1882 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
31T 
in small operations, the stocks may each be mark¬ 
ed br a label with the variety of bud inserted. 
11a k iia“ Vinegar. 
In a large orchard, the best use to make of wind¬ 
falls, is to convert them into vinegar. We know 
an orchardist in a Western State, who makes a 
large share of his crop into vinegar ; he finds it to 
his profit to look after the wind-falls. He keeps a 
portable or hand-mill for the purpose, and by col¬ 
lecting, grinding, and pressing the fallen fruit, adds 
materially to his vinegar crop in the course of the 
season. He does not mention the fact to those who 
buy his vinegar, but tells us that this practice 
goes far to keep the Codling moth in subjection. 
Tlie Feacli Harvest, 
On the whole, promises to be large in the noted 
Peach districts. Within a few years, many have 
planted Peach orchards in localities not heretofore 
regarded as “ Peach regions,” and these will proba¬ 
bly market their first crop this year. Comparative 
novices will have to compete with experienced 
growers, and must conform to established customs. 
Crates for sending Peaches a long distance are 
preferable to baskets. The standard crate consists 
of two ends and a middle-piece of f-inch stuff. 
These pieces are 71 by 14 inches. For each side of 
the crates, use four pieces, 21 inches wide, and 231 
inches long; for the top and bottom each, one 
piece 61 inches wide, and 231 inches long, the sides, 
top, and bottom, of 1-inch stuff. The strips should 
be well secured to the end and center-pieces by 
nails. If the crates are to go a long distance, a 
strip should be nailed across the top and bottom at 
each end ; this, when they are stacked upon one an¬ 
other, will allow of sufficient ventilation. In pack¬ 
ing Peaches, more care is required than with any 
other fruit; a single over-ripe Peach will spoil the 
sale of a crate. Hence, Peaches, as they are picked, 
should be turned out upon a table or bench, and 
carefully examined; every one that may become 
soft before the fruit will be sold, should be reject¬ 
ed. In filling the crates, they should be so full as 
to require some pressure to bring the top to its 
place. Assort the fruit, but let each crate be of 
the same quality all through. It i6 customary to 
make three grades, distinguishing the “ extra ” by 
“ twigging,”—that is, by placing a leafy twig of 
the Peach-tree upon the fruit before the cover is 
nailed down. Mark the crates plainly, with the 
name of the consignee and that of the shipper, and 
always inform the commission merchant in ad¬ 
vance of the shipment by letter or by telegraph. 
Tlie Grapevine in August. 
Most of the active work of the vineyard is over, 
still the vines will need some care. The laterals 
may still need pinching, and late shoots may push 
where they are not wanted, and must be broken 
off. Most of the troublesome insects of this season 
are large, and readily noticed, so that the only rem¬ 
edy, whether for the large grapevine caterpillars, or' 
the beetles mentioned on other pages, hand-picking 
can be applied. The chief troubles of the grape- 
grower this month, are the Leaf-hopper, incorrectly 
called Thrips, and Mildew. The little insect, which 
in some places rises in clouds as one passes among 
the vines, and appears of a general dingy-white 
color as it flies, is, when caught and examined, 
found to be handsomely marked with scarlet. It 
remains attached to the leaves, sucking the juices, 
in its early life, and it is only when it gets wings, 
that its presence is usually noticed. The only rem¬ 
edy that has been suggested for this Leaf-hopper 
in its winged state, is to carry lighted torches among 
the vines at night. Mildew appears in. the hot dry 
days. Pale spots are seen on the leaves, and if the 
underside of these be examined, there will be found 
the gray patches of the minute fungus, which 
causes the trouble. Sulphur is the remedy. This, 
upon the first appearance of the Mildew, should be 
freely and thoroughly dusted upon the foliage of 
the vines. Bellows for the purpose are sold at the 
seed and implement stores. The bellows are like 
an old-fashioned kitchen bellows, and have a wide 
tube about an inch across. The valve hole is 
stopped by a cork, and a quantity of Flowers of 
Sulphur being placed in the body of the bellows, 
through this opening, it is blown, when the bellows 
is worked, like a fine cloud of dust, which settles on 
the foliage, and soon puts an end to the Mildew. 
The dusting should be done on a hot still day, and 
two, or at most three applications, will save the fo¬ 
liage, which otherwise would soon become useless. 
'fl’lie Strawberry Bed. 
Those who wish to have an increased supply of 
Strawberries next year, should provide for it at 
once. Last month we gave sufficient directions for 
pot-layering the plants ; this can continue this 
month, and if the plants can be set next month, 
a good crop may be had next year. This method of 
multiplying the strawberry looks more formidable 
in description, than it is in reality; the labor is 
not much, while the returns are most satisfactory. 
Sieep tlie Poor Fruit at Borne. 
In our frequent walks among the dealers, we 
often wish that we could have the company of those 
who send fruit to market. Here are several barrels 
of apples, waiting for the cart to take them to the 
dump—Why ? Merely because the sender sent too 
much. His “Early Harvest,” “Primate,” or 
“Alexander,” trees bore well; he shook off the 
fruit, gathered it up, good and bad, bruised and 
sound, into barrels, and sent it to market. It had 
no sale ; decay set in, and the commission man can 
only get rid of it at the dump, and has a bill against 
the sender for expenses. Had one-third of this 
fruit been kept at home and fed to the pigs, or 
ground to make cider for vinegar, the better two- 
thirds would have had a ready sale. Many no 
doubt think that we harp needlessly, every year, 
upon this matter of assorting fruit. The caution is 
not needless, and we shall continue to repeat it, 
until we see a better state of things in the market. 
