist, at a time
when Cabbages were scarce, which, luckily for the owner,
brought a much higher price than they would had they
matured at the proper season, in June or July. In fact,
the head that obtained our $20 prize for the best " Early
Summer Cabbage in 1882 was cut from this lot, and
weighed twenty pounds. The result was fortunate for us,
who had sold the seed; for, had not rain come so oppor-
tunely, the crop might never have headed up, and it
would then have been hard to convince the man. that he
had not been furnished with spurious seed.
CAULIFLOWER.
WHAT has been advised for Cabbage crops, either
early or late, is exactly the culture necessary for a crop
of Cauliflower, except that Cauliflower, being a plant of
more delicate constitution, requires to be more carefully
handled. For instance, where the Cabbage plants in the
cold frames will keep safely over winter in this latitude,
with no covering but the glass sash. Cauliflower plants
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
require the use of straw mats over the sashes, as the
plant is much more easily hurt by frost. In fact, it is
better never to keep the plants through the winter; those
sown in February, and transplanted into cold frames in
March, and planted in the open ground in April, as
recommended for spring-sown Early Cabbage, being
better. The plants, however, must be started early
enough, so that they can be set out not later than the
middle of April; for if not rooted well before warm
weather sets in, they will either "button," (that is, form
small, stunted flowers,) or else fail entirely to head up.
Cauliflower delights in a cool atmosphere, and never
does well when the season is hot and dry, unless complete
irrigation can be given when the plant is about half
grown. If this can be done the crop is certain. We
ourselves grew in this manner nearly an acre for many
years, the crop selling for an average of $1,200 per acre
annually, and that was before we had introduced the
now famous variety known as " Hendersons Early Snow-
ball" which is ahead of all other kinds in its certainty to
make a crop. The next in succession to this is the
" Early Erfurt," which is again succeeded by the "Early
Paris," but neither of these in any respect is equal to the
" Snowball." For late crop the varieties known as
"Algiers" -and "Erfurt" are the kinds usually grown.
The plants are obtained by sowing at the same dates as
for late Cabbages. It is planted three feet each way, and
cultivated exactly as late Cabbages, and often sells as
high as $25.00 per 100 in November and December. We
are of the opinion, however, that the " Snowball," of
which twice the number can be grown per acre, will
prove a more profitable crop, even for late, than the
" Algiers," as it is certainly more certain to form heads.
It is not once in twenty years that a variety of vegetables
HOW TO GROW CABBAGE AND CAULIFLOWER. 157
or fruit makes such an advance in earliness and quality
as this "Snowball" Cauliflower, and we have much
satisfaction in the knowledge that we were the first to
bring it into cultivation, about five years ago. It is now
grown to almost the entire exclusion of all other early
kinds of Cauliflower in this country, and hundreds have
succeeded, both North and South, in raising a crop from
this variety, who had previously completely failed with
all other kinds.
In Cauliflowers, as in Cabbages, it is folly to attempt
the experiment of many kinds. Long experience has
taught us that two or three of each, for early and second
early, are all sufficient. Although our seed catalogues
enumerate scores of kinds, gardeners, who know what
they are about, fight shy of all except those whose merit
has been proved beyond any question of a doubt. For
this reason, we only give the names of such as we know
to be the best.
There are few vegetables that we cultivate that are so
eccentric in their modes of development as the Cauli-
flower, and many market gardeners have, to their sorrow,
lost entire crops by experimenting here with untried
kinds. One of our best New Jersey market gardeners
being over in England a few years ago, procured seed of
a variety of Cauliflower that was exclusively used as the
best for the London market. To be safe he got stock of
it from three different market gardeners, the seed being
raised from the stock they were then marketing. He
sowed the seed, and planted out about an equal number
of plants of each, together with a lot of Snowball. All
were sown and planted exactly alike. The " London
Market " grew neany three feet high, but did not form
one head in twenty, and these were late, while from the
"Snowball" lot nearly every head was marketable,
158 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
maturing ten days earlier. In all probability, however,
in the cooler climate of England the " London Market "
would have proved better than the " Snowball."
GROWING AND PRESERVING OF CELERY. 159
EBS ITT
ON THE GROWING AND PRESERVING
OF
CELERY FOR WINTER.
THE seeds are sown on a well-pulverized, rich border,
in the open ground, as early in the season as the ground
can be worked. (For instructions in sowing, see article
headed " Use of the Feet in Sowing and Planting.") The
bed is kept clear of weeds until July, when the plants are
set out for the crop. But as the seedling plants are
rather troublesome to raise, when for private use only,
and as they can usually be purchased cheaper than they
can be raised on a small scale, it is scarcely worth while
to sow the seed. But when wanted in quantity, the plants
should always be raised by the grower, as Celery plants
are not only difficult to transplant, but are usually too
expensive to buy when the crop is grown to sell.
PLANTING ON THE SURFACE.
The European plan is to make a trench six or eight
inches deep in which to plant the Celery; but our violent
rain storms in summer soon showed us that this plan was
not a good one here, so we set about planting on the
level surface of the ground, just as we do with all
vegetables.
Celery requires an abundance of manure, which, as
usual with all other crops, must be well mixed and in-
l6o GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
corporated with the soil before the Celery is set out.
When the ground is well prepared, we stretch a line to
the distance required, walk on it, or beat it slightly with
a spade, so that it leaves a mark to show where to place
the plants. These are set out at distances of six inches
between the plants, and usually four feet between the
rows, when the Celery is to be " banked " up for early or
fall use; but when grown for winter use, from two to
three feet between the rows are sufficient. Great care
must be taken, in putting out the Celery, to see that the
plant is set just to the depth of the roots; if much deeper,
the "heart" might be too much covered up, which
would impede the growth. It is also important that the
soil be well packed to the roots in planting, and this we
do by returning on each row, after planting, and pressing
the soil against each plant firmly with the feet; and if
the operation can be done in the evening, and the plants
copiously watered, no further attention will be required,
particularly if the soil has been freshly dug or plowed.
HANDLING AND BANKING UP.
Planting may be done at any time from the 25th of
July to the first week in August. After planting, noth-
ing is to be done but keep the crop clear of weeds until
September. By that time the handling process is to be
begun, which consists in drawing the earth to each side
of the Celery, and pressing it tightly to it, so as to give
the leaves an upward growth preparatory to blanching
for use.
Supposing this handling process is done by the middle
of September, by the first week in October it is ready for
" banking up," which is done by digging the soil from
between the rows, and laying or banking it up with the
GROWING AND PRESERVING OF CELERY. l6l
spade on each side of the row of Celery. After being so
banked up in October, it will be ready for use in three or
four weeks, if wanted at that time. But if, as in most
cases, it is needed for winter use only, and is to be put
away in trenches, or in the cellar, as will hereafter be
described, all that it requires is the operation of " hand-
ling." If the Celery is to be left in the open ground
where it was grown, then a heavy bank must be made on
each side of the rows, and as cold weather approaches,
(say in this latitude by the middle of November,) an
additional covering of a least a foot of leaves or litter
must be closely packed against the bank, to protect it
from frost; but it is not safe to leave it in the banks
where it grows, in any section of the country where the
temperature gets lower than 10° above zero.
PRESERVING IN CELLARS.
Perhaps the best way to keep Celery for family use is
in a cool cellar. This can be done by storing it in narrow
boxes, of a depth a little less than the height of the
Celery. A few inches of sand or soil are placed in the
bottom of the box, and the Celery is packed upright, the
roots being placed on the sand or soil at the bottom; but
no sand or soil must be put between the stafks of the Celery \
all that is needed being the damp sand on the bottom of
the box; the meaning of which is, that before Celery will
blanch or whiten, it must first start at the root; hence
the necessity of placing the roots on an inch or so of
damp sand.
Boxes thus packed and placed in a cool cellar in
November will be blanched fit for use during January,
February, and March; though for succession it will be
better to put it in the boxes, from the open ground, at
l62 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
three different times, say October 25th, November loth,
and November 2oth. If the boxes, however, are not at
hand, the Celery may be put away on the floor of the
cellar, in strips of eight or nine inches wide, divided
by boards of a width equal to the height of the Celery.
That is, if the Celery is two feet High, the boards separ-
ating it must be about the same height. The reason for
dividing the Celery in these narrow strips by boards is to
prevent heating, which would occur if placed together
in too thick masses. The dates above given apply, of
course, to the latitude of New York; if further south, do
the work later; if further north, earlier.
PRESERVING IN TRENCHES.
If one has no suitable cellar, the Celery can be very
readily preserved in the manner followed by market
gardeners. Thus, after it has been " handled " or
straightened up, as before described, what is intended
for use by Christmas should be dug up about October
25th; that to be used in January and February, by
November loth; and that for March use, by November
2oth, which latter date is as late as it can be risked here.
Although it will stand quite a sharp frost, the weather by
the end of November is often severe enough to kill it, or
so freeze it in the ground that it cannot be dug up. The
ground in which it is to be preserved for winter use must
be as dry as possible, and so arranged that no water can
remain in the trench. Dig a trench as narrow as pos-
sible, (it should not be wider than ten inches,) and of a
depth equal to the height of the Celery; that is, if the
plant of Celery be eighteen inches high, the trench
should be dug eighteen inches deep. The Celery is then
packed exactly in the manner described for storing in
GROWING AND PRESERVING OF CELERY. 163
boxes to be placed in the cellar; that is, stand it as near
upright as possible, and pack as closely together as can
be done without bruising it. No soil or sand must be
put between the stalks. As the weather becomes cold,
the trenches should be gradually covered with leaves or
litter to the thickness of six or eight inches, which will be
enough to prevent severe freezing, and enable the roots
to be taken out easily when wanted.
Another method now practised by the market gardeners
of New Jersey is as follows : before the approach of
very cold weather, (say the middle of December,) the
Celery in the trenches is pressed somewhat closely
together by passing a spade down deeply alongside of
the trench on each side, but about three or four inches
from the Celery. It is best done by two men, so that
they press against each other, thus firming the top of the
Celery in the trench until it is compact enough to sustain
a weight of three or four inches of soil, which is taken
from the sides of the trench and spread over the Celery.
This earth covering keeps it rather fresher than the
covering of litter, though, on the approach of cold
weather, the earth covering- is not sufficient, and a cover-
ing of six or seven inches of leaves must yet be placed
over the earth covering.
VARIETIES TO GROW.
From 200 to 500 roots are usually required for use
by an ordinary family. The varieties I recommend are
the Half Dwarf, Golden Dwarf, Sandringham, White
Walnut, and London Red. The red is as yet but little
used in this country, though the flavor is better, and the
plant altogether hardier than the white. A new variety,
known as the Parsley leaved, has just been introduced,
164 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
which will be very useful for table decoration, as well as
for all purposes for which Celery is used, as it is equally
as good as any of the others.
RUST.
I am often asked for the cause of and remedy for
Celery rusting or burning. The cause, I think, is the
condition of the weather, which destroys the tender
fibers, or what are called the working roots of the plant;
for I find it is usually worse in seasons of extreme
drought or moisture, particularly in warm weather. It
is exceedingly necessary, however, to have the land
thoroughly pulverized before planting, as I have reason
to believe that this being imperfectly done often tends
greatly to increase the tendency to rust.
I know of no remedy, nor do I believe there is any.
I may say, however, that it is less liable to appear on
new, fresh soils, that are free from acids or sourness,
than on old soils that have been surfeited with manure,
and have had no rest.
PITH.
Although, under ordinary conditions, if proper varie-
ties of Celery are used, the crop should never be pithy or
hollow, yet I have found that now and then even the
most solid kinds of Celery have become more or less
hollow when planted in soft, loose soils, such as reclaimed
peat bogs, where the soil is mostly composed of leaf
mould. In fact, on heavy or clayey soils the Celery, and
all other vegetables, will be specifically heavier than on
lighter soils.
GROWING AND PRESERVING OF CELERY. 165
THE NEW CELERY, " WHITE PLUME."
This season, (1884,) for the first time, is introduced a
new kind of Celery, that we feel satisfied will so simplify
its culture, that the most inexperienced can now grow
Celery, blanched in the proper condition for the table,
just as easily as a Cabbage or Lettuce. The peculiarity
of the Celery known as u White Plume " is, that naturally
its stalks and portions of its inner leaves are white, so
that, by closing the stalks, either by tying them up with
matting, or by simply drawing the soil up against the
plant and pressing it together with the hands, and again
drawing up the soil with the hoe or plow, so as to keep
the soil that has been squeezed against the Celery in
its place, the work of blanching is completed; while it is
well-known that in all other kinds of Celery, in addition
to this, the slow and troublesome process of " banking "
with the spade is a necessity.
Another great merit of the " White Plume " Celery is,
that it far exceeds any known vegetable as an ornament
for the table, the inner leaves being disposed somewhat
like an ostrich feather, so as to suggest the name we
have given it of " White Plume."
It is well known that one-half the value of a Celery,
particularly in our best hotels and restaurants, is held to
be its fitness as a table ornament, and for this purpose
this new variety is admirably fitted. In addition to this,
its eating qualities are equal to the very best of the older
sorts, being crisp, solid, and having that nutty flavor
peculiar to the " Walnut " and some of the red sorts.
Altogether, I cannot find words sufficient to describe
its many merits as it deserves.
The great bugbear in the cultivation of Celery, by
i66
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
THE NEW CELERY, "WHITE PLUME
GROWING AND PRESERVING OF CELERY. 167
those engaged in growing it for market, has been the
labor entailed in the "banking" to whiten or blanch it;
and with the unskilled amateur growing a few hundred
for private use, the troublesome process of " banking*'
has usually been a detriment sufficient to prevent him
from trying. Now he can grow this new sort, as I
have before stated, just as easily as Cabbage or Lettuce.
In the first week of October of 1882, the Celery banks in
Hudson County, New Jersey, must have cost at least
$15,000 in labor to erect; but a rain storm of twenty-
four hours' duration washed the banks down and de-
stroyed the work of weeks. Had this new Celery been
under process of blanching, no high banks would have
been needed, and the storm would have been nearly
harmless, as the " wash " would have done but a trifling
injury.
But absolute perfection is hardly to be expected in any-
thing, and the "White Plume " Celery has one drawback;
the very qualities that make its culture so simple in the
fall and early winter months, unfit it for a late Celery
that will keep until spring, as its tenderness and crisp-
ness of structure cause it to rot quicker than the old
green kinds; but for use during the months of October,
November, December, and the early part of January, I
advise it to be grown, if the saving of labor and quality
be considerations. It is equally as hardy against frost as
the other kinds. In size and weight it is very similar to
those popular kinds, the "Golden Dwarf " and "Half
Dwarf;" in fact, it originated in what is known as
a " sport " from the " Half Dwarf;" that is, a sin-
gle plant showed the whiteness of stem and peculiar
feathery leaves, which, fortunately, were permanently
reproduced from seed, and gave us this entirely
new type of Celery. Its culture is in all respects
l68 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
the same as that directed for the other sorts, with the ex-
ception that we are saved the trouble of high "banking."
Last season a few thousand bunches were sold for the first
time in the New York markets, and were quickly disposed
of at nearly double the price of the ordinary sorts of the
same size. It was purchased exclusively by the purveyors
for the leading hotels, and, from its beautiful appearance,
created an interest in this vegetable which never had been
shown before. Its only drawback, as I have said, is that,
from its tenderness, it will not keep as well into late win-
ter as the green sorts; but as it can be had in perfection
through the Christmas holidays, the time when Celery is
in greater demand than at any other season, if will with-
out doubt at once be largely grown, and grown to supply
the holiday demand, to the exclusion of all other kinds.
STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 169
STRAWBERRY CULTURE.
OUR system of growing Strawberries from pot layers
has now extended all over the country, and particularly
in the Eastern and Middle States. There is no question
that it is by far the most simple and satisfactory for
private use, if it is not also for market.
Strawberries will grow on almost any soil, but it is
all-important that it be well drained, either naturally or
artificially; in fact, this is true for the well-being of nearly
all plants, as few do well on soils where the water does
not freely pass off. -
Thorough culture requires that the soil should be first
dug or plowed, then spread over with at least three
inches of thoroughly rotted stable manure, which should
be dug or plowed under, so far as practicable, to mix it
with the soil. If stable manure cannot be had, artificial
manure, such as bone dust, etc., should be sown on the
dug or plowed ground, thick enough to nearly cover it,
then harrowed or chopped in with a fork, so that it is
well mixed with the soil to at least six inches in depth.
