1876.J 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



27 



fpatiire was to co-opcrati' with tlio Poniipylvaniii llor- 

 ticultural Society in tliv inattiT liy tlu^ aiiiKiiiitnu'iit 

 of a joint coniriiitti-i', tlio duty ol" wliicii woulil hv. to 

 make tin' nci'tssafy aiTaiigeinciits witli the Cciiten- 

 uial antlioritit's. 



Mr. Sprout, of Lycominp county, favored this sug- 

 gestion, on the irrnunti that it would form a nueleiig 

 alxiiit whicli all the societies of the conntry niiirht 

 gather. lU' exiiihiteil the iihotoirra|th i>f an ajiparatus 

 designed to i)rcserve perislialile fruits when on cxliili- 

 ition, consisting of a case having a glass Iront, an<l 

 surroinidcil hy ice. 



(leorge li. Thomas, of West Chester, said that all 

 the space in this deiiarlmcjit at the Centennial had 

 been taken; that nothing could be done by the So- 

 ciety as a Imdy. 



Mr. Meehan offered a resolution to co-operate with 

 the American Association, wMeh will meet on the 

 14th of next Seplenihcr, prohalily in Horticultural 

 Hall, I'hiladelphia, and after a short session will 

 adjourn to the Centennial. His resolution was 

 adoptc<l. 



Josiah Hoopes on Yards and Lawns. 



An I'ssay was read fixmi .Tosiah Hoopes, of West 

 Chester, who was not jirescnt, cnlilled, ■• Our Yards, 

 and How to take Care of Them." The paper was 

 couci.'-e, and to the point. What is needed is a more 

 natural and less arliticial [ilan Ihan is commonly ob- 

 served, liules applicable in all cases cannot be laid 

 down, although iicncral iirinciplcs may be. Every 

 place ha.s au individuality of its own, which must be 

 understood in order to secure the best results. For 

 lawns few walks were recomniendod, and these 

 should not lie laid out carelessly. Every curve and 

 bend slioidd have a reason. P<jorly kept walks are 

 worse than none at all. Ground gyjisum was recoui- 

 niended as a good dressing for grass, to be used annu- 

 ally. The hand-mower will kill the weeds, thicken 

 the turf, and by leaving the short grass where it 

 falls, the soil is actually imiuovcd. In making 

 walks there should be stones employed for founda- 

 tion, up to within three inches of the surface. On 

 that the gravel is placed, the middle of the walk be- 

 ing raised two inches above the edges. Mixed 

 flowers in beds are in bad taste on a well-keiit lawn. 

 Position of beds, the arrangement of fountains and 

 rockeries, and the selectJon of trees were mentioned. 

 In front of a bay window, or in the bend of a drive or 

 walk, is a suitable place lor a flower bed ; fountains 

 ought to be plain in construction ; a rockery should 

 not show marks of a hammer or defaced portions of 

 the stones used in its construction. Avoid large 

 trees on small lawns, except for shade ; avoid mathe- 

 matical precision ; avoid scattered flowering shrubs. 

 The training in of the branches of trees while young 

 will greatly improve their ajipearance in after years. 

 Evergreens properly eared ibr will add greatly to the 

 beauty of any lawn" or yard. And after once getting 

 a place in oriier, care is constantly required to keep 

 it so. The essay of Mr. Hoopes was full of useful 

 and practical information. This subject has been a 

 specialty with him for years, and he has published a 

 book on the evergreens. 



Mr. Meehan [lut in a plea in this connection for 

 the straight box-wood borders and straight walks 

 of the old-fashioned flower gardens. 



H. T. Darlington, of Doylestown, asked what 

 common people were to do when the high priests dis- 

 agreed. Mr. Hoopes recommended curves, and Mr. 

 Meehan straight lines. 



Mr. Meehan explained himself, and eluded the 

 trap by endorsing the curves for the lawns and the 

 straight lines in the small gardens. 



John I. Carter, of the Experimental Farm at West 

 Grove, sjioke of the beauty of t he climbing vines about 

 the buildings, and of their cheapness and case of 

 growth. 



H. T. Darlington spoke of the forest trees — of their 

 inimitalilc characteristics — and mentioned those about 

 the West Grove Experimental Farm. 



Management of Orchards. 



