DEC. 34 
THE RUML 
serving scientists, such as Henry, Maury, 
Knapp, Russell, and Dr. Kennicott, reiter¬ 
ated the opinion that all successful tree plant¬ 
ing upon the Northern prairies must be of a 
character to endure such extreme seasons as 
that of 1843-3, when the intensely hot, dry 
Summer was succeeded by u Winter freezing 
the Mississippi solid in November above tho 
Des Moines rapids, and when every duy in 
March exhibited the thermometer from one to 
30 degrees below zero. 
But not one in a thousand of our settlers 
read, or, if they read, believed such predic¬ 
tions, and tree planting went on uutil 1855 
with relatively few drawbacks, when the 
great drought of 1854 and the terrible Winter 
of 1855-0 left scarcely a trace of the wide¬ 
spread folly of the people in planting the 
Baldwins, the Greenings, the foreign pears, 
plums, cherries, and even peaches. A few 
hopeful euthusiasts now began to talk of the 
few varieties unscathed by the “test Win¬ 
ters,” and of the introduction of varieties 
from the home of the Oldenburg. In 1808 we 
began to hear again the talk of ameliorated 
climate. By this time the great herds and the 
golden harvests had brought plenty to thou¬ 
sands of prairie homes, and a grand harvest 
for the Eastern tree peddlers began. Again, 
in 1873-3, the “test Winter” wrought ruin to 
the petted young orchards. 
This hasty sketch gives an idea of our 
drawbacks in horticultural operations, and of 
our failure with most of the obtainable fruits 
popular in the Eastern and Southern 
States. Purposely the discouragements and 
hindrances have alone been noted. The good 
things sifted out by pur broad-gauge system 
of experimentation will be noted at another 
time, not forgetting to boast of the many 
compensating advantages which Nature has 
given to dwcllets in the great prairie garden. 
Ag’l Coll., Ames, Iowa. 
-» ♦ ♦- 
LINDLEY’S THEORY OF HORTICUL¬ 
TURE. 
PROFESSOR J. L. BUDD. 
I am glad to hear that a publisher of 
New York have just brought out an edi 
tion of this very valuable work in neat 
form at the low price of $1.50, It should be 
in the hands of every intelligent plant and 
tree grower in the United States, not already 
supplied with the old English edition. What 
A. J. Downing said of it will apply today: “ It 
is the only treatise of the kind extant, at 
least in the English language. It is at once 
remarkably simple and highly philosophical; 
free from superfluous technicalities, and at 
the same time truly scientific. 
Without entering into tedious subordinate 
details, it oilers a lucid explanation of the 
general nature of vegetable actions, and of 
the important principles which lie at the 
foundation of all the operations of horticul¬ 
ture, and which the intelligent gardener or 
amateur can readily apply for himself to each 
particular case.” 
The work has many valuable notes by A. J. 
Downing. It was written by Dr. Lindley 
when Secretary of the Royal Horticultural 
Society of England, when the gardens of this 
Society were annually enriched withcontribu 
tions from all portions of the world. It was 
revised by him when editor of the Gardeners’ 
Chronicle, in which weekly appeared every 
advance in modes and methods, and every ad¬ 
vance in vegetable biology. Since that time 
a few changes and modifications have been 
made, slightly affecting some of the state¬ 
ments as now published. But these changes 
in general principles are so slight, and the ex¬ 
planations to be made so few, that they otter no 
barrier to the use of the work in advanced hor¬ 
ticultural classes in the agricultural colleges. 
Agricultural College, Ames, Iowa. 
On Nov. 31, I took in the smaller tea roses ; 
the variegated Japan Euouymus ; the always 
admired Poinciana (which deserves a place 
wherever there is cellar room for a few half- 
hardy shrubs), the roots of tho white pond lily, 
and some rows of tine celery. A large sunken 
pot holding nearly a bushel, which had had 
its drainage plugged and puttied up, and 
been hooped with tarred iron to serve as a 
pond for the lily, seemed to be an excellent 
thing to store a lot of the celery in on the new 
plan, viz, to statu! in a few inches of water. 
