136 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April, 





be enticed to drive to your place and so adver- 

 tise your business. 



Day help should be at hand, so locate, it pos- 

 sible, near a manufacturing town where there 

 are many children. Obtain good air and water 

 drainage. Have a constant supply of living 

 water, and it is well to have a variety of soils. 

 Generally, it is better to buy than to rent a farm, 

 and usually it is more profitable to purchase an 

 improved, or at least a fertile farm, rather than 

 one that is run down. 



~ Do not bunch your work, but distribute it so 

 as to cover the whole year. Farmers, as a rule, 

 are practically idle one half of the year; it is a 

 mighty good business that will support such 

 methods. If you cannot farm it during the 

 winter, do something else. 



Be neat in all operations. Make your place 

 attractive; give it a pretty name; advertise it by 

 having a trade-mark. Be energetic and progres- 

 sive. Marketing is one-half of success, there- 

 fore study your market thoroughly; learn the 

 conditions and demands. Failure is often 

 brought about by ignoring such small differences 

 as the color, size, or flavor of certain varieties 

 that please the public taste, or for some other 

 reason, or for no reason, except because it is 

 fashionable, it becomes popular. Boston wants 

 a branched Celery, while New York requires a 

 tall, straight stalk; some markets desire red 

 Onions, white others prefer white ones. Find 

 your market before the crop is ready. 



Send the produce to market in the neatest and 

 most attractive condition. Be honest. Secure 

 the same customers each year so as to establish 

 a reputation. In each city have one reliable 

 dealer to whom you can send your stock. 



The Improvement of our Fruits. 



^Extract of paper by U. S. Pomologist, H. E. Van 

 Deman, read before the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society.) 



No part of either temperate zone is so rich- 

 ly endovFed by nature with wild fruits of 

 such intrinsic value and so susceptible of 

 improvement as the United States, and yet 

 we have only begun their improvement. 

 The cultivation of only four of the twenty- 

 five species of our wild Grapes has been at- 

 tempted, and these in a limited degree. 



Orapas. Professor T. V. Munson, of Texas, has 

 been working in conjunction with the division 

 in preparing a monograph which sbaU cover the 

 entire genus Vitis as found growing wild in 

 North America. Already a preliminary report 

 has been issued. All the species will be repre- 

 sented of life size and in life colors, including 

 the fruit, wood, leaves, flowers, seeds, etc., so 

 that any person of ordinary intelligence may 

 indentify such of the wild Grapes as grow in bis 

 vicinity. The text will contain not only accurate 

 scientific descriptions, but cultural notes and 

 suggestions as to hybridization, etc., for the pur- 

 pose of enabling those who desire to experiment 

 to proceed more intelligently than without aid. 



Plums. The wild berries have so far yielded 

 most easily to the hand of man, but the tree 

 fruits are also well worthy of more attention 

 than has been bestowed. The whole genus 

 Prunus, as represented in North America, has 

 been only recently and but slightly improved, 

 and this merely by the selection of chance wild- 

 ings. The few native Plums thus obtained give 

 promise of much greater things beyond, and to 

 this end it Is my purpose to monograph this 

 genus and not only describe and illustrate each 

 native species, but to try to show what might 

 be done by crossing these with each other and 

 possibly with the common cultivated Plum of 

 Europe, Prunm dnmestica. 



It is really surprising how little is known of 

 even our commonest fruits. At present Mr. 

 .lohn S. Harris of Minnesota is investigating the 

 hardy fruits of the Northwest and the Kussian 

 Apples in particular, and Mr. T. T. Lyon is at 

 present visiting the State horticultural societies 

 of the West to assist in naming fruits, partici- 

 pate in their discussions, and endeavor to arrange 

 a system of reciprocity between National, State 

 and local societies and the pomological division. 



Citron. Within a few years I have succeeded 

 in introducing from foreign countries several 

 fruits which have never appeared on this side 

 the great oceans except in their manufactured 

 products, and which give promise of success in 

 this country. Among these I might name the 

 Citron of commerce, which, until within the 

 past year has only been represented by an oc- 

 casional seedling tree in the aoutbern parts of 



Florida and California, Not one ounce of Amer- 

 ican preserved Citron is to be found, and there 

 is no good reason why all that is needed by our 

 people may not be grown within the United 

 States. Thirteen of the very choicest named 

 varieties were procured from Catalonia and Pal- 

 ermo on the Island of Sicily, and from Naples 

 on the mainland of the Mediterranean region 

 and others, also from Bastia, Island of Corsica, 

 where it is said the very best Citrons are grown. 

