THE CULTIVATOR. 
167 
caug'ht our sheep, and with a wooden spatula or flat 
stick, rubbed the nose with tar. We then placed tar on 
the bottom of our salting troughs, over which the salt 
was sprinkled, and this brought their noses frequently in 
contact with the tar. This course we found a great pre¬ 
ventive. Sheep, during the period they are exposed to 
the attacks of the fly, should have access to a plowed 
field, or if such is not convenient, a few furrows should 
occasionally be openeil in their pastures for their benefit. 
Inhaling the dust, or rubbing their noses in if, renders 
the mucus disagreeable to the fly, or enables the sheep 
to expel the larvse when deposited. With these preveiiT 
lives we have rarely lost a sheep from the grub, and 
think that in most cases they will be effectual. 
Hog poisoned by Tob vcco. —.4. correspondent of the 
Maine Fanner, says he lately lost one of his best hogs, a 
very fine one, by its havdng acciilental access to, and eat¬ 
ing a few stems of tobacco, which had been boiled for 
the purpose of making a liquor to destroy lice on an ani¬ 
mal. The effect was extensive swelling of the intestines, 
and then of the whole system, with speedy mortification. 
Tobacco stems are frequently boiled for the purpose in¬ 
dicated, and great caution should be used in disposing of 
them. 
Gllie (Sariiicn nnii tl]e ODrcljarb. 
FIGURES AND DESCRIPTIONS 
Of Six: varieties nf Plum, worthy of general cultivation, by 
A. J. Downing. 
I. Gheen Gage. 
(Rcine Claude.) 
(^Grosse Reine.) 
(Fcrt Bonne.) 
The Green Gage is 
universally admitted to 
hold the first rank among 
plums in flavor, and is 
every where highly es¬ 
teemed. In France, this 
plum is generally known 
as the Reine Claude, ha¬ 
ving as it is said, been in¬ 
troduced into that coun¬ 
try by Queen Claude, 
wife of Francis I. Du¬ 
ring the last century, an 
English family by the name of Gage, obtained a number 
of fruit trees from the monks of Charteuse near Paris; 
among these was a tree of ihis plum, which having lost 
its name, was called by the gardener, the Green Gage. 
It is considered by Lindley, as without exception, the 
best plum in England. 
The Green Gage is a very short, jointed, slow-grow¬ 
ing tree, of spreading and il warfish habit. It is an abun¬ 
dant, and a pretty regular bearer—though the fruit is a 
little liable to crack upon the tree in wet seasons. 
Branches smooth, buds with large shoulders. Fruit 
round, of medium size or a little below it. Suture faint, 
but extending from the stalk to the apex. Color green, 
slightly inclined to yellow, and often a little dotted or 
marbled with red in the sun. Stalk a little curved, half 
an inch long, inserted in a small cavityG Flesh yellowish 
green, exceedingly melting and juicy, and separates in 
almost all cases, freely from the stone. Flavor exceed¬ 
ingly rich and exquisite. The Green Gage is in perfec¬ 
tion about the middle of August. 
II. Washington. 
(Bolmar's.) 
(Bolmar's Washington.) 
The Washington undoubtedly stands higher in general 
estimation than any other plum in this countiy. Although 
scarcely equal to the Green Gage in flavor, its great size, 
its beauty, and the vigor and hardiness of tree, are qua¬ 
lities which have brought this noble fruit into notice 
every where. The parent tree grew originally on De- 
lancey’s farm, on the east side of the Bowery, New- 
York, but being grafted with another sort, escaped no¬ 
tice until a sucker from it, planted by Mr. Bolmar, a 
merchant in Chatham street, came into bearing about the 
year 1818, and attracted universal attention by the extraor¬ 
dinary beauty, size, and flavor of the fruit. In 1821, this 
sort was first sent to the Horticultural Society of London, 
by the late Dr. Hosack. 
The Washington has remarkably large, broad and luxu¬ 
riant glossy foliage, is a strong grower, and forms a 
handsome round top. Like many other varieties of 
plum, the fruit of this does not attain its full perfection 
until the tree has borne for several years. We have 
measured them very frequently six inches in circumfer¬ 
ence, and once, from Mr. Bolmar’s original tree, seven 
and a quarter inches. 
Wood light brown, downy. Fruit of the largest size, 
roundish oval, with an obscure suture, except near the 
stalk. Color dull yellow, with faint marblings of green, 
and when very ripe, sprinkled with a few orange or 
crimson dots. Stalk three quarters of an inch long, slight¬ 
ly downy, inserted in a shallow, but rather wide hollow. 
Flesh yellow, firm, very sweet and luscious, separating 
freely from the stone. Stone pointed at each end. Ripe 
middle of August. 
HI. Imperial Gage. 
(Imperial Green 
Gage.) 
(White Gage of 
Boston.) 
(Flushing Gage.) 
This is a very 
valuable plum, rais¬ 
ed fi-om the seed of 
the Green Gage, by 
Wni. Prince, Flush, 
ing, L. I. It is lar¬ 
ger than its parent, 
being often nearly 
as large as the Wa¬ 
shington, and is per¬ 
haps more regularly 
productive than ei¬ 
ther of these va¬ 
rieties. It is an 
exceedingly rapid 
grower, but with 
darker green, nar¬ 
rower, and smaller 
leaves than the Wa¬ 
shington, and with 
very long upright shoots. In the neighborhood of Bos¬ 
ton and New-York, this is esteemed as the mo.st valuable 
and profitable of i>lums. 
Branches .slightly downy. Fruit large, with a dis¬ 
tinct suture, pretty regularly oval. Color before fully 
ripe, green; when ripe, pale yellow or yellowish green, 
with abundant white bloom, and with very distinct and 
striking stripes, or marblings of dull green. Stalk an 
inch long, slightly haiiy, inserted in a broad and shal¬ 
low hollow. Flesh greenish j'ellow, melting, and ad¬ 
heres to the stone. Juice exceedingly abundant, sweet 
and luscious. 
In the American edition of “ Lindley's Guide to the 
Orchard,” this plum is incorrectly described under the 
name of Flushing Gage, as being a free stone. The Im¬ 
perial Gage being the name given this plum by Mr. 
Prince, in his description, we have adopted it here. 
IV. Lawrence’s Favorite. 
(Laierence’s Gage.) 
A new variety, of high merit, raised by Mr. L. U. 
Lawrence of Hudson, N. Y., from a seed of the Green 
Gage. The soil of Hudson, which is almost a stiff clay, 
is so wonderfully adapted to the growth of the plum, that 
Lawrence s Favorite. 
a great many excellent sorts have originated there with 
the least possible care. This variety, and the Columbia, 
are already cultivated in all the gardens in that vicinity, 
and the remarkable size, beauty, and flavor of the Law¬ 
rence Favorite, will soon give it an universal reputation. 
Lawrence’s Favorite forms an upright tree of thrifly 
growth, with dark green leaves, rather below the me¬ 
dium size, and with upright growdng, short jointed shoots. 
Young branches slightly downy. 
Fruit of the largest size, when the tree is not over¬ 
loaded, nearly round, but inclining to an oval form. 
Stem short, onlj' half an inch long, inserted in a narrow 
cavity. Skin dull green, clouded with streaks of darker 
shade beneath, and covered with a light bluish green 
bloom. The upper part of the fruit, W'hen fully ripe, is 
frequently covei-ed by a brownish net work. The flesh 
resembles in color that of the Green Gage, and adheres 
closely to the stone. The latter is five-eighths of an inch 
long, and flattened. Juice exceedingly abundant, and the 
melting flesh is very rich, sprightly and luscious. Ripe 
Y. Autumn Gage. 
A new plum raised 
by Wm. Roe, Esq. of 
Newburgh, of good qua¬ 
lity, a very abundant 
bearer, and so late in 
its maturity as to be 
valuable. The tree 
forms a rather spread¬ 
ing head, with regular 
pointed ovate leaves, 
the branches drooping 
with the weight of the 
fruit, which is in per¬ 
fection about the mid¬ 
dle of September. 
