Part 19

One ounce of seed will be enough for from twelve to fifteen hundred plants. A little fertilizer in the hill will start the plants off quickly. The rot is less serious when the vines are kept off the ground and the rampant suckers are cut out.

TOOLS of many kinds, and well chosen, are one of the joys of a garden. There is great satisfaction in a well-made, clean tool which does its work well. Keep the tools bright. They should be under cover, and in place, when not in use. A cupboard may be built by the rear porch, or in the barn or carriage house. See that the cupboard is in a dry place. Various Tools have been mentioned in the preceding pages, and other useful kinds are shown in the article on _Weeds_.

TRANSPLANTING. This operation the gardener calls in one instance "pricking out." This means taking young seedling plants from the seed box as soon as they are large enough to be handled--usually when the first "rough" leaves have developed--and replanting them in other boxes or pots, either singly or at a greater distance apart than they were when in the seed boxes. The term is used in the operation of setting out plants from the hotbed, frame or house to the garden; also in removing shrubs or trees. Transplant on a cloudy day, and just before a rain, if possible.

TRIMMING is a term which is ordinarily confounded with pruning (which see). The word "Trimming," however, should be restricted to the shaping of the trees and not to the thinning of the tree or to pruning for wood, fruit or other special object. Trimming is only one of the means of pruning. Trimming is mostly used in the case of hedges. It is also used to keep evergreens in shape. Many ornamental plants are also Trimmed into various forms, although it is a question if such Trimming is usually wise. Fruit trees should be pruned, as a rule, rather than Trimmed: that is, they usually should be allowed to take their natural form, the pruner taking out the superfluous wood and keeping them within manageable bounds.

TROPAEOLUM. See _Nasturtium_.

TUBEROSE. The Tuberose requires more heat to grow to perfection than it is usually possible to give here in the North. If planted in the border they will not start into growth until the ground has become thoroughly warm--usually after the middle of June,--making the season before frost too short for their perfect growth and flower. However, if started in loose soil or moss in a warm room or on benches of a greenhouse, the roots will soon start from the tuber and make a fine growth. If planted out in June with a good ball of roots they are likely to bloom before frost. If any danger of frost is feared they may be lifted into pots or boxes and taken into the house, when they will bloom without a check. As with other bulbs, a sandy soil will suit.

TUBEROUS BEGONIA. A large bed of these covered with crimson, pink, white, or yellow flowers, ranging from 2 to 4 and even 6 inches in diameter, some double, some single, is a striking sight. Yet such a sight is not uncommon about the large eastern cities where the Tuberous Begonia is now used somewhat for bedding.

Our interior summers are more trying, and so far, few in the west have succeeded so well with the Tuberous Begonia as a bedding plant. It makes a fine summer-blooming pot-plant, however, for the greenhouse or window, and with due attention to its requirements, it may be used as a bedding plant. It properly falls under greenhouse plants in its requirements.

C. L. Allen, writing of its culture in his work on "Bulbs and Tuberous-Rooted Plants," says: "The principal point learned in regard to its culture is, that it must be treated as a plant and not as a bulb. The enthusiastic florist, seeing the many good qualities of the plant, has led amateurs to believe it could be treated as a bulb, and planted out in the same manner as the gladiolus or tigridia and kept dormant during the winter in the same manner. This is a great mistake, as the tubers will not endure as long a period of rest and cannot be exposed to the air for a long time without seriously injuring their vitality. The tubers must be kept in dry earth or sand, until they show signs of growth, which will be not later than the first of March; then they may be started into rapid growth. After the eyes are fully developed the tubers may be divided: each eye will make a plant. Then they are treated in all respects like greenhouse plants, and grown on until the proper season for their planting out. This is not before the first of June, as Begonias are quite sensitive to cold nights, but not at all to heat. At that time the plants should be fully 6 inches in height and proportionately strong. Such plants will make a grand display the entire season, rather delighting in great heat."

