114 



EXMRIMENTS IN HORTICULTURE, 



rest, that no one could fail to be struck with 

 it at first sight, and the fruit is much more 

 free from defects of all kinds. 



But, one effect has followed, which I did 

 not hope for. My vines are every year so 

 infested wiih rose-bugs, that during the 

 time they last I have had to employ half a 

 do/en boys almost constantly in destroying 

 them ; each boy being provided with a tin 

 r.'jp, with a little spirits of turpentine, into 

 which the bugs are knocked from the vines, 

 which kills them instantly. The boys 

 amuse themselves by making a heap of all 

 they catch ; and the pile of the present sea- 

 son would have filled a half bushel mea- 

 sure ; but, to our surprise, we found so 

 few bugs, in that part of the vineyard 

 where the ground was covered, that it was 

 often unnecessary to hunt there for them — • 

 even when they were so numerous in the 

 rest of the vineyard as to require inspec- 

 tion daily, and sometimes twice a day. 

 The thick mat with which the ground was 

 covered) had evidentlj^ either prevented the 

 transformation from the worm to the bug, 

 or else the young bug was loo weak to 

 work its way up through it ; and the few 

 we found there had been blown or flew 



from the other side of the vineyard. WliC'' 

 ther this object might not have been more 

 thoroughly effected, had the stuff with 

 which the ground was covered been well 

 salted, or laid in a heap with alternate lay- 

 ers of ashes for sometime before using, or 

 whether the same remedy might not be 

 successfullj' applied for the destruction of 

 curculios, and such other injects as breed 

 in the ground, are questions which I intend 

 to test by experiments, in which I hope 

 other horticulturists will join, and make a 

 report of their experience. The experience 

 of "A Jerseyman," and of "B. H. T.," 

 with a similar experiment on gooseberries, 

 though they attribute much of their suc- 

 cess to the salt of the hay and seaweed, 

 and of "A Maryland Subscriber," in cover- 

 ing the roots of pear trees with straw, all 

 go to prove the utility of covering the 

 ground with som^ kind of vegetable mat- 

 ter, which certainly is in conformity Avith 

 the dictates of nature ; and I cannot help 

 thinking the effect would be good, in ex- 

 tensive vineyards or orchards, of covering 

 the whole ground in the manner described. 

 Very truly yours. H. W. S. Cleveland, 



Oitlaiiili^ Burlingtoiif N- J., Aug. 3, 1843. 



E2SPBRIMBNT3 in HORTICULTURE— NO. 1. 



BY B., POUGHKEBPSIE, N. Y. 



STBAWBfiHRiES. — Being engaged in a va- 

 riety of experiments in the cultivation of 

 fruit, and feeling a deep interest in horti- 

 cultural pursuits, I propose, with the Edi- 

 tor's approbation, to contribute occasionally 

 for the "Horticulturist," a few of the results 

 of ten or twelve years' experience. This 

 number will be devoted to strawberries. 

 It will be perceived, however, that it dis- 



cusses practice rather than theory. The 

 vexed " strawberry question" is unknown 

 in my garden, except so far as a practical 

 mingling of the different kinds is attended 

 to, for the purposes of impregnation. Nor 

 have I procured all the different varieties 

 which, from time to time, have been pre- 

 sented to the public, as being superior to 

 all others. I have tried until 1 found those 