John I. Carter read an essay on " Orchards and 

 their Management." He said orchards would pay 

 for more attention than they generally receive. If 

 the snpplj of fruit is increased beyond the present 

 consumption, the demand will also increase in pro- 

 jKirtion. The varieties of fruit reeommeialed were 

 as follows: Apples— .Maiden's Hlush, Smokehouse 

 and Smith's Cider. Pears— Hartlctt, Lawrence and 

 Scckel. Cherries— Governor Wood and Early Kich- 

 mond. Judicious nuinuring and good cultivation are 

 necessary, which are not to be di6<'ontinucd after 

 bearing begins. Plenty of miiu'ral fertilizers were 

 rcconimendcd. South "Carolina rock was mentioned 

 as adapted lo the purposi'. A wash niadcof muriate 

 of potash, low manure, sulphur and copperas was 

 recommended to be used after pruning. 



Mr. Purman, of Clinton (ounty, asked for practi- 

 cal remarks on the management and care of orch- 

 ards, lie has one hundred acres of young trees, and 

 desires lo have the most intelligent manner of earing 

 for them, and at the same time securing the most 

 economical method that will produce the result. 



To answer this recjuctt the President callcil upon 

 Walson P. Magill, of Bucks county. Mr Magill lirst 

 said that from nothing you can obtain notliing. .Vn 

 orchard of young fruit ought to increase in value at 



the rate of ?1 per tree per annum. In order to do 

 this something mtist of course be given to the land. 

 If Mr. Puruuin has 1110 acres of orchard, at the rate 

 of 4.') trees to the iwre, he must exjH'nd sonu' time 

 and labor to realize an increased valui' per year of 

 S4,.'j(l(). If he is not prei)aied to jiroperly cultivate 

 100 acres, he had belter try .lO, or even 10. Hoed 

 crops were advised for the flrst six or eight years — 

 potatoes being mentioned as well suited lo the pur- 

 pose. Thn-e or f<»ur hundred inainds of phosphate 

 to the acTC shoidd be used. The crops wouhl assist 

 in paying for this cidtlvation of the trees. Aflcrlhal 

 lime the orchard should go into grass, and be mown 

 once or twiie a year. If the grass Is removed nninure 

 shoid<l be returned. Stock ouglil to be carefully ex- 

 cluded. After the grass is under the trees, the fallen 

 leaves make an excellent nndeh. 



Mr. Sprout, of l.ycondng, said that his practice has 

 been lo use |>lenly of potash about Ids trees, in the 

 form of wood ashes; also copperas water, applied at 

 intervals of two weeks, to remedy flrebliglil. 



John Easlburn, of Hucks, re<'ommcnded plowing 

 uinler clover in orchards; also buck\\heat. He ob- 

 jects lo the practice of planting either ry<',oals,or 

 wheat, and docs not believe in plowing under sowed 

 corn. He believis in perpetual culllvallon of ajiple 

 trees. Last year lie nuirkeled tweiity-cight hundred 

 buslicls. 



W. P. Magill referred to the orchard of Joshua 

 Fell, near Doylestown, whose trees in the alumn re- 

 sendile pyrairdds of fnnt. They sell at from ten to 

 thirteen dollars per tree. The orchard is twelve years 

 old. The grass in the orchard resendilcs a well-kept 

 lawn. .Mr. .Magill favored low Iriinining. 



Mr. Gardner, a fruit-treetrimmcrof Hiickseounty, 

 explained his general plan of jiruning. He allows 

 three branches to form the iiillars uixin which to 

 build I he head of the tree. He aims at the jiroduc- 

 tion of short trunks and large tojis, and seizures, 

 thereby, he states, rapid and vigorous growth. 



Mr. "Magill stated that the best time to prune or- 

 chards is fnim the middle of May to flrst of July. 

 For a wash or coaling lie thought a solution of gum 

 shellac in alcohol would be found satisfactory. 



President Sattcrthwail said that low trimming was 

 doubtless the best ; that the leaf should be as near 

 the root as possible. 



Mr. Lint, of York, spoke of spring and fall prun- 

 ing; he would cultivate an orchard for six or eight 

 years, and then put it down in grass; and he pre- 

 ferred potatoes as a crop rather than corn for the 

 young orchard. 



A committee to examine the fruit on exhibition and 

 to report next day was appointed. It was as follows: 

 Thomas M. Harvey and John I. Carter, of West 

 Grove, Chester county, and S. W. Noble, of Jen- 

 kintown. 



