ABVERTISEMSNT. THE FRUIT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO. Rev. R. Burnet, Hamilton, - - D. W. Beadle, St. Catharines, - President. Secretary. The Annual Report, illustrated with accurately executed en- gravings, and with one or more finely coloured fruit-plates, con- tains a large amount of very valuable information, and is sent, post-paid, to every member. A number of fruit trees are distributed every year to each member for trial. The entire expense of this distribution is borne by the Association, the members being required only to make report to the Association, through the Secretary, of the results of such trial. The Swayzie Pomme Grise Apple tree will be distributed in the Spring of 1875; the Downing Gooseberry in that of 1874; and the Tetofsky Apple in the Spring of 1876. Other selections will be made for distribution from time to time, as the Directors ascertain what varieties it is desirable to test. Prizes are given for Essays, Canadian Seedling Fruits, &c., of which a full announcement will be found in the Annual Report. Any person can become a member by sending the annual fee of one dollar to the Secretary. Any member who will take the trouble to send the names and fees of five new members, will re- ceive a double number of trees at the next distribution. 1 CANADIAN Fruit, Flower AND Kitchen Gardenei\» 1872. CANADIAN FRUIT, FLOWER, AKD KITCHEN GARDENER. BT D. W. BEADLE, Esq., Secretary of the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario, Editor m being rocked about by the wind, sheds off the rain and melting snow, and in some measure keeps out the frost. In the spring, before the dry weather sets in, this mound should be levelled off and the ground mulched as in spring planting. Preparing the soil for the reception of trees does not receive that attention which its importance demands. If the ground has been well prepared, the growth of the trees will fully compensate for the labor. An excellent method of preparation is to summer-fallow the ground, giving it frequent ploughings and stirrings, so that it may be thoroughly pulverized. If it need manure, it should be put on in a weU-rotted condition, as for a crop of grain, and thoroughly mixed and incorporated with. 24 TRANSPLANTING. the soil If the ■whole ground be made thus mellow and rich before the trees are planted, they ■will live and make a good growth the first season; hut if planted in hard soil, very often in a sod, no wonder that many of them die, and that those which live make a starved and sickly growth. Many persons, after preparing the ground in this way, think they cannot afford to lose so much labor just for an orchard, and so, as a matter of economy, they sow wheat or rye or some other grain, and plant their yoimg trees in the grain. This is, beyond question, a false economy ; but, if it must be done, let no graiu grow within four feet of any tree. The grain will absorb the rains and dews and moisture that the young tree needs, and so rob the tree of its necessary nourishment, for trees can take up nourishment only in a liquid form. The writer was requested by a neighbor to examine his young orchard, which, he said, seemed to be all dying, and he was unable to account for it. The orchard had been planted the year before, in good rich sod, which was well drained, and had been made perfectly mellow, and the trees had not only lived but made a very fine growth. But this year, since the hot weather had set in, the leaves had begun to wilt and wither, and some of them to turn yellow, and the yoimg shoots to shrivel and dry up. On arriving at the orchard, the trees were found standing in a field of most luxuriant rye, reaching, in many places, quite into the branches of the trees. It was at once recommended that the rye should be pulled up around the trees, BO that there should be a circle of eight feet in diameter left clear aroimd each tree, and that the rye so piilled up be spread on the ground aroimd the trees as a mulch. This was done, and the trouble was at once arrested ; many of the trees revived whoUy, some lost only the ends of the young shoots that had become too much wilted to survive, while a few of the trees had already suffered so much that they were past all recovery. Another thing that must not be overlooked in the preparation of the ground is drainage. Fruit trees cannot grow in water, and care must be taken to draw off all stagnant watiCr not only from TfiANSPLANTINa. 25 the surface soil, but from the suhsoiL Mach can be done to effect this by ploughing the ground into lands of the same "width as the intended space bet^veen the rows of trees. By repeated ploughings, turning the furrow always towards the centre of the land, the ground may be thrown up to the required height, and the trees planted along the middle of each land. This method will be foimd particularly beneficial ^here the ground is naturally level, or the subsoil cold and sterile. A naturally rolling surface, with a porous subsoil, is to be preferred for fruit trees wherever it can be had. In Planthtg, the trees should not be set into the cold and barren sub-soil, but if the surface soil be too shallow to receive the roots, it is better to throw the earth up around the tree so as to cover the roots to the proper depth and keep them in the mel- low and fertile soil. Trees have been planted where the surface sod is thin, by spreading out the roots on the surface of the ground and covering them with earth, and they lived and grew well, whereas, if they had been planted in holes dug in the ordi- nary way they would never have been worth anything. It is a common error to plant trees too deep. They should not be set 80 as to stand any deeper after the ground has become settled than they stood in the nursery. The holes should be dug large enough in diameter to admit of the roots being spread out in their natural position, not coiled up or turned up at the ends, and the soil in the bottom of the hole should be loosened up and made crowning in the centre ; upon this the tree shoidd be set, and the roots spread out in a natural way. The rich and thor- oughly pulverized surface soil should be carefully filled in, and worked with the fingers among the roots, and pressed down gently with the foot. When all is complete the surface should be left loose and friable, not trodden hard, as is often done, and should be made neaily level with the surrounding sod, if the planting be done in the spring ; but if it be done in the fall, make a mound of earth over the roots and aroiuid the stem of the tree, as already recommended. In settling the earth about the root& t26 TBANSPLANTINO. of the tree, do not shake it up and down or swing it ahout, but let it be held firmly in place while the earth is being placed among and over the roots. Mulching, by which is meant the spreading of coarse manure, half rotted straw, or any other litter on the ground over the roots of the trees, will be always found of great service in keep- ing the ground cool and moist, and promoting the growth of newly transplanted trees, particularly if the succeeding summer should be hot and dry. There is a substitute for mulching that is perhaps better than a mulch, but in the hurry of summer work it is so sure to be neglected that the planter had better mulch his trees as soon after planting as possible. If, however, he will keep the ground loose and friable around his trees by frequently stirring the surface, and never allow it to become baked and hard, he may safely dispense with mulching. But because it is recom- mended to spread coarse manure on the surface of the groxmd, let it not be therefore inferred that it is ever advisable to place fresh manure in the soil about the roots of the trees. It is very apt to kill newly planted trees, and sure to do more harm than good. If it is thought necessary to enrich the soil, old and perfectly rotted manure may be thoroughly incorporated with it, but tha safer way is to place the manure on the surface, and let its fertir lizing properties be gradually washed down by the rains. It is very seldom that trees which have been carefully taken up, care- fully planted, and well mulched, wiU require any Watebino during the dry summer weather. If it should become necessary, however, to give them water, it should be done thoroughly. A mere moistening of the surface of the ground is worse than none at all. Give enough to penetrate down to where the roots lie and to soak the ground about them thoroughly. And now, if the trees have not been mulched, it should be done immediately, in order to prevent the evaporation of the water that has been given, and the baking and cracking of the earth under the rays of a scorching sun. If no litter can be had with which to mulch, effect the same result by stirring the surface a few hours after the water has been given, and before the sun has baked the TRANSPLANTING. 27 eartli. K this be not attended to, better not to give any water at all, for the hot sun will only bake the earth the harder for your watering. The TREES MOST SUITABLE FOR PLANTING are young, healthy trees of from two to four years' growth. It is difficult to transplant large trees successfully, on account of the impossibility of preserving the small fibrous roots, which are most numerous towards the extremities of the large roots, in sufficient quantity to support the tree. It is through the small fibrous roots that the tree derives its nourishment from the ground, and, therefore, the more numerous they are the more likely the tree is to thrive, and more of these can be taken up entire in removing a small tree than a large one. Young trees, that have been grown in suitable soil and properly taken up, wiU be furnished with a good supply of roots. The best soil in which to grow young trees for transplanting is a good, sandy loam. They will make much better and more fibrous roots in such a soil than when grown in stiff clay, and are consequently more likely to live and thrive well when transplanted. Some have entertained the opinion that trees from a sandy soil wiU not thrive when planted in clay, and that trees from a clay soil will not thrive when removed to sandy soil. This is a great mistake. A tree well supplied with fibrous roots will thrive in any soil, and the nurse- ryman who consults the best interests of his customers will select a rich, sandy loam in which to grow lus yoimg trees, experience having taught us that in such a soil they throw out an abundance of small and fibrous roots. In taking up a tree, it is im- possible but that some of the roots will be cut off, but a tree that has been well taken up will have something of the appearance shoAvn in Fig. 20 ; Fia n. Fia 22. Fic. 20. 28 TRANSPLANTING. but trees that resemble Fig. 21 have been badly dug, and those are worse dug that look like Fig. 22. It may be often of great advantage to procure the trees when they are two years old, plant them out in a nice piece of rich, loamy soil, in rows four feet apart and two feet apart in the row. Trees grown in this way, for a couple of years, make a splendid mass of roots, can be transplanted into orchard form at the owner's convenience, and are sure to live and do well. Low, stout-bodied trees are much better than those that are tall and slender. The diameter of the trunk of a tree is of much greater importance than its height. A tree that has a stout body is more surely healthy and well-rooted, and will be able to support a top and keep erect, while a tall, slender tree is apt to have slender, tapering roots, and is often too weak-bodied to sustain the top without being tied to a stake. Besides all this, in some parts of the country where the cold is severe, it has been ascertaiued by actual trial that stout trees, with low heads, are much better able to resist the cold than those which are trained high, with long, exposed trunks. We strongly urge upon planters living in the colder sections of the country to select stout, low- headed trees, and keep them branched low, being assured they wiU be more healthy and live longer, and yield more and finer fruit than when trained high. Trees, when received by the planter, should be kept from the drying effect of the sun and wind imtil he is ready to plant them out. The most convenient and effectual method is to dig a trench, into which the roots are placed and covered with soiL Here the trees can remain safely until it is convenient to plant them. This is called heeling-in. On taking them out for planting the roots should be examined, and any bruised or mutilated parts pared smoothly with a sharp knife, and any injured or broken branches pruned smoothly, or entirely removed. In planting, the roots should be covered with a mat or old bit of rug, or anything, indeed, that will keep them from getting dry. Heeling in may be also practised where it is not desired to plant TRANSPLANTING. 29 the trees in the autumn, and it is not practicable or convenient to obtain the trees direct from the nursery in the spring. But in such cases the roots must he "well secured from frost, and the tops also should be covered with branches of evergreens. Shortening the side branches and a portion of the top of the tree at the time of transplanting iu the spring is advisable, in order to restore the proportions between the root and the top. Judgment must be exercised in this operation, keeping in mind that the object is to lessen the amount of foliage somewhat, because the quantity of roots have been lessened. As a rule, about one-third of the top, including the side branches, may be removed. In cutting away the side branches, it is better merely to cut them back, leaving three or four buds, instead of cutting them off close to the body of the tree. The circulation through the trunk of the tree is kept up by the foliage that will form on these spurs, whereas, if cut off close to the trunk, the exposed wood seasons back into the trunk, and if there be many of them, seriously interferes with the circulation of the sap. For this reason do not cut off the small spurs and leaf-buds which may be on the body of the tree. They materially aid in keeping the body firesh and sound, and the sap in free and healthy circulation. After the tree has become established they may be removed, and then the sUght wound will rapidly heal over. The After-treatment of young orchards consists in keeping the ground mellow and in good heart. Doubtless the very best thing for the trees is to keep the ground thoroughly cultivated, the surface loose and friable, and free from weeds, without attempting to raise any cropj but this is not to be expected of the most of our planters, who hardly feel able to till the soil so thoroughly for so many years without any return. Hoed crops are the best to raise in an orchard, treating each tree as a part of the crop, giving it the same manuring and cultivation as the rest. Cereals, as rye, wheat, barley and oats, are not so suitable, and there can be nothing worse for a young orchard than to seed it down and let it lie in grass to be mown or pastured. If put 30 TRANSPLANTING. down in grass, let it never be cut, or if cnt, left to decay on th& ground where it grew. A top dressing of lime at the rate of twenty bushels to the acre may be applied with benefit, especi- ally about the time the trees come into bearing, to be renewed every three or four years. Ashes, leached or tmleached, crushed or ground bones, gypsum or plaster, chip manure from the old wood pde, horn shavings, wool waste, and occasionally a light coating of well rotted barn-yard manure, will all be found benefi- cial to the orchard, applying these in such quantities, and at such intervals, as will keep the orchard in a healthy condition, but not induce an excessive wood growth. After the trees have become so large as to shade most of the ground, it will no longer be pro- fitable to grow crops of any kind in the orchard. It may now be seeded down to grass, which should not be removed from the orchard, but suffered to remain and decay on the ground. This will serve as an eKceUent protection to the roots, and by its decomposition enrich the sod. A dressing of ashes, bone dust or plaster, should not be neglected ; it will be amply returned ia the increased beauty, size and quantity of fruit. To Protect the Trees prom Mice, which are often very destructive to young trees by gnawing off the bark at the surface of the groiind, and, when they become numerous, injure even bear- ing trees, the trees may be painted with the following mixture, which is recommended by Downing. Take one spadeful of hot slaked lime, one of clean, fresh cow dung, haK a spadeful of soot, and a handful of flour of sulphur ; mix the whole together with sufl&cient water to bring it to the consistence of thick paint. In the autumn paint the trees with this mixture from the ground to the highest snow line, choosing dry weather in which to apply it. This is a perfectly safe application, and has been proved by repeated trial to be entirely harmless to the tree. In those parts of the country where the snow is seldom deep, it has been foimd that a mound of earth raised around the tree to the height of a. foot or so, enough to be above the ordinary level of the snow, will fully preserve the trees from their ravages, for they always- SOIL AND ASPECT. 31 work trader the snow, never in open daylight. Coarse paper may- be tied around the tree, and smeared with coal tar ; and some use strips of roofing-felt fastened around the trae ; others, old store pipe — in short, anything that will keep the mice from gnawing the bark. A WASH FOR THE TRUNKS AND BRANCHES is made by dissolviDg one pound of potash in two gallons of water. If this be applied with a brush or swab to the bark of the trunk and larger branches before the buds burst ia spring, it will make it smooth and glossy, and is sxire death to the bark-louse and aU insects and their eggs which harbor in the crevices and under the scales of the bark. It is also a great preservative from the attacks of insects, and seems to promote the health of the tree, giving a fresh and lively appearance to the bark. Soft soap — that which is ropy is preferable to that which is like jelly — is also an excellent preserva- tive from insects, and may be applied by rubbing it on with a coarse cloth. K the bark of the tree has become very rough, it is necessary to scrape off the loose pieces before applying the wash. This can be readily done by cutting a piece, in shape like a new moon, out of the edge of an old hoe, which will shape the edge of the hoe so as to fit very nearly to the trunk of the tree. The soft soap is preferable to the potash wash for old trees with, such thick and rough bark. SOIL A25D ASPECT. It is essentially necessary to the health and longevity of fruit trees, and the perfect development of the fi^t, that the soil in ■which they are planted should be perfectly drained ; and by this should be xmderstood not only the entire removal of all stagnant surface water, but of all stagnant water in the soO. If such a condition does not naturally exist, it should be secured by artificial means. To plant fruit trees where the roots must be soaked with excess of water during any long-continued period, can only be productive of disappointment and loss. This having 32 SOIL AND ASPECT. been secured, all other questions concerning the soil are, compara- tively, of little moment. Soils that will produce good crops of grain will be found weU adapted to fruit. The soUs best suited to the several fruits will be mentioned when we come to treat of the different fruits separately, but for most of the fruits of our climate, strong calcareous loams, that is, loams in which there is just enough sand to make them easily worked, and which are abundantly supplied with limestone, are the best suited to the raising of fruit. Deep vaUeys, with only small streams of water, are bad situations for fruit trees, for the reason that, in calm nights, the cold air settles down in these valleys, frequently killiug buds and blossoms, while on the adjacent hiQ-tops they entirely escape. Usually hill-sides, sloping to the west, are the best for fruit trees, protecting them from the rays of a bright sun after a clear frosty night. The borders of large rivers and lakes are favorable situations, large bodies of water having an ameliorating effect upon the temperature. Sometimes a slight mist rising from the water in the morning, after a frosty night, so softens the rays of the sun that the frost is drawn out very gradually, and the injurious effect of sudden thawing prevented. An aspect that is sheltered from the sweep of the prevailing winds by a belt of woodland, and particularly of evergreens, enjoys an immunity from extremes of cold which often prove injurious to more exposed orchards. As our forests fall before the axe, and the country is laid bare to the frost-laden winds of our Canadian winters, and the climate thereby becomes more harsh, the most successful fruit growers will be those who have sheltered their orchards by planting belts of evergreens, and, as strongly advised by Mr. Elliott, occasional evergreen trees, or clumps of them, scattered with judgment here and there through the orchard, and always 80 disposed as that their ameliorating effect shall be most bene- ficially felt by the adjacent fruit trees. Much might be writtei- on the value of such belts and clximps of trees to every farmer ; on the great benefits accruing, not only to the orchard, but to the INSECTS. 33 farm crops, to the stock, and to his own house — concerning their ameliorating influences on the temperature, on the purity and healthfuhiess of the atmosphere, on the electrical conditions favorable to animal and vegetable life, on the amount of rain and dew; but, alas, in this age of haste, an enlarged and enlightened pohcy, which takes into consideration the wants of a life-time, and plans with reference to the needs and comforts of years yet in the distance, is almost wholly lost in thoughts of immediate advantage. "Oh, I shall never live to reap the benefits of all this outlay and care," is a sufficient answer to all such suggestions, just as though man lived for himself alone. Is it nothing to have left behind you the impress of your enlarged views upon the acres your children shall till? Is it nothing to have laid fouii4ati showy appearance, there is none to excel this magnificent variety. THE CHERRY. 89 The fruit is of the very largest size; color, a beautiful amber yel- low, handsomely spotted with deep red, and the glowing crimson cheek very finely marbled j the flesh is very firm, juicy and of excellent flavor. Eipens about the middle of July. The tree is SLU erect, ^-igorous grower, bearing good, regular crops. In our own experience with this variety, we have found it very liable to rot on the tree before it became perfectly ripe; in truth, aU of this class of cherries seem to have this tendency in greater or less degree, and more if wet and warm weather prevail at the time of opening than when the weather is cool and dry. EocKPORT BiGARREAu. — Another of Dr. Kirtland's cherries, «f great beauty and excellence. The tree is remarkably healthy and vigorous, and forms a beautiful pyramidal head, and at the •same time is an excellent cropper. The fruit is of large size, in color a beautiful bright red shading to pale amber; the flesh is nearly firm, sweet, juicy, of a rich and pleasant flavor. It ripens about the middle of June. Tradescaxt's Black Heart. — Elkhorn. — This is one of the first varieties introduced into "Western Canada, and has there received a great many names. Of these the most common are JBlack Ox Heart, Ox Heart, and Black Heart. It is a vigorous, healthy tree, of erect habit, forming a tall pyramid, and an abun- dant bearer. The fruit is large, heart-shaped, having the same irregular surface as the Black Tartarian; color, a very deep pur- ple, changing when fully ripe to a deep glossy black, flesh very firm and solid, purple, not very juicy, sweet and high flavored. JBipe late in July. DUKES AITD MORELLOS. The varieties comprised under this head are more hardy than the Heart and Bigarreau cherries, consequently they endure severe cold much better, and may be successfully grown where the others fail. They are more acid also, some of the varieties abundantly so, and on that account are better adapted for cook- ing and canning than the sweeter sorts. We have selected half a dozen varieties which will be found to comprise all, and perhaps more than all, that it is desirable to plant. 90 THE OHEEIRT. Belle de Choist. — We have given this variety a place, be- cause in point of flavor it is one of the Lest if not the best of this section; but it is such a very shy bearer in all our experience and observation, that we cannot advise any one to plant it. Yet when the fruit can be had there is no cherry more delicious; it is of medium size, bright red in the sun, pale amber in the shade; flesh very tender, melting, juicy, and of a most delicate and agreeable flavor. It ripens about the first of July. Belle Magnipique. — The chief excellence of this variety is its lateness of ripening, it being in use about the middle of August. The fruit is of good size, bright red, with a juicy, ten- der flesh, of a sprightly, sub-acid flavor. It is desirable for cook- ing, and when allowed to remain on the tree untd very ripe, is a pretty good dessert fruit. The tree is moderately vigorous in growth and an abundant bearer. "We have found this variety ta be exceedingly liable to the attacks of the curculio in our grounds, we think the most so of all the cherries. Kentish. — Early Richmond. — Common Red. — Pie Cherry. — Montm.orency. — An old European variety introduced by the early settlers, and coming so nearly true from seed and yet some- times varying so much that from all these shades of variation there has arisen considerable confusion. "We notice that Mr. Downing, in his exhaustive work on the frmts and fruit trees of America, makes a second kind, which he calls the Late Kentish, but we have been unable to find any really permanent and dis- tinguishing differences, so imperceptibly do these all glide into one another. Those that seem to ripen earliest will hang on the tree and continue as long as the latest, while in general appear- ance, size, color, flavor, productiveness and hardihood they seem to be substantially the same. Undoubtedly, taking all things into consideration, it is the most valuable of all the cherries that can be grown in the Dominion of Canada. In the first place, it is the most hardy variety, capable of enduring a very severe degree of cold, and of accommodating itself to any variety of sod, from the stiffest clay to the lightest sand. Then it is a very constant and THE CHERET. 91 exceedingly abundant cropper, coming early into bearing and continuing to extremest old age. "Wben about half ripe, at whicli time the fruit is of a bright red, it may be used for pies, tarts and all cooking purposes, and -when fully ripe, when it has become of a dark mahogany color, it is a very agreeable dessert fruit; and if there be any cherry that can be profitably planted for market, this is the cherry that will yield the most sure re- turns. The tree is a moderately vigorous grower, never becom- ing very large, and forming a rounded, spreading head. The fruit is of medium size, with a juicy, melting flesh, of a rich, sprightly, acid flavor, ripening from the middle of June to the end of July. Mayduke. — Were this variety as hardy as the one last de- scribed it would stand at the head of the list, but although a very hardy sort, it is just a little less hardy than the Kentish. Owing to this want of hardihood the tree sometimes faUs where the Kentish stands, and the crop of fruit is oftener injured or destroyed even where the tree survives. Yet every one should give this variety a trial where there is hope that any cherry wiD thrive, and if it succeeds he will ever after be gratified that he has made the trial. It is supposed that the Mayduke originated in France, whence it has been very widely diffused, and though it has been a long time in cultivation, none of the newer sorts have been found to be in all respects its equal. The tree is a vigorous, upright grower, and when young assumes a form much like that of a young Lombardy Poplar. It is a regular and abundant bearer. The fruit is of full medium size, borne in clusters, and when fully ripe a dark dull red. The flesh is ten- der, juicy, melting, and of excellent flavor. Eipe the latter part of June. Much esteemed by the fruit growers of Jfova Scotia. Plumstone Morello. — This variety is very hardy, and of very slow growth ; making, when worked on the Mahaleb Cherry stock, a nice pyramidal bush. Its dwarf habit has prevented this variety from being very generally planted, but its apparent hardihood makes it worthy of more extended trial. We have S2 THE NECTARINE. not found the tree to be as productive as the Mayduke, but It ia risuallj mentioned as being a productive variety. The fruit is above medium size, dark red, with a tender and juicy flesh, of a sprightly, rich and pleasant flavor. It ripens early in August. Reine Hortense. — An excellent variety, which will pro- bably prove to be as hardy as the Mayduke. It ripens much later, and being much sweeter, it will be more generally preferred for the dessert. After a trial of fifteen years we have only one fault to find with it, and that is, that in some seasons too much of the fruit drops off soon after it has set. We have attributed this dropping of the fruit to chilly north-easterly storms occur- ring at that particular stage in the growth of the fruit. With this exception the tree is an abundant bearer, moderately vigor- -ous in growth, perfectly healthy, and forming a handsome pyramid. The fruit is large, of a deep red color, somewhat mottled; the flesh tender and juicy, almost sweet, and of an exceedingly agreeable flavor. Eipe the latter part of July. Starr's Prolific. — ^The worthy Secretary of the Fruit Growers' Association of I^oysl Scotia, to whom we are indebted for many favors, has kindly furnished us with the description of this variety, wliich is a native of Nova Scotia, and so much esteemed where it is known that we believe it to be worthy of wider dissemination. It originated on the farm belonging to Mr. Starr's father, Btarr's Point, from seed of the Waterloo. The original tree is now about twenty-five years old, large, spreading and healthy, a constant and most prodigious bearer. The fruit is of medium size, roundish heart-shaped ; color, bright red ; flesh tender, juicy, rich, brisk sub-acid. Eipe about the first week of July. THE NECTAEIKE. This is only a Peach with a smooth skin, and the tree requires the same soil, cultivation, pruning, and manures as the Peach, .and is propagated in the same manner, by budding on peach or jjlum stocks. THE PEACH. 95 The fruit is more liable to the attacks of the curculio than the Peach, and on this account is even more difficult to secure than a crop of Peaches. The following varieties are the most worthy of attention by cultivators in Canada. DowNTON. — The j&ruit is of large size, greenish white, with a deep red cheek; the flesh also has a pale green cast, but is rich, melting and high flavored. Eipens the very last of August. Early Xewington. — A cling-stone variety, with large bright red fruit, very handsomely marbled and mottled with dark red, and covered with a thin bloom. The flesh is greenish white, except that next to the stone it changes to pale red; juicy, rich, and of excellent flavor. Eipe early in September. Elruge. — Is esteemed one of the very best. Pruit is of medium size, yellowish green with a red cheek; flesh greenish white, very juicy, rich and high flavored. Eipe in the first half of September. Stanwick. — For orchard house culture, under glass, this variety bears a high reputation. The fruit is of medium size, tender, juicy, and of superior quality. Violet Hative. — Early Violet. — One of the most esteemed ; handsome, and of delicious flavor. The fruit is of medium size, greenish yeUow with a purple cheek, juicy and rich. Eipe lat- ter part of August. THE PEACH This delicious fruit can be grown in the open ground only in the warmer parts of the Province of Ontario, and then only in warm and dry gravelly or sandy soils, and in sheltered aspects not subject to late spring frosts. Trained against the wall, it does well in ^N'ova Scotia, and other sections where the fruit buds are not killed by the winter's cold. In the earHer history of the country the Peach crop was more abundant and certain than it has been for the past twenty years. The clearing up of the fiountry, with its consequent effect upon the humidity and elec- 94 THE PEACH. tricity of the atmospliere, and the exposure of all things to the unbroken sweep of the winds, have wrought a change in the climate of the country not altogether favorable either to animal or vegetable life. When we, as agriculturists, better understand the influence of frequent belts of timber, composed of evergreen and deciduous trees, upon the life and health of ourselves, of our stock, of our crops and our orchards, they will then be esteemed as necessary and valued as highly as any part of the farm, and our crops of fruit will be less frequently injured or destroyed by sudden changes of temperature and predatory tribes of insects. The soil must be warm, dry and porous, else the Peach will not thrive. In a stiff retentive clay the tree will not grow, nor in any cold, damp soil. The tops and sides of gentle slopes are usually more favorable than the bottoms of ravines and valleys. An abundance of lime in the soil is conducive to the health of the tree, and a regular dressing of wood ashes has always been found to be highly beneficial. Peach trees may be jDlanted twelve feet apart each way, and should be annually pruned back or shortened in. By this is usually meant the cutting off, every spring, of about one-third of the length of the previous summer's growth, and the thinning out of such twigs as may have become useless, or overcrowded. By this method of pruning, the trees will be kept in a neat, com- pact form, less exposed to injury from the winds, the branches less liable to be broken by any cause, and the tree more healthy and fruitful. If, however, instead of cutting away in spring one- third of the previous summer's growth, the growing shoots were checked by pinching the ends in summer, the wood would be bet- ter ripened, the tree kept more easily in shape, and the spring pruning reduced to a mere occasional thinning of superfluous shoots. We are fully persuaded that, in our Canadian climate, the more we control the form of our trees by summer pinching and the less of knife pruning we can get on with, not only of the Peach but of all our fruit trees, the more healthy and longer lived our trees will be. THE PEACH. 95 Peach trees mil not bear heavy manuiing with stimulating manures ; they make the trees grow too thriftily, with soft, spongy wood. The proper manures are wood ashes, lime, bone dust, and perfectly decayed bam-yard manure from some old heap or hot- bed, the latter to be used sparingly. The ground should be kept clean and never seeded down. They are propagated by bud- ding on both Peach and Plum stocks. A few of the best varieties, those that have been found best suited to this climate, are described below. If the peach growers of Western Ontario would turn their attention to the production of new varieties from seed, there is no doubt a generation of hardier sorts might be obtained, which would be better adapted to the cotmtry than most of those now in cultivation. Yet it must not be expected that the geographical distribution of this tree can be greatly enlarged within the Dominion; the warm soils near the great lakes, lying between lakes Erie and Ontario, along the north shore of Ontario and the south shore of lake Huron, where the air is tempered by those large bodies of water, will ever remain the most favorable to the production of the Apricot, i^ectarine, and Peach. The experiments already made by Mr. Cowherd, of N^ewport, Brant County, Ont., give promise of very favorable results. Crawford's Early. — !No variety of peach is as popular as this, and more trees are planted of it than of all the other sorts put together. It is a truly splendid peach, of large size, great beauty of appearance, and superior quality. The tree is healthy, vigorous and productive, and the fruit ia large, yellow, with a very handsome red cheek ; the flesh deep yeUow, rich, sweet and high flavored. It ripens about the middle of September, and is much sought after in all our markets. Crawtgrd's Late. — This variety is very much like the pre- ceding in appearance and quality, but ripening about a fortnight later. It also is a splendid market variety, and greatly in de- mand for the purpose of canning, for which there is none better. The fruit is very large, yellow with a dark red cheek ; flesh yellow, juicy, with a rich vinous flavor. 96 THE PEAOH. Eaelt York. — ^The best early peach, ripening in the latter part of August. The Early Anne is ripe about a fortnight earlier, but it is not much larger than a nutmeg, and the tree such a miserable grower that we cannot recommend it. The Early York, however, is a vigorous, healthy tree, and bears abundantly. The fruit is of medium size, with a dark red cheek, flesh green- ish white, very juicy, with a rich, sprightly flavor. George the Fourth. — The healthy character of the tree and the high quality of the fruit of this variety have made it a great favorite. The fruit is large, white minutely dotted with red in the shade, the sunny side is dark red, often most beautifully mottled and marbled ; the flesh is white, very juicy, and exceed- ingly rich and luscious. Eipe early in September. Hale's Earlt. — Comparatively a new variety, valuable on account of its productiveness and early ripening. It has been largely planted in some sections for market purposes, but its value as a market variety is somewhat doubtful. The fruit is of medium size, greenish white in the shade, but mostly covered with red; flesh white, juicy, sweet and of good flavor. Eipe a little before the Early York. Old Mixon Freestone. — An old standard variety that has borne the test of many years and is highly esteemed. The tree is healthy and vigorous, and bears good crops. The fruit is large, yellowish white marbled with red ; flesh white, juicy, rich, with a very pleasant vinous flavor. Ripe middle of September. Eed Cheek Melocoton. — Another very popular, well-known and long tried sort, which seems to thrive everywhere that the peach can be grown. It is the parent of the Early and Late Crawford, which have superseded it as market sorts. The fruit is large, yellow with a dark red cheek ; flesh yeUow, juicy, with a very agreeable rich, vinous flavor. Eipe about the middle of September. Taylor. — Originated by James Taylor, Esq., of St. Catha- rines, an enthusiastic amateur fruit cultivator. The tree is vigor- ous, and seems to be more than usually hardy and healthy. The THE PEAB 9T fruit is of large si^e, yellow with a red cheek ; flesh yellow, juicy, with a fine aromatic flavor. Eipens just after the Early Craw- ford. Vak Burbn's Golden Dwarf. — ^We have not fruited this variety, but believe it to be well adapted to pot culture on accotmt of its dwarf habit of growth. The fruit is said to be of medium size, of a golden yellow color with a red cheek ; flesh yellow, firm, juicy and of good quality. It is a clingstone, a very undesirable character in the peach. THE PEAK. A strong clay loam, restiug on a dry subsoil, is the very best soil for the pear tree. In such a soil it will be healthy and long- lived, and the fruit wiU be of the highest flavor. However, it will thrive in sandy and gravelly soils so long as they are dry ; but in cold, wet soils the trees soon become diseased and worthless. The climate in some parts of the Dominion is too severe for the successful culture of this fruit. In the Province of Ontario the Ottawa and St. Lawrence districts have been found too cold for most of the varieties in general cultivation, and in the Pro- vince of Quebec the pear can be successfully raised only in fevored locahties. There is a disease, popularly known as the fire-bhght, which attacks the pear tree, killing sometimes only the smaller shoots, sometimes entire branches, and not unfrequently the tree itself. Some varieties are very liable to this disease, as the Glout Mor- ceau, and none are wholly exempt. The cause of it is yet un- known, nor has any certain remedy, or even preventive, been discovered. It usually makes its appearance in midsummer, blackening the bark and withering the leaves of the affected branches, giving them the appearance of having b^n scorched with fire. Prompt amputation of all the affected parts is be- lieved to arrest the progress of the disease, and seems sometimes to save the tree. Those trees which are growing very luxuriantly 98 THE PEAR. , in very rich alluvial soil, or that have been very highly mannred with barnyard manure, seem to be the most subject to these attacks. The best manures for the pear tree are wood ashes, lime and ground bones. These may be spread upon the surface of the ground, where they will beeome gradually incorporated with the soil. In our climate, great injury is often done by stimulating the pear trees to excessive growth. A short, well-ripened annual growth is all that should be desired. This tree can be propagated both by grafting and budding. When worked upon pear seedlings, the trees naturally grow to a large size, and attain the height usual in pear trees. These are known as standard pear trees. It is difficult to transplant large standard pear trees with success, from the fact that the roots are poorly supplied with fibres, when gi-own in the manner in which they are raised in the nurseries in America. In England, where the importance of having an abundance of fibrous roots is under- stood and appreciated, nurserymen transplant their standard trees frequently, not only of the pear, but of the apple and other fruits, and also of ornamental trees, charging for such transplanted trees according to the number of times they have been trans- planted. By each successive transplanting a larger number of fibrous roots are formed, so that after two or three removals, the roots, instead of looking like a two or three-pronged carrot, are a mass of fibres, resembling a fine, bushy head of hair. When planters in Canada are willing to pay the difference in the cost of growing such fibrous-rooted trees, they will find the nursery- men ready to supply them; but while the present practice pre- vails of buying always where they can be had cheapest, without regard to quality, nurserymen are forced to grow their trees with the least possible labor, and the trees are transplanted as seldom as possible. Standard pear trees, as usually grown, do not require much pruning if they are attended to every year, and those branches removed which cross each other, or that are forming a distorted THE PEAR. 99 growth. Yet they are much "better if trained as pyramids, hranch- ing near the ground and rising gradually in a symmetrical form. Grown in this way they are much better able to endure the cli- mate of our colder sections, while they come into bearing much sooner than those with long trunks. The method of pruning to form such trees is the same as that which is fully described under the directions given for pruning dwarf pear trees. When grown in the pyramidal form here recommended, the trees can be planted nearer together, and thus they shelter each other from the high, winds. Dwarf Pear trees are formed by budding upon low-growing "varieties of Quince, which have the effect to lessen the size of the tree. Some varieties of Pear will not unite well with the quince stock, and the only way. of obtaining dwarf trees of such, varieties is by budding the Quince stock with some variety that will unite firmly with it, such, for instance, as the Beurre d'Amalis, and then budding the refractory variety into that. This is called double working. Dwarf Pear trees attain to considerable size in favorable sods, but not to the height common in standard Pear trees, and usually come into bearing much earlier, and ia some varieties the fruit is finer and higher flavored. These advantages, coupled with the fact that the trees can be planted closer together, and a greater number of varieties fruited on a smaller space, constitute their chief recommendations. The best distance for Dwarf Pear trees is twelve feet apart each way, while standard trees require twenty feet. In planting Dwarf Pear trees, it is important that all the quince stock shoidd be set below the surface of the ground. If the bud has been inserted high up on the stock, such planting wovdd necessitate the placing of the lower portion of the roots in the cold subsoil, where they would not only remain inert,, but become diseased, and cause the tree to become sickljr and die. To prevent this, a few inches of the lower part of the quince root with the accompanying rootlets shoidd be removed with a fine saw, so that when planted the whole 100 THE PEAR. of the quince stock shall be buried in the soil, and yet none so deeply down as to be below the stimulating effect of the warmth of the sun. Fortunately, the quince, when buried in •warm soU, at once proceeds to throw out roots, so that in a few weeks new roots will be formed quite to the surface of the ground, fully supplying the place of all that have been removed. The proper form of a dwarf pear tree, and the best form for a standard tree is the pyramidal. To produce this form it will be necessary to begin to prune the tree while it is quite young. Such is the desire on the part of pur- chasers to get large trees, that nurserymen get them up as fast as possible. Fig. 47 represents a dwarf pear tree at one year old from the bud, and the cross line. A, the place where nurserymen usually head it back in order that it may look as large as possible, whereas it should have been cut tack at B. A tree that has been properly headed back when one year old, wUl, when its second season's growth is completed, have the appearance shown in Figure 48. The branches should now be shortened in such a way as to give a pyramidal shape to the tree, by cutting back the lower shoots to about eight inches from the body of the tree ; those next above should be shortened about two inches more, and the next shortened yet a little more, until those nearest the leader are cut back to three or four buds from the base. The leader should be cut off at about half its length, so that another series of branches may be thrown out to continue the pyramid. At the end of the third season's Kg. 47. Fig. 48. THB PEAR. 101 growth the tree will have the appearance shown in Fig. 49. It should have been stated that if the tranches on the tree at the «nd of the second season's growth are too numerous to admit of all remaining, which will very pro- bably be the case, enough of them must be cut entirely away to give plenty of room for the free circula- tion of air and light, upon which the full develop- ment of leaves and fruit so entirely de- pends. The like process of cutting back the growth of the previous summer must be again re- peated, as in- dicated by the cross lines, keeping in mind that the object for which you Fig. 49. prune is to bring the tree into a conical form, season the tree will have the form shown in Fig. 50, and the dotted line, A. B., shows where the branches will require to be shortened at the spring pruning. K summer pinching of the shoots is practised, very little spring pruning will be required. Summer pinching consists in nipping off the point of the grooving shoot, usually ■with the thumb and finger, or it may be done with the knife. The effect of this is, of course, to Fig. 50. At the end of the fourth 102 THE PEAR. check the extension of the shoot, and also to send the sap to the buds below. If these buds do not break during the grow- ing season, they will be considerably strengthened and in- creased in size, and either form fruit buds or send out strong shoots the next season. If the tree be growing rapidly, one or more of the buds near the end of the shoot will probably break and send out shoots the same season. Care must be taken not to perform the pinching so late in summer as to induce the forma- tion of these shoots at a time when they can not ripen their growth before winter. If it be desu'able to check the growth of any branch that i» absorbing too much of the strength of the tree and becoming too large in proportion to the others, it can be easily done by pinch- ing the end in summer and stripping off a part of the leaves from that branch. If, on the contrary, you wish to induce a branch to grow more vigorously, shorten it back severely in the spring, and in summer pinch in the other branches and strip off" some of their leaves, while you allow the shoots thrown out from the branch that was cut back to grow undisturbed. In these suggestions mention has been made only of pruning in the spring, for the reason that experience has taught us that it is important that the wounds shoidd heal over quickly. On this accoimt the pear should not be pruned when the sap is not in active circulation, and should by no means be pruned in the faU. Besides this, it is very desirable to avoid the making of large wounds, as must be done in removing or cutting off large branches, and therefore pruning should be done while the tree is young, and systematically attended to every year. By doing this it will never become necessary to cut off' large limbs, except in case of accidental injury. Soil and exposure have a great influence on the quality of pears, an influence that has not yet been adequately accounted for or fully understood. This variation in quality may often be seen in the fruit of trees of the same variety, growing in soils apparently alike and but a mile or twa THE PEAE. 105 apart As a rule, the fruit from young trees is not as fine in quality as that from the same trees at a more advanced age, and that produced hy trees growing in clayey soils with a dry bottom, not fertilized with highly stimulating manures, is of bet- ter quality than that borne by trees in a light sandy soU, or in a damp sod, or in a rich alluvial soil, or that are supplied toa liberally with partially decomposed barn-yard manure. Dwarf Pear trees are very apt to bear too much fruit, and it will therefore be necessary to examine them just after the fruit is set, and thia out the pears, l^o more fruit should be allowed to remain than the tree can bring to perfection of size and quality. The fruit on an over-loaded tree is sure to be small in size and poor in quality, while the tree is often so severely over-tasked in the effort to grow and ripen its unequal burden, that it becomes- stunted, sickly, and frequently perishes. Just how much fruit to leave and how much to take can only be learned by actual practice. The size, vigor and habits of the tree, must be all duly considered, and the condition of the soil in which it is growing ; the tendency in all cases is to leave too much fruit, and it is always advisable to go over the trees a second and a third time, removing those which give least promise of coming to a full and well-developed maturity. The fruit of almost all varieties of Pear is of much finer flavor if gathered a few days before it is fully ripe, and allowed to mature in the house. The best time for taking the fruit from the trees is usually indicated by a slight change in the color of the pears, and by the stalk parting readily from the tree when the fruit is gently lifted. These remarks apply to the siunmer and early autumn varieties. After the fruit has been gathered, it should be placed in a box or keg and stored in a cool room, but not in the cellar, to ripen. If there be but a few specimens of any kind, these will ripen best if put into a paper bag, or wrapped securely in paper and placed together in a box. If spread out on shelves, or placed in drawers capable of holding a much larger quantity, they lose much of their flavor, and 104 THE PEAR. usually shrivel. But if kept in a body together, where there is sufficient quantity, or kept from too rapid evaporation by being wrapped in paper, their flavor and plumpness are fully preserved, and in due time the fruit will acquire its full color and perfect maturity, with more juiciness and richness of flavor than if allowed to ripen wholly on the tree. Many sorts, if allowed to remain too long on the tree, rot at the core, while others become dry, mealy and flavorless. By gathering and ripening them in the manner above described, these evils are lessened or wholly obviated, and fruit that would be otherwise worthless becomes not only good, but delicious. Late autumn and winter Pears do not require such treatment, but on the contrary are allowed to remain on the trees as long as the season will admit. They should be gathered carefully without bruising, packed in barrels or boxes, and kept in a cool, dry cellar until they begin to show signs of ripening, when they should be taken to a room where the temperature is a little warmer, to complete their maturity. Very few of the winter Pears which come to maturity after the holidays are worth growing in our climate. The best Pears ;are those that ripen not later than the middle of January ; of those ripening after that time, none in our estimation are- at all •comparable in flavor to the Pomme Grise d'Or Apple. The number of varieties of Pear now in cultivation is enor- mous, yet out of them all but a very few can be named that have proved themselves, after some years of trial, to be possessed of the qualifications which commend them to the attention of Ca- nadian planters. Many varieties, which in Europe enjoy a high reputation, do not maintain their high qualities when transplanted to our soil and climate. Some varieties again are very fickle, exhibiting a high degree of excellence in one season, but almost tasteless the next. In selecting the varieties which are here described, the aim has been to mention only those which are really worthy of attention, and which combine in as great a degree as possible, hardihood and healthfulness of tree, with the highest quality of fruit. THE PEAB. 105* The growing of Pears of the first quality for market, ia such, a way as to make it profitable, is attended with more difiiculty than the profitable production of Apples, and will demand a higher order of horticultural talent. Yet such is the demand for finely grown Pears, that the early autumn varieties sell readily in oui larger cities for from eight to fifteen dollars per barrel; while the later sorts, which come in after the great flood of autumn fruit has passed, command from twenty to thirty dollars per barrel. But these prices are obtained only for well grown fruit, fruit that can be uniformly grown only by a careful and judicious cultivator, whose trees are never suffered to weaken themselves with a superabundant crop, never over-fed with highly nitrogenous fertilizers, and never starved upon a parsimonious diet. No doubt the skilful cultivator of Pears for market will be amply remunerated, but let the impatient and unreflecting beware. Ananas d'Ete. — Summer Pine Apple. — This old pear from Holland is growing in favor with cultivators in Ontario on ac- count of the healthy and vigorous character of the tree and the good quality of the fruit. In our climate it is by no means a summer pear, as its name would seem to indicate, but ripens the last of September, or more generally during the first ten days of October. The fruit is above medium size, sometimes large, pear-shaped, color pale yellow; flesh is melting, fine-grained, buttery, sweet and high-flavored, quality "very good." Bartlett. — Williams' Bonchretien. — No pear has been more widely disseminated or is more universally esteemed throughout the Dominion than this variety, which is now about a century old. It originated in Berkshire, England, and was propagated by a Mr. Williams, of London, from which circumstance it received the name of Williams' Bonchretien. On its first introduction to America the name was lost, but a !Mr. Bartlett, residing near Boston, disseminated it, and so it came to be known as the Bart- lett Pear, by which latter name it is now better known all over 106 THE PEAR. this continent than by the original name by which it is known in England. The tree is vigorous and upright, tolerably hardy, though not quite hardy enough to thrive weU in the St. Lawrence and •Ottawa districts of Ontario and other places of a like climate. In favorable climates it bears early and very abundantly. The fruit is of large size, yellow, with a slight blush on some speci- mens; flesh buttery, fine-grained, juicy, sweet, with a peculiar musky vinous flavor. Eipens about the middle of September. WeU grown samples sell from seven to ten dollars per barrel in the city markets. Beuree Bosc. — Unfortunately this splendid variety is not sufficiently hardy to thrive well in those parts where the Heart and Bigarreau Cherries do not succeed. But in those places where it can be grown it has always maintained its reputation as 3. fruit of the "best" quality. The tree is a vigorous, somewhat irregular grower, producing its fruit not in clusters, as is usual with the pear, but singly, thus distributing the fruit very evenly over the tree, and giving to each specimen sufficient space to ^attain its full size without the necessity of thinning the fruit. The fruit is large, tapering very gradually to the stalk, color yellowish cinnamon russet, sometimes with a ruddy glow on the exposed side; flesh very buttery, rich and dehcidus, quality "best." Eipe in October. This fruit always commands the highest market price. Beuree Clairgeau. — Such are the vigor and healthy ap- pearance of this tree, combined with early bearing and great pro- ductiveness, and such the beauty and attractiveness of the fruit, possessing also an excellent flavor, that it will doubtless prove to be a valuable and profitable variety. It is probably, on the whole, as hardy as the Bartlett, and nearly as productive. The fruit is large, pear-shaped, color yellow shaded with crimson; flesh yellowish, juicy, buttery, with a pleasant vinous flavor; quality almost "very good." Eipe in l^ovember and December. Those who find the Bartlett to succeed well, may THE PEAR. 107 ^ve this variety a trial with every expectation of success. It sells at present in New York city for twenty-five dollars per l>arrel. Beurre d'Anjou. — In order more fully to test the value of this variety for Canadian planting, and to call public attention to its many valuable qualities, the Fruit Growers' Association of Ontario distributed a tree of it gratuitously to each of its meni- "bers in the spring of 1871. The tree is very vigorous, healthy and productive ; fruit large, obtusely pyriform ; color greenish, ■with a brown cheek ; flesh juicy, melting, with a pleasant, sprightly, vinous flavor ; quality " very good." Eipe in Novem- ber. The fruit sells in the Boston market for twenty-five to thirty-five dollars per barrel. Beurre Diel. — This has been a popular late autumn and «axly winter sort, and in warm, well-drained soils is usually very good, but in cold and damp soils is more frequently very poor. In our climate it seems to be very variable in quaUty, judging from the samples that have been exhibited at meetings of fruit growers, and likely to be superseded in Canadian planting by the two last described sorts. The tree is very vigorous and a good bearer, and ae hardy as the Bartlett. The fruit is large, yellow when ripe, often very considerably marbled with russet; flesh coarse grained, gritty at the core, but rich and