THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[February, 



with sulphur, &c.., are useless. Lime and soapsuds 

 may do some good, but preveutiou is the oiily sure 

 method. The borer sometimes remains in the tree 

 two or three seasons, poing deeper into the solid 

 wood. As to varieties of apples, S. W. Noble stated 

 that mueh depended upon a proper selection. They 

 must be suited to the climate and the soil. Downing 

 describes over eighteen liundred varieties. We only 

 need to know the best of these for our purposes. 

 There is no certain guide but experience. An apple 

 natural to any locality, where it succeeds, is likely to 

 be generally adopted. In this region that variety is 

 the Smith's Cider. The Cornell Fancy, the Town- 

 send, and the Princely, do well here. The Jackson, 

 originated at Quakertown, is valuable. The Blush, 

 the Hayes, aud the Fallawater, also do well here. 

 The Jett'eris, the Hagloe, the Benoni, and the Krau- 

 eer, are good kinds. What are winter apples north 

 are fall apples here, and not suited for general plant- 

 ing. The French Pippin is valued about Quakertown. 

 He thought it better to plant a few varieties of known 

 merit than many kinds of doubtful qualities. The 

 Baldwin does not meet expectations here, because it 

 ripens too soon and will not keep. It cannot be re- 

 commended as a fall apple. W. P. Magill said he 

 had thirty or forty Baldwin trees, from York State, 

 which had done well of late years. 



The President suggested the consideration of varie- 

 ties of apples iu their order. For early ones he liked 

 the Prince's Harvest and the Rea Aslrachan, which 

 were very salable in market. They get ripe just 

 when people want apples. The Red Aslrachan is 

 not very productive. Apples that come iu later are 

 of little use to sell. Mr. Linn said that the Red Be- 

 noni ripens early and gradually, and is valuable for 

 market. S. W." Noble" spoke of the good qualities of 

 the Jefteris, a late summer apple. J. Hibberd Bar- 

 tram, of Chester, valued the JelTeris very mueli. He 

 has a tree of the Primate, which is vigorous, and the 

 fruit is number one. The apples have to be taken olf 

 before fully ripe, as they will rot at the core. A mem- 

 ber said the Beuoni was considered the best in Lan- 

 caster county. Mr. Pannebaker, of Mifflin county, 

 recommended the Early Harvest, which sell earlier 

 and better than Red Astraclian, and suit the home 

 market better. Mr. Satterthwait praised the Cornell 

 Fancy, which originated in Bucks county. Mr. Bar- 

 tram said that his most profitable apple was Summer 

 Hagloe — large and handsome. John S. Williams also 

 spoke in favor of this variety, and thought it better 

 than the Benoni. H. M. Engle spoke o£ an apple 

 grown in Lancaster called the " All Summer," 

 which' ripens early and is of excellent quality. The 

 Red Astrachan was not very satisfactory there. The 

 Knowles Early was favorably spoken of by S. W. 

 Noble, J. H. Bartram and H. T. Darlington, and E. 

 Satterthwaite said that one of the best for home use 

 was the Early Joe. S. W. Noble recommended the 

 Early Strawberry as a mai-ket fruit, as it bears car- 

 riage well. A. R. Sprout said that there was a de- 

 cided diflerence between the Early Harvest and Sour 

 Bough. Mr. Cooper said that there was much con- 

 fusion in Lancaster as to the identity of these kinds. 

 E. Satterthwait said that the Early Harvest always 

 grows yellow and cracks when entirely ripe. In re- 

 gard to fall apples, the Cornell Fancy was favorably 

 spoken of. W. P. Magill thought the Townsend, 

 which ripens at the same time, rather preferable. 

 They come in peach time, when the market is not so 

 good. People cannot grow to advantage all the good 

 apples that ripen at that time. He would have a few 

 trees lor home use. The Maiden's Blush is one of 

 the very best for market, as it may be picked early 

 and sold after peaches are gone. A member spoke 

 highly of the Smokehouse, which was both excellent 

 aud profitable. E. Satterthwait said that its weak 

 point was rotting on the tree. Mr. Pannebaker said 

 it was one of the best apples grown in Mifflin county. 

