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THH
FRUIT GARDEN;
A TREATISE
INTENDED TO EXPLAIN AND ILLUSTRATE THE PHYSIOLOGY OF FRUIT
TREES, THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF ALL OPERATIONS
CONNECTED WITH THE
PROPAGATION, TRANSPLANTING, PRUNING AND TRAINING OP
ORCHARD AND GARDEN TREES, AS STANDARDS, DWARFS,
PYRAMIDS, ESPALIERS, ETC.,
ORCHARDS AND GARDENS,
THE SELECTION OF SUITABLE VARIETIES FOR DIFFERENT’ PURPOSES AMD
LOCALITIES, GATHERING AND PRESERVING FRUITS, TREATMENT OF
DISEASES, DESTRUCTION OF INSECTS, DESCRIPTIONS AND
USES OF IMPLEMENTS, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED WITH UPWARDS OF 150 FIGURES,
REPRESENTING DIFFERENT PARTS OF TREES, ALL PRACTICAL OPERATIONS,
FORMS OF TREES, DESIGNS FOR PLANTATIONS, IMPLEMENTS, ETC.
, -
| a
BY PX BARRY,
OF THE MOUNT HOPE NURSERIES, ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.
NEW YORK:
CHARLES SCRIBNER.
1852.
es
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by
CHARLES SCRIBNER,
In the Cierk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern
District of New York.
INTRODUCTION.
Tue subject of this treatise is one in which almpst all classes
of the community are more or less practically engaged and inter-
ested. Agriculture is pursued by one class, and commerce by
another ; the mechanic arts, fine arts, and learned professions by
others ; but fruit culture, to a greater or less extent, by all.
It is the desire of every man, whatever may be his pursuit or
cvndition in life, whether he live in town or country, to enjoy fine
fruits, to provide them for his family, and, if possible, to cultivate
the trees in his own garden with his own hands. The agricul-
turist, whatever be the extent or condition of his grounds, con-
siders an orchard, at least, indispensable. The merchant or pro-
fessional man who has, by half a lifetime of drudgery in town,
secured a fortune or a competency that enables him to retire to a
country or suburban villa, looks forward to his fruit garden as one
of the chief_sources of those rural comforts and pleasures he so
long and so earnestly labored and hoped for. The artizan who
has laid wp enough from his earnings to purchase a homestead,
considers the planting of his fruit trees as one of the first and
most important steps towards improvement. He anticipates the
pleasure of tending them in his spare hours, of watching their
growth and progress to maturity, and of gathering their ripe and
delicious fruits, and placing them before his family and friends as
*
iv - INTRODUCTION.
the valued products of his own garden, and of his own skill and
labor. Fortunately, in the United States, land is so easily ob-
tained as to be within the reach of every industrious man ; and
the climate and soil being so favorable to the production of fruit,
Americans, if they be not already, must become truly “ a nation
of fruit growers.”
Fruit culture, therefore, whether considered as a branch of
profitable industry, or as exercising a most beneficial influence
upon the health, habits, and tastes of the people, becomes a great
national interest, and whatever may assist in making it better un-
derstood, and more interesting, and better adapted to the various
wants, tastes, and circumstances of the community, cannot fail to
subserve the public good.
Within a few years past it has received an unusual degree of
attention. Plantations of all sorts, orchards, gardens, and nur-
series, have increased in numbers and extent to a degree quite un-
precedented ; not in one section or locality, but from the extreme
north to the southern limits of the fruit-growing region. Foreign
supplies of trees have been required to mect the suddenly and
greatly increased demand. Treatises and periodicals devoted to the
subject have increased rapidly and circulated widely. Horticul-
tural societies have been organized in all parts; while exhibitions,
and national, state, and local conventions of fruit growers, have
been held to discuss the merits of fruits and other kindred topics.
To those unacquainted with the previous condition of fruit cul-
ture in the interior of the country, this new planting spirit has
appeared as a sort of speculative mania, and the idea has sug-
gested itself to them that the country will soon be overstocked
with fruits. This is a greatly mistaken apprehension. After all
that has been done, let us look at the actual condition of fruit
culture at the present time. In the best fruit-growing counties
INTRODUCTION. Vv
in the State of New York, the entire fruit plantations of more
than three fourths of the agricultural population consist of very
ordinary orchards of apples. Not a dish of fine pears, plums,
cherries, apricots, grapes, or raspberries, has ever appeared on
their tables, and not a step has yet been taken to produce them.
People are but beginning to learn the uses of fruits, and to
appreciate their importance.
At one time apples were grown chiefly for cider ; now they are:
considered indispensable articles of food. The finer fruits, that
were formerly considered as luxuries only for the tables of the
wealthy, are beginning to take their place among the ordinary
supplies of every man’s table; and this taste must grow from
year to year, with an increased supply. Those who consume a
bushel of fruit this year, will require double or treble that quantity
next. The rapid increase of population alone, creates a demand
to an extent that few people are aware of. The city of Roches-
ter has added 20,000 to her numbers in ten years. Let such an
increase as this in all our cities, towns, and villages, be estimated,
and see what an aggregate annual amount of new consumers it
presents.
New markets are continually presenting themselves and de-
manding large supplies. New and more perfect modes of pack-
ing and shipping fruits, and of drying, preserving, and preparing
them for various purposes to which they have not hitherto been
appropriated, are beginning to enlist attention and inquiry.
Immense amounts of money are annually expended in import-
ing grapes, wines, figs, nuts, prunes, raisins, currants, almonds,
&e., many of which might be produced perfectly well on our own
soil. Pears have actually been imported from France by the
New York confectioners, this present season, (1851.) These
are facts that should be well understood by proprietors of lands,
vi INTRODUCTION.
and especially by those who have allowed themselves to imagine
that fruit will soon be so plenty as not to be worth the growing.
It is too soon by a century to apprehend an over supply of
fruits in the United States, except of some very perishable sort,
in a season of unusual abundance, in some particular locality
where one branch of culture is mainly carried on.
Tt is because fruit culture has been almost entirely neglected
until within a few years, that the present activity appears so ex-
traordinary. A vast majority of the people were quite unaware
of the treasures within their reach; and that in regard to soil and
climate they possessed advantages for fruit growing superior to
any other nation We had no popular works or periodicals to
diffuse information or awaken interest on the subject. For four-
teen or fifteen years Hovey’s Magazine of Horticulture was the
only journal exclusively devoted to gardening subjects, and it
only found its way into the hands of the more advanced culti- —
vators. We had some treatises on fruits, but none of them cir-
culated sufficiently to effect much good. Previous to 1845, Ken-
rick’s American Orchardist, and Manning’s Book of Fruits, were
the principal treatises that had any circulation worth naming.
Coxe’s work, Floy’s, Prince’s, and some others, were confined
almost wholly to nursery-men, or persons already engaged and
interested in fruit culture in the older parts of the country.
Mr. Downing’s “ Fruit and Fruit Trees of America,” that ap-
peared in 1845, was the first treatise of the kind that really ob-
tained a wide and general circulation.
It made its appearance at a favorable moment, just as the
planting spirit referred to was beginning to manifest itself, and
when, more than at any previous period, such a work was needed.
Mr. Downing enjoyed great advantages over any previous Ameri-
can writer. During the ten years that had elapsed since the
INTRODUCTION. Vil
publication of Kenrick’s and Prince’s treatises, a great fund of
materials had been accumulating. Messrs. Manning, Kenrick,
Prince, Wilder, and many others, had been industriously collect-
ing fruits both at home and abroad. The Massachusetts Horti-
cultural Society was actively engaged in its labors. The London
Horticultural Society had made great advancement in its exami-
nation and trial of fruits, and had corrected a multitude of long
standing errors in nomenclature.
Mr. Downing’s work had the benefit of all this ; and possessing
the instructive feature of outline figures of fruits, and being writ-
ten in a very agreeable and attractive style, it possessed the ele-
ments of popularity and usefulness in an eminent degree. Hence
it became at once the text-book of every man who sought for
pomological information, or felt interested in fruits or fruit trees. ;
and to itis justly attributable much of the taste and spirit on the
subject, and the increased attention to nomenclature, that so dis-
tinguishes the present time. Mr. Thomas’s recent treatise, ‘‘ The
American Fruit Culturist,” on the same plan as Mr. Downing’s,
is also a popular work, and will be the means of diffusing both
taste and information. Mr Thomas is a close and accurate
observer, and his descriptions are peculiarly concise, methodical
and minute. ‘‘ Cole’s Fruit Book’? is also a recent treatise, and
on account of its cheapness and the vast accumulation of facts
and information it contains is highly popular and useful. Be-
sides these, periodicals devoted more or less to the subject, have
increased in number and greatly extended their circulation, so
that information is now accessible to all who desire it.
The light which has been shed upon fruit-growing by these
works, and the taste they have created, have not only improved
old systems of cultivation, but introduced new ones. Until within
a few years nothing was said or known among the great body of
vili INTRODUCTION.
cultivators, or even nursery-men, of dwarfing trees, of the uses of
certain stocks, or of modes of propagation and pruning by which
trees are made to bear early, and are adapted to different circum-.
stances. The entire routine of the propagation and management
of trees was conducted generally in the simplest and rudest manner.
Whether for the garden or the orchard they were propagated in
the same manner, on the same stocks, and in the same form
taken from the nursery, planted out and left there to assume such
forms as nature or accident might impose, and produce fruit at
such a time as natural circumstances would admit.
The art of planting fifty trees on a quarter of an acre of
ground, and bringing them into a fruitful state in four or five
years at most, was entirely unknown. Small gardens were en-
cumbered with tall, unshapely, and unfruitful trees, that afforded
no pleasure to the cultivator ; and thousands of persons, who are
now the most enthusiastic cultivators, were entirely discouraged
from the attempt
Fruit gardening, properly speaking, may be said only to have
commenced. It is no longer a matter of mere utility, but of
taste also; and, therefore, adaptation, variety, and beauty, are
sought for in garden trees and modes of culture and management.
Nothing so distinguishes the taste of modern planting as the
partiality for dwarf trees, and the desire to obtain information in
regard to their propagation and treatment.
This has not been anticipated by any of our authors. The
standard or orchard system alone is fully treated of, as being the
only one practised ; and this requires so little skill in the art of
culture, that only the simplest instructions have been given.
The very elements of the science haye been unexplained and
unstudied, and cultivators in the main find themselves both desti-
tute of knowledge in regard to the management of trees in the
INTRODUCTION. 1X
more refined and artificial forms, and the sources from which to
obtain it. But a very small proportion of those engaged or en-
gaging in tree culture have studied the physiology of trees in any
degree. Very few have the slightest knowledge of the modes of
growth and bearing of the different species of fruits, or even of the
difference between wood or leaf buds, and fruit buds. Very few
understand the functions of the different parts of trees, and the
relation in which they stand one to another ; the principles that
govern and regulate the growth and maturity, the formation of
wood and the production of fruit. Practice is no better under-
stood than principle. Persons engaged largely in tree growing
will frequently ask the most absurd questions on the subject of
propagation, of stocks, of pruning, &c., matters that should be
understood by every man who has a single tree to manage, but
especially indispensable to those who wish to succeed in conduct-
ing garden trees under certain modified forms, more or less
opposed to the natural. The preparation of ground, laying out
small gardens, the selection of suitable trees, and a multitude of
minor but nevertheless important matters, are very imperfectly
understood. Neither our state nor national governments have
ever manifested a disposition to favor the rural arts with any-
thing like a liberal patronizing policy. Advanced, wealthy and
powerful as we are, not a single step has been taken, in earnest,
to establish model farms or model gardens, in which experiments
might be made and examples given that would enlighten cultiva-
tors, and elevate and honor their profession, Whatever adyance
has been made is due wholly to individual taste, energy, and enter-
prise; and to these alone are we permitted to look for future
progress.
Having for many years devoted much attention to this particu-
lar branch of culture, and feeling deeply interested in its success,
1*
x INTRODUCTION.
and having, bya business intercourse with cultivators in all parts
of the country, an ample opportunity of understanding the nature
and extent of the information desired, I have prepared the fol-
lowing pages to supply it at least in part.
I am well convinced that the work is neither perfect nor com-
plete. It has been prepared, during a few weeks of the winter, in
the midst of other engagements that rendered it impossible to be-
stow upon it the necessary care and labor. My original intention
was to give a few brief directions for the management of garden
trees, but it was suggested by friends that it would prove more
generally useful by adding a sketch of the entire routine of opera-
tions, from the propagation in the nursery to the management in
the orchard and garden. This has involved much more labor
than it was intended to bestow on it, or than I could really spare
from business. It has, therefore, been performed hastily, and,
of course, in many respects imperfectly, but yet it is hoped it
contains such an exposition of principles and practices as cannot
fail to diffuse amongst the inexperienced much needed informa-
tion. All doubtful theories, and whatever had not a direct prac-
tical bearing on the subjects treated, have been excluded, both
for the sake of brevity, and to avoid anything calculated to
mislead. The principles and practices set forth are not new,
visionary, or doubtful, but such as are taught and practised by the
most accomplished cultivators of the day, and have been success-
fully carried out in the daily operations of our own establishment.
In the pruning and management of garden trees, the French
arboriculturists surpass all others. Their trees are models that
have no equals, and that all the world admire. The English,
notwithstanding their great gardening skill, and their refined
and elegant modes of culture, are far behind the French in the
management of fruit trees. French systems of pruning and
INTRODUCTION. xl
training are at this moment advocated and held up as. models by
such men as Mr. Robert Thompson, head of the fruit department
in the London Horticultural Society’s Garden ; by Mr. Rivers,
well known on this side of the Atlantic as one of the most ener-
getic and accomplished nurserymen in Great Britain; and by
many others whose skill and judgment command attention. Their
introduction to English gardens is going on rapidly, and bids fair
to revolutionize their whole practice of fruit tree culture.
D’Albrét’s great work on pruning is conceded to be the best
extant on that subject. He was the pupil and successor of M.
Thouin, the world-renowned vegetable physiologist and founder
of the great national gardens at Paris. His practice is founded
upon the true principles of vegetable physiology, and strengthened
by long years of the most minute and successful experiment.
M. Dubrieul, late conductor of the fruit department in the
Garden of Rouen, has also published an excellent treatise on
arboriculture ; and there are many other French works on the
subject, all showing how thoroughly the science is there under-
stood, and how minutely and skilfully its principles are dealt with.
all, These as well as the best-managed gardens and the most
perfect and beautiful trees in France and Belgium, have been
carefully studied.
The knowledge thus acquired, added to the experience of many
years’ actual and extensive practice, constitutes the basis of the
course recommended.
The same minute detail that characterizes European works has
not been attempted, yet much detail is absolutely necessary in
order to prevent misapprehension on the part of those wholly
inexperienced.
Writers are apt to treat simple matters too much in the general,
presuming them to be well understood. Detail is always tedious
xil INTRODUCTION.
to those familiar with the subject, but nothing less can be satisfac
tory to the student.
For the sake of convenient reference, the different branches of
the subject have been separated into four parts, The first
treats of general principles, a knowledge of the structure,
character, and functions of the different parts of trees, modes of
growth, bearing, &c., &c.; soils, manures, modes of propagation,
&e. This must be the ground-work of the study of tree culture.
The second treats of the nursery. The third of plantations,
orchards of different kinds, gardens, &c.; their laying out and
management, and of the pruning and training of trees in different
forms. The fourth contains abridged descriptions of the best
fruits, a chapter.on gathering and preserving fruits, another on
diseases and insects, and another on the implements in com-
mon use.
Illustrations haye been introduced wherever the nature of the
subject seemed to require them, and it was possible to get them
prepared. It is believed that these will prove of great value in
imparting a correct knowledge of the various subjects. Upwards
of one hundred of the more important figures have been drawn
from nature by Prof. Sintzenich of Rochester.
P. B.
/
Mount Hope Garden and Nurseries,
Rocuester, N. Y.
CONTENTS.
PART L.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
CHAPTER I.
PAGS
Names, Descriptions, AND OFFICES OF THE DIFFERENT PaRTs OF
Fruit TREEs, : : : ; - ° : I
CHAPTER II.
Sots, ° . ° ° ° ° ° e ° 48
CHAPTER III.
Manvres, : ‘ : : x . ° ‘ 54
GHAPTER LV.
Tue Dirrrrent Mopes or Propacatina Fruit Trees, . ° 60
CHAPTER V.
Prunine—Irs Princrptes anp PractTIcE, . A ‘ ' 83
XIV CONTENTS.
PART i
THE NURSERY . ‘ . ° . ° ° 105
PART THE.
PLANTATIONS, ORCHARDS, ETC.
CHAPTER I. :
Permanent Puantations oF Fruit TREES, : : ° 157
CHAP TE Fi i,
PRUNING APPLIED TO THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF Fruit TREES
UNDER DIFFERENT Forms, : : ; 2 ie 203
PAIL iy.
SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
CHAPTER I.
ABRIDGED DrscripTIONs OF SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS, ; |
’
CHAPTER 11.
GaTHERING, PackInc, TRANSPORTATION AND PRESERVATION OF Fruits, 354
CHAPTER III.
DisEases AND InsEcTs, : F : : : 361
CHAPTER - IV.
Nursery, Orcuarp anv Fruir Garpen ImpLeMENTs, . ‘ 377
PART. ¥.
— SO
GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
CEA PUP Ricks
NAMES, DESCRIPTIONS, AND OFFICES OF THE DIF-
FERENT PARTS OF FRUIT TREES.
General Remarks —AA. Tree is a living body composed
of many parts, such as roots, branches, leaves, buds, blos-
Fig.1,atree. A, the collar. B,
the main root. OC, lateral root.
D, fibres. E, stem or trunk. F,
main branches. G, secondary
branches. 4H, shoots, one year’s
growth.
1
soms, fruit, &c. All these have
different offices to fulfil, assume
different forms and characters, and
are known and designated from
one another by different names
when subjected to the practical
operation of culture. Without
some knowledge of the names and
structure of these diiferent parts,
of the principles that guide their
development, their relative connec-
tion with, and influence upon one
another, tree culture cannot be,
to any man, really pleasant, in-
tellectual, or successful; but a
misty, uncertain, unintelligible
routine of manual labor. |
The industry of our times is pe-
culiarly distinguished by the ap-
plication of science—the union of
theory with practice in every de-
partment; and surely the votaries
of the garden, whose labors, of
2 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
all others, should be intelligent, will not allow themselves
to fall behind and perform their labors in the dark.
Fully sensible of the importance of this preliminary
study, and conftdent that the minute and practical details
of culture cannot be well understood without it, I propose
here, before entering upon the-main subject, to describe,
in as few and as plain words as possible, the structure,
character, connection, and respective offices of the various
parts of fruit trees, and the names by —_ each is
known in practice.
Srction 1.—Tue Root.
Tue Roor is composed of several parts.
1st. The collar (A, fig. 1), which is the centre of growth,
or point of union between the root and stem, usually at
or just below the surface of the ground. In root gratft-
ing seedlings, this is the point where the graft is set.
2d. The body or main root (B, fig. 1), which usually
penetrates the earth in a vertical direction, and decreases
in size as it proceeds downwards from the collar. It is
also called the tap root. A seedling that has not been
transplanted has usually but one descending or tap root,
furnished in all its length with minute hairy fibres.
3d. The lateral roots (C, fig. 1) are principal divisions or
branches of the main root, and take more or less of a
spreading or horizontal direction. When seedlings are
transplanted, having a portion of the tap root cut off,
these lateral or side roots are immediately formed.
Ath. The jibres or rootlets (D, fig. 1) are the minute hair.
like roots which we see most abundant off#trees that have
been frequently transplanted. Different species of trees
vary much in their natural tendency to produce fibres.
Thus the pear and the apple require frequent transplant-
ing, and often root pruning, to produce that fibrous condi-
tion which is necessary to great fruitfulness; whilst the
THE ROOT. 3
_ paradise apple, used as a stock for dwarf trees, and the
quince, are always quite fibrous, the former never, and
the latter seldom requiring root pruning.
5th. Zhe spongioles are the extremities of the fibres,
porous and spongy, through which the food of trees de-
rived from the soil is mainly absorbed ; these points are
composed of soft, newly-formed, delicate tissue, and are
exceedingly susceptible of injury. The slightest bruise or
exposure to a dry or cold air is fatal to them; and this
is the reason why transplanted trees receive generally
such a severe check and so frequently die. If trees could
be taken up in such a way that these spongioles could all,
or mostly, be preserved, trees would receive no check
whatever; hence large trees are removed in midsummer
without a leaf flagging.
6th. Growth of Loots—The most popular theory at this
time is—that the growth of roots is produced. by the pro-
longment of the woody vessels of the stem, which descend
in successive layers to the extremities af the roots, and
thus promote their extension.
When these descending layers are Se in their
course by some natural or accidental cause, or by art, as
when we cut off the ends of roots, they pierce the bark
and form new roots or new divisions of the root in the
same manner that branches are produced on the stem.
Thus the roots furnish food to the stem and branches for
their support and enlargement, and inreturn, the stem and
branches send down layers of young wood to increase and
solidify the root; the one depending entirely upon the other
for its growth and existence. Practical cultivators are
familiar with many facts that illustrate the intimate rela-
tions and mutual dependency of the roots and stems.
For instance, where one portion of the head or branches
is much larger or more vigorous than the other, if the
roots he examined, it will be found that those immediately
4. GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
under, or in direct connection with the largest branches,
will have acorresponding size and vigor. In cases where
one side of the top of a large tree is cut off, as in top
grafting, a large number of new shoots are produced on
the cut branch, and, if the roots be examined under or
in connection with this branch, a corresponding new
growth will be found there. It is quite obvious from
these and similar facts, that whatever affects the roots or
stems of trees favorably or unfavorably, affects the whole
tree. If the foliage of a tree be entirely removed in the
growing season, the absorbent action of the roots is sus-
pended ; and if the spongioles or absorbing points of the
roots be cut off, the growth of the top instantly ceases.
Those who have leisure should pursue the study of these
highly interesting and important points still further.
Srction 2.—Tnr Srem.
The Stem is that part of a tree which starts from the
collar and grows upwards. It sustains all the branches,
and forms the channel of communication between the
different parts of the tree from one extremity to the other.
Plants like the grape, with twining or climbing stems,
are called vines, and such as have no main stem, but have
branches diverging from the collar, as the gooseberry, cur-
rant, &c., are called shrubs or bushes. Where the stem is
destitute of branches to some distance from the ground,
it is usually called the trunk.
Different Parts of the Stem.—A. stem or branch of a
tree is composed of the following parts, which are dis-
tinctly observable when we cut it across. Fig. 2 repre-
sents the half of a cross section of the stem of a young
tree five years old.
1. The Lind or Outer Bark (A) on shoots or young parts
of trees; this is thin, smooth, and delicate, like tissue
THE STEM. 5
paper, pau is ensly separated from the parts beneath it.
QI ny co In some species, as the
A iy Ahi
i SATA
en grape vine, for example,
; EE this rind is shed and re-
A | / iN newed annually, whilst
E | AT TH | in others, as the apple,
SL} pear, &c., it unites with
Fic, 2 F: / the layer of tissue be-
Fig. 2, half of the hori- neath it, and forms a
zontal section ofa five year
old stem. .4, outer bark hard, scaly, or corky
or rind. B, inner bark or substance, usually eall-
liber. C.sap-wood or last Fig. 2. . ; .
eee: d cortical layers, which
formed layer. D, perfect wood. E, pith. F, e us
vertical section of a five year old stem, showing separate from the tree
the five lay f i 7 ° °
pray ayers of perpendicular woody tubes or at different periods, ac-
cording to the age of the
subject and other circumstances.
It is these cortical layers that give rise to the expres-
sions smooth and rough back.
2. The Inner Bark or Liber (B.)\—This is the interior
portion of the bark in immediate contact with the wood.
It is composed of perpendicular layers of soft, flexible
fibres, filled up with tissue. It is this part of the bark of
the Basswood that is used for budding ties, &c., the tissue
being separated from the woody fibre by maceration.
3. The Sap-wood (C.)\—This is the youngest or last-
formed layer of wood, immediately below the inner bark.
It is distinguished in all trees by being softer and lighter
colored than the older parts.
4. The Heart or Perfect-wood (D.)\—This is the central
or interior portion of the stem or branch, grown firm and
mature by age. It is generally a shade darker in color
than the newly-formed part or sap-wood.
5. The Pith (#.)\—This is the soft, spongy substance
in the centre of the stem and branches. In soft-wooded
species, like the grape vine, it is large ; in hard-wooded
6- GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
species, as the apple, pear, quince, &c., small. In young
shoots it is soft, green, and succulent, and fills an impor-
tant part in their development. In the old part it is dry,
shrivelled, and seems incapable of taking any part in the
process of vegetation, and this appears evident from the
fact that trees often continue to flourish after the centre,
containing the pith, has begun to decay.
Structure of the Stem—The stem is composed of
woody fibre and cellular tissue, a substance similar to the
pith. The woody fibre is arranged in perpendicular layers,
and the cellular tissue in horizontal layers, rmmning from
the pith to the bark and connecting them. The mingling
of these two systems gives to the surface of the cross sec-
tion of a stem the beautifyl veined or netted appearance
observable in fig. 2. The perpendicular layers of woody
fibre are most clearly observable when we cut a stem ver-
tically ; they are then easily separated from one another.
The layers or plates of tissue radiating from the centre
to the stem are usually called the medullary rays.
The inner bark or liber, as has been stated, is, like the
wood, composed of thin layers of delicate perpendicular
fibres mixed with tissue.
Growth of the Stem.—The stem of a tree is originally
the extension of the cellulartissue of the seed. As soon as
leaves are formed they organize new matter, which de-
scends and forms woody fibres: the layers sent down from
the first leaves are covered with those sent down from the
next, and so on, one layer after another is produced until
the end of the season, when the leaves fall and growth
ceases. A yearling tree has, therefore, a greater number
of layers of woody fibre at the collar than at the top, and
is, consequently, thicker; the second year the buds on
the first year’s growth produce shoots, and these organize
new layers of woody fibre, that descend and cover those
of the previous year, and thus growth proceeds from
BRANCHES. 7
year to year. Between each year’s growth there is gene-
rally a line, in some cases more conspicuous than in
others, that marks off the formation of each year, so
that we are able to reckon the ages of trees with great
accuracy by these rings. When it happens that a tree,
from certain circumstances, makes more growth one season
than another, we find the ring of that season larger. The
new wood is always formed between the inner bark and
the last layer of wood, so that one layer is laid upon, and
outside of another, and the bark is continually pressed
outwards.
The new layers of bark are also formed at the same
place, or within the previous one. From this mode of
growth, it results that each layer of wood is more deeply
imbedded as others are formed on the top of it; and
each layer of bark is pressed outwards as others are
formed within it. In some cases, as in the cherry, for
example, the bark is so tough as not always to yield to
the general expansion of the tree, and slitting is resorted
to for the purpose of preventing an unnatural rupture,
which would eventually take place by the continued
pressure of growth from within.
Section 3.—BRANCHES.
Branches are the divisions of the stem, and have an
organization precisely similar: they are designated as,
Ist. Main Branches (Ff, fig. 1); those that are directly
connected with the stem or trunk. In pyramidal trees,
they are called lateral branches. The branches of different
species and varieties of fruit trees, differ much in their
habits of growth; and it is highly important to the planter to
consider these peculiarities, because certain habits of growth
are better adapted to particular circumstances than others.
Thus we have erect branches (fig. 3), which produce trees
°
8 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
of an upright and compact form. Curved erect branches
‘fig. 4), proceeding almost horizontally from the stem for
short distance, and then becoming erect; these, also,
HUG.ros Fie. 4. HrG./5.
Figs. 3,4, 5, different habits of growth of trees. 3, erect ; 4, curved erect; 5,
spreading or horizontal.
form upright symmetrical heads, but much more open than
the preceding. Also, horizontal or spreading branches
(fig. 5), that form wide-spreading heads with irregular
outline. And, lastly, drooping branches, when they fall
below the horizontal line. The branches of most varie-
ties of apples and pears become pendulous when they
have borne some time; and even in young trees of par-
ticular varieties, some of the branches assume a drooping
and irregular habit.
2d. Secondary Branches (G, fig. 1), are the divisions
of the main branches: occasionally those near the stem:-
take such a prominent part in forming the outline of the
tree, as to assume all the character of main branches, ex
cepting in position.
3d. Shoots (H, fig. 1). This is the name by which
BRANCHES. 9
young parts are designated from the time they emerge
from the bud until they have completed their first
season’s growth. These have also important peculiarities
that serve to distinguish certain varieties. They are vari-
ously designated as stout or slender, stiff or flexible, erect
or spreading, short jointed if the buds be close together,
and long jointed when the contrary. The colors of their
bark are also strikingly different, and form very obvious
distinctions amongst varieties. The Snow Peach, for in-
stance, has pale greenish shoots, by which it is at once
distinguished. The Jurgonelle, Rostiezer, and many other
varieties of the pear, have dark purplish shoots, while
the Dix and St. Germain are quite yellowish, the Glout
ee N=
Ss = ee as
SS ae
Fia, 6. Fie. 7. Fie. 8.
Fig. 6, wood branch of the apple. 7, fruit branch; 4, B, C, young spurs on two
year-old wood. §, fruit branch of the pear; .4, B, C, young spurs on two-year-os
wood.
“
10 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
Morceau, grey or drab, and the Bartlett and Buffam
quite reddish. The shoots of certain varieties of apples
and pears, and especially plums, are distinguished by
being downy, furnished to a greater or less extent with a
soft and hairy covering—in some cases barely obsery-
able.
4th. Wood Branches (fig. 6) are those bearing only
wood buds.
5th. Mruit Branches are those bearing fruit buds ex-
clusively. They are presented to us under different forms
and circumstances, all of which it is of the highest im-
portance to understand.
In kernel fruits, such as the apple and pear, the most
ordinary form of the fruit branch is that generally called
the fruit spur (A, B, C, figs. 7, 8,9). It appears first as
a prominent bud, as in fig. 7, on wood at least two years
old; and for two or three seasons it produces but a rosette
of leaves, and con-
tinues to increase
in length, as in fig.
9. After it has
produced fruit, it
generally branches,
and, if properly managed, will
bear fruit for many years. Ap-
ple and pear trees of bearing
age, and in a fruitful condition,
will be found covered with
these spurs on all parts of the
head except the young shoots.
In addition to the fruct spur,
there are on the kernel fruits
slender fruit branches, about as
large as a goose quill, and from
six to eight inches in length (fig. 10); the buds are long,
Fie. 9.
Fig. 9, fruit branch of the pear.
A, B, and C, older spurs.
BRANCHES. Bt |
narrow, and prominent, and the first year or two after
their appearance, produce but rosettes of leaves, yielding
fruit generally about the third year. On trees well fur-
nished with fruit spurs, these slender branches are of
little account, but they are useful
on young trees not fully in a bear-
ing state. They are generally pro-
duced on the lower or older parts
of the branches or stem, and, in
the first place, are slender shoots
with wood buds only ; but owing to
their unfavorable position and fee-
ble structure, they receive only a
smali portion of the ascending sap,
and the consequence is, they be-
come stunted, and _ transformed
into fruit branches. In pruning
young trees, slender shoots are fre-
quently bent over, or fastened in a
crooked position to transform them
into fruit branches of this kind;
but this will be treated of in its
Tie, 10.
Fie. 11
proper place.
Certain varieties of apples have
a natural habit of bearing the fruit
Fig. 10, slender fruit branch
of the apple—all the buds are
fruit buds. Fig. 11, a branch
of the apple showing the ten-
dency of some varieties to
bear on the points of the
branches. A, the point where
a fruit was borne last season ;
B, a shoot of last year; C, its
terminal fruit bud.
on the points of the lateral shoots;
and frequently these terminal fruit
buds are formed during the first
season’s growth of the shoot. Fig.
11 is an example; A is the point
where a fruit was borne last season; 2B, a shoot of last
season; and C’ its terminal bud, which is a fruit bud.
The fruit branches of the peach, apricot, and nectarine,
are productions of one season’s growth; the fruit buds
form one season and blossom the next; but as on the
19 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
apple and pear, there
are different forms
of the fruit branch.
In the first place
the fruit spur (A,
fig. 12), a group of
buds like a bouquet;
these are little stunt-
ed branches on the
steak Gis older wood that have
wis whedon assumed ) this. torm.
. The most important
fruit branches of these trees are the vigorous
shoots of the last season’s growth, containufg
both fruit and wood buds (fig. 18), and the
slender fruit branches, bearing all single
fruit buds, except a wood bud or two at the
base. Fig. 14 represents such a branch of
the peach, A and B being wood buds. The
fruit branches of the plwm and cherry, and
the gooseberry and currant, are similarly pro-
duced. A yearling shoot, for instance, the
second season, will produce a shoot from its
terminal bud, and probably shoots from two or
three other buds immediately below the ter-
minal, whilst those lower down will be trans-
formed into fruit buds, and produce fruit
the third season. Fig.15 is a branch of the
cherry. A is the two-year-old wood; 3B,
one year; Cand J), fruit spurs on the two-
year-old wood, with a wood bud usually at
the point. Fig. 16 is a fruit spur from the
older wood; A, the wood bud at its point.
DSS
Se Ses
=
SS se
Fie: 13)
Fig. 13, mixed wood and fruit branches of the peach ; C, D, EZ, fruit buds; F, G,
H, leaf buds; JF, double buds; C,triple buds, the two side buds being fruit buds,
and the centre one a leaf bud.
BRANCHES. ts
Fig. 17 is a branch of the plum; A, the two-year-old
wood; B, one year old; Cand J, spurs. Fig. 18 is a
Fig. 14, a slender fruit branch of
the peach; all the buds except 4
and B, and the terminal one, are
fruit buds.
fruit spur from older wood.
The wood bud in the cen-
tre of these groups of
buds on the spur enables
them to increase in length
every season. New buds
are produced to replace
those that bear, and so
the spurs continue fruit-
ful for several years, ac-
cording to the vigor of
Fia. 16. Fie. 15.
Fig. 15, branch of the cherry ; 24, two-
year-old wood; B, one year; C and D,
fruit spurs. Fig. 16, fruit spur of the cherry ;
the bud .4, in the centre of the soup, is 3
wood bud.
the tree, and the manner in which it is treated.
14 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
The fruit branches of the guince and the
medlar are slender twigs on the sides of
lateral branches, and the fruit is borne on
their points.
Szotion 4.—Bops.
Ist. Lhe Nature
and Functions of
Buds.—In a prac-
tical point of view,
buds are certainly
the most important
organs of trees, be-
cause it is through
them we are en-
abled completely to
direct and control
ee Fre. . their formas
oS branch of the plum; .4, two-year-old their productiveness.
wood ; B,one year old; C and D, spurs. Fig. i8,
fruit spur of the plum on the old wood. ~ Whoever, therefore,
wishes to become a
skilful and successful tree culturist, must not fail to
make himself familiar with all their forms, modifications,
modes of development, and the purposes they are adapted
to fulfil in the formation of the tree and its products. The
immediate causes of the production of buds on the growing
shoots of trees, and the sources from which they spring or
in which they originate, are alike thus far mysterious,
notwithstanding they have been the subject of a vast deal
of research and speculation among botanists and vegetable
physiologists for many ages. We are able, however, to
trace clearly and satisfactorily the objects they are
BUDS. iH
intended to fulfil in the development of the tree, their
connection with, and dependency upon other parts, and
the circumstances under which they can be made to ac-
complish specific purposes.
Every bud contains the rudiments of, and is capable,
under favorable circumstances, of producing a new indi-
vidual similar to that on which it is borne.
This fact is clearly demonstrated in the propagation of
trees by budding, where a single eye is removed from one
shoot and placed in the wood of another, to which it
unites and forms a new individual similar to its parent.
So in propagation by eyes, as in the grape vine, where a
single bud with a small portion of wood attached, becomes
» perfect plant.
Every perfect bud we find on a young yearling tree or
shoot is capable of being developed into a branch. Na-
turally, they do not; but we know that by the application
of art they can be readily forced to do so.
For instance, the buds of a yearling tree, if left to take
their natural course, will only in part produce branches,
and these will generally be nearer to the extremities,
where they are the most excitable, being in closer con-
nection with the centre of vegetation: but we cause the
lower ones to develope branches, by cutting off those
above them to the extent that the particular character of
the species or variety, or of the buds themselves in respect
to vigor and vitality, may require. Hence it is that the
forms of trees are so completely under our control-when
we possess the requisite knowledge of the character and
modes of vegetation of buds.
2d. Different Names and Characters of Buds.—Al\\ buds
are either, Ist, terminal, as when on the points of shoots
(C, fig. 19); 2d, aaedlary, when accompanied by a leaf
situated in the angle made by the projection of the leaf
from the shoot or branch (A B, fig. 19); 8d, adventi-
16 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
tious or accidental, when originating accidentally as it
were, or without any regularity, on the older parts of trees,
Fig, 19.—LaTEeRAL BRANCH.
Fig. 19. 4, asuperior bud. B, inferior. C,terminal. 4 and B, axillary.
and unaccompanied by a leaf. They are often produced
by the breaking or cutting off a branch, or by a wound
or incision made in the bark. In the management of
trained trees special means are taken to produce these
buds on spaces of the trunk that it is desirable to fill up.
We sometimes see instances of such buds on the stumps
of old trees.
The terminal and axillary buds produced on young
shoots, seem to have a different origin from these acci-
dental buds—the former are connected with the pith of
the shoot, as we may see by dissecting them. On cutting
into a young shoot below a bud we find a cylinder of pith
entering into the bud from the pith of the shoot, but
we do not find this connection existing in the case of the
adverititious buds.
Practically considered, buds are classified as follows :—
1. Lateral—Those on the sides or circumference of
shoots, being the aadllary buds of the botanist (A, B,
19).
