44. HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



and nursery-grounds of M» de Cock. We found dial they 

 were on a very limited scale, and kept almost entirely by 

 his own labour. It may be noticed, that in some places 

 the divisions were made with hawthorn hedges trained to 

 slight trellises, forming a thin and slender hedge, but one 

 which must very speedily attain sufficient height. There 

 V as a considerable collection of apple and pear trees in a 

 fruit-bearing state, and the owner appeared to have a pretty 

 correct knowledge of the numerous varieties which consti- 

 tute his stock. He proved of an obliging disposition, and 

 very willing to communicate information. He prepared 

 for us a written catalogue of the best fruit-trees in his nur- 

 series, and more particularly of the kinds to which he gave 

 the preference "f*. 



Having inquired which of the fruits lie regarded as in 

 any respect remarkable, or as new, and of Flemish origin, 

 he particularised the following. 



Among Peaches, the Piche Qucsnoy he described as 

 being of a dark-red colour like beet-root, and a good kind. 

 The white Grosse Mignonne he regarded as one of the 

 very best in Flanders. The Grand Hamelinck (thus the 

 name was written to us,) he considered as having originat- 

 ed in the Low Countries, and mentioned that the fruit 

 had a rose-red hue on one side. The Brugnon blanc^ or 

 White Nectarine, received from M. de Cock a high charac- 

 ter for flavour and size, — more perhaps than it deserves, if 

 it be the same variety that is known in Scotland by the 

 name of New White Nectarine : the tree is easily distin- 

 guished by the foliage being of a lighter green than usual, 

 lit poke of the Brugnon imperialc as being a very large 

 fruit, of a red colour: we had no opportunity of seeing it. 



+ Sec Appendix, No. l. 



