202 



GARDENING. 



Mar. 15 



the small spurs in the vicinity of the cut 

 branches, and very often on the branches 

 themselves. It often happens that the 

 mere topping of a growing shoot will 

 cause it to make a flower bud at its apex 

 for the following season. Besides the 

 benefit in this way, summer pruning is 

 the best of all for shaping the tree. W hen 

 the object of the pruning is to induce the 

 formation of fruit buds, do it when 

 growth is about half accomplished, 

 towards the close of June, say. 



Soil and situation plays an important 

 part in the selection of many fruits, but 

 not so much with pears. There are cer- 

 tain kinds esteemed as of the best from 

 the Atlantic to the Pacific varying but 

 little in quality no mater where planted. 

 The most marked difference is in the sea- 

 son of maturity; what is a summer pear 

 in the far northern states becomes an 

 autumn one a little further south. Thus 

 the indispensable Anjou, an early winter 

 pear in New York, is an autumn one in 

 Delaware. 



Were I asked for a list of a dozen excel- 

 lent standard pears for an amateur's gar- 

 den, I would present the following list, 

 named in the order I have found them to 

 ripen: Clapp's Favorite, Bartlett, Howell, 

 Seckel, Lucrative, Superfin, Sheldon, 

 Kieffer, Clairgeau, Anjou, Lawrence and 

 Josephire de Malines. I would say in 

 regard to Kieffer that I place it on the 

 list because of its value for cooking and 

 preserving, I have not found its flavor 

 to my liking, but many persons aver 

 with candor that its quality pleases 

 them very much. 



Although many standard pears, nota- 

 bly Bartlett, Clapp's Favorite and 

 Howell will commence bearing when but 

 three or four years old, dwarfs are 

 thought desirable in many gardens. 

 They commence to bear at once, and if 

 planted below where the stock and the 

 cion unite, roots will be emitted from the 

 pear itself in time, which will make them 



THE SECKEL PEAR. 



longer lived than if the quince alone was 

 depended on. A few good sorts which 

 have been found adapted to dwarf culture 

 are the following, listed somewhat as 

 they ripen. Clapp's Favorite, Brandy- 

 wine, Bartlett, Howell, Superfin, Lucra- 

 tive, Angouleme, Louise Bonne, Anjou, 

 Lawrence, and Josephine. 



Standard pears thrive well in deep, 

 heavy, good soil. Dwarfs do not like it 



heavy. A lighter, but moist and rich 

 composition, is what they delight in. 

 Philadelphia. Joseph Meehan. 



THE KEIFFER PEAR 



STARTING CELERY PLANTS. 



Celery seed, says Prof. Munson in a 

 recent bulletin of the Maine Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, is at best uncertain 

 in its germinative power, and unless the 

 conditions are suitable the percentage of 

 germination is usually very low. In gen- 

 eral we may count on from 5000 to 10,- 

 000 plants from an ounce of seed. 



For early celery the seed is sown in a 

 mild hotbed or in flats in the greenhouse 

 about March 1 to 15. For the home 

 garden, if no hotbed is handy, seed 

 may be sown in rich, sandy soil in a shal- 

 low box and placed in the kitchen win- 

 dow. 



In any case, cover the seed very lightly, 

 not more than one-sixteenth of an inch, 

 and keep the soil moderately moist but 

 not wet. Many practice covering the 

 surface with paper or with boards till 

 the seeds begin to sprout. It is also well 

 to soak the seeds in warm water for a few 

 hours beforesowing. There is little doubt 

 that as a rule better results will be 

 obtained in germinating most vegetable 

 seeds if the soil is kept only moderately 

 wet. Seeds must have air as well as 

 moisture in order to germinate. 



As the young plants begin to develop 

 transplant them into rows three inches 

 apart, leaving about a half-inch space 

 between the plants. In case some of the 

 plants become too large before the ground 

 is suitable for setting them in the field, 

 they may be sheared back without harm. 

 The process of "hardening off" should of 

 course be observed. By this we mean 

 that the plants should gradually be made 

 accustomed to lower temperature before 

 removal to the field. 



For the main crop the seed is sown out 

 of doors from the middle of April to the 

 first of June. It this case a sheltered loca- 

 tion is chosen. A fine seed-bed is prepared 

 and the seed sown broadcast and lightly 



