***
ABOBRA VIRIDIFLORA. A handsome tender climber with tuberous roots, that
may be taken up in the fall and stored in a cellar. The foliage is dark
and glossy, the flowers small and inconspicuous; but the small scarlet
fruits are very effective in contrast to the leaves, making it a
desirable screen plant. It is sold by seedsmen. Seeds sown as soon as
warm weather comes will give plants which bloom in the open (in a warm
soil and exposure), and which reach a height of 5-8 ft. It is sometimes
grown as a glasshouse plant. It is cucurbitaceous (allied to melons and
gourds).
ABRONIA. Californian trailing perennials, but treated as hardy annuals.
They thrive in any warm, open garden soil, and are very satisfactory for
the margins of beds or borders. The little flowers are borne in
clusters. _A. latifolia_ or _arenaria_ (yellow) and _A. umbellata_ or
_grandiflora_ (pink) are the leading kinds. Usually sown where they are
to bloom. Peel the husk off the seed before sowing.
[Illustration: Abutilon striatum]
ABUTILONS, or FLOWERING MAPLES as they are called by many, make fine
house or bedding plants. Common kinds may be grown from seed or from
cuttings of young wood. If the former, the seed should be sown in
February or March in a temperature of not less than 60 deg. The seedlings
should be potted when from four to six leaves have grown, in a rich,
sandy soil. Frequent pottings should be made to insure a rapid growth,
making plants large enough to flower by fall. Or, the seedlings may be
planted out in the border when danger of frost is over, and taken up in
the fall before frost: these plants will bloom all winter. About
one-half of the newer growth should be cut off when they are taken up,
as they are very apt to spindle up when grown in the house. When grown
from cuttings, young wood should be used, which, after being well
rooted, may be treated in the same manner as the seedlings. The
varieties with variegated leaves have been improved until the foliage
effects are equal to the flowers of some varieties; and, these are a
great addition to the conservatory or window garden. The staple
spotted-leaved type is _A. Thompsoni_. A compact form, now much used for
bedding and other outdoor work, is _Savitzii_, which is a horticultural
variety, not a distinct species. The old-fashioned green-leaved _A.
striatum_, from which _A. Thompsoni_ has probably sprung, is one of the
best. _A. megapotamicum_ or _vexillarium_ is a trailing or drooping
red-and-yellow-flowered species, which is excellent for baskets. It
propagates readily from seed. Abutilons are most satisfactory for house
plants when they are not much more than a year old. They need no special
treatment.
ACONITUM. MONK'S HOOD. WOLF'S BANE. Hardy herbaceous perennials allied
to larkspurs. They are showy border plants, usually flowering the first
year from seed, if the seed is started early, and bearing panicles of
quaint hood-shaped, rich flowers. The colors have a wide range, but are
usually deep blue. The improved varieties are much superior in size and
markings. Aconitums are most effective when planted in a mixed border:
the flower stalks being held well up, show the blossoms to good
advantage. Seed may be sown every two years, as the plants in their
year-old and 2-year-old stage have the largest blossoms. Sow in gentle
heat in March, transplanting to border when the weather is settled.
Roots may be divided if desired, but best results are to be expected
from seedlings. _A. Napellus_ is the commonest one. The plants are very
poisonous if eaten. Bloom in early summer. 2-3 ft.
ACROCLINIUM. A low-growing everlasting annual flower, white, violet, or
rose in color. Seeds should preferably be started in a hotbed or window,
and planted out when danger of frost is past; the flowers should be
gathered when half expanded and hung in the shade to dry. Half-hardy.
Plant 1 foot apart. Grow 10-15 in. high. See _Everlastings_.
[Illustration: Adlumia cirrhosa]
ADLUMIA. MOUNTAIN FRINGE. ALLEGHENY VINE. One of the daintiest of
climbers, making a very rapid growth, and when once established seeding
itself and thriving for years, growing 10 or 15 feet in a season. Give
rich, rather moist soil. It is biennial, blooming the second year.
Flowers like those of the bleeding heart and other dicentras. It is
native.
ADONIS. A low-growing hardy annual or perennial of the easiest culture.
It makes a fine mass effect, as the flowers are a striking dark scarlet
or crimson color, and the plants are very free and continuous bloomers.
Sow early in the spring where wanted. The perennial yellow-flowered
sorts sometimes bloom the first year from seed. Adonises are very neat
in habit, and the foliage is fine and interesting. 10-15 in.
AGAPANTHUS. AFRICAN LILY. A tuberous-rooted, well known conservatory or
window plant. It lends itself to many conditions and proves satisfactory
a large part of the year, the leaves forming a green arch over the pot,
covering it entirely in a well grown specimen. The flowers are borne in
a large cluster on stems growing from 2 to 3 ft. high, as many as two or
three hundred bright blue flowers often forming on a single plant. A
large, well grown plant throws up a number of flower-stalks through the
early season. The one essential to free growth is an abundance of water
and an occasional application of manure water. Propagation is effected
by division of the offsets, which may be broken from the main plant in
early spring. After flowering, gradually lessen the quantity of water
until they are placed in winter quarters, which should be a position
free from frost and moderately dry. The Agapanthus, being a heavy
feeder, should be grown in strong loam to which is added well rotted
manure and a little sand.
[Illustration: Ageratum]
AGERATUM. A half-hardy annual, used as a border plant, for ribbon
bedding for mass effect, or in mixed beds of geranium, coleuses and
other plants. The seeds germinate readily, but as the plant is only
half-hardy and is usually wanted in flower when planted out, it is usual
to sow the seed in boxes placed in hotbeds or windows in March,
transplanting the seedlings to small boxes or pots and growing the young
plants on until the 1st of May, when they may be planted out. Pieces of
young wood root very easily, and the gardener usually increases his
stock by cuttings. The dwarf varieties are the most desirable, and the
two colors, blue and white, may be planted together. 2-3 ft. Plants may
be taken up in the fall and set in the house; cut them back severely.
ALLEGHENY VINE. See _Adlumia_.
ALMOND is about as hardy as the peach, but it blooms so early in the
spring that it is little grown east of the Pacific slope. It is an
interesting ornamental tree, and its early bloom is a merit when the
fruit is not desired. The Almonds commonly sold by nurserymen in the
east are hard-shell varieties, and the nuts are not good enough for
commerce. The Almond fruit is a drupe, like the peach, but the flesh is
thin and hard and the pit is the "Almond" of commerce. Culture the same
as for peach.
Flowering Almond is a very early-flowering bush, excellent for
shrub-borders. It is usually grafted on plum stock, and one must take
care to keep down the plum sprouts which sometimes spring from the root.
ALOE. Succulent tropical plants, sometimes seen in window gardens. Of
easy culture. See that the pots have perfect drainage. Make a soil of
sandy loam, with one-third or one-fourth part of broken brick. Pot
firmly. Water whenever needed, but the soil and drainage should be such
that the earth does not remain soggy or become sour. Aloes thrive year
after year without repotting. Usually propagated by cuttings. _A.
variegata_ is the commonest species.
ALONSOA. Tender annual. Not very well known, but a bright plant for
second-row border or a low bedding plant. Planted against shrubbery or
other protection after danger of frost is over, it lightens up a dark
corner. 2-3 ft. Plant 10-15 in. apart, in a warm place protected from
wind.
ALSTROMERIA. The Alstromerias belong to the amaryllis family, being
tuberous-rooted plants, having leafy stems and terminating in a cluster
of from 10 to 50 small lily-shaped flowers of rich colors. Most of the
kinds should be given pot culture, as they are easily grown and are not
hardy in the open in the north. The culture is nearly that of the
amaryllis,--a good, fibrous loam with a little sand, potting the tubers
in early spring or late fall. Start the plants slowly, giving only water
enough to cause root growth; but after growth has become established, a
quantity of water may be given. After flowering they may be treated as
are amaryllis or agapanthus. The plants grow 1 to 2-1/2 ft. high. The
flowers often have odd colors.
ALTHAEA. See _Hollyhock_.
[Illustration: Sweet Alyssum]
ALYSSUM, SWEET. A low-growing, hardy, white-flowered, very fragrant
annual which is much used for edgings, window boxes, and the like. It is
of the easiest culture in any soil, but thrives best in a garden loam of
moderate fertility. Seeds may be sown as early as the ground can be well
prepared in spring. The plant will begin to bloom when 2 or 3 inches
high, and continue to bloom, as it grows, until after the first hard
frosts. It makes a mat 1 to 2 ft. across. If immediate effects are not
desired, the plants should be thinned out or transplanted to stand half
a foot apart. It rarely stands more than a foot high. In the fall,
plants may be cut back and put into pots or boxes, and they will bloom
in the window. Better results in winter blooming are secured by starting
seeds in boxes in August, September or October. There are certain hardy
perennial yellow-flowered Alyssums which are useful for prominent
edgings and for rockwork.
[Illustration: Prince's Feather]
AMARANTUS. Decorative annuals. One species (with erect spikes) is known
as PRINCE'S FEATHER, another (with variegated foliage) as JOSEPH'S COAT,
and still another (with drooping spikes) as LOVE-LIES-BLEEDING. Probably
the finest of the list is _A. salicifolius_, often called Fountain
Plant. This has graceful willow-shaped leaves, banded and tipped with
carmine, bronze and orange. The tall kinds make fine screens for
unsightly objects. They may also be used against masses of green to add
color. The Amaranths are half-hardy or tender plants, and should be sown
in boxes in March or April, to be planted out after all danger of frost
is past. Seeds may also be sown where the plants are to stand. They were
once among the most popular of garden plants, but for a few years have
been neglected. Fine colors have recently been developed, and they are
again becoming favorites. As they are rather coarse and weedy plants, do
not use them with dainty flowers. Most kinds grow 2-3 ft. high and
spread 2-3 ft.
AMARYLLIS. Popular name of a variety of house or conservatory tender
bulbs, but properly applied only to the Belladonna Lily. Most of them
are hippeastrums, but the culture of all is similar. They are
satisfactory house plants. The one objection to their culture is the
habit of the flower-stalk starting into growth before the leaves start.
This is caused in most cases by stimulating root growth before the bulb
has had sufficient rest. The bulbs should be dormant for four or five
months in a dry place with a temperature of about 50 deg. When wanted to be
brought into flower, the bulbs, if to be repotted, should have all the
dirt shaken off and potted in soil composed of fibrous loam and
leaf-mold, to which should be added a little sand. If the loam is a
heavy one, place the pot in a warm situation; a spent hotbed is a good
place. Water as needed, and as the flowers develop liquid manure may be
given. If large clumps are well established in 8- or 10-inch pots, they
may be top-dressed with new soil containing rotted manure, and as growth
increases liquid manure may be given twice a week until the flowers
open. After flowering, gradually withhold water until the leaves die.
The most popular species for window gardens is _A. Johnsoni_ (properly a
hippeastrum), with red flowers.
AMETHYST. See _Browallia_.
AMMOBIUM. A half-hardy perennial everlasting with white flowers. Thrives
best in sandy soil. Sow seeds where plants are to stand. Although
perennial, it blooms the first year from seed, and is usually treated as
an annual. 2-3 ft. high. Plant 12-18 in. apart.
AMMONIACAL CARBONATE OF COPPER. See under _Bordeaux Mixture_.
ANCHUSA. Hardy annuals and perennials, fit for heavy borders. The plants
grow to the height of 2 to 3 feet and bear purple or blue flowers, which
are showy either on the plant or in bouquets. Propagated from seed sown
in early spring, either where the plants are to stand or in boxes or
hotbeds. The common kind is annual. Blooms in summer.
ANEMONE. WIND FLOWER. A group of hardy perennials. The best known of
this genus is _A. Japonica alba_, or Honorine Jobert. This species
blooms from August to November, and is at that season the finest of
border plants. The pure white flowers, with lemon-colored stamens, are
held well up on stalks 2-3 ft. high. The flower stems are long and
excellent for cutting. This species may be propagated by division of the
plants or by seed. The former method should be put into practice in the
spring; the latter as soon as the seeds are ripe in the fall. Sow the
seed in boxes in a warm, sheltered situation in the border or under
glass. The seed should be covered lightly with soil containing a
quantity of sand and not allowed to become dry. A well enriched,
sheltered position in a border should be given. There are red-flowered
varieties.
