April, 1909 



THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 



155 



Finish by treading around the hole to make all 

 secure 



Twenty Ounce, and Stark. The best russets 

 are Golden Russet and Roxbury. Among 

 the crabs the best are the red and yellow 

 Siberian, but Hyslop and General Grant are 

 good. 



The apple trees should be sprayed as the 

 buds open in the spring, using the Bordeaux 

 mixture combined with Paris green, and 

 several times during the summer with plain 

 Bordeaux. All that is necessary in pruning 

 is to cut out the thin, weak wood and prevent 

 the fruiting wood from crowding. If any 

 branches require cutting, take off the shoot 

 at the base, never heading in. 



The pear probably ranks next to the apple 

 in popularity, and is very easily handled. 

 Pears can be pruned more liberally than 

 apples, as it is easier for the beginner to detect 

 the fruit buds. They should also be sprayed 

 with Bordeaux, as they are subject to a blight 

 disease which if it once gets in the trees will 

 be very hard to eradicate. The favorite and 

 best-known pear is the Bartlett. This is 

 known all over for its good quality and sturdy, 

 vigorous habit, but Clapp Favorite and 

 Rosney are also good early sorts. Sheldon 

 is a good all-round pear, but my two favorites 

 are Howell and Werden Seckel. Keiffer is 

 also valuable because of its free-bearing 

 properties and heavy, robust growth. The 

 best winter pear is Lawrence. 



The peach is claimed to be the most eccen- 

 tric of all fruits. The trees are quick growers 

 and short lived. If you are to get anything 

 worth while out of them, they must be given 

 high living, plenty of food, and abundant 

 cultivation, with a mulch in the fall. Plant 

 peaches in the best-protected part of the 

 garden, as they of ttimes flower before the last 

 cold blasts of winter and get frozen. Peaches 

 need more pruning than most fruit trees, 

 for, being very quick growers, they will soon 

 outgrow themselves if left entirely alone. I 

 favor heading them back, cutting out all thin, 

 weak shoots and shortening in the strong 

 branches. Spray with Bordeaux, and if 

 any tree shows the yellows, cut it down and 

 burn at once. 



Favorite early varieties are Alexandra, 



Champion, Crawford Early, and Mountain 

 Rose; the best late sorts being Crawford 

 Late, Elberta, Foster, Fox Seedling, Globe, 

 Oldnixon, Stevenson Rareripe, Stump the 

 World, and Wonderful. 



The plum has become very popular since 

 the introduction of the Japanese varieties, 

 which seem to adapt themselves readily to 

 our conditions and in some localities they 

 have entirely superseded all others. The 

 plum is a quick grower, requiring very little 

 care — just an occasional pruning and good 

 cultivation with plenty of fertilizing. The 

 best Japanese varieties are Abundance, 

 Climax, Satsuma, Ogon, Burbank, and Red 

 June. The best American varieties are 

 Bradshaw, Greengage, Imperial gage, Lom- 

 bard, and Yellow Gage. 



After planting cut out weak thin shoots, and 

 shorten the stronger ones about one-fourth 



Most amateurs neglect the cherry. But 

 why? The tree is of easy cultivation and 

 certainly gives great returns to the grower. 

 If the birds eat the fruit (which is true in a 

 certain measure) and are bothersome, low- 

 headed trees can be covered with an old 

 fish net. The cherry will grow well 

 almost anywhere. It is not particular as to 

 soils and is not subject to diseases. It 

 requires very little care after planting. The 

 best sweet varieties are Black Eagle, Black 

 Tartarian, Downer, Late Red, Governor 

 Wood, Napoleon Bigarreau, Schmidt's Bigar- 

 reau, and Yellow Spanish. The best sour 

 cherries are English Morello, Early Rich- 

 mond, Mary Duke, and Montmorency. 



The quince is planted very little because 

 the fruit is not edible in a raw state. The 

 tree is an easy grower, but do not accept the 

 common theory that it thrives on neglect. 

 It needs an occasional pruning, and because 

 of the shallow roots, should be mulched in 

 the fall. All the trouble with the quince 

 arises from winter killing of the roots and a 

 proportionate loss of the top. In spring cut 



out all dead wood and shorten the heavy 

 branches. The best sorts are Apple, Bour- 

 geat, and Champion. 



Similarly, most folks claim they have a 

 great deal of trouble with blackberries 

 winter killing. This also is caused by the 

 frost killing the roots and not the top. Prune 

 the blackberry after the fruiting period, 

 cutting out all old shoots and tieing the 

 young canes up in place, as it is the new- 

 comers that will bear the next crop. 



The best variety is Rathburn, but Eric, 

 Wilson, Jr., and Kittatinny are all good. 

 Raspberries are very similar to blackberries 

 and require the same treatment. Cuthbert 

 is the best red raspberry, but Brandywine 

 and Mellin Red are also good. Golden 

 Queen is the best yellow variety, and Cum- 

 berland is the best blackcap. 



All that the grape really requires is a good,, 

 deep, well-enriched soil and lots of pruning. 

 Keep your grapes confined to the spur system. 

 Grow them on wires or sticks, and don't be 

 afraid of giving them enough to eat. The 

 best varieties are Agawam, Campbell Early, 

 Moore Early, Concord, Delaware, Catawba. 

 White Niagara is the best white grape. 



TABLE OF DISTANCES TO PLANT FRUIT TREES 



Apple, standard 



24 ft. 



Quinces ■ 



10 ft. 



Apple, dwarf 



10 ft. 



Grapes 



8 ft. 



Pears, standard 



20 ft. 



Apricots 



10 ft. 



Pears, dwarf 



10 ft. 



Nectarines 



10 ft. 



Peaches 



is ft. 



Currants 



3 ft. 



Plums 



IS ft. 



Gooseberries 



3 ft- 



Cherries, natural 



20 ft. 



Raspberries 



3 ft- 



Cherries, low-headed 



15 ft. 



Blackberries 



3 ft- 



The most practical fruit garden for the 

 amateur is the one that will give him a little 

 fruit continuously rather than a great crop at 

 one time, and nothing all the rest. A 

 selection of varieties designed with this 

 object in view will be found on page 178. 



The tree as finished. Note the width of the hole, 

 and its depth to catch water ; also how the pruning 

 was done, and the wood cut off 



