476 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
MAR 46 
IMPROVED FRUITS 
Has any Real Advance Been Made 
Darina: tie Last Decade? 
Correct Judgment Rendered 
Difficult by the Avalanche 
of Novelties Introduced 
Every Season. 
PETTED NOVELTIES AND SPECIAL 
TREATMENT. 
THE ALPHA STRAWBERRY FOR 
EARLIEST; THE MOUNT VER¬ 
NON FOR LATE; THE BU- 
BACH FOR SIZE AND 
PRODUCTIVENESS. 
Hansell valuable chiefly for earliness; 
Cuthbert heads the list; Shafferthe 
best for canning; Golden Queen 
the best hardy yellow; Tyler and 
Souhegan essentially the same and 
scarcely superior to Doolittle; Hil- 
born has few superiors ; Earhart the 
best ever-bearing. The Lucretia 
Dewberry valuable for its earliness. 
Early Victor, Ulster, Nectar, Moyer, 
Poughkeepsie Red,Woodruff, Pot¬ 
ter receive favorable mention. 
The best varieties in the 
South illustrated by 
Prof. Munson. 
PLUMS AND APRICOTS. THE 
WAYLAND ILLUSTRATED. 
The Lawson Pear is handsome and 
early —that is all. Le Conte 
and Kieffer in the South. 
IDAHO VERY PROMISING. 
Improved Varieties of Apples for 
Various Sections. 
FROM PRES. T. T. LYON. 
Since a fruit can scarcely be said to have 
thoroughly established a reputation within 
much less than 10 years, the specifying of 
different kinds, together with their valuable 
qualities, must necessarily be a difficult under¬ 
taking, and one respecting which conclusions 
will be very liable to differ. Such undertak¬ 
ing is rendered more difficult by the avalanche 
of novelties, each heralded as possessing new 
and superior qualities; while the difficulty is 
further increased by the self-deception of very 
many purchasers, who make pets of such nov¬ 
elties, and, by special treatment, secure re¬ 
sults quite above the proper average, and 
these afford a warrant for higher commenda¬ 
tions than those justified by the results of or¬ 
dinary treatment. Only thus can transient 
success followed by ultimate failure, in very 
many cases, be rationally explained. 
Strawberries.—T o our earliest fruit, the 
strawberry, the foregoing remarks apply with 
peculiar force. After testing and rejecting 
yumerous “earliest” varieties, I have found 
Alpha the earliest one which has proved 
reasonably productive, with the needful size 
and quality, and with satisfactory vigor of 
plant. I have not yet found its equal in these 
respects. Arnold’s Pride, Bright Ida and 
Maggie are all seedlings by the late Charles 
Arnold, of Ontario, Canada, differing in sea¬ 
son, though with a family resemblance, vigor¬ 
ous and exceedingly productive. Fruit of 
large, to very large size, and pleasant flavor; 
but lacking brilliancy of color. To insure the 
proper maturity of the crop, rich soil and 
thorough culture are necessary. Parry, Bel¬ 
mont, and perhaps Gandy are of good size, 
and superior quality, which render them 
valuable as family berries, and for this pur¬ 
pose they may be allowed a place among the 
improvements in question; although, with re¬ 
spect to some of them, there may be room for 
doubt. 
Market Varieties. —Among these the 
Crescent holds high rank, but its advent was 
hardly within the decade. Summit, on strong 
soils, with liberal treatment, overcomes a 
lack of vigor, which is its most serious fault 
The regular form, uniformly large size, and 
bright color of the fruit, with satisfactory 
productiveness, render it one of the most de¬ 
sirable of the later varieties where it has been 
fully tested; but its success generally is yet to 
be determined. Mount Vernon, on heavy 
soils, is one of the most valuable of the late 
varieties. The plant is vigorous and very 
productive. Bubach, for vigor and produc¬ 
tiveness and for the uniformly large size of 
the fruit, is not excelled, if even equaled, by 
any of the older varieties. It seems destined 
to take rank among the very first upon the 
market list. Ontario, if it continues as it has 
begun, seems likely to excel its rival, the well 
known Sharpless. Jessie, Warfield and Hav- 
erland are receiving very high praise; but 
their performances are yet mainly in the 
future. 
