190 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[December, 



force and strength of the roots be thrown into the 

 new growth, for upon this the next seasons crop 

 greatly depends. To insure a bountifnl crop next 

 season you should get a large, vigorous and well- 

 matured bush, and to secure this the young growth 

 must be topped as soon as it is three feet high, and 

 then cut the old canes out as soon as done fruiting. 

 Throw two or three shovels full of some rich com- 

 post around the bush slightly working it in the soil. 

 As soon as the lateral branches get about fifteen 

 inches long cut the tip off. By so doing the bush is 

 stocky and will not need stakiug, and will stand the 

 winter belter. But if you desire tips the lateral 

 branches should be let grow. Keep the soil mellow 

 around the bush, and when the ends of the branches 

 begin to swell bury them at an angle of forty-five 

 degrees, and after the first heavy frost cut the 

 branches off about fifteen inches from the cane. The 

 tips should now be set out. Throw a shovel full of 

 manure on them to protect them from too heavy 

 freezing. In this latitude raspberries cared for in 

 this way require no winter protection. — Farrii and 

 Garden. 



Varieties of Strav/berries. 



Though I am testing nearly all the new varieties, 

 I desire to retain only a few of those that succeed 

 best over the country at large. Charles Downing, 

 Cumberland Triumph, Sharpless and Wilson, of the 

 old varieties, come the nearest to filling this require- 

 ment, and I can see no reason for retaining more of 

 them, though I confess it appears harsh to discard 

 80 many that have much merit. Of the newer 

 varieties, Manchester has proved to be valuable for a 

 near market or home use. It is productive, large, 

 vigorous, fair quality, good form. Jersey Queen 

 failed here with ordinary treatment. We test the 

 new comers much as we would treat a field for 

 market, and if they fail to succeed under these cir- 

 cumstances we do not consider them valuable for 

 general purposes. Jersey Queen is of superior 

 quality, but unproductive. 



James Vick, while not of extra large size, appears 

 to be the most productive and profitable of all that 

 we have tested. It is exceedingly firm, bright, 

 crimson, of good form, and the plant is remarkably 

 vigorous. It is a lazy man's berry, enduring the 

 worst neglect. Good reports of the Vick come in 

 from nearly every State. Big Bob was the greatest 

 failure of everything on our grounds, and I get dis- 

 couraging reports of it from various sections of the 

 country. Lacon makes a large stool, and is very 

 productive of medium-sized berries, soft and sour. 

 Mrs. Garfield showed some fine fruit quite early ; of 

 good form, color and quality, fairly productive ; de- 

 sirable for the amateur. Elm City is a promising 

 variety for home gardens. Woodruff (from Ann 

 Harbor, Mich.), may be ranked about with Elm 

 City and Mrs. Garfield. These three, while not 

 fully tested, would appear to be satisfactory for the 

 garden. We tested several varieties that are not of 

 enough value to warrant an opinion, as they appear 

 this season here. While we have so many really 

 valuable old strawberries that we must discard for 

 want of room, it is folly to enlarge the list by adding 

 doubtless new varieties. The James Vick and Man- 

 chester appear to be the most promising of the newer 

 varieties here. 



Indeed with these two varieties, as they now ap- 

 pear, we would seem to need no others, new or old, 

 unless the highest grade of quality is desired. We 

 are testing seedlings from a cross between the James 

 Vick and Manchester, John Charlton has crossed 

 James Vick and SharDless. — Country Oentleman. 



The New Strawberries. 



On our grounds in the vicinity of New York, on 

 rather heavy clay soil, the strawberry crop was 

 very good, and most of the new varieties proved 

 satisfactory. 



Manchester improves by long acquaintance. With 

 us the plant is very vigorous, foliage healthy; the 

 berries are larger, lighter colored, and better quality 

 than those grown in the Jersey sands. 



James Vick has been grown in a trial bed together 

 with Captain Jack. The two kinds are not identical. 

 Although they resemble each other in general ap- 

 pearance, the James Vick is decidedly the better of 

 the two; its foliage is larger and more vigorous ; its 

 berries are larger, very firm, of more sprightly 

 flavor and generally better quality, and are borne on 

 longer, stiffer, upright fruit-stalks, not hugging the 

 ground like Captain Jack. How a strawberry plant 

 can be more productive than the James Vick is not 

 easy imaginable. 



Jersey Queen made but a poor growth. 



Sharpless, thouirh of indifferent quality and not 

 ripening well at the tips, has in its favor largest 

 berries, very large, healthy foliage, and, under fav- 

 orable conditions great productiveness. 



Bidwell has been very satisfactory for home use , 

 producing a large crop of good-sized, well-shaped 

 and well-flavored berries. Both in hills and matted 

 beds, the plants wintered well during the last two 

 winters, without protection. — American Garden. 



Gathering Pineapples. 



The average life of the "scarlet" pine is three 

 years, and that of the sugar-loaf is about five. The 

 average weight of the fruit in the Bahamas is from 

 three to three and one-half pounds. A field is gen- 

 erally gone over three times during the season, 

 affording three grades of fruit, called first, second 

 and third cuttings. The searlet variety ripens a 

 month or two earlier than the sugar loaf. Owing to 

 the sharp serrated leaves of the plant, the gathering 

 of fruit is a tedious and difficult matter — the men, 

 women and children engaged In the work being 

 obliged to wear heavy canvas leggings and gloves 

 with gauntlets to protect themselves against the 

 sharp spines of the plant. The pineapple plants 

 furnish but one regular crop during the year, al- 

 though the local market is seldom without a few 

 pineapples on sale. About the middle of April, the 

 first cuttings are made of the scarlet pines, and the 

 last is made about the first of July. The sugar-loaf 

 pine is at maturity during July and August. The 

 shipping season is one of signal activity, for when 

 the fruit is cut it must be hurried with all speed to 

 market or it will be lost. 



