ontological. 
class flavored berries that bear enough to [ found them promising an abundant yield; 
pay the producer. When tve can get three but when about half grown they commenced 
and four thousand quarts of Black-Caps (two I rotting. I pulled them off every morning as 
years old) from an acre, and only one thou- J they rotted, and did not succeed in getting a 
FALSE ESTIMATES OF FRUIT 
GROWING. 
Without desiring, for a moment, to de¬ 
tract from all that is real and attractive in 
fruit growing, I must confess myself at times 
disposed to laugh at the gullibility of those 
who swallow " sensation stories," as 1 call 
them, relative thereto. Instance: one man 
has grown a square rod of ground in straw¬ 
berries, counted up all he sold, guessed at 
what his children and neighbors gathered, 
and figured it Hint by doing as be lias done 
any mail can grow acres and net him, by 
similar care, just $.",000 per acre. 
A few days since 1 read an account in 
which the writer had simply planted his 
vines in good garden land — nothing said of 
what had grown in and how the soil had 
been manured for years previous — and by 
just one or t wo boeings and carefhl mulch¬ 
ing lie had realized so and so—just about 
six times as much as any one else ever did ! 
Nothing is told of the cost of mulching, 
which cannot he done less than filly dollars 
per acre, and has to be repeated yearly 
anew, beside the labor of removal for hoe¬ 
ing and again replacing. 
To-day I was reminded of some of these 
fancy one-horse writers — just those who 
know no more than a rod-of-ground cul¬ 
ture—by visiting a gentleman’s young dwarf 
pear orchard, in which he called my atten¬ 
tion to one tree on which was growing fifty* 
(mo perfect specimens of pears 1—but the 
whole orchard of eight hundred trees beside 
it had not as many more, lie spoke of it., 
saying:—“ Now, if 1 were a writer, and had 
only this one tree, what a yarn I could make 
by putting my crop of this tree forward and 
counting thereby an acre or more ! Whew! ” 
Well, the fbols are not all dead yet; but 
here are eight hundred trees, all set three 
years since, and on the balance of the eight 
hundred not as many pears can be counted 
as on this tree; and yet here are two hun¬ 
dred trees of t his same sort on the plot, all of 
which have received the same care. 
A. Thorn. 
-»+«.- 
ABOUT SMALL FRUITS. 
Tralniiur RnspberrieH, Blackberries. &e. 
We often hear, and see published, advice 
to fruit growers, admonishing t hem to keep 
their berries Imck in trim; that is, 1o pinch 
back (more especially raspberries.) Ii may 
do to pinch back red raspberries after they 
get four or five /feet of growth, but I cannot 
see where we gain by pinching back when 
the red raspberry is only two or three feet 
high. The side branches grow so rapidly 
that before winter sets in we will have to 
pinch them back also, and then it makes a 
continual pinching, when if the main stalk 
was allowed to grow four or five feet high 
and then pinched (or cut.,) back, the side 
branches would need no pinching, and the 
bush would be more in proportion to its 
height. 
We often hear persons advising to keep 
Black-Caps short, say three or four feet. It 
does not coincide with our experience. I 
can show any person interested an acre of 
Black-Caps one year old, six feet high, t hat 
has produced this season 1,500 quarts first- 
class berries, not counting what has been 
given away and used by the family. We 
often, in rides over the country, see fields of 
raspberries and blackberries pinched back, 
ami the side branches lopped off much like 
a hedge. Some are as low as two or three 
feet from the ground. It is all foolishness; 
at. least, so experience teaches me. Let the 
plants grow. If you think your bushes will 
not carry their fruit, give each one of them 
in the fall a good fork full of long manure, 
and this pinching and cutting, and hacking 
will be done away with. For every lime we 
cut away a Black-Cap wc cut away fruit. 
Blackberries are nearly the same, except, 
perhaps, the Kittatinny, which needs more 
pinching than any other, being such a ram¬ 
pant grower. 