This, then, is the preliminary work before planting, to
insure a crop the next season after planting, or in nine
or ten months.
POT LAYERS.
The plants must be such as are layered in pots, and the
sooner they are planted out after the i5th of July, the
better, although, if not then convenient, they will produce
a crop the next season, even if planted as late as the
170 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
middle of September; but the sooner they are planted
the larger will be the crop. They may be set from pot
layers either in beds of four rows each, fifteen inches
apart, and fifteen inches between the plants, leaving two
feet between the beds for pathway; or be set out in rows
two feet apart, the plants in the rows fifteen inches apart;
and if the plants are properly set out, (care being taken
to firm the soil around the plant, which is best done by
pressing the soil against each plant with the foot,) not
one plant in a thousand of Strawberry plants that have
been grown in pots will fail to grow.
For the first three or four weeks after planting noth-
ing need be done except to hoe the beds, so that all
weeds are kept down. Be careful to do this once in
every ten days; for if the weeds once get a start, it will
treble the labor of keeping the ground clean. If Straw-
berries are grown on a large scale, by all means use a
wheel hoe, such as the " Gem " or " Universal," which
will save four-fifths of the labor of hoeing, and do the
work better. In about a month after planting they will
begin to throw out runners, all of which must be pinched
or cut off as they appear, so that by the end of the growing
season (ist of November) each plant will have formed a
complete bush one foot or more in diameter, having the
necessary matured " crowns " for next June's fruit.
MULCHING.
By the middle of December the entire beds of Straw-
berry plants should be covered up with salt-meadow hay
(straw, leaves, or anything similar will do as well) to the
depth of two or three inches, entirely covering up the
plants and soil, so that nothing is seen but the hay. By
April, the plants so protected will show indications of
STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 17 1
growth, when the hay around each plant is pushed a little
aside, to assist it in getting through the covering, so that
by May the fully developed plant shows on the clean
surface of the hay. This mulching, as it is called, is
indispensable to the best culture, as it protects the plants
from cold in winter, keeps the fruit clean, keeps the
roots cool by shading them from the hot sun in June, and
at the same time saves nearly all further labor after
being once put on, as few weeds can push through it.
NEW BEDS EVERY YEAR.
By this method I prefer to plant new beds every year,
though, if desired, the beds once planted may be fruited
for two or three years, as by the old plans; but the fruit
the first season will always be the largest in size, if not
greatest in number. Another advantage of this system
is that, where space is limited, there is quite time enough
to get a crop of Potatoes, Pease, Beans, Lettuce, Rad-
ishes, or, in fact, any summer crop off the ground first
before planting the Strawberries, thus taking two crops
from the ground in one year, if desired, and there is also
plenty of time to crop the ground with Cabbage, Cauli-
flower, Celery, or other fall crop after the crop of Straw-
berries has been gathered.
How TO MAKE POT LAYERS.
The plan of getting the pot layers of Strawberries is
very simple. Just as soon as the fruit is gathered, if the
beds are well forked up or deeply cultivated by a wheel
hoe between the rows, the runners or young plants will
begin to grow, and in two weeks will be fit to layer in
pots. The pots, which should be from two to three
172 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
inches in diameter, are filled with the soil in which the
Strawberries are growing, and " plunged " or sunk to
the level of the surface; the Strawberry layer is then laid
on the pot, and held in place with a small stone. The
stone not only serves to keep the plant in its place, so
that its roots will strike into the pot, but it also serves to
mark where each pot is; for, being sunk to the level of
the surface, rains wash the soil around the pots, so that
they could not well be seen unless marked by the stone.
In ten or twelve days after the Strawberry layers have
been put down the pots will be filled with roots. They
are then cut from- the parent plant, placed closely
together, and shaded and watered for a few days before
being planted out. Some plant them out at once when
taken up, but, unless the weather is very suitable, some
loss may occur by this method; by the other plan, how-
ever, of hardening them for a few days, not one in a
thousand will fail.
I find that in hot, dry weather it is of great benefit to
plants newly planted to place along each side of them a
mulch of either rough manure, dried grass from the lawn
that has been cut by the mowing machine, or any such
material that will act as a non-conductor, so as to prevent
the rays of the hot sun striking down on and drying and
heating up the bare soil. If properly planted and
mulched by some such material, no water need ever be
used in the hottest or driest weather.
I planted out on the i$th of August the past season
over ten thousand pot-grown Strawberry plants, mulched
them in this way with dried grass cut by machine from
the lawn, and, although we gave no water, and had not
a drop of rain for thirty days, yet nearly every plant has
made a growth that is certain to give a full crop of
Strawberries next season, as at present date of writing
STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 173
(November 1st) the plants set out in August are nine
inches in diameter, with three to six crowns. This
mulching after planting is equally beneficial to Celery or
any other crop that it is necessary to plant during the
hot and dry months of July, August, and September.
FIELD CULTURE.
Strawberries for field culture are usually planted from
the ordinary layers, either in August and September in
the fall, or in March, April, or May in the spring. They
are usually planted in rows, two to three feet apart, and
nine to twelve inches between the plants. In planting,
every plant should be well firmed,. or great loss is almost
certain to ensue, as the Strawberry is a plant always
difficult to transplant. They are usually worked by a
horse cultivator, and generally two or three crops are
taken before the beds are plowed under; but the first
crop given (which is in the second year after planting)
is always the best. The same care must be taken as in
planting by pot layers, the ground kept clear of weeds, and
the runners pinched or cut off to make fruiting crowns.
By the usual field method of culture, it will be seen
that there is a loss of one season in about three; for in
the year of planting no fruit, of course, is produced, and
for this reason I incline to the belief that, if a portion
were set aside to produce early plants, so that pot layers
could be set out by the i5th of July, a full crop of the
finest fruit could be had every season, and with less cost,
I think; for the only labor after planting is to keep the
ground clean and pinch off the runners, from July to
October, with the certainty of getting a full crop next
June, or in less than a year from the time of planting,
while by planting by ordinary layers, if planted in
174 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
August, we have three months of fall culture, and six or
seven months of the next summer's culture, before a crop
is produced. Again, if the crop is continued to fruit the
second or third year, every one who has had experience
with the nature of the plant, knows that the labor of
keeping the plants free from weeds is enormous; while
by the pot layering method of taking a fresh crop each
year, all such labor is dispensed with.
KINDS OF STRAWBERRIES.
Although it is difficult to give any list of kinds of
Strawberries that will do well under all conditions, yet,
taking the suburbs of New York as a standard, (which,
with its great variety of soil, is likely to be as good as
any other,) I find that the best ten kinds, having the
greatest combination of good qualities, that I can select
from a collection of fifty leading sorts, are the following,
which are named in the order of their excellence :
JERSEY QUEEN. —
This variety was sold
for the first time in the
fall of 1 88 1, and is, in
my opinion, unequaled (
by any variety of Straw- '
berry thus far intro-
duced. The size is
immense, often meas-
uring six inches in
circumference. Shape,
roundish conical; color, JERSEY QUEEN.
a beautiful scarlet crimson; perfectly solid, and of excel-
lent flavor. It is an immense bearer, many plants aver-
aging a quart of first quality fruit. It is one of the latest.
STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 175
the crop in this vicinity being in perfection about the 25th
of June, while the average crop of Strawberries is at its
best by the i5th of June in the locality of New York.
LONGFELLOW IMPROVED. — A seedling raised by a
blacksmith named Adams, of Hudson County, New
Jersey. It is the most beautiful Strawberry I have ever
seen. It was admired as the finest in the exhibit of over
two hundred sorts at the New York Horticultural Society's
rooms in June of 1883. It is of the largest size; a dark,
glossy crimson, with prominent golden seeds, and of
excellent flavor.
PRINCE OF BERRIES. — A seedling of Mr. Durand's,
who has never introduced anything that has not proved
good. This one is of large size, deep crimson color, and
of excellent flavor.
BIDWELL. — One of the very best, abundantly pro-
ductive, large size, excellent flavor, and one of the very
earliest. Plants set out from pot layers on August 5th,
1880, had fruit ripe June 5th, 1881, ten months from
date of planting. The plants averaged one quart of
fruit each. There is one fault of the Bidwell; it is so
enormously productive, that if the soil is poor half of the
berries often fail to mature.
NECTAR. — Another new kind that will be offered for
the first time this year, (1884.) It is of fine appearance,
full average size, and a richness of flavor surpassing
anything yet in cultivation.
SHARPLESS. — With the exception of Jersey Queen, the
largest and one of the heaviest berries of this collection.
It is of fine flavor, a good bearer, and has now become
a standard sort.
JUCUNDA. — This is an old, well-known sort, possessing
so many good qualities, that I place it as one of the best
ten in preference to scores of others of later origin. It is
i76
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
of full average size, wonderfully productive, of great
beauty of color and form, and excellent flavor; but its
distinctive value is in its ripening, extending from the
earliest to the latest season of the crop, the first berries
being ripe here about June
4th, and extending unto
July 4th. In some soils
it is rather a weak grower.
DOWNING. — One of the
best of theolder sorts, com-
bining allthebest qualities,
being large, early, rich in
color and flavor, and abun-
dantly productive.
MANCHESTER. — A new
variety introduced in 1882.
It is a most abundant bear-
er, of good size and fair MANCHESTER.
flavor, and will likely prove a good market sort.
GLOSSY CONE.— Although this has been grown by the
raiser, Mr. Durand, for many years, it was issued first in
1881. In a test of fifty kinds in our grounds, I found it
the earliest of all, except Bidwell, very prolific, of good
size, fine flavor, and altogether has a combination of good
qualities rarely found in any early Strawberry. Its only
fault is, that it is rather a weak grower, and requires
a rich and rather heavy soil to develop its best qualities.
I am often asked the number of Strawberry plants that
it is necessary to plant for the use of a private family.
The best answer to this is to state that, under ordinary
culture by the pot layer plant, one hundred plants will
give twenty-five quarts. The crop runs over a period of
from twelve to fifteen days, so that purchasers with this
knowledge will be the best judges of the number needed.
ROD
FOR FARM STOCK.
ROOT CROPS
177
FARM STOCK,
BY PETER HENDERSON.
(From the American Agriculturist of April, 1878.)
WHILE "Mangels" and other roots for stock feeding
have been largely cultivated in Europe for the past fifty
years, it is surprising how little it is yet done here, particu-
larly when we know how well our soil and climate are,
in most sections, adapted to the purpose, and how great
are our necessities, particularly in those States where the
long, dry summers diminish the crop of hay and other
fodder plants. The most important root crop for stock
is the Mangel-wurzel, which, I believe, can be grown and
matured in any good soil in any state in the Union. As
with all root crops, a loose, friable soil, with a sandy or
gravelly subsoil, is better adapted to it than a stiff soil
with a clayey subsoil. All root crops require deep cul-
ture. The soil should always be plowed to the depth of
ten inches, and, if it can be done, it will pay well to let
the subsoil plow follow in the wake of the other, and stir
the subsoil ten inches more, making a loosened depth of
twenty inches.
In many of our deep, rich, new soils an excellent crop
of Mangels, or other roots, can be grown without manure;
but, when necessary to use it, nothing is better than well-
rotted stable manure, composted with as much muck or
!78 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
turf from roadsides, spread evenly over the surface before
plowing, at the rate of from six to twelve tons per acre.
In the absence of stable manure, bone dust, superphos-
phate, or guano should be applied, at the rate of from 300 to
500 pounds per acre; but all such concentrated fertilizers
should be sown on the surface, after plowing, and har-
rowed in, until thoroughly mixed with the soil. Before
sowing, the ground should be smoothed as evenly as
possible with the back of the harrow, to present a smooth
and level surface for the reception of the seed.
The distance apart between the rows for Mangels will
vary with the character of the soil. In light, sandy soils,
the rows should be twenty-four inches apart, with nine
inches between the plants; but in strong, rich, deep soils,
the rows should be thirty inches apart and twelve inches
between the plants. This is what is termed the " flat
culture." Mr. Wm. Crozier, of Northport, L. I., works
on an entirely different plan from this, and his success in
producing enormous crops shows it to be well worthy of
imitation. After thoroughly plowing, harrowing, and
smoothing the land, he strikes out furrows with the
double mould-board plow, (if this is not obtainable, any
plow that will make such a furrow will do,) thirty inches
apart. The furrow is six to seven inches deep. These
furrows are then half filled up with a compost made from
stable manure and turf parings from the roadside, about
equal parts, thoroughly mixed and decomposed, or, if yet
rough and unrotted, it is pressed down in the rows with
the feet. After the manure has been thus placed in the
furrows, the plow is run up between on each side, so as not
only to cover in the manure, but to raise a ridge as high
as the furrow was deep. These ridges are now run over
with a roller or light chain harrow, so as to take off or
flatten down two or three inches of the apex, and so
ROOT CROPS FOR FARM STOCK.
179
broaden the ridge as to allow the seed sower to, work on
it to deposit the seed. Where stable manure is not ob-
tainable, Mr. Crozier recommends blood and bone fer-
tilizer, or bone dust, sown
in the furrows at the rate
of about 300 pounds to
the acre; but where such
fertilizers are used, the
ridge over the furrows
should not be raised so
high as over the manure.
About eight pounds of
seed are used to the acre,
if put in with the " Planet "
or other seed drill; when
sown by hand, fully double
that quantity would be
required per acre. The
seed ranges, according to
the season and the variety,
from forty to eighty cents
per pound. Mr. Meggat,
the extensive seed raiser
of Connecticut, recom-
mends that, in using the
seed sower, the hopper
S7 should never be more than
^two-thirds filled, and
should never have any lid
or cover, so that the oper-
ator can see its action, and
should be shaken clear of
all dust as it accumulates,
NORBITON QIANT MANGEL wuRZEL. so that the seed may be
i So
GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
evenly distributed. When the plants are up, they are to be
thinned to twelve or fourteen inches apart, and the land is
well cultivated, so that, before the crop covers the ground,
the ridges have been so leveled down that the rows of
roots are nearly as
low as the spaces
between. The
ridge system of
culture, both for
Mangels and Tur-
nips, although it
requires more la-
bor, is a saving in
manure, and there
is no doubt that
these crops are
greatly benefited
by having the soil
gradually taken
from the ridge by
the cultivator, and
exposing their
roots, or "bulbs,"
to the air.
The best time for
sowing, in the lati-
tude of New York,
is from May ist to
the i5th. The time
must, of course,
be varied according to locality. Probably the best guide
in all sections is to sow from eight to ten days before the
time that Corn is usually planted. The varieties most
used are the "Long Red" and " Norbiton Giant," (red
KINVER YELLOW GLOBE MANGEL.
ROOT CROPS FOR FARM STOCK. l8l
varieties,) and the "Yellow Ovoid" and "New Kinver
Globe," both yellow kinds. The average weight of the
crop of an acre of Mangels is forty tons; though in some
soils they have yielded double that weight. Of course,
their cash value, as compared with hay, (rating hay at
$15 per ton,) will vary largely under different circum-
stances, but Mr. William Crozier considers the average
value of Mangels, for stock-feeding purposes, to be $4
per ton, or $160 per acre. While hay would be, under
the same condition, (estimating two tons per acre,) only
worth $30 per acre, the expense of seed, manure, and
cultivation of the Mangels, at the utmost, need not exceed
$80 per acre; so it is clearly seen that the crop for feed-
ing purposes is a profitable one.
TURNIP CULTURE.
