December 



THE POMOUOGIST. 



163 



Fruifln S. W. Missouri. 



Ed. Western Po.mologist: — Pcrliaps 

 you may like to learn souietliiiig of fruit in 

 Southwcsteru Missouri. We have here a 

 iine climate for fniit. Asa general thing 

 the winters are mild, though at times we 

 have some sharp weather, from which some 

 fruit trees suffer. Fruit of all kinds suited 

 to this climate is quite abundant — apples, 

 peaches, jiears, plums, cherries, grapes, and 

 all kinds of small fruits. We find in the 

 orchards some good varieties of the apple, 

 but there are too mauy inferior kinds. Far- 

 mers have not been careful enough in their 

 selection and purchase of trees. Why not 

 have the best of a product in such demand 

 as apples? We have an excellent home 

 market for all the fruit produced. 



The peach is a failure here occasionally. 

 Early in the spring the prospects for a large 

 peach crop was good, but the April freeze 

 cut it off. The trees are not long lived here — 

 seven to eight years is about the extent of 

 longevitj' of the tree. Cherries, grapes and 

 plums all do well here. The favorite vari- 

 ety of the plum is called the Chickasaw. 

 The forest abounds in wild fruits — cherries, 

 plums, and gi'apes. Some of the wild grapes 

 are very good. What are the most hardy 

 varieties of the peach ? 



Thos. D. Hicks. 



Osceola, Mo. 



Rem.^rks : — We do not know enough 

 about the different varieties of the peach, to 

 venture an opinion on the hardiness of any 

 one or more of its varieties. 



Letter fi-om "Washington Territory. 



Western Pomologist;— As the First 

 Annual Fair of the Washington Territory 

 Agricultural Society closed on the 24th, I 

 will give you a few notes. 



This Society was organized under genera' 

 incorporation laws of the Territory, about 

 the 1st of October, 1869, as a joint stock com- 

 pany, with a capital stock of $25,000, divided 

 into 1,000 shares. Since its organization, the 

 old Walla Walla County Agricultural So. 

 ciety has ceased to exist. 



One of the by-laws of this Society guaran 

 tees encouragement and aid to all auxiliary 

 Societies for the encouragement of separate 

 branches of agriculture, such as stock, poul- 

 try, pomology, horticulture, etc., proposing 

 that each of these Societies assist in con. 

 ducting their respective branches of industry 

 at the annual Exhibition of the Agricultural 

 Society. "Under this inducement, the Pomo- 

 logical and Horticultural Society of Wash- 

 ington Territory was organized last June, 

 and at one time thought of holding an exhi- 

 bition in connection with the Agricultural 

 Society, but finally gave it up as premature. 



I have given you this outline of these or- 

 ganizations that you may see that we are 

 going about our horticultural matters sys- 

 tematically, and believe we have a country 

 and climate unsurpassed for the production 



of fine fruit, and hope, by a thorough organ- 

 ization ot fruit interests, to make our truirk. 



The show of apples at our Fair embraced 

 eight or ten lots, and were pronounced, by 

 those who have traveled extensively, to 

 compare favorably with any exhibit ever 

 witnessed by them. The exhibit of pears 

 was also very fine. Plums and peaches were 

 represented, but owing to the lateness of the 

 season, this crop was almost entirely gone. 



1 he show of grapes is said by many who 

 have attended fairs iu California, to exce' 

 any exhibition they ever witnessed there. 

 We saw bunch(;s of Black Hiunburg weigh- 

 ing five pounds, and of very fine form and 

 style, and thoroughly ripe. Royal Musca- 

 dine and Red Traminer were a little past 

 their best season, but still the show was very 

 fine. Some twenty varieties of foreign and 

 five or six of American grapes were exhib- 

 ited, and all very fine of their kind. But 

 the conclusion must be drawn from this 

 exhibit that where such grapes as Black 

 Hamburg and Royal Muscadine make their 

 appearance as they did on those tables. Con- 

 cord, Hartford Prolific, Delaware, etc., sheuld 

 not be cultivated. 



The exhibit of stock, etc., was good, but 

 as it is out of our line, we pass. 



A. B. Roberts. 



WaVa Walla, W. T. 



♦-•-» 



For the Western Pomologist. 



The Season and Small Fruits. 



