v§/M(v, ■■■••■■ 1-. . . t;;' .-i: -, -d, ■ ^d^ TRANSACTIONS OF THE Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, FOR THE YEAR 1883. LIBRARY jsiEW YORl BOTANi<^A Compliments of W, H, Ril&AN, Secy Afiss. Va/. Hort. Society, Clayton, Indiana. Please achnowledge receipt of this. VOL. I. By W. H. RAGAN, Secretary INDIANAPOLIS : CARLOX it HOLLENBECK, PRINTERS AND BINDERS 1883. TRANSACTIONS or THE Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, FOR THE YEAR 1883, I^I^TyORK BOTANiCAl BEING A REPORT OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING, GARDEN. HELD IN THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, LA., FEBRUARY 21, 22, 23 AND 24, 1883, TOGETHER WITH A FULL LIST OF PAPERS READ, WITH ACCOMPANYING DISCUS- SIONS; ALSO, LIST OF MEMBERS, ROSTER OF OFFICERS OF HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES, BUSINESS DIRECTORY, AND HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE M. V. H. S., WITH LIST OF PREMIUMS AWARDED AT THE FIRST ANNUAL MEETING, IN ST. LOUIS, SEP- TEMBER, 1880. VOL. I. By W. H. RAGAN, Secretary. INDIANAPOLIS : CARLOX * HOLLENBECK, PRINTERS AND BINDER."?. 1883. LIBRARY NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN TABLE OF CONTENTS. ♦, Introductory v Officers foi-1883'.. vi (Jorrespondents viii Standing Committees for 1883 ix Constitution of the Society x List of Members for 1883 xi Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Meeting 1 Address of Welcome {Hudson) 4 President's Annual Address (Eurle) 5 Origin and Importance of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Soc'y (NowHn). 14 Jtrawherries for the North and How to Grow Them (Smith) 23 Strawberry Culture in the South (jlVcA'aj/) 29 Is there a better Market Strawberry than the Wilson [Galuahn). 45 Insects Affecting the Strawberry (Forbes) 5(1 -he Best Strawberries for Home Use and for Market ( Webb) 8G Irrigation in Horticulture (Baker). • 106 Small Fruits in the South (Roe) 114 -vThe newer Peaches and new Fruits for the Cotton States (Berchmans) 118 Pears and their Culture in the South (Cassell) 125 Systematic HorticulturalJ?-cogress (Mumnv) 136 Horticulture vs. Euts^(i2/o?i)..^> 13!) Forestry on the Plains {Furnas)..: 14G , Influence of Forests on Health ( Warder) 159 Markets and Marketing (HolUster) 171 Birds in Horticulture (Leim) 181 ^_,,.— -Adorning Rural Homes (Huntley) 189 Can we Master the Insect Enemies of the Orchard (Bagan) 197 An Orchard Scourge (Burrill) 202 , Raspberry Management and the new Rasjjberries (Evans) 208 vi Tabic of Content^. Tlie Jajcuiese Persimmon in Arkansas ( II7e;) 211 New Apples of Value for Market (Sumuels) 215 Management of Peach Orchards {Endicotl} 226 Grape ("nltiire and Civilization (Bush) 230 The Pecan Tree (J/o/u) 237 Scientific Production of new Fruits (Stmjniau) 241 The Grapes of the Southwest {Onderdon/:) 246 The Best Apples for Southern Markets (Hammond) 248 Adaptation of Fruits to Climate and Soil (Plumb) 251 Planting Fruit Trees (Mlnier) 258 Historical Sketch (Tra^i/) 260 List of Premiums Awarded 263 Roster of Officers of Horticultural Societies 269 Horticultural Business Directory 273 .lndex..> 281 INTRODUCTORY. In presenting this, the first volume of Transactions of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, the Secretary begs the indulgence of members of the So- ciety in any defects that may appear to them. The justice of this request will appear to those who are familiar with the facts in the case, viz., that the Secretary assumed the responsible duties of his office in the midst of the meeting at New Or- leans, and, therefore, could not, by any possible means, do full justice to the im- portant trust. With the exception of the errors that may be due to this cause, and to the inevi- table typographical errors that will escape the most careful proof reading, the Secretary flatters himself in the belief that he is presenting to the Avorld, through this publication, one of the most valuable volumes of its kind that has thus far issued from the press of our country. Certainly Jio similar publication, with per- haps the single exception of the biennial reports of the American Pomological iSociety, has embraced subjects from a wider range of territory and from a greater list of practical contributors than this volume does. With this brief introductory this volume is placed before the reader, whose hon- est verdict will be accepted as justly merited, by the Secretary. OFFICERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY FOR 1883. PARKER EARLE, President Cobden, Illinois. S. H. NOWLIN, First Vice President Little Rock, Ark. W. H. RAGAN, Secretary .■ Clayton, Indiana. J. C. EVANS, Treasurer .». Harlem, Mo. state vice presidents. Dr. Jno. a. Warder, North Bend, Ohio. T. T. Lyon, South Haven, Michigan. E. Albertson, Bridgeport, Indiana. Oapt. E. Hollister, Alton, Illinois. J. M. Smith, Green Bay, Wisconsin. J. T. Grimes, Minneapolis. Minnesota. Ex-Gov. E. W. Furnas, Brownville, Nebraska. Prof. E. Gale, Manhattan, Kansas. D. S. Grimes, Denver, Colorado. Prof. J. L. Budd, Ames, Iowa. Ex-Gov. N. J. CoLMAN, St. Louis, Missouri. W. B. Clarke, Beebe, Arkansas. T. V. MuNSON, Denison, Texas. Jno. T. Hardie, New Orleans, Louisiana. Prof. J. J. Colmant, Agricultural College, Miss. Dr. Chas. Mohr, Mobile, Alabama. J. E. Porter, Humboldt, Tennessee. James Decker, Fern Creek, Kentucky. A. W. Campbell, Wheeling, West Virginia. Dr. Samuel Hape, Atlanta, Georgia. V i i i Correapon den is. (( )RRESP0:N DENTS. Allan, J. T., Sec'y State Ilort. Society, Omaha, Nebraska. Beadle, D. W., Sec'y Fruit-Growers' Association, St. Catharines, Ontario. Beal, Prof. W, J., Sec'y American Pom. Society, Lansing, Michigan. Burrill, Prof. T. J., Champaign, Illinois. Berckmans, P. J., Pres. State Hort. Society, Augusta, Georgia. Budd, Prof. J. L., Sec'y State Ilort. Society, Ames, Iowa. Brackett, G. C, Sec'y State Hort. Society, Lawrence, Kansas. Brackett, G. B., Denmark, Iowa. Bush, Isador, St. Louis, Missouri. Brayton, Prof. A. W., Indianapolis, Indiana. Bryant, Arthur, Princeton, Illinois. Beatty, J. S., Pres. State Hort. Society, Simpsonville, Kentucky. Barry, Patrick, Pres. Western N. Y. Hort. Society, Eochester, New York. Baker, F. P., Topeka, Kansas. Cassell, W. H., Canton, Mississippi. Colman, Col. N. J., St. Louis, Missouri. Colmant, Prof. J. J., Agricultural College, Mississippi. Campbell, G. W., Sec'y State Hort. Society, Delaware, Ohio. Cowing, Granville, Muncie, Indiana. Downing, Chas., Newburg, New York. Evans, J. C, Treas Mississippi Valley Hort. Society, Harlem, Missouri. Furnas, Gov. K. W., Brownville, Nebraska. Forbes, Prof. S. A., State Entomologist, Normal, Illinois. Grimes, J. T., Treas. State Hort. Society, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Grimes, D. S., Denver, Colorado. Goodman, L. A., Sec'y State Hort. Society, Westport, Missouri. Garfield, C. W., Sec'y State Hort. Society, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Gale, Prof. E., Pres. State Hort. Society, Manhattan, Kansas. Galusha, O. B., Pres. State Hort. Society, Morri.s, Illinois. Hale, J. H., South Glastonbury, Connecticut. Ilape, Dr. Samuel, Atlanta, Georgia. Hudson, E. M., New Orleans, Louisiana. HoUister, Capt. E., Alton, Illinois. Holsinger, F., Rosedale, Kansas. Hammond, A. C, Warsaw, Illinois. Ingersoll, Prof. C. L., Pres. State Agri. College, Fort Collins, Colorado. Johnson, S., Pres. State Hort. Society, Irvington, Indiana. Johnson, Geo. Y., Sec'y State Agri. Society, Lawrence, Kansas. Loring, Dr. Geo. B., U. S. Com. of Agri., Washington, D. C. Lyon, T. T., Pres. State Hort. Society, South Haven, Michigan. Lazenby, Prof. W. R., Columbus, Ohio. Lovett, J. T., Little Silver, New Jersey. Latta, Prof. W. C, Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana. Standing Committees for 1883. ix Planning, Eobert, Sec'y State Hort. Society, Salem, Massachusetts. Mohr, Dr. Charles, Mobile, Alabama. McKay, Dr. E. H., Pres. State Hort. Society, Madison, Mississippi. IVIcWharton, Tyler, Aledo, Illinois. Munson, T. V., Dennison, Texas. Minier, Geo. W., Minier, Illinois. Nowlin, S. H., Little Rock, Arkansas. ■Ohmer, N., Dayton, Ohio. Plumb, J. C, Milton, Wisconsin. Parry, Wm., Parry P. O., New Jersey. Porter, J. E., Humboldt, Tennessee. Eoy, Wm., Owen Sound, Ontario. Eiley, Prof. C. V., U. S. Entomologi^^t, Washington, D. C. Ragan, Z. S., Independence, Missouri. Roe, Rev. E. P., Cornwal-on the Hudson, New York. Stuart, W. R., Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Smith, J. M. Pres. State Hort. Society, Green Bay, Wisconsin. Scott, D. Wilmot, Secretary American Nursery Association, Galena, Illinois. Sami\els, Wm. M., Clinton, Kentucky. Stayman, Dr. J., Leavenworth, Kansas. Thomas, .J. J., Union Springs, New York. Teas, E. Y., Dunreith, Indiana. Tracy, Prof. S. M., Pres. State Hort. Society, Columbia, Missouri. Vick, Jas., Rochester, New York. Webber, A. W., Nashville, Tennessee. W^eltz, Leo, Wilmington, Ohio. W^ebb, A. D., Bowling Green, Kentucky. W^ilder, Col. Marshall P., Pres. A. P. M., Dorchester, Massachusetts. AViggins, S. M., Sec. Cxulf States F. G. A., New Orleans, Louisiana. Warder, Dr. J. A., Pres. State Hort. Society, North Bend, Ohio. STANDING COMMITTEES FOR 1883. Oft Statistics. — O. B. Galusha, of Illinois ; Gov. R. W^ Furnas, of Nebraska, and Dr. H. E. McKay, of Mississippi. On Experimental Stations. — W. H. Ragan, of Indiana, F. P. Baker, of Kansas, and J. C. Evans, of Missouri. On Exhibitions. — S. H. Nowlin, of Arkansas, T. T. Lyon, of Michigan, and J. S. Beatty, of Kentucky. On Transportation {Northern Section.) — F. A. Thomas, of Illinois, .J. M. Smith, of Wisconsin, and Capt. E. Hollister, of Illinois. [Sotdhern Section.) — Dr. H. E. McKay, of Mississippi, Maj. A. W. Rountree, of Louisiana, and Maj. S. H. Nowlin, of Arkansas. CONSTITUTION OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. Article I. The organization shall be known as the Mississippi Valley Horti- cultural Society. Its object shall be the promotion of horticulture. Article II. Any person may become a member upon the payment of two dol- lars, and membership shall continue upon the payment of two dollars annually. Article III. Its officers shall consist of a President, First Vice President, Sec- retary and Treasurer, who shall be elected by ballot at each regular meeting; and one Vice President from each State, who may be elected to this position by the several State horticultural societies. Should there be no Vice President elected from any State, the vacancy may be filled by the executive committee of this so- ciety. The term of office of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treas- urer, shall begin on the first day of January following their election. No person can act as an oflSicer of this Society who does not maintain his membership by the payment of the annual membership fees. Article IV. The regular meetings of this Society shall be held annually on the first Tuesday of September, except when otherwise ordered by the executive committee, and continue for such time as the committee shall determine. Article V. The officers of the Society shall constitute an executive committee, at any meeting of which a majority of the members present shall have power to transact business. Article VI. Special meetings of the Society may be called by the executive committee, and meetings of the committee may be called by the President and Sec- retary. .'Vrticle VII. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any regular meeting. LIST OF MEMBERS FOR 1883. A J. J. Atlierly, South Haven Michigan. J. Albrecht, 50 Camp street, New Orleans Louisiana. Dr. f. M. Agnew, Makanda IlHnois. Mrs. Dr. Agnew, Makanda llhnois. George Ames, Michigan City Indiana. Mrs. George Ames, Michigan City Indiana. E. Albertson, Bridgeport Indiana. Albert Albertson, Canton Indiana. B. F. Adams, Madison Wisconsin. Abner Allen, Wabaunsee Kansas. L. F. Adams, cor. Maryland and Penn. streets, Indianapolis. ..Indiana. Henry Averj^ Burlington Iowa. Mrs. Helen V. Austin, Richmond Indiana. Geo. G. Atwood, Geneva New- York. B Horace Y. Beebe, Ravenna Ohio. J. G. Bubaugh, Princeton Illinois. A. G. Brice, 30 Camp street, New Orleans Louisiana. J. D. Baldwin, Ann Arbor Michigan. D. W. Beadle, St. Catharines Ontario. H. C. Bouton, Anna Illinois. Mrs. H. C. Bouton, Anna ..Illinois. A. B. Brown, Villa Ridge Illinois. F. P. Baker, Topeka Kansas. Prof. T. J. Burrill, Champaign , Illinois. Benjamin Buckman, Farmingdale Illinois. Thomas Bermingham, 131 South Water street, Chicago Illinois. John H. Barnett, 147 South Water street, Chicago Illinois. ^Ers. J. H. Barnett, Chicago Illinois. xii List of Members. T. A. Bixby,Soiitli lliivcn IMichigan. M. H. Bixby,S()utli Haven Michigan. William Britton, Madison • Mississippi. John Bm'k.Cohdon Illinois. Mrs. J. IJuck, Cobdcn Illinois. Isidor Bush, St. Louis Missouri. J. Bower, New Trenton Indiana. J. P. Buck, Appleton Wisconsin. Mrs. J. P. Buck, Appleton Wisconsin. A. A. Barnes, cor. INIaryland and Delaware sts., Indianapolis... Indiana. ■George L. Brunton, Centralia Illinois. Fielding Beeler, Indianapolis Indiana. M. Baker, O;] South Water street, Chicago Illinois. •George Booth, llo South Water street, Chicago Illinois. Mrs. O. W. Brownback, Pendleton Indiana. W. H. Bryan, 12 and 14 Walnut street, Cincinnati Ohio. P. J. Berckmans, Augusta Georgia. Phil F. Brown, Blue Kidge Springs Virginia. Prof. J. L. Budd, Ames Iowa. John Blair, Kansas City Missoiu-i. Bloomington Nursery Company, Bloomington Illinois. c E. N. Clark, Cobden Illinois. Mrs. E. N. Clark, Cobdcn... Illinois. A. J. Caywood, Marlboro Xew York. C G. Comstock, Albany Missouri. Prof. J. J. Colmant, Agricultural College Mississippi. C. D. Colman, St. Louis Missouri. L. Cole, 80 Camp street. New Orleans ..Louisiana. W. Cook, Bowling Green Kentucky. Mrs. H. Carter, Waverly Illinois. W. H. Cassell.Canton Mississippi. B. O. Curtis, Paris Illinois. L. D. Cassinello, St. Louis Missouri. G. W. Campbell, Delaware Ohio. George Cairncross, Pewaukee Wisconsin. O. D. Clough, St. Louis Missouri. (Jranvillo Cowing, Mnncic Indiana. John S. Collins, -Moorestown New Jersey. Matthew Crawford, Cuyahoga Falls Ohio. E. F. Cadwallader, Louisburg Kansas. A. W. r'amjilK'H, Wheeling West Virginia. W. li. Clarke, Beebe Arkansas. J. S. Conklin, Sidney Ohio. List of Members. xiii Hiram Canfield, 88 West Market street, Buffiilo New York. ]S". J. Colman, St. Louis Missouri. J. K. Cravens, Kansas City. Missouri. Daniel Cox, Cartersburg Indiana. Phil Chew, St. Louis Missouri. Wise A.Cooper, Trenton Tennessee. Cook & Irwin, Blue Mound Kansas. D M. A. Dunn, Chicago Illinois. George Davies, 37 Prospect street, Cleveland Ohio. Mrs. H. Davies, 37 Prospect street, Cleveland Ohio. H. Daue, Woodland Wisconsin.. T. C. Dickinson, Kankakee Illinois. Mrs. T. C. Dickinson, Kankakee Illinois. Dr. 'I^. F. Dryden, Clayton Indiana. D. M. Dewey, Rochester New York, C. N. Dennis, Hamilton Illinois. Mrs. C. N. Dennis, Hamilton Illinois. E Parker Earle, Cobden Illinois, Mrs. Parker Earle, Cobden Illinois. Frank S. Earle, Cobden Illinois. Charles T. Earle, Cobden Illinois. G. C. Eisenmeyer, Mascoutah Illinois. -T, C. Evans, Harlem Missouri. G. W. Endicott, Villa Ridge • Illinois. J. F. Ewing. Bowling Green Kentucky. L._ Ellsworth, Milwaukee Wisconsin, Mrs. C. G. Eddy, Chicago Illinois. James Edgerton, Barnesville Ohio. G. F. Espenlaub, Rosedale Kansas. F Frank Ford, Ravenna Ohio. Dr. A. D. Finch, Anna Illinois. H. B. Francis, Mulberry Missouri. Prof. S. A. Forbes, Normal Illinois. H. C. Fisher, Memphis Tennessee. E. H. Finch, Anna Illinois. Mrs. E. H. Finch, Anna ..Illinois. J. N. Fitch, Cobden Illinois. Mrs. J. N. Fitch, Cobden Illinois. C. W. Faust, Canton Ohio. xiv List of Members. 11. 11. Fiirlcy, rnion S])iings • New York. C. M. Forbes, Jiulsonia Arkansas. C. II. Ferr.ll. Iluinboldt Tennessee. G .\. 11. Gilkeson,Warrensburg Missouri. O. ('. Gibbs, Downer's Grove Illinois. Prof. F. A. GiiUey, Agricultural College Mississippi. Mrs. F. A. Gulley, Agricultural College ^fississippi. W. G. Gano, Park vi lie ^lissouri. L. A. Goodman, Westport Missouri. J. G. Gilmore, New Iberia Louisiana. 0. B. Galnsba, IMorris Illinois. D. S. Grimes, Denver Colorado. C. W. Gallagher, Meridian Mississippi. Mrs. A. C. Gallagher, Meridian Mississippi. Samuel Groenendyke, Eugene Indiana. D. Ginnochio, St. Louis Missouri. Col. R. W. Gillespie, New Orleans Louisiana. J. H.Gail, Buflalo New Yprk. M. George, 95 South Water street, Chicago Illinois. J. T. Grimes, Minneapolis Minnesota. C. H. Gregory, Altus Arkansas. John 0. Green, New Albany- Indi9,na. Joseph Gilbert, Terre Haute Indiana. W. A. Gosnell, Kansas City Missouri. H. Garman, Normal. Illinois. H F. Holsinger, Rosedale Kansas. Mrs. F. Holsinger, Rosedale Kansas. E. M. Hudson, New Orleans .....Louisiana. Dr. Samuel Hape, Atlanta Georgia. J. T. Hardie, New Orleans Louisiana. E. T. HoUister, St. Louis Missouri. E. Hollister, Alton... Illinois. Jacob Ilileman, Anna Illinois. Mrs. D. Huntley, Appleton Wisconsin. A. I). IT(^aly, South Haven. Michigan. J. Jl. llalc, South Glastonbury Connecticut. A. E. Heighway, Cincinnati Ohio. Dr. Gideon Hunt, Plainfield Indiana. H. H. Harvey, Gretna Louisiana. Dr. a. A. Hall, Wabash avenue, Chicago Illinois. AVatson F. Hinckley, Indiana avenue, Chicago Illinois. List of Members. xv Mrs. W. F. Hinckley, Indiana avenue, Chicago Illinois. H. S. Hurd, Burlington Ontario. T. S. Hubbard, Fredonia New York. J. J. Harrison, Painesville Ohio. W. F. Heikes, Huntsville Alabama. C. G. Hampton, Detroit Michigan. William S. Hubbard, Indianapolis Indiana. E. Hollister, Secretary Alton Horticultural Society, Alton Illinois. A. C. Hammond, Warsaw Illinois. Mrs. A. C. Hammond, Warsaw Illinois. Heikes Nursery Company, Dayton Ohio. W. H. Henry, Beebe Arkansas. P. D. Hammond, Indianapolis Indiana. John M. Howell, Dallas Texas. William M. Hopkins, Kansas City Missouri. B. B. Hance, Red Bank New Jersey. F. L. Houghton, Normal Illinois. I C. L. Ingersoll, Pres. State Ag. College Fort, Collins Colorado. J Sylvester Johnson, Irvington Indiana. Edwin Johnson, Clayton Indiana. S. S. Jackson, Cincinnati Ohio. Thomas Joannes, Green Bay Wisconsin. Z. K. Jewett, Sparta W^isconsin. Mrs. J. E. Johnson, Sec'y State Hort. Society, Dallas .'Texas. Geo. S. Josselyn, Fredonia New York. K P. M. Kiely, 719 Broadway, St. Louis Missouri. T. W. Kizer, Winchester Indiana. E. Kennedy, 190 Josephine street, New Orleans Louisiana. T. J. Knopp, 13 Baronne street, New Orleans Louisiana. A. C. Kendel, 115 Ontario street, Cleveland Ohio. Mrs. A. C. Kendel, Cleveland Ohio. C. Kirkpatrick, Anna Illinois. Mrs. C. Kennedy, Cartorsville Illinois. George J. Kellogg, Janesville Wisconsin. A. W. Kerr, McKinney Texas. E. W. Kirkpatrick, McKinney Texas. Wm. Kid well, Kansas City Missouri. xvi Lif^>»/ Valley Horticultural Society. qiionce of the floods, to attend a meeting of so much importance, and especially in a latitude of such peculiar interest to those accus- tomed to the rigors of a northern climate. As it was, and in spite of the swollen and dangerous condition of the Ohio, the Mississippi and other northern streams, some two hundred or more fruit grow- ers, many of them accompanied by their wives and children, repre- senting twenty-one States and the Dominion of Ontario, found their way to this, the first important meeting of the kind ever held so far in the direction of the noon-day sun. Nor was this meeting ex- clusively monopolized by the people of the North. The South and South-west, with many from New Orleans and the immediate vicin- ity, met us on friendly terms in this meeting of mutual interest. The Society assembled in Grunewald Hall, one of the most beau- tiful and commodious assembly rooms in the country, which had been provided and handsomely decorated and adorned for the occa- sion by the Gulf States Fruit Growers' Association. . Many rare and beautiful semi-tropical plants had been used in the decorations of the hall, which gave to the surroundings an agreeable and pleasant appearance, especially to those of us so recently transported from the icy regions of the North. In connection with the hall were committee rooms and consultation parlors; also, a large corridor fitted uj) with suitable exhibition tables, all of which were, for the time being, placed at the service of the Society. A very creditable display of fruit was placed on exhibition by members from various sections of our common country. The agricultural press of the country was largely represented at the meeting, prominent among which the Secretary recognized the following : Gilbert M. Tucker, of the Country Gentleman, Albany, New York ; S. M. Tracy, Rural New Yorker, New York ; John Hyde. Prairie Farmer, Chicago, 111.; C. D. Colman, Colman's Rural World, St. Louis; Mrs. H. M. Lewis, Western Farmer, Madison Wis.; W. H. Ragan, Midland Monthly, Indianapolis, Ind.; E. H. Williams, Indiana Farmer, Indianapolis ; D. W. Beadle, Canadian Horticul- turist, St. Catherine's, Ont.; O. C. Gibbs, Chicago Tribune; A. W. Campbell, Wheeling Intelligencer, W. Va.; F. P. Baker, Topeka Com- monwealth, Topeka, Kan.; S. 11. Nowlin, Rural Southwest, Little Introductory Exercises. 3 Rock, Ark.; H. C Bouton, Farmer and Fruit Grower, Anna, 111.; J. E. Porter, West Tennessee Argus; J. Y. (jilmore, Louisiana Su- gar Bowl, New Iberia, La., and others whose names the Secretary failed to get. First Day — Wednesday. EvENiKG Session, February 21, 1.SS3. At half past 7 o'clock p. m. Wednesday, February 21, President Parker Earle, of Cobden, Illinois, called the Society to order. The afternoon of the preceding day had been devoted to the usual preliminary work of such occasions — to the arrangement of fruits for exhibition, and especially to social greetings and to the forma- tion of new acquaintances; and now, at the hour appointed for the first regular business meeting, in the beautiful hall and under the brilliant gas lights, assembled as happy and intelligent a congrega- tion of practical horticulturists as may but rarely be met with, drawn together from far distant points, ranging from almost two thousand miles, to the immediate surroundings. The following gentlemen occupied seats upon the stage : Parker Earle, Esq., President ; Prof. S. M. Tracy, Secretary ; Major S. H. Nowlin, Ex-Governor K. W. Furnas, of Nebraska; Prof J. J. Col- mant, of the Mississippi Agricultural and Mechanical College; T. T. Lyon, President Michigan State Horticultural Society, and O. B. Galusha, President Illinois State Horticultural Society, representing the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society; and Judge E. M. Hudson, Judge A. G. Brice, Major Austin W. Roundtree, Captain J. J. Mellon, Captain A. Sambola, John T. Hardie, Esq., Adam Thomson, Esq., S. M. Wiggins, Ei^q., and George W. Nicholson, Esq., representing the Fruit Growers' Association of the Gulf States. Upon taking the chair, President Earle addressed the Society as follows: "Ladies and gentlemen, members of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, we are assembled to-night in this beautiful hall, in the groat com- mercial metropolis of the South, upon the invitation of the Fruit Growers' Association of the Gulf States, whose President, Hon. E. M. Hudson, of this •city, I now have the pleasure of introducing to you." 4 Mis.sissippi Valley Horticultural Society. Mr. Hudson, who is a practical farmer and fruit grower upon a large scale, as well as an eminent counselor at law, addressed the Society as follows : Gentlemen of the Mississippi VnUey Horticultural Societij : It was expected that the Governor of our State would have been present to tender ycui a welcome and a greeting. Ho is, unfortunately, kept away by public duties from the city at present, but I am charged by him in liis name, on behalf of the State of Louisiana and of the city of New Orleans, to tender you a cordial and hearty welcome. While expressing his deep regret for the circumstances which kept him from participating in your deliberations, he also desired me to say that, should his business engagements allow him, he will try to be here before your adjournment to take some part in your delib- erations. Gentlemen, in the absence of the President of the Fruit Growers' Associa- tion (for 1 am only the Vice President), it devolves upon me, as his exponent, to tender you a welcome; to welcome you here as the representatives of the great Mississippi Valley, a valley which but a few years ago was considered a very inconsiderable portion of these United States, but which, to-day, I think I can say, without exaggeration, when we consider the system of its railway and river connections, extends from the Atlantic to the Pacific slope. We welcome you here as the exponants of an era of peace and prosperity, be- cause it is only with peace and prosperity that art and agriculture can flour- ish. We welcome you here as our neighbors — neighbors with whom identity of labors and interests have made us acquainted long before we saw your faces. Yours, gentlemen, is no ignoble mission. The history of the world teaches us that in all ages, where civilization and culture has prospered, l^orticulture has prospered. It is only when civilization has declined that the cultivation of the soil has fallen into disrepute. In the jiroudest days of Greece and Rome, when the poets sang, agriculture was at the acme of its prosperity. Afterward, in the decline of the Roman Emjiire, it fell into disrepute, and it was only when letters were revived by the orders of the monks in their mountain caves that horticulture began again to prosper. Its revival com- menced with the revival of letters in the Monastic Period. I said it was no ignoble profession. Charlemagne, himself, was the first who recognized it a* a noble one. And now, if we cast our eyes back over the last i'lliy years — 1 will say for the last quarter of a century — and see the wonderful advances which have been made in the United States, having learned all that the older countries of Europe coulil teach us, we have in our turn become teachers. You are all teachers; by your example, by the organization of such associations as this, you are teaching the young men of the country the art of horticulture ; I say art advisedly, for you are teaching them the best method of cultivating the Pi'esidenfs Anriual Address. 5 earth and of procuring from it the fairest fruits, flowers and embelhshnients. Wherever agricuUure has ifourished, architecture has prospered. We have but to look at a highly cultivated piece of land to-day and note the architec- tural beauties with which it is embellished. Gentlemen, I do not propose to detain you to-night. You come here for a grand purpose. The programme shows that you have to consider subjects of importance, and of the greatest importance to the whole land. You have much to do. Our Association, which has not been as active as your own, will take courage from you. We shall listen and expect to be instructed, and we shall take the deepest interest in all the deliberations which shall take place among you. To which President Earle responded as follows: 3Ir. President, Gentlemen and Citizens of Neiv Means : In the unfortunate absence of the gentleman M'ho was to have responded to this most cordial welcome from Mr. Hudson — Gov. Colman, of St. Louis — I can only say, on the part of this Society, that our hearts respond warmly to the welcome which you extend to us. We have come down here from the North, and from the West, and from all parts of the Mississippi valley, to make your acquaintance, to exchange cordial greetings of friendship, to compare views, and to give encouraging words regarding the useful art of horticulture in which the people of all sections of our great country are deeply interested, and to deepen and widen that feeling of a community of interests, and a sincere brotherhood between all of our several sections, with- out which no permanent prosperity and no high civilization can be main- tained. I am glad. Sir, to receive this welcome from you, and to receive it in Louisiana. I am glad we have come down here to this beautiful and his- toric city, to this memorable and fertile State, where nature smiles perennially in verdure and in flowers; but I am more glad to meet the warm welcome in your faces, than of your mild and sunny skies. Let me assure you, Sir^ that every member of this society responds cordially to the generous spirit of your welcome. But I can not trust myself to say more upon a theme which so touches my heart, but will proceed now with my regular address to the Society. PRESIDENT'S ANNUAL ADDRESS. Members and Friends: The territory which this Society represents, pos- sesses imperial extent and resources. The natural wealth of this great valley surpasses by far that of any existing empire on the globe. The magnitude of our agricultural resources is recognized and commented on the world over with wonder. The markets of the world depend upon the yield of our fields and our pastures. The size of the harvests in the Mississippi valley affects the price of the daily bread of half the population of the globe. The indus- trial development of this valley has revolutionized the commercial and eco- 6 Mississiiqn Vullcy llurtiruUaral Society. nnwnc systems of the most powerful nations of the earth. And all of these Y;ist changes liave been mostly wrought during the life-time, and by the energy of a single generation of men. It is safe to say that so great a work has never before been done by man. We have in but little more than a quar- ter of a century converted a boundless wilderness into fruitful fields, spanned it witli fifty thousand miles of railway, and made ourselves masters of the world's markets for food and clothing. But while this wonderful development of the agriculture and commerce of our great valley has swept forward, there has been a minor culture more slowly build ng itself up, which has not affected the interests of the other nations so deeply, but which has been intimately related to the welfare and prosjierity of our own people, and this indispensable thing is Hurticulture. Horticulture embraces all of those finer products and conditions which, being essential to the best development of men and women, makes a grand agriculture, a fruitful commerce, and a noble civilization possible. A gener- ous horticulture goes hand in hand with an enlightened agriculture, and neither can become great and permanent without the other. As, then, the produce of the garden, the fruits of the orchard, the beautiful growths of the florist, and the grateful shade and shelter of forests, are all indispensable ta the growth of the men who grow the crops that feed and clothe the world, we find that the whole great world is, after all, vitally concerned with the suc- cess or failure of our Mississippi valley horticulture. It is then, with great pleasure, that I greet you, fellow-members of this- young Society, so young in years, but so great in purposes and in hopes! that I greet you assembled in such goodly numbers in this great and beautiful city of the South, to confer together regarding all those methods by which we may help to perfect our varied work. I am glad, ladies and gentlemen,, that we have mot here in this Southern metropolis, so near to the mouth of the mighty river which waters and drains the greatest valley of the world ;. so near to the shore of the great Gulf, whose breezes warm and fertilize all the vast area of our gardens and fields. I am glad that we of the North have come down to meet and shake hands with you of the S >uth, as fellow-mem- bers of a noble fraternity, as brotherly citizens of a glorious nation ! We come together to-day from widely-separated sections, from more than half of the States of this great republic — but representing one grand com- munity of feeling and purpose — to work out some of the problems which affect the i)crpetuity of civilized society, and the progress of humanity to- ward millennial ideals. We come peacefully and joyfully together from a thousand busy communities, Avhere the plowshares and pruning hooks —you remember well from what stern implements they were beaten — are indus- triously wielded, and all the many arts of life are carried on in glorious- peace I God be praised that this is so, and that the firm purpose of our hearts is that this shall remain so forever : " For humanity swueps onward ! " Presidenfs Annual Address. 7 And the men of this country who have mastered their passions and have re- estabhshed sincere relations of fraternity may well " Stand serene and down tlie future see the golden beam ineline To the side of perfect justice, mastered by their faith divine, By man's plain truth to manhood, and to God's supreme f them too thick to do their best upon one side, and few or none upon the other. They will now go on radiating in all d rections and fill up the ground. I am speaking now of the Wilson ; this plan maj- not be necessary with other varieties. Late in the fall, after the ground freezes, they should be covered with straw, or, what I like better, marsh hay, as the latter hsis no foul seed in it to annoy us the following season. Cover the plants sufficiently deep to hide them from view. The covering should be left upon them until the ground is done freezing in the spring. One of the greatest benefits of winter cover- ing is the protection given to the plants during the early spring, when the ground freezes more or less nearly every night and thaws during the day. During this process, the land becomes what we call honey-combed, or in other words, in freezing the top of it rises somewhat from its natural posi- tion, and in doing so either starts the roots of the plants from their natural position, or breaks them off a short distance beneath the surface of the earth; either one of these will be fatal to a large crop of fruit. Hence I leave the covering upon mine until the plants have started be- neath it. After removing the covering, go through the beds and destroy •every weed and blade of grass that has hitherto escaped notice. Put on a good covering of well-rotted manure, say fifteen to twenty loads per acre, or, if you can get it, fifty to seventy-five bushels of unleached ashes per acre. If leached ashes use twice the amount. 1 have almost invariably found it ne- cessary to go through my beds twice during the spring before the picking commences, and occasionally three times. The beds should be kept free of weeds at any cost. Both plants and berries need the sun to enable them tcJ do their best. If, after all other work is done, I find that the crop promises to be an extra large one, I often put on an additional coat of manure, or, if I have used manure in the early spring, put on ashes for the second fertilizer. This will assist the late berries very much in keeping up their size and firmness, and thus add much to the value of the crop. During the picking season we sometimes have a very dry time, and unless we can water the beds artificially much of our time and labor will be lost. For a number of years past I have had no vines out of the reach of artifi- cial watering. I find one thorough wetting much better than two or three fiprinklingg. As regards the amount of expense that may be incurred for Strawberries for the North. 27 this purpose, each grower must be governed by the value to be added to his •crop, and tlie expense necessary to add such value. It is an important ques- tion, and should be well considered by those interested in growing this little ■queen of berries. If you have had a very large crop, as you are very likely to have if you have followed these directions, examine the beds carefully as soon as the picking season is over, and if the vines look exhausted and are throwing out but very few runners, it is better to plow them under at once and fill the ground with some other crop than to try to care for the plants another year, and then not get sufficient fruit to pay for your time and labor. I refer now only to the Wilson. I have never yet been able to make any other variety bear itself to death the first season, but have repeatedly had the Wilson come so near to it that they were not worth caring for another year. If the yield has been only a moderate one, the second crop will probably be as good, and perhaps better than the first. Such has, of late years, been about my method of cultivating the Wilson, after more than twenty years of experimenting. I do not consider 200 bush- •els, or 6,400 boxes, an extra crop. I have rejieatedly had much more than the amount named, and sometimes double the amount. In fact, I will not ■cultivate for any length of time any variety that will not yield at least 6,000 boxes per acre. Still I must confess that I have never succeeded in getting it from any other variety, the Crescent Seedling alone excepted, nnd this is so soft with me as to make it about worthless for shipping, and not by any means as valuable as the Wilson for the home market. Of the many other varieties that have been put forward, had their brief ■day, and then passed away, I scarcely know what to say. Some of them have doubtless done well in some places and under some circumstances, while for the average grower they have been entirely worth- less. Years ago, when Mr. Knox was, as I doubt not, svicceeding well with the Jucunda, I sent to him and obtained some of the plants, and did my best with them for a number of years. I had some magnificent fruit from them, but do not believe that I ever grew one quart of them that cost me as little -as fifty cents. Seth Boyden's No. 30, Triomphe de Gand, Sharpless, and many others that might be named, are large and beautiful to look upon, but with me are worthless for market, or at least for any market in the Northwest. I keep a very few of the No. 30 and the Sharpless, in order to let my friends know that I can grow some large berries. The Kentucky has done the best of any of the late varieties with me. It is a fair bearer, and the fruit of good quality. For a late berry I like it bet- ter than the Glendale. Captain Jack, Red Jacket, Prouty, Diuican, and possibly some others, have borne with me about one-half of what the Wilson would have done under the same circumstances. I have tried many varieties that were utterly worthless. 28 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. For table berries to be used in the home families, I know of nothing better than Burr's New Pine and Downer's Prolitic. They are both moderate in size, moderate bearers, and too soft for market, but very choice in quality. Within the last twenty-five years I have picked rijie berries twice ujion the Gtli of June. Twice it has been the 25th of June when we picked our first ripe fruit. From the 10th to the 13th we generally get our first ripe fruit. Upon some of the cold highlands about L:ike Superior they do not ripen until nearly one month later than in Central and Southern Wisconsin. The season generally lasts about four weeks, and until about the com- mencement of the raspberry season. Last season we had our last dish of strawberries and our first dish of raspberries upon the table at the same time. I employ all of my pickers by the day. Each one has two boxes. Into one of them is placed all the nice merchantable fruit, and in the other the imperfect berries are put. The last named are sold at home for what they will bring. The others are of course retained for market. In advocating spring cultivation as I have done, I well know that I am going against the opinions of some of our large and successful cultivators. In my own defense allow me to say this much: I would not and do not cul- tivate sufficiently deep to injure the roots of the growing plants. If your lands or strawberry beds were as rich as I make mine, you must of necessity either cultivate in the spring or lose your crop. These are facts from which there is no escape. It may be asked then, why make the land so very rich? My answer is as follows: My long experience has taught me this. Other things being equal, the richer the land the larger the crop. The Crescent Seedling may be an exception to this rule. But I can think of no other. It is often said that the Wilson is failing. I can see no indications of it in the district of country from which I come. On the contrary, I think that the finest and most promising beds of them that I have seen were within the last six months. Gentlemen, I have thus given you ray own views and experience, rather than that of others, not because I wish to boast of what I have done or can do, but simply because my methods have been successful. I have failed but once in more than twenty years to have at least a paying crop, and most of the time they have been not only very large, but very profitable. I believe that I may say, and will only stiite it because I know it to be a fact, that I have never known any one whose crops have been so uniformly large as my own. These large crops have by no means been the result of chance or hap- hazard cultivation, but of very rich land, well drained, heavily manured, thoroughly cultivated, well protected during the winter, surface manured in the spring, and well watered if dry weather came on during the bearing season. Strawhei'ry Culture in the South. 29 What I have done you may do, provided it is better than the system you are at present pursuing. If it is not, you will, of course, not adopt it. I make no pretense of having reached perfection, but on the contrary, if I live a few years longer, expect to far outdo anything that I have ever yet done. I do not pretend to know where the limit beyond which we can not pass is, or when it will be reached. But to reach it is an object worthy of our care, our thought, and of our most worthy efforts. He who wins in this friendly contest will hold a high and an honorable position. Those who fail to reach the highest point will still have the satisfaction of knowing that they are engaged in a contest that brings no sorrows in its train ; but upon the contrary all its tendencies are to elevate and lift up his fellow beings to a higher ideal of home life, and to make homes better and happier, as far as its influence shall reach. At the conclusion of Mr. Smith's paper the President introduced Dr. H. E. McKay, of Madison, Miss., the President of the State Horticultural Society of that State, who is one of the largest straw- berry growers of the entire valley, who read a paper; STRAWBERRY CULTURE IN THE SOUTH. BY ©R. H. E. M'KAY. At the request of our worthy President I consented to write a paper, to be read at this meeting, on strawberry culture in the South. In doing so I am most conscious of the fact that I can only present to you a few of the facts :and fundamental points upon which the successful culture in the South is based. I am not by any means a " knight of the quill." I have only taken my pen occasionally when circumstances and the necessity of the case seem to demand that I should say something. I have endeavored, so far as possi- ble, to cover the leading points in this j^aper, and such as we have I will read to you as well as I can. This occasion is very embarrassing to one unaccus- tomed to either writing or reading for the public, and I hope you will indulge me under these circumstances as kindly as you can. We do not vmderstand from the above heading that we are limited to the preparation of the land, manner of setting out the plants, and its after culti- vation, but all the items necessary to the attainment of successful production are embraced. With this view, we shall first refer to the different soils upon which it is or may be grown, for both home and commercial use. Probably no section of our great country, whether we consider the far East, the great and inexhaustible middle belt, or the grand and almost un- limited Northwest, has greater diversity of soils than are to be found in the South; yet, notwithstanding this diversity, if there are places where other 30 Mississippi Valley Horticullural Society. sfmthern crops do well, that have failed to give reasonably good results irs this fruit, we have so far failed to learn where they are located. It is true of the strawberry as of other thing:?, that it has its favored locali- ties, where it attains its greatest perfection, and gives its most astonishing^ results. A few growers fully understand this fact, but many, apparently in- telligent, seem ni» (Colaspis flavida, Say) : Enlarged, and natural size. Prof. Riley states in his third report as State Entomologist of Missouri, that this beetle greedily devours the leaves of the strawberry, commencing to appear in June and continuing until autumn, although leaving the straw- berry vines for other food, to a great extent, late in July and in August. The following is Say's description of the beetle : " Pale yellowish ; elytra striate, with a double series of punctures. Body densely punctured; punctures rather large and profound, head with two slightly elevated tubercles between the antennae; thorax tinged with rufous; elytra with elevated lines, of which the inner one curves round at base and descends a short distance to unite with the sutural line; interstitial spaces, excepting the subsutui'al one and the two exterior ones, with double series of rather large profound punctures ; exterior edge blackish brown ; venter dusky. Length nearly one-fifth of an inch. Var. a. Interstitial spaces of the elytra black; beneath, excepting the feet, black." Prof. Riley's inference in the article cited, that this beetle is the adult of the common root-worm of the strawberry, can not yet be regarded as estab- lished as will be explained more fully under Paria aterrima, when treating of species injurious to the root. The beetle (Colaspis) could, of course, be easily poisoned in the strawberry field ; but as it feeds on the leaves of the grape as well, and possibly on some other plants, such treatment might not be a complete remedy. Until the larva of this beetle is more certainly known, and its life history has been thoroughly cleared up, we can not recommend more effective measures. Insects A^eding the Strawberry. 61 The Root-worm Beetle. Paria aterrima, Oliv. Order Coleopteru, Family Chrysomelidse. This beetle, probably the imago or adult of the root-worm, will be fully described and discussed under the latter name, and I need only mention here the fact that it appears on the vines in both spring and summer (August), and that it may be poisoned at the latter period without trouble, as has been , several times proven by exjjeriment. Locusts. Caloptenus spretus, Thos., Acridium americanum, Drury, etc. Order Orthoptera, Family Acrididae. Prof. Riley mentions strawberry leaves as among the favorite food plants of the Rocky Mountain locust (Seventh Report, p. 159), and we have found the young of the second species above mentioned devouring the strawberry leaves in Southern Illinois. Mr. F. S. Earle, of Cobden, 111., writes in July : "A few days ago I noticed some ' flocks ' of young grasshoppers [probably of this species] that were literally eating up some strawberry plants. They were quite small, apparently just hatched, and there were not enough of them to do any serious harm, but they made a clean sweep as far as they went." The Strawberry Plant-louse. Siphonophfyra Jragarise, Koch. Order Hemiptera, Family Aphididse. Fig. G. Strawberry Plant-louse (/Sip/tonop^ioj-a/rogacfe, Koch) : Root form (?) from crown. H. Garman. This species occurs in numbers large enough to attract attention and occa- sionally to do decided injury, in Kansas and Illinois, *and probably elsewhere also. Like all the plant-lice, it is far more dangerous than its usual insignifi- cance would lead one to suppose. The reproductive rate of these insects is -The form figurert above, from Southern Illinois, ha*; the aspect of an Aphis, and it is possible that the Illinois species is not iii'phonophoni framirhi', as was supposed by Dr. Thomas. Until the aerial forms can be seen, however, 1 prefer to leave the matter as above. 