42 THE FLORIST. 



A SELECT LIST OF FRUITS 



FOR 



THE MIDLAND COUNTIES OF ENGLAND. 

 By Mr. G. Fleming, C.M.H.S., Trentham. 



In complying with your request to furnish a Hst of fruits suitable for 

 the Midland Counties, my first idea was, that, besides giving such a hst, 

 I oudit to mention those kinds which I found did not ripen well here, 

 as, by so doing, parties making selections might avoid ordering any but 

 those which do succeed in this situation ; but, on further consideration, 

 I saw that this would lead to no good result, as there are many 

 situations in the midland counties where our choicest Apples and Pears 

 succeed well. I have, therefore, left out of the hst some kinds which I 

 found did not do well here, rather than condemn them, because they 

 would not succeed in a situation unfavourable to the perfect maturity of 

 the more tender kinds, among which are some of the choicest Apples 

 and Pears. I have, how6:ver, mentioned in the columns for remarks in 

 the following table those which do best in this situation, that persons 

 making selections for small places may know, to a certain extent, what 

 sorts to make choice of. There are few places where more than 

 24 sorts of Apples and Pears would be required, if those are of the 

 most suitable kinds, and selected so as to give a succession, and that 

 number of each may be chosen from among those which I have com- 

 mended without fear of failure, as the kinds which do well here will do 

 weU in any other part of the district. I may add that sorts which do 

 well in one county may not succeed in the adjoining one, and the reverse, 

 and much will depend on the skill and energy of the cultivators for 

 getting together a first-rate collection of sorts. 



Our own plan is to try as many as possible, and to graft those which 

 are not suitable with those sorts which are approved. This plan we 

 carry out on wall trees, standards, and trellises in an economical way ; 

 it is done by grafting all along the branches of those trees on the walls 

 and trellises, at distances of two feet graft fi-om graft, and training the 

 young wood on the old ; we also put several grafts into each of the 

 main branches of pyramids and standards. 



This plan I recommend with confidence to all, as the trees come into 

 usefulness in the second and third year, not merely in part but all over 

 the trees, thus saving much disappointment and the disfigurement of 

 the trees by cutting off the branches. This double grafting is conducive, 

 too, to their fruitfulness. 



The abbreviations employed are as follows : — St., standard ; Dwf., 

 dwarfs for open quarters ; Esp., espalier ; T., table ; K., kitchen use ; 

 Pvg., preserving ; S. G., for small gardens ; E., east aspect ; W., west 

 aspect; N., North aspect; S., south aspect; E. V., early vinery; 

 L. v., late vinery. The month is given in which they usually ripen ; 

 still season, soil, and situation, often make a difference of days and 

 weeks — more especially in the ripening of Pears. 



