272 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



August, 



the ripe ones by sight and sounri, yet this 

 same task often perplexes the novice who 

 goes ill his garden for a ripe Melon and fears 

 to lessen his limited supply by either slash- 

 ing into them before maturity or leaving 

 them until decay has set in. Few naturally 

 fine vegetables or fruits are more disgust- 

 ingly bad than an over-ripe Watermelon. 

 B. F. Johnson tells in a recent number of 

 the New York Tribiine how we can easily 

 tell a ripe Melon from a green one. 



While growing, he says, and up to the 

 time it has reached the point of maturity, a 

 Melon is a perfect solid with no solution of 

 continuity in its substance. At that stage, 

 and before, the Melon has nearly all the 

 gravity of water, and when immersed, it will 

 barely float, or if it floats will show only a 

 fraction of surface above the water line. 

 But on reaching the mature stage the cells 

 begin to contract and shrink, cavities occur, 

 and the Melon loses in weight, if not in out- 

 side appearance. Before maturity,on being 

 struck lightly with the knuckles or snapped 

 with the thumb and finger, the sound fol- 

 lowing is resonant, similar to that of a 

 whole glass or crockery dish: whereas, if 

 the fruit be ripe, the sound is flattened, 

 showing a solution of continuity in conse- 

 quence of the shrinkage of cells. 



Therefore to tell whether a Melon is ripe 

 or still in a green state it is only neces.sary 

 to snap two or three at the same time, choose 

 the ripest and that has the dullest sound. 

 It is common that .southern Melons are 

 picked and forwarded before they are ripe, 

 and if on testing them there are none but 

 those which respond to the trial blow with 

 a resonant sound, they should be rejected 

 as unfit for the table. 



Fruit Matters in Illinois. 



\Recent discussions of the AUim Southern-Illinois 

 Horticultural Society. Reported by F. C. Riehl ] 



Browne : Am afraid we cannot use the 

 spraying method on Peach trees. I sprayed 

 one of mine last year and it is barely alive 

 now. In Southern Illinois, last year, they 

 tried spraying Peach trees with a solution of 

 two pounds of London Purple to 300 gallons 

 of water, and even then some of the leaves 

 fell off. Think we had better keep the spray- 

 ing nozzle off the Peach trees until we know 

 more about it. Davis : Spraying does not 

 prevent the falling off of young Apples, 

 that usually takes place soon after the fruit 

 is set. All fruit trees do this when over- 

 loaded. It is nature's way of thinning. 



Vineyards. Browne : I ha\'e procured a 

 pump, which cost about S2.5, and shall use the 

 Bor(leau.\ mixture. If by an expense of SSO or 

 $35 we can save an entire crop of Grapes, it will 

 certainly pay, and someone must try the experi- 

 ment. We have found tliat it does not pay to 

 bag flrapes for market. If the bags are put on 

 right and in time, they will preserve the Grapes, 

 but even then the skin is so tender that they will 

 hardly bear handling For family use and for 

 exhibit;ion, bagging is all right, but for market 

 purposes, we must find some other means by 

 which to get ahead of the rot. Think Moore's 

 Early and Worden are about the best market 

 Grapes we have. Generall.v speaking, white 

 Grapes are not 90 good for market as black ones. 



Small Frcits. .lackson : On March 15th I 

 burned oft an old pat<;h of Sharpless and Miner 

 Strawberries, and they are now apparently in 

 splendid condition for a crop. Jno. Riggs— Mr. 

 'Vandenberg has a patch of Ked Raspberries, 

 principally Cnthbert, that are nearly all dead, 

 though the plants look strong and healthy. What 

 is the cause of this y Browne — It is caused by a 

 beetle that bores into the cane a few inches above 

 the ground and deposits its eggs in it. This caus- 

 es the immediate death of the cane. 



.lackson: I think my patch of Brandy wine 

 killed out because the plants were old and had 

 exhausted the nutriment in the soil, and I believe 

 that this is one of the principal causes of rust on 

 Strawberries. When the patch gets old the 

 plants become weak, and hence fall easy victims 

 to the disease. It is not necessary to grub up a 

 plant that has rust. Cut it off with a hoe and 



leave. Davis: 1 prefer to grub them up and 

 carry them .iust as far away as possible. Two 

 years ago I noticed one rusty plant in a small 

 patch of Kattatinnys but paid no attention to it. 

 The ne.\t year the whole patch was rusty. 



General Notes and Items. 



Worthy of Imitation. It is indeed a beauti- 

 ful work of charity in which the Boston Flower 

 and Fruit Missions engaged. Every Tuesday and 

 Friday morning, from half past eight until noon, 

 Parker Memorial Hall is now kept open for the 

 receipt of tlowers, plants, fruits, fresh vegetables, 

 jellies and eggs, which are distributed amongst 

 the poor and sick in their homes, and in the 

 hospitals, etc Such Missions exist also in other 

 large cities; but it is an example that should 

 prove infectious, and the infection should sweep 

 through the whole length and breadth of the 

 land, like a fire of holy love, and kindle up Fruit 

 and Flower Missions In every hamlet, town and 

 city. A strougappeal will bring out an avalanch 

 of gifts of things, many of which are of little or 

 no value to the owner, yet a boon to the suffer- 

 ing member of humanit.v who receives them. 

