A BALANCE LINE lateral shoot, and if you put two or three in, by the end of the second or third season the whole top of the stock, if not too large, will be covered by the callus and look perfectly natural; whereas cleft-grafting, owing to the split in the stock, never fills up-moisture gets in, which producing disease, ultimately causes the tree, frequently where it has attained full growth, to split and break down. I have lost no less than four out of a row of 10 fine 12 year old Bellefleur apple-trees, this last season, which were grafted five feet from the ground in the old way. As a covering for the graft, I always use cheap muslin dipped in hot grafting-wax, cut into strips from one-half to one inch wide-it saves tieing and time, and is much neater. A cion can be inserted on the side of any limb by opening the bark in the same way as for budding, or a graft neatly fitted into a gimlet-hole on any part of a stock or limb will answer equally well-in fact. it is a beautiful method when you wish to fill up with a limb any naked space, for the sake of symmetry. March 10, 1833. T. V. PETICOLAS. A Balance Line-Cherries. DR. WARDER:-In the March Number of the Western Horticultural Review you give a select list of fruits, said to have been suggested by Mr. Wilder, as adapted for cultivation in the vicinity of Boston. Your note appended conveys no very high compliment to the selection of apples. Permit me, Mr. Editor, to enter my protest against that of the cherries, at least so far as its adaptation to northern Ohio is concerned. The list we will take up in detail. For three sorts, he recommends-1. Mayduke; 2. Black Tartarian; 3. Downer's Late. 1. The May Duke, with me, has never produced a good crop in the most favored lo cality; besides the trees are unhealthy and short-lived. The Doctor ripens several days earlier, is a finer flavored fruit, hardy, and exceedingly productive every season. 2. Black Tartarian is large, handsome, and popular; yet a little deficient in flavor; besides it does not bear a tolerable crop oftener than one year out of three. The Black Hawk is very slightly inferior to it in size, but greatly exceeds it in beauty, flavor and productiveness. Its firm consistence and glossy black color fit it above all others for a market fruit. 3. Downer's Late is a valuable late cherry, but will not in any point of view compare with the Late Bigarreau, which is equally tardy in its period of ripening, and rarely fails to produce a full crop. For six sorts, he adds-1. Belle d'Orleans; 2. Black Eagle; 3. White Bigarreau. 1. The Belle d'Orleans is known here only by reputation. Taking the last authorities as guides, it will by no means equal the Cleveland or Rockport, both of which are large, handsome, delicious and prolific varieties. 2. The Black Eagle has never, to my this vicinity. The Pontiac resembles it in knowledge, produced a tolerable crop in many of its features, but is an abundant bearer. 3. The White Bigarreau is an old and unhealthy variety, which I have known for more than thirty years, and have never yet seen a fair crop of fruit upon it. Against it will be placed the Governor Wood, a cherry which is large, beautiful, hardy, productive and delicious; none is more exquisitely rich and delicate; it is staked against any variety the world can produce. For twelve sorts, he adds-1. Elton; 2. Downton; 3. Late Duke; 4. Knight's Early Black; 5, Sweet Montmorency; 6. 1. The Elton is a first-rate cherry, rarely producing heavy crops. Kirtland's Mary is its equal in every resp ct, and greatly its superior in beauty, fine flavor and bearing qualities. Another query is not so readily solved: It is nearly six years since many of these seedlings were introduced to notice, through the medium of the Horticulturist, by Mr. Elliott, whose qualifications and responsibilities in such matters are not to be doubted. The original trees, while loaded with fruits, 2. The Downton will not compare favor- have been visited perhaps more than once, ably with the Osceola. 3. The Late Duke is no better than the May Duke. It matures irregularly some days later. The Red-Jacket ripens about the same period, and is vastly preferable. 4. Knight's Early Black is fully rivaled by the Tecumseh. by Messrs. Barry, Bateham, and yourself, each of whom has given strong testimony in favor of the excellent qualities of these seedlings, through the columns of your respective journals. The fruits have been exhibited for a series of years on the tables of the Cleveland Horticultural Society, and oc 5. The Sweet Montmorency is not as fine casionally on those of the Columbus Society; a fruit as the Delicate. yet the editor of the Horticultural Magazine 6. The Sparhawk's Honey will fall far at Boston, has carefully avoided the noticing below the Jockosot, on a comparison. Ohio Beauty, Elliott's Favorite, Brant, Keokuk, Shannon, and Kirtland's Morello, will each more than match the morellos in Mr. Wilder's select list. Such at least is the result of a thorough trial, in their native locality, with all the new seedlings above named. How well they will sustain themselves in other soils and climates remains to be tested. It is proper to add, that these compa: isons have been made with other varieties placed under equally favorable circumstances. By striking a balance line between these two lists, a heavy credit is found in favor of the Ohio seedlings-at least so far as Western cultivation is concerned. of them in any manner This is a little remarkable, as he claims his journal to be a perfect history of the progress of horticulture in the United States, and has recorded the debut of almost every seedling fruit besides, both in Europe and this country.