90 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
Flemish Beauty Pear 
In further pursuance of 
our design of illustrating 
some of the best fruits, 
whether new or not, we 
have chosen for this 
number a member of the 
pear family. The Flem¬ 
ish Beauty is one of a 
select circle of Pears 
tesommended by our Po- 
mologists for general 
cultivation. Like most 
peats, it loves a rich 
clayey-loam soil, with an 
open exposure, and good 
cultivation. With these 
advantages it is a large, 
fine, delicious fruit. The 
tree is thrifty, and the 
wood strong and upright. 
It ripens late in Septem¬ 
ber, and early in October, 
and like all pears, re¬ 
quires picking and laying 
by before fully ripe. 
When so treated, it is a 
rich, delicious, and melt¬ 
ing fruit. 
The skin is slightly 
rough, pale yellow in 
color, turning, as it ri¬ 
pens, to a ruddy hue. 
The tree is a great bear¬ 
er, and when standing in the grounds, loaded with 
its hanging fruit in early Autumn, few pears 
will compare in the luxury of its appearance with 
the Flemish Beauty. 
Trouble among Apple Trees in Delaware. 
ro the Editor of the American Agriculturist: 
I am in trouble with my apple orchard, and 
come to you for advice. Twelve years ago last 
Spring I planted one acre with an assortment of 
the best kinds that Western New-York could pro¬ 
duce. Soil a deep sandy loam—situation high, 
with a north-east exposure. They have grown 
finely, and the two past seasons borne some fruit. 
I have not yet had a full crop on any of the 
trees, except the R. I. Greenings and the Fall 
Orange. But the worst of it is that they will rot 
m the trees, —the above kinds, the Strawberry and 
the Spitzenburgh in particular. I cultivated the 
trees for several years while young, since then 
the sod has not been disturbed. Manured on top 
with stable manure and superphospate, in Sprint 
of ’56 and ’57. 
What is to be done to prevent the rot and make 
the trees more productive 1 Had I better turn 
the sod under this Fall 1 Would an application 
of lime or ashes tend to check the rot? 
I scraped the trunks last Spring, and soaped 
them after the most approved plan. There is no 
surplus water in the subsoil. The field adjoining 
has produced 60 to 90 bushels of corn per acre, 
and I think such a soil should produce more and 
better apples. I would blame the change to a 
longer and warmer Fall; but the Russet, which 
has lor.g been acclimated here, is equally affected. 
I should have said that I am careful to gather 
and destroy wormy apples ; hand-picked what 
were not rotten the middle of October. My Green¬ 
ings and Spitzenburghs are equal in size and 
quality, to any I have seen from your State, but 
they are going, going, gone—the way of all the 
earth, including the potatoes. Stop them, my dear 
Sir, and look out for a Club (of Subscribers?) the 
1st of January. Yours, for big apples, 
Jas. 0. Jackson. 
New Castle Co., Del., Nov. 11, 1857. 
Remarks.— We can hardly prescribe for the 
difficulty which our correspondent represents 
without a personal observation of the premises, 
and an accurate knowledge of some circumstan¬ 
ces beyond those he notes ; and perhaps not then 
could we give him any light on the subject. It is 
quite evident that the Strawberry and Spitzen¬ 
burgh varieties are not congenial to his soil. 
Western New-York is no guide in fruits to Dela¬ 
ware, where other varieties, strangers to that dis¬ 
tant region, may flourish in great perfection. As 
we are publishing a course of papers germane to 
this very subject, our correspondent may see in 
what is there written his own difficulty. The 
treatment he gives his trees is certainly not in 
fault; and if, while some other good varieties of 
apples flourish and succeed with him, the refrac¬ 
tory kinds do not mend their manners, were the 
case our own, we should, without hesitation, at 
once saw off their tops and insert one that will. 
We would make a short case of such a matter. 
--o_--■-- «-- 
Important and Valuable Articles on Fruits. 
On page 17, will be found the first of a 
series of articles on Fruit Culture. These arti¬ 
cles will probably be continued through the vol¬ 
ume and embrace the different kinds of standard 
fruits in general culture. While in the various 
articlesappearing in this journal it is the Agricul¬ 
turist that speaks, and not this or that particular 
individual, we take the liberty to say that the 
series on frurts, referred to, is written by one of 
the most experienced fruit growers in the country. 
The articles will, however, speak for themselves, 
and we doubt not attract general attention; and 
ooking at the matter in a pecuniary light—as the 
publishing arid responsible editor must do profes 
sionally—we have no doubt but this single series 
of articles will alone richly repay every reader oi 
the Agriculturist all that he has or may invest on 
subscription account. 
Fruit growing is becoming more and more im¬ 
portant to the farmers of the country. Not one 
fourth enough is now produced to meet the pres¬ 
ent actual wants of our markets while the numer¬ 
ous rail-roads are opening new avenues, and pro¬ 
ducing a greatly increased demand for fruits of 
all lands. And to us it seems that there is no 
more agreeable or profitable pursuit opened to 
farmers and others. 
Flower Seeds for Distribution. 
Elsewhere we present a list of Seeds to be dis¬ 
tributed to our subscribers. Among these are 
a variety of Flower Seeds, most of which we 
are getting from Europe, where more atten¬ 
tion is given to cultivating them in purity and of 
the best varieties. These seeds are quite expen¬ 
sive, costing from $1 to over &30 per pound, and 
of course but small parcels can be given to each 
applicant, though enough of three kinds will be 
sent to each one to plant a small plot, and furnish 
a fine supply of seed for the future. Directions 
for culture will be given from time to time, at or 
before the appropriate season for planting. We 
now append brief notes descriptive of their char¬ 
acteristics, with engravings of a few' of them 
Several of those not illustrated are quite as beau 
tiful, but we could not, at this time, procure good 
specimens for taking drawings from, and there¬ 
fore have only engraved such as we chanced to 
have already penciled. Others will be shown 
hereafter. 
Large Flow'ering Mignonette, (Reseda odor 
ala.)—A very fragrant annual, with flowers more 
prized for their delightful perfume than for size or 
beauty. A vigorous grower, blooming from early 
Summer until Autumn frosts. Sown late in the 
season they form fine pet plants for Winter 
blooming in the parlor. 
Virginian Stock—White and Red, ( Malcomia 
marilima .)—A fine, 
rather low, bushy 
growing annual. It 
is the smaller plant 
on the left of fig. I. 
Ten Week Stock, 
(Matthiola grandiflo- 
ra.) —Called also 
“ Stock-gilly.” This 
blossoms in spikes, 
as seen in the large 
plant, in fig. 1. Each 
flower is double, and 
somewhat ragged in 
appearance. They 
require a long sea¬ 
son to arrive at per¬ 
fection. Much used 
as a pot-plant in 
Virginian Stock. winter. 
Nasturtium, (Tropceolum majus .)—An easily cul¬ 
tivated annual; on rich ground often runs several 
feet as a vine, bearing a bright yellow flower, vary¬ 
ing in color to orange and crimson. It makes a 
showy plant for walls and trellises, and the seed 
capsules, picked in a green state, are highly prized 
for pickling. It therefore serves the double pur¬ 
pose of ornament and utility. 
Nemophila, ( insignis .)—Called also “ Love 
Grove.” A hardy annual, bearing beautiful blue 
flowers, of dwarfish habit, blooming only six or 
