THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



181 



Possarts, Nalivia, Northwestern Green- 

 ing, Tracey, Roman Stem, Grimes' 

 Golden, Malinda and several promising 

 seedlings were grouped to show the 

 prepotent influence of one of the most 

 noted and ancient families of the 

 Russian apples. 



Russian Pears. — Specimens of the 

 wood of the Russian pears which had 

 endured 42 degrees below zero — after a 

 thaw and rain which had left a coating 

 of ice on the twigs — attracted much 

 attention, and drew out considerable 

 discus.sion. It is well known that the 

 Flemish Beauty colors its new wood in 

 our mildest Winters, and our last test 

 Winters have destroyed the trees on 

 our black soils, root and branch. Hence 

 the bright color of the wood of the pears 

 from the home of the Oldenburgh, has 

 strenghtened the belief that we will yet 

 grow pears on our black soils profit- 

 ably. The reports in regard to the 

 perfect health of the foliage of these new 

 comers during our past three trying 

 summers, were also very favoi-able. — 

 Rural New-Yorker. 



THE WHITE PINE. 



At a meeting of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society a paper was read 

 by Avery P. Slade of Somerset, on 

 Forest Tree Planting, in which he thus 

 speaks of our white pine : — 



The white pine is best adapted to the 

 soil and climate of most of our waste 

 lands. A soil in which the white oak 

 floui'ishes will produce grass, and one 

 that suits the chestnut will grow grain ; 

 but the white pine not only grows 

 rapidly on land which is apparently 

 destitute of all plant food, but posi- 

 tively enriches it. It is, however, not 

 successful near the sea coast. 



Although in many instances white 



pines have been planted because the 



land would produce nothing else, and 



often to gratify the taste by covering a 



2 



rocky hillside or sandy plain, and not 

 with a view to profit, and though they 

 have seldom received any culture after 

 planting, in no instance that he had 

 investigated had it failed to be a paying 

 investment. Zebulon Pratt of Bridge- 

 water purchased twenty-five aci-es of 

 wornout land in North Middleborough 

 for $25 per acre, and in the spring of 

 1863 had it set to white pines, at an 

 expense of about $200. The plants 

 were from six to eighteen inches high 

 and were set in rows ten feet apart 

 each way. In December, 1883, they 

 were from twelve to sixteen inches in 

 diameter and in a thrifty condition, 

 and Mr. Pratt has been awax'ded 

 premiums by the Plymouth County 

 Agricultural Society for the best plan- 

 tation of pines. The lot is now taxed 

 for $800, which is based on a two-thirds 

 valuation, and as towns are inclined to 

 favor such experiments, it is fair to 

 presume that this is not too high a 

 valuation, and that the cash value of 

 the lot is $1200. The cost of the land 

 ($225), setting the trees ($195) and 

 taxes for twenty years, aggregate $540, 

 whiah, in twenty years at compound 

 intei-est at five per cent., amount to 

 $1431, or $231 more than its supposed 

 value. But Mr. Pratt says he did not 

 embai'k in this enterprise for profit, but 

 to benefit the inhabitants of the village, 

 and that he might be remembered 

 pleasantly by those coming after him. 

 Had he planted with a sole view to 

 profit he would have put the trees 10 

 feet by 6, instead of 10 by 10, thus 

 having 726 trees to the acre instead of 

 425, It is pretty generally conceded 

 that pines 6 feet by 10 will make a 

 growth of more value than at a greater 

 distance apart. 



At 10 feet hy 10, there is a greater 

 growth of branches, which are of little 

 value, and less growth of body than 

 when planted nearer. Now, if 425 trees 

 to the aci'e bi-injrs the value of the lot 