Raspberries. —Hansell may be considered 
an improvement; but if so, on account of ear¬ 
liness only. Cuthbert, although nearly or 
quite outside the ten-year limit, heads the list 
of red varieties, whether for dessert or mar¬ 
ket. Shaffer, despite its forbidding color, 
takes precedence as the berry for canning. 
Golden Queen, on account of its pretentious 
name, for a time fell under suspicion. It is 
rapidly winning favor for vigor, productive¬ 
ness and size. It retains its clear, bright 
color unusually well when overripe. 
Black Caps. —Tyler and Souhegan are, for 
all practical purposes, identical. If accepted 
as an improvement, it must be on account of 
earliness. They are, however, but slightly 
earlier than Doolittle, which is, in certain 
other respects, their superior. Hilborn is ap¬ 
parently attracting less attention than it de¬ 
serves. It has few superiors in size; while its 
clear, bright color and high quality are 
scarcely equaled. Nemaha is much like 
Gregg. If its equal in productiveness and 
superior in hardiness as claimed, it will rank 
among our best market black-caps. Earhart 
is the best of the everbearing black-caps, none 
of which are valuable save as producers of 
fruit out of season. 
Dewberries. —Lucretia is the only dew¬ 
berry that has ttius far proved generally suc¬ 
cessful. It ripens with the early black-caps, 
quite in advance of most blackberries, and de¬ 
rives its popularity from this fact. 
Blackberries. —There are no recent intro¬ 
ductions superior to the older ones, unless 
Erie or Minnewaski shall prove to bo such. 
This is yet a question for the future. 
Currants have received no additions of 
established value since the advent of the 
Fay; and the relative value of this can hard¬ 
ly yet be said to be determined. 
Gooseberries present no novelties, save 
perhaps the Industry, which must as yet be 
considered of very uncertain value in this 
climate. 
Cherries. —Several novelties have received 
notice through the press and in the catalogues 
of nurserymen, among which are Olivet, 
Dougall's Seedling, and the introductions of 
Prof. Budd; but none of these can be said to 
have passed beyond the experimental stage. 
Grapes. —Of this fruit the mass of recent 
varieties is so great, and the status of many 
of them yet so unsettled, that it is in many 
cases impossible to determine to what extent, 
if at all, they are really improvements upon 
the past. The question of ability to resist 
cold, together with the various diseases to 
which the vine is especially subject, further 
complicates the question, demanding time for 
a proper solution. 
Black Grapes. —Early Victor is acquiring 
a reputation as one of the best, if not the best, 
very early black grape. Downing, although 
not generally introduced, is ;iarge both in 
bunch and berry. This, combined with high 
quality, promises much for its future. Ulster 
is, I think, entitled to rank as one of the best 
in quality. The plant is also satisfactory. 
Nectar,(heretofore known as Black Delaware,) 
is of superior quality; although not yet gen¬ 
erally planted. 
Red Grapes.— Moyer is of fine appearance 
and good quality. It is put forward 
as a hardy and very early variety; 
but its performances, in these par¬ 
ticulars, are yet in the future. Pough¬ 
keepsie is very promising, and seems destined 
to assume a leading position among varieties 
of its color, should it show itself free from the 
weaknesses of its rival, the Brighton. Wood¬ 
ruff, on account of its great vigor and hardi¬ 
ness, together with the large size ot the fruit, 
both in bunch and berry, as well as its fair 
quality and great beauty, is sure to assume a 
leading position as a red market grape. 
White Grapes. —Jessica comes from On¬ 
tario, with a reputation for hardiness and 
general good qualities. It will doubtless 
prove valuable, if it shall be found to excel 
the Lady in either ot these important particu¬ 
lars, which is yet uncertain. Empire State 
and Diamond are both reported to possess ex¬ 
ceedingly valuable characteristics, upon the 
future realization of which their status must 
depend. It may doubtless be reasonably antic¬ 
ipated that both will take precedence of 
the Niagara, at least so far as quality is 
concerned. 
