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77^6 Horticulturist and Journal 



Neglected Fruits. 



BY J. S. PARKEK, M.D. 



BY these, we do not mean that they are un- 

 known, but undervalued. We, Americans, 

 have a " King-worship " or a "man-homage " 

 spirit. We have but two or three hiwyers, 

 which we applaud, and these we all praise. 

 We have two or three great merchants, if we 

 neglect others. We popularize a few physi- 

 cians and ignore other good or better men. We 

 idolize a Bartlett pear, and have but three 

 or four popular pears. All this is an error. 

 No man is perfect, nor any fruit. As one of 

 these undervalued fruits let me name the Blood- 

 good Fear. Downing, in the first edition of 

 his book on Fruits says, " this is the highest 

 flavored of all early (or summer) pears, and 

 deserves a place even in the smallest garden." 

 It originated near New York city, or was 

 brought there by some one, and was introduced 

 to the public about the year 1835, by James 

 Bloodgood, then a nurseryman at Flushing, 

 Long Island. Downing says nothing in its 

 dispraise. Thomas says it is liable to decay 

 at the core, and insipidity on certain soils. 

 To this we reply, so are many valuable pears, 

 especially summer pears. My own opinion 

 is, that it should not be set out on clay, or on 

 damp, mucky soil. That on light, loamy or 

 gravelly loose soil, even if a little elayish, in 

 dry, airy situations, it is fully equal to the 

 praise of the elder Downing. It is as large 

 or larger than the Seckel, bright yellow with 

 irregular russet fine dottings, which often 

 give it a beautiful appearance. Ripens 

 August 10th to 25th in Central New York, 

 and is not, perhaps, the highest flavored of 

 all pears, but one of the most delicious of 

 summer pears. 



Ply mouth Colony Ajiple — This is gen- 

 erally known as " Grolden Sweeting" in 

 Central New York. It is more of a greenish 

 yellow than golden yellow. It is so old that 

 it is attributed to the old Plymouth Colony, 



Massachusetts. Its exact history I have 

 never learned. It is also called " Summer 

 Sweet " and other names. It is a roundish 

 apple, a little shorter from stem to calyx 

 than in horizontal diameter. Slender, longish ' 

 stem, has sparsely scattered white specks, and 

 often a few minute black specks on its sides. 

 It is very sweet, tender, and a constant 

 bearer ; tastes better than the Sweet Bough 

 and cooks better. It is popular where known, 

 but I have never seen it largely for sale in 

 city and other markets, and it is unknown to 

 many people. 



Rostiezer Pear. — In shape it resembles 

 the Summer Bell, a pear which sells well in 

 city markets, because so prolific and so cheap, 

 yet the Rostiezer is in every way a better pear. 

 It is an early autumn pear in the northern 

 states, with long stem and a dark greenish, 

 yellow color, except when reddened on their 

 cheeks by the sun; said to have been origi- 

 nated on the river Rhine, in Germany. It is 

 easily known, as it is so near pear-shaped as 

 the common Bell Pear, and ripens but a few 

 days after that pear. 



Summer St. Gerniai}i.—'^h\s is another 

 delicious summer pear when grown on dry, 

 loose soil. On hard clay and in damp situa- 

 tions it is apt to be too juic}' and second rate 

 in flavor. Summer pears need clean, moderately 

 rich soil, annually manured at the roots of the 

 trees ; a quick airy soil with warm exposure. 

 Thus cultivated, no summer pear can please 

 us much beyond the St. Germain. Like the 

 Bloodgood and Rostiezer, it is medium in size, 

 as are most summer pears ; it is juicy, tender 

 and with just flavor enough to suit every one 

 when well ripened. It is obovate, or like 

 Sheldon in shape ; light green, stem an inch 

 or a little over long. 



There are a few fruits that have pleased 

 me this season so far. As to apples, the 

 Early Strawberry and the Red Astrican are 

 becoming our early market apples, to the ex- 

 clusion of the Yellow June-eating or Golden 

 Tart Harvest, and the Sweet Bough. Why 

 a yellow apple was the favorite a few years 

 ago, and the red is now in preference, is not 

 so easily explained. Yet for health in its 



