1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



57 



in K''eater or less degree in all specimens, and is 

 worthy so far as it differs in varieties. 



In color the Peach is much more constant 

 than the Apple. It is (jneenish, cream-colored, 

 white, yellow, red, or blushed, mottled, specked 

 and striped with carmine, in all pos.sililc tints and 

 shades. The color of the flesh correspomls quite 

 well with the ground color of the skin. In text- 

 ure it is firm and inclined to be tough, or like 

 Louise. Some kinds are very dry and mealy, and 

 others dripping with juiciness. 



Another reliable mark is the color of the flesh 

 at the stone. The variety called Snow has no 

 tint of red even there. But a gicat many kinds 

 lU-e red or pink, with either white or yellow flesh. 



The color is yellow, orange, or a rich cream, 

 with an over-color of red, which sometimes 

 darkens into br(twn. Many varieties arc deli- 

 cately marked with crimson and purple dots, and 

 small specks. 



Thk klesh is usually molting, and colored a 

 little deeper oimnge or yellow than the skin. It 

 is almost free from any inclination to cling, and 

 not red at the stone like the Peach. 



The bearing quality of flic tree is, thi-ough a 

 series of years, a help in making out its \'aricf ics, 

 ' and so is the st.^'le of the tree and twigs, anfl the 

 color of the bark. What is known as the qualit.v 

 of a fruit is gauged largely by the taste t)f the 

 eater; but it ought, however, to give some idea 



n 



ROOT-CELLAR OF THE IOWA AQRICULTURAL COLLEGE FARM: LENGTHWISE SECTIONAL VIEW. 



The stone itself is plump and short (in Peen To 

 about the shape and size of a very round Hazel- 

 nut), or long and pointed, and very coarsely 

 corrugated and apt to be split. The seed of 

 Morris White appears as if it had been mashed at 

 the base between the thumb and finger while 

 soft. All of the Indian class have the point 

 turned to one side or hooked. 



The downy covering of the skin differs in length 

 and quantity and when entirely wanting the 

 varieties are called Nectarines. In my experience 

 I have grown Nectarines from Peach seeds. 



The Plum is represented in our orchards by at 

 least five distinct species. The form in all is the 

 best key to identity. Nearly all have a suture, 

 and in some cases it is very marked. 



All are characterized by a smooth surface, 

 covered with a bloom, which varies in thickness, 

 except Prunus Simoni, of probable Asiatic origin, 

 and P. glandulosa, which two species are some- 

 what pubescent, like the Apricot. 



The flesh of all kinds is yellow or green of 

 different shades, except a few Japanese varieties 

 that are red to the stone. 



The character of being cling or freestime is as 

 dependable as in the Peach. The length of the 

 stem is with the Plum quite constant. Some 

 have very long and others \ery short stems. The 

 character of its attachment to the fruit is variable. 

 The coI/OR of the skin is from pale whitish 

 yellow to yellow, green, pink, red, purple, blue, 

 and black. Our native species have all of the red 

 and yellow colors, but none of the green, blue, or 

 black so far as I have seen. 



The varieties of P. cMema seem to have a habit 

 of being earlier in their sea.son of ripening than 

 P. Americann. Wild Goose is a good example of 

 the former, and Miner of the latter. Kelsey's 

 Japan is remarkable in size and shape of the 

 fruit, lieing as tender as the Fig, and its leaves and 

 branches differ from other cultivated kinds. 



The Cherry. Downing di\ides them into two 

 clas-ses, the first of Hearts and Bigarreaus, and the 

 second, the Dukes and Morellos. The former is 

 characterized by a heart shape, a mild or sweet 

 flavor, and rather firm flesh. The color of the 

 Bigarreaus is usually quite fair. The latter class 

 has an oblate form, is never pointed, and the 

 flavor is from a pleasant tart to a sharp sour. 



The Cherry usually has a suture, but sometimes 

 a welt in place of it. 



The color of the skin is from white to black 

 or nearly so. Nothing short of extended experi- 

 ence mil enable one to determine the exact color 

 which lielongs to a variety. Even then, no one 

 can distinguish all. The flesh in point of color is 

 very nearly like that of the skin. The shape of 

 the seed corresponds with the shape of the fruit 

 in a great measure. The length of the stem does 

 not vary greatly. The depressit>n at the base of 

 the stem is not jilainl.v contrasted. 



The Apricot reproduces from seed with com- 

 paratively little variation. Their general con- 

 tour is round, with an occasional elongated or 

 compressed form. A well marked suture is 

 peculiar to some kinds, and others have none. 

