<84 
were highly pleased with the delicious quality 
of Kieffer pears. Mr. Smith further said the 
Kieffer is positively ahead of the Bartlett for 
cunning, us the latter is soft ami insipid com¬ 
pared with the firm, dear Kieffer, with its fine 
aroma and pleasant sprightlincss. 
About dusk the party separated, having 
shown their appreciation of the Niagara grape 
by liberal subscriptions and of canned Kieffer 
pears by the above expressions of opinion. 
Wm. Parrt. 
Rem a rks. We have no doubt that the Kief¬ 
fer is an excellent pear for canning. As to the 
Niagara grape, we can snbscribe to all that 
was said except as to quality. It is no better 
than Concord. Eds. 
Curculio and Bark Lice.—To secure a 
crop of plums and spoil the fun of the curculios. 
spread salt on the ground under the trees as 
far out as the branches extend. The same ap¬ 
plication is good for bark lice. For several 
years I had no plums until I tried the above 
remedy. w. n. i. 
Qlrboricu Ultra 1. 
FORESTRY No. 33. 
Forest Nursery. Part V. 
DR. JOHN A. WARDER. 
SOFT SEEDS, CONTINUED. 
Ailanthus Glandulosa. —Although it is 
an open question between the Celestials and 
the Japanese, the ailanthus is generally sup¬ 
posed to have come from China. In this 
country it has unfortunately been tabooed for 
ornamental planting near our dwellings and 
banished from the societj'of reputable trees. 
Nevertheless, it is deservedly attracting atten¬ 
tion very widely in forestry jilanting, on ac- 
oount of its valuable properties, and especially 
because of its adaptation to dry and hungry 
soils and sand wastes that are unfit for some 
other species. These qualities have long boon 
urged in its favor in discussing the problem of 
a foresting the arid aud treeless plains of the 
Southwest, and now a number of trials are in 
progress iu that region, which are full of 
promise. 
The treatment of its seeds and seedlings is 
very simple, and while its multiplication is 
easily accomplished, the plants are so sturdy 
as bo be ready for the plantation, like our 
catalpa, after one Summer in the nursery, 
aud when set out its growth is so rapid as to 
cover and shade the ground in two years, 
barge numbers have been planted in Kunsas, 
at the instance of Professor C. S. Sargent for 
the Fort Scott and Gulf Railroad. After 
growing two years they had reached a higlitof 
six to eight feet, with a diameter of two iuches. 
The Button-wood (Platan us), miscalled 
sycamore, is one of our most noble trees, and 
now assuming a more important role in for 
estry since it has found a demand in the arts 
The seeds hang in globular dusters of many 
small winged individuals; they need to be 
gathered in early Winter. The seeds may be 
loft in the balls, or, when dry, rubbed out aud 
stored for planting in the Spring, when they 
are sown in seed-beds anil covered quite shal¬ 
low, the surface firmed above them. The next 
year they will need to be lined out in the nur¬ 
sery rows and cultivated until large enough 
for the planter, which will usually be at two 
years from the seed. 
Thk Hop-Tree (Ptelea trifoliate) never 
reaches timber size, but may be planted in the 
forest as a nurse and as undergrowth. It is 
here grouped with this class on account of its 
seeds, which are furnished with a broad mem 
branaccous wing. These may be gathered in 
the Autu mil, to be sown in beds aud afterwards 
planted out in the nursery rows. 
The Sweet Gum (Liquidambar) is beauti¬ 
fully ornamental, and now assuming import¬ 
ance among our forest trees since its lumber is 
becoming appreciated in the arts for many 
purposes. The fruit consists, of a pendant clus¬ 
ter containing many seeds tliat eseaj>e when 
dry. The balls should be gathered in early 
Winter and the seeds may be sown on beds in 
the (Spring and the plants set out the follow¬ 
ing year. 
The seeds are produced abundantly when¬ 
ever the female trees ha ve boon planted. As 
they hang on the trees well into the W inter, 
they may be collected at any time after the 
fall of the leaves. A damp day is host for the 
harvesting; when they have been thoroughly 
dried they may lie closely packed for trans¬ 
portation or for storing in the seed room secure 
from vermin. These oily seeds should uot be 
kept more than one year; they can lie sowed 
thickly in drills iu the .Spring and treated like 
the catalpas, and if well cultivated during the 
the Bummer, the plants will be large enough to 
wot out in the Fall or tho following Spring. 
