ii8 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



March, 



in each hill fails to germinate; it is plain to 

 see that at least one-fourth of the seed would 

 fail, and so the crop correspondingly dimin- 

 ished. Every farmer has, or at least ought 

 to liave, a sufficient amount of surface de- 

 voted to the vegetable garden, and in the 

 matter of seeds the same rule with regard 

 to seeds will apply, and here the effect is 

 vastly more disastrous. It is surprising to 

 what an extent fraud creeps in in the bus- 

 iness of seeds such as are placed with 

 country merchants for sale to customers. 



In some instances where hopes have 

 been centered on such for the production 

 of an early crop of some particular kind, 

 liow keen has been the disappointment on 

 finding that the seed employed possessed no 

 vitality whatever. Seed that possesses 

 sound vitality is of inestimable value, while 

 that destitute of this important principal is 

 dear even as a gift. We do not mean to say 

 that seed dealers really mean to be dishon- 

 est, but we do say that the seeds that are 

 hawked about the country should be looked 

 upon with suspicion. Even though they 

 are offered at moderate rates they are act- 

 ually much more expensive than those that 

 can be procured at reliable houses. 



With the present facilities offered by seed 

 dealers, cultivators can deal by mail with 

 those who have earned an enviable reputa- 

 tion by honest dealing, and can secure such 

 varieties as they want. And though ap- 

 pearing to cost more at first such will be 

 found to be much cheaper in the end. 



A new idea is being started in the line of 

 manuring the seed, as it is called, before it 

 is planted. If the principle proves useful 

 and can be made available with garden veg- 

 etable seeds, doing what is claimed for it, it 

 will be a rich boon to all who desire to give 

 increased vitality and vigor to the seed and 

 hasten its germination. Anything that will 

 accomplish this will readily find favor and 

 be much sought for by the gardener. 



Grafting Small Grape-Vines. 



BY DR. G. ST.\TMAX, LEAVENWdRTH, KANS.\S. 



Our former article related to grafting 

 vines in the rtneyard and nursery. We now 

 give our mode of grafting young vines after 

 they are taken up from the nursery bed. 

 We prefer stocks or vines two years old 

 either grown from seed or cuttings. The 

 latter are smoother and more easily worked. 

 It makes no difference what species or vari- 

 ieties they are so they are strong growers 

 and healthy, for their identity is lost after 

 the second year. 



They should be taken up in the fall and 

 stored away free from frost, and accessible 

 when wanted. In March we commence 

 grafting, by first selecting the stocks and 

 cutting them three inches long from the 

 bottom of the lower tier of roots, with a 

 smooth stem above where they are to be 

 grafted. Shorten in aU the roots if fibrous 

 to about one-half inch, but if long and strag- 

 gling about one inch long. We tlien splice 

 and tongue-graft these with scions about 

 nine or ten inches long. (Those grafts that 

 were too small for vineyard grafting we can 

 dispose of in tliis manner). 



To do this whip grafting in a proper man- 

 ner, the slope .should be made about one 

 inch and a half long with a sharp knife, 

 with H tongue cut in both stock and graft 

 and the rough outside bark taken off from 

 both, on the side at least where the inner 

 bark meets. Then press the graft and stock 

 tiglit togetlier within the tongue of the 

 other and wrap with light twine or waxed 

 grafting thread. We make no attempt 

 whatever (o have the grafts of the same 

 size as the stocks so the inner bark vriU 

 meet on both sides, as that is useless and a 

 waste of time. 



We, however, use the larger grafts on the 

 larger stocks, as there Is more substance in 



botli, and they generally make firmer and 

 better proportioned grafts, but this is not 

 absolutely necessary. We recommended 

 taking off the outside rough bark over 

 twenty-five years ago when we first discov- 

 ered its importance, yet but few, if any, ap- 

 preciated it. 



It is, however, a well recognized fact that 

 a grape cutting wiU root sooner and better 

 if the rough bark is taken off the lower end, 

 or the end slightly mashed so as to burst 



Fig. 4 



C 



^i^: 



Fig. 2 Fig. 8 



Fiy. 1 

 Fig. I. Graft sloped and tongued. Fig. 2. Stock 

 prepared for graft. Fig. 3. The two united and 

 tied. Fig. 4. Projecting part after planting. 



GRAFTING SMALL GRAPE-VINES. 



the bark and cutting, than if not so treated. 



Accordingly we find it an advantage in 

 layering the Grape to cut through the bark 

 into the wood or make a slit or twist the 

 layer to burst the bark and wood. 



Tlie same princijjle liolds true in grafting 

 the Grape by taking off the bark, the moist 

 soil comes in direct contact with the graft, 

 and it unites and roots much sooner, and 

 starts into active growth before the dry 

 weather sets in. 



For a similar reason we use a long graft 

 that will reach down in the moist soil so the 

 union will take place at once. It is inexpe- 

 dient to make the splice longer than above 

 mentioned, for half an inch of perfect match 

 of inner bark is better than six inches, for 

 the simple reason that the ^ital energy con- 

 centrated on a small space will sooner unite 

 than wiien diffused over a large space. For 

 a like reason it is unnecessary to let the end 

 of the graft extend below the splice as we 

 have seen recommended, for it will throw 

 out roots sooner at the splice than six 

 inches or so below it, as the conditions and 

 temperature at tliat point are more favor- 

 able. When tlie grafts are finished pack 

 them away in damp sawdust until you are 

 ready to set them out. If only a few, how- 

 ever, are to be grafted, yott would better de- 

 fer the work until the time to set them out, 

 and then set in open ground at once. 



