yw. m * LIBRARY OF COA'GRESS, ! » THE SMALL PRUIT CULTUMST. BY ANDREW S.'^FULLER, PRACTICAL HORTICULTURIST, RIDGEWOOD, BERGEN CO., N. J. BKAXJTIFULiIiY IliLUSTRATED. 18G7 .j '^y of V/ashi?^-'' ^ NEW-YORK: ORANGE JUDD & COMPANY. 41 PARK ROW. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1867, by ORANGE JUDD & CO. At the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New-York. q,Y~ ^^^ f<\^ LovEJOT & Son, Electp.otypees and Steeeottpkks. 15 Yandewatcr Btreet N. T. PREFACE. With the extended cultivation of the small fruits in the past few years, there has arisen a demand for practical in- formation, not only from the professional cultivator, but the amateur ; and, in fact, every one who owns a rod of ground in city or country, wishes to know how to cultivate small fruits, and what kinds to plant, either for home use or market. Thus far no work, devoted exclusively to this branch of horticulture, has been presented to the public. The results of the experiments and observations of culti- vators in distant localities have not heretofore been gath- ered together, and what little information has been given is scattered through a thousand volumes, utterly inaccess- ible to the great masses of the people. To meet the Avants of this numerous and rapidly increasing class, this little work has been prepared. The facts herein given are, in part, the results of personal observation and experience, extending over a long period of years. All of the vari- eties recommended have been tested by myself, and it has been my aim to give whatever information I possessed re- lating to them, in language that might be understood by the novice in these matters, as well as the professional hor- ticulturist. I have not presumed to give rules or advice that may be implicitly relied upon in all sections of the country, because there are many things relating to the culture of fruits that can only be learned by personal, IV PBEFACE. local experience. Neither have I any apologies to make for sending forth this little work on its mission, for it has not been written to gratify any personal ambition, bnt to supply that which my extended correspondence for years ])ast has shown to be an indispensable necessity. Tlious- ands of inquiries are addressed to me, orally and by letter, every year, for information relating to small fruit culture, until the tax upon my time has become so serious as to inter- fere with other duties. To meet these inquiries, and throw what little light I oould upon the subject, has been my only object, and whether success has crowned my efforts, or otherwise, the public will decide. To the many gentlemen who have so kindly and gratui- tously sent me specimens of jjlants of the new fruits in years past, I return my sincere thanks, hoping that they will not judge too harshly if I have not thought proper to praise certain varieties as highly as they may think they deserve. It is such a difficult task to decide which are really the best, where there are so many that are good, that I have preferred to err, if at all, in not overrating tlie merits of particular varieties, rather than to paint in glow- ing terms those which may have appeared to me as deserv- ing of such commendation. To Chas. Downing I am parti- cularly indebted, for plants of a great number of the small fruits, both old and new, many of which it is doubtful if I could have procured elsewhere, as some had become almost obsolete. Hoping that this little work will be as kindly received by the public as it is given by the author, and that it Avill assist in creating a desire for more extended knowledge upon the subject, until a more able pen shall be employed upon it, is the wish of Andrew S. Fulleb. Bidgewood, N. J"., April 35tb, 1867, C O NTENTS. INTEODnCTION 7 CHAPTER I.-BARBERRT 20 CHAPTER II.— STRAWBERRY 31 CHAPTER III.— RASPBERRY 114 CHAPTER W.— BLACKBERRY 168 CHAPTER v.— DWARF CHERRY 1S3 CHAPTER \T.— CURRjil^T 186 CHAPTER Vn.— GOOSEBERRY 214 CHAPTER \^^.— C0RNELIA2T CHERRY 223 CHAPTER rS.— CRANBERRY 231 CHAPTER X.— HUCKLEBERRY 240 CHAPTER XL— SHEPERDIA 251 CHAPTER XII.— PREPARATION FOR GATHERING FRUIT 265 INTRODUCTION, It is only -within a comparatively recent period that the Small Fruits have been considered of sufficient importance to command the attention and call forth the energies of the skillful horticulturist. From all the information we can gather fi-om history, we infer that, "with the single ex- ception of the grape, very few of the small fruits common at present, were cultivated or known in ancient times. Those that are mentioned in ancient history are named only in connection with some wild legend of field or forest, rendering it apparent that their cultivation and im- provement were left for the people of a more progressive age. The earlier English and French authors have very little to say in regard to the berries, and so late as 1600 there appear to have been no improved varieties of the currant or gooseberry, and botb were supposed to be only varieties of the same species. We have only to look back a very few years to ascer- tain all that has been done in cultivating and improving these fruits. In former times nature, without the assist- ance of man, supplied most of the small fruits in quanti- ties adequate to the demand, and of such a quality as to satisfy uncultivated tastes. But of late years the inci-ease of population has been so rapid that the supply from the woods and fields has not been equal to the requirements 7 8 SMALL FRUIT CULTUFvIST. of the marlcets, while at the same time a demand for some- thing better has arisen. Hence the necessity for assisting nature in her efforts to unfold the many useful fruits Avhich remain hidden until touched by the skillful hand of science. So soon as our horticulturists began to cultivate the small fruits, they became aware of their before unknown merits, and eagerly sought every means of developing them to the extent of their capabilities. These efforts have been immensely successful in producing new and bet- ter varieties, which, becoming known to the public, have so largely increased the demand that all attempts to fully supply the markets have been inadequate. The progress of fruit-culture in the United States is probably more appai'ent than in other countries, for we have only to go back to a period Avithin the memory of horticulturists still living to ascertain nearly every fact in regard to its history ; ask any of our older horticulturists concerning the markets of forty years ago, and they will tell us that there were no Hovey or Wilson Strawberries offered for sale in those days ; no Cherry or White Grape Currants ; no Dorchester or New Rochelle Blackberries ; but that they were wholly supplied with berries from the woods and uncultivated fields. During the last ten years we have made more progress in small fruit-culture than in thirty years before, and, not- Avithstanding this progress, we now find that we have scarcely begun to cultivate them intelligently. The cause of our advancement is, in a great measure, due to the dissemination of information upon the subject through the horticultural and agricultural press. It is by reading these that the masses have learned where to obtain the plants they desire and how to cultivate them. Thus, by having a medium through which both parties are ben- efited, trade is augmented and progress made more certain. Oi'iginators of new varieties are stimulated to greater exertions, knowing that, if successful, they will be amply INTEODUCTIOK. 9 rewarded. It is true that there is a limit to progress in particular directions, but, when this point has been reach- ed, it is easy to retrace our steps and move in another channel. The facilities for pi-ocuring and distributing plants are, at the present time, far superior to those of any former period. Onr railroads have penetrated to far dis- tant portions of our country, thereby affording a rapid and safe transmission for many of the more delicate plants, wliich, a few years since, could not safely be transported by land to any considerable distance. Added to this, are the facilities which our Post-office Department offer for sending plants, cuttings and seeds, through the mail, charging at the rate of only half a cent per ounce, and allowing packages of four pounds weight to be carried, thei'eby affording the settlers in the newer portions of the country as well as those located away from the lines of railroads and other commercial thoroughfares an oppor- tunity of obtaining plants and seeds, at a small cost for transportation, which, under other circumstances, could not in any way be procured. These advantages, which the horticulturists of the present day possess over those of former years, stimulate them to exertion, and hundreds of acres are now devoted to the cultivation of the small fruits where there were not fifty ten years ago; still prices average higher than formerly, and the demand in- creases more rapidly than the supply. The great amount of fruit i;sed at present, far surpassing that of former times, cannot be attributed wholly to the increase in pop- ulation, as that has not been in proportion to the increased quantity of fruit consumed. The introduction and almost general use of fruit pre- serving cans have afforded the people an opportunity of ob- taining an uninterrupted supply of choice fruits, regardless of time or season. Thousands of bushels are annually pre- served for home use by families, both in country and city. One may step into any of our restaurants — even when the 1* 10 SMALL FRUIT CULTURI8T. snow covers the fields and with the thermometer at zero — and call for a dish of strawberries and cream, and he will be supplied as readily as in the month of June. The fruit may not be quite so good as when first gathered from the plant, but, considering the time of year, it is quite accept- able. Not only do private families, saloons and hotels consume enormous quantities of the small fruits which have been preserved in these hermetically sealed cans and jars, but every steamer or sailing vessel that leaves our ports takes with it a supply for use on the voyage, and it often forms a share of the freight. We are not only called upon to produce fruits to supjDly the home de- mand, but other portions of the world which cannot or do not produce them, and it can readily be seen that it must be many years before anything like an adequate quantity can be produced, even with the rapid strides we are making. The field for production may appear to be a very large one, still it is far less than that of con- sumption. It is not every location or soil that is adapted to the cultivation of the small fruits, neither will every variety succeed equally well on the same place. Conse- quently the favorable regions for particular kinds must furnish the people of other locations ; thus an exchange is made beneficial to both, and to the advantage of trade. The Southern States produce fruit for home consumption and for sale at the North, and vice versa. Diflferent sec- tions produce different fruits, but often both yield the same, and yet they become a market for each other. For instance. Strawberries ripen at the South several weeks before they do at the North — we purchase their pro- ductions so long as their supply lasts, or until our own be- gins to ripen ; we can then send fruit south where the crop has matured and gone. The same is true with many other fruits ; those from warm regions are shipped to the cool ones, and later in the season a return is made in kind or of some similar productions. INTRODUCTION. 11 With a constantly increasing demand, and no apparent prospect of our markets being fully supplied, it is no won- der that many have turned their attention to the cultiva- tion of the small fruits. All along the lines of our railroads, canals, and naviga- ble rivers, new villages are springing up, each of which soop becomes a shipping jDoint for produce to the larger cities and villages. Many which did not exist eight or ten years ago, are now annually sending to market a half million to a million baskets of fruits. Ten years ago a nurseryman's catalogue, made up ex- clusively of the numerous descriptions of small fruits, was a rarity ; but at the present time they are quite abundant, showing that the propagation of the plants for sale, as well as the raising of the fruit, has become quite a promi- nent feature in horticulture. It is not to be expected that every one who attempts the cultivation of the small fruits will be successful, any more than that all will succeed in any other business, still it must be admitted, that the culture of the leading vari- eties of this class offers as wide and safe a field for enter- I^rise as is to be found in any other branch of business pertaining to the cultivation of the soil. Some will fail because they obtained varieties unsuited to their soil or location, for it must be remembered that there is no such thing as general cultivation, when ap- plied to the whole United States. Others will attempt more than they are capable of completing. And there are those who imagine that all that is required is, to obtain the plants and see that they are planted, after which they can sit down and wait for a bountiful harvest. Such peo- ple are always disappointed, and it matters not what they undertake, they are sure to be unfortunate, and every ex- periment will end in failure until tliey learn to labor as well as to wait. Profitable fruit-culture cannot result from idleness or negligence. Prompt, energetic action, ap- 12 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. plied at the proper time, is far more essential with the small fruits tlian with the larger ones. An apple or pear tree will struggle long, and often successfully, against weeds, drouth, or an unsuitable soil, while a Rasj^berry or Strawberry plant would perish in a Aveek under similar circumstances. There is probably nothing appertaining to the cultivation of the soil which will, if properly con- ducted, yield more pleasiire or profit than the culture of our best varieties of small fruits. Still it must not be ex- pected that there are no difficulties in the way, for there will sometimes be early and late frosts; wet and dry sea- sons ; cold winters and hot summers, and insects that will destroy more rapidly than nature can restore ; therefore no one should attempt the culture of any kind of fruit, unless he has courage and perseverance sufficient to meet and overcome all the obstacles he may find in the road to success. To the inexperienced cultivator these difficulties may appear very formidable, yet they are no greater than in any other branch of business, and far less than in many. The small fruits, as a class, are less liable to be affected by disease or insects than a majority of the larger kinds, and as many of them, like the Raspberry and Blackberry, bloom late in the season and perfect their fruit early, they are seldom injured by the late spring frosts, which are often so very destructive to the Peach, Apple, and other early bloomers. To guard against great losses it is best not to risk one's entire capital in any one kind, for if that should fail, it would be ruinous. Neither is it advisable to cultivate too great a variety, for capital, needlessly scattered, is not readily gathered. The aim of the cultivator should be : 1st — ^To provide against total failure. 2d — Cultivate no more of any one kind than he can pi'operly attend to, both in cultivating and in gathering the fruit, od — Provide for a succession of crops, so that there shall be an uninter- rupted income, in preference to a large and fluctuating IXTRODUCTIO]Sr. 13 one. Fruit-baslcets, crates, etc., miist be provided, and the capital invested in these shoukl not be allowed to re- main idle any longer than is absolutely necessary. If sev- eral kinds are cultivated, commencing with tlie Strawber- ry, and followed by Raspberries, Gooseberries, Currants, and Blackberries, the fruit-baskets may be constantly em- ployed for at least three months, when if but one kind is grown their use will scarcely extend over as many weeks. Besides this, a better class of help can be secured for gathering the fruit where steady employment for three months can be given, than when for only a few days or weeks. The chief object of those "who cultivate fruit for mar- ket is that of profit, and to secure the largest return on capital invested requires a judicious selection of varieties. The best in quality are seldom the most profitable for general market purposes. Usually the highest flavored are the most delicate growers and quite unproductive. Individual tastes diflfer — one will choose a variety that an- other will reject. Taste, however, is changeable, and a fruit, which at one time may be quite distasteful, will, by a constant acquaintance, become very agreeable. Our markets are but an aggregation of individuals, conse- quently they often change, and a jjarticular variety of fruit, when first introduced, will find no purchasers, though it may aftervrards become exceedingly jDoj^ular. A particular color will often be the cau.se of rejection, and it will require a constant and persistent efibrt on the part of the producer to introduce the variety and per- suade the masses to purchase. A case in jDoint is that of the Brinckle's Orange Raspberry, a variety which is ac- knowledged, by connoisseurs in fruit, to be one of the very best in quality ; still, place it beside almost any ordinary red variety in any of the New York markets, and not ten baskets of it will be sold to one hundred of the latter. In other cities the results may be quite the reverse, 14 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. which would only show that the masses must become ac- quainted with a variety before they will freely purchase, especially if it differs widely in appearance from those which are well known. The public taste in this country has not as yet been sufficiently cultivated to discriminate or select the very best, and it is doubtful if the masses appreciate or care whether a fruit is fully up to any par- ticular standard of quality that scientific horticulturists have endeavored to establish ; quantity is evidently more highly prized than quality, especially if the latter is at- tended by scarcity. I do not wish in these remarks to convey the idea that the very best should not always be sought for, but when their cultivation is not remunerative, quality alone be- comes of doubtful advantage to the producer. The more familiar a people become with any particular kind of fruit, the more they will appreciate it, and should anything occur to deprive them of a supply, they will feel the loss very keenly. Small fruit-culture has already be- come quite a prominent feature in American horticulture, and every possible means should be employed, not only to keep up the supply, but to increase it, so that it shall equal the demand. Heretofore its production has been mainly local ; that is, a particular neighborhood has made a specialty of grow- ing some one or more kinds that have been found to be adapted to the location and soil. Fruit-growers in other sections, having tried the same variety or varieties, as the case may be, and not finding their culture remunerative, have discarded them. Instead of doing this, they should have tried to produce new va- rieties that would succeed; or, endeavored to procure from among the many already known, some kind that was adapted to their particular soil and location. It is well known to every experienced horticulturist that certain species, and all the varieties produced therefrom, fail in INTRODUCTIOJSr. 15 some locations and soils, while other species and their var rieties, although of the same genus, will succeed most ad- mirably. These peculiarities of species have given rise to much discussion among fruit-growers. One will assert, for instance, that the Rasi^herry is a total failure in his section, and that it cannot he grown, which may be true in regard to a particular kind or class, but no farther. There is probably no soil in our whole country, unless it be under water or totally barren, in which some one or more kinds of small fruits may not be profitably grown. The great desideratum is, to determine which they are, and the people are looking to experimenters to furnish the required information. This is being given through various mediums that are accessible to all, and the rapidly extending culture of this class of fruits shows very clearly that the knowledge gained is put to practical use. The dissemination of sim- ple facts, which are frequently conveyed in a single word or line, is often of more value than a learned and elabo- rate essay. We sometimes observe in nurserymen's catalogues, re- ferring to a particular variety, a simple remark like this : " succeeds admirably with me in a light sandy, clayey, or loamy soil," as the case may be, thereby giving a key to the secret of his success and the failure of others. There was a time in the history of horticulture when secrets were a merchantable commodity, and the particular methods of propagation and culture were transferred from one gardener to another for a consideration. But those days are past, for the true horticulturist of the present day keeps no secrets that will benefit mankind, but hast- ens to give to . the world the advantages which may arise from any discovery he makes, receiving in return that which is of more lasting value than money : the thanks of his co-laborers. It is true, that occasionally a man can be found so blind to his own interest and reputation, and 16 SMALIi FEUIT CULTURIST. SO selfishly mean, as to desire to kee^D to himself any process hy which he thinks he can surpass his neighbors, and tax the public for his own benefit ; but such is the estimation in which these men are held by a large majority of horti- culturists, and so readily is their meanness discovered by their customers, that they are very soon obliged either to retire fx'om business and seek some other less honorable occupation, or eke out a miserable existence suj^ported by the pati'onage of a class no better than themselves. The laws of nature should be secrets to none, and he who would deny others the knowledge of any important discovery in horticultural processes, would, if he were able, liave the blessed sunshine and showers shut out from every field but his. It is to the constant interchange of facts, derived from experience, that we owe much of our progress in horticulture. To know the different varieties, so that one can name them at sight, does not constitute, as some may suppose, all tlie knowledge requisite to en- able one to cultivate them successfully. Their adaptation to the various soils, locations, and climate ; the best mode of cultivation, proj^agation, prun- ing ; whether the fruit is firm or fragile, rendering it more suitable for market or home iise — these and many other points must be understood before one can safely go into small fruit-culture on an extensive scale. There has been much discussion as to whether a constant cultivation of the soil was necessary to produce remunerative resiilts from growing the apple, peach, pear, and kindred fruits. There is, perhaps, some reason in particular cases for an apparent neglect, siich as excessive growth, which may be checked by non-cultivation more readily than oth- erwise. But with the fruits, of which we shall treat m the following pages, there are no exceptions to the rule — the better the care, the more remunerative the results. By bestowing the best of care, we will not only obtain better returns, but they will be in an increased ratio to the amount INTKODTJCTIOX. 17 of labor bestowed. In many instances, with an annual expenditure of twenty-five dollars per acre, a return of only one hundred is obtained, while upon the same soil and with the same variety, if fifty dollars had been ex- pended, the return would have been three or four hundred. All experiments show that extra culture is far more prof- itable than what is generally termed good culture. I do not mean by this that it is necessary to trench the soil four feet deep, and apply a thousand loads of manure per acre to a soil which is naturally deep and nch ; but that deep plowing and subsoiling should be employed, with a liberal supply of enriching materials, if the best results are to be obtained. But few of those who are called good cultivators are aware of the large increase of fruit which may be produced on an acre by giving extra cul- ture, instead of the ordinary method. Many frnit-grow- ers, for the purpose of extending their business, increase the number of acres, when, if they would double the depth of that which they already possess, they would ob- tain the same increase in product without going to the expense of purchasing more land, besides incurring the extra trouble of cultivating two acres, when one might, Avith proper care, produce the same results. Deepening the soil is not wholly for the purpose of furnishing more plant food, nor to facilitate the downward gi'owth of roots, but it is principally for the purpose of disintegra- tion, and making it of such a consistency that it will be capable of retaining a sufficient amount of moisture at all times to nourish and supply the plants growing therein, but not enough to be detrimental. Rain water, as is well known, contains gases that are beneficial to plants, and if the soil is in a condition to allow it to pass through it, a large portion of these gases will be retained, but if the surface is hard, the water either runs off or remauis imtii it evaporates. Again, a soil that is loose and fiiable admits aii', and 18 SMALL FRTJIT CULTURIST. with it moisture. To prove this fact, we have only to take a piece of glass or polished steel, or any similar sub- stance, and place it in an ice-house where it will become cold ; then carry it into the open air, and in a moment it will be covered with water condensed from the atmos- phere. Now, we know that this moisture did not exude from the glass, therefore it must have come from the air. By stirring the soil, and placing that which has become heat- ed underneath to warm the roots, and bringing the cooler portions to the top to condense the moisture, two objects are obtained : besides loosening the earth that it may be the more easily penetrated by the rootlets, it at the same time admits the air charged with moisture for their nourishment. The benefit derived from frequent stirring of the surface soil in dry weather, especially if it be of a compact nature, is mainly derived from the admission of air containing moisture. Many cultivators appear to think that all that is required of them is, to keep the weeds from growing among their plants, and they never stir the soil except for this purpose ; but our best culti- vators have learned that frequent moving of the soil is very beneficial to all crops, especially in time of drouth. If any one doubts that soil can be made moist by frequent stirring, let them select a piece of ground under some open shed where no rain has reached for a year or more, break wp the soil and pulverize it finely ; then stir it and turn it over every morning for a week or two, and it will become quite moist, while a similar soil in the open field, which has not been stirred, will be pai'ched and dry. Mulching the surface with straw, leaves, or similar materi- als, is often very beneficial, especially to plants whose roots do not penetrate deeply. The mulch not only as- sists in preventing evaporation, but insures condensation of moisture from the air, Avhich passes freely through it to the soil. It is not my purpose to enter into any elaborate discus- INTEODUOTION. 19 sions of particular theories relative to growth, structure, food of plants, or any of the various points in vegetable physiology which are considered debatable questions. But as I shall have occasion in the following pages to ad- vise deep and thoroughly jDulverized soil, I have stated the foregoing simjile facts, so that the reader may under- stand why they are recommended. CHAPTER I. BARBERS Y.—Beebeeis. NATUTUX FAJVitLT Berbenclacce. [Name derived from Berberys, the Ai-abic name of the fruit. The French name is Spine vinette ; German, Berbentze ; Dutch, Berberisse ; Italian, Berbero ; Span- ish, Berberis-I General Chakacters. — Shrubs of medium size, with yellow imier bark and wood. Flowers iii drooping ra- cemes, leaves, and fruit acid. A section of this genus is often called Mahoaia ; the species belonging to it, have evergreen leaves, and are chiefly cultivated for ornament. SPECIES. Bcrbei'is vulgaris. — Common Barberry. — Native of Britain, but has become naturalized in the New England States. Stems witli sharp spines. Leaves obovate-oblong, bristly toothed. Berries oblong, scarlet. Bcrberis €anadensis. — American Barberry. — Very similar to the last ; the racemes not quite so long. Berries oval. Considered by some botanists as only a variety of B. vulgaris. Found wild on the Alleghanies and southward. Bcrbcris dlllcis. — Magellan Sweet Barberry. — Also called B. buxifolia and B. rotundifolia. Native of the Straits of Magellan. It is an evergi-een in its native coun- try and in England, but with us it usually drops its leaves in the latter part of winter. It blooms early, and ripens its fruit in July. Berries round, black, and, moderately sweet. Berberis aristata. — Nepaul Barberry.— B. Asiatica and B. Chitra of some atithors. Native of Nepaul and other portions of India, where it is an evergreen. Fruit purple, covered with bloom. Highly prized in its native country. There are probably other distinct species Avhich produce 20 BAHBEERT. 21 edible fruit, but it is so very difficult to determine them at the present time, and as botanists are not fully agreed upon this point, I shall content myself with classifying them as merely varieties of the foregoing species. HISTORY. There is very little in the history of the Barberry that is of any particular interest to the people of the present day. Some writers suppose that Pliny had reference to this plant where he says, in his 24th Book, Chap. 13, " There is a kind of thorny bush called Appendix, for that there be red berries hanging thereto which be likewise named Apen- dices." Whether it was really the Barberry, or some simi- lar shrub, which he referred to we have no means of knowing. Gerarde, an English author who wrote in 1597, says that the young leaves of the Barberry bush were used as a salad m liis time, PROPAGATION. Bt Seeds. — Gather the berries when fully ripe, and put into boxes until the pulp has become soft, then wash out the seeds, and either sow them or put away in sand until wanted. It is best to sow them in the fall, for, if delayed until spring, and the seeds become dry, a portion of them, at least, will not grow. In sections of the country where the weather is likely to be very hot and dry in summer, a half- shady place should be selected for the seed-bed, as there is sometimes danger of the young plants being burned off when they first appear above ground. Sow the seeds m drills, and cover them about one inch deep ; keep the weeds down, and stir the soil often. Transplant when one or two years old, and at the time of removal shorten the tap-root about one-third. Early spring is the best time to transplant the Barberry m the Northern States. 23 SMALL FKUrr CULTURIST. By Suckers. — The Barberry throws up a great quantity of suckers, chiefly frcin the main stem. Roots are produced on the base of these suckers. Consequently they may be separated from the old plant whenever it is desirable to in- crease the number of plants. By Cuttings. — Cuttmgs of the ripe wood do not grow as readily as with some other plants ; still, with a little care, they may be made to succeed. Select one or two year old wood in the fall, and before it has been severely frozen, and cut it into lengths of six or eight inches, cutting the lower end square across and just below a bud. Make them with a sharp knife, so that the wood shall not be crushed, but cut smoothly. After the cuttings are made, bury them in a dry place in the open ground, and cover so deeply that the frost will not reach them. They should not be tied in bundles, as is sometimes recommended for cuttings, but be placed in alternate layers of soil and cuttings. In the spring they should be taken out and planted, placmg them about three inches apart in the rows, covering all but one or two inches of the upper end. Pack the soil firmly around them, and either hoe often or cover the entire sur- face of the soil with mulch. As the same general system is followed for all ripe wood cuttings which are grown in the open ground, I will here state the method which I practice not only with the Barberry, but with the Currant, Gooseberry, and all similar plants, that I shall have oc- casion to mention in future chapters. When the cuttings are prepared, select a dry place, and dig a trench one spade deep, m shape like a letter V ; place a layer of cuttings on one side, then throw enough soil from the other side to cover them about an mch deep. Then place another layer of cuttings against this soil, keeping the trench in the same shape as it was when begun, cover the next layer in the same manner, and so on until the cuttings are all in ; then bank over with earth and smooth the surface so that the water will readily run off. EAEBEKET. 23 111 the spring, prepare a bed for the cuttings "by digging or plowing deeply, and enriching with well rotted manure. Harrow or rake the surface level and smooth ; then draw a line across the bed, and dig a trench by placing the back of the spade against the line, pressing it down perpendicu- larly ; then throw out the soil to one side, making a trench of the shape shown in figure 1. Place the cuttings agauist the perpendicular side of the %^" trench, two to four inches apart, and the upper end an inch or two above the surface of the soil. Draw in a little soil, and press it down firmly with the foot, or with an in- Fig. 1.— CUTTING TRENCH. strimient made from a piece of two inch plank, as shown in figure 2. After the earth has been packed firmly about the base of the cutting, the trench may be filled up level with the surrounding soil. With many kinds of plants the packing of the soil around the lower end of the cuttings is a very essential point, and often the whole secret of success. This is particularly so with those kinds that produce roots mainly from the lower end, where the wood is exposed to the soU. Tlie distance between the rows will depend entirely upon the manner in which they are to be culti- vated. If a cultivator is to be used, then they should be two and a half or three feet apart; but where they are to be cultivated with the hoe one and a half to two feet will be suflicient. In some soils and locations the plants raised from cuttings may be left iu the ground where ^^' they are grown until the following sj)rLng, and then trans- planted ; but the safest plan is to take them up in the fall, be- cause in some soils they will be thrown out by the frost, un- less they have a larger quantity of roots than is usual. 2-1 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. By Gkeex Wood Cuttings. — ^TMs mode of propagating the Barberry can only be practiced to advantage by tliose who have propagating houses. The plants should be taken up in the tall and potted, giving each plant sufficient soil and room to insure a healthy growth. They may be placed directly in the house or in Irames or cellar until wanted. When they are first potted the soil should be watered so that it will settle about the roots and fill all interstices between them. When the plants have been placed in the house, and have made a growth of two or three inches, the cuttings may be taken ofi" by severing the new-growing wood close to the main stem ; place the cuttings in pots filled with pure sand, fifteen to twenty in a six inch pot, after which give water to settle the sand about the cuttings ; then cover with a bell glass, or place in frames within the house, as usual with other green wood cuttings. Eveiy experienced propagator will understand and know how to treat the cuttings when they become rooted, and those who are novices in these matters would do well to practice a while upon plants less difficult to propagate, be- fore trying the Barberry. By Budding and Grafting. — The rare varieties are sometimes worked upon the more common kinds, usually by budding. The operation is performed just as soon as the buds are fully developed on the young growth of the sea- son, and in the same manner as upon the apple and similar trees. Grafting is also performed in the usual manner, but the cion should be inserted in the stock below the surface, so that all but the upper bud will be covered by the soil. By Layers. — The usual manner of making layers of other woody plants is applicable to the Barberry, but they will seldom become well rooted the first season. Still they may bo severed from the parent plant in the autumn or early spring ; the ujjper portions of the stems are cut ofi" and then they are treated the same as cuttings. BAEEEKRY. 25 The layers may he made in early spring, of the previous season's growth, or later, when new wood is formed of suf- ficient length for the purpose. Layers put down in the autumn will become well rooted by the end of the next season, CULTURE. The Barberry, when left to itself, forms a dense shrub, with many stems, but when cultivated for its fruit a jDortion of the shoots should be annually removed to allow the sun and air to more readily reach all parts of the plant, and assist in developing the fruit buds. It may also be trained to a single stem, and when treated in this manner, some of the varieties will form shrubs ten to fifteen feet in hight. The fruit will also be larger and more abundant than when the plant is allowed to grow in the natural manner and without pruning. Each plant should be given plenty of room and not crowded, especially when fruit is the object of cultivation. Six to eight feet apart will be sufficient in ordinary soil. As before remarked, the Barberry will grow in dry and almost barren soil ; still, as no plant will produce the l)est results in such situations, it is best to give a good, deep and moderately rich soil even to plants that will grow in a poor one, VARIETIES AND USES. Berbci'is Tlll.^aris. — This species and some of its varie- ties are probably better known in this country than any others. The most common is the original species, which is found growing wild in many places in the New England States, It is also quite common in gardens. The fruit is oblong, about half an inch in length and one-eighth across, of a bright scarlet color, very acid, but of agreeable flavor. Figure 3 shows a small branch, with fruit and flowers of natural size, and figure 4 gives a magnified single flower. There is a peculiarity about the stamens worthy of notice, 2 26 SMAXL FEUIT CULTUEIST. as they are endowed with a remarkable irritability. When the flower opens, the stamens all lay back agamst the Fig. 8. — B.\JIBERRY FLOWER AND FRUIT. petals, but when touched by an insect they spring up against the pistil, Avhere they discharge their pollen. | This motion may be pro- duced by touchmg the sta- mens near the base with a pin or other point. The Fig. 4. stamens discharge their pollen in a rather unusual manner. In most stamens the anther, or pollen- Fig. 5. BAEBEEKY. 37 bearing portion, ojDens Iby slits, but in the Barberry a pair of little doors, or traps, lift up to allow tlie pollen to fall out. Figure 5 shows two enlarged stamens — one closed and the other oj^eu. The fruit and flowers are not produced at the same time upon the plant, but as a matter of convenience they are both shown on the same branch in the engraving. The fruit is much used for preserves, pickles, jams, &c. The thorny character of the plant, with its upright, com- pact growth, makes it a very desirable hedge plant. The inner bark of the stem and roots is used in some countries for making a yellow dye. It is also used in Po- land and other portions of the East for tanning purposes. The best known varieties of this species are as foUoAVS : B. Tulg'aris alba. — White fruited. — Not very productive, and not so vigorous a grower as the original. B. vul^^aris asperma. — A variety which produces fruit without seeds. It is not, however, constant, and plants propagated from it will often produce fruit with seeds. This variety has been known and cultivated in England for more than two hundred years, according to Parkinson, Gerarde and other old authors. B. vulgaris dlllcis. — Sweet fruited. — Very similar to the species. The fruit is a little larger and not quite so acid, and leaves bright green and shining. Tliis variety should not be confounded with the before mentioned species, JBerberis dulcis, as the latter has black fruit of the size of a large currant, which is solitary, while that of the former is produced m racemes. B. vulgaris purpurea. — Purple leaved. — Leaves dark purple. On this account it is very ornamental. B. Tulj^aris glauca. — Leaves pale green and glaucous; not shining. B. vulgaris longifolia. — Leaves longer than in the spe- cies : otherwise the same. 28 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. B, VHl,^ariS lateai — Yellow fruited. — A variety witli small yellow fruit ; not very productive. B. vulgaris mitis. — Tborus small and not as rigid as in other varieties. B. Titlgaris nig^ra. — Black fruited. — Tournefoit found this variety on the banks of the Euphrates, about one hun- dred and fifty years ago. He says that the fruit is of a sweet and delicious flavor. I am not aware of its being cultivated in America, B. Ylllg^aris purpurea. — Purple fruited. — ^Fruit dark red or 2)urple. Leaves narrow, with few prickles. B. vulg'aris Violacea. — Violet fruited. — Fruit violet colored. Tliere are probably many other varieties of this species, as the seedlings usually vary considerably, especially when the seeds are taken from kinds that are quite distinct from the original species. Seedlings grown from the purple-leaved variety will show a great diversity of foliage. Some will liave purple leaves like the jjarent, while others will be margined with purple or red, or be wholly green. Berberis Slbirica. — Siberian Barberry. — Native of Si- beria, where it is found growing among rocks on hill sides and mountains. The plant seldom grows more than two feet high. Fruit oval, red, solitary, peduncle shorter than the leaves. The following, Avhich may be distinct species, or only varieties, possess no particular merit as regards their fruit, but may interest the botanist or those who wish to make their collections as complete as possible : B, Iberica. — Iberian Barberry. — Berries deep purple. B, Sinensis. — Chinese Barberry.— Berries dull red. B, Cretica. — Cretan Barberry. — Berries oval, black, very astringentj BAKBEKKY. 