r-^T*5J^s%^'^V!f"'^ ?JEi'«ifi^< -^s> ^v c^ ^;^^^'^0\,^'^ -.> .# v^. .\0 ;V' ^-f^,. ^ f ? O ;% ^ _ "\" .v^ s^^^. .^! s^ .*^' ■^>> ♦ .^ A « r r -^^ .-N^' ,vV^ ' » ft "> .0 X^^x ^^^ v^ % ^o'^ ^N FRONTISPIECE. PLAN OF A FRUIT GARDEN. 120 BARRY'S FRUIT GARDEN. BY P. BAERY. NEW EDITION. REVISED AND BROUGHT DOWN TO DATE, BY THE AUTHOR. IliLUSTBATED. NEW YORK: ORAKGE JUDD COMPANY, 751 BROADWAY. 1883. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1883, by tl ORANGE JUDD COMPANT, la tlie OflSce of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. PEEFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION. In undertaking a reyision of this work I found that little was to be done except in the lists of fruits. In Apples, Pears, Cherries, Plums, Apricots, Nectarines and Quinces only a few changes were to be made. Very little has been done in the past ten years in the way of intro- ducing new varieties of these fruits, especially of such as can be recommended for, or are likely to prove worthy of, extensive or general cultivation. In Peaches and Grapes and what are termed the "small fruits " : Blackberries, Raspberries and Strawberries, a very large number of new varieties have been introduced. These are so many as to make it somewhat difficult and embarrassing to select from the mass those which are likely to prove of permanent value. This I have endeav- ored to do. Those which I have considered worthy, have been added to the select lists, while those which are merely promising, or of doubtful value, are arranged in separate lists. Cultivators who possess the requisite fa- cilities will do well to try them all. This experimental work is not only interesting and instructive to those en- gaged in it, but results are obtained which must be of general value. Within a few years there has been a per- fect flood of new peaches, grapes, and small fruits, only a small number of which will stand the test of time. The majority of them in a few years will be forgotten. To determine which are to be retained, and which reject- ed, is a tedious and expensive work, but it must be done. (V) \1 PREFACE TO THE KE^ISLD EDITIOX. It is a pity that some restrictions cannot be put on tlie introduction of new sorts, by requiring a certificate of some competent authoritative body. It must ultimately come to this, if we are to prevent a waste of time and money on perfectly worthless novelties. The subject of manures and fertilizers more and more attracts the attention of cultivators. At agricultural and horticultural meetings, as well as in the press, it is a standing theme for discussion. This has led to a better appreciation of their value, but there has really been no new light shed on the subject. Stable manure continues to be the staple and, where it can be had, answers every purpose. Lime, ashes, and ground bones are very good, and can be safely and freely used to supplement the pro- duct of the stable and barnyard. Manufactured fertilizers are now used in large quan- tities; no doubt all of these have some degree of merit, but very many of them, judging from the reports of trustworthy chemists and experimenters, are by no means worth what they cost. As they are coming into such general use we shall soon know more about them. The cultivation of orchards and fruit plantations has recently been the subject of much inquiry and discussion. The result has no doubt been in the main beneficial, al- though the question practically remains just where it was. It seems to have been settled beyond dispute, by long experience and observation, that the ground, in all young plantations, should be kept in a state of cultivation, and if cropped at all, only with what are called hoed or cul- tivated crops. Even these must be kept at sufficient distances from the trees to not affect them injuriously, either at root or top. When trees have reached the bear- ing age, the ground may safely be seeded down to grass and kept so a few years. In this case the grass should either be fed off, or kept close cut like a lawn, and ma- nure be frequently applied on the surface; a light dress- PKEFACE TO THE EEVISED EDITIOIS^. Yll ing, annually, will yield best results. My own experience, with pears especially, is, that the largest crops and finest fruit are obtained by keeping the ground among the trees clean and well pulverized, but not so deeply worked as to disturb the roots. Under this method less manure is re- quired than when the ground is kept in grass. The depredations of insects continue to increase and neither fine fruits, nor garden products of any kind, can be secured without prompt and energetic efforts to repel their attacks. In regard to those insects which are well known as enemies to the fruit grower, and referred to in the proper place, nothing new in regard to remedies has been discovered, unless it be the application of Paris green to prevent the attacks of the codling moth on the apple. This will be described in the chapter on Insects and Diseases; while it cannot, at this writing, be regarded as a complete success, enough has been done to justify us in saying that it is promising. If successful, it will be a great boon to the orchardists of this country, whose an- nual losses by the ravages of this pest amount to millions of dollars. I have here referred to these subjects at more length than may seem proper, because it will naturally be ex- pected that in a period of ten years of great activity and intelligent investigation, some new light ought to be thrown upon them. I trust that the next ten years will be more fruitful in this respect. P. B. May, 1883. INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION. The subject of this treatise is one in which almost all classes of the community are more or less practically en- gaged and interested. Agriculture is pursued by one class, and commerce by another; the mechanic arts, fine arts, and learned professions by others ; but fruit culture, to a greater or less extent, by all. It is the desire of every man, whatever may be his pur- suit or condition in life, whether he live in town or country, to enjoy fine fruits, to provide them for his fam- ily, and, if possible, to cultivate the trees in his own garden with his own hands. The agriculturist, whatever be the extent or condition of his grounds, considers an orchard^ at least, indispensable. The merchant or pro- fessional man who has, by half a lifetime of drudgery in town, secured a fortune or a competency that enables him to retire to a country or suburban villa, looks forward to his fruit garden as one of the chief sources of those rural comforts and pleasures he so long and so earnestly labored and hoped for. The artizan who has laid up enough from his earnings to purchase a homestead, considers the plant- ing of his fruit-trees as one of the first and most important steps towards improvement. He anticipates the pleasure of tending them in his spare hours, of watching their growth and progress to maturity, and of gathering their ripe and delicious fruits, and placing them before his family and friends as the valued products of his own gar- den, and of his own skill and labor. Fortunately, in the IX X INTIIODUCTIOX TO FIIIST EDITIOX. United States, land is so easily obtained ns to be within the reach of every industrious mnn ; and the climate and soil being so favorable to the production of fruit, Ameri- cans, if they be not already, must become truly " a nation of fruit growers." Fruit culture, therefore, whether considered as a branch of profitable industry, or as exercising a most beneficial influence upon the health, habits, and tastes of the people, becomes a great national interest, and whatever may as- sist in making it better understood, and more interesting, and better adapted to the various wants, tastes, and cir- cumstances of the community, cannot fail to subserve the public good. Within a few years past it has received an unusual de- gree of attention. Plantations of all sorts, orchards, gardens, and nurseries, have increased in numbers and extent to a degree quite unprecedented ; not in one section or locality, but from the extreme north to the southern limits of the fruit-growing region. Foreign suj^plies of trees have been required to meet the suddenly and [greatly increased demand. Treatises and periodicals devoted to the subject have increased rapidly and circulated widely. Horticultural societies have been organized in all parts ; while exhibitions, and national, State, and local conven- tions of fruit growers, have been held to discuss the merits of fruits and other kindred topics. To those unacquainted with the previous condition of fruit culture in the interior of the country, this new, plant- ing spirit has appeared as a sort of speculative mania; and the idea has suggested itself to them that the country will soon be overstocked with fruits. This is a greatly mis- taken apprehension. After all that has been done, let us look at the actual condition of fruit culture at the present time. In the best fruit-growing counties in the State of New York, the entire fruit plantations, of more than three- fourths of the agricultural population, consist of very INTRODUCTIOX TO FIRST EDITION. XI ordinary orchards of apples. Not a dish of fine pears, plums, cherries, apricots, grapes, nor raspberries, has ever appeared on their tables, and not a step has yet been taken to produce them. People are but beginning to learn the uses of fruits, and to appreciate their importance. At one time apples were grown chiefly for cider ; now they are considered an indispensable article of food. The finer fruits, that were formerly considered as luxuries only for the tables of the wealthy, are beginning to take their place among the ordinary supplies of every man's table ; and this taste must grow from year to year, with an in- creased supply. Those who consume a bushel of fruit this year, will require double or treble that quantity next. The rapid increase of population alone, creates a demand to an extent that few people are aware of. The city of Rochester has added 20,000 to her numbers in ten years. Let such an increase as this in all our cities, towns, and villages, be estimated, and see what an aggre- gate, annual amount of new consumers it presents. New markets are continually presenting themselves, and demanding large supplies. New and more perfect modes of packing and shipping fruits, and of drying, preserving, and preparing them for various purposes to which they have not hitherto been appropriated, are beginning to en- list attention and inquiry. Immense amounts of money are annually expended in importing grapes, wines, figs, nuts, prunes, raisins, cur- rants, almonds, etc., many of which might be produced l)erfectly well on our own soil. Pears have actually been imported from France by the New York confectioners, this present season (1851). These are facts that should be well understood by proprietors of lands, and especially by those who have allowed themselves to imagine that fruit will soon be so plenty as not to be worth the grow- ing. It is too soon, by a century, to apprehend an over sup- XII INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION. ply of fruits in the United States, except of some very perishable sort, in a season of unusual abundance, in some particular locality, where one branch of culture is mainly carried on. It is because fruit culture has been almost entirely neg- lected until within a few years, that the present activity appears so extraordinary. A vast majority of the people were quite unaw^are of the treasures within their reach ; and that in regard to soil and climate, they possessed ad- vantages for fruit growing superior to any other nation. We had no popular works or periodicals to diffuse informa- tion or awaken interest on the subject. For fourteen or fifteen years Hovey's Magazine of Horticulture was the only journal exclusively devoted to gardening subjects, and it only found its w^ay into the hands of the more ad- vanced cultivators. We had some treatises on fruits, but none of them circulated sufficiently to effect much good. Previous to 1845, JS^enrick'^s Atnerican Orchardlst, and Manning's JBook of Fruits, were the principal treatises that had any circulation vrorth naming. Coxe's work, Floy's, Prince's, and some others, were confined almost wholly to nurserymen, or persons already engaged and interested in fruit cidture in the older parts of the country. Mr. Downing's " Fruit and Fruit Trees of America," that appeared in 1845, w^as the first treatise of the kind that really obtained a wdde and general circulation. It made its appearance at a favorable moment, just as the planting spirit referred to was beginning to manifest itself, and when, more than at any previous pei'iod, such a work was needed. Mr. Downing enjoyed great advan- tages over any previous American writer. During the ten years that had elapsed since the publication of Ken- rick's and Prince's treatises, a great fund of materials had been accumulating. Messrs. Manning, Kenrick, Prince, Wilder, and many others, had been industriously collect- ing fruits both at home and abroad. The Massachusetts IXTRODUCTIOX TO FIRST EDITION. XIII Horticultural Society was actively engaged in its labors. The London Horticultural Society had made great ad- vancement in its examination and trial of fruits, and had corrected a multitude of long standing eri-ors in nomen- clature. Mr. Downing's work had the benefit of all this; and possessing the instructive feature of outline figures of fruits, and being written in a very agreeable and attrac- tive style, it possessed the elements of popularity and usefulness in an eminent degree. Hence it became at once the text-book of every man who sought for pomo- logical information, or felt interested in fruits or fruit- trees ; and to it is justly attributable much of the taste and spirit on the subject, and the increased attention to nomenclature, that so distinguishes the present time. Mr. Thomas's recent treatise, " The American Fruit Culturist," on the same plan as Mr. Downing's, is also a popular work, and will be the means of diffusing both taste and information. Mr. Thomas is a close and accurate ob- server, and his descriptions are peculiarly concise, methodi- cal, and minute. " Cole's Fruit Book " is also a recent treatise, and on account of its cheapness, and the vast ac- cumulation of facts and information it contains, is highly popular and useful. Besides these, periodicals, devoted more or less to the subject, have increased in number, and greatly extended their circulation, so that information is now accessible to all who desire it. The light which has been shed upon fruit-growing by these works, and the taste they have created, have not only improved old systems of cultivation, but introduced new ones. Until within a few years, nothing was said or known among the great body of cultivators, or even nur- serymen, of dwarfing trees, of the uses of certain stocks, or of modes of propagation and pruning by which trees are made to bear early, and are adapted to different cir- cumstances. The entire routine of the propagation and 1* XTY INTKODUCTION TO FIRST EDITICN. management of trees was conducted generally in the sim- plest and rudest niannei*. Whether for the garden or the orchard, they were propagated in the same manner, on the same stocks, and in the same form taken from the nursery, planted out, and left there to assume such forms as nature or accident might impose, and produce fruit at such a time as natural circumstances Avould admit. The art of planting fifty trees on a quarter of an acre of ground, and bringing them into a fruitful state in four or five years at most, was entirely unknown. Small gar- dens were encumbered with tall, unshapely, and unfruitful trees, that afforded no pleasure to the cultivator; and thousands of persons, who are now the most enthusiastic cultivators, were entirely discouraged from the attempt. Fruit gardening, properly speaking, may be said to have only commenced. It is no longer a matter of mere utility, but taste also ; and, therefore, adaptation^ variety^ and heavty are sought for in garden trees, and modes of culture and management. Nothing so distinguishes the taste of modern planting as the partiality for dwarf trees, and the desire to obtain infofmation in regard to their propagation and treatment. This has not been anticipated by any of our authors. The standard or orchard system alone is fully treated of, as being the only one practised ; and this requires so little skill in the art of culture, that only the simplest instruc- tions have been given. The very elements of the science have been unexplained and unstudied, and cultivators in the main find themselves both destitute of knowledge in regard to the management of trees in the more refined and artificial foims, and the sources from which to obtain it. But a very small proportion of those engaged or en- gaging in tree culture have studied the ])hysiology of trees in any degree. Very few have the slightest knowl- edge of the modes of growth and bearing of the different species of fruits, or even of the difference between wood INTKODUCTIOIS" TO FIRST EDITIOl?" XV or leat-buds and fruit-buds. Very few understand the functions of the different parts of trees, and the relation in which they stand one to another ; the principles that govern and regulate the growth and maturity, the forma- tion of wood, and the production of fruit. Practice is no better understood than principle. Persons engaged largely in tree-growing will frequently ask the most ab- surd questions on the subject of propagation of stocks, of pruning, etc. , matters that should be understood by every man who has a single tree to manage, but especially in- dispensable to those who wish to succeed in conducting garden-trees under certa,in modified forms, more or less opposed to the natural. The preparation of ground, lay- ing out small gardens, the selection of suitable trees, and a multitude of minor, but nevertheless important, mat- ters, are very imperfectly understood. Having for many years devoted much attention to this particular branch of culture, and feeling deeply interested in its success, and having, by a business intercourse with cultivators in all parts of the country, an ample opportu- nity of understanding the nature and extent of the infor- mation desired, I have prepared the following pages to supply it, at least, in part. I am well convinced that the work is neither perfect nor complete. It has been prepared, during a few weeks of the winter, in the midst of other engagements that rendered it impossible to bestow upon it the necessary care and labor. My original intention was to give a few brief directions for the management of garden- trees, but it was suggested by friends that it would prove more generally useful by adding a sketch of the entire routine of operations, from the propagation in the nursery to the management in the orchard and garden. This has in- volved much more labor than it was intended to bestow upon it, or than I could really spare from business. It has, therefore, been performed hastily, and, of course. XVI II^TRODUCTIOiq" TO FIRST EDITIOlsT. in many respects, imperfectly; but yet it is hoped it contains such an exposition of principles and practices as cannot fail to diffuse among the inexperienced much needed information. All doubtful theories, and whatever had not a direct practical bearing on the sub- jects treated, have been excluded, both for the sake of brevity, and to avoid anything calculated to mislead. The principles and practices set forth are not new, visionary, nor doubtful, but such as are taught and prac- tised by the most accomplished cultivators of the day, and have been successfully carried out in the daily opera- tions of our ov/n establishment. For the sake of convenient reference, the different branches of the subject have been separated into four parts. The first treats of general principles, a knowl- edge of the structure, character, and functions of the different parts of trees, modes of growth, bearing, etc., etc.; soils, manures, modes of propagation, etc. This must be the groundwork of the study of tree culture. The second treats of the nursery. The tJiird of planta- tions, orchards of different kinds, gardens, etc.; their laying out and management, and of the pruning and training of trees in different forms. The fourth con- tains abridged descriptions of the best fruits, a chapter on gathering and preserving fruits, another on diseases and insects, and another on the implements in common use. P. B. Mount Hope Garden and Nurseries, ) Rochester, N. Y. ] COI^TEN^TS. PART I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES. CHAPTER I. PAGE. Names, Desckiptions, and Offices of the Dhtpeeent Paets OF FsuiT Teees, . . . . . . 21—69 CHAPTER n. Soils, C9--74 CHAPTER m. Maitoees, 74—80 CHAPTER TV. The Diffebent Modes of Propagating rBuiT Trees, . 80—100 CHAPTER V. Pruning — ^Its Principles and Practice, 100—118 PART II. THE NURSERY. CHAPTER I. Soil, Situation, etc., 121—173 PART III. THE LAYING OUT, ARRANGEMENT, AND GENERAL MANAGEMENT OF PERxMANENT PLANTATIONS OF FRUIT TREES, SELECTION OF TREES AND VARIETIES, AND PRUNING AND CONDUCTING TREES UNDER VARIOUS FORMS. CHAPTER I. Permanent Plantations or Fkuit Trees, . . . 175 — 220 CHAPTER II. Pruning \nd Training applied to the Different Species OF Fruit Trees under Various Forms, . . . 220—326 PART IV. SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS, GATHERING AND PRESERVING FRUITS, DISEASES, INSECTS, IM- PLEMENTS IN COMMON USE. CHAPTER I. Abridged Descriptions of Select Varieties of Fruits, . 329 — 4S7 CHAPTER II. Gathering, Packing, Transportation, and Preservation OF Fruits, ....... 437—449 CHAPTER ni. Diseases and Insects, ...... 449 — 466 CHAPTER IV. NuESERT, Orchard, and Fruit-Garden Implements, . 466 — 480 P^RT I. GENERAL PRINCIPLES GENERAL PRINCIPLES. CHAPTER I. NAMEb, DESCRIPTIONS, AND OFFICES OF THE DIF- FERENT PARTS OF FRUIT-TREES. Geyieral Remarhs. — A Tree is n, living body, composed of many parts, such as roots, branches, leaves, buds, blos- soms, fruit, etc. All these have different offices to fulfil, assume different forms and characters, and are known and designated from one another by different names, when subjected to the practical operations of culture. Without some knowledge of the names and structure of these dif- ferent parts, of the principles that guide their develop- ment, their relative connection with, and influence upon one another, tree culture cannot be, to any man, really pleasant, intellectual, or successful ; but a misty, uncer- tain, unintelligible routine of manual labor. The industry of our times is peculiarly distinguished by the application of science — the union of theory with practice in every department ; and surely the votaries of the garden, whose labors, of all others, should be intelli- gent, will not allow themselves to fall behind, and per- form their labors in the dark. Fully sensible of the importance of this preliminary study, and confident that the minute and practical details of culture cannot be well understood without it, I propose here, before entering upon the main subject, to describe, in as few and as plain words as possible, the structure, character, connection, and respective offices of the various 21 2:3 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. parts of fruit-trees, and the names by which each is known in practice. Section 1. — The Root, The Root is composed of several parts. 1st. The collar [A^ fig. 1), whicli is the center of growth, or point of union be- tween the root and stem, usu- ally at or just below the surface of the ground. In root grafting seedlings, this is the point where the graft is set. 2(1. The body or main root {B^ fig. 1), which usually pene. I rates the earth in a vertical di- rection, and decreases in size as it proceeds downwards from the collar. It is also called the tctp- root. A seedling that has not been transplanted has usually but one descending or tap-root, furnished, in all its length, with minute hairy fibres. 3d. The lateral roots (C, fig. 1) are principal divisions or branches of the main root, and take more or less of a spreading or horizontal direction. When seedlings are transplanted, a por- tion of the tap-root is cut oflf, and these lateral, or side roots, are immediately formed. 4th. The fibres cr rootlets (Z>, fig. 1) are the minute hair-like roots which we see most abundant on trees that have been frequently transplanted. Different species of Fig. 1.— A TREE. A, the Collar ; B, the Main Rcot ; C, Lateral Root ; Z>, Fibres ; E, Stem, or Tmiik ; i^.Main Branch- es ; G, Secondary Branches ; H^ Slioots of one year's growth. THE ROOT. 23 trees vary much in their natural tendency to produce fibres. Thus the pear and the apple require frequent transplanting, and often root pruning, to produce that fibrous condition, wliich is necessary to great fruitfulness ; "whilst the roots of the paradise apple, used as a stock for dwarf trees, and the quince, are always quite fibrous, the former never, and the latter seldom, requiring root pruning. The Spongioles is a term, which was formerly applied to the extremities of the root fibres, it being supposed that these tips were especial organs through which the plant absorbed its food from the soil. Later observations have shown that the absorbing surface of the rootlet is not at the very extremity, but just back of it ; and that instead of there being a spongiole, or spongelet, the spe- cial ofiice of which is to take up moisture, all the newly formed root surface does this work, in which it is facili- tated by great numbers of i^oot hairs^ which are delicate jDrojections from the surface, and so minute as to be only visible by the aid of a microscope. The root fibres are composed of soft, newly formed, delicate tissue, and are exceedingly susceptible of injury. The slightest bruise, or exposure to a dry or cold air, is fatal to them ; and this is the reason why transplanted trees generally receive such a severe check, and so frequently die. If trees could be taken up in such a way that the root fibres could all, or lAostly, be preserved, trees would receive no check what- ever. By taking proper precautions, large trees are re- moved in midsummer without a leaf flagging. The Growth of Moots. — The root increases in length by additions to its extreme point only. It does not ex- tend throughout its wliole length, as does the joint of a stem. This manner of growth allows it to accommodate itself to the obstacles that it meets in its course. The ex- tremities of the roots, at first, consist of cellular tissue only, but soon woody fibre is formed in them, and their 24 GENEEAL PRINCIPLES. internal structure is, essentially, like that of the stem, which will be described further along. The material for the growth of the root is supplied by the stem and leaves above, and these, in turn, are furnished with the crude material for their own support and enlargement by the roots. The parts of the tree above the surface of the ground, and those below it, are dependent each upon the other for growth and existence. Practical cultivators are familiar with many facts that illustrate the intimate relations and mutual dependency of the roots and stems. For instance, where one portion of the head or branches is much larger or more vigorous than the other, if the roots be examined, it will be found that those immedi- ately under, or in direct connection with the largest branches, will have a corresponding size and vigor. In cases where one side of the top of a large tree is cut off, as in top grafting, a large number of new shoots are pro- duced on the cut branch, and, if the roots be examined under, or in connection with this branch, a corresponding new growth will be found there. It is quite obvious, from these and similar facts, that whatever affects the roots or stems of trees, favorably or unfavorably, affects the whole tree. If the foliage of a tree be entirely re- moved in the growing season, the absorbent action of the roots is suspended ; and if the absorbing portions of the roots be cut off, the growth of the top instantly ceases. Section 2. — The Stem. The 8tem is that part of a tree which starts from the collar, and grows upwards. It sustains all the branches, and forms the medium of communication between the different parts of the tree, from one extremity to the other. Plants, like the grape, with twining, or climbing stems, are called vines; and such as have no main stem, but have THE STEM. 25 branches diverging from the collar, as the gooseberry, currant, etc., are called shrubs, or bushes. Where the stem is destitute of branches to some distance from the ground, it is usually called the trunk. Different Farts of the Stem. — A stem, or branch of a tree, is composed of the following parts, Avhich are dis- tinctly observable when we cut it across. Figure 2 repre- sents a portion of a stem of a young tree, one year old, A — j<^- ;:i^=fe Fig. 2. — SECTION OF A. STEM ONE TEAR OLD— MAGNIFIED. A, Bark ; B, Wood ; C, Epidermis ; D, Corky Layer ; E, Green Layer ; F, Inner Bark, or Liber; , fruit-spurs on the two-year-old wood, with a wood-bud usually at the point. Fig. 17 is a fruit spur from the older wood ; A^ the wood- bud at its point. Fig. 18 is a branch of the plum ; A^ the two-year-old wood ; B^ one year Fig. 13.— FRUIT-SPUR OF THE PEACH ON THE OLB WOOD. 14. Fig. 14, mixed wood and fruit-branches of the peach ; 5, C, 2), E^ fruit-buds ; F^ (r, //, leaf-buds ; J", double buds ; C, triple buds, the two side buds being fruit- buds, and the center one, a leaf-bud. 2* 34 GEXEKAL PRINCIPLES. old; G and Z>, spurs. Fig. 19 is a fruit-spur from older wood. The wood-bud in the centre of these groups of buds on the spur enables them to increase m length every Fig. 16. Fiii-. 17. Fiff. 15. Fig. 15, a slender fruit-branch of the peach ; all the buds except A and B, and the terminal one, are fruit-buds. Fig. 16, branch of the cherry; J., two-year-old wood ; B, one year; Cand Z*, fruit-spurs. Fig. 17, fruit-spur of the cheriy; the bud_4, in the center of the group, is a wood-bud. season. New buds are produced to replace those that bear, and so the spurs continue fruitful for several years, BUDS. 35 according to the vigor of the tree, and the manner in which it is treated. The fruit-branches of the quince and the medlar are Fig. 18. Fig. 19. Fig. 18, branch of the plum; ^, two-year-old wood; B, one year old ; C and D, spurs. Fig. 19, fruit-spur of the phun on the old wood. slender twigs on the sides of lateral branches, and the fruit is borne on their points. Section' 4. — Buds. 1st. The Nature and Functions of Buds. — In a practi- cal point of view, buds are certainly the most important organs of trees, because it is through them we are enabled completely to direct and control their forms and their productiveness. Whoever, therefore, wishes to become a skilful and successful tree culturist, must not fail to o6 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. make himself familiar with all their forms, modifications, modes of development, and the purposes they are ad.ipted to fulfil in the formation of the tree and its products. The immediate causes of the production of buds on the grow- ing shoots of trees, and the sources from which they spring or in which they originate, are alike thus far mysterious, notwithstanding they have been the subject of a vast deal of research and speculation among the botanists and vege- table physiologists. We are able, however, to trace clear- ly and satisfactorily the objects they are intended to fulfil in the development of the tree, their connection with, and dependency upon other parts, and the circumstances un- der which they can be made to accomplish specific pur- poses. Every bud contains the rudiments of, and is capable under favorable circumstances of producing, a new indi- vidual similar to that on which it is borne. This fact is clearly demonstraled in the propagation of ti'ees by budding, where a single eye is removed from one shoot and placed in the wood of another, to which it unites and forms a new individual similar to its parent. So in propagation by eyes, as in the grape-vine, where a single bud with a small portion of wood attached, becomes a perfect plant. Every perfect bud we find on a young yearling tree or shoot is capable of being developed into a branch. Na- turally, they all do not develope ; but we know that by the application of art they can be readily forced to do so. For instance, the buds of a yearling tree, if left to take their natural course, will only in part produce branches, and these will generally be nearer to the extremities, where they are the most excitable ; but we can cause the lower ones to develope branches, by cutting off those above them to the extent that the particular character of the species or variety, orof the buds themselves in respect to vigor and vitality, may require. Hence it is that the BITDS. 37 forms of trees are so completely under our control when we possess the requisite knowledge of the character and modes of vegetation of buds. 2d. The Names mid Characters of Buds. — All buds are either, 1st, terminal, as when on the points of shoots ( (7, fig. 20) ; 2d, axillary, when situated in the angle made by the projection of a leaf from the shoot or branch {A, B, fig. 20) ; 3d, adventitious or accidental, when originating accidentally, as it were, or without any regularity, on the older parts of trees, and not in the axil of a leaf. They are often produced by the breaking or cutting ofi" of a branch, or by a wound or incision made in the bark. In the management of trained trees, special means are taken Fig-. 20. J., a superior bud ; 5, inferior ; C, terminal : A and 5, axillary. to produce these buds on spaces of the trunk that it is de- sirable to fill up. We sometimes see instances of such buds on the stumps of old trees. The terminal and axillary buds produced on young shoots, seem to have a different origin from these ac- cidental buds — the former are connected with the pith of the shoot, as we may see by dissecting them. On cutting into a young shoot below a bud we find a cylinder of pith entering into the bud from the pith of the shoot, but we do not find this connection existing \x\ the case of the adventitious buds. Practically considered, buds are classified as follows: — 1. Lateral, — Those on the sides or circumference of 38 GENERAL PKINCIPLES. shoots, being the axillary buds of the botanist (yl, B^ fig. 20). 2. Terminal. — Those on the points of shoots ( C, fig. 20). 3. Superior. — Those on the upper side of horizontal branches (/4, fig. 20). 4. Inferior. — Those on the lower side of horizontal branches (i?, fig. 20). 5. Stipylar. — The small, barely visible buds found at the base of ordinary buds. 6. Dorinant or Latent. — These are scarcely apparent buds, generally towards the base of branches : They may remain dormant for several years, and then, in some spe- cies, be excited into growth by pruning close to them. Buds are again classed as leaf-buds and fruit-huds. 7. Leaf-JBuds {F^ 6r, S^ fig. 14), produce either leaves or branches ; they difier in form from fruit-buds in being in most cases longer and more pointed in the same species. These are again designated as — Single^ when only one is produced at the same point (H, fig. 14). Double^ when two are together (/", fig. 14). Triple^ when in threes ((7 and e/J fig. 14). These double and triple buds are almost peculiar to the stone fruits, and especially the peacli, apricot, and necta- rine. The size, form, and prominence of leaf-buds vary in a striking degree in different varieties of the same species, and these peculiarities are found to be of considerable service in identifying and describing sorts. Thus, the buds of one variety will be long, pointed and compressed, or lying close to the shoot. Others will be large, oval and prominent, or standing boldly out from the shoot. Others will be small, full, and round. For instance, the wood-buds of the Glout Morceau are short and coni- cal, broad at the base, and taper suddenly to a very sharp point inclined towards the shoot; they have also very BUDS. 39 prominent shoulders ; that is, their base forms a prominent projection on the shoot. The scales are also dark, with light gray edges. In the Josephine de Malines pear the buds are quite remarkable for their roundness, bluntncss, and prominence. If shoots of the Bartleit and S^jJcel pears, t\\'0 well-known varieties, be compared, although they i^resent no decidedly obvious peculiarities, yet they will be found very different. Those of the Sechel are much broader at the base, more pointed, and lighter colored, being a dark drab^ whilst those of the JBartlett are red- dish. These miscellaneous instances are chosen simply to draw attention to these points, and to show the ordinary modes of comparison. When we speak of leaf-buds, we have reference only to the simple bud and not to the large, pointed, spur-like productions frequently produced towards the middle or lower part of young shoots that liave made a second growth ; that is, where growth has ceas- ed for a while and the terminal bud has been formed, and afterwards, in the same season, commenced anew, and made a second growth. 8. Fruit-Buds. — In the early stages of their formation and growth all buds are but leaf-buds. Thus, on a young shoot of the cherry and the plum, for example, of one sea- son's growth, the buds are all leaf-buds. The next spring a part of these produce new shoots, and others are trans- formed into fruit-buds that will bear fruit the following season. The transformation is accomplished during the second year of their existence, and it usually happens that they are the smallest and least fully developed that are so transformed ; the more vigorous pushing into branches. In the peach, the apricot, etc., on which the fruit-buds are produced in one year, the change from a leaf-bud to a fruit-bud occurs towards the latter part of the season. The primary cause of the transformation of leaf-buds into fruit-buds is not satisfactorily known, although many theories exist on the subject. Observation has taught us 40 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. many things in relation to it. It seems that all trees must acquire a certain maturity, cither natural or forced, in order to produce blossoms or fruit. A tree that is fur- nished with a rich, humid soil, containing an abundance of watery nutriment, and left in all respects unrestrained in its upAvard growth, may attain the age often or fifteen years before it commences to form fruit-buds ; while in a soil of a different quality, dry and less favorable to rapid growth, or if constrained in its growth by being grafted on some particular stock, or by some particular mode of training, it may produce fruit in two or three years. An apple-tree on a common stock, planted out in ordi- nary orchard soil, does not usually bear until it is in most cases seven years old, and often more from the bud ; while the same variety grafted or budded on a Paradise apple stock Avill produce in two or three years at most. We fre- quently see one branch of a tree that has been accidentally placed in a more horizontal position than the other parts, or that has been tightly compressed with a bandage or something of that sort, bear fruit abundantly, while the erect, unconstrained portion of the tree gives no sign of fruitfulness whatever. As a general thing we find that where there is an abundant and constant supply of sap or nutriment furnished to the roots of trees and conveyed by them through the unrestrained channels which the large cells and porous character of young wood afford, the whole forces of the tree will be spent in the production of new shoots; but that as trees grow older, the cells be- come smaller, and the tree being also more branched the free course of the sap is obstructed, and becomes in con- sequence better elaborated, or in other vv^ords more tnc^- ture, and commences the production of fruit. Circum- stances similar in all respects to these and answering ex- actly the same purpose, can be produced by art at an early age of the tree ; and this is one of the leading points in the culture and management of garden trees, where BUDS. 41 smallness of size and early fruitful n ess are so highly desir- able. This will come under consideration in another place. Fruit-buds in most cases are distinguishable from wood- buds by their rounder and fuller form ; the scales that cover them are broader and less numerous, and in the spring they begin to swell and show signs of opening at an earlier period. Like the wood-buds they are single^ double^ or triple^ according to the number found together. They are single in pears, apples, and other trees of that class. Single, double, and triple, variously, on the stone fruits, gooseberries, nnd currants. Fruit-buds are also simple and compound. Simple, as in the peach, apricot, and almond, each bud of which produces but one flower. Compound, as in th^plum, cherry, apple, pear, etc., each bud of which pro- duces two or more flowers. Those of the plum produce two or three, hence we find plums usually borne in pairs; those of the cher- ry four or five (fig. 21), and of the apple and pear six to eight ; and hence we often find these fruits borne in clusters. They are also lateral or termhicd, as they occupy the sides or ends of the branches or spurs on which they are produced. The ordinary position of the fruit-buds of different classes of trees will be understood from the preceding descrip- tions of fruit-branches. Fig. 21. — FLOWER OF THE CHERRY, SHOWING THE PRODUCT OF A COMPOUND BUD. 43 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. Section 5. — Leaves. 1st. Structure and Functions of Leaves. — The leaves, of all hardy fruit trees cultivated in our climate, are de- ciduous — that is, tliey decay and fall in the autumn, and are succeeded by others on the return of spring. The offices tliey perform during the growing season are of the liighest importance to the life and health of the tree, and deserve the most attentive con- sideration. A leaf (fig. 22) is com- posed of two principal parts, the leaf -stalky or g petiole (yl), which con- nects it witli the tree or branch, on wliich it is borne, and the expanded part (^,C,i>,^), called the blade. The base is the end (C), attaclied to the stalk, and the apex^ or point {Z>), the op- posite one. The length is the distance from the base to the point ( C to Z>), and the widths a line cutting the length at right angles, and extending from margin to margin {E to B). The leaf-stalk and its branches, forming the nerves or veins of the blade, are composed of woody vessels, similar to the woody parts of the tree or branch that bears it, in- side of which is a pith, similar to the pith of the tree ; the leaf is thus connected with the pith and wood of the Fig. 22.— A LEAF or the pear. A, the petiole, or leaf stalk ; B, C, Z>, E, the blade ; C, the base ; Z>, the point ; Line E^ B, the width. LEAVES. 43 shoot, and consequently with the ascending sap, as we may readily see, by making a vertical cut tlirough the leaf stalk and shoot. The spaces between the veins of the leaf are filled up with a cellular substance similar to the pith, called parenchyma^ and the whole is covered with a thin skin, epidermis. The cellular substance of the leaf is connected with the inner bark, and consequently with the descending sap, or cambium, that forms the new layers of wood. Both surfaces of the leaf are furnished with small pores, through which exhalation and absorp- tion are carried on ; these are most abundant on the lower surface. This property of the leaves to receive and give out air and moisture through the pores on their surface, has caused them to be likened to the lungs of animals, and this comparison is, to some extent, correct ; for we know that, without leaves, or organs performing their offices, trees do not grow; and, in proportion to the natural and healthy action of the leaves, do we find the vigor and growth of the tree. To prove that leaves have the power, in a greater or less degree, to absorb fluids, we have but to apply water to the drooping foliage of a plant suffering from drouth, and see how quickly it becomes refreshed. The dews of a single night, we know, too, will revive plants that the heat and drouth of the previous day had prostrated; and even if we put a flagging plant in a damp atmosphere, it recovers. The leaves of a bouquet can be kept fresh for a long time by sprinkling them with water. That plants exhale moisture and gases, cannot be doubt- ed. It is this very exhaling process that causes plants to wilt under a hot sun, or in a dry atmosphere. Plants that are transplanted with their foliage on, as annuals are in the spring or summer, will wilt, and even die, if ex- posed to the air and sun ; but if transplanted in a moist day, or covered, so that evaporation cannot take place, 44 GENERAL PKINCIPLES. the plant does not appear to feel the removal. So with cuttings of many plants thus propagated ; if placed in the earth with a certain amount of foliage on, and left uncovered, they will immediately die ; but when we place a bell-glass or a hand-glass over them, to prevent evapo- ration, they remain as fresh as though they had roots supplying them with moisture from the soil. It is on this account that transplanted trees so often die, when the branches and shoots are not in proportion to the roots. In transplanting, a portion of the roots is destroyed, and all are more or less deranged, so that their functions are feebly performed for some time after planting. If all the branches and shoots are left on, they will, as usual, produce leaves ; but the absorption at the roots being so much less than the exhalation of the leaves, the juices contained in the tree, previously laid up, soon become ex- hausted, the leaves droop and wither, and the whole fabric perishes. In budding, too, if the whole leaf were left attach- ed to the bud, the evaporation would be so great as to kill the bud ; hence we remove all but a portion of the stalk. A tree can neither mature its wood nor its fruit without the full and healthy exercise of the leaves. If, in the growing season, a tree is deprived of its foliage by blight, insects, etc., we see that growth is entirely suspended for a time, until new leaves are developed ; and if the leaves be removed from a tree bearing fruit, we see the fruit shrivel and dry up, or ripen prematurely, and become worthless. These facts, and many others that might be cited, show the intimate connection existing between the leaves and the other organs of trees, and the influence they have on their grow^th and productiveness. It is be- lieved that the opening of the leaf buds in spring induces the formation of new roots ; this is doubtful, as new roots may be seen forming at times when there are no leaves on the tree, and apparently no growth whatever going on in the buds. But it is well known that they will soon cease LEAVES. 45 to grow if leaves do not make their appearance. We observe in the case of trees, the tops of which have been so much injured by drying and exposure, that scarcely a sound bud is left to grow ; in this case the roots, although in perfect order, remain nearly dormant until new shoots and leaves are produced, and in proportion as the leaves increase, so do the roots. The fact of the absorption and exhalation by leaves of certain fluids, has, to a very con- siderable extent, established the theory that the sap of trees is taken up from the roots, through the cells or sap vessels of the wood of the trunk and branches, in a crude state^ and passes into the leaves ; that in their tissue, spread out under the sun's rays, it receives certain modifications. Carbonic acid, wliich has been taken in a state of solution from the soil, and by the leaves from the atmosphere, is decomposed, its oxygen is given off into the air, carbon becomes fixed, and thus the component parts of the tree, the material of the cells, starch, sugar, gum, etc., are formed. After passing through this purifying or concen- trating process, the sap acquires a more solid consistence, and is called cambium / so prepared, it returns down- wards through the nerves or vessels of the leaf to the base of the leaf stalk, and then between the wood and bark of the stem, forming new layers on its passage. Such is, at present, the most popular theory of the functions of the leaves, and the ascent, assimilation, and descent of the sap. Some distinguished writers on the subject reject this theory, alleging that " there is no such thing as crude sap ; that as soon as it enters the roots it becomes assimi- lated, and fit for the production of new cells, and that it passes upwards, forming new wood or cells by a chemical process."* Observation, however, has clearly established that, in the leaves of healthy trees, chemical processes, depending on light and heat, and absolutely essential to * Schleideu's Principles of Botany. 46 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. the well-being of the tree, are continually going on ; for trees shut out from the light always make a feeble growth, and have a blanched and sickly hue, compared with the same species in the free air, and exposed to the rays of the sun. If one side or portion of a tree is shaded or deprived of its full share of light, it ceases to grow in its natural way, and the shoots are lean, slender, and imperfect. 2d. Different Forms and Characters of Leaves. — The ri£^s. 23 to 27.— FORMS of. leaves. 23, oval ; ^4, oblon;? ; 25, lanceolate ; 26, ovate ; 27, obovate, different sizes and forms of the leaves of fruit trees, the divisions of their edges, the absence or presence of glands, the smoothness or roughness of their surfaces, are all, more or less, serviceable in describing and identifying varieties. The terms designating forms are seldom mathemati- LEAVES. 47 cally correct, but merely made by comparison ; for in- stance — Oval (fig. 23), when about twice as long as broad, and nearly of equal width at both ends. Ohlong (fig. 24), three times, or more, longer than broad, and difiering but little in width in any part. Lance Shaped^ or lanceolate^ (fig. 25), when much long- er than broad, and tapering gradually to a sharp point. Fig-. 30. Fio. 29. Fig. 28 Fig. 28, a leaf, folded, reflexed, and finely serrated, or toothed ; serrated ; Fig. 30, creuate or scolloped. Fig. 29, coarsely Ovate (fig. 26), when twice as long as broad, tapering to the apex, and widest towards the base. Obovate (fig. 27), the reverse of ovate, the greatest di- ameter being in the upper part. Mound ^ roundish, approaching a circular form, like fig. 22. The apex or point is often a distinguishing feature ; some leaves terminate suddenly in a sharp point, others are di-awn out to along, sharp i^omX, peaked, whilst others are nearly round. Leaves difier much, too, in the form of the 48 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. base ; some are rounded, some sharp, and some heart- shaped. The divisions of the edges are serrated, or toothed, when the edges are cut into sharp teeth, directed towards the point of the \q.2S. \ finely (fig. 28) or coarsely (fig. 29) ser- rate, fi^ these teeth are fine or coarse; doubly serrate, when the principal division, or tooth, is subdivided. Crenate, or Scolloped (fig. 30), when the divisions are rounded, instead of being sharp, like teeth. Lohed, when deeply cut, and the penetrating angle large, as in the cur- rant, gooseberiy, grape, etc. (Fig. 31.) Flat, when the surface is even (fig. 22). Folded, when the edges are turned inward (fig. 28). Reflexed, when the apex, or point, turns backwards, giving the leaf, more or less, the form of a ring (fig. 28). Waned, wrinkled. Fig. 31.— LEAF OF THE CURRANT, LOBED. , , smooth, rough, etc., are terms well enough understood, used in describing leaves. The leaf-stalk has often striking peculiarities in certain varieties, such as unusually long, stout, short, or slender. There are sometimes glands on the leaf-stalk, close to the base, and, in certain cases, on the leaf itself, that are chiefly taken notice of in identifying varieties of the peach and nectarine ; these differ in shape, too, being globular (as in fig. 32), reniform, or Jcidney-shaped (fig. 33) ; these FLOWERS. 49 little glands are supposed to be, and no doubt are, organs , of secretion. \ "^^ A^ '/ Fi<^ 32. Fis:. Fig. 32, a leaf of the peach, with globular glands ; Fig. 33, the same, with reniform, or kidney-shaped glands. in their foliage. These are all in- teresting^ items in the study of the beautiful and almost endless va- riety of forms which the different classes of fruit trees, and even different varieties of the same class, exhibit Section^ 6. — Flowers. 1st. Different Parts of Flowers. — Flowers are the principal reproductive organs of trees, and consist of floral envelopes, the calyx and corolla ; and of sexual organs, stamens^ and pistils. Fig. 34, which represents a flpwer Fig. 34. Fig. 35. Fig. 36. Figs. 34 to 36.— DIFFERENT PAKTS OF A FLOWER, Fig. 34, flower of the peach cut open longitudinally. A, the calyx ; B, the petals ; C, stamens ; Z>, pistil. Fig. 35, a stamen. A, filament, or stalk : B, anther. Fig. 36, the pistil, A, ovary; B, style ; C, stigma ; the ovary is cut open to show the ovule, D. of the peach cut open lengthwise, shows the different parts and their position. The Calyx (A, fig. 34,) is the outer covering, and is usually green, like the leaves. Its parts are called sepals. 3 50 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. These are either distmct or more or less united by their edges. The united portion is called the calyx-tube^ and the free points the segments. The coroUa (^, fig. 34,) is within the calyx, and is the colored, showy part of the flower ; its divisions are called petals. Stamens ((7, fig. 34), immediately within the petals, are the male organs of plants. The delicate, thread-like filament (^4, fig. 35), supports, on its extremity, the anther {B, fig. 35). This contains a powdery substance, the pollen., which is liberated when the anther is mature. The pistil {D, fig. 34 and fig. 36,) is the female organ, and stands in the center of the llower. It consists of the ovary., at its base (A., fig. 36), which contains the ovules or rudiments of seeds. The style {B, fig. 36) is the elongated portion, and the stigma ((7, fig. 36,) is the portion that receives the fertilizing powder (pollen) from the anthers. The stigma is usually rounded like a knob," but frequently it is incon- spicuous. Flowers may be deficient in any of these organs except the anthers, ovary, and stigm,a. These are indispensable to fructification, and must be present in some form or other, or the flowers will be barren. 2d. Sexual Distinctions. — ^The fact that the two sexes, or sexual organs, the stame?is, and pistils, are, in certain species, united on the same flower, and in others on dif- Fig. 37.- -FLOWERS OF THE FILBERT. FLOWERS. 51 ferent flowers, and even on different trees, has created the necessity for the following distinctions: Trees or plants are called hermaphTodlte (as in fig. 34), when both stamens and pistils are present on the same flower. Nearly all our cultivated fraits are of this class. Monoecious, when the male and female flowers are borne on the same tree, as in the filbert flower (fig. 37, A, the male, and J5, the female flowers). Dioecious, when the male flowers are on one plant, and the female on another. A familiar in- stance, among cultivated plants, is the hop. The strawberry is not truly dioe- cious, but in many varieties we find the stamens or male organs so incompletely developed (fig. 38), that they are of no service in fru^tifymg the flowers. Such Fisr. 38. —FEMALE, OR . ^- J. •-■"'' J • J.^^^ M. :3 PISTILLATE FLowEu varictics acQ termed pistillate, and we OF THE sTKAWBERiiY. plant ucar them varieties with an abund- ance of these organs, strongly developed, as in fig. 39. 3d. Impregnation. — The process of impregnation is effected in this way : When the flowers first open, the pollen granules are contained within the anther. In a short time, after the flow- er opens, the anther bursts, usually by a longitudinal slit, and sometimes by other kinds of opening, and the pollen is let fall upon the stigma, or is carried to it by means of the insects that fre- ^. _. •^ . 1 p n Fl<2:.39.— HERMAPHRO- quent the flowers m search oi pollen dite flower of the and honey. The stigma is furnished strawberry. with a glutinous, or sticky secretion, to which the pollen adheres ; there it prolongs a minute tube, which penetrates through the style of the pistil to the ovary, where it reaches the ovule, and impregnation takes place ; new cells are foi-med within the ovule, which results in the production of an embryo plant. 52 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. This impregnation is sometimes, from certain causes, only partially effected in the cases of fruit where the ovary, or seed vessel, is composed of several cells, as in the apple, pear, etc., and hence the fruit takes an imperfect, one-sided development from the beginning. The difficulty that appears to arise in the way of the impregnation of the stigma of one flower by the pollen of anotlier, distantly situated, either on the same plant, as in monoecious trees, or on different plants, as in the dioe- cious ones, is wonderfully obviated by the provision that nature has made for its transmission — ^not only by the at- mosphere, but by insects, that pass from one flower to an- other, feeding on their honeyed secretions ; the pollen adheres to the bodies of the insects, and they carry it from one flower to another. All natural flowers, of the same species, present the same number of petals in their flowers ; but occasionally the stamens are converted into petals, and thus, what are called double flowers, are produced. Among fruit trees we have double-flowering apples, plums, peaches, and cherries. These seldom produce fruit ; when perfectly double, never. Many of our double flowers, roses, paeo- nies, etc., have been obtained by this transformation of the stamens into petals. It is supposed to be caused by an excessively high cultivation given to the plants that produce the seeds from Avhich these double varieties spring. 4. Period of Blossoming. — In treating of fruit-buds, allusion has been made to the causes which, according to observation and experience, promote fruitfulness. These are chiefly a slow or moderate growth, and a branching or spreading, constrained form, instead of an upright one. Some species of trees bloom at a much earlier age than others. Thus the peach, the apricot, and the cherry, will bloom in nearly one-fourth less time from the bud, all things being equal, than the pear. Some species bloom FLOWERS. 53 at an earlier period of the season than others ; the npricot and the peach bloom A'ery early, and this is the chief rea- son why the crop is so often destroyed in localities subject to late spring frosts. Among fruits even of the snme spe- cies there is much difference in the period of blooming — one variety of apple being nearly two weeks later than another. This, in some sections, is an important quality, where every day that the blossom is retarded renders the crop surer, from its being more likely to escape frost. These differences are caused by various circumstances. 1st. The Climate. — The period of blossoming of the same species varies much in different localities. Rochester is at least a week earlier than Buffalo, although the dis- tance is less that one hundred miles ; and it is nearly two weeks earlier than Toronto, which is still nearer. The large bodies of ice in the lakes, at both Buffalo and Toronto, have, no doubt, a considerable effect in retarding the blossoming period. 2d. The Season and Position. — In the same locality, one season is frequently a week earlier than others, and trees on the south side of a wall or building will expand their blossoms several days before the same variety in the open ground, only a few rods distant, and ten days to a fort- night before those on a north wall. 3d. The Soil. — On warm, and light soils, the roots of trees are excited into activity much sooner than in cold, damp, and heavy soils, and the blossoming period is earlier in consequence. The Different Characters of Flowers. — Flowers vary in size^form.^ color^ and other qualities, even in the same species. In the peach, these distinctions are so obvious, that one of the principal classifications of pomologists is founded on them. Thus there are varieties with large showy flowers (fig. 40), as the Serrate Early York, and small (fig 41), as Large Early YorJc, Crawford's Early ^ etc. The color also presents variations, some being 54 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. deep^ others pale rose, and some almost white; two or three varieties of the peach have flowers wholly- white, as the Snow Peachy for instance. In all the other fruits, as in apples, pears, plums ^ cherries, etc., the flowers vary but slightly in form and color, and the differ- ences are only taken note of in very full and minute scientific descriptions. A Fig. 40. Fig. 41. few cases, however, are well Fig. 40, largl flower of the peach -Fig. ^a^^^^' ^^ the JargonelU 41, small flower of the peach. pear, the floWCrs of which are nearly twice as large as those of most other pears. In connection with the flowers, it may be proj^er to ex- plain the important process of Hybridization. — This is performed by fertilizing the pistil of one species or variety, with pollen from the stamens of another. The seeds produced by the flower so impregnated will produce a cross, or hybrid, between the two parents. This process is now well understood, and is carried on to a wonderful extent, especially in the pro- duction of new flowers. Comparatively few of our popu- lar fruits have been produced in this way. A few good sorts have been produced by the late Mr. Knight, a distin- guished English experimentalist, who effected much in his time towards establishing many diflicult and disputed points in vegetable physiology. Nearly all the native fruits of this country are accidental hybrids, or seedlings. A vast deal may be done to improve, in this way, all our fruits. The size, hardiness, and productiveness of one variety may be combined with the delicacy of texture and flavor of another, and endless variations and improvements may be effected. To obtain a true hybrid, certain precau- tions are necessary. The two subjects selected must flower at the same time. The stamens must be carefully removed from the one intended for the mother, without injury to FLOWERS. 55 the stigma. It must also be guarded from accidental im- pregnation by other varieties, and the pollen from the selected male be applied at the proper moment — that is, when it bursts from the anther. Hybridization is only possible between species closely related ; for, although there is a relation between the apple and the pear^ and between the gooseberry and the currant, they will not hybridize ; but different varieties of the apple will hybridize with each other, and so with all the rest. It has been regarded as impracticable to hybridize the native with the foreign grape, but several parties claim to have at length succeeded. The varieties thus produced will be found in the descriptive list of grapes. Several parties have, from time to time, claimed to have succeeded in crossing the Monthly Alpine Strawberry with some of the large fruited sorts, but no instance of this kind has yet come to our knowledge, properly authen- ticated. It very often happens that the process of arti- ficial impregnation fails, and a pure seedling of one of the parents, instead of a hybrid, is the result. The prospects now are that hybridization, better under- stood than formerly, will yield important results in the amelioration of fruits. [Since writing the foregoing, I understand that Colonel Wilder has really succeeded in producing hybrids between the Alpine and Hautboy species and the large strawber- ries, a march of great importance.] Blossoming in Alternate Years. — Many varieties of apples, pears, etc., fruits that take the whole season to mature, produce flowers in alternate years only, with great regularity. The reason is supposed to be this : The fruit, during the bearing year, attracts a large quantity of the ascending sap of the tree in the same way as the leaves do ; but instead of returning it to the tree, it is appropri- ated by the fruit to its own growth. The consequence is, the buds that would have blossomed the following year, if 56 GENERAL PKINCIPLES. they had received their due share of nutriment, fail in attaining the proper condition, and produce only rosettes of leaves. During the unfruitful season, immense quan- tities of fruit-buds are again brought forward, and the year following, the tree is overloaded ; so it proceeds in regular alternation. This is never experienced in trees regularly pruned, and may be remedied by thinning out the crop in bearing years, leaving on but a reasonable amount, that will not exhaust the tree. The bearing years have been complete- ly reversed by removing the blossom-buds, or fruits, on the bearing year. Section 7. — The Fruit. 1st. Character of the Fruit. — As soon as the ovules are impregnated, the ovary begins to swell ; the petals,stamens, and other parts of the flower fall off, and we then say the fruit is "se^." As a fruit-bud is but a transformed leaf-bud, a fruit occupies the same relative connection with the tree as a branch ; it attracts food from the stem and the atmos- phere in the same manner, and performs all the same func- tions, except that it does not, like the leaf, return anything to the tree, but appropriates all to its own use ; and this is the reason, as we have before remarked, that trees hav- ing borne a heavy crop of fruit one season, are less fruitful the next — this is the case only with fruits, as the apple and pear, that require nearly the whole season to mature them. Cherries and other fruits, that mature in a shorter period, and that draw more lightly on the juices of the tree, do not produce this exhaustion, and consequently bear year after year uninterruptedly. 2d. Classification. — In some fruits, as the apple, for in- stance, the fruit appears to be formed below, or at the base of the calyx; structurally, it is properly regarded ns an adhesion of the greater part of the calyx to the ovary ; THE FKUIT. 57 the segments, or points of the calyx are still visible in the mature fruit, and often serve, to some extent, by their size and other peculiarities, as being spread out, or closed together in a point, to identify varieties. In other species, as the plum and cherry, the fruit is formed within the calyx, or above it. Fruits of the former character, form- ing below the calyx, and including it in their structure, are classed as inferior — the apple^pear^ quince^ gooseberry^ and currant^ are all inferior, having the calyx adhering. Those formed within the calyx, and free from it, are called superior ; such are the peachy pjlum^ apricot^ nec- tarine^ cherry^ raspberry, strawberry, and grape. The more natural, popular, and useful classification of fruits is that by Avhich they are divided into Pomes, or Kernel Fruits, as the apple, pear, quince, medlar, etc. In speaking of these, we call the enlarged accessory parts thej'^e^A, and the dry, bony, seed capsules, the core. Drupes, or Stone Fruits, are those which have a peri- carp of two kinds ; the outer part soft and pulpy, the^esA, and the inner one hard and bony, the pit, or stone, which encloses the seed in a shell, like a nut ; as the peach, plum, apricot, cherry, etc. JBei-ries. — These have soft, pulpy flesh, containing seeds ; as the gooseberry, currant, and grape. Compound Berries, like the raspberry, and blackberry, are made up of minute separate fruits, each like a stone fruit, on a very small scale. In the strawberry, the fruits proper are the seed-like ripened ovaries, which are more or less imbedded in a large, fleshy receptacle, which is an enlargement of the end of the flower-stalk. Nuts, as ihQ filbert, chestnut, etc., are fruits with a hard, bony covering, which are often contained in husks, or cups, that, when ripe, open and let the fruit drop. The outlines, or forms of fruits, and their colors, exhibit great variations, even in the same species. Every portion 3* 58 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. Fig. 42. — VERTICAL SECTION OF AN APPLE, SHOWING ITS DIFFERENT PARTS. A, the base ; B, the eye ; C, the flesli ; B, the seed ; E, the core ; A, stem ; B, calyx. of the fruit, as the sMn^ flesh ( (7, fig. 42), core {E^ fig. 42), seeds (i>), or stones, stems (J), and in Ivernel fruits, the calyx (JB), has, in some cases, marked peculiarities, and in others, they are more minute and scarcely perceptible ; but yet, in a strictly scientific study of pomology, they are of more or less service. It Mould be foreign to the purposes of this work to notice these points in de- tail ; all that is deemed necessary, useful, or ap- propriate, is to point out well-defined and practi- cal distinctions, and the terms ordinarily made use of in popular de- scriptions. 8d. Different Parts of the Fruit : The Base (A) is the end in whicli tlie stem is inserted. The Eye (JB) is the opposite end, in the apple, pear, etc., that have an adhering calyx. The JVecJc, in pears, the contracted part near the stalk, as seen in fig. 50. The Point is the end opposite the stem in stone fruits, berries, etc., that have no calyx, and consequently no eye. The Length is the distance from stem to point, or eye, A to J5, fig. 42. The Width, a line cutting the fruit across, or at right angles with the length. The Pasin, the depression around the eye, or calyx, in kernel fruit, B, fig. 42. The Cavity, the depression around the stem. The Suture, in stone fruits, the furrow-like depression running from the base to the point. THE FRUIT. 59 4t]). Different properties of fruits : Besides the principal divisions which have been alluded to, fruits are considered in regard to their size, color, /orm, texture, favor, and season of ripeyiing, 1st. The Size. — Besides the natural difference in size that exists among different varieties of the same species, as, for instance, between the Bartlett and Seckel Pears, or the Fall Pippin and Lady Apples, there are great dif- ferences between the same varieties, owing chiefly to the following circumstances: Soil. — We find that, in new and fresh soils, the nutritive properties of which have not been impaired by cultivation, as in the virgin soils of the West, fiuit of the same variety attains nearly double the size that it does in older parts of the country, where the soil has long been under cultivation ; and that in the same orchard, the tree growing in a deep, alluvial soil, will give fruit much larger than the one on a hard, gravelly knoll. Culture. — ^This has an important influence on the size of fruits. If an orchard has been for several years neglected, and the ground about the trees become covered with grass and weeds, the fruit is small ; and if the same orchard be plowed up, some manure turned in around the roots, and the ground be kept loose and clean by tillage, the fruit will double in size in a single season. Seasons. — In a dry season, when the supply of moisture at the roots and in the atmosphere is very limited, fruits are invari- ably smaller than in seasons of an opposite character. Number of fruits on the tree. — This affects the size of the fruit to a great extent in all seasons, soils, and climates, and under all grades of culture. It is perfectly obvious, that the greater the number of fruits a tree bears, the smaller they will be ; for, as they derive their sustenance from the tree, a large number cannot be so well supplied as a smaller number. We cannot go into an orchard where there arc many varieties without seeing an illustration of this. Here is a prolific 60 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. variety, loaded in every part ; the fruits are small, cer« tainly not over medium size. There is a moderate bearer ; its fruits arc thinly and evenly distributed over the tree; its fruits are, consequently, large. So in the case of fruits that have been thinned; that is, a certain portion removed while young, either by accidental circumstances, or by design ; every specimen is twice as large, as if the wliole crop had been allowed to mature. The English goose- berry growers, in preparing their prize specimens, leave but a few on each bush — not over a twentieth, or perhaps a fiftieth part of the entire crop. So in peaches, grapes, etc., grown carefully in houses. Where the size and beauty of the fruit, and the health and vigor of the trees are kept in view, a large portion of the crops, from one- half to two-thirds, is thinned out before maturity. Age of the trees. — This influences the size of fruits to a great extent ; we see fruit so large on young trees, as to be entirely out of character. As trees grow older, the vigor decreases, and the number of fruits increase, and they are consequently dinnnished in size. The Jcind of stock has a tendency to modify the size ; thus we find many pears much larger on the quince stock than on the pear, and many apples larger on the Paradise than on the common apple stock. The reason of this is, no doubt, that on the quince and Paradise the juices of the tree are better pre- pared, richer, and better suited to the growth of the fruit. In the common pear and apple stocks, the sap is taken up in greater quantities, is watery, and better adapted to form wood than fruit. CLASSIFICATION OF SIZE. The terms qualifying the sizes of fruits are always given comparatively, in regard to the two extremes, the largest and the smallest of the species ; for instance — in apples, we may consider the Gloria Mundl and Tvjcnty Ounce as extremely Lirge, and the Lady Apple as extremely small. THE FKUIT. CI The terms used, therefore, are such as to represent the various grades between the two extremes. These arc Veri/ large^ as the Gloria Mundl Apple, Duchesse d'Angoultme Pear, Crawford^s Early Peach, Yellow Egg Phim, and Napoleon JBigarreau Cherry. Large^ as the Baldicin Apple, Bartlett Pear, Red Cheek Melocoton Peach, Washington Plum, and Black Eagle Cherry. Medium, as the Ramho Apple, White Doyenne Pear, Imperial Gage Plum, and the American Amber Cherry. Small, as tlic Early Strawberry Apple, Dearborn'' s Seed- ling Pear, Green Gage Phim, rind Dauman^s May Cherry. Very Small, as the Amire Johannet Pear, Lady Apple, Winter Damson Plum, and the Indulle {Early May) CheiTy. The distance "between some of these grades, as between medium and large, etc., is so sliort, that they are frequent- ly confounded ; still, they give a notion of comparative size that answers all practical purposes. It would, per- haps, have been more accurate, and, at the same time, more satisfactory to persons entirely unacquainted with fruits, to have given the comparative measurement of these different grades in inches and parts ; but the varie- ties quoted as examples are common, and very generally known. 