221 



FRONTISPIECE. 



FRUIT. 



223 



full liberty to assemble, and the queen, king, and minister re-entered 

 Paris in the month of August. The disturbances, however, continued 

 in the provinces, especially in Provence and Guienne, where the local 

 parliaments resisted the authority of the respective royal governors. 

 In 1650 the queen, hurt by the overbearing tone and high pretensions 

 of the Prince of Condd, made her peace with some of the Frondeur 

 leaders, and caused the princes of Conde and Gonti to be arrested. 

 Upon this, the Duchess of Longueville, Marshal Tureune, and others, 

 raised the standard of revolt in the provinces, and were joined by the 

 Spaniards from Flanders. The war, which now assumed a more serious 

 aspect, continued till 1653, when Turenne made his peace with the 

 court, and Mazarin returned in triumph to Paris. [CoNDE, Louis DE 

 in Bioo. Drv.] 



FRONTISPIECE, the front or principal face of a building ; the 

 front viw ; anything seen in or at the front, Johnson says " id quod 

 in fronte conspicitur." Hence, by a figure, we call the engraved title 

 of a book, or the print which faces the title-page, a frontispiece. 

 FR( 1ST. [FnrutNO.] 

 FRUCTOSE. [SUGAR.] 



FRUIT, in botanical language, signifies that part of a plant in which 

 the seed is lodged, whatever its size, colour, or texture may be, so that 

 the seed-like gram of a sage, the grain of corn, the nut of a chestnut, 

 the dry capsule of a lilac bush, are as much fruits as those of a peach, 

 an apple, or a pine-apple. In the ordinary acceptation of the term 

 however the word fruit is exclusively applied to seed cases which are 

 eatable, and generally to such as require no preparation to render them 

 fit fur food. 



The eatable fruits known in this climate are of so much importance 

 to the comfort as well as luxury of society, that without entering much 

 into details we shall here introduce some general observations, which 

 will inform our readers what are the kinds most deserving of cultiva- 

 tion in select or confined gardens. In doing this we have the 

 advantage of reproducing in a condensed form the important results of 

 the laborious and costly investigations conducted for so many years in 

 the garden of the Horticultural Society of London at Turnham Green. 

 These have already been made known to the public in the second 

 edition of the ' Catalogue of Fruits,' cultivated in that establishment ; 

 and our only task is to make a judicious selection from the thousands 

 of varieties included in the Society's list. 



The species of cultivated fruits are far from numerous ; and most 

 of those of the temperate regions have been introduced, at one period 

 or another, into Britain. The genera from which these have sprung 

 are comparatively few, and chiefly included in the natural orders 

 Kosaceic, Vitacese, Urticacese, and Grossulacex. To the first of these 

 are to be referred the genera producing the species called apples, pears, 

 plums, cherries, apricots, peaches, and nectarines, quinces, medlars, 

 raspberries, and strawberries ; to the second, the vine; to the third, 

 the fig and mulberry ; and to the fourth, the gooseberries and currants. 

 Moreover there are chestnuts and filberts belonging to Corylaceae; 

 walnuts to Juglandaceac, and the melon and pine-apple respectively to 

 Cucurbitacese and Bromeliacetc. 



In this place we shall briefly enumerate what may be considered the 

 most valuable varieties of each as objects of cultivation. 



Applet are the most numerous class in cultivation. It has been 

 conjectured that they were brought to this country by the Romans ; 

 but it is doubtful whether the varieties then introduced would succeed in 

 this climate, presuming on the fact that the Halo di Carlo, well known 

 as being so exceedingly beautiful and delicious in the North of Italy, 

 has, in one of our finest English summers, proved pale and insipid, and 

 that the apples of the South of Europe are generally worthless in 

 England. A hardier breed, it is more than probable, was introduced 

 by the Normans, especially of such as were suited for the manufacture 

 of cider. 



Apples are usually divided into three principal sorts, according as 

 they are fitted for dessert, for kitchen use, or for cider. For dessert, 

 the following are early varieties : Early Ked Margaret, Early Harvest, 

 Oslin, Kerry Pippin, and Summer Golden Pippin. In succession to 

 these, the Wormsley Pippin, King of the Pippins, Golden Reinette, 

 Ribston Pippin, Court of Wick, Pearson's Plate (a remarkably hand- 

 some dessert apple), Golden Harvey (one of the very highest excellence), 

 Hughes's Golden Pippin, Herefordshire Pearmain, Lamb Abbey Pear- 

 main, Court-Pendu plat (which blossoms late, thereby escaping the 

 spring frosts), Reinette du Canada, Old Nonpareil, and Scarlet Non- 

 pareil. For early kitchen use : Dutch Codlin, Keswick Codlin, Haw- 

 thornden, Nonesuch, which last deserves particular notice on account 

 B beautiful transparency when made into apple jelly, for which 

 purpose it is the best sort known. For winter and spring use, from 

 many excellent varieties, the following are selected : Blenheim Pippin 

 (which may be also used at dessert), Dumelow's Seedling, Bedfordshire 

 Foundling, Alfriaton, Gloria Mundi, Royal Russet, Brabant Bellefleur, 

 Northern _ Greening, Norfolk Beaufin (from which the " Beaufins," or 

 Beefins," so generally to be seen in the London shops, are prepared), 

 and French Crab, which will keep above a year. For cider, Siberian 

 titter-Sweet, Foxley, Red Streak, Fox Whelp, Golden Harvey, Cocca- 

 gee, Hagloe Crab, and Cooper's Red Streak, are amoncst the most 

 celebrated. 



