Qiieries and Ans'wers. 719 



1836.) Can any of youi" readers throw light on this subject? — Thomas 

 White. Leith, Aug. 1836. 



The Fruit of the 'Ribes sanguinemn being more nearly allied to that of the 

 black currant, than to that of the red currant or the gooseberry, would it not 

 be worth while to try the effect of hybridising, with a view to the production 

 of a new fruit ? — W. R. 



Queries respecting the most jnofitable Kinds of Fruit for a MarJcet-Gardener, 

 — What are the best sorts of pines, for late and winter fruits ? What vines 

 are the most productive and marketable for early and late crops ? What 

 strawberries will do best for forcing ; also for early and late outdoor crops ? 

 What peaches should be grown on a south wall ; also nectarines ? 



The above are to be forced, except the outdoor strawberries ; those below 

 are for east and west walls and espaliers. Apricots, for east and west walls. 

 Cherries, for east and west walls ; the earliest and the latest for espaliers. 

 Plums, for east and west walls, and espaliers ; the smooth-branched sorts only, 

 for the sake of avoiding the aphis. Pears and apples, for espaliers, only the 

 latest sorts and best keepers. Raspberries, for espaliers, the best bearers, and 

 a late sort. Currants and gooseberries, for espaliers ,• of the gooseberries, the 

 most erect growers will be preferred, as they are to be trained erect. 



It will be seen by the above, that every thing that can be brought into es- 

 palier training with me is adopted, in consequence of the superiority of the 

 fruit, the advantage of pruning, thinning, cleansing from filth, protection from 

 frost, independently of beauty of appearance. — Y. Lancashire, July, 1836. 



7%!? Girton Pip'pin Apjile. — At Kirkton, a village near Barton, in Suffolk, 

 there is (which Camden also takes notice of ) a very fair church, built ca- 

 thedral-wise. This town gives original and name to that sort of apples which 

 are called at Cambridge, corruptly, Girton pippins, of a very pleasant taste. — 

 (^Select Remains of the learned John Ray, p. 13.5. 8vo, 1661.) 



I have no doubt some of your readers can inform me whether any of the 

 trees which may have been supposed to be growing at Barton in the time of 

 Camden are still in existence there ; and if so, in what state they are with 

 regard to health, bearing, &c. I should also be glad to know if what is 

 called ihe Girton pippin, in England, be the same as the Kirkton, Kirton, or 

 cracked, pippin of the Edinburgh Gardens, which is a small round flat apple, 

 nearly resembhng the Thorle pippin. — Pomona. Oct. 1836. 



Potash from Beet-root. — The beet-root, says a French paper, is about to 

 acquire an additional title to the attention of agriculturists, by the new pro- 

 duce which, besides molasses and sugar, it is now found can be extracted from 

 it. One of these productions (potash) will be, like sugar, the rival of an exotic 

 commodity, M. Dubrunfant has been the first to discover the means of 

 advantageously extracting this substance from the residuum left after the distil- 

 lation of molasses, and which has hitherto been thrown away after the separa- 

 tion of its alcohol. To give some idea of the importance of this new source 

 of national wealth, it will be sufficient to say that the quantity of potash 

 yielded by M. Dubrunfont's process is equal to one sixth of the quantity 

 of sugar extracted from the beet-root; thus admitting the fact that, where 

 80,000,000 lb. of indigenous sugar are annually produced, we may expect to ob- 

 tain from the primary materials 14,000,000 lb. of a saline substance, equal in all 

 respects to the best potash imported ; besides alcohol and other productions. 

 At the present rate of prices, the value of this quantity will be about eight or 

 nine millions of francs ; and these facts furnish an additional argument for the 

 protection of our indigenous sugar against foreign competition. (Morning Chro- 

 nicle, Nov. 1. 1836.) I have since learned that a kind of coffee is made by the 

 French from some part of the beet- root, after the sugar has been extracted, 

 which is said to be equal, if not superior, to coffee from chicor}'. Now, as 

 there is an establishment at Limehouse for extracting sugar from the beet, I 

 should be greatly obliged to any of your readers who would inform me, 1st, 

 Whether this manufactory answers as far as sugar is concerned ? 2dly, Whe- 



