20 f. 



THE OARDENER'H MONTHLY 



[July, 



CO M 31 U NIC A TTONS. 



THE BLENHEIM PIPPIN APPLE. 



BY CHARLES DOAVNING. 



The Blenheim Pippin enquired ahont in the 

 May number of the Gardener's Monthhj, by S. M., 

 is a well-known English apple, and valuable 

 where it succeeds, which it does in this latitude 

 and farther North ; the tree is a vigorous growei-, 

 and forms a very large spreading head ; it is not 

 an early bearer, but when established, bears 

 abundantly alternate years, and often a mode- 

 rate crop the intervening years; the fruit is 

 large to very large, roundish oblate in form ; 

 color deep orange, covered over half or more of 

 the surface with rich l)rownish red, often mixed 

 with russet; flesh whitish, a little coarse, tender, 

 juicy, rather acid at first, but when in perfection 

 has a rich vinous flavor slightly aromatic ; it is 

 an excellent cooking apple, and a good market 

 variety; it ripens from November to February. 



There was a mistake as to this variety and the 

 Blooming Orange being distinct, in Downing's 

 second revised edition of 1869, which was cor- 

 rected in the first appendix to that edition in 

 1872. It can be had of most of the leading fruit 

 nurseries. 



THE BLENHEIM PIPPIN. 



BY T. T. LYOX, SOUTH HAVEN, MICH. 



In reply to the query of S. M., of Painesville, 

 O., in the May number, respecting this apple, I 

 will state that what is now known as Blenheim 

 Pippin, and described as such, in the appendix 

 to the latest revision of Downing's work on 

 fruits, is identical with that described in his ear- 

 lier editions as Dutch Mignonne. I received 

 cions of it from Mr. Downing about 1850, which 

 have now been many years in fruit. I esteem it 

 highly as a large and beautiful culinary fruit fOr 

 late Autumn and early Winter ; but rather 

 coarse and acid for the dessert. The tree is very 

 vigorous and reasonably productive ; but bears 

 rather lightly while young. It cannot be said to 

 be an early bearer, but the fruit is uniformly 

 large and perfect, never becoming small from 

 over-productiveness. 



The article in the January number is not now 

 accessible, and I am not sure, from recollection, 

 as to the tenor of the description referred to. 



THE BLENHEIM PIPPIN APPLE. 



BY (;. W. THOMPSON, STH.TON NURSERIES, N. J. 



It gives me pleasure^present and proBpective 

 — to reply to S. M., Painesville, Lake Co., 0., — 

 present, because a recent inquiry of mine found 

 such prompt replies; also, the pleasure of help- 

 ing to sustain the usefulness of our good Gar- 

 dener's Monthly, and the prospect of receiving the 

 thanks of the Ed. G. M.— why that fills the bill. 

 I have had the Blenheim Pippin some time, 

 chiefly in nursery row, and have put it upon 

 trial in specimen ground and hope to be able to 

 report its behaviour. 



EDITORIAL NOTES. 



Preserving Fruit Trees from Grasshoppers. 

 — We note that a correspondent of a Western 

 pa))er says that if turpentine be mixed with 

 whitewash and put on the stems of trees in the 

 Fall, there will be odor enough to last all Sum- 

 mer, and that this odor will drive ofi" the grass- 

 hopper. There are so many poor recipes for all 

 sorts of insectifuges, going round the papers, that 

 one is never sure how much there may be of 

 value in any of them, but in this case the white- 

 wash will certainly do some good to the tree 

 whether the turpentine disgusts the grasshopper 

 or not. 



Apricots in California. — Apricots have been 

 the special pride of the Golden State, but for 

 some reason are said to be very scarce there this 

 year. It would be interesting to know whether 

 the curculio has found its way there yet. We 

 suppose it will get there one of these days. 



Strawberries from Seed. — As showing how 

 easy it is to raise good seedling strawberries, we 

 may say that Mr. Durand, whose name is con- 

 nected with good varieties, has now in bearing 

 three thousand varieties, which he regards as dis- 

 tinct — but which we should think the " protec- 

 tive committee " at Washington would be hard 

 put to describe explicitly so that any one might 

 know whether he was infringing on a patent 

 right or not — and any one of which would be 

 good enough for ordinary mortals. Such facts 

 as these, make the propriety of going into ecsta- 

 cies over a new and promising variety, very 

 doubtful. If good kinds can be produced in such 

 numbers, we shall soon be in the condition of 