What has been said on the modes of culture for Man-
gels may be applied to Turnip culture, except as to the
time of sowing. The Swedish or Ruta Baga varieties of
Turnip should be sown, in this latitude, from May 25th
to June 25th, and the Yellow Aberdeen, or strap-leaved
kinds, from July ist to the middle of August. When
sown at these dates, the distance apart may be the same
as for Mangels, but both of the classes may be sown a
month later; that is, the Ruta Bagas may be sown from
June 25th to July 25th, and the strap-leaved kinds from
the middle of August to the middle of September; but
when sown thus late they should be, both between rows
and between plants, one-third closer. The varieties that
I find best are, "American Ruta Baga" and " Purple-top
Ruta Baga;" of the strap-leaved kinds, "Red-top Strap-
leaved " and " Yellow Aberdeen." Mr. Crozier's estimate
of the value of Ruta Bagas, as compared with hay, (at
1 82 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
$15 per ton,) is $5 per ton; average crop, 25 tons pef
acre, or $125. Purple-top Strap-leaved or Yellow Aber-
deen Turnips he estimates at $3.50 per ton; average crop,
35 tons per acre, or $122.50. Estimating the expense of
culture at half the gross value, we have still a large mar-
gin in favor of the crop; besides, the strap-leaved Turnips
can be sown after Barley, Oats, or Rye.
CARROTS.
Carrots may properly come under the head of " Root
Crops for Stock," though mainly grown for horses; but,
even for horses, Mr. Crozier says that he considers them
far inferior to Ruta Baga Turnips. This is in opposition
to the received notion; but we know that public opinion
in matters of this sort is often wrong, and when we con-
sider the marked success of Mr. Crozier as a raiser of
both horses and cattle, his opinion in this matter is en-
titled to consideration.
The land for Carrots should be prepared exactly as for
Mangels. It must be deeply plowed, harrowed, and
thoroughly pulverized, and whatever kind of fertilizing
material is used, should be thoroughly mixed with the
soil to a depth of at least ten inches. The same quantity
and kind of fertilizers should be used as recommended
for the flat culture of Mangels, though in new lands, or
lands on which Corn has been grown after sod, enough
of the fertilizing material will usually be left in the soil
to mature a good crop of Carrots without any manure,
provided the soil is deep and in good condition. I once
grew twenty tons of Carrots per acre on land in this con-
dition, without using a particle of manure. Carrots should
be sown from the ist to the 3oth of May, and when sown
by a seed drill, about four pounds of seed to the acre are
ROOT CROPS FOR FARM STOCK. 183
required. The rows should be two feet distant, and the
plants thinned out to five or six inches apart. An average
crop is fifteen tons, of the " Long Orange " variety, to
the acre, and the present price averages $15 per ton in
the New York market. The " White " or " Yellow Bel-
gian " Carrots would give one-third more weight, but the
quality is inferior and the price correspondingly lower.
KEEPING ROOTS IN WINTER.
One of the seeming obstacles to raising root crops on
a large scale is the lack of a proper place for keeping
them in winter. A general impression prevails that they
must be kept in cellars or in a root house specially built
for the purpose. There is really no necessity for a special
root house, as the simple and cheap method of preserving
them in pits in the open ground is far better. I will
briefly describe my plan, which I have practised with all
kinds of market garden roots for twenty-five years. Man-
gels, in this section of the country, are dug up towards
the end of October, or just after our first slight frost.
They are then temporarily secured from severe frosts by
placing- them in convenient oblong heaps, say three feet
high by six feet wide, and are covered with three or
four inches of soil, which will be sufficient protection for
three or four weeks after lifting; by that time, say the
end of November, they may be stowed away in their per-
manent winter quarters. For Turnips and Carrots, there
is less necessity for the temporary pitting, as they are
much hardier roots, and may be left in the ground until
the time necessary for permanent pitting, if time will not
permit of securing them temporarily.
The advantage of this temporary pitting is, that it en-
ables them to be quickly secured at a season when work is
184 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
usually pressing, and allows the period of their permanent
pitting to be extended into a comparatively cold season.
This is found to be of the utmost importance in preserving
all kinds of roots; the same rules regulating the preserva-
tion in winter, apply as in spring sowing. While in this
section of the country it must be done not later than the
end of November, in some of the Southern States the
time may be extended a month later, while in places
where the thermometer does not fall lower than 25°
above zero, there is no need to dig up any of these roots
at all, as that degree of cold would not injure them.
The permanent pit is made as follows : A piece of
ground is chosen where no water will stand in winter.
If not naturally drained, provision must be made to carry
off the water. The pit is then dug four feet deep and
six feet wide, and of any length required. The roots are
then evenly packed in sections of about four feet wide,
across the pit, and only to the height of the ground level.
Between the sections a space of half a foot is left, which
is filled up with soil level to the top. This gives a section
of roots four feet deep and wide, and four feet long, each
section divided from the next by six inches of soil, form-
ing a series of small pits, holding from six to twelve bar-
rels of roots, one of which can be taken out without
disturbing the next, which is separated from it by six
inches of soil.
SCOTCH METHOD OF WINTERING ROOTS.
Mr. Crozier practises, with great success, the Scotch
method of preserving root crops in winter, which he thus
describes :
A dry spot being selected, where no water will stand in
winter, a space is marked out six feet in width, and of any
ROOT CROPS FOR FARM STOCK. 185
length required. This bed is excavated ten to twelve
inches deep, and the soil is thrown out on the bank.
The roots, either Mangels, Turnips, Carrots, or Potatoes,
are built up evenly to a sharp point about five or six feet
in height, so that the roots form almost an equal-sided
triangle, six feet on the sides. This bed of roots is then
thatched over with four inches of straw, after which the
earth is banked over the whole about one foot in thick-
ness. This covering of earth and straw is sufficient to
keep out any degree of frost that we have in this latitude,
though we rarely have it much below zero. In colder or
warmer sections, judgment must be used to increase or
lessen the covering. Vents, or chimneys, made by a
three-inch drain pipe, or anything of similar size, are
placed every six or seven feet along the top of the pit,
resting on the roots, so that the moisture generated may
escape. In extremely cold weather, these vents or chim-
neys should be closed up, as the cold might be severe
enough to get down to the roots. Pits so constructed
rarely fail to preserve roots perfectly until late in spring,
and are in every respect preferable to root cellars; for,
no matter how cold the weather may be, they are easily
got at; the end once opened, the soil forms a frozen arch
over the pit. Mr. Crozier says he has practised this plan
for years on his farm at Northport, L. I., some of his
pits containing hundreds of tons of Mangels, etc.
GARDEN VEGETABLES.
There are a number of garden vegetables that can be
kept equally well by the same method as that recom-
mended for farm roots. The only difference would
be, that the pits may be made somewhat narrower, so as
to accommodate less quantities. Although such crops
186 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
as Parsnips, Salsify, and Horseradish are entirely hardy,
yet, as it is often impossible to get into the ground to
dig them in winter, all that are wanted for use before
spring opens should be dug up in November, and pitted
in the manner above described.
It is important that these hardy roots be not dug too
early, else they will lose their color and flavor ; con-
sequently, digging should be delayed as long as the
frost will permit. It is a good plan, if litter or leaves
are convenient, to use them for covering the ground
where the roots are growing three or four inches, so as
to protect the roots against freezing, thus often extend-
ing the period of digging these hardy roots to the middle
of December. When in the market garden business we
often covered over as much as five acres in this way,
which well repaid the labor by the improved condition of
the roots, as frequently an advance of 25 per cent, in
price was obtained by a superior color and flavor.
CULTURE OF ALFALFA OR LUCERNE. 187
CULTURE
OF
ALFALFA OR LUCERNE,
(Medicago saliva?)
(Written by Peter Henderson for the United States Agricultural
* Report for 1884.)
IN a country so wide spread and diversified as the
United States, it is not to be wondered at that a crop
that is valued in some localities is unknown in others.
But it is somewhat surprising that, in many of the South-
ern States, where the want of forage is so much felt, the
culture of a plant so admirably adapted for their soil and
climate has so long been neglected. In a visit to Florida
in February, 1883, I was impressed, as every Northern
man must be, with the utter dearth of forage plants, and,
as a consequence, the hungry and meager, starved-look-
ing cattle. To my inquiries everywhere, the same reply
was given, that no good grass or clover could be found
to stand the heat and drought of their long summers.
Fortunately, in alluding to the subject, while in the
company of Mr. R. Bronson, of St. Augustine, Florida,
he promptly showed a practical solution of the difficulty,
by taking me to a patch of Alfalfa, about twenty-five feet
by one hundred, or only about the one-sixteenth part of
an acre. From that little patch, Mr. B. assured me that
he had fed a cow during the summer months, getting as
fine milk and butter as he ever got North; and further
l88 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
said that twice that area, or one-eighth part of an acre,
would be ample to supply a cow with food during the
entire season.
The land used by Mr. Bronson for his experiment with
Alfalfa was identical with the thousands of acres in his
immediate vicinity, which was given over to the Blue
Palmetto and scrubby pines, through which the goat-like
cattle browse out a miserable existence. Mr. Bronson,
though only an amateur, is a careful observer, and an
enthusiastic student in everything that relates to agricul-
ture. In the culture of Alfalfa for* Florida and other
Southern latitudes, he advises that the crop be sown
early in the fall; early enough to attain a height of four
or five inches before growth is arrested by cold weather;
in Florida say from the ist to the i5th of October.
The soil best suited for the growth of Alfalfa is that
which is deep and sandy; hence the soil of Florida and
many other portions of the cotton belt are eminently
fitted for it. The plant makes a tap root with few
laterals, and its roots are often found at a depth of six to
eight feet, thus drawing food from depths entirely be-
yond the action of drought or heat. When Alfalfa is to
be grown on a large scale, to get at the best results, the
ground chosen should be high and level, or, if not high,
such as is entirely free from under water. Drainage
must be as near perfect as possible, either naturally or
artificially. This, in fact, is a primary necessity for every
crop, unless it be such as is aquatic or sub-aquatic.
Deep plowing, thorough harrowing and leveling with
that valuable implement, the "smoothing harrow," to
get a smooth and level surface, are the next operations.
This should be done, in the Southern States, from the
ist to the 2oth of October, or at such season in the fall
as would be soon enough to insure a growth of four or
CULTURE OF ALFALFA OR LUCERNE. 189
five inches before the season of growth stops. Draw out
lines on the prepared land twenty inches apart, (if for
horse culture, but if for hand culture, fourteen inches,)
and two or three inches deep. These lines are best made
by what market gardeners call a " marker," which is
made by nailing six tooth-shaped pickets six or eight
inches long, at the required distance apart, to a three by
four inch joist, to which a handle is attached, which
makes the marker or drag. The first tooth is set against
a garden line drawn tight across the field; the marker is
dragged backward by the workman, each tooth marking
a line. Thus the six teeth mark six lines, if the line is
set each time; but it is best to place the end tooth of the
marker in a line already made, so that in this way only
five lines are marked at once; but it is quicker to do this
than move the line.
The lines being marked out, the seed is sown by hand
or by seed-drill, at the rate of eight to twelve pounds per
acre. (The price ranges from thirty to fifty cents per
pound.) After sowing, (and this rule applies to all seeds,
if sown by hand,) the seed must b.e trodden in by walking on
the lines, so as to press the seed down into the drills. After
treading in, the ground must be leveled by raking with a
wooden or steel rake along the lines lengthways, not
across. That done, it would be advantageous to use a
roller over the land, so as to smooth the surface and
further firm the seed; but this is not indispensable.
When seeds are drilled in by a machine, the wheel
presses down the soil on vhe seeds, so that treading in
with the feet is not necessary.
After the seeds germinate so as to show the rows,
which will be in from two to four weeks, according to
the weather, the ground must be hoed between, and this
is best done by some light wheel hoe, if by hand, such as
IpO GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
the " Universal." On light, sandy soil, such as in Florida,
a man could with ease run over two to three acres per
day. The labor entailed in this method of sowing Alfalfa
in drills is somewhat greater than when sown broadcast
in the usual way of grasses and clover, but there is no
question that it is by far the best and most profitable
plan, for it must be remembered that the plant is a hardy
ferennial, and is good for a crop for eight to ten years.
Moreover, the sowing in drills admits of the crop being
easily fertilized, if it is found necessary to do so; as all
that is necessary is to sow bone dust, superphosphates,
or other concentrated fertilizer between the rows, and
then stir it into the soil by the use of the wheel hoe. In
the ground of Mr. Bronson, of St. Augustine, Florida, he
found that the seed sown in the middle of October gave
him a crop fit to cut in three months after sowing; and
three heavy crops after, during the same year; and I
have little doubt that in that climate and soil, so congenial
to its growth, six heavy green crops could be cut annually ^
after the plant is fairly established, if a moderate amount
of fertilizer were used, say 300 pounds of superphos-
phate or bone dust to the acre.
Mr. William Crozier, of Northport, L. I., one of the
best known farmers and stock breeders in the vicinity of
New York, says that he has long considered Alfalfa one
of the best forage crops. He uses it always to feed his
milch cows and breeding ewes, particularly in preparing
them for exhibition at fairs, where he is known to be a
most successful competitor, and always takes along suffi-
cient Alfalfa hay to feed them on while there. Mr. Cro-
zier's system of culture is broadcast, and he uses some
fifteen or sixteen pounds of seed to the acre; but his land
is unusually clean and in a high state of cultivation, which
enables him to adopt the broadcast plan; but on the
CULTURE OF ALFALFA OR LUCERNE. Ipl
average land it will be found that the plan of sowing in
drills would be the best.
Mr. Crozier's crop, the second year, averaged eighteen
tons green to the acre, and about six tons when dried as
hay. For his section (the latitude of New York) he finds
the best date of sowing is the first week in May, and a
good cutting can be had in September. The next season
a full crop is obtained, when it is cut, if green, three or
four times. If to be used for hay, it is cut in the condi-
tion of ordinary Red Clover, in blossom. It then makes
after that two green crops if cut; and sometimes the last
one, instead of being cut, is fed on the ground by sheep
or cattle.
Mr. E. M. Sargent, Macon, Georgia, writing to me
under date March 6th, 1883, says: " I consider Alfalfa to
be the most valuable forage plant that can be used in this
section of the country; that is, the entire cotton belt, or
north of it, if the land is sandy without a clay subsoil too
near the surface. Planters are just beginning to find out
its merits; and no poverty of stock will ever occur where
Alfalfa is raised. In the summer of 1 88 1, when every-
thing else was parched here with heat and drought, this
alone was prompt in its maturity for the mower. It
should be cut for hay when in blossom, and can easily be
cut three or four times here wherever the land is in fairly
good condition.
" Those who do not succeed with it, sow it broadcast
and surrender it to the hogs early in the season. Those
who do succeed, sow in drills eighteen inches apart and
cultivate early."
It will be seen that Mr. Sargent advises drills much
wider than I recommend, which I presume is to admit
the horse hoe, but a quicker crop undoubtedly would be
got at fourteen inches apart; and by use of the hand
192 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
" Universal Wheel Hoe," the work could be done on
light soil nearly as quickly as by the horse cultivator.
Alfalfa is extensively grown in Europe, particularly in
France and Germany, where it is considered a valuable
crop for rotation, and is classed by the French as one of
the plantes ameliorantes ; for in southern France Wheat
has been successfully raised after six or seven years of
Alfalfa on ground which formerly had failed to give good
crops of Wheat. Although Alfalfa may be grown in cold
latitudes as well as in warm, as the plant is entirely
hardy, yet its value is not so marked in cold climates,
where it finds competitors in Red Clover and the grasses;
but in light soils anywhere, particularly in warm climates,
its deep-rooting properties make it comparatively in-
dependent of moisture; hence it is the forage plant par
excellence for the Southern States, wherever the soil is
light and sandy; but it should never be grown on stiff
soils, for, unless the roots can penetrate deeply, good
results cannot be expected. When it is considered that
immense sums are paid annually for baled hay by the
Southern to the Northern States, the wonder is how long
they will continue to do so, with the material at hand to
produce a better article at probably one-fourth the cost.
At the date of this writing, thousands in Florida and
other Southern States are engaged in the culture of
Oranges and other fruits, as well as vegetables, for the
Northern markets; and while in specially favored loca-
tions success has attended these enterprises, yet it is
doubtful if one in four makes it profitable; while, with
the culture of this valuable forage plant, the vast sums
paid for northern hay would not only be saved, but the
products of the dairy would assume an importance which
now, among most farmers in the extreme Southern
States, is altogether unknown.