sugary in perfect specimens. The quaHty of the fruit is usually better from trees worked on the quince stock, than from those on the peai-. Eipe late in November. Beurre Giffard. — An excellent summer variety, ripening about the middle of August, of medium size, yellowish, with marbling of red on the exposed side; flesh melting, juicy, of a very pleasant vinous flavor, and richly perfumed ; quality " very good." Like all early summer Pears, it does not last long, and is the better of being gathered early. The tree is healthy, but a slender grower, and fully as hardy as the Bartlett. Beurre Superfin. — Those who have grown the old Brown Beurre and enjoyed its high vinous flavor, and have withal been 108 THE PEAB. disappointed to find it so variable and so subject to cracking, will be mucb gratified to find tbe flavor of their old favorite revived in this more recent and, so far as we are now able to judge, better and more reliable variety. The tree is very healthy and promises to take rank among the more hardy sorts, moderately vigorous in habit of growth, bearing tolerably well when it has arrived at maturity, but not beginning to bear while young. The fruit is medium in size, roundish pear-shaped, yellow, shaded with red on the sunny side ; flesh buttery, melting, very juicy, with rich sub-acid flavor. Eipe iu October. Brandtwinb. — With the exception that the fruit of this sort soon deteriorates after becoming ripe, we have been much pleased with this variety. The tree is sufficiently vigorous, upright in habit and an excellent bearer, and probably as hardy as most of our good varieties. The fruit is barely medium in size, yellowish green, with a ruddy brown cheek ; flesh melting, sugary, juicy, with a very agreeable aromatic flavor ; quahty " very good." Ripe in the latter part of August. BuFFUM. — This variety has been extensively tried in Canada, and the tree has been found to be tolerably hardy; but there is one very serious objection to it, and that is the very variable quality of the fruit. Sometimes it is very good, but oftener it is comparatively flavorless. In size it varies from medium to small ; color russeted yellow, with a dark brownish red cheek ; flesh buttery, not very juicy, sometimes dry, sweet and of pleasant flavor; quality "good," sometimes "very good.". Eipens in October. The tree is a strong, very upright grower, but there are other Pears much more desirable on the whole for oiir climate. CiiAPP's Favorite. — In the hope of calling attention to this very promising Pear this description is given, and not because it has yet been proven to be valuable in our climate. It is claimed for it that it is a cross between the Bartlett and Flemish Beauty. The tree bears some resemblance to the latter in its upright spreading growth and dark reddish brown shoots, and if it should chance to prove as hardy it will certaioly be a great ac- THE PEAR. 109 quisition. It is said also to be very productive, distributing its &uit evenly over the tree, and thus securing great uniformity in size. The Pears are large, pale yellow, faintly marbled with red in the sun; flesh fine grained, sweet, juicy, buttery and rich; quality "very good." Eipe early in September or a little before the Bartlett. Daxa's Hovey. — This is also a new variety of great excellence, ranking next to the Seckel in flavor, and is probably the very highest flavored late December Pear in cultivation. It is small, resembling the Seckel in size and form, color pale yellow with considerable russet, flesh juicy, sugary, melting, with a rich aro- matic flavor; quality "best." The tree is vigorous and retains its foliage late, which is usually an indication of hardihood and health. This and the preceding variety are well worthy of the careful attention of our fruit raisers. Doctor Eeeder. — A third new sort, which we feel persuaded will prove to be hardy over a very lai^e part of the Dominion. The tree is vigorous, very healthy, and said to be a good bearer, the fruit is of medium size, yellowish russet; flesh fine grained, very sugary, buttery and highly perfumed. Eipe in Xovember. Doyenne Boussock. — This tree is very vigorous, productive and healthy, and though not specially hardy, thrives weU where the Bartlett succeeds. The fruit is above medium size, yellow, nearly covered with nettings of russet, with a brown-red cheek; flesh juicy, buttery, sweet, with a very agreeable aromatic flavor; quality "very good." Eipens early in October, and wiU probably prove valuable for market. Doyenne d'Ete. — ^This very small Pear, ripening about the first of August, is one of our most desirable, very early sorts. The tree is moderately vigorous, upright habit, and bears early and abundantly. Of its hardihood ia our colder sections it is not possible to speak definitely as yet. The fruit is small, bright yellow, frequently handsomely shaded with red; flesh melting, juicy and sweet; quality "very good." 9 110 THE PEAB. DoTENNB Du CoMiCB, — ^We havG not yet seen the fruit of this variety, but entertain such high expectations concerning it that we are constrained to mention it here. It is described as a large Pear, of a greenish yellow color when gathered, becoming bright yellow when fully ripe, frequently shaded with crimson and fawn color in the sun; flesh melting, juicy, sweet, and rich; quality "very good" or "best." It is esteemed by those who are excellent judges as one of the best foreign Pears that has been introduced within the last twenty years. The tree is a fine grower and succeeds well on the quince. Eipe in November. DucHESSB d'Angouleme. — This fruit is beyond question of marvellous size, and some of the specimens that grace our autumn exhibitions are perfect leviathans, and usually the larger the fruit the better the quality. It is to be hoped that some benevolent minded individuals will continue to grow and exhibit these monstrous specimens just to keep us from forgetting to what size pears can be grown. But beyond this matter of exhibition the variety is not suited to the climate of this Dominion as a whole. Oftentimes, though blossoming abundantly, the trees do not set their fruit, and as a rule the summers are not long enough to give much flavor to that which may grow. In warmer latitudes it has been profitably grown for market, the large size and ehowy appearance giving it a ready sale at good prices. Easter Beurre. — Those who wish to try a long-keeping win- ter pear cannot do better than to plant this variety, which wiU keep all winter and be just as good in the spring as it was in the fall. It is doubtless the best of its class, better, it is claimed, if grown on the quince than if grown on the pear stock. It is a fruit of larga size, yellowish green with a brown cheek ; flesh fine-grained, but- tery, juicy, and as usually grown in this climate without much flavor. In very warm, dry, calcareous soils, and in favorable seasons, especially if in a sheltered position, it may be sometimes sweet and rich. The simple truth is that our climate is not suited to the production of late-keeping winter pears of high. THE FEAB. Ill flavor, and when grown in a climate in which there is sufficient heat to impart a high flavor they cease to be late-keeping pears. Flemish Beauty. — Belle de Flanders. — Dundum Castle. — There is no pear that seems to be so entirely at home in this Dominion as this variety. Hardy, probably the most hardy of all, it will grow where any pear tree can endure the cold, and in every section it is spoken of with admiration. The tree is re- markably healthy in all soils and exposures, and bears abundant crops. The fruit is large, yellow, netted and marbled with rus- set, usually having a reddish brown cheek on the sunny side ; flesh usually fine-grained, sometimes a little gritty at the core, juicy, melting, sweet and rich, with a very pleasant and some- what aromatic flavor ; quality " very good " to " best" Beyond aU question it is the most profitable pear that can be widely grown by us, and deserves a place in every collection. The only fault it has is that the fruit is so large and heavy that it is liable to be prematurely blown off by the high winds of autumn, and should, on that account, be planted in a place sheltered from the sweep of the winds which prevail at that season. FoNDANTE d'Automne. — BclU Lucrative. — This excellent variety can only be grown in perfection in those localities where the pear tree generally flourishes, the tree not being suited to severe climates, nor is the fruit full flavored if the tree be planted in cold damp soils, or where the summers are very moist and cool. But in aU the better fruit-growing districts of Ontario and l^fova Scotia it is grown to a high degree of perfection, save in excep- tionally cold and wet seasons, when it is apt to fall below its full measure of excellence. The tree is a moderately vigorous grower, of erect habit, bearing early and abundantly. The fruit is of medium size ; color a pale green or greenish yellow ; flesh juicy, very sweet, melting and delicious ; quality when in per- fection " best." Eipe late in September. Some care needs to te taken in thinning out this variety, for it is very prone to overload, and an excessive crop injures the quality and flavor of all the fruit very considerably. 112' THE PEAR. GooDALE. — Eaised from seed by Mr. E. Goodale, of Maine. Enduring so well the severity of the winters there as to be es- teemed " very hardy," and possessing also many good qualities, it is thought worthy of attention by Canadian growers, especially by those residing in those sections not altogether favorable to pear culture. The tree is a vigorous and thrifty grower, of up- right habit, and said to be uniformly productive. We have never seen the fruit, but are assured by very competent judges that it is of large size, light yellow with a red cheek, with some markings of russet; j[iesh melting, sweet, juicy, a little gritty at the core, with a very pleasant musky perfume; quality "very good." It ripens in October. Howell. — So far as this variety has been tried in Canada it seems to have given very good satisfaction. It is of recent intro- duction, and more time must elapse before its adaptability to our climate can be fully known. The tree is a free grower, of upright habit, and prone to run up without throwing out many branches, which defect may be remedied by timely summer pinching. It comes early into bearing and yields very large crops. The fruit is usually large, yeUow with sometimes a red- dish cheek ; Itesh juicy, melting, with a very agreeable vinous flavor; quality "very good." Eipens early in October. Jaminette. — A very productive, early, winter Pear, of more than medium size; very juicy, sweet, and "good;" in favorable seasons, " very good." There is a healthy and hardy appearance to this tree which promises well for it in our climate ; but it has not yet been very widely disseminated, and the hardihood of the tree in low temperatures has not yet been fuUy tested. Josephine de Malines. — When the trees of this Pear have acquired some age, there is a very decided improvement in the flavor of the fruit, and it is then one. of the most pleasantly flavored and agreeable of winter Pears. The fruit is of medium size, pale yellowish green ; the flesh of a most delicate pink color, melting, juicy, sweet, with a very distinct, but delicate, quince flavor; quality "very good." It is in use during the month of THE PEAR. 113 January. The tree is but a moderate grower, healthy and pro- ductive, and while young the fruit is very variable in quality. It is not probable that this variety mil be worth much ia the colder parts of the Dominion, more especially where the summers are very short or cool, for it requires considerable length of season fuUy to develop and flavor the fruit. Lawrexoe. — ^This variety is worthy of trial wherever the Pear can be grown. The tree is of the more hardy class, very healthy, a moderate grower, and early and abundant cropper. The fruit is of medium size, color lemon yellow when ripe, with frequent traces of russet ; the flesh is melting, juicy, sweet, with a very agreeable aromatic flavor ; quality almost " best." Eipe in December. Louise Boxne de Jersey. — Such is the enormous produc- tiveness of this Pear, and the uniform good size and handsome appearance of the fruit, that it has become exceedingly popular. The tree is healthy, a very vigorous upright grower, and succeeds admirably when worked on the Quince stock. The fruit is better when grown on the Quince than on the Pear stock. It is of large size when well grown, but when the tree is o"verloaded, which is a very common occurrence, it is only of medium size. The color is a light or yellowish green on the shaded side, dark brownish red on the other; flesh melting, very juicy, vinous, and in the best specimens of a rich pleasant flavor; quality rarely above **good." Eipe late in September and first of October. Manning's Elizabeth. — A small August Pear of great ex- cellence, very sweet, sprightly, with a fine aromatic flavor. The color is bright yellow -with a very handsome bright red cheek; and the flesh is melting, juicy and delicious; quality "best." The tree is a moderate grower and very productive. It has not yet been sufficiently distributed throughout the Dominion to speak of its hardihood in our colder sections, but it can probably be grown without any difficulty where the Bartlett succeeds. Eipe in the latter end of August. Osband's Summer. — This variety has been very generally 114 THE PEAR. grown by cultivators of the Pear, and has proved to be tolerably hardy as regards our climate, but quite susceptible to the disease known as fire blight. Indeed our own experience with it has been very discouraging, for as soon as the trees come into bearing they all go with this disease, and although we have made re- peated trials, there is not now a bearing tree left. The tree has an upright habit, is moderately vigorous, comes soon into bearing and yields abundantly. The fruit is small, clear yellow with a ruddy warm cheek, juicy, sugary, rich, with a pleasant perfume; quality "very good." Eipe about the middle of August. Seckel. — SecTde. — This is probably the highest flavored Pear in the world, and has become a standard of excellence by which the quality of other Pears is measured. The tree' also is one of the most healthy, adapting itself to a very great variety of soils and climates, and remarkably exempt from diseases of every description, even escaping almost entirely the mysterious fire blight. It is also one of the more hardy sorts, capable of sus- taining the rigor of a Canadian winter with almost the same endurance as the Flemish Beauty. It is also an abundant bearer, and although a slow grower, is erect in form, and makes a neat, compact head. The fruit is small, of a yellowish cinnamon russet, with a ruddy brown cheek ; flesh melting, very juicy, buttery, with an exceedingly rich spicy flavor, and very pleasant perfume ; quality " best." Eipe in October. It is an American variety, supposeed to have originated on the farm of a Mr. Seckel, near the city of Philadelphia. Sheldon. — After growing this variety for some time we are forced to the conclusion that it is of very variable quality, and that it will succeed well only on strong, well drained soils,^ abounding in lime. Possibly as the tree acquires age the fruit may be better and less variable, but in our experience the fire blight saves it from all the burdens of age. "When well developed the fruit is above medium size, of a greenish yeUow russet color„ THE PEAK. 115 Tery juicy, ■with a rich vinous flavor; quality "very good;" hut in our experience often very poor. Ttsok. — ^A medium sized Pear of great excellence and well worthy of trial. It is not prohahle that the tree is any more hardy than the Bartlett. It is an upright grower, thrifty and healthy, does not hear fruit very young, hut bears large crops when it has reached maturity. The fruit is hardly of medium size, color deep yellow with a very handsome crimson cheek; flesh melting, juicy, very sweet, with a very agreeable aromatic flavor; quaHty almost "best." The fruit does not drop readily from the tree, but will often hang xintil it decays on the branches. It ripens early in September. Urbaniste. — Beurre Picquery. — This variety has not been as generally planted as its merits deserve, and it is as yet impos- sible to speak confidently of its ability to endure a cold climate, yet such is the very healthy habit of the tree that we expect it will be found among the more hardy sorts. It does not com© very early into bearing, but when it has reached its fruiting age yields large crops. The fruit is above medium size, of a paid yeUow color; the flesh very melting, juicy, rich and buttery, and very pleasantly and delicately perfumed; quality "very good.'* It ripens in October and November. Vicar op Wixkfield. — Le Cure. Monsieur le CurS. — W& cannot advise the planting of this variety in our climate. After many years of trial and a not very limited opportunity of testing^ it as grown in various places, we are compelled to say that, in. our judgment, it is an exceedingly poor Pear for one that has attained to so great celebrity. True, the tree is productive, and the fruit is uniformly fair and handsome, and that is about aH that can usually be said in its favor. Once, and only once in our life, we tasted a Vicar that was really good, but happening another year to intimate to the gentleman who exhibited that specimen that it would be agreeable to see some more samples of like quaHty, he blandly replied that such specimens were pro- duced only once in a decade. "We therefore commend it to those 116 THE PEAR. whose patience can feed on quantity and wait for quality. It ripens in December and January. Washington.— This pretty pear has given us such entire satisfaction that we feel sure lovers of good fruit will he gratified by having it brought to their attention. It can hardly be hoped that it will be extremely hardy, for it originated in the State of Delaware • but it wiU no doubt thrive weU where most other sorts succeed. The fruit is barely of medium size ; the color a clear yellow, sprinkled nearly all over with small red dots, and which are more particularly ablindant on the sunny side. The flesh is very juicy, sweet, melting, and of a very agreeable flavor; quality "very good." Eipe about the middle of September. White Doyenne. — Virgalieu. — St. Michael. — Butter Pear. It is more than two hundred years since this variety came into cultivation, and it is worthy of the high estimation in which it has so long been held. It is a vigorous, upright grower, and ranks among our more hardy sorts, though not capable of enduring as severe cold as the riemish Beauty. The fruit is full medium size, pale yellow when ripe, and sometimes has a bright red cheek on the side next the sun ; the flesh is fine grained, buttery, with a high, rich, and delicious flavor; quality "best." Eipe in October, sometimes continuing into November. In Western New York the fruit has become so subject to spotting and crack- ing that the tree is much less cultivated than formerly. It may be that this difficulty wiU manifest itself among us ; if so, there seems to be no alternative but to fall back upon other choice sorts of the same season, not subject to this affection. Winter N"elis. — A very healthy kind, and one of the more hardy class, which may be planted with confidence. The tree has a somewhat slender habit of growth, but it bears good crops. The fruit is of medium size, a good deal russeted, yellowish at maturity ; flesh fine grained, buttery, juicy, sweet, -with, a pleasant aromatic flavor; quality "best." Eipe latter part of December, and always ripens well. THE PEAR. 117 The follo-ndng Tarieties originated in Xova Scotia, and are mucli esteemed by fruit growers acquainted with, their merits. The descriptions have been kindly furnished by E. W. Starr, Esq.: Maria. — This fruit was first brought into notice by the late Hon. C. E. Prescott, and named by him in honor of his wife. It originated in the garden of the late Curran, Esq., of Windsor. Tree is hardy, small; young wood feeble, light colored. Fruit is medium in size, round, yellow, fine grained, tuttery, rich ; ripens ten to fourteen days earlier than the Bartlett j quality very good. BuRBiDGE. — One of the oldest native pears we have. The original tree is still standing on the farm of the late CoL Burbidge, near Port Williams, and though nearly a century old, is stiU "vigorous. Tree large, upright ; young wood stout and dark. Fruit small to medium, Bergamot shaped, skin greenish yellow, bronzed in the sun, sweet, gritty, but rich and high flavored ; ripens a few days earher than the Bartlett ; tree is hardy and prolific. Lord Cornwallis. — This was grown and named by the late Benjamin Woodworth, Esq., of ComwaUis. Tree medium sized, lather spreading ; j'oung wood greyish. Fruit large and hand- some, pyriform, as brilliantly colored as Frederic of Wurtemburg, but, like it, rather variable ; quahty good ; season October. ScTTOx's Great Britain. — A seedling from the Bartlett, by Wm. Sutton, of ComwaUis. The tree is vigorous and hardy ; young wood very stout, short jointed, and dark. Fruit large to very large, pyriform, slightly bronzed or russeted in patches, and sometimes with a blush in the sun. Flesh is coarse grained, juicy, good. A good market fruit, ripening ten days after the Bartlett. The tree is a great bearer. 118 THE PLX7U. THE PLUM. This fine fruit can be grown in mnch colder parts of the country than the Cherry, the tree being much hardier than any of the Heart and Bigarreau class. Wild Plums are found grow- ing in all parts of the Dominion, and may by judicious cross-fer- tilization become the foundation of a very hardy and valuable race of Plums. The Prunes of commerce are dried Plums, by no means as highly flavored as those which every Canadian housekeeper may provide by drying the Plums grown in our own fruit gardens. The tree will grow in almost every soil, but it is most at home and yields its best and heaviest crops in heavy, clay loams. In sandy soils it is more subject to the curculio insect, for the reason that this insect when in the grub state can more readily penetrate into the ground to undergo its transformations into the beetle state. Common salt has been found to be an excellent fertilizer for this tree, promoting its health and luxuriance. Half a peck strewn, during the month of April, on the ground under each bearing tree will be enough. The black knot has been found to be a very troublesome disease, affecting the branches of the Plum tree, and if left alone in a few years causing the death of the tree. This disease is most prevalent upon trees growing in land that is imperfectly drained, and attacks the damson Plums in preference to all other varieties. Unfortunately, it is not confined to the damsons, but spreads first to the other purple sorts, and then, though in a less degree, to the yellow varieties. It is first seen as a soft swelling of the bark, which continues to increase in size until the outer cuticle of the bark is burst and the swelling assumes a rough, uneven surface. By degrees this becomes black and hard, rent with fissures, and quite dry. The cause of this disease is not yet known, and the best cure, besides growing the tree in a thoroughly drained soil, is persistent am- putation and burning of these excrescences. Top-dressing the THB PLUM. 119 soil with "wood ashes, and washing the bodies of the trees with a weak lye has heen recommended as a remedy for the Hack knot^ and will no doubt be found to be promotive of the health of the tree, even if it do not wholly prevent the growth of these un- sightly excrescences. They can, however, be kept in complete subjection by planting on ground where no water stands in the subsoil, and by cutting oflf and burning the knots regularly a» often as once a year. It is stated by F. E. Elliot, of Ohio, who is high authority in fruit matters, that if the tree be watered with a solution of copperas made by dissolving it at the rate of one ounce in two gallons of water the knots will disappear. The Plum can be propagated both by grafting and budding. It is sometimes worked on the Peach stock, but such trees are worthless in our climate. The trees may be planted about six- teen feet apart, and headed low. Ba vat's Green Gage. — Rdne Claude de Bavay. — An excel- lent late variety, ripening in October, too late for some of the colder sections, yet ripening well in the favorable fruit districts of Nova Scotia and Ontario. The tree is a vigorous grower, and most abundantly productive. The fruit is of large size, greenish yellow, with splashes of deeper green ; flesh yellow, sugary, rich and juicy ; quality " best." Bbadshaw. — Blue Imperial. — A very large and showy fruity of a reddish purple color, and very pleasant flavor, though not of the highest quality. The flesh is a little coarse, yellow, juicy, adhering a little to the stone ; quaUty " good." ' Pipe latter part of August. The tree is vigorous, of upright habit, and bears good crops. Coe's Golden Drop. — ^This is a very popular variety, but it does not ripen well in the northern parts of the country, except the season be warm and continue late. It is of large size, light yellow, with red dots on the sunny side ; flesh yellow, firm, adheres to the stone, sweet, rich and delicious; ripe end of September. The tree ia only a moderate grower, but quite pro- ductive. 120 THE PLUM. Denntston's Superb. — This originated near Albany, in the Stat;e of New York, and has considerable resemblance to the Green Gage, being of the " best" quality, but considerably larger than that old favorite sort. The tree is a much better grower than the Green Gage, and very productive. The fruit is round, anedium size, pale yellowish green, not very juicy, but rich and of an excellent vinous flavor. Eipe the latter part of August. Duane's Purple. — The tree is very vigorous and healthy, the fruit very large, reddish purple, covered with bloom, juicy, with a pleasant, not very sweet, but sprightly flavor ; quality "good." Eipe about the middle of August. General Hand. — The very large size and handsome appear- ance of this plum have caused it to be much sought after. The tree is vigorous, healthy and productive ; the fruit of a deep golden yeUow, not very juicy, but sweet and "good." It ripens in September. Green Gage. — Reine Claude. — In point of flavor this variety holds the first rank, and is more frequently asked for and less frequently planted than any other kind. Unfortunately, the tree is a most miserably slow grower, and makes a spreading, dwarfish tree ; and nurserymen cultivate it very sparingly, or not at all, on account of its slow growing, spreading habit. The fruit is email, round, yellowish green ; flesh pale green, juicy, and of -a very sprightly, luscious flavor ; quality " best." Eipe late ia August. Imperial Gage. — Prince's Imperial Gage. — This is a seedling from the Green gage, and is very nearly equal iu flavor to its parent, and the tree is much more vigorous, growing freely and forming an erect, handsome tree, which is healthy and productive. The fruit is full medium size, pale green "with a yellow tinge, and covered with an abundant white bloom. The flesh is juicy, rich, and of excellent flavor; quality "best." Eipe during the first haK of September. Jefferson. — Another first-class Plum, rankiag ia quahty with the Green. Gage, but very much larger and more showy. THE PLUM. 121 The tree is but a moderate grower, though better in this respect than the Green Gage, and hears good and regular crops. The fruit is of large size, of a golden yeUow color, with a purplish cheek ; flesh orange color, very rich, juicy, and exceedingly high flavored. Eipe early in September. Lawrence's Favorite. — Also a seedling from the Green Gage and partaking very fully of the good quahties of the parent, while it is much larger in size, and the tree upright in habit and tolerably thrifty. The fruit is above medium size, in color a yellowish green ; flesh greenish, juicy, very rich, with a remark- ably pleasant vinous and delicious flavor; quality "best." Eipe about the end of August. Lombard. — Bleeker's Scarlet. — Beekman^s Scarlet. — ^This is an exceedingly productive sort, and the tree one of the most vigorous, healthy and hardy. The fruit is of medium size, red, with yellow flesh, which is juicy, sweet, with a very agreeable, pleasant flavor; quahty "good." Eipe early in September. McLaughlin. — As this variety originated in Maine, and is an exceedingly healthy and hardy variety there, it will doubtless be found to be among the most desirable for our latitude. The fruit is large, yellow handsomely marbled with red, and covered with a light bloom; flesh yellow, juicy, sweet, and exceedingly luscious; quahty "best." Eipe first of September. Pond's Seedling. — Fonthill. — An EngHsh variety of great size and beauty. The tree is very vigorous and bears abundant crops. Fruit very large, bright red on a yellow ground; flesh yellow, juicy and sweet; quahty "good." Eipe latter part of September. Prince Englebert. — This promises to be a valuable variety, but has not yet been very generally disseminated. The tree is vigorous and exceedingly productive, the fruit large, deep purple covered with a blue bloom; flesh juicy, sweet and excellent; quahty "very good." Eipe early in September. Prince's Yellow Gage. — This variety has been found to be very generally hardy and exceedingly productive, while the tree 122 THE QUINOB. makes a vigorous, upright growtli. Fruit of medium size, deep yellow, with an abundant bloom ; flesh yellow, sweet and rich ; quality '* very good." Eipens early in August. Sharp's Emperor. — Victoria. — An exceedingly showy and popular variety. The tree is vigorous, and remarkable for its large, handsome foliage and great productiveness. The fruit is large, light purple in the sun, light yellow in the shade ; flesh yellow, a little coarse grained, with a pleasant, somewhat vinous flavor; quality "good." Eipe the latter part of September. Smith's Orleans. — Tree vigorous and productive; fruit large, frequently very large, reddish purple, juicy, rich and vinous; quality " very good." Has been very widely disseminated throughout Canada, and is a deservedly popular variety. Eipens about the first of September. Washington. — This has been long known and very much esteemed by all growers of the Plum. It was first brought to notice by Mr. Bolmer, of New York City, in 1818, hence it is often known as Bolmer's Washington. The tree is vigorous, a good bearer, and forms a handsome rounded head, with conspicu- ous, large, glossy leaves. The fruit is very large, greenish yellow, very sweet and luscious; quality "very good." Eipe last of August. Yellow Egg. — This is another weU-known and widely dis- seminated variety, very highly esteemed as a cooking plum. It is very large, yellow, somewhat coarse grained, sweet, with an agreeable mingling of acid. The tree is vigorous and productive. THE QUmCE. The successful cultivation of this fruit is confined within a small portion of the Dominion, extending but little beyond the limits of peach culture. It thrives best in clayey loams that are well drained, though it can be grown upon any good, fertile soil, free from superfluous moisture. Being subject, in some degree, to a disease resembling, THE QDTKOB. 12S if not identical "with, the fire-blight of the Pear, it should not be supplied with fresh and stimulating manures. Barnyard manure that has been composted with salt, at the rate of half a bushel of salt to every wagon-load of manure, and become thoroughly decomposed, makes an excellent fertilizer for the Quince, con- ducing much to the health and froitftdness of the tree, and size and flavor of the fruit. The Quince may be planted ten feet apart each way. The pruning consists in thinning out the over-crowded branches, so as to give free circulation of air and light, and in cutting back the twigs that have borne fruit, to a good, strong bud, so as to produce new firait spurs. It is best propagated by layering in this cHmate, though it can be grown from cuttings of the new growth taken off about a foot long and planted ten inches deep. The month of September is the best time for doing this, and where there is danger of the cuttings being thrown out by the frost, they should be covered with straw, leaves, or evergreen branches on the approach of winter. Obange Quince. — This is the best variety for general culti- Tation. The fruit is large, with a smooth, rich golden yellow skin ; ripening about the end of October. When well grown it commands a ready sale in all our city markets. It needs to be gathered and handled carefully ; the least rough usage mars its "beauty, and even slight bruises leave very unsightly discolorations. PoETUGAL Quince. — This is such a shy bearer that it is only vexatious to plant it, though the fruit is excellent, being of milder flavor and more beautiful color when cooked than any other. Eea's Seedling. — Reas Mammoth. — This is somewhat larger than the Orange Quince, though after some years' trial it does not continue to be as much larger as it at first promised. In aU other respects, color, form and cooking qualities, it does not vary materially from the Orange. It is thrifty, healthy, and tolerably productive. Angier. — The fruit of this variety proves to be more valuable than had been supposed. It is used as a stock, on account of its 124 HARDY GRAPES. thrifty gro-wth, upon which to bud the Pear for the purpose of making dwarf trees. It is found to bear quite abundantly, and the fruit keeps longer than the Orange Quince, though it is firmer fleshed and more acid. HAEDY GEAPES. Within a few years the cultivation of hardy Grapes has received a great deal of attention, and many good varieties hdve been added to the list, some of them ripening much earlier than the old Isabella and Catawba, which once comprised our entire stock of varieties, and therefore better suited to our climate. It is very probable that many more sorts will be brought to the attention of cultivators before another quarter of a century shaU have passed; and it is to be expected that the judicious labors of the several Canadian hybridizers, who have made the vine a prominent subject of their operations, will be rewarded by the production of some new varieties which are eminently adapted to our climate. One of the first questions that occupies the attention of the planter is that of suitable soU. From considerable observation and some experience in planting the vine on various soils, we conclude that it will thrive well and bear abundantly on sandy, gravelly, or clay soUs, provided that there be no stagnant water in the soil. As a rule, also, the vine flourishes best in soils abounding in limestone, and where the surface is rolling, especially on the sides of hills and gentle slopes. Yet the vine will thrive and bear abundantly on a level surface, and in any soil that is thoroughly drained. As the cultivation of the Grape is extended and varieties are multiplied, it wiH doubtless be found that in certain localities the Grapes will acquire peculiar qualities and flavors, and that some varieties are better adapted to certain soils and localities than others. Already we see somethincr of this ; but we are not yet sufficiently advanced in vine-culture to be able, save in a very few instances, to point out these peculiarities. HARDY 0BAPB8. 125 Meanwliile ^ve may plant our Grape vines on any soil that is suitable for an apple orchard with every expectation of success. In preparing the ground for planting, the first and most essential point is to secure complete and perfect drainage. This having been secured, it should he deeply and thoroughly tilled, as deeply and thoroughly as any land should be to yield a good crop of Indian corn; and when this has been done, it wlU be in a suitable condition for the reception of Grape vines. The deep trenching and very heavy manuring often advised is not only quite unne- cessary, but positively injurious. The vine may seem to grow most vigorously and to bear fine fruit, but the tendency is to an unnatural growth, of a spongy texture, less able to resist the sudden changes and great extremes of temperature incident to our climate, resulting at last in disease and premature decay. The distances apart at which Grape vines should be planted have been variously stated by different writers ; but a more extended experience in the cultivation of our varieties in our soils and climate, has brought the most thoughtful cultivators to J;he conclusion that most of our vines should be planted not leas than twelve feet apart each way. This is about the distance that present experience suggests as requisite for the most healthy development and most economical and profitable culture of the Grape. Parties interested in seUing a large nimiber of vines may continue to recommend closer plantiug ; but experience is teaching us, and a sound judgment, based upon a knowledge of our climate and of the habits of our varieties of the vine, indicates that this distance is the one best adapted to our cir- cumstances. Of the proper manner of planting, it is hardly needed that an}-thing should be added to what has been said on the subject of planting in general. The soil having been thoroughly pulver- ised by previous tillage, it remains only to make a shallow excavation of sxifficient diameter to admit of the roots being all carefully spread out and extended their entire length, and then covered with fine soil to the depth of three or four inches, then 10 126 HARDY GRAPES. gently pressed down with the foot. After the planting has beer done in this manner, the surface should be covered, as far as the roots extend, with some sort of mulch, such as straw, leaves, or coarse litter. Planting may be done either in the fall or spring, at any time after the leaves fall in autumn, and before the buds burst in the spring, and when the soil is in a condition to be worked. The success of the operation depends more upon the care of the planter in the selection of suitable ground and its preparation, and in the planting of the vine, than on the season of the year when it is performed. When the vine is planted it should be cut back to two buds, and if the planting be done in the fall the mulching should be allowed to cover the vine during the winter, but removed just as the buds are swelling in spring, sufficiently to admit of their expanding without hindrance. When the young vines begin to grow, all the shoots but one, usually all but the one nearest the ground, shoidd be rubbed off. If the one nearest the ground seems to be feeble, or from any cause unsuitable, then the next shoot that is suitable should be retained, and all the others rubbed off. A small stake — a strip of lath will answer very well for a season or two — shoidd be thrust into the ground at each plant, and the vine carefully tied to it as it grows during the simimer. Beyond this, the only care required is to cultivate the ground lightly around the vines, not suffering any weeds to grow among them, and giving the roots every encouragement to grow and extend themselves, and allowing the canes to grow without any other restraint than merely tying them to the stake. This will complete the first season's growth. It has been very generally recommended to prune the grape in the fall, but every year's experience confirms the opinion that in our climate it is on the whole much better to prune in the spring. In some places and seasons the weather will be such that pruning can be done in March, whUe in others it may be impossible to do it before April. But pruning the vine is not to be regulated by the day of the month. As soon as the wea- HARDY GRAPES. 127 ther has become mild enough to admit of the work being com- fortably done, it will be the proper time to set about the pruning. The only objection that has been iirged against pruning the grape in the spring is that the vines weep, or, as some say, bleed at the cut, and that this weeping is injurious. If pruned early, as soon as the weather will admit, this weeping wiU not be excessive, and so far fix)m being injurious, is positively beneficial, serving to check the very rampant wood growth so common to most of our American varieties. In the spring, then, of the second year the cane should be cut back to two or three eyes, and as soon as the shoots have fairly started, two of the strongest should be selected, and aU the others rubbed off. As the growing shoots lengthen they should be tied to the stake, and the vines treated precisely as in the preceding summer. During this summer preparations should be made for permanently staking and treUising the vineyard. This will involve the necessity of deciding upon the method of training to be pursued. There are many methods practised, but it is not necessary that they should be all described. "We shall content ourselves with two modes of training, either of which has been found to answer well in this climate, and may be known as the upright and the horizontal. The upright trellis is made in the usual form, by planting posts along the row of vines and stretching upon them three horizontal wires. The best wire . is galvanized iron wire, using number ten size for the lowest one, and number twelve for the middle and upper. Each pound of number ten will extend twenty feet in length, and number twelve will reach thirty-three feet. Cedar, oak, or chestnut will make good posts, and the two posts at the ends of the trellis will require bracing to resist the strain of the wires. Some plant the end post very deep and in an obhque position, the top leaning from the row, so that the position of the post shaU be a sufiicient brace. Each vine having been pruned to form two canes, these canes are stretched horizontally along the lowest wire and securely fastened there. These canes ^vUl be the permanent arms of the 128 HARDT GRAPES. vine, and will be allowed to extend until those of one vine nearly meet those of its neighbor, and then stopped. In the spring of the third year the buds on these now horizontal canes will start into growth, and those wUl be selected for training upon the trellis which are from eight to twelve inches apart, and all the rest carefully rubbed off. As the shoots grow they will be fast- ened in an upright position to the trellis. When they have made a growth of two feet in length, it is advisable to check them by pinching off the point of the shoot. This is done in order to check the upward flow of the sap, and cause the buds that are forming in the axils of the leaves to be more fully developed. The terminal bud, and sometimes more than one, wUl soon break, and continue their upward growth until they reach the top of the trellis, where they may be again pinched off, care being taken not to allow one cane to become longer than the others and so absorb to itself an undue amount of sap. If the vine be quite vigorous, some bunches of fruit will be developed this season at the bas« of these upright shoots, and one or two may be allowed to Fig. 44. le-main and ripen, regulating the quantity according to the strcfngth of the vine, taking care not to allow too much fruit to remain while the vine is young, as that would prove a serious injury to the future health and fruitfukiess of the vine. During the summer, the lateral or side shoots that may start from these upright canes are stopped or pinched back, to prevent them HAKDY GRAPES. 129 from extending too far. In the autiram of this year, after the leaves have fallen, the vine will have the appearance shown in Figure 44. In the spring of the fourth year, each of these upright canes may be cut back to two eyes, and two canes be allowed to grow. These may now each bear two or three bunches of grapes, accord- ing to the strength of the vine, and be treated in all respects as the upright canes were during the last summer. In the autumn of the fourth year the vine "vvill have the appearance shown in Figure 45. Fig. 45. In the spring of the fifth and all subsequent years the npper of the two canes should be cut away entirely, and the lower cane shortened in to two eyes, which may be allowed to grow and form two canes as before, and each cane be allowed to bear three clusters of grapes. This completes the system, and the further pruning consists in annually cutting off the upper one of the two canes and shortening the lower cane to two eyes. The HOBIZONTAL MODE of training the vine, or, as it is sometimes called, the arbor system, consists in training the vine at first upright to the desired height, and then allowing it to run hori- zontally. There is no doubt this conforms more nearly to the natural habit of the vine, which grows perpendicularly for z 130 HARDY GEAPES. time, and until it reaches a suitable support, when it stretches away in a horizontal direction, covering everything within its reach. In preparing the treUis for this system of training, it is not VLBual to insert the posts in the ground at all, but merely to place them on the surface, with a flat stone under the foot. These posts are usually made seven feet in length, placed at a distance of six feet apart, and horizontal bars nailed upon the top, reaching along the posts in two directions, at right angles to each other, and then braces are nailed from the posts to the horizontal bars. In this way a framework is formed upon the top of the posts, which keeps them in an upright position, and strips are nailed across upon these horizontal bars so as to form a sufficient support for the vines. In this way the entire weight of the treUis, and of the vines growing upon it, rests upon the top of the posts, and being at an elevation of seven feet from the surface of the ground, admits of cultivation underneath in every direction, and dispenses entirely with the use of wires. Besides, there is no rotting off of posts, no strain upon post or nail, no heaving out of place by the frost, nor blowing down by the wind. The vines are trained during the summer of the second year to the top of this trellis, by tying them to the temporary stakes planted near them ; and when they reach the horizontal part, are trained along the horizontal bars. If the vines are healthy and vigorous, they will make considerable growth along the horizontal bars during this siinimer, and they are allowed to make all the growth they wiU. It will be borne in mind that up to the present time the treatment of the vine has been the same as that already described ; during the first year it was trained as a single cane, in the spring of the second year it was cut back to two eyes and two canes allowed to gi'ow, and these trained up to and on to the horizontal trellis. In the spring of the third year each of these two canes is cut back to about a foot below the horizontal trellis, and four canes are led up on to the trellis, tAvo from each cane. These four HARDY GRAPES. 131 canes hp they extend in length are fastened to the horizontal bars, and so separated as to give sufficient room to each. These growinj^ canes are not stopped at aU or pinched back, nor are the laterals that may grow pinched in, for as the vine is now growing in a horizontal position there is no danger of any un- due determination of the sap to the extremities of the shoots, thereby robbing the lower buds of their due share of nourish- ment. Therefor© in this horizontal method of training all summer pinching of the ends of shoots and of laterals is dispensed with, and all that is required is to keep down aU sprouts that may come up from the roots, and to rub off the buds that start out along the main upright stem. In the spring of the fourth, and of all subsequent years, the vines will be pruned by shortening in the previous summer's growth to four, five, or six buds according to the strength of the vine and the amount of fruit it mar be safely allowed to bear ; and as the vines increase in age and size the old wood can be cut out and replaced by new wood. The fruit -will hang down from the trellis overhead, and be completely protected by the foliage growing above, while the leaves will be fully exposed to the fuU action of the light, the air and the dews. At night the heat radiated from the earth is not lost by being dissipated in the air, but is retained by the canopy of leaves overhead, thereby con- tributing to the perfection and maturation of the fruit. We do not hesitate to say that for the more rampant growing varieties, such as the Clinton, Isabella, and others of like habit, we are fuUy persuaded that the horizontal trellis is much better than any other system of training the vine. These vines do not bear to be dwarfed by constant severe cutting and pinching. The results of this savage style of pruning have uniformly been, after a few years of struggling with the pruning knife, diseased vines, mildew and rot, resulting in loss of crop and frequently the death of the vines. It is only while the vines are young that they bear well; consequently it has been recommended to keep th© vineyard always young by constant renewing of the vines, by 132 HARDY GRAPES. layering the branches every few years, and raising new vines, and rooting out the old ones. But this is all wrong. The vine is naturally long-lived. In the Province of Ontario it has grown to measure four feet in circumference, and that system of culture must be bad that kills the vines off every eight or ten years. The following varieties of grapes are worthy of attention ; some of them have been already extensively tried and their repu- tation well established; others require more extended experiment before their exact worth will be fully ascertained. Adirondac. — This is one of the newer sorts, but has been fruited in the milder parts of Ontario for some years, and generally given good satisfaction. It ripens early, usually a few days before the Hartford Prolific, and will hang on the vine retaining its quality until the frosts cut the foHage. In size of bunch and berry it closely resembles the Isabella, and like it is black when ripe. The flesh is soft and breaking, with a sweet and agreeable flavor. The vine is not as vigorous a grower as the Isabella, and wiU probably bear closer planting. Agawam — Rogers' No. 15. — In point of flavor we esteem this variety among the most desirable of Mr. Eogers' Hybrid Grapes. There is just enough of the native wild grape flavor remaining to give it a pleasant Muscat taste, while the flesh is tender and juicy. The bunch varies a good deal in size, which is a serious failing, but it bears large crops. The vine is very hardy and a rampant grower. Some complaint has been made of rotting of the fruit, and mildew of the vine, probably largely owing to the vicious system of pruning which has been practised — that of attempting to confine its vigorous habit within too small a space. The color of the berries is red. Alvey. — The berry of this variety is so small that it will never be popvdar as a table grape. The bunches are of good size, long, and well shouldered, and the berries, which are black when ripe, have a very pleasant, refreshing, vinous flavor. It is thought that it will prove to be valuable as a wine grape. It has not been sufficiently disseminated in the Dominion to test itp hardihood. HARDY GRAPES. 133 AuTUCHON. — AmoloCs No. 5. — This was raised by Mr. Charles Arnold, of Paris, Ontario, from seed of the Clinton, fertilized with the Golden Chasselas. The bunches are long, and sometimes shouldered, the berries hardly medium size, greenish yellow, resembling in flavor the White Chasselas. It is doubtful whether this variety is sufficiently hardy to endui-e the cold in the more severe parts oi the country. It ripens about the same time as the Delaware. Barry — Rogers' No. 43. — The bunches of this variety are not very long, but broad and compact ; berries large, round, and black, with a tender flesh, juicy and sweet ; ripening about the same time as the Concord. It seems to be very hardy, and able to withstand severe cold. Brant — Arnold's No. 8. — Another of Mr. Arnold's seed- lings, raised from seed of the Clinton, fertilized with the Black St. Peter's. The vine is a strong grower, healthy, and promises to be quite hardy. The bunch is of medium size, the berries small, black, free from pulp, very juicy, sweet, with a rich, aro- matic flavor. It colors early, but improves in quality by being allowed to hang on the \Tnes until frost. The wood ripens early. Canada — ArnolrCs No. 16. — Also from the Clinton, fer- tilized with Black St. Peter's. A very vigorous grower, and giving good promise of being hardy. The bunches are about the size of well grown Clintons, the berries somewhat larger, black, juicy, with a very agreeable, sprightly flavor, the best, in point of flavor, of aU his seedlings. Eipe with the Concord. Catawba. — This old and well-known variety cannot be grown in perfection save in a few favored localities. It requires a longer season, with a greater total of heat than our summers gen- erally give us, to develop the fuU flavor and richness of this grape. Along the north shore of lake Erie it is oftener ripened than in any other part of Canada. Clinton. — One of our most hardy varieties, which has been very largely planted as a wine Grape. The vine is very vigor- otis, healthy and productive ; the bunch of medium size,. 134 HARDY GRAPES. shouldered, compact; berries below medium size, black, juicy, with a brisk, somewhat acid, vinous flavor. The acidity is much ameliorated by allowing the Grapes to hang on the vine until after severe frosts. The Grapes keep well, and are very pleasant and refreshing in January and February. It is not much used as a table Grape on account of its acidity, but is much esteemed for cooking and canning. Concord. — A very popular variety, which succeeds weU in most of the Grape region of the Dominion. The vine is very healthy, moderately vigorous and exceedingly productive. Bunch of good size, compact and well shouldered; berries large, round and black, juicy and sweet, with considerable pulpiness. The skin is thin, and on that account the Grape needs to be handled with care in sending to market. It ripens fully ten days before the Isabella, and is more hardy. Cornucopia. — Amold^s No. 2. — Another product of Black St. Peter's upon the Clinton, raised by Mr. Arnold, of Paris, On- tario, and esteemed by him as one of the most healthy and pro- ductive varieties in cultivation. The bunch is large, shouldered and very compact; berries of medium size, black, juicy, without pulpiness, with a brisk, \'inous flavor. Pipe with the Concord. Creveling. — Laura Beverly. — One of the most dehghtfully flavored early Grapes, ripening about the same time as the Hart- ford Prolific, but much superior in quality. There is no doubt but that it is identical with the Laura Beverly, which name it received from the Ee\-. Canon Dixon, of Port Dalhousie, who supposed for some time that his vine was an accidental seedling, and had not seen or even heard of the Creveling at the time he gave it the name of Laura Beverly. If Mr. Dixon's vine be a seedling, it is too exactly like the Creveling to warrant its cultiva- tion as a distinct variety. They both have the bad habit of setting the berries imperfectly, so that the bunch is often not half filled. Could this defect be remedied, the variety would be worthy of all commendation. When well filled, the bunch is large, well -shoiddered, and tolerably compact; berries of medium size, black; HARDY GRAPE3. 135 flesh tender, with scarcely any pulpiness, sweet, juicy, rich and fine flavored. The ^-ine seems to be as hardy as the Concord, and moderately productive. Crotox. — Xot having fruited this variety, we can give only the testimony of others concerning it ; but the fact that it ripens about the same time as the Hartford ProHfic, makes it worthy of attention by Canadian cultivators, on account of its earliness. The vine is said to be hardy and vigorous; the bunches medium in size and shouldered; berries below medium, hght greenish yellow, juicy, sweet and rich, Delaware. — This is the best hardy grape, all things considered, that we have yet seen. It thrives best in sandy or gravelly loam, not so weU in stiff clay. The vine is a good grower, not coarse, and requires a rich soU, that is thoroughly drained, to produce its finest samples of fruit. It is remarkably healthy, and sufficiently hardy to endure quite severe winters. When well cared for, it is exceedingly productive, and the bunches need thinning out lest it be too heavily burdened with fruit. Bunch is small, shouldered, compact ; berries small, light red, and sweet, with a very pleasant, aromatic, vinous flavor. Eipe before the Concord, and very nearly as early as the HartfoKl Prolific. Is used both for the table and wine. DiAN'A. — Possessed of many good qualities, it nevertheless ripens but little earlier than the Catawba, and therefore is not adapted to general cultivation in this Dominion. It thrives best on not very rich, clayey loam, well drained and warm, and aboimding in limestone. EuMELAX. — A hardy, productive and early ripening variety, but recentiy introduced ; said to have a good sized bunch, with berry of medium size, bluish black, melting, sweet, with a sprightly, vinous flavor, and to ripen fully as early as the Hart- ford Prolific. The Fruit Growers' Association distributed a plant of this vine to each of its members in the spring of 1870, and in a few years its quaHties and suitableness for the climate of On- tario will be weU known. 136 HAKDT GRAPES. Hartford Prolific. — In general appearance of vine and of both bunch and berry this variety bears considerable resemblance to the Isabella, but ripens much earlier and is not as good in flavor. It is one of the earliest ripening sorts we have, and sells readily in the market at good prices. It has the defect of drop- ping its berries from the bunch as soon as ripe, yet this does not take place every season. When ripe, however, they should be gathered and used, as they do not improve in flavor by being allowed to hang on the vine, but on the contrary become musky, and lose all sprightliness. The vine is about as hardy as the Isabella, but not quite as vigorous iu growth; the bunches large, shouldered, tolerably compact; berry large, round, black, mode- rately juicy, sweet, with a good deal of pulp. loNA. — After some years of trial we are obliged to say that this Grape is neither hardier nor much, if any, earlier than the Isabella. Those who can grow and ripen the Isabella may hope to succeed with this Grape, but it will no doubt be better in climates that enjoy longer summers than those of Canada gene- rally. The bunch is large, loose, but shouldered; the berries are full medium, red, juicy, sweet, with a pleasant vinous flavor. ISRAELLA. — ^This ripens very soon after the Hartford Prolific, and on that account is well worthy of trial. Though sent out at the same time with the lona and by the same cultivator, it was not as highly lauded, and has perhaps in consequence not been very generally tested in the colder parts of Canada. The vine is vigorous, productive, and probably will prove to be as hardy as the Concord. The bunches are above medium size, shouldered and compact; berries large, black, juicy, sweet, and without pulpiness. Isabella. — One of the most vigorous, healthy and productive varieties in cultivation, and where it ripens well is one of the most profitable. Unfortunately it requires a longer summer than is to be found in most of the Dominion to ripen its fruit well, and it cannot endure exposure to great extremes of cold. It is believed to be a native of South Carolina. The bunches are HARDY GRAPES. 