of the choicest and most dolioate grown in Eu 
rope or in tropical climates. 1 send herewith a 
drawing of a bunch of the Bloch Morocco , grown 
by It. 8 . Thompson, Napa county, weighing 37 
ounoes, tafosd from a graft put in last April! 
Mr. Thompson had a line display of grapes, as 
had also Dr. Sthectzel and some others. 
Almonds 
Orow in groat perfection in California. We 
have several specimens from Dr. Strectzel’b 
place, but the largest, measuring 4 b.v 5 inches, 
are from Mr. Hausbnbero, .Sacramento Valley, 
of which annexed is a drawing, natural size. 
CALIFORNIA Ai.mond. 
Almonds arc grown bore as easily as poaches, 
and arc ol' a very fine quality. 
Qn luces. 
We haven specimen measuring 14by 15 inches; 
Weighs 28 oniioos; raised by Dr. SrttEUTZEL, Al¬ 
hambra vineyard, near Martinez. 
Orange*, 
'Flic specimen before us is a Mandarin orange, 
from Dr. Streotzel'b orchard. It weighs %% 
ounces; measures iO% by 10& inches. Oranges 
succeed well In purl Urns of the Sacramento and 
Ran Joaquin valleys, and other northern valleys, 
as well as in the regions of Los Angeles, whore 
they are raised to a groat extent. The Usage 
orange grows well in hedges. 
Figs. 
Figs are also produced in great abundance, in 
nearly every county in Cnliforiiin, ami ore a 
profitable crop to raise. We have lately hoard 
of a gentleman in Pleasant Valley, Solano coun¬ 
ty, who had Just shipped nine tons of dried figs 
to Run Francisco, whore he sold them for $200 
per ion, or $ 1,800 for the season’s crop, the pro¬ 
duct of a tig orchard of four acres! Fig trees pro¬ 
duce three crops In t Iki season, the first fresh figs 
being ready for market, in the region of Pula 
Crook, In Solano and Yolo counties, by tho first 
ol Juno. The Wolfskillk, in that locality, 
have tho lineal fig orchards we have ever seen. 
Wo saw nothing equal to them in tho Mediter¬ 
ranean, or in any other country, in appearance. 
Wo send a drawing of a specimen from their fig 
orchard. 
California Fig. 
These Humpies arc not as largo as some that 
mature later in the season, but they are earliest 
in Northern California, I believe. 
Poinegriinnte*. 
The specimen (we send an outline) weighs 8 
ounces; measures JJ by lOki inches. The Pome¬ 
granate nourishes well in California, but is made 
little me of, save for ornament. The tree and 
its blossoms are very ornamental. 
Linux, Lomqns, Citrons, Ac., are also raised in 
perfection in different portions of the State. 
Prunes 
are also raised, without difficulty, nnd are of an 
excellent quality, and very large. The spe.oi- 
Oalifohnia Prune. 
mens before us were raised by Mr. J. M. Pat¬ 
terson, San Jose. We give a drawing herewith. 
Olives 
also flourish in California equal to any country 
we have ever known. The Wolfskills, on the 
Rio dq los Putos, in Solano county, have some 
splendid specimens of the Olive, which are pro¬ 
lific bearers. They are raised also in most parts 
of tho State. 
I will add the names of such of the princi¬ 
pal contributors of this collection ol fruits at 
the Fair, as I have been able to obtain. They 
are:—J. Harmon, “ SunnyBide Farm,’’ So¬ 
noma county. [Tim Tompkins King, from 
Mr. H.] B. S. Fox, San Joso Valley Nurs¬ 
ery ; L. A. Ooui.D, Santa Clara ; Mr. Adams, 
Jan Jose; Dr. J. Stbeutzel, Alhambra 
Vineyard, Martinez; R. 8. Thompson, Hope 
Vineyard, Napa Co.; Kircheval, Sacra¬ 
mento River, [the largest pear;] A. Ryan, 
Onisbo, Sacramento Valley; M Hahenbero. 
lone Valley, Sacramento Co.; G. S. Green¬ 
law, ,T. Runyon, Sacramento; M. Ryan, 
Sonoma. 
— -- 
that one box of grapes possesses to heat a 
car. If he is correct, would it not he a cheap 
mode of warming our dwellings? 
