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ing this breed to a state of perfection ? We
should emphatically say, Yes !
The breeding trom too close affinities, though
it may hare many advailtages, to a certain ex
tent, in the hands of skillful breeders; though it
may be pursued until the excellent form and
quality of a breed is developed and established,
and was the source whence sprung the superior
cattle and sheep of Mr. Bakewell, and, to some
extent, the Short Homs of Mr. Colling; yet to
it, also, must be traced the speedy degeneracy
—the absolute disappearance of the new Lei
cester cattle, and in the hands of many agricul
turists, the impairment of the constitution of the
new Leicester or Bakewell sheep.
Mr. Bakewell was a master spirit in breed
ing, and, it cannot be denied, produced a breed
of cattle worthy the efforts of such a skillful agri
culturist. The principle on which he seemed to
act was novel, bold, and, for a time, a successful
one. Some of his cattle were extraordinary il
lustrations of the harmlessness of such a system
(in-and-in); but he had a large stock on which
to work; a veil of mystery was thrown over the
most of his proceedings, and no one knew his
occasional deviations from this rule, nor his
skilful interposition of remoter affinities when he
saw or apprehended danger.
But what has now become of the new Leices
ter or Bakewell cattle? Where areihey to be
found? It was a bold and successful experi
ment and seemed, for a while, to answer the
most sanguine expectations of that skillful and
spirited breeder.
In districts in which experiments were carried
on, it established a breed of cattle unequalled by
few, and it enabled the long horns to contend,
and often successfully, with the heaviest and
best ofthe middle horns. But no sooner had
the master spirits of the day disappeared than
the character of the breed began, imperceptibly,
to decline. It had acquired a delicacy of consti
tution inconsistent with the common manage
ment and keep, and it began slowly and unde
niably to deteriorate. Many of them had been
bred to a degree of refinement that the propor
tion ofthe species was not always certain.—
The breed itself gradually diminished, in some
places it almost disappeared. The reader may
scarcely give credit to the assertion, but it is
strictly true that, in 1833, there was not a sin
glo improved Leicester on the Dishly farm ; nor
a dozen within a circuit of as many miles. It
would seem as if some strange convulsion of na
ture, or some murderous pestilence had sudden
ly swept away the whole of this valuable breed.
Thus we can see, that while this same man
was eminently successful on one hand, he was
as certainly unsuccessful on the other.
Mr. Bakewell’s breed of sheep has handed
down to us in exactly the same degree of per
fection as when ho left them, and during the
century since he left them. This race must
have been bred in and-in, although the relation
ship existing between the dam and sire many
have been tens of generations apart; and where
such genealogy exists between any two animals
which may be used for breeding purposes, can
we, with strict propriety, call the results in
and-in breeding? I should say not.
Although some of the most decided improve
ments have been made by following the system
of in-and-in breeding, yet it has only been done
by the most judicious selections, and the exer
cise of cautious judgment, while in the hands of
the ordinary breeder it is sure to run out a
stock, degenerating them rapidly, rendering
males impotent, in many cases, and the females
of little value as nurses or breeders.
Experience seems to have proved that crosses
of the same variety of animals, but of another
family, have made the best animals ; and such
a course is to be preferred to the breeding m
anc(-in. In somo cases, wherqthere is a marked
superiority in any race of animals which it is
wished to retain, a cross with a race less perfect
in some respects, perhaps, but more vigorous,
making, what breeders call a strong cross, and
then breeding directly back to the favorite blood,
has been very* successful. But when the proge
ny are designed for breeders, the practice of in
and-in breeding should be branded with unqual
ified reprehension. D....
Edgefield, District, S. C., June, 1859.
Some years since, 1 commenced sowing peas,
and covering them at different depths, varying
from one inch to one foot I found those buried
eight inches deep appeared above the ground
only one day later than those buried only two
inches ; while those that were covered twelve
inches deep were a little over two days behind.
