1862. 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



353 



The May Cherry. 



Yellow Fleshed Peaches — White Fleshed Peaches — 

 Peaches at South Pass — Apples at South Pass — 

 Willson's Albany at South Pass — and Cedar for 

 Screen — Evergreens on the Prairies — Decidious 

 Trees on the Prairies — Fvergreens make the 

 Climate Warmer. 



Flushing, Oct. 13, 1862. 

 M. L. Dunlap, Esq., Champaign, Ills. : 



Dear Sir : — I notice in your April number 

 some statements on which I will make short 

 comments. Kentish Cherry of Downing is the 

 same as the Early Richmond, so called on ac- 

 count of its being found by Wm. Prince, in 1793, 

 growing in gardens at Richmond, Virginia, where 

 lie obtained it, and not knowing then its real 

 name, he called it "Early Richmond." The Sy- 

 monyms quoted by Downing are correct. 



Large Early York and George the Fourth 

 Peaches are identical. Early Barnard and Ear- 

 ly Crawford are both inferior to Bergen's Yel- 

 low peach ; all yellow fleshed peaches belong to 

 the Alberge family, and their characteristic is 

 acidity. The Orange Melacoton and Rose Hill 

 Melacoton are, however, exceptions and of ex- 

 cellent ilavor. On the other hand, the general 

 characteristic of white fleshed peaches is sweet- 

 ness. I don't see, among the varieties cultivated 

 at South Pass, many of our best peaches, such 

 as the early and late Admirable, Gross, Mig- 

 nonne, Bourdine Gorgas, Madeleine, Malta, Ni- 

 vette, Oldmixon, free and cling, Chinese Honey, 

 Lady Parpam, President, Excelsior, Scotts, 

 Magnate and Nectar ; and none of the splendid 

 late clings that ripen the beginning of October, 

 such as the Paris de Pomme, Pavietardif or 

 October Scarlet, Admirable, Tippecanoe and 

 Old Newington ; and none of the fine October 

 free stones. 



And among the early apples, the five best ap- 

 pear to be ignored, the Blinkbonny, Garretson's 

 Early, Sinequanon and Summer Pearmain, for 

 eating, and Corse's Favorite, the best of all for 

 cooking. The deficiency seems quite as striking 

 in the autumnal and winter varieties. It is to be 

 hoped they will not make as bad selection in 

 pears, as that would be more fatal than with 

 other fruits. 



In strawberries the growers are now taking the 

 mistaken lesson in the adoption of the Wilson, as 

 has been previously done elsewhere, while all 

 the older growers have abandoned it ; and even 

 Mr. Knox, who pnfFed it beyond measure, has 



ploughed it under. Its utter sourness, and its 

 yielding only one crop of such berries proved too 

 much for longer endurance. That crop, howev- 

 er, was double the quantity that the present new 

 favorite of many, the Triomphe de Gand will 

 produce ; the test fields of the Wilson yielding 

 about two-thirds the quantity produced by the 

 Diadem, Victorine, Suprema, Scarlet Magnate, 

 and other really productive varieties. 



BED CEDAR. 



I notice you are planting much on the prairies 

 of your State. Plant two to three feet we can 

 supply at six dollars per hundred, or fifty dol- 

 lars per thousand, which is as cheap as to grow 

 them, and five years are thus saved. Also seeds 

 in any quantity. I can conceive no reason why 

 the hardy pines and spruces should not flourish 

 on your prairies ; and also the Honey Locust, 

 Yellow Locust, Abele, Silver Maple, and a multi- 

 tude of other trees I could name. And these, by 

 the shelter they would aflFord, would ameliorate 

 the climate, and be especially beneficial in shield- 

 ing cattle and sheep. Are you aware of the 

 very important fact that, .during winter, in the 

 immediate vicinity of evergreen trees the atmos- 

 phere is many degrees milder than in the vicin- 

 ity of deciduous trees, or where there are no 

 trees at all. I advance this as a problem. Solve 

 it who can. I feel that I am competent to ex- 

 pound it; but desire to hear from others. 

 Yours fraternally, 



Wm. R. Prince. 



P. S. I send you the seeds of several beauti- 

 ful varieties of the perennial Supinus Polypbyl- 

 lus of California, whose Alpine mining regions 

 comprise the loveliest floral region of the globe. 



— In the February No., page 44, we have 

 traced the history of the May Cherry from Vir- 

 ginia to the West, and back again to New York 

 and now we thank Mr. Prince for this last link 

 in the chain. We think the fact is now fully 

 established that the May Cherry of the West is 

 identical with the Kentish of Downing. And 

 that another fact is also established, that the 

 Early Montmorency, and other varieties have been 

 sent out under the name of "Early Richmond," 

 thus making confusion worse confounded. The 

 May Cherry was introduced into the northern 

 part of this state in '46, the next year after the 

 first edition of Downing Fruits was published, 

 and was well known in Kentucky under the 

 name of Early May for a long time previous ; 

 but this fact doubtless did not come under his 

 observation. 



