1884.] 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
OHOIOE OP PEACHES. 
It is with real pleasui'e that we see that 
eminent and venerable pomologist, Charles 
Doioning, still take a lively interest in the 
progress of fruit ciUtui-e, and the following 
contributed by him to the Xew-York Trihiem, 
may serve as a valuable guide to those in¬ 
tending to plant: 
“With their sweet, rich, juicy, melting 
flavor, Peaches are very pleasant to most 
tastes; some of the vaiieties, the yellow- 
fleshed ones in particular, are more or less 
vinous, which makes them especially accept¬ 
able to many persons. Modern facilities 
extend their season, too, large quantities 
being preserved each year by drying, evap¬ 
orating, canning, etc. For marketing fresh, 
the later kinds are preferred in this locality; 
but the list I venture to give will aflbrd a 
succession of crop from the middle or last of 
July till the 1st of November: 
Alexander, or Amsden, 
j Early Louise, 
' Large Early York, 
Yellow St. John, 
George the Fourth, 
Early Silver, 
Mountain Rose, 
Oldmixon Freestone, 
Morris White, 
Crawford’s Eaidy, 
Foster, 
Wheatland, 
Crawford’s Late, 
Crockett’s White, 
Stevens’s Rareripe, 
Stump the World, 
Steadly, 
Salway. 
“ The Peach wants good 
soil and clean culture—two 
requisites within reach of in¬ 
dustry ; and must have hot 
weather—a summer condi¬ 
tion which Providence gen¬ 
erally supplies. Then, espe¬ 
cially if large specimens of 
extra flavor are desired, there 
must be judicious pruning of 
the branches and thinning of 
the growing fruit. Also, be 
watchful against the borer, 
and hope that the mystei-ious bbght of ‘ yel¬ 
lows ’ may not come near.” 
T RATW TWfi- TREES. 
Many orchardists advocate freedom of 
growth, especially in young trees. They 
claim that the tree will natm’ally throw out 
the form and amount of gi’owth that the 
nature of the tree demands in the way of 
protection, thrift, and productiveness. At 
first thought, this theory might seem quite 
plausible. If the line of reasoning here 
adopted be followed up a little farther, how¬ 
ever, an entirely different conclusion is 
arrived at. If nature set these trees thirty 
feet apart in an open field, I should say let 
the tops take care of themselves—and the 
roots, too, for that matter.' But when I take 
a tree from its native location, and out of its 
natural protection, I feel that I have incurred 
a responsibility in the further care of that 
tree. It must be trained in a way not nat¬ 
ural to one in the wild state, but one which 
will render it more self-protecting in its 
changed surroundings. 
The young Maple in the forest gi-ows tall 
and slim, because it is protected fi-om the 
heavy winds by the larger trees surrounding 
it. There it thi-ives and grows amazingly ; 
but take the same tree out of its native 
place, and set it in an open field, with that 
tall, slim top, and how long would it last ? 
If the top be cut away, and the tree firmly 
braced, it will usually live and thrive. 
Just so we must do with the Apple tree. 
Its top must be kept down, and trained to 
protect the trunk as much as possible. This 
is especially necessary upon the bleak and 
open prairie, where, at best, timber is not a 
natiu'al growth. 
Much of this work of training may be done 
in mild winter weather.. One should have a 
clear idea of the form to be reached, and 
then work to that idea constantly. 
An inverted umbrella is a good shape for 
the head or top of young trees. This form 
THE WHEATLAND PEACH. 
can readily be reached by heading back and 
tying down. A free cutting back of the pre¬ 
vious season’s gi’owth, and especially the 
upright or leading shoots, tends to form a 
neat compact head to the tree. Wliere the 
limbs are inclined to grow almost directly 
up, the pruning should be done on the inner i 
side of the limbs, and the outer shoots left ! 
to enlarge the top. Many tops are so stub- j 
born in their endeavors to grow straight up, 
that it is necessary to tie or weight the 
limbs down. 
Auy mild day in winter is good for this 
work. Time enough can then be had to do 
the work thoroughly and systematically. 
Each tree should be studied, and treated 
according to its wants. At the same time all 
decayed and decaying branches should be 
taken out, and all crossing limbs wholly or 
partially removed. One has no idea how 
much the appearance and thriftiness of an 
orchard is improved and augmented by this 
systematic attention unless he has tried it. 
Many trees that were running up tall and 
slim, with no signs of fruiting, are thus 
brought into good shape and at the same 
time induced to fruitfulness. Cutting off the 
loading shoots tends to develop fruit-buds. 
Next summer’s crop can be greatly in¬ 
creased and improved by work judiciously 
performed in the orchard this winter. 
W. D. Boynton. 
MORE GOOD GRAPES. 
As some of the readers of The American 
Garden have requested me to extend the 
list of good Grapes, so as to include also the 
older kinds, I will name, in addition, 
WHITE GRAPES. 
El Dorado, full sister to the Lady Wash¬ 
ington. To those willing to devote a little 
extra care it will fully repay in its fine 
flavor and large cluster. 
Lady, Naomi, Irving, Martha, Eva, Prentiss, 
are all worthy of a place in the vineyard. 
Elvira cracks and sets so badly as to be 
hardly worth cultivating, but it is never¬ 
theless a very good Grape 
when fully ripe. 
Goethe, although late, is a 
Grape that well pays for the 
space it occupies. 
RED GRAPES. 
Delaware, Agaicam, Lindley, 
Massasoit are all standard 
varieties. Iona, one of the 
best of the whole, is unfort¬ 
unately only suited for spe¬ 
cial locations. 
BLACK GRAPES. 
What shall I say of the 
Concord ? It has been a friend 
long, and has been called the 
Grape for the million; but, 
alas! mildew and rot have 
claimed it, and the trath is 
that to-day it is one of the 
most unreliable of all Grapes. 
However, its last stage is 
likely to be its best. It is 
one of the best of stocks on 
which to gi'aft the more ten¬ 
der varieties. Though- the 
Concord may no longer bear 
Concords on its own roots, 
yet the hybrids, and espe¬ 
cially the white varieties, are 
so much finer when grafted 
on it that no one need sigh over its loss. 
Barry, Black Eagle, Cottage, Cambridge are 
all desirable. 
Eiimelan is especially remarkable as one of 
the few Grapes that will grow and succeed 
near the ocean, even where the spray in 
heavy storms may dash upon it. 
Hartford Prolife requires good, rich soil 
to come to its highest perfection. 
J. B. Rogers. 
GROWING HUCKLEBERRIES. 
If you want to grow Huckleberries, says 
W. J. Scott, in the Husbandman, set out 
I young plants, about a foot high, in the 
! spring. Mulch them for a year or two, and 
I plow in some coarse horse manure occa- 
; sionally. They are slow to start, but after 
I they are started thej'' grow rapidly both in 
bush and berry. The bushes may be culti¬ 
vated with a horse. They should be set at 
least seven feet apart each way, as they 
spread considerably when full grown. II is 
well to set three or four small bushes in 
each hill. 
