76 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



January, 



There is no more doubt in our mind that a 

 healthy union can also be formed between 

 Kieffer and Le Conte on one side, and unconge- 

 nial sorts among our common Pears, by some 

 way of double-working. Bartlett, and other 

 sorts which we recently saw tried on Le Conte 

 and Kieffer stock, for instance, failed in every 

 instance, after making a fine growth for one, 

 or at most two seasons. At the same time we 

 heard of successes when the oriental sorts were 

 used for stock, in sections south of us. Double- 

 working should be tried, for if successful, Le 

 Conte will give us very superior stocks indeed. 



Sweet Corn. In the selection 

 of the land for our trial patch of 

 early varieties of Sweet Corn we 

 have not been remarkably fortun- 

 ate, the past season. Incessant 

 rains with insutficient dniinage 

 kept the ground in the condition 

 of thin mud for weeks after plant- 

 ing, so that much of the seed 

 rotted without sprouting, and 

 what did grow, had not the proper 

 chance to come to full develop- 

 ment. So far as the fault was with 

 the drainage, it will be remeditd 

 next season. The work of ditching 

 and laying tUes is even going on at 

 this writing. But owing to the 

 partial failure of crop, we are 

 hardly justified in expressing a 

 very decided opinion on the merits 

 of the various varieties planted, 

 among them Potter's Excelsior, 

 Livingston's Golden, Landreth's 

 Sugar, Durkee's Sweet, Honey 

 Sweet, Cory, etc. We were favor- 

 ably impressed with Livingston's 

 Golden, and shall not fail to have 

 it on trial again with the others. 

 Our favorite, the Cory, seems to still hold its own. 

 If we were to plant Sweet Com for earliest 

 market, we believe we would select Cory, which 

 we know to be reliable, having grown it for a 

 number of years. The stalks are quite dwarf, 

 allowing close planting, but the ears are remark- 

 ably large for so early a sort, indeed, the largest 

 we have ever had at its season. In earliness it is 

 also the equal of any other eaiiy kind, and its 

 quality is quite passable. Some of the newer 

 sorts may be better, or at least fully as good, 

 but we will have to find this out first, and in the 

 mean time depend on our Cory. 



Carrots. For many years the Danvers has 

 been our favorite for a general-purpose Carrot. 

 The Long Orange and Improved Long Orange 

 are very good, and so proved themselves again 

 this season, but their extreme length is often 

 inconvenient in shallower soils, and on account 

 of the greater labor required in harvesting the 

 crop. The Danvers undoubtedly gives the same 

 bulk, but this nearer the surface, as it forms a 

 compact cone. The new Chantenay, however, 

 suits us as well as anything we have yet grown. 

 It is of the shape shown in engraving, blunt at 

 lower end, always smooth and handsome, ma- 

 tures early, apparently is of good quality, and 

 seems to be very productive. On account of its 

 compactness, and growing so near the surface, 

 it is even still more easily lifted than Danvers 

 Carrot. Altogether we have come to regard it 

 as our best variety for the general purposes of 

 the home grower. 



Underdraining. While our system of under- 

 drains was laid out a year ago the work of 

 putting down lateral tiles througbtout the place 

 has been pushed step by step since. We are now 

 wanting to get in 1500 tile before winter closes 

 upon us. The season is wet and unfavorable for 

 this kind of work, but some progress is being 

 made. The tile are laid by an experienced 

 drainer on the terms of 30 cents per rod, he dig- 

 ging the trenches, but not filling in the soil after 

 the tile are in place. The discharge of the 

 system of tile put down a year ago is tree and 

 satisfactory. 



Preparation for Winter. Some portions 

 of our grounds have lately been plowed and 

 subsoiled, and the work is being extended at 

 this writing December 16 as the intermissions 

 between rains permit. We have been struck by 

 how a single circumstaoce under certain condi- 

 tions may defeat some object which but for it 

 could be carried out. A two-acre triangular 

 plat of Oats stubble it was deemed best to plow 

 and subsoil by going around the piece. This 

 method of plowing requires that the turning be 

 done on the overturned soil. It worked all right 



until the i>iece was one-third plowed when heavy 

 rains set in, which have since been quite steady, 

 and this prevented the plowing being finished, 

 not because the soil could not have been plowed ] 

 had the furrows ran strictly lengthwise and per- 

 mitting of turning the team on unplowed land, 

 but with plowing " round and round " the 

 triangle, the turning of the team on deeply 

 plowed and subsoiled land, wet at that, was 

 about impossible and the job was stopped, for 

 another more favorable to wet weather work. 



The young trees and shrubs which were planted 

 in the spring, have been given a liberal dressing 



CORRY SWEET CORN. 



CHANTENAY CARROT. 



of well-rotted compost, scattered as far as the 

 roots are supposed to extend. The young vine- 

 yard plants and many the vines and things have 

 been laid down and covered lightly with soil. 



Some hardy perennial flowers that were re- 

 ceived in October were planted out in a cold pit 

 for the winter here to have the protection of 

 glass. We think this an excellent plan for hand- 

 ling hardy flowers, received in the fall. In the 

 first place we gain on spring work to receive 

 such in the autumn, secondly by thus setting 

 them in a sash-covered pit, they receive some 

 protection and the roots become calloused at 

 their ends by planting time in the spring which 

 is an advantage. Then again to have the plants 

 at our command earlier in the spring than they 

 could be received from a nursery, admits of early 

 planting which is always a good thing for this 

 class of growths. 



