170 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



May, 



and it becomes in a short time a valuable 

 part of the soil. Straw in winter encourages 

 mice, and in summer is soon made foul by 

 treading. (2) The second danger is from 

 thawing after freezing in winter, and so 

 heaving out. This is prevented by the top- 

 dressing I have suggested. 



CULTURE OF THE GRAPE. 

 NINTH PAPER. 



DR. J. STAVMAN, LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS. 



Soil and Situation. 



In successful vineyard culture much de- 

 pends upon the soil, location and climate, as 

 may be seen in the quaUty of wine and fruit 

 from ditlerent districts and vinyards; but in 

 garden culture we have but little choice to 

 make, for we will have to plant our Grapes 

 where are gardens are, or do without them. 



Notwithstanding this difference, the Grape 

 is perhaps adapted to a wider range of 

 country than any other fruit. We have 

 found it growing wild and bearing profusely 

 on the river bottoms overflown by the spring 

 freshets, in the ravines and clefts of the 

 rocks, on the gentle slopes, on the high hills 

 and mountain ranges, variously exposed, in 

 a humid and arid atmosphere, in the forests 

 climbing the highest trees, in the groves 

 and thickets riinning over the brambles and 

 bushes, and on the border of the open 

 prairie, without any support except the tall 

 grass. What other fruit can be found grow- 

 ing wild and bearing so profusely over such 

 a vast range of country, with such diversi- 

 fied soil situations and climate as from 

 Maine to California and from Canada to the 

 Gulf of Mexico I 



Each species appears to have its own loca- 

 tion and climate and grows to a higher 

 state of perfect there than anywhere else. 



For that reason it is useless for us to 

 attempt to grow every species and variety 

 in the same location with the same success. 

 We can, however, grow a sufficient number 

 of varieties on any soil that will grow 

 Wheat within the range of sufficient heat, 

 for home use. While this is so in garden 

 culture, it is very different in vineyard cul- 

 ture, either for market or wine. For if we 

 do not .select a good location, we can not 

 expect to compete with those who do. A 

 location that will produce good wine, may 

 produce good market fruit, but it does not 

 follow that a location for market will also 

 be good for wine ; for early maturity, large 

 size and beauty are more important for 

 market than late matmrity and fine quality. 



In selecting a situation for market, it is 

 best to be near some good permanent mar- 

 ket. If there is no good location at such 

 points, then it is much better when we go 

 where the best locations are with railroad 

 or water facilities. 



Remember in planting for market we 

 should aim to have a warm location so that 

 our fruit will mature early, evenly and per- 

 fectly, for the earliest fruit brings the high- 

 est price. Therefore a few days in advance 

 will much enhance the value of our crop. 

 This being a natural advantage will soon 

 pay for the best location aud be of a perma- 

 nent value. 



We should also guard against sudden 

 and excessive changes of temperature as 

 they subject us to early and late frosts 

 which may very much injure our crops. 

 By locating near large bodies of wat«r, 

 we obviate excessive changes and are not 

 so subject to early and late frosts, and our 

 crops are more certain, but the fruit does 

 not mature so soon and consequently is not 

 so valuable for market. But if we select high 

 elevations with east, south, or west expo- 

 sures in proximity to deep and wide valleys, 

 we both hasten the maturity of our fruit, 

 and guard against excessive variations of 

 temperature. 



It is a well-established fact that southern 

 slopes of high hills or elevated benches, 

 with a clay subsoil well drained, whether 

 the surface is composed of humus, sandy 

 loam or calcareous earth, are the best loca- 

 tions, and if the soil is rich enough to pro- 

 duce good Wheat, it is sufficiently rich to 

 grow Grapes, and that lime, marl, ashes and 

 bone dust are good fertilizers when the 

 ground is not rich enough. It may be ex- 

 pected by some that we will po nt out the 

 best situations to produce the best wine, but 

 this subject embraces so many important 

 conditions that we do not feel able to do the 

 subject justice in a short article like this. 

 For it should be remembered to make wine 

 successfully and profitably, we should be 

 able to compete not only with our own 

 neigborhood, but also with the best wine 

 districts of this country as well as Europe. 



It requires a specific amount of heat to 

 elaborate and develop a due proportion of 

 sugar in the Grape, and whatever tends to 

 the tliorough ripening of our fruit, will add 

 to the strength, quality, and aroma of our 

 wine. The best conditions are warm soil, 

 dry, elevated, sunny hill sides in a tem- 

 perate climate within the zone of sufficient 

 heat and diminished moisture, particularly 

 from seeding to the maturity of the Grape. 

 It should be remembered (1) that the Grape 

 requires a daily mean temperature of .52° 

 before it foliates, and a definite amount of 

 heat from thence to its full maturity. (2) 

 That all the variations in the time of ripen- 

 ing depend upon this and the amount of 

 rain fall. And (3) that the richness and 

 quality of the Grape depends upon the 

 amount of sugar the fruit contains, and 

 this again depends upon the high mean 

 temperature under which the seeds are 

 formed and the Grape matured. 



Ontario County Fruit Growers 

 in Council. 



{Concluded from poge 124.) 

