name upon a new or unnamed fruit.” Should 
the question of priority arise between different 
names for the same variety of fruit, other cir¬ 
cumstances being equal, the name first public¬ 
ly bestowed will be given precedence.” Hav¬ 
ing settled on the merits of this quince as a 
new variety, 1 asked Mr. Downing as to the 
propriety of sending it out with my name at¬ 
tached as had been proposed; and he replied 
that lie saw no objections to it, and so it lias 
gone forth to the world. 
Finally, if it lie an old variety and bearing 
trees are found well scattered, even then l 
know of no stock to warrant your charge that 
trees can be bought at less than my price. 
Vineland, N. J. 
[We have cut out what we deem unimpor¬ 
tant matter from Mr. Meech’s communication 
and present the above in justice to him. Our 
own views remain unchanged. So let the mat¬ 
ter rest. Eds.] 
entirely free from glands, quite pointed, but 
not deeply serrated. 
Mr. Shearer states that this peach is an ac- 
® cidental seedling with 
him, and has proved 
so profitable that since 
he has learned its value 
he has grown it in pre¬ 
ference to all other 
varieties. 1 le has trees 
1 of this sort 12 years 
old, and still healthy 
and vigorous. The 
tree is a rapid and 
vigorous grower, well 
adapted to our elim- 
Fig. (Hi. ate, and is an excel¬ 
lent bearer, sometimes breaking down 
with an excessive load of fruit. In 
ordinary years these peaches measure 
from nine to ton inches in circumfer¬ 
ence, and iu favorable seasons from 
13 to 14. It begins to ripen in the 
second week of September, and lasts 
till the first of October. 
failed to give me a crop. The Hericart 
is rather apt to over-bear. Although every 
pear, even windfalls, are good, yet, like all 
Others, the fruit is improved by thinning. 
The Omer Pacha (see frig. 57, page 89, with 
cross-section at Fig. 58, page 89), like the 
Bourre Bose, sets its fruit at such judicious 
intervals that it saves that duty, so sure, cn 
most trees, to give us better pears. 
For market their size and tine quality make 
them very desirable. We want no more 
small September pears unless they can rival 
the Socket in all that, makes it the queen of 
its race. Hi fact, I think the most anxious 
search should be for large and later pears 
and those keeping like apples joyously 
while “Winter lingers in the lap of Spring.” 
BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
I know of no one who has more fully recog¬ 
nized the practicable bearings on the best 
method of dealing with these two fungi than 
Mr. Wm. Saunders. Iu the Report of the 
Commissioner of Agriculture for the year 
18t'.l, p. 495, ff., he has an article: “Remarks 
on Grape Culture, with reference to Mildew', 
both on the native and foreign varieties," and 
iu a number of subsequent reports, as those of 
1864, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’69, ’81-2 and ’88, he has dwelt 
either at length or incidentally on the essen¬ 
tial facts that the Uncinula is encouraged by 
a dry atmosphere and the Peronospora by a 
moist atmosphere. His experience shows that 
the nature of the soil or mode of cultivation 
has but little influence on the fungus and that 
protection from above as by covered trellis, is 
about the best prevention of the Peronospora; 
also that grape-vines with downy foliage are 
more susceptible to the Peronospora than 
those with smooth foliage. His experience is 
very well summed up in a statement of it fur¬ 
nished for publication in my 5th Report on 
the Insects of Missouri, p. 70 (foot-note). 
Of the writers on the structure and develop¬ 
ment of these mildews, Dr. Thomas Taylor was 
one of the earliest in this country, and found 
the perithecium of the Uncinula on the Euro¬ 
pean vine. His chief articles are contained i u 
the Reports of the Department of Agriculture 
for 1871 and 1874. but are marred by confusion 
in both text and plates. For accurate details 
the student should more particularly consult 
the following: 
W. G. Farlow (whom I have mostly fol¬ 
lowed) “Notes on Some Common Diseases 
Caused by Fungi,” (Bull. Bussey Inst. Vol. H, 
part H., 1877, pp. 106-114); also “On the 
American Grape-vine Mildew' (ibid, for 1876, 
pp. 415-425); Maxime Cornu, “Le Peronospora 
desVignes," Paris, 1882: B. D. Halsted “The 
White Mildews” (Proe. 19th Session Am. Pom. 
