THEY SAY. 



433 



(not '86 as Orchard and Garden has it), a temperature 

 of i8° below zero unhurt, and are now in full bearing. 

 We are now testing the Satsuma, and one of our little 

 trees only a foot high made flowers this spring. Satsuma 

 is an evergreen and we do not feel so sure about it as 

 trifoliata, but hope it may be hardy here. — W. F. Mas- 

 SEY, iV. C. Experiment Station. 



Six Ways of Setting Strawberry Plants. — 



Fig. I. "A Header." Fig. 4. Tight Shoes. 



Fig. 2. Too Near Fig. 5. Too Shallow. 



THE Sun. 



Fig. 3. Too Near Fig. 6. Good ! 



China, 



Peach Culture in Minnesota. — It may be of in- 

 terest to many of your readers to learn how my peach 

 orchard came through the last winter — the fourth winter 

 under cover. Small one year old trees when set are 

 now very large of their age, though laid down every 

 winter. The prospect of a large crop per tree is good, 

 the trees are in fine condition and full of bloom almost 

 open, and if late frost does not interfere will load to 

 their utmost capacity to bear. The fact is demonstrated 

 that peach culture is a success in Minnesota. But the 

 question is asked, will it pay ? The same question was 



asked us when we first began grape culture here by 

 laying down and covering. It paid, not only in dollars 

 and cents, but in the added home luxuries. 



Just what my process of peach culture is has been 

 published in various journals, but as this may reach 

 many who have not seen the account I will here repeat. 

 I prefer small one year old trees with whole roots. Dig 

 the hole the proper size and depth, a little deeper than 

 for ordinary planting ; then make a cone of solid earth 

 across the middle of the hole, in line with the row, or 

 in the direction the tree is to be laid down. Then divide 

 the roots into two equal parts or as near as can be, each 

 division as compact as possible, and saddle them over 

 the cone of dirt ; then fill up and pack the dirt as in 

 other planting. In the fall when you wish to lay them 

 down, dig on the side to which you want the tree to turn 

 and it will lop over as if on a hinge. Place a little hay 

 or leaves under to keep the small branches off the naked 

 ground, fill in the dirt around the roots, over which put 

 leaves or some other litter, and over that litter and the 

 entire tree put about six inches of hay or its equivalent 

 in straw or corn stalks. And in the spring remove the 

 covering and the dirt, lift the tree and replace the dirt 

 around the roots. 



To avoid mice, I use strychnine bait under cover of 

 the tree. To keep the bait dry I use two pieces of 

 boards, one on top of the other :' on that I put about a 

 spoonful of dry corn meal, and over it dust the strych- 

 nine made fine as dust, and over all put two boards 

 nailed edges together to form a roof, and the trees are 

 safe. — Peter M. Gideon, Excelsior, D/inn. 



Vegetable Gardening in Florida. — In south Florida, 

 a vegetable plot can be prepared and planted any month 

 in the year, and by successive plantings, the table can 

 be continually supplied with healthful and toothsome 

 food without missing a day. Usually however, the 

 garden is prepared here in Octobor, the work being 

 about the same as that done in April and May in the 

 northern states. The kinds of vegetables planted are 

 the same, with few exceptions, and some additions that 

 thrive in these semi-tropical latitudes, but could not be 

 grown at the north outside of a hot-house. Gardens, 

 however, are begun here every month from September 

 to April, the chances of success for the latter month 

 with vegetables generally being about the same as or 

 less than June planting at the north. The bulk of a few 

 field crops, such as cow-peas and sweet potatoes, are not 

 planted until June or July, while rice is planted in May. 

 In fact, nearly every month is considered more especi- 

 ally favorable for the planting of some particular pro- 

 duct, the time depending to a great degree upon the time 

 of the season's rains, though many will yield a fair 

 amount at whatever season they may be planted if the 

 soil is sufficiently moist for prompt germination. This 

 gives the maker of a south Florida garden a great ad- 

 vantage as regards variety of crops, at all seasons of the 

 year. It also enables him to plant again, should he fail 

 to secure a good stand at the first planting. — Sherman 

 Adams, Orange County, Florida. 



