346 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



do not think much of it. It has ripened very little 

 fruit as yet, though the plants were very large when 

 set out in the spring. 



" ' Lester's Improved ' tomato has done well this 

 season. It is one of the best tomatoes we have. 



" These strawberry plants set out in August have 

 grown splendidly. I intend to give them a cover- 

 ing of manure and leaves, to protect tlein from the 

 winter. 



" If we were sure of having as mild a winter as 

 the last, I would risk the raspberries, but it is 

 really very little trouble, after all, to protect them. 

 It is only necessary to bend down the canes, and put 

 a little soil on the ends to hold them down. A 

 spadeful of soil will hold down two hills. 



"So of grapes, the labor of taking the vines from 

 the trellis and laying them on the ground, with a 

 little soil on them, is very little, and it insures their 

 safety. Last year the mice eat the canes of the 

 Delawares and Rebeccas, and did them much 

 damage. The Isabellas that were merely covered 

 with soil were not touched. Leaves, and every- 

 thing that will harbor the mice, should be removed. 

 I think if the vines are simply laid on the ground, 

 without any covering, they will not be injured by 

 the frost. If the wood is thoroughly ripened, they 

 will not suffer if left exposed on the trellis. 



" There is no trouble about keeping the mice 

 from fruit trees. Throw up a little soil round the 

 trunks,' sis or eight inches high. Stamping the 

 snow down hard round the trees has the same ef- 

 fect. The mice burrow along the ground, and the soil 

 or hard snow prevents them from reaching the trees. 



"Late cauliflowers, if taken up and the roots set 

 in sand in the cellar, will head nicely, and be beau- 

 tifully white and delicious. 



" To keep cabbages in winter, there is no better 

 way than to dig a treuch in the ground, and place 

 the cabbage in it with the roots upwards, and then 

 cover the cabbages with soil. They come out iu 

 the spring white and sweet. 



" A friend of mine last fall dug up his cabbages 

 and set them in a pit, which he covered with a roof 

 of boards and corn stalks. They all rotted. The 

 reason doubtless was that the roof was too high, and 

 the stalks did not keep out the frost. The editor 

 of the Country Gentleman says he has adopted a 

 similar plan for years with good success. He takes 

 cabbages that have not headed properly, and sets 

 them as closely as they will stand in a double row, 

 in their natural position, in a wide and shallow 

 trench. He then forms an earth roof over them in 

 this way ; 



" Set in a piece of upright plank at each end t 

 support the ridge pole (shown by the dotted lint 

 in the figure.) Place a rail or stiff pole on thes 

 for the ridge pole, and on this the ends of the shoi 

 pieces of board in the form of a roof. Cover thes 

 boards with about six inches of earth, or enough t 

 keep the soil from freezing in which the cabbagt 

 stand. This is the whole operation. Nearly all ( 



these will be handsomely headed in the spring, an 

 being entirely excluded from the light, they will! 

 more delicate both in appearance and flavor, tha 

 common cabbage heads. Two hours labor last ai 

 tumn, he says, gave him a fine supply of cabbagt 

 for a moderate family nearly through the who' 

 spring. 



" Failure has sometimes resulted by not coveric 

 the roof with sufficient earth to keep out sevei 

 cold. About six inches does well for the Northei 

 States. A sheltered place is best. A small ho 

 should be left at each end for ventilation. In ver 

 cold weather they might be stopped up." 



So ends our " walks and talks" for this seasoi 

 During the winter let us think over our plans fc 

 the future — let us hold intercourse with the wii 

 men of the past and the present, and seek for tl 

 best information to aid us in the quiet and pleasai 

 labors of our favorite pursuit. Let us, above a] 

 hope that the tramp of hostile hosts may no longi 

 be heard in our beloved land, — but that peac 

 plenty and prosperity may extend throughout a 

 our borders, and that there be no complaining i 

 our streets. 



In "Notes from Paris," in the Cottage Gw 

 dener, the difference in the selection of roses an 

 other plants in England and France is noticed. 1 

 England high colors and gorgeous tints are unive: 

 sally preferred, while in France dull-looking ros< 

 and low-tinted flowers are the favorites. Tr. 

 writer thinks that the climate is the cause of thi 

 as their bright and glaring sun leads them to a< 

 mire the more sombre colors, while the leade 

 skies of England render the gorgeous shades moi 

 pleasing to the eye. 



