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AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
275 
until next season. If sawdust is visible, or any 
part of the bark seems dead, remove the decayed 
part with a sharp pointed knife. The borer leaves 
behind him a hole packed full of sawdust, and 
this is to be followed up with the knife, until 
you come upon the sinner taken in the very act. 
Put the sharp steel into him without any com¬ 
punctions of conscience. 
We have found it a good plan to keep ashes or 
lime around the collar of the tree. They are not 
only distasteful to the borer, but they aid the 
growth of the tree, and have a tendency to throw 
it into bearing. These and other insects are 
now so numerous, in the older States, that, if we 
have apples, we must give constant attention to 
the trees. This work can be done at any time 
before the ground closes up for the winter. 
--- 
Inverted Trees. 
So similar are the organs of roots and branch¬ 
es that, in many cases, they will thrive well if 
they are made to change places. Andrew Knight, 
the eminent physiologist of England, was the first 
to discover this. If we bend down a young plum 
or cherry tree, and bury the branches, (or a large 
portion of them,) in the earth, they will throw 
out roots, and the original roots being afterwards 
gradually detached, will send forth leaves, and in 
the course of time will produce flowers and fruit. 
Let some of the young orchardists whom we are 
training up, try this experiment, and report pro¬ 
gress to us. 
Superstition about tbe Ash Tree. 
In the Highlands of Scotland, at the birth of a 
child, it is said that the nurse takes a branch of 
the ash tree, one end of which she puts into the 
fire, and while it is burning, receives into a spoon 
the sap which oozes from the other end : this 
she gives to the child to be mingled with its first 
blood. It is supposed to impart wonderful virtue. 
In Kings county, Scotland, near Kenetry church 
is a famous Ash, the trunk of which is now 
twenty one feet ten inches in circumference. 
When a funeral of one of the peasantry passes 
by this tree, the procession pauses, the body is 
laid down for a few minutes, while all offer a few 
words of prayer. Then each person casts a stone 
to increase the heap which has been accumulated 
over its roots. This is imagined to benefit both 
the dead and the living. 
There is an ancient saying that “a serpent 
would rather creep into the fire than over a twig 
of an ash-tree.” Cowley, enumerating various 
prodigies, says: 
“On the wild Ash’s top the bats and owls, 
With all night, ominous, and baleful fowls, 
Sate brooding, while the screeching of the doves 
Profaned and violated all the groves.” 
There, we have recorded superstition enough 
for one day. It is surprising how many of such 
follies will creep into men’s minds. Let us avoid 
teaching them to our children. 
- —•——-»#>- - ►-«- - 
What can be Done with the Gooseberry. 
“What fruit is this!” has been frequently 
asked, as visitors to the Agriculturist office have 
examined jars in which some extraordinary speci¬ 
mens are preserved in alcohol, and exclamations 
of incredulity have often followed when we have 
replied “ Gooseberries.” “ They look like mam¬ 
moth plums ” says one; “ better call them gander 
berries” facetiously suggests another. To those 
who have seen only the common sorts generally 
grown, these berries are truly a marvel. They 
average over four and a half inches in circumfer¬ 
ence, and unlike many other fruits, the increased 
size is not at the expense of flavor. Those in 
our possession are not the largest grown in the 
neighborhood from which they were received, but 
were specimens too small to enter for competition 
at the Annual Gooseberry Exhibition held at 
Paterson, N. J., on the 16th of July. 
We are indebted to Mr. Thomas Graves for the 
samples, and for the following notes on the Ex¬ 
hibition. A comparison with the weights of fruit 
exhibited previous years, and published in our 
last volume, shows that the berries are still im¬ 
proving. The report is as follows : 
Name of Grower. Name of Berries. Color, oz.pwts.grs. 
