84 



SEASONABLE HINTS, 



Each succeeding season seems to demon- 

 strate more clearly that the relative hardi- 

 ness of plants varies in different localities a 

 great deal more than has generally been 

 supposed. The past winter, a not unusually 

 severe one, has left the conditions for per- 

 fect hardiness in greater mystery than ever. 

 On our own grounds, which are fully exposed 

 to north and west winds, Strawberries win- 

 tered better than during any previous winter 

 we can recollect ; and Raspberries, even 

 so-called tender varieties, came out well, 

 without the least protection, while in local- 

 ities at no great distance, the same varieties 

 suffered severely. 



In the North-western States, the winter's 

 lessons have been of sweeping severity. 

 Prof. ./. L. Budd, of the Iowa Agricultural 

 College, writes us in this relation : 



" This spring we have sad stories of 

 wrecked orchards in all parts of Iowa, but 

 the Russian trees and their crosses are 

 everywhere perfect. The very hot summers 

 of the prairie States are hard on the foliage 

 of south of Europe fruits." 



The importance of this new race of fruits, 

 hardier than those we now have, to all our 

 North-western States is incalculable; and 

 the efforts of Prof. Budd in studying and in- 

 troducing these Russian varieties deserve 

 the highest recognition. 



The backwardness of spring may deter 

 many from carrying out all their contem- 

 plated plans, but whatever has to be deferred 

 do not put off the planting of a Strawberry 

 bed, if you have not already a good one. 



Mnurbrrrics may in this latitude be planted 

 during the first part of May as successfully 

 as at any time, and we trust that no reader 

 of The American Garden will be deceived 

 by the illusion that "Strawberries can be 

 bought cheaper than raised." In name per- 

 haps, yes, as much so as a cheap ehromo 

 can be pm'chased for less money than the 

 original masterpiece ; but the superiority of 

 a ripe, clean, fresh, and high flavored home- 

 grown Strawberry over the ordinary market- 

 fruit cannot be fully expressed in dollars 

 and cents. 



The requirement* for market fruits are just 

 the reverse of those most desirable for home 

 use, and a compromise in this direction is 

 therefore impossible. The most essential 

 properties in a market fruit, in the order 

 of their importance, are laid down by the 

 New Jersey State Horticultural Society , as 

 follows : 



"1. Productiveness; 2. Keeping Quality; 

 3. Size; 4. Appearance; 5. Eating Quality. 

 For home iise, reverse the order." 



When planting Strawberries late in spring 

 it is essential that the ground should be in 

 good condition, not necessarily very rich, 

 but deep, mellow, and well pulverized ; that 

 about one-half of all the leaves and all the 

 flower buds are removed before planting ; 

 that the soil immediately surrounding the 

 roots is firmly pressed against them, leaving 

 the surface light and loose ; and that the 

 plants are not set deeper than their crowns. 

 Watering is of little benefit unless continued 

 until a soaking rain sets in. By observing 

 these points, success is almost inevitable. 



INDOOR GRAPE CULTURE. 



PLANTING AND TRAINING. 



Most writers on indoor Grape culture 

 recommend vines one and two years old as 

 most suitable for planting. Now I think 

 this a mistake, especially if the vines are 

 planted inside the house, which they should 

 be in all early forcing Graperies. When 

 the eyes are inserted in January or February 

 for propagating, and kept in good growing 

 condition, they will be large enough for plant- 

 ing into the house by May, and by carefully 

 handling the ball of roots when taken out of 

 the pots, they will keep on growing the same 

 as if they had ouly been shifted into larger 

 pots. Keep the house closed, and the air with- 

 in moist for a few days, until the roots begin 

 to penetrate the new soil. They will then 

 grow rapidly, and by the end of the season 

 the Hamburg and other strong growing 

 kinds will have shoots twelve to fifteen feet 

 long, and proportionately thick. 



Do not pinch the point of the main shoot 

 the first season, but pinch off all laterals 

 to the first eye from the main stem. This , 

 concentrates the full vigor of the vine into 

 the leading shoots. As the vines grow, care- 

 fully train so that they shall be as straight 

 as possible. Nothing looks worse than 

 crooked vines, caused by careless manage- 

 ment. I have had vines of the Victoria 

 Hamburg make shoots up one side of a large 

 span-roofed house and half way down the 

 other, the first season, from the eye. 



Vines may be planted from three to four 

 feet apart, and should be so arranged that 

 the roots can readily enter the soil of the 

 outside border, as Garpevine roots will not 

 remain long inside when they can get a 

 chance and have anything to go outside for. 

