Peach Crates.—The bushel crate usually accepted in Grimsby has the ends 8×14 inches, and the sides 24 inches long; while the three-peck crate is of course 6 inches wide, instead of 8 inches, or just ¾ of the bushel size. Complete uniformity in measure of all fruit packages is very much to be desired. Certainly packages holding short measure never brought permanent profit to the shipper using them, while more frequently they bring him well merited disgrace.
Ladders for Peach Picking.—Of course nothing is so useful in a peach orchard as a good supply of step-ladders, but where these are counted too expensive, a very simple contrivance may prove very serviceable among large trees. It consists of one stout pole morticed into a base made of scantlin, and having rounds for climbing, as is shown in the engraving. A rainy day in Spring-time would suffice for making several of these, and they will prove very light and serviceable when the busy season of picking comes on. They can be used in trees where a two barred ladder would be useless, for the end of the pole will rest in any crotch with perfect safety.
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WILSON’S ALBANY STRAWBERRY.
It is both interesting and profitable to take a look at the changes which time makes in the horticultural world, and sweeping the eye over the space of a quarter of a century, gather up some of the lessons which the retrospect may teach. It is now a little more than twenty-five years ago that the late James Wilson, a nurseryman of Albany, in the State of New York, raised several seedling strawberry plants from seed of the Ross Phœnix, Hovey and Black Prince. It is not supposed that he endeavored to combine the qualities of any of them by means of artificial cross-fertilization, but in-as-much as the plants of these varieties were growing in near proximity, trusted to natural means for any impregnation of the one by pollen of the other. Of these seedlings only one gave promise of being valuable. This one he preserved and multiplied, and in the Summer of 1853 exhibited some of the plants in bearing at the exhibition of the Albany Horticultural Society. But his exhibit at that time did not attract much attention. His failure to excite any interest in the minds of others in his new seedling strawberry did not prevent him from bringing it forward again the following Summer. He now showed a number of the plants in pots, laden with fruit, and such was the size and number of the berries upon each plant that people were astonished, curiosity was excited, and public attention fairly aroused to the examination of the claims of this new strawberry. Intelligent and experienced cultivators of fruit clustered around the stand on which the plants were displayed, and many then united in the opinion that for productiveness, size of berry, firmness of flesh and good flavor, it would surpass any then known variety as a valuable market strawberry.
And what were the varieties that were then relied upon for home and market purposes? We find on looking back, that in 1846 the then great American authority in horticulture, A. J. Downing, names Hovey’s Seedling and Black Prince as best adapted for extensive culture for market; and for the two best sorts for family use, one early and one at the middle season, he names Large Early Scarlet as the best of all early sorts, and for the other, Hovey’s Seedling or Black Prince, adding that the two latter are both large fruits, productive and excellent. The varieties then most in cultivation were the Black Prince, Early Scarlet, Hovey, Hudson, Princess Alice, British Queen, Myatt’s Eliza, Ross Phœnix and Swainstone’s Seedling. At this time, Hovey’s Seedling Strawberry had been in cultivation for twelve years, and it was in this year, 1846, that the Massachusetts Horticultural Society awarded a piece of plate of the value of fifty dollars to the Messrs. Hovey, of Boston, as a special premium for the strawberry raised by them, Hovey’s Seedling.
In 1847 the Cincinnati Horticultural Society offered a prize of one hundred dollars for a new American strawberry, which after thorough trial should prove to be superior to any then in cultivation. In 1851 the society awarded this prize to Mr. McAvoy, a cultivator of strawberries in the vicinity of Cincinnati, for one of his seedlings which they named McAvoy’s Superior, deciding that it was superior to Hovey’s or any other strawberry that came under the examination of the committee. At this time we find that the varieties were Hovey, Burr’s New Pine, Black Prince, Alice Maud, Early Scarlet, Jenny’s Seedling, Roseberry, Genessee, Monroe, Climax Scarlet, Boston Pine, Crimson Cone, Royal Scarlet, Swainstone’s Seedling, British Queen, Myatt’s Eliza, Buist’s Prize, Willey, Rival Hudson, Myatt’s Pine, Crimson Cone, and some others of less note. It was in this year that Mr. Wilson raised his seedling strawberry plants, among which was his now well-known Wilson’s Albany, and such were the varieties with which it had to compete. What they were may be gathered from R. G. Pardee, who was in those days authority on all matters connected with strawberry culture, a gentleman of sound judgment, extended observation and sterling integrity; one whom it was a privilege even to know, but whose friendship is one of the sunniest remembrances of life. He has passed on now. Will they who found so much delight in talking with each other of the fruits of earth, find a like bond of union in the fruits of that other land? Mr. Pardee, writing in the Summer of 1852 says that Burr’s New Pine “has maintained its high reputation as a family fruit. All my visitors have united with me in giving it the preference in flavor over all others. Monroe Scarlet has this season proved to be the largest bearer on my grounds. Rival Hudson is one of the most productive market fruits. Willey has borne next in quantity to Monroe Scarlet. If I wished to set out a bed for family use I would plant one-fifth each of Burr’s New Pine, Hovey’s Seedling, and Monroe Scarlet, and remainder of Crimson Cone, Large Early Scarlet and Boston Pine. For market I would largely add Rival Hudson and Willey.”
In 1852 the American Pomological Society considered as worthy of general cultivation the Boston Pine, Hovey, Jenny’s Seedling, and Large Early Scarlet. These varieties continued to stand among the leading sorts for several years. Very little was heard of Wilson’s Albany; no pains being taken to bring it into notice. In 1856 John Sloan, of Albany, fruited a bed of three hundred plants and found them to be more prolific than Early Scarlet or Crimson Cone. In October, 1857, Mr. John Wilson, the son of the raiser, sent some plants to Mr. J. Jay Smith, in Philadelphia, the then Editor of the Horticulturist. In 1858 H. H. Mish, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, reported that he had received some plants of this variety during the previous Autumn, and that it promised to be productive and valuable. Dr. Russell, of Hartford, Connecticut, reported it very productive, berries dark red, firm, juicy and well flavored: at the meeting of the Fruit Growers’ Society of Western New York, held that Summer, Burr’s New Pine and Early Scarlet, received each seven votes for amateur cultivation, Wilson’s Albany and Hovey each four votes, and for market Early Scarlet received eight votes, Crimson Cone and Wilson’s Albany each seven, Hovey four, and Burr’s New Pine only two. The American Pomological Society in that year added it to their list for general cultivation.
Thus we see that five years had elapsed from the time of its first introduction at Albany before it had become sufficiently known to obtain a place in the list of the American Pomological Society. Passing now over a period of a dozen years, we find, on looking at the Report of the American Pomological Society for 1871, that out of fifty States and Provinces, represented in that Society, the Wilson’s Albany has found its way into twenty-six, in all of which it is recommended, and in fourteen of them it is double starred to denote superiority. Meanwhile where are the varieties which stood in the front rank of strawberry culture when Mr. Wilson first placed his new seedling on the table of the Albany Horticultural Society? Only four of them, Boston Pine, Hovey, Early Scarlet and Victoria, can be found at all in this report. Of these, Boston Pine is recommended in five States, Hovey in sixteen, but double starred only in Massachusetts, the State of its birth. Early Scarlet is recommended in ten States, and Victoria in eight. Of those which had since attained a position on the Society’s list, the Triomph de Gand stands next to Wilson’s Albany, being recommended in fifteen States, and double starred in five of them.