462 
THE BUBAL NEW-YOBKEB. 
MARCH43 
Biographical. 
P. J. A. BERCKMANS. 
Prosper Julius Alphonse Berekmans, a like¬ 
ness of whom is shown on our first page, was 
bora in Belgium in 1830. at Aemhnt, near 
Brussels. He w as the son of Dr. Louis Edouard 
Berekmans, a gentleman noted for his emi¬ 
nence iu horticulture and agriculture, and a 
recognized authority on such subjects among 
the most distinguished horticulturists aud 
pomologists of Europe. The subject of our 
sketch is descended from one of the oldest fami¬ 
lies of Belgium. He grew up iu au atmos¬ 
phere of horticultural surroundings, and from 
liis father and his father’s associates, all cul¬ 
tivated and eminent, although amateur, pomo¬ 
logists, he imbibed his taste for, and his knowl¬ 
edge of, horticulture- He received a liberal 
education in Belgium, where he graduated 
with the Bachelor’s degree, and his education 
was finished in France. 
His first initiation into pomologieal work 
was in assisting Alexander Bivort aud his 
father, Dr. Louis Berekmans, two leading 
pomologists, iu the preparation of the “Album 
de Pomologie,”tlie best aud most complete work 
of ics time ou pomology, and still a standard 
authority. This was from 1848 to 1850, and 
at eighteen he showed great zeal and taste in 
that study aud science to which his life-work 
has been devoted, in 1850 he came to the United 
States on a visit, aud after prospecting he 
concluded to remain. He then purchased a 
large amount of property in Upper Georgia, 
His father came to this country in 1851, and 
settled in Plainfield, N. J. Dr. Berekmans 
bought a large estate, improved it. aud even 
brought his largo collection of fruit trees from 
Belgium. He had at the time the largest 
collection of pears known in Europe. Here 
he was joined by Mr. Berekmans, and they 
remained iu New Jersey six years, but owing 
to the hard climate they moved to Georgia in 
1857, and purchased ' ‘ Fruitland,' near Au¬ 
gusta. This place they improved, beautified 
and extended, and Mr. Berekmans at this 
place, the first of his family, turned to profit 
the profession and tastes which had been fol¬ 
lowed by his forefathers for generations sim¬ 
ply as a diversion and for scientific study of 
nature in her most, beautiful form. 
At “Fruitland ” his earnest life began, and 
here lie devoted his time, energy and means 
to the pursuit of horticulture and the estab¬ 
lishment of the largest commercial nurseries 
iu the Southern States. Father and son took 
as their mission the promotion of horticulture, 
ami on the organization of the first horticul 
tnral society in Georgia, in 1850, Dr. Berck- 
mans was made its first president, the late 
Wm. N. White, of Athens, was elected secre¬ 
tary, and Mr. P. J. Berekmans was one of 
the leading and most active members. After 
the war between the States, Mr Berekmans, 
recognizing the importance of fruit, growing 
as a source of national wealth and State 
progress, brought together a few kindred 
spirits and organized, in 1870, the Georgia 
State Horticultural Society, of which lie was 
elect* i the first president, which position he 
has held ever since. The society stands in the 
lead of kindred organizations in the land on 
account of his active efforts and high posi¬ 
tion. and through his influence and his devo¬ 
tion to the fruit-growing interests of Georgia, 
he has added largely to the educational ad¬ 
vancement and material wealth of his 
adopted State. His good work has been hap¬ 
pily appreciated, and, besides the universal 
favor and high opinion of all who know him, 
he has been honored witn the Master’s degree 
by the University of Georgia, and elected to 
honorary and corresponding membership of 
many French and American Societies, 
During the past 35 years Mr. Berekmans 
has originated and disseminated a number of 
valuable new' fruits Chief araoug them are 
the Peen to, now the most profitable peach 
grown in Florida, aud the Thurber and the 
Picquet, two of the favorite aud most profita¬ 
ble peaches for Illinois and several sections 
of the West. All this time Mr. Berekmans 
has been intimately connected with the hor¬ 
ticultural press of the country, and he has 
brought Southern horticulture more promi¬ 
nently before the world than any other man. 
For four years he was editor of tbe Farmer 
aud Gardener, published in Augusta, Ga., 
then recognized as the leading horticultural 
paper of the South. 
In 1800 Mr. Berckmaus became a member of 
the American Pomologieal Society, and was 
at once put ou important committee work 
with tbe late Dr. Warder aud Robert Buist. 
