364 



THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



^December, 



Perry Pear wits the only variety raised ; now we 

 often hoar our farmers talking of their Duchess 

 and Liniise Bonnes, Hke veterati pomologista. 

 Tiien the only grapes we had were those that 

 grew wild around our rivers, worthless and foxy; 

 while now almost all our farmers have vines of 

 such improved varieties as Concord, Hartford 

 and Delaware ; and many of them are well 

 versed in pruning and the care of vines. All 

 this goes to show that there is intelligence 

 among our rural population, that they read and 

 study. It is further proof that the work of our 

 horticultural and jjomological societies for the 

 past few years is having its effect upon the farm. 

 Well ma}' our leading fruit growers feel encour- 

 aged to labor on in the good cause, wheti they 

 see upon every hand the results of their efforts." 

 [Does our correspondent mean that the "wild 

 native Crab " was " cultivated " by Maine farm- 

 el's? or should it read inferior varieties of the 

 cultivated kinds ?— Ed. G. M.] 



NOTES ON THE SEASON. 



BY A. HUIDEKOPEU, MEADVILLE, PA. 



The year 1877 has witnessed in this region as 

 little grumbling about the weather, and things 

 dependent on the weather, as any season we 

 have ever known. The field crops have been 

 sound and abundant; potatoes of the best 

 quality, despite the Colorado beetle, selling at 

 twenty-five and thirty cents per bushel in the 

 market; and the supply of all fruits, with 

 the 'exception of apples, has been better than 

 usual. Although the nights have been cool, and 

 the Summer temperature below what it was last 

 year, fruits have ripened this Fall from a week to 

 ten days earlier than they did in 1870. 



I give brief notes on some fruits on my own 

 grounds. Readers will bear in mind that local 

 results are only partial tests : — 



Pears — Bnerre Giffard.— Good bearer; fruit 

 fair; early; medium sized; moderately good; 

 juicy. 



Tyson. — Good yield ; fruit hanging in clusters ; 

 medium sized ; sweet ; handsome ; very good. 



Seckel. — Good crop; good size for the variety; 

 juicy, sweet and high flavored ; very fine. This 

 variety often suffers for want of thinning out the 

 f . uit. 



Bloodgood. — Not so good as it was years ago. 



JBToHie//.— Handsome in shape, but about as 

 astringent as the Onondaga. 



Ihichfsse d^ Angcmlhne, — Good ^crop ; fruit large, 

 juicy, sweet; very tine. 



Oairgrau.— Good bearer ; large fruit, but rather 

 ilry for one reputed juicy ; second rate. 



Columbia. — Slow to bear; smooth, green-col- 

 ored fruit. A few specimens showing the histo- 

 rical tendency to large cracks. 



Lnwrrncc. — Early bearer; fair, medium sized 

 fruit, not mature enough yet k) judge of quality. 



Nclis. — Generally a shy bearer though pro- 

 fuse in flowf^ing. This year shows a heavy crop. 

 iSize medium, juicy, sweet, high-flavored. Though 

 labelled Wmtcr, I suppose I must have the Au- 

 tumn Nelis, as the fruit matures fully in October 

 and November. I place this fruit where Downing 

 puts it, " as the Seckel of the late varieties." 



Strawberries.— Magnificent seems the proper 

 term for the huge and long-continuing crop of 

 this fruit placed in the market here this season. 

 Wilson's Albany waged an unequal contest with 

 Monarch of the West, and other giant novelties 

 of late introduction. 



Grapes. — Delaware takes the lead for quality of 

 all the out-door varieties. Gof)d culture, cutting 

 out all the old wood and nnich of the new ; and 

 thinning out the clusters will increase the size of 

 this fruit one half. Experiments with seedlings 

 ought soon to give us a fruit of the same excel- 

 lence and double the size, as a substitute. 



Christine {or Tele^mph) . — This variety is pro- 

 ductive but sets too thickly, and drops off like 

 the Hartford. It may be good for wine, but is 

 not good for eating here. 



lona. — Colored well ; wns good sized and good 

 looking, but is a thin grape lacking character. 



Underhill's Seedling. — This variety is hardy and 

 productive ; fruit a cloudy red color, and being 

 very spicy or aromatic has too much taste to be 

 agreeable as a table grape. 



Xs-raeZ/a.— Bears well, and ripens well, but has 

 not much character to it. 



Rebecca. — Is a poor bearer ; late in ripening ; 

 was eatable this season, though never before for 

 some half dozen years tliat it has fruited here. 



Hartford Prolific. — Worthless; dropping its 

 worthless fruit as soon as well colored. 



Crevclling. — Set better than usual, and ripened 

 well ; moderately good ; does not keep well. 



Herbert (Rogers' 44). — Ripened well; open 

 bunches ; fair fruit Avitli a bloom on it; tolerably 

 good. 



Ontario. — Very large bunches and fruit ripened 

 pretty well. Better in character than many 

 other of the fox grapes, but only so, so. 



Concord. — Though coarse, this still appears to 

 be the grape most generally cultivated. If the 

 juice be separated from the skins as soon as the 

 grapes are mashed, it makes a brilliant white 

 wine that will keep, though to many tastes it 

 would be improved b}' the addition of sugar, 

 which is only supplementingnature, and not adul- 

 teration. 



