YHfe RURAL. H 
K 
& 
most valuable timber, hence the name Pon- 
derosa. , . _ , A 
Pin us ponderosa pendula, the subject of our 
plant portrait, is a variety of this Kooky 
Mountain Pine. Mr. H. W. Sargent, of 
Wodenethe, Fishkill-on-tlie-TIudson. owns the 
original of this portrait. It is doubtless the 
finest specimen in the country. Mr. Sargent 
savs of it: “I imported it from Waterer 
and Godfrey about 1851. when three or four 
inches high. In 1859 it was nearly 18 feet high, 
its annual growth being two and a half to 
Ibrec feet. In June. 1878. it was sixty-one 
and a half feet high. Sir Joseph Hooker 
thought it a sport from the normal Ponderosa : 
but Waterer who raised it from seed, sajs he 
has others like it in its very pendulous habit. 
We wish to say here that Sir Joseph Hooker 
was unquestionably right. It is doubtless a 
sport. Plants may he obtained from the same 
lot of seed of any variety, which will resem¬ 
ble each other very closely, but the next thou¬ 
sand seeds may produce nothing like them. 
In tael, no distinctly pendulous tree will repro¬ 
duce itself satisfactorily from seed, or prove 
itself a species. As a matter of course, there¬ 
fore. Pinns ponderosa pendula must he grafted 
on a kindred stock to reproduce the pendu¬ 
lous form with certainty. The healthy, vigor¬ 
ous growth of Mr. Sargent’s tree is alone 
sufficient evidence of the hardiness in America 
of Pinns ponderosa pendula On general prin¬ 
ciples. however, we might expect this: for 
Pinns ponderosa is hardy, and weeping va¬ 
rieties of any tree are always at least as hardy 
as their parent. 
$omologual, 
NOTES IN A NORTHERN ORCHARD—2. 
T. H. H*8KINS. M. D. 
% 
I wix.li now proceed to a brief description of 
each of the apples which I have found to he 
quite hardy at Newport, on lake Memphrenia- 
gog, near the line between northeastern Ver¬ 
mont and Canada. 
Summer Apples. 
Yellow Transparent. —This is one of the 
new Russian apples imported by the Govern¬ 
ment. The tree is a thrifty, upright grower. 
The fruit grows thickly upon spurs on the 
larger limbs. When thinned, it is large, hut 
when not. thinned, it is of medium size and very 
uniform and fair in appearance. The color is 
a lemon yellow; the fruit is as mellow and 
pleasant in llavor as the Early Harvest. Its 
season is fully two weeks earlier than Tetofsky. 
and it does not drop its fruit like that variety. 
Grand Sin, tan. —This is another new Rus¬ 
sian. It is of the same season and color as Yel¬ 
low Transparent, hut larger and of somewhat 
higher flavor. The fruit grows upon the ends 
of the branches and scattered over the tree, and 
not upon spurs, like the Yellow Transparent. 1 
mention this, as some accounts give them as 
the same. The Grand Sultan seems to be an 
annual bearer, and gives good crops, but is not 
so prone to overbear as Yellow Transparent. 
(See Rural of Nov. Hi. for illustration.) 
St. Peter's.—T his is a small apple, very 
closely resembling the Early Joe, hut bardie i. 
It is productive, and of very good quality, but 
it is doubtful if it would he a profitable market 
apple, on account of its small size. Season, 
August. (See Rural of Nov. Hi, for illustration.) 
Tetofsky. —This* apple is pretty well known 
and highly valued at the Northwest for its 
hardiness. It is large, handsome, and very pro¬ 
ductive. Imt with me it drops so badly that not 
one quarter of the fruit reaches maturity. 
Season, August. (See Rural of Nov. 10, foi j 
illustration.) 
Summer Harvey.— This variety is described 
in Downing, p. 307. Much hardier than Red 
Astrachau, same season, very productive and 
profitable. Color, greenish-yellow, like R. I. 
