143 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[May, 



mal derives most benefit from food when it is hun- 

 gry before it begins to eat ; it is certainly so with 

 plants. Water applied to soil already wet is an 

 injury; and water never has so telling an advan- 

 tage on vegetation as when every leaf is about to 

 wither up for the want of it. A plant that never 

 seems to want water is in a very doubtful condi- 

 tion in regard to its health. 



In all the best specimens of small fruit or vege- 

 table gardening, however, special efforts are made 

 to see that the soil is not tenacious. Under drain- 

 ing is excellent where water does not run readily 

 away. 



In summer pruning or disbudding, it is also worth 

 while to watch for shoots pushing stronger than 

 others, and always take them out. This is the 

 only way that shoots of equal strength can be en- 

 couraged in every part of the tree. This is par- 

 ticularly true of grapevines. If a shoot once get 

 the start of the others in strength and vigor, the 

 others will gradually get weaker to the other's 

 increasing luxuriance. 



As to the best system of pruning grapes, there 

 are several " schools," all contending that their 

 views are "decidedly best." In such cases we have 

 generally found there is much to admire in them 

 all — situations and peculiar circumstances decid- 

 ing the point in each individual instance. There 

 are a few points incontrovertible to insure success, 

 and it matters little what system of pruning is fol- 

 lowed, so that they are secured. First, a healthy 

 set of roots of the previous year's growth is essen- 

 tial to produce vigorous start of growth the year 

 following. Secondly, after starting, these roots 

 can only be kept vigorous by encouraging an 

 abundance of healthy foliage, to be retained on 

 the vine as long as possible. Thirdly, the leaves 

 of the first growth are at least of double the value 

 to the plant than those from secondary or lateral 

 shoots ; they should, therefore, be carefully 

 guarded from injury. Fourthly, checking the 

 strong-growing shoots strengthens the weaker ones, 

 equalizes the flow of sap to every part of the vine, 

 and insures regular and harmonious action be- 

 tween all the parts. Any system that secures this, 

 does all that is necessary for the general health 

 and vigor of the vine ; and where some special ob- 

 jects are desirable, such as dwarfing, particularly 

 early bearing, productiveness at the expense of 

 longevity, special means must be employed to 

 bring them about. 



In the cultivation of garden crops, the hoe and 

 rake should be continually at work. Weeds 

 should be taken in hand before they are barely 



out of the seed-leaf, and one-half the usual labor 

 of vegetable gardening will be avoided. Hoeing 

 or earthing up of most garden crops is of immense 

 advantage in nearly every case. One would sup- 

 pose that in our hot climate fiat culture would be 

 much more beneficial ; but a fair trial, say on 

 every other row of a bed of cabbages, will show 

 a great difference in favor of the earthed-up plants. 

 It would be easy to explain the reason of this, 

 but in this column we try to confine ourselves to 

 " hints," and leave reasons to our other depart- 

 ments. 



In sowing seeds it is well to remember that 

 though the soil should be deep and finely pulver- 

 ized, a loose condition is unfavorable to good 

 growth. After the seeds are sown, a heavy rolling 

 would be a great advantage. The farmer knows 

 this, and we have often wondered that the practice 

 never extended to garden work. 



COMMUNICATIONS. 



DIMINISHED CROPS THROUGH INJURY 

 TO FOLIAGE. 



BY JAMES HUNTER. 



Last season I had rather a singular experience 

 in trying to raise a few peas for family use. On 

 the night of the 29th of May we had a very severe 

 frost, so much so indeed, that the ground was 

 frozen to the depth of 2 or 3 inches. I had plant- 

 ed Henderson's First of All, Laxton's Alpha, 

 Champion of England and American Wonder. 

 The first three had been bushed and were about 

 18 inches high when the frost killed the buds that 

 had begun to make quite a good show for fruit. 

 The American Wonder were in the same condition, 

 the vines remained green, (except here and there 

 a leaf could be seen that had turned yellow,) but 

 looked as if their growth had been stunted and 

 remained so for several days. I watched them 

 closely during this time to see what the effect of 

 the frost would be, was about getting disgusted 

 with them and was going to pull them all 

 up and throw them away ; but while examining 

 them one day, I found that the American Wonder 

 was sprouting at the roots, and in a few days I 

 noticed that the others had begun to grow again. 

 The new branches on the American Wonder 

 blossomed and I had about one quarter as many 

 peas as there should have been. The First of All 

 and Alphas gave me more than half a crop, and 

 Champions nearly a full crop, not having been so 



