HORTICULTURE. 323 



directed towards the remaining fruits, which, in consequence, become much finer ; and these 

 are gathered in the same manner, and successionally. The operation of successional gather- 

 ing, called, in French gardening terms, V 'entrecueillement, may be very advantageously followed 

 up, because all the fruits on a tree never ripen simultaneously; and that they may acquire 

 full perfection, it is important that they should be left on the tree to attain the necessary 

 degree of maturity, known to the practised eye by certain signs, which it would be difficult 

 to point out without entering into tedious details. 



With regard to the late autumn, winter, and spring pears, the same proceeding is adopted ; 

 it is only by successional gathering, V entrecueillement, that we can hit upon the proper time, 

 and know the happy medium between gathering too early or too late. When some fruits, 

 neither bruised nor pierced by insects, of a late variety of pear begin to drop, although not 

 affected by strong winds, nor by the continued drought which we sometimes experience in 

 our climate towards the end of September, and when the leaves begin to turn yellow and fall 

 from the tree, an attentive and experienced person will perceive that the period of gathering 

 is close at hand. As above stated, the period of the maturity of the fruit on the tree, and 

 likewise in the fruit-room, depends in a great measure on the soil in which the tree is planted ; 

 and the most delicious qualities of certain varieties of pears are owing to the peculiar nature 

 of the soil. The lighter, warmer, and drier the soil, the sooner the flow of sap ends, and the 

 earlier the fruit indicates the necessity of partial gathering. But in case of a stiff, cold soil, 

 it is the reverse. 



It cannot be denied, and all practical men agree, that the stock has great influence, not 

 only as regards the period of gathering the fruit, but also with respect to that of its ripening 

 in the fruit-room. I knew a cultivator who raised stocks for budding with summer and 

 autumn fruits, others for winter and spring varieties. With regard to the summer and autumn 

 kinds, the nature of the stock is of little importance ; but when long-keeping sorts are worked 

 on wild-pear stocks, which stocks, if allowed to fruit, would produce summer pears, it is 

 certain that the period of ripening of late pears worked on these stocks would be affected. I 

 have seen some seedlings, planted in proper soil, produce fruit of which the medium time of 

 ripening on their own roots had been fixed between December and February; but when grafted 

 on summer or early-ripening wild pears, the ripening of the above varieties, grown in similar 

 soil, was accelerated more than a month. Such irregularities do not result from propaga- 

 tions on the quince stocks, because these are identically reproduced from layers. The im- 

 portance of avoiding the unsuitable union of winter and summer fruits will be readily 

 admitted; that is, the grafting of late-ripening varieties of pear-trees on early-ripening wild- 

 pear stocks. 



I am aware it will be objected that the purchaser would not take precautions on this point 

 into consideration; that he only sees to the young trees having been once or twice properly 

 cut or pruned; and that a certain number of such-and-such varieties required for his planta- 

 tion is obtained. I understand these objections, because they do in reality exist. However, 

 there are some intelligent amateurs who wish to obtain good articles on which they can 

 depend, and are willing to pay a good price for them as a just remuneration to the producer. 



Warm and early seasons accelerate the maturity of the fruit on the tree, but not in the 

 fruit-room. After a good summer and warm autumn, pears keep better, are always longer 

 in becoming fit for use, than when the season is otherwise, especially as regards the late sorts. 

 In conclusion, from what has been stated, it results that the same kind of fruit cannot be 

 gathered uniformly at the same date, owing to various circumstances which influence the 

 ripening ; that by successional gatherings, or at intervals, the proper time for different locali- 

 ties is best ascertained ; and that, in general, all the varieties ought to be gathered before 

 their perfect maturity, which should be obtained in the fruit-room. 



Catawissa Raspberry. 



The Catawissa raspberry originated in the graveyard of a little Quaker meeting-house in 

 the village of Catawissa, Columbia county, Pennsylvania. The fruit is of medium size, in- 

 ferior to many of the new popular varieties, but is sufficiently large for all economical pur- 