 II. M. Engle said that it was the best selling .apple 

 in its season in Lancaster county. Its keeping quali- 

 ties appear to be good ; the fruit dealers have plenty 

 of them yet on hand. E. Satterthwait said this was 

 another proof that varieties do best iu the localities 

 where they originate. Mr. Engle agreed as to the 

 general rule in this respect, but there are exceptions. 

 Mr. Shellcr said that in Union county the Smoke- 

 house is highly prized and keeps well. In Maine 

 they have been grown with success as winter apples. 

 W. P. Miigill said with him it is an annual bearer, 

 but the fruit is injured by worms. They do not rot 

 much, but have to be marketed iu October. John 

 Eastburn, in regard to the Cider apple, said that 

 many of his trees have borne every year. The rea- 

 son, he tlsought, was that he had taken the best pos- 

 sible care of his orchard. The crops were not exces- 

 sively large, but moderate, and they kept on in that 

 way. S. W. Noble spoke a good word for the old 

 Fall Pippin, but it is about exhausted here. Moses 

 Brinton, of Lancaster, was an admirer of the Falla- 

 water, as one of the best autumn fruits. J. H. Bar- 

 tram said it was one of tlie first apples in Chester 

 county. It generally bears well. Thomas M. Har- 

 vey remarked that t.he tree is subject to borers and 

 short-lived. Mr. Purman wanted to know what 

 kinds he ought to plant in his orchard in Clinton 

 county— the best half-dozen for winter. Mr. Noble 

 said the Baldwin and R. I. LTreeuiug would no doubt 

 be satisfactory in that region. Mr. Lint advised him 



to find out what sorts are now doing best in that 

 county, and plant accordingly. The Wagner was 

 spoken of with approval. Thomas M. Harvey said 

 that in Bucks county we must notoverloOk the eider. 

 He regarded it as of poor quality, but it is productive 

 and sells well. You can eat ou and on at it and never 

 be surfeited, as it is so weak and watery. John East- 

 burn related the origin of tlie Smith's Cider. It was 

 about 8.5 years ago. The original tree grew in a 

 hedge row near Pineville, on the projierty now occu- 

 pied by Jacob S. Livezey, in Buckingham, and he 

 knew the tree very well. A man went there for a 

 ■graft, but it was nearly dead. Othertrees were then 

 grafted, and the variety soon spread all over the 

 county. The original owner took the variety to New 

 York, but it did not succeed well there. 



Destroying the Bark Louse. 



Mr. Meehan changed the subject by inquiring how 

 to destroy the hark louse. He had tried several pre- 

 parations without much effect. H. M. Engle and 

 E. Satterthwait had expressed the same trouble with 

 nursery trees. The early summer is the only time 

 when they can be destroyed by caustic applications. 

 Thomas M. Harvey said that placing pieces of whale 

 oil soap in the to])s of the trees, where the dissolved 

 matter would run over them, had been found effec 

 tual. J. H. Bartram had cleared trees of bark lice 

 with strong common soap, applied in the water. Mr. 

 Sprout related an experiment with a preijaration, 

 made of copperas, blue vitriol, saltpetre, common 

 soap and salt, which was placed in a bag in the fork 

 of the tree. It had proved successful, and his trees 

 are now in fine order. Be careful you don't use too 

 mueh blue vitriol. Take 2 lbs. copperas, % lb. blue 

 vitriol, >4' lb. saltpetre, 4 lbs. hard soap, 4 lbs. com- 

 mon salt. It will kill all the insects. Weekly, ap- 

 plied with a brush, will also do the business. J. Q. 

 Atkinson, of Montgomery, had faith iu the efficacy 

 of whitewash. Mr. Cooper said that S. S. Rathvon 

 recommended whale or fish oil.* Mr. Pannebaker 

 cleared the lice out with Babbitt's potash, mixed with 

 a little turpentine. J. Q. Atkinson said that the ex- 

 clusion of the air at the time of hatching was the ob- 

 ject desired, and whitewash will do that as well as 

 anything. John Eastburu's experience was in favor 

 of scouring the trees off with soap and sand applied 

 with a cloth. 



Election of Officers. 



