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THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN. 
Duchess is a very prepotent sort, but by actual test on my 
grounds the reverse is true except in hardiness. I know of 
no variety that is more easily overcome by the pollen of 
another sort. It does perpetuate its hardiness to a reasonable 
degree. In one instance a cross of Grimes’ Golden obliterated 
every trace of it both in tree and fruit, except as stated. 
In conclusion, permit me to say that I believe that the prac¬ 
tice of emasculating the stamens and cutting of the petals in 
pollinizing is faulty, and that we would reach higher results if 
we would let the flower remain intact. I believe that the In¬ 
finite Mind knows better than we whether the perfect maturity 
of both petals and stamens were necessary to the highest de¬ 
velopment of the embryo germ of the future fruit that is form¬ 
ing in the flowers. 
There are so many instances on record of one plant when 
crossed on another where the pollinizing parent obliterated 
the characteristics of the other parent, that we cannot doubt 
that whether we practice heroric surgery or not on the flower, 
the fact still remains that one plant when crossed on another 
in its most natural and perfect condition will obliterate the 
distinctive characteristics of the other parent in their off¬ 
spring. This is a broad field full of mysteries and surprises, 
and he who labors faithfully and lovingly in it will be sure to 
find happiness if not gold. 
OSWEGO STRAWBERRIES. 
Under this caption, Prof. L. H. Bailey, of Cornell Univer¬ 
sity, has issued a bulletin from which the following is ex¬ 
tracted : 
Oswego is the center of the most important strawberry in¬ 
dustry of New York State. The leading natural advantages 
of this region for the commercial production of strawberries is 
the lateness at which the crop matures. When the berry sea¬ 
son of New Jersey and Southern New York is past, the Oswego 
berries are in their prime. The lateness of the crop is still 
further emphasized in the selection of late varieties, as 
Atlantic, Parker Earle, and Gandy. The season opens about 
June 20 th and continues for three weeks. 
Oswego lies at the southeastern corner of Lake Ontario. 
The climate of the region is tempered by the lake, and the 
soil is well adapted to many kinds of fruits. Next to straw¬ 
berries, pears are the leading fruit crop, and plums and other 
fruits are prominent. It is at Minetta, in this region, that 
Schuyler Worden originated the Worden grape and the 
Worden pear. 
The strawberry business of Oswego County came into 
existence in 1863 , when Morris Pierce brought into the city 
of Oswego a few quarts of cultivated strawberries and placed 
them on sale at the stand of Thomas Hart, to be gazed at as a 
curiosity by hundreds of persons, and sold at one cent per 
berry. The price realized and the interest created, so stimu¬ 
lated the new born industry that Wm. Adams, Seymour Coe, 
Justin Janny, W. J. Stark, and a few others, commenced the 
cultivation of strawberries to the extent of about 100 quarts 
per season each, and prices assumed a more natural tone. 
In 1866 , the first shipments were made from Oswego, and 
went by boat to Ogdensburg, N. Y., Kingston, Ont., and Mon¬ 
treal, and by rail to Watertown and Syracuse, N. Y. The 
varieties grown were the Scarlet and the Wilson. For ship¬ 
ment to Canadian parts and Ogdensburg the berries were put 
up in crates about four feet square, requiring four men to 
handle. These crates held about 300 quarts. 
In 1868 , the trade extended to Rome, Utica, and Albany, 
and prices realized were about 6 cents per quart, the style of 
crate changing to a 45 -quart and a 90 -quart. 
In 1872 , the strawberry growing extended to other parts of 
the county east of Oswego city, and trade was opened with 
New York City. The first strawberries sent to New York 
were shipped in 1872 , by express in about 100 crates, over 
the D. L. & W. R. R., at a cost of $ 1.00 per crate for trans¬ 
portation. 
It is impossible to secure complete statistics of the volume 
of business done in strawberries in the Oswego district. The 
best that can be done is to print the records or the express 
and freight shipments by rail, which shipments may be 
assumed to represent four-fifths of the commercial crop. The 
strawberry growing of Oswego County probably covers 1,000 
acres. The average net f. o. b. price realized for berries 
ranges from 6 to 8 cents per quart. All berries are shipped 
in 36 -quart crates. George A. Davis, Mexico, one of the lead¬ 
ing growers, writes : “From observation I judge that ninety 
per cent, stay in the business, only ten per cent, changing 
yearly. I think, on the whole, that the berry business com¬ 
pares favorable with other branches of farming.” 
HOW THE BALDWIN HAS IMPROVED. 
In New England, says the Rural New Yorker, when the hill 
farmers wish to give you their best, they will bring you a dark 
red, solid, rich Baldwin apple. Some things grow better as 
they go away from home, but this is not true of Baldwin. It 
was born in Massachusetts, and it still reaches its highest per¬ 
fection on the hills of its native state. During the early winter 
many of the cellars under the New England homesteads are 
great pits of perfume. They are well stuffed with apples, and 
as you open the door a flood of fragrance rushes out. Western 
New York is a great apple country—settled originally by 
Yankees. The Baldwin apple is largely grown there, too, yet 
it has not been regarded as a first-class eating apple until 
recently. 
“Why,” said a large grower in Orleans county, “up to this 
year none of our best farmers thought of storing Baldwins for 
their own eating. They were good enough to sell, but not 
good enough for home use.” 
“ What do they use ? ” 
“ Spitzenberg, Northern Spy and Greening are favorites.” 
“ Did you say some of them have eaten Baldwins this winter?” 
“ Yes, continued spraying has greatly improved Baldwin— 
there is no question about it. It has improved in size, quality, 
and appearance ! ” 
“ What else has it done ? ” 
“ That ought to be enough, but the trees are becoming more 
vigorous. You will see whole orchards which now hold their 
leaves until after heavy frost, where five years ago the trees 
were bare as poles before frost came. This is due to spraying, 
which has kept the leaves green and thrifty all through the 
season. Several years of this have given the old trees new 
life and vigor. We are satisfied, too, that spraying and culti¬ 
vation have prevented the off year in the Baldwins. They 
now bear every year.” 