[Illustration: Spray of Anemone Japonica]
The varieties of _A. coronaria_ are tuberous-rooted plants. The tubers
of these should be planted in the fall, late in September or early in
October, in a well enriched, sheltered border, setting the tubers 3 in.
deep and from 4-6 in. apart. The surface of the border should be mulched
with leaves or strawy manure through the severe winter weather,
uncovering the soil in March. The flowers will appear in April or May,
and in June or July the tubers should be taken up and placed in a dry
place in sand until the following fall. This section is not as well
known as it should be. The range of color is very wide. The flowers are
often 2 in. across, and are lasting. These tubers may be planted in pots
in the same manner as in the border, bringing them into the
conservatory or house at intervals through the winter, where they make
an excellent showing when in bloom.
The little wild Wind Flowers are easily colonized in a hardy border.
ANNUALS. The annual flowers of the seedsmen are those which give their
best bloom in the very year in which the seeds are sown. True annuals
are those plants which complete their entire life-cycle in one season.
Some of the so-called annual flowers will continue to bloom the second
and third years, but the bloom is so poor and sparse after the first
season that it does not pay to keep them.
Most annuals will bloom in central New York if the seeds are sown in the
open ground when the weather becomes thoroughly settled. But there are
some kinds, as Cosmos and Moonflowers, for which our season is commonly
too short to give good bloom. These kinds may be started early in the
house or in hotbeds; and similar treatment may be given any plants of
which it is desired to secure blooms before the normal time.
[Illustration: A box garden]
Prepare the ground thoroughly and deep. Annuals must make a quick
growth. See that the soil contains enough humus or vegetable mold to
make it rich and to enable it to hold moisture. If the ground is not
naturally rich, spade in well-rotted manure or mold from the woods. A
little commercial fertilizer may help in starting off the plants
quickly. Prepare the land as early in spring as it is in fit condition,
and prevent evaporation by keeping the surface loose by means of raking.
If the flowers are to be grown about the edges of the lawn, make sure
that the grass roots do not run underneath them and rob them of food and
moisture. It is well to run a sharp spade deep into the ground about the
edges of the bed every two or three weeks for the purpose of cutting off
any grass roots which may have run into the bed. If beds are made in the
turf, see that they are 3 ft. or more wide, so that the grass roots will
not undermine them. Against the shrub borders, this precaution may not
be necessary. In fact, it is desirable that the flowers fill all the
space between the overhanging branches and the sod.
Sow the seeds freely. Many will not germinate. Even if they do all
germinate, the combined strength of the rising plantlets will break the
crust on the hard soils; and in the thinning which follows, only strong
and promising plants are allowed to remain. Better effects are also
often secured when the colors are in masses, especially if the flowers
are thrown into the bays of heavy shrub borders.
[Illustration: Flowers against a border]
Plants continue to bloom for a longer period if they are not allowed to
produce seeds. The flowers should be picked, if possible, as soon as
they begin to fade.
In the selection of the kinds of annuals, one's personal preference must
be the guide. Yet there are some groups which may be considered to be
standard or general-purpose plants. They are easily grown almost
anywhere, and are sure to give satisfaction. The remaining plants are
mostly such as have secondary value, or are adapted to particular
purposes or uses.
The groups which most strongly appeal to the writer as staple or
general-purpose types are the following: Petunias, phloxes, pinks or
dianthuses, larkspurs or delphiniums, calliopsis or coreopsis, pot
marigold or calendula, bachelor's button or _Centaurea Cyanus_,
clarkias, zinnias, marigolds or tagetes, collinsias, gilias, California
poppies or eschscholtzias, verbenas, poppies, China asters, sweet peas,
nemophilas, portulacas, silenes, candytufts or iberis, alyssum, stocks
or matthiolas, morning-glories, nasturtiums or tropaeolums.
Annual flowers possess a great advantage over perennials in the fact
that they appeal strongly to the desire for experiment. The seeds are
sown every year, and there is sufficient element of uncertainty in the
results to make the effort interesting; and new combinations can be
tried each year.
Do not cut the old stalks down in the fall. They will stand in the snow
all through the winter, and remind you of the bursting summer time and
the long-ripening fall; and the snow-birds will find them in the short
days of winter.
Some of the most reliable and easily grown annuals for the north are
given in the following lists (under the common trade names):
_WHITE FLOWERS_
Ageratum Mexicanum album.
Alyssum, Common Sweet.
Alyssum, Sweet, compacta.
Centranthus macrosiphon albus.
Convolvulus major.
Dianthus, Double White Margaret.
Iberis amara.
Iberis coronaria, White Rocket.
Ipomoea hederacea.
Lavatera alba.
Malope grandiflora alba.
Matthiola (Stocks), Cut and Come Again.
Matthiola, Dresden Perpetual.
Matthiola, Giant Perfection.
Matthiola, White Pearl.
Mirabilis longiflora alba.
Nigella.
Papaver (Poppy), Flag of Truce.
Papaver, Shirley.
Papaver, The Mikado.
Phlox, Dwarf Snowball.
Phlox, Leopoldii.
Zinnia.
_YELLOW FLOWERS_
Cacalia lutea.
Calendula officinalis, Common.
Calendula officinalis, Meteor.
Calendula sulphurea.
Calendula suffruticosa.
Calliopsis bicolor marmorata.
Calliopsis cardaminaefolia.
Calliopsis elegans picta.
Cosmidium Burridgeanum.
Erysimum Peroffskianum.
Eschscholtzia Californica.
Hibiscus Africanus.
Hibiscus, Golden Bowl.
Ipomoea coccinea lutea.
Loasa tricolor.
Tagetes, various kinds.
Thunbergia alata Fryeri.
Thunbergia alata aurantiaca.
Tropaeolum, Dwarf, Lady Bird.
Tropaeolum, Tall, Schulzi.
Zinnia.
_BLUE FLOWERS_
Ageratum Mexicanum.
Ageratum Mexicanum, Dwarf.
Browallia Czerniakowski.
Browallia elata.
Centaurea Cyanus, Victoria Dwarf Compact.
Centaurea Cyanus minor.
China Asters of several varieties.
Convolvulus minor.
Convolvulus minor unicaulis.
Gilia achilleaefolia.
Gilia capitata.
Iberis umbellata.
Iberis umbellata lilacina.
Kaulfussia amelloides.
Kaulfussia atroviolacea.
Lobelia Erinus.
Lobelia Erinus, Elegant.
Nigella.
Phlox variabilis atropurpurea.
Salvia farinacea.
Specularia.
Verbena, Black-blue.
Verbena coerulea.
Verbena, Golden-leaved.
Whitlavia gloxinoides.
_RED FLOWERS_
Cacalia, Scarlet.
Clarkia elegans rosea.
Convolvulus tricolor roseus.
Dianthus, Half Dwarf Early Margaret.
Dianthus, Dwarf Perpetual.
Dianthus Chinensis, Double.
Gaillardia picta.
Ipomoea coccinea.
Ipomoea volubilis.
Matthiola annuus (Stocks).
Matthiola, Blood-red Ten Weeks.
Matthiola grandiflora, Dwarf.
Papaver (Poppy) cardinale.
Papaver, Double.
Papaver, Mephisto.
Phaseolus multiflorus.
Phlox, Large-flowering Dwarf.
Phlox, Dwarf Fireball.
Phlox, Black Warrior.
Salvia coccinea.
Saponaria.
Tropaeolum, Dwarf, Tom Thumb.
Tropaeolum, Dwarf.
Verbena hybrida.
Verbena hybrida, Scarlet Defiance.
Zinnia.
_GOOD FOR EDGINGS OF BEDS AND WALKS_
Alyssum, Sweet.
Brachycome.
Collinsias.
Dianthuses or Pinks.
Gypsophila muralis.
Iberis or Candytufts.
Leptosiphons.
Lobelia Erinus.
Nigellas.
Nemophilas.
Portulacas or Rose Moss.
Saponaria Calabrica.
Specularia.
_KINDS WHICH CONTINUE TO BLOOM AFTER FROST_
Abronia umbellata.
Adonis aestivalis.
Adonis autumnalis.
Argemone grandiflora.
Calendulas.
Callirrhoe.
Carduus Benedictus.
Centaurea Cyanus.
Centauridium.
Centranthus macrosiphon.
Cerinthe retorta.
Cheiranthus Cheiri.
Chrysanthemums.
Convolvulus minor.
Convolvulus tricolor.
Dianthus of various kinds.
Elscholtzia cristata.
Erysimum Peroffskianum.
Erysimum Arkansanum.
Eschscholtzias, in several varieties.
Gaillardia picta.
Gilia Achilleaefolia.
Gilia capitata.
Gilia laciniata.
Gilia tricolor.
Iberis affinis.
Lavatera alba.
Matthiolas or Stocks.
Oenothera rosea.
Oenothera Lamarckiana.
Oenothera Drummondii.
Phlox Drummondii.
Podolepis affinis.
Podolepis chrysantha.
Salvia coccinea.
Salvia farinacea.
Salvia Horminum.
Verbenas.
Vicia Gerardii.
Virginian Stocks.
Viscaria elegans.
Viscaria oculata.
Viscaria coeli-rosa.
ANTIRRHINUM. See _Snapdragon_.
APPLE, the "King of Fruits," thrives over a wider range of territory and
under more varied conditions than any other tree fruit. This means that
it is easy to grow. In fact, it is so easy to grow that it usually is
neglected; and people wonder why the trees do not bear.
The selection of varieties of Apples for home use is, to a large extent,
a personal matter; and no one may say what to plant. A variety that is
successfully grown in one section may prove disappointing in another.
One should study the locality in which he wishes to plant and choose
those varieties which are the most successfully grown there,--choosing
from amongst the successful kinds those which he likes best and which
seem best to meet the purposes for which he is to grow them. When the
selection is made, the trees should be procured from a near-by
nurseryman, if possible, as one is then able to select his own trees,
receive them in the shortest time, and plant them before they have
become dry.
The land on which an orchard is to be planted should have been in
cultivation at least two years previous to setting the trees and be in a
fine physical condition. Dig the hole broad and deep enough to take in
all the roots left after pruning off the bruised ends caused by digging
up the tree, and trim back the branches at least two-thirds, making a
smooth cut. Set the trunk in the center of the hole, and sift the fine
dirt down through the roots, slightly lifting the tree once or twice in
order that the fine soil may settle under the roots, making congenial
soil for the new roots to run through. Fill in over the roots, gradually
firming the soil above with the feet. When the hole is full, firm the
soil around the trunk to prevent whipping by the wind, leaving the
surface level. If the trees are set in the fall a slight earthing up to
the trunk may be beneficial in certain soils, and if set in a dry spring
a mulch of straw or grass will benefit them. Two- or 3-year-old trees
(usually the latter) are the most desirable for planting in home
grounds. Commercial orchards are often planted exclusively with
2-year-olds.
[Illustration: Spray of Apples]
In orchard cultivation, Apple trees are usually planted 35 to 40 ft.
apart each way. In home grounds they may be placed somewhat closer than
this, especially if they are planted upon the boundaries, so that the
limbs may project freely in one direction.
It is ordinarily advisable, especially in the humid climates east of the
Great Lakes, to have the body of the tree 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 ft. long. The
limbs should be trimmed up to this point when the tree is set. From
three to five main branches may be left to form the framework of the
top. These should be shortened back one-fourth or one-half when the tree
is set. Subsequent pruning should keep the top of the tree open and
maintain it in more or less symmetrical form. See _Pruning_.
In orchard conditions, the trees should be kept in clean culture,
especially for the first few years; but this is not always possible in
home yards. In lieu of tillage, the sward may be mulched each fall with
stable manure, and commercial fertilizer may be applied each fall or
spring. If fruit is wanted rather than foliage and shade, care should be
taken not to make ground too rich but to keep it in such condition that
the tree is making a fairly vigorous growth, with good strong foliage,
but is not overgrowing. An Apple tree in full bearing is usually in good
condition if the twigs grow from 10 to 18 in. each season. All
leaf-eating insects may be kept off by spraying with Paris green. The
Appleworm or codlin-moth may be kept in check by spraying with Paris
green as soon as the blossoms fall, and again a week or ten days later.
