i89o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 399 
corn a few weeks, in the crate shown in the picture, with 
several others. No food had been given them previous to 
this, though a little grass had grown around the edges of 
the pond within their reach, which they nibbled at occa¬ 
sionally. 
In the summer of 1886, I constructed a dam, with a 
collector and the necessary sluices, inclosing the space 
filled by the south pond, the water passing into it from 
the pond first established. On November 6, 1886, I re- 
Flg. 134. 
ceived from Washington, 20 carp, about two inches long, 
with which I stocked the new pond. All were active, 
and appeared uninjured. Ice a half inch thick had 
formed over the water. The shock to their systems from 
the cold stunned them, but they soon recovered and swam 
away. Their history is similar to that given of the others. 
In August, 1887, I built a dam at the northwest end of 
the north pond, cutting off space for a breeding pond. 
Here the main supply of water with which the ponds are 
filled rises from springs. Its temperature is uniformly at 
about 47 deg. In this pond the crate in which we keep the 
fish for use, is placed, as shown in the picture, and here 
they are fed until needed. I had hoped to select the scaleless 
fish from the other ponds, and place them here by them¬ 
selves, and, by close. selection, obtain a variety without 
scales; but the labor has proved to be too great. On July 
25, 1888, I drained the north pond the second time. Four¬ 
teen of the fish with which it was first stocked were found. 
They were from 20 to 24 inches long. There were two-year- 
old fishes and yearlings and those just hatched. Of those 
two years old I lost at this time 11 by excessive heat, 
caused by the sun shining in the water, which was at the 
deepest places seven inches. The statement that carp will 
lie out of the water exposed to the sun’s rays for hours 
and revive when put into water, does not agree with my 
experience, and the statement that they hibernate in 
winter is also at variance with the results of my observa¬ 
tion. They were seen swimming on February 15 last. The 
conditions that surround them control their habits. They 
mate and spawn from the time the sun’s heat stimulates 
them into activity, in May, until August. 
JEROME WILTSE. 
ECHOES FROM THE NURSERYMEN’S CON¬ 
VENTION. 
(RURAL SPECIAL REPORT.) 
Thomas Meehan gave an entertaining and instructive 
address in answer to the inquiry : Do We Live and Learn? 
He said that science is keeping the ears and eyes open and 
looking for the causes of things; putting this and that to¬ 
gether and living and learning. The majority of mankind 
see certain effects and are content to accept them as facts. 
The scientist looks for the causes and conditions which 
produce these effects. It is now 50 years since he made 
his first contribution to the horticultural press, and dur¬ 
ing that time the theory aud science of horticulture have 
not progressed as they should have done. It might be 
questioned if labor has not been thrown away, but there 
has been progress, though not so much as there .should 
have been. As an example he mentioned pruning. The 
fibrous roots are like leaves; they last for but a single 
year and then die, yet few know this fact. A large mass 
of fibrous roots is of no benefit to a tree, and, in many 
cases, is a positive injury, as it prevents the proper firming 
of the earth around the roots. The trees with prongy 
roots which are rejected by the buyers aud are many times 
carelessly placed in the trench, often live aud flourish 
while those with many fibrous roots which delight the 
heart of the planter, often die, and many fail to under¬ 
stand the reason. The roots of a tree die in the exact pro¬ 
portion in which the top is pruned. If a portion of the 
top of a vigorous tree be cut away, the remainder makes a 
more vigorous growth, not because the same roots as be¬ 
fore have less branches to support, but from the food 
stored in the trunk. The extra roots decay, invite fungus 
aud sap the vitality of the tree. The vital power of a tree 
is injured by pruning. Take, for example, an Osage 
Orange hedge; the plants which are closely pruned make 
a slender growth while the occasional one left to grow in a 
normal manner makes a trunk many times the thickness 
of the others. A tree in a natural condition will live 50 
years aud be strong and vigorous while it would die in 25 
years if annually pruned. In fruit growing some things 
must be sacrificed to gain others. Seedling peach trees 
have stronger vital power than those which have been 
budded aud headed back for the purpose of making them 
produce superior fruit. The finer fruit is obtained at the 
expense of a weaker tree. 
