72 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



January, 



Winter Heaving.— Some Important 

 Facts and Conclusions. 



D. S. MARVIN, WATERTOWN. N. T. 



Whoever desires to understand why one 

 Grape-vine does poorly and fails to mature 

 a crop of fi'uit while another apparently 

 under similar conditions bears well and does 

 well must study this topic. The matter 

 can only be successfully studied 

 after a winter of bare ground, 

 when the frost has penetrated 

 to a considerable depth. 



The explorer then going at 

 it, pick and shovel in hand, and 

 digging down to the bottom of 

 the frozen soil, will find a 

 stratified condition of the soil 

 that will prove a wonder to 

 him. The strata are composed 

 of alternating layers of frozen 

 soil and ice; the former may 

 vary from one to several inches 

 in thickness, the latter consist- 

 ing of ice crystals from a quar- 

 ter of an inch to an inch or 

 more in thickness, or rather in 

 length. 



This curious phenomena, I 

 think, may be accounted for in 

 this way: during the day there 

 is more or less thawing; dur- 

 ing the night freezing, but no 

 thawing. The colder then the 

 night the deeper the frozen soil; 

 the warmer the day the more 

 thawing and increase of soil 

 water to make a thicker layer 

 of ice. The ice crystals lay side 

 by side, and while forming push 

 up the frozen strata of earth 

 immediately above them with 

 such an amount of energy that 

 the plant roots in the unfi'ozen 

 soil below them are either pulled up or 

 broken otf, if they refuse to yield to the 

 forces above. 



With the roots thus broken an inferior 

 growth must be the result. But you may 

 say that the roots of all the vines will be 

 broken alike. This does not follow, for the 

 conditions ditfer. The soil is more compact 

 under one vine than another, indeed, owing 

 to the differences of the root systems of 

 different varieties they are unequally acted 

 upon. One vine spreads its roots out near the 

 surfaee.and perhaps all its roots are elevated 

 in the same strata and escape being broken; 

 another's roots penetrate deeper, but not so 

 deep but what they pull up a little, still 



another 

 vine has 

 fewer roots 

 that pene- 

 trate the 

 .subsoil be- 

 fore they 

 branch out, 

 and this 

 one was 

 ruined by 

 its main 

 roots get- 

 ting cutoff. 

 One plat 

 of ground 

 is porous 

 and open, 

 so that the 

 soil water 

 sinks as 

 fast as it 

 thaws, the ice layers too thin to sever the 

 roots. Another plat has an impervious sub- 

 soil two or three feet below the surface, and 

 the water cannot sink, so there is a thicker 

 strata of ice formed each succeeding cold 

 night, until a non-freezing depth is attained. 

 The lessons to be gleaned from a study of 

 the facts are, that more attention is needed 



to the root systems of the different species 

 and their several hybrids and varieties. In 

 my experience and upon my grounds the 

 Delaware has proven least affected by heav- 

 ing, and the Salem the most so. But un- 

 doubtedly the main remedy lies through in- 

 fluencing and selecting for soil conditions. 

 As will be observed, a porous soil is a 



Warfiekrs No. 2 Strawberry. 



THE IDAHO PEAR. 



favorable one, and a soil underlaid by hard 

 pan an unfavorable one, but even an un- 

 propitious soil may be turned into a favor- 

 able one by underdraining and subsoiling. 

 A survey of the facts also explains why a 

 hill side is good for vineyards, the water runs 

 off and there is little heaving. In reality it 

 is never safe to select a level, damp, retentive 

 soil for the vine, for of all plants it is most 

 affected by unfavorable soil conditions. 



The facts here given are not taken at 

 second hand from anybody's conjectures. 

 I had often wondered at the weak growth of 

 some of my vines, and suspecting the reasons 

 I went at it last spring, pick and shovel in 

 hand, and I found ample evidence to con- 

 firm the explanations above given. I was 

 so much interested in the study and explana- 

 tion of the facts that I have written them out 

 for the consideration of other vineyardists. 



to be known to the tree is that it bears too 

 heavily. It has endured 33° below zero, and 

 is said to flourish better during the hot, dry 

 summers of Idaho than any other variety. 



