258 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



August, 



branches in the first stage of their growth, 

 it will not be necessary to mutilate the tree 

 when it has arrived at maturity by sawing 

 off large limbs, and leaving large openings 

 and half rotten stubs too often seen in the 

 farmer's orchard. Of branches which cross 

 one another, or have a tendency to grow too 

 close together, the less vigorous should be 

 cut off, taking care not to interfere with the 

 natural spreading or upward tendency of 

 the tree. In fact, tlie more we strive to con- 

 form to Nature's ways in the management 

 of the orchard the greater the chance of suc- 

 cess. As to the best time to trim we give the 

 perference to the early spring. 



But it is to the soil that the attention of 

 the orchardist should be most assiduously 

 directed. If the orchard is cropped, the ob- 

 ject should be not to utilize all the fertility 

 of the soil for fear it will be wasted, for the 

 trees will need it all, and more to, but to 

 keep the land clean, and for the purpose of 

 working in the manure applied. For this 

 purpose nothing is better than low, hoed 

 crops. A judicious rotation, however, 

 should be practiced, as crops of the same 

 nature taken from the land year after 

 year would be apt to exhaust it of some of 

 the elements necessary to the healthy 

 growth of the tree, unless some stimulat- 

 ing artificial manure is applied to supply 

 the deficiency. Whatever system is adopted, 

 however, the land should receive every year 

 a liberal dressing of well rotted manure. 



Treating Old Trees. Many present 

 owners may find their orchards a mass of 

 brush twenty-five or thirty years old, dead 

 limbs, barkless trunks and scanty foliage; 

 fruit, if any, is borne small, scrubby and 

 wormy. In this case there are three methods 

 of procedure, and which of the three to 

 choose must depend upon the particular 

 state of the orchard and the purpose for 

 which fruit is required: 



1. To cut down the trees, grub out the 

 stumps and plant a new orchard. 2. To 

 graft the trees with cions from a vigorous 

 stock. 3. To trim the trees and adopt a sys- 

 tem of renovation. 



If the case Is an extreme one, as the one 

 mentioned above, the fruit of an inferior 

 kind, or the conditions of soil or location 

 are unfavorable, probably the best plan to 

 adopt would be the cutting down plan. But 

 if the trees are young and vigorous, but with 

 fruit of an inferior kind, and good fruit is 

 wanted for market, I would adopt the graft- 

 ing plan. If, however, the natural condi- 

 tions for fine fruit are favorable, but the 

 orchard, through neglect of improper treat- 

 ment, has fallen into a state of unprofitable- 

 ness, I would then endeaver to make the 

 most of it by adopting the third plan. 



We will suppose the time of the year to be 

 June, and the orchard in grass. First, re- 

 move all dead limbs, then scrape and wash 

 the trees, then plow the land rather shallow 

 and cultivate the surface at intervals during 

 the season. Of manures it is doubtful if 

 anything is better, if it can be had in suflfi- 

 cieut quantities, than the refuse matter of 

 the farm, such as decayed chips, yard scrap- 

 ings, ashes, etc., not forgetting a good dress- 

 ing of well rotted manure in the fall. The 

 following summer cultivate some low hoed 

 crops between the trees, after which seed 

 (hiwn to grass to be used as a pasture for 

 hogs, sheep, calves, etc. By pasturing the 

 orchard the grass is kept short and the land 

 kept in good condition by the droppings of 

 the animals. The hogs especially are of 

 great service in devouring the worms in the 

 fallen fruit. — Farmer's Advocate. 



