1890- 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



!55 



Southern Oregon) are very promising so far 

 as quantity goes, but the proverbial slow- 

 ness of our people has allowed the codling 

 moth to make grave onslaught on the Apple 

 and Pear, principally the late ones. Already 

 the Bartlett, Baldwin, I'earmain and others 

 are falling in great numbers. It seems a 

 downright shame and crime to let such 

 splendid fruits as these grow to be in this 

 fertile valley (Willamette), go to ruin in this 

 way, when there is such a comparatively 

 ine.xpensive preventive as the arsenites. 

 Grapes so far are quite promising. On the 

 whole, while the fruit crop is smaller in 

 some directions than is usual, the growers 

 will receive liberal remuner- 

 ation for their outlay of time, 

 labor and capital. Fruit 

 growing in the northwest is 

 an assured success if followed 

 in a business-like way. The 

 fact that the fruit crop has 

 never yet been a failure, and 

 that markets for all the fruit 

 that can be raised are 'with- 

 in reasonable distances, war- 

 rants the statement that ere 

 long the northwest coast will 

 be the seat of an enlightened, 

 intelligent and progressive 

 horticultural interest. The 

 few illustrations of eastern 

 enterprise in the orcharding 

 of southern Oregon are 

 doing a wonderfully good ^'^' '• °^ 



work for our state and coast. The 

 large young orchards of that section will 

 begin to bear in a year or two, and then we 

 may look for a financial demonstration that 

 will awaken Oregon lethargy. 



eailiest Haspborry. Cutlilxrt briii(<.s up the 

 rear in spleudul shape. Altogether small fruits 

 liere are a success. In July number you speak of 

 settintr Strawberry filants with the spade. 1 

 have tried this uiethod on limestone laud, but if 

 dry weiitlicr followed, I fouud it packed them 

 too close. Is there any autlioiity on (iooseborries 

 in the United States who will talk (iooseberries, 

 ami Gooseberries aliiic, with surticient know- 

 ledge of the subject to discriminate between 

 this fruit and the Currant V The latter occupies 

 a right royal position, hut all writers, so far as I 

 have seen, invariably place the two together as 

 far as cultivation is concerned,— H, H, Q. B., 

 Eureka, Wis. 



FKurrs IN Oneida Co., N, Y, I give the fol- 

 lowing as supplementary to Fruit and Crop Re- 



COMMENTS BY READERS. 



Adrpartmt^iit fo which nit aiT invitt'd to semi notes 

 of erperifnct' anJ observation concerning topics that 

 recently have been treated on in this Journal. Many 

 such contributions monthly are welcome. 



Striped Cucumber Beetle. I have tried the 

 various remedies mentioned by you and other 

 papers, such as Persian insect powder, slug shot, 

 etc., with little effect. Lime dust, however, 

 does the business. I took several good-sized 

 lumps of fresh lime and put them into a coffee 

 sack. The lime soon logins to slack, forming a 

 fine dust. By shaking the sack on the wind- 

 ward side of the plants, the fine dust settles on 

 the underside of the leaves as well as on the up- 

 perside. I made three such applications, the dust 

 being more than the bugs could stand. This 

 remedy must be used with caution, a.s an over- 

 dose will injure the vines. Shake the sack at the 

 side of the plants, not directly over them. The 

 heavier particles of lime will then fall to the 

 ground, and only the dust will reach the plants. 

 The material costs but a trifle ; it takes but little 

 time to apply it— and it has done the work.— E. 

 H. Benedict, Nehraiska. 



Strawberries and Peaks in Missouri. Tour ] 

 high praise of Bubach Strawberry is well de- I 

 served. It is a grand berry in every way. In 

 regard to Monmouth we partly agree with you. 

 Here it is a complete failure, and so is the May 

 King, both varieties heralded as the best among 

 the earlies. Yesterday we cut some five or six 

 feet from the top of a Le Conte *' blight-proof" 

 Pear tree, on account of blight. Seckel, Duchess, 

 etc, are all right.— Sub., Jefferson City, Ho. 



