THE riG.] 



PEACTICE OP HOETICULTUEE. 



[the peach. 



and the berries round and sweet. The Black 

 Hamburg is highly valued, and more generally 

 cultivated in this country for the dessert than 

 any other grape. There are several seed 

 varieties of it in existence. The Black Lom- 

 bardy is a late and excellent fruit. There are 

 five varieties of the Frontignan, distinguished 

 as the blacTc, Hue, grizzly, red, and wJiite. 

 They are all of great excellence. The Muscat 

 of Alexandria has a most delicious flavour, but 

 it requires a high temperature, and ought to 

 have a vinery set apart for itself. The other 

 varieties require no especial remark, with, per- 

 haps, the exception of the Esperione," which 

 ripens on the open wall in the vicinity of 

 London. 



For a vinery of ordinary description, the 

 Black Hamburg, CbasselasMusque, Stillvvard's 

 Sweetwater, "White Prontignan, Black Lom- 

 bardy, andEoyal Muscadine are recommended. 

 Tor a slow or late vinery, the Muscat of Alexan- 

 dria, the Barbarossa (Black and White), the 

 Grizzly Erontignan, the Black Tripoli, and the 

 Canon-hall Muscat. For training against the 

 rafters of a greenhouse, the Verdelho, the Black 

 Prince, Black Cluster, and Esperione, are the 

 most suitable. The grapes usually grow^n in Eng- 

 land against the open wall are — the Esperione, 

 "White Muscadine, Miller Burgundy, Grove- 

 end, Early Black, Pitmaston,"White Cluster, and 

 the "White Sweetwater. Both in the north of 

 England and the south of Scotland, hot walls 

 are always required for the cultivation of the 

 grape ; but, even with this artificial help, vine- 

 culture can never be calculated on with 

 certainty in this country, if pursued in the 



open air. 



THE FIG. 



The fig tree is a native of Asia and Bar- 

 bary, and was imported to England by Car- 

 dinal Pole, about 1525 ; but it is not a 

 favourite in this country. Gardens of first- 

 rate character, however, should not be with- 

 out some trees ; and the following are in 

 greatest esteem : — ■ 



Angelque, Brunswick, Black, "White, and 

 Brown Ischias, Large AVhite Genoa, Malta, 

 Marseilles, Nerii, Brown Turkey, Pergusata, 

 and Lee's Perpetual. 



The Marseilles, the Brown Turkey, Lee's 

 Perpetual, and the Black Ischia, are the best 

 954i 



for forcing ; whilst the others are better 

 adapted for walls. 



THE PEACH. 



Persia is considered the original country of 

 the peach ; but this fruit, from time immemorial, 

 has been cultivated in most parts of Asia. The 

 characteristics of a good peach, or nectarine, are 

 firmness of flesh, thinness of skin, depth and 

 brightness of the red colour next the sun, and 

 a yellowish-green next the wall. Its pulp 

 should, also, be of a yellowish colour ; and it 

 should be full of high-flavoured juice, with 

 the fleshy part thick, and the stone sm411. 

 The two principal varieties of the peach, pro- 

 perly so called, is the one (the peach) with a 

 downy skin; and the nectarine with a smooth 

 skin. Each of these varieties is again divided 

 by gardeners into freestones, or peclies, and 

 clingstones, ov pavies, according as the stone 

 adheres to the pulp, or parts freely from it. 

 In the horticultural catalogue, there are given 

 183 peaches, and sixty-five nectarines. One 

 would think that invention would fail in 

 finding names sufficient to distinguish such a 

 family : we, however, will indicate a few of 

 those most congenial to our climate. 



Peaches. — The Acton Scot, Bellegarde 

 (the Galande of the nurseries). Late Admiral, 

 or La JRoyale, Madaleine de Courson, No- 

 blesse, Grosse Mignone, Eed Nutmeg or Avant 

 Eouge, Eoyal George, and Spring Grove. 



The Eed Nutmeg is one of the earliest, and 

 produces abundantly. All the others are ex- 

 cellent varieties ; and one of the very best 

 late ones is the Late Admiral, which ought to 

 be in every collection. 



Nectaeines. — Of these the best are the 

 Early Newiugton, theElruge, Fairchild's Early, 

 Hunt's Tawny, and the Eed Eoman. We may 

 enumerate a i'ew more first-class nectarines, 

 suitable equally for open-air culture or for 

 forcing. These are, oi freestones — the Brinion, 

 Downton, Murray, Pitmaston, Orange, Vio- 

 lette Grosse, Due de Telle, New White, and 

 the Hardwick Seedling. Of clingstones — 

 there are the Iniperatrice and the Newington 

 Tawny ; but these last are not deemed so suit- 

 able either for opeu-air culture or for forcing. 



THE APRICOT. 



Armenia is the country in which it is sup- 



