i888 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



93 



The New Black Currant — Crandall. 



This new Ctirraiit, which is now for the 

 first time being brought to the attention of 

 the public, seems to possess some remark- 

 ably good qualities. Whether, as the his- 

 tory of the original plant as given by Mr. 

 P. W. CrantiaU of Newton, Kansas, on 

 whose grounds it tirst appeared, might indi- 

 cate, it is a hybrid between the Missouri 

 Yellow fUirrant, Rihcx dunum, and the 

 Cherry Currant, a variety of Rihen rubrum, 

 or not, it certainly seems to be a great re- 

 move from any form of the Missouri Cur- 

 rant of which we have 

 knowledge. The last-named 

 species is well known to vary 

 exceedingly throughout the 

 West, in productiveness, 

 flowers, color, etc. Whether 

 the Craudall is merely a 

 variety without the mixture 

 of any mhrnm blood or not, 

 it is to say the 1 east a fruit such 

 as cannot tail to interest the 

 general fruit grower. 



Our first impressions con- 

 cerning this variety were 

 gained from the visit of a 

 representative of this journal 

 to the grounds of its dissem- 

 inators, Messrs. Ford & Co., 

 Ravenna, Ohio, during its 

 fruiting season last summer, 

 and from a sample basket of 

 fruit received at this office as 

 a result of that visit. Photo- 

 graphs were also obtained of 

 young bearing plants, 

 branches, etc., and from these 

 the e.xcellent engraving an- 

 nexed, which well portray the 

 variety, were made. 



The most striking charac- 

 teristics of the Crandall as 

 presented to our attention 

 were its vigorous growth, in 

 this respect being freer in 

 all ways than the common 

 garden Currant ; its great 

 productiveness and the large 

 size of the fruit. As to the 

 latter quality it may be said 

 that berries five-eighths of an 

 inch in diameter are not at 

 all rare, while some may ex- 

 ceed this, and none ordinaril.y 

 get down to the size of com- 

 mon Currants. In color the 

 fruit is bluish black when ripe. 



Concerning the flavor of 

 the berries, while this may 

 not be very marked in any 

 particular respect, it is yet 

 sufficiently agreeable to as- 

 sure for the variety a rank 

 among our most useful culi- ^ 



nary fruits, for jams, preserves, etc. From 

 its black color one would quite naturally 

 look for the peculiar, and to many dLsagree- 

 able, flavor of the common Black Currant, 

 but this seems to be entirely lacking. Eaten 

 in a fresh state the taste of the fruit re- 

 minded us of the Gooseberry. The berries 

 have but few seeds, and these not disagree- 

 able to the taste. 



In its time of ripening the Crandall is a 

 mid-sunmier fruit, being at its best about 

 the first of August. The plant is said to be 

 perfectly hardy, a fact which seemed to be 

 clearly indicated by the vigorous growth 

 that our representative saw in the planta- 

 tion at Ravenna. One valuable quality of 

 the plant is Its immunity to injury from 

 late spring frosts. Notwithstanding a frost 

 in the spring of 1887 throughout Northern 

 Ohio proved disastrous to the fruit crop 

 generally, a plantation of the Crandall sim- 

 ilarly subjected showed not the least bad 

 effects on the crop from frost injury. 



Hastening the Pea Crop. 



^rhe follo^vin^f plan for having early Peas is in 

 voKoe with English ^ardener.s, who are excellent 

 Pea (growers if they arc anything: 



Two weeks or more can be grained over the 

 curliest outside i)iukinfirs, by sowing the American 

 Wonder under gIass,for the earliest crop, in bo.xcs 

 ()f light rich soil, and transplant as soon as the 

 frames are ready; following by successive sow- 

 ings in frames for later pickings. A gain may 

 also be had by starting a bo.xful in the house and 

 transplanting in the warmest garden corner 

 when safe from frost. The above variety seems 

 sj o tje particulai'ly well adapted for forcing. Have 



[t Ol'VKIGHT SECURED.] 



IE CRANDALL CURRANT. YOUNG PLANT AND FRUIT. 



nine inches of good soil over the manure in the 

 frame, and when well manured, deep uiurow 

 drills eighteen inches apart are made. 



