soon enough, but not so late as to prevent a 
fair estimate of Its flavor. Specimens of 
Easter Beurre were kept in a w arm room, in 
a clo.se box, until ripe. They lacked both 
the texture and flavor of the same variety as 
■we have eateu it grown in Southern Illinois. 
I We know no good reason why California 
pears should not equal the same varieties 
grown in the East; and it may be true that 
they do ; but the specimens sent us and those 
we have purchased atul paid large prices for 
in the Broadway fruit stores have failed to 
reach our standard of excellence. We are 
fully aware of the importance of properly 
ripening pears; and while we may not have 
paid the same attention to the matter that 
our learned correspondent did, we think we 
know a ripe from an unripe pear when we 
taste it. 
The Chinese Sand pear has very large 
leaves, and is a very thrifty growing tree. 
It is quite ornamental, too, and we take 
pleasure in calling our visitors’ attention to a 
large specimen growing near the house, 
fifteen or twenty feet high, as but few know 
what kind of tree it is. For a few weeks, 
when it first leaves out, and when in bloom, 
the leaves are of a reddish lmc, gradually 
changing to green, and in connection with 
tiie white blossoms, which are quite plenti¬ 
ful, render it an object of curiosity. We bad 
between two and three bushels of fruit from 
the trees last autumn, and, as they keep 
until the middle of the winter, we use them 
for stowing whenever we wish, the addition 
of ginger or any other spices makes them 
quite palatable. Isaac Hicks. 
Old Westbury, L. L, 1870. 
SUMMER BEURRE D’AREMBERG, 
0M0 
This is a new pear, raised by Thomas 
Rivers, a well known fruit grower of Eng¬ 
land. It was described last year in the 
London Gardeners Chronicle as a great 
acquisition. It has been this year fruited 
for the first time in this country by Mr. 
CALIFORNIA PEARS-FLAVOR, 
COLENS—“ SETTING SUN. 
I NOTICED in Rural your notes on Cali¬ 
fornia pears, a few weeks ago, which do not 
agree with my experience. You say only 
one of the three varieties sent you—Winter 
Nelis, Glout Morceau, and Easter Beurre— 
would compare in quality with the same va¬ 
rieties grown in this State. I do not re¬ 
member that you named which of the three 
Varieties was the best I have the same 
varieties before me this evening, which I re¬ 
ceived from California by the Pacific Rail¬ 
road about six weeks ago. These are all 
winter varieties and require very different 
treatment from autumn pears. The Easter 
Beurre in the most difficult to ripen; it 
would scarcely ripen at all where the Winter 
Nelis would ripen perfectly. The following 
is the plan adopted to ripen these three 
varieties of pears received from California : 
Easter Beurre was taken 
from the box in which it was 
received and wrapped in dou- . 
bic paper, and then placed in 
a close box where the tem- 
peraturo ranged from sixty to 
seventy degrees. In ten days *. 
it had turned yellow, and mf//§(■• ' - 
was fit to eat. Glout Mor- MM / • i 
ccnu required bat six days; mBi j 
Winter Nelis five. These had U b/i ■, f l|ii 
all been kept in a cold room ||| | Ml 
where the thermometer stood J|[l|jul o 'mv 
at about thirty-six degrees for |||lm ; ,1 
several weeks, before they Br » “i 
were brought into the warm w ", 
or ripening room. Now for 
the result. Easter Beurre was *iT, 
fust cut, and it was decided 
to be the best of the kind ever Wy ( ^ 
before tasted; the same judg- 
meat was passed on Glout 
Morceau and Winter Nelis, 
which proves to my satisfac- 
lion that California pears, 
when properly managed, are 
quite equal, and perhaps su¬ 
perior, to any pears grown in this or any 
other State. 
