84 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



July 



For the Western Pomologist. 



More on the Cherry Question.— " No. 13." 



Mark Miller— Z>ear Sir : I am glad to 

 see iu the June number of the Pomologist 

 the cherry question quite freely ventilated. 

 It is an important one, and should be seri- 

 ously considered, and rightly adjusted. 



We have one side of the case by Mr, F. 

 R. Elliott, of Cleveland, Ohio, and the other 

 by Dr. Bird, of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Both 

 good cultivators and zealous pomologists. 

 Mr. Elliott has a national reputation, and 

 has published a book on fruits, entitled the 

 " WeHiern Fruit-Orcncer's Ouide," by which 

 he has done himself great credit. Were he 

 however, to cultivate fri its for a few years 

 in Iowa, it would produce quite a change in 

 his views in regard to many kinds ; and as to 

 their care and culture in our soil and climate. 



In the issue between the two gentlemen 

 named, my observation and experience lead 

 me to coincide with the Doctor. I have 

 given my views heretofore, but desire to 

 notice one or two points made by Mr. 

 Elliott. Should we go on planting the 

 cherry without regard to the stock used, in 

 a few years many will be compelled to 

 retrace their steps and begin anew, or be 

 employed in clearing out incstirpable thick- 

 ets grown up from Morello roots ; for, 

 according to Mr. Elliott's theory and obser- 

 vation, if we get the very kind ot stocks he 

 suggests, we must not have " a plow or culti- 

 vator run in and among them," or any 

 " breaking of the surface roots," or else the 

 consequence will be suckers. Then, in any 

 event, if we use Morello stocks, we have to 

 choose between cultivation and no cultiva- 

 tion. If we adopt the former, we spend our 

 days digging sprouts. If the latter, the 

 weeds and grass not only stunt and injure 

 the trees, but present an appearance of neg- 

 lect or indolence, which no respectable 

 eulturist could endure. The way weeds 

 grow in Iowa soil if left unrestrained, must 

 be seen to be appreciated. 



Does Mr. Elliott mean by his remarks that 

 we are not to cultivate cherrj' trees after 

 they are set out ? There are many advocates 

 for sowing grass seeds among fruittrees after 

 they have been worked a few years, say four 

 or five, but I know of i;o orchardist who 

 proposes a total neglect of culture from the 

 lime the trees are planted. 



The Mazzard stock is out of the ([Uestion, 

 and fortunately, as between the other two 

 named, the question of dwai-finj/ cannot 

 arise ; for if there is any ditfereuce the Mo- 

 rello produces greater tendency to dwarfish- 

 ness than the Mahaleb. I say fortunately, 

 for the reason that the very mention of the 

 word dwarf in the ears of a few of our 

 most respectable and zealous pomologists, 

 produces a sensation almost akin to hydro 

 phobic spasm, and I therefore wish at 

 pres-'nt, to avoid any discussion of the 

 general questions. 



I claim then for the Mahaleb that the tree 

 on this stock will grow at least as large, if 

 not larger than on Morello, and that it never 

 sprouts from the roots, however much we 

 may work the ground. 



As to growing seeds obtained from Louis 

 Philip, Donna Maria, BuUe Magnifique, and 

 Dauphene cherries to grow stocks from, it 

 would be a slow business here. There are 

 a few Bell Magnifique grown in the State, 

 but I doubt if there are any of the others i 

 and if any, certainly but very few. As far 

 therefore as I ciin perceive we could not 

 obtain stocks from these varieties, without 

 first procuring and raising the trees from 

 which to produce the seeds. When Doctor 

 Bird says that "the Early Richmond on 

 Mahaleb stock, will not besir as full at three 

 or four years, as on the Morello stock," I do 

 not quite agree with him. I have no doubt 

 if we should procure the Morello stocks 

 from seed, as we do the Mahaleb, there 

 would be no preference in any respect, iu 

 favor of the former. 



It must be remembered that these Morello 

 sprouts which are in general use, come up 

 from the roots of bearing trees, and there- 

 fore will begin to fruit quicker than a plant 

 from the seed. They frequently begin to 

 bear around the parent tree when quite 

 small, and hence, in the use of these as 

 stocks, the test is not a fiiir one. These 

 sprouts are often fruiting before they are 

 top grafted ; and this being so, the cion will 

 likely bear the next year after it is grafted. 



