a ¥
. ' . eng Lenn . ’ ra
;
.
.
=
4
'
Lab nd “4 ee et |
” ony ae ‘one * eal " ve Ay f , a winady te Py eeannta Never sr) War y= wal mit “vow ae
: shaltet ik Sy sak alle tim alee weal TS
i ieiiee italien i eine elie ais me: eee oe, be eran un ee Lon
re.
A i .
co a"
od +
id os “ J
* ee
ary
= as %
,
=
=
,
-
=
a
ar
2 4 a
Pia yee L- a ae
7 » car
7) = Tis ave r
RS he Aw
Gardening for Pleasure.
A GUIDE TO THE AMATEUR IN THE
FRUIT, VEGETABLE, AND FLOWER GARDEN,
WITH FULL DIRECTIONS FOR THE
GREENHOUSE, CONSERVATORY, AND WINDOW-GARDEN.
C
BY
PETER HENDERSON,
AUTHOR OF ‘GARDENING FOR PROFIT,’’ AND ‘‘ PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE,”
JERSEY CITY HEIGHTS, N. J.
ILLUSTRATED.
NEW YORE:
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY,
| 245 BROADWAY.
1880.
'
Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, by the
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
CONTENTS.
_ Introduction........ ere mere etre Soe em fo ain oan ache one ~ 10
CHAPTER III
ee PENSMRE TR SEIHEMEE <5 > po 52-6 aos = cee wee) Swe aedies Woe tenes ees 13
CHAPTER IV
ee ee a to ee ee rer 14
! CHAPTER V
_ Manures............ .......---+-+-- Maebnas PELE Se Se Oe eee ee 16
a CHAPTER VI.
a a enemmmmeminettes! Wertuizers . : 2-2. fc. f.5 5 ono tan ne sae eee eee ene 18
= : CHAPTER VIL.
> Special Fertilizers for Particular Plants...................22.2222 22+ eeeeeee 21
aa CHAPTER VIII.
a The Lawn......: ee ee ds eugene. see Meee wk te eee eS 22
= ‘CHAPTER IX.
sees ee eee eee ee sree ee eeteseeessee sss sees eeseezreeteeeserserFeenese
IV GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER XVII.
Treatment of Tropical Bulbs, Seeds, etc.--. _-...-._ eee ee 57
: CHAPTER XVIII.
The Potting of Plants. ............6.- 02-02. ees ee 60
CHAPTER XIx
Winter Flowering Plants.....-.: 2.:...2--:-- seen 25) cE nee 62
CHAPTER XX.
Unhealthy Plants—The Remedy.....c....... -.coeges sega 67
CHAPTER see
Plants Suited for Summer Decoration... 2 = "gece eee 69
CHAPTER XXII
Hanging Baskets... .. 5s. sou. 2:02 sos aS ee 72
CHAPTER XXIII
Window Gardening. ... 0... 0.2 --3 a.22s-n = ee eee 75
CHAPTER XXIV.
Parlor Gardening, or the Cultivation of Plants in Rooms.................... 77
CHAPTER XXyV.
Wardian Cases, Ferneries, Jardinieres. ... <<. 2... 2... 2s sees eee aPeae s “
CHAPTER XXYVI.
Winter-Forcing the Lily of the Valley .-.=..-2.2.2_3- 2 eee ee, he aa 84
CHAPTER XXVIL.
Greenhouses Attached to Dwellings..................... ate aiieiiiaies ane a ate 87
CHAPTER XXVIIL.
A Detached Greenhouse or Grapery ..2..-...-- 2 eee 90
CHAPTER XXIX
Heating by Hot Water.... ..-..2.... .. i ee 95
CHAPTER XXX.
Greenhouse or Pits Without Artificial Heat_..- 5.) ee 98
CHAPTER XXXI.
Combined Cellar and Greenhouse. ......:.....5..... eee 99
CHAPTER XXXII.
Hot-Beds 12... 05... se ewae coach see c cncate suas 2 ee 102
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Shrubs, Climbers, and Trees... . -.... .J..c22 0 1 104
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Hardy Herbaceous Perennials. .-...... 2.2. oo 107
) CHAPTER XXxV
Annnal Flowering Plants ;... ... 2 22 eee - asim a aiaaieeie Brae Shee as 1a
CHAPTER XXXVI.
Flowers which will Grow in the Shade
Insects
y ie ;
CONTENTS. Vv
CHAPTER XXXVIII -
DRS an ee ae Gein ees wed satewies ot 120
CHAPTER XXXIX.
I aa iw hoe areca dame nene Vaucedaaicd & secceer 121
CHAPTER XL
aa, EI SS ee 122
CHAPTER XLI.
Are Plants in Rooms Injurious to Health....... ........ eM BIO Aa Rea 124
CHAPTER XLII
ee rin a Cee wives wclcdae «cma sred ve aiacevacecccecc cs 125
CHAPTER XLII.
=e uaw Of Colors in Flowers.......... ........... gr a ee 128
CHAPTER XLIV
ee coat wale haf wa oo 8d week elie cacenaes Wee cccencnk 133
CHAPTER XLV
EE Es eg Son yale cis nueva Pee con oewe lace. 138
a : CHAPTER XLVI
ns eo ccs oni coe coe We ev bev kbc owe nek ccccecch 144
CHAPTER XLVII.
Seeeeenneme Gr Porcine Grapery..... 026. . s w e en eenc ccc ceece cece 150
CHAPTER XLVIII
I Sede esi cro inms pwn dejan a w'sigio vnc pins oSGece's dele selene 153
| 3 CHAPTER XLIX.
Se @otmge-Gardening—A Digression............-.2. 0... .ec eee eee eeee cece ieee 1%5
a CHAPTER L.
PEMEERIanCARCT. ....- 0. ---- 24-220 c+ eer nee neeccecnccsscuccccecceececs 177
ys CHAPTER LI
‘ Garden Implements cg ee: Phot megma ran tolista mle) sla atin 6 ele Me aie aie taers w cis cieXow «hs 223
Semarithiy Calendar of Operations..................----scseecceecececccsscseces 234
rer oDpUCTION.
[have endeavoredin writing ‘‘ Gardening for Pleasure,”
to divest it, as faras I was competent to do so, of the
technical terms and phrases which professional gar-
deners use in writing or talking on matters relating to
horticulture ; and to use the plainest language at my
command in describing the simplest methods of culture.
Whether I have succeeded in making the subject as clear
as I have desired to do, those who read the work must
decide.
My aim in writing the book was to make it such as
would be useful to the occupant of a city lot, or to the
possessor of a few window plants, as well as to the owner
of a country residence that is fully appointed in all mat-
ters relating to the cultivation of flowers, fruits, and
vegetables. ‘I'he necessity for such a book has been made
evident to me by the inquiries from hundreds of ama-
teurs in gardening ; inquiries to many of which neither
of my previous works, (‘‘Gardening for Profit,” or
“* Practical Floriculture,’”’) furnished proper replies; the
one being written mainly for information of the vegetable
market gardener, and the other for the commercial florist.
PETER HENDERSON.
_ JERSEY City, N. J., Oct., 1875.
ay =
td ce ae .
ps oe
Gardening for Pleasure.
CHAPTER I.
a er ae
a -~ Pa — ~ 2 ‘ ‘ ~ — ~
io ‘ . af EER RIED Be E54 SN ERP Oe Cpe og
sa ry =
SOIL AND LOCATION.
It is rare in determining the site for a residence, that
the soil is taken into consideration, and in consequence,
we sometimes find that the garden surrounding the
house presents a barren appearance, that nothing can
remedy short of the placing a foot of good soil over the
whole surface. This condition is not so often due
to the natural poverty of the soil, as caused by grading
off the surface soil, or by filling up to the desired grade
_-with the material thrown out in excavating the cellars,
: or other subsoil, clay, or gravelly material, and placing
these over the soil intended for the garden. This is
often done for the convenience of contractors, to the
great injury of the proprietor, without either being.
aware of the bad results: As a good soil will tend more
than all else to give satisfactory results in garden opera-
_ tions, it is all important to secure it. When discretion
_ can be used in deciding on a location, one should be
_ chosen that has naturally a suitable soil, rather than to
attempt to make it so by carting a foot of good soil over
the bad, which would be found not only very expensive,
but in many situations, next to impracticable. I have
(9)
=
PAPEL AGE de MB ea
10 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
before said, in some of my writings on this subject, that
the soil best suited for all garden purposes, is what is
known ag “‘sandy loam,” not less than ten inches deep,
overlying a subsoil of sand or gravel. Such a soil
rarely requires drainage, is easier worked, and gives bet-
ter results than that known as “clayey loam,” which
overlays a putty-like subsoil of blue or yellow clay,
which must be drained thoroughly before a seed is sown
or plant set out, or there will be no satisfactory reward
for the labor. The location, if choice can be made,
should be such as will allow the garden to slope gently,
(say one foot in a hundred), to the south or south-east,
and if protected by hills or timber to the north-west,
so much the better. If not protected naturally, a hedge
of Hemlock Spruce, or Norway Firs, planted on the
northern and western side of the site intended for the
garden, would be of great advantage. These evergreens
can be bought from 2 to 3 feet high, at from $15 to $25
per 100; and should be planted according to size, from 2
to 3 feet apart, making a cheap and ever improving screen
or fence, which may be trimmed to any required hight
or thickness. |
CHAPTER ~ TE
DRAINAGE.
As drainage will be in many instances indispensable to,
success, I will briefly state a few of the simplest methods
that may be adopted, premising that it is utterly useless
to expect to cultivate any soil satisfactorily that does
not freely and rapidly carry off the surface water. An
expert in soils can determine almost to a certainty by
digging down two or three feet, whether or not a soil
ie
is
By
er
DRAINAGE. §
requires drainage, but the safest guide for the inexperi-
_ encedis to judge by the growing crops in his neighbor-
hood. If on a similar soil good crops of corn, pota-
toes, or hay, are found on undrain-
ed soil, then it is certain there is
no necessity to drain, for no matter
how cultivated, or how heavily ma- < ==
nured land is, there can never bea \ \-== _
good crop raised in any season, if —
the soil is water-logged. If the a
place to be drained is of large ex- 2
tent, and the ground nearly level,
it will always be safer to call in the
services of an engineer to give the
proper levels and indicate the
necessary fall, which should never
be less than half a foot in the hundred, and if more can be
had, so much the better. In heavy, clayey soils, we
make our lateral drains three feet deep and fifteen feet
apart, where there is less clay in the subsoil, we make
them from twenty to thirty feet apart, and four feet
Jeep. If stones are plenty on the ground, they may be
profitably used in filling up the excavated ditch to halt
its depth, as shown in figure 1, and which is known as a
rubble drain, using the larger stones at the bottom, and
i
i
———
: LSS
Fig. 2.—HORSE-SHOE DRAIN-TILE.
_ smaller at top, and covering over with inverted sods, to
_ keep the soil from being washed in among the stones,
and thus choking up the drain. But when they can be
_ obtained at reasonable price, the best and most durable
draining is that done by tiles. It makes but little dif-
_ ference whether the tile used is the round with collars,
é |
=
12 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
or the horse-shoe ; we rather prefer the latter, particu-
larly if the bottom of the drain is ‘‘ spongy ;” we then
use a board for the bottom of the drain, as shown in fig-
ure 2. This board is a common one of hemlock or
spruce, cut in four pieces; it is ripped through the mid-
dle, and then these parts split in two, making boards
of five inches wide by half an inch in thickness, thus
making the common hemlock board stretch out to. a
length of fifty feet. It is often a very troublesome mat-—
ter to get the few drain tiles necessary to drain a small
garden, and in such cases an excellent and cheap substi-
tute 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, nail them together so as to
Fig. 8.—TRIANGULAR BOARD DRAIN.
form a triangular pipe, as represented in figure 3, taking
care to ‘‘ break the joints” in putting the lengths to-
gether; 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 much longer than might be supposed.
Last season I came across some wooden drains that I
had put down over twenty years before, and they seemed
sound enough to last twenty years longer.
PREPARATION OF THE GROUND. 15
CHAPTER III.
PREPARATION OF THE GROUND
After draining, (if draining is necessary), comes the
preparation of the soil. Presuming that the ground
where the new garden is to be made is an open space,
clear of trees or other obstructions, there is no cultiva-
tion so cheap and yet so thorough, as plowing and ‘har-
rowing. ‘T’o do this properly, the ordinary plow should
be followed by the subsoil plow, stirring the subsoil up
about fifteen inches deep, so that the water will pass
through to the drains, natural or artificial, freely. After
the plow and subsoiler, follows the harrow, which should
be weighted, so that the teeth sink six inches into the
soil, in order to completely pulverize it. In Europe, it
would be considered sacrilege to use a plow or harrow in
the preparation of a private garden, and most of old-
country gardeners among us will stand aghast at such ad-
vice, but I have been through all parts of the work, and
am well satisfied, from no limited practice, that plowing
and harrowing will not only do the work at one-fourth
of the cost, but in a better manner than the ordinary
digging or trenching with the spade. Let me here cau-
tion that great care be taken never to plow, dig, harrow,
rake, or hoe ground when wet; if work must be done,
pull out weeds, or set plants, if you will, but never, under
any circumstances, stir the soil in preparation for a crop
until it is dry enough not to clog. If stirred while wet,
the particles stick together, and the crop is not only in-
jured for the season, but in some soils the bad effects
show for years,
14 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER IV.
WALKS.
It is no unusual thing to see the owner of a neat cot-
tage make himself perfectly ridiculous by the way in
which he lays out the walk from the street to his front
door. There is a prevailing opinion that such walks
should be curved ones, and gentlemen, often otherwise
shrewd and intelligent, place themselves without question
in the hands of some self-styled ‘‘garden architect,”
and thus manage to make themselves the laughing stock
of a neighborhood. There was a well marked instance
of this in a garden occupying a block in almost the cen-
ter of Jersey City, where a man pretending to have a full
knowledge of the subject, induced the proprietor to have
a walk running about one hundred yards from the street
to the house, made so curved that its length was nearly
twice that distance. It was hard on the butcher’s and
grocer’s boys, and it was said that even book-peddlers and
sewing-machine agents, and lightning-rod men, looked
ruefully at it and left him in peace. Some old authority
on this subject says, that there ‘‘never should be any
deviation from a straight line unless from some real or
apparent cause.” So if curved lines are insisted on, a
tree, rock, or building must be placed at the bend as a
reason for going around such obstacles. It will be evi-
dent to any one who reflects upon the matter, that a
curved walk running a distance of a hundred yards or so,
from the street to the house, across an unplanted lawn,
is utterly absurd. All short foot-walks from the street to
the house should be straight, entering from the street at
as near right angles as possible, and leading direct to the
front door. There should be no necessity for a carriage
road to the front entrance of a house, unless it is distant
td
WALKS. 15
at least 100 feet from the street, and then a drive is best
made by having an entrance at each side of the lot, as
given in figure 4, presuming that the width of the
ground is 500 feet, and the distance from street to the
front door is 150 feet. Even here the foot-walk should
be direct. The width of the roads or walks must be
governed by the extent of the grounds. For carriage- -
way the width should not be less than ten feet, and for
foot-walks, five feet. Nothing is more annoying than to
have a shower-bath in early morning from the dew from
‘ HOUSE i
——al
STREET
Fig. 4.-APPROACH TO A HOUSE—DRIVE AND PATH.
an overhanging branch in your narrow walk. We often
see gardens of considerable pretentions where the walks
are not more than three feet wide, where it is utterly im-
possible for two persons to walk abreast without getting
their dresses torn or faces scratched by overhanging
branches. JBesides, it argues a narrowness in the
owner, particularly if the grounds are at all extensive,
and looks as if he were determined to cultivate every
available foot of land. Of course it is another matter
when the garden plot is limited to the width of a city
lot, (20 or 25 feet) ; then such economy of space is per-
fectly excusable. The character of the soil must in a
great measure determine the manner of making the road.
_Eyery one must have noticed that after a heavy rain, un-
payed streets in some districts remain next to impassable
for many hours, while in others, after the same amount
16 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
of rain, the roads will seem firm and comparatively dry.
In the former all carriage roads, and even foot-walks, to
haye any satisfaction from them, should have their founda-
tions formed something like that shown in figure 5; this
gives thorough drainage for the water at each side, and a
depth of from one foot at center to two feet on sides of
rubble stone and gravel to form the bed of the road or
walk ; but in — or eae soils, paca which the
a RPA oe Sees Sats
SESE LS
Fig. 5.—SECTION OF ROAD WITH DRAIN EACH SIDE.
water passes quickly, no such expense is necessary, as an
equally good road may be made by five or six inches of
gravel. In foot-walks on such soils, | have found that
three or four inches of gravel. mixed with one fourth its
bulk of cement to ‘‘bind,” when watered and well rolled,
makes an excellent smooth walk, and one in which, be-
cause of its hardness, there is no trouble with weeds.
CHAPTER 2X.
MANURES.
Whether one wishes to cultivate vegetables, fruits, or
flowers, all soils, to give good results, sooner or later need
manure ; this is more particularly the case with what are
known as ‘‘ vegetables,” these being usually quick grow-
ing, succulent plants. No ‘‘fertilizer” answers so well
for all purposes as thoroughly decayed stable manure,
whether from horse or cow stable, it makes but little dif-
ference, except that that from the horse stables is best
suited for heavy soils, while that from the cow-stables
.
s
MANURES. 47
suits best for light soils. The quantity used for vegeta-
bles should not be less than would cover the whole sur-
face of the ground at least three inches deep, and it
should be mixed with the soil as thoroughly as possible
by plowing or spading. In the absence of stable manure,
recourse must be had to concentrated fertilizers, the best
of which are Peruvian guano and bone dust. Here a word
of caution is necessary as to the quantity to be used; as
their fertilizing qualities are concentrated, instead of
being diffused asin stable manure; if either guano or
bone dust, or fertilizers of similar character, come di-
rectly in contact in large quantities, with the roots of
plants, it injures them beyond remedy, hence in the use
of these the necessity for caution. In our large field
practice in vegetable growing, we use about 2,000 lbs.
per acre of guano, sowing it on the surface of the ground
after plowing, and then harrowing it in so as to mix it
with the soil to the depth of five or six inches. Now, as
there are 4,840 square yards in an acre, it will be seen that
something more than half a pound of guano or bone dust
is required for every square yard of surface to be fertilized.
This quantity will just nicely cover the surface, about as
thick as the sand on a sanded floor; after spreading on
the dug surface, it should be mixed with the soil with a
spading fork or long-toothed rake to the depth of five or
six inches, bearing in mind that the more thoroughly it
is mixed with the soil the better will be the result. If
used in “‘hills” for corn, tomatoes, melons, etc., the
same proportionate quantity is to be applied, and the
mixing must be equally thorough.
18 | GARDENING FOR PLEASURE,
CHAPTER VI
HOW TO USE CONCENTRATED FERTILIZERS.
Whatever kind of concentrated fertilizer may be used,
I find it well repays the labor to prepare it in the follow-
ing manner: to every bushel of fertilizer, add three bush-
els of either leaf-mold (from the woods), well pulverized
muck, sweepings from a paved street, or—in the absence
of either of the above—common garden soil. In every
case the material employed must be as dry as it is possi-
ble to procure it. When guano is used, be careful to
have it thoroughly pulverized and broken up before mix-
ing with the other ingredients. The fertilizer must be
well mixed with the soil or mold used by turning it at
least twice. ‘This mixing should be done in winter, or
early spring, and the material packed away in barrels
in a dry place for at least a month before using it. The
main object of this operation is for the better separation
and division of the fertilizer, so that when applied, it
can be more regularly distributed over the land ; besides
this, no doubt the fertilizing qualities of the leaf-mold
or other substance are developed by this treatment. Ex-
periment has shown that this method of using concentra-
ted fertilizers of nearly all kinds, materially increases
their value. One of the most successful market-garden-
ers in our neighborhood, has adopted this method for
years, and in extensive experiments with different kinds
of fertilizers, with and without being mixed, finds a say-
_ ing of quite one-third in quantity in thus treating them.
He finds that 1,200 lbs. of guano, mixed with two tons
of garden soil, and sown over the surface after plowing,
and then harrowed in, is equal in effect to 2, 000 lbs.
of guano used without mixing.
HOW TO USE CONCENTRATED FERTILIZERS. 19
(i snes tis aaa,
i. .
_ We have ourselves experimented with guano, blood
-and bone, and bone flour, with nearly like results, and as
a top dressing for grass, we think the advantage of mix-
ing is eyen more marked. When fertilizers are applied
to corn, potatoes, tomatoes, etc., in hills or drills, it is
not only more economical to mix in this manner, but
much safer in inexperienced hands ; for when any strong
fertilizer is used pure, injury is often done to the roots
by their coming in contact with it in too great quantity
in the raw state, owing to imperfect mixing in the hill
or drill, while, if composted as advised above, the danger
is much less. We are often asked as to the quantity to
be applied to different garden crops. Taking guano as
a basis, we would recommend for -all vegetable crops, if
earliness and good quality are desired, the use of not less
than 1,200 lbs. 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 recommended.
This quantity is used broadcast by sowing on the ground
aiter plowing, and deeply and thoroughly harrowing in,
or if in small gardens, forked in lightly with the prongs
of a garden fork or long toothed steel rake. When ap-
plied in hills or drills, from 100 to 300 lbs. should be
used to the acre, according to the distance of these apart,
mixing with soil, etc., as already directed.
In regard to which of the fertilizers is most desirable,
we find but little difference, provided each is pure. Gu-
ano at $80 per ton, is relatively as cheap as blood and
bone fertilizer at $65; bone flour at $50, or superphos-
phate at $40 ; for in the lower priced articles we find we
are obliged to increase the quantity to obtain the same
results, so that the cost is nearly alike whichever be
used. The all important point is the purity of the arti-
cle, a matter that few working farmers or gardeners ever
attempt to decide except by the results in culture, hence
os
°
a
_
20 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
we advise each one who has been using a fertilizer that
has proved satisfactory, to experiment but lightly with
another until the new article has proved its merits. The
competition in the manufacture of articles so much in
use as fertilizers, has in many instances forced down
prices below tue point at which they can be produced in
a pure state, hence the widespread adulteration with
“< salt cake,” ‘‘ plaster,” and other articles utterly worth- |
less but to make weight. Next in meanness to the quack
that extracts money from a poor consumptive for his vile —
nostrums, is the man who compels the poor farmer or
gardener, may be a thousand miles away struggling for
an existence, to pay freight on the sand mixed with his
guano, or the plaster in his bone dust. In this relation
I am reminded of a retribution that fell on the ‘‘ Sands
——
of Life man,” who figured so conspicuously a few years —
ago in New York. The advertisement of this philan- |
thropic gentleman, it will be remembered, was that “A —
retired clergyman whose Sands of Life had nearly run |
out,” would for a consideration tell how the ‘‘ running
out ” could be stopped in others. A kind hearted fellow
in Illinois, deeply sympathizing with the old gentleman
on account of his loss of ‘‘ sand,” sent him by express—
but forgot to prepay—a thousand pounds of the &rticle !
It is reported that the ‘‘ retired clergyman ” on opening
the cask, expressed himself in a manner not only ungrate-
ful, but utterly unclerical. We counsel no vengeance,
but if some of these sand-mixing guano men could have
the sand sifted out by their victims with compound in-
terest added, and returned to them under the fostering
care of an express company, it would be but even handed
justice, ‘
SPECIAL FERTILIZERS FOR PARTICULAR PLANTS. 21
CHAPTER VII.
SPECIAL FERTILIZERS FOR PARTICULAR PLANTS.
A man called at my office a few years ago with some
dozen bottles as samples of special manures, indispensa-
ble, he said, as fertilizers for certain kinds of plants.
He had those with him that he claimed to be specially
prepared for cabbage, corn, potatoes, wheat, grass, lawns,
beets, etc., etc. He even invaded Flora’s realm, and de-
clared that his nostrum for roses was a specific for any ©
languid capers of this sometimes rather coquettish queen
of flowers. His own arguments, which were rather
plausible and glibly uttered, were backed up by numer-
ous certificates—authentic, | have no doubt—where his
*‘potato fertilizer” had worked wonders with some,
with others his ‘‘ corn manure” had been of undoubted
benefit, and so on all through the list.
Now, I have no reason to say that the vender of these
fertilizers was a quack, except the broad fact, gathered
from an experience of thirty years, that has shown me
that it makes but little difference with what fertilizer a
crop is treated, provided the soil is properly pulverized
and the fertilizer applied in proper proportions according
to its strength. Had all his separate kinds of fertilizers
been taken from the same bag, (provided that bag con-
tained a good article of bone-dust or guano), the result
to his patrons would have been the same, whether he
had used it on one or all of the crops that be had special
prescriptions for.
There are few market gardeners in the vicinity of New
York but who have at one time or another been obliged
to take anything they could get for fertilizing purposes,
and the difference has never been perceptible when ma-
nure from horse stables or cow stables has been applied,
rope GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
or when $100 per acre has been expended for bone-dust
or Peruvian guano, and these all used on a dozen dif-
ferent crops without any discrimination. Agricultural
chemistry may be all very well in some respects, but if
it gets down to such hair-splitting niceties as to analyze
scores of special plants, and tell us that we must feed
each with only just such food as the analysis show it to be
composed of, then our common sense, born of practical
experience, must scout and ridicule such nonsense.
Plants, like animals, are not so much kept in good
health by the special kind of food given as by the proper
quantity and conditions surrounding the individual when
the food is received, and what proper temperature and
pulverization of soil may be to the plant, air and exercise
and also proper temperature are the corresponding con-
ditions necessary for healthy animal life. Who will say
that the beef-fed English laborer is in any way the phys-
ical superior of the Irishman or Scotchman whose daily
food has been only potatoes and oat-meal? You get
usually fine and nearly equal development in each case,
but it is a condition due to a natural use of the muscles
in the open air in a congenial climate rather than to
anything special in the food. It would be quite as rea-
sonable to tell us that a special food, chemically consid-
ered, is necessary for each class of our domestic animals
as for our domestic plants, and none but the veriest
charlatan or ignoramus will do either.
CHAPTER VII.
=
THE LAWN. ~
Since the introduction of the lawn-mowers, the keep-
ing of the lawn has been so simplified that no suburban
residence is complete. without one, and there is now no
THE LAWN. 23
more excuse for tall grass ‘“‘ going to hay” in the door
yard than there would be for cobwebs taking possession of
the rooms inside the dwelling. We occasionally see some
parsimonious individual, even now, who remembers that
in his grandfather’s days, grass was allowed to grow for
the food of the ‘‘critters,” and he leaves it for food for
his ‘‘ critters” still. Though at the same time his furniture
inside, that nobody but himself ever sees, or has an op-
portunity to admire, for such men are not troubled with
friends, may have cost him $5,000 or $10,000. We have
two or three notable examples of this kind in my imme-
diate neighborhood, but it is gratifying to know that
such neighbors are not numerous, for the example of
the majority will soon shame them into decency. To
have a lawn in first rate condition, the ground must be
put in order in the way described under the heads of
“* Draining” and ‘‘ Preparation of the Soil,” for if these
are necessary anywhere, they are still more necessary for
the lawn; the soil of which should be as thoroughly pul-
verized and enriched by manure, as any ground intended
for the cultivation of either vegetables or fruits.
Great care must be taken to have the surface of the
ground for the lawn, (unless a very large one), made
perfectly level, for if this is not done before the lawn
is sown, it cannot be altered but at great expense
and inconyenience. After the surface is made level
roughly, it should be further smoothed with the rake,
and all stones of any considerable size remvuved, so that
the surface will be smooth for the action of the lawn-
mower. Wherever the extent of the lawn does not ex-
ceed 2,500 square feet, and where sods can be obtained
trom a suitable pasture near at hand without much cost,
the best way to make the lawn is to sod it, but before
doing so, the ground should be rolled or beaten down,
particularly if any portion of it has been filled in, so that
there may be no “settling ” to form hollows or inequali-
24 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
ties. A convenient size of sod to lay down is 12 by 18
inches, and of a thickness of 2 inches, in laying see that
the edges are neatly laid together; and the whole firmly
beaten down with the back of a spade. If it is dry
weather when the work is done, it may be necessary to
thoroughly drench the newly-laid sod for a week or so
after planting, every other evening. When the lawn is
too extensive to be sodded, the following mixture of grass
seed may be used, which we have found to make an ex-
cellent lawn:
8 quarts Rhode Island Bent Grass.
3 quarts Creeping Bent Grass.
10 quarts Red Top Grass.
10 quarts Kentucky Blue Grass.
1 quart White Clover.
This mixture is not indispensable to the formation of a
good lawn, though we believe it to be the best. Some of
the fine lawns seen at Newport, R. I., are. composed al-
most entirely of Rhode Island Bent grass mixed with
about one-sixth of white clover, but the humidity of the
atmosphere there has no doubt more to do with the rich-
ness of the lawn than the variety of grass it is composed
of. I may here caution the use of spurious seed for this
purpose. Itis no uncommon thing that either through
ignorance or short-sighted economy, ‘‘ hay-seed ” is taken
direct from the hay-loft and sown to form the lawn. If
from good hay, the seed will be principally timothy and
red clover, and vain would be all the attempts to get a
smooth lawn from such a source. It would be about as
reasonable to expect figs from thistles. If the soil isrich,
and has been thoroughly prepared, three bushels per acre
will be sufficient, but if thin and poor, from four to five
bushels had better be sown. If sown in early spring, as
soon as the soil is dry enough to work, a good lawn will
be formed by midsummer the first year, if it has been
DESIGN FOR GARDEN. 25
mown regularly at intervals of eight or ten days. The
seed must be sown as evenly as possible, and for this rea-
son a calm day must be chosen, as a very slight wind will
throw the seed into heaps. After sowing, the ground
may be lightly harrowed if the surface is large, but if
not, give it an even raking, but in either case the ground
should be smoothed down with a roller or patted with a
“spade, so to form a smooth surface to be mowed. Al-
though if a choice can be had, it is best to sow the lawn
seed in early spring, yet it can be sown nearly as profita-
bly in September, or in the more southerly states in Oc-
tober, or for that matter, even as late as May and June
in spring, only if so late, it is better to mix one quart of
oats to every bushel of grass-seed, that the oats may
shade and protect the young grass from the sun until it
has root enough to support itself. But if sown in March
or April, or in September or October, there is no need of
using the oats, as no injury will be done by the sun at
these seasons. T'o keep the lawn in proper condition, it
should be mowed over once every week if the weather is
moist, and not less than once in two weeks, even in dry
weather, for if the lawn has been properly made in the
first place, and ‘‘ top dressed” with a good coat of well-
rotted manure in fall, and the rough raked off in spring,
the weather must be dry and hot indeed to prevent its
growth.
