1887. 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



25 



from a vestibule, through which entrance is 

 made from ontside. These doors are al- 

 ways kept carefully closed, so as to i)revent 

 a change of air. Height of lower story, 8 

 feet; height of building 15 feet; 20 feet .square, 

 which allows for a body of ice 12 feet thick, 

 about (iOO tons. 



There are no windows in this building ex- 

 cept in front. The ceiling or floor upon 

 which the ice rests overhead is simply laid 

 with joists about 10 inches apart, permitting 

 the cold air to descend easily. Spouting is 

 arranged between the joists to carry off' all 

 dripping from the melting ice. There is 

 no ventilation of the storage room except 

 through the entrance doors. The ice chamb- 

 ers have two large ventilators in the roof. 



This building has been in operation one 

 year, and has proven satisfactory. The 

 owner has excellent facilities for storing his 

 ice cheaply, having a dam adjoining the 

 building, and an engine capable of elevat- 

 ing a ton of ice per minute. I think a house 

 like this could be built for less than .?7,000. 



The smaller building to which I have re- 

 ferred is 30 feet square; lower story, single 

 brick wall 13 inches thick, 9 feet high; up- 

 per story frame; ice chamber 16 feet high, 

 with a capacity of 300 tons; storage capacity, 

 900 barrels. The original cost of this struc- 

 ture was about $1,000, but repairs and addi- 

 tional supports cost from *1,000 to .$1,200 

 more. The ice is usually covered with corn- 

 fodder or some similar substance, for pro- 

 tection. This house is used chiefly for stor- 

 ing butter and eggs. 



Of course many additional details could 

 be given concerning these buildings, but 

 my object has been merely to give a general 

 idea of how they are constructed, and what 

 measure of success has attended their use. 



Newer Varieties of Fruits; Estimates 

 of Value by Leading Pomologlsts. 



REPORT ON DISCUSSION BEFORE AMERICAN POMOLOOICAL 

 SOCIETT, BOSTON, SEPTEMBER 15. 



{Cunthiued from October Issite.) 

 Pears. Comet. Lyon, Michigan, reported it 

 very poor in Rochester, Minnesota, two years ago, 

 although handsome. 



Kifffer. Brown of Khode Island: Not worth 

 growing. Engle, Pennsylvania: Fine for everj- 

 thing but eating. Fuller, New Jei-sey: Received 

 the variety from Downing and this is very fine 

 fruit, for canning not to be despised. Berckmans, 

 Geor/yia: May not be suited to some sections, but 

 to the South especially it is a boon. It is not of 

 the best quality, but for health and productive- 

 ness none are better. It proves to be most valu- 

 able for market. Van Deman said he has seen it 

 from North to South; at the North it is very poor, 

 at the South very fair. Augur, Connecticut, 

 spoke of its great bearing qualities; the fruit 

 properly thinned is finer and has some value. 



Le Omte, w Chinese. Pear. Berckmans of 

 Georgia, said: Like the Kieffer, it suits some sec- 



Ground Plan of the SmaUer BYuit Home 

 DcJicrihed Abitve. 

 tions better than others. With them as taken 

 from the tree it is not good, but if carefully ma- 

 tured through early picking will almost compare 

 with the Bartlett. It is distinct from the Kieffer. 

 Crowe, of Connecticut, said it grows as well with 

 them as in Georgia. Quality and size better than 

 Kieffer; it rots at the core. Cary, of Georgia. 

 The growth simply runs up; as a general thing it 

 should be kept well cut back, as it would soon 

 grow too high. 



Bumiian Piaiv. Hatch, of Wisconsin: They 

 don't stand well in the nursery. 



Be^sseuiaiika. Gibbs, of Quebec, said the name 

 indicates " seedless." It is the best of the Russian 

 Peal's; foliage perfect, hardiness complete, in 

 form like the Bcrgamot; the flesh is not buttery, 

 nor very fine. Wutrous, of Iowa, has tried about 

 30 of the Russians, and this is the only prom- 

 ising one. 



