V ^ / iia ^iHl 1 OR CORN CULTURE CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF NUMEROUS EJ^PERIMENTS, UNDER THE OFFER OF A NUMBER OF CASH PRIZES, MADE BY THE INDIANA FARMER CO., IN MARCH, 1880. ALSO Growing" Small Fruits and Vegetables, BY A Preclical Hortlcnltnrlst anfl an ExperieiiceS Gariener. INDIANA FARMER COMPANY, INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA. 1881. I»M03E5, 23 OTS. jj^j^^^_-p;,_^.^(yj~(^- ^IJ^.il'^^^^^j^^^^'^-^'^^^^^^^^^^^^i^^^-^^^^^^^^^'^^^^^ Contents. Zea Maize — Pi.au. Maize — Where First Discovered 3 Prizes by the Indiana Farmer Company 4 Award by Committee 4 Soils of Prize Crops 5 Manures used on same 6 Time of Plowing and Planting 8 Mode of Planting , 8 Kinds of Seed Used 9 Modes of Cultivation 1 1 Time of Ripening 12 Cost of Cultivation 13 The Premium Experiments , 15 How Late in Season to Cultivate 17 General Observations about Maize 18 Selection and Care of Seed 19 Methods of Harvesting 20 The "Blount Prolific"— How to Cultivate for Largest Yield 21 Small Fruits — Increase of Production 23 Strawberries— Best Varieties 24 Blackberries — Best for Cultivating 27 Raspberries — Most Prolific 29 Experiments with Vegetables — Conducting Experiments ^o Peis — Seventeen Varieties ^i Early "apd Late Tomatoes 23 Kind of Soils Radishes — Varieties and Soils. 35 35 Lettuce — Varieties to Cultivate ,g Ten Varieties of Potatoes 37 Soils and Fertilizers Used, and How ; ^y Profitable Potatoes to Grow ^g " Beauty of Hebron " the Best 40 ZEA MAIZE: OR, CORN CULTURE, CONTAINING THE RESULTS OF NUMEROUS EXPERIMENTS, UNDER THE OFFER OF A NUMBER OF CASH PRIZES, MADE BY THE INDIANA FARMER COMPANY, IN MARCH, 1880. ALSO Experiments in Growing Small Fruits AND VEGETABLES, By A PRACTICAL HORTICULTURIST AND AN EXPERIENCED GARDENER. INDIANA FARMER CO., Publishers, INDIANAPOLIS, IND. 1881. <7h Entered according to Adl of Congress By The Indiana Farmer Company, of Indianapolis, Indiana, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C, January, i88l. \\'-' ZEA MAIZE; OR, OOK^IST OTJLTTJK.E. The English word corn is properly a generic term, and has among English speaking people everywhere, except in the United States, the broad meaning which we give to the word GRAIN. Our appropriation of the term as designating a single kind of corn, tends to confusion in our literary and commercial intercourse with other nations. To avoid this, we frequently use the qualifying adjective, Indian, to designate the kind of corn. We are pleased to see a tendency on the part of Ameri- can writers to adopt the original Indian name of our native cereal. In the island of Hayti, where it was first discovered, the natives called it by a name which the Spaniards expressed by the letters m-a-h-iz, which, in modern Spanish, is spelled maiz ; in French and Italian, mais; and in English, maize. This is a neat and convenient word, and should be at once adopted by Americans, that the name may be universal, as the corn itself is likely soon to be. Maize, though it is extensively cultivated throughout Central and Southern Europe, South America and Mexico, yet the United States is properly the home of this cereal ; at least nearly all the maize found in the markets of the world comes from this country. It has a wider and more perfect adaptation to the wants of civilized man than CORN CULTURE. has any other grain. It is a palatable, wholesome and nutritious bread material, and it is the best feed grain, especially for fatten- ing purposes, now known. In the form of hominy it has been extensively substituted for rice, and will probably supplant it entirely, being more palatable and nutritious. It furnishes nearly all the starch used in the manufactories and laundries of the world; and, we regret to say, millions of bushels every year are prostituted to the base purpose of making intoxicating liquors. Our foreign commerce in maize is rapidly increasing, and with this increased demand the price is steadily advancing. The day of " ten-cent corn " in this country is past, never to return. In view of this state of facts, it is a matter of the first importance that every question relating to the most profitable mode of cultivation and the soil best adapted to the growth of this grain should be fully known, as well as the varieties most productive in this climate. With a view to advancing the settlement of these questions on an experimental basis, as well as to encourage the youth of the country to engage in profitable industry, the Indiana Farmer Co., in the spring of 1880, offered ;^200.oo in eight premiums for the best results from the cultivation of an acre of corn, by youths under eighteen years of age. The conditions were, that a detailed statement of the kind of soil and manure ; the mode of planting and cultivating ; the variety planted and the time of harvesting, together with the amount of labor expended and cost of manure used, should be embodied in a properly attested certificate, setting out the result, — giving the weight of the grain, in a marketable condi- tion, in each experiment. To this call twenty-eight competitors presented certificates, which were referred to the President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Indiana State Board of Agricul- ture, who returned the following award : AWARD BY THE COMMITTEE. Having been requested by the Indiana Farmer Co., to examine the reports of the competitors for the eight cash prizes offered by said company in March, 1880, to boys aged eighteen CORN CULTURE. 5 years and under, who should grow the most Indian corn on one acre, in any of the corn growing States of the West, and having carefully examined the sworn reports from the several contes- tants, we find that the following eight boys produced upon one acre each, the several amounts in pounds and bushels (counting sixty- eight pounds "in the ear a bushel) set opposite their names, viz : Amount NAMES. County. State. Age. Pounds. Bus.— Lbs. ol Prize. 1. Arthur Harter, Allen, Ind., 17 10,478 154 — c6 $75.00 2. Geo. G. Cook, Kosciusko, Ind., 14 7,87414^ 115 — 34 40.00 3. Geo. Mustard, Fremont, Iowa, 17 7,557 iii — 09 2500 4. Washburn Tilson, Johnson, Ind., 15 7,454 109 — 38 20. co 5. Jchn H. Thcmas, Pottawatomie, Kan., 15 7,311 107 — 35 15. co 6. Bonnie Stratton, Henry, Ind., 14 6,635 97 — 39 10.00 7. Charles E Long, Kosciusko, Ind., 17 6,500 95 — 40 10.00 8. Wm. H. Hedges, Vermillion, Ind., 16 6,200 91—12 5 00 The undersigned, therefore, in compliance with offer made by the Indiana Farmer Co., award the eight prizes in the order as above numbered. ,,, ^ „ W. H. Ragan, President State Board of Agriculture. J. A. WiLDMAN, Treasurer State Board of Agriculture. Alex. Heron, Indianapolis, Ind., Dec, 1S80. Secretary state Board of Agriculture. The remaining twenty competitors present results ranging from fifty bushels up to ninety. Several of these complain of the unfavorable season, and especially of the fall drouth, cutting short the early promise of their crop. Among these we find nothing in the soil, manuring, or mode of cultivation worthy of remark. We shall, therefore, confine our review to the eight premium crops. SOILS AND SUBSOILS. Nos. I, 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were on sandy loam, Math sand or gravel subsoil. Unfortunately the certificates do not state whether these were uplands "or bottom lands, but it is fair to infer that at least the gravel subsoils were bottom lands. Nos. CORN CULl-URE. 2 and 4 were clay loams on a clay subsoil, and are therefore presumed to be uplands. The average of the six crops on sandy loams is 109.64 bushels, while the two crops on clay loam give an average of 112,69 bushels. The largest and smallest crops were made on sandy loam, but the highest average was on clay loam. This does not confirm the popular opinion that maize is specially partial to a sandy loam, and therefore finds its special adaptation in alluvial soils, generally known as " bottom land," The solution of this problem probably Hes in the fact that the roots of no other crop penetrate the earth so deeply as do those of maize, and therefore it demands a loose and penetrable subsoil. In the natural state this demand is best met by a subsoil of sand or gravel ; but if a clay subsoil is properly underdrained, in a few years it becomes sufficiently loose to admit the roots to go down, at least, as deep as the tile. But in these experiments the largest crop was produced on sandy loam with a sand subsoil, but the second in quantity grew on a clay subsoil, with no artificial drainage ; so that but little can really be inferred from these experiments, either for or against any special class of soils. MANURES, The largest crop (No, i) was manured with ten wagon loads of straw. In what condition this straw was we are left to conjecture. Whether it had been used as bedding in the stable, or was fresh from last harvest's threshing, or had been rotted in pile for several years, — these are questions that we would be much pleased to answer, but have not the data. All we know is that ten loads of straw was spread on the ground on the 3d day of May, and was subsequently plowed in. This straw manure constitutes a peculiarity of this crop of one hundred and fifty-four bushels on an acre of land. Six of the others were similar in soil, and differed but little in the manner of cultivation. In the absence of other knowledge, it is fair to refer the large crop, in part at least, to the straw manure, as this was the chief peculiarity in this case ; other-conditions of CORN CULTURE. soil and culture, except sand, being fairly met in Nos. 3, 6 and 7. No. 2, which gave a crop of one hundred and fifteen bushels, was manured with one hundred and twenty-five pounds of bone meal and one