126 



JOUKKAL OF HOETICULTUHE AND COTTAGE GAm)EXER. 



[ February 18, 1358. 



vinons juico, which is very rich. It is a first-rate early Peach 

 ripening in the beginning of Aufjust." — (Ploritt and Pomologitt, 

 v., 17.) 



THE H.VXUM. OR T^VFA-JAX lUUlT. 



In riding over the hills between Jericho and Bethel we fonml 

 some fruit on a plant which was entirely new to iis, and, as in 

 many respects it appeared to be of a description pleasing to 

 the oyo, delicious to tlio palate, and with an agreeable aroma, 

 I doterminod, if possible, to bring home a few seeds, that it 

 might hiivo a chance of being introduced as on addition to our 

 dessert fruits. From the time of the year at which I found 

 the fruit dead ripe on the plants, I fancy that it will not be 

 dilUcult to cultivate ; for. as the plants appeared to have reached 

 maturity when I found them, on the '28th April — that is to say, 

 before the really hot summer weather of that country had com- 

 menced, it a))pears that the cooler period of the Syrian spring 

 ia sufficiently warm ; and the best proof that it will stand a 

 moderately low temperature is, that on reference to my journal 

 I find that the temperature in our tent at night was 55°, and at 

 smirise -12' on the day when I found a plant of the " Hanum " 

 in full bearing. 



The plant resembles the Melon in habit, growth, and leaf on 

 a smaller scale, and appeared to carry from six to ten ripe fruit 

 at a time. The fruit is about the size of an Apricot, of a bright 

 yellow colour, with a thin skin, which separates easily from 

 the ripe pulp, in which I found from twelve to twenty pips or 

 seeds ; upou bemg crushed or opened the fruit yields a most 

 deUcious aroma, which of itself would make it a valuable addi- 

 tion to om- dining tables. 



The soil in which the plant grows is the red stony loam like 

 that of our Westmoreland hills, and I was told that the plant 

 only grows on the hill tops in the neiKhbom'hood of Bethel ; but 

 I also met with it on the high land between Samai-ia-an-Jenin. 

 Not knowing it botanically I call it by the native names, and 

 my object in WTiting this description of it is to inform you that 

 I have a few seeds to spare, and shall be happy to place them 

 in the hands of such of your friends as are most likely to suc- 

 ceed in cultivating the fi-uit to perfection. I sent a liberal 

 supply of the seeds to the Koyal Horticultural Society, which 

 I have no doubt their able gardener will test this spring, and, I j 

 hope, be able to increase the stock. 



As regards the cultivation, I venture to suggest a course 

 similar to that adopted with the Melon with plenty of ventila- 

 tion, for the plants appeared to grow on open exposed spots of 

 the hill tops. The soil should not be too rich ; if possible, as 

 nearly similar to the native red stony loam as can bo ; and 

 as the plants appeared to be of rapid giowth and maturity, I 

 do not think that the seeds will require very early somng. — 

 W. Wanklyx. 



_ ExTENsrvE Rale of Fruit Trees. — We beg to draw the atten- 

 tion of our readers to a notice which appears in our advertising 

 columns of a verj- important sale of fruit trees, to commence at 

 Adams's Nursery, Acton Lane, Turnham Green, on Wednesday 

 the -ilst iust. The stock comprises upwards of 50,000 Apples 

 Pears, Plums, and other fruit trees ; also a number of ornamental 

 trees and shrubs, all in fine condition. 



ROUGH TREATMENT OP FIG TREES. 



After reading the remarks made by your correspondent 

 G. Dawson on the priming of Fig trees, I believe there is great 

 truth in his statements, for I well remember that six or seven 

 years ago I called to see an old gardener with whom I was 

 acquainted — he was one of those old half-century-gardeners — 

 and after walking round to see his plants, some of which, es- 

 pecially the Conifers, were very good, I went to the kitchen 

 garden, and in one comer there stood a large Fig tree. It was 

 a standard, witli a stem somewhere about 2 feet in circum- 

 ference, or it might have been rather more. I asked him if he 

 obtained any Figs from that tree. He replied in the affirma- 

 tive ; and I then asked him if he ever pruned it 7 — and how ho 

 managed it ? Then all at once he said, " Lor' bless'ee, I get up 

 with a hatchet or za and cut off a gurt limb sometimes, and I 

 get as many Figs as you could carry." It was the Black Ischia, 

 as well as I can recollect. — W. Hai.lett, Cussiunton. 



