1871 



THE POMOLOGIST AND GARDENER. 



283 



Columbia, Maryland, Kansas, Kentucky, Iowa and 

 Nebraska, and * for New Jersey, Southern Illinois 

 and Michigan. 



Rmde's Jannette received ** for Virginia, District 

 of Columbia, Maryland, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebras- 

 ka, Iowa and Southern Illinois, and * for Northern 

 Illinois. 



Maiden's Blusli received ** for Virginia, Kansas, 

 New Jersey, Illinois, Iowa, District of Columbia 

 and Pennsylvania, and * for Massiichusclts, Nebras- 

 ka, Maryland and Kentucky, Florida refusing to 

 give it any. 



Fallawater received ** for Michigan, Virginia, 

 Pennsylvania and Iowa. 



TeUotc NiKtowii Pippin (Albemarle Pippin in 

 Virginia,) received ** for the Piedmont region of 

 Virginia and for Kansas. 



Iwk Imperial received ** for Virginia and Penn- 

 sylvania, and * for District of Columbia and Mary- 

 land. 



Winter Sweet Paradise received ** for Virginia, 

 Kansas and Iowa. Miller [Iowa] — One of the 

 best of trees in Central Iowa, and fruit unsurpassed 

 by any other sweet apple. 



London Pippin received ** for Virginia, District 

 of Columbia and Maryland. Ciiamubrlin (Va.) 

 says the original tree was ])roduced on the farm of 

 Levi White, London Co., Va., and is still a vigor- 

 ous bearer ; has recently produced in one season 

 eighty bushels of marketable apples. It is a thrifty 

 growing tree, spreads very much ; fruit large, deli- 

 cious in flavor, and promises to be one of the lead- 

 ing varieties of winter apples in the South. 



Suiumer Praning— WJiy Injurious. 



Will you please give your views about Summer 

 pruning, and the cause of Its injurious effects upon 

 fruit trees. I have read several articles in horti- 

 cultural journals which, in the main are opposed to 

 the operation. M. P. 



When annual plants (those requiring but one 

 growing season to perfect themselves,) have fully 

 developed their fruit, all vegetation ceases — the 

 mission of the plant has been accomplished. In 

 perennials (those that live through a series of 

 years) there often commences after the maturity of 

 their fruit a new vegetation, or rather there is a 

 continuation of their vegetation which is kept ac- 

 tive until Fall. One of the most marvellous 

 phenomena of nature, essential to the life and pres. 

 ervation of plants, is the manner of their nutri- 

 tion which allows the various species to assimilate 

 their growth with the different localities of the 

 earth ; the carbonic acid of the latter is partially ab- 

 sorbed by the leaves, and is necessary to the forma- 

 tion of new leaves and wood. This ab.sorption of 

 carbonic acid continues during the period of ac- 

 tive vegetation ; still in most trees, especially those 

 whose Spring growth commenced early and was 

 rapid, the formation of new wood and leaves ceases 

 about August. 



The change from wood-producing sap to matur- 

 ing sap then takes place by producing starch, which 

 causes the already formed wood to mature and per- 



fect itself for the production of fruit the following 

 year. We often see this transformation take place 

 in seasons of protracted drouth. When the wood 

 of many of our fruit trees becomes partially ma- 

 tured. If this season of drouth is followed by rain 

 which brings the dormant vegetation into activity 

 again, new leaves and wood are formed, but being 

 produced late in the season the wood is seldom ma- 

 tured when frost .sets in. This secondary growth 

 is therefore incapable of producing the same 

 amount of fruit as that portion of the wood which 

 was formed and produced in a normal period of 

 the growing season, besides its production is only 

 possible to the detriment of the first growth, which 

 is thereby weakened. 



Summer pruning has an cflect similar to that 

 produced by drouth when it brings a second vegeta- 

 tion; at every pruning new wood will be formed, 

 and the later the pruning has been performed, the 

 weaker will be the wood produced. By thus con- 

 tinually stimulating the tree to produce an abnorm- 

 al growth, we must necessarily destroy the equi- 

 librium of its economy and consequently weaken 

 its capacity for producing fruit. 



We can give as an example the second crop 

 which many of our pears trees produce if the pre- 

 vious Summer has caused this second growth of 

 wood. The terminal bud often changes from wood 

 to fruit; it blooms later than the fruit buds formed 

 at the proper season, and produces a diminutive 

 fruit, — Avgusta, Oa,. Farmer and Oardenfir. 



The Apple Crop. — The Detroit Free Press of 

 the 35th says : The apple crop is now the excite- 

 ment. At Dowagiac there has already been ship- 

 ped nearly 5000 barrels. Other fruit towns have 

 shipped from 2000 to 6000 barrels, and the shipping 

 of winter apples has just begun. They are now 

 paying in different towns for fall fruit fr(mi $1 to 

 $1.50 per bbl ; for winter apples $1.50 to $3. In 

 ■some of the towns there is not a full supply of bar 

 rels. A few of the heavy fruit dealers have been 

 obliged to start cooper shops for their supply of 

 barrels, and a very large amount of winter apples 

 will not be shipped in the season of gathering for 

 the want of barrels, which are now selling for 40 

 and 50c. Thus far every shipment of fruit to the 

 Eastern States has caused larger orders to be sent 

 for the superior Michigan apples, and although the 

 crop is the largest that the State ever produced, they 

 will all be wanted east or west. 



The Iona Grape. — Dr. H. H. Farley, of Union 

 Springs, N. Y., has found the ([uality of this fine 

 grape much improved by grafting on other strong- 

 growing sorts- Other cultivators have noticed the 

 same effect. 



