2l6 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



July, 



uiticeiit. younju: sbade trees in numerous \arieties, 

 which on two sides adorn the bij^bway. The 

 trees were all planted by the present owner 

 within the past sixt<?en years and have reached a 

 height of from twenty to thirty feet, so that now 

 they afford considerable shade. 



The Staking of Orchard Trees; 

 Tying with Willows. 



A ride through many rural sections will 

 bring into view numerous fruit trees both 

 in orchards and standing singly that are in 

 an unsatisfactory state. Not one in twenty 

 are properly staked, and the consequence is 

 a number of trees with very crooked stems, 

 and which will not greatly improve as they 

 gain in strength. 



To keep all young trees carefully staked 

 leads to the formation of clean straight 

 stems, these in their turn being conducive 

 to the growth of large healthy fruitful 

 heads. One stout stake ought to be placed 

 to each tree directly they are planted; this 

 in addition to keeping the stems straight, 

 also prevents the wind waving them with 

 consequent injury to the roots. 



For securing the tree to the stake no ty- 

 ing material is more easily obtained or ap- 

 plied than Osier Willow twigs, that is, as- 

 .suming that some bushes of this Willow 

 are growing in the vicinity, as they should 

 be on every farm or garden, for supplying 

 cheap tying material. 



In the illustrations annexed. Figure 1 

 shows a young, newly-planted tree well se- 

 ctired by two ties of Willow to a firm, deep- 

 ly driven stake. By this course the tree is 

 kept in an erect position, and the strain 

 caused by the wind bears on the stake in- 

 stead of injuriously on the root. Figure 3 

 shows the more ordinary way of applying 

 the Willow twig. Figure 3 an improved 

 form for accomplishing the same end. 



Forcing Rhubarb. 



WM. H. TEOMANS, TOLLAND CO., CONN. 



In reading Peter Henderson's valuable 

 article in the May number on this subject, 

 the thought occurred that the market gar- 

 dener who tindertakes to meet the demand 

 of city customers is compelled to employ fa- 

 cilities that many ordinary growers of home 

 vegetables would not think of indulging in, 

 and so while it can hardly be expected that 

 as early retm-ns can be secured, means may 

 be employed whereby a growth may be con- 

 siderably hastened. 



In the first place no farmer's family 

 should be without this early and healthy 



Fig. a. Fig. 3. 



Seeurlng the Tree ti'ilh Osier Willow Twigs, 



vegetable, which is not only palatable and 

 useful in the culinary art, but possessed of 

 health-giving qualities. It is a gross feeder 

 and therefore requires an extremely rich 

 soil to develop large and crisp leaf stalks. 

 It can be started from seed, but in that case 

 requires a little time for such root develop- 

 ment iis is necessary to the growth of vigor- 

 ous leaf stalks; for that reason it is better to 

 commence by setting mature roots that may 

 be obtained of neighbors or at all well estab- 

 lished nurseries of small fruits, etc. 



Prepare for the setting by making a large 

 excavation at the south side of a wall, fence 

 or building, which is to be filled with ma- 

 nure suitably incorporated with the better 

 portion of the soil removed. Set the roots 

 so that the crowns will be just below the 

 natural surface. If the soil is moist, so 



much the better. But little must be ex- 

 pected the first year, as it will require a lit^ 

 tie time for the plant to get established. In 

 the fall cover well with coarse manure and 

 so thoroughly as to protect largely against 

 frost. The greater the protection against 

 frost, the more sure an early crop. In the 



Ffy. 1. Yumm Tree Securelu Staked. 



spring, as soon as all danger from severe 

 freezing is past, remove the greater portion 

 of the mulching from over the crowns and 

 place a sliallow box having neither top nor 

 bottom, over each plant, upon whicli place 

 a glass window; this will have a tendency 

 to hasten the development of the leaf buds, 

 which will soon .show themselves; when 

 these appear place a headless barrel over 

 the hills, placing the window on the top. In 

 this way the stalks will develop with great- 

 er rapidity, and being grown in the dark 

 will be more crisp, tender and larger than 

 if grown itncovered. Any one that once par- 

 takes of the delicious dish, in the shape 

 of pies, tarts, sauce, etc., afforded by the 

 Rhubarb plant, will hardly think of getting 

 along without it, and will give such atten- 

 tion as the plant requires. 



A Convenient Land-measuring Im- 

 plement. 



