364 



CONNECTICUT 



5,000 trees would be a liberal estimate for the state; 

 now upwards of 2,000,000 peach trees are in the state- 

 many orchards of 5,000 and 6,000 trees, quite a number 

 with 10,000 to 15,000 trees, and at least one with nearly 

 50,000. While many varieties are grown to some extent, 

 the main plantings are of Mountain Rose, Oldmixon, 

 Crawford Early, Crawford Late and Stump. More re- 

 cently, however, Waddell, Carman, Champion and Kl- 

 berta have been heavily planted. High culture, close 

 pruning and a tliiniiit);.- of the fruit are generally prac- 

 ticed, and fruit cif l.n-hi(><t .-cilor, largest size and high 

 quality is thus s.-nu. .i. Ii, the markets of this and 

 neighboring statis. "i liiincrliciit peaches" usually sell 

 at a much higlier yv'x-u tliaii those from any other sec- 

 tion. The only serious drawback is the winter-killing 

 of the fruit-buds in the valleys, this happening proba- 

 bly three years out of five, while on many hillsides and 

 hilltops at least two crops out of three are assured; but 

 there are many favorable localities where annual crops 

 are almost a certainty. 



Japanese plums were early planted in this state, and 

 so quickly proved their adaptability to soil and climate 

 that they are now planted in a small way in every sec- 

 tion of the state, fruiting almost as freely as the apple, 

 for family supply, while in a commercial way they are 

 being quite largely planted in district No. 1. Several 

 orchards have from 2,000 to 4,000 trees each. Of varie- 

 ties longest tested, Burbank, Abundance and Chabot 

 are most satisfactory and- profitable. Red June and 

 Satsuma are rapidly growing in favor, the latter com- 

 manding extremely fancy prices for canning purposes. 



Raspberries, blackberries, currants and gooseberries 

 grow and produce freely all over the state, and all local 

 markets are abundantly supplied in season. 



Grapes can be grown successfully all over the state, 

 except on the highest and coldest hills ; and on the 

 sandy plains and warm, rocky hillsides all the best 

 standard varieties can be produced in perfection. There 

 are a number of small vineyards in district No. 1, and 

 home-grown grapes sell for double the price of those 

 coming from the outside ; yet, on the whole, the grape 

 industry is but lightly thought of. 



Pears thrive and fruit well except on the lighter 

 lands, and nearly every home garden has from one to 

 half a dozen trees. There are a few small commercial 

 orchards in district No. 1, Bartlett and Clapp being 

 most largely grown at Hartford and the adjoining 

 towns. On the west side of the river the Bosc is pro- 

 duced in its highest perfection. 



Cherries have been steadily failing in the state for 

 twenty-five years past. Not enough for home supply 

 are grown. Newly planted trees soon die out, and there 

 is a general discouragement. They seem to do best in 

 tlie vicinity of Middletown and Meriden, and the few 

 commercial orchards there are quite profitable. 



Quinces are grown all over the state for home supply, 

 but thrive best along the Sound shore, where there are 

 a large number of small commercial orchards. 



Strawberries are very largely grown, both for home 

 and outside markets, mostly in medium matted rows, 

 with an average yield of 80 to 90 bushels per acre. 

 Some cultivators, who follow the hill system or grow in 

 narrow, thinly matted rows, secure 150 or more bushels 

 per acre. A number of the berry farmers have systems 

 of irrigafon wh'ch adl greatlj to the rety of the 

 crop, besides ncreas ng tl e s zp i 1 ippe ri ce of the 

 fruit. The roll ng chara ter of tl c an 1 ist 



number of small streams abu la tl lll^l 'h 



water make t poss ble at mo ler te e\\ en e to rr t,ite 

 many tho sa d of ac es n th s tate an 1 the t ne s 

 not far d sta t I tl c tr a s of Connect c t w 11 

 be more valuable t lei ultur sts than they e er 



were to her m ta tl e old days of ma y 



small facto el 11 



Almost f o I I I ent mall local n ir 



series ha e an 1 are here to lay 



to the nu ut e general nurserj at 



NewCanaa 1 tl I est of 



any in New F I alty 



nursery at S Is 



tributes pla At 



Cromwell I\I I 1 1 I al 



lishment wh 1 h i I I 1 est 



CONOCLINIUM 



area under glass of any such establishment in America, 

 and surpasses all others in the annual production of 

 superb roses. 