2d. Form. — It is exceedingly difficult, even impossible, to find any single term that will give a mathematically accurate notion of the forms of fruits ; for, although we call an apple round or conical, it may not be, strictly speaking, either ; very likely it partakes, to some extent, of both forms. But that is no reason why we should desig- nate it conical round : we simply call it round, or round- ish, if nearer round than any other form ; and if it ir.- clines slightly to the conical, we cannot in any other way so well convey tlic knowledge of that fact as by simply saying so. 62 GEISTEKAL PRINCIPLES. In the apple, the round form prevails, and in the pear, the pyramidal; hence, it is necessary to apply a different class of descriptive terms to each. FORMS OF APPLES. Hound or Roundish (fig. 43). — When the outline is round, or nearly so, the length being about equal to the breadth. Flat (fig. 46). — When the ends arc compressed, and the width considerably greater than the length. Fij^s. 43 to 4b. — roKMS of apples. 43, round ; 44, conical ; 45, ovate ; 46, flat ; 47, oblon: 48, ribbed. Conical (fig. 44). — In the form of a cone, tapering from the base to the eye. Ovate^ or egg-shaped (fig. 45). OUong (fig. 47). — When the length is consideraldy greater than the width, and the width about equal at both ends, not tapering as in the conical. In addition to these forms and their various modifica- tions, some varieties are Angular^ having projecting angles on the sides. One-sided^ having one side larger than the other. THE FRUIT. 63 JUbbed {4:8), when the surface presents a series of ridges and furrows, running from eye to stem. FORMS OF PEARS. It has been remarked that the pyramidal form prcTails in pears ; but they taper from the eye to the stem, which is just the reverse of the tapering form in apples. Their forms are designated thus — Pyriform. — When tapering from the eye to the base, and the sides more or less hollowed (concave) (fig. 49). Figs. 49 to 55. — foums of peaics. 49, pyriform ; 50, long pyriform ; 51, obtuse pyriform ; 52, obovatc ; 53, turbinate ; 54, oval ; 55, round. luong Pyriforin. — When long and narrow, and tapering to a point at the stem (fig. 50). Obtuse Pyriform. — When the small end is somewhat flattened (fig. 51). Ohovate, or egg-shaped. — Nearly in form of an eg^, the small end being nearest the stem (fig. 52). Turbinate, or top-shaped. — The sides somewhat round- ed, and tapering to a point at the stem (fig. 53). Oval. — Largest in the middle, tapering more or less to each end (fig. 54). 64 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. Round, — When the outline is nearly round (fig. 55)- FORMS OF PEACHES. There is too much uniformity in the forms of peaches to render tlie adoption of any set of terms descriptive of them very serviceable. They are mostly rounds occasion- ally approaching \o oblong ^w^ oval; the sides are fre- quently compressed, flattened, exhibiting a suture or fur- row, running from the point to the base ; the Avidtb, depth, etc., of this suture are, in many cases, peculiar, or at least vrorthy of note, FORMS OF PLUMS. Plums are rovnd^ oval, or oblong^ as the peach, and marked, in some cases, by a similar flattening of the sides, and by the suture. FORMS OF CHERRIES. Cherries are round or heart-shaped ; obtuse heart- shaped, when too round to be fully heart-shaped ; and pointed, when the point is more than ordinarily sharp, or peaked. The suture is also taken note of, as in pkims and peaches. Gooseberries and Grapes are always round or oval. Currants, always round. Strawberries, round, conical or oval, sometimes with a neck ; that is, the base is di-awn out at the stem in the form of a narrow neck. Raspber- ries are conical, roundish or long. 3d. Color. — The color of fruits depends much on their exposure to the sun's rays. We find that in orchard trees, where the heads arc dense, and a large portion of the fruit shaded and shut out from the sun, there is a great differ- ence in the color ; indeed, so great, frequently, as to make tlieir identity, from appearance, quite doubtful. Varieties THE FRUIT. 65 tliat are naturally — when pi-operly exposed to the sun — of a bright red or a glowing crimson, remain green in the shade. The climate, too, seems to have considerable ef- fect on the color. As a general thing, we observe that northern apples are clearer and brighter colored tlian those of the South. Dry soils and elevated situations produce more highly colored fruit than damp and low valleys. The terms used in describing colors are all simple, and well under- stood. 4th. Flavor^ in table fruits, is one of the most impor- tant of qualities ; for, however large or fair a fruit may be, if insipid or astringent to an unpleasant degree, or if it possesses some other disagreeable quality, it is unfit for the table. There are various kinds of flavor even among varieties of the same species : in pears, particularly, it is almost endless; the shades and degrees oi sweet and acid, and the various perfnmes that mingle with these, are almost infinite. The same circumstances mentioned as favorable to high and brilliant coloring, are also favorable to the production of fine flavor. JLight, heat, a dry soil, and moderate growth, seem to be all essential to fine flavor. On trees somewhat advanced in age, fruits are apt to be higher flavored than on young trees that have just commenced bearing, and in a dry than a wet season. The philosophy of all this is, that in a damp soil or season, or in a shaded situation, when trees are young, and growing rapidly, the fruit receives more sap from the tree than can be properly elaborated by the action of the sun and atmosphere on its surface, and, consequently, the sugary principle is pro- duced in small quantities — the juice is watery, sour, or insipid, as the case may be. The various terms by which flavor is designated, such as siioeet, acid, subacid, sprightly, perfumed, musky, spicjj^ etc., are all well understood. 66 GENERAL PKINCIPLES. Section 8. — The Seed. The perfect seed contains the rudiment of a plant of the same nature as that which produced it. This rudi- ment of the new plant is called the embryo^ and is found in a more or less developed state in all seeds. In fig. 56 is given an enlarged view of an apple seed cut longitu- dinally to sliow the embryo in place, and fig. 57 shows the embryo of the same after germination, the lettering referring to the same parts in both illustrations. It consists of three parts — the cotyledons (a, figs. 56 and 57), which are the first pair of leaves, usually rudimentary ; these are the parts that first make their appearance, and are known as seed leaves. The bases of these cotyledons are united to the radicle, (c), and between them is a bud (J), called the plumule. The radicle and plumule are very inconspicuous in the seed (fig. 56), but as soon as the seed is excited into germina- tion by the heat and moisture of the earth, the radicle elongates, one end penetrates the soil, and roots soon start from it, and the upper Fig. 56, apple seed divided Fig. 57, germinating seed a, cotyledons; &, plumule c, radicle. portion ascends in plumule, and, in the an opposite direction, bearing the apple, etc., the cotyledons to the sur- face, where they find the necessary air and light. Tiie plumule, which is really a terminal bud, is soon lifted up by the development of a section of stem, unfolds its leaves, and exposing another bud, which in its turn repeats the same process, and thus the growth of the tree goes for- ward. It has been remarked that a seed contains the rudiments of a plant similar to that on which it is produced ; but THE SEED. C7 tliis needs some explanation. In distinct species, this will be true ; but the seeds of varieties that have been pro- duced by culture and hybridizing, seldom, or never, repro- duce exactly their like, hence the necessity for the various artificial methods of multiplication, such as grafting, bud- ding, layering, etc. It is to these operations that we are indebted for the preservation of varieties that were origi- nated hundreds of years ago. Germination. — Heat ami moisture, air, and the exclu- sion of light, are all necessary to the healthy and perfect germination of seeds. It may be well to consider, briefly, the part which each of these has to perfoiin. 1st. Moisture. — If seeds are sown in a time when the ground is parched, they will show no signs of germi- nation until it is, in some way or other, moistened. The quantity of moisture necessary to a seed depends on the nature of its covering, and its size. A small seed, with a thin covering, will vegetate much sooner, and with less moisture, than a large seed, with a hard, bony covering. The moisture must, in the firs >; place, soften the covering, penetrate to the mealy part of the seed, and prepare it for the chemical changes necessary to convert it into food for the embryo plant. If apple or pear seeds be kept in a dry, Avarm room all winter, they will not be likely to vegetate the succeeding spring, but if sown, will probably lie in the ground all summer, and possibly germinate the spring following. If cherry seeds are kept dry for any length of time, say two or three montlis, they will not germinate the season following; and peaches and plums have actually to be in the ground all winter to insure their germination the succeeding spring. Seeds will ger- minate much quicker when freshly gathered than after they have dried, because heat, moisture, and air have easier access to them, and act more quickly on them. These facts, of which all are well aware, show the necessi- ty for moisture, and the nature of its influence. 68 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 2d. Heat is the next most important element. Seeds do not grow in winter. We sow our apple, pear, peach, and plum seeds in November, but they show no signs of germination until a change of season. When the warmth of spring penetrates the soil, it reaches the seed, and, in connection with the moisture already imbibed, induces chemical changes, which excite the vital energies of the germ, decompose the mealy part of the seed, and prepare it for the temporary nutrition of the young plant. 3d. Air. — Although seeds may have heat and moisture in the requisite proportions, still it has been proved, by many experiments, that without air, germination cannot take place. Practical cultivators are aware that seeds planted too deeply do not grow ; many kinds will lie buried in the ground for years without growing, and when turned up near the surface, will germinate immediately. It is the oxygen of the air that constitutes its importance ; it pro- duces, by forming new combinations with the constituents of the seed, that chemical process which converts the starch into gum and sugar, as we observe in ordinary cases of fermentation. 4th. Exclusion of Light. — The manner in which self- sown seeds in the forest are covered with fallen and de- caying foliage, plainly indicates that nature never intend- ed the light to strike germinating seeds. A seed entirely exposed would be at one time saturated with moisture, and at another parched with drouth ; chemical changes would be alternately promoted and checked, until the vital principle would be destroyed, or so weakened as to produce a feeble and Avorthless plant. The depth of the covering should always be regulated by the size of the seeds. Snia-1 and delicate seeds may be sown almost on the surface, whilst large ones may be imbedded to the depth of four or five inches. The small seed requires lit- tle moisture, and has but a feeble force to penetrate an SOILS. 60 earthy covering ; but the large requires much moisture, and has force enough to push its way up. CHAPTER II. SOILS. Section 1. — ^Different Kinds of Soil. Soils are usually designated by terms expressive of the predouiinant material in their composition ; thus we hear of sandy ^ loamy ^ gravelly^ clayey^ calcareous^ or limy^ and alluvial soils. A sandy soil is that in which sand is the principal in- gredient. Such soil is usually quite defective. It is so porous, that it parts almost instantaneously with moisture, and plants in it suffer from drouth. All the soluble parts of manures are also quickly washed out of it, and hence it requires continual additions to produce even a scanty growth. The great point in improving it is to render it more retentive by the addition of clay, ashes, etc. A clayey soil is that in which clay predominates. It may be considered the opposite of sandy, inasmuch as its defects are, that it retains moisture too long, is too adhe- sive ; in dry weather it becomes as hard as a burnt brick, impervious to dews or light showers, and when thoroughly saturated with wet, it is tough, and requires a long time to dry. No fruit tree succeeds well in such a soil ; but it is capable of being improved and fitted for many species, and especially the plum and the pear. The obvious way to improve it is, by incorporating with it sand, muck, or leaf mould. 70 GENERAL PfllNCIPLES. A gravelly soil is one made np in greater part of small stones, pebbles, decomposed rock, etc. ; such soils, as a general thing, are unfit for fruit trees, unless great labor is incurred in trenching, deepening, and mixing with clay, muck, etc., of opposite characters. A loamy soil is one we hear a great deal about, and may be understood in various ways. It may be considered a mixture of equal parts of sandy, clayey, and vegetable soil. It is neither so light as the sandy, on the one hand, nor so tenacious as clay on the other ; and, as a general thing, contains such elements, and is of such a texture, as to render it eligible for all ordinary purposes of cultiva- tion, and especially so for fruit trees. Loamy soils are spoken of as sandy loams when sand forms a large ingre- dient — say one-half of their composition ; gravelly^ when pretty largely mixed with small stones ; calcareous^ when lime is found in them. Calcareous soils have a large amount of lime mixed with the other ingredients of which they are composed. All the lands in limestone districts are of this character, and, as a general thing, are well adapted to fruit culture. Peaty soil consists chiefly of vegetable mould from de- cayed marsh plants, in low, wet places. It is unfit, in itself, for fruit trees, but is valuable for improving both light and heavy soils. Alluvial soils are made up of decomposed vegetable substances, the sediment of rivers, and materials washed down from neighboring hills ; the valleys of all our rivers and streams are composed of this, and it is the richest of all soils. Fruit trees in such soils make a rank, A'igorous growth, but they arc not so hardy nor so fruit- ful, nor is the fruit so high flavored as on soils with more sand, clay, or gravel, and less vegetable mould. In treating of the different classes of fruits, we shall refer to the particular soils best adapted to them. SOILS. 71 SEcmoN 2. — ^Different Modes of Improvixg Soils. In regard to depth, soils vary materially, some being not over eight or ten inches in depth of surface, others a foot, while in deep alluvial valleys they are often two feet. For orchard and garden purposes, a deep soil is quite essential, to enable the roots to penetrate freely in search of food, and to enable them to withstand the demands of protracted drouths. Few soils in their ordinary condi- tion of farm culture are, in this respect, suitable for trees. Even where naturally deep and loamy, if the upper part only (say to the depth of six inches, which is as deep as most people plow) be in a friable condition, it cannot be considered as in a proper state for the reception of trees, for their roots cannot be confined to six inches of the sur- face. Some means of loosening and deepening must be resorted to, and what are they ? 1. SUBSOIL PLOWING. This is the cheapest and best method, where a large quantity of ground is to be prepared for extensive plant- ing. The common plow goes first, and takes as deep a furrow as practicable. The subsoiler follows in the same furrow, and loosens, without turning up, the lower part of the surface, and a part of the subsoil. Except in cases where the subsoil is a very stiff clay, or a hard gravel, and near the surface, the two plows can go to the depth of eighteen or twenty inches. This is our mode of pre- paring nursery grounds. If a single plowing in this way does not accomplish the desired end, a second may be given, going down still deeper. We halcasure and profit it will yield will pay for all. Notliing is so expensive nor so trouble- some as an ill-prepared soil, 3. DRAINING. There is a false notion very prevalent among people, that where Avater does not lodge on the surface of a soil, it is " dry enough." However this may be m regard to meadows or annual crops, it is quite erroneous when ap- plied to orchards or fruit gardens. Stagnant moisture, either in the surface or subsoil, is highly injurious — ruin- ous to fruit trees. In such situations, we invariably find them unthrifty and unfruitful, the bark mo3sy, and the fruit imperfect and insipid. All the soils, then, not per- fectly free from stagnant moisture, both above and below, should be drained. In draining, it is, of course, neces- sary to have a fall or outlet, for the water. Having se- lected this, the next ])oint is to ope:i the drains. We usually make them three feet deej), and wide enough to give sufficient room to work — say three feet wide at toj? narrowing gradually to six inches at the bottom, which should be even, and sloping enough to the outlet of the water to enable it to run. Draining plows are now used advantageously, lessening very much the expense of opening the drains. The plow is constructed something like the«subsoiler, and the horses are attached with a long evener, so that one can walk on each side of the drain. A sufficient number of men follow the plow to throw out the earth with shovels as fast as it is loosened. The two-inch pipe tile is the b.^st for common drains. For outlet drains, the size must bo proportioned to the number of small drains which discharge into it. Those who have much draining to do, and need infor- mation on the subject, should procure a work upon the subjec'-t. A. 74 GENERAL PIIIXCIPLES. Where draining tiles are not to be bad conveniently, small stones may be used. The bottom of the drain should be filled with tliem to the depth of eight or ten inches. In using these, the drains require to be at least six inches deeper than for tiles, in order that a sufficient quantity of stones can be used without coming too near the surface. Some brush, or tui-f, with the grassy side downwards, should be laid on the stones before filling in the earth, to keep it from filling up the crevices. Objections are sometimes made to draining for orchards on the ground t])at the roots may get into the drains, and fill them up. This difficulty is obviated by placing the rows of trees at a proper distance from the drains. CHAPTER in. MANURES. Section 1. — Impobtance of Mantjkes. Ko soil, whatever may be its original fertility, can sus- tain a heavy and continued vegetation for many years without becoming, to some extent, exhausted. Indeed, there are few people so fortunate, except those who settle upon new, uncultivated lands, as to procure a soil that does not need manuring to fit it for the first planting with trees. It is, then, a matter of importance for every man, who has more or less land to cultivate, to inform himself well on the subject of saving, preparing, and applying manures. In this country, the only class of men, general- ly speaking, who can be properly said to collect and manage manures with system and care, are nurserymen and market gardeners near our large towns. It is very MANURES. 75 seldom that people generally give the matter a thought until garden-making time comes around in the spring, and then anything in tlie form of manure is carried into the garden, and applied whether lit or unfit. This is not the proper course. Every garden should liavc its manure heap, that, in the fall or spring, when it comes to be applied, will cut like jyaste. In that state only is it safe to apply it. All parts of it are then decomposed thoroughly ; all seeds of noxious plants are dead, and it is in a condition capable of yielding at once, to the roots of growing plants, healthy nutrition, that will produce a vigorous, firm^ sound, and fruitful growth y and this is precisely what is wanted: far better to have a tree starved and stunted, than forced into a rank, plethoric growth, with crude, ill-prepared manures. Section 2. — Pheparatio:^ of Manures. The best gardeners pursue a system something like this : A trench is prepared, tv/o or three feet deep, and large enough to hold v/hat manure may be wanted. In the bottom of this trench, a layer of muck, grassy tui-f, ashes, anything and everything capable of being decom- posed, is laid down, say a foot deep. On the top of this, a thick layer of stable or barn-yard manure, two or three feet deep, then another layer of muck, gypsum, etc. In this way it remains until more manure has accumulated r.round the stables; it is then carried and deposited in another layer, with a layer of the other materials on the top. The manure should always be saturated with mois- ture, and ti'odden down firmly to hasten its decay; and if an occasional load of night soil could • be mixed in with it, all the better. The layer of muck and other substances bemg always placed on the top of the last layer of manure absorbs the evaporations of the heap, and hastens V6 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. the decay of all. AVlicn stable manure is thrown down and left uncovered, a dense steam will be seen to rise from it; and this is the very essence of it escaping to be lost ; and if it be thrown down in a heap dry^ it will im- mcdiat(!ly burn — that is, dry rot. Its enriching ingredi- ents all pass off by evaporation, and there is nothing left but its ashes, so to speak. ^ When the licat has accmnulatcd for four or five months, as described, the whole should be turned over, completely mixed, and piled up in a compact, firmly trodden mass, when it will undergo further decomposition, and, in a short tiiue, become like paste. Adjoining every manure heap there should be an excavation, to receive its liquid drainage, in orcer that it may be saved, and either applied, in the grovv'ing season, in a liquid state, diluted with water, or be thrown over the heap. '• Special manures " have been mucli talked of lately. By the word " special," is meant a particular quantity, cf a particidar mixture, for certain species, nnd even for cei-tani varieties of fruits. Nearly all the suggestions on the subject are speculative, and unreliable. The subject is an important one, but v/c v/a:it direct and careful ex- periments. It is only v/hen vf e kno w^ to a certainty what material certain trees need most of, and in what degree it abounds, or is wanting in our soil, that we can apply it safely. The experience of farmers and gardeners, grain and fruit growers, all over the vforld, affords undoubted evidence of the enricliing qualities of stable manure. On all soils, and for all sorts of crops, it is an unfailing and powerful fertilizer ; and we make it the base of all our manure and compost heaps. By mixing with it the in- gredients we have mentioned, we hasten its decay, save its pr\rts from waste, and, at the same time, combine with it other substances that will not only enrich, but improve the texture of soils, and increase tlie supply of the mineral substances required by plants. Dr. Daubney, a distin- MANURES. 77 guishcd writer on the character and improvement of soils, etc, says : " Fortunately, we are provided, in the dung of animnls, v\^ith a species of manure of which the land can never be said to tire, for this simple I'cason — tliat it contains within itself not one alone, but all the ingre- dients which plants require for their nutrition, and that, too, existing in the precise condition in which they are most readily taken in and assimilated." But a good sub- stitute for this article, where it cannot be obtained, is an important point. Some time ago, we noticed in the re- port of a discussion on manures in Boston, that tlie Hon. M. P. Wilder, one of the most distinguished horticultu- rists in America, stated that he had found the following compost equnl to stable manure for gardening 2>urposes generally, and for fruit trees. " One cord of meadow muck, having been exposed, to the action of the air and frost at least one year ; twelve bushels leached ashes ; six bushels crushed bones. This mixture cost him at the rate of $4. .50 cents per cord. Latterly, he added to this his stable manure, and about an eighth of the whole bulk of fine refuse charcoal from the depot of venders, which w^as delivered to him at $5 per cord ; and in this way he found it the best, as a gen- eral manure, he had ever used. On fruit trees its effect was remarkable. " In the spring of 1847, he planted a square in the nur- sery with imported trees from! England, this compost hav- ing been spread and plowed in. These trees were fi-om four to five feet in height, and although it is not usual for trees to make a large growth the first year, they ac- quired branches of three to four feet. " In June last, which is very late to set out trees, he prepared another square on rather poor land, and planted trees just received from England upon it. Tlie soil had been thrown up to the frost the previous winter, and the compost here was applied i.i the trenches, near the roots. 78 GENEEAL PKINCIPLES. Mr. Wilder exhibited two shoots which had grown fi'om those trees since they were set, in June. The shoots were four feet in length, and the wood hard, and well ripened." In addition to all these sources for manure, it may be added that fallen leaves, scrapings of streets, weeds, wood chips, sawdust, the ashes of all primings of trees and brush, soot, blood, animal flesh, soap-suds, and slops from the kitchen, and, in fact, everything decomposable may be used to increase the bulk of the manure heap, taking care that everything likely to waste by evapora- tion be covered at once with muek, charconl, or some material calculated to absorb the gases evolved by decom- position. We very frequently see people, in the spring of the year, when their garden is undergoing a purifying and fitting up process, carry to the highway all the brush, dry stems of plants, and all the wreck of the previous season's work, there to make a bonfire to get it out of the way, while at the same moment they complain sadly of the lack of manure. There was no such thing as a manure heap on the premises. Section 3. — Modes of Applting Manure. Where an acre or several acres of ground arc to be prepared for trees, the better way is to spead the manure over the surface, and turn it in with the plow. When it is scarce, and economy necessary, it may bo applied around the roots, by mixing with the earth at planting time. Quantity to he Applied. — This, of course, depends on two things — the necessities of the soil, and the quality of the manure. If the land be poor, an even covering of two or three inches should be given ; if in tolerably good condition, one inch will be sufiicient. One inch of well- MANURES. 79 decomposod animal manure will be equal to three inches of a partially decayed compost. Section 4. — Liquid Manure. Manure, in a liquid state, has these advantages to recom- mend it : It can be applied to trees and plants in a grow- ing state without, in the least, disturbing the surface of the soil, and it supplies, at the same time, both nutriment and moisture. It can be applied to beai-ing trees, straw- berries, etc., in fruity if defective in vigor, or suffering from drouth, and yield an immediate sustenance, that will enable them to j^roduce much larger and finer fruit than they could have done without it. It may either be collected in a tank, kept on purpose near the barns, or it may be made when wanted by dis- solving manure in water. It may be much stronger for trees, the roots of which are a considerable distance from the surface, than for sucli plants as have their roots near the surface. It is the only prompt and effectual stimu- lant for trees on a poor soil, to enable them to perfect their crop. We have frequently Avitnessed its astonishing effects. It should be applied in the evening, and in such quantity as to penetrate to the roots ; half a dozen water- ings will be sufficient in most cases, but it is better to apply it well diluted, and often, than a smaller quantity, too strong. A dozen shovelfuls of animal manure will make a bari'el of liquid powerful enough for most pur- poses ; and if pure liquid soakage of the manure heap or urine of animals is used, at least one-half rain-water should be added. Soap-suds forms an excellent liquid manure for all trees. The grape-vine is especially bene- fited by liberal and frequent application. 80 GENERAL PKINCIPLES. CHAPTER IV. THE DIFFERENT MODES OF PROPAGATING FRUIT TREES. 4 General HemarJcs. — The propagation of fruit trees may be classed under two principal heads — the Natvral^ which is by seeds ; and the Artificial^ by the division of \)[iQ plants^ as in cuttings^ layers^ suckers^ huds^ and grafts. PEOPAGATIOX BY SEEDS. Sieedling fruit trees are propagated either to obtain new varieties, or stocks for budding or grafting. It is only where the very rudest system of fruit culture is practised — as, for instance, in newly-settled countries — that seed- lings are planted out to bear, for the reason that, unless in very rare instances, varieties worthy of cultivation do not reproduce themselves from seed. The important dif- ferences that exist between the seeds of different classes of fruit trees render it necessary to treat of each sepa- rately ; their management will therefore be given in detail, in connection with the propagation of stocks. There are some points, howevei', of general application, that may be considered here with propriety. It scarcely admits of a doubt, but that many of the difficulties met with in fruit tree culture, as maladies of various sorts, unfruitful ness, etc., are induced by a careless and indis- criminating system of propagation. The stock has a most important influence on the health, longevity, fruitfulness, and symmetry of the tree, and should therefore be propagated nnd selected with due re- gard to its soundness, vigor, and hardiness of constitution. If it were possible, seeds, to grow stocks from, whether of the apple, pear, peach, plum, or any other, should be taken only from healthy, vigorous trees, and from perfect, PKOPAGATIOX BY SEEDS. 81 well-matured fruits. This is more especially important in the case of the peach, which, in some sections, is afiectcd with a fatal malady, known as the " yellows." In the case of the pUim, too, care should be taken not to grow stocks from4.he seeds of trees affected with that well-known fungus disease, called " black-knot." I have strong reasons for believing that stocks grown from trees affected with this disease will soon fall a prey to it. Indeed, I have seen it make its appearance among seedlings during their first season's growth in the seed- bed. As this disease is now so prevalent, I would recommend the total rejection of American seedlings unless grown from seed positively known to be the product of sound trees. It is safer to import stocks from Europe, where the plum-tree is exempt from the black-knot. In regard to other stocks, as the apple, pear, cherry, etc., usually grown from seed saved promiscuously, the greatest care should be taken to select and plant out, for budding or grafting upon, only such as show unmistaka- ble signs of health and vigor ; all others should be dis- carded. The strongest stocks come from the sound and healthy seed, and it is a pretty safe rule to discard the small ones. A discriminating spirit is already becoming apparent among the best classes of cultivators, and their example will soon be felt. The selection of seeds for stocks is a point of more than ordinary importance, and merits the special attention of every man engaged, to whatever ex- tent, in the propagation of fruit trees. Production of New Yarieties. — New varieties are pro- duced from seeds that have been properly hybridized, as described in the article on hybridization, or from seeds of the best specimens of the best varieties. Where it is desired to obtain seedlings of a particular variety, free from any crossing with others, the flowers "4* 82 GENERAL Pr.IXCIPLES. should be protected while in blossom, to guard them against foreign impregnation ; seeds sliould be saved only from large, perfect, fine flavored specimens, and the seeds themselves should be plump and mature. Sometimes a good variety is obtained by selecting from beds of seed- lings, such as possess marked evidences of improvement ; vigorous^ luxuriant growth^ large, heavy foilage^ promi- nent buds, and smooth, thorn less loood. These characters indicate superiority, but do not always ensure superior fruit. The stock is supposed to exert considerable influ- ence on the seed ; and if this be the case, it would be well to get such varieties as we wish seeds from, on their own roots, by layering, or grafting on roots in the ground, so that the graft will, itself, strike root. Mr. Knight's mode, of obtaining seedlings of the best varieties, was to prepare stocks from some good sort that would strike from cuttings. These stocks he planted in rich, wai-m soil, and grafted with the kind he wanted the seeds from. The first season after grafting he took them up, reduced the roots, and planted again. In this way he had them bear fruit in two years. He allowed only a couple of specimens to remain on each tree, and these, consequently, were very large, mature, and every way fine, and from these the seeds were taken. Seedlings may be tested quickly, by bud- ding or grafting them on bearing trees. We may fruit apples and pears in this way in four or five years, whilst ten or fifteen would be necessary on their own roots. 2. ^g Division of the Plants. — It has been remarked, in the article on buds, that every bud is capable, under favorable circumstances, of producing a new individual, similar to that from ^vhich it is taken. Hence it is, that out of the 3'oung annual wood of an apple, pear, peach, or any other fruit tree, we frequently make several hundreds. Every good, well-formed bud, properly separated, and inserted under the bark of the in- dividuals of the same, or a closely allied species, will, in PROPAGATION BY CUTTINGS. 83 one year from its insertion, or with one season's growth, h.ive become a new tree. It is by these means we are enabled to disseminate new varieties with sucli wonderful rapidity. If a young tree, of a new variety, will make half a dozen shoots the first season, each bearing half a dozen buds, we can, if we have stocks to bud on, be in possession of thirty trees of that variety in two years from the time we obtained one tree, and in another year we may have four times that number. The production of a tree from a bud, a graft, a layer, or a cutting, is but the same thing, effected by diffei-ent means. In all the cases, a part of the parent plant, with one or more buds attached, is separated from it. The cutting, sometimes composed of one bud, or joint, and sometimes of several, we put directly in the ground, where it forms roots. The graft is a cutting in- serted, not in the ground, but in the wood of another plant, to which it unites. The bud inserted under the bark of another tree, and the one buried in the ground, differ only in this, that one draws its support directly from the soil, and the other indirectly, through the tree to which it unites. Section 1. — ^Propagation by Cuttings. A cutting is a shoot, or part of a shoot, generally of one season's growth. The length of the cutting varies from a single eye, or joint, to a foot, according to the nature of the species, or the circumstances under which it is to be grown. The wood should be as stout and mature as possible, and should be cut close and smooth to a bud at both ends (fig. 58). In all cases, cuttings taken off close to the old wood, with the base attached, as in fig. 59, are more successful than when cut at several joints above ; and in many cases, as in the quince, for example, an inch or two of the old wood left attached to the base of the cutting, as in fig. 60, render it still more certain of sue- 84 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. cess. The more buds we can get around the base of a cutting, the better, other things being equal ; for these buds, as soon as they become active, send down new matter, from which the roots are emitted. Cuttings of the grape are sometimes made of a single eye (fig. 61), with an inch or so of wood above and below it. The time to make cuttings is in the fall, as soon as the Figs. 58 to 62.— CUTTINGS. 58, a cutting, all of yonng wood ; 59, a cutting, with a heel of old wood ; 60, a cutting, with 2 or 3 eyes of old wood ; 61, a cutting of a single eye of the grape Yine ; 62, a long cutting of the grape ; line A, B, surface of the ground. wood is ripe, and through the early winter months. It should not be deferred later than January. The soil for cuttings is of the greatest importance to their success, for if, on the one hand, it be cold, damp, and compact, they will decay, and if too loose and sandy, they will dry up for the want of sufficient moisture. A soil so mellow that it cannot bake, and yet so compact as to retain humidity enough to support the cuttings until new roots are formed, seems to be absolutely necessary — such a soil as we may PROPAGATION BY CUTTIXaS. 85 suppose a good garden border to be composed of. Rooted plants can endure extremes, but cuttings require the most flivorable circumstances. Time to plant. — The fall would be the better season to plant all cuttings, if we could cover them so as to jDre- vent the frost from heaving them out. It is on account of this difficulty that we plant, from necessity, in the spring ; but spring planting must be done very early, that vegetation may proceed gradually. If late planted, warm weather comes on them at once, before they have formed roots sufficient to support the demands of the young leaves. Where only a few are gi'own, shading might, at certain times, be given, and some light substance, like sawdust, be spread about them, to preserve an even tem- perature and humidity, or they might be put in a cold- frame, where they could receive any required attention. Where acres of cuttings are grown, these things are not practicable. Depth to plant. — As a general thing, cuttings should be inserted so deep, that only two buds will be above the surface of the ground, and in the vine only one. If cut- tings are long, they need not be set perpendicularly, but sloping, so as to be within reach of heat and air. A cutting of a single eye of the vine, with a j^iece of wood attached, must be entirely covered — say half an inch 4eep ; see figures 58 to 62, ground line, ^, B. But such cuttings are seldom planted, except in pots, in houses, or in hot-beds. Preserving Cuttings. — If cuttings are not planted in the autumn, they should at least be prepared quite early in the winter, and be buried in the earth, out of doors, in a pit. A mound of earth should be drawn up over the pit to throw off water. At the very first favorable mo- ment in the spiing, they should be planted. Trenches are opened as deep as necessary with a spade, and the cuttings set in it at the proper distances, from three inches 86 GENERAL PKINCIPLES. to .1 foot, according to circumstances. When the cuttings are in the trench, the earth is partly filled in, and trod firmly down with the foot, then the balance is filled in and leveled up. Cuttings require particular attention in the way of weeding and hoeing ; if weeds grow up thickly, and ap- propriate the moisture of the ground, or if the surface be allowed to crack, as it may, after rains, if not quite sandy, they will either make a feeble growth or fail entirely. The ground wants repeated stirring to keep it friable and perfectly free from weeds. Section 2. — Pkopagation by Layering. A layer is similar to a cutting, except that it is allowed to remain in partial connection with the parent plant until it has emitted roots. On this account, layers are mucli more certain than cuttings. It is the surest and most simple method of propagating the Grape and the Gooseberry^ and also the Quince^ Paradise^ and Doucin, for stocks. It may bo performed in the spring with shoots of the previous year's growth, before vegetation has com- menced, or in July and August, on wood of the same season's growth. The ordinary mode of doing it is, first, to spade over and prepare the ground in which the branch is to be laid, in order to make it light and friable. The branch is then brought down to the ground (fig. 63) ; an incision is made at the base of bud, A^ through the bark and partly through the wood ; the knife is drawn upward, splitting the shoot an inch or two in length, and the branch is laid in the earth with the cut open, and kept down by means of a crooked or hooked wooden peg, S. The earth is then drawn in smoothly around, covering it two or three inches deep ; and the end of the shoot that is above ground is tied up to a stick, (7, if it requires PEOPAGATION BY LAYERING. 87 A COMMON LATER. incision ; i?, hooked pc: C, stake. support. In the Grape^ Gooseberry, or Currant, a simple notch below a bud is suificient, and they will root it* sim> ply pegged down ; but roots are formed more rapidly v»hen the shoot is cut one- tliird through, and slit as described. A long shoot of the vine mriy be layered at several points, and thus produce several rooted plants in the course of one season. This is called serpentine layering (fig. 64). The Quince, Para- dise, and Doucin stocks, where raised in large quan- tities, are propagated in a different way from that de- scribed. The process requires much less labor; and Avhere plants root so freely as they do, it answers every purpose. We will take a plant of the quince, for example, and, in the spring, before grovv^th commences, we cut it down nearly to the ground, leaving four or five buds at its base (^,fig. C5). Dur- ing that season, a number of vig- orous shoots will be made. The folio win 2: au- tumn or sprmg 1 the earth is drawn up around the base of the ^^•^^- 6i.-SEHPENTINE LATEU. plant, so that the crown, where it was cut, will be covered, and, consequently, the base of all the shoots for several 88 GENEEAL PRINCIPLES. inches in height. During the next summer's growth, every branch is sufficiently rooted to be separated and placed in nursery rows the following spring. This is the way to obtain strong stocks ; for the cutting back of the mother plant produces very vigorous shoots the first season, and when another season's growth is added, they are as strong as can be desired. TVe succeed in rooting these shoots the first season of their growth by earth- ing them up about mid- summer; but they are not was cat back. quite strong enough, or suf- ficiently rooted, for transplanting and budding the fol- lowing season. Fig. 65.— MOUND -LAYERING OR B.\NKING-UP. A, the point at which the mother plant Section 3. — Propagation by Suckers. SiccTcers are shoots sent up from the roots. We observe them most frequently around trees that liave had their roots wounded by the spade or plo'.v. The wounds induce the formation of buds, and these buds send up shoots. They are occasionally used from nece.<^sity for stocks, but should not bo employed where seedlings can be obtained. Occasionally, we find certain varieties of plum throw up fine vigorous suckers, that would make excellent stocks if taken oif with goad roots ; but their tendency to produce suckers renders them exceedingly annoying in gardens, and, on this account, objectionable. The roots of the raspberry are full of buds, and, consequently, throw up great quantities of suckers, and the smallest cuttings PROPAGATION BY BUDDING. 89 of the roots will grow. Suckers, of any plants, that can easily be propagated by cuttings or layei-s, should never be used. Section 4. — Propagation bt Budding. This operation is performed during the growing season, and usually on young trees from one to five years old, with a smooth, soft bark. It consists in separating a bud, with a portion of bark attached, from a shoot of the cur- rent season's growth of one tree, and inserting it under the bark of another. When this bud begins to grow, all that i:)art of the stock above it is cut away, tlie bud grows on, and eventually forms a tree of the same variety as that from Avhich it was taken. Buds may be inserted in June, and make considerable growth the same season, as they do in the South, but, as a general tiling, this is not desirable in the propagation of fruit trees. The ordinary season in the Northern States is from the middle of July until the middle of September, and the carliness or late- ness at which a species is budded depends, other things being equal, on the condition of its growth. Those accomplishing their growth early in the season are budded early, and those that grow until the autumn are budded late. Thus the season extends over a period exceeding two months. In all cases, the following condi- tions are necessary : 1st. The buds must he perfectly developed in the axils of the leaves on the young shoots intended to bud from. This is seldom the case until the shoot has temporarily ceased to lengthen, as indicated by the perfect formatio.i of its terminal bud. If buds are wanted before this condition naturally ar- rives, their maturity may be hastened very much by pinching the tips of the shoots. In ten or twelve days after the pinching of a very soft shoot, its buds are fit for working. 90 GEN^ERAL PRIXCIPLES. 2d. The harh must raise freely from the stocks to he bud- ded. This only happens when the stocks are in a thrifty and growing state. Trees that accomplish most of their growth early in the season, must be watched and budded before they cease to grow ; those that grow very late must not be budded early, or the formation of new wood will surround and cover the buds ; in gardener's language, they will be " drowned by the sap." The implements needed arc a pruning-knife^ to dress the stocks by removing any branches that may be in the way of inserting the bud; and a hudding Jcnlfe^ to take oif the buds and make the incisions in the stock. The latter should have a very thin, smooth, and keen edge. Strings for tying in the buds are either taken from bass mats, or they are prepared from the bark of the bass wood. "We always prepare our own ; we send to the woods and strip the bark off the trees in June ; we then put it in water from two to three weeks, according to the age of the bark, until the fibrous, paper-like inner bark can be easily separated from the outer, when it is torn into strips, dried, and put away for use. Gutting and Preparwig the JBuds. — Young shoots, in the condition described, are cut below the lowest plump bud ; an inch or two of the base of every shoot, where the buds are very close together, and quite small, should be left. The leaves are then strii)ped off, leaving half of each leafstalk to handle the bud by, as in fig. C3. Preserving the Buds. — When a considerable quantity is cut at once, ihey should be stripped of the leaves and wrapped in a damp cloth as soon as cut ; and they may be preserved in good order for ten days, by keeping them in a cool cellar among damp sawdust, or closely en- veloped in damp cloths, matting, or moss. We often send buds a week's journey, packed in moss slightly moistened ; the leaves being off, the evaporation is trifling, PEOPAGATIOIS^ BY BUDDING. 91 none, in fact, when packed up, consequently very little moisture is needed. Having the stocks, buds, and implements in the condi- tion described, the operation is performed in this way : The shoot to bud from is taken in one hand, and the budding-knife in the other; the lower part of the edge of the knife is placed on the shoot, half an inch above the bud to be removed (A, fig. 66) ; the thumb of the knife- hand rests on the shoot below the bud J^ ; a, drawing cut is then made parallel with the shoot, removing the bud and the bark, to which it is attached, half an inch above and three-quarters below it. This is the usual Fig. 66, a shoot of buds with the leaves -i ^] i - •. taken off, showing the position of the knife in i^^gtll, DUt It may, m removing a bud. Fig. 67, A bud badly taken many CaSCS, be sllOrtcr, off, with a hollow in the center. Fig. 68, A rr^^^ ^„. -^ ^„;i„ :„„4. eood bud ; A, root of bud ; B, root of feaf. ^he CUt IS made JUSt deep enough to be be- low the bark. A small portion of tl.e wood is always taken off with it, and if this adheres firmly, it should be allowed to remain; if it parts freely, it should be taken out, but in doing so, the root of the bud must be carefully preserved, for if it comes out with the wood, the bud is useless. The root of the bud, as it is termed, is a small portion of wood in the hollow part of the inside of the bad. Fig. 67 is a good bud ; A, root of bud, ^, root of leaf. Fig. 68 is imperfect, the roots of leaf and bud both out. A smooth place on the stock, clear of branches, is then chosen, wh.crc two Figs. 66 to 68. — budding. 92 GEZSTEIiAL, PRlNCIiPLES. incisions arc made to the depth of the bark, one across the end of the other, so as to form a "f? (^g- ^^) I ^^^^ hark on the two edges of the perpendicular cut is raised (fig. 70) with the smooth ivory handle of the budding-knife, and the bud is inserted between them (fig. 71) ; the upper end of the bark attached to the bud is cut square, to fit to the horizontal cut on the stock ; the bass string is then wound around tiglitly, commencing at the bottom, and covering every part of the incision, leaving the bud itself and the leaf-stalk uncovered (fig. 72) ; the string is fasten- ed above the horizontal cut, and the work is done. The rigs. 70. 71. to 72.-T-INSERTION OP THE BUD. Fig. 69, A, stock with the bark slit vertically and across. Fig. 70, the same, with the bark raised. Fig. 71, the same, with the biid inserted. Fig. 72, the same, tied up. success of the operation, as far as its execution is con- cerned, depends, in a great measure, on smooth cuts, an exact Jit of the bud to the incision inade for it^ secure^ close tying, that will completely exclude air and rain- water, and the quick perfonnance of the \\hole. The in- sertion of a bud should not, in any case, occupy more than a tniiiute y ordinary jpracticed budders will set two in PROPAGATION KY GRAFTING. 93 that time, and often two hundred in an hour, with a per- son to tie. Wiiere the stocks and buds work well, two thousand is not an uncommon day's work in our nurseries, especially of cherries, peaches, and apples. Budding is usually mucli more successful when performed in moder- ately dry weather tlian in wet — the sap being in a condi- tion more favorable for the formation of a union between the stock and bud. The chief difficulty, experienced by beginners in bud- ding, is the proper removal of tlic bud. When it hap- pens that tlie knife passes exactly between the bark and wood, the bud cannot fail to be good ; but this rarely hapi^ens — more or less wood is attached, and the removal of this is the nice point. Where the buds are flat, the difficulty is less than when they have large, prominent shoulders, as tlie plum and pear have, in many cases. When all the wood is taken out of these, a cavity re- mains, which does not come in contact with the wood on whic'i the bud is placed, and therefore, although the bark unites well, the bud \vill not grow. A little practice will enable tlie budder to overcome tliis and all other me- chanical difficulties. Section 5. — PeopagatiojST by Grafting. Grafting is the inserti(m of a cion of one species or variety on the stem or branch of another, which is called the stoclc. Its principal object is the same as budding, to increase certain varieties that cannot be reproduced from seed with certainty ; but it is frequently performed with other objects in view. For instance : 1o Fruit a New Variety. — A cion inserted in a branch of a bearing tree, will bear fruit perhaps the second year from the graft ; but if the same cion had been put on a young seedling, it would not have borne in ten years. One species is frequently grafted with success upon 94 GENEEAL PRINCIPLES. another, by which certain important modifications are wrought upon both the size and fruitfuhiess of trees, and the quality of the fruits. Thus, we can graft, in many cases, with highly beneficial results, the peacli and npri- cot on the plum, the pear on the quince, strong-grow- ing species and varieties on weaker ones, and vice versa. But experience has established the fact, that there must be, between the stock and graft, a close alliance. We cannot graft an apple on a peachy nor a cherry on a pear / but the pear, the apple, quince, medlar, thorn, and mountain-ash — a naturally allied group — may, with more or less suc- cess, be worked upon one another. The French horticulturists, who are the most skillful and curious in all matters pertaining to tlie propagation of plants, describe in their works upwards of one hun- dred dliFerent modes of grafting, practiced in different ages and countries, and for the attainment of particular objects ; but, hoAVCver interesting the study of all these may be to the student and experimentalist, the great bulk of them arc of little practical utility, and are never applied in the multiplication of fruit trees. It is, therefore, un- necessary to fill up the pages of such a treatise as this, with either a historical account, or description of them. The methods described below are those universally adopt- ed, with slight modifications, by the best practical propa- gators everywhere at the present day. Stocks are of all ages, from a yearling seedling to a tree forty or fifty years old ; but of whatever age, they should be soiuid and healthy. ISTursery stoaks will be more ])articularly spoken of in the proper place. Glons are generally shoots of tlie previous year's growth. Those bearing fruit-buds are only used for the purpose of experiment, and in that rarely. They should be cut in the autumn after the fall of the leaf, or in the mnter, and be preserved carefully in earth until wanted for use. If intended for root-grafting early in the PROPAGATION BY GRAFTING. 95 spring in the houso, it will be sufficient to bury tlieir lower ends in earth, in a cool, dry cellar ; but if wanted for out-door grafting, they should be buried in dry sand soil, in a pit, on the north side of a wall or fence, and deeply covered with earth drawn up in a mound to throw off the water. They are thus kept perfectl\- dormant un- til used, and not so dry as to shrivel the bark. They should always be taken from liealthy, vigorous trees ex- clusively, and be of firm, well-ripened wood from the up- per branches of the tree. A moderate-sized shoot or cion, if well matured and sound, is much better than one as thick as a man's finger, /)/^Ay ^"^ unripe. The implements used in grafting are tiie graftlng-hnlfe, saw, and chisel, (see implements). In whip-grafting or splice-grafting, the stocks being small require the knife only, or not more than the knife and chisel. It is always better to have two knives — one to prune and do the rough work, and the other to prepare the cion. Grafting coonpositlon is pre- pared in various ways. liosin, heesioax, and tallow, in about equal parts, answer very well. Lately, however, we have found it better to use mpre rosiu and less bees- wax and tallow ; thus, to two pounds of rosin we add one and one-fourth pounds of beeswax, and three-fourths of a pound of tallow. For whip-grafting on the root, and small trees in the nursery, we use thin calico cloth, satu- rated with this compositio!!, instead of the composition it- self, and find it more convenient and expeditious. For root grafts, instead of cloth, we now use paper, which we find answers the purpose perfectly. This paper is a cheap brown article known here as " grafting paper " and is used by nearly all nurserymen for this purpose. The liquid wax is spread on the paper with a brush, after which it is cut into strips an inch or so wide, ready for use. (Instead of tallow we now use raw linseed oil, a pint of which is equal to a pound of tallow.) We tear the calico into narrow strips, roll it into balls, and then soak it in the liquid com- 9G GENERAL PRINCIPLES. position until every pore of the cloth is filled with it. The person who applies it to the grafts takes it from these halls, tears it in pieces the length and breadth required by the size of the stock, and two or three turns of it around the graft secure it completely. This thin cloth soon decays, and yields to the enlargement of the part it incloses. We have tried tow, paper, and other materials, but find this the best. Having the cions, implements, and composition in readiness, the work is performed as follows : Whip- Grafting on the Root. — For this purpose, seed- ling stocks are generally used, one or two years old, varying from one-fourth to three- eighths of an inch in diameter. The graft is always made at the collar, and, therefore, the stems of the plants are cut off at that point ; the small tap-roots and any cumbrous fibres are removed, leaving them about four inches in length (fig. 73) ; they are then washed clean, and are ready for the opera- tion. The grafter then makes a smooth, even, sloping cut, an inch long, upwards, on the collar of the root, A / and in the center of this cut he makes a slit or tongue, -Z?, downwards. The cion, wliich should be three -liOOT GKAFTING. or Fig-s. 73 to 75. Fig. 73, the root; J., the sloping cut; B^ the tongue. Fig. 74, the cion ; J., tlie sloping cut ; four inches long i/, the tongne. Fig. 75, the union of cion and stock. (fig. 74), is cut on the lower end with a sloping cut downwards, and similar PROPAGATIOX BY GRAFTING. ^7 in all respects to that made on the stock ; a slit, or tongue, is made in it upwards, B^ corresponding, also, with that on the stock; and they are then neatly fitted together, the tongue of the one within the other (fig. 75), and the inner barks of both placed in close and perfect contact, at least on one side. The fit should be so complete as to sit close and firm in all parts. The person who applies the wax takes a narrow strip of the cloth or paper described, and wraps it firmly around, covering the parts united. A man and boy can graft of these, twelve to fifteen hundred per day, and by a special efibrt, two thousand. When the grafting is thus performed, the grafted plants are put away as closely as they can be packed in small boxes, with sandy earth among the roots, and deposited either in a cold cellar or in a dry place out of doors, where frost cannot penetrate to the roots, until planting time in spring. Whip- Grafting on small trees, standing in the open ground, is performed in precisely the same manner, the oblique or sloping cut and tongue, corresponding in stock and graft, fitting into each other with precision, and the inner bark of both, at least on one side, j^laced in close contact. Stocks an inch in diameter can be grafted in this way. Either the cloth or the liquid composition may be applied, the latter put on with a brush. For all moderate sized stocks the cloth is preferable. In cold weather, a small furnace can be kept at hand to keep the composi- tion in working order. Cleft Grafting is practiced on trees or branches too large for whip grafting — say from an inch in diameter up- wards. In this case, the cion is cut precisely in the form of a Avedge (fig. 76). The part cut for insertion in the stock should be about an inch or an inch and a half long, with a bud (^4) at the shoulder, where it is to rest on the stock ; this bud hastens the union of the parts in tlie same way as a bud at the base of a cutting, set in the earth, 5 98 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. hastens and facilitates the emission of roots ; the outer edge should also be somewhat thicker than the inner. A sloping cut {A, fig. 77) is then made on the stock, an inch and a half long ; another cut (JS) is made across this cut, about half way down, as at point B; the stock is split on one side of the phh by laying the chisel on tlie horizontal surface, and strik- ing lightly with a mallet ; the split is kept open with the knife or chisel until the cion is insert- ed, with the thick side out (^1, fig. 78). Grafts of this kind heal much more rapidly than when cut at once ^-.. i illliil' ' ffllilil horizontally, Yery large branches are sawed horizontally off at the point to be grafted {A^ fig. 79) ; the surface is then pared smooth with the knife, a riffS. 76 to 78. — CLEFT GRAFTING. Fig. 76, cion, with sloping cut on east side, like a gpJi^ ig made with wedge ; J., bud at the shoulder ; JB, section showing J -i • i i • shape of wedge. Fig. 77. the stoclc cnt and split ; A, ^^^ Chisei, nearly m the sloping cut; B, horizontal cut. Fig. 78, the cion the Center, and twO inserted in the stoclv. .. wedge-iike cions in- serted {A, B^ fig. 80) ; if both grow, and they are after- wards too close, one can be cut away. Another mode of grafting such large stocks, or branches, is to cut them off horizontally, as above, and pare them smooth with the Pr.OP.VClATlOX JiY GRAFTING 99 knife ; tlieii cut tlic cioii on one side, about an inch and a half long, making a shoulder at the top; then raise the bark from the stock with the handle of a budding-knife, and insert the cion between the bark and wood; ap- ply the composition the same as in the others, all over the cut part. Two oi- throe cions may be put in each. The principal objection to this mode is that the grafts, if they grow rapidly, are apt to be blown ofi' before they have united strongly to the stock. The great points to observe always, are — to have sharp in- struments, that will make smooth, clean cuts ; to have placed in perfect contact the inner barks of cion and stock ; to have the whole cut surface and every portion of the spht perfectly covered with the com- position, and to exclude air and water. The cion should always be cut close to a bud at the point {A, fig. 76), and have a bud at the shoulder, or [)oint of union with the stock {A, fig. 78). In grafting the heads of Inrge trees, it is not convenient to use the composition in a melted state, to be put on with the brush, and the large cut surfaces , n 1 J .,, ^T Fig. 79, the stock cut horizontnllr cannot well be covered with the , J„,, ^, ^. Fi„ go, the samcs cloth ; it is, therefore, better to with two cions inserted, use the composition in such a state that it can be put on with the hands. A very sm.nll quantity of brick-dust may be advantageously mixed with it when intended for this purpose, to prevent its being melted by the sun» 79. 80. Figs. 79 and 80.— cleft GRAFTING. 100 GENEIIAL PKINCIPLES. Double Working. — When we graft or bud a tree already budded or grafted, we call it " double- worked." Certain very important advantages are gained by it. Some varie- ties are of such feeble growth, that it is impossible to make good trees of them in the ordinary way of working on common stocks. In such cases, we use worked trees of strong growing sorts as stocks for them. Many varieties of the pear do not unite well with the quince stock ; we therefore bud other varieties of strong growth, that do succeed, and use them for stocks to work the others on. By this means vre arc enabled to possess dwarf trees of many varieties, that we could not other- wise have in that form. Wc have fruited the Dix in two years by double working on the quince, when otherwise it would have taken not less than seven. Some varieties of fruit trees are much better than others, though of equal vigor, to graft upon. In the pear, for example, we find the White Doyenne makes a good stock for almost all other varieties — superior, in this respect, to any other we liave ever experimented with. A great many improve- ments may be effected, not only in the form and growth of trees, but in the quality of the fruit, by double work- ing. Yery few experiments have yet been made on the subject in this country, except from necessity ; but the general interest now felt on all matters pertaining to fruit- tree culture cannot fail to direct attention to this and similar matters that have heretofore, in a great measure, been overlooked. CHAPTER Y. PRUNING— ITS PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE. Pruning is one of the most important operations con- nected with the management of trees. From the removal of the seedling plant from the seed-bed, through all its PRUNING. 101 successive stages of growth nnd maturity, pruning, to some extent, and for some purpose, is necessary. It may therefore, be reasonably presumed that no one is capable of managing trees successfully, and especially those con- ducted under certain forms, more or less opposed to nature, without knowing well how to prune^ lohat to prune ^ and when to prune. This knowledge can only be acquired by a careful study of the structure of trees, because the pruning applied to a tree must (aside from the general principles on which all pruning depends) be adapted to its particular habits of growth and mode of bearing its fruit. It is in view of this fact that the chapter on the structure and mode of formation of the different parts of fruit trees has been given in the first part of this treatise, that it may form the basis of this branch of culture. The idea that our bright American sun and clear at- mosphere render pruning analmost unnecessary operation, has not only been inculcated by horticultural writers, but has been acted upon in practice to such an extent, that more than three-fourths of all the bearing fruit trees in the country are at this moment either lean, misshaped skeletons, or the heads are perfect masses of wood, unable to yield more than one bushel in ten of fruit, well matur- ed, colored, and ripened. This is actually the case even in what may be called, in comparison, well-managed orchards. Look at the dif- ference between the fruits produced on young and old trees. The former are open, the fruits are exposed to the sun, and, therefore, they are not only large and perfect, but their skins are smooth and brilliant, as though they were painted and polished. This ought to teach us some- thing about pruning. But this is only one point. We prune one portion of a tree to reduce its vigor, and to favor the growth of another and weaker part. We prune a stem, a branch, or a shoot, to produce ramifications of these parts, and thus change or modify the form of the 103 GKNERAL P11INC11'LE&. whole. We i3rune to induce fruitfulness, and to diminish it. We prune in the growing as well as in the dormant season, and, finally, we prune botli roots and branches. Thus we see that pruning is applied to all parts of the tree, at all seasons, and to produce the most opposite results. It appears necessary to treat of pruning, under each of these circumstances, separately. 1st. Pruning to direct the Growth from one part of a tree to another. — The first period in the existence and growth of a tree in wliich this becomes necessary, is in the nursery. Those who have had any experience in tree culture, have observed that young trees in nursery rows have a tendency to increase in lieight without acquiring a well-proportioned increase in diameter. In certain cases, this want of proportion becomes so great, tliat the tree bends under its own weight, and hence it is necessary to resort to some method of propping it up. This condition is attributable to se\'eral causes. First, the absence of a sufficient amount of air and light around the stem, to enable the leaves on it to fulfill their functions properly. It has been shown that the formation of new wood de- pends upon the elaborating process carried on in the leaves, and that this process can be maintained only in a free exposure to the sun and air. Tliis being the case, it is obvious that any part of the tree excluded from the action of these agents caimot keep pace in growth with other parts to which they have full access. In nursery rows, as trees are usually planted, the stems, after the first year's growth, are to a great extent excluded from the light, consequently the buds and leaves on them can- not perform their parts in the creation of new wood. The top of the tree, however, is fully exposed, and, conse- quently, it makes a rapid growth towards the free air and light. When this is continued for two or three years in succession, the tree becomes top-heavy; the quantity of PRUNING. 103 woody fibre at the top is as great as, and it may be greater than, at the bottom ; and hence it bends under its own weight. 2d. The tendency of the sap to the growing points at the top of the tree. — Growth is always the most ac- tive and vigorous at the newly formed parts, when trees are in a natural condition. Tlie young buds are the most excitable, and the more direct their communication with the roots, the more rapid will be tlieir growth. Hence it is that a yearling tree, furnished with fifteen to twenty buds or more, from its base to its top, frequently produces a shoot from its terminal bud only, and seldom more than three or four shoots from the whole number of buds, and these at the top. This natural tendency, and the exclu- sion of light from the stems of nursery trees by their closeness to one another, are the chief causes of weak and crooked trees, to counteract which we resort to pruning. In " heading down " a young tree^ we cut away one- third or one-half of the length of the stem, and this removes the actively growing parts. The sap must then find new channels. Its whole force is directed to the buds that were before dormant; they are excited into growth, and produce new vv-ood and leaves ; these send down new layers of woody fibre on the old stem, and it increases rapidly in diameter, so that by the time it lias attained its former height, the base is two or three times as thick as the top, and possesses sufiicient strength to maintain an erect position. Maintaining an equal Growth among the branches of a tree is conducted on the same principle. Branches that are more favorably placed than others, appropriating more than their due proportion of the sap, and growing too vig- orously, are checked by removing more or less of their growing points ; this lessens the flow of sap to that point, and it naturally takes its course to the growing 104 GEXERAL PRTXCIPLES. parts of the weaker branches that were left entire, and thus a balance is restored. Fruning to renev) the Growth of stunted trees. — It frequently happens that trees, from certain causes, become stunted, and almost cease to grow, and every part as- sumes a comparatively dormant condition. In such cases they are cut back, the number of their buds and leaves is reduced, the whole force of the sap is made to act upon the small number remaining, and enables them to produce vigorous young shoots ; these send down new woody matter to the stem, new roots are also formed, and tlius the whole tree is renewed and invigorated, Fruning to indwie Fruitftdness. — This is conducted on the principle that whatever is favorable to rapid, vigorous growth, is unfavorable to the immediate production of fruit. Hence, the object in view must be to check gro^^ th and impede the circulation of the sap — just the opposite of pruning to renew growth. The only period at which this pruning can be performed, is after vegetation has commenced. If a tree is severely pruned immediately after it has put forth its leaves, it receives such a check ns to be unable to produce a vigorous growth the same season ; the sap is impeded in its circulation, and the re- sult is that a large number of the young shoots that woiild have made vigorous wood branches, had they not been checked, assume the character of fruit spurs and branches. Filching is the principal mode of pruning to promote fruitfulness, and will be explained hereafter. It depends upon the above principle of impeding the circulation of the sap and checking growth. Fruning to diminish Fruitfulness is conducted on the same principle as that to renew growth, for this, in fact, is the object. Fruning the Foots. — This is practiced as well to pro- mote fruitfulness as to lessen tlie dimensions of trees. The roots, as hns been shown, are the organs that absorb PRUNING. 105 from the ground the principal food of the tree, and in pro- portion to their number, size, and activity, other things being equal, are the vigor and growth of tlie stem and branches. Hence, when a tree is deprived of a certain portion of its roots, its supply of food from the soil is lessened, growth is checked, the sap moves slowly in its channels, is better elaborated in the leaves, and the young branches and buds begin to assume a fruitful character. Boots are also pruned to prevent them from penetrat- ing too deeply into the earth, and to induce the formation of lateral roots near the surface, similar to the cutting back of a stem to produce lateral branches ; the principle is the same. Frunlng at the time of Transplanting. — This is per- formed, not only to remove bruised and broken roots and branches, but to restore the tree to a proper balance. As trees are ordinarily taken from tlie o-round, the roots are bruised, broken, or mutilated, to a greater or less extent. This obviously destroys the natural balance or proportion that existed between the roots and stem, and in such a condition the tree is unable to grow. The demand upon the roots must therefore be lessened by reducing the stem and brandies in length or number, or both ; and the more the roots ha\e sufiered, the greater must be the reduction of the stem and branches to bring them to a correspond- ing condition. PRUNING MECHANICALLY CONSIDERED. Having now treated of the principles on which prun- ing depends, it remains to speak of its mechanical execu- tion ; for it is not only necessary to know what and why, but how to prune. Theory is only useful as it serves to guide in practice. 1st. Prxming Stems or Branches. — The great point to be observed in making incisions on the stems and branches 5* 106 GENEEAL PRINCIPLES. of trees, is to provide for the speedy and perfect healing of the wounds, or cut surfaces. In removing a portion of a branch, or stem, if we cut between two joints, and thus leave a portion of wood above the bud intended to be cut to, as in fig. 81, this wood dies, and we have the trouble of another pruning to remove it. If we cut too close to the bud, and thus remove a portion of the wood with which it is connected, as in fig. 82, the bud will either die, or disappoint us by producing a very feeble growth. The proper way is to take the branch to be operated on in the left hand, place the edge of the knife Figs. 81 to 84.