22 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



October, 



commercial establishment, and no account 

 is made of it in the above estimate. 



During the winter, about six tons of coal 

 was required by the water heater to main- 

 tain the inside temperature at night at 55°. 



When we consider the durability of the 

 houses and the efficiency of its different 

 parts, few it any changes suggest them- 

 selves. The cement wall between the 

 houses might be done away with, and a 

 cheaper method of ventilating could be 

 used that might answer equally well. 



Why This General Failure of the 

 Tree Fruits? 



Unsatisfactary and annoying as the fact 

 is, that the present fruit crop is the smallest 

 the country has grown in many years, it 

 will be interesting, nevertheless, to look 

 into the causes of this calamity. Prof. L. 

 H. Bailey, Horticulturist of the Cornell 

 University Experiment Station, gives his 

 views as to the whys and wherefores in 

 Bulletin XIV, issued by that institution, 

 from which we extract the following: 



The facts in the case are that the promise 

 of fruit was never better in Western New 

 York than last spring. Yet the Apple crop 

 is almost a total failure, Peaches and Plums 

 are few. Pears are probably less than half a 

 crop, and Quinces range from small to fair 

 crops in various sections. Raspberries and 

 Blackberries have yielded indifferently. 

 Only the Strawberry and Grape crops are 

 satisfactory. 



The spring was exceedingly wet, and 

 mostly cool. When the orchards were in 

 bloom unusually heavy rains fell. Shortly 

 afterwards the blossoms withered and fell, 

 and the leaves of Apples, Pears and Quinces 

 began to blight. The rains were succeded 

 by drouth, which, in some sections, became 

 severe. During the early part of the season 

 the blight of the foliage increased, until, in 

 July, the trees in thousands of acres of Apple 

 orchards appeared to be dying. In many 

 places the Quince orchards appeared to be 

 scorched, and the foliage of the Pears was 

 speckled. Peaches dropped their leaves and 

 fruits early in season. The Blackberries 

 and later Raspberries in some sections, 

 dried up, and the bushes looked unhealthy. 

 Apples, Pears, Quinces. The idea ap- 

 pears to be universally accepted that cold 

 and heavy rains at blooming time will pre- 

 vent heavy blooming of the flowers. Yet I 

 know of no reason for thinking it of suffic- 

 ient moment for the failure of a crop. For 

 instance, two Seckel Pear trees, equally ex- 

 posed and of the same age, both of which 

 bore a heavy crop last year, stand but a rod 

 apart, and were in bloom at the same time; 

 one has no fruit and the other is loaded. 

 We have all observed good crops of fruit in 

 years when heavy rains fell during the 

 blooming season. 



It should be borne in mind that fully four- 

 fifths of the flowers of Apples and Pears fall 

 naturally. The flowers are borne in clus- 

 ters, yet the fruits are usually borne singly. 

 The redundancy of flowers appears to be 

 nature's method of insuring fertilization, by 

 increasing the amount of pollen and multi- 

 plying the chances of success. 



In most cases the Apples had set, and 

 were about the size of small Peas when they 

 began to die. They withered, turned 

 brown and fell. The Greenings died before 

 the late flowering sorts, but aU were proba- 

 bly attacked at about the same period of 

 growth. At the same time, the young leaves 

 began to look unhealthy, and they rapidly 

 assumetl a blighted appearance. 



All these facts show that there is an inti- 

 mate connection between the death of the 

 flowers or young fruit and the blighting of 

 the leaves. The blight is caused by the 

 Apple-scab fungus. Whether the flowers 

 or the young fruits were actually attacked 



by the fungus in this case, or whether they 

 fell because of the impaired vitality of the 

 injured trees, I am unable to say, but it is 

 probably that their death is due in large 

 part to the fungus. 



This fungus (Fusicladium dendriticum), 

 so destructive to foliage, causes the scab 

 upon the fruit itself. It is nearly always 

 present upon both leaves and fruit, but it is 

 rarely so destructive to foliage as this year. 

 It has increased rapidly in New York of late 

 years, and the wet spring afforded it just 

 the conditions for rapid growth. It appears 

 to be somewhat more upon low and un- 

 drained lands than upon high and warm 

 elevations. 



A closely related species (Fusicladium 

 pyrinuin, by some regarded as identical 

 with the other) attacks the Pear, both fruit 

 and foliage, and it has probably caused 

 much of the failure in the Pear crop. 



The leaf-blight upon the Quince, very 

 serious in many parts, is caused by an en- 

 tirely different fungus (Etitomosporium 

 mueuUitum, known also as Morthicra Mcs- 

 piU). This leaf blight must not be con- 

 founded with fhe Pear blight which attacks 

 the Quince as well as the Pear, and is char- 

 acterized by the uniform death and brown- 

 ing or blackening of the whole leaf or 

 branch and the entire absence of spots. The 

 only remedy for this is to remove and burn 

 the diseased portions, taking care to cut off 

 the branches several inches below the lowest 

 visible point of attack. 



Treatments. The injury to Apples, Pears 

 and Quinces by the scab fungus is not a 

 vital one. In the worst cases the vitality of 

 the trees may be checked for a year or two. 

 As a rule, the effect of the leaf blight in 

 Western New York this year, will probably 

 be to develop a large crop of fruit buds. 

 But if next spring should be wet and cool, 

 the fungus would in all probability spread 

 again, as it has this year. At all events, it 

 is to be expected that Apples will be scabby, 

 as they have been in other years, and unless 

 the weather is unusually favorable, the fruit 

 will be likely to suffer seriously. 



The last two seasons have demonstrated 

 that carbonate of copper is a sure remedy 

 for the Apple scab fungus. Not less than 

 three applications should be made,— one 

 before the blossoms open, one just after they 

 fall, and another three or four weeks later. 

