Difficulty of iclentifying Varieties of Fruits. 51 



London Horticultural Society : they constitute a standard work for 

 reference ; a complete text-book, wliich, beginning in the only way 

 to insure correctness, and continuing with the extension of knowledge, 

 may be consulted w-ith perfect confidence by the growers of fruits. 

 In this publication (the second edition of which appeared in 1831, 

 and of which a volume for 1835 is understood now to be preparing for 

 the press), all the varieties of fruits are described in columns, as fast 

 as the fruit is proved. The first-rate fruits are already numerous 

 enough for any nursery catalogue ; and, if w'e add those of second- 

 rate merit, some of which, in our climate, have already proved very 

 fine, it will afford a collection adequate to the wants of any part of 

 our country. I would, therefore, propose that every nurseiyman, 

 who has in view the reputation of his garden, and the satisfaction of 

 his patrons, should correct his catalogue by that of Mr. Robert 

 Thompson. Grafts, of every different variety, are sent by this gen- 

 tleman, with the most praiseworthy liberality, to all who apply. Let 

 our nurserymen procure these grafts, and establish a specimen tree 

 of each sort; by this simple method, we shall escaj)e all danger of 

 mistake. In our exhibitions of fruits, instead of a wearisome enu- 

 meration of authorities, — instead of saying, this is the apple or the 

 pear described by the old or the new Duhamel, by Cox, or any 

 other author, it will be sufficient to say, this is the fruit, the grafts of 

 which were received from the London Horticultural Society, and 

 which is described in their catalogue, under its proper number : for 

 so vexatious are the errors, no doubt unintentionally committed, that 

 it has become absolutely necessary for the purchasers of trees to 

 ascertain the source from which the original scion was obtained, — to 

 institute an inquiry into the pedigree of the tree. The new fruits,, 

 which have originated in this country, can be obtained at most of the 

 nurseries, true to their names. The mistakes of which we complain 

 are in the collections of European fruits; and have arisen, not from 

 any neglect of our own, but from that of the European gardeners, 

 from whom we have procured our specimen trees. If we should 

 disregard all other authorities, and adopt the catalogues of the Lon- 

 don Horticultural Society as our sole standard, any person desirous 

 of making a collection of fruits, would do it with perfect confidence 

 that his trees would be not only true, but precisely the same which 

 are known and cultivated in Europe, under the same names by which 

 he receives them ; and the same fruit would no longer be distinguished 

 by one name in New England, by a second in New York, and by a 

 third in Pennsylvania. 



R. Manning. 

 Salem, Jan. lOth, 1835. 



