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unfortunate that so many people delay 
planting until late in spring, when they 
might have just as readily planted early in 
the season or, better still, the previous au- 
tumn. More nursery stock is lost, probably, 
from late planting than from any other 
cause. In the family garden, however, it 
is often possible to give such extra care and 
pains that could not be given to large field 
plantings, and so when persons have been 
so unfortunate as to have missed planting 
at the proper time in spring the next best 
thing they can do would seem to be to plant 
now. Better late than never is a maxim 
that will apply here, for even though we 
lose one half the plants set, we gain a sea- 
son’s growth and a year’s time on the plants 
that survive, which we 
would have certain- 
ly lost had we delayed 
until next autumn. 
There are some pre- 
cautions which may 
be taken in late plant- 
ing and which will do 
much to help the 
plants. Keeping roots 
moist and planting in 
freshly tui ned soil are 
great aids, and if all 
the leaves but one are 
removed from straw- 
berry plants, and the 
canes of raspberry 
and blackberry plants 
cut off clean to the 
ground it will help 
them. Most import- 
ant is it that the soil 
be firmly trodden 
around the plants af- 
ter setting; if this is 
not attended to the 
roots will surely dry 
out. Waterir g may 
be of some service if 
fresh soil is raked ov- 
er the wet ground or 
the surface mulched. 
Currants and goose- 
berries set after the 
buds have started 
should be cut back se- . 
verely and plenty of 
water poured in the hole when planting. 
The Whortleberry. 
Members of the whortleberry family are 
quite common over a wide range of our 
country, but with the single exception of 
the cranberry, all have thus far defied at- 
tempts to domesticate and improve them. 
They thrive and flourish in wild and uncul- 
tivated wastes, ana when transplanted to 
the cultivated garden invariably die. There 
is a large field for experiment in this line, 
and the direction which these experiments 
should take would seem to be in raising 
seedling*. A whortleberry that we could 
grow in our gardens would be a decided ac- 
quisition. 
Our illustration, Fig. 5o6, is that of the 
Black Huckleberry or Whortleberry ( Gay - 
lussacia resinosa ) common throughout the 
United States. It is a branching shrub of 
from two to five feet high, growing freely 
among our swamps and woodlands. The 
Swamp Blueberry, ( Vaccininm corymbosum) 
is also common throughout the country 
flourishing in low, moist places, where it 
ripens its fruit late in summer. There are 
several species and varieties of this family 
in different parts of the country, but allaie 
impatient of culture and will not bear trans- 
planting from their native wilds. Those of 
our readers who are fond of this berry will 
find it an interesting pastime to raise seed- 
lings of it in their gardens and it may be 
The Black Whortleberry. Fig. 556. 
that a painstaking line of experiment will 
bring them both fame and profit. 
Gooseberries. 
The great drawback to the successful rais- 
ing of gooseberries in this country is mil- 
dew. It is quite possible, however, to fur- 
nish conditions under which the plant may 
flourish equally as well as in more favora- 
ble loc -lities. For instance, we know that 
the gooseberry delights in a moist, rich, and 
cool soil, which we are able to furnish by 
deep ploughing, heavy manuring, and 
mulching the soil thoroughly. To afford 
protection from the sun, partial shade and 
a northern location may be chosen; the 
' northern side of a barn or other building, 
or even of a board fence is a great advan- 
tage in location. The centre of the bush 
may be kept open by careful pruning so 
that light and air can be admitted freely. 
Whilst it is not always possible to avoid 
mildew, especially in seasons when the 
weather is so favorable to its development, 
there are many painstaking gardeners who 
are very successful in growing English va- 
rieties which it is almost impossible to raise, 
under ordinary circumstances, in this try- 
ing climate. The best fertilizing material 
that we have yet found for the gooseberry 
is well rotted cow manure applied liberally 
and well mixed with the soil. 
Notes and Suggestions. 
Remove the blos- 
soms from spring- 
set plants. They 
should not be per- 
mitted to exhaust 
their vitality by try- 
ing to produce fruit 
a few weeks after 
planting. 
As soon as the 
young plants start 
to grow, hoe lightly 
around them and 
work in a handful of 
fertilizer. 
Prepare to harvest 
the coming straw- 
berry crop profita- 
bly by painting or 
washing the crates, 
getting in nice, new, 
clean baskets and 
slats, with name and 
address stencilled on 
every crate. 
It pays well to 
mulch the soil along 
the rows of straw- 
berry plants, for not 
only does the mul cli- 
ing keep the berries 
clean and free from 
sand, but it also re- 
tains moisture in the 
soil to the lasting 
benefit of the plants 
and fruit. 
In the family garden, where the work 
will not be so great as to entail much ex- 
pense, the strawberry crop may be enlarged 
and the fruit made finer by watering. This 
should be done whilst the berries are 
forming and after the soil around the 
plants has been mulched, so that the mois- 
ture may be retained. Put on plenty of 
water and keep it up until the berries 
begin to color, then stop. During the 
ripening process they require warm, dry 
weather. 
Tlie World’s Fair in ’93 
Will be held in Chicago. The Pioneer Buggv in ’91 
will be made in Columbus, O. If you care to know 
how, send 10 cents, silver or stamps, for “Complete 
Horse Book,’’ and that will tell. 
Pioneer Buggy Company, Columbus, Ohio. 
