THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
93 
Russian apples from private orchards and substations 
and especially from the Ames station. The fruit exhibit 
has been largely under my care at the Iowa state fair for 
a few years and it is quite common for exhibits to be dis¬ 
played in Russian apples ranging from a dozerl, twenty, 
sixty, eighty, to the Ames exhibit ranging from sixty to 
one hundred and twenty varieties. And Hon. C. L. 
Watrous has repeatedly examined these exhibits. 
During the past winter. Professor Budd, being advanced 
in years, and being of ill health, spent the winter in 
Florida and Cuba, studying the flora of those countries, 
and in his absence was re-elected secretary of the Iowa 
State Horticultural Society, against the opposition on 
this as an issue led by Mr. Watrous, and was re-elected 
with little opposition at one of the largest gatherings ever 
held by the organization, the bare minority being repre¬ 
sented by the twenty-six reporting adversely to his plum 
inquiry mentioned in his address before the association. 
We deem it a good thing that a prejudice now exists 
against all Russian fruits, and while our Iowa representa¬ 
tive does injustice to our distinguished Iowa worker, it 
has the good in it to prevent rapid and widespread propa¬ 
gation of Russian fruits. 
As the local value of these fruits becomes known at the 
professor’s substations, fruit growers are propagating and 
planting and fruiting them. We find large fruit growers 
visiting different stations with respect to their specialties 
and propagating and planting trees of them by the thous¬ 
ands. There may be many other lines of experimental 
work valuable and lasting, but with our examination of 
his work and test of Russians and extended correspond¬ 
ence as horticultural editor of the Iowa Homestead over 
the western states and the professional and amateur 
planters at these substations who send us fruits and 
exhibit them largely at our Iowa state fair under my 
supervision, I cannot call them a failure. If properly 
sifted down and for the cold North, we are compelled to 
look upon them with favor, and at this stage of experi¬ 
ment with them we can plainly see they have a future. 
Both older and younger members in the nursery business 
will find, we think, the questions of St. Peter easier to 
answer at the pearly gates if all testing and dissemination 
of new fruits is' done as St. Paul orders, along this line of 
“ Proving all things and hold fast to that which is good.” 
W. M. Bomberger. 
AN AID TO NURSERYMEN. 
With the advancement in nursery methods comes an 
important addition to the nurseryman’s outfit, in the form 
of a sprayer for spreading lime and any form of fungicide 
or insecticide upon nursery stock. During last month the 
attention of leading nurserymen in Ohio and Western 
New York has been called to the operation of the Sirocco 
sprayer, an illustration of which appears in another part 
of this journal. Where it has been successfully operated 
it has received hearty commendation. For a new inven¬ 
tion along lines not heretofore considered in mechanical 
devices for the destruction of insect pests and the curing 
of fungus-covered vegetation by the application of fine 
smoke-like dust, it has evidently filled an expressed want. 
This machine has been highly endorsed by the Storrs & 
Harrison Co., Painesville, O., and by the L. Green & Son 
Co., Perry, O. The latter said : “ We are working the 
Sirocco with the best results. It saved its cost in one 
week. We believe every up-to-date nurseryman cannot 
afford to be without one.” 
George A. Sweet, Dansville, N. Y., said: “ Our nur¬ 
serymen here at Dansville were all greatly pleased with 
the Sirocco dust sprayer. It .seemed to do the work to 
perfection. Some of them will be purchased here for next 
season’s use.” 
Smiths & Powell Co., Syracuse, N. Y.: “ From what 
we have seen of it we think it is a good thing, but we have 
not yet operated it.” 
W. L. McKay, Geneva, N. Y.: “ I saw the exhibition 
of the Sirocco and there is no question whatever but that 
it spread thoroughly the entire rows between which I saw 
it operate with a mixture of ashes and lime which was 
used on that occasion. It deposits a very fine dust over 
the entire plant, both under and upper side of the leaf 
being thoroughly and evenly covered. I know nothing 
whatever as to the effect of a dry spray, if I may so call 
it, either on insects or plant disease, but if such a spray is 
efficient against either disease or insects, it seems to me 
that the Sirocco puts it on to perfection.” 
Morey & Son, Dansville, N. Y.: “ The Sirocco is with¬ 
out question a valuable machine. In our judgment the 
machine is well worthy of praise and recommendation. 
We should say that a man and a horse could cover about 
eight acres a day, and it unquestionably saves a large 
amount of material.” 
Thomas Kennedy & Sons, Dansville, N. Y.: “ The 
sprayer is what the nurserymen want. It is far superior 
to anything we have seen. Such a machine is needed.” 
Should the future work of this sprayer bear out the 
good things said of it the nurserymen are fortunate in 
securing so valuable a machine. 
IOWA PROSPECTS BRIGHT. 
Atl.4 NTA, I a., July 12. —Silas Wilson said to-day: 
“ The outlook for field crops never was better at this 
season of the year a good hay crop and an extra 
crop of corn and oats, we know means an increased nur¬ 
sery trade. Nursery stock of all kinds looks fine. We 
have had plenty of rain. The fruit crop is large and of 
fine quality. The prospect for this fall and next spring 
never was better.” 
Regarding the growth of Scotch Pine in the West, 
Charles A. Keffer, of Washington, says : “ It is safe to 
assume that, once the trees have survived their first year 
in their prairie home, no conifer that has thus far been 
largely tested gives better results in the West than the 
Scotch Pine.” 