29 The Barberry is susceptible of great improvement, and might, if a proper amount of care were bestowed upon it, become a fruit of much importance ; whereas, at the pres- ent time, it is seldom admitted to the fruit garden, being mainly planted for ornamental purposes. DISEASES AND INSECTS. The Barberry is seldom injured to any consideral)le ex- tent by disease or insects. The leaves are sometimes in- jured by a species of fungus called ^cidium Berheridls. It usually makes its appearance on the upper end of the leaves (fig. 6), then becomes scattered over the surface, and extends to the fruit. To the eye it appears like fine reddish dust. When these rust-like spots are examined with a lens, they appear as in figure 7, and when more highly magnified the whole is found to consist of cup-like cells, as in figure 8. These cups are at first covered with a thin, light colored film, which, when the fungus be- '^ '=• '^• comes mature, bursts and leaves the edges of the cup with the uneven margin shown in figure 8. When this covering- bursts, the cups discharge their spores or reproductive dust, which is scattered over the leaves and fruit. This fungus or mildew has been supposed to cause the blight in wheat, and it is an old belief that the Barberry would cause the grain near which it grew to blast. This belief has generally been treated as a superstition by scientific men, but recent researches show that it may have a foundation in fact. Many of these miniite fungi have in difierent generations very unlike forms. Thus, the spores of A will produce Fig. 6. risr. a 30 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST, B. SO unlike A; that it has been taken for a different fungus, and B. will agam reproduce A. There is a strong probability that the rust of the Barberry and the smut in wheat are both forms of the same fungus. The injury which it causes to the Barberry is very slight, but it may become so prevalent as to be worthy of particu- lar attention. Ashes or slacked lime scattered over the leaves in the morning, when the dew is on them, would probably destroy it or check its progress. Another blight Avhich affects the leaves later in the season, known as 3Ii- cro9phceria Berhendls, is shown highly magnified in figure 9. It appears in very minute spots, with fine, rib-like ap- pendages radiating from the center, like the spokes of a wheel, the ends of each be- ing divided into several small branches, as in figure 10. This species of blight attacks the leaves so late in Fig, 9. Fig. 10. the season that it causes but little if any injury. The illustrations of these and the other minute fungi given in siibsequent pages, are taken from a work called " Rust, Smut and Mildew," by M. C. Cook, London. This charming little work is beautifully illus- trated, and as it describes many fungi common to both this country and England, we call the attention of our readers to it, as the most available source of information concerning these humble, but, to the fruit grower, import- ant forms of vegetation. I am not aware of any insect that is injurious to the Barberry. The peculiar (and rather agreeable than other- wise) fragrance of the flowers attracts numerous insects to the plant wdien in bloom, and their presence is probably for the purpose of gathering food, while they aid at the same time iu fertilizing the floAVcrs by irritating the stamens. CHAPTER II. THE STRAWBEEEY.-FRAGAnL'i. NATURAL FAMILY Rosacecc. [Name derived from fragran.9, perfumed in reference to tlie fragrance of the fruit. French, Frasier ; German, Erdheerpflanze ; Dutch, Aadbezie ; Italian, Pianta di fragola ; Spanish, Freza. The name of Strawberry is said by Pryor to be derived from the Anglo Saxon " Streoberie,'''' either from its straw-like haulms, or from their laying strown upon the ground. Other authors give difl'er- ent derivations.] GENERAL CHARACTERS. Calyx flax; or reflexed, deeply five-cleft, with the same number of bractlets, thus appearing to be ten-cleft. Petals five, white, erect, spreading. Stamens many, usually about twenty. Pistils numerous, adheiing at the base to the small seed-like fruits, these are situated on the fleshy re- ceptacle, which enlarges and becomes what is generally called the fruit or berry. Increased by seeds, rimners and divisions of th e roots. Stemless perennials, with or without runners. Leaves radical, divided into three leaflets, obovate wedge-form, coarsely serrate, evergreen. Root fibrous, rather woody, perennial. SPECIES Fragaria VCSca. — Edible Strawbeny, Alpine Straw- berry, Wood Strawberry, &c. — Seeds superficial, on the conical or hemispherical fruiting receptacle (not sunk in a cavity). Flower stalks longer than the leaves, erect, hairy, hairs closely pressed vipward. Fruit drooping, usually con- ical, sometimes globular. Leaves thin, pale green ; upper surface uneven, slightly wavy. Native of Europe and America. 32 SMALL FKUIT CTJLTUEIST. Fra^aria COllina. — Green Strawberry. — This is consid- ered by some botanists as a species, but the only really distinct character is in its fruit, which is greenish-brown when ripe. Fragaria elatior. — Hautbois Strawberry. — Calyx re- flexed. Seeds supei'ficial. Flower stalks longer than the leaves, erect. Fruit round or oblate, usually drooping, but sometimes erect, possessing a sti'ong musky flavor. Hairs on both leaf and flower-stalks long, and widely spreading, somewhat reflexed. Leaves larger than in F. vesca, and more or less pubescent, covered with short hairs on both upper and lower surface, giving them a rough ap^iearance. Native of Germany. Fra^^aria Indica. — Lidia Strawberry. — A species with yellow flowers. Fruit not edible. Native of India. Frag:aria Virginiana. — Virginian Strawberry. — Seeds imbedded in the deeply pitted receptacle. Fruit roundish, ovoid to conical, highly perfumed. Flower stalks shorter than the leaves, hairy ; hairs spreading, more or less erect. Leaves obovate, wedge form, variable, coarsely serrate, usually dark green ; upper surface smooth, often shining. Native of North America. Chiefly in the United States and southern portions of Canada. Frag"aria grandifiora. — Large flowering Strawberry. — Calyx erect, slightly spreading. Seeds set in a shallow de- pression. Flowers larger than in other species. Fruit sweet, perfumed. Flesh firm. Flower stalks shorter than the leaves. Leaves smooth, usually deep green. Serra- tures broadly ovate. Native of Sovith America. niSTORT. It is of little consequence to the horticulturist of the present day whether any pai'ticular kind of fruit fl\miliar to us was known in ancient times. Still, we often find oxir- selves sendino; a thouoht back into the dim and uncertain STEAWEERRY. 66 past, picking up here and there a stray word or line that informs us that some of the fruits now cultivated by us were also known to those of former ages. The number of such old time fruits is quite limited, and most of them are of quality so inferior that we would hardly be willing to exchange those of our time for the productions of any period. The Strawberry was probably not cultivated in olden times, as it is scarcely mentioned by the Roman writers on agriculture. Some Avho are most explicit in other matters pertaming to fruit-culture do not mention it, while Pliny, Ovid and Virgil only casually refer to it, and this reference is not for the purpose of aiding its culture. From a few Imes in one of those old works, we infer that the children in ancient times had similar tastes to those of the present, and that they found no day so hot, or hill so steep, as to deter them from seeking the little gems in the tall grass, or through bramble and wood. We, who were so fortunate as to spend our youthful days in the country, can appreciate the following lines of Virgil, as translated by Warton, as they touch a heart-string whose vibrations send memory back to joyful days in the past : " Ye boys that gather flowers and strawberries, Lo, hid withiu the grass a serpent lies." We learn from the ancient writers nothing in relation to Strawberry culture that is of any practical value. We are, therefore, compelled to turn to those of modern times for any reliable information. There are facts connected with the history of the Straw- berry that it is important for us to know. For instance, from what country, climate or situation were certain species derived ? If a species came originally from a very warm country, it is doubtful if it will ever be so well adapted to a cold latitude as one obtained from a climate similar to the one in which it is to be cultivated. By hybridizing, we may so intermingle species that it 2* 34 SMALL FKUIT CULTUKIST. will be difficult to tell from what particular source they originated. Yet, if there be any feeble or tender element in their composition, it will be constantly showing itself, and a continual source of annoyance to the cultivator. It is for this reason that it is always desirable to know as much of the history and origin of a fruit as possible, especially if it is to be selected as the parent from wliich new varieties are to be produced. There are instances where a species has succeeded better in a foreign country than at home ; but such cases are only exceptional, and where the climates are similar, or the spe- cies naturally had a very wide range in latitude. The Strawberry is probably more widely distributed than any other plant we cultivate. The FragaHa vesca, or Alpine Strawberry, grows in the mountains of Greece and northward to Britain, where, in the latter country, it assumes a different form, and is there called the Wood Strawberry. The prmcipal difference between the two is in the form of the fruit, the Alpine being conical, while the Wood varieties are round. The Alpine Strawberry is also a native of North America, being found in high woods and fields in most of the Northern States, and far to the North in the Canadas. There appear to be several natural varie- ties of this species in Europe, which have been known for several centuries. In 1483, the garden of the Bishop of' Ely, at Holborn, in England, was celebrated for its excel- lent Strawberries. They were probably the common Wood Strawberries of the country — one with red fruit, the other white. The Alpines were introduced into England some two hundred years later. There are two original varieties the same in color as the Wood Strawberries. There are also monthly varieties, and those which do not jjroduce runners. • The original species or varieties appear to persistently retain their normal characteristics under all the varied STEAWBEKKY. 6o changes wliicli they have been subjected to in cultivation. This constancy of the F. vesca may account for the fact that no advance, of any imjDortance, was made in Strawberry culture in Europe until other and more variable, as well as valuable, species were introduced. In 15T8, Lyte, ui his translation of " Dodoens Herball," mentions only the Wood Strawberry. Gerarde, in 1597, named the White and Red Wood Strawberry. In 1G23, Casper Bauhin, in his " Pinax," mentions the White and Red Wood, Alpine, and Hautboy or Ilaarbeer Strawberries. Parkinson, in his Paradisus, 1629, page 528, says that there are divers sorts in cultivation, and names the Red and White Wood, Green, Virginia, and another variety, which he called the Bohemian. In his Theatrum Botanicum, is- sued in 1 G40, page 758, he mentions a variety of the Al- pine, which, he says, is barren, producing no fi-uit. It was probably one of the Potentillas, and not a Strawberry, for he also describes another variety which, he says, has yellow flowers, and the seeds are in a dry, compact head, and the plant has smaller leaves, and creeps along the ground with many fine stems. About 1G60 a Strawberry grower at Montreuil, in France, is said to have produced a new variety from the seed of the Wood Strawberry. It was called the Cappron, but after- wards the Fressaut. This is the first unproved vai-iety of which we have any account. It was in cultivation at the time that Evelyn translated Qumtinies " French Gardiner," m 1682 ; also mentioned by Duchesne, about a hundred years later. The persistency with which some sj^ecies reproduce themselves is quite remarkable, but not more so than the equally great variations that are constantly being developed in others. Those species from which we have produced the greatest "number of valuable varieties, generally show the greatest diversity of character in their natural or normal condition. 36 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. The Virginian Strawbcriy, which is the most common Strawberry of our woods and fields, was introduced into England, early in the seventeenth century ; but little atten- tion, however, was paid to its cultivation for nearly or quite one hundred, years thereafter. But as soon as its valuable qualities w^ere discovered, and it was found that by merely sowing seeds new varieties, greatly differing from the parent, were readily produced, it began to attract the attention of fruit growers, and received the care it deserved. It is the most fragrant of all known species, possessing a delightful, aromatic pei-fume, not surpassed by any other fi-uit. It is a robust and vigorous grower, withstanding the severe cold of our northern winters, as well as the burning sun of summer. It assumes very distinct charac- ters in different locations, those of the Western States varying considerably from those of the Eastern, so much so that the varieties grown from them usually retain their peculiar characteristics through an ahnost indefinite num- ber of generations. Among the varieties in cultivation at the present time we can recognize many whose parentage can be traced to the western plants, while others are unmistakably from those of the Eastern States. I will name a few of each class, and those who are acquainted with them will more readily recognize their peculiar characters than they could from any descriptions which I might give — only premising that the western class, as a rule, produce the largest, soft- est, and most acid fruit. The best knoAvn of the western type are : Austin, Iowa, Downer's Prolific, Green Prolific, General Scott, and Victory. Of the eastern type. Early Scarlet, Jenny Lind, Scott's Seedling, Boston Pine, Brighton Phic, &c. The various forms observed in the F. Virgimana in dif-' ferent portions of the country, have given rise to much dis- cussion as to whether all these variations should be classed as one species, or separated into diflerent ones. Dr. Asy Gray classes them all as one species, and he is un- doubtedly correct. A few woiild-he authorities will not acknowledge that a species can possibly be variable, and still be the same. Consequently we often see long essays from such men, in which the^ Virginiana is divided into numerous species, such as F. Illinoiensis, F. lowaensis, &c. We might witli as much propriety separate our American chestnut into innumerable si^ecies, for there is as great diflerence in the nuts and growth of the tree as is to be found in the com- mon Strawberry. Free discussion in scientific matters is to a certain extent beneficial; but it is doubtful whether the present or fu- ture generations will be benefited by such dissertations as frequently appear in some of our rural periodicals or in our agricultural reports, purporting to come from intelli- gent men, while the fact is apparent to every one who has the least knowledge on the subject of which they treat, that said articles are a mass of errors, and the authors write for other purposes than those of giving information to the people. For a number of years the Virginia Strawberry had no successful rival in English gardens, though it was never so highly api^reciated in Britain as here, from the fact that it is more acid and not so highly flavored in the moist cool climate of that country as in our own. The introduction of the South American species {F. grandiflora) gave a new impetus to Strawberry culture in Eurojie. The fruit is naturally much larger and sweeter than any of the other species, consequently it does not require so much heat to develop its saccharine qualities. That pe- culiai* aromatic sprightliness, which is such a prominent 38^ SMALL FEUIT (lULTUEIST. feature in the F. Virginiana, is, however, almost entirely wanting in other species. The same dissecting process has been applied to the South American species as to our northern one, and it is soiiletimes called F. Chiliensis, F. Bonariensis, &c. — the name usually indicating the place from which the supposed distinct species was derived. That the different varieties discovered in the various portions of the country ai'e quite distinct, every one who is acquainted with them will admit. Yet these variations are no greater than have already been mentioned in those of other species. The first account we have of the South American Straw- berry is in 1716, when M. Frezier, in his voyage to the South Sea, foimd it at the foot of the Cordillera Mountains, near Quito, and carried it home to Marseilles, in France. It was at that time called the Chili Strawberry, and the Spaniards said that they had previously brought it from Mexico. We do not learn from any of the old French works that any new varieties were raised from the Chili Strawberry for at least fifty years after its introduction. Duchesne, in 1766, says " that Miller considered its cultivation as aban- doned in England on account of its sterility." The impor- tations from other portions of South America appear to have met with better success, and about fifty years ago new varieties of the F. grandlflora, as well as of the Vu-- giniana, became quite abiuidant in England and on the Continent. At the present time the varieties of F. grandlflora appear to be valued more highly m Europe than any other — at least we judge so from the fact that almost all of the new varie- ties impoi'ted of late years show more of the characteristics of this species than of others. This may account for the failure of so many of the new foreign varieties in the Northern States. The severe cold of our winters, and our STKA-WBEEKY. 39 dry, hot summers, are two extremes that they cannot with- stand. Occasionally we receive a variety which, by extra care and protection in winter, will produce a large crop ; but, as a whole, it is doubtful whether the Strawberry growers in the United States have been permanently benefited by the introduction of any of the new varieties raised from the grandiflora. They may have awakened a taste for more thorough experiments in Strawberry culture, and by hybridizing them with our more hardy kinds produced new ones of real value. SEXUALITY OF THE STRAWBERRY. Naturally the Strawberry flower possesses stamens and pistils ; it is therefore perfect, as both of these organs are necessary for the production of fruit. Every botanist, from Linnaeus down to the present time, has described the Strawberry flower as perfect or bi-sexual. Therefore, to assume that this is not the normal charac- ter (as a few writers of late have done) is to controvert all of our botanical authorities, and charge them with over- looking that which the most casual observer could have seen. When plants are taken from their native habitats and placed under cultivation, they very often assume forms quite different from their natural ones. Sometimes a par- ticular organ is suppressed, while others are enlarged ; thus we have the pistillate Strawberry and the double rose. Occasionally the seeds of domesticated plants are carried by bii'ds or animals to woods and fields quite distant from the garden in which they are cultivated, and if per- chance they are deposited under favorable conditions they will produce fruit similar to that from which they ori- ginated. If we find a pistillate Strawberry or double rose growing wild, does it prove that these are the normal char- acters of the genus ? Far from it ; but it only shows that 40 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. jjlants are susceptible of change under certain circumstances, and especially when these are not perfectly natural. The Stravrbcrry be- longs to the same great natural family as the rose, but when placed under those artificial circum- stances to which it is subjected when cultivat- ed, instead of becoming double, (although semi- double varieties are occa- sionally produced,) the stamens are sometimes suppressed, and varieties are produced with fiovfers con- taining pistils only. ■PERFECT FLOWER. Fig. 13. — PERFECT Fl.OWICii ENLARGED. Figure 11 shows what is termed a perfect or bi-sexual flower. The pistils are in the center, while around them STKAAVBliEIlY. 41 are some twenty or more organs, Avliicli arc called stamens. These are qnite difierent in appearance from the pistils, be- ing longer, and each one is terminated by a small knob, Avliich is called the anther. The anthers contain pollen^ a Y'VX,. 13. — SECTION OF PERFECT FLOWER. substance that is necessary for the production of seed. In figure 12 is shown the same flower as in figure 11, but, be- ing considerably enlarged, the stamens are more readily seen. The same flower is shown in figure 13, divided longi- tudinally to show the i:)arts still more distinctly, and their relative positions. Every so-called seed of the Strawberry has one pistil situated on its apex ; consequently it is a \ very important organ, inasmuch as it is /'' Y ^^- through this channel that the influence of -^i "V-A the pollen reaches the ovule or seed vessel. The stamens are situated on the calyx, and they may be artificially removed or suppressed by nature, in which case we have a pistillate flower which will produce fruit, if the pistils are fertilized from another flowei*. It is not important whether a floAver produces its own jjol- len or is supplied from another source. Figure 14 shows a instillate flower of the usual size, and in figure 15 the same enlarged. By com- paring these with the two preceding the difierence may readily be observed. Fig. 14. — PISTIL- LATE FLOWERS. 4;3 SMALL FRUIT CULTUraST. The size of these is also variable ; sometimes they are nSTILLATE FLOWER ENLARGED. considerably larger than those shovrn as of natural size. The flowers of Fragaria grandlflora are larger than those of other siDecies, and sometimes they have seven pe- tals, as shown in figure IG, while five is the usual number. Another variation from the natural form, although very rarely seen, is that of flowers without any pistils. These, of course, produce no fruit, and they are nothing more nor less than degenerated or de- formed specimens, and are not worthy of notice further than to show the peculiar changes that sometimes occur in cultivated plants. The foregoiug are the principal forms noticed in both Fis. 10.— FLOWER WITH 7 PETALS. STKAWBERRY. 43 wild and cultivated varieties, but there are various grada- tions from each of these ; for, while the natural flower gen- erally contains about twenty stamens, some cultivated varieties have less than half that number, while others, as I have shown, possess none. Consequently, if a variety is produced which has flowers destitute of stamens, it will be dependent upon others for fertilization. Many such have from time to time been produced and disseminated in the last fifty years. That some seedlings produced perfect flowers, while others have those that are imperfect, was ob- served in Europe at least a hundred years ago. This pecu- liarity Avas first observed in the seedlings of the Hautbois, but afterwards in the seedlings of other species, although it does not appear to be of so common occurrence in Eu- rojDC as in the United States. The reason for this I am not able to state, unless it be because t\\Q Fragaria Vtrginiana, from which the greater portion of our varieties is produced, is more subject to the change than other species. It may be that our climate has something to do with it, but whatever may be the cause, the effect is apparent in many pistillate varieties of Strawberries in cultivation. Keen reported his observations upon this variation in the sexes of the Strawberry, in 1809, to the London Horticul- tural Society. This called the attention of growers in this country to the subject, but very little was said or written in relation to it until Mi'. Hovey produced his seedling Strawberry in 1834. This being a pistillate, and the largest and best variety that had been as yet produced in this country, it gave rise to an immense amount of discussion upon the sexuality of the Strawberry. There appear to be a few men who are always ready to ride any new hobby, whether it has one leg or more. Consequently there were a few who imme- diately started the theory that the botanists had made a great mistake, and that the Strawberry was naturally di- 44 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. CBceous, i. e., one plant bearing staminate flowers and the other pistillate ones. Considerable excitement was created in consequence, and communications innumerable upon the subject were poured into our horticultural journals, each writer claiming to have discovered something new in regard this, to them, wonderful phenomenon. One writer has for the past ten years or more, almost annually, given the public a grand diagnosis of the case, asserting that the pistillate varieties were the only ones to be depended upon for a large crop, and that they were naturally the most productive, while the facts are that there are hundreds of perfect flowering kinds in cultivation that are fully equal, if not superior, to the most productive pis- tillates. That we have many very excellent varieties among this latter class no one will deny, but that, as a whole, they are any better than the others cannot be sub- stantiated by facts. There is but one serious objection to the pistillate varie- ties, and that is, two kinds must be grown to insure a crop from one, or a perfect flowering variety must be grown near a i^istillate to fertilize its flowers, or no fruit will be produced. This is imperatively necessary ; consequently the close proximity of the two kinds has led to much con- fusion, inasmuch as the runners of the two are very liable to intermingle, imless great care is exercised to prevent it. I have usually found it more diflicult to get pure plants of the pistillate varieties than of the others, and the excuse given by the grower for the mixture was that the variety grown for the purpose of fertilizing them had become in- termingled. If this is the only reason, it is certainly a very lame one, as there is no necessity for the plants be- ing mixed, because setting the two kinds in adjacent beds will answer every purpose. But without presuming to advance a tlieory on the sub- ject, I would suggest whether it is not possible that varia- STKAW BERRY. 45 tions may have been made on growing plants by the influ- ence of the pollen from different varieties. It is generally supposed that no effect is produced except on the seeds, but as it is most conclusively pi'oved in animal physiology that the female retains the effect of the first impregnation hi her system for years, may not the same be true of plants, and the admixture or deterioration of one, and the improve- ment of another kind growing in close proximity, be caused by the absorption of qualities each from the other ? • If the effect of the pollen reaches no further than the seeds, why is not the fruit (receptacle) produced without them. But we find that wherever the pistils are not fer- tilized the receptacle also fails, or if a portion only is sup- plied with pollen then the recej)tacle is deformed in pro- portion. Remove one, two, or more pistils before they are fertilized, and the berry, just at that point, fails to en- large or come to maturity. No seeds, no berry, is the rule. If the Strawberry seed was large enough to be readily examined, we should probably see a difference in color and form just as we notice in mixed A^arieties of corn. In the latter we can see that the influence of cross fertilization extends further than the seed, because its receptacle (cob) is often changed beneath the kernel to a color similar to that of the variety which produced the pollen. It is often asserted that the Hovey is better when fertil- ized with one kind than with another, and may not this be true further than that of being fully supplied with pollen ? Strawberry culture would probably have been just as far advanced if we had never had a pistillate variety in cultivation, and much confusion would have been avoided. Had not Mr. Hovey produced so good a pistillate variety as he did, it is very likely that such kinds would have never been tolerated by fruit growers anywhere. But the advent of this variety gave a new impetus to Strawberry culture, and at the present time it is considered in some sections as a standard market fruit. 4G SMALL PKUIT CULTURIST. Another important consideration in cultivating pistillate varieties is to grow as a fertilizer a kind that produces an abundance of pollen ; besides that the two should bloom at the same time. STRUCTURE OF THE PLANTS. All the varieties and species of the StraAvberry have a family resemblance ; still there is considerable difference in the form and structure. Some produce large stools, while others naturally divide into individual plants. One of the prominent features of the Strawberry is to multiply by runners ; yet among the Alpine or Wood species we have varieties which produce none or very sparingly. There- fore it is apparent that the different forms will require dif- ferent treatment. Some have long, slander, wiry roots, while others have very short, fleshy ones, each of which require a soil suited to their growth, if the very highest development is obtained. Our native varieties, particularly those grown from the F. Virginiana, have longer and more wiry roots than those grown from the F. grandiflora. Consequently they are better suited to field cultivation, and where the soil is not frequently stirred, or upon light soil, the roots will spread further in search of food and they are not so readily affected by drouth. There is another peculiarity in the form of the roots which is worthy of attention. The native Strawberry produces stools, but the crowns, instead of adhering to- gether, often separate as they become old, each producing roots for self-support. To show more fully the peculiar form usually observed in the varieties of the F. Virginiana and F. grandiflora, I have inserted the two following illustrations taken from the Strawberry Calturist. Figure 17 is an exact representation, half size, of a plant of the Boston Pine that is three years old. While it STKAAVBEREY, 47 Fig. 1'?. — OJ.Tt PLAxNT OF BOSTON PIKE. 48 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. shows a number of crowns, there are not more than two united on one stem. Varieties of this class naturally di- vide, and do not form large or very compact stools ; con- sequently the crowns remain more nearly on the level of the surface than when they are united, as seen is figure 18, which represents a plant of Triomphe de Gand of the same age as the other. A, C and D represent the side crowns, and B the cen- tral one ; E, the old fruit stalk of the present season ; F, F, new roots starting from the base of the side crowns above the soil. In this variety the crowns are produced almost on the top of the old ones ; consequently the plants are continually becoming higher, until, at last, the new roots cannot reach the soil, and the plant languishes and dies. Althougli tJje Strawberry root is perennial, still one new root is of more importance to the j^lant than a dozen old ones. The difference in the structure of the two plants suggests the need of a peculiar cultivation for each, and by experience we have learned that many of our native varieties will remain productive for many years, even when allowed to grow "without cultivation, while very few of the varieties of F. grandiflora will succeed under similar treatment. To keep a succession of new roots and continued vigor for a number of years, those varieties with roots similar to the Triomphe should be grown in rows or hills, so that fresh soil may be drawn up to the plants when required. I do not wish to be understood as advocating the cultiva- tion of plants for a long time without removal, but throw out these hints for the purpose of showing that frequent re- movals are more necessary witli some than with others. PROPAGATION. There are tliree modes of propagating tlie Strawberry in use at the present time, viz. : seeds, runners and divi- sions of the roots. STRAV\'BERRT. 49 Fig. 18. — OLD PLANT OF TKIOMPITE DE GAND. 50 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. By Seed. — To obtain seeds, the fruit should "be gath- ered when fully ripe, spread out and dried, thus jDreserving it in the pulp ; or the fruit may be crushed in water and the seeds washed out cleanly. The good seeds will sink and the pulp Avill remain on the surface, from which it can be readily removed. The seeds may be sown immediately, or kept until the next spring. The i3lan which I have usually adopted in raising seed- lings is as follows : Gather the largest berries of the very best varieties to be obtained, then mix them with dry sand, crushing the fruit, and so tlioroughly manipulating the mass that no two seeds will remain together. Then sow the sand contain- ing the seed, either in some half shady situation in the open ground, or in pots or boxes. The soil in which they are sown should be light and friable, and the seeds not covered more than one-quarter of an inch deep. Keep the soil moist, and tlie plants will usually begin to appear in foiir to six weeks after sowing. When they have formed four or five leaves they may be transplanted into the open ground — if they have been started in jDots or boxes. When sown in the open ground, it is best to let them remain in the seed-bed until the following spring, protecting them with straAV, leaves or other similar ma- terial in winter. Transplant into rows at least two feet apart, and the same distance in tlie row ; keep off all run- ners the first season and hoe often. Occasionally a seedling will produce fruit the second season — that is, plants started in the autumn will fruit the next spring ; but they will not be strong enough to bear fruit that will be a reliable indication of their future value. It is best to protect the plants the first and second winters, if no longer, so that they will have nothing to obstruct their full development. The third season, look over the plants very carefully when in bloom, aud mark the sex of STRAWBERRY. 51 each, so that it shall be known when the fruit is ripe Avhether the flowers are pistillate or perfect. When a variety has been jjroduced that promises well, it should be carefully taken up and planted by itself, that its runners may have an opportunity of taking root without inter- mingling with others. The plant may be removed just so soon as the character of the fruit is determined upon, always choosing a wet day if convenient ; if not, give the soil about the plant a good soaking, and then remove it with as much soil ad- hering as p.ossible. Shade it a few days after removal to prevent its wilting. I would caution the novice not to be too sanguine about the value of new seedlings, because they will very often appear much better the first season than ever after. A few years since I raised a large number of seedlings, and when ripe, a committee of six very competent gentle- men Avas appointed by the Farmers' Club of the Ameri- can Institute to examine and report upon them. Seventy varieties were marked and described as very promising and worthy of further trial. Seventy beds were very thoroughly prepared, and each original plant carefully placed in the center of one of these beds. About a dozen runners were allowed to grow from each plant, and all others removed. The next season the same committee examined them again, and they reduced the number to seven. These were given more room and continued care until another season, when the number was reduced to three. I give this as the result of only one experiment ; others might be given with similar results. It is a very easy matter to originate new varieties, but to get one that shall be superior, or even equal, to the best now in cultivation, is not so readily accomplished as some may suppose. I would advice every one to try, because there is a chance of producing one that will be better adapted to 53 SMALL FKUIT CULTUEIST. the gi-ower's soil or location than any that could be pro- diiced elsewhere. PEOPAGATION BY RUNNERS. The varieties mainly cultivated in this country are propagated from the runners. The first produced are usually the strongest and best for early planting, but those that are formed later in the season are equally as good when they arrive at the same age or size. A few theoi'Ists have maintained that the first plants formed near the parent stool were the only ones that should be used, and that they were far superior to the others, and Avould al- ways be more prolific. This assertion is not supported by facts ; consequently is not worthy of a moment's thought. To insure the rooting of runners, the surface of the soil should be kept loose and oj)en, and if the weather is very dry at the time they are fanning, it is well to go over the beds and cover the new roots as they are produced. When only a few very large and strong plants are wanted, it is well to pinch off the runner just beyond the first plant, that this may become strong and vigorous. . A good plan to insure the safe removal of runners after they are rooted, is to sink a pot filled with soil under each joint of the runner and let the roots strike into it. In tw^o or three weeks the pot may be lifted, and the runner sej^arated from the parent plant. This is a tedious and expensive mode and seldom necessary. It often occurs when taking up plants in the fall that many of the small ones are not well rooted, and, if the variety is scarce and valuable, they may be worth savhig. If so, cut off the runner close to the plant, and then dib- ble them close together either in the open ground or in a frame, shade them, and give plenty of water until they are rooted. If they do not produce sufficient roots before cold weather, then j^rotect them, and they will usually form roots before wanted for planting in the spring. STRAWBERET. 53 The richer and better the soil, the more rapid will be the production of roots, whether in frames or th« open ground. I have found it to be a good plan to cover the entire surface of the soil with fine compost of pure manure be- fore the runners start in spring. The runners draw their sustenance from the parent plant until they have formed roots sufficient for self-support. It is therefore important that their roots shall find some- thing to feed upon soon after they are emitted. If water can be libei-ally apjjlied to the beds it will insure the emis- sion of roots very raj^idly. PROPAGATION BY ROOT DIVISIONS. This mode is seldom practiced except with the bush Alpine Strawberries, which produce few or no runners. The best time to divide these is in the early spring, tak- ing up the stools and dividing them, leaving only one crown to the plant. If the old root is very long, it is best to cut off the lower end, and plant as deep as can be done with- out covering the leaves. SOIL AND SITUATION. There is probably no one kind of soil that is equally well adapted to every variety. A deep, rich, sandy loam has been more generally recommended than any other, and is perhaps the best, all things considered, that could be named. Still a light sand or heavy clay may be, with a very little expense, brought into a condition to jiroduce abundant crops of very fine Strawberries. Some varieties seem to thrive best on a soil in which clay predominates, while others do best in a light rich sand. A deep soil, whether it be naturally light or heavy, is one of the requisites imperatively demanded by the Straw- berry. If the soil is naturally very wet it may require un- derdraining ; but there are few farms on which a situation 54 SMALL FEUIT CULTURIST. may not be found where deep plowing will not render the soil suitable for a Strawberry bed. Thorough preparation of the soil is the very foundation of success, therefore no slovenly system — such as once plowing and harrowing — should be tolerated ; but the ground should not only be plowed, but cross-plowed, and if not naturally deep and friable it should be subsoiled at least sixteen inches deep. If the cultivator will only bear in mind tliat one acre pre- pared in the best manner will produce more fruit than three or four acres fitted as is usually done, he will under- stand the importance of doing it well. I do not believe that there is one acre of Strawberries in a thousand, cultivated in this country, that yields over one half that it would if the ground was properly pre- pared before planting. It is the same with Strawberries as with many other fruits — too many acres and too little care. The situation should be open and airy, because in such there is less danger of the blossoms being injured by late spring frosts. To secure the early ripening of the fruit, a southern exposure is of course preferable, and for a late croj) a northern one. By planting the very earliest varieties in a warm situation, and the latest in a cool one, the season may be considerably lengthened. MANURES. The Strawberry is not very particular as to the kind of manure it receives, 2:)rovided it is in sufticient quantities. To tell a man who cultivates the Strawberry on the rich prairie soil of the West that he must apply manure to his soil before jjlanting, would be considered a very foolish recommendation ; but to undertake to gi*ow them on al- most any of our eastern lands without it would be equally absurd. In fact, most of our fruit growers in the Eastern States determine their profits in advance, simply by the STEAWBEKEY. 