Acids in Vegetaule Prodocts. Thcpiateful 

 acid of tlic Ithubarli stalk ari.se.s from the malic 

 acid and bin (>.valat<» nf potash which it contains; 

 the acidity of the Lemon, Orange, and other spe- 

 cies of the genus Citrus is caused by the abund- 



ance of citric acid which their juice contains; 

 that of the Cherry. Plum, Apple, and Pear, from 

 the malic acid in their pulp: that of Gooseber- 

 ries and Currants, black, red and white, from a 

 mi.xture of malic and citric acid; that of the 

 Grape from a mixture of malic and tartaric 

 acids; that of the Mango from citric acid and a 

 very fugitive essential oil; that of the Tamarind 

 from a mixture of citric, malic and tartaric 

 acids; the flavor of Asparagus from aspartic 

 acid, found also in the root of the Marsh-mallow; 

 and that from the Cucumber from a peculiar 

 ] poisonous ingredient called fungin, which is 

 I found in all fungi, and is the cause of the Cu- 

 I cumber being offensive to some stomachs. It 

 will be observed that Rhubarb is the only fruit 

 which contains bin oxalate of potash in conjunc- 

 tion with an acid. It is this ingredient which 

 rendei's this fruit so wholesome at the early 

 commencement of the summer, and this is one 

 of the wise provisions of Nature in supplying a 

 blood purifier at a time when it is likely to be 

 most needed. Beet root owes its nutrious qual- 

 ity to about 9 per cent, of sugar which it con- 

 tains, and its flavor to a peculiar substance con- 

 taining nitrogen mixed with pectic acid. The 

 Hoi'se-radish derives its flavor and blistering 

 power from a volatile acrid oil. The Jerusalem 

 Artieoke contains 14i^ per cent, of sugar and 3 

 per cent, of inulin (a variety of starch), besides 

 gum, and a peculiar substance to which its flavor 

 is owing; and lastly. Garlic, and the rest of the 

 Onion family, derive their peculiar odor from a 

 yellowish, volatile, acrid oil; but they are nutri- 

 tious from containing nearly half their weight 

 of gummy and glutinous substances not yet 

 clearly defined.— Chemistry of the World. 



The FncHSi a. Few pot flowers are better adap- 

 ted for pot culture than the Fuchsia. Any one 

 who follows these directions can hardly fail of 

 success : First, fill the pots with good leaf -mold 

 and sand. If leaf -mold cannot be obtained take 

 the fibrous part of the sod from the bottoms of an 

 old meadow and mix with sand. FiU the pots 

 with drainage material (potsherd is best) to the 

 depth of two inches and cover with a layer of 

 moss ; the excess of moisture wlU flow out and 

 prevent the earth from becoming acid, as would 

 be the case if the drainage material were want- 

 ing. To insure a thrifty growth the roots should 

 have plenty of room, hence they should be kept 

 in spacious pots. If kept in small pots they will 

 bloom proportionally. The Fuchsia loves light, 

 but should never be set in a window where the 

 midday sun can shine upon them, and should be 

 sprinkled with water every second day. This 

 helps to keep the leaves clean and furnishes the 

 plant the requisite amount of moisture. The idea 

 seems to prevail that the Fuchsia is a winter 

 bloomer. There are only a few varieties which 

 bloom in the winter, but they are, as a rule, un- 

 reliable. Among those best suited for winter 

 blooming I would name Speciosa, with blush- 

 rose tube and sepals and reddish corolla. There 

 are many varieties of summer bloomers, and 

 new varieties are added eveiT year. Summer 

 and fall are the seasons in which the Fuchsia 

 blooms most freely, and after which they should 

 be placed in the cellar and left there until March, 

 when they are to be brought out and half the 

 wood removed and watered, and in a short time 

 many new shoots will show, when they may be 

 repotted. The Fuchsia may also be grown from 

 seed, and thereby new varieties are obtained. 

 Sow in March in shallow pots, simply pressing 

 them into the soil. When of convenient size 

 pot and as it becomes necessary shift until they 

 are ready to bloom.— American Rural Home. 



Green Manuring. There is reason to suppose 

 that sullicient means are not adopted to utilize 

 properly the refuse vegetable matter of the gar- 

 den. Probably this arises from the mistaken no- 

 tion widely spread among cultivators of the soil, 

 that such matter is improved by fermentation. 

