1214 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
Garden Notes From New England 
Garden Notes from New England 
A Late Season. —Garden-makers who 
like to boast of having green peas to eat 
with their salmon on .Tune 17, which is 
Blinker Hill Day in Massachusetts, were 
doomed to disappointment this year. If 
they had peas at all they came out of 
cans, for even in the most, forward gar¬ 
dens the pea vines were only in bloom. 
This indicates the backward character of 
the season. Crops are growing well now, 
but the* long succession of cold and rainy 
(lays caused work to pile up to such an 
extent that garden work has been badly 
interfered with. Altogether, it is not the 
kind of a season one likes to see, for 
scarcely had crops begun to appear than 
various pests began to come in numbers, 
chief among them being plant lice. These 
plant lice, or aphids, are covering every¬ 
thing this year, ruining roses, forming 
solid masses on shrubs and trees and 
draining the vitality of the garden vege¬ 
tables. 
Applying Spray. —While experienced 
gardeners understand that it is necessary 
actually to hit the lice and hit them hard 
with the contact spray, because they must 
l»e smothered to death, being immune to 
poison, the beginner commonly overlooks 
this fact. A common tin spray pump 
will do the work, but a bucket pump or 
a knapsack sprayer which gives greater 
force to the spray is better. In this con¬ 
nection I might say that it is just as 
necessary to have a spray pump when 
using Bordeaux mixture, because every 
part of the foliage should be covered, and 
this is only possible when a fine, mist-like 
spray is dispersed. A whisk broom will 
do for potato bugs, and that’s about all. 
Dry Sprays in the Garden. —The 
best way I have found of lighting flea 
beetles, which have been pretty numerous 
this season on potatoes, tomatoes and 
other plants which cannot be readily cov¬ 
ered with a box protector, is.to dust them 
with powdered Bordeaux mixture. I do 
not pretend that this kills the acrobatic 
little pests, but it tends to drive them 
away. Truth to tell, I find dry sprays 
about as useful as the messy liquid kinds 
for everything except plant lice. With 
a simple blow-gun I can go over all the 
crops quickly with either an insecticide 
or a fungicide, or with a combination of 
both, and the results are perfectly satis¬ 
factory. Of course no Bordeaux mixture 
which is purchased at the stores is quite 
equal to that made at home, but the com¬ 
mercial Bordeaux used dry is certainly 
as good as a wet one. I believe that much 
more persistent fighting of insect pests 
will be done by amateurs if they would 
use dusting instead of wet sprays. Fair 
results are obtained even without a gun, 
because the powder, being very fine, can 
be distributed by means of a cheesecloth 
bag. 
Capturing the Cutworms.- —Cut¬ 
worms may be considered as one of the 
effective mediums by means of which 
nature chastens the enthusiastic garden- 
maker. Their nocturnal habits make 
them especially objectionable, and the 
commonly accepted plan of using poison 
bait is not liked in the kitchen garden 
as a rule. It will be found a fairly ef¬ 
fective practice to throw a piece of burlap 
or bagging over the row where cutworms 
are found at work. The creatures will 
collect under this covering and remain on 
the surface of the ground for some time 
after sunrise, being easily destroyed when 
the bagging is removed. 
Frightening the Birds Away.— In 
years past The It. N.-Y. has published 
many articles about the various ways of 
frightening birds from the fruit and vege¬ 
table garden. Apparently none of these 
methods lias proved as effective as one 
might wish, and perhaps better results 
will come from experiments which are 
being made by various New England gar¬ 
den-makers this season. I understand 
that the idea has come from across the 
water, where certain scientists have found 
that birds have a congenital antipathy to 
blue. The theory is that when strips of 
blue paper are hung in a cherry tree or 
over the strawberry bed or lengthwise in 
the pea rows, it will provide almost com¬ 
plete protection. Mind you. I am not 
saying that it will, but its advocates 
claim that it will. Along with the others 
I am trying out the plan, but at the 
same time I am covering my best straw¬ 
berries with mosquito netting, for 1 am 
sure that that will save the berries from 
the birds, and the other method is yet on 
trial. Incidentally, I might say that the 
best practice I have ever found in the 
past to ensure me my share of cherries 
has been to shy a handful of lump earth 
or sods into the trees'when the robins 
gathered there. The particles of earth 
rattling around them seem to prove highly 
disconcerting. 
