1880. 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



the almanac. It is very important to have crops 

 early; as soon as the frround is, therefore, in 

 good condition, put in the seed. Possibly a cold 

 rain might come and injure them, and you may 

 lose, and have to make a new sowing. Even so, 

 it is but the loss of the seed and labor, while if 

 the seed do not die, the early crop will more 

 than repar that risk. 



Deep, rich soil, now so generally condemned 

 for fruit gardens, is of the first importance here. 

 Soil cannot be too rich or too deep, if we would 

 have good vegetables. It is, indeed, remarkable, 

 that in many respects we have to go very differ- 

 ently to work to get good fruits than we have to 

 perfect vegetables. While, for instance, we have 

 to get sunlight to give the best richness to our 

 fruits, our vegetables are usually best when 

 blanched or kept from the light. So, also, as we 

 keep the roots as near the surface as we can, in 

 order to favor the woody tissue in trees, we like 

 to let them go deep in vegetables, because this 

 favors succulence. 



In the open ground, peas and potatoes receive 

 the first attention; then beets and carrots; then 

 lettuce, radish, spinach, onions, leeks and parsley. 

 Beyond this, unless in more favored latitudes 

 than Pennsylvania, little can be done until the 

 first week in April. There is nothing gained in 

 working soil until it has become warm and dry. 

 Celery for the main crop will do about the end 

 of the month, but a little may be sown now. We 

 have never been able to make up our mind 

 whether there is such a thing as an absolute 

 solid variety of celery, and whether pithiness in 

 any degree depends on soil or culture. Cer- 

 tainly we buy all the most improved "solids" 

 every year, and never yet found one satisfactory 

 throughout. We cannot say which is the best 

 of the many candidates. 



In the hot-bed, pepper, egg plant, tomato and 

 cucumbers may be sown, and in a cooler hot-bed 

 frame. Early York cabbage, cauliflowers and 

 celery. Those who have not got a hot-bed can 

 sow a few pots or boxes, and keep them near 

 the light in a warm room. 



In addition to sowing of the above, onions, 

 leeks, parsnips and parsley must be sown at this 

 season, — not for the main crop, but to have a 

 few in advance of the rest. To keep over the 

 winter, almost all kinds of root crops become 

 tough or coarse if sown too soon, so that for 

 such roots as beets, carrots, etc, only a few 

 early ones should be sown now. 



COMMUNICA TIONS 



THE JAPAN PERSIMMON. 



BY II. C. F., SANTA BARBARA, CAL. 



I send you to-day by mail a can containing 

 two Japanese Persimmons. Perhaps you have 

 seen the fruit before, if not, it will no doubt 

 interest you. It is now fruiting in many parts 

 of California, this being the third year in this 

 vicinity, and the little tree seems to be a con- 

 stant bearer, and as yet untouched by any pest 

 or disease. It is no doubt a fine acquisition to 

 our best of fruits. I think it will soon prove a 

 source of profit in the dried product. The fresh 

 fruit is too astringent until it is quite soft or 

 near decay, but eaten in the latter condition it 

 is delicious. 



I am sure that some varieties could be grown 

 in our Northern States by grafting or budding 

 upon the American Persimmon. I have a 

 small botanical garden, and am experimenting 

 with everything that I can get that I think will 

 be adapted to the conditions of our climate, 

 which is so favorable to the plants of all lands 

 except the extra tropical. 



[These are the first fresh fruit we have tasted. 

 At the first bite it seemed that we had tasted 

 our Eastern Persimmons as good, — after a while 

 some uncertainty grew, till we finally concluded 

 they were far superior to our own. — Ed. G. M.] 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Slitting the Bark of Trees. — The Con- 

 necticut Farmer is alive with this controversy. 

 In a number before us one correspondent de- 

 clares that " the God of nature has taught them 

 (trees) how to grow," and contends that the 

 bark could slit of itself if it were proper to be 

 done. He does not say that he leaves his finger 

 nails or his hair to grow as " the God of nature " 

 made them. Mr. N". Coleman, a well known 

 botanist, and at the same time a practical fruit 

 cultivator, tells a different story in the same 

 paper. Trees that have been top grafted, and 

 thus have their heads cut away, are very likely 

 to become " hide-bound," by the sudden loss of 

 so much foliage required to feed so many cells, 

 and Mr. C. has found from actual experiment 

 the great value of vertical bark slitting, — an ad- 

 vantage to be gained in no other wa)'. This 

 accords with the experience of many cultivators. 

 There are mauv cases where the bark of trees 



