respondence has been very large from that 
time to this, much of it destroyed, and the 
rest here and at South Bend, it is impossible 
for us to find it, and hence do not remember 
the name of the man from whom we obtained 
the original plant nor his posl-ofUee. We 
think we have since had an order from him 
in Missouri, and that he stated that lie had 
sold out in Indiana. Of this, however, we 
are not certain, 
It has been a very common thing with us 
seem to be extremely large size, but which 
we attributed at that time to tbe soil being 
so much stronger here than at South Bend, 
where we had seen the Miami growing,) we 
took them for Miami. We had not been at 
South Bend two years previous to that in 
raspberry fruiting season; and having only 
a few there, our foreman, Mr. Kkmiile, in 
his hurry, had kept them picked closely, as 
they ripened, and had always judged them 
to be the same as our Miami, merely altribu- 
one person besides Mr. Fuller, who has 
visited our grounds ibis season, (many of 
them as good judges and more practical men 
than Mr. F.) have raised the question as to 
its genuineness. We have known it for over 
twenty years as the Franconia, and as one of 
the best red raspberries grown. We also 
know another variety around Rochester and 
Lockport that is called Franconia, hut which 
is precisely the same that we have received 
from two of the most reliable nursery firms 
in Rochester, (Frost, and II. E. Hooker & 
Co.) as Fastolf, but which proved too tender 
at South Bcnd.Iud. We think Mr. Feller 
as liable to be mistaken on this subject as 
others, and tcc are not prepared to take his 
testimony as conclusive, by any means, or to 
look upon his opinion as being law, and do 
not, therefore, think he has the right to hold 
us up before the public as growing spurious 
Franconias, and eulogize another party for 
not, selling them as such. 
And now, in closing, as insinuations have 
been made as to the “ purity of their (our) 
old, well known varieties,” we beg leave to 
say that Charles Downing, when on our 
grounds a year ago, complimented vis highly 
for the care bestowed on our plants, and 
keeping them so correctly staked and marked 
and in such fine order; and Jno. J. Thomas, 
who has visited us twice this season, closely 
inspected every variety on our grounds, 
wrote to the Country Gentleman, speaking 
particularly about our perfect system of cul¬ 
tivation and the purity of our plants. 
Purdy & Johnston. 
P. S.—We desire to say here that our 
time is too much occupied with our business 
to notice the attacks of every person on this 
subject—especially when such articles arc 
made up with false insinuations and mis¬ 
statements as to the character of our plants, 
our reliability, and for the sole purpose of 
bringing said writers and their business into 
notoriety. The public will understand that 
silence on our part is an indication that we 
do not deem the matter brought up or the 
writer of the same of enough importance or 
consequence to notice. p. & j. 
Remarks. —This closes the discussion of 
this subject in our columns. We now have 
Purdy & Johnston’s history of the “ Mam¬ 
moth Cluster,” so far as they know it. They 
(and perhaps other pomologists) believe 
“ Mammoth Cluster " and McCormick to be 
distinct; certain other pomologists do not. 
We learn that the Fruit Committee of the 
American Pomological Society has placed 
the “ Mammoth Cluster ” on the Society’s 
catalogue, as a synonynm of the McCormick ; 
To which we reply;—Mr Fuller did not 
“ succumb” in any sense either to the “ pres¬ 
sure of the combined facts” nor to the re¬ 
marks of Mr. Meehan. On the contrary, 
when Mr. Meeiian asserted his belief that 
the “ Mexican” is a distinct variety and gave, 
or attempted to give, its botanical distinction 
from the old Red Alpine, Mr. Fuller said 
that the same characteristics belonged to the 
latter, and offered to send members plants 
from his old beds or to allow them to visit 
his place and dig them up for themselves and 
test them beside plants which Mr. Whiting 
might furnish. Mr. Meehan responded 
substantially that if Mr. Fuller was right 
as to the identity of the varieties, he was 
talking about one Alpine and he (M.) about 
another, which is not improbable. Dr. 
Warder and Mr. Elliott both asserted 
their belief that, the “Mexican ” is a distinct 
and new variety; but they did not assert 
(nor have they that we know of,) that they 
had seen it. growing beside the Old Red 
Alpine in the same soil and with the same 
culture. 
