296 Notes and Gleanings. 



valuable of the many contributions which Mr. Wilder has made to horticulture, 

 and will worthily bear his name. With his permission, we are authorized to, 

 and do hereby name his strawberry seedling No. 13, ' The President Wilder.' 



'^Cherries. — This fruit continues to be scarce, and it is doubtful if it will 

 again become abundant in our market. The cost of picking is a serious con- 

 sideration. Still this is almosc the only cost, and certainly would be readily met, 

 provided we could have the crops of former years. For home-use, at least, the 

 cherry must have a place. Black Tartarean took our first prize, as is usual ; 

 but we must caution the public that this variety is by no means as hardy or as 

 certain as many other kinds of fair quality." 



An Excellent Fertilizer. — We advise our readers who have farms and 

 gardens to cultivate, to prepare as large a quantity of the fertilizer we suggested 

 and recommended in the April number, vol. ii. of " The Journal of Chemistry," 

 as they possibly can. It embraces in its composition quite every element re- 

 quired in the growth and maturation of roots and the cereal grains ; and it has 

 the advantages of being comparatively cheap and easily prepared. No fertilizer 

 we have yet devised (and we have prepared and experimented with a large num- 

 ber) affords more certain and satisfactory results than this one ; and those who 

 prepared and used it last season are extravagant in their praises of it. It sup- 

 plies a most desirable dressing for fruit-trees and vines. We use no other fertil- 

 izer for our grapes ; and, if any of our friends have had better results in their 

 cultivation than we have, it will afford us pleasure to publish their successes. 

 The method of preparing the fertilizer is as follows : — 



"Take one barrel of pure, finely-ground bone, and mix with it a barrel of 

 good wood-ashes ; during the mixing add gradually about three pailfuls of water. 

 The heap may be made upon the floor of an outbuilding, or upon the barn-floor ; 

 and, by the use of a hoe, the bone and ashes must be thoroughly blended to- 

 gether. The water added is just sufficient to liberate the caustic alkalies, potash 

 and soda ; and these re-act upon the gelatine of the bone, dissolving the little 

 atoms, forming a kind of soap, and fitting it for plant aliment. It must be used 

 in small quantities, or in about the same way as the so-called superphosphates. 

 A barrel of this mixture is worth two of any of the commercial fertilizers, and 

 the cost will be but about half as much. It remains to be added, if the bone- 

 meal and ashes are very dry, four pailfuls of water may be required ; but care 

 must be exercised not to have it inconveniently moist. It will be ready for use 

 in a week after it is made. Pttre, raw., finely-gro7ind hone and the best of ashes 

 should be employed. If ashes cannot be procured, potashes may be employed 

 as a substitute, by dissolving twelve pounds in ten gallons of hot water, and 

 thoroughly saturating the bone-flour with the solution. A barrel of dry peat or 

 good loam, free from stones, may be mixed with the bone after adding the pot- 

 ash. Care must be used not to have it too moist or too dry. It should not 

 form a sticky mass. In using, a little earth should be scattered over it before 

 dropping the seed. The seed should not fall directly upon it. The effect of this 

 fertilizer will not be noticed early in the season ; but, as it advances, the crops 

 will become vigorous, and yield a fine return." — Journal of Chemistry. 