Saijiivanka. (!ibbs, of Quebec: Some better 

 than Bes.senianka, but not so hardy. Only tiling 

 that can be done with this race is to fruit them 

 and find out which are of use. Whether we have 

 the Bcrgamot of Volga, Russia, is very doubtful. 

 Brackett: The Sapieganka cannot be relied on at 

 the West as hardy, especially where the subsoil 

 is clay. Watnjus, of Iowa, reported failure with 

 it. Hoskins, of Vermont, said it stands with 

 him, in Northern Vermont, where all other 

 American and Euiojiean varieties are killed; is as 

 hardy as the Wealthy Apple. 



Huosac. A delegate reported this as being a 

 very nice Pear, and very promising. Lovett, of 

 New Jersey, says it is very fine, coming in con- 

 tact with Bartlett somewhat. 



WiUUr. Green, of New York, said it was hand- 

 some, early, with bright red cheek; not inclined 

 to rot at core. 



Drnnard. This was said by a delegate to suc- 

 ceed well about Richmond, Virginia. 



Jlfd. Von Seihold. President Berckmans pro- 

 nounced it not much better than the Sand Pear. 

 Lovett, of New Jersey, thought it almost identi- 

 cal with Mikado. 



Mikadv. Discussion brought out the fact that 

 much confusion prevailed concerning this variety 

 and the Daimio, it being evident that what some 

 had under the one name was identical with what 

 others had under the other and t-Ux versa. The 

 fruit is in either case large, but of inferior qual- 

 ity for the dessert. 



Cherries. Biumiari. Watrous, of Iowa, had 

 tried 25 to 30 sorts, but found them generally not 

 as hardy as the Richmond class. Some that were 

 iron-clad as to tree he had not yet fruited. 



Wind-trrr. Barry, of New York, said this is a 

 good one, of solid flesh and worthy of culture. 



Dye-lunise. FuUer, of New Jersey, spoke of it 

 as a nice, little early Cherry, but not deserving 

 of general culture. 



Leed was pronounced "no good." 



Montmm-ency. Berckmans: It's one of the few 

 that succeed in the middle region of the South. 



Wragg. Watrous, of Iowa, pronounced it so 

 nearly identical with the English MoreUo that 

 some claim it is the same. Others think it is a 

 seedling of that sort. Appears hardy as to fruit. 



Louise Phillilie. Taylor, of Rochester, N. Y., 

 spoke of this one as a fine sour Cherry. Barry, 

 of same place, thinks it a fine Cherry. 



Flams. EeUey'sJaiJan. Berckmans, of Georgia, 

 does not believe it to be of any value north of 

 New York, and probably not in New Jersey. In 

 Southern States very promising, large, produc- 

 tive, somewhat willowy in growth. The most 

 promising introduction of many years for their 

 section. Lovett, of New Jei-sey: Young trees are 

 tender; gi-afted up are less hardy than the Peach, 

 had grafted it on American Plum. Van Deman, 

 of Department of Agriculture, had in Northern 

 Texas seen it killed to the ground, and injured at 

 Dallas, Texas; thinks it will not succeed where 

 Figs will not. 



Simoni. Watrous, of Iowa, said it was not 

 hardy with them: Barry, of Rochester, stated 

 that they grew it first as an ornamental tree; 

 fruit is badly stung by Curculio; places no spec- 

 ial value on it. 



Marianna. Watrous, of Iowa: If not top 

 grafted on Miner, would freeze to the ground. 



Bolnnmn was said to be later than the Wild 

 Goose. 



Ba*Kc(f'g. A delegate said it was about as large 

 as a Cherry. 



Blafkman. Berckmans, of Georgia, has had it 

 ten years and never saw fruit. Pomologist Van 

 Deman said it has never yet either blossomed or 

 fruited in any nursery he knew of; every honest 

 nurseryman should burn every tree he has. 



Moore's Arctic. Hoskins, of Vermimt, thinks it 

 a seedUng of Lombard, which it resembles. It's 

 the only variety they can rely on in Northern 

 Vermont; is Curculio pnjof. A Nova Scotia 

 delegate said they had not found it Curculio 

 proof. About the only Plum that can be raised 

 in New Brunswick, and that by laying down. 



