(Continued from page 283.) I 
ced by Mr. Green in the above query; but ou 
coming through some of the very trying Win¬ 
ters of that period, I was not a little surpris¬ 
ed to fiud those of Southern origin entirely un¬ 
harmed; while those from our own latitude 
suffered more or less injury. Indeed, the facts 
‘fully warrant the statement that iu Michigan, 
in a latitude and climate essentially identical 
with those of Western New York, very few 
Northern varieties wholly escaped injury; 
while not a single variety coming from south 
of the Ohio River, betrayed even the slightest 
apparent harm. Even those originating in 
Pennsylvania aud New Jersey, manifested 
something of this increased hardiness, although 
clearly in a less degree. Even the Shockley, 
a variety of extreme Southern origin, entire¬ 
ly bears out these statements; although its 
fruit proves utterly worthless, while the same 
is mainly true of the fruit of other southern 
winter and late Autumn sorts. 
These results were, at the time, very sur¬ 
prising to me, aud put me upon the consider¬ 
ation of the thought embodied iu the former 
clause of Mr. Green’s query, “By what pro¬ 
cess does a tree become hardy ?” To my ap¬ 
prehension this experience tallies perfectly 
with the observations of Messrs. Budd aud 
Gibb, in Eastern Europe, and leuds force 
to the theory of the former, that hardiness, 
iu the case of Northern fruits, is largely, if 
not mainly, a question of the ability of the 
foliage to witastaud the exactions of the sum¬ 
mer climate, with the result of fortifying the 
woody tissues against the exactions of the 
coming Winter. Seedlings at the far South, 
as doubtless ou the steppes of Eastern Europe, 
are probably weeded by the sun aud drought 
of Summer so that those only of more cori¬ 
aceous foliage survive, while in a milder 
northern climate this is in a less degree true. 
This, moreover, may, in part at least, account 
for the obvious average superiority of the 
fruits of northern origin; since, as a rule, 
superior excellence in one particular, as, for 
instance, iu the fruit, may be expected to he 
coincident with a deficiency in others; per¬ 
chance in that of foliage. 
South Haven, Mich. 
WESTERN EXPERIENCE WITH FRUIT. 
My experience with new fruits the past 
year is as follows;—Dowuiug’s Everbearing 
Mulberry was killed root and branch by the 
Winter. The Japanese Mikado Pear lost half its 
head by genuine blight, the bark turning sud¬ 
denly black aud shrinking somewhat; while 
the foliage remained green for some days. It 
is three years fmm bud or graft, had on one 
fruit, the quality of which was about equal to 
that of a poor turnip; character of the flesh 
very similar, though I think the specimen was 
a poor one. The Sha-li, Chinese Sand Pear, 
has not blighted; but is winter-killed each year. 
Petite Marguerite Pear bore half a dozen fruits- 
Bears young. Fruit small, but good. Kieffer 
blighted to the ground, where I cut it off, and 
let a sucker start for a new tree. Le Conte 
lost one branch by blight this second year 
from planting. My garden slopes gently to 
northwest and the soil is clay loam with clay 
subsoil. The Pratt and Waterloo aud Wager 
Peach trees passed the last two Winters un¬ 
hurt except as to fruit. We have not had a 
peach here for four or five years. The Wheat- 
land was nearly killed by the Winter. 
Caywood’s Marlboro Raspberry made a good 
growth of healthy plants, hut as the red 
spider took every cane last Summer I had uo 
fruit this year. His Poughkeepsie Red Grape 
has made a good aud healthy growth of vine, 
for the last two years, hut will not stand this 
climate without protection. The Ulster Pro¬ 
lific is perfectly hardy with me, a strong 
grower of short-jointed cane. It fruited with 
me this year. I was well pleased iu every way. 
I was agreeably surprised at the good qualities 
of the fruit on first taste. 
His Black Delaware made buta small growth, 
but I am sure on account of injury. Shaffer’s 
Raspberry merits all the praise I can give it 
for the first year with me. A wonderful 
grower. Fay’s Prolific Currant I think should 
be iu every garden on trial. Lee’s Prolific 
Black Currant has not shown any good quali¬ 
ties yet. c. w. k. 
Leavenworth, Kansas. 
FIGUE d’ALENCON PEAR. 
