1880.1 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



143 



using no sulphur, it being entirely free from 

 mildew. This variety, I believe, is now in pos- 

 session of Mr. J. G. Burrow, Fishkill, N. Y., 

 who intends putting it on the market next fall. 

 I am not personally interested in this seedling 

 more than in any other, but think it the finest 

 thing in the grape line I have ever seen. 



A RASPBERRY-ROOT INSECT. 



BY .MR. D. SMITH, NEWBURG, N. Y. 



This paper was received in its proper season 

 from Mr. Ctesar, but it being in the holiday sea- 

 son I could hardly find time then to give it its 

 pi'oper attention. The roots spoken of in his 

 note I forward to you this day by mail. We 

 have no one with us who can give any informa- 

 tion respecting it. Any information you may 

 be able to give respecting it, will be duly ap- 

 preciated by the many horticulturists in this 

 vicinity. 



Hazelwood, Dec. 13th, 1879. 



Dear Sir: — A week ago I received from a 

 friend on Staten Island a package of young 

 plants of Raspberry, of stocks which had given 

 a very fine crop this year. "When I began to 

 plant, I observed at once very remarkable ex- 

 crescences on the roots, as well on the small 

 ones as on the main roots. In cutting them off" 

 and examining them with a sharp knife, I found 

 small white worms in several of these excres- 

 cences, worms about one-eighth to one-quarter 

 of an inch long, thin, and undoubtedly an insect 

 by the sting of which this disease of the roots 

 was produced. I have never heard of such kind 

 of disease, and the chief book, which I always 

 consult in any matter of orchards, etc., the book 

 of A. J. Downing, makes no mention of any dis- 

 ease of Raspberry. Of course I cut off", when I 

 planted, the least vestige of the disease, but 

 would feel obliged to hear some experienced 

 orchardist's information on the matter. I ac- 

 company this with some such roots afl'ected by 

 the disease. 



I am, yours respectfully, 



Henry L. C^sak. 



[There are a number of insects that infest the 

 roots of the Raspberry and Blackberry, their at- 

 tacks usually resulting in galls of more or less 

 size. The particular one which forms these very 

 large ones, would probably very much interest 

 the entomologist. To the horticulturist we fear 

 no other course can be suggested than to be 

 careful in planting, that he has plants with roots 

 Wholly free from these galls, and if he has a 



plantation badly infested, to dig up and burn the 

 plants, and set out plants on wholly new ground. 

 Some varieties will be found greater favorites 

 with some insects than others, for generally they 

 have nice tastes. When one has a large planta- 

 tion, it becomes a serious matter to know best 

 how to deal with them. The best advice we 

 can give, is the preventative one, — never plant 

 without examining the roots, so as to avoid in- 

 troducing an enemy. — Ed. G. M.] 



JAPANESE PERSIMMONS AGAIN. 



BY H. T., ST. J0SI:PH, MO. 



About the latter part of April, 1878, one of a 

 firm of importers came here from California 

 with several thousand trees of different varieties, 

 which he planted out with the view of workint^ 

 up a large trade for the foreign Persimmon, with 

 this as his headquarters. The trees nearly all 

 grew, and considering the lateness of the season 

 and their long journey, did 1 thought very well. 

 The winter of 1878-79 was very severe, snow 

 falling to the depth of eight to ten inches on un- 

 frozen ground, followed by the mercury going 

 to about IS'' below zero, and large numbers of 

 peach trees were killed. The Persimmon came 

 out last spring, not only dead to the ground but 

 dry as tinder. Last spring they sprouted from 

 the roots and made a growth from two to five 

 feet, were not cultivated at all, and now are as 

 dead as a year ago ; not only dead, but the bo- 

 dies have all the sap dried out and are like dry 

 sticks. This winter has been very open, though 

 one cold snap about Christmas accompanied by 

 a very cold northwest wind sent the mercury to 

 18° below zero. 



The party on whose land they are growing 

 says he noticed that the heavy frosts in the fall 

 killed the ends of the limbs. I would also state 

 that native seedling Persimmons that I have 

 growing, have been badly top-killed both of 

 these last two winters, though the Persimmon 

 is a native of this country. 



FIRMING THE SOIL. 



BY UNCLE .lOE, ROCK FALLS, ILLS. 



A practical nurserymen or gardener can esti- 

 mate the value of Peter Henderson's persistent 

 teachings in regard to firming the earth about 

 seeds and plants, and no one without practical 

 knowledge or experience can detract from the 

 utility of such teaching by slurs or ridicule. 

 For ten years I have tried to impress this one 

 lesson on the minds of those who have bought 



