i8 97 . 



' • • GARDENING. 



281 



plums, a practical and profitable remedy. 

 The bulletin discusses fully the experi- 

 ments made with different numbers /of 

 treatments applied at different times and 

 upon different varieties of plums, and 

 shows the percentage of injury and 

 the yield of fruit from sprayed and un- 

 sprayed trees. In the case of Italian 

 Prune, upon which variety the disease 

 was most prevalent in 1896, the best 

 results followed three spravings made 

 May 25, June 17 and July 14. The 

 amount of disease was materially less- 

 ened, though, when only two applica- 

 tions of the fungicide were given. The 

 results indicate that in ordinary years, 

 when the disease is no worse than it was 

 in 1896, it may be practically controlled 

 by two sprayings, one made ten days 

 after the blossoms fall and the other three 

 weeks later. The average yield of the 

 sprayed trees of Italian Prune was 24y 2 

 pounds more per tree than that of the un- 

 sprayed trees and the cost of the gain was 

 less than one cent per pound. 



LAGERSTROMIA INDICA ALBA IN NEW ORLEANS 



Photinia rillosa is another desirable 

 shrub. The leaves are smooth, glossy 

 and pretty, and the pretty flat heads of 

 white flowers have the hawthorn scent, 

 so delightful to so many persons. It 

 seems to grow to almost tree size, as 

 does the symplocos mentioned above. 



An extremely rare Texan shrub Ungna- 

 dia speciosa, has uot only proved hardy 

 here, but has now flowered two seasons in 

 succession. For several winters it was 

 killed to the ground. Two years ago it 

 survived without protection and flowered 

 in the spring. This spring it is blooming 

 again. The flowers are pink, two or 

 three in a bunch. Though not looking at 

 all like a horse chestnut it is in the same 

 order. Indeed its name Ungnadia, is in 

 honor of Baron Von Ungnad, the intro- 

 ducer of the horse chestnut, as botanical 

 works tell us. It pleases me to accli- 

 matize such partly tender things This 

 leads me to say that the Sapindus mar- 

 ginatum, also from Texas, is perfectly 

 hard}' here, at least so far as last win- 

 ter goes, several plants of it standing 

 without the least injury. This tree is 

 famed for its bunches of almost transpa- 

 rent berries which it has in the autumn. 



Ceanothus ovatus is quite a different 

 thing from americanus, the common one 

 of our woods. It bears rather oval heads 

 of white flowers at this period of the 

 month, while the other does not flower 

 for some time yet. 



The great beauty of tree wistarias leads 

 me to refer to them again. Any one can 

 make a vine take on the tree shape by 

 tying it to a stake for a year or two. 

 The white variety of the Chinese is a 

 lovely sight at this time, in tree shape, 

 more so I think than the purple parent. 

 At the same time let me recommend mag- 

 niRca, one of the frutescens type. It is 

 an exceedingly free bloomer, and its flow- 

 ers come after the Chinese section have 

 done flowering. J. M. 



Philadelphia. 



The Fruit Garden. 



LEAF SFOT OF PLUMS AND CHERRIES. 



In Bulletin No. 98, the New York Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station (Geneva) 

 described the leaf spot disease of plums- 

 and cherries, discussed the experiments in 

 prevention of the disease made in 1895 

 and indicated spraying with Bordeaux 

 mixture as a line of treatment promising 

 success. The experiments were continued 

 in 1896 and the results of the work are 

 given in Bulletin No. 117of the stationon 

 Treatment of Leaf Spot in Plum and 

 Cherry Orchards in 1896. This is now 

 be'ng distributed and may be obtained 

 free by application to the station. Bor- 

 deaux mixture has proven its efficiency as 

 a preventive of the disease and is, for 



GOOSEBERRIES. 



Gooseberries is the subject of bulletin 

 No. 114 of the New York State Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station which has just 

 been issued. The subject has been treated 

 in an exhaustive manner so that the bul- 

 letin will be of great value to fruit grow- 

 ers and nurserymen who are interested in 

 growing and propagating this fruit. 



The different classes of gooseberries are 

 discussed at length and their botanical 

 features are given in a popular way so 

 that any one may readily distinguish be- 

 tween them. For practical purposes 

 cultivated gooseberries may be divided 

 into two general classes, namely, Eu- 

 ropean and American. The European 

 class shows superiority in: 



1. The large size and variety of colors 

 of the fruit. 2. The earlv marketable 

 condition of the green crop. This is an 

 advantage because the green fruit is not 

 as easily injured in handling as is the ripe 

 fruit; it is exposed for a shorter time to 

 sun scald, cracking and attacks of mil- 

 dew; the early prices are usually as good 

 or even better than the prices of the ripe 

 fruit; when the fruit is marketed green 

 the plant is partially relieved from the 

 exhausting process of ripening the fruit 

 and the seed. 3. That European varie- 

 ties are preferred at fruit preserving 

 establishments. 



The best American varieties are superior 

 to the European gooseberries as a class 

 in 1. Productiveness. 2. Hardiness. 

 3. The ease with which they may be 

 propagated. 4. Quality, delicacy of fla- 

 vor and thin texture of the skin of the 

 fruit. 5. Freedom from mildew. 



Prominent fruit growers report yields 

 of American varieties of from one-half 

 ton to four tons per acre. The largest 

 yields of the American kinds are greater 

 than have been obtained from the Eu- 

 ropean varieties and the latter should 

 not be planted unless one is prepared to 

 contend with the mildew. 



The pages of the bulletin contain 

 numerous cuts illustrating the botanical 

 features, habits of growth and life size 

 pictures of fruit of the different classes. 

 The different methods of pruning are also 

 shown as well as some of the injurious 

 insects and diseases. 



There are now two hundred and twenty- 

 two varieties of cultivated gooseberries 

 growing on the Station grounds, besides 

 numerous Station seedlings and speci- 

 mens of native species. The cultivated 

 varieties are being carefully tested and 

 brief notes are given on those varieties 

 that have borne fruit. 