The leaf blight or apple-scab fungus may be kept in check by spraying
with Bordeaux mixture just before the flowers open, and again after they
fall (see _Spraying_). A close watch should be kept for borers. Whenever
the bark appears to be dead or sunken in patches, remove it and search
for the cause. A borer will usually be found underneath the bark. About
the base of the tree the most serious injury occurs from borers, since
the insect which enters there bores into the hard wood. His presence can
be determined by the chips which are cast from his burrows. The only
remedy is to dig out the larvae. If they have got far into the wood, they
can be killed by running a flexible wire into the burrows.
Apple trees should begin to bear when three to five years planted, and
at ten years should be bearing good crops. With good treatment, they
should continue to bear for thirty or more years. It is cheaper to buy
trees from the nursery than to attempt to raise them for oneself.
The dwarf Apples are secured by grafting any variety on the Paradise or
Doucin stocks, which are simply small-growing varieties of Apples.
Dwarfs are much used in the Old World. There is no reason why they
should not be used for home gardens in this country. They may be planted
8 to 10 ft. apart, and trained in various ways. The body or trunk should
not be more than 1 or 2 ft. long. The top should be headed-in each year
a third or a half of the annual growth. Dwarfs bear sooner than
standards. A dwarf in full bearing should produce from a peck to a
bushel of apples. Usually only the finer or dessert variety of Apples
should be grown on dwarf trees.
Many of the local varieties of Apples are excellent for home use. From
the following list of dessert varieties, one can select a good
assortment for the home garden:
_Summer._--Early Joe, Primate, Garden Royal, Summer Pearmain, Early
Harvest, Summer Rose, Sweet Bough, Summer Queen, Early Strawberry,
Williams Favorite.
_Fall._--Chenango, Dyer, Jefferis, Jersey Sweet, Maiden Blush,
Gravenstein, Fall Pippin, Mother (late fall to winter), Twenty Ounce.
_Winter._--Newtown Pippin, Golden Russet, Bellflower, Belmont, King
(late fall S. of N. Y.), Grimes Golden, Melon, Hubbardston (Nonesuch),
Northern Spy, Jonathan, Fameuse or Snow, Lady, Rambo, Canada Red, York
Imperial, Pomme Gris, Esopus Spitzenburg, Swaar, Peck Pleasant, Rhode
Island Greening, Tallman Sweet, Sutton Beauty, Wagener, Seek-no-further.
APRICOT. This fruit, usually thought to be too tender for the winters in
the latitude of New York, has proved as hardy as the peach. Given the
right conditions as to soil and exposure, it will yield abundant crops,
ripening its fruits about three weeks in advance of early peaches. It
would seem that more attention should be given to its cultivation. In
western New York commercial orchards are now producing crops of as fine
fruit as that brought from California. The introduction of the Russian
varieties, a few years ago, added to the list several desirable kinds
that have proved hardier and a little later in blooming than the old
kinds. The fruits of the Russian varieties, while not as large as the
other varieties, fully equal many of them in flavor, and they are very
productive. The soil for Apricots should be rather dry; especially
should the subsoil be such that no water may stand around the roots. The
exposure should be to the north or west to retard the blooming period,
as the one great drawback to their successful fruiting is the early
blooming and subsequent freezing of the flowers or small fruits.
The two serious difficulties in the growing of Apricots are the ravages
of the curculio (see _Plum_) and the danger to the flowers from the
spring frosts. It is usually almost impossible to secure fruits from one
or two isolated Apricot trees, because the curculios will take them all.
It is possible, also, that some of the varieties need cross-pollination.
The Apricot usually thrives best on strong soil; but otherwise the
treatment which is given the peach suits the Apricot very well. The
Russian varieties bear more profusely and with less care than the
old-fashioned and larger kinds. Amongst the best kinds of Apricots are
Montgamet, Jackson, Royal, St. Ambroise, Early Golden, Harris, Roman and
Moorepark. In the east, Apricots are commonly worked on plums, but they
also thrive on the peach.
AQUARIUM. A pleasant adjunct to a living room or conservatory is a large
glass globe or glass box containing water, in which plants and animals
are living and growing. A solid glass tank or globe is better than a box
with glass sides, because it does not leak, but the box must be used if
one wants a large Aquarium. For most persons it is better to buy the
Aquarium box than to attempt to make it. Four things are important in
making and keeping an Aquarium (according to Miss Rogers, in Cornell
Nature-Study Leaflet No. 11):
"(1) The equilibrium between plant and animal life must be secured and
maintained. Animals do not thrive in water where no plants are growing.
Nature keeps plants and animals in the same pond, and we must follow her
lead. The plants have three valuable functions in the Aquarium. First,
they supply food for the herbivorous creatures. Second, they give off a
quantity of oxygen which is necessary to the life of the animals. Third,
they take up from the water the poisonous carbonic acid gas which passes
from the bodies of the animals. Just how the plants do this is another
story. (2) The Aquarium must be ventilated. Every little fish, snail and
insect wants air. A certain quantity of air is mixed with the water, and
the creatures must breathe that or come to the surface for their
supply. How does Mother Nature manage the ventilation of her aquaria,
the ponds and streams? The plants furnish part of the air, as we have
seen. The open pond, whose surface is ruffled by every passing breeze,
is constantly being provided with fresh air. A tadpole or a fish can no
more live in a long-necked bottle than a boy can live in a chimney. (3)
The temperature should be kept between 40 deg. and 50 deg. Fahr. Both
nature and experience teach us this. A shady corner is a better place
for the Aquarium than a sunny window on a warm day. (4) It is well to
choose such animals for the Aquarium as are adapted to life in still
water. Unless one has an arrangement of water pipes to supply a constant
flow of water through the Aquarium, it is best not to try to keep
creatures that we find in swift streams. Practical experience shows that
there are certain dangers to guard against. Perhaps the most serious
results come from overstocking. It is better to have too few plants or
animals than too many of either. A great deal of light, especially
bright sunlight, is not good for the Aquarium. A pond that is not shaded
soon becomes green with a thick growth of slime, or algae. This does not
look well in an Aquarium, and is apt to take up so much of the
plant-food that the other plants are starved out. The plants in the
school-room window will shade the Aquarium nicely, just as the trees and
shrubs on its banks shade the pond. If we find this slime forming on the
light side of our miniature pond we put it in a darker place, shade it
heavily so that the light comes in from the top only, and put in a few
more snails. These will make quick work of the green slime, for they are
fond of it, if we are not."
The aquatic plants of the neighborhood may be kept in the
Aquarium,--such things as myriophyllums, charas, eel-grass, duckmeats or
lemnas, cabomba or fish grass, arrowleafs or sagittaria, and the like;
also the parrot's feather, to be bought of florists (a species of
myriophyllum). Of animals, there are fishes (particularly minnows),
water insects, tadpoles, clams, snails. If the proper balance is
maintained between plant and animal life, it will not be necessary to
change the water so frequently.
AQUATICS AND BOG PLANTS. Many water plants are easily grown, and make a
fine addition to the home garden. The sedges and other bog plants, the
cyperus or umbrella plant, the common wild water lily, and in large
grounds the nelumbium or Egyptian lotus, all may be grown with ease. For
restricted grounds any of these, with the exception of the nelumbium,
may be grown in tubs made by sawing an oaken barrel in two, filling each
half from one-third to one-half with soil composed of good loam, sand
and leaf-mold, setting the plants well into the soil and filling the
tubs with water. These tubs should be sunk to the rim in the borders or
lawn, both for a good appearance and to prevent too great evaporation.
By a little care in filling with water, these plants may be well grown
through the hottest weather. Most of the foreign water lilies are not
hardy, but some of them may be grown with ease if the pond is covered in
winter.
Native Aquatics may be colonized in streams or ponds. If artificial
ponds are to be made, do not get them too deep. A foot or 15 inches is
sufficient depth of water to stand above the crowns of the plants; and
the greatest depth of water should not be more than 2-1/2 ft. for all
kinds of water lilies. Half this depth is often sufficient. The soil
should be 1 to 2 ft. deep, and very rich. Cow manure may be mixed with
rich loam. Roots of hardy water lilies may be planted as soon as the
pond is clear of frost, but the tender kinds (which are also to be taken
up in the fall) should not be planted till it is time to plant out
geraniums. Sink the roots into the mud so that they are just buried, and
weight them down with a stone or clod. In cold climates, protect the
pond of hardy Aquatics by throwing boards over the pond and covering
with hay, straw or evergreen boughs. It is well to supply an additional
depth of water as a further protection.
AQUILEGIA. COLUMBINE. These hardy perennials are general favorites for
borders and rockwork. Blooming early in the season, they may be said to
head the procession of the perennials. The ease with which they may be
cultivated, their freedom of bloom, their varied colors and odd shape
entitle them to the front rank among hardy plants. They are propagated
by division of the plants in the spring or from seed sown in the fall.
Seedlings may be expected to bloom well the second year. They require a
moist, partially sheltered situation, with exposure to the sun. The
common wild Columbine (often called "honeysuckle") is easily grown and
is very attractive. Clumps of Columbine should stand 12-18 in. apart.
2-3 ft. high.
ARAUCARIA, or NORFOLK ISLAND PINE, is now sold in pots by florists as a
window plant. The common species (_A. excelsa_) is most excellent for
this purpose, making a symmetrical evergreen subject. It keeps well in a
cool window, or on the veranda in the summer. Protect it from direct
sunlight, and give plenty of room. If the plant begins to fail, return
it to the florist for recuperation.
ARGEMONE. See _Prickly Poppy_.
ARISTOLOCHIA, or DUTCHMAN'S PIPE. A strong, woody twiner with very
large, heavy leaves, forming a dense screen and having peculiarly shaped
flowers. But one species is considered hardy north, _A. Sipho_. This
will grow without special treatment and prove a satisfactory ornamental
screen or porch plant. Reaches a height of 20 or 30 ft. Young plants
need some protection in cold winters.
ARTICHOKE. A tall, coarse perennial of the thistle tribe, producing
flower-heads which are edible. When once established, it will last in
bearing for a number of years. While this plant is not generally grown
in this country, its merit as a supplementary vegetable for salads or
cooking is great. It is usually grown from suckers from the root, but a
start can be made by sowing the seed. Sow in a border or seed box and
transplant to the garden in early summer; and the following year a crop
may be had. The parts of the plant used are the flower-heads and the
young suckers, the former boiled or eaten raw as a salad. The young
shoots may be tied together and blanched, using them like asparagus or
Swiss chard. The fleshy scales of the head and the soft "bottom" of the
head are the parts used. But few of these plants would be needed for a
family, as they produce a number of flower-heads to a plant and a
quantity of suckers. The plants should be set from 2 to 3 ft. apart in
the row, the rows being 3 ft. apart. This vegetable is not quite hardy
in the north, but a covering of leaves or barnyard litter to the depth
of a foot will protect them well. The plant, being a perennial, will
continue to yield for a number of years under good cultivation. These
plants make no mean decorative subjects, either massed or in a mixed
border, and from the rarity of their culture are always objects of
interest.
ARTICHOKE, JERUSALEM, is a wholly different plant from the above,
although it is commonly known as "Artichoke" in this country. It is a
species of sunflower which produces potato-like tubers. These tubers may
be used in lieu of potatoes. They are very palatable to hogs; and when
the plant becomes a weed--as it often does--it may be exterminated by
turning the hogs into it. Hardy.
ARUNDO, or REED, is one of the best of bold and ornamental grasses,
excellent for the center of a large formal bed, or for emphatic points
in a mixed border. It is perennial and hardy in the northern states, but
it is advisable to give it a mulch on the approach of winter. Thrives in
any rich soil, doing best where somewhat moist. 8-12 ft. The clumps
enlarge year by year.
