THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



The Gardeners' Monthly, in commenting upon 

 the immediate influence of pollen on fruit, says : 

 "" We have looked carefully into the literature of 

 the subject and find no fact adduced in favor of 

 this tlaeory that cannot better be explained in 

 light of modern facts, except, possibly, Indian 

 corn." The editor also quotes the Hon. Simon 

 Brown, of Concord, Mass., in the report of tlie 

 Department of Agriculture, Ifi&'J, as stating "that 

 careful experiments in growing all kinds of cu- 

 curbitaceous plants for the purpose of testing 

 this very question failed to show the slightest 

 indication of change in any one of them." 



Our experience is different. We find that a few 

 pumpkins planted with watermelons will harden 

 the rinds of the melons and make them carry 

 •well and will afiTect also the texture and flavor. 

 We also find by experiment that the Bay View 

 melons we planted were at once changed in form 

 ■when planted by the side of muskmelons, and 

 the flavor was insipid, while the same seed 

 planted alone was excellent in flavor and perfect 

 in shape. We also find that cucumbers planted 

 with muskmelons make them very insipid, and 

 that when preserving citi'ons or gourds are plant- 

 ed near "watermelons, the character of the 

 melons is changed and the flavor ruined. 

 The rind becomes hard and solid. We find 

 the softer varieties are more subject to influ- 

 ence by the harder than the harder by tlie softer 

 variety. Again, we find a variety kept by itself 

 pure for a series of years, will not be as subject 

 to Infiuence as one of degenerate character. Or, 

 in other words, the more fixed the type the 

 greater the infiuence, and the softer the fruit, 

 the more susceptible of change by a superior 

 poUenizer. Careful selection and purity of breed- 

 ing in plant seed growing will, as in the case of 

 stock breeding, produce a fixity of type that will 

 have power to transmit its type upon types of 

 inferior power. We believe, from an extended 

 personal observation that pollen changes the 

 character of the fruit as well as the seed in very 

 jnany cases of cross poUenization. 



FARMER'S HOME GARDEN. 



By Joseph. 



As this issue of The Farm and Garden Is to 

 te a "strawberry special," I cannot refrain from 

 showing, in the following, how strawberry enthu- 

 siasm served me. Like a blind man, I have been 

 going around in a circle for a dozen years or more. 

 I started in with Wilson's Albany and Charles 

 Downing, and they were perfectly satisfactory 

 for all my purposes. Soon, however, the " nov- 

 elty craze" got possession of me. It liad about 

 the same effect that bad whisky is said to have, 

 of course I do not know from personal cxporimce. 

 As long as the exhilaration lasted, all was Invdy 

 and delightful. Then came the after-clap— nausea 

 and headache. 



All the new varieties were purchased in quick 

 succession and at fancy figures, generally $2.00 

 for one dozen, or Slo.OO for 100 plants. These were 

 carefully nursed and tested, only to be discovered 

 after a year or two. I had the Monarch of the 

 West, Great American, President Lincoln, Sharp- 

 less, Bidwell, Jersey Queen, Big Bob, and many 

 others. The Manchester came so well recom- 

 mended, that I set out 810.00 or fflo.OO worth of 

 plants, and enlarged my bed just as soon as I 

 could grow runners. Then arrived that shame- 

 fully puffed up humbug, the James Vick (sorry it 

 bears so good a name), of which I also planted 

 <iuite largely. All these varieties were plowed 

 up, the Manchester last, and now I have only a 

 well-kept bed of the James Vick. But I would 

 gladly give it for a bed one-half its size of well- 

 grown Wilson. So, at last I got back to the same 

 point from which I started about twelve years 

 ago. 



It is, however^ Tiot my Intention to condemn 

 all these new varieties. They have not been of 

 much value to me, but may do very well in the 

 bands, and on the land of others. 



OUR STRA WBERR Y NUMBER. 



This month we add a new and valuable feature 

 to The Farm and Garden. We not only give a 

 number full of practical information on all sub- 

 jects connected with the farm and garden, as our 

 readers will find, but, -also, in addition, full and 

 •valuable papers on strawberry culture. Every 

 farmer who grows strawberries, and all should, 

 at least for home use, will find this number vahui- 

 hle. It will give him all needed information 

 on strawberry culture. This is not at the 

 expense of our regular readers, for we give them 

 a number full upon all the usual farm and garden 

 topics. Though the expense Is large, yet, we 

 give to our readers the stra-wberry matter free. 

