40 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



November, 



as fertilizers. Hence, this compound of the 

 organic elements is indispensable to plant growth 

 as one of the active forces in the preparation of 

 plant food. Wlience comes the supply of this? 

 Science says it is produced by the fermentation 

 of vegetable substances, generated in the decay 

 of animal and vegetable matter; perhaps the 

 larger portion results from the daily burning of 

 cords of wood, and tons of coal by the million. 



Ammonia. Another compound consisting of 

 one of nitrogen and three of hydrogen, is known 

 as ammonia, which exerts a powerful effect on 

 plant growth. Water can be made to contain 

 670 times its own bulk of this gas, and this pro- 

 portion is known also as hartshorn. The pure gas 

 has an acrid alkaline taste, and not only kills 

 growing plants, but disorganizes them. 



All vegetable substances absorb ammonia rap- 

 idly, as do even the clays of our subsoils when in 

 contact with it. Charcoal mil absorb abojit 95 

 times its own bulk of this compound, and light 

 friable soils, ha^^ng a considerable portion of 

 organic matter retain a stUl greater portion. 



The most common forms in a commercial way 

 are carbonate, nitrate and muriate of ammonia, 

 which have a direct and favorable influence on 

 vegetable life, not only promoting rapidity 

 and luxuriance of growth, but in the interior 

 portions causing the substances taken up as 

 plant food to separate from some and recombine 

 with other elements, and so build up the struc- 

 ture. Uniting successfully with the organic 

 elements and their principle compounds as the 

 nature of each plant requires, it seems to be a 

 sort of essential distributive force. 



Nitric Acid- The combination of one of nitro- 

 gen with five of oxygen forms nitric acid. It 

 derives its name from nitre or saltpetre, being 

 generally obtained by the distillation of this per- 

 manent salt. It imparts a yellow color to most 

 animal and vegetable substances. It is not found 

 in a pure state, but in the tropical regions it is 

 found in combination with lime, soda and pot- 

 ash, and known as nitrate or soda, lime and pot^ 

 ash. These salts are soluble in water, yet are 

 solid when dry. The nitrates of lime, soda and 

 magnesia, so strongly attract moisture from the 

 air that in damp weather they are inclined to 

 assume a li<iuid form, and hence, in soils, increase 

 its powers of absorbing and retaining moisture. 

 In small quantities these have a salutary effect 

 upon plant growth, especially the grasses; yet 

 when a soil has naturally enough of these ele- 

 ments to induce the vigorous growth of any 

 plant, the addition of more would probably not 

 prove beneficial. 



The most important use which nitric acid has 

 in its relation to soils and plant growth, consists 

 in its remarkable solvent powers, for by its action 

 the alkaline mineral elements become capable of 

 assuming a liquid form, the condition precedent 

 to their being used so as to influence and aid 

 plant growth. As it is exhaled by the leaves, 

 its u.se is similar to that of carbonic acid in per- 

 fecting the organization. 



Phosphoric Acid. Another au.xilliary to plant 

 growth is phosphoric acid, which by combination 

 with potash, lime, and soda, constitutes the val- 

 uable commercial fertilizers, known as the phos- 

 phates, which are extensively used. 



All of the compounds treated in this paper are 

 the immediate promoters of plant growth, being 

 essential to perfect organization, germination of 

 seeds and sustaining plant life during all the 

 stages of growth. As a more thorough knowl- 

 edge is gained of the elements employed and the 

 natural forces which univei'sally operate in for- 

 est, field, and garden, better understood will be 

 the nature and needs of every plant cultivated, 

 and hence such food and care can be given as 

 it naturally requires. 



Cold Storage and Refrigerator Cars. 



IDiscussioH at the meeting of the American Horticul- 

 tural Society in California. I 



President Earle, Illinois — Fruits are not 

 injured by cold storage, and they do not 

 necessarily decay more rapidly when ex- 

 posed afterward to the warm outside atmos- 

 phere, unless they were over-ripe when 

 shipped. My own experience convinces nie 

 of the value of thoroughly cooling all fruits 

 before shipment. A refrigerator car simply 

 holds the fruit so that organic action is 

 cheeked for a time. When the fruit is packed 

 in a firm condition it does not essentially 

 change when taken out. The success of 

 shipping fruits from this coast to the East, 



would depend largely upon the kind of cars 

 used, and the manner of packing. A refrig- 

 erator car is the worst place in the world 

 for fruits after the ice is melted, as it is then 

 without ventilation, and soon warms up, 

 thus spoiling the fruit very quickly. 



