1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



79 



ths same. In every case (ten) the plump 

 grains gave the better results. The report 

 says: "The large seeds made the earliest 

 growth, started the best and presented a 

 better appearance from first to last than did 

 the plants from the small seed.s. This supe- 

 riority was manifest in evei'y particular all 

 through the season." On an average the 

 weight of the crop from the plump seed was 

 no per cent of the weight of the crop from 

 the small seed. A gain of ten per cent is not 

 small— if made at an expense of live per 

 cent would almost double the net profit 

 from the Oat crop. The same laws of selec- 

 tion and reproduction were obtained in gar- 

 dening and agriculture. 



Probably many readers will remember 

 that the New York Station experimented 

 for two years with seeds from few-celled and 

 from many-celled Tomatoes. The results of 

 the two years' experiments practically 

 agreed. The second year, fifty fruits gath- 

 ered at random from the plants grown from 

 three-celled fruits contained 1.5S cells, while 

 an etjual number from plants grown from 

 six-celled fruits contamed 2.")9 cells. The 

 Station says that "as few-celled fruits seem 

 more likely to be smooth than many-celled 

 ones, it is possible that an advantage is to 

 be gained by selecting few-celled fruits for 

 seed." The experiment gave results full as 

 valuable in that it showed that some fruits 

 transmitted through their seeds special 

 characteristics, the reproduction of which 

 would hardly be expected, thus making the 

 promise of seed selection greater than 

 might be supposed. 



Fruits for a Month when Fruits are 

 Scarce. 



B. GOTT, ARKONA, ONT. 



The only seeming attempt heretofore 

 thought of for a fruit supply in August has 

 been to import — to ship from southern 

 points. This we are disposed to call a great 

 mistake on our part, for a supply, by a little 

 effort, may be had from our own fertile 

 lands, by our own skill. Not, perhaps, to 

 offer ouj customers blushing Peaches, or 

 bloated Watermelons in July and August, 

 but we do know from our observations and 

 experience that it is possible to offer them 

 Grapes, Watermelons and Muskmelons, Red 

 Raspberries and Blackberries, Tomatoes, 

 Currants, Pears, etc. 



For the Grapes we would erect glass struct- 

 ures especially for this industry, growing 

 some of the best European varieties that 

 are known to do well under moderate treat- 

 ment, and produce them in large quantities. 

 Experimentation might develop the suita- 

 bleness of some of the best of the American 

 Grapes for this purpose. These Grapes dur- 

 ing this month in moderate quantities, and 

 at prices \vithin the reach of the public 

 would be readily taken and used. The 

 question of cost can be practically worked 

 down so fine as to come within reach of 

 ordinary consumers. 



For Watermelons, etc., though not so 

 early or so large as those from Georgia, 

 Tennesee or Kentucky, yet we could have 

 them for this month fine enough to .suit our 

 people, and of much better quality than the 

 imported article. Take the earliest varieties, 

 nurse them under glass and put them out. 

 Then find sheltered vales where these plants 

 could be fostered into fruitage in the short- 

 est possible time and do the same with some 

 of our most desirable Muskmelons. These 

 products, we believe, would readily displace 

 the southern articles. 



The suggestions for Melons will also 

 closely apply to Tomatoes and immense 

 quantities could, in August, be disposed of 

 in almost every market in Ontario. The 

 Tomato is so very easily managed that it is 

 a constant wonder to us that far more of 



them are not offered early on our markets. 



Our plan with Red Raspberries is the fol- 

 lowing: Take varieties known to be 

 liable to fruit on the young wood after 

 the old canes are cut off close to the ground 

 in the spring, such as the everbearing varie- 

 ties, or even Cuthbert. Our plan with this 

 last (the best Red Raspb'erry so far produced ) 

 is to cut down close to the ground in early 

 spring and, after thoroughly stirring up the 

 ground, to mulch heavily with old straw or 

 other litter, just baring the crowns. Most 

 of the canes will produce an excellent crop 

 of the finest fruit during August. This 

 would be one of the best things to fill the 

 requirements of the season. 



The Blackberry stands pre-eminently at 

 the front of this question of fruit supply for 

 August; it can be produced so readily and 

 in such variety, quantity and excellence 

 that there is absolutely no excuse for short 

 supply. What is required is a cane perfectly 

 hardy and a good, rampant grower, the 

 fruit large, bright colored and excellent 

 qiuility, and that can be made to produce its 

 crop late by mulching. These desirable 

 qualities I think can be had in some of the 

 varieties. I believe the Snyder could be 

 made to ilo much for us, also Stone's Hardy, 

 and likely there are others equally good. 



Red Currants; Some of these have the 

 (luality of hanging long without loss of 

 quality, but rather improvement. Ruby 

 Castle would do well for this purpose. These 

 fruits could be produced in great abundance 

 cheaply and fresh from our own soil. 



Another fruit not to be overlooked is the 

 early summer Pear. What is the reason 

 we do not grow them ? No people can have 

 a finer list of good ones to select from, or 

 better soil, better locations and better sun- 

 shine in which to have them to perfection. 

 They come into your hands during the whole 

 of August. The varieties to use are Osbum's 

 Summer and the Summer Doyenne, with 

 others that may be readily tested. 