62 Mississippi Valley HovUculiiiral Society. so eiiormovis that when conditions happen especially to favor their increase, they may suddenly swarm in countless myriads, and utterly destroy the plants which they infest. In spring and early summer this species occurs on the under sides of the leaves and on the stalks of the growing fruit, causing the leaves to wither, and diminishing the size of the berry. In autumn the lice move to the crown, where they may be found between the bases of the roots. In No- rig. 7. Egg of above. H. Garmau. vember, the wingless females here lay th^ir eggs, which survive the winter to hatch in the spring. The winged form probably appears at irregular intervals throughout the summer, as is usually the case with the plant-lice, and this is consequently the time when the species spreads from field to field. The following de- scriptions are from Buckton's "British Aphides," vol. I, page 125: — "Apterous vivipxrous female. — Size of body .09 x .04 inch, length of antennae 1 inch., of cornicles .025 inch. Whole bodj- shining green, except the corn- icles, which are tipped with black, and straight. Eyes red. Antennae long and dark olive. Legs pale, with dark femora and tibia joints. Tail yellow. "Papa. — Reddish green, with a smokj' line down the dorsum. Thorax and ring cases gray. The last with blackish tips. "Winged viviparous female. — Expanse of wings .35 inch, size of body .09 x .04, length of antennae .1 inch, of cornicles .025 inch. Head, thoracic lobes, an- tennre, nectaries, tibiae, and femoral points black. All the rest of the body green. Abdomen with four round black spots on each side of the carina, and several obscure marks down the dorsum. Eyes red. Cubitus and wing insertions bright yellow, other veins black. Stigma grayish. Tail yellow. Wholly green on the imder side. Some specimens are of a redder shade than the rest " At the time when this insect probably does its principal injuries, namely : previous to the ripening of the fruit, the usual standard remedies for the in- juries of plant-lice are impracticable, since the poisonous powders and fluids which are used for the destruction of these insects would render the berries inedible. The proper season to attack this pest by local applications is doubt- less in autumn, when the lice are congregated upon the crown. At this time, if desirable, they might easily be exterminated by the thorough appli- cation of the kerosene emulsion to the plants. This would have the advantage of destroying both the living insects and the eggs. It is at this time, also, that the fields should be plowed up, if it j)i'oves to be necessary to resort to Insects Affeeting the Strawberry. 63 this treatment to arrest the multiplication of the insects. As the eggs re- main during the winter upon the crowns of the plants, not hatching until spring, care shovild of course be taken in forming new plantations, that the young plants are obtained from fields not infested by lice, or else that these and their eggs are destroyed upon the plants before they are set. Although I have not yet had any opportunity to experiment upon this matter, I have little doubt that dipping the plants in the kerosene emulsion or'in a simple mechanical mixture of kerosene and water, about three parts to one hun- dred, would be efficient for this purpose, and secure 'the new field against in- fection from the old. Leaf-Hoppers? Order Hemiptera, Family Tettigonidse. I find in the Farmer and Fruif-Grower for June 16, 1880, an item quoted from the " Examiner and Chrcnicle," which probably relates to some one of the above family, known by the name of leaf-hoppers : " In a field which produced some fine fruit last June, as the plants were set the previous August, there appeared about the time the fruit was gath- ered a small insect resembling the grape-thrips. only one-third its size, or less than one-sixteenth of an inch long. They are perfectly white, and keep on the under side of the leaves that are nearest the ground. The leaves soon turn black and dry up, and the ground under the plant gets foul, as if soot had been thrown there. As fast as the dead leaves were removed, they would collect on the lowest leaves of the plant as before, and soon cause their decay. So numerous were they that they would fill your eyes and nostrils full when you were cleaning off the plants. I gave them a heavy dose of air- slacked lime, but it did not seem to destroy any of them, and the plants were nearly ruined. Before the season was over I could see some of them on the other plats on my ground, and on some of my neighbors' a mile away, and, if they have not been destroyed by the frost, they may do as much damage this season." The False Chinch-bug. Nysius destructor, Riley. Order Hemiptera, Family Lygreidse. ^ Fig. 8. False Chinch Bug {Nysius destructor, Riley): b. Pupa; c. Adult. After Riley. a. Leaf of potato showing injury '64 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. This little bug is so simibir in size, form and general appearance to the notorious chinch-bug, Ihititisvery frequently mistaken for the latter by those not accustomed to observe insects closely. It often occurs in great numbers in strawberry fields, especially in autumn, when purslane and other spreading weeds have been allowed to grow freely. It is not usually guilty of any very serious injury to the plants, and yet is worthy of mention. The following item in the Western Rami for 1870, by a fruit grower of Cen- tralia, Illinois, probably refers to this insect: — "A new insect, to us here, has appeared on our strawberries for the first time the past season, damaging the crop very much. It resembles some- what the chinch-bug, so destructive to our wheat and corn, and judging from the peculiar odor they emit on being mashed, should think them very nearly related. Some claim that they are of a different species altogether. Whether this be so or not, those interested in the cultivation of the strawberry are anxiously looking forward to another se;fson to see if they are to continue their depredations." From the genuine chinch-bug it may be very readily distinguished by the fact that it is of a rather uniform pale and tarnished brown color, whereas the chinch-bug has a decidedly black head and thorax, with two conspicuous black spots on the front wings, separated by an hour-glass-shaped white blotch. The genuine chinch-bug does not attack the strawberry. Prof. Riley's description and figure of Nysius destructor are given herewith, some- what condensed :— " General color grayish brown. Head more or less distinctly pubescent; the surface usually brown, with 9, distinct black, longitudinal line each side, broadening on the crown, but generally leaving the orbit of the eyes pale; these lines sometimes more diffuse and occupying the whole surface, except a median brown spot at base of crown, and a narrow, paler spot on the cly- peus; ocelli piceous; rostrum piceous, paler at base and reaching to hind coxfe; antennae either pale yellowish brown or darker brown, the torulus and first joint darkest. Thorax with the pronotum narrowing anteriorly, the sides slightly sinuate, irregularly and more coarsely punctate than the head, more or less pubescent, dingy yellow or brown, with a transverse black band near the anterior edge; also five more or less distinct longitudinal dark lines, the central one most persistent and leading on the posterior margin to a ixile, shiny, impunctate spot; scutellum usually dark, coarsely puncUite. Legs pale yellow, inclining more or less to brown; coxaj dark at base, pale at tip ; trochanters pale ; front and middle femora spotted more or less con- flaently on the outside with brown; tibite ringed with brown at base. Hemelytra cither colorless, transparent and prismatic, or distinctly tinged with dingy yellow; shallowly punctate and very finely pubescent. Venter piceous, minutely and regularly covered with gray pubescence ; female dingy yellowy except at base; female paler than male, and generally larger. Aver- -age length .13 inch. Described from numerous specimens." Insects Affect ing the Strmcberry, 65 The Flea Xegro Bug. Thyrecccris pidicaritis, Germar. Order Hemiptera, Family Pentatomidse. Fig. !i. Flea Negro Bu<; (Thyreocoris pulicaria, Oirmar). After Rilev. This species is sometimes quite injurious to the strawberry, puncturing the stem with its beak and sucking the sap, thus causing the blossom or fruit to wilt. Wherever it occurs, the nauseous flavor which it imparts to every berry it touches will soon make its presence manifest. It is about .12 of an inch long, by three-fourths that width; the outline of the head and thorax together triangular; that of the abdomen semi-oval and broadly rounded behind ; the scutellum is very large, nearly covering the abdomen. The color is glossy black above and beneath ; the edges of the wing covers white; the antennae, tibije, and tarsi brown; the whole surface finely punctured. Chrysalis Snails. Papilla fallax, Say. Although these little mollusks are, of course, not properly included in an entomological article, it may be worth while to notice the injury occasion- ally done by them to the strawberry. The only mention of this species in this connection, which I have seen, is in Vol. II. of the American Naturalist, page 666 : A gentleman at New Har- mony, Indiana, who found his strawberry plants dying rapidly, on searching for the cause, discovered these mollusks at work upon the stems and crowns of the plants, rasping off the outer coating, and sucking their juices in such a manner as to cause them to decay. He found as many as forty upon one plant, and thinks that they have killed several thousands upon the different beds. Though more abundant on the strawberry, he has found them on a variety of plants. Since attention has been called to the depredations of these minute mollusks, they have been found at work upon the strawberry plants in all the gardens examined. INSKCTS INJURIOUS TO THE CROWN. The Strawberry Crown Miner. Anarsia lineatella, Zeller. Order Lepidoptera, Family Tineidse. Under the above name I have to report the occurrence in Illinois of an insect which, if it has hitherto occurred in this region, has wholly escaped attention until last fall, but which has shown by its performances elsewhere 5 QQ Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. both the abiUty and the disposition to do serious mischief in the strawberry Held. It was detected last September, at Normal, by the roadside, in plants- which had escaped from cultivation. About seventy-five per cent, of the crowns of these plants were infested by a small, reddish caterpillar, which had eaten out the interior of the crown, inflicting an injury similar to that done by the crown-borer in Southern Illinois, and certainly equally serious. These caterpillars were about two-fifths of an inch (7 to 8 mm.) in length,, reddish pink on the back, fading into dull yellow on the second and third segments. The head is yellow, with the sutures deeply indented. The Fig. 10. Strawbekry Crown Mi.nek {Anursia llneatclla, Zdler) : Larva, magnifled nine di- ameters. From strawberry crown. H Garmin. anterior part of the segment behind the head is smooth and horny, and of a pale, brownish yellow color. On each segment are a few shining reddish dots, or slightly elevated tubercles, from each of which arises a very fine, short yellowish hair. These dots are arranged in imperfect rows, a single one across the third, fourth and last segments, and a more or less perfect double row on the others. The sides and under surface are of a dull whitish color, becoming faintly reddish on the hinder segments. A row of setigerous tubercles, like those on the back, crosses each ventral segment. The feet and false legs are yellowish white, the former tipped with dark brown. These caterpillars were quite active, creeping rapidly about Avhen their burrows were opened, and often letting themselves drop to the ground by a thread. Mr. Wm. S.iunders, of Ontario, Canada, is to be credited with the first published mention of their injuries to the strawberry, and I can not do better than to quote from his account of it, in the annual report of the En- tomological Society of the Province of Ontario for the year 1872 : " This is a very troublesome insect where it occurs plentifully, and takes a liking to the strawberry; but happily this is not often the case. We have never seen it affecting this fruit anywhere except on the grounds of Mr. Luke Bishop, of St. Thomas, Ont., who first called our attention to it about the middle of May, 1869, when he brought us a few specimens. During 1868 and 1869 they played sad havoc with his plants, destroying a large propor- tion of tiiem. " On the eighth of June we visited the grounds of Mr. Bishop, and found his strawberry beds badly infested— -indeed almost destroyed — by this pest, along with a lejtf-roUer, to be presently described. The borer eats irregular channels through the crown, sometimes excavating large chambers, at other times merely girdling it in various directions, here and there eating its way Insects Aj^ectmg the Strawberry. 67 to the surface. Whetliei- these various chambers and channels are due to the presence of more worms than one in a single root we were unable to determine with certainty. Most of the larvae found at this date had eaten their way to the upper part of the crown of the plant, just under the surface, and were found about the center with a hole eaten through the surface. From the fact that a large number of roots were examined, and although almost every one was more or less injured, but very few larvae were to be found, we inferred that the probabilities were that the Urvae, when mature, jsually leave the root, and undergo the change to chrysalis, either under the surface of the ground, or amongst rubbish at the surface. One chrysalis only was found, and that was in the cavity of a root. As s3on as Mr. Bishop had discovered the destructive character of this pest, he, with commendable cau- tion, refused to sell any more plants until the insect was subdued, for fear of spreading the evil. He is of opinion that the insect came to him from some part of the United States, with some plants of the Hooker strawberry, as it was in a pitch of these, so obtained, that he first noticed the insect working. " Specimens of the larva? gotten late in the season, wintered over, and were examined on the 12th of January following, when they did not appear so plump in body as those examined in July. They appear to spend most of the winter in a tor^jid state within the silken cases before mentioned. Sev- eral were found thus sheltered at this time, and one, whose original abode had been disturbed in the fall, had prepared for itself a similar casing within the fold of a strawberry leaf. In the last instance, the larva seemed quite active, moving itself briskly about whenever touched. The chrysalis of this insect is very small, and of the usual dark reddish brown color. That one which was found on the 8th of June, produced the moth on the 12th of July." The moth bred from the chrysalis above mentioned was submitted by Mr. Saunders to Prof. Riley, and by him determined to be Anarsia Uneatdla, Zeller. Prof. Riley also says that he has bred the same moth from larvte boring in peach twigs. The worm has likewise been found by Prof. Com- Fig. 11. Peach Twk; Borer. Larva and perfect insect, natural size, and magnified. Also a bored twig. After Glover. stock in the fruit of the p3ach in July and August. These peach and straw- b3rry insects are, however, not certainly the same, as not only their habits but their life histories seem inconsistent as far as known. But, without as- 68 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. Sliming to pass upon this question now, I have accomplished my present purpose by giving timely warning of the api:)earance in the Mississippi val- ley of what may, unless it is closely watched, prove a serious enemy of the favorite fruit of America. Until the life history of this species is complete, I can only say that the strawberry fields should be inspected in fall and spring for evidence of the presence of this caterpillar; and if it is found, it can be exterminated, as far as we know, only by destroying the plants. It will, of course, be most likely to occur in old and neglected fields, or, as at Normal, in runaway plants in fence corners and by roadsides. I hardlj^ need say that these neglected plants, living from year to year without " rotation," are the best possible breeding places for strawberry pests, and may easily become centers of infection for a whole neighborhood. Otiorhynchus sulcatus, Schoen. Order Coleoptera, Family Otiorhynchidfe. This is a rough, brownish black snout beetle, about four-tenths of an inch long, of whose injuries to the strawberry I only know the fact reported by Prof. Riley in his third report, that it infests the crowns of these plants; doubtless in the larval stage. This species may be distinguished from the other members of its genus by the fact that the femora are provided with a very small tooth, while the rostrum is sulcate, with a bifid carina at the tip; and the elytra are also longitudinally grooved. The thorax is sub-cylindrical, with the sides moderately rounded, widest in front of the middle, snd the surface rather closely set with rounded tubercles. Each interval of the ely- tra bears a row of shining, rounded tubercles, rather closely placed, and small patches of short yellowish hair, irregularly distributed. The Strawberry Crown-borer. Tyloderma fragarise, Riley. Order Coleoptera, Family Curculionidse. Fig. 12. Strawberry Crown-Borer (Tyloderma Jragarix, Riley): a. Larva; b. Outline side view ; c. Back view of beetle. After Riley. Although it has hitherto done but little harm north of the latitude of Cen- tral Illinois, this species certainly occurs as far northward as Minnesota, and Insects Affecting the Strawberry. 69 there is no sufficient security that it may not become injurious wherever introduced. It has been known as one of the worst enemies of the strawberry for more than fifteen years, but its life history has only been very lately completed. The first published notice of its injuries of which I am aware occurs in Prof. Rdey's third report as State Entomologist of Missouri, published in 1871. " This insect," he says, " has done considerable damage to the strawberry crop in the southern portion of Illinois, especially along the line of the Illi- nois Central Railroad; and I have seen evidence of its work in St. Louis county, Missouri. At the meeting of the Southern Ilhnois Fruit-Growers' Fig. 13. Pupa of crown-borer. H. (iannan. Association, held at South Pass, in November, 1867, several complaints were made by parties from Anna and Makanda, of a white Avorm which worked in the roots of their strawberries, and in 1868 the greater portion of the plants of a ten-acre field at Anna, beloiaging to Mr. Parker Earle, was de- stroyed by it." This insect, in the form in which it does its injury, is the grub or larva of one of the snout beetles, belonging, in fact, to the same family as the peach curculio. It was first described by Prof. Riley, in the report already cited, and his description of the beetle is herewith given. The larva and pupa are described from fresh material obtained last fall from strawberry fields in Southern Illinois. "Tyloderma fragariae. — Imago.— Co\oy deep chestnut-brown, sub-polished, the elytra somewhat lighter. Head and rostrum dark, finely and densely punctate and with short, coarse, fulvous hairs, longest at tip of ros- trum; antennae rather lighter toAvards base, ten-jointed, the scape much thickened at apex, joint 2 longest and robust, 3 moderately long, 4-7 short, 8-10 connate and forming a stout club. Thorax dark, cylindrical, slightly swollen across the middle and uniformly covered with large thimble-like punctures, and with a few short, coarse fulvous hairs, usually arranged in three more or less distinct longitudinal lines; pectoral groove ending be- tween front legs. Abdomen with small, remote punctures and hairs, which are denser towards apex. Legs of equal stoutness, and with shallow, dilated 70 Mississi'pjyi Valley Horticultural Society. punctures and uniform very short hairs. Elytra more yellowish brown, dilated at the lower sides anteriorly, and with about nine deeply punctured stri;e, the stri;o themselves sometimes obsolete ; more or less covered with coarse and short pale yellow hairs which form by their greater density three more or less conspicuous transverse bands, the first of which is at the base; between the second and third band in the middle of the elytron, is a smooth, dark brown or black spot, with a less distinct spot of the same color below the third, and a still less distinct one above the second band. Length .16 inch. Described from four specimens bred from strawberry-boring larva?. The black spots on the elytra are quite distinct and conspicuous on two specimens, less so on one, and entirely obsolete on the other." Larva — White, except the head, which is pale yellow. The mandibles are dark brown, black at the edges, and bifid at the tip. The labrum is nar- rowed from behind ; broadly rounded, entire and bristly in front, and marked by a transverse suture before the middle. The antenna?, situated ovit- side the upper angles of the mandibles, are one-jointed and excessively minute, being about .02 mm. in length. Just outside each antenna is a black ocellus-like spot in full-grown larva?, wanting in smaller individuals. The head is smooth, except for about three transverse rows of slender hairs. The body is strongly arched, like that of a lamellieorn, each segment bear- ing a single row of very short sparse hairs. The first segment of the dorsum is smooth ; the remaining segments are divided into three transverse lobes or folds, the first and last of which are interrupted near the end by oblique grooves. Below the spiracles is a row of large, low, triangular tubercles, and beneath these a second row, separated from the former by a longitudinal channel. The ventral segments of the abdomen have the usual form of a single transverse ridge, a triangular portion of each end of which is marked off by an oblique groove. The structure of the segments is, in fact, almost precisely that of the strawberry root-worm, to be hereafter described. The pectoral ridges of the thorax, however, bear upon each side, instead of feet, three large fleshy tubercles, each with two or three stiff hairs at the tip. This larva, when stretched out, is one-fifth of an inch in length by one-half that width. Pupa. — The pupa is white throughout, with the exception of the eyes, which show through the pupal envelope at the base of the snout. The head and snout are bent against the breast; the second is about twice as long as wide, broadening towards the tip, where it is widely emarginate. The clubbed antenuie extend scarcely beyond the tip of the snout. The middle of the head bears two longitudinal rows of stifi' bristles, four or five in each row, and three rows of similar bristles extend transversely upon the thorax, while others surround the margin. The posterior edge of each abdominal segment is likewise bristled, and a pair of incurved hooks terminates the abdomen. The life history of the crown-borer is now practically complete, thanks to 72 llississljJpi Valley Ilortieullural Society. the early observations of Prof. Riley, and to some contributions to the sub- ject which I have been able to make since last August. The eggs are laid on the crown in spring (this year certainly not ear- lier than April), being pushed down among the bases of the leaves. The lar- va? penetrate the crowns soon after hatching, and excavate the interior all summer, until they get their growth. It is worthy of note, however, that a single larva does not wholly destroy a plant, as it matures by the time a quarter or a fourth of the substance of the crown is devoured. (See Fig. 14.) Frequently two or three or more beetles will att4ick a single stool, and they then leave behind them only a hollow shell, to which the roots are attached. (See Fig. 15.) Still in its subterranean cavity, the worm transforms to a pupa, and in the same safe retreat effects also the final change into the mature beetle, this last transformation occurring all the way along from August to October, during a period of about two months. These beetles all escape from the crowns in autumn, but are not known to lay any eggs until the following year. That they pass the winter as adults, in the fields infested by them as larvae, I have proven by finding a number of them there a'ive this year as late as November 29, and also by finding them in the fields this spring. None of these insects, in any stage, occur in the crowns later than the latter part of October, and none were to be found there in Southern Illinois as late as April 25, although the adult beetles of last year's brood were occasionallj- encountered on the crown among the leaf stalks and leaves. A pair of these were seen there in copido, on the 12th of that month. This is a shy and sluggish insect, rarely seen outside its burrow, and incapa- ble of flight, the membranous wings being reduced to useless rudiments, as shown by several dissections which I made last fall. As it does not leave the field in which it had its origin, it feeds of course, while a mature insect, on the tissues of the plant. The effect of this borer varies according to the variety of strawberry, and the condition of the field. Wilsons are said to be destroyed by a single at- tack, but some more thriftily-growing varieties will form new crowns year after year to replace those excavated by the borer, and will thus resist its in- juries for some time. Our observations show that this process is consider- ably facilitated by hilling up the plants, or throwing dirt against the rows. I do not know that this insect has been found injurious anywhere except in Illinois and Missouri, although we have specimens collected in Minnesota. It doub'Jess originated in the wild strawberries of our prairies, and its work could probably have been foreseen, and its ravages prevented, if a proper study had been made, in time, of insect injuries to the wild plant. As these beetles spand their entire time in the field, and feed, of course, as adults, up)n the foliage of the strawberry, it is not impossible that they might be poisoned in tha fall. Except by this method, it is difficult to see how the insect can be destroyed without sacrificing the plants. To kill both together, the ground should b3 plowed late in June or early in July, when the crowns are full of half-grown larvae. Insects Afecting the Strawberry. 73 Fig. 15. Plain with crown fully excavated. 74 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. It is not in the life history of this insect, but in its structure, that we find a cUie to its subjugation. The rudimentary condition of its wings, and its conse- quent lack of the power of flight, taken together with its sluggish movements, suggest the value of the isolation of new fields as a preventive measure, or at least the policy of separating them from infested areas by a considerable in- terval. Just how wide this interval should be, it is impossible to tell without experiment; but from the observed rate of progress of the pest during the year from one patch to another adjacent, it seems probable that a few rods would suffice. To obtain plants from an old field in which the crown-borer has prevailed without serious risk of transporting the insect with them, it is ■evidently necessary that the stools selected should be transplanted as early as possible in spring. After the beetle commences to stir, the danger will daily increase that the crowns will be infested with its eggs. INSECTS IN.irRIOUS TO THE ROOT. Ants. Order Hymenoptera, Family Formicidse. Although these enterprising and nearly omnipresent insects of various ■species often occur in strawberry fields in noticeable numbers, I have never learned personally of any serious injury which could justly be attributed to them. For the purpose of calling attention to them, however, I quote the following note from the Farmer and Fruit-Grower for June 16, 1880, and cred- ited therein to the Examiner and Chronick' : — "The next pest that Ave have to contend'with here is the ants, and so de- structive are they in this locality that some growers think of turning their attention to other pursuits. They honeycomb the ground right under the plants, eat off the fine roots, and as fast as new ones are put forth they share the same fate, and the plants soon lose their vitality. If the grass and weeds are allowed to grow among the plants, they will not suffer so much, as the ants will work among the weeds as well as the strawberry plants; but to grow fine fruit the ground must be kept clear of weeds and runners." It is proper to say, however, that the difficulty of determining exactly what as small a creature as an ant is doing under ground, makes it not impossible that the writer of this article was deceived as to the real business of these insects. Only a dissection of specimens and a study of the contents of their alimentary canals could determine this matter with certainty. The White Grub. Lf(chnosterna,s]). Order Coleoptera, Family Scarabseidse. Doubtless I can say little or nothing concerning this species which is new to the readers of this article, so familiar is the insect to every one who has anything to do with agriculture or horticulture in any of their depart- ments. All know that the name is commonly applied to the larva? of several Insects Affeci'mg the Straicberry. 75 species of the chestnut-brown May beetles, or June beetles or dor-bugs, as they are variously called ; that the grub lives in the ground, feeding on the' roots of vegetation for about three years; that it emerges as a beetle in May or June, and that in this stage it feeds on the leaves of various fruit and or- namental trees, often defoliating them when it becomes very abundant. All fruit-growers know, too, that the strawberry is not exempt from its attacks, but that the roots of this plant are often destroyed by it to a degree to im- pair seriously the value of the plantation. Fig. IG. M.\.Y Beetle, White Gi:ub {Lachnosfcrna fusca, Frohl) : I. Pupa in it>- eartlien cell ; •2. Larva; 3, 4. Beetle, side and back view. This is perhaps the most unsatisfactory insect with which the strawberry- grower has to deal, offering the fewest' opportunities for effective attack. It is true that in the beetle stage large numbers may be destroyed by the use of lights and reflectors, placed above tubs of water into which the beetles may fall, this trap being rendered more efficient if the water is covered with a thin film of kerosene ; but unless this method is generally and continu- ously used by an entire community, and throughout a term of years, it can have no great effect upon the crops of the individual fruit farmer. In the egg stage this species is beyond our reach, and as a larva it can be attacked only by repeated stirring of the ground, or by digging out the individual grubs as their presence is manifested by the withering of the plants. No applications to the soil have established more than a temporary reputation, and all are probably nearly ineftective. A single preventive measure may, however, be taken to advantage. In a region where the grub is prevalent, ground should not be set to strawberries until these insects have been pretty well cleared out of it by two or three years' cultivation in some hoed crop. Further than this, reliance must probably be had, as far as we now know, upon the rather crude and expensive method of the destruction of the grubs by hand. 76 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. The Goldsmith Beetle. Cotnlpa lanigera, Linn. Order Coleoptera, Family Scarabseidse. This beetle is also a white grub in the larval stage, distinguished from the preceding only by trivial characters, but widely different as an adult. The beetle is aboul of the same size as the common "June bug," bright yellow- above, with a golden metallic luster on the head and thorax, while the un- rig. 17. Goldsmith Beetle (Cotalpa laivgera, Linn): .\dult. After Packard. der side of the body is copper colored and densely covered with long white hairs. The life history of this species is almost identical with that of the true white grub, and the beetle feeds, like the June beetle, upon the leaves of a variety of fruit and forest trees. It also appears at about the same time of the year, namely, in May and June. For practical purposes, consequently, these two insects may be treated as one. The following comparative description of the larva of the goldsmith beetle is quoted from Prof. Packard: — Fig. IS. Goldsmith Beetle (Cotalpa lanigera, Linn): Larva. After Packard. " L-^irva.— The larvte are whitish grubs, about one inch and three-quarters long and over half an inch thick, with a yellowish brown scale on the part cor- responding to the thorax It so nearly resembles the young of the May beetle that it requires a close examination to tell them apart The proportions of the two are much the same; if anything, the Cotalpa is slightly shorter and thicker, and its body is covered with short stiff hair, especially at the end, \vhile in the May beetle the hairs are much finer, sparse, and the skin is con- sequently shiny. They a'so differ in the head, it being fuller, more rounded in Cotalpa, the clypeus shorter and very convex, while in the May beetle it is Insects Affecting the Strawberry. 77 flattened. The upper lip (labium) is in Cotalpa longer, more rounded in front and narrower at the base, and full convex on the surface, while in the young May beetle it is flat. The antennae are larger and longer in the gold- smith beetle, the second joint a little over half as long as the third, while in the Maj^ beetle grub it is nearly three-quarters as long; the third joint is much longer than in the latter grub, while the fourth and fifth are of the same relative length as in the May beetle, but much thicker. The jaws (mandibles) are much alike in both, but not quite so acute in the Cotalpa as in the other, nor are the inner teeth so prominent. The maxilla is much longer and with stouter spines, and the palpi are longer and slende er in the grub of Cotalpa than in the other, though the joints have the same relative proportion in each; the basal joint is nearly twice as long as in the May beetle. The under lip (labium) is throughout much longer, and the palpi, though two-jointed in each, are much longer and slenderer in the grub of Cotalpa than in that of the May beetle. The feet are much larger and more hairy in the Cotalpa. Both larvfp are about an inch and a half long, and a third (.35) of an inch thick at the widest part." This grub has been reported extremely destructive to strawberry roots in New Jersey by Dr. S. Lockwood, and doubtless occurs in strawberry fields in other parts of the country wherever the beetle is known, probably having been generally confounded with the larva of Lachnosterna. Certain fields, according to Dr. Lockwood, in Monmouth county. New Jersey, were badly thinned out by it, the plants being dead on the surface and easily pulled up, the roots having been eaten off below. The remarks made respecting remedies for the previous species will apply equally, as far as we know, to /his. The Strawberry Root- Worm. Paria aierrlma, Oliv., and Paria sexnotata, Say. Order Coleoptera, Family Chrysomelidae. The strawberry root-worm, not less abundant than the crown-borer, and certainly not less destructive where it occurs, is very similar to it in general appearance, but may be easily distinguished with a hand-glass, or even with the naked eye, by the fact that it has three pairs of short jointed legs just behind the head, while the crown-borer proper is footless, the legs being re- placed by three pairs of bristly warts. It devours the roots of the strawberry and also penetrates the crown, not hollowing out the interior, but boring from side to side in any direction, and often riddling it as if it had been peppered with fine shot. This insect has been previously noticed several times in the literature of horticulture, but its habits and life history have not been fully made out. Tt ranges throughout Illinois, and occurs at least as far northward as ]V[ichigan, having been reported in destructive numb rs at various points in this area. In the adult, or beetle stage, this species may be readily distinguished from the crown-borer beetle, to which it bears a slight superficial resem- 78 3Ilsslssippl Valley Horticultural Society. blance, by the fact that it has no snout or " bill " like the latter. It also tlies readily, while the other is wingless. .The genus Paria,* to which this beetle belongs, was first described by Dr. J. L. Leconte,in 1858, in volume 10 of the Proceedings of the Philadelphia Acad- emy, page 86, in the following terms: — Fig. 19. Stkawberuy Root Worm {Pari i aterrima, Oliv. H. Garman. Adult, magnified 16 diameters. " Beetle — Oblong, short, yellowish, or brownish red, varying to black, usu- ally with the ventral segments and three spots in each elytron black; head and thorax slightly punctate, the latter margined; sides slightly rounded ; elytra with deep jDunctures arranged in rows, tvhich are obsolete before the apex; interspaces smooth; L. .12 — .16 in." Puria sexnotata is describod as follows : " Oblong, short, yellowish red, ven- tral segments and three spots on each elytron, black; head coarsely punc- tate; thorax margined, sides slightly rounded, sparsely punctate; elytra deeplj' punctate-striate, interstices smooth, striae obsolete before the apex. L. .12 — .16 in." Varieties occur in which the spots on the elytra mentioned above are variously enlarged in breadth until in extreme cases the whole individual is black, with pale legs. ■•••I have taken in this article that view of the life history of the root-worm which seems to me to be on the whole most probable, although it must be admitted that we have not yet ab- solutely demonstrated that this is not the larva of Colnspis flavida, as stated by Prof. Riley in his second and third reports as State Entomologist of Missouri. It is scarcely worth while in this place to give the reasons pro and con, since the question will be very soon decided by the transformation of the larv;c we are now rearing. To whichever species the larva may prove to belong, the reiriedies suggested will be equally applicable. Insects Afecting the Strawberry. 79 Paria aterrima is extremely like the preceding, of the same size, and simi- larly variable, but the head is commonly said to be much less punctate, and the thorax less punctate and minutely wrinkled. I am inclined to doubt, however, the distinctness of the two species Larva— The larva is about four mm. long by two mm. wide ; white, except- ing the head and first segment, which are pale yellowish brown. The seg- ments are twelve in number behind the head, the first leathery and smooth. Fig. 20. Head of same, front view. and as long as the two following. Each of the remaining segments is marked by about three transverse dorsal folds, and bears a transverse row of ten or twelve long slender hairs. The spiracles are nine in number, the first larger than the others, and situated between the first two thoracic segments, the remainder on the abdominal segments from the first to the eighth. They are situated in a longitudinal groove, separating the ends of the dorsal seg- ments from the first of two rows of prominent tubercles which extend along Fig. 21. Larva of same, magnified 16 diameters. H. Garman. the sides, one tubercle of each row corresponding to a segment of the body. The summits of these tubercles are smooth and slightly .shining, and each baars usually two or three scattered hairs. The two rows of tubercles above mentioned are separated from each other by an irregular longitudinal groove, about half the width of one row. The second, or inferior row, is 80 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. separated from the ventral segments by a similar, but narrower and shallower longitudinal groove. Each ventral segment bears a single transverse ridge, somewhat thickly set with short stiff hairs, a little longer towards the ends of the ridge. The terminal portion of each ridge is cut oft by an oblique groove, which extends from before backwards and inwards, thus giving to the end of the ridge the appearance of a tubercle of triangular outline, the apex of which is inward, and the length of which is about twice its depth. This row of triangular prominences is in a line with the coxse of the legs on the thoracic segments. The skin of the entire body, with the exception of the upper surface of the first segment, is minutely roughened, as is usual with soft-bodied subterranean larva?. The tubercles and processes described are not in any way retractile, being simply lobes or divisions of the trans- verse folds of the skin. The head is smooth, somewhat flattened in front, with a few slender scattered hairs, pale yellowish brown, with the exception of the usual frontal incisures, which are white, and the anterior margin of the clypeus, which is dark brown. A single ocellus occurs a short distance behind the antennae. The labrum is narrowed forwards, and rounded in front, the posterior part of it membranous, and the surface bearing a few long hairs. The antennae are white, three-jointed, the third joint being double, — consisting, that is to say, of two short parallel appendages, the outer of which is cylindrical and blunt at the tip, and the second tapering. The maxillfe are stout, and fringed with strong spines within, the palpi promi- nent and four-jointed, the three basal joints thick and short, the fourth slen- der. The labium is thick and quadrate, and bears on its under surface two slender, cylindrical, unarticulated palpi, each about three t'mes as long as wide. The mandibles are dark brown, and black at the tips, where they are slightly excavated. The legs are about as long as their corresponding segments, and are white, with the exception of the claws at the tips, which are dark brown. They are provided with a few slender white hairs, becoming shorter and more spinelike towards the tip of the leg. Described from several alcoholic and living specimens obtained from the ground about strawberry roots, in November, 1882. This species is at least two-brooded, the beetles of one brood commencing to appear early in spring, a few sometimes occurring upon the vines in the previ- ous autumn. They feed during their lives as beetles upon the leaves of the strawberry, a fact already mentioned when treating of the insects injurious to the foliage. In June, according to the observations of Prof. Cook, of Mich- igan, the beetles disappear, and at this time larvae of various sizes and pupae nearly ready to emerge, may be found in the ground about the roots. The beetles of the second brood occur in Southern Illinois in August, probably commencing to emerge in July. They continue until September, but dis- appear before cold weather. The larvae, which in the meantime have been working upon the plant, now form oval cell-like cavities in the earth, in which they hibernate, commencing to emerge again in April and May, as already related. Insects Affecting the Strawberry. 81 The eggs have not yet been observed, and it is not certainly known whether they are laid on the crowns or in the earth about the plants. The fact that the adult of this species feeds upon the leaves after the fruit- ing season is over, gives us a ready means of controlling its ravages; as it can at that time be easily poisoned by the use of Paris green or other arsenical compounds. If a field infested by these worms is to be plowed up, it is probably best that this should be done late in August or in September, after the beetles of the second brood have disappeared, as at this time the larvse have not pro- gressed far enough to make it likely that they can complete their develop- ment. The next best time is probably June, in the interval between the appearance of the first and second broods of the beetles. As two sets of eggs are probably laid each year, one in spring and the otlier in midsummer, it is evidently important that young plants from fields infested by this insect should be taken up for resetting as early in spring as possible; the later transplanting is postponed, the greater is the probability that the ■eggs of this pest will be transferred with the plants. GENERAL DISCUSSION. Having now treated separately all the species of insects injurious to the strawberry which it seems worth while to notice in this paper, and having given under each species the most practicable or promising remedies for its ravages, it now remains to summarize the essential facts, especially those re- lating to remedies and methods of prevention. In order to present what I have to say on these topics as compactly as I can, let us imagine the worst case possible. Let us suppose that we have to deal with a large field infested by every known insect enemy of this crop, and then let us see what can be done with it. Let the roots be eaten by the root-worm and the white grubs, let the crowns be bored by both kinds of crown-borers and punctured by the crown weevil (Otkn-hynchus suleatus), let the foliage be devoured by grass- hoppers and leaf-beetles and carpenter bees and leaf-rollers of all sorts, and by its various saw-fly and caterpillar enemies, and let the plant-louse and the false chinch-bug and the negro-bug and a variety of other hemipterous in- sects drain away the life-supporting sap of the plants, and then let us see what will be the eflfect of such measures as we may be able to devise ; first, to destroy the insects without injury to the plants; or, failing in this, second, to destroy insect and plant together ; and, third, to establish a new planta- tion, which shall be free from danger of infection by the old. The first thing needful will evidently be a calendar of the injurious spe- cies, such as will enable us to tell in what condition every insect infesting the field will be at each season of the year. With this we may see at once what will result to each species from each measure proposed. I have consequently prepared a table of dates and stages of the insects treated, by consulting which one may see at a glance the periods of the trans- 82 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. formations, and the stages in which each species occurs at any time. Thi» table is of course far from complete, since the life histories of but few species have been made out in full. In some instances it is not impossible that it may be found incorrect, although all possible pains have been taken to select the data from the best authorities, as far as they were not derived from our personal experience. Observations made in those years when the seasons are very much accelerated or retarded, will possibly, also, be found to differ somewhat from the particulars of this table, and differences due to latitude may likewise occasionally be noticed. This must therefore be taken merely as a general statement of the truth, subject to future correction, but under- stood with these limitations, it will be found useful for guidance in practical, work. CALENDAR OF STRAWBERRY INSECTS. WINTER. SPRING. SUMMER. AUTUM> 1 NSKPTS 1 Dec Jan Feb Mar. Apr.