222 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



September, 



Some Questions and Answers. 



CHAS. A. GREEN, ROCHESTER. N. Y. 



" How can I subdue a garden that is overrun 

 with weeds." By keeping the hoe handles 

 well polished. "How is it that my neigh- 

 bor always takes premiums at the fairs, 

 while I make twice the effort to produce 

 fine specimens?" Some men, though poor 

 horticulturists, are great travelers, and very 

 successful in taking premiums. I have seen 

 Apples grown in Arkansas take the prizes 

 repeatedly at local fairs. State exhibitions of 

 fruits at National exhibitions are occasionally 

 impositions. I have known men to brag of 

 having gone into the markets of large cities, 

 purchasing right and left, not knowing or 

 caring where the fruit was grown, for the pur- 

 pose of making an exhibit for their State. 

 " What pursuit promises the best health and 

 longevity ? " Fruit growing, or living where 

 fresh fruits and exercise in the pure air are 

 taken regularly. Eat less, drink less, worry 

 less, cultivate hopeful views, forget your 

 health as a topic, and become enthusiastic in 

 something. " Are grafted trees inferior to 

 budded trees ? " I submitted the question to 

 Patrick Barry at the Rochester meeting last 

 winter, and he replied: " One is as good as the 

 other." Tree agents started this scare. They 

 must make their victims believe that no trees 

 are worth planting but those they off er at |1 

 each; hence this falsehood. *' How shall I 

 enrich the soil so as to secure extraordinary 

 growth on expensive new fruits?" is a ques- 

 tion I am often asked. My reply is to avoid 

 all attempts at enriching the soil the first sea- 

 son after planting rare varieties of Sti*aw- 

 berries, Grapes, or other fruits. The soil 

 should have been enriched the year previous 

 by applications of yard manure, or where that 

 is not possible, commercial fertilizers. An ex- 

 perienced person might largely increase growth 

 by skillfully applying fertilizer to the best 

 now planted, but it is attended with risk to the 

 novice. More valuable plants and trees are 

 killed by such treatment than are benefited. 

 At first when planted there is only a brief 

 period when the plant is in a condition to feed 

 upon the soil lai'gely. Its roots are mutUated, 

 and new ones must be formed. While soil 

 made rich previously is highly desii-able, even 

 at the beginning there is securitj' in refraining 

 from its application . The writer has a 

 field of spring - planted Strawberries that 

 he has intended to fertilize as soon as the 

 plants become well established, and he has 

 the ashes and nitrate of soda in hand for 

 the purpose; but he hesitates to apply it, 

 knowmg from past experience that injury 

 to the young plant is liable to occur from the 

 application of such powerful agents. Last 

 year we applied nitrate of soda to a similar 

 field in June. No injury was observed except 

 in one part, where the plants were set out 

 later. Here the plants were destroyed, prob- 

 ably owing to the immaturity of the roots. 



But there is one safe method of securing ex- 

 traordinary growth. This is by frequent cul- 

 tivation with the hoe and cultivator. There 

 is no danger in advising this course, and the 

 result will astonish you if you are thorough, 

 and leave one row with ordinary culture in 

 the same field for comparison. For instance, 

 I have Apple trees growing in the nursery row 

 with yearling Pear trees. We do not ordina- 

 rily give Apple trees as frequent cultivation 

 as Pear trees, but these being in the same 

 block received constant cultivation. The re- 

 sult is that the yearling Apple trees stand 

 nearly as high as my head, au unusual growth. 



Canadian Fruit Growers In Council. 



[Condensed from proceediiigs of the summer meet- 

 inijof the Fruit Growers'' Association of Chitario, 

 held at Collingivood^ Ontario.] 



The president, Mr. Alex. McD. Allen, said 

 that the Apple trade with the mother country 

 was scarcely in its infancy yet. The Colonial 



Exhibition had done much to draw attention 

 to our fruits. The visitors to that exhibition 

 would not believe that the specimens pre- 

 served in spirits in glass jars were genuine 

 fruit. But when the freshly grown Apples 

 arrived, and were placed on the tables, to show 

 there was no deception, then surprise took the 

 place of doubt. 



Each year the consumption of Apples in 

 Britain is on the increase ; and as the taste for 

 that fruit gets cultivated, the greater will be 

 the consxiniption. Thinks he is perfectly safe 

 in predicting a great future for Canadian 

 Apples. Already the buyers are placing their 

 orders in advance, and some of the larger deal- 

 ers are now visiting the country. 



