49S 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ December £7, 1-777. 



and for the fall development of its handsome proportions 

 should have room affiled it. The soil intended for its 

 reception should be broken up to the depth of 3 feet, and the 

 above-named compost well incorporated with the beBt of the 

 soil where it is intended to grow. It should have thorough 

 ■drainage, being a gross feeder ; when required it should be 

 supplied with water, all the better for having weak liquid 

 manure water now and again ; it is increased by division in 

 She spring when growth is commencing. — Veritas. 



MARKET APPLES. 



Mr. Robson in his welcome remarks on page 450 has directed 

 attention to a failing point in the popular Apple Cellini. It 

 is too tender, Mr. Robson has said, to travel a long distance 

 well, and the fruit doss not turn out of the baskets in good 

 condition. From the fact that Cellini is an Apple of good 

 appearance and quality, also that the tree has proved a good 

 bearer even during the past barren season, it is probable that 

 trees of it may be rather freely planted. It becomes, there- 

 fore, the more important to give prominence to any bad 

 qualities that it may possess, that they may either be disproved 

 -or substantiated. I have grown this Apple with satisfaction 

 to myself and employers, but have not had experience in 

 marketing its fruit ; but I have had the advantage of listening 

 ■to a cultivator whose opinions always commanded respect — 

 ■the late Mr. J. R. Pearson of Chilwell, whose views coincided 

 "with those of Mr. Robson on the bad travelling properties of 

 the Apple in question. I have heard Mr. Pearson remark that 

 •Cellini was an excellent Apple for home use, but it would 

 never be popular as a market Apple. Twelve hours in a basket 

 and a hundred-miles journey on a railway was in his opinion 

 quite sufficient to spoil the appearance of the fruit. This is 

 a matter of such importance to so many cultivators that I 

 think it unadvisable that the experience of one — for no doubt 

 Mr. Pearson spoke from experience — should remain unpub- 

 lished. Those who have had much practice in the gathering 

 and storing of Apples cannot but have observed how the bruises 

 -received by one kind will spread and show, while those of 

 another remain almost imperceptible, and, indeed, apparently 

 •diminish. 



The Apple which Mr. Pearson considered one of the most 

 'valuable for early market purposes is the Duchess of Olden- 

 burgh, an early free-bearing variety of Russian origin. I have 

 heard that gentleman state that na Apple of its season would 

 ■travel from Nottingham to Manchester so well as the Russian. 

 None other, he remarked, could "hide its bruises" so well; 

 in fact he observed that it improved in appearance after having 

 been removed from the baskets, the bruises apparently vanish- 

 ing, while those of Cellini always increased. The Duchess of 

 •Oldenburgh is a handsome Apple — good in size, colour and 

 •quality; and as it ripens early (August), and the tree is a 

 healthy grower and great bearer it is worthy of the attention 

 of cultivators. It forms an attractive bush or pyramid, and 

 is suitable for small gardens. 



A popular market Apple in some distriots of the north of 

 England is a small very richly coloured sort called Lord 

 Lsnnox. It is a dessert fruit, but not of particularly high 

 quality, yet is fairly good. It is chiefly on account of its 

 round pleasing form and bright scarlet colour that it is 

 esteemed as a market fruit. The tree is a very clean and free 

 •grower, and it forms, when unpruned, natural spurB, and pro- 

 duces heavy crops of fruit. It roots more freely than most 

 other sorts, and seems to thrive in almost any sort of soil. I 

 have seen it growing almost in a swamp ; indeed quite so 

 during the winter months, and have never yet observed a 

 speck of canker on either root or branch. It has never occurred 

 to me before this moment that Lord Lennox would probably 

 form an excellent stock for the Ribston Pippin, which is yet 

 the favourite market Apple for dessert purposes, but seldom 

 seen on account of the proneness of the tree to canker. Will 

 someone having an opportunity of doing so graft the Ribston 

 Pippin on the Lord Lennox stook, and in due time report 

 progress ? A few years ago I was compelled to plant twelve 

 Apple trees in as many sorts in a very low wet soil, and Lord 

 ■Lennox is the only one that is entirely free from canker. It 

 makes a fine standard tree, and its fruit does not readily blow 

 off during a brisk wind. It is probably a local Apple, and I 

 Isnow nothing of its origin or history. 



