^ THE FLORIST AND POMOLOGIST. [January. 



ingl}^ small core, liaving a reddisli tinge, of rich and excellent flavour, witli a 

 liigh aroma. A very handsome-looking, richly-flavoured, and truly excellent 

 Pear. Tree a profuse bearer, of moderate growth, forming a fine pyramid. It 

 succeeds well on the Quince. The season is at the end of October, extending 

 into November. — A. F. Bareon, C/ii.nvtcl: 



THE APPLE : ITS CULTURE AND VARIETIES.— Chap. I. 



^xT is purposed in the present and following papers to enter somewhat at 



3^ length into the culture of this most useful and important fruit, principally 



'^^ with regard to the very great facility with which, by particular modes of 



'i^ treatment, it may be so restricted in its growth, whilst at the same time 



rendered more fruitful, as to meet the wants of many amateurs who cannot 



command a large space for its culture, yet to whom a good supply of Apples is 



indispensable as an article of family consumption. Further on I may glance at its 



culture on a larger scale as a source of profit for sale ; and, either in passing, 



or finally, offer a few remarks on some of the most eligible varieties. 



Presuming, then, that the primary object of the cultivator is to obtain from a 

 comparatively small space the greatest amount of fruit which it is capable of 

 producing, it is imperative that the tree should be taken in hand from the very 

 first, and placed under complete control as regards the development of its growth. 

 Pruning and careful treatment may have a very beneficial effect on older trees. 

 but no amount of pruning or treatment will ever bring them into the condition 

 required, unless they were first propagated with that end in view. To under- 

 stand this more clearly, it is necessaiy to begin at the beginning, and learn some- 

 thing of the nature of the stocks on which the varieties are grafted or worked. 



Thei-e are three kinds of stocks in general use, which are eligible for the 

 purpose of working the choice sorts of Apples upon, and from which the selection 

 should be made in accordance with the object in view. One is called the Free 

 Stock ; it is generally raised from the pips or seeds of the cultivated Apple, and 

 is principally used where a strong and luxuriant growth is desired for orchard 

 trees, with ample space at command ; this sort must be especially avoided where a 

 dwarf fruitful habit is required. The next is the Crab Stock, which is the 

 produce of the pips of the Wild Crab, or Crab Apple of the woods, and being in- 

 digenous to the soil, it is generally more durable than the free stock when introduced 

 into cultivation. There are said to be three varieties of the Crab indigenous to 

 this country ; these, however, cannot be fixed, as they may be altered by cultiva- 

 tion, or even removal from one kind of soil to another, but notwithstanding this 

 fact, the seed should not be chosen indiscriminately ; the Crabs from any trees of 

 a stunted growth, or with cankered wood, should invariably be rejected, and those 

 only should be selected which are the produce of trees of a vigorous and clean habit 

 of growth, and which produce good-sized fruit. Generally speaking, the variety 

 with the largest fniit has a white skin and no colour, with the fruit broader than 

 deep ; the next, also of good size and habit of growth, has the fruit deeper than 



