46 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



December, 



Notes From a Rochester Fruit Farm. 



CHARLES A. GREEN. 



PiCKlSG Apples. Northern Spy. We 

 picked our winter Apples .about October 1st, 

 and it is well we did so, for heavy winds 

 came soon after that would have blown off 

 many. We left the Spy unpicked the longest, 

 as that holds on best having a long stem, 

 and often being hung to a limber twig. The 

 Spies are magnificent and an enormous crop. 

 They are a beautiful sight, all finely colored. 

 The Spy is a profitable Apple here, where it 

 succeeds better than in most places, this be- 

 ing near where it originated. It is a native 

 of East Bloomfield, N. Y., one of our best 

 fruit sections, and was introduced by Ell- 

 wanger & Barry I believe. It is of good 

 quality as well as handsome, but varies 

 greatly with the season. Some years it is 

 large, fair and red, while others it is green 

 and knotty. No one can account for these 

 vagaries, which are peculiar to all fi'uits to 

 a more or less noticable extent. We have a 

 large orchard, all Baldwin. I wish half were 

 Spies. Joseph Harris has a Spy orchard near 

 Rochester, from which he has sold in Eng- 

 land at $ia per barrel. His neighbor sold an 

 orchard of apples, unpicked, for .$"2,000. 



LucRETiA Dewberry. I cannot think 

 this will be popular as a market variety; 

 and for the home garden it will be objected 

 to on account of inferior flavor, being e.\- 

 ceedlingly sour. It is a large handsome 

 berry, and the bush will occupy less room 

 than the large growing kinds. Without 

 support it sprawls over ground like a Grape- 

 vine. Tied to a stake It presents an attractive 

 appearance. I should not risk it uncovered 

 in winter at the Northwest, but is easily 

 covered, lying so close to the earth. The 

 best BlackbeiTy for us is the Taylor (Taylor's 

 Prolific.) The flavor is superior, berry large 

 size, plants hardy and vigorous, canes green- 

 ish yellow, and easily identified on this 

 account. Stone's Hardy and Snyder are 

 also valuable hardy varieties. 



Willows on River Bank.s. The Honeoye 

 Creek ran the length of my father's farm, 

 and when a boy I noticed the inroads made 

 by the freshets on the crumbling banks, 

 valuable land being removed each season, 

 to be carried down the current to build up 

 land for some one else. A feeble attempt to 

 stay the damage was made by placing stone 

 along the shore. It did not occur to us that 

 cuttings of the Willow stuck in rows along 

 the shore would accomplish a better purpose 

 at one hundredth part of the cost. Willow 

 cuttings (Osier, or almo.st any kind will 

 answer) should be cut in the spring before 

 leaf growth commences. They may be made 

 a foot long, and as large around as a lead 

 pencil, or, in many instances, of large limbs 

 cut three or four feet long, sharpened wedge 

 shaped (not pointed like a pencil), and driven 

 in one or two feet. These will at once take 

 root, and in a few years not only protect the 

 shores by numeroxis fibrous roots, but be- 

 come a thing of beauty. "Rliere the wash 

 of water is unusually severe sods of Quack 

 Grass have been used with good results, 

 especially about mill-dams, but this pest 

 should be avoided if possible, as enough 

 branches of roots may become disengaged 

 to stock the neighboring country. Even the 

 branches of Willows floating in the current, 

 become imbedded in the muddy shore, trans- 

 planting themselves, but without injury. 



There are fifty varieties of American 

 Willows, varying in size from a few inches 

 in height to lOO feet. They belong to the 

 same natural order as the Poplars, but differ 

 in structure. The bark of the young shoots 

 has been used as a substitute for quinine. 

 Baskets, ropes, cloth and a variety of other 

 articles are mentioned as made from the 

 Willow. The timber is valuable for many 

 purposes, ilw charcoal for use in making 

 giinpowder and for painter's crayons. 



Attractions of Fruit Culture. I am 

 more and more impressed with the fact that 

 few ruralists can make better use of their 

 land than by planting it to fruit. I be- 

 lieve that every honest nurseryman (and I 

 have found but few dishonest; it is the dis- 

 honest agents that give erroneous impres- 

 sions) who sells a bill of trees or vines is do- 

 ing a good work, beautifying and enriching 

 the earth. I received a letter yesterday from 

 a poor man in Massachusetts who says he 

 has sold .^SO worth of berries from one-fourth 

 of an acre, and that he can scarcely credit 

 the fact himself. In a few localities the 

 business of growing fruit may be overdone, 

 but where there is one such there are thous- 

 ands where the supply is short of the de- 

 mand. My neighbor says he gets '200 barrels 

 of Apples yearly from his orchard of one 

 and one-half acres. If he sold the fruit for 

 fifty cents per barrel on the tree, in place of 

 *1.00 to SI. .50, he would be making money. 

 There are instances here where a small 

 orchard has annually paid the interest on 

 the entire farm of 100 acres. Pears and other 

 like fruits do not sell at the fabulous prices 

 of old times, but we have learned how to 

 secure larger and finer crops, how to find 

 new markets, and Pear orchards continue 

 profitable. But I always find that the great- 

 est profit has been secured where the great- 

 est s kill has been employed. 



I was recently told how a fruit grower was 

 succeeding in Orleans County. When I 

 learned how long he had been at work, how 

 he had mastered all details, what good cul- 

 ture lie bestowed, how well he assorted, how 

 attractive his packages, I could not help 

 feeling that he deserved success. And when 

 men deserve success they generally get it. 

 The ne'er-do-wells are usually those who ex- 

 pect success to come without effort on their 

 part. Micawber like they are waiting for 

 something to turn up, in place of turning 

 something up with such force as to com- 

 mand attention and respect. 



