92 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
March. 
the cultivation, I have been induced to interpose 
between my rows of standard pear trees one side, 
and dwarf on the other, a row of raspberry vines. 
In one position on the farm these rows run from 
east to west; in another with similar culture, and 
in other respects equal, these rows run from 
north to south. In the rows that run from east 
to west, I have observed five-sixths of the canes to 
grow upon the north side of the row, owing to 
the foliage of the vines shading the ground suffi¬ 
ciently to preserve a degree of moisture , while the 
surfaces not so protected are parched by the 
scorching rays of the mid-day sun. All these va¬ 
rieties need protection. I have yet to learn that 
they can be left uncovered through the winter, 
and a fair crop of fruit be taken from them the 
succeeding summer. By referring to the stand¬ 
ard works on horticulture, particularly Downing, 
you will find the Antwerp spoken of as being har¬ 
dy enough to withstand the cold of our winters 
unprotected. It, is true the canes will not be 
killed, but the crop of fruit will be very much di¬ 
minished. Such is my experience, and similar I 
judge to be the experience of other cultivators 
around me, for I know of none who leave their 
vines uncovered. Such I know to be the practice 
of cultivators of the Franconia , reputed the har¬ 
diest of all the varieties, in the vicinity of Boston. 
With a few words as to the treatment of our 
plantations, I will close. Early in November 
we go along the rows, and remove all the shoots 
of this year’s growth, except such as are needed 
to constitute the stools for the next summer’s 
fruiting, of which from three to five are left, if as 
many are found clustered together; this being 
done, two shovels full of well rotted manure is 
deposited around the stool, preparatory to cover¬ 
ing, that its nutriment may be carried by the win¬ 
ter rains to the roots of the plant. The covering 
is readily done, by gently bending the canes from 
the contiguous stools together, to the ground, in 
which position they are held by the hand till a 
spade full of earth from an assistant operator fixes 
them in their position. The rows are in this way 
run over by a man and a boy; the covering is com¬ 
pleted by another following, or is left for a subse¬ 
quent task. 
With the present prices of this delicious fruit in 
most of our principal cities, and the ready sale for 
the canes from our plantations, it is I think the 
most profitable crop we can take from our farms. 
Truly yours, J. M. Ward. 
The English Russet. 
Some diversity of opinion prevails with regard 
to the value of this apple. Its flavor is not of 
the highest character, being only what pomolo- 
gists would denominate ; ( good,” but in keeping, 
it exceeds everything else well known in the whole 
list of apples. At the Buffalo Bornological Conven¬ 
tion, some years ago, early in autu,mn, a half bushel 
of this sort, a year old, was exhibited, having ap¬ 
parently all the soundness and freshness of newly 
picked specimens. A cultivator was formerly in 
the practice of handing to his friends a dish of Eng¬ 
lish Russets with other sorts, with the remark, 
“ Here are this year’s apples, and there are last 
year’s; take your choice.” The New-England 
Farmer, (speaking of the Hunt Russet, a syno- 
myn) says, “ We have seen the apples, tvjo year’s 
old, fair, plump and juicy, kept on a shelf in a 
cellar, with no extra care whatever.” An ac¬ 
quaintance was formerly in the practice, year af¬ 
ter year, of keeping his large crop of English 
Russets till other apples were gone, and then, just 
before early apples came in, of selling them inva¬ 
riably for one dollar per bushel, the common price 
of the best winter apples, being about twenty-five 
cents. This variety is profusely productive, the 
fruit hanging on the branches like strings of onions, 
which is one reason that the specimens are of only 
moderate or of rather small size. Its smallness, 
in connection with its firmness, is no doubt one 
great reason of its keeping qualities, by furnish¬ 
ing a means of escape from the usual battering 
and bruising given to winter apples, in the very 
common and careless process of picking and cart¬ 
ing. These qualities taken together, that is, long 
keeping and productiveness, have rendered the 
the English Russet a very profitable apple for 
market, although some refuse to set out large 
numbers on account of its very moderate flavor. 
We have given the Hunt Russet as a syno¬ 
nym—the New-England Farmer, which gives 
an account of it, is so inclined to regard it, and 
pronounces it as standing at the head of all apples 
in New-England—which is certainly correct, so 
far as long-keeping qualities are concerned. The 
difference in the thickness of the stem, which that 
paper notices, is a variable character, huge grown 
specimens in nearly all apples having shorter and 
thicker stems than those of smaller growth. 
Rapidly Growing Trees .—Perhaps the most 
rapidly growing evergreen is the Norway Fir— 
much exceeding in this particular the Balsam, 
Arbor Vitae, or White Spruce. On a deep, good 
soil, it often shoots up four or five feet in a season' 
The White Pine is a good grower. Among deci¬ 
duous trees, the Silver Maple {A. dasycarpum ) 
is one of the very best, far outstriping the Sugar 
Maple. The Silver Poplar is scarcely equalled by 
anything, in the speed with which it expands from 
a small twig into a large tree; and its glitter¬ 
ing silvery foliage is certainly very beautiful. 
But it throws up suckers beyond all endurance, if 
near a dwelling or garden, and must therefore be 
very sparingly introduced, and be planted remote 
from cultivated ground, where a dozen scores of 
suckers cannot prove an inconvenience or injury. 
Securing Grafts.— We have never found any 
mode equal to packing grafts in fine moss, for 
keeping through winter. Earth or sand is the 
most common covering; but grafts kept in these 
must be carefully washed to prevent dulling the 
grafting knife. Besides, this covering is not so 
easily removed or replaced as moss. 
Hardy Climbers.— The best hardy climbing 
ornamentals, for a trellis or arbor, are the follow¬ 
ing: Bignonia radicans or trumpet creeper; the 
Chinese Twining and Yellow Trumpet , and Scarlet 
Trumpet Honeysuckles; Chinese Wistaria, (re¬ 
quiring very deep and rich soil;) and Aristolochia 
or Dutchman’s Pipe. To these should be added 
those tramcendently showy climbing. roses, the 
Baltimore Belle and Queen of the Prairies. 
