THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
281 
tions, both in this country and Europe. Several years ago he was 
chosen a member of the Board of Visitors of Harvard University. In 
former years he traveled extensively in the interest of science, lie 
visited Alaska and was one of the first American visitors to the country 
after its purchase from Russia. 
In public life he was well known throughout the state and especially 
in this city. During the term of Governor Hoyt the office of state 
botanist was created, and Mr. Meehan was appointed to fill it. He held 
the place through each succeeding administration. 
In 1882 he was elected a member of the Common Council, and at that 
time nearly all the thoroughfares of Germantown were dirt roads. 
He succeeded in getting on the Highway Committee and immediately 
began exerting his efforts in behalf of the Germantown streets. It was 
largely through his efforts that the streets were paved. He was also a 
member of the Committee on Schools, and his last public act was when 
on Thursday, October 3, he presented a bill to raise $2,000,000 for the 
erection of new school buildings. He was not able to attend the session 
last week, although he was in his office at Germantown on Friday 
morning. Mr. Meehan was a staunch reformer, and during his service 
as a councilman never gave his support to doubtful measures. 
AN EMPIRE STATE ORCHARD. 
Grant G. Hitchings, of Onondaga county, N. Y., thus de¬ 
scribes in the Orange Judd Farmer his apple orchard: 
As a member of the New York State Fruit Growers’ Association I 
exhibited at the state fair at Syracuse recently 55 varieties of apples 
grown in my orchard. The most of these are well known varieties, but 
some of them are not generally grown, and are not usually seen on the 
market. The list of varieties exhibited is as follows : 
Early Strawberry, Ribston Pippin, Spice, Knox Pippin, French 
Spitzenberg, Bailey Sweet, Mackintosh, Romanite, Tolman’s Sweet, 
Smith Cider, Gideon, Cooper’s Market, Red Canada, Longfield, Belle de 
Boskoop, Black Detroit, Northwestern Greening, Winesap, .Jonathan, 
Sutton Beauty, Hubbardston Nonsuch, Transcendent, Holland Pippin, 
Gloria Mundi, Esopus Spitzenberg, Munson Sweet, Chenango Straw¬ 
berry, Seek-no-further, Swaar, Black Gilliflower, Walbridge, Hyslop, 
Rambo, Roxbury Russet, Fallawater, Col vert, Alexander, Wealthy, 
Gravenstein, Pound Sweet, Ben Davis, King, Fameuse, Pewaukee. 
Astrachan, Baldwin, Northern Spy, Twenty Ounce, Rhode Island 
Greening, and four seedlings. 
The trees from which these apples were taken vary from five to 100 
years in age. The most of them, however, vary from five to twelve 
years. 1 have sprayed regularly for the past eight years, but do not 
prune at all. In my opinion a young tree is vigorous enough without 
pruning, as this only increases wood growth at the expense of fruit 
bud formation. I spray three times with bordeaux mixture each season, 
adding one-third pound of paris green to 50 gallons, I make the first 
application just as the buds swell; spraying a second time just before 
the blossoms open, and a third time soon after the blossoms fall. 
Sometimes I spray a fourth time, if it rains hard before the calyx end 
of the apple closes, my object being to encase a little of the poison in 
the blossom end of the apple if possible. 
The underlying principle of the successful management of an apple 
orchard lies in the fact that one must keep the soil loose and porous, so 
that air and roots can penetrate deeply. The soil must also be filled 
with humus to hold moisture and maintain bacteria action. So far as 
my experience goes, I believe these conditions can be maintained more 
successfully and far cheaper by leaving the orchard in sod rather than 
by cultivation. This may seem a queer statement, and perhaps some of 
my readers will not agree with me in this matter, yet at the same time 
the product from my orchard exhibited at the state fair and at Buffalo 
attests the value of my system. 
