VOL LIV.
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SEPT 30. 1899.
NO. 39
MoxiicuXtxxxz.
Tin peach requires potash for lta development, but in dry times thla ia often reverted
to Its Insoluble forms; more muat be added,
ur some mineral, like salt, to render it soluble again.
s  .	
The crab apple la to be desired both for lta
beauty and Its fruit, and can be placed where
r-pace le limited. Its large pinkish white
fljwera in early spring and ita valuable and
beautiful fruit entitle lt to a place in our estimation.
s   .	
It haa been declared that every strawberry
plant should produce a dollar; it would, therefore, behoove ua to be careful in setting them
oat. Let no root be exposed, and yet let no
dirt come higher than ivan with the top of
the plant.
We ahould do the cultivation and manuring
of our berry patches early in tbe spring and
rush along the vlnea to vigorous growth.
Plants which ripen their wood thoroughly
are those which get through the winter beet,
tnd a fruitful cause of loss la too much manure during the summer time.
s   .	
Dry manure in the eoil about treea le often
'cjurious rather than helpful. Usually the
roots do not come near tbe surface, and if the
manure ia plowed under ao aa to be near
them it makee the eubeoll dry, unless enough
water penetratea to the roots to begin rotting
It. It la only thoroughly wet manure which
can help treee.
s s
A fhuit plant with roots exposed to wind
and eun will die ae aoon as a fieh out of water.
A plant is a huge finder and a bard drinker.
Every little rootlet ia a constant aucker,
Merely taxing even the beet prepared aoll for
itr* sustenance, while ln that which ia poorly
prepared it literally starvee to death. It Ie
i:'.moet human in ita appreciation of care and
n»glect.
s  »
A coRREsi-osDEXT of Green's Fruit Grower
fnys: I have planted, perhaps, a million of
trees In my lifetime. I have met with but
few failures, and cannot remember having
watered any of these trees. If the eoil ls
made thoroughly fine before planting, If the
toll about the roots le pressed ln very firm, ae
>nm as a fence post, if the soil ie left loose on
the top and kept continuously locee by cultivation, the treea will live even through the
feieon may be dry.
BKTISED CATALOGUE OF FRUITS.
The revised catalogue of fiulte recommended for cultivation ln the various *ec-
>lona of the United Statea and the British
Province a. by the American Pomological Society, Bulletin No. 8, United Statea Department of Agriculture, Division of Pomology,
hie been received. The work of revision hae
bun done by a committee appointed by the
S>ciety with W. H. Ragan, of Greencastle,
Ind., as chairman. We take pride in noting
tils fact, last stated, tbat our veteran horticulturist, ao well known and beloved by all
our fruit growers, waa honored with a doty ao
^sponsible and important. No one who
in owe Air. Rigan need be told that he haa
dl*charged the truet with fidelity and ability.
We quote a paragraph or two from the introduction to explain the nature of the undertaking:
The revised catalogue of fruits prepared un-
d^rthe joint auspices of the American Penological Society and the Division of Po-
•nology of the United Statea Department of
Agriculture la herewith submitted.
In making thla revlson the chairman of the
committee on revision hae availed himself of
•he experience of his able predecessor, Hon-
1". T. Lyon, and, through correspondence, of
teany practical pomologlsts. Many aourcee
of Information have been  sought and repeat.
ed efforts have been made to eecure accurate
and conservative opinlona on tbe merits of
varieties and tbeir adaptability to the several
districts But notwithstanding these efforts
the chairman of your committee ie aware
that this revlelon ie not without defects .
The blgheat aim and desire of your committee hae been to present reliable data concerning the behavior of varietiee in various
sections of our country. If thia desire hae
not been realized lt has been largely due to
the dlfficultlee experienced ln outlining districts sufficiently homogeneous ln aoll, climate, and other Important features, and in
eecurlng responses to the numerous inquiries
eent out to practical fruit growera. While
theee dlfficultlee have been quite real, lt la yet
due the fruit growera to eay that they are aa a
class very generous ln giving out information
gathered through their experience.
Actuated by a desire to make the work aa
reliable ae poeelble and therefore a safe guide
to planters and othera seeking euch information, the work of thie revielon haa been done
at Washington, where easy access could be
had to the library and records of tbe Division of Pomology aa well aa opportunity for
frequent consultations with the pomologist
and hia score of assistants. All uncertainties
of origin, nomenclature, etc., have been carefully investigated with a view to . arriving at
correct conclusions.