As they grew, no perceptible difference was
noticed, until they commenced blossoming and
setting, then the advantage of the deep planting
exhibited itself; for those that were eight and ten
inches deep continued to grow, blossom, and set
pods long after those only to two or four inches
commenced ripening and decaying. If the soil
is light and loamy, 1 will hereafter plant my peas
eight inches deep; if the soil is clayey, I would
plant six inces deep. I never earth up, but
leave the ground as level as possible.”
F. R. Elliot in American Farmers' Magazine.
—
New Native Plaxt. —On the grounds of
Col. Bull, near Charleston, S. C., not far from
the house, is a pine—Pinus glaber of Walter,
who described it 100 years ago, since which it
has been strangely overlooked by botanists. It
is a well marked species, is there called the
Spruce pine, attains a height of at least 100 feet,
and a diamater of more than 3 feet, as I have
tested by measuring. It is abundant in the vi
cinity of Ashley, where Col. Bull and I spent
part of a day riding through the woods, search
ing for the largest. Mr. Ravencl, the botanist,
first re-discovered it a few years ago, but it has
not yet been described in our modern Floras.
Country Gentleman.
— m
El Paso Grapes. —Major Williams writes
from Texas:
“ After passing the Jornado del Muerto, (mean
ing the ‘Journey of the Dead Man,’ from the
tradition that the first man who attempted to
cross that destitute, unwatered region, perished
in the undertaking.) I met the grapes of El Paso
(on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande) at every
stopping-place. The blue grape, in the size of
its bunches and berries, and in sweetness and
delicacy of flavor, is unrivalled by any variety
in cultivation in the United States. It tastes like
the Isabella sweetened with loaf sugar.
“The white grape is large and delicious, and
is preferred by some for the table, but is not es
teemed for wine. The reason of this is, doubt
less, because the blue grape is more hardy and
more prolific. The white grape is going out of
season, and I shall not be able to collect its
seed. I hope, however, to satisfy you that we
shall add invaluable treasures to our vineyards
and gardens.
“ The El Paso grapes are already successfully
cultivated in Pennsylvania, and if the people of
that State can succeed, what cannot others do
who are more favorably situated in regard to
soil and climate ?” — Gardener's Monthly.
XKE SOOTESHBBIt OTtt® AND SZESSXSX.
BONE-DUST.
Bones, which have now become a very impor
tant manure, are composed of earthy salts, chief
ly phosphate of lime, with a little carbonate of
lime, phosphate of magnesia, and about one
lialf of decomposable animal matter. Those of
fat young animals are allowed to be the best.
They are less beneficial for clay lands than
light soils, and less efficacious in' wet than in
dry seasons. In the improved districts of Scot
land, bone-dust is coming into very general use
as a manure for turnips, and mills for crushing
bones are general in many parts of the country’.
There has been no improvement in Scottish ag
riculture so universally adopted as that of ap
plying bone dust to land intended for the pro
duction of turnips, and it seems better qualified
thau any manure hitherto tried for bringing
waste land into cultivation. It is light and can
be carted to a great distance at little expense,
one wagon load of 100 bushels being found nearly
equal to 40 cart-loads of farm-yard manure. It
is asserted by some, that its efficacy remains
during the whole rotation, and even after it. On
pastrol farms it will be found exceedingly use
ful ; as, raising a better crop of turnips, it will
greatly improve the condition of the stock.
In corroboration of the above remarks, we
quote the following:
“ A farmer obtained a forty years’ lease of a
tract of poor land in a high situation near
Rockdale in Lancashire, on which, after fencing
and draining, he erected a bone-mill, and began
manuring the land at the rate of from 100 to 130
bushels per acre. The consequence of this was,
that he let off, in a few years, more land than
paid the rent of the whole, and retained a large
farm in his own hand.”
