lortiralfitrf. 
WESTERN N. Y. HORT. SOCIETY: 
Annunl Aleotiiisr Exhibit ion. Election of 
Officers, Discussions, &c. 
Tiie usual Winter Meeting of this Society 
was held at Rochester, Jan. 27-8. There 
was less than the wonted attendance, and 
the proceedings were hardly of standard in¬ 
terest and value. Aside from twenty-fm 
varieties of pears exhibited by Ellwanuek 
& Barry, and u few plates of apples — 
among them a promising new seeding by 
Dr. Sylvester of Lyons—there was no 
display of fruit. A few pruning kinds, a 
cultivator, some grape boxes and a couple of 
patent trellises, made up the show of imple¬ 
ments ot fruit culture. Taken altogether, 
we fail to see the credit or profit which 
Western N. Y. Horticulturists derive from 
this affair. This famous fruit and flower 
growing region should better support its 
representative Society or else quietly let it 
drop out of existence. 
The following gentlemen were elected offi¬ 
cers for the ensuing year: 
President -James Vick. Vice Presidents—T. C 
Maxwell, 0. G. Dolton, J. Jf. Babcock. Seen tarn 
awl Treasurer H. G. Warner, Rochester. Sen - 
uti re Committee - G. W. .Sylvester, It, Moodv, 10. 
A. Frost. Comm HU > <>n JVativc Fruits .f. j. 
Thomas, Onion Springs: P. Burry, Hochestcr; 
John Online, Low port; F. W. Lay, Greece; 
W. Hcelyc, Rochester. CmnmiUo ' >m Fan ion 
Fruits— Geo.Ellwurarer- Rochester r. Down¬ 
ing, Newburgh; Don. John Fisher, Batavia: J. 
W. Holm or, Lock port: E. A. Bronson, Geneva. 
Uhar arc the Bed Variriit-* of Quince for 
Fruit < 
Was the first subject taken up for discussion. 
Opinions mostly fa vored t he Orange vari¬ 
ety; it is hardy, a good grower, and the 
fruit is fine and cooks soft, which is an 
essential consideration. Some gentlemen 
had fruited the Augers, the sort so generally 
used for dwarfing pears, and had found the 
fruit small, hard and really worthless, and 
the tree, as compared to the Orange, unpro¬ 
ductive. A warning note was sounded on 
the imposition the public would he subject 
to in the palming olf of the Angers as of 
good quality and worthy of cultivation. 
The fact, is there is something of n lever for 
quince planting, and the stock of the Orange 
variety is light and the Angers plenty. 
Rae’s Seedling was spoken of favorably; it 
is very showy and of good quality, though 
there were some duubls expressed as to its 
comparative hardiness. 
Varieties and the cultivation of the goose¬ 
berry was the subject next considered. Cul¬ 
tivators had found that English varieties 
generally failed—mi I dewed. One gen t toman 
had grown a few good crops by mulching 
the ground heavily, but other experiments 
of the same kind failed entirely. Some had 
used sulphur for mildew on the English 
varieties with success; others found no ben¬ 
efit from it, and in one instance it had de¬ 
stroyed the foliage. The currant worm 
devastates the gooseberry leaves, but: a com¬ 
plete and cheap remedy is found in powdered 
white hellebore, which must he applied two 
or three times during the season when the 
worms first, make their appearance. The 
American varieties recommended were the 
Houghton, American, Downing and Moun¬ 
tain Seedlings. The fruit is used extensively 
in its green state for cooking and canning. It 
black-knot had not troubled lately. Coe’s 
Holden Drop, Pond’s Seedling, German 
Prime, Coe’s Purple Drop, Red and White 
Magnum Ronum, Lombard, Iteine Claude de 
Bevay, were named us good varieties. 
Oriuimitnrs of New Fruit. 
Quite, a lengthy discussion ensued on the 
topic whether the originators of new fruits 
should be protected by law in the same man¬ 
ner as inventors. The weight of argument 
was against such protection. It was con¬ 
tended that interminable lawsuits would re¬ 
sult, for no standard could he set up and 
maintained whereby fruits could be judged 
under 1 lie varying circumstances of climate, 
seasons and soils. Nevertheless, the So¬ 
ciety tabled a resolution to the effect that 
such protection was impracticable. 
