1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



i6g 



Notes on Plum Culture and 

 Plum Curculio. 



JOSEPH CHASE. MIDDLESEX CO., M.\SS. 



I set one-year-old Plum seedlings in nur- 

 sery rows, t;row them lo ,?k' or J4 inch diam- 

 ter, and then graft them in early spring as 

 near the crown of the roots as convenient, 

 with a cion having four or live buds. ^ATien 

 the l>uds have grown to twelve or eighteen 

 inches high, I nip off the top to make the 

 side shoots grow, thus forming a low tree, 

 branching out about six inches from the 

 ground. Thus grown, it is easy for the 

 owner to work around the trees and to pick 

 the fruit while standing on the ground. 



To save the fruit from the ravages of the 

 curculio, I watch the fall of the white 

 blossom leaf, then I go out to the trees in 

 early morning with a tin scoop and some 

 dry coal ashes, and shower the trees well, 

 say twice each week until the fruit is one- 

 third grown. I sift my coal ashes in the 

 cellar during winter, in an iron ash barrel, 

 and head up in Hour barrels. After the land 

 is plowed in spring, I roll the barrels out 

 under the Plum trees. In the season of 

 1888 I was obliged to prop up my trees to 

 keep them from breakmg down. The sea- 

 son of 1889 was so wet that most of the 

 Plums rotted on the trees about here. 



Celery Growing. 



MRS. M, R. W., SCiiTT CO., IOWA. 



It is a wonder to me, that more farmer 

 families do not enjoy having this delicious 

 vegetable upon their tables. I am convinced 

 from my own experience, that anyone who 

 has grown it once successfully, will certain- 

 ly have it regularly, year after year. That 

 is just my case, and in the face of many 

 obstacles, I have come to count upon having 

 an abundance of crisp, nutty Celery to put 

 away in the fall. 



I start the seed in a cold frame. \Vhen 

 sulBciently large, I transplant to a small 

 bed in the garden, setting but few inches 

 apart and cultivate well. Then the middle 

 of July, or even later, have the " gude mon" 

 run furrows where the rows are intended, 

 going through each furrow twice with a 

 little shovel plow, first working in an abun- 

 dance of rotten manure. Then the plants 

 are set. If there is any danger of the plants 

 wilting, I cover with boards. Sufficient 

 moisture must be provided, as this is the 

 dryest season of the year. All through 

 August the plants must be kept in a grow- 

 ing state; then when the cooler weather of 

 September and October comes on, you will 

 think it wonderful how rapidly they grow. 

 I earth up any time during October, pre- 

 viously going along the row and tying the 

 stalks, or bunches, with a cloth string; this 

 keeps the earth out, and is easier handled. 

 You must use your hands, but after getting 

 the earth well up, you may then use a hoe 

 or spade. Earth up at one time. I always 

 like to finish a job if possible, without being 

 at it forever. No use earthing up gradually. 

 In three weeks or later much of it will be 

 fit for table use, but I allow it to remain out 

 as long as possible. 



I have a long narrow box just the height 

 of the Celery, with holes bored in the sides 

 to enable me to get water at the roots. The 

 roots are dug with earth adhering, and 

 packed closely in this box, in river sand. 

 Never water from the top, as the Celery 

 would be sure to rot. Any farmer's wife 

 who is fond of Celery, may have it in abun- 

 dance, and I assure you, there is but little 

 work. .Just a little pleasant recreation, if 

 you have health and strength. If not eat 

 plenty of your neighbor's Celery, and you 

 will gain strength. I consider it a grand 

 medicine, and easily taken. I consider the 

 Golden Self-blanching the finest Celery I 

 have ever grown. Boston Market is of 

 good flavor, and always has kept well for 



me. Giant White SoUd is very crisp, and 

 blanches so very white. I shall try some 

 of the red varieties this year. 



Anyone with a garden patch might grow 

 all the Celery needed on the early Pea patch. 



Suggfestlons on Marketing. 



\VM. H. YEOMASS, TALLAND CO., CONN. 



Farmers frequently complain that they 

 fail to get satisfactory prices for their pro- 

 ducts, and find fatilt with dealers because 

 they will pay no more, when in reality the 

 trouble lies with themselves. The sale of 

 any product depends very much on its ap- 

 pearance to the eye. Precisely the same 

 thing may be offered by different persons 

 under conditions peculiar to the individuals, 

 and one will sell at a good price while the 

 other will have to accept much less if he 

 sells at all. P^-en farmers themselves who 

 are negligent in caring for their own pro- 

 ducts will make their purchases of necessa- 

 ries at the places that are most neat and 

 clean, and where the goods have an inviting 

 look, but will neglect the very attention to 

 points by which they themselves are at- 

 tracted. 



In putting up for market any product, 

 whether fruit or vegetable, it is always bet- 

 ter to have uniformity of size, and quality 

 so far as may be. Baskets of Strawberries 

 are often arranged wil h fine large berries at 

 the top, while the bulk underneath are small 

 and quite inferior. The principle of putting 

 up in good shape was well illustrated by a 

 farmer who, when Tomatoes were plenty, 

 and the market full, went with two or three 

 baskets filled with choice selected specimens, 

 with the sides and top trimmed with leaves. 

 The application to purchase was at first met 

 with " No; we are full," but when the fruit 

 was shown to the merchant, the response 

 was at once, " Yes; we do want them." 



