J 88 Review of the Book of Pruits. 



catalogue of the London Horticultural Society, the most complete work 

 on this subject hitherto offered to the public. 



"The innumerable errors in the names of fruits, and the perplexity and 

 disappointment arising from this cause, are inconceivable to any but a 

 collector. It is very desirable that there should be some acknowledged 

 standard, to whose authority, in doubtful cases of this nature, we might 

 appeal. Nurserymen and cultivators have generally deemed it a point 

 too trifling for consideration. If a fruit was good, the name was sup- 

 posed to be of no consequence. Abetter state of things is, however, 

 beginning to prevail, especially in the United States, where a knowl- 

 edge of the subject is widely diffused, and a laudable solicitude is felt 

 that catalogues should contain no varieties but what are actually culti- 

 vated, and ascertained to be identically the kinds which their titles pro- 

 claim them to be." 



We differ from the author, in regard to the propriety of exclud- 

 ing the synonyms of fruits. In our opinion, a work of this kind 

 cannot be perfect without them, inasmuch that the mere describ- 

 ing of a variety, however so valuable such a description is, to 

 select trees by, is no guide to the correcting the names of such 

 fruits as already exist in our gardens, and which, not being known, 

 might again be purchased for another sort. We will note an in- 

 stance. There is a plum, cultivated quite extensively in the vi- 

 cinity of Boston, and found in all the nursery catalogues, called 

 the Serniana. Now this variety and the blue Imperatrice of Mr. 

 Manning, are one and the same: but as no synonyms are given, 

 and nothing is said about its cultivation under another name, any 

 person wanting a late fruit might order this, when he already 

 possessed it. To guard against such mistakes, is one of the 

 principal uses of synonyms. So far, therefore, as this work goes, 

 it is but a descriptive catalogue, where persons wanting fruit trees 

 will find their qualities fully and correctly given. 



In this volume 180 varieties of apples, pears, peaches, plums 

 and cherries are described, the whole of which have produced 

 fruit in Mr. Manning's collection; of apples there are 51; of 

 pears, 81; of peaches, 15; of plums, 20; of cherries, 14. 



The pears are nearly all included in the list in our Magazine. 

 The apples which have been proved, are the following: — 



1. Early Harvest 14. Red Doctor Apple 



2. Early Bough 15. Boxford 



3. American Red Juneating 16. Red Astracan 



4. Summer Queen 17. Oslin 



5. Early Red Margaret 18. Kilham Hill 



6. Summer Rose 19. Ly scorn 



7. Summer Pearmain 20. Porter 



8. Rambour d'ete 21. Duchess of Oldenburg 



9. Fall Harvey 22. Yellow Ingestrie 



10. Diap d'or 23. Red Ingestrie 



11. Hawthorndran 24. Franklin Golden Pippin 



12. Williams' Favorite Red 25. Kerry Pippin 



13. Benoni 26. Gravenstein 