CHAPTER IX.
DESIGN FOR GARDEN.
As this book is intended to comprehend all the wants
of a cottage or suburban garden, including flowers, fruits,
and vegetables, it would increase its size too much to
. 2
2
26
300 F*
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
200 Feet Front.
Fig. 6.—DESIGN FOR LAYING OUT GROUNDS.
DESIGN FOR GARDEN. a
give a great yariety of designs for the flower-garden. To
those that require such, some intelligent landscape gar-
dener should be consulted. Intelligent, I say, for nine
out of ten that pretend to be landscape gardeners are
not ; but consult a man able to draw a neat design, for
if he cannot do that he is not a very safe person to be
intrusted with the working out of the plan of another.
You are careful to ascertain that the architect for your
house is a man of education and intelligence before you
entrust yourself in his hands, but when it comes to de-
signing the lawn and flower-grounds, the veriest bog-
trotter, who styles himself a ‘‘ landscaper,” is too often
allowed to display his ‘‘ art,” and at the same time make
you ridiculous. Rest assured that if such a pretender
has not had ambition enough to become fairly well in-
structed, he is not likely to show much taste in design-
ing your grounds.
The design, (fig. 6), shows an area of 200 feet by 350,
or a plot of nearly two acres, about one-third of the
whole facing the street, is used for flower-garden and for
dwelling, the two-thirds in the rear for fruit and vegeta-
ble grounds. ‘There is a point in this sketch, to which I
wish to call attention, as it is one too often lost sight of ;
the flower-garden and lawn face the street, while the fruit
and vegetable grounds are at the rear ; the view of these
from the street is shut out upon one side by a screen or
tall hedge of evergreens, H, and upon the other by a
curvilinear glass structure, @, which may be used either
as a grapery or a greenhouse. The walk, Ww, passes on
3 each side of the house to connect with other walks at the
_ Year; the beds, F, may be planted in ribbon lines either
with flowering plants or those with brilliant and strongly
contrasting foliage. The flower-beds, F, each side of the
_ entrance near the front, may be made of any form that
_ may be preferred ; a simple circle planted as suggested
_ in the next chapter, will produce a good effect, and be
28
He Fp
/)
VEZ EG
MD,
Sg Ny
Ex
YALL:
Fe,
Seyiry
IN
1?
LY
oe Oe
aay
——
ores
TET
Aes
if
Kf
Lye
He Pines
a)
+74
“
PEC ERT
See €: ede fy
V,
jah
af
om
350 eel.
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
200 Feet Front.
Fig. 7.—DESIGN FOR GROUNDS WITH
CARRIAGE-DRIVE.
DESIGN FOR GARDEN. 29
more easily cared for than beds of the style here given ;
most persons, where the floral ornamentation is, as in this
case, confined to a few effective masses, prefer to change
not only the manner of planting such beds each year, but
to alter their form occasionally. The unbroken area of
lawn at c is intended for a croquet ground. At the rear
of the house the central walk is spanned by a grape ar-
bor, G A, if one wishes the vines to afford shade, or a
simple trellis may run each side; the borders next the
fence on each side and at the rear, (not shown in the
plan), may also be used for grapes, or will be convenient
for raspberries, currants, and other small fruits. The
large plots, v F, are for the main crops of vegetables and
fruits ; asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, and such other
crops as remain year after year without being disturbed, |
should be so placed at the outset as to be interfered with
as little as possible in the frequent working of the soil
necessary for other crops. A lot of this size will require
the labor of one man, whose time must be exclusively
devoted to the garden, and to nothing else, to keep it in
proper order. Such is the extent, and something near
the design of the grounds I use for such purposes. I
generally have selected one of my most active men to
take charge of it, and find he has plenty to do to do it
well. A second design (fig. 7) shows a lot of the same
dimensions, with a different arrangement, there being a
_ stable, s, and no rear entrance, it is necessary to provide
one from the front, and in order to secure a greater
breadth of lawn, the house is placed at one side of the
center of the grounds. The drive, D, in the design 1s made
to turn around a group of flower-beds of fanciful pattern,
_ but this may be replaced by a single circle, planted as
4
4
suggested in the next chapter, or by a group of ornamen-
_ tal evergreen or other shrubs. In this design the cro-
quet-ground is at c, and the grape arbor, G A, is used to
shut out the view of the vegetable grounds from the street.
30 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
A row of closely planted evergreens at H serves to break
the force of the winds ; the suggestions as to the other
details in the preceding plan, (fig. 6), apply to this also.
CHAPTER. 2.
PLANTING OF LAWNS AND FLOWER-BEDS.
The subject of lawn planting, including the proper
setting and grouping of trees and shrubs, and their most
effective disposal, is too extended for the scope of this
book. These matters belong to works upon landscape
gardening, and are ably treated in those by Downing,
Kemp, Weidenmann, Scott, and others. But the plant-
ing of flower-beds comes properly within our limits. ‘The
old-fashioned mixed borders of four or six feet wide along
the walks of the fruit or vegetable garden, were usually
planted with hardy herbaceous plants, the tall growing at
the back, with the lower growing sorts in front. ‘These,
when there was a good collection, gave a bloom of varied
color throughout the entire growing season. But-the
more modern style of flower borders has quite displaced
such collections, and they are now but little seen, unless
in very old gardens, or in botanical collections. Then
again, we have the mixed borders of bedding plants, a
heterogeneous grouping of ali kinds of tropical plants,
still holding to the plan of either placing the highest at
the back of the border if it has only one walk, or if a bed
has a walk on each side, the highest in’ the middle, and
the plants sloping down to the walk on each side. The
mixed system still has its advocates, who deprecate the
modern plan of massing in color as being too formal, and
too unnatural a way to dispose of flowers. But be that
PLANTING OF LAWNS AND FLOWER-BEDS. al
as it may, we will not stop to argue the matter further
than to state, that in a visit to England in 1872, it was
most evident that the ‘‘ Carpet Styles” of massing plants
as done at Battersea Park, London, were interesting to
the people in a way that no mixed border could ever be.
Any one who has not yet seer the wonderful effects pro-
duced by the massing of plants in this way, has a treat
before him. Nearly all the public parks in and about
London are so planted, and thousands of cottage gardens
eight or ten different
vie with each other in imitation of the parks. But to
plant in patterns or in ribbon lines requires for immediate
effect a large number of plants, for the reason that they
must be so set out that they will meet to form continu-
ous masses shortly after planting.
An illustration in circles (for convenience), is given in
fig. 8, to show what plants can be massed together to give a
pleasing effect. Of course
it will be understood that
a bed of-any shape can be
planted in this manner as /
well as circular beds, only ,
keeping in view the width —
of the bed. For example, |
a bed having a diameter |
of ten feet may require
kinds of plants to form the
- necessary contrast, while
Seeeweteet will notre. ©12: 5—?'46RAM OF FLOWER BED.
quire more than half that number. The following named
plants are well suited for planting in masses or ribbon
lines ; they are named as nearly as possible in the order
_ of their hight, number one in each case being the tallest.
Many of them will require to be ‘‘ pinched back” to
| keep at the proper hight, so that the outline will form a
_ tegular slope from the center or highest point, down to
32 GARDENING FOR FLEASURE.
the front or lowest point—thus in list No.1, Canna Indica
zebrina will grow six feet high, while Lobelia Paxtoni,
ft =) \\y
EN dee OF FLOWER-BED.
the lowest, is less than six inches. The section given in
figure 9 will give an idea of the arrangement of a bed of.
this kind.
List Noses ee
1. Canna Indica zebrina, leaves green and brown striped pots cine 6
2. Salvia splendens, flowers scarlet... ..7225- ee eceemeeee eee ee 9)
3. Golden Coleus, leaves orange and browi:>: 2.2.3 eee ose =
4, Achyranthes Lindeni, leaves rich: crimson.................... 3
o. Phalaris arundinacea var., leaves white and green............. 21/5
6, Achyranthes Gilsoni, leaves carmine=-2 22.) eee 2
7. Bronze Geranium, leaves golden bronze......... Pee beh ae 11/,
8. Centaurea candida, leaves white... . .. 5-225 4-.-8e eee eee 1:
9. Alternanthera latifolia, leaves crimson and yellow........ eee ae oh
10. Lobelia Paxtoni, flowers bluc...........e.ceuees nee i/g
List No. 2. ee eae
1. Caladium esculentum, leaves large green..........seeceseeeee 5
2. Japanese Maize, leaves striped white and yellow.............. 5
3. Coleus Verschaffeltii, leaves chocolate crimson........... fe tac. Te
4. Delphinium bicolor, flowers blue and white....,............. 3
_ 5. Cyperus alternifolius var., leaves white and greén............. 21/4
6. Achyranthes Verschaffeltii, leaves crimson.................--. 2
7. Mountain of Snow Geranium, leaves white and green.......... 11/,
8. Tropzolum, Ball of Fire, flowers flame color.................. 1
9. Echeveria metallica, leaves gray, metallic lustre.............. 3/4
10. Alternanthera ameena, yellow and carmine.................--- We
— 7 a es
ay
PLANTING OF LAWNS AND FLOWER-BEDS. ao
It will be understood that these lists of plants can be
transposed in any way necessary to suit beds of all
widths, keeping in view that where small beds are placed
near walks the lower growing kinds are most suitable,
while for beds at greater distances from walks, or
other points of view, the taller growing kinds must
be used. Very fine effects are produced by plant-
ing on a lawn a single specimen of stately habit, such
as some varieties of the Ricinus, or Castor-oil Bean,
which grow ten and twelve feet in hight in one season,
and are particularly striking plants. Or instead of this,
a mass of six, eight, or twelve plants of scarlet sage will
form a group six feet high by as many in diameter, and its
dazzling scarlet color, contrasting against the green of
the lawn, is superb. Many of the Amaranths are also
well suited for planting in single groups. Amarantus
tricolor gigantea, (Joseph’s coat), grows to the hight of
six feet, and its leaves in the late summer and fall
months. exceed in brilliancy of color anything we know
of in foliage ; scarlet, crimson, and golden yellow pre-
dominating. Another, the Amarantus bicolor ruber,
grows to the hight of five feet, and is plumed with scar-
let crimson. In contrast to these, plants of a more
somber tint may be used, in individual specimens or in ~
a group of such as Pampas Grass, (Gynerium argenteum),
or the Ravenna Grass, (Zrianthus Ravenne), each of these
attain a hight from six to ten feet, and have a graceful ap-
pearance. The Tanyah, Caladium esculentum, a tropical
looking plant growing three or four feet in hight, and
producing leaves sometimes eighteen inches across.
THE CARPET STYLE OF FLOWER-BEDS.
Planting, as practised at Battersea and other parks in
London, is as yet but little seen with us; our public
parks here have shown a lamentable want of taste in this
34 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
matter, especially those of New York and Brooklyn ;
Philadelphia and Boston have done better, but all of
these are weak attempts when compared with the grounds
of some of our private gentlemen, notable among whom
are H. W. Sargent, of Peekskill, N. Y., and H. H.
Hunnewell, of Boston. The grounds of Mr. H. are
thrown open to the public, who have the opportunity of
seeing effects in this style of planting, nearly equal
to anything in Europe, entirely at the expense of the
munificent owner. ‘The carpet style, so called, con-
sists in using plants that can be kept down to a few
>
M)
MIEN)
we
a)
AW \y
a “
Wen wi
os
VOX
sy
lp, ©, ;
ts WW
ae
22
Bmw
at te
ay ite
ye . 3
"
\ es W\
\\\ )
MY
Ze as itn “GprOwy Gina aGere: = ea eoreG
GO A~QGEAGCBeaAACGer= © 2 BOSC KEG
Fig. 10.—DESIGN FOR SCROLL-PATTERN.
inches above the level of the lawn. A great variety of
succulent plants are used, such as Echeverias, Sedums,
Mesembryanthemums, etc., together with numerous low-
growing Alpine plants, such as Ajugas, Cerastiums, Lys-
imachias, Lobelias, Ivies, Alternantheras, etc., ete.
This style of bedding requires an immense number of
plants. One bed in the carpet style at Battersea Park,
containing less than 1,000 square feet, required 4,000
plants to produce the desired effect in the design, and
not a leaf of these was more than six inches above
the lawn. Planting in this style admits of unlimited va-
THE CARPET STYLE OF FLOWER-BEDS. 35
riety in the form of the beds, and contrasts of colors 3; SO
great is the care exercised abroad in arranging the de-
signs that colored papers, giving the exact tints of the
leading flowers and colored foliage, are supplied by the
dealers, in order that colored designs may be made and
Fig. 11.—ORNAMENTAL DESIGN, AFTER THOMPSON.
studied before putting them into execution; a single
misplaced color. may spoil the effect of the whole. In
works of this kind the parts of the design should be sep-
arated by well defined portions of turf, as the color of
each member of it is brought out more clearly and dis-—
tinctly, and the whole has a much better effect if a lib-
eral amount of green is introduced. The two plans, figs.
10 and 11, are introduced to give an idea of some of the
ee a ee
36 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
simpler designs; the scroll-work, fig. 10, in various forms ~
is much used, either near a drive, or as a margin or
frame to more elaborate work.
CHAPTER ‘XI.
FALL, OR HOLLAND BULBS.
These bulbs are mainly such as are imported from Hol-
land in the fall, and consist of Hyacinths, Tulips, Cro-
cuses, Jonquils, Narcissuses, Snow-drops, and various
other less known kinds. With few exceptions, all these
bulbs are hardy in our most northern states, though all
are benefitted by a covering of two or three inches of
rough litter or leaves spread over the beds before freezing
weather. The soil best suited for all. bulbs is a rich, but
rather sandy loam. All these bulbs may be planted any
time from the middle of September, until the ground is
closed’ by frost in December. Hyacinths should be
planted at distances of eight or ten inches apart each
way, and from three to four inches deep. ‘Tulips, the
same distance apart, but a little less deep. Crocuses four
inches apart and two inches deep. Jonquils and Narcis- —
suses may be planted six inches apart and four inches
deep. Snow-drops the same as Crocuses. :
Very fine effects are produced by planting Hyacinths in
lines each of one color, or when mixed colors are placed
in the lines, care must be taken to have them arranged
so that the bed will give harmonious blending of color.
Crosuses have nearly the same range of color as the
Hyacinth, and may be planted either way.
All these bulbs are easily grown in pots. The Hya-
cinth requires a pot six inches in depth and diameter ; in
prere we
FALL, OR HOLLAND BULBS. Oo”
potting it is only necessary to fill the pot rather loosely
to the brim, and press the bulb down, so that only about
one-fourth of it appears above the soil. The pot should
then be struck smartly on the bench to give the soil
the proper degree of firmness, leaving it, when fin-
ished, about an inch or so below the rim of the pot.
Then water freely to still further settle the soil. ‘The
pots should then be placed where it is cool and dark,
which will encourage a strong development of roots,
before the bud starts to grow at the top. Such a situa-
tion can be made by covering up the pots with four or
five inches of sand in a cool cellar, under the stage of a
cool greenhouse, or in a sunken pit, in each case covering
with sand or leaves, so as to exclude heat and frost, for it
must not be forgotten that a strong development of root
can only be had at a low temperature, say from forty to
fifty degrees, and any attempt to force them to make
roots quicker by placing them in a high temperature,
will mest certainly enfeeble the flower. If we will only
observe how nature points out to us this necessity, we
will see how safe it will be to follow her. In all hardy
plants, the roots in spring, (when the temperature is
low), form the rootlets before a leaf or flower is devel-
oped. ‘To show the bad effects when this is not the case,
take a root of any of our hardy lilies and plant it in
March, and take a similar bulb and plant it in May; it
will be found that the early planted bulb that had an
opportunity to slowly develop its roots before there was
heat enough to start the top, will give a finer growth and
finer flower than the bulb that was planted in May, and
run up into growth before it had an opportunity to
sufficiently push its roots into the soil. The culture of
all the bulbs before named, in pots, is the same as that of
the Hyacinth, only the Narcissuses and Tulips should be
planted three or four in a six or seyen-inch pot, and Cro-
cuses ten or twelve ina pot. All these bulbs may like-
38 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
wise be grown in moss, or even pure sand, provided that
it is kept damp ; the necessity being a medium wherein
the roots can revel in moisture. But whether potted in
soul, sand, or moss, there will be no need to water, but
at the time of potting, provided the pots have been coy-
ered up as directed, and kept cool and dark. If potted
say the first week in October, they may be removed from ~
their dark quarters in seven or eight weeks, only before
doing so, turn a few of them out of the pots to see
whether they “have rooted around the ball of earth.
They may then be placed in full light and watered freely.
HYACINTHS IN GLASSES.
Although the Jonquils and Narcissuses can be grown in
water in glasses as well as the Hyacinth, they are not
often so treated, hyacinths being the only bulbs largely
flowered in that way, some of which are shown in fig. 12.
fl, \N
Bohemian.
Belgian.
Fig. 12.—HYACINTH GLASSES.
The glasses are made of various styles, from the plain
old-fashioned Belgian to the ornamental Bohemian
glasses, and of clear glass or colored, green, amber, claret,
and other shades. The glasses, which are best of a .
dark color, are filled with water just high enough for the
base of the bulb to touch it. ‘The glasses must be
placed in a cool and dark place, just such a situation
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY SEEDS. 39
as recommended for those grown in pots. Care must be
taken that they do not freeze, else the glasses will be
broken, and the Hyacinths more or less injured. Single
Hyacinths are better than double ones for glasses. The
water should be changed every six or eight days.
CHAPTER XII.
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY SEEDS.
Nature provides abundantly for the reproduction of
plants, and the difficulty of multiplying by one method
is compensated by the ease with which it may be done
in another. Whenever we find a plant takes root with
difficulty from “slips” or cuttings, in nine cases out of
ten we find that it seeds freely, and gives us a ready
means of increase. Thus we find the much admired
Centaureas, one kind of the ‘‘ Dusty Millers,” the white
leaved plants now so much used in massing and for
baskets, are exceedingly difficult and slow to root from
cuttings, but are readily raised from seeds. Our fine
strains of blotched Petunias are also troublesome as cut-
tings, but make plants quickly from seeds. The Cycla-
men with its turnip-like stem or bulb, could only be
propagated by cutting in pieces, disfiguring its shape, and
requiring years to form acircular bulb again, but here we
have seed coming to our help which germinates freely,
and makes a flowering plant mm one year. The Apple
Geranium never affords proper cuttings from which to
make a plant, but it seeds freely, from which splendid
plants can be produced in a few months. So the Pri-
mulas and Cinerarias, both slow and uncertain from cut-
tings, seed freely. Echeveria metallica, one of the beau-
40 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
tiful plants of the House-Leek family, produces no bud
from the base of the leaf, as nearly all the other species
do, but to make up, it seeds abundantly, and so with
hundreds of other plants to which our space will not per-
mit us to refer. ‘'here is no rule by which we can des-
ignate what plants are best propagated by seeds, and
what by cuttings, experience being the only teacher, and
even the experience of a lifetime is too short for those
of us that have had the largest practice.
Seedling plants can be nearly as well raised in the win-
dow of a sitting-room or parlor, provided the tempera-
ture is right, as in a greenhouse, for seeds do not need a
strong direct, ight while germinating, in fact that is
often a difficulty in a greenhouse, as the surface of the
seed-bed dries up too quickly in the direct sunshine, ne-
cessitating watering, which bakes the surface. ‘The best
thing wherein to sow seeds is shallow boxes; these need
not be more than two or three inches deep, with open
seams at the bottom through which water will drain
quickly. Fill the boxes within half an inch of the top
with light rich earth ; if it can be procured, nothing is
better than black leaf-mold from the woods, or light
sandy soil mixed with an equal bulk of stable manure, so
rotted as to resemble leaf-mold, it will not answer un-
less rotted as fine as dust. In the absence of either of
these, sweepings from a paved street are excellent, mixed
with light sandy soil, the object in all cases being laght-
ness of the soil or mold in which the seed is to be sown ;
for if tiny seeds, as many of our flower-seeds are, are
embedded in a stiff soil, the germ in many of them is too
weak to push its way to the light. When the proper soil
has been secured, pat it down with a smooth board until
it is as smooth and level ag it well can be, then sow the
seed carefully over the surface, distributing it evenly,
then take a common kitchen sieve and sift just so much
earth evenly over the seed as will cover it and no more};
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY SEEDS. 41
then take a watering-pot with the finest kind of a rose,
and shower the earth with the spray. Keep the box at a
temperature as near sixty degrees as possible, taking care
to give it a shower of spray only when the surface
appears to be dry ; but few seeds will fail to germinate
under such conditions. - But after the seeds have
‘‘brairded,” as the Scotch gardeners say, comes another
difficulty; in quite a number of plants, particularly
if sown in the house, just as soon as the seed leaf has de-
veloped, and before the first rough or true leaves have
formed, the seedling is attacked by a minute fungus,
that will often sweep off the whole crop in 48 hours, if not
attended to. The required attention is, that as soon as
there are indications of the ‘‘ damping off” of these tiny
seedlings, they must be carefully taken up and planted
out in similar boxes, prepared exactly as the seed-boxes
have been ; they may be planted quite closely, not more
than half an inch apart, and let their further treatment
be exactly the same as in germinating the seeds. In the
course of a few weeks they will have grown freely, and
they may then be lifted and placed in similar boxes, but
wider apart, say three or four inches, or potted singly in
two and a half or three-inch pots as most convenient,
- until such a time as they are to be planted out in the
open ground, or to be used otherwise. In this way as
great a number of plants may be raised from a 25c. or 90¢.
packet of seed as would cost $25 or $50 to purchase, be-
sides the far greater satisfaction of their being the pro-
ducts of your own hands.
42 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER XIII.
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY CUTTINGS.
There is no more interesting operation to the amateur
gardener than that of increasing his stock of plants by
cuttings or slips. Heretofore, it was accounted a great
mystery, and unless with some of the commonest kinds
of Geraniums, few amateurs ever presumed to invade the
territory of the professional gardeners. Nearly all writers
on the subject had so befogged this simple matter with
technical nonsense, that few, not regularly brought up to
the business, presumed to attempt it. We now consider
it one of our simplest operations, far simpler than raising
many kinds of plants from seed, and though we raise
now oyer two millions of plants annually, and keep a
man with three assistants doimg nothing else the entire
year but propagating plants from slips, yet we could take
any careful, intelligent man from among our garden
laborers, and install him as a competent propagator in a
month. Where plants are propagated from cuttings in
large numbers, we elevate a bench, usually four feet
wide, above the flue or hot-water pipes, to within a foot
or so of the glass at the front, and on this table or bench
we place three or four inches of sand, of any color or tex-
ture, provided it is not from the sea-shore, and contains
salt. This benchis boarded downin front, so as to confine
the heat from the flue or pipes under it, and give what
is called ‘‘ bottom heat” ; the sand on a bench so formed
will indicate a temperature of perhaps seventy degrees,
while the atmosphere of the greenhouse, particularly dur-
ing the night, will be ten degrees less. Now, if the cut-
tings are in the right condition, and are inserted an inch
or so in this sand, freely watered, and shaded from the
sun from 9 or 10 A.M. to3 or 4 P.M., cuttings of nearly
aa r
4 1
- ~
gre SP
asi
PROPAGATION OF PLANTS BY CUTTINGS. 43
all kinds of plants are certain to take root in from ten to
twenty days. But the cuttings must be in the right
condition, and this is best shown by the engraving, (fig.
13). It will be observed that the upper portion of the
shoot is snapped or broken, while the other is only kneed
or bent; this snapping point, as we now term it, is a
true indication of proper condition of the cutting ; where
it bends and does not break, it is too hard, and though a
ME fi)
———————————— 3
Fig. 15.—PROPER AND IMPROPER STATE OF CUTTING.
cutting will root, when in that condition, it will be
slower in doing so, and the roots thrown out from it will
be weaker and more wiry than when emitted from a
cutting taken in the condition in which it breaks. Be-
sides the plant grown from the older cutting will not
44 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
likely be so healthy or vigorous as one made when the
shoot is in the proper state.
In propagating woody plants, such as Roses, Azaleas,
or Camellias, this test of breaking or snapping of the
cutting does not in these indicate the proper condition,
although they also will root if taken in the soft state,
yet we find it is not quite so well to do so as to wait until
the cuttings of these woody plants gets harder ; what
this proper hardness is, it is not very easy always to de-
termine. In roses the best condition for taking the
cutting is reached when the young shoot, (of which the
cutting is made), develops the flower bud to about the
size of a large pea. Although the shoot on which the
flower bud shows, will make a proper enough cutting,
yet if it is not desired to waste the flower, cuttings had
better be made of the ‘‘blind” shoots, 2. e., such young
shoots as do not flower. In making the cuttings of
roses, or in fact of almost all plants, (with a few excep-
tions hardly worth noting), there is no need to cut ata
joint, although nine gardeners out of ten still do so, par-
ticularly those who have learned the business in Europe,
where, in this as in many other things in horticulture,
they still follow the dictum of some savant of a century
ago, never questioning why. But our business necessities
here, have caused us to ride rough-shod over many of
their set rules, and in none more ruthlessly than in this
matter of propagating. But as this book is written
mainly for amateurs in gardening, I will proceed to give
a simple method by which any one can propagate plants
from cuttings or slips, even when no greenhouse or hot-
bed is at hand. It is called
“~
THE “MUD” OR “SAUCER SYSTEM” OF PROPAGATING.
Take any common saucer or plate, into which put
sand to the depth of an inch or so, then prepare the cut-
tings in the usual manner, and insert them in the sand
*
.
‘¢wupD” OR ** SAUCER SYSTEM.” Ad
close enough to touch each otheras infig. 14. The sand
is then to be watered to bring it to the condition of mud.
The saucer with the cuttings is then placed on the shelf
of the greenhouse, in the hot-bed, or in a sunny window
of any room in the dwelling house ; in each case fully
exposed to the sun and never shaded. But one condi-
tion is essential to success—until the cuttings become
rooted, the sand must be kept continually saturated with
water and always in the condition of mud. 'To do this the
saucers must be watered at least once a day with a very
fine rose watering pot, and the watering must be done
very gently, else the cuttings may be washed out. There
is every probability that ninety per cent of all cuttings
put in will take root, pro-
vided they were in the
proper condition, and the
temperature has not been
lower than 65 degrees nor
above 100 degrees. By
the saucer system a higher
temperature may be main-
tained without injury, as the cuttings are in reality placed
in water, and will not wilt provided the water is not allowed
to dry up. Still the detached slip, until rooted, will not
endure a long continuation of 100 degrees, and we advise
that propagation be done at such seasons that the cuttings,
wherever they may be, will have as near as possible an
average temperature of 75° or 80° in the sunlight. ‘The
cuttings will root (according to kinds and the tempera-
ture), in from six totwenty days. Verbenas, Heliotropes,
Fuchsias, etc., root in a week, while Roses, Carnations, or
Azaleas, take two, three, or four weeks. When rooted they
should be potted in light soil, (such as recommended in
the article ‘‘ Propagating of Plants by Seeds,’’) in pots
_ from two to three inches in diameter, and treated care-
__ fully by shading and watering for two or three days. To
Fig. 14.—SAUCER PROPAGATION.
46 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
such as desire more extended information on the subject
of propagating plants by cuttings, I would refer to my
work, ‘‘ Practical Floriculture.”
CHAPTER AIV.
PROPAGATING BY LAYERING.
Although florists now rarely resort to propagation by
layering, yet now and then it may be desirable for ama-
teurs to Increase the number of some favorite plant dur-
ing the summer season, where no other method of propa-
gation can be practised. The only difference between a —
layer and a cutting is, that the cutting is entirely de-
tached from the parent plant, while the layer remains
partially connected with it. Although layering may
be done with the ripened wood of vines or shrubs of the
growth of the previous
season, yet it is prefer-
: able to use the shoot of
ye the present year in its
) half green state ; for ex-
ample, a rose or flower-
ing shrub is pruned in
_ the usual way in spring;
by midsummer it will
have made strong shoots
one, two, or three feet in
length £rom 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 cut on the upper part,
Py |
Ww
\ : Se \\
\ NAN x ~S \
ABOUT GRAFTING AND BUDDING. 4”
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, as shown in the engraving, fig. 15; hav-
ing 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 in
layering is rarely shown in illustrations on the subject,
the cuts usually being represented at the under side of
the shoot. When cut at the lower side, the shoot can
not be laid down without danger of breaking it.
CHAPTER XV.
ABOUT GRAFTING AND BUDDING.
It is often desirable to be able to bud or graft one
variety of plant on another entirely different variety ;
and it is an interesting fact to know that the bud taken
from one plant and inserted so that it grows in another,
and is entirely sustained by the plant into which it has
been budded, in no way changes’ its character. This
fact is so well known to gardeners that they rarely think
it necessary to mention it in writing on the. subject, and
many amateurs interested in horticultural matters have
very confused notions on budding. ‘To illustrate: if a
leaf bud is taken from a white Rose, and inserted in the
stem of a red Rose, all the branches that proceed from
this bud, leaves or flowers, will be identical with the
white Rose from which it was taken. Or if a leaf bud
of the red Rose be inserted in the white, the same result
_ would follow; it will be identical in all respects with the
_ red variety. Or you may take a bud or graft from the
48 - GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
sourest crab apple, and insert it into a branch of the
sweetest apple tree you can find, and the shoot which
grows from the crab apple bud will ever remain a crab,
and will in no way be affected by the sweet apple stock
on which it is growing. Or if the operation is reversed,
and the sweet apple is budded or grafted on the sour,
the result will be the same ; its individuality will be in
no way changed, it will be identical with the variety
from which it was taken. © ,
Still further to illustrate this matter of budding or
grafting, you may take a rose-bush having any number
of shoots, it makes no difference whether one or a hun-
dred ; on each shoot you may bud a distinct variety of
Rose, of all the colors, forms or odors embraced in the
Roses, and each one will hold its distinct characteristic
of color, form, or fragrance, be it crimson, white, pink,
or yellow in color, double or single in form, or of tea or
. other odor. Or you may take a young seedling apple
tree, insert a bud of another into it, then after that bud
has made a growth, bud still another variety into that,
and so on as many as is desired, rub of all shoots in the
stem that start below, and the variety last budded will
hold its individuality unchanged, no matter though the
life-sustaining sap flows through the cells of several dif-
ferent kinds. You may mark the space occupied by each
of the varieties, and cut back to any particular variety,
and the fruit that will be produced by that part, which will
then be the top, will hold its character without change.
What is true of roses and apples, is of course equally
true of whatever plant that can be grafted or budded.
