58 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



CONnUCTED BY JOSEPH FROST. 



FOREIGN FRUIT& 



In the month of November last the Getoesee Valley 

 Horticultural Society, at Rochestei-, was presented 

 with a box of fruits containing nbtely-three varieties 

 of pears, twenty-seven of apples, and two of quinces, 

 from AxDEE Lkroy, the well known and enterprising 

 nurseryman, of Angers, France. Every possible exer- 

 tion was made to have the fruit forwarded with the 

 greatest dispatcli, as they were shipped by steamer 

 from Havi'e to New York, and from thence per ex- 

 press. In due season the case arrived; and when it 

 was opened it appeared that the moss in which the 

 fruit ^vas packed had absorbed so much moisture that 

 it hastened the decay of many of the specimens, j^ar- 

 ticularly the autumn and early winter sorts of pears. 

 The apples and the remainder of the pears seem to 

 have suffered from the same cause, as they were pre- 

 maturely ripened, giving the fruit that high rich color 

 aad beautiful appearance \\-hich it can have only when 

 put up in tight boxes and kept free from air some 

 time. We are informed that the fruit perished in a 

 few days upon exposure to the air, and that the flavor 

 of it was all gone, which causes great regret. If they 

 could have reached us in good condition, the respec- 

 tive merits of many new varieties of fruits could have 

 been tested wiib. which we are unacquainted as yet, 

 but by foreign description. Among the older sorts, 

 judgment could then be formed somewhat of the 

 ({ualities of the respective kinds of fruits between 

 those grown in this country and the fruit produced 

 in Europe. 



The transmission of frait from one section of the 

 conutry to another for comparison, all must look upon 

 as productive of the greatest good. This one partial 

 failure we trust will not deter ]\I. Le Roy, or any other 

 gentleman, from making another attempt at sending 

 choice fruit to this counti-y, as it is well known that 

 Mr. Taylor, the noted confectioner in Broadway, 

 New York, has imported frequently from France 

 pears of the finest quality, and exposed them for sale; 

 in fact, we have seen upon his counter, at New 

 Year's, the finest Vicar of Whikjield pears that we 

 ever saw, which were received liy liim but a short 

 time before from Europe. While some of the older 

 sorts sent would not compare favorably, in point of 

 size, to those wliich we have seen grown here, there 

 were others far exceeding in dimensions and general 

 appearance the same kinds grown in America. 



To return the comphment which M. Le Rot has 

 sho\\ni our Society, it is thought best by some of the 

 leading pomologists here to send him, at the proper 

 season, specimens of our American fruits. Though 

 our peai-3 may not excel, if they equal, theirs, we 

 have not much doubt that we can surprise the French 

 with our apples. 



Annexed we give a few of the sorts which attracted 

 our attention most: 



Among the new pears there were beautiful speci- 

 mens of Bcurre Clair geau and Prevost, The former 



was fully as fine as any painting which we have 

 seen of it. 



Of the older sorts, there were Bcurre de Bolhcil- 

 ler, Bezi Incomparable, Colmar drs Invalides, Doi/- 

 enne GonbauU, Mcssir Jean, JYapolenv, JYe Pins 

 Meun's, Pater JYoster, and Van Mons Leon le Clerc. 

 Easter Bevrre (Doyenne d'Hiver of the French j. 

 Doyenne de Jodoifc^ie, as well as Vicar of Winkfeld, 

 were remarkably fine. 



Of kitchen pears, we saw Angelique de Bordcaitx, 

 Bonchretien d^Anch, Franc Real, Gil-o-gile, Gros 

 Lucas, Mansuette double, Rateau Gris, Tavernicr 

 de Boulogne, and Tonneau, of peculiar shape, signi- 

 fying barrel in French, which it strongly resembles. 



An oversight was made in neglecting to note the 

 different varieties of apples, which were almost wholly 

 of European origin. With but very few exception.s, 

 all of those that have been tested in this country have 

 not proved themselves equal to our best kinds in 

 quality. 



Two specimens of the Chinese quince were very 

 ornamental, from their singular oblong shape, but 

 are not fit for eating. 



CULTURE OP CELERY. 



Mr. Editor — Sir : — As a knowledge of facts is 

 an essential requisite for the proper cultivation of 

 plants, and particularly so when we attempt to im- 

 prove their flavor by the use of specific manures, I 

 will give a brief detail of my experience in cultivating 

 celery. In the spring of 1852 I prepared a trench 

 for celery plants in the usual way, using plenty of well- 

 fermented manure, &c. The plants were transplanted 

 about the 20th of June, and with copious waterings 

 grew to a good size. When taken up for use, the 

 stems were well bleached, crisp and tender, but the 

 fla^'or did not please me — it was strong and rank. 

 When preparing my trench last spring, I burnt a 

 barrel of old bones that I had collected during the 

 season (by the way, all the bones I can find I take 

 especial pains to scatter in my garden), and scattered 

 them in the trench to the depth of aljout half an 

 inch, using much less manure than previously. The 

 plants were set out about the 10th of July. They 

 commenced gi'owing much sooner than during the 

 year previous, and all tlii'ough the season their color 

 was of a much darker green. When taken up for 

 use on the first of November, I was highly gratified 

 with the success of my experiment. Their gi-owth 

 was not as luxuriaift as formerly, but in crisptess, 

 juiciness, and agi-eeable flavor, they were superior to 

 any that I had ever before eaten. 



I would like to know the chemical constitution 

 of the plant, in order to determine the accordance 

 of my experiment with the theoiy of specific manures. 

 A. D. W. — Rochester. 



German Prunes. — Mr. Frederick Peeifer, of In- 

 diana county. Pa., has succeeded in bringing this fine 

 fruit to a great state of perfection in this country. 

 He raises immense crops without any difficulty. The 

 value of this fruit, either green or dried, is not second 

 to any of the plmn variety. 



