February 5, 1896.] 



Garden and Forest. 



59 



so that the roots of plants can enter it easily, but to promote the 

 invisible vegetable growth and chemical action of the soil which, 

 while holding on to the water as minutely divided, will a How flow- 

 ing water to pass downward into the subsoil. Water is nature's 

 universal carrier, and it transports all nutrients into and out of 

 the circulation of vegetables in growth. It not only lifts up 

 tons of solid matter through the stems and trunks of trees and 

 smaller plants, but it breaks rock and levels hills and trans- 

 ports them to the sea. Nearly all the moisture used by plants 

 is brought to them by the silent forces of capillarity, and if the 

 soil is in proper physical condition moisture flows upward to 

 the roots of vegetation from the reservoirs in the subsoil as 

 certainly as it runs downward by gravitation. 



This is the underlying principle of successful husbandry — 

 an ample reservoir for stored moisture to tide plants over 

 critical periods held by capillarity in well-prepared soils 

 which contain no free water. Under-drainage and deep 

 tillage furnishes this reservoir, and two or three inches of sur- 

 face soil tilled until it is loose, light and porous prevents the 

 water from evaporating and passing off into the air, so that it 

 is retained in the soil where it must be drawn up through the 

 roots of the plants. 



MISTAKES IN ARRANGING HOME GROUNDS. 



In speaking of this subject, Mr. W. W. Parce, of Rochester, 

 mentioned the disposition to plant something or to build some- 

 thing everywhere — fences and hedges where none were 

 needed, flower-beds and fountains or a statue to occupy the 

 centre of a lawn which should be open turf. Another error 

 is the mania for making grounds look artificial, formal terrac- 

 ing where nature's way would answer better, rows of trees and 

 shrubs instead of natural groups, trees and shrubs trimmed 

 into unnatural shapes. In many grounds, such trees as Kil- 

 marnock Willows, White Birches, variegated Altheas, Purple- 

 leaved Plums, Irish Junipers and Smoke-trees and a few 

 other trees of singular form, made up the collection, with a 

 Geraniu m bed, and one of Coleus, and a dozen Rose bushes, each 

 of a different shape. If a man were to dress himself in articles 

 of such staring contrast he would be arrested. In this locality 

 most of the trees and shrubs are deciduous, and there are none 

 with variegated foliage except for a week or two in the autumn. 

 This suggests the use of similar plants in natural grouping, 

 and although it is not desirable to turn a dooryard into a primi- 

 tive wildwood state, it is true that those places which are 

 treated in what is known as a natural manner are most attrac- 

 tive. Highly colored plants and flowers should be kept out of 

 the foreground, where peaceful scenery and restful forms are 

 needed. To produce these quiet, homelike effects, groups 

 and single specimens of trees and shrubs which are not of such 

 pronounced types as to catch the eye by their peculiarities, 

 should be used, for of these last we will grow weary on long 

 acquaintance. 



EVAPORATED FRUITS IN WAYNE COUNTY. 



Mr. B. J. Case regretted that large quantities of cheap and 

 worthless apples, half-ripe, badly pared, not thoroughly cured, 

 and treated with too much brimstone were sent out as evap- 

 orated apples. This year dealers have returned load after load 

 when they have not been up to standard. Fruit like this can 

 be delivered at the station for from five to seven cents a pound, 

 but it is not fit to eat. In 1893 heavy storms blew down thou- 

 sands of apples that were hardly fit to feed to hogs, and these 

 were all evaporated. Fifty car-loads of this stuff were marketed 

 in Wayne County. It is no wonder, therefore, that good apples 

 were cheap in 1894 and that they did not bring good prices in 

 1895. When consumers have received this unpalatable and 

 unwholesome product once they refuse apples the next time. 

 We can learn much from fruit growers in California in this 

 matter, where everything is done neatly and only ripe fruit is 

 used. To hold our market we must keep a uniform product, 

 pare more cleanly and dry more thoroughly, so that the 

 product will keep. They are learning, however, in Wayne 

 County, and first-rate evaporated apples are now sure to 

 bring good prices, and so are first-rate raspberries, of 

 which a million pounds are produced in this county. Berries 

 are stored by packing in a dry barrel and kept in a cold place. 