2. Lerminalt.—tThose on the points of shoots (C, fig. 19).
3. Superior.—Those on the upper sides of horizontal
branches (A, fig. 19).
BUDS. Ui
4. Inferior—Those on the lower side of horizontal
branches (JB, fig. 19). '
5. Stipular.—The small, barely visible buds found at the
base of ordinary buds.
6. Dormant or Latent—These are scarcely apparent buds,
generally towards the base of branches: They may
remain dormant for several years, and then, in some
species, be excited into growth by pruning close to
them.
Buds are again classed as leaf buds and fruit buds.
7. Leaf Buds (Lf, G, H, fig. 18) produce either leaves or
branches; they differ in form from fruit buds in
being in most cases longer and more pointed in the
same species.
These are again designated as—
Single, when only one is produced at the same point (ZZ,
fig. 13). ‘
Double, when two are together (JZ, fig. 13).
Triple, when in threes (Cand J, fig. 18).
These double and triple buds are almost peculiar to the
stone fruits, and especially the peach, apricot, and
nectarine.
The size, form, and prominence of leaf buds vary in a
striking degree in different varieties of the same species,
and these peculiarities are found to be of considerable
service in identifying and describing sorts.. Thus, the
buds of one variety will be long, pointed and compressed,
or lying close to the shoot. Others will be large, oval
and prominent, or standing boldly out from the shoot.
Others will be small, full, and round. Thus, for instance,
the wood buds of the Glout Morceau are short and conical,
broad at the base, and taper suddenly to a very sharp
point inclined towards the shoot; they have also very pro-
minent shoulders, that is, their base forms a prominent
projection on the shoot. The scales are also dark, with
18 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
light gray edges. In the Josephine de Maline pear the
buds are quite remarkable for their roundness, bluntness
and prominence. If shoots of the artlett and Seckel
pears, two well known varieties, be compared, although
they present no decidedly obvious peculiarities, yet they
will be found very different. Those of the Seckel are
much broader at the base, more pointed, and lighter
colored, being a dark drab, whilst those of the Bartlett
are reddish. These miscellaneous instances are chosen
simply to draw attention to these points, and to show the
ordinary modes of comparison. When we speak of leaf
buds, we have reference only to the simple bud and not
to the large, pointed, spur-like productions frequently pro-
duced towards the middle or lower part of young shoots
that have made a second growth, that is where growth
has ceased for a while and the terminal bud has been
formed, and afterwards, in the same season, commenced
anew, and made a second growth.
8. Fruit Buds.—tIn the early stages of their formation
and growth all buds are but leaf buds. Thus, on a young
shoot of the cherry and the plum, for example, of one sea-
son’s growth, the buds are all leaf buds. The next spring
a part of these produce new shoots, and others are
transformed into fruit buds that will bear fruit the follow-
ing season. The transformation is accomplished during
the second year of their existence, and it usually happens
that they are the smallest and least fully developed
that are so transformed: the more vigorous pushing into
branches. In the peach, the apricot, &c., on which the
fruit buds are produced in one year, the change from a
leaf to a fruit bud occurs towards the latter part of the sea-
son. The primary cause of the transformation of leaf into
fruit buds is not satisfactorily known, although many theo-
ries exist on the subject. Observation, however, has taught
us many things in relation to it. It seems that all trees
BUDS. 19
must acquire a certain maturity, either natural or forced,
in order to produce blossoms or fruit. A tree that is fur-
nished with a rich, humid soil, containing an abundance of
watery nutriment, and left in all respects unrestrained in
its upward growth, may attain the age of ten or fifteen
years before it commences to form fruit buds; whilst in a
soil of a different quality, dry and less favorable to rapid
growth, or if constrained in its growth by being grafted on
some particular stock, or by some particular mode of train-
ing, it may produce fruit in two or three years.
An apple tree on a common stock, planted out in ordi-
nary orchard soil, does not usually bear until it is in most
cases seven years old from the bud, often more ; whilst the
same variety grafted or budded on a paradise apple stock
will produce in two or three at most. We frequently see
one branch of a tree that has been accidentally placed in
a more horizontal position than the other parts, or that has
been tightly compressed with a bandage or something of
that sort, bear fruit abundantly ; whilst the erect, uncon-
strained portion of the tree gives no sign of fruitfulness
whatever. As a general thing, we find that where there
is an abundant and constant supply of sap or nutriment
furnished to the roots of trees and conveyed by them
through the unrestrained channels which the large cells
and porous character of young wood afford, the whole
forces of the tree will be spent in the production of new
shoots ; but that as trees grow old, the cells become small-
er, and the tree being also more branched the free course
of the sap is obstructed, and becomes in consequence bet-
ter elaborated, or in other words more mature, and com
mences the production of fruit. Circumstances similar in
all respects to these and answering exactly the same pur-
pose, can be produced by art at an early age of the tree;
and this is one of the leading points in the culture and
management of garden trees, where smallness of size and
90 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
early fruitfulness are so highly desirable. This will come
under consideration in another place.
Fruit buds in most cases are distinguishable from wood
buds by their rounder and fuller form ; the scales that cover
them are broader and less numerous, and in the spring they
begin to swell and show signs of opening at an earlier pe
riod. Like the wood buds they are single, double, or triple,
according to the number found together. They are single
in pears, apples, and other trees of that class. Stngle,
double, and triple, variously, on the stone fruits, gooseber-
ries, and currants.
Fruit buds are also simple and compound. Simple, as
in the peach, apricot, and almond, each bud of which pro-
duces but, one
flower. Com-
pound, as in the
plum, cherry, ap-
ple, pear, &e.,
each, bud» of
which produces
two or more flow-
ers. Those of the
plum produce
two or three,
hence we find
plums usually
kre. 20. 5 :
Fig. 20, flower of the cherry, showing the product of borne in pals 5
a compound bud. those of the cher-
ry four or five (fig. 20), and of the apple and pear six to
eight ; and hence we often find these fruits borne in clus-
ters. They are also lateral or terminal, as they occupy the
sides or ends of the branches or spurs on which they are
produced. The ordinary position of the fruit buds of dif-
ferent classes of trees will be understood from the preced-
ing descriptions of fruit branches.
LEAVES. 21
Section 5.—LEAvEs.
Ist. Structure and Functions of Leaves.—The leaves of
all hardy fruit trees cultivated in our climate are decidu-
ous, that is—they decay and fall in the autumn and are
succeeded by others on the return of spring. The oftices
they perform during the growing season are of the high-
est importance to the life and health of the tree, and
deserve the most attentive consideration.
A leaf (fig. 21) is
composed of two prin-
cipal parts, the leaf
stalk or petiole (A),
which connects it with
the tree or branch on
which it is borne, and
the expanded part (4,
B, D), called the blade.
The dase is the ‘end (C)
attached to the stalk,
and the apex or point
(DP) the opposite one.
The length is the dis-
tance from the base to
the point (C to J), and
the width, a tine cut-
ting the length at rie} t
angles, and extending
from margin to margin
Fig. 21.
Fig. 21, a leaf of th A, th 1 ea:
tg. 21, a leaf of the pear. . the petiole or 1
leaf stalk. 4, B, D, the blade. C, the base. The leaf stalk and
D, the point. Line Al, B, the width. its branches, forming
the nerves or veins of
the blade, are composed of woody vessels in the form of
92 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
a tube, similar to the woody parts of the tree or branch
that bears it, inside of which is a pith, similar to the pith
of the tree; the leaf is thus connected with the pith and
wood of the shoot, and consequently the ascending sap,
as we may readily see, by making a vertical cut through
the leaf stalk and shoot. The veins of the leaf are filled
up with a cellular substance similar to the pith, called
parenchyma, and the whole is covered with a thin skin
(epidermis). This cellular substance is connected with
the inner bark, and consequently the descending sap or
cambium, that forms the new layers of wood. Both sur
faces of the leaf are furnished with small pores, through
which exhalation and absorption are carried on. Absorp-
tion is performed principally by the pores of the under
surface, and they are the largest; exhalation principally
by those of the upper surface.
This property of the leaves to receive and give out air
and moisture through the pores on their surface, has
caused them to be likened to the lungs of animals, and
this comparison is to some extent correct; for we know
that without leaves, or organs performing their offices,
trees do not grow. And in proportion to their natural
and healthy action, do we find the vigor and growth of
the tree.
To prove that leaves have the power, in a greater or
less degree, to absorb fluids, we have but to apply water
to the drooping foliage of a plant suffering from drought,
and see how quickly it becomes refreshed. Dews of a
single night, we know, too, will revive plants that the heat
and drought of the previous day had prostrated; and
even if we put a flagging plant in a damp atmosphere, it
recovers. Even the leaves of a boquet can be kept fresh
for a long time by sprinkling them with water.
That plants echale moisture and gases cannot be doubt-
ed. It is this very exhaling process that causes plants
LEAVES. 2é
to wilt under a hot sun or ina dry atmosphere. Plants
that are transplanted with their foliage on, as annuals are
in the spring or summer, will wilt and even die if ex
posed to the air and sun; but if transplanted in a moist
day, or covered, so that evaporation cannot take place,
the plant does not appear to feel the removal. So with
cuttings of many plants thus propagated; if placed in
the earth with a certain amount of foliage on, and left
uncovered, they will immediately die; but when we place
a bell glass or a hand glass over them to prevent evapo-
ration, they remain as fresh as though they had roots
supplying them with moisture from the soil. It is on this
account that transplanted trees so often die when the
branches and shoots are not in proportion to the roots.
Jn transplanting, a portion of the roots are destroyed,
and all are more or less deranged, so that their functions
are feebly performed for some time after planting. If all
the branches and shoots are left on, they will, as usual,
produce leaves, but the absorption at the roots being so
much less than the exhalation of the leaves, the juices
contained in the tree, previously laid up, soon become ex-
hausted, the leaves droop and wither, and the whole fabric
perishes. In budding, too, if the whole leaf were left
attached, the evaporation would be so great as to kill the
bud; hence we remove all but a portion of the stalk.
A tree can neither mature its wood nor its fruit without
the full and healthy exercise of the leaves. If in the grow-
ing season, a tree is deprived of its* foliage by blight,
insects, &c., we see that growth is entirely suspended for
a time, until new leaves are developed; and if the leaves
be removed from a tree bearing fruit, we see the fruit
shrivel and dry up, or ripen prematurely and become
worthless. These facts, and many others that might be
cited, show the intimate connection existing between the
leaves and the other organs of trees, and the influence
9A GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
they have on their growth and productiveness. It is be-
lieved that the opening of the leaf buds in spring induces
the formation of new roots; this is doubtful, as new roots
may be seen forming at times when there are no leaves
on the tree and apparently no growth whatever going on
in the buds. But if the roots are not roused into action
by the leaves, it is well known they will not continue and
grow long if leaves do not make their appearance. We
observe in the case of trees the tops of which have been so
much injured by drying and exposure that scarcely a sound
bud is left to grow, in this case the roots, although in
perfect order, remain nearly dormant until new shoots and
leaves are produced, and in proportion as the leaves in-
crease so do the roots. The fact of the absorption and
exhalation by leaves of certain fiuids, has, to a very con-
siderable extent, established the theory that the sap of trees
is taken up from the roots through the cells or sap vessels
of the wood of the trunk and branches in a erude state,
and passes into the leaves; that in their tissue spread out
under the sun’s rays, it receives certain modifications.
Carbonic acid, which has been taken in a state of solution
from the soil and by the leaves from the atmosphere, is
decomposed, its oxygen is given off into the air, carbon
becomes fixed, and thus the component parts of the tree,
starch, sugar, gum, &c., are formed. After passing
through this purifying or concentrating process, the sap
acquires a more solid consistence, and is called cambium ;
so prepared it returns downwards through the nerves or
vessels of the leaf to the base of the leaf stalk, and then
between the wood and bark of the stem, forming new
layers on its passage. Such is, at present, the most popu
lar theory of the functions of the leaves and the ascent,
assimilation, and descent of the sap. Some distinguished
writers on the subject reject this theory, alleging that—
“there is no*such thing as crude sap, that as soon as it
LEAVES. 95
enters the roots it becomes assimilated and fit for the pro-
duction of new cells, and that it passes upwards, forming
new wood or cells by achemical process.”* Observation,
however, has clearly established that in the leaves of
healthy trees chemical processes depending on light and
heat, and absolutely essential to the well-being of the tree,
are continually going on, for trees shut out from the light
always make a feeble growth and havea blanched and
sickly hue, compared with the same species in the free
air and exposed to the rays of the sun. If one side or
portion of a ‘tree is shaded or deprived of its full share of
light, it ceases to grow in its natural way, and the shoots
are lean, slender, aad imperfect.
2d. Different For ms and Characters of Leaves. —The
different sizes and forms of the leaves of fruit trees, the
divisions of their edges, the absence or presence of ae
the smoothness or roughness of their surfaces, are all
more or less serviceable in describing and identifying
varieties.
The terms designating forms are seldom mathema-
tically correct, but merely made by comparison, for in-
atance—
Oval (fig. 22), when about twice as long as broad, and
nearly of equal width at both ends.
Oblong (fig. 23), three times or more, as long as broad,
and differing but little in width in any part.
Lance Shaped (fig. 24), lanceolate, when three or more
times as long as broad, and tapering gradually to a
sharp point.
Ovate (fig. 25), when twice as long as broad, tapering to
the apex, and widest towards the base.
Obovate (fig. 26), the inverse of ovate, the greatest dia-
meter being in the upper part.
* Schleiden’s Principles of Botany
2
>
26 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
Round, roundish, as they approach a circular form like
fig. 21. The point is often a distinguishing feature,
some terminating suddenly in a sharp point, others
drawn out to a long, sharp point, peaked, whilst
others are nearly round. They differ much, too, in
the form of the base, some are rounded, some sharp,
and some heart-shaped.
iN
aaa
| rs
PS Peg | {
22. | |
Figs. 22 to 26, forms of leaves. 22, oval. 23, oblong. 24, lanceolate, 25, ovate: 26,
obovate.
The divisions of the edges are serrated or toothed, when
the edges are cut into sharp teeth, directed towards the
point of the leaf; jinely (fig. 27) or coarsely (fig. 28) ser-
rate, as these teeth are fine or coarse; doubly serrate,
when the principal division or tooth is subdivided.
Crenate (fig. 29), when the divisions are rounded, instead
of being sharp like teeth.
LEAVES. 27
Lobed, when deeply cut, and the penetrating angle
large, as in the currant, gooseberry, grape, «&c.
(Fig. 30).
Fig. 27, a leaf, folded, reflexed, and finely serrated or toothed. Fig. 28, coarsely
serrated. Fig. 29, crenate.
Flat, when the sur-
face is even
(fig. 21).
Folded, when the
edges are turn- °
ed inward (fig.
27).
Reflexed, when the
apex or point
turns _back- ©
wards, giving
the leaf more
or less the form
of a ring (27).
Fra. 30. Waved, wrinkled,
Fig. 30, a leaf of the currant, lobed. smooth, rough,
28 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
etc., are all terms used, but well enough under-
stood.
The leaf stalk has often striking peculiarities in certain
varieties, such as unusually long, stout, short, or slender.
There are also glands on the leaf-stalk, close to the base,
and in certain cases on the leaf itself, that are chiefly taken
notice of in identifying varieties of the peach and necta-
rine; these differ in
shape too, being globw-
. 4 JY lar (as in fig. 81), reni-
4 form or kidney-shaped
(fig. 32); these little
AQ|/ & glands are supposed to
be, and no doubt are, or-
ina, 3k. gans of secretion. Fia. 32.
Fig.31,aleaf of the Lhese are all interest- Fig. 32, the same;
ei with globular ing items in the study of Wainer Se
the beautiful and almost
endless variety of forms which the different classes of
fruit trees, and even different varieties of the same class,
exhibit in their foliage.
Section 6.—FLowErs.
Ist. Different Parts of Flowers.——Flowers are the
principal reproductive organs of trees, and consist of floral
envelopes, the calyw and corolla ; and of sexual organs,
stamens and pistils.
The Calyx (A, fig. 35) is the outer covering, and is
usually green like the leaves. The corolla (A, fig. 88) is
within the calyx, and is the colored, showy part of the
flower ; its divisions are called petals.
Stamens (fig. 34) are the male organs of plants. They
are delicate, thread-like productions (A, fig. 34) in the cen-
tre of the flower, supporting on their extremities the anthers
FLOWERS. 99
(B, fig. 34). The pastil (C, D, fig. 35) is the female organ
and stands in the centre of the stamens. It consists of
the ovary
at its base
(B, fig. 35),
which con-
tains the
seeds. The
style (C, fig.
35) is the
erect por-
tion, and
the stigma
(D, fig. 35)
is the small Figs. 33 to 35—Different parts of a flower. Fig. 33, A, the
glandulous petals. 34,astamen, .4, filament or stalk. B, anther. C, pollen.
35, the calyx, ovary, pistil united. B, ovary. C, style. D, stigma.
body on its
summit that receives the fertilizing powder (pollen) (C, fig.
34) from the anthers.
Flowers may be deficient in any of these organs except
the ovary, anthers, and stigma. These are indispensable
to fructification, and must be present in some form or other
or the flowers will be barren.
2d. Sexual Distinctions —The fact that the two sexes
or sexual organs, the stamens and pistils, are in certain
species united on the same flower, and in others on dif
ferent flowers, and even on different trees, has created
the necessity for the following distinctions :
Trees or plants are called hermaphrodite (as in fig. 33)
when both stamens and pistils are present on the same
flower. Nearly all our cultivated fruits are of this class.
Monecious, when the male and female flowers are borne
on the same tree, as in the filbert flower (fig. 36, A, the
male, and B, the female flowers). Dzectous, wnen the
male flowers (fig. 37) are on one plant, and the female
30 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
(fig.38) on another. The most familiar instance among
plants cultivated for their fruits, is the strawberry. In
many varieties we
find the stamens or
male organs so in-
completely devel-
oped (fig. 38) that
they are of no ser-
vice in fructifying
the flowers, and J, leo
hence we plant near _ the strawberry.
them varieties with an abundance
of these organs strongly exhibited.
Hic. Bic
3d. Impregnation.—
Fig. 26, flower of the i. 0€ ‘process of im-
bert. pregnation is effected y
in this way: When the flowers first open, io oe
the pollen granules or powder in the anthers, —_Fvg- 38, female
° ° or pistillate flow
is covered over by a delicate membrane. gy.
Tn a short time this membrane bursts in a manner similar
to an explosion that scatters the pollen by its force, so
that it reaches the stigma of the pistil; this is composed of
glutinous or sticky secretions to which the pollen adheres ;
there it forms new cells that expand into tubes; these
tubes penetrate through the style of the pistil to the ovary,
where the impregnation takes place, and new cells are
immediately formed into an embryo plant.
This impregnation is sometimes, from certain causes,
only partially effected in the cases of fruit where the ova-
ry or seed vessel is composed of several cells, as in the
apple, pear, &c., and hence the fruit takes an imperfect,
one-sided development from the beginning.
The difficulty that appears to arise in the way of the
impregnation of the stigma of one flower by the pollen of
Fie. 36.
FLOWERS. 81
another, distantly situated, either on the same plant as in
moncecious trees, or on a different plant as in dicecious, is
wonderfully obviated by the provision that nature has
made for its transmission, not only by the atmosphere,
but by insects, that pass from one flower to another feed-
ing on their honied secretions; the pollen adheres to them
and they carry it from one to another.
All natural flowers of the same species present the
same number of petals in their flowers, but occasionally
the stamens are converted into petals, and thus what are
called double flowers are produced. Among fruit trees we
have double flowering apples, plums, peaches, and cherries.
These seldom produce fruit; when perfectly double never.
All our double flowers, roses, paeonies, dahlias, &c., have
been obtained by this transformation of the stamens into
petals. It is supposed to be caused by an excessively
high cultivation given to the plants that produce the
seeds from which these double varieties spring.
4. Period of Blossoming.—In treating of fruit buds
allusion has been made to the causes which, according to
observation and experience, promote fruitfulness. These
are chiefly a slow or moderate growth, and a branching
or spreading, constrained form, instead of an upright one.
Some species of trees bloom at a much earlier age than
others. Thus the peach, the apricot, and the cherry will
bloom in nearly one-fourth less time from the bud, all
things being equal, than the pear. Some species bloom
at an earlier period of the season than others ; the apricot
and the peach bloom very early, and this is the chief rea-
son why the crop is so often destroyed in localities subject
to late spring frosts. Among fruits even of the same spe-
cies there is much difference in the period of blooming:
one variety of apple being nearly two weeks later than
another. ‘This, in some sections, is an important quality,
where every day the blossom is retarded renders the crop
32 GENERAL PRINCIPLES.
surer, being more likely to escape frost. These differences
are caused by various circumstances.
Ist. Zhe Cliomate.—The period of blossoming of the same
species varies much in different localities. Rochester is
at least a week earlier than Buffalo, although the distance
is less than one hundred miles; and it is nearly two
weeks earlier than Toronto, which is still nearer. The
large bodies of ice in the lakes, at both Buffalo and Toron-
to, have no doubt a considerable effect in retarding the
blossoming period. |
2d. Lhe Season and Position—In the same locality,
one season is frequently a week earlier than others, and
trees on the south side of a wall or building will expand
their blossoms several days before the same variety in the
open ground only a few rods distant, and ten days to a
fortnight before those on a north wall. |
3d. Zhe Soil—On warm and light soils, the roots of
trees are excited into activity much sooner than in cold,
damp, and heavy soils, and the blossoming period is ear-
lier in consequence.
The Different Character of Llowers.—F¥ lowers vary in
size, form, color, and other qualities, even in the same spe-
cies. In the peach those distinctions are so obvious, that
one of the principal classifications of pomologists is found-
ed on them. Thus there are varieties with large, showy
jlowers (fig. 39), as the serrate
early York, and small (fig. 40)
as large early York, Craw-
ford Early, etc. The color
also presents variations, some
poo being deep, others pale rose,
Eee Meee and some almost white ; two
Fig. 39, large flower of the peach. or three varieties of the
Fig. 40, small flower of the peach. peach I wholly
white, as the snow, for instance. In all the other fruits,
FLOWERS. ° Go
as in apples, pears, plums, cherries, &c., the flowers vary _
but slightly in form and color, and the differences are only
taken note of in very full and minute scientific descrip-
tions. A few cases, however, are well marked, as the
Jargonelle pear, the flowers of which are nearly twice as
large as most others.
In connection with the flowers it may be proper to ex
plain the important process of
Hybridization —This is performed by fertilizing the
pistil of one species or variety with pollen from the
stamens of another. The seeds produced by the flower so
impregnated will produce a cross or hybrid between the
two parents. This process is now well understood, and is
carried on to a wonderful extent, especially in the pro-
duction of new flowers. Comparatively few of our popu-
lar fruits have been produced in this way. , a weak Shuagah nT
? , oe
Ru pieaiets lS UA bleh hae wahinSa sn | ae BERT ‘at eeriye “sed 4
.
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‘ Las rks a fiimien Bed iin sweaty Ula .
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FA? oli:
THE NURSERY.
PH E- NO hes Bo, Y
——
CHAP LER, iD.
Section 1.—Sorm, Srirvation, Ero.
Ir is not a part of the design of this treatise to give
anything like a full exposition of nursery operations ; for
this would, in itself, be a subject sufficiently extensive to
form a volume; but as all fruit growers should possess at
least some knowledge of nursery management, it seems
quite necessary that the more important points should be
noticed.
Ist. The Soil, as to Dryness —F¥or a fruit tree nursery
the soil must be perfectly dry, both above and below. In
damp, springy soils, or where the subsoil is so compact as
not to admit of the surface water passing off immediately,
trees do not thrive, the roots are destitute of fibres, the
wood is watery and delicate, and where frosts are severe
the trees are cast out of the ground by the expansion of
the water with which the soil is filled. We have known
of a single instance in which several thousand dollars
were lost by planting a pear nursery on a soil imperfectly
drained. The plants grew finely the first season, were
budded, the buds had taken, and in the autumn all looked
prosperous; but the autumn rains filled the soil with
water, the situation was low and level, and the subsoil
compact, so that the water could not possibly get away.
The consequence was, the roots decayed, the plants were
cast out of the ground, and the injury was so great and
5*
106 THE NURSERY.
so general that the whole plantation had to be taken up.
This ground was then thoroughly drained, and is now as
good a pear soil as can be found—a stock of beautiful
trees standing on it at the present time. ‘This single in-
stance illustrates the importance of a dry soil, as well as
twenty would. We frequently find that in the same row
of trees, if there happens to be a low, damp spot, the
trees in it have no fibrous roots, and are altogether inferior
to those on the adjacent dry ground.
2d. Depth—As a general thing, the soil of a nursery
should be a foot to eighteen inches deep; but all trees do
not require the same depth. Those (such as the pear)
whose roots descend more than they spread, require the
deepest soil. The best quality of nursery trees are grown
on common farming land, twice ploughed with the com-
mon and subsoil ploughs, one following the other, as de-
scribed in the chapter on soils. This gives depth enough
for all ordinary purposes.
3d. Teaxture—aA. soil of medium texture between the
heavy and the light, is, on the whole, the most advan-
tageous, as being the best adapted to general purposes.
A good friable loam, with a gravelly subsoil, or a mixture
of sand, gravel, and clay, that will allow water to pass
off freely, and yet not too fast, will be found suitable for
almost any species; and one great advantage of such a
soil is, that it admits of rotation in crops.
th. Quality—For the growth of young fruit trees, a soil
should be in such a condition as to furnish a sufficient sup-
ply of nutriment to ensure a vigorous and robust growth ;
but it may be too rich, and produce rank wood that a
not mature properly, and be unable to withstand the
change of climate or soil consequent upon transplanting.
Where manures are used, they should be well decom-
posed; fresh warm manures excite trees into a very rapid
growth, but the wood is watery and feeble. A dry soil of
SOIL. 107
moderate richness produces hardy trees, their wood is firm,
the buds plump and close together, and the parts well pro-
portioned.
5. Laying out.—Where the nursery is of considerable
extent, the ground should be laid out and arranged in
square or rectangular plots of convenient size, and be
intersected with walks. One portion should be set apart
for the propagation of stocks from layers, another for cut-
tings, another for seeds, &c. In setting apart ground for
the different kinds of trees, if there be a choice, the pear
should have the deepest and best, the plum the most com-
pact or clayey, the peach, apricot, cherry, &c., the lightest
and dryest.
6. Hxposure—Nursery ground for fruit trees should be
well elevated, but not fully exposed to the prevailing high
winds, as the young trees are apt to be broken off during
the first year’s growth if not kept well tied up to stakes.
In our section we find it very advantageous to have some
protection from the west winds especially, though we
sometimes have a south wind quite destructive in exposed
places to the young buds. Situations where snow is liable
to drift into, should be avoided, in sections where heavy
snow storms prevail, for sometimes vast quantities of trees
are broken down in corners of fences and sheltered situa-
tions where the snow accumulates in heavy drifts.
7. Rotation or Succession of Crops —This is quite as
important in the management of the nursery as of the farm.
Not more than one crop of one species should be planted
on the same ground; and those of the most opposite
character should follow one another. Where one species
is grown on the same ground for eight or ten years, it is
found by experience that even the most liberal manuring
fails to produce such fine, sound, healthy, and vigorous
trees as new ground without manure. Where land is
scarce, and it is necessary to use the same ground for the
108 THE NURSERY.
same kind of trees, it should at least be allowed one season’s
rest, and be well supplied with such material as the trees
to be grown in it require in the largest quantities, or in
which the soil is found to be most deficient.
Srcrion 2.—DeEscrIPTION AND PROPAGATION OF STOCKs.
This branch of the subject is of such importance, and
involves so many considerations, that it seems to be more
methodical to treat it separate from subsequent operations.
Ist. Stocks for the Apple—trThe principal stocks in use
for the apple are the common seedling, or free stock, the’
Doucain, and the Paradise.
Seedlings, or free stocks, are ordinarily produced from
seeds taken promiscuously from the cider mill in the
autumn.
Preparing the Seed—The cakes of pressed pomace
are broken up, and the coarser materials, straw, &c., sepa-
rated from it by means of a coarse sieve, the sifted pomace
is then put into large tubs, and subjected to repeated
washings until clean. The clean plump seed falls to the
bottom, and the pomace and light poor seed are carried
off in the washings. When fruits have been selected for
the seeds, they are placed in heaps until fermentation and
_ decay have reduced the flesh to a soft pulpy state, when
they are washed in tubs, in the same manner as pomace.
Saving the Seed—When the seed is washed out as
above, it must be spread thinly on boards, and repeatedly
turned over until: perfectly dry, when it is put away in
boxes, mixed with sand, containing a slight degree of
moisture. The boxes should be well secured against ver-
min, and be kept in a dry, cool place, till the time of
planting.
Season and Mode of Planting—TIf the ground be in
readiness, and perfectly dry and friable, the best time is
PROPAGATION OF STOCKS. 109
the fall, as soon as the seeds are cleaned. At this season
the pomace, seeds and all, as it comes from the press, may
be planted without any washing. It should be broken
up fine, so that it may be evenly distributed in the seed
bed. The difficulty of doing this, is a serious objection to
this mode. By taking some pains in the sowing, we raise
as good stocks in this as in any other way; the decayed
pulp contributes considerable nutriment to the young
plants in their earliest stage of growth.
When deferred till spring, it should be done at the
earliest moment that the condition of the ground will ad-
mit. When the ground is ready, a line is stretched along
one side of the plot, and a drill opened with a hoe about
eight or ten inches wide and three deep; the seeds are
then dropped, and the fine earth drawn over them with
the hoe as regular as possible, covering them about three
inches deep. If some leaf mould from the woods or old
decomposed manure in a fit state for spreading could be
had, and a covering of an inch deep of it spread on the
top of the drills, it would prevent the surface from baking
or cracking, and allow the plants to come up with greater
strength and regularity. Whatever depth of such a cover-
ing be used, should be deducted from the covering of
common earth.
Distance to Plant—When large quantities are raised,
the drills should be three feet apart to admit of the culti-
vator passing between them; for the ground should be
kept pertectly clean and mellow around seedlings the
whole season.
After Management.—lIt is of great importance that they
be not in any way stunted, either in first coming through
the soil by a hard surface, or afterwards by weeds and
lack of culture; seedlings stunted during the early stages
of their growth never make vigorous, healthy stocks, and
indeed should never be planted. When they appear
110 THE NURSERY.
4
above the surface and are too close together, they should
as soon as possible be thinned out to regular distances;
for when grown up in dense masses, they are generally
feeble and worthless. One hundred good vigorous stocks
are worth five hundred poor ones. It is very common to
see seedlings of one year larger than those of two years,
under different management, and in such a case the year-
lings are worth twice as much as the others. A very good
plan is to thin out all the weakest plants when about four
or five inches high, leaving those only of vigorous habit
and large foliage.
The Doucain is a distinct species of apple; the tree is
of medium size, bears small sweet fruit, and reproduces
itself from seed. It is used for stocks for apple trees of
medium size, pyramids, or dwarf standards for gardens.
It is propagated almost exclusively from layers; see fig.
63. The plants to be propagated from are planted in a
rich deep friable soil, and cut back to within four to six
inches of the collar; the buds, or the part below the cut,
will, during the next season, produce strong shoots; the
following spring the earth is drawn up around each plant
in the form of a mound, so that the whole of the stem and
the base of all the shoots will be covered at least three
inches deep; during that season all the shoots will pro-
duce roots, and should be separated from the mother plant
or stool, as such plants are termed, in the fall. If left on
till spring the frost would be likely to injure them. The
stools are then dressed, the soil around them is spaded up
and enriched with well decayed manure, and the follow-
ing season another crop of shoots is produced, much
more numerous than the first, to be treated in the same
way. Every year these stool plants increase in size and
in the quantity of their productions, if well treated.
Another course, but not so good, is frequently pursued
when stocks are scarce. The shoots are layered, by bend-
PROPAGATION OF STOCKS. 111
ing down as described in layering, the first season of their
sieeerits in July, and may be eutieicatle rooted in the fall
to be transferred to nursery rows in the spring following;
a year is thus saved, but the stocks are, of course, much
inferior. If earthed up in midsummer, they will be par-
tially rooted in the autumn too, but not so well as if bent
down, for the bending has a tendency to stop the sap at
the point fastened to the ground, and hastens the forma-
tion of roots.
The Paradise——tThis also is a distinct species of apple.
The tree is of very small size, never attaining over three
to four feet in height. It is used for stocks for dwarf
trees or bushes that occupy but a small space in the gar-
den. It is propagated in precisely the same manner as
that described for the Doucain.
2d. Stocks for the Pear—The pear seedling and the
quince are the only two stocks on which the pear can be
advantageously worked to any considerable extent. The
mountain ash and the thorn are occasionally used for
special purposes only.
Pear Seedlings—TVhe seeds are aiaiebe by collecting
such fruits as can be had, containing perfect seeds. Great
care should be taken to gather the fruits of hardy,
healthy, vigorous trees only, and the seeds should be full
and plump. The seeds are separated and washed, as de-
scribed for apples. They are also saved and planted in a
manner similar in all respects; but in this country it is a
much more difficult matter to succeed with pear seedlings
than with the apple. This difficulty is owing chiefly to a
species of rust or blight that attacks the leaves of the
young ag very étcen before they have completed their
first season’s growth. To obviate the difficulty which this
malady presents, a vigorous growth should be obtained
early in the season. New soil, or that in which trees
have not been grown in before, should be selected. The
112 THE NURSERY.
autumn before planting, it should be trenched or subsoil
ploughed to the depth of two feet, for the pear has long
tap roots, and liberally enriched with a compost of stable
manure, leaf mould or muck, and wood ashes, in about
equal parts: four inches deep of this spread over the sur-
face before ploughing, will be sufficient for any ordinary
soil. Lime should also be given liberally, unless the soil
be naturally and strongly calcareous. A soil prepared
thus in the fall, will require another ploughing or spading
in the spring, to mix all the materials properly with the
soil, and fit it for the seeds. Where large quantities are
grown, the drills may be the same distance apart as that
recommended for apples, three feet; but if only a few,
twelve to eighteen inches will be sufficient, as the clean-
ing can be done with the hoe. The seeds should be scat-
tered thinly, that every plant may have sufficient space
without any thinning. From time to time we find re-
gular recipes given for raising pear seedlings, with the
same precision that pudding recipes are given in the
cook books. Bone dust, blacksmiths’ cinders, muck, lume,
wood ashes, and half a dozen other things, are recom-
mended to be compounded in pecks and half pecks, all
with a view to remedy the rust or leaf blight that no
man can say originates in any defect of the soil. The
cause may be in the atmosphere, or it may be an insect,
or it may be something else, for aught anybody yet
knows to the contrary. The end to aim at, as before re-
marked, is to get good growth, say eighteen to twenty
inches in height, and stout in proportion, before the first
of August. This can be done in any deeply-trenched, —
fresh soil, well prepared and manured as described above.
During the past season, a lot of very fine seedling pears
were raised in fresh, new soil, in Ontario county; their
foliage was quite fresh when the frosts came, and they
had received no special manuring either. Pear seedlings
PROPAGATION OF STOCKS. 113
should always be taken up in the fall, after the first
season’s growth, the largest selected for transplanting
into the nursery, and the smaller to be put into beds, to
remain another season.
Quince Stocks are propagated with considerable success
by cuttings. These should be strong shoots, six inches to
a foot long, taken off close to the old wood, and, if pos-
sible, with a small portion attached, prepared as directed
in article on cuttings, early in the winter, and kept in pits
two or three feet below the surface of the soil, in a dry
place, till planting time in spring. They should be
planted in a light, friable, deep soil, in rows eighteen
inches to two feet apart, four to six inches apart in the
row, and so deep that but a couple of buds remain above
the surface. The ground should be kept clean and mel-
low amongst them all summer, and if the cuttings were
stout and long, they will in the autumn be fit for taking
up and preparing for planting into nursery rows the fol-
lowing spring. The best and surest method of propagat-
ing the quince stock, however, is by layers, as the best
variety for that purpose does not strike so freely from cut-
tings as the common sorts. The manner of layering is
that recommended for the Doucain and paradise, by
earthing up. The stool plants should be set out in a fine,
rich, deep border of warm, friable soil, and be about six
feet apart, when designed to be permanent. As each stool,
by the system recommended, can only yield a crop of
plants every two years, there should be two sets, so that
an annual supply may be obtained.
By the ordinary system of bending down the shoots,
and slitting, or even without the slitting, a crop may be
obtained every year, that is, the shoots of the current sea-
son’s growth may be layered in July or August, but no
such stockscan be obtained as by the earthing up and
114 THE NURSERY.
taking a crop every two years. This is the system recom-
mended to those who want first rate quince stocks.
The very general lack of information in this country on
the subject of quince stocks for pears has given rise to a
great many misapprehensions and erroneous statements in
regard to them, both by horticultural writers and others.
At first it was said that the stock used by the French and
imported by nurserymen here were the Portugal. Again,
it was discovered they were nothing more than the com-
mon apple quince ; consequently a multitude of the apple
quinces have been worked, and sent out as “ dwarf pears.”
The slow and feeble growth of this variety unfits it entirely
for a stock for the pear, and only a very few varieties will
form a union with it that will last over three or four years.
Such trees cannot fail to give general dissatisfaction, and
among people who know no better, create a prejudice
against quince stocks in gereral. Indeed this is the cause
why so much has been said about the pears on quince
being so short-lived. _
The truth is, that the varieties used in France are nei-
ther the Apple nor the Portugal Quince, but vigorous
hybrids that have been criginated there, and found to
answer this purpose particularly well. The great requisite
of a quince stock for the pear is a-free,vzgorous and rapid
growth. A variety originated at the town of Angers in
France, and extensively used, propagated and sold there,
as the Angers Quince, is probably the best yet known for
a pear stock generally. It is a very rapid, vigorous grower,
making strong shoots three feet long inoneseason. It has
large foliage resembling the Portugal. In some parts of
France, as in Normandy, it is known as the broad-leaved.
