112 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
kale, and a bed of asparagus. The hot-bed 
frames, if provided, will furnish some nice 
early lettuce, radishes, cauliflower, cucum¬ 
bers, &c., and will be useful in starting early 
cabbages, melons, &c., to be set out when 
the weather becomes warm. 
In a garden prepared as above, one can 
grow, in great perfection, almost anything 
in the form of a vegetable, with proper care 
and skill. Some judgment will be necessary 
m planning a succession of crops. It is well 
to avoid growing the same kind of vegetable 
twice in succession on the same spot ; but 
frequently two crops may be grown in one 
season on the same ground ; for example, 
celery and late corn may follow early peas; 
turnips and early cabbage succeed lettuce 
and the first planting of bush beans ; and 
experience will soon point out other exam¬ 
ples of a similar kind. Procure none but 
the best seeds. It is better to buy some 
kinds of seed annually than to attempt to 
raise them, owing to their liability to become 
mixed ; this is especially true of the melon 
tribe. If these are grown for seed, they 
must be kept widely apart. Whatever is 
grown, let it be of the best, and bestow suffi¬ 
cient care on it to bring it to the greatest 
perfection. 
There is a wise saying, “A place for every¬ 
thing, and everything in its place.” Then by 
all means let there be a place for the vege¬ 
table garden, and everything in it in its place 
there. Growing things here and there, and 
nowhere in particular, induces indifference 
and neglect, and begets habits at war with 
all system. A? a general thing, farmers’ 
tables will not be supplied with the choicest 
vegetable productions until they set apart a 
particular spot for this purpose. Land in 
the country can always be spared for a gar¬ 
den, and this should be made the most pro¬ 
ductive and profitable spot on the farm. A 
fair trial of a single season will demonstrate 
this. 
EVERGREENS AT THE NORTH. 
A Correspondent writes: 
A good deal has been said in our horti¬ 
cultural journals, lately, about evergreen 
shrubs, and their desirableness as a Winter 
embellishment for ornamental grounds. For 
the most northern States, I do not con¬ 
sider them of much importance, because 
they are covered up or borne down by the 
snow during a large portion of the winter. 
And besides, those of much beauty are too 
tender for the extreme North. In the Mid¬ 
dle and Southern States, they may be used 
to some purpose. Among the finest for 
those latitudes, I recommend the Mahonia, 
Native Laurel, Catavvbiense Rhododendrons, 
Euonymus Japonicus, Tree-box, Evergreen 
Thorn, &c., &c. Certain hardy evergreen 
trees may be so pruned as to make a partial 
substitute for shrubs, even at the North. 
The Red Cedar, Hemlock, Savin, Siberian 
Arbor Vitae, Swedish Juniper, and with them 
the American Holly and the Winter Berry 
to enliven the scene with their brilliant ber¬ 
ries—these, grouped along the margin of the 
most frequented walks, or among other ever¬ 
green trees in view from the parlor win¬ 
dows, will produce a cheerful scene through¬ 
out the dreariest days of Winter. 
On page 304 of Vol. XV, we detailed the 
method pursued by Mr. Henry Funnel], of 
Huntington, Long-Island, (N. ¥.,) in culti¬ 
vating and especially in pruning currant 
bushes so as to produce a very superior fruit. 
Late in the Fall Mr. F. forwarded us speci¬ 
mens of his trees—for trees they are, though 
dwarf—which we planted out. We present 
herewith an accurate drawing of one of 
them as it now stands in our garden. It is 
five years old we believe ; the main stem 
is five inches in circumference at the mid¬ 
dle, and six inches high from the ground to 
the first branches. It will be seen 
that the branches spread out widely, leaving 
an open space in the centre, almost large 
enough to set in a barrel. This gives free 
access to air and sun light, and room for a 
large amount of fruit. The method of ob¬ 
taining such a form is as follows : The first 
year cuttings one foot long are set. into the 
ground to the depth of eight or nine inches 
leaving only three or four inches above 
ground. All the buds are rubbed off except 
the four upper ones. These shoot out side 
branches eight to twelve inches. In April, 
of the second year these side shoots are cut 
back to two or three inches in length, and 
two or three buds left upon the upper side of 
each from which new branches start upward, 
and outward, which are again pruned the 
next Spring. In this manner any desired 
form can be given to the head. From the 
ten or twelve upright branches thus pro¬ 
duced, side shoots are continually starting 
out which are kept trimmed back to two or 
three inches in length, and upon these spurs 
is formed the best fruit. In our former ar¬ 
ticle we described a single stem which con¬ 
tained 23 berries weighing over half an 
ounce (250 grains), and of superior flavor, 
with a solid pulp. 