Many persons advise to sow the seeds of 
ailanthus in their permanent stetious, or in 
the hills of corn as some prefer, but, as already 
stated, this will involve a much more exten¬ 
sive area of cultivation and weed-killing the 
first years, without auy compensation in the 
increased growth at the expiration of three 
yearn from the seeding. This laborious and 
extended cultivation is apt to be neglected, and 
without this treatment you will have smaller 
trees, with an uneven stand, at the time when 
all cultivation of the soil might have been dis¬ 
continued in ft plantation of nursery grown 
and transplanted trees. The cost of their set¬ 
ting out by the modern and three-motion plan 
of Mr. Douglas, is very trifling, since 1,500 
plants to the hand is an easy stint, after a litt le 
practice, if properly executed by a team of 
two men and a boy. 
The Lindens or Bass-woods have tlieir seeds 
inclosed in a round capsule that ripens with the 
fall of the leaf, when they should be gathered 
from the trees, dried of excessive humidity aud 
stored, as they are easily kept in good condition 
and may be sowed in Fall or Spring, cither in 
drills or in beds, the latter are perhaps to be 
preferred, and it. will enable us to assort the 
plants for size when the larger can be set in 
nursery rows with a dibble, the smaller left 
for another season, for they have been observed 
to be of uneven strength in the seed-beds, or if 
lined out they can be put. in separate rows by 
themselves and remain longer to acquire size 
for planting out. 
CONVENTION OF MISSISSIPPI VAL¬ 
LEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
(Rural Special Report.] 
Something over 800 members of the Missis¬ 
sippi Valley Horticultural Society met at 
Cairo, 111., on February 20th, on their way to 
New Orleans to attend the fourth annual meet¬ 
ing of the Society. A special train was fiindo 
up for the party at that point, and before the 
party had reached its destination it had so in¬ 
creased as to require still more cars. To those 
of its from the North the trip was one of con¬ 
tinued surprises and ever-varying novelties. 
Many of ns had left our fields covered with a 
foot of snow and the season apparently mid¬ 
winter. Before reaching Cairo, Ill., we began 
to fed the breath of Spring; the snow-drifts 
were replaced by flooded rivers which, iu sev¬ 
eral places, covered the railroad track for 
miles. The canebrakos, mistletoe and I lie holly 
hinted of a warmer dime, while the stunted 
and moss-covered apple trees seemed to say, 
more forcibly than we had ever heard iu hor¬ 
ticultural meetings, “ You cannot grow apples 
south of the Ohio River.” Night found us in 
Mississippi, and the next morning we were in 
the laud of the palmetto aud the orange, the 
Live Oak and the Spanish moss. . 
Grenwold Hall, where the meetings were 
held, bad been beautifully decorated for us by 
the Gulf States Fruit Growers’ Association, 
whose guests we ware, and was well filled with 
the hospitable citizens of New Orleans who 
were there to bid as welcome. In his opening 
address President Earle took occasion to Kjwak 
of the objects of such an organization and the 
necessity for its existence as follows: 
“But beyond all this, there is, 1 think, a 
great work for us to do in perfecting the 
science and tho art of horticulture and con¬ 
tributing to the welfare aud happiness of man¬ 
kind. 1 have often been asked, “What is the 
purpose of this society?” “What is the need 
of having such a society?’ “What is the work 
you are proposing to do?” It is fitting that 
these questions should have an answer? If 
you will indulge mo I will briefly give you 
some of the reasons why, in my judgment, 
there should be such a society as this, and out¬ 
line some of tho work which it may profitably 
attempt to do. 
“We have in nearly all of the Stab.* State 
horticultural societies and u great number of 
local societies, all of which are doing valuable 
work in educating public taste and extending 
sjieeial knowledge of our business. We have 
also three great national organizations, each 
of which is carrying forward a special work 
of its own. The American Bornological So¬ 
ciety has long been doing excellent service in 
the strictly pomological department of horti¬ 
cultural labor, and its venerable chief, who is 
the grandest, figure which the world’s horti¬ 
culture has produced in any country or in auy 
age, receives the homage of all hearts in the 
whole realm of our art. We shall gladly la' 
tributary to this great society in its valuable 
work. Not Jess important in its purposes and 
in the work it has begun to do is the American 
Forestry Association. The supreme necessity 
for the most vigorous labor in this special field 
is felt by all. With that society we shall labor 
in perfect sympathy. The American Nurseiy- 
man’s Association is another organization of 
great importance to tho intercuts of plunt and 
tree propagation—an indisponsablo factor in 
the scheme of horticultural improvement. 