_ The stock does not in any manner affect the individu-
ality of the graft, and I supposed that this was one of
the generally accepted axioms of horticulture, but in a
conversation not long ago with a gentleman whose opin-
ion is entitled to consideration, I found him inclined te
believe that there were some few exceptions to what was
ABOUT GRAFTING AND BUDDING. 49
admitted to be a general law, and in support of his argu-
ment, he referred me for exceptions to Darwin’s ‘‘ Piants
and Animals under Domestication.” I have examined
this work, and find only two cases wherein it is claimed
that the graft is influenced by the stock, or the stock by
the graft. ‘The first isat page 457, Vol. 1, where ‘‘ Prof.
Caspary describes the case of a six-year-old white Moss
Rose, which sent up several suckers, one of which was
thorny and destitute of moss, exactly like those of the
Provence Rose, (f. centifolia), another shoot bore both
kinds of flowers, and in addition longitudinally striped
flowers. As this white moss had been grafted on the
Provence Rose, Prof. Caspary attributes the above changes
to the influence of the stock, but from the facts already
given, and from others to be given, bud variation with
reversion is probably sufficient explanation”; and Dar-
win proceeds to give nearly a dozen cases of like variation
where there was no grafting at all. A very marked case
of this ‘‘ bud variation” is at the present time existing
in my own greenhouses. In a bed of about one hun-
dred plants of the new tea-rose, ‘‘ La Nankin,” all made
from the cuttings from one parent plant, we have had
four distinct varieties. The original flower or bud has
its base or lower half of a nankeen yellow color, while its
upper half is pure white, the separate colors being clearly
defined, yet among our plants from cuttings we have
some flowers that are entirely of the nankeen color, with-
out white ; then again pure white with no nankeen, and
on one shoot the flowers came of a light pink or blush
shade. Now had Prof. Caspary a grafted plant of ‘* La
Nankin” playing these freaks, he no doubt would have
concluded that it was the influence of the graft on the
stock. ‘There are other instances in grafting where an
amalgamation of individualities apparently occurs ; these
cases are familiar to all horticulturists of much experi-
ence, and are also alluded to by Darwin in the work above
3
50 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
referred to. He gives a number of instances where the vari-
egated Oleander grafted on the plain leaved variety as a
stock, imparts the variegation to the stock, or where a yel-
low-leaved ash tree, grafted on the common green-leayed
variety, produced a blotched or variegated variety. That
most of the variegation in the foliage of plants, is due to
disease, or at least some disturbance of the regular func-
tions of the leaf, there is but little doubt, and it is there-
fore but an accidental condition of the individual. Where
a variegated plant is budded or grafted upon a healthy
subject, the disease is transmitted from the unhealthy
bud or graft to the healthy stock in a mauner somewhat
analogous to innoculation of smallpox virus in man. The
character or constitution of the individual is in no way
affected in the one case more than in the other. Marked
instances in which plain-leaved plants become variegated
by being grafted with variegated cions, are afforded by
the variegated Abutilons ; but in all such cases it is sim-
ply the ‘‘blotching” or ‘‘ disease” of the: foliage that
occurs, there is no change whatever in the coloring of the
flowers or shape of the leaves, the individuality of these
remains unchanged. ‘That leaf variegation is indicative
of disease, is manifest from another fact. It is quite a
common thing to find a shoot sent out by the silver-
leaved or variegated Geraniums that is pure white in stem
and leaves, not a particle of green, or such golden varie-
gated kinds cf Geraniums as ‘‘ Mrs. Pollock” will send
out a pure yellow shoot ; but all efforts to make plants of
such shoots will fail; they may feebly root as cuttings,
or they may be grafted on a green-leaved, healthy stock
long enough to drag out a few weeks of existence, but the
disease is here thoroughly established, and all attempts
to propagate these entirely abnormal growths completely
fail. It has been claimed that the Duchesse d’Angouleme
and other pears are much better flavored when grafted on
the quince than on the pear stock, and these are quoted
HOW GRAFTING AND BUDDING ARE DONE. 51
as examples of the influence of the stock on the graft, but
to me this seems capable of another explanation :
We know that the pear stock is a vigorous and
rampant grower as compared with the quince, and
may it not be that this vigor of growth in the tree impairs
the flavor of the fruit in some varieties, just as we find
the flavor of fruits impaired when grown in too rich soil ?
The effect of soil upon quality is particularly marked in
melons. Jremember that I once grew a field of ‘three
acres of nutmeg melons, one-half of the patch-was rich
bottom land, and the other portion was a rather poor
hillside. ‘The fruit produced on the bottom was much
larger, but so different from and inferior in flavor to
those on the hillside that no one would have recognized
the two as being of the same variety. ‘The same, though
in a less marked degree, probably occurs in other fruits
under similar conditions. From these reasons I believe
it safe to assert that no evidence has yet been shown
wherein the stock in any manner affects the graft other
than that it may cause it to grow stronger or weaker,
just as the stock is strong or weak, and the amount of
such influence will be only such as a rich or poor soil
would produce. In other words, the ‘‘ stock” 1s only a
medium or soil wherein the grafted individual grows, and
affects it no more than if it drew its sustenance direct
from the earth—strong, if on a strong stock, as on a fer-
tile soil, and weak, if on a weak stock, as on a sterile soil.
CHAPTER. XVI.
HOW GRAFTING AND BUDDING ARE DONE.
After this discussion of general principles, let us
come to the practice of grafting and budding. In what
has been said, they haye been used as synonyms, and their
52 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
object 1s precisely the same—to propagate a particular
plant upon a rooted plant of another kind. Among
fruits we do this because we cannot multiply choice vari-
eties by seed or by cuttings ; stocks are raised from seed,
which if allowed to grow and bear, might produce a poor
and worthless fruit, or it may be a good kind. To make
matters sure, we graft a twig of.a kind that we know
upon a seedling about which we know nothing. With
Camellias, the choice kinds cannot well be propagated from
cuttings, but some of the commoner kinds will grow in
this way, and the choice Camellias are grafted upon stocks
obtained by rooting cuttings of the others ; so in various
cases among fruits and flowers, budding or grafting af-
fords the readiest, if not the only method, by which we
can multiply certain varieties. A graft isa twig contain-
ing one or more buds, and so inserted or planted in the
stock that the new bark and new wood of the two shall
be in close contact; in budding, a single bud with no
wood, or as little wood as possible, is inserted or planted
below the bark of the stock and in direct contact with its
new or sap-wood. While we give the two operations dif-
ferent names, the French call budding simply a variety of
grafting—shield-grafting. In a general way it may bestated
that in grafting we use buds of a previous year, and in-
sert them upon the stock where they are to grow the
spring after they are formed, and as soon as vegetation
starts, these buds commence to grow. In budding we
use buds of the current season’s growth; the recently
formed buds, near the end of the growing season, are
planted in the stock where they unite, and remain dor-
mant until spring, when the inserted bud pushes into
growth at the time that the natural buds of the stock
start. These statements apply only to out-door grafting
and budding ; when these operations are performed under
glass, the propagator has control of atmospheric condi-
tions, and yaries them to suit the subjects in hand. In
GRAFTING. 53
out-door grafting, such as that upon fruit-trees, the cions
are best if cut in the fall and preserved in sand or saw-
dust in the cellar during the winter; though with very
hardy sorts this is not essential, they should be cut before
any swelling of the buds takes place. ‘The operation suc-
ceeds best when the buds on the cion are perfectly dor-
mant, and those on the stock have swollen and about to
open.
GRAFTING.
The various methods of grafting are too many to describe
here ; the simplest is the cleft graft ; the stock is sawed
off and the end cleft or split for a few mches down
through the center, (fig. 16); the cion, (or two if the
stock is over an inch in
diameter), with two or three
buds, has its lower end
smoothly cut to form a
wedge a trifle thicker on
one side than the other,
(fig. 17); the cleft in the
stock is pried open by means
of an iron wedge ora wedge-
shaped stick, and the cion
or cions set with the thicker
edge of the wedge outward,
observing to bring the in-
ner bark and new wood
of stock and cion in as
close contact as possible; the opening wedge being
withdrawn, the spring of the stock will hold the cions
in place, (fig. 18); the junction is to be covered with
grafting wax, or waxed cloth, taking care to completely
cover every wounded portion of both stock and cion. It
is by this method that most of the grafting is done all
over the country ; it is rude but very successful ; the ob-
a |
Fig. 16. Fig. 17. Fig. 18,
CLEFT GRAFTING.
54 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
jection to it is that it leaves too great a wound to be
closed over. For small stocks the whip-graft is generally
used ; it is much easier to do it than to describe it ; stock
and cion should be as near of a size as possible ; both are
cut with a similar slope, and in each slope is cut a tongue
as in fig. 19; when the two slopes are put together, the
Fig. 19.—WHIP GRAFT. Fig, 20.—SIDE GRAFT.
two tongues are interlocked as in the engraving, taking
care that the inner bark of stock and cion come in con-
tact as completely as possible. In this illustration the
parts are represented as tied with twine, to show the
joint below, but in practice the whole is completely cov-
ered with a band of waxed cloth. This, where practica-
ble, is an excellent graft, there being no large wounds to
heal over, and the points of union are numerous. ‘This
graft is much used by nurserymen in root-grafting small
apple and pear stocks. A very simple form called the side-
graft is often employed by florists and nurserymen ; the
© hae
ira
4 -
a
“4
er:
GRAFTING. . 5d
cion is cut to along wedge, and the stock has a down-
ward cut made in its stem into which the cion is inserted
as in fig. 20. In grafting the Camellia and other hard-
wooded plants, a combination of the whip and side graft
is made use of as shown in fig. 21.
Grafting wax used to cover the wounds made in graft-
ing may be purchased at the seed and implement stores,
or the amateur can make it himself. It should be soft
)
=
>
&
Fig. 21.—GRAFTING THE CAMELLIA.
enough to be molded by the heat of the hand on a cool
day, but not so soft as to run when exposed to the heat
of the sun. It is essentially rosin and beeswax, with tal-
low or linseed oil enough to make it sufficiently soft.
What are known as hot-house, or tropical plants, re-
quire a higher temperature than the preceeding, and
cannot be well grown unless with a night temperature of
from 60° to 70°, and a day temperature of from 10° to
20° higher. The following, of most of which there are
several varieties, can be found described in the cata-
logues of dealers :
Allamandas, Ferns, tropical,
Allocasias, Heliotropes,
Begonias, Hibiscus,
Bouyardias, | Marantas,
Caladiums, Orchids, (of some kinds),
Cissus, Passifloras,
Clerodendrons, Peperomias,
Cobeeas, Poinsettia,
Crotons, Salvias,
Coleus, Sanchezias, .
Dracenas, Torenias,
Euphorbias, Tropzolums,
Epiphyllums—Cactus, Tuberoses.
Eranthemums,
This matter of temperature has everything to do with
the successful cultivation of plants In rooms, or in fact
anywhere. If you attempt, for example, to grow Bon-
yardias or Begonias in an average temperature of 45° at
night, the plants will barely live, and will not flower,
nor be healthy. On the other hand, if you subject your
Camellias or Geraniums to an average of 65° at night by
fire heat m winter, you are almost certain to have the
flowers drop prematurely. As arule, there are more of
the plants known as greenhouse that will endure the
ay
PARLOR GARDENING. ' 81
high temperature necessary for the hot-house plants,
than there are of the hot-house plants that can stand
the low temperature, so when no distinction can be made,
and a high temperature only can be had, all in the list of
greenhouse plants I have marked with a * may be grown
fairly in the high temperature, though they would do
better in the low one. ‘The culture of plants in rooms is
already described in the chapter on ‘‘ Winter Flowering
Plants,” so that I need not further allude to it, except
to hint in regard to the man-
ner of placing the plants.
One of the cheapest and neat-
est contrivances is the ‘‘ fold-
ing plant stand,” (fig. 31).
The sizes are from 3 to 6 feet
wide, and 8 feet high, having
from 4 to 6 shelves, and cap-
able of holding from 25 to
100 plants. It is hinged so
as to fold up like a camp stool,
the shelves fitting in between the frames, and can be thus
shipped or stowed away when not wanted, with great con-
venience. Rollers can be attached to the feet, so that it may
be moved about aseasily asa table. Plants, when placed
on this, or similar stands, may be provided with saucers, so
that the floor or carpet need not be injured while water-
ing. Itis not a good plan, however, to keep water in
the saucers. It is always a safer way of feeding the plant
to water the soil on the top, giving only enough for it
to reach the bottom, where, if any water pass through,
it will be held by the saucer. If no saucers are used,
and we think plants are generally grown more safely
without them, the best plan is, to take down the plants
from the stand, (three times a week will usually be
enough), to some place where the water will not do any
Injury, and give all such as appear to be dry, a good
Fig. 31.—FOLDING PLANT STAND.
82 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
soaking ; those not so dry, water more sparingly, and give
those in which the soil shows that it is wet, none what-
ever. Let the water drain off, pick off any dead leaves,
and replace the pots again on the stand, being careful to
change them as far as possible, so that each side of the
plant may get its fair share of light; if the same part is
always placed to the light, the plant will soon become
drawn to one side.
CHAPTER XXYV.,
WARDIAN CASES, FERNERIES, AND JARDINIERES.
The forms of plant cases for the growth of such:plants
as require a moist, still atmosphere, a condition impossi-
ble to obtain in a room in a dwelling nor even in
a greenhouse, unless it is specially ¢ ri :
erected for.the purpose, are numer- it il
ous. The form commonly ne ue
as the Wardian Case, (fig. 32), h
a base or tray usually of black a .
nut, about 6 inches deep, and lined ||
with zinc, and glass sides and top 3
these differ in size, some being as |
large as 3 feet on the sides. Another } |
me and cheaper form is made of £ 4
Terra Cotta, (fig. 33), or other } is |
earthen ware; these are usually
round in shape, and of various Ms: S2.... White Alder.
Deuicia aeairas. 3. 6 ws is ea eae es ney o£ Rough Deutzia.
< crenaia fl. gh. coc dei es ns 2 eee
Oy QTALMAR cae. he ge eee ee Slender ‘
EWOnyMUsS AtvOPUTPureUs ..cecccecevees Burning Bush.
da latifolius .\. oisets couse eee Broad-leaved do.
Porsythia viridis... ccc cade ce canes Golden Bell.
Hlalesia TtvagHev a, ooo 5. ac deaameeee wae Silver ‘
Hithscus Syrigcius fl. he os. ess cee Rose of Sharon, double.
Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora....... Great-panicled Hydrangea.
34 ATOPIC BUE 5 U's GISSUUlOTE 5. 3 io ss sas yee ee Early AE ag tN SE
Narcissus b1florus. c00 8-02 c2-8 inne ee Primrose Peerless.
* WOCRCUS - se ho ee Poet’s Narcissus.
os SONGUIG cs 6 Bon oe ee Jonquil.
ne Pseudo-narcissus oo... ccc eens Dafiodil,
in double and single varieties.
(Enothera Missouriensis............000- Missouri Evening Primrose.
Peonia offienalis:.. 5.55.2 32: «soca seere Common Peony,
and the various hydrids of this and other species,of which there are
many fine named sorts. ;
Pronia tenuifolia <2. o20055 455 2 Fennel-leaved Peony.
a Moutan....... 5 Sibi eee onaeRne Tree smear
of which there are many named varieties. ;
Fapaver: orienidles ic ene oe eee Oriental Poppy.
FPentstemon grandiflorus .... 2.0.0.0 208- Large-flowered Pentstemon.
a barbatus var. Torreyi........ Torrey’s a
3 PMROTS oS re ion See Palmer’s st
and several other hardy species.
Phiox, herbaceous . 4.5.20 5. .s- cae French Lilac.
Under this head a great number of florists named varieties may be had.
New ones are offered every year, and a good selection of colors makes a
grand show.
Phior sutnlata nn oda nc tb tee eee eee Moss Pink.
Also the white variety.
Folemontuan reptams. oss vee wes ves dawee Jacob’s Ladder.
es CEPULEUN os cic ss 5 a eee Greek Valerian.
SUE DPTIR, Ss Siac Cb wn de 0 oe do Ga Ee Eng. Cowslip.
This and the Polyanthus varieties need a moist and shady place. F
cortusoides is hardy, and P. Japonica probably so.
PYvahrum QArneua. 6a. oe cede eas = Rosy Pyrethrum,
the new double varieties.
Saxifraga crassifolia .......++ Sa Og 15 Thick-leaved Saxifrage.
” CONMSUA ss duress eo teenne Heart-leaved
HARDY HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS. 111
Co OSs ee Stone crop.
- emucnebie (ANG VAT.)....2.--....6- Siebold’s Stone crop.
Ee eee eee Beautiful ‘ 5
“ ee Showy ef “s
and a large number of others, presenting a great variety in foliage and
flowers.
Sempervivum arachnoideum............. Cobweb Houseleek.
* EIEN Soo 5 ca reicin nina Purple-tipped ‘
- I a ee eee Common es
Of these curious plants there are more than 50 species in cultivation,
and all perfectly hardy ; useful on rock-work.
_ is (and double)........ Dropwort.
0 SS eee Palmate Spirea.
ee ee Queen of the Meadow.
re Queen of the Prairie.
Symphytum officinale var..........000 0s Variegated Comfrey.
i e Maiden-hair Meadow Rue.
Tritoma wvaria, (and vars.)............. Red-hot Poker,
needs covering in winter with litter.
are Rock Tunica.
ee Bear-Grass.
PERENNIAL ORNAMENTAL GRASSES.
Do OL Es eee Great Reed.
: cs NE a ee Variegated Reed.
2 | Beer eo Silvery =
: Hrianthus, Ravenne........ cecccceces Ravenna grass.
5. Hulalia Japonica var... ... cee ceee eens Japan Eulalia.
i Pemues giiuca.............-. ne gceccess Blue Fescue.
1. Gynerium argenteum.......cceccceeees Pampas grass.
Be PenCM TUTGALUM.. oo ese ase Wand-like Panic.
9. Phalaris arundinacea picta............. Ribbon grass.
OPM PIENIUNE EE Sn on ke tow cea ceses Feather grass.
In the climate of New York, Nos. 1, 2 and 7 need protection ; Nos.
1 and 2 by litter over the roots, and No. 7 by covering it with a cask or
box. In the order of their hight, No. 6 is 6 inches, 9 and 10 a foot, 5
and 8, 3 to 4 feet, and 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 from 6 to 12 feet, according to the
age of the plants.
112 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER _XXXV.
ANNUAL FLOWERING PLANTS.
To make a selection from the bewildering number of
varieties now offered in our seed catalogues, 1s an inter-
esting, though it may be sometimes rather a perplexing
operation. It is not very easy to give specific advice in
the matter, as tastes are so varied. We would say, in
general terms though, be shy of ‘‘novelties” until you
see them recommended in the lists the second year ; you
may then know that their merits have been tested and
they are given permanent place. We have been import-
ers of all such ‘‘ novelties” for over twenty years, and
think ourselves lucky if we get one good thing for every
nineteen worthless ones we try. Still, to get the good
things, all that are offered must be tried, and subjected
to the sifting process—separating the chaff from the
wheat. We can only use space to enumerate a few gen-
erally favorite kinds, which we give in the list below; this
comprises such as are of easiest cultivation, and are
most valued for the beauty or fragrance of their flowers.
Asters, Escholtzia, Nasturtiums,
Balsams, Geraniums, Nemophila,
Candytufts, Globe Amaranths, Pansy,
Cannas, Helichrysums, Petunia,
*Canary Bird Flower, Ice Plant, ) | Phlox Drummondii,
Carnations, *Tpomea, Poppy,
Clarkias, Lobelia, Portulaca,
Cockscombs, Lupines, Scabiosa,
Collinsia, Lychnis, : Schizanthus,
*Convolvulus, Marigolds,, *Sweét Peas,
*Cypress Vine, Mignonnette, Stocks,
Delphiniums,(Larkspur) Mimosa,(Sensitive-plant) Zinnias,
Dianthus,
Those Marked * are climbers.
I have used the popular . and scientific names indis-
criminately in the way they are given in most seed cata-
ANNUAL FLOWERING PLANTS. £13
logues, as this will facilitate reference to them for
descriptions. The rule for the sowing of seeds already
given in the chapter ‘‘ Propagation of Plants by Seeds,”
applies to sowing the seeds of annuals whether in the hot-
bed or greenhouse, to obtain plants to set in the open
border, or sowing at once in the open border. ‘The coy-
ering of the seeds should in every case be of a light ma-
terial. ‘Thus, if the soil of your flower-garden is hard
and rough, be sure that the surface on which the delicate
seeds are to be sown is made smooth and level, and that
it is covered with a fine light soil, such as leaf-mold, in .
the manner described in the chapter referred to. Proba-
bly three-fourths of all the flower-seeds that are sown by
amateurs never germinate, and for no other reason than
that they have not been properly treated. One sows a
tropical seed, such as Portulaca, in March, and wonders
that it does not start to grow; by May, the time it should
be sown in the ground, the spot has become covered with
weeds, and the tiny plant, if it comes now at all, is
choked and killed. Another reverses the order and
wonders that the hardy Pansy seeds which are sown in
June, fail to grow, orif they grow, fail to bloom in the
dog days. Our seed catalogues are nearly all defective in
not giving more specific directions for the culture of an-
nual plants ; if the space used for description of form and
color was devoted to telling the time and manner of sow-
ing, it would be of far more benefit to the amateur buyer,
but nearly all follow the English practice of giving de- .
scriptions of varietiesonly. ‘There the necessity for such
information is less, the people being better informed as to
flower culture, and the climate is also more congenial for
germination of most seeds.
114 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER XXX¥E
FLOWERS WHICH WILL GROW IN THE SHADE.
There are few plants that will flower in places from
which sunshine is entirely excluded. Some plants will
grow well enough, developing shoots and leaves, but
flowers of nearly all kinds must have some sunshine. Of
those that do well and flower when planted out in the
open ground where sunlight only comes for two or three
hours during the day, may be named the following:
Calceolarias, Fuchsias, Lobelias, Herbaceous Phloxes,
Pansies, Forget-me-nots, Lily of the Valley, and other
herbaceous plants and shrubs whose native habitat is
shady woods. Perhaps a better effect is produced in
such situations by ornamental leaved plants, such as Co-
leuses of all kinds, Amaranths, Achyranthes, Caladi-
ums, Cannas, and other plants with high colored or orna-
mental leaves. With these may be combined the differ-
ent styles of white or gray-leaved plants, such as Centau-
reas, Cinerarias, Gnaphaliums—plants known under the
general popular term of ‘‘ Dusty Millers.” For our own
part we much prefer to devote shaded situations to such
plants, rather than to see the abortive attempts to produce
fiowers made by plants in positions where there is no sun-
shine. It may be here remarked that the cultivator of
plants in rooms should understand the necessity of sun-
light to plants that are to flower, and endeavor to get
them as near as possible to a window having an eastern or
a southern aspect. The higher the temperature, the more
plants suffer for the want of light. Many plants, such
as Geraniums, Fuchsias, or Roses, might remain in a
temperature of 40 degrees, in a cellar for example, away
from direct light for months without material injury,
while if the cellar contained a furnace keeping up a tem-
INSECTS. 115
perature of 70 degrees, they would all die before the win-
ter was ended, particularly if the plants were of a half
hardy nature. If tropical species, they might stand it
better, but all plants quickly become enfeebled when
kept at high temperature and away from the light.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
INSECTS.
When insects attack plants in the greenhouse, parlor,
or anywhere under cover, we can generally manage to
get them under control, but when they attack plants in
the open air, it is according to our experience, difficult
to destroy them. Insects are injurious to plants in the
open air in two principal ways: some attack the branches
and leaves, and others infest the roots. When insects
attack the roots of a plant, we have been able to do but
little to stop their ravages. We can manage somewhat
better with those attacking the leaves, but even this di-
vision of the enemy is often too much forus. As a pre-
ventive, we would strongly advise that birds of all kinds
should be encouraged. Since the European sparrows
have favored us with their presence in such numbers, in-
sects of nearly all kinds have much decreased. Most
people will remember the disgusting ‘‘ measuring worm ”
that festooned the shade-trees in New York, Brooklyn,
and other cities ten years ago; these made their exit al-
most in proportion to the increase of sparrows, and now
hardly one is to be seen. The same is true of the Rose
slug. In my rose grounds, a few years ago, we were
obliged to employ a number of boys for weeks during the
summer to shake off and kill the Rose slug in order to
116 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
keep the plants alive, but since we have had the sparrows
in such numbers, hardly one of these pests is now seen.
An examination of the crop of a sparrow killed in July,
showed that it contained Rose slugs, Aphis, or green-fly,
and the seeds of chickweed and other plants, proving
beyond question the fact that they are promiscuous feed-
ers. The Rose slug, (Selandria rose), referred to above,
isa light green, soft insect, varying from *|,, of an inch
to nearly an inch in length. There are apparently two —
species or varieties, one of which eats only the cuticle of
the lower side of the leaf, the other eats it entire. ‘The
first is by far the most destructive here. In a few days
after the plants are attacked they appear as if they had
been burned. An excellent application for the prevention
of the ravages of the Rose slug is whale-oil soap dissolved
in the proportion of one lb. to eight gallons of water, this,
if steadily applied daily for a week with a syringe on Rose
plants, before the leaf has developed in spring, will en-
tirely prevent the attacks of the insect. But we find
that if the slug once gets fairly at work, this remedy is
powerless unless used so strong as to injure the leaves.
The Rose-Bug, (Macrodactylus subspinosus), or Rose
Chaffer, gets its name from the preference it shows for
the buds and blossoms of the Rose, though it is equally
destructive to the Dahlia, Aster, Balsam, and many
other flowers, and especially grape blossoms. All the or-
dinary remedies seem to fail with the Rose-bug, and it
can only be stopped by picking it off by hand. |
Green-Fly, or Aphis, is one of the most common, but
fortunately most easily destroyed, of any insect that in-
fests plants, either in-doors or out. In our greenhouses, as -
already stated, we fumigate twice a week, by burning
about half a pound of refuse tobacco stems, (made
damp), to every 500 square feet of glass surface, but in
private greenhouses or on plants in rooms, fumigating is
often impracticable. Then the tobacco stems can be
INSECTS. LE yy:
used by steeping one pound in five gallons of water, un-
til the water gets to be the color of strong tea. This
liquid applied over and under the leaves with a syringe,
will destroy the insect quite as well as by fumigating,
only in either case the application should be made before
the insects are seen, to prevent their coming rather than
to destroy them when established ; for often by neglect
they get a foothold in such legions that all remedies be-
come ineffectual to dislodge them. Another means of
preventing the green-fly is to apply tobacco in the shape
of dust. ‘The sweepings of tobacco warehouses, which
can be found for sale in most seed or agricultural
establishments, at a cost of five to ten cents per
pound. This applied once or twice a week to an ordinary
sized private greenhouse, would effectually prevent any
injury from green-fly. No special quantity of this need
be prescribed, all that is necessary is to see that it is so
dusted on that it reaches all parts of the plant and on
both sides of the leaves. It is best to slightly syringe
the plants beforehand, so that the dust will adhere to the
leaves. When applied to plants out-doors, it should be
done in the morning when the dew is on. Fruit-trees
of many kinds, shrubs, and Roses of all kinds, out of
doors, are particularly liable tc injury from some species
of Aphis, but the application of tobacco dust, if made in
- time, will be found a cheap and effectual remedy.
Ground or Blue Aphis, is a close relative of the pre-
ceeding, but it gets its living from the roots down in the
soil, while the Green Aphis feeds in the air on the leaves.
The Blue Aphis attacks a great many varieties of plants,
particularly in hot, dry weather, and whenever Asters,
Verbenas, Petunias, Centaureas, or such plants begin to
droop, it will be found on examination, in three cases out
of four, that the farthest extremities of their roots are
completely surrounded by the Blue Aphis. The only
remedy we have ever found for this pest is a strong de-
ps * = ‘
iy ;
— >. ae
118 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
coction of tobacco, made so strong as to resemble strong
coffee in color. The earth around the plants must be
soaked with this so that the lowest roots will be reached.
The tobacco water will not hurt the plants, but will be
fatal to the insect, and if it has not already damaged the
roots to too great an extent, may prove a remedy.
Ants.—These are not usually troublesome unless in
great numbers, yet when they appear in strong force they
are often very destructive. About the simplest method
we have found to get rid of them, is to lay fresh bones
around the infested plants; they will leave everything
to feed on these, and when thus accumulated may be
easily destroyed.
The Red Spider is one of the most insidious enemies
of plants, both when under glass and in the open air in
summer. It luxuriates in a hot and dry atmosphere,
and the only remedy that I can safely recommend to am-
ateurs, 1s copious syringings with water,.1f in the green-
house, so that a moist atmosphere can be obtained. This,
of course, is not practicable when plants are grown in
rooms, and the only thing that can then be done is to
sponge off the leaves. It is this insect, more than any
thing else, that makes it so difficult to grow plants in the
dry air of the sitting-room, as it may be sapping the
life blood from a plant, and its owner never’ discover the
cause of his trouble. It is so minute as hardly to be
seen by the naked eye, but its ravages soon show, and if
the leaves of your plants begin to get brown, an exami-
nation of the under-surface of the leaf will usually reveal
the little pests in great numbers. When they get thus
established there is no remedy but to sponge the leaves
thoroughly with water, or weak soapsuds.
The Mealy Bug, as it is generally called, is a white
mealy or downy-looking insect, which is often very trou-
blesome among hot-house plants, but rarely does any
harm amongst those that can live in a cool room, as no
ae
INSECTS. 119
doubt it is a native of some tropical country, and can
only exist in such a temperature as is required by plants
of that kind. ‘There are various remedies used by florists,
but the use of nearly all of them might do more harm
than good in inexperienced hands, and I therefore advise
that they should only be destroyed by being washed off
such plants as Gardenias, or rubbed off of more tender
leaved plants with a soft brush ; or where there are but
few, they may be readily picked off by the use of a quill
sharpened like a toothpick.
Brown and White Scale Insects.—These appear life-
less, and adhere closely to the stems of such plants as —
Oleanders, Ivies, etc., and like the Mealy Bug are best
destroyed by being washed or rubbed off.
Thrips.—This is an insect varying in color from light
yellow to dark brown, and much more active in its move-
ments than the Green-Fly, and more difficult to destroy ;
when it once gets a foothold it is very destructive. It
succumbs to tobacco, in any of the forms recommended
for the destruction of Green-Fly, but not so readily. It
luxuriates in shaded situations, and generally abounds
where plants are standing too thickly together, or where
ventilation or light is deficient. It may be safely as-
serted that in any well regulated place where plants
are kept, no injury from insects will ever become serious
if due attention has been given to keeping the atmos-
phere of the place moist, and using tobacco freely in any
of the forms we have recommended.