 They always appear healthier in an outside 

 border than in an inside one, if it is free 

 from stagnant or standing water, — nothing 

 being more essential to the healthiness 

 of the vine roots than a free passage of 

 the water from the soil in which they are 

 planted. 



Although a good strong growth is prefer- 

 able during summer, it is also very necessary 

 to have the wood well ripened before the 

 close of the season. This can only be ob- 

 tained by giving plenty of air night and day 

 during the late summer and fall months, at 

 the same time maintaining good healthy foli- 

 age to the end of the season ; prematurely 

 ripened foliage does more harm to indoor 

 Grapevines than anything I can think of. 

 There is such a close relation between 

 the leaves and roots of Grapevines that, if 

 the leaves are prematurely destroyed, the 

 roots suffer proportionately ; therefore, well 

 ripened roots are as essential to success in 

 Grape culture as well ripened wood, and 

 this can only be obtained by providing them 

 with a well drained border to grow in, and 

 well ripened foliage to supply them suitable 

 food to the end of the season. 



PRUNING. 



The first year vines should be pruned ac- 

 cording to their strength ; if strong and 

 well ripened, they may be left longer than if 

 weak and immature. The main object is to 

 get all buds started into growth from the 

 bottom of the vine, as upon this depends a 

 plentiful supply of fruiting spurs. When the 

 vines are to be grown on the spur system, 

 leave two or three eyes to start where the 



spurs are intended to begin. There is no 

 danger of getting this many to start if the 

 wood is anything like ripened at all. 



VARIETIES. 



The best Grape for all purposes of indoor 

 culture is the Black Hamburg. It is good 

 for early forcing, and also for late bearing. 



Among the best for an early grapery are 

 Victoria Hamburg, Wilmot's Hamburg, Mus- 

 cat of Alexandria, Canon Hall, Muscat and 

 White Frontignan, and Muscat Hamburg,— 

 a Black Hamburg with Muscat flavor, said 

 to have been produced by crossing the com- 

 mon Hamburg with the Muscat of Alexan- 

 dria. For a late house, I would recommend 

 Black Hamburg, Lady Downe's Seedling, 

 Chasselas Musqu6, and Black Prince. 



It is not advisable to plant a large number 

 of varieties ; and although there are other 

 kinds of excellent quality, none are as re- 

 liable as those named. 



Mansfield Milton. 



HOW FOREIGN GRAPES ARE SOLD IN 

 NEW-YORK. 



In former years the imported White Malaga 

 Grape was considered a luxury which only 

 the rich could indulge in ; but lately the 

 supply has been so large that the prices have 

 declined to such an extent that they are fre- 

 quently offered by the street venders at 

 fifteen cents per pound. 



This fruit is received by small, well-known 

 firms in our city, who sell large quantities of 

 the finer grades direct to the jobbers ; but the 

 bulk of the crop is sold by a single auction 

 house. These are shipped in packages of 

 three sizes, viz., barrels, half barrels, and 

 quarter barrels, professed to contain rela- 

 tively fifty, twenty-five, and twelve pounds 

 of Grapes ; but they seldom come up to the 

 standard weight, even when the fruit is in 

 good condition, which is the exception, not 

 the rule. The value of the fruit varies as 

 with our native Grapes, according to the 

 size of cluster and berry, as well as color 

 and sweetness. 



The variety known as the Lisbon pos- 

 sesses all the shades of purple, and comes 

 seldom of a uniform color. It is similar in 

 ' size and quality to the Malaga, but sweeter, 

 and is packed with cork in boxes instead of 

 barrels. 



! The auction sales are conducted in this 

 way : On a raised platform a piece of canvas 

 is laid, around which the buyers gather, with 

 [ catalogues in hand, which give them the 

 numbers and size of packages contained in 

 j each lot. When the sale begins, a man 

 opens and empties on this cloth from three 

 to six packages of the line offered, according 

 to the number of cases to be sold in one lot. 

 Barrels are usually sold in lots of ten, and 

 and smaller packages in lots of twenty. 

 From these samples all of that lot is sold, 

 and no deductions are made from the 

 price if the fruit proves to be ever so bad. 

 After all of a line is disposed of, the samples 

 are sold and returned to the packages ; then 

 [ another lot is offered, and so on until all 

 are sold. When it occurs that the prices 

 offered are not satisfactory to the owner, 

 which is not infrequently the case, he has 

 the privilege to withdraw from the sale. 



C. W. Ldell. 