- May. June. i July. 1 Aug. , Sept. Oct. Nov. strawberry Worm LI LI Ll Ll PI, 12 I2,E3,L4 P1,I2,L4 I2,E3,L4 1 Ll 'L1 1 L 1 Ll Crown Miner L5 L5 L5 L5 L5 L5 L5, P5 16 L5 L5 L5- Leaf- roller P4 P4 P4 I 6 L4, P4 I6,E4,L4 Ll, PI L4 I 6 L 4 L4,P4 L I 6 P4 P4. Cutworm LI LI Ll L4* L4* L4- L4 L4* L4, I6,E I6,E,L4 [6, EL [6 Ll L 1 Angerona Smeared Dagger. P4 P4 P4 P4 P4 P4, 16 16, E L4 L4,P4 L4,P4 P4 Stalk-Borer I 18 I 18 I I 8 I I2?E5? I,E 12, E5? E, L L 5 ? L L5 L L5, Po L.P,I I5,L5 I P5 1 Ll 1 16 I Crown-Borer 16. Root-Worm LI r,i Ll Ll.Pl L1,P1 14 Ll, PI PI, 14 I4,L1 Ll Ll White Grub LI Ll Ll Ll ^ 14 L1,P1 L1,P1,I6 Ll, 16 Ll, El Ll Ll Ll Ll; Goldsmith Beetle LI Ll Ll Ll Ll Ll, PI PI, 16 16, E 16, E 16, Ll Ll Ll False Chinch-bug 18 18 18 18 16 I6,L6 I6,L6- Plant-louse E9 E9 E9 E9 T4 14 14 14 14 19 'l^ <» I9,E9 E, egg ; L, larva ; P, pupa ; I, imago, or perfect insect ; 1, in ground ; 2, on vines ; 3, in petiole : 4. on leaves ; .5, in crown ; 6, free; 7, on flowers; 8, on ground ; 9, on crown; *, nocturnal. The principal modes of fighting insects may be classified under three heads; modes of culture, barriers to progress, and topical applications. The modes of culture may be directed either to the destruction of the insect, or to the support of the plant under insect injuries, enabling it to rally against them. They are commonly the simplest, most convenient, and cheapest methods of controlling insect depredations, when they do really control, and should consequently be treated first. As a crop must be cultivated at any rate, if by varying slightly the times and modes of our culture we can take ad- Insects Affeeting the Strawberry. 83 vantage of our insect enemies, this is of course to be preferred as a general rule to any method requiring special labor, apparatus, and material. The favorite method of strawberry culture in Illinois is that of growing the plant in rows, between which the ground is regularly cultivated for three years, after which the whole field is plowed up and reset with young plants. Of course, where this method is followed, if proper care be taken to set the ground again with plants free from noxious insects, few injurious species can make much headway; and if to these precautions we add that of taking measures to prevent the spread of insect enemies from an old field to a new one, we should certainly have the matter jjretty well under control, as far as those species are concerned which pass their whole lives during all their stages in the strawberry field. As an example of the use of barriers to progress, we may refer to the prac- tice of opening new fields at a distance from the old, in order to prevent the passage of the crown-borer from one to the other — a practice to which I shall again refer farther on, while topical applications may be illustrated by the use of Paris green on the vines, or even the fire cure, as applied for the leaf- roller. Little can be done for the direct destruction of insect enemies until the fruit is picked, unless it be the hand picking of grubs and cutworms, where they are very numerous, or the use of harmless insect poisons, like pyre- thrum, for some of the minor larviie which may perhaps require attention. In June, after the crop is harvested, some things may well be done. The field may be mowed, covered lightly with straw if necessary, and fired when dry, thus destroying the leaf-rollers, and probably the plant-lice also, and perhaps the strawberry worms, and the eggs and larvje of the Angerona and of the "smeared dagger." Some other insects would probably likewise be exposed to extermination at the same time by these means. The summer months (June, July and August), are the proper ones for the application of poisons, which will take effect at this time upon the straw- berry worm, some, at least, of the leaf-rollers the Angerona (if it should hap- pen to be in the field), and the beetle of the root-worm. Some other species, less common and destructive, would probably also be reached if present. If, as is not unlikely in a badly infested field, such measures as the above are found after all ineffective, and the strawberry farmer finds himself re- duced to the last desperate expedient of destroying the plants and their en- emies together, he should carefully study the calendar in order to determine at what season the greatest number of the species actually infesting his fields may be exterminated by that means. At whatever season the plowing is' done, if the ground is planted to another crop the following year, the croAvn- borer will be destroyed, since its feeble migratory power will not enable it to save itself by retreat. Still, plowing soon after berry-picking would most certainly affect the entire destruction of the brood, since at that time no adults are living, and few if any larvie would be far enough advanced to trans- form in the dead crowns. Plowing in spring (March or April) would prob- 84 Mississij^pi Valley Hortieullural Society. ably destroy .such cutworms as occurred in the fields; would certainly ex- terminate the plant-lice, which at this time would be found upon the crowns, either as eggs or as newly hatched young; and would probably kill the crown miner algo, which is at this time still in the crown, lacking some weeks of its full development. The strawberry worm, however, being imbedded in the ground, prepared for its final transformation, would not now be injuriously affected. Neither would the leaf-roller, nor the smeared dagger, nor the root- worm, nor the white grub, nor the larva of the goldsmith beetle, be prevented from completing their development. True, these insects on emerging would find no bi-eeding places in the field, but this fact would simply force them to scatter to other situations, thus transferring, but, perhaps, scarcely mitigating their attack. If plowing be postponed until September or October, the crown miner would doubtless be destroyed, and manj' if not all of the root- worms would be prevented from reaching maturity, especially if the field Avere plowed early in the first month mentioned or late in August. At. this time, also, the young white grubs hatched from the eggs laid in June and July Avould perhaps also perish, and the plant-lice, collected upon the crowns, would share the same fate. If it be desired to exterminate the crown-borer and the root-worm without changing ground and without alternation of crops, I see but one way in which this can be done. If the vines are thoroughly treated with Paris green or some other equally effective insect poison from the middle of June to the middle of August, when the beetles of the root-worm are on the leaves, and there will probably be little trouble from these worms the following year; and if on this next year, the field be plowed up imnifdiately after picking, it will be impossible for the crown-borer to survive until the fol- lowing spring, when I believe that the ground may then be safely reset. But I need not ring the changes on all possible methods of treating the field at each season of the year, as, with such an insect calendar as that here- with given before him, every intelligent fruit-grower, knowing the species with which he has to deal, can decide for himself what measures are best suited to meet existing conditions. I will add only a few words on the establishment of new plantations in a way to escape infection by insects from old fields. Of course two points are to be considered ; first, that of securing yoimg plants free from noxious in- sects in any stage, and second, that of guarding the newly planted fields from invasion. Here, again, everything depends on the insects occurring in the field. If it is the strawberry worm or the cutworm, or the root-worm, or the white grub which is to be guarded against, the young plants may be taken up at any time before April, but every care must be taken that none of the hibernating larvse or puprc are transferred among the roots. If the field should happen to be infested by the crown miner, only the stools which formed in autumn would be certainly free from this pest, and the difficulty of distinguishing these from those of earlier growth, which might Insects Affecting the Straioherry. 85 consequently contain the eggs of the moth, would make it imprudent to take young plants from a tield where the insect Avas known to occur. Substan- tially the same remark must be made respecting the leaf-roller. Unless the field has been fired the previous year, all leaves of stools forming earlier than August will be hable to harbor the hibernating pupa, and it is prudent to get plants for a new stand elsewhere. Concerning the crown-borer it is safe to say that the earlier in spring plants intended for setting can be removed from a field previously infested by this insect, the less will be their liability to contain the seed of future generations of this most destructive pest. If it is the strawberry plant-louse which we wish to exclude, the case is still more difficult. As already noted, this insect occurs on the plants either as egg or female, at every season of the year, and no security can be had against transferring it unless the plants be dipped, before setting, in some insecticide which will destroy both the lice and eggs. I know of nothing more likely to effect this than the kerosene emulsion, the use of which for horticultural purposes has been so widely and emphatically recommended by Prof. Riley. For the protection of the new fields from invasion, I know of no resource Init isolation. Either the entire plantation should be renewed at once, with proper precautions to destroy the insects existing, so that no old fields will remain to infect the new, or else fields of diflerent ages should be separated from each other by areas devoted to othei crops. If one grows raspberries and strawberries both, for example, and wishes so to manage his strawber- ries that he shall have about equal areas in bearing every year, the two crops might be arranged in alternating belts. If these belts were only a few rods wide, the spread of the crown-borer from patch to patch would probably be prevented, and the other insects can be managed by other methods. To summarize in a word what may be done, according to the best of our present knowledge, in the case of our hyi^othetical field infested by all known strawberry insects, I would say that we shall have to depend chiefly on in- sect poisons in June and July, and on burning in June, to exterminate all insects but the crown-borers, and that to rid the plants of these, we must plow up the field in the following June, resetting with young jjlants as early as possible in the spring. If the field is not exposed to immediate infection from others near by, we have fair reason to believe that these measures would be found efficient against the insects affecting the straw- berry. President Earle, of Illinois — It seems to me, gentlemen, that I have never heard a paper read which possessed more value for us than the one we have just listened to. But before we enter upon the discussion of it we will hear a paper from Mr. A. D. Webb, of Kentucky. Mr. Webb is the originator of several noted varieties of the strawberry, among others, of the liOngfellow and the War- 86 Mississijypi Valley Horticultural Society. ren. Perhaps no gentleman in this country is better qualified from a long and intelligent experience to tell us what are the best varie- ties for home use, and which are best for market. I invite your attention to Mr. Webb's paper. THE BEST STRAWBERRIES FOR HOME USE AND FOR MARKP:T. BY A. D. WEBB, OF KENTUCKY. Ever since I attached myself to a horticultural society I have endeavored to make myself useful by comi^lying, to the best of rny ability, with every request made of me in the interest of horticulture. Permit me to say I could but feel highly complimented on receipt of a request to have my ijame appear in the programme of business as one of the contributors to this meeting. Permit me to say further, that my presence on this occasion is coupled with a double pleasure, being the first meeting of this Society it has been my privilege to attend, also my first visit to the Crescent City. Consequently I expect to be abundantly rewarded for the sacrifice of a few days' time and a few dollars, in what I may see of interest and what I may learn and profit by in the future. The subject lam billed for is, "The Best Strawberries for Home Use and for Market," a very difficult one to handle satisfactorily to any one but my- self. There being such a variety of soils and localities to accommodate, so many tastes to please, that an effort on my part to name a half dozen varie- ties as the best for family use, expecting my list to meet with general ap- proval, would be an effort to accomplish an impossibility. I doubt if two parties representing the same locality would be a unit on a similar list. Therefore, I merely propose to exercise my own judgment in inx selection, based upon practical experience and close observation, as to the best for my locality, as well as others where they have or will jirove equally successful. Allow me to further preface by saying, that I have been engaged in grow- ing strawberries, both for home use and for market, for the last twenty- five years (more, however, in the capacity of an amateur than as a large com- mercial grower), during which time it has been my pleasure, and I might add misfortune, financially, to fruit on my own grounds not less than one hundred and fifty varieties, a verj- large per cent, of my investments ranging in price from two to five dollars per dozen plants — went back on their good record, or rather what was claimed for them, and proved not worth a nickel. I merely refer to this to show that I have had quite a long list from which to skim the cream. I now name the following varieties as the best for family use, viz. : Cum- berland Triumph, Mt. Vernon, Warren, Longfellow, Monarch, Chas. Down- ing, and last, though not least, Sharj^less. I do not propose them to stand in the order named, as, in a few instances, Tlie Best Strawberries for Home Use and for Market. 87 I have not been expert enough to discriminate so as to give one preference over another. These named varieties have been carefuUj^ selected from the many I have fruited, after a thorough test (except Mt. Vernon*), through a series of years embracing favorable as well as very unfavorable seasons, with an eye espe- cially to hardiness and vigor of plant and reliable bearing; with a single exception, (Sharpless), fruit of the largest size and of superior quality form- ing a succession from early to late. While I do not claim perfection in any one of these, I doubt if an equal number could be selected from our present long list that would rival these in number of desirable merits, or with as few faults. • The Sharpless is all that could be desired in plant and fruit when one can get tt, but it has not proved wholly reliable with me, being easily touched by frost and liable to rot of a wet season. Yet, I would recommend it in •every family collection and trust to Providence for protection against frost and rot. THE BEST STRAWBERRIES FOR MARKET. This heading necessarily calls for two lists : one for a near market and one for distant markets. We often see varieties recommended for home use or a near market. What are we to understand by the term near market? My idea is, this should be governed by circumstances. Where shipping facilities are favor- able, a near market may be at one's door, or two hundred and fifty miles dis- tant, or any distance ovir fast trains can make, receiving the fruit late in the afternoon of the day it is picked and putting it on an early market next morning. For this purpose, I can only improve on my family list by adding •Crescent. My principal market is Cincinnati, distant about two hundred and fifty miles, to which I have shipped more or less of all these named varieties, ex- cept Mt. Vernon; even when fairly ripe had them to arrive in good condi- tion and bring the top of the market. THE BEST STRAWBERRIES FOR DISTANT iMARKETS. The hst under this head is very short, and not very sweet, namely, Wilson and'Glendale. Since the introduction of the Wilson it has outranked all others as a shipper, has proved nearer a success everywhere than perhaps any other, has been, and doubtless is yet, more extensively grown for com- mercial purposes than any other. "Why so?" Simply on account of its coloring two or three days before it is ripe. Picked as soon as colored, which it generally is for long shipments, it will carry hundreds of miles and be in good condition for a few hundred more. This premature coloring and its -The Mt. Vernon is of recent introduction— not so thoroughly tested as the others. From its good record, so far, I feel warranted in giving it a place in my list. 88 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. general success are the only two great merits I can see to the credit of the Wilson. Glendale, of more recent introduction, has justly acquired some reputation as a good shipper ; seems to succeed wherever tested; a late variety, of large size, and shows well in patch and on the fruit stands, when free from dirt. When dirty it is a hard-looking berry. Will bear washing almost equal to Irish potatoes. It is pronounced by some of very inferior quality. I say ditto to the Wilson. When thoroughly ripe I regard the Wilson of fair quality; the Glendale in same condition is not as bad as some would have us believe. I regard these two as the best adapted to long .shipments of any that have proved generally successful. Am sorry we have no better with which to supply our distiint markets. I can but feel great sympathy for the consumers of any half-ripe fruit, especially such as Wilson and Glendale, un- less they are the happy owners of a sugar plantation and a registered Jersey cow. Except for this class, they are only desirable for hotels and boarding, houses, where they are served in limited quantities. A second plate is never called for. Quite a number of new varieties are now under test, for which every de- sirable merit in the strawberry is claimed, viz: Jas Vick, Bidwell, Big Bob,^ Manchester, Finch's Prolific, Phelps' Seedling, Piper's Seedling, and Sucker State. From this list'we may possibly get one or more varieties wortliy to be added to our shii)ping list. So far as I have tested them, my present judgment is that the first four named will prove of no real value in my local- ity, while they may be all that is claimed for them in others. I have some faith in the future success of the other four. Further time, however, is nec- essary to fully determine this, and might also change my opinion as to the others. I refer to these new varieties for the purpose of comparing notes with others who may have, like myself, given them a i:)artial test. DISCUSSION ON STRAWBERRY GROWING. Mr. Samuels, of Kentucky — I don't feel competent to lead -this discussion ; I have not had experience enough. But I a.sked sev- eral questions, about which there seems to be a diiference of opin- ion. One was in regard to fall cultivation. The strawberry makes new roots in the fall ; hence, fall cultivation should produce a better profit than in the spring, I only want to have the point discussed. Mr. Galusha, of Illinois — I. remarked this afternoon that I would like to say a few words on the cultivation of the strawberry, and particularly in connection with what was ".said in regard to manur- ing. No one in the North, I think, would object to manuring the ground for strawberries. In a paper read here objection was made Discussion on Straivberry Growing. 8& because, in the South, on account of the greater heat of the sun, manure causes the plants to burn. It seems to me that would de- pend on the character of the manure. I think the very fact of supplying that in which the soil is deficient, enables the plant to resist' any deleterious influence of the sun, I think the applica- tion of ashes to a certain extent is calculated to encourage plant growth and also fruitage. I can not see the philosophy of not applying to the soil elements in which it is deficient, or which the needs of the plant may require. With regard to watering, that point has been before you, and some experience given. I have had some experience in watering. I can not irrigate, owing to there not being sufficient inclination to my grounds. I, conse- quently, have elevated tanks, and a wind engine to pump the water from a very large well, which no pump can exhaust. I laid out my ground in tracts of one hundred feet broad, and the rows are planted at right angles; then, Avith a portable tank of about two barrels, and one hundred feet of hose, I water my beds. This is a more economical way, to me, than using pipes, as I first intended. My modes of cultivation are very similar to those which have been given. Thirty-five years ago it was the doctrine that, to stimulate strawberries, would make them run to vine, and you would not get the fruit. It has been a stumbling block to a great many strawi. berry growers. I believe I would have been worth twice as much as I am now if I had not followed this theory, Mr. Smith, of Wisconsin — Do you believe the Crescent Seedling can be damaged by over manuring? Mr. Golusha — I question if it can. My practice has been a little different from our President, in one regard. He spoke of applying stable manure; I have done that with Crescents every fall, and thev have not deteriorated a particle for the last five years. Prest. Earlc — You don't have crown borers? Mr. Galasha — No, sir; the President and I are three hundred and forty miles apart. I apply, however, such manures as have no seeds in them — from livery stables where only prairie hay is used. White clover and blue grass can not be eradicated. These two are the worst weeds we have to contend with. Strawberries must not be put upon ground that has had white clover in it. I once took a 90 Mississippi Valley Horticulhiral Society. piece of ground that I knew had been clean for ten years. I plowed it deeply. The next year what was my surprise to find it perfectly stocked with clover. I went to the owner and asked a solution. He said, " Thirteen years ago that land was in clover. I got the clover plowed under so as to get rid of the seed, just as deep as a team could plow it." You must know the history of your soil. Dr. McKay, of Mississippi — As I 'have started this discussion, it will be well for me to make a statement. I have tried fertilizing with almost everything within reach. When I commenced straw- berry culture in this latitude, I commenced with the idea that high fertilizing was the proper mode to be pursued, and would give the best and most satisfactory results. I did it with this idea, it having been impressed upon me in Kentucky. There, fertilizing was a success. I therefore commenced in this State with high ma- nuring. While I was pursuing this system, I had other plants growing upon very thin lands. I did not look upon these as being very profitable. When the time came foj the fruit, however, I found that my best fruit was upon the thin land. It was better in color and had more solidity than that grown on the richer lands. I had three patches : one was very heavy, another was good sand land with some fertilizing, the other was very poor — land that would not produce, under good cultivation, over fifteen bushels of corn per acre. When I came to gather fruit from the highly cultivated patches I sometimes had to pay the shipping expenses from the fruit grown on the thinner land. Mr. Smith — What was the condition of your manure when put upon that land ? Dr. McKay — It was such as we get from our cows pens. It was what we would call manure deprived of its fermenting properties. Then we used bone dust. We could see no benefit to the plants or increase of the fruit. Afterwards I used cotton seed, some sixty bushels, plowing in with a deep subsoiler. This increased the yield, but I could see no difference in the price obtained for the berries. 1 afterwards tested cotton seed ashes, then cotton seed meal. This increased the size of the plants but did not increase the yield nor the quality of fruit, and, 1 think, to a certain extent, dam- aged the keeping qualities. The fruit has not the solidity or perma- Discussion on Strawberry Growiiig. 91 nent color that we find when grown on land without fertilizers. I will state that I shipped 11,500 quarts one season from three acres and a half of just such land as I have described (which would not pro- duce over twenty bushels of corn to the acre) besides all consumed at home and given away. I have tried various other manures, but always with the same result, increased growth of the plant, but no advantage to the fruit. We are compelled, in spite of the teach- ings, to accept the facts. The relative cost of production and sell- ing price shows a greater profit when we don't use fertilizers. Two years ago we had a peculiar experience. We have great variety in our Southern lands — red clay, loam with clay beneath, gravelly land, rich land making forty or fifty bushels of corn per acre, and other grades. Two years ago we had a most disastrous drouth ; so much so that the berries on all kinds of rich land were almost to- tally ruined ; so much so that we fell back on our poor red land, and by the application of a little fertilizer that is taken up mainly in the production of the fruit proper, we succeeded in making a good crop ; but on the rich land we made no crop. Mr. Galusha, of Illinois — Mr. President, I do not question the facts. I merely suggested that perhaps he didn't use the right kind of manure for the soil. Stable manure, well rotted, as Mr. Smith uses it, is one of the best fertilizers. The only objection is that it encourages an excessive plant growth the first season. I recom- mend bone dust. As you all know, the strawberry plant is a gross feeder. It will feed on anything in its reach. I do believe if the gentleman would try bone dust under favorable conditions he would find it would well repay him. Prof. Colmant, of Mississippi — Why is it that the Monarch of the West has not been mentioned ; it is one of our best varieties ? Mr. Galusha — Monarch of the West originated about fourteen miles from me. It is a magnificent berry. It has the drawback of not ripening well at the tip end, and also of not producing enough to the acre. I couldn't get enough out of it and I plowed it up five years ago. Prof. Colmant — Monarch of the West loses the green tip by cul- tivation. Besides it is the earliest berry in the market. 92 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. Mr. Cook — I endorse everything the gentleman has said in re- gard to the Monarch. In southern Kentucky it is certainly one of the best ot our varieties. 1 wish to call the attention of the gen- tlemen to the form of fertilizers to be used. Last year, from a sug- gestion 1 saw in an Eastern paper, I procured some bone dust, the best I could find in the Louisville market. It cost me some $34.00 per ton. Acting upon the suggestion I went to a neighboring steam mill that burned wood and bought fifty bushels of ashes at five cents per bushel. That made $36.50 for about two tons of fertilizer. I mixed the bone dust and wood ashes, half and half As I mixed I applied water. After this I put it in barrels. In a few days fermentation set in ; the heat lasting two or three weeks, and then it cooled oif. Then it was ready for use, and I used some of it on some plants, mixing it thoroughly with the soil. I set the plants out four feet each way. I tell you, Mr. President, you never saw fruit superior to that raised under these circumstances. Our soil is heavy, dark clay, very well adapted to the strawberry. The people of the country said that forty or fifty years ago it was one vast field of wild strawberries. It is the natural home of the straw- berry, The Downer, Longfellow and Warren originated in our neighborhood. There are wild strawberries around our fences now. The fertilizer I have described is, in my judgment, superior to the commercial fertilizers that we pay for at the rate of $50 or $60 a ton, and mine didn't cost me $20 a ton. If we can mix our fertilizers at such small prices let us keep our money in our pockets and not squander it by buying these high-priced fertilizers, many of which produce very questionable results. Mr. T. T. Lyon, of Michigan — In our State we have entirely abandoned the Monarch of the West. There is another portion of the subject I would like to hear discussed. We have the Wilson all over our country. Out of the Wilson and some other varieties growers can just make a livlihood, and the fruit they send to mar- ket is in the way of other fruit. It seems to me that more can be made by cultivation of strawberries in very narrow rows than can be made by any system of broadcast culture, which always encour- ages slovenliness. With the great majority of growers it is almost impossible to keep the land in good condition, clear of weeds, and Discussion on Strawberry Growing. 93 get crops such as we should have. Now, if you keep your plants six inches apart, or in hills, cutting otf the runners, you can at least succeed in educating your market so that it will pay four prices for what you produce in that way. It seems to me that this is well worth our consideration. It can be done. There are plenty of men in most of our markets who are willing to pay for a good article. 1 believe in educating the markets, but I would not edu- cate them at our own expense ; I believe in making money while we educate the public taste. People like quality when they find it, and the better class of our buyers will soon learn that one berry is superior to another. 31r. E. T. HoUister, of St. Louis — I would like to say a few words in favor of an old friend of mine who has been very much abused tonight. Its name is Wilson's Albany strawberry. Now, if I am not mistaken, we all want to raise a berry that customers will come up and pay for; out of which they can get the greatest profit from the smallest investment. I have handled a great variety of berries, and almost invariably, when people come into my store, they first ask for the Wilson. You may say to them, " I have the Downer and many others better than the Wilson,'' but they will tell you, ^' The Wilson is good enough for me." There is a berry called the Crystal City which comes in early and brings a good price. It is very successful in Arkansas. I am sorry to hear the Wilson so much abused. The Wilson sells the best, and that is what we raise berries for. The best results in strawberry culture have been realized with the bone dust and blood fertilizers. Mr. Galusha, of Illinois — I agree entirely with the last speaker. As I said in my article, for shipping any distance the Wilson is a berry that will sell and bring money. The Wilson strawberry is like the Ben Davis apple, in this respect; but I want to sell my Wilsons and buy strawberries good to eat. 3Ir. HoUister — I have shipped Wilsons one hundred and fifty miles and put them along side of Crescents, and the Wilsons would be sold first. Mr. Goodman, of Missouri — I have shipped berries from Kansas City to Denver, a distance of six hundred miles, and they would arrive in good order. 94 Mississippi Valley Horlicullural Society. Mr. Williams, of Indiana, asked for the President's experience in shipping. Presl. Earle — I will call on Mr. A. C. Keudel, of Cleveland, Ohio, to tell the story for me. He has handled my berries for a dozen years, many of them soft kinds, and he knows how they ship. Mr. Kendel, of Cleveland, Ohio — My experience is, that people like the best quality of berry, and those that keep best, and are wil- ling to pay the highest price for them. When the Wilson is larger, they take the Wilson ; when others are larger, they take them. It all depends upon the variety, and the care with which the fruit is shipped. It is the shipper's fault, in a great many instances, when the berries don't sell. I agree with Mr. Hale, the gentleman from Connecticut, as to making our own fertilizers. If every gentleman here took what was needful for his soil, and mixed it in the proper proportions, he would get his manure for half price. I believe in putting the fertilizers down among the roots, and not on top. Mr. Galusha,- of Illinois — We want to know whether other va- rieties than the Wilson have been shipped long distances and with what success. Mr. Kendel — We have had berries shipped from Southern Illi- nois to us at Cleveland, about seven hundred and fifty miles. The Sharpless and the Wilson keep equally well. I think it is not so much the distance as the time, and whether the berry is kept warm or cold during the passage. Mr. Galusha said we should develop the public taste ; we should grow the most profitable varieties, and to practice those modes of shipment which would give to consum- ers these palatable varieties. This is what our President has done. He has shipped those very varieties which are called soft a distance of seven hundred and fifty miles, and they arrive in good order. We ought to put better berries on the tables of our consumers. This is what we should do as cultivators of the public taste and as suppliers of the public tables. Mr. Smith, of Wisconsin — My experience in shipping berries, with the exception of the Wilson, is this : Wherever they have been thirty-six hours on the road, I have received a letter saying, Don't send me any more. Crescent don't ship well. Discussion on Strawberry Growing. 95 Mr. 0. C. Gibbs, of the Chicago Tribune — It seems to me that this discussion can be narrowed down to one or two points. One is that with a cooling house such as our worthy President has, the berries can be thoroughly cooled and then shipped in refrigerating cars almost any distance and arrive at the market in a good condi- tion. But few of the growers have their cooling arrangements; so that if we were dependent upon fruit shipped under such conditions^ we should not get a great deal of it. The practical question with us in the city is to get fruit, and if we are to have strawberries at ail we are to have those which will come to us under ordinary con- ditions, and the Wilson is the berry that fulfills these conditions. The Wilson is the berry that the laboring man will eat. I never had my heart more touched than on one occasion in Chicago. I found a very respectable woman locked up in jail. I asked her how she came there. She said for stealing a basket of peaches.. Said I, " did you steal them?" " Yes," she says, " I did." "What did you steal them for?" "Well," she said, "I wanted them so bad and hadn't the money to pay for them." I am glad the Wilson strawberry is a berry that can be grown cheap enough for poor peo- ple to eat. Mr. Lyon, of Michigan — I have a word for these gentlemen who can't sell any thing but Wilsons. I recollect a few years ago when a man could hardly sell a single berry. But people have got ac- quainted with them and now they sell with any other berry in the market. I am not at all disposed to question the merits of the Wilson as a shipping berry, and if we can only induce our growers to put it in the market ripe, the objection will be removed. Pending a motion to adjourn^ President Earle said : It is understood, I believe, that to-morrow morning we proceed immediately to elect officers for this Society for the coming year. Will you take any measures to-night prepar- atory to this election in the morning ? Mr. Smith, of Wisconsin — I move that a committee of one from each State represented here be appointed to suggest names for our various officers. Motion carried. The President — Before putting the motion to adjourn, allow me to express my own great pleasure that we have had such a very profit- 96 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. able and interesting meeting as we have had this evening. "We are certainly progressing finely. We are having a very rich session to- day, and I hope it will be even better to-morrow and Saturday. Adjourned to meet at 9 o'clock to-morrow morning. Third Day— Friday. Forenoon Session, February 23. At half past nine o'clock a. m. the Society was called to order by President Earle. Pending the report of the Committee on Nominations, which, according to programme, was the first thing in order, President Earle read the following letters, saying : I will embrace this oppor- tunity of reading to the Society certain letters from distinguished friends of the Society and from members who found it impossible to be present. The first letters I will read you are from the Hon. Marshall P. Wilder, of Boston, President of the American Pomo- logical Society. The name of our venerable friend is one blessed and reverenced by all horticulturists the world over, and should never be mentioned in a horticultural assembly w^ithout applause. (Very hearty applause.) Dorchester, Mass., December 11, 1882. 3Ty Valued Friend : Thanks for your circulars and kind letter. How I wish I could go with you to New Orleans; but at my time of life it would be too dangerous. I must husband ■my strength so as to make it hold out as long as possible. • You will have a grand time, and do your country great good yet. Let your Society and the old American Pomological Society go along arm-in-arm together in the good cause, and poster- ity will rise up and bless the men who founded them and are carrying them on for the public good. Please have a large delegation appointed to the American Pomological Society, at Philadelphia, September 12, 13, 14, 1883. As ever, yours, Marshall P. Wilder. Dorchester, Mass., January 30, 1883. My Good Friend : I still live and keep up my official relations, but dare not go from home at this season of the vear. O, how I wish I could be with vou and our friends at New Reading of Letters. 97 Orleans, and rejoice with you in the wonderful progress of American Pomology in our own day. It is a glorious cause. Let it go on prospering and to prosper, and generations yet unborn shall rise up and bless the memory of those like yourself and others of our pioneers who are, one and all, doing so much for its advance- ment. Yours, as ever, Makshaxl P. Wilder. Now, my friends, I will give you a letter from one of the found- ers of this Society, who was unable to leave his beautiful home on the bluffs of the Ohio to come to this meeting, on account of the deluge which filled the Ohio valley. As our first letter was signed by the greatest name in America or the world's pomology, so this one bears the most honored signature in our Western horticulture, and in the great movement for American forestry — that of Dr. Warder, of Ohio. North Bend, Ohio, February 18, 188.3. Parker Earle, Esq., Mr. Prcndent and Dear Friends : As apprehended, so has it eventuated. The pleasure of joining you and your confreres at New Orleans this week must be one of the unrealized anticipations, after having been so long looked forward to as a charming release from the grip of winter. The floods, almost Noachian, have confined us to our hill-tops, whence, as from Ararat, we could survey the waste of waters, as two mighty seas on either hand, Ohio and Miami, dash their angry waves toward our eminence and cut off communication with the world. For eight days our mails have been suspended, the railway trains are abandoned, and I know not when this may reach you, if ever, or its predecessor, written on receipt of your kind card of last week; nor am I informed as to the others, who were to have started to-morrow, probably via Cin- cinnati Southern Railway, having heard nothing, but apprehend the party will be small, so great has been the derangement of travel. For an oldish person, no longer strong, the journey at this season would have been hazardous, but be pleased, for yourself and your worthy associates, to accept the best wishes for your success. With sincere regrets on account of his absence, From your and their earnest friend, Jno. a. Warder. Let him hear soon of your success. Mr. Earle continued : And here I have a letter from an old friend — Robert Manning, of Boston — whose handwriting, in the absence of his genial face, I am glad to see. Mr. Manning is, as you know, one of the most learned pomologists in this country. He was many years Secretary of the American Pomological Society, and is now Secretary of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, which is, I believe, the model horticultural society of the conti- nent. Here is Mr. Manning's letter: 98 Mifisissippi Valley Horticultural Society. Boston, December 18, 1882. My Bear Sir : Your favor of the 7th came to hand a week ago, and was communicated to the Society at the meeting last Saturday. Mr. Wilder spoke of the meeting to which you kindly invite the members of the Society, as giving unusual promise of a good time, both horticulturally and socially, and it was voted that the Secretary return the thanks of the Society for the invitation. So much for the official part; but I can not omit to thank you for your very kind invitation to myself particularly. No doubt you are right in thinking it would prove a pleasant vacation, and that a vacation would not hurt flie. I do wish I could go with you and attend your meeting; but here I am, in the busiest part of the year — from the 1st of December to the 1st of April is when the heaviest pressure of work comes on me, and I do not see how I can possibly get away. * * * Yours truly, Egbert Manning, Sec. Mat's. Hort. Soc. And here I have a letter from a most indefatigable horticultural worker — Prof. J. L. Budd, of the Iowa Agricultural College. Prof. Budd has done more than any other man to introduce such European fruits as seem likely to endure the extreme vicissitudes of your northwestern climate. The Professor has but just returned from a long jouruey through Eastern Europe and Western Asia in search of valuable new fruits for the West. Ames, Iowa, December 1, 1882. 3fy Dear Sir: Your kind letter at hand. •■■ * * I would like to talk about Russian fruits, even so far South as New Orleans, as my observation in the hottest portions of Eu- rope and the United States convince me that the thick foliage apples and pears of Eastern Russia and Central Asia bear summer heat better than the South of Europe fruits. But I will have to defer this to a more convenient season, for which I am sorry. . Yours with respect, J. L. Budd. And here I have a note from one of the busiest men in the coun- try, who, both through his newspaper and his experimental farm and gardens, is doing so much for rural interests — Mr. Carman, ed- itor of the Rural Neio Yorker. New York, December 10, 1882. Afy Respected Sir : Nothing would delight me more. How I wish I could be with you ! We shall have a representative, I think, and give a good report. All should feel indebted to you for your enterprise. With heartiest, best wishes, E. S. Carman. Reading of Letters. 99 I have the following from the earnest pomologist and genial gen- tleman, J. S. Woodward, of Lockport, N. Y., who seems to have temporarily left the management of the Niagara grape interest for the even more golden management of the " Niagara Mining Com- pany," away oif in the wilds of New Mexico. But he carries with him to the mountains the spirit which made him so successful a horticulturist, and we are glad to hear from him: Pyramid, Grant Co., New Mexico, December 18, 1882. My Dear Sir : Your favor of the 5th inst., containing programme of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural excursion and meeting, and your very kind letter of same date, has been forwarded to me. I had fully intended to have attended your meeting, and to have gone in company with the very distinguished and pleasant gentlemen who ■will leave Chicago Feb. 19, but I have got switched oif into this far-away country, and hardly expect to be able to do so now. While I am for the present isolated here, I have lost none of my interest in fruit-growing. I may possibly have business that will take me over part of the way to New Orleans, and if so I shall most gladly avail myself of the opportunity to meet with the fruit-growers of the West and South. One of the greatest regrets I had in leaving the management of the Niag- ara Grape Company, and coming here, was the loss of the great opportunity I had to meet with these generous, open hearted fruit-growers, East, West, North and South. Very Eespectfully Yours, J. S. Woodward. I have here a letter from one of those horticultural pioneers who have had to re-create horticulture as a new art, under new and very extreme conditions, on the great plains and among the mountains of the far West. One of the most energetic of these men is our Vice President for Colorado, Mr. D. S. Grimes, of Denver. He writes me as follows : Denver, Col., February 11, 1883. My Dear Sir : On account of the entire management of our nurseries, 'both here and four hun- dred miles west of here, falling on me, I regret to say that it is impossible for me to attend the meeting in New Orleans. It hurts me all over to be thus deprived of this great treat, and I submit with the greatest reluctance. But as I can not go, I will give you this brief report of our horticultural condition : The State of Colorado is making rapid progress in all branches of horticulture. Our altitude, climatic influences, and manner of cultivation, all differ widely from those of the Eastern States. On account of these peculiar features our experience may be of interest to our Eastern brethren. Fruit growing is an industry very profitable to those engaged in it. The people of Colorado are great fruit eaters. 100 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. Around Denver there are over one tliousand acres in market gardens, but they fall far short of supplying the markets. Last summer as many as one hundred car loads of fruit were received in Denver in a week from abroad. The alkali taken into the system in the water we drink requires the acid of fruits to counteract its effect; hence, we will have fruit, let it cost what it may. When I read the list of papers booked for your meeting, the temptation to attend is almost greater than I can bear, but the press of business says no, and I must submit this time, but you may look for me next time. Wishing you every succe.'^s. I remain truly yours, D. S. Gkimes. My friends, my pile of letters is a pretty large one, and very in- teresting ; and they come from representative horticulturists from all sections of the country, and all of them are full of the most cor- dial sympathy for our Society and our meeting. I must read you two or three more. Here is one from that able horticultural writer and experimenter, Mr. D, Redmond, editor of the Florida Dispatch: Jacksonville, Fla., November 29, 1882. Jly Dear Sir : I regret that severe illness has prevented me from replying earlier to your kind favor. If it were at all possible for me to do so, it would give me very great pleas- ure to prepare the paper you suggest, and also to attend the meeting in New Or- leans in February ; but my duties and engagements here are so pressing that I am very regretfully obliged to forego the gratification which a visit to old scenes and a reunion with old friends could not fail to afford me. If I live until your next annual meeting, I shall certainly try to be with you. Thanking you very cordially for the kind and courteous manner in which your invitation was tendered, and trusting that your coming meeting may be a grand and influential one — a success in every way, I remain. Most truly yours, D. Redmond. Mr. Earle continued : Knowing full well that a meeting, where small fruit culture was to receive great attention, could not be a complete success without some voice from New Jersey, the greatest small fruit State in the whole world, I endeavored to secure two papers from distinguished gentlemen in that State concerning that interest. I succeeded so far as to get a promise of attendance and a paper from Mr. Jno. T. Lovett, which .severe illness in his family has prevented him from keeping* ; and I have also this kindly letter *Sinee writing this we have been favored by a valuable paper by Mr. Lovett, which may t'C found in the body of this report. [Sec' v.] Heading of Letters. 