Fruits for Marketing. 
In considering the question whether it was 
more profitable to grow prolific or high fla¬ 
vored fruits for market, it appeared that ex¬ 
perienced growers would prefer cultivating 
the liner and high priced sorts, but it did not 
always follow that high flavored fruits were 
not prolific. However, transportation and 
other expenses favored the growing of high 
print (I fruits, The Baldwin apple was men* 
ioned as having been extensively planted on 
account of its prolific and hardy character, 
and it was suggested that in the future there 
might be an over-supply of Baldwins, and 
other varieties might offer greater profits. 
The period of ripening some fruits would be 
a more important consideration than quality. 
The question did not admit of definite set¬ 
tlement. 
The society voted to hold a fall meeting, 
about the time grapes are ripe, and have an 
exhibit ion of horticultural products. 
fruited, and produced him fruits when all of 
the cultivated sorts, except Dutchess of Old¬ 
enburg and Tetofsky, failed. On this ac¬ 
count of certainty of fruit, tie lias been led 
to examine quality, Ac., and from among his 
collection thinks he has many deserving the 
attention of fruit growers in the Northwest. 
ea 
JJffntokgiatl. 
Winter No. 2.— Outline. 
Of those sent me ] confess I have been 
unable to see any specially good points in 
any of the numbers, except “No. 2 Winter,” 
which is of small to medium size, roundish 
conical, pale yellow ground, mostly over¬ 
spread with a rich deep ml, partially striped 
in the lighter shade, and with a number of 
light, yet indistinct dots; stem, slender, not 
very long for a crab, planted in a narrow, 
deep, acute cavity; calyx with long, oblong 
rofiexod segments. Basin without depres¬ 
sion, but roughly furrowed; flesh, whitish, 
dry, spongy and not specially desirable, with¬ 
out any character, good or bad; core, me¬ 
dium; season, early winter. The main 
value of this seedling I think is in its appear¬ 
ance ; and yet it is possible for me to err 
from one examination. 
-- 
MANAEN APPLE. 
CRAB APPLES.—IV. 
Fruit for the Extreme Northern Latitudes— 
The J’yrus bneutn, or Grab Varieties. 
BY F. R. ELLIOTT. 
Mil Geo. P. Pjsffer of Pewaukce, Wis¬ 
consin, sends roe quite a number of crabs— 
among them one he calls Early Crab , or A Hen, 
fruit of large size for a crab, roundish in form, 
but so much injured and decayed that 1 
could make, no further description. Mr. 
This is a new and exceedingly fine apple, 
grown from seed of the Tahnan Sweet by 
Mr. F. R. Miller, Sugar Grove, Warren 
Co., Pa., and by him named “ Manacn,” 
signifying “ a comforter ” — a name that wc 
have not a doubt every one who shall cat of 
it will deem very appropriate. The soil in 
which the tree has grown from seed sown 
ten years ago, is a dry gravely loam, in just 
a fair condition for producing good crops ok 
corn or potatoes. Lt is a healthy, thrifty, 
upright grower, and bears its fruit well and 
evenly distributed among its branches. The 
young wood is dark reddish brown, with a 
few white raised dots, and slightly 
downy. The leaf has rather long 
petioles, is roundish, broad oval in 
form, with coarsely serrated edge, 
and of a rich grass-green color. 
Fruit medium size; form round¬ 
ish oblate, conical, irregular in 
outline, or partially ribbed; sur¬ 
face apparently rough, and yet 
glassy smooth to the touch: beau¬ 
tiful pale whitish yellow, with 
deep carmine dots and marblings 
in the sun — most, but not all, 
specimens having russet radiating 
from the stem cavity, outward, 
half an inch to an inch; scattering 
minute, raised gray or russet dots 
on the shade side. Stalk slender, 
inserted in a deep, broad, open, 
russeted cavity. Calyx partially 
closed, with erect, recurved, divid¬ 
ed segment. Basin rather deep, 
abrupt, generally irregular in form, and 
last, season in New York. 