Apricots. —The recently introduced Rus¬ 
sian apricots afford the only probable improve¬ 
ment of this fruit so far as adaptation to our 
American climate is concerned. They were 
introduced and for a time propagated from 
seed. Recently selections from the best of 
these have been propagated by budding and 
grafting; but the quality as well as the true 
value of these selections is yet but imper¬ 
fectly known. 
Plums. —Few additions have recently been 
made to the Domestica species of plums, and 
these mainly of varieties alleged to be curcu- 
)io-proof or for other reasons specially desir¬ 
able for the market. 
At the Northwest where the varieties of 
Domestica generally fail, several valuable 
selections have been made from the native 
Americana species, among the more recent 
of which are Rollingstone and Hawkeye; but 
I cannot undertake to specify the qualities 
of each which specially characterize them. 
Numerous varieties of the Chick*saw are being 
introduced, but few if any of the more recent 
ones are yet so well or generally known as to 
warrant special recommendations. Pissardii 
is a variety of Myrobolan or Cherry plum, 
which is valued only as a curious bush or 
shrub, on account of its dark- purple foliage. 
Simon, Botan, Agon and others of a recently 
introduced distinct species from Japan, are 
put forward with the claim of superiority in 
certain particulars—a claim yet to be sub¬ 
stantiated. 
Peaches. —Of this fruit the only recent 
varieties that are claimed to be specially valu¬ 
able are such as from large size, showy ap¬ 
pearance or other specially attractive charac¬ 
teristics are found to be profitable for market 
purposes. Of such almost every peach-grow¬ 
ing locality has its special favorites; and, 
since these, in general, have but a local repu¬ 
tation, a comparison of their valuable quali¬ 
ties is impracticable, and mention of such is 
therefore omitted. 
Pears.—O f these very few recent intro¬ 
ductions have been chronicled, and of such 
none has been generally disseminated and 
fruited. Lawson may perhaps come within 
the prescribed limit; but its chief value would 
seem to consist in its extreme beauty, which 
constitutes it a tempting object upon the 
market. Idaho is a variety originated in the 
Territory of that name. It has not yet fruit¬ 
ed outside of its original locality; but speci¬ 
mens, as grown there, are of very large size, 
and of unusually high quality for so large a 
fruit. If equally successful elsewhere, it must 
prove very valuable. 
Apples. —At the East and North there is 
little activity in the origination and intro¬ 
duction of new apples, although at the ex¬ 
treme North and West, where the older va¬ 
rieties fail to withstand the severities of the 
climate, many newer and hardier varieties 
are being put forward to supply their places. 
Among these I may mention Scott’s Winter, 
Fameuse Sucr£, Decarie, and Canada Bald¬ 
win as popular at the Northwest; and at the 
extreme North, both East and West, I, may 
name, in their order of maturing, the crab 
seedlings originated by Peter M. Gideon, of 
Minnesota, and especially commended by him 
as hardy in that trying climute; viz., Low, 
August, Florence, Exoelsior, September, 
Cherry Red, Martha, October, Wealthy, 
Gideon, Peter. To those must be added the 
extensive importations of Messrs. Budd and 
Gibb, from Southern Central Russia, which 
are now being extensively tested, with vary¬ 
ing success. Many accidental seedlings or¬ 
iginating here, aro also being tested, with 
wnat degree of success remains to be de¬ 
termined. West of Lake Michigan, and far¬ 
ther South in the newer regions west of the 
Mississippi also, a distinct class of seedlings is 
growing up, especially adapted to the climate 
and soil. Among these I mention Mc¬ 
Mahon, Wolf River, Pewaukee, Salome and 
Northwestern Greening as esteemed in Wis¬ 
consin, Illinois and Iowa; and Loy, Gano, 
Mammoth Black Twig, Early Colton, Indian, 
Red Bellflower, Shackleford, and Forest as 
valuable from Missouri southward; while 
Lincoln is said to be almost the sole variety 
adapted to Southwestern Texas. 
Van Buren Co., Mich. 
