24 
THE 
AMERICA N GARPE^ 
SBASONABIiE HUfTS. 
Whatever preferences and theories fruit¬ 
growers may have as to the best season for 
pruning, there is no month in the year din¬ 
ing which it can be performed more con¬ 
veniently than February. The 
ground is 
still hard so that it is easy to move about 
and cart away the brush ; the absence of 
foliage e.vposes every 
plain view; the days are rapidly becoming 
longer and warmer ; and above all there is 
more leisure now than at any other season. 
Pnmino 7Vees.—In well manage 1 orchards 
it becomes seldom necessary to cutaway very 
large limbs, the trees having been so trained 
when young that there will not be any super¬ 
fluous main branches. But as not all orchards 
are in this enviable condition, large branches 
will sometimes have to be removed. In this 
case the wounds thus produced should be cov¬ 
ered with some substance that protects them 
agiiinst the influence of water and air, else 
rot soon sets in, and will ultimately destroy 
or seriously injure the entire tree. Grafting 
wax, shellac dissolved in alcohol, mastic, 
cow dung and clay, and other substances 
are used for this purpose, but for conve¬ 
nience of application and, at the same time, 
answering all pui-poses nothing is better 
adapted than the ready mixed common 
paints, applied undiluted. 
Pruning Grape Vines .—There is no more 
vexatious question confronting the amateur 
fruit-grower than what to do with an old, 
neglected, entangled grape-vine ; and the 
advice he generally gets—to cut it down and 
plant a new one—is about as satisfactoi-y to 
him as that of exterminating bugs by set¬ 
ting the house on fire. Both remedies are 
radical but they do not always answer all 
purposes. 
In pruning gi-ape-vines, old or young, the 
main point to keep in view is that the fruit 
is borne only on young wood, therefore all 
the old, naked branches, farther than serv¬ 
ing as a support to the fruit bearing canes, 
are only so much dead weight which has to 
be nourished with food t at .should be 
devoted to the production of fruit. 
If there are any young canes starting from 
near the roots of old vines, thc.se should be 
taken good care of and made to form the 
frame of the rejuvenated vine, while a few 
of the largest, bare old branches may be cut 
away entirely. Tbc remaining ones should 
be tied up so as to allow as much room and 
sunlight to the young canes as possible. The 
following year another part, or all of the old 
wood may be cut off according to tbc growth 
and vigor of the young canes. If t],crc 
should be no young shoots at all it is general¬ 
ly best to layer one of the most vigorous and 
flexible branches to a convenient spot and 
treat like a young vine. In a ycai' or two it 
may be detached from the parent vine whose 
place it may now take. 
Pruning Raspberries and Blackberries at 
this season consists simply in removing 
all old dead canes and shortening in last 
year’s growth. If they have been summer 
MANAflBMENT OF 
ad grai 
frequent subject 
Whether the 
SS:jr::-^^over^d grass and re- 
™ain undisturbed is still a 
of inquiry m g^yg Superin- 
The object in 
01 IIHIUIIJ - 
Acrricultural Department, 
tondent Wm. Saunders. 
gmieraf treatment which best 
trees in a healthy state of growth, and at the 
same time keeps them in a condition of pio- 
pruned, as advised in 
previous numbers. 
only the side branches have to be clipped to 
about eight or ten inches, but when this has 
been neglected the main canes have to be 
cut lack and lied lo stdies or trellises. 
.ood, whether the treatment involves the 
plowing and cultivation of the soil, 01 
whether these good results are attained by 
sowing the orchard in gi’ass, and keeping 
the surface covered with sod. 
It is well known that eminently productive 
and profitable orchards can be shown under 
both of the above systems of management, 
for the time being. Cultivation or non¬ 
cultivation are simply expedients to be 
adopted in gaining certain wished-foi re¬ 
sults; the primary mistake is to attempt to 
turn either expedient into a fixed and un¬ 
changeable system. 
The processes generally included in the 
term cultivation, such as plowing, harrow¬ 
ing, ifec., are all favorable to the encourage¬ 
ment of growth in plants, and when ap¬ 
plied to fruit trees, the usual result of in¬ 
creased vigor will be produced. But it is 
also well understood that the greatest vigor 
of growth is not always combined with the 
gi-eatest productiveness of fruit; on the con¬ 
trary, it is a recognized fact that a tree can¬ 
not display unusually great vigor of growth 
and at the same time be corrcspondinglj' 
fruitful. 