There is another variety with smaller leaves, but of free,
vigorous growth too, almost exclusively cultivated in some
districts. Several extensive nurserymen at Orleans, Paris,
and elsewhere, consider it superior to the broad-leaved,
PROPAGATION OF STOCKS. 115
and especially for very vigorous growing sorts. It is
known as the small-leaved.
We have tried both extensively, and find but very little
difference thus far in the results obtained. We are now
engaged in experiments testing the fitness of another
variety quite distinct in its character, habits of growth,
&c., from all the others. It is remarkably erect, with a
bushy, branching head, and roots composed almost entirely
of fine fibres. Every cutting grows when other sorts area
complete failure; and a cutting made of a stout shoot set
in the ground in April may be budded in September. The
largest plants we have are but three years old; and judg-
ing from these, it will not attain so large a size as the
Angers, but the pear seems to unite well with it, and we
believe it will make an excellent stock, for free growing
kinds particularly. It is yet too soon, however, to decide
upon its merits in any respect, except that of being easily
propagated.
The Mountain Ash, it is said, makes a good stock for
certain varieties in very light, sandy soils, when neither
the pear nor quince succeeds well. It is propagated from
seed, and requires to be two years old before being worked.
The Thorn.—Seedlings of our vigorous native thorns
make good stocks when about three years old; the seeds
require to be in the rot heap one year before sowing. ‘The
only cases in which it can be recommended, are those in
which a soil may be so wet and cold as to be unfit for the
pear or quince; but itis better to improve such soils by
draining, subsoil ploughing, and by the addition of suitable
composts, for even the thorn will fail in giving satisfac-
tion on a stiff, cold soil.
3d. Stocks for the Cherry. _The principal stocks used
for the cherry are the mazzard for standard orchard trees,
and the mahaleb for garden pyramids and dwarfs.
Mazzard Seedlings—The mazzard cherry is a lofty,
116 THE NURSERY.
rapid-growing, pyramidal-headed tree. Its fruit is small,
dark brown, or black, with a sprightly flavor and slight
bitterness. It is the original type of all the heart varie-
ties.
Preparing and saving the Seeds—tThe fruit is allowed
to remain on the tree until thoroughly ripe. It is then
shaken or picked off, and put into tubs, where the pulp is
washed off until the stones are perfectly clean. They
are then spread out on boards, and turned over occasion-
ally until dry, when they are put away in boxes, mixed
with sand very slightly moist. A layer of sand is spread
in the bottom of the box, then a thin layer of the stones,
next a layer of sand, and so on till the box is full. The
boxes are secured against vermin, and put away in a cool,
dry place, until needed for planting. If not planted in the
fall, they may be wintered in a cellar, or out of doors,
protected from rain by boards or other covering.
When to Plant.—If circumstances were favorable, all
seeds would be better planted in the fall, or immediately
after their maturity. Nature, in her course, indicates this
to be a general law; but in cultivation this must depend
on circumstances. The ground may not be in readiness.
It may be so wet and heavy, that seeds would be so satu-
rated with moisture during the winter as to lose their
vitality; or the ground might become so beaten down
and compact with fall, winter, and early spring rains, as
to make it almost impossible for the young plants to make
their way through it. All these things are to be con-
sidered in deciding the proper time to sow seeds. If the
soil be very light and porous, cherry seeds may be sown
as soon as gathered; if the contrary, it should be
deferred till spring: but they germinate early and at a
low temperature, so that it is necessary to keep them
pretty dry and cool, and get them into the ground at the
earliest practicable moment. We find it quite difficult to
PROPAGATION OF STOCKS. Biz
keep them properly, and yet prevent them from germinat-
ing before the ground is dry enough to receive them.
How to Plant.—¥ or cherry seeds the ground should be
light, in a good fertile state, but not strongly manured.
The seeds are sown in drills as recommended for apple
and pear seeds, and so thin as to give each plant space to
grow in without being crowded by others. In this way,
and with clean summer culture, the stocks will all be
large enough at the end of the first season’s growth, to be
taken up and prepared for planting in nursery rows the
following spring.
The Jlahaleb (Cerasus mahaleb) is a small tree with
glossy, deep green foliage. The fruit is black, about the
size of a marrow-fat pea, and quite bitter. It blossoms and
bears fruit when about three years old. It is considerably
cultivated in many parts of Europe, as an ornamental
lawn tree. There are very few bearing trees in this
country yet; consequently nearly all the stocks used are
imported, or grown from imported seeds.
The seeds are prepared, saved, sown, and managed in
all respects similar to the mazzards, and are fit for trans-
ferring to the nursery rows at the end of the first season’s
growth.
The common red pie cherry and the small morello make
very good stocks for dwarf trees of the duke and morello
classes; but the hearts and Bigarreaus do not take on
them. These are raised from seed in the same way as the
mazzards and mahalebs. It may be added, however, as a
warning, that buds are more liable to fail on them than
on the mahaleb.
Ath. Stocks for the Peach—As a general thing the
peach is worked on its own stocks in this country. The
stones should be placed in a state of stratification during
the winter, placed in boxes with alternate layers of sand
or light earth, and be kept fm a situation exposed to the
118 THE NURSERY.
frost; unless this is done they will not germinate the fol-
lowing spring; they require more moisture and exposure
to open their hard shells, and induce germination, than any
other fruit seeds. They should be examined a week or
two before planting time, and if they exhibit no signs of ve-
getation more moisture should be given them; if they have
been kept dry for a month or two before being stratified,
they may require to be cracked. This is done by placing
the edge of the stone on a wooden block and striking with
a mallet; when cracked they may be mixed with moist
earth and germinated in a warm place. The growth of
every one so germinated can be depended on, and the
rows will be regular. As the seeds are planted where
the trees remain until transferred to the garden or orchard,
it is a very good plan to nip off the point of the young root
protruded from the seed; this makes it ramify, so that
when taken up the trees have fine branched and fibrous
roots instead of long tap roots, as is very generally the
case.
Planting.—The seeds should be put into the ground as
soon in the spring as it is in a fit state to be worked. A
line is stretched, and holes made with a dibble to receive
the seed; it should be put in with the root downwards,
and be covered not over one fourth of an inch deep.
Plum Stocks are used for the peach in soils of a stiff, »
adhesive character, in which the peach does not succeed.
In England the peach is worked almost exclusively on the
plum, as it suits their moist climate and soil better. In
France the hard shell almond is used almost exclusively
on dry, and the plum on damp soils. Almond stocks are
raised in the same way as the peach.
Dwarf Peach Trees are produced by working on the
same stocks reconimended for dwarfing the plum. Some
time ago a French journal gave a very interesting account
of experiments made in dwarfing the peach and plum, by
PROPAGATION OF STOCKS. 119
a Dr. Bretonneau of Tours, France. He had succeeded
in producing very pretty dwarf plums and peach trees on
a dwarf plum indigenous to this country (Prunus pumila.)
He exhibited beautiful prolific dwarf trees of the green
gage plum on the sloe, and was making farther experi-
ments with the dwarf almond as a stock for peaches.
These subjects are all worthy of attention; we have many
experiments of this kind under way, but it is yet too soon
to communicate the results. The art of growing a large
collection of fruits on a small spot of ground is of great.
importance to curious and tasteful people living in towns
and villages.
Stocks for the Apricot and Nectarine—Kvery thing
that has been said of peach stocks, applies with equal
force and propriety to these two trees.
5. Stocks for the Plum.—It is not a little difficult in
this country to get good plum stocks. If seeds be taken
promiscuously from any variety that is to be had, as is
done with most other trees, the probability is, that of the
seedlings not one in 500 will be suitable fora stock. I
have seen bushels of seeds planted that were said to have
been collected from strong growing trees, but out of the
tens of thousands of seedlings produced from them, not
100 were ever worked, or fit to be. It is not only neces-
sary to obtain seeds from vigorous growing trees, but from
a species or variety that reproduces itself from seed. This
is the point.
The Horse Plum, an oval, purple, free-stone sort, with
vigorous downy shoots, reproduces itself from seed, and
makes good stocks. On a suitable, well-prepared soil, its
seedlings often attain two feet or more in height in one
season, and are then fit for the nursery rows. They require
a rich, substantial soit, prepared as recommended for pear
seeds. Other vigorous sorts have been recommended in
various parts of the country, but on trial they have been
120 THE NURSERY.
found quite inferior to the horse plum, and as a general
thing worthless.
The Canada or Wild Plum, which abounds in Ohio,
Michigan, and other western States, are distinct species,
and reproduce themselves from seed. The seedlings of
some grow extremely rapid, making fine stocks in’ one
year on any good soil. They continue in a thrifty, growing
state until late in the autumn 3; - but they should not be
worked above the ground inthe usual way, as their growth
does not keep pace with the species to which most of our
cultivated sorts belong. The best way to manage them is
to take the yearling seedlings, whip-graft them on the
collar, and set them out at once in the nursery rows ; they
will make good trees for planting out in three years.
The stock is all below the surface of the ground, and in
time the graft sends out roots and becomes in a great mea-
sure independent of the stock. Where the seedlings are
not large enough for grafting the first season, they may be
set out in the nursery and allowed to grow one season, and
then the earth can be removed from the collar until the
gratt be inserted, and then drawn up. To procure strong
stocks for standard trees of weak growing sorts, like the
Green Gage, such thrifty varieties as the Zmperial Gage
and Smith’s Orleans may be grafted on this native species,
and in two or three years they will make stocks strong
enough for any purpose. The French use several natural
species that are produced from seed—the St. Julien,
large and small (Brussels of the English), and the Damas
noir, large and small. The first is generally used for stocks
for apricots and peaches as well as plums. We find none
of these superior in vigor to the horse plum, but they are
worked more successfully. In England, the Brussels,
Brompton, and Muscle stocks are “used, propagated from
both seeds and layers. For small sized garden trees,
either dwarf standards or pyramids, the cherry plum
¢
PROPAGATION OF STOCKS. 13¢
makes a very good stock. Itis probably the same as used
by the French under the names of “ Cericette” and “ Myro-
balan.” Several of our authors and even some English
writers say that the A/irabelle is the stock used for dwart-
ing the plum, peach and apricot, but it seems probable that
they are mistaken. In France the cericette or cherry
plum is used, and stocks sent us from England as Mira-
belle, are but the cherry.
How the mistake could be made is difficult to say, for
the two trees are as different in habit, foliage, wood and
fruit, as they can be. The cherry plum is a very low tree
with bushy, erect branches, very straight, slender, willow-
like, reddish shoots, exceedingly small leaves and buds,
and smooth bark. The J/trabelle is also a low tree, but
much more spreading than the other; the shoots are
stouter, of a gray color and downy, with rather prominent
buds for so small shoots. It ripens in September, and the
cherry a month sooner.
The cherry plum is a natural species, and can there-
fore be produced true from seed. It maintains a vigorous
growth all summer, and may be worked in July, August,
or September. It may also be propagated from layers.
The Sloe is also used to some extent where very small
trees are wanted, and we have no doubt some native spe-
cies, as for instance the Beach and Chicasaw plums, small
trees, will make good dwarf stocks. I am inclined to
think, however, that very nice garden trees may be raised
on the smaller species of the Canada Plum. The first
year’s growth and even the second are quite vigorous on
them, but after that the vigor diminishes, and the trees
become quite prolific. This and the cherry plum will
probably become our principal stocks for dwarfing.
Plums for seeds should ripen well on the tree; they are
then gathered, the pulp washed off, and the seeds dried
and put away in boxes of sand in alternate layers, as
6
193 THE NURSERY
recommended for cherries. They may be saved in fall or
spring as circumstances already mentioned will admit.
Nearly all plums used for stocks may be propagated by
layers. Mother plants or stools are planted out and cut
back as recommended for paradise, &c.; the shoots of the
previous season’s growth are pegged down in the spring
flat, and two inches of earth drawn over them. Every
bud on these layers will produce a shoot that, generally,
will be well enough rooted in the fall to be separated from
the stool and planted out into nursery rows the following
spring. These layered shoots are cut off close to ‘the old
plant, and the upright shoots produced during the previ-
ous season may be again pegged down.
The stools or mother plants managed in this way require
the best treatment to maintain their vigor, that a supply
of strong shoots may be produced every season fit to lay
down in the spring. Weak, slender shoots, unfit to layer,
should be cut out early in the season to aid the growth of
those intended for use. This usually goes by the name of
Chinese Layering.
Section 3.—TRANSPLANTING STOCKS.
This comprehends three separate operations, taking up,
dressing or pruning, and replanting; but before touching
on the detail of these operations, it may be well to con-
sider
Ist. The age at which Stocks should be transplanted —
On this point there seems to be a diversity of opinion, not
only among book writers but practical cultivators. The
very general opinion, and one that is most acted upon, is,
that they should remain where they have been propagated
until they are large enough to be worked; a great many
plans are therefore suggested for wintering seedlings, and
especially the pear. The experience of the best culti-
-
TRANSPLANTING STOCKS. 133
vators every where is that seedling stocks especially, of
all sorts, should be transplanted when one year old. It
may be urged against this, that some seedlings are so
small when one year old, as not to be worth transplanting ;
so feeble, that more care and culture would be required
before they could be worked than they are worth. In re-
ply, it can only be said that such feeble productions are
only fit to be thrown away, because the seeds must have
been defective, or the soil and culture bad; and stocks
raised from poor seeds, or stunted by bad soil and culture,
will never make sound, healthy, vigorous, or long lived
trees.
When seedlings remain longer than one year in the seed
bed, they grow up slender and weak; one more vigorous
than its neighbors will ruin all around it; then the roots
do not ramity, but continue to lengthen without forming
laterals or fibres, and when removed and reduced to the
necessary dimensions they receive a severe check; but at
one year the check is very light, they at once form lateral
roots, and instead of being drawn up tall and slender, they
become stout and well proportioned. The best pear grow-
ers in Europe, and even in this country, would scarcely
take as a gift two year seedling pears from the seed bed,
unless in case of absolute necessity.
The proper plan is to take up all seedling stocks, and all
layers, sufficiently rooted to bear separation from the stool,
and all cuttings that stand close, at one year old,* and sort
and arrange in separate classes, in this way: in one class
put the strongest, those fit for immediate use, either to be
grafted on the root, or budded the summer following; in
another class, put such as may require to stand one year
in the nursery rows to be fit for working; and in the third
class, such as are too weak to be put in the nursery rows,
* The sloe (Prunus spinosa), or any such very slow growing thing
excepted.
194 THE NURSERY.
but will require to be “ bedded out,” that is, set closely
in beds by themselves, where they can remain for one or
two years, until they are large and strong enough for root
grafting, or for the nursery rows. Unless in the case of
stocks scarce and difficult to procure, this third class had
better be thrown away at once, as it will cost as much to
nurse them as to raise fine stocks from the seed.
2d. Time to take up.—There is but one proper time to
take up all seedlings and rooted layers for stocks, and that
is the fall, and this for several reasons. The first is, they
are all liable to injury by the frosts of winter; seedlings
have no side roots to hold them in the ground, and layers
are near the surface, so that the freezing and thawing
draws them up; the roots are thus exposed and seriously
injured. The second is, they can be dressed during the
winter in the cellar, and be ready for planting in spring.
When taken up they can be laid closely in by the roots
in the soil in a dry place, and covered over so as to
exclude frost. When out-door work is over, they can be
uncovered, taken into the cellar and dressed, and laid in
again by the roots carefully in the same place, which
should be protected from frost, of course, in the mean
time. The third reason is, that when seedlings are taken
up in the fall, the ground can be prepared for another
crop; and this is of considerable importance. In the
case of layers, the stools or mother plants can be manured,
dressed, and put in order for another season’s growth;
and this, also, is important. Such are some of the advan-
tages, or, in fact, the necessities of taking up stocks in the
fall.
3d. How to take wp—Seedlings are very easily taken
up, without in the least mutilating the roots, in two
ways. If one person do the work, he should begin at
one end of the row, and with a common spade, or, which
is better, one with three strong prongs, a foot long and
TRANSPLANTING STOCKS. 125
an inch and a half wide; dig under the plants without
cutting the roots, and as fast as they are loosened below,
pull them out, and in this way proceed. Another and
quicker way is, for two men to loosen the plants, each on
opposite sides of the row, inserting a forked spade as
deep as the roots go, while another follows, and pulls out
the plants. When the ground is quite soft, this way
answers very well; but if dry or hard, the first is better.
Layers require more care and caution. A trench must
be opened all around the layered branches deep enough
to go quite below the roots, and in an oblique manner, so
as to undermine them. Where the branches are pegged
down, the pegs must be taken out, and the layer is then
separated between the rooted part and the stool, and
gently taken from the earth. Especial care must be taken
not to split those that have been layered by incision;
their removal must be done slowly and cautiously.
Mound Layers are easier separated ; the earth is simply
removed from the base of the rooted branches, and they
are then separated within an inch or so of the stem.
Layered Branches or Chinese Layers.—W hen the young
‘rooted plants are produced from the eyes of a buried
shoot or branch, the pegs are removed, the whole branch
dug under, completely loosened and separated from the
stool; the young plants are then taken off one by one
close to their base.
4th. Pruning or Dressing Stocks—The objects in view
always in performing this operation are, to remove in-
jured or broken roots, to reduce the tap root that it may
produce laterals, to reduce the stems to a proper propor-
tion with the roots, and put them in a condition that will
ensure a vigorous growth.
Seedlings taken from the seed bed, have always a long
tap root, with few or no laterals; and as trees with such
roots are unfit for safe transplantation, it is necessary to
126 THE NURSERY.
take measures to change their character. We, therefore,
remove the small tapering portion of the root, as at fig.
84, A; and this ensures the production of lateral or
spreading roots near the surface of the ground. The
\
Lv,
N
@)
Wi
)
4 Y\ Paes 4 Ve
Fie, 84. Fic. 85.
~
J
A
4,
Fig. 84, a seedling stock, one year’s growth, as it
comes from the seed bed. The line at .4, shows the
shortening of the tap root. Thatat B, the shortening
of the stem before replanting. F¥g. 85, a quince cutting ;
the cross lines on the stem and roots indicate the prun-
ing before replanting.
vious, destroys the natural balance or
pear roots espe-
cially are inclined
more to descend in
a straight line than
to spread ; and un-
less they are well
cut back when
young, they are
always difficult to
transplant safely
afterwards. Roots
that descend like
the prongs of a
fork, are usually
destitute of fibres;
whilst those that
spread out hori-
zontally, or near
the surface, are
well furnished with
fibres, that not
only make trees
easily transplant-
ed, but inclined to
early fruitfulness.
This operation on
the roots, it is ob-
proportion that ex-
isted between them and the tops. Hence the necessity
for shortening the stem in a corresponding manner. But
even if the roots were not shortened, the stems should be,
TRANSPLANTING STOCKS. 127
14 order to obtain a vigorous growth. The very removal
of the plant lessens the power of the roots to absorb and
convey nutriment; and on this account, if no other, the
stem should be reduced by way of regulating the supply
and demand. We sometimes see young stocks planted
out without any shortening of the stem; and the result
is, they scarcely make any growth the first season—the
roots are barely able to absorb enough to keep them alive.
If one half the stem had been cut away, the remaining
buds would have received such a supply of food as would
have produced a vigorous growth. It is a pretty good
rule, therefore, to reduce the stems of seedlings one third
to one half, as at B C, fig. 84; but there are exceptions
to this. For instance, a stock with a very large and
strong root, and a short, stout, close-jointed stem, well
matured and furnished with plump, prominent buds,
requires very little, if any shortening of the stem; and
again, others are just the reverse, tall, slender, and
feeble, having been suffocated in the seed bed. Such as
these require to be shortened more than half, perhaps
two thirds.
Layers or Cuttings (fig. 85) are in a different situation
from seedlings, and require, therefore, different treatment.
They have no tap roots, but masses of fibres; and these
fibres, if they are preserved fresh and sound till replanted,
need no shortening; but if destroyed by exposure, they
should be cut off, to eee way for new ones. The short-
ening of the stems depends entirely on the size and con-
dition of the roots. If well rooted, and the roots be in
good condition, they may be left a foot long; if poorly
rooted they should be cut back to six or eight inches.
This applies equally to the layers of the guince, paradise,
Doucain, plums, ete.
5th. Planting stocks in the nursery rows where they
_are te be budded.—tThe first consideration which this
128 THE NURSERY.
operation suggests, is the condition of the sow. Under
the head of soils, sufficient has been said respecting the
modes of deepening, draining, and enriching ; and it is
only necessary to say here, that where stocks are planted,
the soil should be at once deep, dry, and rich; for no
such thing as sound vigorous fruit trees can be raised on
a poor, shallow, or wet soil. The various means of im-
provement have been already pointed out and explained.
It may, however, be well to remark that ground may be
too rich, and induce a rank, watery growth, that would
either result in death at the final transplanting into the
garden or orchard, or in a very feeble and sickly growth
after it. We see frequent illustrations of this in the case
of trees raised in old, worn out nurseries, where rapid
growth has been forced by powerfully-stimulating ma-
nures. These rank, pithy, soft productions, are very
attractive to the eye; but they suffer so much by removal,
no matter how well treated, that they seldom fail to dis
appoint the planter. This thing should, therefore, be
guarded against. Manures used should be well decom-
posed, and incorporated with the soil, if possible the
autumn before planting. A tree is not like a cabbage or
a lettuce. The tenderness and succulency of these con-
stitute their great merit; but the wood of a tree must be
jirm, shortjointed, and mature, and these requisites are
always attained by a moderate and natural, not a forced
erowth.
Planting each species in the soi best adapted to tt—
Where there are different characters of soils in a nursery,
to be planted with a general assortment of stocks, it is im-
portant to give to each that which is best adapted to its
nature; thus the pear, apple, and plum should have the
richer, deeper, and more compact, or that with most clay.
The plum in particular succeeds well ona pretty stiff clay.
The cherry and peach should have the lightest and warmest.
TRANSPLANTING STOCKS. 129
The gwince, the paradise, and Doucain, do not require
such a deep soil as the pear and the common apple seed-
lings, because their roots are fibrous and always remain
near the surface; but it must not be inferred from this
that a shallow soil suits these best.
6th. When to Plant—In parts of the country where
the winter is long and severe, or where freezing and thaw-
ing are frequent, fall planting cannot be successful, as the
plants, having no hold of the ground, are drawn out and
injured; and besides, if the ground is somewhat clayey
and tenacious, the heavy rains that occur early in the
spring will make it so compact that air will not penetrate
it, and the young roots will form slowly and feebly.
When neither of these difficulties is to be feared, fall
planting is decidedly preferable. Spring planting should
be done at the earliest moment the condition of the ground
will admit, which is, when dry enough to crumble into
fine particles when turned over with the spade.
7th. Distance to Plant——W eare all in the habit of plant-
ing quite too closely in the nursery ; the consequence is that
the trees are not well proportioned. As a general thing,
the standards are in many cases as large six feet from
the ground as at the collar, weak and top heavy, so that
sticks have to be used to support them, even when four
years old. Not long ago I observed in a nursery which
has the reputation of being one of the best managed in
this country, whole squares, some thousands of four year
old apple trees, of all kinds, tied up to sticks; they were
not able to support their own weight. One reason, and the
principal one, was, they were planted too close, the other
will be spoken of presently. Pyramidal trees are out of
the question where such close planting is practised, the
growth is always forced to the top. Nature gives us
numerous and striking illustrations of the effect of close
planting. We see in a natural group or thicket trees
6*
130 THE NURSERY.
running up forty or fifty feet of an equal diameter, and
without a branch; and if one such tree were left exposed,
by the removal of those around it, the first high wind
would blow it down. On the outskirts of this group or
thicket, or perhaps completely isolated,in the centre of a
field, we see another tree of the same species, branched
almost from the ground, and with a diameter at the base
twice as great as at half its height, and tapering upward
with beautiful regularity, and capable of resisting a hur-
ricane. To raise stout, well-proportioned trees, we must
give them plenty of room, that they may have the advan-
tage of air all around, and not only at the top.
There is scarcely a nursery to be found in which
the trees are not grown too close—three or four on the
space that one should occupy. There is to be sure great
economy in close planting, for five hundred trees can be
grown on the space that one should occupy, and with
nearly as little labor; but it would really be better for
people to pay twice or three times as much for their trees
if grown so far apart that the air and light would have
free access to them in all parts, and give them stout, well-
proportioned forms. A reform in this respect is much
needed, but it cannot be expected until purchasers become
discriminating and intelligent on the subject.
The distance at which stocks should be planted in the
nursery rows is governed entirely by circumstances. If
it be intended to use a cultivator between the rows, they
should not be less than three and a half feet apart. If
spade and hoe culture be intended, two and a half to
three feet will be sufficient. Where the trees are to be
removed at the age of one year, one foot apart in the rows
is sufficient; but if they are to remain until two, three or
four years they should be eighteen inches to two feet. If
removed at two years, eighteen inches is enough; but
where standards remain three or four years, until they
TRANSPLANTING STOCKS. 131
have heads formed, and pyramids remain*until they have
formed two or three tiers of lateral branches, two feet or
two and a half is little enough. Indeed, when pyramids
remain for three years, there should be a clear space
three feet on all sides. ;
Dwarf standards require less space than full stand-
ards, and dwarf bushes still Jess. The stocks intended for
these different classes of trees should be planted sepa-
rately. In sorting the stocks at the time of dressing, the
largest should be used for full standards and the smaller
for low or dwarf standards.
8. Mode of Planting—The square or plot of ground
for each class of stocks being ready, a line is stretched
along one side and a trench opened with the spade, deep
and wide enough to hold the roots; the plant is then held
against the side of the trench next the line, by one man,
whilst the earth is filled in by another; when about half
the earth is in, it istrodden down pretty firmly by the
foot, and the remainder filled in. As buds are usually
inserted on the north side of the stocks they should incline
slightly to the south. Good pulverized surface soil should
always be put upon the roots, to induce the immediate for-
mation of young fibres. During the planting, the roots
must be carefully guarded from exposure. A few only
should be taken out of the ground at a time.
When there are but few fibrous roots, puddling
in thin mud is useful, otherwise not.
_ Planting Root Grafts—The quickest mode
of planting small root grafts is to stretch a line
along the ground to be planted, and with a
dibble make the holes and press the earth
in around the plants. This dibble should
Fic. 86
be twelve to eighteen inches long, about — rormorpib-
two inches in diameter, pointed and shod Pe ued in
planting root
with iron—fig. 86 represents one made of gratts,
132 THE NURSERY.
the handle of a spade. One person will plant as many
in this way as four could by opening trenches with
spades. But, where the plants are dibbled in, the ground
mnst be in the best condition, perfectly dry and finely
pulverized.
Treatment of Stocks after Planting—The principal
care which stocks require between the time they are
planted and the time they are budded, is to keep the
ground about them clean of weeds, and in a friable,
porous condition on the surface by frequent stirring. ‘The
success of budding depends in a great measure on the
condition of the stocks. They must be in a thrifty, grow-
ing state, and this can only be obtained with good treat-
ment. Having now considered, in as much detail as
seems necessary, the propagation and transplanting of
stocks into the nursery rows, we proceed with
Section 4.—Tue Bupprne, Grarrine, AND MANAGEMENT OF
TREES IN THE NURSERY.
The simplest and clearest method of treating this part
of the subject seems to be, that of considering separately
each year’s operations in succession,
Tue Firsr Yrar.—Strong yearling seedlings of the
apple, pear, cherry, and plum, say one fourth of an inch and
upwards in diameter, and well rooted layers of the guence,
paradise, and Doucain, of the same size, planted in the
spring in a good soil, and kept under good clean culture
will, as a general thing, be in a fit state for budding in
July, August, or September following. The budding may
therefore be considered as the first season’s work. The
details of this operation may be divided for consideration,
as follows :
1. Time for Budding.—2. Preparation of the Stocks.
BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETC. 133
—3. Preparing the Buds.—4. Insertion of the Buds.—5.
Untying.
1st. The time for budding each species or class of fruits
depends upon its habits of growth. Such as cease to
grow early in the season, must be budded early, because
it can only be done while the stocks are in a free, growing
state, full of sap. Such as grow until late in the autumn,
must be budded late, otherwise the new layers of wood
formed after the insertion of the bud, would grow over
and destroy it, or the bud would be forced into a prema-
ture growth towards autumn, which in fruit trees should
always be avoided. The common sorts of plum terminate
their growth early in the season, and are therefore budded
early, whether with plums, peaches, or apricots, at Ro-
chester usually about the last of July, or beginning of
August. The native or Canada plum, and the cherry or
myrobalan, grow freely till late in the fall, and may be
budded in the latter end of August, or beginning of Sep-
tember. Pears on pear stocks are usually budded here in
July, in anticipation of the leaf blight which stops their
growth when it attacks them. Where no such thing as
this is apprehended, they should not be budded before the
middle of August, as the buds are not generally mature
till that time. Apples on free stocks, and on the paradise
and Doucain, may be budded as soon as the buds are ma-
ture, which is usually, here, about the first to the middle
of August. Cherries on free mazzard stocks—as soon as
buds are ripe here, about the first of August. Pears on
- guince, and cherries on mahaleb, not before the first of
September, and from that to the middle of the month,
as the quince and mahaleb grow late, and especially the
latter. Peach stocks should always be budded the same
season the seeds are planted, and, as they grow rapidly
until very late, are not usually budded till about the mid-
dle of September. The budding period varies in different
134 THE NURSERY. -
seasons. In a dry, warm season, the young wood matures
earlier, and. stocks cease to grow sooner, and are, there-
fore, budded earlier than in a cool, moist season, that pro-
longs the growth of the stocks, and retards the maturity
of the buds. Stocks growing feebly require to be budded
earlier than those growing freely. It is necessary to keep
an eye to all these points.
The destruction of insects must be promptly attended
to. An army of slugs may devour the foliage of the pear
and cherry, and even the plum, in a day or two, and pre-
vent their being worked that season. The apis, too, fre-
quently appears in such multitudes as to check the growth.
Dry lime or ashes thrown on the slugs will kill them, and
strong soap suds, or tobacco water, so.strong as to assume
the color of strong beer, will kill the aphis.
2d. Preparation of the Stocks ——This consists in remov-
ing such lateral shoots from the stock as may be likely to
obstruct the insertion of the bud. Our practice is to do
this at the moment.of budding, one person doing the
work in advance of the budders. If done a few days pre-
vious, and several shoots are removed, it checks the
growth of the stocks, and they do not work so well. It
might answer very well to do it two or three weeks pre-
vious, so that they might recover from the check before
being budded.
3d. Insertion of the Bud.—aving treated so fully of
the manner of preparing and inserting the buds in the
article on budding, nothing farther need be said on these
points here.
In free stocks the bud should be inserted within three
er four inches of the ground.
In some parts of the west, Wisconsin, Illinois, and some
other places, certain rapid, late-growing, and rather tender
varieties are liable to be winter-killed if budded close to
the ground, probably by the sudden thawing of that part
BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETC. 135
caused by the refraction of heat from the ground. In view
of such a difficulty, it may be well enough to bud high up,
but, as a general thing, low budding makes the best trees.
All dwarf stocksshould be budded as close to the surface
of the ground as it is possible, and even some of the earth
may be removed and put back when the budding is done.
The necessity for this lies in the fact that all dwarf stocks
should be wholly below the ground when finally planted
out in the garden or orchard. |
4th. Untying the Buds—In ten days or a fortnight
after the buds are inserted, they should be examined, and
such as have failed may be budded again if the stocks
continue to grow. In some cases it may be necessary, and
particularly with cherries, to loosen the buds and tie them
over again, as rapid growth will cause the string to cut
the bark before the bud has completely united, or is fit to
be untied. This seldom occurs, however; as a general
thing, the strings may be removed in three weeks toa
month after the budding; and they should never be left
on over the winter, as moisture lodges around them to the
detriment of the bud. As soon as the budding is done,
the ground should be worked over with the cultivator or
forked spade. The first season’s management of stocks too
small for budding consists simply in keeping the soil clean
and mellow, and in guarding against the attacks of
insects.
The treatment of root grafts the first season consists in
cleaning and loosening the ground, the removal of suckers
from the roots as fast as they appear, and pinching early
any strong side shoots likely to weaken the leader.
Seconp Yrar.— Where the buds failed the previous sea-
son, the stocks should now be whip-grafted near the sur-
face of the ground. They will be little behind the buds,
and will make nearly as good trees, if neatly done. Plums
and cherries must be done before, or as soon as the buds
136 THE NURSERY.
begin to swell (say in March here); pears and apples
may be done later. The second sized stocks, planted last
season, and intended to be budded this, should, if in a
feebly growing or stunted condition, be cut back to within
two or three inches of the surface of the ground. This
will give the roots new vigor, and thrifty shoots will be
made by budding time that will work more easily and
successfully than the old stock. In a month or so after
being cut down, all the shoots but the strongest one should
be removed. The stocks budded last season are headed
down to within three or four inches of the bud, just as the
leaves are beginning to appear, and all buds starting into
growth on the stock, either below or above them, rubbed
off.
Treatment of the growing bud consists in keeping all
shoots that appear on the stock rubbed off.
If side shoots appear early, and are likely
to contract the growth of the leader, they
should be pinched off. Any that assume a
reclining or crooked habit should be tied up
to the stock, or to a support, which may be
a wooden pole four feet long, sunk a foot in
the ground at the root of the stock; both
the stock and growing shoot should be fast-
ened to it (fig. 87), but not so close as to
impede the growth. This is only necessary *
with certain weak, irregular growing sorts.
In August the portion of the stock left
above the bud at the heading down in the
ck Young Puce’ spring should be removed with a sloping
son’s growth, sup- cut, close and smooth, as at A (fig. 87), at the
abe at OE: highest point of union between the bud and
dicates the cutting stock. The new layers of wood made after
away of the stock : e
close tothe bud, this time coversthe wound before growth
ceases in the fall. Side shoots, when they appear, must —
BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETC. 137
be checked, if too vigorous, by pinching off their ends,
but not entirely removed, as they assist in giving size and
strength to the lower part of the body of the young tree.
The peach almost invariably produces numerous side
branches the first season, and it is avery common but very
erroneous practice to prune these all off in mid-summer.
The proper course is to maintain an uniform vigor amongst
them by pinching, and to prevent any from encroaching on
the leading shoot; in this way we get stout, well-propor-
tioned trees. This brings us to the end of the second year,
and gives us young trees of one year’s growth. Peach
trees should always be planted out at this age, and all trees
intended for training in particular forms; but as this part
of the subject will be considered under the head of “ Selec-
tions of Trees,” we will proceed to the course of manage-
ment for the
Tuirp Yrar.—We commence this year with trees of
one year’s growth; and the first point is to determine what
form is to be given them, whether tall or dwarf’ stand-
ards, pyramids, bushes, or espaliers. Waving settled these
matters, we have but to follow up the proper course to
accomplish the desired ends. It may be well to take each
of these forms in succession, and point out the necessary
management under various circumstances.
Ist. Standards.—Until very lately, trees of all sorts,
and for every situation, were grown as tall standards, with
naked trunks six and even eight feet high. Indeed, it
appeared as though an impression existed amongst people
that a tree was not in reality a tree, nor worthy of a place
on their grounds, if it had not this particular form. Lat-
terly, however, since fruit tree culture has become more
practised, and somewhat better understood, this impres-
sion has been gradually losing ground, and in all parts
of the country low trees are finding advocates.
Experience is beginning to teach people that whilst tall
138 / THE NURSERY.
standards in an orchard possess the single advantage of
admitting the operations of the plough under the branches,
low standards are much more secure against the numerous
fatal diseases that attack the trunks—are much more
accessible for the performance of all the necessary details
of management, and for the gathering of the fruit.
These are all very important advantages certainly ; but
the most important one is the safety of the tree against
diseases of the trunk. In all parts of this country, we
have a powerful sun in summer, and in winter and spring
sudden and violent changes from one extreme to another;
and experience has shown, that the trunk and large
branches, being fully exposed to all external influences,
are generally the parts first attacked with disease. COul-
tivators are, of course, at liberty to choose for themselves;
but, except to meet the wants of some particular circum-
stances, no standard tree should have a branchless stem
above jive feet in height: four is preferable for all, ex-
cept orchards of common apples for cider or stock. Trees
with heads only four feet from the ground, are always easy
of access, and the natural spread of the branches affords
a great protection to the trunk at all seasons. Nursery-
men should by all means encourage by precept and ex- ~
ample the cultivation of low-headed trees.
Starting with the yearling trees for standards, we
examine the habit of the variety, whether stout or slen-
der, whether branched, as many varieties are the first
season, or without branches. Before proceeding to the
operation of cutting down to increase the size of the
trunk, the reader is referred to the principles and prac-
tices-of pruning in the first part of the work. No prun-
ing should be attempted for the attainment of any special
purpose without having first carefully studied these.
If slender and without side branches, as in fig. 88,
they should be cut back twelve to twenty inches, as at A.
BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETC. 139
This removes the buds that would push first, and retains
f the sap in the lower parts, which
! will give a stout body. The taller
and more slender the tree, and
the smaller the buds, the farther
it becomes necessary to cut back.
