1890. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



269 



not be covered. A good covering of several 

 inches of leaf-mould or short Grass will 

 often save the lives of tliese. 



In some places Pansiesare most uncertain 

 if not mulched, and watering without that 

 seems only to work greater injury, causing 

 the soil to bake and crack in a few hours 

 afterwards, unless the watering pot is fol- 

 lowed immediately by the hoe, which is not 

 always convenient; mulching prevents this. 



All flower beds suffer in dry seasons, and 

 especially bedding plants, whose roots are 

 always necessarily near the surface. The 

 evil is greatly increased by careless planting, 

 as if the roots are not let in deeply, a,s can 

 be done in the case of many things from 

 seed beds, the tops are sure to suffer from 

 even a few days' drought. Still, frequent 

 waterings should be avoided: a good soak- 

 ing once a fortnight is sufficient if the sur- 

 face of the soil is stirred the day following, 

 or mulched, but mulching is objected to on 

 flower-beds if not covered in some way, as 

 the birds are sure to scatter the litter all 

 over the ground. 



Mulchings, even if thin, should be scat- 

 tered roughly over the soil among all garden 

 crops during drought, and there is hardly 

 anything so handy as short Grass, which, 

 being light and easily applied, may soon be 

 made to cover much ground, and it will re- 

 duce the necessity of watering at least .50 per 

 cent, so that there is no comparison between 

 the two as regards labor. Water should be 

 applied after, not before, the mulching is 

 put on. 



Peach and Plum Growing at the 

 Extreme North. 



As Mr. Henry Paffard, at Xiagara-on-the- 

 Lake, has demonstrated that Figs can be 

 grown in open air in that locality with 

 occasional spells of zero weather in winter, 

 so Peter M. Gideon of Minnesota is showing 

 us that Peaches can be successfully, and 

 perhaps profitably grown in a country 

 with an occasional winter temperature of 

 50 degrees below zero. Both parties accom- 

 plish the task by the same means, namely, 

 laying down the trees. 



Mr. Paffard's way of handling his Fig 

 trees was described in an earlier number of 

 Popular Gardenixg. Mr. Gideon's plan 

 differs only in some of Its details. He pre- 

 fers small one year old trees with whole 

 roots, digs the hole of the proper size and 

 depth, a little deeper than for ordinary 

 planting, makes a cone of solid earth across 

 the middle of the hole, in line with the row 

 or in the direction the tree is to be laid 

 down; divides the roots into two equal parts 

 or as near as can be, each division as com- 

 pact as possible and saddles them over the 

 cone of dirt, then fills up and packs the 

 dirt as in other planting. In the fall when 

 he wishes to lay them down he digs on the 

 side to which he wants the tree to turn and 

 it lops over as if on a hinge. A little hay or 

 leaves are placed under to keep the small 

 branches off the naked ground, then he fills 

 in the dirt around the roots, over which he 

 puts leaves or some other litter, and over 

 that litter and the entire tree he puts about 

 six inches of hay or its equivalent in straw 

 or com stalks. In the spring the covering 

 and the dirt are removed, the tree lifted and 

 the dirt replaced around the roots. To avoid 

 mice, he used strychnine bait under cover of 

 the tree. To keep the bait dry he used two 

 pieces of boards, one on top of the other, on 

 that he put about a spoonful of dry Corn 

 meal, and over it the strychnine made as fine 

 as dust, and over all two boards, nailed 

 edges together to form a roof, and the trees 

 are safe. 



A fruit grower of Woodstock, New Bruns- 

 wick, a Mr. Sharpe, is reported as entirely 

 successful in growing Plums. The accomp- 

 anying illustration, reproduced from Far- 



mers' Advocate, explains his method: As 

 the trees are to be bent down to the ground 

 in the fall, t« be sheltered by the snow, they 

 have to be so planted as to admit of bending 

 without injury, and this can be done only 

 by directly training the roots in such direct- 

 ions as shall not interfere with it. The trees 

 are always bent soutwards, and the roots, 

 to allow of this, are directed to the east and 

 west— any large roots on the north and south 

 sides are removed. In the fall all that is 

 necessary to do is 

 to take a spadeful 

 or two of earth from 

 the south side and 

 gently bend the tree 

 down and fasten it 

 there. This may be 

 done by weighting 

 or, better still, by 

 means of a crotch 

 stick driven well 



itself 'for a time, the moisture from the 

 earth passes off into the air. By stirring 

 the soil frequently, the pores are broken off 

 and a mulch is formed. The moisture in- 

 stead of passing off' into the atmosphere, 

 stops just at the stirred layer and goes to 

 the benefit of the plant. Soil will dry out 

 just as deep as it is stirred. This is why we 

 hoe deeply in wet weather. 



