102 



POPULAR GARDENING. 



February, 



A Hudson River Grower's List of 

 Pears. 



H. HENDRICKS, ULSTER CO., N. Y. 



Mr. Powell brings together a very excel- 

 lent list of Pears for market and house use 

 on page "8. It is not often that another 

 man's list corresponds so nearly with my 

 own notions. An orchard could be planted 

 on this basis pretty safely. I would be in- 

 clined to add three or four varieties to the 

 selection, and yet I deprecate a multifarious 

 list of any fruit. 



What surprises me, however, is that Mr. 

 Powell should have left out the Bosc from 

 his regular list and only alluded to it in his 

 addenda of good sorts. My own e-xperience 

 and observation of late years have almost 

 led me to give this magnificent and excel- 

 lent Pear first place. In flavor it is not 

 excelled. In shape and appearance is it not 

 an ideal Pear? In habit of growth and regu- 

 larity of bearing it is almost perfect. The 

 American Pomological .Society's catalogue 

 gives it 28 stars. 



What then is the matter with Bosc for 

 first place? The only thing I know against 

 it is the tree does not begin to bear so soon 

 as most other sorts. Even this may be an 

 advantage in the end. Look at its graceful 

 pyriform proportions. It's a Pear! no doubt 

 about it. There is no suspicion of any cross 

 with an Apple, a Tomato, or a Squash, nor 

 is it an "Idaho" Pear. Put your teeth in it 

 and all your other impressions are confirmed 

 and enhanced. These are some of the rea- 

 sons why I would plant the Bosc in every 

 family garden and market orchard. This 

 Pear is now 83 years old, having been pro- 

 duced by the distinguished Belgian Van 

 Mons in 1807. Any man might be proud to 

 leave such a legacy to the garden. 



Mr. Powell's estimate of the Tyson is quite 

 correct. It is a valuable early Pear, not of 

 high flavor, but sweet and pleasant, an 

 aljundant bearer, good size, fine shape, good 

 grower. I should also add the Summer 

 Doyenne to this early list. It is really a 

 beautiful little Pear, almost the first juicy 

 gem of summer. It has a rich yellow color 

 often with a red cheek when properly 

 thinned, as it always should be. The fruit 

 is always fair, solid and delicious. The tree 

 is hardy, grows freely, and bears heavily. 



The Bartlett is still the leading market 

 variety, and perhaps .iustly so, liut I would 

 not exclude Clapp's Favorite by any means. 

 It is too valuable in quality and appearance, 

 and the tree is a vigorous grower and great 

 bearer. It is an American Pear. 



The Howell is a hand.some and valuable 

 Pear, not high flavored, but sprightly and 

 attractive to the eye and palate, a fine 

 grower and bearer. Flemish Beauty is a 

 little more uncertain in behavior under 

 varying conditions, but when it don't crack 

 or mildew, and when it is fully exposed to 

 the sun on all sides it is a fine Pear. But it 

 has been cranky with me of late and I almost 

 forget how a decent specimen looks or tastes. 

 The Sheldon Mr. Powell calls "the finest 

 table Pear in the world." I like it too, but 

 am unwilling to accord with this broad state- 

 ment. I would name several other varieties 

 in preference, for fiavor, such as Bosc, 

 Seckle, Dana's Hovey, etc. It is also easily 

 excelled in external beauty. The Onondaga 

 is scarcely worth a place in this list, being 

 too coarse in texture and somewhat in- 

 different in quality. 



The Clairgeau is a fickle-minded French 

 contribution which is indeed difficult to 

 classify. It has in turn challenged my ad- 

 miration, elicited respect and awakened my 

 disgust. In growth and appearance it is 

 uniformly handsome, and some seasons the 

 quality has been really good. But at other 

 times when the fruit was equally attractive 

 to the eye the flavor was positively bad; 

 sawdust would be as good. The magnificent 



specimens of it seen on our fancy fruit stands, 

 mostly from California, are usually a de- 

 lusion to the palate. 



The Anjou which Mr. Powell forgets to 

 write without the French prefix "D'An.iou," 

 iis now decreed is indeed a grand and valua- 

 ble Pear. Its brisk vinous fiavor is very 

 pleasing and it grows vigorously. It keeps 

 well, and is very slow to rot. But I have 

 found it shy in bearing at least while young. 

 It presents no very attractive coloring, but 

 no collection should be without the Anjou. 

 The Lawrence is a .small sweet Pear that 

 comes in nicely during early winter, and it 

 is an abundant bearer. There is no special 

 character about its flavor. The Winter 

 Nelis is better and the .losephine of Maline 

 better than either. This is the most valua- 

 ble of all winter Pears to my thinking. It 

 should certainly have a place in every family 

 garden and amateur collection, and will 

 make itself profitable in the market orchard. 

 Its melting, juicy, salmon-colored fiesh is 

 most delicious along in .Tanuary, February, 

 and even through March. The old Virga- 

 lieu or White Doyenne, is also a valuable 

 Pear when it behaves well, as it has lately. 



As to the training of Pears, I should keep 

 the trees low by frequent heading while 

 youug, and do away with long ladders. In 

 fact I am almost inclined to let the branches 

 grow from the ground up, or within two 

 feet of it, making a pyramidal tree, of course 

 keeping the interior properly thinned and 

 having an eye to symmetry. I think the 

 plan has advantages which are not over- 

 shadowed by the ground space taken or the 

 consequent Inconvenience of tillage and 

 cultivation. Except in a small private 

 garden dwarf Pear trees are in my judgment 

 a poor investment. Standing as I do in the 

 retrospect of some years of experience and 

 careful observation in the culture of fruit, 

 I incline to the opinion that the man who 

 plants an orchard of standard Pears, of the 

 best varieties, in proper soil, with an earnest 

 determination to take care of the trees, 

 makes about the safest investment which is 

 open to him in fruit culture to-day. 



space is needed. Nor is light essential for 

 all does well if the temperature is kept at as 

 near (iO° as possible. 