The Angle Worm.—This is the common worm seen
in every soil in pots and in the open ground. It is
harmless so far as feeding goes, for it seems never to
touch plants as food, but it bores and crawls around in
a way by no means beneficial to pot-grown plants; it is,
however, easily dislodged ; by slaking a quart of lime
and adding water to make up ten gallons of the liquid,
and watering the plants with it after it has become
120 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
clear, the caustic qualities of the lime will be quickly
fatal to the worm.
ea ee
CHAPTER XXXVIIL
MILDEW.
Mildew is a parasitical fungus, often seen on greenhouse
and other plants, and is quickly destructive to their health.
But as with all other plant troubles, it is best to prevent
rather than cure. Care should be taken, particularly
where roses or grape Vines are grown under glass, as both
of these are especially lable to be attacked, to avoid a
rapid change of temperature, or a long exposure to sud-
den chill by draughts in ventilating. As soon as spots
of grayish-white appear on the leaves of roses or grape-
vines, either out-doors or under glass, it is certain that
mildew is present, but if it has not been neglected too
long, the followmg preparation will usually be found a
prompt remedy. ‘Take three pounds each of flowers of sul-
phur and quick-lime, put together and slake the lime, and
add six gallons of water ; boil all together until it is re-
duced to two gallons, allow the liquid to settle until it
gets clear, then bottle for use. One gill only of this is
to be mixed in five gallons of water, and syringed over
the plants in the evening, taking care not to use it on the
fruit when ripe, as it would communicate a taste and
smell which would render it useless. Applied in this
weak state, it does not injure the leaves, and yet has the
power to destroy the low form of vegetable growth, which
we call mildew. We apply it just as we do tobacco, once
or twice a. week, as a preventive, and we rarely have a
speck of mildew. .
FROZEN PLANTS. Tat
CHAPTER XXXIX.
FROZEN PLANTS.
When by any mishap the plants, whether in parlor or
greenhouse, become frozen, either at once remove them,
(taking care not to touch the leaves), tosome piace warm
enough to be just above the point of freezing ; if there
are too many to do that, get up the fire as rapidly as
possible and raise the temperature. The usual advice is
to sprinkle the leaves and shade the plants from the sun.
We have never found either remedy of any avail with
frozen plants, and the sprinkling is often a serious in-
jury if done before the temperature is above the freezing
point. In our experience with thousands of frozen plants,
we have tried all manner of expedients, and found no
better method than to get them out of the freezing at-
mosphere as quickly as possible, and we have also found
that the damage is in proportion to the succulent condi-
tion of the plant, and the intensity of the freezing. Just
what degree of cold plants in any given condition can en-
dure without injury, we are unable to state. Plants are
often frozen so that the leaves hang down, but when
thawed out are found to be not atall injured ; at another
time the same low temperature acting on the same kind
of plants may kill them outright if they happen to be
growing more thriftily, and are full of sap. When the
frost is penetrating into a greenhouse or room in which
plants are kept, and the heating arrangements are inade-
quate to keep it out, the best thing to do is to cover the
plants with paper, (newspapers), or sheeting ; thus pro-
tected, most plants will be enabled to resist four or five
degrees of frost ; paper is rather better than sheeting for
this purpose. 7
6
122 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER XL.
MULCHING.
Litter of any kind placed around newly planted trees
to prevent evaporation from the soil, was the original
meaning of mulch, but it is at present extended to in-
clude a covering of the soil applied at any time, and for
very different purposes. Good cultivators apply hay,
straw, or other litter to the surface of the soil to protect
the roots of certain plants against the action of frost, it
being useful, not so much against freezing as to prevent
the alternate freezing and thawing, that is apt to occur
in our variable and uncertain climate, even in mid-win-
ter. As mentioned under strawberry culture, the mulch
applied in the fall protects the roots during winter, it is
allowed to remain on the bed where, if thick enough, it
keeps down weeds, and prevents the evaporation of mois-
ture from the soil during the dry time we are apt to have
between the flowering and the ripening of the strawberry.
Besides all this, it makes a clean bed for the fruit to rest
upon, and should a driving shower come up as the fruit
is ripening, there is no danger that the berries will be
splashed with mud and spoiled. The utility of a mulch
is not confined to the strawberry among fruits; raspber-
ries and currants are much benefitted by it, and by its
use a gardener of my acquaintance succeeds in growing
fine crops of the fine varieties of English gooseberries, a
fruit with which very few succeed in our hot summers.
Newly planted trees, whether of fruit or ornamental
kinds, are much benefitted by a mulch, and its applica-
tion often settles the question of success or failure. We
have known a whole pear orchard to be mulched, and the
owner thought its cost was more than repaid by saving
MULCHING. 123
the fallen fruit from bruises. The rooting of a layer is
by some gardeners thought to be facilitated by placing a
flat stone over the buried branch; the fact being that
the stone acts as a mulch, and prevents the soil around
the cut portion from drying out, and greatly favors the
rooting process. yen in the vegetable garden, mulch-
ing is found useful, especially with cauliflowers, which
find our summers quite too dry. The material.of the
_ mulch is not of much importance, the effect being purely
mechanical, one kind of litter will answer as well as an-
other ; the material will be governed in great measure by -
locality ; those living near salt water will find salt-hay,
as hay from the marshes is called, the most readily pro-
cured ; those who live near pine forests use the fallen
leaves, or pine needles as they are called; in the grain
growing districts straw is abundant, and nothing can be
better ; it can be applied more thoroughly if run through
a cutter, though the thrashing machine often makes it
short enough. Leaves are nature’s own mulch, and an-
swer admirably; if there is danger of their being blown
away, brush laid over them, or even a little earth sprink-
led on them will keep them in place. Tan-bark and saw-
dust may serve for some uses, but they are very bad for
strawberries, their finer particles being about as objec-
tionable as the soil. One of the best materials to use for
summer mulching is the green grass mowed from lawns.
This applied to the thickness of two or three mches
around the roots of all kinds of small fruits, will be
found not only to greatly benefit the crop, particularly in
dry weather, but will save greatly in labor by preventing
the growth of weeds. One of our best private gardeners
in the vicinity of New York has adopted this summer
mulching with the grass from the lawn for nearly twenty
years, and has succeeded in growing all kinds of small
fruits in the highest degree of perfection.
124 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER XLI.
ARE PLANTS IN ROOMS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH?
The question whether plants may be safely grown
in living rooms is now settled by scientific men, who
show that whatever deleterious gases may be given
out by plants at night they are so minute in quantity
that no injury is ever done by their presence in the
rooms and by being inhaled. Though we were glad
to see the question disposed of by such authority, ex-
perience had already shown that no bad effects ever
resulted from living in apartments where plants were
grown. Our greenhouses are one mass of foliage, and I
much doubt if any healthier class of men can be found
than those engaged in the care of plants. But timid per-
sons may say that the deleterious gases are given out only
at night, while our greenhouse operatives are only em-
ployed in daylight. This is only true in part. Our
watchmen and men engaged in attending to fires at
night make the warm greenhouses their sitting-room and
their sleeping-room, and I have yet to hear of the first
instance where the slightest injury resulted from this
practice. Many of our medical practitioners run in old
ruts. Some Solomon among them probably gave out this
dogma a century ago, 1t was made the convenient scape-
goat of some other cause of sickness, and the rank and
file have followed in his train. A belief-in this error
often consigns to the cellar, or to the cold winds of win-
ter, the treasured floral pets of a household.
SHADING. 125
CHAPTER XUIL
SHADING.
In mulching the object is to prevent evaporation from
the soil, as well as to shield the roots from sudden
changes of temperature ; it is often necessary to protect
the whole plant in this respect, and this is accomplished
by shading. Although on a large scale, we can do little |
in the way of shading plants in the open ground, yet the
amateur will often find it of great utility, as screening
will frequently save a recently transplanted plant, which
without it would be quite ruined by a few hours’ exposure
to the sun. For shading small plantsin the border, such
as transplanted annuals, a few shingles will be found very
useful, one or two of these can be stuck in the ground so
as to completely protect the delicate plant and yet not
deprive it of air. Six-inch boards of half-inch stuff
nailed together to form a V shaped trough are very use-
fulin the garden; they are handy to place over small
plants during cold nights, and may be turned over and
set to make a screen against strong winds, or used for
shading plants in rows. Seedlings often suffer from the
heat of the sun in the middle of the day; the seedlings
of even the hardiest forest trees are very delicate when
young. ‘The seeds of such trees when sown naturally al-
most always fall where the young plant will be shaded,
and the amateur who experiments in this very interesting
branch of horticulture, the raising of evergreen and de-
ciduous trees and shrubs from seed, will find it necessary
to imitate nature and protect his young seedlings from
the intense heat of the sun. ‘There are several ways of
doing this ; if the seeds have been sown in an open bor-
der, let him take twigs about a foot long, evergreen if
126 GARDENING TOR PLEASURE.
they can be had, but if not, those from any deciduous
tree, and stick them a few inches apart all over the bed.
This will give the seedlings very much such a protection
as they would naturally have had in the shade of other
plants, and though evergreens will look better for a while,
the dead leaves of deciduous twigs will give quite as use-
fula shade. It is always safer to sow seeds in a frame,
as the young plants are then under more complete con-
trol. Frames are easily shaded by means of a lattice
made of common laths. Strips of inch stuff an inch and
a half or two inches wide, are used for the sides of the
lattice, and laths are nailed across as far apart as their
own width. One lath being nailed on, another is laid
down to mark the distance, the third one put down and
nailed, and the second lath is moved along to mark the
distance for the fourth, and so on. With ascreen of this
kind there is abundant light, but the sun does not shine
long at a time on one spot, and the plants have a con-
stantly changing sun and shade. ‘This lath screen may
be used for shading plants in the. open ground if sup-
ported at a proper hight above them. In a propagating
hotise, where it is necessary, as it often is, to shade cut-
tings, a lattice laid upon the outside of the glass answers
a good purpose. The laths are sometimes tied together
with strong twine, the cord answering the place of slats,
and serving as a warp with which the laths are woven ;
the advantage of a screen of this kind is that it can be
“rolled up. Plants kept in windows during the summer
months will, if in a sunny exposure, require some kind
of a shade, and if the one provided to keep the sun from
the room shuts out too much light, or excludes air as
well as sun, something must be provided which will give
protection during the heat of the day, and still allow
sufficient light and an abundant circulation of air. Any
one with ingenuity can arrange a screen of white cotton
cloth to answer the purpose.
SHADING, 12%
The old practice of stripping the greenhouse in sum-
mer is falling into disuse, and by a proper selection of
plants and sufficient shade, it is made as attractive then
as at any other season, but even for tropical plants the
glass must be shaded. Jor a small lean-to, a screen of
light canvass or muslin arranged upon the outside, so
that it may be wound up on a roller when not wanted
will answer, and if it be desired to keep the house as cool
as possible, this should be so contrived that there will be
a space of six inches or so between that and the glass.
But upon a large house, or one with a curvilinear roof, -
this is not so manageable, and the usual method is to coat
the glass with some material which will obstruct a part
of the light. The most common method is to give the
outside of the glass a coat of ordinary lime whitewash ;
this makes a sufficient shade, and is gradually dissolved
by the rains, so that by autumn the coating is removed,
or so nearly so that what remains may be readily washed
off. A more pleasant effect is produced by spattering the
glass with the same wash, which can be done by a dex-
terous use of the brush and flirting it so as to leave the
wash in numerous fine drops, like rain-drops. Others
use whiting and milk for the same purpose. Whatever
may be the means of effecting it, we find that in this lat-
itude shading of some kind is required from about the Ist -
of May to the middle of September by nearly all plants
grown under glass. Ferns, Lycopods, Caladiums, Primu-
las, Fuchsias, Begonias, Gloxinias, Achimenes, Lobelias,
Smilax, and plants of that character require the glass to be
heavily shaded, while for Roses, Carnations, Bouvardias,
Poinsettias, Geraniums of all kinds, and nearly all suc-
culent plants, do not need so much. The method of
spattering the glass outside with thin whitewash, allows
the shading to be light or heavy, as required. When
first done, it is spattered very thinly, merely to break the
strong glare of the sun, just about thick enough to half
128 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
cover the surface. As the season advances, the spatter-
ing should be repeated to increase the shade, but at no
time for the plants last mentioned do we entirely cover
the glass. In England, especially for fern houses,
Brunswick green mixed with milk is used, to give a
green shade, which is thought to be best suited to these
plants. The blue glass for greenhouses which was so
highly lauded a few years ago, has not met with much
favor, but recent experiments in glazing with ground
glass have given such results as to warrant a more careful
investigation into the use of this material.
CHAPTER XLIIL
THE LAW OF COLOR IN FLOWERS.
I refer to this matter in the hope that it may be the
means of saving some of my readers, not only from being
duped and swindled, by a class of itinerant scamps that
annually reap a rich harvest in disposing of impossibili-
ties in flowers, but that I may assure them of the utter
improbability of their ever seeing such wonders as these
fellows offer, thereby saving them from parting with
money for worthless objects, and from the ridicule of
their friends who are already better advised. This sub-
ject cannot be too often brought before our amateur hor-
ticulturists. Warnings are given year after year in lead-
ing agricultural and other journals devoted to gardening,
yet a new crop of dupes is always coming up who readily
fall victims to the scoundrels who live upon their credu-
lity. Nota season passes but some of these swindling
dealers have the audacity to plant themselves right in
THE LAW OF COLOR IN FLOWERS. 129
the business centers of our large cities, and hundreds of
our sharp business men glide smoothly into their nets.
The very men who will chuckle at the misfortunes of
a poor rustic when he falls into the hands of a mock
auctioneer, or a pocket-book dropper, will freely pay $10
for a rose plant of which a picture has been shown them
as having a blue flower ; the chance of its coming blue
being about equal to the chance that the watch of the
mock auctioneer will be gold. It has long been known
among the best observers of such matters, that in certain
families of plants, particular colors prevail, and that in —
no single instance can we ever expect to see blue, yellow,
and scarlet colors in varieties of the same species. If any
one at all conversant with plants will bring any family of
them to mind, it will at once be seen how undeviating
is this law. In the Dahlia we have scarlet and yellow,
but no approach to blue, so in the Rose, Hollyhock, etc.
Again in the Verbena, Salvia, etc., we have scarlet and
blue, but no yellow! It we reflect it will be seen that
there is nothing out of the order of nature in this arrange-
ment. We never expect to see among our poultry with
their varied but somber plumage, any assume the azure
hues of our spring Blue-bird, or the dazzling tints of the
Oriole ; why then should we expect nature to step out
of what seems her fixed laws, and give usa blue Rose,
a blue Dahlia, or a yellow Verbena?
ikea
oe
de
A,
J
ial?
m AeA '
Sand eee i ee er
UIT GARDEN. ~—=
PRUNING. 133
CHAPTER XLIV.
PRUNING.
Though the chapter on pruning is placed at the com-
mencement of that division of the work which treats
upon fruits, the fact must not be lost sight of that prun-
ing is often quite as necessary upon trees and shrubs cul-
tivated for their flowers or foliage as upon those grown
for their fruit. In pruning we cut away some portion of
a tree, shrub, or other plant, for the benefit of that which
remains, and whether performed upon a branch six inches
through, or upon a shoot so tender as to be cut by the
thumb-nail, is essentially the same. The operation,
though very simple, is one which the amateur often
fears to undertake, and having no confidence in his
own ability, he often employs some jobbing gar-
dener, who has no fears on this or any other gar-
_dening matter. Pruning is done for various ends,
and unless one has a definite reason for doing it, he had
better leave it undone : Many have an idea that pruning
must, for some reason, be done every year, just as it used
to be thought necessary for people to be bled every spring,
whether well or ill. We prune to control the shape of a
tree or shrub, and by directing the growth from one part
to another, obtain a symmetrical form, especially in fruit
trees, where it is desirable that the weight of fruit be
equally distributed. In some trees where the fruit is
grown only on the wood of the previous season, the bear-
ing portions are each year removed further and further
from the body of the tree; in such cases a shortening of
the growth each year will cause the formation of a com-
pact head instead of the loose straggling that results
when this is omitted. We prune to renew the vigor of a
plant ; the inexperienced cannot understand how cutting
,: :
a
ae iden’
134 3 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
away a third, a half, or even more of a plant can improve
it in vigor and fruitfulness, or abundance and size of
flowers. Let us suppose that a stem which grew last year
has 20 buds upon it; if this is allowed to take its own course
in the spring, a few of the upper buds will push with
great vigor, and form strong shoots; those below wiil
make gradually weaker shoots, and for probably the lower
third of the stem the buds will not start at all; the most
vigorous growth is always at the top, the buds there were
the last formed in the previous summer, are the most
excitable, and the soonest to grow the next spring, and
getting the start of those below them, they draw the
nourishment to themselves and starve the others. If,
instead of allowing this stem to grow at will in this man-
ner, it had been, before any of the buds started, cut
back to leave only a few of the lower ones, those hay-
ing an abundance of nutriment would push forth with
great vigor and be nearly equal in size, while the flowers or
fruit borne upon them would be greatly superior to those
upon the unpruned stem. Any one can readily be con-
vinced of the utility of pruning by taking two rose-bushes
of equal size, leaving one without any pruning to take
care of itself, and each spring cutting the other back se- |
verely, pruning away one-third or one-half of the wood
that was formed the previous season. The result at the
end of two years will be very striking. No general rule
can be given for pruning; the amateur should use his
eyes, and notice the habit of growth of his trees and
shrubs. He will find that many, like the rose, produce
their flowers upon the new wood of the present season,
and that such plants are greatly benefitted by cutting
back more or less each spring. But there are other
plants for which this treatment will not answer; if we
examine a horse-chestnut-tree, or a lilac-bush, and many
others, we shall find that the flowers come from the large
buds that were formed on the end of last season’s growth,
(aa eee
+ Late
PRUNING, ; 135
and that to cut back such plants would be to remove all
the flower-buds. With shrubs of-this kind, all that need
be done is to thin out the branches where they are too
crowded. ‘These examples will warn the novice against
indiscriminate pruning, and unless as he stands before
his shrub or tree, knife in hand, he knows why he is to
prune and how, let him put his knife in his pocket, and
give the plant the benefit of the doubt. While under
the different fruits we can give directions for the partic-
ular pruning required by each, the proper method of
treating a miscellaneous collection of ornamental shrubs
and trees can only be learned by observation. ‘The term
pruning is generally applied to the cutting away, in whole
or in part, of the ripened wood, but much pruning may
be done by the use of the thumb and finger; this is
termed pinching, and is practiced upon young shoots
while they are yet soft. ‘This most useful form of prun-
ing allows us to control the form of a plant with the
greatest ease, and is applied not only to soft-wooded
plants, but to trees and shrubs, and may be so performed
on these as to'render nearly, if not quite, all pruning of
ripened wood unnecessary. If a vigorous shoot has its
end or ‘‘ growing point” pinched out it will cease to
elongate, but will throw out branches below, the growth
of which may be controlled in the same manner; the
blackberry illustrates the utility of this kind of pruning ;
the rampant growing shoot which springs up from the
root will, if left to itself, make a long cane six or eight
feet high, and with a very few branches near the top ; if
when this shoot has reached four, or at most five feet,
its end be pinched off, it will then throw out numerous
branches, and if the upper branches, when they reach the
length of 18 inches, be ‘‘ stopped,” (as it is called), in a
similar manner, by pinching, the growth will be directed
to the lower ones, and by the end of the season instead
of a long, unmanageable wand, there will be a well-
136 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE. ~
branched bush which will bear its fruit all within reach.
The grower of plants in pots is usually afraid to remove
even a single inch of the stem, and the result is usually
alot of ‘‘leggy ” specimens not worth the care that is
otherwise bestowed upon them. Plants may be prevented
from ever reaching this condition, if their growth be
properly controlled by pinching ; but if they have once
reached it, they should be cut back severely, and a com-
pact bushy form obtained from the new shoots which will
soon start. The mechanical part of pruning is very sim-
ple, a sharp knife is the best implement, as it makes a
clean cut, without bruising 4
the bark, and the wound Wb
quickly heals ; but shears are IS
much easier to handle, and :
the work can be done so
much more quickly, that they
are generally preferred, and |
for rampant growing bushes
will answer, but upon fruit- |
trees, and choice plants gen-
erally, the knife is to be pre-
ferred. The cut should be m : i
made just ata joint; not so Fig. 48. Fig. 49.\ Fig. 50.
far above it as to leave q WHERE TO CUT IN PRUNING.
stub, as in fig. 49, which will die back to the bud, there
being nothing to contribute to its growth ; nor should it
be made so close to the bud as to endanger it, as in fig.
48; the cut should start just opposite the lower part of
the bud and end just above its top, as in fig. 50. For
the removal of branches too large to cut with the knife,
as must sometimes be done on neglected trees, a saw is
required. Saws are made especially for the purpose, but
any narrow one with the teeth set wide will answer; the
rough cut left by the saw should be pared smooth, and if
an inch or more in diameter, the wound should be cov-
PRUNING. Laz
ered ; ordinary paint, melted grafting wax, or shellac
varnish will answer to protect the bare wood from air and
moisture, and prevent decay.
In pruning it is well to remember that the future
shape of the tree will be materially affected by the
position upon the branch oi the bud to which the
cut is made; the upper bud left on the branch will
continue the growth, and the new shoot will be in the
direction of that bud. If
a young tree is, as in fig.
51, to have all its branches_
shortened, and each is cut
to a bud, A, pointing to-
wards the center of the tree,
the tendency of the new
growth will all be inward,
as in fig. 52; while if all
be cut to an outside bud,
B, the result will be to
spread the growth, as in
fig. 53. As to the time of
pruning, about which there
has been much discussion,
it may be done on small
stems at any time after the
fall of the leaf, before the growth starts in the spring,
but for the removal of large branches, late in winter is
regarded as the best time. Pinching is of course done
whenever it is needed.
Fig. 51. Fig. 52. Fig. 58.
PRUNING FOR SHAPE.
138 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER Xi¥.
HARDY GRAPES.
e
Grapes can be grown in almost any soil, provided it is
not a wet one, although the grape will take abundance of
water when in a growing state, it must pass off quickly,
else the growth will be impeded. If the ground is not
naturally suitable, (2. e., at least a foot in depth of good
soil), a border prepared in the manner recommended in
the chapter on ‘‘ Cold Grapery,” will well repay the
trouble. It is imperative that the position where the
vine is planted be such as will enable it to get sunlight
for the greater portion of the day. Ten years ago I
planted an arbor with an arched top and 100 feet long by
16 feet wide and 10 feet high, covering a walk running
east and west ; this gave a south and north exposure.
The crop has always been excellent and abundant on the
south side, and top of the arbor, but on the north
side, (unless the first and second years of fruiting,
when there was not sufficient foliage to impede the light),
it has been nearly a failure. There is much misconcep-
tion as to what should be the age of a grape-vine when
planted ; nine-tenths of our amateur customers ask for
vines three or four years old. If a vine of that age could
be properly lifted with every root unbroken, then there
might be some advantage in its greater strength, but as
vines are usually grown in the nurseries closely together,
with the roots all interlaced, large plants can rarely be got
with roots enough to support the vine and maintain its
vigor after transplanting. As a rule it is better to plant
one or two-year-old vines, which can usually be bought
at half the price of those of three or four years old, and
ve
Fi
HARDY GRAPES. 139
which in all probability will give a crop quite as soon, if
not sooner, than the large ones. The manner of plant-
ing the vine is similar to that of setting any other tree or
shrub. The ground must be thoroughly broken up, not
in a mere hole only sufficient to hold the roots, but if a
regular border has not been made, the place where each
vine is to be planted, should not be less than three feet
in diameter, and if double that, all the better, and to the
depth of not less than a foot. On receiving the vine
from the nursery, it may consist of one or more shoots,
V |
'? ts
: Is
Fig. 54.—VINE WITH TWO SHOOTS. Fig. 55.—VINE. WITH ARMS.
but on planting it should be cut back to only two or three
eyes or buds. On starting to grow, all of these buds or
eyes should be rubbed off except one, selecting the strong-
est. ‘Train this shoot perpendicularly to a stake the first
year of its growth, the next fall, when the leaves drop,
cut it back to nine or ten inches from the ground. When
_ the vine starts the next spring, rub off all eyes or buds
except two, which during the season will form two canes,
as in fig. 54, These, if they are canes half an inch in
140 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
diameter, are in fall to be pruned to three or four feet
long, and the following spring are to be trained hori-
zontally, one to the right, the other to the left. If at
the end of the second year they are still small, it is
better to delay laying down the arms until another
year, and grow two upright shoots again, to get
them sufficiently strong. These will form the base from
which to start the upright shoots, as shown in fig. 55.
These upright growths will be the permanent fruiting
canes, and should be from 15 to 18 inches apart, and
pruned on what is known as the spur system as shown
Ye
— ==> OF
Fig. 56.—VINE SPUR-PRUNED.
by fig. 56. ‘There is nothing arbitrary as to the hight
these canes should be. It isa matter of convenience or .
taste whether they be trained to 3 feet or 15 feet.
Vines thus treated may be allowed to produce a few
bunches the third year, and by the sixth year, may be
fruited to the hight of 10 or 12 feet of cane if desired.
Not more than two bunches of fruit should be allowed to
each shoot. We give this manner of training as one of
the simplest, although the system of training has but
little to do with the crop.
The distance apart at which grape-vines may be plant-
ed, except the Delaware and a few of the weaker grow-
ing sorts, is about eight feet; the Delaware may be set
one-third closer. Although grape-vines are hardy in
nearly all sections, yet in any locality where the ther-
HARDY GRAPES. 14]
mometer falls to zero, it is beneficial to lay them down
close to the ground and cover them up with rough litter
before the approach of severe weather in winter, allowing
it to remain on in spring until the buds begin to swell,
when the vines are uncovered and tied up to the trellis.
If covered in this way they should be pruned before lay-
ing down. Pruning may be done at any time from No-
vember to March. It isa common belief that grape-vines
should be pruned only at certain seasons. The weather
must not be too cold, otherwise it is supposed they may
be injured if then pruned. Again, they must not be
pruned late in the spring, else the sap oozing from the
cuts may bleed them to death. Let me say that both
these notions are utter nonsense. The pruning of any
tree or vine in the coldest weather cannot possibly injure,
and the ‘‘bleeding” or running of the sap after any or-
dinary pruning, can no more hurt the vine than the
blood flowing from a pin scratch would weaken a healthy
man. ‘This method of covering up the grape-vine is not
commonly practised, but we are satisfied that in exposed
positions it is well worth the trouble. I have practised
it with vines now ten years old, embracing some 20 vari-
eties ; my soil isa stiff clay very unsuitable for the grape,
yet these vines have kept clear of mildew, when my
neighbor’s vines a few hundred yards off have been seri-
ously injured by it. I have long believed that intense
cold, long continued, is hurtful to even such plants as we
call hardy, and the wonderful vigor of these old vines,
so treated, seems a good evidence of it.
The litter used in covering, (which has become well-
rotted by spring), is spread over the border, acting both
as asummer mulch and fertilizer. Mildew is the worst
enemy to the vine; the same remedy we recommend in
this book for mildew on roses, will be found equally effi-
-cacious for the grape. On the large scale dry sulphur is
used, blown upon the vines by a bellows for the purpose.
142 - GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
Propagation of the grape is done by nurserymen in cas
houses, similar to that used for propagating
florists plants. But most of the varieties can
be grown with fair success by cuttings in the
open air. The cuttings, (made from the
yess, well ripened shoots of the previous
year’s growth), may be made with two (fig. 57)
or three buds or eyes, planted in rows, say one
foot apart and three inches between the cut-
tings, and set so that the top eye or bud only
is above ground. The situation where the
cuttings are placed should be well exposed
to the sun, the soil rich and deep, and of
sandy or light character. Care must be
taken that the cutting is well firmed in the
soil. The cuttings may be made from the
prunings at any time during winter, and
kept in a damp cellar or buried outside curtrNe.
in sand until planted in the cutting-bed in the spring.
THE VARIETIES OF THE GRAPE
Now number many hundred, and we will recommend
only a very few of the most distinct sorts that haye been
grown long enough to allow us to be certain of their
merits. :
Concord is perhaps more universally cultivated than
any other. It grows most luxuriantly, bearing bunches
of large size abundantly; color black, with a rich blue
bloom ; the flavor is of average quality. Ripens during
the month of September. ~
Hartford Prolific.—Resembles the Concord in general
appearance, but ripens two or three weeks earlier. It is
valuable on this account, but in light soils drops its fruit
badly, which is quite a drawback.
Iona.—Is a seedling of the old Catawba, color pale red,
HARDY GRAPES. 143
flavor excellent, fully equal to the Catawba, but it is pref-
erable to that variety in ripening fully a month earlier,
or from the Ist to 15th of September. One of the best,
where it succeeds; it requires a strong soil.
Delaware.—Ilts entirely distinct character from any of
our hardy grapes, at one time raised the question whether
this was not a foreign variety, but that point we believe
is now settled, and it is conceded to be a native. In
flavor it is unsurpassed, equal to many of our best foreign
sorts. Bunches and berries small, of a dark pinkish red
color.
Rogers’ Hybrids.—These varieties, probably from the
unfortunate mistake made by their raiser in designating
them by numbers instead of by names, have never, we
think, had the popularity they deserve. Some of them
are entirely distinct in color and flavor from any other
native srapes, and form magnificent bunches. No. 4 (now
called Wilder), has berries and bunches of the largest size,
‘black with rich bloom, flavor excellent, ripens September
first. No. 15, (Agawam), is a beautiful grape of a
bronze color, with pinkish bloom on the side next the
sun. It ripens early in September, and we find every
season that the grape consumers of our household rarely
touch a bunch of any other grape as long as any are
left on No. 15. No. 1, (Gceethe), is about the size and
color of the white Malaga grape of commerce, tinged
with pink on the sunny side, flavor excellent, one of the
latest, ripening here in October. No. 19 resembles No.
4, but of an entirely distinct flavor, by some preferred ;
ripens 15th of September.
yo eS OS
Re a ae
Z
144 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER XLVI.
THE COLD GRAPERY.