One gentleman, a Mr. Cecil, from Glasgow, 

 gave the meeting some valuable information 

 upon packing as follows: Pack honestly and 

 in neat barrels. The appearance of the pack- 

 age had a deal to do with selling the contents. 

 Buyers expected a superior quality of Apples 

 when the barrel was neat. Care should be ex- 

 ercised to see that all fruit from the bottom 

 layer up to the top is as nearly of a size as pos- 

 sible. Always put your own brand on the 

 package. When the retail dealer is pleased 

 with a particular brand he invariably inquires 

 next year for fruit bearing that brand. 



As regards varieties, the Northern Spy weis the 

 best to handle. Then came the Baldwins and 

 Greenings. Wagners will be appreciated when bet- 

 ter known . Russets also sold well . King of Tomp- 

 kins County, Spitzeuburgs and other choice varieties, 

 as a rule, did not arrive in such good condition as 

 those first mentioned. No use sendingsweet Apples 

 to England, the people will not look at them. 



It would not be long ere the wholesale men from 

 the Old Country would come to this country to 

 make their purchases, instead of as in the past 

 Canadians having to search for the market, and it 

 only required the growers to act honorably, and 

 there was a great future for the fruit industry for 

 the Dominion. Following are some of the expres- 

 sions of the meeting presented in a brief form: 



Concerning Apples. Young Apple trees should 

 be shaded during the first year after planting. No 

 use trying to grow Apples profitably upon sandy 

 soil. When planting on stiff clay, the earth around 

 the roots should be mixed with broken bricks or 

 stones. When trees are placed in a close warm 

 situation, the fruit is most liable to spot. Want of 

 drainage has to do with most of the winter killing 

 in orchards. Trees grow well till the roots get down 

 to the wet subsoil, and then fail, especially where 

 drainage is difficult. Thorough underdrainage is 

 necessary to success. Drains where an outlet can 

 be had should be five feet deep. They will drain a 

 greater area, and consequently not so many re- 

 quired At four feet deep there is no danger of the 

 roots finding their way into the tiles. No danger 

 from freezing the trees when the land is drained. 



Locality has a good deal to do with successful 

 Apple growing; although failure frequently results 

 from bad stock. Hiffh and level not so suitable as 

 high and rolling land for locating an orchard. 



There are some excellent varieties of seedlings. 

 Tender varieties will thrive better when grafted on 

 stocks. Duchess of Oldenburg and Astrachan 

 stand the winter well, and are heavy croppers. 

 Duchess of Oldenburg is the best early Apple for 

 market and family use, being good for cooking 

 when green, and does not ripen hastily. Astrachan 

 good for home consumption; excellent when first 

 ripe; but soon become spongy. Early Harvest does 

 well only for a few years. Of late they have been 

 spotted badly. 



Apples are valueless if not good for exportation. 

 So many varieties growTi, only fit for local use, that 

 there are too many wasted. Only grow good mar- 

 ketable fruit, say two or three early varieties, same 

 of late fall and winter varieties. Astrachan, Duch- 

 ess for early. Wealthy and Fill Basket for late fall. 

 Northern Spy, Baldwins, Greenings for winter, Gol- 

 den and Roxbury Russets for spring use . 



Russets should be held by growers till spring, 

 when better prices can be realized British dealers 

 prefer handling the Northern Spy to any other 

 variety. The Blenheim and Ribstone Pippins grow 

 larger here than in Britain; and as they sell at the 

 highest prices, they can be grown profitably when 

 circumstances are favorable. No demand for small 

 Apples in the British markets. The Duchess will 

 be a favorite to ship where the carriers provide 

 cold storage. Baldwins are playing out, especially 

 in the Niagara district. Twenty barrels of Greenings 

 were gathered off one tree last season. 



In packing care should be taken not to press too 

 hard on the heads of the barrels. Fill till the cen- 

 ter is raised two or three inches above the chime, 

 shake gently to settle, and then head up. Best 

 place to sweat Apples before packing is on the 

 ground. They should be left there eight or ten 

 days to toughen the skin. 



