1885. 
For t;lio wilcloi- portions of the Unitod 
States, we have varieties of our own sufll- 
e.iently Imrcly and of better cjuality tlnin the 
Hussian Apples. Soutli of tlie IMleblgan 
lak(!S, of inlddle loAva, of (anitral New York 
and tlie latitude of lioston generally,'tliore 
is tliercfore lit.tle need of iutrodiuii'ng Nns- 
sian Ap])les, so long as we siuieeed well 
with better kinds. And yet tbo Yellow 
Transparent, Ked Astraeban Alexander, and 
Dueliesse of Oldenbnrgb, have so many de¬ 
sirable points, that we may forejjo their e\-- 
trenie aeidlty, in view of their high colors 
strong growth, prodnetiveuess, and healthy 
foliage. Seedlings of these in the near fu¬ 
ture may be expected to attract the si)eeial 
attention of pomologists by their high 
claims. " 
The Enssian Cherries, Prof. Bndd thinks, 
we may certaiidy give a fair trial without 
risk of mnch disappointment; these arc flue 
for cooking; some beiug good for tlie table, 
and so beautiful, so productive, so promis¬ 
ing, as to merit trial .at least. So with Eus- 
sian Apricots, .among which we may, and 
probably shall. And varieties hardy, 
productive, and excellent, that will 
be a great acquisition. 
The Enssian Mulberry as a choice 
fruit is a disappointment, and 
where the Downing can be raised 
there is no iieed of trying the Kus- 
sian for its fruit; of its hardiness 
there is no doubt. 
The jouruej’^ of Messrs. Gibbs 
and Bndd to Russia will prove of 
gre.at service to the northern belt 
of the United States .and' Canada, 
and the infusion of Russian blood 
into our future new varieties of 
fruits maj’- exert an iinport.aut in¬ 
fluence in the progress of Ameri¬ 
can Pomology. P. M. Augur. 
garden. 
83 
Almost immediatelV 
arises, continuing to a 
olkmirf’, Pfecc of burning 
«»kum, lastencd to the end of an iron rod^ 
"oon he Ignited, 
tbiek, heavy smoko 
andcombustion: 
' '''‘'wn by the wind, from which- 
^^^qmwter it con.es, soon spreads over the 
As it is generally daring a calm that the 
I i-osts are most dreaded, the absence of the 
wind only tends to increase the thickness of 
the smoke that issues from the vases and 
hovers among the vines; it is most eflica- 
cious, therefore, at the time it is most 
needed. The vases should be iirovided with 
a lid, made of a simiile piece of wood, when 
it IS intended to place them in position in 
.ulvancc of the time of their being needed, 
in order that their contents may not be ex¬ 
posed for too long a iicriod to the action of 
the elements, 'riiesc t.ar jiots, arranged in 
this maiiuei', and on the .side of the fleld 
most exiiosod to the prevailing winds, are 
ready^ to be at once put to the use of pro- 
PEOTEOTING VRIES PROM PROST. 
Late spring frosts, as is well 
known to fruit-growers, are more 
to be feared in Grape-growing 
districts than severe winters, as in 
the course of but a few hours they 
may destroy the prospects of a 
plentiful harvest. The symptoms 
of frost, wliieh usually manifest 
themselves shortly^ before sunrise, 
unfortunately can only be discov¬ 
ered or detected by careful, vigilant w.atch- 
iug throughout the entire night, and 
even then it is often diflicult to foresee 
them. 'Pile preventive appliances hithei- 
to used, such as stationary covers, mats, 
etc., often possess little value, as from 
uuy Sudden change in the course of the 
wind their utility as a shield is only good 
>H one direction. 
The formation of artifleial clouds, pro¬ 
duced by the burning of tar, writes Mr. J. 
Jouanne, in a recent number of Le G-az, 
m, without doubt, one of the best protectoi s. 
