192 



LIGHT FROM THE SOCIETIES. 



also claimed that seed can be produced here cheaper 

 than it can be bought in Europe. Egg-plants are grown 

 to a limited extent at the north ; yet there is no obsta- 

 cle in the way of their successful production, if early- 

 started, vigorous plants are set in warm, rich, rather 

 moist soil, and properly protected from potato-beetles. 

 Lettuce under glass is subject to mildew, and should be 

 grown at a low temperature. The "new onion-culture " 

 found favorable mention. 



The potato-stalk weevil is the larva of a snout-beetle 

 and bores into root and stalk. Then the leaves begin 

 to turn brown, and as a result the tubers are small and 

 few in number. Burning the affected stalk is recom- 

 mended. 



A. N. Prentiss says that there are few plants of eco- 

 nomic value among the 100,000 flowering plants now 

 known. Yet there may be some not yet known more 

 valuable than any now made use of. We are placed 

 before the question whether the introduction of new 

 species be not more desirable than the perfection of 

 those we already have. The production of seedless 

 fruits might be worth consideration. We have seedless 

 fruits now, as the banana, pineapple, etc. Are seedless 

 grapes, as good as Concords, seedless raspberries, 

 strawberries, etc., among the possibilities of the future? 



Nurserymen will be delighted to learn that one of 

 their worst enemies, the powdery mildew which attacks 

 apple, peach and plum seedlings can be successfully 

 fought at a cost of about 10 cents per 1,000 trees. 

 Professor S. A. Beach, of the New York Experiment 

 Station, gives as the first indication of the disease the 

 appearance of cobweb spots on the leaves in spring. 

 These spread until the whole leaf is covered. The dis- 

 ease attacks both the upper and under surface, but does 

 not enter the tissues. It can be kept in check by five or 

 six applications of the ammoniacal solution of copper 

 carbonate at intervals of about 12 days, the first to be 

 made when the leaves are about half developed. Both 

 upper and under surfaces should be thoroughly sprayed. 



The apple-scab is of more importance to orchardists. 

 Professor Scribner estimates the loss by this disease to 

 be Yd to \i of every crop. In Professor Galloway's 

 opinion the damage resulting from this source in 1890 

 was at least $6,000,000. Cool, moist weather, and wet 

 undrained soil favor the development of the fungus. It 

 checks the growth of the skin ; the apple grows one- 

 sided or deformed, and perhaps cracks. The disease 

 also interferes with the leaf-growth. The fungus passes 

 the winter on the infested fruits, perhaps on buds and 

 leaves. The cost of the treatment with carbonate of 

 opper is about 25 cents per tree. Early applications 

 '^re important. As a combination mixture for scab and 

 codling-moth, the reduced Bordeaux mixture is now 

 recommended, viz., 2 lbs. of sulphate of copper, to 

 2 lbs. of lime, 2 ozs. London purple, 32 gallons of water. 



The apple-rust attacks mostly the foliage, more rarely 

 he fruit. The greater part of the funguos growth is 

 oncealed within the leaf-tissue. The fungus is the 



same which produces the cedar-apple, and may be 

 fought by destroying the cedar-apples in the vicinity. 



The apple ripe-rot is found to yield readily to appli- 

 cations of potassium sulphide or copper carbonate. 



The gooseberry mildew resembles the apple powdery 

 mildew, and is a good spore-y ielder. It comes when 

 the leaves are unfolding, and spreads rapidly. Plants 

 of English varieties have been kept practically free 

 for two seasons and good crops produced without injury 

 to the foliage, by applications of sulphide of potassium 

 in solution. This remedy is cheap and has now been 

 well-testtd The formula is one oz. to two gallons of 

 water. Dissslve in hot water and dilute ; then apply 

 with the knapsack sprayer. Give the first spray as soon 

 as leaves begin to unfold, and repeat at three weeks' in- 

 tervals, or after every rain. The cost for one application 

 is about one cent for each 25 bushes. The effect is last- 

 ing, and better healthier growth will result next season. 



A Michigan Pear-Grower's Experience.— The first mis- 

 take I made was in planting some varieties in which 

 there is no profit for me. The next was in not planting 

 dwarfs deep enough, nor keeping them headed back 

 properly, and in earlier years in not being prompt to cut 



out the blight. Another was in planting varieties on 

 soil not adapted to them. My experience and observa- 

 tion is, that there are but few varieties which, if planted 

 on soil suitable for them will not be successful and 

 profitable. Usually a strong, clayey soil is best for 

 pears, but there are a few varieties that do well on the 

 lighter soils, if kept well fed and cultivated. Of these 

 there are the Bartlett, Howell and Louise Bonne. It will 

 not pay to plant Duchess, Anjou or Sheldon on any but 

 strong, fairly heavy soil. 



The ground should be well-fitted before planting, by 

 being worked very deep by the use of a subsoil plow. 

 Make it rich with fertilizers, if it is not so naturally, 

 and work or underdrain it so that no water will stand 

 on the surface very long after heavy rains. I have an 

 orchard of 1,000 trees, most of which are twelve 

 years old, and it has been thoroughly cultivated every 

 year during that tirpe, except a portion of it that was left 

 in grass for two years as an experiment, which was very 

 unsatisfactory. The past season I had but one tree 

 that showed signs of blight, while trees within three 

 miles of my place, standing in sod, were nearly ruined 

 the past two years. 



The standard pear needs but little pruning, but cut 

 back nearly two-thirds of the young growth of dwarf 

 trees. If this is not done, and they are not planted 

 deep enough, they will become a sort of half standards, 

 and they will get top-heavy and tip over. 



The past season my pears were sprayed thoroughly 

 with the Bordeaux mixture before they blossomed or 

 leaved out. After the fruit set, I sprayed three or four 

 times more, at intervals of a week or two, according to 

 the weather. In the later sprayings I put in Paris 

 green at the rate of i lb. to 200 or 300 gals, of water, 

 to destroy the codlin-moth and the curculio. — /. N'. 

 Stearns, to the Michigan Horticultural Society. 