load of poultry-yard manure, drilled with the seed. Besides this manure there was nothing peculiar in the time or manner of cultivation to which we can attribute the large yield. Indeed, there was the disadvantage of an un- drained clay su'-vsoil, which must have somewhat reduced the crop. But the result will highly commend the mixture used as a fertilizer. But the scarcity of poultry-yard manure is a for- midable obstacle in the way of its use on a large scale. No. 4, with a yield of one hundred and nine bushels, furnishes an important lesson in the way of manures. No application of manures of any kind was made. The field was a surface loam resting on a clay subsoil, tile-drained, and had been devoted to clover for three years previously. But few farmers have any clear idea how much organic matter a well matured crop of clover contributes to the soil. Dr. Voelcker, of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, a few years ago ascertained by carefully washing and drying the roots from a square yard of well-set clover, that an acre of seed clover roots, within six inches of the surface, weighed two and a half tons ; and if we add the roots below this depth it will make an aggre- gate of not less than four tons of vegetable matter per acre, distributed more uniformly through the soil than is possible by any artificial means. But if the vegetable matter thus contri- buted to the soil by a clover crop is large in quantity, it is also rich in quality. The roots of the clover penetrate the soil to a greater depth than do the roots of any of our field crops, and they collect and bring up from these depths the mineral elements which lie beyond the reach of ordinary crops, and in the decay of these roots, the potash, Hme and phosphates are left in an available condition for the use of other crops. Clover roots, moreover, are rich in nitrogenous material, from which ammonia is formed in their decomposition. There remains, however, an unsolved problem in this experi- 8 CORN CULTURE. merit No. 4. With the advantage of the clover crop and of the underdrainage, if bone meal and poultry manure had been used, as in No. 2, would not the crop have exceeded No. i ? The remaining five of these premium crops were manured with stable manure, or had no manure. It is to be regretted that the certificates failed to fix any value for the manures used. This, however, is the natural result of the fact that throughout the West, barn-yard manure is not a marketable commodity, and therefore it has no commercial value, TIME OF PLOWING AND PLANTING, A defect of some importance in these experiments, grew out of the fact that the proposition was submitted in March. If it had been made in October, it would have given an opportunity to test the value of fall plowing for the spring crop. As it is, however, that question is reserved for further experiments. In the eight experiments under consideration, the breaking was done between April 5th and May I2th. No. 5, at Potawattomie, in Kansas, was plowed on the 5th of April, and produced one hundred and seven bushels, and No. 8, Vermilion county, Indi- ana, was plowed on the 12th of May, and yielded ninety-one bushels, leaving the result favorable to early plowing ; but No. I, giving one hundred and fifty-four bushels, was plowed May 1st, while No. 2. producing one hundred and fifteen bushels, was broken April 19th. We may therefore safely conclude that the time of breaking the ground, ranging from the ist of April to the loth of May, does not materially aft'ect the crop. We regret that we have no statement indicating the depth of the first plowing. This, however, would have been merely conjec- tural, as most persons honestly think they plow deeper than they really do. The time of planting ranges from the ist to the 1 8th of May. No. i, the largest crop, was planted May 8th, and No. 2, May 14th. MODE OF PLANTING. Of the eight premium crops, six were planted in hills and two were drilled. Nos. i and 2 furnish the best comparison between methods of planting. CORN CULTURE. No. I was planted in hills, the rows being 44 inches apart and the hills in the row 36 inches. Assuming that the acre was a square, this arrangement would give 3,696 hills, and as the hills were reduced to three stalks each, the crop consisted of 11,088 stalks, giving a yield of 154.08 bushels. No. 2 was planted in drills, the rows being 46 inches apart, with 16 inches between the stalks. This gives 52 rows, with 160 stalks in each row, or 8,420 stalks on the acre, yielding 1 15.79 bushels of corn. Had the distance between the rows been two inches less, and the space between the stalks reduced to 12 inches, the number of stalks would have been equal in either mode of planting. With the common varieties of maize, where the rows are 3 feet 10 inches apart, 12 inches between the stalks give ample room; but with some of the larger varieties it may be necessary to extend this to 16 inches. We are not, therefore, prepared to call it a mistake in this instance; but the question remains whether anything is gained by planting the larger varieties, which demand more room. The problem of hills,' or drills, will be settled chiefly by the condition of the ground and the purpose for which the crop is cultivated. If the ground is free from weeds or grass, and the crop is designed for feeding cattle, drills four feet apart with ten inches between the stalks, will give a satisfactory crop; but if the ground be foul, it will be better to plant in hills, so as to admit of cross plowing, by which a great amount of hand labor may be saved, v^'hich, at the present price of labor, is a matter not to be overlooked. VARIETIES OF MAIZE. The kinds of seed planted, in these experiments, as named in the certificates, will not be recognized by many of our readers. We give a few as a sample of the whole : No. I planted Blount's Prolific. No. 2, Chester Mammoth. No. 3, Yellow Dent. No. 4, English White. lO CORN CULTURE. We are not advised of the amount of influence which the peculiar variety exerted on the extent of the crop. It is proper to say that but Httle dependence can be placed on the permanence of any variety of maize. Of all bur cereals it is the most capricious and changeable. This, in part, is to be attributed to its peculiar botanical character. The silk being the pistillate flower, is liable to be fertilized by the pollen dust of some other flower instead of that on its own tassel. Indeed, cross fertilization often takes place at a distance of twenty or thirty rods. But aside from cross fertilization, no other grain is so susceptible to influences of climate, soil, mode of cultivation, etc. Almost any variety of maize, if it be subject to high cultivation, and the seed be carefully selected with reference to certain qualities, will, in ten or fifteen years, establish a well marked variety ; and if these conditions be neglected, it will go back to the original type, or perhaps sink below it, in less than that time. It has lately been asserted, by good authority, that every climate capable of growing maize produces its own peculiar type, and that different varieties from other countries directly conform to that type, though they are carefully protected from cross fertilization. From this cause it may be acclimated in any country where the three summer months maintain a mean tem- perature above 60° F. The yellow flint variety, which ripens a crop in ninety days in New England, when taken to the Gulf States will ripen two crops on the same ground the first season, but in the second year about thirty days additional will be demanded for perfecting the crop, and but a few years will be required to bring it to the type of Southern maize. This cereal is a summer crop, and, if the expression is allowed, it makes its calculation to occupy the whole summer. This flexible character results in a rapid degeneration under careless cultiva- tion, but it proves a valuable feature in the hands of the prudent and careful farmer. Its botanical characteristics mark it as originally a tropical plant, yet its flexibility enables it to grow even in a high northern latitude. When Europeans first CORN CULTURE. I I explored this continent they found the natives cultivating maize from the tropics to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Between the 95th and the looth degree of west longitude a variety of maize known as the "Golden Sioux" has been ripened as far north as the 50th parallel of latitude. It ripens in ninety days from the time of planting. But maize in its perfection will be found from the 40th degree of latitude south to the tropics. At the Centennial Exhibition it was an interesting study to observe the great variety of this grain as grown in different countries, as well as to observe the great extent of its cultiva- tion. The large varieties, with more than twelve rows of grain on the ear, were limited to that part of the United States lying south of the 42d degree of latitude. The only approach to our large varieties was found in the Russian exhibit of grain from the shores of the Caspian Sea. America, north of the 42d degree, and Europe, south of the 45th degree (and maize is not grown north of that line), produce only the flinty variety, with ears of from eight to twelve rows of grains. Even Italy, Spain and Portugal exhibited only "flint corn"; and the same may be said of South America and Australia. The subject of varieties of maize, as adapted to soil and climatic conditions, embracing the method of producing and maintaining varieties, is worthy of more attention than has heretofore been given to it. MODE OF CULTIVATION. The certificates reporting our premium crops present but little variety in the manner of