1853. 
THE CULTIVATOR 
21 
Winter Nelis, among pears; and Black Tartarian, 
Elton, May Duke, Black Heart, and Black Eagle, 
among cherries. We will not adduce the extra¬ 
ordinary success which has attended the cultiva¬ 
tion of that celebrated old French pear, the White 
Doyenne or Virgalieu, in large districts of the 
Union ; for the cracking and failure of this pear 
in some other districts, is pointed to as a proof of 
the comparative worthlessness of imported varie¬ 
ties, notwithstanding that some recent American 
pears have been found to crack quite as badly at 
the same places, and in the very neighborhood of 
their origin. —o— 
Interesting Pacts in Pruit Culture. 
The Reports of the State Fruit Committees to 
the American Pomological Society, at its late ses¬ 
sion in Philadelphia, contain many valuable facts, 
some of which we present to our readers. 
Mulching .—In the Report from Maine, the com¬ 
mittee state that very little rain fell throughout 
the entire summer months, and that the value of 
mulching has been seen in an eminent degree in 
the case of newly planted trees, which made a fine 
growth • while of those not so treated, many fail¬ 
ed, and others barely survived. 
Period of Ripening —The same report informs 
us that heat and drouth have caused some pears 
to ripen prematurely and irregularly, so that on 
the first day of autumn they had ripe at once, 
Dearborn’s Seedling, Rostiezer, Bartlett, Beurre 
d’Amalis, Belle Lucrative, Flemish Beauty, and 
others. 
Curculio .—In the neighborhood of Bangor, Me., 
we are assured the curculio appears to have sus¬ 
pended operations, at least for the past season. 
Row, it would be exceedingly interesting to some 
of us in other places, where these indefatigable 
little scoundrels place their death-stamp on every 
thing they can find, to know the cause Of this es¬ 
cape—perhaps if we knew, the thing might be done 
again. 
Baldwin Apple .—We observe the same com¬ 
plaint, noticed by other observers, of the great 
liability of the young trees of this otherwise ad¬ 
mirable apple, tobe winter killed in this northern 
locality. 
Pears in Maine —It has been found by the use 
of the Angers Quince, and a careful selection of 
sorts adapted to it, that many varieties can be 
grown in the highest perfection, which either en¬ 
tirely failed on the pear root, or would not repay 
the trouble and cost of cultivation. Among 
those mentioned, the Bartlett has been found har¬ 
dier on the quince—the Winkfield good, often very 
good, improving with the age of the tree—and 
can be grown cheaper per bushel than any other 
pear. The Seckel proves a failure in four cases 
out of five, the trees neither growing nor bearing. 
The Flemish Beauty, (grown only on pear stock,) 
“ combines more good qualities than any other 
pear,” a character it is likley to assume in other 
states. 
Gooseberries. —Houghton’s Seedling bids fair to 
surpass all others in value. Its three great points 
of value, are 1, its free growth and facility of in¬ 
crease ; 2, its profuse productiveness; and 3, its 
perfect freedom from mildew. The Maine Report 
informs us that Joseph Sinclair of Levant, pur¬ 
chased in 1848, for 25 cents, one plant of this va¬ 
riety—which he has increased by layers and slips, 
so as to sell over fifty dollars worth since , besides 
a hundred plants now on hand. Prof. Turner 
states in the Illinois Report, that Gooseberries, 
(English,) do well with him, “ when well prun¬ 
ed, manured, salted, and mulched, in early spring, 
never without.” 
Northern Spy in Vermont .- The Report states, 
that this apple is £ 1 not yet fully proved, but no ap¬ 
ple grows better, or appears more hardy. Fruit 
this season fair, and looks as well as any sort 
whatever—has not fruited before in this state, ex¬ 
cept a few specimens.” 
Red Astrachan .-—In Maine this apple is thought 
to succeed even better than in other parts of New- 
England; in Vermont, it is “ hardy and very 
fair;” in New-York, its value is well known; the 
report from central Pennsylvania states that it is 
u acid and dry.” 
Northern Autumn Apples .—The Duchess of 01- 
denburgh and the Gravenstein, are both spoken 
of as succeeding admirably throughout the north¬ 
ern regions of the Union—the latter as perhaps 
the best autumn apple of Vermont. An inte¬ 
resting fact as to the season of ripening of the 
Gravenstein has just been related to us by Major 
Patrick , of Sacket’s Harbor. The neighborhood 
of his residence is raked in two directions by the 
piercing winds from the north, and across the icy 
portions of Lake Ontario from the west. It is a 
severe climate for fruits. The result is, that the 
Gravenstein has become a winter apple, good and 
well kept specimens of which he has eaten in 
spring. 
Fruit for Family use. —"W. G. Waring, of Cen¬ 
ter Co., Pennsylvania, says that a family of eight 
persons, having free access to fruit during the en¬ 
tire season, consumed three bushels of apples to 
one of wheat, with a corresponding proportion of 
other fruits, with the greatest advantage to their 
health. There is at present, a very feeble ap¬ 
proach to such a supply for the whole country. 
Swine for the Curculio. — The same writer 
states, that the plum crop, when unprotected, is 