The late Judge A. J. Coe, of Meriden, was one of the 

 first men in America to take up the new chestnut cul- 

 ture by the importation of the best foreign varieties and 

 the selection of the best natives and their crosses. He 

 commenced the grafting on native sprouts and seed- 

 lings, and stimulated quite a general chestnut grafting, 

 so that a goodly number of chestnut orchards are being 

 established on laud too rough for cultivation, yet 

 strong in its ability to grow the chestnut tree and nut 

 to perfection. 



At Wethersfield, in Hartfnr.l .-.mntv, Orange and Mil- 

 ford, in New iluv, II iiifN , .ii„l s,,ufhport, in Fairfield 



county, an- mam ,1 to seed-growing. 



Onion seeil uml ^ . , i:r-i-at specialties, but 



a great variefv ..f ..i li. i -r, ,1 - a, ■ niso grown, especially 

 at Wethersfleld and draiiKe. 



Market-gardening is carried on quite extensively by 

 specialists near all large towns and cities, while, with 

 so many good markets always close at hand, vegetables 

 and fruits are sold in moderate quantities from nearly 

 every farm. The largest general market -garden f.arm is 

 at New Haven, where over 400 acres are under annual 

 cultivation with vegetables and small fruits. At South- 

 port, Fairfield and Westport there are many farms, 

 both large and small, devoted entirely to the production 

 of onions. "Southport onions "are famous for fine ap- 

 pearance and quality, and nowhere in America is the 

 annual yield so great or price received so high as in this 

 district. Marketing is done in sailing vessels direct 

 from the farms to the dock markets in New York, where 

 the onions are sold direct to retail dealers, boat captains 

 acting as salesmen without commission for the sake of 

 carrying the freight. 



Trolley car lines are widely extended through many 

 farming sections of the state, and, running express cars 

 at certain hours of the day with freight movements at 

 night, they are proving quite a factor in the distribution 

 of horticultural products. The Hale peach farms, at South 

 Glastonbury, -n-ere the first in America to use this new 

 electric power in the marketing of their products. Fruit 

 is loaded at the farm side-track as gathered during the 

 day, and transported to market at night, after passenger 

 service has closed for the day. It is unloaded in the 

 city from the main-line tracks directly in front of the 

 stores in the early morning hours before the tracks are 

 again required for passenger service, and the empty 

 cars are returned to the farm side-track before a new 

 day's work in the orchard has begun. 



The Connecticut Pomological Society, organized some 

 ten years ago, is a prominent feature in the lively fruit 

 interests of the state. It has a large, active nn'mber- 

 ship, and, aside from its annual winter meeting, it 

 holds each summer three or more "field meetings." on 

 fruit farms in different sections of the state, and there, 

 around tree, plant and vine, the members meet and 

 discuss the live topics of the hour, gathering inspira- 

 tion which, carried to their homes, is pushing Con- 

 necticut into the very front rank of horticultural states. 

 J. H. Hale. 



CONOCfiPHALUS (Greek, cone head). One of the 

 liverworts (Marchantiacete), with broad, flat, forking 

 evergreen thallus, growing on moist banks, like a moss, 

 Dumort., is offered by collectors as a plant 



for 





CONOCLfNIUM (Greek, cone and bed). Composite^. 

 Differs from Eupatorium in having a conical receptacle 

 and the somewhat imbricated involucral scales nearly 

 equal. Most authors now unite the species with Eupa- 

 torium (which see). 



coelestlnum, DC. (JEupatdrium ecelesthutm, Linn.). 

 Mist Flower. Perennial, 1-2 ft. high, somewhat pubes- 

 cent : Ivs. opposite, stalked, triangular-ovate and some- 

 what cordate, coarse-toothed : heads in compact cymes, 

 many-fld., blue or violet. Mich, and 111., to N. J.andS.— 

 Late-blooming heliotrope-fid. plant, very useful for low 

 borders. 



Lasseiuxii, Dur. (Ar/eriyttim LasseHuxii. Carr. ). 

 Spreading pubescent perennial, with habit of Aijera- 



