Two discussions in this bulletin are of great importance to horticulturists. " Experiments with Arsenites" is contributed by C. P. Gillette, station entomologist. Mr.

Fruits for the Northwest.

Gillette has made an unusually interesting and valuable series of tests, the most important, no doubt, yet undertaken upon this subject by the stations. We give his conclusions, together with comments of our own.

"The oldest leaves are most susceptible to injury from arsenical applications. They often turn yellow and drop without showing the burnt, spotted appearance".

" Dews, and probably direct sunlight, increase the injuries done by the arsenites to foliage".

"Leaves kept perfectly dry can hardly be injured by the arsenites, even when they are applied very abundantly." This, we take it, refers to the application of the poisons in a dry condition.

"Applications made in the heat of the day and in the bright sunlight do not injure foliage more than when applied in the cool of the day." So far as the influence of sunlight goes, this conclusion appears to be a direct contradiction to the second statement, above. It agrees, however, with tests made at another institution.

"The only effect of a heavy rain or dashing shower following the application of one of the arsenites, is to lessen the injury to foliage".

"Leaves suffering from a fungous disease are more susceptible to injury than are healthy leaves." We do not understand that this statement means that poisons injure diseased leaves more than healthy ones, although it plainly says so, but that the injury is obscured by the presence of the fungus. In the text of the report it is stated that "applications to leaves attacked by a fungus will often appear to do serious harm".

"When freshly mixed and applied, London purple is most and white arsenic is least injurious to foliage".

"White arsenic in solution should not be used upon foliage without first adding lime, Bordeaux mixture or some other substance to prevent its injurious effects upon foliage".

"White arsenic, if allowed to stand many days in water before being applied, will do far greater harm to foliage than if applied as soon as mixed".

"Lime added to London purple or Paris green in water greatly lessens the injury that these poisons would otherwise do to foliage." This is a most important discovery. "In these experiments the lime was prepared by putting about a bushel of the lumps in a barrel and covering well with water until all bad slaked. Each time before removing the lime water for use, it was stirred until very milky, and then the quantity wanted was dipped out, and more water added to be ready for use at another time. It was my intention each time to have as much lime in the water as could be used without clogging the sprayer." London Purple thus prepared injured peach foliage to an extent of only 1 per cent. when applied at the rate of 1 pound to 200 gallons, while a simple mixture of this strength is fatal to it. It is a singular circumstance that lime should have just the opposite effect upon arsenic which is not in complete solution.

Arsenites and Foliage.

"Lime added to a mixture of white arsenic in water will greatly increase the injury that this poison would otherwise do to foliage. If the arsenic is all in solution, the lime will then lessen the injury, as in the case of London purple or Paris green.'*

"London purple (Paris green and white arsenic have not yet been tried) can be used at least eight or ten times as strong, without injury to foliage, if applied in common Bordeaux mixture instead of water." This is a still more important discovery than the saving influences of lime, not only because the injury to foliage is less, but because of the value of Bordeaux mixture as a fungicide. "Perhaps it can scarcely be believed, but it is none the less true, that I have been unable to produce the least harm upon plum or peach foliage with London purple in standard Bordeaux mixture, in the proportion of 1 pound to 50 gallons." If these results are confirmed by future experiments, this will prove to be the most important modification of arsenite applications yet devised.

"The arsenites cannot, by any ordinary method, be successfully mixed in a kerosene emulsion".

"The arsenites mix readily in rosin compounds, and do not seem to be more injurious to foliage than as ordinarily applied in water".

" The arsenites in strong soapy mixtures do considerable more harm to foliage than when applied in water only".

"The arsenites mix readily in carbonate of copper solution, and do not seem to do more harm than when applied in water only".

"London purple in sulphate of copper solution does vastly more harm than when applied in water only".

It will now be necessary to determine if the combining of these various insecticides and fungicides lessens the effectiveness of them. Chemical reactions must take place to a greater or less extent, and it will not be surprising if the merits of some of the compounds are injured. Mr. Gillette has not tested this point with fungous diseases, but he has done so to a limited extent with insects. Larvae working upon the black-walnut were confined and fed with London purple, Paris green and white arsenic in the proportion of 1 lb. to 200 gallons of water, combined both with lime and Bordeaux mixture and they died in a short time. Walnut foliage was also sprayed with London purple and white arsenic in com. bination with lime with good results.

"Stocks for the Cherry, Plum, Prune and Apricot" is the subject of a suggestive paper by Professor Budd. He discourages the use of the mahaleb stock for the cherry, because of its dwarf character, the inability of most hardy cherries to make a good union with it, and its lack of adaptability to heavy soils. The mazzard is a far better stock, but as it is too tender for the northern prairie states, long scions should be used, and the root set very deep in order that roots may start from the graft. Professor Budd has no difficulty in grafting cherries in winter, by keeping the scions dry enough so that they will not start before being used, and by keeping the grafts cool and perfectly dormant after they are made. Morello stocks are hardy and probably the best for the hardy cherries of the west. There is little difficulty from the sprouting of morello roots in the orchard.

Stocks for the Cherry.

The native wild red or bird cherry (Prunus Pennsylvania) is a good stock for "all varieties tried of the morellos, dukes and heart cherries, by either grafting or budding." It does not sprout badly in cultivation, and Professor Budd is convinced that it will be much used when its merits become known. The native sand cherry (Prunus pumila) is also a good stock, notwithstanding the fact that in the wild state it is a low and straggling grower. "As yet its use for stocks is somewhat experimental, but we can say positively that it unites well with our hardy sorts in budding, and it does not dwarf the sorts worked upon it to a greater extent during the first five years of growth than does the mahaleb. The pits are obtainable by the car load in northwest Nebraska and west Dakota, and it should be given an extended and fair trial".

For plums, the myrobolan stock is commonly used. It is not hardy enough for budding in the west, and the "hardy native and foreign varieties do not unite well with its wood in crown grafting." The Damas and St. Julian stocks are also unsatisfactory for the west. Professor Budd recommends native stock, 1. e., those of the wild plum, for all sorts of plums. The hardy prunes, as Black and Ungarish, "also do best on our native plum stocks".

Russian and Chinese apricots have been Stocks for worked upon myrobolan and St. Julian the Apricot stocks, but the native plum appears to be best. Professor Budd believes that fruits are better upon their own roots, and he gives directions for growing the stone fruits from root-cuttings. L. H. B.