1872 TJie Western Pomologist and Gardener. ljf.5 



Pear on monntaln Ash Roots. 



By D. B. Wier. Lacon, III. 



El), Pomologist and Gardener: — Mr. Mathews, in the March number of the Pomolo- 

 gist, makes out a pretty good case against top-grafting the pear on the Mountain Ash. 

 This in the way the gentleman puts it, reflects a little severely on myself for recommend- 

 ing it so highly as a root for the Pear in the February number. But in looking over that 

 article I find I did not write exactly what I intended to do. I had intended only to rec- 

 ommend grafting the Pear on sizeable lateral roots of the Mountain Ash. I do not, nor 

 cannot, recommend working it in any other way on this root. I have not tried top-graft- 

 ing, therefore know nothing about it, have tried budding on seedlings and find that some 

 varieties grow finely and make splendid trees, others grow well the first season and die 

 the next, other varieties refuse to grow at all. But when root grafted on lateral roots 

 and even very short pieces of roots, all kinds so far as tried, grow as well as the best 

 apple root-grafts, and make a large growth the first season, and if we so wish it,-tlie trees are 

 all on pear roots at three years of age, by the scion throwing out roots of its own, and what 

 better root can we have for a standard Pear tree than its own natural roots f But I still 

 insist that the Mountain Ash root is a better bottom for the Pear than any Pear root on 

 some soils, and especially for the extreme North. Because a species will not succeed when 

 grafted on to the trood of another species, is no good reason that it will not succeed per- 

 fectly when worked on the root of that species. The whole Chickasaw family of Plums 

 succeed admirably when root-grafted on to the lateral roots of young Peach trees, yet they 

 cannot be stock-grafted or top-grafted on to peach trees with any success, and are compara- 

 tively worthless when budded. The hard-wood shrub the tree pseonia is grafted success- 

 fully on to the tuhers of the herbaceous pfeonias, &c., &c., 



Mr. Mathews has certainly got the names of his Mountain Ashes sadly mixed. He says, 

 " I connot understand Mr. "Wier, when he says that the American Mounain Ash is a much 

 slower growin tree than the European variety." Bryant in his Forest Trees, says, " P. 

 Americana, the American Mountain Ash greatly resembles the European and is by some 

 considered a variety, but never becomes so large a tree." He says also, "the European 

 grows to a height of thirty feet." Fuller says, "the American rarely exceeds fifteen feet 

 in height," and so they grow with me. If Iowa has created a revolution in the growth of 

 the Mountain Ashes, who is the joke on, Mr. Mathews, Iowa, the Ashes or your humble 

 servant ? 



A Russian Apple, 



By Robert Manning, Salem, Maps. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener: — Some years ago we had in the Pomological Garden,, 

 an apple, believed to be of Russian origin, under the name of Museovia Naliva. It was 

 received by my father from Messrs Banmann of Bolwiller, France, in 1836 in the impor- 

 tation which included the first Rostiezer pear tree ever brought into this country, under 

 the name of Passarts Museovia Naliw, but the nearest approach to this name in their 

 catalogue at that time, is Passarts Mosmner Mcdvasicr apfel. It was of large size and pale 

 green color with whitish flouds, somewhat resembling in appearance the Old English 

 Codlin, but coarser and inferior m quality, being quite acid and only fit for cooking. It 

 ripened in autumn. The tree was of strong upright growth with very dark wood. The 

 vaiiety is now lost from here. 



The name Naliva in its various forms appears to signify ^'i/iVy or melting. Thus we have 

 in the catalogue of apple-trees imported from Russia in 1870 by the United States Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Naleiv Wo-^hnni, translated Waxen, Juicy ; Polosatoe, Naliwnoe, or 

 Juicy Streaked ; Scholtinaliir, or Yellow .luice ; Lapouchoe Mtlma, or Juicy Burr apple; 

 and Krimskoo Naliwnoe, or Juicy Knmtarter. In an interesting article on Russian 

 apples, in Hearth and Home for December 31, 1870, by "W. C. F." is an extract from Rees' 

 Encyclopaedia, from which we quote. "About Moscow and many of the adjacent Govern- 

 ments, are produced many excellent sorts of apples, particularly a transparent kind 

 brought originally from China, full of juice, and extremely well tasted, called Nalivrie (fvfl-l, 

 melting), as in fact, it is so full of juice as to be ready to burst. Perhaps our Mascovia 

 Nalvia is identical with this, or with one of those in the catalogue of the Department of 

 Agriculture. 



