FOREIGN NOTICES. 



Foreign Market Fruits — We are under much 

 obligation to Mr. Rivers for the following inter- 

 esting and valuable notes on fruits, which have 

 proved valuable for general cultivation. — Ed. 



Rivers' Early Prolific Plum. — (Rivers Early, 

 No. 2.) Our plums failed last year, so that I have 

 nothing new to record. But I ought to except'my 

 seedling — No. 2 — or Early Prolific. This plum 

 always bears, and always commands a good price. 

 It has sold in Covent Garden market these three 

 seasons past, for 7s. per half sieve, which is 15s. 

 [about $3.75] per bushel, or as nearly that as pos- 

 sible. Although in that market it has to compete 

 with foreign plums, its bloom is so fine and its qua- 

 lity so good, that it is always the first sort sold. 

 I mention this as it will, of course, do as well in 

 your fine plum country, and make the fortune of 

 some orchardist there. My market salesman sent 

 me word last season that I ought to plant acres 

 of it, for no early plum could compete with it. 

 [This plum is now considerably disseminated in 

 this country. It bore lastyear, both in Mr. Man- 

 ning's collection at Salem, Mass., and in our own 

 garden; and in both cases, so far as an opinion 

 could be formed upon a single year's bearing, pro- 

 mised to justify Mr. Rivers' high commendation. 

 Ed.] 



Reine Claude de Bavay — is a most prolific and 

 excellent late plum. It also will be found worthy 

 of attention by your orchardists. This and St. 

 Martin's Quetsche may be planted by the acre with 

 the certainty of a profitable remuneration. In 

 August, and early in September, when plums are 

 in full season, there is such a glut in the markets 

 that they become nearly unsaleable. Green ga- 

 ges therefore, I have known sold at Is. 6d. [34 

 cts.] per bushel. The plum orchardist must on 

 this account, avoid planting many of these mid- 

 season sorts, and cultivate chiefly very early and 

 very late varieties. 



Coe's late Red is a most abundant bearer, but not 

 so large or so good as St. Martin's Quetsche. By 

 the way, I have never yet found this latter plum 

 on the Continent. The " St. Martin's," there, as 

 is well known, is Coe's late Red, and is always a 

 purple plum. 



Dwarf Plums. — I have, I think, succeeded in 

 dwarfing the plum. I have plants of the Green 

 gage, only 10 inches high, full of blossoms; and 

 some in pots, under glass, not more than a foot in 

 height, w T ith their fruit set. They are grafted on 

 the Sloe, or Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa.) This 

 grows abundantly on the clay banks in this neigh- 

 borhood, for it seems to flourish naturally only on 

 poor, calcareous, clay soils — i. e. white clay, full 

 of chalk stones. This species of Prunus or wild 

 plum has long attracted my attention, for I have 

 observed that it never forms a tree, but always 



remains a shrub of some six or eight feet ill height, 

 I also found it most impatient of removal, unlike 

 other plums, and therefore I thought it might be 

 easily kept in check by root pruning. I have, ac- 

 cordingly, had a few of each of our finest plums 

 grafted on stocks raised from seeds of this species, 

 and am happy to find them easily kept in check, 

 and quite inclined to make exceedingly pretty 

 dwarf trees. The graft unites well, but is rather 

 shy of " taking," as not more than three out of 

 five have hitherto succeeded. B adding may do 

 better, but has not, as yet, succeeded so well as 

 grafting. 



Jlpples, in England, are, in most seasons, so 

 sharp as to scarcely pay for gathering. Yet there 

 are some few kinds that remunerate the orchard- 

 ist. I grow but two varieties for market crops: 

 viz. the Sturmer pippin and Dumelows' seedling. 

 These are both favorites in Covent garden ■. of the 

 former I have about 2000 trees, from 3 to 10 or 

 12 years' old — a partial crop last season has given 

 me 150 bushels or more. These are now making 

 in Covent Garden market, from 10s. to 16s. ($2. 

 50 to $4) per bushel, and will make a better price 

 at the end of the next month. Dumelow's seed- 

 ling is much esteemed for its acidity and falling 

 properties (as a cooking apple we suppose. Ed.) 

 This is generally sent to market in February and 

 March, and makes from 6s. to 8s. per bushel. 



Mr. Barry of Rochester, who was here in De- 

 cember last, kindly brought me a basket of North- 

 ern Spy and a few Melon apples. They were all 

 delicious. Your apples — such as these — I can eat, 

 as they are tender — almost melting, and easy of 

 digestion. Our apples, with few exceptions — such 

 as Reinnette de Canada, and one or two others, 

 are too crisp and hard for delicate stomachs like 

 mine. 



I am, my dear sir, yours truly, Thomas Rivers. 

 Sawbridgeworth, Herts. England, April 2S, 1849. 



Late Gansel's Bergamot Pear. — [We are 

 also indebted to Mr. Rivers, for the following ac- 

 count of a new English pear of note, written by 

 the originator, Mr. Williams, of Pitmaston. Ed.] 



This seedling came into bearing the last two 

 years, and was the result of a cross with Gansel's 

 Bergamot ; but what the other parent was I cannot 

 recollect, for in the plantation of seedlings in which 

 it grew, the numbered marks rotted and were lost. 

 It is, however, a)fine large pear, having the shape 

 of the Gansel's Bergamot, but with less color on 

 the sunny side, and no grit. 



The tree is exceedingly vigorous, and promises 

 to be a great bearer on standards. The fruit was 

 gathered the two last seasons, about the first of 

 October, and was very excellent throughout the 

 month of December. It succeeds so well on stan- 



