HOV. 14 
MOORE’S RURAL NEW-YORKER 
347 
♦ 
FREAKS AMONG APPLES. 
Dear Rural I send you per express one 
box, contents two apples—one Golden Rus¬ 
set, the other (perhaps) common. Please 
examine. They grew on a Russet tree—two 
distinct varieties without budding or graft¬ 
ing. I have never before seen a mixture of 
fruits, neit her have 1 ever heard or read of 
the like occurring any where. I therefore 
send them to yon. There was a few, 1 be¬ 
lieve only five in all, of the Pearrnains on the 
Russet tree aud only one Russet apple on the 
Pearmain tree. Hliould either of these ap¬ 
ples become detached from the stem you 
need not think it a humbug, as the tree and 
fruit have been examined by other parties, 
who are ready to indorse all 1 say here about 
them. Ret, us hear what you tlu’nk of it. 
New Antioch, Ohio. E. W, Marble. 
Such freaks, or sports, are not uncommon 
in all of our cultivated fruits, and especially 
among apples, pears and peaches, and in 
those more frequently noticed on account of 
the large size of the specimens. Since re¬ 
ceiving the two apples mentioned In the 
above communication another lias come to 
hand from J. J. Thomas, the well known 
pomologist, of Union Springs, N. Y. The 
latter is a lloldcn Pippin, about two-thirds 
covered with russet and the remainder 
smooth, and of the usual fine, yellowish- 
white color of the variety named. Mr. 
THOMAS asks, “ Wluit is the probable cause ? 
Certainly the two was not produced by 
uniting two halves of two buds of different 
varieties.” 
We do not think it possible to find any 
facts in support of the many statements 
made from time to time in regard to the 
production of such sports us those named 
above through the direct mechanical agency 
of man in either budding or grafting with 
united buds or cions. Besides there are far 
more rational theories by which they can Vie 
accounted for. Wo must not lose sight of 
the fact that our cultivated fruits, like the 
apple, are the result of many generations of 
seedlings. The red, yellow, russet and all 
the variotions now known to exist among 
the offsprings of Pyrus mnlux are of the 
same origin, consequently it is not strange 
that peculiarities of the different varieties 
should occasionally exhibit themselves in the 
manner as in the specimens under considera¬ 
tion. The Russets may have originated from 
the Pippins, or vice verso, and an occasional 
reversion to the original parent in some speci¬ 
mens of the fruit would be no more wonder¬ 
ful than similar freaks met with among 
other plants. 
Wo have what are called “sports” in 
nearly every genus of cultivated plants— 
white roses that have originated from a 
“sporting” branch of a. red rose, and the re¬ 
verse of this ; and although the peculiarities 
of these bud variations may remain perma¬ 
nent, In] the main, still a reversion to types 
does occur more or less frequently. 
If we take this view of the case, which to 
us seems to be both rational and natural, the 
presence of a Pearmain ou the same twig 
with a Russet, or even a mixture of the two 
in the same specimen, like the one sent us by 
Mr. Thomas, is by no means to be considered 
a surprising freak ol' nature. 
We are well aware that many will take an 
entirely different view of this subject and 
attribute the cause to the effect of fertiliza¬ 
tion of the flowers. If a Russet apple is 
found growing on a Pearmain tree it would 
be at once claimed that the former supplied 
tlie pollen which fertilized the stigma of the 
individual flower producing the specimen so 
varying from the normal type. But horti¬ 
culturists have made altogether too few ex¬ 
periments in this field to give us sufficient 
materials for determining the influence of 
the pollen of one plant, over the envelope 
which incloses the seeds of another. 
In general the fruit does not mature unless 
fertilization is effected ; still there are many 
exceptions among the apples, pears, oranges 
and grapes. If the influence is sufficiently 
powerful to put a llussot coat upon a Pear¬ 
main, it may readily be determined by a few 
carefully - conducted experiments. These 
occasional flickers of light from almost total¬ 
ly unexplored fields, should lead thousands 
to search for the causes of many a puzzling 
horticultural phenomenon. 
