August 8, i8S8.] 



Garden and I^'orest. 



283 



Of course there is no danger from tlie vise of tliis ilvug e\en 

 to those who hold that the flavor of friut is impaired by wash- 

 ing. It is surprising-, by the way, that water in the form of rain 

 and dew does not rob a currant of its flavor, while dipping the 

 cluster into cool clean water is said to have such a deleterious 

 effect upon its cjuality. 



Satisfactory crops of currants are only possible witli good 

 culture and a soil enriched with plenty of manure. The old 

 Red and White Dutch varieties will jiroduce fruit that will 

 compare favorably in size with more modern introductions. The 

 large fruit of the Cherry and Versailles CiUM'ants will depreciate 

 in size by neglect and the productive ([ualities will be seriously 

 impaired. As a rule I have found the latter to be the more 

 productive of the two, while the White Grape is the Iiest of all 

 in quality. For the last decade these three varieties have Ijeen 

 the most popular ones before the public. Some four years 

 ago when Fay's Prolific was announced theclaimsforit were re- 

 garded as extravagant, but now after it has l)een duly tried it 

 has been found to be one of the few new fruits which justified 

 the rosy promises of the advertiser. Those who had the 

 courage to try the new fruit in a small way regret now that 

 they did not venture to laiy more. Such a fruit is a fitting- 

 monument to any n-ian's memory. A White Currant of as 

 fine flavor as the White Grape witli the other merits of Fav's 

 would be a welcome addition to the list. 



In Ijlack Currants we have not foiuid anv great improve- 

 ments. The i-nost recent addition we have tried is Lee's Pro- 

 lific, Ijut the improvement over the old Black Naples is ver\' 

 slight, if any. 'While young there is a semblance of increased 

 size and productiveness, but it does not seem so apiiarent after 

 the bushes reach maturity. The demand for this fruit seems 

 on the decline. Its peculiar pungent flavor and aronia are 

 disagreeable to most n;iti\-e Americans, but when made into 

 jellies or preserves it is distinctly good, and its various pre- 

 parations are supposed to possess valuable medicinal pro- 

 perties. 



Some years ago the late Slielby Reed, of western New York, 

 sent i-ne several samples of wild Currants and Gooseberries, 

 natives of the great western plains of Colorado. These varied 

 in color froiii black and red to yellow. They were of good 

 size and \'ery productive. Whether he attempted to improve 

 or accliniate them at his hojne I do not know, but I consider 

 the field a fine one for e.xperinient, and well worthy the atten- 

 tion of those who have the time and inchnation to enter it. 



iWuntclair, N.J. £. U'il/iaillS. 



The Vegetable Garden. 



/'"'ONTINUE to sow Snap Beans once a week in rows two 

 ^-^ to two and one-half feet apart. About the niiddle of 

 the n-ionth sow French F.tanipes in rows eighteen inches apart 

 and in a warm, sheltered spot; should these not be likely to 

 ripen before frost conies, frames and sashes n-}ay be placed 

 over them about the middle of Se|neniber. Sow Bliss' 

 Abundance and McLean's Advancer Peas in rows two feet 

 apart ; they will not need brush. Plant out Savoys, Cabbage 

 and Caulirtower as g-round becomes vacant. In localities 

 where this planting will be too late Burpee's Extra Early Ex- 

 press Cal.ibage will yet form good liearts; it is a very qiiick- 

 lieading kind. Give Celery, either in the seed-bed or'planted 

 out, abundance of water; this' is a plant which, from 

 sowing till harvesting, should never know what di-ought 

 means. Use rich land and mark it off into rows three to four 

 and one-half feet apart, accoixling as the Celery is needed for 

 early or late use; if for early use it must be earthed up full in 

 the rows, hence needs more room than if for late, when 

 handling only is necessary. Sow a little Chervil in son-ie odd 

 corner for use in fall and to live over winter. Thin out 

 Chicory plants to an inch or two apart in the rows. Cory was 

 our best early Corn; sown late in May, it was I'eady for use liy 

 the middle of July. Marl)lehead was a few days later, Init of 

 better quality. It is too late for fresh planting's of Corn now. 

 Egg plants are now swelling fruit. Do not let them suffer 

 from drought and keep the potato beetles hand picked. A 

 succession of Cucumbers may still l:)e raised in frames. In 

 the case of the vines out-of-doors, pick off all matvn-e fruit, 

 even if they are not wanted ; by this n-ieans the old vines will 

 continue longer in bearing. Scatter fresh tobacco stems under 

 and about the vines to dispel aphides. Prevention is better 

 than cure. Melons are now setting and swelling their fruit. 

