Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-05-29
Vermont Farms.
THE HOME OF c. G. rR1NdLE, CHARLOTTE VT.

--Mav wide drake.
Vermont Farms.
THE HOME OF G. G. PRINGLE, CHARLOTTE VT.
When the naturalist, or 'heseeker for nov
elites in fruits, flowers and vegetables, thinks
to himself, al will step off the train at Char
lotte and see Professor Pringle and the work
he is doing" then such visitor finds he must
step off four miles into the country, across
pleasant farms, by three little hamlets, each
possessing a church by good orchards, neg
lected orchards, and young orchards, and es-
pecially pear orchards, with some wonder
fully nice hedges, their nicely clipt green
contrasting so beautifully with the naked
ness of the enclosed orchard, the sombre
brown of hillside or the grey white of fields
of snow. We find in the situation of the
good farm buildings, or the wide stretch of
meadow, across the road where the heart of
the farm lies, or the swelling slope that rises
back of the house, covered with fruit trees,
flower beds, and experimental vegetable
grounds where the brain of the farm is de-
veloped-we find nothing here in the stu
alton that should tend TO arouse the extreme
love for botanical science which has been
shown in the life of Professor Pringle Years
ago nature began kindly to whisper her Sc
crets in his ears, and by giving diligent
heed to her lessons he progressed in knowl-
edge, and made plants, flowers, fruits and
grain his companions and friends.
While working hard upon the farm, and
as much weighed down by cares and bur
dens as you and l, he found time to begin
the work of crossing or hybridizing plants
As a nurserymm he aimed to have every
variety of desirable hardy apples and pears
bear fruit on his grounds; and now, al
though he has left the nursery work, he has
trees grated full of new and experimental
kinds, and one new tree, Pringles Sweet"
has been propagated several years by DIR.
Hoskins, of Newport, who says of it, This
tree alone is of such value that its production
should place man among the benefactors
of his race
In small fruits three new grapes are ready
for distribution. One is a small white grape
early, sweet, productive, and even when dried
as a raisin is quite nice, as | tested it in
February. One large purple grape is seven
eighths of an inch in diameter-the largest
native grape yet introduced-and of good
Also one smaller purple grape that is very
promising.
In currants the man David says there are
two rows, each fifteen rods long, no two
bushes of the same fruit. There are white,
red, black, and various shades between.
In potatoes he has introduced the Snow
flake, the best of all potatoes; the Alpha,
the earliest, and the Ruby, an excellent red
potato. These are all sold by B. X Bliss &
Sons, seedsmen, of New York, and brought
Mr.. Pringle very good sum of money.
Two new tomatoes have originated here
the Conqueror and Little Gem.
In getting new kinds, Of merit, a vast
number of apparently less valuable plants
must be thrown aside all are not prizes.
So in his efforts to improve the tomato there
was pulled from the bed many plants Just
as the fruit was maturing. One stalk was
loaded with fruit, but of small size; this was
rejected and thrown aside where it lay two
or three days. Mr.. Bliss came on visit
saw the withered stalk, and thought he per-
ceived merit in its wonderful productive
ness, it having two hundred and forty-seven
tomatoes set upon it, Some of the fruit
was sufficiently mature to give good Seed
which were sown, and the Little Gem tomato
was the result, which was sold to Mr.. Bliss
for fifty dollars. 1t is called the earliest to-
mato known. In crossing grain many va
rieties have been created, and here, as in
other plants, crossing gives increased vigor.
This year two varieties of wheat are put
upon the market, the Champlain and Def
ance; each have yielded from twenty-five to
thirty bushels for one sown. Ten bushels
of each kind have been sold to the Depart
ment of Agriculture at Washington, for
thirty dollars bushel. b. X. Bliss & Sons
sell these varieties at one dollar a pound,
and offer two dollars in prizes to the most
successful cultivators. Mr.. Pringle showed
me the hybridi2ed heads of last years
growth, each grown in a bag of thin cotton
cloth TO keep the birds and insects from eat
ing and destroying the precious kernels. He
has also confusing mass of samples of new
varieties grown in past years. There was
an interesting incident in his wheat culture
Several years ago he carefully cross-fertilized
few grains in some heads grown in the
garden. When they had matured, some
stray horses broke into the garden in the
night and ate his wheat all down not 9
head remained. As he looked upon the ruiz
in the morning, while fastening about tn,
that had been dropped by the horse and il
that head was the kernel that originated tn,
remarkable Champlain wheat.
l much regret that | cannot speak NOR,
fully of the flower garden, but at this season
snow covers it. am told, however, of it
midsummer and autumnal glories Hi
collection of lilies is considered the larges
in the United States. He paid for part o
his stock one thousand dollars. Some O
them are very fragrant, filling the air witt
the odor so that the neighbors half mil
away often notice it, and all passers-by de
tect it. He has also his peonies and othe
dubious Towering plants of great beauty.
Some may wish to know of Professo
Pringles winter work. He is a busy mar
found him in what he styles his Workshop
which was formerly the family sitting-roon
The adornments are few. A case of book
and magazines treating largely upon Botan
is on one side the room. A comfortabl
lounge stood across the hearth, wherein tb
broad fireplace flashed out its light an
heat. Over the mantle is fine large 18th,
graph of lilies, and the venerable face {
Luther Tucker, editor of the Country Ge,
heman, and in a similar frame the pilot
graph of T. ii. Hoskins, M. d., valued frien,
In an alcove at the right of the capaciol
old fireplace is case of shelves fitted up
receive the mounted plants that shall co