December. 1890. 
215 
/ ORCHARD /rnoV PARPEN \ 
creased between 1880 and 1890 only 727,345 
more than between 1870 and 1880, while the 
rate of increase has apparently diminished 
from 30.08 to 24.57 per cent. Such a re- 
duction in the rate of increase in the face 
of the enormous emigration during the past 
ten years would argue a great diminution 
in the fecundity of the population or a cor- 
responding increase in its death rate. It is 
claimed, however, that the census of 1870 
was grossly deficient in the Southern States, 
so much so as not only to give an exagger- 
ated rate of increase of the population be- 
tween 1870 and 1880 in those States, but to 
affect very materially the rate of increase 
in the country at large. Omitting from 
consideration therefore those States in 
which the census of 1870 is known or is pre- 
sumed to have been faulty, the rate of in- 
crease between 1870 and 1880 in the remain- 
^ ing States has been very nearly maintained 
in the decade between 1880 and 1890. The 
absolute increase between 1880 and 1890 
exceeded that between 1870 and 1880 by 
1.685,603, and the proportional increase was 
but 1.2 per cent. less. 
Index for Volume XII. 
A complete index for Vol. XII. accom- 
panies this issue and will be mailed to all 
subscribers, and also to those of our readers 
who apply for a copy. 
Chestnuts for Market. 
Samples of American chestnuts, superior 
to those of foreign growth both in size and 
in flavor, have recently been received at 
the Department of Agriculture, affording a 
striking illustration of the results of culture 
and selection. By these means it is believed 
that the maturity of the chestnut may like- 
wise be materially hastened. Reports receiv- 
ed from various sections of the country indi- 
cate that the nut may be best prepared for 
♦- market by being immersed in boiling water 
for about ten minutes as soon as gathered. 
Wormy nuts will float on the surface and 
may be removed: all eggs and larvae of in- 
sects will be destroyed; and the condition 
of the meat of the nut will be so 
changed that it w ill not become flinty by 
further curing for winter use, and still be 
in no wise a ‘‘boiled chestnut.” The nuts 
may be dried in the sun or in dry-houses 
after being placed in sacks in such quanti- 
ties as to admit of their being spread to the 
thickness of about two inches, the sacks 
being frequently turned and shaken. Dried 
by this method they remain quite tender, 
retain for a long time the qualities that 
make them desirable in the fall, and may 
be safely stored: but, of course, will not 
germinate. A bulletin on nut culture is 
being prepared by the Division of Pomology, 
and when published may be obtained by 
applying to the Secretary of Agriculture. 
^ Washington, D. C., or to the Division of 
Pomology, Department of Agriculture. 
Dr T. H. Hoskins. 
Few names are better known among pom- 
ologists than that of the man whose portrait 
is shown above. 
Thomas H. Hoskins was born at Gardiner, 
Maine, on May 14, 1828. His father was, 
during a long life, one of the chief business 
men of that city, representing it in the 
Legislature and being repeatedly city treas- 
urer, alderman and mayor. His education 
was acquired at the local schools, which he 
left to enter a drug house in Boston. He 
was fortunate in the possession of a grand- 
father who was a leading and progressive 
farmer in the Kennebec valley, and upon 
his farm of 300 acres young Hoskins spent 
a goodly portion of his early life, so that be 
acquired a fondness and aptitude for hor- 
ticultural pursuits. 
In 1849 he became partner in a jobbing 
drug house in Louisville, Ky., from which 
he withdrew in 1854 to take up the study of 
medicine. He w-as graduated from the 
University of Louisville in 1860, at the head 
of his class. He returned to New England 
and entered upon the practice of medicine 
in Boston. He was a frequent contributor 
to the city press on sanitary and other 
scientific subjects, was one of the physi- 
cians of the Bo=ton di-pensary, a city health 
warden, and performed considerable micros- 
copic work. In 1865 a severe physical 
injury compelled him to abandon practice 
and he retired to a farm near Newport, Vt., 
on Lake Memphremagog, where he has 
since resided, his choice of that locality 
being determined by his previous marriage 
to a Vermont lady. 