It may be asked why we wrapped them 
in piper, and then placed them in n close 
box, before taking them from the cold room, 
to a warm one to ripen# This was done to 
prevent evaporation, which would have gone 
on so rapidly in the warm room, if placed in 
an exposed position, with a free circulation 
of air around them, that they would have 
become quite shriveled and worthless. 1 here 
are a few pears, that will ripen without much 
care, and in a temperature much lower than 
some others, — such as Lawrence, Winter 
Nelis, Dana's Hovey and Beurre D’Anjou ; 
these will mature perfectly in a temperature 
a? low as 10 to 50”. Much depends, however, 
on the condition of the fruit. If the trees 
have been well cared for, and no more fruit 
allowed to remain on than can be fully deve¬ 
loped, or well grown; we are likely to realize 
the highest excellence from the variety. We 
ar.‘ always delighted to see our trees loaded 
With fruit. 1 have seen some 
The engraving (page 45) shows a branch 
of one of the most beautiful ornamental 
leaved plants tlmt has yet been introduced 
into this country—a variety of the new gold¬ 
en hybrids of Colexs, originated iu England 
in 1808, and imported to this country in the 
fail of 1809 by Peter Henderson, Bergen 
City, N. J., from whose plants the drawing 
was made. There are about a dozen vari¬ 
eties of the Golden Colens, varying in the 
different varieties through all the different 
shadings of orange, bronze, carmine and 
crimson, having the edges of the leaves 
margined with a line of yellow varying 
from one-sixteenth to one-fourth of an inch 
in depth. 
The coloring is particularly rich and warm, 
and is of a character certain to suit our hot 
climate, and will give an entirely new fea¬ 
ture of color in our summer flower beds. 
The variety “ Setting Sun,” so called from the 
similarity of color its foliage lias to some of 
our sunset shades, is considered the finest of 
the class, though all are beautiful. 
Tbe plant is of tropical origin and must lie 
grown in hot-house temperature (70°) in¬ 
doors, and should not he planted out, in this 
latitude, in open border before the end of 
May. As the summer advances it grows rap- 
dly, and by September will attain a height 
of three feet and equal breadth, in good soils. 
It will be a gratification to our readers who 
enjoy color if more attention is paid to the 
culture of beautiful leaved plants. 
GRAPES IN MONTGOMERY CO., N- Y 
I have tried many of the prominent 
Tms variety has had gome considerable 
attention drawn to it the past year, first by 
reason of some of its advocates telling, or 
varie¬ 
ties, but cannot recommend many of them 
for this locality, Montgomery Co., N. Y. 
The Concord stands first—is hardy, well 
adapted to our severe winters, bears full and 
ripens early. The Isabella does well some¬ 
times but is too often cut off by the early 
frosts to make it. reliable. The Delaware 
has acted badly, the leaves falling off'toward 
tbe end of August and not more than one- 
third of the grapes ripen. The Hartford Pro¬ 
lific is not prolific here. The Muscadine 
ripens very well and is of good flavor, but 
the bunches are small and scattering and the 
berries fall badly. 
Of the Logan I can give a better account. 
It bears full and ripens, coloring tbe earliest 
of any grape I have. It is not as sweet as 
some, but in view of its hardiness, and the 
fact, too, that its frail is not injured by light 
frosts, I cannot but regard it as a valuable 
variety. It bears the winter well; still the 
hardiest here needs some protection in cold 
weather—at least laying down and being 
kept close to the ground with boards or 
scantling and stones. 
Tbe north side of the Mohawk Valley with 
its surface sloping to the South, taking the 
full force of the autumn sun, and protected 
from the cold winds from the North and 
West, presents many localities well adapted 
to the culture of this fruit. M. Qoiney. 
SUMMER liEU ItilK O'a UEM BETtO PEAR. 
James II. Ricketts of Newburgh, N. Y., 
a practical amateur fruit grower, from whose 
enthusiasm and industry we may look for¬ 
ward lor records of many new and rare 
novelties. It is to him, through the cour¬ 
tesy and good fellowship of our friend 
Charles Downing, that we are indebted 
for the specimen illustrated in our engrav¬ 
ing and the description herewith. 
The tree is of course yet young, but it 
shows vigor, an upright growth, and lias 
produced several specimens of fruit on a 
tree two years planted, giving promise to 
sustain its originator’s saying that it is pro¬ 
ductive. 
The fruit is rather below medium size, is 
broad pyriform with an uneven surface. 
The color jb a dull greenish yellow, much 
overspread and netted and traced with rus¬ 
set. The stalk is about three-fourths inch 
long, rather stout and curved, set in a shal¬ 
low cavity, with a small raised side or tip. 
