92 THE FRUIT MANUAL. 



It was towards the end of the last century that this doctrine was first announced, 

 and though many of the old diseased trees of the Herefordshire orchards, of which 

 Mr. Knight spoke, have passed away, we have the Golden Pippin still, in all the 

 luxuriance of early youth, where attention has been paid to irs cultivation and it 

 is grown in a soil congenial to it, and it exhibits as little indication of decay as any 

 of the varieties which Mr. Knight raised to supply the vacancy he expected it to 

 create. 



With the best intention for their improvement Mr. Knight did unconsciously a 

 vast amount of injury to the Herefordshire orchards by promulgating this error. 

 Those who were influenced by his opinion naturally ceased to propagate and to 

 plant those grand old varieties which made the reputation and created the wealth 

 of these orchards. The existing trees were allowed to fall into decay and neglect, 

 and the varieties which Mr. Knight raised with the expectation that they would 

 take their places failed to realise the hopes of the planters, and so between two 

 stools the Herefordshire orchards suffered. Instead of persistently adhering to the 

 Fox- whelp, the Red-streak, Skyrme's Kernel, and such other varieties as the orcharclist 

 had formerly relied upon, he simply began to plant any strong-growing tree he 

 found in his seed-beds, and which promised to rill a blank in his orchards. 



But this alarm of Mr. Knight for the safety of the Golden Pippin, and his fear 

 of its extinction, were based upon no new doctrine, for we find Mortimer a 

 hundred years before equally lamenting the Kentish Pippin. After speaking of 

 manures, &c., for the regeneration of fruit trees, he says, " 1 shall be glad if this 

 account may put any upon the trial of raising that excellent fruit the Kentish 

 Pippin, which else, I fear, will be lost. For I find in several orchards, both in 

 Kent, Essex, and Hertfordshire, old trees of that sort, but I can find no young 

 ones to prosper. A friend of mine tried a great many experiments in Hertford- 

 shire about raising them, and could never get them to thrive, though he had old 

 trees in the same orchard that grew and bore very well. 1 likewise tried several 

 experiments myself, and have had young trees thrive so well as to make many 

 shoots of a yard long in a year, but these young shoots were always blasted the 

 next year, or cankered ; which makes me think that the ancients had some 

 particular way of raising them, that we have lost the knowledge of." Although 

 this was written in the beginning of last century, we have the Kentish Pippin still, 

 as vigorous and healthy as ever it was. 



GOLDEN REINETTE (Aurore ; Dundee; Megginch Favourite; 

 Princesse Noble; Eeinette d'Aix; Eeinette Gielen ; Yelloiv German 

 Eeinette ; Elizabeth ; Englise Pippin ; Wygers ; Court-pendu doree ; 

 Kirke's Golden Eeinette; Golden Eenet ; Golden Eennet ; Pomme 

 Madame ; Wyker Pippin). Fruit, medium sized, two inches and three- 

 quarters wide, and two inches and a quarter high ; roundish, and 

 flattened. Skin, a fine deep yellow, which towards the sun is tinged 

 with red, streaked with deeper and livelier red, and dotted all over with 

 russety dots. Eye, large and open, with short dry segments, and set in 

 a wide and even basin. Stamens, marginal; tube, funnel-shaped. Stalk, 

 half an inch long, deeply inserted in a round and even cavity. Flesh, 

 yellow, crisp, brisk, juicy, rich, and sweet. Cells, obovate ; axile. 



A fine old dessert apple of first-rate quality ; it is in use from 

 November to April. The tree is healthy, vigorous, and an abundant 

 bearer. It requires a light and warm soil, and is well adapted for 

 dwarf training when worked on the paradise stock. 



Large quantities of this fruit are grown in the counties round London 

 for the supply of the different markets, where they always command 

 a high price. 