Strawberries were not more than half a 

 crop. The early part of their season was 

 too dry, and the latter part too wet, hence 

 shortness of the crop. Blackberries and 

 raspberries full crop. Of blackberries Law- 

 ton takes the lead as a market sort. I find 

 no other that bears shipping so well, and it 

 is quite equal in my estimation to any other 

 sort for home consumption. If allowed to 

 hang until the center becomes soft and well 

 ripened the fruit is deliciou.s. Kittatinny a 

 rampant grower, hardy, and enormously 

 fruitful, but too soft for long shipments. 

 Unlike the Lawton, the Kittatinny is ready 

 for use as soon as f\iirly biack. Wilson's 

 Early of little account except on sandy soil. 

 Wachusett (new thornless,) not fully tested. 

 Fulton, a new sort promises to excel both 

 Lawton and Kittatinny in productiveness. 



Of raspberries, Philadelphia proves satis- 

 factory, producing enormous crops aunually, 

 and of excellent fruit, the earliest of the 

 reds, a good mnrket berry. Mammoth Clu.s- 

 ter is valuable, very productive, and berries 

 of the largest size. Davison's Thornless, 

 very early but not very satisfactory. Doo- 

 little's Black Cap too well and favorably 

 known to require comment. Seneca, fruit 

 large and late, quality best. Purple Cane, 

 very hardy and productive, good for home 

 use, too soft for market. Yellow Cap, very 

 productive, fruit improved by pinching in, 

 not allowing the canes to grow over three 

 feet high. Mrs. Wood (new Purple,) latest 



sort known, very productive. Warren, an 

 accidental sort, lilack, hardy and productive. 

 Began picking this with the Doolittle, 2.5th 

 June, and gathered the last, July 28th. I 

 have many other sorts of the raspberry under 

 trial. 



Of strawberries, Wilson stands at the head. 

 It will stand more neglect, produce more 

 fruit per acre, ship better, pay better than 

 any other variety of strawberry I have ever 

 tried. Green Prolific, a fair bearer but too 

 soft for marketing. Lenning's White, verj' 

 large, nearly white, fit only for home use. 

 Jueunda, of no account — worthless. Dr. 

 Nicaise, ditto Colfax, good crop but fruit 

 insipid. Nicanor gives a good crop but the 

 fruit is small, flavor fine. Boydon,s No. 30, 

 berry large, not fully tested yet. Same's 

 Mammoth, promises well, productive as 

 Wilson. Many more sorts under trial. 



C. L. Janney. 



WayiiesvUle, 0. 



*-*-^ 



Best Soil for Peaches. 



Upon the question of the be.st kind of 

 soil for growing the peach D. Z. Evans of 

 Cecil Co., Maryland, writes to the Country 

 OcntlemaK : " I noticed an article in a late 

 number of the Country Gentleman on the 

 subject of planting peach trees on heavy 

 ground, and as this is a peach growing dis- 

 trict, I have taken it fin' granted that the 

 opinions and practice of the peach growers 

 here might not be out of place in your prac- 

 tical journal. 



I have consulted many peach growers, and 

 find but one opinion on the subject. All 

 prefer a sandy loam, and none are willing to 

 plant in heavy ground ; and of all the or- 

 chards I have visited, I have seen none plant- 

 ed on heavy soil which were successful or 

 profitable. I have only tried the experiment 

 on heavy land, and it has proved a failure ; 

 while neighbors on either side, who planted 

 on lighter soil less desirable trees, have, with 

 much less care and attention, fine orchards, 

 mine is a manifest mistake. 



I have a few trees on moderately light soil 

 which appear thrifty, have dark green foliage 

 and are evidently healthy and vigorous, but 

 they are neither reliable nor profitable ; they 

 are poor bearers, and the fruit does not color 

 well and is of inferior flavor. After this ex- 

 perience, I must confess that I finally endorse 

 the practice of the more experienced plant- 

 ers—that profitable crops of peaches cannot 

 be grown, at least in this vicinity on heavy 



soil. 



• — ^-^^ ■ 



REJt.s.RK.\BLE Pear Trees.— It is said 

 that there are two pear trees in Oxford, N. 

 Y., set out at the time of the .settlement of 

 that place, about eighty years ago, that have 

 borne good crops of fruit aunually from the 

 earliest recollection of the oldest inhabitants. 

 The health, longevity, and productiveness of 

 these trees are supjjosed to result from tliei, 

 proximity to a blacksmith shop, from which 

 they received the scrapings for many years, 

 consisting of cinder.s, old nails, bits of iron 

 hoof parings, etc. From this, pear culti- 

 vators may leara a useful hint. 



