FRUIT AND VEGETABLE NOTES. 



146 



"horse-harrows, while our special purpose hand-cultiva- 

 tors cheapen the cost of production. 



The decline in prices has been gradual, and with it 

 have come the better tools. My years of experience 

 have enabled me to cut off expenses and to systematize 

 thoroughly, and all the time to keep my land improving 

 so that each year has shown a balance upon the right 

 side ; and even in short years we had the pleasure of 

 knowing that all of our hired help was paid, and a nice 

 living provided for ourselves in our own comfortable 

 home. Still, it is not safe for anyone to go into the busi- 

 ness expecting to become a millionaire. — J. M. Smith, 

 Wisconsin. 



SETTING STRAWBERRY-PLANTS. 



I have always found it difficult to get a new hand to 

 set a plant just right. The crown should be left exactly 

 on a level with the soil ; but most people, after scooping 

 out a hole, loosely insert the roots in a spread-out man- 

 ner, throw in dirt and crowd it down along with the 

 roots with both hands and full force, leaving the crown 

 beloiv the surface. The process as here given is the true 

 mode of setting, but the crown must not go below the 

 level of the soil. To do the work properly a little 

 knack, experience, patience and care are needed. These 

 are exactly what the average hired man lacks, and you 

 must either set your plants yourself, or watch the proc- 

 ess closely. Your bed will not thrive unless attention 

 is paid to this point. Having scooped about the plant 

 more than enough soil to fill the hole, I always press 

 down with both hands till the exact level of the adjacent 

 surface is secured. The trick is soon learned. Not only 

 do strawberry-plants, but all others depend for success 

 on being crowded down. Do not fear to get the ground 

 too much packed, unless it is wet and sticky, when 

 plants should not be set at all. If possible, set them 

 before a shower or when the soil is mellow. If you 

 must set them when the soil is dry, pour into each hole 

 at least a pint of water ; let it soak in, and then plant. 

 After crowding down a plant, brush over the pressed 

 soil a little dressing of loose dirt, which must not be 

 crowded or touched at all. It serves as a mulch, and 

 will retain moisture about the roots and prevent the soil 

 from cracking. If a dry time follows planting, never 

 water a little, but dig a hole near each plant and slowly 

 pour in a quart of water ; then brush a handful of dry 

 dirt over the wet spot, and you will save your plants 

 and probably keep them growing at full speed. Nothing 

 does any sort of plants more harm than a light surface- 

 watering. Get plenty of the water down about the roots 

 once for all. stop the evaporation with a mulch, and the 

 work is done for a week. — E. P. Powell, Oneida Co., 

 N. V. 



THE WATERMELON IN TEXAS. 



The culture of the watermelon is simple and easy, es- 

 pecially on new sandy loam. We use one or two 

 shovelfuls of well-decomposed stable or cow-pen manure 

 to each hill, and have about 300 hills to the acre. Cotton- 

 seed meal is used by some growers after the plants are 

 up The hoe is used freely around the young plants 



until they begin to run; then we substitute the harrow 

 cultivator for the plow in working the land between the 

 rows. Our aim is to leave the surface of the earth 

 smooth and well-pulverized. Proper cultivation after 

 the vines commence to run has as much to do in bring- 

 ing large and well-shaped melons as the fertilizer, if not 

 more. Our line of action is, briefly, to apply the proper 

 fertilizer and give one good deep plowing, followed up 

 at the right time with the harrow. This will insure a 

 remunerative crop with a net return of from $50 to $75 

 per acre, if the grower ships only his good melons. 



One thousand melons generally constitute a carload, 

 and weigh about 24,000 pounds. These are loaded in 

 ventilated cars. Two hundred pounds of hay strewn 

 over the bottom of the car is all the packing material 

 used; the melons are then put in about four layers deep, 

 rhey rarely fail to bear transportation well for from 

 1,000 to 2,000 miles, and some of our best shipping va- 

 rieties keep 30 days after delivery. We use a stock-car, 

 slatted up to prevent people from cutting the melons 

 from the outside during transit. This form of car has 

 some disadvantages, but it prevents damage by heat, and 

 we are satisfied. The bulk of our shipping occurs within 

 40 days — from June 15 to July 25. The express com- 

 panies are coming in for a share of the melon trade to 

 points where carload lots would be more than the mar- 

 ket demands. The melon crop pays better than the 

 cotton crop where suitable ground can be had conven- 

 ient to a loading point. The net returns from a carload 

 of melons, if good, is usually more than from two bales 

 of cotton, and the cost of raising and marketing is much 

 less. — E. Crew, Texas. 



MARKET-GARDENING. 



For years I have successfully used inverted sod, still 

 very generally recommended, for growing and trans- 

 planting melons, etc. ; but the cost of cutting the sod and 

 of other labor amounts to almost as much as the extra 

 prices received. Of course, the gardener, to be success- 

 ful, must use all improved methods as well as the best 

 implements and seed, and be a good salesman himself 

 or employ one. I have a regular retail trade, besides 

 furnishing growers, etc., and ship only to points close 

 by, and consequently get the best prices. I take common 

 three-pound tomato-cans, throw them into the furnace 

 and melt the tops, bottoms and sides, then tie them to- 

 gether by wrapping each twice around with cheap twine. 

 They can then be set in a coldframe, hotbed or green- 

 house. If placed close together the plants in them will 

 be four inches apart. I use them for cabbage, cauli- 

 flower, tomatoes, celery, beans, cucumbers and melons 

 of all kinds. My cabbages are one-third grown when 

 transplanted. The cans are full of small roots, and 

 there is a quart of soil to each plant ; by untying the 

 cans this is set out unbroken. When ready to be set out, 

 my tomato-plants are always in bloom, and frequently 

 bear fruit as large as a hen's egg. By lapping the cans 

 one-third they can be again used for celery, and by their 

 use large stocky, strong plants can be best secured, which 

 can be transplanted at any time of the day, and will not 