So, having a pit or ditch about three feet 
deep in the lower part of the garden, which 
is always wet during Winter, I put the lily 
roots down in the bottom of that; marked 
the place by a tall stake, white-painted and 
lead-penciled on the top, and I found that I 
could store in the pot a surprisingly great 
quantity of the celery, tho roots being com¬ 
paratively much less bunchy now than when 
the plants are young. Huving three sorts of 
celery, all duly labeled, for we are all given 
to the amusement of experimentation at our 
house, I loaded up tw o four-gallon stone-ware 
crocks for two dwarfed sorts, and found them 
just the thing. I left the roots in these, with 
a little damp soil attached, without water for 
about three days, the leaves scarcely flagging 
auy in the rather damp cellar, which is pret ty 
well lighted. This was done in accordance 
with an old secret a mong gardeners—that of 
leaving roots or cuttings in merely damp and 
still air for awhile to heal over before they 
are soaked by watering. The air in the in¬ 
terstices of soil or moss is still and damp, and 
so very favorable for this healing or callu ing. 
How proud the old gardeners used to he of 
their trade secrets! and how careful not to 
tell them! But the modern newspaper 
thrusts its lantern into every corupr, and in its 
penetrating light nothing is hidden that does 
not become revealed. All the secrets of gar¬ 
den culture that are worth knowing are 
opened secrets now. w. o. w. 
Pomological 
CAUSES OF COLOR AND FLAVOR IN 
FRUITS. 
T. T. LYON. 
Color. 
The popular belief seems generally, if not 
always, to have been that the warm climate 
and long seasons of the South are the cause 
both of high color and superior flavor in 
fruits. I well recollect the comments made 
more than 30 years since at a meeting of the 
American Pomological Society, held at Phila¬ 
delphia, upon some fine specimens of apples 
coming from North Carolina, whose rich, high 
color was characterized as unapproachable 
under a Northern sun. I also, not unfrequent- 
ly, find the dream of the enthusiast, and the 
imagery of the poet employed to depict the 
wonderful effect of fervid Southern suns in 
this respect. 
More recently, with the rise of pomological 
interest and the wonderful dissemination of 
knowledge on the subject, consequent upon 
more modern facilities for its interchange and 
transmission, we find abundant occasion to 
doubt the strict correctness of this still popu¬ 
lar notion. It is within the recollections of 
most adult persons that, after the gold excite¬ 
ment of California when, among other pur¬ 
suits, the attention of many was turued to 
fruit culture, we came to learn that, while 
their milder climate developed fruits to an 
enormous size, there was not a corresponding 
development of color; but, on the contrary, a 
very decided deficiency in this particular. 
This is not true of California fruits alone; but 
is also measurably true of nearly or 
quite all other fruit-growing localities, as we 
come eastward and northward, the color 
lightening nearly as the latitude increases, 
till we reach very nearly the northern limit of 
fruit culture, and especially of the cultivation 
of the larger fruits in the region of Northern 
Michigan and Ontario, where, also, we are 
surprised to find tho maximum of color. I con¬ 
fess that this result was a surprise to me; but 
to establish its correctness I need only refer 
to any observing connoisseur of fruits who 
at tbe Centennial Exhibition hud occasion to 
compare the fruits of our whole country as 
there brought together. Nothing connected 
with the pomological exhibit at that time 
was more noticeable than the fact that none of 
tbe exhibits there shown equaled in brilliant, 
rich colors the fruits of the British Provinces 
and of Northern Michigan, Wisconsin and 
even Minnesota. 
It might, to be sure, have been alleged with 
some show of propriety, that there was a no¬ 
ticeable diminution of such coloring as we 
proceeded westward. Such was, in fact, 
clearly true of the chief exhibits of Michigan, 
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Califor¬ 
nia; but as we are at the same time tending 
southward, we clearly have an equal warrant 
for charging tho result to that cause. 
An exception to such rule may l>e claimed 
in the case of the Fallawater, which in its 
native region puts on a fine red cheek, while 
farther north it is often wholly destitute of 
red. The exception, however, is only seem¬ 
ing, since even this fruit when gathered 
wholly without color, tnay usually be given 
a brilliant red cheek by exposing it for some 
time to the direct light of the sun after gath¬ 
ering, showing that it merely require* a lon¬ 
ger season, 
The potency of the long-continued sunlight 
of the far north for the development of color 
was also very noticeable in the collections of 
apples from Montreal and from the Grand 
Traverse region of Northern Michigan, at the 
recent meeting of the American Pomological 
Society, at Boston. 
The facts above narrated seem to lead very 
naturally to the conclusion that abundant and 
long-continued light rather than great heat, is 
the dominant factor in the development of 
brilliant colors in fruits. 