Trellislsg Tomatoes. I have this year dis- 

 carded hoops or frames, and allowed the vines to 

 run on the ground, placing under them the short 

 grass cut from the lawn. I find the vines much 

 stronger, the fruit less liable to rot, and attain, 

 ing a much larger and more perfect form. That 

 the plan coincides with nature is shown by the 

 numerous fibers projected through the dry grass 

 into the earth. The plan admits the light and 

 air and the dry grass keeps the fruit clean, and 

 puts a stop to the growth of weeds, at the same 

 time keeping the soil moist.— H". J. Smve, Ihi. 

 Page Co., III. 



Small Fruits in Wisconsin. The Jessie gave 

 a splendid crop. It ripened a few days later than 

 several other sorts. Our season usually lasts 

 from June 13th to July 9th. The Turner is our 



AGON FLY, ADULT AND LARVA. See preeeediny pane . 



ports; Apples failed to fertilize blossom^ ] 

 and crop nearly a failure; Pears as reported 

 medium crop; Strawberries failed to fertilize— 

 crop one third ; Currants the same ; Gooseberries 

 superb crop ; Raspberries, Blackberries, Quinces 

 the same ; Cherries, good ; Plums, moderate. 

 All crops that were overtaken in bloom by the 

 cold wet of middle May, were seriously damaged , 

 —pollen ruined.— B. P. Powell. 



The Japan Quince. When you say, " Don't 

 be persuaded that it has any value as a fruit etc," 

 I can only reply: Don't be too sure of it. Per- 

 haps you are right ; but it is not well to be too 

 certain of what may be developed from this 

 now much despised fruit. Thirty years ago 

 when I began to talk about the native Rasp- 

 berries as promising to give us more valuable 

 varieties than could be obtained from Europe 

 or the European species, my good old friend. 

 Chas. Downing, wrote me, "you are all wrong ; 

 it can't be done.' Well, they are here never- 

 theless, and the European Raspberry and all its 

 American seedlings are nearly or Quite obsolete. 

 We have already a great variety of Japan 

 Quince fruit, varying in size from a quail's egg 

 up to that of the goose and there is also a good 

 difference in quality, i'. e. testure and flavor. I 

 am very much inclined to think there will be 

 excellent edible varieties in market not many 

 years hence.— .,4 ndrew S. Fuiter, 



Fall or Sprlng for Planting, Where 

 trees are procured when fully matured, my ex- ' 

 perience is in favor of fall planting for Apple, 

 Pear, Plum and Cherry ; and spring planting for 

 Peach, Apricot, and Evergreens and small fruits. 

 The season preceding the setting out has a bear- 

 ing on how early or how late in the fall trees 

 should be procured ; that is, if trees ripen up 

 early they can be set with great assurance by 

 the 10th of October, but should the season be 

 such as to promote late growth, which frequent- 

 ly occurs, it is not best to plant before the Sth 

 of October, and my experience in handling trees 

 bears me out that halt the loss occassioned by 

 fall planting is caused by trees being moved 

 Ixifore the wood is full.v ripened. Several years 

 ago we had occasion to strip and dig a lot of 

 trees about September SJrd, and it happened i 

 that the boys in stripping had taken the leaves j 

 off of a few that were of a smaller size than 

 those ordered. The ensuing spring quite a 

 numl>er of the trees were dead, and on careful 

 investigation we discovered that those dead were 

 the ones stripped and left over for spring. Now 

 a great deal is said about heeling in trees over 

 winter; but few have assigned reasons tor so 

 doing. Trees procured late in fall, if not too 

 dry to plant, should be set at once, but if the | 

 trees are received early or show signs of shrink- ! 

 ing caused by improper handling, or being dug 



Fitf. i 



too early, it is liest to heel in until spring. For 

 spring planting procure your Strawberries as 

 early as weather and ground permits which with 

 us is from 20th of March to the 1st of April. 

 Small fruits such as .Strawbeiries, Riispberries, 

 etc., should not lie tied up and shipped in such a 

 manner as to cause " heating." It is best to have 

 them sent by Express in crates prepared for 

 giving plenty of air, and not pa»-ked too tight. 