Now and Then. 
-- 
THE “MEXICAN EVERBEARING.’ 
CALIFORNIA GRAPE TRADE. 
I think A. B. C. is somewhat mistaken in 
his idea of the California grape trade. It is 
true much depends upon having the fruit 
properly cared for before packing, and it is 
also true that, the packages made me of by 
those growers were not fit for the purpose; 
but the most important item to take into 
consideration is the variety of temperatures 
through which this fruit must pass in order 
to reach our city, and all grape growers of 
The California Pombciranati: 
any experience know how difficult it is for 
any grape to stand the changes of climate. 
On some portions of this route they are 
exposed to severe cold, on others to intense 
j heat, to b ay nothing of the damp, muggy 
weather which is so severe on this fruit. 
It is ivell known that much of the South¬ 
ern fruit spoils on the way to our market; 
and even should it survive the transporta¬ 
tion in the cars during one or two hot nights, 
it soon spoils on arrival. There is another, 
and, T consider the main, difficulty, which is 
the car in which they are placed. The one 
that I saw was a single-sided box car, with 
two doors, one a tight and the other a slat 
door, which could he moved at the pleasure 
of any one who desired to peep into the car. 
They should he double or refrigerator cars; 
nnd the car and fruit should be constantly 
cared for during tho entire trip, in order that 
uniformity of temperature might surround 
the fruit during transportation. 
In regard to the package I think A. B. C. 
is entirely mistaken as to tho utility of the 
basket. 1 guess lie lias never bandied many 
grapes in baskets, or lie would not have 
recommended them. 'The one he refers 
to is one of the best in the market for 
peaches, hut would not, answer for the trans¬ 
portation of grapes, as the jolting of the car 
would soon disarrange the fruit, and once 
loosened it would soon spoil. Besides, the 
ear would have to lie arranged similar to the 
Delaware peach cars, in order to load them; 
even then, during one night’s transportation, 
they become very much disarranged, and 
frequently upset, and this will he the case 
in every instance unless an experienced per¬ 
son packs the car. 
There is no better package known in this 
country for packing grapes than the Fair- 
child box. 1 challenge any one to prove to 
the contrary cm this point, and the Califor¬ 
nia farmer can get, no better material, size 
or case, than the above. I have no more in¬ 
terest, in tills box than I have in the Beecher 
basket referred to; my sole object is to in¬ 
form those growers of the best, packages to 
semi their fruit in to this market. The case 
secures ventilation, and protects the boxes 
from any pressure that may be brought to 
hear upon them. At the same time, the box 
is weighed and sold with the fruit, which 
would more than pay the cost of tho entire 
package. Grapes do not, need much ventila¬ 
tion. The main point is to have them dry 
and cool when packed. The whole secret 
of preserving them is to keep them in this 
state. 
Is A. B. C. positive that none of the varie¬ 
ties ho mentioned except the Mission grape 
spoiled on the route. I think he is mis¬ 
taken on this point as well as the power 
[We find the following “ tribute" to this fruit 
tn the Journal of Horticulture. It was written 
by George W. Campbell, Delaware, Ohio, a 
thorough-going and reliable horticulturist.— 
Eds. Rural-] 
In the recent somewhat lively discussion 
upon the claims of this so-called new straw¬ 
berry, attention seems to have been princi¬ 
pally directed to the question as to whether 
it is really new', or simply the old Alpine. 
However interesting this may be to the bot¬ 
anist, it is of little importance to the fruit 
grower as compared with the question, 
whether it is a berry of good quality, and of 
character, and of habits of growth and pro¬ 
ductiveness, such ns render it desirable and 
profitable for general culture for the garden 
or market. It. is many years since I dis¬ 
carded the Alpines for general worthlessness, 
regarding none that, I have ever lasted as of 
any value. I graduated on Stoddard’s Wash¬ 
ington Alpine some twenty years ago; and 
I have never found any difference since then, 
except in the names, of Newland’s Mammoth 
Alpine, and more recently In Higlcy’s Ever- 
bearing, and now in 
the Mexican Ever- 
bearing. To the ap¬ 
preciation of an ordi¬ 
nary observer, and so 
far as I can determine, 
they arc, if not identi¬ 
cally the same, so 
nearly allied as to pass 
for l<he same variety, 
the old Frag aria risen. 