■--• 
UPLAND CRANBERRIES. 
I would like to inquire through the Rural 
if there are any upland cranberries culti¬ 
vated in the State of New York; if so, the 
method of cultivation, and with what sue 
cess. In November last, while walking in 
the woods in the westerly part of the town, 
I came across a very small patch of cranberry 
vines, say 8 by 12 feet iu extent. They were 
very rank in growth and loaded with fruit. 
Not having heard of any upland cranberries 
being cultivated in this vicinity, and after 
filling my pockets with the fruit, I pulled a 
handful of the vines and carried them home, 
and heeled them in for the winter. In April 
last I set them in my garden, where many 
of them have borne fruit, regardless of the 
dry weather the past two months. The vines 
found were growing on very high ground, 
say 200 to 800 feet above t he level of the sea, 
Many of the vines were from three to four 
yards in length. I have set some of them 
<®hc finepri 
HOW TO IMPROVE OUR GRAPES. 
Careful hybridizing, or mixing foreign 
blood on the American grapes, has been tried 
long euough to satisfy grape growers that 
improvement does not lie in hybrids. And 
except for the Pacific slope and tlie extreme 
first matured its fruit,” and a better grape. 
The judges gave a diploma declaring “all 
claims sustained,” including fewness of seeds, 
hardiness and healthfulness of vine. 
Numbers Seven and Eight,, though both 
differ in (lavor from Nos. 2 and 3, made sim¬ 
ilar claims, which the judges reported “all 
sustained.” 
Two of the judges on fruit who made these 
awards examined t he vines and fruit of these 
seedlings on my grounds before making their 
report. Their dames are, Prof. Thomas B. 
Lovell of the Attica Collegiate Institute, 
and F. W. CAP WELL of West Middlebnry, a 
grape grower of over twenty years practical 
experience. 
Thu judges reported the above claims for 
Eureka “ all sustained.” Eight decided Im¬ 
provements iu more points than one, out of 
eight seedlings, is a little marvelous, The 
best grape before the public in Number One; 
a competitor for that honor in Number Four; 
a hardy and healthy vine bearing fruit, ripen¬ 
ing with Iona and “excelling Iona in flavor,” 
in Number Five, and a grape decidedly 
earlier and better than the old Hartford 
Prolific in Number Six, these are trophies 
that 1 have won in eight Eureka seedlings. 
If any one has done as well with hybrids 
in any number, I should liko to learn who 
and where. If any one else has been trying 
pure native seedlings, let him speak ulso. 
If two steps from Isabella gives Numbers 
One, Four, Five and Six, let breeding up 
from other good grapes be tried. 
Eureka Place, Attica, N. Y. 8. Folsom. 
WATERS’ SQUAR 
each month since April up to Aug. 20, and I 
find they stand the drouth as well as my 
grape vinos. 1 have 3,000 or 4,000 of them 
set, as an experiment.—G eohGk Spear, Nor¬ 
folk Co., Mass. 
There are several small plantations of 
what, are called upland cranberries in New 
York State, one or two on Long Island—all 
said to have yielded good crops for quite a 
number of years past. The only cultivation 
required is to keep the weeds clown until 
the vinos entirely cover the surface of the 
ground, after which no further care is needed 
beyond pulling up any stray rank weeds 
which may appear. 
There is really no difficulty in making cran¬ 
berry vines grow iu auy good garden soil, 
no matter whether taken from hill side or 
swamp*, for the same species is found under 
both of these conditions; but the trouble 
comes In the form of drouth and insects. 
The latter especially frequentlj r make a 
clean cut of the upland plantations. Try it, 
and learn from experience whotlier you can 
make their cultivation profitable ou land 
which cannot he irrigated or not. 
