120 Tlie Western Pomologist and Gardener. 1872 



previous to 1865, when we had but 31.34: inches of annual rain, wo had no blight, but 

 since the increase to to 42.60 inches, we have had the blight, and at Manhattan, Kansas, 

 •where it has not amounted to 31 inches, they never had any blight or disease of the 

 grape. And at the particular season between the tenth of May and the tenth of June, 

 when the blight is most prevalent and fatal, we have had an average of 7.39 inches of 

 rain, which has been two inches more than the average of either month, and more tlian 

 four inches above the. average of any of the months following. This and all other observ- 

 ations .show that blight and (jrape rot exist, and are worse under conditions of excessive 

 moisture, and everything which tends to dryness has a bencticial eflect. AVe could give 

 numerous facts of general decay being produced in a short time by excessive moisture on 

 growing vegetation, if it were necessary. 



Huntsman's Favorite Apple. 



BY TUB CORRESPONDING EDITOR. 



We have examined two specimens of this, at present, popular apple in Missouri and 

 Kansas, upon the merits of which our opinion has been asked. In reply, for cultivators 

 in Missouri and Kansas, would saj', the fruit is of tine size and of beautiful color. But 

 in these respects, not more so than very many others ; hence there is nothing in this 

 direction to make this variety eagerly sought after, or largely planted by Western plant- 

 ers. In regard to its flavor, if the specimens sent us are correct representatives of the 

 fruit, we would say, it is simply good, not very good, nor best. A longer acquaintance, 

 however, with this apple, may change our opinion in regard to its merits. But from 

 present impressions, we are of opinion it should take a back seat, and be advanced to a 

 front seat only after it has proven itself superior in some desirable trait above anything 

 now before the public. 



While we would advocate most earnestly the effort to introduce new kinds from seed, 

 crossing or hybridizing, we can at the same time but deprecate the apparent haste shown 

 by some writers, of throwing everything not known to themselves as new and desirable, 

 before the public. Such persons throw more difficulties in the way to successful horti- 

 cultural knowledge in one season than all the cautious, discreet laborers in this field can 

 remove in many seasons. 



If the National Pomological Society will thoroughly purge the nomenclature of her 

 catalogue, and urge upon all State and local Societies to do the same, we will have made 

 a long stride in the right directiou for curing this evil. If added to this, the conductors 

 of all horticultural journals would set tlieir faces against the admission into their col- 

 umns of anything as new, whose history could not be satisfactorily made out, we would 

 not be long in effecting a removal of this plague spot from our catalogues. 



The ininer Plum— HVliy Curcnllo Proof? 



It seems to be the universal veixlict of those who have tried this plum, that it is the plum 

 for the north and west. The fruit is of good size, good quality and abundant quantity, 

 and last, though not least, it is pradicubly, if not entirely, Curculio proof In saying this, it 

 is not denied that this fruit is occasionally punctured by this insect ; the curculio and 

 plum gouger both puncture this plum and deposit their eggs, though to a much less extent 

 than other varieties ; but it is claimed that this fruit is very little injured by these insects, 

 and the fruit seldom if ever drops from the tree in consequence of their attacks. Now why 

 is this? A question more easily asked than answered. These insects know by instinct 

 the fruit adapted to their wants and choose, as a rule, the variety of fruit best suited to 

 them ; showing by their partial avoidance of this, its want of adaptation ; but in cases 

 ■where the puncture is made and the egg deposited in the fruit, it is quite common to see 

 the scars of these punctures on this plum when the wound has healed and no larvaj has 

 been produced. Various theories are held to account for this, the most plausible of which 

 is that the juice exudes so freely from the puncture as to wash out the egg from the fruit. 

 Another theory is, that the juice is not suitable, by excess of acidity, or some other cause, 

 to the feeding of the insect. But we would suggest still another as the more probable one. 

 It is well known that this fruit is of slower development than any other of its kind, having 

 very little pulp or life sustaining juices until late in the season, and hence in our opiniou 

 arises its want of adaptation to insect life. — Galena Advertiser. 



