1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



213 



the foUowinij; are reconinieml: ITotTinan and 

 Haverland. Daisy, liubach and Crawford. 



Dwarf vs. Siand.mid Pk.vu.s. The di.s- 

 cussions on comparative value of standard 

 and dwarf Pears showed considerable 

 diversity of opinion. On tlie whole, the 

 friends of dwarf trees had the best of it. 

 Mr. 15ogue says that more money is made 

 in Genesee County from dwarfs than from 



DEVICE FOR HOLDING BASS. 



standards: on heavy soil well cultivated and 

 highly manured. Duchess heads the list 

 of varieties. 



Mr. Willard also decides in favor of the 

 dwarf for Ontario County. They bring 

 more clean money than the standards and 

 last a generation. There are more varieties 

 suited for dwarfing than is commonly sup- 

 posed. Howell is profitable; Kieffer, when 

 double-worked on Quince, is trump. Mr. 

 Smith ( Syracuse ) says that Kietf er does 

 as well directly on Quince as double-worked. 

 Strong clay loams give better and larger 

 fruit from dwarfs, while on light soil 

 standards do better. The majority of Pears 

 do well on Quince in clay soil. Mr. Rupert 

 advises to plant the dwarf deep ; Quince 

 stock should be four inches below the sur- 

 face of ground. 



Mr. Willard says, Pears, whether dwarfs 

 or standards, pay anyway, and probably 

 400 per cent as much as grain. There is very 

 little danger of our overdoing Pear culture. 

 Prof. Bailey, however, puts in the timely 

 warning that it depends mostly on the man 

 himself. If a person plants standards, he 

 will have some truit anyway, but if he will 

 take care of his trees he can plant dwarfs 



Mr. W. C. Barry is in favor of dwarfs on 

 account of their early fruiting, and their 

 habit of bearing from the ground up. The 

 notion that dwarfs are short-lifed is false. 

 If properly planted, so that roots will be 

 emitted from above the Quince stock, 

 making the tree a so-called " half standard," 

 it lasts a long time. Pronounces Anjou the 

 best of all Pears. Takes more pleasure in 

 an orchard of Anjon than in any other fruit 

 he has. Standards should be set on warm 

 sandy soil. 



Mulberry as Fruit. Mr. Hooker calls 

 it a good tree, and a pleasant fruit. Mr. 

 Willard considers Downing (Everbearing) a 

 desirable fruit, but not profitable for mar- 

 ket. Mr. Smith says it is profitable to grow 

 for birds, as it saves Cherries. A large tree 

 will probably bear ten bushels of fruit. Mr. 

 Barry recommends the native Mulberry as 

 a very good one for this purpose. It should 

 be grown more in our gardens. 



Spratixg Trees. No voice is raised 

 against this practice. Prof. Bailey argues 

 that some trees should be left unsprayed to 

 serve as a comparison for the effectiveness 

 of the spray. The best check, however, is to 

 spray all your own trees, and compare 

 results with those on your nciglilior'.^ un- 

 sprayed trees. 



Scraping Trees. In answer to the ques- 

 tion: Is it of advantage to take off the rough 

 bark of Apple trees, Mr. Rupert says this 

 practice destroys insects, especially if fol- 



lowed up with a wash of soap suds. Mr. 

 Hooker says it destroys a hiding place of 

 the codlin moth, but it also destroy.s a coat 

 (if protection. Mr. Root calls the practice 

 ■' more nice than wise." 



I'EAR Scab. Prof. Bailey says the disease 

 i."^ caused by a fungus. Hyposulphite in a 

 solution of half ounce to ten gallons of 

 water sprayed on the trees will destroy one- 

 half of the scab. But there is no absolute 

 remedy known for it yet. The general ex- 

 perience of the members seems to indicate 

 that Pears and Apples on high ground are 

 less affected than on low ground. 



Plums for Profit. The question is 

 what varieties, and how many of each to 

 plant for an orchard of 1,000 trees. Mr. 

 Ingraham says he would plant 1,000 Lom- 

 bard , which is in opposition to Mr. Willard's 

 ideas, who would not put all eggs in one 

 basket, and while planting largely of Lom- 

 bard, would plant, besides, Hudson River 

 Purple Egg, French Damson, Prince of 

 Wales, Peter's Yellow Gage (one of the best 

 of the yellows, and only offered by Ellwan- 

 ger and Barry of Rochester), and the more 

 tender Reine Claude in favorable positions. 

 The Plum will do well on clay, but should 

 have dry feet. The hardiest Plum of its 

 kind is Union Purple, and a good early fruit. 

 Evergreens for Windbreak.s. As the 

 best and most rapid grower Prof. Bailey 

 names Norway Spruce ; Mr. Root, Austrian 

 Pine ; Mr. Hooker, Norway Spruce and 

 Scotch Pine. Altogether the Norway Spruce 

 seems to be the favorite of the majority. 



Western Apples. Some fruit growers 

 of Western New York seem to fear that they 

 may be overcome by western competition. 

 Prof. Bailey tries to demonstrate that these 

 fears are groundless. The Apples west of 

 New York do not export so well as Apples 

 from here. The transport expenses to the 

 sea shore are also higher. Michigan Apples 

 are fine, but not so firm. Mr. W. C. Barry 

 says he has never seen fruit anywhere as 

 fine as that grown in Western New York. 

