THE FRUITS OF AMERICA, CONTAINING RICHLY COLORED FIGURES, AND hill THE CHOICEST VARIETIES CULTIVATED IX THE UNITED STATES. BY C. M. HOVEY, \\ CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE CINCINNATI HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, OHIO; OF THE CLEVELAND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, ETC.; AND HONORARY MEMBER OF THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES OF NEW HAVEN, CONN.; PITTSBURXJ, PA.: ROCHESTER, N. Y. ; STEUBEN VILLE, OHIO; BURLINGTON, IOWA: COLUMBUS, OHIO; NEW BEDFORD, MASS., ETC. XEW-YORK: D. APPLE TON & COMPANY 200 BROADWAY. M.DCCC.L1TI. Entered according to mi Act of Congress, in the year 1851, By C. M. HOVBY, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Mrs TO ALL LOVERS OF POMOLOGICAL SCIENCE, MORE ESPECIALLY TO THE SUBSCRIBERS WHOSE AID AND ENCOURAGEMENT HAVE INSURED ITS SUCCESS, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED, BY THEIH FRIEND, THE AUTHOR PRE FACE. No ONE can be insensible to the rapid advancement which Pomological science has made, within a short period. By the accession of numerous foreign varieties of fruits, and by the introduction to notice of an immense number of native seed- lings, the small and meagre collections of former years, which might be readily enumerated by dozens, have now accumulated to such an extent, that they are numbered by hundreds. By the labors of Van Mons and his Belgian associates, — of Noisette and his countrymen, — of Knight and other English cultivators, — as well as by the aid of our own amateur and practical Horti- culturists, the well-known fruits of the last century, with a few exceptions, have given way to those of the present: the ameliorating influences of cultivation, assisted by the principles of science, have given to the world a catalogue of Fruits of surpassing excellence. But with this great accumulation of kinds, — and along with the multitude of names, — has followed a confusion of nomen- clature which has greatly retarded the general cultivation of the newer and more valuable varieties; and the labors of the most ardent Pomologists have long been devoted to the attempt to reduce the chaos of names to something like order. Much has already been accomplished. The London Horticultural Society, with all the means at its command, has been foremost in this zealous work ; and the exertions of numerous enthusiastic culti- vators, both at home and abroad, have aided in this laudable enterprise. But there still remains a great deal to be done before Pomology can be rendered anything but an embarrassing and perplexing study. To contribute my share towards the accomplishment of this important work, has been the principal object of the publication of the Fruits of America. Having long experienced the disap- pointment ever consequent upon a confused nomenclature, in collecting together all the principal fruits at present known, I have thought I could not better serve the cause of Pomological science, than to attempt a work of this kind, as the most, if not the onlyT effectual means of arriving at the end in view. M351683 VI I do not think it necessary to enter into any argument to show the great importance and value of colored drawings in identifying fruits, and detecting synonymes. They are now gen- erally acknowledged, when accurately and truthfully executed, — and accompanied with faithful descriptions, — to be the only safe and reliable means of arriving at certain and satisfactory conclu- sions. The high estimation in which the elegant folios of Duhamel and Poiteau, and the splendidly-colored drawings in the Transactions of the London Horticultural Society, and the Pomological Magazine, are held by all Pomologists, attest this. They have been of essential service in accomplishing what has already been done towards the establishment of an uniform nomenclature. There is a national pride, too, which I feel in the publication of a work like this ; and that is, that the delicious fruits which have been produced in our own country, many of them surpassed by none of foreign growth, — and which are rendered doubly the more valuable, because inured to our climate and adapted to our soil, — will be here beautifully depicted ; and thus show to the cultivators of the world that, though yet in the infancy of the art, the skill of our Pomologists, unaided, too, by the experience which cultivators abroad may so well claim, has already given them a fair start on the road to success ; and, favored by Prov- idence with a genial atmosphere and a cloudless sky, with the enterprise, intelligence, and perseverance, so characteristic of our people, why may we not hope that they will make the most rapid advance in a science whose results are so conducive to the health, the comfort, and the luxury of mankind. One of the peculiarities of the work I would particularly mention; this is the engravings illustrating the habits and characters of the trees. No similar work has attempted any- thing of the kind. Their value, to me, seems of the greatest importance ; for, although to an unpracticed eye little difference may be seen in many of the trees, to one who has studied them at all seasons, and in all their aspects — in spring when bursting into bud — in summer when wreathed with foliage — in autumn when weighed down with fruit- — and in winter when divested of their verdure, — they have an indescribable likeness which will at once enable all, who can appreciate the variable forms peculiar to trees, to recognize each variety. Having thus stated my objects in presenting the Fruits of America to my countrymen, — leaving them to judge of the faithfulness of the work,-r- 1 have only to say, that no exertions will be spared to render the future volumes fully equal in every respect to this ; and to surpass it so far as the beautiful art, in which it is executed, is capable of being improved. CONTENTS. The Standard names are in Roman letler ; and the Synonymes in Italics. APPLES. Baldwin 11 Late Baldwin 11 Benoni 83 Early Harvest 75 Early French Reineite ...-.> 75 Hubbardston Nonsuch 67 Harvest 75 July Pippin 75 July Early Pippin 75 Large Early 75 Large Early Harvest 75 Large White Juneating . . . 75 Northern Spy 19 Pecker 11 Porter 43 Prince's Harvest 75 Red Astrachan 35 Steele's Red Winter .*, 11 Tart Bough 75 Yellow Harvest 75 CHERRIES. Allen's Favorite , 23 Blgarre.au de Mai 55 Baumann's May 55 Black Eagle -. 85 Cerise Anglaise Tardive 37 Early Purple Guigne 93 Early Purple Griotte 93 Late Duke 37 May Bigarreau 55 •Sweet Montrnorency 23 PEACHES. Crawford's Early „ 29 Crawford's Early Melacaton 29 Eaily York 45 Early Purple 45 Early Crawford 29 Large Early York . . 45 Stetson's Seedling , 53 PEARS. Andrews...-....-. •. 9? Amory „... 97 Barnard -. .-. 51 Belle Heloise 47 Belle'de Berry 47 Belle Lucrative 41 Beurre d' Aremberg 1 Beurre d' Aremberg 7 Beurre Deschamps 1 Beurre Bosc ". 65 Beurre Diel 77 Beurrdd'Yelle 77 Beurre d' Yelle 65 Beurre d' Hiver Nouvelle 7 Beurre d'Hardenpont , „ 7 Beurre de Malines 15 Beurre' de Cambron ,,,... 7 Beurri des Orphelines 1 •Beun e'ou Bbrmt Louise Auradore 39 Beurre d'Anjou 61 Beurre1 Incomparable 77 Beurre Magniftque 77 Beurrd Royal 77 Beurre Sieulle 17 Beun 4 Spence 51 Beurre Lucrative 41 Bergamot d'Avranches 39 Bergamot Lucrative 41 Bonne de Malines 15 Bosch 51 Bosc Sire 51 Bosc's Flaschenlnrnc ^5 Bouche Nouvellt » 51 Brilliant 51 Burgermeester 47 Calebasse Bosc, 65 Celestin 5 Colmar Deschamps 1 Colmar d' Hiver 7 Clion 47 D' Aremberg Parfait 1 De Melon 77 Deaf born 's Seedling , 63 Vlll Deschamps 1 Vespoiiberg 13 Did 77 Dix 69 Des Trois Tours 77 Diels Bulterbirne 77 Dillen.... 77 Dorothee Royal 77 Doyenne d'Ete . 59 Doyenne de Juillet 59 Doyenne "Boussock 31 Doyenne Boussock Nouvelle 31 Doyenne Broussach 31 Doyenne1 Sieulle . 17 Duchess of Angouleme 73 Duchess of Orleans 91 Due d'Aremberg 1 Dumas 47 Etourneau . . . .- 15 Flen>ish Beaut y 51 .Fondante de Automne 41 Fondante du Bois 51 Fourcroy Bouvier 77 Gibson 97 Golden Beurre of Bilboa 99 Golden Beurre 99 Gore's Heathcot 89 Gros Dillen 77 Grosse Dorothee 77 Glout Morceau 7 Got Luc de Cambron 7 Goulu Morceau 7 Hardenpont d'Hiver 7 Hardenpont's Winter Bulterbeirne ... * 7 Heathcot 89 Hooper's Bilboa 99 Imperatrice de France 51 Josephine 51 Kronprinz Ferdinand 7 Kronprinz Ferdinand Van Oestreich ft 7 Las Canas 71 // Orpoline 1 La Belle de Flandres 51 La Bonne Malinoise 15 LeCure 47 Linden d' Automne 7 Louise Bonne of Jersey 39 Louise Bonne de Boulogne. 5 Louise Bonne d'Avranches 39 Melon de Kops 77 Milanaise Cuvelier 15 Monsieur 47 Monsieur Is Cure , 47 Marianne Nouvelle 65 Ne Plus Meuris .... .-..., 61 Nelisd'Hiver ..1 15 Onondaga 21 Onondaga Seedling 21 Paradise d'Automne 57 Pater Nolle 47 P oil e de Boulogne 5 Poire de Jersey 39 Poire de Mons 13 Roi de Wurtemberg. , 7 llostiezer 49 Saint Andre 79 Soldat Labourer 1 Sieulle 17 Stuck 7 Summer Doyenne 59 Swan's Orange 21 Sijlvcmge Verle d'Hiver. . 77 Tyson 33 Van Mons Leon le Clerc 5 Vicompte de Spoelberch 13 Vicompte de Spoelberg., '. 13 Winter Nelis ,. 15 William theFourth 39 Vicar of Winkfield 47 PLUMS. Bolmar 87 Bolmar's Washington 87 Bury Seedling 81 Coe's 81 Coe's Golden Drop 81 Coe's Imperial 81 Fair's Golden Drop 81 Franklin 87 Golden Gage 81 Golden Drop 81 King of Plums 81 Mew Washington 87 New Golden Drop 81 Superior Gage 87 Superior Green Gage 87 Thomas *.. 95 Washington 87 Waterloo 81 STRAWBERRIES. Boston Pine 27 Hovey's Seedling 25 THE BEURJt.ED.AKEMBE.RG Pi THE BEURRE' D'AREMBERG PEAR. BEUBEE' D'AEEMBEEG. Hort. Trans, vol. v. p. 406. Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. Due D'AREMBERG, DESCHAMPS, L'ORPOLINE, BEURRE7 DBS ORPHELINES, BEURRE' DESCHAMPS, of some Collections. COLMAR DESCHAMPS, D'AREMBERG PARFAIT, SOLDAT LABOURER, of some French and Belgian Collections. AMONG all the pears, which have been produced by the French and Belgian pomologists, none hold a higher rank than the Beurre d'Aremberg. It pos- sesses, in a remarkable degree, all those superior qualities — hardiness, adaptation to various soils, pro- ductiveness, ripening freely, and keeping well — which constitute a first-class fruit. It is now upwards of twenty-five years since it was first introduced to Eng- land, and more than twenty years since it was added to American collections, through the liberality of the late Mr. Knight, who sent it to the Hon. John Lowell, from which source it has been disseminated ; but it is, with us, compara- tively a new variety, and, as yet, very little known. M. Noisette, a cele- brated French cultivator, many years ago, as early as 1805, introduced to Paris a fine pear, which he brought from the Due d'Aremberg's garden, in Belgium, which was widely disseminated as the Beurre d'Aremberg; but it subsequently proved to be the Glout Morceau, and hence has arisen the confusion which now exists in regard to these varieties. Proba- bly not more than one in ten of all the trees which are sold from the French nurseries, are the true d'Aremberg; and it has been doubted by some, whether the latter is even known in their collections. Several of the English nurseries also disseminate the Glout Morceau under the name of the Beurre d'Aremberg, and many American nurserymen still continue the same error. It is singular that so great a mistake should have been so long perpetuated, when the trees are so very dissimilar ; and it shows how important, in the identification of varieties, are the wood, leaves, and habit of growth of the tree. The Beurre d'Aremberg was raised about thirty-five years ago, by the Abbe Deschamps, at Enghein, in the garden of the Hospice des Orphe- lines, in that city. Deschamps called it, after the place, Beurre des BEURRE' D'AREMBERG PEAR. Orphelines ; M. Van Mons soon after named it Beurre Beanchamps, in honor of its discoverer; others called it Benrre d'Hardenpont ; and finally, the name of Beurre d'Aremberg was given to it by mistake, bnt, becoming most general, it has been retained. After so many years of confusion, in regard to the Beurre d'Aremberg and Glout Morceau, it is a principal object with cultivators to know every means of identifying the two kinds ; and we have selected these two varieties, not only on account of their intrinsic merits, but in order to bring together a comparison in this respect. The fruits of the two ripen at the same season, and often have a great resemblance ; but in all other characteristics there can be no two kinds scarcely more unlike. The habit of growth of the Beurre d'Aremberg is erect and regular, — that of the Glout Morceau, spreading and irregular. This we have illus- trated in the vignettes accompanying our descriptions of each, which are taken from our specimen trees, three years planted out, and now in a bearing state. The wood of the Beurre d'Aremberg is slender, long- jointed, with short, roundish buds, and of a clear yellowish brown ; — that of the Glout Morceau, stout, short-jointed, with very prominent, pointed, diverging buds, and of a dark olive. The leaves of the former are nar- row and folded, with scarcely any serrature ; — those of the latter, broad, wavy, and deeply serrated. The Beurre d'Aremberg is a most productive variety, and to have the fruit of good size it is necessary to thin them considerably. The fruit has, also, the rare merit of not being blown off the trees easily by heavy winds. It grows freely either upon the quince or pear, and comes into bearing, generally, about the third year. It prefers a good strong loamy soil, but produces good crops on such as are quite unfavorable to some other varieties. The fruit, when gathered, if put into clean barrels or boxes and placed in a cool situation, ripens as freely as the Baldwin apple. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, erect, with upright branches, rather compact and regular in growth ; the lateral shoots often pushing near the extremity of the main branches. WOOD. — Clear yellowish brown, sprinkled with oblong, pale brown specks; on trees of some age, slightly raised above the bark; growth erect, rather slender, long-jointed, with small, short, plump buds : Flower-buds oval, with smooth brown scales. LEAVES. — Medium size, oblong, tapering little to the end, rather light green, nearly entire on the old wood, but slightly serrated on the young growth, somewhat folded, and often with the mid-rib much recurved : petioles medium length. [2] BEURRE' D'AREMBERG PEAR. FLOWERS. — Large, yellowish white; petals oblong, recurved at the edges, and tapering much to the claw, which is long. FRUIT. — Medium size, often large, about three inches long and two and three quarters in diameter: Form, obovate, slightly angular, full at the crown, and tapering gradually to the stem: Skin, somewhat rough, pale green, becoming pale yellow when mature, russeted around the eye, with many tracings and slight markings of bright russet over the surface : Stem, short, about half an inch, stout, knobby and uneven, green and brown, fleshy at the base, and very obliquely inserted without any cavity: Eye, small, closed, and deeply sunk in a smooth, funnel-shaped basin ; segments of the calyx short, sometimes entirely absent : Flesh, yellow- ish white, rather coarse, melting and very juicy : Flavor, exceedingly rich, vinous, refreshing and delicious, with a high perfume : Core, large : Seeds, large, roundish, plump, pale brown. The usual season of maturity is January, but it often ripens as early as November, and, with little care, it may frequently be kept till Feb- ruary. [3] TEE GLOTJT MOROEATT PEAR Fnurs of .America, Plate N"° Drawn from Untiir e o (.'firomoBftf BvSkT| 3 THE GLOUT MORCEAU PEAR. Hort. Soc. Cat., 3d Ed. 1842. GLOUT MOECEAU. Hort. Trans., vol. vii., p. 179, pi. 4, fig. 2. BEURRE/ D'HARDENPONT, HARDENPONT D'HIVER, COLMAR D'HIVER, BEURRE7 D'HIVER NOUVELLE, GOT Luc DE CAMERON, KRONPRINZ FERDINAND, BsuRRE7 DE CAMBRON, KRONPRINZ FERDINAND VON OESTREICH, LINDEN D'AUTOMNE, ROI DE WURTEMBERG, GOULU MORCEAU, HARDENPONT'S WINTER BUTTERBIRNE, STUCK, \ BEURRE' D'AREMBERG, of French Authors and Collections. of some German Collections. THE Glout Morceau, from its having been so generally disseminated under the name of the Beurre d'Aremberg, is to be found in almost every good collection of pears ; and those who have re- ceived it under that name may be gratified to know, that they possess a variety, whose merits, according to Mr. R. Thompson, are superior to those of the true Beurre d'Aremberg. Though we do not give it a higher rank than the latter pear, still we consider it in every respect as equal to it, and deserving a place in all collections, however small and select. The two varieties are quite unlike as regards flavor ; the Beurre d'Aremberg being sprightly and vinous, while the Glout Morceau is rich and sugary, without the least acid. Those, therefore, who like a sweet or honied pear, would give the preference to the latter; while those who like a brisk and refreshing one, to the former. It is a remarkably hardy and vigor- ous variety, preferring a strong soil rather than a light one ; an abundant bearer, ripening freely and keeping well. It succeeds admirably upon the quince, small trees producing very heavy crops ; but, on the pear, it is more tardy in coming into bearing than the d'Aremberg. We have already stated that one of the principal objects, in selecting the Beurre d'Aremberg and Glout Morceau for this number, was to make a comparison of the two, and point out the means of identification, that the confusion so long existing might be cleared up. In our account of the Beurre d'Aremberg, we described the difference in the growth, wood, and leaves of each ; and the accompanying vignettes are annexed to rep- GLOUT MORCEAU PEAR. resent more plainly the dissimilarity of habit, — so great as to distinguish them at the first glance. Our artist has executed our drawing with great fidelity; and a careful comparison of the wood and leaves of the two va- rieties, will show how much they differ in these important points. The Glout Morceau is more variable in its form than the Beurre d'Aremberg, but its general shape is that we have represented, which is from a stand- ard tree upon the pear stock : frequently they are more obtuse and an- gular, with very stout stems, somewhat resembling the quince, especially when grown upon the quince stock ; and our outline engraving on the next page represents a specimen of the latter character. The Glout Morceau was raised in Belgium, by Counsellor Harden- pont, of Mons, and was sent to England, at the same time as the Beurre d'Aremberg, in 1820, by M. Parmentier, of Enghein. Mr. Knight sent it to Mr. Lowell, in 1832, under the name of Colmar d'Hiver, and Mr. Manning received it just afterwards, from the London Horticultural So- ciety. The meaning of the name has been a subject of much conjecture and inquiry ; and the explanation which appears most reasonable is that of Mr. Thompson, who thinks it originated from the words Glout (or Goulu), sugar, and Morceau, morsel — meaning, from its richness, sugar or honied morsel ; an appellation which it fully deserves. In the Pomological Magazine, (vol. ii. p. 83,) is a figure of the Beurre d'Aremberg pear, but so unlike any specimens which have come under our observation, as to lead us to the supposition that it was made from the Glout Morceau, by mistake. The wood is described as clear yellow- ish brown, while, in the plate, it is dark olive ; the leaves are stated to be nearly entire, while they are represented with deep serratures ; the stem, which is so peculiar and oblique in the Beurre d'Aremberg, is long, straight, smooth, and deeply inserted, in the drawing; and, finally, the flavor is stated to be " extraordinary rich and sweet," while Mr. Thomp- son has very recently described it as having an " acidity" which some do not approve. M. Poiteau figures it, in his Pomologie Franfaise, (vol. ii. pi. 70,) as the Beurre d'Aremberg; and M. Noisette, in the Jardin Fruit- ier, (vol. iii. p. 170,) gives a drawing of it under the same name. TREE. — Vigorous, branching off regularly from the main stem, at right angles, when the trees are young, but, at the age of four or five years, assuming a spreading, irregular, and often declining habit. WOOD. — Dark olive, sprinkled with distinct, round, grayish specks, short-jointed, with short, stout, crooked spurs ; on its becoming older, the bark assumes a very peculiar gray appearance ; buds, diverging, broad at the base, short, and very pointed ; flower-buds of medium size, oblong, tapering much to the point, with rather smooth, brown scales. GLOUt MORCEAU PEAR. LEAVES. — Broad, thick, deep green, wavy at the edges, deeply and sharply serrated : petioles rather short and stout. FLOWERS. — Medium size, ahout an inch in diameter, of a beautiful white, and opening nearly flat. FRUIT. — Large, about three inches long and two and a half in diameter: Form, slightly oblong, large and full at the crown, suddenly contracted near the stem, and ending in an obtuse point : Skin, rough and pale green, be- coming of a rich, waxen yellow when mature, russeted around the stem, with traces of russet over the surface, inter- spersed with dark greenish and grayish russet specks : Stem, medium length, about one inch, very thick, especially when taken from the tree ; uneven, smooth, pale russety brown, and obliquely inserted in a slight cavity : Eye, medium size, open and deeply sunk in a rather furrowed basin : Flesh, white, fine, buttery, melting and very juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, perfumed and delicious : Core, large : Seeds, large. RIPE from December to February, according to the season ; its usual period, December. 17] TEE ~VM NONS LEON IE CLERC PEAR fruits oF America ,PFate Drawa from Yaturt- iv Cftromc Irrhd" 6y ^iarp S- 5on. THE VAN MONS LE'ON LE CLERC PEAR. VAN MONS LE'ON LE CLERC, Q-ard. Mag., vol. xv., p 579. POIRE DK BOULOGNE, } CELESTIN, \ of some French Collections. LOUISE BONNE DE BOULOGNE, 3 No pear of recent introduction has been heralded with more praise than the Van Mons Leon le Clerc. Some writers have called it the best pear hi exist- ence; while others, among whom was Van Mons, have given it the highest rank among the numer- ous varieties which have been produced. These encomiums, however, have not been improperly be- stowed, for its character has been fully maintained since its introduction to American collections, not- withstanding the last was rather an unfavorable season for some varieties. It possesses the good qualities of hardiness, productiveness, and coming early into bearing; and, notwithstanding the very large size of the fruit, it ripens off well, attaining a rich and beautiful color, and comes in at a desirable season, between the late fall and early winter varieties, when there is a scarcity of first-rate pears. Viewing all its properties, it may be truly ranked among the best which have yet enriched our collections. The Van Mons Leon le Clerc is stated to have been raised from seed by M. Leon le Clerc, of Laval, France, and a full account of its origin will be found in the Magazine of Horticulture, (vols. vi. p. 47, and vii. p. 285.) It was offered for sale, in the fall of 1838, by M. Langelier, of Jersey, in whose hands M. le Clerc placed the entire stock. The supe- riority of the specimens exhibited before the London Horticultural Soci- ety, and the opinion of Mr. Thompson that its qualities were of " first- rate excellence," created a great demand for the trees, which were disposed of at a guinea each. The Leon le Clerc flourishes equally as well upon the quince as upon the pear, and comes early into bearing, about as early as Williams's Bon Chretien. A rich, warm and deep soil seems to be the most favorable to the growth of superior fruit. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, with upright and somewhat irregular branches; the bark on the old wood assuming, in different places, a dark, coarse and crackled appearance, similar to that of an oak. WOOD. — Clear yellowish olive, rather short-jointed, very smooth on the young growth, and sprinkled with distinct, slightly oblong, grayish [9] VAN MONS LE'ON LE CLERC PEAK. white specks ; buds, medium size, short, flattened and pointed, with rather prominent shoulders: Flower-buds long and rather obtuse, with loose, grayish scales. LEAVES. — Medium size, rather long and narrow, tapering much to the point, nearly smooth, bright green and glossy, with scarcely perceptible serratures : petioles long and slender. FLOWEBS. — Small ; petals yellowish white. FKUIT. — Large, about four and a half inches long, and three inches in diameter: Form, obtuse pyramidal, nearly regular, largest about the middle, tapering to a slightly obtuse point at the stem : Skin, fair, smooth, pale yellow, becoming orange when mature, little russeted at the base of the stem, slightly browned on the sunny side, and regularly sprinkled with numerous small russet specks : Stem, medium length, about one inch, moderately stout, curved, and obliquely inserted, little on one side, in a very shallow cavity: Eye, large, open, and rather deeply depressed in an open and slightly ridged basin ; segments of the calyx long, pointed, and so much reflexed as to lie quite back upon the fruit : Flesh, yellowish, fine, buttery, melting and juicy : Flavor, rich, brisk, vinous, perfumed and delicious : Core, medium size : Seeds, large, very long and pointed. RIPE in November, and is in eating from four to five weeks, [10] TEE BALDWIN APPLE. Fruits .of America, Plate N"? Drawn frorn JJature 8- Cfiromo, Itth* "by Sharp « THE BALDWIN APPLE. BALDWIN. Thatcher's American Orchardist, p. 121. > of some American Collections. PECKER, LATE BALDWIN, STEELE'S RED WINTER, THE Baldwin is the most popular apple of New England, and is cultivated to a much greater ex- tent than any other variety. Several large and fine orchards are to be found in the vicinity of Boston, some of which produce about one thou- sand barrels of fruit every bearing year. For ex- portation, it is much sought after; and the large number of fifteen hundred barrels have been sent to the East Indies in one season. Considering the hardiness, vigor, productiveness, and adapta- tion to all soils, of the Baldwin, and its size, beauty, long keeping and superior flavor, it must be ranked among the very finest apples which this country has yet produced. The Baldwin originated in the town of Wilmington, in Middlesex Coun- ty, about a century ago ; and the most correct account of it we have ever read, appeared in the Magazine of Horticulture for 1835, (vol. i.) The original tree grew on the farm of Mr. John Ball : this farm was situated about three miles southeast of Lowell: Mr. Ball purchased the farm, then wholly uncultivated, about the year 1740, and, not long after, this variety came up in a lane leading from the house to the barn. Its cul- tivation was confined to the immediate neighborhood for many years, when the late Col. Baldwin, of Woburn, became acquainted with it. He at once perceived its great excellence and brought it into notice, and from him it received its present name. In 1817, the original tree was alive, but, between that period and 1832, it disappeared. From Woburn, the cultivation of this apple extended to the adjoining towns, and, in West Cambridge and Watertown, the orchards which were planted were chiefly filled with Baldwins. From the period of its first introduction to notice, it has continued to increase in popularity, and, at the present time, notwithstanding the increase of new sorts, the variety which is in the greatest demand with nurserymen, as well as that which is the most sought after in the market, is the Baldwin. The Baldwin grows vigorously and forms a large and handsome head, rather compact, unless judiciously pruned. It appears adapted to all soils ; but that which suits it best, and in which the finest and highest- colored specimens are produced, is a strong, rich loam. rm I BALDWIN APPLE. TREE. — Vigorous, very straight, erect, and regularly branched when young, as represented in the vignette, which is from a tree two years budded; when full grown, forming a large round head, WOOD. — Deep reddish chestnut, stout, slightly downy, rather long- jointed, and sprinkled with large, round, white specks ; buds rather large, with prominent shoulders, broad, obtuse, flattened and inclining towards the branch. Flower-buds oval, with brown scales, and slightly woolly. LEAVES. — Large, thick, cordate at the base, roundish ovate, suddenly tapering to a point, doubly and rather obtusely serrated, wavy, and curled inwards at the edges ; the under side downy, with strong, reddish nerves ; petioles stout and rather short; stipules medium length, linear. FLOWERS. — Large and showy, tinged with pink FRUIT. — Large, about two and a half inches deep, and three broad: Form, roundish, largest about the middle, and narrowing little to the eye : Skin, fair, smooth, glossy, bright yellow in the shade, but nearly covered with deep orange red, approaching to scarlet, indistinctly striped with crimson, and covered with prominent grayish specks, thickest near the crown; blotched with russet in the cavity around the stem, which, in some specimens, extends in irregular tracings over the base of the fruit: Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch, rather slender, curved, and obliquely inserted in a regular and moderately deep cavity: Eye, medium size, closed, and sunk in a rather deep and slightly plaited or furrowed hollow ; segments of the calyx long and woolly : Flesh, yellowish, fine, crisp and tender : Juice, abundant, sugary, with a delicious admixture of acid, rich, brisk, and high-flavored : Core, medium size, very close : Seeds, rather large and pointed, but mostly abortive. RIPE in December, and keeps in excellent condition till May or June. [12] THE VJCOHPTE DE SPOEIBERCE PEAR. Prutts of ATTimca^fate A~° Drawn, from Fahire & Chroma litli-' by ,SFiarp » Son. THE VICOMPTE DE SPOELBERCH PEAR. VICOMPTE DE SPOELBERCH. Revue des Revues. (N. E, Farmer, vol. x.) VICOMPTE DE SPOILBERG, } DESPOILBERG, S of some French Collections. POIRE DE MONS, } ABOUT the year 1829, the late Mr. Manning, Gen. Dearborn, and Wm. Kenrick, with the zeal which they ever manifested in pomological science, opened a cor- » respondence with Dr. Van Mons, for the purpose of securing some of the new and fine varieties of pears J which he had originated. Their request for scions was most liberally complied with, and, in the spring of 1831, upwards of seventy varieties were received, em- bracing, as Dr. Van Mons stated, the sorts which pos- sessed the "greatest merit" in his extensive collection ; and, among them, the Spoelberch. With the scions, Dr. Van Mons sent a copy of his Pornographic Belgique Moderne, which con- tained lithographed figures of several of his choicest seedlings, and also several parts of the Revue des Revites, a work in which complete descrip- tions of all his best pears were to be given by himself. Gen. Dear- born immediately made a translation of the descriptions of those which Dr. Van Mons designated as the best, and the Vicompte de Spoelberch was one of the number. In consequence of the high character given to this variety, cultivators were very anxious to possess it ; but we believe, until 1845, it had not fruited in any of the collections around Boston. Unfortunately, the first package of scions received were so long de- layed on the passage, that nearly or quite all died. Later, a duplicate lot of scions was forwarded, but the Vicompte de Spoelberch was one among the number which never survived. It first fruited in our collec- tion in 184 5, from trees received from Jersey, and it proves to be an ex- ceedingly rich and delicious pear, somewhat of the character of the Winter Nelis. It was named in honor of the Vicompte de Spoelberch, a mem- ber of the Botanical and Agricultural Society of Louvain. The Vicompte de Spoelberch is of moderately vigorous growth, and flourishes either upon the pear or quince stock. It comes into bearing early, and is a productive variety. Our specimens were from a small tree upon the quince, about four years from the bud or graft. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, erect, and of rather compact habit, with the ends of the branches inclining towards the main stock: annual shoots rather stout, wrinkled, and contorted. [13] VICOMPTE DE SPOELBERCH PEAK. WOOD. — Yellowish brown, stout, short-jointed, and thickly sprinkled with grayish white specks; annual shoots woolly; buds large, short, broad, pointed, and flattened : Flower-buds large, oblong-oval. LEAVES. — Large, elongate, pointed, smooth, dark green, narrower towards the end than at the base, recurved, and somewhat folded, irreg- ularly and rather obtusely serrated ; petioles short and rather slender. FLOWERS. — Medium size, very slightly cupped ; petals oblong. FRUIT. — Large, about three inches long, and two and a half in diam- eter : Form, obovate, full, and slightly flattened around the eye, swollen towards the middle, and contracted near the stem, where it is also a little flattened : Skin fair, slightly rough, greenish yellow, becoming of a fine lemon yellow when mature, washed and marbled, or blotched, with purplish red on the sunny side, somewhat russeted in patches extending from the stem, and covered with small, greenish brown specks : Stem, rather long, about one and a half inches, stout, swollen, curved, and obliquely attached to the fruit by a fleshy junction : Eye, medium size, and moderately sunk in a small round basin ; segments of the calyx short and stiff", projecting : Flesh, white, fine, buttery, melting, and very juicy: Flavor, rich, sprightly, saccharine, and delicious, with a very high per- fume : Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, dark, nearly round. RIPE in December, and keeps into January. Dr. Van Mons calls it " decidedly a winter fruit," sometimes keeping till spring. [14] I.-uits of Ameirc^Pwip W" THE WINTER KELIS PEAR. .Drawn, from JTatirre & IThrorao Lufi^ fy Simrp THE WINTER NELIS PEAR. WINTER NELIS. Pomological Magazine, vol. iii. pi. 126. LA BONNE MALINOISE, Hort. Trans, vol. v. p. 408. BONNE DE MALINES, Hort. Trans, vol. iii. p. 353. BEURRE7 DE MALINES, 1 MILANAISE CUVELIER, £ Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. ETOURNEATJ, } NELIS D'HIVER, of some Collections. THE Winter Nelis deservedly ranks among the very best winter pears which have yet been pro- duced. Though of only medium size and rather unprepossessing appearance, its peculiarly rich, sugary, and high-flavored qualities have gained for it a popularity surpassed by no other pear. As a hardy, vigorous, and productive tree, ripen- ing its fruit freely and keeping well, it must be classed with the very few first-rate pears which we yet possess. Mr. Thompson remarks, that there are few varieties "upon the merits of which connoisseurs do not differ ; but that the Winter Nelis is one which all agree to be of the highest excellence." This fine pear was raised by the Chevalier Nelis, of Mechlin, and was first introduced into English gardens by the London Horticultural So- ciety, and described and figured in their Transactions, above quoted, as La Bonne Malinoise ; but subsequently this name was cancelled, and that of the Winter Nelis substituted, hi honor of the originator of so superior a variety. For its first introduction to our gardens, we are in- debted to the late Mr. Knight, who sent it to Mr. Lowell, in 1823 ; Mr. Manning received it from Mr. Lowell, and, from, the Pomological Garden, it has been extensively disseminated. The Winter Nelis produces very regular and good crops, and comes into bearing the fourth or fifth year : it seems to flourish in any situa- tion, and on light soils, where some kinds do not succeed well, the Nelis proves to be excellent. It does not grow well upon the quince. TREE. — Vigorous, irregular in its growth, some of the branches bend- ing inward towards the main stem, while others assume a straggling and declining habit. The old wood thickly lined with small short spurs, as shown hi our vignette, which is from a tree four years from the bud or graft. The tree is also very late in leafing out in spring. [151 WINTER NELIS PEAK. WOOD. — Dark brownish yellow, slender, short-jointed, and sprinkled with small grayish russet specks ; annual shoots always curved at the ends; buds remarkably prominent, diverging, long, full, and sharply pointed : Flower-buds medium size, oval. LEAVES. — Medium size, very long and narrow, tapering to each end, folded, slightly recurved on the midrib, without serratures, and generally pendent ; petioles long and slender. FLOWEKS. — Large; petals obovate, reftexed at the edges, tapering much to the claw. FKUIT. — Medium size, about two and a half inches long, and two and a quarter in diameter : Form, obovate, largest in the middle, rounding off towards the eye, and contracted near the stem, where it ends ob- tusely : Skin, rough, dull yellowish green, becoming yellower when ma- ture, and nearly or quite covered with brownish russet, darkest on the sunny side, with a few dark specks interspersed over the surface : Stem, long, about one and a quarter inches, rather slender, largest at the end adjoining the branch, smooth, dark brown, and slightly sunk in a shallow cavity : Eye, medium size, open, and moderately sunk in a round basin ; segments of the calyx broad and pointed : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, melting, buttery, and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, highly perfumed, and delicious : Core, medium size : Seeds, large, nearly black. RIPE in December, and frequently keeps till February. [16] THE SIEULLE PKAH I'Vuil:: nl' Anii;rn:;i l'l;ik' N" drawn J'l'oin If.iliire % CliK/mi) lillr1 by .'i'li.irp THE SIEULLE PEAR. SIEULLE. Bon Jardinier, 1828 ; Jardin Fruitier, pi. Ixxix. DOYENNS/ SIEUI.LX, Mag, of Hort. vol. xii. p. 175. BEURRE' SIECLLE, flort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. THE Sieulle, though introduced to notice upwards of thirty years since, is comparatively a new fruit, and does not appear to have been generally known to European pomological writers. The first descriptive / account of it is given in the Bon Jardinier. Noisette also describes and figures it in his Jardin Fruitier. Lindley does not mention it, but it is enumerated in the Catalogue of the London Horticultural Society for 1832, as one of the kinds which had been proved, and is there classed among those of the first quality. It is certainly somewhat remarkable that a variety, possess- ing such excellent qualities, should not have attracted more attention, and have been more generally introduced into collections. Few pears surpass the Sieulle. It is of large size and beautiful appearance, having a fair skin, and bright red cheek; and, though not quite so melting as the White Doyenne, to which it is allied, it possesses the same rich, sprightly, and refreshing flavor, comes in at a more desirable season, and keeps from four to six weeks. This superior pear was raised by M. Sieulle, in the garden of the Due de Choisel, of Praslin, and was first brought to notice in 1815, at which period, or soon after, M. Noisette introduced it into his collection at Paris. In 1828 or '29, the Messrs. Prince, of Flushing, introduced it to their collection, and disseminated the trees, but we do not learn of its fruiting around Boston until 1844 or '45, when fine specimens were produced by several cultivators. It thrives well either upon the quince or pear stock, but the finest specimens we have yet seen were grown upon the quince. Our painting is from a beautiful pear, received from Mr. Gr. B. Fowler, of Plymouth, last season, whose tree, trained en aue- nouille, bears abundantly every year. We have also received it from the fine collection of J. P. Gushing, Esq., of Watertown, which contains all the choice pears to be found. On espaliers, in his garden, very large and beautiful specimens are produced. TREE. — Vigorous, upright, and rather compact, having much of the habit of the White Doyenne ; branches horizontal at first, but afterwards bending upwards, and very erect. [17] v SIEULLE PEAR. WOOD. — Brownish olive, moderately stout, rather long-jointed, smooth, and regularly speckled with large, grayish white specks ; buds rather prominent, short, full, and pointed : Flower-buds obovate. LEAVES. — Medium size, ovate, acuminate, light green, waved on the margin, and very finely and regularly serrated ; petioles very long and slender. FLOWERS. — Medium size, clear white ; petals obovate, and regularly cupped. FRUIT. — Large, about two and a half inches long, and two and a half in diameter : Form, roundish, little irregular, sometimes depressed, and tapering slightly towards the stem : Skin, fair, smooth, dull yellow and pale green, becoming very broadly shaded and marbled with bright red on the sunny side, and regularly covered with large, reddish russet specks, thickest where exposed : Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch, very stout, straight, smooth, and rather deeply sunk in a cavity formed by a swollen lip or projection on one side : Eye, me- dium size, open, and slightly depressed in a shallow basin ; segments of the calyx broad and reflexed : Flesh, white, fine, melting, and very juicy : Flavor, rich, saccharine, vinous, refreshing, perfumed, and excel- lent : Core, large : Seeds, large, dark brown. RIPE in November, and keeps till Januaiy. [18] THE NORTHERN SPY APPLE Prurte otAmerr ((1 fatDre 8.CIll,om „ THE NORTHERN SPY APPLE. NORTHERN SPY. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. x. p. 275. FOR many years, there have been no very remarkable additions to our varieties of late-keeping winter apples. The Baldwin, which has so long been the favorite, and justly held its place at the head, seems to have been one of those productions which combine all that nature is capable of be- stowing on the apple, and to excel it, or even equal it, is sufficient to give a new variety the very highest merit. 01 this character is the Northern Spy: in our estimation, it is surpassed by no other fruit ; and, if its qualities for produc- tiveness should prove equal to the Baldwin, it will dispute the palm with that esteemed and popular variety. It is one of the most beautiful apples ; having a rich, deep crimson skin, with purplish stripes, and covered with a soft bloom, like the Red Astrachan. In its keeping- qualities, it is superior to the Baldwin; and although its flesh is remarkably tender and juicy, it keeps perfectly sound, and retains all its freshness, till June. The Northern Spy was raised hi the town of East Bloomfield, N. Y., nearly fifty years ago, from seeds carried from Connecticut. The origi- nal tree was set out in the orchard of Heman Chapin, of that town, and suckers were taken from it by Roswell Humphrey, who first raised the fruit, the parent tree having died. For a long period, the variety was jvholly confined to the locality where it was raised, and it was not until 1840 or '41, that it first attracted the attention of cultivators : at that time, some very fine specimens of apples were seen in Rochester, as late as May, and, on inquiry, they proved to be the Northern Spy, an en- tirely new and remarkable seedling variety. A full account of its history and origin will be found in the Magazine of Horticulture for 1847, vol. xiii. pp. 72, 104. Much has been said of the productiveness of the Spy, some alleging that only a portion of the fruit is large and fair, and suitable for market, while others state that, in good soils and situations, it produces as good an average crop as other varieties. It bears regularly every year, and many of the specimens measure twelve inches in circumference. The tree is of upright and rather compact growth, and probably needs a care- ful and judicious pruning. If this is attended to, they will undoubtedly produce both large and perfect fruit. • 91 NORTHERN SPY APPLE. TREE. — Very vigorous, upright, and very regular, as represented in our vignette, which is from a tree three years grafted; when old, form- ing a handsome head. WOOD. — Dark reddish chestnut, rather slender, short-jointed, and thickly covered with very prominent, round, grayish specks ; buds very- small, short, and flattened : Flower-buds oval. LEAVES. — Medium size, ovate-oblong,, rich glossy green, tapering reg- ularly to the point, with one side of the base longer than the other ; margins wavy, with very irregular, rather sharp, and moderately deep ser- ratures ; petioles rather short and slender. FLOWERS. — Medium size, tinged with pink. FRUIT. — Large, about two and a half inches deep, and three and u half broad : Form, roundish-conical, flat and broad at the base, tapering much towards the crown, which is small : Skin, fair, smooth, yellow on the shady side, but nearly covered with bright glossy red and distinct stripes of rich purplish crimson, extending nearly to the eye ; often hav- ing a blotch of russet around the stem, marked with scattered yellow specks, and partially covered with a thin white bloom : Stem, short, about half an inch in length, rather slender, and very deeply inserted in a large, very wide, open, cavity : Eye, small, and rather deeply sunk in a medium sized, somewhat ribbed, and abruptly depressed hollow : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, crisp, and very tender : Juice, plentiful and brisk, of a rich sub-acid, possessing a peculiarly delicious aromatic flavor : Core, medium size, and rather open. RIPE in January, and keeps perfectly sound till June. [201 Amaru* 71 1! g "K9 HE SmNS 0: H THE SWAN'S ORANGE PEAR. SWAN'S ORANGE. Genesee Farmer, vol. vii. p. 25. ONONDAGA, Horticulturist, vol. i. p. 322. ONONDAGA SEEDLING, of some Collections in Western New York. No pear of recent introduction can claim so high a rank as the Swan's Orange. Possessing all the hardy and vigorous qualities of our hardiest native varieties, the fruit is not only of the largest size, hut unsurpassed in its beauty, and unequalled in excellence. The Van Mons Leon le Clerc has obtained, and justly, a high reputation, and has been designated as the " best pear in the world ;" yet Swan's Orange, considered in all its qualities, far surpasses it; and, if that epithet belongs to any variety, it is to the last named pear. In the Magazine of Horticulture, (vol. xiii. p. 243,) we have given a full account of this fine fruit, in which its history has been traced back to 1806, at which period scions were carried from Farmington, Conn., by Mr. Henry Case, of Onondaga, N. Y. In 1808, Mr. Case removed his tree to Liverpool, where he then resided, but it died in 1823. Previous to its death, however, scions had been distrib- uted ; and, among those who received them, was Dea. Joseph Swan, of Onondaga Hollow. About ten years ago, Mr. Swan's son, who resided in Rochester, carried some of the pears to that city for exhibition, and, from its great beauty as well as superior quality, the Horticultural Soci- ety, in compliment to Mr. Swan, called it Swan's Orange, its origin then being wholly unknown. It was not, however, until within a very few years, that its excellence became well known around Rochester, and more recent still that cultiva- tors have generally become acquainted with it. Last autumn, some beautiful specimens were sent us from Rochester, the largest of which measured twelve inches in circumference, and weighed thirteen ounces. The whole aspect of the tree denotes vigor and health : it grows well upon either the pear or quince stock. TREE. — Very vigorous, upright in its growth, forming a handsome head ; on young trees the lateral shoots are horizontal. Our vignette is from a tree grafted in 1843, now nine feet high, and bearing fruit. "WooD. — Clear olive, stout, rather short-jointed, and dotted with large, grayish specks ; old wood dark olive ; buds large, long, tapering to the point, diverging, with prominent shoulders : Flower-buds medium size. LEAVES. — Large, oblong, tapering to the end, thick, deep green, re- tail SWAN'S ORANGE TEAK. curved on the midrib, little wavy, partially folded, with prominent nerves, and coarse, rather deep serratures ; petioles medium length, stout. FLOWERS.-T— Medium size ; petals yellowish white, obovate, flat. FRUIT. — Large, about four and a half inches long, and three and a half in diameter : Form, oblong obovate, little uneven and irregular, or Bon Chretien-shaped; largest in the middle, narrowing to the crown, which is small, and tapering to the stem, near which, on one side, it is suddenly contracted : Skin, very fair, smooth, greenish yellow, but be- coming of bright yellow when mature, leaving a few traces of green ; smoothly russeted around the eye, faintly tinged with blush on the sunny side, and regularly covered with large, round, russet specks : Stem, rather short, about three quarters of an inch, moderately stout, grayish brown, with white specks, slightly fleshy at the base, curved, and ob- liquely inserted in a very shallow, contracted cavity, with a swollen lip or projection on one side : Eye, medium size, closed, and rather deeply sunk in a large, round, smooth basin; segments of the calyx broad, fleshy, and partially reflexed : Flesh, white, fine, very melting, buttery and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, sprightly, vinous and delicious, with a most agreeable and high perfume : Core, small, very close : Seeds, re- markably small, and very dark. RIPE in October, and will keep from three to four weeks. [22] THE SWEET MOlTIMOEENCr CHERRY. .PUt ji»iB THE SWEET MONTMORENCY CHERRY. SWEET MONTMORENCY. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xii. p. 344. ALLEN'S FAVORITE, of some Nursery Collections. THE number of American varieties of cherries is yearly increasing, and we may soon expect to find the principal kinds, in general cultiva- tion, our native varieties. Much improvement, however, we hope yet to see effected in this fine fruit. The late Mr. Knight, President of the London Horticultural Society, succeeded in producing several new sorts, by the process of cross-fertilization, which have held a high reputation ; but, since the origin of his seedlings, less attention seems to have been given to the production of new cherries than other fruits. The principal American varieties, of which we have several of great merit, have been accidental productions, and the Sweet Montmorency is one of the number. The earliest notice we have of it is that given by the late Mr. Manning, in his Synopsis of Forty-four varieties, in the Magazine of Horticulture, (vol. viii. p. 281,) which he had collected to- gether during many years, and produced from seed, and which he had fruited and proved in his Pomological Garden at Salem. Mr. Manning gave so favorable an account of this variety that we immediately pro- cured it; and, from trees budded in 1842, we had a small crop, the present year, for the first time. The Sweet Montmorency originated in the garden of Mr. J. F. Allen, in Chestnut street, Salem. It was an accidental seedling, which sprung up with others about the year 1831 or 1832. In 18 34, several of these seedlings were planted out, and, in 1836 or 1837, they came into bear- ing. Mr. Manning saw the fruit, and was so much pleased with it that he named it the Sweet Montmorency, from the supposition that it sprung from a seed of the common Montmorency cherry, an acid fruit. 