H. Wilkinson... Speedwell.Red.*1 2 9 
Jitmes Cocker ..Conquering Hero.Red _*1 0(1 05 
Isaac Cocker_Pilot.Yellow.*1 (10 22 
George Porrett .Paterson Seedling, Am.Green . .*() 13 07 
II. Isherwood... Floria.White. .*0 14 00 
Jas. Cocker, jr.. Pilot.Yellow .to 15 08 
W. Scoweraft.. .Pilot.Yellow .to 15 08 
H. Wilkinson.. .Speedwell.Red.1 01 09 
Isaac Cocker .. .Conquering Hero.Red. 18 10 
George Porrett..Passaic, Am. Seedling.Red. 18 06 
James Cocker...Useful.Red. 17 10 
H. Wilkinson.. .Slaughterman.Red. 10 15 
J. Fairelough... Lion.Red. 16 00 
J. Fairelough... Companion.Red. 15 22 
George Porrett..Maiden.Red. 15 08 
Isaac Cocker . ..Pilot.r.Yellow.. 19 22 
Isaac Cocker ... Leveler.Yellow.. 19 15 
George Porrett .Railroad.Yellow .. 19 15 
Isaac Cocker .. .Cathernier.Yellow.. 17 14 
J. Fairelough... Creeping Jane.Yellow.. 16 00 
James Cocker . .Two to one.Yellow.. 15 10 
E. F. Garside..Drill.Yellow.. 14 20 
George Porrett. .Washington, A.seedlingYellow .. 13 15 
Isaac Cocker . ..Overall.Green_ 19 12 
Isaac Cocker .. .Turnout.Green— 18 20 
Isaac Cocker ... Thumper.Green_ 18 02 
J. Fairelough.. .Green Wonderful.Green... 17 16 
J. Fairelough... Queen Victoria.Green... 16 10 
J. Fairelough.. .Scantling Green.Green ... 13 22 
George Porrett .General.Green ... 09 00 
George Porrett.Seedling.Green... 10 17 
J. Fairelough.. .White Lion.White... 17 15 
Isaac Cocker .. .London City.White... 17 04 
James Cocker . .Cosick.’.White... 10 14 
Isaac Cocker... Garside White.White... 16 07 
J. Fairelough.. .Freedom.. White ... 15 10 
J. Fairelough.. .Antagonist.White... 15 09 
Isaac Cocker... Eagle.White... 15 14 
II. Wilkinson... Tally Ho.White ... 14 09 
* Prizes awarded. + Maiden prizes awarded. 
Mr. George Porrett exhibited a pair of twin 
berries weighing 1 oz. 17 pvvts. 20 grs. Mr. Wil¬ 
kinson's largest berry weighed 1 oz. 4 dwt., but 
being bursted, was not allowed in competition. 
Those not designated in the above table 
as American Seedlings, were English sorts. 
The exhibition was largely attended, and gave 
great satisfaction. It will aid in bringing this ex¬ 
cellent fruit into more general and deserved no¬ 
tice, to know what results can be obtained from 
painstaking in its cultivation. 
American Pomological Society. 
We give below the official announcement of 
the Eighth Session of the American Pomological 
Society, to be held at Philadelphia, beginning on 
the 11th day of this month. The design of the 
Society, and the objects to be accomplished, are 
so fully set forth in the announcement below, 
that nothing need be said on this. We will offer 
a suggestion to the members. This Society may 
do much for the promotion of fruit growing, as 
we doubt not it has already done. But it should 
take into consideration all classes of fruit, and 
sufficient time should be taken at the meeting to 
do justice to each department. Two or three 
days once in two years is not time enough. The 
meeting should remain in session nearly a week. 
Again, it is well known that several of the lead¬ 
ing members of the Society are specially inter¬ 
ested in pear culture, and owing to this fact, more 
than half of the time of the last meeting was de¬ 
voted to this one fruit, and the discussion upon 
several other fruits was crowded into a few min¬ 
utes each. We suggest that at the forthcoming 
meeting the Society first take up the smaller 
fruits, and go through with them thoroughly, fol¬ 
lowing with grapes, apples, etc., and then devote 
what time remains to the discussion of pears and 
other specialties. In this way the Society will 
consult the interest of the great mass of the peo¬ 
ple. While we would not say one word against 
pear culture, but would desire to see this fruit 
much more generally grown, the small fruits, 
strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, 
grapes,, etc., are really the most important for 
three-fourths of all the cultivators in the country 
As these have received comparatively little at¬ 
tention at former meetings of the Society, we 
hope they may come in for the first and most 
prominent place in the discussion at the Philadel¬ 
phia meeting. If the Society shall do no more 
than to awaken such an interest in these fruits as 
to be the means of securing a plot of improved 
strawberries of the best kind, on twice as many 
farms and village plots as they are now found 
upon, it will have accomplished a vast amount of 
real good to the country. 