Election of Offlcers--The Centennial. 



The proceedings of Thursday began with the selec- 

 tion of officers for the ensuing year. A committee of 

 three, consisting of John I. Carter, Thomas M. Har- 

 vey and Alfred Sheller, was appointed by the chair 

 to present nominations for the ofhccs to be Hlled at the 

 afternoon session. The committee to audit the trea- 

 surer's account reported that they had found every- 

 thing correct. The subject of changing the name of 

 the society to the " General Horticultural Society of 

 Pennsylvania," brought over from last year, was 

 taken up. Thomas Meehan gave several practical 

 reasons why the change was not desirable. H. .M. 

 Engle and Samuel W. Noble expressed the same 

 views. The matter was then postponed until next 

 year. John I. Carter offered a resolution looking to- 

 ward a display of our fruits at the Centenrdal. It 

 was proposed that the Secretary corresjiond with the 

 difl'erent county agricultural societies, asking their 

 aid in making such collection and ilisplay. He briefly 

 advocated such action. Mr. .Meehan said that he could 

 not see any practicable way of reaching this object. 

 It would cost a good deal of money to make a State 

 exliibition of fruit, aral he did not see where it would 

 come from. This Socii'ty could not interfere wilh Ihe 

 regular action of the l'entcni:ial Comnnssion. H. T. 

 Darlington said that it was very <loubtful if the Soci- 

 ety could act except in an auxiliary capacity. Thomas 

 M. Harvey thought the dilheulty woidd nr)t be very 

 great, and that the cost would not be much if the 

 packages were prepaid. The subject was then post- 

 poned until evening. 



More About Apple Orchards. 



Resuming the subject of the treatment of orchards, 

 Thomas M. Harvey 'said that more light was wautinl 

 on the jiropcr time of pruning. At onetime he had 

 iiruncd eerlain trees at intervals oftwo weeks liuring 

 the year, lo learn the effect. .John I. Carter said that 

 the lindps cut oil in the lirst two mouths of the year, 

 an<l in June, hail healed most perfectly. The result 

 was favorable to winter pruuiii!.', but all had healed 

 without injury. Mr. Lint, of York coiiniy, said that 

 his experienee was in favor of pruning when Ihe buds 

 began to swell. They heal over sooner theu than at 

 any other time. Mr."Salterlhwail said that he had 

 alwavs been warned against pruning at that time- 

 thai there was a great confusion of ideas. Thomas 

 ,M. Harvey said that all agreed that we should avoid 

 pruning while the sap is running, which often causes 

 much injury. Mr. Meehan said that as a general 



rule a wound made in summer will heal more rapidly, 

 but in practice he prefers winter pruning. It Is not 

 well to remove branches while coveri'd wilh leaves. 

 II. .M. Engle said that pruning was only a choice of 

 two evils. If orehanls were managtHl corn-cily very 

 little pruning would be nce<|ed. If the Iree can las 

 trained right when young. It will never be reipiln-d 

 lo eul off larL'c brunches. Prune as little as |>oskIIiIc. 

 Pinch oil' surplus buds or shoots wlii'U young, and wo 

 will have no need to discuss this troublesome ipies- 

 lion. W. P. Magill said (hat he agneil nitli .Mr. 

 Meehati as In the time of pruning. Wounds heal over 

 more ipiiekly if done in summer, hut hi practice the 

 winter is generally found more convenient. E.Sut- 

 Icrlhwall look the same view. A. K. Sprout, of 

 Lycoming, said that a gri'at deal lUiiends on llieeoii- 

 dilion of the cellular tissue; if it is full of sap wlieu 

 cut 11 is sure to bleed. Hut after the leaves come out 

 trees may be {iruned with safety. 



Hybridization of Fruits. 

 Thomas Meehan discussed the subject of the hy- 

 bridization of fruits by design. We are apt to think 

 we are not progressing at all, but on liMikIng hack we 

 see how much has been galneil. lVo[ile may ask of 

 what use are lliese Ihings^we might as well ask the 

 use of a new-lioru babe — we have to wall and see the 

 value of new-born llioughls. There are a great 

 many selentitlc facls which seem lo be of no particu- 

 lar use, but are aflerwaid found very valuable. 

