6. Farms for experiment, illustration, and practice, with live stock and farm implements, are essential to strictly agricultural colleges. 7. Where means for independent institutions are wanting, a half-year system of study in winter, and labor at home or on an experimental farm in summer, is practicable. 8. The promotion of equality, and the dignity of labor, being principal objects in our government, we find no models for our agricultural colleges in the aristocratic communities of Europe. POPULAR VARIETIES OF HARDY FRUITS. BY F. R. ELLIOTT, CLEVELAND, OHIO. The following is a continuation of articles descriptive of fruits, published in the reports of the Department of Agriculture for 1862, 1863, and 1864: AFRICOTS. LARGE EARLY. Synonyms-Gros Precoce, De St. Jean, De St. Jean Rouge, Gros d'Alexandre, Gross Früh, Precoce d'Esperin. Fruit.-Size-medium to large. Form-roundish, oblong, compressed, projecting considerably on the side of the suture. Suture-deep, and terminating in a projecting point towards the back or beyond the axis of the fruit. Skin-downy. Color-pale orange in the shade, fine bright orange red, and marblings or spots of deeper red in the sun. Flesh-pale orange, separating freely from the stone; juicy, rich. Stone-much flattened, oval, sharp on the front, perforated along the back, from base to apex. Kernel-bitter. Seasonearly in July. Tree. Of vigorous growth, with large, broad oval leaves, tapering towards the footstalks or petiole, and with little ear-like appendages in place of glands. An abundant bearer, an old variety from France, and one of the very best early sorts known. APPLES. DUCHESS OF OLDENBURGH. Fruit.-Size-medium to large. Form-roundish, flattened. Skin-smooth, with a light bluish bloom. Color-light and deep rich red, washed, striped and splashed on a yellow ground. Stem-short. Cavity-acuminate. Basin-deep, wide, even, regular. Calyx-large, nearly closed. Flesh-slightly yellowish white, sharp sub-acid, juicy, and, when well ripened, pretty rich. SeasonSeptember, and often keeping into October. Tree-An upright, vigorous, hardy and healthy grower, with dark-colored shoots and broad, dark-green, coarsely serrated leaves. A profuse bearer, apparently adapting itself to all soils and situations, and yielding a fruit of great value for marketing and for cooking purposes. It is of Russian origin. FAMEUSE. Synonyms.-Pomme de Heige, Sanguineus, Snow. Fruit.-Size-medium. Form-roundish, somewhat flattened. Skinsmooth. Color-a greenish yellow ground, mostly overspread in the sun with a clean rich red; in the shade the red is pale, streaked, and blotched with the dark-red. Stem-slender. Cavity-narrow and funnel-shaped. Calyx-small. Basin--narrow and shallow. Flesh-remarkably white, tender, juicy, negative character, but deliciously pleasant, with a slight perfume. Core-close, small, compact. Seeds-light brown, long and pointed. Season-October and to December. Tree-Hardy, healthy, moderate grower, of a rather diverging habit, with dark-colored shoots and long narrow leaves, bearing annually a fair crop, with a profusion in alternate years. A rich but dry or well-drained soil seems to suit it best. No orchard in the north can be counted as complete without this variety; for while its fruit is not of the highest character, it is just so good that everybody likes to eat of it; and when cooked, it is white, puffy, and delicious. Of French origin. CHERRIES. LOUIS PHILLIPPE. Fruit.-Size-medium. Form-roundish, slightly oval. Color-dark, rich red. Flesh-red, tender, juicy, sprightly, lively acid. Pit-small. Stemshort to medium. Season-rather late, say middle of July. Tree. Of the morello class, quite vigorous, and forming a good-sized tree, with sharply serrated, broad, oval-shaped leaves; an abundant bearer of a fruit that has no equal for canning purposes, and when fully ripe is very fine for the table. It is worthy a place in all collections, however small they may be. Of French origin. GREAT BIGARREAU OF MEZEL. Synonyms-Monstreaux de Mezel, Bigarreau Gaubalis. Fruit.