24 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



October, 



Niagara County Notes. The Fruit 

 Farm of Henry Lutts.Youngstown . 



On the 18th of August last, the writer 

 with a friend tooli an eight mile drive from 

 his home at LaSalle, to the fruit farm and 

 nursery of Mr. Henry Lutts, located in the 

 northwestern part of Niagara Co., N. Y. 

 This farm consists of 90 acres of land, 50 of 

 which is devoted to fruit. It is situated 



Niagara Plum. Natural size of Average Specimen. 



about two miles fi'om Lake Ontario, and 

 about one half of that distance from 

 Niagara river at a point several miles from 

 its mouth. The soil of the farm is a clay 

 loam. There is enough of undulation to the 

 surface to admit of easy drainage, and thus 

 far, surface drains have been tlie main re- 

 liance for carrying oil excessive moisture. 



Mr. Lutts divides his attention mainly 

 between the culture of Pears, Peaches, 

 Plums, and Grapes, but having also an 

 Apple, and Quince orchard, besides consider- 

 able laud devoted to the culture of nursery 

 stock. His main Pear orchard consists of 

 1,000 trees of the (de Angouleme) Duchess 

 variety, set out seven years ago, but he also 

 has numerous other sorts under orchard 

 cultivation. The Angouleme trees being 

 dwarfs, stand at 18 by 10 feet apart. 



At the time of this visit, the Pear crop of 

 the place was most promising, the Bartlett 

 variety especially, having begun to show up 

 finely as their time of maturity was Hear- 

 ing. In marketing this variety, Mr. Lutts 

 said, he makes three pickings of the fruit in 

 the season, taking the ripest at each pick- 

 ing. The proprietor depends on marketing 

 his fruit mainly in Buffalo, Toronto, and at 

 Niagara Falls, sending to the first and last 

 named places directly by wagon. 



In Pear culture Mr. Lutts pursues a 

 course equivalent to clean culture. This he 

 does by plowing the laiul about the latter 

 part of August, turning the furrows toward 

 the tree row, and sowing Rye to the ground, 

 which is then allowed to occupy the .space 

 until early spring when it is txirued under, 

 plowing away from the tree now. Then in 

 May or June, a mulch of manure is applied 

 about the tree, to remain until the August 

 plowing, when this is turned in. By such a 

 course the land receives a crop of green 

 manure and of stable manure annually, it 

 is kept well furrowed between the tree rows 

 from fall until spring, and the cultivation 

 is simply managed. Moreover the crop of 

 young Rye growing on the ground serves to 

 prevent injury to falling fruit in a consider- 

 able degree. This system of culture is also 

 applied to Peaches and Plums, after the 

 yoimg trees have passed their first year of 

 growth. No blight has troubled this Pear 

 orchard for years. 



In pruning Pears, Mr. Lutts allows much 

 freedom of growth in the young trees, ob- 

 serving, however, to have the main branches 

 well located, and then when bearing begins, 

 he cuts back the ends of all branches rather 

 severely to induce plenty of side spurs, of 

 which he later trims away a good propor- 

 tion, if they seem to be too numerous. 

 The Plum orchard of some acres is one of 

 the finest looking and most profitable 

 sections of this frtiit farm. The trees 

 stand fifteen feet apart each way. The 

 culture is similar to that for Pears. 

 The Niagara is one of the favorite and 

 most profitable varieties, being large, 

 early, and productive. A medium speci- 

 mem of the fruit is figured herewith. It 

 is a blue Plum, and is believed by Mr. 

 Lutts to be the result of a cross between 

 Duane and Lombard. The tree pre- 

 sents the hardiness of the Dttane. Mr. 

 Lutts' other favorite Plums are Washing- 

 ton, Jefferson, Magnum Bonum, Quack- 

 enbos, Reine Claude, and Italian Prune. 

 The Reine Claude is an excellent late 

 variety, coming in late in September, is 

 sugary and a heavy bearer. 



