July 30, 1910 



HORTICULTURE 



1S5 



cycads (botanically) — "The true station of this very 



curious order is extremely uncertain It is to 



be supposed that its true station is in tlie immediate 

 vicinity of, the ferns with which the species agree in ver- 

 nation and in many curious particulars." Nicholson, on 

 the other hand states that they are "closely related to 

 Conifera?." So, following one or the other of these 

 authorities it may be argued that the cycas is a fern or a 

 conifer, but we know of no authority placing it among 

 the palms, although it may have been the intent of the 

 tariff framers to so classify it and admit the cut leaves 

 free of duty. Now that the technical question has been 

 raised the fact of long-established custom in the use of 

 the name palm should be given due weight in coming to 

 a decision. Sixty per, cent, duty, if enforced, is going 

 to make a big difference in the market value of this 

 specialtj', but it is hardly to be expected that the home 

 flower growers will file any serious objections. 



Pot Grown Strawberry Plants for 

 Summer Planting 



None of our leading hardy native plants lend them- 

 selves so readily to all conditions of soil and climate as 

 the strawberry, and there is certainly no other fruit, 

 plant or tree which can be successfully planted over such 

 a long season. 



I have heard, as a strong argument for fruit growing 

 in California or Porto Eico, that you can plant straw- 

 berries and have them in fruit in six weeks. The same 

 can be accomplished right here in New England, and 

 very successfully too ; in fact by using certain varieties 

 of the strawberry it is possible to have ripe fruit in four 

 weeks from the planting. 



There is no better time than during the months of 

 July, Axigust and September to set the strawberry in 

 the garden. Not only is it a time when the gardener is 

 less rushed than in the spring, but the ground which 

 has been used for early vegetable crops is now in the 

 best of condition for setting strawberries and there is 

 mtxch less danger of losing the plants than in the spring. 

 Did it ever occur to you that the strawberry makes its 

 best growth diiring July and August and that by setting 

 pot-grown plants you lose no time, and actually save 

 expense in tlie cost of the plants, for while only 65 per 

 cent, of layer plants will live, you can count on 95 per 

 cent, of pot-grown plants. Of course these plants set 

 in the summer should be grown in hills, and no runners 

 allowed to set from them. 



To obtain the best results from pot-grown strawberry 

 plants, it is essential that the plants be from runners of 

 this season's growth, and not from plants of the past 

 season, heeled in and potted. The new runner, although 



it may be somewhat smaller than plants obtained in the 

 latter way, is the natural method in which the fruiting 

 plants are propagated. 



Just a word as to varieties of strawberry plants to set. 

 I have about come to the conclusion, after experience 

 and observation, that for quality variety does not count 

 much (except in a very few cases) but that the matter 

 resolves itself into conditions of soil, fertilizer, and the 

 time of picking the fruit. In the first place, where the 

 strawberry has been grown year in and year out on the 

 same land the quality does not compare with that of 

 berries where crops have been rotated, or better still 

 wliere strawberries have never grown at all. Then 

 again we are so apt to apply fertilizer of a highly nitro- 

 genous nature in order to get a large fine plant, believ- 

 ing that this is the only way to have first-class fruit, 

 while in reality a medium sized plant less highly stimu- 

 lated, will produce a much finer quality berry. I was 

 particularly struck with this point not long ago, when 

 visiting a New Jersey berry farm where a large per 

 cent, of the berries grown was of the Glen Mary variety, 

 considered here of very poor quality, but out there 

 much appreciated. These special plants to which I 

 refer were of medium size, heavily loaded with highly 

 flavored, well colored fruit, delicious in every way. At 

 the beginning of the strawberry season we are so apt to 

 pick the berries unripe and then condemn the variety as 

 poor and tasteless. A berry is not ripe when it becomes 

 red but should stay on the plant from two to four days 

 after coloring. Everyone knows how fine the last ber- 

 ries are, and it s simply because they are thoroughly 

 ripe. The first ones would taste like these if we would 

 let them stay on the plants a little longer. 



Anyone who wants fine strawberries for 1911 should 

 plant pot-grown plants now, using early, medium and 

 late varieties to insure a long season, and keeping in 

 mind that such varieties as Glen Mary, Sample, Abing- 

 ton. Parsons Beauty, Stevens Late Champion, Senator 

 Dunlap, Meade, North Shore, and Minute Man, when 

 well grown and thoroughly ripe are hard to beat for 

 (|uality. and will at the same time produce an abundance 

 of fruit. 



WILFEID WHEELEE. 



A Magnolia Avenue 



Our cover illustration shows one of the most beautiful 

 spring scenes to be found in any city in America. 

 Eochester is proud of the title of "Flower City." Those 

 who take advantage of the opportunity to see for them- 

 selves, on the occasion of the S. A. F. visit to the Flower 

 City, will have reason to know that the title is not mis- 

 applied. 



Our Sixth Annual Convention Number 



C| Will be issued under date of August 13, 1910. It will be full of interest for those who go 

 to the Convention at Rochester, and equally so for those who stay at home, it will be widely 

 distributed and in publicity value to the advertiser will have no superior. Take a generous sized 

 space. You'll find yourself in good company. »^ ^ ^ J^ J^ ^ J^ ^ ^ 



IT PAYS ! 



IT PAYS! 



IT PAYS ! 