This variety is said to 
perpetuate itself true 
from sued ; and, in the 
case of the before- 
mentioned Stoddard’s 
Washington Alpine, 
the originator had 
planted seed of the 
old Alpine in a boggy 
corner of Ids garden, 
which had been filled 
up with rich earth 
some eight or ten feet; 
and he produced both 
plants and fruit so ex¬ 
traordinary in size 
that lie really believed he had a new and 
valuable variety. 
As soon, however, as the plants were re¬ 
moved U» ordinar.i^-.den-Boi], with common 
culture, it degenerated into its normal char¬ 
acter, and became simply the old Red Al¬ 
pine. So of Higley’a Everbearing and the 
Mexican. I had the former a year ago last 
winter or fall, and have grown only the 
Mexican the present season. A comparison 
of them with the fruit and plants exhibited 
at the late session of the American Pomo- 
logical Society at Philadelphia, convinces 
me that, my former impression Avas correct; 
namely, that they arc identical. Now, as to 
the value of this berry, by whatever name it 
is called, my experience teaches, that in 
ordinary soil, and with ordinarily good cul¬ 
ture, It Is utterly worthless. It is singularly 
unproductive, never yielding anything like a 
decent crop; and the few straggling berries 
it produces are poor, small, slender, and in¬ 
significant in appearance. But when 1 tbiuk 
of its vapid, weak, vinegar-and-water flavor, 
my only regret is that it bears at all; and if 
the letter N could be placed before the 
names of this whole class of “ ewbearing ’’ 
trash, and represent their permanent char¬ 
acter, the fi’iiit growing community would, 
in my opinion, sutler no loss. 
This imposition of old and especially 
worthless variet ies of fruits upon the public 
by new names and extravagant misrepre¬ 
sentations, whether by ignorance or design, 
should be promptly met and exposed, and, 
so far as possible, the public protected from 
spending money for novelties that are worse 
than worthless. 
-- 
— Outline. 
Grnpc on tlm llrniii.— a correspondent of the 
Country Gentleman, from Brocton, N. Y., writes 
a lengthy article, garnished with a formidable 
array of figures, to inculcate (lie idea that fences 
should Ite made of wire trellis and put to use by 
training grape vinos on them. Ho says they 
would ho excellent fences, except where stock 
was to bo restrained, and the grapes would bo 
clear protit , Tho writer must have had grttPO oil 
the brain, In a certain bewitching form, or lie 
would perceive that except for the purpose of 
restraining stock, farm fences are a nuisance 
any way. 
Red Diaper Plant. —John J. Thombs says of 
this fruit. In Country GentlemanThis ex¬ 
cellent variety, the Fruit of which is large, hand¬ 
some and excellent, has the drawback of rather 
slow and feeble growth. On the fertile soil of 
tho West. It appears to grow vigorously, nnd to 
prove valuable. Wo observe in an essay read 
byL. C. Francis before the Illinois Horticul¬ 
tural Society, as published in the Horticulturist, 
that at Springfield it is regarded ns standing at 
the bead of tho list—being hardy, a thrifty 
grower and 1 prodigious bearer.’ ” 
- ♦♦♦ - 
'ultr ©rops. 
THE EARLY ROSE POTATO. 
While you have had letters from those 
who have cultivated the Early Rose potato 
giving, as you say, extraordinary statements 
of their yielding properties, it may not be 
amiss to hear something from one who has 
had more moderate success with it. And 
first let me say that 1 had my seed di¬ 
rect from Mr. IIeffron, so there is not 
much chance for gainsaying their genuine¬ 
ness. Having now cultivated them for two 
seasons, and having tested their eating quali¬ 
ties since July last, I can form a pretty cor¬ 
rect opinion of them, so fur as my grounds 
and culture go to establish facts concern¬ 
ing them. 
