THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



We find the following in a conspicuous place in 

 ^•Fruit Notes" in a recent number of an es- 

 teemed Western conteniiiorary :— 



"In purchasing trees, tiie greatest possible care 

 should be exercised In the selection of the party 

 from whom to buy, as it is extremely difficult to 

 distinguish between some of the various races, 

 and many are sold for Cyprian and Italian trees 

 that are nothing of the kind. 



Were the above fruit note set in a column 

 headed Bee Notes, and the orthography a little 

 changed, it would be good reading, and contain 

 Bome excellent practical advice. 



Old strawberry beds, if very grassy and weedy. 

 may be renovared by burning the mulch off, il 

 the bed is mulched. This may be safely done 

 should there be a light wind to quickiy carry the 

 Are over the bed, as rapid burning will be safer. 

 The space between the old rows can be deeply 

 cultivated and kept clean until the runners start, 

 then cultivation must cease to allow them to 

 take root. This is a clumsy way of doing wliat 

 should have been done in the 'spring, setting a 

 oewbed.^Do not forget that strawberries want 

 plenty of good fertilizers. Manure well. 



No better way can be desired for cultivating 

 raspberries, blackberries, and all the small fruits. 

 ■as well as the orchard, than by the use of the 

 Acme Harrow, which wiH pulverize the surface 

 of the soil, keeping it moist below, and will not 

 tear out and lacerate the roots, as would be the 

 •case if the plow or cultivator was used. The 

 Acme Harrow, with its long, curved steel teeth, 

 will loosen the surface-soil, making it iiglU and 

 friable, and when it comes into contact with 

 larger roots, slides over them, doing no injury to 

 either roots or harrow. Deep tillage is not de- 

 sirable for the fruit orchard, 



"When the season of berries is over, collect 

 «,U the crates and berry boxes and store them 

 away for next season's use. The farm not only 

 looks bette»' from having the crates and boxes 

 igalhered from the field, but also indicates a care- 

 ful and thrifty farmer. We passed berry fields 

 last winter where boxes and crates were strewn 

 in confusion everywhere, and about the railroad 

 stations were piled crates and boxes exposed to 

 "wind and rain. With such management, berries 

 do not pay. We also saw in many peach or- 

 chards baskets left over from last year's picking. 

 The baskets are there yet we presume, ready for 

 UBe> but BUch things do not pay or present 9, tidy 

 appea»'ance. 



The soil will dry Very l'at>ldly and to a gre^i 

 depth if allowed to get hafd and compact, Therf 

 Is but a small space left for aif in solid soils, 

 and from this fact they become hot and dry to a 

 great depth in summer. While if air is present. 

 Afi It is in loose soils, being such a poor conductor 

 <5f heat, it will allow only a small portion of soil 

 ito 'becfime hot, which soon cools at night and is 

 filled with a copious dew, not only retaining the 

 imolsture already m the soil, but adding to it at 11 

 «eason when moisture is especially desirable. 

 Newly-set trees are always benefitted by cultiva- 

 tion, because all their roots are surface-roots, 

 4ind cannot tbiive in a hot, dpy, coinpact soil. 

 Hence the necessity of summer surface-cultiva- 

 ition of newly-set trees. 



LETTER FROM NEW ZEALAND. 



diaries Ryley. Taranaki, New Zealand. 



May I begin by thanking Mr. Munson for his 

 kind letter in your February number, replying 

 to several of my questions. On the strength o; 

 his advice I am allowing the grass to grow around 

 my pear trees, and hope to be able to report 

 satisfactory results eitlier next season or the 

 following one. Apple trees I still keep a circle 

 of from four to six feet diameter clean around 

 each tree, as it enables nie to inspect the crown 

 of the root occasionally, in case there should be 

 any signs of my enemy the " root fungus." My 

 orchard, where I have my plum trees, I keep 

 clean right through, as I find that course is 

 generally recommended for plums. Mr, Munson's 

 explanation of the root fungus o-r **root'-rot" 

 tallys to some extent with my own impression 

 of the disease, but still there are features in the 

 case which do not quite admit of the solution 

 given, and which point more to its cans© beint; 

 inherent in the soiC If excess of moisture at tht^ 

 roots was the cause of their decay how could il 

 attack as it does furze bushes planted on top 01 

 a bank of sods five feet higii, and not over a foot 

 and a half to two feet thick, in which there Is no 

 chance of the water lodging.! "> In many case?- 

 where I have lost trees from it, they have been 

 planted in light, porous soil on the edge of abank 

 where the natural drainage is so good that if you 

 were to dig a hole three feot deep directly after :i 

 heavy rain you would not find a drop of water. 

