CAULIFLOWER. The general culture of Cauliflower is much like that of

cabbage, except that the Cauliflower, being more tender, should be more

thoroughly hardened off before setting out. Still, it is essential that

the plants be set out as early as possible, as the warm weather of June

causes them to make imperfect heads unless the soil is filled with

moisture. No garden crop will as well repay the cost and time of

thorough irrigation, either by running the water between the rows or

applying it directly to the plants. When it is impossible to furnish

water, it would be a good plan to mulch heavily with straw or some other

substance. This mulch, if put on just after a heavy rain, will hold the

moisture for a long time. When the heads begin to form the outside

leaves may be brought together and tied above the head, excluding the

direct sunshine and keeping the head white and tender. No vegetable will

respond more quickly to good culture and well manured soil than the

Cauliflower, and none will prove such an utter failure when neglected.

It is imperative that care be taken to destroy all the cabbage worms

before the leaves are tied in, as after that it will be impossible to

see or reach them. Cauliflower prospers best in moist soil and a cool

climate. From 1,000 to 1,500 plants may be grown from 1 ounce of seed.

Good Cauliflower seed is very expensive.

[Illustration: Cauliflower]

For winter crop, seeds may be started in June or July, as for late

cabbage.

Erfurt, Snowball and Paris are popular early varieties. Nonpareil and

Algiers are good late kinds.

CELERIAC, or TURNIP-ROOTED CELERY. This tuber has the celery flavor in a

pronounced degree, and is used for flavoring soups and for celery salad.

It may be served raw, sliced in vinegar and oil, or boiled. The culture

is the same as given for celery, except that no earthing or blanching is

required. About an equal number of plants are obtained from the same

weight of seed as from celery seed. Celeriac is extensively used abroad,

but, unfortunately, is little grown in America.

CELERY has become one of the favorite relish and salad vegetables, and

is now very generally grown. The self-blanching varieties have

simplified the culture so that the amateur, as well as the expert, may

have a supply through at least six months of the year. The so-called new

culture, which consists of setting the plants close together and causing

them to shade each other, can be recommended for the garden when a

supply of well rotted manure is to be had, and when any amount of water

is available. This method is as follows: Fork or spade into the soil a

large quantity of manure to the depth of 10-12 in., pulverize the soil

until the ground for the depth of 4-6 in. is in very fine condition.

Then set the plants in rows 10 in. apart and the plants but 5 or 6 in.

apart in the rows. It will be seen that plants set as close as this will

soon fill the soil with a mass of roots and must have large amounts of

plant-food, as well as a large quantity of water; and the making of such

a bed can be recommended only to those who can supply these needs.

[Illustration: Celery]

The common practice in home gardens is to plow or dig a shallow trench,

setting the plants in the bottom and hoeing in the soil as the plants

grow. The distance apart of the rows and plants will depend on the

varieties. For the dwarf varieties, such as White Plume, Golden

Self-blanching and others of that type, the rows may be as close as 3

ft. and the plants 6 in. in the rows. For the large-growing varieties,

as Kalamazoo, Giant Pascal and, in fact, most of the late varieties,

the rows may be from 4-1/2 to 5 ft. apart and the plants 7 or 8 in. in

the row.

The seed for an early crop should be sown in February or early in March

in shallow boxes, which may be placed in a hotbed or sunny window, or

sown directly in the soil of a hotbed. Cover the seeds thinly and press

the soil firmly over them. When the seedling plants are about one inch

high they should be transplanted to other boxes or hotbeds, setting the

plants 1 in. apart in rows 3 in. apart. At this transplanting, as with

the following ones, the tall leaves should be cut or pinched off,

leaving only the upright growth, as with the utmost care it is almost

impossible to prevent the outside leafstalks from wilting down and

dying. The roots of the plants should also be trimmed back at each

transplanting in order to increase the feeding roots. The plants should

be set as deep as possible, care being taken, however, not to allow the

heart of the plant to be covered up. The varieties usually grown for an

early crop are the so-called self-blanching varieties. They may be made

fit for the table with much less labor than the late crop, the shade

required to blanch the stalks being much less. When only a few short

rows are grown in a private garden, screens of lath may be made by

driving stakes on each side of the row and tacking lath on, leaving

spaces of an inch or more for the light to enter; or each head may be

wrapped in paper, or a tile drain pipe may be set over the plant. In

fact, any material that will exclude the light will render the stalks

white and brittle.

The seed for the main or fall crop should be sown in April or early May

in a seed bed prepared by forking fine, well rotted manure into a fine

soil, sowing the seed thinly in rows 8 or 10 in. apart, covering the

seed lightly and firming over the seed with the feet, hoe or back of a

spade. This seed bed should be kept moist at all times until the seed

germinates, either by close attention to watering or by a lath screen.

The use of a piece of cloth laid directly on the soil, and the bed wet

through the cloth, is often recommended, and if the cloth is always wet

and taken off the bed as soon as the seed sprouts it can be used. After

the young plants have grown to the height of 1 or 2 in. they must be

thinned out, leaving the plants so that they do not touch each other,

and transplanting those thinned--if wanted--to other ground prepared in

the same manner as the seed bed. All these plants may be sheared or cut

back to induce stockiness.

If in a private garden, the ground on which the fall crop is usually set

will likely be land from which a crop of some early vegetable has been

taken. This land should be again well enriched with fine, well rotted

manure, to which may be added a liberal amount of wood ashes. If the

manure or ashes are not easily obtained, a small amount may be used by

plowing or digging out a furrow 8 or 12 in. deep, scattering the manure

and ashes in the bottom of the trench and filling it up almost level

with the surface. The plants should be set about the middle of July,

preferably just before a rain. The plant bed should have a thorough

soaking shortly before the plants are lifted, and each plant be trimmed,

both top and root, before setting. The plants should be set from 5 to 6

in. apart in the rows and the earth well firmed around each one.

The after-cultivation consists in thorough tillage until the time of

"handling" or earthing up the plants. This process of handling is

accomplished by drawing up the earth with one hand while holding the

plant with the other, packing the soil well around the stalks. This

process may be continued until only the leaves are to be seen. For the

private grower, it is much easier to blanch the Celery with boards or

paper, or if the Celery is not wanted until winter, the plants may be

dug up, packed closely in boxes, covering the roots with soil, and

placed in a dark, cool cellar, where the stalks will blanch themselves.

In this manner Celery may be stored in boxes in the house cellar. Put

earth in the bottom of a deep box, and plant the Celery in it. An ounce

of seed will furnish about three thousand plants.

CENTAUREA. Showy annuals and perennials. _C. Cyanus_ is the CORN FLOWER

or BACHELOR BUTTON, familiar to every flower lover, and always seen in

old-fashioned gardens. This is a fine plant for borders or mixed beds,

and also gives good flowers for bouquets. A bunch of the Corn Flower,

with a sprinkling of yellow marigolds or California poppy, makes a rich

effect. These Centaureas are easy of culture, seeding themselves after

once being planted, and coming up year after year in great profusion.

There are blue, white and rose varieties. Annuals. 2-3 ft. Hardy.

The silver-leaved Centaureas are used only for foliage effects. They are

excellent for ribbon beds or border lines. The seed of these should be

started in a hotbed or box in March, the young plants being set out

where wanted when the ground becomes warm. These species are perennials,

and are sometimes grown from cuttings. _C. candidissima_ and _C.

gymnocarpa_ are among the best white-leaved bedders.

CENTRANTHUS. Low-growing hardy annuals in two colors, red and white.

They make very effective covering for low rockwork, and are also

suitable for vases or lawn baskets. Sow where the plants are to stand,

or start indoors if early bloom is wanted. 1 ft. Thin to 10-12 in.

apart.

CENTURY PLANT, or AGAVE. These are fine ornamental plants for the

window-garden or conservatory, requiring but little care and growing

slowly, thus needing repotting only at long intervals. When the plants

have outgrown their usefulness as house plants, they are still valuable

as porch decorations, for plunging in rockwork or about rustic nooks.

The striped-leaved variety is the most desirable, but the common type,

with its blue-gray leaves, is highly ornamental.

There are a number of dwarf-growing species of Agave that are not so

common, although they may be grown with ease. Such plants add novelty to

a collection, and may be used through the summer as noted above or

plunged with cactus in a bed of tropical plants. All succeed well in

loam and sand in equal parts, adding a little leaf-mold in the case of

the small varieties. The more common species are propagated by suckers

from around the base of the established plants. A few kinds having no

suckers must be grown from seed. As to watering, they demand no special

care. Agaves will not stand frost.

CEREUS. Under the name of NIGHT-BLOOMING CEREUSES, several species of

Cacti are cultivated. The name is sometimes applied to species of

Phyllocactus, the flowers of which, in white and shades of red,

sometimes open at nightfall. Phyllocactuses are easy to grow. See

_Cactus_. The true Night-blooming Cereuses, however, are species of the

genus Cereus. The commonest one is _C. nycticalus_, but _C.

grandiflorus_, _C. triangularis_ and others are occasionally seen. These

true Night-blooming Cereuses all have long rod-like stems, which are

cylindrical or angular. These stems often reach a height of 10 to 30

ft., and they need support. They should be trained along a pillar or

tied to a stake. They are uninteresting leafless things during a large

part of the year; but in midsummer, after they are three or more years

old, they throw out their great tubular flowers, which open at nightfall

and wither and die when the light strikes them next morning. They are

very easily grown, either in pots or planted in the natural soil in the

conservatory. The only special care they need is good drainage at the

roots, so that the soil will not become soggy.

CHERRY. Of Cherries there are two common types, the sweet Cherries and

the sour Cherries. The sweet Cherries are larger and taller-growing

trees. They comprise the varieties known as the Hearts, Bigarreaus and

Dukes. The sour Cherries include the various kinds of Morellos and pie

Cherries, and these usually ripen after the sweet Cherries. The sour

Cherries make low, round-headed trees. The fruits are extensively used

for canning. Cherry trees should be planted when 2 and 3 years old. Too

rich soil tends to make growth at the expense of fruit, particularly in

the sweet Cherries. For the sweet types, a strong, gravelly loam is

best. Sour Cherries thrive well on clay loams.

Trees of the sour Cherry should be planted 18 by 18 ft. apart, in well

prepared under-drained soil. The trees may be slightly trimmed back each

year, keeping the head low and bushy.

[Illustration: Sweet Cherry]

The sweet Cherries have proved disappointing in many instances from the

rotting of the fruit. This may never be entirely avoided, but good

cultivation, soil not too rich in nitrogen, attention to spraying, and

picking the fruit when dry, will lessen the loss very much. In years of

severe rotting, the fruit should be picked before it becomes fully ripe,

placed in a cool, airy room and allowed to color. It will be nearly as

well flavored as if left on the tree; and, as the fungus usually attacks

only the ripe fruit, a considerable part of the crop may be saved. Set

the trees 25 or 30 ft. apart.

[Illustration: Black Tartarian Cherry]

Leaf-blight is readily controlled by timely spraying with Bordeaux

mixture. The curculio or fruit worm is best controlled by jarring, as

for plums (which see).

Of sweet Cherries, Windsor is the most popular variety. Other good kinds

are Napoleon, Governor Wood, Dikeman, Black Tartarian. Of sour Cherries,

Ostheim and Early Richmond are very early and productive, but better

kinds are Montmorency and English Morello.

CHERVIL. The curled Chervil is a good addition to the list of garnishing

vegetables, and adds flavor to dishes when it is used to season. Sow

seeds and cultivate the same as parsley.

The tuberous Chervil resembles a short carrot or parsnip. It is much

esteemed in France and Germany. The tubers have somewhat the flavor of a

sweet potato, perhaps a little sweeter. They are perfectly hardy, and,

like the parsnip, the better for frosts. The seed may be sown in

September or October, as it does not keep well; or as soon as the ground

is fit to work in the spring, it being slow to germinate after the

weather becomes hot and dry. One packet of seed will give all the plants

necessary.

CHESTNUTS. Of Chestnuts there are three types in cultivation: the

European, the Japanese, and the American. The American, or native

Chestnuts, of which there are several improved varieties, are the

hardiest and most reliable, and the nuts are the sweetest, but they are

also the smallest. The Japanese varieties are usually injured by the

winter in central New York. The European varieties are somewhat hardier,

and some of the varieties will thrive in the northern states. Chestnuts

are very easily grown. They usually bear better when two or more trees

are planted near each other. There are few really good Chestnut orchards

in North America, but Chestnut planting is now considerably agitated.

Sprouts in old Chestnut clearings are often allowed to remain, and

sometimes they are grafted to the improved varieties. The young trees

may be grafted in the spring by the whip-graft or cleft-graft method;

but the cions should be perfectly dormant, and the operation should be

very carefully done. Even with the best workmanship, a considerable

percentage of the grafts are likely to fail or to break off after two or

three years. The most popular single variety of Chestnut is the Paragon,

which bears large and excellent nuts when the tree is very young. When

the home ground is large enough, two or three of these trees should be

planted near the borders.

