October 5, 1878. I 



JOURNAL OF HOBTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GARDENEB. 



307 



tree. At Muckross Abbey, Killarney, for instance, there are 

 trees 30 to 40 feet high which have never been injured by 

 frost ; and at Sheldon Abbey, the seat of the Earl of Wicklow, 

 it succeeds so well that his lordship contemplates planting it 

 on an extended scale for useful purposes. — Visitor. 



EARLY APPLES. 



Willingly, if not promptly, will I respond to the request 

 of " Wiltshire Bector," and, as far as I am able, assist in 

 determining which Apples are the most useful and profitable. 

 I am ready to contribute my mite of experience for two reasons 

 — namely, because the subject is one of general importance, 

 and because the Eector is one from whose writings I have 

 derived profit, and it would be selfish were I reluctant to 

 offer a trifle in return. I regret having forestalled "Wiltshire 

 Bector" in my sermonising on useful Apples, feeling that 

 he is a better preacher than I am ; but if I appropriated his 

 sermon I left him a text on which he made some seasonable 

 observations. Previously to entering on my subject I may 

 mention, for the special gratification of our friend, that he has 

 served me as bad as I served him. If I took as my text his 

 text, and descanted on the merits of Lord Suffield, Duchess 

 of Oldenburgh, &o., the Bector has equally seized my idea 

 in giving prominence to that valuable dessert Apple Irish 

 Peach. This is the .very Apple that was most prominent in 

 my mind when I suggested that " A Northern Gardener" 

 had omitted to mention some other good early dessert Apples. 

 I can now only add my testimony to that of "Wiltshire 

 Bector's," that Irish Peach is oDe of the most delicious and 

 valuable early dessert Apples in cultivation, and I join in the 

 regret expressed that it is not more frequently seen on the 

 tables of autumn exhibitions. Can it be the fact that an 

 Apple so excellent is not in general cultivation, or is it con- 

 sidered too small for exhibition ? for I observe that judges 

 have a great fancy for " big " dessert Apples, and, as I think, 

 on that point err. 



I have cultivated the Irish Peach as an espalier on the Crab 

 stock and as a pyramid on the Paradise stock, and I find it 

 excellent under both modes of culture, but best from the 

 Paradise stock — better especially in colour, and a little earlier 

 in ripening. I find the tree to be a free grower, hardy, and 

 productive, while as to the quality of its fruit I consider it 

 superior to any other August Apple. Nearly all early dessert 

 Apples are juicy and refreshing, but Irish Peach possesses 

 these qualities and more, for it has an aroma which none of 

 its contemporaries can approach. Its quality I may sum up 

 as a mixture of Devonshire Quarrenden and Bibston Pippin, 

 and I sertiinly advise all growers of early dessert Apples to 

 try IriBh Peach. 



The next early Apple of superior merit which I felt was 

 omitted from the short but good list on page 164 is the Oslin. 

 This Apple in Dr. Hogg's " Fruit Manual " is honoured with 

 six synonymes, which, by the way, is no small testimony of 

 its worth. This Apple is a very favourite one in the midland 

 counties, and I know also it is extensively and successfully 

 cultivated " farther north." I have not tried it as a dwarf on 

 the Paradise stock, but as a standard on the Crab stock it has 

 given the most satisfactory results. The tree grows freely but 

 not strougly, and is of compaofc habit, not attaining a gigantic 

 head. In is a regular but not a heavy ltearer, and the fruit is 

 handsome and excellent, indeed is fully " as good as it looks," 

 which is more than can be said of all Apples. The colour is 

 yellow covered with brown dots. The fruit occasionally cracks, 

 and this cracked fruit is generally most delicious. Boys are 

 proverbially good j udges of Apples, and the Oslin in an orchard 

 of good sorts is their espeoial favourite. It is a favourite also 

 with wasps, which is another mark in its favour. The flesh 

 is craokling, juicy, and possesses a full rich flavour peculiar 

 to itself. It ripens towards the end of Auguat, and while it is 

 excellent when eaten off the tree it continues good for three 

 weeks after being gathered. This Apple I strongly recom- 

 mend for summer use. I am indebted to the " Fruit Manual " 

 for the following "bit of history" in reference to this good 

 Apple : — 



" This is a very old Scotch Apple, supposed to have origi- 

 nated at Arbroath ; or to have been introduced from France 

 by the monks of the abbey which formerly existed at that 

 place. The latter opinion is, in all probability, the correct 

 one, although the name, or any of the synonymes quoted 

 above, are not now to be met with in any modern French lists. 