In 1871 he succeeded Mr. Chas. Downing as 
Chairman of the Committee on Native Fruit, 
which position be retained continuously until 
the last session of the National Society in 
Philadelphia fn Septemlier, 1883. when be 
was elected its first Vice-president. He pre- 
the veuerable, eminent and beloved President, 
Hou. Marshall P. Wilder. By virtue of this 
eminent, position, aud his acknowledged 
abilities, Mr. Berekmans ranks among the very 
first hort iculturists in the Union, and when a 
representative man of this profession was 
wanted as foreign commissioner to visit the 
countries of the Old World to look after a 
proper foreign exhibit for the Horticultural 
Department of the approacing World’s Expo¬ 
sition and Cotton Centennial in New Orleans, 
be was eboseu as pre-eminently the man best 
fitted for this responsible mission. 
.jJomo logical 
NOTES ON COTEMPORARY TOPICS. 
OUR FUTURE ORCHARDS. 
B. F. JOHNSON. 
Are you prepared for the new departure 
which threatens to be inaugurated and adopted 
as to the right location for apple orchards, 
or at least so far as regards the Valley of the 
Mississippi above Cairo? Western fruit au¬ 
thorities. like those of the East, ha/e been 
unanimous in teaching that the proper place 
for the planting of orchards is on the highest 
and driest land, and especially for the prairies, 
on the swells and ridges which break the 
monotony of the general level. The quite ex¬ 
traordinary crop of apples grown last year on 
the low and level prairies of eastern Central 
Illinois, and the comparative barrenness of 
orchards on the swells and ridges there, 
prompted investigation of the causes, and the 
result is a general conviction that our future 
orchards must be planted just on the spots 
the old authorities taught us to avoid. 
The apple orchards in Northern and Central 
Illinois have been decaying and dyiug for the 
last few years; but this barrenness aud decay 
are mostly coufiued to those situated bn high 
land, while low-land orchards are not only 
healthy but generally fruitful aud last year 
very exceptionally so. The reason why or¬ 
chards were planted at all on low lands, grew 
out of theeircumstancetbat in many cases first, 
settlers on the prairie found it inconvenieutto 
build elsewhere than ou a public highway, 
aud in so doing they could not always choose 
an elevated spot. The site for t he bouse being 
chosen, the orchard was planted near, as a 
matter of course; but generally, if possible, 
to the north or the west, to afford protection 
from the north and west winds in the Winter. 
Personal examination having been made and 
facts obtained from farmers, fruit growers 
and amateurs last Fall, it was ascertained that 
for Champaign County, low-land orchards, 
almost without exception, were healthy'and 
bearing heavy crops of line fruit, while tbe 
orchards on elevated situations were quite as 
exceptionally' barren, and in most cases going 
to decay. These facts having been stated and 
the question raised in the Prairie Fanner, it 
was transferred to the Illinois State Horticul¬ 
tural Society at its Winter meeting at Bloom¬ 
ington. in December, where there was an 
animated discussion, and mauy new facts 
were brought out: and facts conclusive 
euough to convince tbe President of the So¬ 
ciety, Hon. John M. Pearson, of Godfrey. I1L, 
Mr. Vickroy, of Bloomington, Ill., one of the 
Vice-Presidents, and Mr. Hammond, of 
Warsaw, El., tbe Secretary of the society, that 
orchards on low lands were more healthy and 
fruitful than those on high lands. 
But the inquiry naturally arises, why do 
orchards, apple and others, do w'ell on low' 
lands, and why ill on high? Simply, if not 
only, because cm low lands they are full fed 
and on high lauds half starved—the former 
because of the sufficiency of water, and the lat¬ 
ter because of tbe lack of it. The mineral 
elements of plant food for fruit trees as well 
as for all other vegetation, are absorbed or 
taken up by the feeding roots only when in a 
state of solution. If, t.heu, there is a lack of 
moisture to perform this office, the roots can¬ 
not supply the mineral elements of plant food, 
wliieh are not only essential of themselves, 
but just as essential to the healthy assimila¬ 
tion of the organic portion of the food. 
Trees on high lands or lands having slope 
and quick surface drainage, do not get the 
benefit of more than half the water which 
falls under and around them, while trees on 
level lands get it all and ou low' lands, all and 
the wash from higher grounds These truths 
apply more particularly to a level country, 
where the strata lie nearly parallel to the 
plane of the horizon. Where the strata tilt or 
are inclined, it is easy to see how orchards 
on high lands or on slopes with quick sur¬ 
face draiuage may be abuudantly supplied 
with moisture aud do remarkably well, the 
water supply coming from the rain, which, 
falling further up, finds its way through the 
snncrinonmlKMil strata to them. 