CHICORY. The Magdeburg Chicory is the variety usually spoken of, it

being the one most extensively grown. The roots of this, after being

ground and roasted, are used either as a substitute or an adulterant of

coffee.

The Witloof, a form of Chicory, is used as a salad, or boiled and served

in the same manner as Cauliflower. The plants should be thinned to 6 in.

In the latter part of summer they should be banked up like celery, and

the leaves used after becoming white and tender. This and the common

wild Chicory are often dug in the fall, the leaves cut off, the roots

packed in sand in a cellar and watered until a new growth of leaves

starts. These leaves grow rapidly and are very tender, making a fine

salad vegetable. One packet of seed of the Witloof will furnish plants

enough for a large family.

[Illustration: Chrysanthemum]

CHRYSANTHEMUMS are both annual and perennial. The annual Chrysanthemums

must not be confounded with the well known fall-flowering kinds, as they

will prove a disappointment if one expects large flowers of all colors

and shapes. The annuals are mostly coarse-growing plants, with an

abundance of bloom and a rank smell. The flowers are single in most

cases, and not very lasting. They are useful for massing and also for

cut-flowers. They are among the easiest of hardy annuals to grow. The

stoniest part of the garden will usually suit them. 1-2 ft. Colors white

and shades of yellow, the flowers daisy-like.

Amongst perennial kinds, _Chrysanthemum frutescens_ is the well known

Paris Daisy or Marguerite, one of the most popular of the genus. This

makes a very fine pot-plant for the window-garden, blooming throughout

the winter and spring months. It is usually propagated by cuttings,

which, if taken in spring, will give large blooming plants for the next

winter. Gradually transfer to larger pots or boxes, until the plants

finally stand in 6-inch or 8-inch pots or in small soap boxes. There is

a fine yellow-flowered variety.

[Illustration: Chrysanthemums in a box]

In variety of form and color, and in size of bloom, the florists'

Chrysanthemum is one of the most wonderful of plants. It is a late

autumn flower, and it needs little artificial heat to bring it to

perfection. The great blooms of the exhibitions are produced by growing

only one flower to a plant and by feeding the plant heavily. It is

hardly possible for the amateur to grow such specimen flowers as the

professional florist or gardener does; neither is it necessary. A

well-grown plant with fourteen to twenty flowers is far more

satisfactory as a window plant than a long, stiff stem with only one

immense flower at the apex. Their culture is simple, much more so than

that of many of the plants commonly grown for house decoration. Although

their season of bloom is short, the satisfaction of having a fall

display of flowers before the geraniums, begonias and other house plants

have recovered from their removal from out of doors, repays all efforts.

[Illustration: Cutting of Chrysanthemum]

Cuttings taken in March or April, planted out in the border in May, well

tended through the summer and lifted before frost in September, will

bloom in October or November. The ground in which they are planted

should be moderately rich and moist. The plants may be tied to stakes.

When the buds show, all but the center one of each cluster on the

leading shoots should be picked off, as also the small lateral branches.

A thrifty bushy plant thus treated will usually have flowers large

enough to show the character of the variety, also enough flowers to make

a fine display. As to the receptacle into which to put them when lifted

from the border, it need not be a flower pot. A pail or soap box, with

holes bored for drainage, will suit the plant just as well, and by

covering the box with cloth or paper the difference will not be noticed.

If cuttings are not to be had, young plants may be bought of the

florists and treated in the manner described. Buy them in midsummer or

earlier.

[Illustration: Vase of small Chrysanthemums]

It is best not to attempt to flower the same plant two seasons. After

the plant has bloomed, the top may be cut down, and the box set in a

cellar and kept moderately dry. In February or March, bring the plant to

the sitting-room window and let the shoots start from the root. These

shoots are taken for cuttings to grow plants for the fall bloom.

[Illustration: Hardy Chrysanthemum]

There is a hardy race of Chrysanthemums, very excellent for the border.

Mulch in winter. The best bloom is usually given the first and second

years.

CINERARIA. A tender greenhouse plant. It may be grown as a house plant,

although the conditions necessary to the best results are hard to obtain

outside of a greenhouse. The conditions for their growing are a cool

temperature, frequent repotting and guarding against the attacks of the

greenfly. Perhaps the last is the most difficult, and with one having no

facilities for fumigating, it will be almost impossible to prevent the

difficulty. A living room usually has too dry air for Cinerarias. The

seed, which is very minute, should be sown in August or September to

have plants in bloom in January or February. Sow the seed on the surface

of fine soil and water very lightly to settle the seeds into the soil. A

piece of glass or a damp cloth may be spread over the pot or box in

which the seeds are sown, to remain until the seeds are up. Always keep

the soil damp, but not wet. When the seedlings are large enough to

repot, they should be potted singly in 2- or 3-inch pots. Before the

plants have become pot-bound, they should again be repotted into larger

pots, until they are in at least a 6-inch pot in which to bloom. In all

this time, they should be grown cool and, if not possible to fumigate

them with tobacco smoke, the pots should stand on tobacco stems, which

should be moist at all times. The general practice, in order to have

bushy plants, is to pinch out the center when the flower buds show,

causing the lateral branches to start, which they are slow to do if the

central stem is allowed to grow. Plants bloom but once.

CIVES. These belong to the onion family, and are propagated by division

of the root. They may be planted in a permanent place in the border,

and, being hardy, will remain for years. The leaves are the parts used,

as the roots are very rank in flavor. The leaves may be cut frequently,

as they readily grow again.

CLARKIA. The Clarkias are among the popular hardy edging and vase

annuals, bearing rose, white or bordered flowers in great profusion. The

double-flowering varieties are the most showy, but the single ones will

prove very satisfactory. The seeds may be sown where the plants are

wanted, or started in frames for earlier flowers. 6-18 in. high. Thin to

6-12 in. apart. Plant in a warm soil and sunny place.

CLEMATIS. One of the best of woody climbing vines. The common _C.

Flammula_, _Virginiana_, _paniculata_ and others are used frequently to

cover division walls or fences, growing year after year without any care

and producing quantities of flowers. _C. paniculata_ is now planted very

extensively. The panicles of star-shaped flowers entirely cover the vine

and have a pleasant fragrance. One of the best of all fall-flowering

vines, and hardy North. Clings well to a chicken-wire trellis.

The large-flowered section, of which Jackmani is perhaps the best known,

is very popular for pillar or porch climbers. The flowers of this

section are large and showy, running from pure white, through blue, to

scarlet. Of this class, the most serviceable purple is Jackmani; white,

Henryi; blue, Ramona; crimson, Madame E. Andre.

The Flammula class may be propagated by division of the roots. The

large-flowered kinds are propagated by layers or root-grafting on _C.

Flammula_ and others.

[Illustration: Clematis paniculata]

A deep, mellow, rich soil, naturally moist, will suit the requirements

of Clematis. In dry times apply water freely, particularly for the

large-flowered kinds. Also provide trellis or other support as soon as

they begin to run. Clematis usually blooms on the wood of the season:

therefore prune in winter or early spring, in order to secure strong new

flowering shoots. The large-flowered kinds should be cut back to the

ground each year; and other kinds may be similarly treated unless they

are wanted for permanent bowers.

The Clematis root disease is the depredation of a nematode or eel-worm.

It is seldom troublesome in ground which thoroughly freezes.

CLIMBERS. Treated under _Vines_.

COBAEA. This is most commonly seen in the greenhouse, although it is one

of the best of tender climbers for porches. Seed sown in February or

March, and grown in gentle heat, will make suitable plants for setting

out by June. It may also be grown from cuttings of the young wood, taken

in February and rooted in brisk heat. The flowers of _C. scandens_ are

shaped very much like those of the Campanulas, but are larger. They open

a greenish white and deepen to a dark purple in the course of a few

days. The vines in full bloom have a gradation of colors as the flowers

are in different stages of development. The variegated form of _C.

scandens_ should be propagated by cuttings to hold the variegation.

Grows 10-15 ft. Tender. Climbs by means of tendrils.

COCKSCOMB. _Celosia cristata_ is the well known Cockscomb, having combs

or heads of scarlet, crimson, rose and yellow. The combs are often

saved for winter bouquets by cutting them off before thoroughly ripe and

drying them. The feathered section comprises tall-growing plants with

plumes of various colors which, with the colored leaves of some

varieties, make a striking feature in a border. The Celosias, being

tender, should be started in a hotbed or frame, potted off when out of

the seed-leaf, and planted out in well enriched soil after danger of

frost is past, 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 ft. high.

COLDFRAME. A Coldframe is a simple, low structure, covered with glass or

oiled paper or cloth, in which plants are grown without artificial heat.

It differs from the hotbed in the fact that it has no bottom heat. The

atmosphere in the Coldframe is warmer than that outside, because it is

protected from the winds and because there is more or less of the sun's

heat stored up in the earth. For the details of construction of the

Coldframe, see _Hotbed_.

A Coldframe is ordinarily used for later work than the hotbed: that is,

seeds may be sown in a Coldframe from two to three and sometimes four

weeks in advance of their sowing in the open; whereas in a hotbed the

seeds may be started from one to three months earlier than they may be

out of doors. Coldframes are sometimes used for the wintering over of

hardy plants which are started in the fall. For example, cabbage seed

may be sown in September in a Coldframe and the young plants may be

protected therein during the winter. If they are properly grown and

hardened off, they will not be injured by the winter, even though they

freeze. Lettuce and sometimes cauliflowers are carried over in the same

way. Coldframes are also used to receive plants which have outgrown the

hotbed and must be transplanted. Plants which need hardening off may

also be transplanted from the hotbed into the Coldframe. The Coldframe

in these cases is an intermediate stage between the hotbed and the open

field.

COLEUS. A well known foliage plant for pot culture or bedding. It was

used very extensively at one time in ornamental bedding and ribbon

borders, but owing to its being tender has lost in favor, and its place

is largely taken by other plants. Cuttings root very readily. It may

also be grown from seed, although the types have not become fixed, and a

large number of differently marked plants may be had from the same

packet. This would not be a drawback in the window-garden, unless a

uniform effect is wished. Sow the seed in gentle heat in March. Make new

plants from cuttings each year, and throw the old ones away.

COLLARDS. This is a name given to a kind of kale, used when young as

greens; also to young cabbages used in the same way. The seed of any

early cabbage may be sown thickly in rows 18 inches apart, from early

spring to late fall. The plants are cut off when 6 or 8 inches high and

boiled as are other greens. The kale Collards is grown in the South,

where cabbages fail to head. It grows to the height of 2 to 6 feet,

furnishing a large quantity of leaves.

COLLINSIA. A hardy annual that should be sown in the fall, where wanted,

if early flowers are desired. The flowers of all the varieties are

showy, either in masses or planted in a border. Give them a position

near the front, as the plants rarely exceed 18 inches in height.

COLUMBINE. See _Aquilegia_.

COMPOST. See _Manure_.

CONVOLVULUS. See _Morning-Glory_.

COREOPSIS, or CALLIOPSIS. Very showy hardy annuals, growing from 1 to 3

feet high, and covered throughout the season with a profusion of bloom.

The colors range from lemon-yellow to dark velvety brown. Excellent for

cutting, and very effective in mixed borders. They thrive in any garden

soil if they have full sunlight. Sow where they are to grow, letting the

plants stand 6-12 in. apart for mass effects.

CORN SALAD. This is one of the earliest spring salad vegetables, coming

into condition to use with spinach, and needing the same culture. Sown

in the fall, and covered with straw or hay when cold weather sets in, it

will start into rapid growth when the covering is removed in March or

April. Or the seed may be sown in early spring, and plants will be fit

to use in six or eight weeks. One packet of seed will suffice for a

small family.

CORN, SWEET, is not so generally used as it should be. Usually when

planted at all, only one planting of one kind is made. The ears come to

edible maturity almost simultaneously, and a short season of Sweet Corn

is the result. The first planting should be made from May 1 to 10,

planting early, intermediate and late varieties at the same time, then

at intervals of two weeks until the middle of July, when the late

varieties should be planted, thus having a succession from the first

crop until October. The soil for Corn should be rich in plant-food, and

the coarser manure left from the preparation of the ground for small

crops may be used to good advantage. Corn for the garden is better

planted in drills, the drills 3 feet apart, dropping the seed from 10 to

12 inches apart in the drills. One quart of seed will plant 200 hills.

For extra early, Marblehead, Adams, Vermont, Minnesota and Early Cory

are favorites. For later crop, Crosby, Hickox, Shoe Peg and Stowell

Evergreen are now popular.

