190 
'THE 
AMERIC/^ 
gard^ 
Atigtast, 
SEASOHABLE EDTES. 
“Do you advise summer or spring plant¬ 
ing of Strawberries?” is the essence of sev¬ 
eral letters before us. This is one of those 
questions which cannot be answered uuqual- 
ifledly, as each system has its advantages. 
Presuming that there is .‘ih’ead}'^ a thrifty, 
clean Strawberry bed on the place, from 
which a fair crop may reasonably be expect¬ 
ed next year, it will make little difference in 
the final results whether plants are set out 
now, or in the fall, or next spring. But when 
there are no Strawberries at all on the place, 
or, the old plants have been killed by frost 
last winter, then we would decidedly advise to 
plant at the earliest moment practicable. 
Potted Plants have many advantages over 
ordinary layers for summer planting. “Pot¬ 
ted plants are a humbug,” some all-knowing 
ones will say. Poor potted plants may be 
worthless, to be sure, and a fraud—that is, 
the nurseryman who palms them off for good 
oues—but they are no more a humbug than 
flour is a humbug because the last barrel 
bought from the grocer was musty or sour. 
Plants that are pot-bound, or such as have 
not yet formed a good ball of roots, are cer¬ 
tainly not to be recommended, but with good, 
well-rooted plants failure is hardly possible. 
If properly taken care of tliey will produce 
as large if not a larger crop of berries next 
season than is obtainable in any otlier way. 
The principal objection that can be made 
against them is that, when they have to be 
procured from a distance, the cost of trans¬ 
portation adds considerably to their cost. 
Fruit Trees, as a inle, receive too little at¬ 
tention at this season. Sprouts that spring 
up around the trunks of trees may be done 
away with now more effectually than at any 
other season. The soil should be dug away 
around them, and the shoots cut clean away 
at the starting point; thus treated few will 
come again, whiie when cut off in spring in 
the usual manner, they will only start again 
more vigorously. 
'The Codling Moth, although not native to 
our country, is increasing at a frightful rate. 
Ihe female moth deposits her eggs, about 
fifty, singly in the blossom end of the Ajj- 
ple, just as it is forming generally. The egg 
hatches in about a week, when the young worm 
at once works its way to the core of tlie 
fiuit. After reacliing maturity it leaves the 
fruit and seeks a hiding place where to s])in 
its cocoon, generally under the loose hark 
and in the cracks of the tree. Some of the 
larvaj escape before the fiuit drops, fmt a 
great many of the unripe Apjiles found on 
the ground still contain the larv.-c, aiirl in 
this we have the easiest and surest remedy 
for this pest. By jiicking up every few days 
all tlie fruit drojiped, and feeding or burning 
it, great numbers of worms may be destroyed. 
Mildew on Grapevines usually makes its 
appearance tills month, csiiecially on thin¬ 
leaved varieties. Dusting the affected vines 
with “flowers of siiljihur” is the best remedy, 
it should he used at once as soon as the first 
signs appear, and not only on the afleeted 
parts, but over this entire vines. ,Sulphur 
bellows, made for tlie purpose, are tlie most 
convenient for applying this powder. 
thebe STEAWBEEEIES. 
Three new Strawberries have so fi 
entered for The Asiewcan <^J'®^4eld, 
The Jewell, by P. M. Augur of ^ 
Conm: the Parker Earl, by Jno. l-J^ove^ 
been 
prize: 
the Parker -- . _ „,iiino- 
of Little Sliver, N. j., of 
U,. Princeton, 
them at 
cuitiva- 
new sorts 
long as 
quarters that there is 
tlicse varieties lias made an 
so far, and we liope that one ot 
least will surpass anything now ni 
tioii in any country. 
But tlicrc should be a score of 
in competition for this prize, and we t 
not that more will conic forward m due 
time. We seek to stimulate the production 
of more valuable varieties, to the end ol 
benefiting the entire fruit-growing public. 
Tlicrc is plenty of room for improvement, 
it is openly clnimecl in many 
now no better market 
berry than the Wilson, wliilc otlicrs liold up 
tlie Sharplcss as supreme. Yet few pcojile 
claim even a preference for the Wilson for 
quality, and tlie Sharpless in many gardens 
is very inferior in ripening, is hollow and 
pulpy, and gets soft quickly. A cs, tlicin is 
pleiitj' of room for effort in tlie production 
of new varieties while IVilson, Crescent, 
Champion, Sharpless and otlier inferioi 
kinds liold prominent place. 
THE QOOSEBERET. 
Until recently our fruit-growers liave 
given but little attention to Gooseberry Cul¬ 
ture, finding that varieties that are grown to 
perfection in the moist, cool climate of Eng¬ 
land could not be successfully cultivated 
undqr the influence ot our dry and hot sea¬ 
sons. Wildew and sun-scald afleeted seed¬ 
lings of these sorts; in like manner, in conse¬ 
quence of which fruit-growers had given up 
the matter and reconciled themselves to the 
only three native varieties under general cul¬ 
tivation here. 
