The Practical Garden-Book Part 19

_Nicotiana affinis_ is one of the best of all garden flowers. Its long white flowers are fragrant at evening. They close in the hot sun. It is a half-hardy annual of easiest culture. Height 2 to 3 feet.

NOTHERA. EVENING PRIMROSE. A very interesting group of plants, opening their flowers at evening. Many of them are fragrant and attract night insects, especially the large moths, seldom seen until dusk. The opening of the flowers of the large-flowering varieties is a source of pleasure and surprise, as one flower follows another in opening, and in a large plant the late opening flowers seem to burst all at one time.

The perennial species may be propagated by division or seed, the annuals by seed. Set the tall kinds 2 to 3 feet apart. Height 1 to 3 feet. All of easy culture.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Okra or Gumbo]

OKRA. From the green pods of this vegetable is made the well-known Gumbo soup of the South, where the plant is more extensively grown than in the North. The pods are also used in their green state for stews, and are dried and used in winter, when they are nutritious, and form no little part of the diet in certain sections of the country. The seeds are very sensitive to cold and moisture, and should not be sown until the ground has become warm--the last week in May or the first of June being early enough in New York. The seed should be sown in a drill 1 inch deep, the plants thinned to stand 12 inches in the row. Give the same culture as for corn. One ounce will sow 40 feet of drill. Dwarf varieties are best for the North. Green Density and Velvet are leading varieties.

OLEANDER. While there are many named varieties of the Oleander, but two are often seen in general cultivation. These are the common red and white varieties. Both these, as well as the named varieties, are of easy management and well adapted to home culture, growing in pots or tubs for several years without special care. Well-grown specimens are very effective as porch or lawn plants, or may be used to good advantage in mixed beds of tall-growing plants, plunging the pot or tub to the rim in the soil. The plants should be cut back after flowering. They should be rested in any out-of-the-way place through the winter. When brought out in the spring, they should be given sun and air in order to make a st.u.r.dy growth. Propagation is effected by using well-ripened wood for cuttings, placed in a close frame; or the slips may be rooted in a bottle or can of water, care being taken to supply water as evaporation takes place. After being rooted, they may be potted, using soil with a large proportion of sand. Well established plants may be repotted in good loam and well rotted manure.

ONIONS are grown from seeds ("black seed") for the main crop. They are also grown from sets (which are very small Onions, arrested in their development), from "tops" (which are bulblets produced in the place of flowers), and from multipliers or potato onions, which are compound bulbs.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Early Onions]

The extremely early crop of Onions is grown from sets, and the late or fall crop is grown from seed sown in April or early May. The sets may be saved from the crop harvested the previous fall, saving no bulbs measuring over of an inch in diameter, or, better, they may be purchased from the seedsman. These sets should be planted as early as possible in the spring, preferably on land that has been manured and trenched in the fall. Plant in rows 12 inches apart, the sets being 2 or 3 inches in the row. Push the sets well down into the ground and cover with soil, firming them with the feet or a roller. In cultivating, the soil should be thrown towards the tops, as the white stems are usually sought as an indication of mildness. The crop will be in condition to use in from three to four weeks, and may be made to last until small seed Onions are to be had. Tops or multipliers may also be used for the early crop.

In growing Onions from seed, it is only necessary to say that the seed should be in the ground very early in order that the bulbs make their growth before the extreme hot weather of August, when, for want of moisture and because of the heat, the bulbs will ripen up while small.

Early in April, in New York, if the ground is in condition, the seed should be sown thickly in drills from 12 to 16 inches apart, and the ground above the seeds well firmed. Good cultivation and constant weeding is the price of a good crop of Onions. In cultivating and hoeing, the soil should be kept away from the rows, not covering the growing bulbs, but allowing them to spread over the surface of the ground. When the crop is ready to be harvested, the bulbs may be pulled or cultivated up, left to dry in double rows for several days, the tops and roots taken off, and the bulbs stored in a dry place. Later in the season they may be allowed to freeze, covering with chaff or straw to hold them frozen, and kept until early spring; but this method is usually unsafe with beginners, and always so in a changeable climate.

Onion seed should always be fresh when sown--preferably of the last year's crop. One ounce of Onion seed will sow 100 feet of drill.

One of the recent methods of obtaining extra large bulbs from seed is to sow the seed in a hotbed in February or early March, and transplant to the open ground in April.

The Danvers, Prizetaker, Globe and Wethersfield are favorite varieties, with the addition of White Queen or Barletta for pickling.

OXALIS. A number of hardy species of this are excellent plants for rockwork and edging. The greenhouse species are very showy, growing without extra care, and blooming freely through the late winter and spring months; these are mostly increased by bulbs, a few by division of the root. _O. violacea_ is one of the commonest of house-plants. Give a sunny window, for the flowers open only in sun or very bright light. The bulbous kinds are treated as recommended for _Bulbs_, except that the bulbs must not freeze.