Horse Cultivation. Like other field 

 crops, were it not for the horse, Strawberry 

 growing would be a drudgery indeed. I 

 think growers do not as a rule practice 

 economy in horse cultivation. We should 

 be more particular with the horse and cul- 

 tivator. The horse should be steady and 

 taught to walk straight, through the row. I 

 have used most kinds of cultivators, but 

 have discarded all for the Planet .Jr. It 

 seems ridiculous after running so close to 

 the rows as to peel the leaves off with the 

 wings of a Planet Jr. to glance over the 



Laying dmtm Peach and Plum Trees at the North. 



into the ground. A Plum orchard treated 

 in this manner, where, as in Mr. Sharpe's, 

 the trees are planted rather closely, has the 

 appearance of a brush pile in the fall. The 

 trees, laid almost flat upon the ground, 

 gather the snow and retain it, but from the 

 branches lying with their length paralled to 

 the ground they are not broken, and being 

 perfectly sheltered by the snow, their fruit 

 buds remain uninjured, and an abundant 

 crop is the result. And this fruitfulness is 

 not wholly due to the protection given to the 

 fruit buds by the sheltering snow, but in 

 part to the check that is given the wood 

 growth by the bending down and retaining 

 the trees in their recumbent position till 

 after blossoming. Instead of a vigorous 

 wood growth numerous fruit buds are pro- 

 duced; these, duly protected, are in turn 

 followed by the fruit. 



The trees treated in this manner are, after 

 blos.soming, raised up and fastened to strong 

 stakes driven into the ground at their side. 



When the trees become so large as to be 

 unmanagable they may be permanently 

 fastened down. Although only Plums have 

 been tried in this way, there is no reason to 

 suppose that Cherries and Pears may not be 

 grown under the same treatment. 



Growing Strawberries for Market. 

 Third Paper. 



L. J. FARMER, OSWEGO CO., N. Y. 



Hoeing Strawberries. Not less than a 

 week after Strawberries are set, they should 

 be stirred with a rake or hoe, and the oper- 

 ation continued throughout the season as 

 often as possible. This early and frequent 

 stirring destroys the weeds that are sprout- 

 ing, and also breaks the crust formed by 

 the dews and rain. This crust, unless fre- 

 quently broken, prevents the runners root- 

 ing readily, and also the air from circula- 

 ting to the roots. The free access of air to 

 the roots is most important as is shown by 

 contrast between plants grown where the 

 soil is loose and porous, and when it is sub- 

 merged with water and packed down hard. 

 Plants won't thrive on the latter. 



If heavy rains occur to pack down the 

 soil around the plants, it should be stirred 

 deeply. In no other way can the plants be 

 made to grow. As a rule Strawberries 

 should be hoed shallow In dry weather and 

 deeply in wet weather. When soil is left to 



fence and see a neighbor cultivating the 

 centre of a row with one of those broad- 

 toothed cultivators that came over in the 

 Mayflower. Do his best, he will have over 

 a foot to stir up with the hoe, while with 

 the wings and fine teeth on a Planet Jr., 

 the rows may be narrowed to four inches. 



How TO Cultivate. In about a week 

 after plants are set, the cultivator is started. 

 We cultivate the centre of the row thor- 

 oughly, using the wide teeth. The wings 

 are now put on, arranging so as to cut 

 away from the row. We spread the culti- 

 vator about 2i< feet and use but one wing, 

 the left one. Going up we drive on the 

 right-side of the row, close up ; returning 

 on the left side. The wing is so arranged 

 as to scrape away the weeds and yet allow 

 the cultivator to be guided easily. The fine 

 teeth go easier and should be used when 

 the wings are on. After the wings have 

 performed their service, they should be 

 taken off and the fine teeth put on. Both 

 sides of the rows are now .stirred close up, 

 and the plants are ready for hoeing. The 

 advantages of using fine teeth are these— 

 you can run more closely to the row with- 

 out throwing dirt or stones on the plants, 

 and you can also stir the soil deeply around 

 the plants, thereby disturbing and possibly 

 destroying any worms or insects that may 

 be at work on the roots. 



In hoeing Strawberries for the first time, 

 the weeds are cut out between and around 

 the plants and as much earth put around 

 the plants as is taken away. If a plant be 

 set too deeply or if heavy rains have caused 

 earth to settle over the crown, it should be 

 fingered out ; so the crown will be free. If 

 the plant be set too shallow, so that its 

 roots show, more earth should be drawn 

 around it. If the soil be hard, it shoiild be 

 stirred deeply and mellowed up. If any 

 blossom or berries remain on the plants 

 they should be removed as it ta.xes the 

 plants vitality. No runners will start till 

 quite late, and the plants will often suc- 

 cumb if allowed to fruit the first year. 

 Strawberries should be hoed and cultivated 

 as often as possible before the runners start 

 to grow. By frequent stirring, the weed 

 seeds are brought to the surface and then 

 they sprout and are destroyed. It is easier 

 to hoe four times before the runners start 

 than once afterwards. 



