The apple is strictly the fruit of the nation. It is planted singly in small gardens, and by thousands in large orchards. While the grape and the pear are extensively planted, the apple is everywhere. No sooner does a man build and possess land for a home, than out goes one or more apple-trees. It is therefore very important to have a knowledge of such varieties as prove most hardy and successful over the greatest extent of country. At the risk of conflicting with the views of some learned pomologists, I propose to speak of a few popular sorts, and their extent of success, and at the same time to name some varieties that are not perhaps so generally known, but that nevertheless have been grown and successfully tested in nearly every fruit-growing State.

The term " for general cultivation" covers a broad field, and yet lists have been made, and even single varieties designated, as adapted to such purpose. A glance at the transactions of State Pomological Societies shows how futile are such lists or special designation of a variety, and hence it is that numerous varieties, almost identical in their character of fruit, yet differing very materially in the vigor and hardihood of tree, as well as requirements of soil, continue to be propagated and introduced. The Early Harvest, that, in rich, deep soils throughout the middle sections of our Eastern and Northwestern States, produces fruit of superior quality - smooth, large, and handsome to the eye - in those same locations, when planted in poor, thin soils or heavy clays, yields small, knotty fruit, and that often too acid for dessert uses, while the trees in northern Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, etc., are regarded as tender and unsuited for orcharding. The Baldwin Apple; so popular and profitable in most parts of New England, northern central New York, northern Pennsylvania, and Ohio, when it reaches northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, proves too tender as a tree to endure the climate, while in, southern Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, and so on South and West, it drops its fruit so early in the season as to prove of little or no value.

The Belmont, so popular in the Lake Shore region of Ohio, has but a limited space for occupation, for although supposed to have originated in Virginia, its fruit is not highly esteemed in the Southwest, and at the Northwest the trees prove tender. The Fall Pippin, popular on the Hudson River, and to a certain extent East and West, yet finds so little favor, that it is not often found in the lists prepared and recommended for cultivation. The Rhode Island Greening, acknowledged on all sides as one of the very best apples for all purposes, can not, however, be successfully and profitably grown in but a very limited territory; but wherever it does succeed, planters will permit me here and now to advise its adoption in preference to that of almost any other variety.

Having now named some of the leading, old, and well-known popular kinds, and shown somewhat of the territory in which they can, as a rule, be successfully or otherwise grown, let me see if I can not find varieties that from their hardihood in tree and vigorous productive habits render them desirable over a greater extent of territory, and especially a territory where fruit-growing is yet in its infancy.

The Red June, or Carolina Red June, although brought prominently before the public within the past fifteen or twenty years, has been very extensively distributed and planted, and everywhere sustained a favorable reputation as a hardy tree, good bearer, handsome fruit, and of more than medium quality. It has not been much grown in New England, but trees enough have been planted and fruited to show that it can there be made as profitable as it is throughout the Southwest, West, and Northwest.

The Duchess of Oldenburg is another that, although a foreigner, has proved everywhere, so far as I can read or have observed, a perfect success, bearing early and abundantly a fruit of good size, handsome, and good, although not first quality.

The Tetofsky is another apple of the same origin, and although as yet it has not been extensively tested, yet where it has been grown, the same general peculiarities that belong to the Duchess are observed, and there is every reason to believe it will prove equally valuable as a market fruit

The Red Astrachan is another variety of foreign origin, nearly allied in habit to the two preceding, but yet not identical, and while the trees seem to prove hardy, in some few sections there has been complaint of its not fruiting sufficiently to make it profitable. I think these complaints will be withdrawn as the trees obtain age in the present complainant's possession.

The Keswick Codlin is an apple of great value for cooking and market purposes, the trees proving very hardy, coming early into bearing, and fruiting abundantly a smooth and regular even fruit of good, fair size that is fit for use and market from August to October. To continue this list, and select from the hundreds of varieties described by pomologists those which have, as a rule, proved the most hardy and valuable over the largest extent of country, I will name Sweet June, Benoni, Jonathan, Bailey's Sweet, Fameuse, Willow Twig, Ben Davis or New York Pippin, Stanard, Swaar, and Nickajack. These, all, I have no doubt, will continue to do as they have done, when planted in well-drained soils, viz., grow vigorous, hardy trees, yielding good fruit East, West, South, North, and even to the far Northwest.

In connection with this list of hardy apples, it may perhaps be advisable for me to add a word in relation to the soil and situation for orchard planting. I have not room for an essay, if such paper were desirable, but the new beginner may find in a few words, perhaps, that which will as well serve his interests as if I were to write an essay.

First, then, select for your orchard location a soil as near as possible of a light loamy nature, not rich or poor - better the latter than former, as you can supply food needed, while it is difficult to check too rank growths of trees in very rich ground. But whatever the nature of your ground, see that it be well underdrained, as no orchard will ever prove successful in wet, cold soil. As high an elevation as possible, and in our Western and Northwestern States, a slope to the north, rather than south or east, is desirable to obtain a certain yearly product of fruit. Dig the holes for your trees no deeper than you plow the surrounding ground. Purchase the best trees without regard to price; prune, plant, and cultivate them carefully, and you will have success.

Very Hardy Varieties of The Apple #1

All these records of the whereabouts in which distinct varieties of the apple succeed or fail are valuable, and I am tempted to name the Winesap as an old sort that over the whole country will average well as a variety for cultivation. It wants good soil, but not very rich, and will not endure its roots to stand on a hard clay bottom undrained.

Grimes' Golden Pippin is a comparatively new variety that our fruit-growers should test everywhere. Reuben.