Editors Letter- Box. 317 



Peaches. — The crops of peaches in many sections have been all that could 

 be desired. One grower in Ohio reports having over twelve thousand bushels. 

 The varieties he esteems most valuable as market-sorts are Oldmixon free, 

 Smock, and Crawford's Late. Crawford's Early does well, but inclines to over- 

 bear, and thus make the fruit small : while the labor of thinning, this grower 

 represents as one difficult to hire performed ; hence he prefers Crawford's Late 

 to Crawford's Early, because it sets its fruit evenly and regularly over the whole 

 tree, and not so numerous but that all reach a good size. 



Ripening of Varieties of Grapes. — We have watched carefully our own 

 vines, and those of many of our friends, relative to the time of coloring up, com- 

 paratively, of varieties. We find single berries on the Delaware to first show 

 color ; but the whole bunch does not indicate maturity. Miles and Hartford 

 Prolific show color at about the same time ; and, with us, the Hartford ripens rap- 

 idly, and was fit for market two or three days before the Miles. Concord and 

 Rogers's 4 showed color almost at the same time ; but the Rogers's 4 colored 

 more rapidly, and was fit to gather within two days of the Hartford, while its 

 bunches and berries were superior to Concord. Clinton colors early, but not 

 over the entire bunch ; and it is so harsh until dead-ripe, that it is of no value 

 for market. F. R. E. 



About Tomatoes. — Some time since, Mr. F. R. Elliott wrote us, that, in 

 growing and examining tomatoes this season, he had knowledge of some twenty 

 varieties ; and that, among them all, one under the name of Alger, which origi- 

 nated some fifteen years since, but has been little disseminated, was much the 

 best. He says it is as early as the Keyes ; larger ; and, while it commences to 

 ripen early, it also continues right along throughout the season without inter- 

 mission. The foliage is broad and strong, something like that of the Keyes, but 

 without the sickly curling-up which that variety as well as the Early York has. 

 Again : it shades its fruit well, and does not burn, as does the Keyes. PowelPs 

 Early he counts as a very fine, large, and handsome fruit : but with him, after it 

 set and ripened a few, nearly two weeks intervened before any more were grown ; 

 and the season did not show it a great producer. 



Stockton is a great grower, and a good producer of medium-sized, smooth 

 fruit ; but it is late. Howe and Apple and VinewooddXi appear about the same, — 

 smooth, even, regular, fair-sized fruit, moderately early, and moderate croppers. 

 Roseborough, like Lester's Perfected, has purplish-pink fruit ; but it is not as 

 smooth or valuable as Lester's Perfected. 



Chihuahua is a large, strong grower, late in ripening, but then giving a good 

 crop of large, smooth fruit. 



Pear-shaped, for drying or pickling purposes, he counts the best among them, 

 but not profitable where quantity is the item of value. 



Earth up to Trees and Vines. — Before the ground becomes very wet, 

 the plough should be run through the small-fruit orchard and vineyard, and the 

 soil turned up to the plants. 



