BOOKS AND 



BULLETINS. 



"No doubt much of the graftage is mischievous, be- 

 cause not well done ; but these instances were no doubt 

 relatively just as common generations ago as they are 

 now. In fact, I should look for worse results from the 

 old careless methods of top-grafting than from recent 

 methods, where the union is protected by the soil, and 

 where every effort is made to heal the wound quickly. 

 In general, I know of no evidence to show that graftage 

 is necessarily a weakening process. 



"It is still an open question as to whether or not root 

 grafting tends to shorten the life of the apple tree. It 

 may be that in certain cases it does, as in particular va- 

 rieties which do not readily strike root from the cion, or 

 in particular ways of performing the operation. Yet, I 

 am inclined to think that root grafting is not a general 

 cause of lessening of longevity, from the fact that the 

 budded orchards, which are abundant everywhere in the 

 east, appear to fail as soon as grafted ones." 



I have nothing to add on the subject of the longevity 

 of apple trees, nor can I demur at any of the conclusions. 

 Many orchards fail early from various causes, but this 

 fact does not touch the main question closely, when we 

 consider the many evident special causes for these fail- 

 ures. It is absurd to compare the old seedling orchards 

 of our cider-drinking forefathers with modern orchards 

 in which varieties from all over the world are brought 

 together by grafting. Natural selection takes care of the 

 seedlings of the forest. Human selection, on much the 

 same lines, took care of the old seedling orchards. The 

 more vigorous seedlings were naturally chosen, and with 

 the careless culture which followed, only the elite of 

 these constituted the orchards of this class upon which 

 our judgment is founded. 



Mere long life is not the important factor in orchard 

 trees. We are continually consigning trees to the brush 

 heap which are quite sound and thrifty. Wealthy, Yel- 

 low Transparent and Oldenburgh trees, which come 

 young into bearing, fruit freely and yield a readily sala" 

 ble crop, pay far better, even if they all die within twenty 

 years, than those old veterans of the cider orchard could 

 do. If long life for the tree is put first in order, we 

 must not manure too freely, we must not plant closely, 

 we must not ask early or free productiveness, nor must 

 we plant any variety, however excellent, that is not per- 

 fectly adapted to our locality. But if we thus limit our- 

 selves, we must not hope for a great deal of profit. 



T. H. HosKiNS. 



Insect Life, for Januaay, i8gi, contains papers read 

 before the recent meeting of Economic Entomologists, 

 at Charnpaign, Illinois, in November, i8go. It seems to 

 have been one of the most successful meetings ever held 

 in this country, or for that matter, in the world, as there 

 were over thirty members in attendence, all earnest 

 workers and full of enthusiasm. The president, Pro- 

 fessor Riley, in his address, discusses many subjects of 

 interest : The hydrocyanic-acid gas treatment against 

 scale insects has, to a certain extent, superseded the use 

 of washes against the red scale. Recent experiments 

 have reduced the expense one-third. Repeated impor- 



tation of injurious scales from Florida to the Pacific 

 coast has caused much alarm. No great danger is yet 

 apparent, but a quarantine is needed. E. S, Goff, of 

 the Wisconsin Station, has modified the Nixon pump by 

 adding a tube, through which kerosene may be drawn 

 from one receptacle while soap suds is drawn from 

 another, forming a mechanical mixture in the act of 

 spraying. The method is believed to have no superior- 

 ity over the ordinary emulsion. The 



hop aphis has been found in Oregon Economic 

 and Washington, and the entomolo- Entomologists. 



gist of the experiment station of the 

 former state believes that it differs in its habits there, as 

 compared with the eastern states, in that it has not yet 

 been found upon plums. But Professor Riley expresses 

 confidence that full research will show it to have the 

 same habits in the northwest country that prevail else- 

 where, viz ; that hibernation takes place in the winter 

 on species of prunus or plum. Carbon-bisulphide, as a 

 remedy against insects attacking stored grain, is poured 

 on a ball of tow, tied to a stick, which is then forced into 

 the middle of the vessel or bin of grain, the opening 

 then being closed as tightly as possible. One ounce 

 should be applied to loo pounds of grain. A new and 

 distinct type of insecticide machine has been invented 

 by G. F. Strawson, in England, and is called the "Straw- 

 sonizer." It is a pneumatic or air-blast distributor,, 

 which may be used not only for the distribution of dry 

 or liquid insecticides, but for fertilizers, or disinfectants 

 in cities, or for the broadcast sowing of grain. Professor 

 Riley has some telling remarks on the value of the kero- 

 sene emulsion properly made, and upon the frequency 

 with which mere temporary mixtures are recommended 

 in the name of the emulsion. 



The address contains some interesting statements in 

 reference to the grape phylloxera, showing its spread 

 and giving many interesting particulars as to the best 

 resistant American stocks. He shows that even in such 

 regions as that around Bordeaux, where, by virtue of 

 the rich alluvial soil and the ease with which the chief 

 vineyards can be submerged, the phyl- 

 loxera has made slower headway, and The Grape 

 the opposition to the use of American Phylloxera- 

 resistant stocks has been greatest ; yet 

 they have finally vanquished prejudice, and are rapidly 

 coming into general use. Even where the phylloxera 

 has not entirely destroyed the French vines, the Ameri- 

 can stocks at once give greater vigor of growth, increase 

 in healthf ulness and yield of fruit. The most important 

 varieties are — of the iEstivalis — the Jaquez, Herbemont, 

 Black July and Cunningham ; and of the Riparia. the 

 most important are the Solonis, Clinton and Taylor, and 

 the wild species. The most important of the hybrids 

 are Elvira, Noah and Viola. Professor Riley shows con- 

 clusively, among the direct remedies, the value of the 

 kerosene emulsion, which is not properly realized in 

 France on account of the high price of petroleum, and 

 also gives a new remedy which promises very well. It 

 is the use of resin soap, made by 5 pounds of caustic 