Planting Timber for Ornament and Profit 
was discussed at length, but little informa¬ 
tion elicited. It was suggested that forests 
were more profitable jf cut down when a 
large, growth was attained and the ground 
filled with roots, and renewed by planting 
other varieties of timber. Crop® of timber 
should be grown and used when mature as 
other farm crops. It. was thought advisable 
to devote loug cultivated and worn out land 
to the growing of timber, and clear up the 
forests and cultivate the fresh, virgin soil. 
Many advocated the. planting of belts of 
timber, especially evergreens, for the pur¬ 
pose of protection. 
The Cultivation of Plums for Market 
was discussed, and deemed by many both 
feasible and profitable in spite of the curcu- 
lio. One member had planted an orchard 
four or five years ago, which was now be¬ 
ginning to bear. He pruned by heading in, 
as for pears, and kept the curculio off by 
jarring the trees and catching the insects on 
an inverted umbrella-shaped canvas mount¬ 
ed on wheels. Five dollars’ worth of labor 
he deemed sufficient to keep fifty trees clear 
of curculio for a season. He would go over 
the orchard and jar the trees once a day for 
three or four weeks. He advised the driving 
of a round liar of iron in a bored hole In 
each tree for the purpose of jarring against 
wit It the hammer. The profits of plum cul¬ 
tivation are large, as the trees bear well and 
young, and high prices are obtained. Others 
advised the hanging of colts, steeped in gas 
tar, in the trees, averring that the smell 
ot the tar would expel the curculio. One 
gentleman had trenched a plum orchard, in¬ 
verting the top soil to the depth of two feet, 
and the next year the trees bore large crops. 
Some mention was made of rot, but the 
Winter No. 2. 
Peffer writes that it is in perfection about 
the 10th of September, and is then much 
esteemed for desert and cooking. Mr. Pef¬ 
fer adds that he has been four years grow¬ 
ing seedlings from Siberian crabs for the 
purpose of using them for stock, and that 
from time to time, when the buds failed on 
these stocks, tie has taken them and trans¬ 
planted into his orchard, where they have ' 
usually clean and smooth, but occasionally 
with cracked, russeted broken lines. Flush, 
yellowish white, granulated, tender, moder¬ 
ately juicy, mild, sweet, annual h— best. Core 
small, seeds dark rich brown, oblong obo- 
vate, pointed. Season from middle of Au¬ 
gust to last of September. 
As an amateur table sweet apple, this is 
one of the very best, and in a private family 
orchard, when known can hardly he dis¬ 
pensed with. It is beautiful, tender and 
good,—but it is also too delicate for shipping, 
and would not therefore be of value to large 
orchards distant from consuming markets. 
—-- 
DISPOSING OF FRUIT. 
BY NOW AND THEN. 
How to Create a Market where none Exists, 
There is one very important point to 
fruit-growers which is almost entirely over¬ 
looked by them. In their haste to grow fruit 
and become rich, the first thought which 
occurs is to get their fruit to New York 
market; it matters not howfar from this city 
they reside, they think there is noplace like 
New’t ork, and to New York it must go, if 
in its passage it pusses through a dozen places, 
any one of which would be a better market 
than the one it is destined to. This is one 
of the greatest mistakes they could make. 
These places must all have fruit, and the 
sooner these markets arc cultivated and im¬ 
proved the better it will be for the growers. 
I know that it is sometimes difficult to 
start a trade in these places, yet it. will pay, 
and both consumer and producer be bene- 
fltted by it. 1 will give you a single instance 
that came under my notice. A gentleman 
dealing in fruits, found that, in order to dis¬ 
pose of the large quantities lie was receiving, 
lie must secure a demand for it outside of the 
city. Last year he tried the experiment of 
sending it to several cities that were not re¬ 
ceiving much, if any. He was not very suc¬ 
cessful, owing to the simple fact t hat, it was 
about the first of the kind that had been re¬ 
ceived, and there was but little demand for 
it. The result was that for some of his fruit 
he received but little, and, in one or two in¬ 
stances, did not receive anything, winding 
up with a loss of several hundred dollars. 
The past season he tried the same plan 
and places, but met with a very different re¬ 
sult. The people had one taste and they 
wanted more; and where he sent a few 
pounds last year at a loss, this year he sent 
tons at a profit. 
