218 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Sept. 



MUSCAT ROBERT PEAR 



Tnis nice little early pear, though an old variety, is 

 very little kiiowij. We do not propose to commend 

 it for general cultivation ; but in large or moderately 

 large collectionB, it is certainly desirable. It is de- 

 cidedly superior to 

 Si. John's or Little 

 Musk, that precede 

 it, and nearly equal 

 to the Madelaine, 

 which ripens about 

 the same time. — 

 DowNmo says "it 

 might be called first 

 rate, if we had not 

 the Bloodgood to 

 compare with it ;" 

 but it is quite over 

 with us before the 

 Bloodgood begins to 

 ' ripen. The tree is 

 a strong, handsome 

 grower, one of those 

 so distinct in ap- 

 pearance as to be 

 easily recognized 

 among a thousand others by its wood and foliage. 

 The shoots are stout and quite yellowish. Leaves 

 flat, broad, and coarsely serratwl. Fruit small, about 

 an inch and a. half long, and the same in diameter at 

 the widest part. Form obovate, or top shaped, reg- 

 ular, tapering to a point at the stem. Skin greenish 

 yellow. Stalk moderately stout, an inch long. 

 Calyx large, open, not sunk. Flesh white, crisp, 

 juicy, and sweet, with a sliglit musky flavor. Tree 

 very vigorous and productive ; succeeds well on the 

 quince. Beginning of August. 



We are indebted to B. P. Johnson, Esq., -the Secre- 

 tai'y, for a copy of this great volume. It numbers 

 nearly one thousand pages ; being, in fact, an agri- 

 cultural library in itself. It gives us the proceedings 

 of all the meetings of the Society ; full and detailed 

 reports of ail committees ; transactions of forty-six 

 county societies; discussions ancf communications on 

 various subjects ; Prof. JohiNSTon's Lectures ; and 

 Prof. Nokto.n's work, The Elements of Agriculture, 

 complete : the wliole arranged in the best manner 

 fur reference, and illustrated with ten or twelve beau- 

 tiful engravings, including the Show Grounds at 

 Syracuse, Floral Hall, various animals, besides out- 

 lines of fruits, implements, fee. 



This is by far the most important volume the So- 

 ciety has yet published, and affords most nrhple proof 

 of the great influence it is exerting on the agricul- 

 ture of our State. Mr. Johnson is entitled to the 

 highest credit for the industry, t^ste, and judgment 

 which he has brought to bear in the collection and 

 arrangement of such a vast amount of material. 

 The contents will be reviewed at length in the Agri- 

 cultural Department, and it will, therefore, be un- 

 necessary for us to say moro. 



The committee on Fruits, of which Doct. Hkrman 

 Wknmkll is chairman, suggests the following vari- 

 eties as worthy of being added to those heretofore 

 recommended for general cultivation : 



Al'Pi.ES — Duuune, Wine Appio, and Pook'a Pleasant. 



Pears — Doyenne d'Ete, Andrews, Flemish Beauty, and 

 Urbaniate. 



Plums — Madison. 



Chkrkifs — Knight's E.irly Black, Graffion, Black Eagle, 

 and Downer's Late. 



Peaches — Oldmiion Freestone, Bergen Yellow, and 

 Crawford's Late. 



GoosKBKRRiEs — Woodward's Whitesmith, Crown Bob, 

 and Green Walnut. 



Currants — Knight's Sweet Red, White Grape, and 

 May's Victoria. 



Raspbebkies — Faslolff, Franconia, und White Antwerp. 



HOVET'S SEEDLING STRAWBERRY. 



Mr. Editor:. — I procured twenty-five small plants 

 of Hovey's Secdlhig strawberry, from the garden of 

 Col. Young, of Ballston, four years ago. From a 

 bed of these plants, 25J by 18J feet, I have this sea- 

 son picked 47J quarts of most delicious berries. 

 Their size varied from IJ to 3g inches in circumfer- 

 ence. The vines in my bed were of two and three 

 years growth. They were first planted in rows 

 about 18 inches apart each way. The runners were 

 permitted to catch and grow, until the vines covered 

 the ground. They were then thinned, so that the 

 plants stood about four inches apart. They were 

 hoed once in the spring, the ground loosened pretty 

 deep with the fork end of the garden hoe, and a coat 

 of compost made of fine barn-yard manure and lime, 

 was spread on the ground around the plants, half an 

 inch thick. This is all the care they require. I do 

 not cover them in the winter. 



From their flavor, ease of cultivation, hardihood, 

 and yield, I would recommend Hovey's Seedling aa 

 the best strawberry that can be raised in our country, 

 as far as my experience goes. Henrt Pai,mer. — 

 Groom's Comers, Sar. Co., JV. Y., Aug., 1850. 



DOUBLE BALSAMS -''LADY'S SLIPPERS." 



Very few people know how really perfect and beau- 

 tiful these flowers may be grown. On the llthof 

 August we noticed a di.sh of them from Prof. Hill, 

 %{ Rose Cottage, in this city, the best we have ever 

 seen — large, perfectly double as the finest rose, and 

 of almost every shade of color — striped, mottled, and 

 marked with endless variation. Whatever Mr. Hill 

 does, he does it not only well, but in the very best 

 manner. His melons and tomatoes are always un- 

 rivalled ; and his rose pillar.s, his trellises of morning- 

 glory and cypress vine, and the lawn about his cot- 

 •tage, are all models so well managed in all respects, 

 that the first conclusion we arrive at in seeing them, 

 is, that they can be no better. 



We know of no such small place as Mr. Hill's ; 

 and we advise those who wish to know how many 

 beautiful and excellent things can be produced, and 

 how much taste displayed on a small city lot, to visit 

 Rose Cottage, on Bowery-st., Rochester. 



Answers to Cobre.spondents. — Mr. Joskph Pkxmmg- 

 TON, of M.acon, Mich., writes us that in tin- fill of IR17 ho 

 was in Rorlicster, and saw a larf;c red npple "similar in 

 shape to the Vrllow nMflowfr, hn\ two or iliroe limes as 

 large." h was said to have been bronglit from the town of 

 Greece. Mr. P. wi.shes u> know its name and qualities. 



We know of no apple two or three times the size of the 

 Belljlowfr, of any shape or color. The largest opples that 

 usually make their appearance here in the fail, are the 

 Ctiba/hea and Ttoaittf Ointcfi, both magTiificeni, showy, red 

 apples. The former is coarse and of poor flavor ; the latter 

 is of good quality, excellent for baking, and keeps through 

 January. Both are very productive. 



