THE CULTIVATOR. 367 
1846. 
in three large kettles during 2| days. To prevent fu¬ 
ture increase, he had all the hollow places to be got at 
filled with lime; and the small holes and cracks with 
mortar, and the walls were white-washed. 
Soon after this, the mill was put in operation; an in¬ 
sect wasonly<seen occasionally; but in the course of 
three weeks, there was a considerable increase; though 
they have since remained stationary, and are not so 
plenty as to drive away customers. He says no insects 
were to be found in the smut room, or the machinery 
room, where it is damp. 
Mr. R. says he has heard that this or a similar 
insect is at times troublesome at Troy, but that he 
found none in a mill he examined at Hartford, Ct., and 
none at Rochester, and several other places along the 
Erie canal, except at one mill in Lockport, and but few 
there. He feels satisfied that it is not destined to be as 
troublesome in this region as was at first supposed. 
SELECTING- FINE FRUIT. 
There are several qualities to be taken into conside¬ 
ration, in deciding* what fruits are most worthy of cul¬ 
tivation in the orchard and garden. Excellence of fla¬ 
vor is of course the first and all-important requisite, 
while productiveness, uniformity in quality, a fair sur¬ 
face, free and vigorous growth, and even large size and 
handsome appearance, are all to be taken into account. 
A very few fruits have all these together; in such cases 
the task of selection is not difficult. But such instances 
being extremely rare, it becomes necessary to choose 
by balancing advantages and defects. 
No fruit of inferior flavor is ever to be regarded as 
first rate. A very prevalent disposition is to judge 
mainly by external appearance. Hence the Twenty 
Ounce apple, the Alexander, Maiden’s Blush, and Red 
Astrachan, stand quite as high in reputation as other 
varieties of decidely finer quality. Yet they are not 
all to be summarily rejected. The Red Astrachan is a 
free growing tree, a good bearer, quite early, of large 
size, and great beauty of appearance, qualities which, 
in some degree, at least, counterbalance its somewhat 
coarse texture and austere flavor. The Alexander is 
also of free growth, and though of only second rate 
richness in flavor, is always fair, and a fine bearer. 
The Maiden’s Blush is a most abundant bearer, and the 
fruit uniformly fair and handsome, and of delicate texture, 
but it is sadly deficient in richness of flavor—so much 
so, that even swine, who soon become good judges, 
seem to hold it in decided contempt, while they can get 
other good varieties by its side. The Twenty Ounce 
apple has been highly praised at Boston; but indepen¬ 
dent of large and fine appearance, and great productive¬ 
ness, it appears to possess but little merit. Even for 
cooking, it is inferior, unless an artificial flavor is 
given to it by sugar and spices. The disposition to ad¬ 
mire and extol large and handsome fruit is exhibited 
among other kinds. If the Bolmar plum were no 
larger than a Green Gage, it would be but little 
known; the large Red Cheek Melacoton and Lemon 
Cling, have depended for much of their celebrity on their 
size; and even Crawford’s Early would be a little cur¬ 
tailed in its reputation for quality, if it were no larger 
than an Early Ann, 
On the other hand, theSeckel pear, the richest of all 
pears, is of dull appearance, small size, and slow growth 
—the latter quality however, securing it from the fire 
blight.* Buffington’s Early has scarcely an equal 
among early apples, in flavor and texture; but it never 
bears good crops. The Sine Qua Non apple, and the 
Early Tillotson peach are excellent bearers, and of the 
best flavor, but the young trees in the nursery are of 
slow and scrubby growth. Hence, notwithstanding 
their great value, they will always be unpopular among 
* It is not intended here to say that rapid growth alone is 
always most liable to the attacks of this malady. Some varieties 
ripen their wood early, which being also of compact texture, they 
nearly always escape. Others, though perhaps less thrifty, have 
spongy or succulent wood, ripening badly; and they frequently 
suffer 
nurserymen, though they grow freely when they be¬ 
come larger.* IN or are nurserymen wholly to blame 
for this. For as buyers of fruit usually prefer specimens 
of showy appearance; so buyers of trees commonly 
show most respect to those of large and handsome 
growth merely. 
The number of varieties of fair or handsome appear¬ 
ance, free growth, and of first rate quality, is very small. 
It includes the Yellow Harvest, Late Strawberry, and 
Gravenstein apples; the Madeleine, Bloodgood, Yirga- 
lieu, and perhaps the Bartlett pear; Huling’s superb 
plum; and a part of the early, and most of the medium 
and late peaches, best known for their excellent quali¬ 
ties. 
It is a little singular that some varieties of slow 
growth in the nursery rows, afterwards become large 
trees in the orchard, as the Esopus Spitzenburgh and 
Fall Pippin. On the other hand, some of the most 
handsome, straight, and rapidly growing sorts while 
young, always remain rather small trees, as the Late 
Strawberry, and Tallman Sweeting. 
The object, principally, of these remarks, is to direct 
more attention to securing fine flavor and quality, in 
making selections; and to discourage the common erroia 
of looking too much at large size and showy appear¬ 
ance. Until this object is attained, fruit culture must 
always be at a low ebb; we shall never see fine fruit 
gardens so long as a Pound-Sweeting or a Twenty- 
Ounce is preferred to a Swaaror a Rambo; or a pump¬ 
kin or a mammoth squash to a Green Gage, or a Seckel. 
THE POTATO. 
Mr. Editor — I send you a copy of the description of 
the potato, as given by Gerard, in 1597, in his own 
language, the orthography only corrected- 
How the Indians became possessed of the potato, it is 
impossible to tell. Probably, like Indian corn, it was 
brought from a tropical climate by degrees, from tribe 
to tribe. Its native country is Peru, in which country 
it is now to be found growing wild on table lands, and 
perhaps in other parts of Central America. 
Yours, &c., Joseph Brecic, 
Boston, Oct . 26, 1846. 
[From Gerard’s Herbal, first published in London, m 1597, after¬ 
wards enlarged and improved, by Thomas Johnson, and pub¬ 
lished in London, 1633.] 
OF POTATOES OF VIRGINIA. 
The Description. 
Virginia Potato hath many hollow* flexible branches 
trailing upon the ground, three square, uneven, knotted 
or kneed in sundry places at certain distances, from the 
which knots cometh forth one great leaf made of divers 
leaves, some smaller and others greater, set together 
upon a fat middle rib by couples, of a swart green 
color, tending to redness; the whole leaf resembling 
those of the Winter Cresses, but much longer; in taste 
at the first like grass, but afterwards sharp and nipping 
the tongue. From the bosom of which leaves come 
forth long, round, slender foot stalks, whereon do grow 
very faire and pleasant flowers, made of one entire 
whole piece, w r hich is folded or plaited in such strange 
soit, that it seemethto be a flower made of fine sundry 
small leaves, which cannot easily be perceived except 
the same be pulled open. The whole flower is of a 
light purple color, striped down the middle of every 
fold or welt with a light shew of yellownesse, as if 
purple and yellow were mixed together. In the mid¬ 
dle of the flower. thrusteth forth a thick flat pointal, 
yellow as gold, with a sharp green prick or point in the 
midst thereof. The fruit succeedelh the flowers, round 
as a ball, of (he bigness of a little Bullessee or Wild Plum, 
green at the first, and black when it is ripe; wherein is 
contained small white seed, lesser than those of the mus¬ 
tard. The root is thick, fat, and tuberous, not much 
* Early Tillotson trees of several years growth, standing side 
by side with other peach trees noted as thrifty when young, aud 
all treated precisely alike, are as tall as any of the others 