In fact, some very feeble growing
sorts must be cut back till within
a foot or less of the base. Dur-
ing the summer, trees cut back in
this way may produce lateral
shoots on the greater part of their
length. These must not be pruned
off, but kept in an uniform size
and vigor, by pinching any that
threaten to exceed their proper
bounds. The shoots immediately
below the leader, must be watch-
ed, as they are always inclined to
Hig. 88, ay *aling tree; fromthe A tree thus cut back, and the
bud A, indice 5 the cutting back to ‘ ? ‘
make a ston: stom for a standard. B Side branches regulated by pinch-
and C, the cutimg back for pyra- ; : =
mids or low surdards. D, the cut- ms; will, in the fall, have a stout
ting back for ¢warfs or espaliers. body, and present the appearance
Fig. 89,a yourg tree once cut back saarls
to form trunk fer a standard. of fig. 89. Where the yearlings
are short and stout, and are fur-
nished with a few lateral shoots, cutting back may be
unnecessary. The largest of the side shoots may be
pruned off wholly, and the small ones left to retain the
sap in the lower part of the stem, at least till midsummer,
when new ones will have been produced. There are cer-
tain stout-growing, branching varieties of all the fruits
that require no shortening and very little pruning of any
kind, to form stout trunks, and especially when not
planted too close.
140 THE NURSERY.
Dwarf Standards.—The management of yearly buds
to produce these, is similar to that described for standards,
varying it always to suit the particular habit of the spe-
cies or variety; tall slender growing sorts require cutting
back, and the suppression of branches at the top; but
many varieties of cherries and plums, some very stout
growing pears and apples, and all apricots and peaches,
may commence the formation of heads this season. The
stem is cut at the point desired, two to three feet from the
ground, to form the head on, and three or four of the
stoutest shoots, growing in opposite directions, are pre-
served, whilst all others close to them are pinched off,
when two or three inches long; side branches are allowed
to remain that season on the stem to strengthen it, but
they are kept short and regular by pinching. In the fall
these trees will be fit forthe final planting out, whilst
those of weaker habit will require another season, if they
be wanted with heads.
Pyramids.—Y earling trees intended for pyramids are
cut back so far as to ensure the production of vigorous
side branches within six or eight inches of the stock. The
habits of growth of the species and variety must be care-
fully taken into account. Some are disposed, from the
beginning, to form lateral branches, and others require
vigorous measures to force them to do so. As examples,
the Bloodgood pear is very much inclined to branch the
first year, whilst the Louise Bonne de Jersey and Duchess
d’Angouleme seldom do so, unless in some way the growing
point be checked. So it is in cherries; most of the Dukes
and Morellos are inclined to produce laterals the first
season, but the free growing sorts, Hearts and Ligarreaus,
rarely do so, unless the point is checked early in the sea-
son. So itis in all the fruits, and therefore no general
rule can be given, but the appearance of the tree indicates
the treatment required. Where we see side branches
BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETO. 141
naturally produced the first season, we at once conclude
that the buds are well disposed to break, and the cutting
back may be comparatively light. Where no side
branches are produced, we must be governed by the
appearance of the buds on the lower part of the tree,
where it is desired to produce the lower branches; if they
be small and flat, it will take close cutting to arouse them,
but if plump and prominent, less vigorous measures will
be necessary. In the case of short, stout, and branched
yearlings, a few of the best placed, lowest, and strongest
branches are reserved, whilst the others are entirely re-
moved. We then shorten the reserved branches accord-
ing to their position, leaving the lowest the longest. The
leading shoot is shortened, so that all the buds left will be
sure to push and form shoots. When these have attained
the length of two or three inches, the strongest and best
placed are selected for permanent branches, and the others
are pinched off.
Yearlings that have no side branches, figure 88, we
generally cut back one half as to 6, and in many cases
two thirds to C, in order to obtain strong branches near
the ground. Every bud below the one we cut to, should
push, and when shoots of two inches or so are made, we
select two, three, or such number as may be wanted, of
the strongest and best situated to be reserved, and pinch
the others. It very generally happens that two or three
buds next below the one we cut to, push with such vigor
as to injure both the leading shoot above and the side
shoots below them. They must be watched and pinched
as soon as this disposition becomes obvious. Yearling
trees managed in this way will present in the fall the
appearance of fig. 90.
Purchasers are very apt to favor tall trees, even at the
expense of their forms; and nurserymen, even those who
know better, with a view to suiting the tastes of their cus-
142 THE NURSERY.
tomers, rarely cut their trees back sufficiently to make
pyramids. The first branches are seldom less than two
feet from the ground, and it is quite dif-
ficult to make nice pyramids of such
trees afterwards; at all events, it incurs
a great loss of time, for the whole of
the branches and half of the stem must
be cut away to produce the required
form.
Dwarf Bushes.—The apple on para-
dise is generally grown in this form,
with six to twelve inches of a stem and
spreading heads. The Morello cherry
and the cherry and Mirabelle plums,
and many kinds of pears, may be
grown as dwarf bushes, if desirable.
The stocks must all be of a dwarf cha-
racter. Plants from which the strongest
have been selected for dwarf standards
Hie ee: and pyramids, will make very good
pe Mentone nas bushes. The branches being so near
intend for a pyramid. the root renders a less amount of vigor
Hensel ein cue necessary. Very strong yearling plants
may be allowed to form heads the
second year, but such as are very slender will require cut-
ting back and another season’s growth, before the head is
allowed to form; and they will require a similar course of
treatment, as has been recommended for standards, and
dwarf standards. No matter what the character of the
tree is, a stout stem is necessary, and although the mea-
sures taken to obtain this seem to require in some cases a
loss of time, still there is a gain in the end; for trees
allowed to form heads before the stems are amply sufi-
cient to support them, require a great deal of extra care
after planting out, and a course of shortening back, that
BUDDING, GRAFTING, ETC. 143
offsets the temporary advantage of forming the head a year
sooner. This holds good in all cases. The mode of form-
ing the heads of dwarf bushes is similar to that described
for standards.
Lispalier Trees—These have a few advantages peculiar
to themselves, which will be explained under the head of
“ the selection of trees for the garden.”
To form espaliers, yearling trees are usually chosen,
planted in the place where they are to remain and cut
back to within four or five buds of the stocks, as at D,
fig. 88; these buds break and produce shoots from which
the strongest are chosen to form the arms, and the others
are rubbed off.
The peach grows so vigorously that, if the growing
bud be checked when a foot high, it will produce side
shoots, from which two may be selected from the main
branches of the espalier, and thus a year will be saved.
Another way is to insert two buds, one on each side of
the steck. Very nice espalier trees may be grown in
the form of a pyramid with a main stem and lateral
branches, the lowest being the longest. Trees for this
form require the same management as pyramids, except
that the branches should be placed opposite on éwo sides.
This brings us to the end of the third year, and the trees
are now two years old from the bud. At this age we
take it for granted that all trees on dwarf stocks for pyra-
mids, dwarfs, and espaliers, and all standards even, of
the peach, apricot, and nectarine, and in most cases the
cherry and plum, will be finally planted out. Standard
pears and apples are almost the only trees that require to
be left longer in the nursery, and their management
during the third and fourth years of their growth, if
allowed to remain so long, will be similar to that de-
scribed for the second. In the spring, February or
March, the leading shoot is cut back in order to increase
144 THE NURSERY.
the stoutness of the stem as it advances in height; and
during the summer, the side shoots are kept of uniform
length and vigor by pinching. The lower side branches
are removed gradually every season as the tree becomes
strong enough to dispense with them. As it has been be-
fore remarked, the cutting back depends always on the
natural character of the subject—stout, short-jointed, mod-
erate growing sorts, that naturally increase in height and
diameter of stem in proper proportions, will require no
cutting back. Very few, however, have this habit. In
nearly all cases more or less shortening in, every spring,
is necessary until the stem has arrived at the requisite
height, and is well proportioned, decreasing gradually in
diameter from the base to the top.
The Treatment of the Sotl—During the whole period
the trees remain in the nursery, the ground about them
must be kept clean and finely pulverized on the surface
by repeated and continual stirring. Every spring, as soon
as the heavy rains are over, and the ground settled and
dry, the space between the rows should be ploughed, if
they are far enough apart to admit of it. A small one-
horse plough, such as is used for ploughing cornfields (see
implements), is suitable, but it should not be allowed to go
nearer the tree than six inches, nor so deep as to come in
contact with the roots. After ploughing, the cultivator
may be run through once each way between the rows,
every week or two, and this will leave very little hoeing to
be done. If the rows are so close as not to admit the
plough and cultivator, the forked spade must be used in
the spring to give the ground a thorough stirring, and the
hoe afterwards. If the ground be naturally adhesive, a
second or even a third ploughing or spading may be
necessary in the course of the summer; for it must at all
times be kept in a loose, porous condition, or the roots will
be deprived of the benefits of the air and moisture. Stir-
THE GRAPE VINE. 145
ring the ground so often that weeds barely make their
appearance, is not only the best, but most economical cul-
ture.
It need scarcely be added that in using the plough
or cultivator among trees, a very short whiflletree should
be used, the horse should be gentle and steady, and the
ploughman both careful and skilful; and laborers who
use the spade or hoe, should be duly cautioned against
cutting or bruising the trees with their implements.
Section 5.—PRoPAGATION AND Nursery COvLrureE oF
SEVERAL Fruir Trees AND SHRUBS NOT USUALLY
GRAFTED OR BuDDED.
Ist. The Grape Vine—This is one of the easiest sub-
jects to propagate among all our fruit trees.
In all stages of its growth it should have a dry and
rich sow, dryness first and most of all. The surest
method of propagation for unpractised hands, is layering.
A branch or shoot of the current season’s growth, laid
down in June, in the manner described in the first part
of this book (figs. 61 and 62), will be well enough rocted
to bear transplanting in the fall or spring following. The
reader is referred to the instructions on layering.
The next mode is by long cuttings. At the winter
pruning, the strongest, roundest, and firmest shoots of the
previous season’s growth are selected, and cut into pieces
twelve to eighteen inches long, with two or three eyes, as
in fig. 60. They are cut close to an eye at the lower end,
‘or a piece of the old wood may be attached, like fig. 58.
These cuttings are buried in dry, sandy earth, till the
ground is fit to receive them in the spring.
In planting, the whole cutting is buried but one eye,
and some cover that even as much as an inch deep. The
long cutting must be laid in the trench obliquely, as in
146 THE NURSERY.
fig. 60, so that the lower part will not be out of reach of
air and heat, without which new roots will not be formed.
During the summer, the earth must be kept clean and
friable around them; and, in dry seasons, a thick mulch-
ing will be very beneficial in preserving a uniformity of
heat and moisture. In the fall, the plants will be fit for
final transplanting ; but if they remain another season,
they should be pruned back in winter to two or three
buds at the base, and during the following summer only
one or two shoots be allowed to grow, all others being
rubbed off early.
Layers, when taken from the mother plant, and set in
nursery rows, should be cut back in the same manner, in
order to obtain one or two vigorous shoots when the
plant is to be finally set out.
Short Cuttings—These consist of only one eye, from
the stoutest and firmest shoots of the previous year’s
wood (fig. 59), with not more than an inch of wood on
each side of it. These cuttings, however, seldom succeed
so well in the open ground as others. They require a
little artificial bottom heat.
The simplest way to treat them is to make a sort of
hotbed, with two to three feet of halfdecayed stable
manure, well mixed, and six or eight inches of light
sandy soil. The cuttings are planted in this a quarter to
half an inch deep, and covered with a glazed sash. If
carefully and regularly watered, and well ventilated, they
will make fine plants by the autumn. A better way than
this is, especially in propagating the foreign varieties, to
put them into pots, and put the pots in the hotbed.
A single cutting may be put into a small three inch
pot, covered a fourth of an inch deep; or several cuttings
may be inserted in a larger pot. In this case they should
be placed around the sides. When they have made a
growth of about six inches, they may be shifted into
THE CURRANT. 147
larger pots, with good, rich compost. In one season they
will make good, strong plants. Plenty of air should
always be given them, as soonas they are rooted, to
prevent their being drawn up into weak, watery shoots.
When the native hardy sorts are raised from eyes in the
hotbed as described, the yearling plants should be pruned
to a couple of eyes, and transplanted into nursery rows,
where one season’s growth will fit them for final setting.
Single eyes, in all cases, make the best plants.
2d. The Currant.—Every one knows how ‘to propagate
this. A yearling shoot, six inches to a foot long, taken
off close to the old wood, and planted half or two thirds
its length in the ground, in the spring, will make a
strong, well-rooted plant in the autumn. To prevent
shoots from springing up below the surface of the ground,
the eyes on that part are cut out, or they may be left the
first season, and cut out when the plants are rooted.
The buds aid in the formation of roots. When a
variety is rare and scarce, the young shoots may all be
layered in July, and they will make well-rooted plants in
the fall.
3d. Gooseberries are propagated in the same way, and
with almost equal facility, as currants, though, as a gene-
ral thing, they do not grow with such rapidity. Layers
are the surest, but they require to be one year in the
nursery rows after being separated from the mother plant
to make them strong enough for the final planting. An
inch or two of swamp moss laid over the surface of the
ground in which layers are made, assists in retaining the
moisture. This is applicable to all kinds of layers.
Ath. Strawberries are propagated by the runners, which
spread on the surface of the ground in all directions from
the plant as soon as it begins to grow in the spring.
Where a variety is scarce, and it is desirable to multiply
it carefully, these runners should be sunk slightly in the
148 THE NURSERY.
ground, and pegged down with small hooked sticks, as
they will root and form plants fit for removal much
quicker than if left to root in their own way. With
good management, a single plant may produce twenty-
five to fifty, and even one hundred in one season. Plants
to be propagated from, should have abundance of space,
and a deep, rich soil. An application of liquid. manure
will stimulate their vigor, and increase the number and
strength of the runners.
5th. Raspberries are propagated from-suckers, or shoots
produced from the collar, or spreading roots of the plant.
They are renewed every season. The canes bearing but
once, they may be propagated by layering the young
canes in midsummer, and by cuttings of the roots. The
latter mode is advantageously applied in the case of new
or rare sorts.
6th. Berberries are propagated by seeds, suckers, and
layers, in the simplest manner. Rare sorts are also grafted
successfully on the common ones early in the spring, in
the cleft mode.
Tth. Mulberries—tThe large black mulberry is the only
one worthy of culture for the fruit. It is easily propa-
gated both by cuttings and layers. The latter mode is
the surest. ;
Sth. Chestnuts—The common American chestnut may
be propagated from seeds either planted in the fall or
kept in sand all winter, and planted early in the spring.
In one season they are fit to transplant into nursery rows,
and in two years more at most may be finally planted
out.
The Spanish chestnut is propagated either from seeds
or by grafting on the common chestnut. Its fruit is three
times as large as the common.
9th. Filberts are propagated either from suckers or by
grafting. If seedlings are used for stocks, the grafted
LABELS FOR NURSERY TREES. 149
plants are the best, as they are not only more prolific, but
they do not throw up suckers. They may be grown
either as low standards, with stems three feet high, or as
pyramids or dwarf bushes.
10th. Walnuts are propagated from seeds or by graft-
ing, in the same way as filberts. There is a dwarf pro-
lific variety, that bears quite young, and makes handsome
pyramidal garden trees.
Srction 6.—LABELS FoR Nursery TREES.
It is highly important that a correct system for preserv
ing the names of varieties be adopted. Our practice is, to
make labels of cedar, eighteen inches long, three inches
wide, and about an inch thick. These are pointed on one
end, to be sunk in the ground eight or ten inches,
and the face is painted white. When a variety
is to be budded or grafted, the name, or anumber
ivferring to a regular record is written on it,
and itis put in the ground in front of the first tree
of the variety. Besides this, we invariably record
in the nursery book each row, with the kind or
kinds worked on it, in the order they stand in
the square. In case of the accidental loss of the
labels, the record preserves the names. Figure
91 represents this kind of label, and though there
are many others in use, we believe this is one of
the simplest and best.
At the time of budding or grafting, we usually
oe write the name on with pencil, and after the
Fig. 91, la square has been all worked, the numbers are
bel for mur made with a brush and black paint.
sery rows.
150 THE NURSERY.
Section 7.—Taxine up TREES FRoM THE NuRSERY.
This is an operation that should be well understood,
and performed with the greatest care. The importance of
the fibrous roots has been already explained. It has been
shown that they are the principal absorbing parts of the
roots, and when they are destroyed the tree receives a
great shock, from which it requires good treatment and a
long time to recover. There is a great difference in the
character of roots, some penetrating the ground to a great
depth, and requiring much labor in the removal, others
quite fibrous near the surface, and consequently very
easily taken up. This difference is not owing alone to
the difference in the species, but to whether the subjects
have or have not been frequently transplanted. The way
to take up a tree properly, is to dig a trench on each side
at the extremities of the lateral or spreading roots, taking
care that the edge, and not the face of the spade, be kept
next the tree, so that the roots will not be cut off. When
this trench is so deep as to be below all the lateral roots,
a slight pull, and a pry on each side with the spade, will
generally bring out the trees. If there be strong tap
roots, running down to a great depth, they may be cut
with a stroke of the spade. Laborers who have not been
accustomed to the work, invariably perform it badly, and
it is difficult to get it properly done even by experienced
hands. It is a work requiring care and leisure, though it
is usually performed slovenly and in great haste.
Labelling. —W hen a tree, or a number of trees, of any
variety are taken up, a label, with the name written on it,
should at once be attached. The kind of label used in
the nurseries here, is a piece of pine about three andahalf
inches long, three fourths of an inch wide, and one eighth
TAKING UP TREES FROM THE NURSERY. he
of an inch thick. A neck is made on one end by cutting
mto each edge about an eighth of an inch; a piece of No.
32 copper wire, about seven or eight inches long, is then
fastened in the middle, on the neck of
the label, with two or three twists.
The two ends of the wire are then
placed around the stem, or a branch of
the tree, and are fastened with a twist or
two. This kind of wire and label we
find by experience to be not only safe,
but more expeditiously attached than
any other. Ifa little paint is rnbbed on
just before being used, the writing will lds.
be more legible and permanent, but it Wire tabel for trees.
should be so light as to be barely perceptible, else it will
clog the pencil. These labels are made very quickly, as
follows: take a common inch board planed, cut into
pieces the length of the label, make a groove with a knife
or saw along both sides, at one end for the neck, and then
set the piece on its end, and split off the labels with a
knife; this can be done nearly as fast as one person can
pick them up. The wire costs three shillings per pound,
and is cut into lengths with a pair of common shears.
Packing—Persons who are ignorant of the structure
of trees, never appreciate the importance of packing; and
that is the reason why so many trees are every year
destroyed by exposure. It is not uncommon, in this part
of the country, to see apple trees loaded on hayracks,
like so much brush, without a particle of covering on any
part of them, to travel a journey of three or four weeks
in this condition. Of course it is utterly impossible that
such trees can live or thrive; and yet the persons who
thus conduct their nursery operations, are doing the most
profitable business. Such practices are not only dishonest,
- 153 THE NURSERY.
but highly injurious and disreputable to the trade; and
it is by no means fair to class such people amongst re-
spectable and honorable nurserymen.
Purchasers are often at fault in this matter. Nursery-
men have to buy and pay for the material used in pack-
ing. Mats cost one to two shillings apiece; straw, three
cents per small bundle; yarn, one to two shillings per
pound; moss, three to four dollars per load, in many
cases ; and besides, the labor of packing, when well done,
is very great. It is, therefore, not unreasonable that a
charge be made; but some people, rather than pay
twenty-five or fifty cents for packing fifty trees, would
expose themselves to the risk of losing all. Purchasers
should invariably charge the nurseryman to whom they
send their orders, to pack in the best manner. Better pay
one or even two cents per tree for packing, than lose it or
injure it so much as to make it almost worthless.
The mode of packing pursued here is this: Where the
trees are packed in bundles, a number of ties are first
laid down, then a layer of long rye straw, three or four
inches deep; the trees are then laid compactly together,
straw being placed among the tops to prevent their being
chafed when drawn together, and: damp moss from the
swamp is shaken among the roots. When the bundle is
built, long straw is placed on the top as below, and it is
then bound up as tightly as it can be drawn. Straw is
then placed around the roots sufficiently thick to exclude
the air, and then a bass mat is sewed on over the straw.
If the bundle is only to go a short distance, the straw
can be so secured around the roots that the mats may be
dispensed with ; but if it has a long journey to perform,
it should be matted from bottom to top, and sewed with
strong tarred spun yarn, about as thick as a goose quill.
Loxes are rather more secure for very, long journeys ;
they should be made of white wood, or some light timber
TAKING UP TREES FROM THE NURSERY. 153
that holds nails well. If the trees are composed of seve-
ral varieties, they should be tied in small parcels of four
to six each, according to the size. The sides and ends
of the box should be well lined with straw, and the
roots bedded in moss and the tops in straw, to prevent
chafing.
If the box be large, two rows of cleats are necessary—
one in the middle and one in the top, to hold the trees in
their place and to keep the box from spreading. When
the box is nailed up, it should be banded at both ends
with iron hoops, fastened with wrought nails. Packed
in this way, trees may go any distance with safety. The
season of the year modifies the mode of packing. The
roots should always for a long journey be immersed in a
thin mud before being packed, as this excludes the air;
but in the fall, this mud should be dry before the package
is made up, and the moss should contain very little mois-
ture. In a frosty time the less moisture there is about
the rootsethe better; but an abundance of straw should
be used to exclude the air and frost.
feeling in.—W hen trees are taken up, and cannot be
either packed or planted at once, they are laid in by the
roots in trenches; the longer they have to remain in this
situation the better it should be performed. Trees are
often wintered in this way, and if the trenches are dug
deep, and the roots well spread out and deeply covered,
they are perfectly safe. It should be done in such cases
with almost as much care as the final planting of a tree.
When great bundles of the roots are huddled in together,
and only three or four inches of earth thrown over them,
both air and frost act upon them, and they sustain serious
injury. Tender trees likely to suffer from the freezing of
the shoots, should be laid in an inclined, almost horizon-
tal position, and be covered with brush, evergreen boughs,
or something that will break off the violence of the wind
W%
154 THE NURSERY.
and frost. Straw should not be used, as it attracts vermin.
Some rough litter or manure should also be thrown around
the roots, and in this way the most tender of all our fruit
trees may be wintered with safety.
PART =LEE.
THE LAYING OUT, ARRANGEMENT AND GENERAL MAN.
AGEMENT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PERMANENT PLAN-
TATIONS OF FRUIT TREES, SELECTION OF TREES, AND
VARIETIES. AND PRUNING AND CONDUCTING TREES
UNDER VARIOUS FORMS.
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CHAPTER’ T.
PERMANENT PLANTATIONS OF FRUIT TREES,
Sxotion 1.—Tue Diurrerent Kinps or Puantations.
Turse are of several kinds, and may be classed as fol-
lows—isr. The Family Orchard, which is a portion of
the farm set apart for the production of the more hardy
and common fruit, principally apples, for the use of the
farm stock and the family. 2d. The Market or Commer-
cial Orchard, is a large plantation of the various species
of fruit trees for the production of fruit as an article of
commerce. 3d. The Fruit Garden, with the Farmer is
a plot of ground near the dwelling, in which the finer
fruits, as pears, peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, Wc.,
and all the small fruits are cultivated. In many cases,
and even in most cases, it is a portion of the kitchen gar-
den, where the table or culinary vegetables are grown.
With the profe: sional man, the merchant, the mechanic,
and others who reside in cities, villages, and their suburbs,
possessing but sinall tracts of land, at most but a few
acres, the fruit garden is the only source for the supply
of fruits for their families, and is usually planted with
the more rare, perishable, and valuable sorts that cannot
so easily be procured in market.
The pleasure and profit derived from fruit plantations,
158 PERMANENT PLANTATIONS.
under any or all of these circumstances, depend upon
the judicious selection of soil, situation, trees, and va-
rieties, and their proper arrangement and management.
These are the essential points, and every man who con
templates planting to a greater or less extent, should
avail himself of all the light which experience has shed
upon these various branches of the subject, before making
the first movement towards the execution of his project.
Section 2.—TnHe OrcHARD.
The orchard is distinguished from the fruit garden in
this, that the trees planted in it are generally of the larg-
est size to which the species attain; they are grown in
the natural, or, as it is called, standard form, without any
particular training, and the varieties are generally the
most hardy and productive of the species.
1. The situation of an orchard with regard to exposure
or aspect, requires very little consideration in some parts
of the country. Where, as in Western New York for in-
stance, the winters dre uniform, or comparatively so, in
temperature, and late spring frosts do not prevail, the
main difficulties to guard against are the prevailing high
winds from the west and ‘north that injure the blossoms
and blow off the fruit before it is mature. If possible,
a situation should be chosen where some natural obstacle,
as a hill or a belt of woods, would break the force and
influence of these destructive winds. Where no such
obstacle naturally exists, a belt or border of rapid grow-
ing trees, such as soft maples, white pines, and Abeles,
should be planted simultaneously with the planting of
the orchard, that they may grow up and form a protec-
tion by the time the trees have come into bearing.
In other sections, as in some of the central and south-
ern counties of New York, and in some parts of Ohio,
THE ORCHARD. 159
Illinois, Wisconsin, and others of the western as well as
in the southern States, where late and fatal spring frosts
prevail, the selection of a situation is a most important
point. In such localities an eastern and southern expo-
sure, and low grounds, are to be avoided.
John J. Thomas, in his Fruit Culturist, states that, ‘* In
the valley of the Conhocton, which is flanked by hills five
hundred feet high, peach trees have been completely
killed to the ground, but on one of the neighboring hills,
five hundred feet above, and probably twelve hundred
feet above the level of the sea, an orchard planted in good
soil yields regular crops. In the town of Spencer, Tioga
County, near the head of Cayuga inlet, peaches have with-
stood the climate and done well at an elevation of seven
hundred feet above Cayuga Lake.” Lawrence Young,
Esq., Chairman of the Kentucky Fruit Committee, reported
to the Pomological Convention at Cincinnati, in 1850, the
case of an orchard in that State, lying within the peach
district, occupying the slopes of hills of no great height,
inclining gently toward a river distant only a few hundred
yards. Its success was that common to a fickle-western
climate—a fruit year and a failure, or perhaps two years
of productiveness and three of disappointment in every
five.
Within five miles of this orchard, however, is located
a hill six hundred feet high, upon which the peach crop
has not failed since he first knew it. Numerous other
instances are quoted and the particulars given with great
accuracy, showing the effects of even very slight eleva-
tions. :
Among others is an instance of the heath-peach bearing
a full crop in one part of an orchard, whilst in another
part thirty feet lower, the same variety bore not a single
fruit. Multitudes of such cases might be collected in all
parts of the country where the climate is variable, because
160 PERMANENT PLANTATIONS.
in such situations vegetation is earlier excited than in those
more elevated and colder, and frosts always fall more
heavily on low than on high grounds. Every one who
has paid the slightest attention to the action of frost on
vegetation is aware, that even an elevation of two or three
feet of one portion of the same field or garden above the
other frequently proves a protection from an untimely frost.
Ina dry and firm soil, vegetation is more exempt from inju-
ries by frost than in a damp, soft, and spongy soil on the
same level, not only because trees on such soils are more
mature and hardier in their parts, but because the soil and
the atmosphere above it are less charged with watery par-
ticles that attract the frost. Bodies of water that do not
freeze in winter, such as some of our inland lakes, exert a
favorable influence for a considerable distance from their
margins in protecting vegetation from late spring and
early autumn frosts.
In some parts of the West, as in Wisconsin and
Illinois, the winters are so variable—during the day as
mild as spring, and in the night the mercury falling
many degrees Belay zero—that even apple and pear trees
in soft, dare and rich soils, are frequently killed to the
ground.
In such localities, experience has taught cultivators
that elevated, dry, firm, and moderately rich soil, that
will produce a firm, well-matured growth, is the only
safeguard against the destruction of plantations in the
winter. In all localities where fruit culture has made
any considerable progress, there is generally experience
enough to be found, if carefully sought for and collected,
to guide beginners in fixing upon sites for orchards; and
no man should venture to plant without giving due
attention to the subject, and availing himself of all the
experience of his neighbors; for experience, after all, is
the only truly reliable guide.
THE ORCHARD. 161
2d. The Soil—Having treated already of the different
characters and modes of amelioration of soils, it is only
necessary here to point out what particular qualities or
kinds are best adapted to the different classes of fruit
trees, as far as experience will warrant inso doing. There
are soils of a certain texture and quality, in which, by
proper management, all our hardy fruits may be grown
to perfection. For instance, the soil of our specimen
orchard, which is that usually termed a sanily loam, with
a sandy clay subsoil, so dry that it can be worked imme-
diately after a rain of twenty-four hours. On this we
have apples, pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, and,
indeed, all the fruits planted promiscuously, side by side,
not by choice but necessity, and all these yield bountiful
crops of the finest fruit every season, and that, so far,
without any special attention in the way of manures or
composts. Our country abounds in such soils, and others
somewhat different in character, but equally eligible for
all fruit trees when well managed. On the other hand,
there are soils wholly unfit for fruit trees of any kind—
such are peaty or mucky, and damp, cold, and spongy soils.
For an orchard of apples or pears, a dry, deep, substantial
soil, between sandy and a clayey loam, and possessing
among its inorganic parts a considerable portion of lime,
is, according to all experience, the best.* On such soils
we tind the greatest and most enduring vigor and fertility,
the healthiest and hardiest trees, and the fairest and best-
flavored fruits. Trees both of apples and pears, planted
on such soils in western New York, upwards of fifty
* The ashes of the bark of apple trees disclose the fact, that in one
hundred parts upwards of fifty arelime. In the sapwood eighteen of lime,
seventeen of phosphate of lime (similar to bone earth), and sixteen of
potash. In the heart or perfect wood, thirty-seven of lime. In the ashes
of the sapwood of the pear of one hundred parts, twelve of lime, twenty-
seven phosphate of lime, and twenty-two of potash. In the ash of the
bark, thirty of lime.
162 PERMANENT PLANTATIONS.
years ago, are, at this day, in the very height of their
vigor and productiveness, without having received more
than the most ordinary culture. In some of these soils,
where the pear and apple flourish so well, and endure so
long, the peach does not succeed at all. The reason is, it
is too stiff and compact.
The plum succeeds best, as a general thing, on a clayey
loam, rather stiff. The eR or native plum, however,
eas well on very light soils. The. cherry, the peach,
apricot, nectarine, and almond, require a light, dry, and .
warm soil, and will not succeed on any other. The best
and most enduring peach orchards are on dry, sandy
loams ; but good orchards are raised with proper manage-
ment on loose, light sands, though on such the trees are
shorter lived, and require constant care in the way of
dressings of manure and compost. There are two points
to be observed in regard to soils under all circumstances.
They must possess the inorganic substances, such as lime,
potash, etc., that constitute a large portion of the ashes
of the wood and bark when burned, and a sufficient
amount of organic matter, vegetable mould, which dis-
solves and furnishes material for the formation and
growth of new parts. When large and permanent plan-
tations are to be made, it will well repay the trouble and
expense of procuring the analysis of the soil, in order to
ascertain somewhat correctly its merits and defects.
People who have been long engaged in the culture of the
soil, can judge pretty correctly of its quality by its
appearance, texture, subsoil, and the character of the
rocks and stones that underlie and prevail in it; but the
inexperienced do not understand such indications, and
will do well to have recourse to a careful analysis by
some competent person.
3d. Preparation of Soil for an Orchard—The season
before planting, the soil should be at least twzce ploughed
THE ORCHARD. 163
with a common and subsoil plough, enriched with suitable
composts, and drained, if necessary. It should be eighteen
inches to two feet deep, and quite dry.
4th. Encloswres.—Before a tree is planted, it is neces-
sary that the ground be enclosed with a fence, sutticient
to protect it against the invasion of animals. It is no un-
common thing to hear people regret that the cattle broke
into the orchard and destroyed many trees. Indeed it fre.
quently happens that more damage is done in this way
than, if duly estimated, would have fenced the whole
orchard. There is much inquiry now-a-days on the subject
of fences, and various plans and materials are suggested
and tried. Live hedges are unquestionably the most orna-
mental and appropriate enclosures for extensive planta-
tions of fruit trees, and in time will no doubt be generally
adopted. Hitherto the failure of many plants tried, and
the cost and difficulty of obtaining others, have retarded
their introduction. Experience, however, has at length
pretty fairly decided that the Osage orange is the best for
the west and south west, and the buckthorn for the north
and east. The seeds of both these plants are now easily
procured, and plants of them may be obtained in nurseries
at $5 or $6 per 1000, and about-2000 will fence an acre of
ground, setting the plants twelve inches apart in two rows
six inches apart, which is the strongest way. A single
row at six inches apart will make a good fence with pro-
per shearing to thicken them at the bottom; either way
they will make a beautiful and efficient hedge in five or
six years. The honey locust is also a strong, hardy, rapid
growing plant, and makes a hedge in three or four years
that animals will be afraid to look at. It is sometimes
objected to hedges that they harbor birds, but it is to be
remembered that birds are the natural foes of insects, and
never failto accomplish a vast amount of labor for the
good of the fruit grower, for which they ought to be fully
164 | PERMANENT PLANTATIONS.
entitled to a participation in his enjoyments. As the fea-
thered race are persecuted and driven away from our gar-
dens, insects become more numerous and destructive ; at
least this is the experience of most people, and should
lessen, if not entirely prevent, the cruel hostility that is
continually waged against them.
5th.—Selection of Varieties of Fruits for an Orchard.—
This is a most important point; the selection of varieties
must in all cases be made with reference to the uses to which
they are to be appropriated. The family orchard of the far-
mer, we will suppose to contain apple trees alone, as all the
other fruits are, or ought to be, grown in the fruit garden.
His selection of varieties must be adapted to his wants
and circumstances. In the first place, the number of his
family must regulate the proportion of kitchen and table
varieties. In the second place, he must consider how
many he will want for sauce, how many for baking and
drying, how many for cider, and how many for the dessert,
and what proportion of sweet and of acid. These are all
considerations that depend upon the habits, taste, and
mode of living of families, and for which no man can
provide, or suggest, but the planter himself. Then, again,
he must consider to what extent it may be advantageous
to feed apples to his stock, and provide for it accordingly.
Without considering well all these points, a man may
sit down and select what are called “the best varie-
ties,” and yet find himself badly suited when they come
to bear; for so it happens that a variety that may be
best for the dessert will be exceedingly unprofitable for
other purposes. A hardy, vigorous, and productive variety
of medium quality, quite unfit for the table, may be infi-
nitely more advantageous for feeding stock, than a feeble
growing, shy bearing variety, quite indispensable for the
lessert; and an apple may be excellent for sauce, for bak-
THE ORCHARD. 165
ing, or drying, and unfit for the dessert; these points
should all be duly considered.
The Market or Commercial Orchardist must exercise
the same discrimination in the selection of his varieties,
adapting them to the mode of culture he intends to pur-
sue and the market he intends to supply. In the imme-
diate vicinity of large cities and towns, where the or-
chardist may carry his fruit to market in a few hours,
the most profitable culture will, generally speaking, be
summer and early autumn fruits, or such as require to be
consumed immediately after maturity, and are unfit for
distant transportation. arly apples and pears only will
be profitable for him, because the autumn and winter va-
rieties can be sent so easily from the most distant portions
of the interior with such facilities as our present system
of railroads, plank roads, canals, and steamboats afford.
In addition to early apples and pears, his position gives
him great advantages for the profitable culture of all the
stone fruits, gooseberries, currants, raspberries, grapes,
and such soft fruits, when intended to be disposed of in a
raw state.
~The Market grower of the interior will find his most
profitable culture to be principally, autwmn and winter
apples and pears, to which he may add qguinces; because
all these can be packed and transported toa great dis-
tance with safety, and the comparative cheapness of his
lands enables him to compete advantageously with those
more favorably situated in regard to market. Ile can
only cultivate the summer fruits with a view to drying
or preserving, or for the supply of a local demand. All
orchard fruits, intended for profitable orchard culture,
should be jirst, in regard to the trees, hardy, vigorous,
and productive. The fruits should be of good size, fair
appearance, good keepers, and of good quality. It should
166 PERMANENT PLANTATIONS.
be borne in mind that many of the very best fruits are
very unprofitable for general market culture. Under cer-
tain circumstances this may not be the case, as for exam-
ple, in the neighborhood of such a city as London, or
‘aris, or even Vew York or Boston.
x \
Sgp~-—-—-—-=-- ep
ria "
:
’
7s
en ee
4
fan
oe ee ee ee
aa
ea
oe
Pa
4 10 20 20 40 30 100 FT.
ee ee
Fig. $3, square planting. Fig. 94, quincunx planting.
in the next. In this way, although the trees are at equal
distances, there is a larger clear area around each tree.
In fig. 94, the square form, every tree stands in the corner
of a square in the centre of, and equally distant frow
four others. In the quincunx, every tree stands in the
angle of a triangle of equal sides, and in the centre of,
and equally distant from s¢# others. Thus, in the latter,
THE ORCHARD. 169
there is a greater space left for the admission of light and
air, and trees so planted may be at less distances than in
the other. The operation of planting is more compli-
eated than that of the square, the rows not being the
same distance apart as the trees are in the row. The
first thing to be done is to find the two measures. Sup-
pose, for instance, we propose to plant a plot of ground
one hundred feet square, and to have the trees twenty-
five feet apart every way, we make a triangle of wood,
A, B,D, each side of which is twenty-five feet; we then
measure the distance from the angle & to the centre of
the opposite side at C, and this gives us the distance be-
tween the rows, which will be about twenty-one feet.
This will be called the smal/ measure; and with this we
measure off on two sides the distances for the rows, and
put down a stake at each. We then commence on the
first row, and with the long (twenty-five feet) measure
mark off the places for the trees, and put down a stake to
each. The measurements must be made with exactness,
in order to have the plantation present a regular appear-
ance, as in fig. 94.
