S8 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



April and May 



For the Weetern Poraologiet. 

 A Visit to Dr. Stayman's Fruit Orchard. 



Having paid considerable attention to the 

 cultivation of fruit for many years, I suppose 

 it necessary to shorten in and trim out the 

 tops of trees in proportion to their roots 

 when transplanting; and to keep them af- 

 terwards healthy and symmetrical, and bring 

 them into early bearing, to trim and shorten 

 in and form the tops about three feet liigh, 

 cutting out clean all crooked branches and 

 small limbs, forming a handsome open tree, 

 but I have always experienced a great diffi- 

 culty in getting the trees to bear early, re- 

 quiring from ten to twelve years of age from 

 the graft, before bearing much, if any. I 

 have just made a new discovery in visiting 

 Dr. Stayman's fruit orchard, at Leavenworth, 

 Kansas. I found his trees treated ditterent 

 from all others of my observation, and con- 

 trary to the general opinion of fruit growers. 

 They were not pruned in the nursery, they 

 were not shortened in or cut out when trans- 

 planted, and neither have they been pruned, 

 shortened in, or cut out since growing in the 

 orchards, but are let grow according to na- 

 ture. From the statement of the doctor and 

 others the trees were taken from the nurse- 

 ry when four years old, from root grafts, and 

 are now three years transplanted, having 

 bore heavy crops of fruit the last two years. 

 Many have had their limbs broken with 

 their weight of fruit, and are now very 

 heavy set with fruit buds. 



The trees have made a very rapid growth 

 notwithstanding the heavy crops they bore. 

 They have the heaviest bodies and largest 

 tops I ever saw for trees of their age, and 

 are perfectly healthy, which is a positive 

 proof that I with others have made a great 

 mistake in the cultivation of trees. 



I consider it one of the greatest discoveries 

 of the age. And to those wishing large 

 healthy, early bearing and productive trees 

 it will pay well to visit the Doctor's or- 

 chards, cousistiug]of many hundred varieties. 

 I look upon liis success as a proof of his 

 theory and principles. He has many trees 

 trimmed and pruned on the old method, of 

 the same varieties, standing side by side, 

 scarcely producing any fruit, not as large 

 and generally unhealthy. I saw many trees 

 in the neighborhood, of the same age and 

 varieties, trained and pruned differently^ 

 not as large in size, and not as healthy nor 

 as productive, graff.ed in the same manner. 

 His trees are planted close, twelve by 

 twelve feet apart, one protecting the other 



His theory and philosophy is very inter- 

 esting, and I hope he will give it to the 

 public. The size and quality of his apples 

 I never saw equaTled, and it is no wonder 

 Kansas apples took the gold medal.* 



Chables McGrew, Bloiymington, III. 



* Can you send me samples of your apples 

 by express, to show to the fruit-growers and 

 horticulturists of our place. 



Remarks. — I have been acquainted with 

 Mr. Charles McGrew for about twenty 3'ears. 

 He had one of the best orchards in Knox 

 county, Illinois, which I have often seen and 

 admired. He has also planted two in 

 McLean county. He is now satisfied that 

 Kansas is a better fruit country than any 

 east that he is acquainted with, and is going 

 to locate here and go into fruit and stock 

 raising. The above remarks, coming from 

 such an experienced orchardist, of such ex- 

 tensive travel and observation, goes far in 

 coroborating the truth of my theory, which 

 at some more convenient time, I may present 

 to the public. I shall try and send you 

 some apples, but our best specimens have 

 been disposed of. 3. S. 



For the Western Pomologiet. 



The Climate and Fruits of "Lower Egypt." 



