268 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



1871 



Fruit Notes from Benton County.— I have 

 had a fine crop of lona, Concord and CUinton 

 grapes. Concord vines planted tvpo years ago last 

 spring with nearly two hundred clusters. 



My Israellas, (which I think are as good as Black 

 Hamburg), Eumelans, Ives and Delawares, were all 

 killed in the winter of 1870. The blight on apple 

 trees is very severe ; my Tallmau sweets were first 

 affected, and I think sweet apple trees are aflfected 

 worse than sour. 



I think your correspondent B. C. from Adel, is 

 mistaken in regaid to the cause of the blight, for all 

 my crabs were affected except Soulard. I had some 

 Summer Queens grafted two years ago into some 

 Siberian stocks, and they are killed below the graft. 

 There is a mystery about this blight. Is it caused 

 by some mrnd/it biting or stinging the ends of the 

 twigs and poisoning the sap ? 



I tried your mode of grafting the grape n com- 

 mended in the Pomologist. I cleft grafted some 

 lonas into some wild stocks last spring, and they 

 grew about eight feet in four weeks. I then pinched 

 off the ends of the vines. 



Vinton, Benton Co., Iowa. S. D. Redpield, 



The Pewaukee.— We have received from Mr. 

 Geo. P. Peffer, Pewaukee, Wis., specimens of his 

 seedling — the Pewaukee Ap- 

 ple, illustrated and described 

 on another page. Also six 

 varieties of Siberian crabs, 

 one of which (here illustrat- 

 ed) is a novelty. Fruit ob" 

 long ; cavity slight ; basin 

 none ; stem very long and 

 slender ; calyx sepals four in 

 number, set regular and near- 

 ly a half inch in length. 

 Skin rich yellow willi blush. 

 Mr. Peffer writes that he has 

 this season fruited some 6.'5 

 varieties of seedling Sibe- 

 rian Crabs. The Pewau- 

 kee is a very heavy apple, is 

 beautifully colored up and would be a very hand- 

 some apple, but for its tapering base, shallow, nar- 

 row cavity and insignificant stem. But all these 

 are of minor importance. Altogether it is a fine 

 looking apple. 



Marengo Siberian Crabs. — Herendeen & 

 Jones, of Geneva, N. Y. send us specimens of the 

 Marengo Siberian apples — representing the whole 

 group under this name. Some of them are in sea- 

 son and some are not. Those in season, we find on 

 trial very pleasant — in fact very good. Flesh very 

 tender, juicy and rich. In appearance the fruit is 

 very handsome. 



Appplbs from Mr. L. D. Hewitt. — Mr. L. D. 

 Hewitt of Redfleld, will accept our thanks for a 

 box of apples made up o" White Winter Pearmain, 

 Swaar, Dyer, Kirkbridge White, Lowell, Coles' 

 Quince, Early Pennock and Strawberry. They 

 were received previous to going to the Pomologi- 

 meeting at Richmond, and from which some selec- 

 tions were made ^for [the collection taken. Some 

 of the finest apples shown at the annual meetings 

 of our State Horticultural Society have come from 

 Mr. H.'s orchard. His show of Swaar and White 

 Winter Pairmain has been extra fine. 



The California Ant-Eating Woodpecker. — A 

 curious observer states that the California ant-eat- 

 ing woodpecker, in storing its provisions for winter 

 use, digs a small round hole in the bark of the pine 

 or oak, and into these inserts an acorn so tightly 

 wedged in as to be with difficulty extracted. The 

 bark of the pine tree, when thus filled presents at a 

 short distance the appearance of being studded with 

 brass headed nails. Stowed away in large quanti- 

 ties in this manner, the acorns not only supply the 

 wants of the woodpecker, but the squirrels, mice 

 and jays avail themselves likewise of the fruits of 

 provident labor. 



Beatrice peach. — The American Agriculturist 

 has received from Mr. S. G. Bilgen, Littleton, Hali- 

 fax county, N. C, specimens of the Beatiice peach, 

 a seedling raised by Thomas Rivers, of Sawbridge- 

 worth England. Like all earlj' peaches, it is small, 

 but of high color, very fragrant, and of good qual- 

 ity for a very early variety. Mr. Bilgin finds it at 

 least twenty days earlier than Hale's Early, and 

 possessed of superior shipping qualities. 



PoHA Berries from the tropics. — E. I. Hooper 

 in a communication to the Gidifornin. Horticulturist, 

 metions the exhibition at the Mechanics' Fair in 

 San Francisco of some poha berries, " esteemed (me 

 of the greatest luxuries of the tropics, resembling 

 the ground cherry, but as superior to it as the ap- 

 ple to thecrab. It is unsurpassed by any fruit for 

 richness and delicacy of flavor for pies, jellies, jams, 

 preserves, etc. 



Wine from " No. 13." — Prof. James Mathews, of 

 the State Agricultural college, has our thanks for 

 a bottle of wine made from his " No. 13" grape. 

 It was received some months ago and should have 

 been acknowledged ere this. We do not profess to 

 know much about wine, but so far as our judgment 

 goes this " No. 13 " is good enough. 



Too Much Peach. — The Ottawa (Kansas) Herald 

 says the only complaint they have to make of the 

 peach crop is that peaches are so abundant they fail 

 to receive old-time prices. ■ 



