DURATION OF VARIETIES OF PLANTS. 



ON THE LIMITED DURATION OF VARIETIES OF PLANTS.* 



BY JOHN TOWNLEY, MOUNDVII.LE, WIS. 



Dr. LiNDLEY next touches on the apple; fortunately he has referred to three English 

 varieties which are supposed to be in the winter of their age; the Golden Pippin, Golden 

 Hervey, and the Red-streak. Respecting the Golden Pippin, he states that healthy trees 

 were many years since shown to exist in Norfolk, and in warm dry, places this variety 

 has no particular appearance of suffering. Trees of it are growing vigorously in Madeira. 

 It is also growing in France, whence trees have been brought to England, which are said 

 to be recruited by the fine dry climate of the former country, and this is considered to be 

 a conclusive answer to Mr. Knight's h^'pothcsis. Previously, however, to ariiving at this 

 positive conclusion. Dr. Likdley should, if only out of respect to the " memory of Thomas 

 Andrew Knigut," have considered, and frankly stated, that he had anticipated what would 

 be the effect of such like circumstances on the health of aged varieties. Mr. Knight ob- 

 served, that they seemed like invalids, to enjo}' the benefit of a better climate — that a gra- 

 velly, or a wet soil, or a cold preceding summer, or a high exposed situation, adds much 

 to the virulence of the disease; on the other hand, he states " it appeared probable that 

 the latter period of the existence of the apple tree would hi considerably prolonged in a 

 southern climate, for all the old varieties succeeded best in warm situations, and the most 

 diseased flourish with the greatest vigor when trained to a south wall." And yet with 

 such observations as these by Mr. Knight on record. Dr. Lindlet would fain persuade 

 us, that because trees of the Golden Pippin, in a comparatively healthy state, yet exist in 

 France and Madeira, and in warm dry places in England, therefore this variety is not de- 

 clining in vigor, and wearing out. 



The Golden Pippin was formerly a general favorite. Mr. Knight, says,* " it was very 

 extensively planted in Herefordshire, before the end of the 17th century, and many very 

 large orchards of it still remained in the middle of the eighteenth century ; and as long as 

 the tree possessed even a moderate degree of health and vigor, the Golden Pippin retained 

 the character of a very prime cider apple. But owing to the debilitated state of the vari- 

 ety in which the vital principle seems nearly expended, much of the fruit generally re- 

 mains imperfect and immature, and almost all the cider which it has afforded Avithin the 

 last twenty years, has been crude or thin, and very frequently acetous. No attempts to 

 propagate it as a cider apple, are now made in Herefordshire, though many trees of it of 

 very large size, still remain." If this apple was formerly grown with so much success, 

 and was so highly prized for its qualities in Herefordshire, and if varieties of plants do 

 not in the course of time become debilitated, and more susceptible of disease and injury 

 from adverse influences, then why in the name of common sense, does not the Golden Pip- 

 pin now flourish, yield excellent cider, and grow to a tree of very large size, in the same 

 soil, the same climate, and with the same treatment, and still continue to be a universal 

 fovorite in that county.' 



It cannot, I think, be reasonably objected in this case, that the soil was probably ex- 

 hausted of some particular aliment necessary for the healthy development of this apple. 

 New orchards are not alwaj's planted on the sites of old ones; and if new land had the 

 power of restoring this variety to health, so striking and rauch-wished-for a result must 

 been apparent to the most ordinary observer, and have become generally known 



* Continued from p. 476. — t Kiiiglil's Pomona Herefordiensis. 