There have, of late years, been persons who 
would try. to mystify the business of raising 
small fruits. 1 cannot see where the mystery 
k, except it be in working directly opposite 
to the nature of the plant. Will it. pay to 
raise, on a largo scale, fruit, of the best 
quality? I am one of those who think it 
will not. Of what earthly nse is it to send 
to market medium-sized berries, no matter ( 
how good the quality, and bearing, sav two s 
or three pints to a hush, when your neighbor c 
is picking larger, firmer berries, but of !■ 
poorer quality, and raises four or five quart* i 
to a bush? People buying fruit in the cities, i 
and more especially New York, do not care 1 
so much for quality as for size. They want I 
the most show for the least money. For in¬ 
stance, let the same person send to market a 
crate of Brooklyn Scarlet, and also a crate of 
Jucunda, or any large flavorless berry, and 
lie will find that size, not quality , will satisfy 1 
the eyes and palate of the unreconstructed 1 
sand quarts of Clark, the difference in price 
being only three or four cents in favor of the 
latter, it will not pay to raise many Clarks. 
Perhaps 1 have not made a proper com¬ 
parison. Place the Philadelphia in the stead 
of Black-Caps. After years of striving and 
toiling for new fruits, we, as producers, try¬ 
ing to make our plantations do their best, 
have to rely chiefly on the old sorts, such as 
W ily in for strawberry, Philadelphia and the 
caps for the raspberry, Lawton for the 
blackberry. This year has seen qtiile a fail¬ 
ure in the returns of blackberry plantations, 
single perfect peach; as far as I know, they 
generally rot badly. I have visited this sea¬ 
son a great many orchards as far as one hun¬ 
dred miles below Washington, on the Poto¬ 
mac, and cultivators all make the same com¬ 
plaint. 
In my rambles 1 saw t le five trees of Col. 
E J. Plowpen, in the northern part of St. 
Mary’s Co., Md., which I consider the very 
earliest of all peaches of this neighborhood. 
Me exhibited them at the Agricultural De¬ 
partment, in Washington, June 26th, in 
beautiful condition. They are full fourteen 
chiefly on account of the plenitude of days earlier than Hale’s, arc lighter in color, 
peaches. The Wilson blackberry has this 
year proved itself of excellent value, as we 
dispose of it before peaches arrive in mar¬ 
ket, bringing good, steady prices for two 
weeks, when they arc genera My over Do 
not let me be misunderstood in regard to the 
varieties I have named, as others may have 
had a different experience; as the soil, cli¬ 
mate and mode of culture differs so widely 
small fruits will differ very materially in a 
very short distance. 
But let us all try our best to do what is 
honest, not only in fruit, hut in the distribu¬ 
tion of plants true to name — not make the 
roots to fit the box, but the box to lit the 
roots. v. h. w. 
New Brunswick, N. J. 
with a beautiful red on the side next to the 
sun ; the average size about seven inches in 
circumference. This peach is a new seed¬ 
ling, and will in a short time be thought the 
greatest acquisition among the early varie¬ 
ties. Jno. B. Clagett. 
Brigbtwood, D. C. 
• - ♦-*--* - 
POMOLOGICAL GOSSIP. 
WHARTON'S EARLY PEAR. 
Fruit medium size, oblong obovate pyri¬ 
form, a little one sided; clear light yellow 
or yellowish green, with a faint blush of 
brownish red in the sun; very minute russet 
dots; slight traces and patches of russet; 
stem medium to long; in some specimens 
set with a cavity and lip; in others in nearly 
a regular cavity, as shown in our outline and 
shaded figure; calyx rather large for the 
fruit, open, with short rounded segments; 
flesh white, juicy, sweet; one of the best in 
Its season. Early August. Tree a strong 
grower, with large, thick foliage; young 
wood yellowish brown. 
quality? I am one of those who think it Wharton’s early pear — outline. 
will not. Of what earthly nse is it to send This variety was disseminated in Southern 
to market medium-sized berries, no matter Ohio mainly by the late A. II. Ernst, and is 
how good the quality, and bearing, say two supposed to be a seedling originated by an 
or three 'pints to a busb, when your neighbor old Ohio pioneer fruit cultivator, named 
is picking larger, firmer berries, but of Silas Wharton. Those who are best ac- 
poorer quality, and raises four or five quart* qualified with the variety speak of it as one 
to a bush? People buying fruit in the cities, which should be better known, as it. is of 
and more especially New York, do not care fair, even size, smooth and handsome in ap- 
so much for quality as for size. They want penrauce, and among the earliest to mature. 
the most show for the least money. For in- -- 
stance, let the same person send to market a HALE'S EARLY PEACH. 