9 It was the only tree which proved worthy of cultivation. The original tree is growing in Mr. Allen's garden, and, since it first began to bear, it has not failed to ripen a fine crop of fruit every season. It is scarcely ever injured by weather which usually cracks and injures most varieties. It is one of the latest sweet cherries, ripening at the same time as the Late Duke, and possesses the good quality of hanging long upon the tree after it is mature, and also of keeping some time after it has been gathered and placed in the fruit room. One peculiarity of the Sweet Montmorency is, that, soon after it begins to color, it be- comes of a fine red, and, by many cultivators, would be considered quite [23] SWEET MONTMORENCY CHERRY. ripe. In this state, however, it yet has a bitter taste ; but, as soon as it becomes deeply colored, and assumes a mottled appearance, the bitter- ness passes away, and it becomes perfectly sweet and delicious. It is a remarkably productive variety ; on a small forked branch, a foot long, we have counted nearly one hundred cherries. We have not given any vignette of the habit of growth of the Sweet Montmorency: the numerous varieties of the cherry have so great a re- semblance in general habit, that engravings would be of no great value, only in some particular sorts, which have a distinctive character. TREE. — Very vigorous, somewhat spreading, with erect, stout, annual shoots, similar to the Tartarian, but with the lateral branches more diverging. WOOD. — Strong, rather short-jointed, reddish brown, little dotted with russet, and covered with a grayish epidermis ; buds long, shortly pointed. LEAVES. — Medium size, ovate oblong, acuminate, largest about the middle, tapering to the point ; coarsely and rather deeply serrated, and slightly folded at the edge : petioles about two inches in length, stout, with two large reniform glands placed just at the base of the leaf. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals narrow ; style and stamens about equal. FRUIT. — Rather small, nearly round, little flattened at both ends, with a shallow suture on one side, and an indented point at the apex : Skin, pale amber in the shade, of a deep orange red in the sun, becoming darker when fully ripe, and mottled with yellow : Stem, rather short, about an inch in length, moderately slender, and inserted in a very shal- low hollow : Flesh, yellowish, very tender and melting, and slightly ad- hering to the stone : Juice, plentiful, rich, sweet, high flavored and delicious : Stone, small, round. RIPE the last of July and beginning of August. [44] Trmts a.f THE StfVEyis- SEE] CTKG n 'IBE-RRY: - Chromo Kt.\-L THE HOVEY'S SEEDLING STRAWBERRY. HOVEY'S SEEDLING. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. vi. p. 284. THE first really great improvement in the strawberry was made by Mr. Keens, of Isleworth, near London, about the year 1820, in the production of the variety so well known as Keens' Seedling. The late Mr. Knight and Mr. Keens pursued their experiments in raising new varieties about the same period ; but Mr. Knight was not so successful as Mr. Keens : he raised several varieties, among them the Downton and Elton, once very good sorts, but long since neglected in consequence of the superior quality of Keens' Seedling. Very recently, Mr. Myatt, of Deptford, near London, has succeeded in raising some varieties which have proved valuable in England, but, in our climate, they are inferior to our American seedlings. Soon after the introduction of Keens' Seedling into this country, about the year 1829, we added it to our collection, which, at that time, contained all the fine sorts which were to be obtained. A fondness for the culti- vation of the strawberry had induced us to collect every variety, which came to our knowledge, as soon as offered for sale. Keens' Seedling and Wilmot's Superb were the most noted, and they were added with the expectation that they would so far excel all others, as to discard the larger proportion of them from cultivation. But after the experience of three or four years, to our great disappointment, we found that it was quite impossible to secure a crop : the vines were either burnt up by the summer heat, or destroyed by the winter cold. - This was in 1832, and our collection then contained the Downton, Methven Scarlet, Melon, Bostock, Grove End Scarlet, Southborough, Knevet's Pine, Mulberry, &c. &c. Yet, out of the whole of these, we never could calculate upon a full crop ; and we came to the conclusion that nbne of them possessed sufficient good qualities to render them profitable or desirable for ordi- naiy cultivation. With this view, we thought it an object to try experi- ments in the growth of new varieties from seed, in order to procure such as should possess the great merits of hardiness, productiveness, size, flavor, and beauty combined ; and, though we made but a single trial, our expectations were fully realized in the production of the Seedling *and the Boston Pine. In the summer of 1832, we began to prepare the plants from which we intended to select the seed ; this was done by cutting off the runners during the season, in order to have them as strong as possible. When these plants came into flower, in 1833, the several sorts were properly [25] HOVEY'S SEEDLING STRAWBERRY. fertilized, and, when the berries were mature, they were gathered, the seeds washed out, and put away in bags. In February, 1834, the seeds were planted in boxes in the greenhouse, and the young plants removed to the open ground in June. In 1835, the plants produced some fruit, and, in 1836, they came into full bearing. The beds were then carefully looked over, and the qualities of more than thirty sorts noted down : among them was the Seedling, but the berries of this were so remark- able, that it was at once selected from the others and set out by itself. The remaining kinds were planted out for further trial, and the old beds dug up and destroyed. The single plant made only twelve runners the first year ; these were removed to a bed twelve feet long, setting them a foot apart, and during the season the young runners covered the ground. In 1838, it produced one of the most remarkable crops of remarkable strawberries we ever saw. Under the most ordinary cultivation, this variety produces a fine crop of large, handsome fruit. But it is absolutely necessary that the plants should be near some staminate variety, that the fertilization may be complete ; otherwise, a very small crop will be the result. For this pur- pose, we use only the Boston Pine, setting out alternate beds of each. VINES. — Very vigorous, more so than any other variety, except the Boston Pine, perfectly hardy, forming numerous runners. LEAVES. — Large; leaflets roundish, generally convex, obtusely ser- rated, with about twenty serratures ; surface rather smooth, deep brill- iant glossy green, and rarely ever spotted with brown; petioles short; leaf- stalks upright, medium length, moderately strong. FLOWERS. — Rather small, very regular in form ; petals -roundish, slightly imbricated and cupped ; sta- mens very short and imperfect, deficient in anthers; calyx very small, finely divided, and quite reflexed; scapes moderately strong, about the same length as the leaf-stalks, elevating the fruit from the ground ; pe- duncles rather long and slender. Every flower, when properly fertilized, is succeeded by a perfect berry. Our engraving represents the exact size and form of the flower. FRUIT. — Very large, often measuring five and a half inches in circum- ference, roundish ovate, slightly conical, with a short neck, never cox- como-shaped, even in the largest berries : Color, dark rich shining red, paler when grown in the shade : Seeds, dark, and imbedded in a small cavity : Flesh, scarlet, firm, nearly solid, abounding with a most agree- able acid, and exceedingly delicious and high-flavored juice. RIPE about a week after the Boston Pine, and continues in perfection during the whole strawberrv season. [26] Tiutts of THE BOSTON PINE STRAWBERRY. BOSTON PINE. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xi. p. 290. SINCE the production of the Hovey's Seedling and Boston Pine, thousands of plants have been raised from seed, by amateur cultivators and nurserymen in various parts of the country, although, before their origin, we are not aware of the growth of one American strawberry of any value. Indeed, the strawberry is as easily raised from seed as any other plant, and with the certainty of producing very good varieties. The French cultivators raise the Alpine strawberry in this way, as an annual, the plants bearing a fine crop the first year. But, in the production of new varieties of the strawberry, it is impor- tant that they should possess some qualities superior to those already known, in order to render them worthy the attention of the cultivator : merely as seedlings, they are of little value. There are many qualities which are requisite to the character of a first-rate fruit ; and the mere possession of a portion of them, without the others, will fail to give any variety a high rank for general cultivation. To combine the greatest number of these good properties was our object in the growth of new kinds, and we consequently rejected all but two of the many hundred seedlings which we produced. In our description of Hovey's Seedling, we have stated that, besides that variety, we noted down upwards of thirty other plants, which pos- sessed excellent qualities, and appeared deserving of further trial. Our expectations had been fully realized in the production of the former va- riety, yet some of the others were remarkably fine, and from them we thought one or two valuable varieties might be obtained. In the spring of 1838, six or eight of these varieties were planted out in a bed by themselves, and, during the season, made a fine growth. In 1839, they bore a fine crop : they were then carefully looked over again : three plants were now selected, and the remainder of them dug up. In 1841, the^had covered a good-sized bed, and produced an abundant crop of fruit. All these would have been called excellent sorts, but we only saved one, which, from its earliness, size, beauty, exquisite flavor, abun- dant product, and hardiness, appeared distinct from any kind in cultiva- tion. This was the Boston Pine. It has always been a source of regret to us, that our labels should have been so displaced, from the effects of frost in throwing them out of the ground, that we could not ascertain, with certainty, the parent- [27] BOSTX>N PINE STRAWBERRY. age of our two seedlings. The following is a copy of the various crosses, as taken from our manuscript journal of 1833 : — 1. Methven Scarlet, impregnated with Keens' Seedling. 3. Methven Scarlet, impregnated with the Melon. 3. Mulberry, impregnated with Keens' Seedling. 4. Mulberry, impregnated with Keens' Seedling and Melon. 5. Southborough, impregnated with the Prolific Hautbois. 6. Grove End Scarlet, impregnated with Keens' Seedling. We have always supposed the Seedling originated either from No. 1 or No. 4, and the Boston Pine from No. 6, as the latter combines the earliness of the Grove End Scarlet and the size of Keens' Seedling. The Boston Pine should receive good cultivation to have the fruit in the finest condition. If the plants are allowed to run together, the produce will not be half a crop. The soil should be good, and there should be a space of at least a foot between the rows. Each plant throws up from six to ten stems, and, if the roots do not find sufficient nourishment, many of the berries will not fill up and attain their proper size. Well grown, the plants are literally covered with fruit. VINES. — Exceedingly vigorous, rather more so than Hovey's Seedling ; runners numerous, and stronger than those of the latter named variety. LEAVES. — Large ; leaflets ovate, tapering much to the base, generally concave or partially folded, coarsely, deeply and -sharply serrated, num- bering about sixteen serratures ; pale dull green, with prominent nerves, and occasionally spotted with brown : petioles rather long, which give the leaflets a loose, spreading appearance, compared with Hovey's Seedling : leaf-stalks upright and strong, with horizontal hairs. FLOWERS. — Medium size, regular in form ; petals roundish, little imbricated and concave ; stamens me- dium length, stout, with numerous large anthers, al- ways perfect and abounding in pollen; calyx rather small, spreading, and partially reflexed ; scapes strong, upright, rather compact, elevating the fruit from the ground, and as long as the leaf- stalks, producing from eight to sixteen berries ; peduncles short and stout. FRUIT. — Very large, roundish, or very slightly conical, always regular in form, measuring from four to four and a half inches in circumference : Color, deep rich shining red : Seeds, yellow, but very slightly imbedded : Flesh, pale scarlet, fine grained, buttery, and solid, very juicy, sweet, and rich, with a brisk, high, and delicious flavor. RIPE about a week before Hovey's Seedling, at the same time as the Old Scarlet or Early Virginia, and continues a long time in bearing. [28] THEHARLY CRAWTOKD PEACH, of A nuurc a a PlattTJ! o"nvj Itth-. I THE EARLY CRAWFORD PEACH. EAELY CRAWFORD. American Orchardist, 3d Ed. 1841. CRAWFORD'S EARLY MELOCOTON, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. CRAWFORD'S EARLY, of some Collections. THE Early Crawford peach stands preeminent among the great num- ber of seedlings which have been produced by the zeal and perseverance of American cultivators. Notwithstanding very good seedling varieties may be calculated upon with considerable certainty, if pains are taken in the selection of the seeds, it is no very easy task to produce one which shall contain so many fine qualities, and take so high a rank, as the variety now under notice. Its remarkable beauty and very large size — its earliness and productiveness — its rich color and fine form — as well as its melting flesh and luscious flavor, place it first among the yellow- fleshed peaches. The Early Crawford was originated by William Crawford, Esq., of Middletown, New Jersey, but a few years since, and was first described by Mr. Kenrick, in the American Orchardist. It is esteemed in New Jersey as the very best of all the early peaches, and one of the most productive and profitable for extensive cultivation. Peach trees so much resemble each other in their shape, as well as habit of growth, that sketches of the trees would not possess any great value in the identification of kinds. The form of the fruit, of a larger part of the numerous varieties, is so similar, that outline engravings would, also, be of little use for the same object. We shall, therefore, omit these in our descriptions of peaches, and look to the leaves for peculiarities, which are invariable, and without recourse to which it would be almost impossible to identify any particular variety. These peculiarities are the glands, their form, or their entire absence, and are divided into three classes, as follows : — CLASS 1. Leaves deeply and doubly serrated, without glands.(a) CLASS 2. Leaves crenate or serrulate, with round or globose glands.(6) CLASS 3. Leaves crenate or serrulate, with irregular or reniformglands.(c) The blossoms also form a very distinguishing feature of peaches, and, though not so constant, or so much to be relied upon, as the leaves, they greatly assist in the labor of determining varieties. Duhamel had four classes of flowers, while Lindley reduces them to three, — large, medium, and small. But it requires nice observation and much practice to dis- tinguish accurately which are the medium-sized, and we therefore admit [29] EARLY CRAWFORD PEACH. only two sections, viz : 1st. Large flowers, always red in the centre, and pale on the margin ; and 2d. Small flowers, darkly shaded on the margin. A third and important sub- division is made in regard to the stone : 1. Free-stone peaches ; 2. Cling-stone peaches. This classification was begun by Duhamel and Miller, and improved upon by subsequent writers ; but it was brought nearest to perfection by the Count Lelieur and George Lindley. With the distinctions which we have here made, and which will always be fully noted in our descriptions, in connection with our colored plates, every observing pomologist or cultivator will soon be able to identify, with perfect accuracy, any particular kind, and we may confi- dently hope that the confusion now existing in the nomenclature of peaches may, ere long, be cleared up. We now complete our account of the Early Crawford : — LEAVES. — Rather large and long, crenated, with globose glands. FLOWERS. — Small. FRUIT. — Large, about three inches broad, and three and a half long : Form, roundish oblong, compressed slightly on the sides, one half a little larger than the other, with a broad, deep cavity at the base, and narrowing towards the apex; suture rather shallow, extending half round, and terminating in a small prominent point : Skin, deep yellow in the shade, rather downy, broadly shaded with rich deep red in the sun, with some mottlings, and numerous small crimson dots, extending to the shaded side : Flesh, deep yellow, melting, and slightly rayed with red at the stone, from which it separates freely : Juice, abundant, rich, sweet, and delicious : Stone, large, oblong, acute at the apex, not deeply furrowed. RIPE the last of August and beginning of September. [30] THE BOYETOTK BOTJ&SOCK PEAR.. ruit,s of-A.~m.eri.cd PLoteW , !D"M~wn.Ji THE DOYENNE' BOUSSOCK PEAR. DOYENNE' BOUSSOCK. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xiii. p. 68. DoYENNE7 BOUSSOCK NOUVELLE, American Orchardist, 3d Ed. DOYENNE' BROUSSACH, of some French Collections. IT is somewhat remarkable that a pear, pos- sessing the excellent qualities of the Doyenne Boussock, should not have had a more extended reputation, or have been better known to pomol- ogists. Our first knowledge of it was derived from the American Orchardist, where it was briefly noticed, and first made known to American col- lections, by Mr. Kenrick, on his return from Europe, in the spring of 1841. In a subsequent edition of the Orchardist, it was more fully de- scribed as follows : — " New and large ; of superior excellence ; ripening at Paris in November." (4th Ed. p. 101.) From this favorable notice, we were induced to add the variety to our collection ; and our trees hav- ing produced fine specimens the last two years, we are enabled to state that it fully equals the character ascribed to it by Mr. Kenrick. It is not only a very large and beautiful fruit, as our plate represents, but in quality it ranks with the best of our autumn pears, having much of the character of that old favorite, the White Doyenne. The late Mr. Manning received a variety under the name of Doyenne Boussock, (Mag. of Hort., viii. p. 56,) which proved to be the Doyenne gris, but subsequently he obtained and fruited the true one. It is somewhat singular, however, that among trees purchased at auction in Boston, which had been received from France, the true Doyenne Bous- sock has been discovered in three or four collections ; and the beauty and size of the specimens have surprised pomologists, who were quite unacquainted with such a variety. The Doyenne Boussock is very large, some of the specimens having the obtuse form and irregular surface of the Duchesse d'Angouleme, but generally it is of regular form. The tree grows freely either on the pear or quince, and comes early into bearing, about the third or fourth year. TKEE. — Vigorous, of a somewhat spreading, though generally upright, habit, the branches being horizontal at first, but making a long curve upwards, as our vignette represents. WOOD. — Clear yellowish brown, sparsely dotted with large pale brown specks, very stout, and rather short-jointed ; old wood dark yellowish [31] 00YENNE' BOUSSOCK FEAB. brown ; buds large, full, shortly pointed, diverging, with very prominent shoulders : Flower-buds often terminal on the long annual shoots, me- dium size, obtusely oval. LEAVES. — Large, roundish obovate, somewhat cordate at the base, tapering to the end, thick, deep green, nearly flat, recurved on the mid- rib, with rather prominent nerves, very slightly and obtusely serrated; petioles rather short and stout. In the autumn, the foliage assumes a deep tinge of red, FLOWERS. — Large ; petals roundish, cupped ; clusters compact. FRUIT. — Large, about three and a half inches long, and three inches in. diameter : Form, obtusely obovate, nearly regular, large and full at tjie crown, and tapering little to the stem, where it is very obtuse : Skin, fair, lemon yellow when mature, shaded with bright crimson in the sun, somewhat traced with russet, and regularly dotted all over with large, prominent, russet specks: Stem, short, about half an inch in length, stout, straight, wrinkled and fleshy at the base, and moderately inserted in a large, shallow cavity : Eye, medium size, open, and little sunk in a moderately deep, open basin ; segments of the calyx short, round: Flesh, yellowish white, rather coarse, melting, and very juicy: Flavor, rich, saccharine, sprightly, vinous, perfumed, and excellent: Core, medium size : Seeds, slender, long, almost black, and mostly abortive. RIPE in October, and keeps well for three or four weeks. [381 otA-mex-Ua. PUte N? THT'! .1 JR , THE TYSON PEAR. TYSON. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xii. p. 434. THE Tyson pear, though of very recent introduction to notice, has justly been placed among the best pears which our country has yet produced. Nearly, if not quite, equalling the Seckel in the rich, spicy aroma t which distinguishes that delicious variety, it is of larger size, with a more melting flesh, and comes in at an early season, just before the Williams's Bon Chretien, when we have but few fine pears. It is also a most vigorous grower, exceedingly hardy, and an abundant and very regular bearer. * The Tyson pear originated in Jenkintown, near Philadelphia, on the farm of Mr. Jonathan Tyson. It sprang up in a hedge ; and about the year 1794, the tree, then an inch or more in diameter, was removed to a more favorable situation. Five or six years after this, it began to produce fruit, which proved so good that several trees were then grafted with it. Suckers were also taken from the original tree, which produced the same fruit, thus showing its seedling origin. The original tree now stands in the village of Jenkintown, and, according to a communication to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, from Dr. Brinkle, of Phila- delphia, who measured the tree last spring, the trunk, at two feet above the ground, was six feet in circumference. This fine variety was introduced into the vicinity of Boston about the year 1837, or 1838, by the late Dr. Mease, of Philadelphia, and first fruited in 1842, in the garden of the late Wm. Oliver, Esq., of Dorches- ter, and our drawing is from specimens from this tree, now quite large, and in the possession of Mr. J. H. Welch. The Tyson is somewhat variable in form, as will be seen by our two outline engravings : often the stem end is much elongated, so as to give it a calabash shape ; several specimens have been received from Mr. Manning, all of which partake of this character. The vigorous habit of the tree probably prevents its fruiting as early as some varieties ; but it generally comes into bearing the fourth or fifth year. Whether it will succeed upon the quince has not yet been ascertained. TREE. — Vigorous, erect and upright, of very regular, pyramidal form ; branches numerous, quite erect, and thickly clothed with short spurs. WOOD. — Dull reddish brown, sprinkled with whitish specks, not very stout, and short-jointed ; old wood somewhat mottled or clouded with [331 YSON PEAR. yellowish brown ; buds medium size, round, tapering to a point, diverging, with rather prominent shoulders : Flower-buds medium size, obovate. LEAVES. — Medium size, ovate, tapering to each end, deep glossy green, little waved on the margin, and finely and regularly serrated; petioles medium length, moderately stout. FLOWEKS. — Small ; petals oblong, cupped, with a rather long claw. FRUIT. — Medium size, about two and a half inches long, and two inches in diameter : Form, pyramidal, but rather variable, sometimes of a calabash form, rounded at the crown, and regularly tapering into the stem : Skin, fair, nearly smooth, dull yellow, brightly shaded with red on the sunny side, somewhat russeted, and irregularly covered with black specks : Stem, long, about one and a half inches, moderately stout, curved, and obliquely attached to the fruit by a fleshy junction, often much swollen on one side : Eye, medium size, open, and slightly sunk in a round, very shallow, basin; segments of the calyx shorty Flesh, white, fine, melting, and very juicy : Flavor, rich, very sugary, and delicious, with a high, aromatic perfume, to which we are at a loss to give a name : Core, small : Seeds, small, plump, brown. RIPE the last of August and beginning of September. [34] THE RED ASTRA. MIAN" APP-LE big mil li! h'1 iir ok THE RED ASTRACHAN APPLE. RED ASTEACHAN. Pomological Magazine, vol. iii. pi. 123. IF a fruit should be entitled to the attention of cultiva- tors for its beauty alone, the Red Astrachan, among our great number of varieties, would bear off the palm. It has not only a rich, deep crimson, skin, often heightened by the peculiar abruptness of the coloring from the sunny to the shaded side, but it is covered with a soft bloom, as beauti- ful as that of a plum. Its fine appearance, however, is not its only recommendation ; for, although not quite equalling the Early Harvest, which ripens at about the same season, it is an excellent apple, and one without which no collection can be complete. It was first introduced into England, from Sweden, about the year 1816, and fruited in the garden of Mr. Atkinson, at Grove End, near London, in 1820, at which period it was exhibited before the London Horticultural Society, and noticed in their Transactions, (vol. iv.) Its beauty as well as excellence commended it to the notice of cultivators, and it was very generally disseminated. At what time it was introduced into this country we have no precise information. Though in many collec- tions of fruit, it is by no means extensively cultivated, and we believe that it has not yet been so abundantly raised as to be found in our mar- kets, only in exceedingly small quantities. It is a hardy and exceedingly vigorous variety, admirably adapted for dwarf trees, which, when loaded with fruit, have a very showy appear- ance. It comes into bearing rather early, young and thrifty trees often producing fruit the fourth or fifth year. The fruit should be gathered as soon as ripe, for, if allowed to hang upon the tree, it soon becomes mealy. TKEE. — Vigorous, upright, and regular in growth, forming a handsome and rather compact head ; young trees very erect, with short spurs on the main stem : our vignette is from a tree two years from the bud. WOOD. — Clear reddish chestnut, sprinkled with distinct whitish specks, stout, rather short-jointed, pubescent at the ends ; buds large, broad, with rather stout shoulders, and somewhat flattened : Flower-buds oval. LEAVES. — Medium size, roundish oblong, wavy on the margin, shortly acuminate, rather deeply and obtusely serrated; petioles of medium length, and moderately stout ; stipules narrow. FLOWERS. — Medium size. [36] ASTRACHAN APPLE. FEUIT. — Large, about three inches broad, and two and a half deep : Form, roundish, flattened at the base, and narrowing little towards the eye : Skin, very fair, smooth,- rich brilliant crimson on the sunny side, paler in the shade, though occasionally little greenish, sometimes rus- seted around the stem, dotted with large yellow specks, and covered with a thin whitish bloom : Stem, short, about half an inch in length, rather stout, straight, and moderately inserted in a broad, rather shallow basin : Eye, rather large, partially closed, and slightly depressed in a broad, shallow, and somewhat ridged basin : Flesh, white, with occasional stains of pink, fine, crisp, and tender : Juice, tolerably abundant, subacid and good : Core, large, rather close : Seeds, small, ovate. RIPE from the middle of August to the beginning of September. [36] THE iATE IDWE of THE LATE DUKE CHERRY. . LATE DUKE. Pomological Magazine, vol. i. pi. 45. . CERISE ANGLAISE TARDIVE, Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. THE origin of this fine late cherry is unknown. It was received from Paris, by the London Horticultural Society, and first produced fruit in their garden about the year 1827 or 1828 ; subsequent to which it was figured in the Pomological Magazine, above quoted. The authors of that work state, that, though " this cherry is only known to us through French gardeners, yet its name is evidence of its English origin;" but, up to that time, they had not been able to find it in any other collection than that of the society. Switzer and Hill, old writers of authority, (the same authors observe,) mention a Late May Duke or Late Duke cherry, which has been sup- posed to be the variety under notice ; but these names, though at that period to be found in numerous catalogues, were applied to trees in jio respect different from the original May Duke ; and, after a trial of all the numerous varieties, collected from all sources, in the society's garden, the name of the Late Duke was given to this cherry as being perfectly appropriate. Lindley, in the Guide to the Orchard, in his description of the Late Duke, observes that it has great affinity to the Arch Duke ; and Thomp- son, in a Synopsis of all the varieties cultivated in the garden of the society, published in the Transactions, (vol. viii. p. 248,) states that the " Arch Duke may not be found to be different when obtained correct, but that hitherto the May Duke had been received for it." Mr. Thomp- son had not probably had an opportunity of seeing the Arch Duke, for it is quite a different variety, and, when once seen in fruit, could not be confounded with the Late Duke. In the last edition of the Catalogue of the society, (1842,) it is made a distinct cherry. Every late cherry must prove a valuable acquisition to this fine fruit ; of this character is the Late Duke. It is not only of very large size, of a beautiful color, and an abundant bearer, but, in excellence, it is nearly or quite equal to the May Duke, once the most popular sort. These qualities, sufficient in themselves to render any variety valuable, are greatly enhanced by the prolonged season which the Late Duke gives to the cherry. All the cherries called Dukes have a peculiar upright or fastigiate [37] LATE DUKE CHERRY. habit, quite different from other kinds, and they may readily be detected by their more slender, short-jointed shoots, and their erect and compact growth. Accompanying a description of the May Duke, which we intend to give hereafter, we shall present a vignette, showing the habit of this class. The fruit of the Late Duke is usually borne in pairs, or threes, on a short peduncle about a quarter of an inch in length, TREE. — Very vigorous, upright, and compact in habit; little more spreading than the May Duke, with rather slender shoots. WOOD. — Moderately strong, short-jointed, yellowish on the shaded side, and yellowish brown on the other, distinctly dotted with large whitish, horizontal specks, and partially covered with a grayish epider- mis ; buds prominent. LEAVES. — Large, thick, obovate, broadest near the point, tapering to the base; shortly and sharply acuminate, irregularly and obtusely serrated, slightly recurved on the midrib, and somewhat folded ; upper surface deep green, yellowish green beneath ; petioles rather short, about three fourths of an inch in length, stout, reddish, and without glands. FLOWEES. — Large, opening a week later than the May Duke ; petals broad and cupped ; style and stamens about equal. FRUIT. — Large, one and an eighth of an inch in diameter, roundish heart-shape, with a slight suture on one side : Skin, rich deep shining red when mature : Stem, long, about one and a half inches, slender, and rather deeply inserted in a shallow cavity : Flesh, pale amber color, tender, and slightly adhering to the stone : Juice, abundant and rich, subacid, similar to the May Duke : Stone, medium size, roundish ovate, compressed. RIPE the last of July and beginning of August. THE XOTJISE BO^ITE DE TERSY PEAR Ir-uits of A-TT-L.er.Ua Plate N? THE LOUISE BONNE OF JERSEY PEAR. LOUISE BONNE OF JERSEY. Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. LOUISE BONNE D'AVRANCHES, ) BEURRE7 ou BONNE LOUISE AURADORE, \ Hort. Soc. Cat. 3d Ed. 1842. WILLIAM THE FOURTH, 5 BERGAMOT D'AVRANCHES, ) f « , /-, „ ,. ' > of some French Collections. POIRE DE JERSEY, 5 THE Louise Bonne of Jersey is one of the finest pears which has been recently introduced, and it will undoubt- edly become as popular a variety as the now widely dis- seminated, and justly esteemed, Williams's Bon Chretien. It has not only the qualities of size, beauty, productiveness, and keeping well, but it is of the most hardy character ; and, according to Mr. Thompson, " more than rivals the Marie Louise," one of the richest pears, even in the climate of England. So far as it has been proved here, after several years' experience, it can be recommended as an indispensable addition to even the smallest collection. The Louise Bonne of Jersey is, without much doubt, a French pear. The London Horticultural Society first received it from the Island of Jersey, in 1820, and so named it to distinguish it from the old Louise Bonne of pomologists. According, however, to French writers, it was originated at Avranches, in 1788, by M. de Longueval, and its original name was Beurre de Longueval ; but as it was somewhat extensively disseminated under the name of Louise Bonne dAvranches, that be- came its popular title among French cultivators, and one which it ought to retain. Under this name we found it cultivated in all the principal nurseries around Paris, in the autumn of 1844. Few varieties of the pear combine all the good characteristics of this. It is admirably adapted for cultivation as a pyramidal tree, or for growing en quenouille. It has, naturally, a very erect and regular habit, and, even without any pruning, forms a beautiful-shaped tree. It succeeds per- fectly upon the quince, bearing very young, and producing abundant crops. TREE. — Vigorous, of an erect and upright habit, the branches at first slightly diverging, but afterwards erect. WOOD. — Dull brownish olive, slightly reddish on the sunny side, dotted with whitish specks, moderately stout, and rather long-jointed ; annual growth long, with but few lateral shoots; old wood grayish brown; buds medium size, rather long, inclined towards the branch, and rather sharply pointed : Flower-buds medium size. [39] LOUISE BONNE OF JERSEY PEAR LEAVES. — Rather small, oblong oval, slightly acuminate, nearly flat, rather coarsely and obtusely serrated ; petioles slender, and about an inch in length. FLOWERS. — Large ; petals roundish, thick, and finely cupped. FRUIT. — Large, about three and a quarter inches long, and two and a half in diameter : Form, pyramidal, nearly regular, occasionally a little angular, large at the crown, and gradually tapering to the stem, near which there is a slight contraction : Skin, fair, smooth, yellowish green, becoming yellower when mature, very broadly suffused with bright glossy red on the sunny side, which shades off abruptly, the surface being cov- ered with large, grayish russet specks, each speck rayed or margined with red : Stem, medium length, about an inch long, stout, smooth, pale brown, with a few grayish specks, often, in large specimens, fleshy, swollen, and slightly wrinkled at its junction with the fruit, and forcejl into an oblique direction by a projection on one side : Eye, medium size, open, and moderately sunk in an open, furrowed cavity ; segments of the calyx medium length, stiff, projecting, rounded : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, melting, buttery, and exceedingly juicy : Flavor, rich, brisk, agreeably perfumed and delicious: Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, light brown. RIPE in October, and keeps well for four or five weeks. [40] THE BELLE LUCRATIVE PEAR •Fruits of Aroarlc a^Flate. N? DTO,-WTL frornJKaiure d^GJucrrru) Tttk? "by SXorp rt> THE BELLE LUCRATIVE PEAR. BELLE LUCRATIVE. Lindley's Guide to the Orchard. FONDANTK D'AUTOMNK, BEURRE/ LUCRATIVE, BERGAMOTTE LUCRATIVE, Hort. Soc. Cat. 3d Ed. 1842. Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. of some French Collections. AMONG our early autumn pears, which stand preem- inent for then: high and delicious flavor, the Belle Lucrative maintains a place second only to the Seckel. It has not quite the spiciness of the latter variety, but, possessing all its other excellences, it more than makes up for this deficiency in the superior size of the fruit. As a hardy and vigorous tree, and an early and abun- dant bearer, it must be ranked as one of the very best pears yet added to our collections. The Belle Lucrative first fruited in this country in the Pomological Garden at Salem, in 1835 or 1836, and the late Mr. Manning gave a brief account of it in the Magazine of Horti- culture for 1837, (vol. iii. p. 15.) It is supposed to be of Belgian origin. It was first brought to England by the late Mr. Braddick, who received the scions from M. Stoffels, of Malines, and it was probably originated by that pomologist. Through Mr. Braddick's liberality, scions were dis- tributed among all the principal nurserymen around London, and it soon became generally introduced. By some error of the Catalogue of the London Horticultural Society, the Belle Lucrative is described as a "crisp, second-rate pear;" and this has induced some writers to adopt the name of Fondante dAutomne, under which name it was also described. Mr. Lindley, however, whose work appeared before the Catalogue, gave an accurate description of it, from fruit grown in the society's garden, under the name of Belle Lu- crative ; and it has since been ascertained, by Mr. Thompson, that the original description under this name was incorrect. The Belle Lucrative is a free and vigorous grower, and succeeds well upon either the quince or pear, and is well adapted for a pyramidal or dwarf tree ; even upon the latter stock, by judicious pruning, young trees may be brought into bearing very early. TREE. — Vigorous, upright in habit, the longest and most vigorous branches inclining towards the main stem. [41] BELLE LUCRATIVE PEAR. WOOD. — Yellowish, sparsely dotted with whitish specks, rather stout and short-jointed ; old wood dull yellow, somewhat mottled with grayish olive ; buds large, full, sharply pointed, diverging, with rather promi- nent shoulders : Flower-buds medium size. LEAVES. — Medium size, oblong-oval, tapering to the point, much waved at the edges, deep glossy green, delicately nerved, and regularly and finely serrated ; petioles slender, and nearly two inches long. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals roundish oblong, cupped. FRUIT. — Medium size, about three inches long and three inches in Diameter : Form, roundish obovate, somewhat variable in shape, full at the crown, and regularly tapering to the stem, where it ends obtusely : Skin, slightly rough, dull yellowish green, occasionally little browned on the sunny side, more or less traced with russet, and covered with small, russet specks : Stem, medium length, about one inch long, stout, nearly straight, knobby and wrinkled, little fleshy at the base, and inserted, on one side of a slight projection, in a very shallow cavity: Eye, medium size, open, and little sunk in a broad, shallow basin ; segments of the calyx very short and round : Flesh, white, fine, very melting and juicy : Flavor, rich and sugary, with a delicious aroma : Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, dark brown. RIPE the last of September, and keeps two or. three weeks. [42] THE POUTER APPLE PT ait* of Arn.«^a,P~Ute IT? IDr tCWTL fx li±Ju- -bir 3 J . :i T~r j 1' S O-M. . THE PORTER APPLE. POETEE. New American Orchardist. THE Porter is so well known in New England, as the very finest of our early fall apples, that it is almost unnecessary that we should say anything in its praise. Indeed, at the season of its maturity there is scarcely any other variety, — unless some of the recently intro- duced ones should prove so, — that will approach it in excellence. The vigor of the tree — its compact form — the size of the fruit — its rich golden skin — and the brisk and vinous excellence of its abundant juice, form a combination of qualities which few apples pos- sess. To this may be added, early bearing and a handsome habit, which make it a fine variety for cultivation for dwarf or pyramidal trees. The Porter originated hi Sherburne, Mass., on the grounds of the Eev. Samuel Porter, about fifty years ago, and remained unnoticed for some years. A neighbor, passing through his orchard one day, had his attention accidentally attracted to the tree from some very beautiful specimens which fell off. He soon after called upon the owner, and apprized him of the valuable fruit he had upon his grounds, and re- quested that he might be permitted to cut a few scions. Mr. Porter, then somewhat advanced in life, and not seeming to be aware of its excellence, or of the importance of disseminating superior fruit, replied, " that he might have the whole tree if he wished." This, however, was not desired, but, content to possess the scions, his neighbor grafted them into trees in his own garden, and, from that period, the Porter grew rapidly in favor, and no orchard could be considered complete without it. As an early fall apple it has no superior, and few that equal it. The cultivation of the Porter has been confined principally to the vicinity of its origin. Within a few years however, since its qualities have become more widely known, it has been much sought after ; yet the supply for the market does not keep pace with the demand, and fine specimens always command a very high price. It is admirably adapted for garden cultivation ; trees in our collection, six years old and only eight feet high, being in full bearing. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, partially spreading and upright, the [43] PORTER APPLE. branches making a long curve upwards ; old wood clothed with numer- ous short spurs. Our vignette is from a tree four years old. WOOD. — Bright reddish chestnut, dotted with whitish specks, rather slender and very short-jointed ; buds medium size, short, with prominent shoulders ; old wood dull pale brown. LEAVES. — Large, oblong, tapering to the point, partially folded, and very regularly, deeply, and sharply serrated; petioles medium length, and moderately stout. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals tinged with pink. FRUIT. — Large, about two and a half inches broad, and three inches deep : Form, oblong, largest about one third from the stem, slightly flattened at the base, narrowing to the crown, which is oblique and somewhat ribbed : Skin, very fair, smooth, clear bright yellow, faintly striped and marbled with dull blush on the sunny side near the base, and marked with a few crimson dots : Stem, rather short, about three quarters of an inch long, slender, curved, and inserted in an open, broad, and not very deep cavity : Eye, rather large, open, and sunk in a mod- erately deep, ribbed hollow; segments of the calyx long, regularly formed, and reflexed at the ends : Flesh, yellowish, fine, crisp, and tender : Juice, abundant, rich, subacid, very sprightly, and high-flavored: Core, medium size, slightly open : Seeds, rather large, acutely pointed. RIPE in September and October, and keeps well. [44J k'xuits ot. ELAHLY YOKK PEACH \J!;t THE EARLY YORK PEACH. EARLY YORK. Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. LARGE EARLY YORK, ) . r, T, > of some American Collections. EARLY PURPLE, ^ AMONG the many varieties of peaches which have been produced by American cultivators, the Early York holds a high rank; indeed, it must be considered, as yet, the first really fine early peach which ripens. The Coolidge's Favorite, Royal George, and some others, soon succeed it, and in quality little surpass it ; but a week in period of earliness, in such a luscious fruit as the peach, gives any variety, possessing all the excellent qualities of the Early York, a value which few can claim. The tree is of a hardy and vigorous habit, and an abundant bearer; and the fruit, which is of medium size, is of beautiful appearance, as our artist has so correctly represented in the accompanying plate. It has been stated, as an objection to the Early York, that the ends of the branches are liable to mildew ; but we have not found this the case under our care. In some cold and unfavorable soils, a few of the shoots may slightly mildew, but it should be considered as an exception to the general character of this very fine peach. In New Jersey, there are one or two varieties of peaches cultivated as the Early York. They are undoubtedly seedlings from this ; but they may readily be detected, as they have leaves with globose glands, while the true Early York has serrated leaves without glands, as will be seen by our drawing. None of the seedlings possess the good qualities of 'he parent variety. LEAVES. — Medium size, deeply and doubly serrated, without glands. FLOWERS. — Large. FRUIT. — Medium size, about two inches broad, and two and a quarter long : Form, roundish oval, narrowing most to the apex, terminating in a slight point, with a broad and deep cavity at the base, which is little oblique ; suture distinct, but not very deep : Skin moderately downy, with a pale yellowish white ground, broadly shaded with a rich deep red, which extends in fine dots nearly over the whole fruit : Flesh, greenish white, tender, melting, and slightly tinted with red at the stone, from which it separates freely : Juice, plentiful, rich, brisk, and high-flavored : Stone, small, tolerably thick, slightly farrowed, obovate, pointed, pale. RIPE the last of August. LE CURE' PEAR. LE CURE'. Bon Jardinier, 1836. VlCAR OF WlNKFIELD, i MONSIEUR LE CURE', £ Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. DUMAS, ) "CnoN, Kenrick's New Am. Orchardist. MONSIEUR, BELLE HELOISE, (incorrectly,) - of some French Collections. BELLE DE BERRY, PATER NOTTE, BURGERMEESTER, (incorrectly.) Book of Fruits, 1838, No. 67. MUCH confusion exists in regard to the correct name of this pear. Poiteau, and other eminent French pomologists, have pronounced it identical with the Saint Lezain, an old and well known variety in France, where it has been cultivated 'for more than half a century; but> in all the principal collections, it is now known as Le Cure, or Mons. Le Cure, from its having been found in the woods by 31. Clion, a French curate. Re- cently, the London Horticultural' Society, in their Catalogue for 1842, have called it the Vicar of Winkfield, from the circumstance of a tree growing in his garden, re- ceived from France, having first produced fruit in England. We have been induced to adopt the Society's catalogue as authority in nomencla- ture ; but, in this and some other instances where there are gross errors, we cannot consent to perpetuate them. After a careful investigation of the subject, and the examination of many trees, we believe that the venerable Poiteau was right in considering it identical with the Saint Lezain ; but, as time is required to render this positive, we adopt the name, every where known in France, of Le Cure. No pear is more variable in its form than this, and this has given rise to the numerous synonymes. In favorable soils and seasons, it is a very excellent pear. Its great merits are the vigor of the tree, — its broad and deep green foliage, — its immense productiveness, — the large size of the fruit, — its long keeping,— and, at all times, its excellence as a bak- ing pear. It bears early, and succeeds admirably upon the quince. THEE. — Very vigorous, generally upright in habit, the annual shoots often irregular and spreading, and occasionally drooping. WOOD. — Brownish olive, with large, prominent, grayish specks, stout, and rather short-jointed ; old wood dull grayish olive ; buds medium size, obtuse, and little flattened : Flower-buds, large, obovate. [47] LE CURE' PEAK. LEAVES. — Large, roundish, shortly pointed, thick, deep glossy green, incurved at the edges, and rather deeply and irregularly serrated ; peti- oles medium length, about one and a half inches long, stout. FLO WEES. — Large ; petals large, roundish, cupped. FRUIT.