— That Horticultural Congress which refused to have any of them placed among its list of fruits worthy of further trial, is not likely to lose its reputation for caution and prudence. CLEVELAND. NORTHERN OHIO, March 8, 1853. This article, containing important information respecting a valuable department of fruit, is inserted in the hope and with the object of diffusing information that will be valuable to guide Western planters in their selections. It is hoped our Boston friends Mr. Wilder is so conversant with fruits, and so well posted up in all matters apper-will not feel hurt by allusions to their havtaining to the advancement of holticulture, ing overlooked our Western seedlings, which that it can not be supposed he is unacquaint- have very naturally and deservedly attracted ed with the relative merits of the two lists. much attention here.-ED. It must therefore be concluded that some peculiarities of soil and climate about Boston have rendered those old varieties preferable. BUCKWHEAT may s metimes, perhaps, be admitted into a young orchard, though not in a bearing one.— -Prairie Farmer. THE APPLE-WORM. 309 THE APPLE-WORM. IGNORANCE OF INSECTS.-Truly we are all sufficiently ignorant of the habits and characters of those little pests and friends of man-injurious, but in many cases also useful, they demand our attention and study. Thanks to Kollar and our Harris, and a few others, we may learn much of them if we will. In the enlightened condition of our brethren in the Peninsula State, it was hardly to be expected, however, that the editor of the Michigan Farmer should have questioned their identity, or confounded the apple-worm, Fortrix (or Carpocapsa) pomonana, a moth, with the curculio, a beetle. The following description of the former is from Kollar's work. THE fore-wings of this small moth have a light gray ground, on which are scattered so many delicate streaks of a dark hue, intermixed with others that are broad and cup-shaped, as to give the whole some resemblance to damask. On the posterior border of the fore-wings is a large reddish 150 brown spot, which is surrounded by a golden mark in the form of a horse-shoe. The hind-wings are of a sparkling brownish red the outer border by a broad light fringe. inclining to yellow, and are surrounded on The thorax and abdomen are of yellow-andbrownish gray. This moth is to be seen in the evening, usually in the beginning of May, on the apple and pear trees, busily engaged depositing its eggs, either on the calx, or in the hollow part of the fruit at the stalk end. It appears to prefer apples to pears, at least more grubs are found in the former than the latter, when both sorts of fruit are plentiful. It invariably selects the firmer sorts of this fruit, knowing instinctively that they will be the most palatable to its future progeny. In favorable weather the little grubs are hatched in a few days, so that in May, apples and pears are found infested by them. At first the grub is white, with a black head and collar, and black slanting double dots, which run in four rows from the head to the abdomen. It afterward becomes more of a flesh color, the head and collar turning brown, the dots gray and in. distinct. It is fully grown in three or four THE APPLE-WORM.-Larva, natural size, a; greatly magnified, b; larva inclosed in a silk web, c; chrysalis, d; perfect insect, e; magnified, f; larva in a young apple, g; larva, k; quits the fruit at l. weeks, as its food never fails. It now leaves | secure place on the stem of the tree to spin the fruit, whether it be still hanging on the its cocoon and become a pupa. It usually tree, or has fallen off, and selects for itself a chooses the rents and seams of the loose imme bark, hollows itself out a chamber and spins considered a hardy variety, and although a white web over itself, intermixing some of in this case it seemed to have suffered from the loose bark with it. the severity of the season, renewed testimony is here offered as to its valuable character of late blooming, which makes it so good a bearer. The little grub becomes a pupa diately in the web, and in a few days the moth comes out, which shortly afterward pairs and deposits eggs on the fruit. In this way in July and August, and partly in September, much sound fruit will again be pierced and infected with the caterpillar of this moth, which is then numerous in proportion to the number of eggs of the first generation, which were laid and