SEPTEMBER. 2G5 



ON HYBRIDISING FRUITS. 



It is a subject of common remark with all my neighbours who have 

 gardens, that so little has been done in the way of producing improved 

 races of fruits, that I venture to bring it before your readers. Though 

 not directly connected with practical horticulture, I have for years taken 

 great interest in all pertaining to it, particularly fruit culture. If I 

 am correct, we are indebted for our best Peaches, Nectarines, Apricots, 

 Plums, and Clierries, to generations long passed away ; for by consulting 

 the old fruit catalogues, I see most of the best kinds of the above 

 were known a century and a half ago, some even earlier than that. 

 Now, as we may suppose that these were raised from inferior varieties 

 existing before, how comes it to pass that no improved kinds have been 

 raised from them within this period ? — or, are we to understand that 

 the Royal George, Bellegarde, and Noblesse Peaches (and likewise 

 other fruits long cultivated), have reached their climax of perfection, 

 and are incapable of further improvement ? But then why is it that 

 some Pears, and one or two other things, such as Strawberries and 

 small fruits, contemporary with the above a century ago, are now dis- 

 carded as being comparatively worthless, and in the place of the old 

 kinds of Pears, we have the delicious fruit, now found in almost every 

 garden, from France and Belgium ? I conclude from this that the 

 fruits I have named have not been experimented on in the same 

 manner as the Pear and Strawberry, at least in this country, for I am 

 ignorant what has been done with them on the Continent. I beg to 

 ask, therefore, if you or any of your readers can afford me any 

 explanation why so important a part of gardening as raising new fruits 

 should be so neglected. 

 Somersetshire, August. A Country Rector. 



POT CULTURE OP STRAWBERRIES. 

 The forcing of Strawberry plants is so common, that there are few 

 gardens of any pretension in which a greater or less quantity is not 

 potted for the purpose. The various operations of layering, potting, 

 storing for winter, &c., have been so frequently detailed, that there is 

 little that is new to be advanced. As, however, there are differences of 

 opinion on certain points of their culture, so must there necessarily be 

 a difference in their relative merits ; and such being the case, I think 

 there is generally an amount of truth elicited by candidly stating what 

 is considered a good practice. Now although the layering Strawberry 

 runners is a very simple operation, yet it is one on which opinions 

 widely differ. 



Some gardeners consider there is an advantage in planting the 

 runners in the fruiting-pots in the first instance ; and I am aware that 

 first-rate plants are obtained by this practice, and the plants have been 

 in every respect equal to those layered in any other way. In my 

 opinion, the only objection to this system is, the unnecessary trouble of 

 carrying large pots to the ground where the runners are to be obtained. 