A row of flat-bottomed, opeii-moutbed 
porcelain vases, each containing 6 to C kilo- 
gi-amnies (12 to 14 pounds) of tar, is phmed 
a'-ound the borders of the laud to be pro¬ 
tected. The vases are usually set from 20 
te 25 meters (G6 to Sl'feet) apart. To facil¬ 
itate and hasten the lighting a piece of ture, 
°akum or a bunch of str.aw saturated ’ivith 
petroleum is stuck in the middle of the filled 
PRUITS OP THE PHTTJRE. 
The methods of cross-fertilization and hy¬ 
bridizing are now so generally understood 
and so e.asily learned, said the lion. II. M. 
Engle before the Pennsylvania State ITorti- 
cultural Association, that more should aji- 
ply themselves to this work. 'J'rue, it is 
like a lottery, where the large majority 
dr.aw bl.aiiks; but nature would not be true 
to lierself in iiermitting stock breeders to ob¬ 
tain their ideal, and refusing the .same knowl¬ 
edge ill the vegetable kingdom; for if stock 
breeders can by proper .selection breed beef, 
or butter, or milk qualities, or size, or color, 
or dispense with horns, why may not simi¬ 
lar ends be obtained in the vegetable king¬ 
dom ? iVliy not establish varieties of Apples 
witliout cores, of which we hear occasion¬ 
ally, or Pe.achcs without seeds, as we find 
now and then very flue specimens with only 
the rudiments of pitts? May we not hope 
that the laws which govern such matters 
will be known in due time. Meantime, let 
all who can raise new seedling fruits and 
flowers observe closely, and keep a record 
of all items of interest that may 
seem new. Crosses should be 
made by design, which would form 
a reliable basis for f utm-e operation. 
Especially' would I induce women 
to engage m this deiicate work, 
since they can manipuhate such fine 
processes better than men. A 
beautiful and enchanting, and a 
possibly' profitable fleld is here 
open for women. 
SHORT CUTTINGS. 
The Duchess Grape is rapidly 
growing in favor. 
Experience teaches that while ir¬ 
rigation increases the size and 
quantity of fiaiits, it, at the same 
time, deteriorates quality'and color. 
A tree derives about as much 
nourishment from manure .spread 
close around its stem, as a horse 
would from a bag of grain fastened 
to its back. 
FIVE YEAR OLD MEECH'S PROLIFIC QUINCE TREE, AFTER PRUNING. 
tecting the vines as soon as the first symp¬ 
toms of frost are felt. 
Ill order that the vine-grower may be noti¬ 
fied of the near approach of the frost, the 
following is suggested. A mercurial ther¬ 
mometer should be armed with a float and 
an electric contact, so arranged that when 
the column of mercury would fall to a de¬ 
cree corresponding with a temperature ap¬ 
proximating near to a hoar frost, the circuit 
of the pile attached to the thermometer 
would be closed, and thus put m action an 
electric alarm clock. This clock could be 
stationed in the iiroprietor's sleeping ap.u t- 
,ueut,orinthat of his supermteue ent, t^^^e 
thermometer might be placed 
or in any convenient location outside the 
house in such a position .as to be at once 
all'ected by any decided change in tenipei a- 
By this means the frost itself v'OuM 
sound the signal of alarm, and all would be 
L iSSneas to ..ert tl.o tl«-o.l.ooO d»gor. 
Large crops are not .always the 
most profitable; quality'rather than 
quantity' is growing in apprecia¬ 
tion, and purchasers desire large, showy 
fruits, of good qinality, in preference to 
inferior ones. 
The principal conditions for successfully' 
grow’ing English Gooseberries in our coun¬ 
try are a rather heavy, cool soil, heavy 
inulching during summer, keeping the 
bushes open in the center, and w'hb.n they' 
start into grow'th in spring, disbudding so 
as to prevent over-bearing. 
The prospect for fruits in Illinois is 
gloomy enough. The Peach crop is gone, 
says the Editor of the Farmer and Fruit 
Ch'otoer, the Pear tw'igs are badly frozen and 
many Apple-trees are injured. Strawberry 
fields are badly' lifted, and not able to yield 
more than two-tbirds of a crop. Blackberry 
.and Easpberry' canes are dam.aged consider¬ 
ably in exposed places. All fruit crops are 
likely to be small. 