Two other local Apples of undoubted usefulness, especially 

 as orchard standards, have been favourably mentioned in the 

 -Journal — namely, the Russian Transparent and Bramley's 



Saedling. I have not yet grown these Apples to a bearing 

 state, but I have seen them growing and fruiting. They are 

 both of them fine and profitable Apples that anyone can grow 

 who has room for full-sized standards. They only require to 

 be planted, and they will grow and form natural spurs and 

 bear large fruit of excellent quality for culinary purposes. 

 They are both of them " market Apples" which, when once in 

 a bearing state, will pay producers and satisfy consumers as 

 well as any Apples of their kind and season that I am acquainted 

 with. 



Beauty of Eent is a good " market Apple," but by no means 

 a local sort. It is mentioned now by way of knocking away 

 a prop, if possible, that supports a popular delusion. This 

 Apple is supposed to be suitable for the southern districts of 

 England only. I have seen it flourish in the north and pro- 

 duce good crops when many other sorts had succumbed to the 

 inclemency of the weather. So far from its being a tender 

 sort I consider it aB hardy as Dumelow's Seedling, or, as it is 

 called in the north, Normanton Wonder. Beauty of Eent, 

 besides being hardy, is a free bearer ; its fruit is large, of good 

 colour, and of superior culinary quality. 



Normanton Wonder is a favourite " market Apple" in the 

 north, not because of its high quality, but because of its firm- 

 ness in late spring. As a " May-day" Apple it is perhaps the 

 first favourite in many districts. The tree generally bears 

 heavily, and the fruit usually commands a good piice. 



Another Apple of great promise as a market sort is the 

 Worcester Pearmain. The tree is a good grower and bearer, 

 and the fruit is extremely handsome and highly coloured — 

 almost blood red, and of the first quality. It can hardly fail 

 to become very popular, possessing as it does such a combi- 

 nation of attractions — namely, easy to grow, fice to look at, 

 and excellent to eat. 



Warner's Eing is a very favourite market Apple. The tree 

 is a good grower and bearer ; the fruit is of large size, of good 

 appearance, and of excellent quality. " Eing " Apples, as they 

 are often called, are extremely popular in the noi-ih. 



I have only mentioned a few useful market Apples which I 

 think are not quite so well known as they deserve to be. There 

 may be others equally good, and which are passed over because 

 their usefulness is admitted. I will only allude to one that 

 Mr. Robson has made to look " rather small " — L jrd Suffield ; 

 and of this I will only say that if returns could be had of ths 

 number of different sorts that are annually grafted and sob"', 

 I believe Lord Suffield would be found to far outnumber any- 

 other Apple grown in Britain. 



I think with Mr. Robson that the Apple is at least as im- 

 portant as the Rose; but admirers of Apples are not so enthu- 

 siastic or possess such facile pens as do lovers of Roses, or the 

 relative merits of varieties of the most serviceable of hardy 

 fruits would be more freely discussed. 



The crops in the north have been scant this year, and much 

 fruit that set did not attain to more than half the usual s ; z- : 

 it was also so malformed by injury from hail and severe 

 weather as to be in a great measure unpresentable at exhi- 

 bitions. — A NORTHERN GARDENER. 



NOTES AND GLEANINGS. 



We are glad to learn that the amount in the funds at the 

 credit of the Gaedenees' Royal Benevolent Fund is now 

 £11,300, the additional sum of £300 having been recently 

 purchased. In consequence of the death of two pensioners 

 having occurred Bince the election lists were issued two more 

 will be added on the recommendation of the general meeting. 



The dates for the exhibitions of the National Rose 



Society for 1S78 are now fixed. The metropolitan Show will 

 be held at the Crystal Palace on Saturday, June 29th, and the 

 provincial Show at Manchester on Saturday, July 6th, iD con- 



1 nection with the Manchester Botanicil Society. In both in- 

 i stances the Hon. Secretaries regard the arrangements as very 

 J advantageous to the interests of the Society ; they have en- 

 deavoured to get some other day in the week, but were obliged 

 I to give way. The Exeoutive Committeo will meet early next 

 i month to arrange the schedules in order to submit thsm to a 

 general meeting of the Committee. 



The Horticultural Clue, which has been located 



hitherto on the Adelphi Terraoe, are about to migrate to the 

 Temple Club in Arundel Street. There can be no doubt as 

 to the change being for the better, and consequently in the 

 interests of the Club, which have certainly suffired from its 