 Apples, to hold their color, must be packed in boxes and put 

 in cold storage by the first of May. A load of apples well dried 

 in 1891 and put in storage in February, 1892, is now as good as 

 it ever was. Good work is done by evaporating apparatus of 

 all grades and sizes, but the upright-Hue system seems the 

 most thorough, and the hot kiln the cheapest. There are no 

 apples evaporated in this state which will grade "fancy" in 

 Boston. Some will in New York and Chicago. One-sixth of 

 the Wayne County product will grade "fancy" in Boston, and 

 five-eighths " prime." Of the prime there are two grades — 



one dried on wood and the other on wire. On account of the 

 German law prohibiting the importation of wire-dried fruit, 

 wood-dried apples bring a higher price when Germany is buy- 

 ing freely. 



THE EXPERIMENT STATIONS AND FRUIT-GROWING. 



On this subject Mr. W. D. Barns said, in part, that the prime 

 work of the stations should be scientific — that is, they should 

 investigate principles, but they should also make practical 

 tests in matters which involve too much expense for the indi- 

 vidual fruit grower. For example, they should try different 

 methods of irrigation and ascertain what kinds of fruits are most 

 benefited by it. Of course, we must look to the stations to 

 find whether the San Jos<! scale and other insects are liable 

 to be a continuous and growing pest here, and, if so, how they 

 are to be suppressed. The stations, too, might well try to find 

 some substance which will stick to a glossy surface so that it 

 can be used as a vehicle for fungicides and insecticides. But, 

 however good the stations' work, the growers will get no 

 benefit from it unless they read thestation literature. Itshould, 

 therefore, be the duty of everyone to interest his neighbors to 

 send their names to be put on the mailing list. At every insti- 

 tute names should be gathered not only of farmers, but of the 

 special lines in which they are interested, so that each one 

 will receive just the literature that he needs. 



American Forestry Association. 



THE characteristic feature of the annual session of the 

 ■1 American Forestry Association at Washington, last week, 

 was the hearty cooperation of several leading public men, 

 especially of the chairmen of the Public Lands Committees of 

 the Senate and of House of Representatives, the ex-chairman of 

 the House Public Lands Committee, and now leader of the 

 minority, and the Secretary of Agriculture. Secretary Morton 

 presided at a largely attended evening meeting, which was 

 addressed by Senator Dubois and Representatives Lacey and 

 McRae. The Secretary has long been known as an enthusias- 

 tic advocate of rational forest management, and his opening 

 remarks pointed out from a statistical point of view the folly 

 of depleting our forest resource and the evil consequences to 

 agriculture. It was to be expected, however, that the founder 

 of Arbor Day, which is Mr. Morton's distinction, would enter 

 heartily into a movement for the preservation of the national 

 forest domain, but more notable and significant were the em- 

 phatic utterances of Senator Dubois, in whose state ot Idaho 

 much of the best of public timber-lands remain, which are 

 looked upon by the people as their rightful property, to be 

 used at will. Mr. Dubois displayed a familiarity with the forest 

 conditions of his state hardly to be expected from one who 

 had not made the subject a special study. He explained the 

 causes of the failure ot the timber agents to protect the forests 

 on the public domain, and expressed his earnest hope for the 

 early passage of some such comprehensive legislation as is 

 proposed in the bill introduced by Senator Teller (S. 914). 



Congressman Lacey discussed in a delightful way the de- 

 struction and repair of our natural resources, and the audience 

 was fascinated by his wit and his poetic pictures ot the rich 

 woods and running brooks, once so abundant, and now rap- 

 idly disappearing. As a means of repairing our natural forest 

 resources he considered Government action indispensable. 

 He argued that the Government alone can hold tracts either 

 long enough or large enough to effect the great climatic pur- 

 poses involved in the preservation of the forest cover. The 

 laws providing for timber reservations were a great step in this 

 direction, but it was also necessary to provide tor their use. A 

 thorough system of cutting this timber rationally ought to 

 be provided under which the wants of the people might be 

 satisfied. But this should be done with such system as to pre- 

 serve them as a whole. 



Congressman McRae, who was chairman of the Public 

 Lands Committee in the last House, and is a member of the 

 committee at present, spoke of the proposed legislation for an 

 administration of the forest reservations. H. R. 119, which, 

 being reintroduced by him with the same number, goes by the 

 name of the McRae bill, although not ideally the best, contains 

 such features of administration as it would be possible to get 

 passed at present, when improvements might be made utter- 

 ward from time to time. This bill was actually passed both 111 

 the Senate and the House of the last Congress, but failed by 

 unavoidable accident to go to conference committee and to 

 become a law. He expressed the belief that at the present 

 session its passage might be effected. 



The Forestry Association is to be congratulated on having 

 secured from three legislators of such prominence emphatic 



