r83?. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



213 



gated on hiiidy stocks. Of tliosc uomraoii to 

 eastern niii-scrics the l'ut-lurt\ ed Wi-epinK Hiivh 

 {Beliila allia hn'inata}. Weeping Populiir (i'li/iii- 

 litit (/rrtm/i</t)i((ito iicmtuhtK Weepiiifc' Mountain 

 Ash {Siirhittt aucujKiria in'iulula), and Wisconsin 

 WocpiiiB Willow about complete the list. Woep- 

 in(? trees not yet common found on ourirrounds 

 are Carafrana spiuosn and CaraKuna fe'nuiditloni, 

 l)udded on 0. arborescens, .Sali.v Napoleonls, 

 Sali.x Babylonica (of the Voljfa), and Betula 

 Araurensis.— J. L. BiitUI, Stnrii ('(rnulu, hiwa. 



LahgeiStuawbeuuies. l.see in April nunil)erof 

 Popui.ah (i.MiDKNiNti that some one has grown 

 a Strawberry seven inches in circumference. 

 We, out here in Michigan, do not think anything 

 of that. I have had berries (Sharples.s) over 

 eight inches, and one nua.su red in presence of 

 witnesses, over eight and a half inches. A 

 grower near here claims to ha\e had one that 

 went over nine inches.— if. B. Ntwiiluiin. 



GiLlt-riNM; I'eah on APPLE-Tlie article on page 

 57 I'erainds the wiiter of some of his youthful 

 experiments in that line of grafting, but perfect 

 union was not produced. N()ne fruited which 

 were grafted ab<)ve the ground and none lived 

 more than three years. The growth was ram- 

 pant and the wood spongy which caused them to 

 winter-kill or die from some other i^ause. A 

 small tree, however, was grafted even with the 

 gi-ound. and a mound of rich earth made around 

 it during its tii-st season's growth, whi^'h is now 

 living, having borne fruit for o\er 40 yeainj. The 

 fruit has been similar to the original. We do 

 not attribute this success to a complete union, 

 but to the scions throwing out roots abo\'e the 

 stoek, as dwarfs usually do when jilanted below 

 the surface. We were told by some of the wise 

 heads that if one c»)Uld in\'ert a scion and make 

 it grow it would bear seedless fruit. This we 

 did. the abnormal growth disappearing in a few 

 days, but there was no change in the fruit. We 

 have looped scions, inserting b<ith ends in the 

 wime st4)ek and had good growth from both in- 

 s«'rtions, but beyond the novelty of the exploit 

 there is no satisfaction and we would not advise 

 it« practice with any other object in view. It is 

 hard to coa.v nature into a deviation from her 

 beaten course. "Like begets like" is the univei-sal 

 rule, and she has provided in her handiworks for 

 the only departure which she jiermits and of 

 which man can only be an imitator. From this 

 standpoint we ha\e come to the conclusion that 

 aside from the dissemination and perpetuation 

 of new and choice varieties there is little to be 

 gained from this grafting and budding business, 

 and to this there are many drawbacks and there 

 is undoubtedly a final limit.— >i Suhxcriher. 



Evergreen Windbreak.— Since the article in 

 your April number I have been talking with a 

 neighbor who has a fine Norway Spruce wind- 

 break which he planted eleven years ago. The 

 trees were two to three feer high when planted 

 and are now from twenty-three to twenty-six 

 feet high, having made an average growth of 

 two feet each year. These trees cost lr> cents 

 each at a nursery near by, and less than two per 

 cent died from theeffects of transplanting. They 

 were planted four feet apart, making the cost 60 

 cents per rod, which is very trifling compared 

 with the present value of this li\ing fence. A 

 gardener who makes something of a specialty of 

 early vegetables, says he finds them to mature 

 ten to LI days earlier (m the east side of a 

 good Spruce windbreak than those unprotected. 

