348 
The RURAL- NEW-YORKER 
March 1, 1924 
penisli, Wash. Tree and fruit are identical with 
the well-known Gravenstein, which all recognize is 
about the best Fall apple, except in color of the 
fruit. The apples are solidly colored bright red—a 
great improvement over Gravenstein in appearance. 
Anyone wanting an apple of the Gravenstein type 
should test Red Gravenstein. • m 
PEARS.—The only pear on the station grounds 
worth anything for trial is Gorham, a seedling pro¬ 
duced at Geneva by crossing Bartlett with Joseph¬ 
ine de Malines. The trees first fruited in 1919, and 
four crops have followed in succession. The fruits 
resemble those of Bartlett in appearance, but ripen 
a month later. They also resemble those of Bartlett 
in shape and color, but are sweeter,, 
more aromatic and more vinous, and 
altogether better in quality than Bart¬ 
lett. This variety was selected as a de¬ 
sirable pear to follow Bartlett in sea¬ 
son, and if it proves as well adapted to 
diverse soils and climates as Bartlett, 
it should make a most desirable addi¬ 
tion to the list of pears. 
CHERRIES.—Two new cherries are 
noteworthy. The Seneca was produced 
at the Geneva Station by crossing an 
unknown early sweet cherry with Pur¬ 
ple Guigne. The new variety produced 
splendid crops in 1922 and 1923. In 
1922 the cherries were ripe on June 5, 
and in 1923 on June 15, about two 
weeks earlier than Black Tartarian, 
and the earliest of all cherries on the 
station grounds. The fruits are sim¬ 
ilar to those of Black Tartarian, quite 
as large, handsome and well flavored. 
The pit is free and the skin does not 
crack. Seneca is unusually promising 
for an early market and home cherry. 
Abundance, the second sort, was in¬ 
troduced by Luther Burbank in 1912 
berries, needed for their tables, while at the same, 
time they do not realize how cheaply this same 
amount and many more berries can be grown. The 
pleasure of having all the strawberries your family 
can use is yours by setting a few strawberry plants 
this coming Spring; but, just as sure as you do not 
grow your own strawberries, you will never have 
all you actually need. 
PREPARING THE BED.—Two hundred and fifty 
strawberry plants will be sufficient to set the plot of 
ground 40x35 ft. mentioned above. They should be 
set in rows 3% ft. apart and 40 ft. long, requiring 
25 plants per row. If this plot of ground is too 
large, the 250 plants can be reduced accordingly. 
The fruit 
of better 
as a seedling of Napoleon, 
was said to be larger and 
quality than its parent. At Geneva, 
while the cherries are smaller and 
slightly inferior in quality, they do not 
crack, and ripen from one to two weeks 
later. These qualities make it the best 
late cherry at Geneva. Abundance 
should be tested by those who want a 
late, linn-fleshed, sweet cherry of the 
Napoleon type. 
PLUMS.—Hall is a new plum pro 
dueed at the Geneva Station by cross¬ 
ing Golden Drop and Grand Duke. The 
fruits ripen about the first of Septem¬ 
ber. The plums are very large, prune¬ 
shaped, and reddish purple in color. 
The flesh is firm, tender, sweet and. 
very good. The stone clings slightly. 
Hall is one of the best plums grown in 
the station collection. 
Santa Rosa, one of Burbank's Jap¬ 
anese plums, has made a splendid rec¬ 
ord on the station grounds, and is wor¬ 
thy of a wider trial in this State. The 
trees are very strong, vigorous and 
productive. The fruits are large, ob¬ 
long-conic, and dark purple in color. 
The flesh is red, juicy, a little coarse, 
and clings to the stone. The quality is 
good. Santa Rosa is equal if not su¬ 
perior to Burbank. 
SMALL FRUITS.—Very favorable 
reports are being received in regard to 
the Sheridan grape. This variety out- 
yielded the Concord at the Fredonia 
Station this past season, and since it 
ripens about one week later and keeps 
much better, it should have value. On¬ 
tario and Portland, early white grapes, 
are also receiving many favorable com¬ 
ments. 
Mr. O. P. Newman of Canada has 
given the New York State Fruit Test¬ 
ing Association permission to distribute 
a most promising red raspberry seed¬ 
ling, named Newman, mentioned in last 
year’s report. Stock will be available 
next Fall.. 
Of the newer strawberries Howard 
No. 17, or Premier, is still maintain¬ 
ing its high standard as a desirable 
early berry. AVyona, a chance seedling 
of Gandy, produced by A. S. Johnson. 
Bowie, Md., proved to be the most 
promising late berry grown at Geneva 
during the past season. 
TJ. P. HEDRICK. 
