April, 1891. 
67 
ORCHARD 
<4WWWWu\AaA/W>/ 
yvv vwvv \ iVW'/v\jv va a/vv''~ 
' AND 
'VNAA/VV AO/\ 
GARDEN 
v/W WW S/NA 
Open Heads for Fruit Trees. 
Most orchard trees have their heads al- 
together too crowded, the limbs are allow- 
ed to fill up the centre so that light and 
air are excluded and the full development 
and maturity of the fruit prevented. It 
requires but little trouble to get a tree into 
good shape if it is attended to while young 
when knife or even the thumb and finger 
will do the work which, if neglected, will 
finally require the use of the saw and 
chisel. Where large limbs are to be taken 
off it is always best to do it in early sum- 
mer in which case the scars will more 
reachly heal over. But cutting of small 
limbs with knife may be done at any time 
after the severity of winter has passed. 
Trees should, from the beginning, be 
grown with a view to an open and well-bal- 
anced head, but where this has been neg- 
lected they should be made as nearly right 
as possible before they become large. Where 
a branch will crowd another if allowed to 
grow, or unduly fill up the centre of the 
tree, it should be removed. A timely in- 
spection and diligent use of the thumb and 
finger in early spring and an occasional 
summer pinching of a shoot 
disposed to grow where a limb 
is not needed, will keep the top 
open, and render unnecessary 
more severe pruning at a later 
time. It is sometimes necessary, 
in order to give the tree a proper 
balance, to induce a branch to 
prolong itself more than it nat- 
urally would, this can be done 
by removing the side shoots 
upon it. A frequent inspection 
of one's vines and trees, even a 
familiarity with them will en- 
able him to train them in the way 
they should grow. — T. D. Baird. 
Two Long Keeping Apples. 
We give illustrations and des- 
criptions of two new seedling 
apples from Kansas, named Linn 
and Mrs. Dallas respectively. 
They were raised by Mr. R. H. Snook, in 
1876 ana saved accidently from a lot of seed- 
lings raised for grafting. They fruited at 
four years old and the fruit was so good and 
kept so well that they were permitted to 
remain. The present owner of the trees, 
Mrs. Dallas, says that they have fruited 
every year since they began bearing and, 
with the exception of one year, have borne 
full crops of very fine apples. She states 
that she has kept these apples in an ordin- 
ary cellar without care or wrapping for 
nmeteen months from time of picking, and 
every year she keeps them ten months in 
her cellar, which is an ordinary farm cel- 
lar, in excellent condition. The Kansas ' 
State Horticultural Society named the ap- 
ples and the fruit committee said in 1886, 
“We regard these two varieties as of an un- 
usually promising character and suggest 
that the society recommend their dissemi- 
nation.” 
Mrs. Dallas Apple. 
Fruit below medium size; form roundish 
oblate conic, regular; color light yellow, en. 
ribbed; color greenish yellow, considerably 
splashed, striped and mixed with dull 
brownish red, some mixed with gray giving 
the appearance of bloom; dots rather large, 
distinct, russet; stem slender, rather short; 
cavity rather narrow, deep, regular green- 
ish russet; calyx small, half open; segments 
short, erect; basin rather narrow, shallow, 
some furrowed; core small, closed; carpels, 
small, closed; seeds medium angular, dark 
brown; flesh yellowish white, rather firm, 
moderately juicy, mild, pleasant sub-acid; 
quality very good; season from February 
to August or longer. There is no doubt 
about the keeping quality of this apple as 
we have had specimens of it in July in good 
condition. Tree hardy .vigorous, symmetri- 
cal and very productive. It is much of the 
type of Willow Twig in color and general 
characteristics but a better keeper. — J. 
Stayman. 
Mrs. Dallas. Fig. 439. 
tirely covered, mixed, splashed, and striped 
with bright light and dark red, handsome; 
dots small, rather numerous, distinct, yel- 
low; stem medium, slender; cavity rather 
wide, deep, regular; pinkish red bloom; 
calyx small, half open; segments short, 
erect; basin narrow, shallow, slightly fur- 
rowed; core rather large, closed; carpels hol- 
low; seeds medium, short, broad, chestnut 
brown, flesh yellow, very firm, juicy, spright- 
ly rich, pleasant subacid; quality good; sea- 
son February to August and later. Tree 
vigorous, symmetrical, and hardy. A regu- 
lar annual bearer. This apple is not large 
but its fine, handsome appearance and oth- 
er good qualities make it e^en more desir- 
able than the Linn apple. From the speci- 
men received in July I consider it the best 
and most valuable long keeping apple yet 
introduced. 
The Linn Apple. 
Fruit medium to large; form roundish 
oblate, somewhat angular and obscurely 
The Old Large Red Rare-Ripe Peach. 
Some fifty to sixty years ago my father 
grew a valuable peach known as the Red- 
Rare-Ripe. I have not seen one for fifty 
years as they have died out in northern 
Pennsylvania, and I fear is not known by 
nurserymen; for I have never seen it men- 
tioned in any catalogue. If that beautiful 
and valuable peach can be found and res- 
cued from obscurity, it will be a favor to the 
fruit-loving public. I wall try to describe 
it. Under good cultivation it was a large 
peach, the most beautiful one I 
ever saw. It was nearly round 
with a deep suture, white skin 
with a fine blush or deep red 
cheek in full sun exposure and 
when shaded by heavy foliage 
beautifully mottled or flecked 
with crimson. Flesh white, ten- 
der and very juicy and fine fla- 
vor, though not so rich as some 
of the yellow peaches freestone 
with deep red next to pit and 
fine threads of red next to the pit 
and skin. The tree was a free 
bearer and with full heavy foli- 
age. It was a magnificent peach. 
If in existence it ought to be 
looked up. I do not recollect its 
time of ripening, but think in 
late August or early September. 
Will not pomologists, or any 
interested who may recollect this 
peach, let the Orchard and Garden know 
if my recollections are correct and make 
known its existence if yet alive? — R. M. 
Welles, Pa. 
Orchard Notings. 
EFFECT OF FREEZING ON APPLES. 
Quite hard freezes came early in northern 
Vermont last la.ll, and some of my later 
apples (moatly Scott’s Winter,) were frozen 
so hard, three or four times, that an icy 
coat of mail would form on one of them if 
plunged into a pail of water. At this wri- 
ting (March 6th) the apples that went 
through that ordeal are perfectly sound, 
unimpaired in quality, and promise to keep 
