1861 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
145 
May Day Festival—A Holiday of the 
Right Sort. 
We do not refer now to any old English cus¬ 
tom, nor to the time-honored usage of any coun¬ 
try. Why may not Young America originate a 
festival for other nations to observe ? We pro¬ 
pose a May-Day Tree-Planting Festival. There 
is many a street or public square, or Academy- 
Green, or open ground around the churches in 
every town, which needs the shelter and shade 
of trees. It is not an easy work for individuals 
to attend to these public wants; at least, the 
work is not likely to be done if left to them. It 
needs die enthusiasm that comes from numbers 
associated together for a common object, and it 
needs their united strength. We therefore pro¬ 
pose to our friends everywhere, to fix upon the 
first of May, or some day soon after, when they 
will turn out together for a tree-setting holiday. 
The particular method of doing this work is 
not very important , but some kind of plan should 
be fixed upon, and measures taken to carry it 
out effectively. 
Here is one plan: the inhabitants of North 
Street agree to devote the 10th day of May to 
adorning their street with two rows of shade 
trees. Each man promises to be on the ground 
at ten o’clock A. M., with five trees of the best 
sort ready for planting. After all have arrived, 
and exchanged greetings, they appoint one of 
their number President for the day, and then pro¬ 
ceed to planting. The holes are to be dug of 
generous size, the trees are to stand at least eight 
feet from the fences, so as to allow of ample 
side-walks, and thirty to forty feet apart, so that 
the tops of the trees may develop their 
foliage fully on every side. Each tree is to be 
set out carefully, so that it will be sure to make 
a vigorous growth. All these matters are to be 
looked after by the President, who is armed, for 
the day, with despotic power. 
We forgot to mention, above, that their wives 
and children and sweet-liearts are to accompany 
the planters—not to hinder their work, but to 
cheer it on, and crown its close with a collation. 
If an address be given by the clergyman of the 
parish, or by some other suitable person, and if 
there be toasts and short speeches and singing 
by others, these things will add much to the in¬ 
terest of the occasion. This is but one plan; 
perhaps a better can be adopted. 
Doubtless,- many of our readers will remem¬ 
ber that, last year, when it was announced that 
the Prince of Wales would visit Canada, the 
leading men of Toronto consulted together how 
they might secure some lasting memento of his 
visit. They at length determined that the re¬ 
membrance should be in the shape of an avenue 
of tr^es to be called “the Prince’s Walk,” and 
to be formed along one of their finest streets and 
bordering the Esplanade. Last Spring, a com¬ 
pany of gentlemen, among whom was the bish¬ 
op of Toronto, proceeded to carry out the design, 
by planting quite a number of trees on the spot 
referred to, leaving intervals for his Royal High¬ 
ness to fill up when he should visit the city. The 
long expected time and the noble visitor arrived, 
and the trees were planted, and they will doubt¬ 
less live and flourish in memory of the Prince, 
long after he has passed away from the earth. 
Now, every one will exclaim, “ Good!” to 
that. The tree-planting was good, and the loy¬ 
al and friendly feeling for the young Prince was 
good. We have, indeed, no Royal visit to com¬ 
memorate, but we have other reasons enough to 
induce us to adorn our road-sides with um¬ 
brageous trees. Shall not this work be prose¬ 
cuted this Spring, with great energy ? What 
say our young readers, and the older ones, too, 
who have not lost all the juices of their youth, 
or their public spirit! 
Letter from Pod Auger, Esq. 
DWABr APPLES—GRAPES—WHITE STRAWBERRIES. 
Up m the Mountains , Tioga Co., Pa. ) 
In the Spring of 1861. j 
Mr. Editor : Nearly two years ago I think, 
(see Yol. XVIII, 1859, Feb. No.,) I did indite an 
■epistle unto the editor of the American Agricul¬ 
turist, humbly entreating said Editor, or some of 
his 500,000 readers to give a tyro some informa¬ 
tion on the subject of dwarf apple trees. The 
letter was duly published, with a note by the 
Editor, asking some one to respond; but unfor¬ 
tunately the subject only related to that old- 
fashioned fruit, the apple, and no one did so. 
The horticultural and pomological world being 
just then rather absorbed in the all-engrossing 
question of pear on pear, versus pear on quince, 
I was left to the pursuit of pomological 
“knowledge under difficulties,” and thrown 
back on the Yankee within me. Having frequent 
calls from tree-dealers, I took to button-holding 
them unmercifully for the desired information, 
and at last found out, what any intelligent po- 
mologist should have been able to tell me, that 
the Doucain—much used for dwarfing the apple 
—was not a proper dwarf, but a slow-growing 
tree or semi-standard, while the Paradise was a 
true dwarf, which might very properly be plant¬ 
ed at intervals of six feet. So much for dwarf 
and semi-dwarf stocks. 