PALMS. No more graceful plant for room decoration can be found than a well-grown specimen of some species of Palms. Most Palms are well adapted for this purpose when small, and as the growth is usually very slow, a plant may be used for many years. Again, the plants thrive better in partial shade. They may be grown in a sitting or drawing-room more satisfactorily than most house-plants. One of the frequent causes of failure in the culture of the Palm is the over-potting and subsequent over-watering. A Palm should not be repotted until the ma.s.s of roots fills the soil; then a pot only a size larger should be used. Use ample drainage in the bottom to carry off excess of water. Although the plants need a moist soil, water standing at their roots proves injurious. A soil composed of well rotted sod, leaf-mold and a little sand will meet their requirements. Among the best Palms for house culture are Arecas, _Cocos Weddelliana_, Latania, Kentia, Chamaerops and Phnix. Cycas may also be regarded as a Palm.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Palms]

The date Palm may be grown from seed of the common commercial date. Seed of the other varieties may be purchased from leading seedsmen, but, as the seed germinates only under favorable conditions, and the Palm is a very slow-growing plant while young, the best plan is to purchase the plants from a dealer when wanted. When the plants become weak or diseased, take them to a florist for treatment and recuperation.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A table Palm]

PANDa.n.u.s, or SCREW PINE. The _Panda.n.u.s utilis_ and _P. Veitchii_ are exceedingly ornamental, and are well adapted to house culture. The singular habit of growth, bright, glossy leaves, and the ability to withstand the dust and shade of a dwelling room, make them a desirable addition to the house collection. They are propagated by the offsets or young plants that grow around the base of the trunk; or they may be increased by seed. If by the former method, the offsets should be cut off and set in sand, at a temperature of 65 or 70. The cuttings root slowly and the plants for a time make a very slow growth. The general cultural treatment is that of palms, which see.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Pansies]

PANSY is without doubt the most popular spring flower in cultivation.

The strains of seed are many, each containing great possibilities. The culture is simple and the results are sure. Seed sown in August or September, in boxes or a frame, will make plants large enough to reset in November and bloom the following March; or they may be left until March in open seed-beds before setting out. Also, if they are sown very thinly in the frames they may remain undisturbed through the winter, blooming very early the following spring. The frame should be protected by mats, boards or other covering through the severe cold, and as the sun gains strength, care should be taken to keep them from heaving by alternate thawing and freezing. Seed sown in boxes in January or February will make fine blooming plants by April, taking the place of those blooming earlier.

The requisites for satisfactory Pansy culture are rich, moist, cool soil, protection from the noonday sun, and attention to keeping them from going to seed. As the ground becomes warm a mulch of leaf-mold or other light material should be spread over the bed to retain moisture and exclude heat. Spring and fall give the best bloom.

PARIS GREEN is the leading a.r.s.enical insecticide. It is usually applied in a water spray, at the rate of 1 pound of the poison to 150 to 200 gallons of water. Add pound of lime to prevent injury to foliage.

Potatoes will usually stand a stronger mixture; peaches and some other plants do not need one so strong. Make the Paris Green into a paste with water before adding it to the 200 gallons, that it may mix better. Paris Green may be added to Bordeaux mixture with excellent results, counting the Bordeaux as if it were so much water; in this case it will not be necessary to add lime to the Paris Green. The Paris Green is used only for chewing insects, as worms and beetles. London purple is used in the same way.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Parsley grown in a box]

PARSLEY. The curled Parsley is used almost exclusively as a garnish for meats and salads, although the flavor in soups is fine. The seed is slow to germinate, and often the second or third sowing is made, thinking the first is a failure; but usually after what would seem a long time the young plants will be seen. When sown in the open ground, it should be thinned to stand 3 or 4 inches in the row, the rows being 10 to 12 inches apart. A few plants in a border will give a supply for a large family, and with a little protection will live over winter. Roots may be lifted in the fall, put into boxes or old cans, and grown in a sunny window for winter use.

PARSNIPS are one of the vegetables that are the better for the winter's freeze, although they are of good quality if taken up after the fall frosts and packed in soil, sand or moss in the cellar. The seed, which must be not over one year old, should be sown as early as possible in well prepared soil, firmed with the feet or roller. As the seed germinates rather slowly the ground often becomes crusted or baked over the seeds, in which case it should be broken and fined with a garden rake. This operation often means the success of the crop. Radish or cabbage seeds may be sown with the Parsnip seed to mark the row and break the crust. One ounce of seed will sow 200 feet of drill. Thin to 6 inches apart in the row.