Why this famishing poverty of all home 

 grown fruits during the heated season? I am 

 confident that it is within the range of pos- 

 sibility to annually place thousands of dol- 

 lars worth of these fruits on the market. 



Field Turnips. 



WM. H. TEOMANS, TOLLAND CO., CONN. 



We are particularly pleased with the 

 quality of our Tui-nip crop. The patch 

 where they were to be planted was selected 

 in a field that had not been under the plow 

 for nearly or quite a quarter of a century, 

 but possessed a fairly firm sod. Being away 

 at the time orders were left regarding the 

 planting of the Turnips, which was to be 

 according to the old rule, "on the 3.5th of 

 .July sow your Turnips, wet or dry." 



The sod was very carefully tiu-ned over 

 and a good dressing of fine manure spread 

 upon the surface and mixed with the soil by 

 dragging over it a bush, leaving the surface 

 level and smooth. The surface received a 

 moderate top dressing of super-phosphate 

 and the seed was immediately sown. 

 Whether the seed was not first quality or 

 for some other cause, it did not come up 

 well and the appearance was decidedly 

 discouraging. 



There were a few plants scattered here 

 and there and little or no show was made 

 during the months of August and Septem- 

 ber, but with the frequent rains, by October 

 the plants began to develop themselves both 

 in leaf growth and in roots, and when 

 pulled on the '22d of November we had as 

 fine a lot of Turnips, being of good size, very 

 smooth, and of the sweetest quality of any 

 we ever ate; so, what at one time appeared 

 like a total failure, turned out to be a grati- 

 fying [success, which we attribute partly to 

 being planted on an old sod. 



California as a Fruit Crowing State. 



D. B. WEIR. 



Col. S. N. D., lola, Kansas, asks me many 

 questions about California, the answers to 

 which I felt were facts of value to many 

 others, so I repeat them here. 



This is a truly great state for good climate, 

 soil, health, fruit growing, etc., if one settle 

 rightly. In its northern half most crops, 

 except Strawberries, grow well without 

 irrigation. Grain crops are not certain in 

 the interior northern valleys, owing to dry 

 seasons, but are in the west valleys. In the 

 north one has, therefore, but little else to 

 look too than the quality of the soil. Here 

 fruit growing, etc., has been mainly done 

 on valley lands. Many of the foot hills and 

 high plateaus have also rich, lasting soils. 

 and with greater altitude have more rain 

 and a healthier, milder climate, but are far- 

 ther from transportation at present. The 

 higher lands are comparatively cheap; tim- 

 ber and water are in plentiful supply to- 

 gether with a fine climate. 



In the south half, or nearly two thirds of 

 the state, crops generally can be grown only 

 by irrigation, a few valleys near the coast 

 with water near the surface being excepted. 

 Elsewhere nothing can be grown without 

 water being brought to the land. Then if 

 the soil is good and the water is good (uncon- 

 taminated with injurious caustic ingredi- 

 ents) and plenty, magnificent crops are 

 assured yearly. To bring permanent water 

 to the land is often very costly, for in a hot 

 climate, with the wind blowing softly but 

 continuously, it takes an enormous amount 

 of water to supply crops. 



If the irrigation water holds in solution 

 even quite a small amount of carbonate 

 salts or sulphates of soda, in time soil irri- 

 gated with it in a climate where the evapor- 

 ation is greater than the rain fall, as it is in 

 all southern California, so accumulates by 

 capillary attraction at the surface as to "kill 

 the soil." Owing to its caustic nature car- 

 bonate of soda burns or eats into the tender 

 plant and kills it. Millions of acres of the 

 best and richest soil are to-day, from such 

 causes, "alkali deserts." 



The fact is that much of the waters being 

 used in this State to-day for irrigation carry 

 enough alkali to, in an easily calculated 

 period, kill the soil they are being used on, 

 although for a limited time bearing grand 

 crops. In many instances even the soil 

 naturally carries too much alkali. 



These facts have been shown by Prof. 

 Hilgard and indicate that settlers in the 

 south have something to look to other than 

 climate, soil and water for irrigation. 



To get rid of the bad effects of alkali in 

 irrigation water can only be done by deep 

 and thorough underdrainage and then 

 flooding the land with sufficient water in 

 the winter time to carry off the alkali. 

 Those who have, at vast expense, gone 

 away up into the mountains after pure snow 

 water, have got that which will give food 

 and fruits to all future generations, but 

 those depending on alkali streams are 

 building very unwisely. What little rain 

 water falls here is only during the three 

 months in winter time. With successful 

 irrigation ten acres will give the grower a 

 larger and more certain income than 160 

 acres of prairie farm land in the East. 



Take Riverside, a fruit growing colony 

 southeast of Los Angelos, for instance. 

 Twenty-five years ago this valley in mid- 

 summer was a desert, surrounded on all 

 sides by desolate brown mountains. A 

 party of men one day wandered into this 

 valley and saw that the soil was very rich 

 and the climate very choice. The plateau 

 was sheltered and nothing seemed lacking 

 but water. Good water could be brought 

 there in plenty at great expense and it was 

 done. The world has heard of Riverside 



