NEW FRUITS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 



by wm. Summer, pomaria, s. c. 



A. J. Downing, Esq.- — For fifteen years 

 past I have amused myself with the intro- 

 duction of many of the best fruits known to 

 American Pomologists. When I corn* 

 menced, there were but few choice fruits 

 known in our State, and I was forced to 

 throw myself on the veritable honesty of 

 venders of fruit trees. Upon testing many 

 trees, I find that I have been frequently 

 imposed on, and am indebted to your valua- 

 ble work, "The Fruits and Fruit Trees of 

 America," and its monthly successor, " The 

 Horticulturist," for a key to set me right as 

 to proper names. I have the same fruits fre- 

 quently under half a dozen different names. 

 I have had the various success attending 

 all beginners, but hope that I have remark- 

 ed in my experience sufficiently to point out 

 many things hereafter, for those who may 

 follow me, whereby they may avoid diffi- 

 culties under which I have labored. I hope 

 to be able, at no distant day, to give you 

 an acconnt, from my own observations, of 

 such Northern and European fruits as suc- 

 ceed well in the South, (which we shall 

 be heartily glad to get. — Ed.,) and in order 

 to further the extension of fruit culture 

 in our " sunny land," take the liberty of 

 introducing, through the medium of your 

 journal, a few of my Seedlings, which I 

 have tested, and for our region am satisfied 

 with. I may add, that I have so often been 

 received by descriptions and praises of new 

 fruits, that I am exceedingly loth to claim 

 for my seedlings more than ordinary 



qualities' — but so many of my experiments 

 have turned out as abortive as the attempts 

 of parsons to raise steady men out of their 

 sons, that I think I will do no one ill in 

 sending these the choicest results into the 

 World of trees, with my name attached to 

 them ; so that if I am mistaken in their ex' 

 cellence, the blame of their sponsorship 

 may rest on me. I have many valuable 

 seedling fruits, but my observations have 

 not been so thorough on some others to 

 venture to make them public. 



APPLES. 



No. 1. Ferdinand. Came first into 

 bearing in 184S, and has fruited again this 

 season. It was produced by Mr. Adam 

 Minnick, near Pomaria, and I have named 

 it in honor of his father. The fruit is 

 large, oblate, and irregular in shape j col* 

 our, pale greenish yellow ; basin moderate- 

 ly shallow ; calyx open ; stalk thick, me- 

 dium length ; flesh creamy yellow, ex- 

 tremely tender. In season from November 

 till March. Its habit is not properly de- 

 termined, but young grafted trees have fine 

 upright heads, and are of moderatel}' vigo- 

 rous growth. It is in my opinion destined 

 to become a valuable and indispensible 

 apple for the Southern and Middle States. 

 During the two seasons that it has borne, 

 the fruit has been remarkable for uniformi- 

 ty in size and similarity of appearance. I 

 send you a drawing which is correct, and 

 of natural size. 



