368 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



common White-thorn, or even the Quince suits it as 

 well or better. The Medlar is not particular about 

 soil, though a rich unctuous loam suits it best. 

 Like the Quince it also thrives best in a rather moist 

 situation. As it does not bloom till the end of June, 

 or even July, it seldom misses a crop, and the crop 

 should not be gathered till the end of October. 



Medlars thrive well in groups, or singly on lawns, 

 or in orchards, or the fruit garden. The best form 

 is a spreading bush resting on the turf, or neat 

 standards from a yard to five feet high. "Where 

 planted in lines, or in quantity, they should hardly 

 be closer than from fifteen to twenty feet. When 

 once established 

 they need but 

 little pruning or 

 training ; some 

 varieties, how- 

 ever, requiring 

 more than others. 



As to varieties, 

 only three sorts 

 are generally 

 known and 

 grown : the Not- 

 tingham, or Com- 

 mon; the Dutch, 

 or Large Dutch ; 

 and the Stoneless. 

 The Dutch is the 

 most dense-grow- 

 ing variety, and 

 needs the most 

 pruning or train- 

 ing. But Medlars, 

 if left to them- 

 selves have a method of throwing their long semi- 

 dependent boughs outwards, and the weight of their 

 branches, as well as of their fruit, gives a graceful 

 far-spreading habit to the tree, which keeps it from 

 being over-crowded, and exposes the fruit that rest 

 on the upper surface of the boughs to the full effects 

 of light and air. The Common, or Nottingham 

 Medlar, while the smallest, is decidedly the best- 

 flavoured. The Dutch, however, being about twice 

 as large as the Common, is more generally grown, 

 but is inferior in quality for either jelly or dessert. 



The Stoneless Medlar is without seed, and the 

 smallest of the three, seldom exceeding three-quarters 

 of an inch in diameter. Being almost wholly edible 

 it would, however, be more generally grown were it 

 not inferior in quality to the other two. 



Diseases and Insects. — So far as the trees 

 are concerned, they enjoy perfect immunity from 

 both. The fruit, however, a? already hinted, are 



subject to the attacks of fungus, especially in wet 

 seasons and localities. This never attacks them, 

 however, until they reach the bletting, that is, the 

 edible stage. A dry atmosphere, such as that of an 

 early Vinery, emptied of all plants, and subjected to 

 occasional fire-heat, with a constant circulation of air, 

 is the best antidote. A dip of the stems in brine, 

 or strong lime-water, or a slight dredging of dry 

 sulphur finely powdered, is useful in arresting the 

 spread of the fungus, and helping to preserve the fruit. 



THE MULBERRY. 

 This semi-classical tree was far more popular and 



generally grown 

 some two and a 

 half or three cen- 

 turies ago than it 

 is now. At that 

 period it was tried 

 extensively as the 

 basis of a British 

 silk industry, and 

 failed. The majo- 

 rity of our noted 

 old Mulberry- 

 trees come down 

 to us as waifs and 

 strays of a mis- 

 taken commercial 

 enterprise, rather 

 than survivals of 

 a period when the 

 Mulberry was 

 generally grown 

 in England for 

 its fruit. 



Few trees are more brittle, or more readily rent 

 asunder by snow in winter, and wind and rain in 

 summer, than the Mulberry, and in the case of not a 

 few of the most ancient trees little or nothing of the 

 original trunks remains. As time and stress of 

 weather have wrecked and laid low the old trunks, 

 other suckers and boughs have sprung forth from 

 the root-stock, and grown into newer and younger 

 trees, that in turn become venerable boles or trunks 

 in the old places. 



Mulberries resemble Blackberries in form and 

 flavour more than any other fruit, and ripen from 

 August to October, and thus afford a rather long 

 succession. The berries must be quite ripe be- 

 fore they are eaten, and the simplest way of gather- 

 ing them is to hold a clean cloth under the tree, 

 and gently shake the branches, repeating the process 

 daily, and thus only ripe fruit will be gathered, and 

 all the ripe ones. The latter fact is important, as 

 Mulberries are hardly edible until quite ripe, and 



The Medlar. 



