ii6 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[April, 



tween plum and peach, or apricot and almond, and 

 which are grown on plum or peach stocks, it 

 occurs to me is about as great as that of pear and 

 apple. Do you think if the apple thus grafted 

 would grow, would it fruit?" 



[There have been no successful attempts to 

 graft the apple on the pear that we know of. 

 Relationship is a poor guide in these matters. For 

 instance the sycamore maple does not take well 

 on its close ally, the Norway maple, but seems 

 quite at home when grafted on the very different 

 silver maple of America, and the pear takes well 

 on the quince or hawthorn, but does not like the 

 nearer apple. Only actual experiment decides 

 these questions. — Ed. G. M.] 



Budding Peach Trees. — iVIr. McCarthy, at the 

 Naval Asylum, Philadelphia, says he has a new 

 method of budding peach trees, which is worth 

 thousands of dollars to any peach grower, but as 

 the method is not given in his paper there is no use 

 in our publishing it. 



Raising Seedling Fruits. — "Querist." It is 

 not necessary to cross or hybridize fruits in order 

 to get new varieties. 'There is every reason to 

 believe that though a flower was fertilized by its 

 own pollen, there would be some variation among 

 the seedlings. So far as we can judge, variation 

 seems to be a part of the nature of things. The 

 progeny will of course vary more from the parent 

 form when fertilization is brought about through 

 the agency of some very different variety. Vari- 

 ation is no proof of crossing by another variety. 

 or hybridization through another species. 



Grafting Pears on the Hawthorn.— W. B. 

 Brandt, Ohio, says: "We hear now and then of 

 pears being grafted into the Crataegus. There are 

 pears grafted into limbs of large trees in this sec- 

 tion. What variety would likely be best for that 

 purpose ? Would the Crsetagus oxycantha do as 

 well as any ? We have here what we call " The 

 Red Haw," an edible fruit; is this a variety of the 

 Crataegus; if so, what?" 



[Though the pear can be grafted on the haw- 

 thorn, we do not know that the plan has much 

 practical value. Some years ago it was thought 

 that dwarf pears could be produced by this method ; 

 but as the hawthorn is no less free from the 

 attacks of the borer than the quince, there is no 

 gain, and then the quince stock is more easily 

 raised. Experiments have not been followed up 

 closely enough to afford any information as to the 

 best varieties for the purpose. Any kind would 

 no doubt do for stocks ; though the English Cra- 



taegus oxycantha would perhaps be the best. The 

 edible fruited hawthorn is C. coccinea. — Ed. G. M.] 



Inquiry Concerning Canker-worms. — Prof. 

 C. V. Riley, of U. S. Dept. Agriculture, says : "In 

 preparing a bulletin on the subject of canker- 

 worms, to be issued from this department, I find 

 that much of our present information is of little 

 service, for the reason that until the year 1873, two 

 entirely distinct species of Canker-worms were 

 confounded in description, seasons, habits, and 

 geographical distribution. In many of the publi- 

 cations, of later date even, the distinction is made 

 either not at all or insufficiently. 



"The most widespread and best known species 

 is the spring canker-worm (Paleacrita vernata. 

 Peck). The female rises from the ground chiefly 

 in spring, and secretes her ovoid and delicate eggs. 

 The second species is Anisopteryx pometaria, 

 Harris, and the female rises chiefly in the fall, and 

 lays her eggs in serried and exposed masses. 



" Will you please give such information as you 

 possess, especially upon the following points, in 

 regard to the occurrence of canker-worms in your 

 own locality: i. Which species, if either, is now 

 found in your own locality, or has ever been 

 found ? 2. When was it first observed there ? 3. 

 During what years has it been especially injurious? 

 4. During what years has it been entirely un- 

 noticed? 5. Has the appearance of the perfect or 

 parent insect been confined to either season, the 

 fall or the spring, or has it covered both? 



"Wherever any doubt can or does arise in 

 regard to the species observed, it is particularly 

 requested that specimens may be sent to the De- 

 partment. All expenses for packing and postage 

 will be reimbursed to the contributors if a request 

 to that effect is made; or boxes and stamps for the 

 return of specimens will be sent to any person 

 who will notify the Department of intention to 

 contribute information and specimens. 



" Observations may be made during all mild 

 weather from the present month (November), until 

 the middle of June. The more frequent and 

 detailed the observations the greater will be their 

 value. If you have not the time or inclination to 

 make these observations personally, you will con- 

 fer a favor by handing this circular to some person 

 who will be interested. 



"Should this circular come to the hands of any 

 entomologist familiar with the two species, I would 

 respectfully ask of such any information they may 

 possess that will throvy light on the range and pre- 

 ferred food-plants of either." 



