SOME FRUITS OF RECENT INTRODUCTION.
The second part of the Transactions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society has been received, through the politeness of Robert Manning, Esq., Secretary, from which we glean some very interesting information concerning several of the fruits that have recently been brought to the attention of cultivators. It is hardly necessary to state that the officers of that Society are gentlemen who are well informed on the subject of fruits of all kinds, and that the opinions expressed by them with regard to their excellencies or faults are entitled to the highest consideration.
At the strawberry show, which was held in the city of Boston, on the 27th of June, 1877, the first prize for the best four quarts of any variety was awarded to the Belle; the same variety took also the second prize, and likewise the first prize for the best fifty berries. This is one of the seedling strawberries raised by Mr. John B. Moore, who seems to have been more than usually successful in this field of experiment; inasmuch as three of his seedling strawberries are mentioned in these transactions, the General Sherman, Hervey Davis, and Belle. The Belle is stated to be the largest of his seedlings, indeed the largest strawberry ever exhibited before the society, and the quality good. The General Sherman is spoken of as an early fruit, very large and handsome, and of “good” quality. The Hervey Davis is considered by Mr. Moore to be the most valuable seedling he has raised, it being very hardy, prolific, and early; fruit very large, quality very good to “best.” The fruit committee considered either of these seedlings to be in all respects superior to the Monarch of the West, or the Great American.
In our experience with new varieties of the strawberry, we have very often found that change of soil and climate make a great change also in the size and quality of the fruit, and the productiveness of the plant. There is not another variety in cultivation that has so universally accommodated itself to all soils and all climates as the Wilson. Many varieties have risen into a short-lived notoriety, a few yet remain that are generally cultivated in order to give variety and extent to the strawberry season, but we are fully persuaded that there are yet thousands of quarts of the Wilson grown and consumed, to every hundred quarts of any other sort. Time will tell whether these seedlings of Mr. Moore’s raising, or any of them, will be able to rank in general usefulness equal to or above those we now have; meanwhile we hope that some of the members our Association will procure them, and give their opinion of the value they are likely to possess for us.
In peaches, we notice that the Foster has become exceedingly popular about Boston, for not only did it receive the prize for the best single dish, but that more of this variety was exhibited than of any other. It is a large, yellow fleshed peach, much resembling the Early Crawford, rich and juicy.
The variety of pear which attracted the most attention was the Souvenir du Congres; the specimens exhibited averaged a little over a pound each in weight, and the largest one measured seven inches in length. The fruit committee state that this new pear ranks in quality as “very good.” It originated with M. Morel, of Lyon-Vaise, France. The writer has found the tree to be a vigorous, healthy grower, but it has not yet fruited. He has however seen the fruit on exhibition, and noticed that it was of large size, having much resemblance in form to the Bartlett, and ripening apparently about the same time, or possibly a little earlier. The color was a very handsome yellow, washed with carmine on the sunny side.
The great sensation in grapes was a seedling raised by Mr. John B. Moore. On the first of September it received the first prize for the best early grape. The committee state that on the fourth of September they visited Mr. Moore’s farm and found several hundred vines of this grape, which is called Moore’s Early, growing in near proximity to the Concord and Hartford Prolific, and that the Moore’s Early was fully ripe, and bearing an abundant crop on all of the vines, while both of the other varieties were yet unripe, and seemed to require two or three weeks yet to bring them to maturity. The soil of the vineyard was a light sandy loam. This grape was first exhibited in 1872, and for the last four years has received each year the first prize for the best early grape. The committee recommended that the prize of sixty dollars be awarded to it for the best seedling grape.
A very good early grape is yet in demand. Most of our earliest grapes are deficient in some respect; the Eumelan is wanting in flavor; Hartford Prolific drops from the bunch; Creveling does not set its fruit well; Massasoit has small bunches, &c. We shall be most happy to receive from any member the result of his trial of Moore’s Early, and to give it a place in these pages for the benefit of all.
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