1848. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
55 
Such profitable returns have caused a great variety 
of new orchards to be set out, in addition to many 
within a year or two past. But the market will not 
be soon glutted ; for while a few only keep their new¬ 
ly planted orchards well manured, cultivated, the soil 
mellow, and the earth round the trees entirely free 
from grass, weeds, or any sown crop; the great majo¬ 
rity plant out their trees in meadows, pastures or grain 
fields, to be overrun with grass and weeds. A hill of 
corn thus treated would produce nothing; and the young 
trees, (which require as good treatment as corn,) 
make but little growth, if indeed they happen to live 
through the treatment they receive. Thus, instead of 
yielding a profitable return, as they might do in five 
years, they are not likely to bear much in less than 
fifteen or twenty. It is true that many who pursue 
this course, are not aware of the disadvantages under 
which they are working; although they expend twen¬ 
ty-five or thirty dollars for trees, they “ can’t any how 
afford” to take an agricultural or horticultural paper, 
which would show them a better way. This is, em¬ 
phatically, wasting at the bung, in order to save at the 
tap. 
White-wash on Fruit Trees. 
A. J. Downing and others, have given it as their 
opinion, that an injurious effect is produced on fruit 
trees by the sun’s rays, when they strike the body and 
limbs with direct force, while the sap is frozen, or when 
there are sudden changes from cloud to sunshine. The 
writer has not had sufficient opportunity for compari¬ 
son to form a positive opinion in the case; but as it 
has been suggested that the application of white-wash 
to trees, would have the effect to refract the rays of 
the sun, and thus prevent the heat being communicated 
to the trunk and branches, it is proper to notice any 
experiments which have a bearing on the subject. 
In the January number of the Horticulturist, the 
editor states that he took two thermometers, which 
agreed perfectly; and to the bulb of one of them he Ap¬ 
plied a thick coating of w T hite-wash and allowed it to 
become dry; the other was left as usual. The result 
is given as follows: 
u After being exposed for an hour to the full sun¬ 
shine, the naked thermometer indicated 97°—the ther¬ 
mometer with the white-washed bulb only 79°—being 
a difference of 18°.” 
The Columbia Pear. 
Will you or some of your readers give through the 
Cultivator, ihe history of the Columbia or Columbian 
Yirgalieu pear?—its history, good qualities, size and 
time of ripening. Also why it is, that when we have 
such pears as the Dix, Marie Louise, Dunmore, &c. 
we so rarely see their names in the list of the best. I 
am well aware that the largest is not always the best, 
but I should think they ought to take the preference 
when they are equal in flavor and productiveness. 
Thos. R. Peck. 
West Bloomfield, Ontario Co., N. Y. 
A. J. Downing, in his Fruits and Fruit Trees, says 
of the Columbia —“ This splendid American pear is 
one of the most excellent qualities, and will we think, 
become more generally popular than any other early 
winter fruit. It is large, handsome, very productive, 
and has a rich, sugary flavor, resembling, but often 
surpassing, that of the Beurre Diel. The original 
tree grows on the farm of Mr. Casser, in Westchester 
county, 13 miles from New-York.” It is spoken of as 
very productive. It is described in the work above re¬ 
ferred to as follows : 
11 Fruit large, regularly formed, obovate, usually a 
little oblong, and always broadest in the middle. Skin 
smooth and fair, pale green in the autumn, but when 
ripe, of a fine golden yellow, with occasionally a soft 
orange tinge on its cheek, and dotted with small gray 
dots. Stalk more than an inch long, slender, slightly 
curved, placed towards one side of the narrow depres¬ 
sion. Calyx of medium size, partially open, set in a 
very shallow basin. Flesh white, not very fine grained, 
but melting, juicy, with a sweet, rich and excellent, 
aromatic flavor. November to January.” 
Select Varieties of Fruit. 
In the November number of the Horticulturist, the 
editor gives the following lists of fruits, “ unimpeach¬ 
ably good in all soils”—“ which have won a large vote 
by their uniformity of character:” 
Apples —9 varieties. 
Early Harvest, Baldwin, 
Early Strawberry, Ladies’ Sweeting, 
Williams’ Favorite, Rhode Island Greening, 
Gravenstein, Roxbury Russet. 
Porter, 
Pears —9 varieties. 
Bartlett, Louise Bonne de Jersey, 
Beurre Bose, Seckel, 
Dix, Beurre d’Aremberg, 
Fondante d’Automne, Winter Nelis. 
Gray Doyenne, 
Plums —8 varieties- 
Bleecker’s Gage, Jefferson, 
Coe’s Golden Drop, Lawrence’s Favorite, 
Diapree Rouge, Smith’s Orleans, 
Green Gage, Purple Favorite. 
Cherries —8 varieties. 
Bauman’s May, Downton, 
Black Tartarian, Bigarreau, 
Black Eagle, Elton, 
Downer’s Late, May duke. 
Peaches —8 varieties. 
Early York, Bergen’s Yellow, 
George IV, Royal George, 
Grosse Mignonne, Oldmixon Freestone, 
Coolidge’s Favorite. Large White Cling. 
Apricots —Moorpark, Breda. 
Nectarines —Elruge, Early Violet. 
We believe the preceding list to be nearly as perfect 
as can be furnished with the present amount of expe¬ 
rience in this country. Such fine varieties as the New¬ 
town pippin, Fall pippin, and the White Doyenne pear, 
are rejected because they do not succeed universally. 
Perhaps further trial will compel the rejection on the 
same grounds of one or two others; the Gray Doyenne, 
for instance, although succeeding well in the Eastern 
States and England, cracks badly at Cleaveland in 
Ohio, according to Dr. Kirtland and F. R. Elliott; and 
the Baldwin apple grown at Cleaveland, we are also 
informed is affected with bitter rot. A more exten¬ 
sive trial of the Jefferson plum throughout this country, 
would more perfectly settle its claim to uniform excel¬ 
lence. This select list, however, is unquestionably the 
best which has yet appeared. 
White Black-berry* 
J. H. Young, of Brunswick, Pa., sends the follow¬ 
ing account of a white black-berry he has found. We 
have heard of a similar fruit in several localities, one 
of which is Stephentown, Rensselaer Co., N. Y. 
“ If I am not mistaken, I have discovered a new 
berry. I have inquired and searched extensively, and 
have found nothing like it. It is a white black-berry! 
I propose to name it the white-berry. The bush resem¬ 
bles the common black-berry, Rubus villosus ; but the 
berry is larger and sweeter, and when fully ripe has 
the color of the white rasp-berry. It tastes like the 
black-berry, only “ much more so,” —as the man said 
of the cauliflower, when comparing it with cabbage. 
If this species of berry has been described by natural¬ 
ists, please inform your readers accordingly. I for¬ 
bear a more particular description until I shall have 
ascertained that fact. It may turn out at last to be 
well known in some other localities, and to have been 
noticed by botanists under a name not familiar to me.'” 
