February 10, 1863.] 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



113 



The Blenheim Pippin is a sample from an old tree which 

 would scarcely produce Apples larger than crabs. I added fresh 

 life to its constitution by taking out a trench a yard wide and 

 deep around the circumference of its branches, refilling with 

 rotted turf compost, and I thinned out its head. I scrape oif 

 the loose bark, and soot and lime wash its bole and larger 

 branches every spring, and give a thorough good soaking with 

 600 gallons of house-sewage, just as the fruit begins to swell 

 annually. That is the rr.au — or rather the Apple — as Beau 

 Brummol formerly said of starch. 



The specimens of Cox' a Orange are from the young pyramidal 

 tree which I mentioned in these pages a short time ago. As 

 regards condition both these Apples are a month after their 

 season, but I wanted you to see the Blenheim Pippin, just to 

 show to you what an old tree can be made to do, and to induce 

 others who may hare old Apple trees inclining to wear-out, to 

 go and do likewise. How I should like to hare the handling of 

 some of the hoary-headed moss-grown trees in the orchards 

 of Devonshire ! What a wigging I would give them ! Oh, 

 that our Devonshire apiarian friends would dip their facile pens 

 in a little gall and bitterness, and sting a great many of their 

 countrymen to action upon the spot ! So many broad acres, and so 

 many comparatively young orchards that are there giving small 

 returns for want of a little exertion ! And then, if some of them 

 were to retaliate on Mr. Woodbury — at least, if they are bachelors 

 — I should rejoice, on account of that poetry, a translation of 

 which he gave us at page 42, from the German. — Upwabds 

 and Onwakds. 



[The Knight's Monarch Pears are not large, but of more than 

 average flavour. The Blenheim Pippin as large and as good- 

 flavoured as any we ever saw. The Cox's Orange small, but 

 well flavoured. The Potatoes all bear testimony in favour of 

 the ridge system of growing, not only by their superior size, but 

 excellence of quality. — Eds. J. of H.] 



TREATMENT OF APEICOT TEEES IN BLOOM. 



Theee is a common saying in this part of the country when a 

 person feels he has to contend against sophistry in place of 

 argument, "Now don't throw dust in my eyes." I cannot help 

 feeling my friend Rivers has been dealing in dust. He is quite 

 aware I have insisted on the necessity of a dry atmosphere and 

 dry pollen to the proper fertilisation of the flowers of fruit trees, 

 and I have even thought I was at unnecessary pains to secure this 

 object. He will find if he refers to my article of December 30th, 

 I only threw out a suggestion that the sprinkling of Apricots 

 occasionally before and during blooming might be beneficial. 



Now, I would a9k, Supposing all the ventilators of your house 

 to be open, and you sprinkled a tree all over the first thing in 

 the morning, or say at breakfast time, how long would the tree 

 remain damp with a dry wind passing through the house ? Could 

 it possibly prevent the pollen being dry by eleven or twelve 

 o'clock? I know my success in Apricot culture has been as 

 great as any one can boast of, but it has not been sufficient to 

 satisfy me, and I am anxiously feeling my way to comparative 

 certainty. 



Can any one acquainted with the slopes of the Atla9 Mountains 

 Of the hills of the Caucassus, say if the soil in those localities is 

 dry as dust all winter, or the trees entirely unvisited by rain 

 during the blooming season ? If so, then clearly the suggested 

 experiment will result in failure, but if confined to " two trees " 

 it will not be a seriouB one. 



Let me give my reasons for trying the experiment I suggested, 

 for, remember, it is only an experiment at present. 



Some years ago I noticed three large Apricot trees full of 

 bloom in my farmyard. It rained with a strong west wind almost 

 every day ; and the trees, being trained to a western aspect, were, 

 of course, exposed to the full force of the showers. When it 

 was not raining the sun often shone brightly, and I remarked 

 several times how strong and healthy the blossoms were. One 

 day the weather turned much colder; the trees were covered 

 with snow, and as there was a Blight frost, I thought it all over 

 with the Apricots ; but they never set so thickly on those trees 

 before or since. 



