2o6 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



July, 



in his locality is in the habit of driving to 

 his place once a year to procure a quantity 

 of Strawberries for his family. The past 

 season he came as usual, and being short of 

 cash, brought Oats, of which Mr. Harris 

 happened to be in need to exchange for the 

 berries. The Oats were worth at the time 

 15 cents per bushel, and the Strawberries l.i 

 cents per quart, so that a bushel of Oats was 

 required to purchase a quart of lierries. The 

 gentleman had driven 10 miles with his 

 Oats, and returned an equal distance with 

 his berries, the trip consuming the greater 

 part of a day. Mr. Harris grew UIO bushels 

 of Strawberries on an acre, while the 

 farmer's acre produced but 3.5 bushels of 

 Oats. Mr. Harris is decidedly of the opinion 

 that in his own case, he can better afford to 

 sell Strawberries and buy his Oats, than to 

 sell Oat.s and buy Strawberries. 



are practically reduced to the use of anti- 

 septics acting at the ordinary temperature. 



2. The preservative should be a liquid, 

 which, besides being an efficient antiseptic, 

 should not exert any solvent or softening 

 action upon the skin of the fruit. This con- 

 dition excludes from the outset all alkaline 

 solutions, and all the strong acids including 

 vinegar. 



.3. The antiseptic should not extract or 

 change the color of the fruit. This is one of 

 the most difficult conditions to fulfill, and 



European Grapes Under Glass. 



D. M. DrSSl.\0, CAYTGA CO., S Y. 



The photographs from which the annexed 

 illustrations are produced, were taken in 

 my vinery last year, one showing clusters 

 of fruit, the other an iiilerior view of house. 



Photographs give but a poor impression 

 in such cases as this, when it is de>ired to 

 show fruit or flowers with the foliage, hut 

 they are honest as far as they go. 



The largest clusters last year were fifteen 

 inches iu length, and aI>out the same across 

 the extended shoulders, and weighed si.x 

 pounds eacli. 



This year they are promising better, .ind 

 some clusters already measure sixteen to 

 eighteen inches e.<ich way with Grapes the 

 size of Peas. 



I am growing seventeen varieties, among 

 them the following: Bfirltarnsfin, which 

 gives the largest bunches, (and is of the 

 finest quality, the English growers to the 

 contrary notwith.standiug). Xot more than 

 five or six bunches of this variety can be 

 safely trusted to a twenty-four foot cane. 



Miisidt of Alcxanolria. I shall have 

 three and four pound clusters of the Grapes 

 this year, perfectly fertilized at a tem- 

 perature of 7.")'. There is little trouble in 

 having this Grape set well at the above 

 temperature in a well-prepared border. 



Muxcat Hainhur<i. This is, all things 

 considered, about the best all around Grape 

 I have, being early, of fine quality, beautiful 

 clnsters, and easily handled. 



Among other varieties the most satis- 

 factory are Grizzly Friintiijnan, AJirnntv, 

 Black Hanibingh, Ruynl Muscadine, Bo- 

 wood ,Vi(.scnf, and Rose Chasselan. 



Two of my varieties, viz: MoorenfieUI 

 Court Muscat, and Foster's Secdiing have 

 given me trouble by the berries cracking 

 jast as they are approaching the ripening 

 period. I would be thankful to know the 

 cause and a remedy for this. I am pleased 

 at any time when the Grapes are ripe, to 

 have any one interested in their culture 

 visit the vinery at my place at Auburn with 

 me. and discuss their merits in a practical 

 manner. 



Preserving Fruits for Exhibition. 



The fruit show at the fairs is not usually 

 what it might be. simply because fruits are 

 more or less perishable, often exceedingly 

 so, and the growers of really fine specimens 

 are not always acquainted with simple and 

 inexpensive ways of preserving them in 

 good condition for exhibit. 



Prof. E. W. Hilgard, director of the 

 University of California Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station states the following to be 

 essential in a good preservative. 



1. It should prevent all fermentation, 

 molding, or other fungus attaclcs. As heat- 

 ing such as necessary in putting \ip fruit for 

 eating purposes, is naturally excluded, we 



ClUfUr !>/ Muscat Hamburg Grown hy Mr. D. M. 

 Dunning. 



yet one of the most essential. It excludes 

 at once so excellent a preservative as 

 alcohol, also common salt. 



4. The preservative fluid should neither 

 cause the fruit to .swell, so as to increase its 

 size and sometimes bur.st it, nor should it 

 have the opposite effect of causing it to 

 shrink, consequently, the liquid in the fruit, 

 and the preservative fluid should be approx- 

 imately of the same density. 



