NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



257 



THE DOWNER CHERRY. 



Synonyms, — Downer's Late, Downer's Late Red. 



This cherry, from its combination of excellent 

 qualities, in tree and fruit, is one of the most valu- 

 able kinds that have become generally known to 

 the public. The tree is very hardy, a good grow- 

 er and great bearer. It usually has a very vigor- 

 ous and healthy appearance. The fruit is the most 

 hardy of any kind within our knowledge. When 

 we have had two or three weeks of wet weather, 

 about the time the cherries ripen, we have noticed 

 that while half the crop was rotten of many vari- 

 eties, and the most tender kinds were nearly all 

 spoiled, the Downer cherry was scarcely any af- 

 fected. This is of great importance, as a great 

 many cherries aie lost by wet weather. This cherry 

 was raised from seed by Samuel Downer, Esq., a 

 veteran pcmologist, of Dorchester, in this vicinity. 

 It was budded with other cherry stocks in the nur- 

 sery, but the bud failed, and the tree was allowed 

 to grow and bear. Mr. Downer has raised sever- 

 al seedlings from the original tree, all of which re- 

 semble it very strongly, but are generally slightly 

 improved in flavor. 



The fruit is tolerably large; roundish, slightly 

 heart-shaped; red, often mottled with yellow, light 

 amber in the shade; stalk rather long and slender; 

 flesh very tender, extremely juicy, sweetish, a 

 slight mazzard bitter till fully ripe, and then very 

 fine, rich and luscious. It lipens late with the Hon- 

 ey Heart, generally from the 5th to the 12th or 15th 

 of July. The tree grows upright. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ON EMIGRATING WEST, 



Mr. Editor: — Sir — Is it advisable for a man 

 possessing a comfortable home, a small farm, and 

 a quiet wife with a family, to give up all these con- 

 veniences, leave the home of his fathers, tear him- 

 self away from all valuable society and emigrate to 

 the West, haunted by the idea of bettering himself, 

 which, in his notions, means getting more money? 

 The loss of society does not so much affect the man 

 himself as his wife and children. And what money 

 or land compared to the effect which a total ab- 

 sence of school instruction will have on his grow- 

 ing children 1 In clearing a farm at the West, 

 much time and toil is expended, which, if spent up- 

 on his farm at home, would quickly have raised 

 the emigrant to the position he so much covets. 



Though emigration is not, in my opinion, the 

 best plan for people in such situations, yet there are 

 many to whom it is adapted. If a young man pos- 

 sesses a good constitution, is well used to the la- 

 bor of a farmer's life, and the owner of from three 

 to five hundred dollars, has a desire to emigrate, I 

 think it would be the best course for him to do so. 

 Let him take his wife, or, if he have none, get his 

 lady-love's consent to have one, for a smart young 

 man witli the above qualifiations is sure to have a 

 lady, and without loss of time start fur the land of 

 his hopes. A young married man going there is 

 in a different position from a man with a family, 

 for by the time his children are of a suitable age 

 for instruction, it would be highly probable that the 

 country around him would be thickly enough set- 

 tled to support a school. 



1 think nothing can hinder a young bachelor 



