126 Pomological Gossip. 



of the Baldwin and Russet." It is not usual for such sports to 

 take place by the loholesale ; generally, and so far as we are 

 acquainted, they are always of a single type, — that is, a single 

 branch will bear a single fruit or flower, a different color 

 from the parent, (rarely unlike in shape); and such branch, 

 if taken off and grafted or budded upon another stock, will 

 retain its peculiarities. Such sports, too, it should be ob- 

 served, take place without the least reference to the growth 

 of any other variety in the immediate neighborhood. 



That half or one side, or even one whole limb of a Bald- 

 win apple tree should sport into a Russet, because it grew 

 near the latter, we do not believe likely to happen. If so, 

 then our varieties of fruits would soon cease to have any 

 identity, for it is no uncommon thing to have half a dozen 

 kinds of apples or pears grafted on one tree all bearing to- 

 gether, and yet retaining their true characteristics as long as 

 they grow. No, there is evidently some error in attributing 

 the origin of the Red Russet to the cause above given ; and 

 though few individuals, at all familiar with vegetable growth, 

 would place any confidence in such a statement, there are 

 others who may, and it is important to guard against such 

 error. 



Now we think the origin of the Red Russet, presuming 

 the facts as above given are correct, to be from another cause.- 

 It is stated that the Baldwin scions were put upon a seedling 

 tree. Would it not, therefore, be more natural to suppose 

 that the branches which bore the Russet apples were part of 

 the original tree, which accidentally escaped grafting, or if 

 grafted, reproduced itself by new shoots below the scions, as* 

 trees often do, and which might have been overlooked in 

 pruning, in either case? We think so. We have known 

 repeated instances of this kind, and many of the errors in 

 our names of fruits have resulted from such mistakes. We 

 believe the reputed origin of the Red Russet to be of a simi- 

 lar character. 



Bullock's Pippin, or Sheepnose Apple. — This old apple, 

 described by Cox, and figured in our Magazine, (XV, p. 251,) 

 has been recently described in some of the agricultural papers 