8th. Selection of Trees for the Market or Commercial
Orchard—The remarks made in reference to the selec-
tion of standard trees for the family orchard, may be
applied with equal propriety to these; but the orchardist
must be supposed to have invested a considerable amount
of capital, and probably devotes his entire attention to
his trees, and depends upon them for his support. It is,
therefore, a great object with him to have early returns
in the form of products. An orchard of standard apples
will not produce any considerable quantity of fruit before
the eighth or tenth year, nor pears before the twelfth or
fifteenth year. In the mean time, it is highly desirable
to occupy the ground amongst the trees in some way that
will at least bear the expenses of cultivation. If this
8
170 PERMANENT PLANTATIONS.
can be done, it is as much as can be expected in the -
usual practice of cultivating root crops. The most pro-
fitable manner of turning to account the spaces between
the standard trees for the first ten or twelve years at
least, is to plant them with dwarf and pyramidal trees, or
dwarf standards, that will commence bearing the third or
fourth year after planting. This is the course pursued by
the orchardists of France and Belgium, where land is
valuable, and the cultivators are compelled to turn every
inch of it to the best account. Attention has been
slightly called to’ this mode of management in this
country, and a few persons have already carried it into
practice. As soon as it comes to be considered, it cannot
fail to recommend itself to those who are embarking
extensively in the orchard culture of fruits for the
market, on high-priced lands. It is only surprising that
it should have been so long overlooked by shrewd and
enterprising orchardists. An acre of land, for example,
planted with standard apple trees, at thirty feet apart,
contains forty-five to fifty; and if we fill wp the spaces
with dwarfs on paradise, at six feet apart, leaving ten
feet clear around each standard, we get in about five
hundred dwarf trees. These will bear the third year,
and during the next five years the average value of their
products will be at least twenty to fifty cents each. We
would plant them in such a way that the plough and
cultivator could be used among them, two dwarfs be-
tween each standard, and two full rows between each
row of standards, as in fig. 95.
In very rich and deep soil, when it may be necessary
to give the standards thirty-five or forty feet, there may
be two pyramidal, or low standards, on the Doucain
stock between two standards, and one row of pyramids
and two rows of dwarfs between two rows of standards
THE ORCHARD. 17t
In seven or eight years the dwarfs might be taken out,
and the pyramids remain till the twelfth year.
Orchards of standard pears may, in the same manner,
be filled up with dwarf and pyramidal trees on the quince.
Standard pears do not require so much space as apples,
their branches generally are more erect. In this country
i
oe
=
ae
a
drag a earing state.
and second, already described, until the tree has attained
220 PRUNING.
its full size. Fig. 109 represents a dwarf apple tree, four
years old, three times pruned—the two last prunings are
indicated by the letters a and 0.
Management of the Bearing Tree-—In most cases the
apple on the paradise is disposed to excessive fruitfulness,
and unless the fruit branches be occasionally thinned and
shortened, in order to reduce the number of bearing
buds, and to produce new wood, the trees become enfee-
bled. Bad management of this kind has promulgated
the belief that the apple on the paradise is exceed-
ingly short-lived ; but the fact that plantations exists in the
most perfect vigor at the end of twelve to fifteen years
after planting, shows that by proper treatment their exist-
ence is not so fleeting. The spurs must be managed in a
manner similar to that described in treating of pyramids,
to renew them, and the slender fruit branches must be short-
ened. This, in addition to the manuring to be hereafter
described, constitutes the substance of their management.
The Pruning and Management of the Apple and Pear
as espaliers.—In the cool, moist climate of England, this
is a popular and advantageous method of training apples
and pears. The specimens of this kind in public and
private gardens there, are admirable in their way, and
illustrate the skill and handiwork of the English gardener
very favorably. But our climate is not suitable as a gen-
eral thing for espaliers; the branches are so exposed’ to
the rays of our powerful sun, that the sap is impeded in
its circulation, and the fruits fall. It is, therefore, un-
necessary to enter into any detail respecting this mode of
training; but there may be situations where such a sys-
tem may succeed, and especially in the north. The best
espalier form for the apple and pear, is that of the hor
zontal, that is, an upright central stem, with horizontal
arms or branches at equal distances on both sides (fig.
110). The production of this tree depends in the main
THE APPLE AND THE PEAR. 921
on the same principles as the pyramid, and does not re-
quire illustration. The young tree is cut back to within
six inches of the ground. From the shoots produced be-
Fie. 110.
Pear tree trained horizontally.
low that point, three are selected, the upper one to form
the upright leader or stem, and two lateral or side
ones to form the two first arms. The first season these
shoots are allowed to grow upright and are kept in equal
vigor. At the commencement of the second season, they
are all cut back far enough, say one third to one half their
length, or even more in some cases, to ensure the growth
of all the buds. |
The upper shoot on each is selected for a leader, and
the others are pinched at two inches or less. After the
pruning, the arms are brought down half way to a hori-
zontal position, and towards the latter end of the season,
wholly. An uniformity of growth among all the parts is
maintained according to the means and principles already
laid down, and year after year the tree is thus treated
until the requisite height and number of horizontal arms
or branches be obtained. In the case of very vigorous
growing sorts the leader may be stopped in June, and
thus a second pair of arms be produced in one year. The
upright leader and the branches are treated in a similar
manner—a difference in vigor always requiring a corres-
ponding difference in treatment. For espaliers, the apple
should be on the paradise or Doucain, and the pear on
299, PRUNING.
the quince, because these stocks all diminish the vigor of
wood growth, which is often the chief difficulty in man-
aging trained trees.
The aspect for these trees should never be due south.
A railing to train such trees on, is made of upright posts
sunk in the ground, and connected with cross bars, at
eight to twelve inches apart, upon which the arms of the
espalier are fastened with willow or bass matting. Mr.
Rivers, in his “ Miniature Fruit Garden,” exhibits a sys-
tem of growing pears in espalier, in the form of pyramids,
as adopted by himself. I saw these trees when in Eng-
land, in 1849, and although it appeared a very ingenious
and economical arrangement, admitting a great number
of varieties in a small space, and besides very well
adapted to an English climate, yet it did not appear to offer
any advantages that would warrant its recommendation
in this country, unless under rare circumstances in the
most northern sections. Whoever will study attentively
the means described for conducting a pyramid, can suc-
ceed fully in training the espaliers or wall pyramid.
Section 2.—Prunine AND TRAINING THE QUINCE.
As ordinarily grown, the quince is the most neglected,
and consequently, the most unsightly, deformed tree to be
found in the orchard or garden, and yet, when well treated,
it is really, both when in blossom and in fruit, one of the
most beautiful of all our fruit trees. Its fruit is more
esteemed, and more generally used in this than in any
other country. It is naturally a crooked or spreading
bush, and without some attention to pruning and training
when young, it assumes an irregular form, branching near
the ground, and quite destitute of bearing wood on all its
lower and interior parts. It is in this neglected form we
most generally find it. To make a regular and handsome
THE QUINCE. 923
little tree, we have only, in the first place, to rear a
straight and stout trunk about two or three feet high.
If the plants be weak or crooked when planted, they
should be cut low down to obtain a stout and straight
stem. The young shoot should be kept tied up to a stake
to prevent it from straggling.
The second year, if the growth has been vigorous, and
low trees are desired, the head may be commenced. But
if,a stem three or four feet high be desired, it should be
at least one inch in diameter, and another year’s growth
may be necessary.
- The head is formed in the same manner as described for
standard and dwarf apples and pears. It should be
* round, symmetrical, and open, and well furnished on all
parts with bearing wood.
The bearing branches or spurs of the quince are small
twiggy shoots (B, fig.
111), produced on wood
at least two years old. ff
These bear two, three, {
or more fruit buds.
These produce shoots
two or three inches
long (C, fig. 111), on
the point of which the
fruit is borne singly.
These spurs have al-
ways wood buds as well
as fruit buds, and there-
fore they should be Be kiy
shortened back as to a
A, fig. 111, the spring Fig. 11.
after they have home, ,2futbrnshot ine ance 0 ie soc Pre
in order to produce new should be cut back after bearing.
spurs at the same point.
Q24 PRUNING.
The French conduct it in beautiful pyramids, on pre-
cisely the same principle as the pear and apple; but the
leading shoot must be kept fastened to an upright sup-
port—a small rod attached to the base—on account of its
reclining habit. The medlar is but little cultivated. Its
treatment may be exactly similar to that described for the
quince, its habits of growth and bearing being similaz.
Section 3.—PruniInG THE CHERRY. -
The cherry is conducted in any desirable form witk as
much facility as any of all our hardy fruit trees. The
heart and bigarreau classes are very rapid growers, often
attaining the height of six feet the first season from the
bud or graft, and in two years forming fine standard trees
six to seven feet high, with a few top shoots. They have
also large, drooping leaves,and, with few exceptions, stiff,
erect, or slightly curved branches.
The duke class does not grow so rapidly. The branches
are stiff and erect, the leaves smaller as a general thing
than the preceding classes, more erect, thicker, and of a
deeper, darker green color.
The morellos are of a bushy habit, with smaller leaves
than any of the preceding classes, and the branches are
more slender and closer together. The bark of all is very
tough, being composed of several layers of powerful
fibres and tissue. It does not yield readily, like that of
most other fruit trees, to the expansion or growth of the
wood, and this occasions the bursting and exuding of gum
in certain localities, especially in the more rapid growing
classes. The mode of bearing has already been deseribed
under the head of fruit branches, in the beginning of the
work. The fruit is produced on wood three years old
thus: The shoot of last year’s growth, which is furnished
now with leaf buds in all its length, will produce at the
THE CHERRY. 225
point, if not shortened, one or more shoots, and all the
buds remaining are, during the season, transformed into
clusters of fruit buds, and produce fruit the year follow-
ing. In the centre of these clusters of fruit buds there is
always a wood bud, and this grows a little and produces
new clusters of fruit buds to replace those that have
borne. Some of the morellos produce fruit on two-year-
old wood, like the peach, the leaf buds being transformed
into fruit buds. During the second growth of the first
season of their formation, the fruit bud is very easily
distinguished from the leaf bud by its roundness and
plumpness.
Pruning the Cherry as a Standard —In Western New
York the cherry succeeds so well, and is so totally exempt
from the bursting of the bark, that trees can be grown
safely with trunks five or six feet high; but in the West,
when this malady prevails, the less there be of a naked
trunk the better; for it is the trunk and large branches
that are generally so affected. As a standard, the cherry
requires very little pruning. |
To form around open head—We wil take for exam-
ple a young tree two years old, having three or four top
branches. These at the time of planting should be cut
back to within four or five buds of their base, and when
growth has commenced, the requisite number of shoots,
say four or five, to form the framework of the head are
selected, evenly distributed on all sides, and all the others
pinched or rubbed off.
The following season these shoots may again be short-
ened to produce secondary branches to fill up spaces, and
those arising in the centre should be pinched out, for the
head must be kept open and accessible to the sun and
light. In about three years of such treatment, the head
of the tree assumes a permanent form, and thereafter, may
be left to itself, except to remove occasionally branches
4°"
226 PRUNING.
that may cross or interfere with one another. Our stand-
ard trees here are in the best possible condition, and have
not had a knife on them, except to cut scions for budding
or grafting, in seven years.
Pyramidal Headed Standards.—Certain varieties, for
instance, Sparhawk’s Honey, Downer’s, China Bigarreau,
Black Tartarian, Black Heart, and some others, make |
fine pyramidal shaped heads without pruning, more than
to give the leader its due superiority at the beginning, and
to remove afterwards crossing and superfiuous branches.
Such varieties as the Yellow Spanish, Black Eagle,
Knight’s Ey. Black, Elton, and all the spreading sorts,
should have round open heads built upon three or four
main branches as described.
Pruning the Cherry as a Pyramid.—tThe same process
recommended for the pyramidal training of the pear and
apple, may be applied with complete success to the cherry.
We have now in our specimen grounds a collection of all
the classes trained, according to the method described,
and their condition is in every respect satisfactory ; they
have all given fruit the third year.
In most cases the trees were taken from the nursery
rows at the end of their first season’s growth from the bud.
Some had no side branches, and others had. It is very
common for cherries and especially the Dukes and Morel-
los to form a number of lateral branches the first season.
Growth becomes slightly suspended, or at least goes on
very slowly in July; during this time the buds on the
lower part acquire a sort of maturity, and when a new
growth commences they push and form shoots. Cherry
trees of this kind are in a good condition for pyramids.
We select from these the strongest and best situated to
form the lower tier of permanent branches ; the lower ones
are shortened to four or five buds, and the upper ones to
two or three. The leader or stem is cut back to within
THE CHERRY. 927
six, eight, or ten buds of the branches. Those having no
branches are cut back to within six or eight buds of the
stock. And this is the first pruning.
Treatment during the first Summer after Pruning. —
When the young shoots have grown a couple of inches in
length, such as are intended for permanent branches are
chosen, and the others are pinched in the same manner as
recommended for pears and apples. Such as acquire
more vigor than is consistent with their position, must be
checked. It frequently happens that unless the leader
has been cut back close, only three or four shoots will be
produced at the extremity, leaving a vacant space below.
This can be remedied in most cases by pinching the shoots
around the leader when they have grown about an inch.
In some cases it may be necessary even to check the
leader to force the lower buds into growth. This is a point
of considerable importance in conducting a pyramid, and
should never be lost sight of.
The Cherry as an Espalier—Except it be the training
of the morello, or some other late varieties, on a north
wall to prolong their season of maturity, the cherry is sel-
dom grown as an espalier tree in this country, nor is it to
be recommended except in some rare instances. The
simplest and probably the best form is that suggested for
pears and apples, an upright stem with horizontal branches.
To produce this the same means are employed as have
been previously described. If the tree has no side
branches proper for the first arms, it must be cut back to
within six inches of the ground, and from the shoots pro-
duced below that, one is selected for the leader, and one
on each side for the first horizontal branches; the other
shoots are pinched off. At the next pruning, the Jeader
is again shortened to produce another pair of side branches
eight or ten inches from the first ; the leader is continued
in an upright direction, and the side branches are brought
228 PRUNING.
half way down in midsummer, and at the following spring
pruning they are placed in the horizontal position. The
leading shoot of rapid growing sorts may be stopped about
the end of June, and this will produce side shoots from
which another pair of arms may be taken, and thus gain
a year in the formation of the tree, or covering the wall
or trellis.
For weak growing sorts, the fan form or some modi-
fication of it would, perhaps, be more suitable than the
horizontal, as it offers less restraint to the circulation of
the sap in the branches.
The Cherry asa Dwarf or Bush—The slow growing
sorts, such as the dukes and morellos, when worked on the
mahaleb stock, make very pretty and very easily man-
aged prolific bushes, and by occasional root pruning they
may be confined to as small a space as a dwarf apple
tree. To produce this form, the young tree is cut back
to within five or six buds of its base; and from the shoots
produced below that, four or five evenly distributed
around the tree are selected for the permanent branches
or frame-work of the tree. The others are rubbed off.
At the next pruning the branches thus produced are
shortened to produce secondary branches; and thus it is
treated from year to year until the tree is formed and full
grown.
The branches must be kept far enough apart to admit
the sun and air freely amongst them. When the tree is
five or six years old, if it grows too vigorously, requiring
more space than can be given it, the larger roots may be
shortened in July or August, or in the winter. This and
the pyramid, and the dwarf standard, with stems two feet
high, are the most eligible garden forms for the cherry.*
* Mr. Rivers states in his “ Miniature Fruit Garden,’ that he has a
plant of the late duke cherry ten years old, that never was root-pruned, and
yet is a smal] prolific tree, five feet in height, and the branches the same in
THE PEACH. 929
The dwarf standard is treated precisely as the dwarf,
and differs from it only in having two feet instead of six
or eight inches of stem. In pruning and training the
cherry, it should always be borne in mind that when
large branches are removed, it is lable to suffer from the
gum, and, therefore, the regulation of the shoots should
be carefully attended to in summer, that amputations of
woody parts may be avoided as far as possible. When it
is necessary, however, the cut surface heals more rapidly
and surely when made in the summer, during the growing
season.
Section 4.—Prouninc AND MANAGEMENT OF THE PEACH.
The peach is universally regarded as the most delicious
fruit of our climate, and ranks in importance for orchard
culture next to the apple and the pear. Nowhere in the
world is it produced in such quantities, and with so little
labor, as in America. An English or -French gardener
will expend more labor on a single tree, than the majority
of our orchardists do upon one hundred. Our favorable
climate obviates a multitude of difficulties that have to
be contended with in other countries, and renders unneces-
sary the minute and laborious systems of management
which they find it absolutely necessary to pursue.
But this very excellence of our climate has given rise
to a most negligent and defective system of cultivation,
as is everywhere illustrated in the condition of orchards.
The peach, of all other trees, is one that, from its mode
of growth and bearing, requires constant pruning to
maintain it in a shapely, thrifty, and productive state.
The sap tends powerfully to the extremities of the shoots,
diameter. We have in our specimen grounds trees of several dukes and
morellos, six years old, on mahaleb stocks, not over four or five feet high,
and pictures of fruitfulness.
230 PRUNING.
more so than in any other fruit tree. The buds that do
not push and form shoots the first season after their for-
mation, are lost; they cannot, as in most other trees, be
excited into growth; and hence it is that the lower parts
become so rapidly denuded of young wood, and that
trees left to themselves for six or seven years are in a
measure worn out and worthless.
The fruit is borne only on wood of the preceding year
(see fruit branches), and every part destitute of such
wood must be worthless; consequently one of the great
objects of pruning is to keep all parts of the tree fur-
nished with a regular and constant succession of annual
bearing shoots.
This fact must never be lost sight of.
The case of a single shoot will illustrate the influence
of pruning and its necessity. By referring to the fruit
branch, it will be seen that it is furnished with a certain
number of wood buds and fruit buds. At the base there
are always one or two wood buds at least.
Now, if that shoot were not pruned, all the fruit buds
on it would probably produce fruit—one, two, or three
of the wood buds at the top would make new shoots ;
these would necessarily be very weak in consequence of
the number of fruit below them. At the end of the
season there would be a long, vacant space, entirely des-
titute of a young shoot or a living bud. This is the way
that the interior and lower parts of trees become so soon
degarnished.
But when that shoot is shortened, we will say one half,
the sap is retained in its lower parts, one half of the
fruit buds are removed, and the consequence is that large
and fine fruits are obtained from those remaining ; young
vigorous shoots are produced from the lower buds to bear
next year, and take the place of those which have
already borne. In this way regular uniform crops of
THE PEACH. 231
large and fine fruit are obtained, and a constant succession
of young shoots is kept up.
To form the head of a standard Poaed Tree—We
will suppose it the intention to form a standard tree, with
a trunk two feet in height, and a round, open, and sym-
metrical head like fig. 112. We take a yearling tree and
cut it back to within two feet and a half of the ground in
the spring. Below this cut a certain number of shoots
will be produced, from which
three will be selected to form the
main branches or frame-work of
the head. All the others are rub-
bed off when two or three inches
long or sooner. At the end of the
season we have a tree with three
branches. Fie 112.
The second year these three Form of a low standard peacn
branches are cut back full one ty Vina open ti eg
half their length, and from each
we take a shoot to continue the branch, and one to form
a secondary branch. The other shoots produced below
these are pinched or checked to prevent them from inter-
fering with the growth of the leading branches. In the
fall of the year we have a tree with six leading branches,
and some bearing shoots below on the older wood.
The third year each of these six branches is short
ened one half, in order to obtain more secondary branches,
and some fruit branches on the lower parts. All young
shoots on the old wood, whether fruit branches or not,
should be cut back one half, or as far as may be necessary,
to cause the wood buds at their base to push, and make
shoots to bear next year.
The formation of the head goes on as described for two
or three years more, when it is complete; for peach trees,
232 PRUNING.
properly pruned, do not assume such wide-spreading
forms as they do naturally.
The main branches and secondary branches should be
at equal distances throughout, and far enough apart to
give the bearing wood on their sides the full benefit of
the sun and air.
An equality of vigor should also be preserved amongst
them by summer pinching. It is not uncommon to see a
very vigorous shoot start up in a peach tree, and appro-
priate so much of the sap as to injure a whole branch ;
these should be checked the moment their character is
observed, unless they may be wanted to fill a vacancy.
Every part of the branches should be furnished with
bearing shoots, and these should, every spring, be short-
ened in one half or more, to produce others at their base,
whilst those that have borne are cut out.
Some people imagine that when they have taken a pair
of hedge shears, or some such instrument, and shorn off
the ends of the shoots on the outside of the tree indis-
criminately, they are “shortening in,” and so they are,
as they would a hedge! Some of the shoots are cut
away entirely, fruit buds and all, whilst ‘others remain
untouched, and the tree becomes like a brush on the out-
side and naked within. This is almost as bad as the let-
alone system. Every shoot should be cut separately.
The most expeditious instrument for doing this, is a pair
of light hand-pruning shears, such as the French secateur
(see instruments). A person accustomed to its use can
prune every shoot on a full-grown tree in an almost in-
credibly short space of time, as compared with that re-
quired with the knife. Extensive orchardists may be
deterred from such a labor, looking to the cost; but if
they will engage quick, active, intelligent persons to do
the work, and estimate the increased value of the fruit,
THE PEACH. 233
and longevity and beauty of their trees, there can be no
doubt but it will be found a paying investment.
Loot Pruning.—In gardens where the soil is rich, and
trees very full of vigor, disposed to grow too much and
bear too little, root pruning should be practised once in
two or three years—the first lightly, removing only the
ends of the large feeding roots. The safest time to do it
is between the fall of the leaf and the opening of spring.
Vegetation in the peach seldom becomes sufficiently
inactive during the growing season, to enable the roots to
be pruned with safety.
The Peach im the form of a vase-—Among all the
forms in which trees are conducted, this is, when well
done, one of the most graceful.
It consists of a short stem two to five feet, according to
fancy, with a head composed of three or four main
branches, and two or three times that number of second-
ary branches, all trained by means of light stakes at first,
and afterwards wire or wooden hoops in the form of a
vase or goblet. The branches are arranged in a circle,
with bearing shoots filling up the spaces. No shoots are
permitted either in the interior or in front that is project-
ing from the exterior surface of the goblet.
The most beautiful trees of this form are to be seen in
the gardens of the Luxembourg, at Paris, and elsewhere
in France.
Mr. Louis Gaudry, who has a very pretty little plan-
tation in Paris, and who has published a small work on
pruning and training trees, gives the annexed cut as a
representation of one of his vase peach trees of eight
years’ growth (fig. 113). The following is the substance
of his mode of conducting them.
First Pruning—tvhe stem of the yearling tree is cut
back to the point at which it is desired to commence the
head to three buds, forming a triangle and as nearly as
934 PRUNING.
possible of the same height. Three shoots are obtained
from these three buds to form the first or main branches
Fie. 118.
Peach tree 1n the form of a vase, with four main branches, each having several
secondary branches. The stem in the figure is five feet, but should not exceed two.
.
THE PEACH. 935
or frame-work of the vase. To favor the growth of these,
all the shoots produced below them are rubbed off.
In order to give them the proper inclination, three
small stakes are inserted in the ground, to which the
three branches are fastened; it is supposed that if these
stakes be sunk as far from the base of the tree as the roots
extend, and in an upright position, there will be a
sufficient opening or space in the centre. The branches
should be thus brought out about August, so that the for-
mation of new layers of wood subsequent to that time
may fix them in their places. The side shoots, which are
produced on the young branches, towards the latter part
of the season, designated by the French bowrgeons anticipés,
are pinched to one or two leaves.
2d. Pruning.—tThe spring following, the branches are
loosed from the stakes, and shortened to six or eight
inches of their base, to a leaf bud on the outside or front
of the branch, and with a bud below it, either on the right
or left side. The front bud continues the main branch,
and the side bud forms a secondary branch. The three
branches are pruned in this way, taking care that the
secondary branch on each is on the same side, so that two
of them cannot come in contact. To favor the growth of
these new shoots, all those situated below them that acquire
too much vigor, must be pinched at three or four leaves.
A wooden hoop may now be placed in the centre, to
which the branches are attached to keep them in their
places. In this way the tree progresses; every year one or
more secondary branches are produced, the main branches
increase in length, and fruit shoots are produced on all
the intervals of the branches, on their two sides.
All shoots that push either inside or in front of the vase
aye pinched off, and pinching is practised at all times to
maintain equal growth between the different parts, and to
check any too great tendency of the sap to the extremities.
236 PRUNING.
Thard pruning.—The fruit branches are pruned to three
or four buds, to induce the lower wood buds to push and
form new wood for the next season.
The main branches are cut back to ten or twelve inches
above the previous pruning, to a bud on the front to con-
tinue the branch; the buds selected to produce another
series of secondary branches, must all be on the side oppo-
site the previous ones. If the position of the buds renders
this impossible, then they may all be chosen on the same
side as the first.
The hoops this year will require to be larger in dia-
meter than the preceding, in order to give increased width
to the vase as it proceeds upwards. All the other opera-
tions are conducted in the same manner. The hoops in-
side are placed within six to eight inches of one another,
and the circular branches within twelve to fifteen inches.
As the tree advances in age, the growth may become too
vigorous at the top; and in this case, the main branches,
always the most vigorous, must be pruned short, and even
pinched during summer, to turn the sap to the benefit of
the weaker parts. .
These are the main points in the management of these
vases. It may be added, that the apple, pear, cherry,
and indeed all other trees may be grown in this form, and
by the same means, varying it only to suit different modes
of growth and bearing, and degrees of vigor.
The Peach as an Espalier—Espalier training will never
be practised in this country to any very great extent, and
therefore it may be considered, in comparison with open
ground systems, unimportant. Yet there are some dis-
tricts not so favorabiy situated as to be able to produce
peaches, apricots, and nectarines, in the open ground.
For these a proper system of espalier training is impor-
tant, because in this form trees are easily protected from
THE PEACH. _ 937
winter or spring frosts, and they ripen their fruits per-
fectly, where open ground or standard trees would not.
The Peach as an Expalier trained on a wall or trellis —
There are a multitude of forms for espalier trees where
training on walls or trellises is necessarily and extensively
practised, as in England and France. The great requi-
sites in a wall tree are, jirst, to have all the wall covered;
and, second, to have the different parts of the tree alike
favorably placed, with reference to its growth. Next to
these are simplicity and naturalness.
The most popular form in England is that called the
Fig. 114.
Fan-shaped Espalier.
Jan (fig. 114). In it the branches are spread out so as to
resemble a fan; the lower ones are nearly or quite hori-
zontal; the next- more oblique; and so they proceed
until the centre ones are quite upright, and this appears
to be the defect of this form; for the horizontal branches
cannot maintain such a vigor as those more erect above
them. The square espalier, invented by M. Fretrx Mato,
of France, and now extensively practised by some of the
best peach growers of the celebrated town of Montreuil,
seems to possess more advantages, all in all, than any
other. The “ Bon Jardinier,” from which the following
description of the method of conducting these trees is
238 PRUNING.
taken, says: “This generally approved form begins to
find imitators, and it is probable that one day it will be
adopted by all intelligent gardeners.”
Lrst year.—We will begin with a peach tree one year
from the bud, and cut it down to within six or eight
inches, or three or four buds of the stock. From the buds
produced below the cut, two of the strongest are chosen,
one on each side, to form the two main branches—branches
mere; all the other shoots are destroyed, and these two
are allowed to grow upright, and in the fall they will be
three to four feet high.
Second year (fig. 115).—In the spring, when hard frosts
are no longer apprehend- a f
ed, the branches are ex- ‘ FS
amined to see if they be ;
sound and healthy, free
from bruises, insects, ete., Fig. 116. Fig. 116.
end they are tat tae oo Second year. Third year.
twelve or fifteen inches of their base, according to their
strength; a weak branch ought always to be cut back in
such a case as this further than a strong one.
The bud cut to, should, if possible, be on the cnszde,
and the next bud below it on the outsede, the first to
continue the main branch, and the other to form the first
exterior secondary branch. All shoots starting on the
front or rear of the main branch should be rubbed off,
and those on the sides laid in early to prevent their
acquiring too much vigor. The main branches are left
till July, when they are brought down to the form of a V,
and attached to the wall or trellis in this position. The
exterior secondary branch is placed more oblique, and the
fruit branches are kept in a uniform and moderate growth
by pinching and laying in. The most vigorous should
always be laid in first to check them, and favor the others.
Third year (fig. 116).—After loosening the tree from
THE PEACH. 239
the trellis, the two main branches are cut back to
sixteen or eighteen inches of the previous pruning, and
the two lower or secondary branches to twelve or sixteen
inches.
The fruit branches are shortened to within two or three
buds of their base, and all are again fastened back in their
places. When the young shoots have reached the length
of three, four, or five inches, such as are badly placed
on the front or rear of the branches, or in any place inju-
rious to the symmetry of the tree, are removed. During
the summer the different branches must be laid in from
time to time, the most vigorous first. This year two more
secondary branches must be obtained on each side, in the
same manner as in the previous year. Their growth is
also promoted by the same means.
The fruit branches on the sides of the main branches
may give a few fruit this year, and those on the second-
ary branches may bear next year.
The fruit branches that have borne are to be cut away
each year and replaced by others, therefore we must com-
mence to provide for these branches of replacement.
They are produced as follows :
First, it may be observed that fruit branches have gen-
erally one or more wood buds at their base. Sometimes
these will push and form branches of replacement with-
out any assistance, more than cutting back. In sucha
case there is no difficulty. When the fruit is ripe, or at
the next pruning, the fruit branch that has borne is cut
away, and the new one takes its place. But nature does
not always act thus. It is generally necessary to force
the development of these branches of replacement, withou
which the branches in all their lower parts would becom:
entirely denuded.
Hence, then, when a branch of replacement fails tu
appear by the ordinary method of shortening, we have
/
9AD ~ PRUNING.
two modes of forcing it: one is to make, after the fruit is
set, an incision through the bark two inches above one of
the wood buds, and pinch close all the shoots on the fruit
branch, leaving only rosettes of leaves necessary to the
perfection of the fruit; pinching must be repeated all
thetime that the shoots on the fruit branch continue to
grow.
Fourth Year (fig. 117).—After having examined if the
tree is equally vigorous in all its parts, and having de-
cided upon the means of restoring the balance if it has
been lost, the tree is detached from the wall or trellis, and
pruned, commencing with the fruit branches that have
borne. These, it must be remembered, are to be cut back
each year to the new branch of replacement produced at
its base. The young shoot then becomes the fruit branch,
and is pruned within four to fourteen inches, according to
their vigor and the situation of the fruit buds.
The two main branches are cut back to within about
twenty inches of the previous pruning; the first shoot on
the inside is
chosen to conti-
nue the branch,
and the next
! one below it
Fig. 117, Fig. 118. on the lower
Fourth year. Fifth year. and outer sid @,
to produce the third exterior secondary branch. The two
secondary branches already formed are cut back to about
twelve to fifteen inches of the previous pruning, in order
to make all the lateral buds on them push. The terminal
bud produces a leader to continue them; all the others are
fruit branches.
In attaching the tree again to the wall, the angle that
exists between the two main branches is gradually
widened, the branches a litt!e more spread at every pruning.
THE PEACH. 941
Fifth year (fig. 118)—The tree is now composed of
two main branches, both of which have three secondary
branches on their exterior lower sides, and fruit branches
on all their length on the interior and upper side; and all
that is wanted to complete it, is to transform three of the
bearing shoots on the upper sides into three secondary
branches, corresponding and alternating with the three
lower ones. To do this; we select the fruit branch on
each, nearest the fork or base of the main branches. The
growth of this is favored by training it in an upright posi-
tion, and by pinching any vigorous shoots near it. The
tree is managed thus, as in preceding years, in regard to
laying in the shoots according to their vigor, and pinching
to maintain regularity, &c.
The sixth year (fig. 119)—The pruning is conducted
on the same principles precisely, and another interior
secondary branch is produced in the same way as last
year.
The seventh year (fig. 120)—Another is produced on
X a a
& a Me ges
aN ae 7. : ~~ \ \ J : Ss :
ISK x yf JF Fen { / 2s ZL). + =
¢ . Ny r fr a a | \ =o %
ee (Zor me f Late
P PASS ‘ Lj —s s a q ae
SS RAY \ se mati Z Go. = SS/= fobs
rts 2
Fria. 119. Fie. 129.
Sixth year. Seventh year.
each, and then the tree
with its two main ae ht / Lb Loe
branches, and _ twelve mae ia 3
secondary branches, all =~ SOP jest
trained in the form of ’
a parallelogram is com- Fic. 121
plete (fig. 121). Eighth year.
11
242 PRUNING.
Fig. 122 represents the tree complete, bearing shoots
and all.
The main
branches should
be permanently
. fixed at an an-
gle of 45°. The
lowest exte-
rior secondary
branches at 15°.
Some cultiva-
tors recommend
that the inte-
rior secondary
branches con
verge to the cen-
tre at an angle
of 45°.- Tim
gives them an
oblique direc:
tion, and places
them upon a
more equal foot-
ing with the
other parts.
In _ training
such trees, an
imaginary cir-
cular line is
produced on the
wall or trellis,
and this is di-
vided off into
parts, corresponding to the degrees of a circle, commenc-
ing at the centre above, and numbering both ways to the
ey {l
Le
.
=
x.
320 SELECT. VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
6. Chinese-—Usually cultivated for ornament. Quite
different in appearance from the others. The leaves are
glossy, sharply and beautifully toothed ; the fruit is large,
oblong, bright yellow, and keeps till spring; little used.
The flowers are large and showy, with the fragrance of
the violet; worked on the other sorts; rather tender,
requiring a sheltered situation. A very tardy bearer.
7. Japan.—this is very distinct from all the others 5
very bushy, thorny, and hardy. There are two varieties.
The common one has beautiful bright red blossoms, and
the other blush; the most beautiful of all our hardy
spring flowering shrubs. Fruit about as large as a
chicken’s egg ; green, and quite unfit for use.
SECOND DIVISION.—STONE FRUITS—APRICOTS, CHERRIES,
PEACHES, NECTARINES AND PLUMS.
*
Srotion 4.----SrLEect APRICOTS.
1. Breda—Small, round, dull orange, marked with red
in the sun, flesh orange colored, juicy, rich and vinous;
parts from the stone, kernel sweet, tree hardy, robust and
prolifie—End of July and beginning of August.
9. Karly Golden (Dubois).—Small, pale orange, flesh
orange, juicy and sweet; kernel sweet; tree very hardy
and productive. The original tree at Fishkill is said to”
_ have yielded $90 worth of fruit in one season.—Beginning
of July.
3. Large Early.—tLarge, orange, with a red cheek, flesh
sweet, rich and excellent, parts from the stone; tree vigo-
rous and productive.—Beginning of August.
4. Moorpark.—One of the largest and finest apricots,
yellow, with a red cheek, flesh orange, sweet, juicy and
rich, parts from the stone; growth rather slow, but stout
and short jointed ; very productive.
CHERRIES. 321
5. Orange.—Medium size, orange, with a ruddy cheek,
flesh rather dry, requires ripening in the house; adheres
slightly to the stone—End of July.
6. Peach—A very large, handsome and excellent va-
riety, quite similar to the Moorpark ; the shoots are not so
short jointed, and the fruit a degree larger.
7.—Purple or Black Apricot—tThis is quite distinct in
all respects from others, very much like a plum, small,
pale red, purple in the sun, flesh yellow, juicy and plea-
sant. The tree has slender dark shoots, and small, oval,
glossy foliage. It is as hardy as a plum, and therefore
worthy of attention where the finer sorts are too tender.
—August.
Nos. 1 and 2 are the surest and most abundant bearers,
but 3,4 and 6 are the largest and finest. No. 7 is only
recommended by its hardiness, for localities where the
others do not succeed.
Srction 5.—Srtect CHERRIES.
CLASS I.—HEART CHERRIES.
Fruit heart shaped, with tender sweet flesh. Trees of
rapid growth, with large, soft drooping leaves.
1. American Amber.—Medium size, amber, shaded and
mottled with bright red; tender, juicy, sweet and deli-
cious; hangs very long on the tree without rotting; re-
markably vigorous and productive-—End of June till mid.
dle of July.
2. Bauman’s May.—Small, dark red; tender, juicy
and sweet. Tree a vigorous grower, anda most abundant
bearer. Ripens very early ; middle of June here. French.
3. Black Heart—An excellent old variety ; rather large,
black, tender, juicy and rich. Tree grows large, and is
very prolific.—Beginning of July. French.
14*
822 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
4. Black Hagle—tLarge, black, tender, juicy, rich and
high flavored. Tree a rapid, stout grower and productive.
Ripe beginning of July to the 15th. English.
5. Black Tartarvan.—V ery large, purplish black, half
tender; flavor mild and pleasant. Tree a remarkably
vigorous, erect and beautiful grower, and an Immense
bearer—RKipe last of June and beginning of July. One —
of the most popular varieties in all parts of the country.
Russian. :
6. Burr's Seedling.—Large, pointed; flesh color in the
shade, pale red in the sun; tender, sweet and delicious.
In luxuriant foliage and stateliness of growth it surpasses
even the Black Tartarian— Beginning of July. New;
origin, Perrinton, Monroe county. New York.
7. Coes Transparent.—Medium size, pale amber, red
and mottled next the sun; tender, sweet and fine-—End
of June here. Tree vigorous and erect. Origin, Middle-
town, Conn.
8. Davenport's EHarly—yVery similar in all respects to
Black Heart, but a few days earlier. American.
9. Downer’s Late Red—Rather large, light red, tender
and juicy; slightly bitter until fully ripe, when it is
most delicious. Tree is a vigorous erect grower, and pro-
ductive.—Tenth to twentieth of July. American, and one
of the best of all.
10. Karly White Heart—Medium size, yellowish white,
red in the sun; tender and sweet, growth moderately
vigorous and erect.—Middle and last of June.
