1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



21 



case may be. This record shows an accurate 

 account of each day's work, under its proper 

 date, for the season. I tind it necessary to with- 

 hold a portion of the pay till the close of the 

 season, or offer extra inducements to those who 

 stand by through " thick and thin." We who live 

 five miles from town have to pay more, and be 

 less particular about our help than those who 

 live where it is plenty. Of late yeai-s I have paid 

 one cent per quart for the larfe'e kinds, and in- 

 creased the price to one and a half and two cents 

 to close up with the gleanings, which has proved 

 satisfactory. 



E. H. Scott : I have my pickers pinch off every 

 berry, and not pull them otf. They arrive in 

 market in better condition, and keep fullj- a day 

 longer. 



The European Grape in Florida. 



[Extract of paper prepared for the American Potno- 

 logicat Society, by Baron Von Luttichan, Fla.l 



Like almost all other fruit which can be 

 successfully raised in Florida, we find only 

 those remunerative which we can bring to 

 market early. .Jttne is the best season for 

 Grapes, as they are then regarded as an 

 article of luxury. 



Our aim should be to otfer Grapes which have 

 large, compact bunches, brilliantlj' colored, and 

 of the best quality. A vineyard, producing such 

 fruit at that time, will no doubt jirove one of the 

 best investments in the State. From the plant- 

 ing of my first vines, my aim has been to find 

 such fruit. I have planted nearly every native 

 Grape of repute, yet I have not discovered such 

 perfection among American kinds and their hy- 

 brids. The Grape I wanted, if at all, bad to come 

 from Vitis vinifera, the foreign Grape, and with 

 some varieties from Europe I have certainly been 

 very successful. I have no proof to substantiate 

 the claim that they will do as well in all parts of 

 the State, but believe those doing well with me, 

 will do even better farther south, and will prove 

 unsatisfactory in northern portions of the State, 

 where American kinds succeed better than here. 



Reports of previous attempts to grow Vitis 

 vinifera in Florida were all discouraging, but 

 there was little evidence that native kinds had 

 done better. Black Hamburg seemed the most 

 known and most extensively tested representa- 

 tive of the foreign Grape, and I will say right 

 here, that although I have grown excellent fruit 

 of that kind, I would certainly not plant Black 

 Hamburg to any extent for profit, even if grafted 

 on native stock. The time of ripening is not 

 early enough to escape serious damage to fruit 

 from an early rainy season. But if there is little 

 rain while they are maturing, with the help of 

 paper bags and thinning out of berries, the Black 

 Hamburg will prove of value to an amateur. 

 This applies as well to other varieties of Vitis 

 \inifera; their time of ripening is late. The 

 Grape most grown in France and Germany for 

 market is the Chasselas. The Chasselas varieties 

 are among the healthiest and hardiest, well 

 adapted to field culture, and with few exceptions 

 very early, and offer better resistance to any 

 disease that attacks, or may attack our vines. 



In 18S7 Anthracnose made its appearance, but 

 acting by advise of Professor Dubois, I succeded 

 in checking this disease, and I had hardly any of 

 it last season. My Chasselas kej)t free; Malaga, 

 Malooise and Tame Tokay suffered most. Grafted 

 vines kept their vigor; those on their own roots 

 showed a marked decline or even died. 



Varieties of Vitis vinifera which have proved a 

 perfect success with me are: Chasselas, Royal 

 Red, Violet, Bulhery, Blana,Fontainebleau, Jala- 

 bert. Rose, a Chasselas seedling, the earUest of 

 all, also Early Malinger. 



Those doing well under favorable conditions 

 are: Black Hamburg, White Frontignan, Tokay 

 (from Hungary). I have some twenty more var- 

 ieties of Chasellas, as well as other kinds, prom- 

 ising well, and I hope 1 will be able after this 

 coming season to add a black Grape to my first 

 list; as yet I have none to offer. I need hardly 

 say that I have failed with many, but will men- 

 tion Malaga or Muscat of Alexandria variety so 

 universally known. Possessing beauty, form 

 and bunch, they comprise all colors in great bril- 

 liancy, blue, red, rose, golden and white. 