A peck of poor fruit will spoil the sale of a barrel. 
The price is not fixed by the many good specimens, 
but the few poor ones bring the whole lot down to 
their level. Every one who sends fruit or other 
produce to the New York or any other market, 
should know that it is sold by its appearance. 
Barkeling Fears. 
Pears, whether early or late, should never remain 
on the tree until they become mellow. Whenever 
they have made their growth they should be gath¬ 
ered. It is easy to tell the proper condition by 
observing the ease with which the stem parts from 
the tree. If on taking hold of a pear and lifting it, 
the stem readily breaks away from the spur to 
which it is attached, the fruit has received all the 
nourishment it can get from the tree, and the soon¬ 
er it is gathered the better. Pears are sent to mar¬ 
ket in crates and in half-barrels; especially fine 
specimens are sent in shallow boxes, only deep 
enough for a single layer of fruit, and each pear is 
wrapped in thin white paper. Extra specimens of 
any of the standard kinds, will bring enough more 
to pay for this extra care in packing. The early 
varieties mature quicker after gathering than the 
later kinds, but all should reach the market in a 
firm and hard condition. As with all other fruit, 
it will pay to carefully assort pears. Make three 
lots, firsts and seconds for market, and the third 
for keeping at home—for the pigs if need be, there 
is positively no sale for poor pears in the market. 
Blackberries and Raspberries. 
When the crop has been gathered, it is best to cut 
away the old canes. We are aware that some claim 
that it is better to leave these until fall, with the idea 
that they will strengthen the root. We find that 
the best cultivators cut out the canes as soon as the 
fruit is gathered. The growth of the new canes, 
that are to bear fruit next year, is to be attended to. 
If more shoots are thrown up from the roots than 
are wanted, they should be treated as weeds, and 
cut up. The hight of the new growth will depend 
upon the manner of training ; three or four feet is 
sufficient for Raspberries, and five or six feet for 
Blackberries. When the shoots have reached the 
desired hight, stop them by breaking off the ends. 
Tines Rooting, ami not Rooting. 
A correspondent asks about the advice we have 
given in our Hints about Work, to prevent the 
vines of the Sweet Potato from taking root, while 
we say that those of the Winter Squashes should 
not be disturbed, but allowed to make all the roots 
that they will. The advice Is in both cases good 
in the Northern States. If we were growing Sweet 
Potatoes in Texas, or wherever the frost did not 
kill the vines, we should let them take root as they 
pleased. In the Northern States, the season is only 
long enough for the potatoes formed at the base of 
the sets to come to perfection. If the vines are let 
alone, roots will form at each joint of the plant, and 
some of these roots will swell and try to form pota¬ 
toes, but they will rarely become larger than a 
lead-pencil, or one’s little finger, before the frost 
stops all growth, and the energy expended in form¬ 
ing these little roots is wasted. We therefore ad¬ 
vise lifting the vines of the Sweet Potato, to pre¬ 
vent the formation of multitudes of small roots, 
that can come to nothing, and by so doing direct 
the energies of the plant to perfecting the roots at 
the base. With the Winter Squashes, It is different. 
These form roots at the joint, but these contribute 
to the growth of the fruit; they do not attempt to 
become anything but roots, and the more of these 
a vine has, the larger will be its fruit, the squashes. 
As these roots serve a very different purpose from 
those of the Sweet Potato, we encourage them. 
Asparagus in the Market 
A correspondent in Arizona, sent us several in¬ 
quiries concerning Asparagus, which we found that 
the dealers could not answer off-hand. It was 
some trouble to get at the answers, and as they 
may interest others, we give them here. Of course, 
the questions will be inferred from the replies. 
The bunches of Asparagus are nine inches long, and 
between four and five inches in diameter ; they are 
made up neatly, and of uniform size, by use of a 
“ buncher,” of which there are several kinds in use. 
The small ends of the shoots are all on the same 
level, and the lower end is cut square. There are two 
ties, usually of bass-matting, one near the bottom, 
and another near the top. The average weight of 
the bunch is two and a half pounds. The price of 
the earliest, which comes from a few growers in 
Georgia, and other Southern States, is from 75 cts. 
to $1.00 per bunch. When the regular crop from 
Long Island and New Jersey comes to the New 
York market, its price ranges from $1.75 to $2.50 
the dozen bunches. Asparagus is an article of 
which there is seldom “ a glut ” in the market. It 
may be kept for several days, hence it is not neces¬ 
sary to get rid of it at any price for fear of loss. 
The supply is limited, as it is not grown by ten¬ 
ants, and those who occupy land transiently, as it 
must be grown tor three years before any return is 
received, and a plantation, when once established, 
remains productive for many years. To be a grow¬ 
er of asparagus, one must have sufficient capital to 
allow him to wait for at least throe years before the 
crop can be marketed, hence it is not likely that the 
supply will ever exceed the demand. The greater 
part of the asparagus brought to the New York 
market, has green tops. A few fancy that which 
is white throughout, and to meet this demand, 
some growers blanch the shoots. This is done by 
coating the bed heavily with salt hay, to exclude 
the light from the shoots as they push above the 
soil. In localities at a distance from the coast, 
straw may be used instead of salt hay. Asparagus 
to be kept, should be placed in the dark, and if in 
danger of wilting, the butt-ends may stand in water. 
