250 Notes and Gleanings. 



New Fruits of 1868. — The new fruits of the past year have been of un- 

 usual merit. The grape alone, the noblest and most prized of all our fruits, has 

 yielded enough of note to make 1868 a red-letter year. The Golden Ciiampion 

 is probably the most magnificent grape of which our country can boast. This 

 splendid acquisition is every inch a champion ; golden in color as the Muscat 

 itself, with a flavor equalling its rival for richness, although partaking more of 

 the Hamburg character, and with a vigorous constitution, adapting it to fill wor- 

 thily the blank which has long been apparent, — that of a white companion to the 

 Black Hamburg. This, with the Madresfield-Court Black Muscat, the Royal 

 Ascot, and the still older Mrs. Pince's Muscat, show rich acquisitions among 

 grapes during the last year or two. Some curious perfumed varieties, obtained as 

 crosses from the strawberry grape, have also been reported, and of these we shall 

 doubtless hear further during the present season. 



Amongst peaches and nectarines, the improvements which are being effected 

 are marvellous. The gem of the season is Magdala, a peach of medium size. 



Figs, which have been strangely neglected in this country, though there is 

 no fruit so really delicious, have come in for more than a usual share of atten- 

 tion. In the Negro Largo, introduced from Spain, we shall have gained a noble- 

 looking fruit, of large size, prolific, and of excellent quality ; while the little- 

 known Bourjassote Grise, is, perhaps without exception, the richest of all figs ; 

 and the Col de Signora Blanca panachee, is both an extremely good and a par- 

 ticularly beautiful sort, the fruits being hands;omely striped with bars of green 

 and yellow. 



Of apples worthy of notice, the season has introduced to us Annie Elizabeth, 

 a large culinary winter variety ; Beauty of Waltham, an autumn dessert sort ; 

 Code's Seedling, another handsome dessert sort ; and Mrs. Ward, a charming 

 winter dessert variety. 



Amongst pears, we have one sterling acquisition in the Summer Beurre 

 d'Aremberg, which ripens in August, and was noticed in our last volume : it was 

 raised from the old Beurre d'Aremberg. Beurre du Cercle, an introduction 

 from the Continent, is a large October pear, with flesh resembling that of the 

 Marie Louise and Glout Morceau ; and Madame Treyve, another sort, of excel- 

 lent quality, is one of the most beautiful pears in existence. — Florist and Po- 

 moloi^ist. 