COSMOS. The Cosmos grown in a locality free from early fall frosts is

certainly a beautiful thing, but there are probably few flowers that

have caused so much disappointment to the flower lover in the North. The

seed germinates very freely. The plants grow with great vigor, and if

the season permits, an abundance of bloom may be had in September. An

early-flowering strain of dwarf Cosmos has been offered by the trade for

several years; and each year there seems to be an improvement in the

size and colors, so the time may shortly come when this will equal the

late-flowering varieties, making the culture of Cosmos more

satisfactory. Cosmos flowers are borne on long stems, and the colors are

in white and fine shades of red. The foliage is also fine. Seed should

be sown in gentle heat, in the greenhouse, hotbed or window in early

April, and the young plants transplanted when 2 inches high, setting the

plants well down in the soil and giving at least 3 inches between the

plants, as they are very likely to spindle up, with weak stems, if

crowded. When danger of frost is over, set them out in a warm, well

sheltered position, 3 feet apart. After the plants start into growth,

pinch out the top to induce a bushy growth. If situated where the wind

can whip them, they should have a stake driven close to the stem, and be

tied to it for support. Flowers of Cosmos are on the order of single

Dahlias.

CRANBERRY. The growing of Cranberries in artificial bogs is an American

industry. The common large Cranberry of markets is also a peculiarly

American fruit, since it is unknown in other countries except as the

fruit is shipped there. Cranberries are grown in bogs, which may be

flooded. The whole area is kept under water during the winter time,

largely to prevent the plants from winter injury by the heaving and

freezing and thawing of the bogs. Flooding is also employed at intervals

for the purpose of drowning out insects, mitigating drought, and

protecting against frost and fires. Every good Cranberry bog should have

facilities for flooding. The ordinary practice is to choose a bog which

has a creek running through it, or through which some creek or ditch may

be diverted. At the lower side of the bog flood gates are provided, so

that when the gates are shut the water backs up and floods the area. It

is best that the bog be comparatively flat, so that the water will be

of approximately equal depth over the whole area. At the shallowest

places the water should stand about a foot above the plants. The water

is usually let on the bog early in December and kept on until April or

early May. No flooding is done during the rest of the year unless there

is some particular occasion therefor.

All the wild and turfy growth should be taken off the bog before the

vines are set. This is done either by digging it off and removing it

bodily, or by drowning it out by means of a year's flooding. The former

method is generally considered to be the better. After the turfy growth

is removed, the bog is smoothed and covered 2 or 3 in. deep with clean

sand. The vines are now set, the lower ends of them being shoved through

the sand into the richer earth. In order to prevent a too rapid and

tangled growth of vine, it is customary to resand the bog every three or

four years to a depth of one-fourth or one-half inch. When sanding is

not practicable, the vines may be mown off when they become too

luxuriant.

The plants for setting are merely cuttings or branches of the vines.

These cuttings may be from 5 to 10 in. long. They are inserted into the

ground in a hole made by a crowbar or stick. They are usually planted at

distances of 12 to 18 in. each way, and the vines are allowed to cover

the entire ground as with a mat. In three years a good crop should be

secured, if the weeds and wild growth are kept down. A crop ranges

between 50 to 100 barrels per acre.

CRESS. The Upland Cress, or the true PEPPER GRASS, may be grown on any

garden soil. Sow early in the spring. It makes a rapid growth and can be

cut from four to five weeks. Succession of sowings must be made, as it

runs quickly to seed. The curled variety is the one usually grown, as

the leaves may be used for garnishing as well as for salads. One packet

of seed will be sufficient for each sowing. Any good soil will do. Sow

thickly in drills 12-18 in. apart. In summer it runs to seed quickly,

so that it is usually grown in spring and fall.

The Water Cress is more exacting in its culture, and can only be

successfully grown in moist places, such as edges of shallow,

slow-running creeks, open drains, or beds excavated near such streams. A

few plants for private use may be grown in a frame, provided a retentive

soil is used and attention given to watering the bed often. Water Cress

may be propagated from pieces of the stem, used as cuttings. If one is

fond of Water Cress, it is well to colonize it in some clean creek or

pool. It will take care of itself year by year. Seeds may also be used

for propagating it.

CROCUS. A hardy bulb, easily grown and giving good satisfaction either

in the border or scattered through the lawn. They are also forced for

winter (see _Bulbs_). They are so cheap and lasting that they may be

used in quantity. A border of them along the edges of walks, little

clumps of them in the lawn, or masses in a bed, give the first touch of

color as the spring opens. They may be forced with ease planted in pots

or shallow boxes, put away in a cool place and brought into the house at

any time through the winter. A low temperature will bring them into

bloom in perfection in about four weeks from the time they are brought

in. They can be had in the window-garden in this way.

A sandy soil suits the Crocus admirably. Plant in the fall, in the open,

setting them 3 to 4 inches deep. When they show signs of failing, take

up the bulbs and reset them. They tend to rise out of the ground,

because the new bulb or corm forms on the top of the old one. If best

results are desired, it is well to renew the bed occasionally by buying

new bulbs. Crocus beds may be filled later in the season with

quick-growing annuals.

CROTON. Under this name many varieties and so-called species of Codiaeum

are grown for conservatory decoration, and latterly for foliage bedding

in the open. The colors and shapes of the leaves are very various and

attractive. The Crotons make good window-garden subjects, although they

are very liable to the attack of the mealy bug. They are propagated

readily by cuttings of half-ripened wood any time during winter or

spring. The plants should be given an abundance of light in order to

bring out their fine colors; but it is usually advisable to screen them

from the direct rays of the sun when they are grown under glass. If the

red spider or the mealy bug attack them, they may be syringed with

tobacco water. Plants which are propagated indoors during the winter may

be massed in beds out of doors during the summer, where they make very

striking effects. Give them rich, deep soil, and be sure that they are

syringed frequently enough on the under side of the leaves to keep down

the red spider. If the plants have been gradually subjected to strong

light before they are taken out of doors, they will stand the full

sunlight and will develop their rich colors to perfection. In the fall

they may be taken up, cut back and used for window-garden or

conservatory subjects. Crotons are shrubs or small trees, and they may

be transferred into large pots or tubs and grown on into large tree-like

specimens.

CUCUMBER. For early use, the Cucumber is usually started in a hotbed or

coldframe by sowing the seed on pieces of sod 4 to 6 inches square,

turned grass side down. Three or four seeds are placed on or pushed into

each piece of sod and covered with 1 to 2 inches of fine soil. The soil

should be well watered and the glass or cloth placed over the frame. The

roots will run through the sod. When the plants are large enough to set

out, a flat trowel or a shingle may be slipped under the sod and the

plants moved to the hill without check. In place of sod, old quart berry

boxes are good; after setting in the hill the roots may force their way

through the cracks in the baskets. The baskets also decay rapidly.

Flower pots may be used. These plants from the frames may be set out

when danger of frost is over, usually by the 10th of May, and should

make a very rapid growth, yielding good-sized fruits in two months. The

hills should be made rich by forking in a quantity of well rotted

manure, and given a slight elevation above the garden--not high enough

to allow the wind to dry the soil, but slightly raised so that water

will not stand around the roots. One ounce of seed will plant fifty

hills. The hills may be 4-5 ft. apart each way.

[Illustration: Cucumbers]

The White Spine is the leading general-purpose variety. For very early

or pickling sorts, the Chicago, Russian, and other picklings are good.

The striped beetle is an inveterate pest on Cucumbers and squashes.

Following is the latest advice (Hall and Sirrine, New York State

Experiment Station): "Poisons can be used with success against these

beetles for only a short time in the spring, when they begin to feed;

and again, in the fall, against beetles of the new brood. This fall

poisoning will succeed only where there is not an abundance of wild fall

flowers; for the beetles will desert any poisoned crop for the

unpoisoned flowers and will feed upon the flowers to a considerable

extent, anyhow, if they are to be found. Green arsenite, dry, gave best

results. It was found a waste of the poisons to apply them in Bordeaux

mixture, as the mixture so repelled the insects that they would not eat

the sprayed vines to secure the poison. These poisons, applied in water,

are liable to burn or stunt the plants. It is necessary, then, if we

wish to poison the beetles, to use a trap crop to attract the insects

and to apply the poison to this crop instead of to the plants we design

to protect. On small areas it may be advisable to shut in the small

plants of the growing crop by the well known cloth-topped boxes; by the

tent-like cloth covers spread over arched hoops or wires; by boxes made

from a rectangular piece of cloth and two short 6-inch boards with

cleats attached to insert in the soil and hold the boards upright; or

even 6-inch wire plate-covers. Covers, however, are too expensive on

large areas, and they have the disadvantage of frequently making the

plants weak, so that winds will snap them off or twist and ruin them

when the covers have to be removed. If covers are used alone, their

removal leaves the unprotected vines not only for feeding places but for

breeding places for the beetles.

"Bordeaux mixture, if thoroughly and frequently applied, makes as

efficient a protection as the covers, is much cheaper, and at the same

time protects the plants from diseases. This mixture (1-to-11 formula)

should be sprayed upon the Cucumbers when they are just well up, again

when they show the third leaf, and the third time just before the plants

commence to form runners. The early application can probably best be

made with a knapsack sprayer, and later ones by any good pump sprayer.

The three applications should not cost over $2 per acre. The Bordeaux

mixture is a much better repellant, according to station tests, than

kerosene, turpentine, tobacco dust, cow manure, burdock infusion, slug

shot, bug death, or any other known compound. Indeed, all materials of

this class, supposed to drive away the beetles by their distasteful

odor, proved failures when used alone. Air-slaked lime, dusted over the

vines, will make them unpalatable to the beetles, but the lime is liable

to stunt the plants. It may be used, with care, by those whose crop is

not large enough to warrant purchase of a spraying outfit.

"All of these appliances or applications, covers, Bordeaux mixture or

lime, merely protect the young plants until they are strong enough to

stand the injury from the beetles; they do not kill the insects. To do

this, trap crops are needed. As the squash is the beetle's favorite food

plant, this vegetable should be planted--in single rows along the

margins of small patches, in several rows around large fields--about

four days before the Cucumbers or melon seeds are sown. When these trap

plants are up and the beetles appear about them, dust about half the

plants with green arsenite, reserving the other half for use if rain or

heavy dew makes the poison soluble and kills the vines first treated.

The beetles, attracted by their favorite tidbit, will feed upon the

squash vines and be poisoned by the arsenite. When the Cucumbers or

melons are up, unless they are protected by covers, spray with Bordeaux,

and poison more of the squash vines. When the beetles commence to pair,

the squashes may be cultivated up, leaving only a few vines for the

beetles to feed upon at flowering time, as the insects prefer the squash

flowers and will not molest the others. Beans may be used with some

success as a fall catch crop, where wild flowers are not too plentiful.

They should be planted on the Cucumber or melon fields; and when the

beetles leave the old vines to feed upon the fresh bean plants, they

should be treated to liberal doses of poison as well."

The mildew on the vines can be prevented by Bordeaux mixture spray.

[Illustration: Currants]

CURRANTS. The Currant, being one of the hardiest and most productive of

fruits, is often neglected, the patch allowed to become foul with grass,

never thinned or trimmed, the worms eating the leaves until, in the

course of time, the plants weaken and die. Along the fence is no place

to plant Currants, or, indeed, any other fruit; plant out in the open,

at least 5 feet from anything that will interfere with cultivation. No

fruit crop will respond more readily to good care than the Currant.

Clean cultivation and a liberal use of manure or fertilizers will

certainly be followed by well paying crops. One- or two-year-old plants

may be set 4 by 6 feet. Trim the bush by cutting off most of the suckers

below the surface of the ground. If the season is dry, a mulch of straw

or leaves will assist the plants to establish themselves.

The red and white Currants bear mostly on two-year-old or older wood. A

succession of young shoots should be allowed to grow to take the place

of the old bearing wood. Cut out the canes as they grow older. The

partial shade afforded by a young orchard suits the Currant well, and if

the ground is in good condition no bad results will follow to the

orchard, provided the Currants are removed before the trees need the

entire feeding space.

A Currant patch should continue in good bearing for 10 to 20 years, if

properly handled. One very important point is to keep the old, weak

canes cut out, and a succession of two to four new ones coming from the

root each year. For home use, White Imperial and Moore's Ruby are

excellent. Prince of Wales is a heavy bearer and excellent for cooking.

Wilder, Victoria, Cherry and White Grape are meritorious varieties.

To combat the Currant worm, spray thoroughly with Paris green to kill

the first brood, just as soon as holes can be seen in the lower

leaves--usually before the plants are in bloom. For the second brood, if

it appear, spray with white hellebore. For borers, cut out and burn the

affected canes.

CUTTINGS. Cuttings are parts of plants which are inserted in soil or

water with the intention that they shall grow and make new plants. They

are of various kinds. They may be classified, with reference to the age

of the wood or tissue, into two classes; viz., those made from perfectly

hard or dormant wood (taken from the winter twigs of trees and bushes),

and those made from more or less immature or growing wood. They may be

classified again in respect to the part of the plants from which they

are taken, as root Cuttings, tuber Cuttings (as the ordinary "seed"

planted for potatoes), stem Cuttings and leaf Cuttings.

