1868 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
99 
base, of a growth of less than sixty years, mak¬ 
ing more than one thousand feet of lumber. So 
much for what has been done, and we might 
multiply cases if necessary. 
That Pine timber is now being successfully 
grown in both Europe and America is too 
well known to require other evidence. On my 
grounds, which were planted in the year 1857 
with plants not twelve inches long, now stand 
Pine trees twenty-five feet in bight and 
from eight to ten inches in diameter at the 
base or collar, which promise at no very distant 
day to afford a remunerative crop of lumber. 
Where young trees are set for belts for pro¬ 
tection, or in blocks, they should stand twelve 
feet apart each way in the rows and be culti¬ 
vated till they will protect themselves from the 
growth of exhausting vegetation. 
Tomatoes—Keyes’ and Others. 
The tomato is so important a vegetable, and 
the comparative earliness of the varieties is so 
important, especially to those who cultivate 
it for sale, that we feel no apology is needed 
for giving so much space to it. In the contro¬ 
versy now going on concerning the varieties —the 
Keyes’ especially—we have endeavored to give 
both sides a fair hearing, and now give opposite 
results, obtained by two different cultivators. It 
should be borne in mind that last season was, 
at the East, very unfavorable to the tomato, and 
while it is not right to come to a conclusion from 
the experience of a single season, it is still less 
fair to allow the results of an adverse one to de¬ 
cide the matter. “J. T.,” Paterson, 1ST. J., writes : 
“ The article in the Dec. Agriculturist , entitled 
‘ Improvement in Tomatoes,’ it seems to me, 
does not come to a correct conclusion in regard 
to the quality, earliness, and productiveness of 
the kinds named. I have raised tomatoes over 
fifteen years, never less than three or four kinds, 
and oftener twice that number, and considered 
the Early Smooth Red the earliest, and Valen¬ 
cia Cluster and Lester’s Perfected, the best of 
later kinds. Reading Mr. Gregory’s advertise¬ 
ment in your paper last winter, I wrote and ob¬ 
tained from him (with other seeds) some Early 
York, (which he claimed to be earliest), and 
early Tildeu seed. Shortly after, reading Hovey 
& Co.’s advertisement, I wrote and procured 
from them a paper of ‘ Keyes’ Early Prolific ’ 
seed, and also procured in New York, seed of 
Early Smooth Red. I planted seed of each, 
(EarlyYork, Early Red, Tilden, and Keyes’), 
in same hot-bed, gave same treatment, trans¬ 
planted the plants into cold frame about the 
same time, and into open ground as soon as 
warm weather became settled. The Early 
York, Early Red, and Tilden, were set out in 
my earliest ground, and some days afterwards 
(having but few plants, from a very small paper 
of seed, and it being claimed they were a month 
earlier) I set out the Keyes’ plants in my garden, 
on lower and later ground, in order to keep 
them pure and save plenty of seed. The Keyes’ 
still proved from one to two weeks earlier than 
the others, though in a less favorable location. 
My experience was similar to that of Mr. 
Downing and others published in your paper 
some months ago. The Early York came next, 
then Early Red, then Tilden. My plants of the 
Keyes’ were very stocky, leaves very broad, 
looking more like potato than tomato leaves, 
bore transplanting well and were very prolific, 
continuing to bear, and full of green ones when 
frost killed the vines. The Keyes’ tomato is of 
medium size, of very dark color, more crimson 
than scarlet, solid and of good quality, grows in 
clusters, which ripen pretty evenly and color all 
over at once, not being ripe below and green 
around the stem, as with some varieties. The 
only objection I found was their vigorous growth 
and sprawling habit. The stalks, being heavy, 
soon fell to the ground and grew several feet 
long, some of the plants, I think, covering a space 
of over six feet square. Perhaps my low, rich 
garden ground had something to do with it; still, 
I am satisfied they need more room than most 
kinds—say rows four feet apart, and plants 
three feet apart in the row. Probably twice as 
many plants of the Early York (which is a fine 
tomato of a dwarf habit,) might be planted to 
the acre. The Keyes’ tomato is certainly a dis¬ 
tinct variety, and from one year’s experience, I 
think it worthy the attention of all who want 
early tomatoes. The Tilden is also a fine to¬ 
mato, but not very early, in color and quality 
resembling the Valencia, both ripening slowly, 
and being more tart than most other varieties.” 
On the other hand, Mr. James Perkins, mar¬ 
ket gardener near New Market, N. J., thinks 
his New York Red as early as any of the much 
praised varieties, and proposes next season to 
send his first ripe fruit to the office of the Agri¬ 
culturist. lie asks those who have new varie¬ 
ties to do the same—the plants not to be kept 
under glass after May 25th. Come on with 
your early tomatoes, gentlemen. 
-- -- - 
Pear Culture for Profit. 
The frequent inquiries made with regard to 
pear culture show that the attention of culti¬ 
vators is turned to this fruit, as a market crop. 