I procured a large collection of Chasselas, some 

 in this country, but mainly from Europe, and 

 here I have Grapes that come up to my standanl; 

 and I wish to note, that I can count with more 

 certainty on these vines to bring me splendid 

 fruit in June, than on any of American origin 

 with no exceptions. If to-day I wanted to set 



out a vineyard, no matter how extensive, I should 

 plant no others, but principally certain kinds of 

 Chasselas grafted on Vitis Aesti^'alis or on Tay- 

 lor. All my vines are now grafted on different 

 varieties of Aestivalis, or on Taylor, and my ex- 

 perience leads me to believe grafted vines are 

 much to be preferred to those grown on their 

 own roots. I do not mean to say such vines 

 would prove a failure; in fact I know Col. Nor- 

 ton, of Eustis, Fla.. who is perhaps more success- 

 ful in growing foreign Grapes than myself, grows 

 all bis vines on their own roots. But with grafted 

 \ines we prepare for Phylloxera.secure stronger 

 growth, durability, and that means long life. 



CONDENSED GLEANINGS. 



Hardy Plants for Evergreen Hedges. Judg- 

 ing by the preference of Western writers, their 

 list of suitable Evergreens differs widely from 

 ours on the Atlantic coast. Chinese Arbor-vibi' 

 and Red Cedar are not adapted for hedging or as 

 ornamental trees with us. The Chinese Arbor- 

 vit.e, when planted thickly soon loses its lower 

 branches, and is often quite tender, dying out in 

 spots and irreparably injuring the appearance of 

 the hedge. The Red Cedar rarely forms a sightly 

 row of even plants. The common Juniper is even 

 woi-se than the foregoing. Among available 

 Evergreens for hedging with us, the Norway 

 Spruce is the most reliable species for aU places, 

 and as easily kept within bounds as any other- 

 resembling a wall of living green when properly 

 pruned, almost impenetrable by birds,thoroughly 

 hardy, and remarkably dense structure; For 

 general purposes, perhaps the American Arbor- 

 ^tae should rank next, yet hardy as it is, close 

 planting has a weakening effect on the indi\'idual 

 plants, and a severe dry winter will occasionally 

 make gaps in the hedge. The variety known as 

 Siberian Ai'bor-vitje is of a richer, deeper green 

 than the adove, and does not grow quite so tall 

 as the species. Could the Hemlock Spruce be de- 

 pended upon during very cold, windy winters, 

 it would certainly be the hedge-plant " par e.x- 

 cellence," but unfortunately it is liable to be in- 

 jured, especially when close planted. Among 

 Pines, the native Pinus strobus is the most satis- 

 factory species for tall screens or windbreaks, 

 bearing the shears and the extremes of cold, and 

 may be classed among the ornamental features 

 of a well-kept place. For very low hedges, or 

 rather borders, the different varieties of tree box 

 are admirably suited. They are easily preserved 

 within proper bounds, and their naturally dense 

 structure and deep green, glossy color, are strong 

 incentives to use them more frequently. No 

 plant disregards shaded spots so perfectly as the 

 family of Buxus, or Box. The dwarf forms of 

 Arbor-\'ita3 make pretty little hedges, but they 

 are not very enduring. Ketinispora obtusa and 

 R. pisifera are well adapted for ornamental 

 screens, the price alone being in the waj' of their 

 general use.— Josiah Hoopes, in N. Y. Tribune. 



The A B C of Pruning. Paint all large wounds, 

 to retard decay. Pruning shears are more con- 

 venient than the knife or saw for pruning 

 small trees, shrubs, Grape\ines, etc. Where two 

 bi-anches rub together, cut off one, usually the 

 smaller. Never cut off a branch large or small, 

 without a definite reason for doing so. Cut off 

 all sprouts from the trunk and main branches, 

 unless more large branches are desired. Cut off 

 all dead branches. They rob the three of moist- 

 ure, giving no return. They Invite decay into 

 Uve wood, and the looks of the tree will be great- 

 ly improved by their removal. If the extremi- 

 ties of the branches have grown too dense, so 

 that the sunlight is largely prevented from enter- 

 ing the center of the tree, thin out by cutting off 

 many small twigs from the outer ends of the 

 branches rather than b.v cutting off large Limbs 

 at the top of the trunk. tXit of branches close 

 to the larger limb to which they are attached. If 

 the branch to be cut off is so lai-ge that its weight 

 is liable to cause it to split down, saw in a short 

 distance from the lower side first. This is shown 

 in illustration on next page. Pole shears are 

 very useful for cutting off branches smaller than 

 the little finger. On small trees, they permit a 

 large part of the pruning to be done from the 

 ground. In large trees, they are excellent for 

 thinning out the ends of branches. The double- 

 edged pruning saw has several advantiiges over 

 that having but a single cutting edge. It seldom 

 troubles by pinching, as it cuts its way out. It 

 has a coarse and a fine edge, for different kinds 

 of work, and the two edges remain sharp longer 

 than one would.— E. S. Goff in American Agricul- 

 urist. 