55 amount of manure applied to the soil — the more ahundant the application the greater the profits. All i^lants require food, and it is evident that if it is not in the soil it must be placed there, or no satisfactory re- sults will be obtained. In the Eastern States we gather fruit in proportion to the amount of plant-food which we place in the soil. Old and thoroughly decomposed barn-yard manure is scarcely to be excelled for the Strawberry. But it is often the case that a sufficient quantity of this cannot be ob- tained, and if so, then the next best thing to be done is to make a compost of barn-yard manure and muck, leaves or sods, using one load of manure and two of either of the others. Mix them together, and let them remain in a heap for three months or more, not forgetting to turn it over at least once a ihonth. In heavy soils fresh manure may be used without injury, and if a liberal application of peat or light friable muck is given it will be very beneficial. In sandy soils a compost of muck and manure is one of the best fertilizers that can be applied. In fact, i^ure muck from the swamps, placed where it can be frequently stirred, will become in one season suitable to be applied directly to the roots of al- most any plant. If lime, ashes, spejjt hops from the breweries, castor pomace or any similar materials be added, even in small quantities, it will assist very much in its decomposition and fitting it for the use of plants. There are thousands of acres of land in the Eastern States that are now pro- ducing nothing, not even weeds, because manure cannot be obtained in sufiicient quantities to make them fertile, and yet in many instances these very acres are bordered with muck-beds which are nothing more or less than inex- haustible deposits of manure. The time is probably not far distant when these mines 56 SMALL FKUIT CULTUEIST. of wealth will be worked, to an extent not dreamed of at the present tune. Concentrated manures — such as bone, guano, poudrette, &c. — are sometimes used upon the Strawberry witli good results. It requires some care in their application, or the plants are liable to be injured, thereby. Ashes are also valuable, particularly on sandy soils. They may be applied by scattering upon the surface at tlie rate of from ten to twenty bushels per acre. A far more preferable mode is to compost them with muck or leaf mold, from the woods, but they should, never be mixed with manure, for they will cause it to give off, in the form of gases, the very materials which should be re- tained. Lime is said to be injurious to the Strawberry, particu- larly when applied directly or alone. I have had no per- sonal experience witli it uj^on the Strawberry, but have known several instances of failure, the cause of which was attributed to the use of lime. TIME TO PLANT. Spring and fall are the two seasons in wliich the Straw- berry is usually transplanted. Although with the requisite care the operation may be performed at any time during the summer, the spring seems to be the more natural and preferable one of the two. • The plants are then just starting into growth after their long rest. The small amount of foliage which has sur- vived the winter is fully matured ; consequently it calls for very little nutriment from the roots. Tlie warm spring rains supply the plants with moisture, and the very atmos- phere of this season appears to be full of life. Fall planting is usually jDerformed in August and Sep- tember in the Northern States. This season has one advantage, and that is : if the plants can be set so early that they will become firmly I STEAWBERKY. 57 rooted before cold "weather, they will sometimes produce a partial crojD the ensuing season, as well as make a stronger growth, than if the operation is deferred until spring. When one has the plants so near at hand that they can be removed without having their roots exposed to the air for a few moments even, besides having an opportunity of selecting rainy or cloudy weather for the operation, then it may be done in the autumn with success. But when the plants are to be brought from a distance, and when, as it will often occur, they arrive in a time of drouth, fall planting becomes a doubtful advantage. I do not wish to discourage fall trade in Strawberry plants ; yet from an experience extending over many years in both buying and selling plants, I conclude that fall planting is for more un- certain than spring. PREPARATION OF PLANTS. When plants are taken up in sj)ring there will be more or less dead leaves upon them ; these should all be re- moved, leaving only those that appear fresh and green. Some roots will be broken, and the sound ones, if long, cannot readily be placed in the ground again without be- ing crowded or otherwise thrown out of their natural position. To avoid any difficulty on this point, I always shorten them to at lea?t one half their length. Figure 19 shows the position of the roots on a medium or small plant before removal, A, being the runner con- necting it with the parent plant ; B, a new runner on which other plants would have been formed, provided the season had been favorable for their growth ; C, D, the cross line showing where the roots should be cut after the plant is taken up. This shortening causes them to throw out a new set of fibrous roots from the cut ends. It also causes roots to be emitted more abundantly from near the crown than would have been the case if the roots 3* 58 SMAI.L FEUIT CULTUKIST. had not been shortened. Figure 20 shows the same j^lant as it "will apj^ear after having been planted a few weeks. It is not necessary to trim each jilant separately, bnt a handful may be pruned at one cut of the knife. Plants thus pruned are more readily planted, and the roots are •WHERE TO PRUNE ROOTS. easily spread out at the time, which is quite important, because each root can produce rootlets without being en- tangled with others. In transplantmg in the autumn it is unnecessary to shorten the roots, unless they are so long that they cannot be conveniently planted entire. The roots of the Straw- berry continue to grow from the extreme ends until cold weather, and when moved in fall or summer the roots STEAWBEEKT. 59 should be taken up entire, and carefully spread out when again placed in the soil. If the plants have been out of the groiand long enough to cause the roots to have changed color and become dark and wilted, then they should be treated the same as those removed in spring. Fig. 20.— GROWTH OP PRtnSTED KOOTS. All of the largest leaves should be cut off from plants when removed, leaving but two or three of the center leaves, as a plant is far more likely to live if only this number is allowed to remain on it than if none are re- moved. We are now supposing that the plants are taken up without any soil adhering to the roots. If each plant is 60 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. moved with a ball of earth, then there will be no necessity for reducing the number of leaves, because the connection between the root and soil will not be broken, or, at least, not entirely separated ; consequently they can continue to absorb moisture and nutriment for the support of all the leaves. Sometimes it may be advisable to " puddle " the roots, as it is called, before planting. This operation is per- formed by mixing water with soil until it is of the consis- tency of tlun mortar; then dip tlie roots into it, coating them with the mixture, which excludes the air and pre- vents Avilting so long as it remains moist. A tenacious clay makes the best puddle, but it will sometimes adhere so closely to the roots as to become injurious. It is well to jDuddle, before packing, the roots of plants that are to be transported a long distance, and consequently be a long time on the journey. But the puddling should be washed off and the roots trimmed before j^lanting again. Roots that have been entirely excluded from the air for any considerable time are likely to become soured, and it is best to clean and refresh them with pure water before again placing them in the ground. PLANTING AND CULTIVATION. There is no one operation of more importance to the future success of a Strawberry bed than careful planting. Some cultivators plant with a dibble, making a small hole in Avhich the roots are thrust, all crowded together in a mass. Plants may live under such treatment, but certainly cannot thrive so well as though their roots were carefully spread out in a natural position. A common garden trowel should always be used, and a hole made in the soil large enough to admit the roots without crowding. Set the plants just so deep that all of the roots will be covered, and no deeper ; for if the crown is buried it is very liable to decay, particularly in a STRA^VBEKEY. 61 heavy soil. If a handful of very fine compost or manure is mixed with the soil around them at tlae time of ^^lant- ing it will very materially assist in their future growth. It is always best to select a cloudy day for planting, if possible, but when only a few are to be set out they may be Avatered and shaded, and their growth insured without any regard to the weather. The distance between the j)lants will depend uj^ou vv^liat kind of cultivation is to be given them. The oldest method of field culture in this country, and the one j^racticed upon thousands of acres in the Eastern States at the present time, is to plant in rows from two and a half to three feet apart, placing the plants about a foot distant in the rows. The beds are hoed during the early part of summer, or until the runners cover the, ground, after which no atten- tion is paid to them imtil next spring. Then paths about a foot wide, and at a distance of four feet from each other, are made, thus forming beds with narrow paths, in which the pickers are exjDCcted to stand when gathering the fruit. Two or three crops are gathered from these beds before any change is made or cultivation is given, except that of hoeing or plowing out the paths each season before pick- ing time. When the beds have become so much crowded with weeds and plants that the fruit is likely to entirely fail, a plow is run through the center of each bed, forming a new path, the runners being allowed to take root and fill up the old ones. Another croj) or two is taken, and then the paths are again changed. Sometimes the beds are burned over in the fall after the weeds have died down and become dry ; or a heavy harrow is drawn over them soon after the crop is gathered, tearing up the weeds and a greater part of the plants ; while at the same time it breaks up the soil so that the few remaining plants will grow with more vigor, and there will be room for the new 62 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. runners to take root. In this manner the same beds are cropped for ten or fifteen years. It is not the fancy improved varieties that are treated in this manner, but the older kinds, which are but a slight improvement upon the common wild berry. The forego- ing method of cultivation is certamly not to be recom- mended, but I have mentioned it because there are proba- bly as many acres of Strawberries grown and treated in this manner as are grown under any other system. Our eastern cities, particularly New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, have been sujjplied almost entirely, until with- in a very few years past, from these half cultivated fields. We must conclude that such a method of cultivation is profitable ; if not, it would have been abandoned long ago, although it is apparent that those who follow this system are not afflicted with the spirit of progi'ess. BIENNIAL SYSTEM. Another method which has of late years become very popular is that of planting in beds, say».two or three rows in each, placing the plants about eighteen inches apart each way, and then leave paths of about two feet. The plants are hoed and all weeds destroyed as they appear. The runners are all allowed to grow, and the entire sur- face is covered with plants, except a path of about two feet in width between the beds. These beds are allowed to i:)roduce two crops, and then the plants are plowed under and some other crop grown on the land for one or two seasons, when it is again planted with Strawberries, if de- sirable. This is probably one of the very best systems in vogue. The first crop is sometimes the best, but usually the second is considered as the main one. It is much less trouble to plant a new bed than to clean the weeds out of an old one ; besides, a first rate crop can- STRAWBERRY. 63 not be expected from a bed where the plants have be- come old and crowded. A few Strawberry growers renew their beds by plowmg up all bnt a small strip of about a foot wide, leaving one of these every four feet. Then, by passing a cultivator or harrow between these rows, the ground is leveled so that the new runners can readily take root. ANNUAL SYSTEM. This is one of the neatest systems in use, as Aveeds have no chance for getting a foothold, imless the ciiltivator is very negligent. The plants are put out in rows two to three feet apaj-t, and about a foot apart in the row. They are carefully cultivated the first season, a crop taken the second, and then plowed under. To insure a full crop the soil must be made very rich, and the planting done in the fall or early spring, and in the most careful manner. PLANTING IN ROWS OR HILLS. There are but few varieties that succeed so well when restricted to hills for a number of years as when allowed to produce runners. The varieties of F. grandiflora are better adapted to this system than others, because they naturally produce large, compact j^lants. The usual method is to plant in rows three feet aj)art, with plants a foot apart in the row. All runners are cut off as soon as they appear, and the beds frequently hoed, or kept clean with a cultivator. In the fall the entire sur- face is covered with a mulching of leaves, straw or coarse bog grass. The plants are covered as well as the ground between them. In spring the covering should be removed from the crowns of the plants, but left on between them, for the purpose of keeping the fruit clean and the ground moist. After the fruit has been gathered, sufficient mulch- ing may be applied to keep down all weeds, or all of it 64 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. may be removed, and a plow passed between the rows to break up tlie soil, which will have become quite compact from being frequently traveled over iu gathering the fruit. New plants may be allowed to take root in the rows between the old stools, thus bringing them the second season into what is termed row culture. Some varieties will remain productive for several years under this treat- mentj but usually three or four years will be as long as they can be relied upon for a remunGratlve crop. I have practiced this system with many varieties, and believe that more fruit per acre can be produced (particularly with the foreign kinds) than by any other system. One strong stool, Avith plenty of room for its roots, and with the sur- face of the soU covered with mulching, will give more and larger fruit than twenty j)lants that are crowded, and upon an iinprotected soil. For general field culture, and with most of our native varieties, the biennial or annual system would probably be less troublesome and equally as profitable. When pistillate varieties are grown they should be kept in separate beds, and every alternate one should be a per- fect flowering variety, and one that blooms at the same time with the pistillate. This bed need not be more than half the width of the others. GAKDEN CULTURE. The same systems recommended for field culture are equally applicable to the garden, but usually greater care will be given to a small bed than to a large one. Water may be applied so that the plants shall never suifer for the want of it. Liquid manure should be ap- plied, if very large fruit is desired, in addition to mak- ing the soil rich. Different varieties may also be planted ; for it is not the most profitable market fruit that is always of the best STRAWBERRY. 65 quality. In fact, a very hard, firm berry, such as we would select for market purposes, is seldom so highly fla- vored as those which are more delicate. By giving an abundance of water, with liquid manure, a second crop is often jjroduced upon many of our com- mon varieties. To insure a late crop, the first one must not be allowed to mature, but the flowers should be re- moved so soon as they appear in spring. Then keep off all new runners, and give plenty of water, and a fine crop* in August or September is almost certain. The Boston Pine I have found to be one of the best varieties for j)roducing a late crop when treated in this manner. The monthly Alpines are excellent varieties for garden culture, although they do not produce very large fruit. Give them plenty of moisture and a rich soil, and thert. will bo but few days from IMay to winter in which a dish of Strawberries may not be gathered from a bed of mod- erate size. The Bush Alpines are less troublesome than those that produce runners. This class of Strawberries vary but little when groAvn from seed, except that the fruit produced on the seedlings will be considerably larger for the first two or three crops than ever afterwards. This peculiarity of the Alpines is well known in Europe, and the growers of these kinds always renew their beds with seedlmgs, and never depend upon the runners of old ones for making new beds or plantations. It is no uncom- mon thing to find berries an inch in diameter on young- ' seedling plants of Alpines, while on old beds they will scarcely average more than one-half of this size. The seeds may be saved and sown in the same manner as recommended for other kinds. The amateur who only cultivates a few Strawberry plants in his garden will appreciate the fruit he grows in 66 SM.VIX FKUIT CULTURIST. his own grounds for above any market value ; therefore the cost of production is of very little importance, pro- vided the results are satisfactory. It is not to he expected that a man in moderate cir- cumstances will continue to grow fruit which costs more than it is worth ; still there is a pleasure in producing ex- tra fine fruit, even if there is no great profit in the opera- tion. Besides, I am not quite sure that extra care and cultivation will not, as a rule, prove to he as profitable as that which is generally called good culture. I have made several experiments for the purpose of thoroughly testing extra cultivation, most of which have been quite satisfactory. A few years since I prepared a sixteenth of an acre by trenching it two feet deep, applying twelve large two- horse loads of pure, well-rotted cow manure, thoroughly incorporating it wdth the soil to the depth of one foot. I then planted this bed with the Triomphe de Gand Strawberry, placing the plants about two feet apart each way. A few runners were allowed to take root between the plants in the rows, but I removed all others. The ground was hoed often, and in winter the plants were protected with a coat of salt hay two inches in depth. The whole expense of preparing the bed-planting, hoeing and mulch- ing up to the time of picking the first crop was fifty dol- lars. The bed yielded a little over four hundred quarts, which, at the low price of twenty-five cents per quart, would have given a fair profit. The next crop was fully equal to the first, and the expense incurred to produce it but very little in comparison to the first. This bed con- tinued in bearing for five years, and even then the land was in good condition for any other crop. There are prob- ably many soils that are naturally as rich as this bed was after being prepared, but in this instance it w^as impera- tively necessary to enrich the ground to get even a mod- erate crop. STKAWBEKKY. 67 An abundance of moisture is one of the requisites for producing large fruit, and the amateur should not fail to see that his j^lants receive it, particularly at the time Avben the fruit is rii^ening. Mulching the beds is a sure method of keeping the soil moist, besides it prevents the fruit from getting splashed during violent showers. The short mowings of grass from a lawn make an excellent mulch, besides it looks very neat — much more so than straw or leaves. In Europe a tile is sometimes used for the purpose of keeping the fruit clean, as well as for covering the soil and keeping it moist. These tiles are about an inch and a half thick, and twelve inches square, and in two parts, as shown in figure 21. The hole in the center is about four inches in diameter. The plants are placed a foot apart in the rows, and be- fore the fruit begins to ripen the tile is placed about them. If the rows are only a foot apart, then the whole surface will be covered, the soil will be kept moist, and the fruit clean. If water is required during the time of ripening, it can be applied directly to the plant by passing to the soil through the hole in the tile. These tiles could probably be obtained at any pottery or brickyard if ordered a few months in advance of the time they Avere wanted for use. It would be necessary to remove the tile after the fruiting season was over, and the soil should be worked over among the plants; if not it would become heavy and soured from being excluded from the air. A newly patented article, answering a similar purjjose, has just made its appearance in this country. It is called II. A. Fuller & Co.'s Patent Strawberry Vase, and is manufactured by the above-named firm at Norwich, Conn. 21 . — STK AWBERRT TILE. 63 SMALL FKUIT CULTUEIST. Figure 22 sliows the form of the vase, with a plant grow- ing within it. Not leaving tested this vase, I cannot vc- commend it from experience ; yet it appears to be a good thing for the purpose designed. The maniificturers claim that it protects the fruit from dirt and the vines from Aveeds, and that, by using it, double the amount of fruit will be produced on a given sjjace than when the vines are I.' . T • J.T T ,1 1 Fio:. 23. — STRAWBERRY VASE, cultivated m the ordmary method. ° Tlie runners are kept trimmed close to the edge of the vase, thereby concentrating the strength of the plant, and larger and better fruit M'ill necessarily be the result. The flower stems will also grow much longer by being inclosed in the neck of the vase, while at the same time they will be supjiorted by it, and the fx'uit will rest or hang over its upper part. The peculiar form of this vase will not only insure the reception by the plant of a greater part of the water that falls in the form of rain, but will make a direct aj^plication more convenient when applied artificially. AVhen this vase is to be used the plants should be set one foot apart each Avay, leaving a path every four rows. The vases will touch each other, and shade the ground, with the exception of the paths, which may be covered with a mulch of saw-dust, tan or other material. The present price, I am informed, for small quantities is twelve dollars per hundred ; consequently they will scarcely be used by those who grow Strawberries for profit, nnless the yield of fruit is increased in proportion to the outlay. Nevertheless, all these peculiar contrivances are of in- terest to the amateur, besides, it was by improved methods of cultivation and extra care that our largest and best varieties were first produced. STKAWBERET. 69 Those old and long celebrated English varieties, Keen's Seedling and British Qneen, were not produced from seeds gathered from neglected plants, but from those which had been stimulated by extra culture. And if we expect to keej) on improving we must stimulate our plants into a vigorous growth — not only the ones fi-om which we gather the seeds, but the seedlings themselves. To produce large and extra fine specimens, only a few berries should be allowed to mature ujion the plant. When there are several fruit stems, select three or four of the strongest, and destroy the others; also remove all ex- cept two or three berries from each. Large Strawberries are quite the fashion at the jn-csent time, and the amateur cultivator generally takes the lead, merely because he applies the requisite means for produc- ing the results. A few years since an amateur Strawberry grower brought some monstrous fniit to an exhibition held in one of our eastern cities, and they were so much larger than anything that had heretofore been shown, that he was oflered and accepted a very large price for the entire stock of this variety. The purchaser sent his gardener for them soon after, and when he took up the plants he found the beds so filled with ofial from a slaughter-house that the operation of removing the plants was anything but a pleasant one. Here were cause and eifect but little separated. This is but one instance among the many that might be given to show that great results in fruit growing of any kind are only derived by direct efibrt on the part of the producer. Old plants seldom produce as large berries as young ones, and a fresh stock should always be provided, either by allowing a few plants in the fruiting beds to throw out runners, or by setting a few in separate beds every year for that particular purpose. Plants that have been highly stimulated will seldom 70 SMALL FKUIT CULTURIST. last more than two or three years, and they Avill frequently fail after producing one large crop. The safest plan is not to expect more than two crops, and to make the beds upon fresh soil, where no Strawberries have been grown for at least two seasons. FORCING STRAWBERRIES. The term forcing is generally used to indicate that a fruit is made to ripen at other than its season. In Europe the forcing of Strawberries has been extensively practiced for a long time, but in this country very little attention has been paid to this system of cultivation until within the past few years. There are few plants that will grow more readily, or produce more fruit in proportion to the expense incurred, than the Strawberry wdien grown under glass. When only a few plants are to be forced, and the object is merely to obtain fruit a few weeks in advance of the usual time, then a common hot bed may be used for the purpose. The plants, however, should be prejjared the season previous, and stored where they can be had when wanted in early spring. An ordinai-y green-house, such as is used for tender exotic plants, will answer the purpose. But one which has a roof so low down that the plants will be within two or three feet of the glass is better than one that is consider- ably higher; besides, it will take much less fire to heat a low house than a high one. The soil in which the plants are to be grown should be exceedingly rich. A compost made of three-fourths old sods or turfy loam, and one-fourth barn-yard manure, will be found excellent for this purpose, and if there is consid- erable cow manure among the latter so much the better. Mix these materials together, and let them become thoroughly decomposed before using. The more frequently STRAWBERRY, 71 the compost is tunied over, the less tune it will require for its decomposition. Leaf mold from the woods or friable muck, with a little addition of pure sand, will answer in the place of sods. PREPARATION OF PLANTS. When the first runners appear upon plants iu the open ground, fill as many three inch pots with the compost as you desire, and set them near the old plants from which you wish to take those for forcing, placing the top of the pot just level with the surface of the soil. When the young plants on the runners begin to show roots, place one on the soil in each pot, and lay a stone or a little soil on the runner to keep it iu its place. The end of the runner should be j) inched off just beyond the plant, so that it will receive all the nutriment furnished by the parent. When the young plant has become rooted in the pot, it should be taken up and the runner cut off close to the plant ; then set the pots away in an open and airy place for a few weeks,- being careful not to let them suft'er for the want of water. Set them on flat stones, bricks or boards, so that no worms can have access to the pots through the hole in the bottom. When the plants have I'emained in the pots a few weeks, they should be shifted into larger ones. Some prefer to place them iu five-inch pots, and afterwards shift into six or eight-inch pots, in which they are to be fi'uited, while others make but one shift from the small pots. It will make but little difierence, as either plan will work well if carefully done. The ball of earth containing the roots should not be broken when re-potting, but preserved whole. A few pieces of broken pots or brick should be placed in the bottom of these large jiots for drainage. There are a few gardeners who assume that drainage is of no importance, but from my own experience of several 72 SMxVLL FRUIT CULTUKTST. years Avitli a great variety of jjlants, I cannot indorse this new theory of no drainage, particularly wlien the plants grown in pots natui'ally succeed best in a soil that is deep and modei'ately dry. With the small pots, drainage is of little importance, but with those of larger size all surjilus moisture should be allowed to pass through, leav- ing only what Avill usually be retained by the soil. The plants, after they have been placed in the large pots, may be set close together, or plunged up to the rim of the pot in the open ground until Avanted, care being given to keep them growing vigorously until within a few weeks of the time they are to be placed in the forcing-liouse. "Water should be gradually withlield, so that the plants may ripen. It is not advisable to withhold water en- tirely, but give only enough to keep the plants from actually suffering for the want of it, and allow them a short period of rest before starting them again into growth. If runners should appear they must be pinched off. Those wanted for an early crop may be jDlaced in the house the first of November, as it will be ten to four- teen weeks from the time the plants are placed in the forcing-house before the fruit will be ripe. If a succession of crops is desired, then only a portion of the plants should be placed in the house at one time. The pots may be set on shelves or plunged in soil — the latter method is preferable, as there is less danger of the plants being affected by careless watering or change of temperature. The plants should now be watered regularly, just enough to keep the soil moist, but not wet— the temperature of the house raised to 65 or 75 degrees in the day, and 50 to 60 at night, slightly increasing as the flower stems appear. The plants should be frequently, say every alternate day, syringed or sprinkled overhead until they bloom, then omit it until the fruit is set, after which it may be continued, but not quite so often as before. While the STRAWBERRY. 73 jjlants are in bloom, as much air slioiild be admitted as ]iossibIe without lowering the temperature or allowing a direct current to strike upon the plants. In clear weather the plants will generally require water once a day, and sometimes twice. Care should be observed not to let the leaves wilt, but do not give so much water that the soil shall become sodden and heavy. A few applications of liquid manure may be beneficial, I^rovided the compost used is not sufficiently rich. When the fruit is set and swelling, is a good time to apply it, but wdthliold it after the fruit begins to ripen. The reserved plants should be stored where they will not be frozen. A light, warm cellar or walled pit, covered with glass, will answer the purpose — a place where they will receive light, and not be frozen, yet so cool that they will not be excited into growth. Sometimes plants a year old are taken up in the fall and potted, and used for forcing, but those prepared as de- scribed are preferable. Forcing houses are sometimes so arranged that the plants are set directly in the ground without pots. A more vigorous growth of plant is se- cured by this method, but it is doubtful if the crop of fruit is increased. Plants that have been once used for forcing should be discarded and not used for the same purpose again. It may be advisable, in cases of scarcity, to j^lant them out in the open ground in spring, for they will occasionally produce a moderate crop late in the season. All the different operations may be varied to suit the circumstances of the case, as in open air culture ; and I have only endeavored to give a general plan, omit- ting minute details, which the grower will readily supply Avhile the operation is in progress. At every step caution and a due amount of thought are requisite — such as preventing cold curreuts of air striking the plants 4 ' 74 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. when in bloom, or chilling the roots by applying very cold water. Forcing Strawberries for market is not a common prac- tice, except near our larger cities ; but it will probably be- come more general in a few years than at present, partic- ularly if two to three dollars per quart can be obtained for the fruit, as has been done in ISTew York for several years past. FORCING HOUSES. Few, if any, structures have been built in this country expressly for the purpose of forcing Strawberries. The common lean-to or span-roof houses are principally used for forcing all kinds of fruits, and perhaps they Fij^. 2o. — ^FORCING HOUSE. answer as well as any other. In Europe many diiferent styles are in use, among which there is probably none more unique or better adapted to forcing the Strawberry than the one shown in the accompanying engraving, fig- ure 23. This is a lean-to house, but instead of the usual form of roof it is made up of a series of short frames, one above the other, like a flight of stairs. These frames rest STEAWBERRT. To upon cast iron brackets, fixed against the wall or upon standards erected for the purpose. Where the brackets are fastened directly upon the wall, access is htid to the plants by lifting the frames from the front. But the one shown is wide enough to allow a passage behind the frames. The idea is a good one, which our own gardeners will not fail to take advantage of The plants in the frames are brought close to the glass, and there is no ex- tra or waste space, which requires just as much heat as that which is occupied by plants. This style of house is said to have originated with the firm of Weeks & Co., Chelsea, England. Three difierent plans of these Eng- lish houses were given in the Gardeners' Monthly, in June, 1865. They may be heated with hot water, steam, or any of the other modes usually employed. VARIETIES FOR FORCING. Comparatively few experiments have been made in this country in forcing Sti'awberries ; it is, therefore, not known which are the best varieties for that purpose. None but those with bi-sexual flowers can be used advan- tageously, inasmuch as in the still atmosphere of a house the pistillate varieties would be imperfectly fertilized, even if abundant perfect flowering kinds were grown among them. Forced fruit is not generally as highly flavored as that which ripens in the open air ; consequently only that of the best quality should be used, provided flavor is an object. Trollope's Victoria is a fine show fruit, and produces well when forced, but it is usually insipid. Austin or Shaker, is equal if not superior to the last, but with the same defect, although not to such an extent. Its fine color and large size are very much in its favor, and it usually commands a large price in market. The British Queen is the most popular variety in Eng- 76 SMALL FRUIT CULTFRIST. land for forcing, and it would probably be worthy of trial here, although it does not succeed very well in the open air. Among our native varieties we have probably no better variety for forcing, taking flavor and productiveness into consideration, than the Boston Pine. The monthly Al- pines do exceedingly well, and the fruit is usually con- siderably larger than when grown in the open ground. THINNING THE FRUIT. It is sometimes necessary to take off a portion of the fruit from forced plants. This should be done as soon as it has set, thereby giving that which remains a better chance for full development. Numbers do not always in- dicate quantity, and, with ten to fifteen berries upon each plant, as many quarts will usually be obtained from a given space as with twnce as many to each. Plants that are not over-cropped at first, may often be made to produce a second crop by giving stimulating manure soon after the first is gathered. One crop, however, is all that is usually expected with those which do not produce any more naturally. HYBRIDIZING AND CROSSING. The Strawberry may be hybridized or crossed as readily as other fruits, but this having already been done to such an extent between the F. Virglniana and F. grandiflora, the results of special effort in the same direction will be very uncertain, especially if we use the varieties under cultivation for that purpose. These being in many instances a mixture of two species, it becomes a difficult matter to determine whether the cause which produced certain results originated with us, or was the effect of some previous operation which had just made itself apparent in the seedlings. STEAWBEKRY. 77 In other words, liybi'idizing hybrids is only the mixing together of two comj)ounds — the exact proportions of neither being known. The pistillate varieties are always fertilized by other kinds ; their seeds are imjjregnated by whatever kind produces the pollen ; consequently the plants grown from them are natural crosses between the two or more, as the case be. It is very doubtful if any dependence can be placed upon the results of artificial crossing between any of the varieties of the two species named ; still, it may be worthy of trial. All that is required is to fertilize the pistils of one variety with the pollen from another. For instance, if we select the Wilson's Albany for the parent from which we wish to j)rocure seeds, when the flowers first oj^en, we take a pair of small scissors and cut off the stamens, being careful to remove every one. It is best to do this early in the morning before the petals have fully expanded ; then set a bell-glass or a fine wire sci'een over the entire plant, so that insects, which go from flower to flower with pollen adhering to them, shall not fertilize the plant upon which we are operating and thereby defeat our object. In three or four hours after the stamens have been removed, the pistils will probably be sufficiently developed to receive the pollen, at which time cut a fully expanded flower from the variety that has been selected for the other parent, and apply its stamens to the pistils of the Wilson's Albany. The stamens may be cut off and alloAved to drop on to the pistils or merely brushed over them. Three or four flowers are sufficient, and all that it is safe to undertake to operate upon on a single plant ; all others should be removed before they open. Each flower must have its stamens removed and its pis- tils fertilized in the same manner ; and as they will proba- bly not all open hi one day, they must be attended to suc- cessively as they bloom. 78 SMALL FKUIT CULTURIST. Mark the plants, and keep tlie screen or bell-glass over them for two or three clays. When the seeds are ripe, save and plant as I have already directed. There are a few Strawberry growers who place great reliance upon their particular efforts in crossing, and when- ever they produce a new variety it is always (if we believe their assertions) a cross or hybrid between some two re- markable varieties or species. But to show how exceed- ingly difficult it is to know positively whether a seedling is a cross between the two varieties u^^on which we have experimented, or the result of some previous one, let us suppose a case. For instance, we will take Hovey's Seedling and fertil- ize it with the Wilson, and from the seed of the former raise a variety that shall resemble the latter more than it does the Hovey — would this be positive proof that the seedling Avas the result of our especial effort ? Not at all, because similar varieties may be and are produced from the Hovey without artificially fertilizing its flowers from the Wilson or any similar variety. And further, tlie Wilson is probably a seedling of tlie Hovey, and it possesses naturally the same inherent char- acteristics which only require an ojDportunity, which seed- lings afford, to show themselves. Direct efforts to improve are commendable, but the causes of results are not always what are supposed, and assertions are not to be implicitly relied upon. The in- fluence that one variety has upon another by fertilizing is generally supposed to affect the seeds only, but from many experiments which I have made, I am quite certain that it extends further. Every Strawberry growler is aware of the fact that whenever a portion of the i:)istils are not fertilized, the berries will be proportionately deformed. If there are no seeds, then the receptacle, which we call the fruit, is abor- tive. But if we are to suppose that the influence of the STRAWBERRY. 79 pollen extends no further than the seeds, why does not the fruit enlarge and come to maturity without seeds, as we see in other fruits, particularly those which produce their seeds within a fleshy recei^tacle, as the grape, ap- ple, &c. With corn, we can see the effects of cross-fertilization in the color of the grains the first season, also upon the receptacle (cob) ; thus, in this instance, showing con- clusively that the eifect is apparent the first season upon the seed as well as beyond. It is quite probable that impregnation afiects the whole plant, but not to an extent worthy of any particular at- tention. Still, from personal observations upon this point, I am well satisfied that principles similar to those which govern the animal kingdom are potent in the vegetable. Because they are not so readily observed is no reason for disputing their efiect. The most careful experimenter or observer is generally less positive in his assertions than the more careless, be- cause by thorough study he learns that although cause and efiect are linked together, the connecting chain is of- ten not only hidden, but has so many ramifications that each cannot be traced with any degree of certainty. In giving nanies to new varieties errors are occasionally made — sometimes purposely, and with intent to deceive, but let us hope more often carelessly or through ignorance. Many of my readers may remember the advent of Peabody's Ilautbois Strawberry. The originator claimed that it was a cross between the Ross and Phoenix and the wild Straw^berry of Alabama, neither of w^hich belong to the Hautbois species ; conse- quently it was a deception to call the new seedling a Hautbois, although the originator had, according to cus- tom, a right to give it w^hatever name he pleased. Many other so-called Hautbois Strawberries have been as far from what their name implies as the Peabody, and 80 SMALL FETJIT CULTUKIST. may have been aiDplied through ignorance or design. It is very doubtful if there have ever been any true hybrids produced between the Hautbois, or the Alpine, and other species. Some fifty years ago, a Mr. Wilhams, of Pitmas- ton, in England, claimed to have produced a hybrid be- tween the Hautbois and Alpine, which gave fruit without seed, but nothing more was heard of it beyond the an- nouncement of its jDroduction. Whether hybrids between the Alpines and Hautbois, or these and other species, have ever been j^roduced is un- certain ; yet I think it possible and worthy of trial. WINTER PROTECTION. In many portions of the country a winter protection to Stra'wberry plants is very beneficial, if not positively ne- cessary. Some of our most successful growers in the Northern States never fail to protect their plants, and without doubt they are amply repaid for the expense in- curred. For my own part I never have had a full crop without giving protection, and never expect one., There can scarcely be a doubt that the great success of some cultivators, with particular kinds, is owing, in a great measure, if not entirely, to the wii:^er protection of the plants. The embryo fruit buds are formed within the crown of the plant in autumn, and therefore it must be apparent that sudden transition from heat to severe cold will very much weaken if not wholly destroy them. In sections of the country where the plants are covered with snow during the entire winter, other protection is not so important as where thei*e is little snow, but continued freezing and thawing. It is not expected nor is it desira- ble to protect the plants so that they shall not be frozen, but merely to shade them, and prevent their being aifect- ed by every little change in the weather. A covering of straw, hay, leaves, or any similar mate- STRAWBERRY. 