HORTICULTURAL NOTES FROM MICHIGAN. 



bearing regularly and well. Onz hundred and twenty bushels have been gathzred Jrom a 

 single tree in a season. The fruit is not of the first quality, still it is ver}' good, where 

 there is little better to be had, and sells readily from four to six shillings per bushel. It 

 more nearly resembles the Early Crawford, [Catherine.' Ed.] than any other variety with 

 which I am acquainted, and there is but very little difference in the quality of the fruit, 

 among the old Pear trees around Detroit. 



It is Worthy of notice, that all the old and magnificent specimens of the pear tree, that 

 have attracted so much attention among horticulturists, stand near the bank of the river, 

 so that their situation is never wet, although the soil is very retentive of moisture, (being 

 mostly a heavy black loam, from nine inches to a foot deep, with a stiff yellow clay sub- 

 soil.) Perhaps this may be accounted for by the settlers at that early period, locating on 

 the immediate banks of the river, which is evident from the shape of the farms, being only 

 narrow strips, about eighty rods wide, and running back three miles, all considering it 

 important to have a front on the river. By such an arrangement, each would have their 

 fishing ground, and would also be better able to protect themselves from any incursion of 

 the Indians. 



Although the predominating soil is a stiff cla}- loam, still I have never seen so much 

 diversity of soil in so short a distance, as there is to be found in the immediate vicinity of 

 Detroit. At some period of the world's history, it was probably all submerged by the 

 waters of the lakes. 



I have grafted many of the leading varieties of the Pear on some of the old trees that 

 stand on my place, and all .seem to grow as vigorously as the original trees themselves; 

 (they have not yet been grafted long enough to show specimens of the fruit,) viz: Onon- 

 daga, Angouleme, Bartlett, Virgalieu, Beurre Diel, Bloodgood, &c. This brings to mind 

 an anecdote that occurred in connexion with these pear trees. A Scotch friend came to visit 

 me at the season when the fruit was at maturity. Wishing to test their qualities, he 

 climbed the tree to assist himself, during which time he had been examing some of my la- 

 bels, which were, perhaps, not very legible to him ; Avhen he came down he accosted me 

 with — " queer peers," them; there is one marked the Vera Diel, a.n' anather Bloody- 

 good, an' I couldna' read the rest." After a laugh, I told him that he had not read the 

 names quite correctly. 



I have noticed a disease in Pear trees brought from the east, which is, perhaps, the 

 blight, and which may throw some light on the subject. When Pear, Peach, Apricot, 

 Nectarine, and heart Cherry trees, are received in the fall, it is my invariable practice, to 

 plant them away in a cellar till spring, thus pj-eventing all possibility of their being Min- 

 ter killed; and this, too, would surely prevent the frozen sap blight. During summer the 

 diseased specimens begin to show a yellowish, sickly appearance in the leaves; by degrees 

 the tree is completely denuded of its foliage, black spots begin to exhibit themselves on the 

 branches and trunk of the tree; finally the bark shrivels, vitality being longest retained 

 immediately around the buds — this being the case sometimes, even throughout the win- 

 ter, the roots and stocks being still apparently fresh. Is this the blight.' I have never 

 observed this disease after the trees have grown one season, without the aforesaid .symp- 

 toms; may we not infer fi'om this, that the malady was in the tree before it was received? 



The winter with us, has been very severe — -on the night of January 19, at 11 o'clock, 

 my thermometer indicated 17° below zero. Many of the Bourbon and Remontant roses 

 are killed down to the snow line. The beautiful new shrubs, Spirea primifolia, and 

 (ft rosea, have stood it bravelj- — not a particle of the wood is killed; this is cer 

 excellent quality, as they are the most beautiful of the new shrubs that I have 



