THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
85 
Ifn 1Rurser\> 1Ro\m 
True from Seed. —H. E. Van Deman says : “There are 
some varieties of the peach that come quite nearly true from 
seed ; among these are Heath Cling, Hill Chili, Smock and 
Morris White. The very early kinds, such as Amsden and 
Alexander, come fairly well from seed, as I have proved in 
hundreds of cases on my grounds. It would seem to me that 
little nurseries of budded trees would be better to replant 
from, because more certain of the vari ties. A large number 
of kinds to cover a long season of ripening in the South is not 
well secured in the kinds that come true from seed, most being 
very early and very late.” 
Blackberries. —“ Nearly two years ago we stated in these 
columns that there were already set and growing enough 
blackberries to supply the markets for five years. Two 
harvests have occurred since that statement was made, and its 
truth is established by the market reports. Less than one-half 
of the present crop will be gathered. The vines in Southern 
Illinois are black with ungathered berries. There are those 
who will gather and ship at a loss, but their number is not 
great. For the next three years there ought to be no black¬ 
berry plants put out in the West with a view of growing the 
berries for market purposes.” — Fruit Growers' Journal , 
Cobden, Ill. 
Black Knot. —S. D. Willard says : “Since I have been 
growing plums for a quarter century, I have never seen the 
time when we have been absolutely free from the black-knot. 
It is a singular fact that often there are seasons when very 
little is seen of it ; then again a season comes when it appears 
in a more virulent form. This is entirely unexplainable to me, 
but the facts are the same, and so far as my observation and 
experience extend, are indisputable. I have not noticed it as 
being worse this year than last. My plan is to cut out every 
evidence of the knot that is discernible, promptly, following 
the strings from it down several inches, as it will be observed 
that it is traceable some distance below or above where the 
knot itself appears.” 
Propagating Conifers. —Robert Williamson, Greenwich, 
Conn., says : “ Of all ornamental trees and shrubs, possibly, 
there are none easier to propagate from cuttings than most 
varieties of conifer®. What I find to be the best system of 
propagation is to insert cuttings (taken with a ‘heel’ of the 
wood) in sand any time from the end of October to the first of 
January. They can be placed in a cool house or pit, and by 
the end of March they will be found to be calloused, and with 
a slight increase of temperature they will soon throw out 
roots. They can then be potted into two and three-inch pots. 
Some time in May they can be planted in nursery rows, in good 
garden, soil, outside, and transplanted every year afterward 
until they attain the proper size for the object in view.” 
Buttner’s Yellow Cherry —Answering a query by J. L. 
B., Plainville, N. J., in Rural New Yorker , H. E. Van Deman 
says: It would be impossible to tell why Buttner’s Yellow 
cherry is not more largely grown. Perhaps very few have 
tried it and know of its character. If it does better with 
J. L. B. or any one else, than any other kind, then it is just 
the one to grow, at least at their places. 1 here are many 
worthy fruits that are somehow overlooked or neglected with¬ 
out any just reason, only ignorance of their goodness. This 
cherry may be one of that class. It originated in Germany, 
and has been grown by a few persons for many years past. 
Perhaps it would be well to send buds from this tree to some 
good nurseryman and have some trees propagated. This is 
just the time of year to do it. 
Newtown Pippin. —Conrad Hartsell, St. Joseph, Mo., says 
in IVestern Fruit Grower: “The Newtown Pippin is of 
eastern origin and has few, if any, superiors. It is not gener¬ 
ally known in the western states, but, when its proper name 
becomes fully established and when it becomes known as the 
best winter apple, then its only name will be ‘ The Newtown 
Pippin.’ The tree is very desirable, thrifty and long lived 
when tree grown. The Newtown Pippin, naturally, is a tree of 
long life when permitted to grow as a tree ; but it can be made 
short lived the same as others, by the ordinary western mode of 
propagation and short lived pruning. The craze for roots and 
tops without a body will in time run its course, then will trees 
be common in the orchards instead of shrubs, as now seen. 
All-round nurserymen are beginning to advise a common sense 
change. Trees will be the result and then better fruit, especi¬ 
ally when the red apple craze has passed and been forgotten 
and only good apples are in demand without regard to color 
or name.” 
Rhododendrons. — Over a large extent of territory 
rhododendrons will be successful if confined to a few hardy 
sorts, says S. B. Parsons. For their success a light loamy soil 
is the best. Leaf mold, rotten sod or surface soil which has 
been heavily manured the year before are all beneficial. 
Mulching is useful, but it should not be allowed to remain dur¬ 
ing the growing season, from April 15 to July 15. The soil 
needs air and sun for at least three months of the year. Some 
liquid or surface manure can be profitably applied during the 
growth. Rhododendrons will not flourish in a limestone or 
clay soil. Rhododendrons are heavy feeders, and should not 
be planted too closely. They need abundant room for their 
roots when properly supplied with liquid or rotten surface 
manure. The coarser will also cripple the finer varieties. 
When thus crowded they should be transplanted to more space. 
It is also a great mistake to plant under trees ; the leaves will 
be of a darker green, but the bushes will not flower as freely 
as when planted in the sun. 
APPLE EXPORTS. 
The season’s apple exports from August 7, '97, to June 11, 
’98 were 913,996 bbls. from the United States and Canada, 
according to the annual summary of Mahlon Terhune, the 
New York fruit broker. This is only a third of the business 
of the previous season, when 2,919,846 bbls. were exported, 
but constitutes a fair average for recent years. Of the sum 
first named, Liverpool received the greatest proportion, 
490,000 bbls.. followed by London 198,000 bbls., Glasgow 
124,000 bbls., Hamburg 89,000 bbls. Of the ports of export, 
New York led with 362,000 bbls. against 570,000 bbls. the 
previous season ; Boston cleared only 176,000 compared with 
over 1,000,000 bbls. a year earlier. 
James McColgan & Co., Atlantic Highlands, N. J., May 31 .— 
•‘Enclosed find $1 to renew our subscription to the National 
Nurseryman. We cannot afford to do without it,” 
