124 
June, 1889. 
£ 
ORCHARD 
GARDEN 
■ WAAMAMA;\AMA^^^^A^AAAAAA^ .VWVv W 
©RCHARD^gARDEN 
AN ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY JOUR- 
NAL OF HORTICULTURE. 
Devoted exclusively to the interest of the American 
Orchard, Vineyard, Fruit, Vegetable and 
Flower Garden. 
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Entered at the Post Office at Little Silver as second class 
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Our Staff. 
j. Lamson Scribner, Peter B. Mead, 
Samuel Miller, L. O. Howard, 
Dr. T. H. Hoskins, W. F. Massey, 
M. C. Rankin, Eli Minch, 
Abby Speakman. 
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LITTLE SILVER, N. J., JUNE, 1889. 
The multiplication of new varieties of 
strawberries has been very rapid and their 
number has become so large as to be almost 
bewildering to the novice. If the present 
rate of increase be maintained it will re- 
quire a very large catalogue to hold them 
all. Not that we would discourage the ef- 
fort to produce new and valuable sorts. But 
in our present list are many varieties so 
closely resembling each other that it seems 
superfluous to carry such a number of dif- 
ferent sorts but all with the same character. 
If but a few of the best sorts of each class 
were retained would it not be better? What 
is the use of carrying a long list of straw- 
berries all of the same general characteris- 
tics? The classes may be arranged in ac- 
cordance to their season of ripening and 
adaptability to soils but it need not require 
more than two or three good varieties of 
each to represent them. The great number 
of varieties we already possess should lead 
originators of new sorts to make careful 
and extended tests before sending them 
out. Unless the new candidates are shown 
to possess qualities greater than those of the 
standard sorts already on our lists there is 
certainly little use in introducing them. 
How to increase the quantity of his 
crops is a pertinent subject for everyone 
who tills the soil. It may be profitably 
considered at any season of the year. But 
the course to be pursued should be decided 
upon before the time arrives for the execu- 
into of the plan. There are two distinct 
methods. One is to devote more land to 
the purpose. The other is to give the grow- 
ing crop more food and better care. The for- 
mer is more frequently pursued. The latter 
usually gives the most profitable returns. 
Large areas are more likely to be neglected 
than small ones and an increase in the 
quantity of land often fails to give the de- 
sired increase in the quantity of the crop. 
On the other hand high manuring and im- 
proved culture almost invariably give an 
immediate increase in the yield of the crop 
thus treated. Two acres heavily manured 
and thoroughly cultivated will often give 
larger crops and almost invariably yield 
more profit than three acres moderately fer- 
tilized and sparingly cultivated. The quali- 
ty of the product is also better and an equal 
quantity will command a higher price, 
while the work of harvesting is less than is 
required in gathering a crop of inferior 
grade. This is particularly true of the small 
fruits. If properly managed they pay well. 
But they will not endure neglect and only 
the men who will give them close and skill- 
ful attention can profitably devote large 
areas to their production. 
Prof. F. Lamson Scribner, in the Fungi 
Department of Orchard and Garden this 
month, gives our readers a very full account 
of the disease known as Black-knot of the 
Cherry and Plum, both as to its origin and 
mode of distribution, from a strictly 
scientific standpoint, and which we sincerely 
hope will sufficiently impress those who 
read it with a due sense not only of the 
malignancy of the disease but also the im- 
portance of suppressing it by all the means 
possible. We desire more particularly to 
call attention to Prof. Scribner’s very 
pertinent remarks in closing: “From the 
contagious character of the disease it can 
be stamped out only by concerted action, 
and the extent of the losses occasioned by 
its ravages make it a subject for State con- 
sideration.” That the black-knot when left 
to itself spreads from tree to tree, orchard 
to orchard, is as certain as any thing which 
experience can determine, and yet there 
are to be found in nearly all fruit-growing 
communities some few people whose plum 
trees are disgusting in their diseased condi- 
tion and from whence the spores are distri- 
buted over the entire neighborhood. They 
make no attempt to control the disease or 
destroy the infected trees and are quite indif- 
ferent to the interests of their neighbors in 
this matter. Now what is the remedy in such 
a case? If a person’s hand or foot be affect- 
ed by blood poisoning or something of a 
similar nature, we may urge him to have 
it removed at once, and if he refuses, 
though we may feel assured that his refusal 
will cost him his life, we are obliged to sub- 
mit, knowing it to be a personal matter 
which concerns himself solely. But if, on 
the contrary, his disease be of a contagious 
nature, likely to spread and attack others, 
then a proper regard for our own lives per- 
fectly justifies usin taking such precautions 
as experience suggests, entirely regardless 
of the said person’s refusal or remonstrance. 
No one has a right to harbor an element of 
danger to the lives or property of his neigh- 
bors, and his own opinion in the matter is 
of no consequence in opposition to the 
experience of all others. Since united and 
concerted action is necessary to control 
this disease we are in favor of legislation to 
compel men to destroy what is of no value 
to themselves but which is a source of 
of great danger and injury to their own 
property and to that of their neighbors. 
No one can be injured but valuable property 
will be protected and saved. 
The experiments of last year have shown 
conclusively that the Black Rot of grapes 
can be prevented by the timely and proper 
application of the Bordeaux mixture. It is 
now fully time that the applications should 
be made, and we would suggest to our 
grape-growing readers that they turn to 
the back numbers of Orchard & Garden 
for last summer and autumn and read up 
from the articles of Prof. Scribner on this 
subject, which was very fully treated upon 
by him at that time. Every grape-grower 
in this progressive age should understand 
fully the nature of this disease and the best 
means of combating it. We find that very 
many growers have not the vaguest idea of 
what the fungus of Black Rot and Downy 
Mildew is like and are equally ignorant of 
any means of treating the vines for its pre- 
vention. A striking example of this curi- 
ous apathy is shown in the case of those 
vineyardists at Vineland, N. J., who have 
been digging out their vines in consequence 
of the failure of their crops from rot! And 
yet Vineland is the home of Col. A W. 
Pearson and the scene of his extensive 
experiments with the widely published 
formulas for its prevention, in the work to 
which he was specially appointed by the 
Department of Agriculture and of which 
he has said conclusively, “I judge that we 
have grape rot as we' 1 as grape mildew 
now fully under control.” 
Garden and Forest has of late been calling 
attention to the various means of improv- 
ing our surroundings in the way of ornamen- 
tal planting around our railway stations, 
the employment of a more chaste and 
correct taste in cemetery planting and now 
speaks concerning the barren and unattrac- 
tive surroundings of American school- 
houses. Commenting on the neglected 
play-grounds in which school children 
spend so many hours in the course of a 
year, the N. Y. Tribune says: 
The smallest school-yard in the centre of 
a crowded town at least can be redeemed 
from a bare and ansightly aspect. With 
painstaking effort a narrow border close to 
the walls can be brightened with flowers the 
greater part of the year; luxuriant vines 
can be trained from the ground to the roof, 
and windowboxes with plants can be arrang- 
ed and kept in order without difficulty. 
Where there is more space out of doors a 
carefully selected series of shrubs can be de- 