The assertion that President Wilder in¬ 
dorsed its distinctive character is not true, 
either. He bad told us, in our oflice, that lie 
had not seen the old Red Alpine in some 
years; and lie is too cautious a man to assert 
what he does not know ; nor did he! 
The assertion that the “ Mexican ” met 
with no opposition as a fruit for general cul¬ 
ture is not correct. An Illinois gentleman 
(Mr. WnSJt) did not think it would stand 
drouth; nor did lie regard it any great ac¬ 
quisition ; said it was soft and pasty. It met 
with no other opposition because the Society 
was not asked to, nor did it, recommend it 
for general culture. 
DISCUSSION ON PEACHES 
iiy the A in eric uii Homological Society, 
Hale's Early. —President Wilder—I t rots 
woise than any peach with which I am ac¬ 
quainted. 
Knox (Pa.)— It is an entire failure in West¬ 
ern Pennsylvania. 
Berckmans (Ga.)—It is entirely free from 
rot with us. It ripens from the first to the 
fifth of June. We shipped it to New York, 
which place it reached in good condition, 
and brought us fifteen dollars per box. It 
gave us perfect fruit, while the Early Tillot- 
son rotted. 11 is the best early peaoh we have. 
Koen (Tenn.)—It does (Veil at Memphis. 
Downer (Ky.)—It is a failure in Kentucky. 
Williams (Del.)—-It rots badly with us; 
still it will be retained as the best early peach. 
Gillingham— When our orchards are well 
cultivated, the Dale’s Early does not rot so 
badly as when not cultivated. 
Lindsay (Va.)—On our sandy soils it grows 
well and does not rot. It is highly esteemed 
with us. 
SuM/ui hannah of Pa .— Berckmans (Ga.)— 
I fruited this varietyMwelve years. It is of 
superior flavor and size to the I site Craw¬ 
ford, but not as prolific. It is a variety 
which re produces itself from the pit. 
Saul (D. C.)—It is a magnificent peach, 
hut a poor bearer. Members from Tennes¬ 
see and Kentucky indorsed Mr. Saul’s opin¬ 
ion of it. 
Forster's Seedling. — President Wilder— 
This originated with Captain Forster, Med¬ 
ford, Mass. 
Hyde (Mass.) — It is a yellow - fleshed 
pencil; quality as good as the Early Craw¬ 
ford, and a handsomer peach. It sold in our 
market at $12 per dozen ; but don’t think 
the market would sustain that figure long. 
The tree is an excellent grower. 
Strong (Mass.) — It is the handsomest and 
finest peach ever seen on our exhibition 
tables. It is earlier than Crawford’s Late. 
IIovey (Mass.)—It resembles the Early 
Crawford in appearance, but has a distinct 
character of flesh and flavor. 
Earle (Mass.)—They are rounder than 
the Early Crawford aud handsomer. It is a 
picture, in respect to color. 
Van Bunn's Golden Dwarf. — Parry (N. 
J.)—It is a handsome, ornamental bush, hut 
I find no value in Its fruit. 
President Wilder—I have it, but, while 
it bore plenty of foliage, it never had any 
WESTERN TRIUMPH 
THE WESTERN TRIUMPH BLACKBERRY 
to exchange plants for this and that “ seed¬ 
ling ;” but as, in nineteen cases out of twenty, 
they have proved to be some old sort, and, 
coming to us in many instances without any 
names, we have paid buL little attention to 
them. Whenever any party has sent plants 
to us to be tested, we have always given 
them the result.. Since the spring of ’08 we 
have kept a record of all plants sent us, and 
that we exchange for, so that we shall be 
able hereafter to give a full and clear history 
of the same. 
