142 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



April 



taken up in part by an examination of the 

 Exposition exhibits, especially of the vast 

 variety of citrus fruits, some of which were 

 quite new to many northern visitors. The 

 specimens were unusually fine, and the ex- 

 hibit as a whole deserves much fuller notice 

 than can be given here. 



President's Address. The president al- 

 luded to the bright position accorded the 

 society by foreign horticultural authorities, 

 and contrasted sharply the respective con- 

 ditions of the American and European far- 

 mers, greatly to the advantage of the for- 

 mer, who owned and was directly 

 interested in the land he tilled 

 and the results. The creation of 

 the new cabinet portfolio was 

 commended; the presence of char- 

 ter members of the society was 

 happily noted, its perpetuation 

 should be animated by the ad- 

 vancement of an intellectual and 

 refining pursuit. The richest 

 lands or most favored localities 

 do not always yield the highest 

 revenue; education of the hus- 

 bandman is an important factor. 

 The utilization of surplus fruit is 

 a problem approaching solution. 

 Cheap fruit created an increasing 

 demand. In the necrological 

 record fitting allusion was made 

 to Wm. Parry, of New Jersey, 

 Richard Peters, of Georgia, P. W. 

 Reasoner, of Florida, and A. J. Caywood, 

 of New York, members who have died since 

 the last session of the society. 



Reports, Re.?olutions, Etc. Treasurer 

 Smith's report showed a satisfactory cash 

 balance on hand with no Indebtedness, and 

 the legacy of the late President Wilder well 

 and safely invested. All the old officers 

 were then re-elected without opposition. A 

 resolution suggesting especial attention to 

 the raising of new seedling fruits on scien- 

 tific principles on the part of experiment 

 stations, and urging originators to send new 

 fruits to the stations was adopted. 



Cross Fertilization. A most interest- 

 ing essay was the opening essay on this sub- 

 ject, read by Dr. J. P. Neal of the Florida 

 Experiment Station. He gave the results 

 of much careful and intelligent experiment 

 in this fascinating and important branch of 

 pomological effort, which elicted long and 

 spirited discussion. The principle point dis- 

 cussed was as to the time visible effects of 

 crossing were first apparent. Many had 

 noted it in the fruit the first year, especially 

 in some species; others did not believe. Po- 

 mologist Van Deman had yet to be con- 

 vinced of such speedy influence. Dr. Neal 

 had met with many negative results, but 

 proposed to keep on working in this promis- 

 ing field. He wanted to obtain a hardy 

 Orange, combining the traits of the Navel 

 and Satsuma, or the Tandriff and Satsuma, 

 a Kelsey- Washington Plum, a Scuppernong- 

 Black Hamburg Grape, a Bartlett-Le Cont 

 Pear. With few exceptions he had seen no 

 influence of crossing the first year. Maize, 

 Sorghum, the Cucurbitaceae or Colocynth 

 were among these exceptions. The latter 

 planted with Melons produced large bitter 

 Melons the first year, and it saved his Melons 

 from dusky marauders. Grapes, Peaches 

 and Apples were not affected. 



Prevention of Grape Diseases. Prof. 

 B. T. Galloway of the Agricultural Depart- 

 ment at Washington ,talked of the " results of 

 recent experiments in the treatment of Vine 

 diseases." Downey mildew, he said, could 

 easily be controlled by either of the remedies 

 given in the circular issued by the Depart- 

 ment in 188T; as to the black rot the results so 

 far are not so decided, but they are suffici- 

 ently promising to warrant a continuance 

 of the trials. For anthracnose he recom- 

 mended a 50 per cent solution of copperas 



applied in winter before the buds advanced 

 too far. Mr. Newman of Alabama pre- 

 ferred bagging for rot ; said it was a com- 

 plete protection for rot, insects and birds, 

 and prolonged the period of ripening, also 

 ■improved the quality of the fruit. He got 

 ten cents a pound for those bagged while 

 others sold for four. 



Japan Persimmon. Mr. B. F. Livingston, 

 Florida, then read an interesting paper on 

 the " Kaki " (Japan Persimmon.) No other 

 fruit tree grows so vigorously without ma- 

 nure or cultivation. His 600 one-year old 



shortening, and yet we have known certain 

 varieties of the Pear, while young and thrif- 

 ty, to renew their growth annually, from 

 their terminal buds only, until the shoots 

 were no longer able to sustain their own 

 weight against the force of even a moderate 

 wind— a tendency which can only be re- 

 medied by annually cutting back the pre- 

 vious year's growth in spring, with the 

 result of increasing the number of new 

 shoots. Here all varieties of trees should 

 be branched low; both as a means of shad- 

 ing the trunks, and (especially with the 

 more upright grown,) to avoid 

 the undue influence of high winds. 

