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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
The National Apple Shippers association suggests that 
apple growers generally adopt a uniform size of package 
for shipping apples, a full size flour barrel with heads 
inches in diameter and staves 2 S% inches in length, hold¬ 
ing three bushels of apples. It also suggests that the 
grade No. i shall be divided into two classes, A and B. 
That the standard for size for class A shall not be less 
than two and a half inches in diameter and shall include 
such varieties as the Ben Davis, Willow Twig, Baldwin, 
Greening and other varieties kindred in size. That the 
standard for class B shall not be less than two inches in 
diameter and shall include such varieties as Romanite, 
Russets, Winesap, Jonathan, Missouri Pippin and other 
varieties kindred in size. And further, that No. i apples 
shall be at times of packing practically free from the 
action of worms, or defacement of surface or breaking of 
skin, and shall be hand-picked from the tree. 
It is proposed to change the name of the Washington 
Navel orange. “ California Seedless ” has been suggested. 
William A. Taylor and Professor H. E. Van Deman, sug¬ 
gesting the name Bahia, say: “The variety reached this 
country in 1870 from Bahia, Brazil, in the form of twelve 
unnamed trees that had been propagated and grown there 
for the United States Department of Agriculture. Mr. 
William Saunders, the superintendent of gardens and 
grounds of the department, through whose efforts the 
trees were secured, named the variety Bahia in the absence 
of any known varietal designation. Under this name 
trees were propagated, labeled and distributed to various 
growers in Florida and California. The first of these trees 
to attract public notice were those sent to Riverside, Cali¬ 
fornia, where the name ‘ Riverside Navel ’ became attached 
to the variety. Not until its popularity outgrew the 
bounds of Riverside and the fact of its importation by 
the Deparment of Agriculture became known did it ac¬ 
quire the designation ‘Washington Navel.’” 
AMERICAN GRAPE VINES IN RUSSIA. 
United States Consul General John Karel, at St. Peters¬ 
burg, has presented a report on Russian viticulture in 
which reference is made to the ravages of the phylloxera 
and the experiments with American grape vines imported 
in the hope of overcoming the disease, American stocks 
having been found capable of withstanding the attacks of 
the insect. Mr. Karel says : 
“ Russian viticulture is most advanced in the Caucasus, 
Bessarabia, and the Crimean regions. Among other vine 
diseases, the phylloxera, the greatest enemy of the vine, 
first appeared in Russia, in the Crimean region, in 1879, a 
year later in the Caucasus, in Bessarabia in 1886, and in 
the Kutais government in 1889. Every effort to prevent 
its spread was made. A phylloxera commission was 
established, and phylloxera committees appointed in every 
direction. Every preventive known in Europe against 
the pest was tried, but, in spite of the energetic measures 
on the part of the government, all efforts proved fruitless. 
Large sums of money were expended by the Russian 
government for that purpose, and the present appropria¬ 
tion amounts to 4,015,000 rubles, ($1,417,295), of which 
2,160,000 rubles ($762,480) will be distributed this year in 
equal shares between all the affected regions. The present 
fight with the phylloxera cannot be considered successful, 
and the future may prove to be still worse. To prevent 
as much as possible the import of different diseases with 
the American vines a number of preventive measures have 
been suggested and approved. The vine grafts imported 
must be packed in closed boxes and disinfected by the 
agent of the phylloxera institution, and the officers of the 
same institution must see that the grafts are planted only 
in the localities for which they were imported. The same 
rules are to be applied to the vine grafts imported from 
Europe. 
In order to learn the culture of the American vine, and 
also the different ways and measures for the extermination 
of the phylloxera, it was decided to establish disinfection 
nurseries in localities where vines are raised, and to found 
an experimental phylloxera station in Bessarabia, where, 
in all probability, it will soon be necessary to have recourse 
to American vines. The station will consist of a nursery 
and a laboratory, and its establishment will be intrusted 
to a commission under the presidentship of J. B. Cristi. 
It was decided, also, to establish nurseries for European 
vines on government lands in order to spread good stock 
among peasants possessing vineyards, the number of 
which is large, especially in the Kherson government, and 
from the nurseries, which will be exclusively under the 
control of the phylloxera commission, the vine branches 
will be distributed to private persons, with the privilege 
of planting nurseries of their own, but only with the per¬ 
mission and under the control of the commission. 
THE SPINELESS GOOSEBERRY. 
C. H. Joosten of New York, is sole agent for the United 
States and Canad'a for the Spineless gooseberry which has 
been declared a novelty of great merit. It is of robust 
growth and produces a heavy crop of large early fruit of 
excellent quality. The berries afe of a deep ruby red 
color, very large, oblong, measuring i 1-8 inches in depth. 
Mr. Joosten says he has positive assurance from the in¬ 
troducer of the Spineless that it is entirely free from mil¬ 
dew in France, the country of its origin. 
STORRS & HARRISON DO NOT WANT PLUMS. 
Upon what was believed to be excellent authority, we 
were led last month to publish a statement that Storrs & 
Harrison Co., Painesville, O., were in the market for 
50,000 plums. It appears the statement was not exactly 
in accordance with the facts in the case. They inform us 
that they have a fine block of two-year plum trees from 
a planting of 75,000 stocks, which will yield nearly the 
amount of trees their trade will require. 
