1883.] 



THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 



186 



THE EAELT CLUSTER BLACKBERRY. 



Our illustration represents the new Black- 

 berry, Early Cluster, now being introduced 

 by Mr. J. S. Collins, of Morristown, N. J., 

 from whom we obtained the following de- I 

 scription : 



The plant was discovered, about eleven 

 years ago, on the farm of Mr. Charles W. 

 Starn, in southern New Jersey, where it at- | 

 tracted attention for its early and profuse 

 bearing, and was transplanted and propa- 

 gated for market purposes. It is a vigorous, 

 healthy grower, hardy and extremely pro- 

 ductive. The berries are of medium to large 

 size, and of best quality; sweet, without 

 hard, bitter core,— so objectionable m a 

 Blackberry, — and sufficiently firm for ship- 

 ping. It ripens but little earlier than Wil- 

 son's Early ; but, as 

 the berries mature 

 promptly, the entire 

 crop is harvested in 

 a few days, before 

 the bulk of the Wil- 

 son's Early is mark- 

 etable. In this con- 

 sists one of its main 

 points of value, and 

 also in that it is free 

 from the abnormal 

 habit of forming dou- 

 ble flowers which has 

 become so disastrous 

 to some of the older 

 varieties. 



We have not seen 

 the berry, but many 

 experienced, practi- 

 cal fruit-growers who 

 have given it care- 

 ful examination are 

 favorably impressed 

 with its merits. 



APPLE TWIGS. 



One corner of our 

 orchard is low, wet 

 ground. Of course, it 

 is a hard matter to 

 keep an Apple-tree 

 alive there. We were 

 re-setting a tree in 

 that corner some 

 years ago, and the 

 ground was so wet 

 that the hole filled 

 with water nearly to 

 the surface. It was 

 suggested that a dose 

 of ashes might cor- 

 rect the too great moisture of the spot. 

 As the tree was likely to die anyway, I 

 thought it was a good place to try an ex- 

 periment in, and so went to the ash-barrel 

 and got a bucketful of unleached ashes. 

 The tree was set in the water, the ashes 

 poured around it, and the filling of the hole 

 completed with dirt. The tree was then two 

 years old. This was in the spring. After 

 harvest, the tree blossomed, though frost 

 prevented the maturity of the fruit, We 

 have not a thriftier, nicer tree in the orchard 

 to-day. It is a prolific bearer. Since then I 

 have frequently used unleached and leached 

 ashes on young trees, and always with the 

 very best results. 



Our experience on that little corner in our 

 Apple orchard has convinced us that it is 



poor policy to attempt to maintain an Apple 

 orchard on low, wet ground unless, perhaps, 

 you have enough wood ashes. Such ground 

 is too frosty. Apples do not require much 

 moisture. The orchardist must under-drain. ■ 

 Surface draining is not without value, but it 

 does not fill the bill as under-draining does. 

 Orchardists neglect this. Money cannot be 

 better spent in the orchard than in under- 

 draining with tile. 



The Apple-tree is a gross feeder, and will 

 soon exhaust the fertility of the soil unless 

 manure is used. Orchardists seem averse to 

 using manure. Men who perceive the neces- 

 sity of fertilizing liberally for farm crops are 

 sparing of manures in their orchards. I 

 know of no land that needs manuring more 

 than orchard land. As good a manure as 



any is well-rotted stable manure ; but it may 

 be justly objected to it that it harbors pests. 



The first plastering of our house was de- 

 fective, and some years ago we had it all 

 removed and new plastering put on. We 

 spread the old plastering around the fruit 

 trees, and proved to our own satisfaction 

 that it is a valuable addition to the manures 

 for the orchard. When the orchardist can, 

 he should not fail to obtain it. 



I find it best to set out young trees in the 

 autumn. The conditions are more favorable 

 to their growth in the autumn than in the 

 spring, and if any should fail to grow, it can 

 be detected in time to replace them the next 

 spring. Young trees should be pruned se- 

 verely when transplanted. This will save 

 much pruning when the limbs have grown 



larger ; for, if the top is shaped then, it will 

 be shaped always ; and the roots are not able 

 to support much top for some time after 

 transplanting. 



Lists of Apples are of only local value, for 

 an Apple that does well in one locality will 

 not in another. 



On our western prairies, where the winds 

 are constant and blow from the north-west 

 mostly, the trees should be planted at an 

 angle of eighty degrees to the north-west. 

 It is best for a tree to lean to the south, for 

 then the top will shade the trunk, and often 

 save blistering or bursting of the bark ; but 

 the north-west winds will soon bring it over. 

 The direction of the prevailing winds in any 

 locality can be determined by noting the 

 way other trees lean, and trees should be de- 

 flected accordingly 

 when planted. 



The only effectual 

 way to get rid of 

 borers that I have 

 ever discovered is to 

 cut them out with a 

 sharp knife. Their 

 presence is easily 

 detected, and a long, 

 narrow slit may be 

 cut along their paths 

 till they are discov- 

 ered. Afterward close 

 the slit with wax, or 

 bind cow manure 

 around it ; the for- 

 mer is best. 



The best flavored 

 Apple is not always 

 the best market Ap- 

 ple. People like a 

 large, smooth, glossy, 

 red Apple. The Ben 

 Davis and Baldwin 

 are not well flav- 

 ored, and are worse 

 grained ; but because 

 they look well on the 

 outside they are fa- 

 vorites in the mar- 

 ket. Taking it all in 

 all, the Baldwin is 

 head and shoulders 

 above all its com- 

 petitors. 



John M. Stahl. 



A TREE PLANTER. 



A novel device for 

 holding trees at the 

 proper elevation and 

 in a vertical position while being planted, 

 is mentioned by the Scientific American. 



The planter has three inclined bars secured 

 to each other at their upper ends, and con- 

 nected by parallel and brace bars, forming a 

 tripod, and provided with hanging springs 

 having their lower ends bent forward and 

 provided with claws for suspending a tree in 

 exactly the required position. To the upper 

 end of the three inclined bars is attached a 

 table provided with four sights, by which the 

 planter can be adjusted from stakes at the 

 | side of the field. This invention, which has 

 been patented by Mr. L. Gairaud, Santa- 

 Clara, Cal., may serve a good purpose in 

 planting large orchards where it is desirable 

 to have the trees stand upright and in 



straight rows. 



