42 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



November, 



and a liberal addition of silver sand to keep the whole 

 porous. The soil should be used somewhat coarse, and 

 the bulbs should only be potted when at rest, the roots 

 of these plants being so very delicate that It is impossi- 

 ble to re-iiot them after root action has commenced 

 without a sreat deal of injury to the plants. Freesias 

 require very little water in the early stages of their 

 growth, but the supply should be increased to keep 

 pace with the strength of the plants. A light sunny 

 spot in a frame or a greenhouse is a suitable position 

 for them through the winter. Ornithogalum umbel- 

 latnm is a hardy garden plant that will succeed under 

 the most common conditions of culture. Of the section 

 usually grown under glass the bulbs ought to be treated 

 in general as directed above; If they are not kept dry 

 from June until September they will not flower freely. 



lacks crispness, and often has a somewhat 

 moldy, or "cellar taste," that is not pleasant. 



Hot-bed Frames for Storing Celery. 



CHARLES SEW ALL, WASHINGTON CO., VT. 



For several years I have put my empty 

 hot-bed frames to use as winter pits for 



How Mr. Sewall paclss Celery in his Bot-hed Frame 



storing Celery and some other vegetables, 

 with satisfactory results. No preparation 

 is needed beyond a lot of additional boards 

 ten or twelve inches wide, sawed to a length 

 equal with the inside width of the frame. 



To All a frame I first clear out the old 

 manure and soil, making provision that 

 several inches of soil remains spread over 

 the bottom. Then at nine inches from one 

 end I place one of the prepared boards to 

 extend across the bed, and parallel with the 

 end. This board is kept some four or six 

 inches up from the bottom of the bed. It is 

 held in place either by some cleats, or by 

 towing nails through its ends into the sides 

 of the frames. Narrow boards set along the 

 sides of the frame for the ends of the cross 

 boards to set upon I find a great conveni- 

 ence in keeping the cross ones in place. 



In filling, I proceed by setting Celery 

 plants compactly together in the nine inch 

 space between the first cross board and the 

 end, for its length across the bed. At the 

 same time I settle the roots into the earth in 

 the bottom of the bed. The first space 

 filled I form another by setting up cross 

 board, number two, at nine inches from the 

 first; and fill out between with Celery, as 

 done in the first instance. This course is 

 pursued untU the frame is full. I should 

 have added that if the soil in the bottom of 

 the bed is not decidedly moist, I thoroughly 

 sprinkle each line across the bed, from un- 

 derneath the cross board only, before plac- 

 ing in another line. 



My Celery is not thus pitted until freezing 

 weather is at hand, usually in the latter part 

 of November. I cover it at once with a 

 light coat of straw applied directly on the 

 tops, and put broad shutters the size of a 

 sash on at first in place of the regular sash. 

 This suffices as a cover until winter sets in 

 in good earnest, when the entire space up to 

 the sash bars is filled with straw. At the 

 same time both the sash and the shutters on 

 top are put into position, there to remain 

 until the Celery is wanted. I should add 

 that the frame outside should be well bank- 

 ed with soil to its top all around. 



The obvious advantage of such a method 

 of caring for Celery, is that it is easily got- 

 ten at as wanted for use or market, even in 

 midviinter. This cannot so well be said of 

 Celery stored in ordinary trenches. In tak- 

 ing out, one course at a time, or less, can be 

 removed, without interfering in the least 

 with the remaining courses. 



I have tried the same plan, with certain 

 slight variations, in keeping other vege- 

 tables, such as Cabbage, Parsnips, Turnips, 

 etc., in winter, with good results. For Cel- 

 ery, however, it stands unequaled. Most 

 other vegetables can be well preserved in a 

 regular root cellar, but this is not the case 

 with Celery. I think I can always detect 

 when the latter has come from a cellar. It 



An Economical Forcing Pit. 



The engraving on this page shows one of 

 the most simple and economical forcing 

 frames that can be constructed. It is econom- 

 ical with respect to material and workman- 

 ship required in its erection as well as in the 

 important matter of heating. Being buUt 

 with the gutters at less than one foot from 

 the ground, exposure to cold winds is re- 

 duced to a minimum. 



To provide the necessary walk (h) in a 

 pit of this character the only course is to 

 sink it by proper excavation into the 

 ordinary soil (o «). But this is no dis- 

 advantage provided the soil where 

 the pit is located be perfectly under- 

 drained, so that no water can stand in 

 the excavation. In the instance illus- 

 trated the pit was designed for propa- 

 gating purposes, the beds being brought 

 almost on a line with the surface of the land 

 outside, hence near the glass. But for other 

 purposes where more room would be re- 

 quired between the bench and the glass the 

 former could be made somewhat lower than 

 is here showu. In the present case hot water 

 pipes ((' c c e) are shown located for providing 

 both bottom heat (in the enclosed portions 

 c c) and top heat. 



