GARDE^^- 
144 
/ SEASONABLE HINTS. 
Summer Pruning of Baspienies and BJaclc- 
herrics consists in topping the young canes 
when they have reached a height of two an 
a half to three feet. They will then throw 
out side shoots, which, in turn, have to be 
pinched in when ten to twelve inches long. 
This pruning makes the canes stockier, so 
that they will stand up under a heavy load 
of fruit without stakes or trellises. If more 
• than four young shoots come from a stool, 
they should be cut out. The fruit from these 
will bo larger than when all are allowed to 
grow. 
Old Cajies.—There is some difference of 
opinion as to the best time for remoNung the 
old Raspbeny and Blackberry canes. For- 
mei’ly it was thought necessary to cut them 
out as soon after bearing as possible, so as to 
direct all the strength of the roots to the new 
canes; but now, high authority claims that 
the withering canes are still of value to the 
roots and young growth. Accurate experi¬ 
ments being wanting, we incline to the opin¬ 
ion that the benefits resulting from leaving 
the old canes till the following spring can at 
best be but little, aud are fully overbalanced 
by the inconvenience and annoyance they 
cause. They surely look anything but tidy, 
and are a hindrance to the full expansion of 
the young canes. 
Killing Blackherries .—The eradication of 
old Blackberry plantations and briers along 
neglected fences is, as generally conducted, 
a most troublesome and annoying operation, 
but if the bushes are cut off from the middle 
to the last of August, close to the gi-ound, 
^ few will sprout again. Some years ago, we 
wished to clear an old Blackberry field that 
was badly affected with rust. Immediately 
after the last picking, we cut off all the old 
and new growth, forked it into heaps, and 
burned it. Some new sprouts sprung up, 
which, when about a foot high, were mowed 
off again. N'othing else was done during the 
summer. The following .spring, the roots 
were dead and in a decaying condition; there 
was no difficulty in plowing the gi-ound, and 
the crop of Potatoes which grew on it that 
year was one of the best we have ever raised. 
Pwiillate Slratclerrieg.—lt is now believed 
that the size and quality of pistillate varie¬ 
ties are more affected by character of the 
staminate variety with which they are fer¬ 
tilized than was formerly supposed. Al¬ 
though sufficiently conclusive proofs arc still 
wanting, it is well to give some attention to 
this matter when planting jdstillato varie¬ 
ties. In a .series of experiments m.ade by sev¬ 
eral prominent fruit-growers, it was found 
that Crescent and Manchester became firm¬ 
er when planted near Wilson, larger no.ar 
Sharpless, and of better quality when fer¬ 
tilized with high-flavored varieties. Differ¬ 
ences in the quality of certain v.arioties whicli 
have hitherto been attributed solely to the 
character of soil and climate m,ay Jiave boon 
owing to causes of this kind. This is a most 
important .and interesting subject, and if. is 
much to be desired that accurate .and exton 
sive experiments will lead to definite results 
(^apemnes should not be pruned severely 
at this season. Pinching in of tlio end and side 
shoots IS sufficient, and these should never be 
cut back farther than to the lowest loaf. 
the AMERICAN 
NEW STKAWBEBBT BBDS.^ 
The g.ardener to let the 
berries for “ Jj, Jr it has become an 
bed take care of itse f af 
pulling 
[Abn 
beds that are from „„yi,e,nisiiipui.i-B 
theonlycare bestowed upon theinis 1 
or mowing off the weeds that woum 
or mowing vu rni.ft bemes 
lieviu» 
are getting smaller and fewei j • 
ra In lh.y will 1 . 
wild ones in the meadows. 
In the fii-st place, a bed should .not be 
allowed to get into such a tangled. 
condition. 
I know it seems hard to go m 
and cut out a splendid gi'owth of vines to 
is trying to occupy the ground space between 
the rows; but it must be done, anc 
- established .and 
be- 
boundary lines vigorously 
maintained, or the patch will quickly 
como unmanageable. Let each row lave a 
strip .about a foot wide, and then confine the 
plants to that by cutting out the remaining 
space between the rows each fall, after the 
season’s growth is over. This leaves a chance 
for cultivation, and for working in manuie 
about the rows. If the plants become too 
matted in the row, it is an easy matter to cut 
out narrow spaces with the hoe or other im¬ 
plement. Beds that are kept cutback in this 
way need mulching especially. A matted 
bed, with more or less weeds and grass on 
the surface of the gi’ound, will furnish pretty 
much all the mulching needed of itself ; but 
a patch that is kept well trimmed must be 
mulched, or it will suffer from the frosts and 
thaws of winter. 