If the fruit growers will only adopt this 
plan they will avoid the massing of such 
large quantities of fruit in our market, real¬ 
ize a much larger profit, and be much better 
pleased with the experiment. I have fre¬ 
quently heard persons complain that t lie- 
growers are unwilling to sell their fruit at 
home unless they can get more for it than 
they can in the city, and T know this is the 
fact; but it is all wrong. Try the experi¬ 
ment of sending a supply to the inland 
towns, even if they have to send an agent 
there to dispose of their fruit. He can do 
more good in a work of this kind than by 
going to the cities where lie is of no use what¬ 
ever. 1 have st udied much on this question, 
and am satisfied that there is not more than 
one person in twenty-five in the United 
States that has more than a mere taste of 
the small fruits; and at the present rate of 
increase of the population I believe that fruit¬ 
growing will pay better in the future than it 
has in the past, provided the fruit-growers 
make such arrangements that the consumers 
can purchase it at a reasonable rate. 
-- 
A Word to Sonic Nurserymen, anil Others, on 
Courtesy.—I was educated to answer a letter as 
I would a quest Ion—promptly,—Lut I have failed 
in doing it of late. Why? Because it has got to 
be burdensome. I net from ion to twenty letters 
a week, written by dealers or amateurs, asking 
me to tell t hem where to get this or t Iml sort of 
fruit, scion or seed, but wit hout even a stamp to 
prepay postage of the answer, let alone my time 
in writing and the cost of envelope, l hereby 
hint t lial it is no more than common courtesy, 
if you want information, to give the informer 
compensat ion therefor, sufficient at least to pay 
for ids time and the postage involved in the 
answers.—A ddi. 
-- 
The Cherry Crop Failing at Cleveland.—It. was 
reported at the late meeting of the Illinois State 
Hort. Society, that, intelligent fruit growers 
found while on a tour of inspection, that in the 
vicinity of Cleveland, O., the cherry had ceased 
to be a profitable crop, and that large numbers 
of cherry trees were being dug up in conse¬ 
quence. “ The fruit rots badly, but no evidence 
was collected as to the causes that have Induced 
thisunpropitious condition of local climatic In¬ 
fluence—or whatever the cause may be—so dis¬ 
astrous to the success of t he improved and other 
fine cherries, for so many yeai-s produced with 
success in the vicinity of that city.” 
-*♦-*- 
Blood Freestone Pencil, — This is a variety 
originated by JonN M. Ives of Salem, Mass., 
once a co-laborer with the deceased Manning. 
It is said to he a fruit of medium size —skin 
covered with a thin bloom or furze —and the 
flesh very rich in saccharine, so much that half 
a peck freed from the pits weighs five pounds. 
It is as yet little known, but judging from the 
accounts of its productiveness, hardihood, etc., 
it should ho tested by those who grow largely 
for market. 
-- 
Giirrunt Buslies may he pruned this month 
wit li advantage. Don’t be afraid of cutting out 
too much. Leave only healthy, strong wood of 
(wo summers’ growth, and your fruit w ill be 
larger and almost ms much in quantity. A very 
pretty way of training is to stretch wires from 
posts set about twelve feet apart, and tie the 
stalks fan •shaped to them. 1 n this way the cur¬ 
rant makes a beautiful border for a path, and 
also a pleasing cover for an unsightly fence. 
ArWricttlterc. 
cP 
SHADE TREES — THE SYCAMORE. 
Allow me to suggest to your correspond¬ 
ent, H. G. Warner of Rochester, that he 
is mistaken in supposing that “ A Citizen ” 
is referring to the tree he has reference lo. 
The tree meant by your correspondent hi 
the Rural of Jan 2, is the Acer Pseudo 
Platanus of the natural order Aceraeeee. 
