174 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



1871 



season, Chili Ko. 3. showed the best, but as you see, 

 it now stands as third in the list. I do not think 

 these varieties will retain their relative positions 

 throughout the season, and will, therefore ask your 

 readers not to be too hasty in deciding for, or 

 against any particular variety. This lot of pota- 

 toes has been dedicated to the " bugs," for the ex- 

 press purpose of allowing them to decide (if they 

 will) which ones they like, and which ones they 

 propose not to eat. I fear that while they will eat 

 of the most savory varieties first, they will not 

 scruple to attack and destroy any other when the 

 better food runs short. 



I will apprise your readers of the progress of the 

 experiment from time to time during the remainder 

 of the season. 



Fruit— Protection of Vlnew and Trees against 

 Frost and mice. 



Bt Petke M. Gideon, Excelsior, Minn. 



Ed. Pomologist & Gaiidener. — Health has pre- 

 vented an earlier notice of the fruit prospects in 

 central Minnesota. 



Last fall trees went into winter quarters In fine 

 condition, but the ground froze harder than usual 

 before the fall of snow, which done damage to all 

 tender rooted trees that had not been timely 

 mulched, and on grape vines covered with soil 

 instead of hay or straw. Marsh hay is the best cov- 

 ering that can be had for grape vines, have never 

 had root or vine to damage under a covering of two 

 or three inches of it. And, as to danger from mice, 

 we treat them on strychnine, in the following man- 

 ner : 



In line of each trellis I put a small piece of board, 

 on it set a shallow dish or pan with about a table 

 spoonfull of drj' corn meal, with a little powdered 

 strychnine sprinkled over it ; over that jilace a tight 

 box, so as to keep the meal dry ; for the mice won't 

 eat it after it is wet. Then over your box lay your 

 vines and covering, and all is safe for the winter — 

 one to each trellis not exceeding 50 yards is suffi- 

 cient. And to rid mice from orchards, we set some 

 30 such baits about the first of October, covering 

 each box with an armful of corn fodder; hav- 

 ing timely provided these precautions, not one tree 

 on our premises received damage, though three 

 acres of one orchard was in grass and not mowed. 

 But pardon the digression after the mice, and we 

 will get back to the season and prospects. 



The spring has been alternate extremes of heat 

 and cold, with rather more than a usual fall of rain ; 

 and though rather late in starting, vegetation is 

 very forward lor the month of June — the strawbi^r- 

 ry crop well nigh ripened oft', the cherries ripe, the 

 currants fast turning, the grapes set well, the 

 bunches unusually large, the apple crop a full aver- 

 age. Pears for the first time with us have fruit- 



ed, they are the Flemish beauty — so in a few weeks 

 more we can have the pleasure of eating Minnesota 

 grown pears. 



As to the relative hardiness of the different vari- 

 eties of fruit, I have nothing to add this time, the 

 winter being so congenial that all came through in 

 fine condition, except unmulched, tender rooted 

 trees of our neighbor.s, but for which we make 

 timely provision. 



The great majority of root grafted apple and pear 

 trees are on tender roots, that no matter what the 

 top is, the root will die out if not kept well mulched 

 every winter, and that mulch applied before the 

 first freeze in fall ; as it is the first freeze whilst the 

 sap is yet up. The mulch prevents the sudden 

 freezing of the ground at the collar, and thus allows 

 the decent of .sap to the roots, and thereby prepares 

 them the better to withstand the subsequent hard 

 freezing; and more — prevents the bursting of the 

 bark at the collar. 



Forests a Remedy For Drouglit. 



In an address before the Livingston Co., Mich., Ag- 

 ricultural Society, Prof. K. C. Redzie, of the Michigan 

 Agricultural College, discussed the atlvantages of 

 torests, a subject now attractiui; much attention. 

 His remarks as to the intluence of forests on 

 drought are as follows : 



Some may ask why forests are necessary. Is not 

 any portion left in forest so much unproductive 

 capital ? Does not a wise economy demand that 

 these unproductive forests should be cleared up as 

 soon as the owner can command the means, and 

 the whole country be made productive V These 

 are important questions, and should receive an- 

 swers. If trees are of no service in tue economy of 

 nature except to furnish fuel and timber, then any 

 surplus beyond these wants is a useless drawback 

 on the productiveness of any co untry ; " cut it 

 down : why cumbereth it the ground." 



But there arc other reasons why forests should 

 be spared, and one is, their control over extreme 

 fluctuations in the rain-fall of any region. The 

 researches of modern science ; accurate and careful 

 observation, as well as the history of the past, show 

 that a country abounding in forests is more moist, 

 has a more copious and equal rain-fall, abounds 

 more in springs and streams, and as a consequence 

 of all these, is more exempt from great and sudden 

 fluctuations in temperature, from early frosts in the 

 fall. 



Thus Egypt, from the earliest periods of history, 

 has been spoken of as a rainless region ; but since 

 Mahomet Ali has made his immense plantations of 

 trees, sliowers have become frequent. The con- 

 trolling influence of forests over rain-fall is also 

 shown by the fact that Gauntries once .supplied with 

 forests, and having abundant rains and immunity 