137 large, loose, shouldered; berries blackish purple, juicy, sweet, with but little pulp or muskiuesa. LiNDLEY. — Roger's No. 9. — A very vigorous and productive sort, with a long compact bunch; berries medium in size, red, juicy, sweet and aromatic. Eipe just before the Concord. Lydia. — A white or greenish white variety that has been fruited in but a few places in Canada. The vine is not more hardy than the Isabella, and seems to be a shy bearer. Those who are anxious to obtain a Grape of this color might try this and the Martha. The bunch is short and compact; berries large, juicy, rich and sweet, with scarcely any pulp. Eipe at the same time as the Delaware. Martha. — Is said to be a seedling of the Concord. "We have not fruited it, but the few specimens we have seen did not equal the Concord in quality. Its admirers claim for it that the vine is as hardy, healthy and productive, as the Concord. Merrimack. — Rogers' No. 19. — The vine has the same character of vigoroxis growth, combined with health and hardi- ness, that pertains to these seedlings. The bunch is short, but broad and compact ; the berries large, round and black, juicy and sweet, with very little pulp ; ripe about same time as the Concord. Othello. — AmoMs No. 1. — The largest, both in berry and bunch, and by far the most showy and attractive of all of Mr. Arnold's Seedlings. It was raised from seed of a wild grape of the Clinton type, fertilized with the Black Hamburgh. The vine is a strong grower, and very productive ; the bunches are large, shouldered and compact ; the berries large, black, with a firm, meaty flesh, free from aU toughness, juicy, with a sprightly vinous flavor. It ripens about with the Concord. \Yc think that in climates where the season is longer, it will be a sweeter and finer grape than it is here, and that it wUl not be likely to prove valuable in those sections where the Concord does not ripen well. Ontario. — This is thought by many to be identical with the 138 MILDEW. Union Village, but our observations have not fully satisfied us that this is the case. It is an exceedingly coarse, vigorous grow- ing variety, not any more hardy than the Isabella, with exceed- ingly large, compact, •well shouldered bunches, and berries fuUy as large as those of the Black Hamburgh ; black, juicy, witli very little pulp, and a pleasant, mild, vinous flavor. It ripens usually a little before the Isabella. Eebecca. — Is not suited to general culture, thriving well only in a few favored localities. It is a white Grape, of good quality, ripening at the same time as the Isabella. The vine is not vigorous, nor capable of enduring extremes of cold. Salem. — Rogers' No. 22. — One of the best of the red-colored Grapes of Mr. Eogers' Seedlings. A healthy and vigorous vine, bearing abundantly, having good sized, short, but compact bunches, and large, round, dark red berries, which are juicy, sweet and aromatic, with very little pulp ; ripe about with the Concord. It is said that this Grape will keep well through the winter. We have seen samples exhibited the latter part of Jan- uary, in fine condition. "WiLDiSR — Rogers' No. 4 — The best black grape raised by Mr. Rogers. The vine is vigorous, healthy, and productive. The bunches are sometimes large, shouldered, and compact ; ber- ries large, with very little pulp ; sweet, juicy, and rich ; ripe with the Concord. MILDEW Mildew is often spoken of as a disease of the vine ; it appeals on the leaves, sometimes extending to the growing shoots. This mildew is a parasitic plant, and is not, properly speaking, a dis- ease, nor even the first cause of disease, but only comes in con- sequence of an enfeebled condition of the vine. These parasitic plants do, not find in the healthy vine the conditions favourable to their development. It is when the vine has received some shock, has become in some degree unhealthy, that these para- MILDEW. 13^ sites, ever ready to fasten on enfcetled and failing vegetation, finding conditions more or less favoratle to their development, begin to appear. Having become once established, they prey upon the vine, make it yet more feeble, and hasten its destruc- tion. There are some vines of so delicate and feeble a constitu- tion that parasitic fungi find in them a congenial soO, and may be surely expected, sooner or later, to appear ; but in vines of a robust constitution, like the Clinton, Concord, and many others, where we find these parasitic fungi in the form of mUdew present, we may be sure that some cause is at work which has enfeebled and injured the health of the vine. Overbearing is a very com- mon cause of sickly and enfeebled vines ; injudicious pruning, especially late fall pruning, and severe summer pruning are, in this climate, also a prolific source of injury to the vigor of the vines. It may be necessary, in order to restore the vines to health, to destroy the fungi that are feeding upon them ; but, unless the other enfeebHng causes are removed also, and the vine wholly restored, these fungi will continue to appear year after year, in spite of all applications of sulphur or other substances destructive to them, and in the end the vine wUl perish. Mildew should, therefore, be usually regarded as an indication of want of perfect health in the vine, and the cause of that failure of health be diligently sought for, and, if foimd, promptly removed. Some of the causes have been indicated, but there are others, and some of these it is not possible to remedy. The vines of Euroj>e thrive here for a few years, but the extremes of tem- perature in our climate are too severe for their constitutional vigor ; they become gradually enfeebled, mildew makes its ap- pearance, destroys the foliage so that the wood cannot ripen, and the next winter they are irretrievably ruined. Flour of sidphur dusted upon the leaves is the best known agent for the destruction of the mildew. 140 CULTIVATION OP THB GRAPE UNDER GLASS. CULTIVATION OF THE GEAPE UOTDEE GLASS. The following hints are designed to aid those who are desirous of growing a few vines under glass, and who propose to be in this matter their own gardeners, and being therefore without the assistance of scientific cultivators, wish to avaU. themselves of plain, simple directions how to proceed. The writer, in preparing these suggestions, has availed himself of the very admirable little treatise by Mr. "WiUiam Thomson, of Dalkeith Park, Scotland, making such changes as the difference in climate seemed to require. SHAPE AND SIZE OF VINERY. When the object sought in the erection of a vinery is the production of early Grapes, there is no form so suitable as a "lean- to," with the roof sloping full to the south-south-east. When it is desired to have late Grapes, say those ripening in August and September, the span-roofed form is best and most economical, and should be placed with one end to the south and the other to the north, which will make the roof to slope to t^e east and Avest. It is better that the house be of sufficient size to be maintained easily at a imiform temperature. If it be very smell, it is too easily affected by the changes of weather going on without. Let it be, if practicable, say height of back wall fifteen feet ; width of house fifteen feet; height of front sashes two feet six inches; length forty feet, outside measurement. A house of these di- mensions has a good length of rafter, which enables the vines to carry a large extent of foliage, and become vigorous plants as compared with those confined to a short rafter. The front sashes should be in sections, and hung upon hinges at the upper edge, having a CTirved, notched iron rod fastened on the inner side of each section, so that any one or all of these sections can be opened to any desired extent, when required for the purpose of ventil- ation, or kept securely closed. The upper ventilators should be three feet long by one foot wide, and placed in the back wall CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. 141 €ight€en inches below the plate. There should he a ventilator in each space- between the rafters. The easiest arrangement for opening and closing them, is to swing them on a pivot, with a curved iron rod running from the edge of each ventilator and* fastened securely to a larger rod, which is run the whole length of the house, and which is supported on brackets fastened in the wall and standing out about three inches from the face of the wall. This long rod is very readily and cheaply obtained by using inch gas pipe. At one end of this long rod, and running at right angles to it, is fastened a rod or bar to act as a lever in taming the long rod on its axis. From the end of this lever depends a handle, which is pierced at the lower extremity with numerous holes. When it is desired to open the ventilators at the top of the house, they are aU openened simultaneously and to any desired height, by means of this handle, which acting upon the lever turns the long rod, and this turning of the rod pushes open the ventilators. These are kept open to any desired degree by slipping the lower end of the handle on to a peg fixed in the wall, which passes through any one of the several holes with which the lower end is perforated. A good mode of building is to put up a frame, fill in between the studs with brick laid in mortar, making a four inch wall, and then plaster on the brick. All the interior of the house should be made as smooth as possible, and the wood work well painted, so that the house may be thorougly cleansed every year, and leave no hiding place for insects. The roof should be fixed, the astragals reaching from the plate to the ridge, and the glass bedded in putty, with a lap of not more than one-eighth down to one-sixteenth of an inch. If pieces of tin, four inches wide, be first laid for the bottom course, and then the glass laid on, lapping the eighth of an inch on the tin, it will be found a saving of glass in frosty weather. The rafters should be two by six inches, placed three feet ten inches apart, from centre to centre, and a vine trained under each rafter. Across the upper side of the rafters, and about midway of their length, should run U2 CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. / i \ •1 .^ ^M r4 .s ^ 1 a stringer of oak the whole length of the house, 3x1^ inches, upon which the astragals will rest, in notches cut in the upper side to receive them. At the bottom of these notches a small, y^ round three-eighths of an inch hole should be bored across the stringer, so that a drop of water running down the bottom of the astragal "wUl not be stopped by the stringer, but may run on to the lower end. The astragals should be made of clear stuff 2x1 inch. The upper side should be rabbeted half an inch deep, with a seat of one-fourth of an inch to receive the glass, and the under side should be beveled off to a point of one-eighth of an inch in width, leaving only a depth of half an inch below the glass, which is fully one inch in thick- ness. The accompanying cut, Fig. 46, re- presents a section of an astragal. Into the under side of the rafters should be screwed eyes or loops, with such length of rod that the wires, when drawn through them, shall be sixteen inches from the glass — the wires running the whole length of the house, at right angles to the rafters. These eyes should be fastened into the rafters every ten inches, thus bringing the wires not more than ten inches apart. HEATING THE VINERY. The best method of heating a vinery is by means of hot water, and in a house of the size above mentioned, in which it is intended to force early grapes, in order to heat it suffi- ciently there shoidd be about one foot in length of four-inch pipe to every fourteen feet of cubic space, or say three hundred and twenty-five feet of pipe. As the heat is most needed at the front, it will be found p, good arrangement to place five pipes along the front and ends, and two return pipes along the back — the pipes rimning under the walk whi«h is carried around the house. /a in Fig. 46. CULTIVATIOX OF THE GRAPE ITS-DER GLASS. 143 144 CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. Fig. 47 represents the ground plan of a vinery, showing the "water-pipes and boiler. The hot water flows from the top of the boiler, runs through the pipes along the front and ends, and returns to the bottom of -the boiler by the two pipes along the back of the vinery K a span-roofed house is preferred, the construction will be much the same as that already described. Of course there will be no back wall, but in place of it, another roofing of glass ; and instead of the top ventUators being as in the " lean-to," there must be some arrangement made at the ridge of the roof. A convenient arrangement is to run the astragals to the ridge on the west side, and glaze that side tight to the top. On the east side, TUB the astragals only to >vithin about eighteen inches of the top, and between every other rafter place a ventilator, three feet long and one foot wide, hinged on the upper edge, and rabbeted so as to lap over half an inch on the lower side and at the two ends, when closed. On the inside, near the lower edge, is fastened, with a staple, a small rod, with which the ventilator can be pushed open and kept at any desired elevation. Or, instead of ventilators fastened on hinges, narrow sashes may be made to slide down and up between the rafters, which are opened and shut by a cord passing over pulleys. The only objection to this latter method is, that sometimes, in freezing weather, the sliding sash becomes frozen fast, so that it cannot be made to slide; though, with proper attention, it will very seldom be necessary to open the top ventilators in such weather. Fig. 48. The above diagram illustrates the method of admitting fesh air into the vinery in cold weather, when it is impossible to open the side or front ventilators with safety. CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE UNDER GLASa 145 a Eepresents the flow pipe nrnning along the front of the vinery, and if there be several, the one nearest to the fixtnt wall ; & is a tia or galvanized iron covering, made to enclose the hot water pipe, but having a diameter one inch more than the hot pipe it encloses, and brought down at the ends so as to fit tight at those points, thus enclosing a space of half an inch all round the flow pipe inside the sheath. This ca\T.ty is fed with fresh air firom the exterior of the house by a pipe, c, five inches in diameter, which springs from the lower surface of the sheath, and passes through the front wall of the house to the external air. There is a valve, d, in the feed pipe to modify the supply of fresh air at pleasure. In the upper surface of the sheath is a double row of small holes, so that the moment the cold air comes into the hot chamber roimd the pipe, and gets hot, expanded and lighter, it makes its exit through these holes into the general atmosphere of the house. In this way a constant supply of fresh air can be obtained without causing a cold draught. This is more especially desired for houses used for early forcing, at which season the weather is nearly all the time so cold that it is unsafe to open the front ventilators. It is always desirable to have some means of heating even a cold grapery, for it often happens that the warm days of early spring, which start the vines nicely, are followed by a period of chilly weather, accompanied by frosty nights, and unless the temperature of the house can be kept up the vines become severely chilled, and sometimes in a single night they will receive a shock from which they will not recover in a fortnight. For this pur- pose, however, a couple of pipes, running around the house, will be quite suf&cient, and can be used at such times, either in the early spring, or when in bloom, or in the damp weather in the faU. The best boiler, all things considered, for a small house, is the plain saddle boiler. It is quite unnecessary to enter upon a discussion here of the merits of the many boilers which have been invented, and all of which are advertised as "imj/roved." 146 CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. Those who wish to experiment in this direction, and spend considerable money in making these experiments, will find ample opportunity for doing so ; the wise man will be satisfied " to let well enough alone." The best method of heating all horticultural structures is by hot water. Common air always contains in suspension minute particles of animal and vegetable matter, besides being more or less filled with aqueous vapor. When this atmosphere is made to pass over highly heated metallic surfaces these particles of or- ganic matter are decomposed by the heat, and resolved into their various elementary gases ; and the suspended aqueous vapor is also decomposed, the oxygen thereof uniting with the hot iron surface, and the hydrogen mixing with the air. These changes make the atmosphere extremely deleterious to both animal and vegetable life. Metallic surfaces should never be heated above 212 degrees of Fahrenheit for all purposes of warming dwellings or horticultural buildings, and where the heating is done by hot water the most careless manager can never exceed this point.' Heating by means of brick flues is not as objectionable as by hot air stoves or furnaces; yet in our extremely cold climate, rendering it sometimes necessary to heat the flues to a high temperature, the organic matter in the atmosphere becomes decomposed, and the expansion of bricks admits of an escape of gases from the fuel, through the fissures and joints. Besides these reasons, a greater permanency of temperature is obtained by the use of hot water than is possible by any other method. Steam circulating in pipes will not maintain the same permanency of temperature. A tube filled with water at a tem- perature of 212° Fahrenheit contains 1694 times as much matter as one of the same size filled with steam. Hence it is that a given bvlk of water, in falling from a temperature of 212" to 60°, wiU give out 228 times as much heat as the same bulk of steam reduced to the same temperature of 60°; or, in other words, a given bulk of steam will lose as much of its heat in one minute as the same bulk of water will lose in three hours and three quarters. CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE UNDER GLA8S. 147 But this is not all the difference. The heat of the iron pipe must also be taken into consideration, which, if calculated at foui inches in diameter and one-foiorth of an inch in thickness, will, in the case of hot water, contain 4.68 times as much heat as the one filled with steam ; so that in fact if the pipe, when filled with steam, cools down to 60° in one hoiu-, it will require four hours and a half to cool the iron to the same temperature when filled with water. !Xor yet is this all. As soon as the water in the boiler falls below 212°, all circulation of steam ceases; but in the case of water, the circulation is kept up until the water in the boiler falls to the same temperature as that in the pipes. Hence the temperature of the house is kept ixom falling below 60°, not only Tintd all the water in the pipes, and the pipes themselves, have fallen to this point, but untU all the water in the boiler, and the boiler itself, has reached the same temi)era- ture. From these observations it will be seen that a house heated with hot water will maintain its temperature six times as long as one heated by steam. Again, in order to heat a building by steam, the pipes must be above the temperature of 212°, and as we advance above this point we soon reach such a degree of heat as we have already described as being prejudicial to that purity of atmosphere so essential to animal and vegetable life and health BOILERS AND PIPES. The efficiency of a boiler depends upon the quantity of sur- face exposed to the fire, and that should be in proportion to the amount of water contained in the boiler and pipes. A boiler which has a surface of seven square feet exposed to the fire will heat four hundred feet of four-inch pipe sufficiently for practical purposes. It is better that the boiler should have a capacity above the proportion of the pipes than below, for though the circulation will be slower, the temperature can be maintained at the desired point with a less consumption of fuel. The best material for these boilers is cast iron ; they last longer than those 148 CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. made of malleable iron, because they are not as rapidly consumed by rust, and are usually less expensive in the first instance. Experiments very carefully made by competent men have settled the fact that more heat will be given out by four-inch pipes, in proportion to the consumption of fuel, than by pipes of any other size. In laying down the pipes, they should never be fastened, but every facility should be given to them for motion lengthwise, by laying them on pieces of rod iron placed occasion- ally under them and upon the support upon which they rest. The linear expansion of cast iron is nearly equal to one inch .and three-eighths in every hundred feet, when the temperature is raised from 32° to 212° ; and unless every freedom is given for the motion caused by this alternate expansion and contraction, the joints will very likely become loose and leaky. In heating the vinery it is always desirable to economise as much heat as possible, hence it is weU to run the smoke flue the entire length of the house, which maybe done in a " lean-to" by running it along the back wall. BORDERS FOR THE VINES. If it be designed to force the vines for early fruit, it will be essential, in our climate, that they should be confined to an in- side border. It is impossible to maintain anything like a cor- responding degree of temperature between the root and the branches, if the roots are permitted to run in an outside border, and unless this is measurably maintained it is impossible to pro- duce good grapes. But in cool graperies the borders may be open, and the vines allowed to ramble outside as well as inside. In preparing the borders, if the subsoil be a retentive clay, and, as is usually the case, cold and wet, it is necessary to pro vide perfect drainage. To do this thoroughly, the whole of the soil of the size of the intended border, and to a depth of three feet, should be thrown opt, and the bottom made to slope gradu- ally to the front, with a fall of one inch to the foot, and along the front of the border, and just below the edge, a tile drain CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE IJNDEK GLASS. 149^^ should be laid, mth a like slope to carry off promptly aU the water that runs to the edge of the border. The bottom of the border should then be covered with broken stone, or brick rubbish, or very coarse gravel, and this, if possible, covered with a layer that is a little finer, thus gradually increasing the fineness of the mate- rial untn it approaches that of ordinary soU. This drainage should be nine inches deep, and be covered aU over with an inverted sod. The best soil with which to fill up the border is that taken from the surface of an old pasture, where the grass is fine and thick, paring off the sod to a depth of three inches — if abound- ing in calcareous matter, so much the better. Old grape growers say it should be composed of 65 per cent, of sand, 30 per cent, of clay, and 5 per cent, of chalk, with plenty of vegetable fibre, that is, roots of grass. But beware of decaying wood; every bit of this will be filled with spores of fungi, that wiU be certain to injure, and very probably destroy the vines. This sod and soU. from the pasture should be stacked under cover for say sis months, until the grass is dead and the whole mass dry ; then broken up and mixed with lime rubbish, old plaster, if possible in the proportion of ten loads of loam to two of lime rubbish, one of charcoal, and two of fresh fermenting horse manure, and four hundred weight of coarse, broken bones. This should be thoroughly turned over several times, that it may be well intermingled, turning it, if possible, in frosty weather. If the soil be too strong in clay it may be improved by adding sand. If the soil be deficient in clay, increase the quantity of bones and horse droppings.- Horn shavings are an excellent substitute for bones, or may be used with them. Calcined oyster shells are also useful, if they can be had. While preparing this compost for the vine border it should be kept dry. The width of the border in the forcing house should be the entire width of the house, and the foundation laid up with stone or brick along the entire front, to the depth of the bottom of the border, so that the roots of the vines can have no opportunity of straying into the outer soil. In the span-roofed vinery the border 150 CULTIVATION OF THE GBAPE UNDER GLASS. should occupy not only the whole interior of the house, but a space on each side, equal, at least, to one-half the width of the house. It is advisable not to make the whole width of the border at the time the viues are planted, but ia the forcing house make about eight feet in width along the front, or in the ■cool vinery make five or six feet inside and as much outside, along each side. This will afford sufficient room for the roots of the vines for the first year. The second year, add three feet to the inside border, or, if a cool viuery, add three feet inside and as much outside to each border, and at or about this rate every year untU the whole width of the border is made up. K added as wanted, it will be sweeter and better than if it be all put down at once. The border in the vinery should be filled in so that the surface shall be from six inches to a foot above the surface of the soil outside. Allowance must be made for the settling of the soil, which avlU be about six inches. The borders having been made, and everything ready for planting, the vines, which have been grown in pots, should have the sod well shaken out from the roots, the roots carefully disen- tangled, and any decayed portions cut ofi", then carefully and evenly spread out, and covered with the finely pulverized sod to the •depth of four or five inches. The earth should be settled by watering moderately with tepid water, through a fine rose. When planted, the vines should be cut down to two buds. When these have got nicely started, rub off the weaker bud, and train the other under the rafter by tying it to the wires. During the first season, aUow it to grow without any pruning or pinching whatever, carefully preserving every leaf it may form and every lateral that it may throw out. As the season advances, gradually give more air, so that by the middle of August the ventilators may be left open night and day. In this way a good healthy vine wUl be secured, with an abundance of roots, and with well ripened wood. The second year's treatment begins with the cutting back of the canes in K^ovember, to within a foot of the bottom of the CULTIVATION OF THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. 151 rafter. Wlieii this has been done, the inside of the vinery should be most thoroughly washed, and the vines painted -with a paint composed of 2 oz. of soft soap, 2 oz. of flowers of sulphur, one gill of tobacco-water, and ^ oz. of nux vomica, mixed thor- oughly in two quarts of water, to which enough dry clay, or slaked lime is added to bring the whole to a consistency of thick paint. This will destroy red spider and other insects that may be on them. The vines should then be laid down and covered with dry leaves, to protect them from frost. K it is desired to have ripe grapes about the first of July, fires should be started about the first of February, the vines uncovered, and, after the eyes are all evenly broken, tied to the wires. As soon as the fires are started, the canes should be syringed with tepid water twice a day until the buds burst, and then all syringing of the vines should cease until they have fully ex- panded their first leaf. The temperature on starting should be between 40° and 45° at night, rising to 55° or 60° diiring the day. As soon as the buds are burst the heat may be increased at night to 45° or 50°, and so gradually increase the night heat a little, so that by the time the first leaves are wholly expanded the night temperature may be as high as 50°, running up in the day to 10° or 15° higher. The atmosphere should be kept suf- ficiently moist by placing metallic trays, containing water, on the pipes, and by sprinkling the border and paths, but never by syringing the pipes when they are hot. This year, the lateral shoots that start from the growing wood should be pinched at one leaf from the main cane, and those from last year's wood stopped at the fifth joint, and all the fruit taken off except one bunch, or, at most, two, if they are small. When the leading cane has reached two-thirds of the length of the rafter it may be stopped, and when it starts again, stopped once more, after it has made two more joints, repeating this process until growth ceases. The laterals must also be stopped every time they start, after making one joint more beyond the last stop. Air should be given more and more freely as the season advances, so that the wood 152 CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. may ripen well and naturally. After the leaves fall, the laterals should be cut off to the main cane, and the main vine cut back to six feet from the bottom of the rafter, all loose bark on the old wood removed, the cane washed with tepid water and a little soap, and painted with the mixture already mentioned. Wash all the walls of the vinery with hot Kme whitewash, with a little sulphur stirred in it, and clean all the wood-work and glass tho- roughly, especially all the nooks, comers and crannies, with plenty of soap and water. Lay down the vines, and cover well with leaves as before. Sometimes the mice get into the house, and finding the leaves an excellent place of concealment, take up their abode in them, and eat the bark of the vines. It is for the purpose of putting a stop to such mischief that the nux vomica is put into the paint. Perhaps a better way is to twist tightly some small straw ropes, and wind these securely around the whole of each vine, from the ground to the top, completely encasing each, and then laying them down along the front of the house. The mice will not gnaw through the straw rope. In the third year the fires will be again started about the first of February, the covering removed from the vines, the vines weU syringed twice a day with tepid water until the buds burst. As soon as it can be seen that two shoots are starting from one eye, rub off the weaker, and discontinue the syringing of the vine untQ the first leaf is fully expanded. The requisite moisture should be maintained by the trays of water on the pipes and sprinkling the floor. As soon as the bunches can be discerned, the heat of the house, which has been maintained at from 45* to 50° by night, and from 10° to 15° higher by day, should be raised about 5° higher, and gradually increased, so that by the time the shoots have extended three inches in length, the heat will be raised to 55° or G0° at night, and from 65° to 75° by day. From this point there should be a daily increase of the temperature until the vines begin to bloom, when it should have reached a night temperature of 65°, and about 15' higher by day for CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. 153 Black Hamburghs, and all the free-setting class. In the case of Muscats, the heat should he 10° greater both night and day. Lessen the amount of moistxire while the vines are in bloom, and if the vines are occasionally jarred at this time, so as to fiU the house with the pollen, the effect will be beneficiaL In this way a good set of fruit will be secured, even on the Muscat vines. As soon as the fruit is set, the heat should be gradually allowed to decrease to 65° at night, rising to 75° or 80° by day with fire heat, and up to 85° or 90° with the sun. Also, as soon as the fruit is set, the house should be again supplied with moisture, and the vines well syringed daily. There will doubtless be more fruit set than the vines can be allowed to bear. The best practice is to take off all the bunches on a shoot but one, and stop the lateral on which it grows two leaves or joints beyond the bunch, and pinch in all sub-laterals, {that is, laterals growing out of the lateral shoot), at the first joint, and to re-pinch these as often as they start again without leaving any additional joint. There will probably be stOl too many bunches of Grapes remaining, and these should be re- duced to eight or ten bunches for each vine, always leaving the largest and best. The leading shoot from the main cane should not be allowed to bear any fruit. The berries also wiU require thinning out. In the case of the free-setting varieties, this should be done as early as pos- sible after the Grapes are set; in the Muscats it is better to wait until it can be seen which of the berries are properly set and taking the lead. Care must be taken not in any way to injure the remaining berries. There are Grape scissors made on purpose for this work, which vnR enable the operator with a little practice to thin out the berries readily and safely, and without injury to those that remain. Handle the fruit as little as possible. The object of this thinning is to give room to each berry to swell per- fectly without being jammed, and yet so that, when ripe, the bunch shall be compact. Air must be supplied in sufficient quantity to keep the foliage 154 CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. healthy and thick, and there will be no difficulty in doing this by means of the fresh air ventilator shown at fig. 48, which may be kept more or less open night and day, and in all weathers. Advantage may also be taken of the opportunity for diffusing ammonia through the house, by dissolving the sulphate or the carbonate of ammonia in the water trays on the pipes. This will have a tendency to tliicken the leaves, and strengthen the whole plant. Yet this may be done to excess, and then, instead of a benefit, becomes a positive injury. A little guano, or pigeon's dung, or the dung of common barn-yard fowls, may be used in- stead of the salts of ammonia. In watering the inside border, if the bottom drainage be what it should, give it always a thorough drenching, not a mere surface watering. Use soft, tepid water, soaking it thoroughly when the vines are started, and afterwards as occasion requires. Be careful not to tread on the border when newly watered. When the berries begin to color, increase the supply of air, night and day, and stop syringing the vines. Lessening the moisture will increase the flavor of the Grapes, but beware of the red spider, for with such power as the sun has in this climate, it is very easy to withhold moisture so much as to create a worse evil. When the Grapes are all cut, give the vines a thorough syringing with tepid water, and clean the foliage from all insects and dust. Keep the inside border dry enough to prevent the vines from starting into growth. After the foliage is ripe and fallen, the laterals which have borne fruit must be cut back to one eye, those upon the growing cane cut back to the main vine, the main cane cut in to twelve feet in length, the vine washed and painted, the house most thoroughly cleansed, and the vines protected and laid down for winter. When, in course of time, the spurs become too large and un- sightly, a new cane may be grown by cutting down one of the vines every year and leading up a new shoot. If but one or two vines are cut back in each year, the whole vinery will be gradu- ally renewed without materially lessening the supply of grapes. CULTIVATION OP THE QBAPB UNDEB GLASS. 155 DISEASES OF VINES. Shanking. — This formidable disease has been a fruitful theme of conjecture, and many reasons have been assigned for its cause, and as many remedies propounded. It makes its appear- ance just as the grapes are changing from their acid to their saccharine state, arrests this transformation, the berry remaining acid, and becoming in a short time shrivelled. The little stem or shank, which attaches the berry to the bunch, decays, which is all the functional derangement apparent to the eye, hence the term shanking, applied to the disease. It is probable that several causes may combine in the pro- duction of this disease; prominent among these are over-cropping, injury to the foliage by red spider, or other cause, the roots of the vine having penetrated into a cold, wet subsoil, or the roots having made a late, succulent growth, by reason of the border being too rich and damp, and perhaps too plentifully sup- plied with manure water. These causes may not aU exist at any one time, but some one or more of them will be found to have just so far enfeebled the vine as to make its loss of vigor apparent in tliis way, when in nothing else does it seem to manifest any lack of healthy action. The trouble is thought by the ablest gardeners to be owing to the want of weU ripened, iine and woody roots at the time when winter sets in, roots that are ripened to their extremest points. If instead of being thus ripened, they are from any cause coarse and soft, with a spongy texture, when winter sets in, all these spongy fibres will die and decay during the winter, back to the main stem roots, from which they issued. When the vines start to grow again the main roots throw out young fibrous rootlets to supply their place ; but these are unable to supply the vine with sufficient nutriment to sup- port both the requisite wood and fruit, hence the shanking of the firuit, while the other functions of the vine seem to be per- fonned in a healthy manner. If it be certain that the shanking, 156 CULTIVATION' OF THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. when it appears, is not due to over-cropping, or injury to the foliage, nor to the roots having penetrated into the cold subsoil ; and it should be remembered that these causes existing during the previous year, may be the occasion of imperfectly ripened roots, whose death during the past winter is now being felt in the shanking of the grapes ; but that it is possible that it ia owing to the border being too heavy, damp, and rich, the only remedy is to raise the roots, remove a portion of the border, and replace with compost in which there is a larger amount of lime rubbish, calcined oyster shells, and coarse bone, say double the quantity previously recommended, with only half the amount of dung. In this poorer and more porous border the roots will be more numerous, finer, and more woody, ripening well before autumn, and will survive the winter in a perfectly sound con- dition. It is easier to give one or two good waterings with liquid manure during the growing season, to supply the requisite nourishment, than to do -without the healthy roots through which it is taken up into the circulation. EusT on Grapes is believed to be caused by the application of sulphur to the hot pipes while the Grapes are yet young, and that this may be wholly avoided if sulphur be not used in this way until the Grapes have been set some time, and the skin be- come less tender and sensitive. The thick-skinned Grapes, such as the Muscats, are less liable to injury in this way. It is re- commended by able Grape growers to paint the pipes with sul- phur mixed with milk and water as soon as the red spider makes its appearance, which it will do in the hottest part of the house first, and repeat this painting once a week. It is considered the real specific for this great pest; yet, where the atmosphere of the house is kept at the proper moisture, and never allowed to get too dry, and the house properly cleansed every year, there is much less danger of its becoming troublesome. It will be seen, however, from what has been said on the subject of Eust, care must be used, lest in killing the red spider with sulphur, you injure the Grapes with Eust. CDLTIVATION OF THB GRAPE UNDER GLASS. 157 Mildew of the vine has been a serious source of loss and dis- appointment. Strictly it is not a disease, but a parasitic, fungoid plant, which, under certain favoring conditions grows upon and derives its sustenance from the tissues of the vine. By its growth the further growth of the vine is arrested, and if sufficiently abundant the crop of fruit is lost, and the vine itself seriously and sometimes fatally injured. It is most Kkely to make its ap- pearance in hot, dry weather, particularly if a draught of air be allowed through the house. By keeping the top ventilators open, and not suffering any draughts, the mildew may be whoUy pre- vented. Little injury need be apprehended from it after the Grapes are once well colored. There sometimes forms on the lower surface of the leaves a collection of little green warts. They are caused by a close, warm atmosphere, saturated with moisture, and can be prevented by maintaining a free circulation of air, moderately charged with moisture. AiB-ROOTS on the vine are caused either by the atmosphere of the house being kept too moist, or because the border is too cold, or by both these causes acting together. "When the natural roots are in a border that in texture, temperature and moisture is congenial to their growth, and the atmosphere of the vinery what it ought to be, there will be few air-roots. As a rule, one pound of grapes to every two superficial feet of glass is a fair crop, yet a sound discretion must be exercised in the amount of crop, which should be proportioned to the vigor of the vines. SELECTION OP VINES. For a person who does not wish to force early grapes, but confines himself to a single cool grapery, the following selection wiU be found suitable, and at the same time give him a succession : 5 Black Hamburgh. 2 Muscat Hamburgh. 1 Royal Muscadine. 12 158 CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. 1 Chasselas Musque. 1 Buckland Sweet Water. 1 Golden Champion. For early forcing, the following will be the most desirable aild suitable sorts : 3 Black Hamburgh. 3 Muscat Hamburgh 2 Bowood Muscat. 1 Grizzly Frontignan. 1 White Frontignan. 1 Chasselas Musque. FRUITING VINES IN POTS. It is sometimes desirable to ripen a few grapes in pots. It can be done whde the permanent vines are becoming established in their borders, preparatory to their first crop of fruit. They are often wanted for dinner table decoration, — and what can give the table a more charming appearance, in combination with flowers, than a vine laden with its tempting purple clusters! The following hints are intended to help those who are desirous of making the experiment. It is of the first importance to obtain strong, healthy, well ripened, one year old vines, that have been well grown in eight- inch pots. These should be procured about the first of April. As soon as they are received, the ball of earth containing the roots should be well soaked with tepid water. They should then be potted in eleven-inch pots, first carefully loosening and spreading what root-fibres can be readily set free without breaking the ball to pieces, yet reducing the size of it by removing the loose soil at the top, and what may crumble oflf in liberating the ends of the roots. Some soU. for potting them should have been provided similar to that used for the borders. The hole at the bottom of the pot should be covered with a potsherd, and the bottom fiUed, to the depth of at least two inches, with broken fragments of pots, or with small pieces of charcoal, or with half-inch ground CULTIVATION OP THE GRAPE UNDER GLASS. 159 bones. Over these should be spread a little moss to prevent the soil from being washed into the drainage. Upon the moss place about two inches of the coarser portion of the soil, and then proceed to plant the vine in the pot, pressing the soil in quite firmly around the roots and the baU in which they are contained. Fill the soil in the pot to about an inch from the brim. If the soU is not pressed down quite firmly in pottiag the vine, the water will soak through the loose, porous soil around the ball, without siifficiently wetting the ball and the roots it contains. Therefore pot firmly. Cut the vine back to three buds, and syringe with tepid water until they begin to break, and then suspend the syringing of them until the first leaf is fully ex- panded, and treat them in the same manner as the vines in the border. When the buds have started, select the strongest and rub off the others. It will be found a convenient arrangement to set the pots along the front of the vinery, as near the glass as possible, put a stick in the pot, and as the vine grows, tie it up until it reaches the wires, and then it can be trained to the wires in the same manner as the vines in the border. When the laterals start out, pinch them in beyond the first leaf, and repeat the pinching as often as a leaf is formed, leaving one new leaf at each pinching. When the main cane has attained a length of eight or nine feet, cut it back to six or seven feet. This will probably cause the laterals to start with more vigor, and they will require attention to keep them pinched in to their proper limits. When they have become brown at the base for a couple of inches, thus showing a ripening of the wood, they should be cut off down to the bud at their base. During the growth of the vine, and up to the time of cutting off the laterals, the vines should be watered twice a week with manure water, commencing with a very weak solution at first, and gradually increasing the strength with the increased strength of the vine. But when the laterals are cut off, then cease the manure water altogether, and lessen also the amount of water given, gradually diminishing the waterings so as to ripen the 160 THE BLACKBERRT. wood thorouglily, yet not withholding water so as at any time to cause the leaves to flag. Copious waterings are very apt to cause the vine to start into a second growth, which must be avoided. When the vine is full ripened, the pot should be plunged into the border in some spot where it will not interfere with the roots of the vines growing there, inserting the pot to a depth of six inches below the surface. The cane should be cut down and covered with some bits of old carpeting, or, if preferred, may be wound with straw. In the spring, when the vines in the border are started, those in the pots should be taken out of the border and cut back to five feet in length, and the canes bent over and syringed, and treated in aR respects as the other vines in the vinery. When the buds are all evenly broken, the cane should be tied to the stake in the pot, in an upright position, the shoots pinched in, leaving one leaf beyond the last bunch of fruit, and kept pinched in each time it starts. Water with manure-water twice a week, as was done last year, beginning with a weak preparation, and increasing in stength until the fruit is well colored. Only one bunch of grapes should be left on each shoot, and not more than five pounds on the vine, ,> The Black Hamburgh is the best variety for pot culture, and •we advise amateurs to confine themselves to this alone untU they have had some experience, and attained some skill in the man- agement of pot vines, and then they may try their hand on such other sorts as they wish, with much greater probabilities of suc- cess. THE BLACKBERRY. But little attention has been paid to the cultivation of this fruit within the Dominion. The first variety that was sent out, known as the New Rochelle or Lawton, proved to be too tender to endure our climate, and the later introductions have not been very widely disseminated. A deep, dry and rich soil is most favorable to the growth of THE BLACKBERRY. 161 tliis plant. The canes should he planted in rows eight feet apart and three feet apart in the row. If the growing canes are pinched back in the month of Augiist, they will become stocky, ripen their wood better, and yield more and better fruit, than if left to grow unchecked. The old canes which have borne fruit should be cut out close to the ground as soon as the fruit is gathered, and if there be a superabundance of young shoots, they should be removed at the same time. A pair of shears with long handles, or a pruning hook with a long handle, will be found convenient implements for this work. All suckers that come up between the rows should be cut up as weeds. The cultivation consists in keeping the ground mellow and free from weeds, and in such an annual manuring with weU- rotted barnyard manure as will be sufficient to keep the ground ia a good state of fertility. Too much manure at one time induces a too luxuriant growth of the cane, resulting in unripened wood that is apt to suffer from the frosts of winter. If the plants have not been properly piuched during the season of growth, they wiU require to be pnmed back in spring to a height of about four feet, and the lateral branches to about sixteen inches. The Blackberry is multiplied by transplanting the suckers, and by planting cuttings of the roots. When the variety is scarce, and it is desired to multiply by as small divisions as pos- sible, it Will be found advantageous to prepare a hotbed and plant the root cuttings on a gentle bottom heat. The following varieties seem worthy of attention. Others are being brought to notice, but have not yet been sufficiently tested to speak with confidence of their merits. Could some one invent a Blackberry without thorns, yet as productive as those having thorns, and yielding fruit of as fine si^e and quality, he would deserve the lasting gratitude of every lover of this berry. The Kittatinny. — This variety has the reputation of being very hardy, and so far as it has been tried seems to have given good satisfaction. The berries are large, slightly conical, and of a deep shining black, sweet, and with a rich, pleasant BlackbeiTy 162 THE STRAWBERRY. flavor. The plant grows vigorously and bears abundantly, con- tinuing to ripen its fruit for four or five weeks. Wilson's Early. — This variety ripens early, and perfects its entire crop in about two weeks. It seems to partake of the character of the Dewberry, the canes occasionally taking root at the tips. The fruit is very large, slightly pointed, deep black, and quite firm. This variety was distributed by the Fruit Growers' Associ- ation of Ontario to all its members in the spring of 1871, so that its adaptedness to the climate of that Province will soon be thoroughly tested. New Eochelle. — Lawton. — The climate is too severe for this variety anywhere beyond the Peach region. "Within that limit it grows well, and bears very large crops. The berries are very large, deep black when fully ripe, and then it is soft, juicy, sweet, and of pleasant flavor, but if gathered too soon, when it first be- gins to get black, it is very sour and flavorless. Begins to ripen early in August and continues for five or six weeks. THE STEAWBEREY. Strawberry plants do not always produce perfect flowers. Some varieties produce flowers having only pistils and no sta- mens, these are called pistillate sorts; others produce flowers with both stamens and pistils, these are called hermaphrodite. In some of the hermaphrodite varieties the number of stamens is so few, or the development so imperfect, that there is not sufficient poUen to fertilize all the seed vessels. When from any cause there is no pollen to fall on the pistils, and thus to give vitality to the seed germ, then the receptacle or berry is not developed at all, and no strawberries are produced. When there is not enough pollen to give a grain to each pistil, then the seed germ at the base of that pistil is not vitalized, and the portion of the berry forming the receptacle of that particular seed does not grow to its proper size or attain its true character, and when ^ny considerable number of them THE STRAWBERRY. 163 are not fertilized, the berry becomes deformed and mis-shapen. The Hovey's Seedling is an instance of a pistillate variety, one in which the stamens are wholly wanting; Russell's Prolific is an instance of one in which the stamens are defective, being too few or too imperfectly developed to thoroughly fertilize the fruit; while the WiLson produces a perfect flower with a suffi- ciency of well-developed stamens. The following figure is a representation of a perfect flower, showing the stamens, with the anthers on their extremities, ar- ranged in a circle around the re- ceptacle or berry, which is studded all over with slender hair -like pistils. Varieties which produce such flowers have an abundance of pollen, much more than enough to supply every pistil with the requisite fertilizing agent. Hence such varieties always have per- fectly formed fruit, and if the plant produces an abundance of flowers there will be an abun- dance of fruit. Fig. 50 represents a pistillate flower. It will be at once seeft that there are no stamens, and consequently no anthers, arranged around the berry, though there are plenty of pistils bristling over its siuface. Unless these pistils receive pollen from some other strawberry flower, there can be no vitalizing of the seed germ, and, in consequence, no swelling and growth of the receptacle, or, in other words, no berries. If, then, the garden be planted only with Hovey's Seedling, or any other merely pistillate sort, there Fio. 50. 164 THB STRAWBERRY. will be no fruit; but if there be planted near them some of the Wilson, or any other sort having an abundance of stamens, there will be fruit on the pistdlate as well as the staminate sort, provided both are in bloom at the same time, so that the pollen may fertilize them. Hence it will be seen that in planting strawberries attention must be given to the character of the flowers, else there may be a fine growth of plants, and an abundance of blossoms, but no fruit. The SOIL for strawberry plants should be deep, well pulverized and rich. A deep strong loam is the soil best suited to all varieties ; but any soil that is well drained, well pulverized to a depth of sixteen inches, and well enriched, wUl make a good strawberry bed. There are some varieties that yield their finest fruit, and in greatest quantity, in a clay soil. Of this class are Triomphe de Gand and Jucunda, but they can be made to yield very fine fruit on sandy soil that is highly supplied with fertilizers. It has been said that it is possible to injure the strawberry crop by too high manuring, the plants growing vigorously, but running to vine and not to fruit. Such is not our experience. We have applied well decomposed manure in great quantities to all the leading varieties, and have found the fruit to be increased in proportion to the increased growth of the plant. Much has been written concerning ^special fertilizers for the strawberry, and great stress laid upon the use of tan- bark and other substances, but the best special manure we have found has been that from the barn-yard. It should be remem- bered that thorough cultivation and high manuring are the secrets of success in the cultivation of the strawberry, and that a miich larger return will be obtained from one quarter of an acre that has been thoroughly prepared by deep subsoil plowing, cross plowing, thorough pulverization and abundant manuring, than from a whole acre that is skimmed over and half manured. We are fully persuaded that our strawberry growers generally err in planting too much lan.;l, and that they would find their profits much increased if they would lessen their acreage and double the cultivation and enriching of that which remains. THE STRAWBERRY. 165 We have found the early spring to be the best time for set- ting strawberry plants. When but a small bed is to be planted, and the plants are near at hand, they may be set at any time by taking suitable pains, and selecting suitable weather ; but when any large quantity is to be planted, there is danger that there will be a great many failures in fall planting, unless the weather is unusually favorable in September. If set later than Septem- ber, there is great danger that the plants wiU not become sufiS.- ciently rooted before winter sets in to enable them to pass that trying season safely. In those parts of the coimtry where the snow does not lie on the ground all winter, and consequently can not to be relied upon as a protection to the plants, it is very desirable that they should be lightly covered with branches of evergreens, leaves, or straw. This protects the crowns of the plants, in which the fruit buds are enveloped, from the frequent alternate freezing and thawing to which they might be otherwise subjected, and which often kills the fruit buds before spring. The best plants for setting out are strong, well-rooted run- ners. Theorists would have us beheve that the first plant that forms on each runner is better and more productive than the subsequent plants on the same runner ; but this is mere theory, without foundation in fact. Provided the plants be well rooted, the last one on the runner is as good and as productive as the first, under the same treatment. In field culture it is found con- venient to set the plants in, rows, three feet apart, so that they may be tilled with a horse and cultivator, and the plants one foot apart in the row. These should be carefully tilled with cidtivator and hoe during the first season, and until the berries are beginning to swell in the second. After the fruit has been gathered, the ground should be mellowed up, the weeds destroyed, and the plantation tilled until the fruit begins again to swell in the third season. This crop of fruit should be the last, and aft^r it is gathered the plantation should be ploughed up and devoted to some other crops for a few years before strawberries are agaia planted 166 THE STRAWBERRY. A good method of preparing the ground for a strawberry plan- tation is to seed it down with clover. During the winter give the clover a good heavy top dressing of ashes. When the clover conies into bloom the next summer, plough it all under, using a chain, if necessary, in order to cover it. In the fall cross plough, following the plough with the subsoiler. In the spring put on all the manure from the barnyard that can be had, plough it under by crossing the last furrows, and again follow with the subsoUer. Now sow with carrots or mangolds, and keep them clean. In the fall, if the soil be clayey, plough again, and leave the ground rough during the winter. In the spring, put on all the old, fine, thoroughly decomposed manure, that has been provided, together with any fine ground bones there are to spare, and harrow it in with a two-horse cultivator, run as deep as possible. Finish by pulverising well with the harrow, and then set the strawberry plants. Ground that has been prepared in this way is much easier kept clean, and will produce healthier plants and larger berries, and more of them, than any slip-shod style of cultiva- tion. In garden cultivation, the ground may be laid off in beds, and the plants set in rows two feet apart, and one foot apart in the row. After taking two crops of fruit, it will be found a sav- ing of labor to spade the plants under, and rely upon another "bed, which was set out in April previous, in preference to keep- ing the old bed clean. A good supply of moisture during the time that the fruit is swelling and ripening, is a very essential thing in successful .strawberry culture. In many parts of the country we are liable to have dry weather during a great part of June, just when the strawberry needs a great deal of moisture. In order to lessen the evUs of this dry speU, recourse should be had to mulching, and as it can not yet be quite certainly foretold what the weather is to be, the mulch should be put on about the first of June. The most convenient and best mulch that can be applied is short grass, cut from the lawn or meadow. This will scatter no seeds, THE STRAWBERRY. 