No. 113] 419 ^ 



have not, of which I cannot saj much at present. Of plums 

 I have something of a variet,y; sold last year some forty bushela, 

 mostly of the Green and Blue Gage, some of the Egg, Washington 

 and Scarlet Bleecker, average price twelve shillings per bu^el ; 

 they are all good growers and bearers ; the Green and Blue Gage 

 is generally known in this section, the Washington and Bleecker 

 not so well. The Washington is one of the most beautiful plums 

 that T am acquainted with, if not one of the best, is one oj excel- 

 lent quality. The Egg when well ripened, is a beautiful and good 

 plum, but is so much inclined to rot on the tree before it is ripe, 

 and while in quite a green state, that it is difficult to get anything 

 like a fair crop, and have them well matured ; will scarcely pay 

 to cultivate for market. I had also a few of the Red Magnum- 

 bonum, they were very fine and excellent the past season ; I had 

 a few of the famed Coe's Golden Drop, so much cracked up in 

 some sections of the country; did not ripen well and were worth- 

 less as to flavor; lam of the opinion that they require more season 

 than we have to give them. The cultivation of the peach' is hard- 

 ly worth the time and expense of trying ; I have tried for a num- 

 ber of years ; have never had init a few that were eatable ; do 

 tolerably well for sauce. I have been quite successful in growing 

 the quince for several years past; by paying a little attention to 

 what Mr. Thomas and Barry say on their culture, I think every 

 farmer oould grow theqi for his own use if not ftr the market. 



The cultivation of the grape in this section, as regards dollars 

 and cents, partly pays the labor and expense they require ; the 

 hardiest varieties I am acquainted with (that are worth cultiva- 

 tion,-) require to be laid down and lightly covered through the 

 winter ; I cultivate but two varieties, the Sweet Water and Isabella ; 

 the Sweet Water bears ^paringly and will mature tolerably well 

 if^the late spring and early fall frost can be kept from them ; I do 

 this by covering with some kind of woolen cloth ; cotton or linen 

 will do if kept a little above the fuliage. The Isabella is a great 

 bearer and good grower, not quite as early as the Sweet Water, 

 but in every other respect is greatly superior in my estimation. 

 I occasionally get very fair crops and very well matured, but 

 have to attend strictly to the covering when signs of frost, by lay- 

 ing the clusters simply between ootton batting. Keep them !n 