11. Karly Purple Guigne.—Small to medium size, pur-
ple, tender, juicy and sweet. Growth slender and spread-
ing.—Ripe at same time as Bauman’s May. French.
12. Hlton—Large, pointed; pale yellow, nearly covered
with light red; half tender, juicy, rich and delicious.
Tree vigorous, spreading and irregular—tLEnd of June.
English.
CHERRIES. 323
13. Knight's Karly Black—Large, black, tender, juicy,
rich and excellent. Tree vigorous and very productive;
branches spreading.—Ripe a few days before Black Tar-
tarian. English.
14. Manning's Mottled —Rather large, amber shaded
and mottled distinctly with red; tender, sweet and deli-
cious. Tree erect, vigorous and productive-—End of June.
Massachusetts.
15. Sweet Montmorency.—Small, light red, tender and
sweet. Tree vigorous, erect and productive-—Ripens
about the same time as Sparhawk’s Honey, or a few days
later. American.
16. White French Guigne (probably the “ Merisier a
gros fruit blanc,” of the French).—A distinct and beauti-
ful cherry, rather large, creamy white, flesh tender and
melting; juice colorless, sweet, with a scarcely percepti-
ble degree of bitterness; not attacked by the birds, like
red and black cherries. Tree is vigorous and very pro-
ductive.—Middle of July. French.
17. Wilkinson.—Medium size, black, tender, juicy and
rich. Tree vigorous, erect and productive.—Ripens late,
succeeds Downer’s. Massachusetts.
18. Sparhawk’s Honey. Medium size, roundish, light
red, sweet and delicious; stone large. Tree a vigorous,
pyramidal grower and very productive-—Ripens with
Downer’s late, and hangs long on the tree; a great favo-
rite with most people. Massachusetts.
CLASS II.----BIGARREAU CHERRIES.
These are chiefly distinguished from the preceding
class by their firmer flesh. Their growth is vigorous,
branches spreading, and foliage luxuriant, soft and droop-
ing.
19. Bigarreau, or Yellow Spanish—Large, pale yel-
324 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
low, with a bright red cheek in the sun; flesh firm, juicy
and delicious; one of the best, most beautiful, and popular
of all ight colored cherries. Tree vigorous and produc
tive—End of June. Turkish.
20. Butiner’s Yellow.—Medium size, yellow, flesh crisp,
juicy and sweet. Tree vigorous and productive. Its pe-
culiar and beautiful color makes this sort desirable—End
of July.
21. China Bigarreau.—Medium size, oval, red, beauti-
fully speckled; firm, sweet and rich, with a scarcely per-
ceptible bitterness. ‘Tree vigorous, erect, and a most pro
fuse bearer; a very distinct and pretty variety.—Begin-
ning of July. Hangs long on the tree.
22. Flesh-Colored Bigarreau (Bigarrean couleur de
chair)—A_ large and beautiful cherry, resembling the
Elton, and ripening about the same time. French.
23. Florence.—A. beautiful cherry, resembling the Bi-
garreau; but firmer, and a week later. From Florence.
24. Gridley or Apple Cherry-—Medium size, dark
brown, nearly black; flesh very firm, sprightly sub-acid,
high flavored. Tree grows rapidly and erect, and bears
immense crops. Its firmness and lateness make it very
valuable for market.—Middle to last of July. Mass.
25. Hildesheim Bigarreau.—Medium size, yellow, red
in the sun; flesh firm, sweet and agreeable. Tree is a
good grower, but the ends of the young shoots are apt to
get winter killed here—Beginning of August. German.
26. Holland Bigarreau.—A very large and beautiful
cherry; pale yellow, covered with bright red in the sun;
flesh firm, juicy, sweet and fine flavored. Tree vigorous,
with spreading, irregular branches.—End of June and be:
ginning of July. Dutch.
27. Large Heart-shaped Bigarreau (Gros Couret),—
Large, dark, shining brown; firm, rich and excellent,
CHERRIES. O25
Tree vigorous, branches spreading.—Middle of July.
French.
28. Madison Bigarreau—Medium size, amber, co-
vered with red in the sun; flesh half tender, sweet and
fine flavored—End of June and beginning of July.
American.
29. Merveille de Sept—A. new French cherry, remark-
able only for its lateness—Ripens with us the last of
August. Tree a vigorous grower and-good bearer. Fruit
small, firm, rather dry and sweet.
30. Wapoleon Bigarreau.—A magnificent, large cherry,
surpassing in size and beauty all the others; pale yellow,
with a bright red cheek; flesh very firm until fully ripe,
when it becomes tender, juicy and sweet. Tree is a
vigorous grower, and — enormous crops.—DBeginning
of July. French.
31. Liockport Bigarreauw (Dr. Kirkland). ye: pale
amber in the shade, ight red in the sun; half tender,
sweet and good. Tree vigorous and eres same
time as Black Tartarian. Ohio. 2
32. Tradescant’s Black Heart (Elkhorn).—Very large,
black, firm, juicy and good. ‘Tree vigorous and upright,
with peculiar gray bark. A great bearer, and so late as
to be very valuable.—Middle and last of July. England.
33. Tardwe Wd Argental—tLarge, long, dark, shining,
red, nearly black; tender, when ripe; juicy, with a pecu-
liar flavor, something like raspberry. ‘Tree is an upright,
vigorous grower, with peculiar small, light, wavy leaves.
—Middle of July.
CLASS III.—DUKE AND MORELLO CHERRIES.
These two classes of cherries are very distinct from the
preceding. The trees are of smaller size and grow
slowly ; the leaves are thicker and more erect, and of a
326 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
deeper green. The fruit is grenerally round, and in color
varying from light red, like Belle de Choisy, to dark
brown, like Mayduke or Morello.
The Dukes have stout, erect branches usually, and some
of them, like Belle de Choisy and feine Hortense, quite
sweet, whilst the J/orellos have slender, spreading
branches, and acid fruit invariably. These two classes
are peculiarly appropriate for dwarfs and pyramids, on
the mahaleb stock, and their hardiness renders them well
worthy of attention in localities where the Hearts and
Bigarreaus are too tender.
34. Belle de Choisy—Medium size, amber shaded and
mottled with red; tender, melting, sweet and rich; rather
a shy bearer; tree makes a pretty pyramid.—End of
June. French.
35. Belle Magnifique-—A. magnificent, large, red, late
cherry ; excellent for cooking, and fine for table when
fully ripe, rather acid, tender, juicy, rich; tree is a slow
grower, but a most profuse bearer; makes a fine dwarf
or a pyramid on the mahaleb.—Last of July. French.
36. Carnation.—Large, light, red mottled with orange;
tender, juicy, a little acid, rich, and excellent; tree is a
good grower and a profuse bearer; makes a fine dwarf.—
Middle and last of July.
37. Donna Maria.—Medium size, dark red, tender,
juicy, acid, rich, fine for cooking; tree small, very pro-
lifie—Middle of July. French. |
38. Du Nord Nowvelle—A new French morello, ripens
all through August; medium size, bright red, tender,
acid; useful on account of its lateness; makes a beau-
tiful dwarf or pyramid.
39. Early Richmond, Kentish or Montmorency—An
early, red, acid cherry, very valuable for cooking early in
the season.—Ripens through June. -
40. Flemish Montmorency.—A remarkably short-stem-
CHERRIES. 327
med, flattened cherry ; medium size, red, tender, juicy,
acid, good for cooking ; rather a poor bearer, but curious.
41. Sidalia Nain Precoce-—tThe earliest of all cher-
ries, ripening about the last of May or first of June ; it is
dwarf in habit, and makes a pretty bush on the mahaleb
stock; the foliage is small, dark, and glossy, and it is
quite prolific. French.
42. Jeffries Duke.—Medium size, red, tender, sub-acid ;
branches erect and stiff; makes a bance pyramid —
Middle of June:
43. Late Duke—LUarge, light red, late and excellent ;
tree makes a nice dwarf or pyramid.—End of July.
44, May Duke.—An old, well known, excellent variety,
large, dark red, juicy, sub-acid, rich + tree hardy, vigo-
rous, and fruitful; ripens a long time in succession ; fine
for dwarfs and pyramids.—Middle of June, for several
weeks.
45. Morello (English).—Large, dark red, nearly black,
tender, juicy, sub-acid, rich; tree small and slender;
makes a fine bush on the mahaleb; tf trained on a north
wall, it may be in use through all the month of August.
46. Plumstone Morello—tLarge, dark red, rich and
fine; the best of all the morellos; tree a slender, slow
grower; makes a nice bush on the mahaleb.—July and
August.
47. Reine Hortense, NMonstreuse de Bawvay—A new
French cherry of great excellence; large, bright red,
tender, juicy, nearly sweet, and eee ; tree ei
and bears well; makes a beautiful pyramid.
NEW AND RARE CHERRIES RECENTLY BROUGHT TO NOTICE.
48. Bigarreau Monstreuse de Mezel —A very large,
fine variety, recently introduced from France, but not
fully equal to the character given it in the French jour-
328 SELECT. VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
nals. It is quite as large as Tradescant’s Black, and
somewhat similar in form; of a dark red, approaching a
mahogany color when ripe ; very firm; tree of a vigorous
habit, similar to the Elton.
49. Belle @ Orleans—A. beautiful medium sized pale
cherry, ripening immediately after Bauman’s May and
Early Purple; from France.
50. Champagne.—A. new variety, raised by Mr. Charles
Downing, of Newburgh ; described in “ Hort.,” vol. v., as
being very hardy, a great bearer, fruit medium size, brick
red, “ with a lively rich flavor, a mingling of sugar and
acid ;” ripe twentieth of June, and hangs long on the
tree.
51. Downing’s* Red Cheek—This is also described in
the “ Hort.,” as “far handsomer, as well as more tender
and sweet, than the Bigarreau or Graffion, which it some
what resembles,” and precedes a few days in ripening.
52. Great Bigarreau.—This name has been given by
Mr. Downing “temporarily, until its real name be
found,” to a very large, fine cherry, recently brought into
notice by Mr. L. M. Ferris, of Orange county, New York,
who found it among imported fruit trees growing upon
an estate of which he has recently come into possession.
It is described as larger than the Black Tartarian, and
fully equal in quality, and ripening a few days later;
described in “ Hort.,” in January, 1851.
53. New Large Black Bigarreau.—Described in “ Ho-
vey’s Magazine,” December, 1850, as brought from the
south of France fifteen or twenty years ago, by a gentle- ~
man of Charlestown, Mass. No doubt, identical with
“the Great Bigarreau” of Mr. Downing; and as it has
been known for many years by this name, it will, of
course, take the preference if they prove identical.
54. Roberts’ Red Heart—A heart variety, raised in
CHERRIES. 329
Salem, Mass., medium size, pale amber, mottled with red,
juicy, and sweet; a great bearer; ripe last of June.
55. Vail’s August Duke—tThis is described as being
one third larger than the May Duke, and ripening at
Troy about the eighth or tenth of August; of a bright red
color and flavor like the May Duke ; originated by Henry
Vail, Esq., of Troy; described in “ Hort.,” vol. iv.
SMALL SELECT LISTS.
For the Garden —Nos. 11, 13, 4, 44, 12, 9, 34, 35, and
45. )
For the Market Orchard —Nos. 5, 19, 80, 24, 32, 4,
and 13.
Lor Small Hardy Trees—Nos. 34, 35, 36, 41, 45, 46,
47, and 39.
Section 6.—Srtect NEcTARINES.
The nectarine tree differs in nothing from a peach, and
the fruit only in being smooth skinned. It is peculiarly
liable to be destroyed by the curculio, so that it is not
advisable to plant it in small gardens.
1. Boston—Large, bright yellow, with a red cheek;
flesh yellow, sweet and pleasant flavor, freestone.—First
of September.
2. Downton —Large, greenish white, with a dark red
cheek ; flesh greenish white, rich and high flavored ; one
of the best. Free.
3. Early Violet, Violette Hatwe.—Medium size, yel-
lowish green, with a purple cheek ; flesh pale green, melt-
ing, rich and high flavored. Free.—Last of August.
4. Elruge—Medium size, greenish yellow, with a dark
red cheek; flesh greenish white, juicy, and high flavored ;
excellent.—Beginning of September. Free.
330 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
5. Early Newington.—Large, pale green, red in the
sun; flesh pale, red at the stone, juicy, and rich ; adheres
to the stone. Cling. |
6. Hunt’s Tawny—Medium size; yellow, with a red
cheek ; flesh yellow, rich, and juicy—Beginning of Au-
oust. Free.
7. Hardwick Seedling.—Large, pale green, with a vio-
let red cheek; flesh pale green, juicy, melting, and rich.
—End of August. Free.
Nos. 2, 8, and 4, were recommended for general culti-
vation by the Pomological Congress at New York in
1849.
The Great Stanwick Nectarine, of which so much has
been said in England, will soon be introduced here, and
will be well worthy the attention of those who can give
it a wall or a place under glass.
Section 7.—SrEtEcT PEACHES.
CLASS I.—FREESTONES.
Fl. s. DENOTES SMALL FLOWERS; gl. GLANDS ; glob. GLOBOSE ; aND
ren. RENIFORM.
1. Alberge Yellow (Barnard’s, Yellow Rare-Ripe, ete.).
—Large, deep yellow, with a dull red cheek, flesh yellow,
juicy, and rich; tree vigorous, hardy, and productive.—
Beginning of September. Fils. small, globose glands.
2. Bergen’s Yellow—Very large, orange, red in the
sun; flesh yellow, juicy and fine flavored; tree produc-
tive. This is considered one of the best of yellow peaches.
—Middle of September. Glands ren. fl. small.
3. Brevoort, or Brevoorts Morris.—Large, dull white,
with a red cheek; flesh pale, sweet, and fine flavored; a
good and regular bearer.——Beginning of September. F's.
small, glands ren.
PEACHES. . 331
4. Coles Karly Led—Medium size, mostly clouded
and mottled with red; flesh pale, juicy, rich, and deli-
cious; tree vigorous, and an abundant bearer.—Middle
of August. Glands globose, flowers small.
5. Cooledge’s Favorite.—A. most beautiful and excellent
peach ; skin white, delicately mottled with red; flesh
pale, juicy, and rich; tree vigorous and productive.—
Middle toend of August. Flowers small, globose glands.
6. Crawford’s Early—A magnificent, large, yellow
peach, of good quality; tree exceedingly vigorous and
prolific ; its size, beauty, and productiveness, make it one
of the most popular orchard varieties——Beginning of
September. Glands globose, flowers small.
7. Crawford’s Late Melocoton (Crawford’s Superb).—
Really a superb yellow peach, very large, productive and
good, ripening about the close of the peach season.—Last
of September. Glands globose, fl. small.
8. Druid Hill —Large, roundish, greenish white, cloud-
ed with red next the sun; flesh greenish white, juicy, and
rich ; very productive—Middle of September. Origin-
ated at Baltimore. Fl. s. gl. glob.
9. Karly Newington Free.—Large, whitish, with a red
cheek; flesh pale, red at the stone, rich and vinous flavor.
—End of August. Fl. s. gl. ren.
10. Harly Anne (Green Nutmeg).—Small, greenish
white, with a red cheek; flesh pale, sweet, and good.—
End of July. Flowers large, no glands, unthrifty, and
liable to mildew ; only recommended for its earliness.
11. Harly York (Early Purple, Serrate Early York,
etc.).— Medium size; on young thrifty trees large, green-
ish white, covered in the sun with dull purplish red ; flesh
juicy, rich and excellent; tree-a fair grower and very
prolific ; one of the best early orchard varieties— Middle
of August. Leaves serrate, flowers large.
12. Karly Tillotson—An excellent variety, ripening
332 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
with the preceding, about the same size, and of excellent
flavor; the tree is sometimes oainidesably affected with
stiehd Wy. and in particular cases the fruit also; it should
have warm, light soil, and open exposure. Serrate, fis.
small.
13. George the Fourth—Large, white, with a red
cheek; flesh pale, juicy, and rich; tree vigorous, and
bears rieonkie crops, of the bistros! quality. —End of
August. Gl. glob., fils. small. ;
14. Grosse Mignonne.—Large, dull white, with a red
cheek ; flesh pale, juicy, with a rich, vinous flavor ; a free
grower and good bearer. In England it is called “ the best
peach in cultivation.”—End of August. Flowers large,
globose glands.
15. Haine’s Karly.—arge, white, with a red cheek ;
flesh pale, juicy, and deieiead tree hardy and very pro-
ductive; one of the best vailicths —Middle of magia
F's. ceil! glob. gl.
16. Sacques’ RaeneRipdek superb yellow peach, full
as large and as good as Crawford’s early, and ripening a
week or ten days later; origin, Massachusetts. Glands
ren. fl. s. |
17. Large Early York.—A large and beautiful variety,
white, with a red cheek; flesh juicy and delicious; tree
very vigorous and productive; one of the very best.—
End of August. Gl. glob. fl. s.
18. Late Red Rare-Ripe.—Large, roundish oval, grey-
ish white, marbled with red in the sun; flesh pale, rich
and fine.—Beginning of September. FI. s. gl. glob.
19. Late Admirable.—Large, roundish, oval, yellowish
green, with a red cheek; flesh pale, fine flavored.—End
of September. F'l. s. gl. glob.
20. La Grange—Large, greenish white, slightly red-
dened in the sun, flesh pale, juicy, sweet, and rich. Its
lateness and color make it a desirable variety for pre-
PEACHES. 333
serving. It should have the warmest soil and situation
north of New York, or it will not ripen well.—Last of Sep-
tember or beginning of October; fl. small, glands ren.
21. Morris’ White—Medium size, dull creamy white,
tinged with red in the sun, flesh white to the stone, juicy
and delicious; tree a good bearer; highly prized for
preserving on account of the entire absence of red in the
flesh.— Middle of September ; gl. ren., fl. small.
22. Morris’ Red Rare Lipe—tLarge, roundish, green-
ish white, with a red cheek, flesh pale, light red at the
stone, juicy and rich; trees very productive; fl. small,
glands glob. ; similar to George LV.
23. Old Mixon Freestone—Large, greenish white and
red, flesh pale, juicy, and rich; tree hardy and exceed-
ingly productive; @ standard orchard variety.—Middle
of September for the north.
24. Red Rare Pipe (Ey. Red Rare Ripe).—A fine old
sort, whitish, with a dark red cheek; flesh pale, rich, and
high flavored.—End of August. Slightly subject to mil-
dew; fl. small; frequently comfounded with the follow-
ing:
25. Royal Kensington —Very similar to, if not iden-
tical with the Grosse Mignonne; several varieties of white
fleshed peaches are cultivated about Rochester as the
“ Kensington.”
26. Leoyal George.—Medium to large size, white, with
a deep red cheek, flesh white, deep red at the stone, juicy,
melting and rich; tree productive—End of August; ff.
small.
27. Red Cheek Melocoton.—A famous, old, well known,
and popular variety; large, oval, yellow, with a red
cheek; flesh yellow, juicy, rich and vinous; tree very
hardy and prolific ; valuable for the orchard.—Middle to
end of September. Glands glob., fl. small.
28. Snow Peach.—A beautiful fruit, medium size, skin
304 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
and flesh clear, creamy white throughout; tree hardy and
productive, and shoots greenish, very distinct, and one of
the most desirable of white peaches for preserving.—
Beginning to middle of September ; fl. small, white.
29. Scott’s Nonpareil.—A new, very large and fine yel-
low peach, from New Jersey, highly esteemed as a valu-
able market variety——Middle to end of September; fl.
small, glands glob.
380. Van Zandt’s Superb—A. beautiful smooth fruit,
large size, whitish, with a red cheek; flesh pale, juicy,
sweet, and good.—First of September; fl. small, glands
glob. ; origin, Long Island.
31. Ward’s Late Hree.—Large, yellowish white, with a
red cheek ; flesh pale, juicy, and good; a standard pro-
fitable late sort among the Delaware orchardists; will .
probably not ripen north of New York.
32. Weld’s Freestone.—A very large, roundish oval, tae
peach; greenish white, streaked and marbled ite red
next the sun; flesh pale, pale, juicy, and good; never
fails to give an abundant crop at Rochester. Beginning
to middle of October; fi. small, glands ren.; succeeds
well in Massachusetts.
33. White Imperial.—Medium to large size, pale, yel-
lowish white, faintly marked with red; flesh pale, juicy,
sweet, and good; tree vigorous ; fl. small, gl. glob.
CLASS II.—CLINGSTONES.
34. Heath Cling—A magnificent late peach, cream
colored, with a light blush next the sun; flesh greenish
white, tender, juicy, and of the highest flavor; fl. small,
glands ren.; tree very productive.—Ripe in October; and
has the rare property of keeping well for several weeks
after being gathered ; should be grown on a trellis or wall
north of New York to bring it to perfection.
PLUMS. ooo
85. Large White Cling.—Large, greenish white, lightly
reddened in the sun, juicy, sweet, and rich; tree very
hardy and productive; highly esteemed for proreerne on
account of its light color; fl. small, glands glob.
36. Lemon Cling.—A ae large and beautiful lemon-
shaped variety, light yellow, reddened in the sun; flesh
yellow, rich, and vinous; excellent for preserving; tree
hardy and productive.—End of September. Glands ren.,
fl. small. ;
87. Old Mixon Clingstone.—Large, round, whitish, with
a red cheek; flesh pale, sweet, and rich flavored; fil.
small, glands glob.—Beginning of September.
88. Old Newimgton Cling.—Large, yellowish white, with
a red cheek; flesh pale, red at the stone, rich, juicy, and
good.—Middle of September; fl. large; no glands.
Select lists of Peaches —Our most profitable orchard
varieties in Western New York are, Nos. 1, 4, 6, 11, 15
or 17, 23, 27, and No. 6, the most valuable single variety,
on account of its great size and beauty, and the vigor and
productiveness of the tree.
Select Garden Varieties—Nos. 2, 4, 5, 11, 13, 21, 23,
and 28.
Robert Manning selects for New England, out of seventy
varieties that he has tested, Nos. 11, 18, 22, 6, 2, 19, 37,
7, besides Nivette and Walter’s Early. These ten he con-
siders “unimpeachable,” and No. 6 he considers com-
bines, in the greatest degree, all desirable quality. With
these he recommends Nos. 5, 4, 14, 16, 21, 16, 27, 36, and
32, with several others we have not thought it necessary
to describe. He ranks them in regard to relative merit
as the numbers are placed.
Section 7.—SrtEect Pius.
1. Autumn Gage, or Loe’s Autumn Gage-—Medium
336 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
size, oval, pale yellow, sweet, juicy and good; parts from
the stone; tree a slow grower, but very productive.—
Middle to end of September. ,
2. Bingham.—Large and handsome, oval, deep yellow,
with a few red spots; juicy and rich; parts from the
stone ; tree very productive-—Beginning of September.
3. Bleeker’s Gage-—Above medium size, roundish oval,
yellowish ; flesh yellow, juicy, and rich; parts from
the stone; tree a fair grower and productive——Last of
August.
4. Cherry, or Early Scarlet.—Rather small, round, red,
very pretty, juicy, soft, sub-acid, adheres to the stone.—
Last of July. Makes a very pretty dwarf bush.
5. Coe’s Golden Drop.—Large and handsome, oval, light
yellow, flesh firm, rich and sweet; adheres to the stone;
tree a fair grower and very productive, but does not bear
so young as many others; valuable not only on account
of its large size and fine appearance, but its lateness and
hanging long on the tree.—Last of September.
6. Columbia.—Large and handsome, roundish, purple,
flesh yellow, juicy and rich; parts from the stone; tree
vigorous and very productive-—September.
7. Cruger’s Scarlet—Medium size, roundish, reddish
lilac; juicy, but not rich; an extraordinary bearer;
always requires thinning; particularly valuable in light —
soils; profitable.-—September.
8. Drap d’Or.—A fine golden yellow plum, somewhat
resembling the old green gage; very good; vigorous
shoots, a little downy.-—Early.
9. Drap @Or ad Esperin—A new Belgian variety,
resembling the Washington, and probably no better.
The first trees were sold at Ghent in 1848 at $10 each.
10. Diamond.——One of the largest and most produc-
tive of purple plums, but coarse; only for cooking.—
September.
PLUMS. 337
11. Dennison’s Red. —Large, round oval, light red, flesh
juicy and rich, parts from the stone-—End of August.
12. Dennison’s Superb.—Pretty large, beautiful, round,
yellowish green, with purple dots; flesh juicy, rich, and
parts from the stone; tree vigorous and productive-—End
of August.
13. Duane’s Purple —Very large and handsome, oval,
reddish purple; flesh juicy and sweet, adheres to the
stone; tree a good grower and very productive.—Begin-
ning of September.
14. Emerald Drop—Medium size, oval, yellowish
green ; flesh juicy and good, adheres slightly to the stone ;
a good grower and profuse bearer.
15. Lellenberg.—A. fine late plum, oval, purple; flesh
juicy and delicious, parts from the stone; fine for drying ;
tree very productive.—September.
16. Frost Gage—Rather small, round, purple; an im-
mense bearer; very late ; profitable for market.—October.
17. Green Gage.—Small, but of the highest excellence ;
tree a slow grower.— Middle of August.
18. German Prune (Quetsche).—Large, long oval, dark
purple, blue, free, fine for drying, and good to eat; grows
spontaneously in Germany.—September.
19. Gen. Hand.—One of the largest American varie-
ties, introduced by Messrs. Sinclair & Corse, Balti-
more. It is of a golden yellow color, sweet but not high
flavored.—First of September. Will be valuable for the
market, as it is very productive, besides being so attrac-
tive in size and beauty.
20. Guthrie’s Apricot—Medium size, yellow, has the
flavor of the Apricot; of Scotch origin—End September.
21. Huling’s Superb—tLarge and handsome, round, yel-
lowish green; flesh juicy, rich and fine flavored, parts
freely from the stone; tree grows well and is very produc-
tive.-—Middle of August.
15
308 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
22. Ickworth Imperatrice—An English late variety, pur
ple, flesh juicy, sweet and rich; may be kept into winter.
23. Imperial Gage.—Large, oval, greenish ; flesh juicy,
rich and delicious, parts from the stone; one of the best
growers, most productive, and best of plums; profitable
for market—Middle of August.
24. Lves’ Seedling—Raised by Mr. J. M. Ives, of Salem,
Mass.; large, roundish, oblong, yellow, mottled with red,
melting and rich; freestone.—First of September. ‘Tree
a strong, rapid grower. |
25. Jaune Hatwe—A nice little yellow plum, ripening
last of July; earliness is its chief quality.
26. Sefferson—A new American variety, of the high-
est reputation ; yellow, with a red cheek; flesh crange-
colored, juicy and rich, parts from the stone ; an excellent
variety, but we have never seen it superior to the Impe-
rial Gage——End of August.
27. Kirks (from England).—A large, fine, violet fruit,
rich and sugary; freestone-——September. Shoots stout
and smooth, like those of the red mag. bon.
28. Lucomb’s Nonsuch (English)—A large, roundish,
ereenish plum, nearly as large andas good as the Wash-
ington.
29. Lawrence’s Favorite—Large, roundish, yellowish
green; flesh juicy, melting, and rich, parts from the
stone; tree vigorous and very productive.—Middle and
end of August.
30. Lombard.—Medium size, oval, violet red; flesh
yellow, juicy, and pleasant; a great bearer, and said to
be peculiarly well adapted to light soils.—End of August.
Profitable for market.
31. Long Scarlet, or Scarlet tiga Meat size, ob-
long, bright red ; flesh juicy, sweet when fully ripe,
adheres to the stone; tree a good grower, and a most
abundant bearer.—End of August.
PLUMS. 339
32. Magnum Bonum, Yellow—A very large and
beautiful egg-shaped yellow plum; a little coarse, but
excellent for cooking ; tree vigorous and very productive.
—End of August. Profitable.
33. Magnum Bonum, ed.—Large and beautiful, egg
shaped, violet red; of second quality, valuable for cook-
ing; tree vigorous and productive-—End of August. Pro-
fitable for market.
34. Mamelonne—A curious looking, distinct fruit ;
round, with a neck like a pear, greenish, similar in qua-
lity and season to the green gage; tree vigorous and pro-
ductive ; new irom France.
35. Mirabelle—A small, round, yellow plum, very
prolific and fine for preserving.—August and September.
36. Mirabelle ad Octobre-—A late variety recently re-
ceived from France ; very hardy and prolific.
37. Orange.—One of the largest varieties, oval, yellow,
rather coarse ; tree vigorous and very productive.—First
of October. Profitable for market.
38. Orleans Larly.— Medium size, round, purple ; flesh
sweet and good; tree a great bearer—Middle of August.
39. Orleans Smith’s—A._ very large and excellent va-
riety, oval, reddish purple, with a thick coat of bloom;
flesh yellow, firm, juicy, and rich; tree vigorous and very
productive.—Last of August. Profitable for market.
40. Peach—A very large and beautiful plum, round-
ish, dull red; flesh a little coarse ; tree very productive—
End of August.
41. Prune d’ Agen, or Robe de Sergent—A new French
variety, first quality for drying; tree very prolific;
medium size, purple, sweet, and good.—September. ~
49. Purple Favorite-—Medium size, brownish purple ;
flesh juicy, melting, and sweet; one of the very best of
plums; tree a slow grower.—Beginning of September.
43. Purple Gage (Reine Claude Violette)—Medium
349 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
size, roundish, violet, with a blue bloom, rich, sugary, and
fine; freestone; hangs long on the tree, and shrivels in
ripening : shoots smooth.—September and October.
44. Red Diaper (Diapree Rouge, French).—One of
the finest of all plums, brownish red, dark in the sun,
freestone. End of August. Hangs long on the tree. This
is called Mimms in England, and is different from the
Red Diaper of some.
45. Reine Claude de Bavay (Esperin).—The best new
foreign variety, as large as the Washington, and in flavor
equal to the green gage; roundish, oval, greenish, mark-
ed with red in the sun; tree vigorous and remarkably
productive.—Middle of September. Hangs long on the
tree.
46. Schenectady Catharine—Rather below medium
size, purple; flesh melting, sweet and excellent.—Middle
of August. It is said to reproduce itself from seed with-.
out variation.
AT. St. Martin’s Quetsche (German).—Medium size,
oval, pale yellow, juicy,and rich—September. Hangs
long on the tree; bears the most abundant crops ; fine for
drying ; very profitable.
48. Thomas (of Boston)—Large, roundish, oblong,
amber colored, juicy and good.—September. Shoots
stout, a little downy, a great bearer, and very handsome.
49. Washington—A magnificent, large plum; round-
ish, green, usually marked with red; juicy, sweet and
good ; tree vigorous and exceedingly productive ; one of
the very best.—End of August.
50. Winter or Late Damson.—A small, dark purple
variety, esteemed for preserving.—October.
51. Yellow Gage—tLarge, yellow, oval; flesh yellow,
juicy, and rich; tree remarkably vigorous and produc-
tive; an excellent and profitable variety—Middle of
August. :
CURRANTS. 341
SMALL SELECT LISTS OF PLUMS.
For the Garden.—Nos. 17, 23, 26, 29, 39, 42, 48, 45, 5.
for Market.—Nos. 16, 23, 32, 38, 39, 49.
for Drying.—Nos. 15, 18, 41, 47.
THIRD DIVISION.—BERRIES.
CURRANTS, GOOSEBERRIES, RASPBERRIES STRAWBERRIES, BER-
BERRIES, BLACKBERRIES, MULBERRIES, GRAPES, AND FIGS.
Section 8.—SrLect Currants.
The currant is a most useful fruit, indeed indispen-
sable to every garden, large or small; it fills a space of a
couple of weeks after the strawberries, raspberries, and
cherries, and before the apricots, early apples, and pears ;
and besides this, it possesses such a remarkable combination
of sweet and acid, as fits it for an almost endless variety
of useful and agreeable preparations, both in the green
and ripe state.
The white varieties are mildest flavored, and, therefore,
better for using in araw state when ripe. The red are
preferable for jellies, etc., on account of their beautiful
color.
1. Black English, or common black, well known..
2. Black Naples—The largest and best black currant ;
bears profusely ; valuable for jam and jellies; bunches
short, milder flavored, and later than the preceding.
3. Cherry.—Largest of all currants, exceeding an inch
in circumference, bunches short, color dark red, ripens
same time as Red Dutch, shoots stout, short jointed and
erect, foliage thick, dark green, slightly folded, and
bluntly and coarsely serrated.
o42 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
4, Red Dutch—A well known variety, buriches three
inches long or more ; fine.
5. Led Knight's Sweet—Similar to the preceding, but
of rather a milder acid.
6. Victoria or Houghton Castle—Very large, bright
red, bunches five or six inches long; hangs on the bushes
after others are gone; distinguished at once by its re-
markably long bunches, and bright red color, and by the
foliage, which is quite distinct, dark green, coarsely and
bluntly serrated, quite flat, and frequently reflexed or
turned backwards at the edges; the shoots are not so stout
and erect as those of the cherry.
T. White Dutch.—Y ellowish white, transparent, milder
than the red, and better for using raw; excellent.
8. White Grape.—tLarger every way than the preced-
ing; the largest white currant; growth rather spreading,
foliage thicker, deeper green, and more reflexed.
9. Missourt Yellow Flowering.—Fine yellow, fragrant
flowers, and sweet fruit of a violet blue.
10. Missours Large Fruited.Large, blue, sweet fruit,
very pleasant.
The two last are seldom cultivated for the fruit.
11. Long Bunched fed Dutch (Grosse Rouge de Hol-
land).—This is a variety we received lately from France,
and it promises to be valuable. There are several sorts
under cultivation, more or ,less unworthy of notice, unless
to those who are making large collections.
?
SEecTIoN 9.—GoosEBERRIES. .
The following, from the large English sorts, have all
proved excellent. . ;
1. fed.—Albion, Crownbob, Echo, Houghton’s Bog-
gart, Ironmonger, Lancashire Red, Prince Regent, Roar-
RASPBERRIES. 843
ing Lion, Shakspeare, Sportsman, Top Sawyer, Wine-
berry, Young’s Wonderful.
2. White—Chorister, Fleur de Lis, Leigh’s Toper,
Queen Caroline, Smiling Beauty, Whitesmith, Welling-
ton’s Glory, White Muslin, ete.
3. Green —Berrier’s Greenwood, Chipendale’s Con-
quering Hero, Green Mountain, Green Vale, Green Wil-
low, Green Ocean, Independent, Jolly Cutler, Massey’s
Heart of Oak, Profit.
4, Yellow—Bunker Hill, Capper’s Early Sulphur, Gol-
den Drop, Husbandman, etc.
5. Houghton’s Seedling —Raised in Massachusetts from
the seed of a native variety; it is small and rather indif
ferent in flavor, but is not subject to the mildew, and
bears most abundantly, small, oval, dull brownish red.
The following sorts were recommended by the Pomo-
logical Congress: Houghton’s Seedling, Whitesmith,
Crownbob, Red Champagne, Warrington, Laurel, lron-
monger, Early Sulphur, Green Gage, Green Walnut..
Srcrion 10.—Srtect RASPBERRIES.
1. Antwerp, Red.—This is an excellent variety, and
very popular in market; three quarters of an acre of land
on the Hudson, planted with it, have yielded $330; and
three acres in the same locality, $1,500 in one season.
The berry is large, conical, dark red, rich and juicy; canes
have a few small, purple spines.
2. Antwerp, Yellow or White.—Fruit large, pale yel-
low, sweet and rich; a beautiful and excellent fruit, but
not so firm and so well adapted to marketing as the pre-
ceding; canes thickly covered with greenish spines.
3. Fastolf—Fruit larger and rounder than the Red
Antwerp, but rather softer; of a purplish red, canes more
spiny; very hardy and productive.
344 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
4. Hranconia.—Fruit very large, of a purplish red, ra-
ther darker than the Red Antwerp or Fastolff; canes very
strong, with a few short purple spines, and thicker, firmer
and smoother, or less crimped or wrinkled leaves than
any of the others.
5. Knevett’s Giant.—This is an English variety of the
Red Antwerp, from which it differs only in being some
what hardier.
The “ Col. Walder” and “ Cushing” are two seedling
varieties produced by Dr. Brinkle, of Philadelphia, that
give promise of superiority, the first especially, which is
described as a beautiful “ cream-colored” fruit and very
hardy.
The American Red, White and Black are well known.
6. Large Hruited Monthly (New).—Large red, bears
in favorable weather from August to November; canes
long, rather slender, purplish in the sun, and pretty thickly
covered with dark purple spines; quite different from the
- Ohio Everbearing,” a worthless variety.
We saw fruit on this in January, in Mr. Rivers’ nur-
sery, in 1848. Ifthe autumn be dry, the plant should be
watered occasionally; and to ensure a good autumn crop,
the canes should be pruned in spring to within a fuvot of
the ground.
Section 11.—SrLect STRAWBERRIES.
Those strongly pistillate or deficient in stamens are
marked (p).
1. Alpine, Red Monthly.—Small, high-flavored variety,
and highly valuable in all collections, on account of bear-
ing a long time.
2. Alpine, White Monthly.—As above, except color.
3. Alpine, Feed Bush.—These have no runners, like
STRAWBERRIES. 345
other varieties, and are well adapted to edging walks in
the kitchen garden. They are small, but of delicious
flavor, and continue bearing till autumn.
4, Alpine, White Bush—Same as above, but in color.
5. British Queen (Myatt’s)—The most magnificent in
appearance of all strawberries, often measuring six or
seven inches in circumference ; but it is a shy bearer and
rather tender; plant very luxuriant.
6. Bishop's Orange.—Rather large, light orange scarlet,
productive and fine flavored (p).
7. Boston Pine—tLarge light red, good, hardy and ex-
ceedingly productive; with plenty of room and good cul-
ture the yield is very great.
8. Burr’s Seedling.—A. very prolific medium sized va-
riety ; hardy and of fair quality; from Ohio.