The calyx is nearly closed; baain acute, deep 
and strongly marked with furrows; flesh 
white, melting, slightly granulous, and 
Seedling tVlegelas,—The WIegelas can easily be 
grown from seed: and if seed be gathered from 
plants that have bloomed In connection with 
other varieties, as instance the Wiegcla rosea 
side by Side with Mine, the ohnneos are that 
some of the seedlings will have superior and 
varied tints of bloom. The WJegelan arc a class 
of hardy flowering shrubs, not only beautiful in 
flower, but with foliage of considerable beauty, 
and are well adapted to mingle In masses with 
the Persian lilacs and syringes. 
STARK APPLE. 
rather publishing, Munchausen stories of its 
unprecedented qualities, and second by rea¬ 
son of specimens of the Pen nock having 
been sent under the name of Stark for the 
examination of the American Pomological 
Society’s Fruit Committee at their special 
meeting held in New York last February. 
The fruit was, iu its truth, presented at the 
meeting of the American Pomological So¬ 
ciety in September last at Philadelphia and 
spoken of; for which see our report in the 
issig; of October 3. 
With a desire to assist iu correcting errors, 
we have made the accompanying drawings 
and descriptions from specimens at the. Phil¬ 
adelphia meeting. 
Fruit large, roundish, slightly conical; 
occasional specimens oblique; dull greenish 
yellow, (Shaded, splashed and striped with a 
dull rod of two shades in color; many light 
and brown dots. Stem short, rather stout; 
cavity acute, yet open ami of medium depth. 
Caylyx nearly or quite closed. Basin large, 
somewhat furrowed; flesh yellowish, rather 
coarse, moderately juicy, sub-acid, and only 
“good ” iu quality. Core full medium size. 
Season December to April. 4 
Thu Dontzlfu.—No one preparing to plant a 
collection or hardy shrubs the coming spring 
should neglect the Deutzius. They are all beau¬ 
tiful ; but Crenalaflorr. pleno and FlorcaRsx plena 
are distinctly beautiful, while Flore pleno pur¬ 
purea and Orafil is folia t'aricgata are as yet quite 
new, but beautiful. Each planter of shrubs 
should obtain one, no matter how small, they 
grow rapidly. 
COLORING OF PEARS, 
There is unquestionably much in the soil 
that assists in the coloring and ripening of 
pears. It is doubtless true that a certain 
period of maturity of life tree becomes an 
essential, and that the coloring can be as¬ 
sisted by gathering and ripening in a warm 
temperature amid cloths or wrappings of 
paper; but the exhibit o£. Bartlett 8, Duch¬ 
esses and some others grown by N. OmiER, 
of Dayton, O., for some years, shows con¬ 
clusively that soil as well us climate lias 
something to do with producing the rich 
color belonging to a variety in its perfection. 
Mr. Oiimkr’s Bartletts have always been of 
a rich golden yellow, when others, equally 
large in size perhaps, were green; and his 
show of the Vicar of Wink field at. the late 
Ohio Stale Horticultural Society’s meeting, 
each pear a warm yellow, with a bronze, 
red cheek, is another evidence of soil as 
well as climate having much to do with the 
coloring of pears, because the Vicars here 
shown, it was stated, had received no care 
beyond packing them in a barrel and placing 
them in an ordinary dry cellar. There is 
one other point connected, which at another 
time I may touch, viz.: liow long is a variety 
or each variety ripening after its seed has 
well formed ? and what amount of mean 
temperature is requisite to such ripening. I 
think very little of the intrinsic elements 
belonging to pear culture have ever been 
studied or written. Addi. 
Variegated Leaved Yu ecu. — “ Tills is described 
as having' the foliage edged with white, and a 
great acquisition,especially for rock-work plant¬ 
ing. Who has It ?” So asks it correspondent. 
Arlmrirulturf 
ARBORICULTURAL NOTES, 
Staking Tree*.— in a letter from F. R. Elliott 
to R. W. Furnas, an enthusiastic and prominent 
fruit cultivator at Rrownsvllle, Nebraska, occurs 
the following: 
I object to your basin at the base of the tree, 
ami also to your ad sice to Slake. Roth are use¬ 
less or worse. I have, in thirty yi ttvn past, di¬ 
rected the planting of thousands of trees, from 
two to thirty feet high, ami in all sorts ot bleak 
exposures, subject to the fierce gales und winds 
of the lakes, and yet I never staked a tree or had 
one blown over. Learn to set the tree; spread 
Its Tools evenly nod pack il thorough 1> with the 
/inte rs, nut the fat. at the base- i.e., commencing 
at the first and lower root, and continuing Oil. 