In starting the tubers in March, they should be placed in moist sand or moss in a temperature of 60 deg. to 65 deg., either in the greenhouse or window. After the buds are well started the tubers may be divided as pointed out, or planted whole. They prefer a rich, rather sandy soil. When they are well under way give them all the light and air they will bear, and keep them close to the glass to avoid "legginess" and to insure a firm, sturdy growth. A week before planting them out they should be given abundance of air and light to "harden off" the plants preparatory to setting them in sun and wind.

The beds should be in a somewhat sheltered place where they will be partially shaded from the hot midday sun. Let the soil be well enriched with old manure or humus and thoroughly worked over to a depth of one foot. During dry periods the beds will need watering from time to time; but never water them when the sun is shining full on them, or the foliage may be scorched. A mulch of leaf-mold or old manure will be helpful in keeping the soil moist and the roots cool.

Before frost the tubers should be carefully taken up and gradually dried in the shade, after which they are to be placed in dry sand or earth, in shallow boxes, and kept till time to start them in the spring. They should be kept in a cool place, secure from frost and away from stoves or heating pipes.

For amateurs it is better to recommend buying bulbs of the several colors, instead of attempting to grow them from seeds, which are extremely small and require early sowing, warmth and close attention.

TULIPS are hardy and easy to grow. The advice given under _Bulbs_, _Crocus_ and _Hyacinth_ applies to Tulips. They may be forced for winter bloom (see under _Window-Gardens_). The garden bed will last several years if well cared for, but most satisfactory bloom is secured if the old bulbs are taken up every two or three years and replanted, all the inferior ones being cast aside. When the stock begins to run out, buy anew. Plant in October, 4 to 6 inches deep.

TURNIPS and RUTABAGAS are usually a fall crop, from seed sown in July and early August, although many kitchen gardens have them from spring sown seed. The culture is easy. Sow in drills 12 inches apart. They will become edible in from six to eight weeks. They are cool-weather crops, and the tops stand much frost. If maggots bother, do not raise them on the same land again for three or four years. Bordeaux mixture repels the flea-beetles. One ounce will sow 150 feet of drill.

VARIETIES. It is usually one of the first desires of the intending planter to inquire about Varieties. It is one of the secondary things to be considered, however, for the first thing to do is to prepare the land, to determine whether one's soil and site are adapted to the plant in question, and to discuss other matters of a general nature. When all the fundamental things are settled, then the question of Varieties, which is a special matter, may be taken up. Although the selection of Varieties is a very special matter, it is nevertheless essential to success or satisfaction in the growing of any plant.

It should first be considered that the selection of Varieties is very largely a personal matter. The man should grow the Varieties which he likes. This is especially true in the selection of Varieties for the home grounds, in which case the market ideals enter very little into the problem. Having satisfied one's own mind as to what kinds of Varieties he would like, he may then inquire of the neighbors and of experts if those Varieties are adapted to the soil and climate. If he intends to grow for market, he should canvass the market demands thoroughly before choosing the Varieties. The lists of Varieties in books, bulletins, and seedmen's catalogues are hints, not rules. As a general statement, it may be said that the only way to determine the best variety for one's own conditions is to experiment. There is intense satisfaction in the experimenting itself. The best lists of Varieties are those which are recommended for some specific purpose, and which represent the combined opinions of many expert growers. It is rare that one man's judgment should be final, particularly with respect to fruits or plants which are grown in general outdoor conditions. Under glass a gardener can make his climate and conditions, and therefore he can adapt his conditions to his plants. The experiment station test usually represents but one man's opinion. It may be a more valuable opinion than that of another man, but it is not final. It should be studied in connection with other lists, particularly those made by practical growers. If one desires to choose Varieties, therefore, he should consult the best growers of those plants in his immediate neighborhood; he should call upon the experiment station of his state or province; and he should consult the most recent writings on the subject.

