1846. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



28; 



HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT- 



BY P. BARRY. 



The Strawberry Question. 



The Horticultural publications of the day are 

 besieged with drivellers on this subject. We 

 dread opening one, lest three or four pages of 

 twaddle about "stamens and pistils" should stare 

 us. in the face. 



We think that Mr. Lonoworth himself must 

 have enough of the subject by this time. The 

 last number of Hovey's Magazine contains a dis- 

 cussion between Mr. Downing's nursery fore- 

 man and Mr. Hovey. The former states that, in 

 1845, he examined a bed of Hovey's Seedling, 

 at the Highland Nurseries, having both stamens 

 and pistils fully developed, and produced one of 

 the most uniform and handsome crops of fruit he 

 ever saw, and that, too, at the distance of one 

 hundred yards from the regular strawberry plant- 

 ation or strawberry plant of any kind. To this 

 Ml*. Hovey replies : " We unhesitatingly say 

 that every plant, which Mr. Saul or Mr. Down- 

 ing lias found in their beds of Hovei/^s Seedling 

 with stamens, is not the true kind." 



This is one point, at least, explicitly stated. — 

 To our mind there is no doubt, but that Hovey's 

 Seedling, as Mr. Hovey says, " was an imper- 

 fect flowering variety, is so, and will remain so." 

 The course, then, to be pursued in reference to 

 its culture, is to plant it near others with stami- 

 nate or perfect tiowers. A fair crop cannot be 

 obtained otherwise ; this we have been convinced 

 of by experience. 



Osbaiul's Sammcr Pear. 

 (' Shimmer Virgalieu'' of the Rochester Gardens.) 

 . In our September number we noticed some 

 specimens of this Pear from Mr, Zera Burr, 

 of Perinton, who, by the way, is industriously 

 collecting fine varieties of fruit. We also re- 

 ceived specimens at the same time from Judge 

 Chapin, of this city, who first brought it to Roch- 

 ester some 8 or 9 j-ears ago, from IMacedon. — 

 He found the fruit accidentally in the market, 

 and seeing it was the best he knew, of its sea- 

 son, he procured grafts the foUowingspring, and 

 now has one of the finest trees in the country. 

 He says it is a regular and fine bearer. Jl 

 ranks among the best August Pears Ib cultiva- 

 tion. We are glad to find the foUowingjhistory 

 and description of it in the Nov. number of the 

 Horticulturist from the pen of Mr. W. R. Smith, 

 of Macedon: 



0?band's Summer Pear, {Osband's Farorite. of some.) 

 —This beautiful and excellent native pear has ao<]iiire(i 

 considerable jiotoriety in this vicinity, and is destined, 

 without doubt, to take rank with the best of its season. — 

 It is in perfection previous to the Dearborn's Seedling, and 

 80 far as I can ascertain, subsequent to the Bloodgood. — 

 It ia a fine grower, and bears young and well. So strongly 

 does it resemble the White Doyenne in outline and flavor, 

 that it has been known in Rochester for several years as 



the " Summer Virgalieu," a name obviously improper, as 

 the Doyenne d'Eto, a distinct fruit, has been for some time 

 described, and extensively circulated. The description of 

 the fruit under consideration so nearly corresponds with 

 that of the Doyenne d'F.te, that some intelligent cultiva- 

 tors are inclined to think them i;!entical. But aside from 

 the facts in ihn case, it may be rotnarkcd as conclusive 

 against this o|)inion, that the Osband's Favoiite has a large 

 o|)en calyx, with refloxed sogmrnls, while the Doyenne 

 d'F.tp has " calyx small, closed.''** The former, too, ap- 

 pears to have much more of color than the latter. 



Osbaiid's Summer Pear. 



All doubts on this point will, I iliink, be removed by re- 

 ference to the following history, which I obtained from G. 

 Osbnnd, a Methodist minister, in good standing, and every 

 way worthy of confidence. Early in the settlement of this 

 part of the state, a small nursery was planted by Pardon 

 Durfee in the vicinity of Palmyra, Wayne Co. A public 

 road was subsequently laid out through the premises, and 

 a part of the trees in consequence removed. During thi^s 

 labor, the father of my informant, accidentally passing, 

 was accosted by the proprietor, with, "here,! will give 

 you this," handing a pear tree about two feet in height, 

 with branches forking out near the ground. On reaching 

 home, the tree was divided through the roots, and the two 

 parts planted. Here one of thetu jiroduccd ahumlant crops 

 for many years, and finally died, probably from the ' blight.' 

 The other was soon removed to a farm in the north part of 

 this town, (Macedon,) and last year I gathered a few spec- 

 imens from it, the last which the same potent enemy will 

 allow it to produce. The name given is at the suggestion 

 of tlie family who brought it into notice. 



Size, scarcely medium, about two inches long, and two 

 in diameter. Form, obovate, resembling a White Doj-cnne. 

 Skin, smooth, shining, clear yellow, profusely marked with 

 small green dot.s ; well ripened specimens have a clear red 

 cheek, slightly russctled at the crown. Stalk, an inch 

 long, rather stout, a little knobbed, not deeply inserted in a 

 cavity of four unequal sides. Calyx, large, open, segments 

 reflexed. Elesh, white, a little coarse, juicy. Flavor, rich 

 and sugary, with a slight musky perfume. Ripe from oUi 

 to lUth of' 8th mo. (August.) Wm. R. Smith. 



Macedon, 8 mo. 184(3. 



Sec Downing'8 "Fruit^sand Fruit Trees of America. 



In consequence of the space occupied by the 

 Title Page and Index to this volume, Avhich are 

 given in the present number, several interesting 

 articles, intended for publication in this depart- 

 ment, are necessarily deferred. m. 



