American Pomology Part 96

=Striped Gilliflower.=

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 293.--STRIPED GILLIFLOWER.]

Fruit quite large, oblong, conical, truncated, ribbed; Surface smooth, yellowish white, mixed red, splashed carmine; Dots rare, gray.

Basin abrupt, folded; Eye large, closed.

Cavity wide, wavy, brown; Stem short, curved.

Core large, round, very open, meeting the eye; Seeds small, plump, black; Flesh yellowish white, breaking; Flavor sub-acid; Quality scarcely good; Use, market only; Season, September.

Less ribbed than the _Scalloped Gilliflower_.

=Toccoa.=

"From Toccoa Falls, Habersham County, Georgia.

"Fruit rather large, conical, irregular or oblong; Skin whitish yellow, considerably shaded with carmine, and sprinkled with a few brown dots; Stem short, inserted in a deep cavity; Calyx partially closed, set in a rather large basin; Flesh whitish, juicy, tender, pleasant, mild sub-acid; November to February."--[Downing.]

Perhaps not an early bearer; my trees, set six years, have not yet fruited.

CLa.s.s IV.--OBLONG APPLES.

+ORDER II.--IRREGULAR.+

SECTION 2.--SOUR.

SUB-SECTION 3.--RUSSET.

=Bourra.s.sa.=

Foreign. Said to do well in the North; have seen it handsome at Detroit.

Fruit medium, oblong, ovate, somewhat angular and ribbed; Surface yellow, covered lightly with a rich red russet, giving it an orange hue.

Basin small; Eye small, closed; Segments very long.

Cavity deep, acute, wavy; Stem long.

Flesh white or stained, tender; Flavor acid, spicy, aromatic; Quality pretty good, but apt to be tough and wilted; Season, November to December.

Not worth trying in the South.

FOOTNOTES:

[49] Vide Horticulturist for 1861 p. 40.

[50] Fall b.u.t.ter, on page 677, belongs here.

[51] See page 670.

CHAPTER XVII.

FRUIT LISTS.

EVERY PLANTER MUST JUDGE FOR HIMSELF AND OBSERVE THE SORTS THAT SUCCEED IN HIS OWN NEIGHBORHOOD. ATTEMPTS TO MAKE LISTS FOR GENERAL CULTIVATION ABORTIVE. STATE AND REGIONAL LISTS MAY APPROXIMATE USEFULNESS. SO MANY ELEMENTS IN MAKING A DECISION.

OUR TASTES DIFFER. REFERENCE TO THE LISTS OF THE AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND TO THOSE OF LOCAL SOCIETIES. PRESENT A FEW SELECTED LISTS. THE QUESTION OF HARDINESS IS OF GREAT INTEREST. LISTS OF HARDY AND TENDER VARIETIES. LISTS FOR CIDER.

Every orchard planter who examines the extended variety of fruits presented to him in the books, and by the nurserymen, must feel greatly embarra.s.sed when he comes to select the varieties for his own orchards. Almost every one of the long lists is recommended for some good quality, and the number of _best_, which he is apt to conclude means indispensable for him, is wonderfully large. Some persons are bewildered by the array presented in the catalogue, and fall back upon their own slender stock of information, selecting only one well known variety; but most persons commit a far greater fault by attempting to grasp all the varieties that are offered and commended, which is very well for some one person in every region to do. It is a labor of love for the benefit of his fellow townsmen; but it is far better for him who is about to plant an orchard, either large or small, to determine which varieties are best adapted for his purposes. For the small planter, who is providing for the wants of his family, a number of varieties that will ripen in succession will be best, and the sorts should be selected with regard to their qualities for household uses.

The planter of extensive commercial orchards, on the contrary, will need but a limited number of varieties, which should be selected with a view to the wants of the markets he intends to supply, as well as to the productiveness of the fruit, and its ability to bear transportation. While it is desirable to have but a few well selected varieties in such an orchard, it must be recollected that even when there is a general failure of the crop, there are always some sorts that bear fruit, and this is an argument against making the list too small.

All attempts to make out lists of fruits for general cultivation over the great extent of our country have been abortive. State and regional lists are made by the Pomological and other societies, which are useful in rendering approximate information; but, at last, every planter should observe the fruits that succeed in his own neighborhood, and upon soil similar to his own, and select his varieties for planting accordingly.

In making up our judgment of the excellence of a fruit, there are many elements that enter into the question of what const.i.tutes a good apple, and so much depends upon the tastes of the individuals who have the question to decide, that at last every one is left to make up his own mind as to what will be best for his particular case.

The American Pomological Society, many years ago, attempted to make out lists that would be applicable to the whole country, but it was very soon discovered that their recommendations were by no means of universal application, and that what was valuable in one section was worthless in another. The State and local societies took up the work, and the result of their labors has been of great value to persons similarly situated. In some States, regions, with peculiar soils and different underlying rocks, were found to be more or less fitted for the production of different varieties, and partial or local lists have been made out upon this principle. The greater value of the data thus obtained commended itself to the National Society, which has since collated these lists so far as possible in a tabular form, which shows the relative appreciation in which many varieties are held in the several regions that have reported; to these the reader is referred.[52] At present I propose to present a few lists which have been given by eminent pomologists, in different parts of the country, as the result of their extended observations, and applicable in their several districts.

Henry Little and others recommend for Maine:

Baldwin, Blue Pearmain, Bough, Danvers, d.u.c.h.ess of Oldenburgh, Fameuse, Golden Ball, Golden Sweet, Gravenstein, Hubbardston, Jewett's Fine Red, Minister, Mother, Northern Spy, Porter, Red Astrachan, Rhode Island Greening, Ribstone Pippin, Roxbury Russet, Sops of Wine, Tallman Sweet, Vandervere (Newtown Spitzenberg), Vermont, Williams' Favorite, Winthrop.

The following list was furnished by C. Goodrich for Vermont:

Baldwin, Bough, d.u.c.h.ess of Oldenburgh, Early Harvest, Esopus Spitzenberg, Gravenstein, Newtown Pippin, Northern Spy, Porter, Red Astrachan, Rhode Island Greening, Roxbury Russet.

Recommended by Thomas Hanc.o.c.k for New Jersey:

American Golden Russet, Bough, Early Harvest, Fall Pippin, Hagloe, Juneating, Maiden's Blush, Monmouth Pippin, Newtown Pippin, Rhode Island Greening, Summer Rose, Striped Harvest, Tewksbury Blush, White Seek-no-further.

Wm. Parry, of Burlington County, New Jersey, an excellent judge of market qualities, recommends, after thorough trial, the following for profit:

Bachelor's Blush, Bough, Hagloe, Maiden's Blush.

Jno. Diehl gave this list as desirable for Delaware:

American Summer Pearmain, Baldwin, Bough, Caleb, Danvers' Winter, Early Harvest, Early Red Margaret, Early Red Streak, English Russet, Fallawater, Fall Pippin, Gilpin, Greening, Herefordshire Pearmain, Lady, Maiden's Blush, Newtown Pippin, Rambo, Roman Stem, Smokehouse, Summer Golden Pippin, Summer Queen, White Juneating, Winesap, Yellow Bellflower.

Mr. Robey, of Fredericksburgh, recommends for that part of Virginia: