January, 1891. 
11 
ORGHRRD 
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GARDE 
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Nitrate of Soda for Small Fruits. 
In reply to several recent enquiries for 
information as to the value of nitrate of 
soda upon strawberry and other small fruit 
plants, we cannot do better than give the 
testimony and opinion of Joseph Harris, of 
Moreton Farm, the well-known agricultur- 
ist and horticulturist, upon this subject. In 
his essay upon the use of nitrate of soda for 
manure he says : “The strawberry grower 
knows the value of water. If he will try 
nitrate of soda on strawberries, he will find 
it wonderfully efficacious. 
“The effect of nitrate of soda on strawber- 
ries in the dry climate of the United States 
is very beneficial. It not only doubles or 
trebles the yield, but the strawberries are 
larger and handsome, and consequently 
command a much higher price in market. 
“No ordinary amount of manure will pro- 
duce so great an effect, for the reason that 
the plants grow and form their fruit early 
in the season. The nitrate of soda furnishes 
the plants with nitric acid before the 
nitrogen of the manure can be converted 
into this essential ingredient of plant 
food. 
‘ ‘A few years ago. we published a state- 
ment in legard to the astonishing effect of 
a large dressing of nitrate of soda on an old 
strawberry bed. The bed had been neg- 
lected and w as full of grass and weeds. At 
that time we had never used nitrate of 
soda on strawberries and did not know but 
that it might injure them. The bed we 
allude to was so run out and worthless that 
we did not care whether the nitrate killed 
the plants or not. We gave the bed two or 
three heavy dressings, sown broadcast, 
early in the spring and a few weeks later. 
Instead of killing the plants, the nitrate 
made them grow so vigorously that with a 
little assistance from a sharp hoe and by 
pulling out the large weeds, the strawber- 
ries killed out nearly all the grass, and we 
had a remarkably fine crop of fruit. Since 
then we have used nitrate of soda and 
superphosphate on all our strawberry plan- 
tations, and find this dressing far more 
effective and economical than ordinary 
manure. 
“Nitrate of soda is, at least, equally as 
good for raspberries as for strawberries. 
On currants, with clean cultivation, we 
have for several years raised large crops of 
fine fruit, with a top dressing of nitrate of 
soda alone, applied on each side of the rows 
early in the spring. 
“On poorer land, it would be desirable to 
apply superphosphate and potash in the 
autumn, and plough or cultivate them in, 
and the following spring, and in fact every 
spring, give a dressing of nitrate of soda." 
In Orchard and Garden for last May, 
Prof. Massey related some amazing results 
from the application of 3001bs. of nitrate of 
soda per acre upon an exhausted and foul 
strawberry plantation in its fifth year of 
bearing, which it may be of profit to read 
in this connection. 
Don't Jail to renew your subscription. 
John Burr. 
The subject of our present sketch and il- 
lustration was born, with the century, at 
Bridgeport, Conn., on Thanksgiving Day, 
November 27th, 1800. His father was a 
farmer and horticulturist, and possessed 
large orchards of apples, peaches, pears, 
cherries, etc. He taught his son how to 
bud and graft and gave him much valuable 
knowledge concerning the care and man- 
agement of trees and plants generally. It 
was about 1820 when the young horticultur- 
ist made his first graft of the grape with a 
cion of Isabella on a wild fox grape, and it 
made a growth of twenty feet the first 
season. 
From 1820 to 1825 Mr. Burr was engaged 
in business in New York city. In the fall 
of 1825 he purchased a large variety of fruit 
trees and grape vines, embracing the most 
noted table and wine grapes of France 
which were imported for him. These were 
all taken to his old home at Bridgeport, and 
planted, but the vines did not prove a suc- 
cess as they were attacked to such a degree 
that most of them scon became utterly 
worthless In the fall of 1831 he removed 
to Columbus, Ohio, where he settied, and en- 
tered into mercantile trade, dabbling, mean- 
while, a little in horticulture, but it was 
not until 1840 that he began raising straw- 
berries for market, starting with the old 
Hudson, Hovey, and a staminate variety — a 
seedling originated at his old home in Conn. 
— these being the best known at that time. 