A MISTAKE CORRECTED, 
Under this name the Rural, iu the issue 
of April 10, describes and gives an eugraviug 
of a pear. There is evidently some mistake iu 
consequence of similarity of names or some 
other cause. There is au old pear called the 
Figue, aud sometimes, to distinguish it from 
another Figue, it is called Figue d’Aleucou. 
This is figured in the Magaziueof Horticultux-e 
for 1848 page 60, simply as the Figue, so named 
because it is almost exactly like a fig in shape, 
tapering into the stem. There is also a pear 
known as the Doyenne d’Alencon, one of the 
THI RURAL NEW°V0RK1R. MAY \ 
older kinds, somewhat resembling au Easter 
Beurrf, ripening from February to Hay. This 
is the pear the Rural describes and figures. 
It is quite unlike the Figue in shape, color, and 
period of maturity, and is a very fair var¬ 
iety cultivated here for 40 or 50 years, but, like 
the Easter Bourrf, it does not generally attain 
full maturity, ami consequently does not keep 
well, aud does not sell well in the market. I 
have a bushel now just in eating; but their 
d ull green color is not prepossessing. Under 
high culture and a favorableclimate, like that of 
California, it proves to l« a fine variety, as 
it is double-starred iu the list of pears recom¬ 
mended for general cultivation for that loca- 
tiou. The Figue, though a very good pear, is 
too small aud inferior in appearance, to in¬ 
duce cultivators to grow it. The Doyenne 
d’Alencon is worthy of trial under favorable 
conditions. _ c. M. hovey. 
THE OTHER SIDE. 
CHANGES IN FRUIT NOMENCLATURE. 
A late Rural contained an article from C. 
M. Hovey, criticising the American Poinolog- 
ical Society, aud especially its venerable 
President, for shortening the names of some 
fruits in the catalogue. 
Having had a hand iu making the changes, I 
wish to appear in defense of the progressive 
ideas of President Wilder, whose suggestions 
have to some extent been followed iu the re¬ 
vision of the work. If friend Hovey is unable 
to get out of the old ruts, he of course is at 
liberty to cany along as many of the super¬ 
fluous appendages to names of fruits as he 
chooses; but progressive men in this age will 
not waste time in unnecessary writing or 
printing or even talking in matters of busi¬ 
ness. 
Suppose a man must write 1,000 or even 100 
labels for Doyenne du Commice, or Hovey’s 
Seedling; by writing simply Commice or 
Hovey, half the time would be saved. To auy 
one knowing what he should know about 
K.N-r. 
Martha Crab Apple. From Nature. Fig. 180. 
fruits, the short name would be as intelligible 
as the loug one. 
But friend Hovey fears that enthusiastic cul¬ 
tivators would he deprived of the honor if the 
word “seedling” were not attached to the name 
of the originator. Then, why iu suggesting a 
name for the Concord Grape, did he not prefix 
the unme of the originator, instead of depriving 
him of the honor about which he seems to 
have so much anxiety ? The public, however, 
is sufficiently posted on that poiut without 
having had to utter for many years the name 
Bull's Concord Seedling, instead of simply 
Concord. There is probably no strawberry 
that gained so wide a reputation in so short a 
time as the Sharpless, aud wlnnloes uot kuow 
that it is a seedling, aud that Mr. Sharpless is 
the originator? Iu short, all fruits were seed¬ 
lings (except such as have been produced by 
sprouts), and it seems folly to waste time, type 
aud ink on unnecessary prefixes and append¬ 
ages, and I trust progressive horticulturists as 
well as pomologists will heartily aid in simpli¬ 
fying and shortening names as far as possible. 
Friend Hovey seems to have great reverence 
for names of fruits by French authorities. 
Americans have been too long admiring every¬ 
thing French. Is it not high time that we, 
and especially pomologists, should abbreviate 
some of the French prolixity by which so 
many fruits have been encumbered? I am 
glad that an American is leading in the re¬ 
form of nomenclature of fruits. It seems 
there should be very few who will not agree 
with Pres. Wilder and other eminent pomolo¬ 
gists, that ouc word should, if possible, suffice 
to name any fruit. In many cases it is not 
advisable, but where confusion would not be 
caused, let us prune off all unnecessary words. 
As to the coming fruit cultivaiors, we ueed 
have no fears that Young America will not 
adapt itself to circumstances in fruit nomen¬ 
clature as well as to other changes which are 
continually occurring. H. M. engle. 
Mairietta, Pa. 
