966 HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



open to the public. Large spruce-firs are here common ; 

 the spruce seeming in this country to be considered and 

 employed as an ornamental tree. 



KaperkcvCs Nursery-Garden . 



Having inquired for the best nursery-gardens of Breda, 

 we were conducted to the premisses of Mr Antonius Kaper- 

 ken. Here we had the satisfaction to see a considerable 

 collection of healthy young fruit-trees, particularly Apricots 

 and Mulberries. The Breda Apricot is well known and 

 highly esteemed in Scotland, both on account of its large 

 size and fine flavour. Mr Kaperken, however, knew of no 

 particular apricot which deserved to bear that name ; and 

 he told us, that no very old apricot- trees are to be found 

 in the place. We believe that the Breda apricot no longer 

 exists here; the kind now cultivated being, almost ex- 

 clusively, the Abricot de Hollande, a small round fruit. 

 Young apricot- trees are here trained both for walls and as 

 standards ; but more generally for the wall. The apricots 

 had chiefly been budded ; the mulberries had been propa- 

 gated by the method of inarching or approach- grafting. 

 The more healthy trees of both kinds had this season 

 made shoots three or four feet long. 



The Yut-pcar tree we found in this garden of a large 

 size; and the fruit was now in perfection. We were in- 

 vited to taste the fruit: it appeared to us, when thus taken 

 directly from the tree, to be quite fit for the dessert, and su- 

 perior to any other pear similarly treated. Notwithstand- 

 ing this quality, we were led to understand that it keeps 

 longer than the epergne or our jargonelle ; and to the good 

 qualities of that pear, juiciness and sweetness, it adds a 

 rich perfumed flavour. Mr Kaperken has also very healthy 

 young trees of the Vut-pear; and we would suggest to the 