Liquid Manure. —-Because of the high 
cost of fertilizers there is a temptation to 
try to get along without them. This is 
a mistake, though, because without fertil¬ 
ity th< re is certain to be a waste of time, 
labor and seeds. When I visit the little 
farms carried on by foreigners around 
Boston, 1 am likely to find barrels of 
liquid manure here and there, and one 
secret of these people’s success, in grow¬ 
ing large crops on small areas \s the use 
of natural manures. Now, any garden- 
maker can have a manure barrel, and 
thus obtain the means of pushing along 
his crops at small expense. Probably the 
best plan is to fill a burlap bag with 
manure—any kind will answer, even pul¬ 
verized sheep manure—and suspend it m 
a barrel or half-barrel of water. Prob¬ 
ably the liquid will be. too strong when 
drawn out and, cau be diluted until about 
the color of weak tea to make its use 
safe and satisfactory. It often is desir¬ 
able to move the barrel about from place 
to place, and this can be readily accom¬ 
plished by supplying it with handles, a 
A Handy Barrel for Liquid Manure 
light frame being made that will just fit 
around the barrel below the bulge, so that 
it can be kept in place without the use 
of nails. 
Strawberry Root - louse. •— J udging 
from questions asked, the root-louse lias 
been working freely on strawberry plants. 
The average gardener is unfamiliar with 
the curious life history of this insect. The 
eggs, which are laid in the Fall on the 
leaves of the plants, hatch in (he Spring, 
producing females without wings. Ants 
are always on band when the time comes, 
and carry the lice to the roots of the 
plants, and for that matter even to fresh 
plants. The lice then increase very 
rapidly, the young being brought forth 
alive at this season instead of passing 
through the egg stage. Late in the 
Autumn both males and females are pro¬ 
duced. Eggs are laid in the usual way, 
and another generation is started on its 
destructive path. Unfortunately there is 
no way of getting rid of the pests except 
to he careful about choosing clean plants 
and setting them in soil where the aphids 
do not exist. 
Wortii-witile New Raspberries*—I 
am very well pleased with the new rasp¬ 
berry which I got two years ago from 
Minnesota. Tip until now this variety 
lias gone by the name of Minnesota No. 
4, but I recently received the announce¬ 
ment from the Minnesota fruit breeding 
farm where it was originated that it has 
been given a permanent name. In the 
future it will be Latham. As a matter 
of fact, several other well-known fruits 
sent out from Minnesota, and some of 
which are growing in New England, have 
also been named. This includes the No. 
3 strawberry, which henceforth will be 
known as Duluth. Latham has adapted 
itself perfectly to Massachusetts condi¬ 
tions. It seems ironclad, having gone 
through the past Winter without any kill¬ 
ing back, and suckers freely. Whether 
it will make a good shipping berry I am 
not. yet prepared to,say. Good crops of 
raspberries and blackberries are promised. 
Florence Fennel. —If you should go 
through some of the gardens carried ou 
by Italian farmers around Boston prob¬ 
ably you would find a curious-looking 
vegetable with which you are not familiar. 
It grows in much the same way as celery, 
being earthed up to blanch the lower part 
of the stalks, but has foliage which is 
wholly different. This Vegetable is Flor¬ 
ence fennel, and might well be added to 
tin* home garden, although it should be 
tried out in a tentative way first. It is 
eaten raw like celery, and lice a peculiar 
aromatic flavor reminding one of anise. 
The Lovely Siberian Iris. — I am 
glad that farmers can devote a little time 
to their flower gardens with a clear con¬ 
science now that peace times have ar¬ 
rived. The garden perennials have been 
unusually late this year, peonies not hav¬ 
ing opened until the middle of June, while 
they often are in bloom by Memorial Day. 
One perennial which is giving me increas¬ 
ing pleasure year by year, and yet one 
which is seldom seen in farmyard gardens, 
is the Siberian Iris. Of course everybody 
i - familiar witli the flower, which used to 
b called German Iris, but which is now 
called by some nurserymen Liberty Tris, 
although the Iris Sock _j prefers to have 
it known as simply Flag Iris. Possibly 
the Siberian Iris is not quite as showy, 
but it usually comes a little later, thus 
prolonging the season, and its flowers are 
exceedingly dainty and graceful. They 
are borne in great profusion, and in two 
colors—a splendid blue and pure white. 