Mr Wilcox, California— Fresh Grapes must be 

 kept dry while in the process of refrigeration. 

 The cold storage establishment at Riverside is 

 quite successful. 



The President— Fruit that has been in cold 

 storage, or shipped in refrigerator cars should 

 never be reshipped in ordinary cars. Refrigera- 

 tion is to l>e used with judgment and care. 



Mr. Feel.v— Cold storage has not proved entirely 

 satisfactory to California fruit growers. 



Mr. Klee, CaUfornia— I think the experience of 

 shippers at Riverside is against cold storage. 

 Lemons and Oranges decay rapidly after being 

 taken out. California fruits at New Orleans, 

 which were not in cold storage, kept much bet- 

 ter than fruits from Eastern states, which, as a 

 rule, were so treated. This, however, may have 

 been due, in part, to the extraordinary solidity 

 and good-looking qualities of fruit sent there 

 from this State. 



Mr. Van Deman, Washington, D. C— The cold 

 storage facilities on the exposition grounds at 

 New Orleans were very inadequate. Arkansas 

 was the only state which availed itself of the 

 opportunities, but, owing to some delay in the 

 preparations, the fruit was greatly decayed be- 

 fore the storage application could be used. 



The President— Fruits that went into cold 

 storage at New Orleans in good condition came 

 out all right. The process was successful. 



Apple Orchards and their Care. 



\Mr. C. Schuttz, before the summer meeting of the 

 Missouri State Horticultural Society.'] 



The Apple is our standard fruit and there 

 is no other industry that pays so well at the 

 present time. We can produce as fine 

 Apples in Missouri as anywhere and at 

 little cost, with a good demand from the 

 northwestern market. 



The great trouble has been in getting stock, 

 from not knowing the best varieties; this has 

 caused a great deal of trouble, and there has 

 been so many tree peddlers whose goods were 

 worthless, that it has discouraged the peo- 

 ple from further elforts. I think a ti'ee swindler 

 is worse than a horse thief. 



Buy trees from your home nurserymen, that 

 will be true to name and are adapted to this 

 country, then give them good care; always buy 

 first class trees to start with, as crooked, forked, 

 scrubby trees, will not be satisfactory. 



The best time to buy is in the fall, when the 

 nurseryman's stock is not broken, and then you 

 can set them out in the spring when you are 

 ready. Prepare the ground in the fall, by plow- 

 ing deep and hairowing well. Plant the trees 

 30 X 40 feet apart, growing crops in the orchard 

 while the trees are small. Potatoes or Corn are 

 the best crops to raise; any hoed crop is good 

 that does not vine and run upon the trees. If 

 Corn is planted mark the rows each way; leave 

 a space of six feet wide north and south of the 

 trees, to give them air. 



Keep the weeds and grass away from around 

 the trees; working around often with a hoe and 

 taking the Corn off when ripe. Burn nothing in 

 the orchard, for trees are easily damaged by fire, 

 and cultivate the orchard until the trees begin 

 to bear freely. Do all the cultivating early 

 in the season, so the trees may have time to 

 mature their young wood before winter. 



Bearing orchards on the prairies may be seeded 

 to Clover and pastured by young hogs, and the 

 trees headed low down, while bearing orchards 

 within timber shelter should be headed up and 

 well cultivated each year without cropping. 

 The first year after planting, the young trees 

 make a large growth, and this is the time to 

 prune and shape the trees. If attended to while 

 the trees are small, it is but a slight Job. 



Do not forget that you must keep an eye on 

 your orchard, not trusting a hired hand, for a 

 careless man will do more damage to an orchard 

 than good. Keep out of the orchard all tramps 

 that are around after jobs of pruning, allowing 

 none to be done without skUlful direction. 



Wrap young trees early in the fall to keep the 

 rabbits from barking the trees. The best mate- 

 rial to use is wire screen, as it will keep the borers 

 and mice away from the trees as well as the rab- 



bits. It will cost about 22 cents per yard which 

 will make five guards. 