81 rial, to the depth of one or two inches will usually be sufficient. Every one ought to know, if he does not, that frozen plants thawed out in the shade are less injured by frost than when fully expensed to the light ; and this is another reason why Strawberry plants should be covered in win- ter, because, if the weather should be very changeable, they will be less liable to injury than when fully exposed to light. Protection is sometimes objected to, because it is said to retard the blooming of the plants, and the crop will be later in ripening. This may be true to a certain extent, but I have always thought that protected plants came for- ward more rapidly, when they did start, than the unpro- tected ones. The lost time may not be fully made up, but there will be but a very slight diiFerence. In some sections of the country, retarding the time of blooming would be very advantageous, as by this means the injury from late spring frosts would be avoided. The benefit of having late blooming kinds was quite apparent the past season, (1866), when a late frost was very de- structive through a great portion of the Northern and Middle States ; and the reports of the Strawberry crop furnished some amusing illustrations of the careless man- mer in which some cultivators arrive at conclusions. The early blooming varieties came in for all the censure, while the late bloomers, which escaped the frost, received all the praise ; and still, with this very potent fact before him, scarcely a fruit grower, in making up his report of success or foilure, alluded to the time of the blooming of the variety cultivated. The varieties of F. grandiflora in particular, require winter protection to insure a full crop. The large, prominent crowns of these varieties are more liable to injury than the smaller and more compact ones of those of other species. When the plants are grown in beds, then a portion of the material used for protection 4* 82 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. should be removed in spring, leaving about half an inch in depth, allowing the plants to grow through it, thereby aflbrding a mulching that will keep the fruit clean as well as shading the ground. Saw-dust and tan-bark are soraetiAes used for mulching, but there is usually so much fine dust among them that the fruit will become more or less s^^lashed during heavy rains. Spent hops from a brewery is a most excellent material for mulching the Strawberry ; besides, few insects will attack the plants or fruit where it is used. The young runners strike root very readily in spent hops, showing that it is an excellent fertilizer. Fallen pine leaves are found to be very good, as they keep the fruit clean, while at the same time they will have decayed so much as to interfere but very little with the growth of the plants. Some have suggested that the peculiar flavor of the Pine varieties is imparted to others by the use of this kind of mulching, but this is probably more in imagina- tion than in reality. Salt meadow and bog hay are excellent for a mulch, as also is straw or corn stalks cut fine. When the' plants are cultivated in rows, the mulching should only be removed from the crowns of the jjlants, and the entire amount allowed to remain on the ground between the rows. Another method of protecting the plants is to cover them with soih This is done by passing the plow along each side of the row, turning the soil on the plants in the fall, and then removing it again in the spring. This plan might answer in light soils, but then a mulching would be still needed in summer to keej) the fruit clean. This method has been practiced in a few places, but with what success I am xmable to state. STUAWBEraiY. 83 DISEASES AND INSECTS. The Strawbeny is peculiarly exempt from disease, there being none Avhich affects it to any considerable extent. Sometimes a sudden change of weather will cause the flowers to blight, and no fruit will be produced ; but this cannot be classed as a disease, but merely as an accidental cause of failure. In warm, wet weather, the fruit and leaf-stalks will be affected by mildew, and the leaves at- tacked by a kind of rust which is called in Europe Straw- berry brand {Aregma ohtiisatum). Mr. Cooke, in Lis late work on Microscopic Fvmgi, has given a description and highly magnified illustration of this species, which we quote, figure 24. The spores are produced in clusters on the upper side of the leaves, and appear like minute yellow spots to the naked eye, but under a magnifying lens they have the form shown Fig. 34.— STRAWBEKRT BRAND. •„ -i ^ „i •^■, . , • ^ m the above illustration. As this fungus makes its appearance late in the season it causes but very little injury. Insects are more injurious to the Strawberry than any disease that has yet appeared. The most destructive of these is probably the larva of the common May Beetle, formerly called Melolontha, but now placed in the genus Lach7iosterna. The grub (larva), when fully grown, is about an inch and a half long, and three-eighths thick, nearly white, with a brown head, and commonly called the White Grub. These grubs are usually more numerous in old dry pastures and meadows than elsewhere, because their prin- cipal food is the roots of different kinds of grass. The old sods afford protection against the birds and animals which 84 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. devour them ; consequently they often become very abun- dant in such i^laces. If these grass lands are plowed and planted Avitli the Strawberry, the grubs will attack the roots, and, if numerous, will destroy every plant almost as soon as it is put in the ground. In some sections of the country the white grub has veiy materially checked the cultivation of the Strawberry, The only remedy with which I am acquainted is, to occupy the ground with some crop which requires considerable hoeing and cultivation, for two or three years before planting with the Strawberry. The grub is said to be three or four years in attaining its growth, and by continually manipulating the soil they are exiDOsed to the attacks of birds, and many are de- stroyed by crushing ; besides this, the Beetles will seldom deposit their eggs in freshly disturbed soil. A few years since I experienced considerable diificulty in planting a Strawberry bed upon a piece of land that had been an old pasture. The grubs were almost victorious the first two seasons ; but the third year they entirely dis- appeared, and I had no trouble from them thereafter. Mr. Harris, in his " Insects Injurious to Vegetation," says " that this white grub is the larva of the May Beetle, which is so often seen flying about in the evening." Figure 25 shows one of the beetles of natural size. " It is of a chestnut- brown color, smooth, but finely punc- Fig. 35.— mat beetle. tured — that is, covered with little impressed dots, as if l)ricked with the point of a needle, each wing-case has two or three slightly elevated, longitudinal lines ; the breast is clothed with yellowish down." The grubs are greedily devoured by birds ; the crow being exceedingly fond of them. This much abused bird will always seek them on recently plowed ground, where, I regret to say, many a crow has lost his life while devouring the White Grub; STRAWBERRY. 85 he was benefiting the cultivator, who retuimed this kind- ness with a death-dealing bullet. From a pretty intimate acquaintance Avith the habits of the crow, having kept several tame ones, I am well satisfied that they are far more beneficial than injurious to the farmer. A crow will eat a hundred white grubs in a day, after he has had a breakfast of an equal number of rose bugs. I do not state this as an imaginary case, but as a simple fact that I have proved many times. From experience, I firmly believe that the crow is one of the most usefid birds that we possess, although he does a little mischief now and then in the way of pulling up corn. When domesticated he forgets those tricks of his wild nature, and, not being a timid bird, he is not frightened by hoe or spade, but when the earth is turned over he is gen- erally there to see and do his duty. The Avire worm (lulus), Avhich belongs to the Myriapoda or many-footed Avorms, sometimes attacks the roots of the StraAvberry, but I have no accounts which show that they have as yet been very destructive. Frequent plowing and thorough cultivation ai-e the most efiective means of destroying them. A few years since my Strawberry beds were attacked by a small, greenish-colored Avorm, somcAvhat similar in ap- pearance to the Rose Slug [Selandria rosea, of Harris), but their habits Avere quite different ; inasmuch as they were ahvays curled up Avhen feeding, the loAver extremity of the body hanging down under the leaves, Avhile with their fore feet they fastened themselves to the edge of the leaf or the hole they had made through it. Sometimes a dozen would be found upon a single leaf, each one curled up in the form of a snail shell. When the Avorms were extended to full length they Avere about half an inch long, and sixteenth of an inch in diameter ; color greenish- white, with a brown head. They were very numerous the first season, and remained some five or six 86 SMALL FKUIT CULTUKIST. • Aveeks, and in that time they scarcely left an entire leaf on a half acre bed which they attacked. The next season I saw but few, and since that time I have never met with any. I have been informed that this worm, or one veiy similar, has lately made its appearance in Central New York. The scientific name of this worm I have been un- able to determine ; although I sent manj'' specimens to a noted Entomologist, I have received no information in return. The snail or slug which is so abundant and destructive to the Strawberry and other garden products in Europe, has found its way to this country, and is now quite plenti- ful in some gardens near New York. These snails are great gourmands, and will destroy the Strawberry fruit in quantities if they become very plentiful. Hand picking, or destroying them with lime, is a pretty sure way of getting rid of this pest. , The Plant Louse (Aphis), or Green Fly, as it is usually called, sometmies becomes quite numerous U23on the roots of the Strawberry, particularly when the soil is quite loose and open, so as to admit them readily to the roots. Upon these they congregate in immense numbers, sucking the juices of the plant, and thereby eifectuaUy checking its growth. A liberal application of dry ashes or refuse from a tobacco factory will usually destroy them. The Aphis also attacks the plants when grown under glass, but they are more readily destroyed than the Red Spider {Telaris)^ which insect is very destructive when numerous. The best preventive to the ravages of the Red Sj^ider is a moist atmosphei'e, but when this cannot be allowed, flour of sulphur should be fi'eely scattered among the plants or ujDon the soil near them. The fumes of melted sulphur ■will make quick work Avith them, but it requires great care in its application, for should the sulphur take fire and burn, the fumes will destroy the plants as well. Birds are, in some portions of the country, very de- STRAWBERRY. 87 structive to tbe Strawberry, but I forbear to suggest a. remedy, because there are already too many effectual ones in use. VARIETIES. In the following catalogue I have endeavored to give the names, with a concise description, of all the varieties now in cultivation, which are worthy of it. To give a full description of all known varieties would require quite a volume by itself, and it is very doubtful if, when such a list was made, any one would take the trouble to peruse it. It is such an easy matter to raise new varieties, that a few men seem to have gone into the business, not for the purpose of improvement, but mainly to see how many varieties they can produce, and so they name each new seedling, and give it a glowing description, whether it is worthy of cultivation or not. Now, while I would not siippress any information that would benefit the public, I do not feel called upon to re- commend or give the names of all the varieties that have appeared in the catalogues of some few of our Strawberry growers, particularly when a single one contains about sixty remarkable varieties claimed to have been produced by the proprietor of one establishment. Our enterprising fruit growers are suj^posed to know and procure the best varieties, and when one has been before the public for from five to ten years, and then it is not found in general cultivation, it may be safe to conclude that the fruit grower lacks confidence in the originator, and consequently does not purchase it, or that it has been tried and discarded. The reader, if he has followed me through the preceding pages, will have noticed that I recognize among cultivated varieties but two sexes, viz : Perfect or Bi-sexual, and the Pistillate varieties. The latter kinds are marked pistillate ; all not so designat- ed will bear fruit without the aid of others. 88 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. DESCRIPTION OF VARIETIES. The following are varieties of F. grandiflora and F. Virginiana. Some of them show more of the peculiar characteristics of one ppecies than of the other, while with a few it would be difficult to tell to which they were related, and it is very probable that they are a mixture of both. They were all produced in this country, and are called native varieties : AgTicilltlirist. — Very large, irregular, conical, with long neck, large specimens often flattened or coxcomb shaped ; color light red- dish crimson ; flesh deep red, moder- ately firm, sweet, rich and good ; plant a very strong grower ; leaves large, thick, dark green, with reddish petiole ; hardy and productive, and succeeds remarkably well on light sandy soils, as well as on those that are heavy. A valuable variety. Fig. 26 shows a fruit of medium size in ordinary field culture. Originat- Eis-. 26.-AGRICULTURIST. ^^ ^^1^^ Scth Boyden, Newark, N". J. Austin or Shaker. — Large, roundish, slightly conical, extra large specimens often triangular or flattened, usually hollow; color light pale scarlet; seeds deeply imbedded; flesh nearly Avhite, soft, acid, not rich, with considerable perfume ; third rate in quality ; leaves large, pale green ; petioles and fruit stalk covered with long whitish hairs ; a vigorous grower, hardy and productive. Originated among the Shakers at Watervliet, N. Y. Albion White. — See Lennig's White. Boston Pine. {Bartlett.) — Medium to large, obtuse- coniejil ; color light crimson ; flesh but slightly colored, firm, sweet, most excellent ; fruit stalks very long ; plant STKAWBEREY. 89 vigorous and productive ; a fine market variety ; ripens early ; succeeds in both light and heavy soils, and is very hardy. Originated with C. M. Hovey, Boston, Mass. Brighton Pine. — Medium to large, roundish-conical, with short neck ; color light crimson ; flesh rather soft, sweet and juicy ; jilant strong, vigorous, and moderately productive ; early. Originated with Mr. T. Scott, of Brighton, Mass. Burr's iVew Pine. — Medium, regular, roundish-conical; color deep scarlet in the sun, but pale in the shade ; flesh soft, very juicy, sweet, and highly perfumed ; very early, but too soft to bear handling ; pistillate. Very little cul- tivated at the present time. Originated with Mr. Burr, Columbus, Ohio. Buifalo. — See McAvoy's Superior. Brooklyn Scarlet.— Medium to large, regular, conical, with neck ; color bright scarlet ; flesh rather soft, sweet and rich ; quality best ; plant a dwarf grower, producing very large stools, hardy, vigorous and pro- ductive ; one of the best for home use. Figure 27 shows a berry of average size when the plants are grown in good soil. Originated with A. S. Fuller, in 1859, from seed of Peabody Seedling. One of the three New York Tribune jorize varieties. Brook's Prolific. — See Iowa. Baltimore Scarlet. — See Scotch Runner. Chorlton's Prolific. — Said to be a seedling of the Iowa, but the difference is so slight, if there is any, that I have not been able to detect it. Early. 27. — BROOKLYN SCARLET. . 90 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. Col. Ellsworth. — Very large, irregular, conical, with long neck ; color dark scarlet, fading to a dull crimson ; flesh firm and rather dry, hut sweet, not rich ; the fruit stalks longer than the leaves, very large and stoxTt ; plant a moderate grower, and very productive. It has not proved as valuable as it was at first sui^posed that it woitld. The plants ai:>pear not to be sufficiently robust? and burn on warm soils. Early. Originated in my grounds at Brooklyn, N. Y. Crimson Favorite. — Large, obtuse-conical ; color dark shining crimson ; flesh flrm, of a rich sprightly flavor. This variety I produced from the Wilson, and the fruit re- sembles its parent, but the foliage is quite distinct. It was awarded the first prize for flavor at the Great Straw- berry Exhibition, at the rooms of the American Agricul- turist in 1863. But it has proved to be so unproduc- tive with me that I hardly consider it worthy of culti- vation. Crimson Cone. {Pine Ajyple, Scotch liunner, &c.) — Medium, regular, conical, with long neck ; seeds deeply imbedded ; color light, bright crimson ; flesh firm, sprightly acid, with a rich flavor, and highly per- fumed. Figure 28 shows a fruit of the usual size. One of the best Strawberries in cultivation, although too small and acid to suit some people. This is one of the old market kinds, and there are probably more acres of it in cultivation, for furnishing the New Fork market, than of all others put together. The Fio- 28 -^iMsoN flowers are perfect, and not pistillate, as CONE. has often been asserted. There is, how- ever, another variety which is generally found mixed with it, and also called Scotch Runner, which has pistillate flowers. The latter variety is the true Scotch Riumer, for which see description. STRAWBEEEY. 91 Chiliilll. {Pyramidal Chilian^ or N'ewlavd.) — Me- dium, conical, bright crimson, acitl, but good flavor ; plant hardy and productive ; of no great value. Origin- ated in ISTew Jersey, with Mr. Newland. Cutter's Seedling. {Bwice.) — Small to medium, coni- cal, with short nock; color bright scarlet; moderately firm, si)riglitly and good ; very early, but not sufficiently productive, or large enough to be of any particular value, at least while wc have so many that are far better. Originated in Massachusetts, with Mr. Cutter. Durand's Seedling. — Large, oblong or oblong-conical, sometimes flattened ; seeds but slightly sunken ; color scarlet ; flesh firm, solid, nearly white, of good flavor. IsTew, not thoroughly tested, but promises to be a valua- Fig. 29.— DUKAND. Fig. 30.— dukand. ble variety for market. Originated with Mr. Durand near Newark, N. J. Figures 29 and 30 give a fiir repre- sentation of two of the berries, showing its variableness in form. Downer's Prolific. — Medium to large, globular, light scarlet ; seeds deeply imbedded ; flesh rather soft, acid, not i"ich, but highly perfumed ; very early, hardy, and Avonderfully prolific. An excellent market variety, pro- 92 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. vided the market is near by. Originated with J. S. Downer, Elkton, Kentucky. Diadem. — Large, globular, light scarlet; seeds deeply imbedded ; flesh soft, acid, but agreeable flavor ; a strong and vigoi'ous grower of the western type. Pistillate. Originated with W. R. Prince, Flushing, N. Y. Eniily,-=— A new variety raised by Prof Huntsman, Flushing, N. Y. Said to be very large, and of excellent flavor. Early Scarlett — Medium, conical, light scarlet; flesh firm, moderately acid. An old variety, but little cultivated at the jjresent time. Eclipse. — Small to medium, conical, light bright crim- son ; the fruit stalks very strong, erect, even when loaded with fruit ; flavor good, but not rich ; ripens early, and the fruit all matures Avithin a few days after the first is ripe. In fact the entire crop may be gathered in two or thr<3ei)ickings. Pistillate. Originated with W. R. Prince. Fillmore. — Large, obtuse-conical, dai'k crimson, sweet, moderately rich and good. In deep, rich soils this variety produces a fair crop, but it is not generally popular among fruit growers. Pistillate. Originated with Samuel Feast, Baltimore, Md. Faulkner's King. — See Ripawara. French's Seedling. — Large, deep scarlet, slightly coni- cal, soft, sweet, but sprightly flavor, good ; leaves medi- um size, deep green ; fruit stalks with numerous light colored hairs. A productive and valuable variety, but too soft to transport a long distance. Early. Found by Mr. Lewis French growing wild in a meadow near Moores- town, New Jersey. Georgia Mammoth. — Medium or small, obtuse-conical, dark crimson when fully ripe ; seeds deeply imbedded ; flesh very firm, acid, not rich ; ripens very late, and this STRA'VA^BEERV. 93 is its only valuable quality ; jilaiit a vigorous grower, and one of the Iowa class. General Mctlellan. — See McAvoy's Superior. Golden Queeni — This is said to he a new variety, which originated near Rochester, N. Y. But from the appear- ance of the plants, and the testimony of some of the best horticulturists of Rochester, I do not hesitate to say that it is the Trollojie's Victoria, an old English variety long known in this country. Great Eastern. — Medium to large, long, conical, light crimson, firm, acid, not rich, moderately productive. The plants making large stools, and producing but few runners. A very good market variety. Green Prolific. {Newark Prolific^ — Very large, round, pale crimson or deep scarlet ; seeds slightly sunken ; rather soft, very acid, witliout richness, and of in- ferior flavor ; fruit stalks long and stout ; leaves very large and thick ; one of tlie Iowa class; vigorous and productive. Originated with Seth Boyden, Newark, IST. Fi^. 31. — GREEN PROLIFIC. J, Fi"". 31 shows a berry of the average size under good culture. Golden Seeded. — Medium to large, bluntly-conical, sometimes flattened, dark crimson, with prominent yellow seeds, sweet and rich, early, but does not succeed except in a few localities and soils. It is probably a seedling of a foreign variety. Originated in ^'ig- 33.-goli>en seeded. Canada with Mr. Read. Figure 32 shows the form and size of a medium sized specimen. 94 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. Hoyeyt {Gennantoum, Young'' s Seedling.) — Large, conical, bright crimson, handsome, sub-acid, sprightly, good. An old and much esteemed variety, and largely cul- tivated for supplying the Boston Market. Pistillate. Originated with C, M. Ilovey, of Boston, Mass., nearly forty years ago. Hooker. — Large, short, obtuse-conical, nearly globular, dark crimson, very sweet and rich; too soft and dark colored for market, but a fine variety for the amateur. The plants are a little tender, and should always be pro- tected in winter to insure a good crop. Originated with H. E. Hooker, Rochester, N. Y. Iowa. {Washington.) — Large, globular, somewhat compressed ; seeds deej^ly imbedded in a wide cavity, light orange scarlet, acid, inferior flavor, very early, pro- ductive and hardy. This variety was formerly extensively grown about Cincinnati, under the name of Washington. Ma. — Large, slightly conical ; color bright scarlet ; rather acid, but good; hardy and productive. Has been but little disseminated, but promises to be an excellent market variety. Pistillate, Originated with E. H. Coxjklin, Shepherdstown, Pa. Ladies' Pine. — Small to medium, round, pale orange, scarlet, with a slight crimson tint in the sun ; seeds rather prominent ; flesh soft, sweet and rich, highly perfumed, probably the most delicious flavored variety known. Re- quires extra culture, and even then it is not very produc- tive ; nevertheless it is well worthy of a place in the most select collection. Pistillate. Originated in Canada, with Mr. Read. Le Baron. — Medium to large, obtuse-conical, dark red ; flesh soft, sweet, and high flavored, not very productive, but a vigoi'ous groAver, and very hardy. Raised by Mr. Prince from the old Swainstone. Pistillate. STKAWBEKEY. 95 Lady Fill£CCr« — Medium, elongated, conical ; color bril- liant dark scarlet ; seeds set in a deep open cavity ; flesh very firm, sub-acid, good ; plant hardy, vigorous and jjro- lific. An excellent market variety. Orif^inated with the LADY FINGER. Fig-. o4. — LADY FINGER. late Benjamin Prosser, Burlington, Xew Jersey. Figure 33 shows a berry of this variety of medium size, and figure 34 one of the largest. LongWOrtll's Proline, — ^I^argc, roundish, oval or oblate, light crimson, sprightly sub-acid, and good ; plant vigor- ous and productive. An old variety but little cultivated, although it is far superior to many new ones. Originated in the garden of the late Nicholas Longworth, of Cincin- nati, Ohio. Lcnnig's White, {Albion White, White Pine Apple.) — Large, obtuse-conical ; seeds prominent, and of a pink or light crimson color ; fruit almost white, but with a deli- cate blush when exposed to the sun; flesh pure white, melting, rich and sweet ; j)lant a vigorous grower, and moderately productive. This is evidently a seedling of Fragaria grandiflora, but one of the most hardy and productive, and, without doubt, the best white variety known in this country. It has been disseminated under 96 SMAIX FKUIT CULTURIST. several names, either throiigli mistake or design. I re- ceived it mider the three different names, and being culti- vated in separate beils, I, like many others, thought that they were distinct, imtil beds were prepared in a similar soil, and the same cultivation given to each, after which no difierence could be discovered. I have since learned through Mr. Meehan, editor of the Gardener's Monthly, that the supposed three varieties were all taken from the garden of the originator, Mr. Leimig, of Germantown, Pa. Metcalf S Early. — A new variety that originated at Niles, Michigan. It has not been fruited at the East, and nothing is known of it except from the many very vague descriptions that have appeared in western papers and in nurserymen's catalogues. It is very strange that those who lavish such unlimited praise upon a new fruit do not inform the public in Avhat particular it differs from old and well known varieties; color, size, form, and how mucli earlier than other varieties, are points which have not been given by those who pretend to know aU about this variety. Mead's Secdlins^. — Medium to large, conical, often flattened ; seeds very prominent ; light bright scar- let ; very firm, quite acid, and not high flavored ; moderately produc- tive. Pistillate. Originated with Peter B. Mead about ten years ago, but has been but little disseminated. Figure 35 shows one of the berries of average size. McAvoy'S Superior. — Large, ir- regular, roimdish, the surface being uneven, with prominent projections ; color varying from light to very dark crimson ; the flesh be- ing dark red, soft, sweet, variable, in some soils rich and sprightly, in others insipid ; vigorous, and usually very -mead's seed- ling. STKAWBERRY. 9^ productive. Pistillate. The originator of this variety Avas awarded a $100 prize by the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, about fifteen years ago, and since that time it has been brought forward by others as a new seedlinrr of their own. Francis Brill, of Newark, N. J,, exhibited it at the Brooklyn Horticultural Society as a new seedlinrd Cane. — Small to medium, obtuse-conical, dark red, inferior flavor. An old English variety of little or no value. Placed among the inferior varieties in the nursery- men's catalogues of forty years ago. Belle de Foateaay. ( Victoria.) — Yery large, irregular, long-conical, deep crimson, with a tliin bloom, separates freely from the core, moder rather acid, but good ; canes very strong and stocky, branching ; leaves thick, dark green above and silvery- white beneath ; spines reddish-purj^le, short and stifi"; very hardy and pro- ductive. Produces a second crop in autumn ; the best of the autumn bearing varieties. It produces a great number of suckers, the larger portion of which should be removed as soon as they appear, to insure a good crop of fruit. This has fre- quently been confounded with Mer- vielle des quartre Saisons, but it is distinct. in France. Figure G5 represents a berry of this variety rather below the average size which it attains under or- dinary culture. It is very probable that the engraver has rather reduced than enlarged the illustration of spec- imens placed in his hands. Briackle's Oraage. — See Orange. Burliagton. — Large ; same color as the Red Antwerp, A new variety ; originated by the late Benjamin Prosser, of Burlington, New Jersey. It has been fruited but two years ; consequently but little is known of its merits. 65. — BELLE DE FON- TENAT. Originated 158 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. Belle de Palluau. — (Fig. G6.) — Very large, obtuse-conical; grains large, regular ; light bright crimson, separates freely from the core, sub-acid, juicy, very good, mod- erately firm ; canes very strong ; spines short, purple, not very numer- ous ; leaves medium, deep green ; lobes broad- ly ovate ; serratures very Fig. 66. — BELLE DE PALLUAU. i i i • , * regular and sharp pomt- ed ; very productive, and will probably become a valua- ble market variety. Requires protection in winter. A new variety from France. Bagley'S Perpetual. — Medium, neai-ly round, dark crimson, rather soft, acid ; second quality ; bears a second crop in autumn. Highly extolled a few years ago, but little has been heard of it of late. Originated in New Haven, Conn. Clarke. — (Fig. 67.) — Large, roundish-conical, light crim- son ; grains medium ; very sweet, rich, and high flavored, parts freely from the core, mod- erately firm ; canes very strong and stocky, erect, more or less branching ; spines white, the ends slightly colored, rigid, numerous at the base of the canes, scatter- ing, and few above ; leaves very large, thick, rather flat, deep green above, and silvery white beneath, coai'sely and unevenly -, ^. , Fiff. 67.— CLAEKE. serrate; very productive, and so far as known, perfectly hardy. It withstood, without protection, 16 degrees below zero in my grounds in the winter of 1865. This comparatively new variety prom- EASPBEERY. 159 ises to be a valuable acquisition, as its leaves are so tough that they endure the hot weather in summer without in- jury. I have had it in cultivation four years, and from this very brief experience I feel inclined to place it high in the list of choice varieties. Raised from seed by E, E. Clarke, New Haven, Conn., in 1856. Cretan Red. — Small, conical, crimson or deep red, sub- acid, poor flavor, not very productive. A very old foreign variety. Placed on the rejected list by the American Pomological Society. Cope* — ^Large, obtuse-conical, light crimson, parts freely from the core, rather fii-m, sweet and good ; canes moder- ately strong ; spines purple, short and numerous ; produc- tive, but not equal to some other varieties. Originated with the late Dr. Wm. D. Brinckle, of Philadelphia, Pa., to whom we are also indebted for many valuable varieties of the Raspberry. Col. Wilder. — Large, roundish-conical, yellowish white or cream color, very sweet, juicy and good, but rather soft ; canes strong and vigorous ; spines white ; leaves dark green, and somewhat crimped or wavy. Raised from seed of the Fastolff by Dr. Brinckle, and named in honor of Marshall P. Wilder, the distinguished pomologist of Boston, Mass. Cushing. — Large, roundish-conical, light crimson, very regular in form ; grains small, compact ; separates freely from the core ; juicy, sprightly flavor, and good ; spines brownish purple, stiff and rather numerous ; leaves large and thin, irregularly and coarsely serrated or toothed; moderately vigorous and productive. Raised by Dr. Brinckle, and named in honor of J. P. Cushing, of Water- town, Mass. Cutbush's Prince of Wales.— Large, very regular, ob- tuse-conical, light crimson, rather dry, sub-acid flavor; canes strong and vigorous ; spines purple, long and slen- 160 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. der, numerous ; productive. An English variety of no particular value, because there are many others that are far better. Double Bearing?. — An old variety, discarded by Ameri- can Pomological Society, Downing. — Large, regular, conical ; grains medium*; bright crimson, juicy, sweet and rich, firm, parts freely from the core ; canes strong, erect ; spines very short and stout, pale green; leaves very large, deep green, nearly flat when fully developed ; quite productive. A good market variety. Requires protection in winter the same as the Antwerp. A seedling of the Orange, raised by Charles Downiiig, Newburgh, N. Y., who has no plants of any kind for sale. Duhring. — Large, roundish-conical, bright red, firm, rich and excellent flavor. A sti'ong and vigorous grower, and said to be very productive and hardy. New ; not fully tested. Supposed to be a seedling of the Hornet. Originated on the grounds of Henry Duhring, Esq., Bel- mont, near Philadelphia, Pa. The stock of plants were placed in the hands of Henry A. Dreer, the well known seedsman of Philadelphia, to whom I am indebted for plants and description. Emily. — Large, roundish-conical, pale yellow; spines white ; vigorous and productive. One of Dr. Brinckle's seedlings, which proved unworthy of dissemination. Fastolff*. — ^Large, obtuse or roundish-conical, crimson; grains large, soft, sweet and rich ; one of the hest in flavor. Adheres so firmly to the core that the berries are often broken in picking ; canes moderately strong and rather crooked ; spines purple, stiff", and quite numerous ; very productive. An excellent variety for home use, but too soft for market. An old English variety ; its name said to be from an old castle in Great Yaniiouth, England. Fillbasket. {Northumberland Fillhasket) — Large, 'ob- RASPBEEKY. IGl tuse-conical, crimson ; grains large, with thin bloom ; firm, sweet, not very juicy, but good; canes strong, with pur- plish spines, which are quite abundant on the entire length of the cane ; leaves large, thick, not so deep green as some ; the leaflets broadly ovate ; quite productive. An English variety^ introduced about ten years since. Franconia. — (Fig. 68.) — Large, obtuse-conical, dark, purplish-red or crimson, firm, with a ricli, sprightly flavor ; canes strong, branching ; spines purple, stout, scat- tering ; leaves large, deep green, rather flat when fully developed. A valuable market variety. Requires protection in winter. Introduced V^'^'li^JpffvV '^ from France twenty-five years ago. ''^.. JH»ar''V French. ( V-ice President French.) — Medium to large, obtuse-conical, crimson ; grains large ; firm, sweet, one of the best ; canes very strong, erect ; spines purple, stout and numerous ; very productive. A valuable variety. Supposed to be a seedling of the Fas- tolfi". Raised by Dr. Brinckle, and named in honor of B. V. French, Vice President of the Mass. Horticultural Soc. Fulton. — A large,crimson variety raised by Dr. B; inckle.- Probably lost, as nothing has been heard of it lately. General Patterson. — Large, round, crimson, adheres firmly to the core. One of Dr. Brinck- le's seedlings. Hornet. — Very large, conical, deep crimson, grains variable in size, jviicy, sub-acid, good, mod- erately firm ; canes very strong, Fig. 69.— hornet. erect, spines short, purplish ; fruit stems very long. rig. 68. — FKANCONIA. rich and excellent; 162 SMALL PRITIT CTTLTURIST. Productive, and promises to be a good market variety. Originated in France, with M. Souchet, of Bagnolet, near Paris. Huntsman's Giant. — In size, shape and quality very similar to the Franconia, but the canes grow much taller, and when fully mature have a peculiar grayish- white bark. A seedling of the Franconia, very productive, and continues a long time in fruit. Raised by Prof T. W. Huntsman, Flushing, N.Y. Mr. Huntsman has paid considerable atten- tion to the cultivation of the Raspberry, raising an immense number of seedlings, hoping to obtain a hardy variety that was equal to the best tender kinds. This one is not claimed to be perfectly hardy, although more so than its parent. Mi\ Huntsman very reluctantly gave me permis- sion to name this seedling and notice it, and I have done so, believing it worthy of being placed among the new and promising varieties. Imperial. — This is another French variety lately intro- duced. I have not yet fruited it. The plants resemble the Hornet but the fruit is said to be not quite so good. Jonet. — Medium to large, light pale yellow ; canes feeble, spines very numerous, nearly white. Not worth cultivating, as we have several others of the same color which are far superior to it in every respect. Knevet'S Giant. — Large, or very large, globular, light crimson, adheres rather firmly to the core, juicy and good ; canes very strong, spines short, purplish, very few and scattering. Very productive. An Enghsh variety of considerable merit. Large Fruited Monthly. {Bivers' New Monthly.) — Medium to large, roundish-conical, crimson, soft, sweet, and juicy, good ; canes strong, spines red, stout. Some- times it produces a very fair crop, but not equal to Belle de Fontenay for a late one. Raised by Thomas Rivers, Sawbridgeworth, England. KASPBEERT. 163 nia^nnm Bonum. — Very similar, if not tlie same as the Yellow Antwerp. Introduced from England about twenty- five years ago. Merveille de Quatre Saisons. {Marvel of the Four Seasons.) — Medium to large, obtuse-conical, crimson, soft, sweet and good ; canes erect, rather slender, spines purple, short and quite numerous, leaves flat, pale green under- neath, and not so dark green above as the Belle of Fon- teney which is often sold for this variety. The leaves are also finely and evenly serrated. Very hardy and produces an immense number of suckers. There is also a variety of this with yellow fiaiit, but it is scarcely worth cultivating, as it is very unproductive. IVaomii — A new variety from Ohio, said to be very large and excellent. I have not had an opportunity of fruiting it, as the plants were not for sale until the past season. Orange. {BrincJcWs Orange.) — Large, obtuse-conical, orange; sweet, rich and delicious flavor; canes strong, with smalljWhite spines ; plant vigorous and very produc- tive. This is one of the best varieties in cultivation. Plant requires protection in winter. Originated by Dr. Brinckle, in 1845. PilatCi — Large, loug-conical, grains small, compact, dark red, firm, juicy, sub-acid, only passably good ; canes not very vigorous, spines numerous, purplish -red; productive. One of the new French varieties, highly extolled, but in- ferior to many of the varieties produced in this country. Rivers' Seedlings. — Mr. Thomas Rivers, the veteran promologist of England, has paid considerable attention to the Raspberry, and has produced many hundreds of seed- lings. Some of them have reached this country, but there appears to be considerable confusion in regard to their iden- tity and names. The one known as Rivers' Black Rasp- berry does not belong to the Black Raspberry family of this country. It is a dark purple fruit, with a white bloom, 164 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. rather soft, of peculiar rich flavor, but not particularly valuable. Another, received under the name of Rivers' Seedling, is a large, roundish-conical berry, deep crunson, with a thin bloom, quite acid and not rich; canes very vigorous, branching, of a reddish color, spines purple, short, and very strong; produces very few suckers. Perfectly hardy and very j)roductive ; will jii'obably be a good mar- ket variety. Mr. Rivers exhibited a new variety at one of the Horticultural shows in England a few years since, Avhich he claimed to be a hybrid between the Raspberry and Blackberry, but I am not aware of its success. Russell's Red Raspberry. — Large, roundish-conical, dark red, moderately firm, juicy, sweet and good; canes strong, erect ; spines white, straight, few and scattering. Supposed to be hybrid between the Purjile Cane and White Antwerj); very hardy and jiroductive ; propagated by suckers. Originated in the garden of Dr. G. W. Russell, Hartford, Conn., and named by the Hartford Co. Horticultural Soc, in 1858. Sonchettii. {White Transpar- ent.) — (Fig, 70.) — Large, conical, somcAvhat irregular in form ; pale yellow, firm but juicy, sweet and very good ; canes vigorous ; spines nearly white and few; leaves large and wavy, thin, light green. A jjro- Fig. 70.-soucuettii. ductive variety, raised by Mr. Souchet. Semper FideliS. — Large, irregular-conical, dull crimson, rather firm and dry, sub-acid ; second rate in quality ; canes strong, spines purple, short and stift", numerous; leaves large, evenly serrated ; very productive. A new variety from England, where it is highly extolled. Walker, — Large, round, deep crimson, soft, juicy, sprightly flavor, good ; canes strong with a few stitf, pur- RASPBEREY. 165 plish spines; very productive. One of Dr. Brinckle's seedlings. Yellow Chili. — Large, conical, pale yellow, slightly tinged with orange, very soft, sweet and juicy; canes strong, branching, spines long, slender, white. A French variety which I received about ten years since. Not valu- able, and inferior to several others of similar color. Miscellaneous Varieties. — The following list comprises the new and old varieties of which little is known at the present time. Some of them have been merely announced in the nurserymen's catalogues, or in some of the various Horticultural Journals, while others are old foreign varie- ties that have been superseded by better kinds. I have added whatever information I possessed in regard to each. Plants of some of the new ones have been received, but not tested, consequently I cannot give a description, nor de- cide upon their merits : Bromley Hill. — An old, red, English variety, of fair quality, but not productive. Beehive. — Large red. (Prince's Catalogue, 1844.) Cornish. — An old discarded English variety. Chili Monthly. — An old foreign variety. Cox's Honey. — An old white variety. Early Prolific. — Poor flavor; an old variety from England. JiUards'S Seedling. — An English variety of very good quality. Keystone. — Originated with A. L. Felton, Philadelphia, Pa. Described as very large, crimson. An excellent variety, although the canes are tender. Longworth. — Large, round, deep crimson. One of Dr. Brinckle's seedlings. Mrs. Ingersoll. — Large, yellow, of fair quality. Raised by Dr. Brinckle. 