 Dates. In the southern parts of California, 

 Arizona, New Mexico and Texas there are mil- 

 lions of acres which can be made to produce 

 Dates of as good quaUty as those grown in Ara- 

 bia and Persia. I sent to the Date-growing 

 regions for rooted suckers from the l)est-named 

 varieties in existence, and sixty-three plants are 

 now planted in the region before mentioned, 

 without the loss of a single tree. It is expected 

 that in due time others will be received. All 

 former efforts to secure rooted suckers of the 

 Date have failed, because they were not planted 

 in tubs of earth until well established, and then 

 forwarded in this condition. All the Dates grow- 

 ing in the United States previous to this, are 

 seedlings, and, as is the case with other fruits, 

 there is no certainty as to what kind of fruit will 

 be produced in this way; and not only this, but 

 as the Date is a dioecious tree, there is no certain- 

 ty as to which sex will be produced. 



The Hango. This is another fruit which has 

 been until recently represented on this continent 

 only by a few seedling trees, but I have pro- 

 cured from India grafted plants of a number of 

 their very choicest varieties. These are now in 

 southern Florida, where they are being propa- 

 gated on young seedlings, and these, when ready 

 for distribution, will be placed in the hands of 

 those who are likely to succeed. 



Filberts, There is not a pound of Filberts in 

 any of the stores of the United States that has 

 not been imported, and it has occurred to me 

 that our own people might produce what our 

 markets demand if the original stock was placed 

 in their hands. With this purpose in view I have 

 endeavored to procure from Europe and the 

 British Isles plants and fresh nuts, that a tho- 

 rough test may be made as to their adaptability 

 to this country. The Puget Sound region seems 

 to be a suitable place for this experiment, as the 

 climatic conditions are fully as good as those in 

 Kent, England, where a large part of the Filberts 

 found in our markets are produced, and 1 think 

 the soil is better. There are doubtless other 

 places where they will succeed quite well. 



Europe is the principle field that can be 

 worked to obtain such fruits as will endure the 

 climate of a large part of our country, and it has 

 been gone over for centuries past, and very little 

 remains there worthy of introduction. Asia 

 presents a much better opportunity, and, if pos- 

 sible, we may yet be able to get many valuable 

 things from there. 



Practical Points in Fruit Culture. 



(Gathered from last meeting of Nebraska Horticul- 

 turists.) 



The establishment of experiment stations 

 in difterent parts of the State was proposed, 

 and the State Legislature now in session 

 will be asked for a suitable appropriation 

 for that purpose. 



Prof. Bessey would apply the knife vigorously 

 to exterminate the blight in orchards by cutting 

 below all appearance of diseased wood. 



Pear Cultnre. The question, "Can Pears be 

 grown in Nebraska!"' was treated by Clyde Bar- 

 nard. He would plant Pears and give them but 

 littlecultivation,if any. Seckel, Flemish Beauty, 

 Bartlett and White Doyenne are successfully 

 grown by him. Mr. Stephens would add Early 

 Harvest. Mr. Carpenter thinks Seckel, on ac- 

 count of its slow growth, is not as subject to 

 blight as the more rapid growing kinds. Mr. 

 Heed says Pears have been doing finely in Gage 

 county for three or four yeai's. Flemish Beauty 

 and Clapp's Favorite have borne abundant 

 crops. Mr. Brown from Fillmore county speaks 

 of several orchards that are givmg Hue crops of 

 Pears in his county. Flemish Beauty and some 

 others are doing well. Mr. Stephens would 

 mulch Pear trees with coal ashes and grow them 

 very slowly; is not pleased with Chinese Pears. 

 Mr Harris is well pleased with the Kiefler Pear 

 and recommends all to plant it. Mr. Lyon, of 

 Michigan, thinks the Kiefler will do for market, 

 but is not a good Pear to eat; it lacks flavor. 



Apples for Market. V?- B. Harris, of Johnson 

 county, thinks the Ben Davis will retain at least 



a prominent place among the leading market 

 Apples and "'will not down." Speaks well for 

 Wine Sap, Janet and Jonathan. Ben Davis and 

 Gano are similar in quality. C. W. Gurney 

 speaks a good word for the Ben Davis in North- 

 ern Nebraska. Mr. Youngers, of Fillmore 

 county, will plant .35 acres of Ben Davis in the 

 spring. Mr. Harris would not plant all of one 

 kind; he would plant four or five kinds. Other 

 members spoke highly of the Wine Sap, Missouri 

 Pippin, and Rome Beauty as profitable market 

 Apples. 



