246 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
April 6 
mode of its application in the orchard. In the name 
of science let us stop this mutilation of the trees by 
discovering a preventive for the blight. I agree with 
Paul that “If we hope for that we see not, then do 
we with patience wait for it.” r. e. pease. 
Tompkins Co., N. Y. 
DWARF PEARS 
In the establishment of one’s own home there is not, 
perhaps, a single feature that affords more real plea¬ 
sure than the planting of fine fruits. It is true that 
among these there are certain varieties from which 
we may not hope to receive even “advance specimens” 
until several years have elapsed. However, a well- 
rounded selection will include a few varieties of the 
more precocious tree fruits, which supplemented by 
the various small fruits, will delightfully tide us over 
the period of waiting. In this capacity the dwarf 
pear, which bears fruit at a very tender age, certainly 
occupies an enviable position in the list. It is by no 
means an unusual occurrence to gather, from tiny 
trees but two years planted, from one to a dozen beau¬ 
tiful, well-developed specimens of exquisite quality. 
In Fig. 99 a two-year-old representative of Dale View 
directs our attention to the essential points in the 
establishment of these fruit-bearing pygmies. The 
“baby Angoulgme” shown in the picture is typical of 
the form and relative size of a dwarf pear, as it 
should appear during the early period of its first sea¬ 
son’s growth. A lowly-branched head, combined with 
deep planting, insures a short, sturdy body and blocky 
form, not only desirable, but necessary in a dwarf. 
The point at which the pear was budded upon the 
quince stock should be at least four Inches below the 
surface of the ground. 
If the trees have been properly grown in the nur¬ 
sery they will have been “headed” or “branched” at 
the height of from 12 to 16 inches. At the time of 
planting these branches should be cut back to three 
or four buds. As the position of these buds upon the 
branch quite accurately determines the probable di¬ 
rection in which the new growth will push out, and 
as the upper bud upon the shortened lateral almost 
invariably produces the strongest shoot, it should be 
upon the outer side. By this means the leading shoots 
of the new growth are directed away from the center 
of the tree, and form a spreading, open, symmetrical 
head. Not infrequently these new growths will attain 
the length of from four to six feet in a single season. 
The annual pruning of the dwarf pear consists in cut¬ 
ting away from one-half to two-thirds the length of 
the previous season’s growth—always with due re¬ 
gard to the position of the prospective terminal bud. 
All branches that incline toward the center of the 
tree should be cut out entirely. At the first indication 
of blight, which is the most serious enemy to be com¬ 
bated in pear culture, the entire diseased portion 
should be pruned away, even if it seriously mutilates 
the tree in so doing. Fig. 100 illustrates the precocity 
of the dwarf pear under favorable conditions. This 
photograph, taken three years later, shows the same 
sturdy little Angoulgme, from which the same little 
lady is gathering pears that won first prize at our 
county fruit exhibit. f. h. ballou. 
Ohio. 
WEEDING STRAWBERRY BEDS IN SPRING. 
One of the greatest drawbacks to successful straw¬ 
berry culture is the weeds that get into the soil when 
the same land is used year after year for strawberry 
growing. It is safer and more economical to use new 
land every year. Then you avoid the weeds that de¬ 
velop only when the soil has been in cultivation for 
several years. I believe the very worst weed that 
infests strawberry beds is the Mouse-ear chickweed. 
It is hard to get out of the soil, because it seeds be¬ 
fore the strawberries are picked. It first appears in 
the late Fall as a fine spindling weed, covering the 
whole surface in October like a carpet. If left un¬ 
molested, it comes up in the Spring and mats the 
whole surface with a moss-like covering, and goes to 
seed about the time that the strawberries begin to 
ripen. The best plan to fight it is to smother the 
small weeds as they first appear. This we do by cul¬ 
tivating the middles deeply and hauling earth up on 
to the rows of runners and plants, covering every¬ 
thing about one inch deep. This smothers most of 
the chickweed, but the strawberry plants root nicely 
and grow up through the earth.. It also makes the 
row of plants somewhat higher than the paths be¬ 
tween the rows, and thus provides drainage. In the 
Spring a few of the weeds will come up and should 
be removed by pulling out by hand. This is very 
necessary, especially where the bed is on a plot where 
chickweed has got a foothold. We often fina it neces¬ 
sary to weed the fruiting beds twice before the 
picking season. The illustration. Fig. 101, shows our 
boys weeding out the fruiting rows in early Spring 
after they have been dug close for plants. If the 
chickweed is allowed full sway, it covers the entire 
surface with a moss-like growth, crowds out the 
plants, and causes the leaf and fruit stems to rot or 
damp off at the surface of the soil. There will be one 
or two berries ripen on a stem, but the rest will 
wither and never come to maturity. I consider the 
Mouse-ear chickweed more damaging to the straw¬ 
berry interests than the White grub. 
Oswego Co., N. Y. l. j. farmer. 
ESSENTIALS OF STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 
WINTER AND SPRING CARE.—Attention should 
be given to the fields throughout the entire Winter, 
that no plants be uncovered by wind, and in case of 
water settling in low places it should be drained off 
by surface drains. Many fields are badly damaged by 
lack of attention to these seemingly insignificant de¬ 
tails. When the frost is out and the ground becomes 
settled the mulch over the plants should be loosened, 
so that they can grow up through it, but it should not 
be removed from over the plants unless very thick. 
When vegetation starts freely the rows should be 
thoroughly hoed and weeded, using the fiat hoe shown 
in my former article, page 51. This hoe can be slipped 
through and beneath the mulch among the plants, 
lightly loosening the soil, breaking the crust and de¬ 
stroying any weeds that may have started. Any weeds 
close about the plants must be carefully removed 
with the fingers, except dock and others of similar 
manner of growth, which can best be removed by a 
stiff, narrow-bladed knife. It is very important that 
this part of the work be thoroughly done and kept free 
from weeds up to picking time, as the fields are run 
for two seasons’ fruiting, and the cleaner the field is 
at the end of the picking season the less it costs to 
clean it out for the next season’s crop. 
PICKING AND PACKING.—Right here is the final 
act of the whole drama; very much of the financial 
success or failure of the crop depends upon proper 
management at this time. No care or attention 
should be spared upon any of the details incident to 
picking or packing, or the grower will surely suffer 
weeding strawberry beds in spring. Fig. 101. 
severely for his neglect. Our pickers are compelled, 
not asked, to pick the fruit most carefully with the 
stems on, to place, not throw, it in the baskets. All 
small, green, worm-eaten, overripe or otherwise ob¬ 
jectionable specimens are put into baskets by them¬ 
selves by the pickers, and sold as culls to peddlers. 
No picker is allowed to put any smaller fruit in the 
bottom of basket than on the top, and is expected 
nicely to top off each basket by turning the berries 
on their sides. The picked fruit is removed to the 
packing shed as rapidly as possible, as the straw¬ 
berry soon changes color if left exposed to siin and 
wind after separation from the parent stem; here 
the baskets are quickly placed in either new or neatly 
painted crates, the hasps wired down to prevent ex¬ 
pressmen and others from sampling. Each crate has 
a sticker on the front outside, showing the grade and 
variety, thus rendering opening for inspection un¬ 
necessary and saving additional handling. 
MARKETING.—The greater part of Oswego County 
berries go to New York, Boston and Philadelphia in 
the order named as to quantity shipped. Large quan¬ 
tities are sent to various other points, as Buffalo, 
Pittsburg, Springfield, Worcester and in some instan¬ 
ces Cleveland and Chicago. For New York, Boston 
and Philadelphia regular trains of iced cars leave 
every evening, arriving at destination within 24 hours. 
Much of the fruit is bought outright here by represen¬ 
tatives of fruit houses in the various cities, while 
large quantities are sent on consignment. Each 
method has its advantages. One thing is absolutely 
certain; th^t whichever way the goods are disposed 
of it is only the best, honestly and attractively packed 
that brings sure and steady profit. 
AFTER PICKING.—Immediately after picking 
ceases, a mowing machine, with cutter bar set to cut 
as low as possible, is run over the field. If a tedder 
is at hand the mulch can be stirred up and dried. The 
field is repeatedly raked with a horse rake, with an 
idea of getting rid of all the mulch, and tearing off all 
the strawberry leaves not already cut by the mower, 
the design being finally to have the plant entirely free 
from tops, except a few short leaf stems. The raking 
also loosens the crust among the plants. Cultivation 
follows, breaking up well between the rows, but using 
the narrow tooth cultivator with fiat hoes next to the 
rows, running them not over one inch deep. The 
rows are hoed with the flat hoes before mentioned, 
being careful not to cut over one inch deep, as in the 
cultivating. Many beds are seriously injured at this 
time by rough handling and deep culture. The plants 
are then weak from bringing the crop to perfection, 
and must be carefully nursed by intelligent handling, 
instead of being abused by careless and rough usage. 
