THE ROSE, POME, AND DRUPE FAMILY. 4/5 



the young plant up early. Numerous new varieties are raised 

 annually by both English and Continental growers. M. F. 

 Gloede and Dr Roden have both produced some fine fruits. 

 The late Dr Nicaise, a well-known French horticulturist, raised 

 many fine varieties, which were principally distributed by M. 

 Vilmorin & Co. 



Mespilus {Medlars). A genus of ornamental-flowering or 

 fruit-bearing trees, mostly natives of Europe. The edible- 

 fruited forms are varieties of M. germanica, and that known as 

 the " Nottingham Medlar " is one of the best. They form low 

 spreading trees, and are very ornamental in the early summer, 

 when studded with large snowy-white flowers, nearly as large 

 and somewhat resembling in form those of a wild rose. They 

 are propagated by layers, hillock - layering being preferable 

 where a large quantity of plants is required. Seeds grow 

 freely, but do not gerrm'nate until the second spring after they 

 are sown; so to save room they are frequently buried in 

 trenches for a year, and then sown thinly in shallow trenches in 

 nursery beds. Grafting (cleft) in April, or shield-budding in 

 July, are the most generally adopted methods of propagating 

 the fruiting varieties, the best stock being seedling Pear and 

 White-thorn, as clean and as straight as possible. The Quince 

 stock is also worth a trial for bush-trained trees. In budding, 

 select plump or well-formed eyes, and carefully disbud the 

 stock below the junction, keeping the head also within bounds, 

 so as to favour the union as much as possible. 



M. (Eriobotrya) japonica (Loquat), or Chinese Medlar, is a 

 very handsome evergreen plant, somewhat resembling some of 

 the large-leaved Sikkim Rhododendrons in habit. This is best 

 propagated by grafting on the Quince stock, pieces of the partly- 

 hardened growth being selected for scions. In order to pre- 

 vent any undue evaporation, the large leaves of the graft should 

 be cut in half, and a close frame or cloche is necessary to in- 

 sure success. This plant may be fruited with tolerable cer- 

 tainty if subjected to pot-culture, and grown in an orchard- 

 house or conservatory. Its large deep-green foliage, and 

 clusters of bright-yellow egg-shaped fruits, render this one of 

 the most effective of all ornamental and edible-fruited plants. 

 It is a native of China, and possibly also of Japan, where it is 

 cultivated. Although the Loquat is generally worked on the 

 Quince, it does well on the Pear stock, and possibly the White- 

 thorn might also be useful as a stock in an emergency. 



Prunus. A genus of shrubs or small-growing ornamental 

 or fruit-bearing-trees, bearing white or pale rosy flowers, and, 

 like some other of our hardy fruits, very widely distributed in 



