THE GENESEE FARMER. 



281 



growing on laud that is cultivated during the sum- 

 mer, and on that which is in grass or grain, is most 

 striking — especially in the case of jjeaches. 



It requires no particular skill to raise our ordi- 

 nary fruits. Every farmer might have them in 

 ahuudaace ; but he who hopes to be successful must 

 abandon the idea that fruit trees will flourish in 

 grass or grain. 



Cherries in Califoexia. — The California Cul- 

 turist says that among all the small fruits, none 

 maintains a higher relative value in California than 

 the cherry. One dollar and a half a pound fur the 

 earliest varieties, and imperfectly ripened at that, 

 is not an unusual price in the San Francisco mar- 

 ket. " When they get down to a dollar a pound, 

 people begin to buy quite freely ; but when they 

 reach the minimum, or lowest figure — 50 cents a 

 pound — nearly all feel as though they could in- 

 dulge in one good feast of clierries." 



The Culturist says the only serious drawback to 

 the culture of the cherry in California, is the dep- 

 redations of the birds. To meet this, the Ctdturist 

 reconimeuds planting orchards of cherries worked 

 on the Malialfcb stock and cultivated as dwarf trees. 

 It recommends planting the trees six or eight feet 

 apart, and then covering the whole orchard with 

 a net to keep out the birds. 



TuE Spring Rose of Suangh^. — Such is the 

 name given to a climbing rose brought from China 

 by Mr. Fortune. The London Gardener''s Chron- 

 icle speaks highly of its merits. It says it " may 

 not please rose fanciers," but " as a pillar rose it is 

 invaluable." Mr. Fortune says, " it is held in high 

 esteem by the Chinese; indeed, it is one of the 

 best white roses I met with in China. It is fre- 

 quently seen of a large size, covering trellis-work 

 fonuf d into alcoves or built over garden walks. For 

 this purpose it is well suited, as it is a luxuriant 

 grower and it blooms profusely and early." Its 

 flowers are white, tinged with pink on the outside; 

 sweet-scented, and grow in endless profusion in 

 small clusters. The flowers are small, and the 

 petals do not stand up well ; but it is very hardy, 

 early, a rampant grower, and undoubtedly deserves 

 attention. 



Tue Raspbeuey Jam Tree. — In Western Austra- 

 lia there is a species of Acacia, the wood of which 

 hss a fragrance like raspberry jam, and the tree is 

 called the Raspberry Jam Acacia. The flowers 

 have an 'mpieasant odor, and the leaves, when 

 wilted, smell like a decaying cabbage. 



Vail's August Duke Cherry — Correction. — 

 In the report of the "Fruit Grower's Society of 

 Western New York published in the August number^ 

 where Mr. Downing speaks of this cherry, it says : 



"Mr. Downing thought well of VuiVs August 

 Duke; one of the most promising of the new 

 cherries. Something like May BitJce, but several 

 weeks earlier.'''' 



This should be " several weeks later.''"' The time 

 of ripening is from the last week in July to the 

 first or second week in Au<i;ust. 



FKUrr-GROWING IN NORTHERN CANADA.* 



Eds. Genesee Farmep. : — Our attempts at fruit- 

 growing for the last ten years have proved nearly a 

 total failure. I mean apples chietiy, with a few 

 pears, plums, grapes and strawberries. The grapes 

 and strawberries, with winter protection, and the 

 latter even without it, generally do pretty well ; the 

 Large Early Scarlet., Burfs New Fine, Crimson 

 Cone, Hovey''s Seedling and British Qxieen — the 

 three Iprmer the most prolific. 



We had a large importation — thousands upon 

 thousands — ten years ago from one of your nurse- 

 ries, of the most reputed named ajjples. Scii,rcely 

 a tree of that importation is now alive. Some of 

 these trees have struggled tiirougli life so as to» 

 show a few specimens of their produce, and in the 

 genuiuess of their kinds I believe we were not 

 deceived. I have S(jme of these trees, but out of 

 fifty, only one has borne. 



More is said than is true about bad planting and 

 nursing — in our case, at least. Our want of suc- 

 cess is more to be attributed to our boreal clime, 

 and adverse seasons, so far as I am capable ot judg- 

 ing. For the last ten years, I have amused myself 

 by giving a good deal of attention to fruit-growing, 

 and have come to the conclusion that we are too 

 far north to be very successful with the apple or 

 pear. Still, there may be some hardy kinds that 

 might^ucceed with us. The various Siberian Crabs 

 have hitherto proved hardy with me, and be<ir 

 freely. 



I have still some relics of the Rochester trees 

 (about twenty), tliat have never brought any fruit to 

 perfection. Still, the roots of these trees are fresli 

 and healthy apparently, as they throw out every 

 year strong and vigorous shoots about the colar and 

 above the graft, but these are generally killed 

 the first winter. I budded and grafted from these 

 trees on native stock, and planted out soine hun- 

 dreds of tbeiu. Most of them promised well for 

 some years, and the' year before last many of them 

 produced a little fruit (^Baldwins, R. I. Greenings, 

 etc.), and were fine plants — having bestowed a 

 good deal of pains in training tliem, taking Mr. 

 JBarry for my guide — but the winter of la5S-9, 

 or perhaps the spring frost of the latter year, seri- 

 ously injured them. They bore none and made 

 very little growth. Their stems are now three to 

 four inches in diameter, and, in looking over them 

 the other day, I believe much of the wood aud 

 most of the buds are dead. 



* This communication has been in type severol months, bnt has 

 been overlooked. It is still interesting, and we trust will elicit 

 more information on this important subject. Er>8. 