Soc., for 1833, p. 87); and Wm. Trelease, 
“The Grape Rot,” (Trans. Wis. Hort. Soc., 
1885, pp. 196-199.) 
SUMMARY. 
We thus have, indigenous to this country, 
two mildews that are more particularly de¬ 
structive to the grape-vine: 
1. The Uncinula spiralis, or the Powdery 
Grape-vine Mildew, flourishing most in a dry 
atmosphere, not particularly destructive to our 
hardier native grapes, and easily controlled by 
the use of sulphur. It develops chiefly ou the 
upper side of the leaf, and produces simple, 
ovoid summer spores and more complex and 
ciliate winter spores, which are found upon 
both the leaf and the cane. Introduced into 
Europe many years ago, according to trust¬ 
worthy evidence, it is only known there in the 
conidial form as Oidium Tuckeri, and works 
more injury than it does with us. 
2. The Peronospora viticola, or the Downy 
Grape-vine Mildew, which ramifies its my¬ 
celium in the substance of the leaf and even of 
the fruit, and develops most in moist or wet 
weather. It produces its summer spores on 
the underside of the leaf, and a winter spore 
in the tissues of the dry and fallen leaves, It 
is not amenable to sulphur, but is checked by 
a diluted kerosene emulsion in w hich a small 
amount of carbolic acid is mixed, but far more 
effectually checked, and even prevented, by a 
mixture of slaked lime and sulphate of copper. 
This should be applied carl}' in the season, say 
in June, so as to act as a preventive, while the 
gathering and burning of the old leaves in 
winter time will assist. This species is more 
injurious with us than the other, and is 
especially troublesome on the European vines 
It was first introduced into Europe in 1877, 
when it was found iu Hungary, and has since 
spread through the greater portion of France, 
Italy, Switzerland,. Austria, etc. 
A FEED-BAG FOR HORSES. 
We give two illustrations showing a good 
form of feed-bag for horses, and one that can 
easily be made by anyone. With this in use 
the position of the feed in the bag is con¬ 
trolled by the horse moving his head up or 
down. 
The feed-bae:, see Fie. 54, as will be seen, 
MEECH’S PROLIFIC QUINCE. 
A LETTER FROM MR. W. XV. MEECH. 
Now r that the Rural is satisfied 
that Meech’s Prolific Quince “is 
plainly not the Champion,” I need 
not again recall their points of differ¬ 
ence. I did not say in my letter 
that the Rural New-Yorker de¬ 
cided that the Champion and Angers 
were the same, but having been told 
so, asked you if that was the fact. 
You think the attack on my quince 
w'as made by the judges at Mt. Holly 
rather than by the Rural New- 
Y orker. 1 beg leave to differ with 
you. Iu the official report of awards 
at that fair ray name with quinces is 
in the list of “honorable mentions,” 
and it was all they could do for me 
as Meech’s Prolific was not in the 
premium list—I was assured by an 
oversight. 
You ask “Is Meech’s Prolific a dis¬ 
tinct variety?” I answer, “Yes, as 
distinct as other varieties.” After 
the discussion of this variety at the late meet¬ 
ing of the New r Jersey Horticultural Society, 
I asked Mr. P. M. Augur, the Pomologist of 
the Connecticut State Board of Agriculture, 
if he ever had seen in any fruit catalogue or 
heard any name for a quince answering to the 
description of Meech’s Prolific, and he said he 
had not. I have not yet found auy oue who 
has given me any other name for my quince. 
Chas. A, Green says, “I have reason for be¬ 
lieving Meech’s Quince to be an improved 
type of the Orange." 
