THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



245 



ing. Wishing to have nothing more to do with 

 this site, for an orchard, I had the trees pulled up, 

 and thrown away, and determined to plant ano- 

 ther of the finest varieties known in our country, 

 at least as Car as I could get inlorraation on the 

 subject, to enable me to make the selection. I 

 found it necessary to read the best treatises I couki 

 get on fruit trees ; and in 1824, I ordered a good 

 many varieties from a large nursery in New York. 

 and in 1826, I ordered 100 trees of 17 varieties, 

 mostly 7 trees of each variety, from a large nursery 

 in New Jersey. With these I planted another 

 orchard, and looked forward with pleasure to the 

 result. But after it had borne a few yearp, I 

 found it was more in want of an axe or a grubbing 

 hoe than any thing else — there were so many un- 

 profitable varieties : since which 1 have used the 

 axe and hoe freely. Some'of our largest and 

 finest peaches are amongst the most unprofitable 

 to cultivate. Within the last two years, 1 have 

 brought under cultivation nearly all the first-rate 

 peaches known in our books and catalogues, that 

 I had not tried before, with a view of making out 

 a fine and profitable succession, the season 

 through. Of these varieties I cannot now say 

 any thing, but of those varieties that I have long 

 had under cultivation, I prefer the following: 



Red Magdalen and red rare-ripe are very fine 

 early peaches. 



dldmixon ding-stone (sometimes called red 

 Catharine) is a large peach with a red cheek, and 

 is one of the very finest peaches of our country, 

 and one of the most productive. It ripens imme- 

 diarely after the two just named. This variety 

 is said to be cultivated m the vicinity of our large 

 towns to the north, to supply the market. About 

 two years ago, while in Baltimore, I had some 

 conversation with a gentleman who owns a large 

 nursery near town. He stated to me he had an 

 acquaintance, who had supplied the Baltimore 

 market with peaches on a large scale, for the last 

 thirty years, and he told him he considered the Old- 

 mixon cling-stone the most valuable peach he had. 



Oldmixon free-stone. — A fine peach. It resem- 

 bles the Oldmixon cling-stone in its external ap- 

 pearance, and rijiens about the same time ; but in 

 other respects is not to equal it. I am rather in- 

 clined to think another peach can be substituted 

 for this in a succession of peaches for this part of 

 the country ; however, as yet, I have been com- 

 pelled to retain it. 



Columbia, in catalogues of fruit frees called 

 Columbia superb. A large free-stone peach ol' 

 uncommon excellence. The skin yellow, covered 

 with stripes of red, giving it a singular and hand- 

 some appenrance. It begins to ripen about the 

 time the Oldmixona are about half gone. This 

 peach is too much disposed to rot about the time 

 of ripening to be cultivated on a large ecEfle, but, 

 as yet, I have been compelled to retain it, but hope 

 yet to get a more profitable one to supply its place. 

 One tree of this kind, in a garden or yard, is de- 

 sirable on account of its excellent and beautiful 

 appearance. 



Common Heath. — This, like the Oldmixon 

 cling-stjne, is one of the most valuable peaches 

 of our country ; the color white, and the (orm ob- 

 long. It ripens in the fall, and is considered the 

 finest to dry, or to |:)reeerve in sugar or in brandy. 



A few years past, I had 300 bundles of peach 

 stones put up and distributed gratuitously through 



this and the adjoining counties. Each bundle 

 contained twenty-five stones of the six varieties 

 just described. 



Grapes. — I have had about thirty varieties un- 

 der cultivation, of ihe native and loreign varieties 

 that have been most highly recommended by the 

 best writers of our country on the vine. The 

 five following varieties seem most generally re- 

 commended, notwitlis^tniTditi"' thpy are objection- 

 able in many respects, the last three of which I 

 have only recently brought under cultivation — 

 Isabella, Catawba, Herbemont'e Georgia, Hyde's 

 Eliza, and Lenoir. 



Isabella. — The fruit is of a dark purple, of a 

 large size, and oval form, with a pulp ; supposed 

 to be the most productive gra[)e ever known in 

 our country. It is supposed to be a native of 

 South Carolina. I have had this variety in my 

 garden for about twenty years, and lor a number 

 of years I was greatly pleased with it; but for 

 some years this grape has been nearly destroyed 

 by the mildew, throughout our country, with the 

 exception of our large towns, and even in them 

 it is said now to sutler much from the mildew. 



Catawba. — This is a large grape, of a lilac or 

 bluish color, covered with a beautiful bloom, 

 which gives (o it a bluish-purple appearance. 

 The bunches are large and uncommonly beauti- 

 ful. The foliage and berries resemble the red 

 Bland (a native, erroneously called blue English) 

 more than any variety that I have had under cul- 

 tivation. As a table grape it is only tolerable ; 

 hut is said to be one of our finest wine grapes. 

 This variety I have had in my garden ae long as 

 I have had the Isabella. Ii is more subject to rot 

 thaniibrmerly ; but not as much so as the Isabella. 

 It is supposed to be a native of Maryland. 



HerbemonVs Georgia. — The name of this vari- 

 ety has been recently changed by Mr. Prince, of 

 New York, from Herbemont's Madeira, under 

 the impression it is a native grape of Georgia, 

 and is now so classed in his catalogue of native 

 grapes. Mr. Herbemont and others who have 

 written much in I'avor of this grape state it is ra- 

 ther too much subject to rot in wet seasons; but, 

 notwithstanding,- lis cultivation is highly recom- 

 mended, and it is now one of the most popular 

 grapes of our country. Mr. Prince, in his Trea- 

 tise on the Vine, says, "This is an excellent 

 crape, either for the table or lor wine ; the latter 

 has been sold in South Carolina, for two dollars 

 per gallon before it was five months old. The 

 vine is vigorous and an abundant bearer; it is re- 

 markable on account of the young branches hav- 

 ing white spots on them, as if a white pellicle had 

 been partly peeled off." Mr. McCall of Georgia, 

 one of the most successful cultivators of the vine 

 in our country, represents the foliage of this 

 variety of a light green color, the juice of the 

 grape as white, the wine becoming of an amber 

 color, of an exquisite nut flavor ; the berries 

 round, of moderate size, and nearly black, set 

 pretty close on the bunches, and weighing about 

 five ounces each. 



Hyde's Eliza.— 'Hh'xs variety I have been in- 

 duced to give a trial from the recommendation of 

 Mr. Prince, who thinks it one of our first native 

 varieties. It was but little known when Mr. Prince 

 published his Treatise on the- Vine, but from it 

 I will make an extract : " It is a fiourishing vine, 

 the fruit is of a medium size, blue when ripe, very 



