94: 



lution of soft soap, at the rate of two ounces to the 

 gallon, cannot safely be applied, and yet soft-soap 

 water of this strength is effectual, and not injurious 

 I to the foliage of most trees and plants, when ap- 

 plied with a syringe so as to thoroughly wet every 

 leaf on both sides. Three applications on alternate 

 evenings will be sufficient to destroy a whole gene- 

 ration of red spider. The Vine, Melon and Cu- 

 cumber are the only plants which 1 have found in- 

 jured by it, for it stains the fruit of the first, and 

 disfigures the foliage of the other two. 



[To he Conti7iued,] 



Propagation of An^ctochilus. — The G. 

 Chronich for February recommends that " Ansec- 

 tochili should now undergo the preliminaries neces- 

 sary to their intended propagation. Carefully turn 

 each pot or pan upon its side, and with the handle 

 of a budding-knife or other smooth implement clear 

 away from the surface of the soil, around the 

 plants, any Moss or fungoid growth likely to hold 

 moisture, returning the plants to their original po- 

 sitions, where thev should remain, without further 

 watering, until the soil has become moderately dry, 

 when it will be safe to proceed. With a keen edged 

 knife sever in two the older or back portions of any 

 rhizomes which will admit of it. Endeavor to have 

 a root attached to each piece, being careful not to 

 operate upon the rhizome too near the grooving 

 shoot. Cut a portion off one of the two ends 

 formed by each wound, and, in order further to aid 

 the process of healing, keep them as dry as possi- 

 ble for a week, after which the ordinary treatment 

 may be continued for a short time. These remarks 

 will apply equally well to Groodyeras and similar 

 plants. A few other Orchids, such as Oncidiums, 

 Cattleyas, &c., may be induced to push latent buds 

 by a similar severing of older growth from the 

 young. It will not always be safe, however, to cut 

 in two the main stems nearer than two leaves from 

 the younger growth. Many Orchids, which may 

 not have needed potting this season, will be bene- 

 fited by having a little fresh peat and sphagnum 

 placed around the younger portions of them ; but 

 care will be needed to see that no tender buds at 

 the base of these are buried too deeply." 



^erHraliupfil HefifFS* 



FRUIT GROWERS' SOCIETY OF PENN- 

 SYLVANIA. 



This Association held its annual meeting at 

 Harrisburg, on the 16th, 17th, and 18tli of January. 

 Notwithstanding the heavy snows which blocked 

 the Railroads, and prevented many from coming 

 who had expected to attend, there were from seven- 

 ty-five to one hundred members present, and a very 

 useful session was result. Instead of debating 

 the question of varieties pretty much altogether, 

 which generally results in overturning the votes of 

 previous years, and according to the attendance of 

 those who hold peculiar views, the discussion took a 



more general and practical turn. What was said, 

 and by whom said, would fill a large volume, as will 

 be readily understood when the many heads are 

 considered; we have therefore been able to give 

 only the general sense of the meeting so far as we 

 could gather it. 



1. Have we learned anything certain since our 

 last meeting ahout Grape failure'^ Caused an ani- 

 mated discussion. Some thought grapes did better 

 near large bodies of water than elsewhere ; others 

 spoke of disease under just such circumstances. 

 The copings to trellises recommend by Mr. Saunders 

 some years ago seemed to recieve more favor than 

 heretofore with members, for the prevention of mil- 

 dew — beyond this there were no new ideas thrown 

 out. 



2. Have Grapes heen found healthier when pruned 

 severely^ than when hut lightly pruned ? The opin- 

 ion seemed to predominate that there was no differ- 

 ence in either case. 



3. Has any system of training the Grape heen 

 found hetter than a?iother? Some thought they had 

 better results from vines trained over buildings than 

 along wires or fences, — others that the trellis sys- 

 tem was better than stakes ; but after carefully 

 weighing what was said by all, we do not think the 

 meeting at all decided that any one system had any 

 great superiority over another. 



4. Has a.ny thing new or valuable with regard to 

 pruning or training the native Grape heen learned 

 during the past sixty years'^, Was received with 

 much merrinic^nt by those who have been filling 

 their libraries with all the new Grrape books ; but 

 after a lively discussion it was concluded that 

 nothing had been learned. 



5. Is not the Fear the most certain of all the tree 

 fruits of Pennsylvania ? was decided in the afiirm- 

 ative so far as standard trees are concerned, but it 

 was at the same time evidently the opinion of the 

 majority, that although it was a good fruit to grow 

 for ones' own use, ascertain in most seasons to pro- 

 duce crops of fruit, it was not a profitable fruit to 

 grow for market purposes. Some of the members 

 however had great regard for the Pear from this 

 point of view. 



6. Have dwarf fruit trees on the whole proved 

 advantageous to cultivators? The majority seemed 

 to be in the negative, except as regards the Cherry 

 on Mahaleb stocks ; which some thought ought not 

 to be classed among dwarfs. 



7. Are the hardier and inferior Raspherries worth 

 groioing to the exclusion of superior varieties lohich 

 require more care? As a question of profit 

 it was thought they were, as there were more per- 



