Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

“Don’t wait till the last minute to plan the garden. Plan to get two crops, where possible, in one season. In the onion bed and between the early beets plant parsnips and salsify. They will not interfere with each other at all. If the corn is checked, bush limas may be planted one way of […]

“House-raised plants are never so thrifty as those raised in hotbeds and cold frames.’ In the latter the growth is quicker, more uniform and the process of hardening off can be begun, as it should be, a month after the plants have made their appearance. Cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, egg-plants, and onions go into the hotbed; […]

” It is unfortunate that so many farm gardens are ruined at the outset by inferior seed. In the country,” writes A. B. Ross of Pennsylvania, ” we depend on the country store for our seed far too much, and we are careless. Look out for the gaudily illustrated seed box. If you knew its […]

” There are three prerequisites to successful strawberry production fertile soil, strong, vigorous, fruitful plants, and thorough cultivation,” writes W. H. Burke of St. Joseph county, Michigan. “Anyone who will observe these points in practice may be assured of success. We find that, in order to produce vigorous and fruitful plants, we must keep the […]

There are four classes of American raspberries. Two of these, the white and the red, belong to the same species. The third is the black raspberry, or blackcap, which forms a class by itself. The fourth class is a hybrid between the red and the black. The cultivation of all these is the same except […]

Lime is applied to the soil mainly to make heavy soils lighter, to make sour soils sweet, to make certain mineral compounds soluble so plants can utilize them, and to act upon the organic matter and make it release plant food. As to what form lime shall be applied in, J. C. M. Johnson of […]

In proportion to the amount of care it requires, the grape will produce more pleasure and profit than any other of our temperate climate fruits. It needs only a warm soil and sunny exposure, and, preferably, an elevation above the general lay of the land in order to do well. As to training, stakes or […]

Like the currant, the gooseberry does best in a cool climate. The northern states and, in the south, the mountains, are best adapted for this fruit. Like the currant, also, the gooseberry does best on moist soil. Its chief enemy is the gooseberry worm. (See Currant.) Properly managed gooseberries furnish abundance of fruit, which can […]

The dewberry differs from the blackberry mainly in its trailing habit. The fruit is usually earlier than the blackberries, and thus prolongs the black-berry season. Dewberries are generally tied to stakes or trellises so as to facilitate cultivation. In the fall, the cords are cut and the canes allowed to lie on the ground during […]

In the cooler sections of the country the currant is one of the easiest and most satisfactory small fruits to grow. It is perfectly hardy, makes quick and early maturing growth, comes into bearing the second year after planting, and produces fruit unequaled by any temperate climate fruit for mak ing jelly. Some of the […]