1848. 



GENESEE FARMER. 



6) 



If the leaves of ti-ees are permitted to con- 

 aume food, the roots must be placed in a situation 

 to absorb it. This it cannot do effectually when 

 buried deep in the earth. 



The Petre Pear. 



During the past season we have had several 

 opportunities of testing the qualities of this 

 famous native fruit, and cordially give it a place 

 among the first class sorts. It oi'iginated in the 

 celebrated Bartram Botanic Garden, on the 

 Schuylkill, a few miles from Philadelphia, where 

 the parent tree still exists. The seed which pro- 

 duced it were sent to the elder Bartram by Lord 

 Petre, from London, in 173.5. It is supposed 

 to have been from seeds of the White Doyenne, 

 or Butter Pear as they call it at Philadelphia. 



Petre Pear. (Fig. 16.) 



The size is medium, to large obovate, skin 

 smooth, y .. ''ow, with green and brown dots and 

 patches of russet, and occasionally a dull reddish 

 tint on the sunny side. Stalk an inch long, 

 planted occasionally in an abruptly sunk cavity, 

 but more frequently as in the outline. Calyx 

 small, in a smooth, very shallow depression. 

 Flesh fine grained, buttery and melting, with a 

 rich aromatic flavor, not surpassed by the finest 

 Seckel. Ripe in October, and by early picking 

 may be kept till December. The tree is a rapid 

 grower, and a most prolific bearer. 



THE FRUITS AND FRUIT TREES OF AMERICA : By A. 

 Ji Downing.. Colored Edition. 



The colored edition of this work has at length made its 

 appearance, and is truly one of the most complete and beau- 

 tiful volumes ever issued from the American press, on 

 Pomology. In addition to all the matter contained in the 



common editions, it has C5 colored portraits of the choices? 

 fruits — at least those, we presume, considered so by tlic 

 author ; 17 of apples ; 22 of pears ; 17 of plums , 22 cher- 

 ries ; 2 apricots ; '6 peaches ; 1 raspberry ; and I strawberry. 

 Considering the dithculty of having to send these plates 

 abroad to be colored, it would be unreasonable to expect 

 perfection ; but it is evident that the greatest possible pains 

 have been taken to insure faithful coloring, and with a great 

 degree of success. Many of the plates have shades of color 

 some lighter and some darker than we have been in the 

 I habit of seeing ibem — but allowance must be made for the 

 j difference of color, in various parts of the coantry, and in 

 I diBerent specimens. 



j We regret not finding some of the more recent and cele- 

 I brated varieties that, at present, occupy much attention 

 I among cultivators. For our part we would gladly exchange 

 j some pears that are given for such as the l.ouise, Bonne de 

 .hrsey, Stoau's Orange, Dix, Durimore, NapoUon, Rostiezer, 

 ! Van Mons' Lum le Clerc, Queen of the Low Countries, Ne 

 \p/ns Meuris, and some others. And, among apples, we 

 would like to have seen the Summer Fearmain, Benoni, 

 Dutchess of Oldenburg, Fameuse, Hubbardson Nonsuch, 

 IN'orthern Spy, and the Fall and Holland Fippins. 



The lists of plums and cherries are very full, comprising 

 most of the 6ne sorts. We should, for the gratification of 

 our readers, give the entire list of colored fruits, if space 

 permitted, and may at another lime. 



We are struck with the difference between the portraits 

 of Mr. HovEY and Mr. Downing. So great, indeed, is it, 

 in all the specimens we have compared, that they posses 

 hardly a feature in common. In the instance of the Glout 

 Morceau pear, particularly, both outline and color is differ- 

 ent. That of Mr. Downing is quite green, while Mr. Hov- 

 ey's is yellow, sprinkled with red. We have before us 

 specimens of this fruit ripe, grown both on pear and quince 

 stocks, and we cannot say that either are correct, from this 

 comparison : Mr. Downing's outline, we think, is more 

 natural than Hovey's, but the color is too green — while 

 Mr. Hovky's outline does not show the normal form, and 

 his coloring is too bright. We have no space for farther 

 comparisons at present. 



Mr. Downing's volume will be a gem in the library of 

 any one who has the taste and means to purchase it. D. 

 M. Dewey, E. Darrow and other Rochester booksellers 

 have it for sale. Price $15.00. 



Answers to Correspondents. 



Two years ago, a kind correspondent sent me bulbs of 

 the lance-leaved Japan Lily, but they have nftt succeeded in 

 any of the soils in which 1 have tried thom. It is well 

 known that our limestorie soil is deleterious to many plants 

 (such as the Kalmias ;) but these lilies have not prospered 

 even in such as I thought contained no lime. Please say 

 what I ought to do. D. T. 



Remarks. — Your soil would probably be modified to suit 

 the wants of the Lily, by adding leaf mold and sand liberally. 

 We have no experience yet in their out door culture ; but 

 we have been very successful with them, in pots, in a com- 

 post of about one-half rotted turf <rom an old grass border, 

 one-fourth leaf mold, and one-fourth sand. The Boston 

 growers have been quite successful with their culture, in 

 ordinary garden soil. It should be remembered that the 

 roots of these Lilies are perennial, and should be carefully 

 treated in removal. Your failure may be attributable to 

 some mismanagement in this respect. 



Last September, Mr. Groom, who is the most extensive 

 grower of these plants in England, exhibited before the Lon- 

 don Horticultural Society two plants of Lillum la?icifolium 

 speciosum, each a single stem bearing upwards of 40 flower 

 buds. They had been lifted out of the open border, and 

 were sent to show^ how well these beautiful Japan Lilies 

 succeed out of doors in the common garden soil, which was 

 staled to have been well broken up, but not manured. It 

 was mentioned that the bulbs were planted in the end of 

 November, in a bed, 15 inches asunder, and that they were 

 covered 3i inches deep with light soil. They were not 

 protected in any way, but after the stems died down, the 

 soil was carefully removed down to the bulbs and replaced 

 by fresh material. 



Answers to several other inquiries, in type, but deferred 

 for want of space until next month. 



