The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-11-06

fruits.
The plants should be set out annually,
as is done by the truck farmers around
Charleston, or the plants should be put
out twelve inches apart in rows three or
three and one half feet wide, and the
runners should be encouraged to occupy
the centre space between the rows until
the crop is matured and gathered, and
then the plants standing in the centre
between the old rows should be barred
with plough on both sides, leaving the
plants standing in the middle of the old
rows to be cultivated for the next crop,
and setting out each year is in that way
avoided, and at the same time the plants
each year are young and vigorous, and
on land we'll broken up during the year,
thereby securing large crops of the best
quality.
The fine plums are so subject to the
attacks ofthe curculio Extraordinarily they
will not pay for the trouble of cultivation,
except where grown on hard or paved
yards, to which poultry and pigs have
free access, but different kinds of the
Chickasaw plums should be produced in
every orchard.
| Different kinds;of figs should be grown
in-every orchard or garden; the favor of
the fruit is exceedingly sweet and, .lus-
cious, go much so that tits not often rel
ished at first, but a love for it both i'll its
green and dried state is soon acquired,
and one advantage is that it bears several
crops during the year, and if the first
should be cut off by the spring frosts an
other is soon taken on which is almost
always the best CROP:
:, The apple is not only the most exten-
l-sively grown and most highly apprecia.
ted fruit in this country, but also in all
temperate climates, and its praises have
been celebrated first in fable, next in
song, and now for the numerous uses to
which it is applied. 9:
:. The varities now cultivated are entirely
different and far superior to those which
were grown bv our ancestors hundred
years ago, and no doubt may yet be
greatly improved, though no variety has
of late years been produced which equals
the Northern pippin in exquisite flavor.
Many of the finest apples can only be
successfully grown in small sections or
belts of country, completely failing in
all others, whilst others seem to equal
ly we'll adapted to various countries, as
the red Astracan, a native of Russia, one
of our best summer apples.
Lime is essential to the health and
long life of apple trees. Where it is
wanting it should be literally supplied,
as it greatly improves the character Of
the fruit. Little trimming is required
beyond properly balancing the head of
the tree, the cutting cut of dead wood
and the cutting out of limbs where they
are TO much crowded.
Dowing expresses the opinion that the
apple tree is more perfectly naturalized
in America and succeeds better in the
Northern and Eastern portions of the
United States than in any other part of
world. We cultivate the summer and
early fall apples of the Northern States
as successfully as they are grown there,
but their winter apples are all failures
as such here, and are not even good fall
apples. We have many native sorts
which keep we'll, and are of fair quality
but we doubt if our long, dry, hot sum-
mers will admit of winter apples of the
highest excellence being produced in
this State, except in the Piedmont
region. And although the noun
tains of North and South Carolina
may produce no apple equal to the New
ton pippin or to the Northern spy, yet
the general character of the winter ap-
Piles of the mountains is superior to that
of any of those produced in any one of
the Northern States, not only in size,
beauty and quality, but also in the pc
cullar texture and solidity of the fruit,
caused by the genial and extended period
of their growth.
In the cultivation of the pear tree
care should be taken to avoid too rapid
or excessive growth, especially late in the
season, when the wood does not have
sufficient time to ripen. Apart from the
blight, which is disease of modern
times, no doubt caused by the highly
improved condition of the wood as well
as of the fruit. the pear is subject to very
few diseases, and trees have been fire.
quently known to live till they were 800
or 400 years old, and bear enormous
crops. One tree in England, in 1905,
covered more than one.half of an acre
of ground, and produced in single
year Is hogsheads or 945 gallons of per-
ry. And there is a tree standing in Illi-
nois, which was planted by Mr.. Oc-
kletree, which in 1884 produced 1S4
bushels Of fruit. There is no fruit
tree the top of which yields so read
ily to the use of the knife, and which
forms such beautiful pyramidal heads,
and no fruit has been so much improved
within the last century by skilful culti-
vation. From the astringent pear of the
hedge-row, it has become one of the
most delicious and highly priced of all
our fruits, and is favorite in all gar
dens where it is cultivated.
The cultivation of the pear, owing to
its healthfulness, its long life, its great
fruitfulness and the exquisite flavor of
its fruit, would be rapidly extended in all
parts of the country were it not for
the blight which some years makes sad
havoc amongst the most beautiful trees,
laden with crops of the most magnificent
fruit. What is pear blight? Is it
the work of insects? Is it fungus
growth in or upon the wood? Or is
it the rupture of the wood vessels caused
by extremes of heat or cold, or by the too
rapid growth of the wood? The latter
now seems to be the more common opin-
ion, as those kinds which grow slowly
and mature their wood early are less liza
BILE to its ravages, and the disease often
makes its appearance, after sudden and
extreme changes Of temperature, and
less frequently on northern than on
southern exposures. The pomologist
who will detect the true character of the
disease and will prescribe an efficient
remedy will indeed be benefactor of his
race, and will annually add millions of
wealth to the nation.
There is no fruit more highly apprecia-
ted during the summer than the peach,
or one that contributes SO much to
I i. Il r.. e. L l.