 We believe in always dealing fairly, and we 

 know our readers will appreciate our efforts. "We 

 have a large class of intelligent readers whom we 

 desire to please, and shall always give them even 

 more than we promise, and more for the money, 

 tJian any other paper in the Union. 



STRAWBERRY NOTES. 



If you have any idea of growing berries, send 

 for the catalogues of growers who advertise with 

 us. They are reliable and prompt business men. 



Wants in Strawberry Culture.— Good va- 

 rieties, good culture, plenty of manure, and 

 plenty of moisture. Where the money is— A lo- 

 cal ion near a good market, fine berries, and plenty 

 of them. Who succeed— Those who pay atten- 

 tion to business and adopt all the hints we give 

 in this number of the Farm and Garden. 



When the matted row system is followed in 

 berry growing the plants are set generally from 

 sixteen to eighteen inches apart in a single row, 

 and the runners allowed to grow. Wc prefer to 

 set one foot apart, and keep the runners down 

 the early part of the season until they are well 

 rooted, and then later allow runners to fill tlie 

 row. This plan will make a very vigorous plant, 

 and will insure a large berry, but takes more 

 plants. 



Kxi'osuRES. — Exposure has much to do with 

 successful culture. Where a very early crop is 

 desirable, to command fancy prices, and early 

 frosts need not be ajiprchended, <'hoose a south- 

 ern exposure, in as warm a situation as possible. 

 The period of ripening will then be advanced a 

 week or ten days, frequently doubling the value 



of the crop. Where the frosts are untimely, a 

 northern exposure is safer. Retarding the bloom- 

 ing will save the crop from frosts, but at the 

 expense of earliness. The nerry season may be 

 greatly extended by planting the late varieties 

 on a clay soil. This will produce late berries, and 

 being less warm, an exposure will retard the 

 ripening for some time. Selecting early varieties, 

 a sand soil, and a southern exposure, the earliest 

 berries will be grown. 



HiLii Culture.— There is a great advantage in 

 hill culture over the nuitted-row system, where 

 fine-sized berries are in demand. Planted as we 

 recommend in this number, in hills, there will 

 be 14,520 plants per acre. Should the plants yield, 

 under high culture, one pint per hill (a small 

 crop,) and the berries command only ten cents 

 per quart ^a low price for extra berries), the yield 

 in money value would be over STOO per acre. 

 Should the berries range only one-third in price 

 above those of the matted row, there would be 

 leftover $200 for the extra care in culture and 

 manuring. Always use high culture and plenty 

 of manure with the hill system, and raise extra- 

 fine berries where there is a demand for them. 

 You can easily net SoUO per acre. Where there is 

 only a market for low-priced berries, the matted- 

 row systeni will answer. You will have the 

 quantity at the expense of size and quality. 



mmm 



IFARMS&MILLS 



' I iFor Sale & Exchange. 

 J FREE Catalogue. 



K. B. rHAFFIN <& CO.. Richmond 



'^^ 



EARLIEST OF ALL FULTON MARKET TOMATO. 



It IM Miiouth. sttlul, inrdiiiiii sizf. hi j^iil ml rolui. and 

 verv prolilir. For nunkii gaiilf iicis' usi-, it luis tm rival. 

 Price 25 els. per piicket. F. K. .UcAI*LI.'STKR, 



aDuiKlttl FULTON STREET. NEW YORK. 



lil^WfCri TICO in seedH at tlie price ol 

 Illl/Vd. I ICO OLD VARIETIES. 



75 PaiiMy Streds, W'ooil- 

 10 (alacliuliiat Fluwer- 



hury's Wt'lect. Mixeii. 1. _ 



ing Hiilb!4, Choice St-'-ttlinys, 50 cents. 

 OrtTAXrtPC VickH Cxtra Early, Hciider- 

 rXJ I M I V/tO .sun's Vaueiiaid, Kural BIumIi 



Pp A Q Anietiicaii Wdiuier, Hendersim's Fir?*! of 

 tMo All. Bli.>ss"s Abundance, Everbearin« 

 .SWKET COKN, Early Genesee, lUontana, 

 Catalogue Free. Florist's I want yoin* addresses! 