101 from Mi\ P. T. (^ulnn, saying why he could not come. As you know, no name stands higher than Mr. Quinn's, in all matters hor- ticultural, all along the entire Atlantic coast: Newark, N. J., November 20, 1882. My Dear Mr. Earle : I am glad to hear by your letter of the 17th inst. of your prospects for a first- class meeting of fruit men at New Orleans in Februar}-. I don't know of a better place to hold a winter meeting ; and nothing would afford me more pleasure than to join you at Chicago, on the 19th of February, and take an active part in the proceedings. But I am afraid I can not spare the time. My duties as Secretary of the State Agricultural Society, and of the State Board, and as Controller of Newark, together with my farm business, leave me little spare time at present. I can not now promise to write you the paper on the " Growth and Importance of Small Fruit Culture," but should I find time between now and then will do so with pleasure. The last two years have been bad ones for small fruits with us in New Jersey. We were almost burned to a crisp in 1881; and for six weeks last summer not a drop of rain fell on my farms, with a scorching sun the whole time. I had belief that lightning would not strike in the same spot twice, but alas I it did ; and you know what that means in receipts. With very kind regards, I am cordially yours, P. T. QuiNN. All Western men will recognize in the name of Geo. W. Minier, of Illinois, a venerable horticulturist who has had no superior for zeal and ability in promoting all good works for the benefit of mankind. Until within a few days he expected to be with us here, and it is a matter of regret to all of us that he at the last could not come. Minier, Illinois, February 14, 1883. My Dear Sir : Your circular and Lrenerous invitation is duly received. I have been from home this entire montb, and have been constantly promising myself the great pleasure of meeting that host of good men, and thinking men, which will assemble at New Orleans on the 21st instant. But it is possible I may not meet with you. A man of my age — my next birthday will be my seventieth — must not promise too firmly. Should any contingency debar me, you will have my most cordial good wishes. Most respectfully yours, Geo. W. Minier. Our venerable friend and fellow member, Mr. Isador Bush, of Missouri, the enthusiastic advocate of all that relates to the inter- ests of American grape culture, writes me as follows: 102 Misslssipjji Vallen Horliculttn-al Societi/, St. Louis, February 17, I880. ^fl/ Diar Sir : You know how cordially I desire, and lirinly loatemplated, going witli you to New Orleans. But sickness in my family, and the bad condition of the railroads, made my wife and myself, though very reluctantly, give up the long-anticipated trip. Our Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society is struggling under adverse circumstances; the floods will of necessity hinder many members from coming, and I had almost hoped that I might get to-day yet a letter from you that the meeting had been postponed ! As this has not come, I can only wish you and the meeting best success, and you all an enjoyable trip and safe return. Again assur- ing you of my sincere regrets, I am Truly yours, IsiDOl! BrsH. I will close the reading of this list of eloquent letters with a note from the distinguished gentleman who presides over the De- partment of Agriculture at Washington : Washington, D. C, December 17, 1882. My Dear Sir: My engagements are such in the month of February, in tiie States of Massachu- setts and Ohio, that it will be impossible for me to attend the meeting of the Mis- sissippi Valley Horticultural Society, to be held at New Orleans. It would give me great pleasure to accept your invitation and to li.sten to discussions upon the horticultural wealth of one of the most important agricultural districts of this or any other country. Very respectfully, Geo. B. L( iking, Cnwmimnner. After the reading of the letters, Dr. Samuel Hape, of Georgia,, expressing a regret at his State being outside of the geographical limits of the Society, moved that a committee be appointed to con- sider the propriety of so amending the name of the Society that it might become national in its extent. Jfr. T. T. Lyon, of Michigan, seconded the motion, and said that he hoped that the Society might become national in name as well as in fact. Mr. Noiolln, of Arkansas, said that he felt proud that this Society,, with which he had been so long connected, and which had been so small in the beginning, had so enlarged as to be able to take into consideration the admission of other parts of the Union; that, while he was willing for the Society to stretch out its arms so as to take in the whole country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, at the same time he wished to see the identity of the Society preserved. Election of Officers. 103 Jlr. Galusha, of Illinois, opposed the motion on the ground that he thought there was danger that, in thus seeking to cover so large an area of country, so different in climate and soil, that the ob- jects for which the Si)ciety was formed would be frustrated and its utility impaired. Jfr. Lyon, of Michigan, said : The objection seems to be urged that there is danger of our falling to pieces from being too much expanded, but I remember that there were once only thirteen stars in our nation, but since then we have extended to the Gulf coast, and to the Pacific, and I don't see but we are as closely knit as we were then. Mr. Yellorcly, of Mississippi, moved that the committee should consist of a member from each State represented. The motion, thus amended, was adopted. The President then announced that he had received a letter from the manager of the Mobile and Ohio Railway, extending the courte- sies of the road to the Society. He said he would take the liberty, on the part of the Society, of returning thanks for this very mag- nanimous offer, and that the business portion of the letter would receive due consideration. On motion of Mr. Baker, of Kansas, a committee of three was ap- pointed to take charge of this matter. The Committee on Nominations then reported : For President — Mr Parker Earle, of Illinois. For Vice-President — Maj. S. H. Nowlin, of Arkansas, For Secretary — Hon. W. H. Ragan, of Indiana. For Treasurer — Maj. J. C Evans, of Missouri. On motion, the report of the committee was unanimously adopted, and the above named gentlemen declared duly elected to serve for the ensuing year. President Earle returned thanks for the honor conferred upon him, in a few well chosen words. He then called attention to the fact that Prof. Tracy, the present Secretary, had been compelled, from the pressure of other duties, to decline the re-election to the position he had filled with such honor to himself and advantage to the Society, and suggested that the thanks of the members were due him for the efficient manner in which he had performed his duties. 104 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. Mr. Davies, of Ohio, moved that some more substantial mark of esteem from the Society should be conferred upon Prof. Tracy. The motion was unanimously carried, and a committee appointed to decide upon a proper testimonial. The Committee on Experimental Stations reported the following : REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS. Whereas, The agricultural colleges established under the congressional land grants, for the encouragement of industrial education in the several States of this Union, are, with some honorable exceptions, managed in such away as to seriously pervert the original purpose for which they have been so liberally endowed ; and. Whereas, The friends of horticulture, who were first to urge upon the general government the importance of the said appropriations for the establishment of practical schools of agriculture, and kindred sciences in the several States, are se- riously disappointed in the management of many of said institutions, especially in the fact that there is so little of the strictly practical and useful taught, and so much that differs so slightly from the curriculum of ordinary literary institutions; and, Whereas, It has at all times been the earnest hope of the true friends of prac- tical industrial education that these institutions were to devote a larger share of their energies to practical experiments in agriculture, horticulture, etc. ; therefore be it Resolved, That it is the sense of this convention that the management of the sev- eral state industrial institutions, above referred to, should divert from the ordinary literary work, in which they are now so largely engaged, a sufficient amount o' the liberal endowment fund as may be necessary to fully establish and endow, in each of the States, Experimental Stations, to be placed under the immediate con- trol— not of politicians, or simply scholars, but of thoroughly practical agricultur- ists and horticulturists, for the specitic purpose of testing and disseminating new and untried varieties ; of testing the practical value of fertilizers ; of making ex- periments in entomology and ornithology, so nearly related to our every-day ope- rations upon the farm and in the garden, etc., and that such results as may thus be reached should be freely disseminated amongst the class directly interested. Resolved, That until the management of these several State industrial institutions shall be made to conform more fully to the above ideas, it is the judgment of the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, embracing in its extensive area a large proportion of the strictly agricultural portion of this country, that the original purpose of the liberal bequests for the encouragement of industrial education is being diverted from its original purpose, greatly to the detriment of agriculture and its kindred branches. W. H. Ragan. F. P. Baker. J. C. Evans. After a spirited discussion, participated in by several gentlemen, the report was recommitted to the committee, to which four addi- Ii(pcHs of Ccmmiiiees. 1C5 tional members were added, viz., Lyon, FurEas, Galusba and Now- lin, and the committee was irstiuctfd to report at a subsequent session of the Society. Mr. (). B. Galusba, Chairman of the Committee on Hortiml- tural Statistics, then reported the following, which was adopted : REPOKT (IF COMMITTKK ON HORTICULTURAL STATISTICS. Mr. President — Your committee, to whom was referred the subject of the prac- ticability of arranging for the collection of statistics relating to horticultural work and products in the Mississippi Valley, beg leave to report that they appre- ciate the great importance of such a work as set forth by the President of this So- ciety in his address. We see but one objection to successfully carrying out the views of the President, viz., the want of funds to defray the necessary expense of collecting such statistics; but in view of the general liberality of the fruit growers and shippers of this great valley, we are confident this objection can and will be overcome, and present the following : Resolved, That our Secretary be and hereby is instructed to secure, if possible, the co-operation of the several State horticultural societies in collecting these sta- tistics, and arrange with them for furnishing a portion of the funds necessary to defray the expense of printing, postage, etc. ; and he is further instructed to sup- ply them with a pro ratxi number of copies of the reports. Besolird, That the Secretary is hereby instructed to issue and collect three sets of statistics during the year, viz : one in the spring, as soon as the general planting reason has closed, of the areas of old and new plantations ; the second during the growing season, giving statements of condition of trees and plants, and prospects for crops; and the third, at the close of the season, giving amounts of crops, where marketed and average prices obtained. O. B. CIalusha, K. W. Furnas, IT. E. McKay, Commitlee. S. H. Xowlin, from the Committee on Exhibitions, then made the following report, which was adopted : Mr. President — Your Committee on Exhibitions beg leave to make the follow- ing report : That in oi-der to render this Society of greater practical utility to the country, and to stimulate an active interest in the production of superior horticultural pro- bluets, we deem it essential to hold exhibitions at least once in two years; and as the Southern Exposition will hold an exhibition of agricultural products in the city of Louisville, Ky., beginning on the 1st of August next, and continuing one hundred days, we deem it advisable to hold an exhibition of horticultural products on that occasion. We think, in order to make the exhibition a success, and render 106 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. justice to all parties, it will require a premium list of at least :^5,000, and we have reason to believe that the amount will be placed at our disposal. We further recommend that the executive committee take the matter in charge, and arrange, if possible, to hold in September next, or at such time as they may find most coij- venient, at Louisville, Ky., the grandest exhibition of horticultural products ever vet held anywhere. S. H. Nowlix, Chairman. T. T. Ia'ox. J. S. Beaty. The President — Our next paper considers a subject of growing importance in all portions of this country — irrigation in horticul- ture. You have already given some attention to it in the straw- berry discussion, and I think you are inclined to consider this question in its more general aspects. The Hon. F. P. Baker, of Topeka, Kansas, who is the United States Commissioner of Forestry for the Mississippi Valley, has given this matter much attention. You will be glad to hear Mr. Baker. IRRIGATION IN HORTICULTURE. HY F. P. r.AKER. From the earliest dawn of primeval histoiy, in the opening records of the life of man on earth, water has been artificially applied in the cultivation of the soil. The earliest records of all nations, the poetical imagery, of every people living, far back in the gray dawn of antiquity, indicate no mean ap- preciation of their " larger and smaller streams "in the success of their til- lage or grazing. No more beautiful description of this kind can, perhaps, be found than the picture drawn by a Hebrew poet when he speaks of the pro- vision God has made for the people of Eastern climes : " He sendeth the springs into the valleys which run along the hills ; he watereth the hills from his chambers and the laughing abundance by which the mountains are crowned in consequence of it. The little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with tlocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn : they shout for joy ; the}'' also sing." The cradle of the human race, and their tirst settlements being in the East, where the temperature is similar to that of our great western plains, the care of the tirst tillers of the soil was .to securing that supply of water for their fields which might yield food to their families, flocks and herds. For this purpose, in case the natural supply of water was scanty, they dug wells and canals and sought to lead out streams and rivulets to spread over their lands. To guard against the effects of heat, in drying up their fields, was an object of great desire. Artificial means of various kinds were adopted. Among the ancient Assyrians, Babylonians and Egyptians a variety of methods wa.i Irrigation in Horticulture. 107 resorted to for this purpose. Herodotus mentions the fact that canals were constructed at great expense, and sometimes lakes and large reservoirs were l)repared, by means of which the natural deficiencies might be remedied. Even in modern times travelers speak of the remains of ancient traces of structures as in existence, which indicate on how lar^ie a scale aids to ngricul- ture of these ancient people must have been conducted Sir Henry Rawlinsin says: ''Rain is very rare in Babylon during the summer months, and productiveness depends entirely on irrigation." Mr. Layard, in his researches in Assyria, says: " The Assyrians used ma- chines for rais ng water from the river or from the canals when it could not be led into the fields through common conduits." Herodotus refers to a machine or mode of raising water for purposes of irrigation, called the handswipe. Representations of the handswipe have been found on the monuments of Assyria. Through Persia and Syria, and all the more Eastern countries, irrigation is practiced even to this day. In China and India, as is well known, it has had an important place among the agricultural practices of these nations, and dates back to remote antiquity. On this continent, in ancient Peru, the Spaniards found the most costly works for irrigating lands. The Aztecs, of Mexico, also made use of irriga- tion. Cato, the earliest of writers in Roman agriculture (150 years before Christ), recommends to his countrymen to form water meadows. Pliny say.^ that meadows ought to be watered immediately after the spring equinox, and the water kept back when the grass shoots up to stalk. Virgil, in his well known Georgics, thus alludes to irrigation : "1)1" Iiiiu who oil liis laiKi, Fresli sown, destroys ea(;h ridge of barren sand ; Then instant o'er tlie leveled furrows brings Refreshful waters from the cooling springs. Behold, when bnrning suns of Syria's beams ."^trike tiercely on the fields and withering streams, , |)own from the summit of neighboring hills, O'er the smooth stones he calls tlfe babbling rills. Soon as he clears whate'er their passage stayed, And marks their future current with his spade, Before liini scattering they prevent his pains, Burst all abroad and drench the thirsty plains." The practice of irrigation prevailed likewise in the various parts of the Roman empire, while the Moors seem to have introduced or prosecuted it with vigor in Spain when they held possession of that country. Fraas, one of the most recent German writers on agriculture, remarks that in modern times certainly no question has more engaged the attention of the learned agricidtural public than that of extensive irrigation, wholly different from the primitive systems of the people of the southern regions, or, indeed, of the people who, in the gray antiquity, conducted the civilization of the world- He states that in all parts of Germany such preparations exist. Fraas comes 108 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. to the conclusion that it is evident that irrigation will soon dissipate the old relations, and in view of the facts of the disappearance of the forests and lack of rainfall, a higher culture will come in and the benefits of such a cul- tivation will be fully realized. Thaer, the most noted German writer on agriculture, lays down the propo- sition that irrigation "is one of the most useful and important of all the ope- rations within the province of the agriculturist." Moisture is essential to vegetation: and water, either directly or indirectly, or by decomposition, contributes materially to the nutrition of plants. Von Lengerke, replying to sixteen questions proposed by the German Royal College of Rural Economy, says that river or lake water which con- tains a sediment is more advantageous than water from springs or wells. The highest degree of heat that water can obtain in the open air, by means of the sun, is the best; a warm rain being more beneficial than a cold rain ; and, as a complete refutation of the argument against irrigation in western Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado, that the hot winds will prove injurious, he says, "irrigated in the greatest Avarmth of the atmosphere, so the fields receive the necessary quantity of water, properly distributed, such crops have a more luxuriant growth than others." His experience is, that if there is plenty of sand in the soil, irrigation on the surface is preferable. The ad- vantages of irrigation are presented by many French writers on agriculture- In the south of France and Italy, and in Spain, six to twelve irrigations are bestowed on gardens per month, six being more frequent than twelve, meadows being watered once per week. One writer says the sole object in the use of water is to keep up the moisture in the heat of summer, and es- pecially is it valuable when the water contains a slight slime. The orange groves, orchards and vineyards of Southern California are only made to yield bountifully by irrigation. Although living streams are few, the whole country seems to be well supplied with vast reservoirs of water a few feet below the surface of the ground. The farms are to be found on the low lands, embracing from two to ten acres each. Wells are dug, windmills erected and reservoirs for retaining water are built on the elevated lands ad- joining. Iron pipes are laid irom the reservoirs through the orchards or gardens. The wind furnishes the motive power, and each day some portion of the farm is flooded with water. If a tree, an embankment six or eight inches is thrown up around it twenty feet in diameter, and in this inclosure the water is turned. Trees do not need, as a rule, but two applications of water during the year. Potatoes and garden vegetables are watered by trenches or with the hose. Thus every farmer is his own thunder shower. The . fruit is rich and juicy, the grapes the finest in the world, while the vegetables are as tender and crisp as those grown in the best gardens of the eastern States. In New Mexico and Arizona water is applied in the cultivation of the soil in the most primitive way. Windmills are not used, the cultivated lands being found along the streams. The Pueblo or the Mexican digs an acequia Irrigation in Horticulture. 109' or ditch for conducting the water from the stream near by. At sundown he takes his hoe and proceeds to the iield, followed by all the members of his household, and for several hours the work of irrigation goes on. The wheat and corn fields are flooded, the water containing a rich sediment, which is thus deposited at the roots of the growing grain. The yield is enormous,, although the cultivated area is not great. For hundreds of years the farm- ers of the Rio Grande have turned the water from that stream upon the ad- jacent lands, producing fruit, grapes and garden vegetables of superior quality. When the lamented Horace Greeley advised the young man to "go west and grow up with the country," he had already traversed the upper tributatries of the Platte river, and had seen with his own eyes the wonder- ful crops grown at the foot of the mountains by half-civilized inhabitants;, and when he embarked in the scheme to establish a colony on the " Cache La Poudre," to forever bear his historic name, he had years before witnessed the successful operation of farming by artificial water supply carried to a considerable state of perfection in that far-off region. It is needless for us to say here that one of the most prosperous farming communities in the Avorld is to b3 found at Greeley, Col. Trees grow upon the sandy soil in beauty and grandeur when fed and nourished from the waters of the streams, while the products of the farm attain their highest degree of perfection. The tiny acorn falling upon the leaves that thinly cover the barren rocks, germinates and sends its rootlets into the very crevices, and will live and flourish in spite of the rocky barrenness beneath, if only supplied with water. The tops of the highest mountains in Arizona are covered with timber, while the sides of these great peaks are as dry as the ashes from a volcano and as barren of trees as the desert of Sahara; the clouds condense and give forth the refreshing shower on the top of the mountain, while the he ited air of the desert jDrevents the rain upon the mountain sides. The low, sand}^ streams that flow from the mountain reservoirs across the great arid plains of the West, on their course to the Gulf, are skirted on either side by the Cottonwood and the willow, while back from the stream, upon the broad plain, the buffalo grass and the sage brush only withstand the climate where there is no rain. Three years ago farming was first attemi)ted in Western Kansas by irrigation. Beyond the rain belt and far beyond the timber line, in the very heart of the great desert, a few hardy pioneers pitched their tents and made the beginning. The low banks of the Arkansas river enabled them to turn the water upon the broad plains at little cost. A ditch three miles long was constructed, and small patches of land on either side broken up. Fruit and forest trees were set out, vegetable seeds were planted, and the ground thus prepared was occasionally flooded, and the re- sult was beyond expectation. Onions yielded GOO bushels to the acre, turnijis 1,000, sweet potatoes 600, Irish potatoes 400, while the fruit trees blossomed the second year. Behold what a change. To-day hundreds of farmers are engaged in tilling the. soil in that region. Miles and miles of ditches have been constructed; capital has been drawn thither, so that a government 110 Mi-s.sissippi Valley Horticultural Society. honiestoad, tliat could be had foi- the takhig, if favorably located, now sells readily at |2() per acre. Carping critics asserted that as the mythical rain belt never reached the great plains, and the cloudless sky and never-failing sunshine throughout the si)ring and summer months precluded the possibility of the growth of cereals or vegetables, yet here, in the midst of these impossibilities, is a broad expanse of valley, embracing many thousand acres, which is being rendered more certainly productive than the richest bottoms of the Missis- sippi or the Missouri. The wisdom of man has overcome the seemingly in- superable diliiculties of nature — has set aside the natural laws and caused this hitherto trackless waste to smile with the richest harvest. Every man is his own thunder storm, and while nature too often floods the fields or with- holds the needed rain at a critical period in the life of the crops in other re- gions, here the water is turned on at pleasure, the sediment of the stream furnishing an extra amount of richness to the soil. Prejudice and unbelief have given place to knowledge and absolute conviction. The scheme of ir- rigation in Western Kansas is to-day a magnificent success. Here, beyond the rain belt, on these lands redeemed by the skill of man from the desert, lire to be the hajDpy homes of thousands, prosperous communities, whole- some laws and the reign of wide-lapped plenty. Quietly the great work has been accomplished. A system has been established, the fertility of the valley of the Nile imparted to tens of thousands of acres, that not a decade of years hence will be pointed to as the crown of Kansas, and will endure for centu- ries as the most economical mode of farming known to man. A distinguished engineer shows conclusively, from a record of observations extending over a long series of years, in one case 142, that the annual discharge of water from the Danube, Ehine, Oder, Elbe and Vistula, five of the principal rivers of Europe, has been continually decreasing, as the area drained by these rivers has been brought more and more under cultivation. The decrease of water discharge has been most rapid during the last twenty years. Means should be taken to retain the wat'^r falling from the clouds within the area upon which it falls. This could be accomplished by the building of dams in water courses, and by the construction of reservoirs near the streams which overflow. The draining of existing lakes and ponds should be prohibited. A net-work of navigable canals should be constructed wherever practicable. This is substantially the policy that has become'so successful in China. A large part of Western Kansas and Nebraska, of Eastern Colorado and New- Mexico requires irrigation before the soil can be cultivated and made to pro- duce the usual variety of farm products. At present the land is used, when used at all, for grazing only. The big stock men control the land lying along the Arkansas, and the few other water courses, "freeze out" the small own- ers, and keep the greater part of the land idle and valueless. The rainfall in that region is from ten to fifteen inches annually, which amounts to per- petual drought. Engineers and geologists began last year to spend a national appropriation for sinking artesian wells. One experiment was partially Irrigalion in Horticulture. Ill made near Fort Lyon, and then the hole was abandoned. Something may yet come out of this project; it was a scheme worth trying. The soil in this territory is good ; it only lacks water to make it very productive. In some way, somehow, and at some time, this water will be found and set free, and when this is done a new empire will be opened for settlement and cultiva- tion— a land already peneti'ated by several railroads into the lap of the East and the West. When that country is watered, groves will spring up as they do now in Denver and San Francisco, and the climate further east will be ameliorated, and the rainfall will be greater and more evenly distributed, less drought and fewer torrents and tornadoes. A tornado, or a " twister," let us define it now for the first time, is a loafer and an assassin, the dead beat and the Guiteau of the plains, born of idleness on a parched, empty and lazy ]>rairie, and nurtured in the same hot and hellish air that makes the whisky- fed cowboy a devil incarnate. Irrigate the plains and you gibbet both the human £.nd the atmospheric fiend, and the plains will be irrigated; if not this year, then ten years hence, as Damascus, and Palestine, and India have been irrigated — millions of acres, and by " Pagans " thousands of years ago. Damascus is called the " Eye of the East," and a thousand other poetic names. The cyclopedia says the river Abana " is the life of Damascus, and has made it perennial." Its system of irrigation is "apparently of high antiquity; ca- nals are led ott' from it at different elevations above the city, and carried far and wide over the surrounding plain, converting what would otherwise be a parched desert into a paradise." Are we less wise, less euterjorising than that remote people whom we now call barbarians? It may be objected that this papsr and the subject matter embraced in it refers exclusively to the arid regions of the West, but every region of our country is embraced within the domain of this Society. If he has been called a benefactor to the race who makes two spears of grass grow where 3Ir. S7iiith — W^e have had one or two dry years since I put up my waterworks, and I have no doubt that they paid me in those years. • _. The President — My friends, our programme calls for a paper, which I know you are all anxious to hear, from the Rev. E. P. Roe, of New York, a gentleman whose " Success with Small Fruits" has not only fascinated the thousands of readers of his very sumptuous and valuable book, but the many visitors to his finely cultivated berry farm. You will all regret, as T do deeply, Mr. Roe's un- avoidable detention at home by sickness ; but you will both hear and read his too brief paper with satisfaction and profit. SMALL FRUITS IN THE SOUTH. BYl^E. P. ROE, OF NEW YORK. There has been a vast deal of disappointment and useless expense incurred in Southern small fruit culture, and all from the lack of due consideration of a few essential facts and principles. An enterprising Southerner sends to- a responsible nurseryman for his catalogue, orders and sets out the most ap- proved varieties, gives them careful culture, and, in many instances, is rewarded by utter failure. The foliage of certain kinds of strawberries shrivels and disappears during the long hot summer; the most vaunted rasp- berries lose their leaves and perish; gooseberries and currants maintain a sickly existence if they survive at all. What is the reason ? The explanation, and also the secret of success, is found by going back to> lirst principles. Let us begin with the strawberry, the small fruit best adapted to the South, and the most valuable everywhere. In the first place, strawberries of commerce, and ninety-nine hundredths of all that appear on our tables, are wholly American in origin. What are termed foreign varieties were originally imported from North and South America, propagated in France and England and disseminated to other parts of the continent. Varieties were obtained from, (a) the species known as the Small Fruits hi the South. • 115 Fragaria Chilensis, which is native to the great mountain system extending through Western, North and South America; and (6) from the other most vahiable strawberry species of the world, Fragaria Virginiana, found wild from the extreme north to Florida, and westward to the Rocky Mountains. The first importations of these two American species disappointed French and English gardeners because of their non-productiveness; but as time passed more plants were brought over the sea which did better. Eventually the fact (so well known to us), was discovered and appreciated that the seeds of these American strawberries produced widely differing varieties, and by this method of propagation there was scope for very great improvement. It is not strange that European gardeners should have been slow in learning this fact, for the two species hitherto known to them, the Alpine and Hautbois, reproduce themselves from the seed without material differences. In time, foreign horticulturists vied with each other in producing new and celebrated varieties, and it would seem that the strain derived from the Fragaria Chi- lensis took the lead as promising the best results abroad. In the earlier stages of horticulture in this country almost all of our cul- tivated fruits were imjDorted from Europe, and the leading strawberries in our gardens bore foreign names. In the North, and under high and careful culture, many of these succeeded well. Some have justly maintained their popularity in many regions to the present day, as for example the Jucunda and Triomphe de Gand. But the great majority were soon found not to be adapted to our climate. It is a fact which is now very generally recognized by well informed fruit growers that the Fragaria Chilensis strain, of which the Jucunda is the best type we have, is an element of weakness in all varie- ties when planted on light soils and under a Southern sun. But just here we face our chief difficulty. How are we to detect this Chilensis strain, this ele- ment of weakness? In the first place, it was for generations crossed or breeded into our hardy Virginian species, that was also imported into Eng- land; and in our own land the same process has been continued indefinitely, sometimes by a direct cross, like that made by President Wilder, between Hovey's Seedling and La Constante, but more often by sowing the seeds of fine berries of fine varieties whose pedigree could not be traced, and whose blossoms had been fertilized from other untraceable kinds growing near. Hereditary traits will continue in strawberry plants as well as in j^eoples to the end of time, and the ancestor of some variety that we set out this sju-ing may first have received its dash of the Chilensis strain a century ago, and have been crossed with it a score of times since. Therefore in the majority of the cultivated strawberries of to-day we find the two great species of the world, the Chilefisis and the Virginiana, inextricably blended and, as has been said, that to the degree that the Chilensis element abounds in a variety that kind will falter and fail under a Southern sun. Even at the cooler North, on rich loamy land, many varieties in which this foreign strain abounds will not thrive. The fruit-stalks mildew or rust and the foliage burns or scalds. How often we have seen this of late in varieties, that, like the Great American 116 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. and Forest Rose, were superb in a few localities but which failed utterly, af- ter wide dissemination, to maintain their fame. For a long time the success or failure of the vaunted kinds introduced seemed but a question of chance. I am now satisfied that in the foregoing paragraphs I have suggested the causes of failure and made it clear that our best success in this country, especially at the South, will be found in developing on hardy native Virginian species. Nine-tenths of the new kinds set out are chance seedlings, or else are the outcome of long generations of cultivated varieties in which Chilensis strain abounds. The Southern fruit grower should seek to develop a class of varieties suited to his climate, and, to a certain extent, this has been done, as for in- stance in Neunan's Prolific or the Charleston Seedling. The trouble, how- ever, with this berry is, that it is only fit to ship, not to eat, unless dead ripe on the vines. If I were growing strawberries in the South I would order only such varieties as had shown in their foliage the highest degree of en- durance of summer heat, as for example, the Bidwell, Sharpless (staminate), and the Golden Defiance, and Champion (pistillate). Here are five male and female varieties from which new kinds could be obtained, and they might be crossed with vigorous and productive plants growing wild in the vicinity. Thus in time there would be a class of strawberries that had originated in Southern soil and under Southern skies. I have never seen a plant that maintained its foliage so perfectly from j^ear to year, until dying of old age, as the Bidwell. It is also enormously productive, setting more fruit in many localities, it is said, than it can mature. Admitting this fault fully, yet it has been well proved that the Bidwell possesses superb qualities in the hardness of its foliage and its tendency to stool out into enormous fruit- crowns. It therefore should become the sire of new varieties in which the one weakness of the parent might be breeded ou*^. My advice to South- ern growers would be to buy charily of kinds heralded at the North, to test them and discover through adequate trial how far they are suited to the re- gion, then propagate those most vigorous and productive and make tiiena the parents of new varieties. To a very great degree the same principles that we have already consid- ered apply to the red raspberry. Until recently the kinds chiefly cultivated at the North were imported from Europe, and, as a rule, they exceed in ex- cellence our native varieties. Many seedlings have also been introduced but they were of foreign parentage and possessed the same lack of adaptation to even the southern part of the Middle States, and, with few exceptions, re- quired covering everywhere. They well repay it where they can be grown. We are learning, however, that our native raspberries well deserve cultiva- tion, and specimens found growing wild have been propagated to very great advantage. As, for example, the Turner or Southern Thornless (they are identical), the Brandywine and others. In the Southern woods and fields may be found other prizes, and from the seeds of these new and still better kinds might be obtained. There is no use of trying to raise foreign blooded rasp- Small Fruits in the South. 117 berries even in Southern New Jersey, and as we advance towards the ex- treme South the possibility of growing even the most vigorous of the red or black raspberries steadily diminishes excej^t on the upper mountain slopes. I can see no reason why the mountain regions of North and South Carolina and Georgia should not be one of the finest fruit growing localities in the Avurld. The origin of the Cuthbert raspberry is obscure, but the native ele- ment predominates so largely that it endures the heat of summer remarka- bly well. If it would thrive in the vicinity of Norfolk it would prove re- markably profitable. The character of the black cap family {Riibus Occidentalis), is too well known to need discussion. A certain degree of moisture and shade, and cool northern exposures add essentially to the i^rospects of success with all kinds of raspberries in the South. If placed on the north side of fences and buildings they would often thrive when they would fail utterly in the open field or garden. The currant and gooseberry are not found growing wild along our higher lati- tudes; but when we remember their cold, moist, shaded, native haunts it will be understood at once that they are fruits not adapted to a sunny clime. Only as the grower can supply in some degree the conditions of coolness and moisture can he hope for any return from them. In closing I suggest that the best success will be found in conformity to the principles of adaptation and acclimation. Nature can neither be tricked nor forced, and our aim should ever be to work with, not against her. Mr. Earle then reminded the Society that there had been a com- mittee ordered, consisting of one member from each State, to con- sult as to the enlargement of the sphere of the Society and the change of its name. He appointed the following gentlemen to serve upon said committee : Messrs. Furnas, Hape, Lyon, Smith, Holsiuger, Tracy, Nov^^lin, Wiggins, Mohr, Colmant, Porter, Ragan, Jackson, Hale, Galusha, Campbell and Munson. The Society then adjourned until 2:30 p. m. Third Day— Friday. Afternoon Session. The Society raet at 4 o'clock, Mr. Earle in the chair. Ex-Governor Furnas, of Nebraska, from the committee ap- pointed to consider the advisability of enlarging the field of work of the Society and a change of its name, reported, that, after ma- 118 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. ture consideration of this subject, they had decided to recommend that the subject be laid on the table till the next annual meeting. This report was adopted. The President — Ladies and gentlemen, we are happy to have with us a gentleman of world-wide reputation as a pomologist, who has prepared a paper upon the new peaches, and other new fruits. We extend our greetings and our welcome to Mr. Prosper J. Berck- mans, President of the Georgia Horticultural Society. THE NEWER PEACHES AND NEW FRUITS FOR THE COTTON STATES. BY P. J. BERKMANS, OF GEORGIA. When we take a retrospective summary of the varieties of fruits known to Southern fruit growers of ten j^ears ago, and compare these with our present resources, we may, without presumption, take the heading of this essay as a suitable subject. The advent of the Hale's Early peach was such a great step in the advance of maturity of our earliest peaches, that by many of us this wonderful freak was supposed to be an exaggeration from interested tree growers. As the variety, however, sustained all that was claimed by the originator, this sup- position gave place to another, that the earliest limit of maturity had been reached. Again a change of opinion had to take place when the Beatrice, Louise and Rivers proved to be still more precocious; thus upsetting all previous theories, and leaving the undeniable evidence that a still greater step in early maturity was not impossible. This was instanced by the almost simul- taneous introduction of the Alexander and Amsden. We have thus advanced the period of earliest maturity of the peach, within the short space of twenty years, from twenty-live to thirty days. Twenty years ago the Early Tillotson, our best good early peach, seldom began to ripen before the end of June ; now we are disajopointed if our Alexanders are not ready for use by the 20th of Ma3\ Although the Alexander and Amsden originated about the same time, but at considerable distances apart, I was struck with the similarity of the speci- mens of the ripe fruit which I received from the original trees at their sec- ond production. This evidently denoted their origin to be from the same parentage. Subsequent experience leaves no dpubt as to. this, and further- more that the Hale's Early was their common parent. We have, again, sufficient evidence that from this variety have originated the many seedlings, whose characteristics have so much similarity that to name one is to name nearly all. The regularity of bearing of the Hale's Early is due to its lateness in Newer Peaches and New Fruits for the Cotton States. 119 blooming, as well as the thickness of the calyx, which, remaining upon the young fruit for several days after the petals have dropped, acts as a great protection against cold weather. But this late blooming has also the effect of causing the flowers of the Hale's to be self-fertilized. As very few other varieties being then in bloom, cross-impregnation is less frequent than in varieties blooming at the same time. This explains the great similarity in all the offsprings of this variety, and so long as it is used as a parent so long will the list of the so-called distinct new early peaches remain without vari- ety, and increase the already numerous synonyms and confusion in our no- menclature. Those of our peach growers present at this assembly will bear me witness that, although they may have a large number of names, still they have but one or two peaches that can be said to differ more or less in the main. It ivill not do to rely upon one or two seasons of fruiting, or upon one tree, to form an opinion that a seedling peach is earlier, better or larger than others ^f the same class; but if, after three or four crops, and these from different localities and soils, no material difference can be detected, it is then useless to retain the names of new comers, as it results really in a distinction with- out a difference. Some of the offsprings of Hale's have serrated leaves, others are with ■glands; in this, and in a very slight difference in the texture of the flesh, count all the variations which I have been enabled to detect between the Al- exander and its sub-varieties, such as Amsden, Governor Garland, Waterloo, Saunders, Downing, Musser, Wilder, Brice's, Early Canada and perhaps a dozen others. Some of these sub-varieties ripen a few days after Alexander, but from an experience of six years in fruiting the latter, and a host of others, none are earlier or last any longer in average seasons. So far as their carrying ca- pacity is concerned no difference has been perceptible. It is a notable fact, that while seventy-five out of one hundred of the pits of the Early Beatrice will produce strong and healthy seedlings, not above 10 per cent, of the pits of the Alexander will germinate. The varieties maturing immediately after the Alexander, such as Early Louise and Early Rivers, have given but occasionally satisfactory results in shipping to a distance; their skin is so thin as to prevent distant carriage, unless shipped under the most favorable concomitants of weather and rapid transit. The Chinese strain, of which the old China Cling was for years the only representative, has of late years produced a large number of sub-varieties; some are free-stones, others clings, some with yellow flesh, others retaining the color of the old variety, but all possessing the peculiar finely grained and melting texture which characterizes this type. While a few years ago we had the China Cling in maturity during two weeks, we now have a regular succession of both free-stones and cling-stones to ripen from the first week im July until the beginning of September. First we have the General Lee, 120 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. next the Stonewall Jackson, Spottswood, Albert Sidney, Thurber, Elberta, Sj'l])hedi and many others. The Elberta is, however, a well defined hybrid of the Chinese type, and a yellow-fleshed variety of the Persian type; it has proved a remarkably large and excellent variety, one which, at its season of maturity, from the miildlo of July to beginning of August, has commanded the highest prices . in the Northern markets. Perhaps the most valuable new peach adapted to the sub-tropical zone of Florida and Louisiana is the Peen To, or Flat Peach of China. A descrip- tion of this fruit appeared in the earlier editions of "Downing's Fruits and Fruit Trees of America," but the genuine variety seemed not to have been introduced in this country until a zealous horticultural friend from Australia sent me some of its pits in 1868. From these originated this variety, which, although of no value for what is termed the peach growing belt of the United States, owing to its blossoming very early, it has proven to be Avell suited to sections of Florida where the varieties of the Persian strain are unsuccessful, and given there material for a new source of fruit producing. This peach is, however, only a variety of a type, and the latter is also some- what distinct from both the Persian and Chinese, as it is almost an evergreen tree, the old leaves remaining upon the tree until after the middle of De- cember, while the new growth begins at the end of January. The fruit is very flat, flesh of a melting and fine-gi'ained texture, juicy and of excellent flavor, cling-stone ; has matured in Middle Florida as early as the 10th of April, when shipments were made to Philadelphia, where the fruit sold at 75 cents each. It is hoped that experiments will be made by our Forida friends in rais- ing seedlings from it, as new and distinct varieties will no doubt be obtained, thus giving them a race of peaches which will be as profitable to them as the orange. Many of the members of this Society have doubtless fruited some of the varieties of the Japanese Persimmon, and become somewhat acquainted with this new fruit; others, however, may only know of the fruit from .descrip- tions. The limits of this paper forbid dwelling at length upon these new comers, and I must therefore only give their salient points. 