148 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



May, 



The Spraying Mixtures. 



It is now a demonstrated fact that we can 

 control both our insect enemies and the 

 majority of plant diseases, if we will only 

 use the sprayer and the spraying mixtures 

 promptly and persistently. Without such 

 precaution, however, we will be pretty sure 

 to lose a large, if not the largest, part.of our 

 fruit crops. 



In regard to spraying pumps, we can only 

 refer our readers to the circulars of manu- 

 facturers, among them the Field Force 

 Pump Co., of Lockport, N. Y.; the Gould 

 Manufacturing Co., of Seneca Falls, N. Y.; 

 the Nixon Nozzle and Machine Co., of Day- 

 ton, O.; P. C. Lewis, Catsliill, N. Y., and 

 others whose advertisements may be found 

 in the columns of all horticultural papers. 



They make and sell machines to suit all 

 circumstances and conditions, for large and 

 small operations, from the ordinary cheap 

 machine to be worked by hand, to that 

 geared to the wagon wheel and operated by 

 horse power. 



Knapsack pumps, serviceable for garden 

 plots and vineyards, are made and offered 

 for sale by William Stahl, of Quincy, 111.; 

 W. S. Powell & Co., of Baltimore, Md.; The 

 Field Force Pump Co., of Lockport, N. Y., 

 and some firms in Washington, D. C. These 

 pumps work to perfection, and the French 

 use them very largely. Where much spray- 

 ing is to be done, Americans will prefer the 

 machines that allow of putting the heft of 

 the work of drawing sprayer and liquid, and 

 perhaps even of operating the pump, upon 

 the horse, or horses. 



The nozzle to distribute such mixtures as 

 the Bordeaux mixture must have an adjust- 

 able opening at the end. Among those to 

 be found In our market are the "Perfec- 

 tion," the "Nixon," the "Cyclone," the 

 "Vermorel," and many others. Prof. L. H. 

 Bailey of Cornell University has contrived 

 a clamp which is attached to the end of a 

 common rubber hose, by the pressure of 

 which the size of the opening is quickly ad- 

 justed. Whatever the nozzle used, it must 

 be attached to a long pole to distribute the 

 liquid most evenly at the top of high trees. 



The following formulas of spraying mix- 

 tures were given by Prof. T. S. Maynard 

 of the Mass. Agricultural College, viz.: 



Bordeaux Mixture. Six pounds of sulphate of 

 copper are dissolved in 2 gallons of hot water, 

 and 4 pounds of fresh lime are slaked in water 

 enough to make a thin lime-wash. When both 

 are cooled, pour together, mi.xing thoroughly 

 and dilute to 22 gallons. Strain before using. 



Ammoniacal Carbonate of Copper. Three 

 ounces of precipitated carbonate of copper are 

 dissolved in one quart of ammonia, strength 22° 

 Baurae. Dilute with 22 ^Uons of water. 



£au Celeste. One pound of sulphate of copper 

 dissolved in 25 gallons of water. 



Modified Bau Celeste. Two pounds sulphate 

 of copper, 2% I'ounds carbonate of soda and l^^ 

 pints of ammonia (22° Baume). Dilute with 22 

 galltjns of water. 



Kerosene Emulsion. One pound common soap 

 dissolved in hot water; 1 gallon kerosene. Stir 

 or churn together until a smooth, butter-like 

 substance is formed. Dilute with 2.5 to .50 parts 

 of water. 



Paris green or London purple may be 

 used with the Bordeaux mixture, and thus 

 we get a combination useful both for insects 

 and fungous diseases. In regard to other 

 coml)ined mixtures, as for instance of cop- 

 per solutions with Tobacco tea, kerosene, 

 potash salts, pyrethrum, etc., more trials 

 are needed before detinite formuhe can be 

 given or suggested. 



We believe the most convenient form in 

 which the Bordeaux mixture and ammoni- 

 acal carbonate of copper are now obtain- 

 able, is in the prepared packages put up by 

 W. S. Powell & Co., of Baltimore. The 

 proportions are those as suggested by the 

 Department of Agriculture, and the ingre- 



dients are ready for dilution with water, 

 and then at once for use. 



Prof. Maynard sums up the following 

 as facts now pretty well settled, viz: 



(1) That of the arsenites, Paris green gives 

 the best results as an insecticide. 



(3) That the longer the mixture contain- 

 ing the arsenites stands the greater the in- 

 jury from soluble arsenic. 



(."!) That the foliage of the Peach, Plum 

 and Cherry is more susceptible to injury 

 than that of the Apple and Pear. 



(4) That the injury varies with the varie- 

 ties, some being more susceptible than 

 others. 



(.5) That young leaves are less injured 

 than those fully developed, and are more 

 injured on weak trees than on those that 

 are vigorous and healthy, 



(fi) That Paris green cannot be used alone 

 with safety stronger than one pound to 

 three hundred gallons of water, but with 

 the lime mixtures it may be safely used at 

 one pound to from fifty to two hundred 

 gallons. 



(T) That the foliage is most injured when 

 kept constantly wet by light rains or foggy 

 weather, but that heavy rains lessen the 

 injury. 



(8) That the least injury is done when the 

 liquid dries off most rapidly. 



(9) That the time of day when the appli- 

 cation is made is unimportant. 



Ridge vs. Level Culture. 