167 will keep the fruit from the dirt, and -^v-ill, in many seasons, douHe the yalue of the crop. Strawberry plants are very easily raised from seed. The fruit should be gathered when it is fully ripe, and crushed with dry sand enough to separate the seeds from each other, and then sown, sand and all, on the surface of a bed, prepared by thorough pulverizing and abundant manuring with old compost. If kept shaded from the direct rays of the sun, and kept moist by gentle waterings, with a fine rose, every day, the seed will germinate and the plants appear in about six weeks. After these have made four or five leaves they may be pricked out into another bed, where they will have room to grow. It is well to protect them with a covering of a few leaves during the winter. The first year of fruiting they are very likely to make great promises, which they never afterwards keep, so that too much reliance must not be placed on the appearance of the first fruiting. The Alpine varieties should always be propagated from seed, for the reason that the berries are always much finer from young seedlings than from old plants, or from the runners of those Alpines that throw out rimners. Some of the Alpines are what are termed bush plants ; they never produce runners, and must be multiplied either by division of the old plant or by seed. Some of the Alpines are monthly fruiters, and, in cool, moist seasons especially, if growing in a generous soil, they will bear fruit continuously, from Jxme to November. The Mexican ever- bearing, which was introduced to public notice with a great flourish of trumpets, as being something quite extraordinary, is an instance of a monthly Alpine variety. V^ARIETIES OF STRAWBERRIES. The name of these is legion, and it would be a very profit- less waste of time to endeavour to describe a hundredth part Very few varieties succeed well over a large territory in all soils and climates; many are extremely fastidious, and never do well beyond the spot that gave them birth. Therefore it is wise 168 THE STRAWBERRY. to buy new varieties sparingly, and rely for the supply upon well-known and long-tested sorts. The following descriptions will he confined mainly to those sorts which are now prominently before the public, and will give as concisely as possible the prominent characters of each. Agriculturist. — On sandy soils it is almost worthless, requir- ing altogether too much coaxing and petting to get a fair crop of fruit. On some clay loams, with high culture, it gives a good crop of large, conical berries with long necks, of light crimson color, sweet and rich. Pistillate. Austin. — Shaker. — A large berry, soft, white flesh, very acid, and having very little flavor. Boston Pine. — Bartlett. — Is tolerably productive in some rich and deep soils, if grown in hills and the runners kept off. It has the merit of being of excellent flavour, and of ripening early. The berries are above medium size, light crimson, sweet and rich. Hermaphrodite. Charles Downing. — This variety is attracting considerable attention, and has the reputation of being very productive, with very large deep scarlet berries, which are sweet, juicy and rich. Hermaphrodite. We have not fully tested its merits. Colfax. — l^oi worth growing. Berries small, soft, and sour. "Very productive. Doctor IsTicaise. — "With high culture, the berries are often immense ; but they are too few to make it a very desirable variety. The berries are usually of a cock's-comb shape, scarlet, juicy, sweet, but not high flavored. Hermaphrodite. Golden Qdeen. — An old variety with a new name. It is TroUope's Victoria. It was first brought to our notice by an itinerant pedlar, who had a basket of the fruit, and was soliciting orders for it as something new. Green Prolific.^ A very large and a very sour berry, with- out flavor, but the plant is very vigorous and productive. Hovey's Seedling. — This has been a very popular sort, and did a great deal to awaken attention to the cultivation of the THE STRAWBERRY. 169 strawberry. The plants are hardy and vigorous, yielding mode- M rate crops of large and finely flavored fruit. It is a pistillate sort, hence it can not be fruited without planting some poUen- bearing sorts near by. JucuNDA. — In some localities this variety succeeds very well, while in many other places it is almost a total failure. It prefers a strong soil, and succeeds best grown in hOls, with the runners cut off. The berries are large, light scarlet in color, with moderately firm flesh, and not very high flavor. Hermaphrodite. La Constante. — ^This is another of those fastidious sorts, that, in a few localities, bears good crops of fruit, but that on the whole seems to suffer from our hot summers, and to prove very often quite unsatisfactory. It is a large, bright crimson berry, with a firm flesh, of a rich and delicious quality. Hermaphro- dite. Ladies' Pine. — This originated with W. H. Eead, of Port Dalhousie, Ont., and is one of the most delicious of strawberries. Unfortunately it is too unproductive to retain a place in our gardens. Pistillate. Lennig's White. — WJiite Pine apple. — Albion White. — Another very finely-flavoured strawberry, but a very moderate cropper. The best white variety in cultivation. The berry is large, white slightly tinged with pink, soft, juicy, sweet and rich, with a very decided pine-apple flavor. Hermaphrodite. Napoleon III. — This variety appears to be both vigorous and productive, yet it has not been sufficiently long in culti- vation here to speak very decidedly of its qualities in these respects. The berry is large, light scarlet, tolerably firm, juicy and rich. Hermaphrodite. NiCANOR. — A very productive variety, with a good deal of uniformity in the size of the fruit, but hardly large enough to please The berries are only of medium size when there is a full crop; bright scarlet in color, tolerably firm, rich and of pleasant flavour. Hermaphrodite. Peak's Emperor. — ^We can only say of this that the berries 170 THE STRAWBERRY. are large, dark crimson, firm, with a pleasant, sub-acid flavor. Its qualities of vigor and of fruitfulness have not been tested in this country. President Wilder. — There are two varieties bearing this name, — the one originated in Europe, and but very little known in America; the other raised by the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, President of the American Pomological Society. The latter variety has been very widely disseminated, and we may soon hope to see how weU it will adapt itself to all soUs and locaUties. In the grounds of the originator it is very productive, and the berries are large, bright crimson scarlet, sweet and rich. Eussell's Prolific. — For all practical purposes this variety should be treated as pistillate, though there are usually a few stamens more or less perfect. We have noticed that it thrives best, and the berries are of better flavor, in sandy soils, and that if plentifully supplied with poUen there is an enormous crop of fruit, which is large, light crimson, soft, and pleasantly flavored. Triomphe de Gand. — So widely has this variety been dis- seminated-that it is now well known, and has proved itself to be better adapted to a great variety of localities than is usual with European sorts. It is vigorous and hardy, yielding its largest crops and finest berries in clayey soils, with high culture in hills and with the runners cut off. Though the flowers are hermaphrodite, there is frequently an insufficiency of pollen to fertilize all the seed germs, hence the fruit is sometimes mis- shapen, and the apex of the berry hard. The berries are large, light crimson, firm, bearing carriage weU, glossy, pleasant flavored but not rich. Trollope's Victoria. — Golden Queen. — TremUifs Union. — A large, handsome and excellent English variety, which has been a good deal disseminated under one name or the other. The plants are vigorous and healthy, but only medium in pro- ductiveness. The berries are very large, light crimson, juicy, rich, and with a peculiarly pleasant and almost aromatic flavour. Hermaphrodite. THE RASPBERRY. 171 WiLSOX. — ^The most -widely distributed and most generally grown, especially for market, of all the varieties. The plants are rery hardy, vigorous and exceedingly productive in aU soils, localities and climates; there is no other sort that has been found to adapt itself to all situations so weU as this one. The berries are large, dark crimson when fully ripe, moderately firm, with a sprightly acid flavor. Hermaphrodite After producing one or two full crops the plants begin to fail, and on this account new beds should be planted frequently. THE EASPBEREY. The varieties of the Easpberry in cultivation among us are derived either from the European or from the Ked or Black Easpberries of America. Those that derive their origin from the European or from the Eed American, multiply by suckers which come up from the roots, while those that spring from the Black Easpberry are increased from the tips of the canes, which, bend- ing over until they reach the ground, take root at the ex- tremities. Fig. 51. Eig. 51 represents a plant of the Black variety, with the tips. of the branches taking root in the soil. In the autumn, the suckers may be taken up from the parent 172 THE RASPBERRT. plant with a spade, and those that take root at the tips of tne new canes, may be removed by cutting the rooted tips off from the parent cane, and lifting ^7iem from the soil. These may be then planted out where they are intended to remain, and covered with coarse manure to the depth of five or six inches. Treated in this way they will make stronger plants during the next season, than when set out in the spring. If the transplanting is done in the spring, the plants should be mulched to the same depth, as a protection to the roots against the heat of summer. The Easpberry produces the best and finest fruit in a deep, moist, and very rich soil, and whenever these conditions can be secured, no difficulty will be experienced on account of the char- acter of the soil. But it will be at once seen that such require- ments can not be met in land that is badly drained, or where a hard, unbroken subsoil is allowed to lie near to the surface. There are places where the ground is naturally underdrained, the soil of good depth and great fertility, but these are highly favored spots, and most cultivators will find it necessary to prepare the ground by deep ploughing, the application of manures, and perhaps by underdraining. If water stands in the soil at a depth of eighteen to twenty inches from the surface, it must first be re- moved by underdrains, for nothing is more injurious to the Easpberry than stagnant water at the root. This may seem strange to some, after having already said that it delights in a moist soU, but plants make a great difference between moist and wet. A thoroughly underdrained clayey loam is the very best soil naturally for the most economical cultivation of this fruit. The plough should be run as deep as possible, and if the plough can be followed by the subsoiler, right behind it in the bottom of the furrow, so much the better. The plants should be set in rows six feet apart, and two feet apart in the row. Six feet may seem to be a great distance be- tween the rows, but if the plants have proper cidture it wiU soon be found not to be too much for convenient use of the cultivator. In a small garden, where the horse and cultivator cannot be used, THE RASPBBBBT, 173 the rows may be set four feet apart. If set at two feet apart in the row, the plants will soon form a continuous hedp;e, and any suckers appearing between the rows, unless wanted for a new plantation, should be treated as weeds and thoroughly cut up. The plants should be prepared for setting out by cutting back the cane or top to within three or four inches of the root. A growth of leaves or shoots is not wanted from this cane ; such growth only serves to exhaust the plant; but what is wanted is a good strong growth of new shoots from the root. These will gurvive the winter and produce fruit the next summer, while aU the growth from the top or old cane will only die when autxunn comes ; and if this top should bear fruit, as it very likely will, the effect is to exhaust the root and enfeeble, if not wholly ruin, the yoimg root sprout that forms the cane for next year. If no sprout comes up from the roots, and survives the summer, though the top you plant may bear leaves, and shoots and fruit, in the autunm it will die, and the whole plant with it. The Easpberry is a sort of biennial plant; the canes that come up from the root this season will bear finiit next summer and die in the autumn, and if from any cause no new canes come up during the summer to supply their place, there will be nothing to continue the plant another year, and it wholly fails. For this reason it is best to cut away the top when planting, leaving only enough to show its position after it has been set out. The cultivation during the first season after planting will con- sist in keeping the soil well stirred on the surface and free from weeds. Those who wish to economize groiind and labor may plant bush beans between the rows, without injury to the Easp- berry plants. In the autumn or very early in the spring, but better in the autumn, the plants should be liberally supplied with barnyard manure spread on the surface over the roots. This should be allowed to remain there, becoming gradually in- corporated with the soil by the tilling, and renewed as often as it becomes wasted, so that the roots may be kept cool and moist in. Bummer, e.ud protected from the extremes of the winter's frost. 13 174 THB RASPBERRY. During the first season's growth after planting, the young canes- that come up from the root should be pinched off at the tip, with the thumb and finger, as soon as they reach the height of four- teen to eighteen inches, and any side shoots they may throw out should be pinched in when they are a foot long. In the second summer more and stronger canes will come up from the root. These may be allowed to grow until they are twenty-four to thirty inches in length, when they should be pinched-in, and the side branches that may be thrown out should be stopped when they are from eighteen to twenty inches long. It will usually be found that the main canes will require to be pinched-in some time in June, and the side branches early in August ; yet the cultivator will remember that this pruning is to be done, not according to the almanac, but when the canes have reached the requisite length, be the month or day what it may. If the plants are thoroughly pruned in this way, they will be stocky and strong, capable of standing upright, and keeping their crop of fruit well above the ground, out of the dirt. During the second season, the canes that grew the first summer will yield a nice crop of fruit, as much as the plant ought to produce. As soon as the fruit has been gathered, the canes that produced it should be cut off at the ground and removed. They are of no further use; as the autumn comes on they will die, and by removing them as soon as the fruit is gathered, more room, light and air are given to the young canes that have come up during the season, and that are to bear the fruit next year. And of these young canes, if any of them should be weak and slender, it is always advisable to cut them away also at this time, leaving only those that are vigorous and capable of supporting the crop of fruit. In the autumn a further supply of manure should be furnished, and it may be here said, once for all, that this manuring should be performed every fall, and that he who does it with a liberal hand will be liberally rewarded in the quantity and quality of the fruit. Besides enriching the soil, the surface just over tha % THE RASPBERRY. 175 TOots and where the cultivator does not reach in passing between the rows, should be covered to the depth of four to five inches with coarse barnyard litter, such as straw, or com stalks, or refuse hay. K these cannot be had in sufficient quantity, recourse may be had to rotten chips or rotten tan-bark, sawdust or shavings, with which some ashes have been mixed. This mulching serves a very important purpose in preserving the plants in a healthy and vigorous state, and securing a large crop of large fruit. In some parts of the Dominion, where the snow does not remain on the ground constantly during the winter, it becomes necessary to protect some of the more tender varieties. This is most conveniently and cheaply done by bending the canes carefully over, making the bend as near the groind as possible, and throw- ing a little soil on the tops. When the plants are ready to start in the spring they are gently lifted, the soil shaken off, and the canes fastened in an upright position by tying to a stake or trel- lis. When the ground is covered with snow to a depth of two or three feet aU the winter, no such protection is necessary ; and we have noticed that those plants, whose roots are weU pro- tected by a liberal mulching, are seldom injured by the winter, though there was often no snow at all on the ground. With proper attention to the pruning of the plants while they are growing, and keeping the soil well enriched and the roots pro- tected with a good mulch both winter and summer, there will be much less complaint of injury to the canes by the winter, and a fine crop of large and handsome firait will well repay all the labor bestowed. The following varieties have been selected firam a very long list, as being the most worthy of attention in this climate. Brinckle's Orange. — Orange. — ^This is the highest flavored, large-sized, light colored raspberry in cultivation, and well deserves a place in every garden throughout the Dominion. It is not per- fectly hardy in those parts where the snow does not cover the ground all winter, but after growing it for at least a dozen years, it has proved so nearly hardy, and such an abundant bearer, that we place 176 THE RASPBERRY. it in tte front rank. Indeed, when it has been grown in rich, deep soil, and well mulched, it has not failed at any time to yield a fine crop of fruit. The berries are of large size, light orange color, juicy, sweet, and rich. The canes are strong, exceed- ingly productive, and continue in bearing ia moist seasons for about six weeks. Belle de Fontenat. — Belle d Orleans. — The best of the autumn-bearing varieties of the Antwerp class. It has the fault of sending up a great quantity of suckers, which require to be kept down with the hoe like so many weeds. If the canes are cut to the ground every spring, the fall crop will be much better than if the canes are allowed to remain and bear a summer crop. In the more northern parts of the country, it will be neces- sary to cut down the canes in spring, in order to get the autumn crop sufficiently forward to ripen the fruit ; and indeed it is doubtful whether it wiU even then ripen in those parts where the summers are very short and cool. The berries are large, dark crimson in color, juicy, with a very pleasant, sprightly flavor ; the canes are stout, and moder- ately productive. Clarke. — A variety but recently brought to notice, and thriving better than most of this class on a light sandy soil It has been claimed for this variety, that it is perfecty hardy, but we have not found it to be more hardy than the Franconia, nor as hardy as the Philadelphia. The berries are of large size, of a bright crimson color, juicy, sweet, and of excellent flavor. It continues to ripen for a long time, and is an abundant cropper. Davidson's Thornless. — Thomless Black Cap. — ^This variety of the Black Cap has the great merit of being destitute of thorns, save a very small one on the leaf stalk. Those who have had experience of the many and sore scratches, to say nothing of torn garments, that one is sure to get in gathering the fruit of the American Black Cap, will be able to appreciate the comfort of picking berries where there are no thorns to lacerate the hands and tear the clothes. THE RASPBERRY. 177 The berries are about the size of the average Black Cap, ripen early, are black, sweet, and well flavored. The plants are vigorous, very productive, and perfectly hardy. Fastgllf. — An old English variety, of fine appearance and excellent flavor, too soft to endure transportation to a distant market, but very valuable for home use. The canes are strong, with stifi" spines, and bear abundant crops of large, purplish crim- son berries, sweet, rich, and high flavored. Philadelphia. — This variety is also almost free firom spines, and one of the most hardy and prolific in cultivation. It does not take root from the tips of the young canes like Purple Cane, to which it seems to be nearly related, and throws up suckers quite sparingly. For these reasons, it has been found to be a valuable variety to cultivate for a near market, and is particularly well adapted to sandy soils. The berries are of full medium size, globular in form, dark red, not rich, but of a pleasant sub-acid flavor. The canes are stout, erect, and branching ; the leaves thick and tough, and do not suffer in times of drought, and the crop is exceedingly abundant. Franconia. — This is a very valuable variety, being nearly hardy, and very productive. The berries are large, dark purplish led, sufficiently firm to carry well to market, and of a rich, sprightly and agreeable flavor. It has been in cultivation for a long time, and stands next to the Philadelphia in hardihood and productiveness, while it excels that variety in size and flavor of the fruit, and firmness of berry. French. — Vice-President J^rewc^.-OriginatedbyDr. Brinckle, and named by him aft^r one of the Vice-Presidents of the Massa- chusetts Horticultural Society. It is a valuable variety, ripening a little later than most other kinds. The fruit is of full medium size, of a deep crimson color, tolerably firm fleshed, sweet and of excellent flavor. The canes are strong, erect, and very productive. Golden Thornless. — This is a variety of the Black Cap 178 THE RASPBERRY. family, rooting at the tips of the young canes, but the berries ar© of a deep dull orange. It is the most productive and the berries are the largest of any of the YeUow American Easpberries. The canes are very nearly thornless, moderately vigorous, per- fectly hardy, and enormously productive. The berries are about the size of the Mammoth Cluster, very firm, juicy, and pleasant, buir not high flavored. We have never seen any of the Ameri- can YeUow Easpberries that were equal in flavor to the Black Caps, but this variety is the most desirable and valuable of any of the Yellows, and makes a very pleasing addition to one's list of sorts. Hornet. — A European variety, not as hardy as woidd be desirable, though thriving well where the winter snows are deep. The berry is very large, showy, deep crimson, juicy, and of iine flavor. Imperial. — We have found this variety more hardy and more productive than Hornet, and the fruit nearly equal to it in size, of a bright red color, tolerably firm, juicy, and of excellent flavor. Knevet's Giant.— An old English variety that deserves more attention than it has received. It is a very strong grower, nearly as hardy as the Eranconia, quite hardy when there are deep snows through the winter, and exceedingly productive. The berries are of the very largest size, of a deep red color, quite firm, juicy, and of excellent flavor. We fully beheve that in the vicinity of Ottawa and Montreal it might be profitably grown for market, and would certainly be one of the most attractive berries that could bo introduced. Lum's Everbearing — Avtumn Black Cap. — ^A very produc- tive fall-bearing variety of the Black Cap. The berries are about the usual size of the fruit in this class, and perhaaps a little more juicy. In most of our country it will be found neces- sary to cut down aU the canes in the spring even with the ground, and not seek to obtain the double crop, for unless this is done, the autumn crop will not ripen before the frosts set in. THE CURRANT. 179 If the canes are cut down in the spring the young shoots are forced on more rapidly, and "will begin to ripen their fruit ahout the first of September. We advise those who live in those parts of the country where they find it difficult to raise apples, and where pears are almost an impossibility, to give this and the Belle de Fontenay a trial, treating them as here recommended, and see if in this way they are not able to secure a crop of autumn raspberries that will in some measure compensate for the loss of other fruits. Mammoth Cluster. — The largest and best of the varieties of the Black Cap famUy. The canes are very strong, branching, perfectly hardy, and enormously productive. The berries are large, black, with a handsome bloom, juicy, sweet, and fine flavored. It ripens later than Davidson's Thomless, in this way continuing the season of this class of fruit. Naomi. — "We give this variety a place here merely to say that, after having grown it for several years, we fail to see sufficient difference between it and the Franconia to make any distiaction. It is no more hardy, nor any more productive, nor different in size or flavor of fruit. Purple Cane. — This native variety is hardy, very productive, and ripens its fruit early and all at once. The canes are strong and tall, perfectly hardy, and root at the tips. The berries are of medium size, of a purplish maroon color, too soft to bear carrying to a distant market, but good for home use, sweet, juicy, and rich. THE CUERANT. It is quite common to find the Currant bushes in some neglected part of the garden, nearly hidden by the grass and weeds, and yet bearing considerable crops of fruit. But though the great vitality of the plant wiU enable it to endure such treat- ment, it will repay a more generous treatment in both size and quality of fruit. While thriving well in almost every soil, it ■will produce the best results in a well-drained clayey loam, which 180 THE CURRANT. is deep and rich ; and if liberally supplied with manure of any description, the crop of fruit wiU be immense. The Currant is easily propagated by cuttings or by layers. K the cuttings are taken off in August, made about six inches long, and planted with the top bud just even with the surface of the ground, and then covered when winter sets in with a mulch of coarse litter six inches deep to prevent them from being thrown up by the frost, they will make stronger plants the next season than when planted in spring. The mulch should be taken off in the spring, so as not to interfere with the growth of the cuttings. Fig. 52 is a representation of a cutting as planted. From that part of the cutting below the surface of the soil the buds have been cut out, as shown in the engraving, while those above the surface are retained. If the buds below the surface are removed in this p manner before the cutting is planted, there is much less probability of being troubled with suckers from the root. In setting out the plants in the garden for fruit- ing, they should stand about four feet apart each way, or if in single rows, four feet apart is a con- venient distance. Besides keeping the groimd rich Uand clean between the bushes, it will be found that a heavy mulch, such as is recommended for the Fig. 52. Easpberry, wiU be of great advantage, especially in very hot and dry seasons. A little pruning will also be ser- viceable, enough to keep the head open, and occasionally thin out the old wood, so as to keep the top in a healthy and vigorous condition. The following varieties are those most worthy of attention : Black Naples. — This is the best of all the Black Currants ; the fruit is large and fine, and the clusters are both larger and more numerous than in any other black sort. Champagne. — A very handsome pale pink variety, esteemed on account of its peculiar color more than for any special quality of the fruit. THE GOOSEBERRY. 181 Cherry. — ^The largest Eed CurraBt, very showy, and sells well in market. Is hardly as productive in our climate as the Eed Dutch, and decidedly more acid. Bunches quite short. Gloire de Sablons. — A very prettily striped variety, red and white, but small in size, and valuable chiefly for its ornamental appearance. La Versaillaise. — So very closely resembling the Cherry Currant in size, color and flavor, that having the one we have no occasion for the other. Eed Dutch. — This old, well known and long tried sort is yet a very valuable variety, of good size, fine color, rich acid flavor, long clusters and exceedingly productive. Victoria. — A valuable, late ripening sort. The fruit is of a bright red color, as large as the Eed Dutch. The bxmches are very long, and hang a fortnight longer than other sorts. It is an abundant bearer, and greatly lengthens the Currant season. White Grape. — The best T7hite Currant ; berries very large^ not so acid as the red varieties, and of good flavor. An exceed- ingly productive and valuable sort. THE GOOSEBEEEY. In the climate of Great Britain, the Gooseberry is grown in great perfection, but with us, it is only iu comparatively a few favored localities that any good measxire of success crowns our efforts. It is usual for cultivators to say, that the mildew is so bad that it destroys the crop, and even ruins the plants. For all practical purposes, this statement is sufficiently exact, though the real difficulty lies, not in the mildew, but in such a condition of the epidermis or outer skin of the leaves and fruit of the Gooseberry, as to provide a suitable bed for the growth of the minute fungoid plants which constitute mildew. This condition is doubtless produced by a state of atmosphere incidental to the climate of this country, the effects of which we do not know how fully to counteract. 182 THB GOOSEBERRY. In those parts of the Maritime Provinces where the sea fogs prevail, the European varieties of the Gooseberry succeed, but farther inland, beyond their influence, the same difficulties are experienced. The foreign, or European varieties of Gooseberry, suffer more from this pecvJiar condition of our atmosphere than some of our native sorts, and doubtless the cultivation of the English varieties will always be attended with great difficulty. It is almost use- less to undertake their cultivation in a sandy soil. In a deep and very rich clay loam, they may thrive, but they will require care- ful culture, thorough pruning, abundant manuring, and in most places to be thoroughly mulched with hay or straw, or some coarse material, and well watered. An occasional sprinkling of salt on the mulch, in moderate quantity, has been found to be serviceable in helping to maintain a suitable humidity. The propagation of the Goose- berry is both by cuttings and by layering. Usually cuttings will succeed well. Kew varie- ties are obtained from seed. Seedlings of European varieties have not proved to be suited to our climate, but there is every •^s- ^^- reason to believe that seedlings from some of our native sorts may yet be obtained of good size and flavor, and which will be adapted to the climate, and free from mildew. The process of layering is shown at fig. 63. It consists in bending down a branch, on one side of which a tongue has been cut with a sharp knife, and fastening the cut part below the sur- face of the soil, by means of a hooked peg. The varieties of foreign Gooseberries are too numerous to be given here, and every year gives us additions to the list. They are aD fine berries where they can be grown, and all subject to mildew, in most places and seasons. THB CRANBERRY. 183 There are some American varieties which have been found to be usually exempt from mildew. They are not as large and showy as the English sori;s, but we mvist content ourselves with these unto, better are produced. We consider the two described below to be the best. Downing. — "Was raised by Mr. Chas. Downing, of Newburgh, N. Y., and has proved to be the best of the American sori;s thus fat. The berry is of medium size, of a light green color, and very good flavor. The plant grows upright, with shining, deep- green leaves, and is very productive. Houghton. — The fruit is not as large as the Downing, is of a pale red color, sweet and good. The plant grows well, but the branches are slender, with a somewhat drooping habit, and exceed- ingly productive. THE CRANBERRY. We desire to call attention to the cultivation of this fruit, "believing that there are many acres now lying wholly neglected, covered with rushes, coarse grasses, stunted bushes, and possibly intermingled with vines of the Cranberry, which are well adapted to its successful growth, and which, by the application of a little labor and capital, might be made to yield a handsome revenue. At present this fruit brings high prices in all the cities of this continent, selling readily at from eight to ten dollars per barrel ; and should it ever happen that the supply becomes equal to the demand in America, the fruit can be put up in barrels, and shipped with perfect safety across the Atlantic. Cranberry plantations have been found to yield an average crop of one hundred bushels to the acre, taking one year with another, though it is no uncommon thing to gather two hundred and three hundred bushels to the acre. It is one of our hardiest fruit-bearing vines, growing wild in many of our marshes ; it is very prolific, requires .but little care after being once fully estab- lished, and will remain without renewal on the same ground. 184 THE CRANBERRY. and continue to "bear abundantly for an indefinite lengtli of time. The fruit is much esteemed and in good demand, and when properly handled, will keep fresh a twelvemonth and hear tran- Bportation without injury. In selecting a location for a Cranberry plantation, it is highly important to avoid those places where the water must be stag- nant,— such soil is sodden and cold, and the roots will rot in it. If it cannot be so drained that the water will be at least one foot below the surface of the soil/ it is \xnfit for Cranberry culture. Yet we have no confidence in an upland plantation. The Cran- berry is a semi-aquatic plant, and requires a constant supply of water, therefore, it is necessary to select a place which can be abimdantly supplied. It is also very desirable in our climate that it should be well sheltered from cold, raw winds, and if it have a southern exposure so much the better. If it be possible to secure a piece of ground that can be overflowed at pleasure, having in reserve a sufiicient body of water higher up for this purpose, it wiU be of great advantage. This may often be secured by erecting two dams, one above the Cranberry beds and the other below. By means of the upper dam a body of water may be kept always at hand, which can be let on to the Cranberry plants at pleasure ; and by means of the lower dam, with pro- perly arranged gates, the water can be kept on the beds at any desired level. In this way the plants can be protected from late spring frosts that woidd kill the blossoms, or from very early autumn frosts that would injure the fruit before it is fuUy ripe. During winter the water should be kept so deep that it will not be frozen through to the ground, and this may protect the plants from too great a degree of cold. During the summer the water should be drawn off to about one foot below the surface of the beds, so that the roots may find moisture all summer, and yet the soil above not be filled with stagnant water. Again, the water should not be too cold. Some locations that are supplied with water from springs in the adjacent bank are unsuitable, because the water is very cold. This may sometimes be remedied THE CRANBERRY. 185 by cutting a ditch along the border, and draining off the cold, icy spring water, or gathering it into a reservoir, where it will be warmed by the sun and air before it reaches the plantation. The soil must not be too rich. The vines may grow ia good alluvial sods, and seem very flourishing, but they will not bear fruit. Clay and marl are wholly unsuitable, and heavy soils in general are not adapted to the growth of this plant. Air, water, and pure sand form its food, and where these can be had in suitable combination it will thrive best. Cranberry cultiva- tors say that the best soil is heach sand. This is the sod of the celebrated Cape Cod Cranberry plantations, either naturally or suppKed artificially. The sand is light and porous, admitting air and moisture freely to the roots of the vines, while weeds and grasses, which would choke them, can not grow in it. "Where beach sand can not be had, any clean sand — ^the more free from all mixture of vegetable matter the better — ^may be used. Some have found pure gravel — the cleanest is the best — to be a good substitute for sand. Kext to beach sand is peat, and this is almost always present in wet grounds. The peat requires some preparation before it is fitted for Cranbery cul- ture. The top turf requires to be taken off to a depth sufficient to remove all roots of grass and weeds, and the bared surface left exposed to the action of the frost and weather for one year. This treatment will make it light and poroiis, preventing that caking and cracking which is sure death to the Cranberry. Where the soil is not naturally either a sand or peat, and the location seems otherwise well suited to the cultivation of the Cranberry, it may be possible to supply pure sand or graveL After taking the turf off from the beds to a depth that wiU remove all the roots of grass and weeds, the bared surface may be covered with sand to the depth of four or five inches, or with gravel to about half that depth. Overflowing the beds can be very easily effected, if the arrange- ments in the way of dams already suggested have been provided. About the end of October is the proper time to let on sufficient 186 THE CRANBERRY. ■water to overflow the plantation to such a depth that the "water will not be frozen through to the ground during the winter. The water should be allowed to remain until such time in the spring, usually in May, as the weather becomes mild and vege- tation commences, when it should be drawn off just to the tops of the vines. This will give the plants the benefit of the in- creased warmth of the weather, yet at the same time protect them from frosts. The water can be allowed to remain at this point until the season has become so far advanced that the dan- ger from frosts is past, and then it should be drawn off entirely. The necessity for this arises from the extreme sensitiveness of the blossoms, and the same is true of the unripe fruit, to frosts. If it be possible to have a reservoir of water retained by a dam ahove the beds, with which to flood the plantation at will, the water may be drawn off earlier in the spring, and a longer sea- son be thereby secured than would be safe without such an arrangement ; for if a frosty night threatened after the water had been drawn off, the plants could be again covered with water from the reservoir, and thus kept safe from the frost. Again, in autumn the unripe fruit could be protected from premature frosts, and sometimes the entire crop preserved, by letting on the water whenever danger of frost was apprehended at night, and draw- ing it off in the morning. In this way also the plants may be protected from the ravages of insects. It is liable to attacks from two kinds of worms ; one of these destroys the vines, the other the fruit. By submerging the vines for a few days, as soon as these begin to appear, they will be drowned out and the plantation preserved. Planting the Cranberry can be best done in the latter part of May or the beginning of June. The roots are placed in the soil, the vine spread out and covered so as to leave only the tips of the branches out. Set in this way each branch wiU form a plant. The closer they can be set the sooner they will cover the ground. The Cranberry will also grow from cuttings. Some planters run the vines through a straw-cutter set to cut them in THE CRANBERRY. J 87 lengths of about two inches, and sow these pieces broadcast over the ground. These are then well harrowed in, when they soon root, spring up, and speedily cover the ground. Others plant in drills, but the method pursued is of little consequence if the ground has been so thoroughly prepared before planting that there will be but few weeds to contend against. If the ground is likely to be full of weeds and grasses, it will be necessary to plant the vines in such a way that they may be thoroughly weeded out, for the Cranberry is not able during the first years to choke them, but on the other hand is in great danger of being choked by them. The cultivation is confined chiefly to the three years imme- diately after planting, and consists in keeping aU grass and weeds from getting a foothold. The best method of doing this is not by hoeing, but by pulling the grass and weeds up with the hand, loosening the ground if necessary with a digging fork, so that the roots of the weeds may be drawn out entire. After the third summer, the vines should have so fully covered the ground as to choke out all grass and weeds and require but little attention. In selecting plants to set, care must be taken to procure fruit- ful plants, for there are plants which are very fine-looking and vigorous, but which yield little or no fruit. In gathering plants from our marshes, some attention must be paid to this matter, by noting during the previous autmnn those which are fruitful, or labor and time wiU be both lost and great disappointment foUow. The varieties of the Cranberry seem to be quite numerous, differing chiefly in size and shape of berry. There seem to be three tolerably well defined sorts, known as the Cherry, the Bugle and the Bell Cranberries, which are readily recognized by the form of the fruit, but beyond this difference in form there seems to be nothing to distinguish one from the other. As long ago as in 1856 a letter was published from Professor F. Shepherd, of Western Reserve College, Ohio, in which he mentions a variety of Cranberry which he saw growing on the upland in great quantities in various parts of British America, particulariy oa 188 HUCKLEBERRY OR WHORTLEBERRY. the Neepigon coast of Lake Superior. Should any reader of these pages know of any locality where such a variety of Cran- "berry is now growing, he will confer a great favor by conununi- «ating the information to the author. Fig. 54. Fig. 54 is a representation of a branch of the Cranberry vine and fruit, of the Cherry variety. HXJCKLEBEERY OE WHOETLEBEERY. This neglected fruit deserves more attention than it has yet received. In many respects it possesses better natural qualities than either the Currant or Gooseberry. The northern species are -all perfectly hardy, and many of them very productive, and wholly free from the thorns that make the Blackberry, Easpberry, and Gooseberry, such uncomfortable things to handle. The berries are firm, and wUl bear carriage to market much better than Strawberries or Blackberries. Thousands of bushels are gathered from the woods, and sell readily in market. Why should not careful cultivation and selection result in the same improvement of this fruit that has been obtained by the cultivation of the others 1 Beyond doubt, it would; and as the woods and marshes wiU not always afford a supply of these berries, we desire to call attention to the Huckleberry as a promising subject for horticul- HUCKLEBERRY OR WHORTLEBBRRT. 189 fciiral experiment. Seed maybe secured. by crushing the ber- ries and mixing them with some fine sand. This may be sown in a bed of finely pulverized soil, cov- ering with very fine mould, to the depth of not more than a quarter of an inch. The bed should be kept moist, screened from the direct rays of the sun, and when the seedlings are a year old, they will require to be trans- planted to where they win have room to grow and bear finiit. From these, selections could be made of the finest and most desirable, which coiild be pro- pagated by layering, or grafting, or bud- ding, upon those which were of infe- rior quality. Fio. 55. Fig. 55 represents a branch of the Huckleberry laden with fruit. 14 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. The Kitchen Garden deserves more attention from our farmers than it has generally received. The products of a good garden are worth all that they cost, for the single purpose of supplying the farmer's table with that variety of food which the best development of body and mind require. It is no uncom- mon thing to find the table of a well-to-do farmer very scantily supplied with vegetables. Beyond that great staple, the potato, there is seldom any vegetable on the table, year in and year out. Sometimes a little variety is obtaiaed by cooking a few of the field peas when green, or a few ears of corn, which the good wife gathers, robbing the farm stock of their coarse fare, that she may give a little variety to her table. The delicious wrinkled garden peas, not only more palatable but more nutritious, are wholly unknown, and so of all the comfortable and wholesome variety of culinary products of the well-managed garden. This is a great mistake. Man does not live by bread alone, even in a mere physical view of that statement. A considerable variety of food best develops the physical part of our being. There is also a subtle correspon- dence between the texture of our bodies and that of the food we consume. The consumption of the coarsest products only, will tend to make coarse men. A well-stocked and weU-kept garden is a sure concomitant of a more intelligent and more refined yeo- manry. Besides this, the influence of the garden and of the pleasant fruits and vegetables it yields, upon the minds and hearts of the children of the farm, is fruitful of good. Too little is done to make home attractive. It should be the most lovely spot on earth to all its inmates. "Be it ever so homely, there is no place like home," but we should not travestie this heaven-im- TEE KITCHEK GARDEN. 191 planted sentiment of our nature by making no place so homely jEis home. Eather will the wise father seek to foster this love of home, by gathering about the farm-stead that which shall make it pleasant to the eye and dear to the heart, that shall minister enjojonent to mind and body, and link the thought of it in the memories of his children with every comfort and every joy. Who can wonder that the children of some of our cheerless farm houses have no pleasant thoughts of home, and leave it as soon as they are fledged? Ifo wonder they seek their enjo3rments elsewhere, perhaps in places where they learn the ways of vice, No wonder that so many sons of farmers leave the farm, so bleak and cheerless, and un-home-like, disgusted with its labors and all they have known of the farmer's life. There is no reason why the farmers of Canada should not enjoy every real comfort, dwell in the most pleasant of homes, beautiful in all their surround- ings, have their tables supplied with all the most delicious fruits and vegetables of our climate, and their door-yards an Eden of delightful bowers, bright with blossoms laden with sweet per- fume. Eut there is another view to be taken of this subject by those farmers residing upon the suburbs of our thriving towns and villages. A well-conducted garden is a paying thing. The time and labor bestowed on the garden may be made to yield a hand- some revenue. Vegetables and small fruits may be grown in excess of the wants of the farm house, and the surplus will always find a sale in the town market, if of good quality, and usually at decidedly lemimerative rates. In this, as in all de- partments of industry, skill in producing fine products will have its sure reward. The careless and unthinking cultivator will, in the end, be driven from the field by the man who uses his brains and makes himself informed upon the best modes of culture, and studies the requirements of his soil and of the plants he culti- vates. In these pages wiU be foimd some hints that will help the Canadian farmer to an acquaintance with the requisites essen- tial to success in the cultivation of the garden, and such descrip- 192 THE KITCHEN GARDEN. tions of the several vegetables and of the culture required bj each, and of the several varieties at present most esteemed in Canada, that he can, with a little practice, become a successful grower of garden products. The soil which is best suited for the production of vegetables is what is termed a rich loam, fully a foot in depth, with a sandy or gravelly subsoil, through which the surplus water readily filters. This is the character to be most desired, and the nearer it approaches to this the better it will be. A poor, light, thin son, and a heavy, tenacious clay soil, are alike to be avoided. Sometimes a soil may be greatly improved by deep ploughing, so as to bring up the subsoil and mingle it with the soil, but it is oftener the case that the subsod. is sterile, and requires to be gradually worked up and brought into contact with the amelio- rating influences of the atmosphere. Hence, in selecting a place for the garden, if there be none on the farm of the desired depth of soil, . that should be preferred where the subsoU can be most readily brought into a fertile condition. If the subsoil be so tenacious or so compact that the water finds its way through it slowly, it will be necessary to under-drain the garden. And just here it is probable that many readers will stop, and say if that be necessary, they must just give up the idea of a garden altogether, for they cannot afford to imder-drain. Were nine- tenths of our farmers to set themselves to work systematically to under-drain their farms, taking one field a year until the whole farm was under-drained, they would get back their entire outlay in five years by the increased production of their farms. But men are slow to believe this great truth. Yet what is true of the farm is doubly true of the garden. Peter Henderson, himself a most successful gardener, gives an account of a man who had a ten years' leasehold of eight acres. For three years he cultivated the land as a market garden, barely making both ends meet. At this time he was persuaded by Mr. Henderson to under-drain this land, of which he held only a lease having now but seven years to run. At the expiration of his lease he THE KITCHEN GARDEN. 193 'bought the eight acres, paying therefor twelve thousand dollars, and all this sum he had saved from the sale of the products of his garden since he had under-dxained the land. He found that it paid him well to under-drain; and though, from the peculiar nature of the circumstances in which he was placed, he obtained a much larger return from his eight acres in a few years than our farmers may expect to get, yet the fact that under-draining will pay the cultivator handsomely still remains. If, then, the subsoil be retentive, do not be deterred from under-draining enough ground to furnish a comfortable garden. If the products are all consumed in the family, the under- draining will pay in the greater ease of cultivation, and the greater satisfaction of producing that which is satisfactory in quantity and quality. K it be desirable to cultivate also for market, the increased returns wiU soon balance all the expen- diture. There is nothing lost in putting the ground into that condition which is the most favorable to vegetable growth. Hence, in preparing the ground for a garden, it should be thoroughly ploughed and oross-ploughed, and the subsoil well broken up by the subsoil-plough following in the bottom of the furrow at each ploughing. When the ground has been thus thoroughly and deeply broken up, it should be well harrowed, and, if full of lumps, well rolled, until every clod is crushed and the soil made fine and mellow. An abundance of manure should be applied to the garden and thoroughly incorporated with the soU. This every fanner should have in abvmdance in his cattle-yard, and use with an unsparing hand. If he can conveniently increase the quantity by obtaining the refuse hops from some neighboring brewery, or horn scrapings from a comb manufactory, or the refuse of a pork- packing establishment, he will find them to prove very beneficiaL Indeed, the garden is very much benefited by an occasional change of manures. It seems as though, by the constant use of any one manure, the plants failed to derive the proper nutri- ment from the soil, but, by changing from one to another, the 194 ASPARAGUS. fertility is better kept up. We have found an occasional use of ashes, leached or unleached, to he of great benefit; and the fanner who does not find it convenient to obtain any other than barn-yard manure, may effect a change by ploughing under a crop of clover every five or six years. This, of course, will necessitate an occasional change in the garden spot. But in whatever way it is done, this variation in the character of the manure applied will be found of essential benefit. Finely- ground bones is probably the best commercial manure within the reach of our farmers. This can be had at about twenty-five dollars per ton, and will pay well if applied once in four years as a rotation manure. With soil thoroughly under-drained, well and deeply pulverized, and abundantly supplied with manures, the foundation is laid forsuccessful gardening. ASPAEAGUS. This is a valuable early vegetable, perfectly hardy, and peren- nial ; consequently, a bed of it will last for twenty years. The ground is prepared by deep ploughing and subsoiling, or by trenching with a spade, at the same time incorporating with the soil an abundance of manure. The Asparagus delights in a rich alluvial soil, in which sand predominates. It is usual to obtain plants of two years' growth for forming a bed. These can be had of any nurseryman or market gardener. When it ia not convenient to procure the plants, seed may be purchased of the seedsmen, and sown, either in the fall or spring, in drills a foot apart. The seed should not be sown very thick, and after the plants appear they should be thinned out, if necessary, so as to stand about four inches apart in the row. If these have been well cared for they will be quite large enough to take up when one year old and transplant into the permanent bed. Some sow the seed on the intended bed, and never transplant at all. In that case the rows should be about eighteen inches apart, and the plants nine inches apart in the row. If plants are set out it ASPARAGUS. 195 will be found convenient to stretch a line, and with the spade cut a trench about six inches deep. In this trench the plants are set, spreading the roots out carefully, and the crown covered about two inches deep with earth. The best time for setting the plants is in the spring, after the ground has become settled, usually from the middle of April to the middle of May. As soon as weeds begin to make their appearance, which they will usually do before the Asparagus buds appear, it will be found a very expeditious, and at the same time convenient method ©f destroying them, to give the beds a light raking with the steel rake. This raking may be repeated, if required, until the Asparagus buds show themselves at the surface. The after cultivation consists chiefly in keeping the ground free from weeds, and the surface loose and friable. In those parts of the Dominion where the snow does not lie on the ground to a sufficient depth to keep the ground from being deeply frozen, it will be found advantageous to cover the bed with coarse manure, to the depth of four or five inches. As soon as the stalks are dead in the fall, they should be cut down at the surface of the ground and the top dressing of coarse manure put on. Although the plant is sufficiently hardy to endure the frosts of winter, experience has shown us that the plants which are thus protected start earlier in the spiing, and, as it is always desirable to get fresh vegetables from the garden as early as possible, this light winter protection becomes very desirable. As soon as the weather becomes settled in spring the coarser parts should be raked off, leaving only the fine manxire. Salt is a special manxire of great benefit to this plant in those parts of the country lying remote from the sea shore ; though it is said that, in the vicinity of the sea, its use is not attended with any benefit. It should be applied in the spring to the surface of the ground, strewn upon it at the rate of tlu^e pounds to the square yard. Being naturally a marine plant the salt supplies that which is wanting, in our inland districts, to the health and vigor of the plant, while it destroys many weeds and 196 ASPARAGUS. "Worms in the soil which are prejudicial. When the bed is not covered with barnyard litter in the fall, a top dressing of a couple of inches of well rotted manure should be spread over the bed, just as the plants begin to start in the spring. Cutting the buds for the table may be begun the third spring. It is the practice of many to cut the buds two or three inches below the surface, and, in most works, this is the direction given. But why we should take so much pains to secure a long, white, woody stalk, which no cooking wiU make tender, and no person can eat, is more than we can understand. It is the prac- tice of the writer to cut the buds, when three to five inches long, just above the surface of the ground, thus securing' for the table all the green portion, and leaving the white part in the soU. In this way there is no danger of injuring the buds yet below the surface, and the work is much more expeditiously performed. This cutting should not be continued too long. When the beds are young the buds may be cut a couple or three times over, but when the beds have become established the cutting may be kept up for three or four weeks. As soon, however, as the plants begin to show any signs of weakness the cutting should be dis- continued for that season. The buds are cooked by boiling them in water for twenty or thirty minutes, until they become soft. Some toasted bread is then laid out upon a dish, the cooked asparagus spread upon the toast, and melted butter poiired over the whole. In this manner the buds are kept entire and brought to the table. Others cut the sprouts or buds into small pieces about half an inch long, and cook and serve the same as green peas. Others prefer to treat them simply as greens, and use them with vinegar. Vauieties of Asparagus are mentioned by writers, and of late much has been said about Conover's Colossal Asparagus. We have no confidence in the existence of any such varieties, much less do we believe they can bo perpetuated by sowing the seed. A possessor of this Colossal, confident of its superiority in siz« BEANS. 