14 OTJE COMMON FRUITS. 



there the highest praise that can be bestowed ; " but in 

 his country it ranks among but second or third-rate fruits, 

 owing perhaps to that climate being less suited for it,* 

 or to the existence there of other sorts naturally superior 

 to any of ours. Even here, however, it did not " find 

 itself famous in a single night," for until the end of the 

 last century it was but little known, an indication of the 

 gradual growth of its popularity being afforded by the 

 fact that in 1785, and for some years after, no more than 

 25 plants per annum of this tree were grown at the 

 celebrated Brompton Park Nursery, whereas, in 1851, 

 about 2,500 plants were annually sent out thence. It 

 has been called a universal apple for these kingdoms, 

 since it thrives in any part of England or Ireland, and, 

 with the protection of a wall, will nourish even in Scot- 

 land. The fruit is in its greatest perfection in Novem- 

 ber and December, but if well managed can be kept 

 until March. 



Among our more curious apples may be named the 

 Siberian Bitter-sweet, a variety raised by Knight from 

 the seeds of a Siberian Crab, the blossom of which had 

 been impregnated with the pollen of the G-olden Harvey. 

 The fruit, which is about twice the size of that of the 

 parent tree, differs from all others of its species in being 

 always and entirely sweet, no acid being perceptible even 

 when it is but half grown. When evaporated at a low 

 temperature, the juice of this fruit becomes a jelly of 

 intense sweetness, which, when filtered, is quite trans- 

 parent, and applicable to similar purposes to which the 

 inspissated juice of the grape is applied in France. It is 

 believed that it might be kept long unchanged in any 

 climate, the mucilage being preserved by the antiseptic 

 powers of the saccharine matter, which is also incapable 

 of acquiring, as sugar does, a state of crystallization. 



As has been already remarked, it is only in their northern 

 districts that our French neighbours possess an apple 



* Some Bibstone Pippins grown in Canada were, however, exhibited here 

 in 1862. and found to be filler than any of our own, their measurement being 

 1 ft. in circumference. 