In the case of the Mahaleb stock, we set 

 out one year old plants from seed in the 

 spring, and bud them the sume season, or 

 collar graft them ihe next spring, and this is 

 the reason why the graft on the Morello 

 bears sooner, because the stock is older when 

 it is put on. Let any one try this fairly, and 

 they will find that I am right. 



I agree with Mr. Elliott fully in his re- 

 marks about the Rogers " No. 13 " grape. 

 All grapes worthy of cultivation ought to 

 have a name. A man might as well number 

 his children, as the seedling fruits he orig- 

 natcs; and instead of calling them John, 

 Edward, Christopher and Sophia, number 

 them according to date of birth. No. 1, 3, 3, 

 4, &c. 



This grape, however, is not my seedling, 

 and I feel the same delicacy about giving it 

 a name that I would about naming a gentle- 

 man's children, without permission or re- 

 quest. 



I hope, however, to have some of these 

 grapes at our State Fair in the ftill, and if 

 they are not certainly identified as some one 

 of Mr. Roger's original numbers, 1 will sub- 

 mit the question to the members of the 

 State Horticultnr:il Society there present, 

 whether it slmll he named, and if tlicy decide 

 in the affirmative, I will either name it or 

 permit them to do so; and then let it be 

 known by that appellation until its identity 



is settled, or it is decided to be a new variety 

 sent out by Mr. Rogers from amongst his 

 numerous seedlings by mistake. 



I got it from Mr. Rogers himself, and had 

 his original lable to the vine until the wire 

 or tie rotted oft', and have also in my poses- 

 sion his letter which came by same mail as 

 the plant, stating that he sent me his No. 13 



on the day of its date. 



James Mathews. 



College Farm, Iowa, June 14, ;870. 



For the Western Pomologist. 

 Strawberry Plants from Seed- Hybrid- 

 izing, &c 



I am only an amateur, but will give my 

 method of producing nice plants from the 

 seed of strawberries : 



When the berries are fully ripe, select 

 choice specimens, and either wash the whole 

 berry and mix thoroughly with dry sand, 

 or cut small pieces from the surface of the 

 berry, containing two or three seeds 

 each. Then drop these pieces in rows in 

 a box of rich mellow earth, or sow the sand 

 containing the seed, and sift all over them 

 fine sandy loam, covering about the eighth 

 of an inch deep. Water freely, set in a 

 sunny aspect, keep partially shaded, and 

 uever suflfer the soil to become dry on the 

 surface. In three or four weeks the plants 

 will appear. Keep constantly moist with 

 luke warm water or soap suds, until the 

 plants have tops an inch or two in diam- 

 eter. 



Now transplant into open ground, moder- 

 ately rich with compost and vegetable mold, 

 and very loose and fine. Shorten the roots 

 in to two inches, and give each plant at least 

 thirty-six square inches of surface. Keep 

 moist and partially shaded until well estab- 

 lished. Give them a warm location. Pinch 

 oft' all runners as they appear ; and j'ou will 

 have plants by the first of October that will 

 cover nearly a square foot of ground, and 

 have, perhaps, three or four crowns. 



Last summer, iu Central Ohio, I planted 

 seed of the Wilson, the 11th of June, and by 

 the middle of October had plants with three 

 or four crowns, and a perfect mass of fibrous 

 roots si-ic to eight inches long. 



If you plant seed that has been fertilized 

 by hybridizing, you will obtain new varie- 

 ties, and perhaps valuable ones. The seed 

 may be dried when gathered, and planted 

 very early iu the following spring, thereby 

 gaining a longer season for developing the 



new plants. W. C. Condit. 



Cumberland Co., Tenn. 



P. S. — I like tlie articles on grafting the 

 grape, by Dr. Stayman and Mr. Miller, 

 much. They are wortha year's subscription 

 alone They both deserilie a simple and 

 bettiT method than I have seen before. 



REM.MtK*:. — The above coiunuuiieation 

 should have found a place in our columns at 

 an earlier day. It was received iu April, 

 but through an oversight mislaid. 



