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POPULAR GAPvDENING. 



August, 



Notes From a Rochester Fruit Farm. 



BY CHARLES A. GREEN. 



Summer Pruning of Vines. — I am asked 

 when to summer prune Grape-vines, when to 

 cut back bearing canes to within three leaves 

 of the last cluster, and when to nip off laterals. 

 In reply I will say that there are more fallacious 

 notions extant about Grape culture and Grape 

 pruning than about most other industries. 

 Almost every vine gi-ower has his pet theories, 

 about which he is exceedingly dogmatic. 



The truth is that all summer pruning and 

 pinching may be dispensed with without seri- 

 ous (perhaps noticeable) loss. If you are so 

 inclined, and time hangs heavy on your hands, 

 nip and pinch back at any time the canes and 

 laterals that are growing too rampant or where 

 not needed, but if you neglect such work you 

 will be equally well off. Indeed you can grow 

 plenty of Grapes without pruning of any kind, 

 but winter pruning is sensible and profitable, 

 for without it the vines would be laden with a 

 sujierabundance of small imperfect clusters 

 and the new growth would be feeble and far 

 too numerous. No one should be deterred from 

 having plenty of Grape-vines for fear that they 

 have not the necessary knowledge. While 

 vigorous f Jrapes can be grown without any 

 pruning or any culture after being a few years 

 planted, the planter can easily learn how to 

 make them fai- more profitable and satisfactory 

 by a little thoughtful attention. Many people 

 have been frightened out of Grape growing by 

 the strict, learned and entangling advice of 

 fancy writers. 



Plant Lice Remedies. — Mr. E. S. Carman 

 says he has found the remedies for plant lice 

 (aphis, eti'. , on Apple and Cherry) more destruc- 

 tive in ajjplication than the insects. This cor- 

 responds with my experience. If not strong 

 the remedy does not kill the insects, and if 

 strong enough to kill the insects it is liable to 

 injure the foliage more than the insects wiU. 



Last year was the worst I ever knew as re- 

 gards in.jmy done the young Cherry and Apple 

 trees by Aphis, but I have not seen many trees 

 or blocks that were preserved by insecticides. 

 The work of repeatedly applying kerosene 

 emulsions and tobacco and whale oil soap is 

 expensive and on the whole discouraging, yet 

 we should not give up in de.spair. We have 

 found no difficulty in destroying the Canker 

 Worm in the Apple orchards, by spraying the 

 trees with a weak solution of Paris Green and 

 water the moment the insects are discovered, 

 and the same operation appears to destroy the 

 Codling Moth it done soon after the trees have 

 blossomed. We use simply a heaping spoonful 

 of Paris Green to a baiTel of water, but many 

 use four times as much. If too Strong the 

 foliage will be injured. Remember that in- 

 sects are guided to the plants they feed on by 

 the sense of smell, which is so well developed 

 that they can often scent the plants or trees 

 long distances. Otherwise how would they 

 discover new fields so quickly. This leads the 

 grower to mislead them by placing stronger 

 smelling objects near the plants or vines. 

 Thus cobs dipped in kerosene oil or coal tar 

 placed about the Sijuash-vines or Cucumbere 

 prevents depredations. Orchards planted near 

 railroads, where frequent passing engines de- 

 posite smoke and cinders are often exempt from 

 insects for this reason. Any strong scented 

 material will do, but use it in a waj' so as not 

 to impregnate the soil or injure the foliage. 

 Plum trees are often smudged with leather, 

 tar, or other burning rubbish, with good effect. 



The Budding Season.— The season of bud- 

 ding begins about July .5th and continues 

 through August and September, Pears are 

 budded first, then Plums, Cherries, Apples, and 

 last Peaches. An important point is to have 

 the stocks in vigorous growing condition, and 

 to this end the most careful and thorough cul- 

 tivation is given, and none but the best stocks 

 are planted. It is folly to bud stocks that are 

 growing so slowly that the bark wUl not open 

 freely, for no buds will gr^w therein. Some- 



times the stocks, more particularly the Cherry, 

 are growing too fast, and are so full of sa]) as 

 to drown the bud. In such cases nurserymen 

 used to defer budding until the sap thickened, 

 but now they have learned to bud without 

 delay, simply retarding growth by severe 

 priming of the branches or tops of the stocks. 

