THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 727 



CALIFORNIA NURSERYMEN'S CONVENTION. ' 



The meeting of the California Nurserymen was well attended, and 

 the program very interesting and instructive. One rarely listens to so 

 excellent a program. 



The large attendance of county horticultural commissioners was very 

 gratifying. The mingling of these commissioners, the fruit growers 

 and the nurserymen, will tend toward that harmony of thought and 

 feeling which is indispensable to the best practice. 



We have only to know our Californians in each of these classes to 

 feel sure that any want of accords results from lack of acquaintance. 

 Such meetings will aid greatly to secure uniform horticultural laws, 

 ordinances and practice. — A. J. Cook. 



FORMULA FOR PRESERVING FRUIT. 



The specimens to be preserved should be the most perfect obtainable, 

 free from all blemishes and imperfections. In most cases fruit of a 

 fair degree of ripeness is better than partly green specimens. 



Exhibition jars should be of clear, white glass, preferably with ground 

 glass stoppers. The tall cylindrical form is desirable, especially for the 

 smaller fruits. 



The sorted fruit is first carefully placed in the jar, which is then 

 filled with clear water. After standing a short time, the water should 

 be poured off, so as to remove all particles of dirt from the jar and 

 contents. The jar may then be filled with the preserving fluid and kept 

 in a dark, cool place until the time for exhibition. Frequent examina- 

 tion should be made to determine how well the fruit is keeping. If the 

 liquid becomes colored from the fruit, it should be poured off and 

 replaced by fresh fluid. 



The following formulas have been successfully used at the Colorado 

 Agricultural College, especially with plums, grapes, cherries, currants 

 and gooseberries : 



Formalin, 5 parts ; saturated solution of common table salt, 10 parts ; 

 water (boiled and cooled) enough to make 100 parts. This may be made 

 up by measures as follows: Formalin, 1 pint; salt solution, 2 pints; 

 water, 17 pints. 



When made up, the solution will keep indefinitely. Another solution 

 weaker in formalin has also been used here satisfactorily. The propor- 

 tions are: Formalin, 3 parts; salt solution, 10 parts; water enough to 

 make 100 parts. 



For raspberries, the following mixture is recommended: Formalin, 

 1 part ; glycerine, 10 parts ; water, 89 parts. Strawberries may be pre- 

 served fairly well in a saturated solution of common salt, and, better 

 still, in a fluid composed of formalin, 1 ounce ; alum, 1 drachm ; glycerine, 

 5 ounces; water, 3 pints. 



Red currants keep best in a solution of corrosive sublimate, 1 part; 

 glycerine, 10 parts ; water, 90 parts. 



The corrosive sublimate must be dissolved in hot water and the solu- 

 tion and fruit preserved in it should be labeled poison, as it is very 

 deadly if swallowed. 



The glass stoppers of bottles and jars may be made perfectly tight 



