COMPLETE MANUAL tfiiltita&n 0f t|e ^ttatokrri; DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST VARIETIES. ALSO, NOTICES OP THE RASPBERRY, BLACKBERRY, CURRANT, GOOSEBERRY, AND GRAPE; WITH DIRECTIONS FOR THEIR CULTIVATION, AND THE SELECTION OP THE BEST VARIETIES. " Every process here recommended has been proved, the plans of others tried, and the result ia here given." BY e: Gf PARDEE. ^^ WITH A VALUABLE APPENDIX, CONTAINING THE OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCE OF SOME OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CULTfVATOBS OF THESE FRUITS IN OUR COUNTRY. NEW YORK: C. M. SAXTON, AGRICULTURAL BOOK PUBLISHER, No. 152 Fulton Street. 18 5 4. - ' s\. > <9 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by C. M. SAXTON, the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States, for the Southern District ol New York. fiP ?>^^ EDWARD 0. JENKIXS, PRINTER AND STEREOTYPES 114 Nassau St. WirMDRAwijP^ Wsshington, 0. C. PAQB Preface 5 The Strawberky 9 Situation 13 Selection of Soil 14 Preparation of Soil 15 Manures 16 Transplanting (Time and Manner of) 19 Mulching 23 Watering 25 Cultivation 26 Renewal of Beds 2 ^ Winter Protection 29 Sexuality 34 Forcing 38 Seedlings 43 Classification 44 Selection of Varieties 45 McAvoy's Superior — Hovey's Seedling — Monroe Scarlet — Burr's New Pine — Longworth's Prolific — Walker's Seed- ling — McAvoy's Extra Red — Moyamensing Pine — Jenney's Seedling — Large Early Scarlet — Crimson Cone — Rival Hud- son—Genesee Seedling — Willey — Princess Alice Maude — Boston Pine — Black Prince — Lizzie Randolph— Swainstone Seedling — Richardson's Early — Richardson's Late, and Cambridge — Myatt's British Queen — Large White Bicton Pine — Barr's New White — Prolific Hautboy. IV CONTENTS. PAQE Analysis of the Strawberry Fruit and Plant 63 Raspberry 66 Fastolf — Franconi — Red and Yellow Antwerp — Knevett's Giant — Large-fruited Monthly — Ohio Ever-bearing. Blackberry 73 White — Improved High Bush — New Rochelle. Currant 78 Black Naples — White and Red Dutch — Cherry — May Victoria — Knight's Sweet Red — Largest White Provence. Gooseberry 82 Crompton's Sheba Queen — Woodward's Whitesmith — Roaring Lion — Crown Bob — Houghton's Seedling. Grape 87 Isabella— Catawba — Clinton. APPENDIX. Peabody on Ever-bearing Strawberries 93 Peabody's Letter to R. G. Pardee 101 Lawrence on Crescent Seedling 103 Huntsman's Experiments 107 Longworth's Letter to R. G. Pardee 109 Longworth and Cincinnati Horticultural Society 112 Report of Cincinnati Horticultural Society 116 Report of Strawberry Market at Cincinnati 118 Barry's Directions for Cultivation of Strawberry 119 French's " *' " 128 Mead's " " '' 130 Fruit and Vegetable Garden , 138 xtfixtt. This work has been prepared for the press, in the behef that it was wanted by the public. The author has, in a direct, plain manner, simply given his own experience. Every process here recommended has been proved ; the plans of others tried, and the re- sult is here given. Every variety of fruit here introduced — except the New Rochelle Blackberry and two or three small, unimportant fruits — has been planted, fertilized, watered, cultivated, and carefully watched daily for months, and in most cases, for years ; so that it is not mere theory, or se- cond-hand information from amateurs or gar- deners, however superior, that is here recorded. VI PREFACE. A large crop of strawberries may be expect- ed every year with as much certainty as a crop of corn, and in fact, more so ; for our directions embrace a protection from drought, which so frequently lessens the corn crop. It will be readily seen that the author has not followed the rules and order usually ob- served in treating upon these subjects ; but has aimed to say what he means, in a condensed, business-hke way, so that he may be under- stood by the mass of readers. It does not by any means follow, that every one who reads this book will at once raise the largest and most luscious strawberries and other choice fruits here named, in the greatest abun- dance. Few persons are thorough enough to do any thing well at first. Place a new recipe for making premium bread in the hands of six cooks, and it would be quite remarkable if half of them were so particular as to make good bread on the first PREFACE. vn trial. Some little thing which seems to the unskilled to be unimportant, may in fact be essential. It is pleasant to know that so many intelli- gent cultivators are now turning their attention to the production of these fine fruits, and we may reasonably expect much additional light will be thrown upon some points, which shall be included in subsequent editions of this work. The writer is happy to acknowledge his obligations to a large number of cultivators of these fruits during the last few years, for valu- able suggestions which he has become so familiar with in practice, that doubtless even their precise language has been sometimes un- consciously woven into the text of this work. If it were possible, he would be more specific in his acknowledgments, for it is pleasant to speak of such authors as A. J. Downing, John J. Thomas, P. Barry, C. M. Hovey, and latterly VIU PREFACE. F. R. Elliott, who has politely assented to o ur use of some of the accurate drawings of fruits from his new Fruit Book and Guide. Our Appendix embraces much valuable ori- ginal as well as selected matter, which will place before our readers the views of others, beside our own, and will enable them to exer- cise their own intelligent judgment, and lead to successful practice. The Author. THE STRAWBERRY. This is the most beautiful and delicious of all our earlj fruits, and so easily cultivated and so uniformly productive, that every housekeeper possessing a few rods of ground can have no excuse for not supplying his table with an abundance. Mr. A. J. Downing said truly, ''Ripe, blushing straw- berries eaten from the plant, or served with sugar and cream, are certainly Arcadian dainties with a true para- disiacal flavor, and, fortunately, they are so easily groAvn that the poorest owner of a few feet of ground may have them in abundance." In the language of Mr. P. Barry — " To grow large, handsome, fine-flavored fruit in abundance, it is not necessary to employ a chemist to furnish us with a long list of specifics, nor even to employ a gardener by profession who can boast of long years of experience. 2 10 THE STRAWBERRY. Any one who can manage a crop of corn or potatoes can, if lie will, grow strawberries." During many seasons we have had on trial in our garden from twenty to sixty varieties at a time, and although some were comparatively unproductive, yet the average cost of producing them for years has been less than fifty cents per bushel ; not including the cost of picking or expense of plants, which were taken from our own garden. Others can, and have done, the same. We can refer to amateurs, market-men, farmers, and nurserymen in Western New York, who have raised them at even a smaller cost, both on a large and small scale. On a plot of ground fifty by sixty feet, we have repeatedly gathered over fifteen bushels in a season, under all the disadvantage of many varieties. With a good selection of kinds, it is certain that one hundred and fifty bushels can easily be produced on an acre. We have on small beds grown at the rate of two hundred and fifty bushels to the acre, and we have abundant testimony that, on a larger plot, at the rate of two hundred bushels per acre has been gathered. It is almost as easy to raise extra-large, fine fruit, as it is small indifferent berries; and it is a decided object. Fruit of high flavor, measuring from three to four inches in circumference, will command fifty cents per quart in ISTew York or any other good market, as readily as small fruit will ten cents ; while the labor THE STRAWBERRY. 11 of picking such large fruit is very small, and the pro- duct much larger. The demand for extraordinary fruit is everywhere increasing. Of the many varieties on our own grounds one sea- son, more than twenty different kinds, without special effort, produced specimens four inches in circumference, while the largest were six. There is a positive plea- sure in raising such fruit, and our aim in this work is to enable many persons to make that pleasure their own. The interest on this subject has so increased and become so well-nigh universal, that every village and neighborhood can call out a little company who will be glad to know how easily it can be done. Mr. Downing says, " The strawberry is perhaps the most wholesome of all fruits, being very easy of diges- tion, and never growing acid by fermentation, as most other fruits do. The oft-quoted instance of the great Linnaeus curing himself of the gout by partaking freely of strawberries — a proof of its great wholesome- ness — is a letter of credit which this tempting fruit has long enjoyed, for the consolation of those who are look- ing for a bitter concealed under every sweet." An unknown writer in the last Patent Office Report says, " The strawberry was described by Juan di Cuba in his ^Ortus Sanitatis^^ in 1485, in which its medical and other properties are treated at length." He also eloquently says : 12 THE STRAWBERRY. " When we contemplate the relations which the strawberry plant bears to other parts of nature — to the sun which expands its blossom — to the winds which sow its seeds — ^to the brooks whose banks it embellish- es ; when we contemplate how it is preserved during a winter's cold capable of cleaving stones — hoAV it appears verdant in the spring, without any pains em- ployed to preserve it from frost and snow — ^how, feeble and trailing along the ground, it should be able to migrate from the deepest valleys to Alpine heights — to traverse the globe from north to south, from moun- tain to mountain, forming, on its passage over prairie and plain, a thousand mingled patches of checker- work of its fair flowers and scarlet or rose-colored fruit, with the plants of every clime — how it has been able to scatter itself from the mountains of Cash- mere to Archangel, from Kamschatka to Spain — how, in a word, we find it in equal abundance on the conti- nent of America, from the bleak fields of Tierra del Fuego to Oregon and Hudson's Bay, though myriads of animals are making incessant and universal havoc upon it, yet no gardener is necessary to sow it again — we are struck with wonder and admiration at so pre- cious a gift." SITUATION. 13 SITUATION A warm, exposed, and jet rather moist location is the best for a strawberry plantation. If very early fruit be an object, select a side-hill gently sloping towards the south, with a liberal ad- mixture of small stones or coarse gravel in the soil. This should then be protected on the north, west, and east by a high closed board fence, or a live hedge ; Ave have seen an artificial hedge of withered evergreen boughs that answered an excellent purpose, and en- abled the owner to realize fifty cents per quart for the crop, when otherwise he could not have so much anticipated the usual season, and would have been compelled to take twelve and a half cents for the same quantity. J£ late fruit be desired, then select a piece of land facing the north, and exposed. Low land is usually preferable to high, hilly land for the strawberry, yet it can easily be raised on both ; a little knoAvledge of its character will enable us to remedy the defects of the high ground. If the situation is near a spring of water, where it can be irrigated, and is also susceptible of drainage, it is very desirable. Though they will sometimes succeed when partially shaded with trees or shrubbery, yet they are best 14 SELECTION OF SOIL. flavored in an open garden, with no sliade but their leaves. Alpines, and some other kinds, planted in the northern shade of a fence or dwelling, will commence later and continue longer in their bearing season. SELECTION OF SOIL, New land, recently disrobed of its forests, if of a deep gravelly loam, we think is the test adapted to the strawberry, and next, a sandy loam ; but almost any soil, even the heaviest clay, can be prepared, by a liberal admixture of sand or gravel, so as to produce the finest fruit. As has been intimated, as low moist soil as can be procured, consistently with depth and thorough drain- age, is best adapted to the strawberry ; and yet ele- vated knolls, and even sand-hills, with the precautions above-named, have often succeeded well. Wet, spongy lands, except with a porous subsoil susceptible of drainage ; and high, barren hills, with a thin, flinty soil, are alike to be avoided. The strawberry, however, is so retentive of life, that it will live in almost any soil ; but it will not produce much fruit, unless the remedies are in some way ap- plied to the ungenial soils. PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 15 PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. Clear the ground . of weeds, roots, and seeds of all kinds in preparation for thorough drainage, which in most soils should be attended to the first thing. The best drains are the earthen tile drains, from two to four rods apart, which should be so constructed as to be left open at both ends for the circulation of the air, as well as the release of stagnant water. A brush or coarse stone drain is beneficial as d temporary expedient. After draining, break up the soil as deep as possible with a subsoil plough, or by trenching twenty inches or more deep. The strawberry is so sensitive to drought and stagnant water that very little of the best land in our country can be exempt from draining and trenching, if we would receive in return uniformly large crops of fruit in all seasons. Inasmuch as the fruit is composed of so large a pro- portion of potash, soda, and lime — sixty-two parts in every hundred, as will be seen by the tables in this work giving the analysis of the strawberry and plant — we recommend next, that an application to the acre be made of twenty to thirty bushels of unleached or leached ashes, ten to twelve bushels of lime — either stone or oystershell — with two to three bushels of salt, which should be thoroughly mixed with the soil, if 16 MANURES. possible, some weeks before tlie plants are set out. A liberal handling of the soil, thoroughly pulverizing it, before proceeding to the work of transplanting, is good economy. MANURES. On this point we are aware we shall differ widely from some of our ablest horticulturists, to whom we confess our inferiority in most things in the great science of horticulture ; yet, in this we are confident that their own personal experiments, did their time permit, would lead them to the same results that we have deliberately arrived at. And first, we w^ould not use animal or barn-yard manures for the strawberry. "We have eschewed their use entirely for the last six years. If friends who have watched our beds for years, say the soil w^as pe- culiar, and is not a fair test, we answer, that may be, but we have arrived at this positive conclusion from our experiments and observation in other locations and soils, as well as in our own garden, and every step has only confirmed us in the opinion, that animal manures are too stimulating and exciting to the plant for the full bearing properties of the strawbeny. Fine fruit has Keen raised, we know, in fair quanti- MANURES. 17 ties and of enormous size, in the use of animal ma- nures, yet we tliink the quantity and quality would have been decidedly increased by the use of vegetable instead of anunal manures. The latter causes the plant to run too much to vines, and start its runners before it has even perfected the earliest part of the first crop of fruit, besides filling the earth generally with seeds, and undecayed portions of the straw, and fibrous portions from the barn-yard, which come into injurious contact with the numerous fibrous roots of the plant in its progress in the earth, which should always be kept as pure for the strawberry as possible. Leaf-mould, decomposed turf or peat, well composted with new surface soil, or muck, ashes and lime, is a good manure for the strawberry. We wish it, however, distinctly understood, that few good'*SoiIs need enrich- ing at all for the strawberry ; on the contrary, most of the soils (for instance, those in "Western New York) would be more benefited by being depleted by an admixture of half river-sand. It will be seen from the interesting articles in our Appendix A, from C. F. Peabody, Esq., near Colmn- bus, Georgia, that his own observation and experience have led him to the same conclusions. Other cultiva- tors might also be named who have arrived at smiilar results. It is far better to feed the fruit properties instead of 18 MANURES. the plant ; for we opine it will be found tliat tlie over- feeding of the strawberry is one of tlie most universal and destructive errors in its cultivation. Some use liquid manures, composed of cow and ben- droppings dissolved in a barrel of water ; but tliey are not well adapted to assist tbe fruit-bearing properties of the plant, but are good if the object be to send out runners and increase the plants. On the opening of spring — the latter part of April or the 1st May, in the latitude of the State of New York — it is well to give the plants an impetus, by liberally showering them every ten days or two weeks with a solution, in six gallons of water, of one quarter of a pound each of sulphate of potash, sulphate of soda, (Glauber salts,) and nitrate of soda, with one and a half ounces of sulphate of ammonia ; or, if these cannot be conveniently obtained, use the same quantity of potash, sal soda, Glauber salts, and sal or muriate of ammonia ; or a solution of either of them is beneficial if applied alone. "We have tried for many years various combinations in solution, but have been unable to obtain any so ^ valuable as the first named. We have always found plaster injurious to the straw- berry, and ashes beneficial, when judiciously applied. TRANSPLANTING. 19 TRANSPLANTINa. This is a process to wliich tlie strawberry is sensitive. The plant will live under almost any treatment or any manner or time of transplanting, but will not always yield a full supply of good fruit unless tMs process is appropriately performed. First we speak as to time. For large plantations, or for ordinary cultivators, the spring is perhaps the best season ; certainly it is the time when it can be the easiest and most success- fully accomplished. The ground is soft and moist at that time, and the weather is usually favorable. The next season generally recommended is the month of September. Plants can then be easily ob- tained, ajid after the cool, moist fall weather has com- menced, the ground works easily, and there is not much difficulty in making them live. There is one danger, however, to be especially guarded against in fall transplanting ; that is, the plants may not get so firmly rooted as to be enabled to withstand successfully the severe frosts of winter. A liberal covering of straw will assist in remedying this matter. An advan- tage gained over spring transplanting will be, the earth will not be as liable to pack so very hard around the plants in the fall, as under the hot summer's sun and rains, and the plants will not be so likely to be checked 20 MANNER OF TRANSPLANTING. in their growth as in the droughts which often occur in June and July or August. We have transplanted strawberry plants successfully for years, every month, from March until the 20th of October, without dif&culty. With mulching, shade, and water, judiciously applied, it can be Y\^ell done at any time. For our ordinary planting, we prefer the 1st of July for several reasons. The ground, if tho- roughly prepared then, will not be subject to become so hard packed. The weeds will not be so trouble- some. If the plants get well started, and are not checked in their growth, they Avill produce very nearly a full crop of fruit the following spring. We have found that these advantages will amply repay the little extra care in mulching, shading, and Avatering. Ten or fifteen days' later planting Avill seriously lessen the first crop, according to our observation. In spring planting, March will answer south of Philadelphia, and last of April and first of May for the north. MANNER OF TRANSPLANTING. The hest way undoubtedly is, to take the first runners as soon as fairly set, and remove them with a trans- planting-trowel, with the roots and earth undisturbed. This cannot be conveniently done, except the plants are in the same garden with the new bed. Neither MANNER OF TRANSPLANTING. 