In one instance a frame such as we have 

 referred to was fitted up properly and early 

 fowls were raised therein until the broiler 

 age was reached and I was assured that 

 nothing had ever proven more satisfactory 

 for the purpose. 



On Utilizing Certain Waste Heat. 



REMLE, NEWPORT CO., R. I. 



Cases are not altogether wanting in which 

 the steam or water pipes used in heating 

 greenhouses, are extended for heating the 

 dwelling house also. Naturally there is a 

 chance for some loss of heat from the pipes 

 between the glass structures and the dwell- 

 ing, unless the latter adjoins. 



To overcome such a loss of heat consider- 

 able ingenuity has at times been brought to 

 bear. A florist in Fall River, Mass., having 

 no great extent of glass, but using steam for 

 heating both greenhouses and dwelUng, 

 utilized the heat of the connecting pipe for 

 a distance of 30 feet in this manner. 



The pipe runs along the bottom of an 

 excavation several feet deep, and is not 

 covered with any thing in the way of non- 

 conducting material. This space is six feet 

 wide; over it a hot-bed frame, one foot above 

 the surface at the back, and six inches high 

 in fi-ont, is placed and furnished with the 

 usual cross bars for the sash. One foot 

 above the steam pipe scantling are laid a 

 sufficient distance apart to admit of roofing 

 slate being laid fiatwise across for a bottom, 

 on which soil is placed. A hot-bed is thus 

 had with no extra heating expense, and one 

 that in various ways can be used all winter. 



It is to be observed that as a rule.as in the 

 case referred to, pipes enter the cellar of the 

 house and here also can this warmth be used 

 to great advantage, by fitting up Mushroom 

 beds. With due regard to moisture a bed 

 could be formed on the floor, of any desired 

 dimensions, and shelving beds be arranged 

 along the walls in tiers above; no great 



Samuel Miller on Horticultural 

 Progress. 

 In looking over the collection of fruit at 

 the exposition in St. Louis, exhibited by the 

 Missouri State Horticultural Society, it 

 struck me forcibly that our favorite pursuit 

 has advanced fully up to that of the arts and 

 sciences of this marvelous age. 



My earliest recollections are of Green 

 Gages, Blue Plums, Purple Mignon and 

 Apricots on terrace wall. Golden Chassele 

 trained against the wall, choice Cherries, 

 Pears, Peaches and Apples as far as they 

 could be obtained. But what was that com- 

 pared -with the present? Had all the fruit 

 growers in the United States joined together 

 they could not have gotten up a show to 

 compare with what was shown at St. Louis. 

 Varieties without number of recent years 

 were shown that will have a place in the 

 future and still new ones are coming. 



Of Grapes we then had the native Fox 

 Grape of the woods, the Frost or Chicken 

 Grape as it was called, with here and there a 

 Cape or Alexander vine; the Isabella and 

 Catawba were just then being introduced. 

 What have we now, sixty years after? Of 

 Grapes more than 200 varieties, among 

 which are many good enough for the most 

 fastidious, and Apples, Pears, Peaches and 

 Plums without end in variety. 



Then there were a few nurseries scattered 

 over the country and when a man wanted 

 trees he would go with his wagon ten, 

 twenty or fifty miles if necessary. Now the 

 tree agent traverses every nook and corner 

 of the country and it takes carloads of trees 

 to fill the orders. Then nurseries were con- 

 ducted on a primitive scale while now they 

 have become among the coUossal institu- 

 tions of the age. Take, for instance, the 

 firm of Ellwanger & Barry of Rochester and 

 compare it with nurseries sixty years ago; 

 and of such there are scores in the country. 

 The seed business has kept pace with the 

 other branches of the industry. 



The small fruits were scarcely thought of. 

 Then all the Strawberries 1 saw until 1833 

 were the little wild ones of the field. Of 

 Raspberries we had a tame I'ed one in the 

 garden and the wild black caps of the woods. 

 I have had as many as .«ixty varieties of 

 Strawberries and twelve of Raspberries. 

 Then the selling of Strawberries was scarce- 

 ly thought of; now there are places where a 

 special train of carsdaily carry away loads. 



The diseases of plants and trees and also 

 the way to fight the destructive insects, are 

 becoming better known so that there seems 

 a fair prospect for the good cause to prosper 

 until perfection may be nearly reached. 

 Judging from the past what may the future 

 bring? The rising generation seems to take 

 an interest in horticulture that bids fair to 

 see its development in all the various 

 branches. Amid all the improvements 

 there are still some old varieties of fruits 

 that hold their place on the list: Select, 

 Rarabo, Red Romanite, Yellow BellHower, 

 Newton Pippin and Winesap, all these 

 were among the first Apples I can remember 

 and to-day, sixty years after, I have still the 

 pleasure of seeing them, not only in their 

 original glory, but so far surpassed that one 

 not posted would scarcely recognize them, 

 Bellflowers weighing 1 lb. and Winesap 11 

 inches in circumference, etc. 



But it takes Missouri to grow fine Apples. 

 My Rhode Island Greenings this season 