PEA. Who does not long for the time when early Peas are fit to use? And how many know the great difference in quality between the smooth and the wrinkled Peas? The first are a little the earliest to be planted and to become fit for use, and on that account should be planted in a small way. For the kitchen-garden the dwarf and half-dwarf varieties are the best, as the tall kinds will need brush or wire to support them, causing considerable trouble and labor and not being as neat in appearance. The tall varieties yield a larger crop than the dwarfs, but as the rows must be made from 3 to 5 feet apart, the dwarf ones, which are planted only 6 to 8 inches apart, will give as large a yield on the same area. Always plant double rows of the tall varieties: that is, two rows from 4 to 6 inches apart, with the brush or wire between, the double rows being from 3 to 5 feet apart, according to varieties. The dwarf varieties should be planted four rows in a block, each row being only 6 or 8 inches apart.

The Peas on the two center rows may be picked from the outside. Leave a s.p.a.ce of 2 feet and plant the same. At the time of the first planting only the smooth varieties should be sown, but by the middle of April in New York the ground will be warm and dry enough for the wrinkled sorts.

A succession should be sown that will come to maturity one after the other, extending the season six or eight weeks. If a further supply is wanted the early quick-maturing varieties may be sown in August, usually giving a fair crop of Peas in September and early October. In the hot weather of midsummer they often do not thrive so well. One quart of seed will plant about 100 feet of drill.

PEA, EVERLASTING (_Lathyrus latifolius_). These Peas do not have the colors or fragrance of the Sweet Pea, but are fine for planting against rocks, stumps, or fences. They bloom through a long season, and, being perfectly hardy, will live for years. Height 2 to 6 feet. Raised from seeds or from cuttings, usually the former. Keep the seed pods picked off to lengthen period of bloom.

PEA, SWEET. See _Sweet Pea_.

PEACH. Given the proper exposure, Peaches may be fruited in many sections where now it is thought impossible to have a crop. It is usually the practice of the amateur to set Peach trees in the shelter of some building, exposed on the south or east to the sun, and "in a pocket" as regards winds. This should be reversed, except in the close vicinity of large bodies of water. The fruit buds of Peaches will stand very cold weather when perfectly dormant, often as low as 12 or 18 below zero in New York; but if the buds once become swollen, comparatively light freezing will destroy the crop. Therefore, if the trees be set on elevations where a constant air drainage may be obtained, sheltered, if at all, on the south and east, from the warming influence of the sun, the buds will remain dormant until the ground becomes warm, and the chances of a failure will be lessened. This advice applies mostly to interior sections. A well drained, sandy loam or gravelly soil suits the Peach better than a heavy soil; but if the heavier soil is well drained, good crops may be obtained.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Peaches]

Peaches are short-lived at best, and one should be satisfied with three or four crops from each tree. They bear young, usually a partial crop the third year. If a crop may be had every other year until the trees are eight or ten years old, they will have well repaid the effort of cultivation. But they often bear twice this long. Young trees may be set every four or five years to replace older ones, thus having trees at a bearing age at all times on a small place. Trees should be set 14 to 18 feet apart each way. A good selection of varieties for home use would be Early York, Alexander, Halo Early, Mountain Rose, Early Crawford, Wheatland, Stump, Elberta, Stevens, Oldmixon, Late Crawford and Smock.

Peach trees are always bought when they are one year old, that is, one year from the bud. For example, the bud is set in the fall of 1898. It remains dormant until the spring of 1899, when it pushes into vigorous growth; and in the fall of 1899 the tree is ready for sale. Peach trees which are more than a year old are scarcely worth the buying. It is a common practice, when setting Peach trees, to prune them back to a whip, leaving a stub bearing not more than one bud where each branch is cut off.

The three great enemies of the Peach are the borer, the yellows and the curculio.

The borer is best handled by digging it out every spring and fall. Trees which are attacked by the borer have an exudation of gum about the crown. If the borers are dug out twice a year they will not get sufficient start to make the operation very laborious. It is the only sure way.

The yellows is a communicable disease, the cause of which is not definitely known. It shows itself in the fruit ripening prematurely, with distinct red spots which extend through the flesh, and later by the throwing out of fine, branching, twiggy tufts along the main branches.

The only treatment is to pull out the trees and burn them. Other trees may be set in the same places.

For a discussion of curculio, see the remarks under _Plum_.

PEAR. No fruit plantation should be considered complete without trees of various kinds of Pears, ripening fruits from early in August till winter. The late varieties are generally good keepers, and extend the season into February, thus supplying fruit for six or seven months.

As the Pear grows to perfection on quince, the dwarf tree is peculiarly adapted to planting on small home grounds, and is often used as a boundary plant, or to serve the purpose of a screen. These dwarf trees should be set deep--4 to 6 inches below the union--to prevent the stock from growing. Dwarf trees may be set as near together as 10 to 16 feet, while the standard or tall-growing Pears should be set 18 to 25 feet apart. Trees are planted when two or three years old.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Bartlett Pears]