Here Dr He skins devoted himself to 
farming and horticulture, and the severe 
winter climate of Vermont led him into a 
special study of ‘‘iron-clad” varieties of 
fruit, w liich he has continued to this day 
with exceedingly imp rtant and valuable 
results, though net without many difficulties 
and discouragements. His large and fine 
orchards contain every variety of fruit tree 
capable of enduring the climate, and he has 
solved the problem of tree fruits — apples, 
pears, cherries and plums— for all of north- 
ern New- England and lower Canada. He 
has produced a number of valuable new 
varieties of vegetables and is an ardent 
gardener and hybridist. He is a thoroughly 
educated agricultural chemist and is admir- 
able qualified as an agricultural expert. He 
was for several years a member of the Ver- 
mont board of agriculture. He established 
the Vermont Farmer and was afterwards ag- 
ricultural editor of the Vermont Watchman, 
a position he filled for fourteen years. He 
accepted a similar one upon the Rural Ver- 
monter, but the latter journal being bought 
out by the Watchman Co., he returned to 
the staff of that paper. He is also a large 
contributor to the general agricultural and 
horticultural press, and is a vigorous think- 
er and strong writer upon a great variety of 
subjects, besides his specialties. His work 
on “iron-clad” varieties of fruit is sufficient 
of itself to entitle him to the gratitude of 
all men. W ould there w ere more like him. 
Do not fail to renew promptly. We stop 
the paper upon the expiration of the term for 
which subscribed. Failure to renew is often 
the result of accident, oversight, absence from 
home, etc., therefore do not delay but renew at 
once before it is forgotten. 
Bleaching Dried Fruit. 
According to the Experiment Station Re- 
cord for October (U. S. Department of Ag- 
riculture), Director Hilgard of the Califor- 
nia Station believes that the public should 
be taught to prefer “healthy, brown, high- 
flavered fruit to the sickly-tinted, chemi- 
cally-tainted product of the sulphur box.” 
When freshly sliced fruit is treated with 
sulphurous acid for a short time, the effects 
are slight, yet such as to protect the fruit 
from insects. When thoroughly sulphured 
after drying, however, the fruit is injured 
in flavor: and. worse still, sulphuric acid is 
formed in sufficient amount to be injurious 
to health. By analysis sulphured apricots 
have been found to contain. 232 per cent, of 
sulphuric acid, or about 25 grains of oil of 
vitrol per pound, and prunes .346 p-r cent, 
of sulphuric acid. In most countries of Eu- 
rope the sale of sulphured fruit is forbidden. 
N. J. State Horticultural Society. 
The regular annual meeting of this Soci- 
ety will be held at New Brunswick, N. J., 
on December 18 and 19, 1890. Wm. R. Ward, 
Secretary, Newark, N. J. 
Missouri State Horticultural Society. 
The Thirty-third Annual Meeting of this 
Society will be held at Clinton, Henry Co., 
Mo., on December 2, 3 and 4, 1890. J. C. 
Evans, Presidi nt, Harlem. L. A. Goodman, 
Secretary. Westport. 

Illinois State Horticultural Society. 
The Thirty-fifth Annual Meeting will be 
held at Cairo, 111., on D-cember 9, 10 and 
11, 1890. An interesting programme has 
been prepared, and a cordial invitation is 
extended to district, county and local agri- 
cultural and horticultural societies, farmers’ 
clubs, and kindred organizations to send 
delegates, who will be invited to take part 
in the exercises. Jabez Webster, Presi- 
dent, Centralia. A. C. Hammond. Secretary, 
Warsaw-. 
Don't let your subscription expire but renew 
promptly that your files may be kept perfect. 
No back numbers are supplied, hence a num- 
ber missed is a number lost. 