In horticultural matters wo arc strongly 
inclined to turn over a new leaf, never dis¬ 
suading our readers from rushing headlong 
into the. pit, of falls (which is not as yet half 
full of victims), but instead, encourage every¬ 
body to go ahead, right or wrong, because 
personal experience to a majority of man¬ 
kind is the only thing which will satisfy fully 
and completely. 
■-♦♦♦-- 
F0M0L0C1CAL GOSSIP. 
Seedling Plums.—Ur. E. G. Studley, Clav- 
erack, N. Y., sent us, Oct. 13, a box of plums 
frera a tree raised from a pit of theDownton 
Jmperatrice. lie says the tree is hardy and 
vigorous and promises to bear well in sandy 
loam. The fruit is scarcely as large (if we 
remember aright) as Downton Imperatrice, 
and no improvement on it as to quality ; hut 
while it may not lie worth while to propa¬ 
gate and “ push” it, with so many as good 
and better plums iu the field, if wo had it 
growing on our grounds wo do not think we 
should cut down the tree. 
The Sahvay Peach .—The Prairie Farmer 
speaks of having grown the Sal way Peach 
in quant ity this season, but cannot regard it 
as valuable. We advise him—and ho ought 
to know it without advice—to wait a little 
longer ere he condoms this truly large, late 
ripening, yellow - flecked and handsomely- 
colored peach. One swallow don’t make 
summer, nor one season's test of any fruit 
decide its value. Does the writer iu Prairie 
Farmer know that this peach originated 
from an Italian Peach Stone l If so, what 
variety was that ?—E. 
The Norwood Raspberry. —Who outside of 
the said-to-be-originator, N. B. White of 
Norwood, Mass., can tell us of the habit of 
canes, productiveness, size, quality, color, 
etc., of the above-named raspberry ? Where 
is there any record of it ' Addi. 
Snyder Hhtckberry. —A writer in the Prai¬ 
rie Farmer says “ That it is hardier than 
Kittatiny there can be no doubt. It is also 
an immense bearer.” 
G GTiAJNTD PIANO. 
South, no pure foreign grape has yet proved 
a success. Winter severity, blight and mil¬ 
dew have compelled vine culturists to set 
aside alike every foreign variety and every 
hybrid yet introduced. 
On the other hand, every grape success¬ 
fully and profitably grown east of the Rocky 
Mountains and north of t,ho Carolinas is 
purely native American ; and all the real 
improvements made in grapes adapted to 
general out-door growth in tliir. country since 
North American vineyard culture was first 
attempted, have been in the line of pure 
American seedlings from the best native 
varieties. 
Nevertheless systematic and careful breed¬ 
ing up the vine, as cattle have been bred in 
Europe and sheep have been bred in Ver¬ 
mont, by using the best and no other to breed 
from, and continuing to select the best for 
breeders (or with vines to raise seedlings 
from), is a new thing for the grape. 
A recent experiment that I have made in 
this direction astonishes me, and has astonish¬ 
ed all who have seen the result and examined 
my seedlings and their fruit on my grounds. 
Starting with an Isabella seedling that 
was an improvement on its parent,, in curli¬ 
ness, in flavor of fruit, In aroma, in fewness 
of seeds, in tenderness of pulp, in keeping 
qualities, in hardiness and health of vine, 
and with all this combination of merits and 
improvements showing no single point of de¬ 
terioration, I have tested eight seedlings of 
this Isabella seedling, and mark the result: 
Number One is earlier, sweeter, has a 
richer bloom, tenderer skin and pulp than 
“Eureka” (its parent), and retains fully its 
hardiness and healthfulness of vine and few¬ 
ness of seeds, going back only in the point of 
keeping as compared with Eureka. The 
Tons wanda Valley Agricultural Soeioty 
awarded to this needling (Number One) a 
diploma for sustaining all the point ? of merit 
here claimed for it, and the first premium as 
the best grape in competition with all the 
varieties now before the public. 