The general plan of the catalogue ia based
on tbat of ite immediate predecessor, which
wae largely the work of that eminent pomolo-
glet, the former chairman of your committee
on revielon, Hon. T. T. Lyon, of Michigan,
The districts have been eomewhat changed In
boundaries and Increased ln number, ln order, If possible, to conform more closely to
practical ae well aa scientific principles. The
map bae also been enlarged and the boundaries of the districts made more distinct.
It is interesting to note that Indiana ie districted for the purposes of thia work with
Statea much further north. We copy the list
comprising the district [No. 2] ln which tbe
State ia included:
District No. 2—Nova Scotia: Maine below
500 leet elevation; New Hampshire and Vermont south of latitude 44 degrees; Massachusetts; Rhode Island; Connecticut; New
York eouth of latitude 44 degrees, except
Long Island; northern New Jersey above 500
feet elevation; Pennsylvania eaet of the Susquehanna river and above 500 feet elevation,
north of latitude 41 degrees west to the Allegheny river, and all of that portion of the
State lying north of the Ohio river; Ohio and
Indiana north of latitude 40 degrees; and the
lower peninsula of Michigan. The Annapolis
Valley of Nova Scotia, the North Atlantic
coast, the lake region of western New York,
Ohio and Michigan, and the Hudson River
Valley are the leading features of District Xo.
2. Thie may be considered the northern
grape, peach and winter apple district.
With thla catalogue ln hand we are prepared to inform our readera regarding the
adaptability of any of tho fruits named in
the bulletin, to our soil and climate. All
questions on the subject will be cheerfully
answered.
Wild Carrot and Parsnip.
EniToas Issiixa Fiaxia.
I see In the Fakmek of the 12th in Inquiries
regarding the wild parsnip, also answered ln
20th. I have taken tbe following from bulletin S3 Ohio Experiment Station:
Wild Carrot.—Wild carrot, eometlmes
called blrd'e nest, le a vile peat. It grows
from 2 to 4 feet high and hae a bristly stem
and mucb divided leaves, like the cultivated
parsnip. The flowers are in broad, showy
umbo's, whlchf turn Inward from the outside,
forming a neat bird-nest cavity. A bad weed
of the field and roadside.
"Seeda brown, ^ inch long; oval in outline,
with many white prlcklea ln llnea along tho
eeed. Often distributed ln clover seed and
among grasses.
Wild Parsnip.—"Wild parsnip la a familiar
weed too often neglected. It hae commonly
a thick, grooved stem, rather long leaflets, a
wide spreading umbel of yellow flowers and a
tuff root like tho cultivated parsnip. The
root le poleonous, even after cooking. Persons who havo eaten lt wero seriously attacked.
The weed ls found moro frequently ln moist
ground, but flourishes nearly everywhere.
"Seed whitish, thin, si Inch loDg, three,
sixteenths wide, carried to aome extent by tho
wind." C. B.
Howard Oo.
 srs>e	
Growing- Pansies.
It seems to be not generally known tbat the
Pansy, although an annual, ie perfectly hardy
when eown In tbe fall of the year, even
aa much eo aa the strawberry plant. I
wintered a bed of them the paet severe winter In fine condition. For beet success they
ehould be planted now. Sow thinly In ehort
rowe 8 inchee apart, ln rich eoil and ln full
eunshlne. Tbe rowe ehould be eaet and west
Caver the eeeds lightly, eay one-fourth of an
inch with fine black eoil or leaf-mold. Water
well, and never let the soli become dry
ae that would be fatal to tbe eeeda after
germination had begun and to guard agalnat
this, lay 6 or 8 Inch boards, ae long ae the
rows aro, right on them, which will keep off
heavy, beating rains. Watch them every day
and when they begin to push through the
eoil, aet the boards on the south elde of each
row, and leaning toward them at an angle of
45 degreen and fasten them thero with sticks.
The little plants will get the needed light and
they will be shielded from the scorching eun
and driving winds. When the planta are an
inch or eo high, eome rainy or cloudy day tv
move the boarde and give the plants full eun.
Water and hoe often; the ground abould never
bake around them. They may bloom aome
lato ln the fall. Oa the approach of cold
weather, say—before Chrletmae, cover them
lightly wltb clean etraw, and throw a few
bratrh or email etlcke on it to hold ln place-
Leavea are not eultable, they get too compact and would emotber tho planta. All
should be removed in the spring aa eoon aa
the growth begins, which with the paney ie alwaye early. They ehould have shallow culture if to remain ln the bed; or better etill,
apply a good mulch between the rowe, of
lawn clippings or other euch material, and
water often If showers are not frequent. But
for large flowers and long blooming trans
plant 0 inches apart in a rich bed colao by
tho north aide of the houso or other building.
