y2 Slate Horticultural Society. 



All efforts at protecting fruit trees by covering, whitewashing and 

 smudges is laborious, uncertain and sure to be neglected by the average 

 grower, while a hardy tree takes care of itself. Other things, as corn, 

 tobacco and cowpeas, once thought to be tender, are now grown in the 

 far North. Iowa and Minnesota have found fruits that flourish in their 

 climate. There are varieties of cotton that do best on river bottoms, 

 but fail on sand hills; others doing well on high land are worthless on 

 black muck. Very few strawberries succeed outside their place of origin. 

 We try hundreds of new fruits reported to be phenomenal elsewhere, 

 only to find them worthless in our soil. The wise plan is to test and retain 

 only such as do well in your locality. 



This is my plea for peaches ; propagate and plant only such as bear 

 fine fruit every year in your neighbor's orchard. A peach reported to 

 stand 40 degrees below zero in Iowa might not live through 10 degrees 

 below in South Missouri, and even if it did, it might be so poor in size 

 and quality that we would not plant it. Many of our northern friends 

 think it a great thing to grow a peach as big as a plum. We are am- 

 bitious to raise them bigger and better than oranges. 



Some of the much advertised hardy seedlings are worthless for 

 market — poor, green, tasteless things, all pit and no flavor. Better than 

 none you say. Yes, but the best are none too good for Missourians, and 

 we must never abandon the search until we find early, medium and late 

 varieties, of largest size, in all colors and of best quality. 



HOW TO SAVE PEACHES FROM THEIR ENEMIES. 



(By Jacob Faith, Montevallo, Mo.) 



By years experimenting I find wrapping peach trees to save buds 

 from being winter-killed unprofitable. 



I have been successful in saving my peach trees from being injured 

 by their enemies by the following treatment : Before planting, examine 

 trees carefully ; if. there is any defect, discard or wash roots in a strong 

 tobacco mixture. The first year after planting I wrap trees with a good 

 quality of paper, such as farm journals ; let paper extend about two inches 

 in the ground and ten inches above ; use strings that will give as the tree 

 grows. Leave on until the following spring; then take wrapping off, dig 

 dirt from around the trees down to the roots (I use a hoe four inches 

 wide), rub trees clean with a coarse rag; cut out any borers. 



If there are woolly aphis, scrape clean, then wash with a wash made 

 as follows : I put into 8 gallons of water as much soda as it will dissolve ; 