[Illustration: The planting of dormant wood Cuttings]

Dormant wood Cuttings are used for grapes, currants, gooseberries,

willows, poplars and many other kinds of soft-wooded trees and shrubs.

Cuttings are ordinarily taken in fall or winter, but cut into the proper

lengths and then buried in sand or moss where they do not freeze, in

order that the lower end may heal over or callus. In the spring these

Cuttings are set in the ground, preferably in a rather sandy and well

drained place. Usually, hardwood Cuttings are made with two to four

joints or buds, and when they are planted, only the upper bud projects

above the ground. They may be planted erect, as the picture shows, or

somewhat slanting. In order that the Cutting may reach down to moist

earth, it is desirable that it should not be less than 6 inches long;

and it is sometimes better if it is 8 to 12 inches. If the wood is

short-jointed, there may be several buds on a Cutting of this length;

and, in order to prevent too many shoots from arising from these buds,

the lowermost buds are often cut out. Roots will start as readily if the

lower buds are removed, since the buds grow into shoots and not into

roots. Cuttings of currants, grapes, gooseberries, and the like may be

set in rows which are far enough apart to admit of easy tillage either

with horse or hand tools, and the Cuttings may be placed from 3 to 8

inches apart in the row. After the Cuttings have grown for one season,

the plants are usually transplanted and given more room for the second

year's growth, after which time they are ready to be set in permanent

plantations. In some cases, the plants are set at the end of the first

year; but two-year plants are stronger and usually preferable.

[Illustration: Root Cutting, which has given rise to a shoot]

Root Cuttings are used for blackberries, raspberries, and a few other

things. They are ordinarily made of roots from the size of a lead pencil

to one's little finger, and are cut in lengths from 3 to 5 inches long.

The Cuttings are stored the same as stem Cuttings and allowed to

callus. In the spring they are planted in a horizontal or nearly

horizontal position in moist, sandy soil, being entirely covered to a

depth of 1 or 2 inches.

Softwood or greenwood Cuttings are always rooted under cover; that is,

in a greenhouse, coldframe or dwelling house. They are usually made of

wood which is mature enough to break when it is bent sharply. When the

wood is so soft that it will bend and not break, it is too immature, in

the majority of plants, for the making of good Cuttings. One to two

joints is the proper length of a greenwood Cutting. If of two joints,

the lower leaf should be cut off and the upper leaves cut in two, so

that they do not present their entire surface to the air and thereby

evaporate the plant juices too rapidly. If the Cutting is of only one

joint, the lower end is usually cut just above a joint. In either case,

the Cuttings are usually inserted in sand or well washed gravel, nearly

or quite up to the leaves. Keep the bed uniformly moist throughout its

depth, but avoid any soil which holds so much moisture that it becomes

muddy and sour. These Cuttings should be shaded until they begin to emit

their roots. Coleus, geraniums, fuchsias, and nearly all the common

greenhouse and house plants, are propagated by these Cuttings or slips.

Leaf Cuttings are often used, for the fancy-leaved begonias, gloxinias,

and a few other plants. The young plant usually arises most readily from

the leaf-stalk or petiole. The leaf, therefore, is inserted into the

ground much as a green Cutting is. Begonia leaves, however, will throw

out young plants from the main veins when these veins or ribs are cut.

Therefore, well-grown and firm begonia leaves are sometimes laid flat on

the sand and the main veins cut; then the leaf is weighted down with

pebbles or pegs so that these cut surfaces come into intimate contact

with the soil beneath. The begonia leaf may be treated in various other

ways and still give good results. See _Begonia_.

In the growing of all greenwood Cuttings, it is well to remember that

they should have a gentle bottom heat; the soil should be such that it

will hold moisture and yet not remain wet; the air about the tops should

not become close and stagnant, else the plants will damp off; and the

tops should be shaded for a time.

[Illustration: Cuttings inserted in a double pot]

An excellent method of starting Cuttings in the living room is to make a

double pot, as shown in the picture. Inside a 6-inch pot, set a 4-inch

pot. Fill the bottom, _a_, with gravel or bits of brick, for drainage.

Plug the hole in the inside pot. Fill the spaces between, _c_, with

earth, and in this set the Cuttings. Water may be poured into the inner

pot, _b_, to supply the moisture.

CUTWORMS. Probably the remedy for Cutworms most often practiced in

gardens, and which cannot fail to be effective when faithfully carried

out, is hand-picking with lanterns at night or digging them out from

around the base of the infested plants during the day. Bushels of

Cutworms have been gathered in this way, and with profit. When from some

cause success does not attend the use of the poisoned baits, discussed

next, hand-picking is the only other method yet recommended which can be

relied upon to check Cutworm depredations.

By far the best methods yet devised for killing Cutworms in any

situation are the poisoned baits; hand-picking is usually unnecessary

where they are thoroughly used. Poisoned bunches of clover or weeds have

been thoroughly tested, even by the wagon-load, over large areas, and

nearly all have reported them very effective; lamb's quarters (pigweed),

pepper-grass and mullein are among the weeds especially attractive to

Cutworms. On small areas the making of the baits is done by hand, but

they have been prepared on a large scale by spraying the plants in the

field, cutting them with a scythe or machine, and pitching them from

wagons in small bunches wherever desired. Distributed a few feet apart

between rows of garden plants at nightfall, they have attracted and

killed enough Cutworms often to save a large proportion of the crop; if

the bunches can be covered with a shingle, they will keep fresher much

longer. The fresher the baits, and the more thoroughly the baiting is

done, the more Cutworms one can destroy. However, it may sometimes

happen that a sufficient quantity of such green succulent plants cannot

be obtained early enough in the season in some localities. In this case,

and we are not sure but in all cases, the poisoned bran mash can be used

to the best advantage. It is easily made and applied at any time, is not

expensive, and thus far the results show that it is a very attractive

and effective bait. A tablespoonful can be quickly dropped around the

base of each cabbage or tomato plant, small amounts can be easily

scattered along the rows of onions, turnips, etc., or a little dropped

on a hill of corn, cucumbers, etc. It was used on sweet potato hills in

New Jersey last year, and "served as a complete protection, the Cutworms

preferring the bran." It is well to apply it on the evening of the day

the plants are set out.

The best time to apply these poisoned baits is two or three days before

any plants have come up or been set out in the garden. If the ground has

been properly prepared, the worms will have had but little to eat for

several days and they will thus seize the first opportunity to appease

their hunger upon the baits, and wholesale destruction will result. The

baits should always be applied at this time wherever Cutworms are

expected. But it is not too late usually to save most of a crop after

the pests have made their presence known by cutting off some of the

plants. Act promptly and use the baits freely.--_M. V. Slingerland._

[Illustration: Protection from cutworms]

Cutworms may be kept away from plants by making a collar of stiff paper

or tin about the base, as in the picture; but this is not practicable on

a large scale.

CYCLAMEN. A tender greenhouse tuberous plant, sometimes seen in the

window-garden. Cyclamens may be grown from seed sown in April or

September in soil containing a large proportion of sand and leaf-mold.

If sown in September, they should be wintered in a coolhouse. In May

they should be potted into larger pots and placed in a shaded frame, and

by July will have become large enough for their flowering pot, which

should be either a 5- or 6-inch one. They should be brought into the

house before danger of frost, and grown cool until through flowering. A

temperature of 55 deg. suits them while in flower. After flowering, they

will need a rest for a short time, but should not become very dry, or

the bulb will be injured. When they start into growth, they should have

the old soil shaken off and be potted into smaller pots. At no time

should more than half the tuber be under the soil.

Tubers large enough to flower the first year may be obtained from the

seedsmen at moderate prices; and unless one has facilities for growing

the seedlings for a year, purchase of the tubers will give the best

satisfaction. The soil best suited to the Cyclamen is one containing two

parts leaf-mold, 1 part each of sand and loam.

DAFFODILS are a kind of Narcissus. They are hardy, and require the

treatment recommended for Crocus. They may be naturalized in the grass,

but they usually do not persist long on account of our hot, dry summers.

Daffodils have been much improved of late. Plant in the fall, 4-6 in.

deep. Excellent old garden plants.

DAHLIA. The Dahlia is an old favorite which, on account of its formal

flowers, has been in disfavor for a few years, although it has always

held a place in the rural districts. Now, however, with the advent of

the cactus and semi-cactus types (or loose-flowered forms), and the

improvement of the singles, it again has taken a front rank among late

summer flowers, coming in just in advance of the Chrysanthemum.

[Illustration: Dahlia]

The single varieties may be grown from seed, but the double sorts should

be grown from cuttings of young stems or from division of the roots. If

cuttings are to be made, it will be necessary to start the roots early

either in a hotbed or house. When the growth has reached 4 or 5 inches,

they may be cut from the plant and rooted in sand. Care should be taken

to cut just below the joint, as a cutting made between two joints will

not form tubers. The most rapid method of propagation of named varieties

is to grow from cuttings in this way. In growing the plants from roots,

the best plan is to place the whole root in gentle heat, covering

slightly. When the young growth has started, the roots may be taken up,

divided, and planted out 3 to 4 feet apart. This plan will ensure a

plant from each piece of root, whereas if the roots are divided while

dormant, there is danger of not having a bud at the end of each piece,

in which case no growth will start.

[Illustration: Dahlia]

The Dahlia flourishes best in a deep, rich, moist soil, although very

good results can be had on sandy soil, provided plant-food and moisture

are furnished. Clay should be avoided. If the plants are to be grown

without stakes, the center of each plant should be pinched out after

making two or three joints. By doing this the lateral branches will

start near the ground and be stiff enough to withstand the winds. In

most home gardens the plants are allowed to reach their full height, and

are tied to stakes if necessary. Dahlias are very susceptible to frost.

The tall kinds reach a height of 5-8 feet.

After the first frost, lift the roots, let them dry in the sun, shake

off the dirt, trim off tops and broken parts, and store them in a

cellar as you would potatoes. Cannas may be stored in the same place.

DAISY. The perennial English Daisy, or _Bellis perennis_, is a prime

favorite as an edging plant. The cheerful little flowers show early in

the spring, and with a little care bloom continuously through a long

season. They should be given well enriched, moist soil, and be mulched

through hot weather. The usual method of propagation is by division of

the crowns, made in cool weather. They may also be grown from seed, but

the chances are that many inferior flowers will be produced. Set the

plants 3 or 4 inches apart. Height 3 to 5 inches. The colors are white,

pink and red. Hardy if mulched in winter, but best results are obtained

if plants are renewed frequently.

Many other plants are called Daisy, particularly the wild Asters, the

Ox-eye Daisy or Whiteweed, and the Paris Daisy (_Chrysanthemum

frutescens_).

DAMPING OFF is the rotting off of cuttings or young plants near the

surface of the soil. It is the work of fungi; but these fungi are

injurious because they find conditions congenial to their rapid growth.

Prevention is worth more than cure. See that the soil is wet clear

through, not wet on top and dry beneath. Keep it as dry as possible on

the surface. Avoid soggy soils. On peaty soils, sprinkle sand or coal

ashes to keep the top dry. Give the plants free circulation of air. Give

them abundance of room. If Damping Off threatens, transplant.

DANDELION. This common weed would hardly be recognized if seen under

cultivation in the vegetable garden. The plants attain a large size and

the leaves are much more tender. The seed may be selected from the best

field-growing plants, but it is better to buy the French seed of the

seedsmen.

Sow in spring in well manured soil, either in drills or in hills 1 foot

apart. A cutting of leaves may be had in September or October, and some

of the stools may stand until spring. The delicacy of the leaves may be

improved by blanching them, either by the use of boards or earth. One

trade packet of seed will supply a large number of plants. The whole

plant is destroyed when the crop of leaves is taken.

DATURA. BRUGMANSIA. Large-growing annuals with large, trumpet-shaped

flowers. The coloring of some of the flowers is very attractive, but the

odor of the plant is unpleasant. Plants should be set 4 feet apart. They

grow 3-4 feet high, bear large leaves, and therefore make good low

screens. Frost kills them. Sow seed where plants are to grow; or,

better, start them in the house three or four weeks before the weather

is fit for planting outside. Some of the Daturas are weeds. The great

spiny seed pods are interesting.

DELPHINIUM. See _Larkspur_.

DEWBERRY. The Dewberry may be called an early trailing blackberry. The

culture of this, as of the blackberry, is very simple; but, unlike the

latter, some support should be given to the canes, as they are very

slender and rank growers. A wire trellis or large-meshed fence-wire

answers admirably; or (and this is the better general method) they may

be tied to stakes. The fruits are large and showy, which, combined with

their earliness, makes them desirable; but they are usually deficient in

flavor. The Lucretia is the leading variety in cultivation.

[Illustration: Lucretia Dewberry]

Lay the canes on the ground in winter. In the spring tie all the canes

from each plant to a stake. After fruiting, cut the old canes and burn

them (as for blackberries). In the meantime, the young canes (for next

year's fruiting) are growing. These may be tied up as they grow, to be

out of the way of the cultivator. Dewberries are one to two weeks

earlier than blackberries.