 This refuse is scrupulously cleared otf the 

 ground, to be dug and consigned to the rubbish 

 heap. Here the chief components of plant tissue 

 are decomposed and dispersed in the air. If this 

 organic matter was dug into the soil, its constit- 

 uents would be letained by the absorbing influ- 

 ence of the soil, to supply the ensuing crop with 

 its natural food sujiply. The process of fermen- 

 tation leaves little save humvis, which, strictly 

 speakiuK, has no fertilizing properties, yet it acts 

 an important part as a mechanical agent, by ab- 

 sorbing nitrogenfjus compountls from the atmos- 

 phere. The process of fermentation and com- 

 bustion arc, to all intents and purposes identical, 

 and in each case the valuable parts escape in va- 

 por and gases, so that the rubbish heap as gen- 



erally managed furnishes the garden with little 

 stimulating properties, and so with stale dung, 

 from which by fermentation the great fertilizing 

 principle it possessed has escaped into the air. It 

 has, like the vegetable refuse, lost all its nitro- 

 genous principles, and when dug into the soil, 

 necessarily acts the same part. It has yet to re- 

 ceive its fertilizing properties by absorption 

 from the air. Green manuring has many ad- 

 vantages to recommend its use, in addition to or- 

 dinary manure. By throwing out a ton of refuse 

 vegetation we rob the garden of an equal weight 

 of more suitable manure than, perhaps, we are 

 able to replace. We often hear of soils becom- 

 ing exhausted, which if it lays fallow tor a year 

 or so regains its normal fertility. This is a fact 

 which most agriculturists take advantage of. 

 Atom after atom is graduall.v released as the 

 slow and steady decomposing action goes on in 

 the soil, in proportion to the growing crops' de- 

 mand for nutrition. Its decomposition evolves 

 carbonic acid, which acts an essential mechan- 

 ical part by breaking the soil, whereby other 

 constituents of plant lite are unlocked. Where 

 circumstances prevent immediate application of 

 green crops, they should be mixed with lime and 

 earth in the rubbish heap, to preserve their 

 volatile principles.— D., in Gardening World. 



Received at this Office. 



CATALOGUES, ETC.— FIOURES INDICATE PAGES. 



Boomer and Boschert Press Co.. Syracuse, N. Y. Cider 



Presses, etc., 62. 



Brackenrldge & Co., Crovanstou, Md. Orchids, 32. 



L. J. Fai-mer & Co., Pulaski, N. Y. Simpson's Tally 

 System with Berry Pickers, 4. 



V. H. Hallock & Son, Queens, N. Y. Florists, etc., 38. 



Joseph Harris Seed Co., Rochester, N. Y., Vegetable 

 Seeds, 8 



Eagle Sanitary and Cremation Co., Box lOW N. Y. City 

 Sanitary Appliances, 20 



A. C. Nellls Co N. Y. City, Seeds, Strawberries, 10. 

 Sargent M'f'g Co., N. Y. City, Reclining Chairs, 100. 

 I. N . Stone, Sioux City, Iowa, Nursery, 4. 



Thomas S. Ware, Tottenham, Eng., Hardy Plants, 

 Chrysanthemums, etc., 155. 



B. S. Williams. London, Eng., Orctilds, Tropical 

 Plants, etc., 100. 



miscellaneods. 



Report (2 vols.) of the year 1887, with colored plates 

 ot Chinch Bug and Codlln Moth; from the D. S. Depar^ 

 ment of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. Cloth, each 712 

 pages. Fumigators adapted to gas treatment of trees 

 for scale insects are also hgured. 



"The Jack Pine Plains,^' by B. C. Kedzle, Chemist, 

 being Bulletin No. 37 Chemical department of the Ex- 

 perimental Station of Michigan, 8 pages. 



Eighteenth Annual Report of the Entomological 

 Society of Ontario for 1887, W. E. Saunders, Secretary. 

 London, Ont., 82 pages. 



Report of the Fruit Growers Association of Ontario, 

 for 1^7, L. Woolverton, Secretary, Grlmesby, Ont., 177. 



" Tent Caterpillars," by G. H. Perlilns, Entomologist, 

 being Bulletin No. 11. also Bulletins No. 6, 8 and 9, of 

 the Vermont Experiment Station, 8 pages. 