Number Two fruited last year but not this. 
Its berries are smaller than Eureka, or Num¬ 
ber One, yet. earlier and richer in flavor than 
its parent, retaining its hardiness and health¬ 
fulness, fewness of seeds and other improve¬ 
ments, except, perhaps, extra keeping. 
Number Three sustains all the merits 
claimed for Number Two, and won a diploma 
to that effect at the late Attica Fair. 
Number Four proves better than Eureka 
in flavor, earlmoss and tenderness of pulp, 
promises to keep better than Isabella, and is 
iu no point inferior to Eureka, The judges 
at the Tonawanda Valley Fair stood one for 
No. 4 to two for No. 1 as “ the best grape,” 
and awarded No. 4 a diploma as sustaining 
all claims here made for it. 
Number Five is an umber grape, not yet 
tested in keeping, but promises well on that 
point. Its claim before the judges was the 
earliness, hardiness and heultbfuluess of 
Eureka, and equal in flavor to Iona. The 
judges reported “Claims all sustained and 
.flavor superior to Iona! ” 
Number Six claimed to be “so much earlier 
than Hartford that its fruit was dried to 
raisins when tlie old champion for earliness 
In a private note, Mi 1 . Folsom says :—“ No 
plants of these seedlings are yet ready to 
send out at any price or ou any terms.”— 
Eds. Rural. 
-- 
VINEYARD NOTES. 
A FuulUcss Grape Wanted. — Have wc a 
faultless grape ? Has any reader of the 
Rural New-Yorker such a grape as adapt¬ 
ed to his locality ? What is a faultless grape ? 
i am anxious to know who has evor set up a 
standard which has been reached. What 
grape is the nearest faultless ? Can auy one 
vote on this subject who wants to, provided 
ho will not attempt to advertise somebody’s 
stock of vines for sale f I submit these co¬ 
nundrums with fear aud trembling lest some 
one should assert ho had found a faultless 
grape. But I’m iu for it ; what is written is 
written !— Queer ITiellovv. 
SQUARE GRAND PIANOS. 
Our friends Horace Waters & Son, No. 
481 Broadway, arc irrepressible. Not con¬ 
tent with continual improvements on the 
Reed Organ, they are persistently looking for 
more worlds to conquer, and are making 
large strides toward perfection in piano¬ 
making also. For some years their reputa¬ 
tion in this direction has been steadily grow¬ 
ing, and the instruments they now offer are 
all that any one could desire, or as good as 
can be had anywhere. 
We spent some little time in examining 
the new Square Grand they have lately 
produced. The Grand Piano, powerful and 
sweet as its tone is, and therefore a desirable 
instrument, is not pleasing in outline, and 
takes up much room in the parlor, A square 
piano, if it can be had without too much 
sacrifice of essentials, looks better and is 
more convenient. The Waters’ Square 
Grand is, so far as eye and ear could deter¬ 
mine, just the thing needed. The tone is re¬ 
markably even, the treble being brilliant 
without metallic ring, the base (overstrung) 
soi orous, and entirely free from the muffled 
tone so frequently observable in new pianos. 
The sustained, singing tone was exceedingly 
well-developed. The power, sweetness, pur¬ 
ity and evenness of the tone were perfectly 
satisfactory. 
Everything about the instrument indicated 
care and thoroughness. The elaborately- 
carved legs, serpentine molding, rounded 
corners beautifully fretted desk, not less 
than the internal neatness and solidity, pre- 
posses A-d us strongly in favor of the instru¬ 
ment. Those of our friends who need a 
piano or arc troubled with a poor one should 
call and see the oue we have written about. 
Wo bclisvc they will thank us for the 
writing. 
We gi ve above a representation of the piano 
wo have been writing about. It is sufficient 
to show the outline, but only a faint idea of 
the beauty of the instrument con be gained 
from it, it must be seen and heard to be fully 
appreciated. 