 I hear that the first importation of kainit has jusi 

 fceen brought to New Zealand, at the port cm 

 Auckland, and I have written for a few hundred 



weight wherewith to experiment upon my trees 

 and soil. The price asked is £8 per ton in Auck- 

 land, or about the same as superphosphate of 

 lime or bonemeal, either of which have very 

 beneficial eflfects when applied to the roots of 

 fruit trees in our poor, light soil. I have been 

 top-dressing some of niy apple trees which suflTer 

 fronr tlie AphU lanigera, or American blight, as it 

 is generally called here, with a mixture of three 

 parts sulphate of iron and one part of nitre, but 

 fancy that I need not look for any result until 

 the sap rises in the spring. We iiave at length 

 been having some really fine weather almost 

 warm enough for suniruer, thoui,'h the days are 

 beginning to get short and the nights frosty. We 

 have not had such a spell of tine weather for 

 over two years. Some of my opple trees have 

 been blossoming a second time and a few of them 

 have a second crop of fruit on them already as 

 large as cherries. These are the early apples, 

 such as the Irish Peach, which ripened, their 

 first crop in January. 



John T. Lallemont, Denison, Texas, asks the 



cause of failure in gmtting stone fruits. Answer 

 —The most probable reason is that the grafting 

 is done too late. Stone fruits must be grafted 

 very early in the season, and even then, unless 

 done by an expert, will fail. Budding is safer. 

 Late grafting, even of apples, seldom succeeds. 



Isaac T. Skinner, Clearfield, la., asks about the 

 proper season to bud and graft, and howto make 

 grafting wax. Answer— Grafting should be done 

 early; as soon as the wax will spread. Buddini:; 

 is done in June, but more largely in August, and 

 can only be done when the bark ^ill readily 

 separate from the tree to allow the insertion ol 

 the graft. No wax is used in budding, only a tie 

 (M Aug to keep the bud in place. M'e shall have 

 more to say next month. Will give recipe for 

 grafting wax at usual time. 



Henry Kolz, Arboles, Colorado, asks for the 

 best work on budding, grafting, and fruit culture 

 and varieties of fruit, etc. Answer— We would 

 recommend Thomas' American Fruit Culturist, 

 published by William Wood & Co., La Fayette 

 Place, New York. Barry's Fruit Garden is also 

 good. Downing's work. Fruit and Fruit Trees of 

 America, will long be the standard authority in 

 description of varieties. Any of them will be 

 sent free, by mail, by the Fakm and Garden, 

 on receipt of publishers' price. 



E. G. Wood, Northview, Mo., asks: l.-What 1« 

 the best hiOde to keep off caterpillars from fruit 

 trees. 2.-How is the best way to treat a tree 

 when a large limb has been broken off by the 

 wind, 8.-Can you give us any information on fig 

 culture? 4.-If a seed advertiser sends poor seeds, 

 how is the way to get your money back or get 

 good seeds? Answer~{l). Allow the blackbirds 

 and other birds to build in :he fruit trees and 

 rear their young. They will keep the trees free 

 from the worms. Tearing the nests off with a 

 long pole will also demoralize them. The yellow- 

 necked caterpillar the birds will not eat, and are 

 best destroyed by spraying the trees with Paris 

 green and water. (2). Saw the limb off close to 

 the tree, and let it alone. (3). Will answer later 

 in the proper season for planting. (4). Seedsmen 

 will do all they can to repair any wrong done 

 customers, if they are mode sure a wrong occurs. 

 .So many impose on them that they are not sure 

 the party who claims injury is injured. 



BooNSBORO, Washington Co., Ark.. 5, 19, 1885. 



My object In writing is to correct an error in an 

 article in the May number in regard to the ori- 

 gin of the Shannon apple. It is not, as stuted, 

 a native of Arkansas. It was brought iiere in 

 the fall of 1833, from Indiana, by a Mr. Rector, of 

 that State, direct to my neighborhood on Cane 

 Hill, in Washington county, some 23U miles north- 

 west of Little Kock, and was never at or neai the 

 latter place until taken there from my Cane Hill 

 nursery. Mr. Rector brought but a few scions of 

 them. They were small, vinslghtly grafts, and as 

 he had lost the label liom ihem, he could not 

 give their name or origin, but he thought they 

 were European. They had not been grown to a 

 bearing age in America up to the time he brought 

 them here. Being unsalable, they remained 

 after all the trees were sold from the nursery, ex- 

 cept a small remnant, which was sold to one of 

 ray jUeighbors, a Mr. Shannon, and in the rem- 

 nant was included this unknown apple. When 

 the trees began to bear, the apples produced an 

 excitement wherever seen, and the question, 

 "What apple is that?" was asked by nearly 

 every one who saw it. The answer generally 

 was, '*A new variety grown by Mi. Shannon," 

 hence the name, the Shannon apple. 



After the trees had been bearing some years, 

 and a knowledge of the apple had been some- 

 what extended. Dr. J. A. Dibrell, of Van Buren, 

 Ark., sent a specimen of the apple to the late Dr. 

 .1. A. Warder, then president of the Ohio Pomo- 

 logical Society. Dr. Warder undertook to find 

 its origin, and he identified it with the Ohio Pip- 

 pin. It is quite evident, from his own descrip- 

 tion of the Ohio Pippin, that there is scarcely a 

 shadow of similarity between them. 