VEGETABLE GARDEN. It is one of the choicest of pleasures to raise one's own vegetables. Make the Vegetable Garden ample, but economize labor. Plant the things in rows, not in beds. Then they can be tilled easily, either by horse- or hand-tools. Wheel-hoes will accomplish most of the labor of tillage in a small garden. Have the rows long, to avoid waste of time in turning and to economize the land. One row can be devoted to one vegetable; or two or more vegetables of like requirements (as parsnips and salsify) may comprise a row. Have the permanent vegetables, as rhubarb and asparagus, at one side, where they will not interfere with the plowing or tilling. The annual vegetables should be grown on different parts of the area in succeeding years, thus practicing something like a rotation of crops. If radish or cabbage maggots or club-root become thoroughly established in the plantation, omit for a year or more the vegetables on which they live.

Make the soil deep, mellow and rich before the seeds are sown. Time and labor will be saved. Rake the surface frequently to keep down weeds and to prevent the soil from baking (see _Tillage_). Radish seeds sown with celery or other slow-germinating seeds will come up quickly, breaking the crust and marking the rows. About the borders of the Vegetable Garden is a good place for flowers to be grown for the decoration of the house and to give to friends. Along one side of the area rows of bush fruits may be planted.

A home Vegetable Garden for a family of six would require, exclusive of potatoes, a space not over 100 by 150 feet. Beginning at one side of the garden and running the rows the short way (having each row 100 feet long) sowings may be made, as soon as the ground is in condition to work, of the following:

Fifty feet each of parsnips and salsify.

One hundred feet of onions, 25 feet of which may be potato or set onions, the balance black-seed for summer and fall use.

Fifty feet of early beets, 50 feet of lettuce, with which radish may be sown to break the soil and be harvested before the lettuce needs the room.

One hundred feet of early cabbage, the plants for which should be from a frame or purchased. Set the plants 18 inches to 2 feet apart.

One hundred feet of early cauliflower; culture same as for cabbage.

Four hundred and fifty feet of peas, sown as follows:

100 feet of extra early. 100 feet of intermediate. 100 feet of late. 100 feet of extra early, sown late. 50 feet of dwarf varieties.

If trellis or brush is to be avoided, frequent sowings of the dwarfs will maintain a supply.

After the soil has become warm and all danger of frost has passed, the tender vegetables may be planted, as follows:

Corn in five rows 3 feet apart, three rows to be early and intermediate, and two rows late.

One hundred feet of string beans, early to late varieties.

Vines as follows:

10 hills of cucumbers, 6 x 6 feet. 20 hills of muskmelon, 6 x 6 feet. 6 hills of early squash, 6 x 6 feet. 10 hills of Hubbard, 6 x 6 feet.

One hundred feet of okra.

Twenty eggplants. One hundred ft. (25 plants) tomatoes.

Six large clumps of rhubarb.

An asparagus bed 25 feet long and 3 feet wide.

Late cabbage, cauliflower and celery are to occupy the space made vacant by removing early crops of early and intermediate peas and string beans.

A border on one side or end will hold all herbs, such as parsley, thyme, sage, hyssop, mints.

VERBENA. The Verbena is one of the most satisfactory garden plants, blooming early. Bloom continues through the dry, hot days of summer. As the cool weather of the fall comes on, Verbenas increase in size of plant and flower until killed by severe frost. Plants grown from seed sown in a hotbed or house early in the spring, transplanted into pots or boxes when large enough, and planted out as soon as the ground has become warm, are more vigorous and seem to have more fragrance than those grown from cuttings. Many of the strains have become so well fixed that the colors come true from seed. Cuttings are often employed, but the handling of stock plants is a difficult matter except in the hands of a professional, and when plants are wanted in quantity it is cheaper to buy them of the plantsman than to grow them from seed or attempt to keep over stock plants. Therefore, for the home garden, seed-grown plants are usually most satisfactory. Give a sunny position. Thin to 10 to 15 inches apart each way.

