July 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



83 



5. Lowell. 

 3. Maidens Blush. 

 2. Fall Pippin. 

 2. Bailey's Sweet. 



3. Swaar. 



3. Northern Spy. 

 15. Ben Davis. 

 15. Wine Sap. 

 15. Raule's Jsnnet. 



5. MoA tree's Nonsuch 



In this list of one hundred trees for a 

 farra-orchavd, there is not even a succession 

 of fruit from the commencement to the end 

 of the season. There is not oue-third as 

 many early summer apples as thi're is fall, 

 and there is a gap of nearly three months — 

 from October to January— without ripe fruit 

 in its s -ason. It is very evident to any 

 experienced horticulturist that the balance- 

 wheel was thrown out of place, and the grist 

 was ground out in hap-hazzard confusion, and 

 the list is about as well adapted to any other 

 place. 



Had it been but an error of judgment, it 

 might have been overlooked, but it was a 

 prepared and delibL-rate attack oa the mo- 

 tives of horticulturists, by an endeavor to 

 shield himself under the cloak of " no tinge 

 of interest or pride of opinion." 



We have been induced to make the above 

 comments in defence of our profession. 

 Many of us have become grey, and have 

 nearly spent a life time in the cause. To be 

 assailed by a youthful editor who has lived 

 but a few years in the State, it becomes our 

 duty to defend ourselves, as well as guard the 

 public welfare. 



He who lives in a city and edits a paper 

 pertaining to horticulture, where there are 

 more than 5,000 close planted fruit-trees — 

 many bearing — and he is unable to .see or 

 comprehend it until Dr. "Warder illustrates 

 the system on a blackboard, is certainly 

 poorly tiualified to dictate to the public on 

 tree planting. — |AssT. Ed. 



Col. Wilder's Alpine Crosses. 



In a paper on Alpines last winter, we inci- 

 dentally referred to Col. Wilder's curious 

 crosses with Alpine and Virginian breeds of 

 strawberries. In a private letter, with other 

 things, we have some further account of 

 them, which we know Mr. Wilder s love of 

 the subject will pardon us for extracting for 

 our readers : 



" My seedling strawberries eight months 

 from seed, are now in full bloom, and I can 

 assure you that they are the most interesting 

 experiments in crossing I have met yet, with 

 Wilson with Royal Hautbois, crosses with 

 Haulbois foliage and Wilson flower. Pistill- 

 ate No. 60, crossed with Napoleon III, pro- 

 duces a noble truss of pistillate flowers. 

 Napoleon III crossed with Hautbois, brings 

 a new type of Hautbois, with very dark, 

 round foliage and large flowers. Wilson 

 crossed with Triumph, some plants are 

 hermaphrodite and others pistillati'. Napol- 

 eon III and Triumph, glorious plant with 

 splendid trusses. Jucunda by Napoleon III, 

 very promising, <fcc., ifce. But what will you 

 say to the fact, that some of the crosses by 

 varieties by the Hautliois are regular mules? 

 lu addition, I have some forty pots more to 

 come into bloom. ' — Gardners Monthly. 



Preserveo Oravge Prel — .\s oranges are 

 used, throw the peelings into a j^ir of hot water, 

 which shoulil be poured off and renewed epery 

 few djiys, and when a sufficient quantity have 

 been saved, boil them in enough water to cover 

 them until srift, and to a pound of peel put a 

 pound of white sugar, boil fifteen minutes. 



For the Western Pomologiet, 



PYuit in Buchanan County. 



Orowing the Peach Snccess/ull;/ — Hoic it is Done. 

 The Apple Tree Borer — Bark Lice—Hoio to 

 exterminate them—limall Fruits. 



After a residence here of 13 years, I have 

 become perfectly satisfied that northern 

 Iowa is bound to be one of the best fruit 

 growing regions of the West. The past 

 year has been a decided success in the line 

 of apples with me. I had the pleasure last 

 fall (fjr the first time) of putting ten bushels 

 of my own growth in my cellar. The 

 varieties are the Swaar, the Roxbnry Rus^ett, 

 Tallman's Sweet, Wine Sap, Bomauite, and 

 another variety not yet named. It has 

 borne for the past three or four years and 

 keeps good until May. I have several trees 

 that have not yet borne. I have fully satis- 

 fled myself that the reason of so many 

 diseased trees is the borer. One year ago, 

 working around one of my healthiest look- 

 ing trees, I thought there was some appear- 

 ance of the borer, and I went to work and 

 dug out of that tree eight borers. If I had 

 trusted to appearances alone, I should have 

 had a dead tree, and without knowing the 

 cause. I might, as a thousand others had 

 done, laid it to the rascally nursers^mau as 

 gelling diseased trees. I then thoroughly 

 examined all my trees and found this pest in 

 all but my transcendent crab. I found them 

 in wild plum and common crab. Now, my 

 remedy is to watch faithfully, and if you 

 find a trace of them go for them with a 

 sharp knife, and be sure to dig tliem out. — 

 What cutting you do won't injure the tree as 

 much as the borer would, and when you get 

 through a little grafting wax covers up the 

 wounds and the trees grow and thrive. I 

 last fall wound the trees at the ground with 

 saturated paper, (coal tar) the same that 

 is used in building. 