This only serves as a fair illustration of 

 what can be done by taking pains, and put- 

 ting up only products of good quality and 

 In good shape. 



Berries in the Home Garden. 



E. P. POWELL. ON-EIDA CO., N. T. 



The object of a garden is to make home 

 more delightful. If you do not propose to 

 sell a quart of berries, you are under the 

 same obligation to grow Strawberries and 

 Raspberries that you are to grow Potatoes 

 and Apples. The rounding out of home life 

 with comforts and refinements affects char- 

 acter. You find a home where none of the 

 results of modern culture are found, and you 

 will find, as a rule, something corresponding 

 in the occupants. Perhaps, however, it 

 would be as well not to have berry gardens 

 at all unless they are cared for on sensible 

 principles. Kasy as it seems now to manage 

 a good plat of Raspberries, or even Black- 

 berries, it took several years of experience 

 and considerable worry and waste before 

 the thing could be done. 



Strawberries for the majority of growers 

 must be grown in the matted row. It is 

 hopeless to expect that a busy farmer will 

 watch carefully enough to make the hill 

 system a success. I plant in rows six feet 

 apart and close in the rows. These are 

 allowed to fill up compact rows for the first 

 and second years. Then runners are allowed 

 to fill up the interspaces, and the old plants 

 are dug out. I see that a plan is advocated 

 of cutting off the tops after fruitage, and so 

 occuying the energies of the plant that it 

 will not form runners. By this plan they can 

 easily be kept in hills. I am inclined to 

 think there is something in the idea. But 

 for the purpose of economizing room, I grow 

 the larger part of my Strawberries under 

 my rows of Grapes. They will not do as 

 well thus grown, but will do well enough. 



A Strawberry bed once planted requires, 

 during the first summer, only attention to 



the runners. If allowed to sprawl every- 

 where, the rows will become very irregular. 

 The culture of the bed, apart from hoeing, 

 begins in November. Cover the rows and 

 between the rows with a light coat of well- 

 worked horse manure or common stable 

 manure, made loose and friable with saw- 

 dust bedding. I sometimes first sprinkle 

 over the rows a light coat of leaves,and then 

 the manure. In the spring relieve the plants 

 of the coarser deposit with a rake, and leave 

 it in the interspaces. Now comes your first 

 crop, and it should be a fairly good one. 

 The second year's crop, however, should be 

 much better. After the mulch is removed 

 in spring, run a cultivator through between 

 the rows occasionally, and have the weeds 

 kept out all summer. The hoe should be 

 freely used to keep the soil in the row loose 

 after the picking; not too much hacking 

 about before picking. But on no account 

 at any time let the weeds get a start. Weeds 

 and Strawberries will not harmonize. Good 

 culture, or small berries and few of them, is 

 a law of this fine fruit. 



Repeat the covering each November, and 

 there will be no need of any other enriching 

 if the soil is strong. On light sand you must 

 enrich accordingly. 



For varieties I select Sharpless, Haver- 

 land, Bubach, Cumberland, Jessie. Of the 

 newer sorts I shall plant Crawford. Mrs. 

 Cleveland, Eureka and a few more. I am 

 sure that no one can go amiss in planting a 

 bed of Cumberland and Sharpless, and 

 Haverland and Bubach. These four varie- 

 ties are superb and entirely satisfactory. 

 Don't begin with novelties, and don't deal 

 with agents, and don't plant any sort that 

 you are assured will give you berries that 

 measure over three inches in diameter. But 

 I did have hundreds of quarts last summer 

 made up of about 30 berries to a quart. If 

 you grow for market it does not pay to grow 

 small berries for quantity. The time used 

 in picking and the uncertainty of sale at 

 profitable figures, more than covers the gain 

 of quantity. The Vick, under high culture, 

 is a great bearer, but a most unprofitable 

 berry; the Crescent is much better on ac- 

 count of its beauty, but it is not profitable. 

 A large berry and fewer crates is better than 

 double the number of crates and only half- 

 sized berries. 



Poor berries never pay in the long run. 

 High and careful culture of the best sorts 

 bringing quick sales at highest prices is the 

 true rule. But I only turn aside to this point 

 because nearly all home gardens have a sur- 

 plus of berries to be disposed of to neighbors, 

 or a near market. Whoever plants a home 

 garden should have a few crates with berry 

 baskets about his barn, and sell what is not 

 needed for family consumption. I am myself 

 by no means in the berry business, but I 

 sold last year .50 bushels of Raspberries, 60 

 bushels of Currants, 20 bushels of Straw- 

 berries and 10 bushels of Blackberries. If 

 you find you are specially skillful, and have 

 a natural aptitude for berry gardening as 

 some have not, you will be likely to step into 

 the business. Better begin slowly, and feel 

 your way. Nine-tenths of the failures are 

 owing to launching out too largely before 

 experience has been accumulated. It is with 

 berries exactly as with other crops, one must 

 learn a thousand things no one can tell him. 

 The points in Strawberry culture most 

 likely to bring failure are (1) lack of water 

 in ripening season. This must be provided 

 for by mulching. The plan I have suggested 

 of raking the winter's covering into the in- 

 terspaces provides a good mulch. If the 

 climate is liable to drought, and the soil is 

 light, it is well to add a mulch of cut straw 

 or sawdust. I find the sawdust from a neigh- 

 boring saw mill every way best. It is clean, 

 and is easily applied with baskets from the 

 wagon. It does not harbor bugs and worms; 



