232 General Notices. 



usual in former times to name fruits from the day about which they arrived 

 at maturity, such as the Margaret Apple from being ripe at St. Margaret's 

 day, the 20th of July ; the Magdalene, or Maudlin, from St. Magdalene's 

 day, the 22d of July, and in " Curtius Hortorum," we find " A tempore 

 maturitatis Joannina vocamus, quod circa divi Joannis Baptistee nativita- 

 temesui sint." J. Baptista Porta also says, " Est genus alterum, quod quia 

 circa festum divi Joannisjraaturescit, valgus Melo di San Giovanni dicitur." 

 On the Continent, therefore, these early apples were called Joannina, Gal- 

 lice Joannet ; thus we have, among the old French pears, Amir6 Joannet, 

 the Admired or Wonderful Little John, which Merlet informs us is so 

 called because it is in maturity at John's day. If, then, we add to Joannet 

 the termination ing so common in our names of apples, we have Joannet- 

 ing, which, with a slight transformation, gives us Jennetting. 



Pearraains. — These also are among our oldest English apples, and 

 of which I believe the Winter Pearmain is the type. In this, I sus- 

 pect, I differ from the Horticultural Society's Catalogue of Fruits, 

 where the " Old Pearmain" is made synonymous with the Herefordshire, 

 or Royal Pearmain ; but still, I am of opinion, that the Winter Pearmain 

 is the original. It is mentioned by Gerard, in his " Herbal," in the " Hus- 

 bandman's Fruitful Orchard," and by Ralph Austen, whilstlfind no notice 

 of the Royal Pearmain, till the time of Rea (16G5), of which he says, " It 

 is much bigger and better tasted than the common kind." 



It seems to have been long a matter of doubt, as to the origin and signifi- 

 cation of this word Pearmain. My attention was first attracted to its deriv- 

 ation, by observing, that Gerard writes it Pearmaine, and both in " The 

 Husbandman's Fruitful Orchard," and Coles's "Adam in Eden," it is 

 written Peare-maine. Tiie last syllable of the word being the same as 1 

 had observed Charlemagne, written Charlemaine in works of these pe- 

 riods, suggested the idea that Pearmain was similar; and as Charlemagne 

 is Carolus Magnus gallicised, so also Pyrus magnus gallicised gave Poire 

 magne (the large Pear), which, slightly transformed, is Peare-maine, or 

 Pearmain. The name of the Pearmain is, therefore, in allusion to the shape 

 of those Apples so called, being similar to that of a Pear. 



Pippins. — This is derived from the French word Pepin, signifying a 

 kernel, or the seed of Apples, Pears, and Quinces. I am not prepared to 

 say, what variety is the type of this class, if, indeed, there is any one more 

 than another, for I find the term applied by the early authors, not only to 

 the seed, but to seedling Apples generally. Thus we find, Leonard Mas- 

 cal, in 1572, instructing " Howe to dung your wylde trees come of Pep- 

 ynes," and " when so ever ye do replante or change your Pepin trees from 

 place to place, in so removing often the stocks, the frute thereof shall also 

 change, but the frute which doth come of graffing doth alwayes kcpe the 

 forme and nature of the tree whereof he is taken : for as I have sayde, as 

 often as the Pepin trees be removed to a better grounds the frute thereof be 

 so much amended." 



Queenings.. — These, of which the Winter Queening is the type, are also 