I had one tree that had borne for three or 

 four years, literally covered with bark lice. 

 So thoroughly had this pest taken possession 

 of it that two years ago 1 had no apples on 

 it, and I concluded to experiment with it, 

 and having one of Page's pumps, (every man 

 that has a tree or grapevine ought to have 

 one) I took a pail of water and soaked 

 in it tobacco stems, and with my pump I 

 once a week syringed it thoroughly. I com- 

 menced the last of May, and carried this 

 treatment through July, and the result was 

 this, — the tree grew and the lice did not 

 appear on the new wood, and the past 

 season I once more had a crop of apples. — 

 As an experiment I think it done well and 

 certainly did uot injure the tree. It is worth 

 trying. 



The fruit crop I most admire and take the 

 most pride in raising is peaches. Now 

 some will say that they won't grow in this 

 northern latitude, and by saying so so con- 

 clude. Well, I raise peaclies every year. — 

 Two years ago I had a bushel and a half on 

 one tree. Last year not so many, but this 



year I shall expect a bushel or two /or sure. 

 It is just as easy to raise peaches as many 

 kinds of grapes. I look upon raising peaches 

 as a triumph over nature, and it is worth all 

 the labor and pains to do it. My plan is as 

 follows: Cut the tree off" 10 inches above 

 the ground, and all the limbs that shoot out 

 below, bend down so that thej' will be 

 no higher than the stump; tie a good stout 

 string to a stone or stake and then around 

 the limbs and hold them in that position ; 

 make all of the limbs grow iu that position. 

 Let the limbs bear the same relative position 

 to the stump or body of the tree that the 

 spokes of a wheel would tt) the hub if it 

 was laid on the ground. About the middle 

 of August, with a pair of pruning shears, 

 trim new wood back from }4 to % of the 

 new growth, and then when you cover your 

 grape vines in the fall cover your tree with 

 cornstalks or prairie hay, and leave it on iu 

 the spring until danger of frost is passed, or 

 until the leaves begin to start and then 

 uncover. When the trees come out in 

 bloom the sight will pay for j'our trouble 

 and the peaches will be extra. I have now 

 followed this plan for three years, and know 

 whereof I write. Let .some of your readers 

 try it and I will warrant a sure thing. 



Last spring I washed all my apple trees 

 with lye and it gave them a fine, vigorous 

 and healthy appearance. I know that 

 apples will grow in Iowa. It only requires 

 care and labor, and plenty of fruit will 

 reward the diligent laborer, while the slug- 

 gard will continue to sing the old song that 

 I have heard for the last thirty years — that 

 "apples won't grow here; it's no use to 

 plant them; it's labor and money thrown 

 away, etc.," and in the end will buy his fruit 

 of his more industrious and persevering 

 neighbor. 



Of the strawberry I have several kinds 

 The best fruit and most prolific bearer 

 is French's Seedling. Lenuings White is a 

 fine berry but a shy bearer. The Agricul- 

 turist and Russell's Prolific do well on our 

 sandy loam. But the Jucumla "Nix" currants 

 will grow anywhere. But the borer is play- 

 ing havoc, and I now think he is bound to 

 exterminate them. 



Of grapes, if j'ou wish to hear anything 

 from me, just say so. I want to see Iowa 

 a fruit growing State, and if farmers and 

 gardeners will persevere they will succeed ; 

 that is all it needs, and if one kind won't do 

 try another ; and as I once told a neighbor 

 in Wisconsin who told me that I was throw- 

 ing money away in buying ajiiile trees, tlwy 

 will ma.ke shade trees, w ii't they ? said I. " Oh, 

 yes," said he, " tliey will do that." Well, 

 said I, that's what I want of them. But the 

 sequel is now told; they will and do, each 

 tree, bear from five to ten bu.shels of apples 

 every year, making rather profitable shide 

 trees. Geo. Warne. 



Remarks. — Most certainly. Dr., do we 

 wish to hear from you on the grape. Send 

 along all you know of its success and failure 

 within the range of your observations, for 

 which the nature of your profession cannot 

 but afford very favorable opportunities. 



