i887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



13 



Treasurer, B. G. Smith, Boston, Mass. Executive 

 Committee, Franklin Davis, Virfnnia; J. E. Miteh- 

 ell, Pennsylvania; J. H. Masters, Nebraska: C. 

 W. Garfield, Michigan. 



The meetings were held in the rooms of the 

 Mechanic's Institute, and this was also the place 

 of the exhibition. In the line of exhibits the 

 entries were altogether very extensive, the 

 special prizes offered by the Massachusetts So- 

 ciety ser\ing to draw out a graml show. Our 

 space does not jiermit of giving an entire list of 

 entries, but mention may be made of some of the 

 more conspicuous ones. 



For the best general display of fruits of all 

 kinds a prize of $26 wsis given to the Lincoln 

 Grange, of Massachusetts. 



The T. S. Hubbard Co., of Fredonia, showed 

 18.5 varieties of native Grapes, this being the 

 largest exhibit of such ever brought together. 

 This exhibit drew the lii-st prize as the best col- 

 lection of natives. The second prize was received 

 by E. Williams, Mount Clair, New Jersey, who 

 showed -H \arieties, and the third by Warren 

 Fcnno. For a Hue display of Eaton and Howe 

 Grapes, John B. Moore & Son, Concord, Mass., 

 received a silver medal. 



D. S. Marvin, the progressive hybridizer and 

 Grape grower, of Watertown, N. Y., showed nine 

 new \arietics, among which, raised as they have 

 iK^en at the fai- North, it is safe to assume there 

 are some which will make theii- mark. 



Mr. A. J. Caywood, Marlboro, N. Y., made an 

 interesting exhibit of new varieties, including 

 a fruiting vine of the Ulster four yeai-s old, and 

 bearing 38 well developed clusters of fruit. His 

 " Black Delaware," with its handsome, compact 

 cluster, tine bloom and exquisite sweetness, drew 

 many favorable comments from visitors. 



In hot house varieties Mr. David Allan, gar- 

 dener, to R. M. Pratt, Esq., of Boston, showed 

 some striking specimens, which received premi- 

 ums. His handsomest and best ripened first prize 

 specimen consisted of a cluster of Black Alicante, 

 weighing five pounds six ounces. The prize for 

 the best two bunches of Black Hamburgs also 

 went to him, the weight of the clusters being re- 

 spectively 8 jiounds 4 ounces and .5 pounds. 



The special and general displays of Apples were 

 fine, the exhibit by the State of Arkansas receiv- 

 ing for general display the fii-staward, that of the 

 Worcester Grange the second, and C. C. Shaw the 

 third. We greatly regret lacking space to go 

 into details concerning the many creditable ex- 

 hibits in this department. Among newer or less 

 kn(jwn varieties that attracted much notice were 

 the Barne's Striped, by Simon E. King, Worcester, 

 Mass., and the Wolf River Apple, by A. L. Hatch, 

 of Ithica, Wis. 



The best collection of Pears was the 130 varie- 

 ties of EUwanger & Barry, Rochester, N. Y.; the 

 second that of C. H. Hovey, of Cambridge, Mass., 

 consisting of 118 varieties, and the third Warren 

 Fenno's, of Revere, Mass. A specisU prize was 

 offered to Mr. F. R. Shattuck for Bartlett Pears 

 from the first tree grown in this country, the 

 same ha\1ng been jiroduced on the farm of the 

 late Enoch Bartlett, Roxbiuy, Mass. In Peaches 

 the best general collection wjxs that of C. G. Smith; 

 second. Smith & Keman; thiid, David L. Fiske. 

 But few Plums were shown. 



Among the newer and specially interesting 

 varieties of fruits shown besides those mentioned 

 were the following: A plant of the Jes.sie Straw- 

 berry, at present in fruit, by Chas. A. Green, 

 Rochester, N. Y. Green Mountain Grape, by 

 Stephen Hoyt & Sons, New Canaan, Conn., a 

 white \ariety.saidtobea week earlier than Hart- 

 ford. Four new varieties of Graixjs not yet 

 named, by Jacob Moore, Attica, N. Y. The North- 

 ern Light, a large white % ariety that oiiginated 

 on the Ottawa River, Ont., T. S. Hubbard, Fre- 

 donia, N. Y. Japan Persimmons, Lemons, etc., 

 by several Florida growers. Apples and Peai-s, 

 C. R. H. Starr, Port Williams, No^^a Scotia. Col- 

 lection of Apples grown under Cole's System of 

 New Agriculture, O. P. Rooks, Gardinia, Fla. 



The exhibits in the line of ornamentjil plants, 

 flowei-sand trees was magnificent in the extreme. 

 Indeed as regards the greenhouse and hot-house 

 plants on the main floor of the exhibition hall, it 

 is questionable whether another city on the con- 

 tinent could command as fine a display as the one 

 of this occasifin, drawn out by the prizes of the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society. The ar- 

 rangement was also most admirable. The lead- 

 ing prize-takei-s in pot plants were H. H. Hunne- 

 well, William Martin, George A. Nickerson, W.A. 

 Manda, of the Botanic Garden, Mre. F. B. Hayes, 

 John L. Gardner, Thomas Clark, C. H. Hovey 

 and Thomas W. Dee. 



Some fine groujjs of hardy Evergreen shrubs 

 and herbaceous plants were shown by W. C. 

 Strong of Nonantum Hill, Mr. F. L. Temple, 

 Somerrtlle, Mass., and a general display by J. W. 

 Manning, of the Reading Nurseries. The strong 

 collection received the first Hunnewell jirize for 

 evergTeens and shrubs, that of Mr. Temple the 

 second. In Mr. Strong's exhibit were shown 50 

 varieties of ornamental deciduous trees and 

 shrubs besides the Evergreens. The Manning col- 

 lection of Evergreens comprised .52 varieties, of 

 which 45 were conifers. This exhibit also em- 

 braced in another section numerous herbaceous 

 perennials,prominent among which were the Dcs- 

 modium pendula, with rich, purple flowers, and 

 Gaillardia aristata, a late summer blooming plant 

 of undoubtedly great value. Mr. Temple, of 

 Somer\Tlle, hsis shown much enterprise in bring- 

 ing out new vaineties of merit. Besides his gen- 

 eral collection he exhibited the new Weeping 

 Lilac, Sui'iiwia Uutaitiiia Pekincnsis pendula, one 

 year from bud, which attracted much attention 

 for its beauty and grace, lilao receiving a flrst- 

 class certificate of merit. He also showed the new 

 Golden Hop-tree, Ptcka trifuUata aurca, a prom- 

 ising lawn tree, and a fine foi-m of the Hardy 

 Double Gaillardia, G. aristata Templeana, a plant 

 that will be sure to attract wide interest. 



Among the numerous other striking exhibits 

 in hardy and garden shrubs, plants and flowers, 

 may be mentioned a collection of tili species and 

 varieties of fruiting shrubs, by Jackson Dawson, 

 of the Arnold Arboretum. L.W. Goodell, Dwlght, 

 Mass, Asters (iuclnding some promising varieties 

 of his own, notably, Shakespear's Purple Black), 

 Pansies, etc. Edwin Fewkes & Sons, Dahhas, Can- 

 nas, etc. W. A. Manda, Single Dahlias, Succulents, 

 etc. Mrs. P. D. Richards, West Medford, Mass., 

 60 glasses of native flowers. B. S. HUl, Hyde 

 Park, general collection. J. F. C. Hyde, Hibiscus 

 tiavescens, white with crimson center, and others. 

 Siebrecht & Wadley, New York, a S2,000 Vanda 

 Sanderiana. Mr. John Simkins showed several 

 tanks of Victoria regia and other aquatic plants 

 that attracted the constant attention of visitors. 



Other matters pertaining to this interesting 

 meeting will appear elsewhere in this issue and 

 in subsequent issues. The next meeting of the 

 society will be held in the State of Florida, the 

 exact time and place being not yet determined. 



Some Things for Gardeners at the 

 Agricultural Science Meeting. 



The following topics of Interest were con- 

 sidered at the recent meeting of the Associ- 

 ation for the Promotion of Agricultural 

 Science in New York. 



About a Destructive Uaggot. Prof. A. J. 



Cook in a paper on " Economic Entomology " 

 brought out the imixirtant conclusion that the 

 Cabbage, Onion and Radish maggots, heretof<jre 

 regarded as distinct, are really the same species. 

 Though they differ somewhat in appearance, all 

 gi-adations have been found between them and 

 the Cabbage maggot has been grown upon the 

 Radish and rice veraa. Onions also are badly 

 affected on ground where Cabbages were affected 

 the previous year. The maggot seems to prefer 

 the Cabbage, but will attack the Onion when that 

 is not to be had. It has also been observed on 

 .several uncultivated plants. The only practica- 

 ble remedy: Change the location of the crop 

 when the maggots l>ecorae troublesome. 



Plum Curculio on Other Fruits. Additional 

 evidence was given to show that the Plum Cm'- 

 cuUo attacks also the Apple, Pear and Peach when 

 Plums are not to be had; the former might be 

 protected by jilanting Plum trees in the orchards. 



Some Oeneralizations were advanced by Dr. E. 

