152 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April, 



plant food. In a soil deep and rich the plants 

 are better able to go thrf)up:h an extended 

 drought as we have had this last season; a very 

 essential point when fruit is ripening, as much 

 moisture is then needed. Years ago I com- 

 menced to cover my young bed with manure in- 

 stead of straw. But the proof has come; they 

 use manure in a pinch; the pinch is when they 

 can get it. It has enlarged my yield givatly 

 and given brighter and larger berries. This is 

 not only to be done with {Strawberries, but Rasp- 

 berries and Blackberries. Some practical gi"ow- 

 ers think it better to use straw the first year and 

 manure the second. I use it as a mulch the first 

 year and plow it in for plant food the second. 



The roots need air almost as much as the.v do 

 moisture, and are deprh'ed of it if a crust forms 

 on the surface, and for this frequent stirring is 

 the remedy. This also keeps down aU weeds, but 

 you should not work too late in the fall. I do 

 not use the horse-hoe after Sept. 15. If any 

 weeds or grass appear after that time, 1 go 

 through with sharp hoes. 



Planting. This should be done as early in the 

 spring as the season will permit; about AprU 

 1st in this locality. We want a good plant 

 taken from a young bed, with good strong 

 roots, and if set early it will receive almost 

 no cheek whatever. My method is to use a 

 spade and line. I stretch two liqes across 

 the field, or as long as the rows are wanted, 

 then two men and a boy can plant one 

 acre per day with the ground being in good 

 condition. The spade is pushed in alongside 

 ()f the line, which makes a straight row 

 and the same width. The boy carries the 

 plant in a basket, and drops as the planters 

 want them, so as not to expose them to the 

 wind or sun, which is very injurious to them. 



The plant is held in one hand and allowed 

 to go the right depth into the opening with 

 its roots spread out and hanging straight 

 down, and then press the dirt firmly about 

 it with the toot. The plant should be so 

 firmly set that a leaf will pull off without 

 disturljing the plant. It is a big loss when 

 you have a poor plant and get a poor stand, 

 (or it takes the same cultivation, covering 

 and time as if you had a good stand. It 

 is a point worthy of the greatest possible 

 care; failure here and the plants are ot a 

 feeble nature the whole season. To set the 

 plant too deep and with the crown covered 

 is very injuinous. Not deep enough is as 

 had. While to plant with the roots all in 

 a bunch close to the surface they will dry 

 out in a short time. A most critical time 

 with any plant's life is when it is out f)f 

 ground. The subject of mulching is one of 

 great merit, (or it adds to the yield by keeping 

 the ground moist, and it helps keep down weeds 

 and grass and gives a nice clean fruit. 

 (To be Concluded.) 



Storage Houses for Fruit. 



[E. H. Pratt, brfnrr the Chautauijua County Horti- 

 cultural Society.} 



The cellar of David Wright, on Keuka 

 Ijiike is about eight feet deep, mostly under- 

 ground, entirely so on three sides; soil, dry 

 gravel; walls, concrete, with ventilating 

 pipes four inches in diameter built into 

 them; pipes opening about eighteen inches 

 al)0ve bottom of cellar and extending up 

 through the btiilding above, and opening 

 about two feet above the roof. Cement bot- 

 tom, no windows. Floor of packing house 

 above double, with small trap-door, opened 

 for admission of air when desirable. Out- 

 side door of packing house made with 

 movable lower panels, openings covered 

 with iron wire screening. 



Air is admitted to the cellar by removing the 

 panels at night or in the early morning, and 

 opening the trap-door in the floor. The cool air 

 falls through this opening into the cellar below 

 and forces the warm air through the ventilators 

 opening above the roof. Grapes are stored in 

 the cellar in crates as brought from the vineyard. 



This cellar has proved fairly successful, and 

 kept Grapes in fine comiitioii until March or 

 April. I believe, howc\-cr, he is satisfied he has 

 not sufficient circulation, and that his ventila- 

 tors are too small. They also open too high up 

 from the bottom of the cellar, learing too much 

 dead air. Several cellars similar to this along the 

 lake all keep (ruit very well. 



Mr. Levi MUlspaugh of Branchport built a 

 cellar and packing house last summer, which he 

 thus describes : It is keeping my crop first rate. 

 At the Western New York Horticultural Society, 

 January 2.5th, I showed both Empire State and 

 Catawbas as fresh as though picked yesterday. 



My cellar is at by 32 feet, on south bank of gully 

 north of my house. Eight feet deep in the clear; 

 concrete walls, a six inch tile ventilation in each 

 end, eight inches from ground, double floor over- 

 head, matched ceiling on under side of joists. 

 Double doors and double thickness of boards; 

 screen ventilators in bottom of outside doors; 

 elevator to raise Grapes into packing room. A 

 ventilator pipe twelve inches square to reach 

 through lower floor into the cupola; a slide or 

 valve in the pipe to shut off air if wished. A 

 wire screen slide upon which to set a small Flor- 

 ence oil stove to compel a draft in tight, muggy 

 weather. Narrow ^vindows, double glass, on 

 hinges with cords and pulleys. 



A small ditch or trough was made in the ce- 

 ment, all around the cellai' a few inches from 

 wall. An iron pipe to conduct water from above, 

 with faucet to fill trough in the morning when 



and too much care cannot be used in picking and 

 handling, not to break or bruise the berry. 



