THE 



GARDENER 



JULY 1879. 



EARLY- RIPENING- VARIETIES OF FRUITS, AND 

 HALES'S EARLY PEACH IN PARTICULAR. 



HERE there is a demand for ripe fruits as early in the 

 year as it is possible to have them, it is of the greatest 

 importance to make such selections of Pines, Grapes, 

 Peaches, Nectarines, Strawberries, &c, as not only bear 

 forcing well by artificial means from midwinter onwards, 



but which also come the most rapidly to a state of ripeness. In both 

 these respects there are very marked differences in the different varieties 

 of these fruits. No experienced forcer who wanted to present new 

 Grapes at table in April or May would select for this purpose the 

 Muscat of Alexandria, although it has probably more good qualities 

 than any other white or even black Grape. Nor would the Barring- 

 ton or late Admirable Peaches be selected, though these are noble 

 varieties in their proper place. Of Strawberries, no one would select 

 British Queen for ripening early in March, although it is probably yet 

 the finest late or midseason Strawberry in existence. In their respec- 

 tive classes these are all first-class fruits, but they are totally unfitted 

 for very early forcing. 



Among Grapes, Black Hamburg has yet no rival for early forcing 

 as a black variety; Buckland Sweetwater and Foster's Seedling are 

 popular white sorts for early work, and no doubt they bear forcing 

 well and ripen early; but it seems strange that such very superior 

 flavoured Grapes as the white and grizzly Frontignacs are so seldom 

 met with in early vineries. They are both Grapes that stand forcing 

 remarkably well, are sure croppers, and come early to maturity. In- 

 deed for our own choice we much prefer Royal Muscadine, and one or 

 two other varieties of Muscadine, for flavour, to either Buckland's 



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