On the other hand, it is common know¬ 
ledge that trees growing in poor soil, and 
without receiving cultivation of any kind, 
will not long continue to maintain sulficient 
vitality to enable them to produce perfect 
fruit, nor, indeed, fruit of any quality. 
These extremes of poverty and luxuriance 
are similar, inasmuch as neither condition 
is the best for the production of fruit, and 
therefore the efforts of the fruit-grower 
should constantly be directed towarris a 
medium between these oxtiemc.s. 
When trees have reached a fruit-bcarino- 
•size, but give no evidence of a fruit-bcariiirr 
disposition, it may be assumed that their 
barrenness is owing to the excessive growth 
and It will therefore bo in order to adopt 
some means of checking tlio growth, and as 
a imnscqucnco, induce tlio trees to bear fruit 
tins yect, but perhaps there are none so 
he orer" laying 
tlic orclirU'd in £?rn.KR i » »-i 
’’77” 
mem, lo,> 
new thcii' vigor; and, further, ' ' 
Poartobe stunted an,!''''■"“V''” 
aurface stimulants, the grass ilvT""!’ 
under and a system of h ^ ^ ’® l’’'>"'od 
tion delermines Uiat it is 11 ""f "bsorva- 
to follow in the ease n ‘' ‘"■‘‘®''ioe 
The conditions of tl , 1!'" 
'-^’--teyidence 
chard should be cultivated or kent • 
Each orchard will] answer the 
itself. It is not a question as 
visability of establishing a system bn 
either expedient, although itis 
erroneously submitted in that shape 
THE KIEPPEE PEAeT 
It is an old saying that the best 
prove a pudding is to eat it, and 11 *^*'' 
the best plan to prove the value of 
fruit is to put it on the market and 
people decide. I am aware that hst 
there were made some famous sales T*®" 
fruit, which were duly reported but tl 
suits of those sales were not pubr?®’ 
Why! because they were not in kee ■ 
witli the sales; for those who purcliasecfl? 
Pears for their beauty and upon the rec 
raendation of the salesman were disappoi*"* 
ed with the fruit. I do not hesitate to”'*' 
that the propagators of this variety did t^ 
fruit more harm by ascribing to it qualities 
it does not possess, than its enemies did' 
belittling it, for in the one instance thepu" 
chaser was disappointed in not finding the 
expected extra good qualities, while its en. 
cmios overlooked the really good ones it 
does possess. 
There is no doubt in my mind that the 
Kioffer will never be classed among the fine 
varieties of eating Pears, but this is no 
reason to suppose it destitute of any merit 
whatever, and debarred from occupying 
another not less honoi-able position. This 
Pear will be sought for in large quantities 
by the middle class of dealers and consum¬ 
ers and by restaurants for cooking purposes. 
It is a singular fact that good cooking Pears 
arc a scarce article in our market, and this 
scarcity has depreciated their consumption 
so much that they are found on but few 
tables in our city. 
The Kieller will fill this great want, for 
when properly managed it appears in more 
golden beauty than any other variety. Be¬ 
sides it is never false hearted or rots at the 
core, but has a firm juicy' flesh slightly acid 
and not of disagreeable flavor, some tliink 
it tinctured with the Quince. I had some 
very beautiful ones sent to mo this season, 
and calling the attention of some dealers to 
them, they all decided that they never had 
seen a h.aiidsomer looking Pear. These were 
shipped in boxes containing a trifle less than 
a bii.shol, and sold, the selected ones, kw 
per box and tho second quality fr'i"' 
$1.50 to $1.75 per box. They foundare.i I 
market at those prices and many more cou 
have boon sold at tho same price. 
For preserving, the KiolTer will ^ 
much in doiiiand; its largo size, lu"’® " ^ 
ness, and rich, sprightly flavor 
make it admirably adapted for *■**'‘‘'1”’'^ 
Gultivators of this variety 
cautious in picking it. Being a late ''l’‘^^.j|| 
it must not bo jiickcd too ',1 ,.|)1- 
not color well, and without being ^ 
ored, sales will not bo found 
its boatily isits cliiof attraction in m- 
It is a good kooiior. I have some 
middle of .lamiary, that aro as souin • 
day they were jiicked. Persons ''^puio 
them tho eomliig season should 
away in a cool place where I’''®-'!'. 
the coloring as well as tho keeping 1^ 
so that ill the future they need to 
tbeir fruit upon the market when > 
be sold for a low price. 1^. " • 