Price is not so much an object with buyers in 

 Great Britain as good, large, sound fruit. Uniform 

 size is a desideratum. Keep the different sizes in 

 separate packages. Dampness in storage will 

 greatly help to keep Apples. Barrels are the best 

 for storing in. Shrinking shows decay to be going on. 



Wood ashes when not placed too close to the 

 trees are invaluable to the soil. Every hundred 

 barrels of Apples remove as much phosphoric acid 

 as 100 bushels of wheat, and as much potash as fifty 

 bushels of wheat. Sowing salt aids an orchard. 

 Four hundred pounds per acre not too much. 



A jackknife should be large enough to prune a 

 tree with. Go over an orchard once a month and 

 rub off the shoots. March is considered the beet 

 month to prune large limbs. A difference should 

 be made between butchering and pruning. Examine 

 trees carefully in March and April for insects. By 

 this means they can be kept in check. 



Points About Plums. Thinning gives as much 

 bulk in fruit, without exhausting the tree. Plum 

 orchards should be kept cultivated. 



Lombard is a great bearer, and one of the best 

 varieties for shipping. But the trees soon bear 

 themselves to death. Washington stands the long- 

 est, and bears just enough fruit to ripen; good for 

 light or sandy soil. Imperial Gage not desirable for 

 shipping, but excellent for home consumption. 

 Baker's German Prune is extremely hardy, stands 

 frost well, and is a heavy cropper. Dewan's Pur- 

 ple is the largest of Plums. 



When seeds of Plums are to be sown they should 

 be placed in the earth directly the flesh of the fruit 

 is removed, or they will soon become too hard to 

 germinate. Damsons can be grown profitably in 

 most northern situations. So many trees from 

 nurseries fail to fruit that it is an open question 

 whether it is not better to raise seedlings Pond's 

 Seedling is a good general purpose Plum. 



The knife should be instantly applied directly the 

 black knot is noticed. Leave all other work to at- 

 tend to cutting it out, and carry to the stove for 

 burning. The spores, being microscopic, readily 

 blow to other trees. Spraying with sulphate of iron 

 will help trees to resist the attacks. 



Strawberries. Wilson's Albany is still the favor- 

 ite. It fills the bill with both consumer and grower. 

 Dominion and the Sharpless are next in order. 

 They come in after the Wilson's are over. 



Hen manure is the best fertiUzer for Strawberries. 

 Planting out freshly each autumn, and taking only 

 one crop, was considered the best system. When 

 properly cultivated Strawberries are a paying crop. 

 A Mr. Johnson, residing in the town, sent some 

 berries that for size and quality would have been 

 difficult to excel. This gentleman grows only three- 

 quarters of an acre, mostly Bidwells. yet about 

 $350 is the annual net value of the crop. 



Koaea From Cuttings in Summer. A writer in 

 Gardening Illustrated on this subject remarks that 

 the cuttings are often planted in sandy soil, but 

 that it is a mistake. A porous soil requires much 

 water, while all that the cuttings need to insure a 

 good strike is an equable condition as regards moist- 

 ure. A partially spent hot-bed, having a tempera- 

 ture of 70 degs., covered with a frame and lights- 

 it being essential for the cuttings to be kept close 

 —will make a good summer striking bed. On this 

 bed place 6 inches in depth of partially decayed 

 Cocoanut fibre or sawdust from hard wood that 

 has lain in a heap for some time exposed to the 

 weather, and press it down firmly. These sub- 

 stances are easily kept in an even, regular condi- 

 tion without the use of the watering-pot. In sum- 

 mer propagation, to which my remarks refer, the 

 cuttings should be taken when the buds on the 

 young wood are plump and well developed, but not 

 started. They will then be acquiring a certain de- 

 gree of firmness,! and the danger of damping off 

 will thus be diminished. The cuttings may consist 

 of single buds or eyes, with ^ inches or so of wood 

 at the base . If cuttings are plentiful greater length 

 may be allowed, and if convenient they may be 

 taken with a heel of older wood. They may be in- 

 serted as thickly in the bed as the foUage will per- 

 mit. When inserted, the sawdust and fibre should 

 be pressed firmly around them. They must be kept 

 close until signs of growth are visible, and shaded 

 from bright sunshine. All the water that will be 

 needed will be a light dewing over with a fine-rosed 

 pot to keep the foliage fresh, and this attention 

 will only be required in very bright weather. A 