[There are many worthy old gardeners who delight in saying 

 strange things to astonish the "green ones." " The hatchet 

 and the za '' are rather extreme weapons for using much 

 among Fig trees. Yet it is no less true, as stated the other 



week, that wliere the climate is pood Figs will do better if the 

 bearing branches arc allowed to hang a Uttle from tho wall, 

 instead of being closely tacked to it. In the south of the 

 Island, as in places in Devonfliire. they do .idminibly as bosh 

 standards in the open air. Mr. Tillyard. at Bentley I'rioiy, 

 gives a good deal of liberty to his Fig trees out of doors as well 

 as under glass, and with good results, which, with other things, 

 we hoped to have noticed long ago. The Fig does not like a 

 too high temperature; and with shoots jiretty open, close to a 

 wall, the heat in spring and summer is often too great, injur- 

 ing the young fniit, and scorching one side of the ripeninR 

 fruit. We knew of two Fig trees, close to a stable, with a good 

 aspect, and in a warm sheltered situation, that bore abun- 

 dantly every year, and tho worthy proprietor would allow no 

 one to touch them but himself, and all the pruning they had 

 consisted in his taking out a few shoots now and then when 

 they became too thick, and putting a string round others to 

 secure them a little to the wall, so that the winds should not 

 break them down. Wo sh Uu also say that, when nailed to 

 the wall in the usual way, t'p finest Figs we ever saw out of 

 doors were against a wall with an east aspect, on which the 

 power of the sun would cease after 10 a.m. The finest Pig 

 trees out of doors, without any protection, which we ever saw 

 were a row of dwarf standards at Mamhead. The largo luscious 

 fruit were a sight We have no recollection of anything of tho 

 sort north of Loudon.] 



YocR correspondent Mr. Dawson (page 90), states what 1 

 have often heard before — namely, that Figs bear better when 

 not trained closely to the wall. If such be the fact, I can only 

 account for it by supposing that shoots close to a wall are 

 excited earlier in spring, and the young fruit, from want of 

 protection during irosty nights, is eut off; while shoots far 

 from the wall hardly show for fruit until the season of danger 

 is nearly past. I do not uncover my walls till the 1st of April 

 and cover again on cold nights. — G. S. 



POT.V'K ) A-AGARIES. 



For a rather considerable number of years I have made 

 Potato cultm-e a small hobby on which I have taken a gentla 

 annual trot, trying to test the qualities of the many sorts 

 which have been the subjects of very "tall talk," ados puff- 

 ing. From all that has passed under my notice relative 

 to this most valuable article of food, I am not sur]>riEed to 

 find poor Mr. Paterson feted in the north and grumbled at in 

 the south. " A benefactor to his species, and his Potatoes a 

 boon to mankind,"' at Dundee — after dinner; while one of our 

 most experienced gardeners in Surrey can find but little good 

 or exemption from disease in any of liis new sorts. This is 

 the result of one trial in one season, and is doubtless true. I 

 am not defending or wishing to write >ip BIr. Paterson's Po- 

 tatoes, but only to point out the changes that talic place in 

 even our old sorts of Potatoes in different seasons and in 

 different soils. All experiments are of value, even that of 

 " D., Deal.'' who planted his half a peck of each sort in his 

 small garden, and then told us what he had done and how he 

 cooked and ate them. 



I have liitherto considered the Kidney Potatoes as the only 

 kinds fit for the tables of those who appreciate a good Potato ; 

 and among them for many years, in my opinion, the Ashleafs 

 have taken the first rank for flavour, wliich is so peculiar and so 

 good. I have foimd but little or no difference in the varieties 

 known as Myatt's, Eoyal. &c. ; but I think I have been .ible to 

 distinguish tliat the closer the adherence to the parent of all 

 the race — the old Ashleaf. in the varieties brought out or raised 

 from its seed, so much nearer to perfection arc they in ilavour. 

 Xext to the Ashleafs in tlavonr is the L.ipstone or Haigh's 

 Kidney. It must be some fifteen or more years ago that 1 

 saw, spread out in a shed in the nursery of Messrs. Backhouse 

 at York, a large quantity of a most beautiful-looking Kidney 

 Potato. They were being greened for seed, and were called 

 Haigh's Kidney. It was some time before 1 learnt their alias 

 — Lapstonc. As a matter of course I ordered some, and gladly 

 commenced their culture. The fii-st season, to my great dis- 

 comfort, they were prostrated by disease, so that I had difficulty 

 in saving enongli for seed' — very tmall ti.bers. Tlie second 

 season they suffered more from disease than any other kind, 

 and continued to do so for three or four seasons. In spite of 

 tliis their flavour was so good that I could not think of dip- 

 continuing their cultiu-e, and so I persevered ; still I considered' 