1 laving been acquainted with this fine variety 
ot maple from boyhood, I can cheerfully 
corroborate all that your correspondent has 
said in its praise. It, certainly is one of the 
finest trees to be met with in the streets of 
Paris, and 1 see t hat it was lately suggested 
by competent, authority as a fitting "candi¬ 
date wherewith to plant the “ Thames Em¬ 
bankment” in the City of London, which, 
by the way, it is supposed will become in 
time, the finest, Esplanade in the world. It 
is n, tree, of rapid growth, of ample foliage 
and flue proportions, and in England is a 
rival ol the Oak in size. From specimens I 
have observed growing around Rochester. 1 
think that, the Sycamore should he more ex¬ 
tensively planted than it has been, as 1 con¬ 
sider it, equal to any of our native maples in 
point of growth and beauty; in fact I think 
it, preserves its form more perfect than any 
other maple, as the high, west, winds we are 
subjected to do not, seem to affect its shape, 
so as to make it become one-sided; and I 
must candidly add I do not think that any 
insect depredators attack it at all.. 
The tree that Mr. Warner has reference 
to is not a Maple at all, (in fact, does not 
belong to the same natural order,) but is Die 
Platanus Occidental* of the natural order 
Platanacm, and is the only variety of this 
genus that I have seen in America being a 
native variety, there being as many as five 
varieties of Platanus. The Plane trees in 
England are among the noblest trees grown 
there, their spreading branches and abun¬ 
dant foliage, (from which they derive their 
name,) with their elegant and fine appear¬ 
ance make them universal favorites, whether 
planted as specimen trees on the lawn or in 
large plantations; and it is to be regretted 
that, owing to ihe bore and other kindred 
causes that affects them, we are deprived of 
one of the finest trees in cultivation where¬ 
with to ornament our lawns, or plant our 
streets, as shade trees; for I must confess that 
the large trees one meets with certainly aye 
wretched looking wrecks in an arboricultural 
point, of view. 
That none of your many readers will be 
deterred from planting the Sycamore Maple, 
but will give it, a chance to show its good 
characteristics on their grounds, is the wish 
of your correspondent, John Charlton. 
Rochester, N. V., Jan., 1889. 
-- 
THE BUTTONWOOD TREE. 
In the Rural of 23d inst., J udge Warner 
very correctly depicts the demerits of the 
sycamore or buttonwood as a shade tree. 
His description reminds me of the great 
change that has gradually taken place in die 
character of this tree during this century. 
Fifty years ago, instead of growing as it 
now does, in the phrase of Judge W., with 
foliage “ sparse, unsightly, shabby, and much 
dead in its branches,” the buttonwood was 
selected and planted along the Main street of 
this village us the handsomest and most 
thrifty of all the forest trees for shade and 
ornament. It, grew Avith a dense and beau¬ 
tiful foliage, and was clean and free from 
caterpillars and other noxious insects. 
And here arise some interesting questions 
for the scientific observer, answers to which 
arc die object sought by this communication 
Is the sycamore or buttonwood approaching 
the end of its appointed existence upon the 
earth, or in Uiis latitude, like many formerly 
existing trees, animals and other living 
things, of which we have unquestioned geo¬ 
logical traces? Has our climate undergone 
a radical change, by some variation in the 
elements of the atmosphere or otherwise? 
Or, what is the cause of this deterioration of 
the buttonwood tree ? Who will solve these 
mysteries of geology, philosophy and sci¬ 
ence. ? t. 
Palmyra, N. Y., Jan. 25,1809. 
- - 
Saving and Planting Chestnut Seed.—In your 
paper of Jan. 2 “A Subscriber” inquires about 
the best way to obtain good seed chestnuts. The 
only way that I know is to gather them from the 
tree while green, and put up barrels with a layer 
of dirt and one of chestnuts. That is the only 
way that they can bo kept green ; for if packed 
without dirt they will heat and not come up. and 
if t hey are dried in the sun they will not germ¬ 
inate. They may bo sown broadcast on the land 
and plowt-d in. The full is the best t fine to plant 
or sow them.— WM. H. ScitlVNKR, Kiny Ueoiye 
GO., Vd. 
--- 
Ashes About Fruit ’frees. — A Vermont corre¬ 
spondent of tlio New Hiiglund Farmer, who de¬ 
rives great bene At from the use of ashes about 
fruit trees, has learned not to apply it in contact 
wilh ihe bark of the tree; he uses about trees 
ten or twelve years old, six to eight quarts of im- 
Icached or double the quantity of leached ashes 
to each tree, scattered on the surface around as 
far as the roots extend. 