crate of Brooklyn Scarlet, and also a crate of - 
Jucunda, or any large flavorless berry, and You ask for notes in regard to Hale’s 
Ue will find that size, not quality , will satisfy Early Peach. I have a small orchard of 
the eyes and palate of the unreconstructed them, six years old, which has had as careful 
purchaser. And there are very few first-, attention as it is possible to give. I early 
Grapes, QU 
The records we obtain make the crop in mg tin 
Missouri, Southern Illinois and other South- 
western sections, of not more than an aver- he. A 
age of one-quarter product, Catawbas and dredm 
Concords have rotted badly, and so have Rwws 
nearly all the Rogers’ hybrids—No. 1, or titroux 
Goethe, doing better there than any other turtle 
variety. Hartford, Iona and Delaware rank haven 
the highest this year in the way of crop and ^i’ld'th'i 
freedom from disease. J n Central and South- berry ( 
era Ohio, none but the three last, named 
above present any considerable show of fruit, A IN> 
while on the Ohio, Lake Shore and islands J” an a ^ 
rot and mildew has attacked all the Rogers Mnivdi. 
varieties—Catawba, Concord and Nortons; is said i 
but Hartford, Delaware, Iona and Isabella ot ’ lll, ‘ 1 
give promise of a full crop of extremely fine J 
bunches and large sized berries. Wtt8 at , 
Ives’ Seedling began to color early, even hantbl 
before Hartford or Miles; but on the Lake 
Shore, September 1st, was little if any more 
advanced than israella or Adirondac, while fruited 
Miles had the berries on its bunches, all Mr. P 
black, and Hartford had it s berries of a deep 
blackish purple, showing Miles some four oloua t1 
or five days the earliest. Winslow also had ever so, 
its berries black, but as It is not, as good a moutl ' 
tabic grape as Miles, it will only be regarded Lawton 
by those who arc disposed to make red wine, ,>**,*! 
to whom it will' bt? Wind valuable, where other n 
early maturity and high character of must flavor t 
for the production of home wine is desired. ,h< ’ l0 " 
Maxatawncy is evidently a variety of 
which the vine wants age ere it develop its fruit oi 
best qualities; but those who have vines of orange, 
it eight or ten years out, will probably re- 
spend in its favor, as one of the best white 
grapes now generally known. some m 
The growth of the Croton, a new white tlon of 
grape, produced by Dr. Underhill of Cro- detatlin 
ton Point, N. Y., is such as to induce favor- 
able impressions of it. The vine somewhat truthfu 
resembles a Clinton, grows vigorously, and hortiou 
appears disposed to ripen its wood perfectly. a|| -cont 
It is a grape of promise, and worthy the 
attention of grape growers. grasp tc 
Mottled, so far as wc can learn, has not being h 
been affected by disease this season. k°°o ua 
. , We he 
, A * ,v,e ’” essentia 
In Central Ohio the apple crop, we under- name b 
stand, is nearly a full one, while from almost in any t 
all other sections the reports come of only 
about a quarter crop of fall ami winter varie- p f* ch 
F Aker 
ties. Indiana and Michigan are full of good on vl 
fruits, but, as we learn, while their early villa fre 
crops have been good, the late winter supply front oi 
will he short. Samples of varieties sent us erat<?8 d 
by I. D. G. Nelson, Esq., one of the lead- thtTrigl 
iug pomologists of Indiana, show the fruit fense of 
smooth and clean of insects, but so increased line of t 
in size as to be hardly recognized by one H,,UIld “ l 
acquainted only with those of New York or 
Northern Ohio growth. the ene 
Blackberries. picket < 
The Duncan’s Fall blackberry, noted and t * iey api 
figured in Rural of Aug. 23. was obtained variety" 
by J. C, Neff from a bed of wild plants, 
who writes that it matures with him ten Tetofs 
days before Wilson, Kittatinny, or any other writes ti 
known sorts. It is a good thing, and early. * 
Raspberries. Astra chi 
. The Minnesota raspberry, J. C. Neff bearer,: 
writes, “ i9 a variety with fruit of a greenish at lhe V( 
yellow color, blooming at same time of j 1 '*. w . ul 
other sorts, but ripening fifteen days earlier, vepy fo 
or about the 20th of June, in Central Ohio, new and 
The fruit is very large, sometimes an inch in exposed 
length, very prolific and one of the very best qLUlHll '‘ l 
of fifteen varieties in ray grounds.” Addi. Pomoi 
The Collinsville Miami Raspberry .— Jas. " What 
L. Budd, Sbellsbury, Iowa, writes the 
Prairie Fanner:—“The Collinsville Miami ol (liec( 
may or may not be the ‘ Mammoth Cluster,’ be plant 
but this can be surely said in its favor: It is been ab 
the most perfectly uniform and fixed variety experiei 
I have yet seen of the Black-Caps; it is ol donc b °' 
large size, of good flavor, does not rot badly 
in a wet season, on account of its firm tex- asks wl 
ture, nor is it reduced below a profitable size winter i 
in a Very dry season. From all who have wil1 ,iee( 
tried it in Iowa I hear the same earnest word !.' 