In the wolds of York and Lincoln shires, it
is stated that “ before bones were extensively
used in turnip husbandry, many thousands of
acres were annually sown for that crop without
any manure whatever. Turnips upon such un
manured land were consequently very indiffer
ent, and the benefit of feeding sheep on their
tops was very trifling. But since the use of
bones has become general, the turnip crop has
increased tenfold. All the succeeding grain
crops have been much larger, and upon the four
or tive shift system, there is no doubt the land will
go on progressively improving requiring a less
quantity of bones annuaily from its increased
fertility and power.
From experiments made regarding the effica
cy of bone-dust contrasted with farm-yard
dung, on soils of a light sandy nature, the result
has been uniformly in favour of the first, one
and a half tons of bones being equal to twenty
tons of dung. To ascertain the effects of large
and small quantities, from 20 to 100 bushels per
acre, in various amounts, have been applied, and
it has been found that the crops are not in
creased when laid on beyond a certain quanti
ty, although not immediately beneficial, bone
dust has been found to render land extraordinari
ly productive for a great length of time. We
quote the following rules for its application:
“1. On dry lands, limestone, chalk,, light
loams, and peat, bones are highly valuable
manure. 2. That they may be applied to grass
with great good effect. 3. That on arable lands,
they may be laid on fallow for turnips, or used
for any other subsequent crops. 4 That the
best method of using them when broad-cast, is
previously to mix them up in compost with
earth, and let them lie and ferment. 5. That, if
used alone, they may be either drilled with the
seed or sown broad-cast. 6. That bones which
have undergone the process of fermentation, are
decidedly superior in their immediate eft’ects to
those which have not been fermented. 7. That
the quantity should be about twenty bushels of
dust, or forty of large bones, increasing the
quantity if the land be improverished. 8. That
upon clays and heavy loams, it does not yet ap
pear that bones will answer. On this latter ob
servation, however, a farmer near Nantswich
in Cheshire remarks, that he “ occupies a farm
in the township of Pickmore the soil of which
is a clay loam scarcely twelve incites deep, the
subsoil a gray sand mixed with coarse clay, on
a bed of good clay marl. Two years ago ho
covered a field with bone manure, previous to
which the grass was so sour as nqj to be worth
ten shillings an acre; but it is now full of most
excellent herbage, consisting of white clover
and trefoil.’ To this he adds, ‘that on another
of his fields with a clay soil, a small portion of
it was manured thirty-two years ago by a form
er tenant with bones, and that although it has
been twenty years in tillage, yet that part still
shows a superiority over the rest.’ At Clumber
Park, the seat of the Duke of Newcastle, COO
bushels of small bones were in 1822 spread
upon 24 acres of grass land in the dairy farm,
consisting of dry, sandy, and gravelly soil,
which had been laid down about ten years.
Their effect upon the pasture improved the con
dition of the cows so materially, that about
twice the quantity of butter was made from
them as from cows grazed on land of similar
quality, but not boned ; and this effect, it is said,
still continues. The time for laying them upon
the land as a top-dressing to grass, whether
seedling or pasture, is generally recomended
to be early in spring. Seeing that the fertilizing
quality of bones is improved by fermentation, it
has led to the supposition that they may be
usefufiy applied in compost with earth and
other substances; by this mixture it has been
found from experiment that they soon become
decayed and pulverised. It is stated in the Dou
caster Report, ‘that this method of using bones
in the formation of composts is recommended by
several intelligent farmers, thirteen of whom,
solely from their own experience, describe its
effects as superior to those ofbonos used singly,
With some of these, it is the practice to mix
fifty bushels of bones with five loads of burnt
clay, or good earth per acre, by which dressing,
the crops between fallow and fallow, except
clover, appear to be increased onedifth in val
ue.’”
Taking into consideration the great and in
creasing demand for bone as a manure, and the
immense quantity of laud under cultivation by
it, it may'be expected that the demand will soon
exceed the supply. This, however, will only
be for a limited period; for if the demand con
tinues, it may be anticipated that the importa
tion of bones from South America, Africa,
Australia, and many Asiatic countries, will yet
form an important branch of commerce. By the
application of bone dust, large quantities of
waste land may be brought into use for dairy
husbandry, and the cultivation of grain in con
sequence will bo increased.
