APPLE. 



51 



preserved, is a recommendation to tlie fruit. This 

 provincial fruit was, in 1815, introduced to the 

 London nurseries through Mr. Whitley, at Fulham ; 

 and as it was approved of there, there can be no 

 doubt but that its value as a kitchen and an orchard 

 fruit will introduce it into every collection. There 

 is a beautiful and faithful representation of it in 

 Ronalds' Pomology. 



36. Dredge's Fame. — In perfection from the end 

 of November to the end of February. The fruit of 

 this variety is rather above the middle size, round- 

 ish, but not regularly so : the eye hollow, with a 

 short thick stalk ; the young shoots covered with a 

 dark-brown bark, with rather large blunt leaves. 

 The fruit is handsome, beautifully marbled with red 

 and green, the latter tint turning yellow when ripe. 

 The flesh is firm, crisp, and full of pleasant high- 

 flavoured juice ; so rich, indeed, that it has been 

 compared to the flavour of the pine apple. The tree 

 is generally healthy, producing moderately strong 

 shoots thickly set with prominent buds ; always a 

 good sign that the tree will be an early bearer, as is 

 exemplified in the Ribstone pippin and Hawthornden 

 sorts. All the varieties raised by this ingenious cul- 

 tivator (Mr. Dredge) have this characteristic mark ; 

 namely, bold prominent buds. 



To the market-gardener this variety of apple can- 

 not be too strongly recommended, because of its 

 early and prolific bearing. The only drawback on 

 its value, is its liability to be attacked by the Ame- 

 rican blight even more than others ; this requiring 



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