MANURES AND THEIR MODES OF APPLICATION. 193
MANURES
AND
THEIR MODES OF APPLICATION.
THE subject of Manures is one of the greatest importance
to every operator in the soil, whether farmer, market
gardener, florist, or such as cultivate only for their own
use, for under few conditions can crops be long grown
without the use of fertilizers. Although I have already
given general instructions about fertilizers in all my works
on gardening, yet I find, from the number of inquiries
received from even such as have my works, that the mat-
ter has not been there treated sufficiently in detail to
meet the wants of the varied conditions under which the
necessity for the use of fertilizers arises.
The comparative value of manures must be regulated
by the cost; for example, if rotted Stable Manure, whether
from horses or cows, can be delivered on the ground at
$3 per ton, it is about as valuable, for fertilizing purposes,
as Peruvian Guano at $65 per ton, or pure Bone Dust at
$40 per ton, and is better than either of these, or any
other concentrated fertilizer, from the fact of its mechan-
ical action on the land, that is, its assistance, from its
light, porous nature, in aerating and pulverizing the soil ;
Guano, Bone Dust, or other commercial fertilizers, acting
only as such, without in any way assisting to make better
what may be called the physical condition of the soil.
All experienced cultivators know that the first year
that land is broken up from sod, if proper culture has
ip4 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
been given, by thorough plowing and harrowing, (pro-
vided the land is drained artificially or naturally, so as to
be free from water, and relieve it from " sourness,") the
land is in better condition for any crop, than land that
has been continuously cropped without a rest. The
market gardeners in the vicinity of New York are now so
well convinced of this that, when twenty acres are under
cultivation, at least five acres are continually kept in grain,
clover, and grass, to be broken up successively, every
second or third year, so as to get the land in the condi-
tion that nothing else but rotted, pulverized sod will
accomplish. This is done in cases where land is as valu-
able as $500 per acre; experience having proved that,
with one-quarter of the land " resting under grass," more
profit can be got than if the whole were under culture.
When the rotation, by placing a portion of the land
under grass, cannot be done, then it is absolutely neces-
sary to use Stable Manure, at least to some extent, if the
best results are desired, for continuous cropping of the
soil. Where concentrated fertilizers only are used, they
will not continue to give satisfactory results after the
grass roots, or other organic matter, have passed from
the soil, all of which will usually be entirely gone by the
third or fourth year after breaking up. I have long held
the opinion, that the idea of lands having been perma-
nently exhausted by tobacco or other crops is a fallacy.
What gives rise to this belief, I think, is the fact that,
when lands are first broken up from the forest or meadow
lands,, for three or four years the organic matter in the
soil, (the roots of grasses, leaves, etc.,) not only serves to
feed the crops, but it keeps the soil in a better state of
pulverization, or what might be called aerated condition,
than when, in the course of cropping for a few years,
it has passed away. Stable Manure best supplies this
MANURES AND THEIR MODES OF APPLICATION. 19$
want; but on farm lands away from towns, it is not
often that enough can be obtained to have any appre-
ciable effect on the soil, and hence artificial fertilizers
are resorted to, which often fail, not from any fault in
themselves, but from the fact that, exerting little mechani-
cal influence on the land, it becomes compacted or sod-
den, the air cannot get to the roots, and hence failure or
partial failure of crop.
Thus, we see, that to have the best results from com-
mercial fertilizers, it is of great importance to have the
land " rested " by a crop of grain or grass every three or
four years.
The best known fertilizers of commerce are Peruvian
Guano and Bone Dust, though there are numbers of
others, such as Fish Guano, Dry Blood Fertilizer, Blood
and Bone Fertilizer, with the various brands of super-
phosphates, all of -more or less value for fertilizing pur-
poses. It is useless to go over the list, and we will
confine ourselves to the relative merits of pure Peruvian
Guano and pure Bone Dust. Guano, at $65 per ton, we
consider relatively equal in value to Bone Dust at $40
per ton, for in the lower-priced article we find we have to
increase the quantity to produce the same results. What-
ever kind of concentrated fertilizer is used, we find it
well repays the labor to prepare it in the following man-
ner before it is used on the land:
To every bushel of Guano or Bone Dust add three
bushels of either leaf mould, (from the woods,) welt-pul-
verized dry muck, sweepings from a paved street, Stable
Manure so rotted as to be like pulverized muck, or, if
neither of these can be obtained, any loamy soil will do;
but in every case the material to mix the fertilizers with
must be fairly dry and never in a condition of mud; the
meaning of the operation being, that the material used is
lg6 GA&DEN AMD FARM TOPICS.
to act as a temporary absorbent for the fertilizer. The
compost must be thoroughly mixed, and if Guano is
used, it being' sometimes lumpy, it must be broken up to
dust before being mixed with the absorbent.
The main object of this operation is for the better
separation and division of the fertilizer, so that, when ap-
plied to the soil, it can be more readily distributed. My
experiments have repeatedly shown that this method of
using concentrated fertilizers materially increases their
value, probably twenty per cent. The mixing should be
done a few months previous to spring, and it should, after
being mixed, be packed away in barrels, and kept in some
dry shed or cellar until wanted for use. Thus mixed,
it is particularly beneficial on lawns or other grass lands.
The quantity of concentrated fertilizer to be used is often
perplexing to beginners. I give the following as the best
rules I know, all derived from my own practice in growing
fruits, flowers, and vegetables:
Taking Guano as a basis, I would recommend for all
vegetable or fruit crops, if earliness and good quality are
desired, the use of not less than 1,200 pounds per acre,
(an acre contains 4,840 square yards, and cultivators for
private use can easily estimate from this the quantity they
require for any area,) mixed with two tons of either of
the materials before recommended. If Bone Dust is
used, about one ton per acre should be applied, mixed
with three tons of soil or the other materials named.
For market garden vegetable crops, in the vicinity of
New York, this quantity of Guano or Bone Dust is har-
rowed in after twenty-five or thirty tons of Stable Manure
have first been plowed in; so that the actual cost of
manuring each acre is not less than $100, and often $150.
When fertilizers are used alone, without being mixed
with the absorbent, they should be sown on the soil after
MANURES AND THEIR MODES OF APPLICATION. 197
plowing or digging, about thick enough to just color the
surface, or about as thick as sand or sawdust is sown on
a floor, and then thoroughly harrowed in if plowed, or,
if dug, chopped in with a rake. This quantity is used
broadcast by sowing on the ground after plowing, and
deeply and thoroughly harrowing in, or, if in small gar-
dens, forked in lightly with the prongs of a garden fork
or long-toothed steel rake. When applied in hills or
drills, from 100 to 300 pounds should be used to the
acre, according to the distance of these apart, mixing
with soil, etc., as already directed.
When well-rotted Stable Manure is procurable at a cost
not to exceed $3 per ton, delivered on the ground, whether
from horses or cows, it is preferable to any concentrated
fertilizer. Rotted Stable Manure, to produce full crops,
should be spread on the ground not less than three inches
thick, (our market gardeners use from 50 to 75 tons of
well-rotted Stable Manure per acre, when no concentrated
fertilizer is used,) and should be thoroughly mixed with
the soil by plowing or spading. The refuse hops from
breweries form an excellent fertilizer, at least one-half
more valuable, bulk for bulk, than Stable Manure. Other
excellent fertilizers are obtained from the scrapings or
shavings from horn or whalebone manufactories. The
best way to make these quickly available is to compost
them with hot manure, in the proportion of one ton of
refuse horn or whalebone with fifteen tons of manure.
The heated manure extracts the oil, which is intermingled
with the whole.
The manure from the chicken or pigeon house is very
valuable, and when composted as directed for Bone Dust
and Guano, has at least one-third their value. Castor
Oil Pomace is also valuable in about the same proportion.
Poudrette is the name given to a commercial fertilizer,
198 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
the composition of which is night soil and dried swamp
muck or charcoal dust as an absorbent. It is sold at
about $12 to $15 per ton, and at that price may be equal
in value, if too much of the absorbing material is not
used, to Bone Dust at $40 per ton.
In my early experience as a market gardener, I used
large quantities of Night Soil for vegetable crops with
the very best results. It was mixed with Stable Manure
at the rate of about one ton of Night Soil to fifteen
tons of Stable Manure, and put on the land, so mixed,
at the rate of 25 tons per acre. In the absence of Stable
Manure, dry soil, charcoal dust, sawdust, or any material
that will absorb it, will do. Thus mixed, if equal
quantities of each have been used, ten tons may be used
per acre, if plowed in; if sowed on tcp, to be harrowed
in, say five tons.
Salt has little or no value as a fertilizer, except as a
medium of absorbing moisture; for experience shows
that soils impregnated by a saline atmosphere are no
more fertile than those inland, out of the reach of such
an atmosphere.
Muck is the name given to a deposit usually largely
composed of vegetable matter, found in swamps or in
hollows in forest lands. Of itself it has usually but little
fertilizing property, but from its porous nature, when dry,
it is one of the best materials to use to mix with other
manures as an absorbent. It can be used to great ad-
vantage if dug out in winter and piled up in narrow ridges,
so that it can be partly dried and " sweetened '' in sum-
mer. Thus dry, if mixed with Stable Manure, or, better
yet, thrown in layers three or four inches thick in the
cattle or hog yard, where it can be trodden down and
amalgamated with the manure, the value of the manure
thus treated will be nearly doubled.
MANURES AND THEIR MODES OF APPLICATION. 199
In reply to questions that I receive by the hundred each
season, asking whether or not it is worth while to use the
so-called special fertilizers, claimed to be suited to the
wants of particular plants, such as the " Potato Fertilizer,"
" Cabbage Fertilizer," "Strawberry Fertilizer," "Rose
Fertilizer," etc., I can only give this general answer,
that while these manures may suit the plants they are
claimed to be " special " for, I have no doubt that either
one would suit equally well for the others; or, if all were
mixed together, the mixture would be found to answer
the purpose for each kind of crop, just as well as if kept
separate and applied to the crop it was named for. These
hair-splitting distinctions are not recognized to be of any
value by one practical farmer or gardener in every hun-
dred; for a little experience soon shows that pure Bone
Dust or well-rotted Stable Manure answers for all crops
alike, no matter what they are. These special fertilizers
for special crops are gradually increasing in number, so
that some dealers now offer fifty kinds, different brands
being offered for plants belonging to the same family.
There is an ignorant assumption in this, and any culti-
vator of ordinary intelligence cannot fail to see that the
motive in so doing is to strike as broad a swath as possi-
ble, so that a larger number of customers maybe reached.
One of my neighbors called the other day, and informed
me that his Lettuce crop, in his green-house, was failing,
and asked me what I thought of the Lettuce Fertilizer
that was offered in a circular that contained some fifty
other " specials." An inquiry developed the fact that
he had been keeping his Lettuce crop at a night tempera-
ture of 65° in January, so that there was just about as
much chance of the Special Lettuce Fertilizer helping
the crop as there would be of giving health to a man by
feeding him beefsteak in the last stages of consumption.
2OO GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
I merely mention this incident to show how, and in what
manner, the sellers of these special fertilizers obtain
customers.
MARKET GARDENING AROUND NEW YORK. 2O1
MARKET GARDENING AROUND NEW YORK.
BY PETER HENDERSON.
(Read before the Annual Meeting of the National Association of
Nurserymen, Florists, and Seedsmen, held at Dayton, Ohio,
June i6th, 1881.)
PROBABLY nowhere, in this or any other country, is the
business of Market Gardening better done than in the
vicinity of New York city. The reason for this is prob-
ably to be found in the fact, that New York, being the
great depot for all the nationalities of Europe, gets from
them the various methods there practised; in addition to
this, and what may have even more to do with it, our
higher-priced labor forces us to adopt plans entirely un-
thought of there. Certain it is, that, so far as the practi-
cal work in use for cultivation is concerned, our methods,
in nearly all operations, are quicker done here than there,
and are equally as well done.
In the immediate suburbs of New York, where the
lands are rapidly being taken for building sites, many of
the market gardeners pay as high as $100 rent per acre
annually, and that, too, in most cases, without a lease.
All such lands, of course, are cultivated to their fullest
capacity, and even at present prices (which are hardly
yet up to those of ante-war times) bring an average gross
income of about $1,000 per acre.
A great advantage is found in having the lands for
growing vegetables as near to the city as possible. The
saving in hauling of manure is one important item; but
2O2 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
another, and one far more important, is that, if the grower
is near enough to the city to make two or three trips a
day, in such a fluctuating market as that of New York, it
is greatly to his advantage. I have frequently seen that
nearly double value could be obtained for products within
twenty-four hours. I remember, on one occasion, when
engaged in business in Jersey City, where we were within
half an hour's time of the great wholesale Washington
Market of New York, one Saturday, that each of our four
wagons made three trips, taking in twelve loads of Cab-
bages, which averaged $50 per load; while on the Monday
following the same loads only brought us $30 per load.
Had we been ten or twelve miles distant from the mar-
ket, as the greater number of those engaged in the busi-
ness are, the high rates ruling that day could not have
been taken advantage of. I am inclined to believe that,
whatever kind of horticultural product is grown, whether
fruit, flowers, or vegetables, he that is nearest market,
other things being equal, has a decided advantage; so
much-so that, in most cases, a man had better pay $50 or
even $100 per acre rent, if within one or two miles from
the market of a large city, than to get land ten or twelve
miles away for nothing.
I have little to relate that is new in methods of culture,
in the open ground, in market gardening. Nearly the
same processes are now practised as when I first wrote
my work on this subject in 1866; but since that time we
have made many important improvements in culture un-
der glass, particularly in the methods in use in starting
plants of Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Lettuce. The old
plan of sowing the seeds for these plants in the open air
in September, and pricking them off in October, and
keeping them in cold frames, is gradually giving way to
sowing in green-houses or hot-beds in February, and
MARKET GARDENING AROUND NEW YORK. 203
pricking out in March, which gives a far healthier and
nearly as strong a plant, by the first week in April, as
those that have been wintered over. The past season we
raised nearly half a million of plants in this manner,
which we sold at $5 per thousand, a price as profitable
to us as the plants were satisfactory to the buyers. We
sowed the seed the first week in February, in one of our
green-house benches, so thick that they stood twenty
plants to the square inch. These we began to thin out,
to prick in hot-beds, just as the first rough leaf appeared,
placing a thousand plants in a 3 x 6 sash.
The handling of that quantity was a big job, but I doubt
if one plant in a thousand failed, owing, I think, to a plan
we used in preparing the bed on the green-house bench
for the seeds; a plan that I think well worthy of .imitation
in preparing a bed for seeds, that have to be transplanted,
of any kind, whether outside or under glass. We used
only two inches in depth of " soil " for our seed-bed,
which was made up as follows: For the first layer, about
an inch, we used a good friable loam, run through a half-
inch sieve. This was patted down with a spade, and
made perfectly level and moderately firm. On this was
spread about one-fourth of an inch of Sphagnum, (moss
from the swamps,) which had been dried and run through
a sieve nearly as fine as mosquito wire, so that it was of
the condition of fine sawdust. On the top of the moss
the ordinary soil was again strewn, to a depth of about
three-fourths of an inch. This being leveled, the seed
were sown very thickly, and then pressed into the soil
with a smooth board. On this the fine moss was again
sifted, thick enough to cover the seed only. The bed
was then freely watered with a fine rose, and in a week
every seed that had life in it was a plant.
Now this seems a long story to tell about what most
204 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
consider a very simple operation, but it is necessary to
give these details for a thorough understanding of the
advantages of the method. When the seeds of most plants
germinate, where they are thickly sown, the stem strikes
down into the soil, the roots forming a tap-root with few
fibers, unless arrested by something. Here comes the
value of our one-fourth of an inch of sifted moss, placed
three-quarters of an inch from the top. As soon as the
rootlets touch the moss they ramify in all directions, so
that when a bunch of seedlings is lifted up and pulled
apart, there is a mass of rootlets, to which the moss, less
or more, adheres, attached to each. To the practical
gardener, the advantage of this is obvious: the tiny seed-
ling has at the start a mass of rootlets ready to work,
which strike into the soil at once.