The method of culture pursued by Mr. F., 
is to set the cuttings early in the Spring, in a 
heavy loam, spaded two feet deep, with no 
manure added then or afterwards, save a free 
watering from time to time with the con¬ 
tents of a barrel standing under a sink 
spout, to which is added the soap suds on 
washing days. Great care is taken to keep 
the ground clear of weeds by frequent sur¬ 
face hoeings, and with one thorough stirring 
around the roots early each Spring. 
CHAPTERS ON STRAWBERRIES. 
CHAPTER V. 
In our last we gave directions for plant 
iag, and named a few varieties as those 
most likely to give general satisfaction. It 
is not too late to plant any time this month ; 
indeed, with a little care, strawberries can 
be planted at almost any time between April 
and November. 
Some other varieties may be added to those 
recommended in last month’s paper. The 
Crimson Cone is a good fruit, of medium 
size, and being very solid and high-colored 
is valuable for market. New-York City is 
mainly supplied with this variety. It grows 
vigorously with less care than any other, 
and being acid as well as solid, is superior 
for preserving. It is slender and conical in 
form, looks wild and rank as a plant, and 
succeeds equally well cultivated in beds or 
rows. 
The Jenny Lind is one of the very earli¬ 
est, the fruit of good quality and size, 
though not very productive. On account of 
its early habit, it deserves a place in a col ¬ 
lection of a dozen varieties. 
The Eclipse, a seedling, is a productive 
and beautiful strawberry of medium quality, 
but not solid enough to bear carriage. 
The Scarlet Magnate is, perhaps, the 
largest strawberry that we have, except it 
be the new seedling of Mr. Peabody. This 
last, according to the drawings and state¬ 
ments made in reference to it, is a monster. 
The Magnate is only of medium quality, not 
equal to Hovey’s Seedling, and but moder¬ 
ately productive. 
We have tried Nicholson’s Fill-basket. It 
does not succeed with us ; all our plants 
burned out last Summer. This is the fate 
of nearly all European strawberries. In 
America we lose, from this cause, the Swain- 
stone Seedling, the most exquisite in flavor 
of all cultivated varieties. 
Strawberry beds should this month be 
thoroughly cleaned; and towards June, the 
ripening month, some hay or grass should 
be shaken round the plants to keep the fruit 
clean. The ground, too, by this means re¬ 
tains its moisture, and weeds are hindered 
from springing up. 
We intend, during the fruiting season, to 
make notes of new kinds introduced, and 
give our opinion of their qualities, &c. 
Since the above was in type, we have re¬ 
ceived from Mr. Peabody, of Columbus, a 
box of fine plants of his new strawberry, re¬ 
ferred to on page 44, (Feb. No.) The plants, 
which came in excellent order, we have put 
out in three localities, to give them a variety 
of soil and exposure, and shall watch them 
with considerable interest. 
TIME 0E PRUNING, 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist ; 
I notice much diversity of opinion in regard to 
pruning. As respects apple and cherry, experi¬ 
ence teaches me that when blooming or in full 
flower, the branches, if smoothly cut, heal over 
perfectly sound. The tree is then in full vigor, 
and able to protect itself, while the leaves and 
blossoms shelter the wounds from sun and wind. 
The objection to Winter trimming, espeoially of 
