142 An Account of the original Ribston Pippin. 



furnish the Society with what intelligence could be procured 

 touching that tree, not knowing that any communication 

 was to reach ine from another quarter. He complied with 

 my application, in the most obliging manner ; but I did not 

 receive the result of his investigation till some days after the 

 account, above mentioned, had arrived. What Mr. Her- 

 bert states is in substance, the same with the foregoing, and 

 it cannot be otherwise, as it comes from the same fountain. 

 He describes Ribston as situated between Knaresborough 

 and Wetherby, and says, " the tree stands, or rather lies, in 

 the grounds of Sir Henry Goodricke, at a small distance 

 from the house." The conclusion of his Letter is as follows. 

 " The other tree, which is reported to have been raised at 

 the same time (with the Ribston Pippin) is still a good bear- 

 er, and I am told that the fruit is good. I understand, that 

 it is the opinion of some persons, in the neighbourhood, that 

 the old Ribston Pippin is not a seedling, but a grafted tree. 

 I send you herewith grafts from the old Ribston Pippin, and 

 also from the sister tree, and I also send what will enable you 

 to ascertain whether the old Ribston Pippin is a seedling, or 

 not, a slice of the old root with suckers adhering to it, which 

 have some young fibres hanging from them ; and with com- 

 mon attention they will certainly grow." 



The grafts alluded to, came to hand at the same time with 

 Mr. Herbert's letter; and among them were also some 

 suckers from the root. The latter being planted in the 

 Society's garden, will perhaps assist us in ascertaining the 

 question, whether the Ribston Pippin was originally a seed- 

 ling or a grafted plant. 