 Bat in the " Jardinier Francois," which was published in 



1651, 1 rind an Apple mentioned under the name of Orgeran, 

 which is so similar in pronunciation to Orgeline, I think it 

 not unlikely it may be the same name with a change of ortho- 

 graphy, especially as our ancestors were not over-particular in 

 preserving unaltered the names of foreign introductions." 



I add yet another Apple of the greatest value both for its 

 earliness and excellence, and thus complete a trio not inferior 

 to the trio named by " A Northern Gardener." The last I 

 name is the earliest of the three. It is Early Harvest. In the 

 manual referred to Early Harvest has no less than twelve 

 synonymes. It is there recommended for espalier training 

 on the Paradise stock, and the tree is referred to as a free 

 but not a vigorous grower. I will now venture my testimony 

 that on the Crab stock and grown as a standard it grows fully 

 as vigorously as is desirable, producing large leathery foliage 

 and very stout wood ; in fact few kinds crow more freely than 

 this, and few bear more satisfactorily. The fruit is of medium 

 size and of a beautiful glossy yellow colour with a red tinge 

 on the sun side. It is exceedingly juicy and refreshing, with- 

 out possessing any particularly rich flavour, and is a most 

 enjoyable Apple on a hot day. It ripens early in August. I 

 hold this Apple in the highest estimation for its earliness and 

 general good qualities, and I cannot conceive a collection beiDg 

 complete without it. I can name other good Apples ripening 

 somewhat later than those named, but I consider them as 

 being autumn rather than summer Apples. In this category 

 I place Kerry Pippin. It is the really early Apples that are 

 too often overlooked by those establishing collections, for my 

 experience is precisely similar to that of "Wiltshire Bector's," 

 that at no time are Apples so thoroughly relished as during the 

 hot days of summer. 



I am now about to make a bold assertion, and challenge all 

 England to name six early Apples better than these I have 

 ngw named and the three recommended so worthily by " A 

 Northern Gardener." I will, as near as my experience en- 

 ables me to do, place them in the order of ripening : Joan- 

 neting, early in July; Early Harvest, end of July; Irish Peach, 

 early in August ; Summer Golden Pippin, middle of August ; 

 Oslin, end of August ; and Devonshire Quarrenden, end of 

 August and early in September. The time of ripening varies 

 of course in different districts and on varying soils, but the 

 above I have found to be the order of succession of the.be six 

 good Bummer dessert Apples. — A Midland Feuit-Grower. 



P.S. — Since writing the above the Journal of the 28th inst. 

 has arrived. In reply to the inquiry in the correspondence 

 column I can state that Domino, which was recommended by 

 myself and "J. J., Lancashire," can be had both from Mr. 

 Pearson, Chilwell, and Mr. Merryweather, Southwell. I have 

 had trees true to name from both these nurseries. 



PEARS AND APPLES AT BONNYTOWN, 

 ST. ANDREWS, N.B. 



For a good many years I have been collecting varieties of 

 Pears and Apples that would suit this soil and climate ; and 

 when it is stated that one variety has come here under its own 

 proper name of Beurr§ Diel, and also done service as Colmar 

 d'Ete, Brown Beurre, and Doyenne Boussoch, it must be al- 

 lowed that there are a few difficulties in the way of an amateur. 



To gain information I have to-day sent off a small box with 

 one variety of Pear and six of Apples to be named, as some 

 grafts of so-called Clydesdale Apples appear to be of southern 

 origin — e.g., Devil-may-care Apple is the Golden Winter Pear- 

 main, and Bothwell CaBtle is Devonshire Quarrenden, and so 

 it may be with others. No. 1 is called Star of Clydesdale, and 

 is a very handsome and good early Apple. I hope it will not 

 be passed before arrival. 2, Is it Hicks' Fancy ? It is a great 

 bearer as a standard. 3, Lady Wemyss, an early Apple, and a 

 late specimen had to be taken ; so it is not so well coloured 

 as it should be, but it is a correct type as to shape. It is an 

 immense bearer, and is sent because I heard a lady state that 

 it was the best cooking Apple in her experience. 4 Came from 

 London eight years ago as Nelson's Glory, but is not the 

 Nelson's Glory of the "Fruit Manual," neither is Stirling 

 Castle, at least as my tree of it goes. 5, Tower of Glamis. 

 This variety is sent out here as Tower of Glamis, but it does 

 not answer the " Manual," having five sides. 6, A free-bear- 

 ing early Apple, which is very good when allowed to fall and 

 eaten immediately afterwards. 7 Is a Pear which was named 

 Susette de Bavay, which it is not. The real Susette keeps till 

 June, and is then not worth the trouble of keeping. Late 



