SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
28 .i 
Prof. J. P. Waddel, of Athens, exhibited ; Peaches— 
Blood Cling, Bergen Yellow, Red Rareripe, Old Mixon 
Cling, Breevoort, Cobham Yellow, Honest John, Orange 
Free, Incomparable Admirable, Gross Mignonne, Straw- 
berry, Crawford’s Early, Crawford’s Late, Incomparable, 
Pace, Blanton Cling and Precoce de Savoy — 17 varieties. 
Nectarines — 2 varieties, unnamed — total, 19 varieties. 
John T. Grant, of Walton county, exhibited ; Pears 
— St. Ghisjain (fine). Doyenne de Ete, Duchesse de An- 
goulerae and Josephine — 4: varieties. Peaches — Cobham 
Yellow, Orange Cling, Old Mixon Free, Crawford’s Early, 
and Breevoort — 7 varieties. Pluvis — Jefferson, Diamond, 
and 1 unnamed — 3 varieties — total, 14 varieties. 
Dr. J. S. Hamilton, of Columbia county, exhibited a 
fine Seedling Apple, ripening in September. 
Rev. Richard Johnson, of Atlanta, sent for exhibition a 
most interesting collection and with the fruits shown, notes 
of their productiveness, which are’valuable. Those Pears 
italicised do not bear will with him as yet: Peo.rs — 
Julienne, St. Ghislain, Buffam, Eeurre de Amalis, An- 
drew’s, Urbaniste, Napoleon, White Doyenne, Bleeker’s 
Nleadow, Belle Lucrative, Thompson, Beurre Brown, 
Henry IV, Beurre Bose, Marie Louise, Surpass Virgalieu, 
Dunmore, Waiter Ndis, Duchesse d’ Angouleme, Bezi de 
LaMctte, Bartlett, Grey Doyenne, Beurre Diel, Easter 
Beurre, FLeviish Beauty, jRush7nore, Forelle, Vicar of 
Winkfield Doyenne Boussock, Glout Morceaii, Wilkin- 
son, Seckel, Knight’s Monarch, Passe Colmar, St. Lezier 
Summer Franc Real, Louise Bonne de Jersey and 6 un- 
named — 43 varieties. Grapes — Catawba, Viuginia Seed- 
ling, Bland’s W^hite Sweetwater, Isabella, Warren and 2 
unknown — 7 varieties — total, .50 varieties. 
In all, 435 lots of fruits were shown, comprising over 
300 distinct varieties. Among those most worthy of 
notice were the Superb Muscat of Alexandria and Black 
Hamburg Grapes, shown by Mrs. A. Hull ; Mrs. Camak’s 
cluster of Belle Lucrative Pears; Col. Summer’s entire 
coilecnon was very attractive, an apple therein (the Men- 
agere) was 18 inches in circumference and weighed 2G^ 
ounces.) The finest Early Clingstone Peach was Mr. 
Nelson’s Fiewellen. The Thurmond Grape of Peters, 
Harden & Co , was an acquisition, as was also the Chinese 
Cling (peach) shown by them and Col. Summer. 
Every one witnessing this unexpectedly fine display 
must have felt his confidence in Southern fruit culture 
ous suckers from the root— 3 to 5 feet high. Leaves oval, 
acuminate, serrated, dark green and smooth on the upper 
surface, pale beneath, on petioles about a half inch long. 
The fruit is borne in simple racemes on short foot stalks 
which shoot out with a few leaves from the buds of the 
previous year. Berries, when ripe, about a half inch in 
diameter, globular, bright red, inclined to purplish, soft, 
juicy and sweet, but deficient in any decided flavor. 
This peculiarity of habit in producing the fruit on the 
buds ofthe previous year, will furnish a good indication of 
the best mode of trimming and training. 
There are now no less than six well marked varieties of 
Amelanchier Canadensis recorded in Torrey & Gray’s 
North AniericoM Flora, all of which have been noticed by 
the earlier Botanists under the names, Aronia, Pyrns, 
Mespilas, &c. 
It is “used by the Aborigines in the Northern regions 
as an article of food.” — North Am. Flora. 
The variety A. Botryo.pmm \^Aro'nm Bobryo.piurii, Ell. 
Sk ] which this resembles very much in its leaf, grows in 
the low country. It is more arborescent than our plant 
here, attaining a height of 10 to 15 feet, with a single trunk . 
It is there known as the “Currant tree,” and the fruit 
which also resembles this, is red and eatable. 
I This tendency to run into varieties is common to a vast 
j number of the Roseacece, as in the peach, apricot, plum 
j and other fruits ; the apple, pear, quince, &c.; the black- 
j berry, raspberry, strawberry, &c., and the rose. We have 
i thus a strong guarantee from its family affinities that an 
effort to propagate and improve, by seedlings and by good 
cultivation, will be attended with success. It is well worth 
a place for trial in our list of native Southern fruits. 
I am very respectfully yours, 
H. W. Ravenel. 
Aiken, S. C., Jane, 1856. 
Since the above was received, we find the follow- 
ing article in the South Carolina Agricidlurist , the new 
monthly of our friend. Col. Sum.mer : 
AMELANCHIER— XEAV AMERICAN FRUIT. 
greatly increased. Wm. N. White, Secretary. 
THE AMELANCHIER, OR, “CURRANT TREE”-A NEW 
SOUTHERN FRUIT. 
Editors Southern Cultivator 1 have received 
through our friend J. D. Legare, Esq., a request from you 
that I would furnish you with a description of our native 
“Currant,” which has been cultivated for a few years past 
in and around Aiken. These bushes were taken up about 
the margin of the creeks a few miles from this place. Mr. 
Purvis informs me that he has seen them growing abun- 
dantly along the course of Shaw's Creek, and hasi'requent- 
ly gathered them there in the ripe state. I regret that I 
lost the opportunity (being absent in the spring) of examin- 
ing them whilst in flower, and, therefore, cannot give 
their characters, which might aid in determining its posi- 
tion. 
I suppose it to be one of the varieties (probably a new 
variety) of Amelanchier Canadensis. Character. — Stem 
shrubby and much branched, disposed to shoot up numer- 
A stnlringand most attractive tree, frequently attaining 
the height of20 feet, is the “Shad flower,” or, “May Cher- 
ry.” The first flower-bearing tree which expands its 
white blossoms along the shores of our Southern rivers, its 
long racemose flowers shine out like snow-drifts, amongst 
the leafless trees, in iMay, its rich red fruit, contrasts in 
I sweetness with the fragrant strawberry, and is acceptable 
to the palate of most persons. The botanical name of this 
tree, is AmeUmchic r Botryo pium (Toney and Gray) but 
it was classed by Elliot as Aronia BoLryapivm. Trans- 
planted from the woods, it is generally fruitful and bears 
abundantly. It is a graceful ornament to the lawn, and is 
I not subject to the attarks of insects, retaining its light 
I green foliage till frost, jfitwerean exotic, it might be 
more popular as an ornamental tree, as amateurs usually 
I neglect the beautiful within reach of their homes, for popu- 
lar novelties from abroad. 
The Amelanchier Rolundifolia is another variety, re- 
markable dwarfed in its halrit, and is found widely dif- 
fused throughout middle South Carolina and Georgia. It 
ai*ijnsthe height of six feet, and flowering about the tenth 
of April, invariably produces a heavy crop of fine fruit. 
Several of our friends cultivate it, and it should fill the 
place in the Southern garden, which in Northern climate.^ 
