Feb. 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



23 



The Kansas Queen. 



Fruit, medium to average; weight, six to tcu ounces ;Jform roiindish, conical, slightly 

 rilibed towards the eye ; skin clear, lively crimson, dark red in the sun, brio-lit pink in the 

 shade; dots gray, 

 small, numerous; stem 

 short and slender but 

 often long; cavity 

 very narrow, deep, 

 with a lip ; eye medi- 

 um, nearly closed; 

 basin narrow and shal- 

 low, furrowed and 

 ribbed ; flesh clear 

 white, firm, juicy and 

 crisp, with a brisk, 

 sub-acid flavor ; qual- 

 ity good ; core regular, 

 large, open, capsules 

 long hollow, seeds long 

 pointed, full, dark; 

 Season, August and 

 September. 



Tree vigorous, 

 healthy and hardy, 

 forming a handsome, 

 open head, setting 



fruit evenly all over the tree ; leaves and 

 bark dark. A seedling raised by B. Atkin- 

 son, of this place, from the seed of Ben Davis, 

 planted 1858 ; bore first fruit in season of 

 1868, when nearly every variety failed. — 

 Last year it was full, and a more beautiful 

 sight could not be witnessed. Such a hand- 

 some red apple of even size, with no defect- 

 ive ones, is very seldom seen. From present 

 prospects it promises next year a more 

 abundant crop. 



The tree is so identical in all its habits 

 with the Ben Davis, which is a sufiicient 

 guarantee of being hardy, productive and 

 profitable, without further comment from me. 



Mtcburg, 2^. Y., Jan. 10, 1870. 



S. T-. KshSEY— Dear Sir .-—When in Phil- 

 adelphia you gave me a specimen of " Kansas 

 Queeu" apple which I found of pretty good 

 quality, and will thank you to tell me where 

 and with whom it originated, and is it a dis- 

 tinct fruit,'&c. ; has it any syus? Also, what 

 is its growth in the orchard, upright or 

 spreading, vigorous or slow ; and is it pro- 

 ductive, and what time does it usually ripen? 



Can you tell me the origin of Missouri 

 Pippin or Missouri Keeper, its growth, time 

 of ripening, &c. ; and has it any other name, 

 and which is the original name ? Are these 

 both valuable apples and worthy of introduc- 

 tion? 



Chas. Downing. 



Pomona, Kan., Jan. 17, 1870. 

 Dr. J. Staymai? — Dear Sir: — I have just 

 received a letter from Charles Downing, 

 Newburg, ia reference to the "Kansas 

 Queen," and as I am not fuUy posted I refer 

 the matter to you, as I know you can give 

 the necessary information. Also, can you 

 give any information respecting the Missouri 

 Pippin- S. T. Kelset. 



Remarks.— As this matter is of general 

 interest we will answer the questions through 



the POMOLOGIST. 



It aflbrds us pleasure to be able to give 

 satisfactory information in regard to the 

 " Kansas Qwen " apple at least. We took a 

 drawing of it in 1868. In September last we 

 sent a number of specimens to the American 

 Pomological Society, Philadelphia, request- 

 ing Mr. Kelsey to call the attention of 

 Pomologists to them. In October number 

 of the Gardener's MbntMg we gave the first 

 outline description of the apple. Since that 

 time we have received numerous inquiries 

 respecting it. It is a seedling. Mr. Atkinson 

 got two apples from Platte Co., Missouri, 

 one supposed to be the Ben Davis, the other 

 Yellow Bellefleur ; planted the seed of these 

 and raised seven trees ; six are in bearing, 

 all promising some remarkable quality or 

 characteristic. They ripen in succession and 

 cover a very long season, from July to July, 

 two at least having qualities that are not 

 easily equalled, which will hereafter be des- 

 cribed. The "Kansas Queen" we do con- 

 sider worthy of cultivation, for its even size, 

 (rather large) great beauty and perfection. 

 The tree for its health, hardiness, symetry 

 and production. Mr. Meehan, Ed. Gardner's 

 Montldy, says: "We were much plesised 

 with the apple. It belougs to that class of 

 handsome apples like the Williams of Boston, 

 and the Cornell's Fancy of Pa." These 

 seedlings are iu sight of my place and I see 

 them frequently. 



We are happy to say that we have got 

 a paper, the Western Pomologist, where 

 we can discuss the subject of fruit growing. 

 Where each person can express his views 

 without being controlled within the narrow 

 sphere of inexperience and dictation. We 

 ask the fruit growers and gardeners of Kan- 



sas to come forward with their facts and 

 theories, if they have any, and we will give 

 tliem a hearing, reserving, however, the 

 riglit of criticism when we think it expedi- 

 ent. We wish to aid in making the Pomol- 

 OGiST, a live paper, up to the present times. 

 Neither age or the opinions of others has 

 made the subject of horticulture too sacred 

 if we believe it an error. It is only V)y 

 observation, experience and facts that we 

 come to correct conclusions. 



Wo will speak of "Missouri Keeper" in 

 March number. 



COR. 



For the Weetern Pomologist. 



Interesting Facts in Fon-estry. 



Ed. PoMOLOGisT :— I trust that such arti- 

 cles as yours on the "American Chestnut," 

 will excite a general interest in forest cul- 

 ture. Nothing more useful and ornamental 

 than acres of forest trees, especially ever- 

 greens, could be added to the winsome looks of 

 our rich, rolling prairies. You see I am partial 

 to evergreens. During the discussion of this 

 subject at the late meeting of the State Hor- 

 ticultural Society, it was proposed to grow 

 pine forests from the seed. The proposition, 

 however, was treated as a doubtful theory. 

 To encourage experiments, I wish to state a 

 few facts observed during the late war, on 

 the Peninsula in Virginia. Old corn-tields, 

 with the furrows and ridges still distinct, 

 were densely covered with a uniform growth 

 of 2Mies. In some fields the trees were only 

 about three feet high, in others adjoining ten 

 feet, twenty feet, and so on up to tlie full 

 growth of the stately pine. Evidently the 

 seed is carried by the winds all over the 

 Peninsula, and wherever a field is abandoned 

 by the plow, a pine forest springs up and 

 flourishes. The earthworks of the Revolution, 

 still observable about Williamsburg, are iu 

 many jjlaces covered with large pines. The 

 battle of Williamsburg of April 1863, was 

 partly fought in these old fortifications. — 

 The dead Union and Rebel soldiers were 

 found lying side by side, just as they fell in 

 their hand to hand conflict, striving for the 

 possession of these old earth-works, hid in 

 the forest. The fact of such spontaneous 

 growth of pine forests in Virginia, should 

 certainly encourage us to the eft'ort of culti- 

 vating evergreea forests to add to the beauty 

 and wealth of our noble Iowa. 



" The evergreen Btem winter's power derides, 

 Lilje Hope that in misfortune's storm abides." 

 The genus pine consists of nearly forty 

 species, auditisfairtopre.sume most of them 

 will grow luxuriantly on our prairies. — 

 Would it not be well for our Legislators to 

 oft'er a premium for the largest and finest pine 

 forest i)roduced iu Iowa during the next ten 

 years? Thomas G. Orwig. 



Dea Moines, Iowa. 



— The cranberrj' crop at Harwich, Mass., 

 amounted, during tlie past year, to 3,761 

 barrels, which we're sold for $39,590. 



