1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



71 



seldom come, there may be breaks in the line, 

 or no screen whatever. 



To secure the most rapid growth the ground 

 where the belt is planted should for a liberal 

 width be not only rich, but be kept well culti- 

 vated for a period of at least five years after 

 planting. The advantage of a more or less 

 open belt of trees over a wall or close hedge as 

 a wind-break is, that the wind becomes broken 

 in its force and scattered oi- entangled, instead 

 of striking an unyielding surface, to rebound 

 and start up again with a fresh impetus. 



What would be called a " great drought " in 

 England is not an unusual occurence here. 

 And it is sui'prising that we have not yet 

 learned what a valuable and at the same time 



The Jessie Strawberry is one of the latest 

 varieties of that popular fruit claiming atten- 

 tion. Its originator is F. W. Louden, of 

 Jaynesville, Wis. It is being introduced by 



On Manuring Lawns.— The Use of 

 Nitrate of Soda. 



JOSEPH HARRIS, AUTHdR OP "TALKS ON MANURES." 



In Popular Gardening for January your 

 pleasant correspondent, S. Q. Lent, says: "I 

 proved beyond a question that a top dressing 

 of ashes and bone-dast, the application of which 

 would not disfigure the lawn, was a perfect 

 fertilizer for lawn grass." There can be no 

 doubt on this point. But one must use a heavy 

 dressing of bone-dust to get any immediate 

 effect, and the perfume is not agreeable. A 

 dressmg of ashes, superphosphate and nitrate 

 of soda is far more effective and much cheaper. 

 It contains every element of stable manure 

 except carbonaceous matter, and the clippings 

 of the lawn, if left on the surface, furnish an 

 abundance of vegetable matter. 



In the Park at Rothamsted in England, 

 which has been in grass for centuries. Sir John 

 B. Lawes obtained the following results during 

 the "great drought " of 1870: 



Yield of Hay Per Acre, 



1 No Manure - - - 644 lbs. 



8 " Ashes " and Superphosphate, 1,968 " 



3 Same as 2 and 550 lbs. of Nitrate of 



Soda, - - - . 6,300 " 



In nine cases out of ten, all that is necessary 

 to freshen up a lawn and enable it to stand 



HEAD OF THE NEW YORK LETTUCE. 



cheap fertilizer we have in nitrate of soda. 



Nitrate of soda looks like common salt and is 

 easily applied. Sow it handcast over the whole 

 lawn and flower beds and Roses and shrabs and 

 trees at the rate of .500 to 600 pounds per acre, 

 or say three or four pounds to the square rod. 

 And if you extend the application to the Straw- 

 berry beds and Raspberries and Currants and 

 the entire orchard and garden, you will not 

 regret it. For Asparagus noth- 

 ing equals this fertilizer. 



THE MINNEWASKI BLACKBERRY. 



drought, is an annual dressing of nitrate of soda 

 in the spring at the rate of three or tour pounds 

 to the square rod, costing about 10 cents, or $16 

 per acre. The nitrate is derived from the 

 leaching of sea-weed and other vegetable 

 matter, and is the essence of manure. Its ef- 

 fect is magical. 



Someof the NewerGarden 

 Products being Offered. 



Henderson's New York Lettuce, 

 an engraving of which is shown 

 herewith, is offered by Peter 

 Hendei-son & Co. , of New York, 

 a house that has always been 

 prominent in disseminating new 

 products of the garden. It is 

 described as aremarkable variety, 

 with but little tendency to run to 

 seed, and unusual for size and 

 solidity of head. Single plants of 

 it eighteen inches across and with 

 solid heads are reported. It blanches itself na- 

 turally, is crisp, tender, and of excellent flavor, 

 and entirely free from bitterness. Seeds white. 

 While no claims are set up for this variety as a 

 forcing Lettuce, it is believed to be not only a 

 most distinct, but also one of the best summer 

 sorts evpi' introduced. 



The Minnewaski Blackberry is a new variety 

 of a fruit of which there are none too many 

 good, hardy sorts in cultivation. Our report 

 concerning its merits is from W. A. Brown, of 

 Benton Harbor, Mich. , inspector.of the Western 

 Michigan Fruit Exchange. A Blackberry suc- 

 ceeding so far north w ill be looked upon with 

 confidence in most other regions. He says: 

 " During the pa,st two years I have closely 

 watched this ) plant in Berrien Co., and, judging 

 it by its strong growth, prolific bearing, fine 

 appearance and quality of fruit, which closely 

 resembles the Lawton, except that it does not 

 turn red after picking, I consider it the most 

 promising Blackberry yet introduced. Our 

 fruit growers are looking to its future propa- 

 gation and adaptability to commercial gi-owing 

 with much interest. We have not tested its 

 hardiness and its merits for general field cult^ 

 ure, but I have faith in it." A. J. Caywcod 

 & Son, of Marlboro, N. Y., are its introducers. 

 The engraving shows but a portion of a cluster. 



Green's Nursery Co., Rochester, N. Y. Con- 

 cerning a visit to the grounds of the origina- 

 tor in fruiting time by the committee of the 

 Wisconsin Horticultural Society, it is said of 

 the Jessie that "the berries lay upon the 

 ground in heaps. They were fair in shape, of 

 good color, averaging very large; one meas- 

 ured nine inches; quarts would measure from 

 six to seven; flavor very fine. It promises 

 to be a great acquisition surely." 



Professor Green, of the Columbus Experi- 

 ment Station, who is testing perhaps more new 

 and old kinds than any other person, says: 

 " We have a number of the newer sorts under 

 trial at the Experiment Station. Jessie seems 

 one of the most promising new sorts. Plants 

 very vigorous, beiTies large, productive. " 



We are informed by H. E. Van Deman, Po- 

 mologist to the U. S. Department of Agricult- 

 ure at Washington, that the Jessie is a most 

 promising variety. He has received many re- 

 ports concerning it from unprejudiced cultiva- 

 tors, all of whom speak of its high excellence. 



On the second page preceding is shown an 

 engraving of an annual flower, which, if not 

 really new, is at least practically so to most 

 flower growers. This is Sabbatia campestris. 

 Peter Henderson & Co., of New York, who 

 are offering the seed of it this year, say that it 

 grows about six inches high and throws up a 

 great number of rosy carmine flowers, with a 

 large yellow eye of the form shown in the 

 illustration. The seed should be sown in the 

 sitting room or greenhouse, and transplanted 

 to the open ground as soon as the weather be- 

 comes settled and warm. 



Pelargonium "Victor," which is illustrated, 

 as growing in a pot on page 79 of this issue, is 

 a remarkable variety of this extremelj' attrac- 

 tive class of plants, and which has been well 

 tested about New York City for some years, 

 but which we believe is new generally to the 

 country. In the catalogue of Peter Henderson 

 & Co., of New York, we find this description 

 of it: "This variety has been grown almost 

 exclusively by the florists in this vicinity for the 

 past two years to supply the critical New York 

 trade. It gives great satisfaction. The groimd 

 color of the flower is bright cherry pink, white 

 at the base of the petals. The two upper petals 

 are dark crimson maroon, almost black. The 

 flowers are produced very freely and are im- 

 mense in size, single florets exceeding in size a 

 silver dollar." To this same firm we are in- 

 debted for the use of the engraving referred to. 



