THEY SAY. 



432 



ticularly when in bloom. A few days difference in tfie 

 time of blooming may make a success or failure. While 

 experiment stations should make these tests, yet they 

 are from six to twenty years behind our most experienc- 

 ed progressive fruit growers, as it requires that time to 

 fully test the value of the different kinds of fruits in 

 any locality. 



The lack of adaptability of fruits is no doubt one of 

 the principal causes of disappointments in fruit-growing, 

 for few persons undertake the business with any fixed 

 idea of what they want, and where to plant what they 

 have. One reason for this is the fact that we have so 

 many varieties which appear to be good, that we cannot 

 make a selection with any degree of certainty. An error 

 once made can seldom be corrected, for few persons live 

 long enough to plant out the second orchard on the 

 same place, and few if any would do so, who failed in 

 the first. As the apple is our great commercial fruit, 

 exceeding in value all others combined, it is the more 

 important that we make no mistake with it ; and there 

 is no just reason why we should. Some fruits depend 

 directly upon climate. The p:;ach cannot be grown 

 with success where the temperature falls 17 degrees 

 below zero, and some of our grapes, blackberries and 

 raspberries will not endure that degree of cold. And 

 none of these fruits can be grown anywhere where 

 the temperature changes suddenly 60 degrees in 24 

 hours, without protection, even if the temperature does 

 not fall below zero. But it is not so with the apple, 

 for all varieties will endure 17 degrees below zero with- 

 out injury, as well as the sudden changes, and it is not 

 very particular as to soil. 



We may also fail for the want of the right varieties 

 of apples. Who could succeed with the Milam in 

 competition with the Jonathan ? Yet the one is as pro- 

 ductive as the other, and equally as well_ adapted to the 

 same soil and location. This is the case with a very 

 large number of varieties, as the Hall, Holly, Mangum, 

 Kittageekee, Watwood, Hutchison, Louck's Cluster, 

 Grain's Spice, Goodyear, Abram, Flat Remain, Clark 

 Pearmain, Rock, Mattamuskeet, May, Fink, Shockly, 

 Yates, Great Keeper, Lansingburg, Yahoola, Petrez 

 Favorite, Wasp, Spafford Russet, Fett, Ross Nonpariel, 

 Enos Winter, Faust, Jermanite, Press Ewing, Maxey, 

 Virginia Quaker, Williams of Virginia, Broad River, 

 Sweet Russet, Hampton Russet, Tender Skin, Thurond, 

 Ingram, Clark of Kentucky, Gipson of Kentucky, 

 Wright's Jenet — nearly all of southern origin. These 

 can be grown here and may be considered adapted to 

 any climate where the mean monthly temperature is the 

 same as here, but they are of no market value compared 

 with others. This is the case here with nearly all south- 

 ern summer varieties, as well as nearly all of the north- 

 ern winter apples. — J. Stayman, Kansas. 



Controlling the Markets. — Organization by horti- 

 culturists is often able to effect permanent good in the 

 obtaining of new markets, and the partial control or 

 education of old ones. A marked instance of this just 

 comes to our notice from Benton Harbor, in the great 



fruit region of southwestern Michigan. Heretofore the 

 shippers have depended largely upon the Chicago 

 market. Now the Berrien county Horticultural Society 

 has secured from the American and United States ex- 

 press companies, a special rate list to 390 cities and 

 towns available for fruit shipments from Benton Har- 

 bor, on which reductions of twenty-five to forty per 

 cent, from regular rates are given. It is expected that 

 this will enable growers to send their fruit in all direc- 

 tions direct to consumers, and thus realize much of the 

 advantage that has usually accrued to the "middle 

 men. " 



It is not believed that this opening up of new markets 

 direct, will make any material difference in the aggregate 

 of shipments by boat across the lake to Chicago. The 

 fruit crop is growing larger year by year, and under the 

 stimulus of more and better markets, and better prices 

 for the fruit, will continue to grow. 



Braced Crotches. — The accompanying illustration 

 is from a photograph, and shows crotches of an apple 

 tree braced by a living branch. This brace is compos- 



ed of two limbs twisted together while small. The 

 limbs grow into a solid branch in a few years. 



Fruits from the Department of Agriculture. — 



Much as I dislike and have written against the practice 

 of scattering over the country from the Agricultural De- 

 partment common garden seeds, that are to be had at 

 any store, I must come to the defense of the department 

 in the matter of plants, cuttings, etc. They do distribute 

 to stations and nurserymen many valuable plants and 

 cuttings. I have received from them the present season 

 a number of rare sorts of foreign grapes to be used for 

 hybridizing purposes under glass, and thirty varieties 

 of figs imported from the best fig growing parts of the 

 world. Citrus trifoliata was sent out by the department, 

 and many of the best sorts of oranges now grown in 

 Florida and California owe their introduction to Mr. 

 Saunders' efforts, including the Navel orange, which he 

 brought from Bahia. In regard t© Citrus trifoliata, I 

 would like to state that trees planted by me in northern 

 Maryland in 1880 went through in the winter of 1880-81, 



