THE SECEETARY'S PORTFOLIO. 231 



It is probable that we have not a first-class winter apple of Kussian origin. 

 Several years ago the Department of Agriculture received a large lot of apple 

 grafts from Russia, which were distributed throughout the country. If any 

 of those grafts have produced fruit of extraordinary merit tlie fact has not 

 been generally published. Russian apples, tree roses, high bush strawberries, 

 Utah hybrid cherries and Cottonwood sprouts (only $3 apiece), labeled Souvenir 

 du Congress pear, belong to a class of fruits and flowers which yield more 

 pleasure in pursuit than in possession, and the traffic in such trash will cease 

 when planters generally read some first class journal devoted to agriculture 

 and horticulture and the valuable annual reports of our State Horticultural 

 Societv. 



A GREAT PEAR TREE. 



We have frequently in the meetings of the State Horticultural Society 

 referred to the old pear trees of Monroe. A correspondent of the Indiana 

 Farmer calls attention to one of these in a communication to that paper in 

 the following terms : 



I call it the largest in the world. When my father returned home from the 

 war of 1812 I recollect hearing him frequently telling of the big pear trees at 

 Monroe, Mich., on the river Raisen, near Lake Erie. In the last few years I 

 chanced to be in Monroe, and meeting my old and esteemed friends. Dr. 

 Warder and Mr. Botherne, of horticultural fame, at the horticultural con- 

 gress, I asked them to go and see the largest pear tree in the world of which 

 we have evidence up to this time. We went and found the tree. It measured 

 at that time, five feet from the ground, 13 feet in circumference. We did not 

 measure the height but the Doctor thought it was 65 to 70 feet high. The tree 

 was still vigorous and had been planted no doubt long previous to 1800. This 

 tree had been planted by the old French settlers in an early day. But what 

 we all wondered at was that the old citizens of that ancient village took no 

 interest in them. This one was surrounded by a fence and tlie lot fenced in a. 

 school-house, and under the shade of that immense tree was a playground for 

 over 100 children. The owner of the tree told me it never failed to bear, nor 

 had he ever seen any blight on the tree. Its annual crop was about 50 bush- 

 els of pears. They were generally beaten off the tree by men with a club, 

 while others held a tarpaulin under the limbs and caught the pears. They were 

 shipped and sold in the Detroit market for about $1 per bushel. There were 

 many otiier of those large pear trees there, but no other so large as this. 



THE LINDLEY GRAPE. 



I have before me a slip cut from Green's Fruit Grower, speaking in the 

 highest terms of this fruit, giving not only the writer's opinion, but quoting in 

 its praise from several prominent vintners and pomologists to the effect that it 

 is one of the best, if not the best, of Rogers's hybrids. As to the quality of the 

 grape when you get it fairly in your hand, I can speak only in its praise ; but 

 I have six other varieties of Rogers's, any one of which I prefer to the Lindley, 

 not so much on account of flavor or hardiness, in both of which the Salem 

 excels it, but any one of the six has been with me more productive and of more 