-Size-very large. Form-obtuse, heart-shaped, flattened on sides. Surface-uneven. Color-dark reddish purple, becoming apparently quite black at maturity. Stem-long, rather slender, in a rather deep and regular cavity. Pit-large, oval. Flesh-purplish red, firm, a little coarse, juicy, sweet and good, but not of the highest flavor. Season-last of June and early in July. Tree.-A strong, vigorous grower, rather crooked while young, becoming at mature age a broad, open, spreading tree, with large leaves, and producing abundantly a fruit that commands the highest price in market. It is possible the Great Bigarreau or Large Red Prool may be identical, but as there is some question of it, we have omitted the names in our synonyms. The tree is of French origin, and came to this country with a loud flourish of trumpets. While young it is not a great bearer, but when the trees have acquired some twelve or more years of age they are good and regular bearers. GRAPES. DIANA. Fruit.-Bunches-medium, very compact, occasionally shouldered. Berriesabove medium size, round, pale red. Skin-thick. Flesh-tender, with some pulp, very sweet, juicy, with a rich musk flavor that is very strong until the fruit is fully ripe, and then often offensive to some persons. It colors its fruit as early as the Concord, but, as a rule, does not really mature it much earlier than the Catawba. Its berries hold well, and its thick skin enables it to withstand changes of temperature better than thin-skinned; hence the Diana improves by being left upon the vine until after pretty severe frosts. As a variety for packing and keeping it has no superior. For wine purposes many claim it to be very valuable; our impression is that it has too much of the foxy character to ever make a very fine white wine. A dry and poor gravelly soil suits it best; on deep rich soils it inclines to make too much wood. It was grown from seed of the Catawba by Mrs. Diana Crehore, Milton, Massachusetts. IONA. Fruit.-Bunches-medium or above. Berries-above medium, yet not large, loosely and evenly distributed on the bunch, which may often be termed double shouldered. Color-handsome pale red or wine-color, almost translucent. Flesh-melting to the centre, highly flavored, juicy, sweet, vinous. Skin-thin and tender, with little or no coloring matter, except in the outer corticle. Seeds-few and small. It ripens about with the Concord, while its quality more nearly compares with a fully ripened Catawba than any other sort. The vine is a healthy grower, with rather short-jointed wood, broad, three-lobed light green foliage, that in most sections at the north has not mildewed; but in Missouri it has not sustained a favorable character, and may prove valuable only for northern sections. It originated with C. W. Grant, of Iona island, New York, probably from a seed of Catawba. ROGERS NO. 4. Fruit.-Bunches-large; very compact. Berries—very large, round, black, with a thick, blue bloom. Skin-rather thick. Flesh-with some pulp; melting, juicy, sweet, sprightly vinous, sub-acid. Ripens with the Concord, to which it is superior in quality. The vine is a vigorous, strong grower; an early and good bearer, and quite hardy and free from disease of mildew. This, with No. 15, which we figured in the Department Report for 1863, will undoubtedly prove the most valuable of many seedlings originating with Mr. E. S. Rogers, of Salem. Massachusetts. The leaves are broad and dark green, five-lobed, exhibiting strongly the native fox grape, claimed as its female parent. PEARS. BEURRE D'AREMBERG. Synonyms.