 L. Sturtevant !is follows: 1st. Types iif CiMivatecl 

 PUtnts. .Such do nf)t originate in nature, are not 

 produced by cultivation; 3d. Changes Effected hy 

 Cultivation. These can be c.xpressad by the terms 

 expansion, quality, prolificacy and eai'liness or 

 lateness; M. Hi/hrids or Crosses are rarely inter- 

 mediates, but api>roach one parent more than the 

 other; 4th. Hybrids tend to purge themselves of 

 their mixtures; they are rarely found in Nature. 



Some Valuable Points on CtJtivation. Dr. 



Sturtevant showed that the chief purpose of cul- 

 tivati<»n was to maintain moisture in the soil by 

 keeping it in condition to derive moisture by 

 capillary attraction from the subsoil lx:Iow. In 

 the growing season more water was evaporated 

 from the soil than was deposited during the same 

 time as rain. Moisture in agriculture is of more 

 importance than fertility. The main question is 

 " How to get the fertility of the soil into the 



crop." It is useless to fertilize the soil without 

 supplying sufficient moisture to make the fertility 

 available. For this purpose cultivation is usually 

 the only practicable means. 



Mulching prevents evaporation, but it is less 

 valuable than cultivation, in that it does not, to 

 the same degree, secure a continuous rise of 

 water by capiUary attraction from the subsoil, 

 thus bringing up in solution additional food sup- 

 plies for the plants. An important point brought 

 out in this paper was the fact that weeds do their 

 chief injury, not by extracting fertility, but by 

 causing increased evaporation, thuslessening|the 

 amount of moisture present. 



Horticulture at the New York State 

 Fair. 



" Floral HaU," a large tent 130 feet long 

 by 80 feet wide, did not begin to hold all the 

 flowers, fruits and vegetables which pro- 

 gressive New Yorkers sent to their State 

 fair, held at Rochester September 8 to 14. 

 The vegetables, of which there was a large 

 display, were crowded into the adjacent Do- 

 mestic HaU, while more than one exhibitor 

 of fruit and flowers complained at the short- 

 ness or utter lack of space for his entries. 



The arrangement of the hall was admirable, 

 both for showing the articles exhibited and 

 for general effect. This may be understood by 

 the accompanying ground plan, which shows the 

 location of the different exhibits in one half of 

 the tent, and this was a reiietition of the other 

 half. With pyramids occupying the two central 

 circular parts, consisting of handsome Palms 

 and other hot-house plants towering some 13 feet 

 upwards, and then the flowers, fruits, etc., on 

 the lower stages, it is easUy imagined how hand- 

 some the haU was. For all this much credit is due 

 to the taste and judgment of Mr. Frank H. Vick, 

 who was Superintendent of the Hall. 



Of course no fruit display at Rochester could 

 be considered complete without an exhibit by 



Aii-angemcnt of Floral Hall, at the New York 



State Fair. 

 the well-known nurserymen, EUwanger & Barry. 

 These gentlemen headed the Ust of extensive ex- 

 hibitors in the professional list of this depart- 

 ment, showing of Pears, 105 varieties; of Plums, 

 15 varieties; Peaches, 18 varieties; Grapes, 62 Na- 

 tive Grapes (including their own promising vari- 

 eties, the Monroe and the Rochester), and 10 

 F(jreign Grapes, all of which took first prizes. 

 Next in extent in Grapes to the last was the ex- 

 hibit of the H. E. Hooker Co., Rochester, who 

 received second prize for the best general collec- 

 tion. Mr. John Charlton, the well-known gi-ower 

 of new varieties, was present with 28 different 

 Grapes, new and old. He showed the new Nor- 

 folk, styled by some "Early Catawba," it be- 

 luga promising early red variety; and the El 

 Dorado, one of Rickett's seedlings, the fruit of 

 which is white, as large as Niagara and the qual- 

 ity sui>erior. 



The Niagara Grape, as was to be expected here 

 so near its home, was shown in great profusion. 

 The originators at Lockport had on hand some 

 baskets of remarkably handsome fruit of this 

 variety, but it was left to the Niagara Grape Co., 

 as represented by Dr. H. P. Van Dusen, of New- 

 ark, N. Y., to show that the Niagara can be 

 grown "as cheap as Corn" by any one. What 

 the.v did was to bring an entire vine, four years 

 old, taken from their vineyard, bringing trellis, 

 wires, and all, and which vine showed the sur- 

 prising number of 8« perfect clusters of fruit. 



Among other exhibitoi-s in the fruit depart- 

 ment the displays of those named below were con- 

 spicuous, most of which took both first and sec- 

 ond premiums in different classes: O. S. Jacques 

 Wright's Corners, N. Y., C. P. Whitney, M. F. 

 Pierson, H. N. Peck, J. Zunbrich, E. Van Allen, 

 H. Glass, Palmer Worden, H. E. Hooker Co., 



