July, 1889. 
141 
ORCH RR D rnd" 1 ^ O PiRDE N 
when heated to a temperature of 140 to 145 
degrees Fah. it could be applied to all 
smooth-leaved woody plants such asoranges, 
lemons, and camellias with perfect safety, 
and all the ordinary house plant pests were 
quickly destroyed with water at the tem- 
perature named. At a lower temperature, 
or 125 to 130, it was safe to apply to gera- 
niums, fushsias heliotropes and similar 
tender plants, and still the heat would cook 
aphides, red spider and all smooth-skinned 
caterpillars. To be thoroughly effective 
the water should be applied v ith a syringe 
or force pump in order that it shall reach 
insects and their eggs hidden in cracks and 
among the twigs and leaves. 
While the fires are going in winter hot 
water is always at hand in abundance and 
by testing the temperature before applying 
it there is no danger of injuring the plants, 
and it will wash off the sticky exudations 
of the aphides much more readily than cold 
water, and leave the plants clean and in a 
condition to perform their natural func- 
tions far more readily than if covered with 
dust and gum. If scale mites infest the 
woody plants or the cotton cushion pest 
attack them, the hot water will scald them, 
and if something more caustic and burning 
is required to reach them add a pint of 
spirits of ammonia to every half barrel of 
hot water used. Ammonia can be had at 
wholesale so cheaply that it is worth its 
cost as a fertilizer in the greenhouse besides 
being a superior insecticide. 
With a garden engine and spraying nozzle 
hot water may be used to advantage in the 
garden at all times during the summer for 
destroying noxious insects. Those with 
soft bodies like the green fly are readily 
crushed by water at an ordinary tempera- 
ture if thrown with considerable force 
against them. 
A near neighbor has a greenhouse sup- 
plied with water from a spring, from which 
it is pumped into a tank some fifty feet 
above the house. This elevation insures 
great pressure upon the hose used in water- 
ing the plants and as a result few insects 
are able to withstand the shock even when 
the water is distrubuted through a spraying 
nozzle. During the winter months the 
water from the tank is often very cold or 
but a few degrees above the freezing point, 
and at first it was thought that it might 
prove injurious to the growth of the plants 
but several years experience has shown 
that a cold bath in a warm house produced 
no ill effects upon the plants, but it did 
check the increase of insects, so much so 
that the gardener in charge assures me, 
that fumigation with tobacco to destroy the 
green fly, and dusting sulphur upon the hot 
water pipes to keep down the red spider 
has been unnecessary and his plants never 
made a more healthy and vigorous growth. 
From the practice and several years exper- 
ience of my neighbor I must conclude that 
water at a low temperature is almost as 
good an insecticide as the same at a high 
one. — A. S. Fuller. 
(HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES! 
American Nurserymen’s Convention. 
Over two hundred nurserymen from 
neariy every state in the union were assem- 
bled at the Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago, 
on June 5th and 6th for the propose of hold- 
ing the fourteenth annual meeting of tne 
American Association of Nurserymen. An 
excellent programme had been arranged but 
consider able of it was omitted owing to 
the absence of many to whom subjects had 
been assigned. The discussions, however, 
were lively and full of interest. 
One of the most interesting essays of the 
meeting was that read by S. M. Emery of 
Minnesota on Suggestions for the Improve- 
ment of the Nursery Business, which dealt 
almost entirely with the relations of the 
nurseryman to the agent or middleman, 
production and selling. 
A discussion upon varieties of plums was 
started by S. D. Willard of New York, who 
told the meeting of those varieties which 
had succeeded with him and gave his ex- 
perience with certain new varieties. Mr. 
Patten of Iowa held that salesmen should 
be instructed to sell in certain sections of 
country only those varieties which had been 
found to succeed there. 
Tlie Use of Commercial Fertilizers. 
This paper by Thomas Meehan of Penn- 
sylvina was read by his son Thos. B. Mee- 
han. He advocated the use of commercial 
fertilizers in cases where ordinary stable 
manure could not be secured in sufficient 
quantities or without considerable outlay. 