A mixture of 100 pounds of nitrate of soda and 400 
pounds dissolved rock per acre along the rows Is very 
beneficial. Further cultivation consists in keeping a 
dust mulch about the plants continuously until about 
October 1, unless the weather be very wet. When the 
tree leaves are fallen the straw mulch as described in 
the first year’s work is spread. With the details of 
the first and second season’s culture thoroughly car¬ 
ried out the second crop should be at least equal to 
the first, except varieties of the Crescent and Warfield 
type, which rarely do much in this section the second 
season. f. g. tice. 
New York. 
ITALIAN LABORERS ON FRUIT FARMS. 
I have employed Italians quite largely for 12 or 15 
years now, and for all work except the handling of 
horses they are superior to any foreign or native help 
I can get. The most valuable man on my place is an 
Italian, who has been with me seven years, and I 
have a number of others who have been coming here 
Summers for from four to eight years. I employ 
eight or 10 of them six to eight months each season, 
and often 60 to 60 during the fruit harvest. Two or 
three who have families I furnish tenement fer, and 
they live on the place the year through; for the oth¬ 
ers I have cheap barracks witn bunks and straw, big 
cook stove and wood. I charge each man 25 cents 
per week lodgings and fuel, and pay all first-class 
hands $1.25 per day; $1 a day to a few, and 75 cents 
to boys of 14 to 18 years. For extras they sometimes 
bring in women and children who help in orchard 
fruit-gathering at 40 to 75 cents per day; or pick 
beans by the quart. The old regular hands work on 
garden and lawn from one to two hours each morn¬ 
ing before breakfast; do It because they enjoy the 
work, and want the place to look well. Incidentally 
they have vegetables and flowers for their own use. 
A vineyard of 1,200 vines planted on an almost 
worthless side hill furnishes a few tons of grapes for 
wine making, and so the old hands have plenty of 
homemade wine with their bread and other plain 
food. In the past 15 years I have probably had 300 
to 400 different Italians in my employ; no fights or 
drunks; politeness and attention, smiles, music, a 
willingness to work, and an enduring ability to work 
hard are leading characteristics. Many of them are 
expert in tree pruning, fruit thinning, picking and 
packing, and I am confident I could not well replace 
them with any other class of help. Those from Pied¬ 
mont, Lombardy, Emilia and sections of northern 
Italy are best, or at least have proved most satisfac¬ 
tory here. j. h. hale. 
Connecticut. 
HARROWING OR WEEDING GRAIN CROPS. 
You ask for information on this subject, and I will 
give you my experience on a limestone, clay soil. 
Have tried harrowing wheat a number of times, but 
without satisfactory results. It may be beneficial on 
some other kinds of soil, where it runs together and 
the surface needs to be broken up to admit the air 
and start a vigorous growth early in the season. 
When clover is sown early enough, say the latter part 
of February or first of March, it needs no cultivation 
to get it into the soil. The freezing and thawing does 
the work, and when the seed germinates it has a good 
hold on the soil. But to sow now or later on it is 
a good plan to give the surface slight cultivation, and 
for this purpose the weeder is the best tool we know. 
We have also used a light drag when ground was 
more or less cloddy with good results. The drag thus 
used does not tear up any wheat or Timothy that the 
frost has partly raised out of the ground. When the 
soil is worked either with drag or weeder let it be 
dry and crumbly, otherwise the working will do little 
or no good. If wheat is frozen out badly or damaged 
by fly and doesn’t promise much of a crop we would 
then put on the harrow and work up the soil more 
thoroughly than the weeder would do it, in order to 
make a better seed-bed for clover, and this cultiva¬ 
tion would check the early sprouting of many weed 
seeds. We have never got a really good stand of 
clover sown late in the season, unless the ground was 
given slight cultivation some way or other, or the 
seed was sown on the field freshly sown to oats. I do 
not think Timothy or Red-top started in with the 
wheat last Fall will be at all Injured by using the 
weeder, as these grasses start in the drill row with 
the wheat, and are down where the teeth of the weed¬ 
er will not mash or damage to any great extent. 
Indiana. w. w. stevenb. 