 More trees are produced now by budding than 

 root grafting, as straighter trees are thus ob- 

 tained. It is such a simple affair to change 

 the character of a tree by inserting a few buds 

 at this season no one has any excuse for grow- 

 ing poor fruit. Those living far from nurseries 

 shoidd plant seeds or stocks and bud them with 

 kinds suitable to their locality. Budding is an 

 interesting operation. One feels well satisfied 

 with the time thus spent. How easy to secure 

 the Wealthy or Sweiar, the Bartlet or Bosc on 

 miserable scrubs that bear specimens too puck- 

 ery for the ijigs. Within sight as I write are Pear 

 trees 18 feet high, bearing many kinds of 

 choice fruit each, budded by my own hand 

 eight years ago. There are also two trees that 

 bore cider Apples, now laden with Red As- 

 trachan and Blenheim Pippins. Who can 

 doubt that I enjoy the fruit from these trees 

 more from the fact that I am the author of 

 their improved condition. Surely he has not 

 lived in vain who has planted orchards or used 

 with success the grafting or budding knife. 



Notes as thet Transpire.— Every day I 

 walk over the farm, note book in hand, noting 

 down important work to be done. Here are 

 the few scattering weeds left at (he lost hoeing 

 of the Strawberries, growing so close to the 

 plant and so rampant they cannot be removed 

 without disturbing the Strawberry. The boys 

 must go through and cut them out with a linife. 

 How fast the weeds grow after showers these 

 warm days, but it is a good sign, for where 

 weeds will glow fast useful plants will do like- 

 wise if given a chance. 



Here are Pear trees top budded last August, 

 the Comet, Winter Nelis, Bosc, and other slow 

 growers that need a vigorous stock like the 

 Buffum or Kieffer. The buds have grown into 

 good sized heads, yet the dormant buds of the 

 Kieffer stock have pushed out freely and need 

 removing. Here are shoots of Dwarf Pears 

 outgrowing their neighbors so far as to make 

 the tree ill-shaped unless nipped back. 



Here are Grape-vines that need tj'ing up, for 

 they gi"ow twice as fast when supported. John 

 must place another wire on the trellis. 



Here is an old Strawberrj- bed. Shall we 

 plough it under ; It has borne three crops, all 

 good crops, the last a surprise to us all, for the 

 grass and weeds bad become numerous. If left 

 another season there will be produced many 

 bushels of fine Strawberries, earlier and 

 cleaner than on new beds, but many weeds 

 wUl go to seed, and our friends who happen 

 this way maj' think we are poor cultivators, so 

 under it goes, as deeply as three horses can 

 plow. The disk harrow will soon follow, then 

 the Acme harrow frequently, and the gang 

 plow, and when winter comes the field will be 

 well subdued, and a dressing of phosphate or 

 compost will prepare it for Raspberries, Cur- 

 rants, or Grapes. Nothing leaves the soil so 

 loose and rich as an old Strawberry bed, hence 

 I cannot think Strawberries an exhaustive crop. 



Here is a field of Blackberries that has borne 

 well for five years. It is yet vigorous, but 

 grass and weeds have gained foot-hold. What 

 shall we do with it ( We can mow it with the 

 grain reaper, burn the brush, cultivate both 

 ways, hoe, manure, and thus renew its lite and 

 usefulness. Raspberries will bear twenty years 

 if properly cared for, but will it pay :■ No, I 

 think it will be better to plant a new patch, so 

 John must start the machine here as soon as 

 the berries are gathered. 



I see the garden has been forgotten, as usual, 

 during the hurry of getting in hay. Weeds 

 pulled from the Onions and Carrots have taken 

 root between the rows; my wife's flowers need 

 thinning and weeding; the Cucumbers, Melons, 

 and Squashes need attention. John must 



throw the soil on the Squash vines at intervals 

 so they will take root. Then if the borer 

 attacks the original vine the runners will not 

 perish. The Lima Beans do not all reach the 

 poles. A string must he attached horizontally. 

