Vol. A^l.— No. 33. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



253 



it appeared among us, we shall find it simultane- 

 ous in the different states. If this disease s])rings 

 from a bug or miller, or any other cause, we must 

 leave it to our distinguished entomologist in Mil- 

 ton. This we know, it gives great concern to the 

 reflecting horticulturist, to find his fine trees dying 

 in succession. 



As for the loss of our plum trees, and destruc- 

 titJn of the fruit, by the curculio, their depredations 

 are now familiar with us ; we expect but little, 

 even with care. However, I think tliey are di- 

 minishing, and hope the time v/ill soon arrive, 

 when a display of this fruit from our gardens, may 

 compare with that, raised last fall, in the fine gar- 

 dens of Albany, Troy, and the vicinity. The dis- 

 ease which aftects the pear trees, commenced 

 here, in 18-26-7. S. G. Perkins, Esq., of Brook- 

 line, lost many trees ; some fine and healthy. Mr 

 Samuei. Wark, of Roxbury, from his fine fruit 

 farm, lost between one and two hundred. This 

 same disease destroyed on his place, a number of 

 pear trees in 1804-5. My garden has likewise 

 more recently suflfered ; and doubtless others in 

 the vicinity. S. D. 



Dorchester, 20th Feb. 1829. 



Albanxj, Jan. 26, 1829. 



Dear Sir — Your favor of the 16th inst. catne 

 duly to hand. 



In replying to your inquiries, I must premise, 

 that being comparatively a novice in gardening, 

 and many of my trees not having come into a 

 bearing state, I shall not be able to give the ample 

 description yoii desire. 



Schuyler^s Gage. This has not borne with me, 

 though I have eaten it at Mr Dennison's. I tliink it 

 is one of our latest plums, under medium size, 

 round, and of a greenish yellow color. If my re- 

 collection serves me it is sometimes called the 

 white damson. 



Royal Blues are the same, I think, as the Foth- 

 eringiiam. I ate this fruit some years ago, at 

 the late Chancellor Livingstoji's, on the 16th Jidy, 

 under the name of the Orleans. It is a pretty 

 large fruit, oblong shape, and blue color— tree 

 thrifty. Mr Dennison thinks with me that it is a 

 Fothcringhara, though Loudon describes the Foth- 

 eringliam as of a dark red color. A fine pUun. 



Bketker's Gage is a fine large yellow iilum, 

 raised originally from a Jjit brought from Ger- 

 many, and ■ presented to the la<ly of a clergyman 

 by the name of Bleecker. It is sometimes called 

 the German Gage. When ripe, its flesh appears 

 through the skin varied like the gooseberry. It is 

 one of our most popular fiuits. We have some 

 hundreds of natural stocks of this plum. 



Bolmar is the same as the Washington — is quite 

 a large plum, oblong, and of a greenish yelbw. — 

 Its size has acquired for it a reputation ijicater 

 than it deserves, though it is a superior plmn. It 

 is said to have originated in New York with a Mr 

 Bolmar. Vigorous tree. 



Banker's Gage is an Esopus seedling : and is 

 undoubtedly the best plum I know for drying. I 

 have seen vast quantities dried at Esopus ; where 

 they are used in various ways during the winter. 

 They are above the medium size, rather loiv, blue 

 color, and remarkably rich and juicy. I have 

 several bearing trees. 



I have eaten and admired Mr D.'s French plum, 

 but cannot describe it. The truth is, my absence 

 last summer prevented my taking down the des- 

 cription of plums that I intended. My Cais Gold- 



en drop, which I received from the L. H. Society, 

 has not borne fruit. Wc have an early Golden 

 drop whi«h ripens as early as the Mirabolam. 



AVe have added this winter to our collection 

 about a dozen new varieties, all seedlings but one 

 or two. I have seen most of the fruits, and deem 

 them a great acquisition. I forgot the cuttings of 

 my new plum when I sent your trees, but will for- 

 ward them in the spring. 



I first became acquainted with the tumors on 

 the ]ilum tree in 1801, at Kingston (Esopus.) It 

 destroyed thousands of trees in that village. It 

 began to abate in 1809-10, and although it has 

 not entirely disappeared there, it has very sensibly 

 decreased. In 1S05 the disease on the limbs of 

 the pear tree made its appearance there, and ex- 

 tended to the apple tree also. Various expedients 

 were adopted to check its progress, such as hang- 

 ing iron hoops and straps in the crotch, boring 

 holes into the trunks, and filling them with sul- 

 jjhur, mercurial ointment, &c. but to little effect. 

 This disease was worse there than I have ever 

 seen it since, and destroyed four-fifths of the pears 

 and many apples. It ceased in about 1810, and 

 has now partially reappeared. In 1827 I observed 

 it in various parts of Pennsylvania and New Jer- 

 sey ; and the last summer I noted its progress 

 100 miles north and 150 west of this city. 