Among the substance which can be applied
as manure, the following may be enumerated:
Hair, horn, woollen rags, oil and rape cake dust,
sea-ware, kelp, refuse fish, blubber, train oil, 4c.
But, as well remarked by Professor Low, “it is
not necessary to specify all the substances
which can be applied as manures. The law is of
general application, that all animal and vegeta
ble substances can be used for this purpose ; and
the province -of the farmer, therefore, is care
fully to collect every substance of nature which
comes within his reach, and if it does not prove
of beneficial application in its separate state, to
form it into a compost, or mingle it with the
general mass collected in the farm yard.”
In concluding these notices of the various
kinds of putrescent and nourishing manures, it
is necessary to explain, that there is a limit be
yond which manuring would be more hurtful
than beneficial to land, at least as respects grain
crops. If the fields be over-saturated with the
rich juices of manure, the grain is apt to be in
jured, in much the same manner as a human
being contracts disease by over-luxurious feed
ing. The crop being apparently unable to se
crete the juices placed in the land for its use,
it becomes affected with parasitic (fungi, which
develope themselves in the blades of the plant,
and ultimately destroy the vegetation. This
is observable in the case of rust in wheat, a
disease arising, as is believed, from an over
fertile state of the soil. We shall afterwards
give this subject the attention it deserves, in our
section, on the Diseases of Crops; and, mean
while, content ourselves with recommending,
that manure should not be applied either in a
too lavish or niggardly manner, but to that ex
tent which will put the land in good heart, or in
a properly balanced condition.
Jackson's Agriculture.
—
JONAS WEBB’S SOUTH DOWN
The Mark Lane Express of June 27th contains
an account of a visit to Babraliam, the residence
of the world-renowned breeder of South-downs,
Mr. Jonas Webb. After a lengthy account of
Mr. Webb'S herd of 142 head of Short-horns, the
writer says: , t ‘
“ Before we sallied forth tgain to the two out
lying farms, we turned for ai slight interlude from
beef to mutton. Even in our Short-horn re
searches in the Home farm, the embodiment of
the latter was also in view, ju the shape of “Der
by” reduced two-tliirds, anjdoing duty as weath
ercock, on the top ofthe olfc barn. The leg of
mutton point on which he yas so great, has cer
tainly been made the most of by the modeller;
but it comes out in all its strength in many of his
descendants among t)je July yearlings. The old
long-horned Norfolk rams, whose narrow backs
and sharp spines proved sfch a very uncomfor
table seat for Mr. Webb, when lie used to ride
them in his boy-liood at T est Wickham, and
set him a-tliinking in his nfaturer years, live on
ly in story at Babraliam now; and not one even
as a relic ofthe dark ages.
The South-down flock at present consists of
about 1,400 and about 1,001) lambs as well.—
Originally there were three tribes, but a fourth
and fifth have been added; and Mr. Webb nev
er hires rams, as he can low always keep the
blood sufficiently distinct trithout it. In numbef
the tribes are nearly equal and tltoy have all
produced prize sheep; anti at present there are
from 120 to 140 rams, for letting next month.
The selection is made within fifteen days from
lambing, and upwards of 200 ram lambs are re
tained each year. Besides the elaborate ear
marks, and divers others on the shoulder and
hip. thev have cabalistic crosses of green above
yellow, blue above red, and so on, on their sides,
which tell their descent at a glance to their
owner’s eye; and furnish an unfailing due,
when they rise to ram hogget estate, and are
ripe for entry in the Flock Book. All the
fleeces are weighed, and if they do not come up
to 7 lbs. the ewe hoggets are sold to go abroad.
The Old Babraliam shearlings nearly all averaged
8 lbs., and although the late jnild winter and
spring were not favorable to the growth of wool,
the majority ofthe fleeces this year have touch
ed it. The nature of the soil is, moreover, not
peculiarly favorable to wool, as it is gravelly,
and almost line enough for an hour-glass ; and
the sand rather prevents the grease from get
ting through the fieeces.