166 SMATJ. FRUIT CULTURIST. Mrs, Wilder. — A seedling of the Colonel Wilder, simi- lar in color. Named by Dr. Brinckle. Mote's Seedling. — New, from Ohio, of the Rubus Oc- cidentalis species. IVottingham Scarlet. — Rejected by the American Po- mological Society. New Everbearing. — ^Noticed in the Proceedings of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, Dec, 1861. Princess Alice. — A new, English variety, raised by Cut- bush & Son, Highgate, England. Richardson. — Noticed in Gardeners' Monthly, 1862, p. 339. St. Louis. — Fruit large, bright red, sweet, and of the best Raspberry flavor; plant hardy. — Coleman's Hural World. SurpasseMerveille. — Seedling of the OldMerveille des Quartre Saisons, yellow, same color and habit, but said to be superior to its parent; new. Raised by Simon Louis. Announced in the French Catalogues, in 1862. Spring Grove. — ^Very prolific but poor flavor. An old foreign variety. Superb. — A poor flavored, old, foreign variety. Superb d'Angleterre. — Large, red. Andre Leroy's Catalogue, 1862. Taylor's Paragon. — Poor flavor, old. Discarded Eui'opean variety. Wilmot's Early Red. — An old English variety, of small size, deep red, and poor quality. Woodward's Red Globe.— Small, red, poor flavor; old. Cultivated in England about forty years ago. Woodward, — Small, round, crimson; very early; spines red. One of Dr. Brinckle's seedlings. Selectiok of Varieties. — ^For family use in locations where they will succeed, I would select the following varieties : Brinckle's Orange, Clarke, Francoaia, Fastolfi, French. EASPBEREY. 167 Fob Market. — Hudson River Antwerp, Franconia, for particular locations; and Philadelphia and one of the Black Cap varieties for general cultivation. If the Clarke should prove to be as hardy as heretofore, and grow well at the South, then it will take a high rank among the market varieties, as weU as for home use. CHAPTEB IV. BLACKBERRY. RUBUS.— Bramble. The Blackberry belongs to the same family and genus as the Raspberry. The fruit in this case is a collective mass of drupes attached to the juicy receptacle — not separating as in the Raspberry, but falling off whole. In form, the berries are mostly ovate or oblong, brown or blackish, occasionally yellowish- white. There are about one hundred and fifty species of the Blackberry known to botanists, and, like the Raspberry, they are distributed over a greater poi-tion of the world. Few of the species possess any particular merit worthy of the attention of fruit growers of the present time, con- sequently I shall confine myself mainly to the indigenous species and their varieties. The following six sjDCcies are natives of the United States : RubuS TillOSUS. — Common High Blackberry. — Stems shrubby, two to eight feet high, furrowed, upright or re- clining, armed with stout curved j^rickles ; lower surface of the leaves hairy and glandular ; leaflets three or pe- dately five, ovate, pointed, unequally serrate ; plant varia- 168 BLACKBEBET. 169 able in size and in its general appearance. Figure 71 shows a section of the stem of the well known New Ro- chelle Blackberry, which is a variety of this species. R. Canadensis. — Low Blackberry, Dewberry. — Shrubby, trailing slightly, prickly; leallets three or pedately five to seven, oval or ovate-lanceolate, mostly pointed, thin, nearly smooth ; flowers in racemes with leaf-like, bracts ; fruit mostly round, with large grains, sweet and pleasant flavor, ripens earlier than M. Vilr losus. Very common in dry sandy soils. R. hispidilS. — Running Swamp Black- berry. — Stems slender, shrubby, mostly trailing, with numerous, small, reflexed prickles ; leaflets three, rarely five, smooth, obovate, coarsely serrate, entire toward the base ; flower small, borne on a leafless l)eduncle ; fruit jDurple or shining black, grains large and few; generally very acid. Common in the Northern States, in low, damp woods. U, cnncifolius. — Sand Blackberry. — One to three feet high, shrubby, upright, armed with stout, recurved prickles; branchlets and lower surfiice of the leaf, whitish, woolly ; leaflets three to five, wedge-obovate, thickish, serrate above ; peduncles two to four flowered ; petals large ; fruit medium size, of good flavor, black, ripens late. Common in New Jersey and southward, in sandy soils. R. trivialis. — Low Bush. Blackberry. — Stems shrubby, trailing, bristly and prickly; leaves evergreen, coriaceous, nearly glabrous ; leaflets three or pedately five, ovate- oblong, or lanceolate, sharply serrate, peduncles one to three flowered. Sandy soils, from Virginia southward. 8 Fig-. 71. 170 SMAILL FRUIT CULTTJKIST. R. spectablis. — Flowers solitary, of a, 'beautiful purple color ; stems without prickles. Native of northwest coast of America, on the banks of the Columbia River. R, fruticosilSi — Stems straggling, arched, angular and leather tomentose; prickles recurved, fruit dark purple Fig. 73. — EUROPEAN BLACKPEKKT. with a peculiar mawkish flavor. Common European Black- berry or Bramble. There are several species of the Blackberry found in South America, West Indies, and Mexico, but we have no cultivated varieties of them, neither do they possess any qualities superior to those found in the United States. Very little attention is paid to the cultivation of this BLACKBEEEY. 171 fruit except in this country, consequently we have no su- perior foreign varieties, nor can we find any practical in- fonnation in regard to their cultivation, in any European work on gardening. The BlackLerry has no sej)arate his- tory from that of the Raspberry, as they are both called Bramhies in the old works; and it is evident that it has never been considered worthy of any sj^ecial cai'e in any country except our own. Cnltiyation, Propagation, &c, — The same method of cultivation recommended for the Raspberry is also appli- cable to the Blackberry. In selecting a soil, a rather dry one is preferable to one that is very moist or wet ; neither should the soil be as rich as for the Raspberry, because the varieties generally cultivated are large, coarse growing plants, and if the soil is too rich the canes will grow very large and succulent, and will neither be so hardy nor pro- ductive as those of a moderate growth. It is also a good plan to pinch off the terminal shoots the last of August or first of September, to check the growth, and cause the canes to more fully ripen than if alloAved to grow undis- turbed. The plants should also be given more room than the Raspberry, as they usually grow more branching and make larger stools. The rows shoiald be at least six feet apart, and eight would be still better for tlie larger groAV- ing kinds. Staking the plants may be dispensed with if they are severely pruned so as to enable them to sustain the fruit. Many cultivators, however, always stake and tie up their plants, or build cheap trellises with posts and wire to which the canes are fastened in the spring at the time of pruning. It would be better to take out the old bearing canes soon after the fruit is gathered, but this would make it necessary to go over the plants twice, while if the old canes can be cut out and the young ones pruned at the same time, considerable labor is saved. One annual pruning is the usual method, choosing the early spring for performing this operation. For taking out the old canes % 172 SMALL FKUIT CULTUKIST. Fie-. 73. pair of shears with long- handles (Fig. 73) is used, cutting them as near to the ground as possible. A simple and equally ef- cient pruning implement is made by attaching a hooked knife to a handle of convenient length, as shown in fig. 74. The manner of using it is sufficiently ob- vious. The young canes should be headed back to four or five feet, and the lateral branches to a foot or eighteen inches. If too many suckers have grown, so that they are likely to crowd, then remove a por- tion of them, as directed for the RasjDberry. All va- rieties of the Blackberry produce suckers very free- ly, and, unless they are ^vanted, all should be destroyed as soon as they appear, except those reserved for next season's croj). The Blackberry may be propagated as directed for the Raspberry, cuttings of the roots usually making the best plants. Fig. 74. VARIETIES. Cut-Lcaved. — Fruit roundish, black, grains large, sweet, with a slightly musky flavor ; borne in loose panicles, stems nearly round, more or less trailing, fertile ones erect ; jDrickles small at the base, but recurved and strong above, very numerous ; leaves dissected and sharply serrate, as shown in figure 75 ; flowers white or rose color. A BLACKBERRT. 173 variety of the European Blackberry, H. fruticosus, and is found in the Catalogues as H. laclniatus, and also as the Parsley-leaved Blackberry, It has been sparingly Fiff. 75.— CtTT-LEAVED BLACKBERRY. cultivated in Europe for many years, also in this country for twenty years or more. It is scarcely worth growing, except as a curiosity. 174 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. Cumberland. — Medium size, black, sweet and good, quite early, and matures the whole crojj in a comparatively Fi new to the public, as it was not extensively disseminated until last yeai', but, so far as known, it is very hardy, and promises to be one of the very best varieties known. Found, about twenty years ago, by a Mr. Wolverton, growing wild in the woods near the Kittatinny Moun- tains, in Warren County, New Jersey. New RochellC. {Seacor's Mammoth^ Zawton.) — ^Very large, irregular, roundish-oval, black, very juicy, and mod- erately sweet when fully ripe, but it does not reach this jDoint until several days after the fruit has become black, at which time it is very soft. A strong and vigorous grower, and very productive. The fruit commences rii^en- ing rather late, and continues for a long time, and unless the soil is naturally moist, or the ground covered with a mulch, many of the late berries will fail to come to maturity. The canes are also rather tender, often win- ter-killing, even in the vicinity where it origi- nated. The New Rochelle Blackberry has probably done more to make this class of fruits popular than any other variety, but some of the kinds lately introduced are likely to supersede it. Found by Lewis A. Seacor in the town of New Rochelle, Westchester County, N. Y. Newman's Thornless. — Medium, roundish- oval, black, rather acid, but good when fully ripe ; canes slender, nearly round, growing only three or four feet high ; sj)ines small, short, as shown in figure 79 ; some of the canes almost smooth. It is usually very un- productive, but occasionally it will produce quite a large crop. Discovered growing wild, and introduced by Jonas Newman, Ulster County, New York. '^. r L Fie:. BLACKBERRY. 179 IVeedham's White • — A variety sent out several years since, but it is unproductive, and not worth cultivating. Wilson's Early^ — Very large, oblong, oval, slightly pointed, black, quite firm, sweet, rich and good ; canes strong, roundish, not so deeply corrugated as the New Rochelle or Dorchester. It is probably a sport of the trailing BlackbeiTy, or a cross between it and the high- bush. Although the plant is naturally an erect grower, still, occasionally, a cane will grow for several feet along the ground, and the tip take root, as is usual with the com- mon creeping Blackberry, or Dewberry, as it is generally called. The fruit ripens very early, and the entire crop matures in about two weeks. This peculiarity in riiDening gives the grower of it an opportunity of sending the en- tire crop to market before other varieties are ripe. It is but little known, except in the vicinity where it originated. Mr. Wm. Parry, John S. Collins, Jas. S. Williams, and a few other fruit growers near Philadelphia, have quite ex- tensive plantations of this variety, and from an examina- tion of the fruit the past season, I conclude that it will prove to be one of the most valuable varieties yet intro- duced ; although it would not be advisable for those who intend to grow fruit for market to confine themselves en- tirely to this one kind, because of its very limited period of ripening. Discovered by John Wilson, of Burlington, ]Sr, J., about 1854. The following kinds I have not fruited, neither have I any very reliable information in regard to their merits. Albion. — Found growing wild at Albion, Edwards County, Illinois. The fruit is said to be very large, of a pink color. Claret. — A new variety, found by D. L. Adais, of Hawesville, Ky. Fruit large, of a glossy claret color. Col. Wilder. — Fruit bright cream color. Raised by John B. Ox'ange, of Albion, Illinois, and named in honor 180 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. Fic:. 80.— ■WILSON'S early. BLACKBERRY. 181 of the veteran pomologist, Marshall P. Wilder, of Boston, Mass. Crystal White. — A new variety from the West. Fruit said to be yellowish-white, and of excellent quality. The foliage of this variety is very peculiar, inasmuch as tlie leaflets are very narrow, almost oblong, lanceolate. It is to be hoped that this may prove equal to its reputation at the West, because a really good variety of this color would be a valuable acquisition. Cutter's Mulberry. — Introduced by G. B. Cutter, of Newton, Mass., and described in Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture, in 1859. Dr. Warder. — Color a dark rosy-red. Raised from seed by Mr. Orange, the originator of the Col. Wilder, and named in honor of Dr. Warder, of Ohio. 3IaS0U'S Mountain. — A new variety from Nebraska, which has not been fruited as yet at the East. Washington.— Exhibited by Prof C. G. Page, of Wash- ington, D. C, in 1859. I have not seen any notice of it since. PROFITS OF 'CULTURE. The profits derived from the cultivation of the Rasp- berry are extremely variable. The first thing to be ascer- tained by those who intend planting this fruit extensively is, whether there is a good market, and one that is not likely to be overstocked. Then find out what kinds are the best suited to the location. For instance, if one is located in a section where the Red Antwerp and similar foreign varieties succeed, then it would be safe and perhaps preferable to plant them in- stead of others, because their fruit always commands the highest price in market. In many places at the West, as well as at the East, these varieties succeed if protected in winter, and two to 182 SMALL TKUIT CULTURIST. six hundred dollars per acre is no uncommon amount to be derived for the fruit ; still there are many locations where no amount of care will make them yield enough to pay for their culture, consequently other varieties must be selected, or Raspberry culture be abandoned. In the last few years the Philadelphia Raspberry has obtained a great reputation, not because its fruit is supe- rior, or even equal to the best varieties of the Antwerp class, but because the plant will thrive and produce enor- mous crops in soils and locations where the best foreign varieties foil. In Southern New Jersey the Philadelphia is extensively grown, and four to eight hundred dollars per acre are the usual returns from plants when in full bearing condition. The Purple Cane is largely grown at the West. It is hardy and very productive, but the fruit is too soft for sending any great distance, and at the East it has been replaced by other varieties. The Black Cap Raspberries are also becoming quite popular among fruit growers, and their cultivation is found to be very profitable. The Blackberry, as a general thing, does not bring quite so large a price in market as the Raspberry, but the yield per acre is often greater, so that the returns will be about equal, 'although, as a rule, they are not genei'ally considered as profitable a fruit as the Raspberry. When- ever Peaches are plentiful, then late varieties of the Black- beriy sell at a very low price. The cost of cultivation, gathering and marketing these fruits, is usually from one- fourth to one-third of the gross receipts obtained for the fruit. I CHAPTER V. DWARF CHERRY. NATURAL, FAMILY ROSACEA. PRUNUS. SuB-GENTjs, CERASUS.— The Cheery. The Cherries, as a class, do not come within the pro- posed scope of this work. But there is at least one native species that is worthy of being placed among the small fruits, and I have introduced it here for the purpose of calling the attention of our horticulturists to it, hoping that through their efforts a new, distinct, and valuable class of Cherries will be originated. All of the varieties of the Cherry commonly cultivat- ed, .are of foreign origin, and the native species have so far resisted all attempts at improvement ; as a general thing, there appears to be no affinity between those of the eastern and western continent. They will neither hybridize, nor the wood unite when worked one upon the other. Thus the door seems to be closed against the in- termingling of the superior and the inferior, and progress only possible by raising seedlings of the native kinds without foreign aid. There are, however, two indigenous speciee which appear to be nearly related to the foreign, at least sufficiently so, to 18.3 184 SMALX. FKUIT CTJLTTJRIST. admit of being hybridized with it, as the flowers are very similar and the wood of the two unites very readily. One of these, Frunvs Pennsylvanica, is a tall species, and does not come within the scope of this work; but a dwarf one, jP. pumila, described by Dr. Gray as follows : " Smooth, depressed and trailing, six to eighteen inches high; leaves obovate-lanceolate, tapering to the base, somewhat toothed near the-apex, pale underneath; flow- ers two to four together ; fruit ovoid, dark red. Rocks or sandy banks ; ^Massachusetts northward to Wisconsin, and south to Virginia along the mountains." The above is merely a general descvi^^tion of the species, but it varies considerably in difierent locations and soils. It is just twenty years since I first became acquainted with this species while examining the wild fruits of North- ern Michigan, and by referring to my diary of 1846, I find the following notes : " August 3d, 1846. Thunder Bay Islands, Lake Huron. — Visited Hat Island, and foimd Dwarf Cherry, ( Cerasus 2:>umila,) very abundant. The plants growing on the beach in almost pure sand ; bearing stems depressed with the weight of fruit ; wonderfully productive. Fruit one-half inch long, and three-eighths broad ; dark purple, nearly black, sweet, but rather insipid. Suckers abundant from the underground stems or roots." At the time referred to above, I supposed this species was confined to the shores of the lakes, but have since learned that it is widely distributed over the Northern States. A few years ago, through the kindness of Prof. George Thurber, I received some Cherry seeds from Utah Territory, and from them raised plants which appear to be of the same species as the one described by Dr. Gray, as JP. 2)y)nila, and also found by myself at Hat Island. There is, however, considerable diflerence in the growth of the plants; the one grown from the seeds obtained fj-om Utah being more erect, none of the branches trailing CHEERY. 185 as in the species. This peculiarity of growth may not be diiFerent from the wild plants found in some localities. I have some S23ecimens now four years from seed. They are about three feet high ; stem stocky, but the branches quite slender, cylindrical and smooth. The bark brown and shining on the small twigs, grayish when old. Fruit ovoid, about a half-inch long, dark purple, nearly black, sweet, with little flavor. I do not consider this Cherry of any particular value as it is found in its normal condition ; but if we could obtain an improved variety of a similar growth, and as hardy and productive, it would certainly be a great acquisition. There is no reason why this should not be accomplished, for, as I have said, it is nearly related to our cultivated varieties, and a hybrid can, and jn-obably will be, produced between them. The Primus pumila should be selected for the parent to supply the seed, and the pollen, for fertilizing its flow- ers, taken from the other species. It blooms rather later than the Bigarreau, or Morello varieties, but can easily be hastened by planting in a warm situation or iinder glass. To produce a hybrid between this Dwarf Cherry and the larger-growing kinds, reqiiires no greater mechanical skill than to cross two varieties of the Strawberry ; an operation which I have already described. The stamens and pistils in the flowers of the Cherry are large and con- spicuous, and cross fertilization a very simjjle operation. Here is an opportunity for the enterprising and skillful horticulturist to revolutionize Cherry culture, and he who first produces a fruit equal to the Great Bigarreau, or Early Richmond Cherry, and borne upon a shrub no larger than a Currant bush, will not only have his name handed down to posterity, but will be very likely to gather golden harvests for his labor. CHAPTER VI. THE CURRANT. NATURAL FAMILY GROSSULACE^. RIBE3.— The Currant and Gooseberry. [French name, GroseiUer commim ; German, Gemeine Johannisbeere ; Dutch, Aalbeaseboom ; Italian, Jiibes rogso ; Spanish, G'rossella.'] GENERAL CHARACTERS. Low, deciduous shrubs, with smooth stems ; leaves variable, more or less lobed, in some species nearly heart- shajjed ; flowers small, greenish-yellow in the commonly cultivated varieties, in others yellow, crimson, or white. SPECIES. Ribes prostratrunit — Fetid Currant. — Stems reclined; leaves deeply heart-shaped, five to seven-lobed, smooth ; fruit pale red. In cold, damp woods in most of the North- ern States. Ribes floridum. — "Wild Black Currant. — Leaves sprink- led with resinous dots, slightly heart-shaped, three to five-lobed, doubly serrate ; fruit round-ovoid, black, smooth, with a slight musky flavor ; leaves also scented. Common in low grounds throughout the Northern States and Canadas. 186 CUBE ANT. 187 Ribes rubriim.. — Red Currant. — Steins straggling or reclined ; leaves somewhat heart-shaped, obtusely three to five-lobed, downy beneath when young ; racemes from lateral buds distinct from the leaf buds, drooping ; calyx flat, greenish or purj^lish ; fruit globose, smooth, red. In cold, damp woods and bogs from New England to Oregon. Native of Europe-, and probably the same species as our common Red and White Currants of the gardens. Ribes aurcum. — Missouri Currant. — Stems very strong, erect, with light colored bark ; leaves deeply and irregu- larly lobed, usually more or less toothed ; flowers yellow, in clusters or short racemes ; fruit large, globular, black, violet or deep yellow. Native of our Northwestern States and Territories. Ribes San^uineum. — Red Flowering Currant. — Native of the Rocky Mountains and California. Cultivated for ornament.. Fruit more or less insipid; not valuable as an edible fruit. Ribes nigrum. — Black Currant. — ^Leaves three to five- lobed ; racemes loose ; flowers greenish-white ; calyx often of a rich brownish color ; berries globular, smooth, black ; leaves and fruit strongly scented. Native of Northern Europe, even to the sub-Alpine regions of Siberia. Many other species of Currants are known, but as we have no varieties of them cultivated for their fruit, I have not thought it advisable to describe them. Those species found in Mexico, Chili, Straits of Magellan, and other Southern countries, would probably not be hardy in the United States. HISTORY. The species of the Currant, from which our cultivated varieties originated, are probably native of Northern Eu- rope, as we do not find them mentioned by any of the old Greek or Roman writers, who were generally so particu- lar to name every fruit known in their day. 188 SMAIiL FEUIT CULTUEIST. The English name Currant, or Corrans, as tliey were formerly called, was given them, because of their resem- blance to the little Zante Grape, which is called Corinths in the English markets, as it was formerly almost en- tirely imported from Corinth. The Black, Red and White Currant, although known to the inhabitants of Northern Europe for centuries, at- tracted very little attention until within the past hundred years. Turner, in 1557, does not name them in his list of culti- vated fruits. Gerarde, in 1597, calls the Currant a smooth- stemmed Gooseberry. The Black Currant was formerly known as the Squinancy berry, because used to cure the quinsie. The people of Siberia use the leaves of the Black Cur- rant for making a drink, the same as we use tea. Loudon says that the leaves, when dried, are an excellent substi- tute for green tea, and that few persons can detect the difference. The Red, White and Black Currants, one va- riety of each, were the only kinds known in cultivation until the beginning of the present century. Since thnt time considerable improvement has been made, and nu- merous varieties introduced. PROPAGATION. By Seeds. — This method is seldom employed, except for the purpose of producing new varieties. The fruit should be gathered Avhen fully ripe, always selecting the largest berries, and from the earliest and mildest fla- vored kinds, as the Currant being naturally a very acid fruit, the ami should be to produce sweeter varieties. The berries may be dried, and the seeds j^reserved in the pulp until wanted, or be crushed and the seeds washed out, as recommended for Strawberries. They will grow more readily if not allowed to become dry, although dry- ing is not so injurious to them as it is to many other seeds. b CUEKANT. 189 The following plan is one that I have followed with success : Gather the fruit when ripe and wash out the seeds, then mix them with pure sand, and put in boxes or pots, and bury them in a shady place, such as the north side of some building or fence, where they will remain cool or frozen i;ntil the ground, in which they are to be sown, is in a condition to receive them. If they are placed in a situation where the sun will reach them, they are Vtry likely to germinate either during winter or as soon as the frost leaves them in the spring, often before the ground will admit of their being planted. If the seeds are frozen after they have sj^routed, it will usually destroy the germ and prevent further growth. With many persons the cause of failure in growmg the Currant and Gooseberry from seed is, that they either place them in a situation where they sprout and cannot grow, or where too warm and wet, and when the seeds are taken out to be sown in sjiring they appear to be sound, yet their vitality is gone. The seeds of all the sj^ecies of Ribes will germinate at a very low temperature, and if we keep them moist, and where they do not freeze, they are very liable to start be- fore the open ground is in a condition to receive them. The seeds may be sown immediately after being taken from the fruit, but in sections of the country where the weather, is very changeable, and the ground is frequently frozen and thaAved, there is more or less danger of injury from causes above stated. If the seeds are kept dry dur- ing winter, they should be soaked in warm water for two or three days before sowing. Sow in single or wide drills, covering the seed one-half of an inch deep with fine soil. Keep them clear of weeds, and if the weather is dry, give them occasionally a good soaking with water. Transplant, when one year old, into rows three feet apart, and the plants two feet apart in the rows. 180 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST, Propagation by Cuttings. — Cuttings of the ripe wood may be made at any time, from the falling of the leaf in autumn until tlie plants commence growth in spring. But when the best possible results are desired, they should be taken oiF as soon as the wood is fully ripe. Select good strong wood of the present season's growth, and make the cuttings about six inches long, cutting them off smooth, just at the base of a bud. Figures 81 and 83 show two cuttings (much reduced in size) as prepared for planting. Figure 81 is a cutting of the common Black Currant, and figure 82 a cutting of the Cherry Currant. The first has much larger and more prominent buds than the latter. If all the buds, except two or three of the upper ones, are cut out before setting, the plant will not produce as many suck- ers as though they were allowed to re- main. The advisability of this plan will depend entirely upon the manner in Avhich the plants are to be grown, whether in tree or stool ; if in the former, disbud, if not, plant them entire. When the cuttings ai-e prepared, plant as directed for other ripe wood cuttings, in chapter 11. The cuttings should be covered with straw or some similar ma- terial, sufficient to keep out the frost, or, at least, to prevent the ground from frequently freezing and thawing during winter. Re- move the covering at the return of warm weather, or enough of it to allow the young shoots to grow through without hindrance. Cuttings planted early in fall will usually become rooted by the time winter sets in, and this too, without their buds pushing into leaf The next season they will make a far better growth than if their Fig. 83. CURRANT. 191 planting is deferred until spring. Fall planting of Cur- rant cuttings is practiced by most of our leading nursery- men of the present time, especially by those whose nur- series are upon soils or in sections of the country where the Currant ripens its wood early in autumn. The cut- tings may be made in the fall ; if it is not convenient to plant them then, they may be tied in bundles, and buried in the open ground or cellar until spring — but as the Currant is one of the earliest plants to show its leaves, the cuttings should be planted as early as possible. When a variety is scarce and valuable, the cuttings may be made very short, — two or three inches in length will answer the purpose, but they require a little more care in handling and planting, as well as keeping the ground moist, until they become rooted. Another method is to make cuttings of one bud, with a small portion of wood attached, say half an inch above the bud and the same below, planting in pots or boxes of sand or sandy loam, laying the cuttings down wath the eye or bud on the iij^per side, covering them about half an inch deep. After the cuttings have been placed in the soil, the pots should be set where tlie temperature will not be above fifty, and keep moist for a few weeks, until the callus is formed. Then put them in a propagating house or hot-bed, where they will receive a steady heat, but not above 75 or 80 degrees. As soon as well rooted, pot them off into small thumb pots, and after these have become well filled with roots, either shift into larger ones or plant into the oi^en ground, being careful not to break the ball of earth which contains the roots. The single bud cuttings will sometimes grow quite readily if planted in the open ground, provided the sur- face of the soil above them is covered with a mulch — saw- dust or tan-bark are better for mulching the cutting-bed than straw or leaves. The Currant may also be grown very readily from green 192 SMALL rnuiT culturist. cuttings taken from the plants as they grow in the open ground. They should Ibe taken off as soon as the plants have made a growth of two or three inches. Slip off the young growth close to the old wood, and plant the same as other green wood cuttings in a frame, propagating house, or under bell-glasses. These green cuttings require but a moderate degree of heat, and will often succeed in a half shady situation in the open ground if covered with glass. It is better, how- ever, with very rare kinds, to take up the plants in fall, and put them in a pot and set in a propagating house ; then take off the young wood, as soon as it is large enough for cuttings ; in this manner every shoot that appears can be made a strong plant by spring. Propagation by Suckers. — This was formerly a more common method of propagating than at present, but plants produced in this manner are not usually as good as those from cuttings. The suckers that spring from the roots are slipped off close at their base, and then planted out, as usual with other plants. Pkopagatiox by Layers. — Branches, when bent down and covered with soil, or even pegged to the surface and then covered with a mulch, will readily take root. The spring is the best time to perform this operation, because the layer will become well rooted by autumn. Leave the end of the branch uncovered, only burying that portion on which it is desirable to produce roots. Li the fall, separate the layer from the parent plant, and heel-in until spring. Cuttings grow so readily, that the last two named methods of propagation are but seldom practiced with the Currant. SOIL AND CULTIVATION. The Currant is a plant that possesses great vitality, and will grow in almost any kind of soil or situation, but to bring it to perfection, and make its culture profitable, it CUERANT. 193 requires good culture, and a deep rich soil. It succeeds better in a heavy loam, approaching a clay, than in a light sandy soil. But, whatever the character of the soil, two things are important for producing the best results, — a deej) soil and a rich one. It being what may be called a gross feeder, manure of almost any kind may be apjilied witli impunity, and in almost any quantity. To a few persons this may seem to be a singular recom- mendation, inasmuch as we usually see, in traveling through the country, Currant bushes growing in the fence corners, or in rows where the grass has taken possession of the soil and formed a tough sod about the plants, and still they live and bear fruit. Yet, while I admit that tlie Currant will live under such treatment, and in quite poor soils, it never produces as large or as much fruit as when it has good culture and a rich soil. For field culture the plants should-be set in rows four or five feet apart, and about four feet in the row. Clean cultivation is required as with other plants, and if the whole surface of the soil is covered Avith mulch dur- ing summer, it will not only insure the maturing of the crop, but will materially increase the size of the fruit. North of the latitude of New York City, there is but little trouble in obtaining a full crop of Currants almost every season, but South of this, and particularly on sandy soils, the dry weather often begins so early that the plants ripen, and the leaves fall before the fruit comes to maturi- ty. Deep rich soil and mulching are the best luethods for preventing this. PRUNING AND TRAINING Tlie most common modes of training are what is termed the bush or stool form, and the tree shape. To grow the bushes in the stool form, it is only necessary to set out the plants singly, and allow them to throw up suckers from the main stem or roots, which all the varietiQ^ 9 194 SHALL FRUIT CULTURIST. and species do quite readily. The young shoots may he shortened or entirely removed, for the purpose of giving the hush a regular shape, and make it open or compact, as desired. The varieties of the JRihes ruhrwn, to which species our common Red and White kinds belong, are usually grown in this form, especially when cultivated in large quantities, and for market purposes. The fruit is mainly produced on the wood two or more years old, and when a branch has borne two or three crops, it is best to remove it and allow a new one to take its i^lace, as young wood generally produces larger fruit than that which is veiy old. About all the pruning that is necessary is to cut out, oc- casionally, tlie old wood, and shorten the most vigorous of the young growth. If too many young shoots or suckers appear, and they are likely to become crowded, a portion of them should be cut out, so that the air and sun may have free access to those that remain. All dead or diseased shoots should be annually removed, and only the best and most luxuriant ones preserved. If the ends of the growing shoots are pinched oif during the sunnner, it will cause them to become more stocky and fully ripe, while at the same time it will increase the size of the fruit which may be on the branch below. The main object should be to properly develop every portion of the plant, and this cannot be done if it becomes crowded, either with old or new wood. A half dozen large, vigoi-ous shoots will give more and larger fruit than double that number of weak and imma- ture ones. When the plants are to be trained with single stems, the system should be commenced with the cutting, dis- budding that portion which is placed below ground, and when those above ground push, rub off all but one, and CUKKANT. 195 train that erect ; the next season cut it back to within a foot or eighteen inches of the ground. Allow three to six shoots to gi'ow the second season, and at equal distances around the stem, if possible. The third season, shorten these branches, and allow six to twelve shoots to be pro- duced, and so on from year to year, pruning out and head- ing in, keeping the head open and the branches arranged in a vase form, or as near it as convenient. In some soils single stem plants Will live and produce abundantly for eight to ten years, and while young, the fruit will be larger than when groAvn in thick, compact bushes. For amateurs the single stem system is a very convenient and pretty method, and if a plant fluls, it may be rejjlaced without any particular loss, but for field culture I prefer the clump or bush form, because it is less trouble, and there is dan- ger of the plants being killed by the Currant Borer, for if one of these gets into the single stemmed plant it destroys it, and a new one must be planted or trained up from one of the many suckers which will usually start from the roots after the main stem has been removed. With the Black Currant the case is somewhat different ; being naturally a much stronger grower, the stems becom- ing quite large and coarse, they will live for many years, and there is but little danger of insects injuring them. Neither do these require so much pruning as other varie- ties ; still, enough should be done to give the bush a regu- lar, open head, as well as to cut out all small, weak shoots. The young, one year old shoots should not be shortened so severely as Avith other varieties, unless it is necessary for the purpose of giving the plant some particular form, be- cause fruit is produced on the one year old wood as well as upon small spur-like shoots on the old. The varieties of the Eihes nigrum, (European Black Currant,) and the Rihes floridum, and R. aureiin, form much larger bushes than any of the other species ; consequently they should be allowed more room. If planted in rows, they should 196 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. be five to six feet apart, if it is desirable to have them grow to full size, although they are readily kept within a much less space, but much fruit will be lost by severe pruning. These coarse growing species usually produce better and larger fruit on old plants than on the young, provided they are given good culture, and all little, weak shoots are annually cut out, so that those remaining will be fully developed. The tree form is preferable to the bush or clump for all the varieties of the species last named. INSECTS AND DISEASES. Insects injurious to the Currant and Gooseberry have long been known in Europe, and it would be very strange indeed if we should not import them along with the plants annually arriving from those countries. This we have done in many instances, and in a few lo- calities the Currant has been seriously injured by these foreign pests. Probably the most destructive insect to the Currant, in- troduced or known in this country, is the Currant Worm, or Avhat is known in England ns the larva of the Magpie Moth {Ahraxis grossulariata). This insect has been very destructive in Central New York for more than twenty years, commencing in the east- ern portion and gradually j^assing westward. It is said, however, that it has ceased almost entirely its depreda- tions, and very few were seen the past year. It will probably make its appearance in some other section very soon, if it has not already done so. Personally, I have had no experience with the insect, never having seen one; consequently the following re- marks are gathered from sources which I have thought re- liable : Dr. Asa Fitch, in his reports to the New York State Agricultural Society, in 1847, page 461, mentions what CUKBANT. 197 he supposes to be a new species of this insect, under the name of Abraxis ribearla. Ten years later he again re- fers to it as the European species, but whether it is dis- tinct from the Abraxis grossulariata or not, I leave for entomologists to decide. The moths make their appearance in June, depositing their eggs uj)on the leaves of the Currant, Gooseberry, Plum and various other plants. They are of a dull, nankeen- yellow, with broad bands of brown on each wing. In Figure 83, at the uj^per and right hand, is shown the Fig. 84.— CURRANT WORM. male moth, and at the left the female, while on the leaf above may be seen a worm as it appears when feedino-. 198 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. Another worm is shown suspended from the edge of the leaf, as they appear when lettmg themselves down to the ground ; while below it is the pupa, in which form the Avorm remains in the ground during winter. The worms are about an inch long, of a lively yellow color, covered with small black dots. English gardeners recommend dusting the plants and worms with pow^dered white helle- bore. This remedy has been used in this country with good eiFect. There are several other w'orms injurious to the Currant, because they feed upon the leaves ; but their numbers are so few that they have not, up to the present time, caused any considerable injury. There is, however, another class of insects that attacks the stems and does considerable damage. Among the most destructive of these are what is called the Currant Borers. There are several species ; the following three are the best known : Prenocerus SlipernotatllSi — American Currant Borer. — " This is a small, cylindrical, white worm, destitute of feet, and with a small, chestnut-brown head, and black jaws, passing its pupa state in the stalks, and, the latter part of May changing to a small, slender, long-horned beetle, of a black color, edged with chestnut brown; its wing covers each with two, small, gray spots forward of their middle, and a white crescent shaped one towards their tips."— Fitch. Trochiliilin tipiilifornic. — European Currant Borer. — This is quite common in the Eastern States, and we seldom receive Currant bushes from Europe that do not contain more or less of these pests. It is too well known to re- quire a description. The moth is probably not so familiar, and I give the description given it by Di-. Fitch, in the New York Agricultural Report, 1859 : " A small moth, having some resemblance to a wasp, its wings being clear and I CUREANT. 