Greening, and of about the same size, iree, a 
low, spreading grower. 
Fnll Apples. 
Duchess OF Oldenburgh. — 1 This fine and 
profitable apple is classed with Summer fruit 
in more southern localities. With me it is not 
ripe until the first of September. Jh quality it 
is far better than when grown farther South, 
and is first among our retailing apples with 
dealers in its season. There is more money in 
it with me than in any other sort—225 trees, 
now' five years planted, average neui ly a bush¬ 
el each, and bear every year. Fruit, uniformly 
fair and large, many specimens being 14 inch¬ 
es round. Of course, to keep up this produc¬ 
tiveness and size the land must he kept in good 
heart. Tree perfectly hardy. 
Peach of Montreal. —Were it not for the 
Duchess this would be our best market apple 
of the season—Sept, It lasts a little longer 
than that variety. It is of the shape and size 
of Yellow Bellllower, with delicate red cheek. 
Quality, very good when ripened on the tree, 
but it w ill not ripen if picked green, and as it 
is very soft when ripe, it is adapted only to a 
home market. A heavy bearer on alternate 
years. The tree is very thrifty and hardy. 
Pringle’s Swef.t.— Small, aboiit ty?o Inches 
in diameter, but very fair and uniform, and a 
heavy bearer on alternate years. Fruit, yel¬ 
low with red oheJc; flesh, yellow and of a rich, 
slightly astringent, but very agreeable sweet. 
The astringency resembles that of the Louise 
Bonne do. Jersey pear. Its small size is its only 
fault. It is probably a Siberian hybrid. Sea¬ 
son. September. 
Prolific Sweet,— This is one of the New 
Russians. A large yellow apple, mellow 
enough and rich enough in flavor for dessert, 
and yet a fine baking apple. Tree, thrifty and 
productive- It is the only hardy sweet apple 
of large size and of this season (last of Septem¬ 
ber) that I know of. 
Aroostook Harvest.— Tills variety origi¬ 
nated in Aroostook county. Maine, and was 
received by me from Rev. M. K. Keep, of Dal¬ 
ton. in that county. It is a round, yellow ap¬ 
ple, a small medium in size, good quality • tree 
very preductve, thrifty and perfectly hardy. 
Probably a Siberian hybrid. Season, last of 
September. 
Emperor Alexander.— This is a well- 
known Russian apple of great size and beauty, 
but of only medium quality. It is. however, a 
great and regular bearer and a very profitable 
market apple, being placed among the first iu 
this respect by the Montreal Horticultural So¬ 
ciety. The tree is thrifty and hardy, aud the 
fruit ships well aud remains sound up to De¬ 
cember. 
Plumb’s Cider.— Very hardy, very thrifty, 
a great hearer of good-sized and tolerably fail 
fruit, yellow with a few red stripes. Quality 
good, not a eider apple, but it got its name from 
the resemblance of its fruit to the well known 
Smith’s Cider. Season, November. Not so 
profitable for market as Alexander, hut a better 
apple. 
Winter Apples. 
Wealthy. —This Minnesota seedling, which 
lias been so highly praised in the Northwest, 
bids fair to be equally valuable in the North¬ 
east, aud to replace the Fameuse in districts 
where that variety does nof quite succeed on 
account of the hard winters. The fruit is al¬ 
most entirely red, of medium size or larger, very 
fair aud even in size, nearly round, of very 
good, almost best, quality, and keeps into Feb¬ 
ruary. The tree is thrifty, a free grower, per¬ 
fectly hardy and very productive. The Iruit 
handles and ships well aud commands a ready 
sale. 
Nortiifield Beauty.— This is very similar 
to Wealthy, but of a lighter color and more 
delicate, waxen appearance. Quality even bet¬ 
ter than that of Wealthy, but not so good a 
sliippiug apple, being more easily bruised, and 
showing bruises more. Tree, probably not so 
hardy as Wealthy, but more hardy than Fam- 
euse. Very productive of uniform, fail fruit 
or more than medium size; very desirable, at 
least for home use and near market. Said to 
be a seedling of the small, yellow Siberian Crab, 
and known in some localities as “ Cady a Crab. 