DIANTHUS, or PINK. Under this head are included Chinese Pinks, Sweet

William, Picotee, Carnation (which see), and the perennial or Grass

Pinks. All of them are general favorites.

The Chinese Pinks (_Dianthus Chinensis_, or _Heddewigii_) are now very

popular. They are biennials, but flower the first year from seed, and

are treated as hardy annuals. They have a wide range of color and

markings. Some of them are as double as a rose, and are edged, splashed

or lined with other colors. The single ones are very brilliant and are

profuse bloomers. Sow seeds where plants are to stand, or if early bloom

is desired, start in the house. Set the plants 6-10 in. apart. They grow

8-15 in. high. They bloom until after frost. Of easiest culture in any

good soil, and should be even more popular. The petals are often quite

deeply and oddly cut.

The Sweet William is an old-fashioned perennial, having flowers of many

combinations of color, growing for several years when once planted, but

being the better for renewal every two years. Raising new stock from

seeds is usually better than dividing old plants. Of late years, the

Sweet William has been much improved.

The perennial garden or Grass Pinks are low-growing, with highly

perfumed flowers. They are very useful for permanent edgings, although

the grass is likely to run them out unless a clean strip is kept on

either side. Divide the old plants when the edging begins to fail; or

raise new plants from seed. Seedlings usually do not bloom much the

first year. Usually perfectly hardy.

[Illustration: Dibbers]

DIBBERS are hand tools used for making holes in which to set plants or

to drop seeds. They are better than a hoe or a spade for most

transplanting. For small plants, as cabbages and tomatoes, a cylindrical

Dibber is generally used. (See the lower one in the cut.) It can be made

from an old spade handle or any hardwood stick. When broad holes are

wanted, the triangular iron Dibber (sold by dealers) is excellent. It is

particularly useful in hard soils.

DICENTRA includes the Bleeding Heart; also the native little Dutchman's

Breeches and Squirrel Corn, and a few other species. All are hardy

perennials of the easiest culture, blooming in spring. In common with

all perennial herbs, they are benefited by a winter mulch of leaves or

litter. Propagated by dividing the clumps.

DICTAMNUS. FRAXINELLA or GAS PLANT. An old border plant (perennial herb)

with white or pale red flowers. The leaves of the plant emit a strong

odor when rubbed, likened to that of the lemon verbena. It has been

advertised as the Gas Plant from the fact that the plant exudes an oily

matter that may be ignited, especially in warm, dry weather. Propagated

by seeds, which should be sown as soon as ripe. The plant blooms the

third year, and improves with age. Set plants 3 feet apart. Height 2 to

3 feet.

DILL. An annual aromatic herb that will seed itself if seeds are left to

ripen, and an abundance of plants may always be had. The culture is of

the easiest. The seeds are often used to flavor pickles.

DISEASES. Diseases of plants may be caused by some physiological

disturbance to the plant system, or by the incursions of some parasitic

organism, as insects or fungi. The work of insects, however, is

ordinarily not classed with plant Diseases (see _Insects_). Of Diseases

which are caused by plant parasites or by physiological disturbances,

there are two general groups:

(1) Parasitic fungous Diseases, such as the apple-scab, black-rot and

mildew of the grape, leaf-blight of the plum and pear, black-knot, and

the like. These Diseases are characterized by definite spots,

discolorations or excrescences, which are more or less scattered over

the surface of the leaf, fruit or branch. As a rule, the leaves and

fruits which are attacked have a tendency to drop from the tree. The

general treatment for these Diseases is to spray with some fungicidal

mixture, like the Bordeaux mixture or the ammoniacal carbonate of

copper. The treatment is useful in proportion as it is applied early and

thoroughly. After the fungus once gets into the tissues of the

host-plant, it is difficult, if not impossible, to kill it. If, however,

the fungicide is upon the plant before the fungus is, the parasite may

not be able to obtain a foothold. Even after it does obtain a foothold,

it is probable, however, that the spray will check its spread by

preventing the development of its external parts.

(2) The physiological and bacterial Diseases, or those which are termed

constitutional troubles. In these cases there are rarely any definite

spots, as in the attacks of parasitic fungi, but the entire leaf, or

even the entire plant, or a large part of it, shows a general weakening

and Disease, as if there were some cutting off of the accustomed source

of nourishment. Such Diseases are very likely to be seen in a general

yellowing and death of the leaf, in the dying of the leaf along the main

veins and around the edges, showing that the difficulty is one which

affects the entire leaf, and not any particular part of it. In general,

there is a tendency for the foliage in plants so attacked to wither up

and hang on the tree for a time. The peach-yellows and pear blight are

Diseases of this kind. There are no specific treatments for troubles of

this sort. They must be approached by what physicians call

prophylaxis--that is, by methods of sanitation and prevention. The

diseased plants or parts are cut away and burned. All those conditions

which seem to favor the development of the Disease are removed.

Varieties which are particularly susceptible are discarded. Careful

management in matters of this sort is often much more important than any

attempt at specific treatment.

DOLICHOS. Mentioned under _Hyacinth Bean_.

DRACAENAS of the conservatories (properly mostly CORDYLINES) are

sometimes used as house plants. Protect from direct sunlight, keep an

even and fairly high temperature, water freely when they are growing.

When the plants begin to fail, return them to the florist for

recuperation, where they may have equable conditions. They are handsome

long-leaved foliage plants, excellent for jardinieres.

DRAINAGE serves two purposes: first, to carry superfluous water from the

land; second, to lower the water-table or hard-pan, and to make the soil

loose and friable above. Nearly all hard clay lands are much benefited

by draining, even though they are not too wet. The region of free or

standing water is lowered and air is admitted into the soil, rendering

it fine and mellow. For carrying off mere surface water, surface or open

ditches are sufficient; but if the soil is to be ameliorated, the drain

must be beneath the surface. The best underdrains are those which use

hollow or cylindrical tiles, but very good results may be had by making

drains from stones. In regions where there are many flat stones, a very

good conduit may be laid with them, but they are likely to get out of

order. If there is considerable fall to the ditch, the bottom may be

filled for the space of 10 inches or a foot with common stones rolled

in, and the water will find its way between them. If the stones are even

deeper than this, the results will be better; and such ditches also

provide place for disposing of superfluous stones.

The deeper the ditch the further it will draw on either side. It should

always be deep enough to be protected from freezing, particularly if

tiles are used. Three feet should be the least depth, and 3-1/2 feet is

a good average depth. Drains as deep as this need not be placed oftener

than 2 to 3 rods apart, unless, in garden conditions, it is desired to

very thoroughly ameliorate a heavy clay soil, in which case they may be

placed every 20 feet. The better the fall the quicker the drain will act

and the more permanent it will be, as it will tend to clean itself and

not fill up with silt. It is important that the outlet be entirely free,

and it should be protected with stones or mason work. The roots of some

trees, particularly of willows and elms, are attracted by tile drains,

and often fill up the pipes. When the drain goes near such trees,

therefore, it is well to cement the joints. In general practice,

however, the joints should not be cemented, because a large part of the

drainage water enters at those places. In laying the tiles, it is well

to cover the joints with inverted sod, tarred paper, wisps of straw,

stones or other material. This prevents the fresh earth from falling in

between the joints, and by the time the material is decayed the earth

will have become so thoroughly set that no further trouble will result.

Although under-drains take off superfluous water, nevertheless an

under-drained soil will hold more moisture than one which is not

drained, particularly in the case of clay lands with high subsoils. This

is because fine, mallow soils are able to hold more moisture than very

loose and open or very dense and compact ones. A well constructed

underdrain should last indefinitely.

DUTCHMAN'S PIPE. See _Aristolochia_.

ECHEVERIA. Tender succulents largely used for carpet bedding and rock

gardens. _Echeveria secunda_ is sometimes called OLD-HEN-AND-CHICKENS,

from the little plants that grow out from the stem of the parent plant

and show around the edges of the rosette top; but the hardy

Hen-and-Chickens of old gardens is a different but closely allied plant

(_Sempervivum tectorum_). All the species are of easy culture and thrive

on sandy soil. They should not be planted out until all danger of frost

is over and the ground thoroughly warm. Propagated by the offsets.

Height 3 inches. The name Echeveria is now given up by botanists for

_Cotyledon_.

EGG-PLANT. GUINEA SQUASH. Unless one has a greenhouse or a very warm

hotbed, the growing of Egg-plants in the North should be left to the

professional gardener, as the young plants are very tender, and should

be grown without a check. The seed should be sown in the hotbed or

greenhouse about April 10, keeping a temperature of from 65 deg. to 70 deg.

When the seedlings have made three rough leaves, they may be pricked out

into shallow boxes, or, still better, into 3-inch pots. The pots or

boxes should be plunged to the rim in soil in a hotbed or coldframe so

situated that protection may be given on chilly nights. The 10th of June

is early enough to plant them out in central New York. The soil in which

they are to grow cannot well be made too rich, as they have only a short

season in which to develop their fruits. The plants are usually set 3

feet apart each way. A dozen plants are sufficient for the needs of a

large family, as each plant should yield from two to six large fruits.

The fruits are fit to eat at all stages of growth, from those the size

of a large egg to their largest development. One ounce of seed will

furnish 600 to 800 plants.

[Illustration: New York Purple Egg-plant]

The New York Improved Purple is the standard variety. Black Pekin is

good. For early, or for a short-season climate, the Early Dwarf Purple

is excellent.

ENDIVE. As a fall salad vegetable, this should be better known, it being

far superior to lettuce at that time and as easily grown. For fall use,

the seed may be sown from June to August, and as the plants become fit

to eat about the same time from sowing as lettuce does, a succession may

be had until cold weather. The plants will need protection from the

severe fall frosts, and this may be given by carefully lifting the

plants and transplanting to a frame, where sash or cloth may be used to

cover them in freezing weather. The leaves, which constitute practically

the whole plant, are blanched before being used, either by tying

together with some soft material or by standing boards on each side of

the row, allowing the top of the boards to meet over the center of the

row. The rows should be 1-1/2 or 2 feet apart, the plants 1 foot apart

in the rows. One ounce of seed will sow 150 feet of drill.

ESCHSCHOLTZIA. See _California Poppy_.

EUTOCA. Hardy early-flowering annuals having pink or blue flowers, good

for masses. Sow seed early where wanted. Height 1 foot. Eutocas are

properly classed with Phacelias.

EVERGREENS. Evergreens are plants which hold their foliage in winter.

Ordinarily, however, in this country the word Evergreen is understood to

mean coniferous trees with persistent leaves, as pines, spruces, firs,

cedars, junipers, arborvitae, retinosporas, and the like. These trees

have always been favorites with plant lovers, as they have very

distinctive forms and other characteristics. Many of them are of the

easiest culture. It is a common notion that, since spruces and other

conifers grow so symmetrically, they will not stand pruning; but this is

an error. They may be pruned with as good effect as other trees, and if

they tend to grow too tall the leader may be cut out without fear. A new

leader will arise, but in the meantime the upward growth of the tree

will be somewhat checked, and the effect will be to make the tree dense.

The tips of the branches may also be headed in with the same effect. The

beauty of an Evergreen lies in its natural form; therefore, it should

not be sheared into unusual shapes, but a gentle trimming back, as

suggested, will tend to prevent the Norway spruce and others from

growing open and ragged. After the tree attains some age, 4 or 5 inches

may be taken off the ends of the main branches every year or two with

good results. This slight trimming is ordinarily done with Waters'

long-handled pruning shears.

There is much difference of opinion as to the proper time for the

transplanting of Evergreens, which means that there is more than one

season in which they may be moved. It is ordinarily unsafe to transplant

them in the fall in northern climates or bleak situations, since the

evaporation from the foliage during the winter is likely to injure the

plant. The best results are usually secured when they are transplanted

just as new growth is beginning, rather late in the spring. Some people

also plant them in August, and the roots secure a hold of the soil

before winter. In transplanting conifers, it is very important that the

roots be not exposed to the sun. They should be moistened and covered

with burlaps or other material. The holes should be ready to receive

them. If the trees are large, or if it has been necessary to trim in the

roots, the top should be cut when the tree is set. Large Evergreens

(those 10 feet and more high) are usually best transplanted late in

winter, at a time when a large ball of earth may be moved with them. A

trench is dug around the tree, it being deepened a little day by day so

that the frost can work into the earth and hold it in shape. When the

ball is thoroughly frozen, it is hoisted onto a stone-boat and moved to

its new position.

For low hedges or screens, one of the most serviceable Evergreens is the

arborvitae in its various forms. Red cedars are also useful. Perhaps the

handsomest of all of them for such purposes is the ordinary hemlock

spruce; but it is usually difficult to move. Transplanted trees from

nurseries are usually safest. If the trees are taken from the wild, they

should be selected from open and sunny places. For neat and compact

effects near porches and along walks, the dwarf retinosporas are very

useful. Most of the pines and spruces are too coarse for planting very

close to the house. They are better at some distance removed, where they

serve as a background to other planting. If they are wanted for

individual specimens, they should be given plenty of room, so that the

limbs will not be crowded and the tree become misshapen. Whatever else

is done to the spruces and firs, the lower limbs should not be trimmed

up, at least not until the tree has become so old that the lowest

branches die. Some species hold their branches much longer than others.

