982 



Gardening for Amateurs 



land, and are practically free from the 

 disease on warmer soils. In some districts 

 excessive dampness of the atmosphere en- 

 courages the spread of canker, and in locali- 

 ties where the disease flourishes it is often 

 difficult to eradicate. Unfortunately, some 

 of our best Apples fall a ready prey to the 

 ravages of canker, although it is sometimes 

 possible to check or minimise the attack. 

 King of the Pippins is one of those most 



Espalier with two sets of double branches. 



subject to the disease. As the flavour of this 

 Apple is not first rate, it can well be spared. 

 Cellini Pippin often cankers on the Crab 

 stock when grown as an orchard tree, but is 

 more satisfactory on the Paradise. It is an 

 Apple of very attractive appearance when 

 seen at its best, as the fruit colours beauti- 

 fully. Gascoyne's Scarlet is subject to canker 

 in some gardens, but not often to a large 

 extent. 



Lord Suffield is a valuable early Apple, 

 but the trees sometimes suffer badly. When 



this is the case plant Lord Grosvenor in its 

 place. Lord Derby is frequently attacked, 

 but it is a variety that can well be spared. 

 The same remarks apply to Peasgood's Non- 

 such. 



In Warner's King we have a particularly 

 useful variety, but it is by no means free from 

 canker. Where this disease is troublesome, 

 plant Norfolk Beauty, a comparatively new 

 Apple of great merit. Ribston Pippin and 

 Cox's Orange Pippin are both subject to 

 canker, especially the former. They are 

 generally reliable croppers, and the flavour 

 of both is excellent, so that a few should be 

 planted where the soil is deep and well 

 drained. Both varieties are worth a wall in 

 cold localities, and succeed admirably when 

 grown as cordons. Two good substitutes are 

 Allington Pippin and Claygate Pearmain. 



Remedies. When the branches are at- 

 tacked by canker, it is important to adopt 

 preventive measures as soon as possible, as 

 the cankered portions on old branches are 

 ideal places for American blight or woolly 

 aphis to lodge, and when this pest is once 

 settled in the crevices it is difficult to get 

 rid of it. When young branches are attacked 

 by canker they should be cut off and burned. 

 In the case of older branches the best plan 

 is to cut out the cankered part carefully with 

 a sharp knife, and apply a dressing of gas 

 tar to the wound. After this treatment the 

 place frequently heals, and the disease is 

 eradicated. It is by far the best plan to use 

 the knife for canker, for by taking the matter 

 in hand in the early stages it can often be 

 stamped out, and if the trees are looked over 

 regularly to see that the disease is not start- 

 ing in another place, a complete cure will be 

 effected. 



VARIETIES. The following list of reliable 

 dessert and cooking apples is selected from 

 among the innumerable varieties now in 

 cultivation. 



Dessert. Adam's Pearmain, of conical 

 form, handsome and pleasantly flavoured, 

 crops well, ripe in December- January ; 

 Allington Pippin, a favourite variety, attrac- 

 tive and of good flavour, bears freely, ripe 

 November-December ; Baumann's Red Rein- 

 ette, an Apple of brilliant colouring, moderate 

 size and fair flavour, bears heavy crop, 

 November-December ; Blenheim Orange, a 