S. M. Emery of Mlnuesota, read a paper on The Cause of 
Low Prices for Nursery Stock. He stated that the trade 
is in an anomalous condition. While there was no surplus 
of stock and there was a demand for nearly all grown, 
prices had steadily declined; that is, prices to the nursery¬ 
men. There lias not been a corresponding decline in prices 
to the planter. He holds the middleman responsible. The 
contract grower who grows trees for nurserymen for a cer¬ 
tain share and then sells his share for what he can get is 
also to blame. Then again, imported stock helps to depre¬ 
ciate prices. The nurseryman should endeavor to build 
up a trade in South America and other foreign countries. 
Could nurserymen deal directly with planters they could 
realize better prices; the planter would secure lower 
prices, and planting would be extended. Production and 
distribution must be regulated in accordance with demand, 
and expenses be reduced to the minimum. If nurserymen 
will fix prices and stick to them they will get them. Mr. 
Willard said that nurserymen should plant large orchards 
and demonstrate the possibilities of fruit growing; then 
there would be a greater demand for trees. He is one of 
the larg< st fruit growers in Western New York, and shows 
his faith by his works. Some speakers opposed doing away 
with middlemen. 
N. H. Albaugh, of Ohio, read a humorous poem on the 
Old and New. After a hard day’s work in the packing 
grounds, supper, slipppers and easy chair in his cosy sit¬ 
ting-room, brought visions of a wondrous machine, with 
keys like an organ, each labeled with different names of 
tree, bush or shrub, upon pressing which the desired 
variety would appear, be quickly labeled, neatly tied and 
packed with any other varieties desired into finished 
bundle or bale ready for shipment. But, as with all dreams, 
there came an awakening to this, and he still packs his 
trees in the good old way. 
Geo. W. Campbell, of Ohio, read a paper upon The 
Grape : Its Character as Affected by Climate and Situation. 
Many Riparia hybrids had failed in his locality, but they 
may be valuable acquisitions in more southern climates. 
He had two entirely different reports of the Pocklington, 
the difference being evidently due to difference in soil and 
climate. The Empire State failed both in vine and fruit 
in many places; but in his locality it has a finer quality 
and flavor than any other white grape grown. With him 
the Niagara must be protected. It is not so early as it was 
said to be; when well ripened it is good and not foxy. 
Where adapted to the conditions of soil and climate it will 
Fig. 135. 
prove valuable. The Woodruff Red he considers the most 
promising red grape yet introduced. Goethe was intro¬ 
duced as light or amber-colored. At his place it is a light 
pink and has always been flavorless or insipid, except 
once, in a long, dry season, when it was very good. South¬ 
ern growers find it grows as described. Ricketts’s 
grapes, as grown by him, are beautiful, but 
they are not successful in Ohio, except in favor¬ 
able locations. The Jefferson is the finest red grape, 
but is very late. The Brighton is unproductive, the 
fault of the blossoms, but the fruit sets well if the 
weather is favorable. The Rogers’s grapes and the 
Moyer belong to the same class. There are too many 
varieties of grapes if reference is had simply to one lo¬ 
cality ; but the needs of different localities are so various 
that many varieties are required. Some of the Southern 
grapes acquire high flavor in favorable seasons. Success 
with a grape implies that the variety should be selected 
for the locality in which it is to be grown. He hopes that 
the sulphate of copper remedies will enable vineyardists 
to grow the Delaware even beyond the Concord limits. 
Their use will enlarge the area of grape growing and en¬ 
able us to grow tender varieties where they could not 
otherwise be grown. It has been stated that other va¬ 
rieties planted beside and above the Brighton will assist 
in fertilizing and rendering it more productive. In regard 
to this last point, J. H. Hale has Brightons with rows of 
other varieties on either side which bear well, while isolated 
vines bear very poorly. Mr. Patton said that the Iowa 
Agricultural College had demonstrated that Brightons 
will bear well when planted close by Concords. He 
thought the production of new varieties should be en¬ 
couraged. 
Mr. Kelsey, of New York, spoke on Transplanting Ever¬ 
greens, and while saying little that was new on this sub¬ 
ject, he expressed a truth that nurserymen would do well 
to remember, that the interests of nurserymen and 
planters are identical and that it is no advantage to nur¬ 
serymen to send out trees which do not grow. 
A feature of the convention was a question box which 
furnished material for considerable discussion. Among 
the many question^, the following were of most general 
interest: 
Is the Gano Apple a new variety or an old sort renamed ? 
