168 



C|4 iardtner's JHonthlg. 



no more good after that. Whenever the weather 

 was very dry I watered them, as I was anxious to 

 have as fine a display as possible. 



1 never have any trouble with white mildew ; but 

 as yet I have not found a remedy for the black fun- 

 gus, except Mr. F. Pentland's— "throw every plant 

 out that has it." — (1 don't think oil will cure it). 

 I keep a few secrets back about the oil business, 

 merely stating that I was badly burned, and well 

 laughed at, too. Your article next month, ad- 

 vising caution, did not save me, — as it was too 

 late. 



[They who laugh at oil for killing insects may as 

 well laugh at sulphur, one of our best remedies, — 

 and yet thousands of plants have been killed by 

 overdoses of that as well as of oil. Experience shows 

 that a very small quantity of oil is sufficient. 



Our correspondent is right about the "native 

 country " being no rule to go by. So many things 

 do better in other countries than in their own, that 

 one might almost feel bold enough to assert that 

 " nature has put nothing in its best place." 



Also, is P. S. right about the Verbena rust. Rich 

 soil is no preventive, but it certainly does ameliorate 

 the m-atter. — Ed.] 



EXTRACTING PERFUMES. 



BY C. , PHILADELPHIA. 



The bi-sulphide of carbon, a very volatile color- 

 less liquid, of foetid smell, readily dissolves the 

 essential oils of flowers, to which they owe their 

 agreeable odor. The process is to fill a large phial 

 with the petals, just gathered, of the flowers you 

 want to operate on, and having poured upon them 

 a sufficient quantity of bi-sulphide of carbon, (sul- 

 phuret of carbon, J) to cork the phial, shake it, and 

 let it stand. The bi-sulphide penetrates into the 

 substance of the petals, and expels the water they 

 contain, which goes to the bottom. After six days 

 maceration the bi-sulphide of carbon is charged 

 with the essential oil of the flowers, which decant 

 into another phial filled with fresh flowers, and this 

 operation is repeated four times, after which, if the 

 quantity of flowers is considerable, the bi-sulphide 

 will be highly colored. It is now necessary to sep- 

 arate the bi-sulphide from the perfume. If the 

 quantity be small it may be left in the open air, by 

 which the volatile bi-sulphide will soon be evapo- 

 rated, and the residue is then to be treated with 

 alcohol having the strength of about 83 per cent. 



This process can be performed by any farmer's 

 daughter. But when the amount to be made is very 

 large the oil of almonds should be added to satu- 

 rate the bi-sulphide, and the whole distilled at a very 



low temperature in a glass retort, so as to save the 

 bi-sulphide ; and the residue is treated with alcohol 

 as before described, and filtered through the proper 

 filtering paper for use ; large or small quantities are 

 to be conducted in glass Cstoppered) vessels. Corks 

 may be used for stopping. 



FRUIT GROWING IN WESTERN PENN- 

 SYLVANIA. 



BY J. A. NELSON, MERCER, PA. 



In looking over the proceedings of the Fruit Grow- 

 ers' Society of Pennsylvania, at their annual meet- 

 ing, they give as their opinion that no one part 

 of the State is more favorable for fruit growing, gen- 

 erally, than another. My residence being some 55 

 miles north of Pittsburg, and for a great many years 

 having paid great attention to fruit growing, I am 

 enabled to say something about fruit growing in 

 Western Pennsylvania. 



It has been said that along the Lake Shore re- 

 gion is a fine locality for fruit growing, and I sup- 

 pose it is, as our wine and grape growing men are 

 planting largely in that region. From Pittsburg, 

 North, to the Lake, taking the counties bordering 

 on the State line, I behove there is a large tract of 

 country well adapted to fruit growing. Having 

 formed that opinion, I was induced, some 25 years 

 ago, to commence getting up an experimental or- 

 chard, and have been, from time to time, collecting 

 new fruit, and testing them on our grounds, which 

 now pays very well, as we seldom or ever fail, any 

 year, in having more or less fruit. For a better fruit 

 locality I do not wish. 



By planting on high ground (fChestnut-timbered 

 land, if you have it), and giving your orchard the 

 right kind of culture, destroying insects, &c., you are 

 most certain to raise fruit. You might as well ex- 

 pect to raise a crop of corn without giving to it any 

 work after planting, as to grow fruit by planting out 

 on a sod and give the trees but little attention after- 

 wards. It takes a great deal more labor to grow 

 fruit now than it did when our country was new and 

 first cleared out. The fruit grower has not only to 

 watch and destroy the insects bred on his own trees, 

 but also those coming from his careless neighbor's 

 grounds. 



I was much surprised to see so small and poor a 

 show of fruit at our State Fair, at WilHamsport, 

 Fall of 1865, and might say the same of the State 

 Fair at Easton, Fall of 1866, as we had a fine crop 

 of fruit on our grounds both seasons; (see Monthly 

 for November, 1866, page 352.) I would suppose 

 that if there was fruit, generally, in Eastern or 

 Middle Pennsylvania, in '65 and '66, our fruit men 



