f^?g^= _ l^^i 



FRUIT IN MISSISSII'l'I. 



My hcarinfr trees are upon tlie Mnhtlch stock, and six years olil from the Liid. Tliey Imre 

 abiiiidant trups tlie spring of 1853; tlic fruit jterlVct in t-izc, and luscious in taste. The 

 Early Viirjih' Gulijne^ was especially noticed for its larf^o si/.o and delicious tlavor. Tliis 

 variety excelled all the others in (juality ; the IaiIc Bide and Mity iJulc ranking next. 

 Tiiis year the Cherry crop was cut short by a frost when trees were in bloom. I had less 

 fruit, and that of inferior size to the jircccding year. 



I would wish a longer experience before speaking confidently of success with this fruit. 



TEACHES AND KECTARINE8. 



No region of conntry upon the globe, can exceed ours in the perfection to which tlicso 

 delicious fruits attain, our burning sun developing the saccharine qualities of the peach to 

 the highest degree. Even the yellow fleshed varieties are with us, sweet and sugary, with 

 only so much acid as to be grateful to the taste. I cultivate about one hundred varieties 

 of the Peach and six of the Nectarine. Although the northern varieties are sometimes 

 cut short bj' frosts, from their habit of late blooming, still the Peach may be considered a 

 bure crop in this region. In a i)eriod of ten years jiast, I have never failed in securing a 

 crop. Our State exports largely of this fruit to the iSTew Orleans market. All northern 

 varieties ripen with me in June and July. 



ATKICOTS. 



I cultivate the Moorparl\ the Large Early, the Peacli Apricot, and the Breda. Since 

 planting the trees upon the north side of buildings, I have not failed of securing fair 

 crops of fruit. Ripens here latter end of May. The ground under my trees is well paved, 

 and the curculio, so far, has never attacked the fruit. 



PEARS. ' 



" This fruit has only been recently cultivated to any extent in our State. I learn there 

 are trees yet growing, (supposed to have been planted by the early French and Si)anish 

 colonists.) upon the Blufts, south of Natchez — and known as the Cliffs Pear — an indilFerent 

 t.ible fruit, and only suitable for cooking ; although in times past it was so rare a sight to 

 sjo a Pear tree in the fruit orchards of this region, now that southern nurseries have been 

 successfully established, tliousands and tens of thousands of Pear trees are being annnually 

 planted, and our State will, Avithout doubt, in ten or fifteen years from this date, export 

 1 irgely of this fruit to the West Indies and tlie northern cities. The intense heat of our 

 summers, maturing the Pear fully two months earlier than ten degrees north of us, it will 

 enable our fruit growers to supply northern markets with finest A'arieties during months of 

 July and August. I cultivate over one hundred varieties of the Pear, The greater num- 

 ber dwarfed upon the quince; on this stock, trees six and seven years frojn the bud, have 

 grown from twelve to twenty feet in licight, and have a diameter in trunk of six to eight 

 inches. Native or acclimated trees are greatly to be ])refcrred over imported ones. 



Summer Varieties. — Madeleine, or Citron de Cannes, on quince — Trees six years old 

 from bud ; fifteen feet high ; bore heavy crops for the first time this year ; fruit double the 

 size figured by Downing ; flavor juicy and sprightly ; quality second rate ; ripe fifteenth 

 of May, and continues in eating one week. 



Boyenne d'Ete — The few specimens I had of this fruit from grafts in standard, promise 

 well; higher flavored than Madeleine, and ripens same date; grows vigorously on quince, 

 trees three years from bud have not fruited. 



Bcitrrre Giffard — The few specimens I had from grafts in standard, give promise 