In the spring of 1808 I gave them the best 
of soil and culture, (at least I supposed so at 
the time, and have not changed my minil in 
that respect since;) the yield was very satis¬ 
factory, being nearly two bushels harvested 
for a pound of seed planted; the amount be¬ 
ing half ft peck planted, and somet hing over 
twelve bushels harvested, with some rotten 
ones not measured, which somewhat sur¬ 
prised mo, as I had been informed that they 
were proof against that malady. They did 
not ripen with me in 1868 till the middle of 
September, though planted the 7ih of April, 
while the Early Goodrich was ripe the 1st 
of September, thus being at least two weeks 
later than that variety, while it was claimed 
for them that they were ten days or two 
weeks earlier. 
The present season I planted two acres of 
them, thinking if they were as good as re¬ 
commended I would at least have some good 
potatoes, and hoped to get an extra large 
crop; but not knowing in the spring how 
wet the season was going to lie, I have sus¬ 
tained a partial failure in yield, if not in 
quality. From the two acres planted 1 have 
housed perhaps a trifle over two hundred 
bushels—not a large yield, you will doubt¬ 
less say; yet I intended to do by them much 
better than an average of field culture, espe¬ 
cially such as is generally given by farmers 
in this vicinity; ami I think 1 did do so, yet 
the result was such as 1 have stated; the 
partial failure in ray case was no doubt an 
excess of water, and that, too, on land that 1 
thought as fully liable to failure by drouth 
as by a surplus of wet 
fl,l 
\ 
“4'lnj(ji’* Favorite Fear," John J. Thomas 
says, "is likely to have a drawback, namely, 
rotting: at the core." But. be adds, what is 
proven true,—early gathering will prevent this. 
weather through tho 
season of their growth. 
The ground was in 
very line dry condi¬ 
tion at the time of 
planting, but shortly 
alter was so thorough¬ 
ly saturated xvil.li wa¬ 
ter, even to the time 
of digging, that the 
result was a short 
crop, and very many 
small tubers, with a 
good many of the lar¬ 
gest ones rotted in the 
field—perhaps enough 
to make up the yield 
to one hundred and 
twenty-five bushels 
per acre. 
It will be seen that, 
what with the unpar¬ 
alleled wetness of the 
past season, conse¬ 
quently the rotting of 
many of the tubers, 
which was in part, 
doubtless, the direct re- 
sult of the wet weath¬ 
er, the crop was only 
a nominal one; while, 
had the season been a 
favorable one for the 
potato crop, I should 
no doubt have had 
fully double what 1 
now have, av h ioh 
would have been high¬ 
ly satisfactory as to 
the amount of bushels 
groAvn,an l the quality 
Avould have probably 
been \ ery much better. 
Their time of ripen¬ 
ing Inis been earlier 
this year than the Ear¬ 
ly Goodrich, planted at 
the same time; yield Montana Spuing icve. 
about the same. Whnt could have made 
them vary so much in 1808 and be so late 
Avith me, is a question I can¬ 
not answer, but merely state 
the facts as they have oc¬ 
curred the past year and the 
present. Their quality for 
the table in July was very 
grains of rye, p 00r) being wet and clam¬ 
my ; but as they got nearer to maturity they 
improved in flavor t ill they now stand among 
the best; whether the)'- ay i 11 come up to the 
standard that, was claimed for them by the 
Messrs. Conover of New Jersey, — that is, 
the very best potato,— time Avill tell. One 
7 / / 
I 
w 
I thing is uoav certain, that not one of the 
Goodrich Seedlings have ever acquired a 
high reputation in the New York market as 
tabic potatoes; which either shows that they 
arc not as good as the Peach BIoavs, the 
Mercer, or the Prince Albert, or that the 
people of that city do not appreciate them. 
1 think it would now be safe to put the 
Peach BIoav at the head of the list of pota¬ 
toes for the table, and then, for experimenters 
to get a potato that will excel that variety 
for the table with earlier maturity, and with¬ 
out so much disposition to ramble OA T cr all 
the field in quest of food for the parent stem, 
or some other less laudable occupation, as 
the ease may be. Jonathan Talcott. 
Rome, N. Y., 1869. 
-+++- 
DRILL CULTURE—BEANS. ETC. 
Mr. Moore :—Although I have taken and 
quietly perused all the New-Yorkers you 
have ever issued, and not acknowledged the 
frequent gains I have reaped from their 
pages, I do not. appreciate my advantages 
any the less. In this week’s issue I am 
pleased and interested in the subjects of 
“ Broom Corn” and “Beans,” discussed on 
page 758. T am gratified when I find tho 
attention of farmers called to the advantages 
of Emery’s Planter in putting in broom corn, 
or any and every other crop it is capable 
(and they are many) of planting in drills. 
