436 



CLRRENT GARDEN LORE. 



mud and ruts in f ill, winter and spring. They would 

 bring every farming community into closer social rela- 

 tions, and make an evening's drive a pleasure instead of 

 a vexation, as it is now. They would do away with the 

 absurd poll-tax and supervisor-system. They would be, 

 in short, the best possible investment to the taxpayer if 

 built and cared for by the national government and paid 

 for by a national tax. — Caiman's Rural World. 



The Alder-Leaved Oak. — The accompanying engrav- 

 ing represents a branch 

 of QitcrcHS ahii/ulia, a 

 native of the mountains 

 of Cypria. It varies in 

 foliage to such an ex- 

 tent that seven or more 

 sub-species might be 

 determined. The cam- 

 ellia form is most com- 

 mon ; the alder form is 

 rarely found. The name,al- 

 nifolia, seems to be given by 

 accident. The under side of 

 the older leaves is almost 

 always ornamented with a 

 hairy coat of a beautiful gol- 

 den color. The tree is ever- 

 green, and seems to be quite 

 hardy. — Fr o m Catalogue 



Xeiihciten des A'attonal 

 Arboj-ctitms,''' Ger- 



Clean Culture vs. 

 Insects. — Many in- 

 sects remain during the 

 winter in whatever rub- 

 bish or shelter they can 

 find in the fields, and 

 many live on plants for 

 some time after the 

 crop is gathered. It is 

 a safe rule to clear off 

 the aftermath and de- 

 stroy it. Melon, citron, squash, cucumber 

 and other similar vines are usually left in 

 the fields after the crop is gathered, and 

 there many a borer and striped beetle comes 

 to maturity long after the farmer is done 

 with the plants. The rule should be to 

 gather and burn, either by fire or in the 

 manure-pit with lime. In orchards, this is 

 of especial importance. In dead wood, on 

 the tree or on the ground, many species of 

 insects hide or complete their development during the 

 winter. Every dead branch and twig should be cut, and, 

 with the other rubbish, hauled out and burnt. The ashes 

 will make a good fertilizer. Loose bark does not help a 

 tree much, while it does afford shelter to many hiberna- 

 ting species. Never leave an old wood-pile in or near an 

 orchard, especially if the wood is of the same kind as the 

 orchard trees. Many insects breed preferably in dead 



NCH OF QUERCUS 



wood ; but when it becomes too dry or too rotten, they 

 hive a sharp instinct that enables them to discover a 

 weak or sickly tree, and they attack this at once and ruin 

 it, where otherwise it might recover. Fallen fruit should 

 always be destroyed. Were this systematically done, 

 there would soon be no further complaint of curculio, 

 and less of codling-moth. The fruit should be fed to 

 hogs, buried deeply, burned with quick-lime, or disposed 

 of in some other way that will prevent its maturing the in- 

 sects it contains. Field 

 and orchard should 

 contain, as nearly as 

 possible, nothing save 

 the crop. — Bulletin of 

 X. V. Exp. Station. 



Preparing Fruit for 

 Ex h i b it i o n. — Fruit 

 that is to be exhibited 

 at the World's Fair 

 should be picked as un- : 

 ripe as is consistent ' 

 with a proper exhibition 

 of the size, surface, texture 

 and color, handled with the 

 greatest care, and -not . be 

 touched by the hand. Cut off 

 with shears and receive the 

 fruit in a piece of tissue paper 

 without jar or pressure. Just 

 before placing in the preserv- 

 ative fluid, rinse the fruit with 

 a jet of clear water, removing 

 dust and fungous germs. The 

 preservative fluid should have 

 the same density as the juice 

 of the fruit. Salicylic acid 

 exerts no bleaching action and 

 forms a very energetic preserv- 

 ative fluid, even at the moder- 

 ate rate of one - fifth of an 

 ounce to a gallon of water, or 

 one ounce to five gallons ; the disso- 

 lution of the acid is best effected in 

 boiling water. But for the purpose 

 of long conservation, it is best tain- 

 crease its solubility by using one and 

 one-half ounces to every five gallons, 

 dissolving the extra half-ounce by 

 the cautious addition to the (boiling) 

 water ot enough sal soda to make it 

 clear, and to make it remain so after 

 cooling. It is of great importance that 

 not a particle more sal soda be used than is just sufficient 

 to dissolve the last flake of the acid ; the least excess of 

 soda will tend to soften the fruit and spoil its color. The 

 density of this solution must be increased to that of the 

 fruit-juice by the addition of glycerine or pure white 

 sugar made into syrup as follows ; If the spindle in the 

 fruit-juice shows four degrees, six ounces of white sugar 

 or good commercial glycerine must be added for each 



