260 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



FKUITS, TREES, FLOWERS, &c., 



R. G. Pardee.-— Every one would engage in growing fruits and flowers, 

 if each thought he eouhi excel in any one thing. That is the stimulus to 

 grow something that is better than he has grown before, or better than any 

 of his neighbors can grow ? Perhaps to gain a great notoriety as the 

 producer of a new seedling, new rarity, or more perfect fruit or flower. 

 The great lack of evei-y one is the want of knowledge how to do — how to 

 plant, cultivate, and produce. It is just about as easy to do this thing 

 well as ill, if one only knew how. Gardening is a kind of work particu- 

 larly suited to femalvis. One of the best hands I ever knew at budding, 

 grafting, and pruning, was a woman. And it is the duty, as it is the privi- 

 lege of every woman who has a little spot of ground, to learn how to cul- 

 tivate fruit and flowers. They should inform themselves so as to be able 

 to excel. It is very easy. It is not necessary to pay a gardener, or buy 

 largely of seeds. Each one should know how. And then only hire a 

 laborer, that the employer could tell how to work, as well as a woman can, 

 or should tell the servant in the kitchen. 



Mr. Burgess, a practical gardener. — In relation to planting trees I 

 would always fill the bottom of the hole a foot deep with stones, shells, or 

 rubble, and break down the edges of the hole. When the tree is set in 

 place and the roots all carefully straightened out and bedded in the soft, 

 fine earth, I lay a couple of rods across each other and over the roots, and 

 stake them down. This makes the tree stand firm, and obviates, the need 

 of a post to support the body. If the ground is trenched all over, the 

 trees may be set with less care about rubble in the holes. 



Starting seeds early, can be done in thumb pots, under bell glasses. 

 Always put sand in the bottom of pots or boxes in which you start seeds. 

 Put good clean soil in the box to plant seed in. The soil must be kept 

 moist and warm. Seeds start best in darkness. I lay a slate over seed 

 boxes. That gets warm without letting the sun shine directly on the earth. 

 The slate should not cover the box or pot tightly. I would set trees the 

 first week in October. It is an excellent rule to adopt in setting trees, of 

 " a southerly wind and a cloudy sky," for the air is moist, and the roots do 

 not dry up so fast as in weather when the air is dry. 



RAISING MELONS. 



R. G. Pardee. — I wish Mr. Burgess would tell us how he has managed 

 to grow very fine melons. 



Mr Burgess. — When my ground is prepared all right, by deep digging, 

 and manuring with fine compost, I set four bricks, and plant the seeds 

 between, with a sheet of glass over. Pinch ofi" the heart of the plant, 

 when you get three leaves, and that will make the roots stronger, and 

 throw out laterals, which always produce the finest fruit. As soon as a 

 melon begins to give off" aroma, pick it off" and take it to a cool dry place, 

 in a fruit room, and set it on a slate, stone or brick, and cover it with an 