ASPARAGUS. A hardy herbaceous perennial, much grown for the soft,
edible, early spring shoots. The culture of this, the finest of early
vegetables, has been simplified in the past few years, and at present
the knowledge required to successfully plant and grow a good supply need
not be that of a professional. The old method of excavating to the depth
of 3 ft. or more, throwing in from 4 to 6 in. of broken stone or bricks
for drainage, then filling to within 16 to 18 in. of the surface with
well rotted manure, with 6 in. of soil upon which to set the roots, has
given place to the simple practice of plowing or digging a trench from
14 to 16 in. deep, spreading well rotted manure in the bottom to the
depth of 3 or 4 in.; when well trodden down covering the manure with 3
or 4 in. of good garden soil, then setting the plants, with the roots
well spread out, covering carefully with soil to the level of the
garden, and firming the soil with the feet. This will leave the crowns
of the plants from 4 to 5 in. below the surface. In setting, 1-year-old
plants will prove more satisfactory than older ones, being less liable
to suffer from injury to the root system than those which have made a
larger growth. Two years after setting the crop may be cut, but not
sooner if a lasting bed is desired, as the effort to replace the stalks
has a tendency to weaken the plant unless the roots are well
established. The yearly treatment of an Asparagus bed consists of
cleaning off tops and weeds in the fall and adding a dressing of well
rotted manure to the depth of 3 or 4 in., this manure to be lightly
forked into the bed the following spring; or, the tops may be allowed to
stand for winter protection and the mulch left off. A top-dressing of
nitrate of soda, at the rate of 200 pounds per acre, is often beneficial
as a spring stimulant, especially in the case of an old bed. Good
results will also follow an application of bone meal or superphosphate
at the rate of from 300 to 500 pounds per acre. The practice of sowing
salt on an Asparagus bed is almost universal. Still, beds that have
never received a pound of salt are found to be as productive as those
having received an annual dressing. Nevertheless, a salt dressing is
recommended. In stubborn, heavy soil the best method to pursue in making
a permanent bed would be to throw out all the dirt from the trench and
replace with good, fibrous loam. Two rows of Asparagus 25 ft. long and 3
ft. apart would supply a large family with an abundance throughout the
season, and if well taken care of will last a number of years. Conover's
Colossal is the variety most generally grown, and is perhaps the most
satisfactory sort. Palmetto, a variety originating at the south, is also
very popular. A newer variety, called Donald White, originating near
Elmira, N. Y., is recommended by the trade.
ASPERULA. Hardy annuals and perennials. The low-growing Asperula, with
its blue or white flowers, is not as often used as it should be. The
profusion of small flowers and the long season entitle it to a place in
low borders. The flowers have a pleasing fragrance. Asperulas may be
used effectively on rockwork. The common white species, or Woodruff,
grows less than 1 foot. Grown readily from seeds, and blooms the first
year. All Asperulas thrive best in a rather moist soil.
ASTERS, CHINA. Half-hardy annuals, of easy culture. The China Aster has
been for years a great favorite in both old-fashioned and modern
gardens. With the improvements in shapes and colors, they are now the
rivals of the chrysanthemum. As early as 1731 single white and red
Asters were grown and described in England, and by 1845 they are
mentioned as being very numerous in New England. The Germans were,
perhaps, the first to improve the Asters, and the type most admired and
sought fifty years ago was the full-quilled varieties. Now, however, the
informal type replaces the stiff, formal quilled flowers of that period.
Compare the Comet Aster of to-day with the Asters of even twenty years
ago, and note the looseness of its broad rays, giving an artistic value
far beyond the tall, stiff, purple-blue or whites of that period.
[Illustration: China Aster]
The early Asters will bloom in August if the seed is sown in the open
early in the season. They are represented by the Queen of the Market and
Queen of Spring, either of which, if started in a hotbed or window, will
begin to bloom the last of July. The Queen of the Market is probably the
freest of growth, and with its long stems makes a very desirable variety
for cut-flowers. In fact, in the rich, mellow soil in which Asters
delight, this variety is likely to have its large flowers on stems so
long and slender that the plants will need stakes.
The Victoria Asters hold a well deserved place among the leading
varieties, and with high culture will generally lead in size and
profusion of bloom, the colors ranging from white to the darkest blue.
The plants are also well adapted to pot culture. The chrysanthemum-flowered
Asters, both tall and dwarf, are excellent, as are the Truffaut
Perfection and Peony-flowered. The Comet Asters are amongst the best.
The New Branching type is now in great favor.
The culture of China Asters is easy. For early bloom the seeds should be
sown in March in boxes of light soil and covered one-quarter of an inch
with soil, the soil pressed down or firmed over them and the boxes
placed in a hotbed or a sunny window and attention given to watering.
When the seedlings are one inch high they should be transplanted to
other boxes, setting the plants 3 inches apart or put into 2-inch pots.
These should be again placed in a frame and grown along until the ground
has become comparatively warm. The soil will need to be well enriched,
mellow, and if slightly moist under the surface the results will be all
that could be wished. Asters will grow fairly well on rather light soil,
even if not very rich, but the best results can only be obtained when
the highest culture is given. If the rust attacks the plants, spray
with ammoniacal carbonate of copper.
[Illustration: Spray of wild Aster]
ASTER, NATIVE. Wild Asters are one of the glories of the American
autumn. They grow almost everywhere in the north and east,--along
roadsides, in meadows and swales. Their colors range from pure white to
pink, and purple, and blue. From August until winter closes in, they are
conspicuous features of the landscape, vying with the goldenrods in form
and color, but surpassing them in color-range. Most of them are greatly
improved when transferred to the border. They become more attractive in
general habit, and the flowers are usually more profuse and sometimes
larger. They are of the easiest possible culture. They can be removed to
home grounds in the fall or spring, and, with little care until they are
established, will make most attractive displays of autumn color. The
species are numerous and much confused, and it is not necessary to make
a list of them here. Because of their free and careless habit, they are
better adapted to planting in borders than in the formal flower beds.
[Illustration: Wild Asters]
AUBRIETIA DELTOIDEA. A very handsome little trailing hardy perennial,
covered with attractive purple flowers in early spring. Should be
planted in masses for best effect. Propagated by cuttings or seeds,
usually the latter. Excellent for rockwork and permanent low edgings.
AURICULA. A half-hardy perennial of the Primrose tribe (_Primula
Auricula_), very popular in Europe, but little grown in this country on
account of the hot, dry summers. In this country usually propagated by
seed, as for Cineraria; but special varieties are perpetuated by
offsets. Seeds sown in February or March should give blooming plants
for the next February or March. Keep the plants cool and moist, and away
from the direct sun during the summer. Gardeners usually grow them in
frames. In the fall, they are potted into 3-inch or 4-inch pots, and
made to bloom either in frames as for violets or in a cool conservatory
or greenhouse. In April, after blooming has ceased, repot the plants and
treat as the previous year. From the best plants, offsets may be taken
and treated the same as seedlings. As with most annual-blooming
perennials, best results are to be expected with year-old or 2-year-old
plants. Auriculas grow 6-8 in. high. Colors white and many shades of red
and blue.
AZALEAS are less grown in this country than in Europe, largely because
of our hot, dry summers and severe winters. There are two common types
or classes,--the hardy or Ghent Azaleas, and the Indian Azaleas.
Ghent Azaleas thrive in the open along the seacoast as far north as
southern New England. They require a sandy, peaty soil, and are treated
as other shrubs are. The large flower-buds are liable to injury from the
warm suns of late winter and early spring, and to avoid this injury the
plants are often protected by covers or shades of brush. In the interior
country, little attempt is made to flower Azaleas permanently in the
open, although they may be grown if carefully tended and well protected.
Both Ghent and Indian Azaleas are excellent pot-plants, for bloom in
late winter and spring. The plants are imported in great numbers from
Europe, and it is better to buy these plants than to attempt to
propagate them. Pot them up in large-sized pots, keep them cool and
backward for a time until they are established, then take them into a
conservatory temperature, in which carnations and roses thrive. They
should be potted in a soil made of half peat or well decayed mold and
half rich loam; add a little sand. Pot firmly, and be sure to provide
sufficient drainage. Keep off red spider by syringing. After blooming,
the plants may be thinned by pruning out the straggling growths, and
repotted. Set them in a frame or in a semi-shaded place during summer,
and see that they make a good growth. The wood should be well ripened in
the fall. After cold weather sets in, keep the Indian or evergreen kinds
half-dormant by setting them in a cool, dull-lighted cellar or pit,
bringing them in when wanted for bloom. The Ghent or deciduous kinds may
be touched with frost without injury; and they may be stored in a cellar
until wanted.
BACHELOR'S BUTTON. _Centaurea Cyanus_ and also _Gomphrena_. Sometimes
applied to double-flowered Crowfoots.
[Illustration: Balloon Vine]
BALLOON VINE, or CARDIOSPERMUM. Annual tender tendril climber of very
rapid growth. Seed should not be planted until the soil becomes warm. A
very pretty effect can be had by allowing the vine to run over some
coarser vine, or into an evergreen tree. The balloon-like capsules show
to good advantage between the leaves. It is also useful for covering
piles of brush. Grows 8-12 ft. high. Give a warm, sunny place.
BALSAMS, or IMPATIENS. Tender annuals, producing both single and double
flowers of many colors. These well known favorites are usually to be
found in old-fashioned gardens. They are very likely to seed themselves,
coming up in unexpected places and flourishing in neglect. They do best,
however, in rich, sandy soil. If the seed is sown in boxes late in April
and the plants transplanted several times they will be much dwarfer and
the flowers much more double. A stately, though very formal and stiff,
effect may be had by planting a row of Balsams in the rear of a low
border, pinching off all the side shoots as they start and growing the
plant to a single stem. This will become covered with the large blooms,
giving it the appearance of a perfect column of flowers. Balsams are
injured by the slightest frost. Seeds germinate quickly. Plants should
stand 12-18 in. apart. They grow 18-30 in. high.
BARTONIA. Hardy annual, with golden yellow, brilliant flowers. The
tall-growing Bartonia (_B. aurea_) may be used in a mixed border to good
advantage. It is a bushy plant, reaching 2-3 ft. high. The dwarf kind
may be used as a border plant or in a rock garden, or as an edging. The
fragrance of both tall and dwarf is very pronounced in the evening. The
Bartonias are very easy to grow in a warm soil and sunny exposure. Their
numerous thread-like, long stamens are very interesting.
BASKET PLANTS. In order to have a good hanging basket, it is necessary
that some provision be made to prevent too rapid drying out of the
earth. It is customary, therefore, to line the pot or basket with moss.
Open wire baskets, like a horse muzzle, are often lined with moss and
used for the growing of plants. Prepare the earth by mixing some well
decayed leaf-mold with rich garden loam, thereby making an earth which
will retain moisture. Hang the basket in a light place, but still not in
a direct sunlight; and, if possible, avoid putting it where it will be
exposed to drying wind. In order to water the basket, it is often
advisable to sink it into a pail or tub of water. Various plants are
well adapted to hanging baskets. Among the drooping or vine-like kinds
are the strawberry geranium, Kenilworth ivy, maurandya, German ivy,
canary-bird flower, _Asparagus Sprengeri_, ivy geranium, trailing
fuchsia, wandering Jew, and othonna. Among the erect-growing plants
which produce flowers, _Lobelia Erinus_, sweet alyssum, petunias,
oxalis, and various geraniums are to be recommended. Among foliage
plants such things as coleus, dusty miller, begonia, and some geraniums
are adaptable.
[Illustration: Climax basket]
BASKETS. For the picking and handling of fruit in the home garden, the
common Climax basket, in various sizes, is the best receptacle. In
these baskets the products may be sold. When the baskets are sent to
market or to a friend, they should be neat and new looking; therefore
keep them in a dry, dark place, as in an attic or loft, to prevent them
from becoming warped and discolored.
BEAN. Under the general name of Bean, many kinds of plants are
cultivated. They are all tender, and the seeds, therefore, should not be
planted until the weather is thoroughly settled; and the soil should be
warm and loose. They are all annuals in northern countries, or treated
as such.
