Notes and Gleanings. 243 



A Small Fruit Garden. — We had lately the pleasure of a visit to the 

 grounds of our correspondent, Mr. James Draper, at Worcester, Mass. They 

 comprise about twenty acres, including the nursery of trees and shrubs, of which 

 about half are in strawberries, rasbperries, and blackberries, so that it will be un- 

 derstood to be, not a small garden of fruits, but a ten-acre garden of small fruits. 

 The principal attraction at the time of our visit was the strawberries, which were 

 then at the height of the season, and we not only had the pleasure of examining 

 the strawberries, but of meeting some of the prominent horticulturists of Worcester, 

 including several old friends, whom Mr. Draper had invited to visit his grounds. 

 The Wilson and Jucuiida still stand at the head of the list as market berries, and 

 we saw both of them producing most abundant crops when cultivated in hills, as 

 described by Mr. Draper in our Vol. VII I. p. 267. Among the newer varieties, the 

 most promising as a market variety was the Boyden's No. 30, or Seth Boyden. 

 Charles Downing was regarded with favor, as was also Kentucky, as a late kind. 

 Napoleon III., as-an amateur's fruit, was of the highest excellence, the flesh ex- 

 ceedingly delicate in appearance, and of the finest flavor. In quality it rivals 

 Lennig's White, and has but little more color. The foliage is of a deep green, 

 but so covered with down as to present a hoary appearance. But we forbear 

 from further remarks on varieties, as we hope to have a 7-esui/ie of Mr. Draper's 

 experience of the past season for publication in the Journal, though we must not 

 omit to acknowledge the feast of strawberries, of every variety, to which we sat 

 down in the tent used for packing the fruit for market, to crown the labors and 

 pleasures of the day. 



The raspberries, both of the black cap and European species, as well as the 

 blackberries, were all shortened in when three or four feet in height, so that not a 

 stake nor a tie is needed. The Philadelphia raspberry here, as everywhere, exceeds 

 all others in productiveness, and in quality is second rate, as it is elsewhere. Of 

 black caps, the Davidson's Thornless possesses a great advantage over the Doo- 

 little in its freedom from prickles, while nearly or quite equal to it otherwise. 

 The McCormick, or Mammoth Cluster, is larger than the two already named, but 

 later, and of excellent quality. Of blackberries, the Wilson's Early and Kitta- 

 tinny are chiefly cultivated. Both are highly esteemed, but the Kittatinny re- 

 quires a year longer to come into full bearing than the Wilson. 



Burning out Stumps. — In the North-west we are told they have adopted 

 a new method of getting rid of stumps. In the fall they bore an inch or an 

 inch and a quarter hole, according to its size, vertically into the middle of the 

 stump, eighteen inches deep, and put into it from an ounce to an ounce and a 

 half of saltpetre ; fill the hole with water and plug it up. In the spring they take 

 out the plug, and put into the hole from half a gill to a gill of kerosene, and ig- 

 nite it. It will go on burning without any blaze, until the whole stump, to the 

 extremity of the roots, is consumed, leaving nothing but ashes. The stump 

 must be moist : an old dry stump will not be penetrated by the saltpetre. We 

 have no great faith in this process, especially for our pine stumps, which we fear 

 the nitre would not penetrate, but wish some one would try it and report results. 



Rural Carolinian. 