FLAVOR, 
on the other hand, while it can by no means 
be held to be independent of the influence of 
light, seems, in an increased degree, to de¬ 
mand the elaborating influences of warmth. 
The Summers of the North are often ex¬ 
tremely warm; and experience has long since 
demonstrated that upon the transmission of a 
variety of fruit northward, there can be no 
doubt of its equal success in its new location, 
if only the season is of sufficient length to 
bring it to maturity before tho development 
of flavor shall be cheeked by tbe chill of Au¬ 
tumn. The Fallawater apple in the climate 
of the States north of Pennsylvania loses not 
color only, but also flavor, and while exposure 
to light, as above stated, has tho effect to de¬ 
velop its color, the same can by no means be 
said of its flavor. That must be matured in a 
good degree, at least, before removal from 
the tree, since if picked before tbe requisite 
stage is reached, it will remain hopelessly im¬ 
mature. 
It is also true, however, that very few 
fruits, if we except those maturing quite 
early in the season, can be expected to retain 
their full quality when removed northward. 
The consequence of this is that very few of the 
long-keeping fruits of the Ohio Valley and 
Pennsylvania arc found satisfactory in New 
York, Southern Michigan and Wisconsin; al¬ 
though it is an apparently inexplicable fact 
that trees of such origin invariably prove 
more hardy northward than those of indige¬ 
nous origin there. There are, however, ex¬ 
ceptions to fhis rule, among which I may 
name Grimes’s Golden, Oconee Greening, Jef- 
feris, Vandevereand some others, which seem 
to lose little if any flavor in coming north¬ 
ward. 
She tkyiaxian. 
POLLEN. 
PROFESSOR A. J. COOK. 
In articles written for other journals, and 
in my “ Manual of the Apiary,” I have stated 
that the old bees could live for long periods 
without pollen. As honey, however, is a 
hydro carbon, and so contains no nitrogen, it 
is to be presumed that the old bees need and do 
eat some pollen during the active season, to 
supply the waste of tissue, consequent upon 
all physical activity. 
I have further stated that pollen was an in¬ 
dispensable requisite to brood-rearing; that 
it is an essential element in the food of the 
larval bees. As a scholium under this last pro¬ 
position, I have expressed the opinion that in 
some conditions the presence of pollen in the 
hive in Winter is a positive injury, and that 
in all cases it is unnecessary. But I would re¬ 
mark, arid with emphasis, that this pollen is 
very valuable as soon as the bees commence to 
fly the following Spring, and then any frames 
that contain it should be given to the bees. 
These facts have lately been called in ques¬ 
tion by several writers in the bee journals. I 
think most of the critics object simply be¬ 
cause they do not understand my position. 
One writer, however, who, whatever else 
may be said of him, puts forth very original 
ideas, and contradicts nearly every well 
grounded fact in apiculture, calls for proofs. 
1 . I have wintered bees on food which was 
made wholly of cane sugar, and which I had 
analyzed, and which gave no trace of nitro¬ 
gen. This was fed on clean combs which, so 
far as we could see, contained not a trace of 
bee-bread. New combs are so transparent that 
they cannot contain more than the faintest 
trace of polled, at least without showing it. I 
have fed bees, right in the busy season of tbe 
year, this same kind of fond ami have had 
them so shut up that they could get at no 
other, and they have lived in this way for 
weeks and have built large combs, and when 
given their liberty were in good condition. It 
is impossible to prove that bees need and must 
have nitrogeuous food when they are actively 
storing, but this position is sustained by all 
analogy. 
3. In the last experiments the bees would 
have enough pollen in their stomaehs and ou 
their pollen baskets, so I bat they would put 
quite a little in the cells after first building 
the comb, and so would commence roaring 
brood, but the brood rearing would soon be 
discontinued. After the brood-rearing had 
ceased, I could set it to going at once, by giv¬ 
ing the bees a frame of bee-bread. In such 
cases we must not feed honey, as there is often 
quite a little pollen in the nectar which the 
bees have brought to the hive. Some honey, 
as bass-wood, often contains quite a trace of 
this. This would give enough pollen to rear a 
little brood. Again, for several Winters I 
have praticed giving half our bees pollen, and 
the other half, frames with no pollen. In all 
cases we have noticed that those without pol. 
leu would always be without brood in the 
Spring, while in the other hives we almost al¬ 
ways found brood. Those without pollen 
would go to gathering very fast as they could 
get pollen the first of April and would then, 
or as soon as we would supply the lack of 
pollen in the hive, go rapidly to breeding. 