Keep your feet, and every Irishman, spado and 
pounder, out Of the hole. Never tread around 
it. If anyone doubts this point, I can say to 
him. come to me and l will show you I am right, 
because i cun show you I lie facts existing, aud 
am yearly repeating them. 
rneuso anxious 
to retain every pear on the tree, they would 
prop up the limbs, to keep them from break¬ 
ing down ; but when they came to eat the 
pears, they were disap¬ 
pointed; they were taste- 
less, poor. Of course 
this is the result of al- / 
lowing too many on the / 
tree. If one-half, or two- / 
thirds, had been taken / 
off when one-fourth or / 
one-third grown, the re* I 
mainder would have I / 
weighed nearly as much, I ji 
atul every specimen 1 / 
would have been of the l B 
best, quality. It is true \ \ 
that some varieties, when \ V 
overloaded, will ripen \ 
tbeir fruit much better \ 
than others, but every \ 
kind is more or less \ 
improved by thinning, \. 
while some are worth- 
less unless a portion of 
the fruit is taken off. t 
Maria Louise is an excellent and beautiful 
pear in its best condition; the tree is very 
hardy, a line grower and a groat bearer; but 
if all the fruit is allowed to remain on, it is 
hardly worth gathering. The thinning pro¬ 
cess increases the size and quality of the 
fruit, and also the market value. The re¬ 
sult to the owner of an orchard of pears, 
that 1ms been properly thinned, w ill be twice 
ns much as can be realized from trees that 
have not had any fruit taken from them,but 
allowed to groiv as best they could. 
Horticulture. 
Hnrlson, N. Y., Dec., 1809. 
Remarks. — Winter Nelis was the best 
SUMMER BEURRE D'AREMBERG PEAR—OUTLINE. 
slightly vinous, hut with a rich, sweet, ar¬ 
omatic juice that will class it as pomologic¬ 
al ly “ very good to best.” The core is 
medium; seed large, obovale oblong, light 
brown, with a dark line on edge. Season, 
September. 
Barberry Rushes and Fungi, —In relation to 
tlie- discussion in the Farmers’ Cluli on the fun¬ 
gus that attacks this bush, causing the rust or 
blight in wheat, and the castor oil bean giving 
the negroes the lever and ague, why may not 
the fungus that attacks and kills so many of our 
cherry trees be the same as causes the potato 
rot? Each is caused by a fungus; and as there 
have been several cases of consumption where 
the black knot of the cherry exists, why may not 
their spores have something to do with it? Hut, 
in sober earnest, we believe that there may be 
theories even imported from, as Mr. Filler 
observes, France, but there are uo facts or rea¬ 
sons to prove them ; they are as contrary to well 
proved truths iu science as the exploded theory 
ot the Influence ot the moon on crops. Arc.— 
Isaac Kicks. 
Apples from Nova Scotia. — Recently the Fruit 
Growers’ Association of Nova Scotia forwarded 
specimens of the apples of Nova Sootia to the 
Ontario Fruit Growers’ Association at Hamil¬ 
ton, Ontario. Wc notlco tho list includes the 
well known varieties Rhode Island Greening, 
Ripston Pippin, Gravenation, Yellow Bell¬ 
flower, Northern Spy, Alexander, Snow Apple, 
Pomme Grise, Westfield Soek-no-turther, Bald¬ 
win. Euglish Golden Pippin, Taltnan Sweet, 
Pumpkin Sweet, Mubbnrdston Nonsuch, Esopus 
SpUzenburg, and several local varieties. The 
capabilities of Nova Scotia for fruit growing 
may be fairly estimated by the success with 
which the apples named are there produced. 
Apples lor Minnesota.— The Hennepin County, 
Minn., Hort. Soc. recommends ttie following list 
of apples:— Winter— Ben Davis or New York 
Pippin, Haas, Golden Russet. Price's Winter 
Sweet, Fall- Farneuse, St. Lawrence, Saxton or 
Fall Stripe, Perry Russet, Summer— Duchess of 
Oldenburg, Tetofsky, Red Astruchan. Although 
this list was adopted, many present did not be¬ 
lieve all the varieties named were entirely hardy. 