cultivating the grain ; so little, indeed, that we are not justified in referring the success or failure in any case to this cause. No. 2 was plowed six times and hoed once. This was a drilled crop, and received the largest amount of cultivation. No. 4, the clover-ground crop, was harrowed once and plowed with a cultivator three times. This crop had no manure, nor any hoeing or hand cultivation. No. i, which gave the largest yield (one hundred and fifty-four bushels) was plowed four times and hand-hoed once. These were the extremes, and the remain- 12 CORN CULTURE, in<;^ five fall between. There are many things connected with the cultivation of these crops that it would be very desirable to know, and yet we are unable to learn them from the reports returned to this ofifice. We have no knowledge as to when the cultivation began, nor at what period of the growth it ended; nor do we know when the hoeing took place, nor the depth of the plowing. In tliose instances where manure was spread on the surface and turned under in the breaking, it is important to know whether the after- cultivation was sufficiently deep to dis- turb it. Were all the plowings of equal depth, or were they shallower as the crop advanced? These are important questions, involving the whole philoso- phy of cultivation, and yet we are unable to answer any of them. The best method of cultivating maize, and the extent to which that cultivation should be carried in regard to the growth, is, as 3^et, an unsolved problem; and as good farmers differ on the subject, it can be solved only by a careful observa- tion of different modes of culture, where other conditions are similar. TIME or RIPENING. The time required to mature the crop diffe'fs widely in the list of our premium acres. No. i shows the shortest time. The seed was planted May 8 and harvested September 15 ; thus maturing 154 bushels in 130 days. No. 4 occupied the longest period of growth, being planted May 14th and gathered Novem- ber 4th, covering a period of 174 days in growth, ripening 109 bushels of grain. This wide difference probably depends more on the kind of grain cultivated than any peculiarity of soil or mode of cultivation. There is but little in the difference indi- cated by the certificates, between Nos. i and 2, that will give No. I an excess of thirty eight bushels over the largest yield below this, unless perhaps it be found in the early-ripening variety chosen for cultivation. Moreover, this is indicated by the spaces of the rows — 3 feet by 3 feet 8 inches, equal to 3 feet 4 inches each way. This is entirely too close for the larger and later-ripening varieties of grain. CORN CULTURE. t^ But, as we have already indicated, maize will accommodate itself, in character of grain, size of ear and time of ripening, to the peculiarities of climate and soil where it is cultivated, unless this tendency is continually counteracted by selection of seed and mode of cultivation. The "White Dent," which is a variety intermediate between the eight-rowed flint of New England and the large "gourd-seed" of the South, has been successfully cultivated in the Connecticut Valley; but with all the care of New England farmers, its tendency to flintiness is manifest, and if the variety is to be maintained, it will be necessary to bring seed from a more southern latitude. Early ripening is a quality not to be overlooked in the cultivation of any grain, and espe- cially of the maize crop. COST OF CULTIVATION. In this Western country, farmers, as a general rule, have a very imperfect idea of what any crop costs. In offering these premiums, the Farmer Company aimed to get the means of, at least, an approximation to the cost of each acre reported. But in the result we can hardl}' claim a success. Where manures were used, with, perhaps, one exception, no price is attached to them. Indeed, stable or barn yard manure, as we have said, is not a comm.odity of trade, and generally has no price affixed to it beyond the price of hauling and spreading. The value of ground rent is in no instance given ; and while the number of days devoted to the breaking, planting, cultivation and gathering the crop is given, no statement is made of how many of those days employed a team, nor the cash value of a days' work, either with or without a team. In the absence of definite information on these points, we can only take the facts that are stated, and reach comparative results. No. 3 reports twenty days and seven hours of work devoted to producing I II. 13 bushels of corn. This was all team worlc, except a single hoeing, which would employ a hand about one day. If we estimate a team and driver to be worth $2.00 per day, and a hand witiiout team $I.co, the cost of this crop may be stated thus : 14 CORN CULTURE. 19^ Days of team work, ^39.00 I Day single hand work, i.oo Ground rent, 5.00 $45- 00 This was the largest amount of labor expended on any of the oremium crops, and as there was no manure used, the labor and rent cover the whole expense of the crop. The cost per bushel would therefore be 40. 5 cents. No. 4 presents the smallest bill for labor. 109.60 bushels were produced by 4 days' labor. It was drilled, and the culti- vation consisted in harrowing once and plowing three times, with a cultivator. No manures were used nor hand work applied. The bill will be : 4 Days' team work, ^8.00 Ground rent, 5.00 This gives the production of 109.60 bushels at an expense of ;^i3.oo, or 12 cents per bushel. The largest crop, 154.08 bushels, was made at the expense of 17 days' work, and as the crop was hoed once, we infer that 16 days was team work, worth ^2.00 each, and one single day's work, worth $1.00, making the account stand: 16 Days of team work, ;^32.oo I Single day's work, i.oo Ground rent, 5.00 ' 5.00 This makes the crop cost 24.6 cents per bushel. On this assumption of the value of work, the average cost per bushel, of the eight premium crops, is a fraction less than 24 cents — the highest being No. 3, 40^ cents, and the lowest No. 4, 12 cents per bushel. It is but fair to say that we are at a loss to understand how 20j4 days of work could be put in, breaking, planting with two-horse planter, plowing three times with a CORN CULTURE. I 5 cultivator, and hoeing once, a single acre of ground, as is reported in No. 3. It is possible that the team labor may have been reduced to single hand labor by counting each day two days' work. On that assumption the average will be reduced to about 22 cents per bushel. Deducting two cents per bushel from the present price of grain at Indianapolis, as the expense of marketing, we have 16 cents per bushel as the net profits. The average of the eight premium crops is 109.80 bushels, which represents ;^I7.56 per acre, after deducting price of labor and rent. In looking over the labor and care bestowed on these crops, we see nothing extraordinary. Neither the amount nor character of the fertilizers used, nor the manner of cultivation, nor yet its extent, was beyond what may and should be given to every crop of maize cultivated. We therefore conclude that maize is a profitable crop. REVIEW OF THE PREMIUM EXPERIMENTS. The premiums being offered in March, we are necessarily deprived of any knowledge of the effect of fall breaking on the succeeding crop. We therefore leave untouched a very impor- tant question, and one on which farmers are widely diverse in opinion. The experiments hitherto reported as to the effect of fall plowing give very contradictory results ; but no notice is taken, generally, as to the character, and present condition, of the soil. The effect of exposing the lower soil to the influence of frost, air and sunshine, is very different in a stiff clay soil from what it would be in a loose, sandy loam. In the first, these agencies would produce material changes in the structure of the soil ; in the second, little or no changes would be effected. Much, also, would depend on the character of the winter. If it should prove warm and wet, the effect on fall-plowed land will be very different from that which would follow a cold, dry winter. The effect would be modified, also, by the drainage of the soil. No good result from fall plowing can be expected if the green crop turned under lies in water all the winter and spring, and the soil being saturated, settles together as com- l6 CORN CULTURE. pactly as it was before it was broken, and thus completely counteracts the mellowing influence of the winter freezing. But this question remains open for future experiments, and we hope farmers will not be slow to make and report the difference between fall and spring breaking in the cultivation of summer crops. We have already alluded to our want of knowledge as to the depth of the first plowing. There is another question, in this relation, that is of some importance in estimating the value of different modes of cultivation. When manure or green crops are turned under, should the after-cultivation be so deep as to disturb this layer of vegetable matter? On this question prac- tical farmers are divided, and the matter can be settled only by experimental tests. We think the present drift of opinion is toward deep breaking and shallow cultivation, but unforiunately our experiments give us no light on the subject. In the crops which took our premiums there is considerable diversity, both in the manner and extent of cultivation, but without giving any marked results in favor of either. The cultivator is evidently superseding the hoe, the harrow and the plow in the cultivation of maize, yet our largest crop (J>fo, i) was made by plowing four times, with a double shovel, and hoeing once. The largest amount of cultivation was given to crop No. 2. It was a drilled crop, and was hoed once and plowed si.x; times. Two principal objects are aimed at in the summer culrivation of maize. The first and most obvious of these is the destruction of weeds and grass, or, in common language, to "keep the ground clean." The second is to maintain a loose and porous condition of the soil, so as to freely admit the air. In this view of cultivation, it will be seen at a glance that no fixed rule can be adopted that will apply in all cases, A sandy loam, free from weeds, and well prepared before planting, will demand but little after- cultivation. A clay soil will require more, as a general rule, but the extent will still depend much on circumstances. If a mistake has been made in planting before the ground was properly pulverized, that work must be done afterwards, or the crop will suffer the consequences. But even where the soil has CORN CULTUlUt. 