THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
■35 
■■Greenhouse and Window Plants’’ is the title of a little book by 
Charles Collins, published by Macmillan & Co., New York, at the 
moderate price, 40 cents. It is edited by J. Wright, F. R. H. S., which 
is sufficient evidence of its reliability. Its subject accurately describes 
its contents. It has a chapter on greenhouse construction, another on 
orchids, and another on insect pests, besides fifteen others. 
In the first two numbers of volume YII. of the Krjy>riiiie)it Station 
Record is an interesting description of the Wagner method of i)ot- 
culture in operation at the Darm.stadt, Germany, E.vperiment Station. 
Cylinders oi)en at both ends are sunk in the gnnind to the rim of the 
cylinder, and in these soil which has been mixed is placed for the 
growth and testing of seeds. By this means exactly similar conditions 
are secured as t(j layers of earth, depth of surface soil, quantity and 
distribution of fertilizer seeding, depth of seeding and number and dis¬ 
tance of plants from each other. 
The proceedings of the twenty-fourth session of the American Ponio- 
logical Society at Sacramento, January 16-18, have been issued, as 
compiled by the secretary, George C. Brackett, Lawrence, Kan. The 
president. P. J. Berckmans, Augusta, Ga. ; the first vice-president, 
Charles L. Watrous, I)es Moines, la. ; the secretary and many of the 
members are nurserymen. Therefore the trade has special interest in 
the work of this distinguished body. The papers and discussions were 
of great value. These are attractively presented with half-tone illus¬ 
trations of orchards and buildings of California. 
The New York Tribniie recently said; ’■Three eminent foi'eign 
scholars. Professors Skeat, Max Muller and A. II. Sayce, have united 
in giving highest praise to the new dictionary published by Funk et 
Wagnalls. Professor Sayce of Oxford University, is (pioted as saying; 
■The Standard Dictionaiy is truly magnificent, and worthy of the 
great continent which produced it. It is more than complete, and the 
amount of labor that has been bestowed upon it, and more especiallv 
upon the settlement of the pronunciation, must have been enormous. 
It is certain to supersede all other existing dictionaries of the English 
language.’” 
Part twenty-one of ‘’The Book of the Fair” opens with the com¬ 
mencement of chapter twenty-thiial devoted to state exhibits, appro¬ 
priately following the de.scription of the state buildings. Other of the 
state buildings, too, are illustrated in this part. Particularly fine are 
the full page photo-engravings of the lagoon and the Illinois ])uilding, 
which present the effect of etchings with the softer tone of the photo¬ 
graph. Handsome interior views of the state buildings follow in 
rapid succession and afford interesting instruction in the resources of 
the great country, x^nd then follow the opening pages of chapter 
twenty-fourth, describing the Midway Plaisance. How vividly are the 
intensely interesting scenes of that heterogeneous exhibition recalled. 
A full page engraving of the IVIidway as seen from the Ferris wheel 
introduces the subject. The accompanying views are characteristic. 
The work is certainly the best illustrated description of the great exhi¬ 
bition that will ever appear. Chicago ; The Banckoft Co. 
The first of a series of valuable books upon rural science, edited by 
Professor L. H. Bailey, of Cornell University, is entitled “The Soil.” 
It is by Professor F. H. King, of the University of Wisconsin. It is a 
volume of 300 pages and contains a large amount of valuable informa¬ 
tion as to the nature, relations and fundamental principles of manage¬ 
ment of the soil. Professor Bailey remarks in his preface; “The 
time must certainly be at hand when the new teaching of agriculture 
can be put into books. For many years the writer has conceived of an 
authoritative series of readable monographs which shall treat of every 
rural problem in the light of the undying principles and concepts upon 
which it rests. It is fit that such a series should be introduced by a 
discussion of the soil, from which everything ultimately derives its 
being.” The book under consideration treats of sunshine, atmosphere, 
water and living forms, the condition of the soil, conservation of soil 
moisture, soil temperature, irrigation, physical effects of tillage and 
fertilizers, etc. Price, 75 cents. New York ; Macmillan & Co. 
AN ENGLISHMAN’S ENDOIISEMENT. 
