92 



• • GARDENING. 



Dec. I. 



them. Cut out every bit of dead, dj'ing, 

 broken, gnarled, scrawny, useless wood 

 from among the tops of the trees; remove 

 all scraggy, stunted, and misplaced shoots 

 from their stems, with a stout, short- 

 handled iron scraper, scrajie ofi' the 

 roughest of the cracked mossy Ijark from 

 the trunks; and dig up and cut away 

 clean every sprout springing from the 

 roots of the trees, being especially partic- 

 ular about those around the base of the 

 trunk. The Seckel fully as much as any 

 other pear tree is apt to send up sprouts 

 from the roots spreading out from the 

 trees. If, after all this the trees have a 

 broken up unkempt appearance, head 

 them in or thin them enough to balance 

 their growth as individuals, and preserve 

 the symmetry of the orchard. Don't be 

 afraid of the knife and the sav/. Cultivate 

 for wood first, then lor fruit. We don't 

 like grafting the Seckel to some other 

 variety because it isn't a very good host, 

 if it cannot support itself how should it 

 support another sort? The severe head- 

 ing back at grafting time in the case of 

 old plants is apt to burst them into sturdy 

 vigor, but rather than try to recuperate 

 an old orchard in that way we would 

 plant young, vigorous, healthy standards 

 at once. 



After pruning and dressing the trees see 

 to the land: If it is in grass give a bushel 

 of wood ashes to each tree spreading it all 

 around within twenty feet of the bole, 

 and- then apply a heavy topdressing of 

 common stable or barn yard manure 

 equally all over the lot, and do this now. 

 If the land is cultivated don't plow or dig 

 it near or under the trees, instead run the 

 harrow over it to unfasten the surface 

 lightly and even it but not tear up the 

 roots, then apply wood ashes and a 

 ing as in the case of sod 



land. 



«0W TO flflVE LOTS OF BERRIES. 



In rich, well cultivated land there mav 

 be grown, with a little efibrt, a contin- 

 uous supply of healthful, large, luscious 

 berries. If less is produced, we may look 

 for the reason from one or more of the 

 following causes and briefly suggest a 

 remedy. 



First, land deficientin fertilizer, or plant 

 food. Apply fine composted manure, 

 plow under and top dress. Also ashes 

 broadcast. 



Second, improper preparation of soil. 

 Plow deeply and harrow until fine, light 

 and mellow. Extra preparation makes 

 plant food more available. 



Third, varieties not adapted to your 

 soil and climate. Use onlv such as have 

 been well tested in your'locality, or rec- 

 ommended hy responsible parties. 



Fourth, poor plants. Buy only best 

 hardy vigorous plants from "responsible 

 growers. Never set poor plants. 



Fifth, careless setting of plants. Never 

 expose plants to sun and wind before set- 

 ting. Have roots well spread, and fine 

 dirt firm about them. 



Sixth, too many plants, in hill or row. 

 Preserve only strong vigorous plants, 

 give each room to develop and perfect its 

 fruit. Prune severely. 



Seventh, imperfect fertilization. There 

 is sex in plants. Pistilates (female) must 

 have staminates set with them to insure 

 good crojjs. 



Eighth, neglect in cultivation. The 

 ground at all times should be fine, mellow 

 and free from weeds. 



Ninth, no protection. Mulch insummer 

 with coarse manure, grass or green clover, 

 in winter by a suitable protection against 



bush berries down and covering with 

 dirt. 



Tenth, frost and drouth. The most 

 difficult to overcome. Berrj' fields well 

 cultivated are several degrees warmer 

 than uncultivated fields, therefore less 

 liable to damage by frost. Retain mulch- 

 ing as late as possible on strawberries in 

 spring. Damage by ordinary drouths 

 may be prevented by summer mulch and 

 frequent cultivation. Severe drouth re- 

 quires almost constant cultivation and 

 heavy mulching. M. A. Thayer. 



Sparta, Wis. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. 



There is very little left out of doors 

 now. Clean up even,'thing, level ofl!" the 

 ground, manure it well and get it dug 

 over or plowed. In digging never use a 

 spade if a fork will answer as well, for 

 the fork does better work than the spade 

 and is easier on the man. But never dig 

 frozen or sodden ground. In digging 

 don't plaster the earth down as smooth 

 as if it were raked; let it be as rough as 

 possible, so that the frost may take a 

 good hold of it. In clearing oft' ground 

 for digging don't rake ofi" all the green 

 leaves and short succulent trash upon 

 it; rather let them stay and dig them 

 under with the manure, for they are a 

 good fertihzer. 