1 7 been well pulverized, if a dashing shower of rain falls on it immediately after it has been plowed, and a hot sunshine suc- ceeds to this, a thin crust of baked earth will form on the surface, and, to a great extent, exclude the air. This demands the plow immediately ; for the crop can not thrive without air. The destruction of weeds is of the first importance, and should take the first place in cultivation — that is, weeds should be destroyed early in the season. Indeed, it is true here, as else- where, that "prevention is better than cure." Most of our troublesome weeds are annuals, and if they are not permitted to bear seed, there is the end of them. If maize is cultirated on stubble ground, it should be broke in September, before the seeds have ripened. The fall rains will have the effect to bring up what seeds may have been buried deep in the ground, and the fall frosts will put an end to them before they ripen their seeds. The only rule that can be adopted in the summer cultivation of maize is that the ground must be kept clean and mellow. If three cultivations will do this, it is well ; if it requires six, it should have that number. Another question of some importance, and to which our premium crops fail to give a satisfactory answer, is — How late, in the growth of the crop, should the cultivation be continued ? Many farmers object to continuing the cultivation when the plow or cultivator breaks the roots of the growing crop to any considerable extent ; others contend that breaking the roots does not injure the crop. Within certain limits and under proper restrictions, both are right. Roots take up plant food by their extremities, or, in other words, the mouth is at the end of the root. When a root is broken, in the early stages of growth, it sends out several new shoots, thus multiplying the absorbing extremities, and perhaps adding vigor to the growth. But as we approach the period of flowering, the probability of a broken root sprouting diminishes, especially if the weather be dry. After the tassel appears, the damage of a broken root is seldom or never repaired. Breaking roots at this period must prove a positive injury to the crop. Late cultivation should, CORN CULTURE. therefore, be very superficial, and confined chiefly to levehng the surface, to enable the soil the better to withstand an August drouth, if it should come. Though the hoe was generally used in the cultivation of the crops competing for our premiums, yet it is worthy of notice that the crop costing least per bushel (No. 4) was made without the hoe, and it, too, was a drilled crop, which generally requires more hand labor than a crop in hills. The opinion prevails generally among Western farmers, that, at the present price of labor, maize can not be profitably raised if any considerable amount of hand culture is required. With the present improvements in drills, planters and cultiva- tors, there appears to be no necessity for hand labor, except in thinning and gathering. Our experimental crops have established: ist. That one hundred bushels of maize can be raised on an acre of good soil with no extraordinary cultivation or manuring ; 2d, That much depends on a proper selection of seed ; 3d, That clover may profitably be substituted for other manures ; and, 4th, That hand labor is not indispensable in the cultivation of this crop in a loose, loamy soil. GENERAL REMARKS. Maize is now, and will long continue to be, the leading crop in the central belt of the Mississippi Valley. South of the 36th degree of north latitude, cotton will maintain that position, and north of the 42d parallel, wheat will hold the first place in farm crops ; but in each of these regions maize will be an incidental crop of no small importance. In the fattening of beef and pork it is almost indispensable ; and for working animals, it is the cheapest and most reliable food within the reach of our farmers. It is, therefore, of the first importance to know how the largest amount of grain can be produced with the least expense, and with the smallest reduction in the fertility of the soil producing it. Maize is a deep-rooted plant, and, for its most perfect devel- opment, requires a soil that will admit of the penetration of its roots to the depth of two or three feet. On this account there CORN CULTURE. I9 was formerly a prejudice against planting maize on clay soils ; but underdraining is fast dissipating that prejudice. Our clay uplands, whether it be the timbered land of Indiana and Ohio, or the prairies of Illinois, after they have been thoroughly underdrained, will, in a few years, produce a crop equal to the best bottom lands. Indeed, the crop is more certain on well- drained clay land than on sandy bottom land with a gravel subsoil. Deep breaking and thorough pulverizing are indispen- sable, if we hope to reach the best results in maize culture. On strong clay soils, the roller or some other form of clod- crusher should follow the breaking-plow, and this should be followed by the harrow. If the surface is still rough, the roller may be used a second time, either before or immediately after planting. Though fertilizers are not yet indispensable in maize-farming in the West, as is the case in many of the Eastern States, yet .on most of our lands well composted stable manure, with bone meal or other phosphates, will add largely to the extent and value of the crop. While we can not afford to spend twenty or thirty dollars per acre on a crop for manures, we can and should carefully save and apply the fertilizers produced on the farm, which too often are permitted to go to waste or become a nuisance about the barn. Do not forget the testimony of our premium crop, No. 4, in favor of clover manuring. Another matter much neglected in this department, is the selection and care of seed. Let the farmer fix in his mind the improvement he desires to make in the variety he is cultivating, whether that be in size of ear, number of ears on the stalk, character of the grain, or time of ripening ; and having deter- mind this in his mind, let him devote a day, about the first of October, to the selection of his seed for the next crop. Having thus selected the ears, tlrey should be carefully put away in some dry place, secure from rats and mice, and where the temperature will not fall below zero in winter. Maize is a tropical plant in its origin, and it maintains so much of its primitive character that it will not safely endure a very low temperature without endanger- 20 CORN CULTURE. ing the vitality of the germ. If two or more varieties are culti- vated on the same farm, or near to each other, care should be taken, in selecting seed, to reject all mixed or cross-fertilized ears. If, however, it be the intention to produce a new variety by crossing, the experiment will be better conducted by planting the mixed seed in a small lot by it.self. If it be desirable to cross a late and an early variety, the late ripening seed should be planted in alternatj rows, ten days or two weeks before the early variety is planted in the remaining rows. In the first crop the grains will appear to maintain the character of the parent variety, though mixed with each other on the same cob ; but this will disappear in a few years, and a perfectly new variety be produced. We take the liberly, in this connection, to caution our readers against paying fancy prices for new varieties of maize, unless they understand the conditions under which these varieties were produced, and are willing to maintain the same conditions ; otherwise the new varieties will soon go back to the original type. Varieties of wheat and oats are more permanent, but constant care is required to preserve varieties of maize. The ingenuity and mechanical skill of this age have furnished machinery to execute the work by horse-power necessary to produce a crop of maize, but the harvest work — the gathering of the crop, still remains hand work. The method fifty years ago, was to pull the ears, with their enveloping husks, and haul them to the barnyard, and then followed the merry "corn- husking," in the hazy Indian-summer evenings. But huskings, with their fun and frolic and pot-pie, belong to the past. The crop is now generally harvested by husking on the stalk, gath- ering only the ears, leaving the husks to be gathered by the cattle at their leisure. If the grain is to be cribbed in bulk, the gathering should not be done till after a sharp frost has arrested the flow of sap in the stalk. The forage value of the maize crop has never been properly regarded in this country. The crop may bS cut up, as soon as the milk has fairly disappeared from the grain, and set in shocks CORN CULTURE. 