1. The trees of nearly all the varieties are of rather dwarf habit of growth,, and, so far as our experience goes, all produce fruit at a very earh' age. Im- ported trees usually yield a crop the year following transplanting. Those grafted upon well established native stocks grow more rapidly, and are apt to- make larger trees; they also usually produce fruit the second year from graft. 2. Nearly all the round-shaped varieties have a tendency to overbear; thus the fruit requires thinning when set. 3. The trees are hardy in the cotton belt, but more reliable in good results- below the 32°. Newer Peaches and New Fruits for the Cotton States. 121 4. The fruit is very attractive, of a bright vermilion or deep orange. The flesh is soft, and, when fully ripe, of the consistency of jelly; the flavor is sweet, with an aroma partaking somewhat of the apricot and date. 5. Some varieties are round, others oblong, and some conical; but, al- though mention is made by several growers of from ten to fifteen varieties, we have so far only found six to be quite distinct. There is confusion in their nomenclature as well as in the varieties received at various times from Japan; it will require one or two more fruiting seasons to correct the many synonyms under which we now grow these varieties. Four consecutive years of fruiting have enabled us to name the following as distinct, and determine some of their synonyms. Among — Round, somewhat flattened, and with well marked corrugations at the apex. Average diameter, 3 inches. Ripens in October. Kurokumo — Round, nearly globular, diameter 2k inches, very jiroductive, tree affects a dwarf growth. Matures October and November. Hyakume — Large, sometimes 4 inches in diameter, seedless. Keeps iintil FebruarJ^ Its synonyms are Minokaki, Tanenashi, Die Die Mawrn, etc. H'xchyia — Conical, 2.V inches by 3j. This variety seems to be predisposed to drop its fruit before maturity. Its syno-iyms are Tomato, Imperial, etc. Mikcuh — Oblong or obtuse. Diameter 2 inches by 3. Zm^fi— Small, diameter 2 inches. Quality best. Matures early in fall. G. All the varieties can be successfully grafted upon our native persim- mon, but the best results are obtained by inserting the graft upon the colar of tlie root, two or three inches below the surface. Top grafting, or budding, h:is with me nearly always proved a failure, but I learn that in Florida bud- ding is quite successful. 7. Seedlings are unreliable. They usually produce male flowers only while young, the female flowers not appearing until the tree has reached six to eight years. The fruit produced, so far, by our seedlings, has been small, inferior in quality, and matured in September.. 8. As a commercial product little can be said because of the small amount of fruit proiuced. In San Francisco the fruit has sold in market at ten cents por pound. We may, however, confidently expect our markets to be soon supplied with this fruit from 03tob3r until February, but, as with all new fruits, a ready sale will not be secured until the supply is ample. Some twelve years ago there came from South Georgia a very distinct fruit known there as the China S uid. As this name belonged to a well known ornamental variety, pomologists gave little belief to the wonderful reports of its yield of fruit and growth. As it became apparent that it was, however, entirely distinct from the China Sand Pear, and there was no exaggeration in what was claimed for it, there began an incredible demand for the trees. The original tree was sent from New York to Liberty county, Georgia, by Major LeConte, and by giving the fruit the latter name it was placed in a bet- ter light before the horticultural public. This original tree is now still stand- 122 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. ing, and although some forty years old has never shown any sign of blight, and, I am told, never failed to yield a crop of fruit. No variety of the European type can compare with the LeConte in growth or productiveness. A peculiarity of this pear is, that, like its congener, the . China Sand, it can be grown from cuttings. But while the latter may, dur- ing winter, grow quite readily in Lower Georgia, nearly all attempts of propagating by this method have failed in Middle and Upper Georgia. Where trees can only be propagated with certainty when grafted upon pear stocks, worked upon quince gives bad results; the buds grow rajoidly the first year, but gradually die off afterward. Its apparent resistance against blight is, doubtlesp,attributable to a peculiar thick epidermis which prevents fungii from obtaining a foothold. Admitting that pear blight is caused by the attacks of a fungus, which destroys the tissue of the bark, it becomes evident that so long as a tree is grown from a graft below the surface, its immunity from blight will be equal to that of a tree grown from a cutting, as the stock is not exposed to the atmosphere and thus protected from the fungus. However, when top-grafted the. liability to blight is increased, the graft must suti'er should the body of the tree become affected. The theory of blight being generated from lack of affinity between graft and stock and carried through the circulation receives, in this instance, a practical refutation, as the won- derful vigor infused in i)ear stocks, when grafted with the LeConte, is con- clusive evidence of the affinity, and if effected by blight it is only when top- grafted, because fungus growth makes its appearance only upon that portion of the tissue of the pears of European type, which is exposed to the atmosphere. As a market fruit the LeConte has proven valuable. Although without being of superior quality, it is sufliciently good to be desirable. But its good market points consist in its even size and smooth skin, combined with its great fertility. We may, in the near future, obtain better varieties of this type, as several are already quite prominent, such as Keift'er's, Garber's and other, hybrid varieties ; but even should we make no further advance in point of quality, the advent of the Leconte has made pear culture possi- ble and profitable where it was a failure before. DISCUSSION ON SOUTHERN FEUITP. The President — Several topics suggested in Mr, Berckmaus' ad- mirable paper will certainly elicit valuable discussion, and he will doubtless be willing to answer any questions that you may desire to ask him. Mr. Smith, of Wisconsin — Why is it that certain varieties of peaches ripened in certain sections of the country earlier than in regions lower down ? 3£r. Berckmans, of Georgia — That is one of those climatic freaks that we can not account for. The nearness to the sea is thought to Discussion on Southern Fruits. 123 have a great influence upon varieties. I was told that about Mo- bile it is almost impossible for them to grow figs, except the Celesti, whereas at Norfolk, which is five hundred miles further north, I have seen half a dozen varieties uninjured for years. Mr. Baldwin, of Michigan — Do you find the LeConte pear as good upon its own root as when grafted ? Mr. Berchnans — I find it better upon another root. I think it is better suited to the light lauds of the Southern States than any other pear they can grow. It has matured in Connecticut and New York. They find it there not so desirable as some other varieties. In the Southern States you can grow it where you can grow no other pear. Mr. Smith, of Wisconsin — It has been represented to me that the pear would not be valuable except upon its own root. Mr. Berckmans — Certain ideas obtain with certain men. We can not take stock in all these things. 3Ir. Baldwin, of Michigan — I came down to attend this meeting a little in advance, wanting to make a trip into Florida. On my return I stopped at what was supposed to be the headquarters of the LeConte pear. I got some very valuable information by going to the parties who grow them largely near Thomasville, Ga. One fact they impressed upon my mind, that they never graft it upon another stock. Mr. Berckmans, of Georgia — That does not agree with my expe- rience. Mr. Baldwin, of Michigan — In going through one of^the or- chards the owner showed me a row that were grown on their own roots, and several grown on other stocks. They were about five years old, and those grown on their own roots were fully twice as large. I ascertained that they began planting their trees twelve or fourteen feet apart, then eighteen or twenty. They have now found that they must not plant them nearer than thirty feet. They have about three thousand trees in orchards from two to "eleven years old. The average yield of the ten years old trees was about fifteen bush- els to the tree. The first shipments sold in New York at $5.00 a bushel. 124 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. 3L\ Berchnans, of Georgia — At our last meeting we classified the LeConte not very high in quality. Afterwards Mr. Albert Man- ning told me that in 1876 the LeConte sold in Boston for $16.00 a barrel. Mr. Baldwin, of Michigan — Saveral barrels that sold as low as $2.00 a barrel were sent to the evaporator, in North Georgia, and they made eight pounds to the bushel. The owner was offered 30 cents, but he declined. They were afterwards sold in New York at 40 cents a pound. They make as fine fruit as I ever saw A gentleman I know is president of a company that is now planting one hundred acres of trees of this variety. There are some LeConte pear orchards which I would not give anything for, but they had been neglected. The gentlemen I saw, however, were thorough cultivators. You can stand and look down a row of one hundred trees and you can hardly tell the difference, they are so nearly alike. One of the ten years old trees bore last year thirty- two bushels. Mr. Sandford told me that there were thirty bushels of these marketable. A gentleman has twelve trees which have netted him a little over |400 in one year. The President — What is it that makes it sell, its beauty or its quality ? 3Ir. Berchnans, of Georgia — I am unable to say exactly. The President — What is its quality as a table fruit ? Mr. Berckmans— It is about good. The President — Is it a very handsome pear ? Mr. J^erckmans — Yes, sir. It is smooth and fine. This year my opinion of the LeConte has undergone a favorable change. I used to be prejudiced against it, but the quality this year was so much sweeter that I changed my opinion of it. The President — Will it be successful to any extent in the latitude of Cincinnati and St. Louis? Mr. Berckmans — If I can judge from the results in New York and New Jersey, I would say, yes. The President — If all of these premises are correct, we ought to plant a great many LeConte pears. Mr. Baldwin, of Michigan — These gentlemen told me that they had never had a tree blighted. Pears and- their Culture in the South. 125 Mr. Berckmans, of Georgia — They say it is blight-proof, but T do not believe that. I do not believe that any pear is blight-proof. The LeConte may be more nearly so than any other kind. I be- lieve that it has been reported blighted in Southwestern Georgia. Prof. Colmant, of Mississippi — I have had a few hundred LeConte pears in cultivation, and my opinion has been about the same as Mr. Berckmans'. I have seen it blighted, but I have seen it re- sist blight. It is different from all the other pears in its habits. Our experience has been that the strongest growing pears were sub- ject most to blight. The LeConte has been less subject to it than any variety I have ever cultivated. Col. R. W. Gillespie, of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, was then introduced to the Society, who said that he came on the part of his own road and the Louisville and Nashville road to extend an invi- tation to the Society. The L. & N. offered them an excursion to Mobile and back, or transportation to Mobile, if they accepted the invitation of the M. & O., which was to give them a special train from Mobile to Cairo. The President said that this was the most generous hospitality he had ever heard tendered to a society, and thanked Mr. Gillespie therefor. After some discussion upon these proposals, Mr. W. H. Cassoll, of Mississippi, a gentleman of long experience in growing pears at the South, read the following paper on ''Pear Culture" : PEARS AND TBEIR CULTURE IX THE SOUTH. BY W. H. CASSELL, OF MISSISSDPPI. In the discussion of this subject, we are met first by the, questions of lati- tude and longitude, and suppose that the Society will generally construe these to embrace that part of the United States between the Rocky Moun- tains on the west, and the Atlantic on the east, for longitude, and extending, in latitude, from the southern limits of the United States to the northern limits of the Cotton Belt, embracing some six or seven degrees of latitude. This opens up a large territory, varied considerably as to climate, and greatly as to soil, embracing almost every variety of the latter. But we find this (the favorite fruit of the writer) adapting itself, with considerable success, to the different conditions which these cRversities of soil and climate necessarily impose upon it, so that from all quarters comes the report that some varie- 126 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. ties of the pear are grown successfully, unless it be on lands too low and wet for fruit culture generally. The best results, however, are on well drained soils; and here at the outset I would like to ask if any one in the South has tried growing the pear on lands artificially drained, either by tiles or other- wise, and, if so, with what results? There is a difference in the adaptation of the varieties to diffei;ent soils, while the Duchesse d'Angouleme seems to adapt itself to all soils. The Vi- car of Winkfield, or Le Cure, is a most miserable failure everywhere. A wide field is open here for experiment, and a careful comj^arison of notes by growers in different sections, and on different soils, is necessary to determine the exact status of most kinds. The lack of horticultural societies generally over the South has been a great hinderance here; and it is hoped the meet- ing of this Society, by bringing together prominent growers from different sections, may be of decided benefit in this direction. As far as my observa- tion extends, if I could choose a soil more suited than any other, it would be represented by a fresh piece of land on the Chickasaw bluffs, or line of hills extending from Vicksburg to Natchez, east of the Mississippi river, and where it was not too rolling to admit of cultivation without the soil being soon washed away. Here growth is strong and vigorous, -wood ripens 'well, and fruit well developed in size, appearance and quality. At the same time I have seen fine results on i^ine lands, where there was considerable clay in the subsoil. Next in order comes CULTIVATION. I believe it is conceded on all hands that all young pear trees should be cultivated, at any rate, up to the point where fruiting begins. Here cultiva- tors differ; some preferring to continue stirring the soil with the plow or spade several times during the growing season, while others would sow in grass, and top-dress with manure during the winter, while still some others would allow the trees to take their chances without manuring. In the opinion of the writer, good judgment would determine a modification of these practices according to circumstances, the end to be gained being vigor sufficient to develop strong, healthy fruit buds, and carry to maturity a fair crop of fruit without an excessive stimulation of Avood growth, which tends to make the tree cast its fruit and become more susceptible to attacks of the blight. In this, soil and variety must be considered together. For instance, a standard Bartlett on rich or strong soil, if highly cultivated, is exceedingly liable to blight ; on a poor soil, uncultivated, it would not have vigor suffi- cient to perfect a full crop of fruit ; per contra, a standard Seckel would be benefited by generous cultivation, on a fair soil, and is a comparative failure on poor soil, even with moderate cultivation, and completely so if unculti- vated. Right here, the seasons too, exert a manifest influence and present sometimes a nice point to the anxious cultivator. If fertilized or cultivated to an extent sufficient to perfect a fair crop of fruit in an average season, and an extremely wet season should occur, the tree may cast its fruit and an ex- Pears and their Culture in the South. 127 cessive growth of unripe' wood may follow, predisposing to blight. Again, a dry season may occur, retarding the growth of the fruit and hindering its. perfect development. As he can not control the seasons, however, the judi- cious cultivator will adapt himself to the average, as nearly as possible, and then cultivate or not, according to variety and strength of soil. 4 DISEASES AND INSECTS. The one great disease (if I may so call it) of the pear in the South, as in some other places, is the blight. It is a terror to cultivators, whether as amateurs or market growers, discouraging success, and hindering or pre- venting the planting of thousands of trees annually in the South, that but for this would be grown. I will not attempt to discuss its nature, whether it be the effect of frozen and vitiated sap, of fungoid growth, or insect ene- mies. That will i>i'obahly be done in other papers during this meeting. Nor can I announce a specific against its ravages. I have tried the application of linseed oil to the trunks and larger limbs, as high up as it covdd be conve- niently applied, with encouraging success; others have used carbolic acid in various forms with some degree of success, but a specific that shall be prac- ticable in its application has not, in my knowledge, been reported. Such a discovery would be an inestimable boon to the South. Give us immunity from blight and an impetus would be given to pear culture, measured for years to come only by the ability of nurserymen to supply the trees. Give us immunity from blight, and in their difterent forms we can supply the world with choice pears. All other diseases and hinderances sink into insig- nificance compared with the blight. An insect that sometimes affects the dwarf tree is the borer, especially in old orchards and where the quince stock is exposed. Deep planting, placing the entire quince stock some two or three inches below the surface, will pre- vent the attacks of this insect. Another still is the curculio, which stings some kinds of pears considerably in some seasons. The Duchesse is especi- ally liable to its attacks. The larvte bore out generally before the fruit falls or ripens, causing it to rot prematurely. While I do not certainly know how to prevent injury by this insect, I wish to offer a suggestion for experiment. Salt is, I believe, generally destructive of insect life. Some years since I no- ticed a statement in White's Gardening for the South, concerning the cutworm, that when salt had been applied in the fall, at the rate of eight bushels to the acre, no cutworms made their appearance the following spring. May not the same application destroy this pest of the orchard, sav- ing not only pears, but peaches and apples as well ? Has it been tried ? or, if not, who will try it and report? Another insect infesting the pear sometimes is the girdler, that cuts off the hickory limbs in the fall. I've known them occasionally to cut off the lead- ing shoot of half an inch or more in diameter. Such injuries, however, are not very frequent, as far as my information extends. Some of our entomo- logical friends can probably suggest a remedy for this. 128 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. PRUNING. For this fruit the pyramid or cone more properly is suited, this being the natural form of the tree, as in the Urbanite, though seme, as the Juhenne, will assume a spreading or rounded form, hke the apple tree. I prefer to shorten in annually until the tree commences bearing or the head is Avell foimed: afterwards, merely thinning out s-hoots that cress or interfere with the proper shape of the tree. From two and a half to three feet high I like to form the heads of standai'd trees, but on the quince from twelve to eighteen inches is high enough If a tree is exhausted from overbearing it may be resuscitated by close pruning, thinning of the fruit spurs and generous cultivation. Should wood growth be excessive and fruiting retarded, the former may be checked and the latter hastened by summer pinching and root pruning. Right here let me mention a practice which I might denominate quackery in the management of trees. I have repeatedly heard statements like the following: "Mr. A. had a pear tree that had grown twenty years without producing a pear. Some one told him he ought to whip it. Accordingly, he got a lot of brush and stout switches and literallj^ wore them out in thrash- ing the tree. Next season it produced a fine crop of fruit." Another will say : " My neighbor B. had a tree that would not bear and he drove nails in the trunk, numbers of them, and the tree afterwards bore good fruit." Others will bore holes in the tree, some putting in calomel, some sulpher, and so on, and then drive in a plug to stop the hole, and the tree afterwards set a crop of fruit. Ignorant of the principle that underlies these practices, some sup- pose that if from any cause they have trees that fail to bear, such trees must be whipped, pierced with nails or bored, and dosed with drugs, when in many cases manuring and generous cultivation are what the tree really needs; re- minding one of the man who asked his neighbor what he should do to fatten his horse; he had tried every tonic he could hear of and none did any good, when his neighbor surprised him with the question, " Did you ever try corn and fodder?" The principle is this: Whatever tends to check excessive wood growth, will hasten the production of fruit. Whipping, boring, etc., check the sap by mutilating the sap vessels of the tree. The sap then, of ■course, flows more slowly through them, is better elaborated, becomes richer, and in the condition necessary for the formation of fruit buds. Root prun- ing lessens the supply of sap, and with summer pinching will accomplish the end with least injury to the tree, and is the only proper practice. I do not suppose that any intelligent cultivator before me would be guilty of such practices as I have mentioned; but these papers contributed here are likely to reach some who are not so intelligent, and it is one of the missions of this Society to correct popular errors in fruit culture. VARIETIES. Here cultivators are likely to differ considerablj^ each estimating a fit va- riety by its value in his locality for certain purposes. If I were asked what -variety stands at the head of the list for cultivation in the South, for general Pears and their Culture in the South. 129 purposes, taking into consideration vigor, healtli and productiveness of tree, with quality, size and appearance of fruit, I would most unhesitatingly say Duchesse d'Angouleme. It is par excellence the pear for the South, well tested and succeeding everywhere. It combines more good qualities than any other of the tested varieties. What our new kinds, LeConte and Keiffer, may do in this way remains to be seen. I have often said that if I planted but one pear it should be the Duchesse. It ripens rather late for the northern market, and does not bring the highest figures, but the yield is so great, the size so large, and the crop so reliable, that I consider it profitable as a market variety. For market purposes only, no pear has so far been able to compete with the Bartlett, when properly grown, and there are many who call it the best table pear. Unfortunately, it is liable to blight; but so great is its popular- ity that many will plant it and take the risk. If it has any rival in market it is the Howell. Maturing about the same time, not differing greatly in size or form, excellent in cpiality, it has the advantage of the Bartlett in a smooth and glossy skin, giving it a waxen appearance. Last season I shipped this variety with the Bartlett, and it sold for the same price, while others dropped below. It is, however, by no means blight-proof, and on the quince will overbear and soon lose its vigor. Beurre d'Anjou is qiiite a favorite in many parts of the South for table use, and some grow it for market. With me it has hardly color enough, and many specimens have lumps in the flesh, while the flavor is not altogether a,cceptable to my taste. It sells for moderat^ prices, as it ripens rather late for the Northern market and when our Southern markets are stocked with fruits of all kinds. The Seckel, standing at the head of the list for quality, from its small si.ce and season of ripening (August, in latitude 32|°), together with its tardiness in bearing, is only moderately profitable, and not largely planted except for family use. It is, however, among the healthiest of any of the older kinds. Doyenne Boussock is a fruit of good .size and api^earance, while the quality is fair. It lacks a little in sweetness. It comes in rather ahead of the Bart- lett. I notice that some Southern catalogues place it as late as August, or after the Bartlett. It may be considered a profitable variety. Tree is mod- erately healthy and vigorous. The Julienne is a profitable variety in the South, has a bright yellow color, iind excellent quality, while its season (early July, here) helps it to sell. It is of medium size, hardly large enough. It costs more to gather and pack a box of small fruit than large ones. Tree of moderate health and vigor, with a spreading form. Winter Nellis ripens at a season that ought to make it profitable. Its qual- ity is very fine when in perfection, but the tree so often sheds its leaves, and then the fruit fails to ripen well, so that I can hardly call it a success with me. 130 Mississijypi VaUey Horticultural Society. Buttuni it; a good pear, of medium size, or below, comes in rather later than the Duchesse, after fruit begins to grow scarce, and generally sells well in the Southern markets. The trees bear heavy crops, but are rather tardy coming into bearing. Lawrence — beautiful in tr^e, of moderate vigor and health, fruit above me- dium size, excellent in quality when perfect, but with me generally has blis- ters or watery places in it, especially at its base, which appear just as the fruit begins to ripen. It is recommended highly, in some sections of the South. Wolild like to hear a general expression of its merits in different, places. Easter Beurre— tine in size, very buttery, but rots badly with me. Tree, a rather crooked grower. Doyenne d'Alencon — I have kept until February, but it was hardly worth the keeping, medium size, rough, green skin, and granular or gritty in its flesh Of little value. Doyenne White, or Virgalieu, when in perfection, it is perfection to my taste, but, unfortunately, mildews and ci'acks so badly as hardly to be worth cultivating with me. Tree of moderate vigor, subject to blight. The Gray Do/enne is said to do better. I have not fruited it. Dearborn's Seedling — a very good little pear, too small for market. Tree^ a strong, upright grower, moderately healthy. Beurre Gift'ard grows vigorously, of spreading habit, early and handsome if perfect, but cracks so as to be worthless here. In some sections it succeeds well, and there it ought to be profitable. Rostiezer — a sweet and rich little pear, second early, but subject to those- blisters or watery spots, that increase until sometimes the whole fruit is affected and worthless. Tree strong and vigorous, of straggling habit, bears- heavily in clusters. Urbansite is an excellent fruit of mid season, or rather later, rather large, l)uttery and rich. Not color enough for a market fruit. Tree grows dense,, makes a fine pyramid. Heathcot — juicy and buttery, but lacks sweetness. Greenish yellow in color, of full medium size, obovate form, mid season. Tree grows well. Skinless— small, pyriform, second early, in clusters, sweet, but has a pecu- liar flavor I don't like. Tree, a rapid grower and good bearer. Fondante d'Automme — approaches the Seckel in quality, larger in size^ greenish yellow in color. Tree, a heavy bearer, but not healthy with me. Beurre Clairgeau — large size, pyriform, firm flesh, sweet, but spots and cracks badly. Valueless, or nearly so, here. St. Ghislain is an excellent fruit, rather small but regular and perfect in form, yellow color, rather firm, though very palatable, will ship anywhere, and, I believe, will sell well where once known. Tree, upright, vigorous, healthy. In Alabama I learn the Kirtland is a very profitable variety, of very good ftivor, golden russety color, and comes in just ahead of the Bartlett. It is also quite a healthy tree, with short jointed wood of moderate vigor. Pears and their Culture in the South. Jol Louise Bonne of Jersey bears earlj' and enormous crojts. If not fed sufti- eiently high the fruit is quite astringent next the skin : if on generous soil ■ and highly fed, the fruit is of fair quality and much handsomer, but the tree is sure to blight Flemish Beauty is a handsome fruit, of good size and quality, but the tree is not hardy enough to warrant its cultivation. Zepherin Gregoire bears heavy crops of fruit rather below the medium size, but with me the flesh has lumps in it and is so gritty as not to be desir- able. This fruit is very sweet. Forelle, a beautiful speckled French pear of moderate quality and medium size, but the tree too tender here. Onondaga is a very sweet, delicious pear, of good size and rather handsome but the tree will not last. Sheldon is a fine, handsome American pear, but I do not see it in any of the Southern catalogues. I have some trees, six years planted, on pear stock, that look healthy and promise well — will probably bear this year. There are several of the older varieties of good repute generally in the South as table fruits, but of which I do not know the market value, such as Beurre Superfin, St. Michael, Bloodgood, Tyson. For a market pear, other things being equal, eai'liness is of great consideration. We want a good fruit of fair size and appearance that shall precede the Bartlett,as it is generally con- ceded that while the Bartlett is on the market it takes precedence of all others. Among the earliest kinds are Madeleine and Doyenne d'Ete, which, in lati- tude 32.1° begin to ripen from the 27th of May to the 1st of June. The for- mer is the larger of the two but hardly of medium size, of a pale or greenish yellow color. Tree, a rapid, upright grower, very liable to blight as soon as the tree has borne one or two good crops. The latter is smaller but rather handsome, frequently with a red cheek; of fair quality for an early pear, and sells moderately well. Tree healthier than the Madeleine. But these are too small to fully meet the views of a grower for market. I will now mention one that is rather a curiosity in its way, viz., the Jef- ferson. It is a native Mississippiian, originating in Hinds county, I believe, some forty or fifty years ago. To use brevity, 1 should call it the earliest, largest, handoomest, meanest pear I know of. It begins to ripen with me the latter part of May or early June. It will average about the size of the Bartlett, or nearly so. I have grown an occasional specimen that would weigh a pound. It is obovate pyriform in shape, of a bright yellow color, and on many specimens, where exposed to the sun, a rich crimson cheek, giving it altogether a remarkably showy appearance. It has, moreover, a de- licious perfume. The flesh is coarse, brittle sometimes, at others tough, corky and insipid. It rots badly at the core, and must be eaten before it seems fully ripe in order to have it perfectly sound. The tree is quite hardy, almost ironclad, rather tardy coming into bearing, but yields heavy crops. One pear will satisfy the average customer, less than one a critical connois- seur. I think it would be an excellent variety to use in hybridizing, and of- 132 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. fers superior inducements for experiment in that direction. If it possessed the one element of tine quality, I would, unhesitatingly, call it the most de- sirable pear known. But this defect is a most serious one. At present, however, it is my most profitable variety, having little or no competition on account of its earliness: but it takes the tree some time to come into profitable bearing, and a pear of good size same season, and even moderate quality (which in this progressive age we are likelj- to have soon), would drive it at once from the market, so that I can not recommend it for general cultivation. There are several new candidates for public favor, con- spicuous among which are the LeConte and Kietfer, represented as being blight-proof, and coming early into bearing. LeConte is planted extensively in Southeastern Georgia and with encouraging results. There is an old adage concerning pear culture, that " He who plants pears, plants for his heirs,'" and when a variety comes forward claiming to bear even earlier than the apple, almost as early as the peach, and add to this the other important merit of being blight-proof, thus covering the two leading defects of pears gener- ally, it is likely to bs hailed with enthusiasm. Both LeConte and KiefFer set up these claims, and are being tested pretty generally over the South: with what results we shall soon know. There may. however, be wisdom in the application here of the advice of Polonius : " The friends thou hast, and their affections tried, grapple them to thj-self with hooks of steel, but do not dull thy palm with each new-hatched, unfledged comrade." I see before me many who are interested in fruit growing as a business, and the question of interest to them is, will pear growing in the South pay? I answer, yes, if a judicious selection of varieties is made in the beginning, and the same care and attention given which is essential to success in growing other fruits, such as the apple, peach, etc. Beginning as an amateur some twent\'-five j'ears since, I began some five years later to grow for market; not a man of my acquaintance could tell me what to plant. Among other kinds I grew Vicar of Winkfield, or Le Cure, seeing it recommended in Europe, and some parts of this coimtry, as a profitable late pear. I cultivated some five hundred trees of this, mostly as dwarfs, and a few standards.- They grew of will, and after five or six years began to bear heavily. In August or September, however, the fruit com- menced rotting and I never obtained a single perfect specimen. A year or two afterwards they were swept off by the blight. Some other kinds fared not much better. I would, if possible, save others such a costly experience. The grower for market does not need many varieties ; five or six being gen- erally sufficient, and a smaller number might do even better. I have already given my experience with the Jefterson. For six kinds of the older and better pears I would name, for my locality, Duchesse dAngouleme, Bartlett, Ju- lienne, Howell, Buftum and, perhaps, Kirtland or Doyenne Boussock, as profitable in the order mentioned. Another Southern cultivator of large expe- rience would select Bartlett, Duchesse, Doyenne. Butium, Beurre d'Anjou and Beurre Gitlkrd, giving large prominence to the Bartlett. The next Discussion on Pear Culture. 133 most important point is to cultivate without excessive stimulation, which predisj^oses to blight, and yet grows enough to produce a fair growth of wood and carry the fruit to its full development. On these two conditions hang the law and the prophets of successful and profitable pear culture in the South. DISCUSSIOX ON PEAR CULTURE. Dr. Hape, of Georgia — I have nay serious doubts whether the Le- Conte pear is going to succeed in northern latitudes. Near Atlanta I have never been able to procure a single perfect specimen in ten years. It blooms out too early, and of course it is more liable to be killed by .spring frosts. I have never been able to procure a perfect one myself. I have tried it on its own root and otherwise. I may be mistaken about it succeeding further north — I hope I am. I am going to plant it in a moderate way. I have succeeded best with the Bartlett, although it blights considerably. Mr. Beatty, of Kentucky — The Chambers pear is grown more extensively around Louisville than any other. There is more profit in it. It is true it grows very slowly, but when it does fruit it sells for twice as much money as the Bartlett. It is pretty to look at, fine size, and ripens with us about the 1st of July. But we have to wait a long time for the fruit. I have three hundred trees of it. They were planted six or eight years ago and last year they began to show some fruit buds. About Middletown, where the original tree is still standing, it is the popular pear. They sell from $10 to S20 per barrel. I never knew them to blight until this year. This year has been the most destructive year for blight I ever knew. In my three hundred Chambers trees I think there are three that have shown some blight in the top limbs. The President — What is the peculiarity of the Chambers that makes it command such a price? Mr. Beoity, of Kentucky — Its fine size, fine appearance and earli- ness. It has a beautiful red blush. Mr. Cook, of Kentucky — I have planted a great many varieties to throw them away after trial, but for the last three or four years I have only been planting about three varieties and have discarded all others. I have discarded the dwarfs, coming to the conclusion that they will not pay. In my experience the Seckel, Lawrence and Beurre d'Anjou are the best varieties. All others blight badly. 134 Missis'^ijijji Valley Horticultural Society. The Lawrence is the most healthy, and it very seldom blights. As a general thing, it grows very perfect. It does not bear as well as we would like. We would like to get hold of a pear that we can raise, but this abominable blight is doing more damage than any thing else. If we could get rid of that, we could raise pears cheaper than any other fruit. 31r. Hollister, of Illinois — I am glad to know that some of our friends are able to raise pears with little or no blight. I had hoped we should hear something that would help us to get rid of the blight. I had, two years ago, as nice an orchard as one would wish to see. We had a bad blight year, and there w^as not a single LeConte tree left. It was the first to show blight. In proportion, I had more Bartletts left than anything else. The Sheldon is the only one that remained sound. They have stood for fifteen years, and have been cultivated every year, which I did not dare do with my Bartletts and other kinds. They have yielded me some pears almost every year. The Bloodgood is another variety of which less than 25 per cent, survives. Dr. Hape, of Georgia — In planting my orchards, I have noticed that those trees which are planted on a northwestern exposure, and are protected against the evening sun, which I have found injuri- ous in almost every instance, are exempt from blight. The ground in my neighborhood is rolling. Other gentlemen have made the same tests. Their experience has corroborated mine. I believe our pear trees, and I am sure our cherry trees, would be benefited by boxes around them, protecting them from the rays of the even- ing sun. The sides of the trees with the southwestern exposure show a blighted surface, indicating a mischievous influence. If I were to plant an orchard of any size I would box every tree. Mr. Baldwin, of Michigan — My opinion is that the use of salt about pear trees will prove useful in preventing blight. In our county there is an old tree that bears pears, and has borne them for thirty years. The owner told me, not long ago, that he had for several years strewn salt around his tree, and ever since he had good crops. However, we are not troubled with that so much so far north. Preliminary Exercises. 135 Mr. Beatty, of Kentucky — I have tried the salt remedy. It appeared to me that it did some good at the time; but the succeed- ing year the blight appeared as bad as ever. I have lost so much -confidence in pear culture that I have planted a peach tree in each space, when my trees are twenty feet apart. Adjourned to meet at eight o'clock, p. m. Third Day— Friday. Evening Session. The Society met at 8 o'clock, Mr. Earle in the chair, who an- nounced the reception of a most cordial invitation from the Conti- nental Guards to visit their armory. He also stated that the Lou- isville & Nashville Railroad Company invited the Society to make a trip to Mobile over their line, and the Mobile & Ohio Railroad •Company had placed a special train at the disposition of the Society to go to Cairo, or to stop at any point along the route. He further said it was necessary that immediate action should be taken on these offers, and the members desiring to avail themselves of this means of returning home should signify their wishes. In the case of both roads the members would be guests of the companies. This is an exceedingly generous oifer. Upon motion, about fifty members indicated their desire to go home via the Mobile & Ohio Railroad. Tuesday was determined on as the date for the departure of the excursion party via the Louisville & Nashville and Mobile & Ohio railroads. The President — Ladies and gentlemen, our first paper to-night will be upon " Systematic Progress in Horticulture," by Mr. T. V. Munson, of Texas, who is one of the founders of this Society. Texas is a giant among States, and furnishes a vast field for horti- cultural eifort. It is fortunate that they have in this great young State a few horticultural men of notable energy and intelligence, prominent among whom is our friend Munson, who will now ad- dress you. 136 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. SYSTEMATIC HORTICULTUKAL PROGRESS. BV T. V. MUNSOX, OK TEXAS. It may be inappropriate in me, and Eutopian in chara(!ter, to consume time in presenting the following proposition. My excuse is, my great desire to see more rapid and true development, and that I believe that the great majority of horticultural societies cost their members more than they return, and that simply from lack of making them a strictly business concern. From this do not infer that I think primarily of selfish gain, but just the contrary. Nor that I should dare cast a reflection upon the organizers of these useful, fraternizing institutions. Far be it from me, but I wish to help Avith my lit- tle mite to press forward the good work. Believing there is wealth and hap- piness enough in the earth, Avater, air, light and life for us all to make a heaven here, if we but harmoniously and intelligently press nature more closely, more extensively, for her hidden treasures, I beg your indulgence iu a few hasty thoughts. The business has been, and yet is almost universal for these societies to- content themselves with the collecting and printing the heterogeneous re- countings of the hap-hazard workings of persons from every section. Their exhibitions have been huge and burdensome displays, chiefly of old or corn- comparatively worthless varieties, as though the mammoth collection and pumpkin-like samples therein make the calling a success. Gentlemen, as much as we all love a grand display and forty feet columns- of Ben Davis apples, yet what horticulturist would not rather come here to see and learn of the origination of a single variety of grape, apple, pear, plum or potato, superior in every point to anything yet produced, than to- behold mountains of old and well known kinds? 'Tis well we have planted largely of the standard varieties for market, but must we never try to ele- vate the standard ? This Society can do us no good by piling great tables full of these same old kinds from year to year for us to stare at vacantly, or attend with languid minds the old tale of their growing. We want some- thing new here, yet something better than the old; if possible, something which will profitably produce in soils and localities where others fail. In a word, we want this Society to be one of systematic, profitable progress. How shall we make it so? Others here can far more ably suggest than myself, but I will venture an idea to start the discussion. Let us organize progress itself not merely report chance progress, though that is well in its place. Suppose that each member of this Society to-day, if he or she has not already done so, v-'hoose a field for systematic experimentation most appropriate to his or her peculiar acquirements and circumstances. One may take soils and manures, and find the classes of fruits and vegetables best suited to each; another may take Rupestris or Sugar grape, the Post Oak, Mustang, Scuppernong, Frost grape, and, by selection and hybridization, fill the '' Sunny South," as Systematic Horticultural Progress. 