i888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



175 



a slightly different cognomen, and Sihiey's Gen- 

 esee, iotrodvieed tis new hist spring, prove<i to he 

 the old Neapolitan, described by Burr twenty- 

 ti\e years ago. 



Melons. The Algiers tiautaloupe, although not 

 new, is deservingof especial mention. * tf ail the 

 Mehms we have test^id, none has had such uni- 

 formly thick and firm tlesh. In quality it is rich 

 and high tla^'ored, in size medium to large. Its 

 chief fault is that it is rather late, though it 

 npened well at Geneva last season. The earliest 

 Melon the ])ast season, though not the finest in 

 c|uality, was the E.xtra Early Cantaloupe of 

 Gregory. For delicious (luality I have foinid 

 nothing superior to Miller's Cream Nutmeg, of 

 Gregor.v. This is an oval shaped Melon with 

 orange flesh that is exquisitely sweet, rich, melt- 

 ing and delicate. 



Feas. The Advance and Cartel's Lightning 

 appeared to be the onl.v new str-ains of well- 

 known Philadelpliia; an<l Kaw.son's Clipper was 

 not perceptibly difl'erent in our t^st from the 

 Alaska. Perhaps I should mhl that our t^'st con- 

 sisted of a single row, twehe feet long. Sf>me- 

 times differences appear in cultivatitai on a larger 

 scale that are not observable in s<» small a test. 

 The American Btniut.\' was a half dwarf wiinkled 

 Pea of medium season, bearing numerous large 

 pods that contained very large Peas of excellent 

 i|uality. The American Champion, of Henderson, 

 bore a very close resemblance t^) the Telephone, 

 though as I did not ha\'e the latter to compare 

 with it, I cannot pronounce it absolutely the 

 same. The Delicious, of Gregory, was a ver.v 

 prolific half dwarf wi'inkled Pea <»f medium 

 seasim, and superior (luality. I am not sure that 

 it is distinct from all othei-s. King of Dwarfs 

 was a second early wrinkled Pea of good (luality, 

 and prolific for the size of the plants. 



Radishes. The Shepherd, so largely advertised 

 last spring, appeared to me scarcely, if at all, 

 difl'erent from the Cbartiei'S. T will not call them 

 absolutel.v the stime, but the resemblance isclose. 



Squashes. The Bay State, ftf Rawson, is a new 

 winter \ariety of merit, though it is probablj' 

 not in any respect superior to the Hubbard. The 

 plant is productive, and the fruit Ls of excellent 

 quality and keeps well. Dunlap's Early Marrow 

 and the Exti'a Early Orange Marrow are two 

 somewhat earlier and more productive strains of 

 the old Boston Marrow. They deserve a place 

 among the very best of our fall Squashes. The 

 New Egg Plant Squash, of Henderson, proved to 

 be the C'itron or Mandarin Bush, of which the 

 seeds came to us from Italy in 18H6. The Red 

 China is an attractive little Squash, but has such 

 thin flesh that it will not become popular with us. 



Pumpkins, The Red Etamijes deserves mention 

 tor the benefit of those fond of Pumpkin pie, for 

 which it is much superior to the common kind. 



Tomatoes. The finer of the later introductions 

 bear a very striking resemblance to each other. 

 For example the Autocrat, Cardinal, New Jei-sey, 

 New Red Apple, Optimus, Mayflower and Puri- 

 tan all resemble the Livingston's Favorite so 

 closely that no one but an expert would be able 

 to decide between them. I do not say that they 

 are all absolutely identical. They are not. There 

 are certain minor difl'erences, such as the amount 

 of seeds produced, the tendency to crack in wet 

 weather, etc., but all of them are strictly first 

 class varieties, and will be very difficult to im- 

 prove upon. Several Tomatoes introduced the 

 past year possess very little value, except that 

 they are early. Among these may be named the 

 Bermuda, Early Richmond, Extra Early or Clus- 

 ter, and Faultless, so-called. Two new T<jmatoes 

 appeared last season under the same name— the 

 Golden Queen. These were quite distinct from 

 each other, and both are sujjerior to any large 

 yellow Tomato heretfifore introduced. In size 

 and smoothness they are little inferior to the 

 ttnest red varieties. I have failed to flnd all the 

 virtues in the Mikado Tomato that have been as- 

 cri^ed to it. It is of large size, but so many of 

 the fruit are irregular that I consider it inferior 

 to many (tthers. Li\ingston's Beauty very closely 

 resembles the Acme, though said to be distinct 

 from it in parentage. It produces fewer seeds 

 than the Acme, and is claimed to hold its size bet^ 

 t*;r late in the season. The Peach Tomato is in- 

 teresting as a novelty, and has a singularly sweet 

 flavor, but is too small to have value except for 

 pickles, or possibly as a parent to new varieties. 