With a small beginning one can soon have 
a good show, because this Iris gradually 
spreads over a considerable territory. It 
is one of the best flowers 1 know for cut¬ 
ting. lasting a long while in water, and 
having a graceful appearance surpassed 
by that of few garden blooms. 
Tools for Women Gardeners. — I have 
boon surprised at the number of women 
who are making gardens this year. Either 
they got the habit, while the war was on, 
or else appreciate keenly the prospects of 
a bare cupboard next Winter unless a 
generous amount of garden stuff is raised 
at homo. All too often, though, I find 
these women laboring with tools which 
are too heavy for them, or otherwise un- 
suited to their needs. It would be well 
if they would get acquainted with the 
useful scuffle hoe, a tool which market 
gardeners know the merits of, but which 
is not ofttn found in home gardens. It 
is a simple tool with a long handle, and 
most effective for eradicating weeds and 
Stirring the soil during the Summer 
months. The average woman can use it 
much more readily than any other tool 
I am acquainted with. 
K. I. FARRINGTON. 
THE MAILBAG 
Spinach Goes to Seed 
Can you tell me why my spinach goes 
to seed when only half grown, after which 
the ‘leaves cease to- grow and become 
tough? It. is the flat-leaf variety, and 
grown in the garden where all Other veg¬ 
etables do well. ^ M.B. 
Montgomery, N. Y. 
Spinach is a cool crop, and for best 
success requires cool weather and rapid 
growth. As soon as the hot. dry. Summer 
days come it rapidly goes to seed. The 
variety we use for Summer is the New 
Zealand spinach. This vegetable is en¬ 
tirely different from the common spinach. 
It will stand high temperatures and grows 
continuously through the Summer and 
Fall, forming a plant A ft. or more in 
height, with main branches spreading over 
the ground from which new growth ap¬ 
pears continuously. The parts used for 
food are the clusters of succulent leaves 
formed at the ends of the growing lat¬ 
erals. Seed should be sown as early as 
possible in the Spring in rows 3 ft. apart 
and the plants later thinned to lft. in the 
row. Harvesting is begun in the Sum¬ 
mer after the plant has reached some size, 
and is continued unt il late Fall T. it. t. 
Black Rot on Grapes 
What should I do with my grapevines? 
For the last two or three years the grapes 
which grow to a full size turn brown or 
a darker color and then drop off. The 
vines bear very plentifully, then fruit 
starts to discolor at the stem and fall off. 
Is tiiere any remedy for preventing this? 
Kings Park, N. Y. s. L. II. 
The trouble with the fruit of these 
vines is probably due to the black-rot 
fungus which is annually prevalent in 
many sections. It is suggested that the 
vines he sprayed with Bordeaux mixture 
made according to the 4-4-50 formula: 
that is. 4 lbs. of blue vitriol, 4 lbs. of 
fresh hydrated lime in 50 gallons of 
water. The first application should be 
made when the shoots are out to a length 
of eight or 10 inches: the second directly 
after the fruit is set. and a third appli¬ 
cation two or three weeks later. F. E. G. 
Potato Flea Beetle 
What is the best thing to use on to¬ 
mato plants when you first set them out? 
There are small flies on them, making 
small holes all over the leaves, and then 
they die. I set out 21 plants May 30, and 
I have lost over half of them. 
Centerdale, R. I. MRS. h. a. w. 
This tiny black insect attacks a great 
variety of garden plants, including the 
tomato. In this section it. is most com¬ 
mon on this plant. The beetles feed on 
both the upper and under surfaces of the 
leaves, eating out small, round holes. 
Badly injured leaves first turn yellow, 
then brown, and curl up and die. Many 
beetles live over Winter under trash and 
stones, and those cause damage early 
in the season to the transplanted vege¬ 
tables. As these beetles die later in the 
season, most injury appears in May and 
June. The pest is readily kept in check 
by using an application of Bordeaux mix¬ 
ture. being sure to cover both surfaces of 
the leaves entirely. The application 
should be repeated weekly. t. h.t. 