137 should be, with the largest, most delicate and lucious grape fruit on earth,, upon never-failing vines. Who knows but that the despised little Frost grape may be made to put. on the fruit of a Hamburg, and ripen it here in October and November I Now our grape crop in the South, excepting the Scuppernong, passes^ away in August, when we scarce can relish such fruit, and are compelled to- convert into wine or make no profit. Some one else can take our fine native persimmons, and lodge the grand, luscious Kaki in their tops, and have them- hardy enough to succeed at the northern bounds of the native species. Thus each can have some special vegetable, fruit, shrub, tree or flower. The field is illimitable, both in variety and degree of development. Yes, even new trees may be originated of great value. For instance, Teas' Hybrid Catalpa now seems to be the most promising of all trees for forest jDlanting. Above all things, we must avoid falling into "ruts," in our experiments, a& our able member from Michigan, President Lyon, has so well illustrated. Don't all raise seedling strawberries, " picked up from some weedy fence- corner." Let each report to the Secretary his chosen field for experimentation, that his name may be entered in its proper class. Then each year the President and Executive Board can, in making up their programme of exercises for the annual meeting, call in order upon this army of experimenters to bring for- ward, in a concise, methodical form, the results of their work, Avith samples of all their new products of special promise. Medals or premiums can be awarded by the Society for very worthy papers or varieties (or a special committee report would be better) ; not as a reward for excelling hi& brother horticulturist in producing the biggest potato of a certain kind, but for his triumphing over the elements in extorting from them some new se- cret or luscious product. The fund of new knowledge thus brought together would enable the Secretary to compile a year-book of our work, which would be sought eagerly by all enterprising horticulturists, and thus large editions might be sold, and. with the increased membership-fees which would come to such a progressive society, funds would accrue to compensate over-zealous,, faithful officers, who should be paid well for doing their irksome work in the best manner. The horticultural professors, especially in all the State agricultural colleges,. shDuld be enlisted in the work to give more thorough systematic investiga- tion and compilation of data. In time such a society would become, so to- speak, the University of American Horticulture, and could make just claims upon the general government for large appropriations to push forward its more complete organization, the acquirement of library, halls for meetings, exhibitions and collections of samples. Instead of issuing a few hundred copies of its reports, to remain silent in the hands of its own members, who already know its contents before | ubli- cation (as I am sorry to say is too true of the reports of the American Pomo- logical Society), hundreds of thousands should go broadcast throughout the 138 3Iississippi Valley HoHieultural Society. land. There is one plant which should be our chief studj' and object of cul- ture, and that is the brain of every man or woman who owns a foot of soil. The pubUcation of reports could be placed with some substantial firm, like •Orange Judd & Co., Gardener's Monthly, Rural New Yorker, or better, some house nearer home with a national reputation. In this wa)', when any of our members should originate a truly valuable variety, it would at once be set before the Avorld in its true light, and the pro- ducer, who often is too poor to alone bring before the public the results of his labors, be able to secure a just compensation for his patient toil to im- prove for the good of all. Likewise, the Society could do good service in guarding the public against horticultural frauds, by establishing experimental stations, where all adver- tised novelties should be thoroughly tested before receiving its approval or condemnation. To aid in this, a committee of its ablest veterans might be appointed to investigate these matters and make an annual report. Let every department of its work be then organized on the progressive idea, and then, instead of merely marking time, we shall make a grand, triumph- ant march, all over the fertile plains, the sunny slopes, the nestling vales, the lowlands and highlands, and even the barren, gullied hills and rugged crags and cliffs, we may clothe in ruddy fruits, protecting vines, grand trees and fringing flowers. In fifty years more of peaceful growth this land will swarm with people of every clime and nation, and the struggle for the necessities and comforts of life will wax hot. We hope it may not come down to a mere question of "survival of the fittest" upon the brutal basis of physical endurance, but, as we come nearer together, we may have learned how to grow two blades, with double the nutriment in each, where but one grew before; and, instead of being proud to boast that we are " rnonarchs of all we survey," be glad to have near neighbors with whom we can mutually enjoy the new flavors, per- fumes, tints and forms we have coaxed from the earth. It well behooves us to-day to anticipate by finding out and making known the capabilities of every variety of soil and situation, every development of vegetable, vine, tree, shrub and flower, that the future great throng may feed, enjoy and commime in peace and love. To-day we see our forests fading before the ruthless ax. Fruit and provis- ions of every class go higher and higher in price. Our virgin soils are swiftly fleeing through Eads' jetties before our very eyes into the depths of the ocean, leaving our once fertile fields jiale and sickly, and India's inevitable lot staring us boldly in the face but a few years hence, when a severe drought may sweep away by starvation hundreds of thousands. Then he, who has learned best how to save his rod of ground and reach into it deepest, will be fittest, and he will survive. Nature, here, has been lavishly generous in soil, climate and variety of products, but even these may be exhausted by a great, wasteful, unj^rogres- sive population, as may shortly occupy this country, unless societies, as this, lead on in the right direction. Horticulture vs. Buts. 139 Great praise is due our Northern brethren for their early foresight in these matters, and the numerous well regulated County, State and general societies to meet the emergencies of the times. There has been formed even a most extensive, intelligent " American Nurseryman's Association," an "American Forestrj- Congress," an "American Agricultural Association," an " American Pomological Society : " but these, in the great West and South, are heard of only as holding forth away in the Northeast, from which the Mississippi Valley, especially its western slope, is looked upon as "a wild, unsettled country." It remains for this Society to rise in her might, and, as her territory is great, also become truly great and beneficent, and join hands with true progress everywhere, and make every rod of western soil a teeming hot-bed of usefulness. Looking over the programme of exer- cises for this meeting, as published by our worthy President and Secretary, the themes discussed indicate that they, too, were inspired with the same sentiments which brought forth these remarks. Thank Providence, the ship sails in the right direction. Her name is Progress; her rudder. Prudence ; her beacon light, Investigation; her cargo, the products of skilled Horticulture from all the world; her banner, "Peace and good will among men." Brothers I Sisters I speed her on her blessed mission. Fill every sail with wind of fact. To her speed add wings of steam and electric flight, that she may sail swiftly into the port of humanity? strong and bright, in reason's broad light, under a smiling heaven. The President — The name of President T. T. I^yon, of Michigan, is as widely known as horticultural newspapers circulate. I es- teem it fortunate that we have been able to secure Mr. Lyon's pres- ence here, and an excellent paper froni him — he never writes any other kind — upon so suggestive a subject as HORTICULTURE VS. RUTS. BY^\T. LYOSi OF MICHIGAN. If we may accept the demonstrations of the mathematician and scientist. and their theories as well, we will be almost unavoidably brought to the con- clusion, that the great congeries of planets, designated as the solar system, as well as that intangible and apparently illimitable aggregation known as the Universe, in which immense worlds maintain their apparently permanent positions, or wheel their ceaseless rounds, obviously in obedience to the fiat of definite and unvarying laws, are to be considered as a congeries of ruts, devised by the great Author of all things, including, here and there, the er- ratic track of a comet, apparently thrown in to quicken our apprehensions by the possibilities, real or imaginary, of collision and destruction, upon a scale too grand and calamitous for mere human conception, but whose path may, nevertheless, be only ruts, so complex and involved that we are un- able to trace them. 140 3IissisHippi Valley Horticultural Society. As in the Universe, so upon our lesser ])lanet the laws of chemical affinity^ as well as those controlling animal and vegetable life, are, in an essential de- gree, inflexible; so that the constant changes occurring about us proceed in regular and recurring cycles — in other words, in ruts, with only an occa- sional erratic case, consequent, possibly, upon the influence of that disturb- ing factor in the problem — man, who would seem, in various ways, to have proved an element of discord, or a modifying factor, in the otherwise fatal- istic problem. The lower animals, as well as birds and insects, are infallibly guided, in the selection of their proper food, in the location and construction of their nests, and in the preparation for their periodical, changes, as well as for the changes of the seasons, by laws apparently inherent in their natures; of whose mode of operation we can have no real conception, except as exempli- fied by their acts in obedience to such behests. These are, therefore, merely ruts, devised by the great Author of all things, to direct them hifallibly in the fulfillment of their mission. Although it often seems ditiicult to draw the line of demarkation between the results of what we are pleased to designate as instinct, and those attribu- table to the operations of reason, man does not hesitate to arrogate to him- self the sole possession of the latter; failing, doubtless, as the rule, to realize liow much of grave responsibility hinges upon such assumption. It is, doubtless, this capacity to devise and establish premises, to draw con- clusions therefrom, and to apply these to the working out of valuable or oth- erwise important results; in other words, to devise new systems of ruts, as guides to the working out of new processes that entitles man to the post of honor; at the same time imposing upon him the more strongly the obliga- tion to "act well his part." He is reputed to have initiated his six thousand years sojourn upon the earth as a horticulturist; but, alas! either from not having yet acquired the habit of rut-following, or because he chose rather to be guided by his wife, he was very summarily thrown out of this groove, and assigned the alternative of trying his fortune in the then undeveloped general field of agriculture, from Avhich, during this long period, he has been able to win the sustenance of the race; although it is, sometimes, very dis- tinctly charged (and with warrant, if we consider certain modern discover- ies), that he has wasted even more than he has succeeded in utilizing. Be this as it may, it is clear that, during his long occupancy of this field, he has succeeded in Avithdrawing the grains, the domestic animals and various other products of nature, from the grooves in which they were originally wont to exist, and in very greatly increasing their capacity to minister to his sup- port. Whatever credit may be due the race, in this direction, to our appre- hension, one of its constant and distinguishing characteristics has been a persistent and thoughtless following in ruts previously worn by others. It has ever been a peculiarity of agricultural ruts that, while j'^et compara- tively few in number, they are, by consequence, the more deeply worn, and hence the more readily followed. Indeed, the time is hardly yet past when the Horticulture vs. Ruts. 141 remark, ''my father did so. and he knew," was, with very many persons, the most conckisive possible defense of the rut in which they chanced to be travehng; while the eftbrt to search, by reading and thought, for a better way, was sneered at as book-fanning. In the horticultural field, on the other hand, while ruts may be found in greater numbers, they are, by consequence, less clearly defined, and hence the more readily avoided, and less likely to be persistently followed. Not- Avithstanding these facts, it is believed to be the besetting sin of horticultur- ists, in common with others, to accept conclusions at second hand, and drop into one convenient or seductive rvit after another, following them implic- itly, oblivious of the known and conceded fact that eminent success is only gained by taking prompt and intelligent advantage of circumstances as they arise, aided by a thorough and comprehensive grasp of all the conditions of the ijroblem to be solved. In horticulture (of which modern pomology may be considered as a branch), more than in most rural pursuits, success lies, very largely, in the thorough mastery of a variety of not very obvious, although essential, partic- ulars, and in the ability to intelligently apply them, at the right time and in the proper manner. The recognized existence of this fact would seem to give force to the assumption that, more than most other tillers of the soil, horticulturists are men who do their own thinking, and hence are the more inclined to devise each his own independent system of ruts. True as this may be, they, in common with others, have to do with ruts that must be followed, as well as with yet others which they sometimes unconsciously, and perhaps improp- erly, follow. To illustrate : Nature has provided for certain forms of cacti a special rut, out of which they are obstinately unsuccessful. Many years since an Eng- lish plant grower, an expert in his calling, received one of these then novel and curious plants, to be nursed and developed into bloom. Following the ste- reotyped plant grower's rut, he nursed, watered and watched over it with the most solicitous care, but all in vain. It persistently refused to honor his etibrts, till at last wearying with the trial, he, in disgust, cast it under the stage of the green-house, where, thrown upon its side, it was abandoned ; when, presto! the obstinate plant found itself in the rut marked out by na- ture, and soon developed into bloom! It had, under neglect, acquired the arid condition indispensable to its prosperity. The fuchsia is one of the most attractive of ordinary conservatory or par- lor plants ; but nature has located its rut in coolness and shade, and the fol- lower of ruts who, in our climate, oblivious of this peculiarity, attempts to compel its adaptation to a warm, sunny exposure, will need but a short time to become assured that it will not take kindly to these conditions. We trust that no one but the /arm-horticulturist will either plant an or- chard in a field of grain, or sow grain in an.orchard, with the hope to secure a double crop from the same land ; and he will surely learn that, to do so, is l-i'2 Miiilture seems to be essentially complicated with other ruts, almost innu- merable, one class of which may be designated as botanical ruts, by the care- ful study of which we might, perchance, become expert enough to be able to determine authoritatively whether the ])ulp or the pit of a peach is the fruit — whether tom.itoes, potatoes, melons and pumpkins are, in fact, vegetables or fruits, while it may even be found possible to discover the true reason v.'hy the fabled pumpkin did not grow upon the oak. In one of these ruts we might, if only blest with the requisite acuteness of vision and perception, follow in the track of Professor Burrill, and be able to finally and authoritatively determine the question whether bacteria are really vegetables or insects, and whether they are the cause or only a concomitant of blight and yellows. Yet another system of ruts, which add greatly to the complications of hor- ticulture, may be denominated entomological ruts, in the study of which some very acute plant-grower might succeed in winning the gratitude of his compeers by the discovery of some means of propagating thrips, phylloxera, red spider and scale insect, short of a resort to his pet plants for the purpose. And if, moreover, our honored President could, after a critical survey of this field, tempt the lachnosterna, the crown-borer and the leaf-roller with forage more to their liking, and, at the same time, more economical than straw- berry plants, there would no longer be a peg on which to hang a doubt of the appropriateness of his recognized title of strawberry king. The orchardist and nurseryman might, doubtless, with equal reason, hope to discover some other pasture so satisfactory to the aphis and his reputed dairyman, the ant, that it would be accepted in place of his trees, to his great relief and gratifi- cation. And if, furthermore, he could succeed in persuading the curculio, and even the codling moth and borer, back into the ruts occupied by them prior to their discovery of the plum and the apple, he might be almost, if not altogether, prepared to hail the advent of the millennium of horticulture, though he will hardly be able to felicitate himself upon the actual arrival of that much-to-be-desired era, till (after investigating the ruts of commerce) lie shall discover a way to turn out a thoroughly honest package from the faced ones which reach our markets through the back door, minus a spon- sor, and seem to serve, most appropriately, as a bait to catch gudgeons, who may be ready to bite at an ajjparent ott'er of something for nothing, and un- til he shall find himself able to measure out a full quart from a one and a half pint box, and an honest peck from a six quart basket. These accomplished, he will need, next, to provide the inevitable tree peddler a school in which he may be taught how to realize the many wonderful facts which now find an existence only in his fertile brain ; and in such school there might be a department in which the sanguine and ambitious originator and dissemina- tor of novelties may learn just how far he may venture to impose his wares upon a credulous public without endangering his reputation for honesty, and even how the nurseryman may most effectively conduct a paper at the ex- pense of the public, to be used in " blowing his own horn '" and in belittling his rivals. Horticulture vs. Ruts. 145 In this investigation he may perchance be brought face to face with the •question — so long an ogre to the grangers — what percentage of his income the " middle man "' may reasonably sweat out of his produce " en passant," and whether, as the electric current waits not in its passage, so produce may not be made to pass from producer to consumer direct. And he may even find occasion to consider whether he or the commission merchant is the bet- ter judge as to the most desirable varieties of fruit to be grown for his own use, and even for market purposes. Nor can he, even yet, drop quietly down upon the milennial couch of rose leaves, till, after inuring his olfactories to the mal-odors of the political arena, and acquiring a mastery of the system of ruts governmental, he shall be able to impress upon the mind of the public, and, through it, upon the legislative mind, the fact that, as horticulture is older than agriculture, of the practice ■of which it is rather a dilution than an improvement, the most direct and effective method by which to improve and elevate the latter must surely be to place the leading ideas and the highest practice in horticulture in the forefront, as a sublimation or intensification of the best, most productive and profitable possible practice in agriculture, needing mere amplification to adapt it to practice on a broader scale. Having studied these, and multitudes of other ruts and combinations of ruts, and settled, to his own satisfaction, how far it may prove pleasant or profitable to follow their guidance, and having also assured himself of the probable consequences of following them too implicitly, it may be supposed that this graduated student of ruts will find himself at full liberty to settle quietly down to the life work of growing the best possible crops of vegeta- bles, fruits and flowers, and of " paddling his own canoe," generally. Bless you ! nothing of the kind ! He has become too conspicuous a mark for news- paper pellets, and will not be spared from sitting with gatherings of horti- culturists, while his lucubrations are being deliberately jjicked in pieces by his associates ; and he will be required to employ his pen, and, i)erchance, a writing machine or two, in responding to the thousand and one queries of ■correspondents who may lack the facilities, the time, or, perchance, even the disposition to elaborate them for themselves. In fact, he will now. pretty surely, find himself settled down in the deepest of horticultural ruts, with no alternative but to go straight forward, unless, perchance, he shall succeed in making a qualified or partial escape by assuming the role of horticultural •editor, and, in so doing, acquire the right (by courtesy) to impose a share of the burden upon his friends or acquaintances. The President — The last topic and paper for this evening is one upon forestry — a subject that ranks all others in importance to our interests all over this continent. The success of our horticulture, the prosperity of our agriculture, and the permanence of our civili- zation even, all depend upon the wisdom with which we manage 10 146 Mississijypi Valley HortiGultural Society. this paramount interest of forestry. I am glad that so able a man as Governor Furnas, of Nebraska, has undertaken to discuss this subject here, and am very sorry ihat Dr. Warder was not able to get here to present his paper upon this question in person. Before introducing Governor Furnas, allow me to say that I hold in my hand this handsome gavel — A beautiful emblem of my office — which was, at the beginning of this meeting, presented to me by my esteemed friend, the Governor. It is made of three varieties of na- tive timber from trees planted and grown by the Governor on the great plains of Nebraska, once known as the Great American Des- ert. And a very suggestive commentary it is upon the old theories- concerning the sterility of these magnificent plains of the North- west. Ladies and gentlemen, the Hon. Robert W. Furnas, of Ne- braska. FORESTRY ON THP] PLAINS. BY R. W. FURNAS, OF NEBRASKA. " With every successive year the depletion of the kiniber forests is deplored;, and the cry raised that only a short time will intervene before the vast tim- bered districts will be barren areas. Owners of pine lands materially differ as to when this famine will occur, some placing the limit at seven years and others as far off as twenty-five years. It is a subject, although closely studied^ still not demonstrable as an absolute certainty. No one knows just how much timber there is in the Northwest, though perhaps a pretty fair ap- proximate can be arrived at, and from such an estimate is based the reason- able deduction that in about seven years, at the rate timber is now being cut, the market here will have to seek new fields of supply. " Michigan forests are being thinned out more rapidly than those of Wis- consin and Minnesota, chiefly because the timber is more plentiful and at- tracts more dealers. It was estimated by lumber dealers and owners of pine lands that the main lumber region of Michigan, that is, the main peninsula, contained in 1880 about 2'. 1,000,000,000 of feet. Since then an average of 4,000,000,000 feet a year have been cut, thus making 12,000,000,000 feet sub- tracted from the 29,000,000,000, leaving 17,000,000,000 standing. The upper peninsula was estimated at the same time to contain about 6,000,000,000 feet;^ of which something like 1 ,-300,000,000 have been cut. Thus, in the two dis- tricts or peninsulas of Michigan, the standing timber at present is estimated at 21,500,000,000 feet of lumber. " In 1881 Michigan contributed 4,500,000,000 feet, and 1882 about 6,000,000,- 000 feet. The total amount ofjfeet of lumber cut in Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota in 18S1 was 6,768,886,749 feet. The figures for the year 1882 have Forestry on the Plains. 147 not yet been completed, but an approximat'on places the yield at nearly 10,000,000,000. " It is readily perceived, therefore, that the day is not far oft", if the cutting- continues at this rate, when the lumber fields of the Northwest will be things of the past. Fully alive to the inevitable result, capital is being invested in the South, particularly in Mississippi and Alabama, where the pine belts are enor- mous in extent and apparently inexhaustible. Unlike the white pine of the Northwest, the yellow pine of the South grows rapidly and is not killed by civilization. The young pines of the Northwest ai-e not reckoned in the cal- culation, as maturity is too indefinite, and growth is stunted by the smoke and camp-fires of the lumbermen. The hardy yellow pine of Southern Mis- sissipjii, Arkansas, portions of Tennessee and Alabama, grow, the smoke of .settlers to the contrary notwithstanding. The Mississippi pine lands, wdaich have recently attracted the attention of a wealthy syndicate of western men, are seemingly inexhaustible. Their richness is no new discovery, and bil- lions of feet have been cut from them and transported to every port in the civilized world."* With these figures before us, together with the well-known constantly in- creasing consumption of timber, and consequent growing demand, there is well founded solicitude, not only on the part of the United States, but of the whole civilized world, as to future timber supply. Solicited by this Society to prepare and read a paper on this occasion, and the subject, " Forestry on the Plains," designated, the object will be, not so much a treatise, as to present as briefly as may be practical what has been done, what is being done, and what may be done, converting naturally tim- berless portions of country into tree-growing regions. The presentation is substantially the experience and observation of the writer during a residence of twenty-seven years west of the Missouri river, in what is now the States of Nebraska and Kansas, familiarly known as " Twin Sister " territories, or- ganized under the same act of Congress. Taking the geography of boyhood days, together with official reports of Captain Miles, U. S. A., and the western explorer. Colonel Fremont, relating to that portion of the national domain situated between the Missouri river and the Rocky Mountains, as a basis for conclusions, there was at date of ex- tinguishment of Indian title to these lands, in 1854, nothing enticing to en- terprising adventurei's seeking new homes in the Far West, especially in matters of tree-growing. The thought that the then naked plains would ever be transformed into groves of valuable timber was not entertained. Those who first came, during the years 18-51-55-56, soon discovered, how- ever, that, particularly along the borders of streams and where prairie fir( s were kept out, there was jjromising spontaneous indigenous growth of valua- ble varieties of timber : Oaks, black walnut, hickories, elms, ash, red mul- berry, honey-locust, hackberry, linden, soft maple, sycamore, Kentucky cof- "Chicago Times, .January, 188.3. 148 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. fee tree, red cedar, cottonwoods, willows and others. Still later, it was found by experiment, that native seedlings transplanted into carefully prepared soil, did well on high uplands — out on the open prairie. Not only did well, but grew with remarkable vigor and rapidity, showing characteristics of ex- cellence in quality. To those of indigenous growth were added in time va- rieties of foreign origin : Hard, or sugar maple, American chestnut, white walnut, poplar, beech, birch, black locust, larch, pines, catalpa, black cherry and others. While success followed efforts in this direction, only the most sanguine, adventurous exiDerimenters had faith in idtimate practical results. In further time, through an act of the Territorial Legislature, creating a board of agriculture, the labors of the board organized under its provisions, and afterwards, liberal legislative appropriations, keeping out annual fires, and other aids and precautions, tree growing in Nebraska and Kansas is uni- versally conceded a success. There is now no hesitancy or risk in predicting in the near future, that this region will be known and characterized as a tim- ber-producing division of the country. EXTENT OF TREE PLANTING AND GROWING. It may be safely stated that but little tree planting was done in the district designated, and by reason of annual fires sweeping very generally over the country, spontaneous growth was exceedingly meagre, for at least ten years after organization of the territories and first efforts by settlers to improve and develop. Statistics here presented in connection with Nebraska and Kansas commence with date, passage of Kansas-Nebraska act, 1854. From that time up to, and including the year 1882, covering a period of twenty-eight years, official statistics, with some reliable estimate to cover dates not thus provided, it is found there have been planted within the borders of what is now the State of Nebraska, 244,356 acres of forest trees. This includes seedlings, seeds and cuttings, planted in permanent forests, groves, and along highways and streets in cities and villages. Si^ontaneous indigenous growth, since fires have been kept from borders of streams and ravines, is estimated equal to half the area planted. Personal observation would warrant a larger propor- tion. Not a few informants contend for an equal extent; some higher — even to double. James T. Allan, Omaha, Ex-Secretary American Forestry Asso- ciation, now in emj^loy of the U. P. R. R. Co., traveling extensively over the West, responding to inquiries on this particular point, writes : " I have watched the sj^ontaneous growth of young elms, walnuts, oaks, ash, hicko- ries, etc., along the Missouri, Wood, and other rivers in the West, since fires have been kept back, and seen their growth among the hazel brush, which is the fringe on the border of native timber, dividing it from the prairie. I hardly think I am out of the w^ay in setting it at double the amount of tim- ber planted." A majority, however, in various jmrts of the State, place the estimate as stated — at one-half. It is safe to say a majority of the planting is made, originally, four feet by four, with view to cutting out first one-half, as growth demands space, and Forestry on the Plains. 149 eventually another half of that remaining ; three-fourths in all. Some plant six by six ; others eight by eight. Planted four by four, we have 2,622 trees to the acre; or a total of 640,701,432. Eight by eight, 682 to the acre, or a total of 166,680,790. Average the totals and there is shown 403,676,112; ajAdi to the average the spontaneous estimate, one-half, and the grand total is, planted and grown in twenty- eight years, 605,514,168 trees. The num- ber of trees per •acre, spontaneous growth, will more than equal one-half the acreage planted. It is estimated one-fourth of the trees, seeds and cuttings planted did not grow, and therefore not now occupying the ground. Spon- taneous growth, except where the weak have been crowded out by the strong, and such as may have been destroyed by occasional fires, it may be said all are growing. FRUIT TREES Planted in Nebraska, since 18-54 to 1882 inclusive, 12,0.38,112, of which 1,714,442 were planted in the year 1882; 2,906,754 grape vines have been planted, fully 30 per cent, of that number planted in 1882. KANSAS. From statistics on file with the State Board of Agriculture, Kansas, the following figures are obtained : There have been planted since the 'first settlement in that State, 139,995 acres of forest trees. Walnut, 9,512 acres; maple (mostly soft) 13,545; honey locust, 1,916; Cottonwood, 47,363; other varieties, 67,659. Planted four by four, or 2,622 plants to the acre, the toUil is shown, 376,066,890 trees, or eight by eight, 682 to the acre, the total is 105,376,590 trees. Average the totals and we have 231,221,710. Add for spontaneous growth 115,610,870, and the grand tota.1 is .346,832,640 trees. These estimates for sjDontaneous growth in that State range from 20 to 50 per cent. As a rule, trees planted were put out under provisions of the national tim- ber culture act. Of course many thousands of acres were planted by farm- ers who have not timber claims. The number of fruit trees planted in that State during the same time, as shown by State records, is : Non-bearhig. Apple 3,028,100 3,590,333 Pear 97,369 164,302 Peach... .5,983,140 4,089,803 Plum 293,474 339,516 Cherry 776,498 756,576 Totals 10,178,581 : 8,940,430 Grand total, 19,119,019. 150 3Iississippi Valley Ho^-ti cultural Society. KATIONAL TIMBER ACT. Justice to the West, where this act originated, and where most of the work under its provisions has been done, would seem to demand at least a passing notice in this paper, especially when so eminent a personage as Prof. Sargent has publicly declared through the pages of the Nwth Americ-an Review, Ocioher issue, 1882, the act a "disgrace to the statute books," '• has n'ot accomplished what Wiis expected," " has given rise to gigantic frauds," " worthless as a means of forest growth," " encourages planting trees where trees can not grow unless artificially irrigated, and thus entails losses upon honest set- tlers." Great personal regard for Prof. S.irgent, and high estimates of his ability and standing as a scientist, lead to the belief that he has made these assertions without proj^er consideration, or having in his possession reliable information. Facts known to myself, ahd many others in the West familiar with them, lead to different conclusions. Brief reference is made to the professor's assertion relating to arid charac- teristics. Personal knowledge is had of over five hundred quarter sections of land west of the hundredth meridian in Nebraska, where groves of from five to thirty acres are planted on each, and growing w-ell without any irri- gation whatever. This planting was done under the act, all growing well and now thirty to forty feet in height. One man in this "arid region" com- menced planting in 1875, and now has 45,000 flourishing trees — maple, ash, walnut, box-elder and cottonwood, some thirty inches in circumference. Since the passsge of the timber culture act, there have been entered in Ne- braska and Kansas, under its provisions, 5,932,520 acres of timber land, as shown by official statistics. The general land office books show 39,617 en- tries, or 396,170 acres planted in detail, as follows : YEAR. 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 NEBRASKA. Acres. 21, 312, 130 106 90, 195, 465 475, 240, 298, 858 712 894 499 812 306 968 275 306 520 Entries. 137 2,164 1,061 834 706 1,408 3,183 3,202 1,682 2,086 KANSAS. Acres. 1 9,642 282,479 168,269 185,596 238,020 593,295 ,167,582 408,261 268,575 273,053 Entries. 60 1,954 1,265 1,354 1,666 4,031 7,776 2,891 1,924 1,933 There may be frauds perpetrated under this act. It would be strange rather than otherwise, were there none. Frauds are, or can be perpetrated Forestry on the Plains. 151 under almost any act and for any purpose. Those who know practically of the workings of the timber act do not favor its repeal. Possibly it can be ad- vantageously amended in certain respects, but as it stands an incalculable amount of good has grown out of it and will so continue. DEMONSTRATED USEFUL AND VALUABLE VARIETIES. It has been practically demonstrated the following valuable varieties of forest timber can be successfully and satisfactorily grown, both planted and of spontaneous growth. Oniy the most valuable are named in this list. Those designated with a * are indigenous: Ash, Fraxinns Americana.® " virdis.® " . •" quadrangulata.* " " pubescens.* " " platy carpa.* " " sanibncifolia.* Oak, Q, lerciis alba.* obtusiloba.® macrocarpa. })riiuiis.* tinctoria.* rubra.® nigra.* A dwarf chinquai)in oak — prinoides — of shrub character, grows in abun- dance, particularly on the blufT lands adjacent to the Missouri river, and in jjlaces in profusion on prairie lands, many acres in a body. It is a profuse bearer ; nuts ec[ual almost to chestnuts. In early days it was considered a " Munchausen story " when old settlers talked of hogs eating acorns from trees. The small growth, often not over a foot high, was loaded with nuts, iind, therefore, easily eaten from by swine. Deer and antelope fatted on them. Black Walnut, Juglans nigra.* White " " cinerea. Hickory, Gary a alba.® " " sulcata.® tomentosa.® porcina.® " " amara.® Pecan nut, '" olivieformis.® Elm, Ulmus, Americana.® fulva.® " '' racemosa.® " alata.® Hackberry, Celtis occldentalis ® Honey Locust, Gled 'a triacanthus.® " " " monosperma.® Kentucky Coffee Tree, Gym's canadensis.® Linden, Tillia Americana.® Sycamore, Acer pseudo platanus.® Black Locust, Robinia pseudo acacia. Soft Maple. Acer dasycarpum.® Sugar Maple, Acer saccharinum. 152 Missis.'ct, study and love the birds, and if specimens of eggs are desired, to take a part of them without robbing the nests. Teach them that to kill a bird with a sling shot, or in sport, is a sin. Let the farmer when guiding the plow, the farmer's son while driving the cattle to pasture and meadow; the mother and children while working among the flowers, fruits and vegetables, or when abroad in the cool of the evening, listen to the voices of the birds, and before the summer is over I assure you, that new life-long friends will be yours that will be well worth knowing. "And there's never a leaf nor a blade too mean To be some happy creature's palace ; The little bird sits at his door in the sun, Atilt like a blossom among the leaves, And lets his illumined being o'errun With the deluge of summer it receives ; His mate feels the eggs beneath her wings, And the heart in her dumb breast flutters and sings. He sings to the wide world and she to her nest — In the nice ear of Nature, which song is the best? ADORNING RURAL HOMES. BY MRS. D. HUNTLKY, OF WISCONSIX. The outward surroundings of the homes of any people are the truest indi- cations of the prosperity of the country and the intelligence of its inhabit- ants. It matters little whether the dwelling is a mansion or a cottage; it is the taste and skill displayed in the adornment of the grounds, the planting of trees, the care of the dowers and the lawn which indicate the culture and refinement of the owner. The costly dwelling may be the perfection of architectural beauty, but the embellishments of art become eflfaced by sim- +!hine and storm, while the more humble dwelling, adorned with nature's treasures, is continually increasing in beauty. The educating influehce of pleasant surroimdings upon the minds of the young can not be overesti- mated. 190 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. Children reared in rural homes take their tirst object lessons from the great book of nature. The love of the beautiful, which all possess in a greater or less degree, is strengthened by association till it becomes a safeguard from evil, and the grand incentives for labor which are constantly presented in rural life create habits of industry, and young men and young women go out from country homes fitted for usefulness in any vocation, and with a love for the beautiful in nature so strong and so lasting that, in later years, they turn from any and every calling to secure a home somewhere in the coun- try. In all the hurry and worry of business life they sigh for the clover- scented fields, the daisied slopes, the green hills and valleys of childhood, and the accumulation ■, of years are expended to purchase a rural home, where the evening of life can be passed among the beauties of nature. Besides the benefits of delightful surroundings to the young and the ex- ample and incentive which a beautiful home presents to every beholder, the pleasure of adorning and beautifying a place for ourselves and our loved ones is beyond all computation. We do not appreciate as we ought, the fact that if we choose, we can possess a portion of this beautiful earth ; our gov- ernment is most generous. Somewhere in our vast country we can have, almost for the asking, a purt of the footstool of God for our inheritance; Na- ture is lavish with her gifts; we can select from her storehouse the best of her treasures; we can surround ourselves and our children with excellence and purity, with grand incentive and high example, and with all that can be expressed in those thrilling words, the comforts of life; we can make our homes lovely if we choose; we can shade them with trees, decorate them with vines, and adorn them with flowers. Wherever we dwell nature has something delightful for those who love her. The artist spends years of labor upon a bit of canvass which is only a picture of some of nature's lovli- ness. We who grow her beauties in field and garden can make a living landscape, more glorious than an artist's picture, or a poet's dream. In writing of the rural homes of our land it must be remembered that we tell you of the simplest of nature's beauties. It is folly to expect that the people of the country can attempt the care and culture of the wonderful beauties of the greenhouse and conservatory. Hundreds of new homes are constantly sj^ringing up all over our land, and it is a question for the owners to decide, whether these shall be all bleak, and bare and desolate, with nothing to shelter or shade them, or shall they be adorned with the beauties of nature till they become ornaments to the landscape, a second Eden in which to dwell? For the new home on a West- ern prairie, or among the forests of the Northwest, or here in the South, it matters not where, so there is great love for the work, we will make some prudent suggestions that can be safely followed and which will give the most pleasure for the labor bestowed. Just here it must be remarked that it should not be expected that the en- tire work of ornamenting the lawn and garden should be done by the male members of the family. That would be an unequal division of the pleasures Adorning Rural Homes. 191 of the household. Women can find no more delightful or healthful employ- ment than the care and culture of flowers and fruits in the garden. The first and most essential requisite for the adornment of a rural home is, that the owner should possess an unconquerable love for the beautiful in nature — a love for trees and plants and fruits so great that he can not be happy without them. This will remove all difficulties, and success will fol- low. Then the arrangement of the buildings should receive due attention. Each one should be so placed as to invite ornamentation by tree or vine, and also so situated as to increase this beauty when planted. The dwelling should be some rods from the public road, and also from the other buildings, to give room for a spacious lawn, which should be covered with grass in any climate where nature spreads this lovely carpet; where she does not, there is more abundant room for carpet gardening and bedding plants. Then the fruit and vegetable garden should be located a pleasant distance from the house — near enough to be seen and enjoyed and cared for by the family. A garden on each side of the lawn, wherever this is practi- cable, will be found very satisfactory. To secure a certain growth of trees and shrubs, begin with such as can be found growing in the same locality. This will insure success in the first efforts. Many very desirable trees, and some very beautiful ones, can easily be found growing in their native wilds. To these should be added such new varieties as have been tested and found hardy; with these should be set the hardy fruit trees, a few at a time, if necessary, and with great carefulness. Do not say, " I can not plant a large orchard, so I will plant none at all." A few trees set each year will give you a growing interest and a better orchard in the end, especially when trees are short lived, than a large number that may leave you, en masse, suddenly, as they come. The fruit bearing shrubs should be grown in every garden; they will furnish berries for the table a longer time than any of the other small fruits. The vegetable garden, also, with its long list of edibles, and its annual fruits, is an ornament as well as a necessity to any home. First in this garden we will plant the strawberry ; it grows so rapidly, bears so abundantly, and will grow in any climate from Greenland to the Gulf ; all can have the strawberry. We can not recall the time when we did not know and prize this fine old fruit. We all have pleasant memories of the sunny hillsides and green meadows where we gathered the earliest wild strawberries. How faithfully we hunted every berry from its hiding place. and how eagerly we hastened homeward to show our treasurers to the loved mother who waited our coming. Yes, we will plant the strawberry, and we will care for it well, and with every returning season we will gather the de- licious fruit, with happiest memories of the wild berries of our child- hood, and with unnumbered thanks and blessings for those who, by careful culture, have given us the magnificent berries of the present day. Then we must find a place for that royal old fruit, the grape. This, too, was one of the wild fruits we gathered in the long ago. Then we thought the little purple 192 Mississipjyi Valley Horticultural Society. clusters the best in all the world; now we have grapes so large and so deli- cious, they remind us of those that were brought from the " promised land."' All should have this most delicious fruit in their garden. We have mentioned trees and shrubs first, for the adornment of the home, because they are of slower growth than the flowers, and in a work so impor- tant and so fraught with pleasure to the home as the jjlanting of fruit, shrub- bery and trees, the growth of one season should not be lost by delay. And now, lastly, we mention the flowers, not because they are least, but because we love them best. " Flowers, bright, beautiful flowers, They are linked with life's sweetest and happiest hours." They comfort us when lonely; they cheer us when sad; wo can gather them in field and garden; we can brighten the dreariest room with their presence; we crown the fair maiden for her bridal, and with sweet, sad mem- ories we place them in the folded hands of our loved dead. O, beautiful flowers, we will love you always ; we can take you with us, but the lovely trees and the green grass beneath them we must leave in our fields and gardens, till we can come again to admire their grandeur and their beauty. " There is a lesson in each flower, A story in each grove and bower. On every herb on which you tread Are written words which rightly read. Will lead you from earth's fragrant sod To hope and holiness and God." The true flower lover can not long remain contented in aflowerlesshome. If there are many difficulties to contend with, begin with kinds of easiest culture. Shrubs and perennials are easily grown. Many of them require but little care, and some will live and blossom many, years when wholly neg- lected. Shrubbery should be selected with due regard to the climate in which it is grown. In the North and West the lilac, syringa, snowball, spirea, honeysuckle, and many others are entirely hardy, and with age increase in beauty, both of foliage and flowers. In the South the treasures of the floral world are at your command. But more desirable than all these, are the hardy roses. No flower is so universally loved and admired as the rose. Thousands of new roses are of- fered in catalogues, but we dare not try these in the new home; a few of the old ones we loved in childhood, like the " hundred leaf,'" the blush rose, or the little white Scotch rose, with some of the lotus kinds, like Giant of Battles and Madam Planters, that we know will not die, will give us roses all the summer. After roses and other shrubbery, we would grow dahlias, because they will do more in the way of ornament for a new home than any flower we know. They grow very rapidly, often attaining ten feet in height, and bloom pro- fusely with large conspicuous flowers of brilliant colors of every shade, from Adorning Rural Homes. 