December 12, 1894.] 



Garden and Forest. 



497 



of western Europe, or their American seedlings, to compare 

 them with, for the simple reason that they will not endure our 

 severest winters. 



Newport, Vt. T. H. HosklllS. 



[We have received photographs taken from several posi- 

 tions in these orchards, and they full)' establish the correct- 

 ness of Dr. Hoskins' statements as to the size, vigor and 

 productiveness of these young trees. — Ed.] 



The Ferrocyanide Test for Bordeaux Mixture. 



IN the issue of Garden and Forest for November 14th, 

 Mr. Lodeman, of Cornell University, reports a rusty appear- 

 ance of apples and pears sprayed with Bordeaux mixture 

 made by the ferrocyanide test. I wish to add my belief to that 

 expressed by Mr. Lodeman that the mixture made by this 

 method should be more carefully tested, at least, before it is 

 recommended for use in orchards. I have given it a thorough 

 trial in spraying Potatoes, and have seen no injury whatever 

 resulting from very heavy applications of it, and have, there- 

 fore, no hesitation in sanctioning its use in the Potato-field. 

 As used this past season in our orchards, however, it did cause 

 some injury of the nature described by Mr. Lodeman, so that 

 some of the fruit dropped from sprayed Pear-trees in June, 

 and both apples and pears showed some rusty or russetted ap- 

 pearance. We were able to trace this trouble largely to a 

 single application — the first one made after the fall of the 

 blossoms, when the young fruit was setting. The fruit showed 

 signs of the injury within a few days after the application was 

 made. Moreover, this application was omitted on one tree, 

 and, although the tree was sprayed both before and after this 

 time exactly as were the others, the fruit upon it was almost 

 free from these blemishes. A further interesting indication of 

 the same fact lay in the location of the rusty appearance. In 

 most of the apples it formed a zone about midway between 

 stem and blossom ends. The smooth skin on either side of 

 this zone was evidently that which developed after this early 

 application, and it remained unaffected by the later sprayings, 

 although they were equally thorough. So far as can be judged 

 from Mr. Lodeman's article, the injuries he reports came 

 largely from the applications made at about this period. I 

 would, therefore, suggest that especial care be taken not to use 

 too strong or too liberal a spray just as the young fruit is form- 

 ing. I trust, however, that these notes will not deter any one 

 from using Bordeaux mixture on his fruit-trees. The scab 

 fungus was much less injurious than usual upon both our 

 apples and pears this year, yet, even under these conditions, 

 the value of the crop from some varieties of our Apples was 

 nearly doubled by spraying. The results upon Flemish Beauty 

 pears were even more gratifying. Upon the unsprayed trees 

 every pear was scabby, less than one-half of them could be 

 rated as No. 1, and these were of inferior quality. On the 

 sprayed trees scarcely a scabby pear could be found ; on the 

 average only six pears per barrel were sorted out as not being 

 No. 1. Moreover, this No. 1 fruit was so much superior to 

 the No. 1 fruit of the unsprayed trees that a practical fruit 

 buyer offered fifty per cent, more by the barrel for the former 

 than for the latter. „ 



Vermont Experiment Station. *-• ^-' J0H6S. 



The Cultivation of Strawberries. 



A BULLETIN which has just been issued by the Ohio 

 Agricultural Experiment Station contains some excel- 

 lent cultural directions as to selection and preparation 

 of the soil, time and method of setting the plants, and 

 other details in which novices, and many who are not 

 novices, need instruction. We give in a condensed form 

 some of the directions on a few points which are less fre- 

 quently discussed than others : 



Most varieties of Strawberries fruit more abundantly the 

 second season than the first, and the berries are correspond- 

 ingly smaller. For home use it is not a matter of importance 

 as to the length of time a bed is kept, but for market there is 

 seldom any profit in keeping a bed of any of the prolific me- 

 dium-sized sorts more than one season. It usually costs less 

 to plant a new bed than to clean out an old one, and it is much 

 easier to keep a new bed clean. The earliest berries came 

 from old beds, but they are smaller, and the fact that they are 

 nurseries for insects and diseases condemns them. In treat- 

 ing an old bed many practical growers mow the tops off the 

 plants and burn over the bed when they are dry. This is the 

 best possible way of checking rust. Straw and leaves used as 



mulch should be raked into the centre of the rows before burn- 

 ing when there is danger of injuring the plants by too great 

 heat. After burning, the ground between the rows should be 

 kept thoroughly worked. 



