1889. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



227 



Eiirlij Summer, good stock, grown by 

 nearly all seedsmen. Considerable variation, 

 however, found in stock furnished by the 

 different ones. Requires from lis to 122 

 days to mature. Weight of heads from 2 

 lbs. s oz. to 4 lbs. 10 oz. 



Tlie following varieties were found to be 

 poor : Early Oxheart, Early French Ox- 

 heart, Early Moliawk Market, Early Bo- 

 nanza, Early Baclan, Early ("anajoharie. 

 Early Tourlaville, Pearly Paris, Nonpareil, 

 Premier, Tunnel, Habas. 



Fottlcr's Improved Brunsuirk, requires 

 144 days to mature ; weight 4 lbs. 12 oz. An 

 excellent second early variety. Uniform 

 and decidedly good stock. 



Loi/''.s Peerlesx, requires 130 days, weight 

 4 lbs., a good strain of Early Flat Dutch. 

 Rather better than Early Summer. 



New York's Wild Fruits. 



A study of the wild fruits of the country, 

 and their comparison with the cultivated 

 sorts that have sprung from them, is not 

 only interesting, but instructive in showing 

 us what has been accomplished in the in- 

 stance of some fruits, and suggesting the 

 possibilities hidden in the development of 

 others. Prof. C. H. Peck has recently given 

 to the press a resume of the wild fruits of 

 New York State. 



The Fox Grape is abundant, and its 

 berries are about three-fourths of an inch 

 in diameter. The Summer Grape has a 

 smaller berry, which is pleasant to the taste. 

 The Frost Grape is another variety of wild 

 grape. A fourth variety is the River Bank 

 Grape, from which the Delaware has been 

 derived. The Fox Grape is the parent of 

 the Isabella, Concord and other varieties. 

 Wild Pears, Apple, Cherry, Plum 

 trees, etc., and wild Strawberries, all 

 common in the forests of the state, have by 

 cultivation given us the rich fruits now on 

 sale in our markets. The .Juneberry ( or 

 Service or Shad berry) is found growing 

 wild all over the state. The berries have 

 been offered on sale in various localities, 

 generally under the name of " Blueberries ;" 

 but they are yet inferior to that fruit. 

 There can be no douljt, however, that the 

 Juneberry offers a promising foundation tor 

 a fine fruit which may soon be as common 

 in our markets as Currants or Raspberries. 



White and Black Thorns do not afford de- 

 sirable fruit, as it is too dry for eating. 

 Many varieties of the Plum tree are native 

 here. Four species of the Cherry are found 

 growing wild within our borders, all more 

 or less infested with black knot, and hence 

 dangerous to those under cultivation. Four 

 species of the Raspberry are indigenous to 

 the state. The red Raspberry of commerce 

 is derived from the wild red variety. The 

 black cap variety is inferior as a fruit, owing 

 to its large seeds and less abundant pulp. 

 The wild Blackberry Is vigorous, and a 

 more delicious fruit than any cultivated 

 variety. It is a question whether the Black- 

 berry of cultivation has lost flavor by 

 domestication, or whether it is derived from 

 another variety. 



Of Strawberries we have two wild varie- 

 ties, the Woodland and the Upland berry. 

 These are reputed to possess flavor superior 

 to that of the cultivated varieties. The 

 Gooseberry is also a native of the State, and 

 is found in two varieties. The red Currant 

 is said to be indigenous to northern New 

 York. The Cactus is represented by one 

 variety called Prickly Pear. The genus 

 Viburnum of the Honeysuckle family 

 affords five species producing edible fruits, 

 but not of much importance. These are 

 known as Cranberry tree. Haw tree and 

 Sheepberry. The Heath family have more 

 ornamental flowers than edible fruit. Only 

 one of the family produces edible berries of 



commercial value, and this is the Huckle- 

 berry, which grows in all parts of the state. 

 A tendency of a plant to vary its fruits in 

 color, size and flavor indicates a possibility 

 of improvement by cultivation. There are 

 nine species of this berry found here. No 

 attempt has yet been made, says Prof. Peck, 

 to cultivate either the Black Huckleberry 

 or the Blueberries, although both are highly 

 esteemed for the table. We would rather 

 say that the many attempts made (as for 

 instance by the New York experiment 

 station, both with the Huckleberry and the 

 Blueberry) have thus far resulted in failure. 

 A. S. Fuller alone, we believe, claims to 

 have made some headway in this direction, 

 although we do not know with what practi- 

 cal results. Two species of Cranberry are 

 found in the state, designated as the small 

 and large Cranberry. The W^intergreen 

 produces a red berry which Is often found 

 in the markets. The Persimmon is rarely 

 found here. The Black Nightshade produ- 

 ces a black berry formerly regarded as 

 poisonous, but along the Mississippi they 

 are used in the making of pies. The Rack- 

 berry bears a fruit about the size of a Pea, 

 which is quite edible. The Red Mulberry 

 is related botanically to the Bread fruit tree. 

 We have ten species of trees bearing edible 

 nuts, and altogether seventy -five varieties of 

 the vegetable kingdom bearing edible fruits. 



Evaporated Sulphur for Mildew 

 and Insects. 



One after another of the fungus diseases 

 of plants are brought under the control of 

 growers by the careful investigation of 

 experts. Lettiice is one of the foremost 

 crops for forcing under glass, and often a 

 very remunerative one. Mildew, however, 

 has always been a great obstacle to success, 

 aud frequently ruins the entire crop. 



Prof. S. T. Maynard, of the Massachusetts 

 Experiment Station, finds that evaporated 

 sulphur is a very effective cure, not only 

 for this form of mildew, but also for many 

 others, and for insects besides. Before 

 looking for remedies, he says, we should 

 take advantage of preventive measures. 

