November 



THE POMOLOGIST. 



IS9 



Keeping Cider. 



As cidei- time is at liaiul, wc publish tlic 

 folldwin.iJC iurormiition as to its iiropcr manu- 

 facture, tiiruit^hcd us by a friend, which -ivill 

 h[i of much use to those who will give it due 

 attention, in enabling them to secure a bet- 

 ter iiuality of this delightful beverage. Our 

 friend says "that mucii of the excellence of 

 cider d("prnils upon the temperature at 

 which the fermentation is conducted, and is 

 a point greatly overlooked by tlie manufac- 

 turers of this liquor. As soon as expressed 

 from the fruit, it should be straii:ed into sul- 

 p'iur.'d ca^ks a id p!ac d in a cool situation 

 where the temp; ralure does not exceed 50 

 deg. Fah't — if left in the heating sun much 

 ofllie .sugar is converted into vinegar by the 

 al s irptiim < f the atmospheric oxygen, and 

 thus the liquor becomes acid and rough. On 

 the contrary, if the fermentation be conduct 

 e(l at a low temperature, nearly the whole 

 of the sugar is converted into alcohol and 

 remains in the liquir instead of undergoing 

 theproetss of acetitieation. 



I he acetous fermentati(m of the conver- 

 sion of alcohol into vinegar proceeds most 

 rapidly at a temperature of 95 degrees 

 Faren'heit, and at a lower tempi-rature the 

 action becomes slower, until at 46 degrees 

 Farv'nh'it uo such change takes place. In- 

 dependently of diflerences in the quality of 

 the fruii, tliis is the principal cause of the 

 superiority of the cider n\ade b_y one person 

 over another, living ia the same neighbor- 

 hoo.l. The one has a cooler cellar or barn 

 than the other to store his cider in. In 

 practice it has been found that sour and 

 rough apples produce the best cider. This 

 ai ises jbeeause they contain less sugar and 

 more malic acid, and the presence of the 

 lattLT imp-'des the conversion ot alcoliol 

 into vinegar, but cider made with suh apples 

 c;in never equal in quality that prepared at 

 a low temperature from fruit abounding in 

 sug.ir, which, if properly strained or racked 

 at evt ry indication of fermvntatiou, will keep 

 good twenty years.— A'//<).)v;& (Penn.) ]V/ii(/. 



Pear Blight— Yello'ws in Peach Trees. 



William Saunders writes a Maryland cor- 

 respondent of the b'.sl way to treat his pear 

 trcLS. All observations prove, however, 

 that luxuriant growing trees, or rather those 

 that make the late fall luxuriant growth, are 

 more liable to blight than are those which 

 mature their growths perfectly beftn^e win- 

 ter. Whether your trees were rendered 

 more liable by the manuring j'ou gave them, 

 is a questi<m worthy of investigation. I 

 think it quite probable. 



I have learned to be careful with regard to 

 a very strong growth. I have abjured all 

 summer pruning or pinching in an}' shape, 

 as I found but little if any beuetit from it, so 

 far as encmraging fruitfulne.ss, and it cer- 

 tainly tends to the late .secondary growths 

 which do not become thoroughly ripened. 

 Even winter pruning is apt to encourage a 

 heavy growth of young wood, which pre- 

 vents the formation of fruiting spurs on the 

 branches. I have, thert fire, in a great niea.s- 

 ur,', abando.ied pruning of any kind, in any 

 season, onl)' doing it so far as thinning out 

 the branches. One rule I now follow strictly 

 W'ith all trees that bear fruit, and that is, 

 never to cut back a leading branch either 

 summer or winter — that is, I never cut back 

 or stop a shoot ; as already mentioned, I tliin 

 out when necessary, and I do that at any 

 convenient season, but prefer winter, becausi' 

 I L'ct a new shoot from the cut pari, wliich 

 takes the place of the one cut out, and ena- 

 bl smeto cut out other branches that lose 

 tlieir fruiting spurs on the lower portion of 

 the stem. This is analagous to the renewal 

 mode of grape pruning. Were the trees in 

 the orchards standards, say 18 or 20 feet apart, 

 and dwarfs, say 13 to 14 "feet apart^ I think I 



would not prune at all. When once the tree 

 has fairly started with a good head, let it 

 'jrow; of cour.se, the fruiting spurs would be 

 always most plentiful near lln^ extremities. 



I also have, in a great measure, refrained 

 from cultivating or working among the trees. 

 This, however, I would always regulate ac- 

 cording to the wants of the trees. So long 

 as they made moderately good growths, I 

 would keep the orchard in grass, but would 

 consider it quite good treatment either to 

 manure on suifaee, or break up the ground 

 when trees became stunted or failed to make 

 a healthy growth. 



I have now great tailh in washing the 

 trunks of the trees with a mixture of lime 

 and sulphur. I place a peek of lime and two 

 pounds of the fliur of sulphur in a vessel, 

 and slake it with water, same as for a fence 

 wash. If the white color is objectionable, 

 it can be colored. 



The blight being a fungus growth, and 

 lime and sulphur being certain destruction to 

 "fungi," I am hopeful of success by its use 

 on the main trunk and principal branches of 

 the trees. We can all notice that trees 

 around hotels and taverns, that have been 

 whitewashed for years, preserve a clean, fine 

 bark, and we know that it cannot injure the 

 tree, as the outside bark is not vital to the 

 plant. I have stopjied the spread of the 

 blight on the bark by this mixture, and it 

 m.ay be that we will find it a good general 

 practice. 