— PRUNING. Fig. 81, cutting too far above the bud. Fig. 82, cutting too close. Fig. 83, the cut as it should be. Fig. 84, removal of a brancli, the cross-line indicating the proper place for the cut. on it, opposite the lower part of the bud to be cut to, and then make a firm, quick, smooth draw-cut, sloping upwards, so that the knife will come out on a level with the point of the bud, as in fig. 83. In soft-wooded, pitliy trees, like the grape-vine, for example, half an inch of wood ought to be left above the bud. The cut should also be made as much as possible on the lower side of the branch to prevent rain from lodging in the center. The position of the bud cut to is also worthy of consideration in pruning, to produce or modify certain forms. When PRUNING. 107 we wish the new shoot of a, lateral branch to take, as much as possible, an uprlrjht direction, we prune to a bud on the inside ; and if we wish it to spread, we choose one on tlie outside. In the annual suppression, or cutting back of young trees, to form a stem or side branches, the bud selected to form the leader is chosen on opposite sides every successive year, in order to maintain the growth in a straight line. If cut every year to a bud on the same side, it would, in two or three seasons, show an inclination to that side injurious to the symmetry of the tree. The removal of large Branches, where they are to be entirely separated from the tree, is often very clumsily performed. In orcliards, it is not at. all uncommon to see them chopped oif with a common axe ; and even in gar- dens there seem to be few j)ersons who either know how, or take the proper care in this matter. They are either cut so that a portion of the base of the branch remains, and sends out vigorous shoots, defeating the objects of the pruning, or they are cut so close that a portion of the wood of the main branch or stem is taken with them, and a wound made that years are required to heal up. Both these extremes ought to be avoided. The surface of the cut made by the removal of a branch should in no case be larger than the base of the branch. Where a branch is united to another or to tlie main stem, we notice, both above and , below the point o? union, a small projection, or shoulder, as at the cross-line in fig. 84. The knife must enter just below that shoulder, and, by being drawn upwards in a straight line, the base is so completely removed that no slioots can be produced there, and yet the cut surface on the stem is no larger than the base of the branch. When the saw is used, the surface of the cut should be pared smooth with the knife, both to prevent water lodging on it, and to facilitate the heal- ing of the wound. 108 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 2d. Pruning the Hoots. — This is perf(n*med by opening a trench around the tree, just at the extremities of the roots : the distance from the tree will, therefore, depend on its size, and the spreading character of the roots. The trench should be the width of a common garden spade, and deep enough to admit of an inspection of all the roots of the tree. If the lateral roots are to be short- ened, this is done first. The knife should be placed on the lower side of the root, and the part separated with a clean draw-cut, such as would be performed on a branch. If the tree has vertical or tap roots, they are most easily opei'ated on with a sharp spade, prepared and kept for the purpose. A smart stroke with such a spade, in as nearly a horizontal direction as possible, will separate a pretty strong root. The extent to whicli root pruning may be performed depends on the character of the spe- cies, the condition of the tree as regards growth, and the object aimed at. Those practising it for the first time should go to work with great caution. It will be better to operate too lightly than too severely. As regards the season, it may be performed either at the end of the first growth, in July or August, or in the autumn or winter, when vegetation is quite suspended. We have operated on cherry trees with complete success in August, in a dry time, when little growth was going on. At this season, a copious watering should be given after the pruning is performed. Implements of pruning, and the mode of using them, will be treated of in the chapter on implements, to be given hereafter. The Season for Prunmg. — We are not permitted to be very definite on this point. The climate, the nature of the species, etc., control the period of pruning to a great extent. In the South, what we term the winter pruning — ^that performed during the dormant season — may be done very soon after the fall of the leaf. In the North, PRUNING. 109 it is deferred to February, March, and even April. In Western New York, we prune apples, pears ^ and otlier hardy fruits nny time thnt we have leisure, between the fall of the leaf and the first of April. The peach we prune just as the buds begin to swell. The fruit and leaf buds are then easily distinguished from one another, and the objects of the pruning are accom- plished with more precision. Grapes may be pruned any time in the winter, as a portion of wood is always left above the bud ; and if the wood is wanted for proprigation, it should be cut before the season of severe frosts arrive, as the buds are liable to be injured. Gooseberries and currants, also, any time in winter. The stone fruits should always be lightly pruned, because severe amputations almost invariably produce the gum. Where it is absolutely necessary, in the spring, the wound should be coated with grafting composition, or with that recommended by Mr. Downing: " Alcohol, with sufficient gum shellac dissolved in it to make a liquid of the consistence of paint, to be put on v.'ith a brush." This excludes air, and is not affected by changes of weather. Pinching is a sort of anticipated pruning, practiced upon the young growing shoots, intended to promote a uniform circulation of the sap, and thus regulate the growth, and also to induce fnutfulness. 1st. To regulate the Growth. — In the management of trees, this is an operation of great importance, as it obvi- ates the necessity of heavy amputations being made at the winter or spring pruning. Instead of allowing ceitain superfluous or misplaced shoots to acquire their full de- velopment at the expense of other parts, we pinch them early, and give to the necessary parts, or branches of the tree, the nutriment which they would have appropriated if allowed to remain. In this way we are able to obtain 110 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. results in one season that two or more would be required for, if we depended wholly on the winter pruning. We will suppose, for an example, tlie case of a young nursery tree in the second year, intended for a standard. In ordi- nary cases, the terminal bud, either the natural one or ^ ^ Fig. 85, A — Fig. 85, B. — puuning and pinching. Fig 85, A^ head of a young tree ; h, the leader ; a, a, vigorous shoots below it, that ought to have been pinched. Fig. 85, 5, a branch of the pear, twice cut back, with the lateral shoots pinched ; a, a, the first section ; c, c, c, the second ; ft, and c?, d, shoots pinched close to favor the leader and those below them. that pruned to, is developed into the leading shoot or stem, and a greater or less number of buds below it pro- duce branches ; and it frequently happens that some of PRUNING. Ill these, if not ])inched, acquire so much A'igor as to injure the leader, and produce a consequent deformity in the tree. Figure 85 (A) represents a case of this kind, which is very common, and too often neglected. The shoots, a, a, ought to have been pinched the moment they began to exhibit a disposition to outgrow the leader. There are other cases, still worse than this, familiar to all tree growers ; for instance, where a strong shoot is produced on the middle or lower part of the stem, attracting an undue proportion of the sap, thus contracting the growth of all other parts, and giving the young tree a deformed character. All such shoots as these should be nipped early, the moment their character is apparent, and thus a year's growth, nearly, will be saved to the tree, and its proper form and proportions be preserved. In conducting young trees for pyramids, the constant and careful appli- cation of pinching is absolutely necessary, for in them we must have the lower branches always the strongest and longest, and it is only by operating on the shoots, in their earliest stages of growth, that we can fully attain this end; for the strongest shoots do not always grow at the desired point, but by timely attention they are perfectly within our control. The various accidents and circum- stances to which young trees are subject, give rise, in a multitude of cases, to an unequal distribution of the sap in their different parts, and this produces, to a greater or less extent, deformity of growth. This at once shows the necessity for pinching, to check the strong and favor the weak. Pinching to promote Fruitfulness. — Those who have never practised this, or observed its results, may have seen, if experienced in tree growing, that a shoot of which the point was broken, bruised, or otherwise injured, dur- ing the growing season, frequently becomes a fruit branch either during the same or the following season ; and this, especially if situated in the interior of the tree, or on the 112 GENERAL PEINCIPLES. older and lower parts of the branches. The check given to the extension of the shoot concentrates the sap in the part remaining ; and, unless the check has been given very early in the season, or the growth is very vigorous in the tree, so that the buds will break and form shoots, they are certain to prepare for the production of fruit. It is on this principle of checking the growth and concentrat- ing the sap in the pinched shoot, that pinching to induce fruitfulness is performed ; and its efficiency may be esti- mated from the fact, that trees on which it has been prac- tised, have borne fruit four or five, and perhaps seven years, sooner than tliey would have done without it. It is a most useful operation in the case of vigorous growing and tardy bearing sorts. The mode of performing it is to pinch oif the end of the shoot with the finger and thnmb ; if a small portion of the remaining part be bruis- ed, no matter, it offers a greater check than if a clean cut were made, as in pruning to a bud; and in the general winter or spring pruning which follows, the bruised parts can be cleanly separated. The time to perform it depends wholly on circumstances. If the object be to regulate growth, then the time to do it is when the tendency to undue or ill-proportioned growth is first observable, and this will be from the time the young shoots are two to three inches long and upwards. The particular season of the year or day of the month will, of course, depend upon the earliness or lateness of the season, and on the soil and situation as well as on the habits of growth of the species or variety to be operated on. The true way is to be al- ways on the watch. If the object be to induce fruitful- ness, the length which the shoots should attain before being pinched, depends upon the nature or mode of growth and bearing of the species, and will be more definitely treated hereafter, under the head of "The Pruning of Trees ;" the object now being merely to indicate general principles and modes of operating. To illustrate this, let PRUNING. lis US suppose the lateral branch of a pear tree, (fig. 85, £). This was cut back the first time to b, and below that point five shoots were produced, none of which were need- ed for branches. We therefore pinched tliem in June, when about tliree inches long or thereabouts, and the result is, they are now fruit branches. Tlie same brancli was cut back the second time to d, d, and on that section seven shoots were produced that were not needed in the form of the tree, and were consequently pinched, and will become fruit branches. At the points b, and d, d, are small spurs, the base of shoots that have been pinched close to favor the growth of the leader, as well as the development of the shoots below. Without pinching, it would have been impossible to obtain such results in this branch in the same time. M. Dubreuil, formerly Professor of Arboriculture in the Garden of Plants at Rouen, in France, sums up the gen- eral principles of pruning as follows. (I may remark here, that in 1849 I visited the Rouen garden, and found M. Dubreuil's theory and practice beautifully illustrated on the trees in liis charge. My visit was made at the time of his practical lectures, and I was able to examine the whole with the most satisfactory minuteness. The trees there, under all forms, and embracing all the hardy spe- cies of fruits, were the best that I found anywhere, not even excepting the much admired and famous pyramidal pear trees of M. Cappe, at Paris. They were not only perfect in form, but, as regards vigor and fruitfulness^ in the most admirable condition.) He savs : " Tlie theory of the pruning of fruit trees rests on the following six general principles : " 1. The vigor of a tree^ subjected to x>vuriing^ depends^ in a great measure^ on the equal distribution of sap in all its branches. " In fruit trees abandoned to themselves, the sap is equally distributed in the different parts without any other 114 GENERAL PRIXCIPLES. aid than nature, because the tree assumes the form most in harmony with the natural tendency of the sap.* " But in those submitted to pruning, it is different ; the forms imposed on them, such as espalier, pyramid, vase, etc., change more or less the normal direction of the sap, and prevent it from taking the form proper to its species. Thus nearly all the forms given to trees require the devel- opment of ramifications more or less numerous, and of greater or less dimensions at the base of the stem. And, as the sap tends by preference towards the summit of the tree, it happens that, unless great care be taken, the branches at the base become feeble, and finally dry up, and the form intended to be obtained disappears, to be replaced by the natural form, that is, a stem or a trunk with a branching head. It is then indispensable, if we wish to preserve the form we impose upon trees, to em- ploy certain means, by the aid of which the natural direc- tion of the sap can be changed and directed towards the points where we wish to obtain the most vigorous growth. To do this we must arrest vegetation in the parts to which the sap is carried in too great abundance, and on the con- trary favor the parts that do not receive enough. To ac- complish this the following means must be successively employed. " (1.) Prune the branches of the most vigorous parts very shorty and those of the weak parts long. Wc know that the sap is attracted by the leaves. The removal of a large number of wood-buds from the vigorous parts, deprives these parts of the leaves which these buds would have pro- duced ; consequently the sap is attracted there in less quantities, and the growth thereby diminished. The feeble * This is not true in all cases. Peach trees, ws know, in oar climate, left to themselves, exhibit a very striking exam})le of the unequal distribution of the sap. The ends of the branches attract nearly the wiiolc, leavinjj tlie lateral shoots and lower parts to die out. In other species, similar instances might be quoted, and as a general thing, the proposition is unsound, except in a comparative sense. PRUNIN<}. . llo parts being pruned long, present a greiit number of buds, which produce a large surface of leaves, and these attract the sap aiid acquire a vigorous growth. This principle holds good in all trees, under whatever form they may be conducted. " (2.) Leave a large quantity of fruit on the strong part^ and remove the whole^or greater part ^ from the feeble. We know already that the fruit has the property of attracting to it the sap from the roots, and of employing it entirely to its own growth. The necessary result of this is, what we are about to point out, viz., that all the sap which arrives in the strong parts, will be absorbed by the fruits, and the wood there, in consequence, will make but little growth; while on the feeble part, deprived of fruits, the sap will all be appropriated by the growing parts, and they will increase in size and strength. " (3.) Bend the strong parts ^ and 'keep the iceah erect. The more erect the branches and stem are, the greater will be the flow of sap to the growing parts ; hence, the feeble parts being erect, attract much more sap than the strong parts inchned, and, consequently, make a more vigorous growtli and soon recover their balance. This remedy is more especially applied to espalier trees. " (4.) Remove from the vigorous parts the superfluous shoots as early in the season as possible, and from the feeble parts as late as possible. The fewer the number of young shoots there are on a branch, the fewer there are of leaves, and consequently the less is the sap attracted there. Hence, in leaving the young shoots on the feeble part, their leaves attract the sap there, and induce a vigor- ous growth. " (5.) Pinch early the soft extremities of the shoots on the vigorous parts., and as late as possible on the feeble parts, excepting always any shoots which may be too vigorous for their position. By thus pinching early, the strong part, the flow of sap to that point is checked, and natural- 116 GENERAL PRINCIPLES. ly turns to the growing parts that have not been pinch- ed ; this remedy is applicable to trees in all forms. " (6.) Lay in the strong shoots on the trellis early ^ and leave the feeble parts loose as long as possible. Laying in the strong parts obstructs the circulation of tlie sap in them, and consequently favors the weak parts tliat arc loose. This is only applicable to espaliers. " (7.) In espalier trees, giving the feeble parts the benefit of the light and confining the strong parts more in the shade, restores a balance, for light is the agent which en- ables leaves to perform their functions and their action on the roots, and the parts receiving tlie greatest proportion of it acquire the most vigorous development. "2. The sap acts with greater force and produces more vigorous growth on a branch or shoot pruned short than on one pruned long. This is easily explained. The sap, acting on two buds, must evidently produce a great- er development of wood on them than if it were divided between fifteen or twenty bud<. "It follows from tliis, that if we wish to obtain Avood branches, we prune short, for vigorous shoots j^roduce few fruit-buds. On the contrary, if we wish to obtain fruit branches, we prune long, because the most slender or feeble shoots are the most disposed to fruit. " Another application of this principle is to prune short, for a year or two, such trees or parts as have been enfee- bled by overbearing. (This principle deserves especial attention, as its application is of great importance.) '' 3. The sap tending always to the extremities of the shoots causes the terminal b id to push with greater vigor than the laterals. According to this principle, wlien we wish a prolongment of a stem or branch, we should prune to a vigorous wood-bud, and leave no production that can interfere with the action of the sap on it. " 4. The more the sap is obstructed in its circulation, the more lihely it will be to produce fruit-buds. This PKUNING. . IIT principle is founded on a fact to which we have already- had occasion to refer, viz., that the sap circulating slowly is subjected to a more complete elaboration in the tissues of the tree, and becomes better adapted to the formation of fruit-buds. " This principle can be applied to produce the following results : When we wish to produce fruit-buds on a branch, we prevent a free circulation of the sap by bending the branches, or by making annular or circular incisions on it ; and, on the contrary, when we wish to change a fruit branch into a wood branch, we give it a vertical position, or prune it to two or three buds, on which we concentrate the action of the sap, and thus induce their vigorous de- velopment. " 5. The leaves serve to prepare the sap absorbed by the roots for the nourishment of the tree^ and aid the forma- tion of buds on the shoots. All trees^ therefore, deprived of their leaves, are liable to perish. This principle shows how dangerous it is to remove a large quantity of leaves from trees under the pretext of aiding the growth or ripening of fruits, for the leaves are the nourishing organs, and the trees deprived of them cannot continue to grow, neither can the fruit ; and the branches so stripped will have feeble, ill-formed buds, which will, the following year, produce a weak and sickly growth. '* 6. Where the buds of any shoot or branch do not de- velop before the age of tv)o years, they can only be forced into activity by a very close pruning, and in some cases, as the peach, this even will often fail. This last principle shows the importance of pruning the main branches of espaliers especially, so as to insure the development of the buds of their successive sections, and to preserve well the side shoots thus produced, for without this, the interior of the tree will become naked and unproductive, and a remedy w:ill be very difficult." If these principles and practices of pruning be carefully 118 GENERAL PKINCIPLES. studied in connection with the habits of growth and bear- ing of the different fruit trees, pruning will be compara- tively an easy matter. The mode of obtaining any par- ticular form or character cannot fail to be perfectly plain and simple ; yet no one need hope to accomplish, in all things, the precise results aimed at, for even the most skillful operator is sometimes disappointed; but those who give constant attention to their trees will always discover a failure in time to apply a remedy. I insist upon it, because I have been taught it by most abundant experience, that the most imremitting watch- fulness is necessary in conducting trees in particular forms. It is not, by any means, labor that is required, but attention that the most delicate hand can perform. Fifteen or twenty minutes at a time, say three times a week during active growth, will be sufficient to examine every shoot on a moderate collection of garden trees ; for the eye very soon becomes trained so well to the work, that a glance at a tree will detect the parts that are either too strong or too weak, or that in any way require attention. This is one of the most interesting features in the management of garden trees. We are never allowed to forget them. From day to day they require some attention, and offer some new point of interest that attracts us to them, and augments our solicitude for their prosperity, until it actu- ally grows into enthusiasm. P^RT II. THE NURSERT 119 THE NURSERY. CHAPTER I. Sbction 1. — Soil, Situation, etc. It is not a part of the design of this treatise to give anything like a full exposition of nursery operations, for this would, in itself, be a subject sufficiently extensive to form a volume ; but as all fruit growers should possess at least some knowledge of nursery management, it seems quite necessary that the more important points should be noticed. 1st. The Soil^ as to Dryness. — ^For a fruit-tree nursery the soil must he perfectly dry^ both above and below. In damp, springy soils, or where the subsoil is so compact as not to admit of the surface water passing off immediately, trees do not thrive ; the roots are destitute of fibres, the wood is watery and delicate, and where frosts are severe, the trees are cast out of the ground by the expansion of the water with which the soil is filled. We have known of a single instance in which several thousand dollars were lost by planting a pear nursery on a soil imperfectly drained. The plants grew finely the first season, were budded, the buds had taken, and in the autumn all looked prosperous ; but the autumn rains filled the soil with water ; the situation was low and level, and the subsoil compact, so that the water could not possibly get away. The consequence was, the roots decayed, the plants were cast out of the ground, and the injury was so great and so general that the whole plantation had to be taken up. This ground was then thoroughly drained, and is now as good a pear soil as can be found. This single instance illustrates the importance of a dry soil, as well as twenty would. We frequently find that, in the same row of trees, if there happens to be a low, damp spot, the trees in it 6 121 122 THE NURSERY. have no fibrous I'oots, and are altogether inferior to those on the adjacent dry ground. 2d. Depth. — As a general thing, the soil of a nursery should be a foot to eighteen inches deep ; but all trees do not require the same depth. Those (such as the pear) whose roots descend more than they spread^ require the deepest soil. The best quality of nursery trees are grown on common farming land, twice plowed with the common and subsoil plows, one following tlie other, as described in the chapter on soils. This gives depth enougli for all ordinary purposes. 3d. Texture. — ^A soil of medium texture, between the heavy and the light, is, on the whole, the most advan- tageous, as being the best adapted to general purposes. A good friable loam, with a gravelly subsoil, or a mixture of sand, gravel, and clay, that will allow water to pass off freely, will be found suitable for almost any species ; and one great advantage of sucli a soil is, that it admits of rotation in cro[>s. 4th. Quality. — For the growth of young fruit trees, a soil should be in such a condition as to furnish a sufficient supply of nutriment to insure a vigorous and robust growth ; but it may be too rich, and produce rank wood that will not mature properly, and be unable to withstand the change of climate or soil consequent upon transplant- ing. Where manures are used, they should be well de- composed ; fresh, warm manures excite trees into a very rapid growth, but the wood is watery and feeble. A dry soil, of moderate richness, produces hardy trees ; their wood is firm, the buds plump and close together, and the parts well proportioned. 5th. Laying out. — Where the nursery is of considerable extent, the ground should be laid out and arranged in square or rectangular plots of convenient size, and be in- tersected with walks. One portion should be set apart for the propagation of stocks from layers, another for SOIL, KTC. 123 cuttings, another for seeds, etc. In setting apart ground for tlie different kinds of trees, if there be a choice, llie pear should have the deepest and best, the phim the most compact or clayey, the peach, apricot, cherry, etc., the liglitest and driest. 6th. Exposure. — Nursery ground for fruit trees should be well elevated, but not fully exposed to the prevailing high winds, as the young trees are apt to be broken off during the first year's growtli if not kept well tied up to stakes. la our section, we find it very advantageous to have some protection from the west winds especially, though we sometimes have a south wind quite destructive to the young buds in exposed places. Situations into which the snow is liable to drift should be avoided, in sections where heavy snow-storms prevail, for sometimes vast quantities of trees are broken down in corners of fences and slieltered situations where the snow accumulates in heavy drifts. 7th. notation or Succession of Crops. — Tliis is quite as important in the management of the nursery as of the farm. Not more than one crop of one species should be planted on the same ground, and those of the most oppo- site character should follow one another. Where one species is grown on the same ground for eight or ten years, it is found by experience that even the most libernl manuring fails to produce sucli fine, sound, healthy, and vigorous trees iis new ground without manure. Where land is scarce, and it is necessary to use the same ground for the same kind of trees, it should at least be allowed one, but much better, two or three seasons' rest, and be well supplied with such material as the trees to be grown in it require, in the largest quantities, or in which the soil is found to be most deficient. Our own practice is to seed down with clover, and break up the second or third year; giving before plowing a dressing of manure, adapted in quantity and quality to the wants of the soil. 124 the nursery. Section 2. — Description and Propagation of Stocks. This branch of the subject is of such importance, and involves so many considerations, that it seems to be more methodical to treat it separately from subsequent opera- tions. 1st. Stocks for the Apple. — The principal stocks in use for the apple are the common seedling^ or free stocky the Doucin, and the Paradise. Seedlings, or free stocks, are ordinarily produced from seeds taken promiscuously from the cider-mill in the autumn. Preparing the Seed. — The cakes of pressed pomace are broken up, and the coarser materials, straw, etc., sepa- rated from it by means of a coarse sieve ; the sifted pomace is then put into large tubs, and subjected to repeated washings until clean. The clean, plump seeds fall to the bottom, and the pomace and ligbt, poor seeds are carried off in the washings. When fruits have been selected for the seeds, they are placed in heaps until fermentation and decay have reduced the flesh to a soft, pulpy state, when they are washed in tubs, in the same manner as pomace. Saving the Seed. — When the seed is washed out as above, it must be spread thinly on boards, and repeatedly turned over until j)erfectly dry, when it is put away in boxes, mixed with sand containing a slight degree of moisture. The boxes should be well secured against ver- min, and be kept in a dry, cool place until the time of planting. Season and Mode of Planting. — ^If the ground be in readiness, and perfectly dry and friable, the best time is the fall, as soon as the seeds are cleaned. At this season the pomace, seeds and all, as it comes from the press, may be planted without any washing. It should be broken up fine, so that it may be evenly distributed in the seed bed. The difficulty of doing this, is a serious objection to PKOPAGATION OP STOCKS. 125 this mode. By taking some pains in the sowing, we raise as good stocks in this as in any other way ; the decayed pulp contributes considerable nutriment to the young plants in their earliest stage of growtli. When deferred until spring, it should be done at the earliest moment that the condition of the ground will ad- mit. When the ground is ready, a line is stretched along one side of the plot, and a drill opened with a hoe about eight or ten inches wide, and three deep ; the seeds are then dropped, and the fine earth drawn over them with the hoe as regularly as possible, covering them about three inches deep. If some leaf mould from the woods, or old decomposed manure, in a fit state for spreading, could be had, nnd a covering of it an inch in depth spread on the top of the drills, it would prevent the surface from baking or cracking, and allow the plants to come up with greater strength and regularity. Whatever depth be used of such a covering, it should be deducted from the covering of common earth. Distance to Plant. — When large quantities are raised, the drills should be three feet apart, to admit of the culti- vator passing between them ; for the ground should be kept perfectly clean and mellow around seedlings the whole season. After Management. — It is of great importance that they be not in any way stunted; neither in first coming through the soil by a hard surface, nor afterwards by weeds and lack of culture; seedlings, stunted during the early stages of their growth, never make vigorous, healthy stocks ; and, indeed, should never be planted. When they appear above the surface, and are too close together, they should, as soon as possible, be thinned out to regular distances ; for, when grown up in dense masses, they are generally feeble and worthless. One hundred good, vigorous stocks are worth five hundred poor ones. It is very common to see seedlings of one year larger than those of two years, 126 THE NURSERY. under different management ; and, in such a case, the year- lings are worth twice as much as the others. A very good plan is to thin out all the weakest plants when about four or five inches high, leaving only those of vigorous habit and large foliage. The prevailing error in growing apple seedlings, and, I may add, all seedlings, is that of having them too close together — usually three or four times as many on the ground as there should be. Give them plenty of room, good soil, and clean culture, and you will have good stocks. The Doucin is a distinct species of apple. The tree is of medium size, bears small, sweet fruit, and reproduces itself from seed. It is used for stocks for apple trees of medium %\zq, pyramids^ or dwarf standards for gardens. It is propagated almost exclusively from layers. (See fig. 63.) The plants to be propagated from are planted in a rich, deep, friable soil, nnd cut back to within four to six inches of the collar; the buds, on the part below the cut, will, during the next season, produce strong shoots ; the following spring the earth is drawn up around each plant in the form of a mound, so that the whole of the stem and the base of all the shoots will be coveied at least three inches deep ; during that season, all the shoots will pro- duce roots, and should be separated from the mother plant, or stool, as such plants are termed, in the fall. If left on until spring, the frost would be likely to injure them. The stools are then dressed, the soil around them is spaded up and enriched with well-decayed manure ; and the fol- lowing season another crop of shoots is produced, much more numerous than the first, to be treated in the same way. Every year these stool plants increase in size and in the quantity of their productions, if well treated. Another course, but not so good, is frequently pursued when stocks are scarce. The shoots are layered by bend- ing down, as described in layering, the first season of their growth in July, and may be sufiiciently rooted in the fall PROPAGATION OF STOCKS. 127 to be transferred to nursery rows in tlie spring follow- ing ; a year is thus saved, but the stocks are, of course, much inferior. If earthed up in midsummer, they will be partially rooted in the autumn, too, but not so well as if bent down ; for the bending has a tendency to stop the sap at the point fastened to the ground, and hastens the formation of roots. This stock may also be propagated from root cuttings. The Paradise. — This, also, is a distinct species of apple. The tree is of very small size, never attaining over three to four feet in height. It is used for stocks for dwarf trees or bushes that occupy but a small space in the gar- den. It is propagated in precisely the same manner as that described for the Doucin. 2d, Stocks for the Pear. — The pear seedling and the quince are the only two stocks on which the pear can be advantageously worked to any considerable extent. The Mountain Ash and the Thorn are occasionally used for special purposes only. Pear Seedlings. — The seeds are obtained by collecting such fruits ns can be had containing perfect seeds. Nearly all the seeds used in this country, of late years, have been imported from Europe. Great care should be taken to gather the fruits of hardy, healthy, vigorous trees only, and the seeds should be full and plump. The seeds are se[>arated and washed, as desciibed for apples. They arc also saved and planted in a manner similar in all respects ; but, in this country, it is a much more difficult matter to succeed with pear seedlings than with the apple. This difficulty is owing chiefly to a species of fungus, called " leaf-blight," that attacks the leaves of the young plants, very often before they have completed their first season's growth. To obviate the difficulty which this malady pre- sents, a vigorous growth should be obtained early in the season. New soil, or that in which trees have not be- fore been grown, should be selected — an old pasture is the 128 THE NUKSERY. best. The autumn before planting it should be trenched, or subsoil- plowed, to the depth of two feet, for the pear has long tap roots, and liberally enriched with a compost o^ stable manure, leaf mouldy or muck^ and wood-ashes, m about equal parts ; four inches deep of this, spread over the surface before plowing, will be sufficient for any ordinary soil. Lime should also be given liberally, unless the soil be naturally and strongly calcareous. A soil pre- pared thus in the fall, will require another plowing or spading in the spring, to mix all the materials properly with the soil, and fit it for the seeds. If the soil be very tough, and not fit to be turned up, a thorough harrowing or working with the horse-hoe will do. Where large quantities are grown, the drills may be the same distance apart as that recommended for apples — three feet ; but if only a few, twelve to eighteen inches will be sufficient, as the cleaning can be done with the hoe. The seeds should be scattered thinly, that every plant may have sufficient space without any thinning. The end to aim at, as before remarked, is to get good growth, say eighteen to twenty inches in height, and stout in proportion, before the first of August. This can be done in any deeply-trenched or plowed fresh soil, well prepared and manured, as described above. I have been told that seedling pears, grown in a frame, covered with whitewashed sash, and kept well ventilated continually, escaped the "leaf-blight," whilst all those grown in open ground, near by, were blighted ; showing, as far as the experiment goes, that the sun's heat has something to do with producing leaf-blight. Pear seedlings should always be taken up in the fall, after the first season's growth ; the largest selected for trans- planting into the nursery, and the smaller to be put into beds, to remain another season. Quince Stocks are propagated with considerable success by cuttings. These should be strong shoots, six inches to a foot long, taken off close to the old wood, and, if pos- PBOPAGATION OF STOCKS. 129 sible, with a small portion attached, prepared as directed in article on cuttings, early in the winter, and kept in ])its two or three feet below the surface of the soil, in a dry- place, until planting time, in spring. If practicable, plant early in the fall, as soon as the wood is ripe, and cover with leaves on setting in of winter, to prevent hard freez- ing ; success will be more certain. They should be plant- ed in a light, friable, deep soil, in rows eighteen inches to two feet apart, four to six inches apart in the low, and so deep that but a couple of buds remain above the surface. The ground should be kept clean and mellow amongst them all summer, and, if the cuttings were stout and long, they will, in the autumn, be fit for taking up and prepar- ing for planting into nursery rows the following spring. The best and surest method of propagating the quince stock, however, is by layers. The manner of layering is that recommended for the JDoucin and Paradise — by earthing up (fig. 65). The stool plants should be set out in a fine, rich, deep border of warm, friable soil, and be about six feet apart, when designed to be permanent. As each stool, by the system recommended, can only yield a crop of plants every two years, there should be two sets, so that an annual supply may be obtained. These stools, in spite of the best treatment, become enfeebled in a few years, and successive plantations must be made where continual propagation is intended. By the ordinary system of bending down the shoots, and slitting, or even without the slitting, a crop may be obtained every year — that is, the shoots of the current season's growth may be layered in July or August ; but no such stocks can be obtained as by the earthing up and taking a crop every two years. This is the system recom- mended to those who want first-rate quince stocTcs. The very general lack of information in this country on the subject of quince stocks for pears has given rise to a great many misapprehensions and erroneous statements in 6* 130 ' THE XUKSERY. regard to them, both by horticultural writers and others. At first it was said that the stocks used by the French, and imported by nurserymen here, were the Portugal. Again, it was discovered they were nothing more than the com- mon apple quince ; consequently, a multitude of the apple quinces have been worked, and sent out as " dwarf pears ^"^ The slow and feeble growth of this variety unfits it entirely for a stock for the pear, and only a very few varieties will form a union with it that will last over three or four years. Such trees cannot fail to give general dissatisfaction, and, among people who know no better, create a prejudice against quince stocks in general Indeed, this is the cause why so much has been said about the pears on quince being so short-lived. The truth is, that the varieties used in France are nei- ther the Apple nor the Portugal Quince, but vigorous varieties that have been originated there, and found to answer tliis purpose particularly well. The great requisite of a quince stock for the pear is ^free, vigorous^ and rapid growth. A variety originated at the town of Angers, in France, and extensively used, propagated, and sold there as the Angers Quince, has proved to be an excellent stock. It is a very rapid, vigorous grower, making strong shoots three feet long, in one season. It has large foliage, resem- bling the Portugal. In some parts of France, as in Nor- mandy, it is known as the broadrleaved. There is another variety, with smaller leaves, but of free, vigorous growth, too, almost exclusively cultivated in some districts. Sev- eral extensive nurserymen at Orleans, Paris, and elsewhere, consider it superior to the broad-leaved, and especially for very vigorous growing sorts. It is known as the Paris or Fontenay Quince. We have tried both extensively, and find but very little difference, thus far, in the results obtained. In the first edition of this work, I alluded to an upriglit growing variety which then promised to be valuable, but has since PROP AG ATI ox OF STOCKS. 131 pioveJ to be too feeble in its growth to be used advan- tag 4-^^ 04^,.^^^1-r^ mids or low standards; D, the cut- push too strongly. ^.^„ ^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^.^^ ;^ ^^p^^.^^.^ A tree thus cut back, and Fig. 92, a young tree once cut hack the side branches regulated *« fo™ trunk for a standard. by pinching, will, in the fall, have a stout body, and pre- sent the appearance of fig. 92. Where the yearlings are short and stout, and are furnished with a few lateral BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETC. 155 shoots, cutting back may be unnecessary. The largest of the side shoots may be pruned off wholly ; and the small ones left to retain the sap in the lower part of the stem, at least until midsummer, when new ones will have been produced. There are certain stout-growing, branch- ing varieties of all the fruits tliat require no shortening, and very little pruning of any kind, to form stout trunks, when not planted too close. Dwarf Standards. — The management of yearling buds to produce these, is similar to that described for standards, varying it always to suit the particular habit of the spe- cies or variety ; tall, slender-growing sorts require cutting back, and the suppression of branches at the top ; but many varieties of cherries and plums, some very stout- growing pears and apples, and all apricots and peaches, may commence the formation of heads this season. The stem is cut at the point desired, two to three feet from the ground, to form the head on ; and three or four of the stoutest shoots, growing in opposite directions, are pre- served, whilst all others, close to them, are pinched off when two or three inches long ; side branches are allowed to remain that season on the stem to strengthen it, but they are kept short and regular by pinching. In the fall these trees will be fit for the final j^lanting out, whilst those of weaker habit will require another season, if heads are wanted. Pyramids. — Yearling trees, intended for pyramids, are cut back so far as to insure the production of vigorous side branches within six or eight inches of the stock. The habits of growth of the species and variety must be care- fully taken into account. Some are disposed, from the beginning, to form lateral branches ; and others require vigorous measures to force them to do so. As examples, the Bloodgood pear is very much inclined to branch the first year, whilst the Louise Bonne de Jersey and Duchess d'Angouleme seldom do so, unless in some way the grow- 15G THE NURSERY. ing point be checked. So it is in cherries ; most of the Dukes and Morellos are inclined to produce l.-iterals the first season; but the free-growing sorts, Hearts and Bi- garreaus^ rarely do so, unless the point is checked early in the season. So it is in all the fruits, and therefore no gen- eral rule can be given ; but the appearance of the tree indi- cates the treatment required. Where we see side branches naturally produced the first season, we at once conclude that the buds are well disposed to break, and the cutting back may be comparatively light. Where no side branches are produced, we must be governed by the appearance of the buds on the lower pai-t of the tree, where it is desired to produce the lower branches ; if they be small and flat, it will take close cutting to arouse them ; but if plump and prominent, less vigorous measures will be necessary. In the case of short, stout, and branched yearlings, a few of the best placed, lowest, and strongest branches are reserved, whilst the others are entirely re- moved. We then shorten the reserved branches accord- ing to their position, leaving the lowest the longest. The leading shoot is shortened, so that all the buds left will be sure to push and form shoots. When these have attained the length of two or three inches, the strongest and best placed are selected for permanent branches, and the others are pinched off. Yearlings that have no side branches (fig. 91), we gen- erally cut back one-half, as to ^, and, in many cases, two- thirds, to C^ in order to obtain strong branches near the ground. Almost every bud, below the one we cut to, should push ; and when shoots of two inches or so are made, we select two, three, or such number as may be wanted, of the strongest and best situated, to be reserved, and pinch the others. It very generally happens that two or three buds next below the one we cut to, push with such vigor as to injure both the leading shoot above and the side shoots below them. They must be watched, and BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETC. 157 pinched as soon as this disposition "becomes obvious. Yearling trees managed in this way will present, in the fall, the appearance of fig. 93. Purchasers are very apt to favor tall trees even at tlie expense of their forms ; and nurserymen, even those who know better, with a view to suiting the tastes of their customers, rarely cut their trees back sufficiently to make pyramids. The first branches are seldom less than two feet from the ground, and it is quite difficult to make real pyramids of such trees af- terwards ; at all events, it incurs a great loss of time, for the whole of the branches and half of the stem must be cut away to produce the required form. Dwarf Bushes. — The apple on Paradise is generally grown in this form — with six to twelve inches of a stem, and spreading heads. The Morello cherry, and the cherry, or Mirabelle plums, and many kinds of pears, may be grown as dwarf bushes, if desirable. The stocks must all be of a dwarf character. Plants, from which the strongest for dwarf standards and pyramids, The branches being so near tne root, renaers a less amount of vig^or neces- Fig. 93, a two-year-old tree cnt back once, and in- tended for a pyramid. The cross linos indicate the second cuttinsr back. have will been selected make very good bushes, the root, renders a less sary. Yery strong yearling plants may be allowed to form heads the second year, but such as are very slen- der, will require cutting back and another season's growth before the head is allowed to form ; and they will require a similar course of treatment as has been recommended for standards and dwarf standards. No matter what the 158 THE NURSERY. character of the tree is, a stout stem, is necessary ; and, although the measures taken to obtain this seem to re- quire, in some cases, a loss of time, still there is a gain in the end ; for trees allowed to form heads before the stems are amply sufficient to support them, require a great deal of extra cai-e after planting out, and a course of shorten- ing back, that offsets the temporary advantage of forming the liead a year sooner. This holds good in all cases. The mode of forming the heads of dwarf bushes is simi- lar to that described for standards. Espalier Trees. — These have a few advantages peculiar to themselves, which will be explained under the head of " the selection of trees for the garden." To form espaliers, yearling trees are usually chosen, planted in the place where they are to remain, and cut back to within four or five buds of the stocks, as at J>, fig. 91 ; these buds break and produce shoots, from which the strongest are chosen to form the arms, and the others are rubbed off. The peach grows so vigorously that, if the growing bud be checked when a foot high, it will produce side shoots, from which two may be selected from the main branches of the espalier, and thus a year will be saved. Another way is to insert two buds, one on each side of the stock. Very nice espalier trees may be grown in the form of a pyramid, with a main stem and lateral branches, the lowest being the longest. I have seen the pear grown in this form very successfully. Trees for this form require the same management as pyramids, except that the branches should be placed opposite on two sides. This brings us to the end of the third year, and the trees are now two years old from the bud. At this age we take it for granted that all trees on dwarf stocks iov pyra- mids^ dwarfs, and espaliers, and all standards even, of the peach, apricot, and nectarine, and, in most cases, the cherry and plum, will be finally planted out. Standard TREATMENT OF SOIL. 159 pears and apples are almost the only trees that require to be left longer in the nursery; and their management during the third and fourth years of their growth, if allowed to remain so long, will be similar to that de- scribed for the second. In the spring, February, or March, the leading shoot is cut back, in order to increase the stoutness of the stem as it advances in height ; and, during the summer, the side shoots are kept of uniform length and vigor by pinching. The lower side branches are removed gradually, every season, as the tree becomes strong enough to dispense with them. As it has been be- fore remarked, the cutting back depends always on the natural character of the subject. Stout, short-jointed, moderate growing sorts, that naturally increase in height and diameter of stem in proper proportions, will require no cutting back. Yery few, however, have this habit. In nearly all cases, more or less short ening-in, every spring, is necessary, until the stem has arrived at the requisite heiglit, and is well proportioned, decreasing gradually in diameter from the base to the top. The Treatment of the Soil. — During the whole period the trees remain in the nursery, the ground about them must be kept clean and finely pulverized on the surface by repeated and continual stirring. Every spring, as soon as the heavy rains are over, and the ground is settled and dry, the space between the rows should be plowed, if they are far enough apart to admit of it. A small one- horse plow, such as is used for plowing cornfields (see implements), is suitable, but it should not be allowed to go nearer than six inches to the tree, nor so deep as to come in contact with the roots. After plowing, the cultivator may be run through once each way between the rows, every week or two, and this will leave very little hoeing to be done. If the rows are so close as not to admit the plow and cultivator, the forked spade must be used in the spring, to give the ground a thorough stirring, and 160 THE NURSERY. afterwards the hoe. If the ground be naturally adhesive, a second or even a third j^lowing or spading may be necessary in the course of the summer ; for it must, at all times, be kept m a loose, porous condition, or the roots will be deprived of the benefits of the air and moisture. Stirring the ground so often that weeds barely make their apj^earance is not only the best but most economical culture. It need scarcely be added that, in using the plow or cultivator among trees, a very short whiffle-tree should be used, the horse should be gentle and steady, and the plowman both careful and skillful ; and laborers who use the spade or hoe should be duly cautioned against cutting or bruising the trees with their implements. • Section 5. — ^Propagation and ISTursery Culture of Several Fruit-Trees and Shrubs not usually Grafted or Budded. 1st. The Grape. — During the last ten years, the culture of liardy grapes has made great progress in the United States. The demand for vines has, consequently, been very great, so that nurserymen and grape growers have resorted to every method of propagation that skill and ingenuity could suggest. I think it may be truly said that a single establishment has produced as many vines in one season as all the nurse- ries in the Union did twenty years ago. Grafting, layering of ripe wood and green wood, long cuttings, eyes, both of ripe wood and green wood, culture in the open air and under glass — some employing one, and some the other, and some all of these combined. I shall proceed to describe, briefly, each of these methods. (1.) Layering^ which is the most simjDle, and the surest for unpractised hands. There are two modes of layering, one of the ripe wood, and the other of the green. The THE GiiAPi:. 161 first is performed by laying down, in the spring, a shoot or cane of last season'' s growth, bedding it in the ground, and covering it two inches or so in depth. A young plant will be produced from every eye, or joint. In the fall the cane is lifted, and the young plants separated from one another by cutting between the joints. This makes very good plants. Layering the Green Wood is performed by laying down, in midsummer, a shoot or cane of the current sea- son's growth in the manner described in the article on propagation, page 87, fig. 64. (2.) Long Cuttings. — This is the common, well-known, old-fashioned method of propagating the hardy grapes ; and is, on the whole, perhaps, the cheapest and best in all ordinary cases. It is done in this way: The strongest, roundest, and ripest shoots, or canes, of the previous sea- son's growth, are selected, and cut into pieces twelve to eighteen inches in length ; having two or three eyes, or buds, as in fig. 62. They are cut close to an eye at the lower end, tied up in bundles of convenient size, and may be buried in sand, in a cold cellar, until the frost is out of the ground, in the spring, when they can be set in a trench in the ground, exposed to the south, in the bundles, lower end up, and covered four to six inches deep with earth. Here they can remain until the ground is dry and warm, and the weather favorable to growth. By this time the ends will be calloused, and, perhaps, even begin to emit roots, when they may be planted. In planting, the whole cutting is buried, leaving the ujDper eye just at or near the surface ; but the cutting is laid obliquely, as in fig. 62, so that the lower part will not be too far away from atmospheric heat. The summer culture will consist in keeping the ground clean and mellow ; and if only one shoot is allowed to grow, and kept tied up, all the better. 162 THE NURSERY. Propagation from Eyes. — The propagation of the hardy grape from eyes, in the open ground, or without bottom heat, is not generally practised, yet, with most kinds, it may be done with tolerable success. As in the case of the long cuttings, the rooting process should be commenced before the eyes are planted out. This is done by mixing with sand or earth or moss in shallow boxes, and placing them in a greenhouse, or in a frame with a glazed sash over them, for three or four weeks before the time of planting out. They should not be i)latited until the ground is warm, and the weather favorable to im- mediate growth. The soil should be dry, warm, and liglit, covering about two inches deep. In favorable seasons, tolerably good plants are produced in this way, especially of the free-growing sorts. The more common way of propagating from eyes is to start them on a bottom heat, either in propagating houses or in hot-beds. In houses, the bottom heat is furnished either by hot water, circulating in tanks, by hot- water pipes, or by warm-air flues of brick or tile, under the bench, in which the eyes are planted. Any and all of these modes of supplying bottom heat answer very well. When the eyes are well rooted, they are transplanted into good, rich soil, either in another house, or in frame covered with glass, or into open borders. Larger and bet- ter ripened plants will be produced under glass, but at a much greater cost. The present system, however, of crowding them so close together in glass-houses, and forc- ing their growth, produces very weak, poor plants, which, but for the present demand for new sorts, would be re- garded as worthless. Propagating from Eyes of Green Wood. — This method has, of lite, been resorted to for the purpose of increasing the new high-priced varieties. When a grape is selling at $2 to $3 per plant, the inducement to multi- ply it is very great. Some people think that good plants THE GRAPE. 163 cannot be produced in this way ; but this is an error. It is true, however, that very few good plants are thus pro- duced. If only good, strong wood were used, grown on vigorous plants, and so far advanced in ripeness as to have the eyes well develope-l, as good plants can be grown in this way as from ripe wood eyes. But when weak shoots or laterals are used, and when two or three crops of shoots or eyes are taken from the same plants, by a forced growth, the plants are not good. No purchaser of ordinary intel- ligence can be deceived with them. They are generally sold on account of their cheapness, and those who buy them on that account should not complain. My opinion is, in regard to plants, that if they are strong^ well rooted^ and well ripened^ it is of no consequence how they were propagated. In propagating from green-wood cuttings, the eyes are prepared in the same manner as ripe- wood eyes, but the leaf, or a portion of it, is left attached to each one, and they must have a bottom heat of 70° or 80°, or even more. In two or three weeks they will be rooted sufficiently to bear transplanting, and then they are treated as other plants in the same condition ; usually, however, they are kept under glass until the end of the season. Grafting. — In the case of new and rare varieties, graft- ing has been, and is, employed with great success. We have grown Delawares fifteen or sixteen feet high, and of unusual thickness, from the graft, in one season, under glass. Very small })ieces, say two inches, if small roots, are used, as the object is merely to furnish a temporary sup- port to the eye, until its own roots have been produced. The root is cut to a wedge shape at the upper end, and the cion, a single eye, with about an inch of wood, is set on it like a saddle, and tied with a thread. The planting and subsequent treatment is just the same as for eyes. 164 THE J^^URSERY. It is not my purpose to describe, in detail, all the opera- tions connected Avith the propagation of the grape, but to give a general idea of the several methods, and the principles upon which they are supposed to be founded. Those who desire more explicit and fidl information may consult some of the special treatises on the grape, which have recently been published. The foreign varieties of the grape are propagated al- most exclusively from eyes of the ripe wood. They are prepared and planted on a bottom heat, as described for the hardy sorts. The eyes, however, are usually put in pots — a single eye in a 3-inch pot — when only a small number are to be propagated, or several eyes may be put in a large pot around the edges. On a large scale, the eyes may be planted directly on the propagating benches, or in boxes containing several hundred eyes. The material used to plant them in, either in pots, boxes, or on the benches, is almost pure sand, and the eyes are inserted so that the bud shall be nearly covered. Here, a steady temperature of 70° or 80°, and regular watering, are indispensable. When they have made a growth of three or four inches, the plants can be shifted into pots of good, rich compost, and replaced on the bot- tom heat, watered regularly, tied up, and the laterals suppressed ; they will make fine plants in one season. Towards autumn, say after 1st of September, ample ven- tilation and little watering should be given, so as to pro- mote the ripening of the wood. Wintering the Young J^lants. — Young plants of the hardy grapes, whether grown in the house or open bor- der, should be allowed to stand in their place until the approach of hard freezing, so that they may ripen as well as possible. They should then be taken up, " heeled in," laid in trenches in dry soil, covering the roots and stem almost THE CURRANT. 165 to the top with earth, and then, over all, some leaves, straw, or evergreen branches. Young plants of the foreign varieties, grown in pots, we usually winter in the j^ots, on shelves, in a cellar free from frost ; but they might be wintered in the same way as the hardy grapes — shaking them out of the pots, and heeling them in. 2d. The Currant. — Every one knows how to propagate this. A yearling shoot, six inches to a foot long, taken off close to the old wood,^and planted half or two-thirds its length in the ground, in the spring, will make a strong, well-rooted plant in the autumn. To prevent shoots from springing up below the surface of the ground, the eyes on that part are cut out, or they may be left the first season, and cut out when the plants are rooted. The buds aid in the formation of roots. When a variety is rare and scarce, the young shoots may all be layered in July, and they will make well-rooted plants in the fall. 3d. Gooseberries are propagated in the same way, and with almost equal facility, as currants, though, as a gen- eral thingj they do not grow with such rapidity. Layers are the surest, but they require to be one year in the nursery rows after being separated from the mother plant, to make them strong enough for the final planting. An inch or two of swamp moss, laid over the surface of the ground in which layers are made, assists in retaining the moisture. This is applicable to all kinds of layers. 4th. Strawberries are propagated by the runners, which spread on the surface of the ground, in all directions, from the plant, as soon as it begins to grow in the spring. Where a variety is scarce, and it is desirable to multiply it carefully, these runners should be sunk slightly in the ground, and pegged down, as they will root and form plants for removal much quicker than if left to root in their own way. With good management, a single plant 1C6 THE NURSERY. may produce twenty-five to fifty, and even one hundred in one season. Plants to be propagated from should have abundance of space, and a deep, rich soil. An applica- tion of liquid manure will stimulate their vigor, and in- crease the number and strength of the runners. The Bush Alpine varieties, which make no runners, are usually propagated by division ; but it is much better to propagate them by seeds, which should be sown as soon as the fruit is ripe. 5th. Maspherries. — The usual mode of propagating the Raspberry is from the shoots, or canes, called " suckers," which are produced from the collar and spreading roots of the plant. A crop of these spring up every year. Much better plants, and many more of them, may be produced by taking up the roots, cutting them into small pieces, say an inch long, and planting them in beds of good, rich, light soil, with a little bottom heat, and a glazed sash over them, until they have made a good start. They may then be transplanted to the open borders. In this way fine plants are made in one season — much better than the ordinary suckers from old plants. The American Black Cap family of raspberries, are propagated from the tips of the shoots, which are fastened to the ground. This is their natural method of multiply- ing themselves. ' The seeds are washed out of the ripe fruit and sowed at once, making good plants the next season. 6th. Blackberries. — The Blackberry is propagated in ex- actly the same way as the raspberry, but the cuttings of roots make much more desirable plants than the suckers. Indeed, the latter are seldom fit to be planted ; being destitute of fibres, they mostly fail. 7th. Mulberries. — The principal Mulberries grown for the fruit are the Black Mulberry [Morus nigra), and Down- ing's Everbearing, a seedling of the Morus multicmiUs^ used so extensively in China to feed the silk-worm. BATIBERRIES, CHESTNUTS, ETC. 167 Both can be propagated from cuttings and layers, and by grafting and inarching. We usually graft on roots of the White Mulberry in the liouse, as we do grapes — put them in pots or boxes, and keep them under glass until they have taken well and made a few inches of growth, when they are planted out in the open ground. 8th. barberries. — These are propagated from seeds, suckers, and layers in the simplest manner. It usually takes layers two years to root sufficiently to be separated from the parent plant. New or rare sorts can be grafted on the common ones quite easily. 9th. Chestnuts are usually grown from seed, either plant- ed in the fall, as we always do, or kept in sand during winter, and planted in the spring. The large varieties of the Spanish Chestnut, or Marron, which do not come true from seed, can be grafted on the others. 10th. Filberts are grown from seed, but the finer varie- ties are propagated by suckers or, layers, or by grafting them on seedling stocks. Plants grown in the latter way have the advantage of not producing suckers, and are, therefore, more desirable for the garden. Layering is the method usually employed in the nurseries. 11th. Walnuts. — Our native Walnuts, and the English Walnut, or Madeira ISTut, are usually grown from seed ; but there is a Dwarf prolific variety of the English, called ''^ Preparturiens^'' which must be increased by graftmg or budding on the others, and this is rarely performed with any considerable degree of success in the nurseries. 12th. Figs. — The Fig can be easily propagated from seeds, layers, cuttings of ripe wood or green wood, and from suckers. As the more esteemed varieties do not re- produce truly from seed, this method is seldom em])loyed, except in seeking for new varieties. Layering is a very good way. Fruiting branches may be layered in pots or boxes, and thus fruiting plants be obtained at once. Cuttings of ripe wood, taken ofi* in the fall, kept in the 168 THE NURSERY. cellar in sand during the winter, and planted out in the spring in a warm, dry border, will grow about as certain- ly as grape cuttings, if not more so. If planted in pots, and set in a hot-bed, or where they will get a slight bottom heat, they will come along more surely and rapidly. Cuttings of the green shoots, taken off when two or three inches long, and placed on a gentle bottom heat, root quickly. Sectio:n^ 6. — Labels for Nursery Trees. It is highly important that a correct system for preserv- ing the names of varieties be adopted. Our practice is, to make labels of cedar, eighteen inches long, three inches wide, and about an inch thick. These are pointed on one end, to be sunk in the ground eight or ten inches, and the face is painted white. Wlien a variety is to be budded or grafted, the name, or a number referring to a regular record, is written on it, and it is put in the ground in front of the first tree of the variety. Besi;ture of the soil from evaporating, and maintains a uniformity of heat and moisture w^hich is highly favor- able to the formation of new roots. It also prevents the growth of weeds around the tree, and obviates the ne- cessity of hoeing, dressing, or watering, during the season. We frequently practise it among nursery rows of late, spring-planted trees with great advantage. A deep mulching should always be given to fall-planted trees, to prevent the frost from penetrating to the roots or draw- ing up the tree. 13th. After-management of Orchard Trees. — This con- sists in the cultivation of the soil among the trees, and pruning them to regulate their growth. For the first five or six years after planting, the ground among orchard trees may be advantageously cropped with potatoes, ruta- bagas, or sugar beets. The manuring and culture that these roots require keep the soil in good condition, and will assist in defraying the expenses of the orchard. Grain crops should never be planted among trees, as they deprive them of air to a very injurious extent. If no root crops are cultivated, the ground should be kept clean and mellow with the one-horse plow and cultivator, the 9 194 PERMANENT PLANTATIONS. same as recommended for nursery culture. Every third or fourth year, or when their growth indicates the need of it, the trees should receive a dressing of well-decom- posed manure or compost, spread on the surface of the ground, over the roots, or partially worked in with a fork. This should always be done in the fall. Dwarf apples and pears require more frequent and liberal manuring than standards, because their roots occupy a limited space ; their heads are large compared with the roots, and they bear exhausting crops. Whoever has a large plantation of these trees should be well provided with heaps of compost, a year old, and give each tree a peck to half a bushel every year before the setting in of win- ter. This will maintain their vigor, and insure large and regular crops of fine fruit. Directions for pruning and forming the heads of standard trees will be treated of under the general head of pruning. A good way of renewing the soil where manure cannot be had is to sow peas, and when they are grown just to blossom, plow them under. There are those who advocate seeding orchards with some of the finer grasses, such as are used for lawns, and keeping it cut short. The advantage claimed is, that it protects the roots from excessive heat in the summer. I think this may answer tolerably well for the apple, but for all others, and even for that, I should prefer a mulch- ing of straw, hay, or some sort of litter, during the great- est heat of summer. At the North we do not even need this. In some parts of the West and South, where the pear suffers from leaf blight, mulching during the warm sea- son is a necessity, and will, I am sure, prove far more beneficial than grass, no matter how short it may be kept. the fruit garden. 195 Section 3. — Tfie Fruit Garden. The fruit garden is a plantation of fruit-trees, intended to supply the family with fruit. In some cases, where a large supply of fruit is wanted, and the proprietor has land and. means to warrant it, a certain portion of ground is wholly devoted to it ; and in others it forms a separate compartment of the kitchen garden, or is mixed with it — the fruit-trees occupying the borders, or outsides of the compartments, and the culinary vegetables the interior. The latter is most general, in this country, at the present time. In a country like ours, so well adapted to fruit culture, where almost every citizen not only occupies but owns a garden, and, as a general thing, possesses suffi- cient means to enable him to devote it to the culture of the higher and better class of garden productions, the fruit garden is destined to be, if it is not already, an ob- ject of great importance. In the old countries of Europe, the rich alone, or those comparatively so, are permitted to enjoy such luxury ; for land is so dear that working people are unable to purchase it, and if they are, they are either unable to stock it with trees, or their necessities compel them to devote it to the production of the coarsest articles of vegetable food that can be produced in the greatest bulk. It is not so in America. Here every industrious man, at the age of five-and-twenty, whatever may be his pursuits, may, if he choose, be the proprietor of a garden of some extent, and possess sufficient means to stock it with the finest fruits of the land. The present actual state of the population gives abun- dant evidence of this happy and prosperous condition. Let us look at our cities and villages. In Rochester, excepting a narrow circle in its very center, every house has its garden, varying in extent from twenty-five by one hundred feet to an acre of ground, and not one of these but is nearly filled with fruit-trees; and so it is, but on a 196 PERMANENT PLANTATIOXS. larger scale, in all the villages of Western New York — a section of country in wliich the first white man's settle- ment can scarcely date buck over sixty years. Aside from the beneficial results to individual and public health and prosperity from this general union of the fruit garden and the dwelling, it cannot fail to exercise a softening and refining influence on the tastes, habits, and manners of the people, and greatly strengthen their love of home and country. The great thing wanting at this moment is a knowledge of the correct method of planting and managing fruit gardens. We cannot pass along the streets a rod, where there is a garden, without seeing and feeling that three- fourths of the profit and pleasure which gardens might afibrd, are sacrificed to bad management, arising, in the main, from ignorance of the proper modes of culture adapted to such limited grounds ; and it is hoped that the suggestions and plans offered in the following detail of fruit-garden management may afford at least a portion of the information wanted. The formation of a fruit garden reqidres a considera- tion of the soil^ situation, inclosures, laying out, selection of trees, selection of varieties, and pla7iting. 1st. llie Situation. — This is generally governed by the particular circumstances of the proprietor, those only who build with reference to the location of the garden, or who have a large domain at their disposal, having an opportunity of selection to any considerable extent. Per- sons who live in cities and villages have to make the best of their situation. As it is, if it be exposed, they can only give it protection by lofty inclosures, that will break the force of the winds. The aspect they cannot alter, and must adapt other circumstances to it. Those who can should select a situation convenient enough to the dwelling to render it at all times easy of access, in order to save time and labor in o^oimr to and from it. It THE FRUIT GARDENS". 