1008 Apple Growing m Australasia and America. [Feb., 



England come from localities that can mature a " cob " of 

 maize in the open during the summer. The climate of S.E. 

 and E. England, the driest that we can manage, is not warm 

 enough to do this, and is far moister than is good for box apple 

 country. S.E. England approximates in climate to the coastal 

 belt of British Columbia, Washington and Oregon, which is what 

 they would call over there " berry country," more suitable for 

 raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, etc., than for hard fruit. 

 Even this coastal belt, however, will mature a " cob " of maize 

 in the open during the summer : it will grow apples and pears 

 readily enough, but its moist atmosphere makes the operations 

 necessary to eradicate black spot (Venturia inaeque.hs) and other 

 fungoid diseases too costly and uncertain, in comparison with 

 those sufficing in " God's own country " over the coastal range, 

 with its bright dry atmosphere. Spain and Portugal, Northern 

 Italy, and Southern Russia have more the climate for box-apple 

 production than S.E. England. Wenatehee (Washington, 

 U.S.A.) was growing sage -bush and other desert vegetation 

 before an irrigated system made apple growing possible. Indeed, 

 * certain strains of the apple would appear to have originated on 

 the fringe of the deserts of Central i^sia so that to find it flourish- 

 ing under arid conditions is perhaps not so surprising a:, might 

 at first appear. Near Perth in Western Australia or Auckland in 

 New Zealand, flourishing apple orchards producing quality in 

 quantity are found next door to plantations of lemons and other 

 citrus fruits. 



In their endeavour to produce clear unblemished fruit of 

 export quality, the most favoured English districts are under the 

 following disabilities : — 



1. They have no highly-coloured keeping dessert apples of 

 strong cropping powers at their command. Worcester Pearmain 

 possesses many desirable qualities but will not keep very long. 

 Cox's Orange Pippin is weak in constitution and particular as 

 to locality. Blenheim Orange is a fine vigorous grower but too 

 shy a cropper on young trees. Gascoigne's Scarlet and 

 Baumann's Winter Beinette show no great evidence of coming 

 popularity. The English growers seek as yet in vain for the 

 equivalent of Jonathan, King David, Yates, Arkansas Black, 

 Esoper Spitzenberg, Ben Davis, and Stayman Winesap. Attrac- 

 tive colour without draws the public quite as much as superior 

 flavour within. 



2. They do not obtain sufficient sun and dry air in summer 

 (19*21 being an exception and the chance of a lifetime for the 