I know of no addition to a country home from which
such a large amount of satisfaction can be obtained at so
small an outlay as from a grapery for growing the differ-
ent varieties of foreign grapes. It has been proved that
none of these fine varieties can be cultivated with any sat-
isfaction in any part of the northern or even middle
states, except under glass. In California and some other
states and territories west of the Mississippi the varie-
ties of the European grape have been extensively grown
in the open air. There the conditions of climate are
such as to make their culture a success equal to that at-
tained any where in Europe. Besides the luxury of the
grape as a table fruit, no finer sight can be seen, and there
is nothing of which an amateur gardener may be more
proud than a grapery in which the vines are loaded with -
ripe fruit. And as this can be obtained at a trifling
original outlay, and with but little attention in the culti-
vation afterwards, I will briefly describe how to do it. ~
Our climate is particularly well adapted to the cultiva-
tion of vines under glass without fire heat, and the won-
der is that cold graperies are not in more general use
even by people of moderate means than they at pres-
ent are. We built one for our own use on the plan shown
on page 92; it answering for a greenhouse as well as
for a grapery. The dimensions are 50 feet long by
25 wide. It is finished in very good style, and cost but
little more than $1,000. It was planted in June, and
the third year from planting we cut upwards of 300 lbs.
of fruit from it ; the next season it yielded nearly double
that quantity. The building was begun by setting locust
posts four feet apart; on these was framed the sill, on
THE COLD GRAPERY. 145
the front of which were placed upright sashes two and a
half feet in hight, and on these the gutter. From the
gutter was sprung the bars, ten inches apart each way,
running on the east side clear to the ridge pole; on the
west framed to within 2 fect of it, so as to give room for
lifting sashes. ‘These were two feet wide by six long.
To these sashes, eight in number, were attached Hitch-
ing’s patent ventilating apparatus, which by turning a
crank opens these sashes from one to twenty-four inches,
as desired. ‘The front sashes may be made so that
every alternate one can open outward. The glass used
is known as second quality English or French, 8x10
inches, and put in without the use of any putty on
the top of the glass, the manner of glazing being to
““bed” the pane in soft putty, pressing it down tightly,
and then tacking 1 in the glass with rc glazing points
about the size shown in fig. 58;
we find it an excellent plan i in
Util
y
Wy
LIL
Ui,
glazing to turn up the edgeof \X “Wf
these points as in fig. 59, so that W <
they cancatchundertheedgeof Fig. 58, Fig. 59.
the lapping pane to keep it in TIN. BENT TIN.
place, otherwise it would slip down, and give a great deal
of trouble. Glaziers will not use the points in this way
unless compelled to do so, as it takes a somewhat longer
time. Glass should never be lapped more than a quarter
of an inch, if much more, the water gets between the
laps, and when it freezes the glass is cracked. With
these instructions about the erection of the glass and
_wood-work, any intelligent mechanic should be able to
build from the plan given. Provision for water should be
made by building a cistern inside the grapery, say four
feet deep by eight feet in diameter, or that capacity in an
oblong shape would be better. This cistern can be sup-
_ plied by water from the roof, having a waste-pipe for
overflow. ‘These general directions for such a structure
j 7
146 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
as shown in the cut, are equally applicable for almost any
size or kind of grapery. Many are built in the form of a
‘‘lean-to,” that is, placed against any building or fence,
using such for the back wall of the grapery. ‘This would
necessitate only the low front wail, which need not be
more than one foot from the ground, if the width is but
ten or twelve feet, but a path would require to be sunk
inside to give room to stand upright. ‘The sketch, fig.
Fig. 60.—LEAN-TO GRAPERY.
60, shows an outline of a “‘lean-to” grapery twenty feet
wide, nine feet high at back and two feet in front. Such
a structure, (exclusive of the ‘‘border,”) may be put up ©
roughly at a cost not exceeding $4 per running foot,
without heating apparatus. Its aspect may be any point
from east to south-west. |
I recollect that some dozen years ago a German jeweler
in Jersey City, N. J., grew a splendid crop of Black Ham-
burgs on vines which had been planted against the
rear fence of his city lot, by placing against the fence
some old sashes eight feet long. It was rather a bung-
ling sort of an arrangement and awkward to get at, but
it served the purpose of ripening the Hamburg grapes,
which could not have been done without the glass. When
one contemplates the erection of a complete range of gra-
.~). Ua
~ (ara
si
A
2
j
peries, the services of a competent garden architect should
be engaged. The border of the one we have in use was be-
gun by excavating the natural soil to the depth of twenty
inches and fifteen feet in width, for the length of the
_grapery on each side. The inside was left untouched,
the borders being entirely outside. The bottom of the
excavation was graded from the front of the building to
the outside of the borders, with a fall of about an inch
to a foot, so that thorough and rapid drainage would be
sure to be attained. At the extremity of each border a
drain was built to carry off the water. The whole bot-
tom was then cemented over so as to prevent the roots.
from penetrating the subsoil. ‘This pit was then filled to
the depth of about two feet, (four inches being allowed
for settling), with a compost which was previously pre-
pared by mixing about three parts of turf taken from the
surface of a rather shaly pasture, one part of rotten stable
manure, and one part of lime rubbish.
It is one of the popular errors that vines for graperies
‘should be two or three years old; the age of a vine usually
has but little.to do with its size, and if grape-vines are
properly grown the first year from cuttings, they will be
quite as good for planting as if two or three years old.
In fact it is a question whether a vine grown from a cut-
ting in March, and planted in June, is not quite as good
as one a year older. Ourexperience has shown that there
is hardly a perceptible difference in the two.at the end of
the season ; as such vines, however, are too tender to be
shipped far, we generally recommend buying one year old
vines that may be planted in April, May, or June, hav-
ing ripened shoots about three feet in length. ‘These
vines are all grown in pots the previous season, and when
received the soil should be shaken off entirely, and the roots
spread out in the border without injuring them. ‘The
root, it will be understood, is planted ow¢side in the bor-
der, and the shoot taken inside, through an opening in
THE COLD GRAPERY. =} 4g
~ 148 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
the walls. This is made of brick or stone, and should be
left open at every three feet, the distance at which the
vines should be planted; if the wall is of wood, it can
easily be cut to suit the size of the vine. The plants we
used were strong one-year-old vines, and were set about
June lst. By October they had grown to over twenty
feet in length. The varieties used were nine-tenths
Black Hamburg, with a few Muscats and Frontignans,
all of which have done exceedingly well.
In November they were cut back to the bottom of the
rafter, or about three feet from the ground, and quickly
reached the top again the second year, with firm, well-
ripened wood. In November they were again pruned
back to about three feet above the foot of the rafter, or
six feet from the ground. On this shoot was produced
the fruit referred to, (the third year from the time of
planting). We prune any time in November or Decem-
ber after the leaves have fallen, and cut the shoot back
to about four feet from top of the rafter, or about sixteen
feet from the ground.
Every December we lay ive! vines down along the front
wall after being pruned, covering them completely with
soil until May, when they are then taken up and tied to
the wires, which are *|,, galvanized iron, and run across
the rafters 15 inches apart and 15 inches from the glass.
The training followed is what is called the ‘‘spur” sys-
tem, which is simply to allow one cane or shoot to each
rafter, (or at three feet apart), and pruning the side
shoots or ‘‘ bearing wood” annually back to one eye. In
the summer treatment of the cold grapery, the principle
must never be lost sight of, that to keep the vines in per-
fect health, a temperature of not less than 70° at night,
with 10° or 15° higher-during the day is always necessary.
Any rapid variation downward is certain to result in mil-
dew. The floor of the grapery should be kept dashed
with water at all times, unless in damp weather, from the
THE COLD GRAPERY. 149
time the buds start in May, until the fruit begins to
ripen in September, except during the period the vines
are in flower, when it should be dispensed with until the
fruit is set. If the weather is dry, copious watering is
necessary for the border outside. The summer pruning
of the grapery consists simply in pinching off the laterals,
or side shoots which start from where the leaf joins
the stem, to one leaf. Hvery winter three inches of
the best well-rotted stable manure is spread over the
border, and over that six inches of leaves or lit-
ter ; this is raked off in spring, and the manure forked
in, the object being to feed the roots from the top of the
border. ‘This same treatment we give our hardy grapes
with excellent results.
I am a good deal of a utilitarian, and am very apt to
make even my luxuries ‘‘ pay” when it is practicable to
do so ;-and though we would hardly think of selling our
grapes that have been grown for private use, yet I do not
-scruple to make the glass that shelters them do double
duty by using it in winter to shelter our half-hardy roses
from November to May. ‘Those that do not make rose-
growing a business, as I do, can nevertheless profit by my
example, and use the cold grapery for many purposes
_ during the winter months when it is not needed for the
_ grape-vines. Besides roses, all plants of a half-hardy
character may be kept there, such as Pomegranates,
Crape Myrtles, Pampas Grass, Tritomas, Carnations, etc.,
care being taken that the pots or tubs in which they are
planted are plunged in leaves, tan, or some such sub-
stance, so the roots do not freeze. ‘The cold grapery
makes an excellent poultry-house in winter, only if put
to that use, care must be taken that the buried vines are
secure against the scratching of the hens.
150 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CHAPTER XLVII.
THE HOT-HOUSE OR FORCING GRAPERY.
When grapes are forced by artificial heat, probably the
best plan is that of the ‘‘lean-to” structure shown by
the illustrations, figs. 61, 62, and 63. Fig. 61 gives the
plan, which, as in some former engravings, it is not prac-
ticable to show on the page at full length; it is accord-
ingly ‘‘fractured” portions, as shown by the irregular
lines, being taken out of each compartment ; the figures
give the proper proportion. Fig. 62 is a part of the front
elevation, and fig. 63, a section at the division between
the two houses. ‘The house is 100 feet long by 16 feet
wide, divided into two compartments for early and late
forcing, each 50x16 feet, and both heated by one boiler
with valvesin the furnace pit to shut off and taps to draw
the water from the pipes notin use; a matter to be looked
to when vineries are not in use, for ifthe water is not drawn
out of the pipes it may freeze and burst them. When grapes
are to be forced, it is essential that a sufficient covering
of manure or leaves be placed on the border to prevent
frost from reaching the roots, as to apply heat to the vines
inside while the roots are frozen, would seriously in-
jure them. For very early forcing, when the vines are
started as early as January, it is usual not only to put
covering enough to secure from frost, but also to
slightly ferment, so as to throw some warmth into the
border. No matter at what season the grapery is started
for forcing, the temperature should not run over 50° or
55° at night, with a day temperature of 10° or15° higher,
increasing 10° when the buds haye opened, which will be
in four or five weeks from the time of starting. In five
or six weeks the fruit will be set and the temperature is to
be raised 10° more, In forcing, moisture is of equal im-
15
dais
WO9
"O78 WOOY TOOL.
Fig. 61.—PLAN OF FORCING GRAPERY.
VO,91 %
Adad
ONIOYUO4
THE HOT-HOUSE OR FORCING GRAPERY.
152 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
portance with heat, for if this is not attended-to, you
may expect red-spiders and thrips, and then all your labor
may be in vain ; to keep up this moisture, tanks are usu-
So ie CEEVEESVEESELPERETS
E jt ES | tj fet DS ees ie J] {Lt
ye |
1 |
Beau | | | |
(CII
imi
Fig. 62.—ELEVATION OF FRONT OF FORCING GRAPERY (IN PART).
Fig. 63.—SECTION OF FORCING GRAPERY.
ally placed on the hot-water pipes for graperies, and these
are kept filled with water, keeping up a continued evap-
oration, except at the time the vines are in flower; it
THE STRAWBERRY. Me
should be then discontinued until the fruitis set. When
there is no such arrangement for evaporation, dash water
over the floors and use the syringe. To secure fine berries
and bunches, one-third of the berries should be thinned out
when of the size of peas, using scissors made for this
purpose. |
CHAPTER XLVIII.
THE STRAWBERRY.
Of all small fruits, none perhaps stand so high in
general favor as the strawberry. Its culture is simple,
and as it grows freely in almost any soil or location, no
garden of any pretensions should be without it. If
a choice of soil can be had, nothing is so suitable asa
_ deep, rich, but rather sandy loam, though it will yield
returns sufficient to warrant its cultivation on any soil,
from almost pure sand to clay, providing that it is drained
naturally or artificially. In all soils, deep spading or
plowing is essential to the production of fine crops ; and
_ this should not be less than a foot, and if 18 inches, all
_ the better. A coat of thoroughly rotted stable manure
_ at least three inches in thickness, should be dug in and
_ well mixed with the soil to a depth of six or nine inches.
In the absence of stable manure, any of the concentrated
| fertilizers mentioned in chapter VI, “‘ How to Use Con-
_ centrated Fertilizers,” used in the manner and quantities
| there described, will do as a substitute. Where muck
from the swamps, or leaf-mold from the woods can be
_ obtained, twenty bushels of either of these mixed with
_ one bushel of ashes, will make an excellent fertilizer for
_ strawberries, and may be spread on as thickly as stable
_ Manure, and on sandy soils is probably better.
154 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
Strawberries may be planted either in the fall or spring.
If the plants are to be set in the fall, 16 should not be
done if possible in this latitude before the middle of Sep-
tember. This, of course, refers to the plants from run-
ners taken up from the bed in the usual manner, and
there is nothing gained in time over planting the next
spring, as the plant must grow for one season before it
can bear a full crop of fruit. In private gardens it is
Ly Yoav as.
A ———-
WoO
ASS .. \\ ~
Fig. 64.—STRIKING STRAWBERRIES IN POTS.
much better to have the plants layered in pots, as they
may then be set at almost any time. These pots may be
from two to three inches in diameter; when a lot of
strawberry plants are wanted for a new bed, all that is
necessary to do is to fill these small pots with soil, and
** plunge ” or plant the pot just to the surface level, plac-
ing the unrooted ‘‘runner” of the strawberry plant on
the top of the soil in the flower-pot, and laying a small
stone or clod on it to keep it in place. This method of
striking in pots is shown in fig, 64. The runners so
THE STRAWBERRY. 155
treated will form plants in two or three weeks, and may
be planted out with safety any time from August to Oc-
tober. If strawberry plants are treated in this way, and
planted in August, and care taken that all runners that
come from them be cut off as soon as formed, so that the
whole force of the root is thrown into the main crown,
a full crop of berries will be gathered the season follow-
ing, or in nine or ten months from time of planting. We
have practiced this system of layering strawberry plants
in pots for what we need for our own use, for the past
twenty years, and the results have been so successful that —
we haye many converts to the system among our neigh-
bors. Plants grown in this manner cannot often be ob-
tained from the nurseries, as the necessary labor and ex-
pense of the pots makes the price five times more than
that of ordinary plants rooted in the open bed. When
strawberry plants are set out in the fall, unless under
favorable circumstances, many will fail to grow, for the
reason that each young plant or runner is sustained in
part by the old plant, and when detached, feels the shock
more than a rooted cutting or seedling plant does, that
has been growing for weeks on its own account, for that
reason we have always advised all that were intending to
plant fresh strawberry beds, to prepare their plants a few
weeks ahead by layering them in pots. ‘Two tofour hun-
dred plants are all that an ordinary family will need, and
two or three hours’ work would be all the time required
to layer the plants in the pots. One hundred plants so
prepared, will give more fruit the first season than 1,000
plants planted in the usual way, and the plant forms
a stool quicker, and much less time is expended in keep-
ing them clean. The use of layered plants is recom-
mended specially for fall planting, and the sooner it is
done in fall the better; plant in August if possible.
In spring the use of potted plants would have no spe-
cial advantage, as if planted in April or May, they would
156 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
have all the summer to grow, but of course no fruit can
be expected the season of planting. For this reason, it
will be seen that to secure a crop quickly, the time to
plant is in August or September, and from plants that
have been layered in pots. ‘There is no arbitrary rule for
the distance apart at which strawberry plants should be
set, but if the ground has been prepared as advised,
the finest fruit will be had by giving them plenty of
room, For our own use we usually set 400 plants annu-
ally in August, at two feet apart between the rows, and
eighteen inches between the plants, and gather about 200
quarts of splendid fruit. If the ground is limited they
may be planted at half the above distance, particularly if
set late in fall. There is one very important point in
strawberry culture that should never be neglected; that
is, that the beds be entirely covered with hay, straw, or
leaves, to the depth of three or four inches. This coy-
ering should not be put on, however, before the approach
of severe weather, in this district about the middle of De-
cember. ‘This covering should not be taken off in spring ;
it is only necessary to go over the beds as soon as growth
begins in spring, and pull the covering back from the
plants only sufficient to expose the crown, allowing all to
remain on the bed. ‘This covering serves several purpo-
ses. It keeps the roots warm until the plants start to
grow, it keeps the fruit clean when ripe, it prevents the
growth of weeds, and finally acts as a mulch to keep the
soil from drying in hot weather. Although strawberry
beds will remain in bearing for a number of years, the
fruit is always largest’and finest the first season of bear-
ing, gradually getting smaller as the plants get older.
hence it is desirable to provide for a succession, if not
every year, at least every second year. For garden cul-
ture in this, as in all other fruits, it is unwise to use any
but fully tested varieties, three or four of which are
sufficient. }
THE STRAWBERRY. 157
VARIETIES OF THE STRAWBERRY.
Triomphe de Gand is one of the favorite varieties ; it is
of large size, fine flavor, and a fair bearer. It requires a
heavy soil.
Wilson’s Seedling is a variety better known than any
other sort ; it bears large crops, but is very sour. It is
much used for preserving. | |
Champion.—A berry of an immense size, and beautiful
dark crimson appearance, an abundant bearer, but not
so rich in flavor as some others.
Charles Downing.—This variety is likely to take the
place of the Wilson, as it has all the productiveness of
that ; succeeds on all soils, and a much better berry.
Kentucky.—Is the latest variety, and by planting it
with earlier sorts, will extend the season several days.
Black Defiance.—This is a first-class fruit in every re-
spect, large, productive, and of high flavor; while its
dark color unfits it for market, itis one of the best for
the private garden.
Seth Boyden.—One of the largest berries, very produc-
tive, sweet, but not very high flavored; its long neck
allows it to be hulled very readily.
FORCING STRAWBERRIES.
Those who have a greenhouse often wish to force straw-
berries into fruit several weeks in advance of the time
that they will be ripe in the open air. It may be done in
aframe or pit. The young runners must be first layered
in pots, as already described, as early as runners are
formed, and as soon asthe small pots are filled with roots,
they must be shifted into larger ones, say six inches in
diameter, the runners being pinched off as they appear,
so as to throw the whole strength of the plant into the
_ fruiting crown. ‘The soil in which to pot strawberries for
158 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
forcing is the one we recommend for nearly all plants;
three parts rotted sods, and one part rotted manure.
The potted strawberries should be placed on boards,
flagging, or a layer of coal ashes, to prevent the earth-
worms from getting in at the bottom of the pots. At
first, after being shifted, they should be set closely to-
gether, but as they grow they must be spread apart, as it
is necessary that the air pass around the pots to ripen the
roots. Of course the necessary attention to water is as
important with these as with other plants in pots. They
may thus stand in the open air until November, when
the pots may be plunged in dry leaves to prevent their be-
ing broken by frost ; and the tops also covered an inch or
two with the same material; as cold weather advances,
they may be taken in at intervals of two weeks or so and
placed on the shelves of a greenhouse, near the glass,
where the temperature will average at night 50 degrees,
and if due attention to watering has been given, a crop
will be the result, such as will well repay the labor,
not only as fruit, but the plants so loaded will them-
selves be beautiful greenhouse ornaments. Good vari-
eties for forcing are Triomphe de Gand and Champion.
RASPBERRY.
To have the Raspberry in perfection, the same prepara-
tion of soil is necessary as forthe Strawberry. ‘The canes
or shoots of the Raspberry are biennial ; that is, the cane
or shoot that is formed one season, bears fruit the next
season, and dies off after fruiting, giving place to the
young cane that is to fruit the following season, and
soon. ‘The distances apart to plant the Raspberry for
garden culture, may be, if in rows, five feet apart, with
the plants two feet apart in the row, or if in separate
stools or hills, they may be set four feet each way. If
planted at distances of four feet apart, three plants may
be put in each ‘ hill,” which will quicker secure a crop.
RASPBERRY. 159
They may be set either in fall or in spring ; if in fall, a
covering of four or five inches of litter should be spread
over the roots to prevent them from getting too much
frozen. And eyen when the plants are established and
erowing, it is necessary in many cold sections, to bend
‘down the canes and cover them with pine branches or
some covering that will shield them from severe freezing.
On the large scale the canes are bent down and covered
with a few inches of earth, an operation that may be
rapidly performed by two persons. One bends down the
13 4
——— SS —
ee
canes, (using a pitchfork or other implement), as shown
in the accompanying diagram, (fig. 65), while the other
throws sufficient earth near the tips to hold the canes in
place; after a row is thus bent over, the two go back
and cover with earth more completely. All the
pruning that is necessary for the Raspberry is to
thin out the shoots in each hill to four or six; this
is best done in the summer after the fruit is gathered, and
at the same time the old canes that have borne the
fruit should be cut out, so that the young shoots, coming
forward to do duty next season, may have room to grow
freely, and develop and ripen the wood. When the leaves
drop in fall, the canes may be shortened down a foot or
so, which will complete the pruning process. To get the
full benefit of all the fruit, it is very necessary to stake
the Raspberry, this may be done either by tying the canes
of each plant separately to a stout stake, driven two feet
160 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE,
or so in the ground, or if grown in rows they may be
tied to wires running along the rows ; the wires should
be stretched between two stout posts, one at each end of
the row, and three feet more or less above the ground,
according to variety ; to prevent the wire from sagging,
stakes should be driven into the ground directly under it,
at intervals of six or ten feet; the wire is attached to
these by means of staples placed over it and driven into
the ends of the
stakes. The di- :
agram, fig. 66, “SX
shows the meth- —\
od of training a
tothe wire; the —
longer canes at
the right and
left are the
Yee
\
yy
Woz
| es
N
canes which are \ ‘
to fruit the cur- et
rent year ; these ee \ sees =
= B aes — -
are tied out as @Sses== — =
ee <>
there shown, @====SE- Se
while the new es = ee
‘ ig. -—TRAINING RASPBERRIES TO A WIRE,
shoots, which &
are to furnish canes for the next year’s fruiting, grow up
in the center, and as soon as tall enough are tied to the
wire; after the outer canes have fruited, they are cut
away to give the others more room.
The varieties are very numerous, those named below
are such as will be most satisfactory for private use.
From 100 to 200 hills or plants, of all varieties, will usu-
ally be sufficient for most families.
Fastolf.—A large crimson fruit of delicious flavor.
Brinckle’s Orange.—An orange colored berry of large
size, very productive, and of excellent flavor. 7
Clarke.—Not quite so large as the Fastolff, but of
BLACKBERRY. 161
strong, robust habit, enduring well the extremes of heat
and cold.
Philadelphia.—One of the hardiest and most produc-
tive, growing in soils and situations where the others
would fail. Jt is of rather poor quality, but is useful for
the above reasons.
Catawissa.—A fall-bearing variety of medium ‘size,
color purplish crimson, medium flavor.
BLACK CAPS.
Black-caps or Black Raspberries have become very
popular of late years, many persons being fond of their
peculiar flavor. ‘They belong to a distinct species from
the ordinary Raspberries; the plants make no suckers,
but propagate themselves by taking root at the ends of
the long branches, which in the fall, if allowed to grow
at will, bend over and reach the earth. They throw up
shoots from the base of the plant which take the place of
those which have already borne a crop. In gardens
where there is no desire to propagate the plants, the
growing shoots should be pinched off when they get
three or four feet high, and any side-shoots they may
throw off are stopped by pinching when they are about
18 inches long. ‘The bearing wood is thinned cat after
the fruit is off.
Mammoth Cluster is considered the most productive
of all the numerous varieties.
Thornless.—This is preferable to the others in being
nearly free from spines, and though the fruit is not quite
so large, it is much more easily gathered,
BLACKBERRY.
The cultivation of the Blackberry is nearly similar to
that of the Raspberry, except that it should be planted
about one-third farther apart, and it being hardier, there
is no need for covering it in winter. As it has a more
162 - GARDENING FOR PLEASURE,
vigorous growth, it is sometimes set in any out of the
way corner, and in almost any soil; but it will amply
repay generous cultivation with finer fruit. The man-
ner of growth is the same as the Raspberry, and when
the fruit is picked, the old canes are to be cut out to give
the new ones a chance. The new shoots are very vigorous
growers, and when they reach the hight of five, or at
most, six feet, they should be stopped by pinching ; this
will cause an abundance of side shoots to start which are
to be pinched when about 18 inches long. This treat-
ment increases the productiveness of the plants and keeps
the fruit within reach. The bushes should be kept tied
to stout stakes or wires, as advised for the Raspberry.
The following are a few of the popular kinds :
Kittatinny.—An immensely large berry of excellent
flavor, of deep, shiny black color, one of the very best
for family use. 3 .
Wilson’s Early.—One of the earliest varieties, ripen-
ing a week or more before the Kittatimny, quite as large,
and of excellent quality.
Cut-leaved.—The merit of this variety is its lateness of
ripening, coming in just when the others are done fruit-
ing. It is of large size, and esteemed by many, while
others do not like its very distinct and peculiar flavor.
CURRANTS.
The Currant is useful both for dessert and for preserv-
ing purposes. An immense weight of fruit is obtained
for the space it occupies, and the ease of its culture makes
it common in eyery garden. The red and white varieties
of Currants may be planted three or four feet apart each
way, the black at four or five feet apart. Pruning is
done in fall by cutting off about one-third of the young
growth of the previous summer, and thinning out old
shoots when the plant gets too thick, All are trained in
GOOSEBERRY. 163
low bush form, the whites and reds usually from three to
four feet high and wide, and the black four to six feet.
An insect known as the currant-worm is often very de-
structive. On its first appearance, if confined to a few
leaves, these should be cut off, shoot and all, and de-
stroyed. If they threaten to be troublesome, powdered
white Hellebore, either dusted on, or mixed four ounces
to a pailful of water and applied with a syringe, will de-
stroy them at once.
Black Naples.—This is the favorite black variety, and
is used almost exclusively for jams and jellies. The
black varieties are much less grown here than in Europe,
but the taste for them is increasing.
Red Dutch.—Color of berries deep red, of average size,
flavor excellent.
White Grape.—Berries large, of a yellowish-white
color. -ihe flavor of this variety is less acid than any
other ; excellent for dessert.
Versailles.—The fruit much larger than the Red
Dutch, and the best flavored of all the large-berried kinds.
Cherry.—Berries larger than that of any other sort,
but too acid for most tastes ; only suitable for jelly.
GOOSEBERRY.
The Gooseberry is a fruit better suited for the climate
of Britain than for ours, and it is never seen here in the
perfection it attains there. It ripens just when our hot-
test weather occurs, forcing it unnaturally to maturity,
and hence the absence of the size and flavor it attains
_ when ripened at a lower temperature. ‘The native varie-
ties, though far inferior in quality, are usually more free
from mildew, and are therefore most desirable for culti-
vation here, as the fruit with us is more used in the green
than in the ripe state. Gooseberries are planted from
164 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
three to four feet apart, and are treated in all other re-
spects like Currant bushes.
Downing.—A native variety of medium size, greenish-
white when ripe, excellent quality.
Houghton’s Seedling.—Also a native variety, size me-
dium, color red, fiavor average. ~*
Of the foreign varieties among feds may be named as
leading sorts, Warrington, Champion, Waterloo; of
Greens, Green Globe, Melville, Green Gage; of Yellows,
Sulphur, Champagne, Golden Drop; of, Whites, Crystal,
Whitesmith, Dutch.
FIGS.
The Fig on account of it not being hardy in.the north-
ern states, is but Httle cultivated unless in tubs, which
are placed in cellars or sheds to protect them during the
winter months, or occasionally on the back wall of lean-
to graperies ; but in all parts of the country where the
thermometer does not get lower than twenty degrees
above zero, they can be grown freely in the open air
without protection. It is hardly ever necessary to prune
the Fig, except to regulate its shape by cutting back any
extra strong shoots. In sections of the country such as
Maryland, or West Virginia, or Delaware, where it may
require slight protection when grown in the open air, it
should be planted against a wall or fence, and trained
against it; on the approach of cold weather it should be
laid down and covered as recommended for hardy grapes.
When grown in tubs to be kept in cellars, sheds, or green-
house pits, they should be placed under cover in this
latitude early in November, kept as dry as possible with-
out shrivelling, and set ont in the open air again in
May. The soil and general treatment for plants grown
in the open air in pots or tubs will be suitable for them.
QUINCE—CHERRY. 165
There are numerous sorts in cultivation from which we
select the following :
White Genoa.—Large roundish, yellow skin ; flesh red-
ish-pink, excellent flavor.
Brown Turkey.—Pear shaped, average size, brown
skin ; flesh red, rich flavor.
Early Violet.—Skin brownish-red ; flesh reddish-crim-
son, delicious flavor; fruit rather small; one of the hardiest.
Brown Ischia.—Size large, skin yellowish-brown ; flesh
violet, sweet and luscious, very prolific. |
QUINCE.
A few Quince trees should be planted in every garden
where there is any pretension to a collection of fruits. It
is a tree requiring but little attention, and for that reason
is often neglected, and very unsightly specimens are seen.
The tree is very ornamental in flower and fruit, and by a
little attention to pruning, a handsome head may be
formed, though equally luxuriant crops are seen on
trees that have been untouched for years. They may be
planted eight or ten feet apart. In varieties the kind in
most general use is the
Apple-shaped or Orange.—A large round variety,
bright golden-yellow. 7
Pear-shaped is larger, color greenish-yellow, and its
shape being more pear-like, readily distinguishes it from
the other and better variety.
ftea’s Seedling.—A variety not very abundant as yet,
is the largest and finest of all.
CHERRY.
"Fhe Cherry-tree begins to bear usually in two or three
years after planting trees of the size sold at the nurseries,
166 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
and continues to annually enlarge in growth and produc-
tiveness until it often attains a larger size than most of
our fruit-trees. The Cherry grows freely in almost any
soil that is free from moisture, preferring, however, like
most other fruits, a deep loamy soil. The tree may be
trained as desired, either in pyramidal form or with a
round top, by pruning and directing the shoots. The
distance apart may be ten or twelve feet. Varieties:
Black Tartarian.—Deep purplish-black, very large ;
fine flesh, unsurpassed in quality ; last of June.
ftockport.—Very large, amber-yellow, dotted red ; flesh
firm, sweet and excellent ; ripens in June.
Coe’s Transparent.—Color pale-amber-yellow ; spotted
with pink ; flesh tender, sweet, and of fine flavor ; ripens
middle of June.
May Duke.—Color dark-red, size medium, Saale ex-
cellent ; ripens early in June.
Moras. —A sub-acid variety of medium. size, color
bright-red, changing to darker color when fully ripe;
hangs long on the tree, mainly used for pies and pre-
serving. 7
PLUM.
