1880.] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



339 



that good plums are to be had in the market the 

 demand will keep up the price. 



Fire Blight and Yellows. — In regard to 

 fire blight, Dr. J. G. Hunt, in a communication 

 to the Gardener's Monthly, some years ago, 

 demonstrated to our entire satisfaction that it 

 was caused by a small ferment fungus. Profes- 

 sor T. J. Burrill has recently confirmed this view. 

 In like manner it has been clear to us that the 

 fungus attacking the roots results in the yellow of 

 the peach. Prof. Burrill now finds a similar 

 ferment fungus in the diseased peach trees, 

 which may well be an outgrowth from the larger 

 form at the roots. We have felt that these 

 causes could not be disputed, and have insisted 

 on their presence as being quite satisfactory in 

 accounting for the disease. But the confirma- 

 tion by Prof. Burrill will be of great value. 



New Grape Disease. — A recent telegram from 

 Europe says : "A Geneva dispatch says, 'A new 

 vine pest has appeared in the Reinthal, in the 

 Canton of St. Gall. It is said to resemble the 

 potato oidiura, but it is much more virulent, 

 grapes affected with it becoming rapidly putrid. 

 Several vineyards have been completely devas- 

 tated by the malady, which is believed to be of 

 American origin.' " 



Dr. Ryder's American Fruit Drier. — The 

 circular, issued by the Drier Company of Cham- 

 bersburg. Pa., explains the principles on which 

 the drier is formed. We are glad to know that 

 the drier is meeting with so much success. It 

 was the first successful etFort to place a cheap 

 fruit drier in the hands of the people. Thousands 

 of dollars worth of fruit — once wasted — have been 

 saved by it. The discovery was a national bles- 

 sing. 



Mushrooms. — A newspaper paragraph tells us 

 that "Charles A. Dana, editor of the New York 

 Sun, recently spent about $3000 in the construc- 

 tion of a cave for the cultivation of mushrooms. 

 He has employed a professional mushroom 

 grower to take charge of it and naturally antici- 

 pates, it may be supposed, after so liberal a pro- 

 vision, that the results will prove compensatory." 



QUERIES. 



Hennetta Peach. — We have from the raiser 

 specimens of this. It is a large yellow peach, 

 very much in the way of the Susquehanna. It 



is said to be a very late peach, ripening in Ken- 

 tucky some seasons as late as 5th of October. 

 By this it would seem to be later than the Sus- 

 quehanna, and this should make it a valuable 



variety. 



Moore's Early Grape. — September 8th we 

 received from Mr. Moore some bunches of this 

 grape, and find it well worthy of all that has 

 been said of it. It is quite as good as Concord, 

 and a very large and showy fruit. 



Seckel Pears from the Original Tree. — 

 We were regaled recently by a few pears from 

 the original Seckel tree, by the kindness of the 

 present lessees, Messrs. John and Samuel Bastian. 

 They were not as large as the tree has given in its 

 younger days, but were as delicious as ever. 

 We may further note that the land on which the 

 old Seckel Pear stands, belongs to the Girard 

 estate, held by the City of Philadelphia, and not 

 by the gentleman named by our correspondent. 



Asparagus and Grape Insects. — W. H. P., 

 Kingston, R. I., says: "My Asparagus for two 

 years has been eaten by what at first seems to be 

 a small black fly, which later turns to be a kind 

 of slug or worm. These infest it from the latter 

 part of the time of cutting for use, until after I 

 have ceased to cut it. They eat the leaves until 

 it looks as if a fire had run through it. Can 

 you tell me a remedy for it or what will destroy 

 the insects and not injure my Asparagus? And 

 please tell me the best remedy, preventive or 

 destroyer of the little green fly in the grapery." 



[Tobacco smoke will kill aphis in the green- 

 house. If the Asparagus beetle is here referred 

 to, we do not know that any effectual remedy 

 has been discovered. — Ed. G. M.] 



New Native Plums. — Mr. Charles Black says : 

 "We send you to-day by express a box containing 

 a branch of the Native Plum sent you last Sep- 

 tember to show you its productiveness. The trees 

 are all loaded with fruit, as much so as the 

 twig sent. When not so full they grow much 

 larger. Let them ripen before eating." 



[We have not entered with much enthusiasm 

 into the "native" plum excitement, because 

 none of them seemed anywhere near the Eu- 

 ropean race in quality, and our experience of 

 the native varieties in their wild locations has 

 given us no faith in any " curculio proof" char- 

 acter. These from Mr. Black are the first we have 

 had which give us any hope of a race of equal 

 good flavor with the others. We may here take 