On meeting on Thursday afternoon the hall was 

 quite well filled. The committee on nominations 

 submitted the following list : President, Edwin 

 Satterthwait ; Vice-Presidents, Samuel W. Noble, 

 Henry M. Engle, Tobias Martin; Recording Secre- 

 eary, Edward' B. Engle; Corresponding Secretary, 

 Wm. P. Brinton; Treasurer, Geo. B. Thomas. The 

 Secretary was directed to cast a ballot bearing 

 these names, and they were declared elected. Fixing 

 the place of the next annual meeting was then taken 

 up. Moses Brinton proposed that it be held at Lan- 

 caster. This motion was agreed to by a vote of the 

 members. 



The Codling Moth. 



The discussion of the cultivation of the apple was 

 resumed. Mr. Noble was called upon to tell about 

 the codling moth, " the worst enemy of the apple." 

 This insect attacks the fruit, not the tree. The eggs 

 are laid on the calyx of the young fruit, the hatched 

 grub penetrates it, and toward maturity works its 

 way out. It often finds refuge in the rough bark of 

 the tree. The best preventive known is to keep them 

 from harboring in the bark. Mr. Sprout described a 

 new instrument for defeating the moths brought to 

 his notice. It consists of a rubber band some two 

 inches wide, formed in such a way as to flare out like 

 the sides of a tin pan. They cost from 1.5 to 50 cents 

 each. Mr. Meehan said that something was wanted 

 to clip the wings of the moths. II. M. Engle said 

 we ought to know more about the habits of the moth 

 before we can fight it well. Nothing can stop the 

 first brood that he knows of. The old moth flies to 

 the trees ; it does not crawl up. This brood is often 

 small, and not very destructive. But the eggs laid 

 on the fruit are hatched ; the worms, when they 

 emerge from the apples, drop to the ground or on the 

 branches, and take refuge under the bark to form 

 their cocoons. Now is the time to destroy them and 

 keep down their numbers. He did not know whether 

 tlie ruliber ring shown by Mr. Sprout would work or 

 not. Mr. Meehan said that the simple plan of put- 

 ting hay-bands on the stems of the trees is better than 

 anything else. It costs but little, and the bauds and 

 insects can be burned up to together. Mr. Satter- 

 thwait said that if the rough bark is kept scraped off 

 there will be little shelter afforded, and most of the 

 worms can be caught under old shingles idaced around 

 the trunks. All the fallen fruit should be picked up 

 and fed to hogs. In that way his apple croj) has 

 been' greatly improved. Mr. Sprout thought we did 

 not give the insects sullicicnt credit lor their intelli- 

 gence. They have sense enough to know how to 

 take care of themselves. Dr. Dickie stated that since 

 he had kept low Is in his orchard the codling moth 

 had been much diminished. 



"Ou this subject, see au article entitled, " What Kind of 

 our' ou page 18 of this uuuibor of TheFakmer, 



Pears and their Culture. 



The President, in reply to a question, said that the 

 most profitable pear, coming earlier than the Bart- 

 lett, is .Manning's Elizabeth. It is very productive, 

 and ripens in August. Mr. Meehan remarked upon 

 the great number of failures in pear trees, especially 

 dwarfs. In the vicinity of (iermantown a man planted 

 fifty thousand dwarfs a few years ago, but he has not 

 overstocked the market. Most of them are dead. Old 

 and large trees seem healthy, especially the old Cath- 

 arine pears about Philadelphia. What is the reason 

 why younger trees are not so ? Mr. Carter said that 

 he recently saw four thousand dwarf trees, planted 

 two years, in perfect health. That was in Maryland. 

 Thomas M. Harvey asked whether many of the fail- 

 ures were not iu foreign varieties. Even the Bartlett 

 is not certain yet. Probably most of the foreign 

 kinds will not last long here. It would be better to 

 plant the Lawrence, Seckel, and other native sorts. 

 E. Satterthwait said that was his experience. The 

 Duchess is his most healthy pear, while the Law- 

 rence cracks badly. Mr. Meehan said that the Catha- 

 rine is one of the oldest of pears. George B. Thomas 

 — the Duchess, near West Chester, is of no value. It 

 does well iu Union county, said Mr. Sheller. E. Sat- 

 terthwait always plants Duchess on quince. W. P. 