The soil they are set in should be deeply 

 stirred, finely pulverized, and made over. 

 Tlien stretcli a line and take a sliarp. bright 

 spade and push the blade with your foot in- 

 to the ground the full length of it close by 

 the side of the line, and push the top or 

 handle from you, w hich will open a space 

 back of the blade large and deep enough to 

 set the grafts in. 



An assistant sliould have the grafts in a 

 bucket of water and set and hold them in 

 place until the spade is withdrawn. Then 

 thrust the blade into the ground a few 

 inches ahead of the graft, press the soil 

 tight against it, and so continue tmtil the 

 work is done. Cultivate deeply and often 



throughout the season, and keep the weeds 

 down. If aU the work is well done, at least 

 ninety-five per cent of the grafts will grow. 



Strawberry Growing in Oswego 

 County. 



L. J. FARMER. OSWEGO CO., N. V. 



Our soil and climate seem to be peculiarly 

 adapted to the crop. New York City people say 

 oiu' Wilsons are not surpassed in quality, so a 

 re\iew of our methods may be of interest to 

 others. We plant in spring in rows five feet 

 apart, the plants one foot apart in the row. By 

 winter there is a matted row about three feet 

 wide, leaving a two foot path for picking-. 



Varieties. The Wilson is mostly grown, but 

 many Crescents also. The Wilson seems to revel 

 in the muck beds of .Scriba and in other moist 

 soil, but will not succeed on sandy soils, and here 

 the Crescent does well. New comers are tried, 

 but most of them are discarded. Some few ob- 

 tain fancy prices for Sbarpless, but five quarts of 

 the Crescent can be grown as easily as one of the 

 Sharpless. Recently a new Orange County seed- 

 ling has come forward which receives much 

 praise. The original plant attracted attention by 

 holding the fruit well up from the ground, and 

 by its large size. The plant is dark gieen, and 

 the most vigorous grower I have ever seen. The 

 fruit is light scarlet, but is much larger than 

 Capt. Jack. It is called the Burt SeedUng. 



Cultivation. The horse is made to do most of 

 this work. Some growers get along by hoeing 

 only twice with an occasional hand weeding after 

 the plants begin to run, but those who hoe more 

 get better fruit and more of it. However we do 

 not give the highest cultivation as after one or two 

 crops the plants are turned under. 



Mulching. Before winter some growers cover 

 their fields with straw, while many give no pro- 

 tection at all. I favor protection, for fields un- 

 protected were injured by driving winds last 

 winter (the gi-ound being bare of snow), and 

 thawing in the spring. Those who give protec- 

 tion draw the stravv into the paths for conven- 

 ience of pickers, and those who do not, allow 

 weeds to grow, which keep the dirt from spatter- 

 ing on the berries in rainy weather. We give no 

 spring cultivation, although it is beneficial 

 should droughts occur. Last spring I dug plants 

 from between the rows, which loosened up the 

 soil quite deep. I midched these rows like the 

 others, and in the drought of fruiting time we 

 picked the largest and best fruit from these rows. 



Picking. Before picking time a packing 

 house is made, the crates overhauled, and every 

 thing made ready for business. We use the 

 Baker crate, holding 3(1 quarts, invented and 

 manufactured near Oswego. The commission 

 men prefer this to the 32 quart package. 



Most of the pickers are obtained from sections 

 remote from railroads, where Strawberries are 

 not grown. They receive one and one-half cents 

 per quart and board, and are paid at close of 

 season. For picking we use i quart picking 

 stands or " bandies " with no legs. For keeping 

 account with the pickers, we have a system in- 

 vented and patented by a young man of our 

 county. It consists of a pimch like a conductor's 

 and cards the shape of shipping tags, checked 

 off into four rows of little squres. On one half 

 of the card in each of these little spaces is printed 

 " 1 qt.,"' on the other " 4 qts." The whole number 

 of (its. on the card is 100. At the top of the card 

 above the place for the picker's name, is a hole for 

 passing a string through. The .string is placed 

 around the picker's neck, the.cord hanging loose. 



In the morning each picker as he an ives is 

 given a row by the man having charge of them, 

 and as fsist as each fills his baskets they are ex- 

 changed for an empt.v set by the same man, who 

 also punches to correspond with the berries 

 picked and carries the lierries to the packing 

 house. An active man will tend 20 to 30 pickers, 

 carrying as he does four handles or sixteen 

 quarts to a trip. 



When the berries arrive at the packing house 

 they are taken from the bandies, leveled off 

 and then placed in the crates. We do not " plate," 

 as buyers will turn out a basket, and if the ber- 

 ries are found to be poor in the bottom, the 

 whole crate is condemned as inferior stock. Most 

 pickers, especially women, are honest, but some 

 put in leaves or rotten berries. To correct this a 

 basket of berries is frequently turned out in the 

 pi-csence of each picker and if fault.v the picker 

 is given a little advice. If too much scolding is 

 indulged in, the pickers will soon he sitting on 

 the fence. When the patch is picked over the 

 berries are drawn to the station in spring wagons 