FROM SEC’Y M. CRAWFORD. 
Grapes. —Ten years ago the Delaware was, 
all things considered, our best grape, and I 
think it is yet. A skillful grower can bring 
it toperfection anywhere in the United States; 
but the great majority will make a failure 
with it anywhere. The Catawba and Iona 
are harder to raise, and the Brighton fails in 
many places. We want a grape as good as 
the Iona and as easily grown as the Worden 
or Concord; but I fear it is a long way off. 
The Jefferson is all right for quality, but not 
very hardy, and far too late for Northern 
Ohio. The Poughkeepsie Red and Ulster Pro¬ 
lific have not made a satisfactory growth h< rs. 
The former is little more than a reproduction 
of the Delaware. The Lindley is as good as 
any, but not very hardy. I have seen no black 
grape as good as the above, but the Potter 
comes the nearest to it, and it may be grown 
wherever the Concord flourishes aud with as 
little skill. It is of the Concord class with as 
large berries, but rather smaller bunches. It 
is two weeks earlier and as good a grower and 
with far better foliage. We have no white 
grape that fills the bill. Niagara and Pock- 
lington are not good enough, Lady Washing¬ 
ton is too late, and Jessica is too small and 
has been condemned at the Rural Grounds. 
With me it is the most desirable of all white 
grapes, being a good grower,perfectly hardy, 
very prolific and very pearly, while it never 
drops trom tne cluster, and is of tne most deli¬ 
cious flavor. The Woodruff Red, although dis¬ 
carded at the Rural Grounds, is all and more 
than was ever claimed for it, on my place. 
For vigorous growth, hardiness and mildew- 
resisting foliage, it is all that could be wished. 
It was never claimed to be very good, but 
really it is good, and almost free from foxi¬ 
ness. The clusters are not very uniform, but 
the color is beautiful. It is a favorite with 
all who ever ate it here. So among grapes, I 
consider the Potter, Jessica and Woodruff 
Red, all introduced within ten years, as valu¬ 
able acquisitions. 
Blackberries. —We have a number of va¬ 
rieties that combine every desirable quality 
save one. The Agawam and Taylor lack noth¬ 
ing but size, while the Wilson Jr., Lawton, 
and Erie are deficient only in hardiness. The 
Early Harvest is very early, but so small and 
so tender as to be worthless in Northern Ohio 
or the Northwest. Leaving out the Minne¬ 
waski, which I have not fruited, I can see uo 
gain in ten years. During that time, how¬ 
ever, the Agawam has been coming to the 
front, and many have found out that it is per¬ 
fectly hardy, wonderfully productive, of the 
very best quality, quite early, larger than the 
Suyder, aud almost as large as the Taylor. I 
am speaking of the genuine Agawam, which is 
comparatively scarce, although nearly twenty 
years in the market. The genuine Lucretia 
has just what we want in an upright grower; 
but its trailing habit is hard to put up with, 
and it as hard to kill as the Canada thistle. 
Currants. —The Fay currant is an im¬ 
provement on those tnat came before it in 
combining large clusters and large berries. I 
have seen the Versaillaiseas fine as I ever saw 
the Fay, but the latter has fewer unproduc¬ 
tive bushes. 
Raspberries. —The Hilborn is better than 
any black-cap ever before introduced, as it has 
all desiraple qualities in a high degree. It 
has not a single weak point. 
Strawberries. —There was never any 
room for improvement in the strawberry ex¬ 
cept in the directions of size and productive¬ 
ness. The best berry then is the one that com¬ 
bines these two points together with the natur¬ 
al characteristics of this fruit. The two va¬ 
rieties that do this most satisfactorily are the 
Bubach and Jessie. These have been intro¬ 
duced within ten years. I might also name 
the Jewell aud Haverlaud, but the former 
makes so few runners and needs such high cul¬ 
ture, aud the latter is so new that I will risk 
all on the two first named. 
Summit County, O. 
FROM T. V. MUNSON. 
Grapes.— Early Victor is superior to Ives 
in earliness and quality. Woodruff is superior 
in size, hardiness and earliness to other early 