197 should also be sheltered from the norlh and west winds. The former are destructive to the blossoms in spring, and tlie latter frequently blow off the fruit before its matuiity. In sections of the country subject to late spring frosts, an elevated situation is to be preferred, as in the case of orchards. A full eastern or southern aspect should be avoided, because in both the sun's rays strike the trees while the frost is upon them, and produce in- juries that would be avoided in other aspects. Where artificial shelter is required, a belt of rapid-growing trees, composed of evergreens and deciduous trees mixed, should be planted on the exposed side, but at such a distance as to obviate any difiiculty that might arise from the injuri- ous effects of shade, or from the roots entering the gar- den. Such a belt of trees might, at the same time, be made to impart a pleasing and highly ornamental appear- ance to the grounds. 2d. The Soil is a most important consideration. As in a garden a general collection of all the fruits is to be grown, and that in the highest state of perfection, the soil should be of that character in its texture, depth, and quality, best adapted to general purposes. It should not only be suitable for the npple and the pear, but for the peach, the cherry, and the plum — a good, deep, friable loam, with a gravelly clay subsoil, and entirely free from stagnant moisture. In this country, our warm summers and frequent, protracted drouths render a deep soil for a garden absolutely necessary. The means for deepening, drying, improving, and changing the character of soils have been already pointed out under the general head of Soils, and need not be repeated here. Suffice it to say, that it will always be found true economy to be liberal in the first preparation of the soil; for after a garden is laid out and permanently planted, improvements are always made with greater difficulty and expense. Inclosures. — The cheapest and most ordinary kind of 198 PERMANENT PLANTATIOXS. inclosure for gardens, in this country, is the tight board fence, and the picket or paling fence. The former should be made of stout cedar posts, set at six feet apart and three or four feet in the ground, the ends being previously- charred, or covered with hot gas-tar, to increase their durability, connected in the middle and on the top with cross-bars, or rails, which may be two by four inches. The boards should be well seasoned, matched, and se- curely nailed to the cross-bars. Where the fence is required to be higher than the posts, tlie boards can ex- tend above the top rail two, three, or even four feet, if necessary. The picket or paling fence is made in the same way, as far as the framework, posts, and cross-bars go ; but, instead of matched boards, pickets, from three to six inches wide, and pointed on the top, are used, and a space of two inches left between each. Where the pro- prietor can afford the expense of a brick or stone wall, it will prove the most permanent, and, in the end, the cheap- est inclosure. The hight of the fence or wall depends somewhat on the extent of the garden. In ordinary cases, eight or ten feet are the proper hight, but when the gar- den is very small, five or six feet are enough ; and the open paling will be preferable^ except on the north side, to the tight board fence, as it offers less obstruction to the air and light. A high fence around a very small garden, be- sides being injurious to vegetation in it, looks quite out of character, giving to it the appearance of a huge box. Live hedges, as recommended for orchards, might be employed around country gardens of considerable extent, say an acre or upwards, but they require to be kept in the neatest possible condition. Trellises. — In England, and other parts of Europe, where the summer temperature is not so high as it is here, espalier trees are trained directly on the garden walls or fence ; but our hot sun renders this unsafe, except in the case of the grape, or on the north sides of the walls. The THE FRUIT GARDEN. 199 sun strikes the south side of a fence with such force that the foliage in contact with it is burned. It is therefore necessary, where the walls or fences are to be occupied wiih espaliers, to erect suitable trellises at the distance of six to twelve inches from them, on which to train the trees. The form of these differs according to the nature of the subject to be trained. They are generally made of upright and cross-bars, of inch boards, three inches wide, placed within six to twelve inches of each other, accord- ing to the gro^vth of the species ; the larger the foliage and the longer the shoots, the greater maybe the dis- tances ; thus, the grape twelve inches, and the peach eight. Sometimes they are constructed of wooden bars and wire rods alternately ; these answer a good purpose for the grape, as it fixes itself to the wires by the tendrils. The trellis is fastened to the wall by iron hooks, and should stand a little farther from it at the bottom than at the top, for the purpose of giving the tree a better ex- posure to the sun, rain, etc. Fruits are grown so suc- cessfully in this country in the open ground that walls or trellises are seldom used, except to economize space. In the North, however, where the more tender fruits do not succeed in the open ground, walls may be advantageously employed, as the trees trained on them are easily pro- tected both from winter and spring frosts. Laying Out the Fndt Garden. — This is the arrange- ment or distribution of the ground into suitable plots or compartments, necessary walks, etc. The mode of doing this propriate to the size of the garden, and consistent with good management. The next point to be considered is, The Age of the Trees. — This will depend very much on circumstances. For pyramidal trees it is yet difficult, al- most impossible, to obtain in the nurseries specimens of more than one year's growth that are suitable. The yearlings are never sufficiently cut back, nor the branches of the second and third years so managed as to have the requisite proportion of length and vigor to fit them for being moulded, with any ordinary treatment, into a per- fectly pyramidal form. If suitable trees cannot be found of two or three years from the bud or graft, vigorous yearlings, worked at the ground, should be chosen, as they are in a condition to take easily nny required form ; and though fruit may not be soon obtained from them, yet they will, in the end, be much more satisfactory; for, unloss a right beginning be made in the training of a tree in any form more or less artificial, no art can afterwards completely correct the errors. If we take a two or three year old tree, managed in the nursery, as usual, with a naked trunk, two to two and a half feet from the ground, and a branching head, or, what is nearly as bad, a few weak side branches below, overrun with strong ones above, the most severe process will be necessary, in order to produce lateral branches in the proper place ; and tlms as much time will be lost as would bring forward a yearling, and the tree will not be so perfectly formed, nor in any respect so satisfactory. The general impatience that ex- ists in regard to the growth and bearing of trees is the THE FRUIT GAKDEN. 213 great cause of this defective character when talven fiom the nursery. The nurseryman is averse to cutting back his trees, as they lose a year in hight ; and planters or pur- chasers are not generally discriminating enougli to be will- ing to pay him a proportionate price. He finds tall trees more attractive. When planters do get these trees, they cannot be psrsuaded to cut them down; they wish to ob- tain fruit as soon as possible, and therefore the tree is al- lowed to proceed in the defective form it assumed at the nursery. For Dwarfs and Dwarf Standards^ it is less difficult to obtain the right sort of trees, for this is the form that nur- sery trees that have not been cut back, ordinarily assume. Those, therefore, who prefer such trees can always be sup- plied with them well advanced, even in a bearing state, if so desired. As in the pyramid, however, persons who intend to make models of their trees, will do well to pro- cure yearlings worked at the surface of the ground, for on them, beads or lateral branches can be formed without any difficulty at any desired point between the collar and ter- minal bud. Another consideration is worthy of note on this point. There is a much greater risk in removing three or four year old trees than yearlings, and they arc more difficult and expensive to pack and transport. The yearling is easily removed and easily transported, and its growth is comparatively unaiFected by the change. The gardeners most famous for their handsome, well-managed fruit trees, invariably select yearling trees, that is, trees that have made one year's growth from the bud or graft. But it is not always practicable to procure trees of this age, as few of them are called for, and nursery-men dislike to break upon their young stock before it has attained the usual marketable age. Selection of Varieties. — The selection of varieties of fi'uits for a fruit garden should be made in view of all the circumstances that can affect their usefulness. They 214 per:\ianent plantations. should be adapted to the soil, and more particularly to the cUmate. It is well known that in every section of tlie country, certain varieties seam to succeed remarkably well, whilst others, of the greatest excellence elsewhere, entirely fail. Our country is so extensive, and embraces such a variety of climate, that it is impossible that the same varieties should succeed equally well in all parts ; and planters should consider this well. Those who have had no experience in cultivation, nor a proper opportunity for acquiring knowledge on this j)oint, should consult others. Any intelligent nurseryman who has a corre- spondence with all parts of the country, and is thoroughly alive to all ths branches of his profes4on, and the re- sults of experience, can aid planters greatly in making appropriate selections. It is true that the amount of knowledge collected on this head is yet comparatively small, and quite insufficient for a general guide, but it is every day accumulating, and what there may be is well worthy of attention. The experience of fruit growers, as elicited at recent pomological conventions, has brought to light a multitude of highly important facts, bearing on this very point. These will be more particularly noted when we come to the descriptlo7% of fruits. Varieties should he adapted in their growth to the form they are to he grown in, and to the extent of the garden. — For pyramid:d trees, varieties sliould be chosen whose habits of growth are regular, or slightly spreading, the branches assuming more of the horizontal than the upright, and those disposed to branch low down should be preferred to those of an opposite habit. Where the gar- den is small, moderate or slow growers should be pre forred to rapid and vigorous growers. They should also be well adapted to the stock on which they are worked. This is a very important point, but one on which only a few persons in this country have yet acquired any con- siderable atnount of actual experience. Still, many im- THE FRUIT GARDEN. 215 portant facts have been gatlieiecl, and it becomes e very- planter to avail himself of them. If he plants pears on quince stocks, for instance, it is important to know that certain varieties are much better on that stock than they are on the pear, and that others fail and are worthless on it. The varieties should he adapted to the loants and wishes of the planter. — Those who plant fruit gardens have not all the same objects in view. One man plants his garden simply to supply his family Avith good fruits. Tliis is his main purpose. He should, therefore, select the very best varieties, considering not the quality alone, but their productiveness and other useful properties. Such a per- son has no desire for a large collection, but looks merely for an assortment that will yield a succession of ripe fruits during the season. Another, who regards the mere value of tlie fruit less than amusement, recreation, and experi- ment, will make his collection as varied as possib-e. Where any particular class of fruits can be had veiy cheap in market, it should be planted sparingly in the garden, so that such as may be scarce or dear can be grown in larger quantities. It is only by taking all these into account that planters can hope to make their fruit garden answer their particular views and purposes. The planting of a fruit garden should be considered as of equal importance with the building of a dwelling, so far as the doing of it well is concerned. The dwelling is constructed with a view to the convenience of the family, and is, therefore, in all its parts, supposed to be adapted to their wants and mode of living. The fruit garden is intended, also, to promote the comfort and convenience of the family, and should be, like the dwelling, in all respects as nearly as possible adapted to their wants and circumstances. Having now treated of the soil, inclos- ures, trellises, walks, arrangement, selection of trees and varieties, we proceed to the taking up of the trees and planting. 216 PERMANENT PLANTATIONS. Taking up the Trees. — This has ah-eady been described under the head of Nursery Operations, to which the reader is referred. Planting has been described under the head of Planting the Orchard ; and the operation being the same in both cases, it need not be repeated. The arrangement of the trees^ however, is different, and tliis point requires a special notice. In regard to ^^osition. — Each class of trees, such as pears, apples, cherries, etc., should be planted together in the same rows or division, and if any difference exist in the soil, each should be planted in that best adapted to it. Thus, plums should have that most inclined to clay ; pears and apples, the deepest and richest; cherries, peaches, apricots, etc., the driest and lightest. Where the garden is large, the pyramids should be in one compartment, the dwarf standards in another, and the dwarf bushes in another; but where it is necessary to economize and fill the ground to the best advantage, the dwarf buslies may alternate advantageously with the pyramids or dwarf standards, and this especially along the walk borders. Varieties, too, of the same or similar habits of growth, should, if possible, be together. The espalier trees should be placed so that the earliest blos- soming kinds, such as the apricots, will be most secure from the influence of spring frosts where these prevail ; the trellis facing the north will be the best for this pur- pose ; but where it is intended to protect them, the aspect is of little account. In the north aspect, fruits are very nuich retarded in their ripening; and this circumstance may be turned to a good account to prolong the season of some late cherries, currants, etc' We have seen fine Morellos in perfection on a north wall here, in the month of September. The distance at which trees should he planted in the garden. — This will not be the same in all cases ; for in a THE PEUIT GARDEN. 217 large garden it is not necessary to plant so close as in a very small one, and in a very rich and deep soil a greater distance will be required than in a dry and light soil. There is also a great difference in the growth of varieties. Some might be planted at six feet apart, and have as much space in proportion as others would at eight. This shows that no rule, as regards distance, can be observed in all cases, and this particularly in small gar- dens, where advantage should be taken of every circum- stance. In large gardens, a uniform distance may be adopted, even if some space be sacrificed. The following distances may serve as a general guide, and may be in- creased or diminished according to circumstances .* DISTANCE IN THE OPEN GROUND. Apples. — Pyramids, on free stock, ten feet apart; do., Doucin, eight feet apart; do., dwarf standards on Doucin, ten feet apart ; do., dwarf bushes on Paradise, five or six feet apart. Pears. — ^Pyramids on free stocks, ten to twelve feet apart; do., on quince, ten feet apart; do., dwarf stand- ards on quince, eight to ten feet apart. Plums. — Dwarf standards, eight to ten feet apart; do., pyramids, eight to ten feet apart. Cherries. — Pyramids, Hearts, and Bigarreaus, eight to ten feet apart ; do., Dukes and Morellos, six to eight feet apart ; do., dwarf bushes of Morellos, five to six feet apart. Apricots. — ^Dwarf standard on plum, eight to ten feet apart; do., pyramids, six to eight feet apart. Peaches. — Low standards on peach, ten to twelve feet apart ; do., on plum, eight to ten feet. Nectarines. — Same as peaches. Quinces. — Pyramids or bushes, six to eight feet apart. 10 218 PERMANENT PLANTATIONS. Filberts, six to eight feet apart. Gooseberries and Currants, four or five feet apart. JRaspherries, two to three feet apart. Mr. Rivers gives the following distances in his " Minia- ture Fruit Garden " : Pyramidal Pear-Trees^ on quince stocks, root-pruned for small gardens, four feet apart. The same, in larger gardens, not root-pruned, six feet apart. Pyramidal Pear-Trees, on the pear stock, root-pruned, six feet apart. The same, roots not pruned, eight to ten feet — the latter if the soil be very rich. horizontal Espalier Pear-Trees, on the quince stock, for rails or walls, fifteen feet apart. Upright Espaliers, on the quince stock, for rails or walls, four to six feet apart. horizontal Espaliers, on the pear stock, for rails or walls, twenty to twenty-four feet apart. Pyramidal Plumr Trees, six feet apart. Espalier Plum- Trees, twenty feet apart. Pyramidal Apple- Trees, on the Paradise stock, root- pruned for small gardens, four feet apart. The same, roots not pruned, six feet apart. Espalier Apple- Trees, on the Paradise stock, fifteen feet apart. The same, on the crab stock, twenty to twenty- four feet apart. Peaches and Nectarines for walls, twenty feet apart. Apricots for walls, twenty-four feet apart. Cherries, as bushes on the Mahaleb stock, roots pruned for small gardens, four feet apart. The same, roots not pruned, six feet apart. Espalier Cherry-Trees, on the Mahaleb, for rails or walls, twelve to fifteen feet apart. THE FRUIT GARDEN. 219 Oblique Cordon Trees ^ of all varieties, two to three feet apart. Horizontal Cordons^ of all varieties, ten to twelve feet apart. DISTANCES FOR ESPAJLIER TREES ON WALLS OR TRELLISES. The distances between espalier trees must be regulated not only by the growth of the species and variety, but by the bight of the walls or trellis. If these be low, a greater length, of course, will be necessary than if high ; for eveiy tree must have a certain extent of surface to be spread upon. Hence, if a trellis be only eight feet high, nearly double the length, and, consequently, double the distance between the trees, will be required that would be on a trellis fifteen or sixteen feet high. As a general thing, peaches^ apricots^ or nectarines^ on walls or trellises eight or ten feet high, should be fifteen to twenty feet apart, if on free stocks, and twelve to fifteen if dwarfed on the plum. Cherries^ ten to twelve feet. Our Native Grapes^ Isahella^ Catawba, etc., at twelve to fifteen feet apart, on an eight-foot-high trellis. Foreign varieties will not require half this ; indeed, the better way is to keep these trained to simple stakes, and planted in the border, where their out-door culture is attempted. In this way they are easily laid down and protected. PEUNINQ CHAPTER II. PRUNma AND TRAINING APPLIED TO THE DIF- FERENT SPECIES OF FRUIT-TREES UNDER VARIOUS FORMS. Section 1. — ^Pruning the Apple and the Peak. These two trees belong to the same genus, Pyrus / their habits of growth and bearing are similar, and they may therefore be treated, as regards their pruning, under the same head. If we take, for example, a shoot of last season (fig. 7), we find it, in the spring, before vegetation commences, furnished on all its length -with wood-buds ; when growth commences, the terminal bud, and probably two or three of the others nearest to it, produce shoots; the others to- wards the middle produce small shoots that are, in subse- quent years, transformed into fruit branches (like fig. 10). Some do not push at all, but are converted into fruit- buds (as in figs. 8 and 9), whilst those at the base gener- ally remain dormant, until excited into growth by close pruning. All the buds on these trees have small, incon- spicuous buds at their base, which are capable of produc- ing shoots when the principal bud is destroyed or injured, and these buds render the fruit-spurs so enduring. In young trees, the fruit-buds are many years in process of formation, and in bearing trees, three to four years, ac- cording to circumstances. When the trees are not sub- jected to pruning, the result of the mode of growth described is, that the terminal buds grow and form one section upon another, leaving the lower parts mainly des- THE APPLE AND TUE PEAR. 221 titute of bearing wood, unless it be an occasional spur, the sap always tending to the points. Standards. — The management of this fonn of trees has been fully treated of in all our works on fruit culture, and in all the agricultural and horticultural journals, so that now it is pretty well understood, and especially by those who give considerable attention to the subject of fruit-trees; it will not be necessary, therefore, to enter upon much detail in regard to it. A standard apple or pear tree, for the orchard, when taken from the nursery to be finally planted out, we will suppose to have a straight, stout trunk, four to six feet in hight, as the case may be, and a head composed of a certain number of shoots or branches, but generally shoots of one year's growth. At the time of planting, three or four of these shoots should be selected to form the main branches, or frame- work, on which to build the whole head, and the remainder cut clean out ; those reserved should be cut back full one-half, and from the shoots pro- duced on these, at and below the cut, two of the strongest are selected, each on opposite sides, and the others are rubbed off while they are soft. In selecting these shoots, care must be taken to have them equally distant from one another, and pointing in such directions as not to cross or interfere. During the first season, these young shoots must be watched and kept in a regular state of vigor. If any threaten to become too vigorous, they must be pinched and checked at once, so that perfect uniformity be pre- served. This is the time to secure a well-formed and nicely-balanced head. A very slight circumstance some- times throws the growth into one side or one branch of a young tree, and produces a deformity from which it never recovers. The trunk must be kept clear of all shoots, by rubbing oflT such as appear at the earliest possible moment, when it can be done without the use of a knife. Suppos- 222 PRUNING. ing we commenced the head with three branches at time of planting, there will be, at the end of the first season, six. The attention required after this will be to maintain an uniform growth among these six branches, and their mem- bers and divisions, and to prevent the growth of shoots in tlie center. The leading defect in all our orchard trees is too much wood^ the heads are kept so dense with small shoots that the sun and air are, in a great measure, excluded, and the fruit on the outside of the tree only is marketable or fit for use. The head should be kept open, rather in the form of a vase, so that the wood, leaves, blossoms and fruit may all, on every part, enjoy the full benefit of the sun and air, without wliich they cannot perform their functions, or attain maturity and perfection. Too many people imagine that trees can take care of themselves, as trees in the forest, on the ground that nature pre- serves a balance in all her works ; but it should be borne in mind that a fruit tree is not exactly a natural production. It is far re- moved from the natural state by culture, and the farther it is re- moved, that is, the more its nature is refined and improved, the more care it requires. Fig. 108 repre- sents a young standard pear tree, stem four feet high, and the head twice cut back, as at the letters a and h. Pinching. — If this be properly attended to, very little knife prun- ing will be necessary, except to shorten the leading shoots, because as soon as a superfluous or misplaced Fig. 108. — A YoxmQ STANDARD PEAR-TREE. Trunk 4 feet high ; head for- ward on three main branch- es, twice pruned at A and B. TUE APPLE AND THE PEAR. 223 slioot appears, it is rubbed off, and when one becomes too vigorous, it is pinched and checked. The great ad- vantage of pinching is, that 1st. It economizes the sap of the tree. That which would be expended on superfluous shoots is turned to the benefit of the parts reserved, and thus the growth is greatly promoted. 2d. All wounds necessarily inflicted, where knife-prun- ing is depended on, are completely avoided. These facts should be remembered. Standard apples and pears are not generally pruned with a view to hastening their bearing, but are allowed to arrive at that state in their natural way. In the case of tardy-bearing sorts, how- ever, it may be desirable to apply artificial means, and these will be pointed out in treating of dwarfs and pyra- mids hereafter. Dwarf Standards. — These are similar to standards, except that the trunks are low, not over two or three feet in hight, and the head is retained in a smaller space. Their management is always much easier when the stocks are such as to dwarf or restrain the growth. Thus, apples on the Paradise or Doucin^ and pears on the quince. The main branches, or frame-work of the head, are produced by cutting back the three or four branches that form the head of the tree as it comes from the nursery, in the same manner as recommended for stand- ards. The first season^ all superfluous productions are rubbed off, and a balance maintained among the shoots by pinching. The second year^ in the winter or spring, the shoots of last season are shortened, say one-half, as a general thing. This induces the development of the buds on their lower parts. The cut is made at a good, plump bud, capable of producing a vigorous shoot ; and this is selected to prolong the branch. If one or two secondary branches 224 PKUNING are needed to fill up a space, those next the leader, if properly situated to fill the space, are chosen, and all be- low them are pinched when about two or three inches long, in order to check the production of wood where it is not wanted, and to convert them into fruit branches or spurs. The growth of all the main and secondary branches is regulated and balanced by pinching ; and if the pinched shoots, intended for fruit spurs, start again into growth, they must be again pinched. The third season^ the shoots of the previous year are cut back as before, say to four, five, or six eyes, according to their strength. One shoot is chosen to continue the pro- longment of the branch, and the others are pinched in season to convert them into fruit spurs. Thus the tree is conducted from year to year, until it has attained the full size required. In this wlay the trees commence bearing quite young, and every branch is furnished, in all its length, with fruit spurs. Pyramids. — Under the head of "the selection of trees," it has been recommended to obtain thrifty yearling trees in preference to older ones, not properly managed. We will, therefore, begin with the yearling tree, and although the management of the first year after cutting back has been given in the nursery, it may be well to I'epeat it here, to save the reader the trouble of referring back. Objects of cutting hack. — The object in doing this is to produce branches near the stock, that will form the base of the future pyramid. If left entire, the tendency of the sap to the extremities would produce shoots there only, leaving a naked space entirely inconsistent with the form in view. We therefore reduce the stem to such an ex- tent, that but a small number of buds are left on it, and the sap, acting on these with great force, causes their development. Sow far to cut hack. — It is obvious that this must de^ pend on the character of the subject. In yearling plants, THE APPLE AND TUE PEAR. 225 both of tlie pear and apple, there is presented a great difference in different varieties. Some invariably pro- duce lateral branches the first season. The buds are so perfectly developed, that when the second growth takes place in mid-summer, they break, and form branches, in some cases as much as a foot long, and in others only a few inches. Then, among the varieties which do not thus produce side branches in the second growth, there is a great difference in the plumpness and prominence of the buds. In some they are larger, and stand out boldly from the wood on the whole length of the stem, appa- rently ready to push under the least excitement. In others they are small, lie flat to the wood, and have every appearance of being difficult to excite into growth, and especially those towards the base. It should always be borne in mind that it is better to cut too low than not low enough. The difficulty of cutting too low is, that the shoots produced are nearly all of equal length, and a certain number of them require to be checked to give each one its proper dimensions. The difficulty of r.ot cutting low enough is, that where we should have branches at the base, we have none, or, if any, they are smaller, instead of larger, than those above them. The remedy in this case is more difficult than the other. The vi""orous shoots at the summit must be checked, and even the leading shoot, in order to throw back the sap into the lower parts, to act upon the buds there. The error which produces such a difficulty is very common, as we know by experience, among persons not familiar with the growth of young trees or the development of the buds on their stems. It must be laid down as a general rule that the more feeble the plants and the smaller and the more imperfectly developed the buds, the lower it is necessary to cut. The condition of the roots, too, must be taken into account; for where the roots are weak, broken, or injured, 226 PRUNING. force, and a more and consequently unfit to yield to the stem any considera- ble amount of nutriment, the buds will break with less severe retrenchment will be necessary. All these circumstances must be consid- ered. For example, we will take a young pear-tree, of one year's growth from the bud, without branches (fig. 109), which we will suppose to be four feet, which is the ordinary average hight of yearlings. If the buds are full and prominent on it, we cut to a good bud, about twenty inches from tiie stock ; but if the buds are less prominent, cut to fifteen or eighteen inches, and if very feeble, with small buds, cut to within twelve inches, or five or six buds of tlie stock. If the roots have been injured much, and the stem somewhat dried or shrivelled, it should be cut to within three or four buds of the base. These dificerent cases are mentioned because it frequently hap- pens that persons who live at a great distance from nurseries often find their trees, on their arrival, in the condition de- scribed, and it is necessary that a course of treatment for them should be indicated. The bud cut to should, if possible, be one of the best on the stem, and be on the side of the tree opposite that in which the bud was inserted, so as to continue the stem in a straight line. It ia a great advantage to have a tree well established in the ground before cut- ting it back, to produce the first branches to form the pyramid; because, in that condition, it is capable of producing vigorous shoots the first season. It A yearling pear- tree without bran- ches. The cross- line indicates the first pruning or cutting back. THE APPLE AND THE PEAR. 227 is on Ibis account that a young tree, cut back in the nur- sery, presents a much more perfect form, at the end of the second year, than those tliat have been transplanted. Some good cul- tivators advise to defer the cut- ting back for the formation of the permanent branches until tlie plant has stood one year after transplant- ing; but this course is attended with many difficulties, and, on the whole, it is better to cut back when the tree is planted, even if we ob- tain but a moderate growth; for the older the buds are on the lower part of the tree, the more obstinate and unmanageable they are. If we fail to accomplish our ends in tlie first cutting, we can repeat it the next year. Pruning the Branched Yearling. — Among trees of tliis kind, some have branches a foot or more in length, wliile in others they resem- ble short, stiff spurs, two to four inches long. These two characters require different modes of treat- ment. Where there are branches of sufficient force, and properly situated to form the first series of main branches, they must be treat- ed in the same manner as though the tree were two years old. The strongest and best situated are selected and pruned to with- in four to six inches of their base, according to their vigor and position ; the lowest should not be more than six inches from the stock. The small, feeble, superfluous ones ^re en- 108. pear-tree with the pruning indi- Yearlin branches, cated by tlie cross-lines 228 TEUmNG. tirely removed ; the leading sboot, which, in such cases, is short, and provided with plump buds, does not require a heavy shortening ; in most cases, one - half will be quite sufficient. Figure 110 represents a tree of this kind ; the cross-lines indicate the cuts. Where the lateral branches are short and spur-like, they will require very careful treatment ; the strongest and best placed are reserved. If the lower ones have good terminal buds, they are left entire ; those above them are shortened, the lower to three, the next above to two, and the up- permost, next the leading shoot, to one bud. This will give their pro- ductions a proper relative degree of vigor. The leader is cut back fur- ther than in the well-branched sub- ject, because it is presumed the buds are less excitablq — as a general thing, within four to six buds of the highest lateral, or one-half of its length. There is another class of trees neces- sary to be noticed here, because they are very common — two-year-old nur- sery trees that have not been properly treated. Figure 111 represents a tree Fi^. 109. Qf ^^^ kind. A few inches only of A two-year-old pear-tree, ^, ^ ^ , /y. ^ ^i not cut back far enough tlie top Were taken oil at the com- the first season; the second mencement of the second year's pruning, to produce bran- . j rv j.\. ^ -j. i zv i. ches below, is indicated by growth, and after that it was left to the cross-line. itself. Branches, therefore, were pro- duced only at the top, leaving a vacant space of two feet — the very part that should have produced the first THE APPLE AXD THE PEAR. 229 set of main branches. The best disposition to make of such trees would be to conduct them in the form of dwarf standards, which they really are at present ; but it liappens that, in some cases, it is desired to convert them into pyramids, and therefore it is essential that the proper means be pointed out. Two-year-old trees, like yearlings, differ materially in the character of the buds on the lower part of the stem. On some, these are quite prominent, so much so as to appear to have made some advance towards development, while in others they are quite flat and dor- mant. It is obvious that trees in the first condition will not require that severe retrenchment on the head, to pro- duce branches below, as the last. In this case it will generally be sufiicient, and especially if the space be- tween the stock and first branches does not exceed two feet, to cut back the leader to three buds, and the lateral branches below it to one bud; but when the buds are small and backward, or when the branchless space is over two feet in length, the two-year-old wood must be cut back to within eighteen inches to two feet of the base. The formation of lateral branches is encouraged by cut- ting notches in the stem, above a bud, at the point where the branch is desired. We find thnt in the case of im- ported trees, or those carried a great distance, and more or less injured, nothing short of this severe cutting can insure branches low enough to form a pyramidal tree. It seems a great pity to cut back a tree in this manner, and lose a year or two of its growth and bearing, but it is absolutely necessary when the pyramidal form is want- ed. There is still another class of trees that we sometimes see sent out from the nurseries. These are two or three years old ; have been cut back, and are pretty well fur- nished, in all their length, with lateral branches, but, from the want of proper care, those on the upper parts have acquired greater vigor than those below, presenting the tree in a situation just the reverse, in this respect, of what 230 PKUXING. it ought to be. In pruning this specimen at the time of planting, the lower branches must either be shortened very slightly, in order to get a strong bud for a leader, or they must be left entire, while those above will be cut close ; where we want the longest and strongest branches, there we leave the most wood. The most important pruning performed upon a tree is the first one^ for it is this which makes all future manage- ment easy and successful, or difficult and unsatisfactory. This is the reason why it has appeared necessary to treat of it so minutely. Having encountered all the difficulties that others are likely to encounter, and having described them and pointed out the means by which they are to be overcome, it is believed that the matter has been made so plain, that any man of ordinary intelligence, and possess- ing the slightest knowledge of tree culture, can take his knife and prepare his trees in such a manner as to give him a most reasonable hope of attaining his ends. We now proceed to the Summer management of trees thus cut hacl^. — Wc will first consider the case of the yearling without branches. If it has been cut low enough, as directed, nearly all the buds below the cut will push. As a space of six to twelve inches should be kept clear between the ground an,z>,wood- ^^^ others are pinched to favor this. By this buds ; d, a small i n i i i • wood-bud at the method wc shail have three stout shoots m base of fruit- tbe fall. If the plant had been well rooted, instead of being newly transplanted, we might have taken two shoots instead of one from each shortened branch. These three branches are cut back at the next pruning to three or four buds, and from each two new shoots are taken, giving at the end of that sea- son six stout young shoots, situated at equal distances. Fig. 151. Branch of the gooseberry. A, cut out entirely, year - old ^Y,en cut l)ack THE GOOSEBERRY. 309 At the next or third pruning these branches are cut back about one-half, in order to pioduce lateral branches and fruit spurs. At the fourth pruning, the leading shoot is shortened one-third to one-half. Any lateral branches not required to fill up spaces, or sucli as are improperly- placed, are cut back to three or four buds, so as to convert them into fruit-branches. In this way the priming is conducted from year to year. When the plants become feeble from overbearing, the fruit branches may be headed down and replaced by new vigorous shoots. The better way, however, to provide for this difficulty, is to raise young plants from layers or cuttings, to be at once substituted for such as fall a victim to the mildew. A northern aspect, a cool, damp, substan- tial soil, and abundance of manure, are all necessary, in connection with the pruning described, to produce fine gooseberries. The famous growers of Lancashire, England, outdo all the world besides in the production of large gooseberries. The Encyclopaedia of Gardening says : " To efiect this increased size, every stimulant is applied that their inge- nuity can suggest ; they not only annually manure the soil richly, but also suri'ound the plants with trenches of manure for the extremities of the roots to strike into, and form round the stem of each plant a basin, to be mulched, or manured, or watered, as may become necessary. When a root has extended too far from the stem it is uncovered, and all the strongest leaders are shortened back nearly one-half of their length, and covered with fresh marly loam, well manured. The efiect of this pruning is to in- crease the number of fibres and spongioles, which form rapidly on the shortened roots, and strike out in all direc- tions among the fresh, newly stirred loam, in search of nutriment." They also practise what they term suckling their prize fruit. By preparing a very rich soil, and by watering, 310 THE CURRANT. and the use of liquid manure, shading and thinning, the large fruit of the prize cultivator is produced. Not con- tent with watering at root, and over the top, the Lanca- shire connoisseur, when he is growing for exhibition, places a small saucer of water immediately under each goose- berry, only three or four of which he leaves on a tree ; this he technically calls suckling. He also pinches off a great part of the young wood, so as to throw all the strength he can into the fruit. Section 12. — Pruning and Management of the Currant. The red and white currants bear, like the gooseberry, on wood not less than two years old, and therefore the same system of pruning may be applied to them. The most convenient and easily-managed form in which they can be grown, is that of a bush or small tree, with a stem of three to six inches high, and a head composed of a certain number, say six or eight principal branches, situated at equal distances, and not nearer to one another at the ex- tremities than six or eight inches. These branches are produced by cutting back the young shoots found on the nursery plant, as recommended for the gooseberry. They are afterwards annually shortened to produce lateral branches, when wanted, and fruit spurs. Care must be taken not to prune too close, as this causes the buds on the lower parts to make wood instead of fruit spurs : one third, and in many cases one fourth, Avill be quite sufficient. The Currant as a Pyramid. — The currant is very easily formed into pretty pyramids. The mode of conducting them will be similar to that recommended for other trees. A good strong shoot must first be obtained to com- mence upon ; this is cut back, and laterals produced as though it were a yearling cherry-tree. Summer pruning THE CLRRAlSrT. 311 and pinching must be duly put in practice, under any form, to keep up an equality of growth among the shoots, and to check misplaced and superfluous ones. This will obviate a great deal of cutting at the winter or spring pruning. Mr. Rivers, in his " Miniature Fruit Garden," says : "A near neighbor of mine, an ingenious gardener, attaches much value, and vi^ith reason, to his pyramidal currant trees ; for his table is supplied abundantly with their fruit till late in autumn. The leading shoots of his trees are fastened to iron rods ; they form nice pyramids about five feet high ; and by the clever contrivance of slipping a bag made of coarse muslin over them as soon as the fruit is ripe, fastening it securely at the bottom, wasps, birds, flies, and all the ills that beset ripe currants arc excluded." The Currant as an Espalier. — It is sometimes desirable, both to economize space and to retard the period of ripen- ing, to train currants on a north wall or trellis ; and this is very easily done with success. We have seen the north side of a neighbor's garden fence completely covered with currants without any system whatever being pursued in laying in the branches. The plants were about five feet apart, and the branches were fastened to the wall in a sort of fan form. The proper way to treat the currant as an espalier is, to produce two strong branches on a stem six to twelve inches high. These branches are trained out in a horizontal manner like two arms — one on each side ; and from the shoots which they will produce, as many as are to be had at the distance of six inches from one another are trained in an upright position, as in the grape vine (fig. 137). These upright shoots are managed in the same w^ay as the branches of a bush ; they are annually shortened back a little to insure a good supply of fruit buds. The Black Currant produces its best fruit on the wood of the preceding year, therein differing from the others. 312 THE r.ASPBEEEY. In pruning it, the young wood must be preserved, and branches that have borne must be cut back to produce a succession of new bearing wood, as in the filbert. Manuring. — ^N'o otlier fruit tree is so patient under bad treatment as the currant, and yet none yields a more prompt or abundant reward for kindness. In addition to the annual ^jruning described, the bushes should receive a dressing of old, well-prepared manure, two or three inches deep, spread all around as far as the roots go, and forked lightly in. It is a great feeder, and, without tliese annual dressings, the soil becomes so poor that the fruit is really not worth gathering. Plai^ting, Pruning, and Teaii!^ing the Raspbeery. Planting. — The raspberry succeeds well in all good garden soils in the ISTorthern States, but the foreign varie- ties {Mnhus IdcBus) do not succeed at the South or South- west. The most advantageous and economical position for a raspberry bed in the garden is generally in the wall border, facing north. In this situation the fruit ripens sufficiently, and the canes are not so liable to suffer from alternate freezing and thawing in the winter. The young canes or suckers are shortened full one half, and i)lanted at the distance of two or three feet. Any flowers that make their appearance on them the first season should be removed, in order to turn all the sap to the benefit of the leaves and new roots, and the production of a young cane for the next season. Pruning. — The stem is biennial — that is, the canes are produced one season and bear fruit the next, and then die. For example, in fig. 152, A is the old cane that has borne, and is of no further use. B is the young cane produced at its base last season. The fruit buds produce small shoots, a, a, a, that bear the fruit. The pruning is very simple ; it consists merely in cutting away early in the THE RASPBERRY. 313 spring the old cane that has borne. Some people do this as soon as the fruit is gathered, on the ground that the young cane is strengthened by so doing ; but this is ques- tionable. It may be, on the whole, safer to leave it to finish its natural course, and cut it away at the spring or winter pruning. The young cane is shortened to three feet, or three and a half or four, if it be quite stout and vigorous. When the plants have been a year or two in their place, several canes will be produced from one stool in the same season ; but three or four only are reserved, and these the strongest. Each one is pruned or shortened as above in order to concentrate the sap on the bearing buds on the center and lower parts. This not only increases the size, but im- proves the quality of the fruit. "When the suckers become very nu- merous, they enfeeble the plant, and it soon becomes worthless. All the weaker superfluous ones should be carefully removed with a trowel early in the season, say when they have attained five or six inches of growth. In selecting such as are to be reserved, prefer- ence should be given to those being nearest in the regu- lar row of plants. Some of the French authors recom- mend leaving a hole ten or twelve inches deep around each plant at the time of planting, to be filled up gradu- ally, three or four inches a year, with fresh earth, to pro- mote the formation of vigorous radical buds, at the collar of the root, as recommended for the fig. Summer Pnming. — The foregoing is designed for the annual or winter pruning, but if summer pruning is prac- 14 Fig. 152. The Raspberry. A. the old cane that has borne and will be cut away ; B, the young cane for next season, to be shortened at" cross line 5 ; C, radical bud, to produce a cane next season. 314 THE EASPBEEPwT. tised all that will be needed in the autumn is to cut away the canes that l)ave borne fruit. In summer pruning, as soon as the young shoots have grown to a hight of two and a half or three feet, they should have the ends pinched in. This will soon cause them to produce laterals or side branches, and these again, as soon as they have made a growth of one foot, should be pinched back, and at the same time the shoot from the top bud of the cnne should be shortened. This causes the plants to become stocky and self-supporting. Manuring. — ^A liberal dressing of well-decomposed ma- nure should be given them every fall, worked carefully in among the roots witli the digging fork. With this treatment a bed will continue productive for seven years :it least. Training. — ^jVI. Dubreuil describes a very, pretty and simple method of training practised in France, and I had Fig. 153.— FRETTCH MODE OF TRA.TNING THE RASFBEBRT TO STAKES AND ROPES. the pleasure of seeing it carried into practice in the Rouen Garden (fig. 153). The railing ^ is a narrow strip of board, or a small pole, supported on upright stakes; it is eighteen inches from the row of plants, and three feet from the ground. When the young bearing canes are pruned in the spring, they are bent over and iastened to this rail ; and thus the young suckers grow up without mixing with the fruit branches; consequently the fruit ripens better and is more easily gathered. During the summer, when th^ THE liASPBERIiY. 3li youvg. suckers destined to bear the year following have reached the hight of two feet, they are fastened to a similar rail on the other side of the row, and the same distance from the line of the ground. The following is an English mode of training described in the " London Gardeners' Chronicle." In fig. 15 i-, the uprights between every two or three plants are iron, and Fig. 154. — ENGLISH MODE OF TRAINING THE KASPBERRT. the horizontal lines to which the canes are attached, are tarred rope. In fig. 155, the plants are supposed to be placed in rows four feet apart, and about the same distance from one another in the row. The number of shoots on each is regulated during the growing season, no more being Fig. 155. — ENGLISH MODE OF TRAINING THE RASPBERRY TO STAKES. allowed to remain than the plant is capable of support- ing^. In most cases six or eig^ht shoots will be sufiicient. Where this method is practised, a row of raspberries in autumn will have something of the appearance repre- sented in fig. 155 ; the arched portion, tied to the stake 316 THE KASPBERRY. in the center, being the canes which bore fruit last year, and which must be cut down to the bottom, and be re- placed by the upright shoots of last summer. In this last arrangement, five or six fruit-bearing canes are tied together to one stake, and it is impossible that the fruit can either ripen well or be gathered easily. The two first are good and simple plans. Where summer pruning is practised no training will bo needed, but in absence of that operation being performed we have practised driving stakes at distances of twelve feet or so along the row, and then simply securing a cord at one end of the row, pass it along one side, just under the side branches, giving a tie around each stake, and the same on the opposite side, thus securing the canes from falling to the ground, and yet leaving them free and open to air and sunshine. After fruiting the cord can be taken off and laid away for another year. Protection in Winter. — All the foreign, or, as commonly termed, Antwerp varieties, require winter protection in the northern sections of the States, and, indeed, they are Tig. 156. — COVERING RASPBEKRIES WITH THE SPADE. the better, wherever grown, for a slight protection during the winter months. In garden culture the canes are bent down and earth covered over them with a spade to the depth of two to three inches (fig. 156), the dotted lines being the top of the covering of earth. In the field or large plantations, a plow is run along by the side of the row, and a shallow furrow opened (a, fig. 157) ; then a man or boy follows, and, bending the canes down into it (J), secures them in place by draw- THE BLACKBERllY. 317 ing over them a little earth, either with the hand or foot ; the plow then returns, throwing the furrow over and upon the plants a depth of one to four inches (see dot- ted lines in %. 157). Another way of covering is to first lay down the canes along the line of row, secur- ing by a little dirt on their ends, and then turn a fur- row with the plow towards them on each side. This _,...../<-. Fig. 157.— COVERING RASPBBKRIE3 AVITH THE PLOW. makes the center between each row to act as a drain for surface water. The canes should be left until the buds begin to swell in the spring, as, if taken out too early, they are liable to be killed by frosts. In localities where snoAV usually covers the ground during winter, merely laying the canes upon the ground and covering the ends with a little earth is sufficient. Planting, Pruning, and Training the Blackberrt. The blackberry requires a deep moist soil, not wet, but it is not particular whether clay or sand. The canes are planted at distances of six to eight feet apart, according to the strength of the soil. Cover the crown of the root not more than two inches deep, same as with the raspberry. Prune the cane at planting the same as the raspberry, and pursue the same system of summer pruning or pinch- ing, only leaving the main stems from four to six feet long, and the side branches fourteen to eighteen inches. Tying the blackberry canes to wires or stakes is an un- pleasant labor, and we have found that stout stakes along the rows at distances of sixteen to twenty feet, with a No. 12 wire stretched alonor each side at three to four feet 318 THE STEAWBEERY. from the ground, according to the Light of the plants, a good support and economical in labor-saving. The wire, at time of pruning away the old bearing canes, may be removed from one side, and again replaced after the prun- ing is done. Covering the blackberry for winter protec- tion is the same as that of the raspberry. Culture and Majstagement of the Strawberry. The strawberry is not difficult to suit in regard to the nature of the soil, for every year we see abundant crops gathered from a variety of soils, differing widely in char- acter, from a light sand to a heavy clay. The best soil is a deep, strong, sandy loam, but any soil suited to the growth of ordinary field or garden crops may be trusted for successfully growing the strawberry. This should be broken up and pulverized by spade trench- ing (page 72) or subsoil plowing (page 71), and enriched by the admixture of good stable manure to the depth of full two feet. The quantity of manure will, of course, be regulated by the condition of the soil. 'New soils of good quality, unexhausted by cultivation, will require very little, just enough to quicken those chemical changes which it is necessary the elements of fertility should un- dergo to convert them into a nutritive state. In old, pretty well-worn soils a coating of three, four, or even six inches of manure should be spread on the surface be- fore the trenching or plowing begins, and be regularly incorporated with the soil during the operation. If this trenching or plowing can be done in the autumn, all the better, and the soil should be left as rough as possible, so that the frost will act upon it efficiently during the w^in- ter. Then before the plants are set in the spring, the ground should be turned over once more so as to loosen it and incorporate the various parts thoroughly with one another. The beneficial effects of manure depend much, THE STRAWBERRY. 319 in this as in all cases, upon its even distribution in the soil. Some old gardens become infested with grubs which live upon the roots of plants and often cut off all crops. In such cases, a dressing of soot, or fresh lime, or salt, at the time of trenching or plowing, will have a good effect. It is almost unnecessary to say that all soils of a wet nature, whether arising from springs or from being so tena- cious as to hold rain a long time, should be drained (page 73). Attention to the subject of draining cannot be too strongly urged upon all cultivators, and especially cultiva tors of fruit, and the strawberry grower should constantly remember that the certainty, excellence, and profusion of the crop depend mainly upon the richness^ depth^ and thorough drainage of the soil. Transplanting. — Next to the preparation of the soil an important item is, when to plant. All seasons, in the hands of skilful persons, and with care in shading, etc., are suc- cessful, but the months of April and May in the spring, September and October in the fall, throughout the North- ern States, January, February, and March in the South, are periods when the least care is required to insure the greatest success. Fall planting at the North involves necessity of winter protection, which it is requisite to give in such a manner, and with such material, that the plants may be prevented from being thrown out by the frost, and at the same time not smothered by the mulch of leaves, straw, etc., being too thick and heavy on their crowns. Early fall planting almost always insures new roots, as the soil is warm and the roots form rapidly ; it is also a season when the ground works finely and the demand for labor on other crops is reduced. For large plantations, we, however, prefer the spring, just about the time when the ground is dry and warm, and the plants are beginning to grow. One plant in a thousand need not be lost at this time, if the ground 320 THE STRAWBEKKT. has been properly prepared, the plants in good order, and the work done reasonably well. The ground being properly prepared and made smooth with a harrow, the planting should be in straight rows, using a line, and may be done with a dibble, or by fur- rowing the line lightly with a shovel, or double mould- board plow, and then drawing the earth in around the plant, as it is placed, with the hands. This gives oppor- tunity for a better spreading of the roots, and in practice has been found even more rapid than dibbling. In extensive field culture the system of rows is the most advantageous, and they should be three and a half to four feet apart, with plants one foot apart in the row, to admit of the passage of the horse-hoe or cultivator between them. The arrangement of plants in beds is a matter upon which cultivatoi'S differ in opinion and practice. That which we regard as offering the greatest convenience in a garden plantation is to divide the ground into beds of four feet wide, each of which may Fig. 158.— DIAGRAM OF STRAWBERRY- coutaln thrcc rows of BED. plants, the two outside rows six inches from the edge of the beds (fig. 158). The plants may stand twelve inches apart in the row8, or in the case of very strong growing sorts, such as Trol- lope's Victoria and some other English varieties, eighteen inches apart. Thus a bed twenty feet long and four feet wide will contain forty to sixty plants. If the plantation contains several of these beds they should be separated by walks or alleys of two feet in width. These walks would enable the gardener to perform all the labor the plants would require, and gather the fruit F • iihu • • • jm , 00 3" .^ ;p 5 3' • jinu • • • • •iiiv i • M_ THE STRAWBERRY. 321 without Stepping on the beds, which is a consideration of some importance. Next to this arrangement I would recommend rows two feet apart, with the plants twelve to eighteen inches apart in the rows (fig. 159). In this case the space between *i9m» *••••• •is/n* the rows must be used as ^ ^ a path in gathering the .«,,. ••••o fruit and performing the g ^ details of culture. ' . Small garden-beds may j,jg 159.-diaguam of field- be made at any time when planting. the ground is not frozen. The ground should be raked off smooth and even, and the beds or plots and intervening walks marked by the line and a measure. When this is done, then stretch the line where it is intended to put a row of plants, mark off the place for each plant by a measure, and then with a dibble, such as that described on page 147, set the plants, pressing the earth firmly around each with the hand. When the rows are close the plants should be put in quincunx order. This increases the space around each plant. In a dry time the plants should be well watered before they are taken up, and the ground well watered before they are planted ; then they must be protected from the hot mid-day sun until they have taken root. In planting spread out the roots and cover them with soil, but avoid covering the crown with earth. The plants should invariably be of one season's growth, from the seed or runner, and well rooted. Where only a few plants are needed, those nearest the parent plant should be selected, as they possess a greater degree of vigor. They should always be taken up in a moist time if pos- sible, and before planting the roots should be dressed by cutting off the extremities, and the older, imperfect, or bruised foliage should also be pruned off; these operations facilitate the process of re-rooting. We find it very 14* 322 THE STRAWBERRY. good to dip the roots, after being dressed, in mud made of loamy soil and old manure well mixed with water, about as thick as common paint. In compact soil a little sand about each plant, thrown into the bottom of the hole made by the dibble, will hasten the growth of young roots materially. No fresh manure should be used in any case whatever. It is essential in the culture, in order to produce good crops, that the runners or new forming plants be kept from growing just the same as if they were weeds. Early in the spring, if the plants have been mulched, they should be gone over with a rake, and the mulch all re- moved from the crown or center, and as soon as the ground is in condition to work, all between the rows and among the plants should be spaded or plowed as deeply as possible. All weeds should be kept down, aud just before the fruit commences to ripen a layer of straw or fresh-mown grass should be placed along just under the foliage and around the plants, for the purpose of keeping the fruit clean. After the crop has matured, if plants are wanted, the ground should be again dug or plowed and the mulch re- moved, when an abundance of new plants from runners will soon form. If in the garden, and another year's crop is to be provided for, then a light dressing of well-rotted manure should be dug in, and during the remainder of the season all runners prevented from growing and weeds kept down. For field crops, if the plantation has borne but one year, then go through between the rows and plow deep, leaving only the hills or narrow rows ; smooth down with the one-horse harrow and cultivator, and then from time to time go through with the cultivator, to keep down all weeds and runners. If the plantation has borne two crops, then give a dressing of well-rotted manure along between the rows, plow deep, harrow down smooth, and let the FKUIT TREES. 323 runners or new plants form along into it, being careful to keep down weeds. The new plants will all be formed by September, when the plow may again be used and the rows of old plants turned under, leaving the new plants for the next crop. The most successful growers practise taking but one crop from a plantation. In so doing, they plant in spring, per- mit the runners to grow as they please, but keep down all weeds, and the ground thoroughly cultivated. The crop is made the second season, and then the plantation destroyed. Sundry Operations connected with the Culture OF Fruit Trees. 1st. The Annual Cultivation of the Soil. — The soil around fruit trees should, especially in the garden, be kept in a clean, friable condition by the frequent use of the hoe and the spade ; but in all these operations the roots must not be injured. The forked spade (see Implements) is the best for operating about the roots. 2d. Manuring, — The very common practice in regard to the use of manure, is to apply none for several years, until the trees have begun to show signs of feebleness and exhaustion, when large quantities are applied, thus induc- ing a rank, plethoric growth, that can scarcely fail to be seized with diseases, The proper way is to apply a small dressing of well-decomposed material, like some of the composts recommended, every autumn. This should be forked in around the extremities of the roots. There may be rich soils where this will be unnecessary ; but most ordinary garden soils require it. 3d. Mulching. — This should be a universal practice in our dry and warm summer climate, not only with newly- planted trees, but all, and especially dwarfs in the garden whose roots are near the surface. Three or four inches 324 FRUIT TREES. deep of half-decayed stable manure or litter makes a good mulching. It should be applied in May, and remain .all summer. After the fall dressing a mulching for the winter will protect the roots and base of the tree from injury; it should be so well decayed as not to attract vermin. 4th. Watering. — In dry times, and especially in light, dry soils, fruit trees will derive vast benefits from a liberal syringing overhead in the evening, with a hand or garden syringe (see Implements). A reservoir in the garden is therefore desirable, and at a point easy of access from all the quarters of the garden. This watering refreshes the trees, drives away insects, mildew, etc., and washes off dust and filth that may accumulate on the foliage and fill up the pores. It is more necessary in city and village than in country gardens. Proteeting Trees against Extremes of Temperature. — "Where the trunk or large branches are liable to injury from sudden changes of temperature in the winter, or from a powei-ful sun in summer, they may be covered thinly, with long rye straw, fastened on with willows. The trunk alone is more easily protected by means of two boards nailed together, forming an angle for the tree. This is placed on the south side, the injury being induced chiefly by the sun at both seasons. Newly-transplanted trees, especially if they have tall trunks, and are somewhat injured before planting, may be saved by wrapping them lightly with straw ; a straw rope rolled around answers the purpose. A little damp moss is still better ; an occasional watering will keep it cool and moist, and enable the sap to flow under the bark. Renovating pyramidal trees of Apples and Pears that have become enfeebled or unproductive by age^ bad soil, bearing, or bad pruning. — There are two methods of doing this successfully. One is, to cut back all parts of the tree. The stem may be cut back half its length, the lateral CULTURE OF FKUIT TREES. 325 branches at the base to within twelve or fifteen inches of the stem, and shorter as they advance up-vrards, so that those at the top will be cut to four or six inches. This will preserve the pyramidal form. It may appear unnecessary to cut back the stem, but we find when this is not done it is almost impossible to secure an equal growth between tlie upper and lower parts, because the wood at the top is young, and attracts the sap much more than the wood at the base of the old branches below. For a few years after this renewal the young wood at the top must be kept very closely pruned, to prevent it from absorbing more than its due proportion of the sap. When growth commences on trees thus cu fc back, a large number of shoots will be produced. Amongst those on the stem, a strong and well-placed one must be selected for a leader, and its growth favored by checking those around it. Leaders for each of the lateral branches must be selected and encouraged in the same way. The future management will be similar to that described for the formation of young trees. We have succeeded well with a large number of trees thus treated. Where the soil is defective, it must be improved and renewed with fresh soil and composts, so that abundant nutriment shall be given to the new growth. The second method of renewal referred to is, that of cut- ting back as already described, and grafting each branch. The process of regrafting old orchards of standard apple-trees, it is well known, renews their vigor, and re- places old, worn-out, and deformed branches with young and vigorous ones, giving to the entire head a healthy and youthful appearance. In many cases this grafting will be much more successful than simply cutting back, for the cions, being furnished with young and active buds that develop leaves at once, attract the sap from the roots, place it in contact with the atmosphere, and carry on the formative process in all parts of the tree with less inter- 326 CULTURE OF FRUIT TREES. ruption and greater activity than where reliance is placed upon the production of new shoots on the old wood ; for this must be effected by awakening dormant buds, which in many cases takes place slowly and with more or less difficulty. P^RT I^ SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS— GATHERING AND PRESERVING FRUITS— DISEASES— INSECTS —IMPLEMENTS IN COMMON USE. CHAPTER I. ABRIDGED DESCRIPTIONS OF SELECT VARIETIES OP FRUITS. The accumulation of varieties of fruits within the last twenty years has been so great, that anything like a com- plete description or account of them all, would in itself ex- ceed the bounds of a moderate-sized volume. Taken al- together, there are perhaps at this moment no fewer than four thousand different varieties under cultivation. To trace out the history, the peculiar characters and merits of these, must be the work of the pomologist, and forms no part in the design of this treatise. In making the fol- lowing selections, and in describing them, pomological system and minuteness have not been deemed essential, nor would they be practicable within the necessary limits. The main object aimed at is, to bring to the notice of cultivators the best varieties^ those which ample experi- ence has proved to be really valuable, or which upon a partial trial give strong indications of becoming so. Nothing is more embarrassing to the inexperienced culti- vator than long lists ; and many will no doubt be inclined to think that a large number of the following varieties might very well be dispensed with. But it must be re- membered that our country, even the great fruit-growing regions of it, possess diiS'erent climates, that there are various qualities of soils, various tastes and circumstances of individuals, to be provided for. A dozen or twenty sorts of apples or pears may be as many as one person 330 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. may require ; but it does not follow that these varieties only are to be cultivated, -for it is very probable that another individual, r^^siding even in the same Stare, would make a selection entirely different. New York, Massa- chusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and other States, have all varieties of their own ; and by the time each has made a selection, our one hundred and fifty varieties will be appropriated, and a deficiency still exist in all probability. We are not of those who cry out against new varieties. On the contrary, we look upon every one of real excellence as an additional blessing to the fruit growers and to society, for which they should be duly thankful. The only thing to be observed in regard to them is, that before entering into general cultivation they should be fairly and carefully tested under various circumstances. Some well-meaning persons make a great outcry against nurserymen and others, whose business it is to experiment, for extending their lists or noticing new varieties, and asrainst horticultural societies for offerinor premiums for large collections. If such a spirit had pre- vailed, what would our fruits have been to-day? It is by no means presumed that the following lists are perfect, even as far as they go. No individual possesses such a thorough knowledge of the various soils and cli- mates of our country, or of the varieties of fruits best adapted to them, as to enable him to recommend with in- fallible correctness special lists for all localities. In attempting this, reliance must be placed upon the experience and reports of others, and these are always liable to be biased by tastes or prejudices. These things have been kept in view, and wherever recommendations are made beyond our own knowledge and experience, they are based upon the most reliable authority, and it is hoped will not be found wholly unserviceable to those especially who have neither had experience nor access to sources of extensive and minute information. Those who APPLES. 331 are not satisfied with the abridged descriptions are re- ferred to works more strictly pomological. The arrangement of varieties under the heads of Surrv- mer^ Autumn^ and Wi?iter, is for the purpose of assisting the reader in selecting varieties ripening at particular sea- sons, while the terms early or late summer, etc., in place of the month, is because of its better application to the various States and sections of States. For instance, the Early Harvest ripens at the South early in June, and at the North early in July, but in each section it is classed as ripening in early summer. Synonyms have been omitted in most cases, because of the want of room, and because the work is intended as a guide to the planter, rather than a work on pomology. When inserted they are in small capitals. The name given to each fruit is the recognized, name of the Amer- ican Pomological Society so far as recorded in their Cat- alogue. FIRST DIVISION.— KERNEL FRUIT— APPLES, PEARS, AND QUINCES. Section 1. — Select Apples. class i. summer apples. American Summer Pearmain. — Medium size, oblong ; skin smooth, red and yellow ; flesh tender, juicy, rich, sub- acid. — Late Summer. Tree a moderately vigorous grow- er, upright ; bears early. A valuable sort for family use ; not profitable in orchards. Benoni* — Origin Massachusetts. Medium size, roundish oblate ; yellow, shaded and striped with red. Stem short, calyx closed; flesh yellow, juicy, tender, sub-acid. — Mid- Summer. Tree a moderate upright grower, hardy and pro- ductive. A valuable variety for market or table use. 332 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Carolina Red June. — Origin South. Medium or below in size, oval or conic ; purplish red, on yellow ground ; stem variable, calyx closed ; flesh tender, juicy, brisk sub-acid. — Early Summer. Tree a vigorous, upright grower, good bearer ; valuable as an orchard sort South and West. Successful in ISTew York. Carolina Watson. — Large, roundish, flattened ; green- ish, shaded and striped with red; flesh white, coarse, mild sub-acid. — Mid-Summer. A Southern variety not valued at the North. Early Harvest. — Origin American. Medium size, round- ish oblate ; skin smooth, light pale yellow ; stem medium ; flesh white, tender, juicy, rich, sub-acid. — Early Summer. Tree a moderate grower, erect, spreading as it grows old, productive. A valuable variety for market or table use in almost every section. Early Joe. — Origin New York. Small size, oblate; yellowish, covered, striped, and shaded with red; flesh tender, juicy, rich, sprightly vinous sub-acid. — Mid-Sum- mer. Tree a slow, upright grower, very productive ; val- uable for the garden. Early Pennock . — Origin American. Large size, round- ish, ribbed ; yellow, shaded with red ; flesh whitish, rather coarse, sub-acid. — Late Summer. Tree a strong grower, productive; valued as a market sort in parts of Ohio especially. Early Red Margaret, — Origin foreign. Medium or below in size, roundish ovate; skin yellowish, striped and marbled with dull red; flesh white, tender, crisp, sub-acid, agreeable. — ^Early Summer. Tree a moderate grower and bearer. Early Strawfeerry (Red Juneating of some). — Origin New York. Small, roundish, slightly conical ; skin smooth, yellowish, striped, shaded, and mostly covered with red ; flesh white, tinged with red next the skin, tender, sprightly. APPLES. 