September 3, 1868. ] 



JOUllNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER.- 



1C5 



those cultivatej in the neishbourhood, but simply tbose of one 

 grower. Other growers have tbeir favourites also, and ex- 

 perience lias taught manv that certain kinds do better than 

 others on the same ground, and such are planted accordingly. 



Eari.y OiiLEAN'R. — One of the most useful fruits grown. It 

 bears well as a standard, and is always in demand. A partial 

 thinning of the fniit when in a green state is often ad- 

 vantageous, those taken off being also saleable. This variety 

 is too well known to require further comment. 



Orleans, Late. — This is somewhat darker in colour than 

 the early variety, and about a fortnight later, but this season 

 hardly so much ; it bears well, and is an excellent fruit. It is, 

 perhaps, not so much grown for market as the Early Orleans, 

 but is superior to it in all respects as a fruit. 



There are some other varieties of Orleans bearing local 

 names which it is unnecessary to mention ; but to show that 

 either the present season is an extraordinarily early one, or 

 that some error has crept into the fruit catalogue of an eminent 

 London nurseryman, 1 may say that in the orchard here de- 

 scribed, and which I visited on the 10th of August, all the 

 Orleans IMums had been gathered, both Early and Late ones, 

 while in the fruit list alluded to, the Late Orleans is said to 

 come into use in October and November. The difference in 

 the season of 18(j8 will not account for such a discrepancy as 

 to the time of ripening, even after making allowance for the 

 fact that the market fruit is gathered before it is ripe. There 

 must be more varieties of Orleans than two, or when they are 

 BO very late it must be under exceptional circumstances. 



Diamond. — This useful variety is said to have had its origin 

 in our neighbourhood, and is not met with in all nurserymen's 

 catalogues ; but there are many who think it does not differ 

 much from the dark Magnum Bonum. Perhaps it is a little 

 more pointed at the ends, and it is superior to that variety 

 for table. It is a good bearer, and is deservedly a popular 

 fruit. 



EoYAL Dauphine. — A long, pale, red Plum of no especial 

 merit beyond being a good kitchen fruit, and the tree an ex- 

 cellent bearer. It is surprising what a quantity of fruit some 

 young trees of this kind will bear. I believe in the trade 

 generally it has another name. When ripe it is partly of a 

 bright red and other parts of a clear white or pale flesh 

 colour. It is a long and somewhat pointed Plum, of full 

 medium size. 



Bush Plum. — This appears to be the same as the Harvest 

 Plum of other districts, a small bl.ack variety. The tree has 

 Bmaller leaves, and the branches are more thorny than most 

 other kinds, hence its name, the term bu.sh being being ap- 

 plied to the Thorn in many districts. It is an excellent bearer, 

 and one of the hardiest of all Plums, but its size is against it 

 when put in competition with Goliath, Diamond, and others. 



Prince of 'Wales. — The tree is an excellent bearer, and the 

 fruit far from unsiglitly, but it is coarse and only fit for kitchen 

 use. It is one of the most popular market Plums, filling the 

 basket well. The tree is not at all particular as to site. I 

 believe it is more extensively cultivated round here than any 

 other variety except, perhaps, the Orleans and Damson. The 

 tree arrives at a large size, and vast quantities of fruit are 

 gathered from it in some seasons. 



Washington. — A fine Plum, but the tree is a shy bearer, 

 and, consequently, it is not such a favourite as some of the 

 kinds mentioned above. Nevertheless, now and then there 

 are good crops of this variety. I believe in 186.5 it bore as 

 heavily as any other variety. It is a fine yellow Plum, and the 

 bulk of the crop had been gathered by the 10th of August, 

 probably nearly a week before it was quite ripe. Next to the 

 Green Gage this is regarded as the most valuable of orchard 

 Plums, and when good it ia but little inferior to that universal 

 favourite. 



Mogul. — A small dark Plum, not by any means equal to the 

 Diamond, to which it is giving place very fast. The tree is a 

 good bearer, and some old trees of it are more profitable than 

 other esteemed varieties. 



Green Gage. — Comparatively few trees of this were grown 

 in the orchard I visited, but a spurious sort, yet not at all to 

 be despised, was bearing tolerably well. It was much inferior 

 in flavour to the genuine Green Gage, but the latter is a shy 

 bearer, and the tree not healthy in its growth. It is no wonder, 

 therefore, that spurious sorts are plentifully cultivated, mostly 

 under local names, not distinguished out of the districts in 

 which the trees are cultivated. 