21 of about twelve hills square, or one hundred and forty-four hills in each shock, and carefully tied at the top. If properly put up, both the fodder and grain will keep well through the Avhole winter. The analysis of this forage, including stalk, blade and husk, when cut at the proper season and well cured, shows the astonishing amount of 52 per cent, of starch, sugar and gum, while the best timothy hay contains only 40. But we lose much of the value of fodder by not having the proper machinery to reduce the stalks to an eatable form. The following letter is from the father of the young man who grew the No. i prize crop of maize, of over one hundred and fifty-four bushels per acre, the Blount variety: JS.OyV TO GROTV MAIZE. The Way to Plant and Tend to Get the Largest Yield. Allow me space to give my plan for producing a crop of Blount's corn, or any other variety. The great requisite is a good fertile soil; then have it well plowed and thoroughly pul- verized. If bulky manures are applied, they should be as thor- oughly pulverized as possible, and applied to the surface of the land, and well worked into the soil. For Blount's corn I would lay off the land in drills, four feet, or four feet three inches, and plant sixteen inches apart in the row. For check-rows, four by four feet, with four kernels in the hill. After the corn is up three or four feet high, I would remove any suckers that appear, and thin out to three stalks to each hill. As for cultivation, the more the better. But first use the drag so that the corn will be free from weeds in the hill. Then the next thing I Avould use is the bull-tongue plow, plowing each way in the check-row, or, if drilled, one way. Then, if the ground is underdrained, I would give the corn level culture; stirring often, but shallow. This plan of course cannot be adopted at all times and under all circumstances. Blount's corn is a vigorous growing plant, and will produce double the amount of forage of other varieties, and under favorable circumstances double the amount of corn 22 CORN CULTURE. usually raised. This corn will average nearly five ears to the stalk. But it is not every one that plants it who will succeed with it; as many think all that is necessary is to plant and reap. I would advise all such not to plant Blount's corn, as failure will surely be their reward. Many want to know if the corn is white or yellow. It is white, with small cob, and is called a dent corn. I weighed sixty-eight pounds in the ear, shelled the same, and it weigiied fifty-eight pounds of corn. This corn, if planted early in May, will ripen by September loth. It is a surprise to many, growing so tall ; twelve to fourteen feet is not unusual. The ears are eight to twelve-rowed, of fair length but slender. Prof Blount, now of Colorado, is the person who first introduced this corn. W. H. Harter. Allen county, Ind, SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. The articles upon small fruits and vegetables that follow, are written by gentlemen who have had long experience, and have wrought out the results embodied here by thoughtful, painstak- ing efforts to learn what were the best and most profitable varie- ties for our climate and soil, and the most successful methods of propagating and tilling them. Their opinions can be relied on, for this section of country, with great certainty : SMALL FRUITS AND THEIR CULTIVATION. BY GRANVILLE COWING, Small Fruit Grower, Muncie, Ind. To enable you to form an imperfect idea of the rapid increase in the production of three of the leading small fruits, I will begin my subject with a statement taken from a recent report of the local assistant of the census bureau in Chicago, concerning the quantity of strawberries, blackberries and raspberries sold in that market during the present year, together with average price and total value of same. One fourth of the whole amount was consumed in Chicago and the remainder sent to other markets : Quautities. Average Price. Value Strawberries, 20,000,000 quarts, 10 cents per quart, $2,000,000 Blackberries, 12,000,000 " I2>^ " 1,500,000 Raspberries, 3,500,000 " 12;^ " 437,500 Total, - - - - - ■ - $3,937,500 24 SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, These figures may be too large, but are the most reliable that can be obtained. The amount of fruit sold this season in Chicago was double that of four years ago. Six million quarts of strawberries were received in Cincinnati this season, one- fourth or which were consumed within its limits and the remain- der sent to other markets ; an increase in that market over the year 1879 of six hundred and forty thousand quarts. When it is remembered that these are but two of the many great markets of our country, we begin to be able to form a limited idea of the magnitude of our small fruit production, an industry which fairly began its development with the dissemination of Wilson's Albany strawberry, about the year i860. That variety, I learn from a newspaper paragraph, was grown from seed in 1850, near Albany, N. Y., by a Scotchman named Wilson, a practical, plain man, who was engaged in the nursery business, who ex- hibited his unselfish disposition by dividing plants of his seed- ling with his neighbor, and who, when its value was fully estab- lished, had less plants of it to sell than any of them. It was named Wilson's Albany, and at once took its place as the most valuable variety for commercial purposes ever presented — a position it still maintains to a great extent Mr. Wilson died some years ago almost forgotten, but the fruit growers and the fruit consumers of this country owe him a debt greater than many that have been paid in costly monu- ments of bronze and marble. The only variety yet introduced that threatens to divide the field with his seedling, for long shipments, is Captain Jack ; but its berries have an unfortunate habit of parting from the hull, which may prevent it from taking the lead. STRAWBERRIES. In this locality the strawberry crop was an average one in quantity, but owing to frequent late spring frosts, not as many large and perfect berries were produced as in 1879. My crop was mainly derived from Crescent Seedling, Cum- berland Triumph, Champion, Captain Jack and Kentucky. These are the most profitable varieties I now cultivate. With- SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 2$ out them, my strawberry crop this season would have been almost a total failure. Crescent Seedling continues to grow in favor as the most vigorous and productive variety. Except in very wet weather, it proves to be a fair shipping berry. Its bright scarlet color is very attractive, and it averages larger in size than Wilson's Albany. It is variable in flavor; sometimes rather insipid, often piquant, and when ripened in the fervent heat of the last days of June, not excelled in sweetness by any otiier variety. My first ripe berries were derived from it on the 25th of May and the last on the 30th of June. Cumberland Triumph. — Not quite perfect, but if I were restricted to but one variety, it would be this. The uniformly large size, beautiful appearance and fine flavor of its berries always enable them to command the highest prices in the mar- ket. It is a robust grower and will produce a more vigorous plant and a larger berry on thin soil than any other variety I am acquainted with. It is not sufficiently solid to endure long shipments. Champion is next in productiveness to Crescent, and pro- duces much larger berries of a brilliant dark scarlet color; deci- dedly tart unless fully ripe, and rather soft. Fruited it this sea- son near Windsor Chief, and found no difference between them. If one is a seedling of the other, nature has in this instance departed from her usual habit by reproducing herself without a trace of variation. Captain Jack. — The warmth and excessive moisture of last winter seemed to impair the vitality of this variety. It made but a feeble growth and did not produce more than one-half its usual amount of fruit. Kentucky is still the best very late variety that has been generally tested. Gathered berries from it on the 7th of July. On my soil it continues long in bearing. Glendale is a late variety, but not quite so late as Ken- tucky ; produces larger and more solid berries than last named variety, but not equal to them in flavor ; a strong grower and 26 SMALL. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. very productive. Fruit as firm as Wilson and light scarlet in color. Will no doubt be a popular market variety. Duchess is a sturdy grower and very productive. Berries of medium size, firm and of fair flavor. Very early, and liable, when in flower, to be injured by late spring frosts. Miner's Prolific is a vigorous, fruitful variety, producing large dark scarlet, handsome berries ; in color much like Charles Downing. Taken in detail, I can find nothing to condemn in this variety. Yet it did not prove as profitable as Cumberland Triumph, Crescent or Champion. Sharpless was seriously injured by late spring frosts and produced but few fair berries. I have no doubt it will do better in an average season. Great American and Sterling pro/ed more satisfactory this season than heretofore. Elevated clay soil appears to suit them best. Longfellow is a strong grower and produces a very long, solid berry of a light scarlet color and of excellent flavor. It is a promising new variety. Continental, Centennial, Cinderella, Pioneer, Essex Beauty, Red Jacket, Garden, President Lincoln, Damask Beauty, Black Defiance, Forest Rose and Huddleston's Favorite have thus far failed to manifest any valuable qualities on my soil. Green Prolific is not as productive nor as attractive in color as Crescent, nor more firm nor of better flavor. The heat and drought of October, 1879, combined with the excessive moisture of the succeeding winter killed a large proportion of the plants of Monarch and