LIGHT FROM THE SOCIETIES. 



635 



the stems may be dead for a foot or more from the ex- 

 tremity ; not infrequently one branch will be dead clear 

 to its base, and sometimes two or more are thus destroyed. 

 The dead twigs show pimples quite evenly distributed 

 over the surface, and from some a minute, often curved, 

 horn of a reddish color protrudes. When such stems are 

 placed in a moist chamber, the whole decaying surface be- 

 comes closely covered with numerous almost brick-red 

 masses of spores, and the disease spreads rapidly through 

 the adjoining parts of the twigs that seemed healthy when 

 placed in the moist chamber. In four days from the 

 time spores were introduced into sterilized sections of 

 rose-twigs in the test-tubes, the whole lot of twigs would be 

 covered with the spore-masses. This anthracnose ap- 

 pears to be new, in that it has not before been studied 

 microscopically. 



Eel-lVorms. — One of the leading reasons for many 

 complaints made by rose-growers during the last year is a 

 microscopic worm that works principally in and at rose- 

 roots. These worms are in outline like an ordinary eel, 

 and under the microscope are seen in almost constant 

 motion. They cause an enlargement of certain portions 

 of the roots, and by means of these galls or knots are 

 easily detected with the naked eye when a plant is re- 

 moved from the soil and carefully washed of the adher- 

 ing earth. To guard against infection, the roots of roses 

 should be examined closely for the galls when beds 

 are set. All galled roses should be excluded. The 

 worms may come in with the earth, as they infest many 

 kinds of plants. Soil that has not been used for growing 

 plants in the garden is not necessarily free from the 

 worms. They may also be taken with the manure that 

 is used. Cold in excess will probably destroy the worms, 

 and a high temperature is inimical to them. Growers 

 might make the experiment of heating the soil of a 

 small portion of the bed before setting the plants, and 

 satisfy themselves if such a treatment would pay. 



The eel-worms are doing much harm to our roses. 

 When they are once in a plant there is no known way 

 of driving them out. It is possible that some substance 

 may yet be discovered that, put on the soil, while 

 not injuring the roses, may kill worms not already in the 

 plants. Lime has been thus used with favorable results. 

 Sprinkle the lime upon the surface of the bed, or better, 

 mix it with the soil; and each watering will tend to bring 

 it in contact with the tender bodies of the worms. It is 

 not unlikely that some fertilizer compounds may be formed 

 that at the same time they furnish food for the plants will 

 deal a death-blow to nematodes. Kainit may thus prove 

 an efificient remedy, and it only remains for some enter- 

 prising rosarian to take the matter in hand and demon- 

 strate the truth or falsehood lurking in the suggestion. 

 It is easy to obtain and apply ; the amount to use must 

 be determined by trial. All that has been said regarding 

 the habits of the rose eel-worm applies equally well to 

 worms which infest the roots of the violet, coleus, lan- 

 tana, bouvardia, geranium, etc. The treatment will vary 

 with the nature of the plant. 



Fruit Sulphuring. — At the June meeting of the Cali- 

 fornia State Horticultural Society, at San Francisco, 

 Leonard Coates stated that sulphuring fruit in the drying 

 processes is all wrong, and will prove as hurtful to the 

 industry as doctoring with deleterious spirits and coloring 

 stuffs has proved to the foreign wine-trade. Tests prove 

 that the pure and natural qualities of fruits have 

 been injured in the sulphuring process, that the rich 

 flavor of the fruit has been destroyed, and that while 

 the white healthy color has been preserved, the taste 

 of the fruit has been nearly destroyed. The point 

 was made that producers of dried fruit for the market 

 are catering to the dollars and cents side of the question, 

 while sacrificing California's credit and fame as the pro- 

 ducer of pure and healthful fruits. 



Some Hints to Nurserymen. — P. J Berckmans, Presi- 

 dent of the the American Pomological Society, in a talk 

 to the nurserymen assembled at their recent meeting, 

 said that rather than to be ever on the alert for new 

 things, "novelties," etc., nurserymen should be mission- 

 aries, to disseminate among the people of the country the 

 gospel of horticultural knowledge and experience that is 

 being wrought out by the pomological and horticultural 

 societies. The nurseryman should have a knowledge of 

 the fruits and plants best adapted to every section of the 

 country where he is to do business. Even in Georgia 

 there are four different sections or zones. The bes' 

 trees and plants of the mountain country of northwest 

 Georgia are not suited to central Georgia; the coast country 

 is still different, while in southern Georgia can be grown 

 many semi-tropical fruits and plants. The successful, 

 honest nurseryman should know these things, and work 

 and act accordingly. To do good to the public is to do 

 good to the nursery trade. As to protection to the origi- 

 nators of new fruits, the speaker had little faith in the 

 copyright plan. You can mark the tree, plant or vine, 

 but not the product. The best plan he knows of is the 

 subscription plan. Do not sell any plants till a certain 

 specified number have been subscribed for. 



The Florists at Washington. — Probably the largest 

 and best meeting which the Society of American Florists 

 ever held was the convention at Washington, beginning 

 August i6th, and lasting four days. The delegations 

 from various parts of the country began to arrive late 

 Monday afternoon, and they were greeted enthusiastically 

 by the florists of Washington, who, from first to last, 

 spared no pains to make the convention a success. Some 

 of the florists' trains, especially from New York, were 

 elaborately decked out with flowers, and they created no 

 little surprise upon their arrival. The convention was held 

 on G street, in the National Rifles' Armony, a hall which 

 proved to be unusually well adapted to the purpose. It 

 is easy of access from all parts of the city, and it was 

 quiet and pleasant throughout. Several innovations 

 were apparent in the management of the convention, the 

 chief one being the abandonment of hotel headquarters 

 and the consolidation of the entire administration, exhi- 

 bition and convention in one building. This no doubt 



