94 Fruits in Kentucky. 



p.iy own case, if I had known ten or a dozen years ago v/hat I have 

 shice learned, — partly by observation, mainly by reading intelligent 

 magazines and rural papers, — the fruitless Rhode Island Greenings, 

 Porters, Northern Spy, etc., etc., would not now be occupying valuable 

 space in my Kentucky orchard. Of course I do not here pretend to 

 insinuate that these varieties of apples dixe^ worthless ; far from it; for 

 I know the reverse is true, and in climates adapted to their growth they 

 are truly excellent. But I do say that in Kentucky no one should 

 plant them if I had the power to prevent it. There are in reality so 

 few kinds that are adapted to our very capricious climate, that the 

 entire list of truly excellent bearers may be named in a few lines. 

 If I were planting an apple orchard here of any given number of trees, 

 say one hundred, seventy-five of them should be Rawle's Janet, ten 

 Pryor's Red, five Red Astrachan, ten Rambo, or Milam. Perhaps I 

 might divide the latter kind, and plant five Early Harvest. 



As to the hundreds of other varieties I should plant none. I do not 

 mean to convey the idea that no others would answer a good purpose ; 

 for many of them do, now and then, produce good crops ; but, as a 

 general rule, those above named are peculiarly adapted to our climate ; 

 or, more properly, perhaps, our climate is adapted to them. The 

 Rawle's Janet is, par excellence, the great apple of Kentucky. They 

 bear enormous crops almost every year, from the blue clay peaks of our 

 mountains to the rich low lands of the middle and southern counties of 

 our State. It keeps well until April or May, and the older it becomes, 

 the better. As a t.ible fruit, for cider, for brandy, or in any form an 

 a2:)ple can be used, it is all that the most exacting could require. True, 

 it has not that fine, aromatic, nutty flavor, possessed b}^ the incompara- 

 ble Pryor's Red, which is the most luscious apple, to our taste, known 

 to pomology ; but then its productiveness, hardiness, and long-keeping 

 qualities, render it the " king apple" of our State. As a summer fruit, 

 the Early Harvest is the best by long odds. It is a certain and abun- 

 dant bearer, and the fruit, with us, all that could be desired. The trees, 

 like the Rawle's Janet, bear early, and mature their fruit to perfection even 

 then. Next on the list, for September here, we place the Red Astra- 

 chan. For beauty this cannot be exceeded; and, when fully ripe and 



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