38o 



LIGHT FROM THE SOCIETIES. 



remembering at this time. He said : ' 'All plants love a 

 fine soil, well aerated, relieved of surplus water, and well 

 compacted, except a slight top layer. We must know 

 the measure of fertility of the land before we talk about 

 what fertilizers to apply. The roots of an orchard run 

 all through the soil, a small part of the surface excepted. 

 The land should be reasonably dry. If only moist, lay- 

 ing off in ridges might dry it sufficiently. Thus in some 

 cases we simply sacrifice a little soil for the purpose of 

 saving cost of drainage. Many young orchards are 

 ruined by over-application of manures ; others by star- 

 vation. What is wanted is healthy, hardy growth, with- 

 out over-stimulation by nitrogenous application; for 

 there is plenty of substance in the soil, but we lack the 

 skill to get it out. Mineral applications will serve this 

 purpose in many cases. When trees bear fruit the de- 

 mand for food must be met at once ; food should be in 

 the soil before it is wanted. The roots have been feed- 

 ing in the same places for years ; we must put something 

 there for them to feed upon. Prof. Roberts does not 

 believe it necessary to plow bearing orchards. Clover 

 should be planted and left to reseed itself. The amount 

 of fruit on a tree should not be large for best fruit. Qual- 

 ity is essential in nearly everything ; quanity floods the 

 markets. The principle governing the pruning of 

 grape-yines might perhaps be applied to fruit trees. 

 The King apple might be improved by shortening the 

 ends of its tree branches. Why not have the fruit 

 nearer the roots ? Do we want timber or fruit ? Why 

 should we not separate forestry and fruit-culture ? Or- 

 chards should be treated moderately, liberally, or very 

 liberally, according to their yields. Large yields cannot 

 be expected without an abundant supply of digestible 

 food. A combination of sheep-raising and orcharding 

 will be found profitable. The orchardist is growing 

 too much wood, too many seeds, too many poor-colored 

 and poor-flavored apples. The remedy is heading back, 

 thinning, and feeding a reasonable amount of plant-food. 

 Peach and plum trees should be kept under constant cul- 

 tivation, and fed with animal manures. Farm manures, 

 however, are usually not so easily available as good 

 commercial fertilizers. When the grower has not enough 

 of domestic manures, let him liberally apply a good 

 high grade fertilizer. Manures after exposure to the 

 weather often cost more than commercial fertilizers. 



S. Woodward says he makes a sheep-pasture of his or- 

 chards. The sheep is the best insect-killer, weed-killer, 

 and destroyer of sprouts and suckers. A flock of loo 

 sheep are none too many for lo acres of orchard. He 

 pays the sheep for their work with linseed-meal and 

 bran. His orchard has not been plowed in 14 or 15 

 years, and it is healthy and productive. 



Pecan-Growing. — Fifteen years ago (at the age of 56), 

 I was impressed with the belief that pecan-culture in the 

 southern half of the United States was full of great pos- 

 sibilities, if due care and attention was given it. I pur- 

 chased and planted the largest and best-flavored pecans 

 that could be found, without regard to price. It was in 

 this way that this new industry was begun ; an industry 



not only new to myself but new to the country at large. 

 The pecan has now taken its place in the front rank, as 

 the best and most profitable of nut-bearing trees, while 

 the nut itself, where its merits are fully known, is pro- 

 nounced superior to all others. And this industry must 

 go on from year to year, increasing in popular favor 

 as well as in profit to those engaged in its pursuit. Hav- 

 ing on former occasions given figures showing actual re- 

 sults of my experience, I now only desire to refer, in 

 passing, to one tree of the variety known as ' ' Stuart 

 Pecan," (soft shell), which has yielded this year over 

 $250 worth of nuts, at the price readily obtained for 

 them. What branch of horticulture will pay better ? — 

 Col. W. R. Stuart, ]\Iiss. State Hort. Society. 



Where Our Garden Seeds are Grown. — Seedsmen must 

 draw on all quarters of the globe for their stock. Im- 

 ported seeds are more extensively used in America than 

 the average planter imagines. James J. H. Gregory re- 

 cently spoke on seed-raising and seed-preserving before 

 a farmers' meeting in Boston. He said: "Where the 

 seed sold by American seedsmen is grown, is for the most 

 part a question of cost and of climatic condition. Of 

 the seventy or more species of vegetable seed, over half 

 the varieties are imported. Of mangel-wurzel, about 

 all ; rutabaga, about nine-tenths ; spinage, about nine- 

 tenths ; cauliflower, nearly all ; lettuce, about half ; car- 

 rots, about half ; egg-plant, about half ; parsnip, about 

 one-third ; radish, about all, with the exception of Lan- 

 dreth & Son, who raise their own. It is the general be- 

 lief of American seedsmen that foreign-grown radish- 

 seed is larger and better than home-grown. Parsley- 

 seed is largely imported, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, chic- 

 ory, endive, kohlrabi, and Swiss chard are almost 

 wholly imported, as is salsify to a large extent. The 

 finest varieties of celery are grown in this country in the 

 vicinity of our large cities. Of cucumbers, but a few, 

 and those of the fancy frame sorts, are imported. Of 

 peas, most of the hard sorts are home-grown, and most 

 of the softer, or wrinkled varieties. Dutch or rough- 

 leaved turnip-seed is all home-grown. Of cabbage-seed, 

 but few varieties are imported, and these are confined 

 almost wholly to a few early sorts. Onion-seed, with 

 the exception of the large Italian varieties, is almost 

 wholly an American crop. 



The foreign sources of seed are Canada, England, 

 France and Germany. The importations from Canada 

 are confined to peas. From England we obtain most of 

 our mangel-wurzel seed, some of our early cabbage- 

 seed, some varieties of carrot, celery, frame varieties of 

 cucumber, leek, kohlrabi, parsley, peas, radish and 

 turnip, and a portion of our flower-seed. From France 

 and Germany come, as a rule, the choicer varieties of 

 vegetable and flower-seed. When they want something 

 rather extra in purity, or the finest strain in the vege- 

 table or flower-seed line, such as cauliflower, celery, let- 

 tuce, egg-plant or radish, our seedsmen are very apt to 

 turn towards France or Germany, rather than the 

 mother country, even though they may sometimes have 

 to pay rather a higher price for their purchase. 



