84 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



[June, 



SEASONABLE HINTS. 



To equalize our fruit crops, and to devise 

 means for counterbalancing the general tend- 

 ency of fruit-trees to over-produce in alter- 

 nate years with intermediate barrenness, has 

 always been a matter of much importance 

 and frequent investigation among fruit- 

 growers. The difference in prices realized 

 in bearing years, against those in barren 

 years, is often four-fold in favor of the lat- 

 ter. More uniform care and culture of our 

 orchards, and other means tending to secure 

 more uniform crops, have been recom- 

 mended, but none have so far proved en- 

 tirely satisfactory. 



In view of these evident facts, Mr. P. M. 

 Augur, State Pomologist of Connecticut, 

 offers the following suggestions specially 

 with reference to the Apple, which, with a 

 prospective heavy crop this year, may lessen 

 the production and prove profitable to our 

 readers : 



"1st. Top-dress your orchards generously, 

 and, where practicable, plow them carefully 

 in early spring, thereby securing a fresh, 

 abundant growth. While this is highly im- 

 portant in giving a new and stronger growth 

 to orchard trees, it may not lessen the crop, 

 while it would materially increase its value. 

 Therefore, 



" 2d. Systematically prune out a consider- 

 able portion of the young bearing branches, 

 thereby materially reducing the amount of 

 bearing fruit-spurs. These two steps will 

 greatly augment the size and quality of the 

 fruit without so much exhaustion to the tree, 

 and with greater probability for fruit the fol- 

 lowing year. Both these operations may, 

 however, actually, and probably will, in- 

 crease the value of the coming crop. So, 



" 3d. Provide an abundance of stools, step- 

 ladders, and longer light ladders, and in the 

 blooming season commence on orchards of 

 young bearing age, by contracting for the 

 entire extinction of every blossom, especially 

 on Baldwin and other alternate even-year 

 bearers. Boys and girls of twelve to sixteen 

 years of age may easily do this, and at such 

 rates as to make it an object to employ them 

 to a considerable extent." 



Mr. Augur adds: "Were this to be re- 

 peated every year, it might or might not pay ; 

 but the probability is strong that, once 

 changed and out of the old ruts, a cycle of 

 odd years' bearing might follow, much to 

 the profit of the orchardist ; in fact, the ex- 

 periment has in many known eases been 

 tried with satisfaction. We would not advise 

 this on an old, tangled, unpruned orchard, 

 but on such as offer the best results with 

 convenient access and least outlay ; neither 

 should the practice extend over too much 

 ground — we shoiild seek simply to equalize 

 our fruit crops ; yet, had I twenty acres 

 Baldwins or Roxbury Russets, I should have 

 little fear of glutting the market should 

 they all come into bearing in odd years." 



Cultivating Around Trees. — To cultivate a 

 small circle around the trunk of a tree is 

 of no benefit whatever to it, as its feeding- 

 roots are not near the stem, but at the ex- 

 treme ends of its roots. To benefit an or- 

 chard, the entire ground must be cultivated. 



MARKETING FRUITS. 



CURRANTS. 



The consumption of Currants, both as a 

 table fruit and for preserving, increases every 

 year. Thousands of gallons of juice are 

 pressed out annually by the large preserving 

 houses of our city. This juice is so prepared 

 that it keeps for many months, and large 

 quantities are sold to persons who cannot 

 procure the fruit in season, or do not find it 

 convenient [to press it out themselves. In 

 addition to this, tons upon tons are manu- 

 factured into jelly, which finds ready sale for 

 fancy-cake bakers and confectioners. 



For preserving purposes the old Red Dutch 

 Currant is preferred, and many preservers 

 will buy no other kinds, while other manu- 

 facturers are less particular, and buy what- 

 ever is cheapest. There is but little demand 

 from grocers and fruit-dealers for this small 

 variety, as for table use only the large 

 "Cherry"and "Versailles" findsale. Dealers 

 in fancy fruits take much pains to procure 

 extra large, selected Currants, and good 

 prices are realized by those marketing a first- 

 class grade. 



The best packages for shipping are baskets 

 containing from eight to ten pounds, packed 

 in berry crates. Persons shipping from a 

 considerable distance find it often more ad- 

 vantageous to make cheap temporary crates 

 for these baskets than to send berry crates 

 which have to be returned. The ordinary 

 quart berry-basket answers the purpose very 

 well, and, in fact, is preferable to the peach- 

 basket, or any other of that size. 



For White Currants there is but a very 

 limited demand in the New York market. 

 Black Currants, although not in great de- 

 mand, sell fairly. These, being more solid 

 than the red and white, may be shipped in 

 any ordinary box or basket without injury. 



