NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



seasons ; but otherwise the large orchard 

 is a picture of health, and is loading well 

 for a fine crop of peaches. 



The Lecture by Prof. Panton before 

 the Paris Horticultural Society on the 

 1 9th May was a most instructive one, and 

 the accompanying steriopticon illustra- 

 tion of prizes were greatly appreciated. 

 There were twelve entries for the apple 

 exhibit, one gentleman showing eighteen 

 varieties, a large number considering the 

 season, and all in excellent condition. 



We, note with great regret the an- 

 nouncement of the death of Mr. Jas. F. 

 Webster, Hamilton, on the 5th ot June. 

 Mr. Webster has been a frequent contri- 

 butor to our pages, and was ever ready to 

 serve the best interests of our various 

 Horticultural .Societies. 



Fruit Preserving Fluids. — \Ve de- 

 sire to caution our readers against ven- 

 dors of recipes for preserving fruits for 

 culinary use, who go from door to door. 

 Humbugs are the order, and some people 

 seems to be more ready to spend their 

 money on them than upon useful articles. 

 Fifty cents for a recipe to dissolve 36 

 grs. salicylic acid in a quart of hot water! 

 It does preserve the good appearance of 

 the fruit ; it is one of the chemicals which 

 the writer used for preserving fruits for 

 exhibition at the World's Fair, but is not 

 intended for taking into the human sys- 

 tem. Indeed salicylic acid, if used con- 

 stantly, is very injurious to health. 



The S.\n Josis Scale is pretty widely 

 distributed in the United States, by 

 means of both nursery stock and fruit. 

 The national nursery man is sure that 

 one is about as important a factor as the 

 other, and any Act that does not in- 

 clude the prohibition of the importation 

 of fruit will be a failure. The most suc- 



cessful winter wash for the destruction 

 of the insect is said to be 2 lbs. of potash 

 dissolved in i gallon of water. 



The DiSTRiKUTiON of the Scale by 

 infected fruit is declared by many ento- 

 mologists also to be quite possible. In 

 a bulletin published in 1896 Professor 

 Howard of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, Washington, says : — " Its impor- 

 tance from an economic standpoint is 

 vastly increased by the ease with which 

 it is distributed over wide districts 

 through the agency of nursery stock and 

 the marketing of Jruit, and the extreme 

 difficulty of exterminating it where once 

 introduced, presenting as it does, in the 

 last regard, difficulties not found with 

 any other scale insect." The Nation- 

 al Nurseryman says : — " A federal bill 

 providing for the inspection of nur- 

 sery stock and not for the inspection of 

 fruit, will, according to the best authori- 

 ties, leave the way open for the dissemi- 

 nation of the San Jose scale through an 

 avenue known to the scientist and prac- 

 tical orchardist." 



The Gas Treatment of stock has 

 been tried by the Entomologist of the 

 Sewers Experiment Station, with some 

 degree of success. Fumigating bo.xes, 

 costing about $10 were used, in which 

 packages were placed, and treated with 

 hydrocyanide and gas. Possibly this 

 treatment will be a success, generally. 



Messrs. Reford & Co. write they 

 have fitted up the steamers lona, 

 Hurona and Gerona for London, and 

 Kastalia for Glasgow with cold storage 

 for perishable freight under contract 

 with the Government. Any one may 

 have list of sailing dates from Montreal 

 on application to them, 23 St. Sacra- 

 n)ent -St. 



280 