The Bean plants may be classified in various ways. In respect to
stature, they may be thrown into three general categories; viz., the
pole or climbing Beans, the bush Beans, and the strict-growing or
upright Beans (as the Broad or Windsor Bean). In respect to their uses,
Beans again may be divided into three categories; viz., those which are
used as string or snap Beans, the entire pod being eaten; those which
are used as shell Beans, the full-size but immature Beans being shelled
from the pod and cooked; dry Beans, or those which are eaten in their
dry or winter condition. The same variety of Bean may be used for all of
these three purposes at different stages of its development; but as a
matter of fact, there are varieties which are better for one purpose
than the other. Again, Beans may be classified in respect to their
species. Those species which are best known are as follows: (1) Common
Bean, or _Phaseolus vulgaris_, of which there are both tall and bush
forms. All the common snap and string Beans belong here, as also the
Speckled Cranberry types of pole Beans, and the common field Beans. (2)
The Lima Beans, or _Phaseolus lunatus_. The larger part of these are
pole Beans, but lately dwarf or bush varieties have appeared. (3) The
Scarlet Runner, _Phaseolus multiflorus_, of which the Scarlet Runner
and White Dutch Runner are familiar examples. The Scarlet Runner is
usually grown as an ornamental vine, and it is perennial in warm
countries, but the Beans are edible as shelled Beans. The White Dutch
Runner is oftener cultivated for food. (4) The Yard-Long, or Asparagus
Bean, _Dolichos sesquipedalis_, which produces long and weak vines and
very long, slender pods. The green pods are eaten, and also the shelled
Beans. The French Yard-Long is the only variety of this type which is
commonly known in this country. This type of Bean is popular in the
Orient. (5) The Broad Beans, of which the Windsor is the common type.
These are much grown in the Old World for stock feed, and they are
sometimes used for human food. They grow to one strict, central, stiff
stalk, to a height of 2-4 or 5 ft., and they are very unlike other kinds
of Beans in appearance. In this country, they are very little grown on
account of our hot and dry summers. In Canada they are somewhat grown,
and are sometimes used in the making of ensilage.
The culture of the Bean, while of the easiest, often proves a failure as
far as the first crop is concerned, because of planting the seed before
the ground has become warm and dry. No vegetable seed will decay quicker
than Beans, and the delay caused by waiting for the soil to become warm
and free from excessive moisture will be more than made up by the
rapidity of growth when finally they are planted. Beans will grow in
most any soil, but the best results may be obtained by having the soil
well enriched and in good physical condition. From the 5th to the 10th
of May in the latitude of central New York, it will be safe to plant
Beans for an early crop. The Beans may be dropped 2 inches deep in
shallow drills, the seeds to lie 3 inches apart. Cover to the surface of
the soil, and if the ground be dry, firm it with the foot or the back of
the hoe. For the bush varieties, allow 2 ft. between the drill-rows, but
for the dwarf Limas 2-1/2 ft. is better. Pole Limas are usually planted
in hills 2-3 ft. apart in the rows. Dwarf Limas may be sown thinly in
drills.
A large number of the varieties of both the green-podded and the
wax-podded Beans are used almost exclusively as snap Beans, to be eaten
with the pod while tender. The various strains of the Black Wax are the
most popular string Beans. The pole or running Beans are used either
green or dried, and the Limas, both tall and dwarf, are well known for
their superior flavor either as shelled or dry Beans. The old-fashioned
Cranberry or Horticultural Lima type (a pole form of _Phaseolus
vulgaris_) is probably the best shell Bean, but the trouble of poling
makes it unpopular. Dwarf Limas are much more desirable for small
gardens than the pole varieties, as they may be planted much closer, the
bother of procuring poles and twine is avoided, and the garden will have
a more sightly appearance. Both the dwarf Limas and pole Limas require a
longer season in which to mature than the bush varieties, and only one
planting is usually made. But the bush varieties may be planted at
intervals of two weeks from the first planting until the 10th of August.
Each planting may be made on ground previously occupied by some
early-maturing crop. Thus, the first to third plantings may be on ground
from which has been harvested a crop of spinach, early radish or
lettuce; after that, on ground where early peas have been grown; and the
later sowings where beets or early potatoes have grown. String Beans for
canning are usually taken from the last crop. One quart of seed will
plant 100 ft. of drill; or 1 quart of Limas will plant 100 hills.
Limas are the richest of Beans, but they often fail to mature in the
northern states. The land should not be very rich in nitrogen (or stable
manure), else the plants will run too much to vine and be too late.
Select a fertile sandy or gravelly soil with warm exposure, use some
soluble commercial fertilizer to start them off, and give them the best
of culture. Aim to have the pods set before the droughts of midsummer
come. Good trellises for Beans are made by wool twine stretched between
two horizontal wires, one of which is drawn a foot above the ground and
the other 6 or 7 ft. high.
Bean plants are not troubled by insects to any extent, but they are
sometimes attacked by blight. When this occurs, do not plant the same
ground to Beans again for a year or two.
BEDDING. This term is used to designate the massing of plants in the
open ground for the purpose of making a bold display of color. This
color may be obtained with flowers or with strong effects of foliage.
Bedding is ordinarily a temporary species of planting; that is, the bed
is filled anew each year. However, the term may be used to designate a
permanent plantation of plants which are heavily massed so as to give
one continuous or emphatic display of form or color. Some of the best
permanent bedding masses are made of the various hardy ornamental
grasses, as eulalias, arundo, and the like.
Some bedding is very temporary in its effect. Especially is this true of
spring Bedding, in which the plants used are tulips, hyacinths, crocuses
or other early-flowering bulbous plants. In this case, the ground is
usually occupied later in the season by other plants. These later plants
are usually annuals, the seeds of which are sown amongst the bulbs as
soon as the season is far enough advanced; or the annuals may be started
in boxes and the plants transplanted amongst the bulbs as soon as the
weather is fit. Many of the low-growing and compact, continuous-flowering
annuals are excellent for summer Bedding effects. Some of the best
plants for this purpose are mentioned in the following list:
Adonis aestivalis.
Adonis autumnalis.
Ageratum Mexicanum.
Ageratum Mexicanum, dwarf.
Bartonia aurea.
Cacalia.
Calendula officinalis, in several forms.
Calendula pluvialis.
Calendula Pongei.
Calendula sulphurea, fl. pl.
Calendula suffruticosa.
Calliopsis bicolor marmorata.
Calliopsis cardaminaefolia.
Calliopsis elegans picta.
Callirrhoe involucrata.
Callirrhoe pedata nana.
Callirrhoe pedata.
Centaurea Americana.
Centaurea Cyanus, Victoria Dwarf Compact.
Centaurea Cyanus minor.
Centaurea suaveolens.
Chrysanthemum Burridgeanum.
Chrysanthemum carinatum.
Chrysanthemum coronarium.
Chrysanthemum tricolor.
Convolvulus minor.
Convolvulus tricolor.
Cosmidium Burridgeanum.
Delphinium, single.
Delphinium, double.
Dianthus, Double White Half Dwarf Margaret.
Dianthus, Dwarf Perpetual.
Dianthus Caryophyllus semperflorens.
Dianthus Chinensis, double.
Dianthus dentosus hybridus.
Dianthus Heddewigii.
Dianthus imperialis.
Dianthus laciniatus, Salmon Queen.
Dianthus plumarius.
Dianthus superbus, dwarf fl. pl.
Dianthus, Picotee.
Elscholtzia cristata.
Eschscholtzia Californica.
Eschscholtzia crocea.
Eschscholtzia, Mandarin.
Eschscholtzia tenuifolia.
Gaillardia picta.
Gaillardia picta Lorenziana.
Gilia achilleaefolia.
Gilia capitata.
Gilia laciniata.
Gilia linifolia.
Gilia nivalis.
Gilia tricolor.
Godetia Whitneyi.
Godetia grandiflora maculata.
Godetia rubicunda splendens.
Hibiscus Africanus.
Hibiscus, Golden Bowl.
Iberis affinis.
Iberis amara.
Iberis coronaria.
Iberis umbellata.
Impatiens or Balsam.
Lavatera alba.
Lavatera trimestris.
Linum grandiflorum.
Madia elegans.
Malope grandiflora.
Matricaria eximia plena.
Matthiola or Stock, in many forms.
Matthiola, Wallflower-leaved.
Matthiola bicornis.
Nigella or Love-in-a-Mist.
Oenothera Drummondii.
Oenothera Lamarckiana.
Oenothera rosea.
Oenothera tetraptera.
Papaver or Poppy, of many kinds.
Papaver cardinale.
Papaver glaucum.
Papaver umbrosum.
Petunia, Ring of Emerald.
Phlox Drummondii, in many varieties.
Portulaca.
Salvia farinacea.
Salvia Horminum.
Salvia splendens.
Schizanthus papilionaceus.
Schizanthus pinnatus.
Silene Armeria.
Silene pendula.
Tagetes or Marigold, in many forms.
Tagetes erecta.
Tagetes patula.
Tagetes signata.
Tropaeolum, Dwarf.
Verbena auriculaeflora.
Verbena Italica striata.
Verbena hybrida.
Verbena coerulea.
Verbena, Golden-leaved.
Viscaria coeli-rosa.
Viscaria elegans picta.
Viscaria oculata.
Zinnia, Dwarf.
Zinnia elegans alba.
Zinnia, Tom Thumb.
Zinnia Haageana.
Zinnia coccinea plena.
Summer bedding is often made by perennial plants which are carried over
from the preceding year, or better, which are propagated for that
particular purpose in February and March. Such plants as geranium,
coleus, alyssum, scarlet salvia, ageratum and heliotrope may be used for
these beds. It is a common practice to use geranium plants which are in
bloom during the winter for bedding out during the summer, but such
plants are tall and ungainly in form and have expended the greater part
of their energies. It is better to propagate new plants by taking
cuttings or slips late in the winter and setting out young, fresh,
vigorous subjects.
Very bold and subtropical effects can be made by planting in the open
such things as palms, bananas, crotons, araucarias, caladiums and
cannas. Plants like bananas and palms, which are kept normally in pots,
would better be left in the pots and plunged to the rims rather than
turned out directly into the soil. In order to attain quick and
continuous effects, it is advisable to set the plants rather close. As
such plants are likely to be injured by strong winds, it is well to have
subtropical beds in a somewhat protected place.
Another type of bed is that which attempts to make patterns or designs,
or carpet-bedding. There are comparatively few plants which are adapted
to this purpose, for the plants must be such as will stand shearing and
which have very strong and constant colors of foliage. The most popular
bedding plants are coleus (particularly the yellow Golden Bedder)
achyranthes, alternanthera, _Centaurea gymnocarpa_, and such succulent
plants as the house leeks. Some of the annual flowers may also be used
for strong color effects, as _Lobelia Erinus_ and sweet alyssum.
Ordinarily the making of carpet-beds should be left to professional
gardeners, since it requires much skill and care to make and keep the
beds in perfect condition; and a ragged or imperfect carpet-bed is worse
than no bed at all. Carpet-beds are really curiosities, and they have no
more legitimate place in the general pictorial landscape design area
than painted stones or sheared evergreens. Therefore, they should be
placed by themselves at one side, where they do not interfere with the
general design of the place. In public parks they make a very useful
attraction when set off by themselves, the same as zoological gardens or
other attractions do.
BEEFSTEAK GERANIUM is _Begonia_.
BEETS. Being one of the hardiest of spring vegetables, the seed may be
sown as early in the spring as the ground can be worked. A light, sandy
soil is the best on which to grow Beets to perfection, but any well
tilled garden soil will raise satisfactory crops. On heavy soil the
turnip Beet gives the best results, as the growth is nearly all at or
above the surface. The long varieties, having tapering roots running
deep into the soil, are apt to be misshapen unless the physical
condition of the soil is such that the roots meet with little
obstruction. A succession of sowings should be made, at intervals of
from two to three weeks, until late summer, as the Beets are much more
desirable in their young stage than when they have become old and woody.
The Mangel-Wurzel and the Sugar Beet are usually grown as a field crop,
and will not enter into the calculations of the home garden.
[Illustration: Early Beets]
In order to hasten the season of the extra-early crop of Beets, the
seeds may be sown in boxes or in the soil of a hotbed in February or
March, transplanting the small plants to the open ground at the time the
first sowing of seed is made. As the flat or turnip-rooted varieties
grow at the surface of the ground, the seed may be sown thickly, and as
the more advanced roots are large enough to use they may be pulled,
leaving room for the later ones to develop, thus growing a quantity in a
small area and having a long season of small Beets from one sowing. For
winter use the late July sown seed will give the best roots, growing
through the cool months of the fall to a medium size and remaining firm
without being tough or stringy. These may be dug up after light frosts
and before any severe cold weather, and stored in barrels or boxes in
the cellar, using enough dry dirt to fill spaces between the roots and
cover them to the depth of 6 inches. These roots, thus packed in a cool
cellar, will be fit to use through the entire winter months. When it can
be had, florists' or sphagnum moss is an excellent medium in which to
pack roots for winter.