Questioned aboitt his management 

 against Plum ailments, Mr. I^utts said, 

 that for rot, he relies on removing the 

 diseased specimens as soon as they appear; 

 for black knot he prunes off the effected 

 parts immediately they are discovered; 

 for eurculio, jarring is considered an 

 all-sitfficient remedy. Concerning the 

 last process, the insects are jarred upon 

 sheets and burned; when they are numer- 

 ous he goes over the trees six or eight 

 times, if less plentiful, usually half as many 

 times .suffice. 



The Peach is not as perfectly at home on 

 the heavy soil of Mr. Lutts' home farm, as 

 are some other fruits. Still his orchard of 

 these trees is thrifty and the trees heavily 

 loaded with fruit. In common with his 

 neighbors, the proprietor cares little for 

 Yellows, by using the simple safeguard of 

 setting the trees on land free from wetness, 

 and by promoting healthfulness by free cul- 

 ture and fair manuring. No other crops are 

 grown in his orchard excepting green ones 

 for plowing under. On this soil he is par- 

 ticular to ridge the earth into lands in 

 August, with a furrow for surface drainage 

 midway between the rows. 



Mr. Lutts grows the standard varieties of 

 Peaches, with the Crawfords as favorites for 

 main crop. Among his best early market 

 Peaches he includes Alexander, Arkansas 

 Traveler, Hine's Surprise, and River's early 

 Hine's Surprise is the earliest for store and 

 a great favorite for marketing. Its fla\or 

 is flrst-class, and it is a profuse bearer, the 

 trees giving, in some instances, as much as 

 three baskets apiece by the third year. 



The Quince section of this orchard is m 

 splendid condition, as is also the vineyard ot 

 two acres. In Quinces the favorite variety 

 is the Angers. This is true indeed to an 

 extent that will lead the owner to graft 

 many trees of other varieties with this 

 One strong point in favor of the Angers is 

 that it is but slightly disposed to suffer 

 sun burn. In pruning these trees, Mr. Lutts 

 cuts out the point rather severely, and by 

 thus getting rid of many fruit spurs, the 

 thinning of the crop is also effected. 



In the vineyard. Concords and Niagaras 

 are the preferred varieties for market pur- 

 poses. As for pruning the vine, Mr, Lutts 

 depends on cutting the wood clo.>-ely in win- 

 ter, and in summer trimming in the main by 

 removing " suckers " at blossoming time. 



In Mr. IjUtts' nursery department, the 

 raising of young hedge plants is a leading 

 specialty. To show what this enterprising 

 nurseryman is doing in the way of stocking 

 our country vfith live fencing material, it 

 may be remarked that he has sown five 



tons of Honey Locust seed, for hedge plants, 

 in one season. This species engages his at- 

 tention most largely ; the plants can be fur- 

 nished cheaply,and in four years after plant- 

 ing; they make not only a complete but a 

 very handsome fence. 



Planting Strawberries in the Fall. 

 Successful fall setting depends on the char- 

 acter of the soil, location, etc. If it be dry, 

 they can be set any time up to November, 

 and come on well in the spring, but other- 

 wise if wet are liable to heave. The gain 

 in fall setting on favorable soils, is that 

 they make a larger growth next season for 

 the first full crop for the year following, 

 than those set next spring, and the drought 

 is not so apt to affect them. For family 

 garden beds, we would recommend setting 

 this fall, and protecting with straw or Ever- 

 green brush. We would not purchase 

 plants from a distance, before last of Septem- 

 ber or in October, for they are not in first-, 

 class condition for good work until then. 



Received at this Office. 



CATALOGUES, ETC.— FIGURES INDICATE PAGES. 



Lewis Roescb, Fredonia, N. Y., Grapes, etc., 10. 



Dan'I B. Long, Buffalo, N. Y., Holland Bulbs, 4. 



Frank Ford & Sons, Ravenna, 0., Small Fruit, etc., 8. 



Wm. C. Wilson. Long Island City, N. Y., Florist, 16. 



E. G. Mendenhall, KInmundy, III., Nursery, 8. 



J. Jenkins, Wlnoua, O., Nursery, 4. 



Ant. Roozen & Co., Haarlem, Holland, Bulbs, 132. 