Browning, of New York, and Phoenix, of Illin- 

 ois, wrote to know if I could give them any in- 

 formation, I gave them tlie history of the apple 

 as far as I had it, and sent them specimens of 

 the fruit. They both concurred with me in the 

 decision that it was not Identical with the Ohio 

 Pippin, and the fact that its origin has not been 

 found in America, after a diligent search of 

 neariy half a century, strengthens the proba- 

 hilitrj' that Mr. Rector was correct in supposing 

 it originated in Europe, J. B. RusSELli, 



We give place to the very valuable letter of Mr. 

 Russell, on the origin of the Shannon. We wish 

 not only to accurately iilustrate and describe 

 fruits, but give also their true orjgin. We desii-e 

 accuracy In all our statements, and If our read- 

 ers have any information that we do not possess, 

 we hotie they will write us as Mr. Russell has 

 done, and we Will always be pleased to give the 

 information we receive to our large family of 

 readers. We desire to make the PVuit Depart- 

 ment of the Farm and Garden as valuable and 

 reliable to ttie reader as the other departments 

 are. 



Mr. E. F. Babcock, of Russellville, Ai-k., writes 

 us to correct the place of the origin of the Shan- 

 non. This Mr. Russell has done in this col- 

 umn. Mr. Babcock also writes that it was for 

 the best plate of largest and handsomest apples, 

 not a new variety, that it received the first pre- 

 mium of ten dollars at New Orleans. We always 

 want to be correct in our columns, and we give 

 place to the correction. We believe it is the duty 

 of a journal to enlighten and not mislead people, 

 and we always try to be correct in our staie- 

 ments. If we are sometimes in error, we hope 

 our readets will inform us. 



CIDER 



MAKERS 



Should Bend fop oor NEW PDCC 



1885 CATALOerE mallear fit t 



Boomer £ Boschert Press Co. Syracose.H.Y 



TUr PDCATNI'W OriNCE. "MCECH'S PRO- 



I nC UnCH I Line." Send lorCirnilnr. Largest 



stock ol >l iill»ei-ri- in the country. C^taiouiiPs FS*e<'. 



HANCE a BOROEH. Rumson Nurseries. RED BAHK. H. J. 



M ■ ■*■■ VINES— Po'keepsie, Red Ulster. 

 11 ■ UL Prolific. MA<;AKA,and ofLer 



-^ "^ Si other Raspberries. Catalogue YVee 



JObL, HOUMiK A; SON, .Uerchantville. N.J. 





 O 



M 

 Ei 



Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackberry. 

 Currants, Grapes. 



TnelU'llnclli'' ■■lit, -u.,l a.u.i u.w varieties. 

 Sluy Kill]'. .M:irllioro, Early CIuh* 

 ter, Fiiy. \ljitr:iiu. Comet. Klt-fTtT, 

 l*oitt.'h Tfci'-, A f. Si-iid for <'iita- 



iTe^JQKN S.COLLINS, 



STRAWBERRIES ! 



.>Iiir Kins lor the beat early. C^oiinerticut Queen 

 for late. Itlni'lbovo and Itancnens Knspberi'ies. 

 \Vil9nn .Ir. Blanlihpi-rj-. CATALOGUE sent free. 

 SAMUEli l^ DK tOf. lUooieslunu. N. J. 



INI AGAR A WHITE GRAPE. HAKLBORO Raspli.rry. 

 H. 8. Anderson. Union Spnngs. N.Y!^ Catalogue Agg 



ssion. 

 H.Y. 



A m?WrQ Wanted on Salary or Coniiniss 

 "•"Xj« J.O jas. E. Whitney. Nurseryman. Roclicster, 



Locust Grove Nurseries. 



Ctioice Trees. Vines and Plants. .Ml tin- ne^\■ varieties. 

 Manchester Strawberries. Hansel] P.asjiberries, KietTer 

 Pear Trees. Pencil Trees a speeialty. Large stock 

 and low prices. Send lor cirenlar to 



J. BRAY, Red Bank N. J. 



RED. ULSTER PROLIFIC, anil Duchess Grapes. 



Send to the orifjinatore for description and terms. 



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

 THE GRANGER FAMILY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE 



EVAPORATORS. 



S3..'S0, S6.00. AMI tilO.OO. 



Send lor cirrular. EASTERN MANU- 

 FACT'G CO., 268 S. Filth St. Phlla 





I»OT-C3-HO"\7«7-3Xr 





Strawberry plants 



tViily. Auen^t, und Si-ptemtier Prlce-I>I(»t now reody. 

 FORTY ' iri'Mies. IncIuiiTiL,- Kl n trfttdo, Toi.eka, an i Call- 



turiila, — these throi.' arc m;ihini; n stir among fruit trrowr-rs. Alao 

 Purry. Mrs. Garfield, (.'oniclla, Garrl»)oii, Atlantic*. Dan* 

 lei Koonf, anil Old Iron Clad. Everij one uhu is inle'e^tei 

 should send /or our piicc-list and learo how it is done. Prlcei 

 lower than they were last Spring, ami we ship hnndreds of tnile^ 

 with perfect safetv, e\en in the hot month of Jul v. Address 



C. BOCCS, MOORTON, DELAWARE. 



