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OF

HORTICULTURE.

FEBRUARY, 1847.

ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS.

ART. I. Root Grafting the Peach Tree and Rose; Grafting the Pear upon the Apple; the Apricot on the Peach; new Mode of Raising Cucumbers, &c. By M. W. PHILLIPS, Esq., Log Hall, Edwards, Miss.

I HAVE neglected a reasonable duty longer than I should, but my various duties have so completely taken up my time at home, that I have postponed.

In comparison with trees grown in this latitude, your trees are far behind in size, though equal in the bright and healthy appearance of the bark and twigs. I can assuredly show maiden pear trees, double and treble the size of yours, and peach trees that are full twelve feet high, and two to three inches in diameter. I do not wish to be understood as overrating my country, but as giving the facts, that I know I can show any day. I can show fifty varieties of pear, maiden trees, that will average ten feet high, with size and branches to correspond. I have lost of pears nearly all that have been here long enough to bear, whilst some, here since 1832, have size, health and vigor, but never yet fruited.

Have you ever tried grafting peach trees? Have you any knowledge of root grafting of the peach? I can show a few grafted peach trees that are decidedly the prettiest trees I have, not so tall, nor inclined to make long branches, but more bushy. I desired some varieties, that were too remote to get buds, and where I could get no one to work me a tree as a specimen, as a dernier resort, I concluded to try grafting, and though the trees were in bloom, the 'grafts with leaves and bloom, I grafted, and have specimens about seven feet high,

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grafted between the 6th and 9th of March, near one month too late for this climate, but I could not get the grafts in time. I was induced to try it, having been told by a youth that his father succeeded well in grafting the peach, by using the terminal ends of branches, and whip grafting. I did not graft thus, but pared the graft as for whip grafting, and then split the bark of the stock, and inserted the graft.

Root grafting the peach will be regarded, in this country, as something new; with your experienced countrymen it may not, but it has advantages over all other modes. I received the hint from a friend near Mississippi city, who informed me that a neighbor of his, who was a very expert budder, and who budded for any that required, would not work his own trees, and gave, as his reason, that he intended to root graft, that it was more certain, and made handsomer trees. Previous to this, I was shown a lot of trees that were root grafted in Hatch's nursery, but the information was vague; since that time, the gardener who worked the trees has returned, and says they were worked on refuse roots, that were left after removing trees, and that he uses any part of the branches, just as in any other grafting, and that he gave the hint to a gentleman who was either living, or was moving below, but is not certain that the above gentleman is the one. Mr. Patrick O'Connor, gardener at Hatch's nursery, has assuredly very successfully root grafted the peach, and they are five to eight or ten feet high-maiden trees.

He also root grafts the rose, and upon removal, the junction is complete, and the wound will not be observable in another twelve months. These trees and roses are, if any thing, larger than I desire to remove. The advantages are, that, in the month of February, when but little out-door work can be advantageously done, the peach can be grafted; the trees will be saleable in November to any one, whereas my budded trees of, say 10th of June, are not large enough to please one in fifty, yet they are, in some instances, as large as those you sent me; and there is not such necessity for peach pits, and so long culture. So far as I know, or can learn, Mr. O'Connor deserves the credit, for he has actually the trees to show. As to grafting the pear on the apple stock, I recommend it. to nurserymen, who desire wood, on the same principle as

for budding the rose; the growth the first year is truly astonishing, though probably on the same size pear stock, it would be as great. My reason for inquiring-page 430, November number-about this kind of grafting was, a friend sent me eight different pears grafted on apple stocks. I had expressed to him an unfavorable opinion of the plan, he boasted of the size, and would prove to me I was wrong. Before August, four of the eight were dead, and the residue not promising, except two, Meadow and Butter. Upon noticing his own trees, I find the ends of branches have decayed, and that the trees seen by me are unhealthy.

I have seen many apricots worked on the peach, and I can see no objection to it, our peach trees not being, in this particular region, so liable to decay as with you. I would recommend grafting in the earth, so that the apricot could be under the earth. We have no other stock here that will suit, our Chickasaw plum stock not being large enough, and is too slow in growth: our native plum, though large enough, is too slow. What do you work apricot and plums on? The plum will not live on the peach, so says an intimate friend, zealous in the cause, but young in it. I have never tried.

