168 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



July 



can bo produced ; small fruits do well ; pears and 

 other fruits not fairly or fully tested yet. 



Kentucky. — L. Young, Esq., chairman of the 

 fruit committee of this State, communicatod to the 

 Convention that he had succeeded in preventing the 

 ravages of the curculio on smootli-skinned fruits, and 

 of the scaly aphis on the orange and oleander trees, 

 by the use of lime. (For an account of this, see 

 another part of this paper.) 



District of Columbia. — This report has refer- 

 ence mainly to the frequent destruction of tlio fruit 

 crop in that region, by late spring frosts. These are 

 avoided by planting in elevated situations. A num- 

 ber of observations and facts are given, showing the 

 difference of temperature in frosty weather between 

 the high and low situations — a difference amounting 

 in some cases in the same grounds, to 14 J degrees. 

 The committee also alludes to the benefits of pruning 

 and manuring, and thinning the fruits by hand. The 

 improvement is stated to be so great, that Mr. Geo. 

 W. RiGGS, one of the committee, who pursues this 

 system, obtained in 1848 two dollars per basket for 

 his peaches, when the market was ghitted and com- 

 mon productions selling at twenty-five to forty cents. 



Virginia. — The report from tliis State, owing to 

 the backward condition of fruit culture there, is not 

 of mucli importance ; but it is stated that more at- 

 tention is now being paid to these matters, and by 

 and by we shall learn something of Virginia fruits 

 and fruit growing capacities. 



Georgia. — The report from this State speaks very 

 favorably for the successful culture of fruit there. 

 Apples, pears, peaches, apricots, nectarines, grapes, 

 and figs, succeed well ; cherries, only the Dukes and 

 Morellos. The Seckel pear is said to attain twice 

 or three times its usual size here; the White Doy- 

 enne is healthy and fine ; Beui-re Diel and a large 

 number of the best pears fully sustain, and in some 

 cases exceed, their northern character. 



These reports, imi)erfect as they are, can not fail 

 to give an enlarged idea of the varied and almost 

 boundless capacities of our country for the culture 

 of fruits. From " Maine to Georgia" they show that 

 a new spirit of improvement is taking thorough hold 

 of the public mind, and the country's vast resources 

 are but beginning to unfold themselves. Every por- 

 tion of the country is so connected with the other, by 

 so many and such rapid modes of communication, 

 that the variations of soil, climate, and production, 

 are a great source of interest and advantage to all, 

 instead of being a source of regret or disadvantage 

 to any. 



THE SEASON, CROPS, &c. 



The season here is about a week or perhaps ten 

 days later than usual, as indicated by the maturity 

 of fruits and opening of flowers. The first straw- 

 berries were exhibited on the iSth of June, by M. 

 G. Warner, Esq. — Large Earhj Scarlet. Green 

 peas of the Early Emperor variety, and the first of 

 the season, were exhibited by Jno. Donnelan of 

 Greece. Baumnn's May cherries are ripe, and the 

 Juno roses are just beginning to open now, June 17. 

 The fruit crop, excepting peaches, looks well. 

 Apples, pears, plums, cherries, and all the small fruits 

 will be abundant. Our peach crop was injured in 

 precisely the same way as last year, by a long period, 

 say two or three weeks, of rainy, cold, windy weather, 

 at the time of blossoming and setting of the fruit. 



On the 17th of May the wind blew a perfect hurri- 

 cane, and that alone injured the blossoms much ; but 

 the cold wet weather after that had a more fatal 

 effect ; the growth of the peach was wholly sus- 

 pended, the leaves became swollen and curled in 

 appearance, and dropped off, until old trees and badly 

 pruned ones have all but died ; young trees that 

 have been kept tolerably well pruned or shortened in, 

 have suffered less, and in most cases are bearing a 

 middling crop. It seems as though our climate was 

 undergoing a change, by which peach culture will be 

 much more difficult than formerly, and a more thorough 

 system of management absolutely necessary. 



The curculio is engaged in its work of destruction 

 with as much rapacity as ever, and some people say 

 more. Apples and pears, it is said, are considerably 

 injured by its attacks. The new remedies have been 

 tried, viz : whiteioashing altfl dusting teith powdered 

 lime. We hardly dare hope to hear of their success. 

 Our impression is, that unless the whitewash is laid 

 over the entire surface of the young fruit as nicely 

 as it can be done with a paint brush, (and this is 

 quite impracticable,) that it will fail to repel this 

 insect ; but the way is, in this most desperate case, 

 to try anything that has even a possibility of success. 



MUNSON SWEET AND NORTHERN SWEETINO 

 APPLES. 



P. Barry : — Since the publication, in the Farmer, 

 of thy notice of the Northern Sweet, and remarks of 

 the probable identity of that variety with the Munson 

 Sweet, I have taken measures for testing the matter 

 by an exchange of scions with friend Storrs of Mar- 

 athon, so that by comparison of both kinds growing 

 and bearing together, both in his grounds and mine, 

 we may hope in a short time to ascertain whether 

 they are the same kind or not. In the mean time, I 

 would say that J. Storrs, as well as myself, is already 

 pretty well satisfied that they are distinct. He thinks 

 they are " unlike — first, in the form of the fruit — 

 the Munson Sweet being more flattened and less 

 ribbed ; second, in the color of the Jlesh — the Mun- 

 son Sweet being more yellowish ; third, in the sea- 

 S071 of maturity — that of the Munson Sweet being 

 from October till February, and sometimes till April." 

 He also states that " the tree is a strong grower, the 

 young wood making thick, heavj', rather dark colored, 

 and short-jointed shoots :" whereas, iny Northern 

 Sweet, though a good, is not a strong grower, the 

 young wood making shoots rather slender than "thick 

 and heavy," and rather light than "dark colored," 

 and by no means " short-jointed," but rather the 

 reverse. Judging from the scions of the Munson 

 Sweet received from friend Storrs, I have no hesi- 

 tation in believing that they are distinct. In fact, 

 there is no more similarity between them and scions 

 of the Northern Sweet as grown here, than between 

 the Baldwin and the Porter. 



Should it prove, as I have no doubt it will, that 

 these two sorts arc distinct, and that the Munson 

 Sweet is really as good a fruit as the otlier, then wc 

 shall have in the two all that can be desired in the 

 class of sweet apples, from the latter part of the 

 ninth month till into winter. J. Batty. — Union 

 JYurseries, Keesevitle, JV. Y., 5th mo., 1800. 



We are much obliged to our friend for his sug- 

 gestions. As wc liave both kinds now growing, we 

 shall soon be able to determine, as far as growth is 

 concerned. — Ed. 



