1 888. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



239 



Fruiting Qualities of Plants. 



E. W. UEID. BELMONT CO., OHIO. 



Many mistakes are made by growers, and 

 also plant dealers, by not selecting good, 

 strong, well-crowued Sti'awberry plants for 

 setting. The time to do this should be the 

 year previous to .setting tor fruit. A few 

 hours spent with the vines will show that 

 on different soil the vines will have heavier 

 crowns and a fewer number will be barren. 



The point I wish to bring out is the one 

 relative to the Wilson's running out in 

 many localities, and I might say, here in my 

 midst, I think I can see plainly the reason; 

 no thought wivs ever given to the vital mat- 

 ter referred to, and it was fruited year after 

 year on soil of the same nature. 



This old "run-out Wils(m " still has its 

 portion of the farm with me, and as long as 

 it keeps up its reputation it will be grown. 



At one time my stock was not lus good as 

 in previous years, and to bring them to per- 

 fection again I adopted the plan referred to 

 with change of soil. 



When plants are taken year by year, and 

 no selections made, they will in time run 

 out. Set five barren plants this spring, and 

 you may expect many next, for the plant 

 that produces the least fruit always makes a 

 large amount of runners, hence you are 

 more likely to take plants for setting the fol- 

 lowing spring from a large number of poor 

 fruit producers. 



When the proper attention is given, the 

 purchaser shouhl lose a very small per cent, 

 of plants. This spring I paid *18 per 100 

 for plants to set, and I don't think there are 

 two plants to represent each 100. Such 

 dealing as this can not be fruitful, but in 

 time will pass away. To grow good fruit, 

 good plants are a necessity, and it is useless 

 to try unless you have them. 



When plants are planted and only a few 

 live to represent each variety, it is discourag- 

 ing to the grower, as very often the few that 

 remain are neglected, or not cared for, so 

 that when the season comes when they should 

 redeem themselves they will fall far short, 

 and the nurseryman will undoubtedly get 

 the entire blame for poor results. 



The fruiting qualities of plants should be 

 maintained by the dealer as well as the 

 grower, but it seems to be the last point of 

 consideration; the one that presents itself 

 first is, how can I produce the most plants 

 with the greatest profit? 



It is not the first runners which show 

 themselves that make the best plants, but the 

 plant the runners are kept from running. 

 Until the middle of July or August 1st, the 

 runners and fruit stems should be pinched 

 off as they appear, this will give the plant a 

 good start and when let run, the runners 

 will present a different appearance, being 

 much hardier, and will make much better 

 plants. I have also found that plants with 

 all leaves cut away will take hold much 

 easier than those allowed to grow at will. 



Some plants set about June first when the 

 vine was fiiU of sap and weather dry, never 

 stopped growing, the crown making the 

 appearance of new growth in a few days. 

 Those who grow potted plants should set in 

 fall, and not allow fruit to set the following 

 spring, working as spring set plants. 



The young vines can not be cultivated too 

 often, the more the better, and should be 

 cultivated as soon after a rain as the soil 

 \W11 i)ermit. Had we not cultivated often 

 last season and at the proper time, we would 

 not have had plants or fruit, as the sea.son 

 was so dry, the runners made as many as 

 four sets but could not take hold of the 

 ground for lack of moisture, and the small 

 rootlets were dried until September. 



At this season of the year the plants could 

 not get as good a growth as we would like 

 to see, and it was very noticeable on the 

 crop which was not more than one-half. 



But we must live and learn, hope for a 

 brighter future, put forth effort to bring 

 plant and fruit to perfection, if you do not 

 succeed the first year, you will profit by the 

 le.sson, and you can yourself see your mis- 

 takes more clearly than others. 



Manures: ThelrComposition and Use. 



Continiu^fi from itu.g€ 191. 

 COMI'OIINO i\lANlII!E.S. 



These are general manures containing 

 nitrogenous matter, phosphates, and potash, 

 and their value depends not only on the 

 amounts of these constituents, but also on 

 their fineness of division, their solubility, 

 and the skill displayed in their manufacture. 

 The general character of a few of the more 

 common of these may be indicated thus : — 



TUKNIP CoMPoUND.s. These usually con- 

 tain from 3.5 to 3.5 per cent, phosphates, of 

 which the half or more is soluble, and nitro- 

 genous matter capable of yielding from 2 to 

 4 per cent, of ammonia, and sometimes 1 or 

 'i per cent, of potash. 



Potato Comi-ounds. These are somewhat 

 like the preceding, but contain usually less 

 phosphate and a little more ammonia, from 

 4 to per cent.; sometimes they contain no 

 potash, but more frequently about 3 or 4 

 per cent, is present, and in some instances 

 twice iis much. 



Bean Compounds. These may contain 

 from 10 to 'M per cent, phosphates, nitrogen- 

 ous matter yielding from 3 to T per cent, of 

 ammonia, and usually a considerable pro- 

 portion of potash, often from 6 to 10 per cent. 



Cereal Co.mpounds. These usually con- 

 tain about 30 per cent, phosphates, mostly 

 soluble, and nitrogenous matter, yielding 

 from 3 to per cent, ammonia, and seldom 

 contain potash. 



Grass Compounds. These are somewhat 

 like the preceding, but may contain less 

 phosphates and more nitrogen, part of which 

 may be in the form of nitrate. 



RELATIVE ACTIVITY OF MANURES. 



