520 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Nov. 



For the New England Farmer. 



THE FRUIT SEASON AND PROSPECTS. 



Although the fruit crop of the present season is 

 small, and of course shows a larger proportion of 

 imperfect specimens, in consequence of the curculio 

 and other insects, than in seasons of plenty, yet the 

 splendid specimens exhibited at the various horti- 

 cuhural shows is proof enough that fruit generally 

 has not, as some effect to believe, deteriorated. On 

 the contrary, 1 believe the growth of fruit trees has 

 never been more satisfactory to nursery men than 

 during the present season ; and I think it is a mat- 

 ter for general congratulation that the canker and 

 blight on the pear, the black wart on the plum, and 

 the yellows on the peach, have been much less de- 

 structive than for many previous years. I attribute 

 this general fact, which is known and acknowledged 

 as far as my observation and inquiries have extend- 

 ed, to a season, which, fi-om its moisture and other 

 atmospheric influences, has given a remarkably har 

 dy and vigorous growth of new wood. Even the 

 plum, which had been for several years in an appa- 

 rent decline, has to all appearances taken a new 

 lease of life ; and this delicate fruit is coming back 

 to those who have patiently watched and cherished 

 it, in all its original beauty and excellence. One 

 little tree in my garden which has yielded me half 

 a bushel or so of drops of gold ("iJrap d'Or") has 

 amply repaid me for two or three years of careful 

 watching and unsparing application of "cautery and 

 knife," whenever the unseemly black warts made 

 their appearance. 



But it is the prospect of fruit another year that 

 "lends enchantment to the view." The moisture of 

 the summer, as before stated, has given a vigorous 

 growth of wood, while the so far dry and compara- 

 tively "mellow" autumn has been exceedingly fa- 

 vorable to the formation of fruit buds. I have nev- 

 er known fruit buds form so early and so freely up- 

 on both the apple and the pear ; and unless some 

 casualty should intervene to prevent it, we shall 

 have such a crop of fruit in 1858 as is "good for 

 sore eyes" to look at. I have examined apple and 

 pear trees in a great variety of situations, and I find 

 that almost invariably, the ends of the short spurs 

 are swelling into fruit buds. 



Before I close, I wish to say a word respecting 

 certain favorite new varieties of pears which fruit- 

 fanciers are now testing. The most important of 

 these comparatively new varieties, are thought to 

 be the Beurre Clargeau, the Rostiezer, the Beurre 

 L'Angelier, and the Beurre d'Anjou. The last 

 has been so long in the country that it is well test- 

 ed, and is pronounced first rate in the later fruit 

 books. The Clargeau promises to be the pear of the 

 present century. The Rostiezer appears to give 

 high satisfaction wherever it has been introduced. 

 Last fall I procured some of each of the above 

 named varieties from the ample nursery of Mr. 

 Geo. W. Wilson, of Maiden, all ^)n the quince stock. 

 As they were only two or three years from the bud, 

 only the Rostiezer bore fruit the pre'sent season, 

 and the specimens from this were very fine indeed, 

 pronounced by good judges fully equal to the Sec- 

 kel in flavor, while the fruit is larger and much ear- 

 lier. Add to this the evident fact that the tree is a 

 great grower and bearer, and we have enough to 

 warrant the belief that the jRostiezer will come in 

 for very general cultivation. The picture of this va- 

 riety in Cole's Fruit Book is not a good one, the 



fruit being much longer in its proportions. Its ori- 

 gin, I believe, is from the German side of the Rhine. 



I also procured from Mr. Wilson, last fall, a few 

 of the old St. Michael or White Doyenne, also on 

 the quince ; and though the wet season has been 

 unfavorable to tho<e varieties which are called 

 "cracking pears," and which tendenpy of late years 

 has almost rendered the St. Michael an outcast, 

 still these trees have produced some of the finest 

 specimens I ever saw, and not a single pear cracked 

 or deformed. If the St. Michael is indeed to come 

 back to us in all its original beauty and excellence, 

 it will disappoint the wisdom of those who have 

 adopted the theory that all varieties sooner or later 

 depreciate and fail. 



I have another variety of pear, of which 1 find 

 nothing said in the books, but of which I entertain 

 high expectations as a great grower, an enormous 

 bearer, and fruit of high excellence. I purchased 

 it under the name of Souvrain d'Ete (Sovereign of 

 Summer) at one of the auctions, and do not know 

 from what nursery it came. It ripens cotempora- 

 niously with Dearborn's Seedlings, but is a much 

 larger and better fruit. If another season should 

 justify my expectations of it, I sh^Il take some pains 

 to have it more generally disseminated. 



Somerville, 1857. e. c. p. 



N. B. Please take notice that I do not grow fruit 

 trees to sell. In a very humble way I wish to do 

 something for the cause of Horticulture, which has 

 been a passion with me ever since my teeth were 

 big enough to "munch an apple." e. c. p. 



For the New England Farmer. 



SYRUP FROM THE SUGAR CANE. 



Having in common with others planted a patch 

 of the Sorghum, "just to see if it would grow," and it 

 having fully answered my expectations, I propose 

 to tell my experience. 



I came in possession of a lot of land which had 

 lain as an old pasture, and was grown up to brush 

 of all sorts, pitch pine, cedars, &c. It had certainly 

 not been plowed for twenty-five years. It was a 

 reddish loam, very fine, and full of rocks of all pos- 

 sible sizes and quality. These were scattered through 

 it without much regard to propriety or convenience, 

 at least to the present proprietor. It was plowed 

 last season, biit produced very little. This year it 

 was again plowed, and lying high and warm, was 

 manured with a shovel full of compost to the hill, 

 and planted early to corn, except the portion plant- 

 ed with the cane. This was dropped and covered 

 in the same manner as the corn. When hoed, it 

 had a handful of fine dust from a horn comb manu- 

 factory, except a portion left to test the value of 

 that application. It was hoed twice. The canes are 

 now from six to twelve feet high. Too many stalks 

 were left in the hill, and some of them were ac- 

 cordingly small. The seed of the more forward is 

 now hardening, and with a few days' more sun will 

 be ripe. 



To test the value of it for fodder, I cut some not 

 very large and gave my pig, which certainly showed 

 no remarkable fondness for it. Neither did my cow, 

 but she will hardly eat corn stalks either. Yester- 

 day I cut the stalks from three hills, in all about 

 eighteen, large and small. These I took, after trim- 

 ming the leaves and tops, to a tin shop, and passed 

 them twice through the small iron rollers used for 



