220 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



1871 



the earUeit Black Cap, and has yielded with me, 

 this year, seven pounds or seven quarts of fruit per 

 bush, two years planted. The Miami is the latest 

 of the Black Caps, both perfectly hardy, and indis- 

 pensable in any collection. Plants can be sent 

 safely by mail any where in the United States. We 

 have sent apple trees one year old safely to Califor- 

 nia by mail. 



Now is the time of Fairs ; go and take notes ; 

 while you can see the fruit on exhibition, make 

 your orders for trees. Don't be lured by the show 

 of some big apples ; they are generally worthless 

 Take the advice of those who ought to know what 

 are most profitable and best. Go into your neigh- 

 bors' orchards (not by night, as some do), and see 

 what is bearing and what is best, and select accord- 

 ingly. 



« » » 



Notes From ttae College Farm. 



BT PEOP. ChAS. E. BE93ET. 

 POTATOES. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener : — On account 

 of the attacks of its numerous enemies, or the 

 somewhat uupropitious weather of this season, the 

 Colorado Potato Beetle has not proved to be very 

 destructive. In the spring it started out in great 

 numbers, and threatened to sweep every potato 

 vine from the country — but the little " lady dirds," 

 or as commonly called, the " lady bugs," (Hippoda- 

 mia and Ooccinella), soon made a vigorous onslaught 

 upon the egg clusters, thus materially reducing the 

 first brood. Since then the same enemies seem to 

 have kept up the good fight, aided by several other 

 useful allies. The dashing rains of the summer 

 have been somewhat unfavorable for the beetle, and 

 correspondingly favorable for the potatoes them- 

 selves. 



E. G. C's remarks upon the value of experiments 

 are certainly very just. I fully agree with him 

 when he says, " that to be of value they require to 

 be made by half a dozen persons in as many dififer- 

 ent parts of the State, for a series of years." That 

 sounds as if the writer at least knew the province 

 and value of experiments. A single test made, say 

 here in the center of the State, is of but little value 

 so far as any immediate results are concerned ; it 

 may, however, be of value, when taken along with 

 others made elsewhere by careful experimenters. 



Would it not be well, Mr. Editor, to invite con- 

 tributions upon this subject of the most nearly 

 beetle proof varieties? A simple record of obser- 

 vations would suffice in most cases ; and these when 

 compiled and compared would afford some results 

 of real practical value to the farmers and gardeners 

 of the State. I should be much pleased to receive 

 communications from parties in diflerent portions 

 of the State upon this topic, as it is one in which 



I feel a great deal of interest, and to which I intend 

 to devote a considerable portion of my time for the 

 next few years. 



The crop of early potatoes was very good — the 

 Early Rose showing itself to be especially valuable 

 for general culture. This variety was largely 

 planted in this vicinity in the spring, being held in 

 high estimation by most of the farmers. The later 

 crop is coming on finely, and now promises an 

 abundant yield. This last is made up mostly of the 

 Peachblow varieties, they having shown ti»emselves 

 to be the best adapted for this climate and soil, 

 being also less attacked by beetles than many other 

 sorts. 



TROPnY TOMATO. 



Last spring I procured for trial a package of the 

 seeds of this new tomato. Gave it no special cul- 

 ture, but allowed it to take its chance in the large 

 bed where the Extra Early Red, General Grant and 

 Tilden were. Did not feel very enthusiastic over it 

 to begin with, as I do not feel like taking stock in 

 every new thing that comes up. Am compelled, 

 however, to say that at present it fully comes up to 

 its recommendations, and shows itself every way 

 to be a very desirable tomato. This variety was 

 originated by Geo. E. Waring, Jr., of Newport, R. 

 I., and cultivated for many years before being 

 brought before the public. The advantages claimed 

 for it are, superior size, form and solidity, good fla- 

 vor, and a reasonable degree of earliuess. There 

 are some now growing in our garden which fully 

 prove the justness of the claim. I shall have no 

 fears in recommending the Trophy to our farmers 

 and gardeners as one of the best. I should not 

 however wish to be understood as recommending 

 anyone to plant it alone, for being a large grower, 

 in unfavorable seasons it might not do as well as 

 some of the smaller kinds. Try it next year, every- 

 bodj', and feast yourselves upon one and two pound 

 tomatoes. 



" Strange " Indeed. — The Northwestern Far- 

 mer (Ind.) says: "A friend informs us of a singular 

 exemption by the late frost. On a farm four miles 

 south of Bloomiugton, this State, lying on a ridge 

 between the branches of White river and at an ele- 

 vation of some three hundred feet above their level, 

 is a peach orchard of one thousand trees, the fruit 

 of which escaped injury entirely from the frost of 

 April 32d. All other peaches in that vicinity were 

 destroyed." 



In penning the above the writer betrays a most 

 " singular " lack of observation. We have always 

 supposed elevation to the extent named, compara- 

 tively exempt from late spring and early autumn 

 frosts. Is it not so ? 



Several bushels of tea seed have been received 

 at Santa Barbara, California, from Japan, for plant- 

 ing. 