Potatoes. The following, grown the ])ast sea- 

 son for the first time, were productive in the 

 order named: Sibley's Monroe County Prize was 

 most productive, next in order came White 

 Beauty, tjike Erie, Lombaid, White Flower, 

 Tun.\is, White Bermuda. Sylvan. Summit, King's 



Excelsior, Dakota White, Morrell's Seedling, 

 Early Puritan, Sunlit Star, Yosemite, Perfect 

 Peachblow, Canada Prince Albert, Nye's Early 

 Standard, Crane's .Ivuie Eating, Polaris, Crown 

 Jewel, Norway Mountain Rose, Hovey's Ad- 

 vance, Brown Beauty, and Crane'sKeepcr. 



Irrigation in the Market Garden. 



[Papfr bit hyank Wy/nan, of Arlington, Muan., before 

 the Bostitn Market Gnrttenerti' Association, followed by 



The method of applying water must de- 

 pend much on the .source. A ninnuig 

 stream higher tliau the laud to be watered 

 (damming the stream and leading the water 

 where wanted) is not always to be had, and 

 we mu.st avail ourselves either of storage 

 resources on high land, or use wind mills or 

 steam pumps, drawing the water from deep 

 wells when no better source cau be hail. 



Whenever land is tf) be irrigated it must be 

 well drained, or it may sufl'er damage if wet 

 weather follows watering. 



Mr. Wyman's works, built in l.WJ, comprise a 

 powerful l(),Utl()-gallon per hovn- pinnp, an ele- 

 vated reser\'oir holding 1(10,000 gallons, and four- 

 inch distributing pipes reaching o\er several 

 acres. The source is a well. 



Mr. Wyman's plan to apply water to crops is to 

 run it in furrows near the rows of \egetables. 

 He wets the roots pretty thoroughly about once 

 a week as long as dry weather lasts, not stopping 

 for a slight shower of rain. I0 water partially, 

 or to stop watering after once beginning in dry 

 weather, was worse than no watering. The 

 speaker would not attempt to water more than 

 he could do well. 



He had not yet had occasion to work his ap- 

 paratus at its full capacity, the droughts not hav- 

 ing been severe or long continued. 



In answer to a question Mr. Wyman said he had 

 used water on Cucumbers and early Cabbages 

 with decided advantage. Had ne\er derived 

 much benefit from watering Celery, though he 

 had tried it. His reservoir could be dispensed 

 with, but the pump was none too large for a 

 severe drought. 



Mr. Kirby, of Arlington, alluded to the drying 

 up of streams in consequence of cutting away 

 forests, and to evaporation. It is estimated that 

 a Cabbage in full growth will evaporate three 

 pounds of water per day, or an acre o^'er a ton 

 of water; that 400 pounds of water are evaporated 

 to every pound of growth in vegetables. The 

 loss also from surface evaporation is very great 

 in hot dry winds, each 27° of heat doubling the 

 absorptive power of the air. To do much good 

 much water must be used in irrigation. 



To wet the soil well in a dry time requires 

 about an inch of rain, or 27,000 gallons per acre. 

 Mr. Kirby used a steam pump of capacity to 

 throw ninety gallons per minute, and could 

 water two acres per day. He suggested the idea 

 of appl.ying water by means of tiles under the 

 surface about two feet deep, which would also 

 drain the land in spring if an outlet were pro- 

 \-ided. He alluded to the Crosby farm, where 

 the tiles had been flushed in a dry time with 

 great advantage to the Celery. 



Mr. W. D. Philbrick said that irrigation by un- 

 derground tiles had been practised on vineyards 

 and other crops having very deep roots, but 

 many of our vegetable crops root within six 

 inches of the surface. Tiles at two feet deep in 

 sandy land would lose much water downward. 

 They would have to \m one and a half or two feet 

 deep to be out of the way of the plow in Celery 

 fields. If well buried the tiles will stand frost 

 man.v years. 



Mr. Henry Allen had no confidence in applying 

 water in tiles. He watered by surface furrows. 



Mr. Rawson said he could do a good deal of 

 watering with an outlay of §1,000. His two wind- 

 mills give water enough for watering hot-beds 

 and washing, etc.: he also had several steam 

 pumps, one of them portable, 2,000 feet of engine 

 hose and a good deal of pipe; his water works 

 cost $.5,000 or $ti,000, and was a good investment. 

 He watered in the furrow. Three men could 

 water four acres of Celery per day, costing not 

 over $5 per acre. The hose must be carried to 

 the highest point and water run down the fur- 

 rows. It paid him well. 