But beds will run out with the best of 
care, and should never be left more than 
three years, and many go6d gi'owers advo¬ 
cate but two. If well cared for, I find that 
they udll do as well the third year as the 
second, and I don’t like to move any oftener 
than is really necessary. If the white grubs 
get into a patch, plow it up. if it has been in 
bearing but a ye.ar. Where those trouble¬ 
some pests abound, beds will have 'to be re¬ 
newed often, for every year the eggs of 
the beetle, from which come the grubs, will 
be deposited afresh. I think, too. that, un¬ 
less very intelligently managed, a piece of 
gi-ound uill soon become exhausted in those 
p.artieular properties demanded by the Straw- 
ben-y. Rotation of crops is as necessary hero 
as elsewhere. 
It is no great task to set out a bed large 
enough to supply an ordinary family The 
and mellow; t hen m*ivlr r.,.f n 
f out the rows wit h n 
finrow in,which to sot the plants 
care should bo 
out, a little 
a little 
In sotting 
spreading tho roots somewhat bofornr’’ 
and pros.sing down tho oarth T 1 ' 
■nii-y in sotting out sncl Jl! ‘'o 
them down in a littlo I, chuck” 
out strawberry pla.i^ JarJiliJil'"'' 
boforo cold weather sols in ^ mi 
uro well mulched, they wil Li . ''’"'.y 
w “rs: 
grown than 
the StrawbeiTy. It is just the fruit 
to gi-ow who have only a limited 
of space at their disposal. Eve 
whether on the farm or in the 
town,-should have its Strawberry H 
IMPEEPEOT geape pertilization 
A correspondent in Herkimer Co v 
writesI have a Brighton.Grape-vinl 
years old, located on the south side '*^'^®" 
house in sandy loam soil. It has hee 
pruned, .and when it should have fruiTd*"”' 
stamens were deformed and the hun V***® 
Grapes very imperfect. 
“ Is this defect rare with tho Brighto 
is th ere any remedy ? 
“ Has soil, location, or method of pn, • 
anvthing to do with the cause nt 
'I’lioro is no fruit more 
ything to do with the cause of this defect"! 
REPLY BY E. WILLIAMS. 
This must be an exceptional ease, as in 
ray experience aud observation with th 
Brighton, it rarely failed to make fall and 
perfect clusters. If summer pruning has not 
been properly performed, it is quite probable 
that the buds on the spurs were weak and 
destitute of sufficient vitality; hence the 
difficulty. It strong, well-developed base- 
buds will be secured on the canes, I think 
tliere will be no trouble ordinarily in scent¬ 
ing perfect clusters with this system of spnp- 
priuiiiig. 
A recent writer, in giving instructions how 
to prune a vine, makes this statement: 
“ Shoots from the axillary buds, where the 
old aud new wood are joined, will hardly ever 
produce fruit. The first bud beyond an asil 
will be found fruitful, but the clusters that 
gi'ow from the next bud and several further 
on will gener.ally be the shouldered bunches 
of the crop.” 
This is a loose statement, and is only true 
or partially so -when applied to vines allowed 
to gi-ow at r.andom after the winter pruning, 
and not true in regard 'to vines properly 
checked by judicious summer pruning. The 
axillary buds on vines thus treated will not 
only prove fi-uitfiil, bnt the clusters will he 
found to bo as good as any others, and spur- 
pruning on such vines only will be found 
entirely satisfactory. In other words, short 
spnr-pnining, i. e., two buds, and summer 
]3niiiing must go together to secure best 
results. 
If I have suggested the cause of youroor- 
respondent’s difficulty, I have also sugges*^ 
tho remedy. But wo have other varieties 
in which this defect sooms to be iiiliw®*'*^ 
constitutional; prominent among which na 
Agawam, Lindloy. Massasoit, Black Eag^> 
LoHiinco, etc. '.I'hcso, with me, producei®’ 
perfect cliistors more fi-oquoutly than 
enos. fl'hoy promise well in tho bud, o'" 
tho promises wore cni'riod out in thobloei^ 
i'lg and sctling, or rather in holdinfC®'’’ ^ 
for it may bo said that a Griipo is sot be 
it blooms,— tliroo-qimrtor or even 
eliistovs of those vnriotios would not bo” 
usual. 
Vinos badly iiffoctod with mildewIn®^' 
show its oll’oct this sunsou, in 
aud impoi’foct clusters.. Tho irUdo'i ” 
is goiiorally very siitisfactory in ol'isto’'i _ 
this 
season coniplaiiicd of on a'l 
making poor ohistors. A iioighbor, w 
horotoPoro boon roinnvkably suooossfu 
it.ro])orts an oiitirofailure this seftSon»th j 
tho early promise was as good as usu 
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