THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



215 



MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 



California Prunes. — Prune culture is 

 a great success in the uplands of Califor- 

 nia. Nothing can exceed this fruit in 

 weight and production. In Petaluma every 

 branch is loaded, and every prune sound. 

 The pits are extracted by machinery and 

 used for fuel. So rich and juicy are the 

 California prunes as to drive the German 

 prunes from the market whenever placed 

 in competition. Each tree bears about 

 100 lbs. of prunes, worth 14 cents per 

 pound at wholesale. One hundred trees 

 are planted to the acre, and the entire cost 

 to pit them for the market is five cents 

 per pound. 



The Harvest Berry. — The early 

 Harvest Blackberry is making friends this 

 year. It commences to ripen considerably 

 earlier than the Wilson and presents a 

 peculiar glossy, varnished appearance ; 

 jet black and very attractive. Very little 

 rust has as yet made itself visible on this 

 variety. The plant naturally tends to a 

 branched form and is prolific in yield. 

 The heavy rains of the past spring have 

 shortened the crop greatly. The plant is 

 so easily trained that it forms the best 

 variety here for garden cultivation, and 

 probably for the field, also. — Farmer and 

 Fruit Grower. 



A Naboth's Vineyard. — England's 

 wealthiest baronet is said to be Sir John 

 Ramsden, of Byram, Yorkshire. His 

 rent-roll is computed at $850,000 a year. 

 He owns almost the whole of Hudders- 

 field, the great manufacturing centre. 

 The little bit he doesn't own was a very 

 Naboth's vineyard to his father, who, 

 according to popular tradition, once 

 ofiered to its Quaker owner to cover it 

 with sovereigns if he would sell it. 

 " Edgewise, friend Ramsden ?" quoth the 

 Quaker. * ' In that case it is thine ; other- 

 wise all Huddersfield must still belong to 

 thee and me." ** Edgewise" was more 

 than the baronet could swallow. — Ameri- 

 can Garden. 



Wash for Trees.- A wash which is 

 highly recommended for trees is made as 

 follows : Take one bushel of lump, fresh 

 burnt lime, ten pounds of common sul- 

 phur ('rock sulphur), ten pounds of com- 

 mon salt in water, tub to hold from thirty 

 to forty gallons, then add from twenty to 



twenty -five gallons of boiling water, cover 

 over ; when cold, brush it on with a 

 whitewash brush, brushing into every 

 crevice of the bark of the trees. It is 

 said to be the best and cheapest disinfect- 

 ant for all kinds of buildings where ani- 

 mal life is located ; all the inside of cattle 

 pens, railway cars, and cattle cars should 

 be disinfected with it ; it will prevent 

 contagion, killing all germ animals, and 

 prevent the eggs germinating. — Frairie 

 Farmer. 



The Quince. — The fact that the quince 

 will live and give fair returns under the 

 most adverse conditions, has created the 

 impression that it does best under neglect. 

 No tree responds more promptly to good 

 treatment, and none, if given half a 

 chance, is more profitable. Quince trees 

 when young need care to bring them into 

 proper shape. They should be trained to 

 form a single trunk, and may at first need 

 some care to prevent their making clumps 

 instead of trees. After they are well 

 established they bear yearly, and their 

 fruit is always in demand, and usually at 

 good prices. It should not be forgotten 

 that the quince is a highly ornamental 

 tree, both in flower and when loaded with 

 its golden fruit, and may be planted both 

 for ornament and profit. — American Agri- 

 culturist. 



Gooseberries. — Large and early goose- 

 berries command very good prices in the 

 spring, as they are about the first "pie 

 material" which makes its appearance. 

 Another advantage in favor of this fruit 

 is that it brings in early money, which is 

 quite an item to most cultivators of the 

 soil who usually have to wait until mid- 

 summer for their first dividends from the 

 farm. We would not advise planting 

 largely, but a patch of a half acre will, if 

 cared for as it should be, bring in a very 

 satisfactory profit. The Gooseberry re- 

 quires strong, rich soil, and should be well 

 manured each spring. It should be tho- 

 roughly and constantly cultivated (except 

 when in bloom), and the bushes must be 

 pruned each season, so as to encourage 

 new and vigorous shoots, as it is only on 

 such wood that the finest fruit is pro>- 

 duced. The Houghton seedling has 

 done well with us as a market sort. — Farm 

 and Garden. 



