1 890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



103 



ripens eiuiy. evenly, and iu great abundance 

 \iniler the luxuriant foliage. 



All these, even the Lorillard (althmiKli this is 

 disputeil in some iiuartcrsi. will make most ex- 

 cellent market sorts, Ignotnm and Matchless 

 beiniror especial large size, and thus far unsur- 

 passed for cannery purposes. Seed of the 

 Early Ohio was sent us by a friend in Ohio, but 

 we know nothing of its origin. It differs but 

 slightly from Matchless. The Stone, a variety 

 given us by Mr. A. M Nichol. of Granville, Ohio, 

 who we believe is introducing it this spring, also 

 belongs to this class. Its fruit is of good color, 

 large, smooth and reasonably solid. 



Messrs. Peter Henderson & Co.. New York, are 

 introducing a new sort under the name of Early 

 Kuby. We have grown this for four or five years, 

 and have seen acres of it on the grounds of 

 the gardener who discovered the first plant. 

 We cannot speak too highly of it; but 

 we suspect that this and Mr. Burpee's 

 Matchless will prove to be very similar, 

 if not altogether identical. 



Our opinion of the Mikado or Turner's 

 Hybrid has never been excessively high; 

 the fruit, while large and solid, is not 

 smooth enough to satisfy our taste, that 

 has been rendered fastidious by such 

 perfect Tomatoes as the Livingston 

 varieties and other newer sorts. Neither 

 could we see any points of merit in the 

 yellow sport of the Mikado introduced 

 last season under the name of Shaw. 



The French Tree and the Station are 

 mere aggregations, and so entirely with- 

 out practical value that we do not pro- 

 pose to bother with them again. 



Horsford's Prelude, although prolific 

 and reasonably early, was left unhar- 

 vested. We do not care for Tomatoes 

 of that size when we have plenty ot the 

 fine sorts before mentioned. Volunteer 

 is deserving another trial, the fruit is 

 early and fair, and the plant productive. 

 An altogether distinct, unique and 

 beautiful thing is the Peach Tomato of 

 which we present an engraving. When 

 ripe it drops off with stem left on, similar 

 to a tree fruit. On account of its shape_ 

 bloom and the beautiful rosy tint on 

 greenish yellow ground, it can easily be 

 mistaken for a small Peach. It may sell 

 in market on account of its remarkable 

 attractiveness; but being rather soft, although of 

 high quality, it cannot be classed among market 

 sorts. The home grower wUl be delighted with it. 

 King of the Earlies, Atlantic Prize, Earliest 

 Advance, and one or two more of the same type, 

 are early indeed, but this is pretty near all that 

 can be said in their favor. They are weak, sprawl- 

 ing growers, with thin foliage, and their fruit is 

 small and far from solid. Yet near large mar- 

 kets, with a demand for early fruit at good prices, 

 some ot these early sorts, especially the first 

 named, may be grown with considerable profit, 

 if grown under high culture and making use ot 

 all our resources m forwarding the crop. Rich 

 soil not only enlarges both foliage and fruit, but 

 also makes the foliage smoother, better colored 

 and even more solid. 



Sandwich Island Salsify. This we have 

 grown for a number of years, and we found it so 

 much better especially ot more ligorous growth 

 and larger root than the old French Salsify, that 

 we at last discarded the latter altogether, and 

 shall stick to Sandwich. The writer who reports 

 In one of our exchanges that the two varieties do 

 not materially differ, probably did not have the 

 true Sandwich. This variety was introduced 

 under the decidedly overloaded name " Mammoth 

 Sandwich Island" Salsify. It is truly a good 

 variety, a decided step in advance, and this 

 Salsitj" will undoubtedly remain in cultivation 

 for a long time; but what can the " Committee 

 on Vegetable Nomenclature" do with the name? 

 The new set ot rules, if strictly adhered to, would 

 prune it down to Spanish Salsify, 



are blighting on the thick limbs and main stem, 

 while the grafts of Idaho set on them last spring 

 are still fresh. Now this is a bad business, and 

 may cause me quite a loss; as the Idaho wood 

 was very valuable. 