333 pleasantly sub-acid and perfumed; very good. — Middle to late Summer. Tree a moderate upright grower, an abundant bearer, ripening its fruit along evenly for a month or more. Valuable for orchard or garden. Family (McCloud's Family). — Origin Georgia. Me- dium, oblate-conical ; yellow, striped with dull red ; flesh white, tender, juicy, mild, sub-acid. Late Summer. Tree a good grower and productive. Valued at the South. Fanny. — Origin Pennsylvania. Large, roundish-ob- late ; crimson-red, sprinkled with light dots ; flesh white, tender, juicy, sub-acid, fine flavored. — Mid-Summer. Tree vigorous, spreading, productive. Foundling. — Origin Massachusetts. Medium to large, oblate-conic ; yellowish-green, striped with deep red ; flesh yellow, tender, juicy, rich. — Mid-Summer. Tree a poor grower in the nursery. Golden Sweet. — Origin Connecticut.' Medium or above, roundish, pale yellow ; flesh yellowish, tender, sweet, rich. — Mid-Summer. Tree a strong grower, spreading, a good bearer. Valuable for cooking, market, or stock. Iljghtop Sweet (Sweet Ju^s-e). — Origin Massachusetts. Medium or below in size, roundish, light yellow ; flesh yellowish, sweet, pleasant, very good. — Mid-Summer. Tree vigorous, upright, productive. Valued for the mar- ket orchard. Julian (JuLiEisr). — Origin South. Medium, roundish- conical ; color whitish, striped with rich red ; flesh yel- lowish-white, tender, juicy, fine flavored. — Mid-Summer. Tree moderately vigorous, very productive. Highly valued at the South. Large Yellow Bough (Early Sweet Bough). — Origin American. Large, oblong-ovate ; skin smooth, greenish- yellow ; flesh white, tender, sprightly, rich, sweet. — Early to Mid-Summer. Tree moderately vigorous, com- pact, good bearer. One of the best for table or market. 334 SELECT YAEIETIE3 OF FRUITS. Primate* — Probably American. Medium, roundish- oblate ; greenish-white, blush cheek in the sun ; flesh white, very tender, sprightly, mild sub-acid. — Late Sum- mer. Tree a vigorous grower, upright, very productive. An excellent dessert sort ; too tender for distant market. Red Astrachan. — Origin Eussian. Large, roundish ; nearly covered with deep crimson and a thick bloom ; flesh tender, juicy, rich acid. — Mid-Summer. Tree vig- orous, strong grower, upright, spreading, good bearer. Well known as one of the most profitable of orchard sorts, and valuable for the dessert when gathered at the right time. Probably the most profitable early summer apple in every part of our country from Maine to California. Repka* — Origin Russian. Small or medium, roundish, regular ; skin pale straw-color ; flesh fine grained, crisp, juicy, sub-acid, good quality. — Summer. Tree moderate grower, productive. Summer Ha^loeo — Origin American. Medium to large, roundish-oblate ; yellow, striped and splashed with red, slight bloom ; flesh white, tender, juicy, sub-acid. — Late Summer. Tree a vigorous, stocky, short-jointed grower, making a handsome round head, productive. An old sort, but comparatively little known ; valuable for orchard or garden. Summer Pippin (Ohamplain"). — Origin unknown. Medium to large ; roundish, inclining to conic ; waxen - yellow, shaded crimson ; flesh white, tender, moderately juicy, pleasant, sub-acid. — Mid-Summer. Tree vig- orous, productive. A profitable market variety, much cultivated in Eockland and Westchester Counties, N. Y. Summer Queen. — Origin New York. Large, conical ; striped and shaded with red ; flesh aromatic, whitish- yellow, rich and agreeable. — Late Summer. Tree vig- orous, spreading, productive. A popular and successful market sort. APPLES. 335 Summer Rose (Lippikcott's Eaely, etc.). — Origin New Jersey. Medium or below in size, roundish, smooth ; yellow, streaked and blotched with red ; flesh tender, juicy, rich, delicious, spicy sub-acid.— Middle to late Summer. Tree moderately vigorous, hardy, an early and productive bearer. Highly valued as a dessert fruit. Summer Sweet Paradise,— Origin Pennsylvania. Large, round, slightly oblate; greenish-yellow; flesh very tender, juicy, crisj), rich aromatic sweet. — Late Summer. Tree vigorous, spreading, productive. A val- uable dessert sort, too tender for market. Tetofsky, — Origin Russia. Medium, oblate, nearly round ; yellowish, striped and shaded with red, thick whitish bloom ; flesh white, juicy, sprightly acid, fra- grant. — Early Summer. Tree vigorous, npright, with large foliage, which most Russian varieties seem to have ; very hardy ; an early and abundant bearer, valued as an orchard sort. Titovka (Titus Apple). — Origin Russia. Large, al- most like a Twenty Ounce ; greenish-yellow, striped and splashed with red ; flesh rather coarse, moderately juicy, sub-acid, medium quality. — Late Summer. Tree vig- orous and productive. Townsend (Hockii^g, etc.). — Origin Pennsylvania. Medium, oblate; pale yellow, striped with red, thin bloom; flesh white, tender, mild, agreeable sub-acid. — Late Summer. Tree vigorous, npright grower, good bearer. An old sort, valued for market in some localities. William's Favorite (William's Red, etc.). — Origin Massachusetts. Medium, roundish-oblong ; light and dark red; flesh yellowish-white, mild sub-acid. — Middle to late Summer. Tree a moderately vigorous upright grower, good bearer. A beautiful and popular market sort. 336 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Yellow Transparent. — Origin Russian. Medium round- ish, flattened, slightly conical; color white at first, turn- ing to a pale yellow; flesh white, tender, Juicy, sprightly, sub-acid. — Ripens before Tetofsky. Tree an upright grower, vigorous, hardy, and productive. CLASS II. — AUTUMK APPLES. Alexander. — Origin Russian. Large or very large, conical; yellow, mostly shaded with red, light bloom; flesh yellowish-white, tender, juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Middle to late Autumn. A superb fruit. Tree a vigor- ous spreading grower, and when grown as a dwarf, pro- ducing fruit of the largest size and greatest beauty. iutumn Sweet Bough (Fall Bough, etc.). — Origin Pennsylvania. Medium, conical ; pale yellow ; flesh white, very tender, sweet, vinous. — Early Autumn. Tree yigorous, upright, productive. A highly esteemed dessert variety. Beauty of Kent. — A well-known popular English vari- ety. Large to very large, roundish; greenish-yellow, with broken stripes of red; stem short, calyx small; flesh juicy, crisp, tender, sub-acid. — Late Autumn and early Winter. Tree very vigorous, upright, and moderately productive. A showy fruit, and highly valued for cooking. Campfield (Newark Sweetin-g). — Origin New Jersey. Medium, roundish-oblate; greenish-yellow, with shades and stripes of red; flesh white, dry, firm, rich, sweet. — Late Autumn, but will often keep until Spring. Tree a moderate, healthy grower, spreading, very productive. This is a celebrated cider apple in New Jersey, and is valued for baking and for stock feeding. Carter's Blue. — Origin Alabama. Large, roundish, flattened; greenish, mostly covered with dull red and a blue bloom; flesh yellowish- white, sugary, rich, aromatic. APPLES. . 337 Early Autumn. Tree a fine upright grower and an early bearer; popular in some parts of the South. Chenango Strawberry (Sherwood's Fayorite, etc.). — Origin New York. Medium to large, oblong-conic; shaded, splashed, and mottled with crimson, red, and white; flesh white, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid. — Early Autumn. Tree yigorous, spreading. Wherever grown this is highly esteemed as a table fruit of fair quality and great beauty. Cornell's Fancy.— Origin Pennsylvania. Medium, oblong-conical; yellow, shaded with crimson-red; flesh white, tender, crisp, juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Tree vig- orous and productive. Duchess of Oldenhurgh. — Origin Russian. Medium to large, roundish; streaked and shaded red on yellow; flesh white, juicy, sprightly, sharp sub-acid.,— Early Autumn. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, an early and abundant bearer, and very hardy. This variety is probably more generally cultivated West and North-west than any other. Everywhere it succeeds and proves profitable as an orch- ard variety. Dyer (Pomme Royale, Goldek Spice, etc.). — Origin foreign. Medium size, roundish; greenish-yellow, with blush in the sun ; flesh white, very tender, juicy, sprightly aromatic, mild sub-acid. — Mid- Autumn. Tree a moderate^ grower, productive. This is one of the best of dessert apples, but too tender and not showy enough for shipment to distant markets. Fall Pippin. — Supposed American. Large to very large, roundish, flattened at ends; yellowish; flesh white, tender, rich, aromatic, sub-acid. — Middle to late Autumn. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading. The Fall Pippin, in sections where there are no great e^^tremes of tempera- ture, is one of the most valuable varieties, either for table or market; popular over q, great extent of country. 15 338 SELECT VARIETIES OF FEUITS. Fall Wine (Ohio Wine, etc.). — Origin American. Medium or above, roundish-oblate; light ground, mostly covered with red; flesh yellowish-white, tender, juicy, rich, aromatic, mild sub-acid. — Mid-Autumn. Tree a slender but healthy grower, moderate annual bearer. This variety fails in most sections East, but in the new, rich soils of the West it is one of the best, and the fruit valuable for dessert or market. Garden Royal. — Origin Massachnsetts. Medium or below in size, roundish-oblong; greenish -yellow, striped and splashed with red and russet; flesh yellowish, very tender, Juicy, rich, mild aromatic sub-acid. — Early Au- tumn. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, very pro- ductive. This is perhaps, in quality, the best apple grown, and desirable for the amateur, but not profitable as an orchard variety. Gravenstein. — Origin German. Large, roundish, flat- tened; yellow, shaded and marbled with red; flesh ten* der, crisp, with a peculiar, high, aromatic flavor. — Early Autumn, but sometimes keeps to Mid- Winter. Tree vigorous, spreading, and very productive. One of the most profitable sorts either for orchard or garden. Hawthornden. — Origin Scotch. Above medium, round- ish, slightly oblate; light yellow, with blush in the sun; flesh white, juicy, sharp sub-acid. — Early Autumn. Tree vigorous but small, upright, spreading, very productive and hardy. A valuable sort for cooking and drying, and profitable for market. Jefferis. — Origin Pennsylvania. Medium, roundish; yellow, shaded and splashed with red; flesh white, ten- der, juicy, rich, mild sub-acid. — Early Autumn. Tree a moderate, healthy grower, productive. Jersey Sweet. — Origin unknown. Medium size, round- ish-ovate ; greenish-yellow, washed and streaked with red, and often covered with stripes of pale and dark red; . ■ -' APPLES. 339 flesli white, juicy, tender, sprightly, sweet. — Early Au- tumn. Tree moderately vigorous, very productive. Highly valued for dessert, cooking, stock, or market. Keswick Codlin. — Origin English. Above medium in size, rather conical; greenish-yellow, with a faint blush in the sun; flesh yellowish-white, juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Early Autumn. Tree vigorous, a very early and abundant bearer. One of the most profitable sorts for cooking or market. Late Strawfecrry (Autumit Steawberey). — Origin New York. Medium size, roundish, slightly conic; flesh yellowish -white, tender, juicy, sub-acid. — Late Autumn. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading; an early and abun- dant bearer. Lowell (QuEE2^ AKiq"E, Tallow Pippin, etc.). — Origin unknown. Large, roundish-oval' or conic; waxen-yel- low, oily; flesh yellowish- white; brisk, rich sub-acid. — Mid-Autumn. Tree vigorous, spreading, productive. A valuable variety for ei'her garden or orchard, a fine dessert apple and a showy market fruit. Lyman's Pumpkia Sweet (Pumpkii^ Sweet, Ver- mont PuMPKiK Sweet, etc.).— Origin probably Con- necticut. Large to very large, roundish; green, with whitish streaks and white dots; flesh white, very sweet. — Early to late Autumn. Tree very vigorous, upright, spreading. Valued for baking, stock, or market. Wlaiden's Blusb. — Origin N"ew- Jersey. Medium, roundish-oblate;, pale lemon-yellow, with a bright crim- son cheek next the sun; flesh white, tender, sprightly, brisk sub-acid. — Early and Mid- Autumn. Tree a fine grower with a spreading head, an early and abundant bearer. A profitable orchard sort. Valued for table, cooking, or market. Mamgum (Fall Cheese of Viegij^ia, etc.).— Origin Southern. Medium, flattened, slightly conic; yellowish, 340 SELECT VAKIETIES OF FKUITS. mostly covered and striped with red; flesh yellow, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid. — Late Autumn. Tree a healthy, good grower, productive. This, one of the best of South- ern apples, has a dozen or more synonyms, and is widely grown South and South-west. Mena^ere. — Of European origin. Very large and beautiful; much flattened; pale yellow, sometimes blush- red in the sun; flesh tolerably juicy.- — Late Autumn. Tree a vigorous grower, and a good bearer. Valued for market and cooking. Ohio Nonpareil (Mter's Nokpaeeil). — Medium to large, roundish-oblate; yellow, shaded, marbled, and splashed with shades of red; flesh yellowish-white, fine- grained, tender, juicy, rich aromatic sub-acid. — Late Au- tumn. Tree vigorous, with stout straight shoots, making a regular, spreading, open head, j)roductive. Valuable for table or market. Porter. — Origin Massachusetts. Above medium size, oblong, narrowing to the eye; bright yellow, with blush in the sun ; flesh fine-grained, crisp, firm yet tender, sprightly aromatic sub-acid. — Early Autumn. Tree a moderate grower, forming a low, round, spreading head, productive. Highly esteemed for table or market, and succeeding in all good, rich soils. Red Bietis^heimer. — Origin Germany. Large to very large; roundish-oblate, somewhat inclining to conical; skin pale cream-colored ground, mostly covered with purplish-crimson; flesh white, firm, with a brisk, pleasant sub-acid flavor. — Early Autumn. Growth vigorous, tree productive. One of the largest and handsomest of apples. Richard's Graft (Eed Spitzen"buegh, etc.). — Origin New York. Medium, roundish, flattened; yellow, nearly covered with shades of red; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, aromatic sub-acid. — ^Early Autumn. APPLES. 341 Rome Beauty. — Origin Ohio. Large to very large, roundish; yellow, shaded and striped with red; flesh yel- lowish, tender. Juicy, sub-acid. — Late Autumn. Tree a moderate grower, late bloomer, productive. St. Lawrence. — Supposed origin Canada. Large, ob- late; yellowish, striped and splashed with deep red; flesh white, slightly stained with red, juicy, tender, vinous sub-acid. — Early Autumn, Tree vigorous, uj^right, j^ro- ductive. Sops of Wine (Homikt, etc.). — Origin foreign. Me- dium, roundish; yellow and red, splashed and shaded with deep red; flesh white, often stained, not very juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Early Autumn. Stump* — Origin 'New York. Medium, roundish-coni- cal; skin white, striped and splashed with crimson; flesh white, tender, juicy, with a pleasant sub-acid flavor. — Early Autumn. Tree an upright, stocky grower, and abundant bearer. A favorite early market fruit where it originated. Washington Strawberry. — Origin New York. Large, roundish-conical; yellow, shaded, splashed, and mottled with rich red; flesh yellowish, crisp, tender, juicy, brisk sub-acid. — Early to Mid- Autumn. Tree vigorous, up- right, spreading, an early and abundant bearer. A fine market sort. CLASS III. — ^WIKTER APPLES. American Beauty (Sterling Beautt).— Origin Mas- sachusetts. Large, roundish; yellow, covered with dark red; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, rich, sub-acid. — Early to late Winter. Tree vigorous, productive. American Golden Russet (Bullock's Pippik, Little Pearmaii^, etc.). — Below medium size, roundish-ovate; dull yellow, marbled with thin russet; flesh yellowish. 342 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. very tender, juicy, rich, spicy. — Early to Mid- Winter. Tree a moderate upright grower and good bearer. Valued for table or market, for West and South. American Golden Pippin (GoLDEi^ Pippik of West- chester Ooun"Tt). — Medium to large, roundish, slightly fattened; yellow, with a brownish blush in the sun; flesh yellowish, juicy, aromatic sub-acid. — Early Winter. Tree a strong grower, making a spreading head; not an early, but abundant bearer. Baldwin* — Origin Massachusetts. Large, roundish, narrowing to the eye; yellow ground, nearly covered with a rich, bright red; flesh yellowish- white, crisp, juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Early to late Winter. Tree yery vig- orous, upright, spreading, an early and abundant bearer. In many sections of New England, J!^ew York, Michigan, and Ontario, this is one of the most popular and profita- ble sorts for either table or market. In the South and South-west it matures with the late autumn varieties. Bailey's Sweet. — Supposed origin ISTew York. Large, roundish-conical, slightly oblong; yellow, mostly covered, shaded, and obscurely striped with red; flesh white, ten- der, very sweet.— Early to Mid- Winter. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, productive. Valued for table use or near market, too tender for shipping. Belle de Boskoop. — Said to be of Eussian origin. Me- dium to large, oblate; skin yellow with light and dark red over nearly the whole surface; flesh a little coarse, crisp, tender, juicy and of very good quality. — Late Win- ter. Belmont (GtAte, etc.). — Origin Pennsylvania. Medium to large, roundish ; light, waxen-yellow, with vermilion- spotted cheek in the sun; flesh yellowish- white, very ten- der, juicy, mild, agreeable. — Early to Mid- Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, productive. A beautiful dessert APPLES. 343 variety, fine in Northern Ohio, Michigan and New York, but variable South and West. Ben Davis (New York Pippin", etc.).— Supposed American. Medium to large, roundish-conical ; yellow, mostly overspread, splashed, and shaded with red ; flesh white, tender, juicy, sub-acid.— Early to late Winter. Tree hardy, vigorous, upright, spreading, productive, blooms late. Popular as a market variety at the West and South-west. Bentley's Sweet.— Supposed origin Virginia. Medium, roundish, flattened at the ends ; yellowish-green, shaded with pale red; flesh whitish, firm, juicy, sweet.— Late Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, a good bearer. Es- teemed in rich soils of the South-west. Blue Pearmain.— Very large, roundish ; dark purplish- red, with bloom ; flesh, yellowish, mild, sub-acid. —Early Winter. Tree vigorous and a moderate bearer. Bonum (Magi^um Boi^UM).— Origin North Carolina. Medium, oblate ; yellow, mostly covered with crimson and dark red; flesh white, often stained red next the skin, tender, juicy, rich, mild sub-acid. —Early Winter. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, an early and abundant bearer. Broadwell.— Origin Ohio. Medium, oblate-conic; yel- low, with dull blush and carmine spots in the sun ; flesh whitish, firm, juicy, rich, sweet.— Early Winter. Tree vigorous, quite spreading, productive. A valuable apple for table or booking. Buckin|?hain(EQuiNETELY,FALLQuEEi^, etc.). —Origin unknown. Medium to large, oblate, slightly conic; green- ish-yellow, mostly covered with rich red ; flesh yellowish, coarse, breaking, juicy, sub-acid.— Early Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, hardy, and productive. This va- riety is widely known in the South and South-west, and is popular for market or table; it has over twenty synonyms. 344 SELECT YAKIETIES OF FEUITS. Calef Sweet. — Origin New Hampshire. Large, round- ish, flattened ; yellow, dotted with gray and crimson ; flesh white, sweet, and good in quality. — Mid- Winter. Valuable for culinary purposes as well as for market. Canada Reinette (REiiq-ETTE Cakada, etc.). — Origin uncertain, probably foreign. Large to yery large, oblate- conical ; greenish-yellow ; flesh rather firm, juicy, liyely sub-acid. — Late Winter. Tree vigorous, with an open, spreading head, very productive. A popular variety, suc- cessful in most localities. Cannon Permain. — Origin American. Medium, round- ish-conic ; yellow, mostly covered with two shades of red ; flesh yellow, firm, crisp, rich, brisk sub-acid. — Mid- Win- ter. Tree vigorous, spreading, productive. Esteemed where known South and West. Cogswell . — Origin Connecticut. Above medium, round- ish-oblate ; red on yellow ground ; flesh yellowish-white, rather firm, juicy, aromatic sub-acid. — Early to late Win- ter. Tree a hardy, vigorous, upright grower, and good bearer. Extremely valuable for orchard or garden. Cooper's Market (Eedlikg). — Origin probably New Jersey. Medium, oblate-conic; yellow, shaded and striped with red; flesh white, tender, brisk sub-acid. — Late Win- ter. A good keeper. Tree hardy, vigorous, upright, productive. Considerably grown in Western New York. Cullasaga. — Origin North Carolina. Medium to large, roundish ; yellowish, shaded and striped with dark red ; flesh yellowish, firm, moderately juicy, mild sub-acid. — Early to late Winter. Tree a good grower and productive. Danvers Winter Sweet. — Origin Massachusetts. Me- dium to large, roundish-oblong ; yellow, with an orange blush; flesh yellow, sweet, rich. — Early to late Winter. Tree a poor grower but a good bearer. Useful for baking. Disharoon. — Origin Georgia. Medium, roundish, slightly conical ; yellowish -green ; flesh yellowish-white. APPLES. 345 juicy, tender, with an agreeable sub-acid flavor. — Early AVinter. Tree vigorous and productive. Cultivated largely at the South. Domine (En"glish Red Streak, etc.). — Origin uncer- tain. Medium, oblate; greenish-yellow, with stripes and splashes of red in the sun; flesh white, tender, juicy, sprightly, pleasant sub-acid. — Early and Mid- Winter. Tree rapid, vigorous grower, and a very early and abund- ant bearer. It is a popular and profitable orchard sort in most localities. Dutch Mignonne.— Origin Holland. Medium, round- ish-oblate; yellow, shaded, striped, and splashed with red; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, slightly sub-acid. — Early to late Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, spread- ing, hardy and very productive. English Russet (Poughkeepsie Russet). — Origin un- known. Medium, roundish, slightly conical ; greenish- yellow, mostly covered with russet; flesh yellowish-white, pleasant, mild sub- acid. — Late Winter. Tree a moderate, erect grower, forming a straight, upright, round head, very productive. A profitable variety. Esopus Spitzenbur^h. — Origin New York. Above medium to large, oblong-roundish; yellow, mostly covered with rich red ; flesh yellow, crisp, juicy, rich, brisk aro- matic flavor. — Mid to late Winter. Tree a healthy but not strong grower, a good but not early bearer. One of the very best for dessert. Fallawater (Tulpehocken, etc.).— Origin Pennsyl- vania. Very large, round; yellowish-green, dull red shade in the sun; flesh greenish-white, juicy, tender, pleasant sub-acid. — Mid- Winter. Tree a very strong, rather irregular grower, productive. A popular market sort in many sections. It has many synonyms. Fall Queen (Haas).— Origin Missouri. Large, flat, ribbed, or quartered; yellowish-green, streaked and nearly 346 SELECT VARIETIES OF FEUITS. covered with dull brownisli-red; flesh white, tender, j^iicy, sub-acid, good. — September to November. Tree very hardy and vigorous. Highly esteemed at the West and South-west as a profitable market fruit and for family use. Fameuse (Sisrow). — Origin supposed to be France. Medium, roundish ; greenish-yellow, mostly covered with dark crimson ; flesh remarkable for its snowy whiteness, very tender, juicy, with a slight, pleasant perfume. — Early Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, an early and abundant bearer, very hardy. Highly prized for table or market. Gilpin (Little Eomaxite, etc.). — Origin Virginia. Small to medium, roundish-oblong ; yellow, mostly covered with red; flesh yellow, firm. Juicy, rich. — Late Winter. Tree very hardy, vigorous, very productive. An old sort, highly prized South and West for orchard- ing. Golden Russet of Western New York. — Medium, roundish; yellow, mostly covered with dull russet, fre- quently a dull blush on one side ; flesh greenish-white, fine-grained, sprightly, mild sub-acid. — Late Winter. Tree vigorous, spreading, an early and abundant bearer. A popular variety wherever known. It is distinguished among other russets by its peculiar light-colored speckled shoots. Granite Beauty. — Origin ISTew Hampshire. Medium to large, roundish-ovate, ribbed; yellow, striped bright red; flesh whitish, tender, juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Mid- Winter. Tree vigorous, spreading, hardy. Green Cheese. — Medium, oblate; greenish-yellow; flesh yellowish-white, crisp, tender, juicy, sprightly sub- acid. — Mid- Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, blooms late and bears well. It is largely grown South and South-west. APPLES. 347 Green Sweet (Hou^ey Greening). — Medium, round- ish, oblate; green, becoming yellowish-green at maturity; flesh whitish, tender, juicy, sweet. — Mid- Winter. Tree vigorous, upright, spreading, productive. Grimes' Golden. — Origin Virginia. Medium, roundish, oblate; flesh yellow, tender, juicy, rich, spicy sub-acid. — Late Winter. Tree vigorous, upright, productive. Has been considerably disseminated recently ; succeeds best West and South. Hall I — Origin North Carolina. Small, oblate, slightly conic; greenish-yellow, mostly shaded with crimson; flesh yellowish, fine grained, with a rich aromatic flavor. — Early to late Winter. Growth moderate, upright, pro- ductive. Extensively grown and highly prized at the South. Hewes' Virginia Crab.— Small, round ; dull red ; flesh fibrous, astringent ; valued for cider. Hoover (Black Coal). — Origin South Carolina. Medium, roundish ; yellowish, splashed with crimson, and spotted with whitish dots ; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, rich. — Early Winter. Tree spreading. Esteemed at the South. Hubbardston Nonsuch. — Origin Massachusetts. Large roundish, oblong ; yellow, mostly covered wdth red; flesh yelloAvish, juicy, tender. — Early Winter. Tree a good but irregular, spreading grower, productive. A popular and valuable sort. Hurlbut. — Origin Connecticut. Medium, oblate, slight- ly conic ; yellow, striped red ; flesh white, crisp, tender, mild sub-acid flavor. — Early Winter. Tree very vigorous and a great bearer. Jcwett's Fine Red (Nodhead). — Origin New Hamp- shire. Medium, roundish-oblate; greenish-yeilow, striped crimson ; flesh tender, fine grained, juicy, mild, very 348 SELECT VAEIETIES OF FEUITS. pleasant. — Mid- Autumn into Winter. Tree a moderate grower and productive. Jonathan. — Origin New York. Medium, roundish- conical ; yellow, mostly covered with red; flesh white, tender, juicy, sprightly vinous. — Early to late Winter. Tree a hardy, moderately vigorous grower, upright, spreading, an early and abundant bearer. One of the best and most popular sorts, both East and West, either for table or market. Junaluskee. — Origin North Carolina. Medium to large, roundish, flattened; yellow, shaded on the sun side ; flesh yellowish, moderately juicy, sub-acid. — Early to late Winter. Tree a moderately vigorous grower, pro- ductive. King of Tompkins County. — Origin New Jersey. Large, roundish ; yellow, shaded and striped with red ; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, rich, vinous, aromatic sub-acid. — Mid- Winter. Tree very vigorous, spreading, productive. Lady Apple.— Origin France. Small, oblate; lemon- yellow, with a brilliant red cheek ; flesh white, crisp, tender, juicy, pleasant. — Mid to late Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, very upright, productive. A beau- tiful and delicious dessert apple, and a profitable market sort. It often commands $10 to $20 per bbl. Lady's Sweet. — Origin New York. Large, roundish ; yellowish-green, nearly covered with red ; flesh tender, juicy, crisp, sprightly, agreeable, sweet. — Late Winter. Tree a thrifty but not strong grower, an early and abundant bearer. Valued as a dessert sort and keeper. Limber Twig.— Origin North Carolina. Medium or above, roundish ; greenish-yellow, shaded with dull red ; flesh not very tender, juicy, brisk sub-acid. — Late Wmter. Tree vigorous, hardy, productive. A popular market variety South and West. APPLES. 349 McAfee's IVonsnch (Large Striped Winter Pear- main). — Origin Kentucky. Medium to large, roundish- oblate ; yellow, striped and splashed with red ; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid, rich. — Early AV'inter. Tree vigorous and productive. Esteemed at the West and South-west. Mann. — Origin New York. Medium to large, round- ish-oblate ; skin yellow when ripe, often brownish-red where exposed, and sprinkled with gray dots ; flesh yel- lowish, juicy, mild sub-acid flavor. Tree a good grower and productive. A late keeper, and valued particularly on that account. Melon. — Origin New York. Medium or above, round- ish-oblate; pale yellow, mostly covered with red, and traces of russet; flesh white, tender, juicy, vinous sub- acid. — Mid- Winter. Tree a slow grower, making a round, small head, good bearer. Milam. — Origin doubtful. Medium or small, round; greenish, striped and shaded with red; flesh rather firm, flavor pleasant sub-acid, not rich. — Late Winter. Tree hardy and productive. Valued at the West and South- west. Missouri Pippin (Missouri Keeper).— Origin Mis- souri. Large to very large, roundish-oblate; whitish - yellow, striped and splashed with light and dark red; flesh yellowish, rather coarse, crisp, mild sub-acid, good flavor. — Late Winter. Tree upright, spreading, hardy and an abundant bearer. Eegarded as a very valuable variety in Missouri, Kansas etc. Monmontli Pippin. — Origin New Jersey. Large, ob- late; pale yellow, with a red cheek in the sun; flesh juicy, brisk, aromatic sub-acid. — Middle to late Winter. Keeps well. Tree a moderate, upright grower, and productive. A beautiful and excellent fruit. Moore's Sweet (Red Sweet Pippii!^, etc.).— Medium, 350 SELECT VARIETIES OF FSUITS. roundish, flattened; dark, dull red; flesli yellowist, pleasant, rich, sweet. — Early to late Winter. Tree mod- erately vigorous, hardy, very productive. A profitable orchard sort for market, cooking, or stock-feeding. Mother. ^Origin Massachusetts. Medium, roundish, slightly conical; yellow, nearly covered, splashed, and marbled with rich shades of red; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, rich, aromatic sub-acid. — Early Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, productive. A valuable dessert apple. Munson Sweet (OraisGe Sweet, etc.).— Origin prob- ably Massachusetts. Medium, flat; yellow, with some- times a blush; flesh yellowish, juicy, sweet. — Autumn and early Winter. Tree a vigorous, spreading grower, and a good bearer. IVcwtown Pippin (Geeen Newtowk Pippin).— Origin Long Island. Medium, roundish, obscurely ribbed; olive- green, brownish on the sunny side; flesh greenish- white, very juicy, crisp, with delicious aromatic flavor. — Late Winter. Tree a slender, slow grower, on rich soils makes a medium-sized round head, productive. Both this and the Yellow Newtown Pippin require rich soil and good care, and with these are profitable only in particular localities. There is so little difference between the two that many regard them as identical. Newtown Spitzenbur^li (Vandevere ofNev^^ York). — Medium, oblate, roundish; yellow, shaded and striped with red, light bloom; flesh yellow, tender, juicy, rich, sprightly vinous. — Early Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, spreading, very productive. Succeeds in nearly all soils, and valuable for table or market. It has ten or more synonyms, and is generally and popularly known in all New York as Vandervere of New York. The name of Newtown Spitzenburgh having been first given this apple by Ooxe, it has again been adopted. APPLES. 351 Nickajack (Winter Rose, etc.). — Origin North Caro- lina. Large size, roundish; yellowish, striped and shaded with red; flesh yellowish, moderately tender, juicy, pleas- ant. — Late Winter. Tree a vigorous, upright, spreading grower, forming a large head, hardy and productive. The variety is extensively grown South and West, and has many synonyms. IVorthern Spy. — Origin New York. Large, roundish- oblate, conical; pale yellow, mostly covered, when ex- posed to the sun, with stripes of light and dark red; flesh white, fine-grained, tender, sub-acid, sprightly, delicious. — Mid to late Winter. Tree a rapid, upright grower, requires good soil, blooms late, very productive, but not an early bearer. A fruit of unrivalled beauty and excellence. Ortley (Woolman's Loi^rG, etc.). — Origin New Jersey. Medium to large, roundish, oblong-conic; greenish-yel- low, fine yellow at maturity; flesh white, fine-gramed, tender, Juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Mid- Winter. Tree vigorous, with slender shoots, an abundant bearer. The Ortley has some thirty synonyms, is a hardy tree, and popular South and West. Peck's Pleasant. — Origin probably Rhode Island. Above medium, roundish, flattened; yellow with a red blush on the sunny side; flesh yellowish, fine-grained, juicy, crisp, tender, aromatic sub-acid. — Mid- Winter. Tree a moderate, upright, spreading grower, a regular, even bearer. Very valuable for market or table use. Pewaukce. — Origin Wisconsin. Raised from seed of the Duchess of Oldenburgh, by George P. Pepper, Pe- waukee. Wis. Medium to large, roundish-oblate, yellow, striped and splashed with red, surface covered with a grayish bloom; flesh white, somewhat coarse, juicy, sub- acid. — Late Winter. Tree vigorous and very hardy. 352 SELECT VARIETIES OF FEUITS. Esteemed especially in cold regions, on account of its great hardiness. Phillips' Sweet. — Origin Ohio. Above medium, roundish, flattened, inclining to conic; light yellow, shaded and striped, mostly covered with shades of red; flesh white, crisp, pleasant, juicy, rich, sweet. — Early to late Winter. Tree a thrifty, upright grower, an early and abundant bearer. One of the finest of sweet apples. Plumb's Cider.— Origin doubtful, but introduced in Wisconsin by I. 0. Plumb. Medium, roundish, slightly conic ; greenish-yellow, shaded and splashed with dull red ; flesh whitish, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid. — Early Winter. Tree, hardy and vigorous. Pomme Grise. — Origin probably Erance. Below me- dium, roundish-oblate ; greenish-gray, mostly covered with russet ; flesh tender and rich. — Mid -Winter. Tree a moderate grower, forming a small head, and bearing early. Valued as a dessert fruit. Pryor's Red. — Origin supposed Virginia. Medium, roundish-oblate ; greenish-yellow, shaded with red ; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Late Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, spreading, requires a rich soil. Much grown and valued in Ken- tucky. Rambo. — Origin Delaware. Medium size, flat; yellow and red; flesh tender, rich, mild sub-acid. — Early Winter. Tree vigorous, spreading, productive. The Eambo is an old, highly and widely esteemed variety, for orchard or garden. Ramsdell's Sweet (Ej^glish Sweet, etc.).— Origin unknown. Above medium, oblong ; mostly covered with red, and a bloom ; flesh yellowish, tender, sweet, rich. — Early Winter. Tree vigorous, upright, an early bearer. APPLES. 353 Rawle's Janet (Jei^itox, etc.).-Origin Virginia Aboye medium, oblate-conic; yellow, striped and shaded with red; flesh whitish-yellow, tender, pleasant juicy, sub-acid. -Late Winter. Tree very hardy and vigorous, blooms late, productive. Largely cultivated m Missouri and other parts of the South-west. Red Canada (Eichfield Nonsuch, etc.). —Medium roundish ; yellow, mostly covered with red ; flesh ten- der, crisp, juicy, brisk, delicate, mild sub-acid.— Late V^inter. Tree a thrifty but slender grower, productive A popular and valuable sort in all the Middle, l^forth and West sections ; a superior fruit for table or market -Very successful and popular in Michigan, where it is fre- quently called '^Steele's Red Winter." Red Russet.— Origin New Hampshire. Large round- ish-conical ; yellow, shaded with dark red where exposed to the sun, and with considerable russet over most of the surface; flesh yellow, firm, crisp, with a rich sub-acid flavor.— Late Winter. Tree vigorous, resembling Bald- win, and productive. Red Winter Pearmain (Batchelor, etc.).— Origin unknown. Medium, roundish-oblong; yellowish-white mostly covered with maroon-red ; flesh whitish -yellow' tender, juicy, mild sub-acid— Early to late Winter. Tree a moderate, upright grower, and good bearer. This variety has a dozen or more synonyms, under some one of which it is widely grown West and South. Rhode Island Greening. -Large, roundish; greenish- yellow; flesh yellow, tender, juicy, aromatic acid.— Early Winter. Tree a \^gorous, strong grower, and very pro- ductive. This variety is too well known to need a word It is one of the most profitable and valuable in almost all the North, but South it drops its fruit too early. Ribston Pippin.— Origin England. Medium, roundish- greenish-yellow and dull red; flesh yellow, firm, crisp' 854 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. rich, aromatic. — Early to late Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, spreading, productive. Valued in Maine and all Northern sections. Ilid^e PIppiffl. — Origin supposed Pennsylvania. Large, roundish-conical, ribbed ; yellow, sprinkled with russet and crimson dots; flesh yellowish, crisp, juicy, with a mild, somewhat aromatic flavor. — Late Winter. Tree a good grower and bearer. Esteemed for its good keeping qualities. Cultivated most in New Jersey and Pennsyl- vania, Roman Stem. — Origin New Jersey. Medium, roundish; whitish-yellow, with a delicate brownish blush; flesh tender, juicy, with a mild, pleasant, sub-acid flavor. — Mid-Winter. Tree hardy and productive. Succeeds in the Middle, Southern and Western States. A good fruit, but in a great measure superseded by other sorts. Iloxbury Russet. — Origin Massachusetts. Medium to large, roundish, flattened ; dull green, covered with brownish-yellow russet ; flesh greenish-white, moderately juicy, sub-acid. — Late Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, productive. An old, well-known, popular sort, success- ful in all New England and large portions of the Middle and Western States. Shiawassee Beauty. — Origin Michigan. Medium, ob- late ; whitish, striped and splashed with red ; flesh very white, firm, tender, with an agreeable sub-acid flavor. Early Winter. Eesembles Eameuse. Tree not quite so good a grower in the nursery. Shockley. — Origin Georgia. Below medium, roundish, conical; yellow, mostly covered with red; flesh crisp, juicy, rich, pleasant. — Late Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, hardy, and very productive. Very popular and profitable at the South. SmitSa's Cider. — Origin Pennsylvania. Medium to large, roundish ; yellow, shaded with red ; flesh whitish, APPLES. 855 t crisp, tender, juicy, pleasant, mild, sub-acid. — Early to late Winter. Tree a very vigorous but straggling grower, productive. Popular as a market-orchard sort, in many localities; succeeds best from Xew Jersey southward. Smokehouse. — Origin Pennsylvania. Above medium, roundish-oblate; yellow, shaded with red; flesh yellowish, juicy, rather rich sub-acid. — Early Winter. Tree mod- erately vigorous, a good bearer. Esteemed where known for market and cooking. Stevenson's Winter. — Origin Mississippi. Medium, roundish-oblate ; -greenish-yellow, shaded with red ; flesh whitish, firm, juicy, with a pleasant sub-acid flavor. — Late Winter. Tree a moderate grower. Highly valued at the South. Sutton Beauty.— Origin Massachusetts. Medium to large, roundish, somewhat in3lining to conical ; w^axen- yellow striped with crimson; flesh whitish, crisp, tender, juicy, sub-acid, fine flavored. Mid- Winter. Tree a good grower and bearer. The fruit is very handsome and keeps well. Swaar. — Origin New York. Large, roundish ; yellow at maturity ; flesh yellowish, fine-grained, tender, rich, spicy, aromatic, mild sub-acid. — Middle to late Winter. Tree a moderate grower, good bearer, needs a deep, dry soil and good culture. Talman's Sweet. — Origin Ehode Island. Medium, round ; yellowish ; flesh white, rather firm, rich, sweet. — Early to late Winter. Tree vigorous, hardy, and pro- ductive. Highly valued over a large territory as a profit- able orchard sort, for cooking, or stock purposes. Tewksbury Winter Blush. — Origin New Jersey. Small, oblate, roundish ; light yellow, with a red cheek ; flesh yellowish, moderately juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Very late Winter. Tree a rapid, upright grower, very productive. An old sort, valued for its long-keeping qualities. 356 SELECT VARIETIES OF FEUITS. Twenty-Ounce (Oatuga Eed Steeak). — Origin sup- posed Connecticut. Very large, roundish- greenish-yel- low, marbled and striped with purplish-red ; flesh rather coarse, brisk sub-acid. — Mid- Autumn to early Winter. Tree an upright, thrifty, compact grower, and a good bearer. It is one of the popular market sorts, always fair and handsome, excellent for cooking. Virginia Greening. — Origin supposed Southern. Large, oblate; yellowish-green, sparsely covered with large brown dots ; flesh yellow, firm, with a pleasant sub-acid flavor. Tree vigorous and productive. Valuable as a late keeper. Wagener. — Origin New York. Medium, roundish, ob- late ; yellow, mostly shaded with red ; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, brisk, slightly vinous. — Early Winter. Tree a thrifty, upright grower, and an early and over-abundant bearer. Wealtliy. — Originated from seed by Peter M. Gideon, near St. Paul, Minn. Medium, roundish; whitish-yellow, mostly covered with dark red, smooth and oily; flesh white, fine-grained, tender. Juicy, vinous and fine-flavored. — Mid- Winter. Tree exceedingly hardy. Western Beauty. — Origin unknown. Large to very large; pale yellow, shaded with bright red; flesh whitish- yellow, coarse, tender, juicy, mild sub-acid. — Early Win- ter. Tree very vigorous. Westfield Seek - no - Furtlier. — Origin Connecticut. Large, roundish-conical; greenish-yellow, mostly covered with dull red; flesh white, fine-grained, tender, rich, sub- acid. — ^Early to Mid- Winter. Tree a moderate, healthy, upright, spreading grower, very productive. Wliite Pippin. — Large, roundish, oblate; greenish, be- coming pale whitish-yellow at maturity, sometimes a dull blush cheek in the sun; flesh white, tender, juicy, crisp, rich, sub-acid. — Late Winter. Tree thrifty, upright APPLES. 357 grower, and a good bearer. Considerably grown in the West and highly esteemed. White Winter Pearmain.— Medium or above, roundish- oblong; pale yellow, with a blush cheek in sun exposures; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, pleasant sub-acid. — Late Winter. Tree hardy, vigorous, spreading, productive. Esteemed in some localities at the West; little known East. Willow Twig. — Medium, roundish, or roundish-oblate; yellow, shaded and marbled with dull red; flesh not very tender, pleasant sub-acid. — Very late Winter. Tree hardy, but a spreading, poor grower while young, very produc- tive, and much cultivated at the South-west as a profita- ble market sort, on account of its keeping and carrying qualities. Wine (WiN^TEK Wike, Hay's, Pen^^^tsylyai^ia Eed Streak). — Origin Delaware. Above medium, round, or roundish ; yellow, mostly covered with lively, rich, deep red; flesh yellowish- white, juicy, rich, vinous, pleasant. — Early to late Winter. Tree a thrifty grower, hardy, and very productive. Widely successful West and South. Winesap..— Origin Xew Jersey. Medium, roundish- oblong, conical; yellow ground, mostly covered with rich, dark red ; flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy, rich flavor. — Early to late Winter. Tree a healthy grower, very hardy, an early and abundant bearer. Successful and profitable as an orchard variety over a large portion of our country, especially West and South. Winter Sweet Paradise.— Origin Pennsylvania. Large, roundish-oblate ; dull green, with a brownish-red blush ; flesh white, fine-grained, juicy, sweet. — Early and Mid- Winter. Tree a vigorous, upright grower, productive, but not an early bearer. Wolf River. — Origin Wisconsin. Supposed to be a seedling of the Alexander, which it resembles. Large to very large, roundish-oblate; pale greenish-yellow, shaded 358 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. with light and dark red on the snnny side; flesh ^hite, rather coarse, juicy, pleasant, mild, sub-acid with a pe- culiar spicy flayor.— Early Winter. Tree vigorous and very hardy. Yellow Bellflower. — Origin New Jersey. Large, ob- long, slightly conical; lemon-yellow, usually with a blush in sun exposures; flesh breaking, tender, juicy, sprightly, sharp sub-acid. — Early to late Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, forming a spreading, rather drooping head, not an early but abundant bearer. Yellow Newtown Pippin* — Above medium to large, roundish-oblate; greenish, becoming quite yellow when fully ripe; flesh firm, crisp, juicy, with a rich, high flavor. — Late Winter. Tree a moderate grower, requiring a rich soil, when it is productive and profitable. York Imperial (Johxsok's Fii^e Winter). — Supposed origin Pennsylvania. Medium, oblate; whitish, shaded with crimson; flesh yellowish, firm, crisp, juicy, mild sub-acid, with a pleasant flavor. — Mid- Winter. Tree moderately vigorous, productive. Very popular in South- ern Pennsylvania. CLASS lY. — apples POR ORKAMEiq"T OR PRESERYIITG. The Siberian Crabs are beautiful little fruits, varying in size from an inch to an inch and a half in diameter. They are much esteemed for preserving, and as orna- mental trees, whether in blossom or loaded with their brilliantly-colored fruit, they merit a place in the smallest garden. In extensive grounds they may be planted in groups, producing a fine effect. , Briers Sweeti — Origin Wisconsin. Said to be the re- sult of crossing the Siberian Crab with the Bailey apple. Large as Transcendent; pale yellow, splashed with car- mine; flesh yellowish, crisp, juicy, sweet and rich. — Early Autumn. APPLES. 359 Cherry Crab. — Small, roundish, pointed; light yellow, shaded with red; flesh crisp, pleasant; hangs long on the tree. — Early Autumn. Tree a moderate, healthy grower, makes a handsome, round head. Chicago. — Origin Illinois. Small, oblong ; yellow ground with bright cheek; flesh yellow, crisp, sprightly, sub-acid. — Mid-Winter. Tree a vigorous grower. Coral. — Origin Illinois, Small, conical; yellow with yermilion; flesh yellowish, crisj), juicy, rich, mild sub- acid. — Early Winter. Tree very vigorous. Currant. — An ornamental variety, producing fruit the size of currants, and borne in clusters. Dartmouth. — Origin New Hampshire. Medium to large ; dark crimson and orange, with bloom; fine for cooking, preserves, or for cider. Hyslop. — Large, for a crab, roundish-egg-shaped; dark, rich red, with a thick blue bloom; flesh yellowish; fine for cooking or cider; bears in clusters. Tree a strong, spreading grower. Lady Crab. — Small, roundish, flattened; rich dark red, with some russet; flesh yellowish, mild sub-acid. Tree a vigorous, very upright grower. A foreign variety of great beauty. Lady Elgin. — Origin Illinois. Large for a Siberian, roundish-oblate ; skin whitish-yellow, overspread with bright red; flesh white, fine, tender, juicy, with a mild pleasant sub-acid flavor. — Early to late Autumn. Said to be excellent for canning. Lake Winter. — Origin Wisconsin. Described as me- dium to large, round, smooth; pale yellow, mostly cov- ered with bright blush; flesh fine-grained, firm, juicy, sub-acid. — October to March. Tree a free grower and early bearer. Large Red Siberian Crab. — Nearly twice the size of 360 SELECT YAEIETIES OF FRUITS. the common Siberian crab; yellow, shaded on the sunny- side, with bright red. Tree very vigorous, forming a large head. Valued for preserving. Large Yellow Siberian Crab. — Eesembles the fore- going except in the shape of its fruit, which is more oval, and the color a light, clear yellow. Marengo. — Origin Illinois. Large, roundish; yellow ground covered with bright warm red; flesh yellowish- white, crisp, juicy, with a mild sub-acid flavor. — Early to lafce Winter. Montreal Beauty. — Large, roundish, flattened; bright yellow, mostly covered with clear, bright, rich red. Oblong Siberian Crab. — Medium size, oblong in form; beautifully shaded with rich crimson; thin bloom. Red Siberian Crab. — Small, roundish ; bright lively scarlet, over a close yellow ground, light bloom; an old, well-known sort. Sylvan Sweet. — Origin Wisconsin. Large, roundish- oblate; light yellow, nearly covered with bright red; flesh yellowish, tender, juicy, mild, pleasant, sweet. — Mid- Summer. Transcendent. — Large, roundish-oblong, slightly flat- tened; golden-yellow, with a crimson cheek in the sun, white bloom, often the red nearly covers the entire sur- face. Tree a strong, rapid grower and abundant bearer. It is highly prized in some sections as a table fruit in autumn. Van Wyck. — Origin New York. Large, roundish, slightly conic ; whitish, shaded with bright red, and covered with bloom; flesh whitish, moderately juicy, sweet, rich. — Early Autumn. Tree a free, upright grower. Whitney. — Origin Illinois. Large; skin glossy-green, splashed with carmine; flesh tender, juicy, with a mild. APPLES. 361 pleasant flavor. — Early Autumn. Tree a handsome grower, with dark green, glossy foliage, and very prolific. Yellow Siberian Crab. — The fruit of this is a trifle larger than Bed Siberian, and is of a fine, clear yellow color. In addition to the above there are several other varie- ties, chiefly originated at the West, but they are not well enough known to go on the list. SELECT LIST OF APPLES. The following varieties are recommended for the East- em and Middle States. Summer. — Early Harvest, Early Strawberry, Golden Sweet, Large Yellow Bough, Primate, Eed Astrachan, Williams' Favorite. Autumn. — Chenango Strawberry, Duchess of Olden- burgh, Fall Pippin, Gravenstein, Hawthorn den, Jefleris, Jersey Sweet, Keswick Oodlin, Lowell, Lyman's Pump- kin Sweet, Porter, St. La^Tence, Stump. Winter. — Baldwin, Esopus Spitzenburgh, Fameuse, Golden Russet of Western New York, Hubbardston Non- such, Jonathan, King of Tompkins County, Lady Apple, Monmouth Pippin, Mother, Northern Spy, Peck's Pleas- ant, Pomme Grise, Red Canada, Rhode Island Greening, Roxbury Russet, Sutton Beauty, Talman's Sweet, Twenty-Ounce, Wagener, Yellow-Bellflower. For the West and South: Nearly all the summer and fall varieties of the East- ern and Middle States succeed well at the AYest and South. The winter varieties specially adapted to those regions are so designated in the previous lists. In Cal- ifornia and Oregon our best Northern sorts generally succeed, but the winter varieties of the South will be 16 362 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. better adapted to the warmer districts of California, tlian our Northern winter sorts. CHOICE GARDEN VARIETIES. Eed Astrachan, Early Strawberry, Early Joe, Keswick Codlin (cooking). Summer Eose, Duchess of Oldenburgh, Fall Pippin, Gravenstein, Garden Koyal, Dyer, Fameuse, Jonathan, Lady Apple, Melon, Northern Spy, Pomme Grise,Red Canada, Swaar,Esopus Spitzenburgh,Wagener. TWENTY VERY LARGE AND BEAUTIFUL SORTS FOR DWARFS. Red Astrachan, Large Sweet Bough, Primate, Beauty of Kent, Alexander, Duchess of Oldenburgh, Fall Pippin, Williams' Favorite, Gravenstein, Hawthornden, Maiden's Bhish,Porter, Menagere, Red Bietigheimer, Bailey Sweet, Canada Reinette, Northern Spy, Mother, King of Tomp- kins County, Twenty-Ounce, Wagener. Section 2. — Select Pears. CLASS I. — summer pears. Andre Desportes. — Origin France. Medium, ob ovate, obtuse-pjrriform; pale green, marbled on the sunny side with red; flesh white, fine, juicy, melting. — Early Sum- mer. Tree a good grower as a standard or dwarf, and productive. A valuable addition to the list of early pears. Bartlett (Williams' Bonchretien, etc.). — Origin England. Large, obtuse-pyriform; bright, clear yellow when fully ripe, sometimes a little russet; flesh white, buttery, juicy, musky perfume. — Late Summer. Tree an upright, thrifty, healthy grower, very productive. The Bartlett is one of the few good pears that succeed every- PEARS. 303 "vrliero; it has no competitor as a summer market fruit: bears early as a standard. Bcurre Gifliird. — Origin France. Medium, pyriform; greenish-yellow, with considerable red in the sun; flesh white, melting, juicy, vinous, perfumed. — Early Summer. Tree a slender grower, healthy, hardy, very productive. A beantiful frnit and the best of its season; should be gathered early. Bloodi^ood. — Origin Long Island. Medium, turbinate, fleshy at base of stalk; skin yellow, with russet dots and network markings; flesh yellowish-white, buttery, melting, sugary, very aromatic— Mid-Summer. Tree is hardy, with close, firm, short-jointed wood, an early and abnndant bearer. A delicious pear, but not at- tractive for market. Branny wine.— Origin Pennsylvania. Medium, pyri- form; dnll yellowish-green, slightly russeted, and ablush cheek on the sunny side; flesh white, juicy, melting, vinons, aromatic— Late Summer. Tree an upright, vigorous grower, with rich glossy foliage and very pro- ductive. €lapp's Favorite. — Origin Massachusetts. Large, obo- vate; pale yellow^, marbled and splashed with red and light brown; flesh white, fine-grained, juicy, melting, buttery, rich, vinous, perfumed, sweet. — Eipens about ten days before the Bartlett. Tree an upright, spreading, open grower, bearing its fruit evenly distributed, very productive. Supposed to be a cross between Flemish Beauty and Bartlett; the tree resembles the former, the fruit the latter. Dearborn's Seedling?.— Origin Massachusetts. Below medium, roundish-oval; skin smooth, light yellow, or straw-color; flesh white, very juicy, sweet, melting, sprightly.— Late Summer. Tree a fine grower, an early 364 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. and profuse bearer. The tree is quite hardy and succeeds in almost all localities. Very fine for the dessert. Doyenne d'Et^ (Summer Dotekne). — Origin Bel- gium. Small, roundish; fine yellow, often with a bright red cheek in the sun; flesh white, melting, juicy, sweet, pleasant. — Early Summer. Tree an upright, vigorous grower, and early and abundant bearer; this is the first to ripen of the really good pears. Duchesse de Berry d'Ete. — Origin France. Small, roundish, slightly pyriform; yellow, shaded with light red, more or less russet, and often a red cheek; flesh juicy, melting, yinous. — Late Summer. Tree a fine, vigorous grower, and a good bearer. An excellent and beautiful fruit, not extensively cultivated. Madeleine (Citron^ des Carmes). — Origin France. Medium, obovate-pyriform; bright yellow, with a red cheek; flesh white, juicy, sugary, sprightly, aromatic. — Early Summer. Tree a good grower, forming a fine, up- right head, productive. A very old and excellent sort, not so much planted as formerly, owing to the introduction of new varieties. Manning's Elizabeth. — Origin Belgium. Below me- dium, obtuse-pyriform; bright yellow, with a lively red cheek; flesh white, juicy, very melting, sugary, spright- ly, aromatic. — Late Summer. Tree a moderate grower, an even, regular bearer. The small size, beauty, and ex- cellent quality of this variety recommend it to all ama- teurs. Osband's Summer (Summer Virgalieu). — Origin New York. Medium, obtuse-pyriform; yellow, dotted with green and brown dots, thin russet, red cheek in the sun. — Mid-Summer. Tree moderately vigorous, upright, an early and abundant bearer. Petite Marguerite. — Origin France. Medium, obovate; greenish-yellow with brownish-red cheek and covered PEARS. 3C5 with greenish dots ; flesh fine, buttery, melting, juicy, vinous and very agreeable. — Mid-Summer. Tree yigor- ous and an early and abundant bearer. Succeeds admir- ably as a standard or dwarf. Best pear of its season. Rosticzer* — Origin Germany. Medium or below, ob- long-pyriform ; dull yellowish, mixed with reddish-brown; flesh juicy, sliglitly buttery, melting, sugary, vinous, aromatic, perfumed. — Late Summer. Tree a rapid, vigor- ous, but straggling grower, requiring severe pruning while young to form a good head ; bears early and abun- dantly. A pear of fine quality, but not attractive for market. Souvenir du Congres. — Origin France. Large to very large, in form resembling the Bartlett ; usually growing in clusters ; bright yellow when fully matured, with the parts exposed to the sun brilliant red or carmine ; flesh like that of the Bartlett but much less musky. — It com- mences to ripen in August a little before the Bart- lett, and extends into September. Growth moderate. It is recommended to double work it on strong growing varieties to obtain the best results. — This noble fruit, the largest fine pear in cultivation, is worthy of extra care and attention from the amateur as well as the orchardist. Tyson, — Origin Pennsylvania. Medium; clear yellow, with a bright, red cheek ; flesh juicy, very sweet, melt- ing, slightly aromatic. — Late Summer. Tree a vigorous, upright grower, not an early bearer, but very productive; a variety of great excellence both in tree and fruit. CLASS II. — autum:n" pears. Ananas d'Et^. — Origin Holland. Above medium, pyri- form, sometimes obtuse ; yellow, with brown russet in the sun ; flesh fine-grained, buttery, melting, sweet, per- fumed. — Early Autumn. Tree vigorous, an early and profuse bearer. 366 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Baronne de Mello. — Origin Belgium. Medium, yary- ing in form, often roundish or acute-pyriform; yellowish, nearly coyered with brown russet ; flesh whitish, a little coarse, juicy, melting, yinous sub-acid. — Mid- Autumn. Tree productive, hardy, and a vigorous grower. Belle Lucrative (Fokdante d'Automne). — Medium, form variable, generally roundish, obtuse-pyriform ; flesh melting, juicy, rich, sugary, delicious. — Early Autumn. Tree moderately vigorous, healthy, hardy, and productive. Beurr^ d'Anjou (Ne Plus Meuris of the Frejs^ch). — Origin Belgium. Large, short or blunt-pyriform ; skin greenish-yellow, with traces of russet, dull crimson dots and sometimes a shade of crimson in the sun; flesh whit- ish, melting, juicy, brisk, yinous, perfumed, pleasant. — Late Autumn to early Winter. Tree a vigorous, healthy grower, making an open, round-head, that bears its fruit evenly distributed and of uniform size. One of the most profitable varieties for orchard or garden ; generally re- garded as one of the most valuable pears grown, succeed- ing everywhere. Beurr^ Bosc. — Origin Belgium. Large, pyriform, or long-pyriform ; dark yellow, often much covered with dull cinnamon russet, in dots or streaks, occasionally a tinge of red; flesh white, very buttery, melting, rich, and deliciously perfumed. — Mid- Autumn. Tree a healthy, good grower, but often irregular ; not an early but an abundant bearer, producing its fruit singly, and evenly distributed on the tree. A valuable orchard variety, of splendid appearance and finest quality. Beurr^ de Brignais (Des Nonkes, etc.). — Medium, roundish, flattened ; greenish, with many dots ; flesh melting, juicy, with a brisk, high perfumed flavor. — Early Autumn. Tree a hardy, vigorous grower, pro- ductive. Beurr^ Clairgeau. — Origin France. Large, pyriform; PEARS. 367 yellow, shaded with orange and crimson, mucli dotted and sprinkled with russet; flesh yellowish, juicy, buttery, a little granular, sweet, vinous, perfumed. — Late Autumn to early Winter, Tree very vigorous, with erect habit and fine foliage, an early and abundant bearer, and, al- though a little variable in quality, its size, beauty, and productiveness make it a very profitable market variety. In some cases it seems disposed to shed its leaves prema- turely — a serious defect. Beurr^ Dielt — Origin Belgium. Large, obtuse-pyri- form; skin rather rough, rich yellow when fully and well ripened, some russet; flesh yellowish-white, a little coarse- grained, buttery, sugary, half -melting, delicious. — Late Autumn. Tree very vigorous, and an abundant bearer; on 3'Oung trees the fruit is sometimes not firstrrate, but with age it assumes its true character, and is one of the most profitable market sorts. In Western New York and some other localities, it has suffered in some seasons from the black rust on the fruit, and blighting or '^ scalding " of the foliage, Beurr^ Hardy. — Large, obtuse-pyriform ; greenish, covered with light russet, and shaded one side with brownish -red; flesh melting, buttery, juicy, brisk, vinous, slightly astringent, perfumed. — Early Autumn. Tree a strong grower, with erect habit and ample foliage, very productive. A beautiful and delicious fruit, worthy of more general cultivation. Beurr^ Superfin. — Origin France. Medium, roundish- pyriform; yellow, with bright red in the sun, and some russet; flesh buttery, very juicy, melting, vinous, sub- acid. — Mid- Autumn. Tree hardy, a moderately vigorous grower, not an early but a good bearer when at maturity. In quality it is among the best. Bonne du Puits Ansaiilt. — Origin France. Medium, roundish-obovate ; greenish-yellow, mostly covered with 368 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. light msset ; flesh white, fine, juicy, melting, yinous, rich, delicious. — Early Autumn. The tree being a poor grower it must be top-grafted upon a vigorous sort. Grown in this way, it bears early and abundantly. A most impor- tant acquisition for the amateur. Buffum. — Origin Ehode Island. Medium, obovate-ob- long ; deep yellow, when fully ripe, with red covering nearly one side, sometimes a little russet ; flesh white, sweet, moderately juicy, buttery, pleasant. — Early Au- tumn. Tree a strong, upright grower, forming a beauti- ful, compact head, a regular and productive bearer, hardy, and valuable for the orchard. , Tree remarkable for its symmetrical and vigorous growth. Doctor Recder. — Origin I^ew York. Small to medium, roundish, slightly pyriform ; yellow, mostly covered with nettings of russet and russet dots ; flesh fine, melting, juicy, buttery, sugary, vinous, slightly musky. — Late Autumn. Tree a healthy, hardy, vigorous, open, spread- ing grower, productive. A delicious fruit, valuable for the amateur ; not large nor showy enough for market. Doyenn^ Boussock (Beurre Boussock, etc.). — Origin Belgium. Large, varying in form, usually roundish, or obtuse-pyriform ; deep yellow, clouded with russet, bronzed red cheek in the sun. — Early Autumn. Tree very vigorous, upright, spreading ; an early, abundant bearer ; profitable for market. Doyenn^ du Cornice. — Origin France. Large, broad, obtuse-pyriform ; greenish- yellow, clear yellow at ma- turity, some russet ; flesh white, melting, juicy, sweet, rich, slightly aromatic. — Late Autumn. Tree moderately vigorous, upright ; requires time to be productive. Doyenne Gray. — Medium, obovate ; dull yellow, mostly covered with smooth cinnamon russet ; flesh very buttery, fine-grained, rich, delicious. — Mid-Autumn. Tree a mod- erate, healthy grower, a good bearer ; very valuable for PJ^ARS. 369 orchard or garden ; by many esteemed superior to White Doyenne. In some localities, as in Western New York, both these varieties are often rendered worthless by black rust and cracking. Doyenne White (Butter Pear, Virgalieu, and thirty other synonyms. ) — Medium to large, obovate ; when fully ripe, pale yellow, often with a fine, red cheek ; flesh white, fine-grained, melting, very buttery, rich, delicious. — Early to late Autumn. Tree a healthy, vigorous grower, hardy, productive ; unreliable at the East and in Western New York, but in the new, rich soils of the West, one of the best. Twenty years ago this was regarded as the best of all pears ; now it is an outcast in many localities. Duchesse d'AngOuleme. — Origin France. Large to very large, oblong-obovate ; dull greenish-yellow, with more or less of russet spots and streaks ; flesh white, but- tery, juicy, excellent. — Mid-Autumn. Tree a very vig- orous grower, the most successful on the quince, produc- tive and very profitable. Is now regarded as one of the most valuable varieties cultivated ; it is next to Bartlett in popularity among the market-growers all over the country. Duchesse Precoce. — Origin France. Large, pyra- midal ; greenish -yellow, becoming clear yellow ; flesh melting, very juicy, sprightly though not rich. — Early Autumn. Tree vigorous and prolific. A good eai*ly market pear. Emile d'Heyst. — Origin Belgium. Large, oblong- pyri- form ; clear yellow, with a brownish cheek in the sun, netted and patched with russet ; flesh yellowish-white, juicy, fine-grained, melting, sweet, aromatic, excellent, — Early Winter. Tree a vigorous, spreading grower, hold- ing its foliage late in autumn, very productive ; taking rank as a valuable early winter sort. Flemish Beauty (Belle de Flandres, and twenty 370 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. more synonyms). — Large, roundisli-pyriform ; yellow, mostly covered with marblings and patches of light rus- set, brownish-red in the sun ; flesh yellowish-white, juicy, melting, sweet, rich, slightly musky. — Early Autumn. Tree hardy, vigorous, an early and abundant bearer, and highly valued West for orchard or garden ; sometimes seriously attacked with black fungus or rust, and crack- ing in New York and the Eastern States. Frederick Clapp. — Origin Massachusetts. Above me- dium, obovate ; lemon-yellow ; flesh fine-grained, very juicy, melting, flavor sprightly, acidulous, rich and aro- matic. — Late Autumn. Tree of vigorous habit, somewhat spiny. A very promising new variety. Pronounced by the committee of the Mass. Horticultural Society superior to Buerre Superfin. FultOHi — Origin Maine. Below medium, roundish, flattened ; gray-russet, becoming at maturity dark cinna- mon-russet ; flesh moderately juicy, half -buttery, spright- ly, agreeable. — Mid to late Autumn. Tree. a moderate but healthy grower, hardy and productive. Valuable for the orchard. Hoosic. — Origin Massachusetts. Large, obovate, hav- ing coDsiderable exterior resemblanco to Beurre Diel ; greenish -yellow, dotted and marbled with russet ; flesh fine-grained, melting, juicy, with a rich almond flavor. — Mid-Autumn. Tree erect, vigorous, very hardy and re- markably prolific. A new variety which merits the at- tention of amateurs, at least. Howell. — Origin Connecticut. Eather large, round- ish-pyriform ; light yellow, with a clear, red cheek ; flesh whitish, juicy, melting, vinous. — Early and Mid- Autumn. Tree an upright, vigorous grower, an early and abundant bearer. One of the most beautiful and ex- cellent of pears, and promising to be of great value over PEARS. 371 a large extent of country ; beginning to be much planted for market. The fruit bears carriage well. Jones (Jones's Seedling). — Origin Pennsylvania. Medium or below, roundish-pyriform ; yellow, shaded with russet, bright cinnamon-russet in the sun ; flesh rather coarse, granular, buttery, sugary, vinous. — Late Autumn to early Winter. Tree a vigorous, upright grower, and very productive. A fine little pear for the amateur's collection and valuable for the orchardist. Kieffer (Kieffer's. Htbrid).— Origin Pennsylvania. Eaised from seed of the Chinese Sand Pear accident- ally crossed with Bartlett or some other kind. Medium to large, oval-pyriform ; rich golden-yellow, sprinkled thickly with small dots, often tinged with red on the sunny side ; flesh slightly coarse, juicy, melting, with a pronounced quince flavor ; as grown by us will scarcely rank as *'good"; said to be particularly valuable for canmng. Ripe in October, but will keep for some time. Tree very vigorous, with handsome, shining foliage, and a good bearer. The value of this pear for market has not yet been determined. The quality of the fruit does not rank high enough to make it a popular variety with the amateur. Kirtland. — Origin Ohio. Medium, roundish-obovate ; rich yellow, much covered with cinnamon-russet, and red on the sunny side ; flesh juicy, melting, sweet, aro- matic. — Early Autumn. Tree moderately vigorous, stocky, healthy, and productive. Lc Conte (Chinese Pear). — Supposed to be a hybrid between the old Chinese Sand Pear and a cultivated va- riety. Large, pyriform; skin yellow; of medium quality. — Mid-Summer. Tree remarkably vigorous and prolific. Highly valued and extensively cultivated at the South, as it succeeds where the European and American sorts 372 SELECT VARIETIES OE FRUITS. entirely fail. In Georgia it is propagated from cuttings. ^ot regarded as of any value at the North. Louise Bonne de Jersey. — Origin France. Large, long-pyriform ; greenish-yellow, mostly overspread with brownish-red, and a red cheek in the sun ; flesh melting, very juicy, rich, vinous, excellent. — Early Autumn. Tree a rapid, upright grower, and abundant bearer ; one of the very best on quince. A profitable market pear where it succeeds. Merriam. — Origin Massachusetts. Medium, round- ish ; dull yellow, with more or less of russet ; flesh yel- lowish, rather coarse, melting, juicy, slightly vinous, musky. — Mid- Autumn. Tree vigorous, very produc- tive. An exceedingly profitable orchard sort, but little grown out of Massachusetts. Mar^chal de la Cour (Ookseiller de la Cour, etc.). — Origin Belgium. Medium to large, pyriform; green-. ish-yellow, with more or less russet ; flesh yellowish- white, melting, buttery, juicy, rich, vinous. — Mid- Autumn. Tree moderately vigorous, holds its foliage late in the season, a good bearer. Onondaga (Swan's Oran^ge). — This pear was first introduced by the late Oeneral Swan, of Eochester, K Y., under the name of " Swan's Orange," from Clinton, N. Y., but it was supposed to be traced to Con- necticut. Fruit large, obtuse-pyriform, surface rather uneven; skin orange-yellow at maturity, with traces of russet in some localities, rarely a red cheek ; flesh melt- ing, rather coarse, juicy, vinous, sometimes slightly as- tringent, a little variable but -generally excellent. Tree a strong grower, hardy, and very productive. Paradise d'Automne. — Origin Belgium. Large, long- pyriform ; yellow, mostly covered with cinnamon-russet ; flesh often slightly granular, melting, juicy, with a rich, vinous, aromatic flavor. — Early to Mid- Autumn. Tree a PEARS. 373 vigorous, rather irregular grower, an earl}^, good bearer ; fine for the garden, not suited to the orchard. Pitmaston Ducbess. — Origin England. Very large, oblong-obovate ; beautiful golden yellow ; flesh yellow- ish-white, melting, buttery, juicy and of excellent qual- ity. — Mid- Autumn. Tree vigorous, productive. Will make a fine market fruit. Pratt. — Origin Khode Island. Medium, roundish-py- riform ; greenish lemon-yellow, shaded with red in the sun ; flesh juicy, sugary, melting, briskly vinous. — Early Autumn. Tree an upright grower, very pro- ductive. Seckel. — Origin Pennsylvania. Small, roundish-ovate; dull yellowish-brown, with a russet-red cheek; flesh but- tery, very juicy, rich, spicy, aromatic. — Early Autumn. Tree a slow but healthy, hardy grower, upright, forming a small, compact head; successful and well known every- where. Although it takes a little more time to bring this variety into profitable bearing condition, yet it is a reliable and permanently valuable sort for orchard or garden. Sheldon. — Origin New York. Medium, roundish ; greenish-yellow, a thin, light russet and a bright red or crimson in the sun; flesh very juicy, melting, vinous, sweet, aromatic. Tree hardy, a vigorous, upright grower, forming a handsome, round head, a good bearer. This noble fruit, like some other varieties, is often condemned as rotting at the core, but it only requires to be gathered early and used when ripe, like Flemish Beauty, Clapp's Favorite, Beurre Oiffard, and others. Stevens'- Genesee. — Origin New York. Large, round- ish; yellow; flesh half -buttery, rich, aromatic flavor. — Early Autumn. Tree a healthy, good grower, and pro- ductive. It is not so popular as formerly in Western New York, but AVest, and especially in light soils, it is 374 SELECT VARIETIES OF FEUITS. one of the profitable sorts; needs to be gathered early and used as soon as ripe. Urbaniste (Beuer^: Picquery, etc.). — Medium to large, roiindish-pyiiform; pale yellow, with some russet; flesh yery melting, buttery, juicy, rich, and delicately perfumed. — Early and Mid- Autumn. Tree a moderate, yigorous, compact, pyramidal grower^ very hardy, not an early bearer, but an abundant one at maturity. Very valuable and profitable for the orchard. Washini^toil. — Origin Delaware. Medium, oval; clear, lemon-yellow, with some red in the sun and reddish dots; flesh very juicy, sweet, melting, agreeable. — Early Au- tumn. Tree a slender but healthy and vigorous grower, and a good bearer. This is one of our native pears that has been too much overlooked; a very beautiful and ex- cellent variety for the amateur's collection. CLASS III. — winter pears. Belle Epine Dumas (Due de Bordeaux). — Medium, obtuse-pyriform; greenish-yellow, with russet dots; flesh white, half-melting, buttery, juicy, sweet. — Early Winter. Tree a vigorous, fine grower, and a good bearer. Beurr^ Easter (Doyenne d'Hivee, and a dozen or more other synonyms). — Large, roundish-oval; yellowish, more or less of russet in dots, which sometimes gives it a brownish cheek; flesh fine-grained, very buttery, melting and juicy, sweet, and rich. — Very late Winter; we have often kept it until April. The tree is a moderate grower, makir.g a compact, upright, round head, bearing abun- dantly. It is one of the best sorts for the South and South-west, but requires a warm ex]30sure when grown North and East. Everywhere it requires good, rich soil, good culture, and careful thinning of the fruit to bring it to perfection. PEARS. 