The advantage of the moss covering of the seed is not
so apparent, in the matter of a free germinating seed,
such as Cabbage, as in many others, but in many families
of plants it is of the greatest value. For example, last
November I took two lots of ten thousand seeds of Cen-
taurea Candida, (one of the Dusty Miller plants so much
used for ribbon lines;) both were sown on the same day,
and exactly in the same manner, in boxes two inches deep
filled with soil; but the one lot was covered with the sifted
moss, and the other with fine soil. From the moss-
covered lot I got over nine thousand fine plants, while
from that covered by soil only about three thousand.
The same results were shown in a large lot of seeds of
the now famous climbing plant, Ampelopsis Veitchii, and
in the finer varieties of Clematis. The dust from Cocoa-
nut fiber will answer the purpose even better than sifted
moss, when it can be obtained. The reason is plain: the
thin layer of sifted moss never bakes or hardens, holding
just the right degree of moisture, and has less tendency
MARKET GARDENING AROUND NEW YORK. 20$
to generate damp or fungus than any substance that I
know of.
In this connection, I may state that the use of wintered
over Lettuce plants, for forcing in green-houses or hot.
houses, is here, to a great extent, being abandoned, and
that the plants used for that purpose are such as have
been sown five or six weeks only previous to planting, in
the manner described for Cabbage plants, sowings being
made for succession, as required. These young plants
are found to be far less liable to the Lettuce disease,
known as " rust " or " blight," which has created so much
havoc in forcing this vegetable in all quarters of the
country. I have been written to by hundreds in relation
to a remedy for this disease, but know of none, except
the use of young plants raised as above recommended,
using, wherever practicable, fresh soil each season. One
of my neighbors, who uses nearly 3,000 sashes in the
forcing of Lettuce, has adopted this plan for the past two
years, and has had no Lettuce disease.
As I have before said, although there is but little in
general culture to tell, almost every year brings out some
improvement in varieties. Within the past dozen years
many important advances have been made in earliness
and in quality of vegetables. Among Beets, we have the
Egyptian, which matures at least five days before any
other variety, except the old Bassano, which was too light
in color to suit; in Cabbages, the Early Summer; in
Cauliflower, the Snowball; in Celery, the Golden Dwarf;
and a great improvement has been developed in the
White Walnut, a solid, stout kind, with a rich, walnut-
like flavor, and graceful, feather-like foliage ; while the
new "White Plume" combines the rare qualities of a
rich, walnut-like flavor, self -blanching, and a beautiful,
plume-like foliage that gives it its name. See page 165.
206 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
In Lettuce, the Black-seeded Simpson, the White Sum-
mer Cabbage, and the Salamander now lead all the out-
door varieties; in Muskmelons, the Hackensack, of which
many thousands of acres are grown for the New York mar-
ket, is almost exclusively planted. In Pease, a great im-
provement is developed in the dwarf variety known as
American Wonder, though for general early crop the
Improved Dan O'Rourke is best. Potatoes vary so much
in different localities, that it is difficult to say which of the
new sorts are most valued. We find, however, that in our
general trade more of Beauty of Hebron is planted than
any other of the new sorts. In Radishes, the new Round
Dark Red is now the main favorite, while next in order
comes the "White-tipped Scarlet Turnip." In Spinach,
the Savoy and the new Thick Leaved are the best for gen-
eral crop; though we find that the Savoy should not be
sown in spring, as it runs too quickly to seed. Though
every year brings out new claimants for favor in Tomatoes,
it is my conviction that we have not advanced one day in
earliness (unless in such varieties as Keyes's Prolific and
Little Gem, which are of poor quality) in twenty-five years,
although we have now many varieties somewhat im-
proved in quality. The varieties now most popular
with New York market gardeners are Acme and Par-
agon, though, from the unusual advertising given to the
Trophy, the general cultivation of that is greater than
any other; but, as it is usually found now, it is far
inferior to many others, besides being one of the latest
varieties. .
Quite a number of our market gardeners are now get-
ting to grow Strawberries in conjunction with their vege-
table crops, by following the pot layering system, by
which a crop is obtained in less than a year from the
time of planting. We have ourselves grown, for the past
MARKET GARDENING AROUND NEW YORK. $0?
six or seven years, upward of an acre of Strawberries in
this manner, alternating them with the vegetables grown
in our " trial grounds." As the process may be new to
some, I will briefly detail it.
Just as soon as the fruit is gathered, the beds are well
forked up, and the runners begin to grow rapidly,
so that, in the vicinity of New York, we can always
obtain strong pot layers by the loth to the i5th of July.
These, if then planted out, never fail (if properly culti-
vated and the runners kept pinched off) to give a full
crop by June of next year; not only a full crop, but finer
fruit than is usually obtained by the other methods.
Our manner of performing the operaticn of layering
the runners of Strawberries in pots is as follows: The
pots, which should not exceed two and a half inches in
diameter, are filled with the soil in which the Strawberries
are growing, and " plunged " or sunk to the level of the
surface; the Strawberry layer is then laid on the pot, being
held in its place with a small stone. The stone not only
serves to keep the plant in its place, so that its roots will
strike into the soil of the pot, but it also serves to mark
where the pot is; for, being sunk to the level of the sur-
face, rains wash the soil around the pots, so that they
could not well be seen unless marked by the stone. Any
good workman, after a little experience, will layer two
thousand per day. In ten or twelve days after the Straw-
berry layers have been put down, the pots will be filled
with roots. They are then cut from the parent plant,
taken up, and placed close together, and shaded and
watered for a few days before being planted out. If so
treated, not one plant in a thousand need fail.
We grow only an acre or so each year, for the purpose
of testing varieties; but I am so convinced of the value
of the plan, that if I grew largely for market I would
2o8 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
prefer it to any other. It will be understood, that by
this method the plants only occupy the ground about ten
or eleven months, from the time the plants are set out in
July or August until the fruit is gathered in June. As I
have before said, we alternate the Strawberry crop with
vegetables. Our samples of Cabbage, Cauliflower, Rad-
ishes, Lettuce, etc., in our trial grounds, occupy the same
space, so that when the ground is cleared of these in June
or July, the Strawberry layers are planted in their place;
while a crop of Celery takes the place of the Strawberry
crop that had fruited, so that the ground is never allowed
to lie idle.
The question of fertilizers, for the use of the market
garden, is now becoming a very serious one for the market
gardeners, in such cities as New York, where the manure
from the stables does not increase in the ratio of the
lands cultivated, as, perhaps, half of all the products grown
are shipped to adjacent towns and cities. Still there are
few market gardeners who do not use stable manure,
which costs, when fit to go on the land, from $2 to $3
per ton. This is put on in spring, at the rate of from
fifty to seventy-five tons per acre, which is often supple-
mented by half a ton of Peruvian Guano or Bone Dust,
which is sown on the land and harrowed in, after the
stable manure has been plowed in. A great many
fertilizers are used besides Peruvian Guano and Bone
Dust, such as Fish Guano, Dry Blood Fertilizer, Blood
and Bone Fertilizer, together with the various brands of
Phosphates; but the majority of cultivators prefer pure
Bone Meal or Peruvian Guano to all others.
I saw a list the other day, wherein was enumerated no
less than sixteen separate kinds of special fertilizers for
thirty different crops, with the chemical elements of each
split down to even one-half of one per cent. Now, I
MARKET GARDENING AROUND NEW YORK. 209
know nothing whatever about agricultural chemistry, and
it may be presumption in me to criticise such a list; yet
when I am told that one kind of fertilizer is needed for
Cabbages and another kind for Turnips; one for Sugar
Cane and another for Corn; one for Wheat and another
for Grass, (plants, if not of the same family, at least of the
same natural order,) I am forced to the conclusion that
science, so-called, is taking the place of common sense,
and is in direct opposition to the experience of the practi-
cal farmer or gardener in his operations in the soil.
In our market gardening and green-house operations,
we cultivate largely nearly every known family of plants,
and in my long experience I have yet to see a fruit,
flower, or vegetable crop that was not benefited, and
nearly in the same degree, by a judicious application
of pure Bone Dust; and I would here suggest to the ad-
vocates of special fertilizers, that in their experiments
they try equal weights of pure Bone Dust to the half of
the crops of Wheat, Potatoes, Cabbage, or Strawberries,
being experimented on by the "specials," and note the
results. I do not mean to be understood that these so-
called special fertilizers do not answer the purpose of the
crop to which they are applied; but what I protest against
is, the hair-splitting distinctions claimed for them, con-
fusing and troublesome to the cultivator, if of no practi-
cal value.
American commercial florists have, for the past quarter
of a century, utterly discarded the various formulas for
the preparation of different soils, for the various families
of plants cultivated, so dogmatically insisted upon even
yet by most European gardeners, and instead of a dozen
different mould heaps, usually only one is used, composed
of three parts rotted sods and one of rotted stable manure;
yet who will say that our results have not been as good
210 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
in consequence ? I believe the same fate is soon to
overtake the "specials" in fertilizers. They may hold their
own, perhaps, for a time among a few amateur cultivators
of 7X9 garden patches, (men usually glib with the pen,
and who get in an ecstasy over their success with a dozen
Tomato or a score of Strawberry plants,) but few of the
hard-fisted gardeners or farmers, who live by the soil,
are likely to become converts. My business, as a seeds-
man, brings me in contact with many hundreds of farmers
and gardeners each season, but I have known of few who
think it necessary to use special fertilizers for special
crops.
It would certainly be a misfortune for the Orange
grower of Florida, the Cotton planter of Louisiana, or
the Wheat grower of Ohio, if he were induced to freight
a special manure for his particular crop a thousand miles,
if he had as good a material in Bone Dust at his door.
If our law-makers at Washington had given that attention
to agriculture that its importance deserves, we would long
ago have had suitable grounds there to test such ques-
tions on a scale large enough and broad enough to deter-
mine whether or not the manure suitable for a Potato
was not equally suitable for a Cabbage.
I beg to apologize for the time occupied in discussing
fertilizers, but the subject is one of the first importance
to every cultivator of the soil, be he farmer, market
gardener, nurseryman, or florist; and whether right or
wrong in my conclusions, if what has been said may cause
further investigation to get at the facts, I shall be satisfied,
whatever these facts may reveal.
T IN SOWING AND PLANTING. 21]
THE USE OF THE FEET
SOWING AND PLANTING.
BY PETER HENDERSON.
(Read before the annual meeting of the National Association of
^Nurserymen, Florists, and Seedsmen, held at Cleveland, Ohio,
in June, 1880.)
IT may be useless to throw out any suggestions in
relation to horticultural operations to such a body of
practical men as is now before me. Yet I candidly ad-
mit that, although I have been extensively engaged in
gardening operations for over a quarter of a century, I
did not fully realize, until a few years ago, the full im-
portance of how indispensable it is to use the feet in
the operations of sowing and planting.
For some years past I have, in writing on gardening
matters, insisted upon the great importance of " firming "
the soil over the seeds after sowing, especially when the
soil is dry, or likely to become so. I know of no opera-
tion of more importance in either the farm or the garden,
and I trust that what I am about to say will be read and
remembered by every one not yet aware of the vast im-
portance of the practice. I say "vast importance," for
the loss to the agricultural and horticultural community,
from the habit of loosely sowing seeds or planting plants
in hot and dry soils, is of a magnitude which few will
212 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
believe until they have witnessed it ; and it is a loss all
the more to be regretted, when we know that by " firming "
the soil around the seed or plant, there is, in most cases,
a certain preventive.
Particularly in the sowing of seeds, I consider the matter
of such vast importance, that it cannot be too often or too
strongly told; for the loss to the agricultural and horti-
cultural community, by the neglect of the simple opera-
tion of firming the soil around the seed, must amount to
many millions annually. For the mischief done is not
confined only to the less important garden operations,
but even Corn, Cotton, Wheat, Turnips, Grasses, and
other important crops of the farm often fail, as thou-
sands of farmers know to their sorrow, in hot and
dry soils, by being sown without being firmed sufficiently
to prevent the dry air shriveling or drying the seeds.
Of course, the use of the feet is impracticable in firming
seeds on the farm, but a heavy roller, applied after sowing,
is an absolute necessity under certain conditions of the
soil, to insure perfect germination, which is indispensable
to a perfect crop.
From the middle of April to nearly the end of May of
this year, in many sections of the country, there was little
or no rain. Such was particularly the case in the vicinity
of New York City, where we have hundreds of market
gardeners, who cultivate thousands of acres of Cabbage,
Cauliflower, and Celery, but the "dry spring" has played
sad havoc with their seed-beds. Celery is not one-fourth
of a crop, and Cabbage and Cauliflower hardly half, and
this failure is due to no other cause than that they persist
in sowing their seeds without ever taking the precaution
to firm the soil by rolling.
We sow annually about four acres in Celery, Cabbage,
and Cauliflower seeds, which produce probably five mil-
USE OF THE FEET IN SOWING AND PLANTING. 213
lions of plants, which we never fail to sell mostly in our
immediate neighborhood, to the market gardeners, who
have, many of them, even better soil than we have for
raising these plants, and would succeed if they would only
do as we do, firm the seed after sowing, which is done
thus :
After plowing, harrowing, and leveling the land
smoothly, lines are drawn by the " marker," which makes
furrows about two inches deep and a foot apart. After
the man who sows the seed follows another, who, with
the ball of the right foot, presses down his full weight
on every inch of soil in the drill where the seed has
been sown. The rows are then lightly leveled longi-
tudinally with the rake, a light roller is passed over them,
and the operation is done.
By this method our crop has never once failed, and
what is true of Celery and Cabbage seed is nearly true of
all other seeds requiring to be sown during the late
spring or summer months.
On July 2d of 1874, as an experiment, I sowed twelve
rows of Sweet Corn and twelve rows of Beets, treading in,
after sowing, every alternate row of each. In both cases,
those trod in came up in four days, while those unfirmed
remained twelve days before starting, and would not
then have germinated had not rain fallen, for the soil
was dry as dust when the seed were sown.
The result was, that the seeds that had been trodden
in grew freely from the start, and matured their crops to
a marketable condition by fall ; while the rows unfirmed
did not mature, as they were not only eight days later in
germinating, but the plants were also, to some extent,
enfeebled by being partially dried in the loose, dry soil.
This experiment was a most useful one, for it proved
that a Corn crop, sown in the vicinity of New York as
214 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
late as July 2d, could be made to produce " roasting
ears " in October, when they never fail to sell freely at
high rates ; but the crop would not mature unless the
seed germinated at once, which would never be certain
at that dry and hot season, unless by this method.
The same season, in August, I treated seeds of Turnips
and Spinach in the same way. Those trod in germinated
at once, and made an excellent crop, while those un-
firmed germinated feebly, and were eventually nearly all
burned out by a continuance of dry, hot air penetrating
through the loose soil to the tender rootlets.
I beg to caution the inexperienced, however, by no
means to tread or roll in seed if the ground is not dry.
The soil may often be in a suitable condition to sow, and
yet be too damp to be trodden upon or rolled. In such
cases these operations may not be necessary at all, for if
rainy weather ensue, the seeds will germinate of course ;
but if there is any likelihood of a continued drought, the
treading or rolling may be done a week or more after the
seed has been sown, if there is any reason to believe that
it may suffer from the dry, hot air. Another very im-
portant advantage gained by treading in the seeds is, that
when we have crops of Beets, Celery, Turnips, Spinach, or
anything else that is sown in rows, the seeds to form the
crop come up at once ; while the seeds of the weeds, that
are just as liable to perish by the heat as are those of the
crop, are retarded. Such of the weed seeds as lie in the
space between the rows when the soil is loose, will not
germinate as quickly as those of the crop sown ; and
hence we can cultivate between the rows before the
weeds germinate at all.
Now, if firming the soil around seed, to protect it from
the influence of a dry and hot atmosphere, is a necessity,
it is obvious that it is quite as much so in the case of plants,
USE OF THE FEET IN SOWING AND PLANTING. 215
whose rootlets are even more sensitive to such influence
than the dormant seed.
