THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
243 
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION. 
At the recent convention of the Southern Nurserymen’s 
Association the following discussion took place : 
Question Box—“What about spraying and fumigation ?” 
Mr. Van Lindley—“ We have learned by experience that a 
law which we thought would result in injuring us has proven 
of inestimable good. I refer to fumigation. We now fumi¬ 
gate everything we plant, and then fumigate again before we 
ship. We thought it would prove expensive but it is not 
We have lost in the last twenty-five years not less than an 
average of $1,000 per year from woolly aphis which I believe 
we could have saved had we fumigated our grafts before plant¬ 
ing. We fumigated this year and up to this time have no 
signs of aphis. We have also sprayed both in nursery and 
orchard with good results.” 
Mr. Hale—“ The aphis is the fellow we are after. He gives 
us more trouble than any one thing. What can be more discour¬ 
aging than to see a fine orchard tree sicken and die from the 
effects of these pests ? I have fought him in every way imag¬ 
inable, but can’t do much with him.” 
Prof. Franklin—“There are two forms in which woolly 
aphis exists; the form under the ground and the one above 
ground. Spraying with kerosene emulsion is quite effective to 
the form that attacks the branches. Fumigation will destroy 
the form that attacks the roots and if nursery trees 
are properly fumigated before they are planted to orchard 
there will not be much trouble afterward.” 
Mr. Hood—“ The aphis has been a thorn in the flesh for 
for years. Some years it is much worse than others. We have 
lost whole blocks of fine apple on account of this pest.” 
Mr. Wilson—“ I hope the experiments will be of great 
benefit to us by the time we meet again. The aphis certainly 
brings with it a tale of woe. Possibly we are getting at him in 
a manner that will soon greatly narrow his range of influence 
if not stamp him out altogether.” 
“What is the best variety of mulberry for the South?” 
Answer by J. Van Lindley—“ I have found New American and 
Hicks to be the best with us.” 
“ Is the Admiral Dewey peach a success ? ” Answer — “ Has 
not been fruited long enough to determine.” 
“ What cherry stock is best for budding in the South ? ” 
Answer by W. T. Hood and N. W. Hale, that Mahaleb is the 
best. Mazzard had been used as a grafting stock with vary¬ 
ing success, but was a failure for a budding stock. 
“ Can apple and pear blight be prevented ? ” 
Mr. Brown—“ Apple trees pruned by me last fall are now 
free from blight. Some trees in the same orchard that were 
not pruned are now blighting badly. I recommend fall prun¬ 
ing as a preventive to blight in apple trees.” 
Prof. Sherman—“ Apple blight is not caused by an insect 
as many suppose, but is a bacterial disease. It cannot be 
reached by spraying. Pruning is the best preventive.” 
Mr. Hale—“ I have seldom known the apple blight to attack 
the same trees two years in succession. It seems to appear in 
one locality one year and another the next. With pears it is 
different.” 
Mr. Hood—“ Apple blight sometimes kills trees in nursery 
rows. I had a block of two-year-olds killed this way.” 
“ Mr. Van Lindley—“ There is nothing that will keep down 
the pear blight as much as pruning. Pear trees can often be 
saved by severe pruning. Branches pruned out should be 
burned.” 
Mr. Hale—“ Is there any safe way to check the growth of 
nursery stock for early digging in the fall ? ” 
Mr. Smith—“ We have tried various plans, but have failed 
to accomplish the desired result.” 
DELAWARE PEACH ORCHARDS. 
G. H. Powell gives in American Agriculturist the following 
as reasons for the decline of Delaware peach orchards: 1. Un¬ 
certainty of the crop in recent years. 2. Increasing competi¬ 
tion due to the development of immense peach tracts through¬ 
out the country. 3. Lack of intensive culture, that is now 
made necessary by competition. By culture I mean tillage, 
pruning, thinning and other orchard incidentals. 4. The prev¬ 
alent tenant system of land management. In some sections 
nearly all of the orchards are tenanted. 5. A fundamentally 
wrong package—the large five-eighths bushel basket instead 
of smaller baskets and carriers. This year several of the best 
growers will begin a co-operative study of various systems of 
pruning, thinning, more intensive tillage and better market¬ 
ing. _ 
THE PISTACHE NUT. 
The Visalia, Cal., Delta, states that I. H. Thomas, of Cali¬ 
fornia, has received from the United States Department of 
Agriculture some roots of Pistacia vera, which he has set out 
and will cultivate. The pistache is a valuable nut tree, and 
well suited for culture in regions having a hot, dry climate. 
The nut sells in this country at from 40 cents to $1.26 per 
pound, wholesale. They are extensively used in America for 
flavoring confectionery and ice creams, and it is confidently 
expected that they will be widely used as a table nut, to be 
served like the almond, as soon as they become better known. 
In the eastern Mediterranean countries, where the pistache 
is the best known and choicest nut, it is much more used for 
eating from the hand than for flavoring. They are among the 
most delicious nuts known, rather smaller than the almond, 
but more delicate in flavor and a little oilier, somewhat 
resembling in texture and taste the pinon of the Rocky 
mountains. 
Unlike the pinon and the almond, the pistache nut has a 
shell easily opened with the fingers, since it consists of two 
thin valves, which split open and become nearly separated as 
the fruit dries. 
NURSERY INSPECTION IN NEW YORK. 
The New York Department of Agriculture reports the issu¬ 
ing of 66 certificates to nurserymen whose nurseries were in¬ 
spected by agents of the department since July x, says the 
Country Gentlemen. There seems no indication of a large 
infestation by the San Jose scale. It has been found in 
several places, but not to an alarming extent. 
Silas Wilson, Atlantic, la., July 11 , 1901 . “I think the Na¬ 
tional Nurseryman one of the best advertising mediums in the 
country. Please find enclosed draft for $1 to apply on my subscrip, 
tion. I wish you continued prosperity.” 
