i86 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



June, 



so great that it is all disposed off by that 

 time. We had some snow here on May 13 

 and 14, and also frost, which is not very en- 

 couragins for our early Celery planted out. 

 Seed in the seed beds lias lain in the ground 

 for five weeks; this taking so long on account 

 of the cold backward weather. 



"WOODBANKS." 



Popular Gardening and Fruit Grow- 

 ing's New Experimental Grounds. 



As boy and man the conductor of this journal 

 had previous to three years ago always been en- 

 gaged in fruit gi'owing and gardening in one or 

 more branches. For many years it was as active 

 manager, in part, of one of the largest fruit aud 

 market gardens near Buffalo. About five years 

 ago, however, the march of the city's improve- 

 ments had so crowded on its outskirts as to ren- 

 der the sale of his grounds desirable, and 

 this took place. It was following on this 

 event that he turned his attention to 

 popular horticultural journalism, and 

 shortly afterwards, as controlling part- 

 ner, to publishing the present successful 

 journal. At the same time he tempor- 

 arily took up his residence in Buffalo, 

 first to be at the very helm of affairs in 

 the publication office during the critical 

 period of founding the journal; second, 

 to for a spell mingle somewhat freely 

 among retail consumers instead of as 

 always before among producei'S of horti- 

 cultural products, and lastly he desired 

 time in which to select a new fruit farm 

 and garden, properly located, and which 

 might be conducted in the interests of 

 American horticulture in general, and 

 of the readers of this journal in partic- 

 ular'. The time tor making a change 

 from the basis referred to has now ar- 

 rived and the conductor takes pleasure 

 in stating that a new and most desira- 

 ble farm has recently been chosen and 

 negotiated for by him.and at this writing 

 the transfer is in progress. This farm, 

 which shall probably be known as the 

 Niagai-a Experimental Grounds, is lo- 

 cated in that most famous fruit section, i^^p 

 Niagara Co., N. Y., La Salle post office, 

 and in the very midst of numerous 

 fruit farms, mai'ket gardens, evaporating estab- 

 lishments, etc. Its site is one-half mile from 

 Niagara Ki^er on the banks of an arm of said 

 river, hence the name " Woodbanks," and five 

 miles above the great cataract. At this late 

 hour, before the May issue is printed, we have 

 neither space nor time to go into particulars 

 concerning the place and its future; this infor- 

 mation will keep until ne.xt month. Sufficient to 

 say that here the editor will live and here — being 

 but 35 minutes ride from the Buffalo office— he 

 will jointly conduct the journal and manage the 

 farm in the interest, and as he believes, to the 

 great profit of all readers. 



The above announcement appeared in 

 only a portion of our May issue, hence is 

 here repeated. To the above may be added 

 the fact that on May 1st the conductor of 

 this journal acquired a clear and satisfactory 

 title to " Woodbanks," and within a week 

 later he had moved his home and editorial 

 office to the new place. 



The Farm and its Famous Locality. 

 " Woodbanks," the place to be widely 

 known hereafter as the Niagara or Popular 

 Gardening Experimental Grounds, is a 

 tract of 13 acres lying less than one-half 

 a mile from La Salle Station, Niagara Co., 

 N. Y. Lands adjoining it on one side could 

 easily be included in the place if at any time 

 an enlargement was thought desirable. 

 The largest boundary of the grounds is the 

 Cayuga Creek, a stream, which at this point 

 is virtually an arm of the Niagara river, the 

 waters of the two being on the same level. 

 On the grounds are growing some 300 young 

 bearing fruit trees, numerous ornamental 

 trees and shrubs, besides a fringe of second- 

 growth native trees, shrubs and plants along 

 the creek banks. 



But while the grounds are of the size 

 stated, in point of fact tlie real field of ex- 

 periment and observation here is immeas- 



irrably larger, for this farm is but one of 

 many fruit farms and gardens in the near 

 vicinity and over Niagara County, which 

 county, is no doubt more thickly planted 

 with fruit trees than any otlier spot of equal 

 extent in America, if not in the world, 

 while wljoining counties are hardly less 

 thickly set to fruit. For a close occupancy 

 of land, however, with Apple, Pear and 

 Peach orcliards, small fruit plantations and 

 market crops the region immediately about 

 La Salle must take the palm. The railroads 

 in both directions pass through miles of 

 almost unbroken orchards and fruit lands, 

 it being estimated that of the three squiire 

 miles of land lying nearest to the village, 

 more than one-half of the area is devoted to 

 horticultural crops. In vegetables the lo- 

 cality is famous for its Tomatoes, Cabbage, 



OF NIAGARA CO., N. V. SHOWING LOCATION OF UA 

 AND OTHER POINTS. 



Cucumbers and Celery, all of which are 

 grovyn extensively aud shipped to consider- 

 able distances. 