seriously impaired the vitality of some other varieties. "'Strawberry plants set last spring, owing to drought, have made but feeble growth and cannot produce moi-e than half an ordinary crop next spring. Beds planted two years ago promise a full crop. Planting, Cultivation, &c. — Strawberry plants can be se^ most "^profitably in early spring, while the ground is moist and the air cool. If done then, watering and shading will be unnec- essary. Rows should be three and a half feet apart. In the SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. , 2/ rows, plants should be placed from eighteen inches to three feet apart, according to the habit of the variety. Plants of such varieties as Duncan and Duchess should not be more than eighteen inches apart, while plants of Crescent and Cumberland Triumph may be planted three feet apart. Matted rows are most profitable and should be at least one foot wide. New beds should receive constant cultivation throughout the season. A two-horse walking plough is an excellent implement for that purpose. At the approach of winter all plants should be covered with some light material to prevent upheaval by frost. Wheat straw is excellent for that purpose. The mulch should not be removed in spring until heavy frosts cease to fall. No cultiva- tion should be given in spring to bearing beds until after the crop has been gathered. BLACKBERRIES. Owing to the unusual mildness of last winter all varieties of blackberries passed through it in good condition and produced a fair crop of fruit. Kittatinny, ordinarily worthless here, was loaded with large lucious berries, and was almost free from rust. But it has produced but two fair crops within the last eight years, and cannot be relied upon. Snyder produced an immense crop of delicious berries. As it ripens early, it was but little affected by the drought, which began about the middle of July. Its fruit is of medium size, of a brilliant black color, and almost destitute of core. Taylor's Prolific is equally as productive as Snyder, and ten days or two weeks later in ripening. It has in perfection the exquisite flavor of the wild dewberry of the south, and pro- duces a long berry somewhat larger than that of Snyder. In productiveness, hardiness and entire exemption from rust, Sny- der and Taylor's Prolific, for this latitude, are certainly superior to any other well-tested kinds, and might with profit supplant the varieties now occupying a place on the star list of this society. Wallace is a new and promising variety. It is a robust grower with broad leaves and produces immense clusters of 28 SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. large delicious berries, which are borne on the tips of its branches. It appears to be perfectly hardy and free from rust. Knox also promises to be valuable. Western Triumph appears to be subject to rust, and there- fore cannot be recommended. During the berry season, I picked one quart each of average berries of Kittatinny, Snyder, Taylor's Prolific and Wallace, and sent them, properly labeled, to the editors of the Indiana Farmer for the purpose of obtaining their opinion concerning comparative appearance and flavor of same. The following response was given through the columns of their paper : "Our editorial and clerical palates are somwhat divided upon their merits. The majority, however, ranked them in the fol- lowing order: Taylor's Prolific, Wallace, Snyder and Kitta- tinny. The Taylors were regarded as the sweetest and best flavored, and were fully equal to the others in size. The Taylor being a native of Indiana, we are quite proud to find it ranking so high when compared with the other more noted varieties. In sampling for the test, it is proper to state that the name of each variety was kept out of sight till after judgment was pronounced." I have grown Snyder for six years, and during that time it has not failed to produce a crop of berries, and has never exhib- ited any symptoms of rust. Taylor's Prolific, Snyder and Wallace, three of the best blackberries now cultivated in this latitude, and Gregg, the best blackcap raspberry ever presented to the public, all originated in the state of Indiana. The drought which prevailed during the summer and fall of this year prevented the formation of the usual amount of black- berry wood. This, combined with the fact that the intense cold of last month has impaired the vitality of such tender varieties as LaAvton and Kittaninny, indicates a short crop of blackberries for 1 88 1, and, consequently, high prices. Planting, Cultivation, &c. — Blackberries should be planted in rows eight feet apart, with plants two and one-half feet apart in the row. When two feet high, plants should be deprived of the leading bud to induce them to form lateral branches, and SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. ig should be allowed to form a hedge-like, selfsupporting line in the row. Shallow cultivation between the rows should be given. Deep cultivation injures the plants by breaking their roots and causing plants to spring up between the rows. RASPBERRIES. Gregg. — This, no doubt, is the best very-late black-cap raspberry ever cultivated. Its berries are larger and more beau- tiful than those of any other black- cap variety, and sell for a higher price. It ships well and is more attractive in color than Mammoth Cluster, which ripens with it and which has heretofore been the leading late variety. It is hardy and a remarkably strong grower. If pinched when two feet high to induce the growth of lateral branches, the amount of fruit-bearing wood will be greatly increased and tiie necessity for artificial support be obviated. By cultivating an early variety with it, the length of the raspberry season can be almost doubled. Doolittle's Black-cap has ripened the bulk of its crop when the first berries of Gregg began to color. When first disseminated, many spurious plants of Gregg were sent out, but almost erery res- pectable nurseryman now has them true to name. In the spring of 1878 I obtained plants of it from four widely separated nurseries ; planted them separately and found them all alike and all true to name. Turner. — For several years I grew this variety on black loam, where it was invariably unproductive. Last season I fruited it for the first time on elevated thin clay soil, where it produced an abundant crop of large, delicious berries, and was in every other respect perfectly satisfactory. It is perfectly satisfactory. It is perfectly hardy and not excelled in flavor by any other red raspberry. CuTHBERT, OR QuEEN OF THE MARKET. — This, On account of its hardiness, productiveness, flavor and beautiful garnet color, will probably be the leading red raspberry for some time to come. Reliance and Early Prolific are two hardy varieties, pro- 30 SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. ducing heavy crops of large berries of a dull red color and me- dium flavor, Florence is a yellow variety of strong growth and very productive, but sour and unpalatable. Roots from tips. The same directions relative to planting and cultivating blackberries will apply to raspberries, except the rows of the latter need not be more than seven feet apart. As regards the relative value of the red and black caps as market varieties, I quote from a prominent St. Louis fruit dealer, who says that the demand for black raspberries in that market is rather declining than increasing, and that the cultiva- tion of red raspberries is hardly keeping pace with the demand for them. The decreased demand for black raspberries he at- tributes to the constantly increasing strawberry crop, which supplies that market from the 1st of April until the end of July; the first berries coming from Texas and Alabama and the last from northern Wisconsin. EXPERIMENTS WITH VEGETABLES. BY J. A. FOOTE, Seedsman and Gardener, Terre Haute, Indiana. PRELIMINARY. The science of agriculture, including horticulture, is mainly one of experiment. Theory, certainly, has little to do with gardening. About all our knowledge comes from experience, either our own or that of our neighbors, or of our ancestors. Experiments rightly conducted are valuable, but when carelessly done are worse than useless. During the past season I have attempted to make some tests of many different varieties of vegetables grown side by side, and in the direction in which SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 31 the comparisons were intended to be made they will be found accurate. Still, I don't advise any one to settle down on the results which I present as the exact truth from which no devia- tion may be expected under other circumstances. Soil, season, time of planting and other things would change the result to some extent, and do sometimes to a great extent. PEAS. On the 7th of April last I planted 17 varieties of peas, in rows of same length, adjoining each other, on a good black, sandy soil, which in former years had been well manuared, and which was in good condition the past season. The following table will give the date of first picking as nearly as may be, and the hight of vine. Notes below will tell of their quality and productiveness : Hight Date of Varietiks in iuches. first picking. Landreth's Extra Early 30 May 26 Miggett's Extra Early 30 May 26 Philadelphia Extra Early 30 May 26 Carter's First Crop 30 May 27 Tom Thumb 30 May 29 Alpha 30 May 29 American Wonder 8 May 30 Blue Peter 10 June 2 Advancer , 30 June 5 Premium Gem 16 June 5 Little Gem 16 June 6 Dwarf Marrovvlat 48 June 16 Telephone 54 June 16 Champion of England 54 June 19 Forty Fold 54 June 19 Challenger 36 June 20 Yorkshire Hero , 30 June 30 The hight of all is probably greater than they would average on