1 84 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



May, 



mental. In some cases these forms are ap- 

 plied directly to the largertrees, with smaller 

 growing kinds then placed in the spaces 

 between with less regard to the rule. ■ 



For laying out the quincunx form the 

 handiest way is to begin by setting the outer 

 row, <7 (1, with stakes to indicate the trees 

 at equal distances apart. Next hold one end 

 of a line at a and describe an arc in the di- 

 rection off, then from h to f, The intersection 

 of the two arcs will indicate the place for a 

 stake at c where the first tree of the second 

 row is to come. Proceed in the same man- 



0. 





,!>■ 



A. 





<^....l..*. 



..<d 



Fig. 47. Trees arranged ill 

 Squares. 



ner, describing arcs from h to / and c to f ,and 

 until the stakes are all set for the second 

 row. Having thus secured the location of 

 two rows it will not be difficult to apply the 

 principle over an area of any extent. 



Distance for Planting. As a guide In 

 this matter the distances given on page 183 

 will be of service. Positive rules cannot be 

 laid down because soils, varieties and pur- 

 poses differ. In rich soil more space is re- 

 quired than in that less rich. Some varieties 

 are stronger growers than others. If one 

 desires to occupy the ground as soon as pos- 

 sible less distance will be needed than if 

 long-lived plantations are designed. The 

 growth of no fruit trees or plants should be 

 so close but that the sun's rays can strike 

 ample areas of ground on all sides. 

 {To be Contimted.) 



Professor J 



W. Sanborn on 

 tilizers. 



Fer- 



For the past five years Prof. Sanborn, of the 

 Missouri Experiment Station, has been giv- 

 ing much attention to testing commercial 

 fertilizers. As a result of his experiments 

 he makes some general observations on the 

 subject in a recent bulletin, and which we 

 reproduce here. 



While I used chemicals by the car load for 

 years, and am an emphatic believer in their 

 economy for the older sections of the 

 country, I do not believe that the prices of 

 crops in Missouri justify their use, except 

 under well-defined limitations. 



Aside from the restraining influences of 

 the cost of chemicals and the price received 

 for our crops, the more important fact comes 

 to sight that the saving of the prevailing 

 wastage of animal excrements will cost but 

 a fraction as much as an equivalent amount 

 of plant food secured by buying chemicals. 

 Events urge the utmost economy of stock 

 maniires, and their intelligent use. Let this 

 cheapest of all sources of plant food (that is, 

 cheapest under our conditions in Missouri), 

 be first utilized before we look for costly 

 outside sources. 



The market value of chemical manures is 

 determined by their composition, while their 

 economic value is determined by the charac- 

 ter of the land and the crop to be raised. 

 The former, or market value, can be ascer- 

 tained by multiplying the number of pounds 

 of phosphoric acid, potash, and nitrogen 

 found in a ton by the market rates of the 

 elements of plant food contained in the fer- 

 tilizer. Thus if a ton (21)00 pounds) of super- 

 pliosphate has a stated composition as 

 follows; Pho.sphoricacid,10percent; potash, 

 214 per cent; and nitrogen, 'S}4 per cent, the 

 following results will be got, at the present 



rates of these in New York, which are for 

 phosphoric acid, 8>^ cts. per lb., potash, 4 1-10 

 cts. per lb., and nitrogen 16 cts. per lb.; 



10 per cent phosphoric acid, at $8.2.5 816.50 



21^ per cent potash, at 4.1 cts 2.Kj 



31^ per cent nitrogen, at 16 cts 11.20 



$39.75 

 This principle, using the rates prevailing 

 for these elements of plant food for each 

 year, will enable any one who can reckon to 

 tell the value of the brand he is buying. If 

 it is offered at $3.5 vrith the above composi- 

 tion, it is dear; if at $25 it is cheap. This is, 

 l\ of course, based on the honesty of 

 7 the seller, or the care taken to 

 verify the composition by the 

 State chemist's analysis. The 

 economic value of fertilizers is 

 dependent upon local prices for 

 crops and the farm upon which 

 they are used. To make this clear 

 I will state a few well-recognized 

 truths in chemical farming. 



Fourteen elementary materials 

 enter into all crops, of which any 

 one of ten of them not being in 

 the soil will result in the total 

 failure of the crop to grow. But of these ten 

 needed materials all arable soOs are held to 

 have them all in abundance for crops save 

 three. These threeare nitrogen, phosphoric 

 acid and potash, in their forms kno^^^l to the 

 fertilizer trade. But of these three materials 

 only one on some farms, two on others, and 

 all three on most farms are needed. A farm 

 formerly under my charge needed potash 

 only for good crops, another needed phos- 

 phoric acid mainly, but for large crops some 

 potash, while this college farm seems to need 

 them all for corn and only nitrogen for 

 wheat. But again the demanded chemicals 

 do not depend upon the farm wholly, but 

 vary with the crop. Wheat and the grasses 

 call for nitrogen. Clover, Beans, etc., call 

 for potash, while Corn, Turnips, etc., ask 

 for phosphoric acid in artificial supply. 



The economic value of chemicals will then 

 be measured much also by the intelligence 

 witli which we adjust the fertilizer brought 

 to the soil and crop grown, as well as upon 

 buying in cheapest form. These fundamen- 

 tal truths regarded, and places will be found 

 in Missouri for chemicals; otherwise I be- 

 lieve that they had better not be touched yet. 



A Plea for Small Fruits. 



