34 Notes and Gleanings. 



The spring in Northern New Jersey has been very cold ; and we have had 

 no day, up to the present time, which could be called really warm. 



This I consider a very favorable indication of a good season ; for what is 

 usually called an early spring, generally places the fruit in a very precarious 

 position. The spring of 1866 was an early one : strawberries were in full bloom 

 on the 1st of May; grape-vines had made a growth of from six to twelve 

 inches by the 13th, on the night of which we had a frost that killed the young 

 shoots, and destroyed the crop. Strawberries and all other fruits were more 

 or less injured. 



At this date (May 22), grape-vines have scarcely shown a leaf, and straw- 

 berries, apples, pears, peaches, cherries, &c., are in full bloom ; and it so late in 

 the season, we have little to fear from frost, and we feel pretty sure of an 

 abundant crop. 



Ought any one to complain under such circumstances ? No ; but some do, 

 nevertheless. One of my neighbors a few days since was moaning over the 

 prospect, and wishing that a frost would come and kill at least one-half of the 

 strawberry-flowers (on his neighbors' plants of course); because, said he, "it 

 something don't happen to injure the crop, it will be so plentiful that it won't 

 be worth gathering." 



He was probably thinking of the short crop last year, and the high prices. 

 The old apple-orchards have been very much injured in the last few years by 

 the tent-worm, as very few of the farmers will do any thing to prevent their rav- 

 ages. The canker-worm is also very abundant, and very few sound apples are 

 seen in this vicinity : still the trees grow rapidly, and the apple-crop would be 

 a large one but for its insect enemies. 



The peach was formerly extensively cultivated here ; but its culture has been 

 nearly abandoned because it was said that it had run out. True enough ; but 

 why ? If the trees could answer, they would say, '■'■ Starved out.'''' 



Every tree, however, that has been allowed to remain in garden or hedge-row, 

 is now loaded with fruit. 



The strawberry is the fruit of Northern New Jersey, and every farmer has his 

 strawberry-patch either large or small. The Scotch runner is the variety chiefly 

 cultivated ; and as it usually gives a return of from one to five hundred dollars 

 per acre, with scarcely any trouble except planting, and gathering the fruit, very 

 few will try any of the new fancy kinds. 



Raspberries are but little grown, as very few of the standard varieties of other 

 sections of the country will succeed upon our sandy soils. Some of the newer 

 kinds are being tried, and promise well. The different varieties of the Black- 

 cap and Purple-cane do well ; also the Philadelphia : and although the fruit of 

 these are not equal to the better varieties of the Antwerp class, still they are far 

 better than none ; besides, they sell well in the New-York market. 



Blackberries are grown more extensively than any other of the small fruits, 

 except the strawberry ; the New Rochelle being the one principally cultivated. 

 It suffered considerably the past winter, and some of the plantations are almost 

 entirely ruined. But the fruit-crop, on the whole, bids fair to be one of the most 

 abundant ever known ; and we confidently expect that it will be so excellent in 



