&1I 



i^ GOV. "WOOD CIIEKUV. 



varieties of pears, which he grows chiefly on espaliers, which are well managed by his 

 gardener, Mr. Tucker, in the Clapham-road. lie had some remarkably handsome 

 specimens of the Winter I^'^elis in his fruit-room in January, much larger than that 

 excellent variety usually grows. We have also seen very large specimens of the 

 Marie Louise, grown at his seat at Box Hill, in Sussex. The tree which produced 

 them is trained against the gable end of a barn, about a quarter of a mile from the 

 sea, and this tree is exposed to the strong sea-breezes from the southwest. It was 

 planted in good soil, and a spring below it was discovered when digging the hole for 

 the compost, previous to the tree being planted. 



THE GOVERNOR WOOD CEERRY.* 



Decidedly the most successful attempt made at raising seedling fruits by any indi- 

 vidual in this country is that of Dr. J. P. Kirtland, of Cleveland, Ohio, who has 

 produced no less than twenty-eight varieties of excellent cherries. They were all 

 briefly described by that gentleman himself in the March number of the current 

 volume of the Horticulturist. Since that time a " cherry festival" has been held at 

 Cleveland, and the merits of the cherries, examined on the trees as well as on the tables, 

 freely and fully discussed and criticised by the most competent pomologists of the 

 Western States ; of the results we have already given some account. This instance 

 of extraordinary success is encouraging in the highest degree, and can hardly fail to 

 induce similar exi:)er'.ments on other fruits and in other parts of the country. 



Throughout a large portion of this country, both in the north and west, the finer 

 cherries are too tender for the climate, and this leaves a field open yet. If we could 

 by hybridzation obtain varieties possessing the excellence of the Bigarreau, joined to 

 the hardiness of the May DuJce, what a gain it would be ! We know of no reason 

 why we cannot. Among all Dr. Kirtland's cherries we have seen none that equals, 

 in our opinion, in beauty of appearance and delicacy and richness of flavor the Gov- 

 ernor Wood. We have had it in bearing some four or five seasons, and it has been 

 uniformly fine : so it has proved in other places, as far as our knowledge extends. 

 We said, the first year it bore, that it was one of the finest table fi-uits we ever saw ; 

 and to-day we consider it as having no superior. It will not be so popular in market 

 as the Black Tartarian^ Yellow Spanish, Napoleon, or some others, but every amateur 

 will desire to have it in his collection. The fruit is above medium size, or rather 

 large, round, of a beautiful amber color, becoming a clear cherry red when fully ripe ; 

 flesh tender, like Doioner''s Late, and others of that class, juicy, sweet, and fine 

 flavored. The tree an erect, regular, handsome grower, hardy and very productive — 

 the branches being literally covered with fruit, as though they were tied on ; the fruit 

 we think, too, is the least liable to rot, and hangs longest sound on the tree of any 

 variety we know, ripening at the same time. Season, here, latter end of June and 

 beginning of July; nearly same season as the Yellow Spanish — a few days earlier. 



* See Frontispiece. The engraving is a little under the size of fine specimens. 



