December 25, 1895.] 



Garden and Forest. 



519 



the western third of the state at a depth varying from a few 

 feet to a hundred or more, and the supply seems inexhausti- 

 ble. Mr. Cowgill, editor of The Kansas Farmer, gave the 

 results obtained on his farm in this region, which seem to 

 confirm this opinion. He has in his well a six-inch cylinder 

 pump. To this was attached a gasoline engine, which was run 

 for five hours, pumping at the rate of 500 gallons a minute. 

 This apparently having no effect, the speed was increased so 

 as to tlirow 700 gallons a minute, and tlie pump was run for 

 seven hours, when the water in the well was lowered just two 

 inches. 



Mr. Evans, President of the Missouri Valley Horticultural 

 Society, described a cold-storage plant on the grounds of the 

 Alden Fruit Company, in southern Missouri. The building is 

 eleven feet high, twenty feet wide and a hundred and fifty feet 

 long. There is a driveway through the middle, and the apples 

 are stored on each side. The building is set north and south 

 on the natural level of the ground, the sides being double and 

 filled with sawdust, with earth banked up nearly to the top of 

 the walls outside. They depend entirely on lowering the tem- 

 perature of the house during cool nights. At each end of the 

 building is an air-tight anteroom with doors opening both into 

 tlie building and outside. There is also a heavy grating, 

 which may be closed and the doors left open. Whenever the 

 outside atmosphere is lower in temperature than that in the 

 house the doors are opened, and if at night, as, of course, is 

 usually the case, the grating is closed to keep out intruders. 

 In this way the temperature of the house was gradually forced 

 down to forty degrees, Fahrenheit, quite early in the fall, and 

 the apples, stored as gathered, are now in as fine condition as 

 they were when picked. In stormg the apples the teams are 

 driven into the air-tight anteroom before mentioned, and the 

 outer door closed. The inner door is then opened and the 

 team driven into the storeroom, thus preventing almost en- 

 tirely draughts from the outside when they would raise the 

 temperature of the house. 



In a paper on some of Munson's Hybrid Grapes, Profes- 

 sors. C. Mason characterized Brilliant, a cross between Lind- 

 ley and Delaware, as one of the finest red grapes ever offered. 

 It is more attractive m color and more sprightly in flavor than 

 either of its parents. It is a free, vigorous grower, but at the 

 experimental vineyard needs winter protection. Munson's 

 hybrids, with the Post Oak Grape, Vitis Lincercumii, are en- 

 tirely different from all the other classes at the station. They 

 are late in blooming, coming into flower as other sorts go out, 

 and frequently remaining in bloom till the middle of June. 

 This is a valuable characteristic when late frosts are likely to 

 occur. All these Post Oak hybrids have proved tender. This 

 may not be due entirely to cold, however, but to some other 

 cause or combination of causes. These hybrids are probably 

 better suited to southern Kansas and Oklahoma than to the 

 latitude of Manhattan. Carman is one of the best, being about 

 the size of Ives, with handsome compact bunches and a fine 

 purple bloom. It is of fair flavor, but has rather too many 

 seeds for a first-class table grape. 



State Agricultural College, Kansas. ^ • ^' ^ecirs. 



Recent Publications. 



The Annual Report 0/ the Director of the Experimental 

 Farms of Canada for 1894, an octavo volume of 422 pages, 

 has just been issued, and proves to be a volume of unusual 

 practical value and interest to the farmer and fruit-grower. 

 Omitting all reference to the purely agricultural features of 

 the report, it is found to be especially suggestive to the 

 horticulturist and the forest-tree planter, Director Saunders 

 himself being an enthusiastic tree-planter. He has planted 

 forty-six trial hedges at the Central Farm at Ottawa for 

 comparative study, including not only hedge-plants as 

 ordinarily understooii, but such trees as White Elm, Spruce, 

 White Pine and Hackberry. Of these thirty vi'ere planted 

 in 1889-91, among which the Siberian Pea-tree (Caragana 

 arborescens), Russian Mulberry, White Spruce, Barberry, 

 Golden-leaved Spiraea, Arbor-vitae, Lilac, Viburnum (V. 

 lantana), Buckthorn (Rhamnus frangula) and Colorado 

 Blue Spruce are especially liked for one purpose or another. 

