Sei'IEMHick u, 1889.] 



Garden and Forest. 



439 



Memoranda From a Northern Garden. 



RHUBARB is an easy plant to gTow, and market-gardeners 

 find ready sale for the leaf-stalks in spring-time, when 

 there seems to be a very general cra\-ing for sharp, pure acids 

 ■of vegetable origin. It does not take much time or much ex- 

 pense to establish a bed of this [)lant. The old-time fashion 

 of trenching and deep intermixture of manure is as needless 

 as with Asparagus. A coating of good stable manure, three 

 to four inches thick, well plowed under, is sufficient. Strong, 

 single eyes set this fall after such j^reparation, four feet each 

 way, will make plants which will shade the whole ground the 

 next fall, and be ready for cutting the succeeding spring. 

 T"rom such a bed I have cut ninety-three stalks which together 

 weighed 100 pounds. 



the raw state. -Is it not significant that the Oldenburgh apple 

 brings about as good a price as the Gravenstcin in many if 

 not in all our markets ? Yet the former is strictly a culinary 

 apple. But besides this, is the consideration that many of our 

 clioicest dessert varieties are either shy-bearers or very local 

 as regards success ; while others are unusually susceptible to 

 the inroads of insects and fimgi ? Producti\'e sorts of hand- 

 some appearance and fair niediiun quality are, in my opinion, 

 the most profital)le to plant. The pains-taking amateur, who 

 is not thinking of profit, may find some pleasure (mixed with 

 a good deal of vexation) in cultivating what are rightly styled 

 " fancy " sorts. 



It is the fashion to disparage the quality of Russian Apples, 

 and 1 observe that our government pomologist, Mr. \'an(le- 

 man, follows this fashion in his recent rei)ort. But in this be 



A New England R(jcl< Garden. — See page 433. 



Should Asparagus seed be planted deeply, as often advised 

 — say at the bottom of a hole six inches deep ? It will come 

 up, but, as with all seed too deeply planted, it will not grow 

 so vigorously as from shallow planting. But about tlie cut- 

 ting ? Must there not Ije deep planting to get the wiiite butts 

 required in most markets ? Not necessarily ; ridging with 

 the plow at the end of the second season's growth will accom- 

 plish the same end. If the hills are four feet asunder, both 

 ways, the double moiddboard-plow will give either ridges or 

 hills, as desired. In cultivation during the summer, after cut- 

 ting is over, these are somewhat leveled ; but are easily 

 renewed at the last working, previous to which it is well to 

 ■give a shovelfid of manure to each hill. 



Is it not a mistaken notion that all but fruits of the highest 

 ■dessert quality should be disparaged by horticultural writers ? 

 It is safe to say that much more than one-half the crop of our 

 tree fruits (excluding the Citrus family) is cooked before it is 

 ■eaten. Some of the best for cooking are scarcely eatable in 



is widely at variance with all those who iiave had the longest 

 and most complete opportunity of testing these apples. It 

 will talce a good while yet to sift and thoroughly test the more 

 than 300 varieties that have been introduced to this continent 

 from eastern Europe within the last twenty years. .Sujipose a 

 similar number of the best American varieties had, within 

 the same time, been on trial even in so comparatively small 

 a countrv as New Zealand, would not a large proportion 

 have been condemned? But probably others would find 

 acceptance and prove of great value. It has been abundantly 

 shown that the apples of western Europe and their American 

 seedlings are not suited to our colder states and Canada, 

 where almost the whole Russian list are at home. Wiien we 

 come to consider dessert quality alone, I think a suftfcient 

 number of Russians are already known to possess that quality 

 to a very encouraging extent ; while in \-igor of growth, early 

 and free bearing, size and beauty of fruit, they decidedly excel 

 most American apples. Their great lack is in long keeping. 



