84 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
On January 10, the coldest day of the year, a 
cartman left at our office a barrel (freight paid) 
which on opening we found to contain a splen¬ 
did lot of red apples that differed a little from 
any variety described in the books. They were 
mostly touched by frost, but not too much so to 
prevent their being recognized as something un¬ 
usually good for the season. They cooked well 
and ate well, and their rich color, fair size, and 
good condition at this season ofthe year, indicated 
them to be worth looking after. The accompany¬ 
ing full sized sketch we took from an average 
specimen of those sent to us. These apples we 
find came from Mr. F. A. Rockwell, of Fairfield 
Co., Conn. They have been grown for many years 
in Ridgefield, where they are said to have origi¬ 
nated nearly a century ago on the farm of Dr. 
Baker, from whom they were named. This va¬ 
riety was also grown by Mr. Scott, and in some 
instances has been called the “ Scott Apple.” 
Like the Pinneo pear in eastern Connecticut, 
and many other excellent fruits elsewhere, there 
seems to have been no effort made to propagate 
and distribute the Baker Apple, and it has not 
we think, hitherto found its way into the books 
or nurseries, though it has been somewhat dis¬ 
seminated in the immediate neighborhood of its 
native locality where it is held in high esteem. 
Description. —The tree is said to be spreading, 
a vigorous grower, and prolific. Fruit, medium 
to large, oblate, sometimes globular and even ap¬ 
proaching to conical. Skin yellowish, shaded 
with red and crimson, somewhat striped ; stalk 
short and thick, inserted in a regular deep cavity, 
calyx of medium depth, closed ; flesh, yellowish 
with occasional veins of red, tender, rather dry 
with a mild sub-acid flavor. Season, from Octo¬ 
ber until April. Is now (Feb.) in good condition. 
•--—--- 
and sweet trees this 
spring, as an experiment. 
Benj. Borden, of Nor¬ 
ristown, Pa., in a recent 
letter describes- a tree 
he formerly well knew in 
Warren Co., N. J., which 
was similar to that of 
Mr. Denning. ‘‘A portion 
of the fruit ripened pre¬ 
maturely and was sweet. 
Others, ripening later, 
were, some sweet, some 
sour, and some sweet on 
one side and sour on the 
other. The main crop 
which arrived at full ma¬ 
turity later, were entirely 
sour. They were scarce¬ 
ly to be distinguished from well-grown Rhode 
Island Greenings ; and aside from its novelty, the 
fruit was considered as worthy of propagation, 
on account of its superior excellence.” 
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Plan of Plower Garden 
In arranging the flower garden, it is an excel¬ 
lent plan to set “ bedding-plants ” in circular and 
other fancy-shaped beds cut out in the lawn. Her¬ 
baceous perennials, biennials, annuals, small 
shrubs and vines, are best kept in a flower-gar¬ 
den by themselves, where their beauties may wax 
and wane without disturbing anybody’s fastidious 
taste. This little garden should be laid off on one 
side of the pleasure-grounds, and be partially hid 
from the highly dressed lawn by thickets of 
shrubbery. Whatever is disagreeable in its dug 
beds, and perhaps straggling and sometimes de¬ 
caying plants, will then be concealed from the 
chance visitor to the house ; and whatever is 
agreeable in a surprise, and a cosy corner con¬ 
taining all sorts of flowers, will then be realised. 
Apple Tree Ereaks. 
We continue to receive letters from various 
sections of the country respecting that tree pro¬ 
ducing half-sweet, half-sour apples, which we de¬ 
scribed in November (Vol. 17, page 323.) It is 
noteworthy that while nearly all these letters tell 
how such an anomaly may be produced—viz., by 
halving two buds carefully and setting a sweet 
and sour half together—yet none of the writers 
tell us they have themselves actually performed 
the experiment or seen it done. We propose 
that those interested should the present Spring 
try the operation in the manner described in our 
December number (Vol. 17, page 368). We have 
received the favor of some scions from Mr. Den¬ 
ning’s tree, which we shall engraft upon both sour 
After trying, in his own grounds, square, dia¬ 
mond-shaped, oval and other sorts of beds, the 
writer hit upon the above plan which suits well. 
The center bed (oval) has a collection of blue 
and white flowering plants, such as Larkspurs, 
Pyrethrums and Achilleas. In the middle, is a 
Clematis flammula, trained upon a harp-shaped 
frame about seven feet high. This bed is seven 
feet long and five wide. The four beds, next 
around it, are occupied with miscellaneous plants ; 
and as they are mostly such as we can recom¬ 
mend for similar gardens, we will mention the 
names of the larger portion. One of these four 
beds is entirely filled with Phloxes, early and late. 
They are P. Alba perfecta,Van Houttii,Surpass Mar¬ 
tin, Striata Supcrbissima, Abdul Medjii, La Paon, 
Marianne, Reinc Louise. Another bed has her¬ 
baceous Spiraeas. Another has Campanulas, Lily 
ofthe Valley, Ragged Robin, Scarlet Lychnis, 
Monkshood and Fraxinellas. Another has Po- 
tentillas, Ranunculus, Lythrum, Forget-me-not, 
Sweet William, Baptiseas, Sweet Violets, Colum¬ 
bines, etc. These beds are about ten feet long 
and four and a half wide. The outer bed is sev¬ 
en feet in width. Its inner border is decked with 
low, early flowering plants, such as daisies, poly¬ 
anthus, Iris, daffodils and snow-drops Next be¬ 
hind these are set various medium-sized herba¬ 
ceous plants, with spaces left between them for 
annual flowers. In the rear of all, are shrubs and 
vines, such as roses, spiraeas, deutzias, Weigelias, 
laburnums, forsythia, florvering almond, Japan 
quince, honeysuckles, etc. This flower garden 
occupies a corner of our grounds, and is so com¬ 
pletely surrounded by shrubbery, that it can not 
be seen from the neighboring street, so that 
ladies and children may enjoy it at any hour 
of the day, without being exposed to the gaze of 
the public highway. On one side, under a group 
of low trees and shrubs, is a rustic seat, where 
a company can sit in the shade, and enjoy a view 
of the garden in the hottest day of Summer. 
Planning the Garden. 
In gardening, as well as in farming and almost 
everything else, it is best to work upon some 
definite and fixed plan. Energy will accomplish 
something, even if working at hap-hazard, but not 
half so much as if directed by good rules. For 
this reason, it is wise to begin the horticultural 
year by drawing up a well considered plan for the 
garden. And now, this very month of March, is 
the time to do this. 
If your garden is already formed, with vines, 
dwarf-trees and bushes long planted, it may be 
too late to make any material change in its ar¬ 
rangement. But if not, a few suggestions may 
be adopted. One very important item in plan¬ 
ning a garden, is to economise room ; another is 
to set the different plants so that they will not 
shade or otherwise interfere with each other; 
and another is to set them all so as to facilitate 
the work ofthe gardener. 
To accomplish these several ends, lay off a 
border on the four sides of the garden, (which we 
now suppose to be a square, or parallelogram,) 
from four to six feet wide, according to the ex¬ 
tent of your ground. Devote this border chiefly 
to grape vines, dwarf trees, etc. As most grape 
vines succeed best in a warm and sunny exposure, 
set them on the northern border, where they will 
be protected from cold winds by a high and tight 
fence behind them, and may receive the warm 
rays of the sun. They may be trained on this 
fence, or, which is better, upon a trellis, a foot or 
more away from it, allowing a circulation of air 
behind. The eastern border may be devoted 
to currants and gooseberries, and the southern 
to raspberries and blackberries, as they thrive 
well under the partial shade of a fence. The 
west border may be occupied with dwarf pears, 
dwarf cherries, etc. If these vines, trees and 
bushes do not fully occupy the borders, rows of 
strawberries may be set around upon ther edges, 
making an ornamental finish, and being at the 
same time very useful. The remainder of the 
ground, if quite extensive, may be divided into 
four squares, with ivalks intersecting at right 
angles, in the middle of the garden. If the space 
is small, one walk through the centre will be 
sufficient. These walks (one or more,) may have 