Black Knot in the Plum. I am often 

 asked what remedy I can suggest for the 

 black knot. There is only one remedy and 

 that is to cut off the affected branch at the 

 earliest possible moment. Push out of your 

 shop or office as promptly on learning of a 

 visit of the black knot in your Plum orchard 

 as you would if notified that your bees were 

 swarming, or the pigs were in the corn. 

 Lose not a moment, and when cut burn 

 with dispatch every branch or twig infested. 

 This disease is caused by fungi, live plants 

 too minute to be discerned with the naked 

 eye. In the early stages of growth the fun- 

 gus is not propagated, but later it sheds its 

 seeds to the winds, carrying death in its path. 

 During winter much damage may occur by 

 permitting the black knot to remain on the 

 trees. Look over the Plum trees now and 

 remove every affected branch. L^sually 

 the black knot is not cut off early enough in 

 its growth. As a preventive I recommend 

 good culture and applications of yard ma- 

 nure. Well fed and cultivated trees resist 

 attacks which woiild destroy feeble trees. 



Strawberry Notes. 



M. H. BECKWITH, NEW YORK STATE FARM, GENEVA. 



CoviUe'>i Early was the earliest variety in 

 our trial beds this season. The fruit is a 

 dull red color, with very prominent seeds; 

 medium in size. Its earltness is its only 

 recommendation. 



E.rcclKhir, a new variety received from the 

 originator, E. M. Beuchley, yielded some 

 very fine fruit upon plants set last August. 

 Berries resemble the Glendale in shape and 

 size; very dark scarlet color, fairly firm, 

 excellent flavor. 



May King is an excellent berry for family 

 use; fruit large, very spicy and agreeable 

 flavor; rather soft for shipping. 



Jumbo is identical with the Cumberland. 



James Vick blossomed very profusely 

 but only a very small percentage of the 

 blossoms produced fruit. WHien allowed to 

 become fully ripe the berries are sweet and 

 of delicious flavor. 



Sharplcsn still holds its own and is a uni- 

 versal favorite in this section on account of 

 its large size. 



Ontario. The foliage and fruit of this 

 variety resembles the Sharpless very much. 

 The berries are of a more uniform shape 

 than the Sharpless. 



An unnamed very late variety, received 

 from R. S. .Johnston, did not begin to ripen 

 until the other varieties were nearly all ripe. 

 The berries resemble the Cornelia in appear- 

 ance, the flesh is very soft, the flavor is 

 delicious. The plant has a very dwarf, 

 though vigorous habit of growth. The under 

 side of the foliage has a downy appearance. 

 I do not consider it of any special value. 



A Michigan Peach Orchard and 

 District. 



The fruit farm of Mr. J. A Pearce, six 

 miles northeast of Grand Rapids, Mich., is 

 thus described: 



Not many years ago the site of this suc- 

 cessful farm was purchased at ?.5 per acre 

 by the present owner, with 20 acres cleared, 

 and a Peach orchard, of seven acres, begin- 

 ing to bear. He has been on the place now 

 five years, and has 25 acres in a Peach 

 orchard, from which he expects this year a 

 crop of about 1,000 bushels. There are about 

 3.000 Peach trees. He finds Peaches do the 

 best on his soil. He fertilizes them with all 

 the ashes he can get. This he obtains from 

 town. It retards the ripening and keeps the 

 ground moist and firm. 



The neighborhood in which Mr. Pearce's 

 farm is located is a Peach-growing section. 

 Among those having extensive orchards 

 near him are Thos. Beale, 2,(.KX) trees; W. O. 

 Braman, about 3,000 trees; Wm. Chambers, 

 2,000; C. E. Lucas, 3,000 or over; D. Osborn, 

 4,000; the Hopkins fai-m, over 4,000; P. Bird, 

 1,.500; Thomp.son Hill, 1,000; A. E. Hoag, 

 1,200; J. Spaulding, 1,000; J. Miller, 1,000: 

 B. Murray, 1,000, and Chas. BisseU, 4,000. 



Mr. Pearce has also a vineyard of three 

 acres, containing the Worden Grape prin- 

 cipally, with the Delav/are, Concord, and 

 Agawam, and small fruit in considerable 

 quantities. Strawberries, Raspberries, Cher- 

 ries, Plums, and Pears. Mr. Pearce expects 

 to be able to market not far from six t«ns of 

 Grapes this year. Two knolls to the west 

 and south protect the place from the pre- 

 vailing winds of winter, and afford favor- 

 able locations, the one for a vineyard, the 

 other for a Peach orchard. 



While Mr. Pearce believes that cultivation 

 is of great value to the Peach and if con- 

 tinued assiduously would ward off the seri- 

 ous effects of drought, stiU judgment must 

 be used to obtain, if possible, a steady 

 healthy growth, that the wood may ripen 

 properly, to avoid winter killing. One and 

 a half to two feet of wood was a good growth 

 on a young tree and he should desire to 

 restrain beyond that. He grows wood one 

 year to bear fruit the next and aims not to 

 overgrow but to ripen a healthy growth 

 in good condition for the fruit bearing of the 

 next year. Pruning was apt to stimulate 

 a new growth, which would be found killed 

 back the next spring. 



Neighbor Koon, another gi-ower, when 

 asked what varieties are the best for a proper 

 succession replied: Alexander. Beatrice, 

 Hale, Barnard, Early Crawford, Richmond, 

 Mountain Rose, Old Nixon, Hill's Chili, 

 Smock, in that order. With the Barnard's 

 and Early Crawford comes the rush of ripen- 

 ing and the glut of the market. The Rich- 

 mond was a better bearer than the Early 

 Crawford. The Hale was most liable to 