GonATU. — I did not see any of this variety in full bearing, 

 but am told that it will succeed well as a standard ; it is more i 



frequently met with against a wall, where the fruit reaches a 

 large size, but it is only fit for kitchen purposes. 



Delicieuse [Cooper's Large]. — Under the corrupted name 

 of /->(• /(( .S'»(' this ia extensively grown, and as a late Plum is 

 very popular, being a good bearer. Some localities seein more 

 favourable to it than others. Ouo grower not more than two 

 or three miles from here has nearly one thouhand trees of this 

 variety, young iind old, and considers it the best Plum he has. 

 There is much difference of opinion as to its doing well in all 

 seasons, but in general it is regarded as being a good bearer, 

 and the tree attains a good average size, not so large as some 

 above described. 



Victoria. — Popular as this variety is, I am not well ac- 

 quainted with it as an orchard fruit, allhough I know that it 

 is grown as such in the neighbourhood. There were but few 

 trees of it in the garden I visited. It is hero only considered 

 a second-class fruit. I believe it is a greater favourite with 

 fruit growers west of London than it is in Kent. 



DA5IS0NS. — This is a most puzzling class, from the multitude 

 of names which appear before the intending purchaser. There 

 is the Prune Damson, the Prolific, the Shropshire, and the 

 Cheshire, besides the common variety, and a dozen others 

 called after the persons who grow them or the localities they 

 come from. Of the latter that most in repute in this neigh- 

 bourhood is one called Chittenden's Damson, from a grower of 

 that name in the parish of Farleigh. This is certainly an excel- 

 lent bearing kind, so much so that some growers have had their 

 old trees of other varieties cut down and grafted with it, 

 a proceeding not usual with so common a fruit. Mo.st growers 

 of late years have turned their attention as much to Dam- 

 sons as to Plums, and large breadths have been planted, but 

 most frequently they are planted in or near hedgerows or 

 places where other trees will hardly grow, and it is wonderful 

 to see how heavily laden with fruit they will be in some 

 seasons. As a fruit the Damson is more esteemed than ordi 

 nary Piums ; this has led to the multitude of varieties alluded 

 to, some of them approaching the Plum in flavour, and thereby 

 losing that peculiar tone which gives importance to the Damson. 

 On the other hand, there are corresponding links connecting 

 the fruit with the wild Sloe, and one of these, under the local 

 name of Scad, is quite as large as the Damson, and resembles 

 it in every respect except in taste, which is more that of a 

 Sloe. Even Scads, as they are called, differ from each other, 

 some approaching as nearly to the Damson as that fruit does 

 to the Plum ; thus the gradation is carried upwards from the 

 wild Sloe to the largest Plum, and the foliage and habit of the 

 trees exhibit similar gradations, some of the Bullace and 

 Muscle class being also included in the family. The best 

 varieties of Damson are propagated freely by suckers, and the 

 young trees so produced are kept a year or two in a nursery 

 in order to train them for standards or other purposes. 



I must here again remark, that the above notes relate only 

 to the varieties of Plums that were growing in the orchard 

 visited, anoth'^r orchard would doubtless furnish quite a dif- 

 ferent list of varieties, or. at least, a portion of them would be 

 different, and they would most likely be equally deserving of 

 notice. — J. Eobson. 



TOMATOES. 



" What a quantity of Tomatoes, and what Large ones ! How 

 do you grow them so fine ? I never can induce any to ripen 

 properly." S j said a friend of mine who came into our gar- 

 den the other day (July '23rd), and he was even more sur- 

 prised when I told him that wo had already gathered quantities 

 off the same plants, and made them into jam. "What! Tomato 

 jam ! You mean sauce." " No," said I. " jam, and splendid 

 jam they make too," In answer to his further inquiry I told 

 him my plan of culture, which is simply this. 



I always sow the seed in pans in February, about the time 

 I start a pit for Cucumbers ; into this I plunge the pans. The 

 seedlings are soon up, and when they are large enough I 

 prick them out in pans, and pot them off singly as they become 

 strong into 48 and 3'2-sized pots. They are gradually but well 

 hardened off by the middle of May. I then dig a trench, 1 foot 

 wide and 18 inches deep, alongside all spare walling or paling 

 with a south, east, or west aspect, put a quantity of manure in 

 the trench, and cover with 4 or inches of soil. In this]I 

 plant the young Tomatoes 18 inches apart, nail thtm up at 

 once to the fencing, and well water them. As they push 

 into growth, I select two or three of the strongest side shoots 

 to each plant removing all others that would be too crowded 



