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THE GENESEE FARMER. 



Nov. 



VAGUENESS OF PREMrUM LISTS. 



Thkre was a case came up at our late exhibition that 

 seems to call for a remark or two. On the list of 

 premiums for fruits was one offered for "the best 

 basket of standard fruits, silver medal," and for this 

 medal there were two competitors ; one presented a 

 dish of fine winter A'ortheni Sjn/ apples : an )ther pre- 

 sented a fine rustic basket filled witli ripe fruits, such 

 &s liartleti, Louise Bonne deJersei/, /SVerens Genesee, 

 Seckef, Belle Lucrative, and other first rate pears ; 

 Pomme Royal, Porter, Gravenslcin, and Hawley 

 apples ; Jefferson, Imperial, Gage, and other choice 

 plums, besides the best peaches of the season. No 

 committee could have hesitated in awarding the pre- 

 mium to this, if a variety of standard fruits had been 

 required ; but it appears they understood that apples 

 alone were called for, and so awarded the medal to 

 the J\'orlhern Spy. Tliis is a favorite fruit of ours, 

 and we rejoice of course to see so high a compliment 

 paid to its' high deserts, but we think hereafter such 

 matters should be set forth so clearly that misconcep- 

 tions of their nature would be impossible. If apples 

 are desired, the premium list should read apples, for 

 "fruits," we take it, does not mean apples any more 

 than it docs figs or grapes. 



Northern Apples. — We are indebted to Jno. W. 

 Bailey, Esq., of Plattsburgh, N. Y., for a box of 

 apples containing the following varieties : 



Bailey Spice — noticed some time ago in the Hor- 

 ticulturist — a very good apple : so much like, the 

 Pomme Royal, or Dyer, in form, color, flavor, growth 

 of shoots, ^c, as to leave little doubt on our mind of 

 their identity. 



Late Wine — a very distinct looking fruit of good 

 quality ; conical in form, lightly tinged with red in 

 the shude, and deep purplish crimson in the sun — 

 tonder and juicy. 



Sailly Autumn — a very pretty, conical fruit ; pale 

 green in the shade, and dark crimson in the sun ; 

 rather dry, resmbling the Black Gilifioicer in tex- 

 ture. Mr. B. says it is probably a French variety, 

 as it was brought from Montreal fifty years ago, 

 Sailly Sweet, Champlain, and Walworth, are fair 

 looking apples, of medium quality — all of which ap- 

 pear new to us. 



Autumn Fruits. — We have never seen a finer dis- 

 play of pears than it was our good fortune to see the 

 past week. One of the dealers had in his basket, 

 exposed for sale, at the same time, most splendid 

 specimens of Steven's Genesee, Seckel, Vergalieu, 

 and Louise Bonne de Jersey, all well grown of un- 

 common size and beauty of coloring. We would 

 defy the world to produce superior ones, in every 

 particular, including richness and flavor ; and to cli 

 max ail, the Oswego Bcurre, now in eating, we find, 

 if possible, excelling all the above named. Wliat a 

 collection of choice fruit, and to be had of our own 

 growing in this favored clime. 



Of Fail Peaches, the Druid ////Z is a superior kind 

 introduced from Maryland, and grown by John J. 

 Thomas, of Macedon ; and the Wine variety grown 

 by Ellwanger &, Barrv, full of juice, which gives 

 it a character known in France as a champagne or 

 "wine" peach. We advise all amateurs to procure 

 the trees of both kinds. J. H. Watts. — Rochester, 

 A*. Y., Oct., 1851. 



KEEPING WrWTER PEARS. 



We are requested by several correspondents to gir© 

 some directions for keeping and ripening winter 

 pears. We will state our own practice. 



We pick them all here about the 10th of October; 

 lay them on a dry shelf in u dry, cool cellar, or room, 

 for a week, until all surplus moisture has evaporated. 

 We then wrap them up in dry, soft paper and put 

 them in clean boxes or barrels, where they remain 

 until the season of use. Each variety is kept sepa- 

 rately. Some will require to be used in November, 

 for instance Winter JYellis and Bergamot Cadette — 

 Ficar of Jf'inkfield, in December ; Bear re (/' Arr em- 

 berg, later ; and Easter Beurre, in April. Keeping 

 watch of these things, the ripest are taken first and 

 brought into a warm room, a temperature of 60^ or 

 70^, when they mature fully in a week or two weeks, 

 according to the sort. Some will ripen, like the 

 Ficar of JFink^eld, almost perfectly in the cellar, 

 requiring only a few days in a higher temperature ; 

 whilst Easter Beurre will require two weeks or 

 more. Princess St. Jermain may be barreled, like 

 apples, and if well grown will require very little 

 ripening in a warm room ; Bcurre d! Arrcmbergs 

 also. We have more winter pears to experiment upon 

 this season than ever before, and we hope to gain 

 some additional experience on this important subject. 



Peaches in Minnesota. — We take the following 

 article from the Minnesota Democrat. The editor 

 appears confident that peaches can be grown in Min- 

 nesota. 



Peaches have been cultivated with success at Dubuque ; 

 nnJ we learn from our friend W. H. Warren, trees planted 

 by his father at Lapoint, on Lake Superii/r, fruited and sur- 

 vived a number of years. This tree is also successfully 

 raised in the open air, in Sweden. In Russia they train 

 the peach tree on a trellis, a frame horizontal and near the 

 ground, which during the winter is protected from the in- 

 tense cold by a thick covering of mats, and a thick coat of 

 earth. In this way the horticulturists of Russia succeed in 

 raising excellent fruit. 



There is not the least doubt that the apple, pear, cherry, 

 quince, and all the berry tribe, will succeed admirably in 

 Minnesota, but it is very generally supposed that the sever- 

 ity of our winters will destroy the peach tree. We are by 

 no means disposed to yield assent to this opinion, and there- 

 by abandon the sanguine hope of having the delicious peach 

 among the farm and garden fruits of our beautil'ul territory. 

 We have no doubt but a hardy variety of this tree may lie 

 found, that will stand our severest winters. We are in 

 search of that particular kind, and ask the aid of friends. — 

 This article is marked to n number of coteniporarics in this 

 latitude, who are requested to inform us whether the culti- 

 vation of the peach has been tried in their respective neigh- 

 borhoods, and if so with what success. And also whether 

 trees can be supplied, and at what price. 



Answers to Correspondents. — (S. Y. Camp- 

 bell, Union.) Grapes. — We cannot this month 

 attend to your request, but will as soon as possible. 

 Jhinual Flowers. — Seeds can be forwarded in the 

 winter. Salvias Cupheas and Zauch'snerias we usu- 

 ally propagate from cuttings in the spring — seldom 

 get seeds. 



Several articles prepared for this number, are of 

 necessity laid over till next month. After the en- 

 largement of our paper, we shall be able to do our 

 readers better service. 



It is said that there is a plant, growing in the hot 

 springs in Iceland, which not only flowers hut !)ear3 

 seeds in water hot enough to boil an egg. 



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