Mr. Webb never sells ewes in England; he has
a few from twelve to thirteen years old, and he
has bred from them at fourteen, but the rams
are seldom let beyond their seventh season ;
and the heaviest of them have killed at 50 lbs.
a quarter. The losses among the breeding ewes
are calculated at about one in twenty; and as
the difficulty of breeding is much enhanced by
the want of grass, Mr. Webb has had anything
but a May-game of it, in bringing his flock to
their present position. Two lots of yearling
rams, making some forty in all, were in training
for the final Warwick on some seeds
behind the house. They were principally by
the prize old sheep and the tirst and second
prize yearlings at Salisbury; and we found on
inquiry, that the second prize old sheep has gone
to America. Plenipo, who was a yearling in
1834, when his great chestnut namesake and
neighbor was in his zenith, swelled the tide of
Southdown success for Mr. Webb; and The
Gentleman, Clumber, Liverpool, Shrewsbury,
Derby, Young Elegance, Gloucester, the Cap
tain, and Old Uncertain, &c., have never suffered
it to ebb. There was Fancy Boy also, who was
never let, and hung liimselt in early life in a
fence; Perfection, the sire of The Captain, for
whom Mr. Lugar’s offer of 150 guineas as a
yearling was refused; Dictator, who elicited a
like answer; and Windsor Castle, the conqueror
of his half-brother at Windsor, who received the
name of the Queen’s Own, from her Majesty s
expression of dissatisfaction at the verdict,
though the royal prerogative was not potent to
reverse it. Fifty yearlings for letting were busy
on the yellow giobe mangel in another paddock;
and two renowned heroes, to-wit: Old Duke
and Young Plenipo, were railed off in state at
one end.
The latter has the Babraliam flock blood in
him for ten generations on the dam’s side; and
Mr. Webb valued him so highly, that, in spite of
a 200 guinea offer, he kept him for two seasons,
and let him last year for the first time. Old
Duke is five years old, and has achieved 410
guineas at three lettings. In one of them Mr.
Henry Overman bid 169 guineas, and the Duke
of Richmond made it even money and got him.
The pasture behind the fold yard was full of Old
Duke’s descendants ; and Y oung Captain, the
flock patriarch of the Emperor of the French,
who hired three last year, coidd also claim a
hand in some of the ninety couples of glorious
legs of mutton, which scampered off at our ap
proach. f
It would have been strange, indeed, if we
had not ‘drooped and turned aside’ once more
from the short horns, to visit a flock of 300
ewes and lambs, before we proceeded on to the
North farm. The dam of Young Norwich and
Young Plenipo needed no pointing out. as the
veriest tyro ought to have challenged her as “a
mother of the Gracchi;” and there was also the
dam of the 197 guinea ram by Young Elegance,
with a ram lamb by a sou of Young Plenipo at
her side, which bids fair to be as good a South
down King in its turn."
—
Wheat Statistics of Chicago. —The wheat
statistics published in the Commercial Express
show tho receipts for the year ending August
Ist, to be 5,091,000 bushels, against 12,956,000
bushels for the previous year. Tho shipments
are about in the same proportion.
NEW YORK KAILWAYB-VALUABLE STATIS
TICS.
We condense from the State Engineer’s Re
port upon the New York Railways the following
interesting statistics in regard to the operations of
sixty-one roads, that make returns more or less
complete. The aggregates appended are for
1858:
Th» ain't of capital stocks* per charter is. .$91,575,600 00
Capital stock subscriced 79,780,160 00
. Capital stock paid in 74,684,956 00
Amount of funded debt 71,780,588 98
Amount of floating debt 2,846766 07
Total funded and floating debt 74, 627,855 05
Total cost of construction and equipment.. 181,907,445 21
Same excluding city roads 126,873,010 70
Length of roads in operation, (excluding
city roads,) miles 2,897 62
Number of locomotive engines 7SB
Number of first class passenger cars 1,071
Number of second class and emigrant cars 175
Number of baggage, mail and express ears 280
Number of freight cars 9,014
Av. speed pass, trains incL stops, miles p.