375 Beiirr^ Gris d'Hiver Nouveau.— Medium to large, roundish, obtuse; rich, yellow-russet, with a tine, sunny cheek of dark red; flesh slightly granular, buttery, melt- ing, rich, sugary. — Early to Mid- Winter. Tree a moder- ately vigorous grower, somewhat irregular, good bearer. Beurr^ d'Aremberg (Due d'Aremberg, etc.). — Origin France. Medium to large, obovate, uneven surface; greenish-yellow, yellow at maturity with some russet; flesh white, buttery, juicy, rich, vinous. — Early to Mid- Winter. Tree a slow grower and unhealthy; a delicious winter pear, but seldom planted, on account of its serious defects. Columbia. — Origin New York. Large, obovate; pale green in autumn, becoming golden -yellow at maturity, with deep orange cheek in sun exposure; flesh juicy, sweet, aromatic. — Early Winter. Tree an upright, hand- some grower, and a good bearer. Fruit liable to be blown off, and needs watching. Dana's Hovey. — Origin Massachusetts. Small, obovate- pyriform; pale yellow, netted and patched with russet; flesh yellowish, melting, juicy, rich, sugary, aromatic. — Early Winter. Tree a healthy, vigorous grower, hardy, and productive. A high-flavored, delicious pear for the garden ; too small for profitable market growing, though, like the Seckel, it commands high prices where known. Doyenne d'Alent^on (Dotei^n-e d'Hiyer, D'Alen^cox, etc.). — Medium, roundish, slightly pyrif orm ; yellow, shaded in the sun with dark crimson, considerable russet; flesh granular, buttery, juicy, sugary, sprightly, per- fumed. — Middle to late Winter, often keeping until spring. Tree moderately vigorous and productive ; a valuable pear, like the Easter Beurre, though not in same degree; needs high culture and thinning of the fruit to bring it to perfection ; tree more hardy than Easter Beurre. 376 SELECT VARIETIES 0^ FRUITS. Duhamel du Monceau. — Origin France. Large, loiig- pyriform, whitish -yellow, rather rough, nearly covered with brownish-russet ; flesh whitish, melting, tender, juicy, with the flavor of Winter Nelis. — Early Winter. Tree moderately vigorous and productive, Glout Morceau. — Flemish origin. Eather large, often very large, varying in form, usually short-pyriform; greenish-yellow, with patches and dots of greenish-brown; flesh white, fine-grained, buttery, melting, rich, sugary. — Early Winter. Tree is of a roundish, spreading habit, very healtliy and hardy, not an early bearer, but when mature produces an abundant crop, regular and uniform. It is distinct in wood and foliage from other varieties, and forms one of the handsomest of pyramids on quince roots. In localities where the pear blight ]3re vails, it seems pecu- liarly liable to attack, and recently has not been much planted. Josephine de Malines. — Medium, roundish, flattened; pale yellow or straw-color at maturity, sometimes netted and patched with russet; flesh white, tinted with rose, juicy, melting, sweet, slight aroma. — Mid-Winter, often keeps until Spring. Tree a moderate grower, hardy, foliage small, quite productive. A very valuable late pear, and rapidly gaining in popularity. Lawrence. — Origin Long Island. Medium or above, obovate, obtuse-pyriform; clear, light yellow, with more or less of russet; flesh juicy, melting, sweet, aromatic. — Early Winter. Tree a moderate grower, healthy, and a good bearer; valuable both for garden and orchard. It usually commands the highest price in market; one of the most valuable early winter sorts. Mount Vernon. — Origin Massachusetts. Medium or above, generally roundish obtuse-pyriform ; light russet on yellow ground; flesh yellowish, juicy, melting, slightly aromatic, fine flavored. — Early Winter. Tree vigorous PEARS. 377 and an early bearer. Like many other sorts, is liable to overbear, and will then be poor ; needs severe thinning. Pound (Uvedale's St. Geemain, and over thirty other synonyms). — Large, pyi'iform ; yellowish -green ; flesh firm, excellent for baking or stewing. — Early to late Winter. Tree a moderate, healthy grower, very pro- ductive. Valued everywhere for cooking or preserving. Vicar of Winkfield (Le Cure, and two dozen more synonyms). — Origin France. Large, long-pyriform; pale yellow at maturity, often, when well grown, with a browish-red cheek ; flesh moderately juicy, half-buttery, sprightly and good. — Early to mid or late Winter. Tree a healthy, vigorous grower, and very productive. This is one of the most profitable as an orchard sort among the whole list of pears, but needs to be well grown to be good ; trees are apt to be crverladen and should be thinned. Winter JVelis (Bois^ne de Malines, etc.). — Medium or below, roundish-obovate ; yellowish-green, patched and marbled with considerable russet ; flesh fine-grained, but- tery, very juicy, sugary, aromatic. — Early Winter. Tree thrifty, hardy, rather slender, and somewhat irregular grower, an early and regularly abundant bearer ; valuable for the garden and orchard. The crop usually needs thinniug, especially on trees of considerable age ; fruit is always inferior when the tree is overloaded, but this applies to nearly all varieties, though not in the same degree. CLASS IV. Varieties of pears scarcely entitled to a place on the select list, and too good to be omitted. Some are very popular and valuable in certain localities ; others are new, or comparatively new, and promising. This list might have been gi-eatly extended. S73 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Abbott* — Medium, pyriform ; yellowish, shaded with red ; white, granular, juicy, buttery, melting. — Septem- ber. Eh ode Island. Adams. — Large, obovate-pyriform ; greenish-yellow, russet and red cheek; very juicy, melting, vinous. — Sep- tember. Massachusetts. Andrews. — Eather large, pyriform; yellowish-green, with a dull red cheek; juicy, melting, fine, vinous flavor. — September. Massachusetts. Beurr^ d'Amanlis. — Large, roundish ; dull yellowish- green, reddish-brown cheek ; flesh yellowish, coarse, but- tery, melting ; unreliable in quality ; good old market sort. — September. Beurr^ d'Angleterre. — Medium, pyriform; dull green, netted with russet; buttery, melting, juicy, pleasant. — September. France. Beurre d'Albret. — Medium, long-pyriform ; yellow, with cinnamon-russet ; very juicy, buttery, melting, yinous. — October. An excellent fruit. Beurr^ Brown. — Large, obovate-oblong ; yellowish- green, with reddish-brown and russet ; flesh white, melt- ing, buttery, extremely juicy, sub-acid. — September. Trance. A fine old sort, often excellent, but too variable. Beurre Dtirand. — Medium, oblong-pyriform ; yellow, with splashes of red in the sun ; fine, melting, sugary, vinous. — September. France. Beurr^ Golden of Bllboa, — Medium, obovate-pyri- form ; yellow, slight russet ; yery buttery, melting, fine- grained, vinous. — September. Spain. Benrr^ Mauxion. — Medium, roundish-pyriform ; yel- low-russet, with a red cheek; fine, buttery, melting, juicy, sugary, vinous, perfumed. — September. Belgium. Beurr^ de PAssomption. — Large, short-pyriform; lem- PEARS. 379 on-yellow, some russet ; fine, melting, juicy, Yinons, per- fumed. — August. France. Tree a vigorous grower. Beurr^ Moire. — Large, oblong-pyriform ; greenisli- yelloAv, a tinge of red in sun ; granular, buttery, melting, fine, rich, perfumed. — October. France. Ber^amote Esperen. — Medium, roundish, flattened, or flat; skin thick, rough; greenish-yellow, russet patches; flesh greenish-yellow, sweet. Juicy, rich. Tree healthy, vigorous, and productive. — Late AYinter. France. Besi Esperen. — Large, roundish-pyriform ; dull yel- low, some russet; juicy, sprightly, vinous. — October. France. Besi de Montigny (Oomtesse de Lukay, etc.). — Me- dium, roundish-obovate ; yellowish-green ; flesh melting, half -buttery, juicy, sweet, musky. — Mid- Autumn. Tree vigorous, healthy, productive. Black Worcester, — Large, pyriform ; green, nearly covered with russet, coarse; valued for cooking. — Winter. Caen de France. — Medium, short-pyriform ; yellow, with dull russet ; fine-grained, juicy, melting, vinous, aromatic. — December, February. France. A variety of great excellence. Catillac. — Large, or very large, broad -turbinate ; yel- lowish, with a brown cheek ; flesh firm.^Early to late Winter. France. Tree a strong grower and good bearer; valued for cooking or baking. Church. — Below medium, flattened ; greenish-yellow ; very buttery, melting, rich, sweet, perfumed. — Sep- tember. Coit's Beurr^. — Medium, obtuse-pyriform ; yellow, slightly russet, often a red cheek ; flesh white, melting, juicy, rich, vinous. — Early Autumn. Ohio. fomte de Flandre. — Large, long-pyriform ; yellowish- 380 SELECT YAEIETIES OE EBUITS. russet ; very buttery, melting, juicy, ricli, sweet. — Oc- tober. Belgium. De Tenures (Dueakdeau). — Large, long-pyriform ; pale yellow, with cinnamon-russet, which becomes red on the sunny side ; flesh melting, juicy, yinous, sugary, rich. — Mid- Autumn. France. Dix. — Large, long-pyriform ; deep yellow, with more or less of russet ; flesh juicy, sugary, melting, slightly perfumed. — Mid to late Autumn. Massachusetts. Doctor Lindleyi — Medium, obovate-pyriform; yellow, with slight russet; melting, sweet, perfumed.— Novem- ber, December. France. Duchesse d'Orleans (St. Nicholas, etc.). — Above me- dium, long-pyriform; yellowish-green, with sometimes a red cheek; flesh melting, juicy, slightly aromatic. — Early Autumn. France. Due de Brabant (B. de Wateeloo, Fokdakte des Ohaeneuse). — Large, pyriform; greenish, with crimson- red in the sun; flesh very juicy, buttery, melting, vinous. — Mid to late Autumn. Belgium. Tree vigorous, hardy, and productive. Edmonds. — Large, roundish-pyriform, with a very long stalk; yellow, or straw-color, with occasionally bronzed-red in the sun; flesh fine-grained, buttery, melting, sweet, with a peculiar and very agreeable aroma; quality variable, especially on young trees. — Early Au- tumn. New York. Tree a remarkably strong, upright grower, and an abundant bearer. Eugene Appert, — Medium, roundish-oblate; greenish- yellow; flesh melting, sweet, with flavor of Gansel's Ber- gamot. — Mid- Autumn. France. Tree moderate grower as a standard, does not succed so well on the quince. Fondante de Bihorel. — Described as follows: *^of me- dium size or below; melting and good; one of the best early pears." France. PEARS. 381 Gansel's Bergamot. — Large, roundish-obovate; skin grayish-brown; flesh white, melting, juicy, rich, aromatic. — Mid-Autumn. England. Tree a moderate grower. Gansel's Seckel. — Medium, oblate; skin yellow, most- ly covered with thin russet; flesh buttery, juicy, vinous, with a rich aromatic flavor. — Late Autumn. England. Tree a poor grower but very productive. General Totleben. — Medium to large, obtuse-pyri- form; greenish-yellow, patched with russet; flesh whitish- yellow, a little coarse, melting, juicy, slightly aromatic. — October. Belgium. General Taylor (Homewood). — Medium, obtuse-pyri- form; yellow, crimson in the sun, nettings and patches of russet; flesh a little coarse, juicy, melting, sweet. — Oc- tober. Maryland. Gratioli of Jersey. — Medium, roundish-pyriform; greenish-yellow, netted and patched with russet; juicy, rich, melting, vinous. — September. Isle of Jersey. Gregoire Bordillon. — Described as being a fine large variety ripening in August. France. Henry the Fourth.— Below medium, roundish-pyri- form; greenish-yellow, with gray specks; not fine-grained, juicy, melting, perfumed. — September. France. An old variety. Henri Desportes. — Large, pyriform; yellowish-green; juicy, melting, sweet. — August. Tree a moderate grow- er. France. Jalousie de Fontenay Vendue, —Medium, long-pyri- form; dull yellow and green, a red cheek and some russet; flesh white, melting, buttery, rich. — Mid- Autumn. France. Tree a vigorous grower and early and abundant bearer. Jules Bivort. — Medium to large, pyriform; yellowish. 332 SELECT VARTETIES OF FRUITS. with more or less russet; very juicy, buttery, sweet, melt- ing, vinous. — October. Kingsessin^. — Large, obtuse-pyriform; greenish-yel- low; rather coarse, juicy, buttery, melting, sweet. — Sep- tember. Pennsylvania. Madam Eliza • — Large, acute-pyriform; light yellow, traces of russet; fine, juicy, melting, sweet, perfumed. — October. Tree a good grower. Belgium. Maurice Desportes. — Medium to large, acute-pyriform; dull yellow, with russet; fine-grained, melting, sweet. — October. Tree a vigorous grower and productive. France. Marie Benoist. — Described as being large and of fine quality, and a valuable addition to the list of late pears. — Season December and January. France. Marie Louise. — Large, long-pyriform; yellow, mottled with russet; very buttery, melting, vinous, sweet. — Octo- ber. Belgium. A fine, old sort, but variable in some localities. Marie Louise d'Uccles. — Large, roundish-pyriform; yellow, shaded with brown in the sun, netted and patched with russet; juicy, melting, vinous, a little astringent. — September. Belgium. IVantais (BeueredeNaj^tes). — Large, long-pyriform; greenish-yellow, with a red cheek; melting, juicy, sweet, pleasantly perfumed. — October. France. Nouveau Poiteau. — Large, pyriform; greenish, with patches and dots of russet; flesh whitish, buttery, melt- ing, juicy, sugary, vinous. — Late Autumn. Belgium. Oswego Beurr^. — Medium, roundish, flattened ; yel- lowish-green, with thin russet until fully ripe, then fine, yellow russet ; flesh melting, buttery, juicy, vinous, aromatic. — Mid to late Autumn. New York. Tree erect. PEARS. 383 moderately vigorous, and a great bearer even when young,* fruit sometimes cracks. Ott. — Small, roundish; light yellow; melting, sugary, aromatic. — August. Pennsylvania. Piatt. — Medium, roundish, flattened; pale yellow, con- siderable russet; buttery, juicy, half -melting, pleasant. — October. New Tork. Pius the 9th, — Above medium, roundish, long-pyri- form ; yellow, considerable russet ; juicy, a little firm, melting, brisk, vinous. — October. Belgium. Variable. President Mas. — Large to very large, pyrif or m; orange- yellow, sprinkled with russet; flesh fine grained, melting, sweet, slightly vinous, first quality. — Early Winter. France. Rapelje's Seedlings — Medium,' obovate to pyriform; yellowish, mostly covered with gray russet ; juicy, some- what granular, melting, sweet, vinous. — September. Long Island. An excellent fruit. Ratter. — Medium to large, roundish ; greenish=yellow, considerable russet ; moderately juicy, a little gritty, al- most melting, sweet. — October. Pennsylvania. St. Ghislain. — Medium, pyriform ; clear, pale yellow; buttery, juicy, sprightly, rich. — October. Belgium. A fine, old sort, but rather superseded by others larger and more attractive of the same season. St. Michael Archani^el. — Large, obovate-pyriform ; pale yellow, netted and patched with russet; flesh but- tery, juicy, melting, slightly aromatic. — Mid-Autumn. France. Souvenir d'Esperen. — Medium to large, long-p3'riform; greenish-yellow, mostly covered with russet; flesh yellow- ish, juicy, vinous, aromatic. — Mid to late Autumn. France. Tree vigorous, healthy, and hardy, holds its foliage late in the season, productive. 384 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. SELECT ASSORTMENTS OF PEARS. To aid the inexperienced amateur in making up small assortments : Twelve Varieties oi^ Pear Stocks. — Bartlett, Olapp's Favorite, Doyenne d'Ete, Beurre Bosc, Lawrence, Beurre d'Anjou, Seckel, Winter JSTelis, Dana's Hovey, Sheldon, Paradise d'Automne, Doyenne Boussock. Twelve Varieties on" Quikce Stocks. — Beurre d'Anjou, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Howell, Urbaniste, White Doyenne (where it succeeds). Vicar of Winkfield, Beurre Superfin, Brandy wine, Tyson, Beurre Giffard, Josephine de Malines. TwEj^TY-FivE Varieties for the GtArden" oiq- QuiKCE. — Bartlett, Petite Marguerite, Tyson, Beurre d'Anjou, Beurre Diel, Bslle Lucrative, Beurre Giffard, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Doyenne White (where it suc- ceeds), Doyenne Gray, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Seckel, Onondaga, Urbaiiiste, Beurre Easter, Beurre Gris d'Hiver, Glout Morceau, Vicar of Winkfield, Josephine de Ma- lines, Olapp's Favorite, Beurre Superfin, Beurre Hardy, Howell, Brandywine, Doyenne d'Alen§on. For Profit oiq- Quii^ce Stock. — Duchesse d'Angou- leme, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Beurre d'Anjou, Howell, and White Doyenne where it succeeds. Section 3. — Quinces. Apple-Shaped or Orange, — Large, roundish, with a short neck; color bright golden-yellow. The tree has rather slender shoots and oval leaves ; very productive. This is the variety most extensively cultivated for the fruit. — Eipe in October. Anders, — The strongest grower of all the quinces, and the best for pear stocks. The fruit is much like the QUINCES. 385 Orange in appearance; later, keeps longer. The tree does not bear as young, but when once it reaches maturity is a good, regular bearer. Champion. — A new variety which originated in Con- necticut, described as a large handsome fruit, of good quality, maturing later than the Orange. Tree a vigor- ous grower. Pear-Shaped. — This has generally more of a pyriform shape than the Orange quince ; the fruit is larger, the tree stronger. Portugal. — The fruit of this is more oblong than the preceding, of a lighter color and better quality ; the shoots are stouter, and the leaves thicker and broader; usually propagated by budding or grafting. A week or two later than the Apple. A shy. bearer. Rea's Seedling (Rea's Mammoth, Vai^ Slyke). — Native of Greene County, N. Y. A magnificent fruit, averaging much larger than the Apple-shaped or Orange, and superior to it for culinary purposes. QUINCES FOR ORNAMENT. Chinese. — Quite different in appearance from other quinces. The leaves are glossy, sharply and beautifully toothed ; the fruit is large, oblong, bright yellow, and keeps until spring; little used. The flowers are large and showy, with the fragrance of the violet ; worked on the other sorts, rather tender, requiring a sheltered sit- uation. Usually cultivated for ornament. A very tardy bearer. Japan. — This is very distinct from all the others; very bushy, thorny, and hardy. There are several varieties, all of which may be reckoned among the most beautiful of all our hardy spring-flowering shrubs. Cultivated usually as Pyrus Japonica and sometimes given in the 17 386 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRFITS. catalogues as Cydonia Japonica. Makes an excellent or- namental hedge. Fruit about as large as a chicken's Qgg ; unfit for use. SECOND DIVISION.— STONE FEUITS— APEICOTS, CHERr RIES, PEACHES, NECTARINES, AND PLUMS. SECTIOl^ 4. — SELECT APRICOTS. Alberge de Monts^amet (Mohtgamet). — Medium; pale yellow, with tinge of red in the sun; flesh yellowish, ad- hering to the stone; juicy, perfumed, excellent. The tree is a hardy, fine grower. — Last of July. Beauge. — Eesembles Moorpark, but ripens later. Blenheim (Shipley). — Medium, oval; orange-yellow; flesh juicy, moderately rich. — Ripens eight or ten days before Moorpark. Breda. — Small, round; dull orange, marked with red in the sun; flesh orange-colored, juicy, rich, and vinous; parts from the stone; kernel sweet; tree hardy, robust, and prolific. — End of July and beginning of August. Canino GrosSO. — Large; orange-color, becoming red in the sun; flesh reddish-yellow, high-flayored. — Middle of July. Tree vigorous, hardy. Early Golden (Dubois).— Small; pale orange; flesh orange, juicy, and sweet; kernel sweet; tree very hardy and productive. The original tree at Fishkill is said to have yielded $90 worth of fruit in one season. — Begin- ning of July. Early Moorpark. — Resembles Moorpark, but ripens earlier. Medium, roundish-oval; yellow, mottled with crimson in the sun. APRICOTS, 387 Hemskerk.— A large English variety, much like Moor- park, but ripens a little earlier. It is known by its stone not being perforated, as is that of the Moorpark. Kaisha.^A variety from Syria; requires a warm, shel- tered location; medium, roundish; yelloAV, mottled and tinged with red in the sun; flesh tender, sugary, high- flavored; separating freely from the stone. — Last of July. Large Early. — Large; orange, with a red cheek; flesh sweet, rich, and excellent; parts from the stone. Tree vigorous and productive. — Beginning of August. Moorpark. — One of the largest and finest apricots ; yellow, with a red cheek; flesh orange, sweet, juicy, and rich; parts from the stone; growth rather slow, but stout and short-jointed. Very productive. JVew Large Early (Rivees).' — Resembles the old Large Early, but very rich. Orange. — Medium; orange, with a ruddy cheek; flesh rather dry, adheres slightly to the stone; requires ripen- ing in the house. — End of July. Peach. — Very large and handsome ; flesh delicate, juicy, and rich. Red Masculine (Early Masculine, etc.). — Small, nearly round; well-marked suture one side; bright yel- low, tinged with deep orange, and spotted with dark red; flesh juicy, musky, pleasant; the earliest to ripen. — Early in July. Tree hardy and a good bearer. Royal. — Large oval; pale orange; flesh firm, juicy, rich, vinous; ripens just before the Moorpark. A val- uable variety. Saint Ambroise. — Large; deep yellow, reddish next the sun; flesh juicy, rich and sweet, — Middle of August. Sardinian. — Small; white, with a red cheek; moder- ately juicy. — Very early in July. Tree productive. Turkey. — Medium to large, nearly round; deep yellow. 388 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. mottled with orange in tlie sun; flesh pale yellow, firm, juicy, excellent. — Middle of August. Sectioi^ 5. — Select Cherries. class i. — heart cherries. Fruit heart-shaped, with tender, sweet flesh. Trees of rapid growth, with large, soft, drooping leaves. Belle d'Orleans. — Origin France. Medium, round- ish-heart-shape; pale yellow, partially covered with red; flesh very tender, juicy, sweet and delicious. — Early in June, or immediately after Early Purple Guigne. Tree a fine grower and an abundant hearer; one of the finest early varieties. Black Eagle. — Origin England. Rather above medium, obtuse-heart-shape; deep purphsh-black; flesh deep purple, tender, with a rich, high-flavored juice. — Early in July, or just after Black Tartarian. Tree a strong grower, a moderate bearer while young, productive when old. Black Tartarian. — Origin Russia. Very large, heart- shape, uneven on the surface; purplish black; flesh half- tender, very juicy, mild, delicious. . — Last of June. Tree very vigorous, upright, a great bearer; one of the most popular and productive varieties in all parts of the coun- try. Always commands the highest price in market. Coe's Transparent. — Origin Connecticut. Medium, round; skin glossy, pale amber, mottled and spotted with cornelian-red; flesh very tender, juicy, sweet and delicate. Middle to last of June. Tree a vigorous grower, form- ing a handsome, round head, very productive. This is one of the best of dessert cherries, but too tender for marketing. Delicate. — Origin Ohio. Rather above medium, round- ish; clear amber-yellow, with a rich, bright red in the sun CHERRIES. 389 exposure; flesh very tender, juicy, sweet, with a rich, high flavor. — Last of June. Tree a thrifty, spreading grower, productive. Most valuable for family use. Downer's Late Red, — Origin Massachusetts. Medium, roundish; clear, lively red, mottled with amber; flesh tender, juicy, sprightly, a little bitter unless fully ri23e, when it is sweet and fine. — Early to middle of July. Tree very hardy, a fine, erect grower, very productive; the fruit is borne in clusters, and will hang for a considerable time on the tree. Early Purple Guigne. — Medium, roundish-heart- shape; dark red, purplish when mature; flesh purple, juicy, tender, rich and sweet. — Early in June. Tree a free but slender grower while young, hardy, and makes a fine, spreading, open head, bearing very abundantly. Indispensable as an early variety, and is found highly profitable as a market sort in some localities. Elton. — Origin England. Large, heart-shape, pointed ; glossy pale yellow, shaded, mottled and streaked with red in the sun ; flesh somewhat firm, nearly tender when fully ripe, juicy, sweet, rich, high flavor. — Middle to last of June. Tree vigorous, spreading, irregular in growth, a good bearer. One of the best of the large light-colored varieties. Governor Wood. — Origin Ohio. Large, roundish- heart-shape ; light, rich yellow, shaded and marbled with red ; flesh almost tender, jnicy, sweet, with a rich, deli- cious flavor. — Middle to last of June. Tree a fine grower, forming a round, half -spreading head, very productive ; liable to overbear, which might be remedied by judicious pruning. Knight's Early Black. — Origin England. Large, heart- shape ; deep purple, almost black ; flesh purple, tender, juicy, sweet and rich, high flavor. — Middle to last of June. Tree a spreading, stocky grower, and productive. 890 SELECT VARIETIES OE FRUITS. Ohio Beauty. — Origin Ohio. Large, obtuse heart- shape ; pale yellow, mostly overspread with clear, bright red ; flesh quite tender, juicy, brisk, delicious. — Middle of June. Tree a vigorous, rather spreading grower, very productive, and hardy. Eanks among the best of the light-colored varieties. CLASS II. — BIGARREAU CHERRIES. These are chiefly distinguished from the preceding class by their firmer flesh. Their growth is vigorous, branches spreading, and foliage luxuriant, soft, and drooping. Bigarreau or Yellow Spanish. — Large, obtuse^ heart- shape ; beautiful waxen-yellow, with bright red cheek in the sun ; flesh quite firm, pale yellow, juicy, rich, sweet and delicious flavor. — Last of June. Tree a vigorous, stocky grower, making a fine, round head, very produc- tive. An old variety of the largest size and best quality. Cleveland Bigarreau. — Origin Ohio. Large, round heart-shape ; bright, clear red on yellow ; flesh half-firm, juicy, sweet and rich. — Last of June. Tree a fine grower, spreading and productive. Gridley or Apple Cherry. — Origin Massachusetts. Me- dium, roundish ; dark reddish-brown, black when fully ripe ; flesh very firm, not juicy or high-flavored. — Middle of July. Tree hardy, vigorous, and productive. A cap- ital market variety because of its lateness and firmness. Monstrueuse de Mezel (Great Bigarreau). — Origin France. Large or very large, obtuse heart-shape, uneven surface ; dark red, almost black at maturity ; flesh firm, juicy, well-flavored. — Early to middle of July. Tree very vigorous, forming a large, wide, open, spreading head. Productive and profitable. Napoleon Bigarreau ( ^^EoyalAn"!^" in Calif ornia and Oregon). — Very large, heart-shaped ; pale yellow, dotted CHEKRIES. 391 and spotted with deep red and dark crimson ; flesh very firm, juicy, fine flavor. — Early in July. Tree a vigorous grower and very productive. Red Jacket. — Origin Ohio. Large to very large, reg- ular, obtuse heart-shape ; amber-yellow, mostly covered with light red ; flesh half-tender, juicy, sweet, good flavor. — Middle of July. Tree a free, healthy grower, forming a large, spreading head, very productive. Ripens late, and is very profitable for market. Rockport Bi^arreau. — Origin Ohio. Large, roundish, obtuse heart-shape ; amber-yellow, shaded and mostly covered with bright red; flesh half -tender, juicy, sweet, rich, excellent. — Middle of June. Tree a very erect, vigorous grower, forming a remarkably beautiful, upright head, and very productive. Tradescant's Black Heart (Elkhor:n-).— Origin Eu- rope. Very large, heart-shaped ; deep purple, almost black; flesh firm, moderately juicy, purplish, sweet. — Middle to end of July. Tree vigorous, upright, with a peculiar gray bark, a great bearer, and valuable for market or garden. Windsor. — Originated by James Dougall, Windsor, Out. Large; liver-colored; flesh remarkably firm, and of fine quality. — Ripens three or four days after Tradescant's Black Heart, or Elkhorn. Tree vigorous and productive. This is a new variety which promises to be valuable on account of its lateness, firmness, and good quality. CLASS III. — DUKE AND MOEELLO CHERRIES. These two classes of cherries are very distinct from the preceding. The trees are of smaller size and grow slowly; the leaves are thicker and more erect, and of a deeper green. The fruit is generally round, and in color varying from light red, like Belle de Choisy, to dark brown, like Mayduke or Morello. 392 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. The Dukes usually have stout, erect branches, and some of them, like Belle de Choisy and Heine Hortense, are quite sweet. The Morellos have slender, spreading branches, and inyariably acid fruit. These two classes are peculiarly appropriate for dwarfs and pyramids on the Mahaleb stock, and their hardiness renders them well worthy of attention in localities where the Hearts and Bigarreaus are too tender. Belle de Choisy. — Origin France. Medium, round; skin thin, translucent, pale amber-color, mottled with yellowish and bright cornelian-red ; flesh yery tender, amber-colored, melting, juicy, sweet. — Last of June. Tree a healthy grower, makes a handsome pyramid on the Mahaleb, a regular but moderate bearer. An excel- lent dessert sort, valued for garden culture. Belle Magnifique.— Large, roundish; bright, rich red; flesh juicy, tender, rich, rather acid until fully ripe, when it is fine for the table and excellent for cooking. — Last of July. Tree very hardy and healthy, a moderate grower, abundant bearer, fine as a dwarf or pyramid on Mahaleb. Carnation. — Large, round ; yellowish-white, mottled and marbled with red; flesh tender, juicy, rich, a little acid unless fully ripe, when it is a rich, pleasant sub-acid. — Middle to last of July. Tree a good grower, with a rather low, spreading habit; a moderate, regular bearer. Donna Maria. — Medium, roundish; dark, clear red; flesh tender, juicy, rich acid. — Middle of July. Tree a healthy grower, hardy, forming a small, round-headed tree, that comes early into bearing and bears profusely. A valuable and profitable variety for market or cooking. Early Richmond. — Small to medium, roundish, borne in pairs, and usually recognized by the calyx remaining on the stem next the fruit; bright, clear red; brisk, rich acid. — Early to last of June. Tree hardy, healthy, vigor- CHERRIES. 393 ous, forming a medium-sized tree, with long, half- pendant shoots, very productive, valuable, and profitable. Empress Eugenie. — Origin France. Large, roundish, flattened; dark red; flesh reddish, tender, juicy, sub-acid. — Middle of June. Tree of dwarf habit and moderately productive. Late Duke. — Large, heart-shape, flattened; rich, clear, rather dark red; flesh tender, Juicy, sprightly sub-acid. — Ripens gradually and hangs a long time or until last of July. Tree a vigorous grower for its class, and a good bearer; makes a fine dwarf or pyramid. Lieb. — Origin doubtful. Described as large or larger than Early Kichmond, less acid, later, and hardier. Louis Philippe. — Origin France. Large, roundish, regular; dark red, almost purplish-black; flesh red, ten- der, juicy, sprightly, mild acid, excellent. — Middle to last of July. Tree a vigorous grower, making a large tree for its class, with a handsome, round, spreading head, very productive. A very valuable sort for dessert, canning, cooking, or market. May Duke. — Large, roundish; dark, lively, rich red; flesh tender, very juicy, reddish, rich, and excellent sub- acid. — Middle of June. Tree hardy, vigorous, and pro- ductive, the fruit ripening gradually in succession; makes fine dwarfs or pyramids. Montmorency Lar^e-Fruited.—Origin France. Large roundish; dark red; flesh tender, juicy, sub-acid, very agreeable; one of the best flavored in this class. — Ripens about ten days after Early Richmond. Tree a good bearer, hardy, and prolific. Montmorency Ordinaire. — Origin France. Larger and finer than Early Richmond; rich red; flesh tender, soft, rich sub-acid, peculiarly refreshing. — Ripens ten days after Early Richmond. Tree remarkably prolific 394 SELECT YAEIETIES OF FRUITS. and very hardy. One of the most valuable sorts in the class, either for the table or for canning. Morello (English). — Large, roundish; dark red, near- ly black; flesh dark purplish-red, tender, juicy, sub-acid. — Late July. Tree a small, healthy, but slender grower, forming a pretty round head as a standard, and a fine bush as a dwarf. Olivet, — Origin Trance. Of recent introduction, de- scribed as follows: ''Large, globular; deep red; flesh red, tender, juicy, rich. — Ripens early in Jane. Tree productive and hardy." Reine Hortense. — Origin France. Large to very large, roundish ; bright, clear red, marbled and mottled in yellow ; flesh tender, juicy, slightly sub-acid, delicious. — Middle to last of July= Tree a healthy, vigorous, handsome grower, and a moderate, even, regular bearer. Royal Duke. — Large, roundish-oblong ; rich, dark red at maturity ; flesh reddish, tender, juicy, sub-acid. — Last of June. Tree an upright, compact grower, with branches stouter than the average of its class. An even but moderate bearer. SMALL SELECT LISTS. Six for the Garden. — Black Tartarian, Coe's Trans- parent, Knight's Early Black, Yellow Spanish, Late Duke, Montmorency Ordinaire. For the Market Orchard. — Black Tartarian, Yellow Spanish, Napoleon Bigarreau, Tradescant's Black Heart, Montmorency Ordinaire, Windsor, Monstrueuse de Mezel. Section 6. — Select Nectarines. The ISTectarine is derived from the peach ; the trees are precisely alike, and the fruit differs only in the nectarine NECTARIITES. 395 being smooth-skinned. It is peculiarly liable to be de- stroyed by the curculio. The same preventive remedy against curculio must be applied as with the plum. Boston. — Origin Massachusetts. Fruit large, roundish- oval; bright yellow, with a deep red and mottled cheek ; flesh yellow, sweet, pleasant, peculiar flavor. Freestone. — Early September. Tree hardy and productive. Downton. — Origin England. Large, roundish-oval ; pale green, with a violet-red cheek ; flesh greenish-white, melting, juicy, sweet, rich and high flavored. Freestone. — Last of August. Early Violet (Violette HItiye). — Rather large, round- ish ; pale yellowish-green, nearly covered with violet-pur- plish-red; flesh whitish, rays of red at the stone, melting, juicy, rich and high flavor. Freestone. — Last of August. Early IVewington (Lucombe's Black, etc.). — Origin England. Large, roundish-ovate, with a swollen point at apex ; pale green, nearly covered, mottled and marbled with red, thin bloom; flesh greenish-white, red at the stone; juicy, sugary, rich, excellent. Clingstone. — Early September. Elruge. — Origin England. Medium, roundish-oval; greenish, mostly covered with violet-red, deep red in the sun; flesh slightly stained with red at the stone, very juicy, melting, with a rich, fine flavor. Freestone. — Early September. This variety is widely grown and generally successful. Hardwicke's Seedling.— Origin England. Very large, roundish, or roundish-oval, with a swollen point at apex; pale yello^v, with a dark, violet-red cheek; flesh pale green, tinged with red at the stone, juicy, melting, rich. Freestone. — Last of August. Tree very hardy and excel- lent bearer. Hunt's Tawny. — Origin England. Medium, roundish, narrowing to the apex, with a swollen point, one side 396 SELECT YARIETIES OF FRUITS. enlarged; pale orange, with a deep red cheek in the sun; flesh orange, melting, juicy, stained with red at the stone. Freestone. — Middle of August. A hardy tree, early and productive. Lord Napier • — Origin England (Eivers). Large, hand- some, fine flavored. Very early. Pitmaston Orange.— Origin England. Large, round- ish-ovate with a swollen point; rich orange-yellow, red, bronzed in the sun; flesh orange-yellow, red at the stone. Juicy, excellent. Freestone — Last of August or early September. Red Roman. — Large, roundish, a little flattened; green- ish-yellow, with a brownish-red cheek; flesh firm, green- ish-yellow, red at stone, juicy, rich, vinous. Clingstone. — Early September. Tree healthy and productive. An old, foreign variety of great value. Rivers' Orange. — Originated by Thomas Eivers, Eng- land. Much like its parent, the Pitmaston Orange, but ripening later. Tree a gTcat bearer. Stanwick. — Origin England, where it was grown from a stone brought from Syria. Large, or above medium, roundish-oval; greenish- white, much covered and shaded with violet-red when grown in the sun; flesh white, melting, rich, juicy, sweet. — Middle of September. Victoria. — Origin England. Fruit resembles Stanwick, except that it ripens a month earlier. It originated with Thomas Eivers, England, from seed of Early Violet, fer- tilized by Stanwick. Note. — Mr. Eivers in the latter part of his life origi- nated many new varieties of Nectarines, some of which promise to be valuable. Section" 7. — Select Peaches. In the descriptions for the sake of brevity, the follow- ing abbreviations are made use of : fl. s. denotes small PEACHES. 397 flowers ; fl. 1., large flowers ; gl. glands ; glob, globose ; and ren., reniform. F. freestone; C. clingstone. Alexander. — American. Gl. glob., fl. 1. Fruit me- dium to large; greenish-white, nearly covered witli deep, rich red ; flesh whitish, melting, juicy, sweet, adhering slightly to the stone. Last of July, two weeks before Hale's Early. One of the largest and best of the very early varieties. Amsden's June proves to be so much like this that many regard it ai identical. Alexandra NoWesse. — English. Gl. glob. ; fl. 1. Very large, round, with a rather deep suture ; skin whitish with clusters of red dots on the sunny side ; flesh white, melting, rich and excellent. F. — August. Beer's Smock. — American. Described as a large 3'el- low peach of second quality, but very productive and popular for canning and evaporating. F. Bellegarde (Earlt Royal Geouge, etc.). — France. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large, round, suture shallow; pale yellow-green, with a rich, j)urplish-red cheek ; flesh marked with red at the stone, very melting, juicy, rich, and high flavored. F. — Last of August. An old va- riety, but one of the handsomest and best. Bergen's Yellow, — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit large, globular ; deep orange, with red ; flesh yellow, melting, juicy, rich, luscious. F. — Early September. A flne peach, but only an indifferent bearer. Bilyeu's Late October (Bilyeu's Comet).— American. Large; white, with a red cheek ; flesh white, firm, juicy, rich. F. — Ripens about ten days after Smock. A good shipper. A valuable late peach. Chinese Cling. — Gl. ren., fl. s. Large, globular, su- ture shallow ; skin creamy- white, marbled with red ; flesh white, red at stone, juicy, melting, with a rich Yinous flavor. C. — Middle of September. 398 SELECT YAKIETIES OF FRUITS. 'Cole's Early Red. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit medium size, roundish ; pale yellow, nearly cov- ered with red ; flesh melting, juicy, rich, sprightly. F. — Middle of August. A vigorous tree, hardy, abundant bearer, a profitable market sort. Columbia (Ii^^diak Peach). — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit medium to large, roundish, with distinct suture ; dull yellov/ish-red, with streaks of dark red ; flesh yellow, rich, juicy, excellent. F. — September. A profitable market sort. Tree hardy, a good grower and bearer ; extensively grown both in orchard and garden. Conkling. — American. Large, round, with a slight suture ; golden-yellow, marbled with crimson ; flesh pale yellow, juicy, sweet, vinous, high flavored. F. — Middle of September. A very handsome and excellent peach. Cooledgc's Favorite. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit medium, roundish, one side slightly largest ; clear white, w^ith a fine crimson-red cheek ; flesh very melting, juicy, rich, sweet, high flavor. F. — Middle of August. Tree vigorous, healthy, very productive ; an extremely valuable, hardy, and profitable variety. Crawford's Early. — American. GL glob., fl. s. Fruit very large, roundish-oblong, suture distinct, with swol- len point at apex ; yellow, with red cheek ; flesh yellow, melting, rich, sweet, excellent. F. — Early September. Tree very vigorous grower, abundant bearer, widely grown and highly esteemed either for orchard or garden. Crawford's Late.— American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit very large, roundish, with shallow suture ; yellow, with a fine, dark red cheek ; flesh deep yellow, red at the stone, juicy, melting, rich, vinous, excellent. F. — Mid- dle to last of September. Tree vigorous, hardy, produc- tive, highly valued for orchard or garden. Crimson Galande. — English. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit medium, roundish, very handsome ; skin almost entirely PEACHES. 399 covered with yery dark crimson ; flesh tender, melting, deeply stained at the stone, juicy, sprightly, excellent. F. — Early in September. Druid Hil!.— American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish, swollen point distinct; greenish- white, clouded with red in the sun; flesh greenish-white, purplish- red at the stone, very juicy, melting, rich, vinous. F.— Last of September, early October. Tree very vigorous, abundant bearer, and profitable South and South-west ; it does not always ripen well in this section. Early Beatrice. — English. Gl. ren., fl. 1. Fruit medium or rather small, with a marbled red cheek; flesh melting and very juicy. F. — Succeeds Alexander. A very handsome and excellent peach; needs thinning and good culture. Early Louise. — English. Gl. rem, fl. s. Fruit me- dium size, round; skin bright red; flesh melting and juicy. F. — Eipens a few days after Early Beatrice and just before Early Rivers. Tree hardy and prolific. De- sirable for home use and near market, but too soft for carriage. Early JVewington Freestone. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large or above medium, round, suture dis- tinct; pale yellowish-white, dotted and shaded with red in the sun; flesh white, red at the stone, to. which it par- tially adheres unless fally ripe, melting, juicy, rich, vinous. F. — Middle August. Tree hardy, moderate bearer. Early Rivers.—English. Gl. ren., fl. 1. Fruit large, roundish; skin creamy-white, with a delicate pink cheek; flesh melting, juicy, vinous, with a rich delicate flavor. F. — Larger than, and ripens three or four days after. Early Louise. The finest early peach, invaluable for the amateur's garden and home market, but will not carry well. 400 SELECT VARIETIES OF EEUITS. Early Silver. — English. Gl. ren., fl. 1. Fruit large, roundish-oyate; skin cream-colored with occasionally a light blush on the side exposed to the sun; flesh white, melting, yery juicy, yinous and delicious. F. — Early in September. Early Tillotson. —American. Leayes serrated and without glands, fl. s. Fruit medium to large; pale yel- lowish-white, considerable red in the sun ; flesh meltiog, whitish, red at stone, yery juicy, rich, and excellent. F. — Middle August. Tree a slow grower, mildews badly at the North, but South it is one of the best and most profitable sorts. Early York (Serrate Early York). — Leayes serrat- ed, without glands, fl. 1. Fruit medium, roundish, slight- ly ovate ; pale red on greenish-white ground, dark red in the sun; flesh greenish -white, yery tender, melting, juicy, sprightly, rich, excellent. F. — Middle of August. Tree a good, fair grower, prolific ; one of the best for orchard or garden. Fleita's or Yellow St. John.— American. Fruit large, roundish ; skin orange-yellow with a deep red cheek ; flesh yellow, juicy and high flavored. F. Grown exten- siyely at the South. Foster, — American. Eesembles Crawford's Early, but of better quality and ripens with that yariety. F. Freeman.^— American. Gl. glob. Fruit large, round- ish; yellow, with rich red cheek in the sun; flesh yellow, red next the stone, juicy, sweet, rich. F. — Middle Oc- tober. Originated at South Pass, 111., where it is esteem- ed, on account of late maturity, as a market sort. George the Fourth. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large, round, suture deep, one side enlarged; pale yellow- ish-white, rich, dark red cheek in the sun ; flesh tmted with red at the stone, melting, juicy, yery rich and delici- ous. F. — Last of August. Tree yigorous, hardy, and PEACHES. 401 productive. One of the best in quality, and successful in almost every locality. Goshawk. — English. A seedling from Cooledge's Fa- vorite; while partaking of the fine flavor of that sort, it is larger and ripens about a week later. F. Grosse Mignonne.— French. Gl. glob., fl.l. Fruit large, roundish, depressed, hollow suture at apex ; greenish- yellow, mottled with red, purplish-red cheek; flesh white, marked with red at the stone, melting, juicy, very rich, high, vinous flavor. F. — Middle August. Tree a free grower, good bearer. Haines' Early.— American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Medium, round, flattened at apex, one side enlarged ; pale white, nearly covered with red; flesh, greenish-white, very juicy, melting, sweet, fine flavor. F. — Early August. Tree a fine grower, hardy and productive, valued highly for the orchard. Hale's Early.— American. Gl. glob., fl. 1. Fruit medi- um, nearly round ; greenish, mostly covered with red ; flesh white, melting, juicy, rich, sweet. F. — Last of July. Tree very hardy, a vigorous grower and abundant bearer ; but is liable to rot in some localities. Heath Clins^. — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit very large, oblong, roundish, suture distinct, with swollen point at apex; skin whitish, with blush or red tinge in the sun; flesh greenish-white, very tender, melting, juicy, rich, and of the highest flavor, adheres closely to the stone. 0. — October. Tree very hardy, vigorous, and productive. This is one of the best and most popular varieties in all the South and South-west. It does not always ripen well at the North, but may be gathered and kept for weeks. It is well suited to espalier training. Hill's Chili, — American. Fruit medium, oval, suture slight; skin yellow, shaded with dark red; flesh yellow, red at the stone, half melting, sweet, of medium quality. 402 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. F. — Last of September. Tree vigorous, hardy, and pro- ductive. Indian Blood. — American. Fruit large; skin dark claret-color, with deep red veins; flesh deep red, juicy, and vinous. C. Valued at the South. Jacques' Rareripe. — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish, compressed; dark, rich yellow, mostly covered with dull red; flesh yellow, red at the stone, juicy, slightly sub-acid. F.— Middle September. A popular and profitable peach in all the New England and Northern States. Kenrick's Heath (Heath Free). — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit large, oblong, with a swollen point at apex ; pale greenish-white, with a j)urplish-red cheek; flesh a little coarse; greenish -white, deep red at the stone; juicy, melting, pleasant, sub-acid. F.^ — Middle Septem- ber. A hardy, vigorous, and productive variety, profit- able, but not of the highest quality. Keyport White. — American. Originated in New Jersey. Gl. ren. Described as a large, fine, white, late peach. Lady Parham. — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit medium, roundish ; yellowish- white, downy ; flesh firm, rich, vinous. F. — Middle of October. Esteemed at the South. La Grange. — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish-oblong; greenish-white, some red in the sun; flesh juicy, melting, very rich, sweet and high -flavored. F. — Last of September. Tree a hardy, good grower and bearer. ■ Highly esteemed and profitable in New Jersey, Delaware, and the peach regions of the South-west. Large Early York (Hon^est Johk). — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit above medium, roundish; whitish, with a clear, rich red cheek; flesh almost white, fine-grained, juic}', rich, mild, excellent. F. — Last of August. Tree PEACHES. 403 vigorous, hardy, productive. Profitable either for orchard or garden. Large White CliiiJ?. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Large, round; white, with red on the sunny side; flesh whitish, tender, juicy, sweet, rich. C. — Middle of Sep- tember. Late Admirable (Tetoit de Vei^us). — Gl. glob., fl. s. Very large, roundish-oval; deep, bold suture, small, acute, swollen point at apex; pale, yellowish-green, with a red cheek, very dark in the sun; flesh greenish- white, red at the stone, juicy, melting, delicious. F. — Middle of Sep- tember. Tree vigorous and productive, hardy. Valuable and profitable either for garden or orchard. Late Morris White. — American. Eesembles the old well-known sort, but ripens about eight days later; flavor fine. A desirable variety. Lemon Cling. — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Large, ob- long, with a large projecting point at apex, like a lemon; fine yellow, with a rich brownish-red cheek; flesh firm, yellow, red at the stone, to which it firmly adheres; rich, sprightly, vinous, sub-acid. 0. — Last of September. A native of South Carolina, and successful and popular both North and South. Many seedlings have been grown from it, but none to supersede it. Lord Palmerston.— English. Gl. ren., fl. 1. Very large; skin creamy- white, with a pink cheek; flesh firm, stained with red at the stone, to which it slightly adheres ; juicy and rich. — Last of September. A fine late peach. Magdalai — English. Gl. ren., fl. 1. Fruit medium, inclining to oval; skin creamy-white, marbled and blotched with crimson; flesh greenish, melting, rich, and fine, sepa- rating freely from the stone. F. — Early in Sei^tember. Malta. — Fl. 1. Medium, roundish ; greenish-yellow, blotched with purple on the sunny side; flesh light red 404 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. next the stone, rich, juicy, vinous, sweet, and delicious. F. — Middle of September. Not productive enough for market purposes, but desirable for the amateur. Monstrueuse de Doue. — French. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish, suture distinct ; skin whitish, nearly covered with red; flesh red at the stone, juicy, melting, vinous. F. — Last of September. Tree very vigorous and productive. Moore's FaToritCo — American. Gl. glob., fl. s.. Ee- sembles Oldmixon Free, but larger and ripens a little earlier. F. Valued in Delaware. Morris's White (Morris's WeiteEareripe). — Amer- ican. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit rather large; greenish-white, with a creamy tint when fully ripe, and a slight tint of purplish-red on the sun-exposed side; flesh white to the stone, juicy, melting, sweet, and rich. F. — Middle of September. Tree a vigorous grower, healthy, moderate but good bearer. A fruit highly valued for canning. Mountain Rose. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Large, roundish; skin whitish, nearly covered with dark red; flesh tinged with pink, juicy, vinous. F. Tree vigorous and productive. An excellent and early market variety. Mrs. Brett, — American. GL- ren., fl. s. Medium, roundish; skin whitish, with red on the exposed side; flesh white, red at the stone, juicy, melting, rich. F. Nectarine. — English. Gl. ren., fl. 1. Large, pointed; skin smooth like a nectarine, mottled with red next the sun; flesh red next the stone, firm, brisk, refreshing; highly flavored. F. — Middle of September, ripening with Crawford's Late. Noblesse. — English. Leaves serrated, without glands, fl. 1. Fruit large, roundish-oblong; pale green, with clouded red in the sun; flesh greenish-white, juicy, melting, excellent. F. — Last of August. Tree healthy PEA.CHES. 405 and productive. A capital old sort, highly esteemed wherever grown. Oldmixon Cling.— Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large, round- ish-oval, one side slightly enlarged; yellowish- white, with a red cheek; flesh pale white, exceedingly rich, melting, and juicy. 0. — Middle of September. Tree healthy, hardy, vigorous, and productive. One of the best and most profitable of the clingstones. Oldmixon Freestone.— Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish, slightly oval, one side swollen; pale yellowish- white, marbled with red, deep red in the sun; flesh white, red at the stone, tender, juicy, rich, sugary, vinous. F. — Early to middle of September. Tree hardy, very pro- ductive. One of the most valuable of all the white- fleshed peaches, either for orchard or garden. Peen-To, or Flat Peach of China.— A Chinese variety raised by P. J. Berckmans, Augusta, Ga., from stones received from Australia. ' It is flat and about two inches in diameter. The flesh is produced on the sides only, the ends being flattened down to the stone, and is sweet, juicy, and good. Succeeds admirably in Florida. Picquet's Late. — American. Gl. rem, fl. 1. Large to very large, yellow, with a red cheek; flesh yellow, rich, sweet, and of first quality. F. — Matures in Georgia early in September. Highly valued at the South. President,— American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish-oval; skin yellowish-green, with a dull red cheek; flesh white, but deep red at the stone, melting, juicy, and high flavored. F. — Middle of September. Princess of Wales.-- English. Gl. glob., fl. 1. Large, round, cream-colored, shaded with blush; flesh deep red at the stone, rich, excellent. F. — Ripens w^th Crawford's Late. A late variety of high merit. Red Cheek Melocoton. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish-oval, with swollen point at apex; 400 SELECT VARIETIES OP ERUITS. yellow, with a deep red clieek; flesh deep yellow, red at the stone, juicy, melting, rich, vinous. F. — Middle of September. Tree very hardy and productive. One of the most reliable of all varieties, and profitable for orch- ard or garden. A large number of varieties have been grown from it^ though few are sufficiently distinct or superior. Reeves' Favorite. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Large, roundish; skin yellow, with a red cheek; flesh deep yel- low, red at stone, juicy, melting, vinous, good. F. — Middle of September. Rivers' Early York.— English. Gl. glob., fl. 1. Fruit medium ; skin marbled with red ; flesh melting and juicy. F. — Latter part of August. Rodman's Cling. — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish ; skin nearly covered with red ; flesh juicy, firm, vinous. 0. — Last of September. Salway. — English. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit large, round- ish, one side enlarged, suture distinct; creamy yellow, with a marbled, rich brownish-red cheek ; flesh yellow, firm, juicy, rich, vinous, sugary. F. — Middle of October. Of great value as a late-ripening, showy, market sort. Shanghai. — China. Gl. ren., fl. 1. Very large, round- ish to oblong ; pale green, marked with light red on the side next the sun ; flesh white, clings to the stone, very juicy, and excellent. C. — End of August. Tree hardy and prolific. Desirable for the amateur. Smock Freestone.— American. Gl. ren. Fruit large, oval, compressed on its sides ; orange-yellow, mottled with red, deep red cheek in the sun ; flesh yellow, red at the stone, moderately juicy and rich, vinous. F. — Early October. Tree a vigorous grower and productive. Highly valued as a late ripening, showy, and profitable market sort. Snow. — American. Gl. ren., fl. s. Fruit medium, PEACHES. 407 roundish ; clear white ; flesh white to the stone, juicy, melting, sprightly, sweet, and rich. F. — Early Sep- tember. Tree hardy, very productive. Highly valued for preserving, canning, etc. Steadley.— American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit medium, roundish; skin white, with a faint blush on the sunny side; flesh juicy, sweet. F.— Ripens later than Heath Cling. Stump the World,— American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Fruit large, roundish-oblong; creamy- white, with a bright, red cheek; flesh white, juicy. F. — Last of September. Tree vigorous and productive. Esteemed in l^iew Jersey, where it originated, as a profitable market variety. Surpasse Melocoton.— American. This variety, which originated in the grounds of Ellwanger & Barry, is large, roundish-oval ; rich yellow, with a red cheek ; flesh pale yellow, nearly white, juicy, rich, sugary, vinous, excel- lent. F. — Early September. Tree a strong grower, productive, a valuable market sort. Susquehanna. — American. Large, nearly round, suture distinct ; yellow, with a beautiful, broad, red cheek ; flesh yellow, sweet, rich, juicy, vinous. F. — Middle to last of September. Tree a fine grower, very popular in Pennsylvania. Thurher. — American. Fl. s. A seedling of the Chinese Cling, which it resembles. Large to Yery large, roundish ; skin creamy-white, marbled with crimson ; flesh white, juicy, vinous, rich. F. — Matures from the middle to the end of July in Georgia. Tippecanoe Clin^. — American. Gl. ren.,fl. s. Fruit very large, nearly round, flattened slightly at the sides ; yellow, with a fine, rich, red cheek ; flesh yellow, juicy, sweet, vinous. C. — Late Sejotember and early October. Tree vigorous, productive. Handsome, of a very good quality, valued highly where known as a market sort. 408 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Troth's Early.— American. Grl. glob., fl. s. Fruit medium, roandish-oval ; whitish, bright red in the sun ; flesh white, red at the stone, juicy, sweet. F. —Early in August. Tree vigorous, very productive. Extensively grown, and highly esteemed as a market orchard sort ; it is also fine for the orchard-house, and the garden. Wager. — .American. Fruit medium, oblong-oval ; flesh yellow, firm, moderately juicy, vinous, separates freely from the stone. F.— First of September. Said to be valuable for market and canning. Ward's Late Free,— American. Gl. rem, fl. s. Fruit rather large, roundish, slightly oval ; white, with a beau- tiful red cheek; flesh white, tinged with red at the stone, juic;y, melting, sweet, delicious. F.— Late September. Tree vigorous and productive. Very valuable for orchard or garden. Walburton Admirable.— English. Fl. s. Fruit large, roundish; greenish-white, shaded with dark red in the sun; flesh white, stained red at the stone, melting, juicy, rich, and sweet. F. — Last of September. Tree a good grower and productive; this variety, wherever it has been grown in this country, has been found valuable. Waterloo. — American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Medium to large, round, with a deep suture on one side; pale whit- ish-green in the shade, marbled red, deepening into dark purple-crimson in the sun ; flesh greenish- white, with an abundance of sweet, vinous juice ; adheres considerably to the stone, like Hale's Early, Amsden^ etc. — The first fruit shown of this sort ripened from eight to ten days earlier than Alexander. Subsequent crops ripened about the same time as Alexander and Amsden. In point of quality, Waterloo is superior to either of these sorts, and seems less disposed to decay. Wheatland. — American. Gl. rem, fl. 1. Large to very large, roundish, a distinct suture on one side; skin golden- PEACHES. 409 yellow, with crimson on the exposed side; flesh yellow, rather juicy, sweet, and excellent. F. — Ripens between Crawford's Early and Late. Tree vigorous and prolific. Yellow Alberge (Barn'ard's Yellow). — Gri. glob., fl. s. Fruit medium or above in size, roundish; yellow, with a deep purplish-red cheek; flesh yellow, deep red at the stone, juicy, sweet, vinous, pleasant. F. — Early Sep- tember. Tree hardy, vigorous, and productive. This old French peach holds a popular position as a reliable and profitable variety, although of only second-rate quality. Many seedhngs have been grown from it, al- most identical with the parent. Yellow Rareripe.— American. Gl. glob., fl. s. Large, roundish ; orange-yellow, a rich, red cheek, shaded off and striped; flesh deep yellow, red at the stone, melting, juicy, vinous, excellent. F. — Last of August. Tree vigorous and productive. One of the best and most profitable very early yellow-fleshed peaches grown. Brice's Early, Brigg's Red May, Bower's Early, Cum- berland, Downing, Early Canada, G-ov. Garland, Harper's Early, Honeywell, Musser,' Saunders, and Wilder, being nearly alike in size, flavor, growth, and period of ripen- ing, and showing no superiority over Alexander, we do not consider them of sufficient importance to be de- scribed separately. SELECT GARDEN VARIETIES. Named in order of rijiening. — Waterloo, Alexander, Early Louise, Early Rivers, Hale's Early, Large Early York, Cooledge's Favorite, George the Fourth, Early Silver, Foster, Crawford's Early, Conkling, Oldmlxon Free, Princess of Wales, Crawford's Late, Ward's Late Free. Varieties generally successful in Neio England, Western New York, Ohio, and Michigan in order of ripening, — 18 410 SELECT YA.RIETIES OF PRUIT3. Waterloo, Alexander, Early Louise, Early Kiyers, Hale's Early, Early York, Large Early York, Haines' Early, Cooledge's Favorite, George the Fourth, Foster, Craw- ford's Early, Surpasse Melocoton, Conkling, Morris White, Oldmixon Free, Crawford's Late, Eed Cheek Melocoton, Stump the World, Smock Free, Hill's Chili, Ward's Late Free. Varieties for Profitabte Marhet Orchards in order of ripening. — Waterloo, Alexander, Early Elvers, Hale's Early, Mountain Eose, Large Early York, Cooledge's Favorite, Foster, Crawford's Early, Jacques' Eareripe, Morris White, Eeeves' Favorite, Oldmixon Free, Craw- ford's Late, Eed Cheek Melocoton, Stump the World, Smock. Varieties successful South and South-west in order of ripening. — Alexander, Early Beatrice, Early Elvers, Hale's Early, Early Tillotson, G-eorge the Fourth, Fleita's St. John, Mountain Eose, Crawford's Early, Eeeve's Favorite, Oldmixon Free, Crawford's Late, Thurber, Chinese Cling, Oldmixon Cling, Stump the World, Columbia, Druid Hill, Smock, La Grange, Heath Cling, Steadley, Picquet's Late, Bilyeu's Late October. Secticis" 7. — Select Plums. Aatumn Gage^ — Origin New York. Medium, oval, broadest at the stem end; pale yellow, with a thin, whitish bloom; flesh greenish-yellow, juicy, sweet, pleas- ant, separates freely from the stone. — September. Tree a vigorous, spreading grower, and an abundant bearer. Belle de Septembre. — Origin Belgium. Large, round- ish, inclining to oval; reddish-purple, with a thin blue bloom; flesh orange-yellow, juicy, sweet, vinous, rich, adheres to the stone. — September and October. Tree a nioderate grower and productive. A very handsome and valuable late plum. PLUMS. 411 Bleecker's Gage. — Origin New York. Medium or above, roundish-oval ; yellowish, with a thin, white bloom; flesh yellow, juicy, rich, sweet, excellent, sepa- rates freely from the stone. — Last of August. Tree a good grower and productive. Blue Imperatrice* — Medium, oval-obovate; deep pur- ple, covered with a thick, blue bloom; flesh greenish- yellow, rich, and sugary, adhering to the stone. — October, and will keep into November. Tree vigorous and a heavy bearer. Valuable on account of its lateness. Bradshaw. — Large, oval-obovate; reddish-purple, with a light, blue bloom; flesh rather coarse, juicy, brisk, pleasant, adheres slightly to the stone. — August. Tree an upright, vigorous grower, productive and profitable. Bryanston's Gage. — Medium, oval; pale yellow, with a bronze cheek in the sun; flesh a little coarse, juicy, sweet, pleasant, adheres slightly to the stone. — September and October. Coe's Golden Drop. — Origin England. Large, oval, distinct suture; light yellow, with dark, carmine-red spots in the sun; flesh yellowish, firm, juicy, rich, ad- heres to the stone. — Last of September. Tree a moder- ately vigorous grower, hardy, and a great bearer. Widely disseminated and highly esteemed. Columbia. — Origin New York. Large or very large, nearly round; brownish-reddish-purple, covered with a blue bloom; flesh orange, sweet, and rich, separates from the stone. — Last of August. Tree a very vigorous grower, and productive. A valuable market sort. Denniston^s Superb. — Origin New York. Medium or below, roundish, flattened; pale, but rich yellow, blotches of purple in the sun; thin, white bloom; flesh juicy, rich, sweet, vinous, separates from the stone. — Last of August. Tree moderately vigorous, forming a small, round head, very productive. One of the best for the garden. 412 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Duane's Purple. — Origin New York. Large, oval, distinct suture, one side enlarged; pale red, becoming reddish-purple in the sun, lilac bloom; flesh amber-color. Juicy, sprightly, moderately sweet, adheres partially to the stone. — Middle to last of August, Tree yery vigorous and productive. Fellemberg. — Origin Europe. Medium, oval; dark blue, with a bloom; flesh dark yellow, juicy, sweet, and good, separates from the stone. — Early in October. An old, Italian prune, a moderate, spreading grower, great bearer, and very valuable. General Hand* — Origin Pennsylvania. Very large, roundish-oval; deep yellow, marbled with greenish- yellow; flesh coarse, pale yellow, sweet, moderately juicy, separates freely from the stone. — September. Tree very vigorous and productive. Eine for market. German Prune. — Medium, long-oval, one side swollen; purple, with a thick, bine bloom; flesh firm, not juicy, greenish, sweet, pleasant, separates freely from the stone. — September. Tree a good grower, very productive. Valuable for market and highly esteemed for drying. Goliath. — Large, roundish-oblong; deep red, approach- ing purple, with a thin, blue bloom; flesh yellow, adheres considerably to the stone, juicy, with a brisk, pleasant flavor. — Last of August. Tree vigorous and a very great yielder. Green Gage. — Origin France. Rather small, round; yellowish-green, with dot tings of red in the sun; flesh pale green, exceedingly juicy and melting, rich, sprightly, luscious, separates from the stone. — Middle of August. Tree a short- jointed, healthy, but slow grower, making a small, round head, and bearing abundantly. Has no superior in quality; suitable for a choice garden collec- tion. Huling's Superl). — Origin Pennsylvania. Very large. PLUMS. 413 roundish-oval, shallow suture; greenish-yellow, covered with a thin, pale bloom; flesh greenish-yellow, rather coarse, rich, brisk, sprightly, adheres to the stone. — Middle of August. Tree a fair, upright grower, with large foliage, a good, moderate bearer. Ickworth Imp^ratrice,— Origin England. Rather above medium, obovate; purple, traced with fawn; flesh greenish-yellow, sweet, juicy, rich, adheres partially to the stone. — Early October. Tree a good, fair grower, productive. Valuable for its late ripening, and for its peculiarity of hanging a long time on the tree as well as for keeping after being gathered. Imperial Gage. — Origin New York. Rather above medium, oval, suture distinct; green, until fully ripe, when it is known by the peculiar marbling of two shades of green, white bloom; flesh greenish, very juicy, rich, melting, pleasant flavor, separates freely from the stone. — Early September. Tree one of the best of growers, and productive; everywhere popular and profitable for market or garden. Jefferson. — Origin New York. Large, roundish-oval; golden-yellow, with a beautiful red cheek; flesh orange- yellow, juicy, rich, luscious, separates freely from the stone. — Last of August. Tree a moderate, rather slow grower, but a regular, good bearer. One of the best in quality. July Green Gage. — Medium, roundish-oblong, suture distinct; greenish-yellow, tinted with purple in the sun; flesh yellow, juicy, sweet, separates from the stone. — Last of August. Tree a moderate grower, productive. Lawrence's Favorite. — Origin New York. Medium, roundish, a little flattened; dull, yellowish-green, clouded with streaks of a dark shade; flesh greenish, juicy, melt- ing, rich, sprightly, delicate, vinous, separates freely from 414 SELECT YAEIETIES OF FRUITS. the stone. — Middle of August. Tree vigorous, upright, very productive. Lom1)ard. — Origin New York. Medium, roundish- oval; violet-red, thin bloom; flesh deep yellow, juicy, pleasant, not rich, adhering to the stone. — Last of August. Tree vigorous, a great bearer. Profitable for market, and succeeds where many other sorts fail. Lucombe's Nonsuch. — Origin England. Above me- dium, roundish; yellowish-green, distinctly streaked with yellow and orange; flesh pretty firm, greenish, adheres to the stone. — Early September. Tree moderately vigorous, very productive. Maguum Bonum, Yellow (Yellow Egg, etc.).— A popular old variety, with some twenty synonyms. Large, or very large, egg-shape, or oval; yellow, with white dots and a thin bloom; flesh yellow, acid until fully ripe, when it is sweet, adheres to the stone. — Last of August. Tree very vigorous, productive. Valued for market and cooking. McLaughlin. — Origin Maine. Large, roundish, flat- tened at ends; yellow, dotted and marbled with red in the sun, thin bloom; flesh yellow, rather firm, juicy, very sweet, delicious, adheres to the stone. — Last of August. Tree a hardy, vigorous grower, productive. One of the most valuable. Monroe Gage. — Origin New York. Eather above medium, oval; greenish-yellow, rarely with ablush; flesh greenish-yellow, not very tender, but sweet. — ^Early Sep- tember. Tree vigorous, productive. Ontario. — Origin New York. Large, roundish; yellow, marbled; flesh moderately juicy, sweet, rich, adheres to the stone. — Early in August. Tree a good grower and very productive. Originated by Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, N. Y. Orange. — Origin New York. Large, oval, flattened; PLUMS. 415 bronze-yeilow, clouded with purplish-red near the stalk; flesh yellow, a little coarse, moderately juicy, and good. — Last of August. Growth yery vigorous, and the tree bears abundant crops. OuUin's Golden Gage. — Origin Germany. Large, roundish-oblong; yellow, flecked with green, small, crim- son dots in the sun, and a thin, white bloom; flesh tender, Juicy, sugary, excellent, adhering slightly to the stone. Tree vigorous and productive. A valuable early plum. Orleans* — See Smith's Orleans. Peters' Yellow Gage. — Origin Xew York. Medium, roundish-oval; yellow, with crimson dots in the sun, thin, light bloom ; flesh yellowish, juicy, adheres shghtly to the stone. — Middle of August. Tree a moderately vigorous grower ; an abundant bearer. Pond's Seedling. — Origin England. Very large, oval ; yellowish, covered with violet-red, thin, white bloom ; flesh yellow, a little coarse, juicy, sugary. — Middle of September. Tree a good grower, and an abundant bear- er ; a beautiful fruit. Prince Englebert, — Origin Belgium. Large, oblong- oval ; deep purple, with a blue bloom ; flesh yellowish- green, juicy, sugary, rich, separates freely from the stone. — Last of August. Tree vigorous, a great bearer. Very valuable for market, dessert, or cooking. Prune d'Agen (Robe de Sergei^-t, etc.). — Origin France. Medium, oval ; violet-purple, with a thick bloom ; flesh greenish-yellow, juicy, rich, sugary, and delicious, adheres slightly to the stone. — Last of Sep- tember. Tree a moderate grower, very prolific. Quackenboss. — Origin New York. Large, roundish- oblong ; deep purple, covered with blue bloom ; flesh greenish-yellow, a little coarse, juicy, sprightly, sweet, adheres slightly to the stone. — September. Tree a very rapid, upright grower, and productive. 4:16 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Reine Claude de Bavay (Bavay's Greej^ Gage).— Origin Belgiu m. Large, roundish, a little flattened ; greenish-yellow^ with splashes of green, thin bloom; flesh yellow, juicy, sugary, melting, rich, excellent, separates from the stone. — Last of September. Tree a vigorous grower, and very productive. One of the best in quality, very valuable, and extensively planted as a late market sort. Saint Catherine. — Origin France. Medium, obovate, deep suture ; pale yellow, a little reddish in the sun, thin, white bloom ; flesh yellow, juicy, rather firm, and adhering partly to the stone. — Middle to last of Septem- ber. Tree an upright, rather slender grower ; pro- ductive. Highly prized for drying. Saint Lawrence.— Origin New York. Large, dark purple ; flesh juicy, melting, sweet, adheres to the stone. — September. Tree a good grower, productive. — Origi- nated in the grounds of Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, J^. Y., from a seed of Smith's Orleans. Shropshire Damson. — Origin England. Medium to small, oval ; dark purple ; flesh melting, juicy, separates freely from the stone. — October. Tree healthy and pro- ductive. One of the best of the Damsons. Smith's Orleans. — Origin Long Island. Large, round- ish-oval ; reddish-purple, covered with a blue bloom ; flesh deep yellow, a little firm, very juicy, brisk, vinous, adheres to the stone. — Last of August. Tree vigorous and very productive. One of the most valuable for or- chard or garden. Victoria (Sharp's Emperor, etc.). — Origin England. Large, roundish-oval ; light yellow, marbled, spotted, and shaded with lilac and purple, thin, lilac bloom ; flesh yellow, coarse, not juicy or sugary, a little vinous, and separates from the stone. — Middle of September. Tree PLUMS. 417 vigorous, but irregular m growth, productive. A plum of the largest size, showy, and valuable for market. Wangenheim. — Origin Germany. Medium, oval; deep purple, thick, blue bloom ; flesh greenish-yellow, rather firm, juicy, sugary, rich, separates from the stone. — Last of August. Tree a moderate grower, but goo.d bearer. One of the best of the sorts designated as prunes. Washington. — Origin New York. Large to very large, roundish-oval ; dull or deep yellow, with marblings of green, with a pale red or crimson blush in the sun ; flesh yellow, firm, very sweet and rich, separates freely from the stone. — Last of August. Tree a stocky, vigorous, healthy grower, very productive. One of the most reli- able for market or garden. - ^ Yellow Gage (Prince's). — Origin Long Island. Me- dium to large, oval, broadest next the stalk ; golden-yel- low, covered with a white bloom ; flesh deep yellow, rich, sugary, juicy, melting, separates freely from the stone. — Early in August. Tree very vigorous, forming a large, spreading head, very hardy and productive. A popular and profitable variety. SMALL SELECT LISTS OF PLUMS. For the Garden. — Ooe's Oolden Drop, Oreen Gage, Prince Englebert, Jefferson, Fellemberg, Smith's Orleans, Keine Claude de Bavay, McLaughlin, Washington. For Market. — Yellow Magnum Bonum, Smith's Or- leans, Pond's Seedling, Lombard, Eeine Claude de Bavay, Bradshaw, General Hand, Quackenboss, Fellemberg, German Prune. For Drying. — German Prune, Saint Catherine, Fellem- berg. KATIVE PLUMS OR VARIETIES OF AMERICAlsT SPECIES. Comprising varieties of value only where the finer Eu- ropean sorts cannot be cultivated. 418 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. De Car adeuc— Origin the Southern States. Fruit small or medium, roundish-oblate ; skin pale yellow, waxy looking, with a brownish-red cheek ; flesh juicy, sweet ; cling. — July. Supposed to be a hybrid between the Chickasaw and a European variety. Said to be a valuable early market variety at the South. Langdon.