230 Queries and Answers. 



Mr. Carr of St. Ann's, near Leeds, recommending strongly the use of eyed cast-iron nails, which 

 were not drawn from the wall, but when it was wanted to remove a branch, the strings or willows 

 were untied, and drawn from the nail. Now the wiring the wall would be attended with similar 

 advantages, although I suspect at greater expense. I would submit for your consideration, whe- 

 ther softened copper wire might not be used safely for tying up the branches to the eyed nails ; if 

 so, the disfiguring party-coloured shreds of cloth would be avoided, and thus the nests or lurking 

 ho'les of insects be done away with. In order to prevent the smallness of wire from injuring the 

 bark of trees, it might be passed two or three times evenly round and through the eye each time, 

 and then, with one or two twists, made fast in front. Dark-coloured walls are by some strongly 

 applauded for training fruit trees, from the greater power of radiating heat, and thus forcing, as it 

 were, earlier to maturity the trees trained on them. The danger and disadvantages seem to be, 

 that they are apt to force into blossom at too early a season in spring, rendering them liable to be 

 injured by frost; and in summer the trees are liable to be overheated or scorched. I look on the 

 first of these objections as the most weighty, as the latter can be removed by leaving a closer foliage, 

 or by a partial or temporary screen during the brightest and hottest hours, or perhaps by partial 

 waterings by means of an engine. I think the forcing at too early a season might be in some 

 measure avoided by a coat of whitewash in March or April, which would most likely be all 

 washed off before the summer was far advanced, but not before the spring frosts were most danger- 

 ous ; or the trees might be loosed from the walls, as practised successfully at St. Ann's. — W. M. 

 Argyleshire, Nov. 6. 1828. 



Apples for a small Orchard. — Sir, Observing in your Magazine for February 

 (p. 111.) a query from J. S L, wishing to know the best varieties of apples for a small orchard, I 

 beg leave to offer a few observations. Your correspondent wishes them to be founded on expe- 

 rience, to which, by the by, I do not claim any great pretensions, though I have been amongst 

 fruit and orchards so.re small part of my life, which is not very far advanced. My employer, 

 Mr. J. Pearson, of Chilwell, Nottinghamshire, who is, I believe, one of the greatest fruit-growers 

 in this part of the country, if not in England (except cider-growers), is particularly careful in 

 selecting fruits that keep well, and likewise those that succeed each other in their regular stages 

 of keeping ; thereby, from the beginning of the season, always having an abundant supply of 

 marketable fruit, if J. S. L. were to have one apple tree of a sort, it would, to plant two acres, 

 require far above the number of real good sorts planted in this part of the kingdom. I shall 

 endeavour to give a short list of those considered here the best for keeping and bearing, as well as 

 for the table and kitchen ; and as, in the course of a few years, when the trees get into full 

 bearing, your correspondent would find, to keep the different sorts separate, it would require 

 much more trouble and room than a small well selected variety would ; an orchard of that de- 

 scription would not suit a person who made supplying the country with fruit part of his business, 

 and would not yield so much profit, which is a very great point, and which we all aim at, more or 

 less. I shall only mention sorts that I have actually seen bear as standard orchard trees in this 

 county. 



Table Apples. 



The Burgin Apple. A conical yellowish fruit, middle-sized, fine flavour, middling bearer. 



Lord Lennox. A fine scarlet new variety, rather flat, with very superior flavour, a strong up- 

 right grower, well adapted for situations where the trees are not required to spread much. 



Clifton (Nottinghamshire) Nonesuch. A very handsome apple, good flavour. 



Keddlestone Pippin. A Derbyshire apple, originated (I believe) at the village from which it 

 derives its name ; a great bearer, middle size, and very superior flavour. 



Wollaton Pippin. A very handsome flat apple, supposed to be of French origin ; one of the best 

 keeping table apples we have, good flavour, very juicy. 



Blenheim Orange, or Woodstock Pearmain. A very large handsome apple, fine flavour, but 

 considered rather an idle bearer. 



Pike's Pearmain. A beautiful fruit, great bearer, and very good flavour ; well adapted for 

 market. 



Waterloo Pippin. A middle-sized early scarlet fruit, good. 



Garret's New Golden Pippin. A great bearer and fine flavour. 



Hertfort's Russet. A great bearer, middle size, and keeps remarkably well. 



Egglestone Summering. A handsome early fruit, good bearer. 



Bess Poole. One of the best apples we have for baking, table, size, and colour; a very great 

 bearer after the trees get a certain age, and keeps very well. If I recollect right, some years ago 

 you called at the time we were getting the crop, you may, perhaps, be able to speak to the fine- 

 ness and beauty of the fruit. 



Kitchen Apples. 



Maltster Apple. A very fine large fruit, comes in just before the late keeping sorts ; good bearer, 

 and free grower. 



Manic' s Codlin. A great bearer and bushy grower, suitable for growing in small gardens, and 

 from the very scarlet appearance of the outside of the petals, and free blooming, would make a 

 very handsome feature in a shrubbery, with the single almond, and other early-flowering shrubs. 



Keswick Codlin, or Westmoreland Pippin. Early and a great bearer, rather getting out of favour 

 in consequence of not keeping well, and sinking a great deal when baked. 



Hawlliornden, or White, Apple. A fine handsome early fruit, good bearer. 



Northern Greening. A rather conical greenish apple, great bearer, good keeper, and capital 

 for baking ; much cultivated. 



Normanton Wonder. A very superior apple, free-growing, very large and yellow, and one of 

 the best keeping sorts ; a variety much planted. 



Greenup's Pippin. A handsome large apple, with rather a long stalk, which makes it unfit for 

 exposed situations ; good bearer. 



Beautiful Stripe. A Lancashire apple, a very great bearer ; and from the fine colour of the 

 fruit, and being a compact grower, the trees present a complete surface of scarlet when in full 

 bearing. 



The Hunthouse. A middle-sized apple, great bearer and long keeper; sometimes used for the 

 table. 



Woodborough Pippin. A large handsome apple, and an immense bearer, very good for baking, 

 but when used in its raw state has an unpleasant bitterish taste ; keeps very long. 



The Caldwell, or Padiey's Pippin, is a sort much grown here, and is an excellent apple for 

 profit, it bears abundantly, good size and colour, bakes and keeps well. 



Barton Free-bearer, as its name intimates, produces abundantly, good size. 

 L Wareham's Russet. A very fine fruit, keeps well, and excellent for kitchen use. 



