158 secretary's corner 



Mai^inda Appi.ks with Four Seed Carpels. —Mr. Wyman Elliot, in 

 taking the seed from the Malinda apples purchased froiu Mr. Seth Kemiey, 

 has occasionally found one with only four seed carpels, which is so much out 

 of the ordinary that it. has been brought to the attention of some of our seed- 

 ling experts to get their thought in the matter. Prof. Hansen says that he 

 "believes Mr. Elliot is right in his idea that the species is 'wabbling.' though 

 it may be a case of imperfect pollination. It is just such fine points as this 

 that Mr. Burbank would sieze on and get unexpected results " Following 

 this thought, it would be well for our members to save seed for planting from 

 any specimens that show unusual variations from the regular type. 



Valuable eor Growing Seedlings. — A correspondent, Mr. John Bisbee 

 of Madelia, notes that "the Malinda remains in blossom a long time, new 

 blossoms coming out for a week or more. This fact makes favorable results 

 more possible, especially if trees are surrounded by late keeping varieties, as 

 my trees are." In another letter Mr. Bisbee speaks of his Malindas having 

 the opportunity of being fertilized with "Baldwin, Wolf River, Peerless, 

 Duchess, Roxbury Russett, Anisim, University, Wealthy, Boiken, Grimes' 

 Golden, Orange Winter, Longfield, Seek-No-Further, Northwestern Greening 

 and others." Mr. Bisbee is planting a considerable quantity of this seed, we 

 understand, and a small amount has been sent to this office also for distribution. 



A. W. Si.-vs Moves to Missouri. — A recent letter from this old and 

 honored life member recites the fact that he has changed his residence from 

 southern Florida to Pomona, Mo., which, we take it, is somewhere in the 

 southwestern part of that state. There he and his son, E. D. Sias, have pur- 

 chased forty acres of land already planted in part to fruit, and he has rechristened 

 it "Pomona Memorial Park," according to the quaint way of our friend Sias. 

 It is to be suitably adorned and to be the beauty spot of that region, we judge, 

 if his plans materialize. Mr Sias speaks in the letter of his early acquaintance 

 with O. V. Rollins, of Elgin, Wabasha Co., Minn., the originator of Rollins' 

 Pippin, the seed producing which he figured out to have been planted sixty 

 years ago. Mr. Rollins must have been an odd person, as his friends called 

 him "Odd Rollins", this, as per Mr. Sias, not standing for his real name but 

 on account of a peculiar twist of his nature. 



Combating the Buffalo Tree Hopper.— Referring to a sample of apple 

 tree wood infested with this insect, from the orchard of W. S. Albrant, of Man- 

 kato, Prof. F. L. Washburn, State Entomologist, says: "Pruning off the 

 infested twigs and small branches and burning the same, where they are not 

 too large, is desirable. Of course this refers to Hmbs in which eggs have been 

 recently laid. Where the scars indicate an injury of long standing it would 

 manifestedly do no good to trim off and burn the limbs. Clean cultivation of 

 an orchard, and the destruction of all rubbish, particularly along fence rows 

 and adjoining lands, has much to do with keeping this pest in check. It is 

 not commonly troublesome in a well cultivated and cared for orchard. I wish 

 to urge fruit growers and nurserymen through your magazine, to use Bordeaux 

 mixture freely and intelligently in combating many forms of fungous troubles, 

 which are gathering strength each year in this state. Faithful work along 

 this line will undoubtedly reduce the ravages of various fungous diseases, and 

 at the same time help to keep in check such pests as the buffalo tree hopper 

 the green tree hopper, or leaf hopper, plant lice, etc." 