— Origin Illinois. Fruit small or medium, round, like a large cherry ; skin dark red, thick, and tough ; flesh firm, flavor medium.— Ripens late in Oc- tober. Tree a moderate grower. Miner. — Origin Pennsylvania. Fruit medium^ oblong, pointed ; skin deep red, thick; flesh soft, juicy, vinous, adheres to the stone. — Ripens late in October. Tree vigorous. Newman. — Fruit medium, roundish-oval; skin a beau- tiful glossy-red color, with a delicate, purple bloom; flesh juicy, melting, vinous. — Commences to ripen early in October, and continues through the month. Tree vig- orous, hardy, and productive. Ranks next in value to the Wild Goose. Weaver. — Origin Iowa. Said to be of value for the West and extreme North on account of its hardiness. Wild Goose. — Origin unknown. A variety of the Chickasaw. Fruit medium, oval; skin bright vermilion- red; flesh yellow, juicy, sweet; cling. — Ripens the latter part of July and first of August. Tree vigorous and productive. Valuable on account of its earliness and beauty. CURRANTS. 419 THIKD DIVISION.— SMALL FEUITS. CUERANTS, GOOSEBERRIES, RASPBERRIES, STRAW- BERRIES, BARBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, MUL- BERRIES, GRAPES, AND FIGS. Section 8. — Select Currants. The CurraDt is a most useful fruit, indeed indispensable to every garden, large or small; it fills a space of a couple of weeks after the strawberries, raspberries, and cherries, and before the apricots, early apples, and pears; and be- sides this, it possesses a remarkable combination of sweet and acid, that fits it for an almost endless variety of use- ful and agreeable preparations, both in the green and ripe state. The white varieties are mildest flavored, and therefore better for using in a raw state when ripe. The red are preferable for Jellies, etc., on account of their beautiful color. Black Naples. — One of the largest and best black cur- rants; bears profusely. Valuable for jam and jellies. Cherry. — Very large, exceeding an inch in circumfer- ence, bunches short, color dark red, ripens at the same time as Red Dutch; shoots stout, short- jointed, and erect, foliage thick, dark green, slightly folded, and bluntly and coarsely serrated. Mr. Lewelling, of California, has 40 acres planted with this variety; we saw the plantation in full fruit in 1870. It is stated that the crop of 1871 was 150,000 lbs., sold at from 8 cents to 15 cents per pound. Fay's Prolific— Origin Chatauqua Co., N. Y. Said to be a cross between Cherry and Victoria. Color rich red; described as being as large as the Cherry, but more prolific and less acid. 420 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. La Versaillaise.— Similar to the Cherry in all respects, so much so as to be supposed by many to be identical; it is generally believed that it is less acid and the bunches a little longer ; a very vigorous grower, productive, and highly valued. Lee's Black Prolific. — Origin England. Described as being larger than Black Naples, and very productive. Long-Bunclied Red. — Much like Eed Dutch, but with clusters longer and larger, and rather larger fruit ; a strong-growing, productive, and valuable variety. Prince Albert. — A moderate grower, with large, stiff, deeply-cut foliage, very productive; valued for its late ripening; fruit light red, large, acid. Red Dutch. — A well-known sort, generally superseded by the larger varieties. Short-Bunched Red. — A strong, upright grower; ber- ries large; bunches short; mild acid. Victoria or Houghton Castle. — ^Very large, bright red, bunches five or six inches long; hangs on the bushes after others are gone ; distinguished at once by its remarkably long bunches and bright red color, and by the foliage, which is quite distinct, dark green, coarsely and bluntly serrated, quite flat, and frequently reflexed or turned backwards at the edges ; the shoots are not so stout and erect as those of the Cherry. White Dutch. — Yellowish- white, transparent, milder than the red, and better for using raw ; excellent. White Grape. — Larger every way than the preceding; the largest white currant ; growth rather spreading, fo- liage thicker, deeper green, and more reflexed. There are several other sorts under cultivation, of little value, unless to those who are making large collections for curiosity and experiment. gooseberries. 421 Sectiok 9. — Gooseberries. class i. — ekglish varieties. The following, from the large English sorts, have all proved excellent. In our climate these are all more or less subject to mildew. Red. — Ashton, Companion, Conquering Hero, Crown Bob, Dan's Mistake, Ironsides, Ironmonger, Lion's Pro- vider, Speedwell, Talfourd. White. — Freedom, Jenny Lind, Lady Leicester, Mayor of Oldham, Patience, Whitesmith, White Swan. Green. — Fair Helen, Great Britain, Thumper, Turn Out, Stockwell, Surprise. Yellow. — Champagne, Guiiner, Gipsy Queen, High Sheriff, Eailway, Yellow Sulphur. CLASS II. — AMERICAN VARIETIES. American Seedling (Pale Eed). — A vigorous grower, bush upright, with slender wood; very productive, never mildews ; fruit medium to small, pale red, sweet, good ; hangs a long time, very valuable. Downing. — Originated at Newburgh, N. Y. An up- right, strong grower, productive; fruit medium or above, roundish-oval; green, with the rib veins distinct, smooth, juicy ; good. The best for family use of any of the American sorts. Houghton's Seedling.— Kaised in Massachusetts from the seed of a native variety. It is a vigorous grower, with drooping branches, very productive ; fruit medium or below, smooth, pale red, sweet, very good. Smith's Improved. — Grown from the seed of Hough- ton ; fruit medium or above, oval ; light green ; flesh moderately firm, sweet and very good ; vigorous and j)ro- ductive. 422 select vakieties of eeuits. Sectioi^ 10. — Select Easpbereies. class i. — foreign varieties akd their seedlings of american origin. Belle de Palluau. — A Erencli yariety, with strong, yigorous, upright canes ; short, purphsh spines; fruit large, conical ; bright crimson, -firm, juicy, and rich. Clarke* — Origin New Haven, Conn. Canes strong and vigorous; half-hardy ; long spines, fruit large, conical, bright crimson, rather soft, juicy, excellent ; produces suckers freely ; succeeds finely in light soils. Fastolf. — Canes very strong, nearly hardy, erect, branching ; fruit very large, roundish, conical ; purplish red, rich, fine flayor ; productive. Franconia. — Canes strong, branching, yellowish- brown; short, stout, purple spines; fruit large, obtuse, conical, purplish-red, pretty firm, rich acid ; one of the hardiest of this class; productiye and profitable. French (Vice-President Fkench). — Origin Phila- delphia, Pa. Canes strong, upright; spines short and stout ; fruit medium to large, roundish, rich, bright crimson, large grains, sweet and yery good. Herstinei — Origin Philadelphia, Pa. Canes strong, of a light color; spines green; fruit large, conical; crimson, moderately firm; sub-acid and good. Season quite early. Plant vigorous and very productiye. Valuable for family use and near market. Hornet. — A French variety, with strong, upright, yig- orous canes; stout, purplish spines ; fruit large, conical, rather firm, crimson red, juicy, sweet. Hudson River Antwerp (Red Antwerp of the Hud- son Eiver). — Origin unknown. Has been long and prof- itably cultivated along the Hudson River, where it is esteemed most yaluable of all sorts for market. The crop RASPBERRIES. ' ' 423 from three acres has in one season sold for $1,500. Canes short, stout, almost spineless. Knevett's Giant. — A very strong grower, erect, small, reddish spines ; fruit large, obtuse, conical, deep red, firm, rich ; almost hardy and very productive. Orange (Beinckle's Obakge). — Origin Philadelphia, Pa. Canes strong, branched, white spines ; fruit large, conical, clear orange yellow, juicy, rather soft, sweet, rich, and excellent ; the best of all light-colored varieties. Parnell. — Large, long, dark red, moderately firm, jiaicy, and of fair quality ; quite hardy and productive. Red Antwerp. — This is the common Red Antwerp of England ; distinct from the Hudson River Antwerp. Canes tall and strong; light, red spines; fruit large, obtuse, conical, dark red, juicy, brisk, vinous, fine flavor. Victoria. — An English variety of rather dwarf habit ; fruit very large, dark red. CLASS II. — AMEEICAN" SPECIES AN"D VARIETIES, BLACK CAPS, ETC. American Black Cap (Doolittle, Josltin-'s Black Cap, etc.). — A hardy native variety, improved by culti- vation, very productive ; one of the best of its class for profitable market growing, as it ripens early and carries well. Brandywine (Susqueco). — Origin unknown. Medium to large ; bright scarlet ; firm, moderately juicy, quality inferior ; canes stocky and of a reddish color. Consid- ered valuable for market on account of its hardiness, productiveness, and firmness. Caroline. — Origin New York. Medium, roundish- oblate ; pale salmon ; flesh soft, juicy, with a sub-acid flavor, of fair quality. The plant is hardy and prolific ; 424 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. it is propagated both from tips and suckers. Valuable only for home use or near market, being too soft for ship- ping. Cuthbert (Queen of the Market). — Origin New York. Large, roundish-conical ; bright red, firm, mod- erately juicy, of fair quality ; canes tall, strong, yigorous, upright ; plant hardy and productive. Season medium to late. Promises to become a popular market sort. Gregg, — Origin Indiana. Large, roundish-oblate ; black, with bloom ; flesh quite firm, moderately juicy, sweet ; plant vigorous and productive. Eipens late. This is the largest of the Black Cap family, and the most popular market berry. Highland Hardy,— Medium to small ; red; flavor poor. It is grown profitably in some localities on account of its earliness. Miami (Mammoth Cluster, McCormick). — One of the best of the Black Caps ; ripens a little earlier than Gregg. Philadelphia, — A variety found wild in tlie County of Philadelphia, Pa. Fruit medium, roundish; dark crim- son, moderately firm, mild sub-acid, of inferior quality ; a hardy variety, succeeding on light soils and in latitudes where the Antwerps cannot well be grown. Formerly it was grown extensively for market, but is now nearly superseded. Iteliance. — Origin 'New Jersey. Large, roundish ; dark red, quite firm, with a sprightly flavor ; canes strong, with greenish spines ; vigorous and productive. Season medium to late. May be described as an improved "Philadelphia." Seneca Black Cap.— A variety of the Black Cap, larger and later than the American, vigorous and pro- ductive ; fruit has a shade of purple, with a light bloom, juicy and sweet. RASPBERRIES. 425 Souheg^an. — Originated in the yalley of the Souhegan River, New Hampshire, in 3 870, from seed of the Doo- little. Said to be the earliest of all the Black Caps. Berries large, jet black, without bloom ; plant hardy and productive. Thwack.— Origin Missouri. A red variety of indif- ferent flavor, but esteemed at the West and South-west for market, on account of its hardiness and firmness. Turner. — Origin Jacksonville, 111. Medium, roundish- conical ; bright scarlet ; flesh soft, sweet, pleasant ; season early ; very productive and extremely hardy ; val- uable for family use and near market. A favorite at the West especially, on account of its hardiness. CLASS III — AUTUMl^AL BEARI]!^G VARIETIES. The product of this class of Easpberries is upon the ends of the canes of the present season's growth, and to insure a full autumn crop, all the old canes should be cut away in the spring, and all the suckers kept down, con- fining the new growth to the few strong, vigorous canes. Belle de Fontenay.— A French variety, with stout, branching canes, and an over-abundance of suckers, which must be cut away as so many weeds, in order to insure a crop ; fruit, large, roundish, conical, purplish- red, sprightly, moderately firm, and rich. Merveille des Quatre Salsons (October Red).— A French variety, with strong, upright canes and purple spines ; fruit medium, roundish, somewhat conical, bright red, rather soft, Juicy, sweet, and rich. Ohio Everbearing.— A variety of the American Black Cap, identical in every respect, except that it has the habit of fruiting in Autumn. 426 SELECT VAKIETIES OF FRUITS. CLASS lY. — YARIETIES OF RASPBERRIES KOT YET SUFFI- CIEIS'TLT TESTED TO BE PUT IKTO THE SELECT LIST. Baumforth's Seedling. — Origin England. A new variety raised from the seed of the Northumberland Fill- basket, and described as follows: ''The plant is of a stronger constitution than its parent, and more produc- tive; fruit one-third larger and of a richer crimson color; flavor rich with a fine aroma." Crimson Beauty.— Originated by Dr. Stayman, of Kansas. A new variety, described as follows: ''Very large, bright glossy scarlet, round to oblong, earlier than the Turner, of a more pleasant sprightly flavor, equally hardy, more productive, and of a much larger size; the earliest of all." Hansen. — Origin l^ew Jersey. A new variety, described as follows: "Medium to large; bright crimson; very firm; flavor fine; canes vigorous, productive, and entirely hardy. The earliest of all Raspberries." Hopkins. — Origin Missouri. A Black Cap, described as being in all respects superior to Gregg. Lost Rubies. — Origin unknown. Claimed by the dis- seminator to be " the brightest, firmest, largest, and most productive of all the hardy natives; exceedingly vigorous and healthy." Marlboro. — A new variety, raised by A. J. Cay wood & Son, Marlboro, N. Y. Described as hardy, vigorous, and productive; fruit one-fourth larger than the old Hudson Eiver Antwerp; flavor delicious. Montclair. — Origin New Jersey. Described as fol- lows: "Medium to large, roundish, dark red; flesh quite firm, juicy, sprightly, of good quality; plant vigorous and productive." Sliaffer's Colossal. — Origin Monroe Co., New York. A recently introduced variety. Large, dark red, or pur- STRAWBERRIES. 427 pie ; flesh quite firm, of a sprightly, sub-acid flavor; very vigorous, hardy, and productive. Superb. — Origin New Jersey. A new variety, des- cribed as ^' large, rich, dark scarlet; flavor remarkably tart, and juicy, unlike any other raspberry; vigorous, hardy, and productive; ripens early, and lasts a long time." Tyler, — An early variety of the Black Cap, described as being of good size and quality, jet black, without bloom, and very productive. Welsh. — Origin New Jersey. A new variety, described as follows; ^* Medium size; bright red; firm, not of high quality; canes vigorous, productive, and unusually hardy. Season very early." Sectio^st 11. — Select Strawberries. Varieties marked with a ( jo) have pistillate or imper- fect flowers, and must be planted near perfect flowering kinds in order that the flowers may be fertilized. CLASS I. — AMERICAIs^ VARIETIES. Bidwell. — Origin Michigan. Plant very vigorous, foliage of a light green color; fairly productive; fruit large to very large, conical, generally regular, but occa- sionally flattened; bright, glossy crimson, changing to dark crimson; flesh moderately firm, crimson to the centre, juicy, sub-acid, of fair quality, but not high flavored. Season early. Charles Downing.— Origin Kentucky. Plant very vigorous, productive; fruit large, conical, pretty regular, scarlet, firm; pinkish flesh, juicy, sweet, and rich. Crescent Seedling (jo).— Origin Connecticut. Plant very vigorous and hardy, and for productiveness has no equal; fruit medium to large, conical; color bright scarlet; flesh soft, acid, inferior quality; very profitable 428 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. for near market. Season early to late; variable both in quality and quantity. Cumberland Triumph. — Origin Pennsylvania. Plant vigorous and productive; fruit large, ovate-conical, regu- lar, and uniform, very handsome; color beautiful light red; flesh moderately firm, with a pleasant flavor. Too soft for shipping to long distances, but valuable for the amateur and near market. Season medium. Duchesse* — Origin New York. Plant vigorous and productive; fruit medium to large, nearly round, uni- form, light crimson; flesh moderately firm, good, and sprightly; ripens early and lasts a long time; one of the most reliable early sorts. Green Prolific (p). — Origin New Jersey. Plant vig- orous, hardy, and very productive; valued for home or near market; does not bear long transportation; fruit large, obtuse-conical, scarlet, surface soft; rather acid, but rich. Hovey (p). — Origin Boston, Mass. An old, well- known sort, succeeds in rich, good soils, is one of the handsomest and firmest grown; plant vigorous, moder- ately productive; fruit large, or very large, roundish, rich, shining scarlet; flesh firm, rich, juicy, sweet, agree- able; medium season of ripening. Kentucky (Dowker). — Origin Kentucky. Plant very vigorous, with long fruit stalks, hardy and productive; fruit large, roundish-conical, dark red, moderately firm; juicy, a little acid, rich, and good; a valuable late variety. Lennig's White. — Origin Pennsylvania. Plant moder- ately vigorous; fruit large, roundish, flattened, whitish, tinged with red; flesh soft, tender, juicy, a delicious pineapple flavor, excellent; a poor bearer, but of such superior quality as to be desirable for the amateur's garden. STRAWBERRIES. 429 Monarch of the West. — Origin Illinois. Plant yigor- ous and productive; fruit large, roundish; bright red, showy; flesh moderately firm and of good quality; season medium. At one time very popular, but gradually losing favor. Neunan's Prolific* — A popular variety at Charleston, S. 0. IVicanor. — Origin Eochester, N. Y. Plant hardy, vigorous, productive, ripens early and continues a long time; fruit uniform, moderately large, roundish-conical; bright scarlet; flesh reddish, rather firm, juicy, rich, sweet. President Wilder.— Originated by Hon. M. P. Wilder, of Massachusetts. Plant vigojpous, hardy, productive; fruit large and handsome, obtuse-conical; bright crimson- scarlet; flesh juicy, firm, rich, sweet, excellent. Succeeds well in some localities. Sharpless.— Origin Pennsylvania. Plant remarkably vigorous and luxuriant, hardy and prolific; fruit very large, generally oblong, narrowing to the apex, irregular, often flattened; clear, light red, with a smooth, shining surface; flesh firm, sweet, with a delicate aroma; excel- lent quality; season medium to late. A. S. Fuller, in describing it, says: *^^A genuine surprise to strawberry growers generally, because it has proved to be all that was claimed for it at the time of dissemination." Of all the strawberries introduced within the last ten years, no other has become equally popular. It produces its best crops grown in hills or narrow rows, and requires good culture. Wilson's Albany.— Origin New York. The most widely grown and universally successful and profitable of any strawberry yet produced. Plant very hardy, vigor- ous, and very productive, early to ripen and continu- ing to the latest ; fruit large, conical ; deep crimson ; 430 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. flesli crimson, tender, brisk, juicy, sub-acid ; will only rank as second or third in quality. Windsor Chief (p) (Gabdi^^er). — Plant yigorous and yery productive ; fruit large, globular ; dark crimson ; flesli firm and good, though rather acid. One of the best late yarieties for market. CLASS IL — FOREIGN VARIETIES. Jncunda* — Plant moderately yigorous, hardy, pro- ductive ; fruit large to very large and beautiful, conical, sometimes flattened coxcomb-shape ; clear, light scarlet ; flesh light pink, moderately firm, sweet, often hollow and deficient in flavor ; quite variable ; succeeds well in some localities. Season medium to late. Triomphe de Gaud. — Plant vigorous, hardy, and pro- ductive ; fruit large, roundish, obtuse, sometimes cox- comb-shape ; bright red, greenish at apex end, glossy ; flesh firm, a little hollow at core, juicy, rich, aromatic, agreeable. This and Jucunda are probably the most generally successful of the foreign sorts. TroUope's Victoria (Goldek Queek, etc.).— Plant yigorous, moderately productive ; fruit large, roundish ; pale red ; flesh light scarlet, tender, juicy, sweet, rich, aromatic. CLASS III. — ALPII^E VARIETIES. Alpine Wood.— The wild strawberry of Europe ; red and white in color. Plants very hardy, productive, ripening a long time in succession ; fruit small, conical, with a peculiar musky, agreeable flavor ; easily grown from seed. Alpine Bush. — The bush Alpines make no runners, and are highly valued on account of their long-continued, regular bearing from June to October, and for the fa- cility with which they can be used as edging plants. STRAWBERRIES. 43 1 •both useful and ornamental ; the fruit is small, red or white in color, conical, pleasant, musky, juicy, sweet ; propagated by division or seeds. Autumnal Galande* — A productive variety, large, conical, light red, excellent. Montreuil. — A large and excellent variety of the Al- pine, much grown around Paris. Should be in every amateur's collection. CLASS lY. — HAUTBOIS STRAVTBERRIES. Belle Bordelaise. — A French sort, of medium size; dark red, with a high, musky flavor ; plant productive and very ornamental. Monstrous Hautbois* — Plant Very vigorous, with broad serrated foliage, highly ornamental, very productive, bearing its fruit, which is large, on high footstalks, dark colored, with a rich, slightly musky flavor. Royal Hautbois* — Plant vigorous, very prolific ; fruit medium to large, roundish, conical, dark crimson ; flesh soft, sweet, musky, rich. Originated by Thomas Elvers, of England, from seed of Belle Bordelaise. CLASS V. New varieties of strawberries not yet sufiSciently tested to go in the select list, and old sorts esteemed only in particular localities. Black Defiance. — Origin New Jersey. Plant vigorous, if grown in suitable soil, and moderately productive ; fruit large, obtuse- conical ; dark crimson ; flesh firm, solid, juicy, and high flavored ; requires high culture. Season early. Captain Jack. — Origin Missouri. Plant vigorous and very productive ; fruit of good size, round ; light scarlet ; 432 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. flesh moderately firm ; flavor poor. Season late. Es- teemed in some parts of the West. Crystal City. — Origin Missouri. Plant vigorous, but only moderately productive ; fruit medium, conical ; light crimson ; flesh soft, quality good when very ripe. Valuable only to the amateur on account of its earliness, being the first to ripen. Duncan. — Origin ^N'ew York. Plant vigorous and pro- ductive ; fruit medium to large, roundish-oval ; bright crimson ; flesh moderately firm and high flavored. Val- uable for table use, as it is one of the best in point of flavor. Season early. Forest Rose. — Origin Ohio. Medium to large, obtuse conic, usually regular, sometimes coxcombed ; color light, rich crimson ; flesh firm, juicy, rich ; plant vigor- ous and productive ; requires high culture. CrOlden Defiance (p). — Origin Pennsylvania. Plant vigorous and very productive, often twelve to fifteen ber- ries on a truss; fruit medium to large, roundish regular; dark crimson; flesh moderately firm, and of good qual- ity. One of the best late varieties. Great American. — Origin New Jersey. Medium to large, roundish-conical; beautiful deep crimson ; flesh firm, flavor good ; plant moderately vigorous and produc- tive; under high culture does well in some localities. Season late. Hervey Davis, — Origin Massachusetts. Medium to large; obtusely conical; bright scarlet; flesh firm, flavor good; plant vigorous and productive. Season medium. Jersey Queen (p). — Origin N"ew Jersey. A new and promising variety; fruit large, handsome, and of fine quality. Season late. Longfellow. — Origin Kentucky. A large, handsome, fine-flavored berry; plant moderately productive. Season late. STRAWBERRIES. 433 Manchester (p). — Origin New Jersey. A very prom- ising, new variety, described as large, handsome, firm, and of the best quality; plant vigorous and productive. Season medium to late. Miner's Great Prolific. — Origin New Jersey. Plant vigorous; fruit large, roundish, inclining to conical, somewhat ribbed; crimson; flesh moderately firm; flavor good; valuable for near market. Season medium to late. Oliver Goldsmith, — Origin Ohio. Described as being large, handsome, and fine flavored ; plant vigorous and productive. Season medium to late. Pioneer. — Origin New Jersey. Large, oval; light scarlet; flesh moderately firm; flavor very good; plant vigorous and moderately productive. Season early. Prouty's Seedling. — Large, conical; bright scarlet; flesh moderately firm and of fair quality; plant vigorous and productive. Seneca Queen. — A variety said to be very promising for home use and near market. Described as ^^ large, almost round; dark crimson; flavor good; plant vigorous and very productive." Season early to late. Seth Boyden (Boydeist's No. 30). Plant vigorous and productive; large, roundish, conical, regular; bright crimson; flesh juicy, rich, sub-acid of excellent quality. Season medium to late. With good culture one of the best of Strawberries. Triple Crown. — Origin New York. Said to be a val- uable variety for home garden and market on account of * its fine flavor. Season medium. Warren. — Origin Kentucky. At the South-west highly valued. Only partially tested here. Season medium early. Big Bob (p), Early Canada, Finch's Prolific, Oypsy (/>), Hart's Minnesota, James Vick, Mount Vernon or Kirkwood, Nigh's Superb, Phelp's Seedling, Piper's 19 434 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Seedling, Primo, are new yarieties, not yet generally tested, but bearing strong recommendations from the dis- seminators. Section 12. — Berberries, epike yikette of the french. Common Red. — This is everywhere well known; grown not only for the fruit, which is used for preserves, jellies, and pickles, but for ornament. The bright scarlet oval fruit is borne in rich clusters, which hang on until late in the autumn. Sweet-Fruited (Berberis dulcis). — The fruit of this is much less acid than the common. The plant is not so vigorous. Besides these, there are several species and varieties cultivated chiefly for ornament; TJie White-fruited, The Violet-fruited, and the Variegated-leaved, its foliage mark- ed with yellow; The Purple-leaved and Purple-fruited, the most unique and ornamental of all, the former with beautiful violet-purple foliage. They are all easily propa- gated by layers or suckers, and the rare sorts by grafting; seeds of the purple-leaved variety produce a large pro- portion true. Section 13. — Select Blackberries. CLASS I. Agawam* — Fruit of medium size; jet black; sweet, melting to the core; early; plant hardy and prolific. Ancient Briton. — Fruit medium size; melting, without core and with a pleasant favor; a little better in quality than Agawam or Snyder. Plant hardy and productive. Dorcliester (Improved High Bush). — A moderately strong, upright grower, very hardy, moderate bearer ; fruit medium to large, oblong; deep, shining black; when fully ripe, soft, juicy, rich. BLACKBERRIES. 435 Kittatinny* — A strong grower, yery productive, quite liardy; fruit large to very large, roundish, conical; glossy black; rather firm, rich, juicy, sweet, excellent; profitable for market or garden. New Rochelle or Lawton". — A very strong grower, with strong, stout spines, hardy in most localities, very productive ; fruit very large, oval, black, rather soft; juicy, tender, sweet, excellent ; requires to be fully ripe, otherwise it is acid and lacking in flavor. Snyder, — Origin Indiana. Fruit medium size and of good quality; plant very hardy and remarkably produc- tive ; requires good cultivation ; ripens early. Wachusett Thornless. — Fruit medium size, oblong oval, moderately firm, sweet and good; said to be valua- ble as a market berry ; comparatively free from thorns. Wilson's Early, — A moderately strong grower, produc- tive, and ripening early ; fruit large, oblong, oval, black, firm, juicy, a little hard at center, sweet and good ; a profitable, early market sort. CLASS II. The following are new and promising varieties of Blackberries not sufficiently tested to insert in the select list. Early Harvest and Stayman's Early, of medium size, are said to be the earliest of Blackberries. Stone's Hardy,— Origin Illinois. Said to be hardier than Snyder, more productive, a larger berry and of better quality. Taylor's Prolific, — Origin Indiana. A promising new berry, said to be larger than Snyder, equally as hardy and very productive ; ripens after the Snyder. Wallace. — Another new variety, said to be similar to the Kittatinny in many respects, but hardier. 436 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. Western Triumph. — Described as being larger than Snyder and as hardy ; flavor fine ; commences to ripen quite early and continues until late. All the Blackberries ripen just after Easpberries, and help to fill up a vacant season just before the early peach- es, pears, etc. The fruit is not only agreeable for the dessert, but among the best for canning, and always healthful. Sectioi^ 14. — Mulberries. Black. — A native of Persia. The beiTy is an inch and a-half long, and nearly an inch in diameter, black, suc- culent, sugary, and rich. The tree is highly ornamental, very erect, with a large, spreading head. The leaves ap- pear late in spring, are large, heart-shaped, sometimes lobed, deep green, and form a dense shade. Everbearing.— This variety was grown from seed by Chas. Downing and is regarded as a valuable fruit ;' the fruit is large, one and a quarter inch long, and nearly half an inch in diameter, color from maroon to blue black ; flesh juicy, sugary, sprightly, and vinous ; it ripens gradually, a long time in succession. Johnson. — This variety originated in Ohio. It is a strong, vigorous-growing tree, with very large leaves, and very productive ; the fruit is large, blackish, sub-acid, mild, pleasantly agreeable. Section 15. — Gra.pes. select hardy native grapes. class i. — black grapes. Barry (Sogers' No. 43). — Bunch large and handsome; berries large, roundish ; delicate, sweet, and tender. GRAPES. 437 Eipens with Concord. Vine vigorous and productive. One of the largest and finest of the Rogers' Hybrids. Champion (Talmak's Seedlikg). — Bunch medium to large, compact, shouldered ; berry large, round ; skin thick and firm ; fiesh somewhat pulpy, juicy, sweet, with a slight foxy flavor. Ripens before Hartford Prolific. — A large, handsome, early grape, of poor quality, but profit- able on account of its extreme earliness. Clinton. — A well-known old sort. The bunches are small to medium, compact, berries small ; colors early, but requires a considerable time after that to attain full maturity, and will hang until early winter. Successful both North and South. A hardy, productive, valuable sort. Concord. — Almost too well known to need a word. It is a very strong, vigorous, and productive variety ; succeeding in almost every soil and locality. One of the earliest and most profitable; valuable for garden or vine- yard. The bunch is large, shouldered; berry large, round; flesh juicy, pleasantly sweet, agreeable ; skin too thin to carry well, and therefore not good for distant markets. Creveling. — An old variety. Supposed origin Penn- sylvania. Bunch medium, often very loose, shouldered; berry medium, round, blue bloom ; flesh tender, juicy, sweet, very little pulp; richer than Concord, and ripens a little before that variety. A fine grape, but does not always set well. Cynthiana. — A variety much like Norton's Virginia. Highly prized for wine purposes in the West; vine vigor- ous, hardy, and productive, and by some deemed superior to Norton. Elsinburgli. — An old variety ; a moderate, regular bearer; much esteemed in Missouri for wine, also for the table. The bunch is pretty large, long, and loose, 438 SELECT VAEIETIES OF FRUITS. shouldered ; berries small, round ; flesh free from pulp, juicy, sweet, excellent. Essex (RoGEEs' No. 41). — Vine a vigorous and strong grower, productive ; bunch medium size, short, shoul- dered; berry large, tender, and sweet. Eipens with Con- cord. Eumelan. — Origin New York. A supposed seedling of the Isabella. Bunch and berry medium; flesh tender, sweet, juicy, rich, excellent ; vine moderately vigorous and a good bearer. One of the best for the table. Hartford Prolific* — A very popular variety because of its early maturity. The vine is vigorous, hardy, and a good bearer; bunch large, shouldered; berry large, round, musky; thick skin, black, with a bloom; flesh sweet, with a tough acid pulp; rich and good when fully ripe. Liable to drop its berries from the bunch when fully ripe, and more so on sand than clay soils. A week earlier than Concord. Herliemont. — A Southern variety, highly esteemed in Missouri and many Southern localities, as profitable and desirable for wine or table. North it does not ripen its fruit generally. The bunch is large, compact; berries be- low medium, almost black ; flesh juicy, sweet, rich, aro- matic. Herbert (Eogers' No. 44).— Bunch rather loose; berry medium ; flesh tender, sweet, a little pulpy, very good; vine vigorous, a strong grower, and moderately produc- tive. Ripens with Concord. A large, handsome variety. Isabella. — This old, well-known sort continues popular and profitable in many localities, but is rapidly being su- perseded. It is a vigorous grower, an immense bearer, and hardy, but in some localities it is liable to mildew. In quality, it is the best of any of the black grapes of its season. Bunches large, rather loose; berries oval, pretty large ; flesh tender, juicy, sweet, slightly musky. Still GRAPES. 439 one of the best for market, where it ripens, as it carries and keeps well. Ives (Ives' Seedling). — Originated with Henry Ives, Cincinnati, Ohio. Vine very vigorous, hardy, and very productive. It is esteemed at the West as a profitable wine grape, and also as a tolerable table grape when fully ripe. Merrimack (Rogers' No. 19). — Bunch medium, rather short; berry large, round, slight bloom; flesh tender, juicy, sweet; vine vigorous and productive. One of the earliest and best of the Rogers' varieties. Monroe. — Raised from seed by Ellwanger & Barry, Rochester, N. Y. Bunch medium to large, shouldered; berries medium to large, round ; skin rather thick, black, covered with a coating of white bloom, handsome; flesh juicy, vinous, and sprightly; vine vigorous, with firm, short-jointed wood, which always ripens well, and fine, healthy foliage, which has never shown a trace of mildew. Ripens with Hartford Prolific. Moore's Early. — Raised by J. B. Moore, Concord, Mass. Bunch large, berry large, round; black with a blue bloom; quality medium; ripens about ten days be- fore Concord; vine vigorous and productive; useful as an early variety. Norton's Virginia. — Introduced to cultivation by Dr. D. N. Norton, of Richmond, Va. It is a strong, vigor- ous, long grower, producing very abundantly, and highly esteemed for wine. Bunch medium, shouldered; berries small, purplish black; flesh tender, juicy, rich, brisk, rough, sweet flavor. Although most largely grown in Missouri, it is equally adapted to the North, as it ripens with Isabella. Telegraph (Christi:n-e).— Originated in Philadelphia. Vine vigorous, hardy, very productive. Bunch above medium to large, compact; berry large, round, black; 440 SELECT VAEIETIES OF FRUITS. flesh, juicy, tender, very little pulp, not as sweet as Hart- ford Prolific, but free of all the musky flavor, and ripen- ing at same time. Wilder (Eogers' No. 4). — This is believed to be the best of the black varieties grown by E. S. Eogers, of Salem, Mass. The vine is vigorous, hardy, a good bearer, and the fruit hangs well to the vine, and is a good keeper. Bunch large, compact, shouldered; berry large, round, black; flesh tender, slight pulp at center, juicy, sweet, rather rich and aromatic. Ripens about with Concord. Valuable for market on account of its size and beauty. Worden, — Origin 'New York. Said to be a seedling of the Concord. Bunch, large, compact, handsome; berries large, larger than those of the Concord. It ripens a few days earlier, and is superior to it in flavor. CLASS II. — RED GRAPES. A^awam (Rogers' No. 15). — Vine very vigorous, hardy, productive, a little liable to mildew; bunch variable, sometimes large and fine, often small and imperfect; ber- ries large, roundish, thick skin; flesh tender, juicy, sweet, aromatic, hard center pulp with a native musky aroma. Generally regarded as one of the best of Rogers' red varie- ties. Brighton. — Raised by Jacob Moore, Rochester, N. Y., by crossing the Concord and Diana Hamburgh. Bunch large; berry medium to large, round; color red at first, turning to purple when fully ripe, and covered with a bloom; flesh tender, sweet, and vinous; vine a luxuriant grower, making long, strong canes, with large foliage; ripens a little earlier than Concord. A fine grape, and .worthy of careful culture. Catawba. — A native of Maryland. The Catawba does not always ripen at the North, except in certain localities; but where it does ripen perfectly, no grape of its season GRAPES. 441 surpasses it in quality or value. It has been subject to rot, etc., in some localities, but it is again renewing itself; and in sections where, a few years since, it was unprofitable, it is now one of the best. It has been more generally grown as a wine and table grape than any other, except, perhaps, the Isabella, and to-day holds supremacy in many localities. Except in sheltered or favored locali- ties, and in good seasons, it does not ripen well in Western New York. Bunch medium to large, loose; berries large, coppery red, with light bloom, round; flesh slightly pulpy at center, juicy, very sweet, musky, aromatic, rich. Eipens early in October, but will haug, and is im- proved, until weather becomes too cold. Keeps well during winter. Delaware.— This in quality is one of our most delicate and best of native varieties. The vine is perfectly hardy, a healthy grower, requiring rich soil, has short-jointed wood, and bears abundantly, so much so, that, if long pruned, which is best, it should have more or less of its fruit thinned out. As a table-dessert grape, or for wine, it is one of the best. The bunch is small, compact, shouldered; berries small, round, clear, light red, almost translucent; free from pulp, sweet, vinous, aromatic. Diana. — Originated in Boston, Mass. Supposed to be a seedling from the Catawba. Vine vigorous, healthy, hardy, and productive, requires age to develop its true qualities. A thin, light, or poor soil is better suited to it than one over-rich. It hangs well after ripening, and is one of the best winter keepers among grapes. The bunches are large, compact; berry medium, reddish-lilac; flesh juicy, nearly free from pulp, sweet, aromatic; colors early, but does not attain perfect maturity earlier than Catawba. A valuable table and wine grape where it ripens well. 442 SELECT VAEIETIES OF FRUITS. Gaertner (Rogers' No. 14). — Bunch large; berry large^ round, red, skin thin, almost translucent; flesh somewhat pulpy, but soft and pleasant flavored; vine healthy and productive. One of the handsomest of grapes; but little known. Goethe (Rogers' No. 1). — Vine very vigorous and pro- ductive. Ripens with Catawba. Succeeds well South and South-west, or wherever the Catawba ripens per- fectly. At the North and East, it does not ripen per- fectly, except in sheltered, warm locations. Bunch large, moderately compact; amber, flushed with red; flesh ten- der, melting, sweet, juicy. lona* — Originated by Dr. Grant. Vine moderately vigorous, hardy, productive. The fruit colors early, but does not really ripen much, if any, earlier than Catawba. It has been widely disseminated, but is not found suc- cessful as a vineyard sort, except in certain localities. Bunch medium to large, shouldered; berries medium size, roundish-oval; light, xclear red, thin bloom; flesh soft, tender, vinous, juicy, sweet, delicious. A grape of supe- rior quality, and should be in every garden where the climate is suitable. Needs high culture. Lindley (Rogers' No. 9). — Vine healthy and vigorous; foliage rather sparse; a good bearer; bunch medium, compact; berry medium, roundish, pale reddish; flesh sweet, tender, juicy, slightly aromatic. One of the best and earliest of the Rogers' list. Massasoit (Rogers' No. 3). — ^Vine moderately vigor- ous, productive; bunch medium, rather loose; berry large, roundish, light claret-red; flesh tender, juicy, sweet; ripens just before Concord; is a desirable variety for the garden. Rochester. — Raised byEllwanger & Barry, Rochester, N. Y. Bunch large to very large, shouldered, frequently double-shouldered, very compact ; berries medium to GRAPES. 443 large, round; dark purple or purplish lilac, with thin, white bloom; flesh very sweet, vinous, rich and aromatic; vine a remarkably vigorous grower; wood short- jointed and hardy; foliage large, thick, healthy, has never been known to mildew. Its habits are similar to the Diana, and it requires ample room and rather long pruning. Ripens usually the first week in September. The fruit sets well, and it has never failed to ripen in the worst of seasons since it first bore. It should be used when ripe, as after that the berries begin to fall from the bunch. Salem (Rogers' No. 53).— Vine healthy, vigorous, and productive; bunch large, compact; berry large, round; dark, coppery red; flesh tender. Juicy, slight pulp, sweet, a little foxy, aromatic. Ripens about same season as Concord. CLASS III. — WHITE GRAPES. Duchess. — Raised by A. J. Caywood, Marlboro, N. Y., and said to be a cross of a white Concord seedling and Delaware. Bunch medium to large, shouldered, compact; berries medium, roundish, light green at first, changing to greenish-yellow when mature; flesh tender, free from pulp, juicy, sweet, rich, and of fine quality; vine vigorous, productive. Ripens with Concord. Lady. — Originated by Mr. Imlay, of Muskingum Co., Ohio. Said to be a seedling of the Concord. Bunch medium; berry about the size of Concord; skin light greenish-yellow, covered with white bloom; flesh tender and sweet; ripens early; vine hardy and vigorous. A valuable early grape. Lady Washin^^ton. — A cross of Concord and Allen's Hybrid, raised by J. H. Ricketts, ISTewburg, N. Y. Bunch large, shouldered; berry medium to large; skin green at first, changing to a pale yellow when matured; flesh 444 SELECT VARIETIES OE FRUITS. pulpy but tender, juicy, sweet, not rich; ripens after the Concord. A remarkably vigorous growing vine, and a beautiful fruit when in perfection. Martha. — Eaised by Samuel Miller, of Bluff ton. Mo. Vine a vigorous grower and a good bearer, hardy and healthy; bunch medium; berry large, roundish; greenish- yellow; flesh juicy, sweet, a little pulp at centre. Eipens with Concord. Maxatawney.— Originated in Pennsylvania. Vine vig- orous, hardy, healthy, and productive. Eipens with Isabella; bunch medium, rather loose, berries medium, roundish-oval; greenish or yellowish-white, tinted with amber; flesh free from pulp, tender, sweet, juicy, sprightly, delicious. Niagara* — Originated with Hoag and Clark, Lockport, N. Y. Said to be a cross of Concord and Cassady. Bunch large, compact; berry large, roundish; skin green, covered with a whitish bloom; of about same quality as Concord and ripens at the same time. Vine vigorous, hardy, and productive. A large, handsome, white grape, not of the highest quality, but promising to be valuable for market. Pocklington. — Eaised from seed of Concord by John Pocklington, Sandy Hill, N. Y. Bunch large, shoul- dered, compact ; berry large, roundish ; skin pale amber, when ripe ; fair quality ; vine hardy, healthy, vigorous, and productive. Eipens about the same time as Concord. A handsome grape, promising to be valuable for market. Prentiss. — A seedling of Isabella, raised by J. W. Prentiss, Pultney, N. Y. Bunch medium, compact ; berry medium, round ; skin thick, firm, pale yellow when ripe ; flesh tender, juicy, sweet, and pleasant. Eipens with Concord. Vine moderately vigorous and produc- tive. Rebecca. — Origin Hudson, N. Y. Vine a free but GRAPES. 445 not strong grower, an abundant bearer, hardy in most localities ; ripens soon after Concord, and deserves a place in every garden ; bunch medium, compact ; berries medium, greenish-yellow, almost golden amber at full ripeness ; flesh rather firm, juicy, sweet, delicious. When well ripened it is not surpassed by any of the native grapes. CLASS IV. The following list embraces many of the promising new varieties, as well as some old ones, either not sufficiently tested to go on the select list, or esteemed only in partic- ular localities. Adirondack, — Origin Port Henry, Essex Co., IST. Y. Bunch large ; berries medium ; -skin black ; flesh tender and sweet. Eipens among the earliest. Vine moder- ately vigorous. A grape of excellent quality, well suited to warm localities. Allen's Hybrid. — Bunch medium or above ; berry me- dium, roundish ; skin pale, whitish-yellow ; a delicious grape, very much subject to mildew. In some locations it ripens its fruit perfectly every year. Amber Queen. — A new variety, which originated with N. B. White, Norwood, Mass., from seed of the Marion hybridized with pollen of Black Hamburgh ; bunch and berry of medium size ; amber color at first, changing to purple overspread with bloom, when perfectly ripe ; flesh tender, free from pulp, sprightly, vinous, rich. Kipens with Concord. Vine vigorous and healthy. It has the serious defect of setting its fruit imperfectly. August Giant. — Raised by IS". B. White, Norwood, Mass. Described as follows : *^ A cross between Black Hamburgh and Marion. Bunch very large ; berries very large, somewhat oblong ; color black ; fruit, when well 446 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. grown, has a decided Hamburgh flavor, tender, rich, fine. Eipens in August. Vine vigorous and produc- tive." Bacchus. —A seedling of the Clinton raised by James H. Kicketts. Described as follows: *^ Bunch compact ; berry medium, round ; black with blue bloom ; pulp half tender, juicy ; vine vigorous, hardy, and productive. A wine grape." Black Eagle and Black Defiance are hybrids raised by Stephen Underbill, Croton Point, N. Y. Both are black. The first ripens early, the latter later, and are represented to be very promising table grapes. Burnet. — A new grape raised by Mr. P. 0. Dempsey, Prince Edwards Co., Ont., by hybridizing the Hartford Prolific with pollen of the Black Hamburgh. Bunch medium ; berry medium, oval, purplish black ; flavor sprightly, vinous, rich, agreeable. Kipens with Concord. Poliage tender, and fruit does not always set well. This variety merits trial by the amateur, on account of the fine quality of the fruit. Canada. — Eaised by Charles Arnold, of Ontario, and said to be a cross between Clinton and Black St. Peters. Vine moderately vigorous ; foliage tender ; bunch and berry large ; flesh nearly free from pulp, and fine. Kipens with Concord. Centennial. — Raised by D. S. Marvin, Watertown, N. Y. Described as ^' Bunch medium to large, compact, sometimes shouldered ; berries medium, round; skin thick, tough, light red, with thin white bloom ; flesh tender, juicy, rich, sweet, vinous. Ripens with Concord. Vine vigorous." Croton. — Originated by S. Underbill, Croton Point, N. Y. Said to be a cross between Delaware and Golden Chasselas. Bunch large, shouldered ; berry medium or above, greenish-yellow ; flesh juicy, sprightly, sweet, rich. GRAPES. 447 delicious flavor. Ripens between Hartford Prolific and Concord. In some places a valuable garden variety, but variable. Early Dawn.— Originated with Dr. Wm. A. M. Cutli- bert, of Newburg, N. Y. Bunch medium; berry medium, round, black with bloom ; flesh juicy, sweet, rich, vinous, and of excellent quality. Eipens early. Vine vigorous and productive. A fine grape for the amateur. Early Victory, — A new variety raised by John Burr, Leavenworth, Kansas. Described as follows: ^'^ Bunch medium, compact ; berry medium, round, black, covered with a fine blue bloom; flesh tender, sweet, rich; ripens very early, two weeks before the Concord and one before Moore's Early, the quality far superior to either. It makes a high flavored wine ; vine hardy, vigorous, and productive." El Dorado.— One of Mr. Ricketts' hybrids, of the same parentage as Lady Washington, and described as a large, handsome, and promising white grape, ripening about with Hartford. Elvira. — A seedling from Taylor raised by Jacob Rommel, of Morrison, Mo. Bunch medium, very com- pact ; berry medium, round ; pale green, with white bloom; skin thin, transparent; pulp tender, juicy, sweet. Ripens a few days after the Concord. Vine vigorous, hardy, and productive. This variety is, we believe, esteemed at the West for wine. It is useless here, the berries cracking badly, and the flavor being indifferent. Our experience with Uhland has been similar. Golden Drop. — Raised by 0. Gr. Pringle, of Vermont, from seed of the Adirondack, fertilized by the Delaware. A small yellowish-white grape of fine quality, but both vine and fruit mildew. Highland, — A hybrid between Concord and Jura Mus- cat, raised by James H. Ricketts, Newburgh, ^N". Y. 448 SELECT VAKIETIES OF FRUITS. Bunch large, shouldered; berry large, round, with bloom; flesh juicy, sweet, and vinous. Kipens late, probably too late for this locality. Empire State (Ricketts). — A seedling of the Hart- ford Prolific, fertilized with the Clinton. Described as follows: ^"^ Bunch large, shouldered; berry medium to large, roundish-oval, white, with a slight tinge of yellow; flesh tender, juicy, rich, sweet, and sprightly. Ripens with Hartford Prolific. Vine a good grower. JaneSYille. — An early black grape, originated with F. W. Loudon, Janesville, Wis. Useless here, but said to be valuable in cold sections on account of its earliness, hardiness, and habit of maturing its short-jointed wood. Ripens with the Hartford. Jeffersoili — A cross of the Concord and lona, raised by James H. Ricketts, ]N"ewburgh, N. Y., described as follows: '^^ Bunch large, shouldered, compact; berry medium to large; skin firm, light red, resembling lona; flesh meaty, tender, juicy, sprightly, and rich. Ripens about with Concord; vine vigorous and hardy." Jessica • — A promising, new, early white grape, now being disseminated by D. W. Beadle, St. Catharines, Ont. Naomi. — A hybrid of Clinton and one of the Muscats, raised by Mr. Ricketts. Described as follows: ^^ Bunch large, shouldered; berry medium, roundish-oval, pale green, tinged with red in the sun ; flesh tender, juicy, melting, crisp. Ripens with Concord. " Said to be desirable for the amateur. IVoah. — Originated by Edward Wasserzieher, ISTauvoo, 111., from seed of the Taylor. Described as follows: ^^ Bunch medium, shouldered, compact; berry medium, round, pale yellow, with white bloom; pulpy, but sweet." Said to be a valuable grape at the West for wine, but not suitable for the table. GKAPES. 449 Oneidai— Eaised by H. Thacker, Community, N. Y., and said to be a seedling of Merrimack (Kogers' No. 19). Bunch medium to large, berries large, red, becoming purple when fully ripe; skin thick; flesh somewhat pulpy, but rich and sweet. Eipens rather late; yine said to be strong and healthy. A promising variety. Oriental and Norwood. — Seedlings raised by J^. B. White, Norwood, Mass., and said to be hybrids. The former is described as resembling Catawba in color and flavor, but twice its size in bunch and berry, more sweet and tender, and much earlier. The latter is black, color of Black Hamburg, and is said to resemble that variety, and to be a superior market grape. Othello (Ae]N-old's No. 1).— Originated with Charles Arnold, Paris, Ontario. Bunch large, shouldered, com- pact; berry large; flesh firm, juicy, a little pulp; sprightly, very good; vine a moderate grower, and very productive. Ripens with Concord. Senasqua.— Raised by S. Underhill, Croton Point, N. Y. Bunch medium, compact ; berry medium, tender, juicy, breaking, sweet, and rich; vine vigorous and hardy. Ripens with Isabella. Fruit cracks sometimes, owing to its thin skin. A desirable garden variety. To Kalon. — An old variety, originated at Lansing- burgh, N. Y. Bunches large, shouldered; berries almost purplish-black, covered with bloom; flesh very sweet, buttery, very little pulp; vine vigorous, hardy, but ir- regularly productive; does not ripen evenly. A large, handsome grape, but variable in quality. Triumph. — A hybrid between Chasselas Musque and Concord. Grown by George W. Campbell, Delaware, Ohio. A large and handsome white grape, ripening late and suited specially to Southern latitudes. The season is too short here to permit of its maturing. Inion Village (Ojstaeio). — Origin Ohio. A very vig- 450 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. orous grower, with immense foliage, productive. Buncli and berry very large; flesh free from hard pulp, tender, juicy, vinous, pleasant. Vine rather tender at the North; needs protection. Ver^ennes. — A chance seedling found in the garden of Mr. William E. Greene, Vergennes, Vt. Described as follows: " Clusters large; berries large, holding firmly to the stems; color light amber with purple bloom; flavor rich. Ripens with Hartford, and a very late keeper. Vine vigorous and healthy." Walter. — Origin Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Bunch me- dium, compact; berry medium, round, light red; flesh sweet, juicy, rich, vinous. Ripens shortly after Concord. WaTCrly.— One of Mr. Ricketts' hybrids, a seedling of the Clinton and one of the Muscats, and recommended by him as one of the best black grapes for amateur and family use. Wyoming Red (Wilmin-gtoi^ Red). — Raised by S. J. Parker, M. D., Ithaca, N. Y. An early red grape; flesh sweet, pulpy, and foxy. Vine healthy and hardy. May have value as a hardy, early grape. Miner's seedlings, as follows, have all proved worthless here: Antoinette, Augusta, Belinda, Carlotta, Eugenia, Harrison, Ida, Lexington, Linden, Rockingham, Vic- toria. The fruit drops badly and is of inferior quality. Select Foreign Grapes. class i. — black or purple grapes. Alicante (Black Palestine, etc.). — Bunch large, shouldered, compact; berries nearly round, black, with a little bloom; flesh tender, juicy, fine. An excellent late variety; hangs well. Black Frontignan (Muscat Noir, etc.).— Bunches GRA.PES. 451 long; berries medium, round; flesh musky, rich; a good bearer. Black Hamburgh. — One of the most popular, because well known and tested. It is an admirable grape, and a general favorite; bunch large, often double shouldered; berries large, roundish, slightly oval; Juicy, very sugary, rich. Champion Hamburgh. — An excellent variety. Much like Black Hamburgh. Gros Colman* — Bunch large; berries very large and round; flesh juicy, sweet, but coarse, with a peculiar flavor; good when fully ripe; habit vigorous; hangs very late. Gros Maroc* — Bunch large, compact, shouldered; ber- ries large, round, black; flesh firm, sweet, vinous. A fine grower, and ripens well. Jura Muscat. — Bunch large, shouldered; berries above medium, oval; flesh rich, flavored with a fine Muscat aroma. Lady Downe's. — Bunches large, rather loose, shoul- dered; berries above medium, roundish-oval; black, with a thin bloom; flesh firm, sweet, and rich. One of the most valuable late varieties. Hangs a long time after ripening. Muscat Hamburgh.— Bunches large and long; berries large, roundish-oval; flesh juicy, rich, excellent; flavor of Muscat of Alexandria. Eequires good culture, but is of the highest quality. Muscat Lierval. — Bunch medium; berries round, me- dium size, deep purplish-black; flesh rich, sugary, with a sUght Muscat flavor. Very early. Muscat d'Aout. — Bunch and berries medium; round, inclining to oval; flesh very rich and juicy. A good early grape. 453 SELECT VARIETIES OE FRUITS. Mrs. Pince's Black Muscat.— Bunches large, shoul- dered; berries medium size, oyal, purplish-black, thin bloom; flesh firm, sweet, vinous, with a Muscat flavor. Purple Constantia. — Bunches long and tapering, with small shoulders; berries large and round. A delicious grape; one of the best. Very early. Trentham Black. — Bunches large, tapering, and shoul- dered; berries oval; skin tough, jet black; flesh juicy, rich, sugary, and vinous. Valued highly for the cold vinery. CLASS II. — RED GRAPES. Grizzly Frontignan. — Bunches large; berries large, round; skin thick, pale brown, blended with pink and yellow; flesh very juicy, rich, musky, high-flavored. Rose Chasselas (Chasselas de Falloitx). — Bunch long and compact; berries large, round; skin pale red when fully ripe; flesh firm, juicy, sweet, and refreshing; vine a great bearer, well suited for pot culture. CLASS III. — ^WHITE GRAPES. Bowood Muscat. — Bunch large; berries very large, bright amber color; flesh rich, juicy, sweet, fine Muscat flavor. A superb grape; sets and ripens tolerably well in cold vineries. Supersedes to some extent the Muscat of Alexandria and Canon Hall Muscat. Buckland's Sweetwater.— Bunch large, shouldered; berries large, round, slightly oval; skin thin, amber color, with a thin white bloom; flesh juicy, sweet, delicious. Chasselas Musqu^. — Bunches medium size, long, loose; berries medium size, round; skin thin, yellowish white; flesh tender, very juicy, rich musky flavor. A delicious grape, highest flavored of the Chasselas. Sometimes cracks. Eequires severe thinning. GRAPES. 453 Early Smyrna Frontignan. — Bunches medium, well formed, not shouldered; berries medium, round, bright amber; flesh juicy, melting, rich, and delicious. One of the earliest to ripen. Well suited to a cold vinery. Early Silver Frontignan. — Bunch medium to large, shouldered; berries large, roundish-oval, whitish silvery yellow; flesh melting, juicy, rich, agreeable. An early and productive sort. Very desirable. Foster's White Seedling. — Bunch large; berries above medium, roundish-oval, yellowish-amber; flesh tender, melting, sweet, and rich flavored. Superior to Royal Muscadine; ripening at the same time. General Delia ITIarmora. — A very fine grape, with a distinct Hamburgh flavor; one of the best. Golden Champion. — Bunches large, heavily shouldered; berries very large, obovate or ovate, to almost round; flesh firm, very juicy, tender, and rich. A superb variety. Golden Hamburgh. — Bunches large, loose, branching, and shouldered; berries large and oval; flesh tender and melting, very juicy, rich, sugary, and vinous. An excel- lent early grape; should not be allowed to hang long after it is ripe. Muscat St. Laurent. — Banch similar to Royal Musca- dine; berries small, oval; flesh very tender, melting, and juicy, with a high Muscat flavor; as hardy as a Sweet- water; very early. Well adapted for pot culture. Frimavis Frontignan.— Bunches large, long, shoul- dered; berries medium to large, round; amber-color; flesh rather solid, tender, juicy, sweet, and rich. One of the finest of the early Muscat Ohasselas family. Royal Muscadine (Ohasselas de Fon^taii^bleatj, etc.). — Bunches large and shouldered; berries large, greenish- white, becoming amber when fully ripe; flesh 454 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. tender, rich, and delicious. An excellent old sort; still popular. Syrian. — Bunches enormously large, with broad shoul- ders; berries large, oval; skin thick, tawny yellow, or amber when mature; flesh firm and solid, moderately juicy and sweet; bunches weighing nineteen and a half pounds have been grown. White Frontignan. — Bunches medium, rather long, not shouldered; berries medium, round, dull white, or yellow, thin bloom; flesh tender, rich, perfumed, musky. An old and favorite variety, known under many names; it is so very hardy in its habit and uniform in productive- ness as to be widely grown and esteemed. Wliite Muscat of Alexandria. — Bunches very large, long, and loose, shouldered; berries large, oval, pale am- ber, with a thin, white bloom; flesh firm, moderately juicy, sweet, rich Muscat flavor. An old, well-known variety; requires a high temperature to mature it thor- oughly. It is from this that the Muscatel raisins are made. Succeeds well in the open air in California. Wliite Nice. — Bunch very large, shouldered, loose; ber- ries medium, roundish; greenish- white, becoming yellow- ish at maturity; flesh sweet, very good flavor. Bunches weighing eighteen pounds have been grown. It is very prolific. sub-tropical fruits. Section 16. — Figs. The culture of the Fig in all of the Southern States, California, and Utah, is as easy as that of the apple in the Middle States, and it promises to become one of the profitable branches of fruit culture. In the North they are easily grown in pots or tubs. FIGS. 455 Adam. — Very large, turbinate, brownish-purple ; leaves very large. This is said to be the largest variety grown. Ang^liqiie (Ais^-gelica). — Medium, obovate ; yellow, dotted with long greenish -white specks ; flesh white, tinged with red at the center. An abundant bearer. Brown Ischia. — Medium, roundish-turbinate, light- brown or chestnut-colored ; flesh purple, sweet, and high-flavored. An excellent bearer. Brown Turkey. — Large, pyriform ; brownish-red, cov- ered with blue bloom ; flesh red and very luscious. Tree yery hardy and prolific. Brunswick. — Very large, pyriform, depressed at apex ; greenish-yellow, with violet-brown on the sun side ; flesh tinged with red at the center, ricli and excellent. Tree one of the hardiest, and a capital bearer. Early Violet. — Small, roundish, brownish-red, covered with a blue bloom ; flesh red, fine flavored. Tree hardy, and an abundant bearer. One of the best for pots and forcing. Pregussata. — Small, round, compressed at ends; pur- plish-brown, with pale spots in the sun ; flesh deep red, rich, and luscious. Hangs a long time. White Genoa. — Large, roundish-turbinate; skin thin, pale yellowish ; flesh red, excellent flavor. Only a mod- erate bearer. SECTIOIif 17. — OrAKGES — CiTEUS. The cultivation of the Orange is now attracting more attention in Florida and Southern California than it has ever done before. In some parts of Florida — the Indian Eiver country in particular — the crop rarely fails from any cause, and the fruit is of the finest quality. Where the soil is suitable, and proper care bestowed on the cul- 456 SELECT VAKIETIES OF FRUITS. tivation, an orange grove must be quite as profitable as the best of our Northern orchards. The trees bear annually, coming into bearing at four or five years from bud or graft, and continue to improve from year to year for a long period They live to a great age, under favorable circumstances — trees are recorded that are some four hundred years old. The orange flourishes best in a rich calcareous soil. The most thrifty and fruitful plantations we saw were on shell lands, which occur frequently in Florida — a dark, rich loam, mixed with small shells. In the absence of shells, lime will, no doubt, be beneficial. The propaga- tion is similar to that of other fruit-trees. Stocks for grafting are either procured by raising seed- lings of the Bitter or Wild Orange, which can be worked at the age of one or two years from seed ; or plauts may in some places be procured from the woods. In many localities in Florida, the Wild Orange abounds in the woods, and seems to be as much at home as though it were indigenous. The trees are planted in groves at twenty to thirty feet apart. It takes ten or twelve years to bring the trees to a really remunerative condition. After the fourth or fifth year the crop will probably pay for cultivation. YAEIETIES. There are a great many varieties in cultivation, intro- duced from China, Spain, and other orange-growing countries, but that generally grown in Florida, which was no doubt introduced by the Spaniards, has no su- perior. It is known as the St. Aus^ustine Orange, a variety of the Sweet Orange, often sold in the markets under local names, such as "Mellonville," "Indian Eiver," etc. It is a large. ORANGES. 457 handsome fruit, with moderately thin skin, somewhat rough ; pulp full of sweet, sprightly, delicious juice. It resembles the Cuba Orange, but seems to be larger and of better quality. The Havana. — This is the most common in our mar- kets, and best known. A large, excellent fruit ; quite similar to the preceding. The Maltese, or Malta Blood, has a thick and spongy rind ; pulp red and delicious, but sometimes a trace of bitterness. The Mandarin is a small, flattened fruit, thin rind, with a dark orange pulp ; juicy and rich. The Bergamot has small flowers and pear-shaped fruit ; very fragrant; the oil is much used by perfumers. The Variegated-Leaved is a variety with variegated foliage ; ornamental. The Shaddock {Citrus decumana) is a fruit of great size, striking in appearance, but not of value, except for confectionery. The Tangerine is small, sweet, and rich ; very pro- lific. One of the best for pot culture. The Otaheite is a small variety, a dwarf -growing kind ; blooms and bears abundantly when not over a foot high. The St. Michaels is a medium-sized fruit, pale yellow, with a thin rind, very delicious; the tree an abundant bearer. Chiefly grown in the Portuguese Island St. Michael. The Myrtle-Leaved (or Chinese) is a small-fruited variety, a dwarf tree ; more curious than profitable. Besides these are the Egg, Embiguo or Navel, Silver, Pernambuco, Exquisite, Du Roi, Excelsior, Prolific, 20 458 SELECT VARIETIES OF PRFITS. Dulcississima, and several others recently introduced, some of wMcli may prove to be valuable. LEMOH AKD LIME. The Lemon ( Citrus Limonium) is not as hardy as the orange, and is improved by being worked upon the bitter- orange stock. There is an Italian variety which is sweet. The Lime {Citrus Limetta). — Several varieties in cul- tivation. That commonly grown is a profuse bearer. Hedges are formed of it in the West Indies. It is grown extensively in California, and is very profitable. It is used for the same purposes as the lemon, and for pre- serves. THE POMEGRANATE. The Pomegranate is a native of China and the south of Europe, and its culture in our Southern States and California is perfectly successful. It is a low, deciduous tree, with long, narrow leaves. The fruit has a very re- freshing, sweet, rather acid pulp, and its singular and beautiful appearance makes it a welcome addition to the dessert. The tree is propagated like other fruit trees, by seeds, layers, cuttings, grafting, etc., and grows readily in any ordinary good garden soil. The varieties known as the best are: the Sweet-fruited, with sweet and juicy pulp; the Suh-acid- fruited, which is the variety commonly grown in gardens; the Violet, which is a large and late variety, and the Wild or Acid-fruited, with a sharp acid flavor. The Pomegranate is also a highly ornamental shrub, and its varieties with double red and double white flowers are especially attractive and desirable. ALMONDS. 459 THE PAWrAW OK CUSTARD APPLE. The Custard Apple, a variety of which, Asimlna triloha, commonly called Pawpaw, is a native of Kentucky, Southern Ohio, etc. It is a small, deciduous tree, easily propagated by seeds or grafting. The Custard Apple of Peru and other tropical coun- tries (Ationa Cherimolia) is described as a superior fruit, and highly esteemed for the dessert. The A. palustris, A. squamosa, and A. muricata are esteemed West India fruits. fourth diyision. — almonds, chestnuts, eilberts, and walnuts. Section 18. — Almonds. Sweet Hard-shell. — This is a hardy and productive variety, succeeding well in the climate of Western New York, and still further North. Nut very large, with a hard shell and a large, sweet kernel; ripe here about the first of October. The tree is very vigorous, has smooth, glaucous leaves, and when in bloom in the spring is more brilliant and showy than any other fruit tree. Soft Sweet-shell, Ladies' Thin-shell, etc.— This is ^^e almond of the shops, of which such immense quantities are annually imported from abroad. It and all its sub- varieties, so far as we know, are too tender for our North- ern climate, unless carefully grown on a wall or trellis, and protected. South of Virginia, we believe, it succeeds well; and so beautiful a tree, and so estimable a fruit, de- serve the attention of all fruit-growers. Very succesfully grown in California. The Bitter Almond.— This is hardy and productive; nut similar to the first-named in appearance, but bitter, 460 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS. and only useful in confectionery or medicino. Its chief product is the oil of bitter almonds of the druggists, which contains prussic acid. Sectioi!^ 19. — Ohestkuts. The American or Common Chestnut Is well known as one of our most beautiful forest-trees. It is seldom grown as a fruit tree, although the fruit is highly es- teemed. It should have a place in all large collections of standard fruit trees. It reproduces itself from seed. The Dwarf Chestnut, or Chinquapin, is a small tree, eight or ten feet high, and very prolific, but the nuts are small. It grows spontaneously in Maryland, Virginia, and southward. The Spanish Chestnut or Marron, — This is the large, sweet nut, as large as a horse chestnut, imported from abroad. There are many varieties cultivated in France and England, but that designated by the French as '' Marron de Lyon,^^ i& the best. It is propagated by grafting on the common sorts. It is not reproduced truly from seed, but its seedlings produce large and fine fruits. It bears and ripens well as far north as Eochester. It bears the second year from the graft and the fourth from seed. Section" 20. — Filberts. 1. Cosford. — This is an improved variety of the Eng- lish hazel-nut, very prolific, nut large, oblong, or oval; shell thin, and kernel fine flavored. 2. Cohurg. — Large and fine, and a most abundant bearer. 3. Dwarf Prolific. — One of the most prolific bearers, nut rather small; kernel good. WALN'UTS. 4G1 4. Frizzled. — Eemarkable for its curious frizzled husk, a good bearer, and one of the finest flavored. 5. Rcd-Skioned. — One of the old standard sorts of the English growers, distinguished by the bright red or crim- son skin of the kernel; medium size, egg-shaped, shell thick, flavor good. 6. White. — This is also an old standard sort; the ker- nel is a yellowish white. Both this and the preceding have long husks. Section 21. — ^Walkuts. The English Walnut or Madeira Nut {Juglans regia), — A native of Persia. A lofty, spreading tree, with pin- nated leaves like the butternut, and' the fruit nearly as large. Great quantities are annually imported and sold in the fruit shops. The tree is tender while young, the ends of the young shoots being injured in winter at the ]S"orth, but as it grows older, it becomes hardier. It is produced from seed or by grafting. There are many varieties of it cul- tivated abroad, few of which have yet been introduced here, on account of the little attention given to this class of fruits. Is now being extensively planted in California, where it succeeds well.- The Dwarf Prolifie Walnut {Juglans prmparturiens) is a French variety, most desirable for the garden. It bears at the age of three years from the seed, and often at the height of two or three feet. Our native sorts, the Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), the Butternut {Juglans cinerea), the Hickory-Nut ( Carya), and its varieties, are all well-known trees that deserve much more attention than they receive, consid- ering the value of their timber as well as their fruit. CHAPTER n. GATHEEING, PACKING, TEANSPOETATION, AND PEESEEVA- TION OF PEUITS. This is a brancli of the general subject of fruit culture and management that requires the most careful attention ; for it is quite useless to take pains in producing fine fruits, without taking equal pains in gathering, preserving, and sending them to the table or the market in a sound, sightly, and proper condition. Very few fruit-growers seem to appreciate this part of their business. Fruit- dealers at home and abroad complain of the careless and slovenly manner in which our fruits are gathered, packed, and presented in the market, and would gladly pay a dou- ble price for them in a better condition. The first con- sideration is : The period of maturity at which fruits should he gathered. — The stone fruits generally are allowed to reach perfect maturity, or within four or five days of it, on the tree. In moist, cool seasons, particularly, they are benefited by being gathered a few days before maturity, and allow- ed to ripen in a dry, warm room ; they part with the water contained in their juices, which thus become better elaborated and more sugary and high-flavored. Summer Pears^ too, on the same principle, require to be gathered, as a general thing, from a week to a fort- ies GATHEIIING FRUITS, ETC. 463 night before their maturity. Sweet varieties, and such as are inclined to become mealy ^ are entirely worthless when ripened on the tree, and many very excellent varieties are condemned on this account. Such as these should be gathered the moment the skin begins to change color in the least degree. Summer Apples^ too, and especially those inclined to m,ealiness^ should be picked early ; as soon as the skin begins to change color, otherwise they part with their juices, and become worthless. Ripeness is indicated by the seeds turning dark-colored, and by the stem parting readily from the tree when it is lifted upwards. Winter Apjyles and Pears should be allowed to remain on the trees as long as vegetation is active, or until frosts are apprehended. Grapes^ berries, etc.^ are allowed to attain perfect maturity before being gathered. Chestnuts, Filberts, etc., are not gathered until they be- gin to fall from the tree. Mode of Gathering. — ^Unless it be a few specimens wanted for immediate use, which may be taken with some of the contrivances mentioned under the head of imple- ments, all fruits should be gathered by the hand. The branch to be gathered from should be taken in one hand, and the fruits carefully taken off, one by one, with the other, with their stems attached. (For fruits neither keep so well, nor look so well, without the stems.) They are then laid carefully in single layers in broad, shallow baskets, the bot- toms of which should be covered with paper or moss, to prevent bruises. Peaches and other soft fruits should be pressed as lightly as possible, for anything like a squeeze is certainly followed by decay in the form of a brown spot, and this is the reason why it is so exceedingly diffi- cult to find a perfectly sound and at the same time ripe peach in our markets. 