FRUITS FOR SANDY SOILS. 239 



Question. Would 3-011 plough it in, or cultivate it in ? 



Mr. Damon. I would put it in with a Randall harrow. 

 If I put it on ploughed land, that will put it in as deep as I 

 want it. If the ground was ploughed in the fall, I should 

 not put on au}^ thing but the harrow. 



Mr. Flint. The next request is to name a few apples 

 and pears that floimsh on sandy or light gravelly soils. 

 Mr. Hadwen will answer that question. 



Mr. Hadwen. My experience in growing fruit on light 

 sandy soils is not very extensive ; but I know varieties of 

 pears that have originated in sandy soils, and apparently are 

 of better flavor when they are grown on sandy soils than 

 when grown on clay soils. Among these are the well-known 

 Beurre Bosc, the Lawrence, the Bloodgood, the Seckel, the 

 Vicar of Winkfield, and the Buffum. With the Vicar, a clay 

 soil seems to prolong the season of ripening to such an ex- 

 tent that it is almost always insipid. Apples do not thrive 

 so well on sandy soils as on loamy or little stiffer soils. Still 

 every gentleman will perhaps recall some apple-tree grow- 

 ing on sandy or gravelly soil, where it is well manured, that 

 seems to produce good and well-flavored fruit. But trees 

 growing upon a deeper soil give larger products, and per- 

 haps, as a ride, a little more satisfactory ; but there are no 

 great obstacles to prevent gentlemen having gravelly or light 

 soils from growing many varieties of good pears and apples, 

 provided they make the other conditions equal. 



Mr. WhitakePw How will the Porter do on sandy land? 



Mr. Hadwen. The Porter will thrive on sandy land. 



Mr. Whitakee. The Red Astrachan? 



Mr. Hadwen. I have seen that tree do well on sandy 

 land ; and there are a great many earlier apples still, — the 

 little old Sapson, that was cultivated in Rhode Island, and 

 the Sweet Bough also. But for a market-crop, and for 

 profit, as a rule, they will do better on a little stiffer soil. 



Question. Is there any remedy for the cracking of the 

 Flemish Beauty? 



Mr. Hadwen. I have never been able to discover any. I 

 cannot account satisfactorily for the cause. It would seem 

 that it is caused by atmospheric influences to a very great 

 extent ; for, up to a certain stage, the fruit is smooth and well 

 grown, and in a few days it is all cracked to pieces. And 