De Soto. Brackett: Placed at the head of list 

 of Western Native Plums. Harrison, of Ohio: 

 Freest to bear of any. Engle, of Pennsylvania 

 and Lovett, of New Jersey: One of the liest. 



Peaches. Pecn-to or Flat Peach. Fuller, of New 

 Jersey, said this had been introduced more than 



fifty years ago, and re-introduced by Berckmans 

 of Georgia in late years. Of great value to the 

 South, and especially in Florida; most an admira- 

 ble shipper. Great variation in forms, some be- 

 ing long and very sweet. Van Deman spoke of 

 it as being worthless outside of the Orange belt. 



BidweWs Early. A long form of the last named 

 and worthless outside of the Orange districts, not 

 succeeding even in Georgia. 



Stci'f n«»i'.s Barcriiie. A delegate said this was 

 largely grown in New Jereey, but was no new 

 Peach. Ripens after Crawford's late. 



Ground Plan of a Pennsylvania Befrigerator 

 Fruit Honse. 



Albright. Said to be a White Cling, originated 

 in North Carolina. 



Grapes. JVXoore's Early. Thurlow, of Massa- 

 chusetts, had found it fruitful, about equal to 

 Concord. Bourne, of Rhode Island, spoke of its 

 not coming up to Concord in that respect. Lyon, 

 of Michigan, pronounced it as early as Hartford, 

 and only desirable because early. Strong, of 

 Massachusetts; Not as productive as Concord. 

 Caywood, of New York: Large coarse, rather 

 inferior, fair but not hardy cropper; from one to 

 two weeks earlier than Concord; valuable for 

 the North. 



Warden. A Rochester, N. Y., delegate said it 

 was liable to drop with them. Brackett, of Iowa: 

 It's going to supplement Concord, an idea which 

 several other delegates also expressed. Caywood 

 thought it did not ship as well as Concord. 

 Hubbard, of New York, reported on it favorably. 



Empire State. Berckmans: It does well in 

 Atlanta, Georgia. Cole, of Connecticut, had 

 found it to mildew badly. Campbell, of Ohio: 

 One of the healthiest he has ever grown ; never 

 any mildew, quality very fine. Has some foreign 

 blood, he thinks. Regards it as the best among 

 the Whites; flavor fine, approaching that of the 

 best foreign kinds. Not as productive as Niagara, 

 but as hardy. Caywood, of New York, said that 

 with its giving large crops the fruit ran small. 

 Thinks the skin unpleasant. 



Ulster. Green, of New York, considers this a 

 very valuable Grape. Never fails. Cole, of 

 Connecticut, found it to mildew bad. Campbell 

 regards it as valuable; not a vigorous giower, 

 but great producer. Hubbard, of New York, 

 reports it as free of mildew as any. 



Berchman.^. A Georgia delegate said that it 

 was larger than Delaware, but of smaller cluster. 



Woodruff [red.) Lyon, of Michigan: Far ahead 

 of most others as a market Grape. Campbell, of 

 Ohio, said it has a hardy vine; healthy foliage, 

 large lahruMa, mildew resisting; clusters and 

 benies large. Some native odor, little in taste; 

 most persons Uke it very much; rod berries. 

 Green, of New York, had found the bunches to 

 be small, quality poor, but a productive, hand- 

 some red Grape. Brackett, of Iowa, pronounced 

 it very promising, referring to its healthy leaves, 

 large clusters and fine appearance. 



Jewell. Van Deman described it as a black 

 variety, extra early, small clusters, fair-sized 

 berry. Campbell, of Ohio, said the \ine was 

 much like Early Victor, but the fruit is one week 

 earlier; about with Moore's Early; small as Dela- 

 ware in cluster, great deal better in quaUty than 

 Hartford or any other early variety. 



Early Victor. Campbell, of Ohio, describes it 

 as being hardy and of same season as Hartford. 