The demand for fine varieties has been so much 
greater than the supply that the fruit in our 
city markets has always been at a price far be¬ 
yond the reach of those of ordinary means. 
The fruit is temptingly beautiful, but from 5 
cents to 25 cents apiece is too much for the 
majority of pockets. The question generally 
put by those who are thinking of planting pears 
is: Shall I plant standards or dwarfs? Our 
reply is : Standards, by all means, with perhaps 
the single exception of the Duchesse d’Angou- 
leme. The dwarf pear, i. e. the pear on a 
quince stock, has done good service, but not in 
the orchard. As these trees come early into 
bearing, they have enabled us to test a large 
number of varieties, in a much shorter time than 
could have been done if the dependance had 
been on standards alone. For garden culture, 
and for those whose space is limited, nothing 
can be better adapted than the pear upon 
quince; here large and paying crops are not 
looked for, and the trees receive all the care and 
culture they require, and without which they 
soon become useless. It is claimed by some, that 
if planted deep enough to cover the union of the 
pear and quince, roots will be produced from the 
pear wood. This is undoubtedly the case with 
many varieties, and when it takes place, the 
tree is no longer a dwarf, but is a pear tree on 
its own roots, with a clump of decaying quince 
roots in contact with them, and which we would 
much rather not have there. The "chief objec¬ 
tion urged to the pear on its own roots is the 
length of time before it comes into bearing. 
This is a condition which varies very much with 
the different kinds. Some, like the Dix, make 
one wait a provokingly long time, but the most 
profitable market varieties are not open to this 
objection. Had the many plantations that have 
been made of dwarf trees been of standards the 
fruit would now be much more plenty than it 
is. While the dwarf tree has done much to im¬ 
prove our knowledge of pears, we think that it 
has been detrimental to pear culture. Some 
twenty years ago the quince stock was so strong¬ 
ly advocated, that many supposed that the 
finer sorts of pears could only be grown upon 
it. We now find very few who recommend its 
use in an orchard planted for profit. 
A good soil, one that will produce a fair crop 
of any farm produce, will do for the pear, and 
it is none the worse if it is of a rather stiff 
nature. Draining should be done, if needed, 
and the ground well prepared by plowing and 
subsoiling. Mr. Quinn, a successful grower, 
recommends preparing the land thoroughly and 
growing a root crop the year before setting out 
the trees. This is undoubtedly good practice, 
as the soil not only gets thoroughly worked, but 
has the advantage of the liberal manuring given 
to the root crop. 
Varieties. There is no task more difficult 
than to make a selection of varieties of any kind 
of fruit that shall answer everywhere. We give 
here a list of those we should set out were we 
about to raise fruit for the New York market. 
In this case the question of quality is secondary 
to that of profit. 
Windsor or Summer Bell. —An old sort, 
worthless for eating, but profitable as an early 
market fruit and always in demand for cooking. 
Clapp’s Favorite. —A comparatively new 
variety, but so far as tested, of excellent charac¬ 
ter. Its beauty, size, and earliness, will no doubt 
make it a leading market sort. 
Bartlett. —Nothing need be said of this well 
known and popular variety. Pomologists may 
discuss whether it is a second or third rate pear; 
cultivators know that “there is money in it.” 
Louise Bonne de Jersey. —Succeeds gener¬ 
ally; sometimes astringent, but its beauti¬ 
ful cheek makes it sell. 
Beurre Clairgeau. —Handsome, large, an 
abundant bearer, and profitable. 
Duchesse D’Angouleme. —About the only 
variety found profitable on quince, on which it 
generally does better than on its own roots. 
Beurre d’Anjou. —First class in all re¬ 
spects, and keeps well. 
Lawrence. —A good late autumn variety. 
Vicar op Winkfield. —An abundant and 
regular bearer; excellent as a cooking pear and 
when well ripened fair for the table, but it is so 
uneven in quality that it is unpopular in the 
market for the latter purpose. Cultivators, 
however, find it a profitable variety. 
To this list might be added Seckel, Sheldon, 
and some others. In planting for market, it is 
a great mistake to have a few trees of many 
kinds. The orchard should comprise but a few 
profitable sorts—such as the people know and 
will buy, or which by their attractive appear¬ 
ance commend themselves at once. Picking and 
packing are much facilitated, and the commis¬ 
sion merchant has much less trouble with a 
large lot of one or two kinds, than where there 
are small quantities of a dozen varieties. 
•--o-- -* iKa O-P* * -- 
Potatoes under Straw. —In last month’s 
“Basket,” page 46, we gave the experience of 
“ Iloosier” which was not in favor of planting 
potatoes under straw. On the other hand, Mr. 
J. N. Sterns, Kalamazoo, Mich., says: 
“ I fitted the ground as for planting in the old 
way, by marking rows one way, three feet apart, 
and dropped the potatoes on the mark, from 
eighteen inches to two feet apart, covering them 
slightly with soil. I then covered to about the 
depth of ten inches with old straw, and did 