“But. none of these noble societies fully meets 
a want which many of us have felt, of an or¬ 
ganization modeled alter the best of our State 
societies, but embracing a territory almost na¬ 
tional iu its extent, throughout which com¬ 
mercial horticultural relations are daily be¬ 
coming moro iutimute and important. Inas¬ 
much as local aud county societies do not 
fully meet the desires of the horticulturists 
of any of our States, but we must, have or¬ 
ganizations which bring the fruit-growers, 
florists, gardcneis uud foresters of entire 
States into more intimate acquaintance aud 
relationships, so it seems that the more com¬ 
prehensive needs of a great community of 
States cannot be fully answered except by an 
organization which shall bring us all together 
in an annual congress, for deliberation as to 
methods and measures, for the discussion of 
varieties and principles and to hear the latest 
word of science and the best suggestions of 
art concerning this noble business of our lives.” 
The papers read covered almost, an infinite 
variety of subjects, though on the last day of 
the meeting one Illiuoisian was heard lamentr¬ 
ing that "he wished he conJd hear something 
about potatoes.” The strawberry men were 
out in force, and seemed to have come to work; 
but hardly any two could be found to agree on 
many points, either us regards varieties or cul¬ 
tivation, except in regard to the importance of 
irrigation, aud each one was perfectly sure 
that he was right. President J. M. Smith, of 
Green Bay, Wis., after having tried hundreds 
of “ better” sorts, had found nothing equal to 
the Wilson. He prefers a light, damp, well- 
drained soil, which lie manures at the rate of 
from 20 to 40 wagon loads of stable immure to 
the acre. He plants in double rows; iu the 
Fall he mulches with straw or marsh hay, 
which he removes alter the plants have started 
in the Spring. He then adds another dressing 
of from 15 to 20 loads of manure per acre, or, 
if he can obtain them, from 50 to 75 bushels of 
uuleached ashes. If the fruit crop promises to 
tie heavy a second Spring dressing of manure 
is given. For many years he bus planted no 
vines out of the reach of irrigation, and finds 
one thorough wetting much more effective 
than is the same amount, of water used at dif¬ 
ferent times. Under the treatment described 
he has socured for 20 years an average yield 
of 200 bushels per acre—a yield which lie had 
never been able to secure from any other va¬ 
riety excepting the Crescent, which he finds 
worthless for shipping and inferior te the Wil¬ 
son for his home trade. Cupt. Jack, Prout.y, 
Duncan, Red Jacket and others have given 
him about half the yield of the Wilson. Sharp- 
loss aud Buydeu No. 80 urn cultivated simply 
to show that he can grow large berries. 
Dr. H. E. McKay, of Madison, Miss., pre¬ 
sented a paper in which he took issue with Mr. 
Smith upon several points, although agreeing 
fully with him that the Wilson is “the” berry for 
both North uud South. He ranked t he liest five 
varieties os follows: Wilson, Charles Downing, 
Charleston, Cumberland Triumph, Monarch 
of the West. His method of cultivation is rad¬ 
ically different from that usually pursued in the 
North. 
Ho selects a clay' loam as giving tho best re¬ 
sults. He said: “We do not agree with the 
generally-received opinion, as taught by many 
writers, that u sandy loam gives either the 
largest yield or the finest fruit. Possibly iu 
the North and West such may be true, but in 
the South our largest yields and finest berries 
arc obtained from a clay loam. 
“While it is true that berries grown on a 
sandy loam are often as large and apparently 
as Ann and well colored us on a clay loam, it is 
equally true that they are deficient, in that 
solidity, strength of color and general make 
up that the same varieties possess grown on 
the clay loam. All the facte, so far as we have 
been able to gather them, point to tho general 
conclusion, that, all other things being equal, 
the strength, beauty and perfection of the 
berry is diminished in proportion as free saucl 
exists in the soil; not that any of our good 
land is without sand, but wo use the term free 
sand where it readily separates and can lie 
seen in the branches and little gullies.” 
His plan is to make the rows circling around 
a hill so us to keep ouch individual row as 
nearly level as may be, to prevent washing 
away of the soil or the escape of water before 
tile ground is thoroughly saturated. He plows 
aud subsoils the rows eight inches deep, and in 
his after cultivation stirs the ground twelve 
inches deep between the rows. He plants in 
the Spring, and cultivates until July, when he 
allows the Crab Grass te take jxissession of the 
land; this grass grows freely in the latter part 
of the season, protects the plants from the sun 
in the late Summer, and from frosts during 
Winter. It dies in Winter, aud so gives no 
trouble during tho next year. He does not 
believe in the heavy manuring advocated by 
Northern growers, as lie finds that such treat¬ 
ment gives a rank growth of vine which is 
almost, sure to be fatally injured duriug the 
hot mouths. 
O. B. Galusha, IVeaident of the Illinois 
Horticultural Sooloty, discussed the question. 
“Is There a Better Market Strawberiy than 
the Wilson?’ which he answered very deci- 
dedly in the negative. He recounted the good 
points of mauy other sorts, and sung the 
praises of many of the “best-of-all” varieties; 
but gave as his own opinion, backed by letters 
from mauy extensive growers with whom he 
had corresponded, that no other sort would 
give as good returns from a given investment 
as the old and much-abused Wilson’s Albany. 
