September, 1890. 
167 
ORGH I\RD / rmd 
GARDEN \ 
■\AW \/V'y\ /V\-\r,/\ >\7 \/\A> W AA /VN AWV w ww/y^ 
Chlorosis or Leaf-Yellowing. 
Can anyone tell an “Amateur Gardener’’ what is af- 
fecting his Cuthbert Raspberries? Some of the leaves 
are a perfect light straw color, some only partly so, and 
some of the “suckers” are all (leaves, stems, etc.,) one 
beautiful straw tint; they are otherwise vigorous and 
apparently healthy. They are growing in new soil, 
naturally fertile, etc. I may mention that they are 
root cutttng plants, planted last year, and cut back this 
spring level to the ground to make stronger plants for 
fruiting next vear. I enclose some leaves for the edi- 
tor’s inspection. What on earth is the matter with 
them?— T. H. Bcrgoyne, Cummings, California. 
The straw-colored leaves of Cuthbert Rasp- 
berry, communicated by Mr.T. H. Burgoyne, 
are affected by a not uncommon disease 
which is known as chlorosis. The chloro- 
phyll of the leaf, i. e. its green coloring 
matter, changes from its normal green to 
shades of yellow. Why this change occurs 
is not always easy to determine, for it may 
result from a great variety of causes. It 
cannot therefore be regarded as a specific 
disease. It may arise from some injury to 
the roots. In the case of the vine chlorosis 
often follows when the roots are attacked 
by the phylloxera or by root-rot. Anything 
which interferes with the proper functions 
of a plant may manifest itself by this leaf- 
yellowing. Sometimes the leaves of a plant, 
or more or less of them , may become yellow 
when the roots are certainly uninjured and 
in all other respects the plant is apparently 
healthy. From Mr. Burgoyne’s note we in- 
fer that such is the case with his raspber- 
ry plants. He says “some of the ‘suckers' 
are all (leaves, stems, etc.) one beautiful 
straw tint; they are otherwise vigorous and 
apparently healthy.” 
We are assured that chlorosis may result 
from a lack of iron in the plants' food. Iron 
appears to be essential to the formation of 
the green coloring matter or chlorophyll. 
If, in an artificial culture, we feed a young 
plant with food from which all salts of iron 
are absent the leaves become pale yellow or 
even whitish and the whole plant sooner or 
later appears sickly and ill-nourished. As 
soon, however, as a salt of iron is added to 
the food supply the leaves quickly assume 
their normal green color. It is said that 
when a weak solution of sulphate of iron is 
applied to a leaf which has become yellowed 
or whitened through a want of iron it will 
in a day or two, or in a few days, assume its 
normal green color. (See Gray’s Botanical 
Text Book, II, p. 297). 
Much has been said in French journals 
about the use of sulphate of iron for chloro- 
sis of the vine, and doubtless where this af- 
fection arises from lack of available iron in 
the soil, treatment with iron sulphate will 
be beneficial and possibly remedy the evil 
completely. In the case of the raspberry 
plants in question, we would recommend 
that they be sprayed with a dilute solution 
of sulphate of iron, say one pound to twenty 
or twenty -five gallons of water, and that 
a liberal portion be applied to the soil about 
them. This last may prove all that is 
necessary. If this application does not re- 
store their normal color, we may safely as- 
sume that the yellowing comes from some 
other cause than that of lack of iron. 
September Notes. 
With a month’s constant work and travel, 
and work at Farmers’ Institutes on hand, I 
am simply stealing a little while between 
trains to endeavor to get up our monthly 
hints for the vegetable garden. 
Raised in this way the cauliflower crop is as 
certain as any other, while later in spring 
it is the most uncertain of crops. In 
this latitude if plants of Snow Ball cauli- 
flower can be had first week in September a 
reasonably fair fall crop can be grown. 
The plants however must be gotten north, 
as we cannot carry them through the heat 
of July and August. Early Erfurt and 
Snow Ball are the only cauliflowers I use — 
and I like them better for the fall crop 
than the Broccoli. 
KALE. 
ASPARAGUS. 