 What shall we do with the Cabbages? Paris 

 Green cannot be applied, as it will poison the 

 family, but we can sift unleached wood ashes 

 on with effect or pick off the worms in the 

 cool of the day. 



Here is the cultivator just as John lef tjt, the 

 teeth rusting in the soil. I have told him al- 

 ways to clean the teeth and turn the cultivator 

 bottom side up. Hello there! John, get those 

 wagons in out of the sun or you will have to 

 get the tires set right away. More tools are 

 worn out by exposure than by actual service. 



To-morrow we must pot a lot of Strawberries. 

 Do not take the pots to the field. Clip off the 

 runners that have begun to make roots, drop 

 them into a pail having a little water in the 

 bottom, press the plants into small two-inch 

 pots, plunge these into loose soil in a cold 

 frame, water and shade for ten days, and you 

 will find them nicely rooted, and about ready 

 to plant. It will pay to treat the new kinds 

 this way, for it relieves the parent plant of a 

 burden, and increases plants wonderfully fast. 

 Such plants set in August give the finest and 

 largest fruit of all next season. The Jessie, 

 Buback and Mt. Vernon have done so well we 

 must plant all we can of them. Buback is a 

 remarkable large, handsome berry, and it has 

 a coustitution of iron. Mt. Vernon is worthy 

 of more attention than it has received. 



John, do not be satisfied with simply hoeing, 

 hilling and shovel ploughing those Potatoes. 

 After that is done run the cultivator between 

 the rows quite narrow, to loosen the soil still 

 deeper. Do not be afraid of cultivating the 

 Potatoes aft«r the Potatoes have set. Those 

 we cultivated nearly up to digging time last 

 year were the most productive. 



Remedies for Mildew and Grape Rot. 



The results of the varied experiments made 

 by the Department of Agriculture in ISSli have 

 fully demonstrate*! the value of sulphate of 

 copper, " blue stone," over all other remedies 

 in combating the mildew. Many chemical 

 analyses of the fruit and parts of vines treated 

 with the copper lompounds have clearly shown 

 that there is no danger to health attending their 

 application. 



The only precaution advised is not to apply 

 them within fifteen days of the vintage. It 

 must be kept in mind that their action is only 

 preventive, therefore their application should 

 be made as early in the season as possible. 

 Subsequent applications act only in so far as 

 they serve to check the spread of the disease. 

 The amount of the fluid compound required to 

 treat an acre of vines may vary from 30 to 35 

 gallons, according to pump, etc., used and the 

 extent of the growth. Of various forms in 

 which to prepare the remedy for applying it as 

 fine spray the following are the best: 



Simple Solution of Sulphate of Copper. — Dis- 

 solve one pound of pure sulphate of coppt- r in 2o 

 gallons of water. Spray the vines witb a coaven- 

 ient force pump having a nozzle of fine aperture. 

 Less lasting in its effect than the next, as it is easily 

 washed off by rains. 



Blue Water {the *\4udoynaud Process'^). — Dis- 

 solve one pound of sulphate of copper in tnree or 

 four gallons of warm water; when completely dis- 

 solved and the water has cooled, add one pint of 

 commercial ammonia; then dilute to 34 gallons. 

 The concentrated liquid should be kept in a keg or 

 some wooden vessel, and diluted when required for 

 use. .A.pply the same as the simple solution. The 

 effects obtained by this have been equal to those 

 resulting from the use of the Copper Mixture of 

 Qironde, and are s^id to be even more lasting. 



Copper Mixture of (fironde^i Bordeaux Mixture.) 

 — DiBsolve 16 pounds of sulphate of copper in 2Si 

 gallons of water; in another vessel slake 30 pounds 

 of lime in six gallons of water. When the latter 

 mixture has cooled, it is slowly poured into the 

 copper solution, care being taken to mix the ^uids 

 thoroughly by constant stirring. It is well to have 

 this compound prepared some days before it is re- 

 quired for use. It sbould be well stirred before ap- 

 plying. Some have reduced the ingredients to two 

 pounds of sulphate of copper, and two pounds of 

 lime to '22 gallons of water, obtaining good results. 



Well-made pumps with specially constructed 

 nozzles are required for the application of this ' 