New. 
What is the best practical method of propagating the 
Delaware and other hard-wooded grapes ? Mr. Parsons 
thought the best method was to start them in the green¬ 
house, afterward transferring them to frames and, later, to 
the open ground. Messrs. Hubbard and Campbell grew 
them in the open ground the same as other varieties. 
An inquiry was made about the Orange Pearmain Apple -1 
but no one knew anything about it. 
What is the best stock for Japanese plums? Two answers 
were given both recommending Marianna. 
Are wild cherries practicable for cherry stocks ? No. 
Is ’t advisable to work apples on pear stocks ? No, not 
practicable generally, but in Florida apples are worked 
upon Le Conte stocks, because they endure the climate, 
while apples upon their own roots will not. The practice 
is not profitable to nurserymen. 
Is it better to graft quinces or to grow them from cut¬ 
tings ? Mr. Sears, of Geneva, N. Y., buds them ; growing 
from layers is also practiced. Mr. Cole would graft on 
short apple roots. No one advised growing from seed. 
The old question : Should the originators of new varie¬ 
ties of fruit be protected by law ? provoked a long and an¬ 
imated discussion. Mr. Willard said yes. A man who 
spends his time and labor in producing new and valuable 
fruits should be protected in the benefits arising from 
their sale as much as the inventor or the author. He cited 
the originator of the Worden Grape as an example of the 
injustice of this not being done. Mr. Worden, the origina¬ 
tor, is a poor man, and has derived little from its sale, 
while others have made large sums. Mr. Willard also 
read a circular from California fruit growers, outlining a 
scheme for the accomplishment of this object, which in¬ 
cluded the whole American continent. Prof. Bailey char¬ 
acterized this as too big a job to be practicable, although 
very desirable. Mr. Hoyt has a form for protecting his 
Green Mountain Grape which, he has been assured by good 
legal authority, is an absolute protection. This will prob¬ 
ably be made a test case. Messrs. Parsons, Albaugh and 
Hale thought the form faulty in some respects. A special 
committee, consisting of Prof. Bailey (who has given this 
subject much study) as chairman, and Messrs. Albaugh 
and Parsons, was appointed to consider this subject and 
report at the next meeting. 
What opportunities does the World’s Fair offer nursery¬ 
men ? Mr. James B. Reynolds, president of the Chicago 
Florists’ Club, which includes nurserymen and kindred 
interests, said that it afforded them an opportunity of 
making a grand exhibition of their products if they began 
in time. Arrangements should be made at once for plant¬ 
ing specimens of their products. He warned them that 
the climate of Chicago was severe upon trees and shrubs, 
and that no tender ones should be planted. The appoint¬ 
ment of Mr. Reynolds for Horticultural Commissioner of 
the World’s Fair was afterward recommended by the Con¬ 
vention. 
INSECT FRIEND AND FOE. 
Cucumber Flea Beetle. —I have never known these 
pestiferous little beetles so thick as they are here this 
spring. Of course, potatoes and cucumbers are not yet 
ready to feed tbe hungry pests, and we find them fairly 
swarming on nearly all kinds of vegetation. I find them 
exceedingly numerous on maples, elms, beeches, etc. They 
have settled down in vast numbers on our hollyhocks, 
which they are injuring not a little. It will be remem¬ 
bered that last year I succeeded with two remedies in dis¬ 
persing these terrible pests. One, ashes, seemed to injure 
the plants; for to work a cure they had to be applied very 
abundantly. The other, strong tobacco decoction, seemed 
just as effective and did not, so far as I could see, do any 
harm to the plants. I used this remedy on cucumbers, 
squashes and potatoes. I am now trying the same on the 
hollyhocks, and will report later as to my success. 1 hope 
others will try both the ashes and tobacco decoction and 
report. I believe this insect is going to prove a greater 
pest than ever before, at least, in Michigan, unless some 
kindly agent appears to cut short its career of destruction. 
Beneficial Insects.—E very person who has had any 
experience with house plants, or with growing plants in a 
conservatory, knows how common the plant lice or aphides 
—often incorrectly called green flies—are on such plants. 
There are two obvious reasons for this: The perpetual 
warmth—there being no cold blasts to check or destroy 
growth and reproduction—and the comparative absence of 
insects that prey on the lice. As is well known, plant lice 