The Eighth Session of this Institution will be hell in 
the city of Philadelphia, commencing on the 11th of Sep¬ 
tember, at 10 o’clock A. M , and will be continued for 
several days. 
This Society, the first National Institution (or the pro¬ 
motion of Pomological Science, was organized in the year 
1848. Its sessions have brought together the most distin¬ 
guished cultivators of our country ■ its transactions have 
embodied their various researches and ripest experience, 
and its Calalogue of Fruits has become the acknowledged 
standard of American Pomology. 
Its example has created a general taste for this science, 
inspired pomologists with greater zeal, and called into 
existence many kinrlred associations. Its progress has 
been remarkable and gratifying, but it still has a great 
work to perform. Its general catalogue should, from 
lime to time, be enlarged and perfected, and local cata¬ 
logues formed, embracing the fruits adapted to each Slate 
and Territory of the Union. The last of these sugges¬ 
tions was made by the Chairman of the General Fruit 
Committee, at the seventh session of the Society, in the 
year 1858. This lias been carefully considered, and is 
deemed worthy of special attention. It is, therefore, ear¬ 
nestly recommended that each State Pomological, Horti¬ 
cultural, or Agricultural Society, charge its Fruit Com¬ 
mittee with the duty of collecting information, and pre¬ 
senting the same, with descriptive lists of Fruits adapted 
to their location. 
The importance of this subject, and the increasing value 
of the fruit crop of the United States, call fora prompt 
and cordial response to this request,—for a careful prepa¬ 
ration of said list, and fora full and able representation, 
at the approaching session, from all parts of the country. 
The various State Committees of this Society are ex¬ 
pected to submit accurate and full reports of the condition 
and progress of fruit culture within their limits, together 
with definite answers to each of the following questions. 
These reports, it is desirable, should be forw arded to the 
Chairman of the General Fruit Committee, Hon. Samuel 
Walker, Roxbury, Mass., if possible, as early as the 1st 
of September, or to Thomas W. Field, Esq., Secretary, 
Brooklyn, New-York. 
What six, twelve, and twenty varieties of the Apple 
are best adapted to an orchard of one hundred trees, for 
family use,—and how many of each sort should it, con¬ 
tain 1 What varieties, and how many of each, are’ best 
for an orchard of one thousand trees, designed to bear 
fruit for the market ? 
What six and twelve varieties of the Pear are best 
for family use on the Pear stock ! What varieties on the 
Quince stock 1 What varieties, and how many of each of 
these are best adapted to a Pear orchard of one hundred 
or of one thousand trees? 
Answers to these questions should be made from relia¬ 
ble experience, and w ilh reference to the proximity or re¬ 
moteness of the market. 
Held, as this Convention will be, in a city easily acces¬ 
sible from all parts of the country, it is anticipated that 
the coming session will be one of the most useful the So¬ 
ciety has ever heid. Societies, therefore, in every State 
and Territory of the Union, and the Provinces of British 
America, are requested to send such number of delegates 
as they may choose to elect. Fruit-growers, Nursery¬ 
men, and all others interested in the art of Pomology, are 
invited to be present—to become members, and to take 
part in the deliberations of the Convention. 
In order to increase as much as possible the interest ot 
the occasion; members and delegates are requested to 
forward for Exhibition as large collections of fruit as 
practicable, including specimens of all the rare and val¬ 
uable varieties grown in their respective districts, aud 
esteemed worthy of notice; also, papers descriptive ol 
their mode of cultivation—of diseases and insects injuri¬ 
ous to vegetation—of remedies for the same, and lo com¬ 
municate whatever may aid in promoting the objects of 
the meeting. Each contributor is requested to make out 
a complete list of his contributions, and present the same 
with his fruits, that a report of all the varieties entered, 
may be submitted to the meeting as soon as practicable 
after its organization. 
Societies will please transmit to the Secretary, at an 
early day, a list of the delegates they have appointed. 
Gentlemen desirous of becoming members, can remP 
the admission fee to 'Dhomas P. James, Esq., Treasurer, 
Philadelphia, who w ill furnish them w ith the Transac¬ 
tions of the Society. Life Membership, twenty dollars ; 
Biennial, two dollars. 
Packages of fruit may be addressed to Thos. P. James 
630 Market-street, Philadelphia. 
MARSHALL P. WILDER. President, Boston, Mass 
Thomas W. Field, Secretary, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