21 have we ever found the first runners more productive than the subsequent ones, unless they are stronger. In most cases, plants come from a distance, and great care should be taken to get as large a proportion of the numerous fibrous roots as possible ; and in order to this, the ground should always be well saturated with water, either artificially or otherwise, before the plants are taken up, and then the first thing to be done, is to mud the roots, by dipping them in a little mud-hole made in the garden soil, where the water has been poured and stirred, until it has become sufficiently thickened with the soil to leave a good coating of mud on the roots of the plants as they are Avithdrawn. This greatly protects the plants on a short or a longer transportation. For transplanting, the earth should be levelled and made as flat as possible. If raised into beds or hills, it will invite the drought, to which the strawberry plant has a decided aversion. The plants should then be set out, leaving the roots in as nearly their natural spreading condition as possible ; with the fingers press the pure earth compactly around the body of the plant, being careful not to set the plant too deep. If there is any old bark or decayed portion of the leaves on the plant, remove it before setting out : an old plant will usually renew itself by sending out a new set of roots on being transplanted, and it should be remem- 22 DISTANCE IN TRANSPLANTING. bered that the strawberry plant, while it places its roots, mainly, near the surface of the ground, yet a portion of its larger roots penetrate favorable soils to the depth of from two to four feet, and even a greater depth in some cases. DISTANCE IN TRANSPLANTING. The Alpines and smaller varieties should always be eight inches apart, while the larger varieties should be allowed twelve to eighteen inches. Put one plant in a place, and let no other remain nearer than the above distances, and it is not material to success in cultivation whether you plant in rows, beds, or hills, if you do not hill them up. We often set out in rows, two feet apart, and leave the plants one foot from each other in the rows ; or, a method by which we have enjoyed great success in producing the finest fruit, has been to prepare a plot of ground, and cover it with strong plants one yard apart, and stimulate these, by a liberal application of liquid manures or soap-suds from the wash, to send out runners, which will soon supply the intermediate ground with plants of nature's own planting, which is a little better done than any one else can do it; care should, however, be taken to spread the runners so that the above distance of from eight to twelve inches can be preserved. MULCHING. 28 For field culture^ set two plants in a place, one foot from the next, in rows three feet apart, so as to leave room for a horse-cultivator to pass between the rows, care being requisite not to approach nearer than eight inches to the plants, when at work among them. This whole process of field culture is the same in its general principles with that in the garden ; except, for the convenience of a horse-cultivator to pass between them, the rows should one way be planted the same distance apart as corn ; then the same treatment as to clean cultivation, and even water and mulching, as far as convenient, is desirable. On the selection of a field for strawberries, it is very important to choose one free from all kinds of seeds and roots not decomposed. MULCHINa. This consists in covering the surface of the ground with something that is not injurious to the plant, to protect it from the intense heat of the sun or extreme cold. From one to four inches in depth is the usual custom; the latter depth for pear, peach, and other fruit trees. For the strawberry, we prefer, as soon as the plants 24 MULCHING. are set, at whatever season of the year, to cover the entire surfe,ce of the ground, including the walks, with tan bark, new or old, to the depth of one inch, care being taken that it is left very thin — only a slight coating — immediately around the crown of the plant. We have pursued this plan, and have never known a plant iajured by it ; on the contrary, they have been decidedly benefited. When using saw-dust, we have sometimes been a little troubled with mildew, but never with tan bark applied as above. Some of our most intelligent horticulturists say it is a specific manure for the strawberry, which others deny; we find it, at least, the best thing brought to our notice as a mulch. It is excellent to retain moisture and kee23 the earth in fine condition under it ; very few weeds will ordinarily trouble us, where the tan is one inch in thickness, and altogether it is excellent. Where tan cannot be obtained, saw-dust will do, if not apjDlied too thick. Leaf-mould is very good, if the soil is not already too rich. Straw is good, but green rowen or fresh-cut grass, if the seeds are not rijoe, is better still ; any thing, in fact, not injurious, that is con- venient and adapted, can be used. WATER. 25 WATER. The strawberry lias a great relish for good, clear, cold water. We have often seen them take a strong shower-bath at midday, in the face of the hottest sun in July, Avithout shrinking. A slight sprinkle, just to lay the dust, does not satisfy them, but a thorough soaking is what they delight in — say a pailful of water to every six or eight plants, or every four feet square of earth. If you say "this calls for a great deal of hard work," we answer then, "do not repeat it so often, but do it thoroughly whenever attempted." A few weeks since, we sent a friend some plants of new and rare kinds. A drought prevailed, and we feared he would neglect them, so we called to see them, and found he had set out and sprinkled them in the lightest, most delicate manner possible. Another friend to whom we gave a few plants at the same dry time, gave them a thorough and repeated drenching, and saved all his plants. A garden engine is very convenient in a strawberry plot, for watering purposes, or a stream of water so situated as to irrigate, is better still. A water-ram, and water brought up in pipes, will accomplish the same thing. Ordinarily, during the bearing season, sufficient 26 CULTIVATION. rain falls, so that very little watering is needed : some seasons are so wet that no water is needed until the bearing season is over, and then the plants do not particularly require it; but a drought will soon compel the strawberry to cease bearing in ordinary soils. The remedy or preventive is water, water, every day, and sometimes every night and morning. The evening, just at sundown, is the best time to water plants ; and in some cases it is desirable that the water should have been exposed to the sun and air before being applied, but we do not think this is necessary for the strawberry. CULTIVATION. Most persons bestow, erroneously, most of their labor in raising strawberries on their cultivation. On the contrary, if our directions so far are strictly fol- lowed, the work is mostly done, except gathering the fruit. We have very little work to do in the way of cultivation after planting, except watering and occa- sional pulling of weeds which appear through the tan, and neither of these ordinarily requires much time or labor. They must be kept clean and in good order, but we are very careful not to allow the hoe to be used nearer than eight inches to any full-grown plant, and, CULTIVATION. 27 consequently, it is seldom or never used about the beds after the first month's planting. The reason is, the numerous fibrous roots so interlace and fill the ground for a space of six or eight inches around the plant," coming so completely to the surface, that the use of the hoe will cut off great numbers of these little roots, and we are unwilling to have our plants maimed in this way. It certainly greatly injures their bearing. The fork or spade should be kept at the same distance, for the same reason. The only time, during the year, we loosen the soil in our beds with the fork, is imme- diately at the close of the season of bearing, selecting the time when the ground is moist. And yet, we repeat, the strawberries must be kept clean ; and the reader may here see a reason for all the minute and particular description we have given in the preparation. It needs to be thoroughly done, because it cannot well be remedied afterwards. The plants will not admit of freely working among them, except with the hand, if not kept at an unusual distance from each other, with- out largely reducing the crop of fruit. If our object is large and abundant fruit, the roots must not be disturbed. One qualification to the above : When new plants are set, unless prevented by mulching immediately, we, as often as every three days or week, for a month or so, hoe or rake the ground freely, and always stir 28 RENEWAL OF BEDS. the soil as close to the plants, as often, and as much as possible, only being cautious not to disturb the roots. RENEWAL OF BEDS. This should be done once in three or four years, and the same ground should be planted with corn or po- tatoes for one season, and receive an application of lime, ashes, and salt, as advised in the article on the prepa- ration of the ground, before it is again used for straw- berries. The bed might be made to bear well, by a careful renewal of the old plants by their runners, for ten or a dozen years, but this would require rather more skill in cultivation than most persons possess. Every year or two, if a strong runner has struck itself beside an old plant, we pull up the old plant instead of the runner, and are constantly thus renew- ing them. We always leave the best plants. The field cultivator has only to clean off the weeds, and prepare the soil in the spaces of three feet between the rows ; allow the rimners to cover that ground ; then drive the cultivator or plough through, turning under the old row of plants ; thin out his new ones to proper distances, and his system of renewal is complete. WINTER PROTECTION. 29 WINTER PROTECTION. Our experience is in favor of a slight winter pro- tection. It costs comparatively no time or expense, on the approach of severe winter weather, to hastily scat- ter a thin coat of straw or old leaves over the plants ; and they come out in so much better condition in the spring, and even the hardiest kinds bear so much bet- ter crops for it, that we never neglect it. Like mulch- ing, almost any thing free from weeds, that will not smother them or mildew, will answer the purpose, but clean straw is preferable, except they need the decay- ing leaves. Some years ago, we had an aged neighbor, who stood almost unrivalled in the cultivation of the straw- berry. One season he set out, on the first of July, about one-fourth of an acre of fine Hovey's Seedlings. He almost constantly and carefully worked among them with the hoe, the rake, and water-pot, and I never saw a plot of so fine strawberry -plants as these had become on the approach of winter. The old man Avas "very much set in his way," and among the things his creed discarded, was mulching strawberries; so, against my repeated remonstrances, he left them for the winter without mulching, with his 80 EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES. usual preparation, which consisted in placing a half- inch deep of good earth around each plant, in a circuit, to the width of six or eight inches, leaving the surface scolloped inwards towards the centre of the plant. The winter proved a severe one, and the old man was saddened in the spring, to find his fine plants drawn out of the ground to the length of three and four inches, and laid flat on the earth. One-tenth part of the labor he bestowed in hilling his plants for winter, appropriated to covering them with a little loose straw, would have saved them all. EVER-BEABINa STRAWBERRIES. The Bush Alpines have always borne a succession of crops during the season, when planted in the north- ern shade of a fence, and well taken care of, watered, mulched, &c. Some three or four years ago, the New- Orleans Pica- yune announced that Mr. Henry Lawrence, a gentle- man of that city, had succeded in obtaining a seedling, called the ^^ Crescent Seedling ^''^ which bore an abund- ance of large fruit for a continuous period of six or eight months or more, from March to December. We wrote to Mr. Lawrence, and his answer confirmed all the paper had stated ; and he sent us in succession four EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES. 31 or five different importations of plants of the Crescent Seedling, by the steamer and otherwise, until at last we succeeded in causing them to grow, and awaited their bearing season, when, alas! they only bore a moderate crop, and ceased bearing as early as any other variety in our ground ; thus proving a failure, as far as perpetual bearing was concerned, under our ordina- ry mode of cultivation. The plant has extraordinary vigor, a rampant staminate, exceeding all varieties we have ever seen in multiplying its runners. The ex- periment convinced us that it was not the variety, so much as the cultivation and soil, which gave it its con- tinual bearing properties. Some experiments since made with this variety, in soils so reduced as to be little else than coarse sand, favor this idea. Mr. Law- rence wrote me at the first, that he reduced his soil by three-fourths of pure river-sand ; and, although I re- duced my garden-soil considerably, yet it remained still very much too rich for the Crescent Seedling to develop its perpetual properties. The various experi- ments, however, were by no means lost. An account from Mr. Lawrence's pen will be found in our article B, in the Appendix. About this time, it was announced by the press that Charles A. Peabody, Esq., the horticultural editor of the Soil of the South, near Columbus, Georgia, had suc- ceeded, by reducing the soil, and with plenty of water, 32 EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES. in making two well-known northern varieties — the Large Earlj Scarlet, and Hovey's Seedling — develop perpetual bearing qualities under the hot summer's sun in Georgia, furnishing fruit in quantities, from March till January. It was but reasonable to conclude, if this was the case in Georgia and JSTew-Orleans, much easier could we hope, by the same means, to extend our strawberry season north, during the months of July, August, into September. In October last, in an interview with Mr. Peabody, he gave it as his delibe- rate opinion that, by the process he detailed and pur- sued, we could easily have an abundance of fruit from our strawberry vines until frost came. We take plea- sure in inserting Mr. Peabody's plan and directions in full, in his interesting articles, in the Appendix, A. On the 20th December last, Mr. Peabody took up a few plants in fruit from his garden, and placed them, with the soil attached, in a basket, and sent them by express to Messrs. J. M. Thorburn & Co., 13 John street, New York. On their arrival, on Christmas day, they were well loaded with large, ripe Hoveys and Early Scarlets — unmistakably so — together with a large variety of green fruit, of all sizes, from that of a pea upwards to full-grown berries. They remained on exhibition in their windows some two weeks, when they were politely handed to us, and we had them potted in a green-house, with soil composed mostly of EVER-BEARING STRAWBERRIES. 33 sand. The plants all grew finely ; in March they came into blossom, and in May into ripe fruit. The foliage was very small, but healthy. They continued in blos- som and bearing during the months of May, June, and July, without sending out a single runner, and some of the plants at the present time (the 14th of August) are in blossom, and have not started a runner. On one of the pots which .had no runners started, we placed a very little rich soil, and in a week the plant threw up vigorous runners, caused by the slight addition to the richness of the soil. The inference we draw from all this is, that no variety is ever-bearing under our usual manner of treatment, but that most kinds can be so trained, that, with a soil reduced largely enough mth sand, and only vegetable manures applied, and a plenty of water, and mulching when needed, they will continue to produce fruit until the approach of frost. The whole tend- ency of our experiments in strawberries is in this direc- tion. Professor Page has, in Washington City, it is stated, induced the Alice Maude to adopt the ever- bearing habit. Amateurs and others will do well to try the experi- ment on a small scale, until they perfectly succeed ; and then the large price of a dollar or more per quart, which the markets of New- York, Boston, and Philadel- phia will pay for such fruits in August, will amply 3 84 . SEXUAL CHAKACTER. repay for the production on a large scale. Learn well, by observation, all the habits and tendencies of the strawberry in this regard, and we think the thing can then be easily accomplished. SEXUAL CHARACTER. We now come to the great battle-ground of the giants, but will not enter the lists, if we may be per- mitted to quietly state a few things as our opinion, without intending to reflect upon, or having even re- mote reference to, any persons. It is very easy to see the manner in which some have been led into error, viz., the mixture, well-nigh universal, of different kinds of strawberries — an error productive of untold injury to successful cultivation. We have never seen two kinds of strawberry that might safely run in the same bed. On no account suffer it. The poorest kind will multiply its runners the most ra- pidly, and drive the well-bearing plants from the bed; particularly is this the case, where that j)oor kind is a staminate. We think the direction given by the late Mr. Downing and others, to place the staminates on each end of the same bed, with the pistillates in the centre, an unfortunate one, for the beds and the plants are usually very soon destroyed in SEXUAL CHAKACTER. 