Late Grafting of the Cherry. All writings upon 

 the subject favor very early grafting of the 

 (Cherry in the open air, and the use of strictly 

 dormant buds for grafting under cover. These 

 instructions are well founded, but they hinge on 

 the principle that the cell structure of the wood 

 of the stock and scion must be in the same con- 

 dition. If root and scion be started about equally 

 they will unite quite as well. Last spring, late 

 in April, it became necessary to take up several 

 valuable Cherry trees loaded with fruit buds. We 

 cut off all the scions down to the two year old 

 wood, and set them on Mazzard seedling roots in 

 the graft room. The grafts were put in the 

 nursery a few days later, and over ninety per 

 cent of them have made a strong growth. In the 

 last case the buds were started on one variety, so 

 as to exhibit the points of the embryo leaves, yet 

 the roots taken from the cellar had started fully 

 as much. If the seedlings had been kept dor- 

 mant in the ice-house I do not think a single 

 scion would have united with them. This prin- 

 ciple applies to all top working in the open air of 

 Apple, Pear, Cherry, Plum, etc. If the work is 

 deferred until the buds on the stocks are well 

 started, the scions should be about equally ad- 

 vanced. In late spring grafting we have failed 

 almost completely with dormant scions, but 

 have had perfect success with those cut as needed 

 in open air.— Prof. J. L Budd, in Farmers Review. 



Killing Trees Liable to Sprout. The best way 

 to get rid of WUlows or other trees liable to sprout 

 from the stump. Is to girdle them and let them 

 stand until they cease to produce leaves. By 

 this plan all trouble with sprouts will be avoided. 

 The Silver Maple frequently sends up sprouts 

 which occupy the ground to the exclusion of 

 everything else in the vicinity of the tree. If the 

 tree is girdled, and all the sprouts ai-e cut close 

 to the ground in August, there will be no trouble 

 with them afterward. Some kinds of timber 

 trees ha^-ing a very thin sap wood can be kUled 

 very quickly by girdling. The Black Walnut is 

 one of this kind. Many years ago, when I played 

 hired man for an Ohio farmer, my employer 

 directed me to girdle a large number of Black 

 Walnut trees standing in a Corn field, and in a 

 few day I destroyed valuable timber that ten 

 years later could have been sold for more than 

 the land from which it had been removed. The 

 work was done late in June when the trees were 

 in full leaf, and in a few days they were as dead 

 as hay. But I wish it understood that I don't ad- 

 vise the destruction of Walnut timber in this 

 way. There has been too much of such work 

 done on valuable timber in Ohio and elsewhere. 

 Luman Woodward, in Ohio Farmer. 



Be view of Blackberries. Of Blackberries tested 

 on the Rural grounds Snyder and Taylor are the 

 hardiest, though the berries are small. Early 

 Harvest is earliest, but it is killed to the ground 

 about every other season. It is a feeble grower. 

 The berries are perfect in shape and of fair 

 quality. Wilson Jr. is the same as WUson's 

 Early, except that it is a little hardier. The Lu- 

 cretia Dewberry Is worthless where standards 

 will thrive. Crystal White is tender. Kittatinny 

 is the best variety for the climate of New York. 

 Minnewaski promises to be hardier. In other re- 

 spects it is not superior to the Kittatinny. The 

 Cut-leaved, largely advertised two years ago, is 

 worthless. The Dorchester is hardier than the 

 Kittatinny, but less productive. The Erie re- 

 sembles the Lawton, and is said by some to be the 

 same. It appears to be hardier and a trifle earlier 

 at the Rural Grounds.— Rural New Yorker. 



The Kussian Apples. There is a disposition on 

 the part of some nuserymen— acting possibly 

 from interested motives— to decry and disparage 

 the Russian apples introduced by Prof. Budd, 

 and now being tested in various portions of the 

 northwest. That some varieties should prove 

 failures is nothing strange. No intelligent per- 

 son would for a moment e.vpect that all would 

 prove adapted to conditions here. But spite of 

 all that has been urged against them, there is 

 good grounds for confidence that from the large 

 number of varieties being tested we shall secure 

 a select list will prove adapted to the trying 

 cUmatic conditions of the northwest. Prof. 

 Budd is an intelligent and conscientious student 

 and experimenter, and it is yet too early to pass 

 judgement upon his work without the liability 

 of doing him great injustice. 



Nut Cnlture Profitable. There is no valid 

 reason whj' the various kinds of Nuts should not 

 prove as profitable as any of our fruit trees. 

 There is a steadily increasing demand for them 

 in our markets, and their culture as a rule, re- 

 uires less attention than the majority of our 



