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HORTICULTURE 



August 9, 1919 



RAMBLING OBSERVATIONS OF 

 A ROVING GARDENER 



It shouldn't be understood that the 

 Roving Gardener spends all his time 

 rambling around through other peo- 

 ples' estates. Providing bread and 

 jam for the wife and youngsters is not 

 a simple task in these days of inflated 

 prices, especially in line of work 

 where the returns have not kept pace 

 with the upward soaring tendency of 

 supplies. This is only a preliminary 

 to speaking of the success of my ex- 

 periments with mulching as a means 

 of saving labor in the vegetable gar- 

 den. It is a common thing, of course, 

 to mulch strawberries and some other 

 crops, but the plan of using a mulch 

 on potatoes is newer, although it has 

 been tried out for a year or two by 

 certain garden makers in the east and 

 has been widely recommended in Mis- 

 souri where, in fact, some of the farm- 

 ers are growing several acres of po- 

 tatoes by this plan. The proof of the 

 pudding, or rather of the spuds will 

 be in the eating, of course, but my 

 plants which have never been culti- 

 vated seem just as thrifty as those of 

 my neighbors where much back break- 

 ing work with the hoe has been put in. 

 The seed potatoes were planted about 

 two inches deep in litle furrows made 

 with the wheel hoe. They were cov- 

 ered with this hoe and then the straw 

 spread deeply over the patch. The po- 

 tatoes grew through this straw with 

 the utmost ease, but most of the weeds 

 and grass have been unable to pene- 

 trate it. Moreover, the soil has been 

 kept as moist and mellow as it could 

 have been by frequent cultivation. 

 What the yield will be is yet an un- 

 known quantity, but I hope for the 

 best. If the potatoes do not turn out 

 well I expect I shall have a rather in- 

 teresting time replying to the gibes of 

 my sceptical neighbors and friends. 



Doubtless in a wet season this plan 

 would not be a very good one to fol- 

 low. But I see no reason why it 

 shouldn't work as well on the potatoes 

 in a dry season as it does with toma- 

 toes, which I also have under a mulch 

 and which are thriving splendidly. 

 Speaking of tomatoes, by the way, I 

 want to say a good word for the John 

 Baer, which is one of the best varie- 

 ties with which I have experimented. 

 It comes early, has a good color, and 

 the quality is excellent. Moreover, it 

 bears freely over a long season. The 

 only other tomato with which I feel 



like comparing it is the Marketeer, the 

 seed of which I obtained from a west- 

 ern grower and which made a splendid 

 crop. 



It is always interesting to observe 

 what the English publications have to 

 say about American books, especially 

 when they assume a certain lofty tone 

 of superiority. In reviewing "Straw- 

 berry Growing," by L,. W. Fletcher, 

 the Journal of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society says: "From a scientific point 

 of view the chapter on pollenization is 

 interesting as showing that unisexual 

 varieties are still grown in the States. 

 It is curious that these types should 

 persist when they have for so long 

 been discarded in Europe." As a mat- 

 ter of fact, some of the imperfect 

 strawberries are very valuable for 

 their high quality which is the reason, 

 no doubt, that they have been kept in 

 cultivation here. One statement which 

 the writer of the review makes is of 

 special interest. He says: "The 

 writer's experience with American va- 

 rieties has been one of unbroken fail- 



ure and a curious problem in adapta- 

 tion arises which tempts to further 

 study." It is a fact that the two coun- 

 tries seem to have little in common as 

 concerns varieties. In Mr. Fletcher's 

 list Royal Sovereign is the only Eng- 

 lish variety listed as being grown in 

 America and across the water it is 

 considered as among those of less 

 prominence. 



In the Journal's review, "Plant 

 Propagation," by M. G. Kains, a book 

 which Horticulture has been glad to 

 carry in its advertising columns for 

 some time, received only words of com- 

 mendation. The remarks upon the ef- 

 fect of grafting to those who long for 

 plants upon their own roots and make 

 didactic statements as to the peculiar 

 value of these above grafted ones, 

 seem to be particularly welcome. 



RHODODENDRON. 

 Miss Louisa Hunnewell. 



I am very glad that I can show the 

 readers of Horticulture a picture of 

 the new rhododendron Miss Louisa 

 Hunnewell, for which Mr. T. D. Hat- 

 field has been awarded a gold medal, 

 as published last week. It is a splen- 

 did flower and certainly is a valuable 

 addition to the list of hardy rhododen- 

 drons 



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New Azalea frnm AA'ellesley, Mass. 



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