Thie le the Ideal place for the paney, aud every
flower will turn lta face to the light apparently staring at you ae you paee. Any dealer
would gladly furnish an ample eupply of
seeds ln fine mixed colore at 10 to 25 .cents.
Some will think thie le lots of fuee, trouble
and work for a littlo flower; but only a few
minutes at a time, and at tbe right time la required. Try lt, and for once enjoy the grand
beauties.—Tboa. T. Newby, In Carthage Record.
measuring seven feet across. The man put
down a floor of punchoone—tbat ls, rough
slabs spill from smaller treo trunke. For a
bod they had dry leaves, and for covering,
aklneof varloue animala round about. The
woman knew how to dress them Indian fashion, so they served in largo part for clothes,
ae well ae cover.
An ax, a rlflo, a bullet pouch, a powder
horn, a hunting knife, an iron pot, a water
pall, a jug, two or threo big gourds, a bread
tray, and a meal bag summed up tbo family's
movable posscsslone. Cooking wae done
gypsy fashion at a log firo eomo little way off
tho entrance to tho treo. Generally tho pot
eat beside tho lire, summering and stewing.
Tho only bread wae ash cake. For drinking
there wae a choico of sassafras tea, unsweetened, and moonshine whisky.
Tho man, of couree, wae a mconehlner. He
waa aleo a dead ehot—particularly ln the caso
of a revenue officer. He wae able thua to
feed hia family by working about half tbo
time. Hia wife looked after the clothing,
exchanging surplus peltry twice a year for
coarse clotb, ealt and snuff at the nearest
croesroade store, fifteen miles away.
Eleven children were born ln the hollow
tree and grew up Into strapping men and
women. One of the boys stood C feet 9
inchee—when he could be permitted to etand
at all. Usually be carried himself in rather
the ehape of a crescent. Each of tbe 11 waa
cradled in tbe half of a smaller hollow tree,
smoothed out inside with the ax and imbedded with leaves. It did not need rockers,
rocking itself at the slightest touch, Ae tbe
big tree became crowded, hollow logs were
sought, ono for each child, chopped into convenient lengths, and dragged cloee about tbe
fire. Into their open enda the larger children
crept, feet foremost, turned their heada to the
fire and slept anug through all eorte of
weather. Of couree the logs were only for
atorme and severe weather. When It waa fine
tbe whole elept outdoors. It wae presumably
a happy family, and certainly a healthy one,
though lt went barefoot the year round and
never eo much ae heard of hygiene. Tbe
whole brood grew up innocent of contact
with doctors, ministers, or schoolmasters. Ae
tho owner of a eummer cottage down the valley eaid upon discovering them: "The truth
ia, they don't know enough to even be eick."
—Trl-Stato Fanner.
Children Born in a Tree.
It Is not an ancestral manelon, though it
haa been eome 500 yeare in building. The
beginning of lt wae a eturdy sapling, (tending In a tiny cove high on the eide of an Eatt
Tennesseo mountain. By and by tho sapling
became a big hollow tree. Notwithstanding
the hollow tree wae eo big a tall man could
He etretched at length ln lt, there wae an
vigorous leafy boughs for ehade. The hollow Itself wae rain and etorm proof, eo a
couple of tho mountain folk took up their
abode In lt.
They did not bother about furniture. There
waa  no room for lt, even ln a hollow tree
Cultivate the Orchard.
It hae been ehown at many experiment stations that an orchard tbat le cultivated will
grow more tban tbe orchard not cultivated.
All fruitgrowers know, or ahould know, that
any kind of fruit or vegetables muet bo cultivated to bring the beet results. There are
times, lt le true, when an orchard ehould not
be cultivated, e, g., when a poar or other orchard la affected by the blight, then It ehould
be eown down to graaa to keep lt from making too rapid growth.
The Illinois Experiment Station made experimenta to find the euperlority of cultivation over grass. They found that with Ben.
Davis apple treee the diameter of the trunke,
one foot above the eurface of the eoil, wae
about twice ee great in tho case of the cultivated plat aa in tbe caee of that ln the grasa.
In California, apricot trcee during one eeaeon
ln tho cultivated fields made a wood growth
of over three feet, while thoee in the uncultivated field made a growth of not three inchee,
on the experiment farm.
Cultivation makee a great change ln the
yield of fruit. If a man don't believe lt let
blm leave hie corn field untended, and he will
eoon be convinced. And If tbo soil be examined where a field hae been cultivated it will
be found to contain a greater amount of moisture than where the field hae not been cultl-
I vated. 0. O. B.
Howard Co.