See that the beds are well cleaned of all 
stalks bearing seeds. Some growers cut off 
the whole of the tops, but we are not sure 
this is best. Some apply all manure to as- 
paragus in spring. I have always had bet- 
ter results by giving a good cover in au- 
tumn after the tops are dead, and then give 
a coat of Kainit in spring. 
BEANS. 
From North Carolina southward it is not 
yet too late to sow a crop of snap beans to 
be put down in brine for winter use. The 
dry pods of Lima beans should be gathered 
as fast as they ripen for winter use. 
CUCUMBERS. 
Cucumbers for pickles should be kept cut 
to the last as fast as they make. Never 
pull them off, but cut with a knife or 
shears, leaving a short stem attached. 
Green canteloupes for pickles are to be 
gathered in the same way. 
CELERY. 
Keep the celery clear of weeds, but do 
not handle when wet with dew or rain. 
Late in the month begin to earth up that 
which is wanted for use before Christmas. 
The winter crop should only have earth 
enough to keep it erect until the weather 
gets cool. In earthing keep the plants 
drawn tightly together so as to avoid get- 
ting the soil into the heart. 
LETTUCE. 
Sow a crop of Boston Market and Black 
Seed Simpson lettuce to be planted in 
frames later for heading about Christmas. 
For plants to be merely wintered over in 
frames the latter end of the month is early 
enough. Here in North Carolina the above 
sorts of lettuce sown in September and Oc- 
tober can be set in the frames as fast as the 
headed plants are cut out, and a constant 
succession of headed lettuce may be had 
all winter, as the plants outside will keep 
as well as frame plants at the North. 
CAULIFLOWER. 
Cauliflowers for setting in frames to be 
headed from March to May, according to 
latitude, should be sown about the middle 
of the month. We set six plants under a 
3x6 sash and fill in with Lettuce. Toward 
spring as the cauliflowers press against the 
glass it is gradually removed and used on 
other frames to forward tomato and other 
plants. In this latitude frame cauliflowers 
will head in March and April and a month 
or more later in latitude of Philadelphia. 
Sow at once the full winter crop of Green- 
curled kale — or the Dwarf German as may 
be preferred. The crop is commonly sown 
broadcast, but I am not sure that better re- 
sults would not be had by sowing in rows 
on flattened ridges and protecting in severe 
latitudes with rough manure or straw. 
SPINACH. 
This crop should always be sown in rows 
and heavily manured. We use the Norfolk 
Savoy and the common smooth-seeded 
Spinach for fall sowing. Get the seed in 
the ground as early in the month as possi- 
ble. 
In some localities frost enough to cut 
down tomatoes comes in September. These 
early frosts are always followed by a long 
mild spell. Now in the home garden it will 
take but little time to cover with anything 
at hand the late tomatoes when frost threat- 
ens and thus prolong the season. As soon 
as tomato tops are finally nipped gather all 
the green fruit and spread it on straw in a 
cold frame, covered with sashes, and most 
of them will ripen. 
SWEET POTATOES. 
Keep the vines pulled loose from the 
ground. The crop will be all the better for 
this work. Dig as soon as the frost black- 
ens the vines. If all cannot be dug at once, 
cut off all the blackened vines, and the po- 
tatoes will keep, but if the dead vines are 
left attached the crop will soon be injured. 
TURNIPS. 
Strap-leaved turnips can still be sown. 
In this latitude any time this month will 
do, but northward no time must be lost. 
Sow the seed in rows and not broadcast. A 
good dose of superphosphate under them 
will be of great btnefit even though the 
land may have had a heavy coat of manure 
broadcast. 
PEAS. 
It is not too late to sow a few Premium 
Gem peas. Sow in trenches as directed last 
month and draw earth to them as they 
grow. They will make a very acceptable 
dish in late autumn. Dust them with flow- 
ers of sulphur to prevent mildew. 
CABBAGE.. 
The last of the month sow seed of Early 
Wakefield and Early Summer cabbage. At 
the North these should be set in cold frames 
in November to be wintered over. From 
Maryland southward they are set on the 
sunny side of sharp ridges. We do not use 
fall sown cabbage as much however as we 
