1868 .] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
453 
Hardy Apples—Duchess of Oldenburgh. 
After many costly lessons our fruit growers 
liate learned to consider the qualities of the tree 
as well as those of the fruit. The question is 
not what is the best fruit, but what is the best 
we can raise in our climate. With quickly 
fruiting things, like grapes, the question is soon 
settled, but it takes years of patient waiting 
before we can find out if certain varieties of ap¬ 
ples are suited to a particular locality. He who 
North and North-west to have a list of hardy 
apples, and we are glad to see that the In¬ 
diana Horticultural Society offers premiums for 
the varieties best suited to northern localities. 
The Pratt Pear. 
DUCHESS OF OLDENBURGH. 
shows that an apple fails, deserves as much credit 
as he who reports the success of one, as success 
and failure are due to inherent qualities over 
which the cultivator has no control. Among 
the apples which have proved hardy in the 
North-west, as well as in Northern New Eng¬ 
land, is the Duchess of Oldenburgh. It has not 
only hardiness of tree but great beauty of fruit 
to commend it. In a market fruit a showy 
exterior is of more value than delicacy of flesh 
and flavor. At the late Ohio State Fair, A. 
B. Strother, of Hancock Co., O., exhibited a dish 
of these apples, so strikingly beautiful 
that we obtained one for illustration. It 
sometimes does more good to call atten¬ 
tion to an old but not generally known 
fruit than it does to bring out a new one. 
We regret our inability to give the bril¬ 
liant colors and the fine bloom. For a 
description we cannot do better than 
quote that in American Pomology, by 
Dr. Warder, who says: “This very 
beautiful striped apple is from Russia, 
and has proved one of the hardiest apples 
in our trying climate. Reports from the 
North-west are entirely satisfactory as to 
its hardiness. Tree medium size, round- 
headed, sufficiently vigorous and perfect¬ 
ly hardy; fruit medium, regular, round- 
isli-oblate; surface smooth, waxen-yel¬ 
low, partially covered with distinct and 
regular stripes and splashes of brilliant 
red and carmine, often having a light 
bloom, such as is found on most Russian 
apples; basin regular, pretty wide; eye 
large and closed; cavity regular, acute; stem me¬ 
dium to long, rather slender; flesh white, tender, 
j nicy; sour and suitable for cooking. Though 
attractive to the eye, it is un suited for the dessert. 
By Dr. Jno. A. Kennicott, the pioneer cultivator 
of Northern Illinois, this apple was considered 
the ne plus ultra for that and higher latitudes.” 
It is a matter of great importance to the 
It is worthy of note that our most valued 
native fruits are chance seedlings. 
The Pratt Pear ia one of these, and 
it is also one that deserves to be 
better known. The 
writer has seen this 
pear brought to the 
Providence market 
in a farm wagon 
with no more care 
than is given to pota¬ 
toes. People bought 
the fruit by the peck 
and thought it excel¬ 
lent to bake, but 
never supposed that 
they had one of the 
choice pears of the 
country. Some 20 
years ago the R. I. 
Horticultural Socie¬ 
ty was formed, and 
it was soon found 
that the little State 
was rich in choice 
fruits. The Pratt 
Pear, among others, 
became known to 
pomologists through the labors of the above- 
named Society, and took its place amoug our 
best varieties. It seemed like meeting an old 
friend to find this pear in the experimental gar¬ 
den at Washington, and in the specimen grounds 
of Ellwanger & Barry, at Rochester. From the 
last-named collection we took a specimen for 
our illustration, which we give with the remark 
that the fruit grows there less pyriform, i. e., 
shorter, than it does in Rhode Island. The tree 
is an upright grower, very vigorous, though 
rather late in coming into bearing. It does not 
William Ried said: “ I think it will prove one 
of the best pears we have in New Jersey.” 
Col. Wilder followed with the remark : “ If 
the Pratt was more generally known, it would 
come into great favor. It must stand in the 
Catalogue as one of our best.” After com¬ 
mendations from such eminent pomologists we 
need not add a word in praise of the Pratt. 
DUCHESS OF OLDENBURGH—SECTION. 
grow well upon quince. The skin of the fruit 
is greenish-yellow, very thickly dotted with 
russet, and sometimes shaded with crimson. 
The flesh is white, remarkably j uicy and melt¬ 
ing, and with a highly vinous flavor. It is a 
variable pear and requires careful ripening to 
develop its best qualities. At the meeting of the 
American Pomological Society in 1862, the late 
PRATT PEAR. 
More Quinces Wanted by Planters. 
The show of Quinces at the Ohio State Fair 
was splendid; yet the fruit is not plenty, bring¬ 
ing four dollars a bushel in Ohio, while at the 
East it is too precious to sell by measure, 
but is sold by the hundred. Thinking that 
people were not awake to the value of the 
Quince, we requested a distinguished pomolo- 
gist to write up the subject. He replied that 
the trouble was not with the people, but with 
the nurserymen; the demand was far in advance 
of the supply, and so thoroughly was 
the stock of quince trees in the nurseries 
reduced that he knew a case in which 
Angers quince stocks upon which pear 
buds had failed were used to fill orders for 
quince trees. Now it does but little good 
for us to advocate the planting of any¬ 
thing of which a supply cannot be ob¬ 
tained. If the nurserymen will not keep 
a stock of quince trees, let every one who 
wishes to plant them turn nurseryman, 
as far as this goes, and raise them him¬ 
self. The quince grows readily from cut¬ 
tings, and it is in many places practicable 
to plant them yet. Where it is too late 
to set the cuttings this fall, prepare them 
for spring planting. Choose good, vigor¬ 
ous shoots, cut them up in pieces of 
about six inches in length, and tie them 
in convenient bundles. Bury in the cel¬ 
lar, or pack them in moss, as suggested 
in the article on callusing cuttings in Oc¬ 
tober last. Another way followed by 
some cultivators is to dip the lower ends of the 
cuttings in thin mud made of loamy soil, taking 
care that each one in the bundle is coated for 
about an inch. These may be set on the cellar 
floor, or in any cool place where it will not 
freeze severely. If too dry, sprinkle now and 
then. The mud prevents the cuttings from dry¬ 
ing out, and induces the formation of a callus. 