He thought there was more water under most 

 farms than people were aware of. He had one 

 well that woidd supply a three-inch stream steady 

 night and day. Two others wnaild each deliver a 

 two-inch stream. If he could buj' h.\'ilrant wafer 



at ten cents per 1(10(1 gallons, and had no pumps, 

 et*r., he would prefer to buy water. He works 

 his pumps night and day when once stjirted; it 

 saved time and coal, and night is the best time to 

 apply water. 



Menti<^ne<l \isiting a farm lately very favor- 

 ably situated, where an outlay of JtWIO would 

 irrigate fifteen acres of land. 



Mr. George Hill said his supply of watei- foi- 

 five or six acres came from a storage reservoir 

 on a hill, where he had dug out an old pond hole, 

 and built a dam to retain the water. Did not 

 think that good, strong land, well manured, 

 needed much water in general. Had .seen injury 

 done early Cabbages by watering them early in 

 the season, but when Cucumbers are Ulling out, 

 and when Cabbages are heading or Strawberries 

 ripening, if the weather is dry, it is a gi-eat help 

 to use plenty ot water. He uses large pipes, at 

 least three inches, and waters thoroughly. 



Mr. Frost thought that as good crops were 

 grown in old times without water as now with it. 



Mr. John Fillebrown believed that watering 

 had always paid him well in his experience of 

 twenty years in the use of steam pump and hose. 

 He used a three-inch ijipe, 2^-inch hose with 

 se\'en-eighths nozzle, and strong hea<l so that the 

 watei- w<mld lly lOtI feet from the nozzle. 



It was noticeable in this discussion that the men 

 who believe that ii ligation paj's were men whose 

 farms are sitimted on the Siind.\- plain of Arling- 

 ton, while less positi\'e are the (owners of stronger 

 and better land. 



Success and Failure with Small 



Fruits. 



Continued from jiage I.Vi. 



Culture. Strawberries are grown in hills, 

 matted rows, and a compromise between the 

 two. I take the compromisi', the hill culture does 

 mjt produce enough fruit, but makes a large 

 fruit; the matted row, like anything else that 

 has its own way, leads to small fruit. M.y meth- 

 od is to keep all runners from plants until the 

 middle of August; this gives the plants a good 

 start. Then I let two runners run on each side 

 of the plant and keep them spread. Then clip 

 the end from the runner, this gives the plant 

 plenty of room and admits air at fruiting time, 

 and the plants will stool out finely. 



Where many make a failure is in planting year 

 after year on the same soil. This should not Ix; 

 done, for it gives rise to rust and insects which 

 destroy both plant and fruit. I have never been 

 bothered with either. 



After two yeai-s of fruit I plow under and 

 wf)rk to vegetables. We should have a point in 

 view, and that to improve our fruits. I have in 

 the last few years brought the " played-iait Wil- 

 son " up to the flnest berry on the farm by se- 

 lecting the flnest and well crowned plants, and 

 retaining their vital points. I change mj' plants 

 every year, one year planting from clay ground 

 to sandy soil, the next from the sandy back to 

 the clay. As .soon as the pickere flnish the rows 

 the last time the horse and plow lose no time in 

 going in. I use manure as a mulch, hence the 

 fii"St year it goes under. When used the second 

 year it is plowed under with the large plow. 

 These old vines are worked down Uke young 

 beds, and this year the) are the best owing to 

 the severe drought. 



One point on the Raspberry Just here: many 

 people after they gather the fruit let the vines 

 go until the following spring tiefore anything is 

 done with them. As soon as my fruit is gath- 

 ered all the old canes are cut out and burned, 

 and all the young canes but the three best. The 

 old cane has ttnished its mission, and why keep 

 it there to pump sap from the roots that iH'haig 

 to the young vines. The old \ ines are often the 

 cause of blight and insects, and when burned 

 this puts an end to all and adds ten-fold to your 

 next year's crop. 



Varieties, My main berries for cultivating 

 for profit are the Wilson, Crescent, May King, 

 ( 'umlx'riand, Sharpless and Carmichael. I ha\ e 

 gi\en these in the order they are planted, ex- 

 cept the last, and of which I have not had nmny 

 plants. I have all of them, and just as soon as I 

 am satisfieil in my own mind that certain ones 

 will ilo well, I plant of such ff)r profit. 1 think 

 every grower should test new varieties on a 

 moderate scale. Fruit growing is a science in 

 which very few have reached the top rung, like 

 any other occupation. It takes years of hard 

 work and study l)efore you cam achieve the re- 

 quired success. I have often after retiring siMMit 

 houi-s thinking of some wny I could reduc*- the 

 cost <d' iiroductlou when those aroiiial were 