Mr. Saunders also advances the following 

 opinion concerning the "Yillows" in peach 

 trees, which so well tallies with the experi- 

 ence of every intelligent cultivator we have 

 ever met, that we think the real cause is dis- 

 covered at last : 



" I am c'early of the opinion that ihc great 

 drawback to the peach, is that it very seldom 

 has a chance to fully ripen its wood. I mean 

 that it grows socontinucmsly, and sometimes 

 very luxuriantly, until its foliage is suddenly 

 destro3'ed by fro.st. There is no gradual 

 change of color in the foli:ige during autumn, 

 followed by natural fall of leaves before cold 

 weather, as we sec in most other trees, but, 

 on the contrary, the trees maintain their 

 green foliage, and pushing out young leaves, 

 until a severe frost occurs and completely 

 checks growth. This sudden check, and its 

 eftects upon the vitality of the plant, pro- 

 duce, in my opinion, the disease called "yel- 

 lows." I liave long held this opinion, and 

 have many facts to bear out the supposition. 



"It is evident that the culture given the 

 peach, at all events, after ripening of the 

 fruit, should not be of a character to en- 

 courage wood growth. It might not be ad- 

 visable to allow weeds to grow, but I doubt 

 whether tliere are many cases where anything 

 more than mowing the ground ever to de- 

 stroy weeds is required after the crojj is 

 gathered. 



"And as to whether plowing should be 

 necessary In early summer or not, I would 

 be guided by the appearance and general 

 health of the trees. While I am not pre- 

 pared to advocate laying down peach orch- 

 ards in grass, I would certainly not cultivate 

 among the trees with anything beyond a 

 common hoe harrow, merely to stir the sur 

 face and prevent growth of weeds, without 

 disturbing or breaking the surface roots." — 

 Practical Farmer. 



Influence of Stock on Scions. 



Undoubtedly there is a large field open 

 fur research and experiment, which, if fol- 

 lowed with zeal and keen observation, must 

 be attended with results destined to work no 

 small improvement in our hardy fruits. The 

 beginning of this, in some instances, has 

 been brought about by a desire to substitute 

 one variety or fruit for another without des- 

 troying the existing stock, improvement in 



size and quality being quite unlooked for. 

 But the mysterious action and influence ex- 

 ercised by the stock has not only improved 

 the size, but sometimes the flavor and char- 

 acter of the variety substituted has under- 

 gone great changes. I have a Chaumontel 

 Pear, on a branch of which is grafted a Maria 

 Louisa, and I have noticed, for two seasons 

 past, a great difference in the size of the fruit 

 of the latter from this gi'aft, in comjjarisou 

 with that of the same variety in the same 

 garden, single grafted, those from the Chau- 

 montel being consider.ibly the finest fruit. 

 More than this, they were from two to three 

 years later in coming into use. It is well 

 known that pears are very capricious, some 

 varieties doing exceedingly well in some 

 places and in others altogether indilTerently, 

 proving, in fact werthless ; and there is every 

 reason to hope that by a scientific examiiia- 

 tion of the subject, and by a careful noting 

 of the primary scions employed, at least 

 some of thi se capricious varieties may be 

 induced to succeed with a profitable result 

 in localities where, at the present time, they 

 are looked upon as being aiiything but desir- 

 able. — London Oaidener s JuiLrnnl. 



«-•-• 



Sulphur for Grape Mildew. 



Under this head W. J. Flagg contributes 

 an article to the Transactions of the Ohio 

 Horticultural Society, the following of which 

 we copy from the Country Oe7itkman: 



"An article, contributed by W. J. Flagg, 

 gives full details of his successful experi- 

 ments in preventing mildew in vineyards by 

 dusting with sulphur. The reason why this 

 remedy has not proved successful with 

 others, he states, is a want of earli/ applica- 

 tion and its frequent repttition aherwards. 

 The sulphur nu:st be first blown upon the 

 vines at the first moment of the appearance 

 of the mildew, or even before its appear- 

 ance. Two or three days may be too late. 

 It must be [repeated every twenty da3-s. It 

 will fail if washed off by the rain before its 

 efteet is produced. It nuisl not be mistaken 

 f u- black rot, w'hieh sulphur will not cure. 

 Mr. Flagg set out fifteen acres of Catawba 

 vineyard, which bore fruit in 1^61, and for 

 three years they did well. In 1804, the rot 

 tiHik a tenth part of the crop. The next 

 year, its increase woke him up. After ex- 

 pending 51,700 on his vineyards, he gath- 

 ered only enough to make a barrel of wine. 

 He was then absent three years in Europe. 

 On returning, he found his crop had been 

 ruiaeel hy mildew. He began early in the 

 season and with poor tools to apply sulphur, 

 and got through five acres in seven days. 

 The operation was repeated several times, 

 the la.st on the 8lh of August. It was suc- 

 cessful ; the disease was driven oft', and two- 

 thirds of the fruit saved. The vineyard was 

 then drained, top dressed, pruneel and culti- 

 vated well. By means of a bellows and 

 sieve, the vineyard was sulphured seven 

 times, with seveu barrels of sulphur, costing 

 |140, or $31 per acre. He thinks that by 

 careful!}' watching the approach of the dis- 

 ease, three sulphuriugs would answer, and 

 expense .saved. '\ he second 3'ear the bellows 

 ofl'ered in market for blovring sulphur, which 

 were proiuuinced ingenious "contrivances 

 to keep sulphur away from the vines," were 

 thrown aside and he procured tinned wire 

 gauze and made several bellows on the 

 Vergncs plan, Iniving uo valve, the air being 

 drawn in through the same hole by which it 

 went out, keeping the sieve alwa3's free 

 from obstructions. With these, the labor, 

 whieh was almost unbearable and ver\- slow 

 the first season, was done with great ease 

 and facilit}'. The results of his experiments 

 and the me-aiis 113' which he reached them, 

 are commended to the attention of vine3-ard- 

 ists who have suffered by the mildew." 



