March 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



33 



a balf inch thick ; out a notch at the center of 

 one edge, and near each end, equi-distant from 

 the center notch, make a similar notch on the 

 same edge. Lay the board on the ground, and 

 place the center notch against the stake where 

 the tree is to stand, andj stick down a small 

 stake in each of the end notohes. The center 

 stake and board may then be removed, and the 

 hole dug. When ready to set the trees, the board 

 is placed over the hole, with the end notches 

 against the two stakes. The center notch will 

 indicate the precise point whore the tree should 

 stand, and at the same time help to steady the 

 tree while filling in the soil about the roots — 

 This simple and useful contrivance is an invention 

 of our own, and enables the workman to plant 

 each tree of a uniform depth, and in the precise 

 position indicated by the stake. 



The following table shows the number of trees 

 or plants that may be grown upon an acre of 

 ground from 1 to 24 feet apart : 



1 



i 



3 

 4 



6 

 6 

 7 

 8 

 9 

 10 

 11 

 12 



The ground having been made ready for the 

 trees as specified, the next step is to prepare the 

 holes for their reception. They should be dug of 

 sufficient depth and breadth to receive all the roots 

 of the tree, without crowding or bending them 

 un-naturally, and the bottom soil made mellow 

 some inches deep. The hole being ready, take 

 the tree, and with a sharp knife prune the ends 

 of all the roots, from the under side, with a slop- 

 ing, upward, clean, smooth cut. Planted in this 

 condition, the ends of the roots will speedily 

 callous, and push out therefrom a system of new 

 roots, much sooner than if left roughly cut by the 

 spade. 



The tree should be placed in the hole, upon the 

 mellow soil, so as to stand four to six inches 

 deeper than in the nursery. It should be held by 

 one person, while another arranges the roots in 

 their natural position, and with the hand work in 

 mellow soil among them. As the filling up pro- 

 gresses, give the tree a slight movement up and 

 down, to more thoroughly work the soil in among 

 the roots. Great care should be taken to keep all 

 the roots in a natural position when packing the 

 soil around them. Afber the hole is full, and the 

 soil pressed down and leveled up, the work should 

 be finished by adding a good coat of mulching. 



If the ground be dry at planting time, a lib- 

 eral use of water is all-important. Thoroughly 

 saturate the soil about the roots as it is packed in. 

 In fact, we advise the free use of water in setting 

 trees and vines at all times— without regard to 

 condition of soil — wet or dry. The roots are 

 more thoroughly imbedded in the soil. No work 

 about tree planting pays better. 



Seed from Grafted Potatoes. — It is 

 known that grafting seedling turnips causes 

 tbem to change the colors of the bloom, and 

 it is a question whether hy grafting a potato 

 the seed saved from the graft would not im- 

 bibe more or less of the character of the 

 root, and when sown and grown produce a 

 combining more or less of both varieties. — 

 In this potato seedling age, experiments are 

 worth trying. — Western Farmer. 



Terms Used in Describing Fruits. 



The frequent use of descriptive terms applied to fruits in the " Pomoligist," render familiar illus 

 trations necessary to make them intelligible to very many of our readers. Few persons, compara- 

 tively even among those 

 pretty well posted on fruit 

 matters, can take in hand an 

 apple and apply to its several 

 points proper descriptive 

 terms. To enable the reader 

 to fully understand the terms 

 in frequent use, we herewith 

 present illustrations with ex- 

 planations such as will make 

 the subject familiar. 



1. Calvx — The remains of 

 the fiower left at the end op- 

 posite the stem. 



2. Basis — The depression 

 around the calyx. 



3. CkOWN, or SUMICIT — 



The ridge surrounding the 

 calyx. 



4. Stem— The part con- 3 

 necting the fruit to the twig of the tree. 



5. Cavity — The depression surrounding the 

 stem. 



6. Base — The part most 

 crown. 



7. Core — The cavities in 

 fruit containing the seeds. 



8. Core surhoundings — The dim lines in the 

 flesh, which partly or wholly surround the core. 



Flesh— The edible portion of the fruit. 



remote from the 

 the center of the 



Descriptive Terms Applied to Fruit. 



3 4 5 



Round or Roundish, when the outline is round 

 or nearly so, fig 1. 



Oblate, flat or flattened, when the hight is 

 much less than the breadth, flg 2. 



Conical, when tapering from the ba.se to the 

 apex, fig. 3. 



Ovate, or egg-shaped, when the length rather 

 exceeds the breadth, with a rounded taper from 

 base to apex, fig. 4. 



Obcotiic, or reversed conical, when the smaller 

 end is at the base or stalk, flg 5. 



Obovale, or reversed ovate. Is when the small- 

 er end of au egg-shaped fruit Is at the base, 

 flg. 0. 



Oblong, when the length exceeds the breadth 

 and the sides are nearly parallel, fig. 7. 

 Round-ovate, when nearly round, with a slight 

 rounded taper to the apex or crown, flg. 8. 



Oblate-conical, fig. 9. 



Ribbed, when the surface presents a series of 

 ridges'or furrows, running from eye to stem, 

 fig. 10. 



♦-♦♦ 



The Government Garden. 



One of the editors of the New York TH- 

 bune, visiting Washington, thus writes : 



Among the attractions of the oiipital is the 

 government garden, under the charge of Wm. 

 Saunders ; and his management of pear trees 

 is worthy of note. It is simply to plant on 

 good ground, give fair and clean culture, and 

 let them grow. Pinching, pruning, and all 

 those scientific and complicated directions 

 derived from the French and adopted by our 

 orcbardists, he considers worse than use- 

 less, for he attributes blight and other dis- 

 eases to this treatment. Whether right or 

 wrong, he has an argument in his favor 

 which ought to weigh — the trees grow as 

 " unconfined as Nora's tresses ;" blight is un- 

 known, and all varieties are loaded with 

 fruit. It may be .said that his plan suits such 

 a latitute and soil as Washington ; if so, let 

 it be ado])ted tliere and let pears be grown 

 for the supply of the country. The finaA e- 

 rieties of grapes are also grown here without 

 any disease, by placing two boards like a 

 roof, along the to]) of the trellis. 



I was surprised to see the China teaplant 

 growing vigorouslj' in this garden. Mr. 

 Saunders said it had stood without protec- 

 tion several years, and now it would seem 

 that the growing of tea in this country is 

 not to be considered with reference to the 

 climate of Tennessee, or any other Southern 

 State; but as to whether the people desire 

 to grow it. I can see no difficult}' in almost 

 any family, at least south of Philadelphia, 

 and, perhaps, even north of it, growing their 

 own tea, and, if they are real lovers of tea, 

 they ought to take the little care and trouble 

 rec|uired, f<ir, if they do, the}' can have an 

 article only equalled by such as is obtained 

 in China itself, free from adulteration, and 

 unaffected by the long sea voyage. 



It is customary for some agricultural writ- 

 ers to disparage tliis garden, but I think they 

 are unwise, and that they ought to be glad 

 that among the appropriations for so many 

 objects, horticultural and like interests ob- 

 tain a small share, and I am certain that the 

 country ought to receive great benefit there- 

 from. 