These last experiments have satisfied me 
that bees are often better off with no pollen 
in Winter. In the best condition they will 
eat little or no pollen, as they breed very lit¬ 
tle, and in these circumstances the presence of 
pollen would do no harm. So in just the best 
cellar or in any condition where the bees are 
kept just, right, no harm will result from the 
presence of pollen. In the South, too, where 
the bees fly out often, there is no danger from 
the presence of pollen in the hive. Here in 
the North, on the other hand, we often have 
a warm time in January, and the bees, unless 
so protected that they do not feel the warmth, 
will commence breeding if they have pollen. 
They may get a large area of brood. Now if 
there is no chance for them to fly, or if the 
weather becomes cold they are injured by this 
activity which came, we may say. as the re¬ 
sult of the presence of pollen. The next 
Spring they are in feeble condition, and there 
is more of a tendency to dwindle away as the 
warm days incite them to fly forth. 
If bees can be kept perfectly quiel in Win¬ 
ter, thej r eat nothing but honey, and do not 
need to void their faeces. With activity comes 
more food-taking, perhaps, too, they take some 
of the nitrogenous food, and as a result they 
become diseased and die. I have never found 
any support of the theory of the late Mr. 
Quiuby, that bees excrete a dry powder in 
Winter. The facts that I observed in our 
colonies wintered with and without pollen 
have led me to tho above theory. The theory 
may not be correct, but the facts* are still 
to be explained. I am so much convinced 
that I remove all of the pollen if I can as I 
prepare the bees for Winter. 
WASTED SWEETNESS. 
There is sufficient power in the winds to 
do all of the labor that is performed upon Hi e 
earth, but only a very stnall portion of this 
power is utilized ; there is, also, probably, 
enough honey that goes to waste for want of 
bees to gather it, to sweeten aH of the pias, 
cakes and cookies that are ever baked. Upon 
nearly every eighty-acre farm there is enough 
honey secreted by the flowers each year to 
furnish its owner with “sweetening power” 
from honey harvest to honey harvest. It is 
admitted by our best apiarists that a few 
colonies in a place give Letter results than a 
large number; therefore, if the bees were 
scattered about, a few colonies at each farm 
there would not be so much of this sweetness 
wasted. To be sure, there are, and probably 
always will he, people who make a specialty 
of bee-keeping, owning their hundreds of col¬ 
onies ; and this is all right; it is to such pier- 
sons as these that we are indebted for the im¬ 
provements that have made bee culture the 
safe, pleasant and profitable pursuit it now 
is ; but this need not deter any farmer from 
keeping a few colonies of bees that will suppily 
his table with that most delicious and health¬ 
ful of sweets, pure honey. 
I presume that many do not keep bees 
who otherwise would if they did not fear the 
stings. Let all such procure a colony of pure 
Italian bees, in a good, movable-comb hive, 
a good “ bee book” that will tell them 
how to manage them, a “smoker” and 
a bee-veil, and, if very timid, some rubber 
gloves. Thus equipped, they will have no 
trouble in learning scientific bee-culture 
without receiving even a sting; and, if 
they will commence in this way and be 
thorough in their work, they will probably 
find bee-keeping to be one of the most fascinat¬ 
ing occupations in which they were ever en¬ 
gaged, and I should not be surprised if they 
found that the bees were the most profitable 
stock on the farm. W. Z. Hutchinson. 
Genesee Co., Mich. 
£kU) Crops. 
POTATOES. 
Originating; Propitious Surroundings, Etc. 
Will you please request the originator of 
the White Elephant Potato to give the public 
a careful history of its origin ? I am sure it 
will lie instructive, and illustrate the incidents 
of the comparative experiment given below. 
The very small tulier of the White Elephant 
received from the Rural was cut into thir¬ 
teen pieces; at the same time I planted with it 
thirteen eyes of the G range Potato from a tu¬ 
ber of the same weight, each kind IS inches 
apart in the raws, and the rows three feet 
apart. The treatment, culture, soil and con¬ 
ditions were as nearly alike as I could make 
them—fairly propitious. No extra manure 
was given either, and both received simply 
common field culture. I have weighed to day 
the product, and enten for my dinner one tu¬ 
ber of each variety. The yield of the White 
Elephant weighed 37 pounds; that of the 