— Very large, about five inches long, and two and three quar- ters in diameter : Form, oblong pyramidal, angular at the crown, largest above the middle, tapering little towards the eye, and slightly contracted near the stem : Skin, fair, nearly smooth, dull green, becoming, when mature, of a pale lemon yellow, considerably suffused with red on the sunny side, somewhat traced with russet, and regularly covered with rather large russet specks : Stem, medium length, about one inch long, moderately stout, curved and twisted, wrinkled, swollen, and fleshy at the base, and set upon an obtuse point on one side of a slight projection : Eye, large, open, slightly depressed in a very shallow basin ; segments of the calyx rather short, rounded, and quite reflexed : Flesh, yellowish white, melting and juicy : Flavor, sprightly, rich, and saccharine, with a little perfume : Core, small : Seeds, medium size, long and pointed. RIPE in December, and often keeps till February [48] i'l" f, !' A 1 1 i. rv • r. H. *•* ! a.le ^P-1 THE ROSTIEZER PEAR. ROSTIEZEB. Manning's Book of Fruits, 1st series, 1838, No. 23. THE late Mr. Manning introduced this fine pear to the notice of cultivators. It was one among a number of new varieties obtained from France, and he briefly described it in the Book of Fruits, as above quoted. Subsequently, and after further trial, he gave an account of it in the Magazine of Horticulture, (vol. vi. p. 89,) and, from specimens received from him in 1840, we fully described it hi the same work, (vol. ix. p. 1 135,) accompanied with a correct outline engrav- ing, which we have now reproduced. As a summer or early autumn pear, it is scarcely equalled in its spicy and luscious flavor, partaking much of the character of the Seckel. Like the latter variety, it is a small and somewhat indifferent looking fruit, but, from its other fine qualities, holding the highest rank among the choicest pears. The origin of the Rostiezer is unknown. It was received from the nurseries of Messrs. Baumann, of Bollwiller, on the Rhine, and it is un- doubtedly a German pear, introduced by them, — as their collection con- tains several other varieties whose names are confined to their catalogue. Mr. Manning imported it in 1834 or '35, and it first fruited in 1837 or '38. Since then, it has been considerably disseminated, but its mer- its do not appear to have been fully appreciated until the last four or five years. The list of first-rate early pears is extremely limited, but, with a few such additions as the Rostiezer and Tyson, the season, be- tween the ripening of the Madeleine, or the Doyenne d'Ete and the Williams's Bon Chretien, would be well supplied with some of the richest pears. The Rostiezer, we have already remarked, is a rather small pear, be- ing scarcely as large as the Madeleine. The tree, however, is an abun- dant bearer, the fruit being produced in clusters. It is of vigorous, strong, and healthy growth, but with a spreading and irregular habit, and usually bears the fourth or fifth year. It succeeds well upon the quince or pear stock. TEEE. — Vigorous, of erect growth while young, but assuming, in a few years, an irregular, spreading, and partially drooping habit. Our [49] ROSTJEZER PEAR. engraving is from a tree in Mr. Manning's collection, in full bearing, eight or nine years old. WOOD. — Clear reddish hrown, dotted with russet specks, strong, stout, and short-jointed; old wood slightly rough, dull reddish brown, with prominent whitish specks ; buds medium size, shortly pointed, diverging, with rather prominent shoulders : Flower-buds medium size. LEAVES. — Medium size, roundish ovate, generally broadest near the middle, and tapering to each end; thick, dull dark green, somewhat incurved at the edges, and finely but rather obtusely serrated; petioles- moderately stout, about one and a half inches long. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals cupped. FRUIT. — Medium size ; in large specimens, abotit two inches long, and one and three quarter inches in diameter : Form, regular, pyram- idal, full at the crown, tapering regularly to a point at the stem : Skin, slightly rough, dull russety green, broadly tinged with dull red, somewhat russeted on the sunny side, and covered with dark greenish " <. specks : Stem, very long, about one and a half inches, slender, slightly knobby, and obliquely inserted on one side, with a slight cavity beneath : Eye, rather large, open, scarcely depressed, surrounded with uneven an- gles or projections; segments of the calyx short: Flesh, rather coarse, yellowish, very melting and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary and sprightly, with a delicious spicy perfume : Core, small : Seeds, small, pale brown. RIPE the last of August and beginning of September. :; - I i El . yniit.s of Aiiimca, Flute ISP Dr a , ' • > if'M'ii 5h*lp J SOT THE FLEMISH BEAUTY PEAR. of some, Hort. Soc. Cat, 3d Ed. 1842. FLEMISH BEAUTY. Pomological Magazine, vol. iii. pi. 128. LA BELLE DE FL ANDRES, BOUCHE NOUVELLE, BRILLIANT, IMPERATRICE DE FRANCE, JOSEPHINE, • FONDANTE DU BoiS, Bosc SIRE, BOSCH, BEURRE' SPENCE, Van MOBS, in Revue des Revues, 1830, p. 180. BARNARD, of some collections around Boston. WHEN Dr. Van Mons was asked, " if his own taste was called upon to decide the question, to which of all his new pears he would give the preference," he immediately replied, " the Beurre Spence," and added, " This fruit, to my taste, is inestimable, and has no competitor." Such would he our reply to the same question, substi- tuting the name of Flemish Beauty for that of Beurre Spence ; for, if large size, beautiful ap- pearance, and delicious flavor, constitute a fine fruit, the former variety possesses them all in a remarkable degree. Under the name of the Barnard pear, the Flemish Beauty has been known in Dorchester, Mass., for nearly twenty years, before we have any knowledge of its introduction under the latter name, and the inference is, from its answering hi every particular to Dr. Van Mons's description of the Beurre Spence, that it is identical with that celebrated variety. Under that name we have received it from English and French collec- tions, and we have ventured to place it among the synonymes above. There is one peculiarity of the Flemish Beauty which should always be borne in mind by cultivators. If the fruit remains upon the tree until fully ripe, it loses most of its flavor. It should always be gathered while it adheres firmly to the tree ; it then becomes extremely melting and luscious. The Flemish Beauty, from its vigorous growth, does not come into bearing very early, — about the fifth or sixth year, — but, when it begins to bear, it produces the most abundant crops of large fruit, often meas- uring twelve inches in circumference. It does not succeed very well upon the quince. [51] FLEMISH BEAUTY PEAR. TREE. — Vigorous, with a spreading habit; in old trees sometimes slightly drooping. WOOD. — Clear reddish brown, with rather numerous whitish specks ; annual shoots long, rather slender, and short-jointed; buds pointed; prominent, with rather stout shoulders : Flower-buds medium size. LEAVES. — Medium size, ovate, tapering to the point, smooth, deep glossy green, slightly and obtusely serrated, the younger ones flat, the older somewhat folded, and slightly recurved on the midrib; petioles long, from one and a half to two inches, and rather slender. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals, obovate, cupped. FRUIT. — Large, about three inches and a half long, and three inches in diameter : Form, oblong- obovate, largest about one third from the crown, and tapering to an obtuse point at the stem : Skin, fair, slightly rough, dull yellow, more or less traced with a rich deep russet, clouded with green, beautifully mottled with crimson in the sun, and covered with russet specks : Stem, medium length, about one inch long, moderately stout, curved, and inserted in a small cavity, rather highest on one side : Eye, small, open, and slightly sunk in a smooth, shallow basin ; seg- ments of the calyx short, pointed : Flesh, white, little coarse, very melt- ing and juicy: Flavor, rich, sugary and delicious, with a high aroma: Core, large : Seeds, small, pale brown. RIPE the last of September and beginning of October. [52] ,,*<•-.•'•** .. THE STETSONS SEEDLING PEACH Fruits of A i aerie a Plate ¥? Drawn jjirm. ITalure &. Chiom,o S>ufU"p 4t Son.. THE STETSON'S SEEDLING PEACH. STETSON'S SEEDLING. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xiii. p. 114. So common is the practice of raising seedling peaches in this country, that many cultivators produce them only in this way, and scarcely think it necessary to resort to the labor of budding. That the peach is very easily grown from seeds, and perhaps with more certainty of procuring good varieties than any other fruit, is undoubtedly true ; yet, to rely upon this mode for the general purposes of cultivation, is neither econ- omy of time or money. There is a very great difference in the quality of peaches ; and, to raise a seedling of the excellence of the Grosse Mignonne or Noblesse, to say nothing of being superior, as it should be, in some respects, to be deserving of a name, is a task not very easily accomplished. That our American varieties of the peach will be so much unproved as to equal or surpass any we now possess, there is no reason to doubt ; but it will be a work of time, and not to be expected at once. The splendid variety now figured was raised by N. Stetson, Esq., of Bridgewater, Mass. It was an accidental seedling, which sprung up in his garden in 1843, and, being a promising-looking tree, it was removed, in 1845, to a favorable spot, on the south side of the house, where it could be trained to a trellis. It grew rapidly, and, in the fall of 1846, it first produced a few specimens of fruit of such remarkable excellence as at once to place it among the very, choicest varieties in cultivation. Since then, it has continued to bear abundantly , and to fully maintain its high character; ranking with the Noblesse in size, surpassing it in beauty, and equalling it in its delicious flavor. The tree is a vigorous, rapid, and healthy grower. LEAVES. — Rather large, and somewhat wavy, crenated, with small globose glands. FLOWERS. — Small. FRUIT. — Large, about two and a hah0 inches broad, and two and a half long : Form, roundish, full at the base, and tapering little to a very prominent point at the apex ; suture very indistinct, with a moderately deep and narrow cavity at trie stem : Skin, slightly downy, greenish white, delicately and beautifully marbled and abruptly shaded with deep crimson on the sunny side: Flesh, white, fine, rayed with pink at the stone, from which it parts freely, very melting and juicy, brisk, exceed- ingly rich and luscious: Stone, large, broad, and rather thick, but deeply and coarsely furrowed, and acutely pointed. RIPE from the middle to the last of September. 153] THE ~tt£¥ UIGARKEATJ B-uita of Arruirica. Plate TT° JD^cvra Iram Ka±ure &/ S\aif> &<- Son THE MAY BIGARREAU CHERRY. MAY BIGARREAU. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. vii. p. 288. BIGARREAU DE MAI, American Orchardist, 3d Ed. BIGARREAU DE MAI, ot some French collections. BAUMANN'S MAY, Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. THE origin of the May Bigarreau cherry is unknown ; all we have of its history is, that it was received, among several other varieties of cherries, by Col. Wilder, late President of the Massachusetts Horticul- tural Society, from Messrs, Baumann, nurserymen, of Bollwiller, in France, about the year 1838. Several of the very earliest and best sorts were ordered by him, but, as often happens with importations of fruit trees, as well as plants, the labels of some of them were lost off, and this unfortunately was among the number. The invoice, however, enumerated one as the Bigarreau de Mai ; and, as none of the varieties proved to be remarkably early but this, it was natural to conclude that the name belonged to this cherry. The tree first produced fruit in the summer of 1841, when some handsome specimens were exhibited early in June, long before any other sorts were near ripe. In some subsequent years, it has been fully ma- ture as early as the first of June. Last season, the fruit on young trees, in our collection, began to color before the May Duke was appa- rently half grown, thus fully entitling it to the name of the earliest cherry. It is also one of the most prolific bearers. The late Mr. R. Manning gave a brief description, in the Magazine of Horticulture, (vol. viii. p. 281,) of fifty-four varieties of the cherry, which had fruited in his extensive collection up to that time, (1842,) with their relative period of maturity ; and, by a reference to that arti- cle, we find the date of the ripening of the earliest kind, June 23d, the variety being one of Mr. Manning's seedlings, called the Early Black Heart : seven varieties ripened between that and the May Duke, which was not mature until the 30th of June ; and, according to his state- ment, the May Bigarreau would be about one month earlier than that old, and generally considered early, cherry. Unless, therefore, the Early Purple Guigne, which is yet but little known in American collections, proves to be remarkably early, the May Bigarreau may be safely set down as, at least, a fortnight earlier than any other variety. To aid in the distinction of some fruits, particularly the cherry and peach, pomological writers have adopted various methods of classifica- tion. With the cherry, the French have been the most successful, and .M A Vv B I G A R K E A U CHERRY. their system of arrangement has generally been followed ; but, with the great increase of new kinds from seed, the distinctions, once so well defined, have become less and less apparent, until they .have, in some instances, been almost entirely merged into one another. Thus, in the family of Bigarreautiers, which included only the hard-fleshed cherries, the varieties have been so altered, by cross-fertilization, that the tender- est of this class, and the firmest of the heart cherries, (Guigniers,) do not admit of any distinction in this respect. Aware, after much experience, of the vagueness of the divisions adopted by French writers, Mr. B. Thompson, in a valuable article in the Horticultural Transactions, (vol. v. p. 248,) describing more than fifty varieties, prepared a classification of his own, based upon the natural habits of the trees, and not upon the mere consistence of the flesh. His method of arrangement consists of two classes, as follows : — CLASS 1. Those with large, pendent leaves, wavy on the margin. CLASS 2. Those with smaller leaves, with the margin plane. To the first class, are referred all the Bigarreau and Heart cherries ; and, to the second, the aqueous varieties, as the Dukes, Morellos, &c. Mr. Thompson's arrangement appears far the best adapted to the cherry in its present improved state, and we shall embrace the opportu- nity of referring to it again. We complete our description of the May Bigarreau as follows : — TREE. — Vigorous, partially spreading, regular in form, with a rather compact habit. WOOD. — Moderately strong, short-jointed, rich shining brown, nearly covered with a silvery gray epidermis ; buds large, ovate. LEAVES. — Medium size, ovate oblong, slightly waved on the margin, broadest about the middle, obtuse at the base, and shortly tapering to the point ; unequally, coarsely and deeply serrated, with prominent veins beneath ; petioles rather short, about three quarters of an inch long, moderately stout, with two large reniform glands near the base of the leaf. FLOWERS.— Medium size, opening earlier than any other variety ; pe- tals thin and wavy; style and stamens about equal length. FKUIT. — Rather small, about three quarters of an inch in diameter, oval heart-shaped, and somewhat angular in its outline : Skin, rich deep red; when fully mature becoming of a shining dark purplish color : Stem, medium length, about one and a half inches long, moderately stout, and inserted in a narrow, rather shallow, and irregular cavity : Flesh, purplish red, soft and tender: Juice, abundant, with a sweet, rich flavor : Stone, medium size, roundish ovate. RIPE the last of May and early part of June. [66] r-p'M HI P A~WT1 - ' '' '! ' ' ' ' ; ' JJuxj X-rirLLU—OJlj aj , X,j.-, .A of A-mcT-im I'latc J\|J Drawn. tro-TTi.'A'n.tui-e 4k. CTu-a - i' V. by i THE PARADISE D'AUTOMNE PEAR. PAEADISE D'AUTOMNE. Kenrick's American Orchardist, 3d Ed. AMONG the more recently introduced pears, the Paradise dAutomne holds a conspicuous place. The first account we find of it is in the American Orchardist, 3d Ed. 1841, where Mr. Kenrick de- scribes it as a new pear, received in England from France. Subsequently, it was enumerated and de- scribed in the Catalogue of the London Horticultu- ral Society, 3d Ed. 1842, with the remark, by Mr. Thompson, that it was " very like the Beurre Bosc," and its general resemblance to that fine pear has induced some authors to consider the two synonymous. It is, however, quite distinct, and may readily be distinguished by the more irregular and uneven outline of the fruit, as well as by its more melting and but- tery flesh. In the wood and foliage, the two are very dissimilar; the Paradise dAutomne having small leaves, and a reddish wood so thickly and distinctly dotted with large whitish grey specks, as to distinguish it at once. In quality, it is fully equal, if not superior, to the Bosc. The Paradise dAutomne was introduced by Mr. Kenrick, who gave scions to the late R. Manning, in whose Pomological Garden, at Salem, it first fruited in this country in the autumn of 1844, when the tree produced about a dozen pears : it has continued to bear every year since, and our drawing, which is a most correct representation of the fruit, was made from some beautiful specimens sent us by Mr. Manning last autumn : our outline engraving is from a specimen from the same tree in 1846. The Paradise dAutomne is a much more vigorous growing tree than the Beurre Bosc, making long and moderately stout shoots, upright at first, but afterwards becoming straggling and irregular. Our vignette represents a young pyramidal tree, three years from the bud. Whether it will succeed upon the quince, has not yet been fully ascertained : we are under the impression it will not prove long-lived on that stock, as we have trees, two years grafted, which present a rather feeble appear- ance. On the pear, it comes soon into bearing, about the fourth year. TREE. — -Vigorous, upright when young, with the annual shoots often curved; but, as the tree becomes older, assuming a straggling and somewhat pendulous habit. WOOD. — Reddish brown, thickly dotted with very large, oblong, y/hit- [57] PARADISE D'AUTOMNE PEAR. ish grey specks, and short-jointed ; buds roundish, shortly pointed, di- verging, with very stout, prominent shoulders : Flower-buds medium size. LEAVES. — Small, ovate, rather thick, dark green, tapering towards each end, slightly wavy, and nearly entire on the edge ; petioles short, about three quarters of an inch in length, and moderately stout. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals oval, cupped, and entire on the edge, with a rather short claw. FRUIT. — Large, about three and a half inches long, and two and a half in diameter : Form, pyramidal, slightly irregular and uneven on the surface, large and full in the middle, little contracted as it tapers to the stem where it ends obtusely: Skin, slightly rough, dull yellow, profusely covered with bright russet, thickest on the sunny side where it has a ruddy tinge : Stem, long, about one and a half inches, moderately slender, uneven, curved, and obliquely attached to the fruit by a fleshy and oftentimes wrinkled base : Eye, rather large, open, and moderately depressed in a much-furrowed basin; segments of the calyx long, re- flexed : Flesh, yellowish white, coarse, melting, buttery and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, sprightly, perfumed and delicious : Core, small : Seeds, medium size, long and pointed. RIPE in September, and will keep two or three weeks. r 58 1 THE DOYSNIIE nT A-merujit PUte 1JV lit asm. £ronLl:Cti«« 1-y S (ULrp Jk So THE DOYENNE' D'ETE' PEAR. DOYENNE' D'ETE'. Theorie Van Mons, (Mag. of Hort., vol. xiii. p. 66.) DOYENNE' DE JUILLET, Thompson, in Gard. Chronicle, 1847. SUMMER DOYENNE', Fruits and Fruit Trees of America. THE number of really good early pears is so exceedingly limited, that every addition to the list is viewed with great interest by the zealous cultivator. The early pears gener- ally cultivated, with few exceptions, are small and inferior- flavored, and, indeed, scarcely worth growing, — certainly not by amateur cultivators for their own use. It is, there- fore, with no little gratification that we introduce to greater notice the Doyenne d'Ete, a variety of recent introduction to American collections, and, as yet, but little disseminated. In France, it is a tolerably well-known pear, but its cultiva- tion seems to have been confined to the vicinity of Nantes, where it is raised abundantly, and is esteemed as one of the best early pears. It ripens fully as early as the Madeleine; and the fruit, which is equal in quality to that old variety, has the merit of being far more beautiful, having a fair yellow skin, with a brilliant red cheek. All its qualities considered, it must claim a place in every good collection. The Doyenne d'Ete was first brought to the notice of American po- mologists by Mr. Kenrick, who published a description of the pear from M. Poiteau's work, entitled Theorie Van Mons, as long ago as 1836. It does not, however, appear to have been introduced until 1843, at which period we received trees from Paris, which grew rapidly, and, in 1845, came into bearing. It is stated, in the Bon Jardinier, that it was first introduced to Paris by M. Noisette, in 1830 ; but, as it is not enume- rated in the latest Catalogue of the London Horticultural Society, (1842,) we apprehend it had not become generally known to cultivators. After the experience of three years, we consider the Doyenne d'Ete as deserving a rank among the best early varieties. The tree is a vig- orous and healthy grower, a most abundant as well as an early bearer, and it succeeds finely upon the quince, coming into fruit, on young trees, only two years from the bud. The specimens have also been uniformly fair. Like most summer pears, some care is necessary in gathering the fruit; to have it in the best condition, it should be picked just as it changes from green to yellow ; if gathered too soon, it will not have attained its rich flavor, — and, if too late, it will have lost it. But if [59] DOYENNE' D'ETE PEAR. taken from the tree at the proper time, it will ripen off in the house, and possess a flesh as melting as the White Doyenne. TREE. — Vigorous, with an erect and upright hahit, branching regu- larly ; annual shoots moderately stout, and slightly curved at the ends. WOOD. — Clear olive yellow, with pale brown specks, and rather short- jointed ; old wood grayish olive ; buds medium size, shortly pointed, and slightly diverging : Flower-buds medium size, ovate. LEAVES. — Medium size, oblong-ovate, narrow, tapering much to the point, little recurved on the midrib, partially drooping, and regularly but not very deeply serrated ; petioles long, about one and a half inches in length, and rather slender. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals thick, obovate, and cupped. FRUIT. — Medium size, about two inches long, and two inches in di- ameter : Form, roundish- turbinate, largest in the middle, tapering roundly to the stem, where it is obtuse : Skin, fair, smooth, pale yellowish green, becoming nearly yellow when mature, broadly shaded and marbled with brilliant red on the sunny side, and dotted with greenish russet specks : Stem, rather long, about one and a quarter inches, moderately stout, yellowish brown, slightly fleshy at the base, and obliquely inserted, without any cavity, under a slight projection : Eye, small, closed, and inserted in a very shallow basin; segments of the calyx short, stiff, projecting : Flesh, yellowish white, little coarse, melting, buttery and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, sprightly, pleasantly perfumed, and excel- lent : Core, medium size : Seeds, small, flattened, dark brown. RIPE the end of July and beginning of August. T3KU3BE Drnwn frrrm Mature ^1 Clirnmo lifd'. ty S «-/ THE BEURRE' D'ANJOU PEAR. BEURRE' D'ANJOU. Kemick's American Orchardist, 3d Ed. 1841. NE PLUS MEURIS, of some French Collections. THE Beurre d'Anjou, though not a very new variety, is of quite recent addition to American collections of pears ; and it proves to be one of the most beautiful as well as one of the largest and most valuable sorts we now possess. It comes in at a season when we have but a limited supply of excellent varieties, and, from its productiveness, size, beauty, and other superior qualities, must become an indispensable addition to all good col- lections of pears* The origin of the Beurre dAnjou is unknown to us. In some of the French Catalogues it is stated to have origi- nated in the vicinity of Angers, near Paris ; but whether this is correct or not, we have no means of ascertaining, as we cannot find any notice of it in any pomological work except that of Mr. Kenrick, who intro- duced it to the notice of American cultivators. In the Catalogue of the London Horticultural Society, 3d Ed., 1842, it is set down as a synonyme of the Brown Beurre; but either the true variety could never have ex- isted in the society's collection, or a great error must have been commit- ted ; for the two pears are too distinct to have been considered identical. It is somewhat remarkable that, in the large number of pears proved in the very extensive collection in the pomological garden of Mr. Man- ning, and principally described in the Magazine of Horticulture, the Beurre dAnjou should not have been found among them. It first fruited in the collection of Col. Wilder, of Dorchester, in 1845, and its cultivation is yet mostly confined to amateur collections. The Beurre dAnjou is a rapid growing and' healthy tree, forming a fine pyramid in five or six years. The fruit is borne on the ends of the shoots, and when every branch is terminated with well grown speci- mens the tree presents a highly beautiful appearance. It succeeds admirably upon the quince, our tree being upwards of ten feet high, though only six years planted out ; and last season it produced upwards of sixty pears, some of which weighed half a pound. The fruit ripens 'freely and keeps well. TREE. — Vigorous, with strong shoots, thrown out horizontally at first, but afterwards turning upwards with the ends quite erect ; as it becomes older, from the weight of fruit, the branches assume a diverging habit. [61] BEURRE' D'ANJOU PEAK. WOOD. — Yellowish olive, dotted with pale gray specks, stout, and short-jointed ; old wood, grayish olive ; buds large, short, ovate, diverging, with rather prominent shoulders : Flower-huds large, bluntly obovate. LEAVES. — Large, oblong, rounded at the base, and tapering regularly to the point, recurved on the midrib, smooth, pale green, undulated, folded inwards, and nearly entire on the edge; petioles rather long, nearly two inches in length, stout. FLOWEKS. — Medium size ; petals with a long claw and much cupped.. FRUIT. — Large, about three and a half inches long, and three in diameter : Form, oblong-obovate, full and rounded at the crown, nar- rowing to an obtuse' point at the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, yellowish, very broadly marked on the sunny side with dull red, much russetted around the eye, and regularly covered with minute russety specks : Stem, short, about half an inch long, always stout and thick, curved, and obliquely inserted in a shallow cavity, formed by uneven swellings and projections of the fruit : Eye, medium size, open, and depressed in a small, roundy regularly formed basin ; segments of the calyx con- nected, thick, reflexed : Flesh, yellowish white, rather coarse, melting, and very juicy : Flavor, rich, sprightly, vinous, highly perfumed, and delicious : Core, small : Seeds, large, long, and pointed. RIPE in October and November, and keeps well. [62} DEARBORNS SEEDLHG Truila of AnxEtica.PlAte.3J? . L-thA t ri THE DEARBORN'S SEEDLING PEAR. J DEABBOBN'S SEEDLING. New England Farmer, vol. x. p. 59. THIS tine early pear, though among the first American varieties which were brought to the notice of cultivators, is just beginning to be properly appre- ciated. It has many valuable qualities. • The tree is a vigorous and healthy grower, the fruit of fair size, and of superior quality, and it comes at a sea- son when the supply of fine kinds is not abundant. Until the introduction of the Bloodgood, Tyson, and Rostiezer, it was the only excellent pear ripening between the Jargonelle and the Williams's Bon Chretien. The Dearborn's Seedling originated in the garden of Gen. H. A. S. Dearborn, of Roxbury, the first president of the Massachusetts Horti- cultural Society, about thirty years ago. It was found growing in a border of shrubs, in a cluster of syringa and rose bushes, and when about five years old, Gen. Dearborn concluded to remove it to a small nursery for the purpose of using it as a stock ; but, in the attempt to replant it, it was found to have only a single tap root of great length ; and as it was doubtful whether the shortening of this root might not cause its death, Gen. Dearborn concluded to let the tree remain until it came into bearing, and ordered the earth to be replaced. In 1830, it produced one pear; and in 1832, thirty-five. The tree is supposed to have sprung from a seed accidentally dropped where it stood, as there were no pear trees in the vicinity of it at that time, or for many years previous. It grew rapidly, and in such regular form, that there was no occasion to attempt improving it by pruning. In 1831, Gen. Dearborn sent some of the pears to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, with a letter describing the fruit; and it was justly pronounced a valuable acquisition. Dearborn's Seedling is a very free growing variety ; upright, regular, and handsome in form, and rather tardy in coming into bearing ; it succeeds, however, very well upon the quince, and produces good crops of fine and fair sized fruit. Our drawing is from specimens produced upon the quince. TREE. — Vigorous, erect, and rather tall, running up with long shoots, extending horizontally till within eighteen or twenty niches of the ends, which are turned upwards and very erect. [63] DEARBORN'S SEEDLING PEAR. WOOD. — Reddish brown, freckled with small fawn-colored specks; old wood, dull grayish brown ; buds, small, short, rounded, erect : Flower-buds medium size, ovate, with slightly woolly scales. LEAVES. — Medium size, ovate, rounded at the base, shortly pointed, smooth, undulated, and little folded at the edges, with conspicuous nerves beneath, and finely and regularly serrated; petioles medium length, about one and a quarter inches, somewhat slender. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals round, cupped. FRUIT. — Medium size, about two inches long, and two inches in diameter : Form, roundish, inclining to obovate, largest in the middle, rounded at the crown, and narrowing little to the stem : Skin, fair, smooth, thin, pale green, becoming of a beautiful lemon yellow when mature, with a large fawn-colored blotch at the base of the stem, and the surface dot- ted with minute russety specks : Stem, rather long, about an inch and a quarter in length, moderately slender, smooth, curved, and obliquely inserted in a very small cavity : Eye, rather small, open, and slightly depressed; segments of the calyx short, thick, projecting : Flesh, yel- lowish white, fine, melting, buttery, and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, delicately perfumed, and delicious : Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, long, pointed, and dark brown. RIPE from the early part of August to the first of September. [64] BEURRE EOSC "Fruit* nf Artujica Flat? ~N? Drawn from TSat:m t > harmu llLH^'by 5"h.Hri) ;-> S';u Lon. Hort. Soc. Cat., 3d Ed. 1842. THE BEURRE' BOSC PEAR. BEUBKE Bosc. Lon. Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 2dEd. 1831. J3/HCALEBASSE BOSC, /*"* BEURRE' D'¥ELLE, of some, MARIANNE NOUVELLE, '•f Boec's FLASCHENBIRNE, THE Beurre Bosc has such a high and. well known reputation, that it would seem almost super- fluous to recapitulate its merits. Since its intro- duction to our gardens it has continued to be a general favorite, and it has been set down as a variety which cannot be omitted from the smallest collection of pears. It is a moderately vigorous and healthy growing tree, with large, glossy, and ample foliage, — quite conspicuous, in this respect, among other pear trees, — and, when loaded with its large, bell-shaped, rich-looking russety fruit, .dis- tributed evenly, but not thickly, over the branches, no pear has a more noble and attractive aspect. The Beurre Bosc was raised as long ago as 1807. It was one of the early acquisitions of Van Mons, when his system of producing seedlings first began to attract attention ; and was named by him in honor of his friend, M. Bosc, a distinguished. Belgian pomologist. It was sent to the London Horticultural Society about 1820, and was introduced into American collections in 1832 or 1833, when scions were received, by Messrs. Manning and Kenrick, from Dr. Van Mons and the London Horticultural Society about the same time. It first fruited in Mr. Manning's collection in 1836, and he gave a brief account of it in the Magazine of Horticulture, (vol. iii. p. 47,) for 1837. The Beurre Bosc, in the nursery and while young, is a rather mod- erate grower, and the shoots bend and incline downwards ; but when it gets established it thrives well, and makes long and vigorous branches. It does not succeed very well upon the quince unless double worked. It is rather late in coming into bearing, generally the fifth or sixth year ; but when it begins to fruit it produces regular crops, the pears being borne singly — not in clusters as with most kinds — and, on this account, the trees have the appearance of having been thinned. TREE. — Vigorous, somewhat irregular and diverging while young, but, with age, attaining an upright and spreading habit. WOOD. — Brown, dotted with large pale gray specks, long-jointed, and moderately stout ; old wood, dull gray brown ; annual shoots rather [65] - BEURRE BOSC PEAR. long; buds, medium size, pointed, little diverging, with prominent shoulders : Flower-buds medium size. LEAVES. — Large, broad, and rounded at the base, tapering consider- ably to the point, thick, dark green, glossy on the upper side, with prominent nerves, slightly undulated and without serratures on the edge ; petioles long, about two inches in length, and moderately stout. FLOWERS. — Large ; petals narrow, with a long claw and little cupped. FRUIT. — Large, about four inches long, and three in diameter : Form, pyramidal, little uneven on the surface, large full and round at the base, contracted near the middle, and from thence gradually tapering to the stem : Skin, nearly smooth, bright cinnamon russet all over, with occasional rough patches of a darker shade, and a few scattered black- ish dots : Stem, long, about one and a half inches in length, curved, rather slender, light brown : Eye, small, closed, and "but slightly de- pressed in a shallow basin; segments of the calyx short: Flesh, yel- lowish white, fine, buttery, melting, and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, perfumed, and delicious : Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, dark brown. RIPE in September and October, and matures gradually. [66] HUBBAEDS'TOK NONSUCH . Tru-Cts «f A.iru-1-ii-.B.Tlat. J") ricwn tVoin Tlat'uje &f CTTj-oinn li'K. li Sharb ^- 5 oit . THE HUBBARDSTON NONSUCH APPLE. HUBBARDSTON NONSUCH. Keiirick's American Orchardist, 1st Ed. 1832. THE Hubbardston Nonsuch holds the same place , among early winter apples, that the Baldwin does ^ ' " among the later ones, or the Porter among the au- tumn varieties. Of large size, beautiful appearance, and rich flavor, it possesses a combination of all the qualities of the finest apples. Nor does its excellence stop here ; for the tree is a good grower, with large and handsome foliage, and in every stage of its growth, whether in the nursery row, or when it has attained a mature age, possesses a stately and symmetrical habit. It is also one of our hardiest sorts, surpassing, in this respect, the Baldwin ; it thrives well in various parts of the country, and in the Western states, where some of our New England apples have been affected with what is called the bitter rot, the Hubbardston Nonsuch has been declared " first -rate in every particular." This fine apple was introduced to notice by Capt. Hyde, of Newton, one of our oldest nurserymen, upwards of thirty years ago, who pro- cured scions, and distributed a great number of trees from his nursery long before its merits were generally known. It originated in the town of Hubbardston in this State, and was first -described by Mr. Kenrick, in the first edition of the American Orchardist, nearly twenty years ago. It is not yet very extensively disseminated, but as it becomes better known , it will undoubtedly occupy a prominent place in every good orchard. The Hubbardston Nonsuch in the orchard bears a full crop only in alternate, or what are usually termed bearing, years, and a small crop in the intermediate years. The fruit, though always handsome, is greatly improved by high cultivation, being then unusually large and brilliantly colored, as represented in our drawing. Its season of ripen- ing is usually from November to February ; but it may be kept in a cool cellar till March, in very good condition, though at the sacrifice of most of its fine flavor. TREE. — Vigorous, upright, with regularly curved branches, the en Is erect; when full grown, making a uniform and moderately spreading head. WOOD. — Brownish chestnut, sprinkled with whitish specks, mod T- ately strong, and not very long-jointed ; annual shoots rather slender, long, and very downy at the ends : Buds, rather small, short, and little flattened. [67] HUBBARDSTON NONSUCH APPLE. LEAVES. — Bather large, ovate-oblong, broadest near the middle, nar- rowing little to the base, and tapering to the point, thick, deep shining green above, and covered with a whitish down beneath; deeply, coarsely, and unequally serrated, with prominent nerves, and folded inwards at the edges ; petioles, medium length, about one inch long, and rather stout. FLOWEKS.— Medium size; petals oblong, nearly flat, thin, somewhat wavy, and tinged with pink. FRUIT. — Large, about three and a quarter inches broad, and three inches deep : Form, roundish, or roundish conical, largest near the middle, narrowing towards the crown, and slightly to the stem: Skin, fair, smooth, glossy, of a rich yellow, nearly covered with deep orange red, rather indistinctly striped with light crimson, often russetted around the base of the stem, and sparsely dotted on the surface with large russet specks : Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, rather slender, and moderately inserted in a broad, regular cavity : Eye, large, partially open, and little sunk in a broad, open, and ribbed basin ; segments of the calyx broad and very short : Flesh, yel- lowish, rather fine, crisp and tender : Juice, tolerably abundant, with a rich admixture of sweet and acid, high-flavored and excellent : Core, small, nearly close : Seeds, medium size, plump. RIPE in October, and keeps in good condition until February. [68] fruiis of A-rn-trica. Plate, "N? -Drawn fi-mn '.'iituni^ Rkroni.v UCi^ .by Shar:> i Kin. . THE DIX PEAR. Dix. New England Farmer •, vol. viii. p. 161, 1830. FEW, if any, of our native pears hold a higher rank than the Dix. The large size, beautiful appearance, and exquisite flavor of its fruit, added to the vigor and hardiness of the tree, its productiveness, con- r\\ III s^an^ Dearmg, and period of maturity, give it a com- \yy I I bination of qualities which but few varieties possess. /(})/ When originally brought into notice, in 1829, it was ^ which might, with the greatest safety, be introduced into our gardens ;" and twenty years' experience have fully confirmed the correctness of that opinion. The Dix originated in Boston, in the garden of Madame Dix, in com- pliment to whom it was named, about thirty-five years ago. The tree sprung from seed near the house, and grew so rapidly, that, in 1829, it had attained the height of twenty- three feet, with a stem ten inches in diameter ; it still stands in the same spot, and has now become a very large tree. It first began to bear in 1825, but did not produce a full, crop till 1829, since which time it has continued to bear abundant crops of fine fruit. The Dix is very late in coming into bearing, and, on this account, cultivators have often rejected it in making a selection of fine pears. The average period of its fruiting is eight or ten years, occasionally in four or five, but oftener twelve and upwards. It has, however, the good quality of constant bearing after it has attained a fruiting state, and the pears ripen off as freely as the Baldwin apple. It does not succeed upon the quince unless double-worked. The Dix is one of the most marked varieties in the nursery. The wood is almost as yellow, smooth, and slender, as a willow ; but the tree has an erect and upright habit, and in time forms a large and fine head. TEEE. — Vigorous, upright, with rather long and slender annual shoots, occasionally thorny, horizontal at first, but erect at the ends ; as the branches become older they assume a rather straggling habit. WOOD. — Clear light yellow, smooth and glossy, with very minute dots, slender and rather long-jointed; old wood, pale olive yellow; buds, medium size, roundish ovate, slightly diverging, with very prominent shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size. [69] DIX PEAR. LEAVES. — Small, ovate, light green, broadest in the middle, tapering to each end, little recurved on the midrib, slightly wavy, and somewhat reflexed at the edges, with a smooth and glossy surface, and very finely serrated ; petioles long, about two inches in length, slender. FLOWEES. — Medium size, petals narrow. FEUIT. — Large, about four inches long and three and a half in diameter : Form, oblong, inclining to pyramidal, regular, largest in the middle, tapering to an obtuse point at the stem : Skin, slightly rough, greenish yellow, becoming pale yellow when mature, broadly tinged with pale red in the sun, and mottled with dots of a deeper shade, often russeted around the crown, and regularly and thickly covered with large distinct russet specks : Stem, medium length, about an inch long, rather stout, curved, and inserted in a shallow cavity, formed by swell- ings and projections of the fruit, highest on one side : Eye, medium size, open and slightly sunk in a very shallow, plaited or furrowed basin ; segments of the calyx short, stiff, projecting : Flesh, yellowish white, coarse, melting, and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, slightly vinous, perfumed and delicious : Core, rather large : Seeds, small. RIPE in November, and keeps four or five weeks. [70] TiiW JLAS CMAfl REAR ,' T,' IJV , a jVr.m Naf.urc -. ito»nu fetM h THE LAS CANAS PEAR. LAS CANAS. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xv. p. 197, 1849. THE Las Canas is one of the numerous varieties in- troduced through the exertions of the late Mr. Manning, of Salem, who obtained the scions from M. Emelien de Wael, an amateur cultivator of Antwerp, and an intimate friend of Dr. Van Mons, who at that time possessed one of the most extensive collections of pears. M. de Wael visited this country about twelve years ago, and on his return home forwarded to Messrs. Manning and Kenrick scions of many new varieties of pears, and the Las Canas was among the number. It first fruited in the Pomological Garden about five years ago, giving promise of great excellence ; and the experience of successive years has proved it to be a most valuable acquisition. It has much of the character of those fine sorts, the Tyson and Rostiezer, possessing the rich spicy aroma which renders those varieties so popu- lar and generally esteemed. It is only a medium-sized fruit; but its many fine qualities, added to its productiveness, — bearing its fruit in clusters, — vigorous habit, and early bearing, place it among the very best pears. The origin of the Las Canas is unknown ; it is probably a seedling produced by some of the Belgian amateurs, who are constantly raising new seedlings, and to whom we are indebted for so many of our choicest pears. The form of this pear is somewhat peculiar ; the crown is large and full, and, contracting slightly in the middle, it tapers so regularly into the stem that it is scarcely possible to say where it begins or ends. The tree is of very upright and regular form while young, with branches which make very acute angles, and its general form is similar to the Williams's Bon Chretien, (or Bartlett.) Whether it will succeed well upon the quince has not yet been ascertained. Mr. Manning, from whom we received our specimens, and in whose collection the Las Canas has, so far, only fruited, informs us that they were from a tree on the pear, and that he had not tried it upon the quince. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, upright, with erect annual shoots, which ascend at very acute angles. WOOD. — Dull yellowish brown, smooth, and speckled with small russet specks, moderately stout, rather short-jointed and blunt at the ends ; old wood, dull brownish olive ; buds, medium size, rather long 171] LAS CAN AS FEAR, and pointed, flattened, erect, incurved towards the ends, with small shoulders, and partially covered with grayish scales : Flower-buds, me- dium size, ovate. LEAVES. — Small, ovate, dull green, cordate at the base, shortly pointed, slightly wavy, and nearly entire at the edge ; petioles, medium length, about one inch long, rather slender, and growing nearly erect. FLOWERS. — Medium size, in compact clusters ; petals little cupped, roundish, with nearly entire edges ; claw short. FKUIT. — Medium size, about two and a half inches long, and one and three quarters in diameter : Form, pyramidal, very regular, oblique at the crown, and tapering into the stem : Skin, slightly rough, dull yellowish green, very much russeted around the eye extending in patches and tracing towards the stem, mottled with green, and covered with small russet specks : Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, slender, curved, thick at the end attached to the branch, and swollen and fleshy at its junction with the fruit, which is oblique : Eye, small, open, and inserted in a small, scarcely perceivable basin ; segments of the calyx short, very broad, and reflexed : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, melting, and very juicy : Flavor, rich and saccha- rine, with a high and delicious aroma : Core, medium size : Seeds, me- dium size, nearly black. RIPE in October, and keeps two or three weeks. [72] J)r-nv i Scorn f-J B • THE DUCHESSE OF ANGOULEME PEAR. DUCHESSE OF ANGOULEME. Pomological Magazine, vol. ii. pi. 76. FEW varieties of pears have attracted so much attention as the Duchesse of Angouleme. The im- mense size of the fruit, — its great beauty and rich flavor, — as well as the vigor, hardiness, and produc- tiveness of the tree, have given it a character which entitles it to a place in the smallest collection. Some cultivators, we are aware, have pronounced it a varia- ble fruit, sometimes excellent, but oftener wanting in flavor, and only to be considered a good pear. But we are inclined to believe this character has only been applied to it when grown in an unfavorable soil or locality, or when, from some cause, the fruit has not been produced in its best condition. The Pomological Magazine, above quoted, describes it as " the very finest" of late autumn pears, and though this was twenty years ago, since which time many new kinds have been introduced, we know of no variety of the same season, except Swan's Orange, which for general cultivation will surpass it. The Duchesse of Angouleme was originally found growing in a hedge, at Anvers, near Paris, upwards of thirty years ago ; but since its intro- duction it has been rapidly and widely disseminated, and there are few collections which do not contain one or more trees. The fruit often grows to a very large size ; its ordinary weight is from twelve to sixteen ounces ; but the specimen which our drawing so beautifully represents, weighed upwards of twenty ounces, and grew upon a dwarf tree only four or five years old. The tree is of upright and stocky habit, and makes a beautiful and symmetrical pyramid, growing admirably upon the quince, and forming fine specimens at the age of four or five years. It is also a fine variety for espaliers or walls ; and a trained tree, with a full crop, is one of the most attractive objects of the fruit garden. It comes into bearing early, either upon the pear or quince stock. TREE. — Vigorous, upright and erect, the lateral branches ascending at very acute angles ; annual shoots long and straight. WOOD. — Brownish yellow, thickly dotted with large prominent whitish specks, stout and rather long-jointed ; old wood yellowish olive ; buds, medium size, long, slender, and sharply pointed, diverging : Flower- buds, medium size, ovate, with somewhat wooly scales. [73] DUCHESSE OF ANGOULEME PEAR. LEAVES. — Medium size, ovate, broadest in the middle, shortly pointed, slightly wavy, of a bright shining green, finely nerved, and nearly entire on the edge ; petioles medium length, about one and a quarter inches long, and rather slender. FLOWEKS. — Medium size ; petals narrow, oblong, nearly flat. FEUIT. — Very large, about four inches long and three and a half in diameter : Form, roundish oblong, tapering little to the stem, where it is very obtuse, with a very uneven and knobby surfece : Skin, fair, smooth, rich deep yellow when mature, often tinged with blush on the sunny side, with several scattered irregular russety patches, and the whole surface regularly sprinkled with large russety specks : Stem, medium length, about an inch long, thick and large where it adjoins the branch, and deeply sunk in a round cavity : Eye, rather small, closed, and deeply sunk in a much furrowed basin ; segments of the calyx short, incurved, stiff: Flesh, white, fine, melting, buttery, and juicy: Flavor, rich, sac- charine, perfumed, and excellent : Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, plump. RIPE in October and November, and keeps well. E EARLY IT/YHVJiJST APTLE THE EARLY HARVEST APPLE. EAKLY HAKYEST. Kenrick's American Orchardist, 1st Ed. 1833. LARGE EARLY HARVEST, Thatcher's Am. Orchardiit. PRINCE'S HARVEST, or i EARLY FRENCH REINETTE, \ Coxe's View °f the Orchard> JULY PIPPIN, Floy, in Guide to the Orchard, Am. Ed. JULY EARLY PIPPIN, LARGE EARLY, HARVEST, > Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d. Ed. 1842. YELLOW HARVEST, LARGE WHITE JUNEATING, TA.RT BOUGH, of some American collections. THE Early Harvest is, without doubt, the finest early apple we yet possess. Of good size, and beautiful appearance, it has a crisp and tender flesh, and combines, in its flavor, that pleasant ad- mixture of sweet and acid which gives a freshness peculiar among early apples. Mr. Coxe, in his excellent work on fruit trees, describes the Early Harvest under the names above quoted from his work, and he is the first author who notices this variety. He does not, however, state its origin, or from whence he received it ; but as it has not been identified among the great number of foreign kinds which have been introduced to American collections, there can be no doubt of its native origin. Though now upwards of thirty years since it was first brought to notice by Mr. Coxe, it is yet very little cultivated, in comparison with other sorts more recently introduced, and of inferior quality. The supply of fruit for our markets is exceedingly limited, and what there is, when large and fine, commands a very high price. That a variety so excellent should not have been much more extensively disseminated is somewhat remarkable, and we hope our description and figure of it may aid in making it better known to all cultivators. The Early Harvest is a moderately vigorous and healthy growing tree, branching low, but forming, when full grown, a fine round head ; it comes early into bearing, and produces abundant crops. The young trees grow upright, and may readily be distinguished among others from the forked appearance of the lateral shoots, several of which spring from the extremity of the previous year's wood. [75] EARLY HARVEST APPLE. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, upright, the branches making very acute angles. WOOD. — Reddish chestnut, sprinkled with small whitish specks, mod- erately stout, short-jointed ; annual shoots somewhat downy at the ends; old wood, hrownish chestnut; buds, small, short, and flattened, with small shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size, frequently formed at the ends of the shoots. LEAVES. — Medium size, roundish obovate, rather light green, taper- ing to the point, wavy at the edges, and irregularly and rather obtusely serrated ; petioles rather short, about half an inch long, stout. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals obovate, cupped. FEUIT. — Medium size, about three inches broad, and two and a half deep : Form, roundish, sometimes little flattened at the base, rounding off to the crown, which is full : Skin, fair, smooth, pale yellow or straw color when mature, very slightly tinged with blush on the sunny side, with a few traces of russet round the stem, and some scattered spots of the same color, intermixed with white specks, over the surface : Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, rather slender, and inserted in a moderately deep and somewhat narrow cavity : Eye, medium size, closed, and slightly sunk in a shallow, nearly smooth, basin ; segments of the calyx narrow, twisted : Flesh, white, rather fine, crisp, and tender : Juice, abundant, pleasantly acid, sprightly and well flavored : Core, rather close : Seeds, small. RIPE from the middle of July to the end of August. [76] THE "Print* a! A 171 KL HEAR . ruwu.I'ru"! ti n.tu rKtU Ch:rC Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1848. THE BEURRE' DIEL PEAR. BEUERE/ DIEL. Pomological Magazine, vol. i. pi. 19. DIEL, DIEL'S BUTTERBIRNB, DOROTHEA ROYAL, GROSSE DOROTHEE', BEURRE' ROYAL, DES TROIS TOURS, BEURRE' D'¥ELLE, (of some,) GROS DILLEN, DlLLEN, DE MELON, MELON DE KOPS, BEURRE' MAGNIFIQUB, BEURRE7 INCOMPARABLE, SYLVANGE VERTE D'HIVER, of some Collections. FOURCROY BOUVJER, Thompson, in Gard. Chron., 1845. IF the epithet of a noble pear belongs to any variety, the Beurre Diel unquestionably deserves that appellation. It is a noble fruit, in every sense of the word. Of the very largest size, — of handsome form', — with a deep yellow skin, — a perfectly melting flesh and luscious flavor, — and ripening late in the season, when there are but few good pears, it must be considered one of the very best which has been added to our collections. The Beurre Diel was one of the early seedlings of Dr. Van Mons, and was raised as long ago as 1805. He first sent scions of it to the London Horticultural Society, in 1817, in whose gar- den it soon after produced fruit ; and it was first sent to this country by Mr. Knight, in his liberal donation of scions, — through the Hon. John Lowell, — to the Massachusetts Agricultural Society, in 1823. It was named in honor of Dr. Augustus Frederick Adrian Diel, one of the most distinguished German pomological writers. The Beurre Diel, in addition to the high qualities of its fruit, is one of the most vigorous and beautiful growing pear trees, conspicuous for its large, deep green, glossy leaves, and smooth, clean bark, and is val- uable as an ornamental tree. It grows very freely upon the quince, and soon acquires a good size, producing abundant crops. TREE. — Very vigorous, with the lateral shoots horizontal, and often curved when young, but, as it becomes older, assuming an upright and tolerably regular form ; annual wood long and remarkably stout. WOOD. — Grayish brown, with large, oblong, grayish specks, strong, and moderately long-jointed; old wood, grayish olive; buds, medium [77] BEURRE' DIEL PEAK. size, broad, rather sharply pointed, erect, the ends curved inward, with prominent shoulders : Flower-huds, medium size, ovate. LEAVES. — Large, roundish ovate, largest about the middle, shortly pointed, nearly flat, thick, dark green, finely and irregularly serrated ; petioles, medium length, about one and a quarter inches long, stout. FLOWEES. — Large, petals round, cupped, with a rather short claw. FEUIT. — Large, about three and a half inches long, and three in di- ameter : Form, obovate, slightly irregular, large about the middle, full at the crown, and tapering to an obtuse point at the stem : Skin, slightly rough, uneven, dull green, becoming bright yellow when mature, occa- sionally russeted in irregular patches, and sprinkled with prominent russet specks : Stem, rather long, about one and a half inches in length, stout, curved, and deeply inserted in a contracted cavity : Eye, medium size, open, and considerably depressed in a ridged basin ; seg- ments of the calyx long, narrow and projecting : Flesh, yellowish white, coarse, slightly gritty at the core, buttery, melting and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary, highly perfumed and delicious : Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, dark brown. RIPE in November and December, and keeps till January. [78] THE SAINT ANDRE ~PEA]1 "Fruits of Am.fr.ica. PUUJ\r(! -I) rnwu I Venn Miitm-p. die C hro>(\j> i\th-, b y W.SXarh fj/iJ on THE SAINT ANDRE' PEAR. SAINT ANDRE'. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. xii. p. 297. THE Saint Andre is one of the finest autumn pears, recently introduced. It resembles, in its melting flesh and rich flavor, the Belle Lucrative, and is nearly, or quite, equal to that variety, which is admitted to stand at the head of our early autumn pears. The fruit is unusually fair, of good size, comes to maturity imme- diatly after the Williams's Bon Chretien, (or Bartlett,) and is in eating three or four weeks. For its introduction to American collections, we are indebted to the late Mr. R. Manning, of Salem. He received scions of the Saint Andre, with some other sorts, from the Messrs. Baumann, of Bollwiller, France, in 1834 or 1835, at the same time he obtained the Rostiezer, which we have already described. It first fruited in his collection in 1841, and he briefly noticed it in the Magazine of Horticulture, for 1843, (vol. viii. p. 58 ;) and subsequently, we fully described and figured it in the same work, as above quoted. From the Pomological Garden, scions have been disseminated, and, for four or five years, it has fruited in several amateur collections, fully maintaining its high character. Of its origin, we have no information. Until within a few years, its name has been confined to the Catalogue of Messrs. Baumann, and we have not succeeded in finding any account of it, by pomological writers, previous to that of Mr. Manning. It is probably a seedling, produced by some of the Flemish cultivators, and introduced into their collection. The tree is of vigorous and healthy growth, of upright habit, regular in form, and the foliage is conspicuously large, glossy and handsome. The wood, as it acquires age, has a somewhat cracked and rough ap- pearance, similar to the Van Mons Leon le Clerc, though in a much less degree. It possesses the desirable characteristics of coming early into bearing, growing freely either upon the quince or pear stock, and of producing abundant crops. The shape of the tree and color of the wood somewhat resemble the Seckel ; and we have received a number of trees from France, for the latter variety, which have proved to be the Saint Andre ; but whether this error is general, we have no opportunity of knowing. TREE. — Vigorous, upright, and regular in form, the lateral shoots making a gentle curve upward ; annual wood moderately stout. Young trees in the nursery branch near the ground. 179J SAINT ANDRE' PEAR. WOOD. — Clear reddish brown, dotted with small grayish specks, mod- erately stout, and rather short-jointed ; old wood, olive brown ; buds, medium size, long, rounded, rather sharply pointed, diverging, with mod- erately large shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size, obovate, with rather loose scales. LEAVES. — Large, oblong obovate, broadest near the base, tapering to the point, nearly flat, smooth, deep glossy green, and quite entire on the edge ; petioles long, about one and a half inches in length, and moderately stout. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals rather short, round and cupped. FRUIT. — Large, about three inches long, and two and a half in diam- eter : Form, obovate, full towards the crown, and tapering regularly to the stem : Skin, fair, smooth, yellowish green, becoming paler when mature, finely spotted or marbled with dull red on the sunny side, and dotted with dark green and russet specks : Stem, medium length, about one inch long, moderately stout, curved, somewhat oblique, often swollen and fleshy where it adjoins the fruit : Eye, medium size, open, and little depressed in a very shallow basin ; segments of the calyx short, round : Flesh, greenish white, fine, buttery, melting and juicy : Flavor, rich, sprightly and vinous, with a peculiarly delicious aroma : Core, small : Seeds, medium size, very pointed, light brown. BIPE in September and October, and keeps some time. [80] I, THE GOES GOLDEN DROP PLUM. ks of America, Tl ate. 1\T? . 3)jawnJconuITadbire&4C"hTBrnu>la3Dir"&y:W' Skar-p &<, 5 on. THE COE'S GOLDEN DROP PLUM. GOES GOLDEN DROP. Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. Hort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. COB'S, Pomological Magazine, vol. ii. p. 57. COE'S IMPERIAL, GOLDEN DROP, NEW GOLDEN DROP, BURY SEEDLING, FAIR'S GOLDEN DROP, GOLDEN GAGE, KING OF PLUMS, of some Collections. WATERLOO, of some French Collections. COE'S Golden Drop is one of the most de- licious of all plums. Nearly approaching the Washington in size, — equalling the Green Gage in the lusciousness of its juice, — and coming in some time after both of these varieties are gone, it may be justly ranked as one of the best kinds yet produced, and indispensable to even the very smallest collection of plums. Coe's Golden Drop was raised from seed, up- wards of forty years ago, by Mr. Jervase Coe, a market-gardener, at Bury St. Edmunds, in Suffolk, near London. It originated from a stone of the Green Gage, the blossoms of which, Mr. Coe supposed, had been fertilized by the White Magnum Bonurn ; the two trees of which grew nearly in contact with each other in his garden. The great resemblance of the Golden Drop, in size and color, to one parent, and the near approach, in its high flavor, to the other, would seem to favor this supposition. The superiority of this plum made it a great favorite among cultivators, and it soon became generally introduced into all choice collections of this fruit, under the several synonymes which we have quoted above, with the exception of the last, which is of recent addition to the list. This name originated, we believe, among the French nurserymen, and trees, received from France as the Water- loo, have proved to be the Golden Drop. An impression has prevailed, that this fine plum, on account of its late maturity, does not succeed well in this country only in the Middle States. This, however, is not correct ; for, as far as we have any knowl- edge, it ripens freely, and produces abundantly: in the extreme northern [81] COE'S GOLDEN DROP PLUM. parts of New England it may not, possibly, attain that richness which it acquires with us, and which constitutes its great excellence. The trees are of vigorous and rather compact growth, having smooth, short-jointed, purplish shoots, with very prominent eyes, somewhat like the Green Gage, and with small, glossy, deep green leaves. It is a most abundant bearer, and the fruit, which ripens the last of September and early in October, if carefully gathered, will keep in a sound state for more than a month, shrivelling slightly, but retaining its juiciness and fine flavor. Lindley, in his account of it in the Guide to the Orchard, states that, when the fruit has been wrapped in soft pa- per, and kept in a dry room, he has eaten it twelve months after being gathered. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, diverging in its branches, forming a stocky, rather compact head ; annual shoots short and strong. WOOD. — Dark purplish brown, with a few paler spots, smooth, short- jointed ; buds, medium size, roundish, with prominent shoulders. LEAVES. — Medium size, oval, nearly flat, tapering to the end, rather sharply serrated, smooth, and of a glossy dark green on the upper side ; petioles short, slightly pubescent, with two globose glands at the base of the leaf. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals roundish ovate, somewhat imbri- cated. FRUIT. — Large, about two inches long, and one and three quarters in diameter: Form, oval, largest in the middle, tapering to the apex, which is slightly depressed, and narrowing to the stem, where it is ab- ruptly hollowed out ; suture distinct, running half round, one side little longer than the other: Skin, fair, smooth, golden yellow, somewhat mottled with pale green under the skin, dotted with a few deep crimson specks on the sunny side, and covered with a thin whitish bloom : Stem, medium length, about one inch long, rather slender, and obliquely in- serted in a small cavity, on a somewhat elongated base : Flesh, pale yellow, thick, very melting, and firmly adhering to the stone : Juice, abundant, sugary, sprightly and delicious : Stone, large, verv long, rather narrow, compressed, and sharp pointed. RIPE the last of September, and keeps a long time. [82] T:FIR EENONI of A: r fieri.1, a. Plate 1ST? . . .Ura-wri fro-n".N a.ture i;n THE BENONI APPLE BENONI. Kenrick's American Orchardist, 1st Ed. 1833. THE Benoni is a summer apple, of superior quality. It is not quite so large as the Williams, which ripens about the same time, — nor has it the prepossessing appearance of that showy and excellent variety, — but it is fully equal to it in quality. It has a firm and crisp flesh, and a rich, pleasant, subacid and sprightly flavor, which, combined with the productiveness of the tree, claim for it a promi- nent place in every fruit garden or orchard. The Benoni is a native variety, and was first brought to the notice of cultivators, about twenty years ago, by Mr. E. M. Richards, of Dedham, a zealous amateur, who has devoted much attention to apples, and introduced several varieties of merit. Mr. Rich- ards gave a brief account of this apple in the Magazine of Horticulture for 1835, (vol. i. p. 343.) He there states that it originated in Dedham, Mass., upwards of twenty-five years ago, where the original tree, we believe, is still growing, and that it first came into bearing in 1531 or 1832. Its merits soon became known, and, since that time, its cultiva- tion has gradually extended, until it is now found in many of the best collections of apples. Mr. Richards has repeatedly shown very fine speci- mens of the Benoni, and pomologists are indebted to him for his endeavors to bring this and other native seedlings into more general cultivation. The tree has a peculiarly erect and handsome habit, — greatly resem- bling in this respect the Northern Spy, — and, if left to itself, forming a perfect pyramid, with its annual branches shooting up to the height of four or five feet. The foliage is also of a deep green, and a small tree, loaded with its bright red fruit, is, at all tunes, a fine object. Mr. Richards states that " it bears almost to a fault every second year." It comes into fruit rather earlier than most varieties, and we have seen young trees standing in the nursery rows, not more than six or eight feet high, bearing several of its handsome apples. As a dwarf, on its own stock, it is especially desirable ; the trees branch low, and, from their naturally compact form, are easier kept within a convenient size than many other varieties. TEEE. — Moderately vigorous, with an erect and upright habit, the branches ascending at an acute angle with the main stem, and forming, when fully grown, a handsome round head. 183] BENONI APPLE. WOOD. — Dull reddish chestnut, thickly dotted with round russet specks, moderately strong, and very short-jointed; ends of the annual shoots somewhat downy ; old wood, dull olive brown ; buds, small, short, broad, flattened, with rather prominent shoulders, somewhat woolly: Flower-buds, medium size. LEAVES. — Medium size, oblong-oval, largest in the middle, narrowing to the base, terminating rather abruptly in a point at the apex, deep green, somewhat wavy, and regularly serrated ; petioles medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, and moderately stout. FLOWERS. — Medium size, cupped, and tinged with blush. FRUIT. — Medium size, about two and a half inches broad, and two and a half deep : Form, roundish, narrowing towards the crown, which is angular: Skin, fair, smooth, with a deep yellow or orange ground, nearly covered with red, distinctly striped with dark crimson, and cov- ered with scattered, whitish specks : Stem, very short, scarcely half an inch in length, slender, and deeply inserted in a rather contracted cavity : Eye, rather large, partially open, and considerably sunk in a deep, open, furrowed basin ; segments of the calyx medium length : Flesh, yellow, fine, crisp and tender: Juice, abundant, rich, vinous, high flavored and excellent : Core, medium size, rather close : Seeds, medium size, pale brown. RIPE in August and September, and keeps well. [811 Iruits of BLACK -EAGLE G 1 VnwTiIicrniJ>'Wui1e.&' Cliron^luhi1 "by '.V o'-ar 11 THE BLACK EAGLE CHERRY. BLACK EAGLE, Horticultural Transactions, vol. ii. pi. 9. THE Black Eagle is one of the finest cherries in cultivation. It ripens soon after the May Duke, about the same time as the Old Black Heart, and is surpassed by no other variety of its season. The fruit is of good size, with a very tender flesh, and a peculiarly rich and luscious flavor. The tree is a good, without being an over-abundant, bearer, and the fruit is less liable to injury from heavy rains than many other kinds. Two different accounts are given of the origin of the Black Eagle. In the Horticultural Transactions, as above quoted, where it was first figured, it is stated to have been produced by Sir Thomas Andrew Knight ; but in a subsequent notice of this cherry, in the same work, (vol. viii. p. 258,) as well as in Lindley's Guide to the Orchard, its pro- duction is ascribed to Miss Elizabeth Knight. It is, however, of no material consequence whether it was raised by the father or daughter, so long as it originated at Downton Castle, the residence of Mr. Knight. And to him the horticultural world is indebted for its introduction, as well as for several other seedlings of the most superior quality, at the head of which may be named the Elton. The Black Eagle was raised in 1806, from the seed of the Ambree, of Duhamel, impregnated with the pollen of the May Duke ; and, as the authors of the Pomological Magazine truly remark, " it really combines all that is worth raising in both these varieties." Mr. Knight sent the Black Eagle, with other fruits, to the Hon. John Lowell, in 1823 ; but though introduced so long since, it has not yet found its way into very general cultivation. Its merits, however, are so great, that no collection can be considered complete without it. TREE. — Vigorous, of an erect and spreading habit, similar to the old Bigarreau, and with rather stout annual shoots. WOOD. — Strong, short-jointed, dark brown, partially covered with a grayish epidermis ;^ buds, large, full, short, erect. LEAVES. — Large, oblong, broadest above the middle, acuminate, thick, wavy on the margin, deep green, doubly, but not very deeply, ser- rated, and slightly pendulous ; petioles, rather long, about one and a half inches in length, moderately stout, with reniform glands. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals roundish oval, cupped and imbri- cated ; stamens shorter than the style. 186] BLACK EAGLE CHERRY. FRUIT. — Medium size, about one inch broad, and seven eighths of an inch long : Form, roundish heart-shaped, flattened at each end, with a deep suture all round, and a large and distinctly indented point at the apex : Skin, dark shining red, nearly black when fully mature : Stem, medium length, about one and a quarter inches long, stout, and inserted in a moderately deep open cavity : Flesh, dark purplish red, slightly firm and very tender : Juice, abundant, rich and high flavored : Stone, roundish, rather small. RIPE from the first to the middle of July. [86] •' of Ain PLUM . 1 i'-;iv/!L lJom.Nat.iLre & Grtrorm- lith, -tj VT Sh»u-p THE WASHINGTON PLUM. WASHINGTON. Pomokgical Magazine, vol. i. pi. 16. BOLMAR'S WASHINGTON, Guide to the Orchard. BOLMAR, i NEW WASHINGTON, JHort. Soc. Catalogue, 3d Ed. 1842. FRANKLIN, SUPERIOR GAGE, •» SUPERIOR GREEN GAGE, [of some American collections. WASHINGTON BOLMAR, / THE Washington Plum is one of the most re- markable varieties, and deservedly holds the highest rank among the numerous sorts which have yet been produced. Nearly equalling the Green Gage in its abundant juice and luscious flavor, far sur- passing it in size, and greatly excelling it in rich- ness and beauty, it has, to a great extent, taken the place of that old and superior plum. The tree is also of the most vigorous habit among plums, with a large, broad, glossy and luxuriant foliage, quite unlike any previously known sort, and at once distinguishable from all others. The history of the Washington is very generally known, though its origin is involved in some obscurity. Mr. Floy, in the American edi- tion of Lindley's Guide to the Orchard, states that it sprang from the root of a grafted tree of the Green Gage, growing near the Bowery in New York. This tree was destroyed by lightning below the graft ; a few suckers came up from the root, and these were sold in the New York market. Mr. Bolmar was the purchaser of two of them : this was in 1814; and in 1818, when his trees came into bearing, he re- quested Mr. Floy to call and see them; this he did, and the beauty of their foliage, as well as the immense size of the fruit, surprised him. Mr. Bolmar gave him buds, from which he propagated the variety, and disseminated the trees from his nursery ; he also had a drawing made of the fruit at that time. The late Wm. Prince also gives an account of it in the Pomological Manual, (vol. ii. p. 53,) where he states that the variety was well known around Flushing, about the year 1824, at which period there were several trees of " the thickness of a man's thigh," and that it was cultivated for a long time under the name of the Superior Gage. He [87] Ifr • - WASHINGTON PLUM. was unable to trace it any farther than Flushing, and he had strong evidence that it was one of the numerous seedlings which his father raised, about the year 1790, from the Green Gage, when the Imperial Gage, Red Gage, and other fine varieties, were originated from the same lot of seed. The Washington was introduced into the garden of Robert Barclay, Esq., of Bury Hill, near London, in 1819; and in 1821, the late Dr David Hosack, of New York, presented several trees to the London Horticultural Society, in whose garden it soon fruited, and, from its immense size and superior qualities, attracted unusual attention. The trees, from their vigorous hahit, soon form fine heads, making remarkably strong annual shoots ; they are rather tardy in coming into bearing, but when they commence fruiting they produce abundant crops. TREE. — Very vigorous and erect, often throwing out its branches, when young, at right angles with the main stem. Our vignette repre- sents a young tree two years from the bud or graft. WOOD. — Pale grayish brown, stout, moderately long-jointed, and, when young, slightly pubescent ; buds, rather small, flattened, shortly pointed, with moderately prominent shoulders. LEAVES. — Very large, roundish oblong, bright glossy green, moderately thick, wavy, obtusely and not very deeply serrated ; petioles, medium length, about half an inch long, moderately stout, slightly pubescent. FLOWERS. — Very large ; petals roundish, cupped; style rather longer than the stamens. FRUIT. — Large, about two and a quarter inches long, and two and an eighth of an inch in diameter : Form, roundish oval, largest in the mid- dle, and tapering roundly to each end, with a shallow suture extending half round, deepest near the stem : Skin, fair, smooth, dull yellow, inclining to orange in well-grown specimens, dotted and marbled with crimson on the sunny side, and covered with a thin lilac bloom : Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, moderately stout, little pubescent, and inserted in a shallow cavity : Flesh, yellow, rather firm and melting, separating freely from the stone : juice abundant, rich, sugary, sprightly and luscious : Stone, medium size, oval, acute at each end, deeply furrowed, and nearly even at the edges. RIPE the last of August and beginning of September. [88] Trails nf THE HEATHCOT PEAR. HEATHCOT. New England Farmer, vol. vii. p. 82. GORE'S HEATHCOT, Prince's Pom. Manual, vol. i. THE Heathcot was one of the earliest Ameri- can pears which was brought to notice. At the period of its introduction only two or three va- rieties were admitted by pomologists to be wor- thy of general cultivation. The late Hon. John Lowell, in 1828, stated, that, " although it was thirty-three years since he had turned his atten- tion to horticulture, he was not able to recollect any valuable table pear, the evidence of whose origin in this country was deemed unquestiona- ble, except the Seckel, the Johonnot, the Lewis, and the Heathcot." From this, it will be seen how few were the tine native pears which we possessed twenty years ago. But Mr. Lowell's remarks, though nearly correct when written, have no application now. Had we space, we should like to make an enumeration of the choice native pears, at present known, for comparison with the list of 1828. Every intelligent cultivator will, however, supply the information him- self ; and he must feel that we have done more, in this short space of time, in adding to the list of fine varieties, than all the cultivators of Europe, excepting Van Mons, during the present century. The Heathcot was raised in 1812, in the garden of the late Hon. Christopher Gore, in Waltham, Mass., and was so named in honor of the gardener who planted the seed. It first fruited in 1824, and con- tinued to bear a uniform crop up to 1828, when it was brought to the notice of cultivators by the late Capt. Jonathan Winship of Brighton. In 1830, specimens were exhibited from the original tree, which weighed upwards of eight ounces each. Since that time the variety has become much disseminated, though it is by no means very generally cultivated. The tree is a healthy and moderately vigorous grower, of upright habit, making a great number of short, slender branches, which, unless judiciously thinned out, form a thick and bushy head. The lateral branches diverge in a very regular manner. It is rather slow in coming into bearing, but produces a uniform crop every year. It does not grow freely on the quince. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, upright, and tolerably regular in form, the branches making a slight curve upwards ; annual wood rather slen- der. Young trees in the nursery branch very near the ground. [89] HEATHCOT PEAR. •f* -1" 1 WOOD. — Reddish brown, dotted with small whitish specks, rather slender and short-jointed; old wood pale grayish brown; buds, large, short, full, erect, with prominent shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size. LEAVES. — Small, oblong ovate, broadest about the middle, narrowing to the base, tapering regularly to the point, recurved on the midrib, folded inwards, thickly nerved, dark green, and distinctly, but not deeply, serrated ; petioles, medium length, about one and a half inches long and rather slender. FLOWERS. — Rather small ; petals oblong, somewhat cupped. FRUIT. — Medium size, about three inches long, and nearly three in diameter : Form, obovate, tapering roundly to an obtuse point at the stem : Skin, greenish yellow, becoming lemon yellow when mature, more or less clouded, and interlaced with russet, particularly around the eye and stem, and slightly browned on the sunny side : Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, rather stout, somewhat knobby, dull brown, curved, and obliquely inserted in a small, round, moderately deep cavity, highest on one side : Eye, small, closed, and slightly depressed in a small, uneven, ridged basin ; segments of the calyx short, thick and fleshy : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, very melt- ing, buttery and juicy : Flavor, rich, sprightly, vinous and excellent, with a slight perfume : Core, rather large : Seeds, large, peculiarly pointed at the obtuse end, dark brown. RIPE in October and keeps well for some time. [90] DUCHESS OF ORLEANS HEAR . IJra*viii'r<-iti J ful-iu •(•&. GhromoK!li • "byW. 'i h Jl THE DUCHESS OF ORLEANS PEAR. DUCHESS OF OELEANS. Kenrick's American Orchardist, 7th Ed. 1841. AMONG the new pears of French or Flemish origin, which have been recently introduced, the Duchess of Orleans holds a high rank. It is but a few years since Mr. William Kenrick, on his return from Eu- rope, brought with him a few scions of this variety, F which he procured in Paris. A portion of these were, with his usual liberality, given to the late Robert Manning, of Salem, in whose pomological garden it first fruited about six years ago. Its beau- tiful appearance and superior quality at once com- mended it to notice, and successive trials have fully established its claim to a place among our finest pears. The origin of the Duchess of Orleans is unknown. Mr. Kenrick briefly described it in the American Orchardist, and gave as his authority M. Oudin, a French nurseryman of high reputation. He merely adds, that it had " lately been received from Normandy," the most favorable locality in France for fine pears. Undoubtedly it is the production of some of the French nurserymen, or amateur cultivators, who are con- stantly raising new seedlings, which are introduced to cultivation with- out any other knowledge of their merits than the recommendation of those who produced them from seed. The Duchess of Orleans is a peculiarly prepossessing fruit. In form it is very regular, pyramidal, and the skin, which is of a fine rich yellow, when mature, is beautifully mottled with golden russet, often so profusely as to cover the whole fruit. It comes into eating at a good season, just after the Williams's Bon Chretien or Bartlett, and keeps better than most autumn pears. The trees are tolerably vigorous growers, with a somewhat peculiar, upright habit ; the branches are long, curved or wavy, with the ends inclined towards the main stem. It is rather late in coming into bear- ing, being generally the fifth or sixth year. It does not grow freely on the quince. TEEE. — Moderately vigorous, upright, somewhat irregular, with the branches curved inwards ; annual shoots long and rather slender. WOOD. — Yellowish olive, rather thickly dotted with oblong, grayish white specks, rather slender, and long-jointed; old wood brownish olive ; buds, small, slender, sharply pointed, diverging, with moderately prominent shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size. [91] DUCHESS OF ORLEANS PEAR. LEAVES. — Medium size, oblong ovate, largest about the middle, nar- rowing most to the point, which is shortly acuminate, nearly flat, yellow- ish green, and obtusely serrated ; petioles, rather long, about one and a quarter inches in length, moderately stout, often curved or wavy. FLOWERS. — Large ; petals oblong, somewhat cupped ; claw long. FRUIT. — Large, about three and a half inches long and two and a half in diameter : Form, regular, pyramidal, full at the crown, little contracted about the middle, and tapering to the stem : Skin, slightly rough, light, yellow, mottled with golden russet in the shade, thinly marked with red in the sun, and sparsely covered with small russet specks : Stem, long, about one and a quarter inches in length, rather stout, swollen at the end adjoining the branch, straight, and obliquely inserted in a fleshy base, without any cavity : Eye, medium size, open, and scarcely depressed ; segments of the calyx short, projecting : Flesh, yellowish, fine, buttery, melting and juicy : Flavor, rich, sugary and delicious, with a pleasant musky aroma : Core, medium size : Seeds, medium size, rather long, dark brown. RIPE in October, and keeps three or four weeks. [92] .HE EAELY PURPLE G1IIGNE C?HEKRY. ol' Amertcrt.Plflle JN? rHvvn tVdiii N.ilur,' X (;Ni")iiio iith'! 1'y W THE EARLY PURPLE GUIGNE CHERRY. EARLY PURPLE GUIGNE. Horticultural Transactions, vol. viii. pi. 4. EARLY PURPLE GRIOTTK, Hurt. Soc. Catakgue, 3d Ed. 1842. IT is somewhat surprising that a cherry, possessing such valuable qualities as the Early Purple Guigne, should not have become much better known, and far more extensively cultivated in American collections. It was introduced into the garden of the London Horticultural Society in 1822, and in 1830 a full account of it, by Mr. R. Thompson, was published in its Transactions, accompanied with a beautiful colored figure of the fruit. As the history of so fine a variety will be interesting to every pomologist, we copy the following from Mr. Thompson's account : " This variety is probably of recent origin on the continent, and its early introduction to this country by the Horticultural Society was en- tirely accidental, it having been received in a collection from M. De Candolle, of Geneva, in 1822, under the name of the Griotte de Chaux, which is a late cherry, of the nature of a Morello. This being the case, and its foreign name not having been found, it was temporarily called, in the garden, the Early Purple Griotte, under which name it has since been distributed. Writers are much divided, on the continent, with regard to those principal divisions of cherries of which the Griottiers form one, and among which the sort for which this was sent ought to have ranked, but with which it clearly does not agree. The Griottiers were formerly written Agriottiers, probably from the sharpness of their juice, — a quality which prevails more or less in all of them. The Morello tribe is included in that division, along with other slender wooded varieties, in all of which the petioles of the leaves are short and erect, compared with those of other kinds of cherries. In none of these peculiarities does the Early Purple Guigne accord with the Griotte tribe. Its habit is very different ; the petioles of its leaves, instead of being short, are remarkably long and slender, and consequently the leaves are drooping. But with another division, called by the French Guigniers, a very different tribe from our northern Geans, it agrees in every respect. That this sort is highly deserving of cultivation, being the earliest yet known, will appear best by comparing it with the May Duke and Early May, grown in similar situations ; the former is quite green, the latter is barely ripe when this is in full perfection. It may be said to be about a fortnight earlier than the May Duke, and to be fully equal to it in quality." [93] EARLY PURPLE GUIGNE CHERRY. It is a little singular that the origin of two of the earliest cherries we have should be involved in so much obscurity, and quite as remark- able that both should have been received from the nursery of the Messrs. Baumann, of Bollwiller. These two are the Early Purple Guigne and the May Bigarreau. A reference to our account of the latter, which we have already figured, (pi. 26,) will show that it came from Messrs. Baumann, without name, under nearly the same circum- stances as the Early Purple Guigne, and it yet appears to be almost or quite unknown to English cultivators. When our description of .the May Bigarreau was written, we had not fruited the Early Purple Guigne, and we made the remark, that unless the latter proved to be " remarkably early, the May Bigarreau may be safely set down as, at least, a fortnight earlier than any other variety." The experience, however, of two years has given us an opportunity to judge fully of the merits of this cherry, and we can now state that it is even earlier than the May Bigarreau, and also a larger, more beautiful, and richer fruit. The trees are moderately vigorous, forming a some- what loose and spreading head, and good bearers. No collection should be without this fine early cherry. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, upright ; branches, somewhat irregular and spreading. WOOD. — Moderately strong, short-jointed, dark brown, partially cov- ered with a silvery epidermis ; old wood, sprinkled with large horizontal whitish specks ; buds, rather large, oblong-ovate, diverging, with promi- nent shoulders. LEAVES. — Medium size, oblong, drooping, wavy on the margin, often incurved, irregularly and coarsely serrated ; veins, small beneath ; peti- oles long, nearly two inches in length, slender, dark red, with large reniform glands, generally two, but occasionally more. FLOWERS. — Large, opening early; petals, oblong oval; stamens, longer than the style. FRUIT. — Medium size, about three quarters of an inch long, and seven eighths of an inch in diameter, roundish heart-shaped, broad at the base, narrowing to the apex, somewhat compressed, with an indis- tinct suture, and a large indented point : Skin, dark red, becoming of a rich, glossy, purplish black when fully ripe : Stem, very long, about two inches in length, slender, and moderately inserted in a rather shallow cavity : Flesh, deep purplish red, tender, juicy, rich, sweet and excellent: Stone, medium size, roundish. KIPE the last of May and the beginning of June. [94] THE THOMAS PLUM. of America. , Plate Drawa from Aatnre & Cfiroiuo Lrthd t' THE THOMAS PLUM. THOMAS. Magazine of Horticulture, vol. vii. p. 388. THE Thomas, though not to be placed in the same rank with the Washington, Imperial Gage, Jefferson, and some other American plums, possesses, however, a combination of qualities which render it a very desirable variety. It is nearly as large as the Washington, and full as beautiful as that plum, ripens its fruit late in the season, and has the excellent property of hanging upon the tree, without rotting, a much longer time than any of the large sized kinds. The trees are also exceedingly vigorous growers, come into bearing rather early, and pro- duce abundant crops. In general appearance the Thomas resembles the Sharpe's Emperor, an English plum, having the same salmon-colored skin, beautifully shaded with pale violet, and overspread with a thin lilac bloom. This, together with its vigor, hardness, late ripening and general good quality, render the Thomas a variety well deserving a place in all but the most limited collections of this fruit. The Thomas originated in Boston, in the garden of William Thomas. The tree sprang up, near the house, from a stone supposed to have been accidentally dropped from the window. It first came into bearing in 1839 or 1840, when the tree was only six or seven years old. In 1841, Mr. Thomas exhibited some beautiful specimens of the fruit before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, who named it in honor of the originator. Its size and handsome appearance attracted general admiration, and its quality was so good that the second premium was awarded to Mr. Thomas for his fine specimens. From scions kindly furnished us by Mr. Thomas, we budded several trees, and the last two or three years they have borne fine crops. The past season the plums were unusually beautiful, and hung in clusters on the branches until the latter part of September, when they were gathered. But very few rotted upon the tree, though the autumn was more than usually unfavorable to the keeping of the fruit ; and this we deem one of its best characteristics. For a large collection it is an excellent plum. TREE. — Vigorous, upright, with diverging branches, making a regu- lar, well-shaped head ; annual shoots, strong. WOOD, — Dark brown, sprinkled with whitish specks, partially covered with a grayish epidermis, nearly smooth and rather short-jointed ; buds, small, short, erect, with rather prominent shoulders. [96] THOMAS PLUM. LEAVES, — Medium size, roundish oval, dark green, strongly veined beneath, irregularly and rather deeply serrated; petioles, medium length, about half an inch long, moderately stout, with two globose glands at the base of the leaf. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; style and stamens about equal. FRUIT. — Large, about two inches long and one and three quarters of an inch in diameter : Form, roundish oblong, flattened at the apex, with a shallow suture, one half larger than the other : Skin, deep amber colored, beautifully mottled and shaded with bright red on the sunny side near the point, profusely sprinkled with white dots, and cov- ered with a thin whitish or pale lilac bloom : Stem, medium length, about half an inch long, rather stout, and deeply inserted in a con- tracted cavity : Flesh, deep yellow, half melting, and freely separating from the stone : Juice, tolerably abundant, sweet and pleasantly flavored : Stone, rather large, roundish ovate, thick, and light colored. EIPE from the middle to the last of September. [96J I THE - . • Fviittj or America f»i.v.fi >"° IDrawi from Natii] THE ANDREWS PEAR. • •ANDEEWS. New England Farmer, vol. vii. (1829,) p. 266. A-MORY ? ' > of some American Collections. GIBSON, > THE Andrews is, unquestionably, one of the finest American pears yet produced. It has everywhere, and under all circumstances, so far as our knowledge extends, proved to be a hardy, productive and supe- rior variety. In appearance, it is less prepossessing and showy than the Williams's Bon Chretien (Bart- lett) or the Golden Beurre of Bilboa, which ripen at the same time ; but in its very melting flesh, and the peculiarly rich cinnamon aroma of its abundant juice, surpasses either of them, and is second to no other pear of its season. The history of the Andrews, though tolerably well authenticated, is, however, to be received with some doubt. The first account of it was published in the N. E. Farmer, by Mr. Samuel Downer, who introduced it to the notice of cultivators soon after the organization of the Massa- chusetts Horticultural Society, in 1829. Mr. Downer states that it originated in Dorchester, and that the original tree was purchased about sixty years ago by Mr. John Andrews, of Boston, who removed it to his garden in Court Street, where it continued to bear fruit for several years ; but from some cause, either its locality or from neglect, it disap- peared more than thirty years ago. The only doubt respecting its origin, as above stated, is, that in Som- erville, Mass., there is now growing, in full vigor, and bearing a large annual crop, a fine large tree of the Andrews. Where the scions came from is unknown ; the only information the present owner of the tree can give, is, that his father grafted it when he was a little boy, upwards of sixty years ago. As the age of this tree is as great as that claimed for the one purchased by Mr. Andrews, it remains a question whether the latter was the original one, or whether it was grafted from the same unknown source from which the one in Somerville was obtained. Of its native origin, however, there can be no doubt. The Andrews is a slow growing and moderately vigorous tree, bear- ing so profusely that it makes very little wood. It comes into bearing rather early, and is another of the many American pears which does not grow freely on the quince. 197] ANDREWS PEAR. TREE. — Moderately vigorous, upright, little irregular, making very slender wood while young, but becoming stronger as it advances in age. WOOD. — Dark reddish brown, dotted with small white specks, rather slender and short-jointed ; annual shoots, short; old wood, dull brown ; buds, medium size, roundish ovate, full, diverging, with rather promi- nent shoulders : Flower-buds, medium size. LEAVES.— Small, oblong ovate, dull green, shortly pointed, rather coarsely nerved, wavy on the margin, and finely serrated ; petioles, long, nearly two inches in length, very slender. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals cupped. FRUIT. — Large, about three inches long and two and three quarter inches in diameter: Form, obovate, pyramidal, slightly irregular, one side being a little larger than the other, full at the base, and tapering to the stem : Skin, fair, smooth, yellowish green, tinged with brownish red on the sunny side, and dotted with a few scattered russet specks : Stem, medium length, about three quarters of an inch long, rather stout, curved, twisted and obliquely inserted without any cavity, usually with a projection on one side : Eye, medium size, open, and deeply sunk in a round basin ; segments of the calyx medium length : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, melting and very juicy: Flavor, rich, sugary and refreshing, with a peculiarly delicious aroma : Core, medium size : Seeds, large, very long, light brown. RIPE in September and keeps three or four weeks. [98] . ' I EN BEirREE OF BILBO A TVuifs of .America PTctfr N? aw: • . y. • • r, * THE GOLDEN BEURRE' OF BILBOA. GOLDEN BfiUEEE7 OF BILBOA. Kenrick's American Orchardist. . GOLDEN BEURRE', of some English Collections. HOOPER'S BILBOA, of some American Collections. FEW of our early autumn pears have a more prepossessing appearance than the Golden Beurre of Bilboa. Its skin is unusually smooth and fair, and its golden yellow hue, so indicative of its name, is made yet the more .rich in contrast with the deep blotch of cinnamon russet which encircles its stem, and whose outer line is lost in the delicate tracings and dottings which radiate from it. But the great beauty of the Golden Beurre of Bilboa, as with some pears, is not its only merit. Inde- pendent of this it is really a most excellent fruit, having a fine melting flesh, a vinous juice, and a pleasant flavor; add to. these a vigorous and handsome growing tree, producing abundant crops, and a fair estimate may be formed of this desirable pear. The Golden Beurre of Bilboa was first introduced into American collections by Mr. J. Hooper, of Marblehead, who imported the tree from Bilboa, in Spain, in 1821 ; and in October, 1831, specimens of the fruit were first exhibited before the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. Mr. Manning, who introduced it into his collection, thought it might probably be detected among the future importations from Europe ; but neither in the immense number of varieties cultivated by Mr. Manning, nor in any other collection, up to this time, a period of twenty years, has a similar variety yet been seen, showing conclusively that it must have originated in the country from whence it was received. Some few years ago we received several new varieties of pears from an English collection, and among them was a Golden Beurre. We supposed it to be some entirely new kind, as no such pear has been described by any European pomologist. The wood appeared familiar, though we did not then think of identifying it as a synonyme. We have since ascertained that scions of the Golden Beurre of Bilboa were sent to England, some years ago, by Mr. W. Kenrick. This at once explained the history of the Golden Beurre, and we doubt not, hereafter, it will be often received from abroad as a new pear. The tree is a vigorous and healthy grower, with a fine habit, making a symmetrical head. It does not come into bearing very early, nor does it succeed very well upon the quince. [99] GOLDEN BEURRE' OF BILBOA. TREE. — Vigorous, upright and regular in form, with the branches slightly horizontal at first, but gently curving upwards at the ends ; an- nual shoots rather long, tapering but little to- the ends. WOOD. — Clear yellowish brown, dotted with small whitish specks, moderately stout and rather short-jointed ; old wood, reddish brown ; buds, medium size, oblong ovate, erect, with rather prominent shoul- ders : Flower-buds, medium size, ovate. LEAVES.— ^-Large, roundish ovate, largest near the base, tapering to the point, thick, light green, glossy, with prominent nerves, slightly recurved on the midrib, nearly flat, and deeply, regularly and sharply serrated; petioles, rather short, about three quarters of an inch long, moderately stout. FLOWERS. — Medium size ; petals, oval ; claw, rather short. FRUIT. — Size large, nearly three inches long and two and a half in diameter: Form, obovate, largest about one third from the eye, and tapering in a swollen manner to the stem : Skin, very fair, smooth, pale yellow when mature, with a large blotch of smooth russet encircling the stem, regularly dotted with russet specks, and occasionally having a faint tinge of blush on the sunny side : Stem, long, about one a half inches in length, uneven, rather slender, and obliquely inserted in a small cavity, with a slight projection on one side : Eye, medium size, closed, and moderately sank in a round basin ; segments of the calyx long and narrow : Flesh, yellowish white, fine, melting, buttery and juicy : Flavor, sprightly, refreshing, vinous and excellent : Core, small : Seeds, medium size, nearly black. RIPE the last of September, and keeps well for two or three weeks. [1001 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 24Aug57GC naCUM 22-M REC'D I_D AUG ?• 6 19*7 OCT 2«87 »fr. '*W 0tOC7 « mBt JUN 221987 JUN ft fQRTjr o ^gfSww • i Ml VZV w - • • II •zeo cute 09 1 JAF^ i 375 JQL101975 REC, CI8. J(Jl 2 ' 15 OCT221983 * LD 21-100m-6,'56 (B9311slO)476 General Library University of California Berkeley GENERAL LIBRARY - U.C. BERKELEY Boocnoossb YE 09397