" Celery Culture Simplified, " by A. C. Nellls, N. Y. 

 City, 8 pages. 



Transactions of the Illinois Horticultural Society, 

 1887. A. C. Hammond, Secretary, Warsaw, ni. Cloth, 

 .'341 pages. 



Seventeenth Annual Report of the Secretary of the 

 Michigan Horticultural Societj', together with a History 

 of Michigan Horticulture. C. W. Garfield. Secretary, 

 Grand Rapids, Mich. Cloth, 587 pages. 



" Organization " by Sellm H. Peabody, President, 

 being Bulletin No. 1 of the Illinois Experiment Station. 

 Wm. L. Plllsbury, Secretary, Champaign III., 13 page.«. 



"Fungoid Diseases of the Grape," by Prof. F. Lam- 

 son Scril>ner, in Bulletin No. 5 of the Section of Vege- 

 table Pathology, of the V. S. Dept. of Agriculture, with 

 directions for applying remedies, 113 pages. 



Procee(ilngs of the Millers National Convention, held 

 at Buffalo, N . Y. June 12. 13 and 14. 1888, in special Issue 

 of the "Roller Mill." E. L. Burdlck & Co., publishers, 

 Buffalo. N. Y. 



" The Wonderful Law," bv H. L. Hastings, Editor of 

 "The Christian" Boston, Mass. being No. 18 ot the 

 Anti-Infidel Library, U8 pages. 



" The Central Pacific Railroad and Its Relations to 

 the Government." An argument by Creed Haymoud, 

 its general solicitor, before a committee of the U. S. 

 Senate, Senator Frye, Chairman. 181 pages. 



Fifth Pieunial Report of the Kansas -\gricultural 

 College for 188.'')-6, Geo T. Falrcliild Secretary, Manhat 

 tan, Kan., 179 pages. 



Notes on the Twelfth International Exposition at 

 Gaud, France, with numerous engravings, by Chas. 

 Joly, vice iircslilcntot the National Horticultural Socie- 

 ty or France. Jt) piiges. 



"Insert I'.-sts jui.i Destroying them." by Geo.D.Hulst, 

 entomologist, being Bulletin No. 46, also No. 47, Fertll- 

 zers, of the N. J. Experiment Station. New Bruns- 

 wick, N. J. 



Fungicides, or remedies for Plant Disea-ses," by Prof. 

 F. L. Scrll)ner, Washington, D. C. being Circular No. 5, 

 for the use of the Directors of Experiment .Stations, In 

 their treatment of fungus Idsea.ses. 



Eightli Annual Report of the N. J. Experiment Sta- 

 tion for 1887, Geo. H. Cook, Director, New Brunswsek, 

 N. J. 2tti pages. 



" Avoidance of Injury to Foliage, In the Gas Treat- 

 ment of Trees," by F. W. Morse, in Bulletin No. 7!) of 

 the California Experiment Station. Berkely. Cal. 



"Winter Wheat anil Cottim Planting," liy J- R.Dodge. 

 Statistician, in Report No. fit, New Series of the U. S. 

 Dept. of Agriculture, Washington. D. C, 50 pages. 



"TrcatTuent of Apple Orcliards to prevent Insect 

 Injury, Curculio Remedies and Chinch Bugs." by Clar- 

 ence M. Weed, Eutoninloj^dst, Ohio Experiment Station 

 Bulletins No. 3 and 1 second scries, 3S pages. 



"A Treatise upon Wn.i.i .Vshcs as a Fertilizer," by 

 Munroe. Judson & Stroup, Oswego, N. Y., '26 pages of 

 practical matter sent free upon application. 



"Analysis of Commercial Fertilizers," by Prof. C. A. 

 Goessniau, State Inspector, in a Bulletin of the Mass. 

 Experiment Station. .Amhert. Mass. 



Prize 1. 1st of the Toronto Electoral District Society's 

 Flower Show, . I iilv. IHth ami lllth, 1S.8.S. J.P.Edward, 

 Secretary. 140 Wellington St.. W. Toronto, Ont. 



