CURRENT GARDEN LORE. 



ditch and underdrain ; if too dry, we mulch and add ma- 

 terials to assist it in retaining moisture ; so all along the 

 way we are compelled to deviate from natural processes 

 in the multiplication and cultivation of plants, in order 

 toobtain a fair return for experience and labor. — Andrciu 

 S. Fuller , in Tribune. 



New Ideas Wanted in Packing and Marketing 

 Vegetables. — There has been a very marked improve- 

 ment in this line recently. Not many years ago nearly 

 all vegetables were carried to market unwashed, in old 

 sacks, dirty barrels or in bulk, in a rough farm-wagon. 

 Now, the man who succeeds, if he is doing much of any 

 business, has a packing-house to which all vegetables are 

 brought direct from the fields ; here they are assorted, 

 graded, measured, counted, trimmed, bunched and 

 washed, as occasion or the variety may require. They 

 are put up in the most approved manner possible, and 

 loaded on wagons so as to make an attractive display. 

 The market-gardener has learned that to sell his products 

 to the best advantage he must first please the eye of his 

 customers. I have seen asparagus, green and crisp, sent 

 to market in old, rough boxes and tied with rough twine 

 or bass-bark, sell at six cents a pound, while another 

 lot, of no better quality, sold in the same market for ten 

 cents. This advanced price came wholly from the ap- 

 pearance of the "grass," each bunch being neatly tied 

 with narrow pink cotton tape, and then packed in new, 

 clean white boxes, giving the whole stock a tempting, 

 appetizing appearance, resulting in an advance of 66-3 

 per cent, Celery not thoroughly cleaned and roughly 

 bunched, as of old, can now be sold only at very low 

 rates. To bring good prices it must be thoroughly 

 cleaned, neatly bunched and tied with clean twine of 

 some sort. Sometimes it is seen tied with blue cotton 

 tape ; this in contrast with the cleanly blanched stems 

 makes a very fine show on the market, and causes more 

 ready sale if not higher prices. I have known it to cause 

 an advance of 25 per cent, in the price of the product. — 

 J. 17. Hale, in American Agriculturist . 



Death of Shade-Trees. — Professor J, C. Arthur, of 

 Purdue University, after investigating the cause of the 

 death of the fine shade-trees of Cleveland, gives as his 

 opinion that coal-soot is the principal cause of the blight 

 that is destroying so many trees in that city. The soot 

 closes the pores of the leaves and shuts off their supply 

 of organic matter, besides interfering v.'ith their exhala- 

 tion of moisture. Professor Arthur further says that the 

 water-tight pavements are somewhat injurious and that 

 the reduction of the water depth from eight to sixteen 

 feet by the newer sewers has probably contributed to the 

 disease of the trees. He recommends the discarding of 

 maples and elms and the planting of poplars, red and 

 white oaks and other smooth-leaved trees which are not 

 so much affected by the blight. — Western Rural. 



Effects of Different Soils and Situations. — The 



A7npelopsis Teitchii, because of its universal cultivation 

 in that city, is often called " Boston ivy." On the same 

 estate not far away are two vines differently situated. 



The difference in their growth and in the coloring of their 

 leaves plainly shows the effects of soil and situation. One 

 of these ivies grows in poor, hard-baked soil with a 

 northern exposure. Its leaves are delicate green in 

 summer, changing in autumn to rich scarlet, crimson 

 and yellow. The other ivy has a southern exposure and 

 good rich soil. Its foliage in summer is richer and 

 darker than that of the first, with larger, more succulent 

 stems. In autumn its leaves change their color to dark 

 maroon and bronze. — Nezu York Observer. 



A New Hardy Flowering Almond.— The beauty of 

 the common almond in spring is well known, but even 

 under favorable conditions it does not come into bloom 



David's Whith-I^lowering almond 



till March, and in cold springs perhaps not until April. 

 The advantage of the new plant Amygdalus Davidiana 

 alba, is that it comes into bloom in the early part 

 of February, even in the open ground. Some small 

 plants of it in full bloom were exhibited at the last meet- 

 ing of the Royal Horticultural Society, on the ninth 

 inst., by J. Veitch & Sons, Chelsea. The flowers are 

 of large size, pure white, and freely produced along the 

 wood of last year's growth. There is a pale rose variety, 

 under the name of A. Dai'idiana rubra, which flowers 

 at the same time as the white one, and differs from it in 

 nothing except color. The plants were taken from the 

 open ground for exhibition, thus affording evidence of 

 their hardiness, and early, free-flowering habit. Our 



