144 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



THE SEASON. 



The eighth day of May was really the first clay of 

 a spriiif^ warmth. Through all the month of April 

 it continued cold and dry. On the night of the 10th, 

 we had a soaking rain that went fairly to the roots of 

 trees ; nnd the day following, and to day, (the 12th,) 

 have been as warm as mid-summer — the thermometer 

 as high as 90^. This has brought out the leaves and 

 blossoms with magical rapidity. Three days ago, 

 only a few of the earlier currants, gooseberries, al- 

 monds, cherries, and plums were in blossom ; to-day 

 the gardens and orchards are white — everything, but 

 apples, in full bloom, and promising a most abundant 

 crop. We have not, in ten years, had a fairer prom- 

 ise. Of ornamental trees and shrubs in bloom, the 

 principal articles are. 



The Pynis Japonica, scarlet and blush. 



The .Mahonias, beautiful evergreen shrubs, low and 

 spreading, with great clusters of bright yellow flowers. 



The Amtlanchicr vulgaris, covered with snowy- 

 white blossoms. 



The Almonds, large and dwarf, double and single 

 species and varieties, all very pretty. 



Double flowering Peach, Cherry, and Sloe, and, in 

 in a few days, we shall have the Thorns. 



The flowering Currants are now in perfection. 

 The Gordoni, crimson and yellow, and the new Dou- 

 ble Crimson, {Sa7-guinea Jlore pleon,) are beautiful 

 things — the latter, much finer than we anticipated. 

 The clusters of flowers are three inches long, of a 

 deep crimson, and each flower quite double. 



LIGHT SELF-SUSTAINING FRUIT LADDERS. 



For gardens where trees are low, and it is desirable 

 to avoid bruising or breaking the branches, a "self- 

 sustaining'^ ladder, of some sort, 

 ought to be used. The annex- 

 ed cut represents one which, if 

 made of light material, can be 

 conveniently carried in the 

 hand. The steps should be 

 wide enough to be stood upon. 

 The single leg moves on a 

 joint. A better way is to have 

 two moveable legs, in order to 

 give it increased strength and 

 stability, and the vveigiit is not 

 greatly increased. Sometimes 

 an upright piece is placed on 

 the top to hold by, if necessary. 

 t^ Any ingenious person can 



make one of these, or something better, in an hour, 

 and it will be found a great convenience ; indeed it 

 is indispensible where a few garden trees are to be 

 managed, for the operations of pruning, fruit gather- 

 ing, destruction of insects, inc., k.c., require its fre- 

 quent use. 



Jacqvks' New Enolasd Frltt Trk.k.s ; A Practical Treatise on 

 the Management of Fruit Trees. Adapted to New England 

 By George Jacques, Worcester, Mass , 1849. 



We are indebted to the author for a copy of this 

 treatise, a neat, comprehensive, little volume in 

 which we find the usual topics connected with fruit- 

 tree culture, discussed in a manner that shows Mr. 

 JAcqL'KS to be a man of some experience. We have, 

 for many years, heard his name connected with the 

 nursery business, and the exhibition of fruits at the 

 Worcester showa. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



( Mrs. Jas. H. Wilson, Whitesboro. ) The insects you speak 

 of as infesting your roses now, nre aphides, and are easily 

 destroyed with tobacco smoke, or by syringing them freely 

 with n solution of tobacco juice and soap suds, or rain water. 



(J. W. Gray, Balls Pond, Ct.) The Northern Spy apple, 

 with us, is this moment, middle of May, as fresh as it was in 

 January last*-decidedly the best long keeper wo have. The 

 tree is a rapid grower and good bearer, and the fruit, in addi- 

 tion to its excellence, is large and beautiful. We cannot, 

 however, advise you to plant it extensively, because it may 

 not succeed so well in your locality as it does here. 



(J. R. 3I0SER, Flint Rock. N. C.) Shorten, but do not 

 entirely remove the shoots from the stems of your trees. 

 Tlio.se cut back within a fool or so of the base, should have 

 all the branches shortened but the leader, unless you intend 

 to trainthem in the form of a pyramid, in which case you 

 leave the lower branches entire for they must be the long- 

 est. You will find instructions in detail on these and similar 

 points in the " Fruit Garden." Your other requests have all 

 been complied with. 



Celery for Winter use. — (D. B. W., Horse Heads.) 

 The seeds, with you, ought to have been sown in the latter 

 end of April, in a worm border of rich, light soil, and then 

 transplanted when three or four inches high to strengthen 

 and fit them for final planting out in the trenches. The 

 trenches should be a foot deep, with at least three inches of 

 well-rotted manure worked into the soil in the bottom be- 

 fore setting the plants. Hoe frequently and water freely in 

 very dry weather. As soon as the autumn weather becomes 

 cool, the earth may be gradually drawn in around to blanch 

 it. In dry ground it may be preserved well in the trenches, 

 all winter, by covering with leaves, or some other material 

 that will so far exclude frost as to admit of some being taken 

 out when wanted. Enough to last a month may be taken 

 out at once and kept in earth in a cool cellar. It can also be 

 preserved in pyramidal heaps out of doors, like potatoes, with 

 earth mixed witli them, and a thick covering to exclude frost. 



(J. Edwards, Little Genesee, N. Y.) We nre not cer- 

 tain that it is possible to restore apple trees in the condition 

 which you describe — the heart wood decaying. They prob- 

 ably stand on wet ground. We find that in soils containing 

 but a very small amount of stagnant moisture, apple trees 

 soon become mossy in the bark, and the heart wood unsound. 

 It might be that a good scraping and washing of the bark, 

 and a moderate shortening and thinning of the branches, in 

 connection with good culture around the roots, would re- 

 store them. 



Culture of the Isabella and Catawba Gkapes. — 

 (Anne C. McCuLLouGH, Mt. Morris.) Very simple. They 

 are propagated by cuttings of twelve or eighteen inches in 

 length — two or three joints taken otV in the fall or winter, 

 and planted in the spring in good, deep, dry ground. The 

 cuttings planted so that but one eye remains out of ground. 

 In one or two years they are fit to be transplanted to the 

 place where they are to bear. Before planting, a good, rich, 

 deep border should be made, and a trellis, or poles, provided 

 for them to be trained to. They require an annual pruning, 

 that is, shortening the shoots of the previous season's growth 

 to three or four buds. See our Inst volume, pages (39 and 70. 



(Daniel Bigelow. Lakeville, N. Y.) Your apple, " Su- 

 per'nr," resembles the Rambo in size, form, color, &c., but 

 is less juicy and more compact, and, we should think, would 

 keep much longer. It is a good apple, but not so good as 

 the Northern Spy, nnd some other late keepers. We are 

 obliged for your kindness in sending the specimens. 



Foreign names of Fruits and Flowers. — Not- 

 withstanding the outcry against the w/i-English names 

 of fruits and flowers, our floral friends at Cincinnati 

 have just named a beautiful new seedling Azalea, 

 Boule dc A'eige, being pure white and of compact 

 habit. They are not among the " reformers," else they 

 would have called it, in plain English, " Snotc Ball." 



Another, raised by S. S. Jackson, Esq., is named 

 Wardeiia, in compliment to Dr. Warder, the editor 

 of the " Review." This one is described as "white, 

 with stripes and splashes of pale bUish." 



We see by the reports of the weekly exhibitions of 

 the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, thr.t their spring 

 bhows have been peculiarly rich. 



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