house, proper: here they were allowed to remain until June 
1st, when they were set in the garden. After setting, a good 
shower fell and nearly every plant grew. On June B^Oth, the 
plants were manured with well rotted compost, two shovels 
full being placed around each plant and well worked into 
the soil. Water was applied on the following dates: June 11 th, 
July 8 d, July 15th, and July 27th. The ground was thoroughly 
cultivated after each irrigation, as soon as in proper condition 
to work. From this year's experience we believe that one or 
two applications of water, after the fruit begins to ripen, are 
necessary in order to get the best results. In. 1898 water 
was withheld after the hrst fruits were picked, and the vines 
did not seem to suffer for lack of moisture at any time; the 
same course was followed this season, but not attended with 
the same degree of success as in 1898, as during the latter 
part of the summer the vines clearly showed the lack of the 
proper amount of moisture necessary to perfect the fruit. 
On September 20th, the vines were^cut by frost after which 
they were pulled and the green fruits gathered. 
The accompanying table shows Jhe comparative earliness 
of the varieties: 
Date of First 
Ripe Fruit. 
Acme.August 15 
Aristocrat. ” 15 
Atlantic Prize. ” 15 
Beauty. ” 28 
Bond’s Early Min¬ 
nesota . ” 15 
Buckeye Slate .... Sept. 8 
Chemin Market ... August 15 
Comrade. ” 28 
Crimson Cushion .. Sept. 8 
Cumberland Red . .August 15 
Dwarf Champion .. July 80 
Early Ruby.August 20 
Early Michigan ... July 25 
Everett’s First of 
All. ” 80 
Fordhook First.... August 28 
Gold Ball. July 25 
Ignotum..August 28 
Improved Chemin 
or Apple. 20 
Logan’s Giant Seed- 
ling. 
Date of First 
Ripe Fruit. 
Long Keeper.August 15 
Meteor. eluly 24 
Mansfield Tree... .August 28 
Matchless. ” 15 
Maule’s Earliest of 
All. July 21 
Mitchell’s New... .August 15 
New Stone. ’’ 15 
Northern Light... July 80 
Perfection.August 15 
Picture Rock. ” 20 
Potato Leaf. ” 15 
Ponderosa. ” 28 
Puritan. ” 20 
Red Cross. Jnly 80 
Rosebud.August 15 
Roj^al Red.. ” 28 
Seedling No. 2 .... ” 27 
J’able Queen. ” 20 
Trucker’s Favorite ” 20 
Vaughan’s Earliest 
of All 
15 
20 