My faith in this stock above ground is too poor 

 to ever touch it again. Perhaps the stock will 

 do for other Pears if grafted on it at the ground, 

 but even this I will not trust. It is often said 

 that LeConte will not blight when grown from 

 cuttings. One of my neighbors has some twenty 

 LeContes on its own root, three years old. and 

 that is all the age they will ever reach, for they 

 are about all dead. No one regrets this more 

 than 1 do, for it is a beautiful tree, the fruit of 

 fair quality and very hadsome; but the fruit 

 with me softened at the core before ripe on the 

 outside. This I thought bad enough.yet thought 

 as it is a good grower, there might be value in 



THE PEACH TOMATO. 



COMMENTS BY READERS. 



A department to wMch all are invited to send notes 0/ 

 experience and observation concerning topics that re- 

 cently have been treated on in this journal. Many 

 f weft contributions monthly are welcome. 



The LeConte and Keiffer Pears. I see the 

 LeConte mentioned by you for stock and other- 

 wise. I say, beware ot the LeConte. That this 

 Pear blights badly has already been given from 

 my pen; yet I also mentioned that a number of 

 trees of four years old, were free from blight on 

 the hill. Recently, however, I notice that they 



the tree as a stock. Even this seems denied us 

 also. Notwithstanding the many slurs and con 

 demnations heaped upon the Keiffer as not fit t( 

 eat by many, I will stake my reputation on it 

 that for this region it will be more largely 

 planted than any other sort for the next ten 

 yeai-8, unless the Idaho flUs the bUl I expect it to, 

 and the trees become cheap. Garler will also 

 be given trial Iwhen it becomes known, and the 

 trees plenty. It is larger than Keiffer, a month 

 earlier, a regular beauty, and in quality better. 

 This Keiffer and Garler are the foundation of a 

 new class of Pear that may be of great value in 

 the future. Some Keiffer seedlings raised the 

 past season are the strongest and cleanest I ever 

 grew.-S. Miller. 



Life History OF Ladv Birds. In December 

 number, New Jersyan, in speaking of the lady- 

 birds, seems to think that those left on the tree 

 would die when winter came. These useful little 

 insects hibernate, and when spring comes awaken 

 again to life, and lay eggs that hatch about the 

 time the aphides-their usual food supply— ap- 

 pear. Sometimes the lady-birds live through 

 the winter as pupae, several such having come 

 under my observation. Dr. Packard suggests 

 their use in greenhouses to destroy plant lice. I 

 have successfully reared them during summer, 

 but have yet to learn whether a 'winter laying" 

 breed can be originated, a problem the chicken 

 ! raisers have not yet proved to their satislaction 

 in their line of business. It is in the larval state 

 that the lady-birds are of the most use to us, 

 and, naturally, it is the beetle we have in winter. 

 Could the right conditions be found for hiber- 

 nating the beetles, they might be let loose in the 

 spring in the Potato patch to the destruction of 

 the Potato beetles, as they of ten collect in count- 

 less swarms just before retiring to winter quar- 

 ters, and could be collected in vast numbers.— 



Walter A. Lynn. 



Striped Cucumber Beetle. Ten years' mar- 

 ket gardening have made me acquainted with 

 ! the Cucumber beetle, and of all the enemies the 

 gardener has this is decidedly the worst. The 



first three years of my gardening I made war on 

 I this little pest, and during that time I discovered 



that the Marblehead and Hubbard Squashes were 

 always destroyed before my Melons. Cucum- 

 bei-s, etc., were touched by bugs. The fourth 

 year I concluded to make peace with the bugs, 

 and I planted Squash seed by the handful all 

 through my vine patches, and I planted seed 

 every third day, so there were fresh plants com- 

 ing up all the time, and in this way I kept the 

 bugs well fed until my Melons and Cucumbers 

 grew out of the way. I now have had peace with 

 the Cucumber beetle tor seven years, fed them 

 on their choice feed, and in that time have never 

 failed to save my Cantelope, Watermelons and 

 Cucumbers. Some may think it expensive to 

 buy Squash seed enough to save one acre of 

 vines, but you will find it the cheapest and safest 

 plan. It you have bugs by the million as 1 have, 

 and two dollars invested in Squash seed will save 

 two acres of vines, it is cheaper than fighting 

 with drugs and then fail — Jactooii. 