9. Burr's New Pine—Large, light orange, scarlet;
of the highest and most delicious flavor uniformly; plant
hardy and productive; one of the very best sorts (p).
Ohio.
10. Burr’s Rival Hudson.—Medium size, dark red,
rather acid; valuable for marketing and preserving;
hardy and productive (p). Ohio.
11. Burr’s Columbus.—Large, hardy and productive;
flavor medium (p). Ohio.
12. Burr’s Scarlet Melting.—A very pretty light scar-
let fruit, and a most profuse bearer, but very tender; not
fit for marketing.
18. Black Prince—A large and beautiful fruit, of a
dark blackish crimson color; variable in quality ; some
seasons first rate, others insipid; hardy and productive (p).
14. Climax Scarlet—Medium size, conical, slightly
necked, light scarlet, rather acid; bears immense crops (p).
15. Duke of Kent.—Small, with a long neck ; very pro-
lific and valuable for its earliness in a large collection.
16. Genesee.—Large, roundish, dark crimson, good;
15*
346 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
plant very luxuriant; fruit stalks very stout, supporting the
fruit well; most profuse bearer, rather late.
17. Hudson.—Medium size, scarlet, firm, acid; very
productive, and esteemed for marketing; grown much
around Cincinnati (p).
18. Hovey’s Seedling. —A well-known magnificent berry ;
plant hardy and luxuriant; bears large crops in some
places and seasons (p).
19. Jenny's Seedling—Very large, roundish, dark
scarlet, flavor medium, plant vigorous, and a moderate
bearer (p). .
20. Large Early Scarlet—An excellent standard sort,
light scarlet, rather acid; bears uniformly great crops;
early.
21. Monroe Scarlet—Large, roundish, light scarlet,
good; very prolific; over 100 perfect berries have been
gathered at once from a single plant (p).
22. Orange Prolific—lLarge, orange scarlet; rather
acid, but a great bearer and quite late.
23. Princess Alice Maud.—A very large and handsome
English variety ; very productive, but of indifferent flavor.
24. Prolific Hautbois—A large, purplish, conical fruit, —
with a peculiar musky flavor, very productive; plant
grows tall and luxuriant, with peeuliar crimped foliage, and
has very large, showy blossoms; a distinct species; late.
25. Swainstone’s Seedling.—A very large and beautiful
fruit, of the most delicious flavor; color light shining ~
scarlet, ripens gradually ; a poor bearer; English.
26. Scotch Pine Apple, or Crimson Cone.—One of the
most beautiful varieties in appearance; medium size, uni~
form, regularly conical, rich dark crimson; seeds deeply
imbedded, giving the surface a rasp-like appearance;
rather acid but good, and very productive.
Nos. 7, 9,18 and 20 are the best for general cultivation ;
for a larger collection, Nos. 5,17 and 25, besides the
BLACKBERRIES. 347
alpines, may be added; Nos. 14, 16, 21, 22 are new seed-
lings produced here that promise well.
The wood and alpines should be renewed from seed
frequently. :
Srcrion 12.—BERBERRIES.
EPIN.-VINETTE OF THE FRENCH.
Common Led.—This is everywhere well known ; grown
not only for the fruit, which is used for preserves, jellies and
pickles, but for ornament. The bright scarlet oval fruit is
borne in rich clusters, and hang on till late in the autumn.
Sweet-Fruted (Berberis dulcis)—The fruit of this is
much less acid than the common. The plant is not so
vigorous.
Besides these, there are several species and varieties
cultivated chiefly for ornament: The White-fruited, The
Violet-fruited, The Variegated-leaved, foliage marked
with yellow; Zhe Purple-leaved, the most unique and
ornamental of all, with beautiful violet-purple foliage.
They are all easily propagated by layers or suckers, and
the rare sorts by grafting. __
Srction 13.—B.LACKBERRIES.
The Improved High Bush.—This Blackberry is begin-
ning to receive considerable attention. The Massachu-
setts Horticultural Society has offered large premiums to
encourage its culture, and the result already has been
great improvement. Capt. Lovett, of Beverly, has pre-
sent specimens an inch and a half long. It bids fair to
become a valuable and popular fruit. The berry is long,
ego-shaped, shining black, juicy, and rich, the plant erect,
3048 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
blossoms white, ripens at a most timely season, after the
Raspberry.
Section 14.—Mu.LBerRIes.
Black—tThis is a native of Persia, and is really the
only one valuable for its fruit. The berry is an inch and
a half long, and nearly,an inch in diameter, black, suc-
culent, sugary and rich. The tree is highly ornamental,
very erect, with a large spreading head. The leaves
appear late in spring, are large, heart-shaped, sometimes
lobed, deep green, and form a dense shade.
Srction 15.—GRAPEs.
SELECT HARDY GRAPES.
1. Catawba.—This is the best flavored of all native
grapes that ripen as far north as lat. 43 deg., and is con-
sidered the best yet discovered for making wine. Bunches
large; berries large, red, becoming a coppery color when
ripe; juicy, sweet, and musky; hardy, and very pro-
ductive.
2. Clinton.—A very hardy, native variety, resembling
in foliage the common Fox Grape. Bunches small and
very compact; berries rgther small, black, juicy, inferior
in flavor to the preceding. It ripens here two or three
weeks before the Isabella or Catawba, and this is its chief
value; very productive.
8. Diana.—This is a variety that originated near Boston,
similar to the Catawba; not quite so large, but earlier and
better adapted to the north.
4. Jsabella.—This is the most popular variety. It ripens
well in almost every part of the conntry, and bears
immense crops under the most ordinary management.
GRAPES. 3849
Bunches long and large; berries large, oval, black, juicy,
sweet, slightly musky.
SELECT FOREIGN GRAPES.
1. Black Cluster—Small, roundish oval, black, sweet
and good; bunches small, very compact; one of the
hardiest and best for open air culture; early.
2. Black Prince-—Large, oval, black; bunches long,
rather open; sweet and fine; a profuse bearer.
3. Black Frontignan.—Berries medium size, round,
black, bunches long; flavor rich and musky ; prolific.
4. Black Hamburg—A fine grape, and a general
favorite for the vinery; bunches are large, very much
shouldered—that is, branched; berries large, deep black,
sweet and rich.
5. Chasselas de Fontainbleau.—This is esteemed the
finest table grape in France, and succeeds admirably here
in vineries, and oceasionally in the open air. Bunches
large, somewhat shouldered ; berries large, round, greenish
white, becoming slightly colored or reddened in the sun ;
canes stout, of a yellowish color; leaves large and shining;
very productive. The Golden Chasselas is very similar
to, if not identical with this.
6. Grizzly Frontignan.—tThis is one of the most deli-
cious grapes when grown in the vinery, and very beau-
tiful-too. Bunches long, slightly shouldered; berries
medium size, round, colored red and violet-purple in the
sun; rich, musky flavor.
7. White Frontignan (Muscat Blane of the French).—
One of the oldest varieties ; bunches pretty large ; berries
roundish, changing from green to amber as they ripen in
the sun; rich and quite musky; later than the preceding.
8. White Muscat of Alexandria—tThis is a most deli-
cious variety, considered the same as the imported
350 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
“Malaga.” Bunches large, branched and loose; berries
large, oval, white, becoming amber; firm and rich, with
a high musky flavor; growth vigorous; leaves shining
and deeply lobed.
9. White Sweetwater—tThis and the Black Cluster are
the most common foreign varieties in this country.
Bunches of good size, open; berries of medium size,
round, green, becoming slightly colored in the sun; sweet
and watery; occasionally produced in tolerable perfection
in the open air.
The Pomological Congress at New York, in 1849,
recommend for culture under glass, Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Srction 16.—F es.
Very little is known here from experience of the par-
ticular qualities of the different kinds of figs. Several
varieties have been tested, and are grown successfully in
the Boston graperies. The varieties most desirable for
out-door culture for their hardiness are :.
The Brown Turkey.—Large, oblong, pear-shaped ; skin
dark, brownish purple; flesh red, leaves large.
Black Ischia.—Medium size, roundish, dark violet,
nearly biack ; flesh deep red, sweet and fine. This is one
of the most productive varieties.
Violette de Bordeaue (Figue poire de Bordeaux.—
Large, long, pear-shaped, brownish red; flesh reddish,
medium quality ; extensively cultivated about Paris for
its productiveness and hardiness.
White Marseilles —Small, roundish, nearly white; flesh
white; not quite so hardy as the preceding sorts, but
very productive ; one of the most abundant in the Paris
markets.
Upwards of forty varieties are described in the London
CHESTNUTS. OeL
Horticultural Society’s catalogue ; fifteen are described in
Downing’s Fruit and Fruit Trees.
FOURTH DIVISION.—ALMONDS, CHESTNUTS, FILBERTS, AND
WALNUTS.
Srction 17.—ALMONDs.
‘1. Sweet Hard Shell—This is a hardy and productive
variety, succeeding well in the climate of Western New
York, and still farther north. Nut very large, with a hard
shell and a large sweet kernel; ripe here about the first
of October.
The tree is very vigorous, has smooth glaucous leaves,
and when in bloom in the spring, is more brilliant and
showy than any other fruit tree.
2. Soft Sweet Shell, Ladies’ Thin Shell, etc—This is
the almond of the shops, of which such immense quan-
_ tities are annually imported from abroad. It and all its
sub-varieties, as far as we know, are too tender for our
nortlrern climate, unless carefully grown on a wall or
trellis, and protected. South of Virginia, we believe, it
succeeds well; and so beautiful a tree, and so estimable
a frnit, deserve the attention of all fruit growers.
3. The Bitter Almond. --This is hardy and productive ;
nut similar to No. 1 in appearance, but bitter, and only
useful in confectionery or medicine. Its chief product is
the prussic acid of the druggists.
Srotion 18.—CueEstnuts.
The American or Common Chestnut is well known
as one of our most beautiful forest trees. It is seldom
srown as a fruit tree, although the fruit is highly es-
teeme !.
bo2 SELECT VARIETIES OF FRUITS.
It should have a place in all large collections of stand-
ard fruit trees. It reproduces itself from seed.
The Dwarf Chestnut or Chinquapin, is a small tree
eight or ten feet, high, and very prolific, but the nuts are
small. It grows spontaneously in Maryland, Virginia,
and southward. |
The Spanish Chestnut or Marron.—tThis is the large,
sweet nut, as large as a horse chestnut, imported from
abroad. There are many varieties cultivated in France
and England, but that designated by the French as
“ Marron de Lyon,” is the best. It is propagated by
grafting on the common sorts. It is not reproduced truly
from seed, but its seedlings produce large and fine fruits.
It bears and ripens well as far north as Rochester. It
bears the second year from the graft and the fourth from
seed.
Srcrion 19.—Fimperts.
1. Cosford.—This is an improved variety of the Eng- .
lish hazel-nut, very prolific, nut large, oblong or oval,
shell thin, and kernel fine flavored.
2. Coburg—tLarge and fine, and a most abundant
bearer.
3. Dwarf Prolific—One of the most prolific bearers,
nut rather small. We have plants two feet high bear-
ing well, kernel good.
4. Frizzled—Remarkable for its curious frizzled husk,
a good bearer, and one of the finest flavored.
5. Red Skinned.—One of the old standard sorts of the
English growers, distinguished by the bright red or crim-
son skin of the kernel, medium size, egg-shaped, shell
thick, flavor good.
6. White-—This is also an old standard sort, the kernel
is a yellowish white. Both this and the preceding have
long husks.
WALNUTS. 3538
Section 20.—W ALNUTS.
The English or Madewra Nut (Juglans Regia).—This is
a native of Persia. A lofty spreading tree with pinnated
leaves like the butternut, and the fruit nearly as large.
Great quantities are annually imported, and soid in the
fruit shops.
The tree is tender while young, the ends of the young
shoots being injured in winter at the north, but as it
grows older it becomes hardier. It is produced from
seed or by grafting. There are many varieties of it cul-
tivated abroad, few of which have yet been introduced
here on account of the little attention given to this class
of fruits.
The Dwarf Prolific Walnut (Juglans Preparturiens),
is a French variety recently introduced, which will pro-
bably become the most desirable for the garden. It bears
at the age of three years from the seed, and often at the
height of two-to three feet. We have now two imported
trees, four feet high, that give promise of an abundant
crop. The kernel is said to be very good.
Our native sorts, the Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra),
the Butternut (Juglans Cinerea), the Hickory Nut (Carya),
and its varieties, are all well known trees that deserve
much more attention than they receive, considering the
value of their timber as well as fruit.
OF API... Hy
GATHERING, PACKING, TRANSPORTATION AND PRE-
SERVATION OF FRUITS.
Tas is a branch of the general subject of fruit culture
and management that requires the most careful attention ;
for it is quite useless to take pains in producing fine fruits,
without taking equal pains in gathering, preserving, and
sending them to the table or the market in a sound,
sightly, and proper condition. Very few fruit growers
seem to appreciate this part of their business. Fruit
dealers at home and abroad complain of the careless and
slovenly manner in which our fruits are gathered, packed,
and presented in the market, and would gladly pay a dou-
ble price for them in a better condition. The first con-
sideration is—
The period of maturity at which fruits should be
gathered.—The stone fruits generally are allowed to reach
perfect maturity, or within four or five days of it, on the
tree.
In moist, cool seasons particularly, they are benefited
by being gathered a few days before maturity, and allow-
ed to ripen in a dry, warm room; they part with the
water contained in their juices, which thus become better
elaborated and more sugary and _ high flavored.
Summer Pears, too, on the same principle, require to
be gathered, as a general thing, from a week to a fort-
night before their maturity. Sweet varieties, and such as
GATHERING FRUITS, ETO. 355
are inclined to become mealy, are entirely worthless when
ripened on the tree, and many very excellent varieties
are condemned on this account. Such as these should be
gathered the moment the skin begins to change color in
least degree.
Sumner Apples, too, and especially those inclined to
mealiness, should be picked early ; as soon as the skin
begins to change color, otherwise they part with their
juices, and become worthless. Ripeness is indicated by
the seeds turning dark colored, and by the stem parting
readily from the tree when it is lifted upwards.
Winter Apples and Pears should be allowed to remain
on the trees as long as vegetation is active, or until frosts
are apprehended.
Grapes, Berries, &c., are allowed to attain perfect
maturity before being gathered.
Chestnuts, Filberts, dc., are not gathered until they
begin to fall from the tree.
Mode of Gathering.—Unless it be a few specimens
wanted for immediate use, which may be taken with some
of the contrivances mentioned under the head of imple-
ments, all fruits should be gathered by the hand. The
branch, to be gathered from should be taken-in one hand,
and the fruits carefully taken off, one by one, with the other,
with their stems attached. (or fruits neither keep so well,
nor look so well, without the stems.) They are then laid
carefully in single layers in broad shallow baskets, the bot-
toms of which should be covered with paper or moss, to
prevent bruises. Peaches and other soft fruits should be
pressed as lightly as possible, for anything like a squeeze
is certainly followed by decay in the form of a brown
spot, and this is the reason why it is so exceedingly diffi-
cult to find a perfectly sound and at the same time ripe
peach in our markets.
When more than one layer of fruit is laid in the same
056 GATHERING FRUITS, ETC.
basket, some soft paper, dry moss, hay, or other material,
ought to separate them, for it is difficult to place one layer
immediately upon another, and especially if the fruits are
approaching maturity, without bruising them more or less.
Fruit should only be gathered in dry weather, and in the
dry time of the day.
Disposition of the Fruits after gathering.— When they
are thus in the baskets, if summer fruits, they are either
carried into the fruit room and arranged on shelves or
tables in thin layers, or they are carefully transferred one
by one into market baskets and carried to market on an
easy spring wagon, if not by steamboat or railroad, by
which jarring or jolting will be avoided. Treated in this
manner, they will be in a marketable condition, and one
basket will sell for as much as four, carelessly picked,
thrown into baskets, and tumbled out of them into a barrel
or wagon-box.
Ripe fruits may be kept in good condition for a consi-
derable period of time, in an ice-house, or in some of the
recently-invented fruit preservers, and even in very cool
dry cellars. The vessels in which they are deposited,
should be perfectly clean, that no unpleasant flavor may
be imparted to them. Peaches have been sent to the East
Indies, by being properly packed in ice; and it may be
that methods of packing and preserving will, before long,
be discovered, that will give us access to the markets of
other countries, even for our perishable summer fruits.
We have seen Seckel pears in a very good state of preser-
vation in January, exhibited in the horticultural society’s
rooms in Boston. The science of ripening and preserving
fruits is but in its infancy, and horticultural societies
that have the means will be doing a great public service
by offering liberal premiums that will incite to experiment
on the subject.
Winter Fruits intended for long keeping are transferred
PACKING FRUITS, ETC. 857
by hand from the baskets in which they are gathered on
the tree, into larger ones in which they can be carried into
a dry cool room, where they are laid in heaps, which may
be three or four deep, where they may remain for a couple
of weeks, during which time they will have parted with
considerable moisture and be quite dry. They will then
be fit for packing.
Clean, new barrels should be procured, and the fruits
should be carefully assorted. For shipping to distant or
foreign markets, the best only should be selected; all
bruised, wormy, knotty specimens being laid aside for
home consumption. They are then placed in the barrels,
by hand, arranged regularly in layers, so that no spaces
will exist, by which the fruits may shift, roll, or knock
against one another. The barrels are then tightly headed
up, so that the head presses firmly on the fruits; some
people recommend placing a layer of clean moss or soft
paper, both on the bottom and top of the barrel; but this
is not necessary where the packing and heading are per-
formed carefully. After packing, the barrels must be
sent to market in such a manner as never to be jolted or
rolled, any more than they would be on men’s shoulders,
or an easy spring wagon or sled, or by a water convey-
ance. . i
On shipboard the barrels should be placed in the coolest
and dryest place. It is perfectly idle to gather, pack or
ship fruits in any other way than this to foreign markets.
American apples are frequently sold in Liverpool at auction
for half what they would have sold for in New York, on
account of their bad condition. J saw this in 1849, when
Newtown pippins were selling at twelve and a half cents
a-piece in the fruit shops.
Winter fruits for home consumption should be care-
fully assorted, keeping the best, the poorest, the sound,
the bruised, and the earlier and later ripening varieties
358 GATHERING FRUITS, ETC.
all separate ; when sound and bruised, early and late, are
all thrown together promiscuously, they cannot fail to
decay speedily and to lose their flavor; for two or three
decaying apples in a heap or barrel will taint the flavor
of all, and hasten the decay of those around them. This
arrangement into grades and classes is, therefore, absolute-
ly necessary even for the fruits needed for family use; and
when they are so arranged, the sound, long keepers are put
into clean, new barrels, carefully by hand, and the barrels
headed up tightly and placed in a cool dry cellar or fruit
room. The bruised ones can be laid in a place by them-
selves for immediate use. Every barrel, when packed,
should be marked.
Winter Pears, as a general thing, require to be brought
into a warm temperature one or two weeks before they
are wanted for table use. All the baking and stewing,
and even many of the table varieties, may be treated
exactly like apples.
Packing Pears for distant markets—The French send
away more pears to foreign markets than any other peo-
ple. Some small importations of their winter sorts have
actually been made by some of the New York fruit
dealers the present winter, 1850-51. They pack them in
small boxes, either round or square, such as a man can
lift and carry easily in his hands.
They cover the bottom and sides with very dry moss
or soft dry paper, well calculated to absorb moisture.
They then wrap each fruit in the dry, soft paper, and lay
them in layers, the largest and least mature in the bottom,
and fill all the interstices with dry moss or paper. I have
seen these boxes opened in London, in the finest con-
dition, after being a month packed. They are so tightly
packed that the slightest movement cannot take place
among them, and yet no one presses upon another. The
PRESERVATION OF FRUITS. 359
dry moss and paper that separate them, absorb any mois-
ture ; and if one decays it does not affect others.
Some of the Paris confectioners and restaurant keepers
preserve fruits very successfully in barrels, packed in lay-
ers, and the interstices filled up with powdered charcoal.
The barrels are kept in a dry, cool place, about forty
degrees, where they are not subjected to changes of tem-
perature. Apples, pears, grapes, almonds, nuts, and pota-
toes, are all preserved in this manner.
Fruit Rooms.—A fruit room is a structure set apart
exclusively for the preservation of fruit. Its great requi-
sites are, perfect security from moisture or dampness, ex-
clusion from light, and a uniform temperature. If these
points are obtained, no matter where, how, or of what
material the fruit room be constructed. It may be built
of stone, brick, clay, or wood, above or below ground, as
circumstances or taste may dictate.
A good, dry, and cool cellar, is as good a place for
keeping fruit in as can be provided; but the great objec-
tion to cellars used for other purposes is, that currents of
air are frequently admitted, and too much light, by which
the temperature is changed, decay promoted, or the fruits
dried and shrivelled. There are, also, other objects that
unavoidably saturate the air more or less with moisture.
Where a fruit room is built on the surface of the ground,
it should be on the ice-house principle of double walls and
doors, to prevent access of either heat or cold from with-
out. A good cellar or cave, built in a dry, sandy, or
gravelly bank, or side hill, will answer every purpose.
The walls may be of stone, brick, or timber; the roof should
be thick, with a slope sufficient to throw off water freely,
and the earth about should also be so graded that water
will flow away as fast as it falls. Provision may be
made for lighting and ventilating in the roof, and the
door or doors should be double.
- 360 PRESERVATION OF FRUITS.
The interior should be fitted up with shelves and binns,
_ with places for barrels or other articles, in which fruits
are packed.
Attention to fruits in the cellar or fruit room.—The
deeay of fruits is caused either by bruises or by a fungus,
or species of mildew, that increases rapidly and attacks
all the sound fruits within its reach. It is, therefore,
necessary to examine fruits frequently, and remove all
that show any symptoms of decay, before they have
either affected others or tainted the atmosphere of the
room.
CHAPTER III.
DISEASES AND INSECTS.
Section 1.—DIsEAsEs.
1. The Fire Blight of the Pear, Apple, and Quince.—
This is one of the most formidable diseases to which fruit
trees are liable. Whether it is caused by the sun, the
atmosphere, or an insect, remains in doubt, some cases
favoring one opinion, some another. It attacks the trees
at different periods.of the growing season, from June to
September, and generally in the young parts first; the
leaves flag, the sap becomes thick and brown, oozing out
in globules through the bark, and emitting a very dis-
agreeable odor, and the diseased branch or part turns
black, as if it were burned by fire. When the pear tree
is attacked it is difficult to save it, the disease spreads so
rapidly. In the apple and quince it is less fatal, rarely
killing more than a portion of the tree even if left to its
own course. The only remedy is, to cut away instantly
the blighted parts, into the sound wood, where there is
not the slightest trace of the disease, and burn them up
immediately.
It is thought by some that young trees growing very
rapidly are more subject to it than older trees growing
slowly ;and that warm sunshine, with a sultry atmosphere
after rain, is apt to be followed by much blight. We
have always regarded the cases favoring such an opinion
as accidental.
51 aie
362 DISEASES AND INSECTS.
2. Pear leaf Blight.—This disease has already been
alluded to in treating of pear seedlings. It is a sort of
rust that appears on the leaves in July or August, first as
small brown spots; these spread rapidly over the leaves
until they are completely dried up and growth stopped.
It appears in a certain spot as a centre, from which it
spreads. Whether it be an insect, a fungus, or some
atmospherical cause that produces this blight, is unknown.
Certain cases favor one or other of these opinions. More
minute investigations are wanted on the subject.
To avoid its evil effects as far as possible, the great
point is, to get a rapid, vigorous growth, before midsum-
mer, when it usually appears. Seedlings grown in new
soils do not appear to be so much affected as in old.
Where stocks are affected very early in the season, they
become almost worthless, on account of the feebleness
produced in both stem and roots by sueh an untimely and
unnatural check. Some special applications, such as coal
cinders, iron filings, copperas, etc., have been suggested,
but no evidence has yet been produced of their efficacy.
3. The Gum in stone fruits—tThe cherry, plum, apricot,
and peach, are all more or less subject to this malady.
The cherry is particularly liable to it in the West. It is
produced by different. causes, such as a wet soil, severe
pruning, pruning at an improper time, violet changes of
temperature, etc. The gumming of the cherry in the
West, is considered by some to be owing in a great mea-
sure to the bark not yielding naturally to the growth of
the wood, and hence they practise longitudinal incisions
on it. The cherry tree has a very powerful bark, and in
some cases it may not yield naturally to the expansion or
growth of the wood. We have seen about a foot of the
trunk of a cherry tree, several inches smaller than the
parts both above and below it. The bark was
as smooth as glass on it, the first rind being unbroken,
*
DISEASES. : 363
whilst on the large parts this was quite rough. This was
a ease arising from the obstinacy of the bark, and could
only be remedied by longitudinal incisions on the small
part.
It is most probable that the extent and severity of this dis-
ease inthe West is owing to violent changes from a hard frost
to a bright sun and rapid thaw, by which the sap becomes
deranged, and accumulates in masses. Trees that are
branched near the ground, will be less likely to suffer
than those with tall bare trunks. Where it has made
some progress in any tree, the only remedy is to pare off
the diseased bark, clean off all the gum, and let the sur-
face dry up; then apply a plaster of grafting compo-
sition, or a solution of gum shellac in alcohol, put on
with a brush, as recommended by Mr. Downing.
When the stone fruits are pruned severely in the spring,
the sap does not find sufficient vent; it accumulates in
masses and bursts the bark. This fact should always be
kept in view in pruning, and a sufficient supply of active
buds be left to absorb the sap.
4, The Yellows in the Peach.—This is supposed to
arise from negligent cultivation. It exhibits itself ina
yellow, sickly foliage, feeble shoots, and small fruits pre-
maturely ripened. It is said to be contagious. Trees
exhibiting these symptoms should instantly be destroyed.
To avoid it, care should be taken to propagate from trees
in perfect health and vigor.
5. Mildew on the Peach—The young shoots, leaves,
and even the fruit of certain varieties, and een the
glandless ones, such as Harly Anne, Early Tillotson, etc.,
are attacked by this. ‘The only remedies are, to give the
trees a dry, good soil, that will keep them in a vigorous
condition, and to syringe freely twice a day when it begins
to appear. The gooseberry suffers seriously from the mil-
dew, owing mainly to the heat of our summers. In
364 DISEASES AND INSECTS.
Northern New York, in Maine, Vermont, and Lower
Canada, the finest large English varieties are brought to
greater perfection than in warmer districts, and with good
culture almost come up to the English standard. Ina
cold, damp-bottomed soil at Toronto, almost on a level
with Lake Ontario, fine crops are produced with compara-
tively little difficulty from mildew or rust. This would
indicate as a remedy, a cool soil and situation, and mulch-
ing the roots to keep them cool. The plants should be
renewed every three or four years, and they should be
kept vigorous by liberal manuring and good culture.
6. The Plum Wart or Black Knot—vThe cause of this
disease is quite uncertain, but the probability is that it
originates in a similar way to the gum, from an imperfect
circulation of the sap, induced by violent changes of tem-
perature.* Cutting out the diseased branch clean to the
sound wood, the moment the knots begin to appear, is an
effectual remedy, and they should all be burnt up. We
have saved trees six inches in diameter, that were affected
on the trunk so seriously, that one third of its thickness
had to be removed to get below the disease. After it was
cut out, we applied a plaster of grafting composition,
covered it with a cloth, and in two years it was all healed
over and sound.
Plum trees are so neglected in the country, that multi-
tudes of them are now standing literally loaded with these
warts—not even an inch of any branch free from them—
the most disgusting objects in the way of fruit trees that
van possibly be imagined.
6. The Curl of the leaf in the Peach.—This disease
causes the leaves to assume a reddish color, to become
* We have observed that cold weather, about the blossoming period, in-
duces the gum in plum trees as well as in the peach, and when it continues
long, as in 1849-50 in Western New York, there is an unusual development
of it.
INSECTS. 3865
thick, curled, and deformed, and finally to perish. It is
supposed by many to be caused by insects;* but it is
really induced by a sudden change of weather.
A number of warm days, that cause the expansion of
the young leaves, followed by a cold rainy day, is almost
sure to produce it to some extent; and the more severe
and protracted the cold, the more extensive and fatal it is.
The peach trees in Western New York suffered more from
this in 1849-50 than in the ten years previous, owing to
a protracted cold time in each season after the young
tender leaves had expanded. In both these seasons the
check was so severe, as not only to produce this disease in
its worst form, but the gum also; for the sap not being
absorbed by the leaves, became stagnant, sour, and cor-
_ roded, and burst the bark. Trees in sheltered gardens
suffer less than those in exposed orchards. There is no
possible way of guarding against this; and the only
remedy known to us is, to pick off the diseased leaves the
moment the weather changes, that new healthy ones may
be produced.
Section 2.—Tue Principat Insects mnsurious To Frurr
TREES.
1. Aphis or Plant-Louse-—There are several kinds of
these. The two most troublesome to fruit trees are the
green and black, small soft insects that appear suddenly
in immense quantities on the young shoots of the trees,
suck their juices, and consequently arrest their growth.
The apple, pear and cherry, are especially infested with
them. They multiply with wonderful rapidity. It is said
that one individual in five generations might be the pro-
genitor of six thousand millions. Were it not that they
* Prof. Harris says in his Treatise on Insects, that it is caused by plant-
lice puncturing the under sides of the leaves.
366 DISEASES AND INSECTS.
are easily destroyed, they would present an obs*acle almost
insuperable in the propagation and culture of trees.
There are many ways of accomplishing their destruc-
tion. Our plan is to prepare a barrel of tobacco juice,
by steeping ‘stems for several days until the juice isa
dark brown, like ‘strong beer; we then mix this witha
solution of ‘soft soap or soap suds. A pail is filled with
this, and the ends ‘of the shoots where the insects are
assembled are brought down and dipped into the liquid.
One dip is enough. Such parts as cannot be dipped are
sprinkled liberally. It is applied to the heads of large
trees by means of a hand or garden syringe. It should
be done in the evening. The liquid may be s0 strong as
to injure the foliage, hence it will be well for persons
using it the first time to test it on one or two subjects _
before applying it extensively. This application must be
repeated as often as any of the aphides make their appear-
ance. The dry weather of midsummer is generally the
time most favorable for their appearance.
2. The Woolly Aphis or American Blight—This is a
small insect, covered with a white woolly substance that
conceals its body. They infest the apple tree in particu-
lar, both roots and branches, living upon the sap of the
bark, and producing small warts or granulations on it by
the punctures. They are more particularly troublesome
on old rough-barked trees, as they lodge in the crevices,
and are difficult to reach. The wind carries them from
one place to another by the light down in which they are —
enveloped, and thus they spread quickly from one end of
a plantation to the other. Not a moment should be lost
in destroying the first one that makes its appearance.
Where the bark is rough it should be scraped smooth, if
the roots be affected the earth ‘should be removed, and
every part washed, and every crevice filled with the fol-
lowing preparation, recommended in Harris’s Treatise’
INSECTS. 3867
“Two parts of soft soap and eight of water, mixed with
lime enough to bring it to the consistency of thick white-
wash, to be put on with a brush.” A solution of two
pounds of potash in seven quarts of water will answer
the same purpose. Fresh earth should be put upon the
roots.
8. The Scaly Aphis or Bark Louse—This is a dark
brown scale insect, that infests the bark of the apple tree.
They are of a dark brown color just like the bark, and
are not easily seen unless looked for. They attach them-
selves closely to the bark, and sometimes are so numerous
as to form a complete coating. They seldom appear on
thrifty growing trees in good soil; but where the soil is
damp and cold, and the trees growing feebly, this insect
may be looked for. June is the time to destroy them,
when they are young. At other times they are hard, and
able to resist any ordinary remedy. ‘The same applica-
tion recommended for the aphis, applied to them with a
hard brush, will effect their destruction. Where they
have been left for a long time undisturbed, and have
pretty well covered the tree, the quickest and best remedy
is to destroy tree and all, unless it possesses some extraor-
dinary claim for indulgence. Prof. Harris mentions
having found a reddish brown bark louse on his grape-
-vine, arranged in rows one behind another in the crevices
of the bark.
4. The Apple Tree Borer is a very troublesome insect
in some sections of the country. In Western New York
we have never met with it but in two or three instances,
in very old, neglected orchards, that had stood for twenty
years in grass. The beetle is striped brown and white,
and is about three-fourths of an inch long. It deposits its
egos in June, in the bark of the trees near the ground.
Here the larva is hatched, becoming a whitish grub,
which saws its way into the tree, perforating it in all
i —_— DISEASES AND INSECTS. *
directions, sometimes completely girdling it. The most
effectual method to destroy them is, to insert the end of a
wire into their burrow, and killing them. The same
means are taken to guard against them as against the
peach tree grub, viz., placing a mound of ashes around
the base of the trunk in the spring, and allowing it to
remain until after the season in which the beetles deposit
their eggs. It prevents them from reaching the soft bark
at the surface of the ground, the place usually selected.
It is stated in Downing’s Fruit and Fruit Trees, that “the
beetles may be destroyed in June by building small fires
of shavings in different parts of the orchard.”
5. The Apple Worm.—The apple moth deposits its
egos in the eye or calyx of the young fruit; the grub is
there hatched, and eats its way into the fruit, leaving be-
hind it a brownish powder. Sometimes the apples drop
before they are half grown, and occasionally remain until
they acquire a premature ripeness. Early apples are more
affected, generally, than late ones, probably because in a
more forward state when the eggs are deposited.
When the fruit falls the grub immediately leaves, pre-
pares itself a place in some crevice of the bark of the tree,
and spins a thin paper-like cocoon, in which it spends the
winter, to come out the following spring and reproduce it-
self. There are but two ways of destroying them; one is,
at pruning time in March, to search carefully for the
cocoons and destroy them, and the other is to pick up
promptly all fallen wormy fruits and destroy them. These
two means, industriously followed, will greatly diminish
the amount of wermy fruit, the increase of which is excit-
ing alarm. )
6. The Canker Worm.—This insect is confined chiefly
to New England; we have never seen it in New, York.
They generally emerge from the ground in March.
According to Professor Harris, some rise during the late
INSECTS. 869
autumn and winter months. The female has no wings,
but crawls up the tree, and lays her eggs on the branches
in May, in clusters of 60 to 100 in each, glued to each
other and to,the bark by a greyish varnish impervious to
water; the little worms fall upon the leaves, and, when
numerous, devour them all, leaving only the mid-ribs.
They leave the trees when about four weeks old, and
descend into the ground. Their effects are most visible in
June, when the trees, divested of their foliage, appear as
if scorched by fire.
As the female cannot fly, the great point is to prevent
her from crawling up; for this purpose various means
have been tried and are recommended. One of the most
effectual is to tie strips of canvas around the tree and cover
it with tar, renewing the tar during their whole season of
rising, or from October till May. Another is, to make a
close fitting collar of boards around the base of the tree,
and keep them covered with tar. Mr. Jonathan Dennis, of
Portsmouth, Rhode Island, obtained a patent for a circular
leaden trough filled with oil, which proves an effectual
preventive.
7. Caterpillars—Of these there are many kinds that are
more or less destructive to the foliage of fruit trees; but
the Caterpillar, described by Professor Harris as the
American Tent Caterpillar, is the one that commits such
general and extensive devastation in our orchards, and
especially in certain seasons. The moth deposits its eggs
‘in July, in large rings, on the branches of the trees;
these remain in that state until the following season, when
they are hatched in the latter end of May or beginning of
June. Each ring produces three or four hundred cater-
pillars, and these weave a sort of web to live in. The ap-
pearance of a tree with three or four of these tents upon
it, and the leaves completely devoured, is really frightful.
There are two ways of destroying them: one is, to examine
fo
870 | DISEASES AND INSECTS.
the trees carefully in February or March, ‘at pruning time,
and destroy the clusters of eggs by cutting off and burn-
ing the branches on which they are found. The next is
to destroy the caterpillars in their tents after they are
hatched. There are various ways of doing this, according
to people’s fancy and ingenuity. The quickest and most
effectual method is to take ‘a ladder, ascend the trees, and
remove every nest with the hands. The early morning
should be‘chosen, when they are in the nests. Some put
a round brush on a pole and ‘put it in the nests, and by
giving it a few turns web and all are removed.
8. The Cherry and Pear Slug.—This is a most destruc-
tive insect. They appear in June and July for the first,
and a second brood afterwards, small, slimy, dark-brown
slugs on the upper surfaces of the leaves of the cherry
and pear. They devour greedily the parenchyma of the
leaves, leaving only the bare net-work of veins. Ina
short time growth is completely stopped.
Stocks for budding require careful watching, for a day
or two of these slugs may prevent them from being worked
that season. We ndletines them by throwing fine earth
taken up with the hand among the trees, and by ashes or
slaked lime, when the earth is not sufficiently dry and
fine. The caustic properties of lime and ashes render
them more certainly destructive to the slug, and they
should always be used in preference to common earth,
where only a few trees are to be gone over.
A liberal syringing with the tobacco and soap liquid
recommended for the aphis, but in a weaker state, is ser-
viceable after the ashes and lime. It must be remembered
that one application will seldom be sufficient. Some es-
cape even to the third or fourth; but in all cases ‘the war-
_ fare should be sustained whilst one remains. Like the
aphis they are generally most troublesome in warm and
dry seasons.
