LIGHT FROM THE SOCIETIES. 



Califoruia's Wild Strawberries. — Two species o; 

 fragiria are indigenous to C-lifornia. Chilensis is 

 found close along the coast in the northern counties, has 

 white flowers and perfect leaves, which are smooth and 

 Lhiny on their upper surface. F. Calif or nica is dis- 

 tributed throughout the interior of the state and differs 

 irom F. Cliilcnsis by having sparingly villous leaves, not 

 shiny on the surface as with the other species Little at- 

 te- tion has been given the wild strawberries on the Pa- 

 cific coast. From observations made I believe that both 

 species may be greatly improved by cultivation and that 

 they are among the most promising of our wild fruits. 

 1 have noticed in several localities vines of both species 

 which were thriftier and produced much larger and finer 

 berries than the average. These were doubtless unde- 

 fined varieties of nature's production, and clearly demon- 

 strate that the species are both capable of great improve- 

 ment. The necessity of constantly irrigating the im- 

 proved varieties of strawberries which have been im- 

 ported into California has been a great drawback to th • 

 general production and use of the fruit m the home gai- 

 den The necessity of irrigation might be overcome by 

 selection and hybridizing variet.es which naturally grow 

 in the dryest and most unpromising locations. Another 

 point to be considered is the delicious sweetness and de- 

 lightful aroma of our native berries, both of which 

 qualities it is possible to perpetuate. — Emory E Smith, 

 before California Stale I/orlicult ural Society. 



Western New York Horticultural Society. (Continued 

 from p. 192). — The black-knot of the plum, said Prof. 

 Beach, is easy to exterminate. Early in spring cut out 

 every affected branch and twig. Badly attacked trees 

 should be headed back or cut down, or gone over re- 

 peatedly. Burn the trimmings. Do this for two or 

 three seasons and you will see the last of the knots. 

 Look sharply to the wild plums and cherries. Perhaps 

 legislative enactment against the black knot might help 

 to exterminate it. The remedial treatment of paring the 

 knots off and painting the wounds with turpentine, lin- 

 seed-oil and red oxide, etc., finds few endorsers. George 

 T. Powell set 1,000 plum trees in a black-knot infested 

 vicinity and watched and cared for them, but finally lost 

 the whole through the criminal carelessness or laziness of 

 a neighbor who kept an old hedge-row full of black-knots. 

 Why should this be allowed ? A resolution was adopted 

 demanding that the legislature enact a law to enforce the 

 cutting out of diseased plum trees. [It has since been 

 introduced in the state legislature and will undoubtedly 

 become a law.] 



Mr. Wiley, Cayuga county, states that even good fruit 

 improperly packed brought little or nothing ; poor fruit 

 never paid, no matter how packed, but good fruit properly 

 packed always gave good returns. Among strawberries E. 

 P. Roe was mentioned as a vigorous grower, ripening its 

 fruit late. Triumph gooseberry proved a strong grower and 

 good fruiter. It was free from mildew and sold well. 



Irving D. Cook reported a great fruit yield from Gene- 

 see county. Yellow Transparent received favorable men- 

 tion as an early apple. Fruit-trees by the roadside were 



found to be a good investment. One man had a fine 

 crop of Northern Spy apples from trees planted along 

 the highway. The Anjou pear and German prune were 

 recommended for roadside-planting. The impression 

 prevails in the county that we have too many apples. 



Mr. Hooker, of Monroe county, called the past year a 

 good one for consumers ; still, the growers were fairly 

 well paid. There were no insects on plums, no scab nor 

 fungus. Spraying is still neglected. 



The Ontario county report speaks well of Sutton's 

 Beauty apple, which may yet displace the Baldwin in 

 Western New York ; also of the Longfield, a fine sort, 

 and Macintosh Red, a valuable variety for the table. 

 The early peaches came in competition with southern 

 Crawfords, hence did not sell well. The early cling are 

 all right for home use. The Salway peach was struck 

 by frost about October 15, before it ripened. The 

 fruit was gathered and put in the cellar, afterwards 

 taken out and canned, proving exceeedingly fine and 

 good for the table, even when eaten fresh. It is a hardy, 

 productive, late variety. Horton's River is hardy and 

 productive. The Harris apricot and some others proved 

 profitable in the county. The Field plum is early and 

 good, somewhat resembling Bradshaw. Bartlett pears 

 sold at one cent a pound to the canneries. There is more 

 money in raising pears at $1 per bushel, than in raising 

 potatoes at 25 cents. Choice varieties of cherries brought 

 good prices. Moore Ruby is a fine red currant. 



Of theGaertner grape, W. C. Barry says it is one of the 

 Rogers hybrids that seems to have been overlooked. It 

 is productive, handsome, one of the showiest, and well 

 worth cultivation. Mr. Snow says it is good to experi- 

 ment on, but not good to make money. The Rogers 

 hybrids are not planted by the acre, simply because they 

 are not certain and not productive enough to be profita- 

 ble. Mr. Clark has about an acre of Rogers No. 4, 

 which produces fairly well, but he does not get any 

 more for them than for Concord, and would not enlarge 

 his plantation. W. C. Barry thinks that the grower who 

 has a good location near a large city, and will give this 

 grape extra care, can make it profitable. 



Do apple trees under constant clean cultivation incline 

 to produce wood at the expense of fruit ? was an- 

 swered by Mr. Hooker in the negative. Trees of bear- 

 ing age will produce more and better fruit under clean 

 cultivation than under neglect, Mr Bogue says culti- 

 vation should be given early in the season. Young trees 

 heavily manured with stable manure and well-cultivated, 

 bear later than if not so generously treated. 



D. S. Willard replies to a query on Japanese plums. 

 Among the three or four Botans first introduced under 

 number, some are good and some are not. Burbank 

 Seedling is one of the best and most hardy of the whole 

 family. He has 40 to 50 specimens on 18 inches of 

 wood. The quality is good. Mr. Van Deraan says he 

 has been watching it for three years. The fruit is of 

 medium size, reddish purple with a beautiful yellow 

 under-color, of high quality, flesh rich yellow, seed 

 sm:dl, flesh clinging to stone. It blooms late. 