In my orchards, from the time the trees are set, grass is allowed 
to grow. For the first ten years it is cut and raked and placed around 
the trees as a mulch. In orchards of ten years’ standing or older, the 
grass is cut and left where it falls and in this manner serves as a mulch 
for the entire area. I cut the grass but once during the entire season, 
the time depending on the soil and moisture. 
In selecting a site for an orchard I would choose a sidehill sloping 
toward the north. The trees should be 38 feet apart one way and from 
28 to 36 feet the other, varying the distance so as to select the best 
spots of ground in the row for the trees. This system will also help 
break the force of the winds during severe storms. I believe it is bet¬ 
ter to mix varieties, as they w T ill set better under ordinary circum¬ 
stances. 
MR. PERKINS’ SUMMER TRIP. 
In an article in the Horticultural Trade Bulletin, George C, 
Perkins, one of the firm of Jackson & Perkins Co., Newark. 
N. Y., says of his summer trip to Newfoundland : 
We never fully appreciated the enterprise of American nurserymen 
until it was the fortune of the writer to visit the island of Newfound¬ 
land the past summer. Even that faraway and desolate land has been 
made a field for the activities of the omnipresent “ tree-agent.” While 
on board a steamer coasting along the southern shore of Newfoundland 
we made the acquaintance of an Englishman, who, after the usual 
crust of English reserve had been broken through, proved to be a most 
interesting and pleasant companion. He was one of those globe-trot¬ 
ting Englishmen who have tried life in nearly all the British colonies 
and he could describe his adventures and experiences in a most fas¬ 
cinating manner. 
In the exchange of information about respective residences and 
occupations, which usually follows the acquaintance or two Anglo- 
Saxons, the writer mentioned that he lived near Rochester, N. Y., and 
was engaged in the nursery business. We also started to explain that 
the nursery business in this sense was not necessarily connected with 
the rearing of children, an explanation that we have frequently found 
necessary. It was not- so in this instance, however, for our friend 
immediately asked, “ Do you know-in Rochester, mention¬ 
ing the name of a veteran nurseryman in that city. “ I used to sell for 
him ten years ago when I first came out here and I did quite well too. ” 
The interior of Newfoundland, except along the line of railway, is 
almost as completely undeveloped as the country surrounding the north 
pole, for there is nothing in the interior upon which a population could 
subsist. There are hundreds of miles of moss barrens which, in all 
probability have never been traversed by man. They furnish splendid 
feeding grounds for the caribou (or reindeer) however, which are very 
plentiful in Newfoundland and the hunting of them together with the 
fine salmon fishing is bringing an increasing number of sportsmen to the 
island each year. 
For a summer outing trip we know of no place more interesting and 
delightful to visit. It has not yet been spoiled by being too well 
known and popular. For fishermen it is a place to remember for a 
lifetime ; and for the hunter there are, besides caribou, foxes, otter, 
ptarmigan or arctic grouse, geese, ducks, etc. etc. There is little to be 
had in the way of hotel accomodations and the only way for sportsmen 
to do is to camp or else hire a boat of a size to live upon comfortably f 
a plan that can be followed by a party of four or five at wondei fully 
small cost. 
HORTICULTURE IN NORTH CAROLINA. 
The twenty-second annual meeting of the North Carolina 
Horticultural Society was held October 24 th at Raleigh. It 
was reported that one man in Watauga county recently planted 
an orchard of 37,000 trees. Apple growing in the mountains 
of Western North Carolina and strawberry growing in the 
eastern section are the horticultural features of the state. The 
forest and fruit possibilities of North Carolina were discussed 
by Professor J. A. Holmes. The following officers were 
elected: President, J. Van Lindley; vice-president, O. W. 
Blacknall; secretary-treasurer, Franklin Sherman; executive 
committee, J. Van Lindley, chairman; Franklin Sherman, B. 
von Herff, P. H. Beck, J. F. Gulliver, O. W, Blacknall, T. K. 
Bruner. 