What varieties do best as dwarfs ? That was 
the next question, and-one not so easily answered 
by a tyro, while the information to be derived 
from dealers and propagators, who had large 
assortments of many varieties which they must 
sell or lose, did not seem the thing on which to 
rely, for one who could plant but a few trees, 
and could not afford to make mistakes. In or¬ 
der to come to this point rightly, I turned “ ob- 
servationist,” and took to haunting the gardens 
of all my friends who had dwarf apple trees un¬ 
der cultivation. Fortunately, the past season 
was most propitious for observations of this 
character; and, putting what knowledge I have 
been able to glean the past season, with the 
notes of several previous years, I can name a 
few varieties of apples that may be depended on 
for a most liberal crop, either on the Paradise or 
Doucain: For two varieties, one summer and 
one winter, Early Joe and Wagener. For four 
varieties, add Red Astrachan and Baldwin. 
There are doubtless other varieties nearly as 
productive as the above, but, of some twenty 
varieties which I have seen fairly tried, they 
were the only satisfactory kinds; the Early Joe 
bearing full crops of “ best ” apples, and the 
Wagener overbearing, as it usually does in fact, 
either as a dwarf or standard; while the Astra¬ 
chan and Baldwin have proved free, regular 
bearers. 
Now, who can speak with knowledge and 
certainty as to the newer varieties of grapes ? 
Not as to quality—that can be easily got at; 
nor as to rapidity of growth, or even hardiness, 
for these are points easily settled. But who can 
tell us how many of them will thrive when 
stubbed down to the short-rod system, or as one 
cultivator and writer recommends, stubbed down 
to the ground every alternate year. 
How many, and which varieties, will continue 
thrifty and productive under the single cane 
system in vogue about Cincinnati ? Will the Con¬ 
cord ? or the Clinton ? Has any body tried i' 
on the Hartford Prolific ? on the Delaware 01 
the Logan ? and if so, with what success ? Sure 
ly some of these varieties have been in cultiva¬ 
tion long enough to have these points tested. 
In my last I mentioned some varieties of wild 
white strawberries as being excellent, and sc 
large as to seem worth the trouble of cultivating 
in the garden. Well, I tried them for two sea'’- 
sons, and made up my mind that they were 
11 adapted to certain localities,” said localities 
being side-liill pastures and meadows, mostly. 
They proved very productive in vines and foliage, 
but the berries were actually smaller than when 
grown in the wild state, and they were less pro¬ 
ductive, so I raised them on a spading fork, and 
threw them over the fence. 
Yours, as, of old, Pod Auger. 
A Hew Winter Pear. 
The Duchesse d’Angouleme is not indeed the 
best Autumn pear, yet the vigor and produc¬ 
tiveness of the tree, and the size and good qual¬ 
ity of the fruit, when in perfection, make it a de¬ 
sirable variety for orchard culture. A like suc¬ 
cess, which no Winter pear haslet obtained, 
seems reserved for a new fruit, which was 
crowned by tlie Horticultural Society of Haute 
Garonne, France, and honored with the name 
of Duchesse d’Hiver, or Winter Duchess. The 
editors of the Revue Horticole highly recom¬ 
mend it from their own personal knowledge. 
Both on the pear and quince, it unites great vigor 
with great and precocious productiveness. The 
fruit, in size, form and color, resembles the 
Duchesse d’Angouleme. The skin is of a much 
clearer green, less spotted, washed with red ol 
the sunny side, and at maturity of a paler yei 
low. The flesh is melting, juicy, sugary, and 
often highly perfumed. It .ripens gradually, 
from the first of January to the last of March. 
The blossoms, which are large and number 
from 6 to 8 in the same cluster, set well. We 
hope this may prove to be with us a desirable 
Winter pear. Many of our imported varieties 
are of the highest excellence, yet very often 
those that are greatly esteemed abroad, are here 
found to be of inferior quality. 
Suggestions about Dwarf Pears. 
The fine crops of pears on the quince stock,,, 
everywhere enjoyed last year, will undoubtedly 
revive the drooping faith of planters, and lead 
to larger and longer trials. A hint or two, here, 
may be of service to the young planter. 
1. Take pains in the selection of varieties. 
Not every sort succeeds well on the quince-root. 
Some thrive well for a year or two, and then 
fail. Others do well if double-worked, i.e., if 
budded on a grafted limb. Study the fruit-books, 
and especially the reports of local societies. 
Consult some experienced and honest fruit-grow¬ 
er in the neighborhood, and find what his opin¬ 
ions are. Probably no one doubts that the 
Louise Bonne de Jersey, and Duchesse d’Angou¬ 
leme, and Yicar of Winkfield, succeed well. 
Take these for granted. A few others may be 
added, on which, however, planters are not so 
unanimous. Among them we name: Osband’s 
Summer, Doyenne d’ Ete, Tyson, Buffum, 
Buerre d’ Amanlis, Beurre Diel, Glout Morceau, 
Easter Beurre, Stevens’ Genesee. 
2. Choose low-worked trees. After a good 
deal of controversy, and varied success from 
different methods, planters are settling down 
