46 



THE GARDENEirS MoSTIILY 



\_Eihrxiary, 



:rUIT and MEGl' table EARDI'NING. 



SEASONABJJ'J 77/xV7'6'. 



There is no lon<;er any doubt tliiit one of the 

 worst foes to gnipc rulturc in tins country has 

 been the rhylloxera, a minute insect which 

 feeds on the roots, and thus seriously impairs 

 the nutritive power of the plant. With its vital 

 resources obstructed, it falls an easy prey to 

 fungi and other destructive agencies, whidi are 

 ever on the look-out for something to prey on 

 that is weaker than themselves. It is well 

 known that some seasons are not so favorable 

 for insect life as others. Either the natural ene- 

 mies of the insect abound, and keep them down, 

 or some climatic interference is against them, 

 and in those seasons the plants get along better. 

 This seems to have been the case with the grape 

 the past few years. In spite of the Phylloxera, 

 and all other enemies, the grape has done re- 

 markably well the past few years, and we are 

 coming to look on it as, ascertain a crop, on the 

 whole, as the average of fruits. A few 5'ears 

 since, we had to say to our readers that it was 

 useless to rely on many other kinds but Concord 

 and Clinton. These grapes have very branching, 

 fibrous roots, and there are generally enough es- 

 cape the Phylloxera to keep up a tolerable healthi- 

 ness. But we can now rely on others tolerably well, 

 and such well-proved kinds as Delaware, Diana, 

 Salem, Martha, and others of about the same 

 historic age, find frequent planters. The new 

 kinds, such as Brighton, Lady, Elmira, and other 

 candidates for popular favor, find purchasers in 

 goodly numbers, and the whole prospect of 

 grape improvement and progress is encouraging. 

 It is well to remember that the grape likes a 

 dryish soil, rich earth, and likes to send its roots 

 out into cool places when the summer is warm. 



The rule, in pruning grape vines, is to shorten 

 the shoots in proportion to their strength ; but 

 if the advice we have given in former summer 

 hints has been attended to, there will be little 

 disproportion in this matter, as summer pinch- 

 ing of the strong shoots has equalized the strength 

 of the vine. Those who are following any par- 

 ticular system, will, of course, prune according 

 to the rules comprising such system. As a gen- 

 eral rule, we can only say, excellent grapes can j 

 be had by any system of pruning ; for the only 



object of pruning in :iny case is to get strong 

 shoots to push where they may be desired, or to 

 increase, with the increased vigor of the shoot, 

 which pruning sujjposes will follow the act, in- 

 ('roasod size in the fruit it bears. 



Of the Fruit Garden for February we may say 

 in a general way — Raspberries and Blackberries 

 may be planted towards the end of the month ; 

 they should be cut down to within a foot of the 

 groimd at i)lanting; they will of course, not then 

 bear the next season after plantmg. But this is 

 a benefit; no fruit tree should be allowed to bear 

 the same season. In planting these have a care 

 of deep planting. Even two inches lower than 

 the roots are, is often fatal. Plant on a dry day, 

 barely cover the roots ; but beat or press the 

 soil very hard and firm. 



As to the best varieties of fruits to plant, that 

 is a question which a work, intended as ours is 

 for the whole United States, cannot answer. 

 We are continually publishing fruit lists adapted 

 to the diflerent sections in the body of our work, 

 and to them we refer. 



One of the mo.st interesting parts of a vege- 

 table garden is a hot-bed for starting seeds early. 

 The end of the month will be time enough for 

 those who have not command of a large supply 

 of stable manure, as the very low temperature 

 we often get at the end of the month, soon ab- 

 sorbs all the heat the hot-bed possessed. It is 

 in any event best to put up the beds in the 

 warmest and most sheltered spots we can find, 

 and to keep cold winds from the manure, by 

 covering it with branches of trees, or mats ; and 

 the glass should always be covered with mats at 

 night. Tomatoes, egg-plants, peppers and cu- 

 cumbers, are the first seeds to be sown this way. 

 Cooler frames can be got ready for cauliflower, 

 lettuce, beets, celery and Early York cabbage, a 

 little of which may be sown about the end of the 

 month for the earliest crops. The Cauliflower is 

 a particularly valued vegetable, and no expense 

 spared to get them in perfection will be regretted 

 when one's efforts are successful. 



Those who have hot-beds will now sow toma- 

 toes, egg-plants, peppers, and other vegetables 

 that can be forwarded by this means ; and those 

 who have not, will sow them in boxes or pans, 

 and forward them in windows. Every garden 