 Take pieces of boards, say four by six inches, and place one 

 under each melon fo keep it off the damp ground. Staves of 

 old cement barrels are good for this pvn-pose. Keep open 

 pathways between the rows of hills for convenience in gather- 

 ing ; if the vines are allowed to grow together, we are apt 



to tread iq)on and destroy them in gathering fruit, pulling out 

 weeds, or in doing other work among them. 



Sow Lettuces for succession and plant out a little every 

 week. Some Endive niay also now be sown for plants to be 

 used in November. Endive is not in demand, if good Let- 

 tuces can be had, but full-grown plants of it can be easier 

 kept in cold-frames in winter than mature Lettuces. 



Keep seed Onions growing as longas ])ossible. The groimd 

 after them will be in good time for Strawl>erries or Spinach. 

 Potato and Top Onions and those raised froni sets, also Gar- 

 lic and Shallots, are now harvested. Tie them into bunches 

 and hang thei-n up, or crop then-i close and spread them out 

 on the floor or shehes in some dry, airy liuilding. 



Get in a main crop of winter Beets. Sow in rows eighteen 

 inches apart. Treat Turnips in the same way, only they may 

 be sown a week or fortnight later than Beets. Some people 

 like winter Radishes — that is, such sorts as Scarlet Cliinese, 

 which are grown into good sized roots, and gathered and 

 stored in nioistish sand in winter like Carrots or Turnips. 

 Large roots are not desirable ; those of about one and one- 

 half to two inches in diameterare large enough. Sown about 

 tlie 25th of August, we get capital roots for storing ; in less 

 favorable localities they should be sown ten days earlier. But 

 they are not as desirable as the succulent French Breakfast 

 and Wood's Frariier which can be kept growing in frames or 

 green-houses during winter. Finish sowing winter Carrots ; 

 if sown later than tlie first week of August they are not likely 

 to be large enough before frosty weather sets in. The Half- 

 Long Red Stunip-rooted is an excellent sort. Among Toma- 

 toes, Farquhar's Faultless was our earliest to ripen tliis year, 

 but it is a very uneven, deep-ribljed sort. Early King Hum- 

 bert and Volunteer were afiout two days later tlian Faultess ; 

 the Humbert, although extremely prolific, has not the large 

 size or round fori-n of the beautiful Volunteer. Early Ad- 

 vance came next in point of earliness; then Acme, and then 

 the other varieties all about the same time. G. C. 



Long Island. 



Some Floral Novelties. 



Larkspur, Stock-Flowered Rosy Scarlet, is a new variety, with 

 single, but often double, fiowers, of a rose, rose-red or rose- 

 pinlc shade. It is as free-growing and free-blooming as any 

 other annual Larkspur, and it comes true from seed, but 

 while there is in this variety a new shade of color among 

 tliese Larkspurs, we do not get in it anything very striking 

 or of n-iuch importance. 



Statice superba is an annual species fron-i Turkestan, sent 

 out this year. In habit and general appearance it some- 

 \^-hat resembles ;5. Siiworowii, which appeared a few years 

 ago. Its foliage is sinuately cut and lobed and produced in 

 flat rosettes, wliile from the middle of these tufts arise much 

 branched or plumose spikes of small, pale, rose-purple 

 fiowers. But, so far, it is neither as pretty nor as vigorous as 

 5. Sttworowii ; at least, so it appears here, and tlie two 

 species are growing together. 



Drummond Phloxes have, of recent years, been considerably 

 improved, especially in the increased size and brightness and 

 variety in color of the flowers; this large-Howered race is now 

 known as g'randillora. Florists have succeeded in doubling 

 the flowers of a white, and also of a red, variety, but the 

 doubling is only semi-douljle, and, as regards the beauty of 

 the flowers, it is more of an injury than a benefit. The double 

 white comes fairly true from seed, but of the double red 

 only a small percentage come double. Under the name of 

 grandiflora fimbriata, there is a purple-flowered variet\-, with 

 fimbriated or notched edges and a narrow edging of white, 

 but, except as a novelty, it is of little value ; the color is too 

 poor. Evolved from this fimbriated flower and now dis- 

 tributed under the name of cuspidata, comes an extraordinary 

 flower; each lobe of the corolla is furnished with one long, 

 narrow, pointed segment and two lesser ones, and all bor- 

 dered with a narrow, white band. But hei-e again the color is 

 only dark violet-purple. It is also distributeil under the name 

 of .Star of Ouedlenburg. Its singular appearance makes it a 

 striking novelty, but, so far as beauty, showiness or general 

 usefulness is concerned, it is not as good as the comnion, 

 plain-flowered varieties. A large proportion of the ])lants 

 come true from seed. There is also a dwarf race of Drum- 

 mond Phloxes that are indispensable in their way; they. are 

 used in beds and borders with much neatness, but their greatest 

 usefulness is as jiot plants, for which pm-pose they are adnn'r- 

 ably adapted and largely grown by some florists. W. F. 