 There is dfiubtless money in planting good 

 windbreaks both for gardenei-s and farmers, in 



little bnihliug according to the variety similar to 

 a hip roof greeidiousc but quite low, with 

 drawei-s to go in at the sides, with a space Ixdow 

 to put in a little stove. The glass roof will gen- 

 erate nearly heat enough on clear days, but a 

 tire will help. The drawers must not come too 

 near the stove, over which a plate (jf sheet iron 

 should Ik' placed a few inches above it Kither 

 wood or coke can be used. If the latter it needs 

 no Hue or pi|)e, as the smoke and gas of stove 

 coal {at least anthracite) does not injure the fruit 

 in the leiust, Ijut I believe helps to preserve it, 

 and no worms will be found therein. With such 

 a litth' ai-rangement six feet stpnu-e a couple of 

 bushels can be dried every day, ami the whole 

 thing not cost five dollai-s. If some of the man- 

 ufacturers of evaporatoi-s would make a small 

 machine ti> cost $r, or fin they would no doubt 

 sell hundreds of them. I myself will resort to 

 my own |ilan this si^ason, as there is not enough 

 to need a large one, although they have l)een 

 offered to me free of charge.— S. MiUci: 



The MinnewaskI Blackberry. 



H. HKSDKICKS, ON THE HUDSON. 



A successful llla<-liberry for general Held cul- 

 ture north of New Vork still remains the great 

 desideratum among fruit growers. 



Among the newest candidates for the place is 

 the "Minnewaski." This originated with A.J. 

 Caywood, on the Hudson, and fruited for the 

 llrst time I think in IKK!. I saw it on his grounds 

 with a large company of prominent fruit men In 



Vine Fastener for Wire Trellise. 



An extremely simple and easily applieil device 

 for holding vines in position is shown in the ac- 

 companying illustration. It is cut from sheet 

 metal, making a Hat blank having more or less 

 spring, one end being elongated and with a long- 

 itudinal sl< it or opening, and the other end shaped 

 to form Hat angular lips. 



The method of applying this fastener to a wire 

 is" shown on the engra\ing, the blank being bent 

 to a clip or hook shape at its slotted end ami the 

 lips are twisted or bent around the wire to form 

 a closely Htting tulie, the vine being introduced 

 between the wire and the tongue of the hook, 

 which thus makes a yiehling holder. 



By the use of these holders it is claimed that a 

 great deal of labor is saved as compared with 

 the oriliniuj- method of tying the \ines by strings 

 while the device is more durable, and, the hold- 

 er being wide and Hat, cannot cut the \ines. 



Cross-section of on Efficient Orapery. 



fact everyone who owns a house that could be 

 better protected from cold and wind by a good 

 windbreak. An enterjirising man in each neigh- 

 borhood could get a numlK-rof small evergreens 

 and grow them till large enough to plant. What 

 he did not want for his own use, he could likely 

 sell to his neighbors, at a good profit.— D. N. 

 iiiiiy, Eric Cnuiilu. y. Y. 



Small Fruit Dryer. Noticing the description 

 of cheap dryers recently I will give one also. A 



Vine Culture UnderGlass in Belgium. 



In the opinion of Mr. t'harles Joly, of Paris, as 

 stated in a recently published pamphlet " Notes 

 on the culture of the Vine under Glass," one of 

 the most important commercial establishments 

 for the culture of (irapes is that of Messrs. Sohie 

 Bros., of Hoeilaert, in Belgium, Hoeilaert being 

 a small village of 2,.50O inhabitants, and situated 

 between seven and eight miles south-east of 

 Brussels. Mr. Joly gives some interesting par- 

 ticulars respecting the Messrs. Sohie's e-stablish- 

 ment, from which we extract the following: 



About lHti.5, the brothei-s Sohie commenced to 

 construct hous&s for vine culture, and at that 

 time had the advantage of cheap labor, iron. 

 gla.ss, and coal. The variety at first grown was 

 Black Hamburgh, and the cultivators found a 

 read}' market in London, Amsterdam, Brussels, 

 and Paris for their produce. The dealer is 

 supplied with fresh Grapes all the year round, 

 and the produce compares favorably with the 

 famous Grapes grown at Thomery. 



The vineries are constructed on the simplest 

 plan, consistent with efficiency, ipiick and eco- 

 nomic production. They are modelled (m the 

 same principle as those of the Dutch, and our il- 

 lustration (copied from Mr. Joly's paper) shows 

 a section of a house that would measure about 9 

 yards or 10 yards wide, and ^ yards high. 



The .structure rests upon brick walls 

 about 2 feet in height. In the interior 

 iron wires are supported by stakes, and 

 to these vines planted about 1 yard 

 apart, are fastened. There are four 

 rows of vines in a house— two against 

 the outside walls, and one on each side 

 of the center. 



