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FRUIT AND GARDEN NOTES. 



shape. With good culture the Cuthbert is certainly 

 " queen " among the red raspberries and stands next to 

 Shaffer in productiveness. Clean and shallow culture 

 and annual or biennial enriching of soil are prime re- 

 quisites of success. — E. M. Warner, Ohio. 



WHAT JUDGE MILLER HAS TO SAY. 



If some of the strawberries tried here last season don't 

 make a mark in the world, I am mistaken. Hale Gem, 

 Putnam, Thompson No. 7 and No. 51, Huntsman and 

 some of the I. B. Miller seedlings loomed up grandly, and 

 also a few of my own seedlings. The fact is, however, 

 that it takes several years' trials in different parts of the 

 country to prove that a strawberry is fit to be sent out. 



There are enterprises in the south that need only pro- 

 per attention to make them grand successes. There are 

 great possibilities in pecan-nuts. Some sent me by Col. 

 W. R. Stuart are the finest I have seen. Thousands 

 of acres of rich low lands in that section can be planted 

 with this nut with fine prospects of profitable results. 



Next is the Japan persimmon. I have seen and eaten 

 enough to know that there is a bright future for this 

 fruit. Some doubt is expressed concerning the prob- 

 ability of its becoming a market fruit in the north, but 

 I have no fear. It is too handsome and too good not to 

 take with the masses. If there is any fruit that could 

 take the place of the banana to some extent, it can only 

 be the best of the Japanese persimmons. There are, in 

 the south, forests of native trees of this family that could 

 be grafted with the Japanese, and thus be made to bear 

 in a few years, and bring in the dollars freely. Here 

 none of these foreign varieties seem to succeed. I have 

 tried a number of them; that we may get some that will 

 be hardy is probable. Perhaps we may breed hardy 

 sorts by crossing them. For many years I have been 

 endeavoring to collect the best natives, and now have six 

 fine varieties. Some of them are higher in flavor than 

 any of Japanese, but not nearly so large, and they have 

 too many seeds. Some, however, are nearly seedless. 

 The persimmon is a fruit that never fails ; the tree has no 

 disease, is long-lived and quite ornamental, — S. Miller, 

 Montgomery Co., Missouri. 



A vermonter's experience with plums. 



About ten years ago I began setting plum trees in my 

 chicken-yards, planting a few each year for about five 

 years. They have now borne several heavy crops. The 

 trees were wanted to shade my yards, and therefore put 

 only eight feet apart each way. A cleaner, healthier lot 

 of trees cannot be found. I have not seen much black- 

 knot, and always cut it out at first appearance. 



The only cultivation I have given has been a thorough 

 spading of the ground about twice a year, and now and 

 then I have raked in oats or wheat for the hens to scratch 

 for. This has kept the ground thoroughly worked, and 

 the droppings from the hens have kept the land well en- 

 riched. The soil is a rather light, sandy loam, with a 

 sand subsoil, but very rich. These trees have regularly 

 borne heavy crops of strictly first-class fruit, which com- 

 mands the highest price ; indeed, I have had no difficulty 



in getting four dollars a bushel at my door. Some of my 

 Lombard trees have yielded lYz to 4 bushels of choice 

 fruit apiece. 



My method of pruning has been to cut back two- 

 thirds of each season's growth, either in fall after the 

 leaves had fallen, or in the spring before they had started, 

 always taking pains to keep the middle of the head well 

 thinned out to let in the sun. 



I have had to thin the fruit, especially from the Lom- 

 bard. For this purpose I use a pair of small pocket- 

 scissors, sometimes removing two-thirds of the fruit, 

 and yet I have never taken off as much as I ought, I 

 have always been particular to burn all black-knots, and 

 to keep all decayed or green fruit cleaned up from about 

 the trees, I believe this is especially important. 



About half of my trees are Lombard. Had I set all 

 of this variety, my orchard would be worth much more 

 than it is now, I have Bradshaw, a fine early plum, but 

 a shy bearer ; Yellow Egg and Washington, both nice, 

 but not profitable ; Purple Egg, fine, large, but rots badly 

 on the trees ; Imperial Gage, a splendid plum, and Green 

 Gage, which is nice for canning ; Shropshire Damson, a 

 small late purple variety, but a good annual bearer and 

 a quick seller ; Genii, a large purple plum, rather coarse, 

 bears well but is more subject to black-knot than any 

 other. Of other varieties on my place none is of any 

 account here. Moore Arctic is coarse and sour, and 

 the tree seems to enjoy the black-knot. The Miner was 

 recommeoded highly ; some of those I got winter -killed, 

 and I wish all had. They grew faster than others, blos- 

 somed full every spring, but never bore over half a dozen 

 little red plums that never got ripe. I grafted other 

 varieties on the trees, and they are now of some use. 



I am setting a new orchard and shall plant largely of 

 the Lombard, Niagara and Damson. I have gathered 

 many cart-loads of bones, and in setting my trees I dig 

 large, deep holes and put into each a liberal supply of 

 them. — A, A. Halladay, I'ermoiit. 



A jerseyman on bush limas. 



No vegetable now attracts more attention than the 

 bush Lima, and for good reasons. It enables us to dis- 

 pense with the poles, wires or strings that obstruct the 

 view and mar the neatness of our gardens. While grow- 

 ing the usual quantity of pole varieties last summer, I 

 also took great interest in testing the value of the bush 

 type. I can hardly speak too highly of Henderson 

 Bush Lima. It is one of the most productive of all beans 

 and of fine quality, but for market its small size is an ob- 

 jection. It is considerably earlier than the other Limas, 

 and its vigorous bushy growth enables the plant to carry 

 its immense clusters of pods well up from the ground. 

 It can be grown with the ordinary cultivation given to 

 the common bush-bean. 



The Kumerle is another type, not so upright in growth, 

 but rather inclined to spread, sending out strong laterals. 

 Unlike the Henderson, it is very late, and should therefore 

 be planted on early rich soil. In pod and shape it does 

 not differ from that excellent sort, Dreer Improved Lima, 