 These applications, even when a half dozen, 

 need not cost more than 15 to 25 cents for a 

 large tree for the whole season, counting 

 both materials and labor. The following 

 are good formulas; 



1 Dissolve 1 oz. carbonate of copper in 1 qt. of 

 aqua-ammonia; dilute with 100 qts. of water 

 when ready to apply. 



3. Place 2 lbs. of copper sulphate in sufficient 

 hot water to dissolve it, and In another vessel 

 dissolve 2J^ lbs. carbonate of soda. Mix, and 

 before using add 1% plats of ammonia, and then 

 dilute with water to about 30 gallons. This is 

 the modified eaxi celeste mixture. 

 The former is probably the better. 

 The Quince leaf-blight (Entomosporium) 

 is readily destroyed upon Quince and Pear 

 stocks by four or flve applications of Bor- 

 deaux mixture. The following is a good 

 formula for Bordeaux mixture: 



Dissolve 6 lbs. sulphate of copper in 16 guls. 

 water. In another vessel slake 4 lbs. fresh lime 

 in gals, of water. When the latter cools, pour 

 it slowly into the copper solution, mixing the 

 two thoroughly. It is best to prepare the mix- 

 ture a day or two before using. 



Peaches. Peaches have suffered from 

 curl-leaf (Taphrino deformans), the curcu- 

 lio and the yellows. For leaf curl a spray 

 of sulphate of iron in spring before the buds 

 swell is suggested. 



The curculio is readily held in check by 

 the familiar process of jarring unto sheets. 

 Paris green at the rate of 1 lb. to .3.50 gals., 

 applied several times, beginning just after 

 the blossoms fall, will be found useful. 



The only remedy for the yellows is to cut 

 out every affected tree. This must be done 

 systematically and thoroughly, or Peach 

 culture is doomed. 



Small Fruits. The most serious trouble 

 among small fruits is the anthracnose or 

 cane-rust of Raspberries (known as Qlaos- 

 porium vctictum or O. vecatnr). It also 

 attacks the Blackberry. 



In the treatment of this disease it is very 

 important that the plants be kept in a thrifty 

 condition. I..ight and frequent cultivations 

 in loose and well-tilled soil are much less 

 expensive than half the amount of tillage 

 upon neglected or poorly treated soil, and 

 their effect upon the plants is greater. 



The Strawberry blight (SphcereUti frn- 

 garke; known also as Ramidaria TuUisnci) 

 has been bad in some sections and upon 

 some varieties. The most approved remedy 

 is potassium sulphide or sulphuret (" liver 

 of sulphur ") sprayed upon the vines about 

 once a week, from the beginning of the 

 growing season until the fruit begins to 

 ripen, at the rate of about 1 oz. to 8 gallons. 

 After the crop is gathered the plants may 

 be mown and burned off, or destroyed by 

 spraying with 1 pint of sulphuric acid to 6 

 gallons of water. New leaves soon start up, 

 and the plants are not injured. 



The advent of the rots and mildews in the 

 New York vineyards is not a cause of alarm. 

 The means are at hand to keep them in 

 check easily and economically. Some vine- 

 yardists are now using fungicides with good 

 success. The anthracnose appears to be 

 particularly injurious in attacking the wood, 

 especially of nursery stock. This is the 

 fungus which causes the scab of the berry 

 and black, shallow pits upon the wood. 



The mildews and rots can be kept in check 

 by spraying of Bordeaux mixture from be- 

 fore the flowers open every week until well 

 into August. 



For anthracnose, sulphate of iron is ap- 

 plied before leaves appear. After-treatment 

 should be made with Bordeaux mixture. 



To MARKET MEN. Do uot forget that the price 

 of fruits and some vegetables in a package is 

 usually fixed by the poorest, never by the best 

 specimens. 



A SPECIAL EXHIBITION of jam, jellics, syrups, 

 fruit vinegars, bottled fruits, fruits preserved 

 whole in syrup, fruits In spirits, crystalized and 

 candied fruits and dried fruits will beheld under 

 the auspices of the Royal Horticultural Society, 

 of England, in the Drill Hall, Jamesstreet, West- 

 minster, on Oct. 14th, 1.5th and 16th. Not only 

 British grown, but also colonial and foreign 

 grown fruits are invited. The chief aim of this 

 move is to draw attention to the great advance 

 that has been made in the last quarter of a cen- 

 tury in the preservation of fruits for winter use. 

 Medals, certificates, etc., will be granted by the 

 council on the recommendation of the Judges. 



Grape Growers Happy. Amid the desola- 

 tion of the fruit crop failure that prevails so 

 widely, it is pleasant to note exceptions here and 

 there, A report from the vineyard regions of 

 Chautauqua Co., N. Y., indicates that the crop is 

 of much better quality than it was last year, 

 and is the largest harvested in many years, 

 owing to the fact that many new vineyards are 

 beginning to bear. Better returns are being 

 realized by the growers than last year. Com- 

 mission men are offering $.55 a ton delivered to 

 the station. A Board of Trade has been estab- 

 lished with a chairman located at Brocton. All 

 the associatiims and small shippers belong to it. 

 The price of Grapes on track is established 

 every day. The number of cars shipped the 

 day previous and their destination is wired every 

 morning to the chairman by each shipper and 

 association. Then the chairman wires a state- 

 ment of these facts to each association and 

 shipper, and the placement of cars for that day 

 will be governed by this report. The price of 

 Grapes tor the day is ascertained by each asso- 

 ciation sending its estimated value of Grapes 

 for that day. Then an average of the different 

 prices is struck and that average must be the 

 price for the day. North East, Pa., Ripley, 

 Westfleld, Portland, Brocton, Fredonia, and 

 Dunkirk, belong to the Board of Trade. 