The early round or turnip varieties are best for early and summer use.
The Long Blood Beets may be used for storing, but these require a longer
season of growth.
BEGONIAS. Tender bedding and house plants. Next to the geranium,
Begonias are probably the most popular for house culture of the entire
plant list. The ease of culture, profusion of bloom or richness of
foliage, together with their adaptability to shade, make them very
desirable.
Begonias may be divided into three sections: the fibrous-rooted class,
which contains the winter-flowering varieties; the tuberous-rooted,
those which bloom through the summer, the tuber resting through the
winter; and the Rex forms, or Beefsteak Geraniums, having large
ornamental leaves.
[Illustration: Fibrous-rooted Begonia]
The fibrous-rooted kinds may be propagated by seed or cuttings, the
latter being the usual method. Cuttings of half-ripened wood root
easily, making a rapid growth, the plants flowering in a few months.
The tuberous-rooted varieties are propagated by division of the tuber or
from seed, the former being rarely done except to increase the stock of
some extra fine variety. The seeds, like those of all Begonias, are very
small, and should be sown with great care. Simply sprinkle them on the
surface of the soil, which should be a mixture of leaf-mold and sand,
with the addition of a small amount of fibrous loam. Watering should be
done by setting the pot or box in which the seeds are sown in water,
allowing the moisture to ascend through the soil. When the soil has
become completely saturated, set the box in a shady situation, covering
it with glass or some other object until the tiny seedlings appear.
Never allow the soil to become dry. The seedlings should be
transplanted, as soon as they can be handled, into boxes or pots
containing the same mixture of soil, setting each plant down to the
seed-leaf. They will need three or four transplantings before they reach
the blooming stage, and at each one after the first, the amount of
fibrous loam may be increased until the soil is composed of one-third
each of loam, sand and leaf-mold. The addition of a little well rotted
manure may be made at the last transplanting. These tuberous-rooted
Begonias make superior bedding plants if given a shady situation and
deep soil; but for the amateur they are perhaps better grown as
pot-plants, for one is able to give them better conditions by that
method. The flowers are both double and single, ranging in color from
pure white and yellow to pink and red. After flowering the plants will
die down and the tubers, after drying off, may be placed in a dry, warm
place until spring.
[Illustration: Rex Begonia]
The Rex type, having no branches, is propagated from the leaves. The
large mature leaves are used. The leaf may be cut into sections having
at the base a union of two ribs. These pieces of leaves may be inserted
in the sand as any other cutting. Or a whole leaf may be used, cutting
through the ribs at intervals and laying the leaf flat on the
propagating bench or other warm, moist place. In a short time young
plants having roots of their own will form. These may be potted when
large enough to handle, and will soon make good sized plants. Rex
Begonias usually grow little during winter. Be sure that the pots are
well drained, so that the soil does not become sour. New plants--those a
year or so old--are usually most satisfactory. Keep them away from
direct sunlight.
An insidious disease of Begonia leaves has recently made its appearance.
The best treatment yet known is to propagate fresh plants, throwing away
the old stock and the dirt in which it is grown.
BELLIS PERENNIS. See _Daisy_.
[Illustration: Ancient Briton Blackberry]
BLACKBERRIES. The one essential to the successful growing of
Blackberries is a moist soil,--not one in which water will stand, but
one rich enough in humus to hold sufficient moisture to carry the crop
through the growing season. It is usually found best to plant in the
fall, earthing up slightly around the plants. The distance between the
plants should be regulated by the variety. The smaller-growing kinds (as
Early Harvest and Wilson) may be planted 4 x 7 ft., the rank-growing
varieties (as Snyder) 6 x 8 ft. Thorough cultivation throughout the
season will help in a material degree to hold the moisture necessary to
perfect a good crop. The soil should be cultivated very shallow,
however, so as not to disturb the roots, as the breaking of the roots
starts a large number of suckers that have to be cut out and destroyed.
[Illustration: Shears for cutting out old canes]
Blackberries, like dewberries and raspberries, bear but one crop on the
cane. That is, canes which spring up this year bear next year. From 3 to
6 canes are sufficient to be left in each hill. The superfluous ones are
thinned out soon after they start from the ground. The old canes should
be cut out soon after fruiting and burned. The new shoots should be
pinched back at the height of 2 or 3 ft. if the plants are to support
themselves. If to be fastened to wires, they may be allowed to grow
throughout the season and be cut back when tied to the wires in winter
or early spring. Tools for the cutting out of the old canes are well
represented in the pictures. Shears are used for shortening-in the
canes.
[Illustration: Shears for heading-in bushes]
Blackberry plants are sometimes laid down in cold climates,--the tops
being bent over and held to the ground by earth or sods thrown on their
tips.
[Illustration: Knife hook for cutting out old canes]
Snyder is the most popular commercial variety; but Agawam, Ancient
Briton, Taylor, and others are better in quality. A new patch should be
planted every five or six years.
BLUE BOTTLE. See _Centaurea Cyanus_.
BORDEAUX MIXTURE is a fungicide, used to combat mildews, leaf-diseases,
blights, etc. It is sprayed on the plants with a spray pump or syringe,
or it may be applied with a whisk broom. Apply enough of it so that the
foliage looks blue. It is made as follows: Copper sulfate, 6 pounds;
quicklime, 4 pounds; water, 40 to 50 gallons. Dissolve the copper
sulfate by putting it into a bag of coarse cloth and hanging this in a
vessel holding at least four gallons, so that it is just covered by the
water. Use an earthen or wooden vessel. Slake the lime in an equal
amount of water. Then mix the two and add enough water to make 40
gallons. It is then ready for immediate use, but will keep for some
time. If the mixture is to be used on peach foliage, it is advisable to
add an extra pound of lime to the above formula. When applied to such
plants as carnations or cabbages, it will adhere better if a pound of
hard soap is dissolved in hot water and added to the mixture. For rots,
molds, mildews, and all fungous diseases.
Whilst Bordeaux Mixture is the best general fungicide, it discolors the
plants until it washes off. On ornamental plants, therefore, a colorless
fungicide may be preferable. In such cases, use the ammoniacal carbonate
of copper solution, as follows: Copper carbonate, 1 ounce; ammonia, 1
volume 26 deg. Baume, 7/8 volumes water (enough to dissolve the copper);
water, 9 gallons. The copper carbonate is best dissolved in large
bottles, where it will keep indefinitely, and it should be diluted with
water as required. For the same purposes as Bordeaux Mixture.
BORDER. The word border is used to designate the heavy or continuous
planting about the boundaries of a place, or along the walks and drives,
or against the buildings, in distinction from planting on the lawn or in
the interior spaces. A border receives different designations, depending
upon the kinds of plants which are grown therein; that is, it may be a
shrub border, a flower border, a hardy border for native and other
hardy plants, a vine border, and the like. As a rule, the most effective
planting is that which is thrown into masses, for one plant reinforces
the other, and the flowers have a good setting or background. Very
striking displays of foliage and flowers and plant forms can be made
when massed together. As a rule, plants are more easily grown when
planted in a border, since the whole area can be kept cultivated with
ease; and if a plant becomes weak or dies, its place is readily filled
by the neighboring plants spreading into it. Planting in masses is also
essential to the best arrangement of the yard, since the basis of any
landscape is a more or less continuous greensward (see _Lawn_). The
house occupies the central part of the area, and the sides are heavily
massed or planted so as to make a framework for the whole place. The
border may be mixed,--that is, composed of a great variety of
plants,--or it may be made up of one continuous thing. In long and very
striking borders, it is often best to have the background--that is, the
back row--of one general type of plant in order to give continuity and
strength to the whole group. In front of this a variety of plants may be
set, if one desire.
[Illustration: Planting by the steps]
The land should be rich. The whole ground should be plowed or spaded and
the plants set irregularly in the space; or the back row may be set in a
line. If the border is composed of shrubs, and is large, a horse
cultivator may be run in and out between the plants for the first two or
three years, since the shrubs will be set from 2 to 4 ft. apart.
Ordinarily, however, the cultivating is done by hand tools. After the
plants are once established and the border is filled, it is best to dig
up as little as possible, for the digging disturbs the roots and breaks
off the crowns. It is usually best to pull out the weeds and give the
border a top-dressing each fall of well rotted manure. If the ground is
not very rich, a sprinkling of ashes or some commercial fertilizer may
be given from time to time. The border should be planted so thick as to
allow the plants to run together, thereby giving one continuous effect.
Most shrubs should be set 3 feet apart. Things as large as lilacs may go
4 feet and sometimes even more. Common herbaceous perennials, like
bleeding heart, delphiniums, hollyhocks, and the like, should go from 12
to 18 inches. On the front edge of the border is a very excellent place
for annual and tender flowering plants. Here, for example, one may make
a fringe of asters, geraniums, coleus, or anything else which he may
choose (see _Flower Beds_).
The border is an excellent place in which to colonize native or other
interesting plants. A person comes across an attractive plant on his
tramp and wishes it were in his garden. Whatever the time of year, he
may break off the top close to the ground, take up the roots and plant
them in the border. If a little attention is given to the plant for the
first two or three weeks, as watering or mulching or shading, it should
become established and give satisfactory bloom the following year.
Two-thirds of the herbs which one would take up in this way, even in
midsummer, should grow. Into the heavy borders about the boundaries of
the place the autumn leaves will drift and afford an excellent mulch. If
these borders are planted with shrubs, the leaves may be left there to
decay, and not be raked off in the spring. The general outline of the
border facing the lawn should be more or less wavy or irregular,
particularly if it is on the boundary of the place. Alongside a walk or
drive, the margins may follow the general directions of the walk or
drive.
There are three rules for the choosing of plants for a hardy border.
Choose (1) those which you like best, (2) those which are adapted to the
climate and soil, (3) those which are in place or in keeping with that
part of the grounds. See _Herbs_, _Shrubs_, _Trees_.
BORECOLE is _Kale_.
BORERS. There is no sovereign remedy for borers except to dig them out.
Do not rely upon washes or other applications. If trees are examined two
or three times a year, it is not a laborious undertaking to dig them
out, as they will not be deep in the wood. If they do get deep in the
wood, thrust a wire into the burrow. By the chips cast from the holes,
or by the dead bark, the presence of borers may be detected. Apple and
peach trees are particularly liable to attack. The flat-headed
apple-tree borer works just underneath the bark on any part of the trunk
or large branches. The round-headed apple-tree borer eats into the wood
at the crown.
BOXES of many sizes can be utilized in which to grow plants. Excellent
effects of bulbs and annuals may be had in old soap boxes. The boxes may
be placed in the best situations for the growth of the plants, and they
can receive better attention than the large flower bed. Vines planted
about the edge will hide the sides,--such vines as Kenilworth ivy,
moneywort, maurandya, trailing fuchsia, and the like.
BRACHYCOME. See _Swan River Daisy_.
BROCCOLI. This is almost identical with the Cauliflower, except that it
usually requires a longer season and matures in the fall. It is grown
more generally in Europe than in this country. The special merit of
Broccoli is its adaptability for late summer planting and its rapid
growth in the late fall. It is said that a large proportion of Broccoli
is used in the manufacture of pickles. The culture is the same as for
Cauliflower,--deep, moist soil well enriched, cool weather, and the
destruction of the cabbage worm.
The young plants may be grown in a coldframe or in a well protected
border, sowing the seed about the 15th of May, transplanting into rows
in July. In sections in which early fall frosts are not to be feared,
the plants may be set two weeks later, say August 1, as all vegetables
of the cabbage family make the best growth through the cool months of
September and October. The plants should be set 18 in. apart in the
rows, the rows being from 2-1/2 ft. to 3 ft. apart.
BROWALLIA ELATA is a very fine tender annual, giving a border or mixed
bed a dash of amethyst blue not often found in flowers. It is a
strong-growing plant with a profusion of bloom, and no doubt one of the
choicest plants of its color in cultivation. There are other species
with white flowers that serve as contrast, and may be grown with this.