hour. .* 20 , 72
Av. speed when in motion, miles per hour 25.58
Av. express speed incl. stops, miles p. hour 25.44
Av. express speed when in motion miles p.
bpur 29.30
Av. freight speed incl. stops, miles p. hour 10,69
Av. freight speed when in motion, miles p.
hour. 18,95
Av. height of passenger trains empty, tuns 75,09
Av weight of freight trains empty,’tuns.. 129,27
Number of passengers carried in the cars
(excluding city roads) 11,250,078
Tuns of freight carried in the cars 8:493,725
Total earnings for ail roads $20,309,053 85
Total payments by all roads 19,709,079 27
Average cost per mile of railway 53,916 50
Average cost per mile of single track 84,226 08
Average distance traveled p. passenger, mis 38.17
Average passengers per train 60.72
Average distance traveled p. tun of freight,
miles 120.91
Average tuns per freight train 77,54
Average cost [ier mile of rood—
For maintainance of way $1,511,70
For repairs of machinery 892,47
For transportation 2,419 49
Total receipts per mile of road 6,898 96
Total expense per mile of road .... 4,875 40
Net income per mile of road 2,528 86
Average receipts p. passenger p. mile cts. 1.9 S
Average expense p. passenger p. mile, cts. 1.49
Av.net income p. passenger p. inflects. 0.49
Av. receipts p. tun of freight p. mile cts. 250
Av. expense p. tun of feright p. mile cts. 1.64
Av. net ine. p. tun of freight p. mile cts. 0.86
Dead weight moved p. passeng'r car'd, tun 1.28
Dead weight moved p. tun of ft. car'd, tuns 1.66
Per cent, of oi>erating cost to income 64
Net income per eent. on cost 5.07
Many *f our most intelligent readers will be
interested on examining the above railway statis
tics. Too many competing ironways for the
transportation of persons and property have been
constructed mNew York. The same is true in
Ohio and several other states. A word of cau
tion at the South, can do no harm; for these
most expensive structures swallow up capital
very rapidly.
India Rubber—lts Manufacture.—lndia
Rubber, in the condition in which it is when
first imported, has much irregularity of texture,
andis also contaminated with much dirt and re
fuse. To separate these, the India rubber is first
cut into very small fragments, and then steeped
in warm water, by which the dirt is precipitated.
The fragments are dried and thrown into a
kind of kneading machine, where immense pres
sure is employed to bring them to one homoge
neous mass. There is in this kneading process
evidence afforded of a very remarkable differ
ence between gutta purclia and India rubber;
the former requires to be heated to a soft state
before placed in the kneading mill, but the India
rubber, though put in cold, becomes so hot by
the agitation that it cannot be safely touched by
the hand—it being necessary to supply the ma
chine with cold water, which is made nearly to
boil with caloric driven out of the elastic mass.
So thoroughly is the mass pressed, rolled, picked
cut and kneaded by this operation, that all dirt,
air, water, and steam are expelled and it presents
the appearance of a dark colored, uniform and
smooth mass. It is then put in cast-iron moulds
of great strength, and brought by hydraulic or
screw pressure to tho form of blocks, slabs or
cylinders, according to the purpose to which it
is to be applied.
