1897.] ESSAYS. 27 



There have been introduced within the past few years several Japanese 

 varieties of the plum. It is yet loo early to estimate the value of 

 this addition to our old varieties. Some of the fruit has been shown 

 at our exhibitions of excellent quality. Whether the trees will prove 

 as hardy as our old varieties has not been shown. 



I would suggest a word of caution to those who propose to pur- 

 chase this class of trees. Two or three nurseries in New" Jersey have 

 been largely interested in disseminating these trees, not only supply- 

 ing growers, but furnishing other nurserymen, and the trees have been 

 found to be badly infested with the San Jose scale. Some parties 

 having ascertained the condition of the trees after having set them in 

 the ground have dug them up and burned them to prevent the scale 

 from spreading to other fruit trees. 



The prices at which Grapes have sold the past few years have not 

 been encouraging to the extension of their cultivation as a market 

 product. The large quantities sent into our markets from the Middle 

 and Western States create so close competition that there is little 

 profit for the grower. A disadvantage under which our growers 

 labor is the liability of the loss of the crop by either a spring or 

 early fall frost. Some of the largest growers have adopted the prac- 

 tice of girdling their vines, by which they secure their crop about two 

 weeks earlier, and the berries and the bunches are larger and more 

 attractive in appearance. 



It was formerly thought that girdling the vines affected unfavorably 

 the quality of the fruit. Analyses by Prof. Goessmann at different 

 times in the season showed that fruit from the same trellis of girdled 

 and uugirdled vines the former contained more sugar and less water 

 than the latter. The practice of girdling is worthy the attention of 

 the amateur growers, as by spraying to prevent mildew, and girdling 

 to hasten maturity, some of the crosses with foreign varieties of 

 better quality might be successfully grown. Vines bearing close- 

 growing bunches like the Delaware and Moore's Early cannot be 

 successfully girdled, as the increase in the size of the berries in such 

 compact form causes them to burst and decay. The Worden and 

 Concord are much improved in appearance. The Grape delights in 

 a warm dry soil, and the chances of failure may be reduced by the 

 selection of an elevated situation declining toward the south or 

 southeast. 



The methods adopted by the Strawberry growers are so uniform 

 there is little can be said upon that subject. It is almost the univer- 

 sal practice among market growers to set the plants in the spring 



