256 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ March 30, 1876. 



Fondante d'Automne. — This is in a thriving condition upon 

 the free stock trained to a west wall. The fine large handsome 

 fruit gathered tn October Cth was ripe on the 10th. It has 

 very white flesh of most delicious flavour, and is one of our 

 best October Pears. 



Louise Bonne of Jersey. — This well-known Pear is a general 

 favourite, and deservedly so. A pair of fine pyramids on the 

 free stock have exhibited a decided tendency to canker both 

 in the branches and fruit. I am of opinion that the soil has 

 much influence in this matter, and hope to effect a core by 

 enriching it. 



TJrhaniste. — Tbia has in four years formed a very handsome 

 pyramid on the Qaince. It had an abundant crop of excellent 

 fruit last year, which was gathered from the 4th to the 12th of 

 October, and was ripe on the 25th of that month, continuing 

 in good condition throughout November. The fruit is large, 

 handsome, and of delicious flavour; the rich, juicy, melting, 

 white flesh having that delicate aroma that is so much appre- 

 ciated by the connoisseur. 



Marie Louise. — This fine old sort answers well upon the 

 Quince, but it is, I think, quite superseded by Duchesse 

 d'Orleans. 



Suffolk Thorn. — A pair of fine pyramids of this on free 

 stocks had good crops last year. The fruit is sweet, juicy, and 

 has some aroma, but is quite second-rate in flavour. It was 

 ripe on the 22nd of October, and in good condition throughout 

 November. 



Doyenne du Cornice forms a noble pyramid quickly upon the 

 Quince ; its robust free growth is very erect, and has an abun- 

 dant lateral growth, the thickly clustering spurs being full of 

 promise. Its fine large fruit gathered last year October 16th 

 was quite ripe on November 12 th. It is a most delicious Pear, 

 very sweet, rich, melting, and juicy ; quite a leading variety 

 among late autumn kinds. It is also doing well on the free 

 stock against a west wall. 



Dana's Hovey. — The only tree of this delicious little Pear 

 is an oblique cordon planted in 1864, and was laden with fruit 

 last year. The fruit is small and very handsome, wonderfully 

 juicy and sweet, with an aroma of extraordinary richness. It 

 is a veritable sweetmeat, and its value is all the greater from 

 the fact of its keeping good quite six weeks after it is ripe. 

 Fruit which was gathered on October 25th and was quite ripe 

 on November 29th, was pronounced "most delicious" on 

 January 9th. I should add that the tree is one of the Saw- 

 bridgeworth " double-worked" specimens, which probably has 

 some influence upon its fertility. 



Red Doyenne. — This forms a handsome and most prolific 

 pyramid on the Qaince. In my fruit book I find the following 

 entries for 1875 :— " Gathered from October 8th to 15th a good 

 crop of handsome fruit, much cracked upon the outer branches. 

 November 2Qd ripe, very sweet, rich, juicy, and somewhat 

 crisp ; very aromatic. An excellent Pear." " November 6th 

 I have again tasted this Pear, and find it a delicious melting 

 fruit, quite devoid of the crispness which was so perceptible on 

 the 2nd. This shows what a material difference a few days 

 make." 



Doyenne Defais. — The fruit of this Pear is very sweet, rich, 

 and melting, with a delicious aroma. A robust pyramid on 

 the Quince planted in 1871 had an abundant crop last year, 

 but quite two-thirds of it were spoilt by cracking. It was 

 gathered at the same time as Bed Doyennfi, and was a few 

 days longer in coming to maturity. 



Beurre Super/in. — The fruit of a vigorous espalier of this on 

 the Pear stock was gathered on October 15th, and was ripe in 

 the first week of November. It is of large size, melting, juicy, 

 and with a singularly rich piquant acid flavour. A most 

 delicious Pear. 



Deux Saurs. — This is also an espalier upon the Pear. The 

 fruit ripening by the end of November was quite third-rate in 

 flavour. 



Beurre Clairgcau is growing here in the form of cordons, 

 palmetto verriere, and pyramids, on free stocks and on the 

 Quince, answering best upon the free stock. The magnificent 

 fruit is large, long and tapering, of a briglit yellow, and 

 beautifully flushed with rosy crimson on the exposed side. It 

 is very sweet, rich, and juicy, and has a delicious aroma. Most 

 of the fruit was gathered on October 12th, and was in ex- 

 cellent condition for table throughout November. 



Huyshe's Victoria answers well upon the Quince, developing 

 an early tendency to fertility, cropping well both on pyramids 

 and cordons. The fruit has a sweet, piquant, and slightly 

 acidulous flavour, with a pleasant aroma. Gathered on Octo- 



ber 19th, it was ripe on November 16th. It is an excellent 

 Pear. 



