78 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



{March, 



plied the right fertilizer," or some other outside 

 -operation has just fitted right. It is well to re- 

 'member that when a fruit tree lias its vital pow- 

 'er weakened and the necessities of culture results 

 =in this, the tree is much more liable to dis- 

 ease, than when it is as healthy as a wildling 

 an a place where the art of the fruit grower has 

 «jiever been called into play. This is particular- 

 ■ly true of discussions about manures for fruit 

 ■^rees. When they have not been weakened in 

 'their vital powers by injudicious root pruning, 

 -they thrive on the grossest manures, but when 

 ^severe root pruning has reduced them to weak 

 tender bodies, we have to manure with great 

 K^aution, or there will be late growths which suffer 

 iin bad winter weather. 



In planting fruit trees aim to have them so 

 that the hot dry sun will not have full effect on 

 *the ground about the roots. The great heat in 

 this way injures the trees. Many who have trees 

 "in gardens plant raspberries under them. The 

 partial shade seems to be good for the raspber- 

 'ries, and helps the trees. Blackberries would 

 110 doubt do well in the same situation ; and 

 •strawberries it is well known do not do badly, 

 ■grown ill the same way. 



Whitewashing the stems of orchard trees has 

 a very beneficial effect in clearing away old bark 

 ■and destroying the eggs of innumerable insects. 

 "The white color is bad ; throw in a little soot or 

 ■■some other matter to make it brown. In green- 

 ihouses sulphur has been found of benefit in keep- 

 ing dovvn mildew. Possibly if mixed with the 

 whitewash in tree dressing, it might do good 

 ■against fire blight, and such like fungoid troubles. 



In fruit growing remember that fruits are like 

 'grain and vegetable crops, in this, that they must 

 have manure to keep up fertility. Unlike vege- 

 tables and grain however, their feeding roots are 

 mostly at the surface. It is best, therefore, an- 

 ■nually to top-dress fruit trees. If manure can- 

 not be had, any fresh earth from ditches or road 

 -sides, spread half an inch or so under the trees, 

 •will have a wonderful effect. Indeed, we do not 

 "know but that for the pear tree a thin layer of 

 road sand is one of the best of manures. We 

 have seen apples thrive amazingly with a coat- 

 ing of coal ashes. 



Whatever may be said of birds and their evils 

 when the fruit is ripe, there can be but one opin- 

 ion about their value noiv. They have nothing 

 but insects to live on, and they eat them by the 

 millions. Insects are a far greater scourge to 

 •the fruit grower than birds, — it will be wise to 



encourage them. We see the English sparrow 

 is getting naturalized in various parts of the coun- 

 try. We expect to hear in time great com- 

 plaints from its graminivorous propensities ; but 

 this can be better guarded against than the at- 

 tacks of insects. As Professor Riley says it is 

 easy to shoot them wlieii they become a nui- 

 sance, and we can make them pay for powder 

 and shot, as they are usually nice and fat, and are 

 as great a luxury as the famous reed-bird. 



Deep rich soil, now so generally condemned 

 for fruit gardens, is of the first importance here. 

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

 have good vegetables. It is indeed remarkable, 

 that in many respects we have to go very diflfer- 

 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. 



It is best not to sow tender vegetables too soon , 

 they get checked, and the last will be first. As- 

 paragus is one of the earliest crops to set out. 

 It was at one time believed that the varieties of 

 this would not come true from seed, and that 

 there was but one best kind. We are not so sure 

 of this now. Many plant them too deep and 

 fail; four inches is enough, rows 20 inches, and 

 plants one foot apart will do. Make the soil par- 

 ticularly rich. 



COMMUNICA TIONS. 



THE DEWBERRY. 



BY GEN. W- H. NOBLE, BRIDGEPORT, CONN. 



I see the dewberry is coming into line, among 

 our small fruits in the garden. It has long since 

 held that deserved place in the grounds of X. H. 

 Lindsley, a venerable nurseryman and inventor 

 of Bridgeport. He has two kinds transplanted 

 from their wild homes near by. Neither are very 

 large bushes, though one is quite the better fruiter 

 and a dwarf. They are loaded with fruit every 

 year •, that on the dwarf is large and rather higher 

 quality. They do not grow as I have usuall}' 

 seen them in their native homes, but more largely 

 and with a wider spread. My venerable friend 

 says if he could gather all that would grow on an 

 acre, of such berries, the measure would astonish. 



