Horticultural JVotes. 223 



the plants a little more hardy ; but the berry is' too soft for market, and few persons 

 would notice its superior flavor. 



The Philadelphia is a larger berry than its probable parent, the Purple Cane, 

 but it is inferior in flavor. 



Among the Black-Cap varieties I shall save a row or two of the following : — Doo- 

 little, Mammoth Cluster or Miami, Seneca, and Fay's Thornless. 



The Heat Etirly Beet. 



The New York Tribune says that last year was the first that the dark red 

 Eiryptian beet was grown to any exteut by gardeners near New York, and the results 

 were so favorable, that those who can get enough seed will sow nothing else for an 

 early beet this spring. With market gardeners this beet is a great favorite, and it 

 ■will with them supersede the early blood turnip. The Egyptian is, at least, twelve 

 days earlier ; it can be prepared for market with one third the labor usually bestowed 

 on the blood turnip, and last year the dark Egyptian brought twenty-five cents per 

 dozen bunches more than any other variety of early beet in the market at the same 

 time. The writer sowed the two varieties along side of each other, and watched the 

 growth closely, giving both the same treatment, and the Egyptian came out as stated. 

 At first there did not seem to be much difi"erence in the growth. But just as soon 

 as they began to make roots, the Egyptian took the lead and kept it. 



There are hardly any small roots on this new beet when full grown, and therefore 

 they require no trimming, can cut just as fast as pulled, be thrown into the wash tub 

 and washed and bunched. With the other varieties of early beets that are grown 

 for market, it takes just as long a time to trim off the small roots as it dees to 

 bunch, so that when the Egyptian is grown, all of this labor is saved, which is an 

 important item with the active market gardener. 



In quality, the dark red Egyptian is fully equal to the early blood turnip, or any 

 other variety that is commonly grown for market. Until now, the early Bassano 

 stood first on the list for home use, both for earlincss and quality. Last year the 

 writer missed sowing any seed of this variety, but will do so this season for the 

 purpose of ascertaining how it compared in earliness and quality with the Egyptian. 

 The Bassano will not sell in market, owing to its light color. But it has always 

 been a popular table variety for home consumption. 



Insects in Orchards. 



In the discussion on insects at the late meeting of the Minnesota Horticultural 

 Society, many interesting facts were elicited concerning insects in that State. Much 

 trouble has been experienced with leaf lice, borers, moths, curculios, etc. A num- 

 ber of remedies were given for these pests. For leaf lice, a decoction of tobacco is 

 sometimes successful, when applied at the proper season. A wash composed of three 

 pounds of sal-soda dissolved in a pailful of rainwater, is another remedy, and also 

 three ounces of whale oil soap to a pailful of water ; apply upon the first indications 

 of the lice. The trees will be injured if much soap is used. Carbolic acid will kill 

 trees if not carefully used. Mr. Gideon binds ashes around the aff"ected parts to 

 kill borers. Others cut them out with a sharp knife, or punch them with a wire. 

 Moths are destroyed in various ways. Several kinds of traps have been invented, 

 some of which are very successful. The idea is to furnish a hiding place for the 

 moths where they can be destroyed. Bands of hay or old rags are sometimes bound 

 around the trunks of the trees to serve as moth traps. 



Mr. Mendenhall stated that there are 1,600 kinds of leaf lice, and 400 kinds of 

 curculio. 



Heii' Jilackherries. 



The following new varieties of Blackberries, grown on the farm of A. M. Purdy, 

 Palmyra, N. Y., are mentioned by the Rural Home as worthy of further trial : 

 Laporte, growing wild at Laporte, Indiana. Plant, hardy, vigorous, productive. 



