March 17, 1870. ] 



JOUKNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



205 



that of the old Golden Pippin, its flesh being of a fine deep 

 yellow, with a rich and briskly- flavoured juice. 



" The fruit is produced in clusters of from three to five, much 

 in the same way as clusters of Cherries. They are 1£ inch 

 wide, and about lj inch high, rather flattened at both ends, 

 consequently inclining to the oblate form, and very even and 

 regular in the outline. The skin is smooth and shining, 

 covered with bright lively crimson, shaded with streaks of a 

 deeper tinge, and on the unexposed side it is lemon-yellow. 

 The eye is closed, set prominently, almost level with the sur- 

 face, and surrounded with plaits ; stalk sometimes less than 

 i inch long, and frequently straight, slender, and as much as 

 an inch or more, inserted in a small, shallow cavity, which is 

 rnssety. Flesh of a fine deep yellow, firm, crisp, very juicy, 

 with a rich brisk flavour, and fine delicate aroma when eaten 

 With the skin on. 



" The fruit comes into use in December, and lasts till well 

 on in the season. It is now (February) in perfection, and has 

 the appearance as if it would last for some weeks on into April. 



" This desirable acquisition was raised by Mr. Jennings in 

 his nursery at Shipston-on-Stour, from seed of the Scarlet 

 Siberian Crab or Cherry Apple. The seed was sown with no 

 intention of raising new varieties of fruit, but for stocks on 

 which to graft the ordinary varieties of Apples. One of these 

 Bhowing signs of fruit, Mr. Jennings grafted it upon a free 

 Apple stock, and from one of the trees so produced the fruit 

 was obtained. 



" The parent tree from which the seed was taken is growing 

 in an orchard consisting of such varieties as Ribston Pippin, 

 Wyken Pippin, Blenheim Pippin, Margil, Hanwell Souring, and 

 Pearmain. That which is in closest proximity to it is Margil, 

 and it is not improbable that this was the male parent. The 

 tree is of moderate vigour, with an erect habit of growth, and 

 is hardy and prolific. The young wood is moderately stout, of 

 a dull purple colour ; and the leaves downy, elliptical ovate, 

 evenly serrated, with a stalk half an inch long. 



'■Another and not an unimportant recommendation of the 

 Fairy Apple is that it makes a delicious preserve. — R. Hoog." 

 — (Florist and Pornologist, 3rd s., iii. 49.) 



GOLDEN FEATHER PYRETHRUM. 

 Much as this plant is lauded for its usefulness, I do not re- 

 member to have seen the best mode of " using it " throughout 

 the season, as, if you plant out in May cuttings — say from to 

 inches apart, from the repeated pinching to keep the flowers 

 down, they will, ere the middle of July, have grown together 

 and lost the beautiful golden Fern-like appearance, so much 

 enhanced by the background of soil or dark-coloured plants 

 showing through the graceful foliage. All who desire to use it 

 to perfection should endeavour to keep the plants in the state 

 most favourable to this perfect display. As cutting and pinch- 

 ing fail so miserably, I say, Get two successions to replace 

 your first lot (which should be strong plants from cuttings 

 planted out in April, if you have grown them hardy, or in May), 

 having a batch of autumn-sown seedlings coming on to take 

 their place as soon as they go to seed and become weedy, and a 

 batch of spring-sown seedlings to replace these when they shall 

 have arrived at the same state. Thus you will retain that 

 charming distinctness and beauty so attractive in this plant in 

 its early growth, and bo totally lost when it has grown together 

 and the knife become necessary. — R. H. Poyntek, Taunton. 



THE FIG AND ITS CULTURE.— No. 3. 



Pruning the Fig should be performed as soon after the fall 

 of the leaf as possible, in whatever situation the trees may be, 

 whether in pots under glass or in the open air. When tho 

 trees are pruned at that season, the plant being at rest, the 

 wounds are soon healed over and no injury is sustained ; whilst, 

 if the operation is delayed until late in spring, when the sap is 

 again in motion, there is such a volume of sap and it is of that 

 nature, that the shoots are apt to die after the knife : hence 

 another of the reasons against the pruning of the Fig, which 

 we are warned against in nearly all the writings on the subject. 

 With trees under glass and in pots, where the wood is properly 

 ripened, pruning may be practised with as great impunity as 

 with any other tree. Branches of almost any age or size may 

 be cut off at any part, and young shoots will be produced quite 

 freely, as shown by fuj. 10. The young shoots thus produced, 

 if too numerous, should be reduced to the required number. 



Formation of the Tree, or Trainino.— Having shown how 



to prune the Fig tree already formed, with a view to the simple 

 production of frnit, it is necessary to take into consideration 

 the pruning with regard to the tree's formation, &c. In ' 

 pruning a fruit tree the operation has to be considered on two 

 distinct grounds, first, for the production of fruit simply ; and 

 secondly, for the production of that form or style which shall 

 produce fruit to the greatest advantage. It is a simple matter 

 to prune to a mere form, but to produce that form and prune, 

 having the two ends in view, require the exercise of a Utile 

 more knowledge and understanding. 



Fig. 10. 



Form. — All fruit trees which naturally assume a bu6h form 

 should have their energies confined to a single stem, with the 

 head of the plant, of whatsoever character, formed thereon, and 

 they then prove the most fruitful. When a number of stems 

 are allowed to spring from the root, all striving to outstrip one 

 another, a huge unshapely and unfruitful bush is the result. 

 Fig trees readily produce suckers in abundance, which, as they 

 have a fine healthy appearanoe, are often allowed to remain. 

 This is, however, a bad practice, as they produce no fruits, but 

 crowd up and rob the parent stem. This confining of the plant 

 to a single stem is of the utmost importance for the fruit-pro- 

 ducing of nearly all our fruit trees, but especially so with the 

 Fig, and must therefore be rigorously adhered to. Without 

 exaggeration it may be stated that quite double the quantity of 

 fruit will be produced from plants so grown as from those 

 having a multiplicity of stems. In the warm parts of the south 

 of England some of the Figs may be grown and fruited to ad- 

 vantage in the form of low bushes or open standards, which 

 form, where it will answer, is perhaps the best that can be 

 adopted, and in so far as pruning is concerned requires the 

 least possible attention — nothing further than the thinning-out 

 and occasional shortening of some of the branches. 



Tries on Walls. — These suceeed tolerably well throughout a 

 great portion of this country, and the form which they most 

 naturally assume, and which seems adapted for them, is some- 

 thing of the fan shape. The great difficulty to contend against 

 here is over-luxuriance of growth, arising chiefly from the 

 influences of soil and climate, but somewhat also under the 

 control of the pruner. The pruner may guard against over- 

 luxuriance, which means unfruitfulnesB, by, as already stated, 

 having the plant with a clear stem above the ground, and by 

 keeping the shoots on the tree thin and well exposed to the full 

 influence of the direct rays of the sun. The leaves of the Fig 

 being large, the shoots or branches should be kept at a sufficient 

 distance apart to prevent the leaves of the one from interfering 

 with those of the other— say about 8 or 10 inches ; and as the 

 pruning of the shoots in winter can only be practised at the ex- 