Mr. Evans informs iis that the average 

 size of the Pears as they grow on the tree 

 without thinning is from 10 to 1.5 ounces. 

 He sent 4 specimens to the Burlington Co. 

 (N. J.) Fair that weighed 19, 

 19K, 21 and 2.3 ounces. They 

 were tested by a special com- 

 mittee and took the silver 

 medal, the highest prize of the 

 Society. We have flattering 

 testimonials from Pres. Berck- 

 mans, Pres. Earle, Pres. Lyons, 

 Dr. Hoskins, Pres. Barry, Wm. 

 Parry, Prof. Budd, and others. 

 No effort has as yet been made 

 to boom this Pear, as there will 

 be no trees for sale for another 

 year or two. The large size, 

 peculiar shape and fine quali- 

 ties seems to be making it pop- 

 ular at first sight. 



Warfield's No. 2 Straw- 

 berry. This is a pistillate va- 

 riety which originated on the 

 grounds of B. C. Warfield, 

 Marion Co., 111., in 1883. In its 

 brief time it has attained a 

 reputation so excellent 

 throughout its own locality,and 

 even further, that it would 

 seem well entitled to attention 

 from fruit growers generally. 

 Mr. Warfield informs us that 

 from the first seventeen plants, 

 and which were planted out in 

 1883, he the next season picked 

 one quart of fruit every second 

 day, they occupying a space 3 

 feet wide by 33-2 feet long. The 

 plant is a pistillate of vigorous growth, with 

 penetrating roots to resist drought. Its 

 time of blossoms, as well as of fruit, is with 

 Crescent. Plants set in June had on a sin- 

 gle stool the following season 105 blossoms 

 and berries. It is said to equal Wilson as a 

 shipper, having a tough sldn, and is superior 

 to that variety In other respects, and superior 

 to Crescent in every quality. It is stated 

 that berries were sold in Chicago, May 31st, 

 for from *3..50 to .*3.7.5 per case after being 

 held until the second day after arrival. 



The SiBLET Squash. This new variety is 

 offered by Hiram Sibley & Co. as a grand 

 surprise to those persons who hitlierto have 

 held the belief that to eclipse the Hubbard 

 was an impossibility. 



The form is shown in the annexed engrav- 

 ing and is remarkable in having the stem at 

 the swelled end. The shell is described as 

 being of a pale green color, very hard, thin 



Candidates for Public Favor. 



The Idaho Peak. A specimen of 

 this remarkable Pear received at this 

 office in fair shape as late as Novem- 

 ber 14 sufficiently testifies to its keep- 

 ing qualities. It was sent from the 

 grounds of Jno. H. Evans, of Idaho. 

 The fi'uit is large to very large, of 

 the form shown in our engraving, and 

 presents the singular character of 

 being seedless. The fiesh is tender, ji 

 nearly white, vinous, with a flavor, ^^ 

 If not so sweet as Bartlett, it is at ^ 

 least rich and agreeable. The history 

 of the Pear in brief is this; About 20 

 years ago a Mrs. Mulky, of Idaho, 

 saved seeds from a fine, large, red cheeked 

 Pear, resembling the Bartlett. One seed 

 grew. It had such fine, thrifty foliage and 

 clean, healthy wood, that it was determined 

 to not bud it. The next spring it was trans- 

 planted in the orchard and in 4 years from 

 the seed bore fruit, and has continued in 

 bearing ever since. The only objection said 



THE SIBLEY SQUASH. 



and smooth. The flesh is said to be solid, of 

 a vivid, orange color, dry, and really won- 

 derful for fineness of grain and the rich and 

 delicate flavor peculiarly its ovm. The 

 weight ranges from eight to eleven pounds, 

 though the eight-pound specimens are com- 

 paratively few in number. The vine ripens 

 its fruit simultaneously with the Hubbard, 