most soils. The time of first picking is quite accurate with early and dwarf kind, but less so with the tall and late ones, as they ripen more slowly and fewer at a time. Landreth's Extra Early, Meggatt's Extra Early, and Phila- delphia Extra Early are different stocks of the same pea. The two former are not distinguishable, being nearly pure, differing 32 SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. in this respect from the latter. Quality excellent, productive, and best early pea for the market gardener. Carter's First Crop is much like the former, but has many smaller pods. Alpha and Advancer being wrinkled peas are among the finest in quality, to my taste far excelling the smooth varieties, particularly the Marrowfats, which are rank and strong. For a pea to stick, I should choose the Advancer before all others. Little Gem and Premium Gem are almost if not quite identi- cal, the advantage in earliness and productiveness incHning towards the latter. They do not usually grow more than 12 inches high, and for a pea not requiring sticking, on account of its early maturing, productiveness, quality and size of pea, I would choose one of these two. A little sticking, however, will do them good. Of Blue Peter almost the same can be said as of the former, and some gardeners take it in preference, but I think it does not fill into its pods so well, and is, therefore, not so productive to the consumer ; but it is three days earlier. Telephone is a new English pea, and grows extraordinarily large pods, of fine quality. My tests of this and other late tall kinds were not satisfactory, on account of their growing much higher than their sticks and being thrown over by the winds and rains. It should not fail to be tried by all who have any interest in the subject. Challenger did not strike me as presenting any gain over the other better known varieties. Champion of England still holds its own as one of the very best late tall peas. Productiveness and quality entitle it to this high rank. Forty Fold is very similar to the Champion ; it probably produces larger peas, but, as remarked before, an exact com- parison of these late peas could not be made. American Wonder, which I have left to the last, is a little wonder. It was loaded with pods, so much so that they were more conspicuous than the vines, they being the dwarfest of all. SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 33 As might be expected, it ripens up all at once — all its pods could be picked in four or five days, certainly in less than a week. It can, of course, be planted very close, and will please those who want a very dwarf pea. The quality, like all wrinkled peas, is fine. I notice an Eastern seed establishment advertising this to the trade, and speaking of it as growing 12 to 18 inches high. The true American Wonder, in a moderate soil, will not grow over six to eight inches. There is a pea of English origin called the Little Wonder, which will, I fear, be sold for the American Wonder. TOMATOES, A leading gardener and seedsman has said that we have reached the limit of earliness in tomatoes, and that the difference in varieties in that respect now is so little as to be of small consequence. I do not find it so. Experiments in previous years have proven the reverse, and the one that I now propose to detail tells the same story. There is a difference worth heeding. It is true that the South sends up her ripened fruit in advance, so that our earliest is behind hers; still it is also a fact that home-grown tomatoes sell better than those brought from a distance, and the early marketed always bring a good price. On the 5th of March, of last spring, I sowed the following varieties, in a moderate hot-bed, and grew probably 200 plants. I selected twelve of each variety, and transplanted to the south side of a fence, and provided means to cover them in cold nights. May loth I transplanted to the garden, placing them three feet apart. The result as to time of ripening is in the following table. The figures represent the total numbers of tomatoes picked, at the dates named, from each twelve vines : Juoe JuDe July July July Julv July 28. 30. 8. 11. 14. '.M.' 31 One Hundred Days 6 17 25 39 65 320 565 Alpha 1 7 35 52 180 286 Acme » 4 10 32 70 Canada Victor 2 10 63 179 Paragon 2 21 49 34 SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. The end of the rows of the last three were shaded a little in the morning, and some little allowance must be made on that account. The lOO Days, as in all my former experiments, ripened first and furnished much the largest number of tomatoes for the first month. Its fruit, however, is much smaller than any of the others, and especially towards the last of the month. It rotted less than any. Although rather small, and sometimes rather rough, yet, if a gardener, I should plant at least one-quarter of my early stock of the loo Days. This must be taken as an opinion only, for many would not agree with me. Alpha, a new variety, came next, and is a very valuable kind. It is of good size and shape, much like Canada Victor, and if I chose only one kind I would choose it. Acme is a beautiful tomato, and, with us, most salable of all when it comes ; but this experiment and other knowledge of it tell me it can not be classed among the very early tomatoes. Of course it is one of the best for main crop. It is perfectly smooth, and of a purplish color. Canada Victor is an excellent early variety, ranking in former experiments about as it does here. Paragon is a very handsome tomato, as smooth as Acme, larger and of a bright red, while the latter is of purphsh red. It did not prove productive. Early Essex. This variety I also grow, but planting it some two weeks later, I could not make a comparison with the others as to earliness. It is so nearly like Acme that I shall not believe it different until another trial proves it so. This does not exhaust the good varieties, but it does the earlier ones. The Trophy and Fejee and Gen. Grant are excel- lent late kinds. The above were grown in a good black, sandy soil, not manured this season, and well adapted to their growth. In trials reported to me from nearly every State in the Union, three" or Tour/years 'since, ^the ^ I oo Days came first and the Canada Victor second. Alpha and Acme have been added to SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 35 the list since. I mean that in a very large majority of cases this was the report, but in a few instances, singularly, later kinds have been reported as coming first. This is difficult to account for. Sometimes, perhaps, mistakes have been made, and others have had some more favorable influences to bring the later kinds forward of the acknowledged earlier ones. I have made accu- rate comparisons for three different years, with the same results. Soil may have something to do with the difference of maturing. In my experiments, the soil has been the same in all cases — a black, sandy loam, RADISHES AND LETTUCE. The following varieties of radishes were sown April 15th, in good sandy soil. They were somewhat neglected in their culti- vation, and were left to grow too thick. Nevertheless they did well, which is another proof of the two essentials (or radish growing, viz: a deep, loose, rich soil and plenty of moisture, for they had both of these. They were ready for use at dates named : Early Scarlet Turnip, White Tipped Scarlet Turnip, Early White Turnip, French Breakfast, White Olive Shaped, Long Scarlet Short Top — May 13th to 15th. Long Scarlet Short Top — May 20th. Golden Globe, Long White Naples — about May 23d. Giant White Stuttgart — about June ist. It is obvious that the exact day on which a radish is fit to be pulled for use is indefinite. There was scarcely any difference in size of the first five named at the date mentioned. All of the five earliest ones are desirable; the choice of one or two must be left to the taste of each individual. Long Scarlet Short Top is one of the most popular, and de- servedly so, owing to its beautiful color, tenderness and size. This and the other kinds, especially the red ones, are only fit for early planting. Hot weather makes them pithy and tough. Golden Globe does well to plant early and late, it is of a brownish yellow color, grows large and gives great satisfaction at all seasons. 36 SM A LL^ FRUITS AND VEGETABLIES. Giant White Stuttgart. — This variety I imported in 1878, and have sold it each year since, and it has met with increasing favor. It is a clear white, grows to a very large size, is of longish turnip shape, and remains solid throughout the heat of summer. It is, in my opinion, the very best summer radish sown. LETTUCE. The result of an experiment with varieties of lettuce cannot well be put in the form of a table. The kinds named were all sown April 15th. Although they were sown in drills adjoining each other, and only one and two feet apart, yet there was some difference in the soil that was not apparent until their growth. The garden spot had been taken by me early in the spring, and was said to have been largely manured in previous years so that it now needed no more. This I found to be true in almost the whole of it, but here, evidently, was a spot that had been neglected. This suggests a lesson. Small experiments have only a partial value. Soil may seem to be tlie same, and yet, at two feet distance, may be very different. So, also, the prepara- tion of soil as to depth of digging, of proper pulverization, of the time in which they were done, and numerous other things, affect the value of the test. A watchful care is essential to carrying out such trifles. Early Curled Silesia and Early Curled Simpson proved to be the earliest of those sown. Of late, preference has been given the latter, but in this test the Silesia was fully equal to it. For early sowing in the garden, and for hot-bed culture, these are the very best. Hanson is a curled lettuce resembling the former, but a little later and growing larger. It is fine and tender. Curled India is another large curled lettuce, still later, but good every way, and especially valuable in that it stands the heat well. Early Cabbage and Royal Cabbage are undoubtedly good kinds, but as explained above, suffered from a difference in soil or its preparation. They both have plain green leaves that are SMALL FRUITS AND VKGETABLES. 