 Protecting the Honey Bee. All mem- 

 bers agree that trees should not be sprayed 

 while in bloom, not only because it would 

 be useless, but also because it would en- 

 danger the lives of honey bees, which are 

 very beneficial to the fruit grower. A mem- 

 ber from Kssex states that he would not 

 attempt to grow Plums, Cherries and Pears 

 without spraying, but this should be done 

 after the blossoms fall. A resolution in op- 

 position to the practice of spraying trees 

 while in bloom was then unanimou.sly 

 adopted. The strength of solution recom- 

 mended by members for spraying the trees 

 named is three ounces of Paris green to .50 

 gallons of water. 



Potash Fertilizer.s. Prof. Penton calls 

 attention to the great value of potash for 

 fruit crops. It is just the element that 

 starts the machinery, and none is of greater 

 beneficial influence. Asked about the value 

 of the ashes of soft and hard coal. Prof. 

 Penton says there is not much plant food in 

 the one, and none in the other. 



Marketing Grapes. Mr. Petit presented 

 a paper, advising growers to study the con- 

 dition of their own market, and to use their 

 own ingenuity. Middlemen and transpor- 

 tation companies take most of the profits. 

 Great care should be exercised in picking, 

 else Grapes will not keep, or give satisfac- 

 tion. Women and girls, as a rule, make the 

 best pickers and packers. Try to please the 

 eye. Have packages clean and neat. In 

 shipping tor market, put nothing in the 

 packages not good enough for you to eat, or 

 put on your own table. The shipping of 

 green Grapes has cost our fruit growers 

 many thousands of dollars. It has disgust- 

 ed people with the use of Grapes. Perhaps 

 one-half of the Grapes in Ontario are picked 

 and shipped before they are in proper state 

 of ripeness. 



Montreal and Toronto are the best dis- 

 tributing centers of Ontario. But just as 

 soon as once place quotes high prices, every 

 one ships there, consequently the prices 

 drop and go up in the other market. Every 

 grower should ship the bulk of his crops to 

 his nearest market. 



Another cause of failure is fruitgrowers 

 are too often induced to patronize the new 

 firms that spring up every spring and migrate 

 when it is time to make returns. A uniform 

 basket should be adopted. The Ui-pound 

 basket is fully large enough, so we might 

 do away with the 20-pound. The most por- 

 fitable Grapes for Ontario are for black, 

 Worden, Concord, Rogers' No. 4; for red, 

 Delaware, Lindley, Brighton, Agawam, Ca- 

 tawba ; for white, Niagara. 



Salem is more liable to mildew than most 

 of the Rogers, and if a shower comes, it 

 bursts badly. Otherwise it is one of the 

 best keeping Grapes in Ontario. 



Plum Culture. This subject is treated 

 by Mr. S. D. Willard of Geneva, N. Y. 

 Bradshaw, he says, is a little tender when 

 young, but hardy and reliable when old. 

 Has often sold the fruit of a single tree 

 and year for over S12 to ?il4. Peter's Yellow 

 Gage comes in ealier than Reine Claude, 

 which is a disadvantage. Otherwise it is 

 one of the best of all light-colored Plums, 

 not one of the best growers, but extremely 

 hardy, an annual bearer and finest for eat- 

 ing and canning. EUwanger and Barry are 

 the only firm who catalogue it. Lombard, 

 Gueii, Hudson River Purple Egg (which 

 sells as fancy ),Coe's Golden Drop, and Reine 

 Claude where hardy, were recommended as 

 good sorts for market. 



Imperial Gage is tender, and not as pro- 

 ductive as some others. Moore's Arctic is 

 very tender in Geneva, Shipper's Pride is a 

 fair Plum, but on the whole, Mr. Willard 

 has been disappointed with it. It is good, 

 not best. Pond's Seedling is not productive 

 enough; Victoria is unreliable, although a 

 beautiful Plum, and good. 



The following are recommended for testing 

 Prince of Wales, one of the most beautiful, 

 hardy, productive and promising sorts sent 

 from England. 



Stanton Seedling would be the one selects 

 ed if he could have but one Plum for can- 

 ning or marketing. Has kept it for two 

 weeks. Field somewhat resembles Brad- 

 shaw. Grand Duke promises to be the best 

 late dark-colored Plum for market. Mon- 

 arch and Archduke are promising. Prunus 

 .Simoni bids fair to be sold on the fruit 

 stands. Good for market. 



As the best three varieties for home use, 

 Mr. Willard names (1) Bradshaw; (2) Peter's 

 Yellow Gage ; (3) Stanton Seedling. 



High feeding is necessary for best success. 

 Plums are surface-feeding trees, and eat up 

 more manure than almost anything else. 



The Horse Plum of Western New York is 

 best for stock. Don't cut the roots or they 

 will sucker. Plowing will kill the trees ; 

 the cultivator will do the work just right. 

 Trees are planted ten feet apart in rows six- 

 teen feet apart. Mr. Willard is going to use 

 Paris Green for spraying hereafter. 



Russian Apricot.s. They do not repro- 

 duce themselves true from seed, hence the 

 seedlings as they run, are of little value. A 

 number of selected varieties are now claimed 

 to be of fair quality; but there are no re- 

 ports as yet, says Mr. T. T. I^yon ( Mich.), 

 and the question as to their value or desira- 

 bility remains yet unsettled. Plxpert grow- 

 ers do not express any too much confidence 

 in them. 



Hedge for South Ontario. Mr. McNeal 

 shows a sample of Thorn hedge. A wire 

 fence may be cheaper, but the windbreak is 

 of material advantage to the fruit grower. 

 If cut down close, and kept wider at the 

 bottom than at the top, it will stand wet and 