197 over all others, recently exhibited some of his best samples at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's Exhibition, and was badly beaten by larger and heavier specimens of the common Asparagus, which made no pretensions whatever to being colossal. High cultivation, plenty of manures judiciously applied, with a deep alluvial soU, will make all the difference we have yet seen, without trying to make people believe that it is a different variety. BEANS. It is usual to separate beans iato two classes, the one com- prising all those varieties which have a dwarf or bushy habit of growth, the other embracing those which have a climbing habit, and require a pole or other support. The first class is called Dwarf, or Bush Beans ; the other, Pole, or Running Beans. They are all very sensitive to frost, and on that account should not be planted until the weather is warm enough to plant Indian Com. Bush Beans do not necessarily require a rich soil, indeed they will grow in poor soil, but they yield much better in land that has been well enriched. Nor are they very particular as to the character of the soil, so long as it is warm and dry. Wet soils, and shaded situations, are very unfavorable to their culture. They are usually planted in lulls, which may be such a distance apart as is most convenient to the cultivator. K the ground is to be tilled with the aid of a horse, the hills will require to be set in rows three feet apart, and the hills two feet apart in the row. If intended to cultivate wholly by hand, the hills may be eighteen inches apart each way. As the young plants are sub- ject to the depredations of cut-worms, it is well to plant eight beans in each hill ; but if five grow, it will be sufficient. Some- times they are so"\m in drills three inches deep, and eighteen inches apart, and the beans dropped about two inches apart in the drills. The following varieties are the most desirable. Eablt Valentine. — This bean is not excelled by any in the tender succulence of its pods when green. They are of moderate 198 BEANS. size, thick and fleshy, and continue in use for a long time. As a shelled bean, it is not desirable. It is very productive, and comes into xise in about seven weeks from the time of planting. The ripe bean is of a salmon color, marbled with purplish rose. The flowers are white. Early Mohawk. — This variety is one of the most hardy sorts, enduring cold winds and chilly weather, and even light frosts, much better than any other kind. On this account, it is a valuable variety to plant in those places which are subject to late frosts and chilly winds. It comes into use about a week later than the Early Valentine, is very productive, the pods are tender and good, and if they are gathered as fast as they become fit for use, a good supply will be kept up for some time. It is not desirable as a shelled bean. The bean is drab-colored, varie- gated with purple, and the flowers are a pale lilac. Eefugee, or Thousand to One. — Not an early bean, coming into use in about eight weeks from the time of planting. It is extremely prolific, and the pods are quite thick and fleshy, and of fine flavor. It is much esteemed as a snap-bean, but not much used when shelled. The flowers are purple, and the beans light drab color, spotted with purple. Newington Wonder. — Much esteemed for private use, on account of the particularly tender and crisp character of the pods. It is exceedingly productive, comes into use after the early varieties are over, and continues for a considerable length of time. The beans are small, light brown, and not used as shelled beans. They require the whole season to ripen perfectly. White Marrowfat. — This is the well-known white bean so largely cultivated for market. It is an excellent variety when used as a shell bean, either green or rijie ; indeed we esteem it as the best of all the bush beans for this purpose. It is not a very early variety, requiring to be planted about the tenth of June, in order perfectly to ripen its crop. It is quite jjroductive, yielding from twenty to thirty bushels per aero, and usually sell- ing at about one dollar per bushel. BBAN& 199 "Wax or Butter Bean. — A variety of recent introduction, but very popular in our markets as a snap or string bean. It is a very productive variety, with thick, fleshy, yellow pods, and which continue in use a long time. The beans, when ripe, are black, and not desirable for shelled beans. To our own taste the pods lack sweetness and richness of flavor. Pole Beans, or, as they are sometimes called. Running Beans, require some support, and on that account are not as generally i planted as the dwarf varieties, which do not require to be fur- nished with poles around which they may twine. Besides, they are usually not as hardy, suffering severely from the slightest frost, and require a light but rich soil. Yet there are some vari- eties that are exceedingly desirable, and those who grow Indian Com may avail themselves of the facility which the com fur- nishes of providing poles for the beans. The Cranberry varie- ties can be grown by planting a few beans in the corn-hill at the time of the second hoeing, and as they grow they will twine around the corn-stalks for support. In this way the farmer can raise enough to supply his own table without any serious incon- venience. On account of the tender nature of this class of beans, it is of no use to plant them until the warm weather has fuUy set in, and the soil become warm and dry. Ked Cranberry. — ^An old and favorite sort, one of the most hardy and productive of its class, and more generally cultivated than any other pole bean. It will ripen its crop in about three months from the time of planting. It is frequently used as a string bean, the pods being tender and succulent, and retaining this character for a long time, but its chief value is as a shelled bean, used before it has become ripe. -The beans are of a deep purple color. "White Cranberry. — Some prefer this variety to the prece- ding on account of the color, and as a shelled bean, both green and ripe, it is of great excellence. It does not come to maturity as quickly as the other sort, and on that account cannot be ripened in all seasons in some parts of the country. It usually 200 BEANS. requires a season of fifteen weeks from the time of planting ta bring it to maturity. Case Knife. — This is an exceedingly prolific variety, requir- ing about the same length of season as the White Cranberry, and like it of a clear white color, and of excellent quality as a shelled bean, both green and ripe. Concord. — On account of its early maturity, as well as its general good qualities, this variety is deserving of attention in our Canadian climate. Planted after the commencement of warm weather, it "will begin to ripen in about ten weeks. It is a healthy and productive sort, of excellent quahty as a. shelled bean both in the green and ripe state, but is not valuable as a string bean. Lima Bean. — ^This variety is universally esteemed to be the best of all this class, but unfortunately our climate is too short for its maturity. Often the frost comes just as the beans are becoming large enough for use, and as it is also one of the most tender of all the pole beans, the labor of a whole summer perishes just at the point of fruition. Yet there are some parts of our Dominion, particularly the more favored sections of Ontario bor- dering on the lakes, where this bean can be successfully grown ; also, by taking a little pains to start them about the tenth of May, under a sash, and then transplanting them into the open ground after the weather has become quite warm and settled, the season of growth may be so lengthened that beans may be had large enough for the table, even though they may not ripen. We have been most successful in planting them upon pieces of inverted sod, cut about two inches square, and placed either under a sash, or in some warm, sunny comer, on the south side of a building or of a high board fence. When the weather has become fully settled into summer, the beans are removed, with the bit of sod in which they are growing, to the permanent ground, AVithout in the least being checked in their groAvi-h. This ground should be in a Avarm and weU sheltered part of the garden, and where the soil is warm, dry, and rich. BEETS. 201 The pods are always tough, and can never be iised as a string hean, but the full-grown beans, while yet green, are tlio most delicate and deKcious of all beans. When ripe they are of a dull greenish white, flat and broad kidney-shaped. Beans, of all kinds, cannot be relied upon to germinate wheu they are more than two years old. BEETS. This valuable vegetable forms a very important crop with our market gardeners, ranking second only to the cabbage. In some of its varieties it is a most valuable farm crop, while the finer sorts are both pleasing to the eye and pleasant to the palate when placed on the dinner table. The most favorable sod is one that is light, deep, and dry, though well enriched. When grown In heavy soil, particularly that which is damp and cold, it is apt to be coarse, and of poor flavor. In a poor sod. it becomes tough -and full of fibre. The use of coarse manures makes the roots forked and Hl-shapen. K the ground be well dressed with fine, well rotted manures, the roots will be smooth and solid. The ground having been prepared by thorough pulverizing, the seed may be sown in drills, an inch and a half deep, and about eighteen inches apart, dropping the seed every two inches. For early summer use they should be sown as soon as the ground has become settled, but for autumn and winter use, about the middle of May. When the young plants are about three inches high, they should be thinned out, by puUing up the weakest, so as to stand from four to five inches apart. The young beets that are thus pulled out make excellent greens, cooked tops and all, and dressed with vinegar. By taking out a part each day, the table may be suppKed with them for a week or two. The subsequent cultivation consists in keeping them free from weeds, and the surface of the groimd loose and mellow. When the surface of the ground is frequently stirred, the plants 202 BEETS. mil grow better, because of the mellow condition of the soil, and in time of drought will suffer far less than if the earth is left undisturbed and allowed to become hard. The reason of this is, that when the surface is mellow evaporation does not take place as rapidly as when it is hard, and the moisture in the soil, instead of going off into the air, is retained to supply the roots of the plants. Besides this, the frequent stirring admits air into the son, and the air furnishes food to the roots as well as the Avater, 80 that whether there be weeds to destroy or not, these stirrings of the surface are beneficial to the growth of aU plants. Beets are not only valuable for summer use, but they may be preserved through the winter, and used whenever desired. Those that are intended for winter use should be gathered before the frosts become severe, for if they get severely frozen before they are taken up the exposed part will decay. In taking them out of the ground, care should be had not to injure or bruise the roots, and in taking off the leaves not to cut the crown of the beet. After removing them from the ground, they may be left exposed to the air long enough to dry, and then removed to a cool cellar, and packed in fresh earth or sand, alternate layers of roots and earth, so that they shall be well covered. If carefully gathered, and stored in this way in a cool cellar, they will keep quite sweet and good until June. It is, however, a very common error to keep them in a warm cellar, and in such a place they lose much of their fresh- ness and flavour. It is better that the cellar should be so cool that the thermometer shall stand at freezing point, or a very little above, than to keep them warmer. In growing beets for table use, it is not desirable to see how large they can be made, for the large, overgrown specimens are coarse and lacking in flavor, but the rather to grow them smooth, firm and fine grained. The test of a good beet is in the close, compact character of the flesh, with fineness of grain, free from fibre, and perfect smoothness of exterior. Therefore, in selecting roots from which to raise seed, those should bo chosen which BEETS. 203 are ■well formed, free from forks or brandies, smooth, of medium si/^ of the variety, and having the color indicatiog a pure strain. These should be planted out during the latter part of April or beginning of May, according to the character of the season, where they will not be near any beets of another variety that are going to seed. The seed will usually ripen in August, may be gathered when dry and preserved for future use. Eeet seed possesses great vitality, and, if it has been kept dry, will grow, though it may be five or six years old. If the seed be soaked in warm wat^r for a few hours just before planting, it will ger- minate quicker and more certainly. The following varieties will be found to be the best for table use: — Eakly Bassano. — Fig. 56 shows the form of this variety of beet. This variety is shaped much like a white turnip, with a slender tap-root. The exposed part of the root is brown; beneath the surface of the ground it is a clear rosy red. The flesh is nearly white, with circles or veins of bright pink, not very close-grained, but tender, sweet and pleasant. It is a very early sort, introduced from Italy, and much valued on account of its coming so soon into use. Many esteem it so highly that they make a second sowing late in June for winter use. The roots from the early sowing would not be suitable for the table in winter, becoming too tough and fibrous. ^- ^• Early Blood Turnip. — Succeeds weU everywhere, and ia much esteemed on account of its healthy character and uniform excellence, and is more universally planted than any other sort. It is shaped much like a smooth, well-formed, globe turnip, being about four and a half inches deep by four inches in diameter. It is very smooth and handsome, with a deep blood- ied flesh, often with veins of lighter red, very tender and sweet 204 BROCCOLI. It is but little later than the Bassano, and keeps well for winter use. Long Smooth Blood. — One of the best, especially for faU and winter use. It is long, round and free from rootlets, of fine quality, and of a deep blood-red color. In flavour and tender- ness of flesh it is superior to the common long blood beet. Carter's St. Ostth. — This is a comparatively new sort, much esteemed in England, and, so far as it has been tested here, maintains its English reputation. It is a long beet, very sweet, rich, fine grained and crisp, and will doubtless become a general favorite. BEOCCOLI. We give this name a place here, merely to say that the dis- tinction between Broccoli and Cauliflower seems to us to be without a difference. It is said to be more hardy than the Cauliflower, and on that account can be left out all winter in places where the winters are mild, but as we never have such winters in Canada, this difference has no practical existence here. It is also claimed by some that it is more sure to head than the Cauliflower, but this opinion has obtained merely because the BroccoK is planted for fall use, and having the benefit of cool and moist weather, heads well, and so will Cauliflower when treated in the same manner. The cultivation and treatment are in all respects the same as for Cauliflower, and will be found under that head. The follow- ing are the leading varieties : Purple Cape. — The heads of this variety are, as the name indicates, of a purplish color, which are of good size, close and compact. Cooking destroys the purple, so that on the table it has a whitish green color. It is an excellent variety, and heads weU. White Cape. — Is said to be not quite so hardy as the Pur- ple, but in all other respects differs nothing from it, only in color, being of a creamy white. BRUSSEUI SFROTTTS. 205 "Walcheren. — Another white variety, producing very large and firm heads. It is as large and fine as most Cauliflowers, and is said by those who can see the difierence between Broccoli and Cauliflower to endure both heat and cold, and dry weather also, better than a Cauliflower. BKUSSELS SPEOUTS. Fig. 57 shows the form in which it grows. This singular variety of the Cabbage family is little cultivated" in our cliniate. Our summers seem to be too hot for it, and it very frequently becomes badly infested with green fly or aphis. It looks Kke a taU- growing variety of Cabbage, with a tuft of leaves and sometimes a well formed head on the top, and a large number of small Cabbage heads growing out of the sides of the stalk in the axils of the leaves. "When the summer is cool and moist, these little heads are very tender and sweet, re- sembling a Cauliflower in flavor, but in hot, dry sum- mers they are apt to be Fig. 57. strong and sometimes bitter. There can really be no object in cultivating it, except for the oddity of the thing, a well-grown Cauliflower being fully equal to an entire plant of Brussels Sprouts in quantity and quaUty, and much more likely to yield an adequate return for the labor bestowed. Those who wish to give it a trial should cultivate it in all respects as they would a Cabbage, and cook and serve as if it were Cauliflower. 206 CABBAGB. CABBAGE. The soil best suited to the growth of the Cabbage is a deei> and very rich loam. The plants flourish best in a cool, moist season, and are impatient of long-continued droughts and extreme hot weather. Hence in this climate our best heads are generally obtained from late-grown plants, which grow rapidly and farm compact, tender heads as the autumn weather comes on. Fre- quent stirring of the soil is exceedingly beneficial to the Cabbage, and an abundant supply of well rotted manure essential to the attainment of the best results. Ashes and lime are excellent manures for the Cabbage, and best of aU finely-ground bones, at the rate of a ton to the acre, sown broadcast on the ploughed ground and harrowed in. It is said by experienced market gar- deners that the liberal use of ground bones or a liberal application of limo to the soil will prevent the attacks of the maggot in the root, which insects are often very injurious to the young Cab- bage plants. To obtain early Cabbage, the seed is sown in September, about the fifteenth of the month, and the young plants set out in a cold frame just before winter, about the first of JSTovember, and protected from the extreme cold, by placing double sashes over them. Another method, and the one most commonly practised among our farmers, is to start a hot-bed in March, and in this sow the Cabbage seed. For late Cabbage, the seed is usually sown about the first of May, in a prepared bed or cold frame. In all these cases the Cabbage plants are subsequently transplanted to the open ground, which has been previously pre- pared to receive them, choosing a damp, cloudy day, just after a shower, for the transplanting. Cabbage may be preserved for winter use in a cool cellar or root house, where the thermometer is kept just above the freezing point. The best manner of doing this is to pull up those having good, solid heads when they are dry, strip off a few of the outer CABBAOE. 207 leaves, and plant them out as it -w^ere in some fresh earth, in the cellar, setting the Cabbages as close together as they will stand, and burying the roots in the soil. Secured in this way, they can be conveniently procured at any time in the winter ; and where there is not sufficient room to store away the entire winter's supply, a few can be placed in the cellar, and advantage taken of occasional mild weather during the winter, to replenish the store from the pit outside. The usual method of storing Cabbages in a pit, and one that is fo\md to answer every purpose, is to dig a trench about one spade length in depth, in the bottom of this trench place a couple of raUs, and upon these rails place the Cabbage, head down, having first plucked off a few of the very loose outer leaves, and bringing the remaining leaves close around the head. The trench is usually made wide enough to hold three heads of cabbage. They are packed in closely, then covered with earth, until about half the length of the stalks is covered, and then a few inches of straw laid upon the earth ; and this covered again with soU. imtil the stalks are completely hidden, forming the covering into a sharp ridge. Cape must be taken that the water which may find its way into the trench shall be able to run freely away. Stored in this way. Cabbage will keep perfectly until spring. Cabbage seed will germiaate freely when four years old, if it has been well preserved. To keep seeds sound they must be kept dry. The following varieties, though by no means all that are in cultivation, are among the best, and will be found to be every way satisfactory. Early York. — A well-known early variety, much esteemed everywhere, and easily distinguished by its peculiar habit, and the deep pea-green color of the leaves. It forms small, solid heads, roundish oval in form, which are tender and of good flavor. As they are never large, the plants may be set eighteen inches apart each way. Early Wakefield. — The variety raised in America under 208 CABBAGE. this name, is a favorite with the market gardeners anjund "New York City, on account of its rare combination of earliness and size, being much larger than the Early York, and very sure to produce a good crop; in other words, to head well. The form of the head is pyramidal, rounded at the top, and the head is also quite solid. On account of its greater size, it sells better ia mar- ket than the Early York. There seems to be a difierence between the American and English varieties of this name, the American being better and earlier ; hence it is necessary to be particular to procure American-grown seed. Little Pixie. — Is a very diminutive but early sort, of dwarf habit, the whole plant being not larger than some good cabbage lettuce. The flavor is deKcate and the heads solid. It seems to be more of a fancy sort than one of general utility. WiNNiNGSTADT. — ^We esteem this one of the most valuable of aU the Cabbages. It heads freely, bears drought and heat remark- ably well, and keeps weR through the winter. Though often mentioned as a summer variety, and answering that purpose as a second early sort remarkably well, when the seed is sown early, yet it is as a fall and winter cabbage that it is most valuable. The heads are of a conical form, very compact and soM, and the stalk short. It is a profitable market variety, always meeting with a ready sale. Premium Flat Dutch. — This is also a very popular sort, forming large, round, and solid heads, which are broad and flat on the top, stalk short. It is a very large-growing variety, and keeps well, remaining fresh and crisp untU late in the spring ; at the same time quite tender, sweet, and good. Drumhead Savoy. — ^All the Savoys may be readily distin- guished from the other Cabbages by the peculiar wrinkled appearance of the leaves, and the looser, less compact structure of the heads. They are extremely hardy, bearing weU a consider- able degree of frosty weather, which, indeed, so far from injuring them, seems to improve their quality and flavor. This variety is shaped much Kke the common Drumhead Cabbages, hence CARROTS. 209 its name. The heads are large, round, a little flattened at the top, and quite compact This is the best of the large Savoys, heads well, is tender and of fine flavor, and retains its freshness and flavor late into the spring. The seed should be sown early in this climate, as it needs the whole season to perfect itself. Green Globe Savoy. — For do- mestic use this variety stands, in the estimation of the writer, without a rival In fineness of texture, sweet- ness and delicacy of flavor, it is un- surpassed ; yet such is the passion for size among buyers in our markets, that delicacy and excellence of quality are quite overlooked, and a hundred heads of Flat Dutch will be sold for one of this sort. It is very hardy, heads freely, is smaller than the Kg. 58. Drumhead Savoy, and has the leaves very finely wrinkled. It attains its highest excellence late in the season, after the advent of frosty weather, and retains its freshness late in the spring. Those who can enjoy fine quaHty in a Cabbage will plant this sort for their own table, and the coarser varieties for market. Figure 58 is an engraving of this variety. Red Dutch. — This variety is used for pickling. It retains its crispness and freshness when pickled better than the white kinds, which soon become tough and wilted, and besides this it» bright color gives it a very pleasing appearance. CAEEOTS. The soil best suited to the cultivation of this vegetable is » deep, rich, sandy loam ; wet and cold soUs are very imfavorable. It is not necessary that the soil should be very highly enriched with manures, but it is very important that it should be most thoroughly pulverized to a good depth. Some of the writer's 210 CARROTS. best crops of Carrots have been obtained by turning over a good clover sod late in August, on ground that had been previously well subsoiled, harrowing lengthwise of the furrow, and in the spring mellowed up thoroughly with a two-horse cultivator. The seed should be got in as soon as the ground is warm, and sown with a liberal hand. It pays better to thin out the young plants afterward, than to be so sparing of seed as to have large blanks in the rows. The young plants are so feeble, that when they stand singly they are often unable to force their way through tho crust that frequently forms over the surface of the soil, but when sown thick, their united efibrts seem to be able to break the crust that was too strong for a single plant. It is a great mis- take to sow Carrots on ground that is full of seeds of weeds. If it be possible to till the ground with some hoed crop, such as early potatoes or early cabbages, the season before, and after the crop is taken off plough and harrow, and when the weeds start harrow again with a heavy harrow, and in this way turn up as many of the weed seeds as possible to the surface, and after they start to grow kill them with the harrow or two-horse cultivator, much labor of weeding the next season after the ground is sown to Carrots will be spared. The seed should be sown in drills about one inch deep and twelve to fourteen inches apart. Just as soon as the rows of young Carrots can be seen, they should be gone over with the hoe and carefully cleaned out. If once the weeds are allowed to get the start of the young Carrots and choke them, an irre- parable injury will have been done them, and the labor of weed- ing more than doubled. In their earlier life Carrots are feeble plants, and easUy stunted and injured by an overgrowth of weeds. When they have become fairly established they should be thinned out to about four inches apart, and the ground kept clean, and stirred frequently during all the growing season. In the autumn the roots should be taken up and secured before the frosts are hard enough to injure them, that is, before the frost is hard enough to freeze the ground. Those that are CARROTS. 211 intended for the table should be placed in alternate layers of fresh earth, and stored in a cool cellar. Those intended for the bam may be laid in ridges and covered with earth and straw so as to exclude the frost. Care should be used not to bring too large a quantity of Carrots together. In large heaps they will not keep so well as iu smaller — at least, such has been the writer's experience. Those in the large heaps decay, as if they had fer- mented. Every farmer should raise enough Carrots to supply his milch cows liberally. The animals thrive well on them, and the quan- tity and quahty of the milk are improved. The finer varieties are a very desirable addition to the dinner table, and are exceed- ingly nutritious and wholesome. Used in soups, or boiled and dressed with cream, they are very palatable. Carrot seed cannot be relied upon that is more than two years old. It is usually stated that two pounds of carrot seed are sufficient for an acre, but we have foimd it much more economical to use at the rate of five pounds to the acre. Early Horn. — This is the variety to cultivate for the table. Fig. 59 is a correct representation of its peculiar form. It is short, terminating abruptly, with a very slender tap-root ; the flesh is of a deep orange-yellow color, crisp and very fine grained, and of the richest and most delicate flavor. It does not require, when grown for table use, to be thinned out in the row to more than two inches apart, and may be used as soon as it is half grown. Some use this variety not only for the table but for their stock ; and, where the soil is naturally thin, and underlaid ^'^" ^^' by a sterile or tenacious subsoil, this is a more profitable va- riety to grow for aU purposes than the long-growing kinds. It matxires earUer than the other sorts, and on that account can be grown where the summers are very short. Those who have thought the Carrot too strong flavored for a table vegetable, will be much pleased with this. ^12 ' OAULIPLOWBR. Early France. — A small, almost globular-rooted sort, very early, and well adapted for forcing — in truth, hardly desirable for cultivation in any other way than xinder glass. It is of a mild and delicate flavor, and near large cities, where high prices can be obtained for the earliest vegetables, may be grown with profit. Long Orange. — This is the well-known and long-cultivated yellow-fleshed variety, which is by no means unworthy of a place in the garden, and makes an excellent farm crop on suitable soils. The flesh is tolerably close-grained, tender and sweet. If used for the table the roots should be pulled when young, for they are better and milder flavored when half-grown than at maturity. As a field crop it will yield from six to eight hundred bushels to the acre, and is probably the most nutritious sort grown for stock feeding. Altringham. — A deeper colored variety than the Long Orange, with a crisp flesh, which is mild and pleasant flavored. Those who grow Carrots for market find this to be a very sale- able kind, probably on account of its bright, lively color, as much as its good qualities. White Belgian. — Grown only as a field crop for stock feeding, too coarse and lacking in flavor for a table variety. It yields large acreage returns, and seUs for as much per ton as the Long Orange; but we very much doubt whether the average crop from an acre will yield as much nutriment as an acre of Long Orange. For milch cows the Long Orange is the prefer- able variety, imparting to the butter a richness of flavor and color that cannot be obtained from the White Belgian. CAULIFLOWER. The soil best suited to the cultivation of the Cauliflower is a deep rich loam. This should be well pulverized, and abun- dantly supplied with manures that have been well rotted. Lime, ashes and ground bones are very valuable fertilizers for this vegetable, and though the main supply should be drawn CAULIFLOWER. 213 from the farm-yard, yet the occasional use of these will be found exceedingly beneficial, and especially on land that has been long tiUed. Common salt is said to be valuable as a fertilizer for the Cauliflower, but we have never tested its worth. K early Cauliflowers are desired, the seed should be sown in a hot-bed in March or very early in April, according to the season. As the plant is almost hardy, care should be taken not to keep the young plants too close, but raise the sash and admit air in moderate weather, gradually ' increasing the quantity of air imtil the plants are so well hardened as to need covering only in extreme weather. If they have been judiciously treated they will endure safely ten degrees of frost, and may be set out in the open ground as soon as the soil is sufficiently settled to be worked. The secret of obtaining good early Cauliflowers lies in getting them well forward before hot and dry weather sets in. During the cooler and usually showery weather of April and May, such growth will be secured as to ensure a well-formed head or flower. But if they are not set out until nearly all danger of frost is passed — which, in this country, is usually from the first to the fifteenth of June — they will very surely be overtaken by hot weather, and possibly dry as well as hot, and then the flowers wiU be small, tough, and strong- flavored. The only remedy we have seen suggested for this state of things, is to mulch the groxind heavily with strawy manure, and sprinkle that with salt. This will tend to keep the son cool and moist, and mitigate the effects of the heat and drought. But the better way is to get the plants early into the ground, and then they are sure to form good heads, unless the weather in May be unusually dry. For late Cauliflower, the seed may be sown in May or June, in the open air, in a prepared bed, on the north side of some building or tight board fence, where they will be least exposed to the depredations of that little black beetle, familiarly known as jumping Jack. K he should make his appearance, a liberal dusting of soot, or plaster, or ashes, will be found o£ benefit. 214 CAULIFLOWER. As soon as the plants are large enough, they may be set out in the open garden, choosing a dull day, after a rain, if possible. These will come into head during the cool and usually moister weather of the latter part of September, and of the month of October. If any have not formed heads when the severe freezing weather begins to come on, they may be taken up and planted as close together as they will stand, after removing a few of the loose outer and lower leaves, in some fresh earth in a cool cellar or root house, and they wUl there be very sure to form flowers of delicate tenderness, from the time they are put into the cellar until Christmas, or possibly later. Indeed, we esteem it very desirable to have fifty or more plants that have not headed, to stow away in the root house at the beginning of winter, that a longer term of this most dehcious vegetable may be enjoyed. Cauliflower seed that is four years old may be safely relied upon, only provided that it has been kept dry. The Cauliflower should be used while the head is compact and looks white like a curd, and indeed in this state it is often spoken of as the "curd." If it be allowed to remain, the surface, which is nearly smooth in this state, gradually becomes uneven, and finally branches out, and runs up into flower stalks. It is cooked by boiling it in water in which enough salt has been dissolved to give the water a decided saline taste. This seasons the vege- table much better than it can be seasoned in any other way. After it has been boiled long enough to become tender, which is usually from twenty to thirty minutes, it is taken up into a dish and melted butter poured over it, when it is ready for the table. If any of our readers have not been in the habit of using the Cauliflower, we feel confident that one season's trial of it will make it ever after a necessary of life. There is not much occasion to multiply varieties, and pro- bably the best for our climate are the two following : Early Erfurt. — This variety is especially valuable for early sowing. It heads well, is a dwarf, compact grower, and tha heads are of good size, with a close white curd. CELERY. 215 "Walcherbn. — Kemarkable for its hardiliood, being able to endure tbe cold and the heat and the drought much better than other varieties. The heads are large, compact, even, with a fine white curd. The leaves of this sort are broader and less pointed than those of other sorts. Stadtholder. — Is much esteemed by the London market gardeners. Head large, compact, and fine. Le l^ORMAND. — Has proved a valuable variety, usually head- ing well, despite considerable heat and drouth. The heads are large, often very large, firm, white, and compact, CELEEY. This delightful salad is seldom grown by our farmers, for the reason, probably, that the method of growing it, which is laid down in most books on gardening, involves a great amount of labor, and to a large degree such as can be performed only by hand ; but this labor, it has been found, can be nearly all dis- pensed with, and the growing of celery has been very much simplified, so that we may hope that its cultivation will not be long confined to the gardens of gentlemen in towns and of mar- ket gardeners. Besides being a most agreeable addition to the farmer's own table, he may, if living near a suitable market, make the growing of it a source of profit. To grow Celery well, a small piece of ground should be made very rich by working into it a liberal supply of short, weU-rotted, barnyard maniire, and thoroughly pulverized and raked ofi" quite smooth and clean. This is for the seed bed, and need only be large enough to grow as many plants as it may be thought desir- able to have. It should be in some warm, sunny spot, and the son light and dry. After the bed has been prepared, rows may be marked out across it about six inches apart, and the seed sown in the marks thiidy and then covered by patting with the back of the spade. This should be done as soon in the spring as the ground has become a little warmed and in good working order. 216 CELERT. The seed does not germinate very quickly, and therefore, as soon as the rows can be seen it -will be necessary to run the hoe between them and clean the bed of all weeds. This should not be done, however, when the plants are wet with dew or rain, as this has a tendency to cause them to rust ; and this sugges- tion should be borne in mind throughout the entire season in all the operations connected with this vegetable. After the plants have become fairly distinguishable, they should be thinned out sufficiently to give those that remain free access to light and air, which will leave them about half an inch apart. When the plants have filled up the space now allowed them, and seem to be crowding each other, we have found it to be of decided benefit to select some cool but dry day, and prick them out into another bed, which has been previously prepared in the same way as the seed-bed. We first give the young Celery plants a thorough watering with a watering-pot having a fine rose, soak- ing the ground well, and then, as soon as the leaves have become dry, carefully pull them out of the seed-bed and plant them in the new bed, in rows eight inches apart, and four inches apart in the row. If the transplanting is done just before sundown, and the earth firmly pressed about the roots, and as soon as the work is completed the bed nicely watered from a fine rose, the plants will need no protection from the sun, unless the following day should be unusually hot. The object of watering the seed-bed before pulling up the plants is to enable the operator to draw them easily from the soil and without breaking the root fibres, and the bed into which they are planted is watered as soon as the work is done in order the more completely to settle the earth about the plants, and this transplanting is done just before sun- down so as to avoid the heat of the sun, which might cause the plants to wilt, and is apt to make the ground bake if allowed to fall upon it just after it has been watered. This operation of transplanting small plants is what is termed " pricking out." Some persons trim off a part of the foliage of young plants. Celery and other plants, when they transplant them or " prick CELERY. 21T them out," but it is a very mistaken practice. It originated, doubtless, in the idea that inasmuch as a large part of the roots were either cut or broken off in taking up the plant, it was therefore necessary to restore the balance between the top and the root by taking off a part of the top also. If the directions given in the preceding paragraph are followed, and the ground in which the young plants are growing thoroughly soaked, and the plants carefully puUed, not dug, the roots will draw out of the soil without being much, if any, broken. If by chance any should be materially deprived of their roots, such had better be thrown away. It is cheaper to set out only good plants, and never spend labor on a poor thing shorn of half its roots and top. Another very important matter in transplanting is to firm the earth weU about the roots. More plants die in the process of transplanting, from neglect to press the earth gently, but firmly, about the roots, than firom any other cause. By transplanting the Celery into a new bed, where the plants can have more room, we secure nice stocky plants, with an abundance of root. Such plants will produce fine, solid heads or bunches, while those that have been drawn up will always be weak and spindling, and yield but a wretched crop. After transplanting, they will need to be kept clean and the soil stirred occasionally, so that they make a strong healthy growth, always remembering not to work among them when the leaves are wet. Early in July it will be time to prepare the ground for planting out the Celery. A piece that has been cleared of a crop of early cabbage, or peas, or beans, if it was heavily manured in the spring, will be just the place for Celery, requiring only to be ploughed and well harrowed, so as to pulverize it thoroughly. Upon this the Celery may be planted in rows, three or four feet apart, and six inches apart in the row. These plants should be taken up carefully, allowing as much earth as possible to adhere to the roots, and set out without disturbing the ball, at the same time pressing the soil firmly about the root. The directions already given in regard to transplanting from the seed-bed may I 218 CELERY. "be advantageously followed here, except that the plants can not DOW be pulled out of the soil, but must be gently lifted out with a transplanting trowel. In a couple of days they will have thrown out new roots, and if they have not been allowed to get wilted, will begin to grow vigorously. Nothing more is requisite than to keep the ground free of weeds, until after the middle of August, being careful, in hoeing, to draw the earth more towards than from them, yet not to hill them up, nor by any means to let any of the soil get into the heart of the plants. Towards the end of August, when the Celery has made some eight or ten stalks, forming a good shield around the heart so as to protect that part from the soil, the earth should be drawn up to the plants as high as to the first leaves. It is well to hold the stalks together in a bunch with one hand, while with the other the earth is drawn around the plant, always being careful that the soil is not drawn up so high as to get into the heart. When the heart stalks have grown up to the height of the out- side leaves, then the earth should be banked up against the plant to very near the top. This is all the earthing up the plants will need. Much of the labor of this may be done by running a light plough with a steady horse between the rows, throwing the earth towards, not on to the plants, and finishing with hoe and spade. When the heart has again grown up above the outer leaves, the Celery wiU be fit for use. By this method of growing Celery a much better article is obtained and with much less labor than by the old mode of dig- ging out trenches in which to plant it, and then earthing it up gradually every few days. The best Celery is that which is the most crisp, tender and sweet, and that can be best obtained by securing a quick growth. By earthing up after the weather has begun to get cool, at which time the plant grows most rapidly, and doing it at two instead of a dozen operations, a quick growth of the heart or centre stalks is secured. It is prepared for use by removing the outer stalks, washing off all the adhering soil in clean water, cutting away the corky CELERY. 219 "bark of the root, and dividing the root into pieces, leaving the stalk adhering to each portion of the root. These are placed in an upright position, in a glass about one-third full of water, and set on the table. The water will prevent it from wilting, and pre- serve the stalks fresh and crisp. It can be stored for winter use in a cool root-cellar, by taking it up in a dry day and planting the roots in fresh earth in the cellar, much in the same way as recommended for Cauliflower. The cellar must not be kept too warm ; as near 30° Fahrenheit, as possible, or just above freezing, is warm enough. In such a cellar we have kept it in excellent condition, and find it more convenient than keeping it in the ground. But those who have no such cellar can keep it in trenches made in a dry spot where no water will settle in them. The trench should be dug as nar- row as possible and as deep as the length of the Celery. In this trench the Celery is placed in an upright position, packed close so as to fill it entirely, with the green tops just on a level with the top of the trench. In order to have it keep well it must be covered gradually with straw, as the weather becomes colder, until by the holidays it is covered from a foot to eighteen inches deep with straw. If, however, this be all put on at once in the fall, the Celery will spoH. Covered gradually as the weather becomes colder, commencing the covering as soon as the ground has frozen to the depth of a couple of inches, the Celery will keep well, and can be easUy got at any day in the winter. If snow falls in the meantime to such a depth that the frost cannot reach the ground, that will of itseK be a sufficient covering, if it can be relied upon to remain ; if not, a covering of straw should be laid upon the snow, which wUl help to keep it from melting. But the straw used should be clean, not that which has been used as bedding for the farm stock. From such straw there might leach down upon the Celery a dirty water that would impart to it a decided barnyard flavor. The best variety of Celery is the Sandringham Dwarf White. It has a fine nutty flavor, is crisp, tender and soHd. There are 16 220 CRESS OR PEPPER GRASS, other good varieties, some of theni liaving red tinted stalks, but this is the best, and no one who has once grown it will ever want any other for his own table. CEESS OE PEPPEE GEASS. This is an early spring salad, used either by itself or mixed with Lettuce. It has a warm, pungent taste, hence its name of Pepper Grass. It grows readily in any garden soil, and may be sown just as soon as the garden can be worked. The young leaves are always the best, which should be cut before it begins to run to seed, and as it grows rapidly, if it is desirable to have it long in use, seed should be sown two or three times, with an interval of ten days or a fortnight between the sowings. The surface of the bed should be raked smooth and fine, and the seed sown thickly in shallow drills and slightly covered. The seed will grow when five years old. Curled Cress is the variety most generally grown, on account of its handsome appearance, which makes it very suitable for garnishing dishes, as well as for use as a salad. Water Cress differs materially from the Cress or Pepper Grass of our gardens, being a hardy perennial plant, growing along the margins of streams and ponds, but is much like it in, the peculiar pungent taste of the leaves, and is used, particularly in the spring of the year, as a very agreeable salad. When once sown along a running stream or pond, it will rapidly increase and spread, and those who have such a place on their farms, can easily supply themselves with this very agreeable and healthful spring salad, at the mere cost of gathering it when wanted. And if residing near a market, especially that of a large city, they "s/iU. find it a very profitable crop to raise. A basketful wiU sell for fifty cents, and as an ordinary waggon will carry some two himdred such baskets, in a city where there is a sale for such a quantity, a hundred dollars can be taken for a single load. Gentlemen who are desirous of growing Water Cress for their CRESS OR PEPPER GRASS. 221 table, and yet have not a convenient stream of water, may adopt the following method, which is said to answer the purpose weU, though we have never given it a trial. It is simply to prepare a hot-bed, as early in March as possible, and plant it with the Water Cress. In this, if kept pretty close, it is said to grow very luxu- riantly, and can be cut as it is wanted. It will soon grow up again after being cut, and requires only to be watered freely twice a week, to give an abundant supply. When the sun becomes hot, it will be necessary to whitewash the glass to prevent the plants from scalding. K plants can not conveniently be had, no doubt they can be raised in the bed from seed, only requiring longer time to get established. Cucumbers. — The soil best suited to the growth of the Cucum- ber, is a light, friable loam, thoroughly drained and in good heart. Those who grow this vegetable in quantity for market, find a well-rotted sod to be an excellent manure for them, turning it under in the end of August, and ploughing again in spring, and giving a third ploughing just before planting. If the object be to get cucumbers for pickling, there is no occasion to plant before the first of July, and by planting late, the vines make such rapid growth as soon to get out of the way of striped bugs and other insect pests. The hills may be placed at four feet apart each way, and a dozen seeds sown in each, and if too many should survive the attacks of their numerous foes, they may be thinned out to four or five plants in each hill. It is a good plan to put a shovelful or two of thoroughly rotted manure in each hill, and work it up with the soil before planting. In this way the manure is economized and applied more directly where it is wanted, than by spreading it broad-cast over the whole ground. When Cucumbers are wanted for the table or market in the beginning of summer, it is necessary to have recourse to frames, in order to get the plants well started in good season, and to get them so large before they are exposed in the open ground, that they will escape the ravages of the striped bug. The best way of 222 CRESS OR PEPPER GRASS. raising them, is in a cold frame on pieces of inverted sod, in the same manner as recommended for the Lima Bean. This should be done about the middle of May, the sod cut into pieces about four inches square, and three or four seeds planted on each piece. Care must be taken not to allow the plants to get drawn up, but by giving plenty of air keep them stocky and hardy. When they have three or four rough leaves, they can be transplanted by lifting up the bit of sod and setting it in the hill where it is intended they shall grow. It is best to do this transplanting just before sundown, so that the plants may have the night in which to recover from the disturbance, but if the removal be carefully made they will not feel the change. If water be given at the time of transplanting, let it be a thorough soaking, sprinkled on through a fine rose, that will sink down below the roots. When the cucumbers are large enough to cut, the vines should be examined every day, and all that are large enough, and all that are misshapen, imperfect or worthless, taken off; for if any are allowed to remain on the vine to ripen, the crop will be materially lessened, the energies of the vine seeming to be directed to the ripening of those that are left on, instead of the setting of more fruit. K it be desired to save seed from any, a few of the best formed may be left on a vine that is quite removed from those of any other sort, and allowed to ripen. They intermingle so readily that it is diflS.cult to get pure seed when more than one variety is raised in the same garden. Careful gardeners keep a vine in a frame where it can be well secured from the pollen of any other sort, until the desired number of fruit has set, fertilizing the pis- tillate flowers by hand. The seed has great vitality, retaining the power of germination for eight or ten years. The following sorts will be found the most profitable. Early Frame. — ^An old and well-tried variety, much esteemed on account of its vigorous and productive character, and the tender quality and agreeable flavor of the fruit. It is used both for the table and for pickles. White Spine. — A great favorite with market gardeners CORN. 223 "because of the great productiveness and healthy habit of the vine, and the handsome appearance and excellent quality of the fruit. Besides, it does not change to yeUow on approaching maturity, and retains its freshness of appearance for a long time. Long Green Turkey. — Is an excellent productive sort, the fruit sometimes measuring sixteen inches in length, firm, crisp, having few seeds, and of good flavor. There is no end of varieties grown in frames, some of them nearly a yard in length, but probably the best of them is Sign House Improved. COEN. As every tiller of the sod knows how to grow Com, it will not be expected that we should give very minute directions on this head. Yet we have noticed that comparatively few of OUT farmers grow those varieties of com that are best adapted for table use when green, but content themselves with some ears taken from their field varieties, while it is yet in the milk. Although these are often very good, we think there are garden varieties which are much sweeter, more tender, and, what is well worth considering, lasting much longer in that soft state in which they can be used for the table, than any of our field sorts. It is to these we desire to direct attention, believing that those who may be induced to try them will thank us in their hearts for bringing them to their notice. The cultivation, of these varieties of Com differs in no way from the ordinary treatment. They flourish best in a warm, dry, loamy soil, that has been well enriched and thoroughly tilled. The seed should not be planted until settled warm weather, the young plants being very sensitive to frost. It may be planted in hiUs in the usual way, or in driUs four feet apart, and about eight inches apart in the drill. Early Eight-Eowed Sweet. — Aftery trying a good many varieties, we give this the decided preference over aU others, as 224 ENDIVE. the best variety for taWe use. It is a good cropper, continues in use for some time, and is of a very ricli, sweet, and pleasant flavor. By planting as soon as the weather will admit, which varies in different parts of the country from the 20th of May to the 10th of June, and again planting three weeks later, a supply of most delicious Green Corn can he had until frosts cut it up in the faU. Stowell's Evergreen. — Has the merit of being a late variety, and remaining soft all the season, but it does not com- pare in quality, in our estimation, with the Early Eight-Rowed. White Parching. — This is the very best Pop-Corn, and every child should be made glad with a store of this for the winter evenings. It is an eight-rowed Corn, ears about six inches long ; kernels small, flinty, and of a semi-transparent white. When parched it is snowy white, very tender, brittle, and sweet. Always select the slender, small-sized ears that are well filled with only small white kernels, for seed corn, and keep it pure, as any mixture will impair its quality as a Pop-Corn. It is best when grown in dry, sandy or gravelly soil, and when the sum- mers are warm and short. EKDIVE. This salad plant is not much used in this country. Celery and Lettuce taking the place. It thrives in any good garden soil, and may be sown in drills about a foot apart. The seed should be sown thinly and covered but slightly, and after the plants are well up, they shoidd be thinned out to about ten inches apart in the rows. As this salad is usually wanted for winter and early spring, the seed may be sown about the middle of July. In order to prepare it for use it is necessary to blanch the leaves. This is done by drawing the outer leaves together over the centre, and tying them fast with a string, or a mat may be thrown over the plants. In order to keep them through the winter, it is necessary to transplant them on the approach of EGG PLAKT. 225 severe "weatlier into some fresh earth, in the cellar. The plants should be taken up with a ball of earth about the roots, and after planting in the cellar, it is well to moisten the earth with a little water. Geezn" Cueled. — This is the best sort, hardy, tender, and crisp. EGG PLANT. Fig. 60 is an engraving of an Egg Plant with fruit. This is a very tender vege- table, requiring a long season, and can be raised in OUT climate only at considerable pains -taking. It can not be made with us a crop of much profit, and will be grown in small quantities by market-gardeners near our large cities, and by those who have such a partiality for it that they are willing to take the requisite trouble. It requires a longer season to perfect its fruit than the Tomato, and the young plants are yet more sensitive to chilly winds and spring frosts. The seed should be sown in a hotbed in March, or in a flower-pot or box of earth, and started in the kitchen window, in the same manner as Tomato plants are started, and treated much in the same way, except that even more care must be used to keep them from being chilled, especially when they are transplanted into the open ground, for if they get badly chiUed they seem to get over it very- Fig. 60. 