After coming into possession of our pres- 

 ent grounds, one of the first things we felt 

 the need of was a simple land-measuring 

 device. The one hit upon is illustrated 

 herewith, the idea of which we think origi- 

 nally was given in the New England J''ar- 

 mer. At any rate it is a most efficient tool 

 and so simple that any one can easily con- 

 struct one after the pattern. 



The measuring length of the device is ten 

 feet. The main horizontal piece is one-half 

 a foot longer than this and consists of a 

 light five inch wide piece of % inch pine to 

 which are attached the markers and the 

 handle. The markers are two feet in length 

 and are nicely pointed at the lower end, 

 each of the ends being armed with a nail. 

 In nailing these to the main piece great 

 pains were taken to liave the points of the 

 two exactly ten feet apart, and square with 

 the and 10 marks on the horizontal piece. 

 The handle nailed at 5 is the upper part of a 

 broken shovel handle. 



In using this measure, we start with 

 the U end of the marker at the end of the 

 line to be measured. The other marker 

 then comes to the ground at 10 feet along 



the line, and is kept to its place while the 

 measure is turned or swung ahead on this 

 to have the end reach to 30 feet ahead and 

 so on. swinging the measure ahead alter- 

 nately on the markers and keeping up the 

 count, 10ft., 30ft., 30ft., etc., until any given 

 line is measured. The measuring thus can be 

 done about as fast as a man can walk, and 

 more accurately than two persons can do 

 with an ordinary tape line, the greatest ob- 

 jection to which latter is that it stretches. 



Among the Strawberries. 



WM. F. BASSETT, ATLANTIC CO., N. J. 



The supply of Strawberries for this season 

 has at no time been in excess of the demand 

 and consequently good berries have sold at 

 remunerative prices, and the difference be- 

 tween the best and those of indifferent qual- 

 ity hcis been unusually marked and decided, 

 the range of wholesale rates having been 

 from four to fifteen cents per quart by the 

 33 quart crate. This not only points to 

 larger profits on well-grown berries, but al- 

 so suggests the question whether it is not 

 upon the whole more profitable to cultivate 

 varieties which produce large and fine ber- 

 ries, even with one-half the quarts obtained 

 for ordinary kinds. For instance, if May 

 King, Wilson and Crescent each yield 

 3,000 quarts of good berries per acre, the 

 first bringing one or two cents a quart more 

 for its superior appearance and finer qual- 

 ity, and this is all we get from it, while we 

 get another 2,000 from either of the others, 

 which last only bring 4 cents per quart; this 

 just about pays cost of picking and market- 

 ing, and would it not pay better to follow 

 with a later variety coming in full size? 



Among the varieties which I grow, Crys- 

 Uil City gives me most satisfaction as an 

 early variety. In size it is only medium or 

 rather large in wet seasons, and not very 

 productive, but it is a week earlier than any 

 productive sort, and of the best quality, and 

 although it costs me double to grow a quart 

 than Wilson or Crescent would cost, I do 

 not grudge it. Healthy and a great runner. 



Miiy Kituj has been grown rather largely 

 here for two seasons and the general verdict 

 of last year was only one-third as produc- 

 tive as Crescent. This season, however, 

 they are giving rather general satisfaction. 



Iiididiia is a strong growing variety of 

 average productiveness, berries a pleasing 

 light red color, good size and very sweet; 

 rather late. One of the best table berries. 



^^i II eland Sccdlhui in some respects re- 

 sembles the Kentucky; it has the same tall 



Simple Land-meamiring Device. 



leafstalks and the berries thrown well up. 

 But the berries are a little more rounded in 

 form, a little larger, and I think it produces 

 more and holds out even later. I picked 

 some berries from it last year July 4th, six 

 weeks after the first Crystal City. It is 

 somewhat acid tinless fully ripe. 



Jcxsic. I have fruited this for the first 

 time this season and it ilid not have its good 

 treatment as it should have had, but it 

 sliows some good points. The berries are 

 large and very firm without being disagree- 

 ably liard, as some firm berries are. In 

 quality it has few equals and 1 regard it re- 

 markably promising botli for market and 

 home use. The color is a little too dark for 

 the best appearance, but it the foliage is 

 kept good by a little nitrate of soda so as to 

 keep the fruit shaded it will look brighter. 



Beliniint. This very noted Massachusetts 

 berry has been planted rather largely here 



