THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
117 
PARAGON CHESTNUT. 
^foreign IRotes. 
Ten or twelve years ago H. M. Engle & Son, Marietta, Pa., 
introduced the Paragon chestnut now so well and favorably 
known. They say of it : “ The young trees have always been 
scarce, as they can only be propagated by grafting, which is 
always more or less of a failure. Consequently they have been 
but little advertised, and comparatively few people know any¬ 
thing of it. Each succeeding year only confirms our good 
opinion of the Paragon and we offer it to the public with every 
confidence. It can stand on its merits. We believe it will be 
a profitable thing to grow, as fine chestnuts always meet with 
ready sale at good prices. They may not pay in as short a 
time as some fruits, but an orchard once started will last, and 
increase in value during a lifetime. It has no ‘off years’ and 
never fails to produce a crop. It is extremely prolific, and 
sometimes requires thinning. The trees begin to bear at two 
or three years from the graft, small trees in the nursery row 
often having several burrs. In point of quality it is, in the 
opinion of leading horticulturists, nearly or quite equal to our 
native chestnuts, which can not be said of the Japan and some 
other large chestnuts now on the market and clamoring for 
public favor. 
“ In point of hardiness it is all that could be desired. There 
are trees growing at Rochester, New York, and other places 
in the North, and we have yet to hear that any were injured 
by cold. They have stood io degrees below zero without 
injury. 
“We are often asked when and how to plant. Our ex¬ 
perience is that fall planting is generally best, though in sec¬ 
tions where the winters are severe it is probably safest to plant 
in the spring No particular soil is necessary to grow chest¬ 
nuts, but it should not be wet or heavy. Soil that will grow 
peaches or cherries will grow chestnuts. 
“ The trees we send out are all grafted from the original 
stock, no seedlings being sent out or propagated from.” 
Following is an extract from an article on chestnuts by A. 
S. Fuller in American Gardening for November 10th, 1894: 
Paragon. Origin uncertain, but said to Lave been raised from a 
foreign nut in the garden of a gentleman residing in Philadelphia. 
Burrs of extra large size, from four to nearly six inches in diameter, 
but the spines are enormously long, or about an inch, and are very 
strong and abundant. The burrs are broad, flat, or slightly depressed 
on the top, nuts large, broader than deep, smooth, with several very 
prominent ridges extending from base to apex. Color, dark mahogany, 
as soon as mature. In quality, much sweeter and of finer grain than 
the usual run of varieties of European parentage. In growth of tree 
and productiveness, it is one of the very best of its class. The trees 
appear to be perfectly hardy here in Northern New Jersey, where a 
few years ago, they were subjected to a temperature of 20 degrees 
below zero. 
RALLS’ GENET. 
The promologist of the United States Department of Agriculture 
writes to Meehan’s Monthly that the true name of the apple Rawles’ 
Janet is Ralls’ Genet. The apple was said to have been named for 
Monsieur Genet, the minister of the French government to this country 
during Washington’s administration. Monsieur Genet had apples of 
this kind sent from France for his own use, and Mr. Jefferson so 
admired them that he procured scions and gave them to Caleb Ralls, a 
nurseryman of Virginia, for propagation, who introduced the tree 
under the name of Genet. The apple has also been called the Jefferson 
Pippin, which authenticates in a measure the fact that Jefferson was 
connected with its introduction. 
A first class certificate was awarded by the fruit committee 
of the Royal Horticultural Society at the last meeting to a 
gooseberry named Langley Beauty, exhibited by James Veitch 
& Sons, Royal Exotic Nurseries, Chelsea. This seedling 
variety was raised from a cross between Yellow Champagne 
and Railway, and is another remarkable instance in which the 
fruits produced by this seedling exceed in size those upon 
either of the parents. The fruits of the seedling, beside being 
of first-rate flavor, are of a yellowish color and han some in 
appearance. 
A well-informed writer in The Gardener's Chronicle speaks 
with enthusiasm of the capabilities of Australia, and especially 
of New South Wales, for fruit-growing, where millions of 
acres are suitable for the production of almost every descrip¬ 
tion of fruits that can be grown in temperate and sub-tropical 
countries Oranges and lemons of all varieties grow well, 
and they can be delivered in London during those months in 
the year when there is no supply from Spain or other southern 
countries. Table grapes in great variety can be profitably 
exported when packed as they are in Portugal and other 
countries, while the opportunities for wine-making are almost 
unlimited. There are also possibilities of building up a large 
export trade in raisins, dried currants, figs and other staples 
peculiar to the isles of the Levant and the Grecian peninsula. 
EARLY FALL PLANTING. 
Joseph Meehan, of Philadelphia, in a recent issue of the 
Rural New- Yorker said : “ Every one accustomed to garden 
work, knows what little time there is in spring to set trees and 
shrubs. Even though garden work do not press closely, the 
nurseryman is often unable to ship stock at the proper time. 
It it were but known how entirely successful early fall plant¬ 
ing is, many a farmer would be enjoying beautiful trees and 
shrubs who now has none. It would be a revelation to many 
to visit some large nursery in the fall and see the great lot of 
stock being transplanted. The old plan was to wait till the 
leaves fell before planting, but it is now well understood that 
it is better not to wait so long. Just as soon as the wood is 
well ripened, the functions of the foliage are, practically, over, 
and the leaves may be stripped from the trees with no harm 
whatever. 
“ In these parts, toward the end of August and through 
September, is an excellent time for the planting of nearly all 
evergreens, and a month later, for deciduous trees. It has 
often occurred that I have had to remove trees in September, 
and, sometimes, these trees have been disturbed again a month 
or so later ; invariably, I found that quantities of roots had 
formed in that time. The explanation is a simple one. The 
soil has been made very warm by the summer heat. It is often 
warmer than the air. This condition of things brings out 
fibrous roots at once, and the transplanted tree is safe. 1 he 
leaves are cut off, of course, but as the growth is over and wood 
ripened, it makes no difference. If a few stems of leaves are 
left on the twigs, they will drop off clear in a few days if 
touched, which proclaims the success of the work. It they do 
not drop off, but wither up on the stem, the tree is not going 