199 glossy, the fore jjair opaque, yellowish at the tips, with a black marghi and band near the middle, and the abdomen black, with three yellow bands situated one upon each alternate segment ; width 0.65 to 0,85." Trochilium caudatum. — Harris. — This species infests our native wild Currant, {Rlbes floridum^) and it resem- bles somewhat the European species. To destroy these borers, the plants should he examined every fall or during winter, and every shoot that has a borer in it will usually be of a brown color, or slightly wilted ; sometimes, when the shoots are very vigorous, no difference can be observed, but by close inspection the small hole where the Avonn entered can be found. All shoots containing worms should be cut out, and the worm destroyed. In this way they may be checked, if not en- tirely eradicated. In making cuttings, the same care should be given, and every hollow stem examined for borers, and if found, de- stroyed. VARIETIES. NATIVE SPECIES. American Black. — Rihes floridum. — Fruit medium, roundish-ovoid, black ; clusters small, tapering. Seldom cultivated, but worthy of it, if for no other purpose than to produce new varieties, as it is naturally a better flavored fruit than the European Black Currant. Deseret. — Bibes aureum. — Fruit very large, round, black or dark violet, with a slight bloom, sub-acid and agreeable flavor; flowers yellow; a strong and rapid grower, and very productive Avhen the jilant attains its full growth. A variety of the Missouri Currant {Ribes aureum). It is highly valued by the Mormons at Salt Lake City, from whence I received it a few years since. This 200 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. should become the parent of a new and valuable class of Fig. 84. — LEAF OF DESERET. Currants, as it possesses many good qualities and few defects. Figure 84 shows a leaf of this variety. Golden. — Large, round, deep golden-yellow, very acid, and slightly bitter ; flowers yellow. Of no value for its fruit, but might be improved. Native of the Rocky Mountains, and a variety of M. aurewn. Missouri Black. — Very large, jet black, hard, dry, and CURRANT. 201 bitter; of no value, except as an ornamental slirul) ; flowers yellow, fragrant. There is another resembhng this, except that the fruit is edible, but not very good. All the varieties of the K. aureum have deeply lobed LEAF OF MISSOURI BLACK. leaves, while the M. sangidneum, (Red Flowering Cur- rant,) which is found west of the Rocky Mountains, has leaves of the form shown in figure 85. Sweet Fruited Missouri, — Large, black, roundish-ovoid ; bunches small, containing few berries ; sweet, musky fla- vor. A variety of JR. Jloridum, and not of the M. aureum, as its name would indicate. It is a very slight improvement upon the common wild Black Currant, which may be found in almost any low, moist woods. 9* 202 SilAIX FRTJIT CULTURIST. The Mormons claim to have several valuable varieties na- tive of the Salt Lake region, but whether they will prove valuable or worthy of being extensively cultivated is very uncertain. There is one thing quite certain, and that is that we have native species that possess qualities equal, if not superior, to those found in any other country, and equally susceptible of imijrovement. rOEEIGX VAPaETIES. Before proceeding to describe the different kinds, I Avill give a brief synopsis of the difficulties that I have met in endeavoring to ascertain which were distinct varieties. It is well known that plants of similar kinds often be- come intermingled through the carelessness of workmen. Sometimes packages will become broken while being transported from one portion of the country to another, and several kinds become mixed together. Thus it will be seen that mixed varieties become very common from accidental causes. About ten years ago, I commenced collecting the vari- ous kinds of Currants with the express purpose of ascer- taining their true merits, and to determine which Avere really distinct varieties. To do this has cost me infinitely more labor and money than I shall be likely to receive from the proceeds of this volume, and still I fear that the results will be less satisfactory to the public than any other portion of the work. I have not depended upon varieties obtained from any one source, either in Europe or America, but have gath- ered them from the best nurseries of France, Prussia, Germany, England, Ireland, and' the United States. In the prosecution of my labors and researches, I have had the good fortune to be able to avail myself of the in- valuable experience and extensive collection of Mr, Chas. Downing. His experience extends over a period of more CUEKANT. 203 than forty years, and when, a few years since, I informed him of my purpose of writing tliis book, and requested his assistance particularly upon the Currant and liasp- berry, he cheerfully took hold of the work, and in addi- tion to his then very complete collection, he sent to the diiferent growers of Europe and of this country for speci- mens of all the new, as well as old varieties. Not depend- ing upon one importation, he has obtained a new set almost every year, and by keeping them separate, we have had an opportunity of determining which were really distinct varieties. For the past three seasons we have met, at the time the fruit was ripe, and gone over the entire collec- tion, carefully comparing them, and the following list is the result : Fig. 86. — LEAP OF ATTRACTOR. Attractor. — Large, yellowish-white ; bunch medium, loose. A slow grower, but quite productive. Not equal 204 SMALL FRUIT CULTTIRIST. to the White Dutch in flavor. The leaves are sraall and deeply lobed or toothed, as shown in figure 86. From France. Buist's Lon^-Bunched Red.— Large, deej^ red, of similar flavor as the Red Dutch ; leaves large and very thick ; serratures sharp - pointed ; a strong and vigorous grower, and very productive. Originated with R. Buist, Philadelphia, Pa. ChaDipa^nc. {Pheasant's Eye, \ Fis:. 87. — CHEERY CURRANT. CHERRY CURRANT. Grossellier a Fruit coideur d& chair.) — Large, pale pink or flesh color, quite acid, and not rich flavored ; bunches medium, loose, slightly tapermg ; vigorous and j^roduc- tive. Much admired for the pretty appearance of its fiuit. Ripens late. Cherry. {Imperial Rouge, or Med Imperial^ Large Red Anger s, La Caucase, Fertile d^ Angers of Leroi/, Irish Grape, Macrocarpa, Napoleon. Red.) — Very large, dark CURRANT. 205 red, acid, not rich, only second rate ; bunch variable, from short to quite long, scarcely tapering, figure 87, and figure 88 showing the variations on the same plant; leaves large, deep green, bluntly lobed, thick and tough ; very distinct from the Red Dutch and its varieties. Plant a coarse grower, the young shoots being very strong and stocky ; very productive, but the old branches becoming naked, often produce two or three crops. The largest Red Cur- rant in cultivation, and commands the highest price in market. Some of the varieties placed as synonyms of the Cherry were probably raised from seed, but as I have not been able to discover wherein they differ, I think it folly to call them by different names. Versailles. —Very large; bunch, long, and slightly tapering ; dark red, acid, and by many it is considered to be a better flavored variety than the Cherry, but by others very similar, if not identical. The principal points of distinction claimed are, that the Versailles is not so acid as^he Cherry, and that the bunches are more tapering. But like variations may be observed in other well known varieties, and upon plants growing in close proximity. At one time, I thouglit that there was a difference in the growth and foliage of the two kinds, but more experience has not confirmed me in this opinion. Although I am not ready to say positively that there is no distinct variety to which the name of Versailles be- longs, still I have not as yet been able to obtain one in which really distinct and permanent variations can be dis- covered. I shall continue, as heretofore, to keep all the different importations of my own, as well as those of Mr. Downhig, separate and distinct, and shall be most happy to receive any information from other growers which shall enable me to decide this very perplexing question. Dana's White. — A new variety from Massachusetts. Not fully tested. Said to be large and excellent. I have 206 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. been exceedingly unfortunate in procuring this variety, having purchased, from what I supposed to be a reliable source, five distinct varieties under the name of Dana's White. Fertile de PallliaUt — Large, and of same color as Red Dutch, but not so juicy or good, A strong and vi2:orous o-rower, and very productive. The leaves re- semble the Red Dutch, but are larger. Figure 89. Gondouin Red. — Berry and bunch medium size ; fruit light red, of rather poor flaA^or ; foliage large, coarse, light green ; serratures of leaf sharp, coarsely veined, upper surface slightly wavy. A very vig- orous grower, and may prove to bo the Red Provence, Gondoifin White, — I liave been imable to obtain a distinct variety under this name. White Grape be- ing the one usually received. Gloire des Sablons. — Fruit and bunch small, white, distinctly strip- ed with red, acid, poor flavor; of no value, except as a curiosity; plant a strong, upright and vigor- ous grower, not very productive. Gros Rouge d'Angers. {Large Med Angers.) — See Cherry. Holland Long Grape.— The one received from L, Leroy, of France, is the Victoria, and one from Andre Leroy, the Red Provence, Imperial Yellow. {ImperialJaune, White Imperial.) — Identical with the White Grape, with perhaps a slight -FERTILE DE PAIiLUAU. CURKANT. 207 difference iu the growth of the plant. It appears to be a more stocky and upright grower, at least while young. Imperial Rou^e. — See Cherry Currant. Knight's Large Red, — Very similar to, if not identical with, the Red Dutch. Knight's Early Red. — Same as the last, and no earlier. Knight's Sweet Red. — Large, very dark red; bunch long, tapering ; similar iu quality to the Red Dutch, but apparently not quite so acid ; growth vigorous, upriglit ; leaves dark green, of medium size, thick and coarsely ser- rate. The general appearance of the plant distinct from the Red Dutch. Moderately productive. This may have been received under the wrong name, and perhaps it is the Knight's Large Red, which. Rivers says, is a valuable variety. La Hativc. {La Hative de Bertln^ La Fertile^ — I am not certain which of the above names should be placed first, although the varieties received under each have all proved to be the same. Evidently nearly related to the Cherry Currant, as the general appearance of the plant resembles it very much, but of a less vigorous growth. Color of fruit and form of bunch same as Cherry, but only about two-thirds the size ; ripens a few days earlier, and is not quite so acid, yet too much so to be called good ; productive. Prince Albert. — Large, light red, sometimes slightly striped with dark red ; bunch medium, tapering ; rather acid, firm, of inferior quality, moderately vigorous, up- right ; leaves small ; lobes long, pointed, sharply serrate ; very productive. Red Dutch. {Large Red Dutch, New Bed Dutch, Long Bunched Bed, Morgan's Bed, Grossellier Bouge a Grosse Fruit.) — Large, deep red ; bunches long, tapering, rich, juicy, good. One of the best. A vigorous, erect grower, and very productive. Well known. 208 SMALL FKUIT CFLTUEIST. Red Grape. — Large, dark red ; bunch compact, long, slightly tapering ; foliage medium, not shining, as with Red Dutch ; moderately vigorous, and of a rather stocky growth. Red Provence. — Small, dark red; bunches long; very acid, liable to rof before riijening, ^ quite late, altogether inferior ; the (f young shoots red. A very ram- pant, coarse grower. Striped Fruited. ( Grosse Weiss- xind Mothgestreifte Johannisheere. ) — An old variety, "with fruit same as Gloire des Sablons, but the plant a short, stocky grower ; the termi- nal buds on the young shoots quite cons2)icuous. Of no value. Transparent White. — Claimed to be a seedling of White Grape, but, if so, it has assumed all the characteristics of its ]>arcnt, and I am unable to see any diiFcrcnce. Versailles. — See page 205. Victoria. — {May's Victoria, Houghton Castle, Rahy Castle, Goliath, Wilmofs Red Grape, and Red Grape of some nurseries.) — Large, light, bright red ; bunch (figure 90) very long, often six or seven inches, tapering ; sprightly acid, good flavor ; leaves medium, rather thin ; lobes long ; serratures rounded, or with a short point ; young branches rather slender, although vigorous, spread- ing ; very productive. A valuable variety for home use. Fiff. 90. — VICTORIA. CUKBANT. 209 White Grape. ( White Antwerp, White Transparent.) — Large, yellowish-white, transparent; bunch medium, slightly tapering (fig. 91) ; juicy, sw^eet, rich; the best "White Currant ; moderately vigorous, slender, spreading habit ; leaves medium size, sharply serrate, with a grayish green color, not shining ; very productive. White Dutch. ( White Clin- t07i, New White Dutch, Clarke's Sweet, White Crystal, Heeves'' White, MorgarCs White, White Leghorn, White Transparent, White Holland, White Pearl.) — Large, yellowish-white, but quite transparent ; bunches a little shorter than the Red Dutch, and berries larger, sweet, rich and good; a vigorous, upright grower, and very productive. White Provence. — Very large, yellowish- white ; bunch ratlier short, tapering. About the same in quality as the White Dutch, but not quite equal to White Grape. The most vigorous of all the White varieties, evidently of the White Dutch class. Leaves large, thick, more or less edged with white, as shown in figure 92 ; productive, but not equally so Avith the White Grape. Fig. 91. — WHITE GRAPE. BLACK CURRANTS. {Hibes nigriirn.) Black English. ( Common Black, Bang-up Black., Cassis a Fruit noir.) — Large, black, but few in a cluster. 210 SMALL FRUIT CULTFRIST. "Well known, and but little cultivated at the present time, having been superseded by the following : Black NapleSt ( Cassis Boyal of Naples?) — Very large, often three-fourths of an inch in diameter, black, sweet, but of musky flavor ; clusters are medium, tapering, loose ; Fig. 93. — LEAF OF WHITE PROVENCE. very vigorous grower, and productive, when the plants have attained considerable age and size; leaves, stems and fruit have a rank and musky scent, which is very disa- greeable to many, but to otliers delightful. Black Grape. {Ogden's Black Grape)—Frm.i same CURE ANT. 211 as Black Naples, but the bush is more stocky, and not so tall a grower. A marked difference may be observed in the hight of the plants when growing in adjoining rows. Brown Fruited. {Green Fruited, Russian Green.) — A variety of the Black English, with greenish-brown fruit ; berries hard, dry, and rank flavored. Not worth cultivating. There are several new varieties lately introduced from France, but they have not been sufiiciently tested iij tliis country to determine whether they possess any superior merits, or are different from those we have already tested. PROFITS OF CULTURE, USES, &c. Currants are not, as a general thing, consumed in as large quantities as some other kinds of our small fruits. Still there is scarcely a garden, however small, in city or country, in which a few Currant bushes are not cultivated. The extreme acidity of our more common varieties is probably one reason wdiy larger quantities of them arc not used in their natural state. Currant jelly is one of the in- dispensable conserves of which no good housekeeper neg- lects to lay by a store at the proper time, but it has not been known as an article of commerce until within a very recent period. Our markets, as a general rule, have been very Avell sup- plied, and often the price obtained for Currants has been far below a profitable point. But of late years, since our great fruit-preserving establishments have been started, the demand has increased, and the supply is falling behind. Here let me mention a fact which, I fear, some of our fruit growers, as well as others, do not fully understand, and it may also explain why the prices of certain kinds of fruit appear to increase in exact ratio to the supply. It is this : "VYhen the proprietors of one of these large es- tablishments can go into market and purchase fifty thous- and baskets of Strawberries, Raspberries, or other similar 212 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. fruits, lie can afford to make a specialty of that one kind for one, two or more days, engaging the entire apparatus and force of his establishment upon it ; but, if only a few hundred baskets can be obtained at any one time, then it will not pay him to attempt to preserve any. Thus it will be seen that we may supply or glut a market with a few hundred baskets or pounds of a particular kind; when, if the supply was thousands of baskets, or tons in- stead, there Avould soon be a scarcity. Jiist as soon as it is known that any good kind of fruit can be had in abun- dance, there will be means found for disposing of it, and usually at a better price than when there is a compara- tive scarcity. Capital is usually drawn into channels where it can be employed continuously as well as profita- bly. Gail Borden's process for condensing milk has been successfully applied to the juice of the Currant, and a similar substance to the common jelly manufactured with- out sugar, and at less than half the cost. In the con- densed form. Currant juice may be transported to any por- tion of the globe, and become an article of commerce. When water is added, it again becomes a liquid — valuable for medicinal purposes, as well as a luxury. Vessels start- ing upon long voyages would do well to lay in a supj^ly of this article, for there are many diseases which are more or less prevalent on ship-board, particularly when in tropi- cal climates, in which a free use of Currant juice would be, at least, beneficial to the patient, if not a curative. The red Currants are more generally used for making jellies than the white, but Avhy, it would be difficult to tell. Perhaps it is like many other anomalies Ave observe in market, the cause of which can only be attributed to a more general acquaintance with the kind, or to an attrac- tive color. The white Currants, as a class, are of a richer flavor and less acid than the Red. The Black Currants are not so acid as the red and white varieties, but their strong musky flavor is not, as a CUKE ANT. 213 rule, agreeaWe to the American taste ; yet, like many other fruits of strong flavor, it gradually becomes less ob- jectionable, until at last, thi'ough familiarity, a taste for it is acquired, and then it is appreciated and valued as highly as any other. Every year there appears to be an increas- ing demand for. the Black Currants, and the time will soon come, if it has not ali'eady arrived, when they w^ill com- mand full prices and be sold in large quantities. Currant wine made from the different kinds is a well known article, but whether its manufacture should be encouraged, or otherwise, I will leave to the temperance societies to de- cide. The price of Currants in our eastern markets varies from four to fifteen cents per pound ; usually the largest and best varieties will bring ten cents at wholesale. At the last named price, four to six hundred dollars per acre can be obtained. In planting the common red and white kinds, four feet each way is sufticient, thus giving 2,722 plants per acre. If we estimate our crop at two pounds per plant, which is not one-half the amount they should produce when fully grown, we will get 5,444 pounds per acre, or over two tons and a half, and at two hundred dollars per ton it amounts to over five hundred dollars. Then we have the gathering, shipping, cultivation, and other incidental ex- penses to deduct therefrom. But even then it can be seen that it will be a very profitable crop. In ease of great abundance the prices might be somewhat reduced, but by good cultivation the crop may be double the estimate given above. The Currant possesses many good qualities to recom- mend it ; among which are its perfect hardiness, early cul- ture, great productiveness, and almost the certainty of a full crop every year. CHAPTER VII. GOOSEBERRY. NATURAL FAMILY GROSSULACE^. [Sibes Grossiilaria, of Botanists ; Bibes Uva Crispa, of Linnaeus ; Ch'osseiller^ of the French ; Stachdbeere-strauch, German ; Uva-spina, Italian ; Grossella, Spanish ; Kruisbes, of the Dutch.] GENERAL CHARACTER. Low, deciduous shrubs ; stems mostly bearing thorns at the base of the leaf-stalks, in some the spines or prickles scattered, usually more abundant at the base of the stems than above ; leaves alternate, palmately lobed ; fruit a one-celled berry, produced in small clusters, smooth or prickly. SPECIES. The following are indigenous to the United States, ac- cording to Dr. Gray and Chapman. Ribes Cynosbati. — Wild Gooseberry. — Leaves pubes- cent ; peduncles slender, two to three flowered ; spines strong ; berry large, armed with long prickles, Uke a burr, rarely smooth. R. hirtellum. — Smooth Gooseberry. — Leaves somewhat pubescent beneath ; peduncles very short, one to two 214 GOOSEBERRY. 215 flowered ; stems eitlier smooth or prickly, and with very- short thorns. Common in all the Northern States. The well known Houghton's Seedling, of the nurseries, belongs to this species. R. rotundifolium. — Leaves nearly smooth, rounded, with very short and blunt lobes ; peduncles slender, one to three flowered ; fruit smooth, pleasant flavored. • Ri lacustre. — Swamp Gooseberry. — Young stems with bristly prickles and weak thorns ; leaves heart-shaped, three to five-pointed, Avith lobes deeply cut ; fruit bristly. Cold woods and swamps from New England to the West and northward. Ri gl*acilei — Axillary spine very short ; leaves on a slender petiole, pubescent on both sides ; the lobes acute, incised and acutely toothed ; peduncles long, one to two flowered. Mountains of Tennessee ; (Chapman in Flora of the Southern States.) There are several other species, or those described as such, but as we have no cultivated varieties of them, it is hardly necessary to give a full description. The following are but a portion of those known : R. OXycanthoides. — Native of Canada and Newfound- land, and to the northward. Rt divaricatum. — Branches divaricate, bristly or naked; berries black, smooth. Native of Northwest coast of America. R. microphylliim. — Small Leaved Gooseberry. — Native of the mountains of Mexico. Flowers red. R. cuneifolilim. — Berry pale red, resembles the R. Uva Crispa. Native of Peru, on the Andes, FOREIGN SPECIES. R. Grossularia. ( Uva Crispa, L.) — Leaves three to five-lobed, rather villous; prickles two or three under each bud ; branches otherwise smooth, spreading or erect ; 216 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. berries smooth or covered with prickles, red, green or yel- low. Native of the wliole of Northern Europe, and in the woods of Britain. This species is the parent of all the noted varieties of the English gardens. Other species are known, but not possessing merits superior to tlie above, no attempt has been made to im- prove them. The native species of America are really superior to the R. Grossularia in its normal state. But in England great attention has been paid to the cultivation and improvement of tliis fruit, consequently varieties of great size, beauty and excellence have been the result. • HISTORY. • The Gooseberry has no separate history from the Cur- rant. It was, as we have before stated, not known as a cultivated fruit until within the last two or three hundred years. Parkinson, in 16-iO, mentions eight varieties, but the varieties increased so rapidly in the next hundred years, that Miller, in 1731, said that it was needless to un- dertake to enumerate them. If this was true in the days of Miller, it is certainly so at the present time, because varieties have been constantly inci'easing ever since, until some of the English nursery- men enumerate three hundred kinds in their catalogues. In this country very little attention has been paid to the Gooseberry, and the list of kinds grown from native species is very sjnall, which is very much to be regretted, inasmuch as the European sorts do not, as a general thing, succeed in America. PROPAGATION. The same methods recommended for the Currant, with one or two exceptions, are equally applicable to the Gooseberry. GOOSEBEERY. 217 As a general thing, it does not ripen its ■wood so early in the season as the Currant, and the planting of the cut- tings may be deferred until spring. They are, however, more certain, if made in the fall after the leaves have fallen, or "when the young wood is fully mature, than if the operation is deferred until sj^ring. The cuttings may be buried either in the open ground or cellar, being careful not to allow them to become dry and shrivelled or too wet. Gi'owing from seed cannot be too highly recommended at the present time, because we are in great want of varieties suited to our climate, and it is scarcely to be expected that we shall obtain them in any other way than by growing seedlings from our native species. We have plenty of varieties which were produced from the seeds of foreign kinds, but they are neither superior in quality or size, nor any better suited to our climate than the originals. Native varieties from native species is the field in which to labor for making permanent progress, and the general success of the few varieties that have been produced, shows the truth of this assertion. PRUNING AND TRAINING. The single stem system is probably the best one for training the Gooseberry. The fruit is produced on short spurs on the two and three years old wood, as well as on that of the preceding year, and the directions given for the Currant are applicable to the Gooseberry. If but little fruit is desired, and that of large size, then prune close, and leave but few branches, and the opposite course may be followed for a large crop. The Gooseberry should be train- ed with a very open head, more so than the Currant, be- cause if the air does not have free access to every portion of the plant, mildew is almost certain to destroy not only the fruit, but the inside branches, if not the whole plant. 10 218 SMAI,L FRUIT CULTUllIST. A proper distribution of the branches should be observ- ed, and be so arranged that they shall be at regular dis- tances from each other. Then all little side shoots, that may appear in summer, should be pruned ofi". The young- shoots should be annually shortened, but to what extent will depend somewhat upon the amount of growth the plants have made, as well as upon the quantity and quality of fruit desired. Summer pruning, except to take out small weak shoots or to check the rampant growth of a particular branch which is attracting too much of the strength of the plant, is not beneficial, inasmuch as it of- ten causes young, weak, lateral shoots to be produced, which often fail to come to maturity. The Gooseberry may be trained as espaliers, or with a single stem and side spurs, or in almost any manner that one's fancy may suggest. The regular annual pruning may be performed at any time after the wood is fully matured in the fall, until the buds swell in the spring. SOIL AND CULTURE. The Gooseberry likes a good, deep, moist soil, but one that is not really wet. A rich soil is also essential, be- cause it is only by keeping up a vigorous growth that large fruit and abundant crops can be secured. An open, airy situation is better than one that is confined, and in many sections of the country the north side of a hill would be far preferable to a southern exposure. The ex- treme heat of our summer has been the greatest impedi- ment to the successful cultivation of the English Goose- berries, and to counteract this, the coolest available situa- tion should be selected. Also, in enriching the ground, use no fermenting manure ; apply none but that which is old and well rotted. Cow manure is far better than horse manure, pnrticularly on light, warm soils. Mulching the plants in summer is very beneficial, and if tan bark or GOOSEBEEET. 219 si^eTit hoj^s from a brewery can be obtained, tliey should be used in preference to hay or straw. Good culture is required to produce good crops, the same as with other fruits. Mildew. — This is the one great enemy to the Goose- berry in the United States. It not only attacks the fruit, but often extends over the whole plant, effectually check- ing its growth. So prevalent has this disease become, that the foreign varieties are almost universally discarded, as there are few locations where they will succeed. There are many remedies which have been from time to time recommended, and they often appear to be effectual, while in other instances they are of no use whatever. The following remedies against mildew are worth try- ing, although they cannot be called radical cures : Scatter flour of sulphur over the bushes soon after the berries have set, and repeat the application occasion- ally until the fruit is ripe. Water the plants with strong soap-suds, or dissolve one l^ound of potash in a barrel of water, and then sprinkle the plants once a week with it. Soak fresh mown or dry hay in brine for twelve hours ; then cover the entire surface of the soil about the plants with this, as a mvilch. If hops, tan bark, or other mulch has previously been applied, tlien sprinkle it with salt ; a single handful to each plant will be sufficient. All of these remedies will often fail, but still they are worth trying. Old plants are more liable to suffer from mildew than young ones, therefore it is best to keep a supply of fresh plants always on hand ; in fact, so long as you can keep the plant growing vigorously, there is but little danger from mildew. I have often seen the foreign varieties doing splendidly in a half shady situation, such as the north side of a wall or fence, or in the shade of trees ; but such a situation 220 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. cannot be recommended as the best, because mildew doea destroy plants under just such circumstances. No effec- tual remedy can be given, nor the best location pointed out, because the experiences of dilFerent cultivators are so con- flicting, that the one which appears to be the best in one location, would seem to be the very poorest for another. Wherever the foreign kinds will grow without being at- tacked by mildew, they are certainly far preferable to any of our native ones ; but my own remedy against mildew is, to cultivate none but the native varieties, for with these I have never experienced the least trouble, nor ais yet had a berry affected by disease of any kind. INSECTS. The Gooseberry and Currant are so nearly related, that many of the injui'ious insects are common to both. The Cun-ant-moth, (Abraxis,) is equally destructive to the Gooseberry, Avhile the Currant-borer seldom, if ever, at- tacks it. Harris, Fitch, and other entomologists, describe quite a number of insects that are occasionally found upon the Gooseberry, but thus far their ravages in this country have not been very extensive. The following are occa- sionally met, and if they should become numerous, would, at the same time, become very injurious: Lccanium Cynosbati. — Gooseberry Bark-louse. — (Fitch.) — Attacking the stalks of the wild Gooseberry; a hemispheric, smooth, shining resin-brown reale, commonly freckled with dull yellow dots, and with a dull yellow stripe along its middle. Remedy, close pruning, and an application of potash dissolved in Avater; one pound to eio'ht cC'^llons of Avater, Paeciloptera pruinosa— Mealy Flata— (^«y.)— A small four-winged fly, of a dark bluish color, covered with a mealy white powder, which attacks the leaves late in the season, puncturing the leaves and young shoots, sucking the juices of the plant. GOOSEBERRY. 221 Probably, dusting the plants with ashes or lime would destroy them, or at least prevent their attacks. Cecidomyia Grossulariae — Gooseberry Midge — {Fitch.) — "The berries turning red prematurely and becoming putrid, having in them small, bright yellow maggots, of an oblong-oval form, and slightly divided into segments by fine impressed transverse lines ; changing to pupse in the berries, and in the latter part of July giving out a small two-winged fly, resembling a musquito, of beeswax yellow color." The berries should be gathered so soon as they show signs of premature ripening, and fed to hogs, or otherwise destroyed. Gooseberry-moth. — Mr. E. Graves, Jr., of Ashfield, Mass., reported to the Country Gentleman, in the summer of 1856, that his Houghton Gooseberry Avas a total failure, in consequence of being attacked by a slender, greenish worm, about one-half inch long. Dr. Fitch mentioned this insect, under the name of a Gooseberry-moth, in his Third Report, 1856, to the N. Y. State Agricultural Soci- ety, but without giving it a scientific name, as he says that he had not as yet obtained it in a perfect state. The worm eats out the center of the berry, leaving only a hol- low shell, attacking the fruit when about half grown. Many other insects might be added to this list, but the foregoing will be sufficient to show that the Gooseberry has enemies as well as other cultivated fruits. PROFITS OF CULTURE. There is far less demand for the Gooseberry than almost any other of our small fruits. It is generally gathered before it is ripe, and sold for making pies, tarts, etc., con- sequently, the demand for it is not so great as for other fruits, which are used for a greater variety of purposes. In the New York markets, the price varies from one to three, or four dollars per bushel. But whether the de- 223 S5IALL FRUIT CFLTUPaST. mand would warrant a very extended culture, is uncertain, at least. Each cultivator will have to be his own judge in the matter, and if he can be sure of obtaining two dollars per bushel, he can make Gooseberry culture profitable, at least with the native varieties. Two to four hundi-ed bushels per acre can be grown of these kinds, and the cost of culture, gathering, marketing, etc., ought not to be over fifty cents j^er bushel. I have grown the Houghton Seedling, (which I do not consider the best or most profitable,) and sold the fruit for one dollar and fifty cents per bushel, and believe it was a profitable transac- tion. NATIVE VARIETIES. Cluster. — {American JRed, Dutch Joe, Pale Red, St. Clair, Roberts' Sweet Water, etc.) — Small, oval, about three-fourths of an inch long; reddish purple; sweet, juicy, and good. Bush, a strong, slender grower ; leaves light, bright green ; very productive. Cluster Seedling.— Similar to its parent, but slightly more upright in growth, and the leaves of a pale grayish- green. Dowilillgt — Medium to lo.rge, oval, about f of an inch long ; greenish-white ; excellent flavor. Plant, an upright grower ; leaves deep shining green ; very productive ; probably the best native variety. Originated with Charles Downing, Kew burgh, N. Y. Houghton's Seedling.— Fruit small to medium, round- ish-oval, pale red, sweet, tender, and very good; leaves deep shining green. The young plants upright in growth, but as they become old they assume a spreading, almost weeping habit. A vigorous and productive variety, and is seldom afiected by mildew. Originated with Abel Houghton, Lynn, Mass. Mountain Seedling. — Large, roundish-oval, pale red ; skin rather tough and thick, but of fair quality. The GOOSEBERRY. 223 largest of the native varieties ; often over an inch in length. Plant a coarse, spreading grower, with very strong spines. Productive and valuable. Orighiated with the Shakers, at Lebanon, Pa. FOREIGN VARIETIES. To attempt to give a list of the best foreign varieties, would be the hight of folly on my part, inasmuch as there is no dozen or more sorts uj^on which any two of the most experienced English growers would agree. The number of really first class varieties known in England is almost innumerable, and a host of new ones are brought forward every season. To give some idea of the attention which is paid to the culture of this fruit in England, I will state that the Annual Gooseberry Grow- ers' Register, for 1863, is a volume of over 200 pages, and gives reports of one hundred and fifty-five Gooseberry shows. When the horticulturists of the United States Avill sup- port as many exhibitions for the jiurpose of showing any one or all the small fruits combined, then we shall have no need of looking to other countries for new varieties. Among the old varieties which have been known in this country for twenty to forty years, and are still esteemed as good as any, I will name the following : Red. — Ironmonger, Warrington, Red Champagne, Red Walnut. Green. — Green Walnut, Green Globe, Green Gage, White Smith. Yellow. — Golden Drop, Sulphur, Conqueror, Yellow Champagne, Hunt's, Tawny, Royal Sovereign, White, — Large Crystal, Royal George, White Dutch, White Walnut. 224 * SMALL FKUIT CULTUEIST. Among the very newest and largest varieties which have taken premiums at the great Gooseberry shows in England, I give the following twelve as the heaviest nam- ed in this record : Red. — Leicester's Smoker, Brothertou's Foreman, Pilk- inton's Farmer, Geeen. — Prophet's Diadem, Becket's Bravo, Brother- ton's Birchen Lane. Yellow. — Wilkinson's Oyster Girl, Eardlay's Hannah. White. — Shingler's Edna, Miss Soars, Walton's Annie. The heaviest berry weighed 29 dwt. 12 grs. ; and the lightest 16 dwt. 2 grs. Bnt to produce berries of the weights given requires extra care, more than probably any of our cultivators would be likely to give to the Gooseberry, even if our climate was as suitable to its culture as that of England. CHAPTER YIII. CORNELIAN CHERRY. -(Cornus.) Natubal rA:vnLY Cornace^.— (Dogwood or Cornel.) [Name derived from Cormi, a horn, alluding to the hai-dness of the wood. In French, CornouiUer ; Dutch, Kornoelje ; German, Kornel Kirsche ; Italian, Cott/- nolo; Spanish, Corn^o.] GENERAL CHARACTERS. The species constituting this genus are mainly deciduous shrubs or small trees. Flowers small, inconspicuous, but in some species they are surrounded by a large and showy involucre, which is sometimes called the flower, as in one of our native species, [Cornus jioridcb). There is but one known species which produces fruit worthy of our atten- tion. €ornuS mascula. — Cornelian Cherry. — Shrubs growing ten to twenty feet high, with smooth branches; leaves oval, acuminate, of a dull green color ; flowers small, yel- low, in clusters, produced early in spring, before the leaves ; fruit oblong, about one inch in length and half an inch in diameter ; color bright reddish-scarlet ; flesh firm, slightly juicy when ripe, acid, not particularly agreeable in its raw state ; fruit ripens in September, but remains a long time on the bush, which makes it exceedingly ornamental. 10* 235 226 SMAT.L FKUIT CULTUKIST. A variety of this species produces fruit of a bright yel- low color. The fruit is a little larger than the red, and not quite so acid. HISTORY. Tlie Cornel, as it is generally called in our older works on gardening, is a native of the South of Europe and Fisr. 93.— CORNELIAN CHERRY, Eastern Asia. It is mentioned by nearly all of the ancient writers. Sometimes the fruit is named, while others praise the quality of the wood, which is very hard. That it was formerly used for arrows and javelins, we infer from the CORNELIAN CHERRY. 227 frequent allusions made to it in connection with imple- ments of war. Homer, in the Odyssey, Book xiv, says : "His cornel spear, Ulysses waved to rouse the savage war." It is also mentioned in a similar connection in Virgil's Georgics. Theophrastus and Pliny are supposed to refer to it when speaking of some of the hard kinds of wood growing wild in Italy. But these writers are generally so vague in theii* descriptions, that it is difficult to determine what particular trees or plants they were endeavoring to describe. Nearly every English author, from Tusser, who, in his work written in 1557, called them Cornel Plums, down to the present time, have mentioned the Cornel. Some eulogize the beauty as well as quality of the fruit, while others refer to it as merely an ornamental plant. The name Mascula or Mas was given it from the fact that plants grown from seed produce only staminate or male flowers for the first ten to fifteen years ; afterwards flowers of both sexes appear, followed by fruit. It appears to have derived the name of Dogwood from a wild species found in Britain, which bears a small fruit, not edible. Parkinson says this Avild species was called hounds-tree, (dog-berry tree,) because the fruit was not fit for the dogs ; hence the name Dogwood, which has become the common name of the whole genus. The Cornelian Cherry is not very plentiful in the United States, although nearly every nurseryman keeps the plants for sale. The long time which it requires to bring seedling plants into bearing, has been one reason why we see so few in private gardens. In the older nurseries and gardens near our eastern cities, bearing plants are frequently seen, but they are not so common as their merits deserve. The plants live to a great age, and there are specimens in Europe, which are known to have been planted more than two hundred years. 228 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. PROPAGATION. By Seeds. — Plants are more generally grown from seed than otherwise ; consequently, for reasons previously stated, they are a long time coming into bearing. The fruit should be gathered in the fall, and the seeds sei3arated from the pulp ; then mixed with earth, and buried where they will keep moist, and not be disturbed until the ensu- ing autumn. They will seldom, if ever, germinate the first season ; consequently there is no use of sowing them where it is desirable to have them grow, and be obliged to cultivate the ground where there are no plants. When the seeds have remained one season in the rot-heap, (to use a gardener's phrase,) take them out and sow in drills, plac- ing the seeds two or three inches apart, and cover two inches deep. The seedlings produce a mass of small fibrous roots, and can be rapidly transplanted in sjiring or autumn. If bearing plants are at hand, from which buds or grafts can be obtained, then it is better to use the seed- lings as stock. In this case, they should be transplanted from the seed-beds into rows four feet aj^art, placing the plants about a foot apart in the rows. The seedlings will usually be large enough to work the third year. CuTTiXGS. — These should be made of the one year old wood, and in the same manner as described in the preceding chapter for the Barberry. The cuttings do not root very freely, and to insure even moderate success, the ground should be kept very moist during the early part of the season, or until roots are produced, A deep, moist soil is requisite, and if covered with mulch, so much the better. Layers, — This is the most common mode of propagat- ing from bearing plants. Put down the layers in early spring, cutting them as usual with woody plants, and they will generally be sufficiently rooted to be removed from the parent plant in autumn. Layers do not usually make as handsome plants as seed- CORNELIAN CHERRY. 