220 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 431. 



and it is due to his untiring labors more than to any other 

 cause that the scheme has been organized under such promis- 

 ing auspices. 



There were abundant rainfalls in central and northern Cali- 

 fornia last week, and these were followed by frosts which did 

 serious injury to the young shoots of the vines in Napa and 

 Sonoma valleys. So far this year has been an exceptionally 

 trying one for the orchards and vineyards of California. 



The auction sales of plants in this city have been unusually 

 large this spring, and common garden plants of good quality 

 have brought so far remunerative prices. The demand is so 

 great that special sales have been held almost every week, 

 when the prices realized were as good on the average as those 

 on the regular days. 



Last week brief mention was made of the intrepid explorer 

 and botanist, Father Delavay, so widely known for his botanical 

 researches in China. It is worth adding here, as indicating the 

 scope and magnitude of his labors, that, according to the Bicl- 

 letin of the Botanical Society of France, Father Delavay dis- 

 covered in the difficult mountain regions of Yun-nan more 

 than fifty new species of Rhododendron, as many species of 

 Pedicularis, forty new Gentians and as many Primulas. He 

 sent to the Herbarium of the Jardin des Plantes about four 

 thousand species, of which one-half were new. 



A bulletin just issued by the New York Experiment Station 

 treats of the Carnation rust, which is considered, after all, one 

 of the most serious enemies of that plant, although it is not so 

 much dreaded as it once was. The pamphlet contains what is 

 known at present of this disease, and will prove interesting to 

 all students of fungi as well as all those who grow these plants 

 to any extent. The following treatment is recommended : 

 Grow varieties the least subject to rust. The variety William 

 Scott, for example, is nearly rust-proof. Cuttings should never 

 be made from diseased stock, and it should be borne in mind 

 that plants may be diseased and not show it. If there is any 

 danger of the presence of the disease the cuttings should be 

 dipped in a solution of potassium sulphide of the strength of 

 one ounce to a gallon of water, so as to kill any spores which 

 may cling to them. Fresh sand should be used in the propa- 

 gating-bench. From the time they are struck until the plants 

 are exhausted by flowering they should be sprayed every week 

 with potassium sulphideorcopper sulphate. Before the plants 

 are brought in in autumn the houses should be fumigated 

 thoroughly with sulphur. There is no known method of 

 wholly preventing infection in the field, but plants grown all 

 summer under glass can be more easily managed. 



An unusually successful meeting of the New Jersey Fores- 

 try Association was held in Plainfield on Thursday last. In the 

 afternoon, after a business meeting, there was a lecture by 

 Professor B. D. Halsted on Diseases of Trees, which called 

 forth an animated discussion as to the practical methods of 

 keeping trees in health. In the evening Mr. Fernow, Chief of 

 the Division of Forestry, delivered a lecture from which we 

 hope to make extracts in some future number. There was a 

 very instructive exhibition of photographs, maps and other 

 illustrative matter, and the arrangements for exciting the 

 interest of school children were made a feature of the meet- 

 ing. On Friday the officers of the Forestry Association and a 

 number of the members, together with the Palisades Com- 

 missioners, were taken up the river in one of the boats of 

 the Pennsylvania Railroad Company to see how the cliffs had 

 been mutilated by quarrying. Messrs. J. J. R. Croes and W. 

 D. Morse, of the Palisades Commission, explained the pro- 

 posed measures for protecting this territory as a national park 

 and forest reserve. John Giffbrd, the State Forester of New 

 Jersey, who has lately traversed this district on foot, explained 

 the character of its forests and the advantages to be derived 

 from having a school of forestry so near to a city like New 

 York. 



California cherries, large and showy, are now coming in 

 large lots, the first car-loads being due here this week. Among 

 varieties now here are Rockport Bigarreau, handsome and 

 large, pale amber, marked with red, of good quality, and highly 

 esteemed for canning and for shipping. Governor Wood is 

 another good light-colored cherry now in season, and the first 

 Royal Annes arrived last Monday ; these were small, how- 

 ever, and fair specimens will hardly be seen within ten days or 

 a fortnight. Black Tartarians are, perhaps, more plentiful than 

 any other variety. A fair price at retail is forty cents a pound. 

