352 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



1865, gives a vast bulk of information ; and the finest illus- 

 trated work is undoubtedly Dr. Bull's " Herefordshire Pomona," 

 an edition cle luxe in every respect, followed quite recently by 

 the "Fruit Growers' Guide," by Mr. John Wright, with illustra- 

 tions by Miss Eivers. 



Although published a few years before the date of the Queen's 

 accession I should like to draw attention to that grand work of 

 Hugh Ronalds, which for the period of its publication was a very 

 remarkable undertaking, the exquisite drawings from nature on 

 stone being done by Miss Ronalds. I allude to " Pyrus Malus 

 Brentfordiensis," London, 1831, which describes and illustrates 

 about 200 Apples, the best then known in the celebrated Brent- 

 ford Nurseries. 



I need not here detain you by giving a long list of the 

 varieties introduced — 1837 to 1897 — but I have prepared some 

 lists of them, which appear in Appendix B, in which will be 

 found all the notable varieties, with the dates of their intro- 

 duction or certificate. In preparing this list great difficulty has 

 been experienced, as no particular record appears to exist, and I 

 have therefore placed a " o " (for circa) before those not actually 

 dated in print ; and it is interesting to note that at the present 

 time a new variety of fruit may be certificated in one year and 

 sent out the next. The spread of horticultural literature and 

 commercial energy would account for this. The Ecklinville 

 Apple, known in Ireland in 1800, was not much in commerce 

 till the late Mr. Dancer, of Chiswick, brought it to notice about 

 18G0, and Cox's Orange Pippin was some twenty-five years before 

 it became generally known. 



In passing, I must allude to those super-excellent varieties 

 which have come to the front, and which have, I believe, as the 

 Americans say, " come to stay." A list of them will be found in 

 Appendix C. 



I consider that the greatest direct benefit to fruit culture, so 

 far as the Apple is concerned, was derived from the 1883 Con- 

 ference held at Chiswick by the Royal Horticultural Society. 

 This not only brought some fine but little known varieties into 

 prominence, but, what is of more importance, a tabulated list of 

 synonymous names was made, and wholesale errors in naming 

 were corrected. Followed as the Apple Conference was by the 

 Pear Conference and the Small Fruits Conference, and by various 



