REMARKS ON SOME VARIETIES OF FRUIT. 



209 



Col. S., of Jackson county, who was one 

 of the pioneer settlers of this countr}-, gave 

 me some interesting information connected 

 with its natural history. It was formerly 

 covered densely with cane, twenty-five feet 

 high, but the cattle have entirely destroyed 

 them. The limestone hills contain the re- 

 mains of sea-shells to their tops ; and the 

 soil is so strong that it is unnecessary to 

 prepare, as is done elsewhere, seed beds 

 for tobacco plants, any spot being sufficient- 

 ly rich. 



Bears were then numerous, and in search- 

 ing for grubs, and snails and toads, they 

 would move enormous logs. They ascend 

 trees for acorns and nuts, and when surpris- 

 ed, precipitate themselves from a great 

 height without injury. When so fortunate 

 as to find a wild beehive, a bear will thrust 

 in his paw, and continue to eat the honey, 

 regardless of the stinging of the enraged 

 bees. 



Col. S. in early life was much engaged 

 in surveying and exploring lands. Hunters 

 and others, in such excursions, used to car- 

 ry bear's fat melted and poured into the 

 leg skins (a leathern bottle) of a deer, which 

 with parched corn, was portable and nutri- 



tious, and would keep uninjured in all wea- 

 thers. 



He once lodged with a hunter who relied 

 entirely upon his rifle for the support of his 

 family. Their rude shed was made wea- 

 ther proof with the skins of buffaloes, bears 

 and deer, which formed also their dormi- 

 tories and beds. Bear meat and venison 

 hung in the smoke of their fire ; the corn 

 was pounded in a wooden mortar, and sifted 

 through a skin perforated with a hot needle. 

 They had a small patch of mustard for a 

 salad now and then, and their cows came 

 up regularly at night to the brush fires made 

 to smoke ofT the musquitoes. Such weie 

 and are the fascinations of frontier life ! 



In going down to Nashville, I passed by 

 the Hermitage. The old General was in- 

 terred in the garden — ^'reqiiiescat in pace^ 

 Nashville is situated in a fertile, heahhful, 

 and beautiful region, but the tide of emi- 

 gration passes by it, and sets strongly for 

 the Far West, and nothing short of the 

 Pacific and the plains of Mexico will arrest 

 the host which is hurrying there, made up 

 of the adventurous emigrants and frontier 

 hunters, who court danger and disregard 

 privation. Evelyn. 



Remarks on some few Varieties of Fruits. 



BY ROBERT B. PARSONS, FLUSHING, L. L 



I OBSERVE that some of our favorite fruits 

 have not been described in the " Fruits 

 and Fruit Trees of America ;" among them 

 are the following : 



Autumn Bough Apple. — This is a very 

 superior fruit, ranking indeed among our 

 best sweet apples, and worthy of extensive 

 cultivation. It is rather large, somewhat 

 of a calville-shape, though with the ribs not 

 quite so prominent as is usual with apples 

 27 



of that class; oblong, diminishing very 

 much to the eye. Skin smooth, pale yel- 

 low, with a few scattered dots. Eye of me- 

 dium size, and very deeply sunken. Stalk 

 rather slender, set in a deep narrow cavity. 

 Flesh white, very tender, and with a rich 

 and sweet, yet sprightly flavor. Ripens from 

 25th of Eighth month to the 20th of Ninth 

 month. The tree is exceedingly productive, 

 and of very vigorous growth. 



