PEAK 



HABDY FRUIT GARDEN 



PLUM 1069 



also succeeds as a cordon. It is often 

 double graited, and is a heavy cropper. 



* Verulam. — Aji excellent and richly 

 flavoured stewing Pear, in use from 

 January to March. Fruit large, obovoid, 

 dull green, thinly coated with russet on the 

 shaded side, flushed with reddish-brown, 

 and heavily dotted with grey next the sun. 



The tree is a very strong grower and 

 an abundant bearer. It forms a large 

 pyramid, and is also good as a standard. 

 In good favourable seasons the fruit is fit 

 for dessert use. 



* Vicar of Winkfield. — A good stewing 

 Pear, in use from November till January, 

 and also suitable for dessert when grown 

 in good situations and favourable seasons. 

 Fruit very large, oblong obovoid, often 

 one-sided, smooth, greenish-yellow, tinged 

 with red on the sunny side, and dotted 

 with green and grey russet. 



The tree forms a large pyramid, and 

 also a good standard. 



Williams' Bon Chretien. — A rich juicy 

 and deliciously flavoured Pear with a 

 strong agreeable aroma, ripe in August 

 and September, but will not keep long. 

 Fruit large, bluntly oblong obovoid, 

 irregular and wavy in outline, smooth 

 pale green, becoming clear yellow with 

 ripeness, and streaked with red on the 

 side next the sun. 



The tree is a hardy and vigorous 

 grower, but irregular and not free in 

 producing its fine fruits. The latter 

 should be gathered before they are ripe, 

 when in the greenish-yellow stage, as they 

 soon decay. They also lose a good deal 

 of their delicious flavour if allowed to 

 hang until the fruit parts readily from 

 the tree. The trees grow well on the 

 Quince stock, and make fine fruitful 

 pyramids or standards in favourable 

 situations, but they seem to be more fruit- 

 ful as cordons in some localities. The 

 present season (1900) has been an ex- 

 ceptionally good one for ' Williams ' Pears. 



Winter Nelis. — A melting, rich, and 

 deliciously flavoured Pear, with a fine 

 aroma, in use from November to Febru- 

 ary. ITruit below medium size, roundish 

 obovoid or top-shaped, dull green, chan- 

 ging to yellowish-green, dotted and flaked 

 with brown-russet, especially on the sunny 

 side. 



The tree succeeds well on the Quince, 

 and forms a handsome pyramid and a 

 good cordon. It is quite hardy and bears 

 abundantly. 



Select list of Dessert Pears arranged 

 according to the period of ripening, those 

 marked with an asterisk being particularly 

 suitable for small gardens. 



July and Augmt. — Beurr^ Giffard, 

 Clapp's Favourite, * Jargonelle, * Williams' 

 Bon Chretien. 



August and September. — ■ * Beurre 

 d'Amanlis, Fondante d'Automne, Madame 

 Treyve, Souvenir du Congrfes. 



October. — * Beurre Hardy, Beurr4 

 Superfln, * Comte de Lamy, * Doyenn^ 

 Boussoch, * Emile d'Heyst, * Louise 

 Bonne of Jersey, * Mar^chal de Cour, 



* Marie Louise, * Pitmaston Duchess, 

 Seckle. 



November and December. — * Doyenn^ 

 du Comice, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Glou 

 Morceau, Hacon's Incomparable, Passe 

 Oolmar, * Thompson's. 



Ja/nuary and February. — Beurre 

 Sterckmans, * Josephine de Malines, 



* Marie Benoist, * Nouvelle Fulvie, Passe 

 Crassane, * Winter Nelis. 



March and April. — Bergamotte Es- 

 peren, * Beurre Eance, * Easter Beurre, 

 Olivier de Serres. 



Stewing or Baking Pears 



Bellissime d'Hiver. Nov. to April. 



* Beurr4 Clairgeau. Nov. 



* Catillac. Dec. to April. 

 Uvedale's St. Germain. Jan. to April. 



* Verulam. Jan. to March. 

 Vicar of Winkfield. Nov. to Jan. 



THE PLUM (Peunus domestica). 

 The cultivated Plum has probably 

 originated by the natural crossing and 

 intercrossing at remote periods of various 

 more or less distinct varieties or species. 

 Thus P. domestica, P. insititia (the 

 Bullaoe), and P. spinosa (the Blackthorn 

 or Sloe) have no doubt all contributed to 

 produce the modern Plum. 



The Plum is one of the hardiest and 

 most useful fruits for cultivation in the 

 British Islands, and notwithstanding the 

 fact that it belongs to the Rose Family, 

 like the Apple and Pear, it differs from 

 these in its fruit (called a drupe) having 

 a stone or nut embedded in a fleshy pulp. 

 The trees reach a height of 15-20 ft. with 

 spreading heads, and produce their masses 

 of pure white blossom earlier than either 

 Apples or Pears in the spring time. For 

 the botanical details of the genus the 

 reader is referred to the description of 

 Prunus, p. 356. 