Drill planting is Incoming more popular 
than formerly, and must increase as practi¬ 
cal, observing farmers become acquainted 
with its advantages, and that old machine 
from twenty years’ use is my choice for that 
purpose. 
And about Beans—“ F. G." makes me 
doubt Avhcther I “know beans” avIiou lio 
tells us that Mr. James Van Slvke puts 
forty young hemlocks on one acre, and 
hangs two bushels to dry on each tree, 
{eighty bushels per acre !) Glad to learn that, 
such produce of that valuable crop can be 
obtained, and hope the Rural, in its general 
extension of useful knowledge, a vi 11 inform 
us of the variety, and the way they do it. 
Tho past peculiar season for continuous 
greenness of vegetation to a late day allowed 
beans to ripen while leaves and stalks re¬ 
mained green, Avliich caused the beaus to re¬ 
main on the vines after being ripe, and by 
the frequent rains Avero damaged through tho 
poih before tin! owners Avero aAvarc of their 
ripeness and Hie necessity for harvesting. 
When mine were found to be thus, I placed 
them around stakes Avith roots inward and 
raised a foAv inches above ground, capped 
with straw, when they cured and in a few 
days Avero in perfect, order for thrashing. 
Green leaves all dry, but from effect of the 
rains, as above, named, they must be hand¬ 
picked to be merchantable, yet it will be a 
short Job, for although a good growth of 
good kidney beans they come a lectio short 
of eighty bushels per aero. I have learned 
to he in time another season. j. av. 
Clyde, N. Y., Nov. 27,1800. 
i -- 
WHEAT IN NORTH CAROLINA. 
There is much more Avheat than at this 
time last year, but much less corn. The 
farmers do not feel encouraged to use guano 
on wheat. They believe that the increase in 
quantity which it secures is worth but little, 
if any, more than the additional expense 
Indeed, the wheat crop has been attended 
with so great disappointment here for several 
years that people generally do not expect to 
get much from it. The seeding is progress¬ 
ing very slowly. The tobacco engrossed 
the attention to an unusually late day. This 
late sowing may not ho against the crop. In 
the harvest of 1866 the best wheat on the 
farm I noAV occupy Avas in the first and last 
lots that l seeded. The former avus white 
(Boughton) and the latter Little Red. The 
last piece avus extraordinarily late, hut came 
up very regularly, and perfected its growth 
without showing any evil consequences. It 
Avas as extraordinary in its yield as it was 
late in being sown. ir. 
Flat River, N. 0., 1809. 
-- 
■Alonlnna Hpriiijc Bye,—Ve give herewith Il¬ 
lustrations of one of two heads and some of the 
kernels of Spring R,ve received from and grown 
by It. K. IIogrks, Esq., in Itonlder Valley, Mon¬ 
tana. It eamo to us through Hudson & Mknet. 
advertising agents, 41 Park How, N. Y., who as¬ 
sert. that i ho average yield of this rye was forty- 
five bustiefe per acre. Wc have never seen a 
sample of spring rye that equals the sample in 
our possession received from this source. 
-- 
Clover nnd Wheat, — Let me say to Per in 
Tone that we have seeded our winter wheat in 
tho fall with timothy and clover with the best 
results. The clover came up and blossomed 
after the wheat was harvested, making a good 
sward for winter. The medium clover was used. 
—A. 8. Stillman, Otsego Co,, N. Y. 
-- 
Intermixture of Sorghum and Indian Corn.— 
A contemporary says that sorghum, broom corn, 
&c., will not mix. True, say the laws of vegeta¬ 
ble physiology; but there are scores of farmers 
in the West who will assert that they know that 
Sorghum and Indian corn <lo mix, just as scores 
of others assert that wheat turns to ohoss 1 
- 4 ^ ■ 
Pointer* in !\Ii*«ouri. T„ Bprlugfloldt Mo.* 
writesThe Pouch IJlow is the favorite here, 
though the new varieties have boon cultivated 
to some extent. Tho “Shaker's Fancy" is a 
very valuable potato here; also the Early York. 