464: GATHEKING FEUITS, ETC. When more than one layer of fruit is laid in the same basket, some soft paper, dry moss, hay, or other material, ought to separate them, for it is difficult to place one layer immediately upon another, and especially if the fruits are approaching maturity, without bruising them more or less. Fruit should only be gathered in dry weather, and in the dry time of the day. Disposition of the Fruits after gathering. — When they are thus in the baskets, if summer fruits, they are either carried into the fruit-room and arranged on shelves or tables in thin layers, or they are carefully transferred, one by one, into market-baskets and carried to market on an easy spring wagon, if not by steamboat or railroad, by which jarring or jolting will be avoided. Treated in this manner, they will be in a marketable condition, and one basket will sell for as much as four, carelessly picked, thrown into baskets, and tumbled out of them into a barrel or wagon-box. Ripe fruits may be kept in good condition for a consid- erable period of time, in an ice-house, or in some of the recently-invented fruit-preservers, and even in very cool, dry cellars. The vessels in which they are deposited should be perfectly clean, that no unpleasant flavor may be imparted to them. Peaches have been sent to the East Indies, by being properly packed in ice ; and it may be that methods of packing and preserving will, before long, be discovered, that will give us access to the markets of other countries, even for our perishable summer fruits. We have seen Seckel pears in a very good state of preser- vation in January. The science of ripening and preserving fruits is but in its infancy, and horticultural societies that have the means will be doing a great public service by offering liberal premiums that will incite to experiment on the subject. Winter Fruits intended for long keeping are transferred GATHERING FKUITS, ETC. 4G5 by hand from the baskets in which they are gathered on tlie tree, into larger ones in which they can be carried into a dry, cool room, where they are laid in heaps, which may be three or four deep, where they may remain for a couple of weeks, during which time they will have parted with considerable moisture and be quite dry. They will then be fit for packing. Clean, new barrels should be procured, and the fruits should be carefully assorted. For shipping to distant or foreign markets, the best only should be selected ; all bruised, wormy, knotty specimens being laid aside for home consumption. They are then placed in the barrels, by hand, arranged regularly in layers, so that no spaces will exist, by which the fruits may shift, roll, or knock against one another. The barrels are then tightly headed up, so that the head presses firmly on the fruits; some people recommend placing a layer of clean moss or soft paper, both on the bottom and top of the barrel ; but this is not necessary where the packing and heading are per- formed carefully. After packing, the barrels must be sent to market in such a manner as never to be jolted or rolled, any more than they would be on men's shoulders, or an easy spring wagon or sled, or by a water convey- ance. On shipboard, the barrels should be placed in the coolest and dryest place. It is perfectly idle to gather, pack, or ship fruits in any other way than this to foreign markets. American apples are frequently sold in Liverpool at auction for half what they would have sold for in New- York, on account of their bad condition. I saw this in 1849, when Newtown pippins were selling at twelve and a half cents apiece in the fruit-shops. Winter fruits for home consumption should be care- fully assorted, keeping the best, the poorest, the sound, the bruised, and the earlier and later ripening varieties all separate ; when sound and bruised, early and late, are 463 PACKING, MAEKING, SHIPPING, ETC. all thrown together promiscuously, they cannot fail to decay speedily and to lose their flavor; for two or three decaying apples in a heap or barrel will taint the flavor of all, and hasten the decay of those around them. This arrangement into grades and classes is, therefore, absolutely necessary even for the fruits needed for family use; and when they are so arranged, the sound, long-keepers are put into clean, new barrels, carefully, by hand, and the barrels headed up tightly and placed in a cool, dry cellar or fruit- room. The bruised ones can be laid in a place by them- selves for immediate use. Every barrel, when packed, should be marked. Winter Pears^ as a general thing, require to be brought into a warm temperature one or two weeks before they are wanted for table use. All the baking and stewing, and even many of the table varieties, may be treated ex- actly like appples. PACKING, MARKING, SHIPPING, ETC. In all that relates to the labor of preparing fruits for market, great care is requisite, and we cannot do bet- ter than to copy the following very concise and practical directions prepared by a large and experienced shipping- house from long observance of the requisites needed for success : " Packing. — In packing Apples, Pears, Berries, etc., do not face your fruit more than it will bear, for if a buyer is once deceived in buying a mark of fruit, he will discount the mark in buying again, or refuse to buy it at all ; while if it runs uniform^ and gives satisfaction, it is eagerly sought after, and the seller can get increased price by the compe- tition. Also bear in mind that good fruit, etc., well put up and reaching here in good order, always sells, even when the market is glutted ; while fruit, etc., poorly put PACKING, MARKING, SHIPPING, ETC. 467 up, can sometimes be scarcely given away, thereby caus- ing dissatisfaction to the shipper on account of poor re- turns, and disgust to the receiver, because they have had to sacrifice it, when a little pains taken with the article would haA'e caused a different result. Nothing is gained in packing fruity etc. (which is sold by the package), in short packages, that is for barrels to be less than flour-bar- rel size, or baskets to hold twelve or fourteen quarts, when they should hold half a bushel, or in boxes less than measure intended. If fruit is too ripe or soft to pack in full-size packages, pack in those of half or even quarter- size, but by all means give full measure, and try to pack your packages so tight that, upon arrival, they will open full and not look as though there was not enough of the article to fill them. Besides fruit,' etc., will come a longer distance and arrive in far better order, by being packed full, even to slight jamming, than if packed loose. With the rough and severe handling, that all packages get more or less, the articles are very likely to be badly bruised in coming. All packages should be neat and clean ; and bar- rels, boxes, and crates sold with the articles should, if pos- sible, be new, as the package helps show the contents to better advantage, and will sell the better from the evident pains bestowed upon it. '^Marking. — Always mark each package plainly and neat, with the name or initials of consignor, and the net weight or count of contents of each. ''^Shipping. — All perishable fruits, such as peaches, plums, berries, etc., should be sent by the quickest conveyance. Receipts should be taken from transportation compa- nies. Advices, with a full and correct invoice, should be sent by mail. A duplicate invoice should be put in one of the packages, marked BiU. There is nothing so vexa- tious to a commission house, as the receipt of consign- ments not properly or distinctly marked, and no advices of the same. 468 PACKING, MARKING, SHIPPING, ETC. ^' Handling. — All fruit, of whatever kind, should be han- dled with the greatest care, so as not to bruise it, even slightly, as oftentimes where a little bruise does not show when fruit is packed, in ten or twelve hours afterwards the article is half, if not totally destroyed, causing the fruit in contact with it to also decay, and injuring the sale of the same, as buyers will discount imperfect or decayed fruit. Great care should also be taken in handling the packages after fruit is packed, as a blow or fall will pene- trate through the entire package, bruising the contents oftentimes badly. ^^ Apples. — Assort those uniform in size and quality, pack in clean barrels ; take out one head, commence packing by placing a tier of apples with their ends to the closed head of the barrel, then fill up without bruising the fruit, shake down thoroughly, and fill the barrel so full that the head must be pressed in with a lever, flattening the last tier of apples, and even starting the juice. Nail the head and hoops with four-penny nails, turn the barrel over, and on the head not opened mark plainly the variety in each bar- rel. Apples packed in this way show a fine, handsome face when opened. " Pears. — This delicate fruit must be packed and shipped when it is fully matured and before it has ripened, so as to insure arrival in good order. Pears are not as elastic as apples. Line the sides, top, and bottom of the barrel or package with straw-paper, to prevent the fruit being stained by the wood of the barrel or package. Assort and pack same as apples, except placing the blossom-end of the fruit upon the end not opened. When the barrel is full, press the head in firmly without starting the juice. Summer Pears, if over two days on the way, should be ventilated, otherwise the package should be tight, as the fruit will ripen more uniformly and hold its color better." Packing Pears for Distant Markets. — ^The French send PACKING, MARKING, SHIPPIl^TG, ETC. 469 away more pears to foreign markets ilian any other peo- ple. They pack them in small boxes, either round or square, such as a man can carry easily in his hands. Our own practice is to wrap each fruit in soft paper, and then pack so tightly as to prevent all motion in bushel and half -bushel boxes. They cover the bottom and sides with veiy dry moss or soft, dry paper, well calculated to absorb moisture. They then wrap each fruit in the dry, soft paper, and lay them in layers, the largest and least mature in the bottom, and fill all the interstices with dry moss or paper. I have seen these boxes opened in London, in the finest con- dition, after being packed a month. They are so tightly packed that the slightest movement cannot take place among them, and yet no one presses upon another. The dry moss and paper that separate them, absorb any mois- ture ; and if one decays, it does not affect others. Some of the Paris confectioners and restaurant-keepers preserve fruits very successfully in barrels, packed in lay- ers, and the interstices filled up with powdered charcoal. The barrels are kept in a dry, cool place, about forty degrees, where they are not subjected to changes of tem- perature. Apples, pears, grapes, almonds, nuts, and pota- toes', are all preserved in this manner. ''''Peaches. — Pack in stave baskets holding half of a bushel ; they are firmer than splint baskets, and protect the fruit better. Sort uniform as to size and quality. Fill your baskets rounding full. Tie a cover over the top of the basket, so that the fruit w^ill not be liable to shake. Or they can be packed in slat crates holding a bushel, with a partition across the crate at an equal distance from each end. " Quinces. — Sort to run uniform, pack in barrel same as apples, except that the blossom end of the fruit should be placed to the end not opened. When the barrel is full, press in head harder than for pears, but not as tight as apples. 470 PACKIN^G, MARKING, SHIPPING, ETC. " Strawberries. — All large berries should be packed in quart boxes or baskets, twenty-four or thirty to the crate. In filling the boxes, put in berries of uniform size, reject- ing all soft ones ; face the box with nice fruit, and fill it rounding full, so that when packed in crates the upper box will slightly press the fruit in the lower box. The small varieties of strawberries can be packed in a little larger crate, or packed in half-bushel drawers, four drawers to a stand. " Raspberries should be packed in a quart box or basket. The fruit should be carefully picked, boxes well filled, and packed in crates of twenty-four and thirty quarts. " Currants can be packed in half-bushel or bushel drawers, and equally as well in baskets ; and when filled should be well rounded. *' Cherries. — Same as currants ; but think a clean half- bushel basket preferable, with a paper or cloth cover. They should be well packed. " Blackberries.— y2iQk in boxes holding a quart or pint — twenty-four or thirty-six quarts to a crate. Fill and sort the same as strawberries. When the crate is full, place a sheet of straw-paper over the upper row of boxes, so that it will exclude the air and help retain the color of the fruit. " Flums. — The fancy kinds should be packed in small boxes or fancy baskets; while the common kinds can be packed in half-bushel or bushel boxes or baskets, the same as peaches." They sell best in small packages. Crapes., when fully ripe, should be taken, a single cluster at a time, and all imperfect berries cut from the bunch. They can be packed in three, five, six, ten, or twelve- pound boxes ; or if going but a short distance, in clean baskets of ten to twenty pounds, and covered with a cloth. In packing, take off the cover of the box, line the inside with thin white paper, commence filling with whole bunches, pack close as possible without jamming, 611 up PACKING, MAKKING, SHIPPING, ETC. 471 with bunches, parts of bunches, then single grapes, but with a stem, so that all space is occupied, and the fruit projects from the top, fronL a quarter to half an inch. Turn over the paper used in lining, nail the cover-points down, reverse the box, and paste a label, stat- ing the variety of the grape, on the cover that was not opened. Fruit-Rooms. — A fruit-room is a structure set apart exclusively for the preservation of fruit. Its great requi- sites are, perfect security from moisture or dampness, ex- clusion from light, and a uniform temperature. If these points are obtained, no matter where, how, or of what material the fruit-room be constructed. It may be built of stone, brick, clay, or wood, above or below ground, as circumstances or taste may dictate. A good, dry, and cool cellar is as good a place for keeping fruit as can be provided ; but the great objection to cellars used for other purposes is, that currents of air are frequently admitted, and too much light, by which the temperature is changed, decay promoted, or the fruits dried and shriveled. There are, also, other objects that un- avoidably saturate the air more or less with moisture. Where a fruit-room is built on the surface of the ground, it should be on the ice-house principle of double walls and doors, to prevent access of either heat or cold from with- out. A good cellar or cave, built in a dry, sandy, or gravelly bank, or side-hill, will answer every purpose. The walls may be of stone, brick, or timber ; the roof should be thick, with a slope sufficient to throw off water freely, and the earth about should also be so graded, that water will flow away as fast as it falls. Provision may be made for lighting and ventilating in the roof, and the door or doors should be double. The interior should be fitted up with shelves and bins, with places for barrels or other articles, in which fruits are packed. 472 PACKING, MARKIl^G, SHIPPING, ETC. A clieap and effective fruit-house lias long been a desid- eiatum, and many patents have been obtained. The ma- jority of them, however, have proved expensive failures. The best house we have seen was erected several years ago by a firm in Philadelphia, Pa. , from whose circular we extract the following: "When the purity of the atmosphere is obtained by excessive ventilation, not only is the temperature of the apartment increased, but the ice is melted with great rapidity. To dry the atmosphere by the use of absorb- ents is also a very expensive and troublesome process. *' In a room cooled to 38° Fahrenheit, and kept perfect- ly dry, the decomposition of fruit is very slow. Fruit may be kept sound and good for three or four months, or longer. The cooler the house, the drier it will naturally become, but when the natural tendency is aided by philo- sophical construction, it will be perceived that the object may be more easily accomplished. " Decomposing organic matter will of course throw off, and, in fact, generate moisture ; but when the process of decomposition is reduced to the lowest point, or suspended altogether, then less moisture will be present. " The foul gases, or odors, emanating from decaying vegetables being volatile, are easily removed ; but the removal of moisture, or aqueous vapor, is more difficult. " The last difficulty — the removal of moisture, without the use of artificial absorbents — has been overcome by this in- vention, in the most perfect manner, without any ex- pensive machinery, or any daily cost in working the house. " The apparatus can be applied to large or small rooms, or even closets and refrigerators, with equal ease and suc- cess ; and from the very nature of things, being based upon the strictest natural laws, is the only plan that can produce the desired results, without the use of absorbents or driers. " Fruit, in a state of moist decay, on being put into the PACKING, MARKING, SHIPPING, ETC. 473 fruit-room, directly becomes dried to such a degree that all the moisture on the decaying spots disappears, and the spots themselves become covered with a dried pellicle- like court-plaster, and the rot ceases. The drying process, however, is not such as to produce shriveling in apples or pears, for the reason that only the external moisture is removed, and the interior flesh of the fruit remains un- changed. " In this connection may be demonstrated the fallacy of the common idea that fruit just gathered from the tree must undergo a process of siceating before it is fit to be put into the cellar or fruit-room. The simple truth is, that fruit which has been cooled by any means will always sweat when it is brought into a warm atmosphere, not because the juice passes out of it, but because the moisture in hot air always condenses on a cold surface. On the contrary, fruit taken from the tree, on a warm day, and put imme- diately into a cold fruit-room, 7iever siceats. The process of sweating in apples and pears may be repeated a hun- dred times by cooling the fruit in a cellar, and then bring- ing them suddenly into a hot room. A cold apple will always sweat in hot air. " The ordinary working temperature obtained by means of ice, is about 38° to 40° Fahrenheit. But by the use of suitable apparatus, with salt and crushed ice, as in the ice- cream freezer, a room may be cooled below the freezing point." Attention to Fruits in the Cellar or Fruit-room* — The decay of fruits is caused either by bruises or by a fungus, or species of mildew, that increases rapidly and attacks all the sound fruits within its reach. It is, therefore, necessary to examine fruits frequently, and remove all that show any symptoms of decay, before they have either affected others or tainted the atmosphere of the room. 474 DISEASES A2sD IKSECTS. CHAPTER ni. DISEASES AND INSECTS. Section 1. — Diseases. The Fire -Blight of the Fear^ Apple, and Quince. — This is one of the most formidable diseases to which fruit- trees are liable. Whether it is caused by the sun, the atmosphere, or an insect, remains in doubt, some cases favoring one opinion, some another. It attacks the trees at different periods of the growing season, from June to September, and generally in the young parts first ; the leaves flag, the sap becomes thick and brown, oozing out in globules through the bark, and emitting a very dis- agreeable odor, and the diseased branch or part turns black, as if it were burned by fire. When the pear-tree is attacked it is difficult to save it, the disease spreads so rapidly. In the ap})le and quince it is less fatal, rarely killing more than a portion of the tree even if left to its own course. The only remedy is, to cut away instantly the blighted parts, into the sound wood, where there is not the slightest trace of the disease, and burn them up immediately. It is thought by some that young trees growing very rapidly are more subject to it than older trees growing slowly ; and that warm sunshine, with a sultry atmosphere after rain, is apt to be followed by much blight. We have always regarded the cases favoring such an opinion as accidental. Twig Flight. — This attacks the young shoots of the current season's growth on apple, pear, quince, mountain ash, etc., causing them to suddenly wither and become DISEASES. 475 brown at early or mid-summer. The cause is unknown and the injury is not materially great. The remedy is in cutting away at the first appearance. It is much more abundant in some years than in others. Apple Blight. — This is a disease of serious character, inasmuch as it invades and destroys many orchards. Like the dreaded fire-blight of the pear, there seems no pre- ventive. It attacks a whole branch or limb, and some- times one quarter to one half of the top is destroyed, ere to the common observer it is apparent. No remedy is known except to cut away and destroy the memento of one's losses. Bitter Rot, — This disease, by some attributed to want of appropriate nourishment to the tree, and by others to a fungous growth, is as yet but little understood. High culture, the application of lime to the soil, etc., are recommended as remedies. Bust^ or Fungus^ Mildew^ and Cracking.— This disease is more general in the pear than the apple, and it is more apparent and destructive on some varieties than upon others ; yet these varieties have not been so closely ob- served and noted as to make it safe to enumerate them. Suflice it that varieties longest in cultivation, most pro- ductive, and in confined situations, are most liable to It. It appears to be a fungous growth, presenting, when viewed by the microscope, a mossy, spongy character, occupying the skin, so as to prevent the development of its tissues, and results in checking the growth at that point, thus creating a deformity. When the malady spreads, as it sometimes does, over a half or more of the fruit, it tends to a deeper nature, and causes the fruit to crack open, and become corky and worthless. 476 DISEASES AND INSECTS. Pear-leaf Slight. — This disease has ah'eady been al- luded to in treating of pear seedlings. It is a sort of rust that appears on the leaves in July or August, first as small brown spots ; these spread rapidly over the leaves until they are completely dried up and growth stopped. It appears in a certain spot as a center, from which it spreads. Whether it be an insect, a fungus, or some at- mospherical cause that produces this blight, is unknown. Certain cases favor one or other of these opinions. More minute investigations are wanted on the subject. To avoid its evil effects as far as possible, the great point is, to get a rapid, vigorous growth, before mid-sum- mer, when it usually appears. Seedlings grown in new soils do not appear to be so much affected as in old. Where stocks are affected very early in the season, they become almost worthless, on account of the feebleness produced in both stem and roots by such an untimely and unnatural check. Some special applications, such as coal cinders, iron filings, copperas, etc., have been suggested, but no evidence has yet been produced of their efficacy. The Gum in Stone Fruits. — The cherry, plum, apricot, and peach are all more or less subject to this malady. The cherry is particularly liable to it in the West. It is produced by different causes, such as a wet soil, severe pruning, pruning at an improper time, violent changes of temperature, etCc The gumming of the Cherry in the West is considered by some to be owing in a great mea- sure to the bark not yielding naturally to the growth of the wood, and hence they practise longitudinal incisions on it. The cherry-tree has a very powerful bark, and in some cases it may not yield naturally to the expansion or growth of the wood. We have seen about a foot of the trunk of a cherry-tree several inches smaller than the parts both above and below it. The bark was as smooth as glass on it, the first rind being unbroken, whilst on the large parts this was quite rough. This was a case arising DISEASES. 477 from the obstinacy of the bark, and could only b<., remedied by longitudinal incisions on the small part. It is most probable that the extent and severity of this disease in the West is owing to violent changes from a hard frost to a bright sun and rapid thaw, by which the sap becomes deranged, and accumulates in masses. Trees that are branched near the ground will be less likely to suffer than those with tall, bare trunks. Where it has made some progress in any tree, pare off the diseased bark, clean off all the gum, and let the surface dry up ; then apply a plaster of grafting composition, or a solution of gum shellac in alcohol, put on with a brush. When the stone fruits are pruned severely in the spring, the sap does not find sufficient vent ; it accumulates in masses and bursts the bark. This fact should always be kept in view in pruning, and a sufficient supply of active buds be left to absorb the sap. The Yellows in the Peach. — This is supposed to arise from negligent cultivation. It exhibits itself in a yellow, sickly foliage, feeble shoots, and small fruits prematurely ripened. It is said to be contagious. Trees exhibiting these symptoms should instantly be destroyed. To avoid it, propagate only from trees in perfect health and vigor. Mildew on the Peach. — The young shoots, leaves, and even the fruit of certain varieties, and especially the varieties which are without glands on their leaves, are attacked by this. The only remedies are, to give the trees a dry, good soil, that will keep them in a vigorous condition, and to syringe freely twice a day when it begins to appear. The gooseberry suffers seriously from the mildew, owing mainly to the heat of our summers. In Northern New York, in Maine, Vermont, and Lower Canada, the finest large English varieties are brought to greater perfection than in warmer districts, and with good culture almost come up to the English standard. In a cold, damp-bottomed soil at Toronto, almost on a level 478 DISEASES Ai^-D INSECTS. with Lake Ontario, fine crops are produced with compara- tively little difficulty from mildew or rust. This would indicate as a remedy, a cool soil and situation, and mulch- ing the roots to keep them cool. The trees should be renewed every three or four years, and they should be kept vigorous by liberal manuring and good culture. Rot and Mildew of the Grape. — Both the rot and mil- dew on the grape have been attributed to various causes, none of which seems to prove reliable. Both diseases seem to come and go with seasons, now here and there excessive upon one variety one season, and another the next, evidently to us bearing the impress that it is miasmatic or sporadic, and developed according to the atmosphere and Condition of the vine as regards health and vigor. The preventive seems to be in the free use of sulphur, by dusting the vines and keeping the influence of the sulphur thereon, from the time the seed is formed until the coloring is at least half-completed. The Plum-tree Wart or Black-Knot. — The cause of this disease is still a matter of doubt and uncertainty. Some hold to the opinion that it is a gall produced by an insect, others that it is of fungous origin. The latter opinion is entitled to the greatest weight. We do not believe that insects have any agency whatever in producing this dis- ease. Cions should never be taken from a diseased tree. Cutting out the diseased branch clean to the sound wood, the moment the knots begin to appear, is an effectual remedy, and they should all be burnt up. We have saved trees six inches in diameter, that were af- fected on the trunk so seriously, that one third of its thickness had to be removed to get below the disease. After it was cut out, we applied a plaster of grafting composition, covered it with a cloth, and in two years it M^as all healed over and sound. Plum-trees are so neglected in the country, that mul- titudes of them are now standing literally loaded with INSECTS. 479 these warts — not even an inch of any branch free from them, the most disgusting objects in the way of fruit trees that can possibly be imagined. The Curl of the Leaf in the Teach.— T\As> disease causes the leaves to assume a reddish color, to become thick, curled, and deformed, and finally to perish. It is supposed by many to be caused by insects ; but it is really induced by a sudden change of weather. In proof of this we may adduce the fact that peach-trees under glass are never affected with this disease; and the more sheltered the position is, the less is the injury. A number of warm days, that cause the expansion of the young leaves, followed by a cold rainy day, is almost sure to produce it to some extent; and the more severe and protracted the cold, the more extensive and fatal it is. The peach-trees in Western New York suffered more from this in 1849-50 than in the ten years previous, owing to a protracted cold time in each season after the young tender leaves had expanded. In both these seasons the check was so severe, as not only to produce this disease in its w^orst form, but the gum also ; for the sap not being absorbed by the leaves, became stagnant, sour, and corroded, and burst the bark. Trees in sheltered gardens suffer less than those in exposed orchards. There is no possible way of guarding against this ; and the only remedy known to us is, to pick off the diseased leaves the moment the weather changes, that new healthy ones may be produced. Section 2. — ^The Principal Insects injurious to Fruit Trees. Aphis or Plant-Ziouse. — There are several kinds of these. The two most troublesome to fruit trees are the green and black, small soft insects that appear suddenly in immense quantities on the young shoots of the trees, suck their juices, and consequently arrest their growth. 480 DISEASES Aiq-D Iiq SECTS. The apple, pear, and cherry are especially infested with them. They multiply with wonderful rapidity. It is said that one individual in five generations might be the pro- genitor of six thousand millions. Were it not that they are easily destroyed, they would present an obstacle almost insuperable in the propagation and culture of trees. There are many ways of accomplishing their destruc- tion. Our plan is to prepare a barrel of tobacco juice, by steeping stems for several days until the juice is a dark brown, like strong beer ; we then mix this with a solution of soft-soap, or soapsuds. A pail is filled with this, and the ends of the shoots where the insects are assembled are brought down and dipped into the liquid. One dip is enough. Such parts as cannot be dipped are sprinkled liberally. It is applied to the heads of large trees by means of a hand or garden syringe. It should be done in the evening. The liquid may be so strong as to injure the foliage, hence it will be well for persons using it the first time to test it on one or two subjects before applying it extensively. This application must be repeated as often as any of the aphides make their appear- ance. The dry weather of mid-summer is generally the time most favorable for their appearance. The season of 1882 has been remarkable for the prevalence of this pest all over the country, not merely on fruit but on forest trees. The Woolly Aphis or American Slight. — This is a small insect, covered with a white woolly substance that conceals its body. They infest the apple-tree in particu- lar, both roots and branches, living upon the sap of the bark, and producing small warts or granulations on it by the punctures. They are more particularly troublesome on old rough-barked trees, as they lodge in the crevices, and are difficult to reach. The wind carries them from one place to another by the light down in which they are enveloped, and thus they spread quickly from one end of IIs'SECTS. 481 a plantation to the other. Not a moment should bo lost in destroying the first one that makes its appearance. TVhere the bark is rough it should be scraped smootli ; if tlie roots be affected the earth should be removed, and every part washed, and every crevice filled with the fol- lowing pieparation, recommended in Harris's Treatise : " Two parts of soft-soap and eight of water, mixed with lime enough to bring it to the consistency of thick white- wash, to be put on with a brush." A solution of two pounds of potash in seven quarts of water will answer as well. Fresh earth should be put upon the roots. The Oyster Shell Barh-Louse. — This is a dark-brown scale insect, that infests the bark of the apple-tree. The scales are cf a dark-brown color, like the bark, and are not easily seen unless looked for. ,They attach them- selves closely to the bark, and sometimes are so numerous as to form a complete coating. They seldom appear on thrifty-growing trees in good soil ; but where the soil is damp and cold, and the trees growing feebly, this insect may be looked for. June is the time to destroy them, when they are young. At other times they are hard, and able to resist any ordinary remedy. The same application recommended for the aphis, applied to them with a hard brush, will effect their destruction. Where they have been left for a long time undisturbed, and have pretty well covered the tree, the quickest and best remedy is to destroy tree and all, unless it possesses some extraordinary claim for indulgence. There are many other species of bark lice or scale insects. Nearly every kind of tree or shrub may be infested by them. The Apple-tree Borer is a very troublesome insect in some sections of the country. In Western New York we have never met with it but in two or three instances, in very old, neglected orchards, that had stood for twenty years in grass. The beetle is striped brown and white, and is about three-fourths of an inch long. It deposits its 482 DISEASES AKD HiTSECTS. eggs in June, in the bark of the trees near the ground. Here the larva is hatched, becoming a whitish grub, which saws its way into the tree, perforating it in all directions, sometimes completely girdling it. The most effectual method to destroy them is, to insert the end of a wire into their burrow, and killing them. The same means are taken to guard against them as against the peach-tree grub, viz., placing a mound of ashes around the base of the trunk in the spring, and allowing it to remain until after the season in which the beetles deposit their eggs. It prevents them from reaching the soft bark at the surface of the ground, the place usually selected. It is stated in Downing's Fruit and Fruit Trees, that " the beetles may be destroyed in June by building small fires of shavings in different parts of the orchard." The Apple -Worm — Codling-Moth. — The ravages of this insect on the apple are becoming quite alarming, and unless its destruction be pursued with prompt and perse- vering efforts, our apple-orchards will soon cease to be profitable. The moth appears in New England, New York, and other places similar in climate, about the mid- dle of June ; farther south earlier. It deposits its eggs in the eye or cal.yx of the young apple ; in a few days they hatch, and the worm burrows into the core of the fruit. It can be traced by the brownish powder which it casts out behind it. In some three weeks it attains its full size, and escapes from the apple through a hole which it makes in the side, and takes shelter in the scales of the bark of the tree or such other suitable place as it can find. The insects complete their transformations in two or three weeks, and produce a second brood of moths, which lay their eggs, and again stock the apples with worms. The fall brood of worms remain in their co- coons during the winter, and appear as moths in spring. Means of Destruction. — 1st. Scrape and clean the bark of the trees thoroughly early in spring, and see that no INSECTS. 483 cocoons are left in the crevices. 2d. Examine all barrels, bins, shelves, etc., where apples have been stored in cel- lars or fruit-room. 3d. Place bandages of old cloth, car- pet, or rags of any kind around the trunks and large branches of every tree, say by 1st of July, to trap the worms; examine every week or two, and kill all worms that have been trapped. 4th. Pick or knock off every wormy fruit before the worm escapes, and destroy; pick up all that drop, and destroy in the same way. Kecently Paris Green has been used against the apple worm with great success. The poison is mixed with water and sprayed upon the trees soon after the fruit sets. The calyx end of the fruit then points upward, and the poison will lodge in the blossom end of the apple. The young worms are poisoned as soon as they begin to eat into the fruit. The summer rains wash the Paris Green from the trees, so that even a chemical analysis will fail to show its presence in the autumn. It is said that a small amount of Paris Green, a tablespoonful to the barrel of water is sufficient. The best way to spray large trees is to place a barrel or cask containing the liquid on a plat- form wagon, which can be drawn through the orchard by horses. The fluid maybe thrown upon the trees by any one of the several force pumps sold for that purpose. The Canker- Worm. — The moths generally emerge from the ground in March, though some rise during the late autumn and winter months. The female has no wings, but crawls up the tree, and lays her eggs on the branches in May, in clusters of 60 to 100 in each; the little worms fall upon the leaves, and, when numerous, devour them all, leaving only the mid-ribs. They leave the trees when about four weeks old, and enter the ground. Their effects are most visible in June, when the trees, divested of their foliage, appear as if scorched by fire. As the female cannot fly, the great point is to prevent her from crawling up; for this purpose various means have 48i DISEASES AND I]^SECrS. been tried. One of tlie most effectual is to tie or tack strips of canvas or stiif broAvn paper around the tree and cover them with tar, renewing the tar during their whole season of rising, or from October until May. Another is, to make a close-fitting collar of boards around the base of the tree, and keep the boards covered with tar. The Tent Caterpillar is an insect that commits very general and extensive devastation in our orchards, and especially in certain seasons. The moth deposits its eggs in July, in larg3 rings, on the branches of the trees; these remain in that state until the following season, when they are hatched in the latter end of May or be- ginning of June. Each ring produces three or four hundred caterpillars, and these weave a sort of web to live in. There are two ways of destroying them: one is, to examine the trees carefully in February or March, at pruning time, and destroy the clusters of eggs by cutting off and burning the branches on which they are found. The next is to destroy the caterpillars in their tents after they are hatched. The quickest and most effectual method is to remove every nest with the hands. The early morn- ing should be chosen, when the worms are in the nests. Some burn the webs with a torch made by tying rags to the end of a long pole, and wetting the rags with kerosene. The Olierry and Pear Slug. — This is a most destruc- tive insect. The first brood appears in June and July, and a second brood afterward, as small, slimy, dark-brown slugs on the upper surfaces of the leaves of the cherry and pear. They devour greedily the parenchyma of the leaves, leaving only the bare network of veins. In a short time growth is completely stopped. Stocks for budding require careful watching, for a day or two of these slugs may prevent them from being worked INSECTS. 485 that season. We destroy them by throwing fine earth taken up with tlie hand among the trees, and by ashes or slaked lime, when the earth is not sufficiently dry and fine. The caustic properties of lime and ashes render them more certainly destructive to the slug, and they should always be used in preference to common earth, where only a few trees are to be gone over. A liberal syringing with the tobacco and soap liquid recommended for the aphis, but in a weaker state, is ser- viceable after the ashes and lime. It must be remembered that one application Avill seldom be sufficient. Some escape even to the third or fourth ; but in all cases the warfare should be sustained whilst one remains. They are generally most troublesome in warm and dry seasons. TJie Currant- TFbrm.— This is a small, light, yellow worm that eats the leaves of currants and gooseberries in June. The remedy is to dust the leaves with powdered white hellebore, as soon as it first appears, and repeat daily till the worm disappears. We liave also used dry fresh- slaked lime successfully. The Gurculio or Plum - Weevil. — This is a small grayish- brown beetle, nearly a quarter of an inch long ; the wing- covers form two little humps on the back, which give it a roundish appearance, and it has a long crooked snout, well adapted to its destructive propensities. They can fly, but are not active ; and by jarring the part on which they stand, suddenly, they fall to the ground, draw in their legs, and appear dead. It deposits its ^gg in a semicircular incision which it makes in the young fruit ; it there hatches, eats into the fruit, and causes it to fall while yet green. In some places it destroys the entire crop of plums, apricots, and nectarines, and attacks even the cherry and the apple. The peach, even, is not wholly exempt, notwithstanding its coat of down. Almost every remedy that ingenuity can devise has been tricl. This whole book would not contain what has been written 48B DISEASES AND mSECTS. on the subject in one year alone. Yet no complete, effec- tual remedy has been discovered. The strongest liquid applications of lime, soap, and tobacco, the most power- ful and offensive odors that repel any other insects, are entirely harmless and inoffensive to the cnrculio. There seem to be really but two means worthy of being re- sorted to. One is, to pave, or in some other way harden, the surface of the ground, so that the grubs cannot enter it to complete their transformations. This is found efficient where no other trees are in the immediate vicinity not paved. We have seen many instances where good crops were obtained by this mode. The fact that they are, as a general thing, less troublesome in stiff clay soils than in light porous ones, is alone a proof of the efficacy of a stiff or impenetrable surface soil. Add to this the picking up of fruit containing the grub as soon as it drcp^ from the tree, and before the worm has a chance to escape. To accomplish both these ends, some people have planted their plums and apricots in a small inclosure by themselves, adjoining the hog-pen, and as soon as the fruits begin to drop these animals are admitted, and gather all up, and at the same time tread the ground so firmly that it is almost as good as if it were paved. This is probably the easiest and best way to insure a crop of the fruits attacked by this insect. Another way is, to jar the tree daily, from the moment they begin to appear, which is when the fruit is the size of a pea, until they have disappeared, or the fruit begins to ripen, when it is no longer attacked. This is our own method, and is successful. The insects are easier jarred off in the cool of the morning, while they are torpid. Before commencing to jar them down, a white sheet or cloth, wide enough to cover all the ground under the branches, should be spread to receive the insects as they fall, so that they may be destroyed. This was recom- INSECTS. 487 mended through the " Genesee Farmer," by David Thomas, forty years ago. At the West a machine or hand butting barrow has been introduced for jarring and catching the curculio in large orchards, but it is said to injure the trees by the severe blows consequently necessary with its use. From repeated observations, I am inclined to believe that it is quite sensitive to cold, for it is well known that in the cool of the morning it is always in a comparative state of torpor; and in the cold seasons of 1849-50, when our peach trees and fruit were so greatly injured, the cur- culio was diiven off, and we had a most abundant crop of plums. A cold day or two may not affect it ; but when it continues for two weeks, as in the years referred to, it seems to be rendered powerless for that season. Ants, — These are not very destructive, yet they some- times do considerable injury to beds of seedlings, by making their hillocks among them, and they also infest ripe fruits. Boiling water, oil, or spirits of turpentine, jwured on their hillocks, disperses them ; and if wide-mouthed bot- tles, half-filled with sweetened water or syrup, be hung among the branches of a tree when the fruit is attaining maturity, ants, wasps, flies, and beetles of all sorts that prey greedily upon sweets, will be attiacted into them. Mr. Downing, who recommends this as a "general ex- tirpator suited to all situations," says that " an acquaint- ance caught in this way, in one season, more than three bushels of insects of various kinds, and preserved his garden almost entirely against them." A gentleman in Detroit, who was very careful of his garden, informed me that he had pursued this method of trapping insects with results that perfectly astonished him. He had to empty the bottles every few days to make room for more. A very good way of trapping and killing ants is, to besmear the inside of flower-pots with molasses, and turn them on their mouths near the hillock; 488 DISEASES AKD INSECTS. the insects will soon assemble inside on the molasses, when they are easily destroyed by a handful of burning straw. The Peach -Tree Borer. — This is a most destructive insect when allowed to increase for a few years without molestation. We have seen whole orchards of fine trees ruined by them. They sometimes attack even young trees in the nursery, and commit serious depredations on their collar, rendering them in many cases quite unfit for planting. Their multiplication should be prevented by all possible means. The eggs are deposited in summer on the base of the trunk, near the collar, where the bark is soft. There they are hatched, and bore their way under the bark of the tree, either in the stem or root, or both, producing an effusion of gum. Where trees are already affected, the proper course is, to remove the earth from around the collar of the root, clean away the gum, destroy any cocoons that may be found, trace the grub through its holes in the tree, and kill it ; then fill up around the tree with fresh earth, and place a shovelful or two of ashes around the base. One of the best orchards in the vicinity of Rochester was at one time nearly ruined by the prevalence of this grub, when it changed pro- prietors, and the present one adopted and followed the plan recommended above, until there is not the trace of one left. The ashes or slaked lime should be applied every spring, and at the end of summer may be scattered about the tree ; both ashes and lime form an excellent dressing for the peach. The Rose-Bug. — The eggs of this insect are laid in the earth, where they are hatched, and from which the bug emerges about the rose season. In some seasons and in some localities they appear like grasshoppers in vast multitudes, and commit extensive ravages, not only on the rose but fruit trees and all other green things. Syringing the plants with diluted whale- AKIMAIS IISTJURIOUS TO PEUIT TEEES. 480 oil soap is the only remedy aside from hand-picking, which is most effectual. One gallon of whale-oil soap to three gallons of water syringed over them, when on the tree, effectually destroys them. In some cases fruit trees have been protected by covering them with millinet. Leaf- Rollers. — In May and June these insects may be found on the leaves of fruit trees, and especially on the pear; they form for themselves a sort of cocoon out of the leaf. The leaves attacked by them should be removed and destroyed, in order to prevent their increase. The leaf- rollers are small caterpillars, which develop into little moths or '^ millers." Section 3.— Animals Injurious to Fruits and Fruit Trees. - Birds. — A% a general thing, birds are more the friends than the enemies of the garden. Many of them subsist in greater part on insects, and thus perform services that are by no means appreciated. The early cherries and grapes are generally the greatest sufferers by them, and various devices are practised to frighten them away, the most cruel of which is shooting, which must, however, in some cases be resorted to. Moving objects resembling the human figure, bits of looking-glass or tin suspended among the branches, etc., are often effectual. Dwarf trees are easily covered with thin netting supported on poles and fastened at the base of the tree. Field Mice. — The most effectual preventive is clean culture. Leave no grass, weeds, rubbish, or heaps of stones around the garden or orchard, and the mice will seldom be troublesome. Their operations of girdling are principally carried on beneath the snow, and when this is firmly trodden down as soon as it falls, it ob- structs their way. A correspondent of the "Horticul- turist" states that he has found tin tubes fixed around the base of the tree, an effectual remedy ; and Mn 490 DISEASES AN^D IN^SECTS. Hooker, of Rochester, has successfully driven them off with poison. He takes a block of wood six inches long and three or four square, and bores it lengthwise with an inch-and-a-half auger nearly through, and places in the lower end some corn-meal and arsenic. He places these blocks among the trees, mouth inclined down- wards, "to keep the powder dry." Great destruction of orchards was committed by the mice in the winter of 1869-70, and since then various con- trivances have been resorted to. One is to incase the lower part of the tree in a thin, flexible wooden covering. Com and corn-meal mixed with poison and scattered around the trees has also been employed, with more or less success. Moles. — These are easily poisoned and driven off, by putting pills of flour mixed with arsenic into their holes, and shutting them up. We have seen them banished by bits of dried codfish placed in the entrance of their holes. Cats often commit serious depredations on trees by scratching the bark. Quite recently we saw a large number of beautiful fruit trees nearly ruined by them. A few briers secured around trees in the vicinity of the house, where they frequent most, will be a suflicient protection. Sags. — It is not generally supposed that these ani- mals will attack trees ; but we have heard of a Western farmer who turned in a large number of them to con- sume the corn that had been grown in his young orchard. When the corn began to grow scarce they at- tacked the trees, and not one out of several hundred but was completely girdled— the bark gnawed off as far up as the brutes could reach. - Where it may be desirable to turn hogs into an or- chard, unless the feed be very abundant, the trees should be protected around the base with thorns, briers, or some prickly brush. Mahhits may be deterred from causing injury by rub- 20* IMPLEMENTS OF THE SOIL. 491 biug the body of the tree with fresh blood once in a week i)v so during winter, or by wrapping them a foot or two above the ground with thick, firm paper. CHAPTER IV. KITRSERT, ORCHARD, AND FRUIT-GARDEN IMPLEMENTS. The following are the principal implements used in the propagation, pruning, and cultivation of fruit-trees :* Section 1. — Implements of the Soil. 7%e Subsoil Plow (see fig. 160) is the great reformer of the day in the preparation of soils of all qualities and Fig. 160.— SUBSOIL PLOW. textures, for nursery, orchard, or garden trees. It follows the ordinary plow in the same furrow ; and the largest size, !N'o. 2, with a powerful team, can loosen the subsoil to the depth of eighteen inches. No. 1 will be sufficient in clear land when the subsoil is not very stifi". The One-Horse Plow. — Similar to the common plow used by farmers. It is a labor-saving implement for cul- tivating the ground among nursery-trees or orchards * A share of the engravings used in the illustration of this chapter are from the elaborate Implement Catalogue of R, H. Allen & Co., No. 189 and 191 Water •treet, New York City. 492 I^URSERT AKD FKUIT GARDEI^^ IMPLEMENTS. closely planted. The horse should be steady, the man careful, and the whiffle-tree as short as possible, that the trees need not be bruised. It should neither run so deep nor so near the trees as to injure the roots. The Cultivator. — This, with the plow, obviates the Fig. 161.— CULTIVATOK. necessity of spade-work, and, in a great measure, hoeing. If the ground be plowed in the 8})ring, and the cultivator passed over it once every week or two during the summer, all the hoeing necessary will be a narrow strip of a few inches on each side of the row. The double-pointed steel-toothed, with a wheel in front, as shown in fig. 161, is the best. The Tree-Digging Flow. — This implement facilitates the work and entirely supersedes the spade in the labor of digging trees of the usual size in the nursery, where an entire plot is to be cleared. " It is constructed (see fig. 162) with two beams, one to run on each side of the row of trees, two sets of handles, and a peculiar share, much in shape like the letter U. This share is very sharp, the horizontal part runs under, and the vertical ones on each IMPLEMENTS OF THE SOIL. 493 side of the trees, and the roots are thus smoothly cut off, wliile the trees remain standing. The plow is of course pro- pelled by horses and guided by two plowmen. It is an admirable implement for rv)ot-pruning young trees, espe- cially evergreens, in place of the old practice of lemoving Fig. 163.— TREE-DIGGING PLOW. them in order to cause them to throw out fibres and make balls suited to future removal. The One-Horse Cart. — This is an indispensable machine in the nursery, orchard, or large garden. Four-wheeled wagons are difficult to unload, and require a great deal of space to turn in. The cart can be turned in a circle of twelve or fourteen feet, and the load discharged in a mo- ment, simply by taking out the key that fastens the body to the shafts, throwing it up, and moving the horse forward. Our carts are about six feet long and three wide in the body, shafts six feet long, wheels four and a half feet high, and tire two and a half wide, to prevent them from sinking into the ground. The box is about a foot deep, and when large loads are to be carried a spreading board is put on the top with brackets. Cost from $30 to 850. The Wheelbarrow (fig. 163). — Every man who has a rod of ground to cultivate should possess this machine. In small gardens it is sufficient for the conveyance of all manures, soils, products, etc., and in larger places it is al- 494 NURSERY AKD FRUIT GARDEN IMPLEMENTS. ways needed for use, where a cart cannot go. The handles or levers should be of ash or some tough wood, and the Fi"-. 163.— WnEELBARROW sides and bottom of any light wood. The wheel is soft wood, shod with iron. The Spade (fig. 164).— The best kinds of these in use' are Ames' cast-steel; excellent, strong, light articles. They work clean and bright as silver. There are several sizes. For heavy work, trenching, draining, raising trees, etc., the largest should be used. The Shovel (fig. 165).— This is used in mixing, loading, and spreading com- posts and short manures. The blade !'| should be of cast-steel. ' The Forked Spade (fig. 166).— This resembles a fork. It has three to five stout cast-steel tines, at least an inch wide, and pointed. It is used instead of a spade to loosen the earth about the roots of trees, to turn in manures, etc., being much less liable to cut and injure them than the spade. The Dung-ForJc (fig. 167).— There are several kinds. Those of cast-steel, cut out of a solid Fio;. 164. — SPADE. IMPLEMENTS OF THE SOIL. 495 plate, with three or four tines, are the best, light and dura- ble ; they are sometimes made with six tines. It is the only implement proper for loading, mixing, or spreading fresh rough manures with facility and dispatch. Fig. 165.— SHOVEL. Fi^. 166.— FORKED SPADES. The Pick. — This is a useful, and even indispensable implement in the deepening or trenching of soils with a hard subsoil that cannot be operated upon with the spade. It consists of an ash handle, and a head composed of two levers of iron pointed with steel, and an eye in the centre for the handle. The Garden-Line and Reel (fig. 168). — The line should be a good hemp cord, from one eighth to one fourth of an inch in diameter, attached to light iron stakes about eigh- teen inches lonsr. On one of the stakes a reel is attached. 49G ifUESERY AND FRUIT GARDEi^ IMPLEMENTS. This is turned by means of a handle, and the line neatly and quickly wound up. The Hoe. — This is a universal instrument in this coun- try. In some cases, all the gardening operations are per- formed with it. Its uses in tree culture are to open trenches for seeds, to cover them, to loosen and clean the surface of the ground from weeds, etc. There are two kinds, the draw hoe (figs. 169, 170, 171) and the Dutch or thrust hoe (fig. 172) ; this we do not use at all. Of the difierent kinds and forms of the draw hoe, the most crenerally useful is ,, , Fig. 167. — DUNG-FORKS. the square, a cast- steel plate, about six inches long and four wide, with a light, smooth handle. The semicircular and triangular hoes may be advantage- ously used in certain cases. The Pointed Garde7i Hoe (fig. 173) is useful among borders and small plants. The Bake (fig. 174) is used to level, smooth, pulverize, and clean the surface of the ground after it has been spaded Fig. 168.-LINE AND ^^ ^^^^^ <^^ ^^ prepare it for seeds, etc. REEL. They are of diflferent sizes, with from IMPLEMENTS FOR CUTTING. 497 six to twelve teeth. The best are those of which the head and teeth are drawn out of a solid bar of steel. /ii Tliose that are welded and riveted soon get out of order. Section 2. — Implements foe Cutting. The Priming Saw. — This is used for cutting off branches, either too large for the knife, or so situated that the knife cannot operate. It has various sizes and forms. Some are jointed, and fold like a pruning-knife ; others are like the common carpenter's handsaw, but smaller and stouter. Two forms are shown at fig. 175. The Bow-Saw (fig. 176). — This is the most generally useful form for the gardener or nur- 169.— seryman. Tlie blade is very narrow, and stiff- ened by an arch back. It is fastened at both ends by a rivet to the screw on which the back turns, and by wliich it is adapted to different pur- poses. It is indispensable in making horizontal cuts close to the ground, as in heading down. Some are set with a double row of teeth on one side, Fig. SQUARE DRAW-HOE, Fig;. 170.— TRIANGULAR DRAW-HGE. T\g. 171.— SEMICIRCULAR DRAW-HOR, and the edge is much thicker than the back ; these w^ork much easier than those toothed in tlie ordinary way, and it would be an object to have them where much saw-prun- 498 NUESEKY AN"© FRUIT GARDEJ^ IMPLEMEN^TS. ing is to be done. Wherever the saw is used, the cut surface should be pared smooth with the knife, to facili- tate its healing. Long-handled pruning-saws are sometimes recommended, but never should be used in pruning fruit- trees, if possible to avoid it. The branch to be operated should be reached by means of a ladder, if need be, within arm's length, and cut with a common saw. Hand Pruning- Shears (fig. 177).— There is a kind of these made now, that, having a mov- ing center, as in the figuro, make a smooth draw cut almost equal to that of a knife, and it is a very- expeditious instru- ^'^S- l^a.— dutch ob , . ^T_ T 1 /> THRUST-HOE. ment m the hand of a skilful workman. In pruning out small dead branches, shortening in peach- trees, etc.. It will perform four times as much work as a knife. Fig. 173. — POINTED Fruning Scissors (fig. 178).— These g^Rden-hoe. scissors cut as smoothly as a knife, and can be easily car- ried in the pocket, ready to take away a small branch wherever it may chance to be observed. Lopping or Branch Shears. — These are very strongly IMPLEMENTS FOR CUTTING. 409 made, with long wooden handles, and are used for cutting jl^^ thick branches from trees, shrub- ll*-*'^^"!,*^ hery, hedges, etc. One form is shown in fig. 179. Pole Pruning Shears. — These resemble tlie hand-shears, but are woiked by a string passing over a pulley, and are fixed on a pole of any lequired length. They are used in cutting cions, diseased shoots, etc., from the heads of lofty stand- ard trees. Grape Scissors. — These are small, sharp-pointed scissors, as in fig. 180, for thinning bunches of grapes. The Pruning- Kntfe. — The best for general purposes are those of medium size, with a handle about four inches long, smooth, slightly hollowed in the back ; the blade ^. about three and a half inches lonar, Fig. 174.— GARDEN RAKE. - /- • i • -i j three quarters oi an mch wide, and nearly straight (fig. 181). For very heavy work a larger Fi3 Reinette Canada 344 Repka 334 Rhode Island Grefening 353 Ribston Pippin 353 Richard's Graft 340 Richfield Nonsuch .353 Ridge Pippin 354 Roman Stem 354 Rome Beauty 341 Roxbury Russet a54 Sherwood's Fawiite 337 Shiawassee Beauty 354 Shockley 354 Smith's Cider 354 Smokehouse 355 Snow 346 Sops of Wine 341 IN^DEX. 611 sterling Beauty 341 Stevenson's Winter 355 St. Lawrence 341 Stump 3i 1 Summer Hagloe 3 '4 Summer Pippin a34 Summer Queen 334 Summer Rose 335 Summer Sweet Paradise 3^35 Sutton Beauty 355 Swaar 355 Sweet June 333 Sylvan Sweet 360 Talman's Sweet 355 Tallow Pippin 339 Tetofsky 335 Tewksbury Winter Blush 355 Titovka 335 Titus Apple 3:!5 Townsend 335 Transcendent 360 Tulpehocken 345 Twenty Ounce 356 Vandevere of New York 350 Van Wyck 360 Vermont Pumpkin Sweet 339 Virginia Greening 356 Wagener 356 Washington Strawberry 341 Wealthy 356 Western Beauty 356 Westfield Seek-no-further 356 White Pippin 356 White Winter Pearmain 357 Whitney 360 Wine 357 William's Favorite a35 William's Red 335 Willow Twig 357 Winter Rose 351 Winter Sweet Paradise 337 Winter Wine 357 Wolf River 357 Woolman's Long 351 Yellow Bellflower 358 Yellow Newtown Pippin 358 Yellow Siberian Crab 361 Yellow Transparent 336 York Imperial 358 Apricots. Albergo de Montgaraet 386 Beaui^e ^l 386 Blenheim 386 Breda 386 Canino Grosso 386 Buhois 386 Early Golden 386 Early Masculine 387 Early Moorpark 386 Hemskirke 3S7 Kaisha 387 Large Early 387 Montqamet 386 Moorpark 387 New Large Early 387 Orange 387 Peach 387 Red Masculine 387 Royal 387 Siirdinian 387 Ship ey 386 St. Anibroise 387 Turkey 387 Berberries. Berberis dulci's 434 Common Red 434 Purple-Fruiteil 434 Purple-Leaved 434 Sweet-Fruited 434 Variegated-Leaved 434 Violet-Fruited 434 White-Fruited 434 Blackberries. Agawam 434 Ancient Briton 434 Dorchester 434 Early Harvest 435 Improved High Bush 434 Kittatinny 435 Lawton 435 New Rochelle 435 Snyder 435 Stayman's Early 435 Stone's Hardy ., 435 Taylor's Prolific 445 Wallace 435 Wachusett Thornless 435 Western Triumph 436 Wilson's Early 435 Clierries. Apple 390 Belle de Choisy. .392 Belle d'Orleans Belle Magnilique 392 Bigarreau 390 Black Eagle ^sgg Black Tartarian 388 Carnation 392 Cleveland Bigarreau 390 Coe's Transparent " 388 Delicate "388 Donna Maria !!392 Downer's Late Red '.M9 Early Richmond : . 392 Elkhwn 391 Elton 3S9 Empress Eugenie 393 English 394 Governor Wood 3S9 Great Bigarreau 39O Gridlev 390 Knight's Early Black 389 Large Purple Guigne 389 Late Duke 393 Lieb 393 Lonis Philippe 393 May Duke 393 Monstrense de Mezel 390 Montmorency Larire-fruited 393 Montmorency Ordinaire 393 Morello 394 Napoleon Bigarreau 390 OhioBeauty 39O 512 Iiq^DEX. Olivet ...394 Ked Jacket 391 Reine Hortense 394 Rockpoit Biganeau 391 Boyal Ann 390 Royal Duke 394 Tradescani's Black Heart 391 Windsor 391 Yellow Spanish 390 C'liestnats. American Chestnut 460 Chinquapin 460 Dwarf Chestnut 460 Marron 460 Marron de Lyon 460 Spanish Chestnut 460 Currants. Black Naples 419 Cherry... 419 Fay's Prolific 419 La Versaillaise 420 Lee's Black Prolific 420 Long-Bunched Red. 420 Prince Albert 420 Red Dutch 420 Short-Bunched Red 420 White Dutch 420 WhiteGrape 420 Figs. Adam. 455 Angelica 455 Angeliqiie 455 Brown Ischia 455 Brown Turkey 455 Brunswick 455 Early Violet 455 Pregussata 455 White Genoa 455 Filberts. Coburg. 460 Cosford 460 Dwarf Prolific 460 Frizzled 461 Red-Skinned 461 White 461 Gooseberries. English Varieties 421 American Varieties 421 American Seedling 421 Downing 421 Houghton's Seedling 421 Pale Bed 42 1 Smith's Improved 421 Qrapes. Fordg7i Varieties— Blade or Purple. A^Q Foreign Varieties— Red 452 Foi'eign Varieties— White 452 Native Varieties- Black 436 Native Varieties — Red 440 Native Varieties— New & Untested . .^b Native Varieties— White 443 Adirondack 445 Agawam 440 Alicante 450 Allen's Hybrid 445 Amber Queen .445 Antoinette 450 Arnold's No. 1 449 Augusta . . 450 August Giant 445 Bacchus 446 Barry 436 Belinda 450 Black Defiance 446 Black Eagle 446 Black Frontignan 450 Black Hamburgh 451 Black Palestine 450 Bowood Muscat 452 Brighton 440 Buckland's Sweetwater 452 Burnet 446 Canada 446 Carlotta 450 Catawba 440 Centennial 446 Champion 437 Champion Hamburgh 451 Chasselas de Falloux 452 Chasselas de Fontuinbleau 453 Chasselas Musque 452 Christine 439 Clinton 437 Concord 437 Creveling 437 Croton 446 Cynthiana 437 Delaware 441 Diana 441 Duchess 443 Early Dawn 447 Early Silver Frontignan 453 Early Smyrna Frontignan 453 Early Victory ." 447 El Dorado 447 Elsinburgh 437 Elvira 447 Empire State 443 Essex 438 Eugenia 450 Eumelan 438 Foster's White Seedling 453 Gaertner 442 General Delia Marmora 453 Goethe. .• 442 Golden Champion 453 Golden Drop 447 Golden Hamburgh 453 Grizzly Frontignan 452 Gros Colman 451 Gros Moroc 451 Harrison 450 Hartford Prolific 438 Herbemoat 438 Herbert 438 Highland 447 Ida... 450 lona 442 Isabella 438 Ives 439 Ives'' Seedling .439 Jnnesville 448 Jefferson 448 INDEX. 513 Jessica 448 Jnia Muscat 451 Lady 443 Lady Downe's 451 Lady Washington 443 Lexi ngton 450 Linden 450 Lindley 442 Martha 444 Mapsasoit 442 Maxatawney 444 Merrimack 439 Monroe 439 Moore's Early 439 Mrs. Prince's Black Muscat 452 Muscat d' Aont 451 Mnscat Hamburgh 451 Muscat Lierval .'. 451 Muscat Noir 450 Muscat St. Laurent 450 Naomi 448 Niagara 444 Noah 448 Norton's Virginia ...439 Norwood 449 Oneida 449 Ontario 449 Oriental 449 Othello 449 Pocklington 444 Prentiss ...444 Primavis Froutignan 453 Purple Coustantia 452 Rebecca 444 Rochester 442 Rockingham 450 Rogers' No. 1 442 Rogers' No. 3 442 Rogers' No. 4 440 Rogers' No. 14 442 Rogers' No. 15 440 Rogers' No. 19 ; 439 Rogers' No. 41 438 Rogers' No. 43 436 Rogers' No. 44 438 Rogers' No. 53 443 Rose Chasselas 452 Royal Muscadine 453 Salem 443 Senasqna 449 Syrian 454 Tollman's Seedling 437 Telegraph 439 To Kalon 449 Trenthani Black 452 Triumph 449 Union Village 449 Vergeunes 450 Victoria 4.50 Walter 450 Waverly 450 White Frontignan 4.54 White Muscat of Alexandria 454 White Nice 454 Wilder 440 Wilmington Red 450 Worden 440 Wyoming Red 450 lUnlberries. Black 436 Everbearing 436 Johnson 436 Nectarines. Bost on 395 Downton 395 Early Newington 395 Early Violet 395 Eiruge 395 Hardwicke's Seedling 395 Hunt's Tawny ■. 395 Lord Napier . . 396 Lucombe's Black 395 Pi tmaston Orange 396 Red Roman 396 Rivers' Orange 396 Stanwick 396 Victoria 396 Violette Hative 395 Oranges and otlier Tropical Fruits. Bergamot 457 Chinese 457 Cttrus Decumuna 457 Citrus Limetta 458 Citrus Limonium 458 Custard Apple ^ 459 Havana 457 Lemon 458 Lime 458 Malta Blood 457 Maltese 457 Mandarin 457 Myrtle-Leaved 457 Otaheite 457 Pomegranate 458 Pawpaw 459 St. Augustine 456 St. Michaels 457 Shaddock 457 Tangerine 457 Variegated-Loaved 457 PeacJbes. Alexander 397 Alexander Noblesse 397 Barnard's Telloiv 409 Beer's Smock 397 Bellegarde 397 Bergen's Yellow 397 BiUyeu's Comet 397 Billyeu's Late October 397 Chinese Cling 397 Cole's Early Red 398 Columbia 398 Cooledge's Favorite 398 Conkiing 39S Crawford's Early 398 Crawford p Late 398 Crimson Galande 398 Drnid Hill 399 Early Beatrice 399 Early Louise 399 Early Newington Freestone 399 Early Rivers ....399 Early Royal George 397 Early Silver 400 514 Iiq-DEX. Early Tillotson : 400 Early York .....400 Fiat Peach of China 405 Fleita's 400 Poster 400 Freainaii . 400 Georgo the Fonrlh .400 Gosliawk 401 Groesc Miirnouiie. 401 Haii.es' Early..... 401 Hale's Early 401 Heath Cling. 401 Heath Free .402 Hill's Chili 401 Honest John .. 402 Indian Blood. 402 Indian Peuch 398 Jacques' Rareripe 402 Kenrick's Heath 402 Keyport White:.. 402 Lady Parham 402 La Grange 402 Large Early York 402 Large While Cling 403 Late Admirable 403 Lemon Cling 403 Lord Palmerston , 403 Magdala 403 Malta 403 Monstrense de Done 404 Moore's Favorite 404 Morris White 404 Mor?^ White Rareripe 404 Mountain Rose 404 Mrs. Brett 404 Nectari ne . 404 Noblesse 404 Oldinixon Cling 405 Oldmixton Freestone 405 Peen-To 405 Picquet's Late 405 President 405 Princess of Wales 405 Red-cheeked Melocoton 405 Reeves' Favorite 406 Rivers' Early York 406 Rodman's Cling 406 Salway 406 Serrate Early York 400 Shanghai 406 Smock Freestone 406 Snow 406 Steadley 407 Stump the World 407 Surpasse Melocoton 407 Susquehanna 407 Teton de Venus 403 Thurber 407 Tippecanoe Cling 407 Troth's Early 408 Wnger 408 Walburton Admirable 408 Ward's Late Free 408 Waterloo 408 Wheatland 408 Yellow Alberge 409 Yellow Rareripe 409 Yellow St. John 400 Pears. Abbott 378 Ananas d' Ete , 365 Andre Desportes 362 Andrews 378 Baronne de Mello 366 Bartlett 362 Belle Epine Dumas — 374 Belle de Flandres 369 Belle Lucrative 3fi6 Bergamot Esiieren 379 Besi de Montigny 379 Besi Esperen 379 Beurre Bosc 366 Benrre Boussock 368 Beurre Brown 378 Benrre Clairgeau 366 Benrre d'Albret 378 Beurre d'Amanlis 378 Beurr6 d'Angleterre 378 Beurre d'Angon 366 Beurr6 d'Aremberg 375 Beurre de Brignais 366 Beurre de I'Assomption 378 Beurre de Nantes 382 Beurre de Waterloo 380 Beurre Diel 367 Beurre Duiand 378 Beurre Easter 374 Beurre Giffard 363 Beurre Golden of Bilboa 378 Beurre Gris d' Hiver Nonveau 375 Beurre Hardy 367 Benrre Maxion 378 Beurre Moi re 379 Beurre Picquery 374 Beurre Snperfin .367 Black Worcester 379 Bloodgood 363 Bonne de Malines 377 Bonne de Puits Ansault 367 Brandy wine 363 Buffum .... 368 Butter Pear 369 Caen de France 379 Catiliac 379 Chinese Pear 371 Clmrch .....379 Clapp's Favorite 363 Coit's Beurre 379 Columbia 375 Comte deFlandre 379 Comtesse de Lumay 379 Conseiller de la Cour 372 Dana's Hovey 375 D'Alencon 3'^5 Dearborn's Seedling 363 Des Nonnes 366 De Tongres 380 Dix 380 Doctor Lindley. . 380 Doctor Reeder 368 Doyenne Boussock 368 Dovenn6 d' Alencon 375 Doyenne d'Et6. .*. 364 Doyenne d' Hiver 374 Doyenne d' Hirer d'' Alencon 375 Doyenn6 du Cornice 368 IN^DEX. 515 Doyenn6 Gray 368 Doyenne White. 3(59 Due d' Aremberg 375 Due de Bm^deanx 374 Due de Brabant 380 Dncliesse crAnj^oiileme 369 Diichesse de Berry d' Ete 364 Dnchesse d'Orleans 380 Dnchesse Precoce 369 Diihamel du Monceau 376 Edmunds 380 Emile de Hey?t 369 Eugene Appert 380 Flem=sh Beauty 369 Fondante Bihorel 380 Fondante d'Automm 366 Frederick Clapp 370 Fulton 370 Gansel'a Bergamot 381 Gansel's Seckel 381 General Taylor 381 General Totlebeii 381 Glout Morceau 376 Gratioli of Jersey 381 Gregoire Bordillon 381 Henri Desportes 381 Henry the Fourth 381 Hoosic 370 Howell 370 Jalousie de Foutenay Vendes 381 Jones 371 Josephine de Malines 376 Jules Bivort 881 Keiffer 371 Kingsessing 382 Kirtland 371 Lawrence 376 Le Conte 371 Louise Bonne de Jersey 372 Madam Eliza 382 Madelaine 364 Manning's Eliznhelh 364 Marechal de la Cour 372 Marie Benoist 382 Marie Louise 382 Marie Louise d' Uccles .382 Maurice Desportes 382 Merriam 372 Mount Vernon 376 Niintais 382 NePlusMenris 366 Nonveau Poiteau 382 Onondaga 372 Osband's Summer 364 Oswego Beurre 382 Ott 383 Paradise d' Antomne 372 Petite Mariruerite 364 Pitmaston Ducliess 373 Pius the 9th 383 Piatt 383 Pound 377 Pratt 373 President Mas 383 Rapelje's Seedling 383 Rosteizer 365 Rutfer 383 Seckel 873 Slieldon 373 Souvenir d'Esperen .'.383 Souvenir du Congres 365 St. Gliislain 333 St. Michael Archangel 383 SL Nicholas 380 Stevens' Genesee 373 Summer Vergalieu 364 Swan's Otange 372 'i'y=?ori 365 Urbanisle , 374 Uvedale's St. Germain 377 Vergalieu 369 Vicar of Winkfield 377 Washington 374 Williams'' Bonchretien 362 Winter Nelis .377 Plums. Autumn Gage 410 Belle de Seprembre 416 Bleecker's Gage 411 Blue Imperatrice 411 Bradshaw 411 Bryanton's Gage 411 Coe's Golden Drop. 411 Columbia 411 De Caradeuc 418 Denniston's Superb 411 Duane's Purple 412 Fellemberg 412 General Hand . .412 German Prune 412 Goliath 412 Green Gage 412 Huling's Superb 412 Ickworth Imperatrice — 413 Imperial Gage ^ 413 Jefferson... ., 413 July Green Gage !.'...!.!.. 413 Langdon 418 Lawrence's Favorite 413 Lombard 414 Lucomb's Nonsuch 414 i Magnum Bonum, Yellow 414 ' McLatighlin 4l4 Miner 418 Munroe Gage 414 Newman 418 Ontario 414 Orange 414 Orleans 415 Oulin's Golden Gage 415 Pond's Seedling 415 Prince Eiisrlebert 415 Prince's Yellow Gage 415 Prune d'Agen 415 Quackenboss 415 Reine Claude de Bavay 416 Saint Catherine 416 Saint Lawrence 416 Shropshire Damson,... 416 Smitli's Orleans 41(» Victoria 416 Waeenheim 416 Washing; on 416 Weaver 418 Wild Goose 418 516 I^-DEX. Yellow Gage 417 Quinces. Apple Shaped or Orange 384 Angers 384 Champion . 385 Chinese 385 Japan 385 Pear-shaped 385 Portugal 385 Kea's Seedling 385 Raspberries. American Black Cap 423 Baumforth's Seedling 426 Belle de Fontenay 425 Belle de Paliuau 422 Brandy wine 423 £jinckle''s Orange. : 423 Caroline 423 Clarke 422 Crimson Beauty 426 Cuthbert 424 Doolittle 423 Fastolf 422 Franconia 422 French 422 Gregg 424 Hansen 426 Herstine 422 Highland Hardy 424 Hopkins 426 Hornet 422 Hudson River Antwerp 422 Joslyn's Black Cap 423 Knevett's Giant 423 Lost Rubies 426 Mammoth Cluster 424 Marlboro 426 McCormicTc 424 Merville des Quarti-c Saipons 425 Miami.... 424 Montclair 426 Ohio Everbearing 425 Orange 423 Parnell 423 Philadelphia 424 Queen of the Market 424 Red Antwerp. 423 Bed Antwerp of the Hudson River . . 422 Reliance 424 Seneca Black Cap 424 Shaffer's Colossal 426 Souhegan 425 Snperb 427 Susqueco 423 Thwack 425 Turner 425 Tvler 427 Vice-Pi^esident French 422 Victoria 423 Welsh 427 Strawberries. Alxnne Varieties 430 American Varieties 427 Foreign Vai^fies 430 Eautbois Varieties.. 431 New Varieties 431 Alpine Busli 430 Alpine Wood 430 Autumnal Galande 431 Belle Bordelaise 431 Bidwell 427 Big Bob 433 Black Defiance 431 Boyden's No.ZQ 433 Captain Jack 431 Charles Downing '. 427 Crescent Seedling 427 Crystal City 432 Cumberland Triumph 428 Duchesse 428 Duncan 432 Early Canada 433 Finch's Prolific 433 Forest Rose 432 Golden Defiance 432 Golden Queen 430 Great American 432 Green Prolific 428 Gypsy 433 Hai t's Minnesota 433 Hervey Davis 432 Hovey 428 James Vick 4a3 Jersey Queen 432 Jucunda 430 Kentucky 428 KirMood 433 Lennig's White 428 Longfellow 432 Manchester 433 Miner's Great Prolific 433 Monarch of the West 429 Monstrous Hautbois 431 Montreuil 431 Mount Vernon 433 Neunan's Prolific 429 Nicanor 429 Nigh's Superb 433 Oliver Goldsmith 433 Phelps' Seedling 433 Pioneer 433 Piper's Seedling 433 President Wilder 429 Primo 433 Prouty's Seedling 433 Royal Hautbois 431 Seneca Queei; 433 Selh Boyden ; 433 Sharplrss 429 Triomphe de Gand 430 Triple Crown 433 Trollope's Victoria 430 Warren 433 Wilson's Albany 429 Windsor Chief. 430 TTaliiuts. Black Walnut 461 Butternut 461 Dwarf Prolific Walnut 461 Encrlish Walnut. 461 Hickory Nut 461 Madeira Nut , — 461 * " ^. ^ ,^^ •\ %. '••l7.»^\o' '-6, vV ^ * K ^ # ^ ^^^^:^^<^ .o ^A_ * •> s ^ ^> ,\' * A v-^' .'■^^ Ct- » <, c> -A .^^^ n'?"^ '<^. =>?^l:^^ ^. ^'c- ■^*. >'