1862. 



NEW ENGLAND FARIVIER. 



191 



Mr. W. spoke, too, of the vicissitudes of fruit 

 culture. The last year was very bad. It was the 

 sudden changes of temperature in our climate 

 that worked the great mischief. He alluded to 

 the severe frost on the night of October 1st, 1800, 

 which stiffened our grapes and froze the buds of 

 his Chinese Azaleas. Also, to that on the suc- 

 ceeding 8th of February, when the mercury sunk 

 to twenty-six degrees below zero, preceded by a 

 mild day when it was fifty-two above — a differ- 

 ence of seventy-eight degrees in twenty-four 

 hours ! Even oaks were injured ; but the circum- 

 stance exhibited the hardiness of many of our 

 trees. And here, Mr. W. observed that he 

 thought some of our pear trees were hardier than 

 the apple tree. His Vicar of Winkfield, Louise 

 Bonne de Jersey, Belle Lucrative and Ui'baniste 

 trees had not failed to give him fruit, while his 

 apple trees did not yield. The effect of cold winds 

 in the spring he thought disastrous to fruit trees 

 and spoke of losing thereby a quantity of quince 

 stocks. As we can make our soil good, favorable 

 exposure of some trees as to ripening their fruit 

 was important, as by doing so, we may gain in 

 effect a degree of latitude. The Easter Beurre 

 needed a warm exposure. With us it does not ex- 

 ceed over eight ounces in weight, but in the cli- 

 mate of California it has reached the enormous 

 weight of forty ounces ! He saw wax models 

 of pears in Wasliington, eight inches in height 

 and seventeen and a half in circumference! 

 If we had that climate we could do the same ; 

 hence the importance of studying position. 



The chairman also alluded to dwarf trees, and 

 regarded many pears as better on quince roots 

 than on pear. He had received a letter from Mr. 

 Rivers, of England, who had lately examined 

 some which were forty years old, and yet in good 

 health. Trees succeed best in the climate where 

 they are raised. We have a large number of new 

 vai-ieties, and as they promise well, the day may 

 come when we can have some adapted to every 

 position. The past season trees have grown well, 

 with hard and well-ripened wood, and we may 

 safely expect the coming season a great quantity 

 of fruit. * 



In conclusion, Mr. Wilder spoke of fruit culture 

 in his day, of the vast extent and varied climate 

 of our country, and felt, as he always had, the 

 gi'eatness of such blessings ; and as the names of 

 Van Mons and his associates in Europe are not 

 forgotten, let us and our children revere the 

 names of Lowell, Downing, and others who have 

 gone before us. 



Mr. Sheldon, of Wilmington, being called 

 upon, spoke of pruning. He thought there were 

 two seasons when it was best to prune — in the au- 

 tumn and in the spring when the days and nights 

 were of about equal length ; but prune even now. 



His best orchard had been pruned in March ; he 

 had experimented upon some of his trees by saw- 

 ing off a limb each month, but thought the time 

 mentioned the best. Trees two years from the 

 bud, he regarded as the best for an orchard — bet- 

 ter than those of three. To prevent mice from 

 gnawing his young trees, he used sand around 

 them, or trod down the snow. Of varieties of ap- 

 ples, he thought the Baldwin the best, and it sold 

 well from the orchard ; the market, too, was never 

 clogged. The next best was the Gravenstein ; he 

 also praised the Green Sweeting ; it was a great 

 bearer, and the fruit good for stock. In this con- 

 nection, he alluded to a fine horse he once owned, 

 wliich he frequently let for parade grounds. He 

 became troubled with glanders, and putting him 

 to a doctor, the advice was at length to kill him. 

 But he was placed in an orchard, and as the sweet 

 apples fell he devoured them, and recovered, so 

 that after being sold, he produced progeny worth 

 $200 each. His most profitable apple, Mr. S. 

 thought, was the Red Astrachan, though they 

 were getting plenty, and would become less pro- 

 fitable. He had sold some for $6 a bushel at 

 the Revere House. But the Baldwin was best for 

 market, and as to the Northern Spy, it was out of 

 place on our cold New England hills. 



Dr. LoRiNG, of Salem, being called up, said he 

 was not versed in horticulture, but would make a 

 few inquiries. Was it best to raise even the har- 

 diest pears rather than apples ? 



Mr. Wilder replied that apples would succeed 

 well on poor land, and some varieties were even 

 better on such soil. 



Dr. LoRiNG resumed, and observed that apples 

 were the farmers' general fruit. Custom frequent- 

 ly decides the crops of our country, and as to 

 English grass, that had received the sanction of 

 our farmers. Would it be safe to graft the suck- 

 ers of old orchards, or would it be better to re- 

 plant young trees ? 



Mr. Wilder replied that he would as soon en- 

 graft a child on his father's head as a scion into a 

 sucker. Old stocks from the forest, which some 

 had sought, were a like curse. 



Dr. LoRiNG was glad of this distinct opinion. 

 He then alluded to Mr. Sheldon's idea of fruit- 

 raising being a profitable branch of farming, wliich 

 called up the latter gentleman. 



Mr. Sheldon spoke of planting an orchard on 

 a stony hill, covered previously with pitch pine, 

 which did not grow well. He took out a large 

 quantity of rock, so as to sensibly lower the field. 

 He had another orchard on a plain, but it was not 

 worth half as much as the one on the stony, rocky 

 soil. His neighbors said it was useless to plant 

 trees in Wilmington, but he had sold more apples 

 and potatoes than any twelve men in the place. 

 His townsmen did not think farming was profita- 



