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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
It is the general belief that the horticultural society has in Prof. F. 
W. Mally “the man for the place” of president, and that no better 
selection could possibly have been made. Prof. Mally takes a deep 
interest in everything he undertakes and the interests of the horticul¬ 
tural society will be advanced while he is at the head of the association. 
One of the most enthusiastic members of the horticultural society is 
J. S. Kerr of Sherman. Mr. Kerr’s several addresses were on timely 
subjects and to the point. Mr. Kerr was accompanied by his daughter, 
Miss Catherine Kerr, who has a number of practical views on the sub¬ 
ject of horticulture, some of which were expressed in her paper on 
“ Women’s Work in Horticulture.” 
NEMESIS OF THE CATERPILLAR. 
W. L. Devereaux, of Clyde, N. Y., an entomologist who 
has been engaged for the past twenty-five years in the study 
and collection of insects, says that few species have aroused as 
much comment into which such variety of errors has crept as 
the apple tree caterpillar. In one or more stages of its exist¬ 
ence, egg, worm, cocoon, or moth, it is in evidence the year 
around. It has been subject to various methods of extermina¬ 
tion, yet, up to the present, it has baffled all efforts to hold 
it in check. Some observers even think that it is enormously 
on the increase, but Mr. Devereaux maintains that Nature has 
pronounced the doom of this pes-t. He says: 
This season, for the first time, Nature’s restraint upon the ab¬ 
normal abundance of this species is clearly seen and this plague of 
caterpillars may be expected to decrease gradually. The Nemesis of 
the caterpillar has come in the shape of a disease which is similar to 
the blight or “pebrine,” which at times has killed off all the silk worms, 
and is a constant menace to the silk grower. The tent caterpillar is a 
true silk worm, and everything points to the fact that it is about to 
suffer the common fate of its species. 
Another efficient force in reducing the numbers of this insect is the 
predacious and parasitic species known as the Hymenoptera or wasp 
order, which lives upon or within the majority of insects of all kinds. 
How prolific and how minute the parasites are, we can judge when 
from one to three develop in a single insect called the host. Twenty 
of a minute species of egg parasite have developed in a single ovum 
the size of a pin head. 
The most prominent parasites of the forest and apple tree tent cater¬ 
pillar are Pimpla pedalis, Pimpla conquisitor and Thereva fulvusceno. 
These three species destroy vast numbers every year, and for this 
reason, when an effort is made to check the ravages of the caterpillar 
by gathering and destroying the cocoons, the latter should never be 
burned, but simply caged in a fine wire netting, placed across the exits 
of a box. In this way the parasites can escape through the meshes 
into the air and live to propagate and thus continue their beneficent 
work of destruction. The moths, the parents of the caterpillars, can¬ 
not escape, and soon die. 
In Glens Falls last year 1,350 quarts of cocoons, equivalent 
to 81,000,000 were collected and destroyed by burning. It is 
estimated that had these cocoons been destroyed by caging 
and the parasites allowed to escape, the eventual destruction 
of eggs would have approximated 3,645,000,000,000, as one 
quart of cocoons possesses a parasitic caterpillar-destroying 
potency of 2,700,000 eggs. 
INQUIRY AS TO KEIFFERS AS STOCKS. 
Irving Jaquay, Benton Harbor, Mich., asks : “ I would 
like to ask what success has been attained by those who have 
used Keiffer pear seedlings for stocks.” 
FILLS THE BILL EXACTLY. 
Ikving Jaquay & Co., Benton Harbor, Mich., July 21, 1900.— 
“ Find enclosed $1 payment for year’s subscription in advance. Your 
journal fills the bill exactly. Would not be without it for many times 
the price.” 
THE XENIA STAR NURSERIES, 
We give as frontispiece in this issue a view of one of the blocks 
in the new plant of McNary & Gaines at Xenia, Ohio. This 
firm, though new, is composed of experienced nurser) men, 
well and favorably known to the trade. They have established 
a new plant at Xenia, the county seat of Greene County, Ohio, 
on soil of superior excellence for nursery purposes, visiting 
nurserymen generally prouncing it equal to the very best in 
the United States. The region round about was, furthermore, 
officially inspected by the state entomologist before the plant 
was made and every precaution is taken to protect this establish¬ 
ment from all kinds of injurious insects or diseases. 
Messrs. McNary & Gaines grow principally for the whole¬ 
sale trade, for which their extensive assortment is specially 
adapted, but will do a general nursery business. They have 
secured convenient packing grounds within the city with 
ample facilities for the rapid and careful handling, and prompt 
shipment of stock. 
This firm have planted up to this time 2,283,000 apple, pear, 
plum, cherry, peach and ornamentals and are besides large 
growers of a superior quality of apple seedlings. The product 
of this large planting is now offered for the first time, and 
quotations may now be obtained on stock that is not only 
young, thrifty and clean, but grown, graded and handled 
according to modern, up-to-date methods. There is nothing 
old about the Xenia Star Nurseries except the experience of 
the proprietors. 
FROM IOWA AND MINNESOTA. 
The Minneapolis Journal contained the following, the week 
after the Chicago convention : 
The twelve Minnesota nurserymen who attended the annual meeting 
of the Association of American Nurserymen at Chicago last week have 
returned home, elated over the prospects for the year’s business, which 
they say are brighter than for many years The principal action taken 
at the meeting, they report, was the advance by the nursery stock 
dealers of the states of the Middle West, including Missouri, Illinois, 
Iowa, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Minnesota, of from 50 to 75 per cent, 
in the price of fruit trees. This new rate, which they say is made pos¬ 
sible by the prosperity of the farmers combined with the shortage in 
nursery stock and the destruction of orchards during the severe winter 
of 1898 and 1899, will be put into effect immediately. 
A committee was appointed to investigate the work of impostors 
who are traversing all of the states, particularly Iowa and Minnesota, 
with substitute stock, which they can easily work off onto farmers. 
An article in substantially the same form appeared in the 
Des Moines, la., Leader, with this addition : 
Apple trees have been advanced from 60 to 75 per cent, in the whole* 
sale market, and retailers will make a corresponding advance. Cherries 
and grapes are advanced from 200 to 300 per cent., and the nurseryman 
who has a good supply of either need not worry himself about going 
to the Klondike or Cape Nome. Other trees and shrubs will be 
advanced in price this year. 
At the meeting of the American Association of Nurserymen in 
Chicago it was ascertained that most of the eastern nurserymen are 
planning to work the Northwest thoroughly this year. It is expected 
that the sales in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, the Dakotas and other 
Western states will be larger this year than ever before. 
Charlton Nursery Company, Rochester, N. Y., June 13, 1900— 
“ We enclose herewith check $1, for which please renew our subscrip¬ 
tion to the National Nurseryman. The journal certainly meets 
with our approval and we do not feel that we can be without it.” 