Experienced professional horticulturists, however, are
less likely to neglect this than to neglect in the case
of seeds, for the damage from such neglect is easier to be
seen, and hence better understood by the practical nur-
seryman; but with the inexperienced amateur the case is
different. When he receives his package of trees or
plants from the nurseryman, he handles them as if they
were glass, every broken twig or root calls forth a com-
plaint, and he proceeds to plant them, gingerly straighten-
ing out each root and sifting the soil around them, but
he would no more stamp down that soil than he would
stamp on the soil of his mother's grave. So the plant, in
nine cases out of ten, is left loose and waggling ; the dry
air penetrates through the soil to its roots; the winds
shake it; it shrivels up and fails to grow ; and then come
the anathemas on the head of the unfortunate nursery-
man, who is charged with selling him dead trees or plants.
About a month ago I sent a package of a dozen Roses
by mail to a lady in Savannah. She wrote me a woeful
story last week, saying that, though the Roses had ar-
rived seemingly all right, they had all died but one, and
what was very singular, she said, the one that lived was
the one that Mr. Jones had stepped on, and which she
had thought sure was crushed to death, for Mr. Jones
weighs 200 pounds. Now, though I do not advise any
gentleman of 200 pounds putting his brogan on the top
of a tender Rose plant, as a practice conducive to its
health, yet, if Mrs. Jones could have allowed her weighty
lord to press the soil against the root of each of her dozen
Roses, I much doubt if she would now have to mourn
their loss.
It has often been a wonder to many of us, who have
2l6 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
been workers in the soil for a generation, how some of
the simplest methods of culture have not been practised
until we were nearly done with life's work.
There are few of us but have had such experience,
personally, I must say that I never pass through a year
but I aai confounded to find that some operation can not
only be quicker done, but better done than we have been
in the habit of doing it.
These improvements loom up from various causes, but
mainly from suggestions thrown out by our employees
in charge of special departments, a system which we do
all in our power to encourage.
As a proof of the value of such improvements, which
have led to simplifying our operations, I will state the fact,
that though our area of green-house surface is now more
than double that which it was in 1870, and the land used in
our florist's business one third more, yet the number of
hands employed is less now than in 1870, and yet, at the
same time, the quality of our stock is infinitely better
now than then.
Whether it is the higher price of labor in this country
that forces us into labor-saving expedients, or the inter-
change of opinions from the greater number of nationali-
ties centering here, that gives us broader views of cukure,
I am not prepared to state; but that America is now selling
nearly all the products of the green-house, garden, nur-
sery, and farm, lower than is done in Europe, admits of
no question; and if my homely suggestions in this matter
of firming the soil around newly planted seeds or plants,
will in any degree assist us in still holding to the front, I
shall be gratified.
I have now been a writer for the horticultural press for
over thirty years, and am egotistical enough to believe
that many of my suggestions, born of a lifetime of active
USE OF THE FEET IN SOWING AND PLANTING. 2 17
practical work in all kinds of gardening operations, have
benefited hundreds; but I consider the short paper here
given on " The Use of the Feet in Sowing and Planting "
the most important and valuable I have ever written,
if I have succeeded in making my meaning clear; for
the ignorance on this subject is widespread; and when
we consider the hundreds of thousands of acres of all
kinds of farm products that fail annually from no
other cause than that the seeds have not been properly
firmed in the soil, we can readily imagine the loss
from such neglect and the importance of making known
the remedy.
Although, to the thousands of amateurs who are in-
terested in gardening work, the loss resulting from a few
seeds failing to germinate, or a few newly-planted plants
failing to grow, is not often estimated by dollars and
cents, yet the annoyance and disappointment of failure
are inducements enough to use the best means to attain
success, which I believe will rarely fail to be attained if
the directions which have been given for " The Use of
the Feet in Sowing and Planting" be strictly followed;
for the necessity for the operation of firming the soil is
just as essential in the tiniest flower bed of the garden
as in the large plots of the market garden or the broad
acres of the farm.
The above essay on " The Use of the Feet in Sowing
and Planting " was delivered at the annual meeting of
the National Association of Nurserymen, Florists, and
Seedsmen, held in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1880, and at the
meeting held in Chicago the next season I was gratified
by the information obtained from a gentleman connected
with the press, who publicly stated that the above article
had been copied and republished in hundreds of news-
papers throughout the land, and that the information
2l8 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
it contained had, no doubt, already been worth hundreds
of thousands of dollars to the community. Believing
this statement to be true is a sufficient excuse for again
reproducing it in its present form in " Garden and
Farm Topics," as in this way we bring it permanently
before the hosts of new readers annually springing up.
POPULAR ERRORS AND SCIENTIFIC DOGMAS. 219
POPULAR ERRORS
AND
SCIENTIFIC DOGMAS IN HORTICULTURE.
BY PETER HENDERSON.
(Read before the New York Horticultural Society in 1881.)
IN nearly all matters of life, before accepting some
one's say so, it is wisdom first to use our own judgment
and common sense ; and this is particularly true in many
of the operations of horticulture, for in no profession is
there greater need for the reasoning faculties, and in the
neglect of the use of these, the most absurd errors and
delusions are held even by many who are practically
engaged in the business. The breeder of fancy fowls or
pigeons could not be told that the plumage of either
would ever assume the scarlet of the Flamingo, though
he would likely be quite ready to believe that his next-
door neighbor, who is a flower fancier, may yet have a
blue Rose or a blue Dahlia, phenomena just as unlikely
as that his Dorkings or his Brahmas would have a plu-
mage of scarlet ; for, so far, we find that there is no such
thing in nature as plants having scarlet, yellow, and blue
flowers, in varieties of the same species. Perhaps the
nearest approach to it is in the Hyacinth ; but in it,
although we have yellow and blue, we have no true
scarlet.
Another very popular error is the belief that some-
thing mysterious is done by the professional horticultur-
ist to produce new or fine varieties of fruits or flowers.
220 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
There is no mystery or skill about it, other than to select
the best or fittest and place them together. This done,
man's work is done : Nature does the rest. It is laid
down almost as an axiom, by amateur horticulturists,
that the water with which plants are watered should be
soft or rain water, and of the temperature of the room
or green-house wherein the plants are. Commercial
florists, who grow hundreds of thousands of plants, can-
not do this ; and yet, as a rule, their plants are in the
very best possible health, far better than that of the
amateur who goes to this unnecessary trouble, for the
reason that the real conditions of success (the proper
temperature or moisture) can be given in the green-house,
but not in ordinary sitting-rooms.
Then, too, the flower-loving amateur is trammeled by
another dogma, this time bearing the authority of quasi-
science; for a great man, the family doctor, armed with
a smattering of chemical lore, glibly asserts that
plants, at night, give out carbonic acid gas, which is
poisonous to animal life, and, consequently, if plants are
kept in sleeping-rooms, sickness and even death may
follow. No theory can be more destitute of truth.
That plants give out carbonic acid gas at night may be,
but that it is in quantity enough to endanger human life
is utter nonsense. If it were so, we would have no in-
sects attacking plants, for their low organization would
make them the first victims to a gas as poisonous as car-
bonic acid. Besides, most gardeners who have had
charge of green-house plants, know that on cold nights
the most comfortable quarter is the green-house ; and
yet I think it would be difficult to find in any business a
healthier class of men than professional gardeners. I
have pleasure in believing that my denunciations of this
absurdity, begun over twenty years ago, has had some-
POPULAR ERRORS AND SCIENTIFIC DOGMAS. 221
thing to do in checking its spread ; but thousands of
plants, particularly in the rural districts, are yet con-
signed to the coal cellar, at the dictum of some wiseacre
of a village doctor, who is happy to be thought thus
learned in the chemistry of plants.
It is a common error to expect, in any one green-
house, conservatory, or other place where plants are
kept, that a general variety can be grown and do well.
If you attempt to grow Carnations or Roses in the same
temperature in which Coleus, Poinsettias, or Bouvardias
will thrive, rest assured they will complain of too much
heat ; while, on the other hand, if you treat these plants
of the tropics to the atmosphere suited to the health of a
Carnation or a Rose, they will soon show evidence of
starvation, so that when any housewife attempts to keep
plants of such widely different latitudes in her sitting-
room, she must not be surprised if the results with all
are not satisfactory. So, too, gentlemen employing gar-
deners, who have only one temperature to operate in,
will be unjust and unreasonable to expect satisfactory
results if plants from temperate and tropical countries
are obliged to be grown together.
Another widespread delusion, of a very different kind,
pervades a large class of men, who have a taste for horti-
cultural matters, but who have no practical knowledge
of the business. They have land lying idle adjacent to
a town or city ; they see growers of fruit, flowers, or
vegetables alongside of them, rough, unlettered fellows,
perhaps, making the business a success ; why should
they, with their lands, not do likewise ? They hire a
manager, and plunge into the business of market gar-
dener or florist, and in nineteen cases out of twenty lose
all they invest. Nothing else need be expected. What
chance would a blacksmith have if he hired a dry-goods
222 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
or a grocery clerk to run either of these businesses, if he
were ignorant himself of the grocery or dry-goods trade ?
There is no more true adage, applied to horticulture as
a business, than that
" He who by the plow would thrive,
Himself must either hold or drive ; "
for he who attempts any branch of it, dependent upon the
knowledge of others, without taking a hold himself to
attain that knowledge, is almost certain to come to grief.
A class of scientific men, at the present time, are
greatly exercising the minds of a large portion of the
professional farmers and gardeners, as well as amateurs,
in the matter of fertilizers. These gentlemen have dis-
covered that certain kinds of plants have their structure
composed of different elements, and their aim is to put
in the soil the elements that are found in the several
families of plants. Some dealers in fertilizers advertise
not less than thirty different kinds, which they claim are
specially adapted for so many kinds of plants. Thus,
the Orange grower of Florida is told that a special ma-
nure is to be found in the " Orange Fertilizers," manu-
factured in New York or Philadelphia, and, if he has
faith in the claim, is induced to freight a material which
is no better, for the purpose wanted, than what may
be bought at less cost at his door. So, too, the
Tobacco grower of Kentucky, the Potato grower of New
York, or the Wheat growers of far-off Minnesota or
California, are told by so-called science that there are
fertilizers specially adapted for these crops. I do not
for a moment dispute that the special fertilizers claimed
for special crops do not answer for these crops ; but that
thece specialties are a necessity is the point questioned.
There are few practical agriculturists but believe that,
POPULAR ERRORS AND SCIENTIFIC DOGMAS. 223
if all the thirty specialties were mixed together and ap-
plied to the special crops, the result would be equally as
good as if the hair-splitting distinction of a separate fer-
tilizer for each crop was used. Some chemists tell us
that phosphorus enters largely into the human brain, and
that a fish diet is necessary for the best development of
brains. Broad results are the best test of the dogmas of
so-called science ; and it scarcely can be shown that
fish-eating nations or communities are specially noted
for extraordinary brain development.
Charles Darwin has said, and he finds many believers,
that certain plants, such as the Drosera or Sundew, and
our own Carolina Fly-trap, (Dioncea muscipula^) are fed
by the insects that their wonderful structure enables
them to catch. In conjunction with a friend, a few
years ago, I made most extensive and careful experiments
in our green-houses, covering a period of six months,
with several hundred plants of the Carolina Fly-trap, and
the result showed that of two lots, treated exactly in the
same manner, those fed with insects in no way differed
from those that were not so fed, which satisfied me that,
if the plants digested the insects placed in the leaf trap,
the food was in no way beneficial.
While these experiments were going on, they were
watched with great interest by hundreds, and nearly all
were convinced that the belief that any plants feed on
insects is'a delusion, although Mr. Darwin has written a
book of 400 pages in the attempt to prove it a fact. Still,
it may be presumption to question such an authority ;
and, as I had no other object in my experiments but to
get at the facts, I will be pleased, at any time, to furnish
any member of our Society enough plants of the Fly-trap
to experiment with, free of cost, so that this question
may be more definitely settled.
224 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
For hundreds of years the art of grafting and budding
has been practised, the object being to perpetuate varie-
ties that could not well be increased by cuttings or layers ;
and it had been almost universally believed, until a few
years ago, by nurserymen and gardeners, that the stock
in no manner affected the individuality of the variety
budded or grafted upon it, except to make it stronger or
weaker, according to the nature of the stock budded or
grafted upon.
But when Mr. Darwin, in 1868, issued his famous work
on " Animals and Plants under Domestication," he started
the theory of what is called "graft hybrids," and~gave a
number of instances, where seemingly there was amalga-
mation of the stock and graft. The most important case
instanced is where a Mr. Adam inserted a bud of Cytisus
purpureus into the Cytisus Laburnum, and the result
was that the bud, when it developed, had yellow and
purple racemes on different shoots ; on others the pur-
ple and yellow were intermingled on the same raceme,
and seemingly partook of the nature of both varieties.
Another case is instanced of the Bizzaria Orange, which
originated two hundred and fifty years ago in France,
on which Oranges and Citrons are found on the same
tree, distinct, and in some fruits blended.
Again, he cites various instances where the bud or
graft of a variegated plant has the effect of causing
variegation in the green-leaved stock. Nearly every
gardener is familiar with this. If he takes a green-
leaved, white-flowered Abutilon and grafts the Abutilon
Thompsonii on it, with its variegated leaves and orange
flowers, the variegation will affect the leaves of the white
variety, but no other change occurs ; the flowers hold
their own shape and color, and in no respect are they
changed. A variegated single white-flowered Oleander
POPULAR ERRORS AND SCIENTIFIC DOGMAS. 225
grafted on a plain-leaved red variety will, as in the
Abutilon, blotch the leaves, but will in no way change
the color or condition of the double red flower. So in
the case of Buist's variegated red Althea, when grafted
on a double white ; it in no other way affects the color
or doubleness of the flower, but it again blotches the
leaves white with the disease, variegation. I consider it
was most unfortunate for Mr. Darwin to have advanced
the peculiarity of variegated leaves as bearing on his
theory of "graft hybrids," for almost in every instance
where a variegated variety is grafted on a plain green-
leaved stock, it taints the healthy plant with variegation,
though it changes it in no other respect ; just as a small-
pox victim may be marked with that disease, but in no
other way changed.
Negative evidence is not usually good evidence, but
when we know that countless millions of fruits and flowers
have, in the past one hundred years, been budded and
grafted without the individuality of the variety being in
any way affected by the stock, and that only a few in-
stances, such as the Cytisus purpureus and the Bizzaria
Orange, can be cited as exceptions, is it not fair to infer
that these almost solitary cases are due to what Mr.
Darwin calls "Bud Variation ?" a condition by no means
uncommon in scores of families of plants which are never
budded or grafted. Nearly all of us see every season
scarlet, and scarlet and white striped Carnations on the
same plant. Dahlias are found crimson, crimson and
white, and sometimes almost white on the same plant.
Last spring we had plants of the double scarlet Hibiscus,
with scarlet, orange, and scarlet and orange — three
distinct kinds of flowers on the same plant ; and that
wonderful freak of nature, the striped Tea Rose,
American Banner, was a " sport " from a plant of Bon
226 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
Silene, and has no resemblance to it, either in flower or
foliage.
Scores of other instances could be cited, if time would
permit ; but enough has been shown, I think, at least to
throw doubt on the theory, that the stock affects the in-
dividuality of the graft. In the past quarter of a cen-
tury, millions upon millions of Bartlett Pears and Bald-
win Apples have been grafted upon millions of stocks;
and yet to-day they are as true to their individuality
as the Concord Grape or Wilson's Strawberry, that
are perpetuated by cuttings or runners, and not one of
them is in any way changed from what it was when it
first appeared, unless by the temporary accidents of soil
or climate.
I believe that the smallest or the greatest of God's
creations has a separate and distinct individuality, and
that they cannot be blended, except by generation, and
that the product of generation, whether in the lowest
microscopic germ, or in the highest type, man, has an
individuality distinct and separate that it cannot attach
to another.
HUMBUGS IN HORTICULTURE. 227
HUMBUGS IN HORTICULTURE,
BY PETER HENDERSON.
(An Essay Read at the Annual Meeting of the National Association
of Nurserymen, Florists, and Seedsmen, held at Chicago., 111.,
June 16, 1880.)
