62 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



December, 



'_jEIN(jMATTERThAT DESERVES 

 TO BEVrlDElYKNOWK- 



Black Spot on Bose. A 



sudden check to the plant, 

 I beUeve, would jiroduce 

 this disease. —yliitoiHc 

 Wintzei: 



The Association of Amer- 

 ican Cemetery Superin- 

 tendents has nearlydouhled 

 its membership since organization.— President 

 Nichols. 



Ornamental Shrubs for Wehraska. At a recent 

 State horticultural meeting, it was stated that 

 any of those grown in the Bast were hardy and 

 suitable for planting in that section. 



The Oriental Plane Tree or Sycamore is rec- 

 ommended by Mr. Kobords, president of the 

 Bates Co. (Mo.) Horticultural Society, as being a 

 valuable tree for towns and cities where there 

 IS much coal dust, smoke, and gas. 



The cause of Apple scab might have been the 

 drouth of la.st summer which went below the 

 roots, but not until after a supply of sap had 

 been stored, sufficient to allow the trees to put 

 forth their leaves while the roots were decaying 

 and dead.— Sccrftacy Heniu Speer. 



As to Club Boot in Cabbage. At a meeting of 

 Massachusetts Board of Agriculture, several 

 speakers mentioned the planting of Cabbages 

 upon old pasture land, or upon a sod that has 

 not been cultivated for a few years, where there 

 was no troiible in having a crop free from disease. 



Commission Men and the Growers. A com- 

 mittee of fruit growers and gardeners has been 

 appointed by the Dutchess and Ulster County 

 Farmers' Club, to present a bill to the Legislature, 

 aiming to compel the commission houses of New 

 York State to give on bills of sale, the names of 

 purchasers of consignments. 



California Society of Florists. It is reliably re- 

 ported, that a State Society of California Florists 

 is to be cirganized, in consideration of the encour- 

 agement gi\-en by Secretary DeLonge of the 

 Board of Horticulture, who agreed to publish 

 the transactions in his annual report. The Society 

 will in no sense be a trade organization, but will 

 follow the usual methods of similar bodies. 



The Ohio State Horticultural Society. The 

 twenty-second Annual Meeting of the Ohio State 

 Horticultural Society will be held at Troy, 

 Miama County, Ohio, on December 13th, 13th and 

 Itth, 1888. To this meeting, members of other 

 kindred societies, and all jiersons interested in 

 horticulture are cordially invited. Troy is the 

 county seat of Miami County, situated in a region 

 abounding in large nurseries, and enterprising 

 and enthusiastic horticulturists. A large, inter- 

 esting and profitable meeting is anticipated.— 

 Oen. W. Cnmiihi'U, Sccrvtary. Delaware, Ohio. 



Florists, Help the Committee. In accordance 

 with Mr. Halliday's recent paper on Nomencla- 

 ture, the following committee was appointed by 

 the Society of American Florists. This coming 

 season would be one in which they should make 

 a good start: Robert J. Halliday, Baltimore, Md.; 

 Chas. D. Ball, Holmesburg, Phila.; G. H. Leahy, 

 West Grove, Pa.; Edwin Lonsdale, Chestnut Hill, 

 Phila.; J. N. May, Summit, N. J.; C. B. Whitnali 

 Milwaukee, Wis.; Wm. R. Smith, Washington, D. 

 C; Robt. George, Painesville, O.; Robt. Craig, 

 Phila.; A. B. Whittle, Albany, N. Y.; M. A. Hunt, 

 Terra Haute, Ind.; Benj. Grey, Maiden, Mass. 



The St. Louis Fzposition's Horticultural De- 

 partment was made a grand success, through the 

 energy of the members of the Missouri Horticul- 

 tural Society, Each county exhibit was kept 

 separate, some twenty-five being represented. In 

 Apples some have shown over two hundred 

 varieties, from the unmatured late winter sorts to 

 the early Red June, as well as having Pears and 

 Grapes. Between twelve and fifteen thousand 

 plates were needed to maintain this extensive 

 display. The express companies gave the ex- 

 hibitors half rates on their goods, an example to 

 be remembered by the companies in other States 

 and for other Societies. 



Are Orchids the Coming Flowers, It is my 

 firm belief that * trchids, some day or another, 

 will be " the tiower." 1 do not say that Roses 

 are going to be driven out— not at all. There is 

 no getting away from that fact, for there are 

 too many well founded reasons why Orchids can 

 never take the place of Roses, one being that you 

 cannot have them in ijuantities, and they cannot 



be produced for the million. On the other hand. 

