THE GENESEE FARMER. 



373 



1,100 trees, where will be found every variety of 

 Ifruit trees, each yielding moat bonntifully. The 

 'great attraction in this vicinity is Mohton's wine 

 cellar, wliere he exhibits his hospitality — his fruits 

 and apple wine, witii a generous hand. This firm 

 also own the " Cincinnati Peach Orchard," in the 

 vicinity — embracing about seventy acres — now 

 leased to other parties. 



G. K. Hopkins has an orchard embracing about 

 4,000 peach, and 800 pear trees, all in prime or- 

 der. 



But of all that we visited, taking the location, 

 extent, varieties and culture into consideration, 

 the orchard and grounds of Mr. George Parmelke 

 have probably no equal. Mr. P. settled upon his 

 farm sixteen years ago, and has devoted his ener- 

 gies to bringing his orchards to their present state of 

 perfection. He has a farm and orchard of several 

 hundred acres, upon which he now has upwards of 

 9,000 bearing truit trees, principally peach and ap- 

 ple, with the best varieties also of i)ears, plums, 

 Lawton blackberries, &c. His farm is about two 

 miles frcMn the steamboat landing at Bronson's 

 Harbor, lies directly at the lake sliore, 150 feet 

 above tlielake, and owing to the humidity of the 

 atmosphere, he has not had a failure ot his fruit 

 crop during the past sixteen years, in tliis respect 

 liis location is far more advantageous than those 

 npon lower lands further from the lake. Upon one 

 portion of his farm is a beautifully-rounded blutf, 

 full 250 feet above the lake, which washes its west- 

 ern base. This bluff afiordsone of the most mag- 

 nificent views of Lake Michigan to be had any- 

 where, being the highest land on either sliore of 

 the central or southern portion of the lake; and 

 the forests of great oaks and maples, which extend 

 almost to the very brink of the precipitous bank, 

 render this one of the most desirable localities on 

 the lake for a summer residence. Mr. Parmkt.kk 

 has about 9,000 bearing peach trees, from wiiich 

 he will this year probably receive the snug sum of 

 $10,0u0. 



The yield of fruit this season will be the largest 

 ever known in Michigan. In 1861, tlie peach crop 

 yielded about 60,000 baskets. Last year, owing to 

 the severe frost in May, it readied only about 50,- 

 000 baskets. From the estimate given by the most 

 extensive fruit-growers, the peacli crop this year 

 will amount to from 300,000 to 500,000 baskets! 



The favorite varieties of peach we found to be 

 the Crawford, (early and late) Early York, George 

 the Fourth, Oooley's Favorite, Honest John, Hale's 

 Early (German), Early Tdlotson (to some extent). 

 Old Mixon Free, Morris White, &c. Of pears, 

 botii standard and dwarfs seem to prosper well, 

 and in some old orchards have attained a good 

 size ; but the blight has attacked them severely, 

 and many are dying from its efi:ects. 



KANDOM WORDS ABOUT FRUIT. 



The last number of the London Florist and Po- 

 mologist contains colored lithographs of the Belle 

 Julia and De Maraise pears. They both ripen 

 about the end of October, and are highly com- 

 mended. The same number also contains a beaiiti- 

 ful colored plate of the Mrs. William Paul rose. It 

 is a hybrid perpetual, raised by M. Verdin, of 

 Paris, and, judging from the plate and from the 

 description, is c^rLainly a rose of great beauty and 

 promise. 



The Oermantown Telegraph, in an article under 

 this head, says that in Pennsylvania the Isabella 

 grape does not produce a good crop of good fruit 

 oftener than once in five years, while the Concord 

 has so far proved certain; and that the latter 

 grape has a much better flavor in the neighborhood 

 of Philadelphia than wlien grown in the western 

 part of the State. The Telegraph speaks well of 

 the Creveling, and adds some sensible remarks 

 about fruit culture generally, which we quote: 



"We have great respect for the opinions of in- 

 telligent fruit cultivators, who have no special in- 

 terest in the propagation of any particular variety, 

 still every one must experiment and judge for 

 himself. A strawberry, for instance, which may 

 do excellently well upon one premises, may not do 

 nearly so well upon another. It is the same with 

 many other fruits, even with pears, cherries, &c. 

 Give to all proper cultivation, is the way to arrive 

 at perfection in any variety of fruit which, in its 

 general character, is pronounced good. We know 

 no other way to accomplish this end; and those 

 who neglect this have no right to complain of fail- 

 ure, and charge the cause to the fruit instead of 

 themselves." 



m I m 



How TO Grow Cabbages. — We invite every 

 reader to note this little item, and try the experi- 

 ment Tor himself, which enables John Chinaman 

 to conquer the worms that eat up his cabbage 

 plants. Colonel Fisher, in his Three Tea^a Ser^ 

 vice in China, says: 



"•T saw a man once who had a plot of ground, 

 in which he was going to plant out soirte cabbages. 

 He knew there were beetles and other insects in 

 the ground which would eat them ; so, when it 

 was already, he put bits of cabbage leaf, about two 

 feet apart, all over the plot, placing a stone on each, 

 to keep it from being blown away. He left thenj 

 for a lime, and then visited them at intervals, find- 

 ing insects at work on them each time. These ht 

 killed, removing carefully the remains, for fear :\| 

 scaring away their brethren. At last, when he 

 could catch no more, he planted out his cabbage. 

 All this I saw done with my own eyes, and the 

 good man seemed to think there was nothing xin- 

 usual in it, but that it was the most natural way in 

 the world of securing the safety of his vegetables 

 at the cost of a few leaves." 



Covering Grape Vines in Winter. — The easi- 

 est way of covering, is to lay the vines upon the 

 gronnd after the leaves have been dropped in the 

 fall, (when the pruning should be done.) and cover 

 them slightly with earth, or straw and earth. Tho 

 only objection to the use of straw i.s, that it some- 

 times furnishes a harbor for mice to girdle tlie 

 vines. Those protected by having been tied in a 

 bundle with straw, above ground, do equally well, 

 but with well-trained vines it is more trouble. 