229 lings ; still they are preferable, because they will produce fruit when quite young. Budding. — This operation should be performed, in the usual manner, so soon as good, well developed buds are to be obtained from the young wood of the present season's growth. Grafting. — This should be done in the spring, just be- fore the leaves start, and upon yoimg stocks, such as seed- lings of two to four years old; the whip or spUce graft is preferable to the wedge. CULTIVATION. There is no particular skill required in cultivating the Cornelian Cherry, as the plant is far from being a delicate one. It will grow in almost any good, garden soil. In England, it is said to j^refer a calcareous one, but the larg- est and best plants, with which I am acquainted, are in a compact loam, approaching a clay. An open, but some- what sheltered situation is preferable on account of the plant blooming so very eai'ly ; the flowers are often de- stroyed by spring frosts, unless protected, or where there is just suflicient circulation of air to prevent freezing. A strong, direct current of air will often blast the flowers, when the same degree of cold would not injure them if the air was still, or only moved by a gentle breeze. VARIETIES. There are, it is said, other edible varieties besides the two which I have named, but I have no personal knowl- edge of their merits. There is a variegated leaved variety which I have cultivated for several years, but up to the present time it has produced no fruit. Uses. — In former times, when better fruit was scarce, Cornels were used for various conserves and to mix with 230 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. apples and pears for making cider. It is doubtful if it will ever become a popular fruit with us, unless better varieties that those we now possess are produced. Its beauty, however, commends it to the attention of every one who possesses a garden. Diseases and Insects. — None, or so few as not to be worth naming. CHAPTER IX. CRANBERRY.— Vaccinium. Ericaceae, or Heath Family. IVaccinium Oxycocctis, an ancient Latin name of obscure derivation. French name is Eirelle ; German, Heidelbeere ; and Mooreberrie. The Sub-family name, Oxycoccus, is derived from oxus, sharp or acid, and kokkus, a berry, in reference to the acid taste of the berries. The name Cranberry is supposed by some authors to have been given it because the fruit stem is crooked like a crane's-bill, while others state that it was because cranes were fond of the fruit.] GENERAL CHARACTERS. Low, trailing, evergreen shrubs, with very slender branches ; fruit-bearing stems erect ; flower bell-shaped, white, or tinged with red ; berry usually four to five-cell- ed ; seeds numerous. SPECIES. Vaccininm OxycoccuSi — Small Cranberry, — Leaves ovate, acute, with revolute margins ; stems very slender ; berries very small, spotted when young, becoming red at maturity. Grows in peat bogs in nearly all of the North- ern States, also in Northern Eiirope. V. macrocarpoili — Common American Cranberry. — Leaves oblong, obtuse, glaucous underneath, with slightly revolute margins. Flower-stems erect ; fruit pale pinkish- 231 232 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. white to deep red, one half to one inch m diameter ; varia- ble in shape, from globular, ovoid, ovate-oblong, bell- shajDe, etc. V, erythrocarpon. — Bush Cranberry. — Leaves decidu- ous, oblong-ovate, acuminate, bristly serrate ; stems erect, flexible ; two to four feet high ; berry small, red, dry and insipid. High mountains of Virginia and. North Carolina. HISTORY. The Cranberry is almost exclusively a northern plant, and was probably not known to the Romans until their conquests in the North, . In Northern Europe it has been highly appreciated for centuries, and immense quantities are annually brought into the EngUsh markets from Russia and Sweden, in addition to those produced in Britain. The American Cranberry, V. macrocarpon, was intro- duced into England in 1760, and, although acknowledged to be superior to the common European species, still we have no accounts of its being cultivated there to any con- siderable extent. The first settlers in America found the Cranberry in such abundance that there was no necessity for cultivat- ing it, until the population became so numerous that the natural supply would not equal the demand. This point Avas reached about thirty years ago, at which time nu- merous experiments in its cultivation commenced at Cape Cod, and in a few other places. Previous to this time, however, an occasional plot had been cultivated. Kenrick, in the New American Orchard- ist, 1832, says : Capt. Henry Hall, of Barnstable, Mass., has cultivated the Cranberry for twenty years. In the New England Farmer, Vol. IX, No. 18, is an account of a Mr. F. A. Hayden, of Lincoln, Mass., who, in 1830, sold from his farm 400 bushels of Cranberries for six hundred dollars. From these and a few other recorded instances CRANBERRY. 233 of Cranberry culture, we infer that there were very few Avho attempted its cultivation pi'evious to 1835 or 1840. Since thd^time there has been a steady increase, until, at the present time, thousands of acres are devoted to the culture of this fruit. Not only have individuals turned their attention to it, but companies have been formed with abundant means to cultivate the Cranberry upon an extensive scale. In addition to the benefit derived from having our mar- kets supplied with the fruit, its culture is a source of na- tional wealth, inasmuch as the land devoted to it was previously uncultivated, neither enriching individuals by its productions, nor yielding taxes to the State. Many of our low, boggy wastes, which formerly were sources of miasmatic diseases, have been changed into healthful locations and fruitful fields. PROPAGATION, To propagate some of our cultivated fruits successfully, requires more or less skill, but the Cranberry may be said to propagate itself. The plant, as it creeps along over the ground, throws out innumerable roots, fixing every por- tion of the prostrate stems to the soil. If these branches do not root as soon as desired, a little earth thrown over them will hasten the 2')rocess. The plants may be taken up and planted whole, or be divided into small pieces, each of which will soon become a strong plant. Even the upright stems may be used for cuttings, and when planted in the spring, they will become rooted by the next fall. The small green tips of the growing branches may be taken off in summer, and rooted under a bell-glass, or in ordinary glazed frames. Cultivators seldom have recourse to seeds for extending their plantations, but they may be planted for the purpose of producing ncAV varieties as well as multiplying old 234 SMALL FKUIT CULTURIST. ones. The seeds should be prepared and kept through the winter in the same manner as recommended, for the Hucldeherry in a succeeding chapter, 1^ Sow them in drills and keep free of weeds, either by hoeing or mulching wdth saw-dust, or tan-bark, if grown on dry soils, but if on low grounds, use sand instead. Transplant into fruiting-beds when one or two years old. PREPARATION OF SOIL. Naturally, the common Cranberry is a semi-aquatic plant, requiring a constant supply of water to ensure its highest state of perfection. It is usually found in low peat bogs, where it is often entirely submerged in the winter months, and the roots are in contact with water during a greater 23ortion of the year. While this is the condition in which we usually find the wild plants, yet, occasionally, they are found upon high and dry soils. Judging, however, from the position in which we find the greatest quantities, we conclude that a wet soil is the most natural one. If we leave the normal con- dition of the plant out of the question, and base our con- clusions entirely upon the results of the many experiments which have been made in the last thirty years, we find that their cultivation in wet soils has been attended with the best success and the most remunerative results. It is not to be assumed that they cannot be grown upon soils that are naturally dry, for we have many instances of suc- cess under such circumstances, but, as a whole, the upland cultivation has not been equally profitable with the low- land. It is not altogether for the purpose of supplying the plants with moisture that abundance of water is re- quired, but for other purposes, among which are the fol- lowing : First. — Covering the plants in winter, thereby affording B protection from severe cold. CRANBERRY. 235 Second, — Preventing the frost in spring from injuring the flowers. Third. — ^Destroying the Cranberry-worms, which some- times attack the plants and fruit. Assuming that these precautionary measures are neces- sary to the best results, it follows that a situation should be selected where the conditions named can be secured. Another important material, used in preparing Ci-an- beny beds, is sand, which is spread over the surface of the soil. This not only in a great measure prevents the weeds from growing until the plants have entirely covered the beds, but keeps the fruit clean, besides making the surface always open and friable. Sometimes the low peat beds are so rich in nutritive matter, unless sand is used, that the vines would grow so luxuriant that they would be unpro- ductive. In fact, very little alluvial soil is needed, and when the deposit is a foot in depth, it will be fully equal, if not supe- rior, to a situation Avhere it is more abundant. In some sections, they are grown in what appears to be almost pure sand, there being scarcely a trace of nutritive matter to be found, the water and the materials held in solution therein, furnishing the principal portions of food to the plants. The first step in preparing a Cranberry bed is usually that of digging a broad, deep ditch entirely around the plot, for the purpose of draining ofi' the surface water, so that the ground may be cleaned. If the soil thrown out of the ditches is sufficiently compact, it may form the em- bankments ; if not, then other soil must be added. When the water has been removed, then clear off all trees, logs, brush, and other incumbrances; these may be burned on the ground, and the ashes scattered over the surface, pro- vided it can be done without endangering the soil. Some- times, Avhen the soil is very dry, there is danger of its burn- 236 SMALL FKUIT CULTUKIST. ing to considerable depth. Some cultivators remove all of the surface soil to the depth of six inches or a foot, and, in some cases, it may be beneficial for the purpose of bringing the whole bed to a lower grade, but where this is not re- quisite, and sand is abundant, it is cheaper to spread on a greater dejith of sand and leave the whole depth of nat- ural soil. Again, if the peat is deep enough so that a portion can be spared, it should be carted off for manuring the adja- cent land, especially if it is of a sandy nature, for there is no more valuable manure, (barn-yard excepted,) than the top layer of these peat or muck swamps. It is always better to prepare the ground at least one season before planting, so that all Aveeds, brush, and roots, may be thor- oughly destroyed ; because if it is not done at the start, it will be a difficult operation after the ground is covered with plants. Where the soil is sufficiently firm to admit of being plowed and harrowed, it is best to do so, as by this means a more thorough preparation can be obtained, and at less expense than when wholly performed by hand. When the soil has been made level, and otherwise prepared, it should be covered with pure sand to the depth of from four to eight inches, the depth being regulated by the nature of the soil ; if it is very loose, then apply inore than when comparatively compact, as more or less will sink into the soil below. A uniform depth is quite im^iortant, and can easily be obtained, provided the surface is made level before its application. The position and texture of the soil will suggest the best mode of application, whether by teams or otherwise. There are many locations where these peat-beds are un- derlaid with sand, and if the soil is not over one or two feet deep, and can be sufficiently drained to allow of their being conveniently worked, they may be trenched, bring- CRANBERRY. 23? ing tlie required amount of sand to the surftice, instead of hauling it from a distance. The sand should be pure, and not mixed with clay, loam, or other soil. All of these cir- cumstances should be taken into consideration when select- ing a location for Cranbeny plantations. Often one set of embankments, flood-gates, etc., will an- swer for several parties, if they can agree and join together in the undertaking. The size of the bed is immaterial; it may be one acre or one hundred, provided it can be made level, so that one portion shall not be covered deeper than another, when flooded. The embankments should be at least four feet high when first made, for they will settle some ; besides, it is best to have them a foot or more above high water mark, to guard against breaks. If one is in no hurry about planting, and is disposed to wait, the embankments may be formed and the ground flooded, and kept in this condition until the weeds, bushes, etc., upon it, are killed, after which the water may be withdrawn, and the preparation of the bed continued as be- fore du'ected. COST OF PREPARING THE BEDS. There can be no reliable estimates given as regards cost of preparing Cranberry beds, inasmuch as no two will be situated exactly alike. It will cost as much to remove the brush, trees, and logs, etc., from one piece of land, as to fully prepare another for the reception of the plants. The estimates vary from one hundred to six hundred dollars per acre. A thorough preparation will always be found to be the cheapest in the end, PLANTING. The usual time of setting the plants is in the spring, but where the beds can be kept moist, the operation may be continued during the entire summer. Sometimes the plants 238 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. are put out late in the fall, and covered with a sufficient dej^th of water to prevent the ground from freezing and throwing out the plants. The spring and early summer are, however, considered the best time for jalanting. The plants should be set in rows, from eighteen inches to four feet apart, according to the quantity and quality of plants obtained. The object is to cover the entire surface of the soil with vines, so soon as possible ; consequently, the bet- ter the plants and the nearer together they are placed, the sooner will this be accomplished. When large plants are to be had, and in sufficient quantities, it is better to place them about two feet apart, each Avay, than farther, and if the plants do well, they will entirely cover the beds the second season. Most of our larger plantations are made with plants taken directly from the wild beds, and they are removed in large clumps or sods. If there are any weeds or grass among the plants, they should be removed before planting, as they are more readily separated from them at this time than after they are planted. Small holes are made in which the plants are set, and the soil is then pressed firmly about them. If small plants or cuttings are used, they may be planted nearer together than larger ones. SELECTION OF PLANTS. It is important that plants should be obtained from fruitful beds, as well as those which produce the largest and best fruit. There are occasional wild beds that pro- duce little or no fruit ; these should be avoided. When plants cannot be obtained near by, from wild or cultivated beds, then they may be bought from those whose business is growing plants for sale. But the pui'chaser should en- deavor to inform hrmself in regard to the reliability of l^lant growers before ordering ; besides he should give im- perative directions that tht? plants should be carefully taken up and not be allowed to become dry before packing, as CRANBERRY. 239 well as that the latter operation should be performed in the best manner. A very little extra expense in packing, or in procuring plants of the best quality, will often be re- paid a hundred fold in the first crop. Cranberry planta- tions are expected to be a permanent investment which shall give annual returns for a lifetime ; it therefore be- comes very imj^ortant that every precaution should be taken to make it as perfect as possible. CULTIVATION. For the first two or three seasons the beds should be carefully cultivated, and no weeds or sprouts from brush- roots be permitted to»grow. The amount of labor requir- ed is usually far less than with ordinary farm crops, still a constant attention is necessary, so that the plants shall have the full benefit of the entire soil, and not be obliged to combat with weeds, grass, or other Impediments. When the plants have gained possession of the whole surface, there will be very little cultivation required. An occa- sional sprout or clump of grass may appear, which it will be necessary to remove. APPLYING WATER. The water should be let on to thelDeds at the approach of cold weather, not until the ground begins to freeze, but before it has become frozen hard. The time will vary in different locations, and the cultivator must apply it ac- cording to circumstances, and not be guided by set rules as to time. The beds should be covered, so that the water will be deep enough to prevent freezing the plants. At the North, it should be at least two feet deep, while south of the latitude of New York, one foot will ordinarily answer. It should remain upon the beds until the cold weather is past in the spring, when it should be drawn oflf, leaving it about two inches deep over the surface, until all danger of frost is past. 240 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. Where late spring frosts are known to be frequent and severe, it is best to keep on the full depth of water until there is no longer any risk. The longer the water is kept on, the later will the plants bloom. In some locations the plants are covered for about four or five months in winter, while in others, two or three will be sufficient. There is no danger of the plants being injured by the water so long as it remains cool, and the later it is kept on, the less the danger of spring frosts injuring the flowers. Sometimes it is beneficial to flow the beds in summer at time of drouth, but in such cases it is only necessary to apply sufficient to give the soil a good soaking. If the water is admitted into the ditches which surround the beds, (if they are not too large,) it will be sufficient to prevent injury from drouth. GATHERING. Formerly the berries were gathered with an instrument called a Cranberry rake, but of late years this method has been almost entirely abandoned, and hand picking has taken its place. When gathered by hand, the fruit is not apt to be crushed, besides a far less amount of dirt and leaves are mixed with them ; consequently hand-picked fruit will bring a much higher price than any other. Various kinds of baskets, crates, hurdles, &c., are used in gathering the fruit ; the main object being to allow all foreign materials, gathered with it, to fall through when being carried in the field, or when spread out to dry. All imsound berries should be carefully picked out before the fruit is packed for market. VARIETIES. Like other fruits, the Cranbeny varies considerably in its wdld state ; besides, when cultivated, new variations ai-e constantly occurring. All the varieties in cultivation at CRANBERRY. 241 Fig. 4. — CHERRY CRANBERRY. the present time in tbis country, belong to one species, the K macrocarpon. These vary in size, from a half inch up to an inch or over in diameter. Figure 94 shows a variety usually called the Cherry Cranberry, and figure 95, one of the largest of the Bell variety. Figure 96 illustrates the Bell form, and in figure 97 we give an exnct representation of some remarkably fine sjjecimens, raised by Mr. Orrin C. Cook, of South Milford, Mass. There are many other shapes intermediate between these, but we have given the principal ones. In color, the varieties vary from a greenish-yellow or white to dark, rich purple. New varieties are being pro- duced, and, doubtless, in a few years, great improvements will be made in the size, if not in the quality, of the Cran- berry. INSECTS. There appear to be two kinds of worms which infest the Cranberry. One of these attacks the young fruit, and the other the plants. The first is described as a small Fig. 95. — BUGLE CRANBERRY. worm about half an inch in length, with a black head; the other is about the same length, with a red head. Although it is said t^at these ^pmis ^re very destrucr 11 242 SMALL FKUIT CULTURIST. tive ill some sections of the countiy, tlierc appears to be no definite information as to their origin, period of life, or what kind of insect produces the eggs from which they are hatched. These worms are more destructive in beds that are not flooded than elsewhere. When- ever the plants and fruit are attacked, the water should be let on to the beds and allowed to remain for six to tAventy-four hours ; this would doubtless destroy the worms without materially injui-ing the plants. The ravages of the Cranberry worms have not been very extensive, nor very wide spread, and, although I have visit- ed many hundreds of acres of Cranberry beds, I have not as yet seen one of these worms; neither have I been able to find a description of them, or their scientific names, in any work on entomology. It is to be hoped that for the Fiij;. 96. — BELL CUANBERRY. Fig. 97.— t-LARGE CRANBERRY. sake of science, some one who has an opportunity will investigate this subject, and give us the results. UPLAND CULTUKE. Although the cultivation of the Cranberry upon dry up- land caiinot be recommended as equal to lowland cultiva- CRANBERRY. 243 tion, still it possesses so much that is interesting and advan- tageous that it deserves the attention of those who have no other means of growing them. Even a partial success will very often be highly remunerative, besides affording much pleasure to the cultivatoi". There are but few gardens or soils where the experiment is not worth trying on a small scale, even if it is not suc- cessful, because the expense is so slight that a total failure would be no great loss of capital. A light sandy or loamy soil, one that is naturally moist, should be selected, if convenient, and prepared as thor- oughly as for a vegetable garden. If swamp-mud or peat can be had, it is well to give a liberal dressing, mixing it with the soil ; rake all level, and then plant in rows about two feet apart, and one foot apart in the rows. Hoe the plants as long as it can be conveniently done without disturbing them, after which no cultivation is re- quired, except to pull out large weeds, or grass that may occasionally appear. If saw-dust can be had, it should be applied as a mulch, scatterhig a light dressing in among the plants ; this will keep the soil moist and assist in keeping the weeds down. A small plot of three or four rods square will, if they suc- ceed, be sufficient to supply an ordinary family. In addition to the value of the fruit, the Cranberry is an exceedingly ornamental plant at all times of the season, whether in fruit or flower. The variety known as the Bell Cranberry is generally planted on upland, but it is proba- ble that others, with proper care, will succeed equally as well. There are a few cultivators in the vicinity of New York who grow all of the improved varieties on uj^land, and claim that they are very successful with them. Judging from the fruit that has been shown by these gen- tlemen at our horticultural fairs, the berries grow to as large a size, if not in such large quantities, on upland as upon the low. By obtaining seeds from these upland beds, and 244 SMALX FRUIT CULTUKIST. by producing new varieties therefrom, pi nnts may be ob- tained that will be better adapted to dry soils than any previously known. It is certainly worthy of trial, and I would advise all who have leisure and inclination to try the experiment fully and thoroughly. PROFITS OF CULTURE. The profits of Cranberry culture, like those from other fruits, depend somewhat upon the amount of care given the beds as well as upon the markets. There is also a lia- bility of failure from unforeseen causes ; still the Cranberry may be considered as certain as any other fruit. To make anything like a fair estimate in regard to profits, we are obliged to select from the reports of the various growers throughout the country, and draw our conclusions there- from. But in many instances these are so vague that we can only approximate to the truth. I have inserted a few of such as I deem reliable, omitting those which appear to be too far above the average : Mr. Edmund Bagley, of Massachusetts, reports in the Journal of Commerce: cost of land, $12 per acre; clean- ing, $100 ; vines and setting, |50 ; cultivation, |10 per year. The fourth year, average crop, 300 bushels per acre ; Avorth 12.50 per bushel. F. Trowbridge, New Haven, Conn., considers the usual average about 175 to 200 bushels per acre, Mr. Sullivan Bates says, that on beds that have been carefully prepared, the yield will be from 150 to 400 bush- els per acre, J. H. Baker, of Westport, Mass., reports the average crop about 175 bushels. Trowbridge and Davis, of Ocean County, N. J., report 10 acres in bearing ; crop 1,100 bushels ; although the beds were new, and have not arrived at an age at which a full crof) could be expected. CKAJSTBERRY. 245 At Shamoug, N. J., a small bed is reported to have yielded 220 bushels j^er acre. W. R. Braddock, of Bedford, K J., has 100 acres ; 20 acres of which yielded, last season, 1866, an average of 100 bushels per acre. The fruit sold for a price which left him $6,000 over and above all exj)enses. The above statements are about a fau* average of the various reports received from the proprietors of Cranberry beds in the Eastern States. The price of the fruit varies from $2.00 to $6.00 per bushel. It is probable that when the immense beds, which are now being planted, have ar- rived at full maturity, our markets will be fully supplied, unless some new way of disposing of the fruit is dis- covered, which it is very likely will be the case. CHAPTER X. HUCKLEBERRY— (Family Ericace^.) Huckleberries were formerly all included tinder the genus Vaccinium, but botanists now separate them into the genera, Gaylussacla and Vaccimwn. In general appearance they resemble one another, being branching shrubs, with bell-shaped or urn-shaped corollas and 2- parted anthers. The fruit is a 10 to many seeded berry. The Gaylussacias differ from the Vaccinmms in having only one seed in each cell of the fruit, and their foliage is often sprinkled with resinous dots. For our i:)urposes it is convenient to consider them all under one head. The species best known in the United States as produc- ing edible fruit, are chiefly deciduous shrubs of medium size, blooming in May and June, and ripening their fruit from July to September. SPECIES. The number of species of Huckleberry is quite large, and I shall only name a few of the best. Gaylussacia frondosa. — Blue Dangleberry. — Leaves obovate, oblong, pale glaucous beneath ; branches slendei*, smooth. Fruit dark blue, covered with white bloom, sweet 246 HUCKLEBERRY. 247 and edible. Bush grows three to six feet high. Found from New England to Virginia in low grounds. G. resinosa. — Black Huckleberry. — Leaves oval or ob- long, clammy when young ; plants quite branching, the young shoots pubescent ; fruit black without bloom, with an agreeable flavor ; bush, two to three feet high. Com- mon in swamps and low grounds at the North. Tacciniiim Pennsylvaniciim. — Dwarf Blueberry. — Leaves oblong, sometimes lanceolate, smooth and shining ; branches green, somewhat angled, occasionally warty; bush one to three feet, very proHfic ; berries blue, ripening eai'ly. The fruit of this species is highly prized on account of its earliness, but it is not so agreeable in flavor as some others. Abundant in dry, sandy seasons, from Maryland northward. V. CanadcnSCi — Canada Blueberry. — Leaves more or less downy, common in low grounds ; otherwise similar to the preceding species. V. corymbosum. — Swamp Blueberry, or High-bush Huckleberry. — Leaves oval or oblong, variable in size and color. Shrubs four to ten feet high, common in low, wet places. Fruit black, covered with bloom, sweet but sprightly ; the best Huckleberry ; ripens late in the season, August and September. Fig. 98 shows a small branch, with bunch of fruit of natu- ral size. This species assumes various forms and colors; some- times the fruit is oval, approaching an oblong, while others are globular or slightly compressed. The Black High-bush Huckleberry, as it is generally called, is quite distinct, the fruit being destitute of bloom and of inferior flavor. It is distinguished by the name of V. corymhosum,, var. atrococ- cnm, by Dr. Gray. There are many other species and varie- ties growing wild all over the country. There are also foreign species, but none of them superior to those named. I do not think it necessary to enter into any minute details 248 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. Fig. 98. — SWAMP HtrCKLEBEBET. HUCKLEBERRY. 249 of the history or cultivation of this fruit, from the fact that there is nothing connected therewith which would make the subject interesting. The Huckleberry is one of those fruits which have always been neglected ; none of our horti- cultural writers have deemed it worthy of any particular description, and but very few have thought it worthy of mention. Why this neglect, I am at loss to understand, for the Huckleberry possesses naturally better qualities than even the Currant and Gooseberry. All of our northern species are perfectly hardy, produc- ing no thorns, (which is such a disagreeable feature with many of our small fruits,) and the plants are generally quite productive. The berries ai*e more firm than the Rasj^berry, Black- berry, or Strawberry, consequently, will bear carriage well, and are suitable for market. Thousands of bushels are annually gathered from the woods and fields, but these sources of supply will not al- ways be available ; besides, we should not be content with depending wholly upon nature for either the necessaries or the luxuries of life, while a helping hand would not only increase the quantity, but improve the quality. Those species, which naturally grow upon high, dry soils, will probably be the best for garden culture ; still, be- cause a plant is found in its wild state in any particular soil or situation, it does not follow that similar circum- stances are always necessary for its best development when under cultivation. If nature invariably located plants un- der the most favorable conditions for growth, then improve- ments Avould be less certain and far more difiicult than now. The history of horticulture affords abundant testi- mony to the fact that many plants succeed far better in soils and locations differing very materially from the one in which nature has placed them, than otherwise. The Swamp Huckleberry, ( V. cori/mbosum,) is some- 11* ■250 SMALL FRUIT CULTURIST. times found upon high, diy soils, although it grows chiefly in locations where the roots are immersed in water for the greater portion of the year. That it will grow and pro- duce fruit upon high and dry soils, I have proved by ex- jjeriment. There is no great difficulty in removing the plants from their native locality to the garden, but our main depend- ence for improvement should be upon seedlings, because they will always vary more or less from the parent, and by carefully selecting the best improvements, are certain. The seeds are quite small, and requii'e considerable care in sow- A good plan is, to crush the berries, and mix them with fine sand; then put them in a box or flower-jiot, and bury in the open ground until spring. Prepare a seed-bed, the soil of which should be, at least, half leaf-mould, or peat, from a swamp ; the remainder may be any* good garden soif. Surround the bed with boards, a foot or more in width, mix the soil thoroughly and rake level, then sow on the sand containing the seeds ; then sift over this soil suf- ficient to cover the seeds, about a quarter of an inch deep, give a good soaking of water and place a screen over the frame. It may be made of lath, coarse cloth, or anything that will partially shade the plants when they come up, but not wholly exclude the light. Keep the soil well wa- tered, applying the water with a watering-pot, or in such a manner that the seeds or plants will not be disturbed. The seedlings may be transplanted when one year old, if they have made a good growth, or remain in the seed-bed for two years. They will usually come into bearing in three to six years, at which time the best should be marked, so that they may be propagated. The inferior kinds may be thrown away, or be reserved for stocks, on which to work the others. Budding and grafting may be employed in propagation, as well as layers, the operation being per- formed in the usual manner. CHAPTER XI. SHEFHERDIA. FAMILY ELJEAGNACE^. [Kamed in honor of John Shepherd, fonnerly ciirator of the Liverpool Botanic Garden.] GENERAL CHARACTERS. Deciduous shrubs, or small trees, with silvery leaves ; flowers dioecious, the sterile ones, (fig. 99,) having a four- parted calyx, and eight sta- mens ; the fertile flowers, (fig. 100,) have an urn-shaped ca- lyx, enclosing the ovary which becomes a berry-like fruit. Leaves opposite, entire, de- ciduous; the flowers very small, yellow, borne in the axils of the small branches, A very small family of plants, and there is but one species of this genus that is worthy of being cultivated for its fruit. Shepherdia argentea.— Bufifalo Berry ; Rabbit Berry ; Grosse de Buffle, of the French ; Hippophm argentea, of Pursh. — Leaves oblong, silvery-white on both sides ; 251 252 SMALL FKUIT CULTURIST. branches rusty dull white, with many small thorn-like branchlets ; fruit round, dull red, sprightly acid, agi-eea- ble, borne in very compact clusters in the axils of the small branches, as shown in figure 101. Ripens its fruit in early autumn, or late in summer. Found on the banks of the upper Missouri, and other large rivers of the Northwest. It is seldom seen in cul- tivation, but it is really deserving of a place in every gar- den. The plant is quite ornamental, in addition to its edi- ble fruit, which is produced abundantly. The plant is very hardy, and grows quite readily in almost any good soil. The Shcjiherdia, being dioecious, it is therefore necessary to plant one of each sex to obtain fruit; consequently, those who may have occasion to send to the nurseries for plants, should be careful to order at least one of each kind, although if several are to be planted in a group, one sta- minate plant will be sufficient to fertilize a half dozen or more pistillate plants. At the present time, the Shepherdia is not grown as a market fruit, but the tune may come when we shall see it in our markets, and it is moie than probable that new and improved varieties will be produced by some of our enter- prising fruit growers. The thorn-like character of its small branchlets makes it a suitable j:)lant for ornamental hedges, and very probably it would be equally serviceable as the Buck-thorn and other similar plants, for turning cattle. It is well worthy of trial, and up to the present time I am not aware that it has been subject to disease, or attacked by any insect. PROPAGATION. Gather the berries when ripe, crush the pulp, and wash out the seeds ; then sow them, or preserve in sand, until the ensuing spring. The best method is, to sow the seeds in drills soon after they are gathered, covering an inch or two deep. Transplant when one year old into SHEPIIERDIA. 253 Fisr. 101.— FRUIT OF SHEPHEKDIA. 254 SMALL FRUIT CULTUKIST. nursery rows, j^lacing the plants a foot apart in the row, and the rows four feet ajDart. They will usually bloom the third year from seed, at which time every plant should be examined, and a label attached to each with the word staminate or pistillate, as the case may be, written upon each; common wooden labels, such as used by nurserymen, freshly painted at the time, will remain legible for two or three years. If it is more convenient to have the plants separated than to keep each one labeled, then they may be taken up after the sexes are determined, and each kind placed in a row by itself The Shepherdias produce very few suckers, but when any apj^ear, they may be taken off and planted separately. Layers root very readily, and plants may be j^roduced in this manner quite rapidly. It is quite probable that ripe wood cuttmgs will grow the same as the Currant, but I have never had occasion to try this mode of propagation, because they grow so readily from seed that I have practiced this method in jDreference to others. Besides, there is always a chance, when grow- ing any kind of fruit from seed, of producing something better than the original, consequently, the very uncertainty becomes fascinating to the true lover of horticulture, and the hope of the thing lightens the otherAvise irksomeness of the task. There is another species of Shepherdia found in the Northern States, the fruit of Avhich is very insipid. I copy the description from Gray's Manual of Botany : Shepherdia Canadensis. — Canadian Shepherdia. — "Leaves elliptical or ovate, nearly naked and green above, silvery-downy, and scurfy with rusty scales under- neath; fruit yellowish-red ; rocky or gravelly banks ; Ver- mont to Wisconsin, and northward. A straggling shrub, three to six feet high ; the branchlets, young leaves, yel- lowish flowers etc., covered with the rusty scales. Fruit insipid." CHAPTER XII. PREPARATION FOR GATHERING FRTJIT. To grow a crop of fruit is biit the initial step towards the successful termination of the enterjjrise. If the fruit is to be sent to market, then crates, baskets, etc., are necessary for gathering and transporting, all of which should be provided in advance of the ripening of the crop. The number of baskets required per acre can- not be given, inasmuch as the product will not be the same in any two seasons, but it is always best to provide enough, for if the supply should fall short in the busy part of the season, it might cause considerable loss. We will suppose that a grower expects to send a thous- and baskets per day to market, during the season, of any particular kind of small fruit, and if he sends them by railroad or steamboat, to a distance of twenty miles or more, he must not expect to have any baskets or crates returned in less time than six to ten days after the time of the first shipment, itnless he has better success than usual with fruit growers in tliis vicinity ; consequently he will have to provide six to ten thousand baskets to en- able him continue gathering. Sometimes, owing to the negligence of the commission merchant, no baskets will be returned for two or thi-ee 255 256 SMALL PRUIT CTJLTUBIST. weeks, and a very large extra suiDi:)ly of baskets will be necessary to prevent a corresponding loss. Ten thousand baskets, with a corresponding number of crates, should be provided, if a thousand baskets are to be picked per day. To the inexjjerienced in these mattei-s, this may seem to be an unnecessary outlay, but fruit growers in the East- ern States, at least, have learned that a little, or consider- able, extra capital invested in baskets will quite often insure them against great losses. Any one who has ever looked through the New York markets, soon after the close of the Strawberry season, must have noticed thousands of baskets and crates lying around loose, or being piled up in the streets, where the boys make bonfires of them at night, and thus the prop- erty of the fruit grower is often destroyed thi'ough the willful neglect of those to whom the fruit was consigned. Many remedies have been tried to prevent this waste, but none have been entirely successful, unless it be that of sending very cheap baskets and crates, which it is not expected Avill be returned. Many fruit growers are adopt- ing tins give away system, and under some circumstances it is probably the best, but under others it is doubtful if it is the most profitable in the end. An attractive exterior is a good passport, even in the fruit line, and I know of many instances Avhere fruit put up in handsome baskets, and enclosed in extra finished crates, has sold for almost double the price of that sent to market in an inferior style of crate and basket. I will give one instance which came under my notice the past season : A young man, formerly in my employ, commenced sending Blackberries to the New York mar- ket the past season, (1866,) for the first time, and wishing to have his fruit make a good appearance, he purchased quart baskets of as handsome style as he could find. They cost him $30.00 per 1,000. He made his own crates, PREPARATION FOR OATHERING FRUIT 257 which cost about |;2.00 each for those holding sixty quarts. The crates were very neatly finished, and well j^ainted, with his name and address put on with stencil plate. "When he received his returns for the fi-uit, he found that it had brought seven cents per quart more than that of his neighbors, although of no better quality. The com- mission merchant, to whom the fruit was consigned, sent a note along with the money, stating that the extra price Avas owing entirely to the neat appeai'ance of his baskets and crates. Thus it can be seen tliat he received $4.20 per crate more than his neighbors, merely for the good look of the vessels in which the fruit was sent to market, and if neither crate or basket had been returned, he would then have gained sixty cents per crate ; but the fact was that scarce- ly a basket was lost, because they Avere considered by pur- chasers of the fruit as worth returning, while the contrary is often the case Avith inferior kinds. Crates and baskets are in some cases returned free by the railroad and steamboat companies, unless the distance to market is too great ; under such circumstances it is best not to expect it, but ship the fruit in cheap baskets, unless it will bring enough more, as in the instance named, to pay for packing in a better style. The most common basket used for the Ncav York mar- ket is Avhat is called the Jersey Strawberry basket, figure 102 ; it requires from five to seven to hold a quart. Of late years this basket is seldom used, except for the smaller •JER&El BA&KET 258 SMALL FEUIT CULTURIST. varieties of the Strawberry, They are usually made by the fruit growers themselves in winter, but sometimes they are made for sale, and the price varies from |10 to $15 per 1,000. A half dozen of the larger varieties of Strawberries will fill one of these Jersey baskets. The Kaspberry baskets formerly used in New York State, were mainly of this style, but a little larger ; other kinds of baskets are now rajjidly coming into use, and it is to be hoped that our small fruits will soon be sold by measure, and not by the basket, regardless of its size, whether it be the size of a thimble, or will hold a half pint or pint, as formerly. Baskets or boxes holding a pint or quart, full measure, are most iu vogue at the present time, and new patterns are constantly being brought forward, each claiming to be an improvement upon its immediate predecessor. With most of the small fruits ventilation is requisite to preservation for even a very short time, and this very es- sential point has not been lost sight of by the manufac- turers of most of the new boxes or baskets now before the public. When fruit is only to be transported a short distance, and will reach the consumer within twelve or fifteen hours after. being gathered, ventilation, fiirther than that which it will receive through an open crate, is not very import- ant, or scarcely necessary. The idea of ventilation applied to baskets or boxes is a good one, particularly for some kinds of fruit, but there is no necessity of carrying it to extremes, so that the vessels made for holding fruit are scarcely more than fragile wooden nets. The following are some of the most popular baskets now in use at the East, All are patented : American Itasket. This basket is manufactured by the American Basket PEEPARATION FOR GATHERING FRUIT. 