The cultivation of the Plum is rendered nearly useless
in most places by the attacks of the Curculio, or Plum
Weevil. Every conceivable application to the trees has
been tried without any satisfactory result. ‘The only
thing which will effectually save a crop in the districts
infested by this insect, is to jar the tree in the morning
or in cool days, first spreading sheets under the trees to
catch the weevils, after which they may be burned. If
this is begun as soon as the plums are formed, and per-
sisted in every few days until they are ripe, a large share of
the crop may be saved.. This may be thought to be pay-
ing rather dear for a crop of plums, but it is really the
PLUM. 167
only way it can be secured. Many years ago the crop of
a plum orchard under our charge numbering over a hun-
dred large trees, was saved by this process, while all other
plums in the district where the jarring of the trees was
not resorted to, were completely destroyed. This plan
was recommended nearly half a century ago, and no
other practicable method has since been presented.
It has been recommended by some to plant the trees on
the bank of a pond or running stream, and train them to
overhang the water, also to pave or cement around the
roots so that the insect cannot burrow, but these plans
would be often impossible, and are useless. ‘Trees upon
stiff, clayey soils are more exempt from the ravages of the
Curculio than those upon light ones, probably for the
reason that the insect in the grub or larve state cannot
penetrate them so readily, as they must enter the ground
to become perfect insects. The average distance at which
the Plum may be planted is from ten to twelve feet. The
following are distinct and fine sorts.
Orleans.—Color purple, with a rich blue bloom, size
medium ; flesh deep yellow, flavor of first quality ; cling-
stone ; ripens in August.
Washington.—Color yellow, marbled with red next the
sun ; large size; flesh firm, sweet, and rich ; freestone ;
ripens first of September.
Green Gage.—A well known variety, rather small in
- size, but of exquisite flavor, color greenish-yellow, spotted
with red on the sunny side ; freestone; ripens early in
August.
Columbia.—Of the largest size, color brownish-purple ;
flesh yellow, sweet, and finely flavored ; freestone ; ripens
the last of August.
Golden Drop.—A very old and well known sort, color
golden-yellow with red spots next the sun ; large, oval ;
168 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
rich and sweet yellowish flesh ; clingstone ; ripens middle
of September.
PEACH.
The Peach prefers the light, dry, and warm soils,
known as sandy loams. ‘The tree is shortlived in most
sections, and attains its best fruiting condition usually
when from five to nine years old. ‘The tree is greatly
benefitted by pruning; the growth of the previous sea-
son should be shortened about one-third ; this, if annually
- followed from the time the trees are set, will give them
compact heads instead of open, straggling ones, the
branches of which will break down with the first full
crop of fruit. In the peach-growing districts the culti-
vators do not expect more than three crops in five years,
and if they get two full crops in that time they are con-
tent, and amateurs should expect no more. When a crop
sets at all there is usually more fruit than the tree can
carry and ripen; no fruit needs severe thinning more
than the peach. In bearing seasons half or two-thirds of
those which set may be removed with benefit to the rest.
When a tree appears sickly with yellow foliage, dig 1t up
at once. ‘The distance apart may be from eight to ten
feet. Among the favorite varieties for garden culture
may be named )
Karly Beatrice.—One of Mr. Rivers’ seedlings, and so
far as tried in this country promises to be a valuable
early sort; its size is small, but quality good ; freestone. .
Hale's Early.—A very early peach, of fair size and
great beauty, but has the fault that it in some localities
rots just as it begins to ripen, a difficulty probably due to
overbearing rather than to locality; freestone, excellent.
Columbia.—Large, round, color yellow and red,
streaked with dark-crimson ; flesh yellow, rich, and juicy,
flavor excellent ; freestone ; ripens in September.
NECTARINES. 169
Crawford’s Harly.—Large, roundish, color yellow,
tinged with red ; flesh yellow, rich, and sweet; ripens
last of August ; freestone.
Crawford’s Late.—Similaz in appearance, but ripening
three weeks later.
Cooledge’s Favorite.--Size medium, roundish oval,
color clear white with crimson cheek ; flesh rich, juicy,
and of first quality ; ripens in August; freestone.
Honest John, or Karly York.—Uarge, roundish, white
with red cheek ; flesh white, very juicy, excellent flavor ;
middle of ee freestone.
Morris White.—A well known variety, size een
color greenish-white, flavor average. The variety mostly
used for preserving ; middle of September ; freestone.
Malacatune.—Fruit large, yellow, with dark red cheek ;
flesh orange-yellow, flavor excellent ; middle of Septem-
ber ; freestone.
NECTARINES.
Nectarines are only smooth skinned peaches, requiring
in all respects similar treatment to the peach. They are
but little grown in this country, as they are equally lia-
ble to injury by the attacks of the Plum Curculio, with
the Plum itself. The same treatment recommended
for its destruction in Plums, must be applied to the
Nectarine. There is a peculiarity in the flavor of some
varieties of Nectarines differing from that of any of the
peaches, and by some they are greatly preferred to any
peach in flavor. The successful varieties are not numerous.
Early Newington.—Uarge, roundish oval, greenish-
yellow mottled red ; flesh yellowish-white ; September ;
cling. |
Hunt’s Tawny.—Large, round, amber-yellow with red
cheek ; flesh orange, melting, flavor excellent ; ripens in
Au =e freestone.
8
170 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
Boston.—Large, oval, yellow with mottled crimson
cheek ; flesh yellow, excellent quality ; September ; free-
stone.
APRICOT.
The Apricot is closely related to the peach, but belongs
to another species; it is less Juicy, and has a flavor
quite distinct from, and by some preferred to, that of the
peach. The blighting Curculio attacks the Apricot also,
and its culture can only be successful by combating the
difficulties that attend that of the plum, unless in special
locations that seem few and far between. The varieties are
Moorpark.—Size large as an average peach, yellow
with red cheek ; flesh orange, sweet, and of exquisite
flavor ; ripens in July.
Orange.—Pale yellow with red cheek, size medium ;
ripens end of July.
Turkey.—Large, deep yellow, shaded orange; flesh
pale-yellow, firm, rich, and sweet; ripens in August.
APPLE.
The apple can only be grown in gardens as a dwarf,
either kept in a bush form or trained as a pyramid or
other shape. ‘The dwarf trees are made so by grafting on
dwarfing stocks, while the varieties are the same as those
found in the large trees of the orchard. ‘Two sorts of
dwarfing stocks are used by nurserymen, the Doucin and
Paradise. Trees upon the Doucin will ultimately grow
quite large, and as the Paradise is the only stock which
makes really dwarf trees, the amateur who wishes to
crow dwarf apple-trees should make sure that they are
worked on Paradise stocks. Of course trees of this kind
are not advised as a source of fruit, but there can scarcely
be a handsomer object in the garden than a bush three |
feet high, and about the same through, loaded with enor-
APPLE—PEARS. 171
mous apples. Dwarf apple-trees may be planted six
feet apart each way, while ordinary trees in the orchard
are given 15 to 30 feet, or even 40 feet. The following
sorts are recommended for garden culture. For descrip-
tions see nursery catalogues. Red Astrachan, Alexander,
Sweet Bough, Fall Pippin, Gravenstein, Maiden’s Blush,
Porter, Rambo, Northern Spy, Mother, T'wenty Ounce,
Beauty of Kent, Hawthornden, Spitzenberg, Jonathan,
King of Tompkins County, Keswick Codlin, Lady Apple,
Red Canada, Swaar.
PEARS,
Like apples, are grown as dwarfs and standards. The
former being planted from eight to ten feet apart, the
latter from ten to twelve feet. The dwarfs, budded on
the quince stock, are mostly used for garden culture, as
from their habit they are more suitable, besides having
the invaluable quality of coming quicker into bearing.
Time was when the adage went, ‘‘ He that plants pears,
plants for his heirs,” but this is now no more applicable
to the pear than to the peach, for we now have fine crops
of pears budded on the quince in three to five years from
the time of planting. The trees may be grown as
pyramids, or in the bush form, or in small gardens,
pear, peach, and other trees are successfully trained
in what is called the oblique cordon, which allows ©
a number of varieties to be grown in a small space.
Only a general outline of the method can be given
here, referring for fuller details to Barry’s and other
works on fruit culture. A trellis is built about 8 feet
high, by nailing a strong top and bottom rail to posts,
which should be about 8 feet apart. Slats of inch
stuff are put on between the two rails at an angle of 30° ;
these are fastened on with screws, as when the trees
_ have reached the top, the slats are to be brought down to
45°, and they should be long enough to allow for doing
172 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE,
this. Young trees are set in an inclined position in a
line with these slats, which are three feet apart. Each
tree is cut back to a few buds, and one shoot allowed to
grow from the strongest bud, all the others being re-
moved. ‘This shoot asit grows is kept tied to the slat,
and when it throws out side-shoots, as it soon will,
they are pinched back to three or four leaves, whenever
the shoot is sufficiently developed to allow the number
of the leaves to be seen. By growing in this inclined
Fig. 67.—CORDON-TRAINING OF PEAR TREES.
position, and by pinching every shoot back to three or
four leaves, the tree is dwarfed and made to bear early,
and when properly managed, forms a perfect cordon or
garland, with fruit along its whole length. Fig. 67
shows a portion of a trellis of this kind. The following
varieties are recommended for either kind of training.
For descriptions see nursery catalogues. Bartlett, Beurré
d’Anjou, Duchesse d’Angouléme, Lawrence, Clapp’s
Favorite, Beurré Bosc, Dana’s Hovey, Vicar of Wink-
field, Howell, Urbaniste, Seckel, Winter Nelis, Brandy- |
wine, Doyenné d’ Eté, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Belle
Lucrative, Doyenne Boussock.
Steere PABLH GARDEN.
COTTAGE GARDENING—A DIGRESSION. 175
CHAPTER XLIX.
COTTAGE GARDENING—A DIGRESSION.
Before taking up the subject of vegetable culture, I
will relate an incident connected with cottage gardening
that may interest if it does not benefit some of those into
whose hands this book may fall. About a dozen years ago
I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of a gen-
tleman whose duties compelled him to be at his desk in
a close office in the City of New York, from 9 o’clock a.m.
to4p.mM. Being naturally of a weak constitution, his
sedentary life soon made him the victim of dyspepsia to
such a degree that he felt that he must soon resign his
situation. He was then a man of forty, entirely ignorant
of anything pertaining to country life, and it was with
great misgivings and reluctance that, by the advice of
his physician, he changed his home from a closely built
part of New York to a cottage in the then country-like
suburb of Bergen Heights, N. J. His means enabled
him to purchase a modest cottage built on a lot 50 by
150 feet ; he did not want the land, he said, but the cot-
tage was such as he fancied, and the ground had to go
with it. It was about this time that I formed his ac-
quaintance, through some business transaction, and he
asked my professional advice as to what he could do with
his land, which he had already begun to consider some-
what of an incumbrance. I replied to him that, if I was
not greatly mistaken, in his little plot of ground lay a
cure for all his bodily ills, and that besides it could add
to the comforts if not the luxuries of his table if he would
only work it. ‘‘Iworkit !” heexclaimed. ‘‘ You don’t
suppose that these hands could dig or delve,” holding up
his thin and bloodless fingers, ‘‘and if they could I know
176 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
nothing about gardening.” I told him I thought neither
objection insurmountable if he once begun.
The result of our conversation was, that he resolved to
try, and try he did to a purpose. Our interview was in
March, and before the end of April he had his lot all
nicely dug over, the labor being done by his own hands
during an hour and a half each morning. His custom
was to get up at six o’clock and work at his garden until
half past seven. This gave him ample time to dress, get
breakfast, and be at his desk in the city by nine. The
labor of merely digging was (to him) heavy and rather
monotonous, but he stuck to it bravely, and when he
again presented himself before me for plants and seeds
and information as to what to do with them, it was with
some pride that 1 saw my prescription had worked so
well, for my friend then looked more like a farmer than
a pallid clerk. The regulating of his little garden was a
simple matter, and was done according to the following
diagram : 7 :
Cauliflower, cabbage and lettuce. : Strawberries.
Cucumbers, onions, and parsley. Raspberries.
Beets, carrots, and parsnips. Tomatoes.
| Bush beans. : Asparagus and Rhubarb.
During his first season, of course, he made some blun-
ders and some failures, but his interest in the work in-
creased year by year. His family was supplied with an
abundance of all the fresh vegetables and fruits his lim-
ited space could admit of being grown—a supply that it
would have taken at least $150 to purchase at retail, and
stale at that. But the benefit derived from the cultiva-
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 17?
tion of this cottage garden was health—strong, rugged
health—that for the six years he was my neighbor, never
once failed him.
I know this case is an extremely exceptional one, for I
never knew another man who so resolutely worked him-
self into health. There are hundreds of business men,
book-keepers, salesmen, clerks, and the like who live in
the suburbs of all great cities, many of whom can ill
afford to pay for the keeping of the plots surrounding
their cottages, but who think they can far less afford to
do the work themselves. As a consequence, in nine cases
out of ten, the rear, at least, of their suburban plots is a
wilderness of weeds. But this is not the least of the
evils, the owner has a certain amount of muscular force,
and this, be it more or less, being unused, its possessor
pays the penalty of his laziness in dyspepsia, and a host
of other ills. The proofs are apparent everywhere that
garden operations are conducive to health and longevity.
The work is not unduly laborious, and when fairly en-
tered into has'a never-failing interest. The growing and
the watching of the great variety of plants gives a
healthy tone to the mind, while the physical labor de-
manded by cultivation takes care of the body.
CHAPTER IL.
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN.
It is perhaps best that the space allotted to vegetables
should be at one side of the garden, and that for fruits
at the other, at least in the beginning, though a rotation
of crops or change of position may be advantageous in
course of time. I will give in brief the culture of each
178 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
vegetable in general use, placing them alphabetically for
easy reference, and enumerate the leading varieties..
ASPARAGUS—(Asparagus officinalis.)
Asparagus should be planted the first spring that the
owner comes into possession of the land, and if the house
' is yet to be built, let the Asparagus-bed be planted at
once, as it takes the roots two or three years to acquire
sufficient strength to giveacrop. Foran ordinary family
a bed of six rows of fifty or sixty feet in length, and three ~
feet apart, will be sufficient, the plants in the rows
being set nine inches apart. In planting it is custo-
mary to use two-year-old plants, but it often happens
that as large a plant is raised from seed in good
soils in one year aS in a poorer soil in two years; in
such cases the one-year-old plant is preferable. The
preparation of the Asparagus bed should be made with
more care than for most vegetables, from the fact that
it is a permanent crop which ought to yield as well at
the end of twenty-five as of five years, if the soil has been
well prepared. The asparagus bed, to start with, should
be on ground thoroughly drained, either naturally or ar-
tificially, and if choice can be had, ona rather light sandy
loam. This should be trenched and mixed with suffi-
cient manure to form a coating of at least six mches
thick over the bed ; this manure should be worked into
the soil by trenching to the depth of two feet, as the roots
of the plant will reach quite that depth in a few years.
In setting, the crowns of the plants shouid be placed at
least three inches below the surface. It makes but little
difference whether it is planted in spring or fall; if in
spring, it should be done as early as the ground is dry
enough to work, and if in fall, just as soon as the
plants can be had, which is usually in the early part
of October. We prefer fall planting on light, well-
ASPARAGUS, 179
drained soils, for the reason that if it is done then, young
roots are formed, which are ready to grow on the ap-
proach of spring, but if the planting is done in March or
April, this formation of new roots has to take place then,
and causes a corresponding delay in growth. Plants are
sold by market gardeners and seedsmen, and as it will
save a year or two, to purchase them, it is not worth
while to raise them from seed in a private garden. The
edible portion is the undeveloped stems, which if cut
away as soon as they appear, are followed by others,
which start from the crown of the plant. ‘The cutting,
Fig. 68.—ASPARAGUS.
if continued too long, would finally exhaust the root,
hence it is customary to stop cutting as soon as early peas
become plenty, and allow the remaining shoots to grow
during the remainder of the season, and thus accumulate
sufficient strength in the plant to allow it to produce an-
other crop of shoots the next season. The engraving,
(fig. 68), represents a strong plant with the earth re-
180 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
moved from the roots ; the shoots are shown in different
stages of development, and it will be seen how readily
careless cutting may injure the buds which are ready to
produce a succession of shoots.
The surface of the Aspargus bed should have a top-
dressing of three or four inches of rough stable manure
every fall, (November), :
which should be lightly
forked into the bed in
: ° . Ei AIO ENS SS
spring. The best variety at eee
° e : fe ! y} YJ PZ®.. \
is what is known as’ - f WEIN S
é | ie
‘*Van Sicklen’s Colos- AY
sal.”? - In some localities Rae mm
Asparagus is attacked
by an insect called the i
Asparagus Beetle. The
best method of getting ||
rid of this pest, that we =
have found, is to coop bon ‘
up a hen and let the &
chickens pick up the | ¢7e%
insects and their eggs.
ARTICHOKE-GLOBE—
(Cynara Scolymus.)
|Z
Fig. 69.—GLOBE ARTICHOKE.
The portion used of
this plant is the unde-
veloped flower cluster,
or the portion which is known as the scales of the
involucre. ‘They are boiled and served with drawn
butter, but outside of France do not seem to be very
generally appreciated. The plants are propagated first
by seeds, sown in a hot-bed in March, and planted out
at distances of from two to three feet. It is not
always hardy enough for our winters in the northern
states, though it proves so in all latitudes south of Wash-
ARTICHOKE—BEAN. 181
ington. Here it is necessary on the approach of winter
to draw the leaves together and earth up around them,
and later to cover the tops with litter.
ARTICHOKE, JERUSALEM—(Heélianthus tuberosuws.)
This is an entirely different plant from the above, but
as the two are sometimes confounded, we give engravings
of both. The edible portion of this is the tuber, while
that of the Globe Arti-
choke is the scales sur-
rounding the flowers. .—
The tubers of the~ |
Jerusalem Artichoke
somewhat resemblethe Fig. 70.—JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE.
potato in appearance, and the plant produces immense
crops. But few persons in this country like the flavor,
and it is rarely grown unless for stock or as a curiosity.
Its culture is similar to the potato; it has stems, leaves,
and flowers, much like the common sunflower.
=< =
<< —S-———— — ——=
SS SSS H]E_TEX
SS —SSZEEqS
—— ——=
——s>
BEAN, (Phaseolus vulgaris var. nanus.)—BUSH, SNAP, OR KIDNEY.
An indispensable vegetable, of easy cultivation, grow-
ing freely on almost any soil, though on well enriched
land, it will be more prolific in quantity and more tender
in quality. Itis a plant of tropical origin, and like all
such, should not be sown until the weather is settled and
warm, and all danger from frostis past. In this latitude,
the time of sowing should not be sooner than the 15th of
May. Sow at intervals of two or three weeks, all through
the season, if wanted for use. Seed may be sown in drills
18 to 24 inches apart, and three inches deep, dropping
the seeds at distances of two or three inches in the drills,
and covering to the general level. To such as use them
all through the season, three or four quarts would be re-
182 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
quired, although a quart at one sowing would give an am-
ple quantity for any average family. The varieties most
in use at present are Harly Valentine, Early China, Mo-
hawk, Fejee, Black Wax, and Refugee.
BEAN—POLE OR RUNNING, (Phaseolis vulgaris), AND LIMA,
(Phaseolus lunatus).
Pole Beans are usually cultivated in hills three or four
feet apart. The poles, (which are best made of young
cedar trees), should be nine or ten feet high, and firmly
fixed at least eighteen inches deep in the ground, and the
hills formed around them by digging up the soil and
mixing it with a shovelful of well rotted manure, or an
ounce or so of guano or bone-dust, if the stable manure
is not attainable ; putin either case let the mixing be
thorough. The hills should be but two or three inches
above the general level, and at least eighteen inches in
diameter. ‘The term “hill” isan unfortunate one, as it
often leads inexperienced persons to suppose that a tall
heap must be made, and it is a common mistake to form
miniature hills often a foot or more in hight, upon which.
to sow seeds or set plants ; the effect of this is to confine
the roots to this small high and dry space. When the
word “‘ hill” is used in this work, it is to indicate the
place plants are to occupy, and unless some hight is
mentioned, it is not above the general level. After the
hill has been properly formed around the poie, from five
to six beans should be planted around it at a depth of
two inches, but the planting should never be done in this
latitude before the 20th of May. In all our experience
as seedsmen, we know of no seed that is so universally
replanted as Lima Beans. I think it safe to say, that at
least half of all the people who buy, plant before the
sround is dry and warm, and then tell us that the seed
must have been bad, because it rotted in the ground. In
BEAN—BEET. 183
the hurry of business we have not always time to explain
why they rotted, and would here state for the sake of our-
selves and cotemporaries, that the reason why the Limas
fail to grow in 99 cases out of 100, is, that they are planted
too early, and that it is no fault of the seed, which is
rarely imperfect. The proper method of planting Lima
Beans is to push each one singly into the soil, with the
eye downward ; the embryo is so very broad and flat that
it is difficult for it to turn itself as smaller seeds do when
placed in a wrong position.
The Large White Lima is the variety that is most
prized.
The Giant Wax makes pods nine inches in length,
and is a very productive variety.
The London Horticultural is used as snaps or shelled.
The Scarlet Runner is a highly ornamental variety,
producing dazzling scarlet flowers during the whole
summer. It is used mainly asasnap bean. Lima Beans
are usually only planted once in this latitude, as they
take nearly the whole season to mature. From thirty
to fifty poles are sufficient for ordinary use; this will re-
quire from one to two quarts of seed.
BEET, (Beta vulgaris.)
Sow in shallow drills twelve to eighteen inches apart
in April or May, dropping the seeds so that they will fall
an inch or so apart. When the plants have grown to the
hight of about two inches, thin out, so that they will
stand four inches apart. When the roots are three inches
in diameter, they are fit for use. Of course they are used
when much larger, but the younger they are, the moré
delicate and tender. The varieties cultivated are lim-
ited to a few:
: , *
j fhe": *
184 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
Early Egyptian.—A round, deep red variety, is the
earliest.
Early Bassano.—A light salmon colored variety.
Early Blood Turnip.
—Later than either of
the above, but best for
A yh general crop.
WA a Long Smooth Red.—
A long variety, best for
_ winter use. About six
Sf y ») 300 feet of row; enough
for ordinary use unless
succession crops are
wanted, then double
the quantity will be
required.
BORECOLE OR KALE,
(Brassica oleracea var.)
The rather indefinite
. 3 name of ‘‘sprouts” is
. given to this vegetable
about New York. It
is sown here in Sep-
tember, in rows one foot apart, treated in every way as
spinach, and is ready for use in early spring. Four
ounces of seed is sufficient to sow 300 feet of row. ‘'wo
varieties of this, but little grown here, are the ‘‘ Scotch
Kale,” or ** Curled Greens,” and the ‘*‘ Dwarf German
Greens.” The former is of a deep green color, the latter
bluish purple, both varieties are much curled, almost :
like parsley. The seeds of these are sown in May, and
transplanted in July, just as we do late cabbages, at dis-
tances of two feet apart each way. These *‘ Greens,” of
— ~~
a - —
Fig. 71.—EGYPTIAN BEET.
BROCCOLI. 185
either variety, when touched by frost, are the most ten-
der and delicate of all the cabbage tribe, and it has al-
ways been a matter of wonder to me, why their cultiva-
tion has not been more general in this country. In
Britain they are used very extensively as a winter vege-
table. The most popular German variety is Purple Bore-
cole. The most popular English variety is Cottager’s
Kale, very hardy and profitable, more weight being grown
of it in the same space than of any other variety.
BROCCOLI, (Brassica oleracea var.)
We persist in growing under the two distinct names of
Broccoli and Cauliflower, plants which at best are noth-
‘ing more than very nearly related varieties. The main
difference between them is, that what we call Broccoli,
is planted for fall use, while that which we call Cauli-
flower is planted for spring or summer use; though in
this respect they are frequently reversed without seeming
to mind it. For fall use the seed should be sown in the
early part of May, which will give plants large enough to
be set out in July. Further south the sowing of the seed
should be delayed from four to six weeks later, and
the plants be set out correspondingly later. Here we
put them out in July, though further south it may be
delayed to August or September. In the mild autumn
weather of those latitudes this vegetable may be had in
perfection from November to March, while with us, if
planted out in July it matures during October and No-
vember. The plantsare set at two and a half to three
feet apart, and as a hundred plants are all that most
families would use, it is cheaper to buy them, if in a
section where they are sold, than to raise the plants
from seed. It requires an abundance of manure. The
varieties are :
4
White and Purple Cape.—There is no difference in
186 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
flavor, though the white is the most pleasant looking
vegetable when cooked. | .
BRUSSELS SPROUTS, (Brassica oleracea var.)
This vegetable, as the engraving shows, 1s a variety of
the cabbage which forms scarcely any terminal bud or
head, but the buds along the stem, which in the ordi-
Fig. 72.—BRUSSELS SPROUTS.
_
nary cabbage remain small, are in this developed into
small heads, which are the edible portion. This is much
more used in Europe than with us; though it is not suffi-
ciently hardy to endure our northern winters, it will
stand in our latitude until Christmas. Its cultivation
is exactly similar in all respects to that of Broccoli, ex-
CAULIFLOWER. 187
cept that it may be planted closer, say from one and a
half to two feet apart.
CAULIFLOWER, (Brassica oleracea var.)
There is quite an ambition among amateur gardeners
to raise early cauliflower, but as the conditions necessary
to success with this are not quite so easy to command as
with most other vegetables, probably not one in three
7. ly A ‘
2 (SAW ZATSS
we AA UZ.NYS
c yp i) ——<
Fig. 73.—CAULIFLOWER.
who try it succeed. In England, and most places on the
continent of Europe, it is the most valued of all vegeta-
bles, and is grown there nearly as easily as early cabbages.
But it must be remembered that the temperature there is
on the average ten degrees lower at the time it matures, .
(June), than with us; besides their atmosphere is much
more humid, two conditions essential to its proper devel-
opment. Iwill briefly state how early cauliflowers can
be most successfully grown here. First, the soil must
be well broken, and pulverized by spading to at least a
foot in depth, mixing through it a layer of three or four
188 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
inches of strong, well rotted, stable manure. The plants
may be either those from seed sown last fall and
wintered over in cold frames, or else started trom
seeds sown in January or February, in a hot-bed or
greenhouse, and planted in small pots or boxes, so
as to make plants strong enough to be set out as
soon as the soil is fit to work, which in this latitude
is usually the first week in April. We are often applied
to for cauliflower plants as late as May, but the chances
of their forming heads when planted in May, are slim
indeed. ‘Ihe surest way to secure the heading of cauli-
flowers 1s to use what are called hand-glasses, some of
which are described in the chapter on Implements.
These are usually made about two feet square, which
gives room enough for three or four plants of caulifiower,
until they are so far forwarded that the glass can be taken
off. When the hand-glass is used, the cauliflowers may
be planted out in any warm border early in March and cov-
ered by them. ‘This covering protects them from frosts
at night, and gives the necessary increase of temperature
for growth during the cold weeks of March and April;
so that by the first week in May, if the cauliflower has
been properly hardened off by ventilating, (by tilting up
the hand-glasses on one side), they may be taken off
altogether, and then used to forward tomatoes, melons,
or cucumbers, at which date these may be started, if
under the protection of hand-glasses. If the weather is
dry, the cauliflowers will be much benefitted by being
thoroughly soaked with water twice or thrice a week ;
not a mere sprinkling, which is of no use, but a complete
drenching, so that the water will reach to the lowest
roots. Those planted later are set out and treated in the
same manner as cabbages. ‘The two best varieties of
cauliflower we have found as yet, are the Dwarf Hrfurt
and Harly Parts.
CABBAGE. 189
CABBAGE, (Brassica oleracea var.)
The cabbage is so easily raised that but little space
need be devoted to it
here; like all of its -
tribe, it requires an ~“\
abundance of manure Q@X\j
for its full develop- 7==\\
ment. The early va-
rieties should be either
raised in cold-frames
or in hot-beds, as 7
stated for cauliflow- ee ee
er, and planted out at Fig. 74.—CABBAGE—EARLY WINNINGSTADT.
distances of from twenty to thirty inches apart each way,
ae
BX NB
Fig. 75.—CABBAGE—SAVOY.
as early as the ground is fit to work in April. The best
190 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
early varieties are Karly Summer, Karly Wakefield, Early
York, and Early Oxheart. As an intermediate variety
the Winningstadt is very popular; it has a sharply con-
ical head, and sometimes grows quite large.
For late varieties, the seed should be sown in May, and
the plants set out in July at two to three feet apart. For
winter use the
large Drum-
head is usually
grown, to the
| = = exclusion of all
oe === others, and
2 k~ while the Curl-
4° ed Savoy is
"vastly better
flavored, not
one Savoy is
planted for
every thousand
Drumhead.
The flavor of
the Savoy is as
ey oO superior to that
g. 1.—EARLY FRENCH FORCING.
Fig. 2,—EARLY HORN. : of the Drum-
Fig. 3.—LONG ORANGE. F head, as that
of a Bartlett
to that of a choke pear, and it is alee the best late
cabbage for family use.
Fig. 76.—VARIETIES OF THE
CARROT.
CARROT, (Daucus Carota.)
“
Carrots are sown any time from April to June, in rows
one foot apart, covering the seed two inches deep. If the
soil is light, they will be better flavored. When the plants
are an inch or so high, thin out to three or four inches
apart. The varieties most in use are Karly French Forcing,
Early Horn and Long Orange. Hight ounces of seed will
CELERY. 191
sow 300 feet of row, which, for most families, would be
an abundance, both forsummer and winter use. Carrots
are much prized as food for horses and cows, and if
wanted for this purpose in quantity, they should be sown
with a seed-drill, in rows one and a half to two feet
apart ; about four pounds of seed per acre is required.
CELERY, (Apium graveolens.)
If I am fitted to instruct on the cultivation of any veg-
etable, it is this, as for many years I have cultivated
nearly half a million roots annually, and this experience
has resulted in greatly simplifying the operation. The
seeds are sown on a well pulverized rich border, as early
in the season as the ground can be worked. 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, the small number wanted for private
use, can usually be purchased cheaper than they can be
raised on asmall scale, (they rarely cost more than $1 per
100), and if they can be procured fresh from the market
gardeners in the neighborhood, it is never worth while to
sow the seed. The European plan is to make a trench
six or eight inches deep, in which to plant celery, but
our violent rain storms in summer soon showed us that
this plan was not a good one here, so we set about plant-
ing on the level surface of the ground, just as we do
with all vegetables. Celery is a ‘‘ gross feeder,” and re-
quires an abundance of manure, which, as usual, must be
well mixed and incorporated with the soil, before the cel-
ery is set out. When the ground is well prepared, we
stretch a line to the distance required, and beat it
slightly with a spade, so that it leaves a mark to show
where to place the plants. Theseare set out at distances
of six inches between the plants, and usually four feet
between the rows. Great care must be taken in put-
|
|
|
_.
