1863.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
337 
For the American Agriculturist, 
What Dwarf Pears to Plant. 
A note from a Hartford correspondent in¬ 
quires for better varieties of dwarfs to plant 
than the Glout Morceau, or Vicar of Winkfield. 
Whoever plants dwarfs, necessarily makes a 
venture, unless he have some neighbor who has 
done pioneer service for him. No one can tell 
beforehand just what varieties will give the best 
results in his soil and climate. If we had no 
experience or observation in our own neighbor¬ 
hood to draw upon, we would take the list of 
dwarfs recommended in Downing’s Fruit Book 
for the best six or twelve varieties. Most fruit 
growers would agree in the main upon these 
varieties, for the list has been adopted, as the 
result of their experience. This experience is 
drawn from all the best fruit regions in the 
Northern States. Any one following this list, 
would probably get eight pears in a dozen, that 
would give the best results, in Iris own garden. 
If we had an enterprising neighbor who had 
been planting dwarf pears, say for ten years, in 
soil similar to our own, we would rather take 
his experience for our guide, than the list re¬ 
commended by Downing, if it should happen to 
vary in some particulars. As to better varieties 
than those named by our correspondent, it is 
not claimed by any that the Vicar of Winkfield 
is first rate. Col. Wilder has said, that if he 
could have but one pear it should be this, and 
we should not quarrel with him in this matter 
of taste. We do not claim for it that it has no 
superior in flavor, but, that when well grown, 
it is good enough for any body. In other re¬ 
spects it has so many good qualities, that no 
garden ought to be without it. The tree is a 
good grower on both stocks, the foliage is very 
beautiful, and hangs on to the last, it bears 
abundantly every year, the fruit is large, and 
may be had in good eating condition, with lit¬ 
tle difficulty, for at least ten weeks in the year. 
It is well known, and commands a high, though 
not the highest price in the market. It is adapt¬ 
ed to a wide range of soil and climate. What 
we mean when we say that there are better 
pears than this, is, that there are those of 
better flavor, unless this is kept to Mid-winter. 
The Glout Morceau, though of the best 
where it does well, has many faults. It is a late 
bearer at best, and with most cultivators a very 
capricious bearer. We have had no crop worth 
saving since 1858, until the present year. They 
are very fine this Fall, so far as our observation 
has extended. Yet the fruit is so good that we 
are not prepared to exchange it for another, 
even with this unfavorable experience. It is 
said to do much better as the tree gets age. 
As better varieties for the quince stock than 
these, we would name the Flemish Beauty, 
Beurre Diel, Lawrence, Urbaniste, Beurre d’ 
Anjou, Doyenne Boussock, Easter Beurre, and 
Winter Nelis. Wherever the Duchesse d’ An- 
gouleme does well, we would add it to the list. 
We are informed that the Duchesse does not 
succeed well in the vicinity of Hartford, Conn. 
The true doctrine in regard to dwarf pears is 
this : let the amateur experiment, and all others, 
confine themselves to the very few, less than a 
dozen, varieties that are known to do well in 
the neighborhood, and that command a good 
price in the market. It is more than half with 
the fruit grower, to sell his crop, after he has 
raised it. A much better new fruit than the 
Bartlett, would not sell for half its price, simply 
because it was unknown to the public. The 
making of a reputation for a fruit is a very 
slow process. It has taken sixty years to 
give the Bartlett its present general popularity. 
We have abiding faith in the success of dwarf 
pears. For small gardens, for fruit growers who 
cater for city markets, and want early results, 
they are a great institution. We saw last year 
a large onion garden of several acres, enriched 
by long cultivation, gradually changing to a 
dwarf pear orchard. A thousand trees had 
been planted for several years and the results 
were all that could be desired. A fortune is in 
store for the enterprising proprietor, for he 
knows what varieties to plant, and how to take 
care of them after planting. Select good mark¬ 
et varieties that are known to succeed well upon 
the quince, plant in good soil, manure liberally 
with compost, half muck or peat at least, culti¬ 
vate cleanly, and prune judiciously, and you 
can hardly fail. So thinks Connecticut. 
Rose Bugs Destroying Grapes. 
In some localities the rose bugs are so nu¬ 
merous at the time certain grapes are in flower, 
that they destroy the entire crop by eating the 
blossoms. At a recent meeting of the New- 
York Fruit-Growers, T. W. Field alluded to 
this subject, remarking that the rose bugs came 
upon his vines in such myriads that it was im¬ 
possible to destroy, or even drive them away. 
He said that while the Isabella and Catawba 
were nearly all destroyed by these pests, the 
Hartford Prolific and Delaware bloomed too 
early for them, and the Concord was but 
slightly affected. If this proves to be the case 
elsewhere, it will be well for planters to select 
sorts which flower before the rose bugs make 
their appearance. 
-- O i ■TT| -^! Br » ►—O*---- 
Some weeks ago we received from Mrs. Mary 
Y. Gilbert, Columbia Co., a package of pears 
by mail. Coming by this conveyance the fruit 
was very much crushed, yet as even in this con¬ 
dition it appeared to possess great excellence, 
we wrote for other samples, which came to us 
in a perfect state, though rather late to see the 
fruit in its best condition. We learn from Mrs. 
G. that she has been in the habit of planting 
the seed of superior fruit, and that this pear is 
from some seed she planted in 1825. It is a 
good bearer, and produces annually. The two 
illustrations will give an accurate idea of the 
size and shape of the pear The color is of a 
SECTION OF VANDERPOEL PEAR. 
uniform lemon yellow. The flesh is melting, 
juicy, sweet, and without any grittiness at the 
. core. The pear has one very desirable quality, 
it has not the least tendency to rot at the core; 
several specimens which were more or less de¬ 
cayed at the surface, were entirely sound at the 
centre. We think it a very promising fruit, and 
one very well worth the attention of amateurs. 
The name Yanderpoel was given by the lady 
who raised it from the seed. 
Grapes—The Great Grape Show- 
The exhibition of Grapes, announced to 
be held at the Office of the American Agri¬ 
culturist, opened on the 1st of October. There 
were nearly fifty exhibitors, and as many of 
them showed from five to twenty varieties 
each, it will be seen that the display was a large 
one. The amount of fruit was nearly doubled 
after the judges had made their examination, and 
during the next day—a considerable number ol 
exhibitors having been belated by other shows, 
and by unfortunate detention of parcels sent by 
express and railway. A box from Mr. Huse- 
man of Herman, Mo., was nearly spoiled on the 
way. The names of the exhibitors, as well as 
the report of the committee of judges, will bo 
found below. This first attempt of holding an 
exhibition solely of grapes was attended with 
most gratifying success. We do not say this on 
account only of the quantity of fruit contributed, 
but in view of its quality and variety. We 
doubt if there has before been such an oppor¬ 
tunity for thepublic to see and compare so great 
a number of native grapes. That this priv¬ 
ilege was appreciated was shown by the interest¬ 
ed crowds who thronged the room during the 
closing days of the exhibition. It was particular¬ 
ly pleasing to observe that a large proportion of 
the visitors were not merely sight-seers, but 
persons who came to form their judgment on 
the different varieties, to get the opinions of the 
numerous cultivators there present, and to make 
notes for their future guidance. Most of the 
leading cultivators of grapes, both amateurs 
