428 ARBORETUM ET FRUT1CETUM BRITANN1CUM. 



beneath, and the nerves there villose ; above glabrous, except being slightly 

 downy on the midrib. A native of the country around Astrachan, on the 

 testimony of gardeners. (Dec. Prod.) A very ornamental tree, from the 

 beauty of its fruit, which it produces freely, and which is also good to eat. 



Varieties of P. M.alus cultivated for their Fruit. From the above forms, we 

 think it may safely be presumed, that all the apples cultivated for the dessert or 

 the kitchen have been obtained, either by selection from seedlings, or by 

 cross-fecundation ; and that no other wild sort has been used, unless, perhaps, 

 we except Pyrus coronaria ; which, however, we have never heard of as being 

 employed In cross-fecundation. These garden, or cultivated, varieties, as will 

 hereafter appear, are very numerous ; but the following selection of sorts, 

 which are handsome-growing trees, or have fruit of a particular character, has 

 been made for us by Mr. Thompson, of the Horticultural Society's Garden, 

 from the collection under his care : 



The Red Astrachan. The tree is middle-sized, with a branchy head ; the fruit 

 is of a bright red, with a fine bloom like that of a plum. This is one form of 

 the sort which DeCandolle has designated as P. astracanica: our No. 19. 

 'The White Astrachan, or transparent Crab of Moscow. The tree resembles 

 the preceding sort, but has the branches tending upwards when young, and 

 afterwards becoming pendulous. The fruit is of a wax colour, with a fine 

 bloom on it, and is almost transparent. This is another form of P. (M.) 

 astracanica. It is known in English nurseries under the name of the trans- 

 parent crab. 

 The Black Crab is a tree of the middle size, with very dark small fruit of no 



value as such. 



The Court pendu plat is a remarkably dwarf-growing tree, and so late in flower- 

 ing, that the leaves are expanded before, or at the same time as, the flowers ; 

 and, consequently, the latter are seldom, if ever, injured by frost : for which 

 reason, it is commonly called by gardeners the wise apple. Grafted on the 

 French paradise stock, the tree may be kept of a size not larger than that of 

 a gooseberry bush ; in which state it will bear fruit in abundance and of good 

 flavour. 

 The Lincolnshire Holland Pippin is remarkable for the large size of its blossoms. 



Its fruit keeps till February. 



The Tulip Apple is a great bearer of fruit which is of a very bright red. 

 The Violet Apple has fruit of a violet colour, covered with a bloom like that of 



the plum. 



The Cherry Crab, or Cherry Apple, is a subvariety of P. (M.) baccata. The 

 tree is spreading, with drooping branches ; and the fruit is numerous, and 

 about the size and colour of a large cherry. 

 The Supreme Crab has fruit rather larger than the preceding sort. The tree is 



of robust growth, and the branches are somewhat erect. 



Bigg's Everlasting Crab was raised in the Cambridge Botanic Garden, by Mr. 

 Biggs, the curator, from seeds received from Siberia in 1814. It is a vi- 

 gorous-growing tree, with pendulous branches and abundance of fruit, 

 which, in form and character, are intermediate between P. (M.) jorunifolia 

 and P. (M.) baccata, and which remain on the trees long after Christmas. 

 In sheltered situations, and mild winters, this tree appears almost a sub- 

 evergreen. 



The apple tree, whether in a wild state or cultivated, is by no means so 

 handsome in form as the pear tree, though its blossoms are much more orna- 

 mental, and are, besides, fragrant. It seldom grows above half the height of 

 the pear tree ; the oldest apple trees known in Europe not being above 30 or 

 35 feet in height. The trunk is generally crooked, and the branches rambling 

 horizontally when young, and when old becoming pendulous. The diameter of 

 the head is also often greater than the height of the tree. The apple tree is 

 much more liable to the canker, and other diseases, than the pear tree. The 

 wood of the apple tree, in a wild state, is fine-grained, hard, and of a brownish 



