io6 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



March, 



stray Suggestions from My Vegeta- 

 ble and Fruit Garden 



WALTER STU.UtT, CLARK CO., KY. 



Some Crooked-neck Winter Squashes were 

 planted the middle of May, in manured hills, 

 and trained over the fence one side of the 

 garden. They were ready to eat first of 

 August, and we had plenty until winter. 

 My Sweet Potatoes all went to vines from 

 being in too rich soil, but we haven't felt 

 their loss, as the Squashes filled their place 

 so well. 



Hackensack Muskmelon did well until 

 Aug. 20, when cool nights coming on, they 

 utterly refused to ripen, though the green 

 ones were of good size. I had some Tomatoes 

 wired up carefully, and allowed others to 

 take their own covirse, but could not see 

 enough difference to justify tying up. When 

 frost came I pulled up a quantity of them, 

 and piled together and put a few bundles of 

 fodder around them, and they kept finely 

 until I was ready to gather them. A few 

 hills of late Cabbage, planted by chance 

 amongst my Rutabagas, grew and headed 

 up without any attention, whereas the Cab- 

 bages planted in an exposed place, were 

 almost wholly eaten up by worms, in spite 

 of dust, coal ashes, etc. 



By closely watching and letting none go 

 to seed, three hills of Cucumbers produced 

 enough for my family of seven to use, and 

 to fill a ten gallon keg half full of pickles. 



On April 10th I planted two rows of Irish 

 Potatoes, using pieces with two eyes each. 

 Was particular to leave the sprouts on, and 

 to put the cutside down, covering with loose 

 soil and pressing slightly with hoe over each 

 hill. They came up within a week, and on 

 June 1st we had new Potatoes on the table. 

 They were of good size, and abouttwo weeks 

 ahead of my neighbors'. 



When Turnips are too thick, I find a hand- 

 rake a good implement to thin with when 

 small, scraping as if you wished to destroy 

 all of them. I sow Turnips after all early 

 vegetables, preferring to raise them instead 

 of weeds, as the ground must be covered 

 with something. 



In cutting out the old canes among my 

 Turner Red Raspberries some were cut off 

 several inches above ground. Quite a num- 

 ber of these old canes put out new branches 

 and bore fruit, some as late as middle of 

 September. Perhaps we might evolve an 

 •'Everbearing Raspberry." If plants were 

 grown from seed of such late fruit, it seems 

 their fruiting season could be changed. I 

 have saved some of the seed, and will plant 

 it next spring. In trimming my Apple trees 

 I notice that those branches cut off nearest 

 thebud, are the most completely healed over. 



An Example in Tree Planting Worthy 

 of Imitation. 



Timber destruction is still going on at a 

 rate far more rapid than timber growth, 

 and far too rapid for the Nation's good. 

 The clearing of forests is considerably 

 changing our landmarks and landscapes, 

 and fast removing our natural windbreaks. 



It is time we should plant again, if not 

 broad acres with forest trees, for their tim- 

 ber, at least evergreens and other growths 

 as screens, and as a protection against the 

 biting blizzards. 



Mr. Chas. W. Garfield recently told quite 

 an interesting .story in Garden and Forest. 



" Circumstances," he said, " gave me an 

 opportunity in 1878 to sow several rows in the 

 garden west of my house with the seeds of 

 three varieties of Maple, two of Ash, two 

 of Elm and one of Alder. I also planted 

 seedlings of Norway Spruce, Austrian Pine, 

 Arbor-vltiB and European Larch in parallel 

 rows alongside. I cultivated them, and 

 they grew thriftily. In the meantime, to 

 the westward of me for miles, the timber 

 gradually disappeared, until the wind now 



has a sweep for a long distance, with noth- 

 ing to break its force. 



It was not later thfln 1883 that neighbors 

 began to inquire if 1 would sell some of 

 those ornamental trees. I had none for 

 sale, but gradually began thinning out the 

 plantation and giving plants to my neigh- 

 bors. The school-ground was planted with 

 some of the surplus ; numbers found their 

 way to the cemetery; rows of them were 

 planted along the highway. It seemed 

 marvellous how many could be spared and 

 still how many remained. The grove has 

 thickened and made a complete barrier. 

 Many of the trees are twenty feet in height; 

 and weekly, almost daily, in the winter 

 season, I hear the remark, 'What a com- 

 plete protection the grove makes for your 

 building from the furce of the winds.' 



Shrubs and tender plants are grown un- 

 der the lee of this grove that will not with- 

 stand the severity of the open blast My 

 coal bill is lessened, my general happiness 

 and that of my friends admirably sub- 

 served. I have been enabled to contribute 

 to the especial wants of my neighbors in a 

 delightful way. Others have appreciated 

 the argument and have followed my ex- 

 ample. The logic of deeds has been more 

 convincing than the argument of words." 



Growing Strawberries for Market. 

 Fifth Paper. 



L. J. FARMER, OSWEGO CO., N. Y. 



Second Frtiiting. We never fail in hav- 

 ing a crop of Strawberries on the new 

 runnersduringAugustand September. This 

 peculiarity, however, is confined to only a 

 few varieties. We never have seen any 

 fruit in the autumn on a Crescent, Wilson 

 or Bubach. The Bidwell, Parry or .lessie, 

 however, have developed this characteristic 

 to quite an extent, producing fruit as large 

 and fine-flavored as in the spring. I think 

 it is brought about by the young plant re- 

 ceiving some check in its growth. We 

 notice fruit'in greater abundance on plants 

 that have not yet struck root. The young 

 runner beingprevented from rooting readily 

 contracts its energies to making fruit, same 

 as a Black Raspberry cane that was not put 

 down at the proper time to root, will some- 

 times bear fruit on the tip ends late in the 

 fall. 