193 deepest red, nearly black, to purest white. In form and size a well-grown dahlia resembles a miniature tree, and where shrubbery is small, or where there . is none, the dahlias fill an imj^ortant place. The most satisfactory colors are white, yellow, red, dark maroon and the light shade of purple. Names of dahlias are often unreliable. The finest white dahlia we have ever grown is the white aster. This is a bouquet dahlia, with pen-bristled petals — very handsome among cut flowers. Besides this, there should be one of the large "show" dahlias in every collection, however small. Another very fine dah- lia is white Bartlett: flowers are small, rose colored, and form a lovely con- trast when grown with darker shades. All lovers of flowers will admire this magnificent flower when properly grown and trained to sticks or trellis. To many this is delightful work. Those who find it a task should never grow dahlias. , Among perennial plants there are many that are hardy, of easy culture that will give a succession of bloom from the time the snow-drop and crocus unfold their tiny buds in spring till the frosts of autumn send all our floral treasures to their wintry beds. The tulip is the most brilliant of all the spring flowers, and wherever planted will live for years with but little care. There are many more of this class of plants that are very showy in the gar- den, but among them all there are none so hardy and so easily grown as the herbaceous peonies. In the days of our grandmothers a group of the crim- son peonies was the pride of every door-yard. Now we have them of many •colors and various shades, from crimson to pure white, and of delicious fra- grance. A bed of these upon the lawn will delight all lovers of brilliant col- ored flowers. But, of all the herbaceous plants, none can exceed the splen- ■dor of the lilies. Those of the olden time were thought more glorious than the raiment of kings. Now we may grow in our simple gardens " lilies all rugged with rubies and garnets and sparkling with crystal points." Their culture is not difficult. Plenty of moisture, drainage and good soil is all that is required. The Japan lilies are now offered in great variety. If you can have only two of these magnificent flowers get Lilium longiflorum, and that ■queen of Japan lilies, Lilium auratmn, and you have an ornament for your garden which can not be excelled. For those who have transient homes, or for that large number who will find themselves the coming spring in new 'homes without one flower, the annuals are the most precious of all the floral •gifts of God to men. With these, in one brief summer, you can make your home the delight of your family and the admiration of your friends. A great number are not necessary for a fine display. If we could have but four annuals, we would ■choose the pansies first. The name pansy is from the French word, pensee, indicating thought. We fancy they are thoughtful flowers, their bright faces look up to us as though curious of our admiration. We must grow the pan- sies. " O beautiful pansies, whatever betide, Come smile in thy beauty my threshold beside.' 13 194 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. Next the pinks foi" their spicy perfume, the verbenas for their varied col- ors and constant bloom, and the old sweet peas for their memories of home, " Why better thun the primrose Love I this little flower? Because its fragrant leaves are those I loved in childhood's hour." But trees and flowers are not enough with which to ornament our homes ; we must have vines for our porches and doors. A house without a vine is like a bird without a mate; it has a look of desolation; but dectorate it with- vines, train them over the doors and windows, and the dwelling soon takes on a look of cheerfulness and contentment. " Every summer's morning it presents fresh beauty and glory, which the products of art can not surpass.'" Vines grow rapidly, and many of them bloom so profusely, there is no good reiison why any home should be without its drapery of green. The climbing roses are lovely when in blossom, but they are not desirable for doors or windows. If we grow the climbing roses it must be on a trellis- or some support in the garden. There arc many hardy perennial vines that can be found growing in their native wilds, that when transplanted to our gardens will need no further care, unless it should be necessary to cut back their rampant growth. The best of these is ampdopsis quinquefolia, or Virginia creeper, also called Wood- bine, and is now widely known in our own country and in Europe as the .Vmerican ivy. Its growth is very rapid, its foliage verj- handsome. It will grow in any soil or situation, and if once planted you will always have this beautiful vine. The wild clematis, known as Traveler's Joy, can be found in, great abundance in all our forests. It is a strong grower, and in August i& covered with clusters of small, white, sweet-scented flowers. We have grown this for several years, and for posts or pillars it is one of the prettiest vines we have ever seen. Celastrus Scandens, or climbing bittersweet, is another very desirable native vine. Among the annual climbers there are many that will give a wonderful growth of foliage in a few weeks. Cobea Scandens Canary bird flower {Tropsrolum) and cypress vine will all grow well in the open ground. The latter is somewhat delicate, but south of 38° it grows in great luxuriance. But better than any of these are the dear old morning glories. We must al- ways grow them for their memories of childhood. Any one of the vines, oi* any of the shrubs or flowers before mentioned, will make your home to you. and your loved ones the sweetest place on earth. Besides these, every flower lover desires some of the rare, beautiful plants now seen in all large collections. Many of these will grow in any garden. A bed of foliage plants upon the lawn is a delightful ornament to any home. A box of Coleus upon the piazza or window-shelf, with hanging baskets above them, filled with vines, will make you glad continually. A few geraniums and fuchsias may be atldcd to give brightness, and trailing plants to add Adorning Rural Homes. 195 grace to boxes and brackets. Grow all you can of these lovely things. From exjjerience, we assure you, the more of them you have the happier you will be. But says one, "I could never ornament my home in this way; it would require the skill of a landscape gardener to keep such grounds in order." Say not this, dear friend; do not you know, that not till it verges upon the impossible do we reach the limit to what love and labor will do, with only a little portion of this beautiful earth ? We plant the tiny seeds, Ave set the trees, then turn to other labors; and lo! the great, grand mystery of plant life rises up before us, and foliage, and bloom, and fruit are our reward; we plant the seed and protect it from harm, and nature does the rest. No worker in all this busy world has so many helpers as the horticulturist of to- day. Nurserymen, seedsmen and florists are constantly investigating, ex- perimenting, and communicating useful information. Books, papers and catalogues will keej) the amateur posted in his work. But, says the working woman, I have so few flowers, and only the comnaon kinds; I can not adorn my home with them. Say not so, my sister. Do not you know that every tiny flower holds in its bosom the great secrets of nature ? That the humble plant is as perfect as the oak ? " The violet is as fragrant as the palm, and the roses of Sharon are as beautiful as Lebanon's majestic cedars." If you can have but few of the growing beauties of nature, plant a vine by your door-way, and it will cover the side of your dwelling with its drapery of green; plant one tree and it will spread out its leafy banners above your head, and ever make you grateful for its shelter and shade ; plant one packet of seeds, if you can no more, and care for them well, and your flowers will expand in colors more royal than the purple of Tyre, and give you fragrance more sweet than the spices of Arabia I have not the time, says another. Say not this, my friend. Every one of us has all the time which God has given to mortal man, and our mental and moral status is determined by what we do with it. Thousands of rural homes tell us most unmistakably what their owners have not done with their time, in the years that are past. If we spend the passing hours in idleness or useless work, or in fictitious reading, and leave our gardens and dooryards uncultivated and uncared for, we have tftken our choice in the use of our time, and must accept the result. If we neglect to adorn our homes with natures' jewels and thus leave the love of the beautiful undeveloped in our children, the loss to them and to the world is irreparable. Our homes are the nurseries of our children ; their education begins in the home ; the foundation of character is laid there, and when our children go from us the world receives the product of our homes. We attach great importance to the productions of our country; we have a national pride in her manufactures, her mechanics, her works of art. Let us remember that the best production of any country is its people. But I am growing old, says another; it is now too late. No, 'tis never too 196 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. late to begin to do well ; jilant some green tree, or some sweet flower, that will mnke the world more beautiful because you have lived in it; they will brighten the evening of your life, and if you do not see the fruit of your labors those who come after you will bless your memory. We do notexpect a harvest in spring time. " The year grows rich as it groweth old, And life's latest sands are its sands of gold." Many who meet here to-day have passed the meridian of life. The whi- tened locks and " silver threads " betoken years of labor and experience, but our work is not yet done. With life's latest sands we will add wisdom and skill to our labors; and here in this sunny land, where summer lingers long, where nature decks the groves and fields with the fairest of Pomona's pearls, and the sweetest of Flora's gems, you of the South will multiplj^ your or- ange groves, and beautify your gardens and make lovely your homes, while we of the North, on hillside and valley, where winter reigns one half the year, will battle for success amid frost and snow, till each returning season shall bring more excellent fruits, more lovely flowers. The East with its busy workers, the West with its hardy sons, will join in the work, till our whole vast country shall be known and honored among the nations of the earth for the intelligence and integrity of her people, the excellence of her fruits, the lovliness of her flowers, and the beauty of her rural homes. At the close of Mrs. Huntley's paper, President Smith, of Wis- consin, explained the active part which the ladies of his State had long taken in practical horticulture, and their participation in all their horticultural meetings. He said that with the help of the ladies they were able to hold both useful and attractive meetings ; " and," said he, " we are very proud of our lady members." The President — And I wish to say, Mr. Smith, that u-e, of this Society, are very proud of our horticultural ladies, too ! (Ap- plause.) Mr. Galusha, of Illinois — We have listened to two most charm- ing and instructive essays, which call from us something more than the cheers and encore of a delighted audience. The topics upon which these beautiful papers were written are in the thoughts and very near the hearts of all true lovers of rural life. It is a good omen for the future usefulness of this and kindred societies where the talent and the skill of the ladies are enlisted in the advocacy of the cause of the feathered songsters and the beautifying of our rural homes. I offer the following resolution : Can We Master the Insect Enemies of the Orchard. 197 Resolved, That the heartfelt thanks of the members of this Society be, and are, tendered to the ladies who have been so kind as to favor us with the valuable and interesting papers to which we have just listened. The resolution was, by a rising vote, unanimously adopted : Mr. Ragan, of Indiana — The lady has spoken of the blackbird. This bird has been badly abused. I regard it as one of our best friends. How it may be in Wisconsin I do not know. In our State it has but few friends, which, I think, is on the same principle that the English sparrow is so universally abused, viz., because "somebody" says he is bad. Neither of them are admired as pleasant songsters, yet they are noisy fellows. The blackbird, with us, is largely insectiverous. The paper on home adornments is a charm- ing one. Our homes are truly what we make them, and a home is all we can have in this world ; therefore, we should make our homes as pleasant and happy as possible. Anything that encourages the beautifying and adorning of our homes should be encouraged by societies like this. Mr. Ragan then proceeded (with a few words of apology) to read his paper on insect enemies of the orchard : CAN WE MASTER THE INSECT ENEMIES OF THE ORCHARD ? BY \V. H. RAGAN, OF INDIANA. In its individual capacity, an insect is an insignificant thing, truly one un- worthy of the earnest attention of intelligent ladies and gentlemen, such as compose this Society ; not so, when the subject is viewed collectively, as the topic assigned me would indicate. "Can we Master the Insect Enemies of the Orchard ? " at first glance might seem to be a problem of easy solution, and when originally proposed to the writer, at a time when " distance lent enchantment to the view " was accepted rather rejoicingly. As the time draws near, the duty seems to rest more and more heavil}'' upon me, until now, tbat I am forced into action, I begin to realize how hard, indeed, is cruel fate, that has bequeathed to me such luck! The only consolation left me is in the fact that the extreme length of the progi'amme of this meeting, and the known ability of others who can better entertain, will fully warrant me 'u\ appropriating that jewel of literary con- sistency, brevity! To the question, therefore, I might give either an affirmative or a negative answer; affirmative, if orchardists, large and small, would act in concert with the sole object in view of winning; negative, if otherwise. 198 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. And here I might express the fear that otherivise will prevail, at least until we have more nearly approached the millenium of earthly bliss. But seriously, Mr. President, I have viewed with no small degree of alarm, the steady and onward march of our orchard pests; in spite of our science; in spite of our boasted progress, until I have almost despaired. Entomology has enlightened us on the subject of bugs and beetles; it has clearly defined the differences that distinguish these two subdivisions of the insect tribes; it has assured us that one sucks its food, while the other bites it; it has ex- plained to us in high-sounding terms the metamorphosis of insects; it has shed a, brilliant ray of light on cdeoptera, and (.rihoptera, and lepidoptem ; yet, sir, the beautiful things have steadily encroached on our chosen domain, until, like the Irishman, when the mule put his foot in the stirrup, I am almost ready to exclaim, "be jabbers, if you are going to git up I'll git down." But when Ave retrospect the history of our race, and read the story of the GARDEK AND THE ORIGINAL PAIR, With the anathema pronounced upon us, for their sake, we fail to find that insects were to figure in our everlasting torment, and hence we conclude that quiet resignation to their ravages is no part of Christian virtue, so we will, at least, take the matter of "unconditional surrender " under advisement before giving up the ship. We have great consolation in knowing that the orchard that receives care- ful culture and attention, like the well-fed flock, suffers least from insect depredations. The scaly aphis, the borer, the canker worm, the codling moth, and their kind, find but little comfort under the vigilant eye of the careful orchardist^ while they literally revel in the orchard of the sluggard. Unfortunately, as we must to some extent share the sins of each other, and as the sluggard predominates, we must help feed the hungry hosts of our careless neighbor, since insects are endowed by nature with the powers of lo- comotion. Here lies the chief difficulty in the way of effectual success. If we, as fruit-growers, can, by moral suasion, or through the terrors of the Liw, possibly devise a way of enforcing the necessary diligence in this cause, we will certainly have taken an important step in the direction of a so- lution of the important question that stands at the head of this paper. Until then we are destined to be goaded and harrassed, like Pharoah of old, by in- sect pests. But insects are not all pests. Many of the tribes that infest our orchards are friendly in their operations, and greatly aid us in our efforts to conquer those of a noxious character. Upon these we must rely for assistance in waging war on the jtests. To know and to protect our friends, therefore, becomes a duty. Entomolo- gy, as a science, must aid us in recognizing our friends and our enemies. It is to this science that we must look for information in regard to the effects of wholesale applications of poisonous insecticides ; whether they are not more Discussion on Insects. 199 destructive to friends than to foes; whether, in our poisons, traps and lanterns we are not killing the " goose that lays the golden egg." This is the part that science must perform in the solution of this great problem, though scientific knowledge alone will never rid our orchards and gardens of insect pests. DISCUSSION ON INSECTS. Jlr. Stojjiebeam, of Illinois — We try iu ray country to raise plums, but we find the curculio very injurious. If it is not out of place I would, if there is any lady or gentleman in this audience that has had any success in raising plums, like to hear from them. Mr. Holsinger, of Kansas — In answer to the gentleman's inquiry, I will say that I had hoped that this question had been settled. To my mind it certainly is. Plum growing, through the knowledge dissemi- nated bv our advanced horticulturists, is a certainty to all those who may follow the methods for trapping and destroying the curculio. It is but little expense to secure a crop annually of this most delicious fruit. To be successful, you must begin in time. As soon as the blossoms are shed secure some wide muslin, sufficient to cover the surface occupied by the largest tree. Cut in two equal lengths; sew up one-half the length, joining the two together in one broad sheet. You are now ready for work. With the aid of three boys, ages from eight to twelve, I have been able, in a few hours, to clean two hundred trees. The boys run under the trees, spreading the cloth, the tree in the middle of the sheet through the part not sewed to- gether. Now, with the ball of the foot, give a few quick, ener- getic kicks. (I never injured more than one tree in this way.) A rubber mallet might be better. An open mouthed bottle will be found serviceable to drop them into ; or, they can be crushed be- tween the thumb and forefinger. All fallen fruit should be picked up and destroyed, and in this way the crop materially les.sened. The plum goug^r, Anthonomus prwnjcida, Walsh, lias been, of late years, more deleterious to plum culture than the curculio. '' It may be easily distinguished from other weevils by its ochre-yellow throat and legs, and its darker wing covers, which are dun colored or brown, with a leaden gray tint, and has no humps." I do not agree with most entomologists that it is more difficult to capture than the curculio. I think it drops as readily with a slight jarring, but I admit it takes wing more readily. I have caught them, 200 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. even while mated, in mid air. The greater necessity for destroying the fill Ion, imperfect fruit is the fact that the gouger frequently makes its transformation within the pits of both the plum and peach. Mr. Galusha, of Illinois — It is understood with us in Illinois, that no one man can rid himself of curculio, unless his neighbors all do the same thing, because they will go from orchard to orchard. Mr. Hudson, of Louisiana — We in the South have attempted to raise peaches, and when we have succeeded in making good crops, the season having been favorable, we have found our efforts de- stroyed by the curculio. I have read a gread deal on the subject,, and while I agree fully with Mr. Galusha, that the extermination of this pest can only be brought about by cooperation, I wish to say that it is not so easy a thing in this section of the country where our population is very much scattered. We are separated from each other by small pieces of timber land, and when the curculio is driven out from an orchard it takes refuge in the pine lands and is preserved there. In consequence, you will perceive that there is no method of destroying them here. I desire to ask one question, and if there is any practical pear grower here who knows, of his own knowledge, I ask him, as a special favor to the South, whether there be actually any method of applying coal gas tar that is worth the trouble ? Mr. Baldwin, of Michigan — I will say that I can not tell which of the remedies I have used that has succeeded; perhaps all. This year I began with sulphur, but I did not use a great deal of it. Then I used the coal gas tar, and then at night I burnt lights standing in vessels of water. In the morning I found a great many curculios, attracted by the light, that were drowned. I burnt lights for about four weeks. The curculio is a night-flying insect, and you catch a great many. I think we have got to catch and kill them in some way, and I am satisfied that we can raise plums by using these methods. Mr. Sambola, of Louisiana — I desire to give to the convention my views on this subject. I now possess a place in this city, where my father has devoted fully twenty years in destroying the insects which have prevented the successful cultivation of the grape He D{scussio7i on Insects. 201 had upon his place fully eight thousand grape vines. He protected them from the ants by the use of coal gas tar, which prevented the ants from creeping up the vines. He was successful in that way. Mr. Wiggins, of Louisiana — A gentleman, with whom I am ac- quainted, in the neighborhood of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, in- formed me that in selecting ground for his peach orchard he would clear off ground surrounded by trees. Planting out his trees there, it was his custom, when the trees came to bear, to keep it well cul- tivated and clean. He would send his children to gather the peaches every morning that had fallen, and put them in barrels for the purpose. He told me it was eminently successful, and that he never was successful until he kept his peach orchard perfectly clean. When the peaches would drop on the ground he would carry them off immediately. He was the only man in that neighborhood who had a majority of sound fruit. They have noticed up there that if they should happen to have two peach seasons in succession, that the second year they have always had unsound peaches. This country is peculiarly adapted to the curculio, to an extent that I hardly think you can realize in the North; and I am satisfied, from per- sonal observation, that, as far as the South is concerned, the only true method of preventing damage from the curculio is to keep the orchard well cultivated, and to keep it well cleaned up. Mr. Kendel, of Ohio — Our peaches are very little troubled with the curculio. We raise them very well along the lakes, but plums we can not get on account of the curculio. Why they should at- tack the plums and not the peaches I don't understand. The only way I have known plums to be kept is by gathering the fruit as fast as it falls. Mr. Nowlin, of Arkansas — I have probably one hundred Wild Goose plum trees. I think last year it was the prettiest sight I ever saw, about a bushel to the tree ; large, handsome fellows. I also had a few young Green Gage trees bearing their first crop. They all matured without any evidence of curculio. There was some evi- dence of curculio in the peach crop, but not very extensive. 3Ir. Hudson, of Louisiana — I am satisfied that a diligent use of the sheet under the trees will successfully prevent the ravages of the 202 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. ourculio. I think there are two kinds of curculios — one that at- tacks the peaches and one the plums. Mr. Nowlin, of Arkansas — If any country is the home of the AVild Goose plum, Arkansas is, but we are troubled with the curcu- lio also. I have saved the crop, however, by sowing powdered slacked lime upon the trees. Mr. Beatty, of Kentucky — I have had considerable experience in this matter, and I find that the use of the sheet in catching curcu- lios will save the fruit. Mr. Hullister, of Illinois, spoke of the difference between the cur- culio and the plum gouger. The first makes a crescent-shaped inci- sion in the fruit, and the gouger only makes a simple perforation. Mr. Galusha, of Illinois — The curculio does less damage to the Wild Goose plum than to any other variety, because the eggs laid in the plum are killed by the acid juices of the fruit. The following paper, by one of the most justly noted scientists of the West, although present at the meeting, in the absence of the author, was not read. The topic, "An Orchard Scourge," seems ap- propriate to come in at this juncture. The name of Prof. T. J. Burrill is, in the opinion of the Secretary, a sufficient passport to position in the body of this report : AN ORCHARD SCOURGE. (Fttstdadium deudriticum.) BY PROF. T. J. BURRILL, OF ILLINOIS. Everyone must have noticed last year (1882) a peculiar shriveling and curling of the leaves of apple trees, beginning, in many cases, soon after the bursting of the buds in springtime and continuing, more or less, during the season. Many trees really never gained full foliage during the summer, but throughout the year looked starved and ragged. On closer examination, the stunted and injured leaves appeared dark-colored, or, perhaps, sooty- black, in spots and irregular lines. The young twigs, too, presented a simi- lar appearance, being blackened, and often distorted in growth. In some localities, especially southward, pear trees suft'ered in the same way, but the leaves more generally attained full size, however much they were discolored and distorted. The fruit, too, of both these orchard trees was unusually badly injured by what people call the "scab," The apples have been, in numerous instances, An Orchard Scourge. 203 so scarred and spotted as to be practically worthless, except for stock or cider. Pears, after having gained considerable size, were seen to have been affected over great areas of their surface by the injuries received, while still ■quite young, the later appearance being a rough, discolored surface, though " scabs " similar to those on the apple were plentiful enough. In the case of both fruits, the unyielding coating of destroyed tissues gave way to the in- ternal forces of expansion, and cracks, more or less deep, occurred. In Champaign county the Early Harvest apples, among others, were divided half way to the core, or even deeper, by several irregular fissures, leaving knobby lobes, more or less covered by a layer of blackened, corky tissues. It is well known that " scabby "" fruit, besides being injured in appearance, much sooner decays, at least in a great majority of instances. Rot begins at the " scab," and proceeds inward and around. Often this occurs while the fruit still hangs on the tree, and almost certainly takes place if scabby ap- ples or pears are gathered and stored in a moist place. Appealing to the microscope, we find all these injured parts of the trees and fruit bear the vegetative threads (mycelium) and spores of a fungus, specific- iilly the same whether on the leaves, the twigs, or the surface of the fruit. However different the appearance to the unaided eye the injury may be on these different parts, there is no appreciable difference in the microscopical •characteristics either of the fungus or in the real destruction of the cells and tissues. However different the appearance to the unaided eye the diseased spots or patches were, occurring on the leaves, twigs or fruit, anyone com- petent to judge in such matters would, upon microscoi^ical examination, pronounce the fungus specifically the same in all cases. Its mode of growth and development is essentially the same on all parts of the tree, save svich modifications as, evidently enough, arise from the difference in the parts themselves. On the fruit, the epidermis and perhaps a few layers of cells are destroyed, while the deeper tissues continue to live and grow. On the leaves, the epidermis is similarly destroyed, but, on account of the thinness of the leaf, the whole structure goes with it. The scars on the twigs somewhat resemble those on the fruit, but instead of being circular, or nearly so, they are elongated in the direction of the fibers; usually, also, they are much smaller. By proper manipulations it is easy to make out that the mycelium of the fungus consists of a few colorless, frequently branched, incon.spicuous threads, woven loosely through and through the cells of the supporting plant. This poorly developed mycelium neither wanders far nor penetrates deejily. On the fruit, it is confined to the spot which eventually shows the characteristics of the disease, and to the surface layers of cells. From the white threads there arise short, erect, tinted portions, Avhich, from their density, form a velvet-like mat covering the aftected spot. On the outer ends of these mi- nute stalks the multitude of spores is borne, and these being dark olive- brown, or in the mass almost black, give to the spot the color observed. The spores are usually about four times as long as wide, often .somewhat club- 204 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. shaped, i. e., thicker towards the apex, and consist of a single cell, or have a transverse partition making two cells. In the early condition of the allected spot, the mycelium and spores oc- cupy a small central area ; but as growth continues the mycelium gradually spreads into the surrounding tissues, and soon dies in the centier, so that the fungus is found in a ring at the outer edge of the affected spot. Sometimes this spreading continues for months from the same initial point, and a large part of the surface of a fruit may be involved, or, for some reason, the fungus soon perishes, and the spot remains small. Frequently, numerous small spots near together coallesce, and thus, in another Avay, cover the surface. Spores are produced by the fungus in a similar manner when it inhabits the leaves and young stems, only they are never found in such luxuriance of number, on account, no doubt, of the less available nutriment. There seems to be no special season for their maturity — they form and ripen throughout June, July, August, and SejDtember, and as soon as mature, germinate when- ever suitable conditions of moisture, etc., are present. If in this condition the spores reach the living surfaces of the leaves, twigs, or fruit, the filament produced by the germinating tube, penetrates the tissues and a new crop of mycelium and spores results, together witli the injured condition of the host. There are those who, admitting the presence of the fuAgus in this destruc- tive disease, deny its agency as the cause of the difficulty. With them it is a secondary result, a mere accompaniment or follower of the real destroyer. In the majority of such cases we are asked to seek for the latter in the con- ditions of the climate or the inherent peculiarities of the affected plants, It is true the exact connections and the special processes by which heat or cold? wet or dry, starvation, over-cropping, etc., produces the effects just as they are observed in time and space are never explained by anyone who pretends to be informed upon the subjects of vegetable physiology and pathology ; but talk is cheap, and never easier than in general speculations by those who do not care to be exact and definite, and especially by those who do not look close enough to see the obstacles in the way. It is often easier to get a full account of what exists in the center of the earth than what there may be behind a picture hanging upon the wall of a room occupied by the inform- ant. In the former case he does not feel restrained by the possibilities of proof, and does feel that his notion is as good, at least, as that of his auditor can be. The two may disagree, but that does not hurt anything. So, in these apparently difficult problems of disease in plants, it not unfre- ijuently happens that opinions are the more tenaciously held the less the real knowledge possessed upon the subject. When the bark of an apple tree is found after a snow-storm to be freshly gnawed, and when the well-known track of a rabbit is seen about it, no one thinks of saying, " I admit the pres- ence of the rabbit and the quality of its teeth for this work, but contend that we should not account it the cause of this wound. If the snow had not fallen the animal would not have touched the tree, hence the snow is the real gnawer of this bark.' Or, "if the bark had not been palatable and nutri- An Orchard Scourge. 205 tious, it would not have been injured, so its own condition is the first cause of the mutilation. The rabbit is only a secondary thing." I say no one in such a case tries to indulge in such metaphysics. All admit the direct agency of the animal in causing the mischief, because all are familiar with the possibilities of those well-sharpened teeth, and all can clearly see their imprint in the wound. There is no use of argument in this case. iBut of these hypothetical fungi, of which nothing is known, whether good or evil, it is not strange that people leave them out of the premises altogether in reach- ing a conclusion. Without the compound microscope we are hardly aware of their existence, and certainly must remain ignorant of their direct effects and their methods of producing them. But, fortified and prepared with this marvelous instrument and the proper ability to use it, these things disap- pear. Then there is no important difference in what can be known, and thoroughly known, between the methods and effects of these minute but real, specific, self-nourishing and self-propagating things known under the general name of Fungi, and that other specifically characterized thing called rabbit. Having had abundant opportunity to observe, I have no hesitation in say- ing that a certain fungus is the direct cause of the disastrous malady which has so seriously injured the apple and pear orchards of our whole Northwest during the last year. The rabbit itself is subject to conditions; its depreda- tions in summer amount to nothing, so far as trees are concerned, and cer- tain conditions of winter ruefully reduces their numbers. Our fungus is no less, perhaps not more, subject to varying conditions of temperature, moist- ure, etc., or in a word of environment. Its vigorous growth is impossible un- der one set of these co ditions; it unduly develops under another combina- tion of influences. But in the sense that the rabbit, and not the peculiarities of the weather, is the direct cause of the gnawing, so the fungus, which has been described, and not the rain, or the dew, or the sun, or the frost, is the immediate agent of this scab and rust. It is, however, no new thing. It has neither come into existence in our time nor has it recently been introduced in our part of the country. Its dispersion over the world seems to be as wide as that of the apple itself, and records now exist in the books of its occasional prolific development and in- juries over nearly a century of time. Botanists have baptised it with several names, hard enough of course, and collectors of specimens count it in the make-up of herbaria, sometimes more than once, on account of the synony- mical names under which it is known. Now, however, the authorities are quite generally agreed that henceforth Fusicladium dendriticum , Fhl., shall be its true and only title in scientific parlance. Turning now to the supposed conditions which have of late influenced the increased injuries of the fungus, nothing can be asserted with positiveness, but all indications seem to point to atmospheric and climatic causes rather than any special physiological changes in the trees themselves. Some kinds of trees are much worse affected than others, and this may be generally true 206 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. of special varieties, or only during certain seasons, or at certain ages of the stock. But nearly all varieties of apples and pears have unusually suffered, at least in places, during the last year. Even nursery stock has been singed and stunted. It seems to me, we are first to look to the open and humid autumn of 1881 as an important contribution to the severe result. During this time the fun- gus certainly did vigorously develop on the fading leaves, and especially on the unripencd shoots of the year's growth. As the spores very readily ger- minate when moistened, it is not probable that any of them survive the winter on the fallen leaves. When once germinated, winter's vicissitudes soon put an end to them as they do to sprouting seeds. But on the twigs, in the dry air, both spores and mycelium successfully pass the winter and freely grow in the spring. Having thus an unusual start last spring (1882), and unusually favored by the remarkable lateness and wetness of the season, the fungus became im- mensely developed, and, as we know, did immense damage. The outlook for next year (1883), as at present indicated, is not encouraging, but no one can certainly predict the results. Certain it is that the trees are noAv badly in- fested, and with similar conditions a similar development may be expected. The important question is, " Can anything be done to reduce the dam- age?" I can not, with assurance, say "' yes."' But some experiments on a small scale seem to be sufficiently encouraging to plan for further and more extended trials. The thing to do, of course, is to kill the fungus and prevent its reappearance. From what has been said the most favorable time for .treatment is in the winter when the leaves are off, and the applications should be made to the young wood. The suggested trials are, first, pruning away any unnecessary young growth and especially that mostatfected, then syringing the tree with an emulsion of kerosene oil made with soap and water. To prepare this, mix equal quantities of soft soap, or hard soap softened with water and heat, and common coal oil; stir vigorously and for at least live minutes, then add ten to twenty times the quantity of water, and again stir. The result should be a uniform milky fiuid. Apply in any way so as to wet the bark of the last year's growth, or, for thoroughness, that of two years' production. No fears need be entertained of injury to the tenderest part of the tree if the emul- sion is well made. It can be applied, if desirable, to the leaves, but there is much less surface to wet before these appear, and it is much easier to reach it. Coal oil of itself is injurious to vegetation, but when made into an emul- sion, and thus diluted, no fears need be entertained about its use. Still it may be in this state quite destructive to such fungus growths as that of which we write. Sulphur has been recommended for similar use, but in this case little good can be anticipated from it, at any rate, if applied in winter. The sulphur it- self does not kill fungi, because it is insoluble, but the beneficial effect comes Report of Committee. 207 from the gases, products of which it forms a part. In the winter these are not formed, while the rains wash away the soHd material. Kerosene, on the other hand, is as eftectual in cold as in warm weather, and kills by direct action. There is another thing that may be mentioned in favor of the oil emul- sion : it is also destructive to insects, and, wherever they may be reached, to their eggs. It is probable that the eggs of the apple aphis, which are de- posited in autumn on the twigs, may be destroyed in this way. If so, we can kill two birds with one stone. Upon motion of Prof. S M. Tracy, of Missouri, Mr. John T. Hardie was unanimously elected to the Vice Presidency for the State of Louisiana. Mr. Williams, of Indiana, chairman of the committee to devise ways and means to pay for the expense of collecting statistics by the Secretary, etc., read the following report: Resolved, That for the purpose of procuring sufficient means for the payment of the Secretary and the publishing of the annual proceedings and statistical matter of the Society, we recommend — 1. That at every exhibition made by this Society, when premiums are ofTered, an entry fee of 10 per cent, of the amount of the premiums competed for shall be required and collected in advance. 2. That we recommend the preparation of a scale of fees where diplomas or medals are awarded instead of money. 3. That the collection of 10 per cent, and other fees shall be placed in the hands of the Treasurer, subject to an order from the Secretary, signed by the President. 4. That the proceeds from the sale of our publications be devoted to the expenses of the statistical department. 5. That a Directory of nurserymen, commissionmen, florists, seedsmen and man- ufacturers of horticultural wares, etc., be published as advertising matter in our annual proceedings, and that a fee of two dollars be charged for each name so pub- lished, when accompanied by satisfactory references. 6. And that we also recommend that the Executive Committee be instructed to fix the salary of the Secretary and set apart such an amount from the premium fi;nd as, in their judgment, will cover any deficit in meeting all expenses. On motion of Prof Colmant, of Mississippi, amended by Mr. Evans, of Missouri, the report was referred to the Executive Com- mittee. The Society then adjourned to 8 o'clock p. m. 208 Mississippi Valley Horticullund Society. Fourth Day — Saturday. Evening Session. President Earle called the Society to order at 8 o'clock p. m. and }3roceeded to announce, as per resolution adopted in the after- noon, the following COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION. Northern Section — F. A. Thomas, of Illinois, J. M. Smith, of Wisconsin, and Captain E. Hollister, of Illinois. Southern Section — Dr. H. E. McKay, of Mississippi, Major A. W. Rountree, of Louisiana, and Major S. H. Nowlin, of Arkansas. The President — Our first subject this evening is that of raspber- ries and their management. Our excellent friend, the Treasurer of this Society — may the responsibilities of this office be larger in the future than they have been in the past — who is one of the most suc- cessful fruit growers of the West, will read us a paper upon that topic. I take pleasure in inviting you to hear Major J. C Evans, of Missouri. RASPBERRY MANAGEMENT AND THE NEW RASPBERRIES. BY J. C. EVANS, OF MISSOURI. It has been said that successful farming is much more complex than any ti'ade, and demands more constant thought than most branches of profes- sional life, together with the executive ability equal to the management of any business. This will api^ly to the growing of small fruits as well as to farming. A very small per cent, of those engaged in farming are making it a success, and of the large number who have embarked in the business of grow'ing small fruits, perhaps just as few have succeeded. The chances for .success are few, while those for failure are many. What is meant by success is that the acre of raspberries has paid for plant- ing, pruning, cultivating, picking, marketing, and the interest on the money invested in land, tools, etc., and has a fair per cent, left for net profit. And if this continues for a series of years, then we call it a success. i would not discourage any one from engaging in this pleasant and inter- esting occupation, but I ask the question, how many of us are making the growing of raspberries a success, and why the many failures? If the ques- Raspberry Manayemeni and the Netr Raspberries. 209 tion were asked, do raspberries do well in your section ? you would say yes. Any farmer may plant a patch in the corner of the garden or along the fence and just let them alone, and he will have plenty of berries for the family; but suppose he tries two or tliree acres in this way and undertakes to market them for profit; he would certainly fail. But the intelligent fruit-grower who has learned all the conditions necessary to success may select the varieties known to do well in his soil and climate and apply these conditions, and reasonably good proHts will accrue. The object in growing raspberries, after we have plenty for the family, is the money we can make out of the business. If we wish to go right, then we must sUirt right; we must learn (and that is our object in coming together here). Is our soil adapted ? If we have that that Avill produce a good crop of corn, we consider it good for raspberries What exposure is best, and why ? Land sloping gently to any point, except south, or southwest, because not so liable to shorten the crop of fruit in ripening, or the growth of canes later in the season by drought; besides, the sun has less power on the canes before and after sudden freezing, which is the principal cause of what is c tiled winter-killing. The prej^aration of the land before planting is a matter of great importance, for on this depends the growth of canes the first year and the crop of fruit the second, as well as for years after. The land should be ploughed deep, the deeper the better, and well pulverized, then marked off in rows seven feet (most growers say six, but seven gives more room to cultivate and pick), with shovel plow, and the plants placed three feet apart in the furrow, and a little dirt drawn around them to hold them in place until the furrow is filled from each side with the same kind of plow. The middles should not be planted :'n any other crop, as is the custom of some growers, especially new beginners, and where land is valuable, as a matter of economy. I question the economy in any case. The land should be thoroughly cultivated through the growing season, and the plants topped at a foot high to cause laterals to push out. In the following spring these laterals should be cut back to six inches long, and the land cultivated before the buds start, and again after the fruit is picked. The yearly after-treatment will be the same, except that the topping will naturally be a little higher each year. I would say here that the great mistake of most growers is in leaving too much wood. Better have fewer berries in number and more in measure- ment. The above applies to both red and black varieties, with the exception that red is seldom pruned at all and is almost always allowed to grow in a mass or hedge row. Some growers, however, have practiced summer pinching to a ^ limited extent and claim that it works well. Others cut back to one-third or one-half of the cane early in sjiring and say that it is right. I have prac- ticed this on the Thwack for several years and find it works well. When we come to talk about varieties we have a long list to consider, both a-ed and black, but my experience being limited to a few of the leading va- rieties, I shall name only such, and would say to those who wish to plant, if 14 210 Missisfiippi Valley Hortioaliural Society. you know of a variety, either new or old, that has given satisfaction in your vicinity with the treatment you expect to give it, that is the one for you to plant. We used to be satisfied to groAV Doolittle and Mammoth Cluster, but many growers in our section are now discarding them and i)lanting Hopkins as the best black-cap. Gregg is also doing well in- some sections. Turner is a fine red one, and has done well over a large section of country, but some growers- are giving it uj) and planting Thwack as a better shipping berry, though not so good in quality as the Turner and some others, but a much better berry to send a long distance. Its large size and ability to retain its fine color make it sell i-eadily at good prices. There are no doubt many among the long list of candidates for public fa- vor that will prove themselves good in certain localities, and some of them may come to the front and take the place of those now considered best; but we must test them in a small way first. In conclusion let me repeat, never plant extensively any variety until it has been well tested in your section, no- matter how well it has done elsewhere. The President announced the arrangements that had been made for the excursion to Mobile. The party will leave here Tuesday morning at 7 o'clock, and, arriving in Mobile at 12 o'clock, will be received by Mobile and Ohio Railroad officials, who have provided carriages lor the entire party. Tuesday evening, and the greater portion of Wednesday, will be devoted to sight- seeing, and then the excursionists will take their departure either for home or return to New Orleans. The latter will leave Mobile at 4 o'clock Wednes- day evening. Upon motion of Mr. Holsinger, of Kansas, it was unanimously resolved to remain in Mobile until Wednesday evening. The President having been requested by some of the delegates to make inquiries as to the cost of an excursion to San Antonio, Texas,, announced that the Morgan Railroad had offered to take excursion- ists, if a sufficient number went, at twenty-five dollars for the round trip and give them two weeks time, Mr. Baker, of Kansas, announced that as he was to leave iu the morning, he had turned over the matter of transportation to Prof. Colmant, of Mississippi. The President — Among the new fruits which are attracting our attention, perhaps none are more inviting and excellent, or more promising of commercial value than the Japanese persimmon. Our The Japanese Persimmon in Arkansas. 