-Duc d'Aremberg, Colmar Deschamps, L'Orphelines, Deschamps, D'Aremberg Parfait, Beurre des Orphelines, Orpheline d'Engheim, Soldat Laborder, of some. upon Fruit. Size above medium. Form-obovate, obtuse pyriform, tapering toward the stem, where it often terminates in a fleshy junction. Color-dull, pale green, becoming at maturity a light yellow, clouded with green, and with traces and patches of light cinnamon russet. Stem-short, stout; sometimes with, but oftener without, depression. Calyx-small, with short, closed segments. Basinfull medium depth. Flesh-white, juicy, melting, vinous. Core-medium. Seeds light brown, acutely pointed. Season December to March. Trees. Very hardy; commencing to bear early, even when grown on the pear root; a good, healthy grower, with long-jointed wood of yellowish brown color, dotted with pale gray specks. Leaves-narrow, sharply and finely serrated. A warm, rich, yet loose soil, seems to suit this variety better than heavy clays. It is a good bearer, the fruit hanging well the tree, and may be gathered and packed in barrels, as with apples, to be brought into a warm room and ripened as desired, from time to time. It is of Belgian origin, and has often been confounded with Glout Morceau. BEURRE COIT. Fruit-Size-above medium. Form-obtuse pyriform; slightly angular. Color-rich brown russet, mostly overspreading a yellow ground, with a brownish red cheek in the sun. Stem-rather short, with an occasional lip-like at its junction with the fruit. Cavity-shallow, with unequal projections. Calyxwith segments nearly erect, surrounded by depressed, crescentshaped furrows, in a shallow basin. Core-small. Seeds-blackish. Flesh-yellowish white, melting, buttery, juicy, sweet, vinous. Season-last of September and in October. from a small specimen, while our shaded drawing was from a full-sized fruit. Synonyms.-Seedling Seckel, Kirtland's Seedling, Kirtland's Beurre. Fruit-Size-medium, or a little above. Form-obovate, obtuse pyriform. Color-a rich, deep yellow, overspread with cinnamon russet; in the sun many of the russet spots become almost red. Stem-usually stout; of medium length; curved. Calyxshort, reflexed, persistent. Basin - shallow. Core-small. Seeds-short, ovate, blackish. Flesh-white, melting, juicy, sweet, aromatic. Season-September. Tree.-An upright grower, with short-jointed, stout, yellowish-brown shoots, and irregularly but sharply serrated leaves, with stout petioles; a hardy, healthy sort, partaking in its habits very much of its parent, the Seckel, KIRTLAND. from seed of which it was grown by H. T. Kirtland, of Mahoning county, Ohio. It is an early and productive bearer on the pear root, and succeeds admirably on the quince. DOYENNE SIEULLE. Synonyms.-Bergamotte Sieulle, Beurre Sieulle, Sieulle. Fruit.-Size-medium to large. Form-roundish, a little irregularly de pressed, and tapering slightly toward the stem. Color-dull, • yellowish green, broadly shaded and marbled with bright red on the sunny side, and with many large reddish russet specks. Stem-stout, medium length, planted in a deep cavity, sometimes presenting appearance as of a swollen lip on one side. Calyx-with broad reflexed segments. Basin I shallow. Flesh white, melting, juicy, vinous. Core-large. Seeds-large, dark brown. Season-November to January. Tree.-A vigorous, upright, rather compact grower, with moderately stout, rather longjointed wood, of a brownish olive color, and regularly speckled with large grayish white specks. Leaves with long slender petioles, light green, ovate acuminate, waved and finely serrated, of French origin, and although known, does not seem to have received the attention that it deserves, probably because its fruit at the usual time of exhibitions in the fall is unripe, and, again, is gone before midwinter shows. The tree on the quince root is one of the best growers and bearers in the whole collection, and it ripens just when the earlier varieties of fall pears are about gone. PLUMS. REINE CLAUDE DE BAVAY. Fruit-Size-large. Form-roundish, oval, oblong. Color-greenish yellow, with stripes and splashes of green, covered with a thin bloom. Suturemedium, apex dimpled. Stem-short and stout, planted in a rather deep cavity. Flesh-yellow, sugary, juicy, rich, excellent. Stone-small, from which the flesh separates freely. Season-early in October. Tree.-A vigorous grower, with smooth branches, large, broad, ovate, rounded, pointed leaves, with rounded irregular serratures; very productive, of foreign origin, and a valuable acquisition to late ripening varieties. PRINCE'S YELLOW GAGE. Synonyms-American Yellow Gage, White Gage, Harvest Gage. |