PUBLISH ED BY J. B . RUSSELL, AT NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (at the Agricultural Warehouse.)— T. G. FESSENDEN, EDITOR. 



VOL,. X. 



BOSTOJV, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 19, 1831. 



NO. 14. 



©casasawEMi^ii^acQsrsa 



MR KNIGHT'S NEW PEARS. 



Mr Fesse.n'uf.n — Havin;; been, through ncci- 

 deiital circmnslances, brought into correspuiiilence 

 with Thomas Andrew Knight, E^^cluire, ami hav- 

 ing been intrusteil by him, with the dispersion of 

 certain new varieties of pears, I tliink it an in- 

 cumbent duty to state to cultivators the residts of 

 my experience as to the value of those fruits, in 

 our climate ; I mean strictly the climate of Boston 

 and its vicinity. 



His No. 1. The Capimimont, of which he said 

 nothing in praise, proves to he a healthy, vigorous 

 tree, a great bearer, well adapted to our climate, of 

 large size, and great beauty. It so closely resem- 

 bles tlic old St Michael in textin-e and flavor, that 

 it can Iiardly be distinguished from it. It supplies 

 its place fully in situations where the St Michael 

 has entirely failed for 15 years past. It ripens 

 from Sept. to Nov. 



No. 2. TiU!nglo7i, is a large and noble fruit, 

 of excellent r|uality. It is superior to any pear 

 we have except the old French Pears, which are 

 in a failing state in most gardens, out of our cities. 

 It ripens from Sept. 15, to probably Nov. 15 in onr 

 climate. I have had some doubts, whether I, {^not 

 Mr Knight) may not have confounded this pear 

 with the Urbaniste. This can only be decided when 

 the Urbaniste shall show fruit ; at any rate it is a 

 valuable accession to our fruits. 



No. 3. The Urbaniste, if not mistaken for the 

 Tillington, has never been tested by me. 



No. 4. Beurre Knox, is a great and profuse 

 bearer. The pears are of large size, admirably 

 adapted to the market; its flavor and texture arc 

 ijood, but it is very prone to rot at the core, but 

 not more so than the Jargonelle. It is at maturity 

 from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1 in our climate. 



Nos. 5 and 6. .Yapoleon and Marie Louise, 

 pears of excellent qualities, great bearers, and rich 

 fruits, but I am constrained to say, that they show 

 a disposition to shed their leaves prematurely, and 

 I hesitate to say, that tliey will be successful per- 

 manently. 



No. 7. Forelle. I doubt the value of this pear 

 in our climate. It is disposed to disease. It has 

 no very high reputation in Europe. 



No. 8. Colmard'Hyver [Gloria synonime.) I have 

 only seen some fine specimens from Mr Parsons' 

 garden, as yet unripe. It is of first rate excel- 

 lence in Europe. 



No. 9. Passe Colmar. A most productive vari- 

 ety, well suited to our climate, the best pear I ever 

 tasted in the month of December. 



No. 10. Hardenpontde Printems. (Beurre Ranee 

 synonime) This fruit produced two pears this sea- 

 son, of large size, but as it does not ripen till April, 

 we cannot judge of it. 



No. 11. Sylvanche verte d'Hyver or Winter Syl- 

 vanche, is one of the noblest pears, which I have 

 ever seen, as to size, vigor, productiveness, and 

 good qualities. It seems to be admirably adapted 

 to our climate. These are all, of which I can 

 speak from observation, except the Duchesse d'.^in- 

 gouleme. This is a large and vigorous pear, not 

 yet ripe. 



I thought these remarks due to these who are | grain, I thonghU it might suit our. New Eng- 

 now about selecting their varieties. Present hopes I land soil and climate. Three years ago I sent a 

 may be disappointed, but this sliouM not deter me | cask to John Humphreys, Esq. Derby, Ct. It did 

 from giving all the information in my power, and well ; the next year a barrel to the Hon. Matthew 

 this information has been given with the caution, Griswold, whose place is situated on Long Island 

 that such a question requires. There is no horti- Sound, 14 miles from New London ; par" of the 

 cultural vexation (I speak from personal suffering) same to R. E. Seldon, Esq. 12 miles up Connecticut 



greater, than being deceived i,n fruits, over which 

 we have anxiously watched for 7 or 8 years. 



Roxbury, Oct. 6, 1831. J. Lowell. 



P. S. On the whole we may say, that the antici. 



River. This wlieat has been cultivated in all those 

 places, and, as I have heard a short time since, has 

 far exceeded their expectations. 