Of the varieties of Peart, few, till lately, have originated In this 

 country ; most of the kinds in former cultivation were from France, 



but they generally required the protection of walls. The greater 

 intercourse with the Continent consequent upon the establishment of 

 peace in 1815 led to the introduction of a number of new and hardy 

 varieties of this fruit from Belgium, where its cultivation and improve- 

 ment had been, and still are, attended to with great assiduity. These 

 new varieties, with some of equal merit, and even superior hardiness, 

 raised at Downton Castle, in Herefordshire, now compose the principal 

 part of the most select lists, and are at the same time rapidly excluding 

 the older French varieties from cultivation. 



Pears are divided into three classes dessert, kitchen, and perry. 

 The following are amongst the finest. For dessert : Citron des Carmes, 

 Jargonelle (which requires a wall), Summer St. Germain, Ambrosia, 

 Fondante d'Automne, White Doyenne 1 (if grown as an open standard), 

 Seckle, Louise Bonne (of Jersey), Marie Louise, Beurre" Bosc, Gansel's 

 Bergamot (which also requires a wall), Duchesse d'Angouleme, Beurre' 

 Diel, Nelis d'Hiver, Althorp Crassane, Winter Crassane, Napoleon, 

 Glout Morceau, Passe Colmar, Knight's Monarch, Neplus Meuris, 

 Easter Beurre, Beurre' Ranee. These are enumerated in their order 

 of becoming fit for use. For kitchen xise : Bezi d'Heri (which is excel- 

 lent for stewing, and very free from grittiuess), Bequene Musque, 

 Spanish Bon Chretien, Double de Guerre, Catillac, Uvedale's St. 

 Germain. For perry : Oldfield, Barland, Longland, Teinton Squash. 



The best varieties of Plums for the dessert are, the Green Gage, 

 Washington, Reine Claude, Violette, Drap d'Or, Kirke's, Coe's Golden 

 Drop, Blue Imperatrice. For kitchen use : Orleans, White Magnum 

 Bonum, Shropshire Damson, which last is excellent for preserving, as 

 are also the St. Catharine, Coe's Golden Drop, Green Gage, and 

 Quetsche ; the latter is the sort of which the German Prunes of the 

 shops are made, by slow and repeated drying in an oven. 



Cherries, it is said, were first cultivated in this country at Sitting- 

 bourn, in Kent, where they are supposed to have been introduced 

 about the tune of Henry VIII. That county is still famous for a sort 

 called the Kentish Cherry, identical with some of the varieties of the" 

 Montmorency cherries of the French. They are round, bright red, and 

 acid, and much used for pies. They have also the peculiar property of 

 the stalk adhering so firmly to the stone that the latter may be drawn 

 out without breaking the skin, except at the base. The fruit is then 

 dried in hair sieves in the sun, or otherwise placed in a gently heated 

 oven ; the cherries will then keep for a year, and have the appearance 

 of raisins. The best cherries for dessert are the Elton, Downton, May 

 Duke, Royal Duke, Knight's Early Black, Early Purple Guigne, 

 Bigarreau, Florence. For preserving, the Kentish and Morello are 

 best 



Apricots in cultivation are of few varieties compared with any of 

 the preceding kinds of fruits, and of those the most useful are the 

 following : Large Early, Breda, Moorpark, Royal, and Turkey. The 

 Breda is the best for standards ; and when 'tne season is favourable, 

 the fruit on such, although smaller than that grown against a wall, is, 

 notwithstanding, higher flavoured. A variety called the Muach-Mwch 

 may be noticed, although not recommended for cultivation in this 

 climate. It is the sort grown in the oases in Upper Egypt, where it 

 produces in great abundance, the fruit being dried, and in this state 

 forming an article of commerce for exportation. The apricot blossoms 

 earlier than any other fruit-tree cultivated in this country : hence, 

 most probably, it was called Precocia among the Romans, a corruption 

 of which name is traceable in the modern one of apricot. In conse- 

 quence of the tree blossoming so early, its blossoms, particularly in 

 the case of young trees, are extremely liable to drop off in setting. 

 This is not to be wondered at, when it is considered that the ground is 

 frequently at the time (March) in as cold a state as at any period of 

 the whole season, neither the sun's heat nor the warm rains having 

 reached so far below the surface as to warm the soil in contact with 

 the roots ; and thus, whilst the latter are in a medium perhaps a little 

 above freezing, the tops, exposed to a bright sun against a wall, are at 

 that period of the season occasionally in a temperature as high as 90 

 or 100 Fahr. The injurious effects of this disparity must be suffi- 

 ciently obvious to every one, and the only remedy to be adopted is to 

 have a very complete drainage below the roots, and the whole soil of 

 the border, not retentive, but of a pervious nature. If it could also 

 be kept perfectly dry previous to the commencement of vegetation, 

 and then only allowed to receive the rain when warm, avoiding the 

 cooling effects of melting snow and hail, the tree would thus be placed 

 under circumstances comparatively more natural. 



Peaches and Nectarines require the aid of a wall to bring them to 

 perfection in this climate ; and in the more northern counties of Britain 

 the protection of glass is also requisite. They likewise rank among the 

 kinds of fruits which are considered of sufficient value to be forced. A 

 selection of the best varieties of peaches is as follows : Noblesse, Red 

 Magdalen, Royal George, Grosse Mignonne, Belle Garde, Late Admi- 

 rable. The two very best nectarines are the Elruge, which has little 

 or no red at the stone ; and the Violette Hfttive, the flesh of which is 

 rayed with red near the stone : this serves as a principal distinction 

 between these two varieties. For the sake of variety, the Pitmaston 

 Orange and the White Nectarine may also beincluded. A selection of 

 peaches for forcing may consist of the Bellegarde, Noblesse, Grosse Mig- 

 nonne, Royal George, Royal Charlotte, and Barrington. Nectarines for 

 the same purpose are the Elruge and Violette Hative. 



The best variety of Quinces is the common one. The Portugal 