 Hoses and other flowers are proliferous. And 

 their growing is now conducted with such pre- 

 cision, that dealers can safely make contracts at 

 the beginning of the year for large quantities of 

 Roses for future delivery. With Orchids this is 

 impossible. Nevertheless, I believe that, at some 

 time. Orchids will find a place for themselves and 

 may take the lead.— Hfiiri/ A. SkhrecM. 



Seven Growers on Mulching Strawberries. At 



the summer meeting of the Michigan Hoi-ticul- 

 tural Society, the following was given on the sub- 

 ject: Parker Earle, mulches mth Wheat straw 

 late in autumn, covering the rows lightly, the 

 ground between hea\ily, and never removes it. 

 Prof. W. J. Beal, at the Agricultural College, 

 used lea ves with Com stalks on top, but by spring 

 the leaves had all blown away. Dr. Marshall 

 used planing mill shavings with success. W. K. 

 Gibson thought that sawdust would not be sat- 

 isfactory. Pres. I^yon: Sorghum begasse has 

 been used by some, and highly recommended. 

 Being crushed it soon decays, forming a valuable 

 fertilizer. Marsh hay cut before being ripe is 

 good, said E. H. Scott, while A. G. Gulley spoke 

 of spent tanbark being used successfully. 



The Cost of Fertility in Land. It is beyond 

 question that the essential elements to be suppUed 

 in plant food consist of only three, viz: nitrogen, 

 potash, and phosphoric acid: all the other ele- 

 ments seem to be abundant and available in most 

 soils; but some of these three are often lacking, 

 or are locked up in combination beyond the 

 reach of most plants, and must in some way be 

 unlocked or supplied artificially, or we can have 

 no healthy plant growth. These elements have 

 an almost fixed value the world over. Soluable 

 nitrogen is worth over 16 cents per pound potash 

 .5 cents, phosphoric acid 8 cents. Comparing the 

 various land products it is demonstrated that 

 selling $.500 worth of hay would remove fertilizers 

 with a value of 8366; $.500 worth of Corn, $180; 

 same of Wheat, $155; of Wool, $.50; like amount 

 of dairy products, $38; $.500 worth of fruit would 

 cause a loss of much less than either of the last, 

 thus in the matter of fruit growing it is shown to 

 impoverish land only in a small proportion that 

 ordinary farm crops do.— S. S. Bailey, before the 

 West Michigan Farmcra' Club. 



Horticultural Belationship. My idea of this 

 subject is, that the local societies should meet 

 once a month and discuss matters, compare notes 

 as to varieties for their section, arrange about 

 marketing, and unite in getting up displays of 

 fruit and other produce at the fairs. The com- 

 bined societies should get updistrictexhibitions. 

 pass on the merits of new fruits, give premiums, 

 and interest growers. They can start canning 

 factories in co-operation; and arrange with ex- 

 press and railway companies about shipping. 

 The exhibitions should be under the manage- 

 ment of the State Horticultural Society, whose 

 duty would be to see that all fruit was correctly 

 named, that no old varieties were worked off as 

 new fruits by unprincipled dealers; to examine 

 all new varieties and decide as to worthiness 

 for general or local culture, and advisability as 

 to putting them on the market. The State Society 

 to be a court of appeal, whose decision should 

 be worthy of the confidence of all fruit gr(jwers; 

 no man having an axe to grind being elected to 

 any ofRce of the Society. The judges should be 

 selected from the best men; work for the general 

 good, setting down liard on all frauds; be willing 

 to tell all we know that will help the cause of 

 horticulture, and working to keep up prices of 

 produce to a living figure.— ir/n. Watson, Ben- 

 thiini, Tex., Pres.of the State Horticultural Society. 



The Massachusett State Society's (iOth An- 

 nual Exhibition was held during September, but 

 on account of the wet weather during the month 

 the displa.v of outside flowers was less extensive 

 than usual, though of good quality. Greenhouse 

 plants and blooms were fine, and were well 

 shown by an unusually attractive an-angement. 

 In fruits the exhibit was on the whole not inferior 

 to past shows, and while Apples and Pears were 

 hardly as abundant, they were exceptionally 

 free from any disease or insect injury. Vegeta- 

 bles were uniformly good; a display of Tomatoes 

 numbering .56 plates being noticeable for the mass 

 of color and perfect forms. Pitcher & Manda, of 

 New Jersey, contributed a fine collection of 

 Orchids and decorative i.>lants; an admired dis- 

 play of Nymphieas and other aquatics wiis made 

 by L. W. Goodell, of Dwight. Wm. Martin took 

 first prize on six specimen greenhouse plants. 