Mr. A. D. Webb of Kentucky, found the 
Wilson “among the best” for market, but at 
tho same time recommended Kentucky and 
Monarch. For home use ho preferred Down¬ 
ing and Cumberland. 
The discussions upon these papers were quite 
full, hut brought out very little tliat was new. 
No one seemed willing to commit himself in 
regard to the newer sorts, and, in fact, so far 
as tho papers or discussions were concerned, no 
one could have guessed that any new sorts had 
been placed upon the market during the past 
five years. 
In the same connection Prof. Forbes, State 
Entomologist of Illinois, read an exceedingly 
valuable paper on “ Insects Injurious to the 
Strawberry,” iu which he spoke at. length con¬ 
cerning the habits of, and remedies for, the 
crown borer and tho newly-discovered, but iu 
many districts equally destructive, strawberry 
worm. The habits of the white grub and of 
other species were discussed, aud as a general 
preventive annual planting on uew land at a 
distance from old beds was recommended. 
W. H. Ragan, of Iudiana, read an interast- 
ing paper asking “ Can we Master the Insect 
Foas of tho Orchard.” The writer claimed 
that but a comparatively small amount of 
labor, applied at the right time and in the 
proper manner, would enable us to bid defiance 
to the little pests. He spoke quite briefly, but 
the paper was so full of moat that it provoked 
a very lively discussion, which brought out 
tho fact that every member present, who grew 
any of the better sorts of plums protected 
them from the curculio by using either the 
Hull curculio catcher or some similar con¬ 
trivance. Several of the Kentucky, Ten¬ 
nessee and Arkansas members stated that in 
their localities no protection was needed for 
tlu* Wild Goose and other plums of the Chicka¬ 
saw varieties. 
Mr. Hollister, of Illinois, introduced the sub¬ 
ject of “ Markets and Marketing” by a care¬ 
fully prepared paper, which was followed by a 
lively discussion as to the beet form of boxes 
and crates. Tho Commission men, of whom 
there were a number presents were unanimous 
iu condemning both “short quarts” aud large 
drawers. Some few of the members favored 
selling by weight, but a resolution to that effect 
was laid on the table and a resolution adopted 
tlmt the Society recommend the use by straw¬ 
berry shippers of the full quart, box and 24- 
quart case, and t hat they be very careful to use 
sufficient tacks to prevent the bottoms of the 
boxes from falling down, and that return pack¬ 
ages lx.* entirely discarded, and tliat wc further 
recommend the use of full one-third bushel 
boxes for peaches and that class of fruits. 
P. J. Berekmaiis, of Georgia, gave the So¬ 
ciety the results of his trials of many of the 
newer sorts of peaches, an account of which 
lias already upjjearvd in the Rural. 
The apple talk was opened by a paper by W.M 
Bamuels, of Ky., followed by Mr. Galusha and 
others, Quite a considerable number of prom¬ 
ising varieties were described, a few of them 
being on exhibition. One of the best was the 
Bilome, which was shown by Mr. Galusha. It 
is of medium size, with very much the color 
aud appearance of the Ben Davis; hut decided¬ 
ly above medium in quality. The specimens 
ou exhibition wore in excellent condition, and 
twigs cut from trees which had borne a tem¬ 
perature of 27 deg. were entirely uninjured. 
The grape men seemed in a very small mi¬ 
nority, aud gave us little that was new. T. 
K. Hubbard, as usual, bad a flue exhibit of the 
Prentiss, which was a genuine surprise to many. 
The berries were iu prime condition, being 
very litlle shrunken and adhering to the stem 
almost perfectly. The flavor was not quite 
equal to that of fresh grapes, but was still 
sprightly and good. 
Mra. H. M. Lewis, of Appleton, Wis., gave 
us an excellent paper on “ Birds in Horticul¬ 
ture”; and Mrs. D. Huntley, an exceedingly 
practical paper on “ Adornment of Rural 
Homes”; T. T. Lyon, one ou “Horticulture 
rs. Ruts,” which made some of us think that 
perhaps some ruts might not be so bad after all. 
All the papers read, and the discussions in 
full as taken by the stenographer, are soon to 
Ik* published in the Society's report, a copy of 
which will be sent to all who are now, or may 
become members. Various business measures 
were discussed at some length, the most im¬ 
portant items being t he passage of a resolution 
directing the Secretary to make arrangements 
for collecting statistics, and the appointment 
of a committee to devise some molt' speedy and 
safe arrangements for shipping fruits. 
Among tile excursions planned for the Bo- 