 A list of flowering shrubs desirable for Canada, with de- 

 scription of each, is added. Of several varieties of Russian 

 Poplars and Willows named, Populus certinensis is espe- 

 cially recommended, although it is noted as only half-hardy^ 

 at Brandon and has failed utterly in the plantations of the 

 South Dakota Experiment Station. 



As a result of spraying experiments continued over a 

 period of six years, during which thirty different mixtures 

 were tested, Professor Craig, the horticulturist, recommends 

 an application of solution of blue&tone before the foliage 

 appears, followed by Bordeaux mixture of a strength of 

 four per cent, copper sulphate, four per cent, lime and fifty- 

 gallons water. If the disease is not overcome before the 

 fruit begins to color, the ammoniacal solution of carbonate 

 of copper, which is colorless, should be used as a last appli- 

 cation. Detailed statements of experiments in commercial 

 orchards are given and fully justify the recommended 

 practice. 



Regarding Russian Apples, many varieties of which have 

 been planted at the Central Station, Professor Craig says, 

 " With present experience, I can now say that I do not 

 know of any winter Russian Apples which seem to me 

 worthy of cultivation where Ontario and Northern Spy can 

 be grown successfully." 



In 1893 twenty-nine varieties of Russian Apples were 

 planted at the Brandon, Manitoba, Station, and only ten of 

 these survived the first winter, all the survivors being in a 

 badly damaged condition. Anis Apples, planted in 1890, 

 have only been able to survive on account of the snow- 

 drifts which have covered them entirely every winter, and 

 they are making no progress. Native Plums, taken from 

 the Brandon Hills, and seedlings of Weaver, Cheney, Speer 

 and De Soto, which were planted in 1890 to 1893, seem 

 thus far promising, the natives having borne a good crop 

 of fruit in 1894. Neither the standard or the Russian Cher- 

 ries have succeeded at this station, but the wild Sand 

 Cherry, Prunus pumila, is doing well. 



Mr. Bedford's notes on the forest-trees growing at the 

 Brandon Station form much the most interesting part of his 

 report. In a shelter-belt ninety-five feet vi^ide and 775 feet 

 long, the trees were planted 4^ feet by 4^ feet in 1S89. 

 Blanks were reset in 1890 and 1891. From a tabulated 

 statement it appears that the highest trees are Dakota Cot- 

 tonwood and a Russian Poplar, P. Bereolensis, each sixteen 

 feet. Among the best growths are Canoe Birch, twelve 

 feet ; Sweet Birch, Betula lenta, thirteen feet ; Box-Elder, four- 

 teen feet ; Carolina Poplar, fifteen feet ; Sharp-leaved Wil- 

 low, Salix acutifolia, fifteen feet ; Aspen, ten feet ; several 

 Russian Poplars, twelve to fifteen feet ; Manitoba Larch, 

 eight feet ; native White Spruce, six feet ; native Green Ash, 

 nine feet. Among other hardy subjects reported are Bur 

 Oak, Red and Black Ash, European Larch and native White 

 Elm, while of smaller trees, the Manitoba Mountain Ash, 

 Laurel-leaved Willow, Caragana arborescens and Artemisia 

 Abrotanum are hardy. 



Mr. A. Mackay, the Superintendent of the Experimental 

 Farm at Indian Head, Northwest Territories, reports a gen- 

 eral failure of orchard and small fruits, and in the report 

 on forest-trees the list of promising kinds is limited. Box- 

 Elder has been most extensively planted and is favored. 

 Among other native species that are doing well are the 

 Buffalo Berry, Choke Cherry, Wild Red Cherry and Saska- 

 toon, Amelanchier alnifolia. Several of the Russian Pop- 

 lars and Willows are considered good, and the Russian 

 Artemisia is most highly recommended as a low wind-break 

 for cultivated fields and gardens. 



Notes. 



The Oregon Experiment Station is making a horticultural 

 survey of that state by sending out circulars of inquiry to every 

 section, so as to ascertain all the facts which will be of interest 

 to persons who wish "hD engage in fruit-culture or gardening of 

 any kind. A similar survey has been made by the chemical 

 department, in which the character of the soil is approximately 

 described. 



Professor Massey inquires why the dealers in Christmas 

 greens do not send to the North Carolina coast country for 

 branches of the beautiful Yaupon or Cassena, Ilex (Cassine) 

 Vomitoria, whose berries are more abundant and brighter than 

 those of our common Holly, and whose foliage, although not 