 Verily here is a wide field for satisfactory work. 



The Outlook. All indications at this writing 

 point to a much less abundant supply of leading 

 fruits— Grapes, Apples, etc.— than we have had 

 for several seasons. The output of canned goods 

 also seems to be on a greatly reduced scale this 

 year, and there is every reason to expect an up- 

 ward movement in prices of fresh and evapo- 

 rated fruits, canned Tomatoes, and similar 

 articles. Let our readers make the best use of 

 their produce. Market the t)est ; evaporate and 

 can the rest. Let none go to waste. Tomatoes 

 also are easily canned ; and much safer, and more 

 wholesome in glass jai-s than in tin cans. Let 

 the good housewife make a note of it. 



Greenhouse Heating. The results of Prof. 

 Maynard's tests of the hot water and steam 

 methods singularly enough seem to contradict 

 what is generally accepted as a fact by all large 

 flonsts, namely that the steam method is the 

 more economical of the two. The average dail.v 

 temperature in the house heated by hot water 

 was slightly above the temperature in the house 

 heated by steam, and yet the consumption of 

 coal in the latter was decidedly larger than that 

 in the former. We hope Prof. Maynard will 

 continue these experiments. 



Apple Crop in Western New York. Un- 

 favorable as was the report on Winter Apples 

 for the Western New York Counties in our July 

 issue, the prospects seem to grow even less en- 

 couraging. The leaves of the trees abdut La 

 Salle are effected by a blight which causes their 

 edges to crumple and turn black and the fruit 

 drops or is effected by scab. From Orleans 

 county which adjoins Niagara. Mr. Virgil 

 Bogue who a month ago reported an average 

 crop, now says Winter A pples are a total failure. 



Cabbages Bursting. Tipping or kicking over 

 mature heads that show this tendency is a prac- 

 tice we have followed for several years with 

 apparently good results. While it does not pre- 

 vent the final catastrophe, if the mature heads 

 are left out an unreasonable length of time 

 during the growing season, yet the heads seem 

 to keep on growing longer and larger \vitbout 

 cracking open than they might be expected to 

 do otherwise. 



Transplanting Evergreens in Summer. 

 While planting may be safely done in the hot 

 months yet all things considered, the si>ring is 

 the better time for planting. Packing for market 

 or shipping, use plenty of moss, only damp— not 

 wet. Sun or wind shoidd not be allowed to strike 

 the roots. Pack as well and as quickly as poss- 

 ible, and, in planting, firm the soil well about the 

 roots.- Sam uel tidwards. 



A Yellow Cuthbert. In the January num- 

 ber, mention was made of this: Last year for the 

 first time, I found among my Cuthberts a Yellow 

 Raspberry like the former in every respect save 

 color. Time will show what it amounts to, but 

 I think It is a seedling from Culhbert. 



Your Neighbor's Hen.s. A penalty of seven 

 dollars with costs is what the Connecticut Legis- 

 lators have provided by a new law for the mis- 

 demeanor of letting one's hens trespass on other 

 people's gardens. Go thou and do likewise, we 

 say to the legislators of New York state. 



The Leader Grape, a new Ohio variet.v, prom- 

 ises remarkably well according to those who 

 have met it in fruit " White, of best ijuality 

 now known, as hardy as Concord and healthier, 

 cluster fair sized and altogether beautiful" is the 

 report. We shall investigate. 



Industry Gooseberry has proved free from 

 mildew in some localities, and subject to the dis- 

 ease in othei'S. Growers disagree on proper treat- 

 ment for the prevention of mildew, some rec- 

 ommending heav.v manuring, others warning 

 against such treatment. 



Weeds Seeding. Many a clean garden up to 

 August will find enough weeds yet at hand to 

 sift the ground over with seeds. 



Received at this Office. 



miscellaneous. 



Twentieth Annual Report of the Fruit Growers As 

 aoelatlon of Ontario for 1888. A.McD.AUan, Pre9..Good- 

 erich.Ont., Can., 168. 



The English Sparrow in North America, especially 

 in Its relation to Agiiculture. Bulletin No. 1. of U. S. 

 Department of Affrfculture, Division of Ornithology. 

 Prepared under the direction of Dr. C. Hart Merrlman, 

 by Walter B. Barrows. 4M. 



Insect Life. Volume I. No. 11. Bulletin U. S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture. Division of Entomology. 24. 



Catalogue of Fruit plates, etc. Rochester Lithograph- 

 ing & Printing Co., Rochester. N. Y. 48. 



Reports from the Consuls of the United States. No. 

 103, March. 576. 



Bulletin 4 Agricultural Experiment Station of the 

 Cornell University College of Agriculture. Ithaca, N.Y. 



Report 63 of the Statistician, Department of Agricul- 

 ture. On acreage of Wheat, Cotton, and condition of 

 Cereal Crops. 4S. 