 The pubescence is universal and never thick. 



The shape of the stone is a very good point of 

 recognition, as some are nearly round and others 

 broad and flat. The ta-ste of the kernel is a relia- 

 ble index, as some are bitter, and some as sweet 

 as an Almond. 



of thevariety. The peculiar flavor of a Westfleld, 

 or an Esojius, is apt to be remembered. 



FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. 



A Model Root-Cellar. It was built by Prof. 

 Knapp, on the Iowa Agricultural College Farm. 

 An excavation was made U feet wide by 4^ feet 

 long and 6 feet deep, and the sides and ends were 

 walled up with brick. A drain was laid a foot or 

 so under the floor, and running out at the back 

 end and to a hollow below. The floor is brick ; 

 a chimney provides ventilation at top and bottom. 

 A door-wa.v 4 feet wide was made at the froiit 

 with double doors at the bottom, also slanting 

 doors at the top of the steps. Plates which bear 

 the roof rafters were laid on the side wall, and 

 also on posts each side of the center aisle. Earth 

 two feet deep covers all. The inside is divided into 

 two rows of bins, with an alley-way 4 feet wide 

 between. The bins are 4 or .5 feet each way, and 

 are partitioned off by boards nailed to the posts. 

 In front loose boards keep the roots in place. At 

 fii"St the roots were placed upon the brick tiled 

 floor, but it was found preferable to put movable 

 flooi-s in the bins, a few inches above the bricks, 

 giving access to air and keeping the roots dry. 

 If the timbers are all well soaked with hot tar, 

 and then occasionally whitewashed, it will Ia.st 

 many .years, and is a safe and convenient ar- 

 rangement for keeping Potatoes and other roots. 

 If entered from the barn or stable, roots could 

 be fed to stock with uo trouble.— Prairie Farmer. 



A great place for Celery. It is in and around 

 the fair and far-famcil city of Kalamazoo that 

 the Celery lord, with all his innate pride and odor 

 of garlic, may best be found. Here his coat of 

 arms, consisting of a bunch of Celery penchant 

 on a silver dollar guardant, may be seen embla- 

 zoned on his armorial bearings and also on the 

 faces of the shopkeepers. Here it is that over 

 3,000 acres of " reclaimed " land is devoted to the 

 cultivation of the crisp and toothsome stalk that 

 is gifted with nerve strengthening properties. 

 In spite of the fact that Kalamazoo leads the 

 country in light vehicles, wind mills, harrows and 

 many other branches of manufacture, she still 

 pins her faith and hope and trust to the Celery 

 lands and the Celery lords.— Chicago Herald. 



Protecting Peach Trees. Energetic cultivators 

 in the Northwestern .states grow su perior Peaches 

 every year by gi\ing winter protection. Two 

 methods are noted. In one, the trees are planted 

 in a sloping position and trained to a flat, <«• fan- 

 shaped form. Late in autumn the branches are 

 bent down and covered with corn-stalks, which, 

 by retaining the warmth from the soil, prevent 

 hard freezing. The other method is to plant the 

 trees at the base of a steep slope or high bank, 

 when, by training in the same manner, the 

 branches may be laid over against the bank, and 

 covered as above noted. The expen.se of cover- 

 ing is slight as compared with the value of a flne 

 crop of Peaches.— Country Gentleman. 



Grafting Pears on Apples. We have received 

 sijecimens f>f a Pear f n im a tree which was graft- 

 ed accidently on an Apple ten years ago. The 

 Apple is Lord Suffield and the Pear Paradise d' 

 Autximme. The union between the scion and the 

 stock we are assured is jjerfect; and we can t<'stif y 

 to the specimens of both kinds of fruit being per- 



fect in development and excellent in flavor. 

 Such an example of Apples and Peai-s growing 

 on the same tree we have never known Ix^fore, 

 and the skeptical may probably smile at the an- 

 nouncement. We have in years gone by tried 

 many experiments in the way of inter-giafting, 

 but never succeeded in obtaining a union be- 

 tween the Apple and the Pear which lasted lon- 

 ger than tw(» or three years, the Pear scion having 

 always died f)r been bk>wn off hy the wind. The 

 experiment of grafting the Pear on the Haw- 

 thorn has Ix'cn of ten made and made successfully, 

 some \'arieties thriving even better <m the Haw- 

 thorn, in some instances, than on the Quince or 

 the Pear stock; but such an instance as this is new 

 to us.— London Journal of Horticulture. 



