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U- IN D F A LLS . 



The Satsuma in North Carolina. — The fact that 

 the Satsuma orange has survived the winter unprotected 

 at the North Carolina station, and is now making new 

 growth and blooming, not having even parted with a leaf 

 all winter, shows that this is evidently a species of un- 

 usual hardiness, and gives promise of a wide extension 

 of the orange belt northward. That it will survive any 

 of our winters here without protection is by no means 

 certain. The past winter, while not so uncommonly 

 mild as the winter just preceding it was, was not marked 

 by extreme cold at any time. The lowest temperature 

 noted at the signal station in Raleigh, I believe, was 21° 

 above zero in January. But the high hill top, on which 

 the Satsuma is planted, is swept by wind from every 

 quarter, and is fully fifty feet higher than the signal 

 station. It is to be presumed, therefore, that the trees 

 withstood several degrees lower than 21°. But with the 

 little bushes this orange makes when grafted on trifo- 

 liata stocks, it will always be an easy thing to protect 

 them. 



While on this matter of winter protection I would like 

 to call attention to an arrangement gotten up for another 

 purpose which struck me as a good thing Passing along 

 one of the business streets in Raleigh a few days ago, I 

 noticed a large crate filled with great hay caps made of 

 fluted paper pulp, and it occurred to me at once that 

 here is the very material we want for the protection of 

 half hardy things in this climate. Under a big cap of 

 this waterproof paper oleanders, agaves and all such 

 things can be carried through our hardest spells, and 

 even the hay caps, in their present form, would be as 

 useful in a southern garden as the clock is to the Pari- 

 sian gardener, for it must be remembered that it seldom 

 freezes here in daylight, and we could cover our lettuce, 

 etc., etc., on frosty nights and expose them to the sun 

 next day. If the manufacturers will take the hint and 

 make us a lot of plant protectors, it will be a good thing 

 and will pay them well. — W. F. Massey. 



My Experience with Strawberries. — As I am always 

 glad to hear the experiences of others with strawberries, 

 perhaps my experience with them would be of interest 

 to your readers. My acquaintance with them teaches 

 me that the main point in strawberry culture is to grow 

 the berry that suits your soil and market, let it be an 

 old or new variety, let it be a big berry or a little one. 

 Taking all things into consideration, I find home mark- 

 ets the best, and to these markets come a class that are 

 ready to buy liberally at six cents a quart without regard 

 to size ; to supply such, you need a productive kind. 

 Then other classes will buy a large showy berry at ten 

 cents a quart that would not buy the small ones, though 

 cheaper. And with all berries I find it pays to put them 

 into two grades. 



I have learned that soil, location and climate make so 

 great a difference with the strawberry, that the only sure 

 method of success is to try several varieties and take 

 those that give the best results. Still I would not decide 

 on one season's trial in every case. From my experience 



with old and new varieties, I find some of the old "laid 

 aside" varieties have more good qualities than many of 

 the new ones. 



Of the old varieties that I have tested on my soil which 

 is warm and rather inclined to clay, the best was the 

 Windsor Chief. The plants are hardy, vigorous and 

 most abundant bearers ; berries average large, and do 

 not dwindle at the last picking ; a handsome berry of 

 fair quality ; would advise every grower to give it a trial 

 where quantity is the desired quality. 



Green Prolific was next best, a vigorous grower and 

 abundant bearer. It is said to be a non-fertilizer, but 

 with me it has produced 100 gallons on one-tenth of an 

 acre with not more than one Wilson to every hundred 

 of Green Prolific. The berry is as large as the Wmdsor, 

 but will not average as large ; with fine culture will 

 give the very best satisfaction. 



Miner's Great Prolific is truly well named ; they are 

 large, but soon dwindle to a very inferior berry. 



Cinderella and Captain Jack had a fine bloom but did 

 not have many berries, and they were only medium size. 



Sharpless bore a few very large berries, but many were 

 ill-shaped ; worthy a trial. 



Glendale bore well ; the berry very firm and rather 

 large. 



Crescent Seedling started very promising. The berry 

 colors all over at once of a bright scarlet, which gives it 

 preference over others, but with me did not carry out its. 

 promise. 



Crystal City bloomed well but bore very few berries, 

 which were very small ; I consider it worthless. 



Jucunda, a good berry, large and of good bearing- 

 qualities, but requires high culture, which all berries 

 should have. 



All the above varieties stood the winters well. 



Of the new varieties that I have fruited, Gandy excells 

 all. It is very hardy and quite large, 40 berries as they 

 run will fill a quart, and 20 picked will fill a quart. It 

 is only medium in productiveness, or that is, it will not 

 average over ten berries to the plant. I am now selling 

 them at ten cents more per gallon than the Bubach. 

 Considering their large size, I do not know that they will 

 not prove as productive as the Bubach ; but the variety 

 is a vigorous grower. 



The Bubach is a magnificent berry too, for it is 

 hardy, a good grower, and very productive ; they are 

 large, sixty will fill a quart as they run ; I am exceed- 

 ingly pleased with these two berries. 



The Monmouth has proved a worthless berry ; plant 

 weakly, blooms well, but they produce but little fruit 

 and not large. By the way, I bought it for its earliness, 

 and it and the Bubach were ripe the same day. May 6 ; 

 the first ripe Gandy was the 20th. 



I am now testing several others this season ; may be 

 able to give something of interest of them later. — Thos. 

 D. Baird, Ay. 



A New Grape, Spinovitis Dav'id'ii. -Spinp-'i^is Davidii 

 is a grape which' at present is receiving much attention 



