The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-10-11

prevail. fortunately lOr ue, nOSI vi
the iron-clad varieties are in this cat
egory. am not painting or kalsomin-
iug my orchards much; but l look
sharply after foliage.eating worms OF
every sort--the borers, and the bark
lice following the old methods.
1t is perhaps proper here that l
should say something of the Russian
tree fruits with which l have been so
long experimenting, and about which
such very fferent estimates appear in
print. / may remark that it is in this
as with so many other things-there is
much in the point of view. / do not
think growers have any particular need
of this class of fruits in southern New
England. They are, as rule, very
thrifty, and vigorous, and productive,
and early-fruting. As rule, too, the
fruit is remarkably handsome. In quail
ity, those readers who have grown Red
Astrachan, Alexander and Oldenburgh
can decide. The number of very choice
dessert varieties amongst them, that
are also profitable to grow for market,
is quite as small as it is amongst the
older sorts--but think not any smaller.
AS to keeping quality, fair share of
them will be good keepers when grown
in the northern part of New England.
We must remember that Gravenstein
is winter apple in Maine, and the
Baldwin fall apple in southern New
Jersey. Even Oldenburgh is nearly a
month later with me than it is there,
and in northern Maine it keeps well
into the winter. In years of short
crops the public may expect soon to see
good many of this class of apples
reaching the large towns from north
ern New England and Canada. l
shipped, myself, two carloads TO Wor-
cester, Mass, in 1891, and had the salts
faction of having them highly approved
by the purchaser. The Oldenburghs
came along at about the season of Massa-
chusetts Gravensteins, and | have some
reason TO think that the buyer put them
on the market under that name. Our
Oldenburghs are much finer than l
have ever seen grown elsewhere. Mr..
Charles Davenport was so much as
tonished at box of them which sent
him in 1870 that he suspected them to
be different variety, and made re-
quest for scions to test the matter.
But, setting aside the mere question
of the Russian tree fruits, do think it
worth while for the fruit-growers of
New England to give some attention to
the fruits of eastern Asia and es-
pecially Mongolia. We have been
growing here in America chiefly the
fruits of eastern Europe, probably
much better adapted to our northern
Pacific coast. Nearly all of those we
first got over have yielded place to their
American seedlings. Almost every one
Of our popular tree fruits are of this
Glass; showing the benefits of GER
tain amount of naturalization or accli.
matation. But we still have to con-
tend with measurably weak and i'm
perfect foliage, and disposition toward
fungous spotting and other leaf and
fruit diseases. The Monaghan fruits
are the product of climate closely re-
sembling that of northeastern America
The deeply-lamented Mr.. Charles Gibt
of Montreal was on his return from q
genealogical exploration of Mongolia
when he died suddenly in Egypt, -four
years ago. How much of his collec
tons and of his notes have been pre-
served, and can be utilized, is yet un
known; yet unquestionaby much was
lost by his sudden taking off. But, un-
less l am greatly misled in my judy.
ment, the pomology of Mongoii has
some valuable finds in store for the
growers of our eastern and the Grea
Valley states. L. ii. HosKINs.