82 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
dinary fruit or other trees that has ever taken up the first 
atom of carbon or carbonic acid gas. We have seen ac- 
counts of many experiments by great and learned agricul- 
tural chemists, with the formula, but we have never yet 
seen one but it v/as defective in 9/iodh'iS ovt'rond'l, and a 
contrary inference irom that drawn, could, with e'^ual 
propriety, be adduced ; while, on the other hand, we can 
point to daily instances wiiere plant.s and tree.s take up 
large quantities of carbon without top liriihs or have?. We 
are ready to show this, and in a manner too palpable for 
the most credulou.s or accomplished chemist, botanist or 
agriculturist to doubt or dispute. That there are plants 
that sub.sist on air we shall not deny, but they do not be- 
long to the genus or species of our fruit or forest trees. 
To return from our digressson, to tlie subject under 
treatment. Much has been written, and well written, on 
the subject and we do not expect to add anything new, 
novel or oritriiial, as to the preparation of the ground, or 
preparing the holes to receive the trees; all luas been said 
that can be said, and I can only reiterate what has been 
time and time again, said, to wit: enrich your ground in 
any manner most convenient; plow deep ; plant your 
trees in ample holes a little deeper than they grev/ in the 
nursery or place they were removed from ; mulch them 
with spent tanbark, straw, leaves, or any other trash, 
even to a coating of stones, which are about as good as 
anything else. 
But we have one exception to the above ; which applies 
to the Pear trees worked or grafted on quince stocks or 
roots, and no others. In planting these, instead of putting 
them about the same depth that they grew in the nursery, 
plant them so deep that at least six inches of the trunk 
above the point where it was budded or grafted shall be 
beneath the earth. Should it require a hole two feet deep 
to sink the tree to that point, down with it, so much the 
better; for herein consists the secret and success in secur- 
ing a healthy and vigorous growth of Peartrees on quince 
stocks. Why I The quince has only small fibrous roots 
which do not extend into the ground to any great distance, 
as do those the Apple, Pear, Cherry, &c,; consequently, 
by sinking the tree deep in the earth, we expose a greater 
surface to tiie purposeof forming roots, the result of which 
is a growth twice as great as will be tlie case when plant- 
ed as other trees are and should be. The Quince, too, is 
rather impatient of heat and flourishes best in a cool and 
moist soil, rather than a hot, dry one; and by planting 
them in the manner I have suggested, this, to a degree, is 
accomplished, fine of the maladies to which this species 
of tree is subject is, that of refusing to take root and re- 
maining loose in the ground, swaying to and fro with the 
Yi^ind; this difficulty is also remedied by the process above 
indicated, giving the tree every advantage in throwing 
cat roots unmolested. J. VanBuren. 
CLarksville , Ga., 1855. 
SOUTHEHN SEEDLmG APPLES. 
Editor.s Southern Cultivator — Some months ago, I 
mentioned, in a few lines addressed to your publishers, 
that I might, at some leisure moment, say a word about 
Southern Seedling Apples. As I have but little worth re- 
lating, and little time to spare, I shall be brief enough to 
suit you. I may remark that I have some knowledge of 
Fruits from experience, as well as reading, having been ac- 
customed to pretty good orchards from childhood in North 
Carolina and Virginia, and havingcommenced collecting, 
as opportunity favored, an orchard for my own use soon 
after removing to this State (now near 20 years ago) and 
finding new names and fruits before unknown to me, I 
Lave gradually accumulated about lOC varieties. Among 
these are several believed to be new seedlings and some 
known to be such. The one I prize the most highly, I 
should not shrink from placing in competition with Mr 
Van Buren’s best. It was raised from seed by a nursery- 
men in my vicinity and near Holly Springs, by the name 
of Stephenson, who calls it after himself, “Stephenson s 
Winter.” It has already acquired great popularity, he 
selling I to 2 thousand grafts of it yearly. The apple is oU 
good size, keeps well and is pleasantly flavored . 
although quite hard until about frost, hanging we'.i 
on its well shaped and thriftly growing tree. It 
mellows finely, preserving its plumpness and juice, and 
becoming tender and very falatable from 1st December to 
late in spring. It is a regular heavy bearerevery year; uni- 
formly fair, and keeps with less loss than almost any 
apple I know, not excepting the Hall Seedling, which last 
is here a standard, both of excellence and keeping, as it. 
was in North Carolina. 
I have another Apple, given me as a Seedling, from 
Madison county, Tennessee, called “Gladney’s Red,” after 
the gentleman that raised it. It is a small apple ; of ex- 
quisite flavor; very tender and juicy, and kee-s through 
the winter and with little loss ; the only objections are its 
size (small); its only bearing alternate years, and the 
rather slow growth of the tree, with low dangling limbs, 
not unlike the “Limber Twig” tree, I have never seen a 
more profuse bearer on its bearing year. This apple is 
covered with a copious white bloom; is tender and brittle 
or breaking even on the tree, with a rich, musky flavor, 
hard to beat. In season from December to April. 
K third Apple, worth notice, 1 obtained under the name 
of “Webb's Winter;” a small, fine flavored apple; re- 
markably L-nder, breaking and juicy; bearing freely every 
year ; not so late a keeper, but fine from 1st November 
to Christmas. This is also from Tennessee. 
A fourth that this year has come more nearly up to its 
reputation in Virginia and Carolina, is the “Guily Apple ' 
or Hedrick'.s Seedling, said to have originated near Rich- 
I mond, Va., and there to have been a first-rale winter ap- 
ple. With us only keeping through fall to about 1st De- 
cember, but as late as that with too much waste by rot- 
ting, to be Classed as a winter apple ; in this climate. 
By the way, one great difficulty in keeping apples late 
with us is the recurrence of quite warm weather during- 
our winters, forcing our fruits into earlier mellowing than 
is desirable. I am reserving a room in the basement of 
j my recent building, partly under ground, with the hope 
of obviating that influence by preserving a more uniform 
temperature, and securing other advantages I need not 
now mention Besides these, there a few other apples 
I thatl have not yet had to fruit for me, that have been high- 
ly recommended and said, also, to be new seedlings, such 
as the “Poplar Bluff,” (from Mr. Brown, near Nashville) j 
the “Saleni Seedling,” of Tippah, in this State ; the “Win- 
ter Horse Apple,” from North Alabama ; to say nothing 
I of several with new names, whose history I could net 
I learn and yet have been unable to determine their proper 
name. If old varieties, perhaps the day is not remote when 
we may hope the confusion in nomenclature in our vast 
West will be somewhat remedied. At present, it is not 
unusual to obtain the same apple from three or four sour- 
ces with as many different names. So much for apples, 
with the closing remark, that this climate and soil seem 
well suited to that fruit generally, although not equally 
to every variety. 
Whilst writing, I will mention that the Pear Blight has, 
for the last two seasons, especially the last, destroyed a 
great many and disfigured many more of our young Fear 
