Vol. LIX. No. 2618 
NEW YORK, MARCH 31, 1900. 
ft PER YEAR. 
FRUIT NOTES FROM CALIFORNIA. 
PROMISING VARIETIES OF APPLES. 
Grafting as a Business. 
GRAFTING AS A TRADE.—I have just read with 
interest the paper on grafting by Mr. Van Deman, on 
page 141. Not with the 'interest of one who has had 
no experience, and is beginning to learn something 
of the mysteries of horticulture, but from an experi 
ence of 30 years, almost constantly employed in the 
orchard, and I am not yet ready to say that I know it 
all. Grafting has grown into a large business in this 
country, aside from the work done in nurseries in pre¬ 
paring young trees for the market. While California 
is producing large quantities of fruit, still the business 
may be considered to be only begun. The large or¬ 
chards that have been dug out and reset in a small 
part, but principally changed by grafting from a va¬ 
riety that for any reason was not desirable, to some 
more profitable kind, or one better adapted to the 
locality, shows that the experimental 
stage 'is still with us. Large acreages of 
almonds and apricots have been grafted 
to prunes, principally, and generally be¬ 
cause of failure to bear well, either on ac¬ 
count of imperfect pollenization or frost. 
This state of affairs has called into action 
a number of men who make a business of 
doing such work by contract. One of 
these specialists has just finished grafting 
a lot of Green and Imperial Gage plums 
(about 525) to Petite prunes. These plum 
trees are about 10 years old, and have 
borne large crops of plums, but they are 
no longer in demand at the canneries at a 
paying price, hence the change. Our con¬ 
tract calls for from 25 to 35 scions in 
each tree, and the price paid is 35 cents 
per tree, we furnishing the scions, and 
whitewashing the trunks of the trees to 
prevent sunburn. This work is warranted 
in this way: When the scions are set 
two-thirds of the contract price is paid 
After first suckering, five cents per tree. 
On December 10, 1900, remainder due for 
all trees that have a good top of grafts 
or buds. If any scions fail to grow then 
suckers are left to grow, and are budded 
in August. 
WORKING IN GANGS.—These grafters 
work systematically and rapidly, about 
seven of them working in a gang. Two 
saw off the branches and split the stubs 
ready for the scions, one man cuts scions, 
two men set them, and two put on the 
wax. The clefts for the scions are never cut across 
the center, so as to split the pith. Only two buds are 
left on a scion, and sometimes only one, when the 
grafting wood is costly. We had two feet of Bur¬ 
bank’s Sugar prune grafted to-day, and realized 20 
scions therefrom. Waxing is done with hot wax, and 
is put on with a brush, completely filling all the 
crevices about the scion and a dab on tip. This is 
far preferable to putting on while plastic with the 
fingers, and much more rapidly done. In three years 
we expect to get a good crop of prunes from these 
trees. Sprouting is not done as closely as formerly, 
as we find that best results follow by letting some of 
the sprouts grow the first season, and it is always 
best to leave at least one branch (a sap sucker) to be 
cut off next Winter after the scions are large enough 
to take all the sap that the stump may furnish. At 
this writing (March 10) almonds are as big as beans, 
apricots and peaches in full bloom, and cherries, 
plums, prunes, etc., just showing a little white. 
Grafting will continue for several weeks yet. 
PROMISING APPLES.—Aside from the every-day 
acquaintance that I have with thousands of prune, 
apricot, peach and cherry trees, I have a large in¬ 
terest in a small number of apple trees, and always 
read all that you publish about apples in The R. N.-Y. 
In addition to our commercial orchards I have a plot 
of about eight acres, which I call my experiment or¬ 
chard, although it is planted principally to cherries. 
In this plot I have a number of varieties of peaches, 
plums, apricots, pears, etc., besides about 45 varieties 
of apples, including some of the best old sorts that 
produce good apples, as well as some of the newest 
obtainable novelties. I do not expect ever to in¬ 
crease the number of varieties much, but intend 
rather to reduce it somewhat, as they come into bear¬ 
ing, are fairly tested, and accepted or discarded for 
cause, and the principal cause will be poor quality. 
I can forgive an apple tree for bearing a light crop 
occasionally, if, when it does bear, the fruit is good. 
