1855. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



469 



at length taken out, and the following was the re- 

 sult : — that portion whicli was washed until nothing 

 more could be carried off by water, remained clean 

 and bright as when it was carried into the vault : 

 the unwashed portion had become the prey of foul 

 parasites, and was completely imbedded in an offen- 

 sive mass of mould. This experiment proved the 

 theory of the philosopher, and convinced him, that, 

 if by any means our timber of any sort could be de- 

 prived of all those matters contained in it which are 

 soluble in water, it could be kept any number of 

 years entirely free from rot. 



Fi/T the Netc England Farmer. 



SHORT READINGS ON APPLES. 



THE MAGNOLIA. 

 Tliis apple is the one which the late jVIr. Cole in- 

 troduced. It is nearly unknown in this region, 

 (coming from Bolton,) and I have not seen but two 

 ])ersons who knew anything about it ; namely, Mr. 

 Cole, and a dealer in fruit at the Quincy ]\iarket, 

 who said it was the best ap])le he ever tasted. Large 

 medial, sprightly and tender, pale yellow ground, 

 ^^th crimson side. If any of the readers of the 

 Farmer are acquainted with this fruit, I wish they 

 would communicate upon it. Ripe in November. 



THE AMERICAN SUMMER PEARM.UN. 



A year ago last autumn, in September, I discov- 

 ered an apple in Pleasant Street, Boston, which 

 greatly excited my interest. A grocer had bought 

 a barrelfull of a countryman for three dollars, but 

 was not informed of their name. Most of them 

 were large to very large, rather flat, with a broad 

 basin, yellow ground, nearly covered with dark red. 

 They were generally fair and uniform in shape, and 

 would have created a sensation on the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society's tables. They were ten- 

 der, very pleasant and juicy, with white flesh, and 

 many of them had numerous dark blotches, and 

 some of them were slightly cracked. So interested 

 was I in this splendid apple, that 1 was determined, 

 if possible, to find out its name. I accordingly 

 l)ocketed some, and took the liberty of calling oil 

 many eminent fruit judges in the city ; but strange 

 to say, no one could tell what it was. Last fall, I 

 discovered another barrel of them, or what 1 sup- 

 posed to l)c the same; yet they were of lighter color 

 and were less l)lotched. The fruit-dealer did not 

 know what they were, and I determined to make 

 further inquiry. To be brief, I found a mu-serj- 

 man who suspected it was the American Summer 

 Pearmain ; and loolung into Cole's Fruit Book, I 

 recognized it, I thought, in his descri])tion. This 

 apple is so rare and beautiful, that it deserves an 

 extended notice from some one who has cultivated 

 it in New England. New .Jersey is the place of its 

 origin, and Mr. Cole says it cracks badly witli us. 

 J )() cultivators of it here find it to be so ?" 



cole's quincic 



Is an apple which makes a great figure in Cole's' 

 Aimrkaa Fruit Hook, and will probal)ly l)e much I 

 sought after on liis recommendation. I have a tree ' 

 which bore alunita dozen this year, but they did not 

 meet my expectations. Most of them are knotty 

 and wormy, and show no indications of ever being 

 fit to eat ; and though the tree sets full, most of the 

 fruit falls j)reniaturely. Mr. Hovey lias it in liis 

 catalogue, and calls it a winter fruit'; while in fact, 



it is an August and September apjile. Unless my 

 tree shows something better another year, I shall 

 regraft it. Is there any lining man well acquainted 

 \vith this fruit, now Mr. Cole is departed ? 



the G.\RDEN ROYAL 

 Is a very delicious Sejitembcr apj)le, and though 

 hardly large enough to be considered a first-rate 

 market apple, it has no rival while in the field. It 

 sells rai)idly at an extra price. Though not so large 

 as the Gravenstein or the Porter, neither so firm 

 nor so handsome, it must be a favorite wherever 

 knowii for its tenderness, juiciness and fine mild fla- 

 vor, which is similar to the Hubbardston Nonsuch, 

 and its color also is very much like that apple. 



THE FAMEUSE, or SNOW ATPLE, 

 So called from the whiteness of its flesh, — is a 

 brilliant gem among autumn apples, ripening in 

 November ; medium size, flattish, smooth and uni- 

 form in shape, with as high color as the Williams, 

 and purer flesh, it always attracts attention. It is 

 very tender, pleasant and juicy, and in iJecember 

 has the freshness and peculiar flavor of an August 

 apple. This fruit came from Canada, and is suited 

 to cold regions. 



THE RED ASTRACHAN 

 Is an apple wliich is attracting much attention at 

 present, and for an August ajijile, will rival, if not 

 surpass, the Williams. It possesses some nrtues 

 which the latter fruit does not, though its flavor is not 

 so mild and agreeable. It has a wliite,dehcate ground, 

 mostly covered with vcrmilhon, with a bloom simi- 

 lar to a red plum. It is a good grower, and an ear- 

 ly bearer ; but a httle too tart for most persons, 

 and rots more rapidly than the AA'ilUams. 



fF. Medford, Aug. 20. D. w. L. 



For the New England Fanner. 



BLIGHT UPON THE ONION. 



About four weeks since I had occasion to pass 

 some of the fine cultivated fields of onions, that 

 abound ui this vicinity, when they were clothed in a 

 luxuriant green ; since then I have seen the same 

 fields almost ivhitc, with toj)s drooping and fiillen — 

 with bottom not yet perfected. The occasion of 

 this sudden change I do not understiind ; but learn 

 from those interested, that their crop is blighted ; 

 that whenever the blight jjrcvails, the ])roduct will 

 be gi'catly diminished. Whether this fallen, de- 

 crepid appearance, is the consequence of insect op- 

 erations, or superabundance of moisture, or is oc- 

 casioned by any ])eculiar state of the atmosphere, 

 I will not presume to say; but that it ])revails, toa 

 very considerable extent, cannot l)e denied. 



AVe have noticed contiguous fields, one drooping, 

 the other uj)right; — and jjarts of the same field 

 fallen and ]iarts not fallen; but how to explain this 

 dittereiice is not in our power. I'erhaps if we liad 

 marked the time of jjlanting, aiul the manner of 

 mamn-ing, and the use made of the field in years 

 ])revious — the solution of the ])rol)leni would not 

 have been so dilficult. We speak of only what we 

 have seen — if others can tell more, we should be 

 pleased to know it. 



The culture of the onion has ex])anded, within our 

 recollection, almost without limit; and if, like most 

 other oljects of culture, it is to l)e regulated by the 

 profits ol' tlie l)usiucss, it is destined to a still great- 

 er extension. 