All of the kinds may be taken up and potted in the fall, cutting the
plant well back, and a profusion of bloom may be obtained through the
winter months if attention is given to pinching off the seed pods. In
the garden, let the plants stand 12 in. apart. The plants grow 1-2 ft.
high.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS. This is a vegetable that should be more generally
known, as it is one of the choicest of the cabbage family, and may be
had at its best after the season for cauliflower has passed. It is the
better for being touched by the fall frosts. The parts used are the
buttons or sprouts (miniature cabbage heads) that grow thickly along the
stem. These should be cut off rather than broken. The very small hard
"sprouts" or buttons are the best. The culture is essentially the same
as for late cabbage or broccoli. One ounce will sow 100 ft. of drill, or
make upward of 2,000 plants. Set plants in field 2-3 ft. apart. They
require the entire season in which to grow.
BUDDING. See _Grafting_.
BULBS. The outdoor culture of bulbs is extremely simple. They care for
themselves throughout a greater part of the year, many of them flowering
when no other plants are able to grow and bloom out of doors.
While all the so-called Holland bulbs will thrive in any kind of soil,
they will all do better by being planted in a deep, sandy soil well
enriched with well rotted manure. But do not let the manure come into
direct contact with the bulb. Even heavy clay soil may be fitted for the
growing of bulbs by the addition of sharp sand, either worked into the
soil or placed directly under the bulb when planted. To make a bulb bed,
choose, if possible, a sandy soil and throw out the top soil to the
depth of 6 in. Put into the bottom of the bed about 2 in. of well rotted
manure and spade it into the soil. Throw back half of the top soil,
level it off nicely, set the bulbs firmly on this bed and then cover
them with the balance of the soil; in this way one will have the bulbs
from 3 to 4 in. below the surface. In the fall months the top of the
ground is cooler than at the depth of 5 or 6 in. and the top of the bulb
will not want to grow, while the bottom, which is always in a hurry,
will send out roots, to push out the leaves and flowers the next spring.
When the weather is cold enough to freeze a hard crust on the soil, the
bed should have its winter overcoat. This may be straw, hay, cornstalks
or leaves spread over the bed to the depth of 6 in. if the material is
coarse; but if leaves are used, 3 in. will be enough, because the leaves
lay close together and may smother out the frost that is in the ground
and let the bulbs start. What we want is to keep them asleep until
spring, because if they start too early the hard freezes of March and
early April will spoil their beauty if the leaves or flowers are near or
above the surface. Early in April, in New York, the covering may be
removed gradually, and should all be off the beds before the leaves show
above the ground.
If there is no sandy place for the beds, make them as directed, leaving
the stones in the bottom of the bed for drainage. Then, when ready to
set the bulb, place a large handful of sand where the bulb is to go and
set the bulb on it. This will keep the water from standing around the
bulb. Very fine results may be had on heavy soil by this method.
As to kinds of bulbs, select hyacinths, tulips or narcissus or
daffodils, with snowdrops or crocuses of various colors around the edge.
For the culture of these and other bulbs, see the various articles
throughout the book.
_The growing of flowering bulbs through the winter_ adds to the list of
house plants a charming variety. The labor, time and skill required is
much less than that of growing many of the larger plants more commonly
used for winter decorations. The larger number of winter bulbs may be
left out of doors until within four to six weeks of the time when they
are wanted in flower. Hyacinths, narcissus, tulips, and crocus can be
made to flower in the winter without difficulty. Secure the bulbs so as
to be able to pot them by the middle or last of October, or if earlier
all the better. The soil should be rich, sandy loam, if possible; if
not, the best one can get, to which add about one-fourth the bulk of
sand and mix thoroughly. If ordinary flower pots are to be used, put in
the bottom a few pieces of broken pots, charcoal or small stones for
drainage, then fill the pot with dirt so that when the bulbs are set on
the dirt the top of the bulb is even with the rim of the pot. Fill
around it with soil, leaving just the tip of the bulb showing above the
dirt. If the soil is heavy, a good plan is to sprinkle a small handful
of sand under the bulb to carry off the water, the same as is done in
the beds outdoors. If one does not have pots he may use boxes. Starch
boxes are a good size to use, as they are not heavy to handle; and
excellent flowers are sometimes obtained from bulbs planted in old
tomato cans. If boxes or cans are used, care must be taken to have holes
in the bottoms to let the water run out. A large size hyacinth bulb
will do well in a 5-inch pot. The same size pot will do for three or
four narcissuses or eight to twelve crocuses.
After the bulbs are planted in the pots or other receptacles, they
should be placed in a cool place, either in a cold pit or cellar, or on
the shady side of a building, or, better yet, plunged or buried up to
the rim of the pot in a shady border. This is done to force the roots to
grow while the top stands still; as only the bulbs with good roots will
give good flowers. When the weather gets so cold that a crust is frozen
on the soil, the pots should be covered with a little straw, and as the
weather gets colder more straw must be used. In from six to eight weeks
after planting the bulbs, they should have made roots enough to grow the
plant, and they may be taken up and placed in a cool room for a week or
so, after which, if they have started into growth, they may be taken
into a warmer room where they can have plenty of light. They will grow
very rapidly now and will want lots of water, and after the flowers
begin to show, the pots may stand in a saucer of water all the time.
When just coming into bloom the plants may have full sunlight part of
the time to help bring out the color of the flowers.
BUSHES. See _Shrubs_.
CABBAGE. For an early crop, the plants must be started either in
February or early March, or the previous September and wintered over in
coldframes. This latter method was once a common practice by gardeners
near large cities, but the building of greenhouses to replace the many
hotbeds of the market-gardener has changed the practice in many
localities, and now most of the early Cabbages in the north are grown
from seed sown in January, February or March. The plants are hardened
off in March and early April and planted out as early as possible. The
private grower, or one with a small garden, may often procure his early
plants from the market-gardener much cheaper than he can grow them, as
usually only a limited number of early Cabbage plants are wanted; but
for the midseason and main crop, the seed may be sown in May or June,
setting the plants in July.
[Illustration: Early Cabbage]
For early planting, the number of varieties is limited to three or four.
For an intermediate crop the list is more extended, and the late
varieties are very numerous. The early list is headed by the Jersey
Wakefield, a variety which heads very quickly, and, although not one of
the solid kinds, is generally grown. The Early York and Winnigstadt are
good varieties to follow it. The latter especially is solid and of very
good quality. For the midseason, the Succession and All Season are of
the best, and for the winter supply the Drumhead, Danish Ball and Flat
Dutch types are the leaders. One of the best of the Cabbages for table
use is seldom seen in the garden--the Savoy Cabbage. It is a type with
netted leaves, making a large, low-growing head, the center of which is
very solid and of excellent flavor, especially late in the fall, when
the heads have had a slight touch of frost. Savoy should be grown in
every private garden.
The seed-bed should be made mellow and rich. A good border will do. The
seed is sown preferably in rows, thus allowing thinning of the plants
and the pulling of any weeds that germinate. The young plants will well
repay attention to watering and thinning. The rows should be 3 or 4 in.
apart. When the plants are large enough to transplant, they may be
planted where early vegetables have been grown. Set the plants from 18
to 24 in. apart in the row, the rows being 3 ft. apart for the
medium-growing kinds. One ounce of seed will furnish about two thousand
plants. All Cabbages require deep and rich soil, and one that holds
moisture well.
The best remedy for the Cabbage worm is to kill the first brood on the
very young plants with Paris green. After the plants begin to head,
pyrethrum or salt water may be used. On a small area, hand-picking may
be recommended.
The maggot is the most serious Cabbage pest. After studying the seventy
odd remedies proposed, Slingerland concludes that 6 are efficient and
practicable: growing the young plants in closely covered frames; tarred
paper cards placed snugly about the base of the plants to keep the fly
away; rubbing the eggs from the base of the plant; hand-picking of the
maggots; treating the plants with emulsion of carbolic acid; treating
them with carbon bisulfide. The insecticidal materials are injected or
poured into the soil about the base of the plant.
Respecting these two insecticides, Slingerland remarks: "Always use the
crude carbolic acid, as it is much cheaper than the purified and is
nearly, if not quite, as effective. It will probably be safer if used as
an emulsion than if simply diluted with water. We would advise that it
be made by the follow formula: 1 pound of hard soap or 1 quart of soft
soap dissolved in 1 gallon of boiling water, into which 1 pint of crude
carbolic acid is then poured and the whole mass agitated into an
emulsion, which will remain in this condition for a long time. In
treating the plants, take one part of this standard emulsion and dilute
it with 30 equal parts of water; it probably can be used stronger
without injury to the plants. If the emulsion is cold and semi-solid,
use several parts of warm water at first. Begin the treatment early, a
day or two after the plants are up, or in the case of Cabbages and
Cauliflowers the next day after they are set in the field, and repeat it
once each week or 10 days until about May 20 in our state. While we have
little faith in the preventive effects of the early treatments, we do
believe that the emulsion will then kill many of the eggs and recently
hatched maggots. If it could be applied with some force through a
syringe or force pump, it might not be necessary to go to the trouble of
first removing some of the earth from about the plants. It must be
remembered that its success will depend on the eggs or maggots being hit
with it. None of the Cabbages in our experiment were injured in the
least by an application containing nearly twice as much of the acid, and
there is but little danger of its injuring the tenderest foliage of
radishes, turnips or onions; if any injury manifests itself on these
crops, dilute the emulsion with 40 or 50 or more parts of water, instead
of 30. A knapsack or wheelbarrow sprayer would prove a very useful
instrument in applying the emulsion on a large scale."
The carbon bisulfide is best injected into the soil by means of a
long-nosed syringe. Slingerland (Cornell Bulletin 78) illustrates a
specially made syringe or injector for this purpose: "Thus Cabbage
plants can be treated once, and once is usually sufficient, at the rate
of about 10 plants for 1 cent for the liquid, using about 1 teaspoonful
to each plant. As the injector will last for years, and several
neighbors might join in the purchase and use of one instrument, its cost
would practically not influence this estimate of the cost of killing the
maggots. We believe it is the cheapest, most effective, and most
practicable method yet devised for fighting this pest on crops of
Cabbages and cauliflowers; on crops of radishes, turnips, or onions it
will probably be too expensive except where choice or new varieties are
attacked. The carbolic acid emulsion will prove the most practicable on
these last crops."
The club-root, which causes the roots to become greatly thickened and
distorted, is difficult to manage if Cabbages or allied plants are grown
continuously on land in which diseased plants have been raised. Changing
the location of the Cabbage or Cauliflower patch is the best procedure.
If very different crops, as corn, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, etc., are
grown on the land, the disease will be starved out in two or three
years.
CACALIA. TASSEL FLOWER. LADIES' PAINT BRUSH. A quaint old annual, in two
colors, scarlet and orange. It is easily grown, and makes a fine
second-row plant for a border, contrasting well with Browallia or
Ageratum. Sow where the plants are to stand. Let plants stand 10-12
inches apart. Grow 1-1/2 to 2 ft. high.
CACTUS. This class of plants is often seen in small collections of house
plants, to which they add interest, being altogether different from
other plants. All Cacti are easy to grow, requiring but little care and
enduring the heat and dryness of a living room much better than most
other plants. Their requirements are ample drainage and a sandy soil.
Cactus growers usually make a soil by mixing pulverized plaster or lime
refuse with garden loam, using about two-thirds of the loam. The very
fine parts, or dust, of the plaster, are blown out, else the soil is
likely to cement. They may be rested at any season by simply setting
them away in a dry place for two or three months, and bringing them into
heat and light when they are wanted. As new growth advances they should
have water occasionally, and when in bloom they should be watered
freely. Withhold water gradually after blooming until they are to be
rested.
Some of the most common species in cultivation are the Phyllocactus
species, often called the Night-blooming Cereus. These are not the true
Night-blooming Cereuses, which have angular or cylindrical stems,
covered with bristles, while this has flat, leaf-like branches; the
flowers of these, however, are very much like the Cereus, opening at
evening and closing before morning, and as the Phyllocacti may be grown
with greater ease, blooming on smaller and younger plants, they are to
be recommended. See _Cereus_.
The Epiphyllum, or Lobster Cactus, is one of the best of the family,
easy of culture. It bears bright-colored blossoms at the end of each
joint. When in flower, which will be through some of the winter months,
this requires a richer soil than the other Cacti. Opuntias, or prickly
pears, are often grown as border plants through the summer. In fact, all
the family may be planted out, and if a number of varieties are set in a
bed together they make a striking addition to the garden. Be very
careful not to bruise the plants. It is better to plunge them in the
pots than to turn them out of the pots.