35 that way. We are very particular to place our stami- nates a greater distance from tlie pistillates : if 30 feet to 60 feet off, it is better. The bees and wind carry the pollen, and opposite sides of the garden, if the dis- tance is 100 feet, will, we think, be found near enough to answer the same purpose. Neither would we allow pistillates, such as Hovey's Seedling and Burr's New Pine, to run together, but be very particular to keep each kind distinct and apart. We think it is Mr. Longworth who has stated, that if we place a single staminate plant, like the Large Early Scarlet, in the centre of a productive bed of a pure pistillate variety, in less than two or three years, that one plant will drive every good fruit-bearing plant out of the bed. This is one reason why so many strawberry beds fail after the first bearing season ; so we repeat in the strongest manner, get ;pure plants — difficult, we know — and on no account permit any two hinds to run to- gether ; place boards on edge between them, or in some way protect them from each other. After this episode on a very practical point, we may be permitted to say, there are strawberry plants we call staminate, because they exhibit to the eye very distinct stamens. Our plate will illustrate this. Another kind we call pistillate, because the naked eye can discover developed in the blossom only the pistils. Most of our intelligent horticulturists assure 86 SEXUAL CHARACTER. US, that the best staminates will only produce a part of a fair crop of fruit, while the pistillate varieties will produce no perfect fruit at all, without being impregnated by some staminates in the vicinity ; but when thus impregnated, the pistillates produce an abundance of the finest fruit. The interesting and accurate experiment of Mr. Huntsman, in the Appendix, C, sets this matter in a very clear light. Some of the staminates of recent introduction, like Walker's Seedling and Longworth's Prolific, are so very desirable, that every cultivator should have one or both ; it is, therefore, only important to notice the presence of the staminates in every collection of va- rieties, keep them distinct, and no sacrifice is required to conform to this theory, which seems to be pretty universally established. Mr. Longworth's article in the Appendix, D, gives an interesting account of its discovery. Another series of plants are called Hermaphrodite — like Longworth's Prolific — ^because both stamens and pistils are in a greater or less extent developed, and they are represented to bear well, being alone. The great war that has raged so fiercely on the bor- ders of the strawberry kingdom during the past year or two, has been on the point, whether staminates ever change to pistillates, or vice versa. For many years SEXUAL CHARACTER. 37 we have noticed, with scrupulous care, these distinct characteristics of the various strawberries when in blossom, and we have never seen the first symptoms of Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig 8. Fig. 1. A perfect flower furnished with stamens and pistils, a, the stamens. &. the pistils, hermaphrodite. Fig. 2. A Btaminato or male flower. Fig. 8. A pistillate or female flower. P Fig. 4. Fig. 4. A perfect flower, with a stamen and pistil detached, a, the anther. b, the filament p, the pietiL change in any variety. We do not know that a change in open-air cultivation is now much contended for from any quarter. We think the mixing of plants causes staminate and pistillate blossoms to be seen to- gether. In forcing, we are told, by high authority, that some plants, like the melon, &c., change their sexual character, and why not the strawberry ? We do not know that this point, that the strawberry does so, has yet been fully established. 88 FORCING. The English varieties are mostly staminates, and bear fruit of extraordinary size and flavor ; but we think not in so large quantities as some of our pistil- lates. Certainly all the English staminates prove comparatively only second-rate in our soil and cli- mate. FORCINa. On this point our experience is very limited, hav- ing been confined to small experiments during the past winter : we therefore give the best information we have been able to obtain, from the highest English authorities. In the London Gardener's Chronicle^ edited in the Horticultural Department by Professor Lindley, we find the following directions from that most eminent horticulturist, Mr. Paxton : " Select for this purpose, in the middle of August, a sufficient number of the best runners from approved kinds to have choice from, and plant them six inches apart, in beds, upon a strong border in a dry and shel- tered situation. As soon as the leaves have withered, mulch them lightly with well-rotted manure, and if very severe weather occur, protect them for the time with fern or litter. They must be kept the following FORCING. 39 spring free from weeds and runners, removing also any flowers as tliey appear. Towards the latter end of May or beginning of June, whenever dull or rainy weather may occur, remove them carefully into forty- eight-sized pots. It is optional with the grower, whether one, two, or three plants are put in one pot, according to his object being quality or quantity ; but we, desiring fine fruit in preference to number, only place one of the strongest or two of the weaker in one pot, using enriched melon soil or turfy loam. Place them, when potted, in a -situation where they can be readily shaded for a short tune, and receive regular supplies of water if necessary. About the latter end of July, or early in August, these pots will be filled mth roots, when the plants must be repotted into flat thirty -two-sized pots, usually termed strawberry pots, and at this time plunged in old tan or coal ashes. The best manner of plunging them we find to be, forming beds wide enough to contain five rows of pots, when plunged, upon a hard or gravelly surface, to prevent them rooting through, the sides supported by slabs of the same width as the depth of the pots, and filling them up with old tan or ashes ; the plants remain here until wanted to take in, and are easily protected from severe frosts. It will be found an excellent plan to preserve the latest forced plants, which are not much exhausted, for forcing the first the next season ; these. 40 FOKCING. from their long period of rest, and well-ripened buds, are predisposed to break earlier and stronger than the others ; some of them, if the autumn is moist, will be excited, and produce flowers, which must be imme- diately pinched out ; they should have their balls carefully reduced, and be repotted in larger pots early in August, protecting them from the late autumnal rains, and from frost." " For succession," Mr. Paxton says, " strong runners are taken up in September, and planted about six inches apart, in manured and well-prepared beds, four feet wide, in a somewhat sheltered situation ; there they are allowed to remain until the following July, during which period they must be kept very clean from weeds, have the flowers and runners regularly pinched off, and be watered whenever likely to suffer from drought. About the middle of July they are potted in small thirty -two-sized pots, two plants in a pot, taking the greatest care that neither roots nor leaves are damaged in the operation, and an important part of it is to press the earth firmly about them ; the soil used is two parts loam to one of well-rotted dung. Beds which will hold five or six rows of pots are then formed in the following manner : Level the surface of the ground, and spread upon it a layer of coal ashes ; above which must be nailed firmly slabs, or any rough boards, as wide as the depth of the pots, which are FORCING. 41 then to be plunged to the rim in spent bark or ashes. All that they will here require is attention to watering when necessary, and a slight protection with fern, or other light covering, during severe frosty weather. I always preserve from 300 to 400 of the latest forced plants of the above description, and after having care- fully reduced their balls, repot them in large thirty- two-sized pots in July, treating them afterwards pre- cisely as the others. I find these, by having their buds formed early, (through the slight forcing they have received,) and becoming very strong, are admirably adapted for the first crop, and always repay me for the extra trouble. Begin forcing with a temperature of 40°, increasing to 50° when in bloom, and to 55° when ripening." " Mr. Brown, gardener to Lord Southampton, at Whittlebury Lodge, near Towcester, says, that Mr. Paxton's method of preparing strawberry plants for forcing is a good one where time and trouble are of no consequence : but for the last fifteen years he has adopted a plan which answers well, and by which good strong plants are procured in one month from the present year's runners. " The compost used is good strong loam, well mixed with rotten dung from the hot-bed linings ; twenty- four-sized pots are the best for Keene's Seedlings, and thirty-twos for Grrove End Scarlets. The latter variety 42 FORCING. answers for early forcing better than any other sort, when strawberries are wanted by the end of March. " Having filled the pots with the compost, they are removed at once to the strawberry quarters, and ar- ranged on each side of the rows, amongst the runners. The middle of July, when the plants are emitting roots, is the proper time to begin the operation of layering : having previously prepared a quantity of pegs, the runners that are rooted into the ground are carefully removed, and their roots inserted in the pots, and pegged down. Put three plants into the twenty-four pots, and one in the thirty-twos; they immediately begin growing, being supported by the mother plant, and will only require occasional watering in dry weather. "When the plants are well rooted, which is in about one month, detach them from the old plants, and remove to their winter-quarters. " Beds are prepared for them with a bottom of coal ashes, and they are plunged in old tan ; each bed sur- rounded with a stratum of coal ashes six inches wide, and as high as the top of the pots, which prevents worms from working amongst them." il SEEDLINGS. 43 SEEDLINaS. Since the introduction of Hovey's Seedling, this department of strawberry culture has had new life and vigor infused into it, and has resulted in affording high gratification to those engaged in it, and proved of decided benefit to our country. This fruit is so soon and so easily raised from seed, that the process invites to a very attractive series of experiments. Almost any one can experiment in a small way ; and the person who shall produce a straw- berry of the size of Hovey's Seedling, or of the size and productiveness of M'Avoy's Extra Eed, combined with the exquisite flavor of Burr's New Pine, will be a benefactor. Perhaps the easiest way is to select the largest ripe berries of the best class of pistillates, raised in close proximity to one of the best staminates, and crush them in a bed of pure sand, mix them, and let the seeds dry and ripen for two weeks or a month ; then sow them in light soil, in a partially shaded spot in the garden, carefully water, and in winter protect them with a covering of straw ; in spring transplant them, one plant in a place two feet apart ; carefully remove all runners until the plants have borne ; select the best 44 CLASSIFICATION. for farther trial, and throw the rest away. A better way, if convenient, is to sow the seeds and sand in a cold frame, provided in a northern exposure, and transplant as above directed. CLASSIFICATION. Mr. Elliott says, "Authors have classed the straw- berry as ScAKLETS, the original tjrpe bemg our wild strawberry ; Pines originating from Pine or Surinam strawberry ; Woods and Alpines from the common wood strawberry of Europe ; Hautbois, or High-wood^ from Bohemia ; Chili, from South America. " The ScAKLETS are designated in their character by small flowers ; long, thin, light-green, sharply serrate leaves ; acid or sub-acid fruit, of bright scarlet color, with seeds deeply imbedded." The Large Early Scar- let, Methven, Duke of Kent, and others, are of this class, and yet the flowers of the first two are rather large. " The Pines are designated by large flowers ; broad, dark-green leaves ; fruit of pineapple flavor, and gene- rally soft in texture ; seeds slightly imbedded." IIo- vey's. Black Prince, Burr's New Pine, British Queen, &c., are of this class, and yet Hovey's and New Pine have quite small flowers : the two others are large. SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 45 "The Alpines and Woods have small flowers, per- fect in their organs ; small, thin, light-green leaves ; fruit small, sweet, and separating freely from the calyx. " The Hautbois have large, pale-green leaves, on tall foot-stalks, the fruit-stalk tall and erect, the fruit of a dull red or purplish color. " The Chili, designated by hairy, thick, obtusely serrate leaves, fruit pale-red and insipid. " The Green Strawberries have light-green foliage, plaited fruit, solid flesh, so unworthy cultivation as rarely to be found in this country. " We have dropped the arrangement into classes in order." The above classification is a distinct one, but we do not think quite correct, neither can we find or make one that is distinct and correct. SELECTION OF VARIETIES. This is a point of no small difficult}^ One person wishes only the finest-flavored varieties for his own table, of which Burr's New Pine and Swainstone's Seedling are the head ; another wishes all the showy and fancy varieties, such as the Bicton Pine, Black Prince, Alice Maude, &c. ; another, still, cultivates for market, and wants large, bright-colored, solid-fleshed, 46 CULTIVATION OF VARIETIES. productive fruit, like McAvoy's Extra Eed, Moya- mensing Pine, and Walker's Seedling. Again, tlie manner of the cultivation of some persons will con- form to some varieties, and be opposed to others, per- haps superior ; or some soils and climates are naturally adapted to some varieties, and unadapted to others, so that the custom we have adopted in years past, we would recommend to those going into the cultivation of the strawberry, viz. : Obtain a plant or two of several of the best varieties named, and cultivate them experimentally for two or three years, and then select the most successful ones and discard the others. Another difficulty arises from the new developniients constantly making, which tends to exalt a neglected variety in some sections of our country, and depress a favorite one in other parts, so that we shall, it is pro- bable, in future editions take the liberty of amending or changing our opinions respecting some of the differ- ent varieties named, as time and enlarged experience shall demand. Another point of delicacy still arises, from the fact that many of oui' friends have produced seedlings of which they think and speak in the highest terms ; but from what little we have seen of them, and their trial being mainly in the hands of the originators, we do not feel authorized to speak of them pro or con. Some varieties we do not name will doubtless prove CULTIVATION OF VARIETIES. 47 altogether superior to some we do speak of, and we would not intimate that some of the varieties we are not acquainted with may not prove of the first class. We shall speak mainly and freely our own experi- ence and observations of the peculiarities of the differ- ent kinds as manifested during the last ten or twelve years or less, and in a plain, distinct manner, give our present views of them, not being confined to or having much reference to the usual condensed pomological de- scriptions or classifications, which we think are not so important to the popular mind, and we are not writing a work to instruct botanists or learned pomologists. The first six varieties named and described would, all things considered, be our first choice in a selection confined to that number. The next twelve will follow very nearly, not entirely, in their regular order as our next choice, reference being had to the particular de- scriptions for the prominent characteristics of each, as fitted for the amateur, the family, or the market-man. m'avoy's supeeior, The new $100 prize seedling of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society in 1851. It was originated in that city by Mr. D. McAvoy, in 1848, on loamy clay soil underlaid with limestone, and was called out by the offer of a premium of $100 by that Society, at the instance of that energetic horticulturist, Nicholas 48 SELECTION OF VARIETIES. Longwortli, Esq., for a pistillate strawberry wliich should prove, on a four years' trial, to surpass all other known varieties in size, flavor, and productiveness. m'avoy's superior Fig. 1. Fig. 2. The committee concluding that this fulfilled the condi- tions, reported in its favor, and the report was adopted by the Society. In September, 1851, we obtained two plants, and in so far as our observation of it has ex- tended in our own and several other gardens, in different portions of our country, it is superior, in the average size and productiveness, to any other variety we have seen ; and while it is good, and when properly ripened of high flavor and delicious, yet we do not think it equals, much less surpasses. Burr's New Pine in flavor. It is pistillate, hardy, vigorous, dark serrated leaf, long SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 49 foot-Stalks, trusses of fruit full and usually well formed, but occasionally a berry not entirely filled out ; the runners are not so numerous as to be troublesome; fruit very large, often over five inches in circumference, rich dark color until, over - ripe ; irregular, conical, roundish ; large seeds, slightly sunk ; flesh crimson and white, tender, juicy, with a core of rather open and coarse texture. Eipens medium season, and rather too tender for a market fruit, except for short carriage distance. HOVEY' SEEDLING. This has been truly called a noble fruit, and is an honor to the originator, Mr. C. M. Hovey, of Boston. It has undoubtedly taken more prizes in the various Horticultural Exhibitions of our country, from Maine to Louisiana, than any other variety, and it retains the same position at the present time, although it is not equal in flavor to Burr's New Pine and others, or of the average size of McAvoy's Superior and some other varieties ; and in almost every quarter, we hear more or less complaints of its fickleness in bearing, mingled with the strongest approvals of its productiveness. Notwithstanding all murmurs, its flavor is good when well ripened ; it is too often picked and tasted when first colored and unripe ; and some of its berries so surpass all other varieties in size — often five and six and sometimes over eight inches in circumference — 50 SELECTION OF VARIETIES. as to carry along the judges at our exhibitions ; and the size under good cultivation always proves satisfactory. We have, in times past, been embarrassed by its failure in bearing, but we are inclined to think it was in a great measure owing to onr want of knowledge of its habits, and consequently erroneous cultivation. It requires a great deal of water, or moist soil, and will not bear so rich soil as Boston Pine and many other kinds ; and the simple reduction of the soil to the com- mon grade has sometimes changed the barren into pro- ductive plants. It originated in 1834. The vines are vigorous, leaves large in rich soil, rather light green, and fruit-stalks are of good length. Fruit is very large, roundish-oval, conical ; color, rich scarlet ; seeds slightly imbedded ; firm flesh ; well adapted for market, and of medium season ; flowers pistillate. As will be seen in Appendix, A, Mr. Peabody, of Columbus, Geo., has succeeded in making this variety ever-bearing. MONROE SCARLET. This variety has not been so extensively known or so largely tested as Hovey's Seedling and Burr's New Pine. It originated in Kochester