On talking over the matter with a clever old gardener, still 

 alive, he said he had often remarked Apricots set best in change- 

 able weather. I have observed the bloom of trees which had 

 been kept dry all winter had a dull and weak appearance, and 

 have an idea that such extreme dryness is unnatural ; but, of 



course, this idea may prove incorrect, and if I prove it to be so 

 you shall soon hear the result. 



I think the tree in a pot mentioned by Mr. Rivers as standing 

 in a narrow house with a Beech hedge at the back 8 feet 

 high, and another in front 4 feet high, proves very satisfactorily 

 that Apricot blossoms will stand a certain amount of frost, but 

 not, I think, that they require to be always dry. Such a very 

 imperfect protection would hardly insure the latter ; nor do I 

 think he is quite justified in saying, if he had lighted a charcoal 

 fire in his orchard-house, almost every blossom would have set. 

 Had he tried the experiment, and such had been the result, it 

 would have been worth knowing. I am sorry I have no more 

 positive information to convey on this interesting subject, but 

 trust this gentle sprinkle will " lay the dust." — J. R. Peabsok, 

 Chilwell. 



THE PEAE CROP OF 1S62. 



As you ask for information respecting the Pear crop of 1862, 

 I beg to offer you the following observations. There was an 

 abundance of very strong bloom, and the fruit set very thickly ; 

 but the cold and wet in June and July thinned it considerably 

 The Pears did not appear to grow till August and September ; 

 indeed, I never saw the Pears and Apples grow so fast as they 

 did in the latter part of August and all September. The soil, a 

 very retentive loam, is very cold and damp, and the situation is 

 low and damp. 



The Pears are all grown against an east wall, except the 

 Ea9ter Beurre, and that is on a west wall. — E. Sendall, Bur- 

 ningliam, near Cromer, Norfolk. 



Williams' Son Chretien. — Crop very heavy. Fruit medium 

 size, and very good. Ripe middle of September. 



Louise Bonne of Jersey. — -A good crop ; delicious fruit. Ripe 

 beginning of October. 



Forelle. — Crop good, but all the fruit that hung exposed were 

 mildewed; the others were fine and delicious. Ripe end of 

 October. 



Marie Louise. — Very heavy crop. Fruit small but delicious. 

 Ripe end of October. 



Fondante aVAutomne. — Crop middling. Fruit fine and very 

 good. Ripe beginning of October. 



Passe Cohnar. — Crop good. Fruit small, and the best I have 

 seen for ten years. They always mildew more or less. Ripe 

 end of November. 



Winter Nelis. — A heavy crop. Fruit medium size, and 

 delicious. Ripe very early, and all done by the second week in 

 December. 



Beurre JDiel. — A heavy crop. Fruit rather small, but very 

 good. Ripe middle of December. 



Glou Morceau. — A good crop. Fruit small, and very much 

 mildewed ; kept badly. Ripe in January. 



Beurre d'Aremberg. — Crop good. Fruit delicious, medium 

 size. Ripe throughout December. 



Easter Beurre. — Crop good. Fruit very fine and beautiful. 

 Ripe in December and January. 



Beurre Bosc. — Fruit medium size. Ripe beginning of 

 November. Not first-rate. 



Ne Plus Meuris. — A very heavy crop. Fruit rather small, 

 but very good. Ripe now. 



NEW PEAES, THEIE VAEYING MEEIT ON 



DIFFEEENT SOILS. 



At page 76 of The Jot/enal oe Hoeticultuee, the well- 

 known pomologist, " T. R.," gives -.'8 some account of Huyshe's 

 Victoria Pear, and says he tasted it on the 15th of January, 

 comparing it with Josephine de Maliues ; and fromthe com- 

 parison he pronounces it one of our best sorts. It is curious 

 that the day before I read his notice I went purposely to taste 

 the Victoria grown by a gentleman near here. We took Winter 

 Nelis as our standard ; but although the Victoria had the fine 

 flesh, abundant juice, and melting qualities of one of its parents — 

 Marie Louise, yet it was entirely wanting in the acidulouB 

 piquant flavour that so much distinguishes the Marie Louise, 

 and it had not the slightest chance against the Winter Nelis. 

 You see "T. R." and myself have chosen two Pears as our 

 standards of excellence not easily surpassed ; and it is not much 

 to be wondered at that the Victoria did not rival the Winter 

 Nelis; but how it reached the superlative Josephine in one 



