1880.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



273 



The Kirkwood Strawberry. — This variety is 

 said by some of the cultivators to be " a remark- 

 able strawberry." 



A Nebraska Fruit Farm. — The fruit farm of 

 ex-Governor Thomas of Brownsville, Nebraska, 

 contains 500 bearing apple trees, 5,000 bearing 

 grapes, 200 bearing chestnut trees, and small 

 fruits in immense quantities. 



The Cream of the Strawberries. — Under 

 this head Mr. Peter Henderson has issued a 

 beautiful colored plate, showing Glossy Cone, 

 Harvey Davis, Black Giant, Jucunda, Seth Boy- 

 den, Monarch of theWest, Sharpless and President 

 Lincoln. The two last occupy the place of honor 

 in the centre of the plate, being much the lar- 

 gest. President Lincoln appears to the best ad- 

 vantage on a picture, because it is a cock's comb 

 shape, but we suppose a dozen Sharpless would 

 really outweigh a dozen President Lincoln. 



Trapping Dogs and Cats. — An English judge 

 says: "Where a defendant caused traps scented 

 with strong-smelling baits to be placed on 

 his land, so near to the plaintiff's house as to 

 influence the instinct of the plaintiff's dogs and 

 cats, and draw them irresistibly to destruction, 

 it was held that the defendant was answerable to 

 the plaintiff for the injuries sustained, although 

 he had no intention of injuring the plaintiff par- 

 ticularly ; and it was also held that he (defend- 

 ant) would be responsible for injuries sustained 

 by any dogs (or cats) tempted from the highway 

 or public paths to the traps on defendant's land, 

 for he had no right to invite them there for the 

 purpose of destroying them." 



Grapes in Grape Houses. — From an excellent 

 article in Mr. Robinson's Gardening Illustrated, 

 we have the following about mildew, which will 

 be of service to some of our grape growers : 

 <* Before proceeding further, I would caution 

 amateurs against the too free use of the syringe. 

 It should be remembered that this instrument 

 is merely a means provided for counteracting 

 undue aridity in the atmosphere; therefore 

 never employ it in dull, cloudy weather; and 

 syringe early, so that every particle of moisture 

 dries off by night. The syringe used with 

 discrimination has great Value ; but in the haiids 

 of some it proves rather an enemy than a friend. 

 Mildew, that worst of all enemies of the grape 

 grower, will quickly make its appearance when 

 excessive use is made of the syringe. This 

 pest, unlike the red spider, only comes when a 

 too damp, stagnant atmosphere is maintained ; 



it will, therefore, be seen that the vine grower 

 must at all times seek to preserve a happy 

 medium, avoiding the extremes of aridity and 

 saturation. The mildew, however, makes its 

 approach in such an insidious manner, and, 

 when once in full possession, is so difficult to 

 dislodge, that the inexperienced grower too fre- 

 quently has to suffer great loss and vexation 

 before he can destroy it. The best way is to 

 hinder its approach, which maj-^ easily be accom- 

 plished in the following manner: — As soon as 

 the berries are as large as No. 1 shot, mix up 

 some flowers of sulphur into a paste, and then, 

 having stirred it into a pail of water, syringe the 

 vines with it. It is not the great quantity of 

 sulphur that is needed, but rather its equal dis- 

 tribution. A few grains on each leaf is enough. 

 Be careful never to use black sulphur, the em- 

 ployment of wliich may cause the most disas- 

 trous consequences; and do not apply sulphur 

 of any kind until the berries are fairly swelling. 

 Many a crop of grapes has been ruined by dust- 

 ing or syringing with sulphur before the skin of 

 the berry "has become thick enough to bear its 

 application." 



Popular Strawberries. — The following is the 

 list of strawberries for which premiums were 

 offered by the New York Horticultural Society ; 

 and it gives some idea of the great number of 

 kinds that have some popularity about the city 

 of New York : Beauty, Black Defiance, Captain 

 Jack, Champion, Charles Downing, Col. Cheney, 

 Cumberland Triumph, Duncan, Duchesse, Forest 

 Rose, Green Prolific, Great American, Hovey's 

 Seedling, Kentucky, Kerr's Prolific, Jucunda, 

 Lennig's White, Monarch of the West, Nicanor, 

 Pioneer, President Lincoln, Prouty's Seedling, 

 Seth Boydon, Sharpless, Sterling, Triomphe de 

 Gand, Wilson, President Wilder. 



European Peas. — We think it about time 

 American pea growers set about raising tlieir own 

 varieties, so as to have kinds suited to our hot 

 and dry climate. We had the opportunity of 

 noting many of the celebrated English early 

 kinds growing side by side this season, and none 

 of the much vaunted novelties were equal to the 

 Daniel O'Rourke, also an European. Of course 

 every leading American seedsman has his "extra 

 early," but we do not understand that they put 

 these out as distinct kinds. 



Early Strawberry.— The Belgians say their 

 best early Strawberry, and one very useful for 

 forcing, is Louis Vilmorin. 