THE life-time experience of any man is not too short
to be imposed upon by many of the hundreds of old
varieties of fruits, flowers, or vegetables that are sent out
annually under new names. Any well-posted nursery-
man can easily detect when a Bartlett Pear or a Baldwin
Apple appears under a new name; or a florist, making a
specialty of Roses, knows, as, for example, when, some
years ago, the old Solfaterre Rose was sent out under the
name of "Augusta," (claiming it to be hardy in every
State of the Union, and sold as a great bargain at $5
apiece,) that the venders thereof were either swindlers or
entirely ignorant of the business they had embarked in;
or when the confiding market gardener is induced to buy
a new and superior Cabbage* or Tomato seed at $5 an
ounce, and finds them identical with varieties that he can
buy at half that price per pound, he has good reason to
come to the conclusion that the man from whom he
purchased was either a humbug or else unfitted, from his
ignorance, to engage in the business of a seedsman.
But, unfortunately, from the varied nature of these
impostures, it is exceedingly difficult to mete out justice,
to those who, knowingly or otherwise, place such swindles
on the horticultural community; for the man who grows
228 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
fruit trees is as likely to know as little about Roses as the
man who grows Roses is to know about fruit trees, and
either is less likely to be posted on the merits of vege-
tables. So, then, if the partly experienced horticulturist
may be imposed upon in such a way, how safe is the field
when the swindler tries his tricks on the general public.
The sharp man of the city falls as quickly into the
trap of the horticultural swindler as the veriest rustic,
because his city experience of impostures in other matters
helps him nothing in this. He may not be much troubled
when he sees a bootblack fall off the dock into the river,
particularly if his companion plays off the heroic role,
and plunges in after him to the rescue. He understands
it all, for both can swim like ducks, and there was no
more danger for the first than for the second, and none
for either. A well-stuffed pocket-book snatched from
under his feet is an incident that does not in the least
arouse his cupidity, for he has long been conversant with
the trick of the pocket-book dropper. The mock auc-
tioneer may scream himself hoarse, offering gold watches
at $5 apiece, and it hardly elicits a smile of derision. The
tears of the benighted orphan in search of his uncle does
not bring a dime from his pocket, for he understands it
all, together with a score more of the tricks of the great
city. But in the springtime, when his garden instincts
begin to bud, and he sees in some window in Broadway
flaming representations of fruits and flowers, he falls into
the trap and is ready for the spoiler.
Some years ago I had occasion to act as an amateur
detective in one of these horticultural swindling shops,
the owners of which are now known in New York as the
" Blue Rose Men." When I arrived, there were at least
a dozen ladies and gentlemen engaged in buying seeds,
bulbs, and plants, the flowers and fruits of which were
HUMBUGS IN HORTICULTURE. 229
represented by the pictures on the walls: for example,
Asparagus was shown as having shoots as thick as a
broom handle, the seeds of which were selling rapidly at
one cent apiece, warranted to produce a crop in three
months from the time of sowing; an old lady had just
become the possessor of $5 worth, and seemed delighted
with her bargain.
One of the most attractive pictures on the wall was an
immense colored engraving, showing a tree, on which
Strawberries were growing, and as big as Oranges. My
gaze was attracted to a handsome plate of Blue Moss
Roses, and I modestly asked the price of the plants. The
polite Frenchman (who was doing the principal selling
for the concern) whisked out from beneath the table
three plants, representing them to be Moss Roses, (which,
by-the-way, were all alike, and were all our common
Prairie Rose,) and said, " This one, he bloom only once,
I tell you the truth, so I sell him for two dollar. This
one, he be the Remontant, he bloom twice — just twice —
I sell him for three dollar; but this one, he be the ever-
blooming, perpetual Blue Moss Rose, he bloom all the
time, he cheap at $5." I quietly remarked, if it bloomed
all the time, why was it not blooming now ? He looked
at me pityingly, and said, " My dear sir, you expect too
much. These Moss Rose just come over in the ship
from Paris. You take him home and plant him, and he
bloom right away, and he keep on blooming." I did not
take him home, but I took the story, something in the
shape it is now told, and had it published in one of the lead-
ing New York papers, and in less than a week the " Blue
Rose Men " had pulled up stakes, but, no doubt, to pitch
their camp somewhere else, and set their traps for fresh
victims. The " Blue Rose Men n are very impartial in
their wanderings, and rarely omit a city of any size,
230 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
beginning usually in New Orleans in January, rounding
northward, and ending up with Philadelphia, New York,
and Boston through April and May.
These humbugs in horticulture have their comical side.
The other year, in passing St. Paul's Church, (Broadway,)
New York, I saw an old negro squatted on the pavement
with a great bundle of plants, carefully mossed up, lying
alongside of him. On inquiring what they were, he said
they were Rose bushes; Rose bushes having all the attri-
butes wanted in a Rose, fragrance, hardiness, and ever-
blooming, and the price but fifty cents apiece. He had
got them, he said, from the boss, and was selling them on
a commission. The poor darkey was only an innocent
agent. He no doubt believed he was selling Rose bushes,
but the boss, whoever he might be, undoubtedly knew
better, for the plants were not Roses at all, but the com-
mon Cat Brier, (Smilax sarsaparilla^) one of the worst
pests of our hedgerows, but the plant of which is near
enough in appearance to a Rose to deceive the ordinary
city merchant.
That same season at every prominent street corner
could be seen the venders of the ''Alligator Plant," which
some enterprising genius had cut by the wagon load from
the Jersey swamps, and dealt them out to those who
retailed them on the street.
The " Alligator Plant " was sold in lengths of twelve to
twenty inches, at from twenty-five to fifty cents apiece,
according to its straightness and length; and by the
number engaged in the business, hundreds of dollars'
worth must have been sold. The "Alligator Plant" is
the rough, triangular branches of the Sweet Gum Tree,
(Liquidambar styraciflua^) common in most parts of the
country. There is no doubt whatever that these pieces
of stick have been planted by thousands during the last
HUMBUGS IN HORTICULTURE. 23!
two years in the gardens in and around New York, with
about as much chance of their growing as the fence
pickets.
The bulb peddlers, a class of itinerant swindlers,
deserve brief attention. They have always some won-
derful novelty in bulbs; and their mode of operating, to
the uninitiated, has a semblance of fairness, as they are
liberal fellows, and frankly offer to take one-half cash on
delivery, and if the goods do not come up to the repre-
sentation, the other half need not be paid. For example,
when the Gold-banded Japan Lily was first introduced,
bulbs the size of hickory nuts sold at $250 per hundred.
About that time one of these worthies came along with
samples of a Lily of fine size and appearance, with which,
he said, he had just arrived from Japan. There was no
doubt of its genuineness, for he had seen it in flower.
He had a large stock, and would sell at $100 per hundred,
but he was willing to take half that amount down, and
the other half when it flowered and had proved correct.
It did not prove correct, and he never called. The bulb
he sold was the common White Lily, (Lilium candidum^
which is sold everywhere at $5 or $6 per hundred. These
same scamps flood the rural districts every year with
blue Gladiolus, scarlet Tuberoses, and other absurdities
in bulbs and seeds, usually on the same terms of one-half
cash down, the other half when the rara avis has feathered
out. It is needless to say that they never try it twice on
the same victim, but avail themselves of our broad conti-
nent to seek out new fields for their operations.
One of the most successful swindlers of this type was
Comanche George, whose fame became national. George
made his advent in New York in 1876. He was, he said,
a Texas scout, and for years his rifle, revolver, and bowie
knife had been the terror of the red men; but one day,
232 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
in his rambles on the lone Texas prairies, his eye was
arrested by a flower, whose wonderful coloring eclipsed the
rainbow, and whose delicate perfume was wafted over
the Brazos for leagues; in short, never before had eye
of mortal rested on such a flower. The man of war was
subdued. He betook himself to the peaceful task of
gathering seed, and turned his steps to the haunts of
civilized man to distribute it.
We first heard of him iri Washington, where he wished
to place it in the hands of the government, and accord-
ingly offered it to Mr. William Smith, Superintendent of
the Botanic Gardens there; but the government, so Smith
said, was not just then in a position to buy, and with his
advice George trimmed his sails for New York and a
market. His success in Baltimore and Philadelphia was
so great (where he started the sale of the seeds at two
cents apiece)that it induced him, when he struck New York,
to advance the price to five cents a seed. He put up at
one of the best hotels, and claimed that for a month his
sales of the seed of the Cockatelle — the beautiful Texas
flower — reached $50 a day. But his success threw him
off his balance; he took to fire water, and in an unguarded
moment fell into the hands of a newspaper man, who
extracted from him all the facts connected with the enter-
prise. George never was a scout, had never been in
Texas, but he had been a good customer to the various
seedsmen of the different cities, where his purchases of
Okra or Gumbo seed, at about fifty cents a pound, had
made nearly a dearth of the article. His victims (whose
names he gave by the score, and which were duly chroni-
cled in the newspaper article referred to) were from all
classes: the enterprising florist, who secretly went into it
in a wholesale way, with a view to outwit his less fortunate
fellows; the grandee of Fifth Avenue, who anticipated a
HUMBUGS IN HORTICULTURE. 233
blaze of beauty on his lawn; the hotel man, whose win-
dow boxes were to perfume the air; all had fallen easy
victims to the wiles of Comanche George. George dis-
appeared from New York, though there is but little doubt
that his business had been too successful for him to
abandon it. A newspaper paragraph, cut from a paper
last week, which reads as follows, looks as if it might
be the Texas scout in a somewhat different role:
"The prepossessing appearance, gentlemanly demeanor,
and foreign accent of the man who called himself Carlo
Corella, botanist to the Court of Brazil, convinced a
number of wealthy San Francisco ladies that he was
truthful. He said to each that the failure of a remittance
compelled him to sell some rare bulbs of Brazilian Lilies,
which he had intended to present to Mrs. R. B. Hayes.
' The flower/ says the Chronicle, ' was to be a great scarlet
bell, with ecru ruchings on the petals, a solferino frill
around the pistil, and a whole bottle of perfumery in each
stamen.' He sold about fifty almost worthless bulbs at
$4 each."
The nurserymen present are no doubt better posted in
the swindles practised in their particular department
than I am; but operators engage in different lines in
different parts of the country: for example, we have
never yet seen in the Eastern States any one trying to
sell an apple tree bearing blue apples as big as melons,
as we were told, at our meeting at Cleveland last year,
had been successfully done in Ohio and Illinois. Still
we have men of fair ability in the nursery swindling line,
one of whom last winter succeeded in disposing of hun-
dreds of winter-bearing grapes, by carrying with him a
few good bunches of the white Malaga of the shops.
One great detriment, not only to the florist, but to the
purchaser, is begotten of these swindles in horticulture.
234 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
The purchaser of flowers in our markets must have his
plants in bloom, because he has been at times so swindled
that he must now see what he buys. In New York, the
amateur rarely buys from the grower, but from the agent
or middleman who sells in the market stands or street
corners. These, whether men or women, are generally
entirely ignorant of the nature of plants, and most of
them have no responsibility, and they rarely fail to make
their wares accord with the wants of the purchaser: nearly
every plant is hardy, ever-blooming, and has all the
qualities desired by the buyer.
But now and then these swindles become a serious
matter to the victim. Some years ago a typical English-
man, who had been a green grocer in Covent Garden
Market, London, found his way to New York. He at
once discovered an almost entire absence of Cauliflowers
in our markets, and what few there were, were sold at
prices four timer, those of London. He soon made up
his mind to make his fortune, and, at the same time,,
show the Yankees something they did not know. He
duly selected and prepared the ground for an acre, and
one day in May he sallied into the market to procure his
Cauliflower plants. This he found no difficulty in doing,
for at Dutch Peggy's (in those days the headquarters for
all kinds of herbs, plants, and seeds) they were to be seen
by the wagon load. Tei* thousand were procured, the
quantity for his acre, and, duly planted, they began to
grow apace. He had planted the ist of May. If it had
been in England, his Cauliflower heads would have
been ready about the ist of July, but something was
evidently wrong in the Yankee climate. His Cauli-
flowers grew through June, through July into August,
only to develop into fine specimens of Drumhead Cab-
bage, then of hardly the value he had paid for them as
HUMBUGS IN HORTICULTURE. 235
Cauliflower plants. He got out of the business thoroughly
disgusted; and in telling his sorrowful tale to me a year
afterward, he related that when he went to expostulate
with old Peggy about having blasted his prospects, before
he could get a word said, she recognized him as a cus-
tomer, and demanded to know if he did not again want
spme more early Cauliflower plants.
I have said old Peggy was also a vender of seeds. It
is now something over thirty years ago that a young
florist presented himself before her and purchased an
ounce of Mignonette. Ever alive to business, Peggy
asked him if he had tried the new red Mignonette. He
protested there was no such thing, but Peggy's candid
manner persuaded him, and fifty cents were invested.
The seed looked familiar, and when it sprouted it looked
more familiar; when it bloomed it was far too familiar,
for it was Red Clover. Peggy has long since been
gathered to her fathers, and I have entirely forgiven her
for selling me the red Mignonette.
Perhaps there is no swindling that is more extensively
practised, and which so cruelly injures the operators of
the soil, as that of adulteration in fertilizers. The great
mass of our farmers and gardeners are poor men, who
can ill afford even to pay for the pure fertilizers necessary
to grow their crops, and to pay money and high freights
on adulterations worse than useless, is hard indeed. The
ignorance of those dealing in such wares does much to
spread the evil. A fellow came into my office last summer
with samples of a fertilizer, nicely put up in cans, which
he claimed could be sold in immense quantities by the
seedsmen, as it had not only the wonderful properties
of invigorating and stimulating all planted crops, but that
it at the same time would kill all noxious weeds. I need
not say that he had waked up the wrong passenger, and
236 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
that he made a rapid movement toward the door. Yet,
notwithstanding the impudence and absurdity of such a
claim, the scamp was enabled to prowl around the vicinity
of New York for weeks, and, undoubtedly, sold to hun-
dreds. If he had said he had a cannon from which,
when grape shot was fired into a crowd, it killed only
enemies — never friends — the one claim would have been
as reasonable as the other.
There is another species of humbugging, which, though
it can hardly be called swindling, is somewhat akin to it.
I refer to the men who claim to have secrets by which
they can accomplish extraordinary results in the propa-
gation and culture of plants. I can well remember, in
my early days, that the nursery propagator was looked
upon as a sort of demi-god, possessing secrets known
only to himself and a favored few, whose interest it
was to continue to throw dust in the eyes of every young
aspirant after knowledge. The door of the propagating
house was locked and bolted, as if it were a Bastile, and
even the proprietor (if he were unfortunate enough not
to have practical knowledge) was allowed entrance only
as a special favor; for his propagator was an autocrat,
of whom he stood in awe and reverence. But since the
advent of horticultural publications in America, particu-
larly during the past fifteen or twenty years, the "secrets "
of these pretentious fellows have had such ventilation,
that now nearly every operation of the green-house is as
well understood by the tens of thousands engaged in the
business, as the operation of the farm is by the farmer.
The most of these pretenders to this secret knowledge
of horticulture are foreigners, though occasionally a native
tries it on. Some fifteen years ago, when the grape-vine
mania was at its height, an old Connecticut Yankee pre-
tended he had discovered a new method of propagating
HUMBUGS IN HORTICULTURE. 237
the grape, which he would impart for a consideration to
the highest bidder. He issued a profusion of hand bills
to the trade, asking for bids, modestly requesting the
receiver of the hand bill to hang it up in a conspicuous
place.
I sent my copy to my friend Meehan, of the Gardener's
Monthly, saying that the pages of that magazine were
the most conspicuous place I knew of to comply with the
wish of the old gentleman. Mr. Meehan not only in-
serted the advertisement gratis, and in the most conspicu-
ous manner, but he did more, for he appended below the
advertisement a few remarks I had ventured to make on
the subject. This opened the ball, and for six months
the pages of the Gardener s Monthly became the battle
ground for the opinions of the discoverer and myself.
But the gratuitous advertisement did not avail him much,
for he and his secret soon passed into oblivion, and was
heard from no more. There are no secrets in horticul-
ture. The laws that govern the germination of a seed,
the rooting of a cutting, or the taking of a bud or graft,
are the same now as they were a thousand years ago,
and anyone pretending to have any secret knowledge in
the matter is either an ignoramus or an impostor.