In 1845 he exhibited at a meeting of the 
Columbus Horticultural Society, sixty va- 
rieties of his seedling strawberries, twelve 
of which were named by the Society and 
recommended for dissemination. He was 
the originator of Burr's New Pine and Burr's 
Old Seedling, two celebrated varieties of the 
time. Mr. Burr continued his mercantile 
and horticultural pursuits in Ohio until 1858, 
when he removed with his family to Lea- 
I ven worth, Kansas, w here he again engaged 
in horticulture. In 1865 he began to give 
his whole attention to the raising of new 
seedlings, except for a period of about three 
years during which he suffered acutely 
from the attacks of rheumatism and was un- 
able to do anything. In raising grape seed- 
I lings he has met with much success and it 
is important and interesting to note the 
! gradual and continual improvement in qual- 
ity, as seen in some of the new varieties Of 
J his many new sorts, now' w ell tested, are 
Earlj Victor, Jewell, Ideal, Paragon, and 
Eclipse, the latter three of which are 
considered by many who know them 
to be the best three hardy native 
grapes yet known. Mr. Burr's ninetieth 
birthday w’as celebrated a short time since 
and he is now enjojing good health, but is 
much crippled by rheumatism He has 
four grown-up children ai d six grandchil- 
dren. 
State Horticultural Association of 
Pennsylvania. 
The annual meeting of this association 
will be held at Lancaster, Pa., January 20, 
21 and 22, in connection with a Farmers’ 
Institute. The “Institute” will be held 
under the management and auspices of the 
State Board of Agriculture and will con- 
vene at 9 a.m. Tuesday, January 20th, and 
adjourn at noon Wednesday, 21st, to be 
followed on Wednesday afternoou by meet- 
ing of State Horticultural Association. E. 
B. Engle, Secretary, Waynesboro, Pa. 
Our Book Table. 
How TO Preserve Healih. By Louis Barkan, M. 
D. A plain, practical work upon the laws of health, 
containing much useful information ana sensible sug- 
gestions. It is free from all technicalities and may be 
readily understood. It does not attempt to prescribe 
remedies or in any way supplant the physician, but 
teaches how to preserve the health and avoid sickness. 
There is a vast fund of common sense in this book and 
from an authoritative souice. The author says that 
his object has been to “ give the public an ava'Iable 
handbook of hygiene and sick-room assistance, found- 
ed upon the most thorough developments in medical 
knowledge.” This it is, and we very gladly recom- 
mend it as a safe and useful book for the home. 
American News Co., New York. Price 81-00, cloth. 
Nitrate of Soda for Manure and the Best Mode 
of its Employment. By Joseph Harris, M. S. A val- 
uable essay on the use of this fertilizer that may be 
read with much profit by all tillers of the soil. The 
author, the well-known owner of Moreton Farm, has 
had large experience with nitrate of soda and is the 
author of a standard work on M inures : his conclusions 
are pretty certain to be correct. It may be obtained, 
we believe, for ten cents, by addressing the author at 
Moreton Farm, Monroe Co., N. Y. 
Agricultural Experiment Station of the Uni- 
versity of Wisconsin. Seventh Annual Report. For 
the year ending June 30, 1890. A carefully prepared 
report giving valuable information in the results of 
experiments, etc.: 280 pages wilh full index. Well 
printed and bound in'cloth. Altogether a very credit- 
able report. W. A, Henry, Director. Madison, Wis. 
Catalogues Received. 
D. Landreth & Sons, Philadelphia, Pa. Desc iptive 
Catalogue and Price List of Landreths’ Vegetable. Field 
& Flower Seeds, Implements, etc Large and com- 
plete. handsomely illustrated. Free upon application. 
A. J. Root, Medina, Ohio. Illustrated Catalogue and 
Price List of Bees and Honey. January, 1891. This 
contains a full list of bee-keepers’ supplies; illus- 
tr .led, described, aud priced. Sent free upon request. 
California Nursery Company, Miles, Cal. Price 
List of Fruit and Ornamental Trees, Small Fruits, Ev- 
ergreens, Roses, etc. , for season of 1890-91. 
Wm. H. Wigmore, 107 S. Eighth St., Philadelphia, Pa. 
Catalogue of Wigmore’s First Premium Poultry and 
Cattle Specialties. 