As the Apple grows well when planted in new, 

 rich soil, fertilizing is not needed then; but when 

 the trees are bearing five barrels apiece, then the 

 trees absorb all the substance they can reach, 

 and begin to fail if not fed; the cause of so many 

 trees dying, is simply that they are starving for 

 sustenance; give plenty of manure, but don't 

 pile it up all around the trees; spread it broad- 

 cast over the ground, so the feeding roots of the 

 tree will get the benefit. Pruning should be done 

 mostly in non-bearing years. 



Experience in Fruit Culture. 



L^ Paper read by A. L. Hatch before the Wisconmn 

 State Horticultural Society. 1 



Growing fruit successfully, and making 

 money out of it, are subjects always in 

 order. My experience is varied, and yet I 

 have made a success of some things in fruit 

 culture, not brilliant, but quite tolerable. 



In planting an Apple orchard I would set such 

 trees as Tetotsky and Duchess deeper than 

 others, because they sprout so much from the 

 root if set shallow. If for money making, I 

 would set but few kinds, McMahon's White 

 being one, and would not replant an old orchard 

 site. When fruit was abundant I would not buy 

 a cider mill nor an evaporator, for, if I could 

 not sell the fruit at a paying price, I, here in the 

 north, would not attempt to compete with south- 

 em dried fruit. I look to cold storage for help- 

 ing me to save fruits for favorable markets, 

 though as a rule, I would push fruit to market 

 when in the best condition, sorting, and handUng 

 carefully, trusting to the seasons for average 

 returns. I would not top graft or prune trees 

 after a very cold winter, nor depend upon top 

 grafting for an orchard, even though I had many 

 large trees to graft, preferring to plant young 

 root-grafted nursery trees. 



If trees made a good growth each season, but 

 refused to bear, I would change their treatment; 

 if cultivated, I would seed to clover; if bushy, I 

 would thin, as with such trees, whatever will 

 cause maturity of buds will tend to fruit for the 

 next season. Golden Russett trees, three to six 

 inches through, winter killed, while those of two 

 inches or less diameter did not. Have the older 

 trees exhausted the soil and do not mature their 

 wood like the younger ones? In the province of 

 Ontario were the finest Fameuse and the best 

 crop I ever saw, on a bank where a road had 

 been were stones whose surfaces were crusted 

 over with lime from the leeching water of the 

 earth above. In our section of Wisconsin we 

 have lime with 30 to 45 per cent, magnesia, and 

 will not that account for some of the differences 

 in Apple culture? Would such facts suggest im- 

 proving the soil for Apple trees by applying lime 

 of the proper purity? 



It is often mistakenly said of the Wilson Straw- 

 berry, the Currant, and native Plums, that they 

 are gross feeders, but they are light feeders, hav- 

 ing so low feeding powers, that they often suffer 

 from lack of growing material, where others 

 would make a good growth, thus they require 

 well fertilized rich soil. I get the most and best 

 DeSoto Plums and Currants from trees and 

 bushes fed nearly up to fruitlessness with strong 

 fertilizers and good culture, otherwise they soon 

 become exhausted; at the same time I have had 

 varieties like the Windsor Chief Strawberry that 

 our common soil just feeds up to fruitage. Right 

 here is a fine point in horticulture that must be 

 mastered by any one who would be completely 

 successful. Some varieties must be fed up to 

 f ruitfulness, while we can feed others past fruit- 

 fulness. The true measure of success in fruit 

 culture being, not necessarily the largest yield 

 per acre, but is the best returns from labor in- 

 vested, even though at greater expense of field 

 room. To gain such, the variety that will feed 

 itself to full fruitfulness on any certain soil, is 

 the one to plant. 



Among Strawberry plants, the Manchester is 

 from rust almost wholly ruined, for fruit next 

 season. Although without hope, I shall give a 

 portion of it a heavy dressing of wood ashes uext 

 spring and try for a crop. I do not know that 

 ashes is a remedy for rust, but I know it will 

 add to the vigor of Strawberry plants and help 

 in time of drouth. 



Of Raspberries we have some rows five feet 

 apart, but which would be better if seven. My 

 Blackcaps are mostly in rows by themselves. I 

 think it would be better if every other row was 