Crandall Currant. We have 

 grown and used this for many years, 

 and have a high opinion of its desert 

 qualities, and this opinion is well sup- 

 ported by the testimony of people well 

 qalifled to judge. Mrs. Mary A. Wood- 

 bridge, Secretary National W. C. T. U., 

 says: "We regard the Crandall highly- 

 The fruit is of fine sizer and flavor, of 

 superior merit for pies, sauce, and 

 especially for jelly, in which the rich 

 brilliant color ot the juice is particu- 

 larly to be admired." Our friend F C. 

 Miller, of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, the 

 noted horticulturist, speaks of it as 

 follows: 'For culinary purposes it is 

 most excellent; have eaten it stewed 

 and in pie. Its flavor is exquisite. Most 

 productive of any small fruit known 

 to me. Must be seen to be believed."— 

 TT'arton Walburn, Ohio. 



The Sweet and Sour apple. In 

 corroboration of what Mr. Bassett says 

 in January number, we can add our 

 testimony. About 1820 one Chester 

 Bartholomew brought a lot ot Apple 

 grafts from Connecticut and grafted an 

 orchard In this township. One o( these 

 trees bore an Apple half red and half 

 green with a ridge around it as if it had 

 been molded. One halt of the Apple 

 was sweet and one halt sour. This will 

 be attested by all of our old citizens. The 

 same Apple was in Connecticut years ago, as late 

 as 1830. On the farm then belonging to James 

 Treat, about eight miles from Norwich. Conn., 

 there was a tree that bore Apples half sweet and 

 half sour; just such an Apple as I have described 

 as growing on the farm of Mr. Bartholomew at 

 this place.— Jir. M. Murphy, Brown Co., O. 



Yellow Raspberries. The remarks in Jan- 

 uary number in regard to Golden Queen Rasp- 

 berry I suppose are meant for all yellow Rasp- 

 berries so far as the fruit is concerned. I have 

 this to say for the Caroline: however it may do 

 elsewhere, it is our most paying Raspberry. It 

 is soft and sometimes will mold by standing over 

 night, but our market is only a mile away and 

 berries are sold and used the day picked. The 

 fruit is sold from the wagon and we tell our cus- 

 tomers they must use them that day. For eat- 

 ing fresh, we prefer them to any other Raspberry, 

 because of the agreeable acid taste. When 

 canned alone the color and flavor is impaired. 

 By accident, my mother learned how to over- 

 come this, by mixing a tew Red Raspberries with 

 them. The reds not only give a better color to 

 the fruit but impart a very agreeable flavor. 

 The Caroline is put down by the New Y^ork Ex- 

 periment Station as the most productive Rasp- 

 berry in cultivation, and this has been our ex- 

 perience. With us they are ever-bearing. Last 

 year we had fruit for the table from July to 

 October, frost killing the last berries. It bears a 

 big crop the first year provided any of the last 

 years growth is left on; indeed it is liable to bear 

 too much for its future good. With us the bush 

 grows like a black cap, as long as good cultiva- 

 tion is given, making new plants from the tips. 

 When cultivation is neglected orentirely stopped, 

 it grows more like a red variety, but never suck- 

 ers immediately. The tips do not root readily 

 unless put down just at the right time, and the 

 young plants are tender and breakable, For 

 this reason sucker plants will give better satis- 

 faction. The Caroline is certainly the best Rasp- 

 berry we know for house use. Like the Crescent 

 Strawberry it will bear berries under great neg- 

 lect, but like the Crescent, it repays good cul- 

 ture.— L. J. Farmer. 