The oriental spruce (_Picea orientalis_) is one of the best in this

respect. The occasional slight heading-in, which we have mentioned, will

tend to preserve the lower limbs, and it will not be marked enough to

alter the form of the tree.

EVERLASTINGS are flowers which retain their shape and usually their

color when they are dried. Most of them are members of the composite

family. In order to have them hold shape and color, cut them with very

long stems just before they are fully expanded, and hang them in an airy

place away from the sun. They are all annuals, or grown as such, and are

of very easy culture. Sow seeds where the plants are to stand. Good

kinds are Ammobium, Gomphrena or Bachelor's Buttons, Rhodanthe,

Helichrysum, Xeranthemum, and Acroclinium. Certain wild composites may

be similarly used, particularly Anaphalis and species of Gnaphalium.

Some of the grasses make excellent additions to dry bouquets (see

_Grass_). With these dry bouquets, various seed pods look well.

FENZLIA. Little hardy annuals, having a profusion of bloom through the

entire summer. The flowers are a delicate pink, with yellow throat

surrounded by dark spots. A charming edging plant or window box subject.

Sow the seed in boxes or where plants are wanted, and thin to the

distance of 10 inches. Height 3 to 4 inches. Now classed with Gilia.

FERNS. Probably the one Fern grown most extensively as a house plant is

the small-leaved Maidenhair Fern (or _Adiantum gracillimum_). This and

other species are among the finest of house plants, when sufficient

moisture can be given. They make fine specimens, as well as serving the

purpose of greenery for cut-flowers. Other species often grown for house

plants are _A. cuneatum_ and _A. Capillus-Veneris_. All these do well in

a mixture of fibrous sod, loam, and sand, with ample drainage material.

They may be divided if an increase is wanted.

Other Ferns for house culture include _Nephrolepis exaltata_. This is no

doubt the most easily grown of the list, flourishing in a sitting-room.

The new variety of _N. exaltata_, called the Boston Fern (see figure),

is a decided addition to this family, having a drooping habit, covering

the pot and making a fine stand or bracket plant.

[Illustration: Boston Fern]

Several species of Pteris, particularly _P. serrulata_, are valuable

house Ferns, but require a warmer situation than those mentioned above.

They will also thrive better in a shady or ill-lighted corner.

Perfect drainage and care in watering have more to do with the

successful growing of Ferns than any special mixture of soils. If the

drainage material in the bottom of the pot or box is sufficient, there

is little danger of over-watering; but water-logged soil is always to be

avoided. Do not use clay soils. Ferns need protection from the direct

sunshine, and also a moist atmosphere. They thrive well in a close glass

box, or window-garden, if the conditions can be kept equable.

The native Ferns transplant easily to the garden, and they make an

attractive addition to the side of a house, or as an admixture in a

hardy border. The Ostrich and Cinnamon Ferns are the best subjects. Give

all outdoor Ferns a place which is protected from winds, otherwise they

will shrivel and perhaps die. Screen them from the hot sun, or give them

the shady side of the building. See that the soil is uniformly moist,

and that it does not get too hot. Mulch with leaf-mold in the fall.

FERTILIZERS. Soil is productive when it has good physical texture,

plant-food, and a sufficient supply of moisture. Even though it has an

abundance of plant-food, if its texture is not good, it will not raise a

good crop. Soil has good texture when it is open, mellow, friable,

rather than loose and leachy, or hard and cloddy. Commercial Fertilizers

add plant-food, but usually they have only a small influence in

correcting faulty texture. Therefore, before concentrated Fertilizers

are applied to land, it should be gotten into good physical condition by

judicious tillage and by the incorporation of vegetable mold or humus.

The leading source of humus in most gardens is stable manure. See

_Manure_.

The plant-food in commercial Fertilizers is largely in a soluble or

quickly available condition. Therefore, a little Fertilizer applied late

in the fall or early in the spring will tend to start the plants off

quickly in the spring and to cause them to become established before the

trying weather of summer. For garden purposes, it is usually advisable

to buy one of the so-called complete Fertilizers; that is, one which

contains nitrogen, potash and phosphoric acid. If a luxuriant growth of

stalk and foliage is wanted rather than flowers or fruit, an application

of nitrogen alone is usually advisable. The most readily available

nitrogen in commercial form is that which is afforded by nitrate of soda

and sulfate of ammonia. In garden practice this may be applied at the

rate of 300 to 400 pounds an acre, although this quantity is more than

is profitable to use in most general field or agricultural conditions.

If it is desired to have stout, stocky plants, with early and profuse

bloom, it is ordinarily advisable to use somewhat sparingly of nitrogen

and to use a little more heavily of potash and phosphoric acid. This is

especially true of the leguminous plants, which have the power of

appropriating atmospheric nitrogen, and among such plants are sweet

peas. Heavy fertilizing of sweet pea land with strong stable manure

tends to make the vines grow too tall and to bear comparatively few

flowers. For dressing of lawns, a Fertilizer which is comparatively rich

in nitrogen is usually to be advised.

An important value of commercial Fertilizers is to use them to start off

the plants quickly in the spring. The food is available and acts at

once. When used for this purpose, the Fertilizer may be applied in the

hill; but when it is desired for the enriching of the land and for the

support of the crop throughout the season, it should be applied to the

entire surface. Always avoid putting the Fertilizer on the crown of the

plant, or directly in contact with it. It is usually better to work the

Fertilizer in lightly. For most garden operations, it is better to apply

in spring.

FEVERFEW. See _Pyrethrum_.

FIG. The Fig is little grown in the East except as a curiosity, but on

the Pacific coast it has gained more or less prominence as an orchard

fruit. The trees are usually planted at distances of about 18 to 25 feet

apart. Figs will stand considerable frost, and seedling or inferior

varieties grow out of doors without protection as far north as Virginia.

Many of the varieties fruit on young sprouts, and, inasmuch as the roots

will stand considerable cold, these varieties will often give a few Figs

in the northern states. Figs have been fruited in the open ground in

Michigan. In all frosty countries, however, the Fig should be laid down

during the winter time. The following notes from Professor Massey, of

North Carolina, indicate how this may be done:

"The light hoar-frosts that have occurred here affected vegetation only

on low grounds, and today (November 5) our gardens on high ground show

no signs of frost. Lima beans and tomato vines are as green as in summer

time, and this morning we gathered ripe Figs from our trees in the

garden--the latest I have ever known Figs to ripen. As the early crop of

Figs ripens in July (if it escapes the winter frosts, for the fruit is

now set on the trees), and the late crop begins in August and continues

to ripen in succession till frost, it is easy to see what a desirable

fruit the Fig is. In this section it is easy to have a great abundance

of Figs, and it is possible almost anywhere in the United States to have

both early and late crops in abundance by taking a little trouble to

protect the trees in winter. Years ago the writer grew Figs in abundance

in a very cold locality in northern Maryland, and never failed to get a

good crop. Where the winter temperature seldom drops lower than 18 deg. or

20 deg. above zero, Figs will need no special protection if sheltered from

cold winds. In colder climates they should be branched from the ground,

and, after the leaves have fallen, be bent to the ground in four bundles

and covered with earth, making a sharp mound over the center and sloping

off like a four-pointed star or cross, as shown in the cuts, taken from

Bulletin 74 of North Carolina Experiment Station."

[Illustration: Branches of Fig tree pegged down]

[Illustration: Fig branches covered with earth]

FLOWER BEDS. Two classes of subjects are to be considered in the

discussion of Flower Beds: those concerned with the location of the bed;

those concerned with the actual making of the bed itself. Most persons

do not consider the former subject. If one wants a flower garden in

which there is to be a collection of plants grown for the plants' sake,

the garden should be placed at the rear or one side, and may be laid out

in regular fashion like a vegetable garden. If the flowers are to be a

part of the home picture,--that is, a part of the place itself,--then

they may be freely distributed amongst the border planting, or as

edgings along groups of shrubbery. It is rarely, if ever, allowable to

place formal beds in the lawn in home grounds. The place for

carpet-bedding is usually in parks or other public areas, in sections

which are set aside and devoted to that particular purpose, the same as

another section may be devoted to a zoological garden, play-ground or to

other specific use. Flowers which are grown in the middle of the lawn

have little relation to other planting, and they have no background to

show them off to good advantage. It is also difficult to grow them in

small beds in the grass, since they are exposed to sun and wind, and the

grass roots absorb the food and moisture. In the formal bed, every

effort must be made to keep it prim, otherwise it becomes displeasing;

whereas, if the flowers are planted more or less promiscuously in large,

irregular borders, or along the edge of shrubbery, the failure of one or

even of a dozen plants is not a serious matter. The growing of plants in

formal designs requires so much care and attention that a large part of

the fun of plant-growing is lost. Such plant-growing should ordinarily

be left to those who make a business of it.

In making a Flower Bed, see that the ground is well drained; that the

subsoil is deep; that the land is in a mellow and friable condition, and

that it is rich. Each fall it may have a mulch of rotted manure or of

leaf-mold, which may be spaded under deeply in the spring; or the land

may be spaded and left rough in the fall, which is a good practice when

the soil has much clay. Make the Flower Beds as broad as possible, so

that the roots of the grass running in from either side will not meet

beneath the flowers and rob them of food and moisture. It is well to add

a little commercial fertilizer each fall or spring.

FLOWERING MAPLE. See _Abutilon_.

FORGET-ME-NOT. This old favorite grows so easily, looks so cheerful, and

with a little care will bloom so long, that it should have a place in

every collection of flowering plants. It is perennial, but the best

results may be had by dividing the roots as often as every other year;

or seedlings may be taken up from around the old plants. They require a

moist soil, with shade a part of the day. They will thrive exceedingly

if grown in a frame like pansies. Easily grown from seeds, usually

blooming the first fall. Excellent for low edgings. Height 6 inches.

FOUR-O'CLOCK. MIRABILIS. Tender annual, a plant of old-fashioned

gardens, and always interesting. Grows 2 to 3 feet high. Drop seeds

where the plants are to stand, thinning them to 12 to 18 inches apart.

The colors are white and pink. There are variegated-leaved forms; also

dwarfs. Excellent for the back row in a bed of annuals.

[Illustration: Foxglove]

FOXGLOVE, or DIGITALIS. Foxgloves make most effective border plants,

either as a background or planted among other things. The tall

flower-spikes are covered during the blooming period with funnel-shaped

drooping flowers in various colors and with fine markings. Some of the

newer varieties have flowers that rival the Gloxinias in shadings and

markings. The plants are perfectly hardy, growing in one situation for a

number of years; but, as with many other perennials, they are all the

better for being divided at intervals. They may be grown readily from

seed. Sow in boxes under glass or in the border where wanted. They bloom

the second year. A rich, deep soil and partial shade suit their

requirements. Period of bloom, July and August. Height 2 to 4 feet.

FRAME. See _Hotbed_ and _Coldframe_.

FREESIA. One of the best and most easily handled winter-flowering bulbs.

The white or yellowish bell-shaped flowers are produced on slender

stalks just above the foliage, to the number of six to eight in a

cluster. They are very fragrant, and last for a considerable time when

picked. The bulbs are small, and look as though they could not produce a

growth of foliage and flowers, but even the smallest mature bulb will

prove satisfactory. Several bulbs should be planted together in a pot,

box or pan, in October, if wanted for the holidays, or later if wanted

at Easter. The plants bloom from ten to twelve weeks from planting,

under ordinary care. No special treatment is required; keep the plants

cool and moist through the growing season. The soil should contain a

little sand mixed with fibrous loam, and the pot should be well drained.

After flowering, gradually withhold water and the tops will die down,

after which the roots may be shaken out and rested until time to plant

in fall. Care should be taken to keep them perfectly dry. The bulbs

increase rapidly from offsets. Plants may also be grown from seed, which

should be sown as soon as ripe, giving blooming plants the second or

third year. Height 12 or 15 inches. Easy to bloom in the window. The

white form (_Freesia refracta alba_) is the best. See _Bulbs_.

FRITILLARIA, or FRITILLARY. Bulbous plants, the commoner species hardy.

Only the Crown Imperial is well known in this country. This is an

old-fashioned plant, which takes care of itself when once planted. The

other hardy Fritillarias are treated like tulips.