 Fruit trees are best set in this latitude from the 

 .'ith to 20th of April which enables them to re- 

 ceive the fall benefit of the early rains, and thus 

 to get well started to growing before our usua* 

 dry siJell sets in The proper time to set Ever- 

 greens we Ijelieve to be from the Ist to the 20th 

 of May, as they do not do well in chilly weather, 

 and should lie handled and planted carefully 

 Trees procured in fall should be" 

 heeled in, as any that are with- 

 ered will fill out and be ready to 

 grow soon as set, whereas if 

 planted at once the chances are 

 that such trees will die. How- 

 ever, should you receive trees 

 that you know are freshly dug 

 and fully matured, my ad\dce is 

 to set at once if your ground 

 is ready for them. Be careful 

 in selecting varieties, planting 

 but few kinds in large orchards, 

 and w-hen set for your own use, 

 select such as do well and suit 

 your own needs without refer- 

 ence to market. If you are not 

 sufficiently posted leave the 

 selection to someone who is, and 

 be sure to plant carefully and 

 give proper attention to their 

 culture. My experience is that 

 the majority of trees but little 

 when once established, do not cause much 

 trouble to be kept growing nicely.— H. IF. Pree- 

 inan, Montgomery Co., O. 



Fruit Outlook in Ohio, Since sending you 

 the fruit estimate I find Apples are a total fail- 

 ure through this section, also Pears and Plums, 

 only a few of last two. Raspberries have been 

 higher in Cleveland market than for many years 

 past. Grape crop a good fair average ;with in- 

 creased acreage.— £. H. Cushman, Pre.<<. Eastern 

 Cuyahoga Co. Hort. Soc. 



The Bordeaux Mixture. You have not got 

 the Bordeaux mixture <iuite right on page 345, 

 and you are not definite enough about the mix- 

 ing. As I have helped mix about 1800 lbs. of 

 sulphate the two past seasons, I think I know 

 how it should be done. The recipe is 6 lbs, of sul- 

 phate of copper and four of lime. Take two 

 barrels and put the sulphate in one, and lime in 

 the other. I use about three gallons of boiling 

 water for each, and stir till dissolved, and then 

 let stand till cold. I usually mix a lot a day or 

 two before using. When cold pour one of these 

 lots slowly into the other, and stir well while 

 doing it. Then add enough water to make 22 

 gallons. If it is mixed hot it will thicken up, 

 and then it will take two or three days to dis- 

 solve. I am afraid the ti lbs. lime in your recipe 

 would make it to thick for the spray. When 

 ready to use stir it and let it settle for a few 

 minutes and dip from the top, leaving the sedi- 

 ment in the barrel. I have not tried the ammo- 

 nical mixture, but shall next season if those 

 using it this season report favorably of it, as it 

 is a good deal of trouble t« prepare the Bordeaux 

 mixture. The surest way is to spray and than 

 bag the Grapes,— G. B. W.. Warsaw, 111. 



Birds and Grapes. I have 18 different 

 varieties of Grapes, among them the Brighton 

 and Bacchus. I notice that the robin and 

 blue jay are the birds that attack the Grapes. 

 They devour them as they do Cherries, especially 

 the Bacchus they being small and therefore 

 more con\'enient to swallow, T have frequently 

 caught them in the act, and one robin will make 

 way with a bunch of Grapes at one meal or 

 sitting. I have never seen the sparrow, cat-bird, 

 or any other bird attack the Grapes. It often 

 happens that some Grapes in a bunch will crack 

 open ; then the bees will get their work in ; but 

 they will not puncture a Grape if uninjured or 

 not cracked. I have stood by and watched them 

 at work. I will add that of all the Grapes I cul- 

 tivate there is nothing to equal the Goethe for 

 quality, appearance, productiveness, I have 

 sold Goethe at '25 cents iier pound, when others 

 sold at from three to eight cents. Some bunches 

 were green, some amber, some purple in color; 

 but all ripe and splendid,— V. Boisaubiii. 