E. L. POLLARD, MIS.SOUBL 



The ridge system of Strawberry culture 

 may have decided advantages on level or 

 swampy land, or wherever the water Is 

 likely to stand at any time of the year, but 

 on our rolling prairie and timbered knolls, 

 experience has taught us that level culture 

 will give the better results. In planting 

 Strawberries we find it of greater import- 

 ance to secure them againt dry spells than 

 excessive wet ones. If planted on freshly 

 prepared land, with the crowns on a level 

 with the surface, the plants will be found 

 by the time the soil has settled to have some 

 of the roots exposed and consequent injury 

 is the result. So we would prefer to set 

 Strawberries in a very slight furrow rather 

 than to put them on a ridge. We have 

 noticed, too, that plants set on a ridge are 

 more likely to be injured by freezing, as it 

 is difficult to keep the mulch on in winter. 

 It will be blown off, leaving the plants ex- 

 posed unless something is used to hold it in 

 place; while if level culture be practiced, 

 the mulch will not collect between the 

 rows, even if moved by the wind. 



Cleaning Out Old Strawberry Beds. 



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



As a rule we do not believe in running a 

 Strawberry bed more than one year. There 

 is no such thing, however, as an ironclad 

 rule in horticulture. Some years the plants 

 will make such a growth that they won't 

 bear a profitable crop the first year, but left 

 till the second year, the crop will be large. 



After fruiting' a variety the merits may be 

 such as to render it desirable to increase 

 the stock of plants rapidly. In such cases 

 the old bed may be cleaned out at a profit. 

 If only fruit is wanted the weeds may be 

 removed, the mulching material stirred up, 

 and when dry all may be set on fire and 

 burned. This destroys the weed seeds and 

 leaf lilight or rust. The space between the 

 rows is now plowed and cultivated till 

 thoroughly mellow. In a few weeks the 

 plants will send up new leaves and by 

 winter look as green as a new bed. 



If new plants are wanted the leaves 

 should not be cut off as the strength of the 

 plant will go towards forming new leaves 

 instead of runners. The weeds and rubbish 

 should all be removed and the space be- 



tween the rows thoroughly spaded up or 

 plowed and cultivated. The rows are now 

 given a liberal dressing of superphosphates 

 or rotted manure. The cultivator should 

 be run through once a week and narrowed 

 up as the plants begin to run. Perennial 

 weeds will start and should be pulled as 

 fast as they grow. 



While the above is a safe way of increas- 

 ing our stock of plants rapidly, I do not ad- 

 vise practicing this plan year after year if 

 one wishes to keep up the pedigree of his 

 plants. Some one says that it is the ten 

 dency of all varieties to run out. We have 

 grown the Crescent Strawberry for ten 

 years and can see no difference in growth 

 and fruiting qualities. Indeed, we some- 

 times think they improve. I have always 

 used plants from new beds for re-setting. I 

 am a firm advocate of using new bed plants. 

 When old plants are spoken of, the small 

 inferior plants that strike root in the weeds 

 and grass are meant. Of course, plants 

 from cultivated old beds are better than 

 such, but still they have not the vigor of 

 new bed plants and should be used only 

 when necessity requires it. 



Hastening the Germination of Seeds. 



The chief one of the methods most com- 

 monly employed to quicken the germina- 

 tion of seeds, is soaking in tepid water, pure 

 and simple. This has often given us highly 

 satisfactory results, especially with seeds of 

 root crops, such as Turnips, Beets, Carrots, 

 etc. Still, under average circumstances, in 

 sowing vegetable seeds in moist soil, it is 

 not necessary, and usually inconvenient, 

 and we now seldom resort to it, depending 

 on the virtues of well-flrmed soil rather 

 than on soaking the seed. 



The majority of vegetable seeds germin- 

 ate easily and promptly; yet under some 

 circumstances it may be desirable to hasten 

 the time of germination of these as well as 

 of some other seeds that on account of hard 

 covering or other causes, are usually slow 

 to start growth. 



Other things being equal, says a cor- 

 respondent of the Revue Horticole, seed pre- 

 served in their natural envelopes up to the 

 time of planting germinate much better 

 and more quickly than those which have 

 been washed and preserved without cover- 

 ing, even if kept in paper or cloth bags in a 

 dry, equable temperature. With few ex- 

 ceptions, all seeds with fleshy coats should 

 he preserved in their natural covering as 

 long as possible. When their natural cov- 

 ering is removed, if the planting-time has 

 not come, it is always safe to place the seeds 

 between layers of flue sand containing at 

 least ten per cent, of humidity, and so pre- 

 serve them from direct contact with the 

 atmosphere. 



Seeds of the Grapevine, washed and dried 

 at the time the fruit ripenened, and then 

 placed in bags and sown the following 

 spring, germinated only in the proportion 

 of eight to ten to the hundred the first year, 

 while others did not germinate until the 

 second or third year. The plants produced 

 by these had the seed-leaves nearly always 

 blotched with white. A part of the same 

 seed preserved in their pulp to the end of 

 December, and then placed in sand until 

 the sowing time, germinated much more 

 quickly and in the proportion of seventy- 

 five or eighty in a hundred. 



The same precaution is necessary in the 

 case of various large oily seeds, such as the 

 seeds of Oaks, the Tea-plant, the Camellia, 

 Laurels, Chestnuts, Beeches, etc., which 

 lose in a large part their power of germina- 

 tion if preserved during the winter in bags, 

 and require to be sown as soon as ripe, or, 

 at least, to be preserved in sand, and so 

 prepared for germination when the time for 

 sowing arrives. This is the best method. 