Clear frosty weather is a capital time 

 to haul out manure; you can wheel more 

 or cart more in a given time than in mild 

 weather, and without making so much 

 mess. If there is very little or no snow 

 on the ground you can dump the manure 

 in small heaps and then spread it over 

 the plat; but if the snow is deep you 

 had better pile it in larger heaps, to be 

 distributed in favorable weather. 



What is the best nianxire for the gar- 

 den? That depends upon two things, 

 namely, the soil and the crops. But com- 

 mon barn yard manure — where horse 

 manure, cow manure, pig manure and 

 fowl manure are all mixed up together— is 

 prime manure for most anything. As a 

 rule the market gardeners of Long Island 

 have an aversion to using pig manure for 

 any member of the cabbage family, believ- 

 ing that club root is worse when they use 

 it than when they emploj' other manures; 

 they also believe that potatoes are more 

 scabbed when grown on pig manure 

 than on horse or other fertilizer. We use 

 a large quantity of home made well rot- 

 ted pig manure, however, and must saj' 

 our experience does not corroborate the 

 aggravation of either club root or scab. 

 As it is short, strong manure, however, 

 we use it largely on corn, beans and peas, 

 and find it gives capital crops. Cow man- 

 ure is excellent for most anything and 

 preferred for light dry soils; on the other 

 hand horse manure is liked for heavy loam 

 or clay soils. But don't quibble over the 

 kind; use what you can get, and lots of 

 it. Don't be afraid of surfeiting the land. 

 Remember th.it the market gardens 

 around London and other old cities have 

 been in cultivation for himdreds of years, 

 and the gardeners have been piling man- 

 ure into tlieni every 3'ear since the ground 

 was first broken, and they are doing the 

 same thing yet, and the soil bears heavy 

 crops continuously. Ikttertake a small 

 piece of ground and feed it well than a 

 large piece of land and half starve it. 

 You cannot overcrop the land if you feed 

 it enough. 



Never put drv, chaffv manure upon the 

 land. Manure should" be well wetted and 



kept moist all the tinie. Hor,se manure if 

 piled up is apt to heat and "bum" badly; 

 this is very injurious to its quality. Keep 

 it well VI etted all the time. 



Miscellaneous. 



DOSORlS-CARySANTflEMUIHS-ROSES. 



J. B. K., Ke3', 0., asks: 1. How do you 

 pronounce Dosoris? 



2. Are visitors admitted to the 

 grounds? 



3. Do chrysanthemums deteriorate? 

 Last year I raised a fine plant of Mrs. 

 E. D.Adams; it was perfectly snow-white. 

 This year the same plant is tinged with 

 pink and not nearly so fine. What is the 

 cause ? 



4. Can I protect a bed of tea roses bj- 

 building a frame around it and filling 

 with leaves, and if so should I cover it so 

 as to exclude rain ? 



1. Do-so-ris. 



2 For eighteen years prior to the 

 spring of '92 they were open to the pub- 

 lic every day in the year. After the 

 spring of '92 they were closed on Satur- 

 days and Sundays, but open on all other 

 days. Since May '93 they have been 

 closed to the public. But people speci- 

 ally interested in gardening maj-, upon 

 application, be admitted. 



3. We have had chrj'santhemums de- 

 terioriate in vigor as 1 hey got older in 

 years, and especially is this noticeable in 

 the case ofseedlings, many that are quite 

 vigorous the first year, proving less vig- 

 orous the next season. At the same 

 time, much of the "deterioration" is owing 

 to disease or unfavorable cultural condi- 

 tions. 



•t. Yes. Also exclude rain, it will add 

 to the efficiency of the protection. 



CLARK'S 



flutoniatJG 

 spRfly 



PUMP. \ 



age. Cannot 



Unique, most practical— W in 

 Henry Maule. 



Admirable; Ingenious ube 

 ful— Horticultural Departmenl 

 Cornell University 



Muttum In Parvo — Horldn 

 on Wheels. 



Savesthe price Inone week - 

 Detroit Floral Co 



Finished and better evt-rj 



Price. *4: Kxp. p:.iil. 



Cash wHIi uril.T WiirnintiM 



Pontiac Novelty Works, 



HOMES BY THE SEfl.!X!r,'Sl' 



]'.iirhaiik\ 20 Million 'ii. u .Tratioiiv" STARK 

 Trees PREPAID ■■> .m, |„ ,, SAFE ARRIVAL quar- 

 antced. -1 lir-:.:n;it nui srn.-.s-s.uf y.i.i o,er HALF. 