226 GARLIC. — HORSE-RADISH. slowly. For this reason it is necessary to wait until the seasoa is well advanced, and aU danger of frost is past. Long Purple. — This is probably the most hardy sort, matur- ing its fruit the soonest, and the most desirable for our climate. The fruit is usually, cooked by cutting it into slices about half an inch in thickness, parboiling these in a little water, and frying in butter, seasoning with salt and pepper. Sometimes they ar« broiled, like a beefsteak or mutton chop, on the gridiron, or fried in a batter. GAELIC. This vegetable thrives best in a rich, light soil, made fine and friable. The sets are planted in rows a foot apart, and about four inches apart in the row, some time in the latter part of April or beginning of May. They need no special cultivation, other than to keep the soil loose and free from weeds. When ripe the tops wither, and the crop is harvested in the same manner as onions. It is used to flavor soups and stews, having an intense onion flavor. HOESE-EADISH. In very rich, deep, and mellow garden soU this root wiU grow rapidly, and can be cultivated at a good profit. It is worth upwards of one hundrd dollars per ton, and in such soil wiU. easily yield three tons to the acre. Besides, it can be planted with some early crop, such as early cabbages, and made to occupy the ground after the first crop is taken ofi". Market gardeners preserve aU the small branching roots, breaking them off from the main root in preparing that for market, and cut them up into pieces about six inches long, and varying from one-half to one- fourth of an inch in thickness. These are packed away in moist sand in a cool root-cellar, until wanted for planting in the spring. Early Cabbages or early Cardiflower are planted in rows two feet apart, and eighteen inches apart in the row. Between the rows. KOHL-RABI. 22T of Cattage a row of these Horse-radish cuttings are planted by- making a hole with a stick deep enough to set the Horse-radish •with the top about two inches below the surface. By planting it so deep it will be longer in making its appearance above ground, and so not interfere with the cultivation of the Cabbage.. By the time the Cabbage is taken off the Horse-radish will be nicely started, with plenty of time to make fine roots before winter ; and as it will now grow rapidly, will only require to be once well hoed over after the stumps of the Cabbage are cleared off. The plant is perfectly hardy, and makes its growth mainly during the cooler autumnal weather. It should be dug just before the ground freezes, the small roots broken off and stowed away for cutting up, when there is leisure for it, and the main roots cleaned by removing the green tops and washing in water. It is now ready for sale, and is bought by weight in the large cities, where it is grated and put up in glass jars. The consumption seems to have more than kept pace with the supply, as the price has considerably increased within the past ten years. For home use a few roots will suffice, which may be packed in earth, and kept in a cool cellar, where they can be obtained at any time. Grated and moistened well with good vinegar, it is used with meats, and is both an agreeable and wholesome condiment. The young roots, grown as described, are the best ; when allowed to get old, they become tough and stringy. KOHI^IiABI. Fig. 61 is an engraving of this plant. This is a sort of above-ground turnip, not very generally used, and possessing no special quahties that we can dis- cover which render it particularly desir- pig, ei. 228 LEEK. able. If sown too early it becomes strong in flavor and woody, but if sown about the middle of June, in rows eighteen inches apart, and thinned out so as to stand about eight inches apart in the rows, they will form after the midsummer heat has begun to wane, and be more likely to be tender, especially should the season be showery. The bulb is the part which is used, which is boiled, and treated in the same manner as the turnip. The White and Purple are the sorts grown for table use, and are more likely to be tender and palatable when about three inches in diameter, than if allowed to become larger. LEEK. A very hardy plant, and of easy cultivation, flourishing in any mellow soil that is abundantly supplied with manure, and capable of enduring twenty degrees of frost without injury. The seed, which must not be more than two years old, should be sown in a well-prepared seed bed, in drdls about eight inches apart, as early in April as convenient, and the bed kept clean and friable. In July, ground that has been occupied by early Peas may be ploughed and harrowed, and the plants set out in rows a foot apart and six inches apart in the row, planting them rather deeply in the soil. Or the seed may be sown where the plants are to remain, if preferred, by making little trenches some six inches in depth, and sowing the seed in the bottom of these trenches, covering it not more than half ah inch deep, and as the plants grow, gradually filling up the trenches with soil, which serves to blanch the bulbs, and make them of a milder flavor. The bulb is the part used, sometimes in soups and stews, and sometimes boded alone and served with melted butter. They are fit for use in October, and can be preserved in earth in the cellar for winter. London Flag. — This is the sort most commonly grown, and is about an inch and a quarter in diameter. Musselburg. — Does not differ materially from the preceding, though perhaps is usually a little larger. T,li!Ti!g- 229 LETTUCE. An important vegetable with the market gardener, and one that is very acceptable in spring to every lover of salads. Those ■who desire to supply it as early as possible, will sow seed of some of the hardiest sorts, such as the Brown Dutch, or Hardy Green Winter, about the middle of September, in a warm exposure and in rich sod. In about a month later the plants will be ready for the frames, into which they must be transplanted, and as the weather becomes severe, protected with a sash, or in favorable positions, with dry leaves. The plants are sufficienty hardy to endure a cold of twenty degrees below the freezing point, and consequently oidy require a slight protection. We believe that in our climate, the north side of a building or high board fence is much better than the south side, or any side where the sun can shine directly upon the sash. A xmiform cold temperature, provided the cold be not greater than that mentioned above, is less likely to prove injurious to the plants than one that is frequently changing under the action of the sun's rays. A frame thi-ee feet by six will hold six himdred plants. As soon as the ground can be worked in the spring, these plants shoidd be set out between the rows of early Cabbage that have been wintered over in the same manner, thus economizing the groimd, because the Lettuce will be all fit for cutting and used before the ground will be occupied by the Cabbage. Those who do not wish to take this trouble to secure fine early Lettuce may sow the seed in a hot-bed, or in a cold frame, or in the open air, according to the time when they wish to use it, or the conveniences they may have for growing it. If in the open air, a warm, sunny and well-sheltered spot is to be chosen, where it is possible, and the sod made rich with weU- decayed manure, and worked up loose and fine. We have noticed that although the Cabbage Lettuces will often head weU, if allowed sufficient room in the seed bed, they usually head more uniformly if transplanted, and are in less haste to run up to 230 LETTUCE. seed. The secret of making Lettuce brittle and tender lies in securing a rapid growth, which can be best done in a rich, warm soil, well supplied with moisture, but the water, however, must not be allowed to stagnate in the soil. Lettuce will head best before the hot weather of summer comes on, and consequently such plants as are not expected to head until mid-summer, will make finer heads if planted where they will be shielded from the sun during a part of the day. All the Yeab Round. — This variety of Cabbage Lettuce remains a long time without running up to seed, the heads are small but close, and the plants hardy, enduring both heat and cold well. Browk Dutch. — The heads are of medium size, not very- solid, but they are tender and of good quality. The plants are very hardy, and on that account well suited for wintering over, and form heads freely. It does not endure heat well, and can not be so well relied upon for summer use as some other sorts. Drumhead or Malta. — Fig. 62 is a representation of this variety. The heads are large and compact, tender, well-fla- vored, and nicely blanched in the centre. It remains in head for some time without Pig. 62. rxmnmg to seed. Tennis Ball. — This is one of the best sorts for forcing under glass. The head is small, very compact, slow in running to seed, and blanches finely. The plant endures cold remarkably weU, and grows best in cool weather, but is not suited to our hot summers. 2!foNPAREiL. — One of our best summer varieties, enduring the heat, forming fine, compact heads, which are well blanched, ten- der, and of good flavor, and slow in running to seed. Paris White Cos. — The Cos varieties of Lettuce do not form such cabbage-like heads as the preceding sorts. The heads MELONS. 231 are more conical, not solid, and do not usually blanch well without being tied up, though this variety is somewhat of an exception to this remark, the heads blanching tolerably well without tying. It is an excellent and very popular variety, being very brittle and weU flavored, and makes an excellent summer Lettuce. Lettuce seed will grow when it is three years old. MELONS. Our seasons are short for the production of fine Melons, and even with the aid of hot-beds in which to start the seeds, we do not always succeed in ripening off the crop before frost. Nor have we found it to be of any advantage to give the plants a very early start so as to lengthen the season of growth, for, in truth, they wOl not grow in the open ground until the warm ■weather has fairly set in, and the nights are no longer chilly, not to say frosty. Besides, they seem to be so sensitive to a sudden chill, that plants started early under glass have need to be har- dened off with great care, for the cold seems to so shock their constitution that they do not recover from it for a long time, so much so, that plants raised from seed sown much later are often much the larger and healthier by the first of August. "We have succeeded best by planting the seeds on pieces of inverted sod, cut about two inches square, which have been placed for a few days before planting in a cold frame, and the sash kept tight, so as to warm the sod thoroughly with the sun heat. As soon as the plants make their appearance give air as freely as possible, that they may not be drawn, but kept stocky and hardy. Such seed planting need not be done before the first of May, and the plants should not be set out in the open air before the ground has become quite warm, and the nights no longer cold. A light, friable, and warm soO, with as sunny an exposure as possible, and, if it can be, sheltered from west and north-west winds, is the best place for Melons. It need not be very rich, only enough thoroughly rotted manure worked into the spot 232 MELONS. ■where the plantg are set to give them a good start. During the dry weather of summer, it will be of advantage to give them a good watering with weak manure water twice a week. The Melon Bugs, too, will need watching, and the very best remedy we have ever found for these is a good hard pinch between the thumb and finger. When the weather has become warm enough, the plants should be carefully lifted, with the piece of sod on which they are growing, and set out three or four in a place, and these places about four feet apart each way. If the transplanting has been well done the Melons will not feel the removal, and will need only the usual care of occasional stirring of the soU, to keep it loose and free from weeds. We have succeeded also very well, in favorable seasons, by planting the seed in the hill where the Melons are to grow, and thus avoid the labor and care of growing in a frame and transplanting. It needs to be done as early as the season will admit, which will be as soon as the ground is warm enough to enable the seed to germinate, and not to rot. When sown in the open air the plants are more liable to be lost by a late frost, for there is no convenience for protect- ing them after they are above ground, and then the only remedy is to plant again. It is extremely difficult to speak of the varieties of the several classes of Melons, usually known among us as Musk Melons and Water Melons, on account of the great tendency to deterioration by cross fertilization. The pollen from one variety is carried to the flowers of another, and new varieties are in this way constantly springing up, and such is the facility with which this intermingling of sorts takes place, that it is almost impossible to keep a variety pure if any other be raised in the garden. The only way to get pure seed is to grow the Melon in a frame, and, by means of the sash, keep it well secured &om any chance of mixture until the young Melons are set. Green Citron. — A medium-sized Melon, with a thickly- netted green skin; the flesh green, thick, very juicy, and of a MELONS. 233 sweet and excellent flavor. It is of good constitution, and bears abundantly, and is one of the best sorts. IS'uTMEG. — Medium-sized, roundish oval, with a pale green skin, which is very thickly netted; the flesh is green, very sweet, rich, and very highly perfumed. Bailey's Eclipse. — This is much esteemed in England, and should be equally fine here. It is said to be a round, handsome Melon, weighing from three to four pounds, beautifully netted, with a pale green, rich, luscious, and melting flesh. The Grove Hybrid. — Another English variety, which is said to be truly splendid, ribbed and slightly netted, weighing from four to six pounds, the flesh pale green, rich and luscious. Large Yellow Cantaloupe. — A large yeUow-fleshed sort, an abundant cropper, and probably as good as any of the red or yellow-fleshed Melons, none of which are as sweet and high- flavored as the green-fleshed Melons. Black Spanish "Water ;Melon. — This is a large variety, having a deep red-colored flesh, and of very fine sugary flavor. It is very productive, has a healthy constitution, and is one of the best for our climate, as it matures its fruit early. Ice Cream. — When pure the flesh is a yellowish- white, with white seeds, which render it quite distinct from most other "Water Melons. It is a prolific variety, ripening early, sweet and fine flavored, and well suited for our short summers. These varieties are probably the best for general cultivation in our climate, but, after all, there will be seasons every no"vr and then in which even these will not ripen well, or until so late a period in the season that their flavor is impaired. Melon seeds will preserve their vitality for eight or ten years; and old gardeners say that seed which is four or five years old will. produce vines which set their fruit better than those raised^ £x)m fresh seed. 234 ONION. ONION. The best soil for Onions is a deep, rich, loamy, mellow aoil, on a dry bottom. A sandy loam that is strong enough to raise good crops of Corn and Potatoes will make an excellent ground for Onions. In selecting a place for growing this vegetable, it is well to choose one that has been previously Well tilled with hoed crops and kept clean — such as has raised a fine crop of Beets or Carrots. The Onion is an exception to the general Tule of rotation in crops, and not only can be grown successfully upon the same ground for many years in succession, but the bulbs are better and finer, after four or six years of cultivation with this crop, than during the first year. It is also necessary that the ground be highly manured and well prepared. The preparation consists in ploughing the ground deep, harrowing thoroughly, breaking up aU the lumps, if any, and making it as fine and hght as possible. It should be manured with fine, thoroughly rotted barn-yard manure, at the rate of twenty-five tons to the acre, and, besides this, all the cleanings of the pig-stye, poultry-house, and earth-closet that can be spared, should be worked in with the harrow. Pure ground bones, at the rate of a couple of tons to the acre, may be used every two or three years with most decided benefit. If at any time it is decided to grow enormous specimens, that will take prizes at our agricultural shows, there is nothing like a barrel or two of Onions, well rotted, wherewith to dress the bed in which it is designed to grow them. The surface of the ground shoidd be finished off as nearly level as it can be done, and cleaned entirely of stones, sticks and rubbish. If it is intended to grow Onions on a large scale, it will be advisable to use a machine made expressly for sowing the seed, and which sows two rows at once, making the drills and sowing at the same time. If only a small garden-bed is required, the drUls should be drawn about a foot or fifteen oinoN. 235 Inches apart, and the seed sown thinly, so that they may be about one inch apart in the drilL The drills should be very shallow, mere scratches into which to drop the seed, and the covering is best done with a light roller, run over the groimd lengthwise of the drills. Onion seed will germinate when two years old, but it is not as likely to produce as vigorous plants as fresh seed raised the previous summer. It is very easy to test its vitality by placing a. few seeds upon some damp cotton or a bit of wet moss in a warm room; if it be fresh, .it will sprout in three or four days. Four pounds of fresh seed will be enough to sow an acre with the sowing machine; and when sown in the garden by hand, an ounce should be enough for four hundred feet of drill. The seed should be sown just as early as it is possible to get the groTind in good condition; the earliest sown yield the heaviest crop. As soon as the plants can be seen, the ground should be hoed carefully between the rows, and the weeds thoroughly cleaned out. The hoeing should be shallow, taking care not to draw the earth up around the plants, but to keep the ground level and clean. As soon as the Onions are an inch or two highy they should be thinned out to two inches apart in the row. At this distance apart they may be allowed to grow for a time, and the young onions used for the table or sold in the market, by gradually thinning out to four inches apart, until they begin to be too much crowded. In field culture, or where there is no market for these very young onions, the plants may be thinned out to four inches apart as soon as they are well established. Timely and thorough cultivation is of great importance to the success of this crop, as it is, indeed, the secret of all profit- able culture. If the weeds once get the start they wiU materially injure the growth of the plants, if not entirely nun the crop; hence, do not let the weeds start at all, but hoe before they become visible. Thus, much time and labor will be saved, and 17 236 ONION. the crop cultivated at far less expense than if the weeds once get a foot-hold. In wet seasons onions sometimes grow thick-necked. To remedy this, growers are in the habit of gently bending down the tops, late in July, with the hoe handle, which checks their growth and makes them form better bulbs. In August, or early in September, the onions will be ripe, which is indicated by the dying off of the tops. They may now be puUed or raked out, and left spread out to dry in the sun for two or three weeks, by which time they are ready for market or storing for winter use. In keeping them over winter, it is safest to place them where they wUl be free from frost, yet it is also necessary that they be kept cool and dry, with plenty of ventilation. They do not keep well in ordinary cellars; these are usually too close and damp, and too warm. The writer makes a practice of keeping them in a cold chamber, the floor of which is covered to the depth of a foot or more with perfectly dry soil. Upon this the Onions are laid six to eight inches deep, and some of this dry soil thrown over them, covering them to the depth of about six inches. This soil has remained in this chamber for many years, and is therefore perfectly dry, and although the frost penetrates the chamber, yet the dry earth seems to be a sufficient protection to the onions. It has never been renewed or changed, the same earth being used year after year. After being placed in this chamber, and covered with the dry earth, the Onions are never disturbed until they are wanted in the spring, when they always come out quite fresh and sound. Market gardeners, who find it to their advantage to supply the market with early Onions of good size in the green state, grow them from " sets." These sets are raised from seed the year pre- vious, wintered over, and planted out as early as possible in the spring. To obtain the sets, which are very small onions, a poor piece of ground is selected ; this is ploughed and harrowed, and thoroughly pulverized in the manner already described, but no manure is applied. After getting the ground as fine and smooth oNioir. 237 as possible, the seed is sown in drills about nine inches apart, and sown very thick, so that the Onions shall grow as small as possible ; there is no danger of their being too small; the smallest will make as fine Onions next year as the largest, while if they are more than half an inch in diameter there is danger that they will not increase in size but run to seed. As soon as these little Onions get ripe, usually in August, they are pulled up, spread out and dried, and stored away where they wHl keep cool and dry, and be protected from severe frost, the same as any other Onion. Early in the spring, as soon as the ground can be nicely worked, the beds for planting these sets are got ready by thorough pulverizing and heavy manuring with all the well- rotted barn-yard manure and bone dust that can be spared. Seventy-five tons of fine barn-yard manure to the acre is not found to be any too liberal a dressing, which should not be buried deep, but worked into the ffurface of the soiL The sets are planted in this bed in rows nine inches apart and three inches apart in the row, by pressing each firmly into the soil just deep enough to be covered. After the bed is planted, the roller should be drawn over it, so as to press the soil firmly around the bulbs. As soon as the Onions show themselves above ground enough to distinguish the rows, the hoe should be run between them, and the ground between the onions broken up with the fingers. This will destroy the young weeds, and give the plants a good start, so that with a couple more such hoeings they will be large enough for market early in June, and the ground cleared of them in time for a crop of Cauliflower er late Cabbage. In the vicinity of large cities this is found to be a profitable mode of cultivation. In raising onions from seed, it is important to procure Amer- ican-grown seed. For some reason European seed, whether from Great Britain or the continent, often fails to form good, solid bulbs. Some varieties are not grown from seed, such as the Tree or Top Onion and the Potato Onion, but by planting the bulbs. The following varieties are selected as being the most worthy of attention in our climate. Wkatherspield Lakge Ekd. — ^The nkin of this variety is a "aS ONION. deep purplish red, neck of medium thickness, the flesh of a pur- plish white, tolerably" fine grained, and with a strong flavor. It is very productive, grows to a large size, and is much valued oa account of its excellent keeping qualities, which make it a suit- able sort for shipping to distant markets. Yellow Onion. — This also is a valuable and popular market sort. Much confusion has arisen by reason of its having been called " Silver Skin " by JS'ew England growers, thus confoimd- ing it with a medium sized variety having a silvery white skin, grown for pickling, but which is a poor keeper. The true Yellow Onion is above medium size, skin yellowish-brown, deepening in color by age or long exposure to the sun; the flesh white, fine grained and mdd flavored. It yields large crops, the bulbs being of uniform good size, with very small necks, and keeping well. Danvers Yellow. — ^A sort of sub- variety of the old YeUo^ Onion, more globular in form, having a yeUowish-brown skin, that becomes greenish-brown if long exposed to the sun ; the flesh is white and mild flavored. It also is an excellent cropper, but has not the reputation of being as good a keeper as the old Yellow. SiLVER-SKiN. — This is the sort that is so much used for pick- Hng, and, when full grown, is a very handsome, medium-sized bulb. To grow them for pickling, the seed should be sown thick, on not very rich sod, so that the bulbs may be small. The outer skin is silvery-white, hence the name ; the neck small, the flesh white, sweet, very mild flavored, and fine grained. It pro- duces good crops of uniform-sized bulbs, and is a very agreeable variety for home use, but unfortunately it is a very poor keeper in our climate. Potato Onion. — Very desirable for home use on account of its very mild, sugary, and excellent flavor. In the estimation of the writer it is the most agreeable of all the Onions. The bidba are of medium size, sometimes large, with a coppery-yellow skin. It does not produce seed, but multiplies under ground, hence the name potato-onion. To obtain large-sized bulbs for the table, the ONION. 23tf Fig. 63. small bulbs from the previous year are planted very eady in the spring, as early as possible, in soil prepared and well manured in the manner already described. These are set in rows a foot apart and five inches apart in the row, and by the middle of summer will have increased to fine-sized bulbs, after the manner of onion sets. To in- crease the quantity of bulbs, the large bulbs are planted in the same way and at the same time ; these will subdivide, forming usually one, and frequently two, large bidbs, and a numb of smaller bulbs. They do not keep as easily as the Weathersfield Eed and Large Yellow, but, buried in dry soil in the manner already mentioned, we have found no difficulty in keeping them through the winter. Top or Tree Onion. — This sort derives its name from the singidar manner in which it multiplies, producing on the top of the stalk, instead of flowers and seeds, small Onions. These little Onions are kept over winter, and treated in all respects the same as onion sets, planting them in the spring and using them in the green state dxiring summer. To obtain the little Onions, some of the large bulbs must be allowed to ripen, and be kept over winter ; in the spring they should be plan- ted in rows about fifteen inches apart, and ten inches apart in the row. These will throw up a stalk in the summer, upon the top of which the Mttle bulbs will be formed. Some market gardeners use this variety instead of growing Onion "sets," in the manner de- ^- **• 240 PARSNIP, embed above. We have not been favorably impressed witk the quality of this variety for the table, and have found it not to keep well through the winter. PAESNIP. In selecting ground for the growing of Parsnips, it is very desirable to obtain land that last year was very highly manured, and thor®ughly and deeply worked. It delights in a deep, rich, well pulverized soil, of a sandy or light loamy texture, and forms smoother and better roots when the enriching has been done the year previous, and the manure in this way thoroughly incor- porated with the soil. If the manure be applied the same season, it should be such as has become most thoroughly decomposed. Coarse manures cause the roots to branch and fork, and become very rough and uneven, and sometimes it has seemed as though the flavor was affected also. The seed may be sown as early in the season as the ground can be prepared, which preparation is the same as for carrots or beets. The sowing should be done as evenly as possible, yet thickly, in drills about sixteen inches apart. The seed wUl germinate more quickly if it be soaked in warm water for a few hours before planting. None but seed of the previous summer's growth should be used, as it can not be depended upon after it is a year old. After the plants are well started, they should be thinned out to about six inches apart in the row. They should be hoed and kept clean in the same manner as carrots. As frosts do not injure the Parsnip, the roots can be left in the ground all winter, and by spreading a few leaves or evergreen boughs over a part of the bed before the ground freezes, the frost may be prevented from penetrating to such a depth as to hinder digging, and the roots taken up as wanted. In many parts of the country the snow faUs, before the ground is frozen, to such a depth as to give all the protection needed. The roots retain their flavor better when left in the ground. Yet, sometimes it POTATO. 241 is necessary to store a limited quantity in the cellar for winter use. In taking? the roots out of the ground, care should be used not to cut or break them, for those that are whole retain their fi^shness and flavor much better than those that are broken or cut with the spade. By digging a trench close beside the row as deep as the roots extend, they can be easily taken out without injury. After digging they should be allowed to dry a few hours in the open air, the leaves all removed, and then packed in fresh earth in the cellar or root house. This is a favorite vegetable with most persons. Boiled and served with butter, or sliced, dipped in batter and then fried, it is most delicious for table use. The farmer will also find it a very valuable root for his farm stock, more nutritious than Turnips or White Carrots, and one that they will eat with great relish. The varieties of the Parsnip do not seem to be as marked aa in most other vegetables. Soil and season seem to make more difference with it than variety. The Long Hollow Crown is thought to grow more smootli and regular, and to be of a finer and sweeter flavor than the com- mon Dutch or Guernsey. The Student was obtained from the "Wild Parsnip, through successive sowings by Prof. Buckman, of the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester. We have grown what we obtained for this variety, which has been recommended as being peculiarly- sweet, mUd and pleasant, but faded to find in it any qualities which make it superior to the Hollow Crown. POTATO. It is not necessary to give Canadians any instructions in growing potatoes. Every farmer's boy knows that the best soil for this most common and important vegetable is a light loam, that is in good tilth and well drained, though potatoes can be raised on heavier sods, especially if they are dry. He also knowg that the very best manure is a good clover sod turned under with 242 POTATO. all the top that might gi'ow between haying and the_ end of August — the more the better. K this be cross-ploughed in the spring and well harrowed, it wiU make a splendid piece of ground for potatoes, much better than can be obtained by manuring a piece that has been under the plough for a long time. It has long been a vexed question whether it is better to plant potatoes whole or in pieces, large tubers or small, and which produce the best crop. The question is not fully settled yet, but perhaps the experiments of those who have raised fine crops of potatoes without planting the potato at all, may help to throw some light on this subject. "When the celebrated Bresee's Pota^ toes were first introduced, we mean the Early Eose, Bresee'a Prolific, &c., such was the anxiety to get them, that good-sized tubers were sold at fifty dollars each, and when they became more plenty, at a dollar per pound. In order to supply this demand as speedily as possible, a hot-bed was prepared in the early spring, and a potato cut in two, lengthwise, and laid with the cut side down upon the soil and the sash kept closed. As soon as the sprouts were long enough, say a couple of inches,, they were cut off, leaving a part adhering to the potato, and planted out in the hot-bed. The portion of the sprout remaining attached to the potato after a while sent out new shoots, which were in turn cut off in the same way and planted out. Those that were planted out in the hot-bed soon struck root and grew, and when they became long enough the tops of these were cut off, or as a gardener would say " headed back," and planted out. In this way, by multiplying cuttings and enlarging the hot-bed room as needed, a great many thousand rooted cuttings were obtained, and these, when the weather became suitable, were planted out in the open ground, and in due process of time grew and produced tubers, which were as large and fixie as those pro- duced from whole or cut Potatoes. From this we learn that potatoes may be raised from cuttings of the sprouts alone, without planting any part of the potato, and that in all probability it is of most importance to plant POTATO. 243 healthy, perfectly-ripened tubers in suitable soil, and these are Tisually those of medium size of the variety. After the Potatoes appear above ground, they require to be kept clean with hoe and cultivator, and the custom is to draw the earth gradually to the plant, until quite a hUl or ridge is made. Some, however, advise deeper planting, about eight inches, and level cultivation, claiming that in this way a larger proportion of large potatoes is obtained, and that if the tops are cut down by late spring frosts, the part of the stalk below the surface will send up new shoots, and save the crop, only it will be later in ripening. Some gardeners are very desirous of securing a few very early potatoes, and to accomplish this end have recourse to forcing. This is done by making a good bottom of manure, about two feet deep; upon this is spread good rich soil to the depth of eighteen inches; then the potatoes are placed upon the earth, and four inches more in depth spread over them. This will leave the top of the ground inside of the frame from six to eight inches below the sash. As soon as the tops appear above the surface, they will need the usual attention of airing by day and covering at night, until the weather has become settled, and danger from cold storms is over. Kew varieties are raised by sowing the seed contained in the potato balls, which grow on the tops. We have seen very fine- sized tubers raised from seed sown in the spring, though it is more common to gather only small tubers the first year. From these tubers a crop of Potatoes will be had in the autumn of the second year, and from this crop an opinion may be formed of the productiveness, size and quality of the new seedling sorts. There are a great many varieties in cultivation, but it is quite foreign to our purpose to enter into a description of any more than those which are more especially regarded as garden varieties. Ash-Leaved Kidney. — A small, smooth-skinned, white- ^44 POTATO. fleslied sort, one of the earliest, and long grown by gardeners as a forcing variety, but of no account except for its earliness. Early Handsworth. — This has the reputation of being a very early sort, "with dwarf-growing tops, and also most productive and fine-flavored. The tubers are round, white, and of medium size. It will probably prove a good variety for forcing. Early Goodrich. — An early and prolific variety, but which in OUT grounds is of decidedly inferior quality. It is a whit© potato, oblong in form, tapering somewhat towards one end. In other places the quality may be better, as soil has much to do with the quality of all varieties. Early Eosb. — ^With us this has proved to be the best of all the early sorts, of good size, very prolific, cooking dry and floury, and of fine flavor. White Peach Blow. — An excellent late variety, color white, with pink blotches about the eye; dry, mealy, and of good flavor. It is usually healthy and very productive. With the Early Handsworth, Early Eose and White Peach, Blow, a continuous supply of choice potatoes may be had the whole year through; yet there are other sorts already announced in seedsmen's lists, and others yet to come, some of which wiU in time supplant the varieties of to-day, for the potatoes of thirty years ago are not those now most esteemed. This change is a law of nature, and "passing away" is written upon all her works. All sorts sustain their nutritious qualities best if cooked with the skins on. When boiled, they are placed over the fire in cold water sufficient to cover them, and, as the water boils, a little more cold water is added to check the boiling, so that the potato may be cooked through without bursting. As soon as they are soft, the water is poured ofi", and the kettle allowed to stand over the fire long enough to allow the moisture to evaporate. This is said to be the very best method of boiling potatoes. 245 PEAS. Judging from the quality of the Peas one finds on the tables of our hotels, particularly in rural towns and villages, but few of our people know what Green Peas reaUy are. It wovild seem as though, as a people, we are content to supply our tables with the field Peas which we grow for our swine, and put up with these dry, flavorless things, when we might just as well have those that are sweet, rich, and delicious. We hope that our readers, who so far honor us as to look into these pages, will give some of the varieties of table Peas which we shall mention a trial, and if they have never xised any other than the field Peas for their table, we feel assured they will thank us for calling their atten- tion to these far preferable varieties. The best soil for Peas is one that is light and rich, partaking more of the sandy character than of the clayey. Yet they may be grown on any soil that is well worked to a good depth, and well drained below. It is not desirable to manure ground for Peas the same season they are planted ; the fresh manure causes the Pea to produce vine more abundantly than Peas. For this reason it is better to select a piece of ground that was well manured the pre- vious year, and sow the Peas as soon as possible after the frost is out of the ground. They may be sown in rows, the space between the rows varying according to the growth of vine of the variety sown, leaving nearly as many feet between the rows as is the ordinary height of the vine. This is necessary, to give room for the vines where they are not supported by brush or stakes, and that is now quite an unnecessary labor, since the introduction of short- growiog sorts of the flavor and sweetness of the best Marrowfats. It is well to sow them in drills about four inches deep ; sown at this depth they sufier less from dry weather, to which we are frequently subject. The shorter growing sorts wUl be sown thickly, the taller should be sown thinner, decreasing the quantity of seed as the height to which the vine grows increases. As soon 246 PEAS. as they appear above ground they will require to have the soil stirred with hoe or cultivator, and the weeds kept in subjection. This should be kept up until they take possession of the ground, which they will soon do. It is a good practice to soak the seed in a little tepid water for four or five hours before sowing ; this helps forward their germination, and enables them to appear sooner above ground. Peas are not to be depended upon to grow after they are two years old. By sowing a few every fortnight until the first of June, they may be had in succession for a long time. To enjoy Green Peas in perfection, they should be gathered when about three-fourths of their full size, and cooked the same day they are taken from the vines. It is often com- pulsory on those who live in the cities to use Peas that have been picked, perhaps, for two or three days, and, as they measure bet- ter when full grown, often when they are too large ; but those who can gather them from their own garden ought to have them when at their best, and cooked when fresh gathered. There are many really good varieties, but we mention only a few which seem best adapted to our wants. McLean's Little Gem. — ^A green wrinkled marrow, combin- ing the excellence of the late -wrinkled Peas with early maturity. The habit is dwarf, not usually more than a foot in height, and very prolific. The Peas have the delicious sweetness and flavor of the tall-growing wrinkled sorts. McLean's Advancer. — ^A dwarf blue wrinkled marrow, also of excellent flavor. The vines grow about two feet high, and are abundant croppers. They may be sown in rows eighteen inches apart, and require no brush or stakes. "With these two varieties alone one may enjoy the most de- licious Green Peas for a long time. K desired to have some late Green Peas, the Little Gem will yield a crop if sown about the middle of August. Daniel O'Rourkb. — This is a favorite early sort, especially among market gardeners. It should be sown in rows about two and a half feet apart, on account of its length of vine. It is of hardy constitution, and very prolific. PEPPERS. 247 Champion op Englahtd. — One of the tall-growing sorts, usually about five feet Mgh, but long known as one of the finest quality. Its great length of vine is a serious inconvenience, and it is doomed to be crowded out by some of the shorter-growing, and therefore, more manageable varieties. Lajcton's Alpha. — A new sort that we have not grown, but is highly commended by others, as the earliest blue wrinkled marrow, being earlier than McLean's Little Gem, and wonder- fully productive. It is said to be a cross between Laxton's Prolific and McLean's Advancer. It grows about three feet high. McLean's Wonderful. — ^Another new wrinkled marrow, growing about three feet high, of robust habit, very prolific, and said to be of excellent flavor. We name these new sorts, believing they will prove to be valua- ble varieties with us, not growing so tall as to require supports, and possessing the richness and delicacy of flavor so much, desired. PEPPERS Being naturally tropical plants, it is necessary to start the plants in a hot-bed, or in the house, in order to give them a longer season than they could have when sown in the open, ground. The seed is sown thinly, and about half an inch deep, in the month of April, and the plants cared for in the same man- ner as Tomato plants. When the weather has become settled, and frosts no longer feared, tns plants shoiQd be set out in the open ground, choosing a light, warm soU, with a sunny aspect, and planting them in rows eighteen inches apart, and twelve inches between the plants in the row. In some places they are grown extensively for pickle manu- facturers, and sold to them by weight. When grown for this purpose, they are usually planted in rows about two feet apart, and the plants fifteen inches apart in the row. The thick-fleshed varieties are preferred for this use, and these usually yield about three tons to the acre. 248 • RADISHES. The principal use of Peppers in this country is for pickling or for flavoring other pickles. They are used in the green state, an opening being made in the side of the pod, the seeds taken out, and the pods soaked in salt and water for twenty-four hours, changing the water after they have lain in it for twelve hours. They are then drained, put into jars, and covered with cold hoiled vinegar. The jars are tightly closed, and after remaining in this condition for three or four weeks, the Peppers will be ready for use. The ripe pods may be dried in a moderately heated oven, then pulverized, and sifted through a fine sieve, first taking out the seeds, and then tightly corked in glass bottles. This will make as pleasant a Pepper as the Cayenne of commerce, without the admixture of red lead with which it is often adulterated. Bell Pepper. — The pods of this variety are very large, and when ripe, of a glossy, bright coral-red. It is early, thick- fleshed, less acrid than most of the other sorts, and much used as a pickle. Long Red Pepper. — The form of the pods is long and conical, when ripe of a brilliant red, thin fleshed, and exceed- ingly acrid. It is an excellent variety from which to make a domestic Cayenne pepper. Squash Pepper. — In form something like a Tomato, with a smooth glossy skin, brilliant coral-red when ripe, with a thick skin, less acrid than the Long Eed, but hotter than the Bell. Sweet Spanish. — One of the largest and also one of the earliest, color brilliant scarlet, and the flesh of a mild pleasant flavor. Makes excellent pickles. RADISHES. The son for these should be a light sandy loam, dry and warm, especially for very early crops; later in the season it should be also deep, that it may be moist. Those who desire to enjoy Radishes as early as possible, can grow them in a hot- RADISHES. 249* "bed having a very gentle bottom heat, giving them plenty of air in fine weather, and watering with tepid water. The seed may also be sown in some sunny spot in the open ground, sheltered if possible from the colder winds, as soon as the weather becomes balmy in spring. The excellence of this vege- table consists in its being crisp, tender and mild ; and these requisites can only be secured by a quick growth. When the hot weather of summer sets in, the Eadish is apt to be too pungent to be agreeable, and is better flavored at this time if grown as much in the shade as possible. The seed is sometimes sown broadcast, but more commonly in drills about half an inch deep and six inches apart. After the plants are up they should be thinned, so as to stand about an inch apart. The seed will keep its vitality well for three years, but after that time is not to be relied upon. It is a very common practice to sow Eadishes among Beets, or Onions, or Cabbage, as the crop is taken off before they can interfere with these later vegetables, and in this way ground is economized. Early Eadishes command a quick sale in our town and city markets. The chief labor connected with their cultivation is that of cleaning and bunching them for sale, which, by the way, is no small item. There are a great many varieties, but the following are quite sufficient and the most desirable : — French Breakfast. — An excellent variety for forcing in hot-beds, olive -shaped, scarlet with white tip, very tender,- pleasant flavored and handsome. Rose Olive -Shaped. — This is a very fine early variety, oval in form, skin deep rose color, flesh tender and excellent. Long Scarlet Short Top. — ^A favorite market sort, suitable for open garden culture, color deep pink, flesh white, crisp and mild flavored ; usually about six inches in length when in its- best condition for the table. Chinese Rose Winter. — The best winter Eadish. The root is cylindrical in form, terminating abruptly in a slender tap- 250 RHUBARB. root, and of a bright rose color. The flesh is firm, breaking, and generally of a pleasant mild flavor, much less pungent than the Black Spanish, and far more pleasing in appearance. The seed of this, and of all winter Radishes, should be sown about the first of August, in light, friable, yet rich soil, and the plants thinned out to about six inches apart in the row. They may be used during the month of October as wanted, but when cold weather approaches they should be taken up and stored in fresh soil in a cool cellar or root-house, where they can be had for use at any time during the winter. We have kept this variety packed in this manner in the root-house in fine condition until April. If the weather in Sep- tember is hot and dry for any length of time, the winter radishes wUl usually be more pungent Fig. 65. than if the weather be showery. EHUBAEB. The Ehubarb, or Pie Plants as it is very commonly called, grows well in any rich soil free from stagnant water, and responds most bountifully to generous culture. Indeed it seems to be scarcely possible to get the ground too rich, and regular annual top dressings of manure are needed to bring out strong and broad leaf-stalks. It is for these leaf-stalks that it is cultivated, and these are used in various ways, chiefly in the making of pies and tarts, or, when stewed, as a sauce. They are best when young, early in the spring, and are prepared by peeling off the outside skin, cutting them up in slices, and stewing in a saucepan with plenty of sugar and very little water. It is propagated by divisions of the root, which are planted in soil that has been prepared by deep ploughing and abundant manuring. In the spring of each year a heavy coat of manure SALSIFY OR OYSTER PLANT. 251 should be spread on tlie surface of the ground around the plants. When new varieties are wanted they may be obtained by sowing seed. Some of the plants will be good, which may be selected and planted out, and the remainder thrown away. It will require three years to raise plants from seed that will give stalks fit for use, while those from divisions of the roots, leaving an eye oi bud upon each piece, will yield stalks fit for use in one year. It is a perfectly hardy plant, but will start earlier in spring if covered in the fall with a little coarse litter to keep out the intense frost; and as a great part of the comfort, and to those who cultivate for market, the profit, of growing the Ehubarb, is to have the stalks for use as early as possible, a little labor bestowed in the faU in protecting it Ifrom severe frosts is amply repaid. Where the snow falls before the ground freezes and remains all winter, keeping the frost out entirely, or nearly so, €uch fall covering will not be needed. A plantation once formed and properly cared for will last for fifteen years. The best varieties are the following : My ait's Lixn^us. — Is early, very productive, has a fine spicy flavor and is moderately acid. Myatt's Victoria. — Of large size, and is the variety chiefly depended upon by market gardeners for the main crop. K'ot so early as Linnaeus, but larger and yielding a much greater weight per acre. SALSIFY OR OYSTER PLANT. The Vegetable Oyster is a perfectly hardy plant, enduring our winters without protection as perfectly as the Parsnip. Wlien cooked, the flavor much resembles that of the Oyster, and it is very much relished by nearly every one. It is coming rapidly into more general use, and in some places largely cultivated for market, finding a ready sale. A light mellow soU, such as that in which Carrots are grown, suits it best, and it should be pulverized and enriched in pre- 18 252 SQUASH. cisely the same manner as for Carrots. The seed should be sown early in spring, in drills about fourteen inches apart and about an inch deep, and, when the plants are fairly started, should be thinned out to about five inches apart in the row. It is not safe to trust to seed that is more than two years old. The cultivation is- the same as that of Beets or Carrots, keep- ing the ground well stirred and free from weeds. In October the roots will have grown to their full size, and may be used as desired for table or market. "When severe weather approaches, a few may be covered with leaves or straw, to keep out the frost, so that they can be obtained for use during the winter, or they may be taken up and packed in fresh earth in a cool root-cellar. The remainder may be allowed to remain unprotected until spring, when they can be taken up as soon as the frost is out, and used or sent to market. They are prepared for the table by slightly scraping the roots then they are cut in thin slices, and boiled in a very little water, seasoned with salt, until tender. When thus cooked, cream is poured in, with a little cod-fish picked fine, and the whole allowed to boil up, when it is ready to be dished for the table. The cod-fish, if used very moderately, greatly increases the oyster-like flavor, for which this vegetable is so much esteemed. Some boil the roots entire until quite tender, then grate fine, make into balls, then dip in batter made of white of eggs beaten up with a little flour, roU in grated cracker or bread crumbs, and fry in a pan until brown, SQUASH. This common and useful vegetable may De grown in any soil that is well drained and rich. The seed shotdd not be sown until warm weather has fairly set in, and the danger of frost passed, for the seeds will rot if the ground be cold, and a slight frost kills the young plants. When the soil is in good tilth, we have grown them as we do Pumpkins, among the Com, but the better SQUASH. 253 way is to grow them by themselves, mixing a couple of shovelsfal of well-rotted manure with the soU in each hill. For the bush varieties the "hills may be three feet apart each way, but the run- ning kinds wiU. require not less than six. It is well to prepare the Mil by stirring and loosening the soil to the depth of about eight inches, raising it a couple of inches above the general surface of the ground, and making it some eighteen inches broad. In this hill plant a dozen seeds, foi though three or four plants will be sufficient, there are so many enemies to devour the young plants, that what with cut-worms,^ squash bugs, striped bugs, and aU sorts of bugs, the cultivator will possibly not have more than three or four vigorous plants left. Should more than that number escape, it is a very easy matter to puU out the surplus. The cultivation wiU consist in keeping the groimd free from weeds and occasionally stirring the soil in the bill around the plants. The more rapidly they can be made to grow during the first week or two of their life, the sooner will they be out of danger from their insect foes. The seeds retain their germinating powers for a long time, and may be expected to grow even when six or eight years old. . The Squash is prepared for the table by simply boiling it in water imtil quite soft, it is then mashed, the water strained out by pressing in a colander, and then it is seasoned with pepper, salt and butter, or cream, to suit the taste. There is an endless list of varieties, and these are multiplying continually. It is in fact difficult to keep any variety pure, if more than one be grown in the garden, so easily do they mix and cross with each other. "We have been best suited with those named below. Summer Ckook-Neck. — ^This is the best flavored of all the summer Squashes, though none of them are equal in delicacy and sweetness to the later sorts. It is a bush variety, the fruit crook-necked, color yellow, skin thin, covered with warty excres- cences, and fit for use only while the skin is tender and easily broken with the naiL As it ripens, the rind becomes hard, ani the flesh watery and coarse. 254: SQUASH. Yellow Bush Scalloped. — ^A very early sort, and on that account and its productiveness largely grown for market. It is pot as sweet and rich as the Summer Crook-Neck, and Hke it must be used before the rind becomes hard. Autumnal Marrow.— An excellent autumn Squash, frequently known by the name of Boston Marrow. It is about nine inches in length by seven in diameter, somewhat oval in shape, with large, fleshy stem, skin thin, orange-yellow whenfullyripe, the flesh ealmon-yellow, dry, fine-grained, rich, sweet and excellent. If carefully gathered without bruising, and stored in a cool, dry, airy place, free from frost, they will keep aU through the winter. In a damp cellar they are sure to rot. This is a running sort, and requires to be planted in hills six or eight feet apart. There is a bush variety much resembling this in appearance, smaller in size, requiring a shorter season in which to mature, keeping well in winter, though not as fine flavored, which may be substituted for this in those parts of the Dominion where the season is found to be too short for the Fig. 66. • . * lunmng sort. Canada Crook-Neck. — ^We esteem this to be the best of all the crook-neck Squashes. It is small when grown unmixed with other sorts, weighing not more than about five pounds. The color is light yellow, flesh orange yellow, fine-grained, sweet, dry and of excellent flavor. We have found no trouble in keeping this variety through the winter, pro"sdded only that it be not kept in a damp place, but dry and free from frost. It is a very prolific variety, matures well in our climate, and is deserving of cultiva- tion anywhere. Hubbard. — ^Without question the very best winter Squash, SRAr-KMJB. 255 and, wlien it can be obtained pure, -will not fail to give satisfac- tion to the most fastidious. The Squash is someAvhat oval in shape, about ten inches long and seven broad, and weighs about eight pounds. The shell is very hard, color greenish olive or bluish green, in this somewhat variable ; the flesh is a rich orange-yellow, very fine-grained, dry, sweet and delicious. We have no trouble in keeping it through the winter in a dry, frost-proof cellar. It requires plenty of room, say about eight feet apart each way between the hills, and as it needs the whole season in the most favorable parts of Ontario, it will no doubt be well to give it a warm soil and warm aspect in the colder parts of the Dominion. ^ ^- Yokohama. — This is said to mature earlier than the Hubbard, and to be nearly as good. We have not grown it, but if it be found difficult to mature the Hubbard in any of our colder sections, it would be well to give this a trial, as it has the repu- tation of being fine fleshed, sweet and excellent. SEA-KALE. Our climate is so severe during winter, that it is not as favor- able to the cultivation of this vegetable as the more open climate of England, where it is cultivated in every gentleman's garden, and also largely grown for market. We do not advise our farmers to attempt its culture ; it does not repay the labor and care re- quisite for its production as a market vegetable, and we mention it here for the guidance of those who are willing to be at the necessary labor and expense, for the sake of having it on their tables for a short time in spring. We cannot have it all through the winter, as in England, unless we cultivate it xmder glass, 256 SEA-KATiB. and it is only in spring, after tlie weather has begun to moderate, that we can hope to get up heat enough to start it into growth. A bed of Sea-Kale is started either by procuring the plants from some gardener, or by raising them from seed. Some sow the seed where the plants are intended to remain, but the better way is to prepare a small bed in which the seed is to be sown, and grow the plants for a year in this bed. The seed cannot be relied upon after it is two years old. The bed should be prepared by making the soil fine and rich, and the seed sown thinly in drills about an inch deep and a foot apart. The plants should be thinned out to about an incb apart as soon as they appear, and when they are well established, thinned again to three inches apart. During the summer the ground should be frequently stirred and kept free from weeds. In autumn the plants should be covered with five or six inches of earth and some coarse litter. The next spring, as soon as the ground can be worked, a piece of deep, rich, sandy soil should be selected, ploughed and subsoiled to the depth of fifteen inches. Upon this the plants should be set out in rows three feet apart, and two feet apart in the row. In planting, the crowns should be set not less than two inches below the surface. During the summer the ground must be kept clean by frequent hoeings, and if dry weather sets in, the plants will need watering. The plants must not be allowed to run up to seed, but the seed stalks kept cut down as often as they appear. At the approach of winter, the ground should be covered to such a depth with coarse manure, or leaves or straw, as wiU keep out the frost. Salt is a good fertilizer for this vegetable, strewn over the ground in the spring in moderate quantity. After the weather becomes mild, usually towards the end of March, the covering should be removed from as many plants as it is desired to force into early growth, and a twelve-inch flower- pot inverted over each plant; or, instead of pots, we have some- times seen boxes used. Over these pots or boxes fermenting SPINACH. 257 manure should be heaped to such a depth as to generate a heat «f between fifty and sixty degrees, which will usually require about two feet in depth of manure. It is usually recommended to mix leaves and fresh stable manure in equal quantities, but it is not always possible to get the dry leaves, and not at all necessary. Care must be taken in placing the pots or boxes over the plants, that all holes are closely stopped, and the rims sunk in the soU, so as to prevent the entrance of any rank vapors from the fermenting manure. In from four to six weeks, the plants will probably have grown up inside the boxes or pots some six or eight inches in length, when the shoots may be cut for use. After cutting away the sprouts fit for use, the crowns may be covered with fresh soil to the depth of three or four inches, the pots replaced, and the manure, etc., replaced as before. In this way another cutting may be had from the same plants. When done cutting, the greater part of the manure should be taken off, and the remainder worked into the bed as a dressing. The plants which are not forced in this way should be covered early in the spring with ten or twelve inches of sand or other light sod. The sprouts growing up through this will be blanched, though it is thought that the flavor is not quite equal to that of the plants which have been forced- It is prepared for the table by boding for about twenty min- utes, in water that has been seasoned with salt, when it is taken np, laid upon toasted bread, and drawn butter poured over it. It is used as a substitute for Asparagus or Cauliflower, and those who are fond of either of these will enjoy a good dish of Sea Kale. SPrN"ACH. Any good garden soil, that has been well enriched, will grow Spicach. It should be well pulverized with plough and harrow, or spade and rake, just as early in the spring as possible, and liberally dressed with well rotted manure. The seed should be 258 SPINACH. sown as soon as the ground can be got ready, in shallow drills, about half an inch deep and nine inches apart. Sowing should be repeated at intervals of a fortnight, in order to keep up a suc- cession for use. The seed retains its vitality for several years^ and may be safely used when three years old. It does not require any special cultivation, other than stirring the soil and keeping the weeds down, and the crop is usually fit for use in five or six weeks. The young plants should be thinned out so that they will stand about nine inches apart, and the later thinnings may be used as greens. Unless the individual plants have plenty of room they will run up at once to seed. The earliest crops are obtained by sowing seed in September, in rich soil well prepared, thinning out the plants to six or nine inches apart, and, on the approach of winter, covering them thinly with straw, so that they may have a slight protection. This covering will not be needed where the snow falls before the ground is frozen and remains until spring. In the spring the covering is removed, and the plants thinned out as they increase in size, until the whole crop "is used or marketed, which will usually be early in May, quite in time to use the ground for some other crop, such as Cabbage, Cauliflower, &c. When well grown, the leaves of Winter Spinach will measure two feet in circumference. The leaves are the part that is used. These are rinsed in clean water, and boiled in the least possible amount of water, which has been seasoned with salt. They will be cooked in about fifteen or twenty minutes, when they should be placed in a colander, the water drained carefully oflF, and then seasoned with butter and pepper. Some, however, prefer it dressed with vinegar and hard-boiled egg. Round-leaved. — This is the favorite sort with market- gardeners, and their main dependence both for spring and fall sowing. The leaves are large and fleshy, and rounded in form. It is very hardy, suffering but little from the severity of winter. In dry and warm weather it is very apt to run to seed. TOMATO. 