216 



POMOLOGICAL REFORM AND SELECTED FRUITS. 



a Chinese Quince, ^^ with scarlet fruit ^'' or 

 in any other way deceive by unworthy 

 tricks and bold fabrications. Let us be 

 thankful that there are such ; yet, while we 

 do them honor for their integrity, it is not 

 to be denied or concealed that they have to 

 contend against the " arts and sciences" of 

 unprincipled rivals, in establishing for them- 

 selves a solid reputation. 



If the facts are as we have stated them, 

 (and we seriously believe them to be so,) 

 a reformation is imperatively demanded. 

 There can be no difference of opinion on 

 the subject, unless it be on the part of those 

 who " like nothing better than a contro- 

 versy ;" men whose delight is, to 



" Abstract, perplex, distract, entangle, 

 And lay perpetual trains to wrangle ;" 



those more eager to claim the praise of 

 daring folly, than submissive prudence, and 

 display 



" The rattling tongue 



Of saucy and audacious eloquence." 



That there are difficulties to be encounter- 

 ed, obstacles overcome, and opposition firm- 

 ly met, is but an admission of the necessity 

 of making a beginning. We design no 

 such thing as the planning out of the de- 

 tails of the reform we write about ; ours is 

 a much more humble purpose, and we hope 

 it may be useful. We would hold out " a 

 friendly light" to the amateur, who is "anx- 

 ious to plant only a few of the best and 

 most valuable sorts" of fruit trees, and aid 

 him in making his selection. If " begin- 

 ners are largely at the mercy of cata- 

 logues," it is tolerably good evidence of the 

 danger of trusting them. 



Is the amateur, the novice, desirous of 

 planting out a few of the best Apples? 

 Any of the following will not disappoint 

 him; we know them to be good: — 



Summer nipples. — Astrachan Red, Large 



Yellow Bough, Early Harvest, Early Straw- 

 berry, Oslin, Williams' Favorite — 6. 



Autumn Apples. — Autumn Bough, Fall 

 Pippin, Gravenstein, King of Pippins, Por- 

 ter, President- — 6. 



Wi?iter Apples. — Baldwin, Yellow Belle- 

 fleur, Black Apple, Boston Mussett, Dan- 

 vers Winter Sweet, Hubbardston Nonsuch, 

 Jonathan, Minister, Murphy, Newark King, 

 Northern Spy, Peck's Pleasant, Pennock's 

 Red Winter, Monmouth Pippin, Yellow 

 Newtown Pippin, Priestly, Rhode Island 

 Greening, Green Seek-no-further, Esopus 

 Spitzenburgh, Swaar, Wine, (Downing's) 

 Lady Apple— 22. 



For Preserving. — The Siberian Large 

 Red Crab, Transcendant — 2. 



Here are 36 varieties, only, out of the 

 300 enumerated in some catalogues — a very 

 moderate number, to be sure ; but they are 

 worth growing, — good in quality, bear well, 

 and will give very general satisfaction. 



We frankly admit the difficulty of making 

 this selection or any other, because men's 

 tastes differ ; and there must be some re- 

 gard paid to soil and climate. But, not- 

 withstanding all this, we think our choice 

 presents a fair variety, which, if properly 

 cultivated and attended to, will not fail to 

 yield abundantly. There being " no he- 

 reditary rights, or rights of occupancy in 

 pomological lists," we have omitted naming 

 " an astonishing number of very worthless 

 apples," and, doubtless, some quite as good 

 as our favorites. In serving our " writ of 

 ejectment, however," this could not be 

 avoided, without swelling our list entirely 

 too much. 



The amateur has now to be assisted in 

 making choice of 35 of the best pears. 

 With an American catalogue before us, 

 naming over 500 varieties, all highly eulo- 

 gized, the task of picking out so small a 

 number as 35, is not the easiest thing in 



