18t6.] 



AND EORTIGULTUBIST. 



269 



same time. This is particularly true of dwarf 

 pears which are often grafted on rather long 

 quince stocks. Cut all away of the quince root 

 but about six inches, and if this should be found 

 to leave few roots, cut away the top correspond- 

 ingly. Most of the failures with dwarf pears 

 come from bad quince roots, so deep in the 

 ground the lower parts decay, and this decay 

 gradually communicates upwards until the 

 whole system becomes diseased. The more tena- 

 cious the sub-soil the more necessary is it to 

 attend to this matter. We spoke of pruning in 

 proportion to injury. It will be found that all 

 trees are a little injured by removal, therefore 

 all trees should be a little pruned at transplant- 

 ing. 



The vegetable season is almost over, though 

 some care may be used to advantage. 



Tomatoes will still repay care bestowed in 

 keeping them in shape. Those grown on stakes 

 should be tied up, and will continue bearing for 

 some time yet. Where the ground is very dry 

 waste water from the kitchen will benefit them. 

 Egg plants like plenty of moisture, with sun 

 and air. If the ground be dry, give them abund- 

 ant manure water ; thej'^ will bear until frost. 



Potatoes, as soon as the tops are well decayed, 

 are best taken up at once, as they appear less 

 liable to rot afterw^ards, than if left long in the 

 ground. 



Turnips ajso may still be sown. In fact, if the 

 soil be rich, a better quality of root for table use 

 will be obtained than if sown earlier. 



The main crop of spinage should now be sown. 

 Properly cooked, there are few vegetables more 

 agreeable to the general taste, and few families 

 who have gardens will wish to be without it. It 

 is essential that it have a very well enriched soil, 

 as good large leaves constitute its perfection as a 

 vegetable. As soon as the weather becomes severe, 

 a light covering of straw should be thrown over 

 it. A few radishes may be sown" with the spinage 

 ,for fall use. 



Cabbage and cauliflower are sown this month 

 for spring use. The former requires some cffre, 

 as, if it grow too vigorous before winter, it will 

 all run to seed in the spring. The best plan is to 

 make two sowings — one early in the month, the 

 other at the end. The rule is, get them only just 

 so strong that they may live over the winter in 

 safety. Many preserve them in frames ; but 

 they should have wooden sashes or shutters in- 

 stead of glass, so as not to encourage them to 

 grow mtlch. 



Cauliflower, on the other hand, cannot well be 

 too forward. Most persons provide a pit of 

 stone, brick or wood, sunk five or six feet below 

 the surface of the groun:l, into which leaves, 

 manure, or any waste vegetable matter is filled. 

 When quite full it is suffered to heat a little, 

 when it will sink somewhat and have more ma- 

 terial added to it ; about six inches of good rich 

 loam ia then placed on it, and early in Novem- 

 ber the cauliflower is planted out. The object in 

 refilling the leaves so often is to insure the 

 plants remaining as near the glass as possible, 

 which is very essential in the growth of cauli- 

 flowers. Lettuce is treated in the same way, 

 and seed should be sown now to prepare for the 

 planting. The cabbage lettuce is the kind 

 usually employed. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



THE STANDARD CURRANTS AND GOOSE- 

 BERRIES. 



BY KUHN & CO., ROCHESTER, N. Y. 



It is now about twelve years since this method 

 of growing the Currants and Gooseberries has be- 

 come general in Europe ; since thien it has rap- 

 idly assumed large dimensions, so that now they 

 are quite an article of commerce with the nurse- 

 ries there. 



I first saw them at the Pomological Institute 

 of Dr. Ed. Lucas, at Reutlingen (where I spent 

 two years), in the autvmin of '69; being imme- 

 diately taken up with the idea, I wrote Dr. Sied- 

 hof, mj^ kind patron, about them. 



He wrote, " Send me a dozen," and since has 

 largely increased the number-*— now having about 

 fifty in all. 



He has imported about one hundred more for 

 special friends of his in different sections of 

 Hudson Co.,N. J. ; so they have been thoroughly 

 tested. Not a speck of mildew during seven 

 years. 



This method of grafting naturally does away 

 with and supersedes the old and tedious method 

 of trimming up the plants on their own roots to 

 the standard form and then have it ruined by 

 the borer, as Rihes aureum is exempt from the 

 attacks of the borer. 



The stocks are grown by stooling, removed and 

 potted in fall and placed in a frame till about the 

 holidays, when they are brought into a cool 

 house— say from 45° to 50°. 



