1877.] 



AND HOBTIGULTURIST. 



301 



grounds, which I hope will be of interest to 

 peach growers generally. What is now wanted 

 is a reliable peach to fill the gap which Hale's 

 leaves open. The Wilder, I expect, to fill it par- 

 tially, being a week earlier than Hale's. 



NOTES ON EARLY AND OTHER FRUITS. 



BY J. J. BLACKWELL, TITUSVILLE, N. J. 



The Alexander Peach, &c. We have an Alex- 

 ander peach tree third Summer from the bud, 

 two years transplanted next Spring, that has 

 ripened five pe:iches fully ripe the twentieth of 

 Julj'; fruit medium-sized, well colored, and ad- 

 heres to the stone. This is a promising variety here 

 for the amateur, and possibly for the orchardist, 

 if it will ripen before the Mountain Hose gets in 

 market from Delaware. It is useless to grow any 

 other variety here to go in market with the 

 Mountain Rose. Last year this peach sold in 

 Trenton market for one dollar and a half per 

 basket, while Troth's Early were a drug at fifty 

 cents. 



Early Louise I think a very fine peach for the 

 amateur; good bearer and extra quality, but too 

 small to compete in the market. Early Rivers 

 is a poor bearer, and rots badly. We have one 

 tree in verj' rich ground, and think it not worth 

 growing here unless there is much improvement 

 in it. Early Beatrice ripened earlier than Alex- 

 ander, but may not on trees of the same age. 



The Primate Apple is now the most promising 

 variety of early apples that we have. I saw 

 specimens of the Hoover Apple at the Centenni- 

 al Exhibition, and should be pleased to know if 

 it is worthy of cultivation, and if so, where it can 

 be obtained. 



PEEN-TO, OR FLAT PEACH OF CHINA. 



BY MR. P. J. BERKMANS, AUGUSTA, GA. 



In the April number of the Gardener's Monthly 

 I referred to this peculiar variety, wh'ch, although 

 in my collection for a number of years, had 

 heretofore failed to produce fruit. Some two 

 years ago I gave a friend residing in Pensacola, 

 Florida, trees of the most promising of my varie- 

 ties, and to-day, June 23d, he sends me a box of 

 the fruit with the following note : 



" At the time we received the trees you stated 

 that they would not answer for Georgia. I can 

 assure you that here they are a perfect success, 

 and just the Peach for this climate. The sam- 



ples I send you were taken from one tree, from 

 which we have plucked twelve hundred peaches." 

 As this is the first instance of the Peach hav- 

 ing fruited in the United States, it may be inter- 

 esting to California and Florida fruit growers to 

 know more about it. I add the description of 

 the fruit. Size, from 2 to 2^ inches in diameter ; 

 shape, irregularly round, and very much flat- 

 tened ; 1^- inches thick on one side and 1 inch on 

 the other ; a deep furrow starts on the thin- 

 nest side from the stem and ends on the apex, 

 where a deep hollow is formed, having in the 

 centre a deep, narrow calycinal cavity; skin green- 

 ish yellow washed with carmine, and a deeper 

 cheek on one side; flesh white, exceedingly fine 

 in texture, juicy and melting, and with a delicate 

 almond flavor; clingstone; quality very good; 

 pit quite flat ; tree a very rapid grower, of open 

 habit; holds its leaves later than any other 

 variety. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



The Best Apple in the World.— A writer in 

 the London Gardener's Magazine thus boldly ad- 

 vances to battle :— " Cox's Orange Pippin is the 

 finest Apple in the world. This declaration is 

 made in full conviction both of the responsibility 

 it carries, and of its value to all who are inter- 

 ested in the subject of apple culture. Fortu- 

 nately the variety is neither scarce nor dear. 

 Its merits are well-known, and indeed they are 

 so conspicuous that, in common with other good 

 things, it is always speaking for itself, and hence 

 it is everywhere largely propagated and exten- 

 sively planted, and is on the way to take the 

 lead in the apple garden, and prove to all that 

 our declaration in its favor is warranted by the 

 facts. It is one of the best paying Apples in 

 Kent, and it is one of the few that may be trusted 

 for a crop in those damp alluvial valleys or 'bot- 

 toms,' where Spring frosts make the most havoc, 

 and fruit growing is a precarious business." 



Now we have no sort of objection to this if the 

 " world " intended is the little English world ; 

 but if he intends to challenge the great Ameri- 

 can continent he had better beware. Have we 

 no friends in Israel to come out and fight this 

 Philistine ? 



The Reliance Raspberry.— During the Cen- 

 tennial Exhibition, Mr. A. L. Felten exhibited a 



