1852, 
375 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
The English Crab, and the Apple. 
Prof. Mapes objects to the position taken by the Maine 
Fanner, that the English Crab is a distinct species from 
the common apple, and that the latter did not spring from 
the former as some have supposed, and as Downing and 
others maintained. Scientific authority and facts appear 
fully to establish the entire distinctness of the two. The 
celebrated English botanist, Ray, regarded them as dis¬ 
tinct, and later authorities have given the following spe¬ 
cific characters, which show them to be more unlike 
than many others universally admitted as distinct. 
English Crab .—Leaves ovate, acute : villous under¬ 
neath; styles bald; fruit acerb, astringent, austere. 
Apple Tree.—-Leaves ovate-oblong, acuminate , glab¬ 
rous ; styles villous; fruit more or less sweet. 
In accordance with these marked distinctions, is the ex¬ 
perience of centuries; for the English crab has been pro¬ 
pagated from seed from time immemorial, without 
changing its character, or presenting any resemblance to 
the fine varieties of the common apple. It may be ob¬ 
served that the American crab apple, is totally distinct 
from both. 
Wintering Strawberry Beds—Raising Seedlings. 
At a meeting of the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, 
(and we know that they of Cincinnati are not insignificant 
on this subject) Nicholas Longworth recommended 
straw or cut straw, or dead leaves, applied in the fall, as 
the best thing to do for them. Dr. Mosher used cliatf, 
and found it well adapted to apply to the beds after 
dressing them in spring. Tan-bark was objected to on 
account of the dirt after rains. 
Raising Seedlings .— Longworth would impregnate a 
large and good pistillate, with the best hermaphrodite, 
(or perfect flowered) and plant the seeds as soon as ripe 
in good soil in open ground. From 200 seedlings, he 
would expect 95 staminates, 95 pistillates, and 10 herma¬ 
phrodites. They should be planted separate, and the run¬ 
ners cleared till the sorts were proved. Graham advised 
planting in pots, and driving them ahead with bottom 
heat—his plants proved mostly staminate. McAvoy 
would plant in open ground—but select the best plants 
and force them. He had one bear a year from planting. 
Gradual and Successful Progress in Planting. 
One of the most interesting fragments of individual 
history we have lately seen, especially as connected with 
horticultural pursuits, is contained in the following ex- 
tract, which we make from the u Notes dh Gardens and 
Nurseries,” in the last number of Hovey’s Magazine: 
11 Residence of Jos. Stickney, Esq., Watertown — 
Strange, indeed, is it, to see how slight a circumstance 
may change and mould a taste for objects previously of 
no interest whatever. Some years ago, when the taste 
for the culture of that gorgeous flower, the Dahlia, was 
carried to a greater extent than now, a gentleman whose 
time was almost incessantly occupied in commercial mat¬ 
ters, and who possessed only a few square feet of garden, 
in the rear of his dwelling, in the city, -was struck with 
the splendor of one of the exhibitions of this flower, at 
the rooms of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 
and at once made up his mind to buy a few plants. 
Spring came, and they were set out;—they flourished, 
—grew,—and all the autumn repaid the careful attention 
of a zealous amateur, by a brilliant display of flowers. 
This was grand success for a beginner. Another year 
came round, and the dozen sorts were augmented to fifty, 
and still the same success. Delighted to find himself so 
well repaid, (unaware it was entirely owing to that love 
which spared no pains for the welfare of the plants,) the 
newest and finest sorts were procured, and another sea¬ 
son he not only became a competitor for the prizes, but 
actually carried some of them off! 
But with a few feet of land, already over-filled, there 
was no room for further additions to his stock, and he 
must add more or grow a less number of plants; the lat¬ 
ter could not be done, and another hundred feet of 
ground, worth almost as many acres a few miles from the 
city, was added. But now other objects divided his at¬ 
tention. The grand displays of fruit were so rich and 
inviting that to be a mere admirer would not do: why 
should not success attend the growth of fruit, as well as 
dahlias; there could be no doubt of it. His resolve was 
made, and the corners were filled with young pear trees. 
On they went, growing, thriving, pushing up their vigo¬ 
rous shoots, and spreading out their leafy branches, mak¬ 
ing sad inroads upon the territory of the Mexicans, and 
in fact, showing a disposition to dispute all the ground 
they had heretofore occupied. Time rolled on, golden 
fruit hung from their heavily laden boughs, and a rich 
harvest crowned the efforts of the cultivator of the city 
garden. 
And now accompanying him further, we find ourselves 
on a beautiful spot, on the banks of the river Charles, in 
the pretty village of Watertown, overlooking its flowing 
waters on one side, and the thickly settled plain on the 
other. Terraces, of immense size, covered with trees in 
full bearing, all the work of half a dozen years, rise one 
above another, and skirt the river bank. Ascending by 
several flights of steps, we reach a broad plateau, on 
which stands the mansion, in the olden style, large, capa¬ 
cious, without ornament, but with that essential of the 
country house, comfort. It is reached from the front by 
an avenue from the Milldam road, and is screened in that 
direction by a grove of gigantic pines, oaks and hickories. 
Such is the residence of Mr. Stickney. who was fortu¬ 
nate in purchasing, eight years ago, the estate of Madame 
Hunt, containing about thirty-five acres, accessible in 20 
minutes by the Watertown Branch Railroad, the station 
being within five minutes’ walk. Few places more capa¬ 
ble of being made a perfect villa residence, are to be 
found in the vicinity; and the possession of all this, now 
under a high state of culture, and affording so much en¬ 
joyment to its owner, has been the result of his admira¬ 
tion of a beautiful flower.” 
The Baldwin Apple in the North. —The Granite 
Farmer furnishes the information that in Hanover, N. H., 
the young Balwin apple trees suffer severely by winter- 
killing, and that it is found the cultivation of this fruit 
will have to be given up, in that region. It appears to 
succeed best when grafted into full grown trees. Per¬ 
haps the mode adopted by the most skillful nurserymen 
in cold-wintered Wisconsin would be best—that is, to bud 
the trees instead of grafting them, at three or four feet 
above the ground. This answers well there. 
Apple Trees killed by Potash. —Medicines in ex¬ 
cess become poisons. The New England Farmer mentions 
the case of an orchard of one hundred and six thrifty 
Baldwins, that were washed with a solution of a pound of 
potash in a gallon of water. The owner found in two 
days that he had killed the whole of his beautiful and 
valuable trees. Soap suds or ashes in water, are strong 
enough. Guano is an excellent thing for trees, and salt 
is sometimes good, but it is one of the easiest things in 
the world to kill trees with them in excess. 