On investigation, it will probably be found 
that these constant conditions prevail where 
orchards are situated that are remarkable for 
their vigor, heakb and fruitfulness: first, the 
soil is naturally deep aud rich, or has beeu 
made so by manures or fertilizers, and, sec¬ 
ond, there is ever present moisture enough in 
it to make the necessary mineral solutions iu 
abundance. To be sure, less water will be re¬ 
quired in a rich soil to make these solutions 
than in a poor soil, but a poor soil with 
abundant water will probably grow healthier 
and more productive trees than rich soil 
where moisture is lacking—a fact which may 
help to explaiu the anomalies of the produc¬ 
tiveness of some orchards ou poor land and 
the barrenness of others on land of an oppo¬ 
site character. As to the question of drainage 
on low prairie lauds, there are some doubts 
about its necessity or propriety, a fact well 
stated in the discussions of t he society by Mr. 
Robinson, an experienced and extensive 
orchardist of Fayette County, 111. Said he, 
“1 am not enthusiastic about the tile draiuage 
of orchards. Our trees need more water 
than they usually get. They do not suffer 
from too much water, but from dry Sum¬ 
mers and rolling land.” 
Whether the above facts and truths will ap¬ 
ply to other sections than the Valley of the 
Mississippi above Cairo. 1 do not know; but I 
am strongly inclined to believe they do, es¬ 
pecially to the country south of the Ohio 
River, known as the “Upper Cotton Bek.” The 
fruit books and their authors have taught 
that orchards should in every case be planted 
on high and dry laud, and these directions 
have been followed. This advice, partly the 
result of Dome experience, but mostly borrow¬ 
ed from English and European authorities, 
w'as, to a certain extent, correct half a centu¬ 
ry ago, when population was limited, cultiva¬ 
tion confined to narrow areas, and few changes 
bad been wrought on the earth’s surface, by 
cutting down forests and opening channels, 
aud hastening the depart ure of rain by ditch 
and tile drainage. The mistakes iu fruit cul¬ 
tivation we have made, lesult from our not 
seeing and acknowledging these changes; but 
adhering to old methods and practices under 
a new dispensation, which, earlier, called for a 
gradual, aud, later, a radical change. In con¬ 
clusion; after some study of the problem, I 
am inclined to the opinion that most, sick ap¬ 
ple and other fruit trees, not too far gone, 
situated on a soil of average natural fertility, 
whether North or South, may be restored to 
fair health and fruitfulness by securing to tbe 
earth under them and their roots, double the 
annual rainfall common to tbe spot. 
THE EARLY RICHMOND CHERRY IN 
THE WEST. 
In looking over the Rural of December 
23, the notes of “H. H.,” in regard to the 
Early Richmond Cherry arrested my atten¬ 
tion, and the first thought was to take excep¬ 
tion to them as regards the West. But on 
look’ng over his comments more carefully, 
they seem, to our loss, to be true—to our loss, 
for the reason that r kb the exception of same 
of the not well-known Morel log, we have no 
better varieties, and that the Early Richmond 
has been, of necessity, generally planted. 
Here, iu the heart of tie West, the Early 
Richmond is not as handy as could be desired. 
r lbe experimental cherry orchard of tbe 
Agricultural College at Ames., containing 
large trees mostly of this variety, was badly 
injured by the last Winter. In the early Spring 
the wood was very dark, the sap commenced 
to ferment with the first warm weather, and 
the bark parted from tbe wood as easily as 
that of the willow i n its growing season. The 
only part alive was a small portion of the 
cambium layer. Some of the trees died, aud 
tt e rest had barely enough life to start growth. 
The new growth made the past Summer on 
the branches, covers the dead wood of pre¬ 
vious years’growth; on the trunks it is cou¬ 
fiued to narrow, irregular strips, leaving 
spaces with the dead earlier growth exposed 
to the air. The past Summer the leaves have 
not been very healthy, but they have uot suf¬ 
fered as badly as those on younger tree*. 11 
the trees bad had the strength to have ma¬ 
tured it, there would have been a good crop. 
Tbe blossoms set well, but the young fruit soon 
dropped While the trees have made but 
little und, itv most eases, no new extension of 
growth, the preparation in the way of flower 
buds for next year’s fruit is something won¬ 
derful, and the work to perfect the crop will 
probably exhaust their remaining strength. 