The older of these, Houghton Seedling, is 
a direct descendant of our common native 
species and originated in Massachusetts; the 
other two are the Downing and Smith's Im¬ 
proved, whicli are seedlings of the Houghton 
and are excellent sorts; hut there is no rea¬ 
son to doubt that we may j'et see much ini- 
provemont over the best of these, at least 
we should not be content without making 
steady and constant effort witli that in point 
of view by e.xpc.rinientiiig. 
'llic Industry, a variety recently intro¬ 
duced, although of foreign origin has thus 
far given very flattering results. Its ability 
to withstand the vicissitudes of our climate 
in various sections has, however, yet to be 
fully established. 
Several other seedlings of large size are 
under trial in various parts of the countrv, 
so that among all these on-coming new sorts 
we may reasonably e'xpeet some improve¬ 
ment, and iierhajis a real “honanza” will be 
discovered. 
Ill England the Lancashire weavers 
for many years held a reputation lor 
raising the largest and llnest Gooseberries 
that the conntiy affords. A painpldet piib- 
li.shed each year at Manchester gives a list 
ot the prize sorts and other iiiCorniatloii. 
A list of 700 jirize varieties is given in Liudl 
ley’s “Guide to the Orchard.” 
in favorable seasons with extra care .some 
of tlie English sorts, such as Whltesniltli and 
Grown Bob, may be grown in this country 
They should be given a somewhat moist and 
partly .shaded location, a light mulch ap¬ 
plied and if mildew appears, a frequent but 
light applieation of flowers of sulphur may 
check it somewhat. 
For our native kinds the common Currant- 
worm is the worst enemy, but may be easily 
squelched by an application of pure helle¬ 
bore, either dusted on or by mixing with 
.^ygiter—about one oz. per pailful, and apply, 
in'o- with a garden sprinkler. After the 
fruiting season is over, or in young plants 
not yet in fruit, a dry application of slug 
shot is cheaper, more easily applied and just 
as effectual. Buliach is equally effective. 
W. H. Rand. 
apples POE NOETHEEN NEW ENGLAND. 
A farmer in northcrh Vermont, allured by 
the trcc-pccldlcr’s picture book, planted alarge 
orchard of Baldwins, R. I. Greenings, and 
Northern Spy’s. Now he wishes that he had 
planted Wealthy’s anel other Apples of Rus¬ 
sian origin, or descent, instead, and that the 
jieddler had never crossed the .State line. 
But he has one advantage over his Connecti¬ 
cut brother, mentioned on page 14.5 of the 
June Gakden. His trees are all dead to the 
ground, and lie has only to begin again with¬ 
out any incumbrance on his grounds, or any 
temptation to delay. 
Moeal, in both casesAn intending or- 
chardist should seek instinction in the busi¬ 
ness elsewhere than from tree-peddlers; and 
should understand that as “what is one man’s 
meat is another man’s i)oison,'’ so the selec¬ 
tions for orchard planting in different sec¬ 
tions of this vast country are necessarily as 
different as the sections. Here is a list for 
northern New England, which does not in¬ 
clude a single variety now grown in south¬ 
ern New England and New York, yet every 
one of them is the equal, in its season and 
use, of tlie best fruits of like season and use 
ill that section. 
Su.UJiEU: Yellow Transp.arent, Grand Sul¬ 
tan, Charlottenthaler, Tetof.sky. 
Autu.^in : Switzer, Peach of Alontreal, St. 
Peter's Proliflc Sweeting, Duchess of Olden- 
burgh, Golden 'White. 
'Winter: Wealthy, Scott's Winter, New¬ 
port Winter Sweet, Alelntosh Red, Giant 
Swan (of Arinnesota). 
In addition, we have on trial tlie follow¬ 
ing most promising Winter Russians from 
the importations of the Iowa Agricultural 
College:—Longlield, Aiitonovka, Anis, Ti- 
tovka, Ara bskoe and Bogdanoff. These Rus¬ 
sian and “iron-clad’' .Apples have their place, 
and a,big one, in these United States. 
Dr. T. H. Hoskins. 
quality and 
STRAWBEEEY 
QUANTITY IN 
OULTUEE. 
High (iiiality of fruit generally implies a 
weakened growth of foliage accompanied by 
a lack of vitality, (iuantity causes a similar 
lave defect, through over-taxation of the foliage. 
Varieties noted for productiveness “mu 
out,” as is said, after a few years for want 
of toliage. Most, of the new varieties of the 
'Illy liiil hi l.his iiartUiuliir, so that ainoti^ 
originators of new varieties it Isa well recog¬ 
nized fact that, foliage gtve.s way to fruit in 
the ,Strawberr.y. |.’oli,,ge becomes the im¬ 
portant tiling to preserve In successful eul- 
tnre. 
bio 
Not too dense a mass, nor of too fee- 
growth. In the one case the berry 
