178 



THE IDA GREEN GAGE. 



another, "a full bearer ;" "a profuse bearer." 

 Without doubt, Mr. Burr's statement would 

 satisfy any man, that any one of his seed- 

 lings was a profuse bearer — su far as his 

 experience had gone. But if they have been 

 cultivated as yet in but one place, if only 

 under Mr. Burr's management, then it 

 ought to appear, in any report, to what ex- 

 tenl they have been proved. As it is, the 

 greatest number of readers will understand 

 Messrs. Longworth, Ernst, Hoffner, etc., as 

 stating on their own personal knowledge, 

 and after a proper trial, that these plants 

 have, as a general character, the habit of 

 "profuse" bearing, "abundant" bearing, 

 " good " bearing, etc. 



The second matter on which we lack in- 

 formation, is the comparative merits of 

 these candidates. Are they all better than 

 any now cultivated ? Is each better in 

 some one respect ? Are they more hardy, 

 more prolific, larger in fruit, higher flavor- 

 ed or colored ? Is there good reason, aside 

 from their new7iess, why they should sup- 

 plant old sorts in our gardens, or share 

 " bed and board " with them ? 



It is not enough that a society should re- 

 port simply with their eye upon a lot of fruit. 

 As the report is meant for the community, 

 it ought to be carefully considered what ef- 

 fect a given report will probably have upon 

 the community. Did the Cincinnati Horti- 



cultural Society design to say to cultiva- 

 tors — "These seven seedlings of Mr. Burr's 

 have been thoroughly tested, and are found 

 worthy of general cultivation ;" or did they 

 only mean to say — "In so far as we have 

 been able to judge from the mere inspection 

 of the/rwz7, we are pleased with Mr. Burr's 

 seven seedlings, and recommend that they 

 be further tried, until their full habit and 

 worth be ascertained." 



It is our impression, that the latter report 

 was all that was warranted by the facts ; 

 but the first one is certainly the one which, 

 in effect, has been made. 



We do not make these remarks to preju- 

 dice Mr, Burr; or because we think his 

 seedlings less than excellent. The fact is, 

 that we know very little about them. We 

 are told that they are excellent : so is the 

 Hudson, Early Virginia, Hovey, etc., etc. 

 Are these as good 1 Are they better ? Do 

 they supply any deficiency in old sorts 1 Do 

 they bear later, or earlier, or better, or larger 

 fruit, or in what respect do they claim ad- 

 mission among standard strawberries ? 



The difficulty of raising apples and pears, 

 will put some kind of limit to their increase. 

 But if the fever once rises for originating 

 small fruits, whose term of maturity is short 

 — a year or two — we shall be deluged with 

 novelties, unless there be distinct terms of 

 admission. 



THE IDA GREEN GAGE. 



The upper half of the Hudson river has, 

 very deservedly, a high reputation for its 

 plums. The heavy soil is peculiarly adapt- 

 ed to the growth and productiveness of this 

 fruit, and there is scarcely a season when 

 the fruit gardens and orchards, about Hud- 

 son, Albany, Troy, (and we may include 

 Schenectady,) do not offter a fine display of 

 this excellent fruit. 



The plum at the head of this article has 

 considerable local reputation, as being a 

 fine seedling fruit. Knowing our desire to 

 examine specimens, Mr. Reagles, of Sche- 

 nectady, a nurseryman, who ranks it ve 



high, and has already propagated it to some 

 extent, has very obligingly sent us speci- 

 mens obtained from the original tree on 

 Mount Ida, near Troy, N. Y., accompanied 

 by the following note : 



" Schenectady, N. Y-, Sept. 7. 



" Dear Sir — I send you, by express, spe- 

 cimens of the new seedling plum, called the 

 Ida Gage, taken from the original tree now 

 growing on Mount Ida, (Troy.) I am not 

 aware yet to whom it owes its origin, but 

 will endeavor to ascertain and inform you.* 



* We presume tliis tree is a seedling of Mr. Heartt's, in 

 wliose eXLcllenl frujl garden, on Mount Ida, we saw a num- 

 ber of seedlings resembling ihe green gage, some few years 

 ago. — En. 