You inquire after the history, and 
how it comes to bear my name? It is 
mine by right of discovery. I never 
claimed to originate it. Being a special 
student of quinces and their culture, 
I have tested all the sorts I could get, 
and by their comparison have found 
this superior to all the rest. In sym¬ 
pathy with the opinion of Mr. Green 
as to its origin, 1 called it the Pear- 
shaped Orange Quince until my horti¬ 
cultural friends said this was not dis¬ 
tinctive enough, as there were so 
many pear-shaped quinces, and that 
it was most suitable it should bear my 
name. To this suggestion I acceded, 
\ adding Prolific, its most prominent 
characteristic. That is how this “ac¬ 
quisition to the quince family” so long 
in obscurity and without a name 
known to the horticultural werld, 
has come to tie known as Meech’s 
Prolific Quince. 
The writer of the letter on the 
“True Story of Meech’s Prolific 
/ Quince” tracing it back to Ohio some 
/ 20 years ago, stated iu the discussion 
/ at Trenton, that he had also traced 
/ it to New York and Connecticut, all 
/ of which may be ti*ue. The man from 
/ whom I obtained my original stock, 
had it in Connecticut in 1857; but 
with no specific name, and it was 
HERICART PEAR. Cross Section. Fig. 56. probably carried to New York and 
Ohio, as he, and perhaps others, 
brought it to New Jersey. 
It, is unaccountable to me that so valuable a 
variety should lie so long unknown to horticul¬ 
turists; and that when I hud discovered, test¬ 
ed, and made known to them its superior mer‘ 
its, aud when some of them had attached my 
name to it as the disseminator, there should 
be so many to question the propriety of its 
bearing my name. 
By the rules of the American Pomological 
Society “the originator or introducer (in the 
HERICART PEAR. From Nature. Fig. 55 
In this search and watch, large pears, of good 
keeping qualities, should always be had in 
mind. Short of the high qualities of a Dix, 
or an Easter Reurrc, and close up to their 
size, we should not give our hearts to mauy 
pears of any season. The markets will not 
pay for small fruits when big ones can be had, 
of anywhere near equal merit. 
THE GLOBE PEACH 
Mr. Christopher Shearer, of the Tucker- 
ton Fruit Farm, sent us, last year, samples of 
TWO RARE PEARS, 
GEN. W. H. NOBLE. 
The Hericart and Omer Pacha pears are 
both French, and both September pears— 
early September and last of August. Their 
season is over, aud all, out of a refrigerator- 
house, have vanished or become worthless by 
September 15th. They may be set down as 
about two weeks ahead of the Bartlett. Al¬ 
though the number of good September )>ears 
is “legion;” yet I think there is room for 
these two large, fine-fleshed, aromatic and 
luscious pear. 
The trees are both healthy and very fair 
growers. I have never known the leaf or any 
other blight to touch them. The Omer Pacha 
throws out its limbs very regularly and 
squarely. But those of the Hericart (see 
Fig. 61. 
better work; it certainly is a fast way for it 
will take 16 feet at a cut. I take two com¬ 
mon harrows (D D D D), with four beams iu 
each section, bore a hole through the end of 
every other beam, and u corresponding one 
in the draw bur (B); then take short chains 
(C C C), put a bolt iu the last link ou each end 
(being careful to have all the same length), 
and fasten as in the figure, using a clevis at 
the draw bar. The chain (A) has a ring iu the 
center to which the double-tree (E) is fasten¬ 
ed. G is a short chain fastened to B, and 
ending with n hook. A stay chain is what I 
use. By lengthening or shortening this short 
chain the movement of the harrow is changed 
so that the harrowing is coarser or finer. The 
more the chain is lengthened the straighter 
the above-named peach, which we illustrate 
at Figs. 65 (p. 90) aud 66. The samples sent were 
very large and oblong with a prominent apex 
considerably ppinted. Skin considerably 
downy, lemon-yellow with a fine, mottled-red 
cheek. Suture well defined, but shallow, 9}£ 
inches in circumference. Flesh, yellow with a 
deep shade of red about the pit, juicy, sweet, 
rich aud melting: a very good flavor, but not 
the highest. October 2 it was iu fine order; a 
great improvement over the Late Crawford. 
Leaves large and healthy, heavily veined, but 
