1847. 



GEiNESEE FARMER. 



25 



^^^^ 



HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT. 



CONDUCTED BY P. BARRY. 



The experiment of devoting a few piges of this journal 

 exclusively to matters pertaining to Horticulture, has now 

 been sufficiently tested to satisfy us that it meets with very 

 general approbation. This much we expected. Every 

 firmer who wishes to live comfortably and pleasantly, 

 must cultivate a Gard«n and an Orchard. Fruits and Flow- 

 •ers enter largely into the stock of material that makes up 

 aeomplete, respectable, and happy home. Fortunately these 

 matters are daily becoming more and more appreciated. — 

 Inquiry is rife on all branches of the science and art of 

 Gardening. The great bulk of our people are just awaken- 

 ing to a proper sense of its importance, and of their great 

 lack of that knowledge that relates to it, and that is ab- 

 solutely necessary to guide them in the successful practice 

 of its operation. This information must be sought for and 

 procured soraewhera. Few are willing, yet, to buy hor- 

 ticultural books or pay for a high priced horticultural jour- 

 nal. The plan adopted here seems to meet the wants and 

 ■wishes of such. Horticulture is linked with its kindred 

 .science, and both are sent out, arm in arm, every month, 

 «s time rolls on, to contribute something towards the im- 

 provement of the soil and its products, the culture of the 

 xoind, and the encouragement and elevation of men en- 

 gaged in "the noblest of all pursuits." 



All classes of the community, whatever may be their 

 profession, or wherever they may dwell — in city, tow 

 or country — all have an interest, indirectly at least — ai 

 nearly all have a direct personal interest — in the culture of 

 the Farm or Garden. Every family must have books and 

 papers to read ; and we must be permitted to say that this 

 paper will be a cheap item. The study of the principles of 

 AgricultiirJ and Horticulture is now receiving the attention 

 •of the great minds of Europe and America, and hencefor- 

 •ward no man will be well educated who is ignorant of them. 

 Think of this. 



We must, therefore, solicit the friends who have aided 

 in giving circulation to the Farmer, during the past year, 

 to continue their kind offices, in order to provide the means 

 nacessary to the full and satisfactory attainment of the 

 objects it has in view. 



"The Three Best Pears." 



We learn from the last number of the '-Hor- 

 ticulculturist" that the editor has been holding a 

 ' • Pomological Gossip" among the celebrated 

 Pear growers of Boston and vicinity. For the 

 purpose of obtaining some general results, he 

 has asked t'.iem, one after the other, " Which do 



you consider the three best pears, early, middle, 

 and late, suppose yourself confined to three 

 trees ?" It may be intersting to fruit growers to 

 know how these experienced cultivators answer- 

 ed this question, if it were only to indicate their 

 pecuVmr tastes. Col. Wilder, who has fruited 

 the past season over 200 varieties of Pears, an- 

 swers Bartlett, Vicar of Winkfeld and Beurre 

 d"" Arremherg. 



Mr. Walker, chairman of the Horticultural 

 Society's Committee on fruits, he did not see, 

 but learned that his opinion coincided with Mr. 

 Wilder. 



Mr. Otis Johnson, of Lynn, answered 5nr^ 

 lett, Louise Boune de Jersey, and Beurre d '. 

 Arremherg. 



Mr. R.^ Manning, of the Salem Pomological 

 Garden, answered— B^r^/e^, Beurre Rose, and 

 Winter Nelis. 



Mr. Ives, of Salem, answered — Bartlett, Fon- 

 danfe d' Automne, and Winter Nelis. 



Mr. John C. Lee, of Salem, prefers the 

 Bloodgood, Seckel and Winter Nelis. 



The Editor's own choice is— "For all gar- 

 dens east and south of us (Newburgh,) Bartlett, 

 Seckel and Beurre d' Arremherg. For all gar- 

 dens to tlie North and West, Bartlett, White 

 Doyenne and Beurre f/' Arremberg. 



Here we have the choice of six of the best 

 Pear growers in and around Boston, with that of 

 Mr. Downing, the editor of the Horticulturist.--- 

 It will be seen that they all vary more or less in 

 their choice. Bartlett and Beurre d' Arremberg 

 being favorites with nearly all. 



It seems singular that although the question 

 was concerning early, middle and late, but one 

 states his choice of an early Pear, and that is the 

 Bloodgood, the earliest that any of them choose 

 is the Bartlett, an d that we should suppose, ripen- 

 ing in September, would be ranked with middle. 

 We should have been glad to have learned their 

 preferences among the Madelaine, Bloodgood, 

 Dearborn's seedling and other early varieties.— 

 We wish Mr. Downing had kept to the "mam 

 question." 



By way of concluding the "gossip" on our 

 part, we may state that our present choice of 

 three for Western New York, would be the 

 Summer Virgalieu, or what has been recently 

 named Osband's Summer, an account of which 

 we published in our last number. White Doy- 

 enne and Winter Nelis. Many in this vicinity, 

 we are sure, would include the Bartlett, others 

 could not do without Seckel and the Swan's Or- 

 ange or Onondaga, would have many advocates. 

 Indeed we should think it almost impossible to 

 do without any one of these, all are so fine here 

 in every respect. It is puzzling to make such 

 a limited choice, as it brings in competition many 

 varieties so nearly equal. 



A FIGURE ahd description of the Beurre d' Amalis Pear, 

 intenied for this number, will appear in our next. 



