98 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
TEXAS HORTICULTURE. 
Annual Meeting of the State Society- 
Progress IN THE Great Commercial 
Orchard, the Coast District, 
The eleventh meeting of the Texas State Horticultural So¬ 
ciety was held at Belton, Texas, July 14th and iSth. The 
fruit display was quite diversified and creditable for so severe 
a season. Entries were made from the most distant part of 
the state and the show can be said to have been fairly repre¬ 
sentative. The address of the president, Dr. A. M. Ragland 
of Pilot Point constituted a well advised plea for a more sys¬ 
tematic development of a southern horticulture, for which 
there is so much undeveloped and valuable material. 
The rest of the evening was devoted to a discussion of apple 
growing in the Black Waxy Lands of the state. The discussion 
was led by E. W. Kirkpatrick of McKinney, who was ably 
assisted by C. L. Kidd of Waxahachie. The weight of evi¬ 
dence seemed to endorse planting at least sufficient for uses as 
a family orchard, care being taken not to plant upon lands on 
which cotton or sweet potatoes will die. In some of the more 
sandy black soil of the black belt commercial orchards in a 
small way are not only safe and advisable, but profitable. 
On the second day there were reports of the state fruit com¬ 
mittee. Beginning with the coast country Professor Frederick 
W. Mally of Hulen, reported that fig culture had received a 
great deal of attention during the past year, and that this fruit 
would be more largely planted another season upon the co¬ 
operative plan with canning factories, so that there would be 
no difficulty about disposing of the fresh fruit. He also re¬ 
ported that the tests of a greater variety of peaches had given 
good results, and that the coast country peach grower is certain 
to become a factor in the early peach markets. At least two 
good first early varieties were reported. They were Waldo 
and Pallas. Their usefulness is limited to the coast district 
and should not be widely planted over the state. 
Concerning pears this fruit was still said to be the most 
profitable of all the orchard varieties to plant, the Le Conte 
and Keiffer still holding sway. Garber and Smith’s as also 
more recently Bartlett, are gaining favor among the orchardists. 
The Japanese plums are succeeding as well as in other portions 
of Texas, though but two or three received favorable mention 
in a commercial way. First Burbank, followed closely by 
Abundance. The Americana and Chickasaw varieties, the 
society concluded, had been too much neglected and the en¬ 
couraging reports all along the line will give a new impetus 
towards planting them more largely than they have been here¬ 
tofore. 
The coast country is evidently the commercial orchard dis¬ 
trict of Texas, as could be noted from the immense orchards 
which were reported by Professor Mally as having been re¬ 
cently planted, the Galveston Nursery and Orchard Co., of 
which he is manager, alone having planted between forty and 
fifty thousand trees, distributed among figs, pears, plums and 
peaches ; many others in Galveston county alone having half 
that quantity in pear trees exclusively. 
Professor Mally’s report for South Texas was followed by J. 
S. Kerr of Sherman for North Texas, S. D. Thompson of 
Bowie, for Northwest Texas, and F. T. Ramsey of Austin, for 
Middle Texas. Each discussed the fruits to be recommended 
for the family as well as the commercial orchard and their re¬ 
ports will be of great value for their respective localities. 
The afternoon session was devoted principally to Professor 
Mally’s report as chairman of the special commission of the 
society upon injurious insects and fungus diseases, as also the 
use of insecticides and fungicides and the best methods of 
spraying. A great many specimens were presented and ques¬ 
tions asked, but every subject was promptly and satisfactorily 
disposed of and some special reports upon Texas fruits were 
taken up to complete the programme. The subjects given 
special consideration were the following and were ably presented 
by the authors : Stone fruits, by Ramsey ; core fruits, by 
Kerr; small fruits, by Howell; vegetables, by John Graham 
of Waco; marketing, by C. Falkner of Waco. Mr. Falkner ex¬ 
hibited some newly improved packages for the shipment of 
peaches and plums. 
At the evening session D. O. Lively of Fort Worth, discussed 
the possibilities of irrigation in Texas. The discussion was 
ably led by Mr. Kerr of Sherman, and. the gist of the facts 
presented made it evident that if the fruit grower was industri¬ 
ous and understood his business he should make his crops in 
Texas pay a handsome return on the investment. 
The report upon the Buckner Orphan’s home orchard which 
was supplied by the nurserymen of Texas was reported to be 
in a highly satisfactory condition.. A subscription was raised 
to build an orchard farm house, and employ a suitable keeper. 
Concerning the matter of the relations of shippers and the 
express companies and the rates established and demanded by 
each. Professor Mally simply added his own experience to 
that outlined by Messrs. Howell and Falkner in presenting 
their respective papers during the day session. 
Election of officers followed, and resulted as follows : Presi¬ 
dent, Dr. E P. Stiles, Austin; first vice-president, C. Falkner, 
Waco ; second vice-president, F. T. Ramsey, Austin ; secre¬ 
tary, E. L. Huffman, Ft. Worth ; treasurer, D. O. Lively, Ft. 
Worth. 
CANADIAN RESTRICTIONS. 
Since the San Jose scale has been found at Chatham, on 
trees imported from New Jersey, and the evidence seems to 
show that it has lived through one Canadian winter, Mr. Craig 
advises the utmost caution in importing trees from our neigh¬ 
bors to the south. We think the least our country could do 
would be to enact that no trees, plants, buds, scions or fruits 
be allowed to enter the Dominion unless accompanied by a 
certificate from the Secretary of Agriculture for the United 
States or from a state entomologist, that they are free from the 
San Jose scale .—Canadian Horticulturist. 
ORCHARD DUG UP FOR DEBT. 
Amos Reynolds was tried last month at Metropolis, Massac 
county. Ill, on the charge of stealing a young orchard of 
growing fruit trees. Reynolds sold a bill of trees to Judge 
Benjamin O. Jones, for which he was never paid. After try¬ 
ing in vain to collect the account he simply dug up the trees 
and carried them off, as he says, in broad daylight. The 
judge had Reynolds arrested for theft, and says the trees were 
removed at night. 