It is to me a most remarkable fact that 

 more soil cultivators do not provide them- 

 selves with an abundance of luscious, health- 

 giving small fruits. Trees of the Apple and 

 Peach, and perhaps of the Pear and Cherry, 

 are planted; but where there is one to do 

 this, ninety will ignore Grapes, Strawberries 

 or Raspberries. They feel that they cannot 

 take time to devote to such small business 

 as training Grapes or pinching back Kasp- 

 berries. They do not really know how it 

 ought to be done— and they will not learn. 



Besides — and this is strong reason for neg- 

 lect — it will require something of an outlay 

 to procure the stock necessary for such a 

 fruit garden as every farmer and tiller of 

 the soil should have. 



How extensive the small fruit plat should 

 be will depend upon the size of the family. 

 But it is safe to say that there are few far- 

 mers' families in the country that could not 

 use in a year, by canning and other preserv- 

 ing processes, all the small fruits that could 

 be raised on half an acre; and in many cases 

 a whole acre would be none too much. 



What will an acre of good ground, well 

 stocked, yield ? Not to go into an enumera- 

 tion of the many varieties, we will suppose 

 that an acre is properly planted in four plats, 

 namely: To Grapes, to Strawberries, to 

 Raspberries, and the fourth divided among 

 Blackberries, Gooseberries and Currants. 



Wliether the yield will be large or small de- 

 pends upon the character and quality of 

 the soil, and the management and skill of 

 the owner. But under fair conditions an 

 estimate may be made thus; 

 100 grapevines, in full bearing, will give 



12 pounds each, or say 10 1000 lbs. 



40 rods of Strawberries will easily produce 

 one bushel to each square rod, often 



much more, but place it at 30 bush. 



40 square rods of Raspberries should yield 



20 bushels, say 15 " 



As many rods in Blackberries, Goose- 

 berries and Currants, say 15 " 



Here we have not less than 70 bushels of 

 small fruits, the most delicious, health giv- 

 ing food ever vouchsafed to man, if he but 

 chooses to adopt the means to obtain it. No 

 other acre on the farm, (no other five or ten 

 acres) will approach it in real value. And 

 the labor to obtain it is not difficult to apply. 



If the 99 of every 100 farmers scattered all 

 over this western land— I write from a west- 

 ern standpoint — could be induced to realize 

 how much of good living they miss annually 

 by neglecting the fruit garden what a bless- 

 ing it would be. T. G. 



Notes on Celery Culture at Kala- 

 mazoo. 



J. R. VAN BOCHOVE, KALAMAZOO. 



For early crop the seed was sown in March 

 in the green house. A visit to different 

 growers shows the plants to be in fine condi- 

 tion, with the prospects of a fine crop of 

 early Celery, suitable to commence shipping 

 some time in June. The amount will exceed 

 last year's crop by quite a number of acres. 



There is being more White Plume growTi 

 here this season than ever before, which 

 shows that it is with us becoming a standard 

 variety. The first sowing of Celery seed 

 outside was made the second week in April. 

 A great deal of Onion seed was so\vn at the 

 same time. There are not as many Onions 

 grown here as in fomier years, as the grow- 

 ers think there is more profit in Celery. 



It is almost incredible to believe how much 

 some of our Dutch growers realize from a 

 small plot of muck ground. One grower 

 here, from a plot 4 x .5 rods, taking in *80; 

 and another, from a plot a little larger, ?!13.5. 

 And many others do remarkably well. Now 

 a-days nearly every industry is represented 

 by some pool or combination, and Kalamazoo 

 Celery is not an exception. A combination, 

 known as The Kalamazoo Celery Growers' 

 and Shippers' Association, has been formed 

 for the purpose of helping prices and for the 

 benefit of its members. Every shipper and 

 nearly every grower here belong. 



The growers will set out the early plants 

 in May, and some venturesome growers as 

 early as the middle of April. In my next I 

 will tell how we blanch and market Celery 

 during the summer months, fi-ee from rust. 



Received at this Office. 



CATAI/IGUES, ETC.— FIOITRES INDICATE PAGES. 



Kelsey Bros., Highlands, N. C, Trees and Orna- 

 mental Shrubs, 7. 

 Wilson, Wm. C, New YorkCitv, Greenhouse and 



Beddmjf Plants, 74. 

 Ellis Brothers, Keene, N. H., Roses, Geraniums, 



Carnations, and miscellaneous Plants, Flower 



Seeds, etc., 40. 

 AUyn Bros., Palmyra, N. Y., Small Fruits, 36. 

 Faxon, M. B., Boston, Mass., Seeds, 32. 

 Temple, F. L., Somerville, Mass., Ornamental 



Shrubs, Roses, etc, 126. 

 Hay, John S., Oneida, N. Y., Plants, Trees, 



Shrubs and Seeds, 30. 

 Kelsey, Fred W., New York Citv, Trees, Shrubs, 



etc.; IS. 

 Jemison, VV.C, Natick, Ma*s., Seeds, Plants, etc.,K. 

 Critchell it Co., Cincinnati, ()., Plants, Seeds, 



Garden Keiiidsites, 66. 

 Fitts, Joseph D.. Providence, R. I., Small Fruit 



and Plants, 8. 

 Pomona Niu'series, Parry, N. J.. Catalogue <tf 



Fruit and Ornamental Plants and Trees, 36. 

 Pierson, F. R., Tarrytown, N. Y., Seeds and 



Plants, KXI. 

 DcCou, Samuel C, Moorestown, N. J., Small 



Fruits, 16. 



