1849. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
55 
less killed by frost. With us, some of its berries are 
larger than any other variety, measuring from 4 to 5g 
inches, but its average size with us is less than the fruit 
of some others; never much exceeding the one half of 
the average size that Mr. Hovey claims for it in the vi¬ 
cinity of Boston; and from the silence of the Strawber¬ 
ry committee of the Boston Horticultural Society, I 
take it for granted that he does not err. With us, the 
season of its fruit is short, and the plants soon die out. 
Its size gives it deserved celebrity. We have two new 
seedlings, that promise to rival it in size, but it would 
not be safe to say so till we have had another year’s 
experience. The Scarlet is, with us, among the best 
bearers of the hermaphrodite family, but will not pro¬ 
duce with us, half the quantity of the Hovey, where 
planted adjoining. N. Longwokth. Cincinnati, 
Dec . 15, 1848. __ 
Preservation of Grafts. 
Eds. Cultivator — I have, during the past year, no¬ 
ticed several communications recommending the use of 
saw-dust for preserving scions. From my own experi¬ 
ence, I find that it should be used with extreme cau¬ 
tion, on account of its liability to heat, when a large 
quantity is used. A nursery firm with whom I am in¬ 
timately acquainted, lost nearly their whole stock of 
apple roots and grafts, by packing them in sawdust du¬ 
ring the past winter. I have found fresh loam, dug di¬ 
rectly from the earth, much better than any other pre¬ 
paration for preserving grafts or roots, and every per¬ 
son engaged in this kind of work will find their opera¬ 
tions more successful, the closer they stick to nature. 
Now in the way that grafts are usually kept, some be¬ 
come surfeited with water,- others are shrivelled and 
dry, while others may happen to receive just moisture 
enough. The latter, if selected and set by themselves, 
will all be found to grow strong and healthy, which 
would not be found to be the case with grafts kept in a 
hap-hazard way, as is usually the case. When loam is 
used for keeping scions, it should be used bountifully, 
as it retains a more regular degree of moisture. I have 
sometimes wrapped bundles of grafts in newspapers, 
and afterwards buried them in loam, and they have kept 
in this way admirably; the paper seemed to absorb and 
retain just moisture enough from the earth to keep the 
scions in excellent condition. Isaac Hildreth. Big 
Stream Point , Yates County, N. Y., Jan. 2, 1849. 
j Quality of Melons in Central New-York. 
Eds. Cultivator —Capt. M., of of the U. S. Navy, 
and at present a resident of this city, who lately dou¬ 
bled Cape Horn, and had frequent opportunities of eating 
melons in South America, says he saw none there equal 
to those raised in this city. So also, the Rev. Mr. K., 
once a resident of this city, but now an inhabitant of one 
of the Danish West India Islands, says that he has seen 
no melons in those Islands, equal to those he has eaten 
here. 
Now why is this ? Is it that our soil and climate are 
superior to theirs ? Clearly not. The true explanation, 
undoubtedly, is this: Our short summers here are near¬ 
ly tropical while they last. Melons therefore, that are 
forwarded so that they may ripen their fruit in the 
height of summer, mature their fruit under almost the 
same circumstances as in the tropics. This fact, con¬ 
nected with the superior care of our cultivation, se¬ 
cures a result which, at first, seems so very ijnproba- 
ble. C. E. G. Utica , Nov. 1848. 
Erratum. In the article on “ Selecting Varieties 
of Fruit,” after the words “900 different varieties,” 
add, of apples. Also, in the same article, 2d column, 
12th line, after the words, “ TEN varieties,” add, of 
apples. 
It does not always happen that the ground is made as 
fertile when young trees are set out, as it should be. In 
such instances, subsequent manuring is useful. No bet¬ 
ter season for this purpose can be selected than late in 
the autumn or during the winter, when rains or thaws 
may carry the soluble portions down among the roots, 
and the remainder be spaded in in the spring. 
Now every person at all conversant with the laws of 
vegetable growth, is aware that the absorbing parts of 
roots, are the young fibres or spongioles, at or near the 
extremities of larger roots. In very small trees, these 
may be within a foot of the main stem; but as the tree 
increases in size, the circumference of the roots forms 
a larger and larger circle each successive year. While 
the tree is young, the length of the roots is usually 
quite equal to the height of the tree. As it becomes 
older, the roots near the base of the tree enlarge and 
become nearly destitute of fibres. Hence, the entire 
uselessness of the too common practice of applying ma¬ 
nure closely around the base of the tree, instead of at 
a distance of many feet around. This practice is not 
less absurd than to pour water into a man’s boots to al¬ 
lay his thirst. 
Trees which grow in sod ground can never thrive so 
well as where the soil is kept mellow and free from ve¬ 
getable growth. With young trees, the difference will 
often be as ten to one. Many, to avoid this evil, spade 
around their trees, but in so small a circie, that no be¬ 
nefit is derived; the young roots are far off from the 
tree and from this spaded circle, seeking, in a hard and 
dry soil, under the thick grassy covering, for a scanty 
supply of food. 
The above figure is intended to exhibit these errors, 
by showing how far from the effective reach of the 
roots, is the mound of manure or mellow soil at the foot 
of the trunk. 
Apples for Canada. 
Would it be advantageous to plant apple trees, to 
feed the apples to hogs, in a cold part of Canada, 
where land is cheap, and labor pretty high ? In the 
affirmative, what kinds are considered best, for product¬ 
iveness and hardihood ? Will any of your correspon¬ 
dents answer ? A. Montreal, Dec., 1848. 
Pear buds on Quince. 
Good Growth. —In the summer of 1847, I put two 
pear buds in a quince stock—they both took—spring of 
1848, headed down. They are now each 5 feet 1 inch 
high, and about ® inch in diamter. J. Bunch. Chuck- 
atuck, Va 