INSECTS. 371
9. The Curculio or Plum Weevil—tThis is a small grey-
ish brown beetle nearly a quarter of an inch long; the
wing covers form two little humps on the back, which give
it a roundish appearance, and it has a long crooked snout,
well adapted to its destructive propensities. They can
fly, but are not active; and by jarring the part on which
they stand, suddenly, they fall to the ground, draw in
their legs and appear dead. It deposits its egg in a
semicircular incision which it makes in the young fruit ;
it there hatches, eats into the fruit, and causes it to fall
while yet green. It is the most troublesome of all insects
injurious to fruits. In some places it destroys the entire
crop of plums, apricots, and nectarines, and attacks even the
cherry and the apple. The peach, even, is not wholly
exempt, notwithstanding its coat of down. Almost every
remedy that ingenuity can devise has been tried. This
‘whole book would not contain what has been written on
the subject in one year alone. Yet no complete, effectual
remedy has been discovered. The strongest liquid appli-
cations of lime, soap, and tobacco—the most powerful
and offensive odors, that repel any other insects, are en-
tirely harmless and inoffensive to the curculio. There
seem to be feally but two means worthy of being re-
sorted to. One is, to pave, or in some other way harden,
the surface of the ground, so that the grubs cannot enter
it to complete their transformations. This is found effi-
cient where no other trees are in the immediate vicinity
not paved. We have seen many instances where good
crops were obtained by this mode. The fact that they are,
as a general thing, less troublesome in stiff clay soils than
in light porous ones, is alone a proof of the efficacy of a
stiff or impenetrable surface soil.
Add to this the picking up of fruit containing the grub
as soon as it drops from the tree, and before ee worm has
a chance to escape.
372 DISEASES AND INSECTS.
To accomplish both these ends, some people have
planted their plums and apricots in a small enclosure by
themselves, adjoining the hog-pen, and as soon as the
fruits begin to drop, these animals are admitted, and
' gather all up, and, at the same time, tread the ground so
firmly that it is almost as good as if it were paved.
This is probably the easiest and best way to ensure a
crop of the fruits attacked by this insect.
Another way is, to jar the tree daily three or four times
a day, from the moment they begin to appear, which is
when the fruit is the size of a pea, until they have disap-
peared, or the fruit begins to ripen, when it is no longer
attacked.
Serious injuries have been inflicted on plum trees, by
thoughtlessly striking the bark of the trunk or a large
branch with a mallet to jar the trees. The safer way is
to strike on the end of a cut branch, or to fix a cushion
of some soft material on the end of a short stick, and
place the cushion on the tree, and strike the other end
with the mallet. The insects are much easier jarred off
in the cool of the morning while they are comparatively
torpid.
Before commencing to jar them down, a white sheet or
cloth, wide enough to cover all the ground under the
branches, should be spread to receive the insects as they
fall, so that they may be destroyed. This was recom-
mended through the “Genesee Farmer,” by David
Thomas, twenty years ago.
From repeated observations, [ am inclined to believe
that it is quite sensitive to cold, for it is well known that
in the cool of the morning it is always in a comparative
state of torpor; and in the cold seasons of 1849-50, when
“our peach trees and fruit were so greatly injured, the
eurculio was driven off, and we had a most abundant
crop of plums. A cold day or two may not affect it ; but
INSECTS. 873
when it continues for two weeks, as in the years referred
to, it seems to be rendered powerless for that season.
10. Ants.—These are not very destructive, yet they
sometimes do considerable injury to beds of seedlings, by
making their hillocks among them, and they also infest
ripe truits.
Boiling water, oil, or spirits of turpentine, pour ed on
their Bilseka. siapanie them; and if wide-mouthed bot- °
tles, half filled with paedeaucd water or syrup, be hung
among the branches of a tree when the fruit is attaining
maturity, ants, wasps, flies, and beetles of all sorts that
prey greedily upon sweets, will be attracted into them.
Mr. Downing, who recommends this as a “ general ex-
tirpator suited to all situations,” says, “that an acquaint-
ance caught in this way, in one season, more than three
bushels of insects of various kinds, and preserved his
garden almost entirely against them.”
A gentleman in Detroit, who was very careful of his
garden, informed me that he had pursued this method
of trapping insects with results that perfectly astonished
him. He had to empty the bottles every few days to
make room for more. A very good way of trapping
and killing ants is, to besmear the inside of flower pots
with molasses, ai turn them on their mouths near the
hillock; the insects will soon assemble inside on the
molasses, when they are easily destroyed by a handful of
burning straw.
11. The Peach Tree Borer—This is a most destructive
insect when allowed to increase for a few years without
molestation. We have seen whole orchards of fine trees
ruined by them. They sometimes attack even young
trees in the nursery, and commit serious depredations on ,
their collar, rendering them in many cases quite unfit for
planting. Their multiplication should be prevented by
all possible means. The eggs are deposited in summer
+
O74 DISEASES AND INSECTS.
on the base of the trunk, near the collar, where the bark
is soft. There they are hatched, and bore their way
under the bark of the tree, either in the stem or root, or
both, producing an effusion of gum. Where trees are
already affected, the proper course is, to remove the earth
from around the collar of the root, clean away the gum,
destroy any cocoons that may be found, trace the grub
through its holes in the tree, and kill it; then fill up
around the tree with fresh earth, and place a shovelful or
two of ashes around the base. One of the best orchards
in the vicinity of Rochester was at one time nearly
ruined by the prevalence of this grub, when it changed
proprietors, and the present one adopted and followed the
plan recommended above, until there is not the trace of
one left. The ashes or slaked lime should be applied
every spring, and at the end of summer may be scattered
about the tree; both ashes and lime form an excellent
dressing for the peach.
12. The Rose Bug.—tThe eggs of this insect are laid in
the earth, where they are hatched, and from which the
bug emerges about the rose season.
In some seasons and in some localities they appear
like grasshoppers in vast multitudes, and commit extensive
ravages, not only on the rose but fruit trees, and all other
green things. There is no other way known to combat
them, but to crush them with the hand—to spread cloths
around the trees, and shake them down on it, and kill
them. They are stupid, sluggish things, and fall as
though they had no lite.
In some cases fruit trees have been protected by cover-
ing them with millinet.
18. Leaf Lollers—In May and June these insects may
be found on the leaves of fruit trees, and especially on the
pear; they form themselves a sort.of ‘cocoon out of the
leaf. The leaves attacked by them should be removed and
ANIMALS INJURIOUS TO ¥RUIT TREES. BID
destroyed, in order to prevent their increase. The eggs
are deposited on the young leaves by some of the multi-
tudes of spring beetles.
Srorion 3.—Anmats Insvrtovs ‘tro Frourrs anp Frorr
| "TREES.
1. Birds—As a general thing, birds are more the
friends than the enemies of the garden. Many of them
subsist in greater part on insects, and thus perform ser-
vices that are by no means appreciated. The early cher-
ries are generally the greatest sufferers by them, and
various devices are practised to frighten them away, the
most cruel of which is shooting. Moving objects resem-
bling the human figure, bits of looking-glass or tin sus-
pended among the branches, etc., are often effectual.
Dwarf trees are easily covered with thin netting support-
ed on poles and fastened at the base of the tree.
2. Feld Mice—The most effectual preventive is
clean culture. Leave no grass, weeds, rubbish, or heaps
of stones around the garden or orchard,and the mice will
seldom be troublesome. Their operations of girdling are
principally carried on beneath thé snow, and when this is
firmly trodden down as soon as jit falls, it obstructs their
way. A correspondent of the “ Horticulturist” states
that he has found tin tubes fixed around the base of the
tree, an effectual remedy; and Mr. Hooker, of Rochester,
has successfully driven them off with poison. He takesa
block of wood six inches long and three or four square,
and bores it lengthwise with an inch and half auger
nearly through, and places in the lower end some corn
meal and arsenic. He places these blocks among the ~
trees, mouth inclined downwards, “to keep the powder
dry.”
376 DISEASES AND INSECTS.
8. Moles—These are easily poisoned and driven off, by
putting pills of flour mixed with arsenic into their holes,
and shutting them up. We have seen them banished by
bits of dried codfish placed in the entrance of their
holes.
4. Cats often commit serious depredations on trees by
scratching the bark. Quite recently we saw a large
number of beautiful fruit trees nearly ruined by them.
A few briers secured around trees in the vicinity of the
house, where they frequent most, will be a sufficient pro-
tection.
5. Hogs—It is not generally supposed that these ani-
mals will attack trees; but we have heard of a western
farmer who turned in a large number of them to consume
the corn that had been grown in his young orchard.
When the corn began to grow scarce they attacked the
trees, and not one out of several hundred but was complete-
ly girdled—the bark gnawed off as far up as the brutes
could reach.
Where it may be desirable to turn hogs into an orchard,
unless the feed be very abundant, the trees should be
protected around the base with thorns, briers, or some
prickly brush.
ook Pee re i
NURSERY, ORCHARD, AND FRUIT GARDEN IMPLE-
MENTS.
Tue following are the principal implements used in the
propagation, pruning, and cultivation of fruit trees:
Srction 1.—ImpPLEMENTS OF THE Sol.
The Subsoil Plough is the great reformer of the day in
the preparation of soils of all qualities and textures, for
nursery, orchard, or gardentrees. It follows the ordinary
plough in the same furrow; and the largest size, No. 2,
with a powerful team, can loosen the subsoil to the depth
of eighteen inches. No. 1 will be sufficient in clear land
when the subsoil is not very stiff.
The One-Horse Plough—Similar to the common plough
used by farmers. It is a labor-saving implement for cul-
tivating the ground among nursery trees or orchards
closely planted. The horse should be steady, the man
careful, and the whiffle-tree as short as possible, that the
trees need not be bruised. It should neither run so deep
nor so near the trees as to injure the roots.
The Cultivator.—This with the plough obviates the
necessity of spade-work, and, in a great measure, hoeing.
If the ground be ploughed in the spring, and the culti-
vator passed over it once every week or two during the
summer, all the hoeing necessary will be a narrow strip
378 NURSERY AND FRUIT GARDEN IMPLEMENTS.
of a few inches on each side of the row. The double-
pointed steel-toothed, with a wheel in front, is the best.
The One-Horse Cart.—This is an indispensable machine
in the nursery, orchard, or large garden. Four-wheeled
wagons are difficult to unload, and require a great deal of
space to turnin. The cart can be turned in a circle of
twelve or fourteen feet, and the load discharged in a mo-
ment, simply by taking out the key that fastens the body
to the shafts, throwing it up and moving the horse forward.
Our carts are about six feet long and three wide in the
body, shafts six feet long, wheels four and a half feet
high, and tire two and a half wide to prevent them from
sinking into the ground. ‘The box is about a foot deep,
and when large loads are to be carried a spreading board
is put on the top with brackets. Cost from $30 to $50.
The Wheelbarrow (fig. 132)—Every man who has a
rod of ground to cul-
tivate should pos-
sess this machine. g
In small gardens it (\QY
is sufficient for the
conveyance of all
manures, soils, pro-
ducts, etc., and in
larger places it is al-
ways needed for use, where a cart cannot go. The handles
or levers should be of ash or some tough wood, and the
sides and bottom of any light wood. The Segoe is soft
wood, shod with iron.
Fig. 132.
Wheelbarrow.
Vig. 133.
. Spade.
The Spade (fig. 183).—The best kinds of these in use
IMPLEMENTS OF THE SOIL. 3879
are Ames’ cast-steel; excellent, strong, light articles.
They work clean and bright as silver. There are several
sizes. For heavy work, trenching, draining, raising trees,
etc., the largest should be used.
Fig. 134.
Shovel.
_ The Shovel (fig. 134).—This is used in mixing, loading,
and spreading composts and short manures. The blade
should be of cast-steel.
Fig. 135.
Digging Fork, or Forked Spade.
The Forked Spade (fig. 185)—This resembles a fork.
It has three stout cast-steel tines, at least an inch wide,
and pointed. It is used instead of a spade to loosen the
earth about the roots of trees, to turn in manures, etc.,
being much less liable to cut and injure them than the
spade.
Fig. 136.
Dung Fork.
The Dung Fork (fig. 136).—There are several kinds.
3880 NURSERY AND FRUIT GARDEN IMPLEMENTS.
Those of cast-steel, cut out of a solid plate, with three or
four tines, are the best, light and durable. It is the only
implement proper for loading, mixing, or spreading fresh
rough manures with facility and despatch. —
The Pick.—This is a useful, and even indispensable
implement in the deepening or trenching of soils with a
hard subsoil that cannot be operated upon with the spade.
It consists of an ash handle, and a head composed of two
levers of iron pointed with steel, and an
eye in the centre for the handle.
The Garden Line and Reel (fig. 137).—
The line should be a good hemp cord,
from one eighth to one fourth of an inch
in diameter, attached to light iron stakes
about eighteen inches long. On one of
the stakes a reel is attached. This is turned .
by means of a handle, and the line neatly Me, aka
and quickly wound up.
The Hoe.—tThis is a universal instrument in this coun-
try. In some cases, all the gardening operations are per-
formed with it. Its uses in tree culture are to open
trenches for seeds, to cover them, to loosen and clean the
surface of the ground from weeds, &c. There are two
kinds, the draw hoe, figs. 138, 189, 140, and the Dutch,
Fic, 138. Fre. 139.
Square draw hoe. | Triangle draw hoe.
or thrust hoe, fig. 141; this we do not use at all. Of the
IMPLEMENTS OF THE SOIL. 881
different kinds and forms of the draw hoe. The most
generally useful is the square, a cast steel plate, about
Fig. 140.
Semicircular draw hoe. _
Fie. 141.
Dutch hoe.
six inches long and four wide, with a light smooth handle.
The semicircular and triangle hoes may be advantageously
used in certain cases.
Fie. 142.
Garden rake,
The Rake, fig. 142, is used
to level, smooth, pulverize, and
clean the surface of the ground
after it has been spaded or
hoed, or to prepare it for seeds,
&c. They are of different
sizes, with from six to twelve
teeth. The best are those of
which the head and teeth are
drawn out of a solid bar of
steel. Those that are welded
and riveted soon get out of
order.
Section 2.—IMPLEMENTS FOR CouTTING. -
The Pruning Saw—This is used for cutting off
382 NURSERY AND FRUIT GARDEN IMPLEMENTS.
branches, either too large for the knife, or so situated that
the knife cannot operate. It has various sizes and forms.
Some are jointed, and fold like a pruning knife; others
are like the common carpenter’s handsaw, fig. 143, but
smaller and stouter. ,
Fie. 143,—Pruning saw. Fia. 144.—Bow saw.
The Bow Saw (fig. 144).—This is the most generally
useful form for the gardener, or nurseryman. The blade
is very narrow, and stiffened by an arched back. It is
fastened at both ends by a rivet to the screw on which the
back turns, and by which it is adapted to different pur-
poses. It is indispensable in making horizontal cuts, close
to the ground, as in heading down.
Some are set with a double row of teeth on one side,
and the edge is much thicker than the back; these work
much easier than those toothed in the ordinary way, and
it would be an object to have them where much saw prun-
ing is to be done. Wherever the saw is used, the cut
surfaces should be pared smooth with the knife, to facili-
tate its healing.
Long handled pruning saws are sometimes recom-
mended, but never should be used in pruning fruit trees.
The branch to be operated should be reached by means
of a ladder, if need be, within arm’s length, and cut with
a@ common saw.
IMPLEMENTS FOR CUTTING. 383
Hand Pruning Shears (fig. 145).—There is a kind of
these made now, that 1 a moving centre, as in the
My Ny
= ile A mah
ert 111]
Fie. 145,
figure, make a smooth draw cut almost equal to that of a
knife, and it is a very expeditious instrument in the
hand of a skilful workman. In pruning out small dead
branches, shortening in peach trees, &c., it will perform
four times as much work as a knife.
Pole Pruning Shears.—These resemble the hand shears,
but are worked by a string passing over a pulley, and are
fixed on a pole of any required length. They are used in
cutting scions, diseased shoots, &c., from the heads of
lofty standard trees.
= Grape Scissors.—These
are small sharp pointed
| scissors for thinning
Fic, 146.—Grape scissors. bunches of grapes.
The Pruning Knife—The best for coe purposes
Fra. 147.—The pruning knife. Fic, 148.—The budding knife.
are those of medium size, with a handle about four inches
long, smooth, slightly hollowed in the back; the blade
about three aa a half inches long, three- aeations of an
inch wide, and nearly straight. For very heavy work a
larger size may be necessary. ‘“ Saynor’s” (English)
knives of this kind are unsurpassed in material and finish.
384 WURSERY AND FRUIT GARDEN IMPLEMENTS.
They are to be had in the seed stores at $1 to $1 25
a-piece.
The Budding Knife—This is much smaller than the
pruning knife, with a thin straight blade, the edge some-
times rounded at the point. The handle is of bone or
ivory, and has a thin wedge-shaped end for raising the
bark. Budders have various fancies about shape and
size.
The Grafting Chisel.
—This is used for
splitting large stocks;
Fie. 149.—Grafting Chisel. the blade is about two
inches long, and an inch and a half wide, in the shape of
a wedge; the edge curved so as to cut, and not tear the
bark; the handle eight or ten inches long, at the end of
which is a narrow wedge to keep the split open until the
scion is inserted. The whole is of steel. Some are made
with the blade in the middle, the wedge at one end, and
a hook to hang it by on the other.
Foote’s Stock Splitter —This is an implement invented
by A. Foote, Esq., of Williamstown, Mass., to facilitate
cleft grafting. It consists of asharp blade, ¢, and a groove,
Fre. 150.—Foote’s stock splitter.
a, sheathed with leather; the handles are of wood, and
the whole implement about eighteen inches long. The
stock is placed in the groove, and the blade brought down
upon it by the lever which acts upon a small wheel, 0.
It performs splitting both neatly and quickly.
LADDERS AND FRUIT GATHERERS. 885
Section 3.—LADDERS AND Frurr GATHERERS.
Ladders—Of these there are many kinds. For the
fruit garden, where the trees are low, the self-supporting
adder (fig. 151) is the most convenient and best. It
should be made of light wood, with flat steps, so that a
person can stand upon them and
work. The back, or supperts, con-
sist of one or two light pieces of tim-
ber, fixed at the top with hooks and
straps so as to be contracted or ex-
tended at pleasure. A ladder of this
kind, six or eight feet high, will an-
swer all the demands of a garden.
Orchard Ladders are of various
kinds. For pruning or gathering the
fruit from lofty trees, a great length
of ladder is necessary; it is there-
fore desirable that the material be as
light as possible consistent with the necessary strength.
Sometimes these long ladders are composed of several
smaller ones, that fit into one another, all mounted on a
frame with a small wheel, by which they are easily
moved about.
The Folding Ladder is a very neat and convenient
article for many purposes. The inside of the styles is
hollowed out, and the steps are fastened to them by means
of iron pins, on which they turn as on hinges, so that the
two sides can be brought together, the steps turning into
the grooves or hollows in them, the whole appearing like
a round pole, B. It is more easily carried and placed
where wanted than the ordinary ladder. A represents it
open, and B closed (fig. 152).
There are also self-supporting orchard ladders, com-*
ie
Self-supporting ladder.
886 NURSERY AND FRUIT GARDEN IMPLEMENTS.
posed of three upright pieces of any required length, and
spread widely at the bottom to give them stability. Two
Fie. 152.
Folding ladder.
of the sides are fixed, and are furnished with steps all
the way up. The third is longer and movable, and can
be extended or contracted at pleasure.
A piece of board wide enough to stand upon can be
extended from one side to the other, resting upon the
steps at whatever height it is desirable to work. On the
movable side a pulley is fixed, by which the baskets of
fruit are let down as they are gathered. Two persons or
more can ascend and work on a :
ladder at the same time. Fig.
153 represents one of these; a,
b, the two fixed sides; C, the
movable one. It is considera-
bly used in France.
The Orchardists’ Hook.—I\s
a light rod, with a hook on one =
end, and a movable piece of 7/ /
wood that slides along it. - A c
The person gathering fruit /4
draws the branch towards him
with the hooked end, and re @ eae
tains it there by means of the
sliding piece which is hooked
to another branch. This is an indispensable instrument
in gathering fruit from large trees.
_ Fruit Gatherers—Of these there are many designs by
French Maes foe orchard
ladder.
MACHINES FOR WATERING. 387
which the fruit may be taken from the tree by a person
standing on the ground. None of them are applicable to
the gathering of fruits that are to be kept long, because
it is impossible to avoid bruising them more or less, and
besides this they operate slowly. They answer very well
for gathering a few ripe specimens for immediate consump-
tion. The ladder, hook, and hand, are the only safe and
expeditious fruit gatherers. Some are made in the form
of a vase of wood or tin placed on the end of a pole. The
edge of the vase is toothed, and when the stem of the
fruit is taken between two of the teeth, and slightly
twisted, it drops. Others are composed of a pair of
shears on the end of a pole, to which a basket is attached
that slides up and down the handle.
The Grape Gatherer resembles a pair of shears com-
bining the property of pincers. They cut a bunch of
grapes, and hold it firmly until it is brought down.
These are very useful for gathering a few bunches of
grapes from the top of a house or trellis (fig. 154).
Fie, 154,
Grape Gatherer.
Section 4.—Macutnes ror WATERING.
The Hand Syringe (fig. 155).—This is a very useful
implement for sprinkling and washing the foliage of trees
in dry weather. There are various kinds eee of tin,
copper, and brass, and sold at various prices. Whatever
sort is used ional have several caps (A) to regulate the
388 NURSERY AND FRUIT GARDEN IMPLEMENTS.
quantity or shower of water discharged; and they should
also have an inverted or “ gooseneck” one (2B) to throw
Fie. 155.
Hand Syringe.
the stream, if necessary, on the under side of leaves, or
in any oblique direction.
There are, also, hand engines, barrel engines, and bar-
row engmes, all of which are very useful. In every
large garden there should be both the syringe and one of
these engines ; for watering is a most important affair in
gardening under our hot sun and protracted droughts.
Ml
pa 3
umn |
Lo :
l toca Pm
Fie. 156.
Barrow Engine.
Lhe Barrow Engine (fig. 156) is the most useful for
general purposes ; it is easily moved from one place to
another. The improved kinds are easily worked, and the
MACHINES FOR WATERING. 389
water-box being provided with a strainer, excludes any-
thing likely to derange its operations.
The Garden Watering-pot
(fig. 157).—This is a tin or
copper vessel that may hold
from one to four gallons of
water, with a spout six or
eight inches long, by which
the water is discharged.
There should be a rose or
roses, as in cut, to fit on the
Fie. 157.
Garden Watering-pot.
spout, pierced with large or small holes, by which the
_ water can be discharged in a shower. Every pot may
have several roses pierced with holes of various sizes, to
adapt them to different purposes.
ete ay
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ee Pon
*
INDEX.
Arr, importance of, to the germination of seeds, 46.
Alluvial soils, nature of, 49.
Almonds, select varieties of, 351.
Anthers, the, 28.
Ants, method of destroying, 373.
Aphis, the, how to destroy, 134, 366; the woolly aphis or American blight,
366; the scaly aphis or bark louse, 367.
Apple, the, principal stocks in use for, 108; time for budding, 133; dwarf
apple tree, 189; pruning the, 203; management of the standard apple
tree, 204; dwarf standards, 206; pyramids, 207; pruning the branched
yearling, 210; treatment of two-year old nursery trees, 211; management
of the fruit branches, 217; pruning and management of, as a dwarf on the
paradise stock, 218; as an espalier, 220; renovation of pyramidal trees,
271; fire blight of, 361; insects infesting the, 367; apple tree borer,
description of, and means of destroying, ib. ; the apple worm, 368.
Apples, forms of, 40 ; abridged descriptions of one hundred and thirty-three
select varieties of summer, autumn, winter, and apples for ornament and
preserving, 279-297; small select lists of, suitable for Western New
York, 297.
Apricot, the, stocks for, 119; as a dwarf standard, 194; pruning and ma-
nagement of, 245.
Apricots, abridged descriptions of seven select varieties of, 320, 321.
Ash, the mountain, as a stock for the pear, 115.
Bark, the outer, 4; the inner, 5.
Barrow engine, the, 388.
Berberries, method of propagating, 148 ; select varieties of, 347.
Birds, manner of protecting fruit against, 375.
Black knot, the, or plum wart, 364.
Blackberries, 347.
Blossoming, period of, infiuenced by various conditions, 31, 32; in alternate
years, 34.
7
392 INDEX.
Branches, the, various subdivisions of,7; pruning, 88; removal of large, 89;
management of fruit, 217.
Budding, method of, 70; conditions necessary to the operation of, 71; imple
ments requisite for, 71,72; cutting, preparing, and preserving the buds,
72; chief difficulty experienced by beginners in, 74, 75; time for, 133;
inse-tion of the bud, 134; untying the buds, 135; treatment of the grow-
ing bud, 136.
Buds, nature and functions of, 14; different names and characters of, 15;
variations in the size, form, and prominence of leaf buds, 17; fruit buds,
18; leaf and fruit buds how distinguished, 20.
Bushes, dwarf, 142.
Calcareous or chalky soils, nature of, 49.
Calyx, the, 28.
Cambium, nature of, 24.
Canada or wild plum, the, 120; time for budding, 133.
Canker worm, the, 368.
Cart, the one-horse, 378.
Caterpillars, methods of destroying, 369.
Cats, method of protecting trees from, 376.
Cherries, forms of, 43; abridged descriptions of fifty-five select varieties of
heart, bigarreau, duke and morello, and new and rare cherries recently
brought to notice, 321-329; small select lists of, 329.
Cherry, the, principal stocks in use for, 115; time for budding, 133; in the
pyramidal form, 191; pruning the, 224; as a standard, 225; to form a
round open head, 225; as a pyramid, 226; as an espalier, 227; as a dwarf
or bush, 228; effects of the disease called gum on, 362.
Chestnuts, method of propagating, 148; select varieties of, 351, 352.
Chinese‘ layering, description of the process so called, 122, 125.
Chisel, the grafting, 384.
Clayey soils, nature of, 48.
Cleft grafting, 79.
Corolla, the, 28.
Cotyledons, the, 44.
Cultivator, the, 377.
Curl of the leaf in the peacn, the, 364.
Currant, the, method of propagating, 147; pruning and management of, 265 ,
as a pyramid and espalier, 266.
Currants, abridged descriptions of eleven select varieties of, 341, 342.
Cutting back, object of, 207 ; process of, 208; summer management of trees
cut back, 213.
Cuttings of fruit trees, how te make, 65; time of making, soil proper for,
and time of planting, 66; method of preserving, 67; treatment of, when
transplanted, 127.
INDEX. . 393
Diseases of fruit trees, description of and remedies for, 361.
Distance at which standards should be planted in the nursery, 129.
Double-working, explanation of, 81.
Doucain, the, method of propagating, 110.
Draining, process of, 52.
Dubreuil, M., his summary of the general principles of pruning, 96.
Dung fork, the, 379.
Dwarf standards, 131; management of, 140, 206; dwarf bushes, 142; dwarf
apple tree, 189; the cherry as adwarf or bush, 228.
Enclosures, various kinds of, for orchards, 163: for fruit gardens, 181.
Espaliers, method of forming, 143; proper distances between, 201; the
apple and pear as, 220; the cherry as, 227; the peach as, 236; method of
laying in, and fastening to walls and trellises, 243; the currant as, 266.
Fences, materials for making, for orchards, 163; for garaens, 181.
Fibres, the, or rootlets, 2.
Fig, the, propagation of, 160; suitable soil for, 261; pruning and training
of, 7b.
Figs, select varieties of, 350, 351.
Filbert, the, method of propagating, 148; as a dwarf and pyramid, 194;
pruning and training, 257; account of the management of filhert orchards
in the county of Kent, England, 7.
Filberts, abridged descriptions of six varieties of, 352.
Fire blight, the, of the pear, apple, and quince, 361.
Flowers, different parts of, 28; sexual distinctions of, 29; method of im-
pregnation of, 30; double, 31; different characters of, 32; hybridization
of, 33. ~_
Foote’s stock splitter, 384.
Fruit rooms, requisites for, 359.
Fruit trees, names, descriptions, and offices of the different parts of, 1; fruit
branches and fruit spurs, 10; fruit buds, 20; propagation of, by seeds, 60;
general carelessness in the selection of the seeds of, 61; production of new
varieties of; 63; propagation of, by cuttings, 65; propagation of, by layer-
ing, 67—by suckers and by budding, 70; propagation of, by grafting, 75;
pruning of, 83; method of regulating the growth of, 92; method of pro-
moting the fruitfulness of, by pinching, 94; budding, grafting, and manage-
‘ment of, in the nursery, i32; taking up, from the nursery, 150; method
of packing, 151; process of heeling in, 153; permanent plantations of,
157; proper soils for different, 162; points to be considered in selecting
varieties of, for an orchard, 164; arrangement of, in an orchard, 167;
pruning and preparing, for planting, 174; how to select, for the fruit gar-
den, 188, 195; age of, for the fruit garden, 195; arrangement of, in the
fruit garden, 199; sundry operations connected with the culture of, 272;
diseases peculiar to, 361; insects injurious to, 365.
394 INDEX.
Fruitfulness, method of promoting, by pinching, 94.
Fruits, nature and classification of, 34, 35; forms and colors of, 36; different
parts of, 7b. ; size of, circumstances influencing the, 37; classification of
the size of, 39; form of, 40; color and flavor of, 43; abridged descriptions
of select varieties of, 277; directions for the gathering, packing, transpor-
tation, and preservation of, 354; the best fruit gatherers, 387.
Fruit Garden, the, general remarks on, 178; situation for, 179; soil of, 180;
enclosures for, 181; manner of laying out, 183; the mixed, or fruit and
kitchen, 185; walks in, 186; a supply of water important for, 187; how
to select trees for, 188,195; age of trees for, 195; arrangement of trees
in, 199; implements usedgin, 377; machines for watering, 387.
Gathering fruits, proper period for, 354 ; mode of, 355; disposition of fruits
after gathering, 356; implements used in, 386.
Germination, process of, 45.
Gooseberries, abridged descriptions of five select varieties of, 342, 343.
Gooseberry, the method of propagating, 147; pruning, 262; method prac-
tised in Lancashire to produce large gooseberries, 264; severely affected
by the mildew, 363.
Grafting, process and objects of, 75; implements used in, and grafting com-
position, 77; whip-grafting on the root, 78; cleft grafting, 79; precau-
tions to be taken in, 81; double-working, 7b. ; implements used in, 384.
Grape vine, the, methods of propagating, 145; general observations on the
management of, 245; planting, 248; pruning, 249.
Grapes, culture of foreign, in cold vineries, 253; abridged descriptions of
four select varieties of hardy grapes and nine varieties of foreign grapes,
348-350; instrument for gathering, 387.
Gravelly soils, nature of 49.
Growth of trees, method of regulating the, 93.
Gum, the, in stone fruits, 362.
Heading down, process of, 85.
Heart or perfect wood, the, 5.
Heat, effect of, on the germination of seeds, 46.
Heeling in, process of, 153.
Hoe, the, two kinds of, 380.
Hogs, method of protecting trees against injuries caused by, 376.
Hook, the orchardist’s, 386.
Horse plum, the, 119.
Hybridization, explanation of the process of, 33.
Implements used in the orchard, nursery, and fruit garden, 377.
Insects, the principal, which infest fruit trees, 365.
Knife, the pruning, 383; the budding, 384.
INDEX. 395
1 sbels for trees in the nursery, 149 ; manner of labelling, 150.
Ladders, orchard, folding, and self-supporting, 385.
Layering, process of, 67, 125; propagation of plums by, 122; treatment of
layers when transplanted, 127.
Leaf rollers, 374
Leaves, structure and functions of, 21; different forms and characters of, 25.
Light, exclusion of, necessary for the germination of seeds, 47.
Line and reel, the, 380.
Loamy soils, nature of, 49.
Mahaleb, the, 117.
Manures, importance of, 54; preparation of, 55; special, 56; modes of apply-
ing, 58; liquid, 7.
Manuring, proper method of, 272.
Mazzard seedlings, 115.
Medlar, the, treatment of, same as that of the quince, 224.
Medullary rays, 7.
Mice, method of protecting fruit trees from the ravages of, 375.
Mildew, the, in the peach, 363.
Moisture, effects of, on the germination of seeds, 45.
Moles, method of guarding against the ravages of, 376.
Mulberries, method of propagating, 148 ; varieties of, 348.
Mulching, operation of, 176, 273.
Nectarine, the, stocks for, 119; as a dwarf standard, 194; pruning the, 246.
Nectarines, abridged descriptions of seven select varieties of, 329, 330.
Nursery, the, soil of, 105; method of laying out, 107; situation of, and
succession of crops in, 7b.; directions for planting stocks in the nursery
rows, 127; budding, grafting, and management of trees in, 132; treatment
of the soil in, 144; labels for trees in, 149; taking up trees from, 150;
implements used in, 377.
Orchard, the, situation of, 158; soil of, 161; how to prepare the soil for,
162; selection of varieties of fruit trees for the family, 164; kind of trees
to be selected for, 166; arrangement of the trees in, 167; selection of
trees for the market, 169; planting the, 175; management of trees in,
177; implements used in, 377, 385.
Ovary, the, 29.
Packing trees, proper method of, 151; method of packing fruits, 357.
Paradise, the, method of propagating, 111.
Parenchyma, nature of, 22.
Parsons, S. B., his orchard of pear trees, 172.
Peach, the, principal stocks for, 117; times for budding, 133; as a dwarf
standard, 193; pruning and management of, 229; to form the head of a
3896 INDEX.
standard peach tree, 231; root pruning, 233; conducted in the form of a
vase, 7b. ; as an espalier, 236; symptoms of the yellows and mildew in,
363; insects infesting, 373.
Peaches, forms of, 42; abridged descriptions of thirty-eight select varieties
of freestone and clingstone, 330-335: select list of, 335.
Pear, the, principal stocks in use for, 111; time for budding, 133; as a pyra-
mid, 190, 207; in the dwarf standard form, 191, 206; management of the
standard pear tree, 204; pruning the branched yearling, 210; treatment
of two-year old nursery trees, 211; management of the fruit branches,
217; as an espalier, 220; renovation of pyramidal trees, 271; fire blight
of, 361; pear leaf blight, 362.
Pears, forms of, 41; varieties of, that succeed well on the quince, 172;
abridged descriptions of one-hundred and eighty-two select varieties, of
summer, autumn, winter, pears for baking and stewing, and new and rare
varieties, 299-319; select assortments of, 312; method of packing for
distant markets, 358.
Peaty soil, nature of, 49.
Petals, the, 28.
Pick, the, 380.
Pinching, nature and objects of, 92.
Pistil, the, 29.
Pith, the, 5.
Plant louse, the, ravages of, and method of destroying, 365, 366.
Plantations of fruit trees, different kinds of, 157.
Plants, exhalation of moisture and gases by, 22; propagation of, 60.
Plough, the subsoil and one-horse, 377.
Ploughing, subsoil, 50.
Plum, the, stocks for, 119: the horse, ib.; the Canada, or wild, 120; the
cherry plum, id. ; the sloe as a stock for, 121; propagated by layers, 122;
time for budding, 133; as a pyramid, 192; as a dwarf standard, 193;
pruning and management of, 244; diseases of, 364.
Plums, forms of, 42; abridged descriptions of fifty-one select varieties of,
335-340; small select lists of, 341.
Plumule, the, 44.
Pruning, importance of the operation of, 83; various objects to be attained
by, 84; to direct the growth from one part to another, 7b. ; heading down, . ~
85; to maintain an equal growth, to renew growth, and to induce fruit-
fulness, 86; pruning the roots and pruning at the time of transplanting,
87; mechanically considereg, 88; season for, 91; general principles of, as
laid down by Dubreuil, 96; directions for the pruning of stocks, 125;
pruning the apple and the pear, 203; the quince, 222; the cherry, 224;
the peach, 229; the plum, 244; the apricot, 245; the nectarine, 246;
grape vines, ib.; the filbert, 257; the fig, 260; the gooseberry, 262; the
currant, 265; the raspberry, 267; implements used in, 381.
INDEX. 397
Pyramids, management of, 140, 207; renovation of, 271.
Quince, the, as a stock for the pear, 113; erroneous ideas concerning, 114;
as a dwarf and pyramid, 194; pruning and training of, 222; fire blight
of, 361.
Quinces, abridged descriptions of seven select varieties of, 319, 320.
Rake, the, 381.
Raspberries, forms of, 43; method of propagating, 148; abridged descriptions
of six select varieties of, 343, 344.
Raspberry, the, planting of, 267; pruning, 268; manuring and training, 269;
French and English modes of training, 269, 270. ,
Root, the, the several parts of, 2; growth of, 3; whip-grafting on, 78;
pruning, 87, 90; method of planting root-grafts, 131.
Rosebug, the, 374.
Sandy soils, nature of, 48.
Sap, the, ascent, assimilation, and descent of, 24; tendency of, to the grow-
ing points at the top of a tree, 85.
Sap- wood, the, 5
Saw, the pruning, 381; the bow, 382.
Scions, selection and treatment of, for grafting, 76.
Scissors, grape, 383.
Seed, the, composition of, 44; germination of, 45; propagation by, 60;
selection of, 61.
Seedling apple, the common or free stock, preparing, saving, and planting
the seed of, 108; after management of, 109; the pear seedling, 111.
Shears, hand pruning and pole pruning, 383.
Shovel, the, 379.
Sloe, the, as a stock for the plum, 121.
Soils, different kinds of, 48; different modes of improving, 50; proper, for
the orchard, 161 ; annual cultivation of the soil, 272.
Spade, the, 378; the forked spade, 379.
Spongioles, the, 3
Staking, process of, 176.
Stamens, the, 28.
Standards, management of, 137; dwarf, management of, 140.
Stem, the, the different parts of, 4; structure and growth of, 6; the branches
divisions of, 7; pruning, 88.
Stigma, the, :29.
Stocks, necessity of a close alliance between, and grafts, 76; description and
propagation of, 108; for the apple, 7. ; for the pear, 111; for the cherry,
115; for the pack, 117; for the card nectarine, and aban: 119; trans-
planting, 122; time and manner of taking up, 124; pruning stocks, 125;
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