December. 1891. 
203 
h 
ORCHARD 
GARDEN 
with tree and Iruit almost identical with 
the Duchess in appearance, size and habits 
of bearing:, but fifty per cent, better in 
quality for any use. We have also fully 
fifty (Russian) varieties as hardy in tree, as 
free in bearing, as large and handsome in 
fruit, superior in quality, with all degrees 
of acidity from very sweet to the acidity of 
the Duchess, and for all seasons from July 
to Ihe succeeding February. Yet strangely 
enough men will repeat, parrot-like, the 
story that “ the Duchess is our best contri- 
bution from Russia ! ” 
And now. in regard to popular ideas about 
Russian fruits: it does not astonish me that 
even experienced fruit-growers, in sections 
where iron-clad hardiness is not required, 
should be slow to learn about an entirely 
new family of apples, of which even those 
who have perforce given great attention to 
them are yet unabie to give other than a 
qualified judgement, as to most of them. 
Though there is everywhere lack of infor- 
mation, and with a few much prejudice in 
regard to Russian tree fruits, yet I for one 
am thankful that our leading journals and 
most prominent pomologists are all willing 
to give them a “fair show.” Pomologist 
Van Deman. when he visited my orchards 
two years since, had but a moderate ac- 
quaintance with Russian apples, and v\as 
possessed with the common idea that very 
few if any of them were of high quality. 
But he has been entirely open to conviction, 
and in the succeeding issues of his Report 
has printed handsome illustrations and a 
fair description of the best sorts, like Pro- 
lific Sweeting anti Switzer, which I have 
sent him. I do not think that the prejudice 
and hostility extends beyond a few nursery- 
men who do not like to change opinions 
and practice that involve pecuniary loss. 
It is true that they will influence many for 
a time, but the Iron-clads are too surely a 
necessity to be squelched by talk. — T. H. 
Hoskins. 
Some Southern Apples. 
Under a dozen different synonyms the 
Mangttm. or “Fall Cheese” apple is grown 
in many fine orchards all over the South. 
It is of southern origin, a healthy, good 
grower and very productive. The fruit is 
of medium size, flattened, but slightly con- 
ical, in color a yellow ground striped with 
red: flesh yellow, tender, juicy, and mild 
sub acid. Amid our multitude of fall ap- 
ples, all of them good, this is distinguished 
as one of the best. 
The “Horse Apple” comes earlier, in 
July and August. What a fine old apple it 
is! The tree never gro'vs to a very large 
size because its heavy crops of big apples 
weigh it down s >, and it bears for us more 
regularly than almost any other summer 
apple. The fruit grows to an enormous 
size, rich yellow, conical in shape, yellow 
and rather coarse in flesh, but very fine for 
c iting to those who like its rich peculiar 
flavor. F> r cooking it is un-urpassed, and 
in market it never fails to bring a good 
price. The bloom is beautiful and a tree in 
blossom shows a long way off, for the flow- 
ers are large and in large clusters, showing 
off their cunning, rich pink buds and white 
blossoms well against the tender, bright 
green of the leaves. 
Why our largest market apple should be 
called “Buff” I cannot tell, for in color it 
is streaked with crimson and dark red, 
with only a faintly showing yellow ground. 
The flesh is white, often stained with red 
next the skin, somewhat coarse, as in all 
very large apples, but is tender, juicy 
and lich. It keeps well and is fine for 
eating only when very mellow. Does not 
cook well. The trees are very vigorous, 
growing to giant size, with wide spreading- 
limbs: it bears abundantly and when quite 
young. A synonym for it is Magnum Bon- 
um, and it much resembles the Twenty 
Ounce of Connecticut. I have of'en ;een 
large solid apples of this variety as large as 
a child’s head. It originated in Norih Car- 
olina. 
Cullasa, Junaluskee, Nick-a-jack, Hall 
and Limber Twig, are also of North Caro- 
lina origin, and are all good winter apples, 
the first two, early, yellow, productive and 
good. Hall is rather small in size, gretn- 
ish-vellow shaded with crimson, flesh yel- 
low and fine grained, with a rich, aromatic 
flavor. It is very popular at the South, 
and extensively grow n. But Limber Twig 
is the staple winter apple, and the finest. 