Best Six Apples for Market.— W. J. Hesser 

 names the Janeton as the best paying; Wine Sap 

 second; Ben Davis third; Jonathan fourth; 

 Minkler fifth; Duchess of Oldenburg sixth. H. 

 Craig names as the six best Apples for family 

 use, Duchess of Oldenburg, Wealthy. Wine Sap, 

 Janet, Ben Davis, and Jonathan. Mr. Gurney 

 would add Allen's Choice. 



The subject of "Propagation of Nursery Stock" 

 was treated at length by Peter Youngers, Jr., 

 who spoke in favor of the piece root graft for 

 the cold North. The fruit exhibit was not equal 

 to former exhibits, yet, everything taken into 

 consideration, it was far better than none. Over 

 '200 plates of Apples were shown and premiums 

 to the amount of $125.00 were awarded and paid. 

 The Society proceeded to the annual election of 

 oflBcers. F. W. Taylor was re-elected President; 

 W. E. Harris, First Vice-President; B. N. Day, 

 Secretary; Peter Youngers. Jr., Treasurer. The 

 summer meeting of the Society will be held at 

 Hastings, in Adams county, August 4 and 5 1891. 



Western New York Fruit Growers in 

 Council. 



(Continued from page 12'2) 



Reformed Nomenclature. President 

 Barry very opportunely calls attention to 

 the work of the American Pomological So- 

 ciety. What we need are short names that 

 are easily written, pronounced and remem- 

 bered. The Western New York Horticul- 

 tural Society should lead in this matter. 

 He adviseil nurserymen to follow the cata- 

 logues of the American Pomological Society. 

 Mr. Hubbard said Woodruff Red should be 

 named "Woodruff;" Empire State, "Em- 

 pire;" Ulster Prolific, "Ulster;" etc. 



Ornamental Home Planting. In a well- 

 written paper on this subject, Mr. J. J. Thomas 

 stated that the refining influence of ornamental 

 home planting was beyond computation in dol- 

 lars and cents. We can not expect many to go 

 to large expense in ornamentation, but if the 

 proper spirit is infused into every owner of a 

 home, constant opportunities will occur to beau- 

 tify at sm.ill expense. 



Mr. Thomas made the following excellent sug- 

 gestions: 1. Buildings cost much, neatness and 

 planting cost little. 2. Surround the dwelling 

 with a smooth lawn, graceful shrubbery and 

 blooming flowers. 3. Give beauty and finish in- 

 stead of disorder and waste. 4. Secure pure air, 

 with nothing to impart odors. 6. Provide a 

 home museum for the^3"oung people. 6. Have 

 dry walks about the dwelling— do not walk in 

 mud. 7. Assist the young members of the fam- 

 ily in the study of the natural sciences, in col- 

 lecting, and in sketching and drawing. 8. Culti- 

 vate a pleasing face to present to each member 

 of the home. 



Wild Flowers. Pres. Barry says we can get 

 many of the fine wild plants of the woods for 

 the embellishment of home grounds. Prof. 

 Saunders, of Ontario, names Sanguinaria or 

 Kloodroot as flue for such purposes; among 

 cultivated growths the following have superior 

 merit: Blue Spruce; Pinus ponderosa or Bull 

 Pine, very hardy even under most unfavorable 

 circumstances, and handsome; Douglas Fir; 

 Japanese Maple, quite hardy and having charm- 

 ing red foliage. These high-colored species are 

 especially flne in small grounds. 



Aquilegia Bergeriana, sent from Peters- 

 burg, is the most handsome of all the Columbines 

 and the most valuable. It is easily prevented 

 from mixing with others. 



Currant Enemies. Prof. Saunders states 

 that the Currant borer is the larva of a small 

 moth. Another enemy is the larva of the saw- 

 fly. The latter larva has more than sixteen legs 

 (18 or 20) and the tail part of the body appears 

 curled up. The moth larva has only sixteen legs. 

 The sawfly hil)ernates as chrysalis and is hard 

 to destroy. The fly emerges early in spring. 

 When the foliage appears infested, spray with 