by those enter- prising nurserymen, Messrs. Elwanger k Barry, and was first exhibited by them at the June meeting of the "Horticultural Society of the Valley of the Grenesee," we think in 1850, where we first saw it, and took a plant home with us. SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 51 We introduce it in this connection, because we think it will prove remarkably productive. Such has been the case in our trials of it ; it has uniformly sur- passed all others in bearing. We have counted over seventy ripe berries of good size, the largest measuring four and three-fourths inches in circumference, on a single plant less than one year old. We are aware that the Alpines, and some other kinds, will produce many more berries in a single hill, but they are very small fruit, and we presume they will not produce near the quantity on a single plant of that age. It is a hybrid of Hovey's Seedling and the Duke of Kent. The plant is very vigorous: pistillate; fruit large, roundish, short neck, and beautiful, of good fair flavor, hard flesh, a long bearer, and good for market ; does well partially shaded. buer's new pine. This variety originated in Colum- bus, Ohio, in 1846, on a clay soil, and is remarkable for its agreeable, delicious, aromatic flavor, surpassing all other varieties; and also for its r\ early bearing and uniform pro- fj^ uy ductiveness. It is usually of large V^ medium size, although we have seen on exhibition large dishes of fruit b^r's new pinb. 52 SELECTION OF VARIETIES. measuring nearly four inches in circumference, and have measured single specimens from our own garden full four and a quarter inches, and when thus well grown, and on exhibition, it will bear off the first prize from Hovej's Seedling, and all other varieties ; yet it is, under ordinary cultivation, nearer the size of three inches in circumference. It is a great favorite of families of exquisite taste, either for the hand or for the table, and we have proved it to be the earliest of sixty varieties in the same garden to ripen its fruit, and one of the latest to cease bearing ; and occasional plants have produced a small second crop in the autumn, while standing without watering in the open garden. The fruit is large, round, conical and even; color, pale red ; seeds very slightly sunk ; flesh, whit- ish-pink, sweet, and too tender for a market fruit; quite productive, and berries perfect; the foliage is large, and the plant is vigorous and hardy. It is indispensable for private gardens. Pistillate. The two remaining plants of the first six are stami- nate, or hermaphrodite. This variety originated in Cincinnati at the same time with McAvoy's Superior. Mr. Longworth furnished the seed for both plants to two cultivators, McAvoy and Schnecke, the former of whom produced the Superior, and the latter this SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 63 variety, which at first was call " Schnecke's Herma- phrodite," but afterwards named by the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, "Longworth's Prolific," in honor of Nicholas Longworth Esq. It is a great favorite with the gentleman whose name it bears, who says "it will do what no other variety in this country or Europe has ever done — bear a full crop of good fruit standing alone." In a note to Mr. Barry in the fall of longwoeth's peolipic. 1853, he says, "You will find the Prolific of more value than all the seedlings ever raised." Mr. Elliott, in his Guide, says, "For market culture we regard it of more value than McAvoy's Superior ;" and we have heard Dr. Warder bear the same high testimony to its excellence. It has been almost impossible to get the genuine variety. In our attempts, we have had repeated failures, until, at last, Mr. D. McAvoy politely took up for us two plants, while in bearing, and enclosed them in a letter. The plants lived, and we have been enabled to experiment with them intelligently. We have also seen the genuine in a few other gardens, hundreds of miles apart, during the last two seasons ; and everywhere we have seen it, if it had a fair 54 SELECTION OF VARIETIES. chance, it has done well. Many will, doubtless, "dis- card "Longworth's Prolific," who have only tried spurious kinds. Our limited experience will not enable us to speak so decidedly as some of those we have quoted, yet we can say we are much pleased with it, and hope it will equal the high expectations excited ; so far, it seems to excel any hermaphrodite of our acquaintance in size and productiveness, and is of good flavor. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society had it on exhibi- tion from the garden of Caleb Cope, Esq., in 1853, and speak of it as *'very large, roundish obovate, brilliant crimson ; seed of the same color, sometimes yellowish, set in rather deep indentations, with rounded intervals ; flesh red, flavor fine, quality 'very good,' a variety of great excellence, perfect in its sexual organization, and remarkably productive, a rare circumstance with staminate varieties of large size." The plant is very vigorous and hardy ; large broad leaf, long foot-stalks, setting the fruit well up in large full trusses, product- ive and sure bearer; ripens at the medium season, and only loses its fine color when over-ripe. We have seen the fruit from four to five inches in circum- ference. SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 55 walker's SEEDLING. The last of the six we name above is also one of the new berries, not so extensively proved as yet. The Hon. Samuel Walker, ex-President of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, originated and sent it out some two or three years ago, when he politely sent us a dozen plants for trial, which trial has been very satis- factory. The Society above-named has during the last season renewed its endorsement of it, and Mr. Barry, of Eochester, also approves it there. It is entirely distinct from all other kinds. In form it resembles the Large Early Scarlet, or more nearly the Crimson Cone, but rather larger than either ; in color it is as dark crimson or purple as the Black Prince. A vigorous, hardy, good staminate, of excellent flavor, "best" quality, and productive ; of medium season. m'avoy's extra red. This is another of the new Ohio strawberries, ori- ginated by Mr. Longworth in his garden, or by his tenant and gardener, Mr. D. McAvoy, at the same time with the Superior, which variety it appears in in every respect to equal, except in flavor. The Fruit Committee in Cincinnati report it as " large, beau- tiful, and very prolific; quality medium, not high- flavored." It has an agreeable, sub-acid flavor, some- where near the grade of Hovey's Seedling. We think 56 SELECTION OF VARIETIES. it mil prove a valuable market fruit : it is very vigor- ous and hardy ; fruit large and handsome, and keeps well. "We have seen it exhibited for forty-eight hours, after twenty miles' land carriage, when it remained the brightest and most showy fruit of forty choice varieties. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 1853 pro- nounced it "extraordinarily productive," and quality " good." It is pistillate, and its only fault, as far as we are aware, is the lack of high flavor, which we do not consider indispensable for a market fruit. MOYAMENSING PINE. It bore off the premium offered by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in 1848, for the best seedling strawberry exhibited that year, and is described as follows : " Fruit rather large ; roundish conical ; deep crimson ; seeds crimson, set in rather deep depressions, with rounded intervals ; flesh red ; flavor very fine ; quality 'best;' pistillate leaf, large, with crenate ser- ratures." We should not place the quality as high as "best," although it is good. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania it has the best reputation as a fine mar- ket fruit, and our experience confirms it. In fact, we are inclined to think that this variety and McAvoy's Extra Ked may prove our best market kinds, and, as such, a great acquisition. That point, however, is not vet established. SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 57 jenney's seedling. This originated in New Bedford, about the year 1845 : is of good size, high flavor; and has been highly recommended by the Massachusetts and other Horticultural Societies. We have successfully cultivated it for four or five years, and think its advantages are, its good fair size, bright handsome color and form, sprightly rich flavor, lateness of season in bearing, and sound flesh, fitting it for a first-rate market fruit, or for preserving ; its defects are, its not being the largest size and only a medium bearer. The plant is vigorous, and blossoms pistillate. jenniy's seedling. large early scarlet. This has long been the standard staminate. It bears almost everywhere a tolerable crop with fair treatment. It is early, and, as we see from Mr. Pea- body's article in the Appendix, under his treatment has become a perpetual bearer. It is of medium size, handsome oval form, good — rather acid — flavor, and bears carriage to market tolerably well. Its good qualities are its uniform, although not large ] )roductiveness, early season and good flavor ; its de- 4 58 SELECTION OF VARIETIES. fects, its want of size and of large productiveness, and its tendency to throw out an overgrowth of runners. It is valuable as an impregnator. CRIMSON CONE. A very bright, handsome, brisk, acid fruit, of me- dium size, uniformly conical, rich dark crimson, and quite productive. Its seeds lie deeply embedded, giving the surface a beautiful rasp-like appearance. Its defects are, its second-rate size and acid flavor. It was always a favorite of Mr. Downing's, who preferred its acid flavor for the table, bringing it to its proper tone by a liberal addition of sugar. It has supplied the New York market with more fruit the past season, we think, than all other varieties combined. The plant is very vigorous — blossoms pistillate. RIVAL HUDSON. A very productive market fruit, of only medium size, and rather acid flavor : popular near Eochester, although we think it is, or ought to be, superseded. Pistillate. GENESEE SEEDLING. A large and very handsome fruit. It originated with Messrs. Elwanger & Barry. The plant is vigorous, SELECTION OF VARIETIES. 59 with long stout foot-stalks, productive for a staminate, and of good medium flavor. WILLEY. This is an extraordinary bearer of round, medium- sized fruit of pleasant, sprightly, although not high flavor. This and Monroe Scarlet are the only straw- berries I have ever seen that bear apparently in clus- ters. It is not unusual for the Willey to produce sixty and seventy berries on a plant, and should never be cultivated in masses. It is solid enough for market, and its main defect is its size, and second-rate flavor. PRINCESS ALICE MAUDE. A handsome, long, oval, English fruit, of large size, fair productiveness, and medium flavor. It is unique in appearance, very early, and in the vicinity of Washington City it has become very popular, Profes- sor Page having succeeded in inducing it to adopt the ever-bearing habit. Its main defects are want of large productiveness and high flavor. Staminate, and good for market. BOSTON PINE. A good staminate seedling of Mr. Hovey, of Boston, and for our own cultivation we should give - it a very early place in our lists ; but with the mass of cultiva- 60 SELECTION OF VARIETIES. tors it is not so popular. It wants the best clean cul- tivation, with every plant two feet apart from all others, and will bear richer soil than almost any other variety ; with such treatment it will produce a good crop of uniformly large, round, handsome fruit of high flavor. BLACK PRINCE. A large, handsome, very dark crimson or blackish- purple fruit, of English parentage and pistillate flowers. The plants are vigorous and hardy, quite productive, usually too watery and insipid in flavor, but some- times we have found it to be of the richest flavor. A few plants are worthy of a place in most private gardens. LIZZIE RANDOLPH. A very large showy fruit, quite productive, but of such inferior flavor as to discourage its dissemination. It is pistillate, and originated in Philadelphia. SWAINSTONE SEEDLING. An English staminate of the highest flavor and great beauty, but unfortunately so fickle in its bearing habits as to drive it from all but the amateurs' and a few of the best nurserymen's gardens. selection of varieties. 61 Richardson's early. A medium-sized staminate, of medium flavor and fair bearing habits, but there are better ones. Richardson's late, and Cambridge. Two pistillates. The first of good size and flavor, and both tolerably productive. The Cambridge very much resembles Eichardson's Early. MYATT's BRITISH QUEEN. A splendid English variety of the largest size and richest flavor, but unfortunately, in this country, so few of the blossoms ordinarily produce fruit, that it is in most places despaired o£ Staminate. LARGE WHITE BICTON PINE. A new English staminate variety, of large hand- some fruit, long oval shape, sometimes flattened, of the highest flavor, white color, with a bright blush cheek on one side. It is quite a novelty, and proves to be more productive than was expected. It will find a place in most amateurs' gardens in limited quantities. BARR's NEW WHITE Is said to be superior to the above, but we have not \ 62 SELECTION OF VARIETIES. yet tried it. In Boston it is spoken well of. A friend assures us it is superior to the Bicton Pine. PROLIFIC HAUTBOY. Prolific certainly of runners, so as greatly to injure its value, if it had no other defect ; is a very vigorous plant, producing long, oval, purplish, dingy berries of a rich but very peculiar flavor, agreeable to some, but the reverse to others. It is staminate, but hardly desirable. We might continue this list, and enumerate full one hundred other varieties which we have had an opportunity of personally testing; but we cannot name any variety possessing any superior quality, not possessed in an equal or larger degree by some of the best of those we have named ; in fact, quite a number of the varieties we have noticed are not equal to many other varieties we might name, of our own seedlings and others ; and we have only referred to them because they are popular in many parts of the country, and supposed there to be a first-class fruit. Many of our horticultural friends and nurserymen may be disappointed that we have not referred more extensively to their favorites ; in answer we say, we we do not suppose them superior to some of those described. If they are, they will soon be extensively ANALYSIS. 63 proved and noticed. Others, wo do not personally know any thing about, which are not merely recom- mended by individual originators, but Horticultural Societies of the highest authority; for instance, the new seedling " Pennsylvania," of Philadelphia, and Scott's Seedling, &c., of Boston. A seedling that will surpass McAvoy's Superior in average size, product- iveness, and good flavor, or Hovey's Seedling in size and beauty, or Burr's New Pine in flavor, product- iveness, and early fruit, and Longworth's Prolific in size, beauty, productiveness and flavor as an herma- phrodite, has got to be an extraordinary fine berry, but there is hope that it may be obtained. The following analysis of the strawberry plant (vines) was made by Mr. Bilius, Kirtland, Ohio. In 116 grains of the ashes of the Garden Straw- berry he found Potash 33.154 Lime 26.519 Carbonic Acid 23.008 Magnesia » , 8.908 Phosphoric Acid. , 6.970 Silica . . , 6.117 Charcoal and Sand 3.103 Soda 2.794 Perphosphate of Iron 1.516 Sulphuric Acid 1.4G9 64 ANALYSIS. Chlorine 718 Organic Matter and Loss 1.739 116.000 In tlie Annual Eeport of the Progress of Cliemistry and allied Sciences for 1847 and 1848, we find tlie following analysis of tlie Strawberry by Thomas Richardson : THE PLANT. Potash 38.65 Lime 12.20 Silica 2.58 Perphosphate of Iron 8.65 Magnesia 5.85 Phosphoric Acid 15.58 Chlorine 1.23 Soda 9.27 Organic Matter, Loss, &c 5.99 39 per cent, of Ash. 100.00 THE FRUIT. Potash 21.07 Lime , . , 14.20 Soda 27.01 Silica , . . 12.05 Perphosphate Iron 11.15 Phosphoric Acid , 8.59 Sulphuric Acid 3.15 Chlorine 2.78 Magnesia Trace 41 per cent, of Ash. 100.00 ANALYSIS. 65 The great variation in these analyses is probably principally owing to the greater age of the vines in one case than the other : perhaps something is due to soil and climate also. — Ed. 4* THE PiASPBEREY. When well grown, and of the best varieties, this is one of our most wholesome and excellent fruits. It deserves a far more general and better cultivation than is usually given to it ; and its free use, succeed- ing the strawberry, as it does, would doubtless conduce to the general health of the community. If grown without care, it is often small, hard, and with little good flavor ; but when highly cultivated, it is large, melting, and delicious. It will repay the best care, and to very few fruits is this so indispensable as to the raspberry. A rather moist, cool location, on the north slope of a side-hill, or shade of a fence, is to be chosen ; and the soil should be deep and rich. A deep loam is preferable, but other soils can be made to answer the purpose ; it should be well broken up, trenched and pulverized to the depth of two feet, then enriched with well-rotted manure, vegetable, if convenient. The plants should be shortened ten or twelve inches at the top, and set out very early in the spring, at a (66) WINTEK PROTECTION. 