194 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



then others in the following order : Ilubbardston Nonsuch, Jewett's 

 Red, Bell's Early, Williams', Red Astrachan, Roxbury Russet. 



The replies received were not s» numerous as was anticipated, 

 and not all which came, were from persons in possession of exten- 

 sive collections, which may account for the fact that so few of what 

 may be deemed the newer varieties were even mentioned. ' 



It is gratifying to learn that the Baldwin has so well withstood, 

 or recovered from, the effects of the severe winters a few years 

 ago. It is almost exclusively grown by grafting into limbs, and by 

 this method proves hardy enough to command much confidence as 

 a profitable variety for extensive culture. 



Descriptive List of Apples. 



The varieties described below are some of those which are be- 

 lieved to have been sufficiently tested to enable us to speak of them 

 with comparative confidence. By far the greater number of those 

 known to be cultivated in the State, or even of those which have 

 frrited on our own grounds, are purposely omitted ; and this for a 

 variety of reasons. Concerning some we have contradictory tes- 

 timony from cultivators in different sections, and sometimes, loo, 

 from those even on adjacent farms. Tastes differ also, as well as 

 fruits, or opinions regarding them. We have known one cultivator 

 to procure scions for grafting, from the limbs cut off by another as 

 unworthy of cultivation. Concerning a portion we have too lim- 

 ited a knowledge, others are open to the objection of, succeeding 

 much better in some localities than in others ; some are known to 

 be uncertain bearers, or variable in quality, and of others still the 

 omission is justified by seemingly sufficient reasons. 



The variation, in most fruits, and especially in regard to quality, 

 which is due to soil, season, culture, health and vigor of the tree, 

 and other causes, is such that it is really no easy matter to do full 

 justice in each case ; and descriptions should be relied upon chiefly 

 to give a general idea of size, color, form, and other characteristics, 

 rather than minute accuracy in all respects. 



Many of the illifttrations, both of apples and pears, are bor- 

 rowed from Ilovey's Magazine of Ilorticulture, an excellent 

 monthly periodical published in Boston, and largely devoted to 

 fruit culture, and they are believed to be more than usually accu- 

 rate in delineation. 