The young trees ou the grounds, grown for 
the purpose of budding aud grafting new ex 
porimental varieties on, were killed to the 
snow line by the last test Winter, and tbo 
young sprouts that came up in 1883 were uot 
able to show a healthy leaf during the entire 
Summer. They dropped off as fast as they 
developed, so the young trees had only a tuft 
of deformed, fungus-colored young leaves near 
the growing points. This was also their con¬ 
dition in the Stun mer of 1882. This Winter 
not boiug as severe as the last, is not likely to 
do them as much damage. 
Reports from all parts of the Northwest 
show that the condition of the Early Richmond 
Cherry here is not an exceptional one. Prof. 
Budd, in his notes in the State Register on the 
Illinois Horticultural Society’s meeting, says: 
“The general sentiment expressed was that 
the Early and Late Richmond and English 
Morello Cherry trees were too short-lived and 
irregular in bearing to give satisfactory prof¬ 
its to tbe commercial orchardist.’’ 
While it is possible that, the Kentish Cherries 
with well-ripened wood, would endure our 
ordinary Winters, the liability of their leaves 
to become diseased and the consequent poorly 
ripened condition oT tlieir wood cells, preclude 
the possibility of tlieir beco-ning very success¬ 
ful with us. 
Ames, Iowa. l. e. b. 
PLANT STANDARD PEARS. 
It is an old adage: “ Who plants pears 
plants for his heirs,” but it is as false as it is old. 
when applied to many varieties of our grafted 
pear trees. Probably the long waiting neces¬ 
sary for fruiting a chance seedling tree has 
occasioned the sentiment expressed above, 
aud the prejudice that exists in mauy minds. 
1 remember when a boy, being told that it 
took 30 years for a pear tree to come into 
fruitage, and it was encouragingly added “a 
l>ear tree will live for more than 100 years.” 
A few facts have been noticed by me from a 
collection of 33 varieties of staudard pears, 
planted iu 1881, which may interest those who 
like to eat pears rather than give them to 
their heirs. 
My trees were three years old; all grew, and 
only one has since died. The second year 
Bloodgood bore three fine specimens, and 
Bartlett the same. The third year quite a 
number began to bear fruit, as follows: 
Doyenne d’Ete, Bloodgood,Petite Marguerite, 
Beurre Bose, Sheldon, Bartlett, Be uni 5 Gris 
d’ Hiver, Beiirre Clairgeau. Here are 25 per 
cent of the varieties bearing after growing 
two full seasons. 
My 2(i varieties of dwarf trees, planted at 
the same time, have not done as well as the 
standards, though reported to be earlier 
bearers. The following varieties have fruited 
after two full seasons growth: Belle Lucrative. 
Kieffer, Duchesse d'Angoulcme and Doyenne 
d’ Alencon. being about 15 per cent, of the 
whole number of varieties. All of these are 
supposed to do well on quince roots. (Not the 
Kieffer.— Eds ]. One experiment standing- 
alone ma}' not be convincing, yet it may 
show the absurdity of the prejudice against 
planting standard pears. c. e. l. 
Beach View, N. J. 
fctural Copies. 
(Experiment ©round.# at' the plural 
other. 
MOLE TRAPS. 
As Spring approaches, it may be well again 
to refer to the experiments mad 2 here last 
season with mole traps, since there are few 
inquiries which come to us ofteucr than the 
one “How shall I rid my garden of moles?” 
Previous to last year we had deemed tbe use 
of traps impracticable—that is to say, the 
traps were found to be of more trouble than 
service. Wo had previously exhausted the 
list of other reputed methods of killing or 
driving the pests away .such us poisoning corn. 
putting tar iu their runs, planting riotous 
near them, etc., etc., without any good effect. 
Of all the traps tested, there were but two, as 
will L>e seen by reference to the Rural New 
Yorker of Oct. 18, 1883, which were of any 
use, and these, if properly set, may be trusted 
to catch every mole that attempts to pass 
them. 
The Hale trap has advantages over the 
Isbell in minor particulars, aud it is a more 
costly aud perhaps durable device. If set with 
care, we cannot see why it should not prove 
fully as effectives the other. Nevertheless it 
so happened that in our trials, more moles 
were caught by the Isbell than by the Hale, 
though it may be that a further familiarity 
with them would reverse this result. The 
price of the Hale is *2.50; that of the Isbell, 
*1.50. The following report has lieen furnish¬ 
ed to us by our correspondent, Mr. William 
Falconer: 
Mole Traps.—I was very much interested 
in your report, given last Fall, of the result of 
your mole-trap tests as experienced in the 
Rural Grounds. Some days after reading it, 
I was iu New York, and on the strength oi 
your recommendation bought a Hale ami 
an Isbell trap. I handed them to W’ui. South 