Any tree in this orchard that produces not good fruit, 
is, in fact, only a plain graham pudding, sweetened 
with nice Fresno raisins and cider, and will not harm 
stomachs that become distressed with sweet cake or 
pastry. Surely many farmers fail to utilize the 
healthful home-produced sweets. 
The four-year-old Newtown Pippins and White 
Winter Pearmains produced, the past Summer, about 
a bushel to the tree, the Jonathans and Bellflowers 
about half as much, and several other varieties a few 
scattering apples. I have learned during 25 years’ 
experience in fruit raising in California not to be too 
hasty in condemning new varieties of fruit, although 
two years’ trial is generally enough to test quality. I 
have no doubt that as many varieties of apples will 
attain perfection here as anywhere in the world, not¬ 
withstanding the common knowledge that some varie¬ 
ties that are good in other States are poor here. The 
Codling-moth is the bane of the apple grower here, as 
elsewhere. Some seasons the larvae are very numer¬ 
ous, in spite of frequent spraying. Who can tell how 
to trap the Codling-moth? H. G. k. 
Edenvale, California. 
R. N.-Y.—Our Eastern readers are in¬ 
terested in fruit notes from California, 
vacific coast fruits are now sold in nearly 
all our large markets, and there is prom¬ 
ise of even stronger competition in the 
future. We want to know, therefore, how 
these fruits are produced and sold. We 
cannot transport the California climate 
to “the stern New England coast,” but 
we may transport methods of culture and 
sale, and modify them so as to make them 
really helpful. While discussing the fruits 
of California we may well present the 
tollowing notes on a horticultural friend 
who has not yet been able to live and 
work down an ill name: 
A FEW PRODUCTS FROM A BACKYARD GARDEN. Fig, 
See Rcralisms, Page 228. 
will not be cut down, as the Bible directs, but will 
be grafted with scions from some variety that has 
proven itself worthy of a place there. We have 
proved (in the old orchard) a few varieties, such as 
Newtown Pippin, White Winter Pearmain, Yellow 
Bellflower, Jonathan, Gravenstein, Skinner’s Seedling, 
Red Astrachan, etc., to excel in quality in this valley. 
We are now eating Newtown Pippins, and will have 
them on our table for at least a month yet. The 
Pearmains and Bellflowers are a little past their 
prime now. 
SUGAR FRUITS—We use a good many Pearmains 
for cider which, after boiling down one-half or more, 
may be canned, and makes a delicious syrup for hot 
cakes or for use in many ways in cooking, in place of 
sugar. We eat very little sugar, probably $2 or $3 
worth in a year, but depend for sweetening on fruit 
juices, and raisins, which we find much more pal¬ 
atable and healthful. It is a source of amusement 
and comfort to my wife to see our friends at picnics 
and elsewhere relish her “fruit cake”so well, when it 
THE SKUNKS OF CALIFORNIA. 
If there ever was a useful animal mis¬ 
used, it is the skunk. Here in California 
we have two kinds of skunks; the large 
one you have in the East, with the white 
stripe along the back, and the big bushy 
tail, and also a skunk about one-third as 
large as the former. He is black with 
no stripe, but has white dots over his 
body about two inches apart, just as 
though some one had stuck his finger in 
white paint and then touched Mr. Skunk 
73 all over. These white spots on his black 
coat make him look quite pretty. He 
works day and night, in rain or moon¬ 
light, for the farmer’s benefit, so attentive to his job, 
hunting mice, gophers, grubs and insects, that he sel¬ 
dom looks up from his task, but like his big brother, 
mankind, for whom he works for nothing, must at¬ 
tach a slander to him which causes his death wher¬ 
ever he is spied. Here he goes by the name of the 
Hydrophobia skunk, and of course must be killed at 
once. No one knows of his ever biting anyone or 
anything, but the name is enough, and he will never 
lose it. People who wish to raise skunks should 
come to these mountains of California, where the 
skunljs are plentiful. About one acre in a thousand 
is cultivated in the mountain country here, and every 
mile square is a skunk ranch. There are 10 of the 
larger ones to one of the smaller. They are easily 
caught with a box trap, such as we use to catch rab¬ 
bits. I have caught two at a time in a box trap. 
Where beehives aie set on the ground, the skunks 
come and thump with their paws on the hive, and 
then, when the bees tumble out of the entrance, the 
skunk rolls on the ground at the entrance, so as to 