— i * i »
How the Shark Shelters its Young.—The
young sharks, upon the sight of danger, slip in
through the mouth of the parent shark, and
when the danger is over, issue forth to their el
ement again. This assertion lias been treated
rather unceremoniously by some who are noth
ing if not critical, and who have with an expres
sive shake of the iiead hinted their doubts whe
ther, granting the facile descent of the young
into the parental stomach, they ever got out
again alive. For the benefit of such snecrers,
we beg to produce evidence which none will
gainsay. For acute observation and strict accu
racy, whether he hits and hands down a double
star, lays down a chart, describes a coin, or
notes a natural object, we will back Admiral
Smyth against the field. He relates how the vast
Mahe Bank, the heads of which form the Sey
chello Isles —dear to conchologists-in the Indian
Ocean, is surprisingly infested with sharks, blue
white, tiger, hammer-headed, and the rest of
them. In January, 1805, an enormous female
monster was taken in Mahe Bay, while cruising
round the Cornwallis with others of her kind,
and surrounded by a numerous progeny. The
weather was superb, the water clear as crystal,
and the vessel seemed to sleep at her anchors,
so that we saw every object in the best possible
manner. This unwieldy fish was actually caught
with a small book, which had been baited for
rock-cod; and it is surprising that her attempts
to escape should not have disengaged her, ex
cept, perhaps, that tho peculiarity of her situa
tion in a measure prevented a full exercise of
strength. On the first perception of danger,
and while she was being gently drawn along
side, all the young ones entered her mouth to
seek safety. With some difficulty, and much
dexterity, she was secured and slung; but such
was the weight of the quarry, that it required
the fore and mainyard tackles to hoist her on
hoard. After giving sundry violent flaps on the
deck, she was overpowered, though still exhibi
ting that astonishing tenacity of life common to
cold-blooded creatures. But now came the
proof that what we hail seen was no deceptio
visus. On a large gash being made on the fore
part of the bplly, we saw no fewer than thirty
j eight young sharks tumble out of the orifice
alive. They were each nearly two feet in length
tinted with mackerel colors, and their months
admitted a man's head with ease.
The Overland Routes.—A dispatch dated
Washington, August 23d, says: As there is a
strong public opinion for abolishing the overland
routes, costing a million dollars annually, with
little or no return, it is proper to state that the
Postmaster General would have applied the prin
; ciple of retrenchment to them, but was prevent
ed by a decision of the Attorney General. This
was, that as the contracts for that particular ob
: ject were for four years, and had not the usual
clause empowering the Postmaster General to
change tlie service, the routes in question could
not be interfered with. If Congress should abol
ish them, a claim for damages would arise.
HORTICULTURAL.
WML PL WHITE, Editor.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER IT, 1S».
HORTICULTURAL.
Communications for this department are re
spectfully solicited. Address them to the editor,
at Athens, Ga.
Horticultural exchanges will please’ direct to
the same address.
WHAT ARE THE BEST FEACHEB?
The following list of peaches, with the notes
thereon, was drawn up by Mr. Richard Peters,
of Atlanta, Ga., at the request of the Editor of
this department.
For some years past we have been exchanging
with him, and comparing specimens of this fruit,
in order to correct errors of name in both col
lections, and to ascertain what where really the
best varieties in cultivation. In this way, over
two hundred kinds, embracing all the finest lo
cal varieties to be obtained, and all that are laid
down as best in the various standard fruit books,
have come before us. Os these Mr. Peters
gives his favorites in the list below. In this list
there are three varieties we have not seen. We
should have been glad to have had the number
reduced to about thirty, but of the thirty-seven
we know in the list as it is, it is difficult to say
which to throw out, and there are ten or a doz
en kinds at least, that we, and probably Mr.
Peters, would rather have added to a list for
one’s own use, than to undertake to throw out
any of the present list There are some peach
es so exactly alike in taste, that any one of two
or three varieties is enough, the only difference
being in the shape of the fruit the size of the
flower, or the glands of the leaves, either of
which make a distinct variety, though they are
not distinct to the palate. In such cases, substi
tutions can be made, but there are certain others
in this list for which no satisfactory substitute
can be found. We believe, for instance, that the
first peach on this list will be indispensable in
every good collection for a century to come, un
less its stock becomes diseased. For a very
small collection, Nos. 1,6, 8, 10,11, 12, 13, 17,
20, 23, 32, 35, 36, 38, might be selected; but in
making a selection, 6ome few have been taken
for which others of the same season would have
been nearly or quite as satisfactory. It is well
to ripen at the same time several varieties, as
sometimes one of them escapes our Spring frosts,
while another, blossoming a little earlier or later,
has no crop for the season. The list below will
in this place afford fruitfully five months, and if
our readers will plant these trees in a fair soil,
take care of them and thin the fruit, they will
ascertain what a good peach is. Yery few have
in Georgia eaten a good, soft peach. Good
clings are more common.
