CHARACTERISTICS OF FRUIT TREES. 



357 



of such knowledge to tell whether there 

 has been any "mixing" in varieties. 1 

 have often, very often, felt the want of 

 such descriptions, far more than descrip- 

 tions of the fruits, because those I could 

 not hope to see from my trees in several 

 years, while I wished to commence propa- 

 gating from them immediately ; and 

 although most of our standard horticultural 

 works are lamentably deficient in regard to 

 thus describing the different varieties of 

 apple trees, yet I have been able, I firmly 

 believe, to keep clear of many gross mis- 

 takes into which I must have inevitably 

 fallen but for my acquaintance with the ap- 

 pearance of the trees. For instance I have 

 sometimes ordered two trees of a kind, and 

 on receiving them, found them to be unmis- 

 takeably different ; again I have bought one 

 year old root grafts of varieties with which 

 I was well acquainted, and after growing 

 them one year, have become perfectly well 

 satisfied that there were two or three different 

 kinds mixed together under one name ; and 

 several times among'trees I purchased, have 

 I found two or three grafts of other kinds 

 amongst a lot of as many hundred of one 

 variety ; and still again I have bought sci- 

 ons and had them mixed in the same way, 

 and have only saved myself from continu- 

 ing the same wretched mistakes without 

 end, by this knowledge of the peculiarities 

 of trees. I would not wish any one to sup- 

 pose from these remarks that I have dealt 

 with nurserymen who had neither experi- 

 ence nor reputation to commend them — 

 the exact reverse of this is true ; but as I 

 before remarked, those of whom I have the 

 most complaint to make, think the least of 

 the knowledge I speak of. I am free to say, 

 that these conclusions of mine have never 

 as yet been confirmed by fruiting any of 

 the spurious trees, but by observation alone ; 

 and yet, as I said, I am well satisfied of their 



correctness, quite as well for aught that I 

 know as in concluding that an oak or a 

 chestnut tree were different while young, 

 and before they had fruited. From such 

 experience as the above, it may well be 

 supposed that I prize such knowledge not a 

 little, and in fact I would not be without it, 

 while dealing with so many different estab- 

 lishments, on any consideration. If I were, 

 with my present knowledge of the many 

 mistakes made in nurseries, I would be such 

 a nurseryman as is above spoken of — never 

 propagating a tree to sell as positively gen- 

 uine unless worked by myself, and taken 

 originally from bearing trees. This know- 

 ledge to be sure is not to be gained at once: 

 it would not do for a tyro to take a work 

 containing such descriptions, and proceed at 

 once to approve or condemn a lot of trees 

 from it ; on the contrary, I would practice 

 and recommend the greatest caution in for- 

 ming or expressing an opinion in regard to 

 them, however sure I might be that certain 

 trees were not what they were called, and 

 however confident I might be they were of 

 another sort, I would never label such trees 

 as of the variety I supposed it to be, al- 

 though I should certainly refuse to label it 

 as I thought falsely; such a lot of trees 

 would be staked in my nursery as "mixed" 

 or "uncertain," and would be sold according- 

 ly. After a nurseryman once acquires such 

 an acquaintance with the different charac- 

 teristics of varieties, he could apply such 

 descriptions almost to a certainty, at least so 

 as to very mtich strengthen or tveaken the de- 

 gree of confidence to be placed in a lot of 

 trees, and with a majority of varieties it 

 would be next to impossible to deceive him 

 by mixing them and calling them one; that 

 is if he could have, say a whole season in 

 which to form his opinion. It is of great bene- 

 fit in forming such opinions, and of course 

 would materially aid their approach to cor- 