Dr. Aitken writes as follows in reference 

 to the relative activity of manures : Nitro- 

 gen. — Most active in — 1st, nitrates; 2d, am- 

 monia salts; 3d, high-class Peruvian and 

 Ichaboe guanos; 4th, high-class dissolved 

 compounds; 5th, dried blood; Hth, steamed 

 bone Hour; 7th, fish guano and fine bone 

 meal; 8th, rape-cake and cotton-cake dust; 

 9th, bone dust and crushed bones. Phos- 

 phates. — Most active in — 1st, super-phos- 

 phates and dissolved phosphates derived 

 from any source; 3il, precipitated and re- 

 verted phosphates; 3d, steamed bone fiour; 

 4th, bone ash; 5th, Charleston and similar 

 phosphates ground to the finest flour; (ith, 

 bone meal and fish guano; 7th, bone dust 

 and crushed Ijones. 



HINTS ON THE APPLICATION OF MANURES. 



Dr. Aitken also gives the following hints 

 on the application of manures : — 



Nitrogenous Manures. Nitrate of soda. 

 — Apply as a top-dressing to the plants just 

 up. Showery weather is best. Heavy 

 rains cause loss. Two half-<loses with fort- 

 night interval better than one whole dose. 

 Increases straw more than grain. Sulphate 

 of ammonia.— Apply as a top-dressing after 

 sowing, not after brairding. Increases grass, 

 diminishes clover. More suitable than ni- 

 trate for wet districts. High-class guanos. 

 — Apply with the seed,orpartly astop-dre.ss- 

 ing. Useful for young grass and early 

 Potatoes. Dissolved compounds. — Apply 

 with theseed. Driedblood.— Apply a month 

 before sowing, if possible. If applied with 

 the seed, useful for root crops only. Fish 

 guano. — Best on warm, open land, and in 

 moist climates. Apply very early. .Should 

 not contain more than 3 per cent. oil. Leather 

 and shoddy. — Of no value to the farmer. 



Phosphatic MjVnures. Super-phosphate. 

 —Best phosphate for clayey soils. Suits 



medium soils. Makes early crops, therefore 

 goo<l for late districts. Increases grain more 

 than straw. Precipitated phosphate.— Best 

 oil medium and light land. Steamed bone 

 Hour.— .Should be finely ground and applied 

 early. Best on light .soils or on moorland. 

 Suits wet climates. Excellent improver of 

 light pastures. Quicker than bone meal in 

 its action. Bone ivsh.- Generally applicable. 

 Best on light land. Bone meal— .Should be 

 fine !is possible and applied early. Best on 

 light, free soils, and on sandy .soils. Mineral 

 phosphate.— Must be ground to the finest 

 flour, and feel soft and chalky. Best on 

 moorland and land rich in organic matter. 

 Should be applied very early. Bone dust 

 and crushed bones.— Suitable for vine bor- 

 ders. Phosphatic manures, applied alone, 

 frequently fail to give a full crop. Some 

 nitrogenous manure ought to be mixed in. 



PoTASsic MANURES are useful where Pota- 

 toes or Beans are grown, or where straw is 

 sold. They increase clover, and are seldom 

 required where much dung is used. Some- 

 times injurious if applied with the seed. 

 Should be applied very early. 



Lime is best when coarsely ground, .sown 

 broadcast, and allowed to slake on the land. 

 Better slaked in large heap and then carted 

 on and spread, than slaked in small heaps 

 on land. Better two small liniings than one 

 big one. Best results on clay land and 

 moorland. Liming on the meadow prevents 

 finger-antl-toe, but frequently fails to do so 

 if applied to stubble. 



Professor Kedzle on the Use of Marl. 



In many parts of Michigan and elsewhere 

 farmers find, especially at the bottom of 

 muck beds and shallow ponds, a layer of 

 varying thickness of a white or yellowish 

 white material, differing so much from the 

 ordinary soils in the vicinity that they are 

 curious to know what this mineral is and 

 what it is good for. This material is marl, 

 and consists of carbonate of lime, carbonate 

 of magnesia, sometimes a small amount of 

 phosphate of lime, some oxide of iron, and 

 a variable amount of sand and clay. 



The value of marl depends almost entirely 

 upon the amount of lime and magnesia it 

 contains, and its value is diminished in pro- 

 portion to the amount of clay and sand pres- 

 ent. The lime and magnesia are found in 

 marl mainly in the form of carbonates. A 

 ready test for a carbonate in such ca.ses is to 

 pour oil the material some strong acid, and 

 if a carbonate is present it will foam up or 

 effervesce in the same way that saleratus 

 will foam up when vinegar is poured over 

 it; only the effervescence with marl is 

 slower, because the marl is less soluble than 

 soda. If the material does not foam when 

 an acid is added, it is not a marl, but prob- 

 ably a clay of no value. 



A good way to determine the quality and 

 value of a marl is to determine how much 

 of the material is soluble in common muri- 

 atic acid. This can be procured in any drug 

 store, and ought not to cost more than ten 

 cents a pound, as it only costs three cents a 

 pound. One pound of the acid will be 

 enough to test three or four specimens of 

 marl. Mi.x the acid with one quart of rain 

 water and put this in a bottle foruse. Take 

 a tablespoonful of the material supposed to 

 be marl, put this in a large glass or earthen 

 vessel (avoiding metallic dishes) and slowly 

 pour over the material a half teiicupful of 

 diluted muriatic acid. If it is a marl the 

 effervescence will show this fact; if it all 

 dissolves, leaving no residue or but little at 

 the bottom of the vessel, it is marl of goo<l 

 quality; if but little is dissolved and a large 

 residue is left at the bottom of the dish, it Is 

 of inferior quality. 



It is recommended for use on sandy soils 

 which contain vegetable matter. For arable 

 soils and light lands, thirty bushels to the 