THE NEW NOMENCLATURE. 
I was much pleased to see Mr. Hovey’s de¬ 
fence of the names of the grand old fruits iu a 
late Rural. For months I ha ve been tremb¬ 
ling for the fate of the ancient names, as one 
by one they ha ve fallen before the ax of the 
‘ ‘Nomencla tours.” 
To ho sure it is well to stem the tide and 
change the present direction of naiue-makiug, 
but when I read a few weeks since that the 
good old Seek-No-Further was to be beheaded, 
it seemed like revoking the past, or depriving 
our aucestry of their honored name. To ob¬ 
literate the fanciful story of its connection 
with Adam in the Gardcu of Eden, seemed to 
call for a protest on the part of all the lovers 
of that good old apple. (By the way, this is 
not supposed to be the forbidden fruit.) 
But, after all, what is to be done for appro¬ 
priate names? If the present increase in new 
varieties continues, the supply will run short, 
aud the choice will be between outrageous 
names on one hand and a monotonous rep¬ 
etition of more common ones on the other, 
after the manner of the Missouri family, who, 
as related to me by the census taker, after 
having exhausted all the names ou the older 
members of the family, concluded to call the 
remaining three Big Babe, Little Babe and 
Baby. 
Would it not be well to appoint a committee 
to bury many of the new fruits before they 
are fairly christened? DR. F. bird, 
-m- 
MARTHA CRAB APPLE. 
The Martha Crab, shown at Fig. 180, with 
a cross-section at Fig. 181, is quite flat and 
shaped much like the Lady Apple. Color a 
faint red, nearly covered with a bright car¬ 
mine shade, varying a little in shaded places; 
surface thickly dotted (on one side much more 
thickly than on the other) with bright yellow 
dots. Stem 11-16 inch long, very slender, and 
planted in a broad, Shallow eavity; a little 
russeted. Calyx very small, open, iu a very 
shallow basin, the color of apple going to 
the bottom. Core medium, with small, plump, 
browu seeds. Flesh a pinkish-wliite, fiue- 
Martha Crab Apple. Cross Section. Fig. 181. 
grained, firm, quite acid, hut pleasent iu qual¬ 
ity, much like that of the Trnuseendaut; good. 
A handsome little crab. It originated with 
P. M. Gideon, of Excelsior, Minn. 
THE TYSON PEAR. 
In a late Rural, Mr. Parnell says of the 
Tyson Pear:—“I regret to say that I cannot 
advise any one to plant it, on account of its 
being so tardy in coming into hearing.” I have 
lived to sec two trees direct from the nursery, 
come successively into bearing. IVhen I was 
a young man my father bought a tree of 
this variety, and it grew wonderfully, but 
did not bear. In the fore part of August 
next year, he tied a knife to a pole and cut 
off all the top branches. Next year it blos¬ 
somed and bore. The clipping was repeated 
aud it bore ever afterwards. Fifteen years 
ago I came to this State. On a new farm 
I planted a dozen pear trees, among others a 
Tyson. It made a rapid and healthy growth. 
When it was large enough, 1 clipped the 
outer limbs and it has continued to bear to 
this day. Wore 1 to start a j>ear orchard, 
one of the first varieties selected would be 
a Tyson; and when it was large enough I 
would cut it hack, and expect fruit every, 
or nearly every year. It is much too good a 
pear to be left off the list of desirable sorts. 
Hubbardston, Mich. G. a. s. 
JOHN N. DICKIE. 
Obscurity is uo evidence of mediocrity. 
We have a number of obscure flowers uot gener¬ 
ally cultivated, which should be better known. 
When I glance at the ordinary flower garden, 
and see the gaudy colors of the salvia, geran¬ 
ium, dahlia, zinnia, and numberless others of 
the same class, with so few of the chaste aud 
delicate beauties to relieve the monotonous 
glare, I wax indignant, if uot eloquent. The 
following eight varieties found in any cata¬ 
logue, I deem the peers of many of those 
vaunted flowers which hold their position by 
might, and not by right. First on the list is 
The Aspehula. —This is a hardy annual, 
growing from six to eight inches high. The 
flowers arc light blue—a color rarely found in 
our gardens. It is a constant bloomer, and 
of compact habit, growing readily in any fair 
garden soil. For a small bed by the side of 
the house, along the fence, or in the border, 
nothing is better. It is also excellent tor 
rustic baskets and rock-w r ork. For bouquet 
making, our lady readers will find it all that 
can be desired. Raise the plants iu boxes in 
the house, thinning well. Set out iu May and 
they will bloom the latter part of June, keep¬ 
ing up a constant succession of flowers until 
after hard frosts. 