Since the above was written several other swindling
schemes have been perpetrated. Among others, the bulb
man has turned up again. Having for the time being
become too well known in the city, he has betaken him-
self to the rural districts, where he plied his trade last
fall most successfully, rinding his victims chiefly among
confiding women. Taking pattern of the " Blue Rose
Man," he has provided himself with gaudy pictures of
impossible Lilies, which ought to deceive none but the
thoughtless or ignorant. As a matter of precaution, it
may be well to describe his methods of operating. His
238 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
first move is to learn the names of the wealthiest and best
known people in the neighborhood. He then begins his
canvass, calling at houses where he has reason to believe
none of the male members of the family are at home. He
has just returned from California, where he had the great
good fortune to discover three kinds of the most gorgeous
of all Lilies, hitherto entirely unknown, and now for the
first and only time offered for sale. Their size is immense,
the colors gorgeous, and the fragrance lovely. No such
Lilies have been seen before. He has sold Mrs. Brown,
and Mrs. Smith, and Mrs. Jones (naming well-known
neighbors) bulbs of each of the three kinds at four and
five dollars a bulb; but as he has only a few left, and is
anxious to get home, he will sell the remainder at two
and three dollars each. His victims hesitate in doubt a
few moments, and then drop into the net. I had the
pleasure of blocking this fellow's game in one instance,
appearing on the scene just in time to do so. In one
locality, within my personal knowledge, this man sold
dozens of these bulbs to confiding victims. I saw some
of these "gorgeous" new California Lilies when they came
into flower, and they were all neither more nor less than
the common white garden Lily, (Lilium candidum^ fine
bulbs of which can always be bought for twenty cents
or less.
Another instance maybe mentioned, in which the rogue
offered for sale, at a dollar a paper, the seed of a variety
of Mignonette, even more famous than the red Mignon-
ette of Aunt Peggy, mentioned above. This bore mag-
nificent spikes of flowers, nearly two feet long and of
delicious fragrance.
A lady friend, one of his victims, carefully sowed the
seeds, and waited anxiously for the appearance of the
plants. The seedlings proved to be so vigorous that she
HUMBUGS IN HORTICULTURE. 239
ventured to separate and transplant them in the open
border. They grew and grew till they finally rivaled in
growth the famous mustard seed mentioned in the good
Book. The reader will probably smile when I tell him
that this famous Mignonette proved to be Pearl Millet.
The following from the New York Tribune of February
1 9th, 1882, shows that occasionally these enterprising
gentlemen receive their deserts:
" The case of John Harrison, the industrious seed
peddler, who was locked up in Newark the other day, is
one which calls for commiseration. It was a propitious
season for business in his line, for the near approach of
spring had begun to warm up the desire to worry the
soil and plant something, a desire that slumbers in the
bosom of every man or woman who is the proprietor of a
garden, a back yard, or even of a flower pot. Our vender
was therefore driving a brisk trade, when he was arrested
for obtaining money under false pretenses. The pretense
and falsehood charged were Mr. Harrison's statement
that his seeds, when dropped into water or earth, would
speedily germinate and grow into a bush, which would
suddenly burst into beautiful and fragrant bloom, and
then bear a rich fruitage of * wash-rags;' a crop which at
once commended itself to the cleanly and thrifty house-
wives of New Jersey. Now there is a well-known vine
of the cucumber family which flourishes in the West
Indies, and bears a gourd-like fruit, the spongy lining of
whose tough shell is used by the simple islanders to brush
their huts with when they have any, and for toilet and
culinary cleansing as well. Mr. Harrison's descriptions
of this vegetable may have been a trifle too eloquent, but
surely a merciful magistrate would consider this nothing
more than justifiable professional exaggeration. Any one
who has been attacked by a roving tree agent, armed with
240 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
a book full of colored lithographic plates of trees clad
with rainbow-hued foliage, and decorated still further
with fruit of marvelous shape and bulk, will under-
stand that Mr. Harrison is not a unique sinner, but
simply a man who understands his business."
This list of humbugs on horticultural subjects might
be greatly extended, but perhaps enough has been said
to put the intelligent and thoughtful reader on his guard
in the future.
DRAINING. 241
DRAINING.
THIS is one of the most important operations in horti-
culture. No matter how fertile the normal condition of
the soil ; no matter how abundantly it is fertilized ; no
matter how carefully and thoroughly it is tilled, if water
remain in it at the depth at which roots penetrate, all
labor will be in vain ; for no satisfactory result can ever
be attained until the water is drained off. The subject is
one of such importance that we cannot give it full atten-
tion here, and to such as need to operate on a large
scale, works specially devoted to the subject should be
consulted, or a draining engineer employed. Soils hav-
ing a gravelly or sandy sub-soil ten or twenty inches
below the top soil do not usually need draining, but in
all soils underlaid by clay or hard pan, draining is indis-
pensable, unless in cases where there is a slope of two to
three feet in a hundred ; and even in such cases drain-
ing is beneficial if the sub-soil is clay.
In soils having a clay or hard-pan sub-soil, drains
should be made three feet deep, and not more than
twenty feet apart. If stones are plenty, they may be
profitably used to fill up the drains, say to a depth of
twelve or fifteen inches, either placed so as to form a
"rubble " drain, if the stones are round, or built with an
orifice at the bottom, if the stones are flat. In either
case care must be used to cover the stones carefully up
with inverted sods, or some material that will prevent the
soil being washed through the stones and choking up
the drain.
242 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
Drain tiles, when they can be obtained at a reasonable
price, are the best material for draining. A horse-
shoe pattern is generally used. If the drain has a
hard bottom they can be placed directly on it when
leveled to the proper grade; but if the ground is soft and
spongy, a board must be laid in the bottom, on which to
place the tiles. It is often a very troublesome matter to
get the few drain tiles necessary to drain a small garden,
and in such cases an excellent and cheap substitute can
be had by using one of boards. Take ordinary rough
boards, Pine, Hemlock, or Spruce, and cut them into
widths of three or four inches, and nail them together so
as to form a triangular pipe, taking care to " break the
joints " in putting the lengths together. Care must be
taken that the boards are not nailed together too closely,
else they might swell so as to prevent the water passing
into the drain to be carried off. These drains are usually
set with a flat side down, but they will keep clear better
if put with a point down, though it is more trouble to
lay them. Drains made in this way will last twenty
years or more.
Of course, in draining, the greater the fall that can be
got the better, though, if the grading is carefully done
by a competent engineer, a very slight fall will suffice.
Some of the trunk or main sewers in our cities have only
a grade of one foot in a thousand.
Drainage in flower pots is essential for most plants,
whenever the pot is over five inches in diameter. Char-
coal broken into pieces from one-half to one inch in
diameter I prefer to every other kind of drainage, which
should be in depth from one inch to four inches, accord-
ing to the size of the pot to be drained, an extra quantity
being necessary if the plant is being shifted into a pot
too large ; then ample drainage is indispensable to ad-
DRAINING. 243
mit of the quick escape of water. This drainage, so
called, is not alone of use as a means for the rapid es-
cape of water, but also for the admission of air to the
roots, which brings in another important matter in con-
nection with the drainage in pots, the necessity of stand-
ing the pots on some rough material, (when solid benches
are used in the green-house, or when placed in the open
air in beds,) such as gravel or cinders ; for if placed on
sand, soil, or anything that will close up the orifice in the
bottom of the pot, all the drainage placed in it will avail
nothing. It is far better to use no drainage at all, and
stand the pots on a rough surface, than to use the drain-
age and place the plants on some material that will close
the outlet. If, however, the bench is formed of slate, or
boards that have been cemented over, so as to form a
smooth surface, there is no necessity for placing any
gravel or other rough material under the pots, as such
a surface will allow the water to pass from the pots more
freely than if anything, such as gravel, were placed
under them. For very large pots slatted benches are
best.
Many years ago, in some of my first writings on the
subject of drainage in pots, I admit to having taken
rather too radical ground against the practice, because,
in those days, everybody almost used to "crock " or drain
the very smallest pots. The absurdity of this soon
became apparent to me, as I found that, with hardly an
exception, for plants in pots up to the size of four inches,
it was worse than useless to drain; and as all my practice,
up to that time, had been with pots but little larger than
four inches, I rather rashly jumped to the conclusion
that, in our warm, dry atmosphere, the European practice
of crocking all sizes of flower pots might be wholly dis-
pensed with here ; but added experience showed that,
244 GARDEN AND FARM TOPICS.
even in our dry atmosphere, flower pots of five inches
diameter and upward, in which are grown Roses or
other plants whose roots are sensitive to moisture, had
better be crocked or drained. It is not pleasant to
admit an error, particularly when promulgated in print
for the " instruction " of others; but it is better to make
what amend is possible by making the acknowledgment,
than to continue to stick to opinions before given when
there is reason to believe these were formed in error.
THE END.
GAEDEIIIG- EOE PROFIT.
BY
PETER HENDERSON.
To such as are intending to begin the business of
Market Gardening, we offer for their instruction our
work "Gardening for Profit," published first in 1866,
and a new edition in 1873. " Gardening for Profit" has
had a larger sale, probably, than any work ever published
on the subject of Horticulture. Upward of fifty thousand
copies have been sold, and we have hundreds of grateful
testimonials from those who have been benefited by its
teachings. The subjects of its contents are:
The Men fitted for the Business. — Amount of Capital required and
Working Force per Acre. — Profits of Market Gardening. — The
Market Gardens near London. — Location, Situation, and Laying
Out. — Soils, Drainage, and Preparation. — Manures. — Imple-
ments.— The Uses and Management of Cold Frames. — The
Formation and Management of Hot-beds. — Forcing Pits and
Green-houses. — Seeds and Seed Raising. — How, When, and
Where to Sow Seeds. — Transplanting. — Packing of Vegetables
for Shipping. — Preservation of Vegetables in Winter. — Insects. —
Vegetables ; their Variety and Cultivation. — Monthly Calendar
of Operations.
Sent postpaid on receipt of $1.50.
PETER HENDERSON & CO.,
35 & 37 Cortlandt St., New York.
PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE,
BY
PETER HENDERSON.
The first edition was published in 1868, the second
edition in 1873, and the third edition in December, 1878.
It was written to teach how flowers and plants can best
be "grown for profit." The success of this book has
been fully as marked as that of "Gardening for Profit,"
when we consider that it only refers to a business exclu-
sively a luxury. Upward of thirty thousand copies of
this work have been sold, and it has been the means of
establishing thousands of persons in an agreeable, and,
in a majority of cases, profitable business. Its contents
embrace: *
Aspect and Soil. — Laying out the Lawn and Flower Garden. —
Designs for Ornamental Grounds. — Planting of Flower Beds. —
Soils for Potting. — Temperature and Moisture. — The Potting oi
Plants. — Cold Frames; Winter Protection. — Construction of
Hot-beds. — Green-house Structures. — Green-houses attached to
Dwellings. — Modes of Heating. — Base Burning Water Heater. —
Propagation of Plants by Seeds. — What Varieties come True
from Seed. — Propagation of Plants by Cuttings. — How Plants
and Flowers are Grown. — Propagation of Lilies. — Culture of the
Rose. — Culture of the Verbena. — Culture of the Tuberose. —
Orchid Culture. — Holland Bulbs. — Cape Bulbs; Varieties and
Culture. — Culture of Winter-Flowering Plants — Construction
of Bouquets, Baskets, etc. — Wire Designs for Cut Flowers. —
Hanging Baskets. — Parlor and Window Gardening. — Wardian
Cases Ferneries; etc. — Formation of Rockwork. — Insects. —
Are Plants Injurious to Health ? — Nature's Law of Colors. —
Packing Plants.— Plants by Mail.— The Profits cf Floricul-
ture,,— How to Become a Florist. — Short Descriptions of Soft-
Wooded or Bedding Plants of the Leading Kinds. — What
Flowers will Grow in the Shade. — Green-house and Stove or
Hot-house Plants. — Annuals, Hardy Herbaceous, Perennial and
Biennial Plants, Ornamental Shrubs and Climbers. — Culture of
Grape Vines under Glass. — Diary of Operations for Each Day in
the Year.
Sent postpaid on receipt of $1.50.
PETER HENDERSON & CO.,
35 & 37 Cortlandt St., New York.
&AEDEHI& FOR PLEASURE.
BY
PETER HENDERSON.
This book was written by Mr. Henderson in 1875,
to meet the wants of those desiring information on gar-
dening for their private use, and who had no desire to
make it a business. It is flattering to state that the
demand for this book, for the time it has been issued,
has been greater than either of its predecessors. Its
scope of subjects is naturally greater than either "Garden-
ing for Profit" or "Practical Floriculture," as it embraces
directions for the propagation and culture of fruit, flowers,
and. vegetables. Its contents include :
Soil and Location. — Drainage. — Preparation of the Ground. — Walks.
— Manures. — How to Use Concentrated Fertilizers. — Special
Fertilizers for Particular Plants. — The Lawn. — Design for Gar-
den.— Planting of Lawns and Flower Beds. — Fall or Holland
Bulbs. — Propagation of Plants by Seeds. — Propagation of Plants
by Cuttings. — Propagating by Layering. — About Grafting and
Budding. — How Grafting and Budding are Done. — Treatment
of Tropical Bulbs, Seeds, etc. — The Potting of Plants. — Winter-
Flowering Plants. — Unhealthy Plants ; the Remedy. — Plants
Suited for Summer Decoration. — Hanging Baskets. — Window
Gardening. — Parlor Gardening, or the Cultivation of Plants in
Rooms. — Wardian Cases.— Ferneries. — Jardinieres. — Winter-
Forcing the Lily of the Valley. — Green-houses attached to
Dwellings. — A Detached Green-house or Grapery. — Heating by
Hot Water. — Green-house. Pits without Artificial Heat. — Com-
bined Cellar and Green-house. — Hot-beds. — Shrubs. — Climbers
and Trees. — Hardy Herbaceous Perennials. — Annual Flowering
Plants. — Flowers which will Grow in the Shade. — Insects. —
Mildew. — Frozen Plants. — Mulching. — Are Plants in Rooms
Injurious to Health?— Shading.— The Laws of Color in Flowers.
— Pruning. — Hardy Grapes. — Cold Grapery. — The Hot-house or
Forcing Grapery. — The Strawberry. — Cottage Gardening; a
Digression. — The Vegetable Garden. — Garden Implements. —
Monthly Calendar of Operations.
Sent postpaid on receipt of $1.50.
PETER HENDERSON &. CO.,
35 & 37 Cortlandt St., New York.
HENDERSON'S
HANDBOOK OE PLANTS.
BY
PETER HENDERSON.
This new work is designed to fill a want that many amateur and pro-
fessional Horticulturists have often felt, the need of a concise
yet comprehensive Dictionary of Plants. The work above named,
written and compiled with great care, we think will fully meet
such a want.
The scope of the work embraces the Botanical Name, Derivation,
Linnsean and Natural Ciders of Botany of all the Leading Genera
of Ornamental and Useful Plants, up to the present time, (com-
prising every plant of importance relating to the mechanic arts,
as well as to the green-house and vegetable garden,) with concise
instructions for propagation and culture. A valuable feature of
the book, particularly to amateurs, is the great care that has been
given to obtain all known local or common names; and a compre-
hensive glossary of Botanical and Technical terms is also given,
which will be found of great value even to the experienced Hor-
ticulturist.
As a book of reference, HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF
PLANTS will take the place, for all practical purposes, of the
expensive and voluminous European works of this kind, as it has
been written with a view to meet the wants of those engaged in
Horticulture in this country. Instructions for the culture of
many important plants have been given at length.
HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS is a large octavo
volume of 412 pages, printed on fine white paper, and handsomely
bound in cloth.
We will forward the book, postpaid by mail, on receipt of $3.00; or
we will send it, as well as any or ail of our other books, as a
Premium on orders for Seeds or Plants selected from our
Catalogue of "EVERYTHING FOR THE GARDEN." Full informa-
tion as to how these Book Premiums may be obtained will be
found in the Catalogue, which we shall be pleased to send to any
address free of charge.
PETER HENDERSON dt CO.,
35 & 37 Cortlandt St., New York.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE
STAMPED BELOW
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