Tree Struck by Lightning 
I have a white oak tree about 50 ft. 
high. 12 ft. to tlie lirst limb, and 6 ft. 
around the butt at the ground. This tree 
has been struck by lightning and the 
bark from top of tree to the ground has 
been riuped off for ti e width of three to 
five inches. Will this tree die. do you 
think, and if so, is the tree good for a 
saw log? What should the tree bring 
foiled and stripped of the bark? 1 ex¬ 
pect to have (lie limbs and branches cut 
for cord wood. The tree does not seem 
to bo injured in any way, except this 
narrow strip of bark being ripped oil. 
Cold Spring Harbor, N. Y. L. E.J. 
Trees struck by lightning generally 
recover, unless the injury is so deep that 
it admits decay to * the heart wood, in 
which event the death of the tree is a 
matter of several years. If the injury 
is superficial, the host treatment is to 
paint the wound with some thick, dark* 
Jnly IT, 1M0 
colored paint. If it is deeper, it becomes 
a matter of tree surgery which can only 
be solved by personal inspection. Unless 
there is a sawmill quite near you, I doubt 
if it will pay you to saw the log into 
lumber. The best use will bo firewood, if 
there is not a sawmill near by. 
H. F. BUTTON. 
Black Currants Fail to Bear 
On page 1100 W. T. M’. says that his 
black currant bushes are four years old, 
are strong and healthy, with plenty of 
foliage and flowers, but no fruit. In an¬ 
swer, T. II. T. mentions several contribu¬ 
tory factors, which, to a greater or less 
extent, influence the productiveness of the 
black currant, but makes no allusion to 
the real cause of the trouble, which, in 
the present instance, can be nothing less 
than a lack of pollenization. This is 
amply indicated by the fact that blossoms 
appear in abundance. But failure to pol¬ 
len i/.e may result from too intense shade. 
In such a ease a change in the environ- 
ment as will result in more sunlight being 
admitted is the remedy. Or it may result 
from a lack of pollinating insects. In 
this case the moving of a hive of bees into 
close proximity to the hushes would have 
the desired effect. And in either case ar¬ 
tificial pollen ization by gently shaking the 
bushes while in full blossom might be 
practiced. But. it is said that certain va¬ 
rieties of the black currant arc self-ster¬ 
ile. That is, they do not respond to 
pollen from their own variety. In this 
ease the remedy is to set a few bushes of 
some other variety. If however, the 
bushes fail to blossom, the remedy is to 
give them a vigorous pruning about the 
time that the leaves attain f heir full size, 
and to make liberal applications of a fer¬ 
tilizer carrying a high percentage of phos¬ 
phorus. c. o. ORMSBEE. 
Hollyhocks from Seed 
Is there any necessity to inoculate 
ground before planting hollyhocks? We 
have planted them several times, but 
never could get a start. Will you advise 
when to sow the sped and how to prepare 
the ground? G. c. c. 
Leavenworth, Kan. 
There is no need to inoculate the 
ground for hollyhocks. The great trouble 
in the cultivation of this plant is the 
prevalence of a very serious disease, 
anthracnose, which in some localities 
practically prohibits the commercial 
growing of hollyhocks. It may be that 
you obtained plants weakened beyond re¬ 
covery by infection. It is very easy to 
grow hollyhocks from seed. The seed 
may he sown outdoors in June or July, 
and germinates quite quickly, in five to 
10 days. Clay loam, well drained, but 
with sufficient surface water, will induce 
a robust root system. Heaving of the 
plants by frost, or removal of soil about 
the plants by heavy rains, often cause 
hollyhocks to die out. becoming biennials, 
instead of perennial. Ordinary garden 
preparation of the soil is all the seed or 
plant requires. When well established, 
The Useful >S 'ruffle Hoe 
healthy hollyhocks self-sow persistently, 
and keep up a succession of robust young 
plants. When seedlings are transplanted 
to a permanent situation they should be 
moved in early Spring. The crown of 
the plant should be a little below the sur¬ 
face of the ground, and the roots should 
he placed in their natural position, point¬ 
ing downward. If planted in the Fall 
they are likely to suffer from heaving. 
Hollyhock seeds may be sown indoors in 
March or earlier, and in this ■ case the 
plants will often flower the first year, 
but usually they are shorter-lived than 
when sown in the open ground. 
Jack: “Hello, old boy. How do you 
feel?” Fred: “I swallowed a dime. Can 
you see any change in me?”—Western 
Christian Advocate. 
