NEW ZEALAND GARDENING. 45 



The Selection of Fruit Trees is a matter of the 

 utmost importance. It is well to remember that a good 

 tree occupies no more room than an indifferent one. Never 

 plant a poor specimen or an inferior variety : such trees are 

 dear at any price. The best safeguard is either to grow 

 them yourself, or to deal only with a nurseryman who has 

 gained for himself a good repute for clean stocks, well- 

 formed trees, and true to name. Far better pay twenty-five 

 per cent, more to such a man, than buy at a much cheaper 

 rate where the same care has not been taken in working up the 

 stock for sale. A few really good varieties will be found 

 more profitable than a large number of mixed kinds. It 

 must, however, be observed that in a country with such 

 a range of climate as New Zealand, it is impossible to give 

 a single list of apples which will be found suitable for all 

 districts. All that can be done is to recommend a really 

 good selection of dessert, cooking, and keeping apples. 

 Should any of them prove failures, let them be cut back and 

 grafted with a variety which has proved itself suitable to the 

 district. This is a better method than rooting up the tree 

 and planting another ; for the reason that a couple of years 

 at least will be gained by adopting this plan. The follow- 

 ing list, with accompanying remarks, have been supplied by 

 Mr. Adams, of Greendale, Canterbury, who has for some 

 years past been testing the qualities of over four hundred 

 varieties of apples in his orchard. He says : The following 

 dozen have proved the most profitable, taking all things into 

 account. They ripen in the order given. 



1 . Irish Peach A regular bearer, and free from American 



blight. 



2. Gravenstein A fine habit of growth, comparatively 



free from blight. 



3. Benoni Of good habit; apt to overbear; the fruit 



must be thinned or it will be small. 



4. Cellini A handsome fruit, and good cropper. 



5. Nelson Codlin Always fruits well ; fruit smooth and 



fair. 



6. Prince Bismarck A most profitable apple ; not much 



attacked by scale. 