 Mr. Chas. A. Green, however, puts in a word 

 of timely warning and caution. The Wes- 

 tern New York fruit grower, he thinks, has 

 found competitors in the westand he should 

 prepare to meet them. 



Brook's Letter. Maj. Hugh T. Brooks, 

 now a resident of Arkansas, has sent one of 

 his characteristic communications. Health 

 and strength, he writes, are primary condi- 

 tions of success in horticulture. His recipe 

 for keeping or regaining these invaluable 

 blessings ( health and strength ) can not be 

 endorsed too strongly. Here it is : 1. Put 

 out the coal stoves and furnaces, and burn 

 wood in open fire places. 2. Avoid thin 

 shoes. 3. Wear plenty of wool. 4. Eat 

 only two meals a day, a light lunch between 

 only being admissable, and don't eat too 

 much. .5. Don't worry, (i. Adopt clothing 

 to the weather. 7. Think of the blessings 

 of l)eing engaged in an occupation that 

 benefits mankind, of being in open air with 

 bloom and fragrance about you, not in 

 closed, poisoned rooms etc. 



Next Mr. Brooks speaks of the one great 

 obstacle to successful fruit culture, which 

 is starvation. If the starving trees could 

 squeal like hungry pigs. Bedlam would be 

 let loose. Animals do best on a well-select- 

 ed, well-balanced ration. So do all the 

 members of the vegetable kingdom, es- 

 pecially when fine flavors are wanted. The 

 best fruit pays the best, the poor does not 

 pay at all. This is an old experience. 



In orchard culture Apple trees often yield 

 four to five barrels; single trees ten to 20 

 barrels : yet the average is only one barrel 

 to the tree. The large yield always comes 

 from the best-fed orchard. The increasing 

 demand for fruit in towns is a terrible drain 

 upon the soil. Where are the trees going 

 to get the needed raw materials? 



In regard to insect enemies, Mr. Brooks 

 thinks the liord made worms to prevent the 

 lazy and shiftless to enjoy real good fruit. 



Device for Holding Bass and Other 

 Tying Materials. 



Horticultual supply stores in Germany of- 

 fer at about 13 cents each the device here 

 illustrated for holding and carrying any 

 kind of tying material, especially bass in 

 budding, or strings already cut in the prop- 

 er length for the special purpose desired. 



The little contrivance is made of strong 

 brass wire, with spring enough to firmly 

 hold whatever tying material is put between 

 the jaws, may this be much or little. A 

 little hook on top serves to suspend the 

 whole thing from a button hole. Altogether 

 the device looks like a good thing. 



Boxes and Crates with Springs. 



One of the great difficulties with which 

 the fruit grower has heretofore been con- 

 fronted, is the rough usage which some of 

 his perishable and frail products have been 

 and are exposed when in the hands of trans- 

 portation agencies. No matter what pains 

 the shipper may have taken with his fruit, 

 and how nicely it may appear when first 

 given to the carriers, nobody knows how it 

 will appear after the shaking up and throw- 

 ing about which it is likely to be exposed to 

 before being placed before the would-be 

 purcha.ser and con sumer. 



This is why we look with so much satis- 

 factiou upon 

 every effort 

 towards the im- 

 provement of 

 shipping crates 

 and boxes, which 

 aim at safer trans- j^^ ,, ^y,,,, ji„j, ^jm spring 

 portation by Handle. 

 means of doing away with part of the jar, 

 shake-ups and hard knocks. 



The use of springs is really the first thing 

 that should suggest itself in such an emer- 

 gency, but it is only very recently that some 

 of our fruit growers have hit upon this idea. 

 We were quite pleased with the " Star Spring 

 Box" exhibited by Dr. Van Dusen at the 

 last meeting of the Western New York 

 Horticultural Society. The wire handle of 

 each box, in packing and transit, serves the 

 purposes of a spring real well, no matter in 

 what position the crate may be. Such a box 

 adapted for putting up Grapes, Cherries' 

 Plums and similar fruits, is shown in the 

 accompanying illustration, Fig. 1. In Pig. 

 3 we illustrate Spencer's Improved Berry 

 Crate, which is 

 provided with 

 springs in the 

 bottom of the 

 crate, and upon 

 which the fruit 

 rests after the 

 crate is filled. 

 Thus, obviating 

 all injury from 



Fig. 2. Berry Crate with Springs. dowOWard jars. 



Altogether, we think that the efforts 

 for discovering improved devices for the 

 purpose of securing safety in transporta- 

 tion, should not yet stop here. 



1,89.5. Bepotting Camellias. There are two 

 seasons when Camellias may be repotted, says an 

 Ensrlish writer. This is either just as the plants 

 have finished blooming, or towards the end of 

 the summer, when the blossom-buds are set. I 

 have repotted at both seasons with about equal 

 results. The best time to pot Azaleas is in spring, 

 as soon as the fiowering is over. All this clas-s of 

 plants must be potted firmly, ramming the soil 

 mto the pot with a round-headed stick, slightly 

 ftattened at the sides. 



1,9^2. Planting Bush Beans. If snap Beans 

 are the ob.iect. the early varieties can be planted 

 for succession and late u.se as late .July in your 

 latitude. For dry shelled Beans we would pre- 

 fer to plant in June. 



