THE BLUE PEARMAIN. 201 



usually have our exhibitions, I am very much perplexed to find 

 good specimens to carry to the shows. They look green, as 

 though they ought to hang another month. They grow till 

 about the last of October, and then they swell off large and line, 

 redden all round, and look beautifully. It is remarkably pro- 

 lific. Not so hardy in tree as a great many other varieties ; a 

 little liable to have the canker ; and I had one row of them in 

 the nursery, on pretty heavy soil, and every one of them froze to 

 death down to the snow-line ; but they started again above 

 where they were budded, so that I did not lose the trees out- 

 right ; but still it w r as a loss, for they did not come up so hand- 

 somely as the first time. They should be grown upon high, 

 dry soil, comparatively, and not forced, as it would not be safe 

 to force them. They may be grafted on some tree more hardy 

 in character, like the Blue Pearmain.. Those who know it, 

 express the opinion that that wood (the Blue Pearmain,) is 

 almost as hard as thorn wood, and cuts like it. Poor as the 

 apple is, the tree will bear almost anything, and makes a very 

 good stock to graft upon, it is so hardy. 



Then there is another point which may be interesting to some 

 gentlemen. I have noticed in lifting trees in the nursery, that 

 the roots of different varieties assume different forms. For 

 instance : the Blue Pearmain strikes its roots downward, while 

 the Hubbardston Nonesuch will strike its roots out near the 

 surface. I know this is so, for I have noticed it many times. 

 I find that some trees will have a vast amount of roots — more 

 even than much larger trees in a row alongside. Why it is so, 

 I am unable to say ; I know the fact. The Hubbardston apple 

 has a marked characteristic in this respect. The trees scarcely 

 ever throw their roots so deeply as many other trees. They 

 make excellent trees to plant. They do not grow little fine 

 hairy fibres, without any large roots ; they have plenty of them, 

 almost always. 



A Member. Do you consider the Blue Pearmain a profitable 

 apple to raise ? 



Mr. Clement. No, sir, I do not. Occasionally it grows very 

 large and fine in appearance, and will sell tolerably well on 

 account of its beauty of appearance ; but it is more insipid than 

 the Lyscom, and a tougher skin, also. I have known it to bear 

 very great crops, but it is ordinarily a shy bearer. I recollect a 



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