Poverty Stricken Gardens. How strange that 

 with the great wealth of easily grown, inexpen- 

 sive material which is jtosscsed in thehard.v flow- 

 ering shrubs as home-adorning material anything 

 like fair collections of these should be so rarely 

 met about American country homes. Shrubbery 

 groups are among the most fascinating and ever- 

 changing plant adornments that can possibly be 

 employed on the home grounds, and the shrubs 

 are no more trouble than the same number of 

 Cunant bushes. Here is a list of what we consider 

 the best hardy flowering shrubs for common 

 culture. AprU Floitrriitu. — Mezeron Pink, 

 iDapline inezcrum); Golden Bell, [Fnnfythia}; 

 Mau F/o?/Tj'(7i(/.— Japan Quince, {Pyri(.v); Flower- 

 ing Plinn, iPrunitii ttiloba); Flowering Almond, 

 iPruiius); Thvm berg's Spira?a,(.Sj>iJY(ra Thuuhfrui}; 

 Plum-leaved Spirtca, [Spirwa jtnuiifdlia); Lilacs, 

 many sorts; Kough-leaved Viburnum, iV. ru- 

 ynsuni); Lantana-leaved Virburnimi, (]'. laii- 

 tatwidei*); Bush Honeysuckles; Tree Pa^ony. 

 June Ffott'criHW.— Silver Bell Shrub, {Halegia); 

 Lance-leaved Spirsea, (.S. lancaAata); Josika's Li- 

 lac; Garland Mock Orange, (Philadelphus mrona- 

 rius); Double flowering Mock Orange; Large-flow- 

 ering Mock Orange, (P. yrajH/i/foru.s); D^vart' 

 Snowball, {Vihitnuini pUcatuni}; Graceful Deut- 

 zia, ( V. gracUvi); Double Deutzia, in several vari- 

 eties; Weigela Rose and varieties; Red Branched 

 Dfigwood; White Fringe, lChiouattthu>^). July 

 Flnweriuif. — Alder-leaved Clethra, (C. aluifnlin); 

 Billiard's Spira;a, (S. BiUardi); Fortune's White 

 Spiraea, (S. caltosa alba); Fortune's Spirica, (S. 

 CnHosa); Japanese Spiraea, (S. xjjecies Japunica); 

 Oak-leaved Hydrangea, {H. quercifnlla). Flmc- 

 erino iti August and tatci.- Altheas, Double and 

 Single, (Hifti.sfii.'s); Large-panicled Hydrangea; 

 Purple Fringe, {Rhus ciAinus); Variuusltj At- 

 tractive. Money-wort-lea\ed Coteneaster, hand- 

 some fruit. Prunus Pissardi, beautiful dark red 

 foliage, all seasons; Purple-leaved Berberry, ^^o- 

 let purple foliage; Variegated Cornelian Cherry, 

 handsome white-blotched foliage; Silver-leaved 

 Corchorus, white-edged foliage; Holly-leaved 

 Mahonia, evergreen; Box, in \'arieties, evergreen. 



Flues for Heating. A. W. M. speaks about 

 Roses, Palms and Ferns in houses heated by flues. 

 I have not yet seen better Roses grown in houses 

 heated otherwise than those seen some years 

 ago where I served my aiiprenticeship, mostly 

 Hybrid Perpetuals, forced in pots for sale and to 

 cut flowers from; and there always remarkable 

 success with them. It has never been my pleas- 

 ure since to see such clean and health.v looking 

 plants. I have had some experience in the same 

 way recentl5% ha\ing myself been obliged to grf)W 

 Roses in houses heated by flues. Our most suc- 

 cessful Rose grower here in St. Paul has grown 

 splendid Roses in houses heated that way. As 



] 



FiDur Plan of Root-Cellar. 

 good results may be obtained in flue-heated 

 houses as in any other, of course this where good 

 flues only are used— not poorly built smoky 

 affairs. The most important point with flues is 

 to supply with the heat a sulflcient amount of 

 moisture. This may be .secured by keeping 

 water on the flues in shallow pans of zinc or gal- 

 vanized iron.— American Florist. 



Sweating Apples. Many allude to sweat on 

 stored fruits as something that comes from with- 

 in the fruit, and which is to be regarded as a 

 natural or necessary exudation. There is nosuch 

 process as sweating in fruits. When men or 

 animals sweat, they become covered with moist- 



