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358 



THE ILLmOIS FAEMER. 



Dec. 



The Kirkbridge White, or the Yellow 

 or White June Apple. 



Downing describes the Kirkbridge White as 

 follows: "Tree of rather slow growth; an 

 early nnd abundant bearer. Fruit Celow med- 

 ium, oblong ovate, very irregular, ribbed , skin, 

 yeliovrish white ; stalk short and small in a nar- 

 row cavity ; calyx small and closed ; segments 

 long, rcflesed ; basin narrow; flesh white, ten- 

 der, iuicy, sub-acid ; ripe soon after the early 

 harvest, and continues in use for tour or five 

 week'-'^ ; popular in some scotions of the west," 



Elliot de^jjribes it thus : " Medium in size or 

 rather large ; oval ; ribbed ; tapering equally to 

 each end, and blunt at the ends; skin smooth, 

 pale yellow ; stem short; cavity and basin both 

 very narrow ; flesh very tender, sub-acid, fine 

 grained ; good latter part of summer." 



Heury Ward Beecher, in his " Fruits, Flow- 

 ers and Farming," gives the following: 



"Not found in any catalogues but those of 

 western nurseries. The upright, wood strong 

 and stubbed; grows slow while young, but vig- 

 orously when fully established ; ripens its wood 

 early in autumn; not subject to frost- blight ; 

 bears moderately young and is very prcductive. 

 Its fruit ripens in succession for six weeks from 

 first of July to middle of August, and is peculi- 

 arly valuable on that account; color nearly 

 white ; it is largest at the base and tapers regu- 

 larly to the eye, and is ribbed ; flavor luild, 

 pleasani acid ; flesh melting, aud, if fully ripe, 

 breaks to pieces in falling to the ground." 



At the meeting of the Illinois State Horticul- 

 tural Society, held at Chicago in December 18G1, 

 this fruit, under the name of Yellow June, was 

 added to the list for trial. The following testi- 

 mony was given concerning it. Mr. Kimball, of 

 Rockford, fcaid it was very successful in his lo- 

 cality, and a special favorite with train-boys. 

 Succeeded the Ked June. Dr. Haskell hud seen 

 the same apple under the name of Kirkbridge 

 White Mr. Beeler, of Indianapolis, ?aid the 

 description was that of the Kirkbridge White of 

 his section. Several knew it as the White June. 



At the meeting of the Missouri State Horticul- 

 tural Society, at St. Louis, in January, 18G2, the 

 following testimony was given concerning the 

 Kirkbridge White : Dr. Morse said it was a fine 

 thrifty tree, its fruit good, of fair size, and a fine 

 yellow color. Dr. McPherson had had it in bear- 

 ing for five years. Its growth was peculiarly 

 beautiful — in the shape of a vase — could get per- 

 fect fruit from it every dfiy for six weeks. Mr. 

 Votaw had seen the apple at the mouth of the 

 Meramec and elsewhere, and thought well of it. 



Thus much I have been able to find concern- 

 ing the above apples which I suppose to be iden- 

 tical. The description given by Elliott is not 

 quite in agreement, but otherwise I see no con- 

 flict of testimony. 



My own experience with it is equally satisfac- 

 tory as to its merits. It is, and has been for 

 more than a generation, a favorite apple in this 

 locality. It is a hardy, long-lived, and fruitful 

 tree ; not lirge but handsome. The fruit is not 

 large, but nearly always fair, tolerably early and 



of god quality. It ripens with me a little after 

 the lied June. It is an eariy bearer ; a tree 

 four years in the orchard has a fair crop this 

 year. It is very prolific ; its tendency is to over- 

 bear, making the fruit too small for some pur- 

 poses. I have just gathered thirty barrels from 

 ten trees, leaving a large quantity of over ripe 

 and small fruit which was unfit for shipping. 

 Three barrels of saleable apple^^ I consider a very 

 good yield, one tree with another, — Vai. Farm. 



SoEGiiUM Cane for Analysis. — We have be- 

 fore spoken of the desire of the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture to obtain specimens of the new var- 

 ieties of cane grown on different soil« for the 

 purpose of analysis, The following circular has 

 been addressed to the secretaries of county agri- 

 cultural societies, to obtain their aid in the pro- 

 ject: 



The chief chemist of this department is cow 

 engaged in an investigation of the sorghum, the 

 result of which will be given to the public in the 

 next annual report, and I shall esteem it as a 

 special favor to the department if you will aid 

 him in procuring some specimens, say : 



1st. Of canes, packed in boxes, jierfoiated 

 for ventilation. Cut off, merely the roofs, aiid so 

 much of the tops as are usually rejected, say 

 two or three specimens from different soils. Let 

 these specimens of cane be five to six feet long 

 if the nature of the cane will bear it. Attach to 

 each specimen a card with letters, say " A, E, 

 C, etc." 



In referring to each bundle and letter attached, 

 stite the kind of cane ; where the seed ■^s ob- 

 tained ; the nature or principal composition of 

 the soil iu which it was grown, and other inter- 

 esting particulars connected with the crop. 



2d. Procure two or three specimens of crys- 

 talized uga-. 



8d. Trccurc the spme of syrup, and number 

 or letter each specimen and give a short account 

 of the manner in which the crystalized sugar 

 and sj'rup were obtained ; and especially, whether 

 any leaf or other crystalized sugar has been added 

 to facilitate the graining of the yield, and if so, 

 what proportion. 



Of course these specimens wi'l be fully annl- 

 ized by the chemist, and it will be one of his 

 principal aims, to ascertain the kind and compo- 

 sition of soil best adapted to produce crystalized 

 sugar, and that best adapted for the pi eduction 

 of svrup or molasses; and in order to aid that 

 part of his investigatton, I wish you would be 

 careful to give as correct, and specific date, as to 

 the soil from which each specimen was produced, 

 as you possibly can. 



It will greatly oblige this department if you 

 will give this request your kind and early atten- 

 tion. Yery respectfully, 



Isaac Net.ton, Com'r. 

 Department of Agriculture, 



Wash.,D. C, Oct. 27th, 18C2. 



B^^Let none of us cherish or invoke the 

 spirit of religious fanaticism ; the ally would be 

 quite as pestilent as the enemy. 



