DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



537 



superior to any other I have yet tried, both as to 

 size and flavor. I think the public generally are 

 hot aware of its value. It was oris^inatcd in New- 

 burgh, N. Y., some ten years since, by Chas. 

 Downing, E.sq. Respcctl'ully, Henry Little. 

 Bangor, Maine, April 3, 1849. fWe believe 

 every one who has tried this rhubarb will agree 

 with Col. LiTTLK, that no variety yet originated 

 will compare in size, or quality, with the Colossal. 

 Its stalks are remarkably tender and succulent. 

 Ed.] 



Fruit Culture at the South. — As your 

 journal should be a record of all information upon 

 the subject of horticulture, Stc, I take the liberty 

 of presenting to you some remarks that have ap- 

 pcared in the 8ontliern Cultivator concerning 

 fruits. I will add some views of mine, and at- 

 tempt to be concise. A friend of mine writes that 

 his want of success in fruits from the north, and, 

 at the same time, his success with Creole trees, 

 induces a belief that imported trees will not do. 

 A gentleman follows, and says he has tried all 

 kinds of fruit trees; and that to succeed, we must 

 rely upon native trees and selections. Many per- 

 sons think that budded and grafted fruit will not 

 succeed. Others think the fault is in pruning. 

 Others, that cultivation will not do. 



To all these I beg to reply. I have been a 

 purchaser from time to time since 1832. I have 

 budded, grafted, and layered. I dare not pretend 

 to much knowledge; as in those matters, a long 

 experience is required to give ordinary knowledge. 

 But having tried all kinds of fruit trees, both 

 foreign and native, both budded, grafted and 

 seedlings, I trust I will not be deemed as being 

 unwise if I give my opinions. 



The past three years have been very unfavorable 

 to fruit. More trees have been planted during 

 this time than for any preceding ten or fifteen 

 years, if we speak of improved fruits. I have 

 seedlings, native varieties budded here; foreign 

 varieties budded here ; the same from the north ; 

 some pruned after your directions, others which 

 a knife has never touched, and some pruned up to 

 " bare poles," — a stump five or six feet high be- 

 fore branching; some receiving a yearly culture, 

 others occasional culture, others none at all. If 

 the fault lay in the foreign, my seedlings and bud- 

 ded trees, from recent selections, should succeed ; 

 and so on, through all. But from some 1,000 or 

 1,200 peach trees, old enough to bear, I have not 

 seen a peach per tree. I know of one orchard of 

 budded and grafted fruit, that has succeeded fully 

 except the past year. I have seen good seedling 

 fruit, but there was no improved trees in those 

 places to test. The question now follows, what 

 is the cause? Is it owing to an overgrowth of 

 tree or not? To want of the proper aliment? 



I answer — it is owing to the seasons. And my 

 reasons: 



My orchards are upon good land — upon land 

 similar in every respect to that which never failed 

 up to 1846. The seasons have not been so re- 



markable for cold, as they have been for fluctua- 

 tions, -^IVom " quite warm for the season," to 

 " this is regular wintry weather for our coun- 

 try."* In consequence, the fruit buds have been 

 injured so much that the fruit either dropped be-- 

 fore it became as large as a marble, or grew until 

 near ripening, then rotted. The tree, not pro- 

 ducing a crop, grew amazingly, and tlius added 

 to the dilTiculty. A portion of my land manured 

 with 100 bushels of cotton seed per acre yearly; 

 a portion not manured for eight years. 



Northern pear trees grow exceedingly slow; 

 and so do some that arc grafted south, I have 

 trees of my own grafting, not one year old this 

 d.ay,that are larger than the parent trees, planted 

 out before grafting the above here. This is 

 owing to injury sustained on the voyage, and 

 their having been worked on sucker stocks. 



To begin from native fruits, would be as back- 

 ward a business as for me to throw away my 

 axes, ploughs, chains, harrows, whitlletrees, hoes. 

 &e., and begin a thousand years ago. 



We must examine our land, our mode of cul- 

 ture, our location, and the peculiar seasons, before 

 we rashly attempt to thrust aside all the labors of 

 our forefathers. 



I believe we will succeed, after a while; but I 

 could not say the favorite fruits of your country 

 will be the favorite here. I am yearly addin"- to 

 my collection, and feel every confidence that in a 

 few years I shall succeed. I have now about 

 160 varieties of the pear, 55 or 60 upon quince, 

 and about 35 varieties of the plum. How many 

 of all these will be worthless here, time alone will 

 show. To get 20 or 30 really choice will be 

 enough ; but we must try, in this new country, 

 until we prove; and I am perhaps as simple as 

 any one who will '' try." 



I have grown here a few pears and plums that 

 will compare favorably with any section; and as 

 to peaches, I am sure, an Early Tillotson, Empe- 

 ror of Russia, Early York, Lemon Clin"-, Ber- 

 gen's Yellow, Smock Late, that I have "rown 

 liere, cannot be excelled anywhere. I have pur- 

 chased fruit for two years in the Philadelj)liia mar- 

 ket even at 12| cents each; and the unprejudiced 

 visitor from the nortli has agreed, and will agree 

 with me in the comparison I have made. I am 

 faithfully yours, M. W. Pliilips. Edwards, Mis- 

 sissippi, February, 1849. 



* Allow me to state, in a note, the changes here within 



ten days. 



A week ago, tlie weather was so favorable tliat maple 

 trees put out, in some favored spoLs, leaves large enough to 

 show green. Althea had leaves about as large as a dime. 

 I saw red oak blooms. Post oak had buds swollen as large 

 as a marrow-fat pea. Corn and cotton had germinated in 

 the fii'ld. On the morning of tlie ICth, thermometer was at 

 22 ', on the 17th at 24^, on the 18th I did not look; but the 

 earth has not thawed in the shade all day. Will this sudden 

 ch.ange not destroy all fruit buds that have swo.len so as to 

 receive colour of Ijloom ? Several apricots show a few full 

 blooms; several peach trees, also. Stra\vberricss'iiowmauy 

 blooms. The blue, porcelain blue, white, pink and red Hya- 

 cinths are in bloom. .Touquils, Narcissus, and grape Hya- 

 cinths, (blue bells,) are also iu bluom. 