VINCA, or PERIWINKLE. Trailing plants. Useful in covering unsightly places, for vases, urns or baskets. Some of the species (as the common evergreen, mat-like "running myrtle") are hardy, but the most useful ones need the protection of a house through the winter. The variegated-leaved kinds are fine for winter decorations. Propagated mostly by cuttings. Perennials.

VINES. The use of Vines for screens and pillar decorations has increased in the last decade until now they may be seen in nearly all grounds. The tendency has been towards using the hardy Vines, of which the ampelopsis, or Virginia creeper, is one of the most common. It is a very rapid grower, and lends itself to training more readily than many others. The Japan ampelopsis (_A. tricuspidata_ or _Veitchii_) is a fine clinging Vine, growing very rapidly when once established, and being brilliantly colored after the first fall frosts. It clings closer than the other, but is not so hardy. Either of these may be grown from cuttings or division of the plants. Two woody twiners of recent introduction are the actinidia and the akebia, both from Japan. They are perfectly hardy, and are rapid growers. The former has large, thick, glossy leaves, not affected by insects or disease, growing thickly along the stem and branches, making a perfect thatch of leaves. It blooms in June. The flowers, which are white with a purple center, are borne in clusters, followed by round or longish edible fruits. The akebia has very neat cut foliage, quaint purple flowers, and often bears ornamental fruit. Other hardy Vines are the wistaria, clematis, tecoma (or trumpet-flower), aristolochia (or Dutchman's pipe), hedera (or ivy), and loniceras (or honeysuckles).

Of the tender Vines, the nasturtiums and ipomoeas are the most common, while the adlumia (p. 3), balloon vine (p. 28), passion vine, and the gourds (p. 115), are frequently used. One of the best of recent introduction is the annual hop, especially the variegated variety. This is a very rapid growing Vine, seeding itself each year, and needing little care. See _Hop_. All the tender Vines should be planted after all danger of frost is over.

_ANNUAL HERBACEOUS CLIMBERS_

_Tendril-climbers_

Adlumia (biennial). Balloon Vine. Cobaea. Gourds. Nasturtiums. Sweet Pea. Wild Cucumber.

_Twiners_

Beans, Flowering. Cypress Vine. Dolichos. Hop, Japanese. Ipomoea. Moonflower. Morning-glory. Thunbergia. Yam, Chinese, or Cinnamon Vine (perennial from a hardy tuber).

_PERENNIAL WOODY CLIMBERS FOR THE OPEN_

_Tendril-climbers_

Ampelopsis tricuspidata. Clematis of many kinds. Grape of various kinds. Greenbrier. Ivy (by roots). Roses (scramblers). Trumpet Creeper (by roots). Virginia Creeper.

_Twiners_

Actinidia polygama. Akebia quinata. Aristolochia, or Dutchman's Pipe. Bittersweet, or Celastrus. Honeysuckles. Moonseed. Wistaria.

VIOLET. While the culture of Violets as house-plants rarely proves successful, there is no reason why a good supply may not be had elsewhere through the greater part of the winter and the spring months. A sheltered location being selected, young plants from runners may be set in August or September. Have the ground rich and well drained. These plants will make fine crowns by December, and often will bloom before weather sufficiently cold to freeze them. In order to have flowers through the winter, it will be necessary to afford some protection to the plants. This may best be done by building a frame of boards large enough to cover the plants, making the frame in the same way as for a hotbed, four to six inches higher at the back than the front. Cover the frame with sash or boards, and as the weather becomes severe, mats or straw should be placed over and around the frame to protect the plants from freezing. Whenever the weather will permit, the covering should be removed and air admitted, but no harm will come if the frames are not disturbed for several weeks. A large amount of sunlight and a high temperature through the middle of winter are to be avoided, for if the plants are stimulated a shorter period of bloom will result. In April the frame may be removed, the plants yielding the later part of the crop without protection. Violets belong with the "cool" plants of florists. When well hardened off, considerable frost does not harm them. They should always be kept stocky. Start a new lot from runner-plants each year. They thrive in a temperature of 55 deg. to 65 deg.