Mr, Fokd thought the Siberian family the only 
safe varieties to recommend. Mr. Elliott said 
every variety named had failed in some locali¬ 
ties Mr. Grimes thought it premature to recom¬ 
mend the Ben Davis. Mr. Stewart had tried 
tbe Red Astracban and failed. On motion of 
Mr. L. M. Ford it was resolved to especially rec¬ 
ommend the cultivation of the Siberian apples, 
Including the Transoendent and Hislop, and the 
various seedlings propagated iu Minnesota. 
Foruwalder Apple. —The Germantown Tele¬ 
graph says:—“There is every sort of name given 
to this apple, some of them absurd enough. If 
we remember correctly it is a native of Berks 
county, and its true name, as Judge Kessler of 
Rending informed us, isFornwalder, it being a 
seedling discovered on the premises of Mr. Forn¬ 
walder, a fanner of that county. We believe, 
further, that it was first Introduced to notice by 
our friend Jacob B. Garber, Esq., of Columbia, 
Lancaster county, from whom we shall be glad 
to hear on the subject, as well as bis opinion 
on out-door grapes, after another year's expe¬ 
rience.” 
Planting Tree** In Ice.—M. A. C., writing to the 
Field, in reply to a query as to whether there 
will be any skating In Holland this year, says: 
“ If 4 Ifabitans in Humido ’ will go to Christaln- 
sand he can have any amount of good ideating. 
When the fiords are frozen over, the inhabitants 
of that town cut down moderate-si zed fir trees, 
and, making holes in the ice, place thorn in, 
filling up round the base with water, which im¬ 
mediately freezes and holds the trees tight. 
Independently of the pretty effect, these trees 
(which remain green alt the winter) afford a 
capital shelter from the wind.” 
JAPAN AND CHINESE SAND PEAR. 
In regard to the Japan pear which 1 
tasted with the Editor of the Rural at the 
Fan tiers' Club of the American lnstitnte, it 
is said to be a seedling of the Chinese Sand 
Pear, an old and pretty well known fruit 
among pomologists but not a true pear. The 
Editor expressed a doubt about its useful¬ 
ness as a culinary fruit. I can say, ns it is 
Reliance and Northern Blush Apples.—There 
are two new seedlings recently exhibited at one 
of the Madison (Wts.) Horticultural Society’s 
meetings. The Reliance is red in color, and 
keeps till April; the Northern Blush is in seuson 
December and January. 
Those Lemons.—The Chicago Evening Post— 
ono of the livest aud best papers In the great 
North west—contains the following paragraph: 
“Mr. D. Cousins, writing from near Biloxi, 
Miss., ou the 24th Inst., to a uieoo in this city, 
says:—'‘I scud you some flowers Just gathered 
from tbe garden. A few days since I picked 
two lemons measuring seventeen and a half 
inches, and weighing three pounds each, which 
I shall send to the Rural New-Yorker.' Our 
readers, by striking a eirole six Inches in diame¬ 
ter, can judge the size of those lemons.” We’ve 
not seen the lemons yet. Should like to do so. 
Rabbit* and Apple Trees.—J udgo Caton of Il¬ 
linois Is said to sayTo prevent rabbits from 
barking apple trees, take any quantity of sweet 
milk you may desire, and add to it soot from tlio 
stove pipe or chimney where wood has been 
used, until It is tblu paint. Take a warm day to 
wash your tree. One washing is all that Is nec¬ 
essary.” 
--- 
Fortune’s Holly.—Has any one growm tho Ilex 
renata f If so, will he report? 
The Gennetting Apple.—In reply to “Deputy 
Postmaster.” Mr. Elliott writes he is acquaint¬ 
ed w 1th an apple undent local nameof Lemon, or 
White Lemon; but It may not be the one known 
to “ Deputy Postmaster.” He therefore asks 
D. P. to send samples whenever In season. 
Pears Tor Name.—J. M. Eaton, Fairview, Pa., 
sends us some pears to name. Tney are Glout 
Morceau, and In flue eating order Jan. 1st, 1870 
