THE GENESEE FARMER. 



155 



tap 



To these I would recoinineiid tlie aniatour to add 

 Faj'y Early Autumn, Early Nowington, or (Jeorgo 

 the Fdurtli, or Haines' Early, Cooledge's Favorite, 

 Hills Chili, t^colt's Koupariel, Langworthy's Late 

 Karovipe, and Noblesse, or Malta. II. E. U. 



Modicster, N. Y. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OF APPLES. 



Let your field have a northern exposure if possible. 

 Spread, in tlio spring, at least fifty loads of good barn- 

 yard manure on the acre; let it remain until tlie grass 

 is at least knee high, and then turn under; ])Io\ving 

 at least ten inches deep. Back-furrow in beds sixteen 

 feet in width, taking care to give the deadfurro^vs 

 guilicient descent to drain well, but not so steep as to 

 gully. As soon as you have plowed under the grass 

 and manure, sow one half bushel of buckwheat to the 

 acre and harrow in well. In the fall just before the 

 buckwheat gets sufficiently ripe to grow, roll down 

 and plow under, plowing the same way, making the 

 back and dead furrows come in the same places as in 

 the tlrst plowing. By so doing you will make dry 

 beds for your trees, and the furrows will take off the 

 surplus waters. In the spring plow same way as be- 

 fore, but not deep. Dig holes in the centre of the 

 beds twenty-five feet apart, taking care to have the 

 koles no deeper than the trees set in the nursery — 

 Place the tree in the hole and fill in with one-third 

 compost and two- thirds soil, putting the dirt two 

 inches above the level of the ground. Plant in the 

 quincunx form, by doing which you save ground. 



Now you may cultivate beans and root crops gene- 

 lally in your orchard, but never grain or grass. Man- 

 are once in three years, forking it in around the trees. 

 Do this and you will never regret it. I know what 

 I say. G. C. Ltman. 



Lynn, Pa. 



ON THE CULTIVATION OE THE PLUM. 



^ The great drawback to the cultivation of the plum, 

 tas been, and stiil continues to be, the ravages of the 

 curculio, which is well known to every person who 

 has ever attempted to cultivate plums. The next 

 great evil is the black knot, which troubles trees in 

 most localities. The best remedy for this is thorough 

 cultivation, and to cut out clean all spots as soon as 

 they appear. 



It is generally known that the curculio will not 

 deposit its eggs over paved walks, water, or any place 

 where their young will not thrive when they fall to 

 the ground. The most eflectual way to exterminate 

 this pest, (as practiced,) is to spread sheets on the 

 ground, and jar the fruit that has been stung upon 

 them. 



The following scientific plan, which is not univer- 

 sally known, will bear considerable experimenting: 

 It is well known that the plum is a marine plant, and 

 where the salt spray breaks over them the whole 

 crop ripens finely, while upon the heights above the 

 •whole crop is lost. For a remedy, apply sftlt Ije or 

 salt brine to the earth pretty freely, as far out as the 

 branches of the tree extend. The young of the cur- 

 culio cannot live in ground saturated with the above 

 described liquid. If this proves to be an effectual 

 yemed)-, it will be an important era in fruit culture. 



Rochester, JV. Y. B. 



ON THE CULTIVATiON OF SMALL FRUITS. 



STRAwiiKURiEs havc cxcitcd considerable attention 

 of late from horticulturist.^, and this has been in- 

 creased by observing the im])roveniont resulting from 

 cultivation, and the enhanced value of the fruit. 

 Much has been written about the necesi^ity of select- 

 ing stauiinate and pi.stillate plants, or male and fe- 

 male; and so particular have some writers been as to 

 prescribe precisely the number of each to be i)lautcd, 

 in order that a specific ratio be observed. Ilowever 

 true this may be ihcoretically, I am inclined to doubt 

 the utility or superiority of the rule in its applicar 

 tion. I believe that the following method of plant- 

 ing strawberries, and cultivating them, to be more 

 practicable, certain and comprehensible than any I 

 have seen : Prepare the ground (which should be 

 rich, sandy scil,) by the application of good barn- 

 yard manure, leached ashes, or any other compost ; 

 after which plow deeply, mixing the manure weU 

 with the s n\. When the ground is pi'epared care- 

 fully, as above stated, set your plants in rows, about 

 four feet apart, the plants two feet distant from each 

 other. If ever desirous of enlarging your strawbei ry 

 bed, after the first plants are set out, go while the 

 plants are bearing, and select the largest and health- 

 iest, (those which bear the largest berries,) and if the 

 wetither is favorable you may immediately transplant 

 them; and having sufficient female plants, the stami- 

 nate, in sufficiecit abundance, will invariably be pro- 

 duced. 



A far more important consideration than the pistil- 

 late and staminate rule in the culture of strawberries, 

 is the entire destruction of weeds. 1 am inclined to 

 doubt the aavantages of that plan which prevents the 

 vines from covering the entire bed, as I think experi- 

 ments have demonstrated that they yield better when 

 new vines are being added, and it is a known fact 

 that in an uncultivated or natural state, this is the 

 case. By the removal of the Bon-bearing plants and 

 weeds, the remaining plants will have ample room for 

 development, as well as being in a state to receive ths 

 light and heat of the sun. 



Raspberries are not so profitable as strawberries; 

 and though they require let-s h.bor in their cultiva- 

 tion, are not so universally cultivated. A little exer- 

 tion in planting some cuttings along your fence, and 

 then of placing a ghght frame to prevent them falling 

 to the ground after they have attuiued a large size, 

 will amply repay any one. To increase their number, 

 you may thrust the tops of the bushes into the ground, 

 and they will thei-'iby take root. 



Currants generally thrive in almost any kind of 

 soil, and are very easily cultivated. In setting cur- 

 rants, the soil, in the first place, should be well pre- 

 pared by plowing or digging, and reduced to a very 

 fine tilth, and should then be stinaulated by warming 

 and invigorating manure. A porous, or not too re- 

 tentive subsoil, is desirable, with a small per centage 

 of clayey matter in the surface soil. When the lat- 

 ter is deficient, it may be well to supply it. Into 

 soil thus prepared, the cuttings from old plants — the 

 fresh, vigorous wood of the previous year's growth — 

 may be set, with an almost certain assurance of suc- 

 cess. These should be cut ofl' near the surface, and 

 inserted in the lines or beds to the depth of six or 

 seven inches, and the soil well compressed about 

 them. The surface should then be covered with old, 

 well-rotted chip manure, hay, leaves or straw, so a3 