Strawberries vs. Grapes. Two years 

 ago a man came to me asking advice in 

 Raspberry culture. He owned a place too 

 small to support his family by ordinary 

 farming, therefore had been hiring farms 

 for the past few years. The last year, after 

 paying expenses, he was -?.50 behind. He had 

 resolved to raise Raspberries on his own 

 place. I advised him to plant out an acre of 

 Strawberries, which he finally did. He also 

 planted two acres of Raspberries. On ac- 

 count of unfavorable weather, lack of skill 

 in planting, etc., the Raspberries did not do 

 well. But the Stjawberries made a good 

 growth and did not fail in fruiting time. 

 Erom the acre were sold -?.340 worth of fruit; 

 quite a good showing from one year's expe- 

 rience. It takes the product of a good many 

 cows and many acres of land to cover $.340 

 at present prices. This man has increased 

 his plantations of Strawberries and Rasp- 

 berries. Next year his Raspberries will 

 come into full bearing, and I conclude he 

 will no longer rent farms for raising grain. 

 Visiting Neighboring Fruit Growers. 

 Any one may read all the horticultural 

 books and papers he can get, and still not 

 be familiar with the latest ideas. We should 

 visit each other and learn each other's 

 methods. There is no end to what we can 

 learn by interchange of ideas. I am often 

 surprised at the new ideas my neighbors 

 study out, and I lose no time in adopting 

 them myself if practicable. 



Ridge vs. Level CtiLTtiBE. Almost every 

 writer recommends level culture for Straw- 

 berries. I have tried both ways, and am 

 decidedly in favor of growing them on a 

 slight ridge. It is especially desirable in a 

 rainy season. Our rule has been to set 

 the plants on a level, and at each hoeing 

 draw earth up around and among the plants. 

 By fall the matted row of plants is on quite 

 a ridge, with a depression between each 

 row for the water to pass off. Last spring 

 the plants were set out on a level as usual. 

 It was so wet for months afterwards that 

 water stood around the plants, and many 

 rotted and died. Had each row been on a 

 slight ridge, say two inches, the surface 

 water would have run off and the plants 

 done nicely. I know this by observing the 

 rows that were in the center of the lands, 

 higher than the rest. On these rows plants 

 have made double the growth, and look 

 healthier too. Last September I saw a patch 

 of Strawberries on a piece of ground border- 

 ing on a swamp, that were remarkably 

 vigorous. They had made a better growth 

 than on our well-drained upland. That soil 

 was wet and boggy, and had nothing but 

 surface drainage; but they were skillfully 

 managed. Each land was rounded up into 

 a nice bed, with deep dead furrows between 

 for main ditches. The rows run crossways 

 the lands, and between each row was a de- 

 pression, so that no water could stand 

 around the plants. I could hardly believe 

 that plants set in June would make such a 

 growth. 



The ridge method has many advantages. 

 The ground dries off quickly after a rain, 

 hence plants can be cultivated and hoed 

 sooner. The plants are less liable to be de- 

 stroyed by heaving in early spring. When 

 water stands around the plants in winter 

 they are sure to be destroyed by alternate 

 freezing and thawing. I am inclined to 

 think that plants standing on a ridge are 

 less liable to suffer from drouth. They root 

 deeper, going dowm to moisture. If you 

 pull up a plant on wet soil the roots are 

 found to have spread over the surface, not 

 rooting deeply. Should dry weather come 

 during fruiting season, then plants will 

 wither and fail in producing fruit. 



White Grubs. Strawberry growers were 

 never troubled more with white grubs than 

 they have been the past season. Then grubs 

 will hatch out next spring and we may look 

 for an extra large supply of May beetles or 

 June bugs. There have been no May bugs 

 the past two years, and I take it that next 

 year we won't be troubled with white grubs. 

 There need be no caution used in setting 

 Strawberries on any soil ne.xt season. Even 

 green sward, usually full of grubs, will do. 

 The workings of the white grub are peculiar. 

 It don't seem to be limited to any particular 

 soil or locality. It thrives everywhere. 

 E. P. Roe compared the white grub to that 

 element in society which has just ambition 

 enough to do harm, but not enough to do 

 any good. Although the white grub is very 

 destructive to pastures, to the Potato crop, 

 and to Raspberries, eating off the tips that 

 are put down to root, its worst work of de- 

 struction is among Strawberries. We find 

 them more abundantly in old Strawberry 

 beds than anywhere else, and for this reason 

 it is not wise to fruit a patch more than one 

 year. The beetle lays its eggs in unculti- 

 vated soil. The eggs hatch into grubs, which 

 do little damage till the second year, when 

 they obtain full size. They begin their de- 

 structive work about the time Strawberries 

 begin to run nicely, say middle of July, and 

 continue till cold weather comes on, when 

 they pass into the pupse or chrysalis state, 

 preparatory to coming out next spring a full- 

 fledged .lune bug. With all its stupidity 

 the white grub is no fool. We watched it 

 closely the past summer, and find that it 