Plant a Strawberry Bed 
'TARTING A SMALL PLOT.—Did 
1 you ever experience the pleasure 
a strawberry bed where you could 
ck fresh, juicy, sweet strawber- 
es for your table every day dur- 
g the berry season and have plenty 
can. preserve and jelly for Winter 
e? The time, expense and space re¬ 
ared to grow all the strawberries 
mr family can possibly 
ficant compared with 
d profits to be gained, 
ground 40x35 ft,, with _ 
re, can be grown a sufficient amount 
strawberries to supply the needs of 
family of seven, and with a little 
ecial care, a great many extra quarts 
n be produced and sold at a good 
ofit. Few people realize the big ex- 
nse of having to buy all the straw- 
use is insig- 
the pleasure 
From a plot 
just average 
Gorham Pear (reduced size). Fig. 116 
These 250 plants should not cost over $3, and the 
time required to prepare the soil and set them should 
be very little. Prepare the soil as early as possible 
in the Spring, applying a good liberal covering of 35 
bushels of well-rotted barnyard manure. Thirty- 
five bushels will be sufficient for the plot of ground 
mentioned. If possible, this should be applied some 
time before plowing. Plow the manure under 7 in. 
deep; and. while the ground is still rough, apply 
seven to 10 bushels of fine well-rotted barnyard ma¬ 
nure, and then harrow and work the soil until this 
top-dressing is well mixed with the soil. Remember, 
the soil should be made very firm, which is accom¬ 
plished by aid of a roller or pulverizer. If it is not 
packed firmly it will not hold the mois¬ 
ture as it should; so, consequently, 
your strawberry plants will not make 
the growth they should during the fol¬ 
lowing Summer. You will be well paid 
for all the time you spend in thorough¬ 
ly preparing ypur soil. 
PLANTING.—Set the plants about 
IS in. in rows spaced 3% ft. apart. 
Make a V-shaped hole with a common 
spade, spread the roots as much as pos¬ 
sible in this hole, and then pack the 
soil firmly about them with the foot. 
The crown, or bud, of the plant should 
be just even with the surface of the 
soil. After planting, keep the soil well 
stirred about the plants, keeping down 
all weeds. Shallow cultivation, not 
over 2 in., should be followed. Keep all 
blossom buds picked off, as they will 
devitalize the newly set plants and pre¬ 
vent the formation of runners. 
ROOTING RUNNERS—About three 
weeks, or sooner, after setting, the 
plants will begin to throw out runners, 
and on these about every 9 to 16 in. 
win be foi’med the new or runner 
plants, which will throw out roots from 
their under side and thus become es¬ 
tablished in the soil, soon to become 
self-supporting. Before they have 
taken root firmly in the soil all their 
source of supply must come from the 
mother plant through the runner on 
which it is formed, therefore they 
should be caused to root as soon a*s 
possible. In taking root, these runner 
plants should not be allowed to form 
thickly between and along the sides of 
the mother plants. Place them, before 
they fake root, so that they will not 
average closer than 5 in. apart, form¬ 
ing a row 20 in. wide. After you have 
your 20-in. row formed, all runners 
thereafter should be cut off and the 
plants you have in your row allowed to 
grow and become as vigorous and 
thrifty as possible. They are the plants 
that will produce berries for you the 
following Spring, and if you space them 
as mentioned above, they will be 
vigorous and thrifty enough to set 
and produce large yields of fancy 
berries. 
CULTIVATION. — After the 
row is formed, cultivation and 
should not cease, but be kept up often 
enough to keep the ground mellow, and 
all weeds and grass from between the 
rows and plants. In the late Fall, 
after ground freezes 2 in. deep, mulch 
the rows with some coarse material 
free from weed seed such as straw, 
marsh grass, potato vines, etc. Place 
the same 5 or 6 in. deep on the rows, 
and if the supply is sufficient, some 
should be placed between the rows. In 
the Spring, shortly before the danger 
of frosts is over, part of the mulch on 
the row should be removed and placed 
between the rows. The blossom stems 
will come up through the mulch that is 
left on the rows, and when the berries 
form and ripen, they will be prevented 
from coming in contact with the soil. 
The remaining mulch will also keep 
down weeds and preserve soil moisture. 
Michigan. b. w. keith. 
$ 00 - $ 
§A ’*• •• ... 
20-in. 
hoeing 
Apple Tree In Full Bloom. Fig. 117 
Spraying from Central Power 
Plant 
A N INTERESTING SIGHT.—Ten 
miles to the west, across a par¬ 
tially wooded valley, the Blue Ridge 
was taking on a cloak of deep lilac hue 
as the sun was about to disappear back 
of its lofty peaks. Long shadows were 
creeping into our own little orchard- 
filled valley, as with field glasses in 
hand I stood on a high point watching 
the waving spray 2,000 ft. away, and 
waiting for a signal from the men that 
would tell me the last gallon of solu¬ 
tion was on the trees and clear water 
had reached them. The engine with its 
clock-like exhaust was but a few paces 
away. As I turned to it, a strange 
mountaineer faced me with questioning 
eyes and silent tongue. lie had been 
watching me with bewildered interest. 
After greeting him, he ventured to 
ask what was going on. I explained 
we were spraying, at the same time 
pointing to the far end of the orchard. 
He strained his eyes in the direction 
indicated, then glanced again at me 
and in turn toward the engine, walked 
in silence to the edge of the woodland, 