192 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
ting out the celery, to see that the plant is set just to
the depth of the roots, 1f 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 root in planting, and if the operation can be done
in the evening, and the plants copiously watered, no
farther attention will be required.
If planted in July, nothing 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 draw-
ing the earth to each side of the celery, and pressing it
a
rh) | Sie
Yy
/
Yi
if
SS;_ GSS
Fig. 77.—‘“‘ HANDLING”? CELERY.
tightly to it, so as to give the leaves an upward growth
preparatory to blanching for use. Supposing this hand-
ling process is done by the middle of September, by the
first week in October itis ready for ‘‘ banking up,” which
is done by digging the soil from between the rows and
laying or banking it up on each side of the row of celery;
after being so banked up in October, it will be ready for
use in thrée or four weeks if wanted at that time. But
if, as is usually the case, it is needed for winter use only,
and is to be put away in trenches, or in the cellar, as
will be hereafter described, all that it requires is the
operation of ‘‘handling.” If the celery is to be left in
the open ground where it was grown, then a heavy bank
CELERY. 193
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 at least a foot
of leaves or litter, must be closely packed against the
bank, to protect it from frost.
Perhaps the best wav to keep celery for family use, is
in a cellar ; this can be done by storing it in narrow box-
es, of a depth a little less than the hight of the celery.
A few inches of sand or soil is placed in the bottom of
the box, and the celery is packed upright; the roots
being placed on the sand at the bottom, none being put
5: £58
ae gS
Fig. 78.—‘‘ BANKING UP’? CELERY.
between the heads. Boxes thus packed and placed in a
cool cellar in November, will be blanched fit for use dur-
ing January, February, and March, though for succes-
sion, it will be better to put it in the boxes from the
open ground at three different times, say October 25th,
November 10th, and November 20th. Or if boxes are
not at hand, the celery may be put away on the floor of
the cellar in strips of nine or ten inches wide, separated
by spaces of the same width, divided by boards of a
width equal to the hight of the celery. The reason for
dividing the celery in these narrow strips by boards, is to
prevent the heating. which would take place if placed
together in too thick masses. The dates above given
9
194 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
apply, of course, to the latitude of New York; if
further south, do the work later; if further north,
earlier. If one has no suitable cellar, the celery can be
very readily preserved in the manner followed by market
gardeners. 7
After it has been ‘‘ handled” ‘or straightened up, as
before described, what is intended for use by Christmas,
should be dug up by about October 25th; that to be
used in January and February, by November 10th, and
that for March use, by November 20th, 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
f
AEE
d
x . Ni SSS
ft
———SS
—
——"
SSsa
y
|
SSS H
SS
RU V4,
= Beat P
S>oiwqwR i
WW S WRENS
Sao &
SG See
RSs SS
Ss Sse
Xs SS
S S : :
SS ~ S So
Fig RING C
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 possi-
ble, and so arranged that no water can remain in the
trench. Dig a trench as narrow as possible, (it should not
be wider than ten inches), and of a depth equal to the
hight 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 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
he Ni hairs
Ve » “J .
is
CELERIAC, OR TURNIP-ROOTED CELERY. 195
it. 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. Fig. 79 represents this method of
storing celery in trenches for winter use.
From 200 to 500 roots is the number usually required
by an _ ordinary 10.
family. The va- MS \ WZ
Sy WIT
rieties we recom-
mend, are the San-
dringham White
and Dwarf 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.
CELERIAC, OR TUR-
-NIP-ROOTED CEL-
ERY, (Apium graveo-
lens var.)
Is grown almost
the same as the
common celery,
and as it requires
but little earth-
ing-up, the rows
may be nearer to-
gether. lts tur- Fig. 80.—CELERIAC, OR TURNIP-ROOTED CELERY.
nip-like root is used as a salad, mostly by the French and
Germans. It is sometimes stewed, but usually simply
boiled, sliced, and dressed as a salad for the table.
y
2
oo eee
196 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
CORN-SALAD OR FETTICUS, (Fédia olitoria.)
This is sold to a considerable extent in spring in the city
markets for use as an early salad.
For mode of cultivation, etc., see
Spinach, as itis grown in exactly
the same manner.
CHIVES, (Allium Schenoprasum.)
An entirely hardy onion - like
plant, of easy culture ; it will crow
on almost any soil for years, with-
out being transplanted. The leaves
are the part used, and may be shorn off eyery two weeks
during summer. It is propagated by tearing to pieces the
old clumps and setting the divisions in rows a foot apart. -
Fig. 81.—CORN-SALAD.
CRESS OR PEPPER GRASS, (Lepidium sativum.)
A spring and summer salad plant ; sow im early spring,
and in succession, every week or so if desired, in rows
one foot apart. The curled variety is the best, as it can
be used for garnishing, as well as for salad.
CRESS-WATER, (Vasturtium officinale.)
A hardy aquatic plant, which can only be properly cul-
tivated where there are running streams. If there is a
brook on the place, all that would be wanted for private
use may be had by setting a few plants or sowing seeds
in spring on the margin of the water.
_
CORN, (Zea Mays.)
The yarieties known as *‘ Sweet,” are the kinds cultiva-
ted to be used in the green state. Corn may either be
planted in ‘‘hills,” dropping three or four seeds in a hill
four feet apart each way, or in rows five feet apart, drop-
cucumbers, are no _ longer
- needed over cauliflowers. If
—
CUCUMBER. 197
ping the seeds at distances of eight or ten inches in the
rows. In this latitude it is useless to plant corn before
the middle of May. For succession crops it should be
planted every two or three weeks until July first;
after that date it will not mature here. Corn requires a
rich light soil to be early. ‘The leading varieties are
Dwarf Early Sugar for first early, Crosby’s Early Sugar
for second, and Stowell’s Evergreen for main crops. Three
or four quarts is required, if succession crops are sown ;
if only one crop, two or three pints will be sufficient.
CUCUMBER, (Cucumis sativus.)
In most places where the Cucumber is grown out-doors,
it is more or less troubled with the ‘‘Striped Bug,” but
if only a few dozen hills are cultivated, it is not a very
troublesome matter to pick them off, which is about the
only sure way to get rid of them. ‘The safest method of
raising cucumbers, however, is to cover the seeds when
first sown, with the hand-glass described in chapter on
Implements ; which by the
time they are wanted for
such hand-glasses are not ob-
tainable, a simple method is —
to use a light box ten or
twelve inches square, to place
over the seeds after sowing,
covering it with a pane of BRYANT’S PLANT PROTECTOR.
glass ; this will not only forward the germination of the
seeds, but will protect the plants against the bugs, until
they are strong .enough not to be injured by them.
Bryant’s Plant Protector, a simple article, made of light
strips of wood, covered by mosquito netting, may be used
instead of a hand-glass. This will be found equally
198 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
valuable for protecting all plants liable to the attacks of
flying insects, and against the light frosts, so often inju-
rious to tender plants. Light, sandy soil is rather best
for cucumbers; the ‘‘ hills” should be prepared in the
same manner as for Lima Beans, but set three feet
apart, dropping five or six seeds in each hill. Cucum- -
bers may be sown about the middle of May, and in suc-
cession, every three or four weeks, until July. ‘The
White Spine and Long Green Prickly are favorite varie-
ties. The Gherkin or Burr is by some used for pickling.
EGG PLANT, (Solanum Melongena.)
This is always an interesting vegetable to cultivate,
being worthy of a place as an or-
namental plant, as well as being
much prized for culinary use. It
is a native of the Tropics, and
peculiarly tender. We find the
seeds will not germinate freely
under a temperature of seventy
degrees; and even then, often
tardily, unless the conditions are
just right. Nothing suits them
so well as a warm hot-bed, and to
get plants of the proper size to be
set in the open ground by the end
of May, the seeds should be sown
early in March, and the plants
potted into small pots when an
inch or so in hight. But as only
a dozen or two plants are needed
for a family, whenever the plants
can be purchased conveniently, it is never worth the
trouble to attempt the raising of them from seeds, unless
indeed there is room in a hot-bed, or hot-house used
Fig. 83.—EGG PLANT.
ENDIVE—HERBS. 199
for other purposes. Do not plant out sooner than the
25th of May, unless they can be protected by hand-
glasses. Set at distances of four feet apart, preparing
the hills as described for Lima Beans. Each plant should
average a dozen fruits, which will weigh from ten to
forty ounces each. The best flavored variety in our
opinion is the Black Pekin, but the most prolific is the
New York Market. A pure pearly white variety is highly
ornamental, and also of excellent flavor. The Egg Plant
is usually fried in slices, but there are other methods to
be found in the proper authorities in such matters.
ENDIVE, (Cichorium Endivia.)
A plant related to the lettuce. If sownin early spring,
either in hot-bed or in the open ground, in April, it will
be ready in May. Set out at distances of fifteen inches
apart. It is mostly used towards fall, however, and when
wanted at that time, should be sown in June or July, and
set out in August and September; nothing further is
done after planting but hoeing to keep down the weeds,
until it attains its full growth, which is from twelve to
eighteen inches in diameter. It is then “blanched,”
either by gathering up the leaves and tying them by
their tops in a conical form, or by placing a slate, or flat
stone, on the plant to exclude the light and effect the
blanching. Itis used asasalad. The varieties are the
Moss Curled and Plain-leaved Batavian.
* HERBS—SWEET.
Thyme, Sage, Basil, Sweet Marjoram, and Summer
Savory are those in general use; the seeds of all ex-
cept the last named, should be sown in shallow drills,
one foot apart in May, and the plants will be fit for use
200 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
in September and October. Summer Savory does better
if the seeds are sown where the plants are to grow.
GARLIC, (Allium sativum.)
Is used mostly by Kuropeans; it grows freely on any
soil; the sets, obtained by breaking up the old bulbs, are
planted in early spring in rows one foot apart, and five or
yu!
Wii,
vi f !
Wyss)
ZI iy
— |
—
Fig. 84.—GARLIC BULBS. Fig. 85. —HORSERADISH ROOT.
six inches between the plants. When the leaves wither,
the bulbs are taken up and hung in a dry, cool place.
HORSERADISH, (Nasturtiwm Armoracia.)
For family use a few roots of this should be planted in
some out-of-the-way corner of the vegetable garden; a
dozen roots, once planted, will usually give enough for a
life-time, as it increases and spreads so that there is never
any danger of being without it; the trouble is, if it is
once admitted into the garden, it is difficult to be got
rid of if so desired,
KOHLRABI—LEEK. 201
KOHLRABI, OR TURNIP-ROOTED CABBAGE, (Brassica oleracea var.)
This vegetable resembles a turnip, but is regarded as a
\ \
ass LOI By, \\\ \
Reta TTT) ,
2 emai os : pple j ){
a ||
Fig. 86.—KOHLRABI.
markets of New York in
the fall. There are two va-
ieties, White and Purple.
LEEK, (Allium Porrum.)
Sow in April, and plant
out in June or July, in
rows one foot apart and
six inches between the
plants. It is used mainly
during the winter months ;
it is an entirely hardy
plant, yet in order that it
variety of the cab-
bage, with a fleshy
edible stem. Seeds
should be sown in
rows fifteen or eigh-
teen inches apart, in
May or June, and
when an inch high,
thinned out to nine
or ten inches. It is
a favorite vegetable
with the Germans,
and immense quan-
tities are sold in the
|
|
|
;
~ 202 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
may be handy to get at in winter, it is better to put it in.
trenches, as advised for preserving celery.
LETTUCE, (Lactuca sativa.)
Lettuce should be sown in a hot-bed or greenhouse if
wanted early ; seeds sown there in’ February will give nice
plants to set out in April, to mature in May, or if it is
sown in the open ground in April and pianted out in
May, it will mature in June, and so on through the
summer season if succession crops are desired, as it only
takes from five to six weeks to mature. The great excel-
lence of lettuce consists in its freshness, and it can rarely
be purchased in perfect condition; hence, those who
would enjoy it in its best state should raise it themselves.
For early use, to be ready in May, the Curled Silesia
and Boston Market are the best; while for summer use,
the Curled India and Plain Drumhead should be sown,
as they do not readily run to seed. The Cos varieties are
mainly used in Europe, and are by far the best flavored ;
but from their tendency to run to seed in our warmer
climate, are but little cultivated, though they might be
safely grown in the cool weather, in spring, or in fall.
An ounce of seed of each variety will be ample.
MARTYNIA, (Martynia proboscidea.)
The unripe pods taken when perfectly tender, are used
for pickling. ‘They must be gathered every day or two,
or some will become hard and useless. Sow in open
ground in May, and transplant to two feet each way in -
June.
MELON, MUSK, (Cucumis Melo.)
The cultivation of the Melon is almost identical with
that of the cucumber, to which reference may be made.
MELON. a 203
The varieties are numerous, those named below are the
most popular.
Green Citron.—Medium size, deeply netted, almost
round in shape,
flesh green, de-
liciou's flavor.
White Japan.
—A distinct and
white - skinned
sort, flesh yellow,
richly flavored.
Ispahan. — A
valuable variety
for the southern
states, but too
late to mature
in the north. It
crows toupwards
of a foot in
length; skin,
when fully ripe,
light yellow;
flesh yellowish-
white, with arich
perfume and fla-
3 vor. Cassaba is
a related variety, and in most seasons ripens with us.
Ward’s Nectar and Skillman’s Netied, are among the
best for the family garden.
\ 4 si { ‘ (
| we r .
Fig. 88.—MARTYNIA.
MELON, WATER, (Citrullus vulgaris.)
The cultivation of the Water Melon is in all respects
similar to that of the Musk Melon, except that being a
larger and stronger growing plant, it requires to be
planted at greater distances. The hills should not be
204. GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
less than eight feet apart each way. It delights in
light sandy soil, and will not grow satisfactorily on
heavy, clayey soils. ‘The leading sorts are:
Mountain Sprout.—A large-sized, red-fleshed variety,
of excellent flavor.
Phinney’s Early.—Flesh of a deep red, very sweet.
Fig. 89.—WATER-MELON—PHINNEY’S EARLY.
Ice Cream.—-A white-fleshed variety, and one of the
earliest ; best to be grown in northern or eastern states.
Orange.—So called because the flesh parts readily from
the rind when ripe. The flesh is red, and rather coarse ;
it keeps longer than any other.
fattlesnake, also called Joe Johnson, is a fine variety
for the southern states, and is largely grown for shipment
to the northern markets. |
MUSTARD, (Sinapis alba.)
“
For use and cultivation see Cress.
MUSHROOM, (Agaricus campestris.)
Many who have a taste for horticultural pursuits grow
mushrooms as much for the novelty of the thing as for
the use, for it is certainly very gratifying for an ama-
os
MUSHROOM. 205
teur to find that he has succeeded with a crop of this cu-
rious vegetable in mid-winter, when everything outside
is frost-locked and snow-bound. I have said that the
novelty is attractive, for in growing all other plants the
cultivator sees something tangible to start with, either
seeds, plants, or roots, but with the mushroom it may be
said he sees neither, for no seeds can be discovered either
with the naked eye or with a magnifier, and it requires
some faith to believe the minute thread-like substance
we call ‘‘ spawn,” to be either plants or roots.
Mushrooms are always raised in the dark, and any
cellar, stable, or an out-house of any sort, wherein a
temperature of 45° to 65° can be commanded, will grow
them. There are various methods followed by mushroom
growers, but I will only give one, premising that if the
directions given are strictly followed, success is just as
certain as In growing a crop of peas or potatoes. Let
horse droppings be procured from the stables each day,
in quantities not less than a barrow load ; to every bar-
row load of droppings, add half the quantity of fresh
loam, from 4 pasture or sod land, or soil of any kind
that has not been manured, (the objection to old ma-
nured soil being that it may contain the spores of spuri-
ous fungi.) Let the droppings and soil be mixed to-
gether day by day, as the manure can be procured; or
if they can be had all at once in sufficient quantity, so
much the better. Let the heap, (which should be under
- cover), be turned every day, so that it is not allowed to
heat violently until you have got together a sufficient
quantity to form a bed of the desired size. From the
prepared droppings and soil, begin to form the bed. A
convenient width is four feet, and the length may be as
great as desired. First spread a thin layer of the com-
post, pounding it down firmly with a brick or mallet,
layer after layer, until it reaches a depth of eight inches.
Be careful that the thickness is just about eight iaches,
206 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
as if more, it would heat too violently, and if less, it
would not heat enough. Into this bed plunge a ther-
mometer ; in two or three days the bed will heat, so that
the thermometer will rise to 100° or over. As soon as the
temperature declines to 90°, take a sharp stick and make
holes an inch or so in diameter allover the bed, at about a
foot apart, and six inches deep ; into these holes drop
two or three pieces of ‘‘spawn,” and cover up the hole
again with the compost of which the bed is made, and
beat it slightly again, so that the bed will present the
same level surface as before the spawn was putin. Let
the bed remain in this condition for ten or twelve days,
by which time the spawn will have run all through it.
Now spread evenly over the surface of the bed about two
inches of fresh loam, press 1t down moderately with the
back of a spade, and cover up the bed with hay or straw
to the thickness of three or four inches. If this opera-
tion is finished in November or December, and the place
has an average temperature of 55°, you may look out for
a crop in January or February. ‘The bed will continue
bearing about three or four weeks, and the crop is usually
enormous, often producing a bushel on two square yards
of space. After the first crop is gathered, a second, and
even a third, can be taken if desired, from the same bed
without further trouble than to spread a little fresh soil
on the surface, giving it a gentle watering and covering
up with hay as before. Great care must be taken that
after placing the spawn in the newly made bed, the
earth covering is not put on sooner than ten or twelve
days ; in my first attempt at mushroom growing, I failed
two years in succession, because I put on the soil
when the spawn was first put into the bed; by so doing,
the steam arising from the manure was prevented from —
passing off, and the result was, that the spawn rotted, I
believe this very common error is the cause of most of
the failures in raising mushrooms,
NASTURTIUM—OKRA. 207
NASTURTIUM—INDIAN CRESS, (Tropeolum majus.)
A highly ornamental plant, cultivated in flower-gar-
deus as well as in the kitchen garden. The shoots and
flowers are some-
times used in
salads, but it is
mainly grown for
its fruit or seed
pods, which are
pickled in vine-
gar and used as
a substitute for
capers. The plant
is of the easiest
culture. Sow in
shallow drills in
May. The fall
variety will reach
a hight of ten or
fifteen feet if
furnished with
strings or wires,
and makes an
excellent screen
for shade, or for
quickly covering | |
up and conceal- — Fig. 90.—OKRa.
ing any unsightly place. The dwarf variety is grown
like peas, and staked with brush.
OKRA OR GUMBO, (Abelmoschus esculentus.)
A vegetable of the easiest culture. Sow in drills in
May, three feet apart for dwarf, and four feet for tall
sorts, in drills two or three inches deep. The long pods
when very young and tender, are used in soups, stews,
etc., and are very nutritious. —
208 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
ONION, (Allium cepa.)
Onions are raised either by ‘‘ sets,” which are small
dry onions grown the previous year, or from seeds. When
grown from the sets, they should be planted out as early
in spring as the ground is dry enough to work; plant
them in rows one foot apart, with sets three or four
inches apart. When raised from sets, the onions can*
be used in the green state in June, or they will be
ripened off by July. When raised from seeds, these are
sown at about the same distance between the rows, and
when the young plants are an inch or so high, they are
thinned out to two or three inches apart. ~It is import-
ant that onion-seed be sown very early. In this lati-
tude it should be sown not later than the middle of
April, for if delayed until May, warm weather sets in
and delays, or rather prolongs the growth until fall, and
often the bulbs will not ripen; we find that unless the
onion-tops dry off and the bulbs ripen by August, they
will hardly do so later. The best known sorts are White
Portugal or Silver Skinned, Yellow Dutch or Strasburg,
and Wethersfield Red. ,
Two kinds are grown exclusively from bulbs; one of
these is the Potato Onion, or ‘‘ Multipliers,” which in-
crease by the bulb splitting up and dividing itself into
six or eight smaller bulbs, which in turn form the sets
to plant for the next crop. The other variety is what is
called ‘*Top Onion,” which forms little bulbs on the
stem in the place of flowers; these are in clusters, and
about the size of hazel nuts. These small bulbs are
broken apart and planted in spring at the-same distances
as the ‘‘sets” referred to above ; all mature in August.
PARSLEY, (Carum Petroselinum.)
But a very small quantity of this is usually wanted in
the family garden. Sow in shallow drills in April or
tion in growing it on one’s own
PARSNIP—PEA. 209
May. A good plan is to sow in shallow boxes as much as
may be needed ; they can be placed wherever there is
moderate light, and no frost ; by this means a fresh
supply may be kept on hard in hard winter weather,
when it is most desirable to have it, either for garnish-
ing dishes or for other uses. ‘The best variety to grow is
the Moss, or Double Curled.
PARSNIP, (Lastinaca sativa.)
For mode of cultivation of parsnips, see carrot, as their
culture is identical, except that this
being hardy, can be left out in
winter, while in this latitude carrots
cannot. A portion of the crop may
be dug and stored in the cellar or
in trenches, and the remainder may
be left until spring. The Hollow
Crowned is best for general use.
PEA, (Pisum sativum.)
The pea is indispensable in the
garden, and there is more satisfac-
ground, than there is in raising any ~
other vegetable. If too old when
picked, or stale, which is too often
the case when purchased from the
dealers, peas have but little resem-
blance to those taken directly from
the vines. For an early crop peas
should be one of the first things sown
inthe spring. We prefer to sow in double rows, which saves
half the labor in staking or bushing up, and gives nearly
the same crop to the row as if sown in single rows.
Double rows are made at eight or nine inches apart, and
Fig. 91.—PARSNIP.
210 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
four feet from other rows. Set a line and draw the
drills with a hoe three or four inches deep; the seed
should be sown to lay as near as possible an inch or so
apart. ‘The Sidney Seed-Sower, mentioned in the chapter
on Implements, is a most convenient affair for sowing
peas; one can with a few minutes practice distribute the
seed with great regularity. In order to havea succession
of crops of peas, they should be sown every two or three
weeks until July. If succession crops are grown, an
average quantity for a family would be twelve quarts; if
only first crops of early and late, from four to six quarts
will be sufficient.
The varieties of peas are almost innumerable, and new
sorts—or at least sorts with new names—are sent out
every year. They may be classed in two groups, the
round and the wrinkled peas. The round varieties are
the earliest, but they are as much inferior to the wrinkled
or marrow kinds, as field is to sweet corn; these two
groups are subdivided according to hight. ‘The earliest
pea is Daniel O’ Rourke, under some of its dozen or more
names, for most of the ‘‘early” and ‘‘ extra early” peas
are only selected strains of this, which, under other names,
dates back into the last century. It is of medium hight,
productive, and valuable as yielding the earliest crops.
The earliest of the wrinkled sorts is the Alpha, of medium
hight. The standard late sort is the Champion of Eng-
land, an old variety, which has not yet been superseded.
The dwarf sorts, which grow only about a foot high and
need no brush, are very handy in the family garden, as
they may be used to occupy odd spaces. The leading
dwarfs are Tom Thumb, early but round, and Little Gem,
productive and of the best quality. The catalogues give
the merits of numerous other sorts, early, medium, and
late,
PEPPER—POTATO—PUMPKIN,. PAWS
PEPPER, or CAPSICUM, (Capsicum annuum.)
The Pepper is sown and cultivated in all respects the
same as the Egg-Plant, which may be referred to. The
varieties are the Bull-Nose, or Bell, and the Cayenne.
POTATO, (Solanum tuberosum.)
Potatoes are grown by planting the tubers, either cut
or whole, it makes but little difference which ; if large,
cut them ; if small, leave them uncut. They are usually
planted in drills three feet apart, and four or five inches
deep. The ground should be prepared by first spreading
in the drills a good coat of stable manure, say two inches
deep, upon which are planted the tubers or sets, at dis-
tances of eight or ten inches apart. In a warm exposure
planting may be begun early in April, and the crop will
be fit for use in June. Someof the small-leaved varieties
such as the Ash-leaved Kidney, were formerly grown un-
der hand glasses, or in frames, to forward them, but now
this is hardly worth the trouble, as our supplies from
southern latitudes are so early that it is no longer desir-
able to force thecrop. The generally favorite variety for
early crops is still the Early Rose ; and for general crop,
Peach-Blows; but there are scores of other varieties,
which have a special or local reputation.
PUMPKIN, (Cucurbita Pepo.)
Pumpkins are still grown in many gardens with a te-
nacity that is astonishing, when it should long ago have
been known that they have no business there, as their
first cousins, the squashes, are eminently superior for
every culinary purpose whatever. The Pumpkin is a val-
uable product for the farm, as a food for cattle, but for
nothing else. If people will waste valuable land in rais-
ing pumpkins, they may plant them the same as directed
for squashes.
212 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
RADISH, (Raphanus sativus.)
One of the first vegetables that we crave in spring is
the Radish, and it is so easy of culture that every family
can have it fresh, crisp, and in abundance. ‘The
smallest garden patch of a few feet square, will give
enough for a family. It is sown either in drills or
broadcast, care being taken that the seed is not put
in too thickly ; from one to two inches apart either in
drill or broadcast, being the proper distance, as usually
every seed germinates. ‘The best varieties are the Red
and French Turnip, and the Short Top Long, Red, or
White. If wanted specially early, the above sorts are
best for hot-bed forcing ; for summer and winter use the
yellow and gray varieties are preferred. |
RHUBARB OR PIE PLANT, (Aheum Rhaponticum.)
Rhubarb may be planted in either fall or spring, using
either plants raised from the seed, or sets obtained by di-
visions of the old roots, taking care to have a bud to each.
Set at distances of three or four feet apart each way.
The place where each plant is to be set, should be dug
eighteen inches deep and the same in width, and the
soil mixed with two or three shovelfuls of well-rotted
stable manure. Two dozen strong plants will be enough
for the wants of an average family. If desired in winter
or early spring, a few roots can be taken up and placed in
a warm cellar or any such dark and warm place. The
roots, if the cellar is dark, may be put in a box with
earth around them, or if in a light cellar, they may be
put in the bottom of a barrel with earth, and the top
covered, ‘The only care needed is to see that the roots
do not get too dry, and to water if necessary, when it
will grow with but little care The useful portions is the
long and thick leaf-stalks, and these when forced are
much finer in flavor than when grown exposed to air and
SALSIFY. 213
light in the open garden. The plants in the open ground
should have the flower-stalks cut away as they appear.
Y A\ \2 = —S=
—————
1 SS
Fig. 92.—RHUBARB.
In gathering do not cut the leaf-stalks, as they will read-
ily come away by a side-wise pull, and leave no remnant
todecay. ‘Thevarieties are Myatt’s Victoria and Linneus.
SALSIFY, OR OYSTER PLANT, (Tragapogon porrifolius.)
The culture of this vegetable is the same in all respects
as for carrots, which see. Like the parsnip, it is hardy,
and can be left out during winter in any district without
injury from frost. It is rapidly becoming more popular.
’
214 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
Itis stewed like parsnips or carrots, 1s used to make soup,
|
|
ie
es UNNI
|
ui) il ow
se
{|
ma nie ns
/
(=
=
a | |
Y =
Bae.
Fig. 93.—sALSIFY. Fig. 94. —SCORZONERA. -
which has a decided flavor of the oyster; or is first boiled
and then fried. There is but one kind. .
SCORZONERA—BLACK SALSIFY, (Scorzonera Hispanica.)
This is somewhat different in flavor from Salsify, and
SEA KALE. 215
is preferred to it by many; it has much broader leaves,
but it is cultivated and used in the same manner.
SEA KALE, (Crambe maritima.)
Sea Kale is a favorite vegetable in European gardens,
but here, as yet, almost unknown. Anticipating that at
no distant day it may be as generally cultivated as it de-
serves to be, I briefly describe the mode of culture. The
seeds of Sea Kale should be sown in the greenhouse, or
in a slight hot-bed in February or March, and when the
plants are an inch or two in hight, they should be potted
into two or three-inch pots and placed in a cold frame to
harden, until sufficiently strong
to be planted in the open
ground. It should then be set
out in rows three feet apart,
with two feet between the
plants, cn land enriched as for
any ordinary cabbage crop. If
the plants and the soil in which
they have been planted are both
good, and cultivation has been
properly attended to, by keeping
the plants well hoed during the
summer, it will have ** crowns”
strong enough to giveacrop the
next season. In the northern states it will be necessary
to cover the rows with three or four inches of leaves, to
protect the plants from frost. Sea Kale is only fit for
use when ‘‘ blanched,” and to effect this, on the approach
of spring the ‘‘crowns” should be covered with some
light material, such as sand or leaf-mold, to the depth of
twelve or fifteen inches, so that the young shoot being
thus excluded from the light, will become blanched in
growing through this covering. Sometimes cans made
216 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
for the purpose, or large flower-pots, or even wooden
boxes, are inverted over the plants, the object in each
case being to exclude the light. If it is desired to force
Sea Kale, or forward it earlier, the materials used to
make hot-beds, leaves or stable manure are heaped oyer
the pots or cans in a sufficient quantity to generate the
proper heat to forward or force on the growth of the
plants. ‘The young shoots are cut from the plant before
the leaves are developed, and when cooked, haye a flavor
something between asparagus and cauliflower, but by
most persons much preferred to either. The engraving
shows a young shoot when ready for the table.
SHALLOTS, (Allium Ascalonicum.)
A plant of the onion genus, which is cultivated by set-
ting out the divided roots In September in rows a foot
apart, allowing six inches between them. It is entirely
hardy, and fit for use in early spring.
SPINACH, (Spinacia oleracea.)
Spinach is a vegetable of easy culture. It may either
be sown in spring or fall. If in fall, the proper time is
from the 10th to the 25th of September, in rows one foot
apart ; sow rather thickly. Cover the plants with. two
or three inches of hay or leaves on the approach of severe
frost in December. When sown in the fall, the crop of
course is ready for use much earlier than when sown in
spring, as half the growth is made in the fall months.
By the time the seed can be sown in spring, the crop that
has been wintered over will be coming into use. ‘To fol-
low the crop thus wintered, seeds should be sown in the
same manner in spring, as early as the soil can be worked,
and another sowing may be made two weeks later. ‘The
round-seeded variety is best for winter sowing, and the
prickly seeded for spring. About four ounces is enough
for ordinary wants for either season’s sowing. 7
SPINACH, SUBSTITUTES FOR. 21%
SPINACH, SUBSTITUTES FOR.
In the southern states, or even in our northern sum-
mers, Spinach runs rapidly
to seed, if sown in hot
weather, and several plants
Ge 7k SS may be used as substitutes.
WAN as yf Among these are Swiss
3 Chard, a species of beet,
sometimes called Spinach
Beet, or Perpetual Spinach.
