Part 9

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.