The Anagallis is another desirable annu¬ 
al, but is not so good for bedding as the as- 
perula. In planting flowers in the permanent 
flower garden, we should select those which 
will bloom the whole season. This the ana¬ 
gallis will uot do save in large baskets or 
rustic work, where it is watered regularly. 
The seed-pods should be picked off and the 
soil made fine and rich; then wo possess some¬ 
thing of permanent beauty. The flowers are 
of various colors, but the blue is especially 
desirable. Planted in beds, it blooms pro¬ 
fusely for nl>out four weeks; after that the 
plants “sprangle” out and give but few blos¬ 
soms. Directions given for growing the as- 
perula will also apply to the anagallis. 
The Browallia is for sale at many green¬ 
houses, but it is of limited cultivation. For a 
single plant you will have to pay 15 cents; 
but f<>r a nickel you may own a paper of the 
seed and raise from 50 to 100 plants, which 
will bloom the first of July, increasing iu size 
and beauty until frost. They will grow’ two 
feet high in rich soil. The flowers are small, 
blue, blue and white, with a pure white 
variety. Blue, however, is the prevailing 
color. The seeds are very small and need 
care in sowing. Scatter them on the surface 
and press them in with a piece of shingle. 
Moisten with warm water and cover with 
moss. This rule should be followed in start¬ 
ing any minute seeds, as the sudden drying of 
the soil will destroy the tender shoots in an 
houi’’s time. The moss must he removed as 
soon as the plants break ground. The 
allia is tender and should not be planted out 
before May 20. It is a greenhouse perennial 
aud may he cut back in the Fall aud potted 
for winter blooming. 
The Swan River Daisy is catalogued as 
Brachycome iberidifolia—a name considerably 
larger than the flower—grows from six to 12 
inches high, according to the richness of the 
soil. The foliage is finely cut, the flowers 
single, of good size, ou long, slender stems. 
It has one bad fault—liability to rot off at the 
surface of the ground. It is an especial favor¬ 
ite of mine, hut I invariably lose half of my 
plants. 1 am afraid I pet them too much. 
Next season I propose to avoid watering it, 
merely keeping the ground well stirred. I 
think I have given it too much watering. 
The Centranthus.— Reader, I shall ho 
almost vexed if you grow this flower and 
do not think as well of it as I do! I dis¬ 
tinctly remember the first time I planted 
it — some 20 years ago, when seedsmen 
were rare, und catalogues few and far be¬ 
tween. I purchased it at a venture, and when 
it came into bloom l went into the most un¬ 
fashionable ecstacioK. That is just what I 
want you to do, friends. Act a little silly just 
once, please, and know what a luxury it is to 
lie n child again! The seed of centranthus may 
be sown iu the open ground where the plants 
are to flower, as it is rather difficult to trans¬ 
plant. The stems are almost transparent, of 
u light green, and, i regret to say, are a little 
clumsy ; or, in other words, there is rather 
too much handle for t he flower. But the blos¬ 
som will make up for any such little short¬ 
coming. Colors, pink and white. Blossoms 
continuously from June to November. 
The Piiacelia isu hardy annual, aud notat 
all suitable for the flower garden, from the 
fact that the seed-pods are too conspicuous, 
aud the habit, of the plant slovenly anil un¬ 
graceful. It is excellent for bouquets, how¬ 
ever, and I generally grow it in some retired 
corner, visiting it regularly with the scissors. 
The blue is the best, although there is a white 
variety. Sow in the beds where it is to bloom. 
The Salpiglosbis is a rare, but beauti¬ 
ful, hulf-hurdy annual. The blossoms 
are peculiarly rich, pencilled in the most 
beautiful manner by the hands of the 
Divine Artist. Grows from two to three 
l’eet high. Sow in boxes in the house, and set 
in a single row’ 18 inches apart. Few flowers 
will attract the attention of the visitor more 
that this. In my experience, out of 100 who 
see it in bloom, uot u half dozen ever noticed 
or heard of it before. 
The Whitlavia. —If ever a modest flower 
bloomed, probably this is it. The foliage is 