hatched in May. In the year 1822, which was warm and dry, more than the half, particularly of the choice fruit, was grub-eaten, and moths were still seen laying their eggs at the end of September. Fortunately those caterpillars which are so late in leaving the egg, seldom arrive at maturity, as the fruit is taken off the tree before that time. To diminish this insect in some degree, we must, during the summer months and even later, collect the fallen apples every day, and take them out of the garden; for we shall find caterpillars or little grubs in a great many of them. Let the person who has only dwarf trees in his garden, frequently look over the fruit on them, particularly in May and the beginning of June, and remove those having grubs in them, as they would inevitably fall off before they were ripe, particularly if they are late sorts. As this caterpillar usually forms its cocoon under the loose bark of fruit-trees, we are more imperatively called upon to clear the trees of their loose bark, which must be done before the middle of April, when the moths have not yet appeared.-Schmidberger. Apples on a Dead Tree. THE following letter was presented to the Cincinnati Horticultural Society, by Dr. Whipple, February 5th, when he also exhibited the specimens referred to. Strange to say, the Rawle's Janet were large, fair, and of most beautiful coloring, as 'pretty specimens as ever graced a horticultural table. The Day apple very much resembled the Janet, except in flavor, and considering its never-failing quality, may be a desirable variety. The Janet has always been "The general failure of the crop of apples in the West, the last two years, has made it very desirable with fruit growers to know what varieties will best withstand the frost in this climate. "In my orchard, composed of three hundred bearing trees, embracing nearly all the best apples usually cultivated in the West, but two varieties out of over forty have borne average crops in both 1851 and 1852: these are Rawle's Janet, and another known here as the Day apple. "I send specimens of the Janet, part of which are of the usual size and appearance; the others, as you will perceive, of unusual size and color-the latter grew on a tree killed by the frost last winter, the bark of which became loose for fifteen inches above the ground and fell off by midsummer, while the apples still continued to grow, and were not picked from the tree until the latter part of October. "I also send specimens of the Day apple. It is a very good keeper, the fruit generally large and fair, and a very good apple for cooking, but of inferior flavor and too acid for the table. The trees in my orchard have borne full crops both last year and the year before, and I think it is quite as well entitled to the name of 'never-fail' as the Janet. "In 1851 I had a fair average crop of White Bellefleur, Esopus Spitzenberg, and Golden Russet, but none of these varieties in 1852. "In 1852 I had a fair average crop of the Rambo and White Winter Pearmain, but none of these in 1851. CRACKING AND WESTERN SPY APPLES. "Supposing that the statements I have made may afford some information upon the subject referred to, I wish you would communicate them in some way to the Cincinnati Horticultural Society. "Very truly, yours, J. A. MATSON. "SPRING VALLEY FARM, near Greencastle, Ind." 311 They were then not in a condition to be fairly tested, but outlines were carefully drawn and brief memoranda of their quality taken, hoping that a renewed opportunity would offer for their examination at the January meeting of the Ohio Pomological Society, at which it was expected this excellent nurseryman would have been present. The following information is gladly laid before the public. Cracking and Western Spy Apples. THESE fruits with some other varieties were received last autumn, from my kind He says: I have recently called on Henry friend, Samuel Wood, of Smithfield, Ohio. Barger, of Harrison county, with whom the CRACKING APPLE. Cracking apple originated, for the purpose trees produced similar varieties. One of of obtaining its history which is rather a these specimens was the Cracking apple, singular one. He informed me that almost which is not easily surpassed in good qualithirty-five years ago he procured of Jacob ties. It grows large and smooth, and is of Neasley, a noted nurseryman, one bushel of an agreeable flavor; we think it scarcely apples (all of the same kind) grown on a second to any in its season. It ripens in the grafted tree; the apples were very good. tenth month, October, and keeps till the He did not get the name of them, but from first of January. The trees are good strong the description he gave me I judge they growers and require but little pruning. were the Gate, as Neasley had that variety and valued it highly. From seed of those apples he raised twenty trees, but not one brought fruit like the original, and no two Western Spy.-The original tree was a seedling planted in this neighborhood by John Mansfield, about forty years ago. It is a remarkably good bearer, not failing |