The use of sugar to bring up the density of 

 the antiseptic solution to that of the fruit 

 juice, naturally suggests itself, and with 

 some fmits very good results may be ob- 

 tained in that way. Still, it is preferable to 

 use glycerine, which can now be obtained 

 cheaply and which is for practical purposes 

 unchangeable when so used. 



Like alcohol, however, glycerine exerts a 

 slight solvent action upon many fruit colors; 

 e. g., that of Cherries, Blackberries, etc. 



Common salt has the disadvantage of 

 darkening all vegetable colors after a 

 comparatively short time: and Glauber's 

 salt, alum, and other commonly available 

 salts exert a not inconsiderable solvent ac- 

 tion upon colors, which rendei-s their use 

 inadvisable. 



Of antiseptics the following are the most 

 available: Salicylic acid: boracicacid: sulph- 

 urous acid, and its compound, bisulphite of 

 soda (and of lime); last but not least, bichlor- 

 ide of mercury or corrosive suljlimate. 



.Salicylic acid, or its compound with soda, 

 both obtainable in commerce, is one of the 

 best and the most energetic antiseptics. In 

 watery solution it is not so much used on 

 account of some ditficully in making it dis- 

 solve, particularly when the water is cold. 

 An ounce of the acid dissolved in a little less 

 than five gallons of water at the ordinary 

 temperature: but when it is simply thrown 

 on the water it may float their a long time, 

 being very light, and most persons will 

 think that it will not dissolve in that propor- 

 tion. In hot or boiling water there is uo dif- 

 ficulty, and the solution is carbonate of soda 

 (salsoda) even without heating. Hut when 



making tise of the soda it is absolutely 

 necessary to avoid an excess, as the uncom- 

 bined soda exerts a very injurious influence 

 upon the preservation of fruits. 



A solution of one ounce of salicylic acid to 

 five gallons of water, to which as much 

 glycerine has been added as corresponds to 

 the density of the fruit juice constitutes a 

 preservative fluid which has been used with 

 very satisfactory results heretofore. Trouble 

 has arisen from the use of too much soda 

 in making the acid dissolve; as already 

 stated, with patience or heating, the water 

 alone will dissolve the acid, and soda need 

 not to be used at all. 



Boracic acid, while an excellent preserv- 

 ative so far as the mere prevention of decay 

 or fermentation gues. is more liable than 

 the salicylic to soften the skin and alter the 

 colors of fruit, acting in that respect, in 

 same cases, like alkaline solutions. It is 

 therefore not well adopted to long conser- 

 vation of samples in their natural aspect, 

 but will do well fur a few weeks with most 

 fruits. I'se the solution as strong as water 

 will make it, which is about five ounces per 

 gallon. 



.Sniphurous acid, can also be employed 

 in solution for the preservation of fruits. 

 This solution may be made directly from 

 the gas of burning sulphur. It is, however, 

 morr convenient and just as good to use its 

 conxbination with soda, viz., the "bisulph- 

 ite" of soda, heretofore sold under the fan- 

 ciful name of "Califuruia fruit salt, "and re- 

 commended for use in caning fruit for hu- 

 mau cuusumption. Those whose digestion is 

 better than necessary and who do not object 

 to the sulphurous flavor of the fruit so pre- 

 served, may choose to so use the prepara- 

 tion. Its merits as an antiseptic are un- 

 questioned. Use 5 to 8 ounces per gallon. 



The following mode of preparing a pre- 

 servative fluid with sulphurous gas, has 

 been very successfully used. 



"Put :30 gallons of water into a 40-gallon 

 barrel: float on top of the water a tin pan, in 

 which put a portion of 2.5 cents' worth of 

 sulphur. Set the sulphur on fire and cover 

 tightly until the fire goes out; renew the 

 sulphur until the whole is consumed, open- 

 ingbarrel for renewal of air between doses." 



Quite lately mercuric bichloride or cor- 

 rosive sublimate has been used with great 

 success as an antiseptic for preserving clus- 

 ters of Grapes, by keeping them immersed 

 in a solution of the strength of half an ounce 



! Seeilling Potato EUiM Weeks from Sowing. 

 See page aoc. 



of corrosive sublimate to a gallon of water. 

 The Grapes should be thoroughly washed 

 beforehand. 



The solution should properly be made 

 with distilled water; when this is not avail- 

 able, other way may be used, preferable that 

 from the larger streams: but, particulary in 

 the case of well water, it should first be 

 boiled, and allowed to clear by settling be- 

 fore dissolving the sublimate. Even than a 

 whitish or grayish turbidity and sediment 

 I will usually form after awhile. This should 