FROST. The light frosts of late spring and of early fall may be

prevented by any means which will keep the air in motion, or which will

fill the air with moisture or cloud-like vapor, so that there is less

radiation from the ground. When frost is expected, it is well to water

the plants and the ground thoroughly. This will ordinarily protect them

from two or three degrees of still frost. The water should be applied

just at nightfall. On larger areas, it is often practicable to make a

smudge. In order to be effective, the smudge must be rather dense and

lie over the whole area, and it should be kept up until the danger from

frost is past. Material which burns very slowly and with much smoke is

preferable. Moist manure or straw or other litter is useful. Materials

which are dry enough to blaze are of little use. Ordinarily, frost comes

towards morning. It is well to have the piles of rubbish ready at

nightfall and have them lighted toward the latter part of the night,

when the frost is expected. The smudge should be kept up until sunrise.

It is well to have these piles of smudge material on all sides of the

area; or if the area is on a slope, it may be sufficient to have them on

the upper side, for there is usually a movement of air down the hillside

and the area will thereby be covered with the smudge. For a thorough

protection, it is best to have many small piles rather than a few large

ones. If the piles are placed every ten feet around the areas, better

results are to be expected. There are especially prepared tar-like

materials for use in smudging plantations, but they are little used in

this country, although some of them are excellent.

[Illustration: Fuchsia]

FUCHSIA. Well-known window or greenhouse shrub. It is readily grown from

cuttings. Soft, green wood should be used for cuttings, and it will root

in about three weeks, when the cuttings should be potted. Take care not

to have them pot-bound while in growth, but do not over-pot when bloom

is wanted. Given warmth and good soil, they will make fine plants in

three months or less. In well protected, partially shady places they may

be planted out, growing into miniature bushes by fall. Plants may be

kept on from year to year; and if the branches are well cut back after

blooming, abundant new bloom will come. But it is usually best to make

new plants each year from cuttings, since young plants usually bloom

most profusely and demand less care. Fuchsias are amongst the best of

window subjects.

FUMIGATION is mentioned under _Insects_.

FUNGI. Flowerless, leafless plants, living mostly on food (either living

or dead) which has been prepared by other plants or by animals, Molds,

mushrooms and puff-balls are familiar examples. Some of the parasitic

kinds cause great damage to the plants or animals on which they live.

Examples of these injurious parasitic kinds are apple-scab fungus,

potato mildew, grape mildew, corn smut fungus, and the like. Most of

these are combated by spraying with materials containing copper or

sulfur.

FUNKIA, or DAY LILY. Hardy perennial herbs, growing in dense clumps and

bearing attractive foliage. They are of the easiest culture. _F.

subcordata_, the white-flowered species, is commonest. Of blue-flowered

forms there are several, of which _F. ovata_ (or _F. caerulca_) is

perhaps the best. Funkias are excellent for borders, or as a formal

edging to long walks or drives. There are variegated forms. Funkias grow

12 to 24 inches high, and the flower clusters stand still higher.

Propagated by dividing the roots. Day Lily is a name applied also to

species of Hemerocallis, which are yellow-flowered lilies.

GAILLARDIAS are plants that should have a place in every garden, either

as border plants or for cutting. The flowers are very showy and lasting

in bouquets, as well as on the plants. The double form has perfect balls

of color. Gaillardias are both annual and perennial. The perennials

usually have flowers much larger than the annuals; and they bloom the

first year if seed is started early. These are also propagated by seed

or cuttings. If from seed, it should be sown under glass in February or

March, setting out the young plants where wanted when danger of frost is

over. The cuttings may be made of the new growth in the fall and

wintered over in the house. Set 2 feet apart. Height 2 feet, blooming

from July until hard frosts. The perennials are usually orange.

[Illustration: Gaillardia picta]

The annual kind (_Gaillardia picta_ of florists) is probably the best

kind for the home garden. It is of the easiest culture. Hardy. Two feet.

Sow seeds where plants are to bloom. The colors of the flowers are in

rich shades of yellow and red.

GALANTHUS. See _Snowdrop_.

GARLIC. An onion-like plant, the bulbs of which are used for flavoring.

Little known in this country except amongst those of foreign birth. It

is multiplied the same as multiplier onions--the bulb is broken apart

and each bulbule or "clove" makes a new compound bulb in a few weeks.

Hardy; plant in early spring, or in the South in the fall. Plant 2 to 3

inches apart in the row.

GAS PLANT is _Dictamnus_.

GERANIUM. What are generally known as Geraniums are, strictly speaking,

Pelargoniums, which see. The true Geraniums are mostly hardy plants, and

therefore should not be confounded with the tender Pelargoniums.

Geraniums are worthy a place in a border. They are hardy perennials, and

may be transplanted early in the spring, setting them 2 feet apart.

Height 10 to 12 inches.

The common wild Cranesbill (_Geranium maculatum_) improves under

cultivation, and is an attractive plant when it stands in front of

taller foliage.

GILIA. Low-growing hardy annuals, good for front borders or rockwork,

growing from seed very quickly and continuing in flower a long season.

They will do well in light soil. Sow seed in the fall or early spring

where plants are wanted. _Gilia tricolor_, blue, white and yellow, is

the best, but there are excellent white and red sorts.

GLADIOLUS. A popular summer-flowering bulbous plant, thriving best in

moist, sandy loam, that has had an application of well rotted manure the

previous year. No manure should be used the year of planting, as it has

a tendency to rot the bulbs. Plantings may be made from the time the

ground is in condition to work in the spring until late in June. In

planting, the bulbs should be set 3 inches deep and 8 to 10 inches

apart, unless they are to be grown in groups, when they may be planted

five or six in the space of 1 foot. Stakes should be furnished each

plant to support the flower-spike. When in groups, one stake may be

used, setting it in the middle of the circle.

Gladioli are increased by bulblets formed around the old bulbs (or

corms), or they may be grown from seed. The bulblets should be planted

in drills in April or May, and will grow to flowering size in one or two

years. In the same way, seed sown early in drills, grown through the

summer, the little bulbs taken up and stored through the winter and

again planted out, will often make bulbs large enough to flower the

second year.

Care should be taken to lift all bulbs before freezing weather, as most

varieties are tender. They should be harvested with the tops on, and

laid away in a cool, dry place to ripen. The tops are then cut off and

the bulbs stored in a dry place (fit for potatoes, but drier) until

wanted the following spring. See _Bulbs_.

GLAUCIUM, or HORNED POPPY. The kind most cultivated (_G. luteum_) has

bright yellow flowers in July and September. The flowers, contrasting

with the deep cut glaucous leaves, make a fine effect in the mixed or

ribbon border. Seed may be sown in the open ground where wanted. Thin to

12 inches apart. Height 12 to 20 inches. Perennial; but treated as a

hardy annual.

GLOXINIA. Choice greenhouse tuberous-rooted perennials, sometimes seen

in window gardens, but really not adapted to them. Gloxinias must have a

uniform moist and warm atmosphere and protection from the sun. They will

not stand abuse or varying conditions. Propagated often by

leaf-cuttings, which should give flowering plants in one year. From the

leaf, inserted half its length in the soil (or sometimes only the

petiole inserted) a tuber arises. This tuber, after resting until

midwinter or later, is planted and flowering plants soon arise.

Gloxinias also grow readily from seeds, which may be germinated in a

temperature of about 70 deg. Flowering plants may be had in a year if seeds

are sown in late winter or early spring. This is the usual method. Soil

should be porous and rich.

GODETIA. Very free-blooming annuals in fine colors, harmonizing well

with the California poppy. Many of the varieties are beautifully

blotched with contrasting colors. They are very satisfactory plants for

solid beds or border lines, blooming from June to October. Seed may be

sown in heat, and seedlings planted in open ground at a distance of 18

inches apart when danger of frost is over. A rather poor soil will cause

them to bloom better than one very rich, as they are inclined to make a

rank growth. Height 1 to 2 feet.

GOLDEN FEATHER. See _Pyrethrum_.

GOLDENROD (_Solidago_ of many species). The Goldenrod of the wayside is

so familiar that the thought of bringing it into the garden is

distasteful to many persons. But if given a suitable place in a well

enriched border, no plant has greater possibilities. A large clump

against a hedge of green, or massed behind a well grown plant of the

blue-flowering wild asters, makes a striking contrast. They bloom late

in the season, and the rich yellow and golden colors and the graceful

forms are always pleasing.

[Illustration: Goldenrod]

Goldenrods will grow more vigorously and the blooms be larger if the

roots are divided every third or fourth year. There are several species

catalogued by nurserymen, and some of the stock is superior to the wild

type, either having a larger truss of flowers or blooming later.

Goldenrods range in height from 2 to 6 feet. All are easily propagated

by division. Transplant in the fall, if convenient, although spring

planting may be equally successful.

GOMPHRENA. BACHELOR'S BUTTON. GLOBE AMARANTH. A useful everlasting for

winter bouquets. Seed may be sown in heat in March, the plants

transplanted once before setting out to cause them to grow stocky and

branching; or seed may be sown in a warm place where the plants are to

grow. The flowers, to retain their colors, should be cut before fully

expanded and dried in a dark, airy place. See _Everlastings_. Set the

plants 18 inches apart. Height 12 inches. The heads resemble clover

heads. The term Bachelor's Button is also given to the cornflower

(_Centaurea Cyanus_).

GOOSEBERRY. Since the advent of the practice of spraying with fungicides

to prevent mildew, the culture of the Gooseberry has increased. There is

now no reason why, with a little care, good crops of many of the best

English varieties may not be grown. The price for good fruits of

Gooseberry is usually remunerative, as the market is rarely overstocked

by the sudden ripening of the crop, since the fruits ripen through a

long season. A large part of the crop is picked green for culinary

purposes. The leading market variety is Downing, a native sort, which is

little subject to mildew. Several of the English varieties have proved

of value, having larger fruits than the natives. Whitesmith, Chautauqua,

Triumph and Industry are among the best.

[Illustration: Gooseberries]

The propagation of the Gooseberry is similar to that of the currant,

although the practice of earthing up a whole plant, causing every branch

thus covered to throw out roots, is common with the European varieties.

The rooted branches are cut off the following spring and planted in

nursery rows or sometimes directly in the field. In order to succeed

with this method, the plant should have been cut back to the ground so

that all the shoots are yearling.

Pruning is essentially the same as for the currant (which see); and the

treatment of the currant worm is the same as for that fruit.

Gooseberries should be set (either in fall or spring) 3 to 4 feet

apart; rows 5 to 7 feet apart. Select a rich, rather moist soil. The

tops need no winter protection. If mildew and worms are to be kept in

check, spraying must be begun with the very first sign of trouble and be

thoroughly done.

GOURDS are valuable as rapid-growing screen vines, the curious fruits of

many varieties adding much to their attractiveness. Cultivation the same

as for melons or squashes. Height 10 to 15 feet. Provide a chicken-wire

trellis; or let them run on a brush pile.

GRAFTING. Grafting is the operation of inserting a piece of a plant into

another plant with the intention that it shall grow. It differs from the

making of cuttings in the fact that the severed part grows in another

plant rather than in the soil. There are two general kinds of

Grafting--one of which inserts a piece of branch in the stock (Grafting

proper), and one which inserts only a bud with little or no wood

attached (budding). In both cases the success of the operation depends

upon the growing together of the cambium of the cion (or cutting) and

that of the stock. The cambium is the new and growing tissue which lies

underneath the bark and on the outside of the growing wood. Therefore,

the line of demarcation between the bark and the wood should coincide

when the cion and stock are joined. The plant upon which the severed

piece is set is called the stock. The part which is removed and set into

the stock is called a cion if it is a piece of a branch, or a bud if it

is only a single bud with a bit of tissue attached. The greater part of

Grafting and budding is done when the cion or bud is nearly or quite

dormant. That is, Grafting is usually done late in winter and early in

spring, and budding may be done then, or late in summer, when the buds

have nearly or quite matured.

The prime object of Grafting is to perpetuate a kind of plant which will

not reproduce itself from seed or of which seed is very difficult to

obtain. Cions or buds are therefore taken from this plant and set into

whatever kind of plant is obtainable and on which they will grow. Thus,

if one wants to propagate the Baldwin apple, he does not for that

purpose sow seeds thereof, but takes cions or buds from the tree and

grafts them into some other apple tree. The stocks are usually obtained

from seeds. In the case of the apple, young plants are raised from seeds

which are obtained mostly from cider factories, without reference to the

variety from which they came. When the seedlings have grown to a certain

age, they are budded or grafted; and thereafter they bear fruit like

that of the tree from which the cions were taken.

[Illustration: The bud severed from its twig]

[Illustration: The bud tied]

[Illustration: The bud inserted]

There are many ways in which the union between cion and stock is made.

Budding may be first discussed. It consists in inserting a bud

underneath the bark of the stock, and the commonest practice is that

which is shown in the illustrations. Budding is mostly performed in

July, August and early September, when the bark is still loose or will

peel. Twigs are cut from the tree which it is desired to propagate, and

the buds are cut off with a sharp knife, a shield-shaped bit of bark

(with possibly a little wood) being left with them (see illustration).