Young plants of the ordi-
nary beet are by some pre-
ferred to spinach; ordinarily beets need thinning, and
the seed is sometimes sown very thickly, in order that
there may be an abundance of thinnings to use as spinach,
or beet greens; they are used with the young beet attach-
ed, which should not be thicker than an ordinary lead-
pencil; if larger, the leaves will be too strong. Another
substitute is
oN YY
nGY
WG
Fig. 96.—SWISS CHARD.
NEW ZEALAND SPINACH, (TZetragonia expansa.)
This is a remarkable plant, of low branching habit,
YZ \\
vig. 97.—NEW ZEALAND SPINACH.
and grows with surprising luxuriance during hot
218 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
weather. Single plants often measure from five to eight
feet in diameter. ‘I'he leaves are used exactly as ordinary
spinach. It should not be sown before warm weather
sets in in May, and the plants should be set out in hills
three or four feet apart each way.
SQUASH, (Cucurbita Pepo and C maxima.)
The summer varieties are, among others, the White
and Yellow Bush and Summer Crookneck. As with
— SS
Fig. 98.—SQUASH—WHITE BUSH.
all plants of this class, it is useless to sow these before
warm weather in May, and the directions given for cu-
cumbers and melons, are alike applicable to the squash,
except that the distances apart of the hills; these should
Fig. 99.—sQuaASH—SUMMER CROOKNECK.
be from three to four feet for the bush sorts, and from
six to eight for the other varieties which ‘‘ run ” or make
a long vine. The fall or winter squashes are planted at
the same time, but are allowed to mature or ripen, while
SWEET POTATO. 219
the summer varieties are used green. They are usually
planted eight or nine feet apart, in hills prepared in the
usual way. ‘These squashes are great feeders, and for
the best results the soil should be well enriched, besides
the special manuring in the hills, as the vines throw out
roots at every joint to assist in feeding and maturing the
heavy crop they usually bear. ‘The popular varieties are
Fig. 100.—sQqUuASH—MARBLEHEAD.
Hubbard, Marblehead, Yokohama, and Winter Crook-
neck. Most of the winter varieties, if kept in a dry at-
mosphere at a temperature from forty to fifty degrees,
will keep until May. A garret room in a moderately well
heated dwelling house, will often be a very suitable place
for storing them.
SWEET POTATO, (Ipomea Batatas.)
Tt 1s useless to attempt to grow the Sweet Potato on
anything but a light and dry soil. On clayey soils the
plant not only grows poorly, ‘but the potatoes raised upon
such soil are watery, and poorly flavored. The plants
are raised by laying the roots on their sides on a hot-bed
or bench of a greenhouse, and covering them over with
220 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
sand, about the first week in May; by keeping up
an average temperature of 75° or 80°, fine plants will be
produced by June Ist, at which time they should he
planted in this vicinity. The plants are set in hills three
feet apart each way, or on
ridges four feet apart, and
12 or 15 inches between
the plants, drawing the
earth up to them as they
grow, until the top of the
ridge or hill is four or six
inches above the level.
The soil under the ridges
should be highly manured,
and as the vines grow they
should be kept clear of
weeds ; when late in the
season they show a dis-
position to root at the
joints, they must be
moved every week or so;
this is easily done by run-
ning a rake handle or
other stick under the vines
and lifting them sufficient-
ly to draw out the small
roots upon the stem. As
is the case with many other
vegetables of which the
plants or sets are raised in > )
large quantities for sale, it is better and cheaper when
Sweet Potato plants are procurable, to purchase them,
than to attempt to raise the small number required in a
private garden. A hundred plants not costing more than
a dollar, are all that most families would require. The
Nansemond is the favorite variety.
Fig. 101.—SWEET POTATO.
TOMATO—TURNIP, 221
TOMATO, (Lycopersicum esculentum.)
If any vegetable is grown in a family garden, it is al-
most certain to be the Tomato. Hundreds of people
who haye only a few feet of ground at their disposal,
manage to cultivate a dozen or two of tomato-plants,
though they may have nothing else ; so well is it known
that I think few of my readers will require to be told
much about its culture. The Tomato will grow any-
where, and under almost any circumstances, provided
always that it has the necessary high temperature ; it is
essentially a plant of the Tropics, and need never be sown
in a hot-bed here before March, or planted in the open
ground before the middle of May. When cultivated in
private gardens, the tomato-vine should always be pro-
vided with some sort of trellis, or be tacked up against a
fence or wall. By this treatment, not only will a heavier
crop be obtained, but the flavor will he better ; when the
fruit rests on the ground it has often an inferior flavor,
particularly when eaten raw, and is also more apt to de-
cay. A few dozen plants usually suffice for an ordinary
family, and if there are no hot-beds or other glass ar-
rangements on hand, the plants had better be purchased,
as they are sold cheaply everywhere. ‘The favorite vari-
eties are the Trophy, Champion Cluster, and Conqueror.
TURNIP, (Brassica campestris.)
The Turnip, if wanted for an early crop, is sown in
early spring, as directed for beets. The best sorts are the
varieties known as White and Purple-top Strap-leaved
and Yellow Aberdeen. If for winter or fall use, sowing
should be deferred until July or August. The Ruta
Baga or Swedes, being sown in July, and the earlier
winter sorts, such as Yellow Globe or Flat Dutch, are
sown in August.
222 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS.
In concluding te section of tais book devoted to veg-
etable growing, we will give a few general instructions
that may have been omitted in the details already given.
In sowing all kinds of seeds, more particularly those of
small size, be careful, if the soil is dry, to ‘‘firm” or
press down the surface of the bed or row after sowing,
with a light roller or back of a spade, more especially if
the weather is beginning to get warm. Orops are often
lost through the failure of the seeds to germinate, for
the simple reason that the soil is left loose about the tiny
seeds, and the dry atmosphere penetrates to them, shriy-
eling them up until all vitality is destroyed. Again for
the same reason, when setting out plants of any kind, be
certain that the soil is pressed close to the root. In our
large plantings in market gardening, particularly in sum-
mer, we make it a rule in dry weather to turn back on
the row after planting it with the dibber or trowel, and
press the earth firmly to each plant with the foot; we
have seen whole acres of celery and cabbage plants lost,
solely through neglect of this precaution. Never work
the soil while it isso wet as to clog, better wait a week
for it to dry than to stir it if wet. In no work in which
men are engaged is the adage, ‘‘A stitch in time saves
nine,” more applicable than to the work of the farm or
garden. ‘The instant that weeds appear, attack them
with the hoe or rake; do not wait for them to get a
foot high, or a twelfth part of it, but break every inch of
the surface crust of the ground just so soon as a germ of
weed growth shows itself. And it will be better to do it
even before any weeds show, for by using a small sharp
steel rake, two or three days after your crop is planted
or sown, you will kill the weeds just as their seeds are
germinating. Thenewly developed germ of the strongest
weed is at that time very tender, In my market garden
:
GARDEN IMPLEMENTS. Se
operations I had one man whose almost exclusive duty
it was to work in summer with the steel rake, and in a
few days after a crop was planted, the surface was raked
over, destroying the thousands of weeds just ready to ap-
pear. Had we waited forthe weeds to be seen, so that
they were too large to be destroyed by the raking, four
men could not have done with the hoe the work accom-
plished by this man with the rake.
CHAPTER LL
GARDEN IMPLEMENTS.
The tool-shed is an important and necessary append-
agetoawell kept garden. The following list includes such
implements as are generally needed in private gardens :
THE WHEELBARROW, (Fig. 102).—The wheelbarrow is
Thi
MAN
Fig. 102.—GARDEN WHEELBARROW.
an important vehicle in the garden, for the moving of
soils, carrying manures, and for conveying the products
of the vegetable garden to the house or place of storage,
and numerous other purposes. It may be purchased of
different sizes and styles, or can be ‘‘ home-made” by
those possessing a little mechanical skill.
224 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
THE Spapz, (Fig. 103).—The uses of the spade in a
garden are too obvious, and general, to need description.
The best in use are Ames’ cast-steel, which are light,
strong, and durable, and work clean and bright.
THE SHOVEL, (Fig. 104).—The shovel is used for load-
ing, and for mixing and spreading composts and short
manures. ‘They are made with long or short handles.
THe Diecine Fork, (Fig. 105), or Forking Spade, is
used instead of a spade to dig in |
manures, to loosen the earth about C2»
the roots of trees, or for taking up € ~ 2
root crops ; being less liable to cut
or injure them than the
spade. It is often
Fig. 103. Fig. 104. Fig. 105. Fig. 106. Fig. 107. Fig. 108,
used instead of the spade, as by its aid the soil can be
more readily broken and pulverized.
THe MANURE Fork, (Fig. 106).—Is made of cast-steel
with from four to six prongs, and is used for mixing,
GARDEN IMPLEMENTS. 225
loading, and spreading manures, work which could not
be efficiently done without it.
THE Common oR Draw Hozt.—There are several
patterns of draw hoes, but the one in general use is the
common square hoe, as represented in fig. 107. Its
uses in the garden are manifold, and it has frequently to
do duty for several other implements. Its principle uses
are to clean the surface of the ground from weeds, to
open trenches for seeds, and to cover them.
THe Prone Hog, (Fig. 108).—This is one of the most
useful of all garden tools, and is far superior to the blade
hoe for stirring and pulverizing the soil. It cannot, it
is true, be used where weeds have been allowed to grow to
any considerable hight, but then we claim that inall well
regulated gardens, weeds should never be allowed to grow
so large that they cannot be destroyed by the prong hoe.
THE Dutch or PusH Hoek, (Fig. 109), is sometimes
preferred to the preceding
for cutting the weeds be- |
tween the rows of vege-
tables, a work which can be
done very quickly by its aid ;
Fig. 110. Fig. 111. Fig. 112.
it is not so generally useful as the draw hoe, but is better
for the special purposes of destroying weeds.
THE REEL AND Line, (Fig. 110), are necessary in
226 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
every well regulated garden, enabling us to plant in
straight and accurate rows. The line should be of strong
hemp, and is wound upon the reel when not in use.
THE PRUNING Saw, (Fig. 111), is used for cutting off
branches that are too large for the knife, for removing
dead ones, etc. It can be had in various sizes, from
fourteen to twenty inches in length.
THE GARDEN TROWEL, (Fig. 112), is used for setting
the smaller kinds of plants when transferred from pots to
the open ground; for transplanting annuals and many
other uses, it is a very necessary little implement.
PRUNING AND BuppDING KNIvEs, (Fig. 113), are ne-
cessary to every gardener. ‘They are of different sizes
and shapes, for the various purposes of grafting, bud-
ding, etc., and are made of the best steel.
GRAPE Scrtssors.—These are slender-pointed scissors,
used for thinning out the berries of foreign grapes when
Fig. 114.—LAWN SCYTHE.
they are about half grown, so that those that are left
may have room to develop. This operation should never
be neglected if large berries and well shaped bunches
are desired.
FLOWER GATHERERS.—A very useful ae ; the
scissors cutting off, and at the same time holding fast
the flower or fruit after it is cut, thus enabling one
to reach much farther to cut flowers or fruits than if
both hands had to be used. It is particularly useful in
gathering rose-buds, as the stem can be cut off with but
little danger from the thorns. .
Lawn ScytuHes, (Fig. 114).—The lawn scythe is now
but little used, the lawn mower taking its place, unless
GARDEN IMPLEMENTS. 224
on hill-sides or among trees or shrubs, where the lawn
mower cannot be worked.
Lawn Mowers, (Fig. 115).—The Saad improvements
made in Lawn
Mowers during the
past few years, and
the low price at
which they may
now be obtained,
have made their
introduction com-
mon to every gar-
den. They are of
many sizes, from
the small machine
that can be easily
worked by a boy, Fig. 115.—LAWN MOWER.
and admirably eanicd for city garden plots, to the
large horse mowers, that may be daily seen in use in our
larger parks. We have in use both the “‘ Excelsior ” and
«* Archimedean ” Lawn Mowers, and have found them
excellent in all respects.
THE GARDEN Router, (Fig. 116), is indispensable to
« a well kept lawn, and should always
follow after mowing, keeping the
ground level and compact; and after
gravel walks have been raked over, the
rolleris necessary to smooth them down.
THE WoopEN Lawn RaAkgE, (Fig.
117), is used for raking off lawns pre-
vious to and after using the scythe or
__ lawn mower, and for removing dead
Fig. 1 116.—routEr. leaves and other rubbish.
THE Rakes, (Fig.118), is used to level the surface of the
ground after it has been spaded or hoed, and to prepare
a
7 ——
228 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
it for the reception of seeds or plants. Rakes are made
of different sizes, for convenience in using between rows
of plants, with from six to six-
teen teeth. When a crop like
cabbages is newly planted, we
use the rake in preference to
anything else, as raking over the
surface before the weeds start
to grow, destroys the germ of
the weed, never allowing it to
appear at all.
THE Grass Enoinc KNIFE,
(Fig. 119), is used for cutting
the grass edgings of flower-beds, .
its rounded edge fitting into
curved lines, for which the
spade would be unsuitable.
Orr ic cn TTT
i
Fig. 117. ~~ Fig. 118. Fic. 120. Fig. 121. Fig. 122,
THE SICKLE, (Fig. 120).—This is a most useful imple-
ment for switching around and trimming off grass, in
GARDEN IMPLEMENTS. 229
places where the scythe or lawn mower cannot be used,
or where the place to be cut is small.
Hepce SHears, (Fig. 121), are better fitted for clip-
ping hedges than the Bill Hook, some- :
times used for the purpose, particularly
in inexperienced hands. A line should
be set at the hight to which the hedge
is to be cut, as a guide to work by.
HAND-PRUNING SHEARS, (Fig. 122).
—These are very efficient and
useful; they will cut off a small
branch as clean as if a knife
had been used. ‘They are in-
dispensable in pruning small
fruit-trees and vines, and for
use in the grapery and garden.
PoLE oR TREE PRUNING
SHEARS, (Fig. 123). — These
shears are attached to a pole,
and operated by means of a lever
moyed by a cord or a wire;
they enable one to cut off branch-
es from trees, shrubbery, etc.,
that are beyond the reach of
the ordinary pruning shears.
Branches of an inch and a half in diameter may be easily
cut off with this instrument.
GARDEN SyriInce, (Fig. 124).—The syringe is in
Fig. 123.—TREE PRUNER.
Fig. 124.—GARDEN SYRINGE.
daily use in the greenhouse or conservatory, where syr-
inging is necessary to keep the plants in a flourishing
230 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE,
and healthy condition. ‘They are made of several sizes
and patterns, and fitted with roses for dispersing water
with varying force.
_ WartERING-Pot.—A watering-pot is indispensable in
the greenhouse or conservatory,
where it is daily needed. It
should be obtained of a suit-
able size, from one to four gal-
lons, with a rose for sprinkling,
which may be detached at will.
THE Excetsior Pump, (Fig.
125), 1s a very compact and use-
ful implement for greenhouse
and garden work. It is easily
operated, and throws a continu-
ous stream. It is very effective
for watering shrubbery, gardens,
or lawns, and may be used in an
emergency as a fire extinguish-
er and prevent a conflagration.
THE SIDNEY SEED-SOWER,
(Fig. 126).—This is a very useful implement, enabling
Fig. 125.—EXCELSIOR PUMP.
Fig. 126. Fig. 128.
the operator to sow seeds with perfect regularity, especi-
ally in wet or windy weather. It will distribute large or
GARDEN IMPLEMENTS. Dal
small seeds with equal regularity, either broadcast or in
drills or pots.
THE EXcELsIon WEEDING Hook, (Fig. 127), is a very
handy implement
for removing weeds
from among small
and tender plants,
and for stirring up
the soil. It can be
used between rows
of seedlings, orna-
mental plants, or
wherever it is desirable to remove weeds, without in-
jury to the plants or soiling the hands.
Noyes’ HAND WEEDER, (Fig. 128), isa kind of minia-
ture hand hoe, and is very convenient and useful for
working between plants,
dressing pots, and clean- |
ing away weeds, where a *
large hoe could not be
used to good advantage.
Lavres’ anp CuIL-
DRENS GARDEN TOOLS,
(Fig. 129).—In all flower
gardens there is a great
deal of hand-work to be
done. This lot of small
implements consisting of
a spade, fork, rake, and
hoe, will be found very
useful in working on
small flower borders.
Step Lappers, (Fig. 130).—The step-ladder is always
useful in a garden, especially during the fruiting season.
It is made in different sizes, varying from three to ten
y=
— —=—
I
Fig. 129.—SMALL GARDEN SET.
h,
N
eae \
Fig. 130.—sTEP LADDER.
232 GARDENING FOR PLEASURE,
feet, and weighing from ten to thirty pounds; it is made
with flat steps, so that a person may stand upon them
while working, and can be extended or contracted as re-
quired. For use amongst large trees, in the orchard, a
much greater length of ladder is required, and there are
yarious forms of orchard ladders in use, but the step-
ladder is sufficient for all ordinary garden uses.
HaAND-GLASSES.—The uses of these have been men-
tioned under cauliflowers, cucumber, etc. Home-made
hand-glasses, being simply a
small frame covered with a pane
of glass, are very useful, but as
they exclude some light they
are not equal to those made with
glass allaround. Hand-glasses
y= S)) ~with metal frames and glass
sides and top, are made of differ-
Se DON BAND GEASS. ent sizes and styles, one of the
more elaborate of which is shown in fig. 131. Though
somewhat expensive, they will, if carefully used, last
many years.
Trellises, or supports for plants, are needed in the
flower and vegetable garden not only for climbers, but
for keeping plants which have weak
stems within proper bounds. ‘Trel-
lises for pots may be purchased
ready-made, as may those for climb-
ing roses and such plants ; they are
usually made of rattan upon a frame
of light wooden stakes, and some
are made entirely of wire. A _per-
son of a mechanical turn can
readily make all that will be need-
ed. A few engravings are given here as suggestions.
Fig. 132 shows a useful support made with a barrel hocp
an’ staves; the same plan may be carried out with two
GARDEN IMPLEMENTS, 233
or more hoops, and laths, if staves are too heavy. This
will answer for tomatoes, raspberries, and various other
plants. A more
permanent to-
mato trellis is
shown in fig.
133, In which
slats are sup-
ported by A
-shaped up-
- rights. If put
~ together with
screws, such a
trellis may be
carefully put
away in the fall
and made to last several years. A rustic trellis, like that
in fig. 134, is often useful in the flower garden, or it
may servé when covered with climbers to divide the
flower from the
vegetable gar- YZ
den. It ismade i>
of sticks of cedar
or other durable
wood, set as
shown in the
~engraying, and,
tied where the \
bars cross one #7
another with
Fig. 153.—TOMATO TRELLIS.
strong tarred YZ YY ‘ oo Z
twine With 3 | === ee 64
Guano, How to Use.......... a ee 18
Guano. Mixing with Earth......... 18
Guano, Perivial. 4.2.21 tices = ects 22
Guano, Quantity to Apply......... 19
Hanging-Baskets. Filling.......... 74
* Hay-Seed ”’ tor Lawn...) iccs2- tes 24
Heating by Double Flues........ . 94
Heatine Dy Hot, Water. (72s = 3.2% 95
Hedges for Protecting Gardens.... 10
Herbaceous Perennials, Hardy..... 107
Herbaceous Perennials, Hardy, List
Of 5s) atone endian Coe eee 109
Herbs, Sweet. 8 town toe ees Naetas Con eee 199
Horseradish: ..23vest no ating sae 200
Hot-Beds i...) .. sees ee phere eae 102
Hot-Beds, Ventilating............. _.103-
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE,
Hot-House or Forcing Grapery..... 150
Hot-House Plauts, List of.......... 80
House, Approaeh 40-7 5.2- 20-52) = 15
Hyacinths in Glasses............:. 38
Hyacinths, Piantmg =. 2 36
Implemenis, Garden: 7... 223
Digging Fork....... cities ees 224
Draw Hoey je 225
Excelsior PHmpece ssc 605s 230
Excelsior Weeding-Hook..... 231
Flower Gatherers............ 226
Garden Rotter siege oe 227
Garden Syringe.............. 229
Garden. Trowélsi 4.25 2... <5. 226
Grape Scisn@i. i222... ss: <<: 226
Grass Edging Knife.......... 228
Hand-Glassesus jesse os an 231
Hand-Pruning Shears....... 229
Hedge Shears..............-. 229
Ladies Garden Tools......... 231
Lawn Mowers, (2 3i.oce2.. 25: 227
Lawn Styihess eso ee 3 226
Manure. Werkss). saeeey = <=. 3 224
Noyes’ Hand-Weeder....-... 231
Pole-Pruning Shears......... 229
Prone Hoe. oe 445. 5: 225
Pruning and Budding Knives226
Prunthe Saws. es 3S ae: = 226
Push Hee: 6.8 os etn oe: 225
Rake. 2.222 ee eee 227
Reel and 5gn@.. 222s... -: 225
Shovel. oi: 2 3s seers See 224
pickle... . “sso eee 228
Sidney Seed-Sower.......... 230
Spades .30.: sonore eee 224
Step-Ladders. 242 22 secs a8; 231
Trellises .. 5 eg ee 232
Waterine-Por. Co sseene se . Sak 230
Wheelbarrow... ... eens 2 ee
Wooden Lawn Rake......... 227
insects PPE ea bese ban ek 115
Angle W.Gritca ee 119
Ants. s: 232. See 118
Brown and White Scale...... 119
Green Flys ki 55¢- =e .116
Ground or Blue Aphis. ..... 117
Mealy Bug.....-.-.------- 65, 118
Red Spider. Oe ee ial glee 118
Rose .Bug 23s sere 116
Rose Siie...-A.ca0tie eee 116
Thrips 23. d.:... cto 119
Instructions, General... . 42... . 222
Jardinieres,...... 61
Location of Garden................ 9 | Pots for Plants, Size of............ 66
Manures. ...... 222. cccccccsecceeees 16 | Pots, ‘‘Plunging”’’..,... ee ee 79
eee 202 | Pottme Plants.........-.....0: pee)
ee -.,.. 65 | Propagation by Layering.......... 46
Mealy Bug, Destroying............ 65 | Propagating, ‘‘ Saucer System ” of. 44.
AE eee 202 | Propagating Woody Plants ....... it
MCUGth, WV GUCE. oe eee. oe ewe ee ewe 203 | Propagating by Cuttings............ 43
Mildew ....... 1 ees eae 120 | Propagating by Seeds.............. 39
0 DE a ia 122 | Pruning for Shape.......:........- 137
CMMI 5c cn se ccor ce scconccces 204 | Pruning Grape-vines............... 141
EE a ee eee 204 | Pruning Hot-House Grapes........ 148
Narcissuses, Planting.............. Ser a MERION SN: EULESS ira cnn cae ie neato oq 140
EUG Sek oc vc tc cccncscs Sere ted IE oS oc oe faa akcmeiee 2. oc 211
Es tS oo vine nts o's ecce ce BEE RIN eto nO trans Soe «Senn oUhen ove 165
Nectarines, Varieties of............ 169 | Quince, Varieties of................ 165
Oats with Grass ee Se TNE Ss a, ae cach wantin ewes >< <2 212
COR ed Se ws.snee ccs cs Een UAORCETY «2 oc cod ecus) ssoment 6-02 kee
Se 208 | Raspberry, Varieties of.......%.... 160
SS 208 | Raspberries, Black Cap............ 161
0 ee 209 | Raspberries, Black Caps, Varieties
0 ape 8 ee 209 (ine Sees eee oe pe ae ee 161
See ae 2 pees a MeL ee pder = oe ct eS eA
Peach, Varieties of................ fos-) e-pottine Planta. ; 2.52 2255... 3- 61
ere Lot eee LS Ae gt 4) See op i Can ats Pa 212
Pears, ee 172 ' Road Drain....... eee ee 16
Pear-Trees, Cordon-Trained.. ict. Cees RMN eo wa carnnale Soe e ess wee 116
Pepper a a Belt ese Pane ook osc oo see ne Pee
Pepper = le 196 | Roses, Propagating..............+- 44
08 ES oe ee Sad SUE OS 5g cot» oa sont oe aoe «oes 213
Pits without Artificial Heat aac’ 98 | Salsify, Black........ Ee a eee 214
Plant Protector, Bryants’.......... LS AMS TOTES oy Co fa Oe oe 81
Plants for Summer Decoration..... 69 | Scale, Brown and White........... 119
Plants for Wardian Cases.......... ean) PEAR ra lon nw nace see's us 2 214
SS 121 | Screens for Plants................. 126
Plants, Growing from Cuttings.... 42 | Sea Kale...............-....-..005. 215
Plants, Growing from Seeds....... MY Sere TEOMER :. oi. = occ coet tos wees 59
Matar SIGE-EEOUING.. 2.2. ...-..... a SECS ARNE... o.. c cece deneuae 112
2 EO 124 | Seeds, Propagation of Plants from. 39
LL SL 60 | Seedlings, Damping off............ 41
Plants, Potting from the Open LS ti gee Ce ape gee ee 125
2 SS: ae Reet oA oS. 8 soc ea Seas sea eee &: 215
Plants, Temperature for........... Sef Shaois, EFlind vc... 5 esc sg ske> eee 44
200
Shrubs, ists Ofo.iss.ptioec. es eae ae 104
WMOKeC-ANC 6 ness ie. bows be ..: 93
Soil-for Secds..csee.aektk ksi sess 40
Soil, Botting. i.2. Buea ase sos Sek 60
PINSEH. . .. sSoveoesbpeeee ss awa. 216
Spinach, New Zealand............. 217
Spinach, Substitutes for........... 217
SHURE... .. Ps eee terete eee ate! 218
Strawberry, Worcigs 35) soe 252. 157
Strawberry, Growing..............153
Strawberry Runners in Pots....... 154
Strawberry,. Varieties of........... 157
SWeebe0lLAIG2 Fi. Se vad ean votes Gee 219
THEIRS: . ces os. ee ee Sen ee 119
Tobacco-Water for Plants.......... 64
Toma: J. Kuss. tac aeos eee ee eee 221
Tomato Seeds, Starting ........... 59
Trees, List of Evergreen........... 106
Trees, Pruning Fruit.............. 133
Tulips, Planting. ....2scescsccscars 36
GARDENING FOR PLEASURE.
Turnips.......c.asceun eee ree ee a |
Walks, Garden. Ui seeteesacs yin ak? ee
Wardian Cases..... pave wrsteres seme 82
Wash for Glass ~. 22. oe. eee 127
Watering Potted Plants............ 62
Window .Box: .. --seceee- atest ee 67
Worm, Angle... >) 119
Monthly Calendar of Operations. . .234
J2DHATY...3. . sche eres eee ee 234
Hebruary~ oo steecest ive xp
March . soso teete sabes seek 236
6 gt Re ee: aera ae a 237
May. cSadse Acer ees oan eo 238
SUBE.. Sdeeit Se Sree eee ee Se xe <> 239
a ee oe a ey ee 240
Aueuast |... 22 peeceee eens 2 241
SepteniQer:. scaviee - oe cee 242
-Octabets 5 ssc neers ae 242
Novemiber’. . 3: .2ccbes fees. eee 244
December: 82 Sees ee 245
saa
>
‘GARDENING FOR PROFIT:
A GUIDE TO THE SUCCESSFUL CULTIVATION OF THE
MARKET AND FAMILY GARDEN.
By PETER HENDERSON.
Peete se LOST RATED.
This work has had a constant and remarkable sale ever since it was issued, and
the later enlarged and revised edition is as well received as was the first. It was
the first work on Market Gardening ever published in this country. Its author is -
well known as a market gardener of many years’ successful experience. In this
work he has recorded this experience, and given without reservation, the a
_ necessary to the profitable culture of the
MAREBKE'T GARDEN.
It is a work for which there was an urgent demand before its issue, and one:
which commends itself, not only to those who grow vegetables for sale, but to the’
cultivator of the
FAMILY GARDEN,
to whom it presents methods quite different from the old ones generally practiced.
It is an ORIGINAL AND PURELY AMERICAN Work, and not made up as books on gar-
dening too often are, by quotations from foreign authors.
Every thing is made perfectly plain, and the subject treated in all its details,
from the selection of the soil to preparing the products for market.
CONTENTS.
Men fitted for the Business of Gardening.
The Amount of Capital Required, and
Working Force per Acre.
Profits of Market Gardening.
Location, Situation, and Laying Out.
Soils, Drainage, and Preparation.
Manures, Implements.
Uses and Management of Cold Frames.
Formation and Management of Hot-beds.
Forcing Pits or Greenhouses.
Seeds and Seed Raising.
How, When, and Where to Sow Seeds. .
Transplanting Insects.
Packing of Vegetables for Shipping.
Preservation of Vegetables in Winter.
Vegetables, their Varieties and Cultivation.
In the last chapter, the most valuable kinds are described, and the cuiture
proper to each is given in detail.
Sent post-paid, price $1.50.
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 245 Broadway, New-York.
PRACTICAL FLORICULTURE;
A Guide to the Successful Propagation and Cultivation
FLORISTS’ PLANTS.
By PETER HENDERSON, Brereen Crry, N. J.,
AUTHOR OF “GARDENING FOR PROFIT.”
oon ee
Mr. HENDERSON is known as the largest Commercial Florist
in the country.
In the present work he gives a full account of his
modes of propagation and cultivation. It is adapted to the wanta
of the amateur, as well as the professional grower.
The seope of the work may be judged from the following
TABLE OF
Aspect and Soil.
Laying out Lawn and Flow-
er Gardens.
Designs for Flower Gardens.
Pianting of Flower Beds.
Soils for Potting.
Temperature and Moisture.
The Potting of Plants.
Cold Frames— Winter Pro-
tection.
Construction of Hot-Beds.
Greenhouse Structures.
Medes of Heating.
Propagation by Seeds. .
Propagation by Cuttings.
Propagation of Lilies.
Culture of the Rose.
Cuiture of the Verbena.
Culture of the Tuberose.
CONTENTS,
Orchid Culture,
Holland Bulbs.
Cape Bulbs.
Winter-Flowering Plants.
Construction of Bouguets.
Hanging Baskets.
Window Gardening.
Rock-Work.
Insects.
Nature’s Law of Colors.
Packing Plants.
Plants by Mail.
Profits of Floriculture.
Soft-Wooded Plants.
Annuals.
Hardy Herbaceous Plants.
Greenhouse Plants.
Diary of Operations for eack
Day of the Year.
Beautifully Illustrated. Sent post-paid. -Price, $1.50.
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY,
245 Broadway, New-York.
eb. 709 Pe
S700 »
ta
este’,
ye 52)
ye ee Le
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
UMA
DOUcrbebist «
{ 4
atl