I prefer the Tea Wheat to any other I have ever 



pation from Mr Knight's present of new fruits has [seen for family bread, as it does not dry, after being 

 been more amply realized, than we had any right j '"ikedi 'ike the ^ommon wheat of this country and 

 to expect, taking into consideration the uncertain- ] has a sweet, pleasant flavor; but it will not soil in 

 ties arising from difference of climate and culture. °"'' markets, only at a reduced price on account of 



Mr Parsons has specimens of the Bonne Malinoise, 

 and of the Rouseleucb, and I have two pears of 

 the Wormsley Grange; but as they are not ripe, and 

 as the scions were received under great disadvan- 

 tages, the labels having been detached, and we had 

 only to conjecture the numbers from notches on 

 the scions, which were nearly defaced, I would 

 not hazard any opinion as to them. I shall, how- 

 ever, with a duo s?use of the importance to nurse- 

 ry men, and to private cultivators, who are after 

 all the most important part of society, probably in 

 the ratio of 1000 to 1, state distinctly, and with- 

 out partiality or prejudice, tiiy personal experi- 

 ence of the fruits not yet tasted. I owe it to my 

 brothrr cultivators, to be very explicit on this sub- 

 j St, to guard them against the losses ami vexa- 

 tions, which I have suffered for more than 30 



Ths following letter is from Elihu Marvin, Esq. a 

 very iistinguished and intelligent farmer in the Western 

 parto'NewYovk. Mr Russell has received a few bush- 

 els o\ Ibe Black Sea Wheat, described below, for sale. Its 

 appi|irance certainly surppasses anything of the kind we 

 havj seen in New England, it is free from small grains, or 

 forefen seeds, and weighs 64 lbs. to the bushel. A quantity 

 of tlje Tea Wheat is expected in a. few weeks. 



NEW VARIETIES OF WHEAT. 



Jr Fessenden — The celebrated Tea Wheat, 

 mentioned in the New England Farmer, vol. vi. page 

 •S2|[ procured in 1828. I have sowed it with good 

 success ever since. This wheat is no doubt a 

 valjable acquisition to our agriculturists, and 

 oujht to be an encouragement for every one to 

 cir]ulate, for the benegt of others, every kind of 

 se^ which comes into his hands, whenever it is 

 fo^nd to be valuable. 



have also a winter wheat brought to this country 

 hm the Black Sea, which I consider more im- 

 pdtant than the Tea Wheat, and as weil suited to 

 evjry soil and climate. In 1828 I had brought 

 m| about three pecks of this wheat. I selected for 

 it j piece of ground which had been in crops about 

 20years, and sowed it the middle of December. 

 I ad 25 bushels of wheat from this sowing. I 

 s(|ved it four years in succession, on the same 

 g^und, without any failure in the crop. The 

 Wieat, like your Tea Wheat, is not injured, by smut 

 vhere other wheat is almost lost. It has a firm, 

 lard straw which withstands our storms, and is not 

 iijured by the fly. The kernel is hard and firm, 

 Bt subject to grow in the field from long fogs or 

 Bins. After several successful experiments in this 



the dark yellow shade of the flour. 



The Black Sea Wheat, which has taken the 

 name of White Flint, from the peculiar whiteness 

 of the flower and the hardness of the shell which 

 contains it, is dry and particularly calculated for 

 sea bread, crackers, and all kind of pastry cooking, 

 and, on account of its solidity, commands the first 

 price in market, it being about 4 pounds heavier to 

 the bushel than what is commonly called Western 

 or Ohio Wheat. 



As the great and benevolent cause of temper- 

 ance ought to be in the heart of every good citizen, 

 I wish all our New England farmers, instead of 

 raising ryo to drink, would benefit themselves by 

 this kind of grain, which I can assure them from 

 real experience tliBV.w'H find a superior article both 

 at their own tablcfe aVW in market. 



I have about 7 acres of the Black Sea Wheat 

 which is said by those who pretend to be judges 

 to be the best in this region ; all or the most of it I 

 should like to have sown in New England. My 

 friends in Ct. have sent to mo for a further supply 

 of seed. 



The wheat from the Black Sea I consider the 

 samekind of wheat as the Tea Wheat ; one is spring, 

 the other winter. Neither of them are what \ve 

 call bearded, but have a few scattering beards not 

 over an inch in length ; neither of them is liable 

 to smut ; I have seen only a few stalks in wet places 

 and that is not like the wheat of this conntry, but 

 comes on soon after it blossoms and is blown off 

 long before the grain is ripe. The winter wheat 

 has a stiffer straw than the spring and stands better 

 in heavy rains, winds, &,c, &c. 



I have invariably had a better crop of the winter 

 wheat than tlie spring on the same strength of soil, 

 but on the high lands or dividing ridges where 

 they have from 3 to 5 feet of snow through the 

 winter, the spring wheat is a better and more cer- 

 tain crop. 



Near Lake Erie our snows arc about the same 

 as on the sea board, and laud whicli will produce 

 from 40 to 50 bushels of corn per acre will bring 

 from 20 to 30 of the Black Sea Wheat, sown on 

 the corn hills in December. I have sown this 

 wheat on corn hills, wheat and pea stubble, but 

 prefer corn hills. 



I have tried sowing this wheat from the last 

 of August to the first of June, but the best crops 

 which I have had, or seen, were sown the last of 

 December early sowing one bushel to the acre, late 

 sowing 36 qts. If I sow early, I prefer the last of 

 September, if I cannot put the wheat in at that time, 