WALKS. The place for a Walk is where it is needed. It should go directly between two points. It need not be straight, but if it is curved, the curve should be direct. That is, the pedestrian should be conscious that he is going in the direction in which he desires to go, and is not making a detour for the simple purpose of following the walk. Convenience should be the first thing to be considered. After the Walks have been laid in the most convenient places, the question of ornamenting the borders may be considered. It is always well to avoid, so far as possible, the bisecting of lawns by Walks, as that makes two lawns where there should be only one. The larger a greensward can be made to look, the more park-like and natural is the place. Avoid taking the Walks circuitously around the borders unless they are laid for the simple purpose of making a ramble to show off the grounds. All Walks which are designed for serious use should appear to be necessary, direct and convenient.

Some soils which contain considerable loam and sand will pack with tramping and will make good Walks, but it is usually necessary to lay some material on the soil. Gravel, cinders, and the like, may be better than the natural surface; but in many cases they are worse, since the surface is loose and is unpleasant to walk on. In Walks which are on decided slopes, and down which the water is likely to run, any loose material is very objectionable, since it runs to the low places. The best material for Walks, all things considered, is cement, or what is called artificial stone. If well made, it is as durable as flagging, and is not so likely to get out of place. It holds its surface perfectly year after year.

The only objection to cement Walks is when they are more or less temporary, for in such cases they cannot be moved. There is often very serious difficulty in securing good cement Walks, but the difficulties are easily overcome. They are chiefly two: there is not sufficient draining material beneath the cement; and the cement itself is not made strong enough. There should be at least a foot of loose material, as brickbats or cinders, below the cement cover; and if the place is low and likely to hold water, there should be still greater drainage. Pound the material down, or let it stand for some time until it becomes thoroughly settled together. Then lay the cement in two courses. The first course may be three or four inches thick and made of well mixed mortar, comprising three parts Portland cement, one part water lime, and two to three times as much sharp sand as Portland. When this has become partially hardened, but before it is set and while still moist, put on a finishing layer of one inch, made of one part Portland cement, one part water lime, and one part sharp sand. It is important that the materials be very thoroughly mixed. See that the edges of the walk are made square and true by laying down a form of boards lengthwise the area before the cement is put on. The edges should be as thick as the middle, for a thin crust on the edge tends to snap off. A walk made in this way on a well-drained foundation will last almost indefinitely. It is best that it be made in such season that it can become thoroughly set before frosty weather comes.

WALLFLOWER. A favorite plant for pots or garden, having a clove-like fragrance. Seed of most varieties should be sown the year before wanted. One kind, being an annual, will flower the same season the seed is sown. Hardy. Two to 3 feet.

WASHING orchard trees is an old practice. It usually results in making a tree more vigorous. One reason is that it destroys insects and fungi which lodge underneath the bark; but probably the chief reason is that it softens the bark and allows the trunk to expand. It is possible, also, that the potash from the soap or lye eventually passes into the ground and affords some plant-food. Trees are ordinarily Washed with soap suds or with a lye solution. The material is usually applied with an old broom or a stiff brush. The scrubbing of the tree is perhaps nearly or quite as beneficial as the application of the wash itself.

It is customary to wash trees late in spring or early in summer, and again in the fall, with the idea that such Washing destroys the eggs and the young of borers. It no doubt will destroy borers if they are just getting a start, but it will not keep away the insects which lay the eggs, and will not destroy the borers which have found their way underneath the bark. It is perhaps quite as well to wash the trees very early in the spring, when they are starting into growth. It is an old practice to wash trees with strong lye when they are affected with the oyster-shell bark louse. The modern method of treating these pests, however, is to spray with some kerosene compound when the young growth is starting, for at that time the young insects are migrating to the new wood and they are very easily destroyed.