During the first two or three years 

 the vines are grown in pots, and any 

 bunches that may make their appear- 

 ance, are removed in order to strengthen 

 the canes. The system of heating is the 

 old-fashioned brick-built Hue placed in 

 the lowest part of the house. The flues of pottery 

 jointed with clay are placed along on the soil, 

 and are connected with an uprightshaft to carry 

 away the smoke. The Messrs. Sohie Bros, have 

 ten hectai'cs under culture, of which si.x are 

 entirely covered with glass. Besides the Vine, 

 the Peach, Madeleine Uouge, and the .Straw- 

 berry. Marguerite Lebret(jn, are cultivated at 

 Hoeilaert, and compensate in a measure for the 

 low price obtained for the Grapes. 



Vine Fanlencr for Wire Trellise. 



1884, and have watched it with some interest since. 

 He says it was produced by fertilizing the jiistils 

 of the Kittatinny with pollen from a wild varie- 

 ty which grew in a swale on his farm, of course 

 everything was ctaimed for the Minnewaski, right 

 on the start. It was entirely hardy, even at the 

 North Pole, an immense bearer, c.\ cedent quality. 

 Well, it certainly ma<le a grand show in iXM, even 

 the lamented Judge Parry, that \eteran lilack- 

 Ix'rry grower, said he had never seen it eiiualed. 

 .\11 weresuriirised at the magnificent display of 

 fruit. The canes were fruiting to the tips, not a 

 bud had been killed by the winter apparently. 

 Since then it has borne a heavy crop annually 

 on Mr. Cay wood's groiuids. 



On the »th of August hist year I went to see 

 the croji. I found about IH acres in beaiing, 

 mostly two-y ear-olil jdants, some one year. Such 

 a show of fruit I never saw upon any plant or 

 tree. The rows seemed a perfect bank of fridt 

 on each side, some three feet high. The berries 

 being in all stages of growth and maturity. He 

 says that the first riix? berries were picked June 

 28th. Daily pickings began alxait the middle of 

 July. Over 14 bushels had been licked the day 

 before my visit, and about fifty bushels had 

 already been marketed. 



The fruit is shipped in quart basket,s, 24 or 32 to 

 a crate. The average price obtained for those 

 sold was 11>^ cents per quart, the range being 

 from ten to fifteen cents. The Minnewaski sold 

 for 12 cents in Washington market while Kitta- 

 tinny and some other sorts brought only six cents, 

 according to the dealer's report. The fruit aver- 

 ages large in size. As soon as colored it is fit for 

 market; and Mr. Caywood says it does not turn 

 red after picking. 



In flavor this variety is ixjrhaps a shade more 

 acid than is the Wilson, but the quality is excel- 

 lent, and the berry is coreless when fully ripe. 

 The soil in which the plants are growing is a clay 

 and gravel loam, on a Northwestern slope. The 

 method of training employed is about as follows, 

 viz: The plants are placed in rows eight feet 

 apart, four feet tietwcen in the row, young plants 

 being allowed to fill up the row as they grow. 

 Posts are then placed from 40 to TjO feet apart in 

 the row. Then a stout wire is drawn up from 

 the ground under the plants and fastened t« the 

 posts about three feet from the ground; one on 

 each side of the row, holding the plants upright 

 between, the two w incs being tied together at 

 intervals if necessary. When the fruit liegins to 

 ripen, a third wire is drawn tightl.v at the height 

 of 4H feet, and secured to the posts. Then all 

 new canes are cut off about six inches above this 

 upper wire. Thus, at threfe yeai-s old— the first 

 full bearing year— the fruiting trellis will be 

 about five feet high, instead of three, as now. 

 Ne.xt spring the old and superfluous wood is 

 drawn out with a stout hooked knife at the far- 

 ther end of a three-foot handle, the liearing canes 

 t>eing left from 12 to 1.5 inches apart. 



The Minnewaski seems a rampant and vigorous 

 grower. One of the great points claimed for it, 

 next to its iron-clad virtues, is that it will suc- 

 ceed well on any good corn or potato ground. 

 My own belief is that the soil can be too rich for 

 the largest product of fruit. 



Now I have tried to present what I saw of this 

 new Blackberry without any purpose to exag- 

 gerate a new fruit. I am inclined to believe that 

 its the Blackberry which growers at the North 

 have long been looking for. 