But in the after discussion it was found 
that many nurserymen were not at all 
satisfied with the results from commercial 
fertilizers, some speakers believing that 
many of them were practically worthless 
although some were valuable beyond doubt. 
Caution should be excercised in the purch- 
ase of commercial fertilizers in yiew of the 
poor grades now in market and their value 
determined by a practical test. 
C. J. Carpenter of Nebraska gave some 
interesting statistics in regard to forest tree 
seedlings. He said that Great Britain and 
France had planted in one year a total of 
23,000,000 forest trees and it has been claim- 
ed that this exceeds the number planted in 
this country. Such a statment was absurd. 
The demand for forest tree seedlings was 
seemingly unlimited. It was the general 
opinon that the cottonwood tree should 
not be planted among other trees by reason 
of the damage it does to them. 
N. H. Albaugh of Ohio, introduced the 
subject of 
Packing and Shipping Stock. 
Mr. Augustine of Illinois recommended 
sending a tracer shortly after each ship- 
ment, to prevent delay at transfer points. 
The matter was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation with instructions to 
devise some ways and means by which the 
present delays may be avoided. Mr. Doug- 
las of Illinois, spoke against packing trees 
too wet; many more trees are killed from 
a surplus of moisture than by being packed 
too dry. Prof. Budd of Iowa, said that 
where trees have been puddled the mud 
should be carefully removed and washed 
off before planting as when it becomes 
dried the hard coating prevents the young 
roots from breaking out, and this was the 
experince of many others. 
The Nomenclature of Fruits. 
Was brought up by Prof. H. Van Deman 
Pomologist of the U. S.Dept. of Agriculture, 
Washington D. C. He cited the reform in 
this direction by the American Pomological 
Society and urged nurserymen to adopt and 
use in their catalogues the nomenclature 
so prescribed, as he believed that this much 
needed reform could be accomplished only 
through the nurserymen's catalogue. 
Silas W ilson of Iowa spoke on the Best 
Methods of Growing Grape Vines. The 
cuttings should be from seven to ten inches 
long and set deep enough in the ground so 
that but one bud is exposed. Many cut- 
tings, he thought, were lost though permit- 
ting them to dry out. T. S. Hubbard of 
New York said he packed grape vines in 
bundles and wintered them in cellars with- 
out anything around them. Good ventila- 
tion is required. Freezing does not injure 
the vine but a sudden thawing out. In 
regard to ventilating cellars Prof. Budd 
said that it should be done when the out- 
side air is colder than that inside, at night 
or early in the morning, and that during 
damp weather very little ventilation should 
be given owing to the moist air condensing 
on the inside. 
The transportation committee was in- 
structed to endeavor to secure lower rates 
from the Express Companies and it was 
decided to levy an assessment of $2.00 upon 
every member of the Association to form a 
fund from which to pay the Committee’s 
expenses. 
The Treasurer’s Report was very satisfac- 
tory showing a good balance on hand, and 
the salary of the Secretary was increased 
to $150.00per year. 
Election of Officers. 
The following officers were re-elected: 
President, Geo. A. Sweet, Dansville, 
N. Y. Vice-president, G. J. Carpenter 
Fairbury, Neb. Secretary, Chas. A. Green, 
Rochester, N. Y. Treasurer, A. R. Whit- 
ney, Franklin Grove, 111. Executive Com- 
mittee, Leo. Weltz, Wilmington, O.; S. D. 
Willard, Geneva, N. Y.; S. M. Emery, 
Lake City, Minn. 
New York City was chosen for the next 
amiual meeting which it w as decided to 
make a ten days session that a longer limit 
on railroad tickets might be secured. 
We recommend planting for second crop 
in the latitude of New Jersey and south- 
ward, Early Rose and other potatoes for 
seed. We know of several who follow this 
practice of late planting for seed potatoes 
and with much success - 
