WESTERN NEW YORK HORTICULTURISTS. 



LTHOUGH the past year has 

 been rather a bad one for fruit 

 growers in New York, they do 

 not seem to be at all discour- 

 aged. About 200 of them met 

 in Rochester in January at the 

 35th a n n u a 1 meeting of the 

 Western New York Horticultural Society, and dis- 

 cussed important questions relating to horticulture. 



Dr. Linter, State Entomologist, in a paper on "Late 

 Experiences with Insects Injurious to the Orchard and 

 Garden," said that a force pump is a necessity to 

 every horticulturist who wishes to do anything against 

 insects. As a rule, too strong solutions of the arsenites 

 have been used. Use no more than is necessary to kill 

 the insect and never stronger than one pound of the ar- 

 senite to 200 gallons of water. Late sprayings should 

 be more dilute, for matured foliage is more liable to in- 

 jury, probably, than young foliage. Great difference in 

 the amount that different trees will endure has been 

 noticed. One pound to 300 gallons water is strong 

 enough for the peach, and one pound to 250 or 300 for 

 the plum. White arsenic cannot be used with safety. 

 For the rose slug and many leaf hoppers, throw a strong 

 stream of water against thg foliage once a day. The 

 Bordeaux mixture is very important in fighting fungi. 

 Many times fungicides and insecticides may be applied 

 at the same time, thus saving labor. Carbolized 

 plaster will probably prove very valuable in attacking 

 the rose bug. A new pear insect belonging to the " case 

 bearers " was described. It bores in the fruit making it ap- 

 pear as though a twig had been thrust in. If it appears 

 in large numbers, spray with an arsenite soon after the 

 setting of the young fruit. For cherry tree slugs spray 

 with one ounce hellebore to two gallons water. Be 

 very careful in use of either Paris-green or London- 

 purple, and be sure they are fresh. 



On " Embellishment of Public Grounds" Wm. Mc- 

 Millan, Superintendent of the Buffalo Parks, said that 

 embellishment includes all necessary work. Select a 

 suitable plan, but do not hold too obstinately to it in 

 case of petty details. All features should be in harmony 

 with each other. Make everything permanent so far as 

 possible, because such is the cheapest in the end. Do 

 not have too much costly ornamentation. Nature is 

 temperate in display of colors and it is much better to 

 have everything neat and plain than showy and broken. 

 The carpet-bedding system is not at all artistic or re- 

 fined. Use more of the native flowers, shrubs and trees. 



Professor L. H. Bailey, in a paper on "The Winter 

 End of Horticulture " spoke especially of winter garden- 

 ing. There are not the great difficulties attending forc- 

 ing plants, as many suppose, and winter gardening 



should fill up the circle of horticultural operations. 

 Great progress has been made in the forcing of plants. 

 We construct the houses better and understand the de- 

 mands of the particular plants better. The old-fash- 

 ioned roof was too far away from the plant ; we now 

 take the plant to the light ; not the light to the plant. 

 We must have the plants near the glass. The ideal form 

 of forcing house is one which is long, narrow and low. 

 Steam heat is bettef than the old hot-water system, but 

 there is probably less difference between steam and the 

 new hot-water system. The ideal system is a combina- 

 tion of both these, so that we can have either one as we 

 want it. This can be very easily arranged with nearl}- 

 all modern systems, either of hot water or steam. 

 There are six essentials to successful forcing of plants ; 

 bottom heat, abundance of light, proximit}' of plants 

 to glass, fresh air, humidity of atmosphere and adap- 

 tation of methods to changed habits of the plants. 



The " Clematis Disease " said Professor J. H. Corn- 

 stock, is caused by a small worm called a nematode, 

 that also attacks a great variety of plants, among them 

 potatoes, tomatoes and others. The fungus discov- 

 ered by Professor Arthur is not the cause of the 

 disease, although it generally appears with it. No cer- 

 tain remedy is known yet. Summer fallowing and the 

 use of " catch '' plants may do good. In a greenhouse, 

 change the soil and wash the benches with lye. 



Mr. Doyle on " Evaporation of Fruits," said the apple 

 crop of New York last year was so poor that most of 

 the apples for evaporating came from Michigan. There 

 is a great demand in France for evaporated fruits. Mr 

 Doyle said analyses showed that there was no danger in 

 the use of zinc drying pans, but in order to secure the 

 German trade something else must be used, probably 

 some kind of heavy netting. Wood is good, but is very 

 liable to burn. The cores, etc., are used by the jelly 

 manufacturers. 



Some of the varieties of fruits, new and old, particu- 

 larly recommended are the following : 



Apples. — Hubbardston Nonsuch, Sutton's Beauty, 

 Milding, Longfield. It was the general opinion that too 

 many Baldwins have been planted. Pcnrs. — Vermont 

 Beauty. Plums. — French Damson, Field, Stanton, 

 I'rince of Wales, Middlebury, Czar — a very early sort — 

 Diamond, Peter's Yellow Gage. The last is said to be 

 the best yellow plum. Cherries. — The best sour cherries 

 appear to be Montmorency and English Morello. 

 Peaches. — Two new early peaches are regarded as great 

 acquisitions. They are Hine's Surprise and Horton 

 Rivers. Grape. — The Geneva was favorably mentioned. 

 Currants. — Fay and Moore's Ruby are excellent. The 

 latter has superior flavor. Blackberry . — Early Barnard 

 is regarded as one of the ver}' hardiest and best. 



