THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
57 
Our Booh 'Cable 
The Care of Trees, by Bernard E. Fernow, Dean of the Faculty of 
Forestry, University of Toronto, late Director of New York State 
College of Forestry, Cornell University. 8x5^ in., 392 pages. 
Illustrated. Publishers, Henry Holt & Co. Price $2.00. 
In no division of the field of arboriculture has greater advance 
been made than in the line which makes for the maintenance of trees 
in healthy, growing condition. Tree surgery, as distinct from tree 
quackery and much foolishness which unfortunately prevails at the 
present time, having had its foundations laid many years ago, is a 
subject which has, under the direction of plant pathologists and 
skilled horticulturists, developed to a very important extent and 
degree in the last few years. There have been each year important 
contributions to our knowledge of rational methods of treating 
diseased and caring for healthy trees. An excellent addition to this 
store of knowledge comes to our desk under the above title. The 
volume is the work of a man who has devoted his entire life to 
forestry in its larger economic as well as in its practical aspects. We 
should expect, then, to have this subject, the care of the trees, 
treated by such a man in a rational and at the same time scientific 
manner. We are not disappointed. 
The book is divided into nine chapters, aside from the bibliogra¬ 
phy of allied subject matter and the index. Prominent among the 
subjects which are considered is the physiology and morphology or 
structure of the tree. This naturally leads up to a consideration of 
the cause of the death of trees, which includes such destructive 
agents as insects, fungi, physical agents, as electric currents and 
mechanical injuries. Naturally this is followed by a study of the 
means of controlling them. This entire part of the book is strictly 
up to date, and contains the type of information which the plants- 
man of today is in need of. The latter part of the book comprises a 
condensed discussion of plant material, with special reference to the 
adaptation of this material to soil and climatic environment. We 
have great pleasure in recommending this work to the attention of 
the readers of The National Nurseryman, and it may be obtained 
through this office at price quoted above. 
Some Suggestions for Rhode Island Apple Growers, by A. E. 
Stene Abstract from Report of State Board of Agriculture for 
1909. Published by E. L. Freeman Co., State Printers, Provi¬ 
dence, R. I., 1910. 
Dealing in a general way with many phases of apple growing, 
this book is intended especially to aid the beginner in this field. 
The author believes that the book, of which the following is a brief 
summary, will answer many of the questions which arise in the mind 
of the wide-awake young orchardist of Rhode Island. 
During the last decade, fear of the San Josd scale has checked the 
planting of apple orchards in Rhode Island, reducing interest in the 
industry to a lower ebb even than it had been for some?years pre¬ 
vious; but now that San Jos 4 scale is being conquered to a greater 
extent, orchardists throughout New England are venturing once 
more to plant on a commercial scale. Rhode Island does not now 
produce much more than half the quantity of apples she consumes, 
so it appears that there is a large field right at home for apple grow¬ 
ers who will take advantage of favorable soil conditions in the 
northern and western parts of the State. The best apple orchards 
in Rhode Island are found on the Gloucester Stony Loam. 
The common practice today for obtaining returns from the land 
before the orchard of standard trees will come into bearing is to 
interplant with early-bearing varieties of apples, rather than with 
peaches, small fruits, or vegetables. Wealthy and Oldenburg are 
recommended, the former being especially valuable, and next in 
order perhaps are Wagener and Yellow Transparent. 
As to the respective values of the mulch and clean culture sys¬ 
tems, the following results of a carefully conducted experiment show 
the advantage in this case to have been decidedly with the cultivated 
plots; 
Mulched Cultivated 
434 Fruits per barrel. 309 
2.8 Barrels per tree. 4.2 
$71.52 Net profit per acre. $110.43 
1.1 Gain in tree diameter. 2.1 
But, on the other hand, many splendid orchards have been devel¬ 
oped under the mulching system. 
As to the purposes of pruning, they may be considered as four¬ 
fold, “to shape the tree, prevent an excess of wood growth and too 
great competition between the branches of the tree, open it up to air 
and sunlight, and to encourage the formation of fruit buds.’’ The 
quantity and nature of the fertilizer required by apple trees depend 
on their stage of development. Young trees require nitrogen to 
promote a vigorous wood and leaf growth, while bearing trees need 
potassium and phosphorus. 
Probably the chief obstacle which makes the would-be orchardist 
pause is the great number of enemies of the fruit. Among the most 
important insects are borers, scale insects, bud moth, tent cater¬ 
pillar, canker worm, and codling moth, and common apple diseases 
are scab, canker, leaf spots, and blight. Kerosene emulsion is the 
most effective contact insecticide, and as to fungicides, both sulphur 
and copper sprays have enthusiastic advocates. The author then 
gives directions for the renewal of neglected orchards, and mentions 
several things which may be causes of the failure of orchards to bear 
well, and closes with some .suggestions as to harvesting and market¬ 
ing, in which the grower from any section may learn from the ex¬ 
perience of orchardists all over the country. 
FRUITS AND NUTS IN OUR FOREIGN COMMERCE 
Of 458 million dollars worth of fruits and nuts which have passed 
through the United States ports during the past ten years, but 156 
million dollars worth represent exports to foreign countries. There 
were receipts from territories of the United States to the value of 
12 million dollars, and shipments to the same places of 5 million 
dollars; and all the rest, 285 millions, represents the value of 
foreign grown fruit and nuts imported. During the year ending 
June 30, 1910, fruits and nuts imported were valued at 19 millions, 
those exported at 36 millions. 
Domestic production of raisins, prunes and oranges, is rapidly 
coming nearer to the amount required for home consumption. The 
imports of bananas, figs, walnuts, cocoanuts, and almonds continue 
to increase in value, as the home supply is far from being sufficient. 
Imports of fruits and nuts as a whole have increased from 21 million 
dollars in 1890 to 36 millions in 1910, but while in 1890 oranges were 
imported to a total value of 2 million dollars, less then 100 thousand 
dollars worth were brought into this country in 1910. Imports of 
raisins and prunes have fallen off to approximately the same extent 
The figures for lemons run nearly the same for the different years, 
but bananas were imported in 1910 to nearly three times the value 
of those of 1890. Almonds, cocoanuts, and walnuts all show larger 
imports in 1910 than previously. 
EXPORTS 
On the export side, values have increased enormously; for 
exports of fruits and nuts have grown from four millions in 1890 to 
19 millions in 1910. Apples, prunes, oranges, raisins, apricots, 
canned fruits, and nuts have contributed most largely to this. The 
exports of apples, including dried apples, have increased in twenty 
years from two to over five million dollars. The value of oranges, 
dried apricots, prunes, and canned fruits exported in 1910 was from 
about three to eight times greater than in 1890. The export of nuts 
in 1890 was valued at $28,000, and in 1910, 400 thousand. The 
chief factor in the increase was peancts. 
Bananas supply about one-third of the foreign fruits consumed 
in this country, and come from Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, 
British West Indies, and Cuba. Italy supplies practically all the 
lemons. The Zante variety of currants produced in Greece supplies 
practically all of the imports of that fruit. 
