1897 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
627 
variety, and I could not find any fruit man or nursery¬ 
man that could. One old salesman said that he 
thought it was the Kentucky Neverfail, so I took 
some samples of these and some very fine Smith’s 
Cider, Switch Willow, etc., to market. The town was 
full of apples ; I showed mine to the best dealer in 
town, who said, “I do not want your Smith’s Cider, etc., 
at any price ; but I will give you 75 cents per bushel 
for all you can bring of those large red apples.” When 
asked the name of them, I told him that they were 
Kentucky Neverfails. There are men in that town 
who call me Old Kentucky Neverfail to this day. 
I determined to have the apple named, so I sent 
one to the Department of Agriculture at Washington. 
The pomologist in charge wrote, “The apple is the 
York Imperial, and it is, undoubtedly, one of the best 
for the northern and central States.” I have found it 
to be the most profitable apple that I have ever 
raised, and I see now that the variety is gaining the 
place it deserves. I kept strict account one year of 
sales of York Imperials from five trees, besides using, 
canning, etc., of them freely, and I sold $70 
worth. Farmers, put York Imperials in the 
place of Ben Davis ! geo. w. Huntington. 
Indiana 
JAPAN PLUMS AND SAN JOSE SCALE 
IN VIRGINIA. 
The Japan plums, in this section of Vir¬ 
ginia, seem to be hardy so far as I have seen 
them tested. Sometimes a late frost kills 
the fruit for a year, but the trees are not 
affected, and we are quite sure of a good 
crop as far as the weather is concerned, at 
least every other year. The Abundance 
ripens about the first of August, and bears 
all that the branches can carry. Washington 
is our local market, and is soon glutted by a 
large crop of any kind ; but had we a large 
market, an orchard of these could but prove 
very remunerative. 
On our own place, we have the Red June, 
Burbank and Abundance. The first two are 
youDg, and have not fruited as yet. Five 
years ago, my sister planted two Abundance 
trees in a chicken run, and of these trees, we 
have a faithful record. They have borne 
fruit only two years. In 1895, when three 
years planted, they bore 5% bushels of plums 
which were sold, given away to our friends, 
and canned for winter use. After giving 
away and canning, the remaining plums sold 
for $14.75, which, considering that the trees 
were neither pruned nor sprayed, and were 
cultivated by the chickens, we considered a 
very fine investment. People from around 
came to see the trees and generally prophe¬ 
sied that they had exhausted themselves in 
bearing. In 1896, they were loaded with 
blossoms, but a late frost killed the crop. 
This year, they were again loaded with 
plums. All friends who came to see us were 
treated liberally to the plums, we put up for 
winter use over one bushel, and sold the re¬ 
mainder for $16.50 in the Washington market. 
The only pruning these trees have had up to 
this year, has been the cutting out of broken 
branches; this year, after marketing the 
fruit, I cutback and thinned out the branches 
quite largely. 
In 1895, there were curculio marks on a 
large number of the plums, but this did not 
prevent the large yield of the year. As a 
matter of fact, there were crescent marks on 
many of the ripened plums, but these did not 
go beyond the skin. This year, Lombard and 
ARE FIRST FRUITS BEST OF ALL? 
QUALITY OF FABLY AND LATE BII’ENING 
Why is it that the first ripening fruit of a berry plant, will keep 
longer than the last ? Duriug the first picking of strawberries, 
raspberries, blackberries, etc., I can easily keep the fruit from 
24 to 48 hours ; the berries ripen firm and solid. But during the 
picking, they soften as soon as they color, and will scarcely keep 
over night. Has any one analyzed the fruit to learn what is the 
cause of this ? I suppose that there is less sugar in the last to 
ripen—what else ? What constituent is wanting that causes the 
lack of firmness? Does it also hold good that the first to ripen 
among apples and pears are the best? I am satisfied that it is 
true of grapes and plums. b. 
Illinois. • 
Probably Depends on the Weather. 
A single season’s experience will not warrant the 
belief that the first pickings of small fruits, or¬ 
chard fruits, or tomatoes, will keep longer than later 
ones. Our experience favors the belief that the keep¬ 
ing depends on the weather and conditions of soil at 
the time of ripening. With the small fruits, espe¬ 
cially the strawberry, the first picking will be soft 
THE^EARLY OHIO GRAPE. Fig. 263. See Ruralisms, Page 630. 
Shropshire Damson planted near were marked by the 
curculio, but the Abundance escaped even the marks. 
I understood that, in some orchards of Japan plums 
near here, the plums were rotting badly and falling 
off. Saturday I visited one of these orchards and 
found it badly affected by the San Jos6 scale. The 
owner purposes to treat these trees very thoroughly 
with whale-oil soap after the leaves fall, and expects, 
by this means, to rid his orchard of this pest; as 
some of the trees are very badly affected, he will 
burn them, but hopes to save most of his trees. I 
have heard of another orchard similarly affected, 
and fear that there are more. 
The Wild Goose plum has been a successful bearer 
in this section this year, and I understand has brought 
its owners a good return for its care and cultivation. 