It is of medium size, roundish, greenish 
yellow shaded with dull red; flesh tender 
when mellow, juicy and rich, brisk sub- 
ai id. Tree is vigorous, hardy and a heavy 
bearer. Keeps well into spring and is a 
very popular market variety for the South 
and West. 
Some favorite Georgia apples are Dishar- 
von and Shockley. Both are good winter 
apples, the latter the best and latest keep- 
er. a standard tree for planting with all 
southern orchardists. The tree is very vig- 
orous, hardy and wonderfully productive, 
with rich, crisp flesh of pleasant flavor. 
The Hoover, or Black Coal, is from South 
Carolina — a tender, juicy apple, with yel- 
low flesh and crimson skin. It somewhat 
resembles Arkansas Black, but is not so 
good as that fine old variety. 
From Missouri we get Fall Queen, a great 
flat, ribbed apple, yellowish-green and rus- 
sety, fine for eating and cooking, and a safe 
selling fall-market apple. The Winesap 
comes from New Jersey and is too well 
known to need description. Next to Lim- 
ber Twig it is our best winter apple, all 
over the South and West Yellow Bell- 
flower is another Jersey beauty, and its 
spreading, drooping head gemmed with yel- 
low bells is a familiar sight in all our great 
orchards, a blush of red makes it quite a 
handsome apple, but it must have gcod| 
care and spraying to be profitable. 
Virginia Greening and Grimes’ Golden are 
good apples from the Old Dominion, both 
large, fine yellow apples of good flavor and 
good keeping qualities. 
S uthern orchardists find that the best 
and latest winter keeping apples from 
non hern stock are apt to ripen South with 
cur fall apples, and so prove poor keepers. 
There are, however, some exceptions. One 
of these is the famous Newtown Pippin 
which our elevati m and climate seems to 
suit admirably, this being one of the few 
localities with which this capricious, yet 
royal fruit seems to be well suited. Both 
the yellow and green varieties are grown 
to perfection here and if managed rightly 
keep well Rhode Is’and Greening will not 
keep later than Christmas, but is such a 
fine apple, that it is largely grown. 
To rid trees of borers, which are their 
worst enemies here, southern orchardists 
dig away the soil from the root of ihe tree, 
lea' ing a basin about the trunk " ith some 
of the surface roots expos* -d near the trunk. 
This basin is left through winter, and in 
early spring is filled with wood ashes, 
which are heaped a foot high about the 
trunk. The object is to toughen the bark 
where the borer finding it tender usually 
enters, and to kill the germs with cold, the 
ashes also in spring and summer keep him 
from burrowing in — L. Greenlee. N. C. 
The Bessemianka Pepr. 
Having noticed enquiries and si atements 
in “ Orchard and Garden ” regarding the 
above pear, our experience at this part of 
the countrv may be of intere-t 
Our trees were imported by the lateChas. 
Gibb direct from Dr. Regal of St. Petersburg 
and have received rather more than ordi- 
nary culture since planting in 1885. They 
have borne very sparingly for the last two 
seasons and the fruit has been small and 
iregular in shape, greenish-gray in color, 
but quite rich in flavor, although somewhat 
coarse and woody in texture. One serious 
defect is the premature decay of the fruit 
from within, while still hanging on the tree. 
I have often seen the Iruit when it looked 
perfectly sound, but on cutting it open 
found it to be only a shell or outer part un- 
decayed. I cannot say that in past years 
i his weak point has been so appaient; at any 
rate it has not come under my a tention. 
However, the tiee is a very hardy and 
thrifty grower, free from rust, and will no 
doubt make a good stock for top grafting 
some of our loss hardy but better flavored 
varieties. 
Glibia Kurskaya is another Russian pear 
which has borne with us for two years and 
which can be classed with the Bessemianka 
in regard to growth, fruit and general ap- 
pearance. except in connection with the 
defect above noted — Wm. Craig, Jr., Pro- 
vince of Quebec, Canada. 
PRAY I0UR FRUIT TREES 
EXCELSIOR 
Wormy Fruit and Leaf Blight of Apples, Pears, Cherries, 
Grape and Potato Rot, Plum Curculia prevented by using E. A U L L0 5 U H OUTF ITS. 
PERFECT FRUIT ALWAYS SELLS AT GOOD PRICES. Catalogue show- 
ing all injurious insects to Fruits mailed free. Forge stork of Fruit Trees. Vines* 
and Berry Plants at Bottom Prices* Address YViU. STAHL, Quincy* Ills, 
