Penological Magazine. 83 



seasons will last till the end of September. It was sent from Devonshire 

 to the gardens about London, and was probably raised in that county, where 

 it is extensively cultivated." 



95. The Noblesse Peach (Noblest, Miller ; Mellish's Favourite, Eng. Gard.; 

 Double Montagne, Hort. Soc. Fruit Cat.). " For the excellent account of 

 this highly valued and most useful peach, our work is indebted to Mr. 

 Robert Thompson, under-gardener in the fruit department of the Horticul- 

 tural Society's garden, to whom we have before had to express our obli- 

 gations ; which, indeed, ought to be repeated in every page." The fruit is 

 large, the flesh parts with the stone, and is melting and rich. It ripens in 

 the end of August, and is one of the principal sorts for forcing. The tree 

 is hardy, and a good bearer. 



96. The White Astracan Apple (Transparent de Muscovie and Glace de 

 Zeland of foreign gardens, Pyrus astracanica Dwnont Courset). " The 

 waxy secretion, called bloom, which has been wisely provided by nature for 

 protecting the delicate cuticle of many succulent fruits, such as plums, 

 grapes, and others, is scarcely found in the apple and pear, or at least only 

 in very minute quantity. In apples, however, there are a few exceptions to 

 this, and, what is extremely remarkable, almost exclusively among varieties 

 cultivated in Russia. For instance, the apple called by Mr. Kirke the 

 Duchess of Oldenburg, which is known to be of Russian origin, the Em- 

 peror Alexander, and the subject of this article, with some others, are 

 covered with a coating of bloom, as copious and delicate as that of the most 

 beautiful plum. Independently of this, the White Astracan apple possesses 

 the singular property of becoming transparent when ripe, a circumstance 

 which is well known to occur in a variety of crab, hut which is very rare 

 among apples. It is on all these accounts, we presume, that the foreign 

 writers whom we have above cited have been induced to consider this 

 a distinct species of Pyrus, in which they are unquestionably wrong." The 

 tree is hardy, and a good bearer ; fruit ripens in August, and, when newly 

 gathered, is delicious, but it keeps only a few days. It is cultivated in 

 Russia, and said to grow wild about Astracan. It was first brought into 

 notice by Mr. Atkinson. 



No. XXV. for November, contains 



97. The Spring-Grove Peach. Raised by Mr. Knight from Neill's Early 

 Purple and the pollen of the Red Nutmeg. A very good early variety, 

 ripening about the end of August 5 not large, but handsome and well 

 flavoured. 



98. The Gravenstein Apple. Said to have been introduced to the garden 

 of a castle in Sleswick or Hoi stein, called Grafenstein, from Italy ; but it is 

 very doubtful if the English variety of this name be the same as that of 

 Christ, Mayer, and others. " An apple of great merit, and one which 

 should be found in all good gardens. It is a hardy tree, bearing as a stan- 

 dard, but becoming much unproved if grown upon a wall. Its flavour is 

 very high and grateful ; but its merit is as a kitchen apple, as which it is 

 considered to have no equal." The fruit is large, ripens in October, and 

 will keep till December ; wood strong, and leaves and flowers large. 



99. Lucombe's Nonsuch Plum. Raised from seed by Messrs. Lucombe, 

 Pince, and Co., of Exeter. " It is undoubtedly the nearest approach that 

 has yet been made on the part of a seedling to the famous Green Gage of 

 the English, Reine Claude of the French ; and although it cannot be said 

 to equal in all respects that celebrated variety, it is nevertheless entitled to 

 a character of very high excellence." 



100. The Irish Peach Apple, sometimes called the Early Crofton, but 

 not the Early White Crofton, which is a distinct variety. Much cultivated 

 in Ireland j perfectly hardy, flowers early, bears well as a standard, and is 



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