THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
283 
order to extract the resin completely,fresh quantities of the sol¬ 
vents mentioned are required and are obtained from the resin 
solution. By heating this fluid the solvent is volatilized and 
the better resin remains. The vapors of alcohol are carried 
back into the upper part of the percolator, and, after being 
condensed by a cooling device, are used once more upon the 
chestnut meal, the process being repeated until the fluid run¬ 
ning from the percolator is free from any bitter taste. The 
alcohol retained by the chestnut meal is distilled off and the 
meal dried. 
FOREST TREE PLANTING. 
One of the most important and promising lines of work of 
the Bureau of Foresty, says the Secretary of Agriculture, is its 
study of economic tree planting and its co-operation with 
farmers and others in making forest plantations. Tree plant¬ 
ing has so vital and intimate a relation to the welfare of the 
farmer in the treeless regions that whatever assists him to 
grow trees assists him also in the production of every other 
crop. Forty-six thousand one hundred and forty-five acres 
were examined for planting during the year, and planting 
plans were prepared for 5,785 acres, while 148 applications 
for tree-planting plans have been received. The number of 
applications for commercial plantations of large size is in¬ 
creasing so rapidly that the usefulness of the practical 
assistance and advice offered to the tree planters will be 
limited only by the men and money available for the work. 
A series of important measurements of the growth of 
planted groves in the treeless plains has been begun in order 
to show the value of plantations as business investments. 
A careful study has been pushed during the year of the 
encroachment on forests of the Western plains in order to 
determine the possibility of reclaiming portions of non- 
agricultural Government land by planting forests. 
ILLINOIS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
The forty-sixth annual convention of the Illinois State Hor- 
ticural Society will be held in the Agricultural Building of the 
University of Illinois, at Champaign, December 10, 11 and 12. 
Delegates will be present from other states, a program of un¬ 
usual interest will be presented, and many prominent horticul¬ 
turists will be present. 
The following are some of the papers which will be read and 
subjects discussed: Fev. J. R. Reasonerwill speak on ‘ Straw¬ 
berries;” E. A. Riehl, “ Grape Culture for Farmers; ” Arthur 
Bryant, “Plums, Varieties and Culture; ” W. A. Young, “Best 
Methods of Harvesting and Marketing the Apple Crop; ” Prof. 
J. C. Blair, “ Cool and Cold Storage Experiments; ” Dr. W. K. 
Jacques, “ Preparation of Orchard Soils;” A. P. Darby, “ Cow 
Peas as an Orchard Fertilizer.” Two interesting papers by 
ladies will be “ Civic Improvement Societies and their Work, ’ 
by Mrs. J. L. Hartwell, and “ Fruit in its Relation to Health,” 
by Mrs. J. C. Blair. 
Dr. J. T. Burrill, of the University of Illinois, will treat on 
“Bitter Rot on Apples; ” S. A. Forbes, state entomologist, 
“The Canker Worm in Illinois Orchards;” H. T. Thompson, 
“ Best Methods for Propagating Trees for the Orchard; ’ J. 
W. Stanton, “ Illinois Fruits at the Pan-American Exposition.” 
Other topics that will be taken by prominent men are: De¬ 
velopment of New Orchard Fruits; ” “ Weak Places in Orchard 
Management.” Henry M. Dunlop, Savoy, is president of the 
society; L. R. Bryant, Princeton, secretary. H. Augustine 
will be in charge of the question box. 
APPLE EXPORTS. 
The apple exports of the United States and Canada for the 
season 1900-01 make a total of 1,346,030 barrels, included 
among which are 203,333 boxes of California apples, says the 
Gardeners’ Magazine. Total exports for the previous season 
amounted to 1,293,121 barrels, including 149,515 California 
boxes. For last season the chief port of export was Boston 
with 409,979 barrels, Montreal coming next with 249,219 bar¬ 
rels, followed by New York with 240,635 barrels. The chief 
port of import was Liverpool with 814,100 barrels, London 
following with 251,322 barrels, after which came Glasgow with 
225,051 barrels. 
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS. 
Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, K. C. M. G., C. I. E., F. R. S.» 
LL. D., Ph. D., M. A., T. L. S., is the director of the Royal 
Botanic Gardens at Kew, England, Director George Nicholson 
having retired. During 1900 the number of persons who 
visited these gardens was 1,111,024. In 1899 the number was 
1,197,565. The total number on Sundays was 487,772, on 
week days 623,252. 
TREATMENT OF RAFFIA. 
It is well known that although raffia has many good points, 
it has the fault of soon decaying from damp. We now learn 
that this fault can be overcome, says the Gardeners Chronicle, 
by sulphuring the material, i. e., exposing it to the fumes of 
burning sulphur in a close closet or room, and its durability 
increased sevenfold. 
Nurserymen will heartily endorse the proposition at a recent 
meeting of the Educational Science Section of the British 
Association, that the teaching of botany be simplified; that 
class work tend even more than it has of late to a practical ac¬ 
quaintance with plants at the same time that an acquaintance 
with botanical terminology is acquired. 
It is announced that Professor C. L. Marlatt, assistant ento¬ 
mologist of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, has found in 
Northern China the original home of the San Jose scale and 
also a species of ladybug which in that latitude keeps the scale 
in check. They say the scale has reached America and now 
the ladybug is coming. We have thought all along that this 
matter would work itself out. 
Insomnia in trees (languishing of trees on the Thames Em¬ 
bankment, England, because they are deprived of rest after 
sunset by the powerful electric lights); iceless refrigerators (the 
keeping of fruits, milk, butter, etc., fresh in a portable closet 
by the use of pure water); edible horse chestnuts (the removal 
of the bitter taste), are some of the developments of the season. 
And still they wonder at the “ Stringfellow method.” 
