The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-17
Notes From a CaroIina Garden.


ference in earlinesS between Sparks
Earliana and Maule's Earliest tomato.
Roth, too, are prolific. In size the
Maule'S Earliest has somewhat the
advantage. But unless one is a market
gardener purely he does not want too
many of the extra earlies. for the Sue
cess is coming in right along after
them, and is far smoother and more
solid and better. Neither do We want
many of the monstrous sorts like
Enormous and PonderoSa. 1t is law
i'll plant life that increase in size is al
ways attended by a smaller number of
fruits Hence, while these extra large
tomatoes are fine in quality and solid,
they are far less numerous than
smaller sorts. The little cherry and
pear and plum shaped tomatoes will
make ten times as many fruits as
Ponderosa, but of inferior quality.
But in Success and similar mid-seaSon
tomatoes we have all that need be de-
sired. They are large enough, smooth
er than the extra big ones and of as
good quality, and they exceed the
monsters in prOductiveneSS. Therefore
we grow the big ones only as curiosi-
ties, and the very small ones for
catsup, for they resist the Southern
blight better than the large ones, and
we can always depend on crop from
them.
l have an interesting experiment in
progress in the application of manure.
i have always been of the opinion that
manure spread on top of the land and
let lie all winter would be more eff
fective than if plowed under at once
or applied in the spring. Last fall
covered piece of land with COW ma
nure, clean manure free from any
litter, and L covered the ground COM
pletely. Another piece right along
side was manfred this spring with
horse manure well worked into the
soil. Both plats were set with egg
plants of same size from plots and
the second plat had a further mulch
of manure on the surface, which was
good protection from the intense
drought we have had. But the plants
in the first plat where the COW ma
nure laid on top of the ground all win
ter, are now double the size of the
plants in the heavily MANFRED land
this spring, and are showing bloom,
While the others of same age are not,
though both platS are flouriShing and
there are no signs of stunt about eth
er. The fall manfred plat has simply
grown the faster. This is in accord
ance with all of my experience, and
shows how the nitrification will take
place under a cover of manure during
the winter. 1 intend this fall to ma
nure all my garden over wheth-
er in crop or not Where there
are no winter vegetable crops l ex-
pect to have crimson clover and a
manure mulch will do no harm there,
either.
In the. flower garden we are now
getting a fine show of the newer
cannas. TarrytoWn is gorgeous
crimson with large heads Of bloom
throwA well above the foliage. Ro-
hallion is exceedingly dwarf and of
the same color. and L have it planted
in circular bed around the larry
town. Mrs. Kate Gray is growing I'M
mensely but not yet blooming, and is
surrounded by Pennsylvania. My
clump Of bamboo has thrown up tall
canes 10 feet high, and will soon be a
very conspicuous object on the lawn,
and being perfectly evergreen is as
attractive in winter as in summer.
Those who know the common parlor
ivy (Senicio Scandens) only as a plant
for hanging baskets and window box
es should try it as a veranda climber,
for it makes one of the most beautiful
climbers for this purpose. 1 set a
plant that had been in a wire basket
all winter on my veranda and it has
how climbed UP over ten feet and
attracts more attention than any 9TH
CT climber. AT the present rate of
growth it will be fully twenty feet
high, and broad in proportion, by the
time frost comes. My kudzu vine is
running in all directions, but has not
blOomed, and it is said that the flow
erS are insignificant. But what a bean
it is! Being perfectly hardy, there is
no telling how large it will be in a
few years. 1t is hardy in Washington,
and probably much further North, for
| got my plant from the Meehan Muir
series, at Germantown, Philadelphia.
Groff's gladiol we now have by the
thousand, and they are certainly finer
than the older sorts. Amaryllis
Johnsonii while over the flush of
bloom, is still throwing an occasional
spike of bloom, and will do so until
frost. Sternbergias, nerines and can
dunn lilies will now be planted, the
first two for fall bloom and the lilies
TO get a good fall growth of leaves
that are essential to their success next
summer.
July 1.-THE drought seems certain
~ over now, for it has rained torrents
during three days and we have had
three or four inches in all, so that
just now it is too wet TO get on the
land at ALL The Earliana and Maule' s
Earliest tomatoes ripened the same
day. Earliana is rather smoother, but
smaller, and the Maule tomato seems
rather more prolific. Success is but
a few days behind. The Summer
Danish Ball Head cabbage would have
been a great success but for the eX-
tremely dry weather. The heads are
remarkably SOLID, Dut are smaller Dy
reason of the drought We consider
this a very promising succession cab
bage to the Wakefield and Early
Summer. 1 see in Farm and Fireside
that Mr.. Greiner has had some seed
from the Government seed shop. They
were labeled: Cuban Queen Water
melon5' but inside there were beet
seeds. The Department had better
get men who know the difference be-
tween watermelon and beet seed
though the chances are that neither
are of much account from that source.
For garden use We have little spray
ing apparatus which sprays by means
of compressed air. The air is COM
pressed with pump like that used
for a bicycle, and when the cock is
opened in the little piece of hose it
sprays without further pumping 1t
is not powerful enough for heavy
work, but / find it very convenient, in
the garden and like it better than
the knapsack sprayers. Our garden
is not level, and we are obliged to care
for such torrents of rain at times that
it is interSected by all sorts of bitches