Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1868 [PAGE 279]

EXTRACTED TEXT FROM PAGE:

267

D. Gove,—I have set out several orchards in the past 20 years, having been improving all the time. At first I took such varieties as nurserymen would recommend, but when they began to bear I found I had made a mistake. Latterly I have ascertained, from observation, the varieties that were good growers, good bearers, and of good quality, and that have given entire satisfaction in the vicinity where I was planting; as I find that soil, climate, and many other causes that make some varieties good in some places, will not prove good every where. In my present orchard I have early harvest, red June, summer pearmain, Pennsylvania red streak, rambo, Pryor's red, janet, yellow bellflower, wine sap, limber twig arge and small Romanite, that all do well. As to other fruits I have quite a variety, but as I think others can and will give better information in regard to their merits, I will confine myself to such matters as I think may be of service. J. G. /Swann%—Best varieties winter apples ; Janeting, sops of wine,*Romanites, Newtown pippin. Best summer varieties: Early harvest, Carolina June, summer queen. Best fall varieties : Rambo, Pennsylvania red streak. Pears: Bartlett, Belle Lucrative, L. B. Jersey, Yicar of Winkfield, Seckel. All do well sowed in clover. Peaches: Seven to eight leading budded varieties, not old enough to bear well yet. Cherries: Morellos bears well. Prune when sap is down any time. Gather in baskets, handling carefully. Pack in barrels. Preserve by pressing the best and putting the others in cellars and bins. Value of my orchard crop this year, |2,500. Borers: Knife the best remedy. My orchard consists of the following number of trees: Janets, 2,000; Romanites, 1,100; N. pippin, 500; summer fruit, 500; wine saps, 200; rambo, ?5 ; red streak, 50; bellflower, 200; large red, 50; other kinds, 200. All the above fruit from 5 to 15 years old. 100 pear trees 1 years old. 500 budded peach ; 1,000 seedling peach. 50 gooseberries. *75 grapes. 50 cherries. M A. Reiki.—Apples: sorts preferred, the very early and winter most profitable. Prefer early harvest, red June, red Astrachan, Hubbardson, Rome beauty, wine sap, Gilpin, Janet. Grapes: Concord and Norton's Virginia, so far the most reliable and profitable. Blackberries : Kittatinny considered best; strong grower, hardy, and much better quality than the Lawton. Strawberries : Wilson's Albany is the best for market. J. Bahiger.—Apples do very well here, and the orchard bears more or less every year. Those kinds which are very productive, such as Rawle's Janet, the little Romanite, the white and red June, the rambo, and others, bring full crops only once in two years. The kinds which my experience shows me to be the most profitable are the above named, and the white winter pearmain, the American golden russet, Esopus Spitzenburgh, the Pennsylvania red streak and the yellow bellflower. No doubt there are others as valuable, in which I have had no experience. I have a nice orchard and a fine selection of apples, but most of my trees are yet too young to bear. As far as I know, the wine sap and Pryor's red must be among the best apples for our latitude, but they have not yet fruited with me. For cider, I am planting Hewes' Virginia crab, Harrison and Campfield. Pears seem to do very well with me. The trees are healthy and vigorous, but as yet I have very few of them in bearing, and possess but little experience concern-