67 distance of three to four feet apart, not too deep, in pure earth, with a good proportion of the roots lying near the surface. Keep them clean, and well staked, with not more than three or four canes in a hill. On gathering of the fruit, cut out all the old canes but those of the present and the last year's growth, and leave not more than eight or ten of those in a hill to ripen for another season of bearing, one half of which should be transplanted in the following spring. On the first of September pinch back the most vigorous shoots, so as to check the flow of sap and ripen the wood. WINTER PROTECTION. The question of winter protection is a difficult and important one. The ordinary custom is to leave them exposed in the garden to the severity of winter, and as a consequence, the Fastolf, Franconia, and True Antwerps, are rendered almost worthless. Even in Kentucky, those choice varieties require winter pro- tection. The easiest way is to bend the canes down and cover them slightly with earth. Some tie them up in a withe of straw, or evergreen boughs, but these are not always sufficient. We have sometimes taken up the plants in the fall, 68 THE RASPBERRY. and buried them in sand, and on the earliest opening of spring set them out with care, and in this way have raised extraordinary crops ; but we have not proved this last process so fully as to incur the responsibility of recommending it. It would require to be very care- fully done, so as to preserve all the fibrous roots, to- gether with the advantage of favorable soil, for it to succeed so well. The raspberry is used in a variety of ways, viz., for the hand, the table, pies, tarts, jelly, jam, ices, syrups, brandy, wine, and vinegar. The profits of production are very large ; often, in the vicinity of Kew York, selling for from $500 to $600 per acre. They will continue in bearing some five or six years, but will not be in perfection, ordinarily, until the third year after planting. We will name but a few established varieties. Dr. Brinckle, of Philadelphia, and some others, have gained much credit with their fine seedlings, but hoAV exten- sively they have been proved, or if any of them surpass the Fastolf^ Franconia^ Antwerp^ , in Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is the pistillate or female blossom. It will be observed that there are no stamens around the pistil, as 6, but nearly every bud will produce a berry if impreg- nated by one of the staminate or hermaphrodite plants . Of this variety is the Hovey Seedling, Avhich, as far as my experience goes, is the best strawberry ever yet cultivated, North or South. Before proceeding to the method of culture, I will give my views of the time of impregnation, being fully satisfied that the generally received opinion that tlie strawberry is impregnated after the petals expand, is entirely erroneous. I have long since observed that the first strawberry blossoms never produce fruit. The 96 APPENDIX. stamiiiate varieties, or rather the hermaphrodite, open from two to ten blossoms, which must shed their pollen on the ends of the unopened calyx of the young buds below, or fall on the ends of the unopened pistillate buds, and immediately cause impregnation. The pollen of flowers is one of the most volatile substances in nature. That of the strawberry, viewed through a microscope, is a hairy substance, which, upon ripening, bursts and floats off on the least breath of air. The j)oiiit of the ' unopened calyx contains a glutinous matter, which catches and holds this hairy pollen, and the work of impregnation is done ; and when the calyx opens, and the petals ex- pand, the young strawberry may be seen perfectly formed. From this will be seen the importance of the pistillate and staminate varieties blooming together. I would always prefer the pistillate plant for a large fruit crop ; for, if properly impregnated, nearly every bud will be a berry. Thousands of blossoms will be found in the beds to correspond with figures 2 and 8. Fig. 2, let it be recollected, is a staminate or male flower, and fig. 8 an impregnated pistillate or female flower, neither of which, by itself, can ever make fruit. Having now explained the sexual character of the plant, and the time of impregnation, I will proceed to the culture. As I have before stated, were I to culti- vate for vines alone, I would stimulate the plants by the most active fertilizers ; but if fruit be the object, the luxuriance of the vine must be curtailed, and that food only, known as the special food of the fruit, given. Now, as to soils. There are as many opinions as cul- tivators, from the fact that the strawberry adapts itself APPENDIX. 97 to almost any kind of soil. But t1ie soil which I have found to suit them best, is a sandy loam. I would pre- fer new land for the beds, Avith a stream of water running through them, as water, being an indispensable requisite, should be in the vicinity. It is now well known throughout the Southern States that for many years I have cultivated the straw- berry extensively, and have had from my beds a con- stant succession of fruit six months in the year, and frequently have it ten. While I am now writing, (December 24,) one of my beds, of an acre, is loaded with ripe fruit, specimens of which I have sent to New Orleans, Montgomery, Savannah, Charleston, Mobile, and New York. This bed has scarcely produced a runner the past season. The causes of this will be jbund in my method of culture. I have said that I prefer a sandy soil and new land. My grounds are on what are called "piney Avoodlands," hill and valley, with never -failing streams meandering through them. I have taken the grounds bordering on the streams, ploughed them deep, and laid them off in rows, two feet apart, and planted as indicated in the annexed diagTam : — ooocoooo Early Scarlet. * * -^ * * * * * Hovey's. 7v w 7v Tr W 7^ %v "TT \-\ f)'\T f^\r Ql * ^ * * - - * * Hovey's. * - ^ ^ '^ - -^ * Hovey's. *******-^ Hovey's. * * ->f ^- -^ * * * Hovey's. * * -x- * * -x -jf * Hovey's. <^"<^ooocoo 'Early Scarlet. 98 APPENOIX. I plant the pistillate for fruit, and the hermaphrodite for impregnators ; and the only two which I have found to bloom and fruit together the whole season are the Hovey Seedling and Large Early Scarlet. Koss Phoenix, Burr's New Pine, and a seedling of my own, not yet fully tested, I have also caused to bear continu- ously. I plant seven rows of the pistillate, and one row of the hermaphrodite, two feet apart each way. The first season I let the runners fill the ground ; in the fall, go through the grounds with hoes, thinning out to 8 or 10 inches, leaving the vines to decay just where they are cut up. I then cover the whole bed with partially decomposed leaves from the woods or swamps. The winter rains beat down the leaves, the fruit-germ finds its way through them, and the first mild weather of spring, the blossoms appear. I have before spoken of the volatile nature of the pollen. In very dry weather the particles float ofi" on the winds, and much is lost to the buds below ; hence the importance of watering freely when in bloom. Free applications of water will set the whole bed with fruit, which will require continuous watering to swell and ripen it. A straAvberry bed may be moist, the plants in fine condition, and yet one good shoAver will make a difference of one-third in the quantity of fruit picked the day after. Consequently, in dry seasons, artificial Avatering must be resorted to, and no labor Avill pay better. I never use animal manure of any kind — nothing but the leaf-mould, and an occasional sprinkling of wood-ashes. The leaf-mould keeps the ground cool and moist, as A\^ell as the fruit clean, and does not sti- APPENDIX. 99 mulate the vines to runners. The potash and acids contained in it are just what the fruit wants. Should the vines be disposed to spread, keep the runners down by constant j)inching off, and clear out the grass and weeds with the hoe. A few years of this culture will check their disposition to run, and encourage them to fruit. The bed, once thus formed and cultivated, will, to my certain knowledge, continue productive twelve years, and, I have reason to believe, as much longer as the cu.lture is continued. Should the vines have taken possession of the ground, in spite of the efforts to keep the runners down, we go through in the fall with the hoe, thinning out the plants to 10 or 12 inches, leaving every cut-up vine to decay on the ground where it grew ; we then cover with the decaying leaves. When the plants begin to bloom in the spring, a top- dressing of wood-ashes will be found beneficial. I have tried strawberry culture with the plough, wliich will make a greater quantity of vines, but will give only one crop of fruit. It is generally remarked that the wild strawberry is finer flavored than the cultivated ; but Avith this treatment the latter retains all the original flavor. It has been recommended by some cultivators to irrigate the strawberry grounds by letting water on the vines ; but the straAvberry, cultivated after the manner described, can bear as great a drought as any other plant. It is not the vines and leaves that want the water, but the flowers and fruit ; and the water must come in the form of rain, through the clouds, from an engine, or a common watering-pot. I have noticed quite a contest going on among hor- 100 APPENDIX. ticulturists as to the possibility of strawberries chang- ing their sexual character by caltivation. Without taking part in the controversy, I must state that I would as soon think of high feed turning a cow to a bull, as to change the pistillate character of Hoyey's Seedling by any method of cultiyation. I haye culti- vated the strawberry under every aspect ; with high manuring, and without manure ; in new lands, and on old lands ; have had the vines stand from 12 to 18 inches high, and in meek submission to hug the ground ; yet I have never found the least change in the blossom. A perfect pistillate or staminate flower, first blooming so from seed, will never bloom any other way. Cultivators are often deceived about their plants, from the fact that they frequently find varieties in the beds which they did not plant ; but these spring from seed. The strawberry springs from seed with astonish- ing rapidity. Since my beds Avere started, the whole country around me is covered with strawberry -plants from the seed dropped by birds. These I find running into all varieties — pistillate, staminate, and hermaphro- dite — most of them worthless, but some with good fruit. The proper time for transplanting the strawberry at the South, is as soon in the fall as the weather is cool and moist enough. Here, this may be continued until S2:)ring. Plants are easily transported great distances in the winter. I have sent them 2,000 miles with safe- ty. It will be observed by the diagram, that I plant the staminate every eighth row. Some cultivators mix in the rows ; but I prefer to keep them separate and distinct, as they are more easily distinguished, and kept better in their places. APPENDIX. 101 Now, if the cultivator would know the secret of my having strawberries six, eight, and even ten months in the year, in the hot climate of Georgia and Alabama, it is this: proper location, vegetable manures, shade to the ground, without exhaustion, and water to the bloom and fruit. One reason \vdiy so n;iany fail in garden culture with the strawberry is, that the beds are surrounded by trees and shrubbery, which may produce one crop of fruit in the spring, but rarely more than that, unless it should prove a very wet season. The strawberry-bed, whether in the garden or the field, should have no tree, plant, or shrub near enough to it to take the moisture from the earth. The plants require all the moisture from the atmosphere and the earth around them. Whether the strawberry was originally found in cold climates, or not, I find they readily adapt themselves to any climate, and very soon become indigenous. I doubt whether there is a State in this Union that can- not produce the strawberry months, instead of weeks, in the year, with proper culture. And when we take into consideration the ease and simplicity of its cul- ture, its continued bearing and productiveness, its exemption from all insect depredations, its delicious flavor and healthy influence upon the system, it ranks first in importance among the fruits of the earth. Columbus, Ga., August 22, 1854. Mr. R G. Pakdee: Dear Sir : — I find the strawberry running into a 102 APPENDIX. great many new varieties tlirongli its seeds, but I have never yet found the character of a plant to change by culture — a pistillate will be pistillate still, no matter how cultivated. As to varieties, for general culture, I do not believe there is any thing to compare with Hovey's Seedling, when impregnated . by a constant bloomer. I have a new seedling, from the Eoss Phoe- nix, and a wild strawberry, of Alabama, that, for size, beauty, and lusciousness, surpasses Hovey's as much as Hovey's does the Early Scarlet : shall not be able to test its producing qu.alities until 1855. The past season has developed in a wonderful degree the pro- priety of the principles of my culture. For near two months it has scarcely rained; gardens and flower- yards have been entirely destroyed, and the staple crops have suffered materially. My strawberry plants have made no runners, but look fresh and green — the beds being in the best possible order for next spring's bearing. Had my beds been highly manured, and cul- tivated in the common Avay, I should not have had a living plant left. Tliere is a vast difference in the nature and habits of plants to withstand heat. Kichard Peters, Esq., of Atlanta, Ga., last year sent me some hundreds of a staminate strawberry, supposed to be a native of Georgia, which he thought would answer as a better impregnator to the Hoveys than the Early Scarlet. I planted them among the Hoveys ; they grew and bore finely this spring, but the drought has killed every plant, whilst the Hoveys are unscathed. Should the fall prove wet and mild, my vines, from not having made runners, will be in full fruit. In the forthcoming Patent Office Eeport, I have given my APPENDIX. 108 views upon the time at wliicli the impregnation takes place ; as that is fully explained by engravings, I refer your readers to that Eeport. The more experience I have in straAvberry culture at the South, the stronger I am convinced you may prolong their bearing season at the North until frost. I tried an experiment this season, which may be a warning to southern culti- vators. On a portion of one of my beds, I placed cotton seed around the plants, just as we use leaves, straw, &c.; the result has been, that, where the cotton seed was, every plant has burned up. This more strongly than ever satisfies me that leaves and vegeta- ble mould are the only safe manures for the straw- berry. These, with plenty of water, judiciously ap- })lied, will give fruit months instead of weeks. Truly yours, Chas. a. Peabody. APPENDIX B. We give the following extracts from letters from Henry Lavv^rence, Esq., of New Orleans, La. They commence under date of 20th August, 1851, as fol- lows : It is perfectly correct, as stated in the ^^ Picayune ^'^ that I have succeeded in raising strawberries wliich yield from Christmas to the loth of July, a period of nearly seven months. Their production is purely accidental; by trying experiments for several years. 104 APPENDIX. I have attained the object desked, viz : by keeping/* them in continual bearing without exhausting the phmt. I have named them the " Crescent Seedling." They are a cross between Myatt's British Queen and Keen's Seedling. The fruit is very large, frequently measuring five and a half inches in circumference, conical, and the color a dark red, and highly flavored. I cultivate them in hills^ that is to say, the plants set out thirty inches each way ; in the growing season, manure the avenues and keep the soil loose. My plants are so luxuriant in their foliage, that neither grass nor weeds appear. In this way my beds yield from six to seven months in the year in the open air. I have half an acre under cultivation at this time. In a letter of the 9th November, he says : "You will at once remark how different the Zea/ and its thickness is to any plant of its species you have here- tofore seen. So remarkably prolific are they with me, that for six months the same plant is in blossom, unripe and ripe fruit together, so that at the expiration of the fruiting season! ! they are completely worn out, but not until they make three or four runners each, with which I plant anew each succeeding year. All the old stools die out. How different — is it not ? — to other varieties of the strawberry. I neither cut off the blossoms nor any part of them to increase their bearing : It is one continued crop from the first jump. They are all now coming into blossom^ and will so continue until July or August. I freely admit that I consider their extraordinary bearing qualities purely accidental." APPENDIX. xv.'c On the 9th April, 1852, he says : *' I have had strawberries on my table since the 4th January last, and at the present moment I have them in the greatest abundance, the average weight being one ounce^ and about three inches in circumfer- ence : and this will continue without intermission until about the middle of August, when they will stop and throw out runners. Under date of 7th May, 1852, he writes : " My Crescent Seedlings are still wonderfully pro- lific. I counted with a friend, a few days since, on numerous plants, thii'ty-three, thirty -five, thirty-six and thirty-seven berries. My ground is now red with fruity not green mth leaves.^'' On the fourth of August, in another letter, Mr. Lawrence says: "lam extremely gratified to learn that you have • at length succeeded in preserving six or eight of my seedlings. If, as you say, they are striking runners freely, you have nothing to fear : you will soon have enough to stock your garden, and besides, ample for sale. Should the weather prove dry, give them plenty of Avater in the evening, and as soon as the fruit sets, in a dry time, give them likewise plenty of water ; in a w^ord, I presume you are fully aware, as a large grower of this delicious fruit, that no fruit supports as much moisture as the strawberry. My manner of cultivating the * Crescent Seedling' is very simple. I give it all it requires to perfect its fruit, and check the luxuriance of the vine, by reducing our rich allu- 106 APPENDIX. vial soil by two-thirds ; that is, I add two-thirds of river sand to one of ours : this mode, likewise, enables the plant to withstand the excessively hot months of June July, and August ; in fact, the soil best adapted to seed- lings is a sandy loam ; and I also know, by experience, that the less manure of any kind is used, the better it is for the plant. In planting, I never mulch. I place each plant ten inches apart, and eighteen inches to two feet between the rows. In dry weather I water copiously two or three times, in as many consecutive days, and then let them take care of themselves for a while ; when the ground is moist from previous rains during the planting season, I never water. I transplant every year into new beds, as new soil is preferable to old ; besides, as I before noticed in a former letter, the old stools die out completely by over-production of fruit and incessant bearing. I gathered ike last fruit of the season on the 25th July, which is precisely seven months to a day since they commenced bearing, viz : on the 25th December, 1851. This experiment of mine, accidental as it is, I consider as one among the wondrous productions of nature : a similar accident may not occur again for many years. I am, and always was, impressed with the belief that I have been aided by our climate in producing this truly extraordinary strawberry, and although I give myself but little credit, I feel proud that it should be so widely known and so favorably noticed throughout the Union. I disliked my name going forth to the world, but in spite of myself I could not prevent it. My only aim is for plea- sure and amusement in this delightful climate of ours." APPENDIX. 