In closing, I venture to suggest that this sub- 

 ject is one which demands the closest and most 

 earnest study o( every Grape grower, (or its 

 successful solution solves in the affimative the 

 problem. Will Grape gi'owing in the future con- 

 tinue to be a profitable industry 't 



MIKADO TOMATO— REDUCED. 



water is cool, and a discharge pipe at the other 

 end to let off water the next morning and refill. 

 The water works to keep cellar cool and give ott' 

 moisture in hot weather, and by being always 

 fresh to prevent mold. 



About five-eighths of the cellar wall above 

 ground. Temperature for last ten weeks from 

 34 to 3»°. My Empires, Centennials and Catawbas 

 are as fresh as when picked. I have a couple o( 

 tons o( Catawbas I expect to keep intfj May. 



In both these cellars the principle is the same, 

 ^nz.: low, even temperature, with an abundant 

 circulation of fresh air. There seems to be no 

 distinct system of cold storage observed among 

 the Grape growers about Keuka Lake. 



Cold storage by the use of ice has been proved 

 a failure, I believe, very generally wherever it 

 has been tried. Fruit so kept spoils very quickly 

 on being removed to a warmer temperature, and 

 cannot therefore be shipped to market. 



In a recent letter from the editor of the Vine- 

 yardist, he says : " We observe here a system of 

 low, even tempei-ature, about 37° being the best, 

 and good ventilation. Any plan that combines 

 these two things is undoubtedly a good one. 

 Some of our growers use bams, others sheds, 

 othei"8 cellars, etc.; but all who keep Grapes suc- 

 cessfully through winter observe the rule, low, 

 even temperature, with good ventilation. For 

 myself, I think the best single principle to be ob- 

 served in preserving Grapes is to pass air to your 

 fruit house through a conduit five or more feet 

 under ground (or a distance of three himdred 

 feet or more." The idea here seems to be to 

 bring the air to a proper temperature by passage 

 underground betore it enters the (ruit room. 



With the best o( appliances, however, very 

 much depends on the condition o( the fruit when 

 picked, and care in handling. Only thoroughly 

 ripe, sound Grapes should be put into the house. 



Tomato Culture. 



[_John S. Crosby before the Market Gardeners' Asso- 

 ciation of Boston.— Discussion.'} 



He had tried various times for planting 

 Tomato seed, from January to June, but the 

 best time was about March M for early 

 plants, or a few weeks later for the late crop. 

 If seed is started too early the plants have 

 to be held back so long before they can be 

 set out that they become stunted and are 

 more subject to blight. 



A good fresh hot-bed is needed to start the seed 

 so that it will come up in five days, and in two 

 weeks the plants will be ready to prick out, 200 to 

 a sash, in a bed also (I'eshly made, with a 

 good heat, so as to keep the plants growing. 

 After a while they will need a second trans- 

 planting, setting thera seven or eight inches 

 apart in a mild heat, for which an old Let- 

 tuce or Radish bed is very good, raising the 

 frame so as to have the glass a foot above 

 the bed. The plants need abundant airing 

 *\ in flue weather, and the glass is taken quite 

 \ off in fine days for two weeks before plant- 

 1 ing, which is done from May 15 to June 1. 

 The plants should be bushy and not over 

 j ten or twelve inches high. Wet the bed 

 / thoroughly a day or two before setting, so 

 as to make the loam stick to the roots in 

 / setting them out. 



In a moist year Tomatoes vrill thrive on 

 very poor land, but they will be a much 

 better and surer crop if grown on good 

 loam. A side hill with blue gravel subsoil 

 suits them. Land that was heavily ma- 

 nured the previous year is better than 

 freshly manured land. They should be set 

 seven or eight feet apart by three or four 

 feet, the wide spaces giving room (or pick- 

 ing. Run the cultivator and hoe otten till 

 the \'ines run. 



A few scattering Tomatoes are found on 

 the tops of the vines, but the portion of the 

 crop that usually brings the most money is 

 the fli*st and second settings of fruit upon 

 the branches. Later the crop is often 

 heavy, but prices very low. 

 Rough and gnarly (ruit shows want of 

 thrift in the vine, or rough land and coarse 

 manure. The profit o( the crop comes (rom the 

 early pickings, and success depends quite as 

 much on skill in handling the plants as on the 

 seed, though some varieties are much earlier 

 than others. Success often seems to be rather 

 the result of luck than of skill. 



President Rawson offered a paper for signa- 

 tures binding the signers to refuse to sell Toma- 

 toes below a certain price. The paper was the 

 subject of considerable discussion, and was finally 

 referred to a committee to be reported ui>on at 

 the next meeting. 



Mr. Varnum Frost thought the date of sowing- 

 seed was correct. He liked a stout and thrifty 

 plant. He used superphosphate of lime around 

 the plants at the first hoeing. 



A sheltered place will bring them early. The 

 Boston Market was a good early variety, but the 

 improved kind, used by the Budlongs, is better. 

 He liked the Paragon for a late crop. 



Mr. Low, of Essex, said he did not like long 

 plants, but when obliged to use them he laid 

 them down and covered half the length or more. 

 Dry gravel will produce blight and rot; he pre- 

 ferred a good loam. The early varieties are all 

 rather flat and shapeless; he liked the variety 

 called ScoviUe's Hybrid. 



Beautifyingf Home Grounds. 



[BustacHS Schoenfclfl l>efore the Chantauqun Co. 

 Horticultural Society.} 



No society, while professing to work for 

 the advancement of horticultiue sliould 

 exclude the ornamental for that which is 

 termed the practical. What a mi.ssion (or 

 this society, to help by plain directions and 

 hints forthe cultivation of everything grown 

 in the (ruit, vegetable and Hower gardens. 