 David It. Woodburyf Originating Florist, Paris, Me. 



T Lightning Fruit Evaporator. 



Apples dried in sixty mlnutps, Corn in thirty-five. No 

 biuinng or SL-orctiirn^. Price, $5.00. Catalogue free. 

 State and Connty riieliCN for sale. Address, 

 L. C. nitAKE A: CO., Nicliolusvlile Kuiitucliy. 



n J| w IMPRINT is on some of the finest caialot^m-s of 

 IYI I I Ids year. Besl work, best style, and guaranteed 

 correctness In A I^L. 1*RINT1N(; lor Nurserymen. Florists. 

 and Seedsmen nij' specialty. Large stoci< of cms. .-^iie- 

 cial l«>\v iirieet* on envelopes, etc.. in April and May. 

 J. HORACE McFAKLAND, Harrisburi,', Peiinu. 



CRESCENT AND SUCKER STATE Strawberry Plants, 

 $1.50 and $2 per mhi. J, R. DUNHAM, Farina, Illinois. 



TREES '.SHRUBS rvTNEr! 



SMALL FRUITS, &c., &c., 



Onr New Nnrsery Catalogne. one of tlie finest and most 

 cuniplete, sent Free. \VM. H. MOON, Monisville, I'a. 



BRISTOL ^ ^ 



B£xvR jT < ^ 



BOXES s 



Dun't fail to make inquiry of tlie 



MANIKACTUBKBS: 



SHERMAN & PEIRCE, 



BRISTOL, PA. 



STKAWIIKIIRY PLANTS ami (.tlKT small frulta, 

 uces, &,: ISRAEL KINNEY & SON. Zanesfleld. LoQan C0..0. 



OK-N'AMENTAL and Fruit Trees. Gram- Virip.!. Plants, ic. 

 KI:TIN1SP«>11AS. AUBOU-VITiE. 

 JIINIPKKS. JL-c fur trunsplanliii,;. KIEFFER 

 ami oilier I'pni* Tree"*, extra sizes. Catfilu^'ues free. 

 OHAS. It. IIOUNOII. Itlt. Holly, N.J. 



Berry Plants, Dirt Cheap, S "l.^S,'?* 'buy 



THKM, but send for First-rlRHN. Tlirilty, Pure 

 Plants to ED. VAN ALLEN, B-M^/ifm Coito-. A'. K. 



HYDE'S KEEPER APPLE-IOUISVILLE NURSE- 

 RIES, lleadquartei's lur one of tlie best keepiliff 



ni'ples ever inlroduced. To convince, send for Price- 

 List. H. T. BERLIN, Louisville, Stark County, Ohio. 



DD II hi lie Pl»nrdl. New Purple l.'uxvl n I || U 



rnUraUO KIMONI, New Iron-claa T L U III 



KuHHiun Apricot, Salome Apple. Murlb<iro Kaiipberry, 



Indluiiu Strawberry.. All new and hardy Krultf* and 



riowcm. VaLiloiiu,! frrc. E. Y. TEAS, nunretth, Ind. 



.000,000 



llrawtaerry. Raspberry, Blackberry. 

 Currants, Grapes, 



Inoludlnethi.' .'Iii u-'U.-d ami new varieties. 

 May Klne. Miirlboro, Knrl.v CIun- 

 ter, Fny, >!iiiraru, Conift. KIcfTer, 

 Peacli TrcM'H. At: !*fii<l for Cnta- 



^^e^JOHN S.COLLINS, 



M«OKESTOWN, N. J. ' 





e c^o 

 ' I'SS 



WANTED 



KNKR(.1ETIC, RELIABLE 

 <.► sell Fruit Trees, 



l<rii|ie VinoN, Shrubs, 

 Rosest&e. Salary and Expenses or Liberal CwNMlsttwM 

 paid; Full instiUL'lu»n,> i;iveii. so iiiexptruMH-ed inwrcan 



ru'ei'"irre's' J- F. Le Clare.BrJghtM, M.Y. 



«tjrl>ON'T FAIL TO TRY-** 



HORSFORD'SPEA! 



