GARDENING NOTES.

Evening Post, Volume LXX, Issue 13, 15 July 1905, Page 12

GARDENING NOTES.

[Br Expeeienoe.] SMALL FRUITS. lue raspberry is an indispensable truit in a garden of any pretensions, yet it is much abused, and the best possible result is seldom got from it. The mistake that is mo&t common is iruiting it too soon. Very few inexperienced people are content to wait a wnole season after planting before they get fruit. Gardeners, too, are often iorced by the impatience of employers to act contrary to their convictions, and allow the canes to fruit the first season. This is radically wrong in most cases, and unngs its punishment in lean years following. It is a common mistake to think that strong canes are bast; the best for planting are young well-rooted suckers, and these at planting time should bo cut down to within eight or nine inches of the ground; they will then expend all their energy in throwing up strong suckers, which will develop into good fruiting canes for the next season. There are several ways of arranging the plants ; the usual and most profitable way is in lines of clumps. The clumps may be composed of four young canes each, as the quickest way to furnish, but one will do if plants are not numerous. A season' or two longer will be required to furnish the proper number of canes, but the ultimate results will be just as good. The clumps should be quite sft apart in straight rows, and the rows at least the same distance from each other. If fruit is urgently wanted the first season, a compromise may be effected by planting two young suckers and two matured canes at each clump, the young ones to be pruned down as above described, the old ones to be reduced to half their length— these will bear some fruit, and the young ones will make strong canes for next season. „ Raspberries delight in a cool, moist subsoil. They do fairly well in auy good ground, the poorest results being obtained from naturally dry places. Old beds should now be put in order. If planted as above described, leave from four to six canes at each clump, the strongest; if fine canes leave six, if only medium leave only four. If six are left, cut the thin tops from two, reduce two by one-third, the other two by half their length ; this will furnish clumps that will fruit from bottom to ! top. If they are planted in continuous ' lines, as, they sometimes are, reduce all by one-third of their length. Thin out the canes so that they be not crowded. In all cases the dead canes will be removed entirely. Clear the ground from 'weeds by hoeing or lightly forking; never use a spade, as they are surface-root-ers. Give a good mulch of rich manure. The following are good varieties: — . Red— Semper Fidelis, Antwerp, Northumberland Fillbasket, and a smoothbai'ked variety of the same Yellow Antwerp. I have grown and proved all these varieties. Semper Fidelis appears to be most prolific, but not so large in fruit as the Fillbaskets. Red Currants. — Many disappointments have' been met from these, attributable to wrong varieties and bad pruning. These bushes should never be 'allowed to throw up suckers. If the cuttings were properly made they are nofc likely to do so to any extent; if they do, tear them off as soon as seen, or they will starve the bush. Fruit is borne on spurs clustering close toi the wood that is more than one season old, so all sideshoots must be cut back to about 2in in length, and leading shoots also, unless they are wanted to extend ; in that case reduce them by about one-third their length. Train the bushes to a cup-shaped frame of up-standing branches, remove any that have a twisted or downward tendency ; they become a nuisance. Never be in a hurry to get a big bush, bat cut young bushes well back, so as to get the needful number of main branches evenly arranged from the same, level; in after treatment reduce these by at least one-third each season until the bush is properly and sturdily built. If the shortening back is not doric the bushes get top-heavy, and are ruined by the wind. The treatment for white currants is the same. La Versailles, Fay's Prolific, and London Red I have grown. • The first-named is very prolific, and bears the largest berries ; the second is also very prolific, and the fruit has a piquancy of flavour all its own. White Dutch and White Transparent arc both desirable varieties. \ Black Currants require quite different treatment. They bear the best fruit on young wood, so should be encouraged to form plenty of it. The best way is to allow them to throw up suckers — stool is the technical term — and as these become large enough, remove old branches to ninke room for them. No attempt should be made at formal training; let the bushes take their o*n habit,- but cut awny enough wood to prevent overcrowding. Other pruning will consist in taking a few inches off the tops of young shoots to increase the size of the fruit. Growing bad varieties has caused disappointment with these also. The following are to be depended on : — Kentish Hero, Lee's Prolific, 1 oster's Black, Black Champion. Gooseberries. — (These, like red and white currants, should always be trained with a single stem for at least 12in ab >ye the ground. If they throw up suckers, cut them off below tho ground .ts soun as seen ; they are not only a nuisince, but rob the bush of strength. There is more than one way of pruniug, airl something in favour of each way, but in the matter of training all are igr^ed on keeping an open centre, the branches being evenly arranged around 'the stun in cup form. The mistake made by amateurs with most fruit trees and roses is usually made with these also — they will not cut back enough at the start,' consequently the bushes remain stunted for years Young bushes should Lave the centre branches, if they have any, cut right away, and the rest of the main shoots reduced to three or »r.ur inches, small twiggy (side shorts to cr.e inch Strong growth will lu'low this hard cutting, and the founl.ttijn -vill be laid for a useful bush, matting future training easy. ( With regard to pruning established bushes, there are two distinct schools of pruners. One cuts oil the side shoots rigidly back to spurs about 2in long ; these are the s>pur pruners. The other style is to 'spur back all imdde shoots, but merely remove weak tips from outside xlioots, and occasionally remove old branches entirely, leaving in their placo strong young shoots that are in the right position. The latter I consider, after many years of observation in different gardens, to be the be?t lur this climate, and it is somewhat significant that I have beard good men preach the former who practise the latter system. In this climate, and with insufficient labour to properly attend to minimer pinching, bushes under the spur (-jsiem either make so many shoots as to form thickets almost impenetrable to the hands for gathering fruit, or they die out under the close restriction. A dozen good varities. — Golden Purse, Alma, Duke of Edinburgh, Overall, Lovelier, Ploughboy, Pineapple, Jolly Miller, Whinham's Industry,. Lady Leicester, Snowdrop, Dan's Mistake. __ ____^____ ( The dispute between Norway and Sweden, the Spectator says, "may yofc involve most serious political consequences, and is well worth study by all who believe that Irish Home-rule would not be I followed by efforts for separation.."

