The Editor's Outlook. 



SUPERSTITION is handmaid 

 SUPERSriTloy. °^ ignorance. The old fables 



could never have arisen if men 

 had known the first rudiments of plant life. The 

 study of the superstitions and travelers' tales of 

 the middle ages and later gives a measure of the 

 thought of the time, and through it we can trace the 

 birth and growth of botany. Botany began as 

 superstition, it passed through a long stage of for- 

 mulation, and later it became the subject of a vast 

 amount of poetry and sentiment ; but it is only in 

 the last few decades that it has come home in any 

 intimate and practical way to the tiller of the soil. 

 It has lately assumed a breadth and importance 

 which was not dreamed of a half century ago, and 

 which it could never have attained under the old 

 systems of philosophy and study. Botany is more 

 important to the cultivator to-day than chemistry. 

 Its applications to the common problems of the 

 garden and orchard are more frequent, more in 

 timate, more practical ; and its importance is en- 

 hanced because it can be studied as one rests upon 

 the plow. It is everywhere, always, an ever inspir- 

 ing and intimate companion whom one can know 

 without laboratories and apparatus. Knowledge of 

 plants is imperative to him who would grow plants, 

 and this knowledge is botany. 



Superstitions have not yet passed away. One 

 n.eets them everywhere among farmers. One man 

 fears to touch the heart of his tree lest he kill it 

 and another sows his peas in the old of the moon. 

 And lesser misconceptions are abundant and they 

 comprise the larger part of hindrances to a bet- 

 ter horticulture. A good knowledge of botany is 

 worth more than improved tools. 



But the knowledge of plants is not to be meas- 

 ured alone by the immediately practical effects. It 

 is an inexhaustible source of enthusiasm and con- 

 tentment. Its day of superficial sentiments has pass- 

 ed. Botanies are no longer languages of flowers 

 and cuUings from the poets. But it strikes deeper 

 than ever into the roots of affection and inspira- 

 tion. No one but the botanist knows where the 

 flowers bloom in the fence corners or knows the con- 

 solation which should come with every returning 

 day. Knowledge of plants is a spice for every dull 

 hour and gloomy day, and it is the most suggestive 

 education which the horticulturist can possess. It 



is impossible to undertake a bold experimentation 

 without it. One must first free himself from the 

 conventional and perfunctory methods of studying 

 it, and approach it in the evolutionary spirit of the 

 time. In no other way can we wholly rid ourselves 

 of plant superstition. 



VITICULTURE has grown to enor- 

 mous proportions, and like all 



INTERESTS. . ^ ^ 



other horticultural interests we have 

 known nothing of its extent until the present census 

 has given us the figures. The two census bulletins so 

 far issued upon horticultural matters are remarkable 

 illustrations of the neglect and indifference of such 

 interests by the government. The census report 

 upon viticulture divides our leading grape areas 

 into five regions : the Eastern, including New York 

 and that portion of Pennsylvania lying upon lake 

 Erie ; the Middle, including Ohio, Indiana and 

 Illinois ; the Western, lying in Kansas and Mis- 

 souri ; the Southern, in Georgia, Tennessee, North 

 Carolinia and Virginia ; the Pacific, comprising 

 California and parts of Arizona and New Mexico. 

 Of these, the Pacific division comprises the greatest 

 acreage, there being no less than 213,230 acres in 

 cultivation, of which 157,458 acres are in bearing. 

 The Eastern or New York region follows next with 

 51,000 acres, the Middle with 42,633 acres, the 

 Western with 17,306 acres, and the Southern with 

 17,092 acres. About 60,000 acres are in cultiva- 

 tion outside these definite areas, making a grand 

 total of 401,261 acres in the United States, of which 

 307,575 acres are in bearing. 



The product of this enormous acreage is sold as 

 table grapes, wine and raisins. In the production 

 of table grapes New York leads with 60,687 tons in 

 1S90, and is followed by Ohio with 38,947 tons, 

 California with 38,785 tons and Missouri with 

 22,500 tons. In the production of wine, California 

 leads with 14,626,000 gallons, and is followed by 

 New York with 2,528,250 gallons, Ohio with 1,934, 

 833 gallons, and Missouri with 1,250,000 gallons. 

 In raisins California produces practically the whole 

 quantity grown. The highest average yields per 

 acre are reported in Arizona, Missouri and New 

 Mexico which give three tons to the acre, while 

 California gives only 1.77' tons per acre, which is 

 less than Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee and 