 Experience has shown that, 1., Lettuce 

 must be grown at a low temperature, rang- 

 ing from .3.')° to 40° at night, to ."iO" to 7.5' 

 during the day, to escape mildew. 2. An 

 abundance of plant food must be provided 

 at all times. 3. Nitrates of soda and potash 

 are valuable in developing a vigor of leaf 

 that will tend to resi.st the attack of the 

 mildew. 4. An abundance of water must be 

 used, but the drainage should be good, and 

 the watering done in the morning or on 

 bright days only. 0. Sudden extreme 

 changes of temperature must be avoided. 



To test the value of evaporated sulphur as 

 a remedy for Lettuce mildew,Prof. MajTiard 

 allowed the temperature of the house on the 

 nights of March 13th, 13th, 14th and l."ith to 

 nui up to .50% ()() , 47 , and 51' respectively. 

 Most of the crop had been cut for market, 

 but what remained was now batlly mil- 

 dewed. Two kettles of sulphur were kept 

 running from 6 to 9 o'clock on each evening 

 the vapor being very abundant. Except 

 where the vapor could not penetrate among 

 the leaves, the mildew was certainly very 

 much checked, and no new growth appeared 

 on the exposed surface of the leaves. The 

 conclusion is that evaporated sulphur will 

 largely prevent the development of mildew, 

 but when it has once become established, it 

 will not entirely destroy it 



Api'I.kation of Remkdv. a kettle or 

 basin of sulphur (brimstone) heated to 

 nearly the boiling point, is kept in the room 

 for three or four hours twice or three times 

 a week. Prof. Maynard used a Florence or 

 Monarch hand stove with the sulphur in a 

 tin or iron kettle. Enough sulphur must be 

 evaporated to fill the room with the vapor. 



so that it will be visible, and give something 

 of the odor of sulphur. Btirninij sulphur is 

 quickly destructive to all plant growth, and 

 every precaution should be taken that it is 

 not heated so hot as to take Are or that the 

 kettle does not get upset. The lamp or stove 

 should have a broad base, or the kettle be 

 placed on a tripod with feet well spread. It 

 should be placed under the bencli where It 

 can be readily seen, but where the clothes 

 of a person passing by may not catch upon 

 it and upset it. To allow the suli)hnr to 

 burn even a few minutes might result in 

 the destruction of hundreds, perhaps thous- 

 ands of dollars' worth of plants.' 



Rose Leaf BLiiiiix. The same remedy 

 has also proved effective against leaf blight 

 which attacked the Roses last fall, breaking 

 out in large, dark brmvn or nearly black 

 spots and often covering and destroying the 

 entire leaf. After a few week's use of 

 evaporated sulphur no new spots developed 

 on the leaves and none have appeared since. 



Rose Mildew. Evaporated sulphur with 

 this malady scored a complete success. 

 Prof. Maynard thinks the disease is brought 

 on (1) by the exposure of the plants to 

 draughts of extremely cold air when they 

 are growing rapidly; (2) by high tempera- 

 ture running the same both night and day; 

 (3), by watering or sjTinging just before 

 night; (4) by too little water; (5) by extreme 

 dryness; (6) by poor drainage, and (7) by a 

 deficiency in plant food. Since the use of 

 evaporated sulphur was begun in the houses 

 it has been almost impossible to find enough 

 mildew on the plants to afford specimens for 

 examination in the laboratory. 



Red Spider. In greenhouses where the 

 air is kept dry and at a high temperature, 

 the little red spider, (Tetranychuft teliiriiis). 

 is often extremely troublesome. In the Rose 

 and other rooms at Amherst, where the sul- 

 phur has been evaporated regularly, scarce- 

 ly a specimen can be found, and if at any 

 time they are found upon plants, an expos- 

 ure of a few hours in the room where the 

 sulphur is boiled will exterminate them. 



Mr. E. W. Wood, of Massachusetts, has 

 used the same remedy with complete suc- 

 (jgss, as early as 188.5, for red spiders and 

 mildew in his cold Grapery, and also as a 

 preventive for the fungus growth that 

 causes the dropping of the leaves of the 

 Chrysanthemums after they have been taken 

 from the ground in the fall. Mr. Wood 

 reports that the red spiders appeared on all 

 his eighteen vines the last of .July, 1885. The 

 foliage commenced turning brown and their 

 webs covered the under side of the leaves. 

 So he procured some flowers of sulphur and 

 using an ordinary sauce dish of glazed 

 granite ware, put in the sulphur to the 

 depth of one and one-half to two inches and 

 placed it over the blaze of the second size 

 Summer Queen stove, boiling the sulplmr 

 three and one-half hours, until the room was 

 filled with the vapor. The most careful 

 examination with a microscope made next 

 morning did not reveal a live spider in the 

 house. From that time on the new foliage 

 was as clean and bright as in the early part 

 of the season, and the fruit ripened perfectly. 

 The remedy was found equally effectual in 

 destroying mildew, which occasionally 

 appears in most cold Graperies. 



Why Not Plant the Linden? 



In one of the bulletins of the Agricultural 

 College, Mich., Prof. A. .J. Cook makes a 

 strong appeal for the American Ivinden or 

 Basswood tree. It is a tree of rare beauty, 

 he says, and a more vigorous and rapid 

 grower than either Maple or Elm. Insects 

 rarely attack it. and it is easy to transplant. 

 So far as Prof. Cook has observed, ten trans- 

 planted Basswoods live to one of Maple. 



The l.,inden, furthermore, is a very valua- 

 ble honey tree, usually giving honey very 