Mr. Fuller has not brought forward one 
word of proof to show that he has over seen 
what lie ktwm to he the true “ McCormick; ” 
aud his refusal to accept our challenge is 
stronger proof that he is not sure that he 
has ever seen it. It. will he remembered 
that Mr. Meeks claims that the “ McCor¬ 
mick” are grown largely at Collinsville, 
Illinois, and, to have the matter fairly tested, 
we proposed to have our Mammoth Cluster 
compared with them. We are not particular 
as to who shall be the judge, providing it is 
some unbiased person ; but we do not pro¬ 
pose that it shall be lei), out to “ the horti- 
‘ J * ..> 
1 that Charles Downing has so placed it in 
his revision of “ Downing’s Fruit and Fruit 
Trees of America.” So far, then, as the 
American Pomological Society’s Catalogue 
and Ciiarj.es Downing, may be regarded 
authorities in nomenclature, these fruits will 
hereafter be regarded identical, no matter 
what mistakes may have been made, or 
opinions held, by pomologists heretofore. 
size to their being on a newly cleared piece 
of land, while our large plantation of Miami 
was growing on an old piece of ground that 
had been cleared and “ run” for twenty years. 
When Puhdy purchased here ho sent for¬ 
ward a largo quantity of stock from there, 
and among the rest took these plants from 
this new piece of ground, on account of their 
being so finely rooted, supposing them all the 
time to be the regular Miami, from their 
similarity, and the statements made by Kem¬ 
ble (who was an old experienced Jersey 
fruit and truck grower.) It was not until 
the year 1808 that we saw the two bearing 
side by aide, and then readily saw the differ¬ 
ence and the superiority of the Mammoth 
Cluster over the Miami; and Chauler Down¬ 
ing and others, for whose judgment we had 
always entertained high respect, coming to 
our grounds the same season, and so em¬ 
phatically pronouncing them a distinct sort, 
and remembering how we had come by 
them, and that Purdy’s first informant said 
they had grown spontaneously on a joining 
farm, we believed them a new distinct sort, 
and still believe them to be such. 
We acknowledge we made a mistake in 
sending it out as Miami, but certainly, in 
doing so, our customers have not been the 
losers, as was illustrated by Sir. Fuller’s 
burst of enthusiasm over it, in writing to us 
after he had fruited it. 
As to Charles Downing’s article referred 
to by Mr. Fuller, it does not contain one 
'word of proof “ that the McCormick and 
Mammoth Cluster are one and the same 
thing.” Ho merely expresses his opinion to 
that effect, not claiming to have seen plants 
in fruit that he knows to be the McCormick. 
As to Mr. Fuller’s judging the black-cap 
raspberry by its leaf and stalk, or by “ break¬ 
fasting" on a few that had been shipped from 
a long distance, it is all fudge. We will 
guarantee that we can show him leaves and 
stalks of the Miami and Mammoth Cluster 
that he cannot tell apart. Mr. Downing 
and P. C. Reynolds closely examined them 
side by side on our grounds, and could not 
distinguish any difference in leaf and stalk, 
and so admitted. We will guarantee we can 
pick smaller specimens of Mammoth Cluster 
and larger specimens of Miami that he cau- 
not tell any difference in ; for we have tried 
the experiment with as good judges of fruit 
as he is, and yet to see Hie fruit on the bushes, 
a marked, distinct difference could be seen. 
About Frnucouia. 
As to our Franconia, we reiterate that not 
THE ‘‘MEXICAN EVERBEARING 
STRAWBERRY. 
Mr. Whiting, the proprietor of this 
“new” fruit, was at Philadelphia at the 
meeting of the American Pomological So¬ 
ciety, with finely grown plants of this so- 
called “ Mexican," and very poor—the poor¬ 
est we ever saw—plants of the Red Alpine, 
lie went back to his Michigan home very 
much elated, it seems; and he made repre¬ 
sentations (we take it he made them; we do 
do not know who else) which induced the 
Michigan Farmer, in its Issue of October 9th, 
to say; 
The Red Alpine and the Mexican plants were 
placed on the table, side by side, aud thor¬ 
oughly examined by the distinguished pomolu- 
gists who were present. Mr. Fuller hud every 
opportunity then and there to ventilate his 
opiuionsand to elucidate his views. Professor 
Thurber of the Agriculturist, and other scien¬ 
tific men, gave the stranger their critical atten¬ 
tion, aud wo believe all were obliged to admit 
that the plant was not the Old Red Alpine, but 
that it was a variety distinct aud new, with val¬ 
uable properties of growth and production that 
made it cl i fie rent from any strawberry known to 
the members of the Convention. 
