The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-10-21
Editorial NOtings.

TO agriculture to DR. T. II. HosKINs, Newport, Vt.
Editorial NOtings.
THE Ne,o England Homestead, always
notable for energy and enterprise, is
deserving more than usual commenda-
ton for inaugurating an agricultural
lecture bureau, which already has
large list Of lecturers engaged-about
twenty of whom are from Vermont.
We hope it will be widely patronized
by the oranges, and other farmers
organizations. The Homestead, under
its new regime, is greatly improved.
Editor Myrick is man of energy, as
we'll as of ideas. He makes things
move, and has done wonders in stimu
lating our New England farmers to be-
lieve in themselves, and in their bust
ness.
A GOOD thing has been done by the
consolidation of Popular Gardening
with the American Garden and the re-
duction of the price of the combined
monthlies to one dollar year-thus
giving their subscribers twice as much
value for half as much money. The
separate publications were easily the
best in the world of their class; con-
jointly they leave all their COMPETE
tors out of sight. Elias A. Long of
Popular Gardening is to be the editor
of the united magazines, Professor
Bailey finding his editorial duties in-
terfering too much with his work as
horticultural professor at Cornell Uni
versity, where he is doing most intelli-
gent and successful work. The Rural
Publishing Company, Times Building,
N. Y. publishers of the Rural NeD
Yorker, will no doubt gladly send
specimen copy to any one of our readers
who will remit dime therefor. 1t is
large and elegantly illustrated maya
zine, which was very cheap at the old
price of $500; but the Rural Company
are bound to popularize their publica-
tions and lead the world in cheapness
as they do in excellence.
AN horticultural exchange asks why
people continue to call the Golden
burgh "apple Duchess of Oldenburgh."
Force of habit, probably. The Ameri-
can Pathological Society several years
ago undertook to change or modify
the old and popular names of large
number of fruits; but, as we said when
this work was proposed, the society
need not expect it to be an easy task.
In roofing out such names as the "Hog-
nose Pippin," and few other coarse
and uncouth names, the society did
well; but we think it doubtful whether
it did as well, or will be as successful,
in other changes-especially those indi-
eating season, use, and locality of ORR
gin.
AS to Oldenburgh, however, the old
name was longer than necessary; but
that was not the greatest objection-it
is not the true name of the apple. 1t
is Russian apple; but Professor Budd
found nobody in Russia who knew it by
that name, and it is probable that it
was renamed in England, when intro
duced there early in the present CEN
fury. It's Russian name, according to
Professor Budd, is BorouitSky; and an
effort should be made, we think, to re-
store this name, which is not, like some
Russian names, difficult to speak cor
rectly.
REGARDING Russian apples gener-
ally, there is as little occasion to pro-
claim or defend their merits as there is
use in nurserymen, with hundreds of
acres of other kinds on their hands, to
decry either the Russian OF the native
iron-clad fruits. A few years ago these
nurserymen could food the cold North
with their semi.hardy old kinds, which
survived but a few years at poor dying
rate, and gave these men perpetual
market, and their deluded customers
perpetual disappointment. Everybody
should know that there are now more
than a hundred varieties of excellent
tree fruits just as hardy in northern
New England and Canada as the older
sorts are to the southwark. If any
reader has doubts on that subject, let
him do as many others have done
take an excursion train to Lake Mem
phremagog, any time next summer,
and half-a-mile north of the Newport
station he will find our orchards of
apples, pears, plum and cherry trees in
bearing, and as thrifty in every respect
as any in the country. Yet where these
are growing it is impossible for Bald
win, Greening or any popular apple of
tlnr No II 4