 Magill mentioned a remedy for slugs on the leaves. 

 He uses fVesli slakid lime. It was entirely effectual, 

 in two applii'ations. An orcharcd, which was not 

 treated thus, made no growth at all. Road dust or 

 ashes will do as well, said George B. Thomas. To 

 dust a large orchard is a pretty big job. It should be 

 done in the morning. H. M. Engle said that the lime 

 acts at once on the soft substance of the slugs, and 

 can be better put on with a tin duster. Several spoke 

 in behalf of the healthiness of the Lawrence. J. H. 

 Bartram thought that barn-yard manure was benefi- 

 cial to pear trees, and very large ones often grow 

 close to yards. Moses Brinton's idea was the reverse 

 of this; his trees had suffered fire-blight where it had 

 been applied. E. Satterthwait had suffered much 

 loss from fire-blight the last four or five years, but 

 he thought it was due to dry weather. Barn-yard 

 manure has done his trees no harm , but he docs not 

 habitually manure. Mr. Meehan agreed with this. 

 He never sawacaseof fire-blight about Germantown, 

 where manure is freely used. Manuring on the sur- 

 face is the only way for orchard trees. Mr. Carter 

 had great faith in mineral fertilizers, especially for 

 pears. The South Carolina phosphatie rock is an 

 excellent thing for them, and fruit growers ought to 

 try it. 



Fruit Trees from the North. 



Watson P. Magill said that Northern aud Eastern 

 trees are not satisfactory in this part of Pennsylvania. 

 The loss to Bucks county alone from planting these 

 fruit trees has been estimated at §1,0(JO,000. To off- 

 set this we have a few new varieties. John I. Carter 

 said that at the Oxford fair last fall a man exhibited 

 a great number of Southern apples, which were of 

 much promise. They would mostlj' be long keepers. 

 Southern varieties made very late winter apples. 

 Thomas Meehan agreed with this; it is not quite 

 correct that our own kinds always do best. He in- 

 stanced the Jucunda and Triumph de Gand straw- 

 berries as examples of great success with foreign 

 varieties ; the Bartlett pear is another case ; the Red 

 Astrachan apple conies from Russia ; our best cher- 

 ries come from abroad. A Southern fruit brought 

 north is often valuable, and the reverse. E. Satter- 

 thwait took substantially the same view. It matters 

 not where a variety originates, if it is only good. 

 .Moses Brinton said that api)le trees from the North 

 were not satisfactory, but there may be advantage in 

 bringing Southern apples North. 



Preservation of Fruit by Ice. 



Eastburn Reeder gave a short description of the 

 fruit-house of Natlian Hellings, near Bristol — built 

 with thick stone walls, and a body of ice 14 feet deep 

 in the upper story. A temperature of H3° is main- 

 tained all through, and the ajiples are perfectly fresh 

 and plump after several months. Dampness is pre- 

 vented by an arrangement of screens, which carried 

 off condensed moisture. Mr. Hellings claims a p.at- 

 ent for his process. E. Satterthwait said that venti- 

 lation is very important, and that there is probably a 

 secret in that respect. W. M. Largesaid that a friend 

 of his had to pay a royalty to Mr. Hellings to use his 

 process. H. .\I. Engle wanted to know if there was 

 a way by which individual growers may keep their 

 fruit. It has been done on a large scale, why not ou 

 a smaller one? He had himself an ice-house ar- 

 ranged so that a room is kept cold for milk and fruit, 

 which has succeeded pretty well. The moisture is 

 the chief drawbai-k. There inay be a substance placed 

 inside to absorli the dampness. E. Reeder saiil that 

 he saw nothing of the kind at Bristol ; if the temper- 

 ature is kept at f>'2° there will be little or no mois- 

 ture. He had constructed a milk-house cooled by 

 ice in another room ; in winter he keeps fruit in it 

 with good results— some apples until August. It is 

 mucli better than a cellar, but was not built for a 

 fruit-house. 



Cultivation of the Cherry. 



John I. Carter said that the rearing of the cherry 

 is uncertain iu many places. It will not grow to any 