107 And on the lltli November, 1852, he replies to my inquiries as follows : "1st. The runners hear the same season they strike. "2d. It is the same identical plant hears fruit so fine and large in January, and which continues to bear, until July following, a constant crop. Weak plants are shy bearers at all times. I plant none but the strongest plants, (runners;) the weaker ones I neither use nor dispose of until they are fit for setting out." In 1853, he again writes, "that they never were doing so well in all the South below Charleston, S. C." There will be found many valuable suggestions in this correspondence with Mr. Lawrence, which will tend to throw light on the great question. We are inclined to think that the superior location of Mr. Lawrence — the low bottom lands near New Orleans — and his superior cultivation, have more to do with the character of the Crescent Seedling than he supposes. However, it is a good plant to expermient with, and they are now easily obtained in the State of New York, or of B. M. Watson, Plymouth, Massachu- setts. APPENDIX C. (From Downing's HorticulturlBt.) TWO EXPERIMENTS MADE TO TEST MR. LONGWORTH'S STRAWBERRY THEORY. Taking Hovey's Seedling as a subject, I procured a bell-glass, and placed it over an entire plant which had 108 APPENDIX. not bloomed. The flowers expanded well under tlie glass, but did not produce one berry. The plant was frequently agitated to put the pollen in motion, if tliere was any. I also introduced under a glass some blossom buds before tliey bad blown. These, as they successively expanded, showed no signs of swelling. I impreg- nated, at different times, two of the blossoms by hand, applying the pollen from another plant with a camel's hair pencil. These two set their fruit perfectly. The pistils of the other blossoms soon turned to a dark color. These experiments were made at the north side of a picket fence, where the plants were screened from the full effects of the sun, otherwise the heat under the glasses would have been too great. These experiments prove, to my mind, very conclu- sively, that Hovey's Seedling will not bear any fruit "unless impregnated by some staminate variety. And the same may be said of other varieties in which the stamens are obsolete. I have had some plants of the Hudson Bay for three years, in a position vv^here they cannot very easily be impregnated by other kinds, during which time they have notborne one berry, while other plants of the same variety, exposed, have been productive. A difference in the formation of the flowers on different plants is not confined to cultivated kinds, but may be seen in those growing wild in the fields, the pistillate plants of which I have often exa- mined with a magnifying-glass, to see if I could dis- cover any pollen, but have never been able to find it ; I am forced, therefore, to believe that pistillate plants, both wild and cultivated, are absolutely devo APPENDIX. 109 len, and cannot, therefore, produce any fruit except when impregnated by others. I am also convinced, from observation and theory, that one kind will never change to the other by offsets, the runner bearing the same relation to the plant pro- ducing it as a tree grown from a bud does to the tree from which it was taken. It may, then, be asked, How does it happen that there are pistillate and staminate plants of the same variety ? / answer^ It is not thefact^ unless they have sprung from seed, or the plants have been taken from the fields in a wild state. That pistillate plants are surer and better bearers than staminate plants, is, I think, generally true, (pro- vided, of course, that they are impregnated.) And it would seem reasonable to infer that when but one of the sexual organs is complete, the other will have more strength. Plants, therefore, that are perfect in both organs, require a higher state of cultivation. There is, however, a wide difference in the product- iveness of different kinds that are perfect in both organs, some being much more liable to hlast than others. Gr. W. Huntsman. Flushing, L. /., July 14, 1846. APPEiXDIX D. Cincinnati, Ohio, Aug. 14:tl], 1854. Mr. E. Gr. Pardee : Dear Sir: — By this mail I send you a grape pamphlet, containing an article written by me on 110 APPENDIX. the strawberry. I will, in a day or two, send you a Eeport of our Strawberry Committee, written by Dr. Warder, on Mr. Meehan's doctrine of changing a pis- tillate to a staminate plant. Mr. Meehan finds plants that he took from what was called a bed of Hovey's Seedling, and had nearly all proved staminates or hermaphrodites. Dr. Warder and Mr. Heath, of our city, saw his plants, and found about one Hovey to the hundred. The Hovey is so strongly marked, that our children can distinguish the plant from all others. Mr. Meehan never heard of a pistillate plant till he came to America. I sent some of our seedlings to the President of the London Horticultural Society last winter, and among them pistillates. He replied that he was not aware that there were plants that would not bear fruit without impregnation, and suggested that the failure tcTbear, he presumed, was from frost. He promised to investigate the subject. Mr. Hunts- man, of Flushing, Long Island, is a botanist, and has given great attention to the cultivation and sexes of the plant. From the stem and leaf he can designate some fifty varieties that he has had in cultivation. I would recommend you to get his views. It is singu- lar that after public attention has been brought to the question for twenty years or more, even botan- ists and horticultural editors deny the doctrine. If generally understood, the discovery of the ignorant market-gardener is worth millions of dollars. After I had made the discovery, from a chance obser- vation of a son of Mr. Abergust, I was at the gardens of persons near the city of Philadelphia, where Mr. Abergust resided, prior to his removal to Cin- APPENDIX. Ill cinnati, and named the matter to them. " Oh," said the J, "we now understand it. He lived near ns, and from the same space of ground raised five times as much fruit as we could, and larger. Every fall he thinned out his plants, and threw them in the road ; we gathered them, and planted them in our gardens, and they never bore a single fruit." He threw out staminates only, and to deceive them. The son of Mr. Abergust was in my garden a few days before my plants were in blossom, and observed, "Your strawberries bear a bad crop." I observed, such was the fact. He added, " They are all males." I replied, "That is all non- sense. The strawberry is a plant that bears flowers per- fect in both organs." " I am no botanist," said he, "but I know most of yours will bear no fruit." I requested him to point out any that would. He selected two. I inquired, " Can you then see the difference ?" " Not noAV," said he; "I could if they were in blossom." I found him disposed to give no ^rther information. I marked the plants, and vv^hen in blossom, could distin- guish them at a distance of several feet. There was not one of these to the hundred. Before they were out of blossom, I cast them all out, as I supposed; they spread, and the next season I had a full crop. But finding a few barren plants before they were out of blossom, I dug them all up, and the next season had not a single berry. I then understood the subject, and made it known. In that day we had no her- maphrodite plants. Yours truly, N. LONGWORTH. APPENDIX. THE STRAWBERRY. ^TRACT FROM THE REPORT OF NICHOLAS LONGWORTH TO THE CINCINNATI HORTICULTUR-y:^ SOCIETY. I EEGRET that the committee on the character of the strawberry plant have not yet been able to make up a unanimous report. It arises from a failure of the crop with some members of the committee, and from a conviction with our European gardeners, that all va- rieties were perfect in both organs, in Europe ; and they are slow to believe the contrary. This, I am positive, is not the fact in England. In some soils and some climates, and in favorable seasons, such stami- nate plants as are partially perfect in the female organs yield a larger crop than usual ; but can never be made to bear a full crop. But in raising from seed, fully one half will in general be staminate plants, and not one in fifty of them bear even a single fruit. Those that do bear, produce many defective berries. I do not believe that any soil, climate, or season, can make the pistillate plant bear singly ; and it is the only one worthy of cultivation for a crop. Of this, and of the staminate and pistillate character of the plant in England, we have positive evidence from their great horticulturist. Keen himself In the year 1809, (if my memory serves me as to date,) Keen discovered that a new seedling of his, planted by itself, did not swell the fruit. On a careful examination of the blos- som, it struck him that it might be owing to a defect in the male organs. He then placed some staminate blossoms in a vial of water, and suspended them in the bed. He found the fruit in the vicinity to swell APPENDIX. 118 immediately, and he placed more vials of staniinate blossoms in different parts of tlie bed, and had a fme crop. His letter will be found in the Transactions of the London Horticultural Society for that year. What was true in 1809, will be found still to be true. I have further evidence of the character of the plant in England. Fifteen years since, I imported several va- rieties of strawberries from London, and among them I had both staminate and pistillate plants, but not one variety in which both organs were perfect in all the blossoms. The staminate varieties bore from one- tenth to one- third of a crop. Under the name of Keen's Seedling, I got a pistillate plant that, impreg- nated, produces abundantly, and the fruit is large and fine. By themselves, an acre would not produce a perfect berry. It is not what in England is generally known by the name of Keen's Seedling. Mr. Keen raised many varieties. The true Keen is a staminate plant, and is more perfect in both organs than is usual, and produces a partial crop of large fruit. I incline to the belief, that for market, their gardeners cultivate the same seedling of his as the one sent me, and ]oro- bably the same kind he impregnated by hand. It is truly a valuable kind, and worth twenty of the stami- nate seedlings. The staminate Keen is cultivated for forcing, and as the object is large fruit, all the blos- soms are picked off, except three or four that set first. I have this moment received a letter from Col. Carr, an old and experienced horticulturist of Philadelphia. He writes me, " I have conversed with Mr. Hobson and others, who pay great attention to the cultivation of 6* 114 APPENDIX. the strawberry, and they all unite with me in opinion." "The Hudson is the principal sort cultivated for market, and has been for fifty years. It is what we call female or prolific. It never has a neck. A Mr. Abergust, who was my near neighbor, and excelled in strawberries, removed to Cincinnati about thirty years since, and took the true Hudson with him, and the same now cultivated here. All our principal market gardeners now begin perfectly to understand the differ- ence between staminate and pistillate plants, and find the former such strong runners as generally to prefer keeping them in separate beds." Mr. Abergust for many years sold nine-tenths of the strawberries brought to our market, and raised the Hudson only. While I could, from one-fourth of an acre, scarcely raise a bushel, he would raise forty bushels. His fruit was much larger than any other brought to market, and commanded from 25 to STg cents per quart. He made a handsome competence from the sale of his fruit. His secret he kept to himself, and had been as much noted for the size of his fruit, and the quantity raised on a given space of ground, in Philadelphia as he was here. A chance observation of a son of his one day, in my garden, saying, " I must raise but little fruit, as all my plants were males," first led my attention to the sub- ject. I soon discovered that there were what he called male and female plants, and communicated the fact to our market gardeners. The result was, strawberries rapidly increased in our market, till as fine as had been raised by Mr. Abergust were sold at from 8 to 10 cents per quart, and he ceased to cultivate them. APPENDIX. 115 The Early Scarlet is raised to some extent; but four-fifths of all the strawberries sold in our mar- ket are the Necked Pine and Hudson; mostly the latter. Mr. Culbertson brings more strawberries to our market than any other person. The greatest quantity he has brought in any single day was four thousaiid quarts ; and not one of the kinds named in the Farmer and Mechanic among them. All were the Hudson. By properly understanding the true character of the plant, Mr. Culbertson has been able to gather nearly as many quarts in a single day as three Boston cultivators were able to do in a whole season. I saw an editorial article in a recent eastern horticultural paper, speaking in high terms of the Alpine strawberry, as raised by a Col. Stoddert, and its great produce, which yielded him, at 122 cents per quart, upwards of $1,600 to the acre. It is an indifferent fruit, and never yielded one-fourth the quantity. Can Hovey's Seedling, or any other large-fruited pistillate strawberry, be impregnated by the Alpine Monthly ? It is my impression that they are distmct species, and that it cannot be done. K it can, a cross might be produced that, with the size and flavor of the one, united the ever-bearing character of the other. There is a wild, ever-bearing variety in our State, that would cross with the Scarlet and Pine, and is the only kind I have ever seen worthy of the name of ever-bearing ; for the Alpine, after the first crop, rarely produces much fruit through the season. Thirty years since, I met with a solitary strawberry plant on Mount Adams, then in bloom. I removed it to my garden, and the plant not only bloomed freely till frost, but all the runners threw out blossoms at the same 116 APPENDIX. time that tliey made roots, and bore abundantly till late in the fall. The fruit was small, but of fine flavor. A new hand in the garden, early the next spring, sup- posed they were weeds, and destroyed them. The old pioneer, Lewis Davis, informed me the same variety grew in Greene county, on the cliffs, and had been fre- quently seen by him. I trust it may again be disco- vered, and Ohio have the credit of producing the only ever-bearing strawberry, as well as raspberry. The latter plant, to produce a good crop, during the summer and fall, requires a moist soil. My ground in the city is too rich and dry for it. I have never seen the plant bear as well as in Newark, New Jersey, on a side-hill, where the ground is moist, poor and stony. The plant did not attain half the size it does here ; but the fruit was large and abundant till frost. N. LONGWORTH. CINCINNATI HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. The Secretary, at the requ.est of the Societ}^, rejDorted a written statement of how he found the strawberry question in Philadelphia ; after some animated discus- sion, it was moved to accept and file the report, and the finality was ordered to appear in the minutes of the day. It has long been argued by some distinguished hor- ticultural writers that certain varieties of the strawberry — ^for instance, Hovey's Seedling — would produce at one time plants with pistillate, and at another time staminate blossoms. This error has been explained by the fact, that a bed of strawberry plants of any known pistillate variety, after standing three or four APPENDIX. 117 years, and the fruit falling and decaying on the bed, will produce seedling plants, and of course new varie- ties, and these are as likely to be staminate as pistil- late sorts. The following is the Finality on the Strawbekry. — Wild or culti- vated, the strawberry presents, in its varieties, four distinct forms or characters of infloresence. 1st. Those called Pistillate^ from the fact that the stamens are abortive, and rarely to be found without a dissection of the flower. These require extrinsic impregnation. 2d. Those called Staminate^ which are perfectly des- titute of even the rudiments of pistils, and are neces- sarily fruitless. 8d. Those called Hermaphrodite or perfect, having both sets of organs, stamens and pistils, apparently well developed. These are not generally good and certain bearers, as we should expect them to be. With few exceptions they bear poorly, owing to some unob- served defect, probably in the pistils. One-tenth of their flowers generally produce perfect and often very large berries. 4th. A rare class — a sort of subdivision of the pre- ceding — has not only hermaphrodite flowers, but also some on the same truss that are of the pistillate cha- racter ; and sometimes, in the same plant, a truss will be seen on which all the flowers are pistillate. Now these four divisions are natural and rea7; they are also founded upon permanent character, so far as we have been able to discover, after a most thorough investigation, extending through a long series of years, during which millions of strawberry blossoms have 118 APPENDIX. been examined with the severest scrutiny. Other forms may exist, and it is not claimed to be impossible that we may yet find a seedling which shall have the general character of a pistillate, that may show an occasional perfect or hermaphrodite flower, as a pecu- liarity of that individual, but we have never yet observed such a variety ; and, further, we believe that whatever impress, as to peculiarities of foliage, pubes- cence, habit, inflorescence, or fruit, each distinct seed- ling may receive with its origin, it will be retained in its increase by runners, so long as the variety remains extant. Seedlings may vary from the parent, but off- shoots will not be materially different, except by accidental malformation or by development of unim- portant organs. John A. Warder, Secretary. REPORT Of the Committee of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society on the Statistics of the Strawberry, and the quantity sold in the Cincin- nati market, for the year 184G : June Ist 100 bushels. 2d 300 3d 300 4th 300 5th ,...300 Gth 350 8th 100 9th 350 10th 300 11th 250 12th 150 20th . . . 20 2l8t 22d 20 25 23d 55 25th..,.. 2Gth . .... 20 250 27th 28th 200 200 29th 250 30th 300 Total, for 22 days, 4,150 bushels. D. K. Cadt, Chairman. APPENDIX. 119 APPENDIX E. From tho " Horticulturist," August, 1864. By P. Baekt, Editor. THE CULTIVATION OF THE STRAWBERRY. The discussion of the Strawberry question, which has occupied the pages of agricultural and horticultural journals so largely for a few years past, has been the means, directly and indirectly, of advancing materially the cultivation of that fruit. We find ample evidence of this in the more abundant supply of our markets, and in the production of a large number of seedling varieties. Eecent letters from correspondents in all parts of the country, as well as the reports of late exhibitions, all testify to the very general interest which is felt on the subject, and the progress that has been made. But, after all, we are constrained to say that our cultivation is yet very indifferent. The size and appearance of the great bidk of fruit offered in market, convince us of this. Those who know how to culti- vate, are in many cases slovenly, or act upon the prin- ciple that good culture will not pay ; while there are many who fail for want of correct information. We have now before us a large number of inquiries on the subject. One wants to know how to prepare the soil ; another, when to plant; and another, how to plant. Several correspondents who are well informed on the subject of cultivation, ask us to give them the names of the best perfect-flowering sorts, as they are tired of keeping separate the staminate and pistillate varieties. We have therefore thought it might be well to offer a few hints which will serve as a general answer. 