146 Notes on some New Vai^ieties of Fruits. 



may be requisite, to enable trees to produce their fruits in 

 the highest state of perfection. 



The more marked distinctive features of the past season, 

 Avere a copious supply of rain in the earlier, and a decided 

 drought in the latter, part ; the ground, during the first part 

 of the previous winter, having been protected by, and in the 

 last part bare of, snow, during which period there was some 

 severely cold weather. An opinion, that the winter exercises 

 great influence upon fruit trees, affecting their subsequent 

 growth, fruitfulness, and vigor, will, it is believed, hereafter 

 be more extensively entertained than at present, as the facts 

 in relation to this matter are more thoroughly investigated. 

 When a tree in the spring and earlier part of the season seems 

 vigorous and healthy, we are apt to suppose that it has passed 

 in safety through the preceding winter, and impute to blight 

 or some other cause any disease that may subsequently de- 

 velop itself, when, perhaps, a thorough investigation and 

 careful examination would prove it more properly attributable 

 to the effects of the previous winter. 



The past season seems to have been particularly propitious 

 to most descriptions of stone fruit ; cherries, plums and peaches 

 having been produced in great profusion, and, especially cher- 

 ries, of almost surpassing excellence. The crop of apples, on 

 the contrary, was by no means abundant, and, of pears, hard- 

 ly an average. This remark, with respect to pears, is not, 

 however, of universal application, the crop of some cultivators 

 having been not only abundant, but very superior in quality. 



The favorite winter pear of the year, judging from the 

 attention that specimens of them when exhibited appeared 

 to attract, has been the Glout Morceau, and a change in opin- 

 ion, with respect to this variety, seems in progress among 

 cultivators of the pear. This pear has not heretofore been, 

 in general, highly appreciated ; indeed, some growers had be- 

 come so discouraged respecting it as to have regrafted their 

 trees ; for with some, soon after their setting, the young fruit 

 turned black and dropped off, while with others the quality 

 of the fruit was indifferent, and even that but sparingly pro- 

 duced. But the fine quality of this pear the past year, and 