37 of slower growth at first than the curled sorts, but which, if given room, make large heads resembling a cabbage, the inside of which is tender and excellent. They should be grown in this manner, thinned out to eight inches apart. Bloomsdale Early Summer, under similar disadvantages, did poorly, but should not be discarded with the one experiment. Green Fringed Lettuce. — This is the most beautiful lettuce in appearance that is grown. I take pride in having introduced it to the public. It is of a peculiar, very light shade of green, with the inner parts of the leaves white, and the edges of its leaves are beautifully cut and fringed. When well grown it is tender and pleasant, and remains a long time fit for use. It is hardly necessary to say that good lettuce, like radishes, can only be grown in rich, light, well pulverized and deeply dug soil, and with plenty of moisture. POTATOES. On the 15th of April 1 planted ten varieties of potatoes on the same soil that other vegetables mentioned were grown on, viz: a good sandy soil that had been well manured in former years. One row of each was planted, and in one-third of each drill a liberal amount of bone-dust was scattered, and on another third another brand of fertilizer, while the other third was left without manure of any kind. The fertilizers seemed to have httle effect, if any. The yield was a little better in the middle third, but as the ends of the other thirds were a little shaded, it is doubtful whether the increase could be attributed to the bone- dust. The early kinds were dug July 27th; the others later. The crop was not large of any kind. Early Ro.se — Yielded 33 pounds in the row; when examined. June 21st, were of fair size for the table. Beauty of Hebron — When examined were considerably lar- ger than Early Rose, and could have been used several days earlier; yield, 45 pounds. This for' earliness, yield and good quality, is generally conceded to be in advance of Early Rose, Early Ohio — This was even larger at same date than Beauty of Hebron. Yield, when dug, 41 pounds — fewer potatoes but 38 SMALL FRUn'S AND VEGETABLES. more quite large ones. It is difficult to say which of these two is preferable ; they are both first rate. The Early Ohio is rather more regular in shape, and as early, but according to this test, hardly so productive. Triumph — This matured early, but the tubers were small — yield was only 20 pounds, but it was damaged more with the bugs. It is a round, red potato. The later varieties were so much damaged by the bugs that a statement of their yield is of no value. Notwithstanding repeated applications of London purple the bugs came out vic- torious. This remedy seemed to have little effect when much diluted, and when strong injured the plants. I do not therefore like it; but a more careful application of it may give a good result. I will therefore give a description of these kinds, gathered from my own observation and the experience of others. The following three were introduced by Bliss, in 1880. They are all medium as to maturity, being from two to three weeks later than Early Rose. Matchless — Is nearly round in form, of a light red color, smooth, eyes on the surface, good size, moderately productive and of good quality. Silverskin — Is a large oblong potato, with a very white skin and white flesh, smooth, but a little irregular in form, produc- tive and very promising. Pride of America — Resembles Snowflake so much as to scarcely need description. It differs in growing larger; a great improvement, as about the only fault of the Snowflake is that it furnishes too many small tubers. Magnum Bonum — There are two potatoes of this name, one English and the other American. This is the American variety. It is early, grows quite large, is somewhat rough and irregular in form, has a white skin and has been claimed to be very pro- ductive, but needs further trial to establish this. Mammoth Pearl — This is of an oblong form, quite large, white skinned, and is so smooth and regular m form as to be a SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 39 beauty indeed. In productiveness it is doubtful if there is any good potato that exceeds it. The quality is generally said to be good. McCormick — This is an Indiana seedling and ought to have more consideration than others. It was originated by Rev. T. B. McCormick, of Princeton, in 1873, from a seed ball of the Cuzco, growing near the Garnet, Chili. It is rather oblong in shape, of a slightly russet color, sometimes tinged with red ; eyes are a little sunken ; of good size and somewhat resembles the Peschbiow, but it is not so nearly round. It has the merit of being one or two weeks earlier, and is decidedly more pro- ductive. Quality averages with the Pcachblow. In vigor of growth it exceeds all other potatoes that I have seen. Its stalks will stand as straight as a cornstalk when three feet high — at least they did with me, and it is understood that this method of growth makes it easier of cultivation. In addition to these there are other kinds of recent introduc- tion that are valuable and well worthy of trial, among which are Dunmore, Burbank's Seedling, Ohio Beauty, St. Patrick and Grange. Among the introductions for 1881 will be the White Ele- phant, a very large and long potato which is highly lauded. Gradual improvements are taking place in this line which the wide-awake horticulturist takes note of, and sometimes is hand- somely paid for ; some failures he has necessarily to incur. PROFITABLE POTATOES. BY G- COWING, Mnncie, Ind. Owing to drought and the consequent unusual multiplicity of insect enemies in this region during the past season, but few varieties of the potato yielded more than half a crop. Early Rose, Ohio Beauty and Burbank's Seedling yielded 40 SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. but a small proportion of fair tubers. Early Ohio and Beauty of Hebron were much more satisfactory and are certainly the most profitable varieties for the table or market that I have recently tested, and I will hereafter grow them for my main crop until they exhibit signs of degeneracy, or something better takes their place. To ascertain which was the earliest, I planted them at the same time, last spring. Early Ohio matured at least ten days before Beauty of Hebron and Early Rose, and as long as it monopolized the market, readily sold for one dollar per bushel. Its tubers grow in a compact cluster at the base of the stalk and are easily gathered. It is of excellent quality, very productive and tubers uniformly large, round and of a pale red color. Beauty of Hebron in productiveness, beauty and quality is possibly the best potato that has appeared within the last forty years. For a few years past Snowflake has been the standard of excellence in flavor, but Beauty of Hebron equals it in that respect and surpasses it in all others. By planting these varieties early, they can be taken from the ground about the time the old fashioned potato beetle, which of late has been more de- structive than the Colorado bug, makes its appearance, and the long, wearisome, costly contest, necessary to secure a late variety from insect enemies, be thereby avoided. During the last two years I have dug these varieties in August, and when perfectly dry stored them in large boxes, from which light and moisture were excluded, and removed them to the cellar at the approach of frost. Treated thus they have kept well until the succeeding May. NEW VARIETIES. The trial of new varieties in such an unfavorable season as the last should not be accepted as conclusive. I tested the following : Matchless (from B. K. Bliss) — Produced a few large and beautiful tubers and many small ones. Much surpassed in every desirable quahty by Beauty of Hebron, which grew near it. SMALL FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 4I Bliss' Triumph was even less satisfactory than Matchless, as nearly all its tubers were too small for table use. Davidson's Seedling is a variety which recently originated in the northern part of Delaware county, Indiana, and which promises to be valuable. In size and beauty, its tubers excel those of Peerless ; in productiveness it equals that variety, and is much superior to it in flavor. Its largest specimens appear to be solid throughout. It is a strong grower and highly prized in the neighborhood in which it originated. ;^ LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 000 935 185 1 A GOOD. CHEAP, AND VALUABLE PAPER FOR EVERY MAN, WOMAN, AND CHILD. TKE* Indiana Farmer, FOR THE FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD. A Special Department of Interesting and Instructive reading for CHILDREN and YOUTH. The Indiana Farmer is a large eight-page weekly, filled with plain, practical, reliable matter. The thousands of hints and sugges- tions given every year are prepared by practical, intelligent working MEN, who know v/hat they write about. The Stock and Veterinary Departments will be found full of interest and value to all Farmers and Stock Raisers. 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