Keeps until March. (See Rural of Nov. 10. 
for illustration.) 
Tracy Apple.— This resembles the Rhode 
Island Greeuiug. but is only about half the 
size. Quality, good; keeps until February. 
Tree, very productive, a dw arfish, slow grower, 
but hardy. 
Meader’b Winter. —This is the best of the 
WiLiter Siberians. Size, small (five to six indi¬ 
es in circumference). Color, red. Tree, very 
thrifty and productive; fruit, rich, mellow, 
and entirely free from “ crabbineus;’’ keeps 
until March. Tree, “ iron-dad; ’ origin, Min¬ 
nesota. (See Rural of Nov. 10, for illustration.) 
Magog Red Streak. — This and the succeed¬ 
ing variety are native seedlings, originating on 
the shore of lake Memphremagog. and first 
propagated hv the w riter. The Red Streak is a 
large, yellow apple, streaked with red on the 
sunny side. No apple looks handsomer iu the 
barrel, ships or opens better. In quality it is 
very good, the only defect being a fineness of 
grain bordering, in fully ripe specimens, upon 
“sulvi”oss.” The flavor 5s a mild, rich sub¬ 
add. Flesh, yellow. The tree is very thrifty, 
a free grower, comes early into bearing, aud is 
“ iron-clad ” to the tip of its longest shoot. It 
is a heavy bearer on alternate years, with mod¬ 
erate crop in intermediate seasons. In eating 
from January to May. Tbis and Scott’s Win¬ 
ter are the only entirely hardy, all-winter ap¬ 
ples i have yet’found, that fill the requirements 
of a profitable market apple. 
Scott's Winter.— Tbis is a bright red apple 
of medium size aud of good quality, rather 
more acid than Magog Red Streak. Keeps as 
long as Roxbury Russet. Tree, an early and 
profuse bearer every year. 
-—■> •»--»- 
THE ODD YEAR. 
The editorial remarks, in the Rural for 
November Hi, on the alternate bearing of cer¬ 
tain varieties of Apples, I regard as of great 
importance to a correct understanding of the 
conditions of successful fruit-growing. I am 
aware that most orchfirdists fully believe in 
the. theory of the even and odd years for the 
bearing of Baldwins and certain other kinds. 
The “Odd Year" is an expression so common 
that many persons consider it a cardinal fact. 
I know that under existing circumstances and 
conditions of the business of fruit-farming, 
certain kinds of Apples having a tendency to 
bear very profusely, seem to temporarily ex¬ 
haust their power of production after one 
heavy crop, but after a year of very light bear¬ 
ing nr of complete barrenness they w ill again 
give a large yield, if no accident of season or 
predatory insects happen to prevent them. 
But has it ever been observed whether good 
cultivation and the use of a generous quantity 
nf the requisite aliment to produce apples 
would or would not cause a Baldwin tree, foi 
instance, to bear regular annual crops of 
apples ? 
I have bad occasion to discuss this subject 
to some extent with practical fruit growers, 
aud it is my opinion, from facts within my 
own observation and from the well considered 
opinions of others, that in the nature of the 
ease there is no necessity for the irregular habit 
of healing peculiar to die Baldw in, Hubbarda- 
ton Nonsuch and some other varieties, except 
the compulsion which follows a season of 
heavy bearing while uo system of cultivation 
or fertilizatou of the soil of the orchard is 
practiced—or, I may add, except the accidents 
of winter killing of fruit buds, insect ravages, 
or some such extra calamity to which all orch¬ 
ard trees are liable. 