The Best Apples. 



Mr. Charles Downing furnishes the Tribune with 

 a list of what he considers the best varieties of 

 apples to supplement the list of pears given in last 

 week's Press. A tree or two of each kind will fur- 

 nish a supply for family use from July to June. 

 Here is the selection : 



12. Rhode Island Greening. 



13. Melon. 



14. Sutton Beauty. 

 1.5. Baldwin. 



16. Grimes' Golden Pippin. 



17. Jonathan. 



18. Northern Spy. 



19. Newtown Pippin. 



20. Lady's Sweet. 



1. Early Harvest. 



2. Red Astrachan. 



3. Fanny. 



4. Primate. 



5. .Jersey Sweet. 



6. Porter. 



7. Peacli-Pond .Sweet. 



8. Fall Pippin. 



9. Mother. 



10. Hubbardston Nonsuch. 21. Red Russet 



11. Blenheim Pippin. 



For those who raise especially for market, varie- 

 ties should be selected that succeed best in the 

 locality, which may be ascertained by inquiry of 

 those who make orcharding a busiuess and know the 

 kinds most in demand in the markets they supply 

 Experienced growers for market say that a few sorts 

 rather than many give the most profit. For small 

 gardens a few varieties grown as dwarfs on the para- 

 dise will supply a moderate family during the sum- 

 mer and autumn, for culinary uses and eating ; Nos. 

 1, 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9 are good varieties for this purpose. 

 Winter apples can generally be purchased more 

 readily than summer and fall kinds. 



Winter Apples. 



What our farmers in Pennsylvania need in their 

 orchards is a few exceptionally good keeping apples. 

 Out of the immense number of varieties in good re- 

 pute in other localities there are few, indeed, that 

 are adapted tg our locality. We have already size, 

 color, quality, etc., but, unfortunately, our apples 



will not keep. In preparing a list today for this 

 purpose we should name Smith's Cider, York Imper- 

 ial, and perhaps Tewksbury Winter Blush, all sec- 

 ond class in quality, and there we should have to 

 stop. All our most approved systems of cultivation 

 fail to assist us in this matter, and so we do the next 

 best thing, humiliating as it is, send to other states 

 for our supply of fruit. 



The only remedy for this is to test all the newer 

 varieties of promise, and especially those originating 

 in our own state, and possibly in time we may ob 

 tain relief. — Press. 



How to Manage Cuttings. 



In reply to a correspondent, the Floral Cabinet 

 gives the following directions in regards to the mak- 

 ing and managing of plant cuttings. 



In selecting a cutting, a great deal depends upon a 

 judicious choice ; if the slip is too young and full of 

 fresh sap, it will fade away from too much evapora- 

 tion ; if it. is too old — hard and woody — it will take a 

 great while to strike root. 



You must take a cutting that is perfectly ripened 

 and is from a vigorous shoot, yet a little hardened 

 at the base. 



It is also essential to have a bud or joint at or near 

 the end of the cutting; as all roots strike from it, 

 and the nearer it is to the base, the greater your 

 chance of success. 



Plant your cuttings in common red pots, filled 

 half-full of rich loam and two inches of sand on top 

 (scouring sand will do, but not sea sand); wet this 

 thoroughly, and put the cuttings close around the 

 edge of the pot, for if the bud or joint comes in con- 

 tact with the surface of the pot, it seems to striKe 

 root more quickly. Pull off the lower leaves before 

 you plant the cutting. Press the wet sand tightly 

 about the tiny stem, for a great deal of your success 

 in raising the cutting depends upon the close contact 

 of the sand with the stem. When the cuttings are 

 firmly planted, cover them with a glass shade if 

 possible, as it will greatly promote the growth of the 

 plant. 



Moisture, light and heat, are the three essentials 

 to plant life — without them no cuttings will start. 



Shade for two or three days from the sunlight, but 

 don't let the sand become dry ; then give all the sun 

 you can obtain, keep up a good supply of moisture, 

 and you can hardly fail to root most of your cut- 

 tings. 



Household Recipes. 



Boiled Flank of Beef. — Wash the fiank, and 

 make a dressing as for turkey, which spread over it, 

 first having salted and peppered it well ; then roll 

 up and tie. Wind the twine around it several times, 

 to keep it in place ; then sew into a cloth kept for 

 that purpose. Put a small plate in the pot, and put 

 in the meat ; then pour on it boiling water enough 

 to cover, and boil gently six hours. When done, re- 

 move the cloth, but not the twine until stone cold; 

 then cut in thin slices, and you will have alternate 

 layers of meat and dressing. This is a nice dish for 

 breakfast or tea. 



Fish Chowder. — Cut half a pound of salt pork 

 into thin slices and put into the stew-pan. Fry 

 slowly for twelve minutes ; then add two onions, cut 

 fine, and fry ten minutes longer. Have about four 

 pounds of fresh fish, freed of skin and bone and cut 

 into pieces ; have also one quart of potatoes pared 

 and cut in thin slices. Put a layer of the fish and 

 then a layer of the potatoes on top of the pork and 

 onions. Dredge well with salt, pepper and flour. 

 Continue this until all the fish and potato are used ; 

 then cover with boiling water, and simmer gently for 

 fifteen minutes. Mix one pint of milk with two ta- 

 blespoonfuls of flour and add this to the chowder, 

 together with six Boston crackers, split. Cook ten 

 minutes longer and serve. The milk may be omitted 

 ifnotliked. In that case, however, be a little gen- 

 erous with the boiling water when you begin the 

 chowder. 



