Horticultural Notes. 
Fodder Corn. —Probably among all the new forage 
plants which have claimed the attention of American 
farmers during the last few years, nothing has yet ap¬ 
peared which for practical value equals what is 
termed “fodder com”—that is, any good variety of 
sweet or common com sown thickly in drills three 
feet apart. It is also a good crop with which to 
cleanse foul or weedy soil, as it will grow thickly 
enough to effectually smother even quack grass and 
Canada thistles. 
The land should be plowed deeply and put in good 
order. Strike furrows three feet apart and scatter 
fine manure liberally in them. Then scatter the ker¬ 
nels on the manure at least twenty to the foot. Nar¬ 
row up your cultivator and run it along the rows, 
thus mixing the manure, soil and seed together. Cul¬ 
tivate once or twice while the com is small and it will 
soon take entire possession of the soil to the exclusion 
of everything else. If planted by the middle of May 
it will furnish profitable food for cows during Au¬ 
gust, when pastures are usually scant and dry. Cut 
before frost and cure thoroughly in shocks before 
drawing to the bam. 
Potted Strawberry Plants.— It has of late be¬ 
come very fashionable to purchase strawberry plants 
which have been started in pots, and people are led 
by those who advocate this plan, to believe that they 
can gain a year’s time in obtaining a crop by setting 
potted plants in August or September. Now this is 
all very well and we have naught to say against the 
system provided you can afford it, but it appears to 
us that the object sought can be attained in another 
way with far less expense and full as great satisfac¬ 
tion. In the first place the purchaser is required to 
pay nearly double what good layers of the same vari¬ 
ety can be sold for, and secondly, as they must occu¬ 
py nearly three times the space in boxing for ship¬ 
ment, the express charges are correspondingly heavy. 
All that is gained is to have a rooted, growing plant 
to set, which will continue to grow without interrup¬ 
tion when placed in the garden rows. Experience 
has shown us that the same end may be attained by 
purchasing layers in the usual manner and potting 
them yourself upon arrival. You thus save about 
fifty per cent, upon first cost and full more upon 
transportation charges, and by keeping the plants 
two or three weeks in the pots they are as certain to 
live and will then do as well in every respect as those 
which have been potted before shipment. Try both 
plans and in our opinion you will purchase no more 
potted plants. 
The Cuthbert Raspberry seems to be allowed by 
common consent to occupy a position at the head of 
the list, at least of all red varieties, it being consid¬ 
ered without exception the hardiest, handsomest, 
best and most productive. The editor of the Rural 
New’ Yorker thinks there is no question about this. 
Setting’ Strawberry Plants. 
Our customers quite frequently report an entire 
failure after setting strawberry and other similar 
plants that have been transported long distances by 
mail or express. Upon inquiry, we find they take 
the plants directly to the field or garden and set them 
where they are intended to remain. From our own 
experience in setting plants which we have received 
from abroad we are convinced that the ultimate suc¬ 
cess or failure depends almost entirely upon the 
manner in which they are taken care of after being 
received. Our practice is,instead of planting them di¬ 
rectly in the garden, to first set them in pots, or what 
will answer just as well, a box of rich, mellow” soil, 
quite closely together, say six inches apart where 
they can be kept partially shaded and frequently wa¬ 
tered. In this manner every plant may be made to 
start and grow” when all w”ould have died had they 
been put at once in garden rows. After they have 
formed new roots and are growing nicely, they may 
be carefully removed to their permanent positions 
and they will be found almost equal to potted plants. 
————- - - 
Blanching Asparagus. 
Tuisco Greiner says he has found the practice of 
placing a conical ridge of sawdust over his row r s of 
asparagus to the depth of eight or ten inches in such 
a manner that the new” shoots will have to grow” up 
through it, produces the finest and tenderest stalks, 
in some instances thirteen inches in length by one inch 
in diameter and blanched to the very tip. He reports 
himself as highly pleased with this method of culti¬ 
vation, and we certainly do not see why it will not. 
w”ork admirably. 
BRUSSELS SPROUTS. 
This is a member of the cabbage family 
grown to a considerable extent among Ger¬ 
mans, but looked upon as more curious 
than useful by most Americans. The buds 
which grow on the sides of the main stem 
are cooked similar to cauliflower or used 
raw as a salad. 