Winter protection should be given, not to keep the plants 

 from freezing, but to prevent them from heaving and to retain 

 moisture in summer and to keep the berries clean. Early 

 winter is the best time to apply it. Straw is objectionable be- 

 cause of grain and weed seeds, which it contains. The best 

 material is marsh hay, which is free from foul seed and is not 

 easily blown off. It is not advisable to remove this mulch in 

 spring either to avoid early frost or to cultivate, unless the bed 

 is very weedy. 



The proper proportion of perfect and pistillate flowered 

 sorts to plant is an open question. Varieties and seasons have, 

 perhaps, much to do with the matter, and no definite rules can 

 as yet be given. One of the pollen-bearing sorts in every 

 five plants is usually sufficient, and it is well to mate the 

 two classes as to time of blooming, color, size and firmness of 

 fruit as nearly as possible. The most prolific sorts are found 

 among those which have imperfect flowers, although many of 

 this class are not prolific. The best of the imperfect-flowered 

 varieties are better than the best perfect-flowered varieties as 

 to prolificacy, as to freedom from disease and general relia- 

 bility. Many perfect-flowered kinds bloom as freely and set 

 as many berries as any of the other class, but they are more 

 apt to succumb to drought and unfavorable influences — that is, 

 they are not so likely to carry a crop through to perfection as 

 those that bear no pollen. This fact is so well understood that 

 the general custom is to plant as few as possible of the perfect- 

 flowered kinds, and the numerous inquiries after reliable varie- 

 ties of this class show that something better than we now have 

 is wanting. 



The Cultivation of Violets. 



VIOLETS grown entirely in cold frames will now re- 

 quire considerable care to insure a supply of flowers 

 during the winter months. If leaves have not already been 

 packed about the frames for additional protection, this should 

 be done at once. A litter of manure, straw or hay affords fairly 

 good protection,, but none of these keep out cold as well as 

 leaves, and they are all less tidy-looking. If a frame is prop- 

 erly packed with leaves and protected with mats and shutters 

 a temperature of zero or lower can easily be resisted. Instead 

 of straw mats we use those made of Singapore -fibre. They 

 cost but little more than the straw mats, are slightly heavier, 

 and far more durable. They are impervious to moisture, and 

 mice do not gnaw and destroy them. The mats we have used 

 for three winters are but little worse for wear, and cared for 

 properly should last, eight to ten years. Snow should not be 

 allowed to remain over the panes longer than twenty-four 

 hours at a time if it can possibly be avoided ; the plants need 

 all the light and air they can get during the dark months, and 

 if the frames are covered over tor a week or ten days at a time 

 the plants suffer greatly. Mold will quickly spread among the 

 crowns and the leaves become weak and spindling. The 

 plants ought to be picked over once a week, and any diseased 

 or decaying foliage removed. If any green slime appears on 

 the surface of the beds it should be scratched over. 



The Lady Hume Campbell Violets are entirely free from 

 spot this season, and this variety seems equally clean in other 

 places. It does not, however, bloom as freely as the Marie Louise 

 at this season of the year, and the flowers, while of good size, 

 are somewhat paler in color than those of Marie Louise. 

 Swanley White is also free from spot, but we have had some 

 little trouble with this disease on Marie Louise, and especially on 

 lifted plants. The plants grown in frames during the summer 

 have made the most vigorous and the healthiest plants. As a 

 remedy for spot we have used Fir-tree oil once a week with 

 good results. A small handful of salt is mixed in each twelve- 

 quart can of the Fir-tree oil mixture, and the application is 

 made about midday, while the sun is shining full on the plants. 



We find that our plants at this season dry out sufficiently to 

 take a moderate watering once a fortnight, but they will need 

 less water from now until the end of January. The water 

 should be tepid, and should not lie poured into the crown. 

 The watering should be done early enough in the day lor the 

 foliage to become quite dry before nightfall, and air should be 

 admitted on every favorable opportunity. It is better to ventilate 

 even when the outside temperature is several degrees below 

 freezing point, if the sun shines on the frame, than to keep the 

 frame closed, and run up the temperature with an idea of 

 forcing the blooms. . 



Taunton, Mass. W. JS. Lratg. 