[Illustration: Caladium or Colocasia]
CALADIUM. Tuberous-rooted, tender perennial plants which are used for
conservatory decorations, and also for subtropical and bold effects in
the lawn. The plants which are commonly known under this name are really
Colocasias. The plants should be rested during the winter, being kept in
a warm cellar or under a greenhouse bench, where they are not liable to
frost or dampness. The roots are usually kept covered with earth during
the winter, but they are kept dry. Early in the spring the roots are put
into boxes or pots and are started into growth, so that by the time
settled weather comes they will be 1 or 2 feet high and ready to set
directly into soil. When set out of doors, they should be given a place
which is protected from strong winds, and one which does not receive the
full glare of direct sunlight. The soil should be rich and deep, and the
plants should have an abundance of water. Caladiums are most excellent
plants for striking effects, especially against a house, high shrubbery
or other background. If they are planted by themselves, they should be
in clumps rather than scattered as single specimens, as the effect is
better. See that they get a good start before they are planted in the
open ground.
CALCEOLARIA. Small greenhouse herbs which are sometimes used in the
window-garden. They are not very satisfactory plants for window
treatment, however, since they suffer from dry atmosphere and from
sudden changes of temperature. In the window-garden they should be
protected from strong, direct sunlight. They are grown from seeds. If
the seeds are sown in early summer and the young plants are transplanted
as they need, flowering specimens may be had for the late fall and early
winter. In the growing of the young plants, always avoid exposing them
to direct sunlight; but they should be given a place which has an
abundance of screened or tempered light. A new crop of plants should be
raised each year. There is a race of shrubby Calceolarias, but it is
little known in this country. One or two species are annuals which are
adaptable to cultivation in the open garden, and their little,
ladyslipper-like flowers are attractive. However, they are of secondary
importance as annual garden flowers.
CALENDULA. These are the well known POT MARIGOLDS, and add a bright spot
to any garden. Annual. Especially are they fine in the cool days of the
fall, when many of the annual flowers have gone to seed. The places of
short-lived plants may be filled by sowing seed of Calendulas in May,
scattering them through the border and allowing the plants to grow where
they come up. Easy of growth and hardy. 1-2 ft. high. Should stand 8-12
in. apart. Colors, yellow and orange.
[Illustration: California Poppy]
CALIFORNIA POPPY (_Eschscholtzia Californica_). Low perennial,
poppy-like plant, grown as a hardy annual. It is certainly one of the
best low-growing annuals, blooming through a long season and being at
its best through the cool days of fall, after touched by frost. Most of
the varieties have flowers of fine shades of orange or yellow, making a
bright spot in the border at all times. They are like the pot marigolds,
in that once planted they seed themselves. They are never out of place,
and should be left to bloom wherever they may be. Flowers open only in
sunshine. As cut-flowers they are excellent, a large bowl of them
glowing like a golden ball, especially if they are emphasized by a few
blue larkspurs or bachelor's buttons.
Propagated by seed, which would best be sown as soon as ripe, thus
giving the plant an early start, and having bloom through the season.
They make attractive mats of foliage. 12-18 in. high. Let the plants
stand 10-20 in. apart.
CALLA (properly _Richardia_). EGYPTIAN LILY. All things considered, this
is one of the most satisfactory of winter house plants, lending itself
to various conditions. The requirements of the Calla are rich soil and
an abundance of water, with the roots confined in as small a space as
possible. If a too large pot is used the growth of foliage will be very
rank, at the expense of the flowers, but by using a smaller sized pot
and applying liquid manure the flowers will be produced freely. A 6-inch
pot will be large enough for all but an exceptionally large bulb. If
desired, a number of bulbs may be grown together in a larger pot. The
soil should be very rich but fibrous--at least one-third well rotted
manure will be none too much, mixed with equal parts of fibrous loam and
sharp sand. The tubers should be planted firmly and the pots set in a
cool place to make roots. After the roots have partially filled the pot,
the plant may be brought into heat and given a sunny position and an
abundance of water. An occasional sponging or washing of the leaves will
free them from dust. No other treatment will be required until the
flowers appear, when liquid manure may be given. The plant will thrive
all the better at this time if the pot is placed in a saucer of water.
In fact, the Calla will grow finely in an aquarium. The Calla may be
grown through the entire year, but it will prove more satisfactory, both
in leaf and flower, if rested through part of the summer. This may be
done by laying the pots on their sides in a dry, shady place under
shrubbery, or if in the open slightly covered with straw or other litter
to keep the roots from becoming extremely dry. In September or October
they may be shaken out, cleaning off all the old soil, and repotted, as
already mentioned. The offsets may be taken off and set in small pots
and given a year's growth, resting them the second year and having them
in flower that winter.
The spotted Calla has variegated foliage and is a fine plant for mixed
collections. This blooms in the spring, which will lengthen the season
of Calla bloom. The treatment of this is similar to that of the common
Calla.
CALLIOPSIS is a garden name for _Coreopsis_.
CALLIRRHOE. _C. pedata_ is a hardy annual which has large, graceful
blossoms of violet or red. Is it a very free-blooming plant. Should be
started in a frame and planted out where wanted. 2-3 ft. high and grows
bushy. Plants should stand 1-1/2 to 2 ft. apart.
CAMELLIA. Years ago Camellias were very popular, but they have been
crowded out by the informal flowers of recent times. Their time will
come again. They are half-hardy woody plants, blooming in late winter
and spring. During the blooming season keep them cool--say not over 50 deg.
at night and a little higher by day. When blooming is done they begin to
grow, then give them more heat and plenty of water. See that they are
well ripened by winter. Always screen them from direct sunlight. Do not
try to force them in early winter, after the growth has ceased. Their
summer quarters may be in a protected place in the open air. Propagated
by cuttings in winter, which should give blooming plants in two years.
Use a porous soil for Camellias, with considerable leaf-mold.
CAMPANULA. BELL FLOWER. But one of the Campanulas commonly listed by
seedsmen is an annual,--_C. macrostyla_, a clean-leaved plant, growing 2
feet high, spreading over the ground, and bearing a profusion of large,
violet, bell-shaped flowers. The Canterbury Bell is the best known. It
is biennial, but if started early and transplanted will bloom the first
season. The perennial Campanulas are most excellent for borders. _C.
Carpatica_ is particularly good for edgings.
CANARY BIRD FLOWER. See _Nasturtium_.
[Illustration: Candytuft]
CANDYTUFT. Well known sweet-scented hardy annuals, in red, purple, and
white; easy of culture and fine for cutting. One of the best of edging
plants for the front row. The plants grow from 6 in. to 1 ft. tall. Sow
seeds where the plants are to grow, letting plants stand 6-12 in. apart.
They do not last the entire season, and successive sowings may well be
made. There are also perennial kinds.
CANNA is now the favorite bedding plant. The improvements made in the
past ten years, in size and markings of the flowers, have created a
liking for the plant. The tropical effect of a large bed of Cannas,
either mixed or of one color, is not surpassed by any other plant used
for bedding purposes.
[Illustration: Canna]
The Canna may be grown from seed and had in bloom the first year by
sowing in February or March, in boxes or pots placed in hotbeds or
warmhouse, first soaking the seeds in warm water for a short time.
Attention to transplanting as needed and removal to the ground only when
it is well warmed are the necessary requirements. The majority of
Cannas, however, are grown from pieces of the roots (rhizomes), each
piece having a bud. The roots may be divided at any time in the winter,
and if early flowers and foliage are wanted the pieces may be planted in
a hotbed or warmhouse in early April, started into growth and planted
out where wanted as soon as the ground has warmed and all danger of
frost is over. A hardening of the plants, by leaving the sash off the
hotbeds, or setting the plants in shallow boxes and placing the boxes
in a sheltered position through May, not forgetting a liberal supply of
water, will fit the plants to take kindly to the final planting out.
After frost has injured the tops, the roots may be dug, choosing, if
possible, a dry day. The soil is shaken off and the roots stored in a
warm, dry place through the winter. If the cellar is too dry the roots
are liable to shrivel, in which case it would be best to cover them with
soil or sand, filling in around the roots to exclude the drying air.
Cannas grow 3 to 7 ft. high. For dense mass effects, plant 12-18 in.
apart. For individual plants, or for best bloom, give more room. Fine
clumps may be had by planting out the entire old root, not dividing it.
Cannas want a rich, warm soil and a sunny place. They are very easy to
grow.
CANTERBURY BELL is a _Campanula_.
CARBONATE OF COPPER. See _Bordeaux Mixture_.
CARDIOSPERMUM. See _Balloon Vine_.
CARNATIONS are of two types, the outdoor or garden varieties, and the
indoor or forcing kinds. Normally, the Carnation is a hardy perennial,
but the garden kinds, or Marguerites, are usually treated as annuals.
The forcing kinds are flowered but once, new plants being grown each
year from cuttings.
Marguerite Carnations bloom the year the seed is sown, and with a slight
protection will bloom freely the second year. They make attractive house
plants if potted in the fall. The seeds of these Carnations should be
sown in boxes in March and the young plants set out as early as
possible, pinching out the center of the plant to make them branch
freely. Give the same space as for garden pinks.
[Illustration: Carnation]
The winter-flowering Carnations have become prime favorites with all
flower lovers, and a collection of winter house plants seems incomplete
without them. Carnations grow readily from cuttings made of the suckers
that form around the base of the stem, the side shoots of the flowering
stem, or the main shoots before they show flower buds. The cuttings from
the base make the best plants in most cases. These cuttings may be taken
from a plant at any time through the fall or winter, rooted in sand and
potted up, to be held in pots until the planting out time in the spring,
usually in April, or any time when the ground is ready to handle. Care
should be taken to pinch out the tops of young plants while growing in
the pot, and later while in the ground, causing them to grow stocky and
send out new growths along the stem. The young plants should be grown
cool, a temperature of 45 deg. suiting them well. Attention should be given
to spraying the cuttings each day while in the house to keep down the
red spider, which is very partial to the Carnation. In the summer, the
plants are grown in the field, and not in pots. The soil in which they
are to be planted should be moderately rich and loose. Clean cultivation
should be given throughout the summer. Frequently pinch out the tops.
The plants are taken up in September and potted firmly, and well
watered; then set in a cool, partially shaded situation until root
growth has started, spraying the foliage often, and watering the plant
only as it shows need of water.
[Illustration: Carnation cutting]
The usual living-room conditions as to moisture and heat are not such as
the Carnation demands, and care must be taken to overcome the dryness by
spraying the foliage and setting the plant in a position not exposed to
the direct heat of a stove or the sun. In commercial houses, it is not
often necessary to spray established plants. Pick off most or all of the
side buds, in order to add to the size of the leading flowers. After
all is said, it is probably advisable in most cases to purchase the
plants when in bloom from a florist, and after blooming either throw
them away or store them for planting in the spring, when they will bloom
throughout the summer.
CARPET BEDDING. See _Bedding_.
[Illustration: Early Carrots]
CARROT, while essentially a farm crop in this country, is nevertheless a
most acceptable garden vegetable. It is hardy and easily grown. The
extra-early varieties may be forced in a hotbed, or seed may be sown as
soon as the ground is fit to work in the spring. The stump-rooted, or
half-long varieties, are sown for the general garden crop. Well
enriched, mellow loam, deeply dug or plowed, is best suited to the
requirements of Carrots. The seed for the main crop may be sown as late
as July 1. Sow thickly, thinning to 3-4 in. in the row. The rows, if in
a garden that is hand-worked, may be 12 in. apart. If the cultivation is
done by a horse, the rows should be from 2 to 3 ft. apart. One ounce
will sow 100 feet of drill.
[Illustration: Castor Bean]
CASTOR OIL PLANT. In the entire list of quick-growing plants there is
none that excels this for rapidity of growth, grace of foliage and rich
effect. Used either as a specimen plant, with cannas, caladiums, or for
a tropical bed, or as a screen, it gives the most satisfactory results.
Seeds sown early in the house, and the plants grown in the full light,
make fine, stocky plants to set out about the middle of May. With rich
soil and plenty of water, they will grow without a check until frost.
Height, 5-12 ft. For screens, plant 3-4 ft. apart. There are varieties
with differing shades of foliage.