Now, it Is a fact, as the Rural has stated, 
that young orchards do not show this pecu¬ 
liarity for several years after they commence 
bearing, and that tbis regular habit of fruit 
production is only checked by the aeeident of 
wiuter or spring frost injuring the bads or 
blooms, causingu cessation of the natural draft 
upon (be organic forces of the tree. While it 
is undergoing a season of enforced barrenness, 
tiic tree is storing up a vast amount of fruit- 
producing power, and the next season it may 
yield a greater crop than it ever did before. 
After all is said, it is plain. I think, that the 
cause of alternate bearing is of climatic or 
other accidental origin. This theory the Rural 
has set forth very distinctly, and the facts to 
substantiate it do not warrant the assumption 
that it is a natural peculiarity or necessity of 
any variety of Apple to bear or cease to bear 
every alternate year. 
The years 1875 and 187(1 were memorable in 
this section for great disasters to apple orchards 
on account of the ravages of the forest cater¬ 
pillar. Those who by persistent care and bat¬ 
tle with the enemy prevented the defoliation of 
their trees, were rewarded in 1877 with an 
abundant crop of fine Baldwins, aud the trees 
even bore some apples during the two years 
first-mentioned, while those orchards which 
were left exposed to the unchecked ravages of 
the caterpillars bore uo fruit in 1877. and are. 
in fact, now' mostly dead or dying. Yet I 
knmv of cases w here trees which received the 
benefits of constant cultivation during the 
caterpillar years, and leafed mu well last year, 
have borne extraordinary crops the present 
year, and late in the fall indicated a probability 
of a good crop next year. Thus, 1 think, as 
••no human efforts can alter the hearing year." 
it is within the possibilities for us to enable 
our trees to be annual hearers, by proper treat¬ 
ment. provided a sudden change of weather or 
other unforeseen accident does not interpose 
its veto upon our endeavors. g. f. 
Harrison, Me. _ 
^loufultuval. 
HOW TO HAVE NICE PLANTS. 
The inquiry is often made of me by people 
when visiting my green-house, *• How do you 
have such fresh-looking plants ?” And, think¬ 
ing perhaps some of the many who read the 
Rural New-Yorker would like to know how 
I treat my plants, I venture to write the fol¬ 
lowing. 
First of all, I atn very careful not to have 
any dust set in motion in the house ; for when 
plants are in a healthy condition, the pores of 
the leaves are ull open. Dust ialllngon them 
fills up the pores, causing the leaves to look 
dry, and after a while to fall otf. 
Second, 1 am careful to give my plants wa¬ 
ter when they need it most, and not to give 
any when the earth is already wet, as too much 
moisture causes them to turn a dark green and 
the roots begin to decay. On the other hand, 
if kept too dry. the edges of the leaves first, 
and then the whole leaf, will turn yellow, and 
soon the entire plant looks as il it bad stood 
where the fire had scorched it. 
Third. 1 am careful what kind of soil 1 use. 
For Geraniums I use three parts of decayed 
sods, two parts of scrapings of the Imru-yard, 
and one of sand: for Heliotropes, three parts 
manure, one part sods, and one, sand. Many 
fail to have healthy Heliotropes by not having 
the soil rich enough. For Carnations 1 use 
sod?, two parts; manure aud sand, one part 
each: for Roses, leaf mold, two parts; manure 
and sand, one part each : for Verbenas, sods. 
one part; manure and saml, one part each. 1 
give the soil for these five sorts as they are the 
most commonly grown. If this mixture i-- 
used, and the plants are treated iu the way I 
have described, I think any one may keep them 
nice and thrifty. 
In conclusion I will say, give your plants all 
the sun possible, moving them only when 
obliged to, keeping the temperature at (50 de¬ 
grees, and those who have failed previouslj. 
will, I think, be successful now. 
Carroll Co., N. H. D. Knowles, Jr. 
§ncntifu ant) fistful. 
ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION OF MOISTURE 
IN THE SOIL. 
COE. F. AUSTIN. 