Side by side in the markets, it cannot, however, com¬ 
pete with the Japan plums. I fear that, with other 
plums except those of the Chickasaw variety, we 
shall find it necessary to spray very carefully to guard 
against the curculio. We shall fight hard to keep the 
San Jos6 scale from our trees, and hope that some 
stringent measures may be taken to rid all infested 
orchards in this section. j. s. w, 
and watery if matuiing in a wet time, and if the 
weather clear, and the soil become drier, the later 
pickings will be firmer and far safer for shipping. 
So changes as to moisture of earth and air and rela¬ 
tive intensity of sunshine may bring about decided 
changes in the size and firmness of the first and last 
pickings of all fruits maturing in the changing 
periods of June and early July. As an example, 
within the past week, we have picked the second 
crop of five varieties of Russian cherries noted for 
two distinct periods of blossoming four or five days 
apart. The first crop was picked August 1, and the 
second one August 12. The weather has been favor¬ 
able, and the trees have had a smaller crop to carry. 
Hence the second crop of fruit is larger and better in 
all respects than the first. [pbof.j j. l budd. 
Iowa State College. 
Who Knows Anything About It ? 
I have noticed the difference mentioned to a limited 
extent. I think, from the statement, that this differ¬ 
ence is exaggerated, and I can see several serious 
sources of possible error in such observations. Chiefly 
the first fruits are almost always picked comparatively 
yery green, while later fruits often stay on bush or 
vine until very much overripe, and already half de¬ 
cayed before picking. Take early grapes like Ives ;• 
they always color strongly two weeks before they are 
at all ripe, and are often picked and sent to market 
while they are as hard as marbles, and as sour 
as double-distilled vinegar. Later in the season, 
bunches hang on the vines until quite past ripeness. 
It is quite unlikely, also, that one would compare 
fruits of equal quality in an observation like that 
recorded here. The first real picking of good berries 
constitutes the best of the crop. They ripen first be¬ 
cause they are the best, because they are so situated 
as to be best fed and most advantageously ripened. 
I think that there is a real question involved here, 
but it needs to be looked at carefully not to have it 
concealed by other things. To summarize, [ don't 
know anything about it. f. a. waugh. 
Vermont Experiment Station. 
Chiefly Due to the Weather. 
I think that it is true that the first berries which 
ripen are firmer than the succeeding ones, 
but this is a case in which one may easily de¬ 
ceive himself. It is usually cool at the time 
of ripening of the first berries, and they 
ripen slowly. Later, when the weather is 
warmer, they ripen very fast, and soften al¬ 
most as soon as colored. If we could compare 
fruit of the same degree of ripeness, at the 
different dates, we might not find the differ¬ 
ence that there seems to be. The first ber¬ 
ries may color and remain in a semi-ripe 
state for several days. We call the berries 
ripe as soon as colored, but really such is not 
the case. Later, when the weather is warmer, 
and the season is fully come for the berries 
to ripen, they soften in a few hours after 
coloring. 
The fact is, when we compare berries at 
different dates, we are comparing them at 
different stages of ripeness. I think, how¬ 
ever, that the first berries are firmer than 
these ripening later, and ascribe the differ¬ 
ence mostly to the weather. There may be 
a difference in composition, but I do not 
know of any analysis which would throw 
any light on the matter. If any one should 
undertake to make an examination of this 
kind, he would have a difficult case of sam¬ 
pling for analysis. w. .r. green. 
Ohio Experiment Station. 
Only a Theory to Offer. 
Some experienced fruit growers hold that 
the first ripened cherries, plums, peaches 
and raspberries keep better than later fruit 
from the same plant. So far as I know, no 
ODe has demonstrated the reason why this 
is so. It is easy to theorize. B. may have a 
more plausible explanation than any I can 
offer. The explanation which, at present, 
seems plausible to me is that the first fruit 
to ripen is borne on the outside portions of 
the plant, where it is most exposed to air 
and sunshine. It is well known that, when 
they are grown in the shade, plant tissues 
are often more delicate and tender than they 
are when grown in exposed positions. Be¬ 
sides this, it is possible that the very vigor 
and active growth of the fruit which matures 
first gives it an advantage over its neighbors 
in appropriating from the sap the materials 
it needs for building its tissues. It would 
be interesting to know whether the first 
blossoms, as a rule, develop into the first 
ripe fruits. Many such questions, while not 
of great practical value, are yet full of in¬ 
terest to fruit growers who like to observe and in¬ 
vestigate. s A. BEACH. 
Geneva Experiment Station. 
THE AMERICAN HOMOLOGICAL SOCIETf. 
ITS RECENT MEETING AT COLUMBUS, O. 
The 25th biennial meeting of the American Borno¬ 
logical Society was held at Columbus, O., on Septem¬ 
ber 1 and 2, in response to an invitation of the Ohio 
State Horticultural Society. Everything was done 
that was possible by the Ohio Society to arrange for, 
and make the meeting a success. The main exhibits 
of fruit were at the grounds of the State fair, being 
held at that time in the suburbs, and under the direc¬ 
tion of the State Society. At the hall of meeting in 
the city, there were, also, some exhibits brought 
from several States and Canada. President E. H. 
Cushman welcomed the Pomological Society in a most 
hearty manner, as did the Mayor of Columbus, also. 
President P. J. Berckmans responded in his usual 
happy manner. In delivering his address, Mr. Berck¬ 
mans referred to several facts that are not usually 
well considered, and offered some rather far-reaching 
and important suggestions. One was that the society 