When giving you my experiment with soot and saltpetre for cucumbers and melons, I ought to have included purple egg plant; for this last it seems a soak, that is well adapted to pushing vegetation forward, as well as keeping off a fly, or flea, that destroys them. I could not succeed to get a plant, save under glass, until I tried this steep. I have, from time to time, tried ashes, soot, salt, lime, dry dust, smoking the plants in the morn, with tobacco smoke from my cigar, but they were not effectual. At length, in 1844, I tried the steep first on the egg squash, and noticing some change, I tried it immediately on cucumbers and from that time, I declare to you, I have not seen a striped bug around my plants.

I differ from any person, except a lady now in Virginia, in the mode of planting cucumbers. I make a rich, light, deep tilled bed, about ten by sixteen or eighteen feet; I then mark off rows north and south, two feet apart, and draw up into ridges, as high as can be, with a hoe. hoe. I then rake down the ridge, so as thoroughly to pulverize the top, and plant my steeped seeds some two inches apart; cover lightly and press

the earth with a plank. When the bud has formed, between the seminal leaves, I pluck up the weak plants, leaving a stand about a foot apart. My cultivation is then to hill up once, so as to support the stem erect, and keep clean. From a bed of this size, I have fed my family of about twenty-five, and have gathered, myself, a bushel at a time for hogs, that were not yellow. I think the fruit sets earlier, and that the earth, being well shaded, they last longer. How it will do in your climate I know not, but my teacher- the lady alluded tosays, in Virginia, it is decidedly the best plan. In consequence of my success in this, pursuing it since 1838, I have put my melons six feet by about four, my former distance being eight feet square.

"My peach orchard numbers over one" thousand, instead of "one hundred ;" these, with six hundred apples and three hundred and fifty pears, will not admit of wrapping with paper and then tarring. I must have something more readily applied. I will rely on whitewash with cowdung, for even milk and soot would be too costly where one feeds his cows entirely from his house, as I do, through choice, instead of being uncertain, the cows not coming up.

I use, in my nursery, narrow strips of the pasteboard from sperm candle boxes, hung on lower limbs. This frightens off the rabbit.

I know the pear will succeed in this latitude, and do not think Boston, or the northernmost limit in which they will grow, can excel us. The only difficulty is winter pears. My object is, not to prove this fact, but to prove which are the best varieties. I am greatly pleased that you approve this step of mine, for I really feel that I wlll do immense service to my country, and of course secondarily aid all nurserymen. I am a cotton planter, rely only on that business for a living, and ought to be considered a disinterested witness. But the fruits will be here, side by side, to show for themselves.

I am influenced by a desire to induce men and women and children, to love home, be industrious and temperate. If they could enjoy fruits and flowers in abundance at home, they would, it seems to me, become attached to the trees and plants; they would be at home all the time, and would inadvertently work among them; ennui, the ruin of this country, could

never be; and, having fine fruits to hand to visiters and to eat without stint, dram-drinking would become a thing of yesterday. This is my first desire, and in truth my exertions have been to this end, from the beginning. If there was less desire to accumulate wealth, and more taste for the beautiful, I have no doubt but what morals, education and religion, too, would be advanced. I have acted under this belief, and I hope to taste the fruits thereof ere I am borne hence. My motives have been impugned; but I expected it, and only for a moment have I faltered,—and who can bear to have his nearest friends call one a theoretical book-farmer, a humbug, and all that sort of croaking slang? That I have been often wrong, is to be expected, but I have tried to be right.

Have you ever budded the apple on the pear? A gentleman of great zeal in aboriculture, and of unquestioned truth, assures me he has had the apple to fruit, two years from the bud, when put on the pear.

We have much to learn yet, and I fancy amateurs must do much of the teaching, because regular nurserymen and gardeners have their hands full, without trying experiments. I have myself no fondness for extra natural things, and have never tried any, in that way. I have worked pear on apple, but upon the strong recommendation of a friend; I do work apricot on the peach, but I cannot get a better stock; and if worked, so as to cover the wound in the earth, I really see, by practice, no kind of objection. I will continue until I can get a thrifty stock. I am planting a number of apricot seed ; if I succeed well with them, I will adopt this as a stock. I do not think there will be much more, if any, time required. I can produce apricots from the bud, at least eight to ten feet, and why should a seedling not do this?

You must only notice my rambling remarks, for I have but little time to write for a magazine of merit.

Log Hall, Edwards, Miss., Dec. 14, 1846.

The communication of our correspondent contains many good hints and suggestions, which the practica man, as well as the amateur, will find worthy of attention.

The growth which trees make in the south western States is certainly remarkable; but is such a rapid growth desira

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