in favor of this king of Black-Caps.” But we s 
Golden Cap Raspberry.— Joseph L. Budd 
of Iowa says, in Prairie Farmer, that “ the 
Golden Cap is probably a seedling of the 
American White-Cap and is now extensively 
grown in this part of Iowa. Tt seems first 
to have started with the Scotch settlers of 
Cedar county, Iowa. It is richer, juicier and 
sweeter than the Miami, and is still less 
affected by wet or dry weather. It is per¬ 
fectly hard}', its canes are strong and vigor¬ 
ous, its spines are short and harmless, and 
like the black-caps it only propagates from 
the tips of the canes. Another excellent 
feature of the fruit, is the birds rarely touch 
it. Perhaps the color leads them to think it 
not yet ripe.” 
-♦♦ »■ 
South American Strawberries. —Hon. J. W. 
Caldwell, U. S. Minister to Bolivia, S. A., has 
sent strawberry seeds to the Commissioner of 
Agriculture, (which have been forwarded to the 
Cincinnati Horticultural Society,! accompanied 
by the following explanatory note: 
I have the honor to inclose herewith seeds of 
the strawberry of ibis region (called here Flo¬ 
tilla; pronounced froo-tiil-ynh.) 1 separated 
the seeds with my own hands, and send them 
without suggestion or solicitation from any 
quarter. The fruit is in market here more than 
four months. The flavor is inferior to that of 
the best st rnwherries of the United States. But. 
for size and firmness ithe latter is a most, desira¬ 
ble quality for market gardeners) I have never 
seen anything in t he United States nearly equal¬ 
ing them. A gentleman of undoubted voracity 
informs me that he has seen the fruit as large as 
n large sized wine glass in u neighboring repub¬ 
lic. And I am Informed by other good authority 
that some two hundred and fifty or Hiri'c hun¬ 
dred miles south of this city (La Paso this fruit 
grows to an enormous size. If you can, place 
these seeds in the hands of proper persons 
through the Horticultural Societies uf the vari¬ 
ous cities of the United States, not. omitting the 
Horticultural Society of Cincinnati, of which l 
have heretofore been n member. I would hope 
to hear, in due time, that the seed had grown, 
ami that the process of hybridizing the straw¬ 
berry of the United Slates had been improved. 
be (*>artmur. 
berry of the United States had been Improved. 
-»♦ » 
A New Blackberry,—In the Country Gentle¬ 
man wc find an article by A. M. Purdy describ¬ 
ing a now blackberry owned by Thomas Hance, 
Maoodon Center, N. Y., of which the following 
Is said to be the history:—* 1 B, M. Hance, the son 
of the above party, while In Calvert Co., Md., in 
IsOf), found a single bush growing by Itself on 
the farm of Rout.B, Wilkinson. Hitt attention 
was attracted to it by Its Wonderful size, bril¬ 
liant black color and great productiveness, lie 
saved a few seed and presented them to his 
father, who sowed them and grew from them 
thirty-two seedlings; all of which that have 
fruited proved to be intvisdy ttlihe.” 
