1811] 



AND HORTICULTURIST. 



IT 



RiHSTON Pippin Apple. — We have been under 

 the impi'ession that this popular Enghsh apple 

 was not adaiited to America, and believed it was 

 now seldom grown, and yet we noticed it in no 

 less than fifteen different exhibits from the north- 

 west, and from Canada, and in splendid condition. 

 Its frequent and superior appearance in this way 

 must have bothered those who believe in old 

 varieties wearing out. 



The Alexander Apple. — This large, very 

 showy, and yet comi^aratively poor apple, ap- 

 peared in many collections at the Centennial. 

 It goes to show that size and appearance after all 

 go a good way in the selection of varieties, in 

 spite of the warning to "plant only the best." 



Three Perfect Crops of Pears in One Season. 

 — A California paper tells us that, " The most 

 astonishing prolificness of fruit ever witnessed 

 in this or any other climate, came to our notice 

 this morning. It is that of a pear tree in the 

 yard of Hon. Mr. Suverkrup, of this place, just 

 in front of the Court House. This tree is about 

 twelve years in bearing. It has as a very com- 

 mon thing, put in its second fully matured crop 

 of delicious pears every season, and has done so 

 this year, and now on this 14th day of October 

 has on it the third crop, fully one-third grown ; 

 the season continuing favorable will doubtless 

 mature the fruit hanging in clusters upon the 

 tree. We have eaten from the first and second 

 crops and we shall apply for a share of the third. 

 This wonderful production will of course be de- 

 nounced as false and incredulous, but we vouch 

 for the truth of it, and doubters can have all their 

 scruples removed by examining for themselves. 

 Whether it is peculiar to the tree or climate or 

 both is a question to be determined. Most likely 

 both. We do not believe the like could be 

 produced in the northern or eastern States, or 

 anywhere else." 



We saw this year in Germantown two full 

 crops on a Smoke-house apple., both ripening per- 

 fectly. The last lot from fiowei's that opened in 

 June were not as large as those from the early 

 ones, but still they were perfectly ripened. Cal- 

 ifornia must look out or her fame will go down. 



Hale's Early Peach. — An Editorial note in 

 the Country Gentleman says: — "We have adopted 

 the practice of allowing the trees of this peach to 

 grow in grass, a cultivated strip at one side, at a 

 distance of seven feet, imparting more vigor to 

 the trees than they would have if the roots were 

 wholly in grass, and giving shoots about ten 



inches long. This practice of seeding to grass, 

 which has proved more or less successful with 

 other cultivators, together with the precaution of 

 gathering the peaches when well colored, and 

 before soft, has saved them generally from the 

 rot (the season being unusually wet), only a few 

 partly decayed specimens being found, and these, 

 so far as exarpined always decayed at a curculio 

 mark." 



We refer to the matter to caution people who 

 grow peaches in grass not to neglect them, or 

 they will soon get yellow and bear small and 

 poor fruit. The trees should be top dressed with 

 some sort of enriching material at least each al- 

 ternate year. It must be remembered that the 

 only merit of growing trees in grass, is that such 

 trees are healthier because the feeding fibres are 

 kept nearer the surface. The Hale's Early rots 

 when by "clean surface culture" the fibres are 

 injured— but keeps sound where among the grass 

 the little roots are let alone. But they must have 

 food; indeed it is the more necessary to look to 

 this when in grass, because grass and trees are 

 both looking for something to eat. 



Hale's Early Peach in England. — It is a re- 

 markable fact that while we took in the Early 

 Beatrice, Early Louise, and such other kinds, to 

 replace the Early Hale, in England they are 

 taking up with Hale's Early to supplant the 

 Dther two. Correspondents of the Gardener's 

 Chronicle say, that in England Hale's Early is two 

 weeks ripe before Early Louise. This is forcing- 

 house experience; perhaps, in the open ground 

 they behave different. 



Peach Plum in Oregon. — We notice in a circu- 

 lar of Mr. V/alling that he exhibited the Peach 

 Plum at the Centennial, and that they were so 

 large and fine that "the committee claimed the 

 right to alter the name to the G. W. Walling, be- 

 cause they were so superior in size and quality 

 to the same variety from other States." 



We do not know who may be meant by " the 

 committee." The writer of this was secretary 

 to the Group of Judges, and he is sure no such a 

 joke was perpetrated by him in his weekly re- 

 ports, and this is all the "Committee" is official- 

 ly responsible for. There are fruit synonyms 

 enough now, without adding G. W. Walling to- 

 the Peach Plum. 



The Phylloxera in California. — It was once 

 an argument against the idea of injury by Phyl- 

 loxera, why the foreign grape resisted Phylloxera 



