26 INFLUENCE OF CULTURE. 



It is this liability to change, and occasionally to 

 become valueless, that has induced the opinion that 

 varieties are worn out by old age ; but this is dis- 

 proved by the facts that the same varieties flourish 

 elsewhere with undirninished excellence ; and that 

 some of the new sorts, when removed to ungenial 

 climates, also exhibit precisely the same symptoms 

 of " running out" and decay.* 



The influence of our summers on the quality of 

 the peach is well known. But while some varie- 

 ties, as the Early York, are much better in warm 

 and favorable seasons, and worse in cold ones, oth- 

 ers, as the White Imperial and some yellow-fleshed 

 sorts, continue nearly unchanged through all the 

 fluctuations of temperature. 



INFLUENCE OF CULTURE. 



The effect of keeping the soil mellow by repeat- 

 ed stirring, on most of the finer and delicious fruits, 

 can be hardly believed by those who have only seen 

 it on the more common varieties of the apple. " No 

 stunted tree tears fine fruit. Even the Seckel pear, 

 of all sorts the highest flavored, is so inferior in 

 some situations, as to be scarcely worth gathering. 

 Some other pears however, lose their distinguish- 

 ing traits entirely, and bear nothing suitable for 

 human lips. Of this class has been the St. Ghis- 

 lain in my grounds, where the tree stood neglected 



Sec Hovey's Magazine, vol. 5, p. 50. 