259 Fig. 103. — AMERICAN BASKET. Company, New Britain, Conn. They are made of two sizes, quarts and pints, and of the form shown in figure 103. They are very strong, of neat appear- ance, and one of the best baskets with Avhich I am acquainted. Those who prefer to make their own crates can purchase the baskets separately, and their pe- cuHar form admits of their be- ing very compactly nested for transportation, as shown in figure 104. The manufacturers also fur- nish crates to those who de- sire them. A 32 quart crate is shown in figure 105, each one being furnished with lock attached Avith a small chain. The fruit grower keeps a key to lock the crate, and the one to whom the fruit is con- signed, has a duplicate, with which to open it when re- ceived. Price of the above baskets is at present as folloAvs : Quart berry baskets Pint berry baskets 32 quart crate 60 quart crate - - - When the baskets are sent nested, as shown, $2.00 per 1,000 is charged for the boxes in which they are packed. Halloclc Fruit Box. A square box, figure 106, made of thin, light wood, with holes bored in the sides for ventilation, as shown. The 104. — STOCK OF BASKET. 130 per 1,000 $25 per 1,000 - $2.00 $2.50 260 SMALL FKurr cultukist. bottom is set Avithin tlio sides, and about tliree-foiirtlis of Fig. 105. — CRATE OF AMERICAN BASKETS. an inch above the lower edge, so that ■when one box is set in the crate above the other, there will be a small space between the fruit of the lower — ^"^ one and the bottom of the one ^^-.. ' &^^«- above. This also admits of each box being filled a little more than even full, and still the fruit will not be crushed by the one above it. These boxes are used in large quantities at the West, also considerably in some portions of the East. Some fruit growers object to any box or basket with perpendic- ular sides, because the fruit will settle more in carrying than Avhen the sides slope, as in the American basket. There are advantages in both forms, also disadvantages. A square box, Avith perpendicular sides, packs and remains more firmly in its place than any other, but ventilation through the sides cannot be obtained, and the fruit Avill certainly crush more readily than in boxes Avith sloi^ing sides. The price of the Hallock box I am unable to giv'e, as 106. — UALLOCK FUUIT BOX. PliEPAUATION FOR GATHERING FRUIT. 261 the inventor failed to furnish the information Avlien send- ing his specimen. Manufactured by IST. Hallock, Queens, Queens County, N. Y. r^ Free ri'Hit Itox. Figure 107. As its name implies, this box is intended to be given away with the fruit. This "will be quite convenient for those Avho forget to take a basket with them in the morning when going to business, and thereby have a very plausible excuse for not bringing home some fruit for tea. The manufacturer, in his circular, thus describes this box : Fig. 107. — FREE FRUIT BOX. " This box was invented for the purpose of relieving fruit growers of one of the most annoying incidents of sending their fruit a long distance to market — the neces- sity of having their crates and boxes re- turned to them. It supplies a want which has always existed in the berry trade, and will be sold so cheaj) that it can he given away with the fruit. In appearance, it is remarkably neat, light, but substantial, while the fruit will always go to market in a perfectly clean box. Though given away, it will save the grower money, r Fig. 108. — SIDE OF FK0IT BOX. 262 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. enable him to get a better price for his fruit, and put an end to the annual loss of boxes, besides saving him the necessity of keej^ing a vast quantity of the boxes and crates on hand to provide for the delay of returning them. The box is composed of two pieces of veneer. Figure 108 represents a piece which is folded up into four sides of the box. It is scored or cut at the dotted lines, so that it can be folded up into a shell as readily as a piece of paste- board. The tongue at the left hand end, buckles into the two slots at the right hand end, just like closing a jDocket book. A notch on the end of the tongue catches so effec- tually, after being buckled in, as to hold the shell firmly together. The bottom is shown in figure 109. The two tongues at the end are also scored or cut at the dotted lines, and be- ing readily turned up, are buckled into the two sets of slots sliown on the left hand edge of figure 108. When thus buckled togeth- er, the two pieces form a perfect Fig. lO'J.— BOTTOM OF BOX. \)0X, aS SCCU lu figure 107, neither nails nor glue being required, and the whole constituting a strong and beautiful box. The bottom cannot fall out, as it is held firmly in its place by the spring of the Avood. The prominent advantages se- cured by the use of this box are as follows : 1. The great desideratum of a box always nice and cleanly is, for the first time, secured. 2. The commission agent being relieved from the great annoyance of hunting up and returning crates and boxes, as well as escaping the loss of them, will sell the fruit for much less than the usu^al commission. 3. The return freight of empty boxes is saved, and tliis, ^ T PREPARATION FOR GATHERING FRUIT. 26.' added to the saving in commission, Avill more than pay for cost of crates and boxes. 4. Another saving is secured in sending to market, as 100 of the Free boxes, quart measures, weigh only 9^ pounds, while 100 of the old square quarts weigh 50 jiounds.- As fruit in'crates goes to market by weight, the new box saves 80 per cent of the weight. Any one can readily satisfy himself by a calculation of what is thus saved in freight to market, commission, and return of empty crate, that he will really save money by using a box that he can give away. It will be found cheaper to use a box only once than to continue using it many times. 5. As these boxes are put together without nails or glue, they can be sent to distant growers, in the shape of flats, to be made up by children at odd times dur- ing the winter. The flats are scored, ready for fold- ing up, and as the wood bends at the joint Avithout breaking, a small girl will learn in five minutes how to put them together. Many hundred boxes thus packed as flats, can be got into a very small compass, and at trifling cost of freight." Present prices : Quart boxes, made up, - - $10.50 per 1,000 Pint boxes, made up, - - - 10.00 per 1,000 Quart boxes, in flats, - - 10.00 per 1,000 Pint boxes, in flats, - - - 7.50 per 1,000 Square Cliip Basket. Figure 110. Here we have an improvement on the com- mon Jersey basket. The slats are reversed, the wide ones passing around the basket, and the small ones form- Fig. 110. — SQARE CHIP BASKET. 264 SMALL FEUrr CULTUEIST. ing the uiorights, thereby giving a comparativel-y smooth surface, allowing the baskets to be lifted out or put back into place iu the crates, without catching upon those ad- joining, and upsetting them, as is often the case with the common one. These baskets are made square, conse- quently pack very closely together, leaving no vacant spaces between them. An excellent basket for Raspber- ries. Made by T. J. Park, Marlboro, Ulster County, N. Y. Price, $3.00 per 100. fiiotliic Tree IPa-Biit 15ox. This box is intended to be given away Avith the friiit. They are of an octagon shape, as shown in fig. Ill, made of veneer, and can be sent in flats and put together by the fruit grower, thus saving much expense in transjjortation. *^. I'll— t '^toiiiiiiiiJiiiii liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Fig. 111.— GOTHIC FREE FKUIT BOX. Fil^. 113.— COOK'S CASKET. The material, all ready to be put together, is furnished by F. II. Lumus & Co., the manufacturers, for $10 per 1000. Cook's-Basket. This is a very neat and pretty basket, very strong and durable. Some of our fruit groAvers object to it on ac- count of the small strips of Avhich it is made, because, as tlie berries settle, they are injured, by being cut by the sharp edges. It is, however, an excellent basket, and well worthy of the attention of the cultivator of the small fruits. Manufactured by D. Cook, New Haven, Conn. PREPARATION FOR GATHERING FRITIT. 265 Guernsey l^riiit Sox. This is a round box, fig. 113, made of tliin veneer and reversible, as either end may be used as the cover, there being a thin band within which holds both ends to- =, gether. This box would \:^ answer better for Currants J and Gooseberries, than for Raspberries and similar fruit, as it is not ventilated ; but this might be done by boring holes through one _ 113.-GUERNSET BOX. ^^^^ Mauufactured by Wm. B. Guernsey. Price, $50 per 1000. .Io]ii!i«»tou''s I*remiiim Fi-wit Case " Is made up of four trays 17 inches wide, 23 inches long, and 3 inches deep, holding a little over one half bushel; side pieces (1, in fig. 114) half inch thick, 3 inches Avide, 23 inches long ; ends (2) f inch thick, 3 inches Avide and 19^ inches long ; bottoms of three upper trays -y inch tliiek ; standards (5) 2 inches by f by 15 ; cover cleats (6) 2 inches by f by 18 ; tops (4) 24 inches by 6 by f ; handles (2) 23 inches by 2 by f ; bottoms of case 24 inches by 6 by -^ ; the bottom tray is made of heavier stuff, sides (4,, in fig. 115) f inch thick, end 1^ inch thick and sides are let in to the ends as seen in 1 -, this tends to strengthen the standard, 2, which is firmly nailed to both side and end pieces. The trays are separated by slats f inch by 2 inches, with the ends projecting about \ an inch, as 12 114. — JOHNSTON'S CASE. 266 SMALL FRUIT CULTUEIST. seen in fig. 14. The cover lias also a narrow slat at each end. The cover is fastened by bending a piece of hoop iron aronnd the standard, and fastening it to both sides of the cover cleats with screws, and a spring made of the same is attached to the inside edge of the standard, runs up through, and hooks over the band of hoop iron, the stand- ard being sawed out to admit of working the sprmg, as seen in fig. 14, Care should be taken to make the trays all square, and the covers all alike, so that each Avill fit in any case. In order to have the standards all alike, the handles should not be put on until after the covers are. In getting out a bill of material, have it sawed in planks at the saw mill, as thick as you want the pieces wide, and have it worked up by circular saw." I am not aware that this style of case is in use at the East, but it is a western invention, and used by growers in that section. Smif li*s Orapc Itox. Though made with reference to packing grapes, this box will answer for Currants, Gooseberries, and those fruits that do not especi- ally need ventila- tion. The sides of ': this box are made of veneer, cut part- J ly through at the - edges where it bends over the end S pieces, which are thick enough to al- Fig. 116.— smith's gkape box. low the sides to be nailed to them. The cover fastens down by tacking the flap to the ends. They are made with the sides, top and bottom all in one piece, as shown in figure 116, or with Biiiiiii'""" PEEPAEATIOK FOR GATHERIKG FEUIT. 267 these in two pieces, so tliat it is reversible and may be opened at either top or bottom. Patented and made by J. B. Smith, Ansoiiia, Conn. Boxes to hold 5 lbs. of gi'apes, in the flat, nails included, for $60 per 1000. GATHERING FRUIT. In sectioDS where the small fruits are grown extensive- ly, women and children are chiefly employed to gather them, being paid so much per basket. The small Jersey Strawberries are generally pulled, as it is called, or separated from the calyx, or hull, when picked ; with the larger kinds it is left on. The price paid for picking varies from seventy-five cents to one dol- lar twenty-five cents per hundred for the small baskets, and three to five cents per quart for the larger Strawber- ries, Raspberries and Blackberries. At these prices, an expert hand will make two to three dollars j)er day Avhere the fruit is abundant. The fruit should always be gathered in dry weather, and none should be picked in the morning while the dew is on. The usual method practiced in the larger plantations is something like the following : A tent or temporary shed is erected in or near the field in which the fruit is grown, and the superintendent remains in this and takes charge of the fruit as it is brouglit in, giving each picker a ticket, stating the number of baskets brought in. When one or two hundred baskets are gath- ered, then the small tickets are taken up and a large one given, on which is printed good for one, two, or more dollars, as the case may be. These tickets are redeemed at the end of the week, provided the holder retains them until that time ; but with some a week is a very long time to keep a promise to pay, and they sell them. In some portions of New Jersey, and perhaps elsewhere, these 268 SMALL FRUIT CULTUniST. T'lff. 117. — BASKET STAND. tickets pass current at the stores in the vicinity, and the merchants take them in exchange for goods, and when the season is over, present them to the proper persons for re- demption. At the time of gathering, each picker is furnished with a stand, figure 117, hokling ten to twenty-five baskets. When all are filled, they are carried to the tent and put into the crates, ready for sending to market. The small Jersey baskets are put into crates holding from one hundred and fifty to two hundred each, but when pint and quart baskets are used, from thirty to sixty go in a crate. The pickers have to conform to certain rules promulgat- ed by the nabob of the tent, for there must be discipline and system observed in fruit gathering, as in every other business, to produce the best result. No picker must be allowed to encroach upon his neighbor, and wlien a row or bed is selected at the start, it must be retained until all the fruit for that time is gathered. The next bed or row must be taken by Jot — and no dodging because it happens to be a poor one. The time of the vintage is one of rejoicing in the vine countries of Europe, and equally so is the time of gather- ing the small fruits in America. Good feelings prevail on all sides, and particularly if the crop is abundant, for both. em])loyer and the employed are abundantly rewarded for their labor. TABLE OF DISTANCES. 269 TABLE- OF DISTANCES. To sJiow at a glance the number of JiiUs or jilanfs contained in an acre of land, at any given distance from each otlm\from 40 feet by 40, to 1 foot by 1, omitting fractions. Divide the amount by ICO, zvUl sltow the No. for 1 rod. feet feet per acre \feet feet Xier aa-e feet feet\per acre \feet feet per acre 40 by 40 27 111 jy 5 792 5 6byl 6 5280 3 3by3 4818 39 . . 39 28 10 . 10 435 — ..10 7930 — ..29 4883 38 .. 38 30 — . 8 544 5 .. 5 1743 -..26 5361 37 . . 37 31 — . 6 726 — ..46 1936 — ..23 5956 36 . . 36 33 — . 5 871 — ..4 2178 — ..20 6701 a5 . . 35 35 — . 4 1089 — ..30 2904 — ..19 7658 34 .. ai 37 — . 3 1453 — ..3 6 3484 — . . 1 6 8935 33 . . 33 40 — 2 2178 — .2 4.356 - . . 1 3 10733 33 . . 32 43 — ; 1 4.356 — ..16 5808 — ..10 13403 31 . . 31 45 9 . 9 537 — ..10 8719 3 .. 3 4840 30 .. 30 48 — . 8 605 4 6 . . 4 6 2151 — ..29 5389 39 .29 51 — . 6 806 - . . 4 2420 — ..36 5808 28 .. 28 55 — . 5 968 — . . 3 6 2765 — ..23 (M53 27 ..27 59 — . 4 1210 — . . 3 3336 — ..20 7360 26 . . 26 (U — . 3 1613 — . . 2 6 .3873 — ..19 8397 25 . . 25 09 — . 2 2420 — ..20 4840 — ..16 9(i80 24 . . 21 75 — . 1 4840 — ..16 64.53 — ..13 11616 23 . . 23 82 8 . 8 680 — ..10 9680 — ..10 14530 23 22 90 — . 6 905 4 .. 4 2722 2 9 .. 2 9 5760 21 '. ; 21 98 — . 5 1089 — ..39 2904 — ..2 6 6336 20 . . 20 108 — . 4 1361 — . . 3 6 3111 — . . 2 3 7040 — ..15 145 — . 3 1815 — . . 3 3 3.350 — ..20 7920 — .. 10 217 — . 2 1733 — . . 3 .3630 — ..19 9051 — .. 5 4.35 — . 1 5445 — ..26 4.356 — ..16 10.5()0 19 ..19 130 7 . 7 888 — ..23 ..iSM — ..13 12673 — . . 15 153 — . 6 6 957 — ..2 5445 — ..10 15840 — .. 10 239 — . 6 1037 — ..19 6233 2 6 .. 2 6 6969 — .. 6 458 — . 5 1344 — . . 1 6 7360 — . . 2 3 7740 18 . . 18 131 . 4 6 1:383 — ..13 8712 — ..20 8713 — .. 15 161 - . 4 1555 — ..10 10890 — ..19 99,50 — .. 10 243 — . 3 6 1777 3 9.. 3 9 3097 — . . 1 (i 11616 — .. 6 4^1 — . 3 2074 — ..36 3318 — ..13 1.3939 17 .. 17 150 — . 2 6 2489 — ..33 3574 — ..10 17424 — . . 15 170 — . 3 3111 — ..3 3872 2 3 .. 2 3 8604 — .. 10 2-56 — . 1 G 4148 3 9 .. 2 9 4224 — ..20 96S0 — . . 5 512 - . 1 6333 — ..2 6 4646 — ..19 110(;3 16 . . 16 170 . 6 1310 — ..23 5163 — ..16 13906 — .. 15 175 — . 5 6 1330 . — ..2 5808 — . . 1 3 1.5488 — .. 10 272 — . 5 1453 — ..19 6637 — ..10 19360 — .. 5 544 — . 4 6 1613 — ..16 7744 3 . . 2 10890 15 ..15 193 — . 4 1815 — ..13 9272 — ..19 13445 — .. 10 290 — . 3 6 2074 — ..10 11616 — ..16 14530 — .. 5 580 — . 3 ^30 3 6 .. 3 6 3535 — ..13 17424 14 . . 14 233 — . 2 6 2904 — ..33 3839 — ..10 21780 - .. 10 811 — . 2 3630 — ..30 4148 1 9 ..1 9 1423:3 622 — . 1 6 4840 — . . 2 9 4o25 -..16 16504 13 '.'. 13 2.57 - . 1 7260 — . . 3 6 4978 — . . 1 3 19913 — .. 10 335 5 6 . 5 6 1417 — ..23 5531 — ..10 34454 — .. 5 670 — . 5 1584 — ..30 6333 1 6 .. 1 6 19.360 12 . . 12 303 — . 4 6 1760 — ..19 7111 — . . 1 3 233:J3 — .. 10 363 — . 4 1980 — ..16 8397 — . ; 1 39040 — .. 5 730 — . 3 6 2362 — ..13 9956 1 3 . . 1 3 27878 11 ..11 360 — . 3 2640 — ..10 12445 — ..10 34848 — .. 10 396 — . 2 3960 3 3.. 3 3 4134 1 . . 1 43560 GENERAL INDEX. Synonyms are put in Italics. .fficidiiim Berberidis 29 Argema obtusatum S3 Barberr-t . 20 " Culture of 25 " History of 21 " Diseases of 29 " Mildew 29 '' Propagation 21 " Black-fruited. 28 " Chinese 28 " Common 20-2.5 " Cretan 28 " Iberian 28 '• Magellan Sweet 20 " Nepaul 20 " Purple-fruited 28 " Purple-leaved 27 " Siberian 28 " Sweet-fruited 27 " Violet-fruited 28 " White-fruited 27 " Yellow-fruited 28 Basket, American 258 " Cook's 264 " Jersey 257 " Square Chip 263 Basket Stand 208 Berberis 20 " aristata 20 " Asiatica 20 " buxifolia 20 " Canadensis 20 " Chitra 20 '• Cretica 28 " Iberica 28 " rotundifolia 20 " Sibirica 28 " Sinensis 28 " vulgaris 20-25 " " alba 27 270 Berberis, vulgaris asperma 27 " " dulcis 27 " " glauca 27 " " longifolia 27 " " lutea 28 " " mitis 28 " " nigra 28 " purpurea 28 " violacea 28 Blackberry 168 Albion 179 Cape May 175 Claret 179 Col. Wilder 179 Common High 168 Crystal White 181 Cultivation 171 Cumberland 174 Cut-Leaved 172 Cutter's Mulberry 181 Dr. Warder 181 Dorchester 175 European 170 Felton 175 Holcomb 175 Kittatinny 175 Lawton 178 Low 169 Low Bush 169 Mason's Mountain 181 Needbam's White 179 Newman's Thornless 178 NewRochelle 178 Par.sle3'-Leaved 173 Propagation of 171 Pruning Shears 172 Pruning Hook 173 Running Swamp 169 Sand 169 Seacor's J/ammolh 178 GENERAL INDEX, 271 Blackberry, Washington 181 " Wilson's Early 179 Blueberry, Canada 2-17 Dwarf 247 " Swamp 247 Blue Dangleberry 246 Buflalo Berry 251 Cherry, Comeliau 225 Cheriy, Dwarf .183 Cloud Berry 115 Cornel 225 Cornelian Cherry 225 Cornus mascula 225 Ckanbekrt 231 " Applying water to 239 " Bush 232 " Common 231 " Cultivation of 239 " Gathering 240 " History of 232 " Insects 241 " Planting 237 " Preparation of Soil for 234 " Profits of Culture ^ . 244 " Propagation 233 " Selection of Plants. . , 238 " Small 231 " Upland Culture 242 " Varieties of 240 Crows and Fruit Culture &4 CUEEANT 186 " Foreign Varieties 202 " History of 187 " Insects and Diseases 196 " Native Varieties 199 " Propagation from Cuttings. 190 " Propagation from Layers. . . 192 " Propagation from Seeds.-. . .188 " Propagation from Suckers. .192 " Pruning and training 193 " Soil and Cultivation 192 " Attractor 203 " American Black 199 " Black English 209 " Black Grape 210 " Black Naples 210 " Black Varieties 204 " Brown Fruited 211 " Buist's Long-Bunched Kcd . 204 " Cassis Boycil of Naples 210 " Champagne 204 " Cherry 204 Currant, Clarke's Sweet 209 Dana's White 205 Deseret ...199 Fertile d' Angers of Leronj . .204 Fertile de Palluau 206 Fetid 186 Gloire de Sablous 206 Golden 200 Goliath 208 Goudouin Red 206 Gondouin White 206 Green Fruited 211 Gros Rouge d' Angers 206 Holland Long Grape 206 Houghton Castle 208 Imperial Jaune 200 Imperial Rouge 204 Imperial Yellow 206 IrUh Grape 204 KriighVs Early Red 207 Knights' Large Red 207 Knights' Sweet Red 207 La Caucase 204 La Fertile 207 LaHative 207 La native de Be;iin 207 Large Red Angers 204-206 Large Red Dutch 207 Long Bundled Red 207 Macrocarpa 204 May's Victoria 208 Missouri 187 Missouri Black 200 Missouri Sweet Fruited 201 Morgan's Red 207 Napoleon Red 204 New Red Dutch 207 New White Dutch 209 Ogden's Black Grape 210 Pheasant's Eye 204 Prince Albert 207 Profits of Culture 211 Roby Castle 208 Red 187 Red Dutch 207 Red Flowering 187 Red Grape 208 Red Grape 208 Red Imperial 204 Red Provence 208 Reeves' White 209 Rouge a Grosse Fruit 207 273 GENEKAL INDEX. Currant, Fi/s^ia7i Green 211 Striped Fruited 208 Trausparent White 208 Uses of 211 " Versailles 205 " Victoria 208 " While Anhvei'j} 209 " White Clinton 209 " White Crystal 209 " White Dutch 209 " White Grape 209 " Wiite Holland 209 " TI7«Ye Imperial 206 " White Leghorn ..-. 209 " Wliite Pearl 209 " White Provence 209 " White Transparent 209 " Wilmofs Bed Grape 208 Wild Black 186 Dangleberry, Blue 246 Dewberry 109 Dwarf Cherry 1S3 Forcing Houses 74 Fragaria 31 " collina 32 " elatior 32 " grandiflora 32 " Indica 32 " monophylla Ill " vesca 31 " Virginiana. , 32 Fruit Box, Free 261 " Gothic Free 264 " Guernsey. ; 265 " Hallock'8 259 " Smith's 206 Fruit Case, Johnston's Premium.. . .265 Gathering Fruit 255-267 Gaylussacia frondosa 246 " resinosa 247 GOOSEBERKT 214 American Bed 223 Cluster 223 Cluster Seedling 223 Downing 222 Butch Joe 233 Foreign Species 215 Foreign Varieties 223 History 216 Houghton's Seedling... 222 Insects Injurious to 230 Mountain Seedling 222 Gooseberry,Native Species 214 " Native Varieties 222 " Pale Bed 223 " Prize English Varieties.222 Profits of Culture 221 " Propagation of. 216 " Pruning and Training. . 217 ' ' Boberts' Sweet Water .... 223 " St. Clair 222 " Small Leaved 215 Smooth 214 " Soil and Culture 219 " Swamp 215 Grosse de Buffle 251 Hyppophae argentea 251 Huckleberry 246 Black ^7 " Dwarf 24T " High-bush 347 Insects. " Abraxis Grossulariata 196 " " ribearia 197 " Blackberry Bush Borer 141 " Byturus tomentosus 141 " Cecidomya Grossularias 221 " Currant Borer, American. . .198 " " Borer, European 198 Worm 19G " Gooseberry Bark-louse 220 " " Midge 221 Moth 221 " Lecanium Cynosbati 220 " Magpie Moth 196 " May Beetle 83 " Mealy Plata 220 " Pa;ciloptera primosa 220 Plant-Lonse 86 " Prenocerus supernotatus. . .198 " Trochilium caudatum 199 " " tipulifomie 198 M^'hiteGrub 83 Introduction 7 Microsphoeria Berberidis 30 Mulberry 115 Number of Plants to the Acre 269 Preparation for Gathering Fruit. . . 255 Propagation, by Cuttings 23 " Green-wood Cuttings.. 34 " Root Cuttings 117 Prunus pumila 184 Rabbit Berry 251 GENERAL INDEX, 273 Raspbekrt 114 " Americau Black 141 " Black 115 " 'Black-Cap,Propagationofl23 " Brand 140 Rust 140 " Disease and Insects 140 " Duration of Plants 139 " Dwarf 115 " European 110 " Garden Culture of 137 " History of. 110 " Planting and Culture... .131 " Propagation of 117 " Pruning of 134 " Purple Flowering 114 " Selection of Plants 131 " Training of 135 " Varieties for Family Use. .106 " Varieties for Market 107 " White Flowering 115 " Wild Red 115 " Winter Protection of. 130 " Allen's Antwerp 151 " Allen's Red Prolific 151 " American Improved 142 " American Red Cane 147 " American White Caj) 142 " Antwerp 156 " Antwerp Red 156 " Antwerp Yellow 150 " Bayley's Perpetual 158 " Barnet 150 " BarmVs Antwerp 156 " Beehive 105 " Belle de Foutenay 157 " Belle de Palluau 158 " Brentford Cane 157 " BrincUe's Orange 163 " Bromley Hill 165 " Bv.rley's Antwerp 156 " Burlington 157 " Catawissa 140 " Chili Monthly 105 " Clarke 158 '• Col. Wilder 159 " Cope 159 " Cornish 105 " Cornwall's Prvlijk 156 ' ' Cornwall" s Seedling 156 " Cretan Red 159 " CushiDg 150 12* Raspberry, Cutbush's Prince ofWalesl59 " Cos's Honey 165 " Davison's Thornless 143 ' ' Doolittle's Black Cap 143 " Doolittle's Red-Flavored Black 143 " Downing 166 " Double Bearing 100 " Double Bearing Yellow. . .156 " Duhring 160 " Early Prolific 165 Ellisdale 146 Elsie 143 Emily 106 " English Antwerp 156 Fastolflr 100 Fillbasket 100 " Foreign Varieties 155 " Franconia 161 " French 161 Fulton 101 " Gardiner 147 " General Patterson 161 Golden Cap 142 " Hornet 101 " HowlaiuVs Antiverp 156 " Hudson River Antwerp. . . 156 " Huntsman's Giant 162 " Imperial 162 ' ' Improved Black Cap 142 " Jillard's Seedling 165 " Joslyn's Improved 142 Jouet 162 " Keystone 165 Kirtland 154 " Knevetts Antwerp 156 " Knevet's Giant 162 " Large Fruited Monthly. . . 102 " Large Red 156 " Longworth 165 " Lord Exmouth 156 " Magnum Bonum 163 " Marvel of the Four SeasonsWB " Merveille Quatre Saisons.136 " Miami Black Cap 143 ' ' Montldy Black Cap 143 Mote's Seedling 166 " Mrs. Ingersoll 165 " Mrs. Wilder 166 " Naomi 163 " New Everbearing 106 " New Bed Antwerp 156 274 GENERAL INDEX. B&spherryNbiihumlierkmdMUbctsketKiO " Nottingham Scarlet. ... .160 " Ohio Everbearing 143 " Old Bed Antwerp 156 " Orange ... 163 " Pearl 154 " Philadelphia 147 " Pilate 163 " Princess Alice 166 " Purple Cane 147 " Purple Cane Family 144 " Richardson 166 " Bivers' New Monthly 162 " Rivers' Seedlings 163 " RusseirsRed .161 " St. Louis 166 " Scarlet 154 " Semper Fidelis 164 " Seneca Black Cap 143 " Souchettii 164 " Spring Grove 166 " Stoever 154 " Summit Black Cap 144 " Superb 166 " Superb d' Angleterre 166 " Surpasse Merveille 166 " Surprise 144 " Taylor's Paragon 166 " Thornless Blackcap 143 " True Bed Antwerp 156 "■ Vice Pi-esident French 161 " Victoria 157 " Walker 164 " W7iite Antwerp 156 " White Transpiarent 164 " Wild Red 149 " Wilmot's Early Red 166 " Woodside 144 " Woodward 166 Woodward's Red Globe. .166 " Yellow Cap 142 Yellow Chili 165 Ribes 186 " anreum 187 " cuneifolium 215 " Cynosbati. . . 214 " divaricatum 215 " floridum 186 " gracile 215 " Grossularia 215 " hirtellum 214 " , lacustre 215 Ribes microphyllum 215 " nigrum 187 "f oxycanthoides 215 prostratum 186 rotundifolium 215 rubrum 187 sanguineum 187 Uva crispa 215 Root Cuttings 117 Rubus 114 " Canadensis 169 " Chamfemorus 115 " cuneifolins 169 " fruticosus 170 " hispidus 169 " Idieus 116 " Japonicus 116 " ladniatus 173 " macropetalus 116 " Nutkanus 115 " occidentalis US " odoratus 114 " spectabilis 170 " strigosus 115 " triflorus 115 " trivialis 169 " villosus 168 Shephcrdia 251 " argentea 251 " Canadensis 254 Slugs 85 Strawbeert 31 " Brand 83 " Culture, Annual 63 " " Biennial 62 " " Garden 64 " " Rows and Hills. 63 " Diseases and Insects 83 " Forcing 70 " History of.... 32 " Houses for 74 " Hybridizing andCrossing 7t> " Manures for 54 " Planting and Cultivation 60 " Preparation of Plants... 57 " Propagation of 48 " " by Division of Roots 53 " " by Runners 52 " " by Seeds 50 " Sexuality of. 39 " Soil and Situation 53 " Structure of Plants. . -.46 GENERAL INDEX. 275 strawberry, Thinuing the Fruit 76 " Tiles 07 " Time to plant 56 " Varieties for Forcing — 75 Vase 67 " Winter Protection 70 List of Varieties. Admiral Dimdas 104 Agriculturist 88 Albion White 95 Alpine 31 Alpine Blanc 110 Alpine Red .110 Alpine Red Monthly 110 Alpine Itoitge 110 Alpine White 110 Alpine White Monthly 110 Alpine Varieties 110 Ambrosia 104 Amencan Aljnne 110 American Queen 101 Austin 88 Autwmuil Oalande 110 Baltimore Scarlet 89 Barnes' Seedling 102 Baron Beman de Linnick 104 Bartlett 88 Belle Artesienue 105 Belle Bordelaise Ill Belle de Vibert 105 Berancon 110 Bicolor 105 Bijou 105 Black Hautbois 112 Bont6 de St. Julien 104 Boston Pine 88 Bouled'Or 104 Boyden's Mammoth 102 Brighton Pine 89 Brooklyn Scarlet 89 Brooks' Prolific 89 Buffalo 96 Bunce 91 Burr's New Pine 89 Bush Alpine, Red Ill 3ush Alpine, White Ill Byberry 101 Caperon Royale 112 Carnolia Magna .105 Caucasian Ill CMliau 91 Chorlton's Prolific 89 Clinton 103 Col. Ellsworth 90 Crimson Cone 90 Crimson Favorite 90 Cutter's Seedling 91 Dagge's Seedling 102 Dent de C/ieval HO De Montr euU a Fruit Blanc HO De MontreuU a Fruit Rouge 110 De Montreuil a Marteau 110 Deptford Pine 105 Des Alpes a Fruit Rouge 110 Diadem 92 Dioecious Hautbois HI Double Bearing 113 Downer's Prolific 91 Duke de Malakoff 105 Durand's Seedling 91 Early Scarlet 93 Eclipse 93 Eliza 105 Elton Improved 105 Emily 93 Emma 105 Empress Eugenie 105 Faulkner's King 98 Fillmore 92 Foreign Varieties 103 French's Seedling 98 Fi-issant HO Frogmore Late Pine 105 Garibaldi 103 General McCleUan 96 General Scott 102 Genesee 103 Georgia Mammoth 93 Germantown 94 Gilbert's Large Brown Ill Globe Hautbois 112 Glory de Nancy Aljyine 110 Golden Seeded 93 Golden Queen 93 Goliath 106 Great Eastern 93 Green 32 Green Alpine Ill Green Pine Apple y, Ill Green Prolific 93 Green Wood. . HI Gwentver 106 Haquin 106 276 GENERAL INDEX. Hautbois 32 Hautbois Varieties Ill Hermaphrodite 113 Hero 100 Hillman 100 Hooker 94 Hovey 94 Huntsman's Montivideo 102 Ida 94 India 32 Iowa 94 Jenny Liud 102 Jucuuda 106 Kate 106 Kimberly Pine 107 Knox's 700 106 La Constante 107 Ladies' Pine 94 Lady Finger 95 La Mendonaise 110 Large-flowering 32 La Sultanne 107 Lc Baron 94 Leed's Prolific 102 Leunig's Wliite 95 Leon de St. Laiimer 107 Little Monitor 102 Long Fruited Muscatell 112 Lougwortli's Prolific 95 Lorenz Booth 107 Lucas 107 Lucida Perfecta 107 Marguerite 107 Mc'Avoy's Superior 96 Mead's Seedling 96 Metcalfs Early 96 Monitor 97 Monstrous Hautbois 112 Musky Hautbois Ill Napoleon III 107 Native Varieties 88 Newark Prolific 93 New Jersey Scarlet 97 Newland 91 Old John Browu 97 One-Leaved Alpine Ill Oscar 108 Perry's Seedlilig '. . 97 Philadelphia 102 Hrbe Apple 90 Poitou Alpine Monthly 110 Powdered Pine Ill Prince's Frederick William 108 Prince's Seedling 101 ProUnc Alpine 110 Prolific Hautbois 112 Pyramidal Chilian 91 BegenVs Dwarf 112 Ripawam 98 Russell's Prolific . . 98 Sabrenr 108 Sacombe 112 Scarlet Alpine 110 Scarlet Magnate 99 Scarlet Punner 99 Scotch Rimner 99 Scotch Runner 90 Scott's Seedling 99 Shaker 88 Sir Joseph Banks 112 Souvenir de Kieff. 108 Starr's Seedling 103 Stinger's Seedling 00 TrenMy's Union 102 Triomphe de Gand 108 Topsy - .103 Versailles Alpine Monthly 110 Vicomtesse Hericart de Thury. . . .1C9 Victoria 109 Victory 103 Ville de Bois 110 Vineuse de Nantes 109 Virginian 32 Walker 103 Ward's Favorite 103 Washington 94 White Pineapple 95 TT7«'fe Wood Strawberry Ill Williams'' Green Pine Ill Wilson's Albany 99 Wood 31-111 Younrts Seedling 94 Rejected Varieties 112 Table of Distances 269 Thimble Berry 115-141 Vaccinium 246 " Canadense 347 " corymbosum 247 " erythrocarpon 232 " macrocarpon 231 " Oxycoccus 231 " Pennsylvanica 317 Wire-Worms 85 AMERICAN POMOLOGY. APPLES. By Doct. JOHJV A.. AVAUDEU, PRESIDENT OHIO POMOLOGICAL SOOIETT; VICE-PEESIDES'T AMEEICAN POMOLOGICAI, SOCIETY. S93 II.i:.USTKATaOI\S. Tins volume has about 750 pages, the first B75 of T\'liicli are de- voted to the discussion of the general subjects of propagation, nur- sery culture, selection and planting, cultivation of orchards, care of fruit, insects, and the like ; the remainder is occupied with descrip- tions of apples. With the richness of material at hand, the trouble ■was to decide what to leave out. It will be found that while the old and standard varieties are not neglected, the new and promising sorts, especially those of the South and "West, have prominence. A list of selections for different localities by eminent orchardists is a valuable portion of the volume, while the Analytical Index or Catalogue Raisonne, as the French would say, is the most extended American fruit list ever published, and gives evidence of a fearful amount of labor. CONTENTS. Chapter I IIVTRODUCTORY. Chapter II HISTORY OP THE APPLE. Chapter III PROPAGATION. Buds and Cuttings— Grafting— Budding— The Nursery. Chapter rV— DWARFIIVG. Chapter V.— DISEASES. Chapter VI THE SITE FOR AN ORCHARD. Chapter VII PREPARATION OF SOIL FOR AN ORCHARD. Chapter VIII SELECTION AND PLANTING. Chapter IX — CULTURE, Etc. Chapter X PHILOSt)PHY OF PRUNING. Chapter XI.— THINNING. Chapter XII.-RIPENING AND PRESERVING FRUITS. Chapter XIII and XIV — INSECTS. Chapter XV.-CHARACTERS OF FRUITS AND THEIR VALUE— TERMS USED. Chapter XVI.— CLASiBfft'ICATION. Necessity for— Basis of— Characters— Sliape— Its Eegn- larity— Flavor— Color— Their severTil Values, etc.. De- scription of Apples. Chapter XVII.-FRUIT LISTS— CATALOGUE AND INDEX OF FRUITS. Sent Post-Paid. Price $3.00. ORANGE JUDD & CO., 41 PARK ROW, NEW-YORK. GARDENING FOR PROFIT, In the Market and Family G-arden Bt Petee Henderson. FIl^EL-Sr ILIjXTSTR.A.TEI>- This is the first work on Market Gardening ever published in this country. Its author is well known as a market gardener of eighteen years' successful experience. In this work he has recorded this experience, and given, without reservation, the methods necessary to the profitable culture of the commercial or It is a work for which there has long been a demand, and one which will commend itself, not only to those who grow vegetables for sale, but to the cultivator of the FAMILY GARDEN, to whom it presents methods quite different from the old ones gen- erally practiced. It is an original and purely American work, and not made up, as books on gardening too often are, by quotations from foreign authors. Every thing is made perfectly plain, and the subject treated in all its details, fi-om the selection of the soil to preparing the products for market. CONTENTS. Men fitted for the Business of Gardening. The Amount of Capital Required, and "Working i'orce per Acre. Profits of Market Gardening. Location, Situation, and Laying Out. Soils, Drainage, and Preparation. Manures, Implements. Uses and Management of Cold Frames. Formation and Management of Hot-bedB. Forcing Pits or Green-houses, Seeds and Seed Raising. How, When, and Where to Sow Seeds. Transplanting, Insects. Packing of Vegetables for Shipping. Preservation of Vegetables in Winter. Vegetables, their Varieties and Cultivation. In the last chapter, the most valuable kinds are described, and the culture proper to each is given in detail. Sent post-paid, price $1.50. ORANGE JUDD & CO., 41 Park Row, New-York. THE Wmk wmim BT ANDEEW S. FULLER. NEW AND ENLARGED EDITION. THE STANDARD WORK ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE HARDY GRAPE, AS IT NOT ONLY DISCUSSES PRINCIPLES, BUT ILLUSTRATES PRACTICE. Every thing is made perfectly plain, and. its teaoli- ings may lae fbllo^wed upon ONE VINE OR A VINEYARD The following are some of the topics that are treated : Growing New Vartjeties from Seed. Propagation by Single Buds or Eyes. Propagating Houses and their Management fully describh). How to Grow. Cuttings in Open Air, and how to Make Layers. Grafting the Grape — A Simple and Successful Method. Hybridizing and Crossing — Mode of Operation. Soil and Situation — Planting and Cultivation. Pruning, Training, and Trellises — all the Systems Exflainkd. Garden Culture — How to Grow Vines in a Door- Yard. Insects, Mildew, Sun-Scald, and other Troubles. Description of the Valuable and the Discarded Varieties. Sent post-paid. Price $1.50. Orange Judd &. Co., 4:1 Park Row. THE AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL ANNUAL For- 1 Se'T. A YEAR-BOOK FOR THE GARDENER, THE FRUIT GROWER, AND THE AMATEUR. This is the first of a series of Annuals intended to give a record of Ilorticultural progress. It contains among other articles : An Almanac and Calendar for each Month, giving hints for ■work. fJsefal Tables, giving amount of Seed to sow a given space ; number of Seeds to the ounce, etc. How Horseradisli is Grown for Market. By Peter Henderson. Growing Grape Vines from Cuttings witliout Artificial Heat. By William Patrick. Home Decorations, Ivr, IIanging Baskets, etc. Instructions for the making, planting, and management of these beautiful ornaments. By A. Bridgeman. The New Apples of 1866. The new varieties first brought to notice the past year. By Dr. J. A. Warder. New or Note-wortlsy Pears. A valuable article, by P. Barry. Native Grapes in 1866. From Notes furnished by Charles Downing, George W. Campbell, J. A. Warder, A. S. Fuller, and other grape growers. Small Fruits in 1866. Accounts of new varieties and older ones not yet fully tested. By A. S. Fuller. The Newer Garden Vegetables. The result of experiments with new culinary plants. By Fearing Burr, Jr., J. J. H. Gregory, and others. The Rarer Valuable Evergreens. By Thomas Meehan. The New Roses in 1866. Descriptions of the novelties. By John Saul. New Redding and other Plants of 1866. An account of how the recent importations have done the past year. By Peter Henderson. The NcTV Varieties of Gladiolus. By George Such. Engravings of Fruits, FloTvers, etc. List of those published in 1866. Horticultural Rooks and Periodicals in 1866. A list giving title, publisher's name, and price. Nurserymen, Seedsmen, and Florists. A list of the most prominent. A neat volume of 160 pages. Price, fancy paper covers, 50 cents ; cloth, 75 cent* Sent post-paid. JVEW-TOBK: OEANGE JUDD & CO., 41 Park Eow. THE AMERICAN AGRICULTURAL ANNUAL (Companion to the AMERICAN HOKTICIJLTTJKAL ANNUAL,) gi ^m-%tm gcrok Uv the inxmtw IT CONTAINS An Almanac and Hints about Work for each Month, WITH A RECORD OF RECENT PROGRESS IN AGRICULTURE, AND A Review of the Past Year, valuable contributed articles, and numerous convenient and useful Tables. All Essay on ©raining, by Col. Waring, Engineer of the Drainage of the New- York Central Park. By f;ir the most complete presentation of the subject which has been made for many years in this country. Some of the IVewest and Best Potatoes, with his own mode of culture, are described by William S. Carpenter. The Cnltwre of §org:hum is discussed by William Clough, Esq., Editor of the Sorgho Journal. How to Train the Horse, by Mr. S. F. Headley. The Culture of Yi''heat is discussed practically and philosophically by Mr. Harris. John Johnston's Practice in Fattening Sheep, like every thing from his ripe experience, is very valuable. Essential Features of a Good Barn, with Plan, by Dr. F. M. Hexamer. Recent Scientific Progress in Agriculture, by Professor S. W. Johnson, of Yale College. The above axe but a few of the articles comprised in this little volume, and which make it not only a RECORD OF PAST PROGRESS AND EXPERIENCE, but a HAND-BOOK FOR THE PRESENT and a GUIDE FOR THE FUTURE. Tills Tolame is tlie first of a Series to be issaed anuualJy. Price, in paper covers, 50 cents; cloth, 75 cents. Sent post-paid. ORAJ^GE JUDD & 00., 41 Park Row, New-York. Brack's New Book of Flowers. BY JOSEPH BRECK, PRACTICAL HORTICULTURIST. BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED. This work, while preserving scientific accuracy, is written in a familiar style, and with the enthusiasm of a life-long lover of flowers. The lessons of a practical acquaintance with the subject are plainly given, and though the author is never dry, his teachings are full of PRACTICAL COMMON SENSE. ALL DEPABTMEUTS OF OUT-DOOR GABDENIMSTG are treated, and the work really condenses into one volume what is in many cases distributed through several treatises on Bulbs, Annuals, Roses, etc. Bull)S. The cultivation of bulbs, whether indoors or in the open ground, is clearly described, and such instructions are given as will insure success with these favorite plants. Annuals. All the finer annuals are described, and the peculiar treatment necessary for each given in full. Herbaceous Perennials, This justly favorite class of plants is given here more at length than in any work with which we are acquainted. Bedding Plants. The treatment of the popular kinds of bed- ding plants is given, together with that of Dahlias, Chrysanthemums, and such as usually fall under the head of florist's flowers. Fl0"\vering Shrubs. A separate section is devoted to the hardy flowering shrubs, including a very full chapter upon the Rose. "We have no work which is so safe a guide to the novice in gardening, or that imparts the necessary information in a style so free from techni- calities. Not the least interesting part of the work is the author's personal experience, as he tells not only how he succeeded, but the mistakes he committed. Thus far it is "THE BOOK OF FLOWERS." Sent post-paid. Price, $1.75. ORANGE JUDD & CO., 4:1 Parh JRow, The Miniature Fruit Garden ; OK, THE CULTURE OF PYRAMIDAL AHD BUSH FRUIT TREES BY THOMAS RIVERS. ILLUSTRATED. Mr. Kiters is one of the oldest and best known of the English nursery- men and orchardists. The popularity that his work has attained in Eng- land is shown by the fact that our reprint is from the Thirteenth London Edition, This treatise is mainly devoted to Dwarf Apples and Pear§. Nothing is more gratifying than the cultivation of dwarf fruit trees, and this work tells how to do it successfully. These miniature trees are beauti- ful ornaments, besides being useful in giving abundant crops of fruit ; they can be grown in Small Gardens and City Yards, and be removed without injury, almost as readily as a piece of furniture. The work also gives the manner of training upon walls and trellises. Root Pruning is fully explained, and various methods of protection from frosts are given. D^varf Clierries and Plums are treated of as are other dwarf trees. Directions are also given for growing Figs and Filberts. While written for the climate of England, its suggestions are valuable everywhere, and no one who grows dwarf trees should be without this little work, in which is condensed the whole practice of the author, and which, like all his writings, bears the marks of long experience in the practice of fruit growing. SENT POST PAID. PKICE, $1. ORANGE JUDD &. CO., 41 Park Row. COPELAND'S COUNTRY LIFE. A COEViPENDIUM OP Agricultural and Horticultural PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE. Beautifully Illustrated. It contains Descriptions, Hints, Suggestions, and Details of great value to every one interested in Fruit, Flowers, Vegetables, or Farm Crops. " It con- tains 926 large Octavo Pages, and 250 Engravings. Describing and Il- lustrating nearly the whole range of topics of interest to the FARMER, the GARDENER, the FRUIT CULTURIST, and the AMATEUR. It is adapted not only to those owning large and Elegant Estates, but con- tains directions for the best arrangement of the smallest Plots, down to the City Yard, the Roof or Window Garden, or the simple Flower Stand. It also gives an abstract of the Principles, Construction, and Management of Aquariums. Among numerous other matters it treats of Draining, Giving best methods, estimates of cost, trenches, tiles, etc., thus enabling almost any one properly to perform this important work. Cattle are carefully noticed with reference to the special merits of dif- ferent breeds for dairying or fattening. Sheep Management, including Breeding, Feeding, Prices, Profits, etc., receives attention, and a very full treatise on the Merinos is given. Orape Culture occupies a large space, embracing the opinions of men in all parts of the country, as to best sorts, planting, training, diseases, and general management for home use or marketing. Full L