MVKKi:! 4;\ki>i:n I kmi 



F:^ir<'iii' l\ I'l-l.ii.'. I .M> pudn on one 

 pluiit. '<£*> bui*lit.-lft fruni t£5 pounds, 

 ^5c. p«r a uz. pkt: 5 pkts, i)ll, {lostpaid. 

 .stuclt siiiBll. OrdiT early. For sale liy lirst- 

 i-lass ^eed-men. Grown by PKlSCtLE 

 & IIUUSFOKI>. Chnrlotti-. Vt. 



POTATOES FOR SEED. 



IleHt Vurielie*^. old ami New. Send fur price-list. 



Sl'SiS. W. E. WELD, Ingleslde, H. r. 



"NUM-BO." 



THE BIG- CHESXNXJX 



Enormous// Product/ye. 65 Nuts make One Quart 



Trees are perledly liardy : liave stood 30° below zero 

 nninjured. ti rati til tics rmiinieiice to bear in 5 years. 

 Price Sil.OOaml !?i-.^.00 'acli. Seedling trees, by mail. 

 50 cents I'ucli, ..i s4.00 i>er dozen, 

 tj-eud lor tlcs<-ri|>li\f liilalutciie. 



SAItSVEIi C. IVEOON, 



Mnrrisville Xursfry. 



Morrlsville. Bucks County, fa. 



THE GRANGER rAMILY FRUIT AND VK(iKTABLIi: 



EVAPORATORS. 



S.J..'50. $6,00. AND $10.00. 



Sen.) r.ir circiilur. EASTERN MANU. 

 FACT'G CO., 268 S. nilh SI. Phlla. 



FOR SALE CHEAP. 



100,000 One-year-old Pearli Treen. 50,000 



Two->eiir-old Pencil Trees. •^5.000 l.a Ver- 



Hallaiue i^iirraniM. 'JO, 000 lUaueiird Clierry 



S4><'<llin|CH one year old. 



All FINE STOCK. ISTKPHKN HOYT'S SONS, 



Address / New Canaan, Conn. 



SMALL FRUIT PLANTS 



<;|{.\1'I'; VINES, etc.. In variety. All the leailing 

 vurlelie.s of SMALL FIIIIITS. both Ne_w_ 



Old, 



v.vi leiie.i Ol .-..TiAUAj r im I ■ ;^. "Jiii u i-.e*> jiini i.m 

 at reasonable rates. IRUIMR Al I TN SPRINGFIELD 

 Catalogues free. l"VIWb HLLLW , mass. 



Locust Grove Nurseries. 



(.'lioice Trees. Vines, and Plants. All the new varietie.s. 

 Manchester Strawberries, Hansell Kaspberrie.s. KietTer 

 Pear Trees. Peacli Trees a specialty. Large stock 

 and low prices. Send for circular to 

 J. BItAY, Red Bank N. J. 



MARLBORO RASPBERRY, POKKEPsIE 

 RED, ULSTER PROLIFIC, and Duchess GrapM. 



Send to the originators for description and terma. 



A. J. CAYWOOD & SONS. Marlboro, New York. 



STRAWBERRIES ! 



May Kins for the best early, Connectinit Queen 

 for late. ;>larlboi'o and Rnncncas llnspberried. 

 Wilson Jr. Blackberry. CATALO<;UK sent free. 

 SAMUEL C, DE COU, Moorestown, N. J. 



FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! 



strawberries grown by an entire ne^v process, 

 wliich saves at least 75 per cent, of tbe Inoor and 

 expense of cultivation anniiallj'. It desti'o.\'s In- 

 sects. Weeils, tirnss Seeds, etc. Saves Runner 

 cnttiiis and resettin«c oltener than 4»nce in eiebt 

 years. I have the lai'fcest and lienltliiest vines in 

 this section, and the total cost of cnUivaiioii has been 

 less tlian $4.00 per acre this season. I have for 

 sale Hnndreds and Thousands of STRA WBER R Y, 

 BLA(^K AND RED RASPBERRY PLANTS, 

 my own j^rowin:;. all warranted pure stock and No. I Plants. 



The above svstcni free lo every pni'cbasei* oftft'^ 

 worth of plants; ro oiliers SI. Send fur Prlce-Us* 

 of plants and further parliculars. 



FliUSniNU, GENESEE C^OUNT Y, MICHIGAN. 