 We branch many trees within 

 eight to 13 inches of the earth. 



Watering by Means of Perfm-atcd Statimmry Pipes. Cross Section 

 of House. 



grafts on wild stock were from six to eight 

 feet high. They bear very young. The 

 only problem is marketing. Great care in 

 picking, packing and shipping is necessary. 

 There are now some 40 varieties, of which 

 only four were recommended for general 

 culture. 



Fruit Reports. The Report of the Sub- 

 Tropical Committee read by Dr. Manville, 

 and Mr. Hubbard contained detailed reports 

 of sub-committees from the various States. 

 The progress and growth of the various 

 fruits were minutely set forth. The variety 

 enumerated was very large and some of the 

 peculiar names were quite unknown to the 

 northern visitor. 



The Minor Citrus Fruits. This sub- 

 ject was treated by Rev. T. W. Moore, who 

 was in part historical, sentimental and 

 poetical. The Citron was among the oldest, 

 having come to Europe a thousand years 

 before the Orange. We should export it 

 largely instead of importing it as now. In 

 fragrance the flower excels all the Roses. 

 Many other neglected species of the Citrus 

 family were alluded to. Mr. Van Deman 

 wanted to discard the incorrect and un- 

 reasonable name "Grapefruit" and adopt 

 "Pomels" which he claimed was the pro- 

 per name for this fruit. 



(To be Continued.) 



The Points of Good Pruning 

 Summed Up. 



T. T. LYON, MICHIGAN. 



Among Mr. Augur's many excellent direc- 

 tions on pruning in February number, are a 

 few which, however well adapted to eastern 

 needs, may be, in our estimation, improved 

 for practice under the fervid skies and more 

 arid atmosphere of the west, with higher 

 winds and more extreme and trying meteor- 

 ological conditions generally. 



Here it is needful that the head of a tree 

 be so filled with wood that there can be no 

 injury to the trunk and leading branches 

 from what is commonly known as sun scald. 

 For this reason, our ideal tree should always 

 have a central branch, with not less than 

 three nor more than five side branches, upon 

 which to build a weU distributed system of 

 subsidiary arms. Mr. Auger says truly that 

 neither the Apple nor the Pear (he might per- 

 haps have added the Cherry) usually require 



Watering Plants by Means 

 of Perforated Pipes. 



W. A. MANDA, ESSEX CO., N. J. 



Where there is a good force of 

 hydrant water this method can be 

 easily adopted for plants which 

 require to be syringed often, or 

 kept uniformly moist. 



As shown in illustration ordi- 

 nary pipes are laid in the green- 

 house, and short pipes lead to the 

 sprinkler or perforated pipe 

 which is fastened to the waU over- 

 head the bench of plants. By 

 turning on the water the whole 

 bench is thus sprinkled uniformly, and 

 sufficiently, if left for ten or fifteen minutes. 

 This system is adopted in the cool Or- 

 chid house at the United States Nur- 

 series, and not only to sprinkle plants but 

 also the walks thus keeping a high degree of 

 moistiu'e. In summer the house is from 

 ten to fifteen degrees cooler than the lowest 

 temperature in the shade out of doors. 

 This system may be well recommended 

 where the whole house or bench is filled 

 with plants requiring the same treatment 

 but would be of a great advantage in any 



Ground Plan of Home. 

 greenhouse as a means of keeping the walls 

 moist, a condition so necessary for the wel- 

 fare of most of the tropical plants. 



The working of the system may be under- 

 stood by reference to the parts as follows; 

 A (see both engravings), shelving for plants; 

 B, side stage: C, walk; D D, sprinkler pipes 

 over the beds; E. sprinkler pipe for walk; 

 F F F F, supply pipes for bed sprinklers; 

 G, supply pipe for walk sprinkler; H (lower 

 engraving), entrance to greenhouse. 



The Wonderful Peach. 



A few specimens of an apparently new 

 Peach on exhibition at the Mt. Holly (N. J.) 