 The first apricots of this season arrived on Saturday, and while 



some are of fair size and coloring, even the best are immature, 

 and find slow buyers in the wholesale markets. Strawberries 

 have been in scant supply and of inferior quality for the lack 

 of rain, but are now beginning to come in better form. The 

 best from Maryland commanded on Monday twenty-five cents 

 a quart. Florida peaches cost $r.ooa dozen. Gooseberries may 

 be had for twenty cents a quart, and huckleberries forthesame 

 price. Almeria grapes are still shown in the best retail fruit- 

 stores and bring seventy-five cents a dozen. White Muscats and 

 Black Hamburgs, from Newport graperies, sell for $2.50 to 

 $3.00 a pound. Rodi oranges, from the Mediterranean, and 

 California Navels both command high prices, and since the 

 stock is not heavy, and strawberries have been in rather 

 scant supply, there is sufficient demand to sell this fruit at $4.50 

 to $5 00 a box, wholesale. Tlie Navel oranges now on the 

 market are mostly from cold storage, but some seedling 

 oranges are still coming from the Pacific coast. Lemons have 

 been cheap, and nearly 220,000 boxes are now on the way to 

 American ports. Pineapples are coming from Cuba and the 

 Bahamas ; 16,286 barrels were received from Havana during 

 last week, and two schooner-loads are due this week from the 

 latter islands. 



Messrs. James Lindsay & Son, fruit salesmen, of Edinburgh, 

 Scotland, have written us some interesting notes about Amer- 

 ican apples, some of which we present to our readers to sup- 

 plement the statement of Messrs. J. C. Houghton & Co., of 

 Liverpool, England, which was given last week. In the Edin- 

 burgh market, as in other markets of Great Britain, the best 

 grades of well-colored apples are in the highest demand, such 

 as Baldwins, Northern Spies, the genuine Spitzenbergs, York 

 Imperials and Romanites, from Virginia, which last are quite 

 different from the fruit of the same name from other parts of 

 the United States, the latter being a pale, undecided color, 

 instead of dark rich-looking like the Virginia fruit. Baldwins 

 are inclined to ripen quickly, but their quality is liked and they 

 always command a ready sale, bringing from $4.50 to $5.50 a 

 barrel. The Northern Spies are favorites, especially those 

 from Canada, which seem to be superior in keeping quality to 

 those grown farther south. Many apples are exported as Spitz- 

 enbergs which do not have the shape of the genuine fruit and 

 which are quite inferior in flavor and have none of that dis- 

 solving quality which distinguishes the true fruit. The King 

 apples, especially those from Canada, take the first rank on 

 account of their color, their flavor, their fine fibre and the rich 

 look of their flesh, and they always bring good prices. Of 

 course, the Newtown Pippin is the favorite among green apples, 

 and those grown in Virginia of the finest flavor and most melt- 

 ing quality, in ordinary seasons range from $5.00 to 57.50a bar- 

 rel, but owing to their abundance this year prices ruled lower. 

 It should be noted that there are two kinds of Newtown Pip- 

 pin which reach Great Britain, one of which is gritty, hard and 

 inclined to be dry, resembling somewhat the Swaar. They are 

 more beautiful, however, than the Virginia Newtowns, which 

 do not look as bright, being of a greenish yellow with a small 

 red spot. The Rhode Island Greening is always in demand 

 for cooking purposes, and Greenings grown in Canada have 

 superior keeping qualities. The prices rule from $3.50 to $3.75 

 with a fair ordinary supply, but when the importations are 

 excessive they have fallen as low as $2.75 a barrel. There is 

 little demand for Russets, except when other apples are scarce. 

 During the season of abundance they are neglected and sell at 

 low figures. The York Imperial is a comparatively new apple, 

 but as it has arrived this season it commands good prices on 

 account of its size and bold appearance. It has brought from 

 $4.00 to $4.50 generally, but when other kinds are scarce it 

 has sold for as much as $5.50. Rome Beauties have not been 

 known much until recently, but being of good keeping quality 

 and bright color they command ready sales, although they are 

 rather dry in quality. Ben Davis has little to commend it except 

 fair keeping qualities-, and there is no active demand for it when 

 there is anything like a fair supply of other kinds. Winesaps 

 from Virginia are much sought for here. They have a rich 

 deep color and superior flavor, excellent keeping quality, and 

 they carry well, so that they have everything to recommend 

 them. They generally sell at from $4.50 to $6.00 per barrel. 

 The so-called Winesaps from other parts of the United States 

 are often poor and soft. This may be due to lack of care in 

 thinning and sorting, but, as it appears in the English markets, 

 the even-sized, beautiful fruit from Virginia is quite as distinct 

 as if it was a different variety, as perhaps it is. f n richness of 

 flesh the true Winesap can hardly be surpassed. The Fameuse 

 is also a great favorite on account of its flavor and the absence 

 of any grit in the flesh, while the smooth texture of its skin is 

 near perfection. 