What ! talk of a climate in extreme South- 

 ern Elinois, where two climates meet, and 

 where the elements war with each other 

 until they become exhausted, and well-nigh 

 annihilated, like the Kilkenny cats, and their 

 " fag ends " are left for the poor souls who 

 are so unfortunate as to have their lots cast 

 where the elements cross lances, like bold 

 cavaliers! If you can only imagine that 

 twenty-five changes can be rung on the 

 weather in twenty-four hours, you are not 

 only entitled to the credit of having a very 

 vivid imagination, but can form some idea of 

 the character of the thing called climate 

 down here in "Egypt." Yesterday after- 

 noon the sun was warm and pleasant, and 

 we were encouraged in our hopes of settled 

 weather. Last night we had an awful 

 thunder storm, iu which heaven's heaviest 

 artillery seemed to be brought to bear upon 

 the hills and valleys of Egypt ; the rain 

 came down in torrents, submerging every- 

 thing below high water mark; and, this 

 morning, the ground is covered with snow — 

 the wind is blowing cold and raw from the 

 South, from which we ought to expect better 

 things; and, the sun, although shining 

 brightly, seems to have no impression upon 

 the white covering of the hills and valleys 

 around us. Were this the first caper of the 

 kind " cut up " here in the " forks " of the 

 Mississippi and Ohio rivers, during the win- 

 ter, by the " climates," we might feel disposed 

 to view it in a different light. But the whole 

 wiuter has been composed of just such 

 freaks. 1 bunder, lightning, rain, snow, heat, 

 and cold, all mingled together in the wild- 

 est confusion, bringing iu their train, as the 

 consequences of their mad career, coughs, 

 colds, consumjition, typhoid and bilious fev- 

 ers, making a graveyard upon almost every 

 section of this garden of Illinois. But, j'ou 

 will say that I am prejudiced. "Well, if nar- 

 rating facts is prejudice, j'ou accuse me 

 justly. But facts and figures will not lie. 

 But let me say something of fruits down 

 here. 



Peaches are not a sure crop. Seed- 



ling trees are more safe, or sure to " hit " 

 than budded fruit. That, perhaps, is to be 

 attributed to the fact of its gencrall}' coming 

 on a little later in the spring, and is not so 

 apt to be affected by the late frosts. It is 

 generally understood by the farmers that 

 they cannot expect anything like a full crop 

 of budded fruit oftener than once in four or 

 five years, but the seedling trees are pretty 

 sure to bring a crop, or part of a crop, every 

 year. From that fact, therefore, it will be 

 seen that peach raisers in this extreme 

 southern portion of Illinois will be com- 

 pelled to seek improved seedling fruit if 

 they wish to compete with their neighbors 

 a little north of them, on the edge of the 

 prairies, in . the markets. The climate sev- 

 enty-five or one hundred miles north of this, 

 in the region of Centralia, is undoubtedl}' 

 much better than this for peaches. That 

 point our people must concede. It being a 

 little colder prevents the buds from pushing 

 out as early in the spring as they d<j farther 

 South, consequently they escape the frost. 

 It is feared that the cold weather in Febru- 

 ary killed a large proportion of the budded 

 fruit in this region. That question, however, 

 can hardly be decided now. I am of the 

 opinion that such fears are comparatively 

 groundless. The cold weather we are hav- 

 ing now will probably keep the fruit back, 

 so that it will escape the frosts. If the peach 

 crop is now safe, we have the prospect of a 

 very abundant crop. The apple crop seldom 

 wholly fails. The blossoms are timid about 

 coming out until they are quite sure that 

 Jack Frost will not nip them, consequently 

 their very prudent conduct saves them a 

 great deal of trouble. If the peaches would 

 only be as cautious, they, too, would preserve 

 their blushes for a longer period. I presume 

 the list of apples that would succeed with 

 you would do well iu this region. The 

 Early June, Red Astrachan, Early Harvest, 

 Limber Twig, Northern Spy, Wiuesap, and 

 other varieties, with which you are familiar, 

 all do well here. The Buckingham is the 

 favorite cooking apple here, and is largely 

 shipped to Chicago, and other markets. 

 There is an apple raised in this vicinity of 

 which I will try to send you a specimen 

 when the fruit ripens. The trees are on the 

 farm of an old gentleman who informed me 

 that he purchased the scions in Louisville, 

 Kentucky, about thirty years ago, of a man 

 who said they were cut from a tree in one of 

 the Royal Gardens of France. It is a very 

 large, beautiful, and excellent apple, some- 

 times weighing twenty-two (23) ounces. 

 Some of the nurserymen in this vicinity 

 have, I think, obtained control of a portion 

 of the old man's trees for several years. I 

 will say more about fruit anou. 



S. Lombard. 

 Dongola, Union Co.., III., ItlumI'- 1-, "TO. 



Honey is a very favorite food and medi- 

 cine with Bedouins in Northern Arabia. 