25^ liARGfE Pbickly. — ^Is an excellent variety for fall sowing, being very hardy, yet requiring a light covering of straw where enow cannot be depended upon. The leaves are large and thick, and of excellent quality. Flanders. — This variety is highly spoken of by those who have raised it, many giving it the preference over the Large Prickly. It is believed to be fully as hardy, and, consequently, equally adapted for wintering over, while the leaves are larger, thicker, and more succulent. It grows quite bushy, and, there- fore, needs to be thinned out to about nine inches apart. Kew Zealand. — This is botanically quite a different plant from the common Spinach, though for all practical purposes and uses it ranks with it. It needs the same soil and cultivation, except that being a larger plant, it requires more space for its development. "Well grown plants measure five and six feet in diameter. Many sow in a seed-bed or in a frame, and afterwards transplant to three feet apart each way. In deep and rich soil it grows with great luxuriance, especially in hot weather. The leaves can be gathered and used as they grow, and if not kept too closely cropped, each plant will continue to yield its leaves aU summer long. It is very easily grown and very productive, but will not withstand frost. TOMATO. Not very many years ago, the Tomato was occasionally seen in village gardens, under the name of Love Apple, cultivated on account of its beauty of appearance, as an ornament merely, but now that it has found its way to our tables, it is grown by every one who makes any pretensions to keeping a garden, and hundreds of acres in the vicinity of the large towns and cities of America are devoted to its culture. Every farmer residing convenient to market, finds it profitable to grow a proportion of Tomato, and the yield and price rarely fail to be such as to give a fair return, for the labor. The earliest ripe Tomatoes brought to market com- 260 • TOMATO. mand the best prices, and hence there is a great desire to get them early. "We doubt, however, if on the whole it pays our farmers to provide the necessary hot-beds and sash required to grow a crop of very early Tomatoes, because such are the facilities for transportation in these days of steam, that the more Southern grower supplies the earliest Tomatoes in spite of aU we can do, and by the time we can possibly get ours ripe, the price is so materially affected by the supply from more sunny latitudes, that the pay is not an adequate return for the investment. Those, however, who are very anxious to get Tomatoes as early as possible, should provide themselves with a hot-bed about the middle of March, varying somewhat as to date according to the locality and the season, placed in some spot well sheltered from the prevailing cold winds. In this the seed should be sown in drills about three inches apart, not too thickly, and the sash kept close until the plants appear. As soon as they begin to show the second leaf they should have plenty of air whenever the weather will permit, taking care at the same time that they do not get chilled. In about three weeks it will be necessary to have some more hot-heds ready into which to transplant the Tomato plants, setting them about four or five inches apart each way. A sash will hold about fifty plants when thus transplanted, conse- quently two sashes will be required for every hundred ; and as an acre holds some five thousand plants, fifty sashes will bo needed to grow enough for an acre. After they have been trans- planted, the same care wUl be required as before, giving water when needed, and sufficient air to make the plants strong and healthy. We think the better way for us to proceed is to wait until later in the season, say about the tenth of April, before sowing, and then during the first week of May they might be transplanted into a bed of ground made very rich, well exposed to the sun, and well sheltered from winds, and so arranged, that, at night and in very chilly weather they can be covered with boards. The best way would be to make a frame on the sides, as if for sash, and lay the boards across the sides of the frame. As the plants lOMATO. 261 begin to crowd each other again, they can be again separated by- taking up every alternate plant, and setting these out in an adjoining bed. In this way the plants can be allowed all the space they require, will grow strong and stocky, and be in fine condition for planting in the open ground when danger of frost is over, and will be more likely to be healthy and valuable, grown by the inexperienced in this way, than if they attempted to use sashes. In this manner something may be lost in the matter of earliness in the ripening of a few Tomatoes, but a great deal is saved in the matter of hot-beds and sashes. Tomato seed will retain its vitality for five years. Those who desire to raise only a few plants for home use, can start them in the house by sowing the seed in a box filled with good rich soil, and keep it in a warm kitchen window. The kitchen is the best room in the house for plants, because the air is filled with moisture from the water that is kept almost con- stantly on . the stove, in the various operations of cooking and washing that are carried on there. When the plants are fairly started, if they stand too thick, enough may be pulled out to give the remainder sufficient room; and if these are needed, they may be planted in another box of earth, kept shaded and well watered for a few days, when they wUl have taken fresh root, and may be set in the light. As often as the weather wiU per- mit, the boxes should be set outside the window, where they will get the sun and air, and be sheltered from chilly winds, not for- getting to take them in if the weather should suddenly change to a colder temperature, and always at night. In this way strong, stocky, and healthy plants can be grown, which may be set out, and sheltered with boards for a time, until the weather becomes warm enough to put them in the open garden. We have known an enthusiastic Tomato grower save his crop from an untimely June frost by placing small heaps of shavings around his Tomato plantation on the north, east and west sides, and when the thermometer indicated the approach of frost, he would light his piles of shavings and rubbish on the windward 262 TOMATO. oide, and the wind would blow tiie warm smoke over the plot of ground and thus save the plants from the frost. In his locality there was no danger of frost when the wind was in the south, hence he placed no heaps of combustibles on that side. In this manner he has saved his crop of Tomatoes not once, nor twice, but several times, and as he usually plants an acre or more, and markets the crop, it is quite a material item with him. For early Tomatoes, it is desirable to select a light, dry and warm soil ; if not rich enough to give the vines a good start, a little well-rotted manure should be worked into the soil where each plant is set, and in such soil three feet apart is a good dis- tance to plant them. For the main crop, they may be set in heavier soil, that is well drained and rich, at four feet apart each, way. When those plants which are intended for the early crop bave set their first clusters of fruit, it will hasten the swelling and ripening of the fruit to cut off the vine a little beyond the clusters, and as often as it starts again into growth to pinch out all the young shoots, not allowing the plant to make any more growth or set any more fruit. In hoeing, the earth should not be drawn up to the plants but from them, and the roots made to feel as much of the sun's heat as possible. There is no doubt that something can be gained in the way of early maturity, by annually selecting for seed, the first well formed Tomatoes that ripen and sowing only such seed. Every year, some new sort is advertized which is to be from ten to thirty days earlier than any other, but it never turns out to be any earlier than those that have been in cultivation for years. We advise every Tomato grower to save his own seed from his earliest good specimens, and let the " greenhorns " buy the wonderful novelties. When there is no lack of space, the simplest mode of cultiva- tion is to keep the ground free from weeds, and allow the Tomato vines to spread over the ground. In small gardens they may be tied to stakes or a trellis, or kept up by a hoop placed around the plant and supported by stakes at any desired height from th© TOMATO. 263 ground. In small gardens they have a very handsome and neat appearance when trained in some one of these methods, besides, a larger crop may be secured in this way from a small piece of ground. The Tomato is used in a great variety of "ways. Peeled, and sliced, it is eaten without cooking, dressed with vinegar and pepper, or sugar and vinegar, or sugar and cream, or seasoned only with salt, or with mustard and vinegar, according to the fancy of each. It is cooked by stewing, by frying, by boiling, by baking, stuffed with finely chopped meat and bread crumbs, and roasted — ia short, in every conceivable way that ingenuity can devise. Varieties have become greatly multiplied, but beyond the gratification of curiosity, there is no need of growing more than two or three. Early Smooth Eed. — This is the earliest variety of them all, medium in size, round, smooth, and of good quality. Those who are seeking for an early sort will find this to ripen a little in advance of all the rest, and by carefully saving the seed of the first to ripen, will in a few years succed in ripening it in their grounds before any of the new extra early sorts. General Graxt. — The best of aU for the main crop. The fruit is large, smooth, flattened, solid, and of excellent quality. If the seed of this variety be saved only from smooth and well- formed fruits ripening first, it will be found to ripen close upon the heels of the Early Smooth Eed, and to yield a fine crop of truly splendid Tomatoes. With these two varieties the cultivator might well be con- tent, for there are none in aU the list yet grown to excel them. Fejee. — ^A large, solid, and pleasant flavored variety, of a nearly pink color, but late. Eed Cherry. — Small, round, produced, in clusters, used for pickling, too small for anything else. There is also a yellow variety. Eed Plum. — Nearly plum-shaped, small, scarlet, very uniform 264 TURNIP. in size, productive , also used for pickling. There is likewise a yellow variety. Strawberry. — This is a different species, having a peculiar flavor, thought by some to resemble that of the Strawberry. Used for preserves, with the addition of lemon-juice, pj siewed and served like Cranberries. TUENIP. To nearly every Canadian tiUer of the soil this is a well- known vegetable as a field crop, and its cultivation weU under- stood. Of the cultivation of the Turnip as a garden vegetable it is only necessary to say, that for the production of early Turnips, where that is desired for market or table purposes, it is highly important to select a light soil, sandy or gravelly, and enrich it abundantly with manure. In all other respects the cultivation will be the same, only on a smaller scale, perhaps, than the ordinary farm crop. "We have thought that the late Turnips were better and sweeter than those usually brought to the table during the heat and drought of midsummer. The seed should be sown in drills about eighteen inches apart, and the plants afterwards thinned out to about six inches apart ia the row. The seed will retain its vitality for a number of years, and can be safely relied upon even when four years old. For winter use it is necessary to put the Turnips into pits, and cover with straw and earth sufficiently to exclude the frost, taking care not to put too many in one heap, as they will not keep so well in large bulk as in bodies of only three or four barrels in one heap. Where the soil is perfectly dry, even in wet seasons, or can be made so by drains, trenches may be dug ia the ground to such a depth as can conveniently be done without admitting water into the trench, and about three feet wide, and the Turnips placed in these trenches, and covered with straw and earth. Where a trench cannot be dug without danger of water,, they may be packed in ridges on the surface, and covered, only HOT-BEDS. 265' the covering will require to be put on tliicker, to exclude the frost, than when they can be put below the surface. The following varieties are the most desirable for garden culture. Nimble Dick. — The earliest Turnip, white and flat, of good quality, and much prized by those who grow Turnips for market. Golden Ball. — A yellow-fleshed variety, globular and smooth, sweet and of good flavor. Purple-Top Strap-Leaved. — ^A flat, smooth Turnip, with a slender tap-root, firm fleshed, sweet and mOd flavored. An excel- lent variety, and yields good crops. Yellow Malta. — A small, early, yeUow-fleshed variety, of fine grain and good flavor, probably the best yellow Turnip for summer use. Sweet German. — ^The best table variety with which we are acquainted for late fall and winter use. The seed should be sown from the first to the tenth of July in good, deep, rich soil, and the Turnips will be large enough for the table in October, and much sweeter than if sown earlier. It resembles the Swedish Turnips in form, but is white fleshed, fine grained, solid, sweet and of superior flavor. It will keep in fine condition until June, retaining its fresh, crisp character and sweet flavor. It is not always quite as smooth in form as a Turnip raiser would desire, but it more than makes up in sweetness and quality what it lacks in beauty of foroL HOT-BEDS. Perhaps the first thing to be provided, in preparing a hot-bed,, would be the frame, which is a sort of box without a bottom, nine feet long, six feet wide, two feet deep at the back and eighteen inches in front, level at the bottom but sloping gradually from the back to the front at the top. This, if made out of pine plank two inches thick, and dove-taUed together, will be substantial and lasting. The sides should be enough higher than the front 266 HOT-BEDS. and back to keep tiie sasL. in place, projecting upwards about the thickness of the sash. Such a frame will hold three sashes. The most convenient size of sash is six feet by three, the sash bars being all six feet long without any cross bars, and the glass laid with^a lap of an eighth of an Lach, the lowest light lapping about a quarter of an inch on the frame of the sash, and the upper light inserted, at the top, in a groove in the upper sash frame. In order that this may be done, it wiU be seen that it is necessary that the rabbet of the sash-bar or astragal shall be made to lie flush with the upper surface of the lower sash frame. Glazed in this manner, the rain falling on the sash runs off with nothing to hinder its descent. The sash-bars should be made stronger than those of ordinary window sash, and ih. the form shown for green-house astragals at page 142. These having been provided, it is necessary then to procure the material for producing the heat. This should be a quantity of fresh horse-dung, to which may be added, if convenient, leaves equal in bulk to one-half of the manure, or instead of leaves, the straw used in bedding. These should be well mixed and thrown com- pactly together into a heap to ferment. After the fermentation has become lively, the heap should be turned over, shaken out and re-formed, and left for three or four days until fermentation sets in again. If the ground be of that porous character that water will not settle into a pit two feet deep, such a pit may be dug out, of the width and length requisite to receive the frames, and the manure now placed in the pit. But if the ground be of such a character that water would settle into pits dug in it, the bed must be formed whoUy on the surface. In placing the manure now, it should be put into the pit or built up in the form of the frames gradually, packing it as solid as possible, and beating it well down with the back of the fork, so that it may be alike firm and solid in all parts. "When this is completed, the surface should be level, and the manure about two and a half feet deep through- out the entire bed. K built on the surface of the ground it HOT-BEDS. 267 should be made a foot wider than the frame, so that it may project six iaches ia front and rear when the frame is set in its place. The frames are now to he placed upon the top of the manure, and the sashes laid on and kept close until the fermentation again sets in. At first this will he violent, and the thermometer will rise to about a hundred degrees if plunged in the manure, but in about three days the heat will subside. When this takes place, and the thermometer plunged in the manure has gone down to ninety, the soil should be put in the frames and spread out evenly to the depth of six or eight inches. This soil is prepared during the fall by mixing together some well rotted sods, which have been thrown together early in the summer for this purpose, and one-third its bulk of old, rotted manure. Eotted refuse hops from the brewery make an excel- lent manure for this purpose. The situation of the hot-bed should be well sheltered from the westerly and northerly, winds, and have a full southern exposure. Such a shelter can be made, when necessary, by plant- ing a double row of evergreens on the north, east, and west sides of the ground set apart for the frames. In most parts of our country the westerly are the prevailing winds, and it is of more importance to have the shelter on the north and west sides than on the east. Until the evergreens become large enough, a high board fence may be erected, but in a few years the trees will make a most efi"ectual shelter. The Norway Spruce and the White Spruce are excellent trees for such a purpose. Beginners are very apt to keep their frames too close and the heat too great. If the result be not the entire burning up of the seeds or plants, it is very sure to be the production of long-drawn, spindling, sickly plants, too tender to be ever of any value. The remedy for this is to lift the sashes, and let in air. This may be very nicely regulated, from the merest crack to any width. When the weather and strength of the plants will admit, the sashes may be drawn off entirely. 19 368 COLD FRAMES. — TOOLS. COLD FEAMES. These are the same frames and sash as have been already described, placed upon a bed of soil, but without any manure or heating material beneath. All the heat, in this case, is obtained from the sun, which, being confined and the air excluded, soon warms the soil to a considerable degree. They are very useful in protecting nearly hardy plants during the winter and early spring, and in giving them a gentle warmth above that of the outside atmosphere. TOOLS. Of ploughs and harrows, and cultivators, spades and shovels^ it is not necessary to speak, but there are a few garden imple- ments that are not as genei-ally employed as their utility deserves. The Steel Eake is the best instrument for destroying very young weeds in a wholesale way. It can be had of many sizes, varying from eight to twenty inches in width. Two or three days after planting, the ground shoidd be raked over with the steel rake ; this loosens the surface, and destroys imtold numbers of sprouting weeds. In about a week after, the raking should be repeated, and as the weeds wiU then be just starting again^ another crop of them will be destroyed. It is quicker done than to go over the ground with the hoe, and more effectual. The Scuffle Hoe is the best form of hoe for working "between narrow rows when the plants are small. They can be had of varying widths, and should be about three inches narrower than the space between the rows. The Digging Fork is a better instrument than the spade for loosening up and turning over the soil. It enters the ground more easily, and the soil is pulverized better by striking it with the back of the fork, when turned over, than can be don© with the spade- TOOLS. 269 The Pronged Hoe is better than the common blade hoe, for more work can be done in a day with it, and better done and with greater ease, than with the old blade hoe. Of course, it should be used before the weeds get a start, as ib is much easier and cheaper to kill weeds just as Ihey are breaking through the surface of the ground, to say nothing of the feeding of the weeda and the maturing of weed seeds for another crop. THE FLOWER GARDEN. The desire to maKe one's home attractive and pleasant is pro- minent in the mind of every right-thinking person, not merely for his own enjoyment, but more for the sake of his children. Home should be the most attractive place our children can find, and all the charms that we can throw around it will be as so many links to bind them to the spot that is to them both a sanctuary and a shelter. Besides this, the surroundings of home have a formative power upon the character^ of those who dwell there, and a stranger may tell much of the mind and heart of the inmate* by looking at the door-yard. To encourage and help those who are striving to twine some flowers in the strands of daily toU, who are wishing to set those plants which, though not ministering food to the eater, shall cheer with their winsome beauty the dwellers at home, smile out a welcome to the entering guest, or greet with a cheery pleasant- ness the passer-by ; to help such have these pages, devoted to the Flower Garden, been penned. Our Canadian climate may not be the most favorable for lavish display of floral beauty, yet there are many beautiful things that will endure our climate, and, if it be necessary to bestow more thought and care upon the culture and protection of the trees, shrubs, and plants which we desire to have about our dwellings than is requisite in more sunny climes, this very care only heightens our enjoyment, and deepens our love for the things we thus cherish. Take courage, then; the Canadian's motto is "to make a path where he cannot find one," and if the floral treasures of the tropics do not grow naturally in our northern land, we will set about our homes those things which harmonize better with the natural features of our country, and compel THB FLOWER GARDEN. 271 many of the plants of the tropics to blend their beauty and fragrance, during our brief warm summers, with the hardier beauties of our sterner climate. We possess a wealth of beauty in our Evergreens, and much of comfort, too, for they can be so planted about the farm- stead as to shelter the buildings from the keen frost-laden blasts of winter, making the spot within their shielding influence several degrees warmer, and a great many degrees more comfort- able, than out where the wind sweeps on with unbroken power. We have a goodly number of these which are native to the soil, and those who wish to increase the variety may add to our own. White Spruce, Hemlock Spruce, Balsam Fir, White Pine, &c., the Scotch and Austrian Pines, the Xorway Spruce, and the rarer, but equally hardy, Kordman's Fir and Eastern Spruce. We have deciduous trees, too, of great loveliness, and these may be so interspersed with the Evergreens as to heighten each the beauty of the other. A most graceful tree is our drooping Elm, and with it, all the Maples, — the Eed, the Sugar, and the Silver Maple, — ^with the Birches and the Oaks, flourish through- out the Dominion. To these may be added the Mountain Ash, both of Europe and America ; and Maples, and Oaks, and Birches and Elms of other climes, as may best please the taste of the planter. And if he have a little knowledge of their several tints of foliage, and particularly of their autumn hues, and of their natural forms and habits of growth, he can so plant them that through all the changing year they shall minister to the homestead both grace and beauty. But it is hardly within the scope of this humble treatise to dwell upon the subject of the planting and management of trees around our dwelling-places, and the formation of lawns and parks. The time, we trust, is near at hand when the desire for home embellishment in the planting of trees shall attain such a position among xis, that Canadians will require and receive, from abler hands, a work that shall treat specially of the planting of ornamental trees, and give such hints concerning their arrange- 272 HAEDT FLOWERING SHRUBS. ment and disposition in groups or avenues, or single specimens, and sucli descriptions of their several characters, peculiarities, and beauties, and adaptation to soils and climate, as shall give a new impetus to the planting and culture of trees, for their own sake, throughout our entire Canada. Turning to our humble but grateful task, we propose first to enumerate some of those flowering shrubs which have been found to thrive well in the greater part of Canada, and which contri- bute so much, at their several periods of blooming, to make the door-yard and garden lovely and gay ; and, at the same time, give such suggestions concerning the soil and cultivation best adapted to each as shall be of service to those who care for what they plant, and take delight in their perfect development. HAEDY FLOWEEING SHEUBS. The Berberry. — Berheris. — There is not a shrub more hardy than this, adapting itseK also to every variety of soU. It is found in Northern Europe, Asia, and America, inhabiting the vaUeys of the more northern portions, but climbing the hill-sides of the warmer latitudes. Its flowers are yellow, produced in long, pendent racemes, and usually in great profusion. The fruit is of a most brilliant crimson, often remaining on the bush aU winter. When laden with its yellow blossoms or with its coral-like berries, it is an object of much beauty. It should be planted at a little distance from the dwelling, for although its fragrance is pleasant when borne in on the air, when too near it is so strong as to be sometimes disagreeable. It wdll thrive in every descrip- tion of soQ, but seems to fruit more abundantly in that -which is dry and poor. There is a variety with purple leaves and pur- plish fruit, which ia even more ornamental than the common. It is known as the Purple-leaved Berberry. This variety is propagated by layers, while the common is grown from seed, sown in the fall in drills, and covered about an inch deep. The Berberry does not require trimming, assuming naturally a grace- HARDY FLOWERIXG SHRUBS. 273 fol form, growing yearly more dense by shoots thrown up from the crown, but never sending up suckers from the roots. The bark and root are used for dyeing linen and leather, imparting to them a bright yellow color. The fruit is very acid. It is some- times pickled, but used more as an ornament than a pickle. Boiled with sugar, it makes a pleasant jelly, and of a most beautiful color. Carolixa Allspice. ^ — Cdlycanthus. — This shrub will hardly thrive, we fear, in the colder parts of the Dominion, except where the snow falls to such a depth as to cover it entirely during the severity of winter. In such places, and in the vicinity of the great lakes and other large bodies of water, it will live and thrive, making a moderate annual growth. At Halifax it is grown, but only in sheltered situations. It is very desirable for its peculiarly formed chocolate-colored flowers, which have a very delightful fragrance of ripe fruits, a mingling of the odor of Pine Apples and Melons. In our climate it is quite a low shrub, rarely attaining a greater height than three or four feet, growing best in strong, loamy soil It is propagated by layers, but chiefly £rom the nuts, which mature abundantly in warmer climates. CA^"ADLAN Judas Tree. — Cereis Canadensis. — ^Tosome, this pretty, low growing tree, is known as the Red-Bud, from the appearance of the branches, which, early in the spring, are profusely covered with clusters of pretty pea-shaped blossoms, of a ruddy pink color. The leaves are very pretty also, being very regularly heart-shaped, and of a rich green. The blossoms appear before the leaves are expanded, and thus give to the tree a very pleasing appearance. It grows slowly, seeming to prefer a rich loam, and a somewhat sheltered situation. In favorable localities it attains a height of twenty feet, but with us it may be set down as rarely exceeding twelve or fifteen feet. We know it to be quite hardy in the greater part of "Western Ontario, and believe that it will make a handsome shrub in most parts of the Dominion. It has not been planted as generally as its beauty deserves, hence 274 HARDY FLOWERING SHRUBS. there has not been the same opportunity to learn of its hardihood. "We have added the name " Canadian," which is its specific botan- ical name, to distinguish it from the European Judas Tree, which is not as hardy nor as handsome. The name " Judas " Tree, seems to have originated from the supposition that it was the tree whereon Judas hanged himself. Dogwood. — Comus Florida. — Like the Judas Tree, this ia strictly a tree of low growth, attaining ordinarily a height of from twelve to twenty feet, and has been almost as much neglected by planters because, like it, this beautiful little tree may be found growing naturally in some parts of the Dominion. But they are both well deserving of a prominent place in the attention of all Canadians who wish to adorn their rural homes. In spring, the Dogwood is very conspicuous when covered with its flowers, which are surrounded with large floral leaves, nearly white, and beautifully shaded with rosy purple. These petal-like leaves are no part of the true flowers, but infold them as an involucre. There are usually a dozen smaU flowers thus surrounded, in one head, by these floral leaves, and as they are borne on the extrem- ities of the branches, cover the little tree with a seeming mass of "bloom. The flowers usually open in the month of May, and con- tinue for some time. These are succeeded by berries, which become of a most glowing scarlet color as the autumn draws near, standing out above the foliage. And as autumn advances, the foliage itself changes to a most gorgeous purple, becoming more deeply tinged as the days pass by, until the upper surface of the leaves is suffused with a rich crimson and the under side becomes a glaucous purple. There is not among all our hardy, large shrubs, anything more charming, both in spring and fall, than this native tree. We have no doubt but that it will be found to be as hardy as the Sugar Maple, delighting most in a moist and shady sitiia- tion, becoming dwarfed when planted in very dry soils, or exposed places. Double-Flowering Almond. — Amygdalvs. — Those who lire where the Peach tree will flourish and blossom, can enjoy the HABDT FLOWERING SHBUB8. 276 "beauty of this charming tree, but in the colder parts of the cotuitry it suffers too much from the severity of the winter. It grows to the ordinary size of the Peach tree, and has the same naturally straggling habit of growth, which requires to be corrected by a little heading in. The flowers are very double, looking like little rosettes, of that peculiar pink shading best described as a peach- blossom color. These expand before the leaves have made much growth, and are borne in great profusion, literally covering the tree with little roses. It thrives best in warm, dry and light soils, not doing well in clay, and refusing to live if it be wet and cold. It is propagated by budding on either Peach or Plum stocks. DwRAF Double-Flowering Almoxd. — This charming little shrub, scarcely exceeding two feet in height, is of the same tender character as its larger relation, not being able to endure extreme frosts, and thriving best in light soils that are warm and dry. Where the snow falls early, and deep enough to cover it during the severe winter weather, we believe it might be safely ■wintered out of doors. Yet even in our coldest latitudes the beauty of this little shrub might be enjoyed by growing it in a small tub, which could be plunged in the soil during the growing season, and removed in autumn to a dry cellar or any other shel- ter, where the thermometer did not fall to zero, taking care to pre- vent the roots from becoming quite dry. Or if taken up carefully in the fall, with a baU of earth about the roots, wrapped in a mat and placed under shelter and covered deeply with leaves, it could be replanted in spring, and would flower abundantly. The blossoms are very double, of the same lovely peach-blossom color, and cover the shrub in one mass of bloom. We like it best when budded on the Plum stock, on account of its propensity to throw up suckers from its own roots, which soon cause it to have a very untidy and neglected appearance. WTien budded on Plum or Peach it can be kept with a short, clean stem, which is a most decided improvement. Dwarf Double- Wliite-Flowering Almond. — A lovely shrub, in all respects like the foregoing, requiring the same soil. 276 HARDY FLOWERING SHRUBS, climate and treatment, but having pure white double flowers. It is also much improved by being worked upon a Plum or Peach stock. Deutzia. — This genus of plants derives its name from John Deutz, a resident of Amsterdam and distinguished patron of botany, in whose honor it was so called by Thunberg. It com- prises several very handsome shrubs. Deutzia. — Double Crenate-Leaved. — A variety of recent introduction, one of the most charming of them all. It is quite hardy in the western part of Ontario, and in warm, dry soils, as distinguished from those that are wet and consequently cold, wiU probably prove hardy throughout the Dominion. It is a vigorous growing shrub, blooming most profusely, the flowers expanding In July when most other shrubs are out of bloom. The flowers are very double ; white, tinted with rose color on the outer sur- face of the petals, and hanging like little bells from the branches. We do not know a more beautiful and desirable shrub than this, and hope that it will yet be found in every collection, however small, in the Dominion. Rough-Leaved. — A very desirable variety, growing to the height of six or eight feet, and most profusely covered in June with white, sweet scented flowers. It is very hardy, and in well drained soils will thrive well in all parts of the country. It succeeds well in the vicinity of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Slender-Branched. — A dwarf-growing shrub, of very grace- ful habit, and exceedingly pretty when loaded with its elegant pure-white flowers. It also is very hardy, and will no doubt winter safely in any part of the Dominion, for in the coldest latitudes it will be securely covered with snow. If taken up in autumn and potted, it may be flowered most beautifully in March in a cool green-house. To flower it well, it must not be forced rapidly, but kept in the coolest part of the house, and allowed to come forward slowly. Double Flowering Brambles. — Ruhus. — There are two varieties, the one white and the other rose-colored. They will HABDY FLOWERING SHRUBS. 277 grow wherever the Blackberry thrives, anst, and will thrive throughout the Dominion. The plant has a very neat and graceful habit, its leaves are a light transparent green, and the heart-shaped flowers, arranged in bending sprays, are of a bright rosy pink, with pearly white corollas, set in frosted silver. The flowers are produced in great profusion, and continue during the month of May. It grows in any well-drained garden soil and is well worthy a place in every Canadian garden. There is a pure white-flowered variety of recent introduction, which is much ad mi red and believed to be perfectly hardy. FuNKiA. — Tlie Day-Lilij. — These are also perfectly hardy, of very easy culture, growing in any garden, and very ornamental. Each flower lasts only for a single day, but the plant continues in bloom for some time. They are all propagated by divisions of the roots in spring. The White Day-Lily. — Has large, tube-shaped, very fragrant, white flowers, produced in succession upon stems about two feet high. In flower in July. The Blue Day-Lily. — Produces light blue flowers in the same manner, but they are not fragrant nor as large as the white. Blooms a little earUer than the white. The Variegated Day-Lily. — Is a blue-flowered variety with handsomely variegated leaves ; very attractive. Helleborus Niger. — The Christmas Rose. — This interest- 21 298 HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. ing plant derives its name of Christmas Rose from its ho bit of blooming in England at Christmas time. It is a most hardy evergreen-leaved plant, flowering here about the first of Decem- ber, and continuing to throw up its flower stems, if the weather be not too severe, aU through the winter. AVTiero covered with snow sufficiently to protect it from extreme frosts, its pretty flowers may be found under the snow. The flowers are single, of a blush white color, tinged with green, and resemble a small single rose. It is propagated by dividing the roots in spring. Iris. — The Fleur-de-lis. — There are many varieties of Iris, the most of them being hardy and some exceedingly beautiful. As the different varieties require somewhat different treatment, the cxdture adapted to each is given below, with a description of some of the most interesting and desirable sorts. Germanica. — This is the one so commonly seen in all our gardens, perfectly hardy in all parts of Canada, and flourishing in every soil and with the most negligent treatment. The flowers are large, dark purple and light blue, appearing in June. Susiana. — One of the most beautiful, tuberous rooted varieties. The flowers are very large and showy, the colors being a variety of shades of brownish purple, very prettily mottled and spotted, which appear in June. It is important that the roots should be taken up as soon as the leaves begin to die down, which is about the first of August, and kept dry in some cool place until Octo- ber, when they should be agaia planted. In places where the winters are open they are the better for a slight protection of litter. K the roots are allowed to remain in the ground they commence to grow in the fall, and this young growth being killed by the frosts, the plant in consequence dies. Persica. — This beautiful variety is very sweet-scented, and comes into flower very early in spring. Its colors are blue, yeUow, purple, and white. It is one of the most charming things possible for window culture, and may be grown in sandy soil in pots, or in moss, or in water. It is bulbous-rooted, grow- ing best in a sandy soil, and requiriug plenty of moisture, but HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. 2&^ not stagnant water. It is perfectly hardy where snow covers the grounil all winter, hut in other places should receive a slight proteciion. Xli/hium. — This is also a hulhous-rooted variety, known as the Spanish Iris, and described in catalogues under the name of Iris Hispanica. It is very hardy, and the flowers are very pretty, displaying nearly every shade of light and dark blue^ brown, purple, yellow, and white, and withal very sweetly scented. It will thrive well in any good garden soil Xiph.ioides. — This has obtained the name of English Iris^ and is called Iris Anglica in most catalogues. It is bulbous- rooted, of more robust habit than the Spanish, and produces flowers as various in color, and as handsome. It also is perfectly hardy, and avUI do well in any friable garden soU. All of these bulbous-rooted sorts should be planted in the fall, about three inches deep, and allowed to remain for three years, when they will require to be taken up and the bulbs- separated. They are best suited in a rich loamy soil, that is. thoroughly drained. Some new sorts have been introduced from Japan and the- Mountains of the Caucasus, which are said to be very distinct in habit and color, and very beautiful, but we have not seen them. Kampferi is, an example of the Japanese Iris, said to produce flowers six inches in diameter ; while Vlolacea comes from the Caucasus, and produces flowers of a rich, deep violet- purple. These will probably prove to be hardy, and add to the number of a family already rich in most beautiful flowers, well adapted to our climate, and of easy culture. Lathyrus. — The Ever-blooming Pea. — ^A perennial blooming Pea, which thrives weU in our climate, producing its flowers in long succession. It wUl thrive in any good friable soil, and makes a pretty plant for an arbor, treUis, or screen, attaching itself to any support by means of tendrils. There are three varieties, Latifulius, which produces pink flowers; and Latifolius alba, having white flowers ; and Grandijlorus, which has very laig^ 300 HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. rose-colored flowers. They are easily raised from seed, beginning to flower the second year, but increasing in profuseness of bloom until they are four or five years old. Lychnis. — L. Ghalcedonica. — A native of Russia. The flowers are borne in trusses, and are either white or brilliant scarlet, and both single and double. The single are easily raised from seed, the double can only be propagated by dividing the roots early in spring, or by cuttings. The single varieties seem to be perfectly hardy in our climate, but the double require a shght protection where the winters are open. The double varieties are truly splendid, especially the scarlet-flowered, and continue in bloom from June until autumn. L. Fulgens. — Is a hardy species from Siberia, its flowers are scarlet, about an inch in diameter, very showy, but single. There are double white and double scarlet varieties of this species, which, like the double varieties of Ghalcedonica, require to have some protection during our open winters, — as we have learned to our cost, — and which are not easily to be obtained. L. Flos-cuculi. — This is the Eagged Eobin of EngHsh flower- gardens, a deservedly popular flower, of easy cultivation, growing in any loamy, well-drained soil. The flowers are very double, and of a deep pink color. There is also a double white variety. They are easily propagated by divisions of the root. These su^'er more when the winters are open than when the ground is covered with snow. L. Senno. — A new species from Japan. There are white and red varieties of this also, and it will probably prove to be hardy in our climate. PcEONiA. — The Peony. — The herbacious Peonias are among the most hardy and most showy of our border flowers. They wiU adapt themselves to almost any soil, though they prefer a rich, deep loam. Once planted they should remain in the same border for a number of years, receiving in early spring a top-dressing of well-rotted manure, to encourage their growth, and improve the 6ize and beauty of their blooms. They are multiplied by HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. 301 dividing the root, taking care to have a bud upon each piece. A piece of root without a hud ■will remaia many years in the soil seemingly alive, hut we have never known one to throw up a shoot. They thrive best if the roots are divided in September and planted out in the border, but they are tenacious of life, and can be transplanted in the spring or fall, though when transplanted at these times they will not usually blossom well the next year. There are many varieties of herbaceous Peonias, and more names in our nurserymen's catalogues than distinct varieties, the distinction being in many cases without any impor- tant difference. Having flowered or seen in flower some hundred different names, we select from them the following as being the most distinct and worthy of cultivation, and they are truly a most superb collection of most showy flowers. Those who have seen only the old crimson P. Officinalis, have usually formed the opinion that the scent of the flowers is impleasant, but the perfume of these is sweet, in many instances resembling that of the Eose. Festiva Maxima. — This is a favorite variety, on account of the si2e, purity, and beauty of its flowers. They are very large and full, of the purest white, with occasional streaks of carmine, which serve to relieve the sameness and heighten the snowy whiteness of the flower. Queen Caroline. — A worthy companion to the preceding, per- fect in form, very large and double, in color a rich deep rose, truly a perfect beauty. Whitleji. — Is a white flower with light cream-colored centre, very large and double, changing to pure white when open for a time. Uumei. — A large, showy, very double flower, of a purplish- rose color, continuing in bloom later than most of the other sorts. Delacliii. — Is a very dark purplish crimson, much resembling Potsii, but more double, and on that account to be preferred. Queen Victoria. — A very large, showy flower; the outer petals are of a clear rose color, the inner petals nearly white* slightly tinted with pink. 302 HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. Centrlpetdla. — The flower is peculiarly formed, the petals of the outside row are large, and of a fine rosy-pink color, those of the next row are narrow and fringed, while the centre-petals are full-sized and hroad. Victoria Tricolor. — The outside petals are light rose, mottled ■with pink, the centre petals yeUowish-white, with occasional ii.arkings of red. The flower is large and full. The Tree Poeonias are very beautiful, but they aU require protection during our severe winters. Possibly they may be sufficiently protected by the snow where it falls deep enough to cover them, and remains through the winter, but in aU other places they should be planted in favorable positions, where they will be sheltered from the sweep of chilly winds, and protected with straw or branches of evergreens tied over them during the winter. There are many varieties of these also. Alba Variegata, Oumpperii, Parmenteri, Peine Elizabeth, and Robert Fortune, are among the best and most distinct. The Phlox. — There is an almost endless list of the varieti^ of Phlox, all of them beautiful, yet not all equal in beauty. All are perfectly hardy, enduring our most severe winters without even the slightest protection, and may be grown in any garden where the soil is rich and friable, but flourishing in perfection where the soil is very deep, moist, rich, and loamy. The Phlox is somewhat impatient of drought, and holds its colors better and its bloom longer if planted so as to be somewhat shaded from the fierceness of the sun, yet not under the drip of trees. It is easily propagated by division of the roots, which may be divided when the plant has done flowering or early in spring. New varieties are raised from seed. The varieties in cultivation have been divided into Early Elowering and Late Flowering. New and improved names are being constantly produced by the florists, so that the favorites of to-day, 1872, will probably be discarded in a few years to make way for those of more recent introduction. Meanwhile those who plant the following names will be sure to have most HABDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. 303 beautifol flowers, the most desirable and most distinct of those now in cultivation. Early Flowering.— 'Suffmcticosa. — Her Majesty. — This is the most perfect white variety that has hitherto been produced. The flowers are pure white, of the finest form, very fragrant, and borne on a fine compact spike. The plant is of a dwarf habit, yet vigorous and healthy. John Gumming. — ^A very fine flower, perfect in form, of a deep rose color, with a distinct dark crimson eye. Mrs. GraTiam Sterling. — ^The flowers are very fragrant, and of the finest form, color pure whito with a dark crimson eye. Othello. — This forms a grand spike of finely developed, very dark crimson flowers, delicately shaded. William McAuley. — This also makes a most beautiful spike for exhibition ; the flowers are very large, perfectly formed, of a beautiful light rose, handsomely shaded. Tlie Deacon. — A deep rosy purple flower, with a hght crimson eye, of large size and of the finest form and quality. Late Flowering. — Decussata. — Madam C. De Bresson. — One of the most beautiful, attractive and showy flowers in the whole range of varieties. The flowers are large, white, with a full bright carmine centre, which makes a most pleasing contrast. Duke of Sutherland. — Makes a magnificent exhibition spike ; the flowers are of fine form, dark rosy crimson with a very dark eye. Madam Delamare. — The flowers have a novel appearance, being of a bright rosy salmon color with a fine black centre. Monsieur Delamare. — Is exceedingly attractive on account of the dazzling red color of the flowers, handsomely set off by a black centre. Madam Verschaffelt. — The spikes are large and very showy, covered with a great profusion of flowers of a bright lively salmon color. Venus. — ^The flowers are silvery white, with a bright, violet- puiple eye, very pretty. 304 HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. There is a very dwarf, spring blooming Phlox, called by botanists Phlox Suhulata, and known by the common name of Moss Pink. It never grows more than a few inches in height, and produces varieties with flowers of pink, purple, and white, and some that are eyed. A bed of these is very pretty in May, easily grown, requiring only to be divided and planted in a new bed once in two or three years. Spirea. — The Meadow Sweet. — These are all perfectly hardy plants, enduring our most severe and changeable winters without injury. They thrive best in a loamy soil, deep, rich, and well drained. In such situations they grow finely and flower most abundantly. There are several very pretty and desirable species which are well worthy of a place in the most choice flower gar- den. They are aU of easy culture and increased by divisions of the roots. Filipendula. — The double flowered variety is very pretty. The flowers are white, very double, resembling the beautiful Spirea PrunifoUa, which is described among the shrubs. It grows about eighteen inches high and blossoms in June and July. Japonica. — This is now advertised, sometimes as Hoteia Jajpon- ica, sometimes as Astilhe Japonica. But by whatever name it may be called, it is one of the most graceful and beautiful little things with which one can ornament a garden. The foliage alone is very pretty, but when this is crowned with its neat spikes of white feather-like flowers, it is charming. If taken up in the autumn, carefully potted and set away in the cellar \mtil 'February, then brought into a warm room, it wiU blossom beautifully and make a most elegant window plant. There is a variety the foliage of which is handsomely varie- gated with bright yellow, especially in the early part of the season, but in nothing else differing from the preceding. Ulmaria. — The double-flowered variety of this species is by far the most desirable. The flowers are produced in large corymbs, of a snowy whiteness. The species is a native of HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. 305- Great Britain, alboimding in rich, moist meadows, and scenting the air with its perfume. Lohata. — The flowers of this species are a deep pink, arranged in corymbs, and borne upon a tall flower stalk. They are very pretty, and contrast finely with the white flowering species. This is a native of the prairies of America, and is sometimes called the " Queen of the Prairie." Palmata. — A new species introduced quite recently from Japan, believed to be hardy also, but has not yet been suffi- ciently tested in our cHmate to settle this point. "We have not yet seen the flowers, but they are said to be of a beautifid crim- son purple, and borne in broad corymbs. The bright red stems and palmately lobed leaves give it a distinct appearance from the older sorts, and we hope our plants will favor us with a sight of the flowers during the coming season. Tricyrtis. — This new herbaceous flowering plant is perfectly hardy in our climate. The stalk and foliage are killed by the frosts, but the roots pass the winter safely, and throw up their shoots the next season. The flowers, however, are produced too late to make it much of an addition to the garden, for they scarce make their appearance in our climate before the autumn frosts cut the plants so severely as to spoil all their beauty. But if care- fully potted in September, before the frosts appear, it will make one of the most beautiful of late fall or early winter-blooming plants for the window or green-house that we possess. The flowers have a very marked resemblance to some of the Air-plants or Orchids. They are of a pearly white, beautifully dotted with clear purple, and have a sweet perfume, much like that of the Heliotrope. Viola. — The Violet. — There are many species of this " wee modest flower" scattered with lavish profusion through every land and every clime. There are many to be found growing wild in favorable places in all parts of the Dominion, but although they are not wanting in beauty, they have none of them the sweet perfume of the European violets. Hence we seldom see 306 HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. the American violets cultivated in gardens, save in the children's garden ; their appreciative love for the friends of their woodland rambles leading them to transplant them to their own flower l>ed8. The English Violet. — Both single and double, is one of the £rst of our spring flowers, the blossoms often hidden by snow when winter lingers in the lap of spring. The flowers are most delightfully fragrant, a small bed filling the garden with per- fume, and a flower or two scenting the whole room. Nor is there anything pungent or cloying in the odor ; we can never get it in too great abundance. Its bahny sweetness seems wafted in gentle undulations, just breaking with sufficient force upon the senses to fill them with delight. This species dehghts in a deep, rich, moist soil, sheltered, if possible, from bleak winds, but more especially sheltered from the hot scorching suns of summer. In a dry and sandy soil it will not flourish. Sometimes, when the winter is open, they sufier much from the sudden changes of weather, many plants perishing ; but when they have once become weU established, some survive or new ones are produced from seed, so that they are not wholly lost. When there is a covering of snow through the winter, be it ever so slight, they come out in fine condition. We cannot understand how any old-countryman can afibrd to te without this lovely reminder of home, and are sure that no Canadian who has once enjoyed its sweetness and beauty wiU 'willingly be without it. There are varieties known as the Giant, Czar, King, Queen, somewhat larger than the EngUsh, but not more sweet, and some not as abundant bloomers. The Neapolitan is not sufficiently hardy for our climate. The Cornuta has light mauve flowers, which are fragrant. It has been lately used for bedding purposes in England, but here it would not bloom in summer, though hardy enough to bear the winters. Viola Tricolor. — The Pansy. — This beautiful and univer- HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. 307 sal favorite needs neither description nor praise ; it is known to the young and old, and is cherished alike by both ; to the latter especially dear for its many long-time associations, as well as its intrinsic beauty. In the cooler and moister climate of Great Britain, with winters less rigorous than ours, it flourishes in per- fection. Here the hot, dry summers parch it, and the hard winter frosts pinch it, but with a little care on the part of the cidtivator, it can be grown here in great beauty, unfolding its lovely flowers in abundant profusion through the spring and autumn months. In the colder parts of the country, where the snow will protect it all winter, it should be grown in great perfection. By selecting a spot on the north side of buildings or of a high fence, where the soil is, or can be made, deep, light, rich and moist — selecting for fertilizer that from the cow stable, and apply- ing it liberally — the Pansy can be well grown in any part of the land. When hard freezing weather approaches, a light covering of brush wUl collect, in most places, enough snow to give the plants all the protection they need, or if not, a few branches of evergreens will be quite sufficient. Protection from the sun, both in winter and summer, is of more importance in our chmate than protection from frost. This is secured by making the Pansy bed on the north side of some object that will afford this shade, while it does not subject the plants to drip, nor rob them of their nourishment. They are propagated by cuttings when it is desired to preserve some particular variety, but when that is not essential, by sowing the seed. Pansies have been divided by florists into Selfs, YeUow- grounds, White-grounds, and Fancy. The Selfs are mostly of one color, and may be dark, or white, or yellow; Yellow-grounds are those in which the ground-color is yellow, belted with some shade of purple ; White-grounds are belted in the same manner upon a light cream or pure white ground ; Fancy Pansies are of many colors, blotched, laced, marbled, veined, pencilled, and shaded in every conceivable fashion. In Scotland they are all grown in great perfection, and new, choice varieties sell at five shillings sterling each. 308 HARDY HERBACEOUS FLOWERS. Here, we have hardly attained to the same nicety of discrimi- nation with regard to Pansies as obtains in the Old World. "Without troubling ourselves with minute distinctions, the flowers are admired for their beauty ; yet even the child in Pansy-lore will prefer those that are most circular in outline, and whose colors are pure and distinct. Yucca. — Adam's Needle. — "We desire to call attention to the Yucca, a most beautiful and interesting plant, yet very seldom to be met with in our gardens. The pecidiar foliage is so strikingly in contrast with that of all other plants that for this alone it is always desirable, yet in addition to this, its appearance when in in bloom is exquisitely charming, especially when seen by moon- light. The variety known as Filamentosa, so called from the threads that hang from the edges of the leaves, is the only one that we know to be sufiiciently hardy to endure our climate. Very probably some of the other species, such as T. Gloriosa, would winter safely beneath the snows of more northern localities, when it would perish in the open winters of the lake regions. "We most sincerely hope that every one who has a garden wiU, at least, plant the Filamentosa and enjoy its rare beauty. To enjoy this plant to the best advantage a bed should be prepared, of light rich soil, that will hold at least half-a-dozen plants at about two feet apart each way. The first season they will not be likely to bloom, but they will bloom the second, and increase in size, and in a few years completely fill the bed. They should be allowed to remain in the same bed without being dis- turbed, for as they increase in size and strength they will flower more and more abundantly. It is propagated by dividing the roots, and very readily from seed. The seedlings differ considerably, and we hope some lover of flowers will take this plant in hand, and, by sowing seed, raise some new and desirable hardy varieties. The flowers are borne on tall branching flower stems, from four to six feet high, which are nearly covered with large, beU- shaped, creamy-white blossoms. Llr. E. S. Band, living near BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. 