00 On the JN'ature of the Varieties 



cider countries have offered several premiums for procuring new varie- 

 tieSj and some with good effect. Premiums have been given both to 

 Mr. Knight and Mr. Alban. 



When the new variety is to be raised from a valuable admired apple, 



1 should recommend the placing these seeds in a garden pot, filled with 

 mould from an old melon-bed; carrying the pot into a retired situation 

 near the water, and giving attention to run the plants to as large a size 

 as is convenient within eighteen months. With this view the pot should 

 be placed in the green-house the first winter; and when the plants are 

 afterwards to be set out in the spots, they should not be placed under 

 the drip of trees, or much exposed to the winds. 



Two instances have been mentioned, the improved crab and most ad- 

 mired apple; but prudence says, try all sorts, and something probably 

 will arise; and the process is attended with little trouble or expense to 

 a person who constantly resides in the country: 3'et, after all this scien- 

 tific care, the apple may want flavor, and be in other respects nothing 

 better than a conunon wilding. 



It is an undoubted fact, and worthy of observation, that all the differ- 

 ent trees of the same variety have a wonderful tendency to similarity of 

 appearance among themselves; an<i that the parent stock, and all en- 

 grafted from it, have a far greater resemblance to each other, than can 

 be found in any part of the animal creation; and this habit does not vary 

 to any extent of age. 



As an encouragement in attempting to increase the number of new 

 valuable fruits, Ave can prove that the golden pijipin is native English. 

 The red-streak, a seedling of Herefordshire, if not raised, yet was first 

 brought into notice by Lord Scudamore, and was for a long time called 

 Scudamore's Crab. The Stire Apple was accidentally raised in the 

 forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, and took the name of Forest Stire, 

 The cider made from this apple was the strongest the country ever pro- 

 duced, according to any living record. The Haglo-crab, the best cider 

 fruit now remaining, was discovered in the parish of Ecloe, on the 

 banks of the Severn; and about sixty or seventy years ago, many scions 

 were taken from this tree by Mr. Bellamy, and engrafted on seedling 

 stocks about Ross. These are now grown old, and, to ascertain the 

 age of the variety, I went with Charles Edwin, Esq., to Ecloes, in hopes 

 of seeing the primogenious of this family. The proprietor of the estate 

 acquainted Mr. Edwin that it had ceased to bear, j'ears ago, and was 

 cut down. Those at Ross are but poor bearers now; and I should sup- 

 pose the variety must be one hundred and forty years old, though Mar- 

 shal, who wrote in the year 1786, mentions these trees were prolific, 

 and he supposes the sort to be about eighty years old; but from present 

 experience it must be much more. The Tinton Squash-pear is of Glou- 

 cestershire; the Barland and Old-field were near Ledbury, Hereford- 

 shire. The two last pears clearly bear the names of the two fields 

 where they were raised. The Barland fell about six years ago, visibly 

 from weight and longevity, which was supposed to have been about two 

 hundred years. There have been many other names of estimation 

 handed down to us, though the realities are now totally worn out, and 

 have ceased to exist. Can any better proof be desired, that engrafted 

 fruits are not permanent, than the regret we feel for the loss of these 

 old valuable fruits ? 



To make my paper as ehort as convenient, I have dwelt only on the 

 apple and pear: yet all the engrafted fruits are under the same predica- 

 ment of the seed not producing its like, and the offspring in time falling 

 uito a nothingness of growth and bearing, though that space of time 

 must certainly depend on the natural longevity and hardiness of the 

 sort, S9il, position, «are, &c. All these are more fully expressed in the 