211 old friend D. B. Wier, well remembered by all Illinois fruit men, has found " the promised land " hidden away among the prairies- and forests of Arkansas. He will tell us what he knows about THE JAPANESE PERSIMMON IN ARKANSAS. BY D. B. WIER OF ARKANSAS. Arkansas, by reason of its geographical position and magnifioent climate, should be. and will be, the early fruit and vegetable garden of the great North- west. Her northern half, the upland, or hill region, is the home of the apple, the peach, the plum, and perhaps the pear, as well as of all the small fruits, including the grape and cherry. Nowhere, I think, are the trees and plants o these fruits more healthy or longer lived, and certainly nowhere are they of finer flavor, size and color. The northwestern third of the State is pecu- liarly adapted for the apple. This standard fruit is there grown of the finest size, color and quality, the tree exceedingly healthy and long Kved. It is also finely adapted to all other hardy fruits. This region having now direct rail- road connection with West Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska and the whole Northwest, it is worthy of the attention of fruit-growers. The region is very healthy, water the very best, and land cheajj. It is settling up fast with first- class, energetic people. The northwest center of the State, with all its mineral riches and splendid scenery, is also one of the finest of fruit regions. It is also soon to be opened up by a line of railroad, North and South, opening up to it the splendid mar- kets of Memphis and cities beyond on the South, and Kansas City and otiier fine markets North. The south line of the hill country from Newport, on White river, to Little Rock, is already developed to some extent as a fruit producing region. With an outlet to markets North and South by the great Iron Mountain railroad route, it sends vast amounts of fine, early fruits to the great St. Louis market and also to Texas. This railroad, stretching from the northeast to the south- west corner of the State, gives the fruit-grower along its line a choice of either the Northern or Texas market. This road is bordered on both sides of its entire length by splendid fruit lands. The same is true of the Little Rock and Fort Smith railroad. The climate of all this northern portion of the State is exceedingly healthy, except in the lowest bottom lands along the streams. There is room for tens of thousands of. energetic fruit-growers. But I was to write of the persimmon. Well, I will come to it in due time. The greater portion of Southern Arkansas and all its eastern side is well nigh a level plain, with a soil composed of either alluvium or clayey silt, gen- erally covered with a heavy growth of timber. Nearly all of the eastern por- tion of the State, except Crowley's ridge, which reaches from Helena to the Missouri line, overflows to some extent in times of extreme high water. 212 Missisi^ippi Valley Horticultural Society. This Crowley's ridge is an exceeding fine fruit region. The pear esisecially seems to thrive there wonderfully when compared with its very general fail- ure every where West. Then wc have the whole northeastern part of the State almost a level plain covered with heavy timber, except parts of three counties lying be- tween the lower White and Arkansas rivers, with a soil on the uplands made up of a very fine, clayey silt, finely adapted to nearly every kind of fruit in its natural condition, and when thoroughly underdrained with tile will most certainly be one of the finest fruit soils in the world. Easily cleared, and easily tilled, without a rock or a pebble to interfere with the plow, hoe or cultivator. The prairies are healthy, and exceedingly level, 3'et, generally, with slope enough so as to be readily tile-drained. Nearly all fruits grow on the better surface-drained portions of these prairies in great perfection and abundance, with scarcely any care given them by the settlers, showing plainly what could be done there with proper orchard cuture. The timber lands of this region are generally very much better surface and under-drained than the prairies; therefore, the difierent fruits on them do measureably better. But the timbered lands are very unhealthy, espe- cially along the streams, to unacclimated people, particularly Northern peo- ple : and as it costs about as much to free the land of trees, stumps and roots as it would to under-drain the prairies, and considering the better health of the prairies, they, the prairies, would be my choice, first, last and all the time. Land is wonderfully cheap in all this region. It is not a corn nor a wheat country, but nearly every other known crop does well, some of them giving enormous crops. For instance, all the leguminous plants, such as peas and beans, in all their species and varieties, sweet and Irish potatoes, vines of all kinds, and the sorghums and millets. We are now ready to consider the persimmons. The native persimmon {Diospyros Virglniann), grows plentifully all over the State, but in the hill region it is not generallj^ found, except in the bottom lands along streams. But in the more level portions of the State it abounds e very w'here, even on prairies, and is, perhaps, the most plentiful of arboreal plants, except it be the sassafras (S. officinale). It is found on all kinds of soils, from the wettest to the dryest, but attains its maximum growth on the overflowed lands, on the margins of rivers, where it may often be found two to three feet in diameter at its base, and stretching upward as straight as an arrow, sixty to eighty feet, without a branch, producing, irregularly, immense crops of large, luscious fruit, ripen- ing from July on through the fall and winter, many varieties hanging on the tree nearly the winter through. Strange as it may seem, I have found everywhere, where the persimmon is plentifully indigenous, that the great majority of the people insist that this fruit is not ripe nor edible until after frosts. While the reverse is true, many of the finest varieties ripen, and are exceedingly luscious, early in August. Our botany tells us that the flowers of the persimmon are "di- tuciously polygamous," while the truth is, as I see it, they are monoecious, The Japanese Persimmon in Arkansas. 213 dicBcious and polygamous, or, in other words, we find individual trees that are strictly staminate, others pistilate, others with perfect flowers, and also others of every grade between. Therefore, I should say that its flowers are not more dioeciously than monceciously polygamous. They are simj^ly and exactly polygamous. This being the fact, as a natural consequence trees of it grown from seed will have many entirely barren individuals amongst them, and many individuals prove barren when isolated from others that would prove productive if not so isolated ; yet, pistillate individuals, seem- ingly strictly so, produce, some of them, very fine, seedless fruit, when so isolated. Two of the finest flavored and largest fruited (as we incorrectly call the edible part, the seeds being the fruit proper) varieties I have ever ob- served were entirely without perfect seeds, and had scarcely observable rudi- ments of seeds. The fruiting of the persimmon as a mass is very irregular, with generally only a small poi^tion of the great mass of trees fruiting each year. But oc- casional seasons nearly every tree gives an abundant crop of fruit. When such a season happens, every living thing in a persimmon country is happy, for nearly every animal and bird is very fond of them, and what few liv- ing creatures there are that do not feed on them, feed, as a rule, on such as do. They are a verj- rich, fattening food for all. Again, there are varieties that seldom, if ever, fail to produce a heavy crop each year; others that bear every other year; others that give an immense crop one year and a light crop the next. So we see the fruiting is like the flowering — very diverse. This tells us that if we wish to grow persimmons with good fruit, and yearly productive, we must bud or graft, or grow our trees from root-cuttings, from such varieties as suit us in these respects. The varieties among our native persimmons are endless, ranging in qual- ity from those inedible at any time of year to those exceedingly large and luscious, rivaling, I think, in size and edible qualities, the finest of the Japan- ese persimmons. The commercial value of the fruit of the native persimmon is, as yet, very little, but I think it has great future prospects. It can not be well sent to distant markets, owing to its want of consistency when ripe, for all varieties of it that have come under my notice are very soft when ripe enough to be edible. But I have thought that it could be cured and dried with sugar, and make in this way a very nutritious food or sweetmeat. When properly handled the fruit makes a very palatable, wholesome, exhilarating beer, or drink. It should also, if fermented and distilled, make a very fine fruit •brandy. As a food it is very valuable for man or beast. All kinds of stock fatten on it quickly. The vast amount of overflowed waste lands of the South, if planted with yearly productive varieties of native persimmons, ripening in succession, would make a range for fattening hogs, surpassing by far the cornfields of Illinois and Iowa. The tree belongs to the Ebony family (Ebenaeea), and will, in time, as fash- ions roll around, become of great commercial value. It is a most beautiful 214 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. wood, hard, fine-grained, fine dark color, receiving a splendid polish, and said to be fine for wood engraving. It would make most beautiful furniture and pannelings. As we have now skilled horticulturists luoking up and propagating the finer varieties of this valuable but long-neglected fruit, we will leave it in their hands for the present. But all lovers of fruit, where it is indigenous, should give it attention and seek out the finest varieties and ]>erpetuate them. It seems to be a fruit without an enemy in the insect world, its astringent, acrid pulp protecting it from all enemies until ripe. THE JAPANESE PERSIMMON— (Z'ic.S;^^*'^^ kuki). The Japan persimmon was introduced into this country some ten or twelve years ago, if I recollect rightly, by Thomas Hogg, of New York, and by him disseminated with great liberality. I tried to grow trees of it of his impor- tation in Northern Illinois, but found that it would not withstand our win- ters, the trees killing down to the surface of the soil each and every winter, but springing up in the spring. It will probably prove a very valuable fruit everywhere south of Memphis, Tenn. In Southern Arkansas the experience so far shows it to be everywhere reliable, the climate and soil both suiting it admirably, so far as known. But right here I must call a halt, for I have not seen enough of this fruit growing in garden and orchard to pass an opinion on it from personal observation. I have seen the trees growing in many places South with fine health and vigor; have seenand eaten of the fruit and know it to be both very handsome and very good. The indications are that its Northern limit will equal or surpass that of the very hardiest figs. That thorough horticulturist, Mr. Berckmans, of Georgia, should be able to tell you all about the Japan persimmon; therefore I pass — I mean that I pass the sub- ject over to him. I am very, very sorry, for the reason that I was informed in the first place that my subject was to be "Ar-kan-saw; its Great Diversity of Fruits." But my good friend, the Major, who runs the Sjyirit of Ar-kan-saw, or lets it run him, I forget which, after seeing me place myself outside of about a peck of fine, ripe persimmons, thought, I suppose, that I had laid the foundation for a good solid paper on the persimmon subject, so he switched me ofT. If he had let me have the other subject I would have spread myself out big. I would have told you how she of the tropics and he of the North each spring made love •'Over the garden wall " in Arkansas, and brought with them all the knick- knacks and finest fruits and flowers of two zones, even figs. Yon should have seen what magnificent yearly crops of figs we have on the Arkansas prairies.. But what has all this got to do with persimmons ? The President — We have now come to the last paper which our too limited time will permit us to hear read at this meeting. And as the apple is our longest keeping fruit, we have kept this subject in reserve to the last of the meeting. Mr. W. M. Samuels, of TJie Nero Apples of Value for Market. 2 1 5 Kentucky, is one of our most careful and experienced poraologists, and his judgment upon the new varieties will be of value to apple planters everywhere. I invite your attention to Mr. Samuels' pa- per upon THE NEW APPLES OF VALUE FOR MARKET. BY WILLIAM >l. SAMUELS, OF KENTUCKY. I am requested, by your honorable Society, to tell what I know about new apples of value for market. In naming them it is impossible to mention varieties adapted to all parts of our vast country. While some varieties succeed in one locality or lati- tude, they become entirely worthless in others. Some require the genial in- fluence of the South to fully develop and ripen their fruits ; while the colder North seems better adapted to others. Many varieties flourish on limestone soils, while others are equally at home on clay or sandy lands. Some varie- ties require to fully mature on the trees, others, as the Baldwin and Green- ings, suffer little from the effects of premature picking. Fruits commonly attain to perfection when permitted to fully mature on the trees. This is notably the case with the orange. Unfortunatel}', however, many of our fruits must be gathered before ripe, in order to reach market in good condition. An apple that is a favorite for a near market may become worthless for a distant one. A variety that would be pronounced first-class in every respect, except in color, by the hor- ticulturist, might be entirely ignored by the average city buyer. There seems to be little or no improvement in the public taste as time advances. It has been but a few year since the Ben Davis, with its brilliant colors and large size, was sold in the South, while Northern dealers ridiculed a taste that sought an apple of such inferior qualities. But it has gradually ad- vanced in notoriety, until it has reached the front as the leading market va- riety; and during the past season, when New York and other Eastern buy- ers bought the fine fruit grown in Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois, the Ben Davis became the favorite export apple. The London papers referred to it as the favorite table fruit. The apple attains to a greater perfection in the United States than in any ■other country. It is grown over a larger extent of territory than any other fruit, and is the only fruit we have in its natural or fresh state the year round. It is in more general use than any other fruit. It is utilized in many wa5's, and is the great health-giving luxury, relished alike by all classes. From a commercial standpoint it rivals many of our important field crops. While we are importing many varieties of fruits in common use, the apple has become an important article of export. We find, however, that other fruits of less importance have attracted the attention of our pomologists, who have made rapid strides in developing and introducing new and valuable varieties. *o 216 Mississippi Valley Horlicultural Society. Tlie s:ime skill and attention devoted to the discovery and production of new iippk'S, would, no doubt, have given us a fruit far superior in size, color,, flavor and keeping qualities to any now in existence. For want of proper attention but few new varieties of importance have been brought to notice during the last decade. Many years ago I sent South for new varieties that were highly recom- mended for testing in our latitude, hoping to get something that would im- prove the keeping qualities of our fruit. I have fruited most of them and (ind many identical with our old sorts. Xickajack proved to be our old Car- olina Red, or Blue Pearmain; Buncome, Lady Finger, Buckingham and Equinctley, so highly eulogized, produced our Fall Queen, that has been ^rown from sprouts, in Kentucky, for more than half a century. I got some- good keepers, however, but deficient in size and color necessary to make a valuable market apple. Some of them may be grown profitably for home market. This question of introducing new* varieties is one (jf viUil importance to- the fruit-grower, and should be handled with great caution. What we want in the South is an apple of good size and handsome a^jpearance, that w-ill hang on the tree till frost, and not speck. In giving the following list it is difficult to determine how far Vjack I should go, in naming new varieties; some of them may have been long fa- miliar in certain localities, while they arc unknown at other places. I shall first name those not generally grown, and a« they are described in our fruit books, I will only give their value as a market fruit; and in naming this cata- logue of apples valued for their market qualities, I shall regard size and ap- pearance as the main requisites, rather than the cultivated taste of the ama- teur or pomologist. I have nothing new to offer in the extra early sorts superior or equal to- Red June, Early Harvest, and Red Astrachan. The Red Astrachan has not been profitable with us. Hames is a few days later, larger and much more sightly. We have the best of authority for this valuable apple in P. J. Berckmans, of Augusta, Georgia. Summer King — Received from A. D. Webb, Bcjwling Green, -Kentucky. This is a beautiful apple, of good size and excellent quality; an old variety, but not known much out of its native locality; tree, a good grower, erect or spreading when of bearing age; an early and good bearer alternate years :^ season, 10th of July. We have a large list of varieties not in general cultivation, that are fine market sorts, and ought to be tested in ditterent latitudes. They would, no doubt, improve our present stock in many localities; but as they are all de- scribed in the books, I will merely name them. Hagloe — A large, yellow sort, an improvement on the Horse, which seems to be on the decline. Carolina Watson — The same season, red. The New Apples of Value for Market. 217 Summer Queen— Magnificent, large, red-striped. Ragan's Yellow— Larger and earlier than Horse. Taunton or Trotter — Large, red. Huntsman's Favorite — A large apple of good quality. Kinnards Choice — Large, dark red, valuable in Middle Tennessee. Western Beautj- — Large, red, very promising. Stark's Seedling— Large, beautifully splashed and striped with red. Ducket — Large, yellow, with crimson cheek. Ben Davis Seedling. Santa — Good size and a long keeper, South. Shannon — A large, beautiful yellow apple, from Arkansas, very highly prized there. This list is mostly cultivated only in its native locality. But something new is what we want ; this is the theme that excites the cu- riosity of every one. Maxey — A seedling from Hart county, Ky. A. D. Webb. Bowling Green, Ky., who is the best of authority, says : " It is doing remarkably well ; a long keej^er; will ship any distance; good size; a thrifty grower ; attsiins to a large size ; color, rather dull. Fiity bushels have been taken from the original tree in one season."' Specimens here for examination. Saunder's Seedling — A chance seedling, near George P. Murrell's, Austin, Ark., from whom I quote: "Size, mediiuii; nearly a solid red; tiesh,- white, tender and crisp. The pecularities of this apple are that it was never known to speck on the tree, and has not failed to bear a crop for twenty-live years; will keep until January in Arkansas." Filiquah — Concerning this valuable variety, I quote from the same au- thority. He says: "I can hardly describe this variety and do it justice. It is necessary to see an orchard in bearing to approximate an idea of their uniformity in size and their perfect symmetry in shape and appearance. Tree, a rapid, erect grower." Salome — Being introduced by E. C. Hathaway, of LaSalle county, III. It is fully described by him, with the highest commendations from nearly all our best pomologists. I received a letter from O. B. Galusha, the highest au- thority, who saj's: " Tliis apple stands alone in its long season of use; is ex- cellent for dessert and cooking, out-keeping any other good apple; is of red cheek (good color), of good medium size, no small or defective ones; holding on tree until ready to be picked ; better than any other sort here. It com- bines more good points as a variety for market than any other." Samples of this apple are here for inspection. Jones' Seedling — This tine, long keeper is introduced by William Henry Smith, of Leeper's Fork, Williamson county, Tennessee. Fruit, rather large, round, oblate, slightly conical; skin, smooth, greenish yellow, shaded with brownish red, almost covered with minute brown dots; stalk, short, slender; cavity, medium, smooth, partially russeted. The size and long keeping qual- ities of this variety will make it a valuable market sort. Specimens here for examination. 218 3fississippi Valley Hoi^ticultural Society. Glendale— This beautiful, large apple is furnished by J. W. Smith, Glen - dale, Hardin county, Kentucky. Mr. Smith informs me that it has never been propagated except from sprouts. He set an orchard of sprouts, taken from fourteen trees, and about two hundred fruited in 1882: all true to the original type. Origin unknown. Many years ago some sprouts were brought from Virginia to Hardin county and planted. Others have been planted in the neighborhood and produced the very same fruit. This is certainly a very great acquisition, and must be a valuable market sort, rivaling the Ben Davis, which it resembles in its large size and beautiful appearance, being a better keeper, and does not speck on the tree. Tree, a comimct, upright, thrifty grower: wood, hard; young shoots, very dark; leaves, very large- dark green ; fruit, large, conical, or roundi.sh conical ; color, yellow, shaded all over with red and sprinkled with light dots; stalk, short, slender : cavity, medium ; calyx, open. Specimens are here for inspection. McCawley's Favori-te— I quote from A. J. Trout, an extensive fruit grower in Trimble county, Kentucky, well posted and good authority. He says of it: "A new Seedling of the Bellfiower, is a fac-simile of it in appearance, but far better flavored. Tree, thrifty, bears young, and more regularly than any apple I know ; hangs on well, and keeps longer than Ben Davis or Rome Beauty; should be named Perfection." This is different from the ap- ple of the same name in the books. We have some seedlings of merit in Western Kentucky. Picket — A seedling of rare value, from Ballard county, Kentucky. Being of good, uniform size and fine appearance ; red striped; excellent in quality : keeps well ; a thrifty, erect grower, and good bearer; having all the requi- sites necessary to make it popular with the amateur or market man during its season, which is until March. Described in Downing's revised work. Watwood — Also a seedling from Ballard county, Kentucky. The great value of this variety is its uniform good crops and long keeping ; size, me- dium ; color, dull red. Orchards are grown here from sprouts taken from the original tree, which is a thrifty grower. I have specimens for inspec- tion. Pobles — Another Ballard county variety; unsightly; color, green; size, me- dium, but the best keeper I have found; combining as many good qualities, perhaps, as Brother Galusha's Salome, except in appearance. Specimens here for inspection. The last three mentioned are not fruiting, except in Western Kentucky. I introduced them after having them examined by some of our best fruit men. The first described being very highly commended by the Hon. Charles Downing; also having taken the first premium at the great St. Louis Fair. Although entirely out of place, I can not refrain from calling attention to the red crab. It is certainly the most valuable of all crabs for cider. Cider for testing, and specimens are here for inspection. As far as my limited knowledge extends, I have in this report endeav- Report of the Committee on Fruits Exhibited. 219 ored to notice only such new varieties as I hope may improve on the old sorts. at least, in some localities, and be a benefit to the fruit grower. I have also called attention to the value and importance of the apple, and its neglect by our scientific pomologists. Wonderful results may be accomplished by hybridization. Since I left home my attention has been called to Rainey's Choice. This beautiful, large apple, exhibited at Nashville in 1882, was awarded the first prize as the finest apple ever exhibited in that city. This must be a grand acquisition. My attention has been attracted, since I came here, by the fine display of apples from the Northwest ; many varieties new, or new to me, of fine size and appearancQ, and, I am informed, of great merit. I would suggest to every grower of apples to examine them, and test them on the different soils and in the different latitudes. If I have given any information that will advance the interest of fruit growing, I shall have accomplished what I desire. „ At the conclusion of Mr. Samuels' i)aper, Mr. T. T. Lyon, of Michigan, chairman of the Commmittee on Fruits on Exhibition, reported the following: REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OX FKVITS EXHIBITED. ^Ir. President, your Committee on Fruits respectfully report, that they find on exhibition, by George P. Pefl"er, of Wisconsin, sixty varieties of apples, four of crabs, and three of pears. Several of the apples are seedlings, of which nearly all are so far past season that a safe judgment as to their value can hardly be arrived at. Among the named varieties we observe many of comparatively recent origin in the Northwest, which are assuming importance tor their ability to bear the cli- mate of the prairie States. The specimens, though past their season in very many cases, and more or less injured in transportation, have evidently, as the rule, been well grown. We also find an exceedingly fine and well preserved collection of 145 plates, by the Missouri Valley Horticultural Society, many of them, however, being duplicates. The varieties exhibited are : Romanite, Fulton, Koss Greening, McAfee's Non- such, Winter May, Stannard, Fink, Ragan's Red, .Janet, Seeknofurther, Clayton, Ewalt, Shawnee, Rome Beauty, Ben Davis, Newtown Pippin, Wine Sap, Cannon Pearmain, Lady, Nickajack, Jonathan, Roman Stem, Missouri Pippin, W. W. Pear- main, Grimes' Golden, York Imperial, Peck's Pleasant, Strawberry, Golden Russet, Huntsman's Favorite, Danvers Winter Sweet, Lawver, Lady's Sweet, Swaar, White Bellflower, Dutch Mignone, White Bell, Autumn Swaar, Yellow Bellflower, Sops of Wine, Fameuse, Roxbury Russet, Pennock, Porter, Kansas Blush, R. I. Greening, Maiden's Blush, King of Tompkins County, Gano's Seedling, Norton's Meloni Fallawater, English Russet, Lowell, Hewes' Crab, Hyslop Crab, Soulard Crab, Superior Cider, Esopus Spitzenberg, Smith's Cider, Gloria Mundi, Willow Twig, North Carolina Red, Bucks County Pippin, Penn. Red Streak, Striped Gilliflower, Chronical, Gano's Red, Newtown Spitzenberg. Missouri Pippin, English Golden 220 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. Rnsset, Baldwin, Northern Spy, Limber Twig,Rambo, Milam, Peck's Pleasant, Wag- staif's Seedling, Lansingburg, Jersey Black, American Golden Eusset. It also in- cludes one plate of pears and six plates of crabs, and a dish of native nuts, which, from their peculiar appearance give indications of a possible hybridization between the Pecan and the Sliell-bark Hickory, which, if the fact, is to us a matter of much surprise. We also find upon the tables the Salome, a recent seedling of Illinois, shown, as we understand, by President O. B. Galusha, of the Illinois Horticultural Society- It is a fine looking, medium-sized fruit, in perfect condition and of fair, sprightly flavor; finegrained and tender and crisp in texture, juicy and agreeable. It is represented to remain in good eating condition from autumn to late spring with only ordinary care. If valuable it will probably be on account oi' qualities of tree or fruit that are peculiarly fitted for the climate of that region. We also find one plate of seedling apples from Dr. J. A. Briggs, of Hart county, Kentucky, named Maxey, which does not give evidence of special value, so far as the fruit is concerned. Also, four plates of a seedling from J. W. Smith, of Hardin county, Kentucky ; fine looking specimens, but of little value, so far as appears from the fruit shown. Season, January to April; regular bearer every year; always free from specks; origin, sprouts brought many years since. A plate of apples named "Jones' Seedling," from William H. Smith, of Wil- liamson county, Tennessee, which, although much discolored by fungus, is of fine size, very good flavor, and shows, in the specimens, evidences of its long keeping qualities. A plate of Pebles' Seedling, from W. M. Samuels, of Kentucky, although very distinct from the foregoing and not its equal in quality, has apparently desirable characteristics as a market variety, though lacking color. Specimens from W. M. Samuels, of Kentucky, under the name of Watwood Seedling, are of medium size and beautiful color; in form very similar to the Rambo ; of good or very good quality ; apparently nearly past its season. We find three plates of the Prentiss grape exhibited by the propagator and dis- seminator of this variety, T. S. Hubbard, of New York, which, though so long past their natural season, yet remain but slightly aftected in flavor, holding perfectly to the peduncle and generally in unexpectedly good condition. Several specimens of the Japanese persimmon are shown by P. J. Berckmans, of Georgia, which, although long past their season, are in unexpectedly good condi- tion, and to tlie surprise of your committee yet in eatable condition and of very agreeable flavor. A seedling cider apple shown by A. D. Webb, of Kentucky, is in size below me- dium ; overspread with dark red ; white, firm flesh ; juice moderate in quantity, very rich, sprightly and high flavored. Said to be a very superior cider apple; origin unknown. We find a large and fine collection of canned and pickled figs and other articles, from Mrs. Margaret Wetmore, of Ponchatoula, La., all of which are beautifully l)ut up and apparently in excellent condition. We find a small lot of dried or desiccated apples upon the tables, said to come from Battle Creek, Michigan, but without a label, and the exhibitor is to us un- known. The fruit is well prepared and in excellent condition. Report of the Committee on Testimonial to Prof. Tracy. 221 We also find upon the tables, credited to Captain A. Sambola, of Louisiana, branches of Spirea prunifolia, under the name of Bridal Wreath ; the Tabasco orange, the paper mulberry, the variety of 3Iespilus, commonly known as Japanese plum; sour orange; fig trees, either in bloom or developing their foliage; also, wood of the orange, intended to show its great weight and its useful (lualities for mechanical purposes. AVe also find three or four dishes of oranges — the last of the past season's crop — and a large lot of sour oranges, both picked and upon the branch ; together with a large bouquet of roses and flowers, with ferns and other foliage ; and ears of corn and seeds of okra, all of which we understand to be the contribution of Mrs. A. G. Brice, corner of Burdette and Second streets, Carrollton, Seventh District, New Orleans. Perhaps your committee should also state that, although not fruits, they find upon the tables two yearling trees of the new " Teas' Hybrid Catalpa," about eight or nine feet in height, of one year's growth from the seed. It is claimed to be as hardy as speciosa, and is apparently fully as vigorous. All of which is respectfully submitted, T. T. Lyon, Chairman. .J. J. COLMANT. Mr. George Davies. of Ohio, chairman of the committee appointed to suggest a suitable testimonial to the retiring Secretary, Prof S. M. Tracy, of ^[issouri, reported the following, which was unani- mously concurred in by the Society : REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON TESTIMONIAL TO PROF. TRACY. Mr. President, as chairman of the committee appointed to attend to the case of our retiring Secretary, I am pained to inform you that, after due deliberation, we find him guilty of faithfully serving this Society as Secretary since its organization four years ago, until now, for which this committee request that you pass sentence upon him and present him with this fine gold watch, upon which is elegantly en- graved his monogram, and, on the inner case, the words, " Mississippi \'alley Hor- ticultural Society to S. M. Tracy, New Orleans, February 24, 1883." The President, requested Prof. Tracy to step forward, and, in a very solemn manner, addressed him thus: "It is my sad duty to announce that you have been found guilty of faithfully serving the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society, for four years, without asking pay, a thing that no secretary of a well-regulated horticul- tural society was ever known to do, and as you have done so uncon- stitutional an act, T hereby sentence you to wear this badge of serv- itude to the Society to the end of your life — and I hope that you will always be on time." 222 Mississippi Valley Hortieultui-al Society. Prof. Tracy was overcome by the evidence of esteem shown him by the Society, and accepted the valued testimonial, responding in feeling terms. Miss Mathilde Rodriguez, of New Orleans, and Miss Stella Daigre, of Metairie Ridge, Jetierson parish, in behalf of the ladies of Louisiana, supplemented this valued gift by presenting to Prof. Tracy and to President Earle two beautiful bouquets. Prof. Tracy, as Chairman of the Committee on Resolutions, offered the following, which was unanimously adopted by a rising vote: Mr. Prksiden't — In the gathering of the members of this Society from the snows at the North, the prairies of the West, and the plains and mountains of the " Great American Desert" of our schoolboy days, and in assembling them in this Crescent Citv, with its balmy breezes, budding flowers and ripening fruits, commingled in delightful confusion, we might be excusable if there arose in our minds some anxiety as to the sufliciency of the arrangements that should be found needful for the convenience of our deliberations; and even as to the success of our efforts to interest its people in the object of our gathering; to say nothing of our desire to visit and acquaint ourselves with the, to us, curiosities of this almost tropical region. We are confident that we speak the unanimous sentiment of this Society when we say that our fears in this respect have proved groundless, and our anticipations- have been more than realized. In view of these facts. Mr. President, we submit the following : Resolved, That our most hearty thanks are due and are herebj' tendered to the N. O. Liedertaffel, to the Continental (Tuards, to theN. O. Cold Storage Co., to the Presi- dent of Leland University, and to Mrs. Dr. Richardson, for their kind invitations ; and also to Major A. W. Rountree for his cordial welcome to his most attractive orange plantation; to the various railroads for courtesies extended, especially to the Louisville and Nashville, and the Mobile and Ohio roads ; to The Times- Democrat and Picayune for unusually full and accurate reports of our discussions; to the re- porters who have labored so untiringly to catch our every whisper ; to the pro- prietor of the St. James Hotel, who has spared no pains to make our stay agreea- l)le; and lastly, and more heartily than words can express, do we thank the Gulf States Fruit Growers' Association, which, with such unbounded hospitality and princely liberality, has paved the way for the most successful and enjoyable meet- ing which we have ever held. Especially do we thank the ladies of New Orleans for kind attentions shown our visiting ladies, and we feel that our deepest gratitude is due to Messrs. Hudson, Mellon, Wiggins, Marx and Sambola for untiring indi- vidual labors in our behalf. Upon motion it was resolved to leave the selection of the time and place of the nexf meeting of the Society to the Executive Com- mittee. Adjom-nment. 223 Mr. Goodman, Secretary of the Missouri State Horticultural So- ciety, extended an invitation to hold the next meeting in Kansas City, Mo., and Mr. Evans, of Missouri, thought it a very good place of meeting, as the contemplated excursion to California would be rendered feasible thence. President Earle returned his sincere thanks to the Society for the patience and good temper shown in the course of the session, and expressed his pleasure in having visited the Crescent City. • After receiving, amid great applause, a most cordial invitation from Judge E. M. Hudson, Vice President of the Gulf States Fruit Grower's Association, to revisit New Orleans, the Society adjourned. '224 Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society. MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. The Executive Committee met in the St. James Hotel, New Or- leans, February 25, 1883; present Messrs. Earle, President; Evans, Treasurer; Ragan, Sscretary, and Galusha, Hollister, Colmant, Nowlin, Smith, Holsinger, Furnas and Tracy. On motion of Major Evans, of Missouri, the Mississippi Valley Horticultural Society will hold an exhibition of fruits in the city of Louisville, Kentucky, in connection with the Southern Exposition, in September next, provided that the sum of five thousand dollars ($5,000) is guaranteed for the purpose of paying premiums and de- fraying the other expenses of the same; also, that accommodations shall be furnished, such as space, tabling, etc. On motion of Prof Tracy, the President and Secretary were di- rected to confer with. the Southern Exposition Company and make such arrangements with said company as may be, in their judgment, fair and honorable, provided that they shall have first secured the guarantee of the sura of $5,000. Prof. Tracy moved that the Exhibition be held the first week in September, 1883, and that the President and Secretary are directed to prepare the premium list and rules and regulations, which was adoDted. President Earle called attention to the fact that the receipts from membership fees would not be sufficient to publish the Transactions of the Society and pay other necessary expenses. Secretary Ragan moved that a Business Directory be published in the Transactions of the Society, for which the sum of three dol- lars ($3) will be charged, in addition to the fee of membership, which motion was adopted. The Treasurer (Maj. Evans), the President, and several mem- bers, entered into a written agreement to furnish the necessary funds for the publication of the Transactions of the Society beyond what may be received from the fees of membership. Meeting of the Executive Committee. 225 On motion, the price of additional reports to members was fixed at II. On motion of Mr. Smith all competitors for premiums at the fruit show in Louisville shall be members of the Society, Hon. A. W. Campbell of West Virginia, was made Vice Presi- dent for that State. On motion of Prof Tracy, the President, Vice Presidents, Sec- retary and Treasurer were authorized to fix the time and place of the next meeting of the Society, after which the committee ad- journed sijie die. 15 226 Mississippi Valley Hprticultural Society. ADDITIONAL PAPERS. The following papers were prepared for the meeting, but in the absence of the writers and for want of time, were only read by title and filed for publication. They will doubtless be read with inter- est by all who are so fortunate as to secure copies of this volume. Secretary. MANAGEMENT OF PEACH ORCHAEDS. BY GEORGE W. ENDICOTT, OF ILLINOIS. I submit the following as some of the most practical points to be consid- ered in the successful management of peach orchards in this part of the great Mississippi Valley. And I want to say right here that no part of this paper has heen written from theory, unless the theory had been tested and found practical; neither was it written to cover every locality in this valley. In writing of oi'chards, the soil should be considered first, and the soil for ditierent varieties of peaches should vary as much as the peaches. The red and white-colored fruit does better on soil not over-rich in humus or mould : whil ; the yellow-fleshed fruit will do well in a very strong soil, if it has a good subsoil and perfect drainage. But all kinds of peaches require a good clay subsoil to be long-lived, and exempt from the attacks of the yellows. Any deticiency of the surface soil can be heljjed by the liberal use of ashes and barnyard manure, with an occasional dressing of phosphate of lime. The preparation of the soil should be deep and thorough before the trees are planted. The location of a peach orchard is a very important point to be considered. Perhaps the surest location is south and east of large bodies of water, and the next choice would be the summit of the highest hills, with a free expos- ure to the north and west. AGE AND SIZE OF TREES TO PLANT. For a long-lived and thoroughly profitable orchard the young seedlings should be planted where they are to remain when they are three or four inches high, and pushed by good cultivation till time to bud them. After 3Ianagement of Peach Orchards. 227 they are budded they should not be cultivated deeply, as the overgrowth would tend to drown the buds But, as most orchardists claim that the above method scatters the work over so much ground, they prefer to plant trees one year from the bud, and, if the trees are well grown, and well dv;g, and well planted, success will be reasonably sure, provided the trees are mulched if a drought sets in imme- diately after they are planted. DISTANCE TO PLANT, In planting peach trees the distance apart to plant has been a stumbling block to many, and the theories set forth by some writers are so con- tradictory and unreasonable that experience alone can determine what is best. A little thought will convince any planter that different varieties will do better at different distances. For instance, the Amsden and Alexander are enormous fruiters when young, and are short lived, and should therefore be set closer than Mountain Rose or May Beauty, which are a little tardy when young and are long lived, strong growers, and good bearers'for many years when they do begin to fruit. A good rule would be to plant the early bearing sorts sixteen by twenty feet, and the large growing, long-lived varieties twenty by twenty-four feet. This distance lets the sun in on the ground to dry it out during the rainy spells we have during the summer, and prevents rot to a great extent. In fact, an orchard of peaches planted twelve by twelve feet on our strong soil here would be nothing but a hot-bed for rot and curculios. I have an exam- ple of that near me. Not one basket of good, sound peaches has been gath- ered from it in five years. WHAT VARIETIES TO PLANT. What varieties to plant is a question for each orchardist to decide for his own locality, and a list that would be satisfactory at this point would not serve at some other place. But with our railroad transportation the safest list would reach through the season from June to October. The following list of well tried varieties will give a succession, and, by ad- ding local varieties of known excellence, will be good through the whole valley: Alexander or Amsden. Early Rivers, Hoynes' Surprise, Yellow St. John, Mountain Rose, Large Early York, Old Mixefore many years, by the production of new, superior va- rieties, and by improving and progressing in the art of wine making, fully equal the average productions of the wine countries of Europe, and make grape growing one of the leading branches of horticulture. This may not seem desirable to some. I am aware that many would rather, like that Chiriese emperor, uproot every vine, from a desire to pre" vent intoxication. But wine is itself an apostle of temperance. The best 23tj 3Iississippi Valley Horticultural Society. medical authorities, such as Dr. Lunier, medical inspector of the insane asy- hims and prisons of France, and at the same time Secretary of the Temper- ance Society there, has shown, by able researches, that the ratio of percentages of disease and crime attributable to alcoholic excesses decreases in propor- tion as in each district the consumption of wine and beer increases; that natural wine and beer cures the thirst for distilled spirits instead of exciting it. The French Temperance Society aims to repress entirely the circulation and sale of bad spirits — discovering modes of detecting them, punishing adulterators of wines, beers, etc., and encouraging the use of pure, cheap wine, beer, tea and coffee, as the best means of curing the public thirst for distilled alcohol. American travelers returning from Europe, who were strong opponents of wine before they visited these countries, now testify that where wine is most abundant, cheap, and generally used by the people, drunkenness does not exist. But I am requested not to discuss the temperance question, and I have no desire to do it. I simply stated a few facts. I do not deny that wine is in- toxicating if used to excess, but not more harmful, aye, even less so, than drinking ice water to excess. I am sure that to every one who has been killed by wine, a thousand have been killed by ice water; and I may certain- ly be permitted to quote the New Testament, which teaches (1 Tim., v. 23), 'Drink no longer water, but u.