Grottos And Rockeries

The gardens of the Trocadero enclose some very fine examples of the art of the grotto-maker. For the imitation of nature, resources of all kinds are at hand. First, one can photograph sites from nature, and imitate them. The material for the structure varies very much in accordance with the character of the country and the duration of the work. For temporary constructions like those seen at the Champ de Mars, excellent results may be obtained in imitating natural caverns by nailing wire trellises to a wooden frame, from which projects cement or colored plaster. Ruins may be easily imitated with ordinary stones in appropriately shaded localities. The Trocadero this time showed some good examples of rockeries and grottos near the pavilion of the woods. One should guard against having too much of this kind of decoration, and the result should always appear natural and in harmony with the surroundings.

Growing Geraniums In Water

The correspondent whose faith in the difficulty of growing geraniums in water was shaken because his wife had made some successful hits in growing them in old tomato cans, is more easily influenced than I. In spite of his conversion, I have concluded to let my potter continue awhile longer to make holes in the bottom of our flower pots. - Thomas Meehan.

Growth Of Bamboo

It is recorded that the shoots of a bamboo in the Peradenya botanic garden, Ceylon, grew at the rate of thirteen inches in twenty-four hours In April. The Gardeners' Chronicle.

A Guide To The Cultivation Of The Grape Vine In Texas, And Instructions For Wine Making

By E. H. Andrae. Pp. 45. Illustrated. Dallas; Texas Farm and Ranch Pub. Co. This is a useful little guide to the novice in Texas grape growing, although it is not broad enough to answer the purpose of a manual. It considers varieties and the ordinary matters of propagation and culture, with a chapter on irrigation - probably the most useful part of the book. The chapter on diseases is entirely behind the times, and that on insects contains nothing of value. The second part of the book treats of wine making.

Hand-Picking Potato Beetles

T. B. Terry does does not believe in poisons for the potato bugs, and says: "Take it all in all we have thought it cheaper and better to pick the beetles as soon as the potatoes begin to come up, and keep right at it for two or three weeks to prevent them from laying many eggs. After that not much work is required".

Tomato Mildew is apt to be very destructive under glass. It is known by the yellowing of vigorous leaves in patches and spots. Finally the leaf dies and the plant suffers. It can usually be prevented by keeping the plants in a very vigorous condition, avoiding all draughts, and preventing the temperature from going too low at night. Has anyone observed mildew to be more prevalent when the plants are grown in beds than when grown in pots or boxes ?

The Most Profitable Crops are those which are most difficult to grow.

Hardiness Of Seedling Peaches

It is a mistake to suppose that all seedlings are hardy. I have over 1,000 seedling peach trees on my place and among them you will find as many tender ones as hardy ones.

- E. Hollister, before A lton-Southern Illinois Horticultural Society.

How Many Varieties of Cranberries? - I should like to know how many varieties of the common cranberry are known under specific names. A. D. Makepeace, of Massachusetts, writes me that the "varieties of the cranberry can scarcely be numbered. I know of as many as a hundred, and presume that there are others who know of as many more." - L. H. Bailey.