EDITOR'S TABLE, 



clred are now living ; and not one in a thousand ever bore a fruit ! This ia perfectly notorious. 

 The individual trees are here meant Where proper means are need, they may be carried throuo-h 

 a season or two, so as to admit of propagation from them liere, thus bringing about a gradual 

 and complete acclimation." "It has been said, and with truth, that trees brought southward 

 more than a degree or two, invariably prove unfruitful." "And here we would remark, by the 

 term acclimation we mean a rehahitation, rather, to a climate natural to the species, biit to which 

 the growth of wood and bark, n>ade by the individual plant grown in a colder climate, is alto- 

 gether xmsuited, and which rarely, if ever, does become adapted to a more southern temperature. 

 We have all seen northern-grown trees stand, year after year, making faint attempts at growing, 

 bearing a few leaves, which are dropped long before the proper season, neither branches nor stems 

 increasing in diameter, and not a fruit to be seen. Yet, young trees propagated from these 

 upon thrifty, southera-gi'own stocks, grow, thrive, and bear fruit. Not always, perhaps, the 

 trees first propagated, a second or third r/enerafion being often needed before a thorough acclima- 

 tion is brought about. Young trees, cut to the ground, and compelled to make an entirely new 

 growtli, corainouly thrive well." 



This wholesale and sweeping denunciation against northern and foreign fruit trees, does not at 

 all agree with my experience. I have planted fruit trees received aa far north as Boston, from 

 Messrs. Hovey <fe Co.; they not only lived, but grew — made fine, large, healthy trees, and pro- 

 duced abundantly the finest peaches I ever beheld — and I have fruited one hundred and ten 

 varieties, many of them of southern growth, and gi'own in this immediate vicinity (Vicksburg), 

 whore they have tlw soil, location, climate, and varieties that will enable them to grow as fine 

 peaches as the world has ever seen or tasted. I have seen notices in the New Orleaus papers 

 that peaches from there are the best sent to that city. Being familiar with the peaches grown 

 there, I now challenge any orchardist there, or Mr. Affleck either, to show handsomer or better 

 fruit than I can from *' these Northern individual trees." 



From Messrs. Ellwangbr & Barry, Rochester, K". Y., I recieved a lot of pear trees on quince 

 stocks a few years ago ; they, too, have grown finely, and produced fruit — one variety weighing 

 as much as one pound twelve ounces (Duchess d' Angoulemc). If any fruit grower that has 

 procured trees grown at the "southern nurseries" that are healther or larger of their age, I will 

 give him a silver cup, to be determined by any two individuals competent to jiidge. I have 

 trees, also, from Saul & Co., Newburgh, N. Y., Min'or's nurseries, Clarksville, Tenn., which have 

 fruit on them at this time. Tliese trees can be seen at any time twenty miles east of Vicksburg ; 

 also a large number from the Vicksburg nurseries, and of my own working ; fine trees. Compari- 

 sons can be made frqm them by any one interested in these matters. 



Mr. Affleck says, "a second or third generation being often needed before a thorough acclima- 

 tion is brought about." Now I should like to know how many varieties of pear, apple, or peach 

 he has produced from the seed worth eating ? This is the only way a generation could be brought 

 fortli- In looking over his catalogue of fruits, I see nothing but the published varieties in culti- 

 vation — no superior seedlings mentioned two or three removes from the original. Let us examine 

 this catalogue again, and see what he says about the ripening of fruits — his pears and apples 

 ripening from one to three months later than with me, and peaches about six weeks. Location, 

 one degree south of this, where fruits mature sooner. This looks to me as if he knew but little 

 about our fruits, and all tliis gasconade about " acclimated fruits " well grown and adapted to this 

 climate, is all for the purpose of selling his own trees, and injuring the sale of northern and 

 western nvirserymen. Affleck's prices are one to three hundred per cent higher than northern 

 nursery rates, and if he should be fortunate enough to convince those who are in want of trees 

 of the great superiority of his, then his purpose will be accomplished. Let justice bo done, 

 however, to these trees brought from other States, from which I have gathered many a basket of 

 luscious high colored fruit, and presented to my friends with the remark from them that 

 had no idea such fine fruit could be grown here. It might with the same propriety be 