120 APPENDIX. We will state here, at the outset, that to cultivate the strawberry successfully, is but a simple matter. To grow large, handsome, fine-flavored fruit in abund- ance, it is not necessary to employ a chemist to furnish us with a long list of specifics, nor even to employ a gardener by profession who can boast of long years of experience. Any one who can manage a cro23 of corn or potatoes, can, if he will, grow strawberries. We say this much by way of encouragement, because so much has been said in regard to various methods of culture, and various applications and specifics, that some people have become persuaded that a vast deal of learning and experience is necessary to produce large crops of strawberries. Judging from what we have seen, we believe that the great cause of failure is negligence. The straw- berry plant — not like a tree, which, when once set in its place, remains there — ^is constantly sending out shoots (runners) in all directions, .taking possession of the ground rapidly around the parent plant. In a short time, therefore, unless these runners are kept in check, the ground becomes entirely occupied with plants, the parent plants become exhausted, and the ground can no longer be stirred or ke23t in such a con- dition as is necessary to sustain their vigor. The re- sult is, the ground is covered vv^ith a mass of starved and weakly plants, choking up each other in a hard, uncultivated soil, and producing a spare crop of small, insipid berries, that dry up on their stalks before they are ripe, unless rain happens to fall every day. The constant stirring of the soil around the plants, is one thing which in our climate is absolutely neces- APPENDIX. 121 sary ; and any system of culture which prechides this, or throws any obstacle in its way, is defective. If any one will examine his strawberry beds, he will find the plants along the outer edges of the beds, where the soil has been kept clean and fresh by the frequent use of the hoe, vigorous and healthy, with luxuriant dark- green foliage, and large, fine fruit ; while in the interior of the beds, where the plants have grown into masses, and covered all the ground, so as to prevent its cultiva- tion, they are yellow and sickly -looking, and the fruit poor and worthless. This we see in our own grounds, and everywhere that we find plants growing under similar circumstances. Does this not shoAV the neces- sity of cultivation close around the plants ? Ko mat- ter how deep we may trench the soil, or how unsparing we may be with manures, or hoAv copiously we supply moisture, this cultivation cannot be dispensed with, if we aim at producing fine fruits and abundance of them. "But," says one cultivator, "by allowing the ground to be all occupied with plants, we save all the labor 'which would be consumed in removing the run- ners, and we avoid the necessity of applying a mulch- ing to keep the fruit clean." Yery true, you save some expense ; but what do you get in return ? A crop of fruit not fit for the table — small, insipid, and so dirty, if a heavy rain occurs about ripening-time, that it must be put through the wash-tub before it is jDlaced on the table. It is possible that the market-grower may be able to produce berries of this kind at a less price per quart than he could by a careful, cleanly, and thorough system of culture ; but then he can expect to sell such fruit only when no better can be had. We have some 122 APPENDIX. doubts, however, as to the economy of bad culture in the long run. K a proper system were adopted at the outstart, and followed up with regularity, it would not be found so profitless or expensive. In this, as in every other kind of culture, a system is absolutely necessary. A certain routine of operations which are easily executed if taken at the right tune, become bur- densome when deferred ; and being so, they are not unfrequently put off altogether. Precisely thus it is that strawberry beds are neglected, both in market gar- dens and private gardens, until they are grown wild beyond hope of recovery. Now, we say to every one who wishes to cultivate strawberries, resolve at once upon abandoning the " lazy -bed " system ; and if you cultivate but a square rod, do it well. We advise planting in rows not less than two feet apart, unless ground be very scarce, when eighteen inches might suffice, and the plants to be twelve to eight- een inches apart in the rows. In extensive field cul- ture, the rows should be at least three feet apart, in order to admit the use of the plough and cultivator between them, or even the passage of a cart to deposit manures or mulching material. The spade and wheel- barrow are too costly implements for an extensive cul- ture where labor is scarce and high, as with us. From the time the plants are set until the fruit is gathered, the runners should be cut away as fast as they appear, and the ground be kept clear of weeds, and well worked. In the fall, or before the setting in of winter, a mulch- ing of half-decayed leaves or manure should be placed between the rows, coming close around the plants, leaving the crown or heart uncovered. This mulching APPENDIX. 123 prevents tlie plants from being drawn out and weak- ened, or destroyed by freezing and thawing in winter. We have sometimes covered the entire beds, plants and all, with newly-fallen leaves ; and by raking them oif early in spring, the plants came out in fine order. In the same way we have covered with clean wheat straw, and found it answer well. In all the Korthern and Western States, some winter protection is of great ser- vice, although not indispensable. In field culture, the earth might be ploughed up to the plants, as is done with nursery trees, in such a manner as to afford con- siderable protection again the action of frost on the root. As soon as the fruit begins to attain its full size, and approach maturity, the spaces between the rows, which up to this time have been under clean culture, should be covered with straw, litter, or moss. This will serve the double purpose of keeping the fruit clean and retain- ing the moisture in the soil. When copious suppHes of water are to be applied, which should always be done when practicable, stable litter is a good mulching, as the water poured on it carries down with it to the roots of the plants the fertilizing materials Avhich it contains. The application of water in abundance we must again recommend to all who want the finest fruit. Kains are very good, but they cannot be relied upon, and they always deprive the fruit of its flavor, while artificial waterings do not. On this account the French garden- ers say that the strawberry "prefers water from the well to water from the clouds." It is supposed that the electricity which pervades the atmosphere during our summer rains, afiects the flavor of the fruit. When the crop has been gathered, the mulching ma- 124 APPENDIX. terial between the rows should be removed, and the ground be forked over, so that if plants are wanted to form a new plantation, their growth will be encour- aged. The same plants should not be relied upon for more than two crops. The labor of making a new bed, save the trenching of the soil, is no more than that of planting a plot of cabbages. As to the season for planting, we would recommend the spring for large plantations, because then there is comparatively no risk of failure. The amateur, how- ever, who wishes only to plant a bed in his garden, may do it at any time that he can procure good plants. If the growth of runners is encouraged in July, after the fruit is gathered, good, well-rooted runners may be had about the first of September, or it may be sooner. The young plants nearest the parent plant should always be chosen, if possible. In planting during the month of August or September, rainy weather should be chosen, if possible, but it may be safely done, even in a dry time, by using water freely. Water the plants well before taking them up, as it injures the roots very much to draw them out of dry ground ; then water the soil thoroughly where they are to be set, before plant- ing. A sprinkling will be of no use : it must go down deep, as a heavy rain would. Set the plants in the even- ing, and shade them a few days with boards set on edge, forming a sort of roof over them. Mulch them, too, with short litter ; and it will be well, if the plants be large, to remove some of the lower and larger leaves. Planting can be done safely in spring any time until the plants are in blossom — and all summer, for that matter, Avith proper care. APPENDIX. 125 We have thus briefly sketched the principal opera- tions in strawberry culture ; not in regular order, it is true, but we hope so as to be understood. We are not writing a book, and cannot enter into all the details with minuteness. We have said nothing of the soil, and will only remark that any good garden soil fit to produce culinary vegetables, or any good farm land fit for grain or root crops, will produce good strawberries ; but it must be deeply ploughed, or trenched, say twenty inches at least, and liberally manured with well-decom- posed stable manure or a good compost. The quantity of manure must vary according to the degree of natural fertility of the soil. In one case, a quantity equal to six inches deep all over the surface would not be too much ; while in other cases, half that would be enough. We would prefer not to make a strawberry planta- tion tAvice on the same ground ; but when circumstances render it inconvenient to change, rows of young plants might be set, or allowed to establish themselves from the runners, between the old rows, which can then be turned under with the spade, and will serve to enrich the ground. Now as to varieties. On this point there is room for a great diversity of opinion, and we cannot hope to name a list that will be acceptable to a very large num- ber of persons, at least in many parts of the country. Planters must have recourse to the best experience to be found in their respective localities ; in the meantime we shall express our opinion of a few varieties, and let it go for what it is worth. It happens that in this country the greater number of our most productive varieties have but one set of the 126 APPENDIX. organs of fecundation. A fruitful flower must have both pistils and stamens perfectly developed. The stamens are regarded as the male organs, and the pistils the female. When a flower has well-developed pistils, but no stamens, or imperfect ones, it must be impreg- nated by pollen from other flowers. Where a flower has no pistils, or has imperfect ones, it is utterly harren. A large number of our best American varieties — such as Hoveyh Seedling^ Burr's New Pine, McAvoy^s Supe- rior, Moyamensing, kc. — are wanting in stamens, and therefore foreign impregnation is necessary. In Europe this distinction is not observed to any extent, and all the English and continental varieties, as far as we know, are hermaphrodite. In this country very many of them fail from an imperfect development of the pistils, and are consequently barren, owing doubtless to the effects of climate and culture It is not necessary that the two should be in close proximity ; they are sure to get impregnated, if in the same garden, as the pollen is carried about from one flower to another by insects. The beds of the different sorts may be kept entirely separate. Mixing them up is a bad way, as the one outgrows and' overruns the other, and they become so confused that nothing can be done with them. On this account many have grown tired of keeping up the distinction, and have resolved to culti- vate hermaphrodite sorts only. The following varieties are the best on the long list of those we have tested on our own grounds : Pistillate. — Burr's New Pine, Jenny's Seedling, McAvoy's Superior, Hovey's Seedling, Moyamensing, Monroe Scarlet, and Crimson Cone. The finest fla- APPENDIX. 127 vored variety among these is Burr's New Pine ; the largest, Hovey's Seedling ; and the finest and best for market, Jenny's Seedling and Crimson Cone. Hovey's Seedling, in Western New York, and in many parts of the West, is a very moderate, and, in many cases, a poor bearer. We have had no crop so heavy the past season (when all bore well) as on the Monroe Scarlet. Staminate, or Hermaphrodite. — Large Early Scarlet, Walker's Seedling, Iowa, Boston Pine, and Genesee. All these may be grown successfully for market, and are good, without being first-rate in flavor. We think much more of Walker's Seedling now than we did last season. It is very hardy, and a great bearer. It appears to be a seedling from the Black Prince. The Boston Pine is the most uncertain on the whole list ; without good soil and culture, it fails en- tirely. Besides the above list, we would recommend to amateurs, who are willing to bestow thorough cultiva- tion and care on their plants, the British Queen, which, when Avell grown, surpasses in size, beauty, and excel- lence, any we have named. The Bicton Pine, a large and beautiful white variety, which ripens late. We have had a fine crop of it this season, although our plants — being set last year — were seriously injured last winter. Like all the foreign sorts, it needs protection, and a deep, rich soil, with abundant moisture. The Wood Strawberries — red and white — bear most pro- fusely in all places, and last a long time ; besides, they part freely from the calyx, and are therefore easily and rapidly picked, and their flavor is rich and agreeable to most people. In addition to these, we must mention 128 APPENDIX. the Busli Alpine, (having no runners,) perpetual bear- ers, if kept liberally supplied with, moisture. They deserve much more extensive cultivation than they now receive. With their assistance, we may enjoy strawberries not one month only, but four months. APPENDIX F. LETTER FROM B. V. FRENCH. Braintree, Mass., August 26, 1853. K. Gr. Pardee, Esq. : Dear Sir : — I regret to say that the culture of the strawberry, with its varieties, is not so well under- stood as I could desire. The culture I would recommend would be, in a yellow sandy soil, trench to the depth of two feet at least ; this should be made rich by high manuring, to which I would recommend a generous supply of muck (decomposed vegetable matter) and spent tanner's bark : the whole should be finely mixed in with the loam at the time the beds are made up. If the ground should be so situated as to admit an ample supply of water, it would be of great service, judiciously applied. The beds should be made, for convenience, about three feet wide, the paths one and a half foot. The plants should be grown from the runners of the previous year's growth, and the strong ones only made use of, taken up from the ground, just as the new leaves begin to grow, with as much of their roots on as possible, APPENDIX. 129 your bed being quite mellow. They should, at this time, (in early new leaf in the spring,) be trans- planted with the roots, to the depth of their greatest length. To procure the finest fruit, they should be planted in hills, nine inches from the paths, and eight- een inches' distance one from the other. As no fruit is expected the first season, they should be kept clean of weeds, the earth to be kept mellow, and no runners allowed to take root. The second year you may look for and find a sure reward. The third year, let the runners take root ; the yield will be about one-third of the preceding year, when you will have a fall supply of new plants for a new bed : the old one, should you, in August, find it clear of sorrel and white clover, you may be classed with the neat gardener. Should these infest the beds, they may as well remain till the spring following, or till you have taken what new plants you may want, when the whole may be dug in, leaving your ground in a fine condition for a vine or root crop. In some soils the plants may want a slight protection from the frost. This, on the sea-coast, may be with sea-weed ; in the interior, with wheat o^; rye straw. Varieties. — The kind a cultivator should never exclude from his garden is the Early Virginia. Let him always keep a full supply of these; they are reliable when others fail. Next to this, for large ber- ries and a great yield, is Jenney's Seedling. Hovey's Seedling, and Boston Pine, in some seasons are very- fine. They should be in hills, under high cultivation, and with me not always satisfactory. Longworth's 7« 180 APPENDIX. Prolific, Walker's Seedling, and Burr's New Pine, promise well. There are a great number of others which I have tried that are good ; but if I was to have but two kinds, they should be the Early Virginia and Jenney's Seedling ; but you are aware, Sir, that these small fruits, which are such great luxuries, are like the large ones : we must try them all, and we often have occasion to change our minds on the trial of new varieties. Yours, with respect, B. Y. French. P.S. — I have near forty varieties of the strawberry growing, but they are not sufficiently tested to give an opinion on. APPENDIX G. LETTER FROM PETER B. MEAD. September 1st, 1854. E. G. Pardee, Esq. : Dear Sir — Your request, that I would give you a few remarks on the culture of the strawberry, I will now comply with, but necessa- rily in a brief manner. First let me say, that I am glad to learn that you are about to publish a manual on strawberry culture. Your long experience and marked success will enable you to invest the subject with unusual interest. "We cannot always command just such a soil as we want; but we generally 'have the material at hand to APPENDIX. 