We don’t believe Professor Thurber ad¬ 
mitted any such thing; on the contrary, we 
believe he did there, and will again, reassert 
his belief in the identity of the two plants. 
What “other scientific men" admitted we 
do not know; hut if they did not “admit” 
more than Professor Thurber did, the dis¬ 
interested philanthropy of the propagator of 
such a story may be questioned. Again this 
veracious and “honest” gentleman caused 
the Michigan Farmer to say : 
We believe even Mr. Fuller was obliged to 
succumb to the pressure ot the combined facts 
with which he was mot, and to the remarks of 
Mr. Meehan, which were indorsed by Dr. War¬ 
der and Mr. Elliott, and were sustained in 
part by tbo President, himself. Not one. word 
of reply was elicited from the other side. In 
fact there was no other side. There were the 
plants, which a comparison, by both pmnologist 
and botanist, showed were different. There 
were the fruit which were presented, showing 
that its bearing qualities were just as they hud 
been claimed. In fact, while all the oilier new 
strawberries met with more or less opposition as 
fruits for general culture, the Mexican had 
none. 
GARDEN ROYAL, 
The Garden Royal apple is, without a 
doubt, the superior of all its kind in rich¬ 
ness and delicacy. It has a delicate pear 
flavor, ancl yet is crisp and tender. In size 
the fruit is below medium, roundish oblate, 
rich yellow, mostly overspread with dull red, 
and with numerous rather large, light yellow 
russet, rough looking specks, giving the 
surface a rough appearance. The stem is 
stout for size of fruit, set in a broad, acute 
cavity; calyx partly closed, with five dis¬ 
tinct, segments, in a broad open basin, often 
slightly corrugated. The flesh is yellowish, 
crisp, tender, with a peculiar pear like char¬ 
acter; superior in richness to any other 
apple. It is a fruit that no orchard or pri¬ 
vate garden should be without. The tree is 
upright, hardy, healthy and productive. It 
is in season from the loth of August to the 
loth of September. F. R. Elliott. 
MAMMOTH CLUSTER” AGAIN. 
Sometime since, we received a long com¬ 
munication from Messrs. Purdy and John¬ 
ston, on this fruit, in reply to Mr. Fuller. 
The crowded condition of our columns has 
prevented its earlier publication. Even 
now we cannot give space to it entire. They 
insist that if*they were guilty of “re-nam¬ 
ing an old sort,” as they assert they are 
“unjustly and unnecessarily charged” with 
being, “ Mr. Fuller and others are equally 
guflty and ignorantand they “ don’t pro¬ 
pose to allow any of these parties to turn 
and throw the blame on our (their) shoul¬ 
ders, if blame can be proven.” Concerning 
the history of the "Mammoth Cluster” 
which they have been asked to give, they 
say: 
As to the origin of the Mammoth Clus¬ 
ter, we would simply say, that a correspon¬ 
dent in Missouri wrote us, a few years ago, 
while living at South Bend, lad., about this 
berry, stating that it came up in the field of 
a former neighboring fanner in Indiana 
(Marion county); that he had cultivated it 
and found it superior to any black raspberry 
lie had ever seen, and advised us to procure 
some of the plants. We did so ; but as no 
name was given to them, that we remember 
of, we set them out, and thought but little 
more about them at that time. As our cor- 
Western Triumph Blackberry.—InotiGOincnu 
Masters inquires how I could judge of the 
Western Triumph Blackberry when lie Only sent 
us plants last fait. 1 would say that two ot the 
plants were t. 
exceeding wet season these boro 
quite strong and as this has been an 
three or four 
small specimens of fruit (of course not tub ■‘-izt.o 
from which we judge of iu flavor, which was the 
onlv comparison wo intended to draw. Aitt.i 
Mimics, Early Wilsons and other sorts that were 
set out last fall and spring have borne tins Reason 
quire a number of berries owing un(loubtodJ> 
to the wet season. 
In my article regarding the heading back ot 
raspberries, the word “ black ’’ in last paragraph 
should read Clark.—A. M. Purdy. 
