212 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
July 
ter improvement, nor the expense and produce of each 
mode from the breaking of the old turf till the land was 
laid out to grass. The great part of the controversy 
rests on mere matter of opinion, and a more fallaci¬ 
ous mode of judgment cannot be adopted than to con¬ 
demn any practice from the results of imperfect perfor¬ 
mance ; for if strictly followed, it would condemn many 
of the most approved and useful practices in li(e; and 
anything that can be effected to good purpose by oth¬ 
ers, must not be disallowed by those who are incapable 
of the execution and unwilling to be taught,* nor must 
they allow their avarice and prejudices, narrow judg¬ 
ment and want of energy and exertion to give a limit 
to the capacities of other men who may see more clear¬ 
ly and can act more vigorously, and who can bring 
more judgment and discrimination toTiear on the point. 
Scientific men have reasoned from very obscure caus¬ 
es in regard to the effects that result from paring and 
burning land; it is thought that clay imbibes nutritive 
properties Irom the atmosphere, and that carbonic acid, 
which in combination with iron is injurious to plants, is 
expelled by burning. But in the present state of our 
knowledge of these subjects, we may very properly re¬ 
fer the effects to a diminution of the coherence and te¬ 
nacity of clay soils, and to the conversion of inert vege¬ 
table and other matters into active manures. 
But the formation of charcoal may perhaps be reck¬ 
oned the chief benefit, and some persons have added the 
oxygenation of the clay by the heat emitted, and also 
the mechanical effect of the fire in dividing and attenu¬ 
ating the soil; but as the process is above ground and 
of short duration, and the under-soil is unmoved much 
effect may not be produced that way. But it has ever 
been observed that vegetation is very luxuriant on the 
places where the heaps are burned, and where no ashes 
are allowed to remain on the ground. There the cause 
of fertility must arise from the effect of the fire; and 
the best ashes that could be found on a field have been 
carried and spread on pared ground where no ashes had 
been burnt, arid they produced effects much inferior to 
those on the places where the burning had been perform¬ 
ed and the ashes subsequently spread. It has been most 
judiciously observed that there is a cause or agent in 
burning, and that a most powerful one, u which es¬ 
capes the retort of the chemist and the rationale of the 
theorist. 77 
HORTICULTURAL DEPARTMENT, 
CONDUCTED BY J. J. THOMAS. 
SUMMER APPLES. 
A considerable number of new or newly introduced 
varieties of the apple have excited the attention of fruit 
growers, and to furnish the information which is often 
sought by those but little acquainted with them, we 
subjoin short descriptions of a number with a statement 
of their qualities. Figures, with full descriptions of 
some of the finest will be given during the season. 
Garden Royal.—A roundish, even and regular, red 
striped apple, the stem slender, and calyx large and 
open, and both but slightly sunk. The flesh is very 
tender, of fine texture; moderately juicy, and of a very 
slightly sub-acid, pleasant flavor. It is not so rich as 
the Benoni, nor quite so acid,—is more regular in form , 
not quite so much of a yellowish cast, and duller in co¬ 
lor. It promises to be a fine addition to our list of ear¬ 
ly apples. It is a native of Sudbury, Mass. Very 
productive. 
Early Joe.-—A figure and description of this excel¬ 
lent variety, was published in the Cultivator last au¬ 
tumn. It undoubtedly stands at the head of the list 
of all moderate sized mild-flavored apples. It is much 
smaller than Williams 7 Red,* but evidently superior to 
it in quality. In texture, it considerably resembles the 
Summer Rose. The growth of the young trees is slow 
-—the tree a most abundant bearer, the branches being 
sometimes literally hid by the trusses of fruit, without 
diminishing its fairness or quality. Its origin was in 
East Bloomfield, in Western New-York. 
Red Astrachan. —This very showy foreign apple, 
although it has attracted considerable attention, is on¬ 
ly known to a limited extent. It is rather large, often 
quite large, roundish, slightly flattened and remotely 
conical, a fine deep brilliant red, with a slight bloom. 
It is a fine grower, good bearer, and ripens only a week 
or two after the Yellow Harvest. Were it of fine 
quality, it would therefore perhaps stand without a ri¬ 
val, but it is rather coarse in texture, and austere in 
flavor. It will doubtless prove valuable as a market 
fruit, where fine appearance often eclipses quality. 
Early Buffington. —Apple medium in size, and 
ripening about the time of the Sine Qua Non, or two 
weeks after the Yellow Harvest. It is rarely equalled 
when well ripened, in its fine texture and excellent sub¬ 
acid flavor. It is fiat, obscurely ribbed, with a short 
stem, skin very smooth, clear light yellow, often with 
a brownish blush; flesh yellowish white, very tender 
and delicate, and compact. It is decidedly superior in 
quality to the Yellow Harvest and Summer Rose, and 
and is perhaps only equalled by the Early Joe. It is 
however, a moderate bearer, which lessens its va¬ 
lue. It is believed to have originated in the vicinity of 
Philadelphia. 
Vedder 7 s Pippin. —Medium in size, fiat, somewhat 
ribbed, light greenish yellow in the shade, but nearly 
covered with bright red stripes, dots and clouds; stem 
short, thick, flesh white, delicate, profusely juicy, with 
a pleasant and excellent sub-acid flavor. Though not 
so rich in flavor as some, it is decidedly first rate in 
quality, and is an abundant bearer every alternate year. 
First brought to notice in Cayuga county, N.Y. It ri¬ 
pens near the end of summer. 
Bevan 7 s Favorite. —This apple was first described 
in Hoffy’s Orchadist's Companion, a few years ago, and 
very highly commended; but it was either grea-tly over 
praised, or else is sadly degenerated in Western New- 
York. After three years 7 trial in bearing, we cannot 
place it higher than second rate. It is a very handsome 
red-striped apple, but only moderate in flavor, and too 
hard ever to be pleasant. 
Remark .—Erroneous conclusions relative to the real 
merits of new varieties, are often drawn by those who 
receive specimens of the fruit from a distance. Those 
of mild flavor, as the Early Joe, Garden Royal, and 
Hawley, which often lose a part of their flavor by a 
conveyance of several hundred miles, are considerably 
diminished in excellence, and their real character thus 
remains unknown. On the other hand, those of the 
too acid flavor, as the St. Lawrence, Red Astrachan 
and others, are rather improved than injured by lessen¬ 
ing their acidity. 
(To be continued in next number.) 
♦Generally regarded as one of the very best summer apples. 
