Soil Culture. J. H. Walden

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СКАЧАТЬ from our list, perhaps half a dozen, which will be all they wish to cultivate. From our descriptions, which are not designed to enable planters to identify the varieties, but to ascertain their qualities, any one can select such as he prefers. And they are so generally known, that there will be but little danger of getting varieties, different from those ordered.

      We subjoin, from Hooker's excellent Western Fruit-Book, the following—

LIST OF APPLES FOR THE WESTERN STATES

      "The following list," says Hooker, "contains a catalogue of the most popular varieties of apples, recommended by various pomological societies of the United States for the Western states." These varieties can be obtained of all respectable nurserymen. The list may be of use to some cultivators in the different states mentioned. The general qualities of the best of these will be found in our descriptions under the cuts:—

      Baldwin.—Ohio, Missouri, Illinois.

      Roxbury Russet.—Michigan, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois.

      Rhode Island Greening.—Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois.

      Swaar.—Ohio, Illinois, Michigan.

      Esopus Spitzenburg.—Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio.

      Early Harvest.—Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa.

      Sweet Bough.—Illinois, Virginia, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio.

      Summer Rose.—Ohio, Missouri, Illinois.

      Fall Pippin.—Michigan, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois.

      Belmont.—Michigan, Ohio.

      Golden Sweet.—Missouri.

      Red Astrachan.—Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois.

      Jonathan.—Ohio, Missouri.

      Early Strawberry.—Ohio.

      Danvers Winter Sweet.—Ohio.

      American Summer Pearmain.—Illinois.

      Maiden Blush.—Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois.

      Porter.—Ohio, Missouri.

      Gravenstein.—Ohio.

      Vandevere.—Missouri, Indiana, Illinois.

      Yellow Bellflower.—Michigan, Iowa, Virginia, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois.

      Fameuse.—Illinois.

      Newtown Pippin.—Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois.

      Rambo.—Michigan, Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois.

      Smokehouse.—Virginia, Indiana.

      Fallawalden.—Ohio.

      Golden Russet.—Ohio, Illinois.

      Wine Sap.—Ohio, Illinois.

      White Bellflower.—Missouri, Illinois.

      Holland Pippin.—Michigan, Missouri, Indiana.

      Raule's Janet.—Iowa, Virginia, Illinois.

      Lady Apple.—Ohio, Missouri.

      For the value of these varieties, in the states mentioned, you have the authority of the best pomological societies. The several states are mentioned so frequently, that it will be seen that most of them are adapted to all the states. Attend to acclimation and manure, and guard against insects, and they will all flourish, in all parts of the West and of the Union.

      APRICOT

      This is a fruit about half-way between a peach and a plum. The stone is like the plum, and the flesh rather more like the peach. It is esteemed, principally, because it comes earlier in the season than anything else of the kind.

      It is used as a dessert-fruit, for preserving, drying, and various purposes in cookery. It does well on plum-stock, and best in good deep, moist loam, manured as the peach and plum. The best varieties produce their like from the seed. Seedlings are more hardy than any grafted trees. Grafts on plums are much better than on the peach. The latter seldom produce good hardy, thrifty trees, although many persist in trying them. The apricot is a favorite tree for espalier training against walls and fences, in small yards, where it bears luxuriantly. It also makes a good handsome standard tree for open cultivation.

      It is as much exposed to depredations from curculio as the plum, and must be treated in the same way. Cultivation same as peach. It produces its fruit, like the peach, only on wood of the previous year's growth; hence it must be pruned like the peach. Especially must it be headed in well, to secure the best crop.

      Varieties are quite numerous, a few of which only deserve cultivation. Any of the nine following varieties are good:—

      Brown's Early.—Yellow, with red cheek. A very productive, great grower.

      Newhall's Early.—Bright-orange color, with deep-red cheek. A good cling-stone variety, every way worthy of cultivation.

      Moorpark.—Yellow, with ruddy cheek. An enormous bearer, though of slow growth. It is a freestone variety of English origin, and needing a little protection in our colder latitudes.

      Dubois' Early Golden.—Color, pale-orange. Very hardy and productive. In 1846, the original tree at Fishkill, N. Y., bore ninety dollars' worth of fruit.

      Large Early.—Orange, but red in the sun. An excellent, early, productive variety.

      Hemskirke.—Bright-orange, with red cheek. An English variety, vigorous tree, and good bearer.

      Peach.—Yellow, with deep-brown on the sun-side. An excellent French variety.

      Breda.—Deep-orange, with blush spots in the sun. A vigorous, productive, African variety.

      Roman.—Pale-yellow, with occasionally red dots. Good for northern latitudes.

      From these, planters may select those that best suit their localities and fancy. They are a little liable to be frost-bitten in the blossoms, as they bloom very early. Otherwise they are always very productive. They are ornamental, both in the leaf and in the blossom. Eaten plain, before thoroughly ripe, they are not healthy; otherwise, harmless and delicious. Every garden should have half a dozen.

      ARTICHOKE

      There are two plants known by this name. The Jerusalem artichoke, so called, not from Jerusalem in Palestine, but a corruption of the Italian name which signifies the tuber-rooted sunflower. The tubers are only used for pickling. They make a very indigestible pickle, and the plant is injurious to the garden, so they had better not be raised.

      The artichoke proper grows something like a thistle, bearing certain heads, that, at a particular stage of their growth, are fine for food.

      The soil should be prepared as for asparagus, only fifteen inches deep will do well. The plot of ground should be where the water will not stand on it at any time in the winter, as it will on most level СКАЧАТЬ