Branches slightly dow¬ 
ny. Fruit medium size, 
oval, a little broader 
tow’ards the stem or 
base. Stalk three quar¬ 
ters of an inch long, in¬ 
serted even with the surface ©f the fruit. Skin pale le¬ 
mon yellow, covered with thin whitish bloom. Flesh 
greenish yellow, separating from the stone; juicy, sweet, 
and of delicate, pleasant flavor. Stone long, compressed, 
VI. Frost Plum. 
(Frost Gage.) 
A pretty large variety of 
sweet Damson, which ap¬ 
pears to have originated in 
Dutchess CO. of this state, 
where it has for many years 
past been most extensively 
cultivated for market. Be¬ 
fore fully ripe it abounds 
with sprightly acid juice, 
and is highly esteemed for 
preserving; and when at 
maturity, it is a sweet and 
luscious fruit for the table. 
The tree is a tall upright 
grower, with smooth and 
rather slender shoots, and 
bears abundantly. The fruit is in perfection about the 1st 
of October, and from its latcn'. ss and good quality, fre¬ 
quently commands from two to five dollars a bushel, eveK 
when hundreds of bushels are sent to market at once. 
Fruit below the medium size, varying from oval to 
nearly round, with a distinct suture on one side. Color 
deep purple with a few brown specks. Stalk half to 
three-fourihs of an inch in length, inserted with little or 
no depression. Flesh amber color, juicy, sweet, rich and 
melting, and adheres to the stone. 
Horticnltural Nurseries, Ncwbvr^h, Sept. 15, 1843. 
MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH ORCHARD. 
Messrs. Gaylord A Tucker —Your valued corres¬ 
pondent, Mr. L. Physick, has given us in your last no., 
an excellent article on the “ Managementof Fruit Trees,” 
which in this latitude is of peculiar interest; and after a 
carefvil perusal I am constrained to his opinion, much as 
it militates against the practice of this part of the coun¬ 
tiy, which is in favor of the constant tillage of the or¬ 
chard. Our great peach growers are accustomed to plow 
and harrow their orchards three times during the sum¬ 
mer, for the alleged purpose of keeping their trees in 
health;\ being assured that without this troublesome and 
expensive operation, they would soon die of the yellows. 
Now, to be sure, this might be the result of a neglect of 
cultivation, but your correspondent has led me seriously 
to question even its propriety, to say nothing of the ad¬ 
vantages which are expected to result therefrom; and in 
casting about for experimental proofs, 1 believe that facts 
will be found to go against a custom, w’hich is here so 
very generally acknowledged and approved. That or¬ 
chards may be cultivated and cropped with impunity 
while the trees are young, there is, I think, no question; 
but long after, and when in the estimation of our Dela¬ 
ware friends, all cropping ought to cease, the periodical 
turning up the surface is religiously continued with the 
sole view of keeping the trees in health. Now, for the 
purpose^of testing the real value of a practice which in¬ 
volves an expense of labor amounting to many hundred 
dollars annually, I w'ouhl ask, has the verj' productive 
peach orchard, containing about three acres, belonging 
to Major Philip Reybold, and from which he has sold 
$2,70{) worth of fruit in a year, besides distributing $300 
worth among the members of his extensive family, been 
kept regularly under tillage ? or rather, has not this or¬ 
chard been used as a pasture for sheep, and the herbage 
been found of more value in some years than the fruit? 
Again, do orchards that have been scrupulously submit¬ 
ted to the periodical workings by the plow and harrow, 
surely retain their health and vigor and verdure, while 
others of the same age and in the same situation, when 
left uncultiA'ated, die by scores of the disease called the 
yellows? Are moi c worms found in trees which are left 
uncultivated, than in those growing on cultivated land, 
and is the result always the same? Nay, to come to the 
point, I would ask Mr. Isaac Reeves, w'ho has had as 
much experience in the matter as any man, if he has 
not, at the present time, orchards, where the trees are 
literally dying oft'by scores with the yellows, maugre all 
pointed at both ends. 
about the middle of August. 