No. 1. Early TiUotson. —Ripe June 15th to
25th; size, medium; freestone; flesh white;
the best for market purposes of the very early
varieties, and deservedly popular at the South
for its productive properties, its fine flavor and
handsome appearance.
No. 2. Early York —Ripe June 21st to 30th;
size, medium ; freestone; flesh white ; a very;
delicious peach, but rather too delicate for mar
keting.
No. 3. Coles Early. —Ripe June 23d to Ist
July; size, medium; freestone; flesh white; a
handsome showy peach of fine flavor.
No. 4. Fay's Early Ann —Ripe June 25th to
Ist July; size, medium; freestone; flesh white;
a very pretty peach of superior flavor.
No. 5. Troth's Early —Ripe 28th of June to
sth of July; size, medium; freestone; flesh
white and firm, well adapted to marketing.
No. 6. Early Admirable —Ripe July Ist to
12th; size, large; freestone; flesh white; one
of the best of its season, firm and of good quality.
No. 7. Eliza —Ripe July 3d to 10th; size,
large; freestone; flesh yellow; a very produc
tive and desirable variety.
No. 8. George IV. —Ripe July sth to 15th;
size, large; freestone; flesh white; one of the
best, most showy and delicious of peaches.
No. 9. Grosse Mignonne —Ripe July 6th to
15th; size, large; freestone;- flesh White; by
many persons considered the best peach in cul
tivation.
No. 10. Chinese CTmy-Ripe July 6th to 20th;
size very large; clingstone; flesh white; a new
variety recently introduced from China, of good
quality, valuable for marketing.
No. 11 . 'Crawford's Early —Ripe July 6th to
20th; size very large; freestone; flesh yellow';
a magnificent peach of good quality and deser
vedly popular as a market variety.
No. 12. Early Newington —Ripe July 16 to 25
—size medium to large; semi-cling; flesh white;
a truly delicious and beautiful Peach, worthy of
a place in every orchard.
No. 13. Georgia Cling —Ripe July 16 to 25-
size medium to large; clingstone : flesh white;
a Georgia seedling of great merit, possessing
size, beauty, and quality; one of the earliest and
best cliugs in cultivation.
No. 14. Vanzand'ts Superb —Ripe July 18 to
26—size medium to large; freestone; fleih
white; a magnificent Peach of the highest flavor,
and in every respect a decided acquisition.
No. 15. Lemon Cling —Ripe July 18 to 28—-
size large; clingstone; flesh yellow; a.beauti
ful lemon-shaped variety, excellent for market
ing and preserving.
No. 16. Brevort's Morris —Ripe July 20th to
25th—size large; freestone; flesh white; one
of the highest flavored peaches in cultivation.
No. 17. Old Mixon Cling— Ripe July 25th to
August sth—size, medium to large; clingstone;
flesh white, truly delicious, rich and melting;
should be in every collection.
No. 18. Susquehanna —Ripe July 25th to Au
gust sth; size very large; semi-clingstone; flesh
yellow; a seedling from Pennsylvania; a very
attractive Peach of good quality—capital for
marketing.
No. 19. Flewdlen —Rige August 3d to 12th;
size medium; clingstone ; flesh red; a seedling
from middle Georgia, where it ranks as the best
cling in cultivation.
No. 20. Crawford's Late —Ripe August 2d to
10th; size large; freestone; flesh yellow; a
superb Peach of fine flavor.
No. 21. Buckner's Bed— Ripe August 1 to 20;
size large to very large; semi-clingstone; flesh
yellow; a seedling from middle Georgia, of great
merit; a very showy, remarkable keeper, and,
therefore, valuable as a market variety.
No. 22. Camak's Newington —Ripe August 4
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