334 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



\Novejnber.^ 



of September, when the mercury touched 32°, 

 and frosts on the 10th, 21st and 25th, with mer- 

 cury ranging from 38° down to 35°. 

 <••» 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Pine Apples. — The Banana has become so 

 popular that the Pine apple has fallen in pro- 

 portion. They are not imported now to the 

 extent they once were. The importation of 

 Bananas is enormous. 



Propagating Peach Trees. — We were re- 

 cently informed of an enterprising nurseryman, 

 who bought at a high figure, two plants of a new 

 kind of peach tree. He has two thousand first- 

 class plants to sell this fall. 



Price of Grapes. — In Rochester, grapes 

 w^ere selling in September to dealers for two and 

 a-half cents per pound. In St. Louis, at the 

 same time Concords were selling at the same 

 prices. Delawares and other choice kinds brought 

 more. Martha were in immense quantities and 

 brought about five cents. 



The Phylloxera in California.— This 

 pest is making such inroads among the vineyards 

 of California, where the European forms of 

 grapes have hitherto done so well, that the lead- 

 ing vinegrowers are thinking of following the 

 example of France, and of grafting their plants 

 on the native American stock, which has been 

 found to suffer less from the attacks of the little 

 root pest. 



Distinguishing Fruits.— Professor Beal 

 read a very interesting paper, at Rochester, 

 illustrating it by enlarged drawings, showing 

 that much aid may be derived in distinguishing 

 varieties of fruit by means of their petals, sta- 

 mens and pistils. 



Plum Culture in America. — It is well 

 known that in consequence of the attacks of the 

 curculio, plum culture once came near being 

 abandoned. Ellwanger & Barry, and the late 

 Dr. Hull, of Illinois, just kept the fruit in peo- 

 ples' minds by persistent shaking of the trees. 

 Others have followed the plan with a more or 

 less partial success. Of late the quantities in the 

 markets have increased. On a recent run 

 througfh New York city, the writer saw them 

 in Fulton Market as abundant as peaches. The 

 dealers said they came from along the Hudson 

 and central New York. Since then, visitins: 



Geneva, they were seen in great abundance. 

 Mr. Cobleigh and Mr. S. D. Willard have es- 

 pecial success. Mr. "VVillard's orchard is chiefly 

 of the celebrated Green Gage, Reine Claude de 

 Bavay. They practice shaking the trees, but 

 their method is different from any one we have 

 met with before. Tliey have two light frames, 

 on which common muslin is spread. They look 

 like huge barn doors, but they. are very light. 

 These are placed under the trees when the in- 

 sects are to be shaken. Then they have a long 

 handled sort of crutch; the arm-rester as we 

 should say if it were a crutch, being nicely pad- 

 ded to prevent injury to the bark. This is 

 pushed up and the branches jolted, and the 

 " little turk" comes down, and is killed by the 

 boy when it falls on the muslin. This is better 

 than the old plan of striking the trunk. It has 

 to be done every day, and it would be as well 

 twice a day. Mr. Cobleigh finds it takes two 

 hours and a-half to shake 1600 trees. Mr. Wil- 

 lard's boy goes slower ; but still it is profitable 

 for those who wish to raise plums. It may 

 be that there are some who maj" yet yearn 

 for a once-for-all method by which they can 

 give an hour or two a year, and then get a 

 full crop of plums. Of course we all wish them 

 much joy in their hopes; but in the mean time 

 let us give thanks to men who like Willard, Cob- 

 leigh and others are placing plums at small cost 

 within the reach of all. 



The Brighton Grape. — It is not easy to 

 form an opinion of the true value of a fruit 

 from its merely positive character ; and hence 

 bunches seen at a show, and tasted in an edi- 

 torial oflice, seldom tell much of value. Com- 

 parisons are what we want. The Bri<j;hton 

 Grape has often been seen under such conditions 

 by the writer ; but all he could say was that it 

 seemed a very good grape. Recently he had 

 the chance to examine it among many score of 

 varieties on the grounds of Mr. Cobleigh, near 

 Geneva, and was surprised to find that it was 

 the best flavored to his taste of any in the col- 

 lection. All its other characters compared fa- 

 vorably. As seen and eaten there, he would 

 put it at the head of table grapes. 



Blackberries. — Large tracts are not con- 

 fined to the East. There is one of thirty acres 

 at Napa, California. The yield per acre is two 

 and a-half tons. 



The California Elder-Berry.— Mr. W. 

 A. Sanders tells the Pacific Rural Press : Mrs. 