 A collection of 38 varieties of native Asters, by 

 Mr. J. F. C. Hyde, including some hybrids, which 



he has under cultivation. Among the large 

 exhibit of Harvard Botanic Gardens were Olive, 

 Cotfee, Pepper, Cinnamon, and numerous other 

 specimens of economic interest; in this display 

 the labelling was a noteworthy feature. B. 

 Fewkes & Son showed some fine tuberous Be- 

 gonias and new Cannas, while a number of ex- 

 hibitors had good Dahlias. In the Roses was 

 shown the new Md. Watteville. 



Illinois Growers Talk About Fruits. 



[Reported to the Alton Southern Horticultural Society 

 by Secretary E. A. Riehl.\ 



The year 1888 will be remembered as one 

 of great frultfulness. The winter left the 

 buds uninjured (except of Peaches); there 

 were no late spring frosts, and abtindant 

 rains through the summer carried the fruit 

 to a size and perfection seldom seen. The 

 scarcity of fruit in previous years so reduced 

 the fruit insects that all were more or less 

 free from insect injury. 



Among Pears, I have found Howell, as in years 

 past, the most profitable. It is larger and hand- 

 somer than Bartlett, and later, which is an ob- 

 jection. The tree is a fine grower, very produc- 

 tive, and with me the least subject to blight of 

 any; Mount Vernon also gave me an immense 

 crop of fine fruit. Pears properly grown are 

 profitable; the early varieties more so than the 

 later ones. We should try something of good 

 quality and size that is earlier than Bartlett. 



Of Peaches 1 have had a crop about double the 

 average. The fruit was large, well-colored and 

 quite free from insect injury, but in flavor not 

 as good as usual, owing to rains and cool weather 

 when ripening. 



The smallness of the croji is owing largely to 

 the planting of tender varieties like the Craw- 

 ford, which usually set a light crop of fruit, but 

 attain to a large size, and so sell well. I think it is 

 better to plant hardy varieties and thin the fruit 

 as most varieties, and even seedUngs can be made 

 large by proper thinning. It is less labor to thin 

 the f ru it while young than to pick it when grown. 

 In the former case it is only necessary to break 

 the young fruit off and drop it to the ground. 

 In the latter, aside from careful handling, the 

 small ones must also be taken out, so that really 

 to thin fruit makes less labor than not to do so; 

 and it is a satisfaction to market fruit that you 

 know is good all through the package. 



There are two Peaches that have proved earlier 

 and in some respects better than Early York, 

 and are called Amelia and St. John. They have 

 no fault— and should be largely planted wherever 

 it pays to grow Peaches. The Chinese Cling 

 and its seedlings. Gen. Lee, Family Favorite, and 

 Thurber have been satisfactory, being hardy, 

 productive, of fine color, and large, but not of 

 the best quality. George the 4th has been in the 

 past one of the best, and no orchard should be 

 without it, as wellasOldmixon and Stump. Ship- 

 pley's late Red proves desirable, ripening at a 

 time when there are few good Peaches. Great 

 Western, a white cling like Heath, but ripening 

 earlier, is hardy.productive, and should be largely 

 grown; trees two j'ears planted are loaded with 

 fine fruit. Wilkins, a seedling of Heath Cling, is 

 like it in every way excejjt being double the size, 

 and will likely supercede it. 



The Apple crop is good in some neighborhoods 

 and orchards and not in others, but ()n the whole 

 the croi> promises much better than it did at the 

 last meeting. 



J. M. Pearson remarked, that Some years ago 

 he iilanted a few trees of Clapp's Favorite Pears. 

 They are earlier and larger than the Bartlett, 

 but not so salable. There is no Pear that will 

 pay better than Bartlett. S. F. Connor was of 

 the opinion that generally the Howells in the 

 market don't compare in size with the Bartlett, 

 nor do they sell as well. Clapp's Favorite is pos- 

 itively of no value whatever for market. When 

 ripe it is too soft to handle or even for eating. 



Wm. Jackson said he did not pick his Plums at 

 all this year, but let them fall on blue grass sod, 

 so they were not hurt. Monawa is a new Plum 

 which he fears will be a light bearer. The Weaver 

 is one of the best of red Plums, but the skin is 

 too thick. He thinks it is best to graft Plums on 

 Peach stock, as then suckers will never bother. 

 Mr. Pearson couldn't understand how any one 

 can plant Wild Goose or Weaver, when Damson 

 is so easily grown. They will grow from slips 

 and bear three years after setting, and are cer- 

 tainly far superior to anything else, a full grown 

 tree bearing several bushels. The only objection 