Howard & Latimer, Shenandoah, Iowa, Plums, 4. 



Fred. W. Kelsey, New York City. Nursery, 2. 



W. A. Mason, Crystal Springs, Miss., Strawberry, 2. 



West Jersey Nursery Co.,Brlagetou,N.J.Strawberry,6. 



Albert Benz, Douglaston, N. Y., Pansles, 4. 



J. M. McCullougtfs Sons, Clnclnnatl.O., Bulbs, 40. 



Haage and Schmidt. Erfurt, Dutch Bulbs, 44. 



R. J. Hallldav, Baltimore, Md., Florist, 4. 



Culinary Grape Co., Dayton, O., Grapes, 2. 



Thos. S. Ware, Tottenham, Eng. Bulbs, etc., 280. 



Pierce, Butler & Pierce, Syracuse, M. Y., Boilers, 10. 



H. S. Miller & Co.. Newark, N. J., Fertilizers, 56. 



O. R. Kreinberg, Philadelphia, Pa., Pansies, 8. 



Thomas G. Zane,Chew's Landing, N. J., Small Fruit, 4. 



miscelLlANEOUS. 



Bulletin No. 2, N. Y. Ex. Station of Cornell College, 

 J. P. Roberts, Director, 12. 



Journal No. 7, of the Muskingum Co., (O.) Horticul- 

 tural Society, containing reports of July meeting, 8. 



"The Conditions ot Tropical and Seml-Troplcal 

 Fruits In the D. S.," Bulletin No. 1, DIv. of Pomology, 

 U. S. Dep't of Agriculture, H. E. Van Deman. Chief. 149. 



BuUptIn No. 2. III. Agricultural Exp. Station, Sellm 

 H. Peabodv, Champaign, President, 24. 



"Insect Life." Bulletin Nos. 1 and 2, of a series to be 



Bubllshed at regular periods, Dlv. of Entomology, U. S. 

 ept. of Agriculture, C. V. Riley, Chief, 32. 



Report No. 1846 D. S. Senate Committee on Olassiflca- 

 tion of mall matter and rates of postage, 2o. 



N. J. Experimental Station, BuUetIn No. 8, Geo. H. 

 Cook, Director. New Brunswick, N. J. 16. 



Thirteenth Annual Report ot the Meeting of the 

 American Association of Nurserymen at Detroit. Mich. 

 June, 1888, numerous illustrations of Pomologlsts, C. 

 A. Green. Rochester, N. Y., Secretary, 120. 



N. Y. State Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 10, new 

 series, Peter Collier, Director, Geneva, N. Y., 8. 



Transactions of the Mass. Horticultural Society for 

 1887. Part 2, Robert Manning, Sec'y, Boston, Mass. 200. 



Annual Report of the Division of Forestry. tJ. S. 

 Dept. of Agriculture for 1887, B. E. Fernow, Chief of 

 Division 156 



Hme's Early buip' i>' i ■ '"'''< Natmal Size. 



Bulletin No. 30, Mass. Exper. Station, C. A. Qoess- 

 mann. Director, Amherst, Mass., 16. 



Copy of the Bill passed by the Legislature of Mass., 

 May 3. 1888, requiring all who manufacture or Import, 

 either abroad or from other States.Commercial FertlH- 

 zers or material for similar purposes, to secure from 

 the Director of the Mass. Exp. Station, an analysis of 

 each brand offered tor sale, under heavy penalties. 



California Experimental Station, Bulletin No 80, E. 

 W.HIIlgard, Director, Berkeley, Cal.,containlng account 

 of progress of work. 4. „ . ^ „ . 



Notice of Ohio State Horticultural Society, Centen- 

 nial Meetings during the Exposition at Columbus, O., 

 beginning Sept. 2. Geo. W. Campbell, Secretary. 



Michigan Crop Report No. 82,with report of Michigan 

 weather servlee, Gilbert R. Osmuns, Sec'y of State, 31. 