(Special Correspondence.) Brighton, N.Y., February 4.— At last, after years of study and endless scientific experiments for increasing the height of those- who aro so unfortunate as to be short in stature, a Rochester scientist has solved tho problem, and given to tho World a greater gift than Edison's oleetric light ; Marconi's wireless telegraphy; or the 801 l telephone ; for what can be more inconvenient or productive of more discomfort, than to bo short. The short man or woman is always at a disadvantage; in business, society, on tho stage, or rostrum. Tho great orators, statesmen, generals, presidents, bavo rarely been short men.

Not that tho short men are not just as brainy, but their stature is against them. The great society leaders aro not short wen.en. It seems there is no longer any excuse for any one being short, if you will just follow out Mr. K. Leo Minges' discovery for increasing the height. Mr. Minges himself once knew the disadvantages, tho trials and tribulations that beset tho path of tho short man. Ho determined to grow tall. Ho tried everything

he could think of, and everything anybody could suggest. Ho delved deep into tho study ol Mu.tomy aud physiology. Finally, when he was a.mosl ready to give up vu despair ho discovered one of Nature's marvellous secret laws — a law by which l&a human body can actually bo made la grow. Mr. Alinges tried hi« now discovery on himself; it worked like a charm, and to-day Mr. Mingeß is six feet two inches tall, and as straight as an arrow. Ho next solicited others to try his system, and behold their height was also increased. He advertised far and wide to get persons extremely short in stature to try his system and put it to tho most severe tests possible. The results wero simply astounding. The following extract from Iho New York %Herald shows what can bo done: — "Post Office Inspector Williams says the Bertillon system of identifying criminals is a, failure; and he offers his own person as proof of his assertion. Mr. Williams was measured by tho Bertillon system, and went to work to prove how little uso id was in detecting felons. Ho was weighed at the timo of his measurement, and tipped tho Ecalcs slose to ono hundred and ninety poun'ls; his height was recorded at &va feet two inches. Now his .weight is one hundred and fifty pounds, and ho is five feet four ineheß in height. Tho change naa brought about by training lie undertook. Tho ability to increase his height was tho one thing that broke down the certainly of tho Bertillon system. It was known that a stooping thief might learn to wai£ erect ; one with crosß eyes have his optics mado straight; or a man with birthmarks bo freed from these signs of identity ; but when it was discovered that sevoral inohes could he added to tho height of a subpeeted man, the detectives who relied upon tho Bertillon system were thrown into confusion." Mr. Minges haß written a remarknßta book which fully explains the secrets and the science of increasing the height. It tells how ho himself grew tall; and how many of his friends ' havo done so. He sold the copyright of his book to the Carlilago Company, of Brighton, and thi» company proposes to give away 5000 copies simply for advertising purposes. But there is little doubt but that the returns which, will eventually como from this substantial kind of advertising will in tho end prove very profitable, a* nearly ever}' short per* son who sees tho book will want a copy and thoro will be a perpetual demand for it. Until 5000 copies are exhausted, any person who wishes to increase his or hor height may get a copy absolutely free, simply by addressing the Cartilago Company, Dept. 57a, Brighton, N.Y., U.S.j4. Pleaso do not write through mere idle curiosiiy, as the book is an expensive production, and is offered • free only to those who wish to mako practical application of tho information contained therein.