The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1898-01-22
THE HORTICULTURISTS.
Closing Sessions of the Peninsula So-
ciety-Interesting Addresses.

lnsula horticultural Society closed at Snow
Hill, on Friday night, after an instructive
and interesting programme. These officers
were elected for the ensuing wear: Presi-
dent, John j. Rosa, Of Milford. Del; Vice
President, Capt r. S. Emory, of Chester.
town. Wesley Webb, Of Dover, was unan-
imously reelected secretary and treasurer.
The next meeting of the society will be at
Smyrns, Del.
DIR. Erwin F. Smith, Of the United
States Department of Agriculture, devoted
his remarks to three bacterial diseases of
plants The first he mentioned was wilt
OF cucumbers, muskmelons, pumpkins and
squashes, which is widespread and destruc-
tive, and is due to white bacillus, spread
chiefly by agency of insects, and it can be
controlled by destroying these insects.
He also spoke OF the Drown rot Of
egg plants, potatoes and tomatoes. 1t is
known by the sudden wilt of plants, &C
companed by brown stain inside the stems.
On potatoes diseases pass down through
the interior of stems into tubers This is
found especially in the South, and is iden-.
teal with the common potato rot. 1t is
due to bacillus which produces brown
stain. 1t is spread by the Colorado potato
beetle and probably by other insects. 1t
can be controlled by destroying the leaf
eating insects. The brown or black rot of
cabbages, turnips, cauliflowers, &C., is
known by a decided following Of the
leaves, which are black veiped, in cab
bage it usually starts in at edges Of the
leaf, from which it spreads downward into
the stem. Symptoms in the stem consist
of backing of the woody ring 1t is
caused by a yellow germ. The disease is
often spead by seedlings taken from beds
put on infected soil.
Capt r. S. Emory brought quite storm
of protest down on his shoulders by saying
that he never planted the potatoes he
raised, but always got his seed potatoes
from New York, and would rather pay 81
bushel for them than to have any other
sort as gift. Delegates from Delaware
experience had by no means been that way,
but their own growth or local seedlings
had always given excellent results for
them.
The Virginia delegate Mr. Elsey, stated
that he knew of one dealer in Accomac
county who had bought 5000 bushels to
be shipped as seed potatoes to Northern
markets.
Captain Emory said that his remarks
had only applied to early potatoes, as they
were the only ones he raised.
John w. Killen, of Delaware, said that
he wanted to speak of the experience he
had had in planting potatoes. He had al
ways been advised after cutting the pota-
toes to spread them out for day or two to
dry, but he had found by practical expert
ments that by all means this should not be
done, but that the seed should be put in as
soon after being cut as possible. Others
who advocate the method of keeping for a
day or two say that Mr.. Killens trouble
was in letting them dry ont.
Prof. w. G. Johnson, State Entomologist,
made special trip from there that day to
an orchard in Somerset county which is
badly infested with the San Jose scale.
He thinks, however, that it has been taken
in time to prevent its spread. He brought
back with him one of the diseased trees
and had it on exhibition Friday night.
Prof. F. Harold Powell, of the Delaware
Experiment Station, spoke of the general
feeling among fruit-growers that apple
culture is not adapted to the peninsula.
The climate and soil, he stated, are not
unlike that in other sections where apple
culture is proiitably developed. The fun
damental trouble lies in the former attempt
to grow Northern variety is largely an ex-
preston of the physical condition in which
it exists, hence varieties should not be
brought into climate entirely different
from that in which they are naturally
adapted. The mistake was made, how
ever, because when the cary peninsula
orchards were set there were no other
prominent varieties in existence The
production of local varieties is one of the
horticultural demands of the times. They
can be produced on the peninsula by seed
ling of the finest commercial kinds, already
here in cultivation, though seedlings pro-
duction is only a lottery. Or by intro
ducing the varieties from sections having
similar climatic conditions in this way the
Winesap, Stayman's, Paragon and York
Imperial have been introduced or by inn
proving these kinds by one selection. The
apple can be grown as cheaply here as in
any section in America, and its future is a
bright one if correctly developed.
Mr.. James S. Harris, of Still Pond, also
gave an interesting talk on the subject.
The night session was devoted to paper
on the injurious insects of the year by
State Entomologist w. G. johnson, and to
the discussion of the San Jose scale by
Capt r. S. Emory Secretary, Wesley Webb
and Professor Powell.