122 



' * GARDENING. 



Jan. /, 



the early ones or where the early crops 

 have been gathered. The soil will raise 

 weeds anyhow, and killing these is not 

 much more labor than taking care of 

 another crop. E. O. Orpet. 



Massachusetts. 



WINTER SALADS. 



At this season of the year, when the 

 kitchen garden is destitute of active vege- 

 table life, we have to depend on the green- 

 house and the cold-frame for our winter 

 supply of salads. To have these plants 

 throughout the winter is sometimes a 

 difficult task, but every gardener should 

 endeavor to provide a quantity suffi- 

 cient for the needs of his employer's 

 family, if the means at his disposal will 

 enable him to do so. Thelettucecertainlv 

 stands first on the list of salad plants. 

 Sown in August, and transplanted in a 

 cold-frame in September, the supply of 



of young mustard, and this is found 

 extremely useful in the preparation of 

 salads. A place is readily found for mus- 

 tard in any garden with a greenhouse 

 attached. Givenalittlewarmth.it will 

 grow almost anywhere It does nicely 

 under greenhouse benches, and is best 

 grown there, for in that way it takes up 

 no valuable space. This crop may also 

 be raised handily in boxes filled with 

 light soil. The seeds germinate very 

 quickly and should be sown in lines for 

 convenience in cutting. The crop is gen- 

 erally ready for cutting in about twelve 

 days from the date of sowing. 



Cress or pepper grass is another very 

 relishable salad plant, a good supply ot 

 which can be obtained under the treat- 

 ment advised for mustard. But more 

 seeds should be sown of the former to a 

 given area, for the pepper grass is a much 

 smaller plant than the mustard, and for 

 this reason it should also be given a week 



next month. We shall then take one of 

 these roots every week and plant them in 

 barrels placed in the cellar or underneath 

 the benches of a warm greenhouse, cov- 

 ering the barrels so as to exclude all light 

 from the plants. Rhubarb forced in this 

 way is very tender, and it is always 

 acceptable. David Fraser. 



THE ST. JOSEFH STRAWBERRY. 



A European correspondent, writing un- 

 der date of Paris, November 15, 1897, has 

 this to say about the new strawberry 

 which is shown in the accompanying en- 

 graving: 



The Paris fall exhibition of flowers, 

 fruits and vegetables is now open. In the 

 fruit line the Saint Joseph Strawberry is 

 much admired. This is a real wonder, 

 and quite a novelty besides; it is also an 

 industrious little plant, having borne 

 fruit without interruption from the begin- 

 ning of June until the present time. I saw 



^ '■SS&^tg&fc* 



THE ST JOSEPH STRAWBERRY 



this vegetable may be prolonged through 

 the holiday time. The frame, however, 

 should be kept snug and warm giving 

 plenty of air on all bright days. Any 

 failure to properly ventilate the plants 

 will result ina rottingof the leaves, which 

 speedily spoils their usefulness as well as 

 their appearance. 



More seeds should be sown about the 

 beginning of the new year, this time in a 

 warm greenhouse, pricking off the plants 

 into boxes when they are large enough to 

 handle. A few may be grown on in 

 2'/2 inch pots, if time and space permit; 

 but in any event an effort should be made 

 to have the plants ready to put out in a 

 hot-bed not later than the middle of Feb- 

 ruary. Successional sowings treated ina 

 similar way will maintain material to 

 cut from until the outdoor crop is well 

 advanced. 



We have now (December 17 ) a fine crop 



longer to grow before cutting. By sow- 

 ing one or two small boxes each week, an 

 abundant supply of this plant can be had 

 all winter. Cress and mustard can also 

 be grown very satisfactorily in the win- 

 dow of an ordinary living room, taking 

 care to maintain sufficient warmth to 

 prevent freezing during cold nights. We 

 have also a few pots and boxes filled with 

 chives, which will be left outdoors and 

 moved to the greenhouse a few at a time 

 as they are needed. In addition to their 

 use in the preparation of salads, chives 

 are also valuable fo*- soups, etc. 



Space should also be found in some cor- 

 ner of the greenhouse for a few pots each 

 of sage, mint and thyme. These are much 

 in demand at festive seasons, and good 

 cooks generally prefer to use them in a 

 green state. And we have dug up a few 

 strong rhubarb roots, which will be left 

 in the open, covered with straw, until 



it all summer at Verrieres, where it is 

 largely grown, and it was always cov- 

 ered with flowers and fruits, although 

 given much freedom in the matter of 

 making runners. 



The plants now on exhibition were 

 taken from the fields only a few days ago. 

 The Alpine strawberry, of course, has 

 been known in France foryears, and some 

 improved varieties produce very large 

 fruits; but the Saint Joseph is a genuine 

 large-fruited perpetual variety altogether 

 different from the Alpine in size, shape 

 and flavor. It may be said to be a fair 

 improvement upon Louis Gauthier and 

 other ever-bearing strawberries, no other 

 variety being so great a fruit producer. 

 The runners taken from the old plants 

 this summer are already covered with 

 bloom, and by simply keeping them un- 

 der glass during the frosts of winter, 

 they will give fruit all the year round. 