 Science grows continually, and In course of llnie we 

 can see how miieli has Is-en gaiiieii. The hybridt/.a- 

 lion of frulls is a subject of this class. Il was found 

 out long ago that more and belter fruit could be had 

 by mixing the imiIIcu of blossoms. Knowledge on 

 this point has grown very slowly. Il Is not prohublu 

 that the process is allcnded by inuiicdiate elfeels on 

 fruit. Corn and sipnishes seem lo Im' exceptions, hut 

 there is probably a natural allinity in Ihem. Like 

 does not always produce like; no two trees of Iho 

 same kind are exactly alike; fruit and mUs from 

 seeds arc not alike ; there is an inhereni natural law 

 of ehani;e which is always going on. The resulls of 

 cros.s-ferlillzalion are not always uniform — some- 

 times there are no characterislics of the female plant, 

 but often there is a perfect blending of the two. 

 Sometimes there are no traces of the male parent in 

 the offspring. In experiments in crossing Japan lil- 

 ies this had been almost always Ihe case. Itemark- 

 able success has followed the mixing of varieties of 

 grapes, especially in what are know n as the HoL'ers' 

 hybrids. But it isdoublful whether they are as gisid 

 as some natural crosses, pnnlueing new seedlings. 

 The best kinds are the result of natural evolution. In 

 expcrimcnls with pears but few gissl kinds have lieen 

 raised. In brief, eross-ferlilizalion, so far as it has 

 yet been worked up hy arliticial means, has been of 

 "little practical value to fruit growers. It is iK'tter to 

 wait U|X)n Ihe priK-esses of nature. H. M. Englo 

 said that he had had sullScienI success in this direc- 

 tion to encourage him. lie instanced cxixriments 

 with strawberries, in some of which he hud made 

 satisfactory crosses. He had made efforts to cross 

 the peach "and the apricot, but they resulliHl In a 

 seedling peach, teu or twelve days earlier than 

 Hale's! He hud been much interestiil wilh his ex- 

 ])eriment8. We do not yet know the laws by which 

 the operations of nature arc governwl. Thomas M. 

 Harvey made some remarks on the hybridization of 

 the wlieat plant. Mr. Burton said that lie had been 

 engaged in hybridizing plants with loiisiderable suc- 

 cess and satisfaction. .Mr. .Meehan said that It wag 

 no object to get new varieties of fruit; we have 

 enough varieties, hut we wish lo make them Ixtler. 

 Florists want new varielies of plants, for that Is Ik'I- 

 ter for their business. By crossing we may improve 

 the character of our fruits, by mislll'ying or remov- 

 ing objectionable qualities. H. .M. Engle deserlU'd 

 the results of about 'ilKI crosses with strawberries, 

 in nearly all of which the qualities of both parents 

 were apparent. He hoped that the future would de- 

 velop more satlsfuclory resulls. 



Best 'Varieties of Apples. 

 Samuel W. Noble, of Jenkinlow n, read a pa|>er on 

 the cultivation of the apple. He said that iiropereare 

 will always eompensale the grower of apples. It be- 

 gins witli"pla!iting the trees. Make Ihe holes large; 

 nearly All them with giHul earth; be careful I o All Ihe 

 interstices of the roots w itii line earth. The soil need 

 not be raised above the level. The trees may Iw 

 watered when planted in the spring, and mulched 

 during the flrst summer. If planted in the fall Ihey 

 need only be banked up. Orehanis should l>e kept 

 cultivated, whether erop|Hd or not. The Isirer Is 

 I somellmes deslruelive. Where this exists, the larva 

 should be carefullv sought oul and deslroyeil. The 

 insect works uniler Ihe bark, out ofsiirht. The holes 

 near Ihe r<K)t show where the Insecl came out, not 

 where it went In. The molh or bug makes Its ai>- 

 pearanee in June, or later, aiul I hi' eggs an' then de- 

 posited anil hatched. Boring inio Ihe woo.1, Ihe 

 worm remains there for some months or a year. The 

 lies! renmly is lo prevent the de|i<islt of egirs at the 

 base of the trees by earthing up or covering wilh 

 some other protect Itin. The worms can usually tic 

 killed with a small wire, and when this Is ilone the 

 tree will mostly recover without much damage. Driv- 

 ing nulls Into trees, Ixiring holes and filling them 