In packing Currants for shipping the bas- 

 kets should be well filled, that the fruit 

 cannot shake and become damaged during 

 transportation. All Currants are sold by 

 the pound ; the net weight of the baskets or 

 boxes they are shipped in should therefore 

 be plainly marked on the outside of every 

 package. 



GOOSEBERRIES. 



The culture of the Gooseberry has not gen- 

 erally proved profitable to those engaged in 

 it, and the principal cause of failure was in 

 the production of inferior fruit, of which 

 such large quantities have been thrust upon 

 the market that they could not be sold at 

 any price. They were so small that the 

 bakers said it would cost more to prepare 

 them than they were worth ; besides, sugar 

 would not sweeten them. In consideration 

 of these low prices, it becomes every grower 

 to raise the largest and finest he can, and 

 get them to market with as little cost as pos- 

 sible to save freight and cartage. I would 

 advise the shipping of them in barrels. If 

 they are to be detained more than one night 

 by the transportation company, ventilate the 

 barrels so they will not sweat. It is my prac- 

 tice to keep a number of half-bushel boxes 

 on hand, such as Huckleberries are shipped 

 in, and, on their arrival, to empty them into 

 these boxes. Owing to the smaller quantity 

 these boxes contain, and their convenience 

 for carrying, they sell more readily than in 

 any other style of package. The large vari- 

 eties usually sell from $3 to $4 per bushel, 

 while the medium size are selling for $2 and 



less. The demand for extra large Goose- 

 berries is always good, especially among for- 

 eigners, with whom they are a favorite fruit, 

 but the small, green, sour berries can often 

 not be given away. C. W. Idell. 



DO NOT WASTE BONES. 



The bones of fish, bones of fowls, the large 

 and small pieces of bones which are pur- 

 chased with beef-steak and mutton, con- 

 stitute the very best food for fruit-trees and 

 Grape-vines, if the fragments are only placed 

 where the roots can lay hold of them. In- 

 stead of allowing pieces of bone to be cast 

 into the back-yard, as food for stray dogs 

 and strange cats, domestics should be di- 

 rected to deposit every thing of the sort in a 

 small tub provided with a lid. As soon as 

 only a few pounds have accumulated, we 

 take the tub to some Grape-vine or fruit-tree, 

 dig a hole, three or more feet long, a foot or 

 two wide, and not less than a foot deep, into 

 winch the bones are dumped, spread over the 

 bottom o£ the excavation, and covered with 

 the soil. The more the fragments can be 

 spread around, the better. But they should 

 be buried so deep that a plow or spade will 

 not reach them. The roots of growing vines 

 or fruit-trees will soon find the valuable 

 mine of rich fertility, and will feed on the 

 elements that will greatly promote the 

 growth of strong and healthy wood, and the 

 development of fair and luscious fruit. 



Many horticulturists and farmers purchase 

 bone-dust, costing not less than two cents 

 per pound, simply to enrich the soil around 

 and beneath their trees and vines. Frag- 

 ments of bones are just as valuable as 

 ground-bone, although their elements of fer- 

 tility will not be found available in so short 

 a time as if the large pieces were reduced to 

 small atoms. Nevertheless, if large bones 

 be buried three or four feet from a grape- 

 vine, the countless numbers of mouths at the 

 ends of roots will soon dissolve, take up, and 

 appropriate every particle. When cast out 

 of the kitchen door, bones are like a nui- 

 sance ; whereas, if properly buried, they 

 become a source of valuable fertility. Let 

 every person who owns a Grape-vine or fruit- 

 tree save all the bones that pass through the 

 kitchen, and bury them where such worth- 

 less material will be turned to some profit. 



S. E. T. 



SPRING SET PLANTS. 



Strawberries, Raspberries, Grape-vines, and 

 fruit-bearing plants and trees of any kind, 

 should have all flower-buds pinched off, and 

 under no consideration be allowed to bear 

 the same year they were planted. We know 

 well from experience, that the temptation to 

 see the fruit of the plants we have set out 

 so carefully and watched so anxiously, as 

 soon as possible, is very great, yet our wishes 

 cannot be gratified without serious and often 

 fatal injury to the object of our care. A plant 

 must have acquired sufficient roots and body 

 before it can propagate itself. This early 

 fruiting of newly-set plants is in itself a sign 

 of weakness which should be guai-ded against 

 as we would guard a precocious child from 

 over-exertion. 



Water should be given only when the soil 

 is dry to the depth of several inches. Keep- 

 ing the ground constantly wet before the 

 plants have become established causes their 

 roots to rot. 