The great enemy of the plum, and indeed of all 

 stone fruit, with us, is the curculio, or other insect 

 which punctures the young fruit. This cannot be 

 the same that causes the tumor ; for while my 

 fruit suffers severely the wood remains sound and 

 healthy. 



I take the liberty of sending you the constitu- 

 tion, &c. of a Society which we have just formed 

 to promote improvement in horticulture. 

 Very respectfully. 



Your obedient servant, 



S. Downer, Esq. J. BUEL. 



rOB THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BROAD WHEELS. 



Mr Fessenden — In your remarks on broad 

 wheels, (Jan. 2,) you quote Edgeworth, that " cyl- 

 indrical wheels, and straight axletrees have been 

 une(|uivocally preferred." 



Let us have the whole truth on the subject. — 

 So useful an article ought not to be left open to 

 successful attack. If any person for any reason 

 prefers a conical axle, and there are reasons to be 

 weighed, then the bottom of the axle may be 

 made horizontal, the exterior of the wheel just as 

 conical as the axle, and the effect is the same as 

 that produced by a cylindrical wheel, and axle. — 

 In this case it will doiditless be well to incline the 

 axle a liUlc forward, making the angle between its 

 foreside and the line of forward movement, less ob- 

 tuse than that between the hinder side and tlie 

 line of movement. In theory this may seem to 

 occasion the wheel to scrape laterally on the sur- 

 face of the road, but it is not reality ; for the in- 

 clination must be only such as to counteract the 

 tendency of the wheel to work ofl' from the axle, 

 an<l press upon the nut or linchpin. S. 



Alna, Me. Feb. 20, 1829. 



QUERE ON THE CULTIVATION" OF SU- 

 MACH. 

 A correspondent at Eden, Maine, wishes to be 

 informed if Sumach can be cultivated, how it is 

 cultivated, and where seed can be obtained ? 



To these queries we reply that we have never 

 heard of the cultivation of sumach in this part 

 of the country ; and perhafis the commonness of 

 the plant in its wild state may have precluded 

 it from our fields and gardens. Loudon mentions 

 it in his Encyclopedia of Gardening, in the index, 

 only, under its botanical name Rhus, and save 

 " the hardy kinds grow in common soil, and are 

 increased by cuttings of the roots or layers."— 

 If any of our friends or correspondents will fur- 

 nish further information on this topic, they will 

 lay us under great obligation and its publication 

 may render a benefit to the community. 



M'Mah.on says "The various kinds of iJ/ms or 

 Sumach, may be propagated by suckers, layers, 

 or seeds. The seeds, if preserved in sand, and 

 sown early in March, will rise freely the same 

 season, and when one or two years old may be 

 transplanted into nursery-rows, and having had 

 their two years growth, may be planted where 

 intended 'to remain. 



HORTICULTURE. 



Extract from an Address, delivered to the Jefferson, {N. Y) 

 Agricultural Sncielij, by James Le Rov De Chaomont. 



I cannot pass in silence the great neglect of 

 our gardens, the more so when the perfection to 

 which our garden vegetables arrive, is a con- 

 vincing proof of the excellence of our climate and 

 soil. Born and educated in what is called the 

 garden of France, and fond of Horticulture, I can 

 assure you whh confidence that the vegetables of 

 that favored country do not equal ours. Besides 

 the more common vegetables, those two most val- 

 ued the cardoon and canlifower grow here finer 

 than I ever saw them ; and we need not exclude 

 from our gardens any southern production of the 

 United States. I planted this year, much too 

 late, from the diliiculties of getting the seed here, 

 some Carolina or sweet potatoes. They were plant- 

 ed in the open ground on the 9th of June, and 

 you will see a few samples of them this day, 

 which though not grown to their size, will prove 

 that they may be raised without extraordinary 

 care. The sea kale, the Broccoli, the egg plant, 

 and the rhubarb, commonly called the pie plant, 

 are very desirable varieties for our tables. This 

 last ])lant has a wonderful growth, and requires 

 very little care here, and when we consider the 

 early period in the year when we can use it to 

 make pies, we must not be without it. 



Cider Brandy. — A gentleman who has been for 

 twenty years engaged in mercantile business, told 

 me, that, during our last war, he went into the 

 State of New Jersey, and in a certain district pur- 

 chased of the farmers domestic spirits. His hu- 

 pression at the time was strong, that their free 

 use of cider brandy would undo them. Five 

 years afterwards, he visited that place again, and 

 not one of those who were landholders at the time 

 of his first visit, remained. Other men owned 

 those beautiful farms and dwellings. Their great 

 orchards and cider brandy had turned out the first 

 owners pennylessupon the cold compassion of the 

 world.— JV. Y. Observer. 



At a meeting held at Sterling, last Tuesday, 

 of which the Hon. Joseph G. Kendaei, was 

 Chairman, it was determined to take measures 

 for extending the Blackstone Canal to Fitchburg ; 

 and Committees were appointed to cause surveys 

 of the route to be made, and to raise funds te 

 meet the expense of such surveys. 



