230 Notes and Gleanings. 



better than I have often seen ; and the other varieties were in no way remark- 

 able. 



There seems to be a prevaiHng opinion, that England, from its climate, is not 

 suited to raising fine fruit. This opinion is, in the main, probably well founded, 

 though perhaps not to the extent that it is sometimes entertained ; for some kinds 

 of fruit, especially the smaller kinds, are produced there in great perfection and 

 abundance. I have never eaten better, rarely as good, strawberries, as I have 

 eaten in England ;.and this not only in London, but in the smaller cities in dif- 

 ferent parts of the kingdom. In the south-western and southern parts of the 

 island I found them abundant, very large, handsome, and of fine flavor, at 

 a very reasonable price. At Bath, for a basket containing three quarts of the 

 Alice Maud variety, I paid but two shillings : and this was not a solitary instance ; 

 for very fine strawberries could be purchased at other places at equally reasonable 

 rates. 



The earliest strawberries that I noticed in the London market were of the 

 variety called Alice Maud : of these, fine berries early in the season sold for 

 one shilling and sixpence per basket of about two-thirds of a Boston box. 

 Strawberries in England are brought to market with the hulls on in all cases. 

 Later in the season, the price was a shilling per basket ; whilst in the height of 

 the season, when the market was most abundantly supphed, the price in London 

 was ninepence per basket. The largest strawberries that I saw were called 

 British Queen; and these sold, extra large, selected berries, from one shilling to 

 two shillings per basket. The British Queens were extra large, handsome, and 

 of fine flavor; and I think that of this or some other variety I could, on any day 

 during the season, have purchased, in Covent-garden Market, strawberries, that 

 for size, beauty, and flavor, if exhibited at the Massachusetts Horticultural So- 

 ciety's Show, would have received the prize over all competitors. Cherries are 

 also very good : of these I saw several varieties, also gooseberries and currants. 

 In many parts of England, apples are largely cultivated, both for the dessert 

 and for cider. In Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Devonshire, and some other 

 counties, there are very extensive orchards of this fruit, and much attention is 

 paid to it. Of the quality of apples for the dessert, I have not sufficient experi- 

 ence to express an opinion ; it is a fruit that I rarely eat: but of the cider I can 

 speak in terms of unqualified commendation ; some of it was very good. I have 

 drunk in Devonshire, made there, " Herderer's Champagne Cider," that was in 

 every respect fully equal to the best made at " Weld Farm ; " and no higher 

 terms of praise can be bestowed upon it. 



In some parts of England, a good many pears are cultivated. I have seen 

 quite large orchards of pear-trees, both on quince and on their own roots, in the 

 neighborhood of London ; and they are grown quite extensively in other places, 

 as in the Vale of Evesham in Worcestershire, and in Hertfordshire. But I 

 must be permitted to doubt whether the finest kind of pears can be cultivated 

 in the open ground with more than a very moderate degree of success. 

 Indeed, I was told by a most intelligent cultivator in one of the central coun- 

 ties of the kingdom, that the pears on trees planted in the squares of a garden 

 surrounded by a high brick wall, sometimes failed to ripen. A good many pears 