M r. Pit rtDY says:—*• We found a berry on small 
seedling plants (Which never mature full grown 
fruit) that for a brilliant black color and deli¬ 
cious flavor, excelled anything which we had 
ever seen or tasted. It seemed to dissolve in our 
mouth like honey, while the core was almost Im¬ 
perceptible. We have fruiting this season the 
Lawton, Dorchester, Kittatinny, Early Wilson, 
Crystal White, Snyder, Western Triumph, and 
other new sorts, but none of them compare in 
flavor to this variety, in our estimation. J t is of 
the Jow bush (Itutjrus trivcUUs ) family; shows 
none of the trailing habits of the running black¬ 
berry, as does the Early Wilsou. On eating the 
fruit one is reminded of a sweet, fresh, juicy 
Confessions of u Politologist. — A gentleman 
who has made some reputation, and (we trust) 
some money by the introduction and dissemina¬ 
tion of a certain fruit, In a private letter to us, 
detailing some of his aims and experiences, 
writes:—“I have learned much of men and 
measures —that dishonest-, swindling and un¬ 
truthful men (I) are to be found oven among 
horticulturists— that avarice with some is the 
all-controlling power, and that tmlh and honesty 
are made subservient to It. I have been re¬ 
proached for allowing the fortune within my 
grasp to slip away; have been called green for 
being honest. Sic .; but, with me, honor and a 
good name are preferable to riches." 
We hope to live to seo the day when it will be 
essential to be an honest, man and win a good 
name by a life of integrity, in order to prosper 
in any business. 
- +-++ - 
Peach Orchard Forty-five Miles Long.— George 
F. Akers of Nashville, Tenn., who i9 at present 
on a visit, to Virginia, writes to a friend in Nash¬ 
ville from Petersburg, that "the breastworks in 
front of Petersburg, thrown up by the Confed¬ 
erates during the late Avar, extendiug to the left 
toward Richmond about twenty miles, and to 
the right about tAventy-flve miles, for the de¬ 
fense of the city, have grown up in a continuous 
line of pdeob trees ot t*\ ery variety, yielding an 
abundant, crop the present year.” This Is the 
only legacy left by our poor fellows w T ho were 
on the advance line w'itliin one hundred yards of 
the enemy. Having eaten the fruit while on 
picket duty, they cast the seed aside, and now 
they appear in one continuous line of forty - five 
miles in beautiful trees, yielding the greatest 
variety of the finest fruit. 
-♦♦♦- 
Tetofski Apples.— D.W. Adams, Waukon, Iowa, 
writes the Iowa Homestead concerning this ap¬ 
ple “ It is a great prize to ub of the far North- 
Avest. It is very early, (a trifle earlier than Red 
Astrachan,) good size, always fair, a very young 
bearer, and enormously productive. It also is 
at the very head of the best for hardiness, rank¬ 
ing Avith the Siberian crabs and Duchess of 
Oldenburg in one respect. I consider myself 
very fortunate In having this comparatively 
new and rare sort in bearing in a situation so 
exposed as to thoroughly test its many good 
qualities,” 
-- 
Pomologlcal Inquiry. — W. OLDFIELD askB. 
" What kind of pears, raspberries, blackberries 
and strawberries would do the best iu latitude 
45* 40 ?” He tolls us nothing of soil, topography 
of the country, altitude and exposure of land to 
be planted; if tic had, though avo might not have 
been able to advise him safely, some having 
experience in the North could, perhaps, have 
done so. 
-- 
Raspberries in Minnesota. — H. S. BLOATERS 
asks what kind of raspberries will stand the 
winter best iu his latitude—44 V ^—and if they 
will need covering. We should not hesitate to 
plant on your soil the Doolittle, what is called 
*• Mammoth Cluster,” and Da Arison's Thornless. 
But we should cover the canes in Avinter. 
FROM A SOUTHERN GARDEN. 
No. III.—Onions. 
Those who have tried the Potato onion 
regard it much more prolific than llie species 
more generally cultivated. Its large bulbs 
crowd in clusters at the root of die stem, 
Avltereas the common kinds only yield one 
full-formed bulb. The experiments aa itli the 
more common kinds, which I have made, 
have been encouraging enough to keep off 
any desire to change. T adopted the pre¬ 
vailing custom of planting Clove onions, (or 
large onions of the previous year’s growth,) 
for the purpose of raising a supply of cloves, 
[n the main beds, J put my onion cloves, for 
the purpose of raising onions for the table. 
