281 A HISTORY OF GARDENING IN ENGLAND. 



musky flavour : but at best is considered as a common pear." 

 "The old Newington Peach," "Duke Cherry," "Norfolk 

 Beefin Apple," " Red Streak Pippin," and many others are 

 still favourites, and of Tradescant's Cherry Brookshaw writes : 

 " I am doubtful whether we have a better black cherry than 

 this, and yet it is so very scarce, and so little known, that 

 it would be the most difficult task to find it. It is a cherry 

 that was raised by Sir John Tradescant, gardener to King 

 Charles I., different in shape from any other black cherry; and 

 its flavour is unlike that of any other cherry ; it ripens about 

 2oth June." The history such as this of many fruits and 

 vegetables has been handed down by Phillips,'^ who was the 

 author of several valuable works on the subject. Another 

 gardener who turned his attention chiefly to fruit trees was 

 William Forsyth (1737-1804), who succeeded Miller as Curator 

 of the Chelsea garden, and was afterwards appointed Royal 

 gardener at Kensington. His works on fruit trees and the 

 best methods of training and pruning, went through many 

 editions. He is said to have done more for the improvement 

 of fruit culture than any other gardener, although Knight 

 disagreed with him on some of his methods of treating trees. 

 Thomas Andrew Knight, President of the Horticultural Society, 

 was himself an im.prover of fruit, especially of apples. He 

 produced the Grange Apple in 1802, a cross between the golden 

 and the orange pippin. George Johnson, the historian of 

 Gardening, dedicated his work to Knight, and speaks of him 

 in glowing terms as one " who unites to a knowledge of the 

 Practices of Gardening, the most perfect knowledge of the 

 sciences that assist it."t To "this distinguished vegetable 

 physiologist " the Horticultural Society owed its origin. 

 Being born in Herefordshire, in 1759, and brought up in the 

 midst of orchards, he began early in life to watch the growth 

 of trees, and try experiments. He felt the want of some 

 stimulus to horticulture, and thought the formation of a 

 Society " whose object should be the improvement of 



* Pomariitm Byita)niiciim, 1820. History of CitUivated Vegetables, 1822. 

 Sylva Florifera, 1823. Flora Historica, 1824., etc. All by Henry Phillips. 

 t History of English Gardening. By Geo. W. Johnson, 1829. 



