SELECTIONS OF BEST FRUITS. 



fruit books and nursery catalogues in hand ; they makes notes of sorts that are " delicious 

 " first rate," "melting," "sugary," " excellent," &c. They stock their future garden 

 with everything rare and wonderful, and giving full reins to their imagination, they see 

 that garden full of bearing trees, laden in the spring with blossoms white as snow, and in 

 the autumn with baskets upon baskets of golden and ruddy pears and pippins. This is 

 the way amateurs and young planters "count their chickens before they are hatched." 



In my humble opinion, the beginners in fruit culture would be immensely the gainers, 

 if the old veteran horticulturists among your subscribers, would all come out and give 

 their lists of the best fruits. I mean those who have "seen the elephant," i. e., bought 

 and imported most of the new French pears, and all other fruits that stand high on the 

 pages of foreign catalogues. All such know how much chaff there is to a bushel of sound 

 wheat, and if they would but come out and state what is really good, it might save the 

 rising generation of planters all the trouble of trying experiments, losing time, and wast- 

 ing valuable ground, that they mostly fall into. There is little doubt in my mind, that 

 of the millions of fruit trees planted in this country in the last fifteen years, two-thirds 

 are of very indiS'erent quality — not worthy of ground room and cultivation. I shall, 

 therefore, give you a few rough notes of some sorts that I know to be worthy of a place 

 in every fruit garden of considerable size, at least in the nothern states. 



Pears. — T place pears first, because they are my favorite fruit. To begin, I would plant 

 but three early summer pears, viz: the Dearborn's Seedling — always a sure and most 

 abundant bearer, and the fruit always fair, sprightly and of excellent flavor; the Rostie- 

 zer, from its sweet and pleasant flavor, and hardy habit; the Bartlett — the hadsomest of 

 pears, and most popular from its fine quality, free growth, and sure productiveness. 

 These are all reliable standard sorts everywhere, and as the first ripens in August, the 

 second early in September, and the third the last of September, they fill up the sea- 

 son well till the autumn pears come in. 



Of autumn pears I would choose six. First, the Belle Lucrative, (on quince,) because 

 of its most delicious, honied flavor — so much prized at the dessert. Then the Paradise of 

 Autumn, for its handsome size and first rate quality; then the Louise Bonne of Jersey, 

 for its sprightly juicy fruit, and its productiveness; then the Beurre d'Anjou, for size, 

 flavor and productiveness; then the Duchess of Angouleme, (on quince,) as the finest 

 show pear; and finally the Seckel, as the unapproachable in flavor, and all other good 

 points. I have not included the Doyennes — white and gray, because they will not thrive 

 well, except in neiv soils— but where they will thrive, they should be placed before nearly 

 all others. Of winter pears, I would recommend four. Beurre d'Aremberg — hardy, 

 very productive, with a pine apple flavor; the Lawrence, handsome, and very sure, and 

 good; the Winter Nelis, sweet and excellent, and the New Gray Winter Beurre, with its 

 rich Brown Beurre flavor. The Beurre d'Aremberg and the Lawrence may be gatliered 

 and put away to ripen, with no more care than winter apples — and that is more than can 

 be said of any other sorts. 



So much for pears; the list is small, I know, but it is much easier to make a large list 

 than a small one — for obvious reasons, and those who want more can either double the 

 number of trees of these sorts, (my advice,) or add others of less merit. 



Let us see what we can do with apples. For early apples I choose four sorts. The 

 Early Harvest— which is the prince of all summer sorts, both for the table and for cook- 

 ing; the Early Strawberry, for excellence and beauty; the Summer Bellefleur, for its deli- 

 cate, rich flavor; and the American Summer Pearmain, for its beauty and excellence in 

 all respects. Of autumn apples, I will only name four, as we have so many other fruits 



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