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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