Bulletin Vol. I. No. 1 of the Ohio Agriculture Experi- 

 ment Station. On Insects and Insecticides. Chas. E. 

 Thome. Director, Columbus, O. 20. 



Bulletin of Massachusetts State Agricultural Experi- 

 ment Station for May. Analyses of Commercial Ferti- 

 lizers. C. A. Goessman, Director, Amherst, Mass. 



Enthomologlcal Notes of the Season of 1888. Author's 

 Edition. By Mary E. Murtfeldt, for Report of Departs 

 ment of Agriculture. 8. 



Thirteenth Annual Report of the Trustees of the 

 Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and 

 Art. Edward Cooper, President. New York Olty. 



Tenth Annual Report of the Secretar.v of State of 

 Michigan, relating t<> Farms and Farm Products. Lan- 

 sing. Michigan. 162. 



Ninleenth Annual Report of the Entomological So- 

 ciety of Ontario for 18*8. W. S. Saunders, Secretary, 

 Toronto, Ont. Hi. 



Thirteenth Annual Report of the State Horticulture 

 Society of Missouri. L. A. Goodman, Secretary, West- 

 port. '788. 



New York Market Quotations, 



Showing Tendencies. 



Week ending Week ending 



.Tuly 10. July :i. 



Apples— Astrachan, per bbl 1 50<Si2 50 



Bough, per bbl 75(ai2uO 



Southern, per 1-2 bbl crate. . . 50(5) 1 00 25®1 25 



Peaches-Ga., per .'i-to-bu. box.. . 75®1 00 75®1 50 



S. C, 1-2 bu. box 150(3)200 150@2'<l 



N. C. per 24 (it crate 100(5175 50® 1 511 



Plums— Wild Goose, 8 qt. crate.. 75@1 OO 1 00 



Pears Oa., Le Conte, per bbl 3 00(3)4 00 



Bell, per bbl 250®3 50 



Cooking, per bbl.... 225@2 50 



Cherries— Fancy, large, per lb.. 10(«)^ 14 



Large kinds, soft 9 



Medium sized 4 



Sour, sound 6(a) 8 



Strawberries- Western N.Y.,qt. .5® 11 



Raspberries— Up-river red. cup. W 5 .?M® 4 



.Jersey, red, per pint 3© 5 2@ 4 



.Jersey Blaclc C:ip. pint 2(3 4 



Gooseberries— Green, per qt 4^ 5 



Huckleberries— Jersey, qt 6® 8 10® 11 



Md. andDel. per(Jt 4® 6 8® 10 



Currant.'!— Large, per lb 1® 5 3)^® 5 



Small, peril 1® 3 3>^® 4 



Blackberries-Jersey, Wilson, qt 4® 6 10® 12 



Wilson, Md. qt 3® 4 8® 10 



Watermelons, Oa.. per IHO 100O(..2O00 1200®a500 



Apples— Evap't'rt. pr. to fancy... 5%'k 6 5® 6 



Evap't'd. common 4® 5 3^@ 4^ 



Evaporated N. C. sliced 3@ 5 3® 



Evap. State, (luarters, 1886... 3® .S« iH®3ii 



Evap. Ohio and Mich., qrs... 3>a® 4 2M®3^ 



F.vap. Chopped, per lb IU<"'2H 1>6® iM 



Evap., cores and skins IJa® 1-^ . 1 ® 1^ 



Peaches— Del.. evap"t'd.peeled'88 10® 13 10® 13 



Del., evap't'd, uiipeeled '88., 5 ® 5)^ 5® 6 



North (I'arolina, peeled fancy 8 8 



Soutliern. unpeeled 2® 3 2® 3 



Raspberrles-evap't'd '88 18® 19 19 



Sun-dried 1888 17 17® 18 



Cherries— Evap., per lb 9 @ 12 10® 14 



Huckleberries- Evap lt'@ 11 



Plums— Evap , State 5^ 5}^ 



South Damson, per lb„ 5 5 



Blackberries- If 88, Evap 3J^® 4 3)^@ 4 



Potatoes— L. 1., bulk per bbl 150@175 



Southern 1 00®1 50 175®2'25 



Southern culls. .: 60® 60 75®1 OO 



Cauliflower, per bbl 1 25®2 50 125®35u 



Cabbage, Loug Island, per 100. .. 1 50®2 50 1 75@2 25 



Corn, per 100 76®1 00 



Cucumbers, Southern, per crate 15® 20 40® 75 



Long Island, per lOIJ 30® 40 



GreenPeas-L. I.,perbag I50®200 50®1 OO 



Onions-Egyptian, -2' 0-Ib. bag... 2 •25®2 50 3 25@3 50 



New Orleans, per bbl 1 50®I 75 3 00®3'25 



Eastern Shore, per bbl 1 00 ■• 1 '25 2 '25 " 2 50 



Squash— Long Island, per bbl .. 1 00 " 1 50 I 50 



String Beans-L. I., per bag I0O-'15O 50 "100 



Tomatoes— South., selected 1 25"! 40 SO" 1 00 



Jersey, per crate 1 50 " 3 OO 



Turnips— Jersey white, 100 bun.. 2 00(83 00 