Favorable as is this locality for making ob- 

 servations on fruit and vegetable culture, 

 however.the unequaled opportunity to study 

 advanced ornamental horticulture here- 

 abouts must also be noted. Five miles 

 away at Niagara Falls is the extensive New 

 York State Park Reservation, comprising 

 107 acres, while directly across the river is 

 the similar park reserve of the Canadian 

 I Government, both of which parks are now 

 rapidly being improved. Less than 3'3 miles 

 up the Niagara river from the Niagara Falls 

 Park, and soon to be connected with the 

 latter by a magniflcient, 200-feet wide, tree- 

 planted Boulevard on the river banks (and 

 passing through La Salle), lies the extensive 

 1100 acre Park and Cemetery improvements 

 of the City of Buffalo, and which now are 

 in a beautifully developed state. In these 

 latter grounds alone, there are nearly 50,000 

 ornamental trees and shrubs which have 

 been established for upwards of ten years, 

 and which together afford a chance perhaps 

 second to no other in the country for 

 studying the kinds and uses of growths in 

 this line suited to our latitude. 



The accompanying map will make clear 

 the exact location of La Salle and its con- 

 venient proximity both to Buffalo, where this 

 journal will continue to be published, and 

 to the greatest of natural wonders, Niagara 

 Falls. Upwards of twenty passenger trains 

 between Buffalo and Niagara Falls stop at 

 La Salle daily. 



The On.iECT of the Work. The need of 

 an Experimental Garden managed in the 

 direct interests of the readers of this journal 

 has from the time it was founded been real- 

 ized. Every season brings forth its tide of 



novelties in fruits, flowers, vegetables, etc., 

 which require to be carefully tested and 

 compared with the standard and other sorts 

 of the day, and relative to which impartial 

 information is in wide demand. The same 

 is true of new imi)lements and appliances 

 of horticulture, of fertilizers for the soil, 

 remedies for plant diseases and for insects 

 which infest plant and tree life. In addition 

 to this there is always open a broad field for 

 special experiments concerning the best 

 i methods and the best times for performing 

 an endless number of operations connected 

 with the most successful horticulture. 



It cannot, it is true, be said that there is a 

 dearth of information concerning these sub- 

 jects now, for the rural press abounds in such 

 matter. But this information in the nature 

 of things is often, to some degree at least, 

 damaged by admixture with the 

 facts of personal interests, opinions, 

 and prejudices, or sometimes by the 

 incompetency of witnesses to judge. 

 Now what it is here proposed to do 

 is not to supplant this kind of in- 

 formation from a wide field, and 

 which in its way is valuable, Ijut to 

 supplement it by additional careful 

 and strictly impartial tests and 

 comparisons on a more extensive 

 and accurate scale than can well be 

 carried out by individual enterprise. 

 To such a special end, and in con- 

 nection with this journal, the present 

 Experimental grounds have been 

 established, and in the work of 

 which the hearty co-operation of 

 all our readers and of the public 

 generally is sought. 



As TO THE Character of the 

 Work. Operations here will be 

 conducted on the plane of ordinary 

 horticultural practice, employing 

 the means usually at the command 

 of cultivators. Those who visit the 

 grounds, therefore, with the idea of 

 meeting any extreme system of 

 culture impracticable to ordinary growers 

 will be disappointed, and while the value 

 of scientific tests and investigations in the 

 labratoi-y as applied to horticultural sub- 

 jects is by no means to be ignored, yet in 

 the main such will be left to others. 



One thing which it will here be the aim 

 to emphasize, is the advantages of the best 

 methods of tillage and management as com- 

 pared with those of inferiority. This will 

 be done by employing a simple system of 

 soil preparation and after-treatment in the 

 way of strips of land differing in richness, 

 kinds of manure used and thoroughness of 

 culture, and across which row of all the 

 varieties under cultivation will extend. 



The advantages of this plan will extend 

 far beyond a mere object lesson in different 

 kinds of culture; it will show which kind of 

 treatment any given variety will Ijest bear, 

 or can with the greatest impunity tolerate. 

 All tests and comparisons will thus be on a 

 uniform basis for all varieties, and hence, 

 must prove to be far more trustworthy than 

 when, for instance, Mr. A in one section 

 may grow a certain variety under one state 

 of things and he enabled to report on it 

 favorably, and Mr. B, under quite different 

 circumstances of culture for the same varie- 

 ty, is forced to report against it. 



An outline, somewhat crude, of the direc- 

 tion in which further light upon practical 

 horticultural matters is felt to be desirable, 

 and will here be aimed for, might be set 

 forth as follows: 



Trials of olu ano new varieties of Stan- 

 dard and Dwarf fruit trees. Small fruits. Grapes, 

 Vegetables,Ornamcntal trees, Nut trees. Flowers, 

 Lawn Grasses, Hedge plants, Climbei-s, etc. 



Experiments in Culture. Ha\-lng in view 

 soil prepai-ation and tillage, Root treatment. 

 Pruning by various methods and at different 

 seasons. Mulching, Protection, Distances to plant. 



SALLE 