WiLLiA.M Fei,l. nv Royal Wakkant Nursekv.man to H. R. H.. 
THE Prince of W.xles, Hexham, ENiiLANu.—■■ 1 have read the short 
pithy articles in your journal for some time, in reference to the nurseiy 
trade, which I think very interesting and of considerable value.” 
APPLE CROP MEASURED. 
The American Agriculturist, a noted authority on the 
apple crop as upon other things relating to horticulture 
and agriculture, has prepared a careful estimate of the 
apple crop of 1895. It finds that there is a bountiful 
yield, but that it is unevenly distributed, that earlier esti¬ 
mates are necessarily reduced and that the results in 
Canada are uneven. 
The Agriculturist says: 
The estimated commercial crop is one of the largest in recent years 
at approximately 66,0()(),0()0 bbls., against the government census returns 
in ’89 of 57,0()(),000 bbls., which was probably too low as it did not in¬ 
clude farm consumption, cider stock, etc. The figures first named show 
an increase of 8,600,000 bbls. or 16 per cent, over latest estimates cover¬ 
ing the ’94 yield in the surplus states, which eventually turned out 
materially greater than at one time seemed pos.sible. When prices are 
away up, as they were last year, a lot of fruit not usually included in 
the commercial crop finds its way into the market. While ordinarily 
this would never appear, it serves the purpose of ultimately sw(dling 
the totals. 
The distribution of the crop, however, is peculiar, the great apple 
growing districts east of the Alleghanies showing less than an average 
crop. New England being especially deficient, while in the Central 
West the crop is the large.st ever grown. The season has been one of 
contradictions, new conditions constantly arising of sufficient import¬ 
ance to vitiate preconceived ideas. May frosts were followed by such 
weather as operated to minimize their importance. Drouth growing 
serious in June and July was relieved in xVugust. The usual June 
“ drop ” was a factor easily measured, but an unusual July and August 
“drop” presents a new factor whose importance it is difficult to deter¬ 
mine. 
The final estimates i)resented herewith are based, in addition to 
regular local estimates of (torrespondents, upon the observation of our 
statistician, who has spent four weeks visiting the best apple districts 
west of Ohio, and upon a thorough canvass in New York and New 
England. Diy weather, hot winds and locally severe storms during 
September made great changes in the prospect for winter fruit. The 
“windfall” has been surprisingly large, and the ill eft'ect of the hot 
weather is becoming further apparent in marked difficulty in securing 
fruit of perfect keeping quality. Especially is this true in southern 
Illinois and in portions of Missouri, while in heavy-laden orchards of 
Missouri and Eastern Kansas and Nebraska the extent of loss from hiffh 
winds can only be appreciated ])y personal inspection of orchards. 
The crop in the principal states in ’89, as reported by the census, in 
’94 as determined by market movement, and in ’95 as estimated by 
American Agricidtarist, the onl}" authority placing such detailed esti¬ 
mate on record, is presented in the following statement; 
1895, Bbls. 
1894, Bbls. 
1889, Bbls. 
Maine. 
790,000 
1,980,000 
1,228,000 
New Hampshire. 
985,000 
1,974.000 
1,313,000 
Vermont. 
550,000 
946,000 
505,000 
Massachusetts. 
858,000 
1,320,000 
676,000 
Connecticut. 
785,000 
990,000 
798,000 
New York. 
6,375.000 
5,918.000 
3,398.000 
Pennsylvania.•. 
5,550,000 
4,264,000 
3,021,000 
Ohio. 
6,450,000 
2,871,000 
5,515,000 
Michigan. 
3,750,000 
5,815,000 
5,261,000 
Indiana. 
3,307,000 
1,086,000 
3,514,000 
Illinois. 
3,792,000 
1,991,000 
3,840,000 
Missouri. 
3,864,000 
1,974,000 
3,479,000 
All others. 
28,400,000 
26,500,000 
24,694,000 
Total. 
66,256,000 
57,629,000 
57,242,000 
Canada as a whole has not been favored with an abundant apple 
crop for several years, although exceptional localities have borne well. 
This is true regarding the ’95 crop, with a material shortage in much of 
Ontario. 