Transplanting yoimg Pea plants is an eas.v 

 matter when rightly and quickly done; shake 

 the soil from the roots, lay them in a single row 

 in the drill two inches apart and cover carefull.v 

 with fine soil. This simple plan has been found 

 to work better than several methods that have 

 been tried, as the strong roots mth their many 

 rootlets are easily preserved, and when carcfull.v 

 planted start into the fresh soil quickly, no ap- 

 preciable check being given. Between the Peas 

 may be had a row of early Lettuce sown at the 

 same time as the Peas, and that grows quickly 

 to a size ready for cutting, pajdng well for the 

 labor involved and not in.i»iring the Peas. Peas 

 after becoming establislied re(]Uire ])lenty of air 

 and water. Using brush as a support will be 

 found as advantageous here as in the field cul- 

 ture. Years ago a line lot of Pea*! were spoiled, 

 owing to being planted in shallow soil o^■er dry, 

 moldy manin-c, which no watering could 

 change. The lesson was well learned and Early 

 Peas have ever since lieen provided with short 

 moist manure into which they can root. 



Radishes and Their Culture. 



Amongst garden vegetables none are more 

 widely acceptable than tender, sweet, well-grown 

 Kadisbes, and it is the ambition of e\cry good 

 gardener to get not only a very early supply but 

 a supply more or less steady the year round. 



Throughout a constant crop of crisp, delicately 

 flavored roots shoidd be the aim. The earliest 

 will be had from a hot-bed or from under some 

 glass protection. It is seldom we grow a crop of 

 Radishes alone, but secure all we want from 

 planting with other crops. 



One mistake is sowing the seed too thickly. 

 Under such circumstances when the plants come 

 up they are a mat at to]) and 

 bottom, and when tliis is the 

 case useful roots are never 

 formed. Thinning out some of 

 the plants as soon as they can be 

 handled is one way of avoiding 

 this, but it is a wasteful way; the 

 better plan is always to sow 

 thinly. One seed every inch or 

 two will give a nnich liner crop 

 and better results altogether 

 than a close sowing. Many 

 doubtless wonder wh.v their 

 Kadishes do not all attain size, 

 but allowing them to grow too 

 close together is as a rule the 

 cause of this. 



In making up a special bed for 

 early Radishes, a rather shallow 

 bed of fermenting material is 

 sufficient; about « feet in depth 

 is enough, and (i inches of soil 

 should be put on the top of this. 

 They grow fastest early in the 

 season in a moderately rich sandy 

 mi.xture. The seed should lie 

 sown broadcast, \ery thin, and 

 it should not be covered more 

 than a half an inch deep. The 

 earliest seed may be sown in hot- 

 beds in February, and through- 

 out March seed may be sown 

 along the base of a south wall or 

 in any sheltered sunny spot. 

 Here the rule as t(j thin sfiwing 

 should also be observed; in fact, 

 this must be kept in mind 

 throughout. When the little 

 plants appear at first in the 

 colder months nf spring a slight 

 protection will fa\'or their free 

 growth. A few brunches or the 

 like is all that is needed. 



From Ai>ril onwards through- 

 out the summer Radishes will <\n 

 most anywhere, their only rc- 

 (luirement-s being a firm, rich, 

 cool soil. Without this, esiieciall.v 

 in summer, the root.s will become 

 hot and .stringy before they are 

 well developeil, and the period 

 <if their usefulness will be short. 

 In general cidture some ma.v 

 prefer having t he seed in rows; 

 others may sow broadcast, and 

 good Itadishcs may be had in 

 both ways. At no time shoulrl 

 the seed be put more than half 

 an inch below the surface, and 

 the soil should alwaj's he trodden 

 firmly over it, sis this induces the i)lants to bulb 

 quicker and better than when in loose material. 

 Dates of sowing and quantities to put in at each 

 time cannot be given tosuitall; every cultivator 

 must be guided by his own requirements. 



We are ne\er without Kadishes; our rule is to 

 sow a small quantity of seed every three weeks 

 from the middle of February until August. 



5711. Palms for Room Culture. The following 

 succeed weU in au ordinary room temperature: 

 Cliama-rops excelsa, Corypha australis, Pha?ni.\ 

 reclinata, P. tenusis, Rhapis flabelliformis, Sea- 

 forthia elegans, Sabal Blackburneana, Pritch- 

 ardia fllamentosa and Areca rubra. Cool stove 

 kinds are Cocos Waddelliana, Diemonorops Pal- 

 embaniois, Areca lutescens, Kentia australis and 

 Latania borbonica; the latter is veiy useful for 

 warm rooms. The chief cause of the foliage tjc- 

 coming withered at the tips is fn.iu their lii'ing 

 grown in a warm house, nioist and close, which 

 renders them soft, so that they eaiuiot bear the 

 dry air of rooms. The jiliuUs should be grown 

 as 'hard in texture as i>ossible. eonlining them to 

 comjiaratively small pots and feeding with liciuid 

 nmnure, soot water imparting a nu)st desirable 

 deep green color to the leaves. 



