THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
15 
JNote and Comment. 
THE APPLE MARKET. 
There was a notable advance in the prices of apples both in the 
home and foreign markets during the last week in October and the 
early part of November. Early November advices from Liverpool 
indicated that the prices had advanced at least 15 per cent, and 
growers in Western New York who had not sold their fruit and who 
were sure of the grade were slow in accepting anything under $3 per 
bbl. Many people are of the opinion that the year is going to turn 
out a good one for buyers who secured fruit under $2.75 per bbl. 
The arrival of cold weather gave new impetus to the market and 
restored confidence in a remarkable degree. In Chicago a great 
bulk of Western boxed apples is being distributed, and apparently at 
satisfactory prices. The year promises to redeem its immediate 
predecessor. 
The Almeria Grape market in New York was somewhat demoral¬ 
ized during the last week in October by an attempt of the importers 
to fix a minimum price. The buyers objected and practically 
struck, so that for a time there was a dead lock. It appears that the 
Almeria Grape crop is somewhat short this year and there is a strong 
under-current of opinion on the part of the growers and importers 
that some advantage should accrue to them from this condition. 
The effort was not very successful, however, and last reports quoted 
a falling off in the price. 
Messrs. Glen Brothers of Rochester, report a large sale and 
increasing interest in the Sober-Paragon Chestnut. This variety 
is being extensively planted in the chestnut growing section of 
Pennsylvania. 
The B. G. Pratt Company, manufacturers of “scalecide”, New 
York, are sending out to their patrons an interesting and useful 
souvenir, in the way of a pocket diary which in addition to the 
ordinary calendar pages, contains directions for making and applying 
scalecide and other useful information in reference to spraying. 
The note book diary is certainly an excellent method of advertising 
a useful substance. This diary and spraying calendar is offered free 
to any fruit grower who. may write for it. The address is B. G. 
Pratt Co., 50 Church Street, New York. 
THE KEEPING OF APPLES. 
In a bulletin of the New Hampshire Station, F. W. Morse brings 
out in a very striking manner the fact, that the steady loss of weight 
which fruits such as apples undergo even under most favorable con¬ 
ditions in storage is due to a process of breathing similar to that 
occurring in animals, whereby oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxid 
given out. 
Since apples and other fruits have no body to maintain, the 
breathing process is not so active as in animals, and they may last 
months after being picked from the tree. Yet there is a steady, 
continuous loss in weight as the weeks go by, although the fruit is 
sound and firm. 
This breathing, or respiration is stated to be “partly a chemical 
reaction, and in apples, like most chemical reactions in the labora¬ 
tory, it grows more rapid as the fruit becomes warmer and is slowed 
down when the fruit is cooled.” Professor Morse’s experiments 
indicate that these chemical changes “take place from four to six 
times as fast at summer temperatures as in cold storage, and from 
two to three times as fast in cool cellars as in cold storage.” 
There is a practical application of this law to be made to the care 
of fruit, especially at apple picking time. 
It is frequently the case that warm days with temperatures of 70 
degrees F. occur in October, sometimes continue for a con¬ 
siderable period. Fancy apples intended for long keeping in cold 
storage should be cooled as soon as possible and kept cold. The 
breathing process is at the expense of cell contents weakening 
the keeping qualities as it goes on. And this destructive action is 
from four to six times as fast out of cold storage as inside it. 
Another fact in connection with the respiration is important. 
It is not stopped in cold storage, but simply retarded. Apples can 
not be kept indefinitely, but keep about twice as long in cold 
storage as in a cool cellar.— U. S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin 
334 - 
EFFECTS OF COLD. 
Freezing is in effect drying; the water is taken out of the tissues 
of the plant and changed for the time into ice. If the tissues are 
unable to take water again they necessarily die. Sometimes the 
injury is apparent as soon as the tissues have thawed, but many 
cases of winter killing do not become evident until the vigorous 
.growth of early summer begins. 
In general the trees native to a given section resist injuries of this 
kind. Yet much can be accomplished in growing exotic trees, at 
least to a certain age, by careful attention to their location, and if a 
naturally sheltered place is not available they can be protected by 
screens of native evergreens. 
Many trees, especially smooth-barked ones, have their trunks 
and larger branches injured on the southwest side by the freezing 
and consequent death of patches of bark. During the warmer 
winter days there is sufficient heat at noon to stimulate portions of 
the growing layer into premature growth; such tissue is killed if 
cold weather follows immediately. The injury often, does not 
become manifest until well into the summer. The dead tissue 
forms a favorable place for the growth of parasitic organisms and 
such a tree usually dies from rotting in a few years. This trouble 
must not be confused with that type of sun scald which is due 
simply to extreme heat in summer, when the growing layer may be 
literally cooked. Such cases occur most typically in the arid sec¬ 
tions of the Southwestern States. 
Trees that are worth the care are best protected by wrapping the 
parts liable to this sort of injury with straw or paper. Often 
merely shading the part liable to this injury with a board or shingles 
is sufficient to prevent it. 
Another winter injury often confused with freezing is actual 
drying out. This may occur anywhere, but most typically in the 
higher altitudes of the West, where the dry and rarefied air and 
bright sun favor evaporation from the tree surface of more water 
than the roots can obtain from the cold and frequently sandy or 
gravelly soil. Evergreens are especially subject to this difficulty, 
since their leaves transpire to some extent throughout the winter. 
Whatever conserves the moisture of the soil tends to decrease this 
injury; for example, mulching and fall or winter irrigating. Trees 
normally hardy will often winterkill if unable to ripen their wood 
completely; this often happens as a result of defoliation in late 
summer.— Year Book Department of Agriculture 1907. 
MAINE STATE SOCIETY. 
The Maine State Pomolog : cal Society met at Waterville, Novem¬ 
ber 10-12. Among the subjects presented were “Present Orchard 
Conditions” Prof. E. F. Hitchins, “Orchard Cultivation” Prof. 
W. L. Hurd, “Legislation to Promote Apple Growing” Dr. G. M. 
Twitchell, “Starting a Commercial Orchard” Prof. F. C. Sears 
Mass., “Pleasure and Profit in Apple Growing” Clark Allis, Medina, 
and “Horticulture in Europe” Prof. John Craig, Cornell University. 
President Wm. Craig, Auburn, Me. The Association put itself 
on record as favoring legislation which would promote uniform 
packages and honesty in grading the fruit. The legislature will 
be asked to enact a statute prohibiting fraudulent packing. 
“We await each month with much interest the arrival of the 
National Nurseryman, and assure you of our continued best 
wishes for your success.” 
The Des Moines Nursery Co. 
J. W. Hill, President. 
