DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



387 



tion of cultivators to the fact, which before had 

 escaped public notice. It was by no means intend- 

 ed to assert that this defect was peculiar to the 

 variety, or was greater than in some other fine 

 sorts. Instead of being " tvorthless," as a market 

 fruit, compared with the Newtown Pippin, it is 

 here, in Western New-York, most obviously supe- 

 rior to it. I can hardly conceive how a person, 

 well acquainted with the growth of both varieties, 

 could have so contrasted them. On many bearing 

 trees of both, I have never seen Newtown Pippins 

 at all equalling, in fine and fair appearance, good 

 spe<ymens of the Northern Spy. 



That old, stunted trees of the Northern Spy, pro- 

 duce inferior fruit, all admit; and that it is more 

 defective in this particular than the Baldwin and 

 Rhode Island Greening, is not disjjuted. But this 

 is the case only on stunted or slowly growing trees. 

 A tree of this variety was noticed the past season, 

 with a very old and partly decayed trunk, and 

 which a few years ago had been freshly pruneil 

 and kept cultivated, which sent new vigor into the 

 branches; and as a consequence the fruit was per- 

 fectly fair and of the largest size, averaging three 

 and a quarter inches in diameter. On another 

 tree, standing in an old pasture, which had been 

 grafted eighteen years, the specimens averaged 

 from two and three quarters to three inches in dia- 

 meter. Another tree, standing in old grass ground, 

 which had been grafted on the old trunk about 

 tweniy-five years, was loaded with fruit, many of 

 which were carefully measured. About one half 

 of the crop were two and three quarters to three 

 inches in diameter; the other half mostly varying 

 from two to two and a half inches. I state these 

 measurements to give an exact idea of the real 

 size of this fruit under ordinary circumstances. 

 Under the best culture, and proper pruning, they 

 would doubtless have been much larger.' 



The rule may be laid down as nearly invariable, 

 that in all cases the fruit of the Northern Spy will 

 be large, fine, and handsome, provided the pruning 

 and cultivation are sufficient to maiatain a vigor- 

 ous growth of the young branches. Cultivation 

 which does not produce this effect, will not accom- 

 plish the desired object. 



With regard to the value of this fruit for ''mar- 

 ket," I need only state, that it commands a price 

 two or three times as great as the Spitzenberg, 

 Rhode Island Greening, ant! other fine winter va- 

 rieties. One cultivator sold his entire crop the 

 past season for $2.50 per barrel, while most of our 

 best winter fruit has sold considerably less than a 

 dollar per barrel. 



I must respectfully ask leave to dissent from the 

 opinion expressed by the editor, that tlie fertility 

 of the soil, in this neighborhood, is such as to give 

 fine fruit without cultivation. The practical adop- 

 tion of this opinion by many of our farmers, has 

 been seriously detrimental to the successful culti- 

 vation of fruit. The crops on large as well as on 

 small trees, have been astonishingly improveil in 

 quality and augmented in quantity, by manuring 

 and tillage. In many instances, I have never seen 

 an exception. Indeeil, in some cases, the im- 

 provement has been such, as to cause quite an alte- 



ration in character, so that specimens were not 

 reatlily recognized by those who had been fami- 

 liar with the variety on uncultivated trees. J. J, 

 Thomas. Maccdon, 12 mo. 26, 1846. 



Note. — A young man, a resident of East Bloom- 

 field, where the Northern Spy originated, and 

 where a number of old trees exist, who is familiar 

 with fine fruit, and extensively acquainted with 

 the orchards of that i)lace, was asked Avhat other 

 well-known variety he would place, by way of 

 comparison, by the side of the Northern Spy, in 

 the defective character of the fruit. He replied 

 by naming the Sivaar, which he considered about 

 equally defective on old trees. 



Remarks. — When a new fruit comes suddenly 

 into great repute, as this Northern Sjnj Apple has 

 done, it is difficult at once to ascertain what are 

 its precise merits from those partial judges who 

 have been its friends and god-parents. Our friend 

 Thomas was, we believe, the first to impeach the 

 superlative excellence which the friends of this 

 " Spy," about Rochester, claimed for it; which he 

 did in the following words — "The liability of the 

 fruit to become scrubby on old trees is a drawback 

 on its value. The owner of the original orchard 

 succeeded, by selecting from 75 barrels, in getting 

 only fifteen fit for market." — (Fruit Culturist, p. 

 100.) ^ 



We are glad to find from Mr. Thomas' more ma- 

 ture opinion, that this really admirable apple is 

 likely to prove a better orchard variety than he at 

 first supposed. 



With regard to the fertility of the soil, and its 

 adaptation to the growth of the apple, our re- 

 marks, to which our correspondent refers, were 

 intended to apply to the vicinity of Rochester. 

 Without intending to say that fruit trees are not 

 greatly benefitted by care and cultivation in the 

 best soil in the world, we simply stated what we 

 saw in the vicinity of that city — viz : apple trees 

 which had simply been planted and allowed to 

 grow as they pleased, and which, so excellent is 

 the soil, were as luxuriant, and bore as fine fruit 

 as we ever saw produced elsewhere by the best 

 orchard cultivation. It is easy to see that this 

 will last only so long as the virgin fertility of the 

 soil continues. 



Of the soil at Macedon we know nothing, as we 

 have never hail the pleasure of visiting that place. 

 But, judging from specimens of fruit, and young 

 trees, which have been sent us thence, we should 

 suppose it much less fertile than that of Rochester. 



The Newtown Pippin is the most profitable or- 

 chard apple that is grown, where the soil is adapt- 

 ed to it. We need only mention that the crop of 

 a single orchard of Newtown Pippins on the Hud- 

 son, was sold in 1S45, for over $S,000, (most of 

 them at $4 per bl.,) to settle this point. It is quite 

 remarkable, however, that there is only here and 

 there soil that suits this finest of American 

 Apples. The West generally does not produce it. 

 It does not succeed well even about Rochester, 

 where almost all other sorts grow so well. But 

 we learn that there are a few localities on the Ohio, 

 where it bears most abundant and excellent crops. 

 —Ed. 



