JUNE 15, 1912 



889 



unless, iiideed, a heavy dressing of stable 

 manure was worked into it. But without any 

 dressing whatever it is just covered witli 

 about the rankest growth of sweet clover I 

 ever saw. The clover is now about three 

 feet high (May 30). We propose to cut it 

 with a scythe for our horses and cattle. I 

 thought at first some member of our firm 

 Jiad directed the sowing of sweet-clover 

 eed; but they all say they did nothing of 

 he kind. Sweet clover, however, has been 

 growing for years along the bank of a rail- 

 way cut, a few yards away. The wind prob- 

 ably scattered the seed more or less over 

 this freshly moved hard clay soil. The seed 

 nust have come up and made some growth 

 ilast fall, but it was not noticed. Now, this 

 hard, impervious clay was just the place 

 vhere the sweet clover could clinch its roots 

 preparatory to pushing straight down that 

 heavy thick tap root. See page 323, May 

 il5. Just here I am reminded of something 

 funny that happened several years ago. 

 Uadoo fiber for growing potted straw- 

 berry PLANTS ; WHY WAS IT GIVEN UP 1 



Many of our readers will remember that 

 several years ago I was enthusiastic about 

 growing strawberries in little pots filled 

 (wdth jadoo fiber. This fiber is so light that 

 it can be readily sent by mail, with suffi- 

 cient moisture to keep the plants in ex- 

 cellent condition in transit. You may re- 

 call that we did quite a little business one 

 fall in mailing these potted plants in jadoo. 



felt sure it was going to be a great inven- 

 tion. What was the trouble? It was this: 

 \We planted out several hundred in our own 

 fields, and they started off so finely I ex- 

 pected a great crop from them. Imagine my 

 surprise and chagrin, however, to find in 

 the spring every potted plant set in jadoo 

 out on top of the ground, and winter-killed, 

 (While those potted in clay or common gar- 

 den soil stood the winter all right. The jadoo 

 is so soft and yielding that the roots could 

 l^et no hold on the soil, and every jDlant was 

 thrown out by the frost. Had the jadoo 

 jeen all washed off from the plant when 

 first put in the open ground, so the roots 

 ieould get a new and firm hold in ordinary 

 oil, they would, perhaps, have held their 

 jDwn. Now, this illustrates exactly what 

 happens when sweet clover is sown in good 

 nellow fertile soil — that is, soil good for 

 other crops. But when the seeds are drop- 

 ped on the hard roadside or in a brickyard 

 jr on a railroad bank of hard unfertile 

 play, so it can get hold and push down that 

 tap root, then it winters all right. The 

 hardest, most unpromising, and impervious 

 soil seems to have stood it the best. 



Just a word more about jadoo fiber. Sev- 

 eral have inquired lately why it is not now 



manufactured and in the market. I believe 

 (hat florists ceased using it first, because it 

 was too expensive ; and, second, because the 

 plants seem to need, sooner or later, a 

 stronger and more compact soil to grow in. 

 I still think, however, that where plants 

 are to be sent by mail, and have them 

 reach the purchaser in good order, it is the 

 best thing ever invented for the purpose. 



POKEWEED FOR GREENS; GOLDEN BANTAM SWEET 

 CORN. 



Mr. Root : — I have just read of your latest new 

 discovery, t. e., that pokeweed makes good greens, 

 and believe you should, if possible, add a word of 

 warning in your next issue. There is considerable 

 poison in the root of poke, and in gathering it one 

 should be careful to break the young shoot an inch 

 or 60 above the root to avoid the possibility of get- 

 ting any of the toxical properties. Some have been 

 poisoned by carelessness in this matter. Poke was 

 common in my former home in western Ohio, and 

 used for greens by many farmers' families, but was 

 not generally liked when cooked alone, being too 

 soft and slippery. But when used with dandelions, 

 dock, chard, liveforever, turnip-tops, etc., it was 

 quite popular. Please tell us more definitely how to 

 cook it as was done by your Florida neighbor. This 

 may be the. new discovery. 



In my old home in Ohio, what was called poke 

 was a large weed, one to two inches in diameter at 

 the base, three to five feet high, and with berries 

 in clusters like currants in late fall, and into the 

 winter if not eaten by birds. This was eaten as 

 greens only when tlie shoots wtre young, never 

 when more than about eight inches high. Hure a 

 very different plant is poke, one which grows 

 in boggy places in company with skunk cabbage, 

 only a foot or two high, leafy like cos lettuce, and 

 claimed to be very poisonous. What is called poke 

 in Ohio (ai'd Florida, I presume) is here called 

 "skoke." The berries are often called pigeon ber- 

 ries. Now, if your statement on pace 288, that 

 poke, a supposed poisonous plant, is delicious when 

 tcrved as asparagus induces any one to eat this 1/Og 

 plant it may result in serious sickness or even death, 

 «nd, if possible, a correction should be made in your 

 May 15th issue. 



It is quite odd how plants and things generally 

 ^re called by different names in different sections 

 of our country. What is called dog-fennel in Ohio is 

 htre called Mayweed; lambsquarter is called pig- 

 weed; hickory trees or nuts are c lied walnuts; 

 shafts are thills; singletree is whiffletree; doubletree 

 is evener; but about the most peculiar provincial- 

 ism here is calling a wagon a team. 



Is it possible you have not learned that Golden 

 Bantam sweet corn is much the hardiest, and may 

 afely be planted while the ground is far too cold 

 and wet for any of the white sweet corns? If so, 

 Tou surely do not read your seed catalogs carefully! 

 J am sending herewith leaves from some of the 1912 

 fatalogs, on which I have marked the statements 

 about the hardiness of this variety. 



Packer, Conn. E. P. ROBINSON. 



Thanks for corrections, friend R. The 

 pokeweeds that we gathered in Florida 

 were simply snapped off like asparagus, 

 usually several inches above the surface of 

 the ground. It is cooked exactly like dan- 

 delion greens. I supposed, without making 

 inquiry, that they were simply boiled in 

 water.* 



You are probably correct in regard to 

 the Bantam sweet corn, and I take pleas- 

 ure in submitting to our readers the follow- 

 ing extract from Burpee's catalog. I be- 



*In consulting our dictionaries and cyclopedias 

 vf recent date I find pokeweed, but no mention of 

 cokeweed, although it is true here in Ohio we have 

 Iways been in the habit of calling it scokeweed. 