309 Boston, Massachusetts, mentions a bed of ten Yuccas planted four years, which produced fifteen flower stems, none of them less than six feet high, and upon which the flowers were numbered bj thousands. The flowers appear in July and continue for a long time. BULBOTJS-EOOTED FLOWEES. Under this head are grouped a class of flowers of great beauty, easy of culture, and many of which are most admirably adapted for window cultxire and winter blooming. Some of these are most easUy grown in those parts of Canada where the snow falls soonest and remains the longest, requiring no other protection than that mantle which nature provides for her children of the soU, and under which she so lovingly wraps them from the frost. In .those places where the ground is often bare during a large part of the cold season, and the frosts penetrate to considerable depth, the tender care of the cultivator must supply the needed covering, and some coarse litter be spread over them of sufficient depth to prevent the frost from penetrating far into the sod below. This class of plants is seldom troubled with insects and is measurably exempt from diseases, and by a proper selection and treatment may be had in bloom, in some or other of its members, all the year round. Many of these add to the charms of beauty the most delightful perfume, and whether blooming in a bed under the window or upon the flower-stand in the room, wiU fiU the house with their pleasant odors. A want of knowledge of the habits and true methods of cul- ture of these flowers has, we are persuaded, been the hindrance hitherto to their general introduction into our flower gardens. "We have often known our nurserymen and florists to receive orders in the spring for bulbs that should be planted in the fall, and which, if taken up and transported to the purchaser in spring, will be very sure to perish. It is hoped that the hints here given will be so clear and practical that all doubt and misappre- 310 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. hension will be removed^ and that those who take pleasure in: their gardens and windows, will be enabled to grow them with, entire success. Another reason why every possessor of the smallest village lot may enjoy the pleasure which these flowers will aff'ord, is that they require but little space and can be had at very little cost. It is true that those who must have the latest novelty can have it only at considerable expense, but those who are willing to have pretty flowers without inquiring whether they are of the latest introduction, and can enjoy the beauty or fragrance of an unnamed tulip or hyacinth just as keenly as though it bore the title of some noble Countess or Eoyal Prince or Imperial Majesty, may buy them of our dealers at very moderate prices. The most of these bulbs are grown in Holland, where soil, climate and cheap labor conspire to render their production much less expensive than it would be here. For this reason our florists annually import them from that country, and have them on hand, ready for their customers, in time for planting at the proper season. Those who wish to have a bed of these bulbs imder the win- dow should choose, if possible, a window that looks toward the south. The most of them are natives of warm climates, and delight in all the sunlight and sun-heat we can give them. They also prefer a rich and moist sandy loam, yet one that is readily drained, free from all stagnant water in the soil. K the soil be not na|uraUy of this character, the labor necessary to make it so will be most amply repaid. If the subsoil be natu- rally porous, all that will be needed will be to work into the sur- face sufficient sand and thoroughly rotted manure to make it rich and light to the depth of eighteen inches. But if the subsoil be a retentive clay, it is very desirable that it should be removed from under the intended bed to the depth of a foot at least, and an under-drain made from the bottom to the most convenient outlet, so as to carry off aU the water that would s'iltle into the place from which the clay is removed. The place ccsupied by BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. 311 the clay sub-soil stould be filled up with broken stone or coarse- gravel, putting the coarser portion at the bottom and the finest at the top. The surface soil should be kept separate from the subsoil when digging out the bed, the subsoil taken away, and the surface soil mixed with sand and old rotted manure, and decayed leaves, if they can be had, until it Is quite light, loses nearly all its adhesive or sticky character, if it had any, and then spread over the drainage nntil the bed is filled again. It is not desirable to raise the bed more than an inch or two above the natural surface of the ground after it is settled, but when first filled in it should be raised about four inches, to admit of the settling of the newly-disturbed earth. Those who are willing to take the trouble to prepare a soil by gathering a few wheelbarrow loads of sod from an old pasture, every summer, and stacking them in some out-of-the-way comer in alternate layers of sod and cow-manure, will secure just the best dressing for these and all other flower beds that they can have. Of course its value will be enhanced if they can add to it ground bones, horn scrapings or horn piths. This heap, after lying for two or three months, should be cut down with the spade and thoroughly worked over and commingled. K this can be done two or three times, at intervals of a month or so, during the year, so much the better, and when it is a year or more old it will be in just the right condition for use. The proper time for applying it to the bulb bed will be in the autumn, when it may be spread on the surface to the depth of an inch or two. This will also be just the soil to use for pots if it is desired to grow any of the bulbs in the window, adding to it enough sand to make it light and free &om adhesiveness, if it be not already there. Further directions for the successful cultivation of the several varieties will be given in the paragraph devoted to each, where the peculiar treatment that may be best suited to that particular species will be fully described. If a bed be planted by setting little clusters of Snow-drops^ 312 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. •and spring Crocus here and there, but leaving sufficient room between in which to plant Hyacinths and early and late Tulips, interspersed with English Iris, a few Meadow, Japan and Tiger Lilies, with some clumps of Colchicum or autumn-flowering Crocus, it will be an object of beauty and interest nearly all the summer, and will not require to be disturbed for three or four years. From the time that the Tiger Lilies are done blooming until the autumn Crocus appear there will be a lack of flowers, which might be supplied by sowing some Portulaca seed on the bed in the latter part of May, which wiU cover the surface with- out injury to the bulbs, and blossom abundantly in August, continuing until frosts destroy the plants. The Hyacinth. — This grows best in light, but rich, sandy son. The best manure is old cow-dung that has been thrown into a heap and thoroughly rotted, and consequently entirely free from any straw or litter. If it can be mixed with an equal bulk of dry leaves when placed in the heap, and occasionally worked over during the season, so that the leaves shall be thoroughly blended with the manure, its quality wiU be much improved. Soot makes a very good dressing for the Hyacinth bed, if used in moderate quantity, and powdered charcoal seems to give a greater intensity to the color. There is now hardly any conceivable color which is not to be found in the Hyacinth blooms. Many exercise their skiU and taste in planting them in such a manner that the color of each shall increase the effect of that next to it. Those who have the opportunity of selecting the bulbs for themselves should take those which are solid and heavy, and have the surface covered with a thin clean skin. Avoid those that seem hoUow at the top, and do not esteem them according to the size, for that varies much with the variety, some being always large. Those that are large, but light and scaly, and those that are double-crowned, are not desirable. The single-crowned, hard, smooth, and usually medium-sized bulbs, give the best bloom. The single varieties are the best for growing in the house, while in the open bed the BULBOUS-ROOTED FLO WEBS. 313 double will giye the prettiest flowers, taken singly, and the single the most flowers and finest spikes. October is the best time for planting, though it can be done at any time before the ground freezes. The bulbs should be set four inches deep and about six inches apart. The planting shoidd be done when the groxind is dry enough to be in a fine, friable condition, and in dry weather. As soon as the ground begins to freeze, and where snow cannot be relied upon for a covering, the surface of the bed should receive a light covering of leaves or strawy litter, held down by a few sticks so as not to be blown off", and thick enough to prevent the frost from penetrating into the bed. When grown in pots, those bulbs which have no offeets or sprouts near the base, which are perfectly sound, and are the heaviest in proportion to their size, shoidd be selected. These should be planted in six-inch pots, one in each pot. K it is desired to have a succession of bloom, it is well to pot as many as it is desired should bloom at one time, and then make another potting about three weeks later. The method of potting is this : place a bit of broken crock or a pebble over the hole in the bot- tom of the pot, then fiU in an inch deep of broken pieces of crock, or small bits of charcoal, or coarse gravel, or coarse ground bones, so as to secure perfect drainage, then fill up to within two inches of the top with the soil from the compost already recom- mended, composed of rotted sods, cow-dung, and pure sand, packing it firmly and nearly solid into the pot ; then place the bulb on this soil, and fill in around it with more of the same, ramming it in firmly with a blunt stick. When finished, the top of the bulb should just appear above the soil, and the earth be within about half an inch of the rim. Give it a good watering now, thoroughly soaking the whole of the earth in the pot. When done potting, let them be taken to a dark, cool, cellar, free from frost, the sod kept moist, untd the pot is filled with roots, which can be ascertained by placing the left hand over the top of the pot, inverting it, and then hitting the ti'th smartly 22 314 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOTTERS. against tlie edge of bencli, or table, or cellar-bin, so as to knock tbe ball of earth loose from the pot, when the pot can be gently lifted with the right hand enough to see whether the white roots have run through the soil. When they have filled the earth with roots, then they are ready to be removed to the room in which they are to bloom ; there they should be placed in the window, where they will have abimdance of light, and can be maintained at a temperature not colder than fifty at night, or more than seventy-five by day. They will now soon begin to show leaves and push forth the flower stalk, and will require to be watered oftener, enough to keep the sod moist, not wet, but when the flowers are beginning to open, the watering may be increased, and the ground kept weE saturated. After they have become expanded, the flowers wiU last longer if the temperature of the air can be kept at abont sixty during the day, but this is not an easy matter in the sitting-room, where one likes to have the flowers, that their beauty and fragrance may be constantly enjoyed. After the plants have done blooming, the watering must be gradually diminshed until the leaves become yeUow, when it should cease, and the pots be laid on their sides on a shelf in the cellar, there to remain until wanted for planting in October. It is not desirable to flower a Hyacinth bulb in a pot more than once, the next year the pot-flowered bulbs should be planted in the open border, and a new stock secured for potting. Hyacinths may be grown in pots of moss or pure sand, first putting the drainage into the bottom of the pot as already directed, and using moss or pure sand instead of soil for planting the bulb. Or, they may be grown in water, either in glasses, known as Hyacinth glasses, which can be obtained of the florist, of various patterns, or, instead of a glass, in a Turnip or Carrot hollowed out so as to hold the bulb and sufficient water below it. By hoUowing out the root in such a way as to leave a part of the crown in a circle around the Hyacinth, the leaves wiU grow up out of the root and conceal the bulb, producing a pleasing effect. BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. 315 The glass or hollo-wed root should be filled with water just so that the bottom of the bulb may touch the water. Eain-water is the best for this purpose, and for watering those growing in pots, and should be luke-warm when used. After the bulbs have been set in this manner, on water, they should be kept in a dark place untd the glass is nearly filled with roots, when they should be brought to the light. It will save the necessity of changing the water if a bit or two .of charcoal is placed in it, but if this be not done, the water should be renewed about once a week, using tepid water. Bulbs flowered in water will not bloom the next year, and are usually thrown away when done flowering. K it is desired to preserve them they should be planted in earth as soon as the flowers fade, and if well cared for they will bloom, agaia the second year. It is utterly useless to give our readers a list of names of choice Hyacinths, for in a few years they would drop out of the florist's catalogues to make way for new comers. The named varieties are sold at higher prices than the unnamed, but these can be purchased in different colors kept distinct, and either single or double. !Nor is it of any practical benefit to describe the methods used for increasing or propagating them, it being much more economical to buy them already grown. Amaryllis. — These bulbs require very different treatment from the Hyacinths, and can not be relied upon for out-door cul- ture in our climate, but for the green-house or window many of them are very desirable. They do not require that the soil should be made very rich with manures, but flourish best in good sandy loam, or old rotted turf that has been made quite light with sand, and is somewhat rough and lumpy. The bottom of the pot should be filled with a couple of inches of drainage, over which is placed a little moss to prevent the soil from washing into, and choking it up. This is the more important because thes& bulbs will not require re-potting for several years, indeed flourish much better if allowed to remain without being re-potted, pro- vided the soil be kept sweet and the draiaage perfect. When 316 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. potted, the top of the bulb should: bo level with the rim of tho pot, and the soil half an inch below the rim, so as to admit of easy watering. When first planted it should be watered copiously. After being potted they should be placed in a temperature ot about fifty degrees, and not be watered again until the leaves begin to grow. When these begin to start the pots may be brought into a room where the temperature is about seventy degrees, gradually increasing the watering as the leaves and flower-scape increase in size. The best time for starting the. bulbs into groAvth is in January, and the heat while the plant is blooming should be hardly as great as after it is done blooming and while it is perfecting its leaf growth. After that is per- fected, which will usually be in July, the watering should be gradually diminished, so that they may be at rest about the first of October. While at rest they should be kept in a temperature never lower than fifty degrees, and if possible, not much above sixty degrees. While at rest they should never be watered again imtil they begin to grow. When they are ready they will start, and water- ing before this time only tends to injure the roots and produce decay. As a rule they will begin to grow in January, and attain their full growth in July. Just after they have attained their full growth, which may be known by the leaves ceasing to elongate, is the best time to re-pot the bulbs, if it be necessary ; but re-potting should be avoided as long as the soil remains sweet. After re-potting they will require to be kept in the shade for a few days, until again established, giving just water enough to prevent the leaves from flagging. Indeed, after the growth is over, this is all the water that any of them wUl require. But in treating these bulbs we should not be guided by the almanac, but by the indications of the bulbs themselves. Sometimes they will have completed their growth by May, and show a dis- position to rest ; such a disposition should be humored, and water withheld until the plant shows that it requires it again, by starting once more into growth. Sometimes they wiU take BULBOUS-BOOTEP PLOWEBS. 317 a niidsummer rest and bloom again in autumn, and make a second growth after the second bloom, and during this period of growth they will require careful watering. Seedlings can be grown by sowing the seed in June, keeping the soil moderately moist uniH the young plants appear, then increase the waterings as their growth demands, and keep them growing as -long as they are ■willing. By keeping the ground a little damp while they are at rest, they may be kept in fohage for a couple of years, when they should be treated as old bulbs. The third year many of them will show bloom. The following varieties will be found to be the most manage- able and desirable for green-house or window cvdture. Belladonna. — The Belladonna Lily, as it is often called, requires only that care should be taken to grow the foliage well after the bloom is over, and if this be attended to, it will be found to be of easy culture, under the treatment above described. The pot may be plunged in the open border about the middle of June, and allowed to flower there, but it must be removed to the window or green-house to perfect its leaf-growth before the appearance of frost. The flowers are produced in spikes, and are of a lovely rose color. Formosissimus. — This is the variety so well known under the name of Jacobean Lily. Li some parts of the country it may be grown in the open border, when the season is long enough to admit of its being put out in May, but it will do best to grow it in a pot, and treat it as a window or green-house plant, in the manner already described. Its flowers are a brilliant scarlet, and appear before the leaves. Purpurea (VaUota). — This retains its leaves all the year round, and should not be dried off like the others, but receive less water in winter or when taking its rest. Its natural habitat is in wet grounds ; hence it requires to be abundantly supplied with water during the growing season. It has very brilliant scarlet flowers, which are produced in great abundance. Johnsoni. — Is a very handsome hybrid variety, requiring the 318 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS, same treatment as Belladonna^ and produces scarlet flowers with a white stripe. Vittatum. — Exceedingly pretty. The flowers are white, with a red stripe. Should he treated in the ordinary manner. Crocus. — The pretty spring-flowering Crocus, succeeding the Snow-drop in their period of bloom, are very easily grown, requiring only to be planted in a light, but rich, moist soU, and left to grow as they please, giving them an annual top-dressing of very old and most thoroughly decomposed manure. They should be planted in the fall, about three inches deep, and an inch apart each way, and allowed to remain in the same bed for a number of years. Such a bed will improve in beauty for some time, and will only require to be replanted when the bulbs begin to grow out of the ground — for the young bulb is annually produced upon the top of the old, and in process of time approaches the surface. The Crocus beds require the same treatment as directed for Hyacinths, and indeed, it is desirable to plant them together in the same bed, so that after the Crocus are done blooming the Hyacinths may take their place. They may be also grown in pots in the house, or in water or sand. They should be allowed to make their root growth in a cool place, and when the flower- buds appear, have plenty of light and air, and not too much heat. The Autumn-flowering Crocus are botanically different plants from the other, and are called Colchicum. These are perfectly hardy, and as easy of cidture as the spring Crocus. They throw up their flower stalk and blossom late in autimm, but the leaves and seed appear next spring. The Spring Crocus are yellow, blue, purple, white, and striped ; the Autumn are purple and white. Dahlia. — This is not strictly a bulbous-rooted, but tuberous- rooted plant, which reqvures treatment so analagous to that of some bulbs, that it seems more natural to treat Of it in this connection. The Dahlia prefers a deep, very rich, friable loam, one that is BULBOUS-BOOTED FLOWEBS. 319 not readily affected by drought, nor surcharged with water. Varieties that have been in cultivation long onough to enable the cultivator to obtain a stock of tubers, are usually sent out in the dormant or just starting tuber, but new and scarce varieties are received in the growing state, in small pots. Neither the tubers nor the plants should be set out in the open ground un' Li all danger from frost is past, and as the stalk grows it should be tied to a tall stake. They will give better satijfaction if planted where they will be sheltered from very high winds, which often injure the plants severely. After the autumn frosts have killed the foliage, the stalk should be cut off just above the ground, the tubers taken up and removed to a dry, frost-proof cellar. Those who have a green-house can keep them very well under the stage. Two things are to be avoided, keeping them so dry and warm that the tubers shrivel, and keeping them so cold and damp that the stalk or crown rots. The eyes or buds are at the base of the stalk or on the neck of the tuber, and if these buds be destroyed the Dahlia will not grow, for though the tuber be ever so sound, there are no eyes or buds upon that, and -it has no means of growth. Hence it is important that the part where these eyes are situate should be kept sound. Dahlias are propagated by division of the tuber, taking care that each piece has an eye or bud upon it ; also by cuttings of the young shoots, which are taken off when an inch or two in length, and rooted in bottom heat. As soon as they are well rooted they are planted in small pots, and kept in a frame or in the green-house until the weather will admit of their being planted in the open ground. Xew sorts are raised from seed, usually sown in pots in spring, and afterwards transplanted. Most of these will be likely to prove worthless, yet in the hands of the skilful florist some choice flowers are very sure to be produced, and for a time com- mand a high price. As new flowers are, in this way, being con- stantly produced, it is better that the intending purchaser should make his selection from the lists that are offered in the cata- 320 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. logues of the florists, than be guided hy any selection that the writer might now name. The Dahlia is now produced in high perfection, quite unlike the single flowers, with -yellow disk and dull scarlet rays, which it hore on its introduction to England, about the beginning of the present century. It is now most beautifully double, and of every color except blue, and with every conceivable variegation. The Pompone varieties produce much smaller flowers than the Dahlia proper, and are, therefore, more desirable for bouquets. All the Dahlias flower best in cool, moist seasons, and when the summers are hot, wait for the more favorable weather of Septem- ber before they come perfect. The Eritillary. — Fritillaria. — ^We do not often see any other examples of this genus in our gardens than the Crown Imperials. The Guinea-hen flower is also a Fritillary, and though not so stately in its appearance, is a very interesting variety. They all flourish best in a deep, rich, well-drained, loamy soil, and when once planted should be seldom disturbed. The Crown Imperial is perfectly hardy, grows to a height of two feet in favorable soil, bearing a tuft of leaves upon the top, beneath which are the flowers. There are a number of varieties, producing flowers of several shades of red and yellow, single and double, and with golden and silver variegated foliage. The bulbs should be planted in October, about six inches deep, and remain in the ground all the year. The English Fritillary, or Guinea-hen flower, is of far less pretentious growth, and produces pretty pendant flowers, which are peculiarly marbled or tesselated. They are usually of a pur- ple shade, some nearly red, or yellow and white. The bulbs are much smaller than those of the Crown Imperial, and should not be set more than half as deep. They flower in May. The dark- colored varieties seem to be more hardy than the light, and not so liable to perish. Gladiolus. — Why it is that these beautiful flowers have not foimd their way more universally into the gardens of our people. BULBOUS-BOOTED PLOWEBS. 321 it might be difficult to tell. Our climate is well suited to their growth and culture, much better in most of the Dominion than that of England or France, and they require no more care than a Potato. Indeed, we are inclined to believe, that with a covering Fig. 68. of leaves or strawy litter that would keep out the frost, where the winters are open, and with none at all where the snow keeps the ground from freezing, they could be wintered safely in the soil Yet the better and safer method is to take them up in October, let the bulbs or corms dry for a day or two, and then put them away in a cool, dry place, free from frost. "We are in the habit of packing them in perfectly dry sand, and find that they never fail to keep in fine condition. 322 BULBOUS-BOOTKD FLOWERS. To grow the Gladiolus in perfection, it is necessary to avoid all soils that are cold and wet, and that is imifomily the character of those that are badly drained. Care should, also be taken in the use of manures, avoiding all that are fresh, partially fermented, or undecomposed ; these tend to produce disease in the bulbs. The best manure for them is that which was also recommended for Hyacinths ; old cow-dimg, thoroughly rotted, or composted with rotten sods and gTound bone. J£ the soil be a clayey loam, it wiU be of advantage to turn it up in the fall and leave it rough, that it may be well exposed to the action of the frost. After the weather has become settled in May, the ground should 'be dug over and the manure thoroughly mingled with the soil, aind the bulbs planted out about ten inches apart each way, and five inches deep. This is the whole secret of Gladiolus-raisiug save one, and that is this : our own amateurs might, with a little attention to selection and hybridization, raise much better new varieties from seed than are now raised for them ia Europe, and whi-jh, when first sent out, cost from two to five dollars each bulb. So much better is our climate for the perfect development of the Gladiolus, that the seedliugs which have been grown in America are much finer as a whole than any that can be imported. If the seed be gathered as soon as it is ripe, and sown the next spring in a frame or in pots, the young plants will grow finely, and wLU. show bloom the third year. From these the finest may be selected, and the work of raising new and beautiful varieties be continued. The varieties once obtained are increased by multiplication of the bulbs. After the bulb has become large enough to flower it wiU. begin to multiply, and if the little tiny bulbs at the base of the old bulb are saved and kept out of ground for one season and then sown, they wUl all grow, increase in size, and the second year produce flowers. The flowers are produced on tall spikes and are of a great variety of colors. They appear in the end of July and continue during August, and untU early frosts. We name a few of the BULBOUS-EOOTED FCOWEES. 323 «lder sorts, which, can be obtained at a reasonable price, partly to put our readers in the way of obtaining a pretty collection of choice varieties, and in part, to giye them an idea of the color and markings of the flowers. Aristotle. — Eose color, variegated with red and striped with carmine and purple. Ceres. — Pure white, with rose and violet spots. Flora. — White ground shaded with rosy lilac, and a distinct stain of deep rose on each petal. Jeanne d^ Arc. — White, very slightly tinted with rose, and striped and stained with violet. Milton. — Whit€, delicately tinted with rose and broadly flamed with red. Mons Vinchon. — Light sabnon-red, variegated and lined with white. Norma. — Pure white, slightly blazed with lilac. Peter Lawson. — Eosy lilac, with white satin shade. Princess of ^ Wales. — ^White, flamed with rose and blotched with dark carmine. Raphael. — Eed vermilion, centre lighted with white and shaded with purple. Peine Victoria. — Pure white, with large carmine-violet blotch. Rubens. — Very bright light vermilion. Stains striped with. carmine on a whitish ground. These will be sufficient to give an idea of their appearance. Those who wish to go further can consult the annual lists of dealers. As cut flowers they are very useful, for if the stalk be cut just as the first flowers open, and put in water, aU the buds on the stalk will open in succession. On this account they are very valuable for parlor or dining-room decoration. Iris. — The bulbous-rooted Iris have been sufficiently described at page 299. Those known as the English, Spanish and Persian are the most easily obtained and the most desirable in our cHmate. 324 BULB0U8-R00TBD FLOWERS. These may also be grown in the house in pots or in moss or sand, or in water, in the manner prescribed for Hyacinths. The Lily. — There is no need of any description of the beauty of this flower. In some of its varieties it is known to all ; its loveliness has been spoken of by writers, sacred and profane, and pleasant emotions are awakened at the mere mention of its name. Fortunately, nearly all the species known to us are sufficiently hardy to endure our climate, and thrive well in our gardens with but little attention. A collection of all these would be a treasure- house of beauty and enjoyment, rivalling even the Eose in queenly splendor and sweet perfume. If ot one but has some attraction of its own, from the nodding Lily of our Canadian meadows to the amethystine spots and golden band of those from Japan. If or are we at the end of the list ; every year some new species rewards the searcher in new climes, and the LUies of California are just being introduced for our admiration and delight. In common with most bulbs, they grow best in weU-drained, loamy soil, in which the sandy character predominates, and which is kept rich by the use of thoroughly-rotted manures. If the soil be naturally an adhesive clay, it wUl be necessary ta remove some of the clay, and add enough sand to make it light ; and if the subsoil be retentive, it will be a great improvement to remove some of the stiff clay and put in broken stone or gravel, with an under-drain leading from the bed to a convenient outlet. It is very desirable that Lilies should be kept out of the ground as short a time as possible. Many of the imported LUies fail altogether, or make but a feeble growth the first season, be- cause the drying which the bulbs undergo while out of the ground weakens them. They should therefore be planted as soon as received, large bulbs requiring to be set six inches deep -and small bulbs about four. The best season for transplanting most varieties is the month of October, when, they are at rest. Lilies are usually propagated by oiisets — the small bulbs which form about the parett plani ; and whenever the bed is- BULBOUS-BOOTED FLOWEBS. 325 l)ecoiniiig crowded it will be necessaiy to take them all up and separate them. Except for this cause, it will not be necessary to disturb them. The following varieties are well worthy of cultivation, and without exception will winter safely in the ground. Canadensc. — This is the nodding Lily of our meadows, which gratefully responds to the care of garden cultivation, increasing in the size and number of its blooms. Candidum. — ^For purity and firagrance this old favorite cannot be surpassed. Perfectly hardy, thriving in any garden, yet grateful for a little care, which it repays a hundred-fold, filling the air with its sweetness, and arrayed in snowy white, adorning alike the garden of the cottager or of the king. It is in bloom in July. There are varieties with golden and silver striped leaves, with spotted, and striped, and double flowers, but they are no improvement on the plain, single, pure white lily. Chalcedonicunu — ^Is vay showy, the color being a veiy briUiant scariet. Excelsum. — Grows as tall as Candidum, the flowers ate a !N^ankeen yellow. Lancifolium. — There are several varieties of this species, but all are beautiful and very fragrant They are delicately spotted with ruby-red or rose-colored dots, and when once established in good, loamy, well-drained soU, they will continue to increase in the number and beauty of their flowers. Longiflorum. — The flowers are trumpet-shaped, fitjm six to nine inches in length, white, and very fragrant. Where the winters are open, this species should be protected by a light covering of litter. Superbum. — ^A very showy species, often producing twenty flowers on a stalk, which are of a handsome reddish-orange color. Tigrinum. — ^The Tiger lily has become almost as weU-known as the White, and is a deserved favorite, being very hardy, and producing an abundance of showy orange-scarlet flowers, spotted 326 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. with black. It produces little bulbs in the axils of the leaves, and multiplies very rapidly. Those who desire to cultivate some of the green-house species cannot fail to be pleased with Auratum, the Golden- banded Lily from Japan, noted for its size, beauty, and fragrance; Giganteum, a very tall-growing white species from the Hima- layas; Thompsonianum, from India, which produces rose-colored flowers ; and Concolor, with brilliant red flowers, from China. Lilium Brownii. — "We have not tested the hardihood of this species, it is scarce and high-priced, but it is a most magnificent trumpet-shaped flower, of large size, white within and purple without, and very fragrant. The Narcissus. — The hardy species require the same treat- ment as that recommended for the Hyacinth. They thrive best in rich, sandy loam, and should remain in the ground until the increase of bulbs makes it necessary to divide them. Poeticus. — One of the most beautiful of this class. There are double and semi-double varieties ; all are perfectly hardy in well-drained soil. The flowers are snow-white with a cream-colored cup, the edge of which is delicately fringed with red. Bulhicodium. — This is the hoop-petticoat Narcissus, pro- ducing large, bright yellow flowers. The leaves are small and rush-lilie. It thrives best in a somewhat sheltered position, and is the better, in open winters, for a slight covering. Bicolor. — Perfectly hardy, but not very common. The flowers have a white cup and yellow crown. Pseudo-Narcissiis. — ^The Daflfodil, so well known and gene- rally admired for its double, golden-yellow flowers. Perfectly hardy in well-drained soil. Jonqullla. — The Jonquil, much esteemed for its fragant, bright yellow flowers. Yery hardy and free-flowering. Makes a fine window-plant for late winter blooming. The PoLiANTHUS Narcissus are not sufficiently hardy tc endure our climate without careful protection, and the yearly taking up of the bulbs when the leaves die oif, in order to pre- BULBOUS-BOOTED FLO'VTERS. 327 vent them from starting in the fall. But they are beautiful things for the house, blooming well with the same treatment as that laid down for the Hyacinth. Snowdrop. — Galanthus. — This delicate, frail-looking flower is our first harbinger of spring, telling us that winter is passing away. It hardly looks as though it could hold out against the rough blasts that toss it so rudely, but it struggles bravely on. through all the adverse storms and snows, hiding its face tmtil the storm be past, and looking up with a cheery smile when it is over. It is ever a favorite flower, simple yet pretty, lovely in itself, and for braving the storms, as if anxious to cheer us with sight of flowers after the long desolation of winter. The Snowdrop is perfectly hardy, thrives well in any good garden sod, but better in a bed enriched with weU-rotted cow manure, and if the soil be heavy, made light by the addition of sand. The bulbs should be planted in October, between two and three inches deep, in clusters of from twenty to thirty bulbs, lea\'ing about an inch and a half of space between them. Here they should remain untd they become so crowded that it is neces- sary to divide them. K some are planted on the south side of the house, or other sunny spot, they will bloom very early, and by planting another bed in some less favored exposure, they may be had in succession for a considerable time. They look well planted with the spring-flowering Crocus, contrasting finely with its more gaudy colors. There are two species in cultivation, the G. Nivalis, of which there are both single and double varieties ; and Plicatus, a Eussian variety, twice as large as the English, and with taller flower stems. Another flower blooming later, called Snowflake, has been sometimes mistaken for the Snowdrop. It is the Leucojum. Two species of this are grown in our gardens. L. Vemum, a native of Germany and Italy, is somewhat tender, and thrives best in a peaty sod ; L. (Estivum, a native of England, perfectly hardy, produces white flowers with bright green spots. Thb Tigeb Flower. — Tigridia. — These bulbs are not hardy^ 528 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. and require to he kept over ■winter in a dry place, free from frost, and out of tlie i-each of mice. They should not he planted until the ground has hecome warm in spring, and then set about three inches deep in soil that is deep, light, and rich. They show to best advantage planted in clumps or masses. The flowers are very pretty and brilliant, each lasting only for a day, but renewed by a succession of blooms for several weeks. They appear in August and September. In October, when the frost has killed the foHage, the bulbs should be taken up, thoroughly dried, and stowed away in dry sand. Pavonia. — ^The flowers of this species are of the richest scar- let, variegated with bright yellow and spotted with dark brown. ConcMJiora. — This species produces rich, orange-colored flowers, variegated with light yellow and spotted with black. Tuberose. — PoUa)dhes Tuberosa. — One of the most deli- ciously scented and lovely of all our flowers, blooming in the end of summer and throughout the autumn. It has but to be seen to be admired, and no one who has once enjoyed its exquisite perfume will ever willingly be deprived of it in its season. One flower will fill the whole room with its fragrance, and no bouquet, from August to Christmas, is complete without it. Being a native of India, it requires plenty of warmth, and will not endure fVost, yet it is of simple culture when once its requirements are understood. In the first place, the proper time to obtain the tubers is in October, before they have had time to become injured by improper treatment. Those grown in America are just as good as the imported, hence there is no necessity of looking to Europe any longer for a supply. Having procured the tubers, keep them dry and warm until they are wanted for planting. If they are kept in a temperature below 50° the flower germ wUl decay, and though the bulb may appear sound outwardly and throw out an abundance of leaves, it will never flower. Those who have green- houses can keep them alongside the flue, those who have not must store them in some warm room where they will be kept at a BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. 329 temperature of twenty degrees above freezing, night or day. It is not enough to keep them, like Gladiolus, or Potatoes, free from frost. If thus kept they will remain sound, and there will he no difficulty in getting them to hloom. If it is desired to have them in bloom early in August, it will be necessary to start them about the first of May, either in green- house, hotrbed, or warm room. The secret of flowering them well Hes in keeping the roots well supplied with food, and as warm as possible. A sod. composed of the same material as that recommended for Hyacinths, in which the old cow-manure is supplied even more liberally, and made quite light by the use of sand if needed, is just the thing in which to plant the Tuberose. K the hot-bed is used, the pots in which the bulbs are planted should be plunged to the rim, and the temperature maintained at about seventy-five. After they begin to grow they will require aU the sun and air that can be given, having a care to keep the temperature as uniform as possible, and protecting well from frosty nights by a mat thrown over the sashes. As they increase their growth it will be necessary to increase the amount of water- ing, and when the summer is far enough advanced the sashes need be no longer used. Towards the end of June they may either be plunged or carefully turned out into the open border. For later flowering they do well planted in the ground about the tenth of June, in warm, rich, weU drained soil If wanted for the green-house or window, in Xovember or December, they may be potted in July and August, plunged in a frame or in the open border where they will have all the sun-light and heat possible, and before the advent of the first frost brought into the house. After the bulb has once flowered it is of no further use except to the propagator ; it will never flower again. The offsets that are attached to it can be grown into flowering bulbs in a couple of years, but this is hardly worth the trouble so long as full-grown flowering bulbs can be obtained at such trifling cost from any of our nurserymen or florists. There are two varieties, the single and the double flowering, 23 330 BULBOUS-ROOTED FLOWERS. both very desirable and equally fragrant, the single variety pos- sessing the advantage of coming into bloom about a fortnight earlier than the double. In the neighborhood of the large cities of the United States a considerable trade is carried on in the flowers, which bring a doUar a hundred in the summer, and ten dollars in winter, and as each bulb will produce some twenty flowers, it will yield, if flowered at the time of high prices, many times its cost by the sale of the blossoms. The Tulip. — There is no need of any description of this much-admired flower, and now that the bulbs may be obtained at such very low prices, every one may indulge his fondness for their pretty blossoms by planting a bed of Tulips. And it is when massed in a bed that their full beauty is brought out. They are very hardy plants, requiring no very special care except in one particular, and that is that the ground be thoroughly drained, for they will not bear water in the soil. It is not neces- sary that the soil be very rich. Any good garden will grow them well. Nor is it important that the bulbs should be taken up every summer, although it is usually recommended, on the ground that if the bulbs remain in the earth for several years they "run out." But as every year brings some new additions to the list of Tulips, by the time those that we have planted run out, we are ready to set out a new bed of those of later intro- duction, and are quite willing to dispense with the old. The Due Van Thol are the earliest to bloom ; they are both single and double. The double are red with a yeUow border, the single of many colors, white, scarlet, crimson, yellow, etc. The plants are of dwarf habit, only growing about six inches high. The Tournesol succeeds the foregoing in time of flowering. The blooms are red and yellow, or golden yellow, and very large and double. They keep in bloom for a long time and are very showy. The Early Single Tulips of every shade of red, violet, purple, crimson, yellow, etc., striped, flaked and marbled, come next in BEDDING PLANTS. 331 order, and make a fine showy bed, which continues for a consider- able length of time. Our Florists' catalogues abound with names ©f these, with markings more or less distinct, from which each may make selection according to his fancy, or the fulness of hia purse. The Dovhle Tulips are great favorites with many. They are exceedingly beautiful, and may be had of various colors, which may be selected in the same way. The Parrot Tulips are singularly formed, the petals being long and fringed. They are very attractive, from the singular appearance of the flower, and the striking combination of colors which they present. The Late Tulips are divided into Byhlooms, white ground marked with purple or hlac ; Roses, white ground marked with, scarlet, crimson or pink ; and Bizarres, yellow ground, with, markings of any color other than yellow. These are the favorite florist's flowers, new and choice varieties commanding high prices. Here, too, selection can be made from hundreds of names, at prices ranging from five cents each to as many dollars as one may wish to give. Tet a very fine selection of a hundred bulbs can be made for five dollars, embracing as many as fifty sorts. BEDDING PLANTS* AU the plants which are mentioned under this head are too tender to endure much frost. It is therefore necessary, either that they be allowed to perish on the approach of winter, or that they be removed to the green-house. Those who do not keep a green-house will find it to be much more satisfactory, and more economical, to purchase a new supply of bedding plants every spring, and enjoy their beauty and fragrance while the summer lasts. The keeping of a large number of plants in an ordinary dwelling house is not only attended with considerable inconve- nience, but the plants seldom get through in good health. And 332 BEDDING PLANTS. ■when they do, they are not of a suitable age and siae for bedding out. Only the more useful and desirable of the plants which are used for this purpose are described, and such hints given, under each flower, as seem likely to prove useful to that great mass of cultivators who must content themselves with their summer culture. The Verbena. — This flower is the most poptJar and gene- rally planted of all the bedding plants. Beginning to flower when the plants are quite small, and even before the weather is warm enough for planting in the open air, it continues to bloom all the summer long, and even through the autumn, until severe frosts stop its growth. The flowers are of every color except yellow, some of them handsomely eyed, and others striped and mottled. They are borne in trusses, composed of many separate flowers, and these are so numerous as to cover the bed completely. Young and healthy plants should be selected about the first of June, avoiding those with crumpled and misshapen foliage. For effective bedding display, those flowers are to be preferred which have not a large eye, and are not striped. Clear, bright, self-colors, when massed, are much more brilliant and showy. The soil should be deep and rich, and free from all surplus moisture. The Yerbena in its wild state grows on dry hills, and will not endure an excess of wet. If, however, this condition be granted, that is, the bed be thoroughly drained, the texture of the son is of little consequence, it will grow in any, from light sand to quite strong clay. It is, however, important that it be well enriched ; for this purpose aU coarse, iindecomposed and fer- menting manures should be avoided, and that selected which has been thoroughly rotted. Having incorporated the manure thoroughly with the soil, and made the surface smooth and fine, the plants may be set out about eighteen inches apart each way. The various colors may be arranged to suit the taste of the planter. It is desirable to plant in the latter part of the day, so that BEDDIKO PLAKTS. 333 ihe plants mil not suffer from the heat of the sran. After plant- ing it is TisTially necessary to give them a thorough sprinkling through a fine rose, to settle the soil about the plants. Beyond this they will seldom require any attention other than to keep the ground free firom weeds, and give it an occasional stirring and loosening around the plants. Inexperienced cultivators are very apt to give the Verbena too much water. If the soil be as rich as it should be, it is very seldom indeed that the Verbena bed will require water. Those who wish to keep Verbenas over winter, either in the dwelling-house or in the green-house, should never take up the old plants that have been blooming all summer in the garden. They never do well, and will probably die before spring. In order to grow them in the house successfully they should obtain young plants. These may be obtained by selecting one or two plants of each variety it is desired to grow through the winter, and about the tenth of August cuttiag off all the flowers and seed vessels, and about six inches from the ends of the shoots. The object is to stai-t the plant into a fresh and vigorous growth, hence whatever may tend to facilitate this may be done at this time, such as stirring the soil and adding a dressing of compost. After the plants have started into a fresh growth, cuttings of the new and tender shoots, which will be suficiently grown by the middle of September, may be taken from them and struck in a little pure sand with a gentle bottom heat. Cuttings of fi?esh growth only should be Tised, and as soon as rooted should be potted off in small pots. These plants will grow well during the winter, and will afford cuttings in March and April, from which plants may be struck for summer planting. It is not necessary that any list of names should be given. Each one may select from the nurseryman's list such as please best ; all are beautiful, many are fragrant, and no one can fail of obtaining a bed of beautiful flowers that will be gay aU the season. Besides, our iiorists are constantly producing new varie- ties from seed, and those that stand in the front rank to-day will soon be crowded out by new comers. 334 BEDDING PLANTS. The Heliotrope. — This plant is valued for the sweetnfiss and delicacy of its perfume more than for the beauty of its flowers. It is of easy culture, growing freely in any rich and well drained garden soil. It should he planted in the open air after all fear of late frosts is over, and taken in before the early autumn frosts come on, for it is more tender than the Verbena, and apt to be injured by even a slight freezing. The flowers vary from a very pale lilac to a deep purple, are individually small, but produced in close trusses or corymbs. They bloom profusely all the time they are in growth, and make excellent window plants if allowed plenty of room. Being sensi- tive under removals, it is important when they are taken out of the border that the transplanting should be done with care, disturbing the root as little as possible. They flourish best when they have plenty of pot room, or indeed, if in the green-house, they have a border in which the roots may ramble. "When a plant is taken up from the open border in autumn, for window culture in winter, it should be pruned back so as to remove the soft wood and kept for some time in a cool room. Before the frosts become severe enough to penetrate the place where it was placed, it should be removed to a warm room. There its buds will soon break and the plant begin to grow, yielding an abundance of sweet-scented flowers. It is propagated by cuttings of the soft wood, which strike freely in bottom heat. JS'ew varieties are raised from seed. The best now in cultivation are The Gem and Voltaireanum, with dark flowers'; Oculata, violet with white centre ; Jersey Beauty and Jean Mesmer, light blue; and Garibaldi, nearly white. Pauline Pfitzer, a new lilac-colored flower, is a splendid bedder, on account of the immense size of the truss and its profuseness of bloom. The Coleus. — These are useful bedding plants in those parts of Canada where the summers are hot and the nights not chilly. Their beauty consists entirely in the color of the leaves and not in their flowers, and this is brought fully out only in BEDDING PLANTS. 335 hot weather. They are not only sen3itive to frost but to cool weather, requiring considerable heat to keep them in a vigorous growth. Hence they are not easily wintered in the dwelling- house, where there ia a great yariation between the night and day temperature, nor even in a cool green-house ; the propagating- room or the stove is the best place for them. The best and most showy bedding variety is Verschaffeltii ; besides this, Qtieen Victoria, Albert Victor, Her Majesty, and Princess Beatrice, are beautiful plants. There are many other varieties, but the foregoing are quite sufficient for all our pur- poses. The Bouvardia. — But little has been done among us with this most lovely flower as a bedding plant, yet it is one of the most free flowering and beauti- ful plants we have, blooming when not more than three inches in height and naturally forming a nice bushy plant, which is covered all the season with blos- soms. It is not easy to account for this want of attention, for among the beautiful things of the garden ^- ^' there is scarce anything more beautiful than a fine bed of the Bouvardia. We have grown it in rich sandy loam, and know that it thrives well in such soil. We cannot say how well it will adapt itself to heavier soils, but those who desire to make the experiment must take care that the bed be perfectly underdrained, so that there shall be no excess of wet to render the soil cold and sour. Plants that have been shifted from "thumbs" into four inch pots. 336 BEDDING PLANTS. and pinched back, so as to be stout and bushy, are the best for bedding out. Another and more common use made of the Bouvardia, by florists, is that of winter forcing for green-house decoration and the making of winter boquets. For this purpose it is without a rival, indeed quite indispensable. K"othing surpasses it, in its several varieties, in brilliancy of color ; nor anything, save the Jessamine itself, in delicate purity and sweetness of perfume. For pot culture it should be planted in rich, fibry loam,, that is, rotted turf, made light by the admixture of sand, and rich with old, well-rotted manure. In potting, care should be used to secure perfect drainage, and if the plants are taken from the open border, they should be lifted with care, leaving a ball of earth about the roots if possible. After being potted they will require careful watering and shading until they recover from the shift. They must not be exposed to even a slight frost, but should have all the light and air possible before they go into winter quarters. Plants intended for winter blooming should not be allowed to flower during the summer, but should be kept weU pinched in. To make nice bushy plants the tops should be nipped every fort- night. Those that have been used as bedding plants shoidd be taken up before frost, planted in a box of soil, and allowed to rest during the winter, storing them under the stage of the green- house. These may be again taken from the box and set out in the open bed on the return of summer. Aurantiaca. — The flowers are of a bright orange color ; the plant a very free summer bloomer. Hogarth. — Produces splendid racemes of rich carmine flowers. Elegans. — The flowers are light scarlet carmine, which are borne in very large trusses. Blooms finely in winter, and there- fore well adapted for forcing. Jasminoides. — A most abundant bloomer, flowers pure white, resembling a Jasmine in fragrance and appearance. A charming variety. BEDDmO PLANTS. 33T LfdantTia. — The flowers are a dazzling scarlet. The plant ol hiishy habit, very free flowering and healthy. Triphylla. — Flowers bright orange-scariet, very showy. The plant is a free stimmer bloomer, and is one of the best for bed- ding out. The Petunia. — ^This is a very popular bedding plant, of very easy culture, and makes a very showy bed. It grows well in any rich garden soil, begins to bloom in June, and continues to grow and flower all through the summer, until checked by frost. It should be planted always in a bed di. pANADIAN J^ALE, ^Y ^. ^Vi. JA., ILLUSTRATED AND HANDSOMELY BOUND. PRICE, SIXTY CENTS. JESSIE GREY: OR, THE DISCIPLINE OF LIFE; ft Canadian Jale, ^y J*T. J^. p., ILLUSTRATED AND HANDSOMELY BOUND, PRICE, FIFTY CENTS. THE OLD AND THE NEW HOME: ft pANADIAN Jale, ^y j. f,. ILLUSTRATED AND HANDSOMELY BOUND. PRICE, SIXTY CENTS ADVERTISEMENTS. ■James Campbell &■ Son's Publications. SOWING THE GOOD SEED: By ALICIA. jk. pANADIAN JaLE. ILLUSTRATED AND HANDSOMELY BOUND. PRICE, FIFTY CENTS. EMILY'S CHOICE: ft pANADIAN JaLE, ^Y f,. J. J^. ILLUSTRATED AND HANDSOMELY BOUND. PRICE, SIXTY CENTS. ADTERTI8EMBITT8. XL To Authors. James Ca MPBELL &■ Son Publishers of the Canadian Prize Sunday School Books, the National Series of Readers, and other School and Miscellaneous Books, are prepared to FURNISH ESTIMATES TO AUTHORS for the publication of their MSS., and may be consulted per- sonally or by letter. Tliey will engage to have proofs carefully revised while passing through the press, if required. The facilities possessed by Jas. Campbell & SON for the Publication of Books in the best Modern Styles, at the Lowest Prices, and tJieir lengtJiened experience, warrant them in under- taking the Publication of any work submitted to them, and in offering their services to Authors who desire to publish on their own account. Toronto. ADVERTISEMENTS. ESTABLISHED 1850. m\ MM) yl Seed Mei^hants and Gr^wer^. OFFICE & WAREHOUSE - - 56 & 58 KING ST. WEST^ SEED FARM - - - MAIN ST. EAST, HA^MILTON - ONTA^RIO, Have great pleasure in calling attention to their large and varied stock of NEW AND GENUINE SEEDS, FOR THE FAELM, FOR THE VEGETABLE GARDEN, FOR THE FLOWER GARDEN. Also a most extensive collection of For Parlour, Conservatory and Flower Garden Decoration, HORTICULTURAL AND AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS FERTILIZERS, And a great variety of Garden Requisites. IMPROVED EXCELSIOR LAWN MOWERS. The following Catalogues are published during the year, and will be forwarded post free to all applicants : No. I,— Illustrated Seed Catalogue, published 15th January, a descriptive list of Agricultural, Vegetable, and Flower Seeds, Culinary Roots, Garden Implements, Spring Flowering Bulbs, &c., &c. No. 2, — Wholesale Catalogue of Seeds, &c (for the trade only), published 15th January. No. 3, — Bulb Catalogue, published September ist, containing a choice collection of Double and Single Hyacinths, Tulips, Polyanthus, Narcissus, Crocus, Snow Drops, Crown Imperials, Jooquils, Lilies, &c., &c. PLANTS AND SEEDS CAREFULLY PACKED FOR ALL CLIMATES.