131 modify it so as to answer our purpose very well. For the strawberry I prefer a sandy loam, well drained, and a southern exposure. An eastern aspect is also good. Animal manures I do not use, except on a few of the hermaphrodites, and then very sparingly, and only that which is well decomposed. I much prefer prepared muck, leaf-mould, &c. When a stimulant is required, a solution of guano, the salts of ammonia, dilute tannic acid, or a top-dressing of guano, super- phosphate of lime, potash, &c., answers the purpose well. I prefer the guano, ammonia, and tannic acid. In a garden, strawberries should be planted in beds, and each kind kept distinct. Make the beds three feet wide, put three plants in a row, the two outside ones being 6 inches from the edge of the bed ; the plants will then be one foot apart. The rows should be 18 inches apart ; but in a small garden they may be one foot apart. Select young plants in preference to old ones. Set the plant up to the crown, but do not cover it. Keep the ground open and porous, and free from weeds. A word as to the best time for planting. I prefer early spring ; but where a supply of water is at hand, it may be done at any time ; for only give the straw- berry plenty of water, and it will defy any amount of heat. I would remark, en passant^ that whoever at- tempts to water his strawberries must do it thoroughly, if he would have his plants derive any benefit from it. A thorough soaking once a week will do more good than fifty sprinklings a day. Where water is not at hand, the planting should be done during August and September, taking advantage of a heavy rain. I prefer the early part of September ; in fact, I have planted 132 APPENDIX. Hovey, Burr's New Pine, Walker's Seedling, and others, as late as the 21st of October, and every plant survived the winter without covering of any kind ; but I would not recommend planting later than September. Next a few words abou.t mulching and after-treat- ment. Latterly I have seldom resorted to mulching. I have a rake 7 inches wide with prongs 8 inches long, made of highly tempered steel. This is my mulcher. "With this instrument I work between the rows from spring till fall ; and frequently when the plants are in fruit. I know I shall be told that this is a dangerous practice, and I admit that it is in inexperienced hands ; indeed, I would not trust another to use it among my own plants, owing to the danger of injuring their fibres ; and yet I use it myself within an inch of the crown. When, therefore, I cannot give the necessary personal attention to my plants, I resort to the next best mulcher, which is tan^ either spent or fresh. I prefer the latter. The ground should first be well stirred, and the tan applied not more than one inch thick. If too much is applied, it is apt to ferment and kill the plants. Many fine beds have been destroyed in this Avay. Where tan cannot be had, leaves from the woods may be used. These make an admirable mulch, and promise, in my opinion, to take the first place among mulchers. Hay, straw, grass, sawdust, (Sec, are also good ; but whatever is used for this pur- pose, the crown of the plants must in no case be covered. The beds having been properly made, the after-treat- ment becomes a very simple matter ; indeed, I know of no plant that gives such generous returns at so APPENDIX, 138 small a cost of labor ; but you must not infer from this that I justify any thing like neglect. The beds must be looked over occasionally, runners removed, weeds pulled up, and every thing kept neat and clean. In the spring, rake the mulching into the walks, stir up the soil, apply a top-dressing if needed, and then put back the mulching. The best mode, however, is to apply one of the solutions before mentioned, after the fruit has set. The bearing-season may be considerably prolonged by thorough watering, and will amply repay the trouble where the means are at hand. As soon as the plants have done bearing, they will throw out run- ners, which must be pinched off, unless plants are wanted for new beds. I have no time to add more here, except to say, that he who would have good strawberries must cultivate them ; by which I mean the opposite of letting them take care of themselves. You will doubtless expect me to add a few words in regard to some of the leading varieties ; but it would be impolitic for me to say much on this point, since you know I am now testing all the new varieties, and conducting a series of exi^eriments having reference to the natural history of this most interesting plant. Friends have furnished me with varieties entirely new, and not yet sent out ; but these I have only had under trial since last May, and it would be quite premature to say much about them, though some of them are very promising. I am daily expecting more. At some future time I shall review them all. I do not hesitate to say, however, that the folloAving are good, without, at present, designating them in any other way: McAvoy's Superior, Hovey's Seedling, Moyamensing, 134 APPENDIX. Burr's New Pine, Black Prince, Pennsylvania, Mc- Avoy's Extra Eed, (rather acid,) Boston Pine, Alice Maude, Longworth's Prolific, Excellente, Walker's Seedling, Beach's Queen, Large Early Scarlet, Ange- lique. But I rather think I will stop, for I know not where this may lead me. Barr's ISTew White and Bicton Pine are both large white varieties ; the former is best. You also tell me you mean to add some directions about the culture of currants, gooseberries, and other small fruits, as well as the grape. These things should be better grown than they generally are. Gooseberries and currants are usually seen as a mass of half-decay- ed branches, without form or sightliness. Jt is next to impossible to bring these into shape, or develop their maximum productiveness. It is better to begin anew. Procure plants struck from cuttings; grow them with a clean stalk not less than six inches in height ; prune them every winter, keeping the heads well open, and shorten in last season's growth in the currant, but not in the gooseberry. These fruits are generally planted against the fence, or in some out-of- the-Avay corner, just where they should not be. Give them an open exposure, plenty of manure, and good culture, and you will be amply rewarded. The Ked Dutch is best for general purposes; but Knight's Sweet Eed, Cherry, Prince Albert, White Grape, and others, may be added where there is room. The raspberry and blackberry are also desirable in a garden, furnishing a delicious fruit at an opportune season. They both require a deep, rich soil. The blackberry may be planted against an east fence, and the raspberry against a west fence — about the best APPENDIX. 135 places in a garden. The old wood of the raspberry should be cut out after it has ceased bearing, and some four or five canes of the ncAV growth retained for next season. The blackberry should be winter-pruned, and shortened in about the last of July. They should both be tied to stakes or to the fence, and the ground kept free from weeds. Of raspberries, the Fastolf, Eed Antwerp, and White Antwerp are among the best. Dr. Brinckle, has raised several seedlings, one of which. Col. Wilder, I have grown, and found to be good. The above, in some localities, will need protection in winter, which is best done by bending down the canes and covering them with earth. Mr. Yan Dewenter, of Astoria, has a new ever-bearing raspberry, which will prove to be an acquisition. Of blackberries, the Improved High Bush (of Boston) and the New Rochelle are now pretty well known. The latter is certainly the best, and most productive : it is a most beautiful fruit, and worthy of general cultivation. I saw a basket of this fruit from Mr. Rosevelt, of Pelham, Westchester Co., the berries of which measured from three to three inches and a half in circumference. Mr. Lawton has also shown fine specimens. About a year since, while at Chester, Morris Co., N. J., I saw a blackberry growmg wild, closely resembling the New Rochelle, and quite equal to it. I have a variety, however, which I consider su- })erior to either of the above m point of flavor. It is very distinct in w^ood and foliage, and a strong grower. It is a hybrid variety, and may be had of Mr. More, of Yorkville. To say any thing important of the grape in a few 186 APPENDIX. lines, is no easy matter. The best soil, I apprehend, is a gi^avelly loam, thoroiigldy underdrained^ and subsoiled or trenched. We expect the vine to yield its fruit for a lifetime at least, and should |)repare the soil accord- ingly. The ground having been trenched, dig a hole not less than three feet square and two feet deep, and fill up nearly a foot with a compost of manure, bones, broken charcoal, lime rubbish, and vegetable mould, or as many of these materials as can be procured, but no dead dogs, cats, or horses. Over this compost put a layer of the best soil ; then take your vine, spread the roots in their natural position, and fill up carefully. Yines three and four years old are the best, if they have been properly cared for ; otherwise I would pre- fer those two years old. Pruning is a matter of the first importance. In gardens, vines are grown upon either arbors or trellises, and the same kind of pruning will not answer for both. The arbor is generally used for the purpose of shade as well as fruit, and here spur- pruning is generally practised, but carried to such an extreme, that in the course of years the vines become knotty, stunted, and unproductive. The first year, little or no pruning is necessary ; if there is much to]), fiowever, it must be cut in to two or three good eyes. The vine is very tractable, and may be trained in the most symmetrical manner ; this, however, is too often done at the expense of the best fruit- wood. In the case of the arbor, after the leaders have been trained to their places, and the vines have come into bearing, do not prune closer than three eyes. K the growth is likely to be too much, rub out the middle eye, leaving the third for fruit, and the first for bearing next year ; APPENDIX. 137 at which time cut away all the wood clown to this .first shoot, which latter must be cut to three eyes, rubbing out the second as before, and so on from year to year. The truth is, it would require several pages to explain this matter fully, but I have no time for it. In the case of the trellis, what gardeners call cane-pruning is the best. Select as many shoots as are wanted, and cut out all the rest; these shoots are then shortened in to the first good eye ; but if this should leave them too long, they must be cut to the desired length. I regret that I have not time to explain this fully ; but the principle is, to get rid of last year's bearing- wood, and keep the new wood as near to the body as pos- sible. The grape border must be manured, spaded, and cultivated with as much care as you would bestow on a crop of corn. A summer pruning is also neces- sary, which consists in thinning out the superfluous gTowth, and pinching in the laterals. The leaves of the grape vine must in no case be removed. The best time to prune is the fall and early winter. The best grapes for this latitude are the Isabella, Catawba, and Early Black, or Madeira ; the latter only for the garden ; the Charter Oak, Eoyal Muscadine, (a synonym,) and others of that class, are worthless hum- bugs. The Diana is a small, sweet, and rather plea- sant grape, and desirable for localities where the Isabella will not ripen. The Clinton and some others, which are well spoken of, I have had no opportunity of testing; and I have seen the fruit of niany seed- lings, which deserve no fiu-ther mention, with the ex- ception of a white variety, with the Catawba flavor, 138 APPENDIX. and ripening 1st of September. I think this last will prove to be a very good grape. But this letter has reached a great length, and I must close it, with all its shortcomings. If it contains any thing of use to you for the purposes of your man- ual, you are at liberty to do what you please with it. Sincerely yours, Peter B. Mead. APPENDIX H. From the "American Agriculturist," Sept, 1854. THE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE GARDEN. BY AN AMATEUR. There are few accessories of the homestead more important than a good fruit and vegetable garden ; no home is perfect without them. If there is one thing more than another which adds to the comforts of a poor man's cottage, it is a well-kept garden, in its largest sense ; nay, it is a luxury, even to the millionaire. A well-regulated house within, and a well-kept garden without, make up much of the sum of human happi- ness. How few such there are ! The garden is too generally looked upon as something to minister to the mere appetite ; but, when rightly regarded, it exercises a moral and intellectual influence which gives it a strong claim to the serious consideration of all who feel any concern in the ultimate destiny of the human race Horticultural pursuits, above all others, bring int( healthy play those powers of body and mind, the mu- tual exercise of which alone can keep up that just equilibrium of the physical, intellectual, and moral forces, which makes the true man. APPENDIX. ' 139 I will now submit a few practical remarks on what may be called the Cottage Vegetable Garden, or rather, Fruit and Vegetable Garden ; for, on a limited plot, they ought not to be separated. There is no good reason why a man with three or four city lots, each 25 by 100 feet, should not indulge the luxury of a few choice fruits, equally with him who owns his acres. In what follows, it is supposed that the lots run north and south, the house being built on the north front, and the flower-garden separated from the vege- table by a rose-trellis the full width of the lots. The flower-garden and lawn will occupy another article. Let us suppose a man has four lots of ground, two of which are taken up with a house, lawn, flower-gar- den, &c. He will then have a plot 50 by 100 for a fruit and vegetable garden. Now it will not do to use half of this up with walks — a thing quite too common. Beginning at the rose-trellis, lay off a central walk four feet wide, through the length of the garden ; then, immediately behind the rose-trellis, lay off a grape- border ten feet wide, and parallel with this a walk three feet wide, stopping three feet short of each side- fence ; then borders three feet wide next the east and west fence ; then, parallel with these, a walk three feet Avdde ; then a central walk four feet wide, tlirough the width of the garden, and a walk three feet \vide close to the south fence. This arrangement will make four large central beds, each 40 by 17 feet, besides the bor- ders. The beds and borders should be edged with box, kept closely cut. The whole garden should be trenched two or three feet deep. To make the walks, dig out the soil three feet deep ; fill in with stones about 14:0 APPENDIX. one foot, and cover them with stout brush ; then put in the soil, and finish with about six inches of coarse sand or gravel, raising the walks a little in the middle. EoU them from time to time till thej become settled; a good coating of salt will help to make them hard, and keep them free from weeds. Walks thus made will keep your feet dry, and your beds tolerably well drained — the latter an object which should never be lost sight of, especially where early fruit and vegetables are desired. There are some matters connected with grading and levelling, which must be determined by the circumstances of each particular case. Lastly, there should be some eighteen inches of good soil, of which sod mould is the very best. ISTo amateur can hope to have a good garden, pleasantly worked, unless every thing is properly prepared from the beginning ; hence these particulars. Now let us see what permanent "fixtures" are wanted. Four feet from the rose-trellis, put in a row of posts, six or seven feet high and eight feet apart, upon which stretch four stout wires. Plant a grape vine between each post, and keep them well pruned, on the cane system. Eschew all charlatans and hum- bugs, whether in the shape of men or vines, and among the latter especially, the Charter Oak. The walk, if made as directed, will keep this border well drained — a matter of much moment where well-flavored grapes are desired. Two or three loads of gravel, incorpo- rated with the soil, would make it still more congenial to the grape. Between each vine, and some three feet from the box edging, put in a rhubarb plant, and under it a good heap of manure. This is a good APPENDIX. 141 arrangement, notwithstanding some may object to it. In the centre of this border, where the wide walk in- tersects it, a STimmer-house may be erected. In the border along the e?st fence, plant the black- berry, some three or four feet apart. In the west bor- der, plant the raspberry, at about the same distance. It would be well, however, to reserve a portion of the west border for a few plants of sage, parsley, thyme, &c. There now remain the four large beds, the borders of which may be occupied with dwarf fruit trees ; no others should ever be grown in a garden, and by no means plant them in an auger-hole. I would recom- mend chiefly pears; but, for the sake of variety, a couple of plums, apricots, cherries, quinces, &c., may be added. These should be planted in the border of the large beds, about three feet from the box edging, and some eight feet apart. Between each tree a cur- rant or gooseberry bush may be planted ; these should be raised from cuttings, grown to a single stalk, and regularly winter-pruned. This mode of planting is good in itself, and leaves all but the border of the large beds for vegetables, strawberries, &c. One bed may be occupied with strawberries and asparagus, but the latter must be kept three or four feet from the fruit trees. Having disposed of the principal permanent arrange- ments, let us look for a moment at such vegetables as will have to be raised annually. For this purpose we have left three of the large beds. It is taken for granted that a good supply of well-prepared barn-yard manure has been procured, as well as a set of steel 142 APPENDIX. garden implements, wliicb. latter should always be kept as bright as a new penny. First make up your mind what you will grow, and how much of it. Then spread on a good coating of manure, and spade twelve inches deep. It is surprising to a novice how much can be grown on a given surface. Beets, carrots, salsify, parsnips, lima beans, and some others, will occupy the ground the whole season. Beets should be sown thick, in drills six inches apart, each alternate row to be used for greens, as well as the thinnings of the others. Between the carrots, &c., radishes may be sown. Lettuce, radishes, &c., may be sown in the raspberry and blackberry borders. Peas should be sown in double drills six inches apart, at intervals of three feet. Between the peas may be planted beets for greens, radishes, spinach, lettuce, &c., making two drills of each. The peas will come off in time for turnips, late cabbage, broccoli or celery; the latter should be planted in beds, the earth thrown out one spade deep, the celery planted in rows one foot apart, and the plants from six to ten inches in the roAvs. Snap beans will be off in time for cabbage, turnips, fall spinach, &c. If beans are wanted in the fall, they may follow onions, where these have been grown from sets. A few cucumbers may be planted in the fruit border. Sugar-corn should be planted in drills three feet apart, the plants six inches in the drills for the small early varieties, and about a foot for others. For a succession, plant from early spring till the first w^eek in July, two or more drills at a time, according to the wants of the family. Corn may be planted after some of the crops named above. K one piece of ground is used, a por- APPENDIX. 143 tion of it will give you some early spinach and peas. Kadishes may also be planted from time to time along the fruit border, but too much of this will injure the trees. A few egg-plants and peppers may also be planted in the fruit border, but not immediately under the trees. By the exercise of a little judgment, a variety of things m.ay be made to follow each other in this way, so that no spot of ground need necessarily remain unoccupied for a single day during the whole season. The ground must be kept free from weeds, and well worked at all times. When the weather is dry, use the hoe more frequently than usual, (a narrow, long-pronged rake is best,) which will enable the ground to absorb moisture from the atmosphere, of which it always con- tains some, even in the dryest weather. Frequent stiring of the soil is important in another respect, in keeping it open and porous, and enabling it to take up the gases of the atmosphere, which constitute no inconsiderable portion of the food of plants. It will also give an earlier and better crop. Discard the prac- tice of earthing your plants, except for the purpose of blanching. Hilling should not be tolerated, except in soils naturally retentive of moisture ; the true remedy for which consists in underdraining, and not in hilling. The preceding remarks are mostly of a general nature, but a few words may be said here of the time and labor necessary to cultivate and keep in order a garden like that here described. A person familiar with the operations to be performed, and expert in the use of implements, can generally perform the necessary labor (unless he is dronish) without detriment to his 144 APPENDIX. daily business ; on the contrary, lie will find himself invigorated for the discharge of its duties. At all events, he will need but a few days' assistance for the rough work. I know that very much more than this has been done for years, and will continue to be done. I speak this for the encouragement of those who desire to surround their homes with these luxuries, but whose means will not permit them to employ a permanent gardener. Much time is lost for want of proper know- ledge. The best advice I can give the novice is, first to learn what is to be done, and then learn how to do it, and always do it well. May the day come when even the common laborer shall be blessed with the comforts of a good home, and rejoice "under his own vine and" fruit "tree!" 3 477 *