The bud is then shoved into a slit made in the stock, and it is held in

place by tying with some soft strand. In two or three weeks the bud will

have "stuck" (that is, it will have grown fast to the stock), and the

strand is cut to prevent its strangling the stock. Ordinarily the bud

does not grow until the following spring, at which time the entire stock

or branch in which the bud is inserted is cut off an inch above the bud;

and the bud thereby receives all the energy of the stock. Budding is the

commonest Grafting operation in nurseries. Seeds of peaches may be sown

in spring, and the plants which result will be ready for budding that

same August. The following spring, or a year from the planting of the

seed, the stock is cut off just above the bud (which is inserted near

the ground), and in the fall of that year the tree is ready for sale;

that is, the top is one season old and the root is two seasons old, but

in the trade it is known as a 1-year-old tree. In apples and pears the

stock is usually two years old before it is budded, and the tree is not

sold until the top has grown two or three years. Budding may be

performed also in the spring, in which case the bud will grow the same

season. Budding is always done in young branches, preferably in those

not more than one year old.

[Illustration: Whip-graft]

Grafting is the insertion of a small branch (or cion), usually bearing

more than one bud. If Grafting is done on small stocks, it is customary

to employ the whip-graft, which is illustrated in the margin. Both stock

and cion are cut across diagonally, and a split made in each, so that

one fits into the other. The graft is tied securely with a string, and

then, if it is above ground, it is also waxed carefully. In larger limbs

or stocks, the common method is to employ the cleft-graft. This consists

in cutting off the stock, splitting it and inserting a wedge-shaped cion

in one or both sides of the split, taking care that the cambium layer of

the cion matches that of the stock. The exposed surfaces are then

securely covered with wax. Grafting is usually performed early in the

spring, just before the buds swell. The cions should have been cut

before this time, when they were perfectly dormant. Cions may be stored

in sand in the cellar or in the ice house, or they may be buried in the

field. The object is to keep them fresh and dormant until they are

wanted.

[Illustration: Cleft-graft]

[Illustration: Cleft-grafting a Cactus]

If it is desired to change the top of an old plum, apple or pear tree to

some other variety, it is usually done by means of the cleft-graft. If

the tree is very young, budding or whip-grafting may be employed. On an

old top the cions should begin to bear when three to four years old. All

the main limbs should be grafted. It is important to keep down the

suckers or water-sprouts from around the grafts, and part of the

remaining top should be cut away each year until the top is entirely

changed over (which will result in two to four years).

A good wax for covering the exposed parts is made as follows: Resin, 4

parts by weight; beeswax, 2 parts; tallow, 1 part. In making the wax,

the materials are first broken up and melted together. When thoroughly

melted the liquid is poured into a pail or tub of cold water. It soon

becomes hard enough to handle, and it is then pulled and worked over

until it becomes tough or "gets a grain," at which stage it becomes the

color of very light-colored manilla paper. When wax is applied by hand,

the hands must be well greased. Hard cake tallow is the best material

for this purpose. In top-grafting large trees, it is well to carry a

supply of tallow when waxing, by smearing the backs of the hands before

entering the tree.

GRAPE. One of the surest of fruit crops is the Grape, a crop each year

being reasonably certain after the third year from the time of setting

the vines. The Grape does well on any soil that is under good

cultivation and well drained. A soil with considerable clay is better

under these circumstances than a light, sandy loam. The exposure should

be to the sun; and the place should admit of cultivation on all sides.

One- or 2-year-old vines should be planted, either in the fall or early

spring. At planting the vine is cut back to 3 or 4 eyes, and the roots

are well shortened in. The hole in which the plant is to be set should

be large enough to allow a full spreading of the roots. Fine soil should

be worked around the roots and firmed with the feet. If the season

should be dry, a mulch of coarse litter may be spread around the vine.

If all the buds start, the strongest one or two may be allowed to grow.

The canes arising from these buds should be staked and allowed to grow

through the season; or in large plantations the first-year canes may be

allowed to lie on the ground. The second year one cane should be cut

back to the same number of eyes as the first year. After growth begins

in the spring, two of the strongest buds should be allowed to remain.

These two canes now arising may be grown to a single stake through the

second summer, or they may be spread horizontally on a trellis. These

are the canes which form the permanent arms or parts of the vine. From

them start the upright shoots which, in succeeding years, are to bear

the fruits.

[Illustration: Grape]

In order to understand the pruning of Grapes, the operator must fully

grasp this principle: _Fruit is borne on wood of the present season,

which arises from wood of the previous season._ To illustrate: A growing

shoot, or cane of 1899, makes buds. In 1900 a shoot arises from each

bud; and near the base of this shoot the Grapes are borne (1 to 4

clusters on each). While every bud on the 1899 shoot may produce shoots

or canes in 1900, only the strongest of these new canes will bear fruit.

The skilled Grape-grower can tell by the looks of his cane (as he prunes

it in winter) which buds will give rise to the Grape-producing wood the

following season. The larger and stronger buds usually give best

results; but if the cane itself is very big and stout, or if it is very

weak and slender, he does not expect good results from any of its buds.

A hard, well-ripened cane the diameter of a man's little finger is the

ideal size.

Another principle to be mastered is this: _A vine should bear only a

limited number of clusters_,--say from 30 to 80. A shoot bears clusters

near its base; beyond these clusters the shoot grows on into a long,

leafy cane. An average of two clusters may be reckoned to a shoot. If

the vine is strong enough to bear 60 clusters, 30 good buds must be left

at the pruning (which is done from December to late February).

The essential operation of pruning a Grape vine, therefore, is each year

to cut back a limited number of good canes to a few buds, and to cut off

entirely all the remaining canes or wood of the previous season's

growth. If a cane is cut back to 2 or 3 buds, the stub-like part which

remains is called a spur. Present systems, however, cut each cane back

to 8 or 10 buds (on strong varieties), and 3 or 4 canes are left,--all

radiating from near the head or trunk of the vine. The top of the vine

does not grow bigger from year to year, after it has once covered the

trellis, but is cut back to practically the same number of buds each

year. Since these buds are on new wood, it is evident that they are each

year farther and farther removed from the head of the vine. In order to

obviate this difficulty, new canes are taken out each year or two from

near the head of the vine, and the 2-year or 3-year-old wood is cut

away.

The training of Grapes is a different matter. A dozen different systems

of training may be practiced on the same trellis and from the same style

of pruning,--for training is only the disposition or arrangement of the

parts.

On arbors, it is best to carry one permanent arm or trunk from each root

over the framework to the peak. Each year the canes are cut back to

short spurs (of 2 or 3 buds) along the sides of this trunk.

Grapes are set from 6 to 8 feet apart in rows which are 8 to 10 feet

apart. A trellis made of 2 or 3 wires is the best support. Slat

trellises catch too much wind and blow down. Avoid stimulating manures.

In very cold climates, the vines may be taken off the trellis in early

winter and laid on the ground and lightly covered with earth. Along the

boundaries of home lots, where Grapes are often planted, little is to be

expected in the way of fruit because the ground is not well tilled. For

mildew and rot, spray with Bordeaux mixture. See _Spraying_.

Concord is the most cosmopolitan variety, but its quality is not the

best. For the home garden, a good selection may be made from the

following list: Winchell or Green Mountain, Campbell Early, Worden,

Concord, Niagara, Moore Diamond, Vergennes, Agawam, Salem, Wilder, Iona,

Brighton, Delaware.

GRAPERY. The European grapes rarely thrive out of doors in eastern

America. Grape houses are necessary, with or without artificial heat.

Fruit for home use may be grown very satisfactorily in a cold Grapery

(without artificial heat). A simple lean-to against the south side of a

building or wall is cheap and serviceable. When a separate building is

desired, an even-span house running north and south is preferable. There

is no advantage in having a curved roof, except as a matter of looks. A

compost of four parts rotted turf to one of manure is laid on a sloping

cement bottom outside the house, making a border 12 feet wide and 2 feet

deep. The cement may be replaced with rubble on well drained soils, but

it is a poor makeshift. Every three years the upper 6 inches of the

border should be renewed with manure. The border inside the house is

prepared likewise. Two-year-old potted vines are planted about 4 feet

apart in a single row. Part of the roots go through a crevice in the

wall to the outer border and part remain inside; or all may go outside

if the house is desired for other purposes. One strong cane is trained

to a wire trellis hanging at least 18 inches from the glass, and is cut

back to 3 feet the first year, 6 the second, and 9 the third. Do not be

in a hurry to get a long cane. Pruning is on the spur system, as

recommended for arbors on page 120. The vines are usually laid on the

ground for winter and covered with leaves or wrapped with cloth.

As soon as the buds swell in early spring, tie the vines to the trellis

and start out one shoot from each spur, rubbing off all others. After

the berries begin to color, however, it is better to leave all further

growth to shade the fruit. Pinch back each of these laterals two joints

beyond the second bunch. To keep down red spider and thrips, the

foliage should be sprayed with water every bright morning except during

the blooming season. At least one-third of the berries should be thinned

from each bunch; do not be afraid of taking out too many. Water the

inside border frequently all through the summer, and the outside

occasionally if the season is dry. Mildew may appear in July. The best

preventives are to syringe faithfully, admit air freely, and sprinkle

sulfur on the ground.

Fruit may be kept fresh on the vines in a warm (or artificially heated)

Grapery until late December: in a coldhouse it must be picked before

frost. After the fruit is off, ventilate from top and bottom and

withhold water, so as to thoroughly ripen the wood. Along in November

the canes are pruned, covered with straw or wrapped with mats and laid

down till spring. Black Hamburg is superior to all other varieties for a

cold Grapery; Bowood Muscat, Muscat of Alexandria and Chasselas Musque

may be added in the warmhouse. Good vines will live and bear almost

indefinitely.--_S. W. Fletcher._

GRASSES of various kinds are grown for ornament, the most popular types

being the hardy perennials, which make attractive clumps in the lawn or

border. The best of the permanent kinds in the North are the various

sorts of Eulalia (properly Miscanthus). When once established they

remain for years, making large and bold clumps. The striped kind, or

zebra grass, is particularly good. These grasses thrive in any good

soil. They grow from 4 to 7 feet high. The great reed, or _Arundo

Donax_, is a bold subject and perfectly hardy. In a rich and rather

moist soil, it grows 10 to 12 feet high when well established. Pampas

Grass is most excellent in the Middle States and South. Some of the big

native grasses and sedges make attractive lawn clumps.

Grasses are also grown for dry or everlasting bouquets. For this

purpose, small-growing delicate annual species are mostly used. Good

types are species of agrostis, briza, bromus, eragrostis, and

pennisetum. Seeds of these and of others are sold by seedsmen. With

ordinary treatment, they thrive in any garden soil.

For notes on sod-making, see _Lawn_.

GREENHOUSE. In America the word Greenhouse has come to be applied to all

kinds of glass-houses in which plants are grown. Originally the word was

applied to those houses in which plants are merely preserved or kept

green during the winter. Other types of glass-houses are the

conservatory, in which plants are displayed; stove or hothouse, in which

plants are grown in a high temperature; the propagating pit, in which

the multiplication of plants is carried forward; and the houses which

have various temperatures, as cold, cool and intermediate. The

principles which underlie the construction and management of

glass-houses are too extensive to be discussed here. The reader should

refer to special books on the topic. For the general subject, Taft's

"Greenhouse Construction" and "Greenhouse Management" are excellent. For

particular applications to floriculture, Hunt's "How to Grow

Cut-flowers" is a standard work. For applications to the forcing of

vegetable crops, Bailey's "Forcing-Book" may perhaps be consulted.

The smaller the glass-house the more difficult it is to manage, because

it is likely to be more variable in temperature, moisture and other

conditions. This is particularly true if the house is a small lean-to

against the south side of a dwelling house, for it becomes very hot at

midday and comparatively cold at night. In order to moderate the heat in

these little houses, it is ordinarily advisable to use ground glass for

the roof or to whitewash it. The house conservatory may be heated by a

coal stove, but the best results are rarely to be attained in this case.

A stove is likely to leak gas, and the temperature is more or less

uneven. The best results are to be attained when the conservatory is

heated by steam or hot water, piped in the modern fashion with wrought

iron pipes, which go together with threads. If the conservatory is

heated from the heater which supplies the dwelling house, it should have

an extra amount of pipe; otherwise it will be necessary to keep the

dwelling house too hot for comfort in order to maintain the conservatory

at its proper temperature. It is always best, when practicable, to heat

the conservatory with a separate apparatus. There are various small hot

water and steam heaters, the size of coal stoves, which are excellent

for the purpose. For a small conservatory, hot water is usually

preferable to steam, since it is less likely to fluctuate. For large

establishments, however, the steam is usually the better. For further

discussions of related subjects, see _Hotbed_, _Window Garden_,

_Potting_ and _Watering_.

GREVILLEA. A very graceful greenhouse plant, suitable for house culture.

The plants grow freely from seed, and until they become too large are as

decorative as ferns. Grevilleas are really trees, and are valuable in

greenhouses and rooms only in their young state. They withstand much

abuse. They are now very popular as jardiniere subjects. Seeds sown in

spring will give handsome plants by the next winter.