Ground should be well broken, plenty of 
well-rotted manure added, the beds checked 
off by lines one foot apart each way, and the 
onions or cloves planted at the intersection 
of these lines. They might be put thicker, 
but it is best to leave room for the weeding- 
lioc and the long prong for keeping the soil 
loose, in working, care should be taken 
not to draw much earth about the plant. 
The bulb should not be covered entirely 
during the growth. Place the earth around 
it, as loosely as can be without disturb¬ 
ing the roots. At any stage during the 
growth there may very properly be su- 
peradded any line manures, boavii broadcast. 
It is not necessary to keep the bulbs in order 
to raise cloves; for cloves will produce the 
unions and cloves also. 
It is Important to clip off the buttons from 
ail the stalks except those from which you 
wish to raise cloves, as the onions from 
clove-stalks will not be so large, and will 
not keep so well in winter. 
This year I purchased a feAv seed of the 
Wethersfield Red, obtained from Mr. Viok, 
planted them quite early, and cultivated 
them witli the purpose of testing the ques¬ 
tion whether good-sized bulbs could be 
grown here from the seed in one season, 
'flie result is encouraging, though the ex¬ 
periment is not complete. The seed were 
sown very thick iu rows about one foot 
apart,. The bed avos made very rich Avith 
ashes before sowing. I allerAvards applied 
a dressing of rather fine but not well rotted 
stable manure. I treated them also, Avlien 
young, to a mixture of Peruvian guano and 
plaster. 
The seasons have not been such as to en¬ 
able me to make a satisfactory experiment, 
as the drouth evidently arrested the growth 
of the tops or dried them up too soon. 
Neither did ( thin them in the rows. I used 
the hoe just enough to keep the ground 
tolerably clear of grass and weeds, aud to 
loosen the soil occasionally. 
They are now ready to be gathered. They 
vary in size, the largest being over seven 
inches in circumference. They look firm 
and beautiful. Persons told me that the seed 
would only produce small bulbs which I 
would have to plant afresh in autumn in 
order to get onions next spring. On the con¬ 
trary, 1 have onions now. n. b. 
North Carolina, 1869, 
Onion ** Seta." —A correspondent asks " Hoav 
onion * sets’ can be best kept through the win- 
ter; and if it is not too damp in most cellars?” 
Yes; Ave would not put them in cellars. Dry 
the ‘‘sets" thoroughly, and store them iu the loft 
of a barn or other out-building, spreading them 
four or five incites deep, and covering them Avith 
chaff, straw, or hay, Avhen froBt comes. 
Will some one inform us through the Rural 
A vhat variety of the onion Is best to plant for 
market; and whether It is more profitable to 
raise "sets" than onions? At Avhat season is it 
best to plant, and by what process? J am just 
starting the business and would like to start 
right.—D. C. Mooman. 
This correspondent sent his Inquiry to the 
Rochester office; it should have been sent to 
NeAV York. With his Inquiry is a Aveather item, 
but no date nor locality is given; and locality is 
of importance In answering "which is the best 
market variety of onion. The Yellow Dutch is 
generally accounted the best variety whero the 
crop is planted tor acts. The Wethersfield Red is 
the variety most grown for shipment to market, 
though it will not sell as well as the silver 
skinned, or the yellow varieties; but it is more 
productive. If near a large market sets inaj' be 
most profitable; if at a distance plant seed. The 
sets are plauted iu spring; also the seed—as early 
as the ground can bo put in proper condition. 
We shall be glad to hear from those haviug ex¬ 
perience conceraiug the preparation of the soil 
and best mode of culture. 
Sowing Peas in Autumn.— A correspondent 
asks “ how It will ansAA’er to prepare the plot for 
peas late in lull and sow just before it freezes 
up, for an early spring crop." We have never 
tried it, but knoAV that the ground should be 
prepared in the fall and the seed soAvn as early 
in spring as possible. 
-- 
Oyster PlnnL—Should Oyster plant be dug and 
stored in the fail or remain in the ground 
through the winter? —Mrs. P. C., Canton , Ohio. 
It should remain in the ground, and be dug 
during Avinter and early spring, as wanted for 
Use ‘ -- ■+ ■ *■+ -—S' 
Bees ami Cucumbers.— Will the RURAL inform 
me if it is necessary in growing cucumbers un¬ 
der glass to have the aid of bees to fertilize 
them—C. K., Oswego, N. Y. 
No, it is not necessary. 