Besi Vaet. — This is also upon the Quince. Its growth is 

 free, robust, and somewhat spreading in habit. The round 

 and not unhandsome fruit is of medium size. It requires a 

 warm room to bring it to full perfection, and is quite worthy 

 of it, for it is then of delicious flavour, sweet, juicy, and rich, 

 with a slight yet most agreeable acidity, resembling a good 

 Chaumontel, but decidedly superior to it. Last year the crop 

 was gathered on October 12th, the first ripe fruit being fit for 

 table on November 18th. It may be had in good condition 

 till January. 



Jewess forms a fine symmetrical pyramid upon the Quince. 

 Its erect growth is stout, and thickly set with spurs. The 

 fruit has flesh of a yellow tinge, very rich, juicy, and delicious. 

 A Pear of the highest excellence. Gathered on October 27th, 

 and ripe in the last week of November. 



Millot de Nancy. — The growth of this Pear upon the Quince 

 is of medium strength, erect, and somewhat thinly set with 

 spurs. Its fruit was ripe last season on November 18th, of 

 medium size, sweet, juicy, melting, and with a pleasant brisk 

 acidulous flavour. A valuable Pear. 



Comtc de Flandre. — This fine Pear is so prolific upon the 

 Quince as to become crippled and stunted when quite young 

 from overbearing if the fruit, which almost invariably sets 

 freely, be not thinned. It is a large pyriform fruit, very sweet, 

 juicy, and melting, but not rich. From its hardiness, fertility, 

 and the large size of its handsome fruit it would doubtless 

 prove a profitable sort to grow for market. 



Fondante de Malines. — This is upon the free stock. The 

 fruit was gathered on October 19 th, and was ripe on Novem- 

 ber 24th. It was sweet and very juicy, but had very little 

 aroma. 



Nouvelle Fulvie. — A handsome pyramid of this upon the 

 Quince is full of promise, the branches are very robust, and 

 are thickly set with spurs. It produced some fruit last year, 

 gathered October 15th and ripe the last week in November. 

 It is large and very delicious, juicy, rich, and melting. A good 

 Pear. 



Eyewood. — A couple of fine pyramids of this upon free 

 stocks had a little fine fruit last year, gathered October 19th 

 and ripe throughout November. Very musky in flavour and 

 with much acidity. Quite a second-rate Pear. 



Knight's Monarch. — This has formed excellent pyramids 

 both on the Quince and free stock, and, strange to say, those 

 on the free stock were laden with a full crop last year, while 

 upon the Quince there was not half a crop. Much watchful- 

 ness and care are necessary as the fruit approaches maturity, 

 some of it being ready to gather long before the others, so that 

 the gathering often extends over an entire month. The pro- 

 cess of ripening bears a close resemblance to this, the earliest 

 fruit being ripe early in December, while the latest may not 

 be flt for table till March. Its fruit is of medium size, and 

 when fully ripe is very juicy, melting, and sweet, with a 

 pleasant aroma. A most useful Pear. — Edwaed Ldckhubsi. 



OUB BORDER FLOWERS— DAFFODILS. 



" Spring's delights are all reviving," and the time is not far 

 distant when we shall be treated to a grand display of this 

 charming tribe of spring-blooming plants. Daffodils are often 

 met with and greeted with a heaity welcome, but they are not 

 seen in half such numbers as their merits deserve. The Poet's 

 Narcissus, Narcissus posticus, ought to be largely grown about 

 our wilderness scenery and iu shrubbery borders ; but to see 

 Daffodils to perfection we must find the places where they 

 exist by the thousand — I had almost said by the acre — and a 

 sight of that description must be seen to be appreciated. Nar- 

 cissus pseudo-Narcissus so seen cannot soon be forgotten. I 

 have seen a similar plantation of the great double Daffodil, 

 but whether they had been planted or escaped from a garden 

 I am unable to say. They are in a grass fleld in all their 

 grandeur. 



Polyanthus Narcissuses are also most useful, as Soleil d'Or, 

 Bazelman Major, and other sorts, not only for pot culture but 

 for garden decoration. They are so accommodating that they 

 thrive in almost any soil and situation we choose to give them, 

 provided we allow them light and moisture. Many of them do 

 us good service both indoors and out, being not only beautiful 

 but sweet. The Tazetta or Polyanthus Narcissus is said to 

 have reached us from Spain as far back as 1597, and has lost 

 none of its charms from age or change. There are the Jonquil0, 