During the summer of 18114 there was in this 
region uo rain, except a very slight sprinkle, 
between the first week in June and the last 
week in July : yet corn was never a better 
crop. Of course, I had learned, from experi¬ 
ence and by precept. that it was important in 
a dry season to plow the corn ground deep and 
to keep it loose, in order that it might become 
damp during the night; but I bad never learned 
why. I had somehow conceived the notion 
that, the moisture came tip from below by ca¬ 
pillary attraction : but a moment’s reflection 
convinced me that this notion was erroneous, 
and I now asked myself seriously for the first 
time “ Why is it ?’’ and the answer quickly 
came: “ The moisture comes out of the atmos¬ 
phere the same as dew.’’ 
Example* of Aqueous Condensation from the Air. 
In common with many other people, I had 
watched with interest the moisture which was 
diffused equally throughout the air of a warm 
room, collecting upon and trickling down the 
cold window pane. I had seen, during a very 
severe drought, water run in a stream from a 
table upon which there stood a pitcher of ice- 
water, the thermometer registering 102“ in the 
shade at the time, and the pitcher standing in 
a draft between two windows, with the wind 
blowing quite fresh from the south. In South 
Jersey I had seen the tender garden plants wilt 
down in the forenoon under the influence of a 
westerly breeze which came off the laud ; but 
when less than an hour afterwards the wind 
had shifted to Die south and was coming off 
tiic sea,—whiidi it usually does in that region 
in the summer time between the hours of 11 a. 
m. and 2 r. m.,— I had seen the same plants re¬ 
vive and stand up stiff and vigorous from the 
moisture which the damp south wind had 
brought to tbeir roots. I had noticed that, cel¬ 
lar walls were always damp in hot weather, 
oven in a drought. I had seen springs which 
issued from slate ridges increase their flow very 
perceptibly in dry weather just before a rain, 
thereby indicating an unusual amount of moist¬ 
ure in the atmosphere. I had seen a well dug 
at the briuk of a slate ridge, that was said to 
be always dry in the winter and spring, al¬ 
though it always hud water in it in the summer 
and fall. I had noticed that loose ground got 
dump to a considerable depth during a clear 
night in hot, dry weather, while Compact earth 
remained dry; and that corn growing on 
ground plowed deep and kept loose, was not 
injured by a drought which commenced as soon 
as it was fairly up. and ended just before or 
about the time it began to sot. During a severe 
drought, I had seen that portion of a garden 
over which earth had r been thickly strewn 
which was taken from a place where kitchen 
slops had been emptied for a number of years, 
produce fine vegetables without watering, while 
those grown in the rest of the garden, eom frith 
irntiTinij, were almost a total failure: and I 
reasoned that all these effects were produced 
by one and the same cause, viz.: by the actual 
contact of a warm gas (air) containing moist¬ 
ure in diffusion with the coldci surface of a 
solid,—the effect in the last mentioned case 
having been intensified by the water-absorbing 
property of the saline matter iu the soil. 
Conclusions Therefrom. 
The following is a resuno of some of the 
most important conclusions touching this mat¬ 
ter, to which 1 then arrived: 
First: The greater portion of the moisture 
which sustains vegetable growth during a 
drought,is condensed in the soil out of the atmos¬ 
phere. l>y the actual contact of warm and appar¬ 
ently dry air, with the cooler particles of the Boil. 
In hot weather there is always a large amount 
of moisture in the air, even when it is appar¬ 
ently very dry, and as cold air can hold in sus¬ 
pension less moisture than warm air. the atmos¬ 
phere becomes overcharged with moisture the in¬ 
stant it cools down to the “dew point. ’ During 
a clear night the earth loses its heat vetj rapidly 
by radiation, and if the ground be plowed deep 
and kept mellow, the air diffusing itself Hedy 
through it and becoming cool, deposits its 
surplus moisture on the surface of each pat ti¬ 
de of soil with which it comes in contact be- 