The entire surface of our new lawns that were 

 started during the past season were well coated 

 with fine manure in November. The same treat- 

 ment was given to the borders of hardy plants 

 and shrubs. After the manure had been apjilied 

 to the lawn it was noticed that some coarse 

 gravel was present in it, the manure having 

 been shipped to La Salle from the cattle yards at 

 Buffalo. Our laborer was told that the presence 

 of the gravel might prove very damaging to 

 the knives of the mower next season, and he 

 was set to work with a fine steel rake to pass 

 over the lawn for no other purpose than to get 

 out all of this gravel. 



Peaches Under Class, Pruning etc. 



JOHN ASH. NORFOLK CO., MASS. 



To prune a Peach tree properly, consider- 

 able experience and judgment on the part 

 of the pruner is necessary to keep a tree 

 well furnished throughout with fruit-bear- 

 ing shoots. As much of the old wood as 

 possible should be cut away to allow space 

 for laying in this season's growth, and it 

 should be the aim of the pruner to keep the 

 young wood as near the base of the shoot 

 as possible, otherwise the center of the tree 

 will become bare and unfruitful. 



Where trees have made excessively succu- 

 lent growth, as much of it should be cut 

 away as can be replaced by fruit-bearing 

 wood, as these growths rarely produce fruit, 

 and only serve to draw to themselves the 

 nourishment which the trees require to 

 perfect the crop. To prevent their reappear- 

 ance, attention must be paid to root pruning 



and now is the best time of the year to 

 perform the operation. Dig out a trench 

 two and a half feet from the stem at each 

 side of the tree, and from three to four 

 feet from the stem in front, the depth of 

 the trench should be from two and a half 

 to three feet, using a fork when the roots 

 are reached so as not to bruise them. 



In root pruning an old established tree, 

 where the operation has not been performed 

 before, it is advisable to cut away the 

 strongest roots " that extend beyond the 

 trench" on one side of the tree 

 only, allowing those on the 

 other side to remain until the 

 following season, so as not to 

 give the tree too great a check. 

 I] Carefully fork away as much 

 of the soil from the ball as can 

 IjL done without injury to the 

 roots, throwing the soil out 

 of the trench and replacing it 

 with a mi.xture of good fibrous 

 loam, lime rubble and a sprink- 

 ling of bone meal; in doing 

 .this, the roots must be raised a 

 1 little to bring them nearer the 

 surface, and carefully spread 

 I'out in layers so as not to en- 

 In training Peach trees on the 

 fan system, commence tying 

 the shoots at the bottom of 

 tangle the fibres, covering each 

 layer with soil and pressing it 

 firmly among the roots. This 

 course of treatment should be 

 followed every two years, 

 the tree, balancing each side as evenly as 

 possible, to get an equal distribution of sad 

 in every part of the tree, and allow a space 

 of about three inches between the shoots 

 to leave room to lay in the young growth. 



COMMENTS BY READERS. 



A depa rtment to which all are i7ii'ite(l to send note^ of 

 ej^erienee and observation concerning topics that re- 

 cently have been treated on in this Journal. Many 

 such contributions monthly are welcotne. 



Celeries. The Giant Celeries are usually poor 

 in quality, and when mature, hollow-leaved; they 

 are also poor keepers. White Plume has behaved 

 very well with me this year, and retained its 

 usual self-blanching nature. But in order to 

 hurry up my May sowing I earthed it up a little 

 at a time, but full in October, and of coui-se this 

 lengthed the white leaves and rendered them 

 very tender. It is now very ripe, that is the 

 leaves are so brittle they break with very little 

 handling, and of course this robs it somewhat of 

 its good flavor. I have always regarded Kala- 

 mazoo and Golden Heart as being synonymous. 

 It is splendid in every way, of good" quality and 

 keeps well. Uoston Market isn't as good for 

 early, and I always rub off its characteristic 

 sprouts, but its quality is flue, and it is the best 

 late keeper of all the green Celeries. But if you 

 want perfection in quality grow the red Celeries, 

 no matter whether the variety is New Rose, 

 London Red, or Major Clarke's Pink. When well 

 grown and well bleached the heart leaves are not 

 pink at all. but of a rich yellowish white color, 

 and you can smell it as well as taste it. 



Cucumber Beetle Insectkides. Bravol Ex- 

 periment faithfully and tell the naked truth. 



Zanzibar Balsam from Seed. Yes, it seeds 

 freely, and the seeds gerniinat* easily. In green- 

 houses where it is grown it ripens and scatters its 

 seeds, and self-sown seedlings come up every- 

 where—under or on the benches, alongside the 

 pathways, among the pots of other plants, or 

 elsewhere where you would be likely to find 

 young Ferns or wild Oxalis come up. I grow it 

 for summer gardening, and instead of saving 

 some jilants overwinter I just gather seed and 

 raise a fresh stock of seedlings in spring. 



Christmas Roses. Let me endorse what Mr. 

 Orpet has got to say about these. But as many 

 people don't know anything about them let me 

 add: They are not Roses at all, nor related to 

 Roses, and they don't grow like Roses or look like 

 Roses; they belong to the Crowfoot family of 

 plants, the same to which Anemones belong, and 

 are called Hellebores, H. niger mazimus is the 