In the construction of a pit of this style, 

 while the sides that siipport the rafters as 

 well as the walk linings may be more eco- 

 nomically buUt of wood, so far as first cost 

 is concerned, stUl in the long run brick, or 

 in the case of the side walls, stone, being 

 imperishable, would be found the cheapest. 

 We suppose it is generally understood that 

 two or more pits built side by side are in a 

 measure more easily heated than it they 

 stood separated. Still the gain in that res- 

 pect is less clearly defined in proportion as 

 the side walls are lower, hence the present 



case would not be very marked. 



A Fine Fruit Farm. 



Some time since a representative of this 

 journal visited the fruit farm of Mr. M. T. 

 Thompson at E. 

 Rockford, Ohio five 

 miles from Cleve- 

 land. On account of 

 a severe drought, 

 things were not look- 

 ing as well as other, 

 wise they doubtless 

 would have, judg- 

 ing from the culture 

 and attention given. 

 Considering this fact 

 and also that four 

 years ago a large 

 part of the farm was 

 covered with a for- 

 est, which had to be 

 cleared, it was plain 

 that Mr.Thompson is 

 a man who has the 

 push and enterprise 

 to make this one of 

 the best fruit farms 

 in the State of Ohio. 



season, the bushes and the fruit were entire- 

 ly dried up, not a bushel of fruit being 

 gathered from a three-acre plat. Under the 

 same conditions, however, the Doolittle, 

 yielded a good crop of fine fruit. This ex- 

 perience with the Gregg was found to be 

 altogether common among the fruit men 

 of this section. 



Of the Reds, Cuthbert, Philadelphia, 

 Brandywine and Hansell are grown mostly. 

 In spite of the dryness, fine fruit of Brandy- 

 wine and Philadelphia was marketed July 

 30, the latter being a favorite for home tise, 

 though from its dark color not so market- 

 able, which objection is also urged against 

 Shaffer's Colossal while admitting its super- 

 ior flavor, productiveness, etc. 



A very early Red, over which Mr. Thomp- 

 son is particularly enthusiastic and of which 

 he is planting the largest area of any early 

 variety, is a seedling of his own and which 

 he has named Early Prolific. From this 

 during the past season he picked ripe fruit 

 June 19. From the appearance of plants set 

 the past spring quite a crop was gathered, 

 while the new growth, from plants growing 

 on loose gravelly soil, exposed to the full 

 effects of drought, appeared bright and 

 vigorous, presenting a marked contrast to 

 the Hansell alongside, the latter being mil- 

 dewed and burned. 



Mr. Thompson firmly believes in thorough 

 culture and heavy manuring, his place show- 

 ing in every part that the theory is put in 

 practice, being especially noticeable in the 

 present unfavorable season. His plan of 

 repetitional cropping from the same land 

 the same season was described in the Sep- ' 

 tember issue of this journal. 



For Storing Cabbage an Illinois ^ower 

 selects a piece of ground quite dry, and at the 

 same time mellow and easy to trench vnth spade 

 or plow. In this he makes a trench of sufBcient 

 width and depth to receive the heads so they 

 ^vill not touch either bottom or sides of the 

 trench. He then takes a piece of two by four 

 inch scantling and places it edge(vise over the 

 trench in such a way that the heads suspended 

 from it, roots up, will not touch either sides or 

 bottom. Then, after stripping off the coarse, 

 outside leaves, the heads are secured to the 

 scantUng by a nail through the stump, the roots 



MlZi»^iZy^^.^i.y.^,iy: ■ .,-y'-'- 



CROSS SECTION OF ECONOMICAL FORCING FRAME 



There are about sixty acres in the place, 

 of which some twenty-eight acres are in 

 Strawberries for next sea.son's fruiting, four- 

 teen of old and the same of newly set plants. 

 Wilson, Mt. Vernon and Haverland's Seed- 

 ling being the favorite varieties, though 

 nearly all sorts are being fruited, the balance 

 of the farm being largely in Raspberries, 

 but with ample plats of Grapes, Gooseberries, 

 Currants, Pears etc. 



Of the Blackcaps, the Gregg has been 

 very unsatisfactory, as, while the bushes 

 were well set with fruit, owing to the dry 



coming up a trifle higher than the natural earth. 

 Then some pieces of board, just long enough to 

 make a sort of rafter reaching from the edge of 

 the bank to the scantUng, to give it a sUght 

 pitch, are put down on these rafters, other boards 

 are placed lengthwise, and a sufBcient quantity 

 of straw, or other coarse material, is scattered 

 on them to prevent the earth falling through, a 

 quantit.v of which, to prevent much freezing, 

 should be placed on top, and this will keep the 

 heads cool and sufficiently moist. Placing the 

 heads in position should be delayed as long as 

 weather >vill permit. The trenches may be in 

 sections ten or twelve feet long in order that in 

 opening the air need not come to all at once. 



