Varieties of Fruits. 



greenish yellow, thickly sprinkled with yellowish russet spots, 

 and nearly covered with bright red. Flesh yellow, firm, 

 rather dry, but sweet, and of very good flavour. It will not 

 keep well beyond the beginning of September. 



Specimens of the Gravenstein Apple were also received 

 from Mr. Atkinson, as well as from Mr. John Wilmot. 

 It is said that the parent tree, probably raised accidentally 

 from seed, existed in the middle of the last century in the gar- 

 den of the Duke of Augustenberg, at Gravenstein, in Holstein. 

 Hirschfeld, who first described the Apple, says its name 

 is derived from Gravenstein, a ducal estate and castle in 

 Sleswick. Others, Diel says,* assign it an Italian origin. 

 The form of this fine Apple is generally round, somewhat 

 flattened, rather angular on the sides : eye sunk in a deep 

 cavity, surrounded by several projecting folds or knobs. 

 Stalk very short, deeply inserted. Skin smooth, of a fine 

 clear straw-colour, streaked with red where exposed to the 

 sun. The flesh is of a pale yellow colour, not very fine in 

 texture, juicy, and with a high vinous, sweet taste. It is a 

 first-rate autumnal Apple, ripening in the end of October, 

 but does not keep well beyond the end of November. Plants 

 of it have been introduced from many parts of Germany and 

 Sweden. It is highly esteemed in the whole of the north of 

 Europe, and considered one of their best sorts. The an- 

 nexed figure, by Mr. Hooker, from a specimen sent by Mr. 

 Wilmot, will convey a very perfect idea of a fruit of the 

 largest size. 



* Diel, Versuch einer systematischen Beschreibung in Deutschland vorhan- 

 dener Kernobstsorten, Vol. viii. page 8. 



