688 



THE 



GARDE NE RS y MA G A ZINE. 



October 22, 1898. 



Anglesey. 



The Plum Crop. 



Plums do not succeed in Anglesey, and even on walls they are a 

 This season I have not seen a single plum on any of the trees in 



— W. 



orchard ; we only planted the trees in the orchard five years ago. 



very poor crop 

 our 



Hunter, Barron Hill Gardens. 



Berks.— For dessert, plums are here nearly all grown on walls, and have been 

 better than usual this year. The following sorts give a long season, in succession, 

 and if care is taken to preserve the bloom they furnish a very attractive dish, and 

 many are delicious : Angelina Burdett, Belle de Septembre, Coe's Golden Drop, 

 Cox's Emperor, Denniston's Superb, Early Prolific, Gisborne's, Golden Esperen, 

 Green Gage, Golden Transparent, Blue Imperatrice, Jefferson's, Kirke's, Pond's 

 Seedling, White Magnum Bonum, Monarch, Prince ^ Englebert, The Czar, 

 Victoria, and Washington. Reine Claude de Bavay, Victoria, and some others 

 l>ear very well on standards, and are useful for preserving. —Owen Thomas, 

 Royal Gardens, Windsor. 



Plums are under an average crop ; 



Early, good ; Orleans, Kirke's, Jefferson's, Green Gage, Prince of Wales, Victoria, 

 and Golden Drop ; on standards, Victoria, Pond's Seedling, and Denniston's 



■J. Tegg, Bearwood Gardens. 



Plums have been fairly good ; Green Gages have been a better crop 



We had to 



our best sorts on walls are Rivers' 



Gage is the only variety in the open quarters that has anything like a rr 

 Victoria, which is usually a grand cropper, has completely failed in the n 

 quarters this year. I have a good many trees growing by the sides of walks ES 

 not one has borne a fruit, and there is not more than half a crop on the'* T 1 1 

 trees. The crops of Coe's Golden Drop, Kirke's Seedling, Transparent (w 

 and other varieties are very poor indeed, and I am afraid the trees will nnt a 

 much next year.— A. Pettigrew, Cardiff Castle Gardens. 00 



Gloucestershire.— Among plums Victom has done well, some of the fruit 

 being very large. Kirke's, Coe's Golden Drop, and Jefferson are good, but as a 

 whole it is a poor plum season here.— John Aplin, Hasfield Court Gardens. 



Hampshire.— Plums on walls have been a poor crop this season. Our best 

 are Yellow and Red Magnum Bonum, Rivers' Early Prolific, Oullin's Golden 

 Gage, Denniston's Superb, Kirke's, Victoria, Jefferson, Pond's Seedling, Coe's 

 Golden Drop, Monarch, Golden Transparent, Grand Duke. On standard trees 

 Victoria was the best. Damsons were poor in quality and crop.- 

 McHattie, Straths fieldsaye Gardens. 



J. W. 



Superb. 



Berwick. 



this year than last ; Victorias, good ; Magnum Bonum, very good, 

 pull the fruit before r»pe because of the injury done by wasps, of which I never saw 

 such a host before.— J. Foster, Paxton House Gardens. 



Bucks — Plums have been a rather thin crop generally ; Victorias, a heavy 

 crop ; Green Gage, very poor, although the fruits were large and fine ; Gisborne's, 

 a very heavy crop ; Pond's Seedling, a good crop ; Purple Gage, good ; prunes 

 were very thin, and damsons much under the average. — J. Smith, Men t more 

 Gardens 



Cardiganshire. — Plums were a good crop in this district, and of good 

 quality. Victoria was the best, followed very closely by Orleans, Jefferson, 

 Pond's Seedling, Kirke's, Magnum Bonum, Washington, Green Gage, and Golden 

 Drop. The wasps were very trying, and damaged the plums considerably. They 

 were rather later in commencing, but have more than made up for lost time. — 



R. C. Williams, Crosswood Park Gardens. 



Cork, — Plums are much below the average. Coe's Golden Drop, Jefferson, 

 Monfrch (cannot be too highly recommended for late kitchen plum), Orleans, 

 Victoria, Rivers' Early, Green Gage, these have borne average crops on, walls ; 

 pyramid*, no fruit, in consequence of the cold spring after a mild winter. Sap 

 checked and hlos.com destroyed, rot by frost, but long continued low temperature. 

 — W. Osborn, /''a/a Gardens. 



Cornwall. —Plums were a very slight crop. Victorias, very good ; Goliath, 

 average; Orleans in variety, good; all other sorts were a failure.— G. J. 

 Richards, Mount Edge umbe Gardens. 



County Down. — Plums with the exception of the gages, were an average 

 crop, such varieties as Goliath, Washington, Jefferson's, Kirke's, Pond's Seedling, 

 and Coe's Golden Drop being very fine, as were also Victoria, Magnum Bonum, 

 Diamond, &c. I may state we have had quite a plague of wasps here this season, 

 attacking plums, &c. long before they were fit for gathering. — Thomas Brad- 

 shaw, Hillsborough Castle Gardens. 



Plums have heavy crops on wall trees ; Victoria, Early Green Gage, Coe's 



Golden Drop, Denniston's Superb, Jefferson, and White Magnum Bonum were all 

 severely thinned directly the fruit was set, an operation which well repays the 

 time spent ; result, extra fine fruit both in size and weight. Damsons a failuie.— 

 J. Lkices-ikr, Seaforde Gardens, Clough. 



County Meath.— Among plums Victorias were very good, this being one 

 of the l>est. Green Gages had a fair crop ; quality very good. — Jambs Hounslow, 



Headfort Gardens. 



Denbighshire. 



Plums have been almost a failure, though I never saw the 

 trees so full of blossom, but when in bloom we had a severe hailstorm, which did 

 peat damage, and only where the trees are situated in a sheltered position is there 

 fruit to be found. Victorias were fairly good, in fact it is the only variety bearing 

 anything like a crop. — II. Fordrr, Ruthin Castle Gardens. 



Derby.— Plums were the poorest we have had for many years. Of the many 

 varieties that are grown here none carried a full crop, and, curiously, the best 

 varieties cropped the best, such as Golden Drop, Jefferson, Kirke's, and some of 

 the newer varieties were very fairly loaded, such as Monarch, Archduke, Grand 

 Duke, and Czar.— J. H. Goodacre, Elvaston Castle Gardens. 



Dublin.— Our plum crop is light and poor. Green Gage is the only variety 

 that came near an average. The trees have been badly infested with aphis. The 



Plums are a good crop, and may be said to be above the average ; 



but the fruit is being devoured wholesale by wasps and bees. The latter are more 

 troublesome than wasps and flies, and, as we have about eighteen bar-frame hives 

 in the garden, we find them just now very destructive. Our best culinary varieties 

 are Early Rivers, Victoria, Pond's Seedling, Green Gages, and Diamond. The 

 best dessert varieties are Kirke's, Green Gage, Transparent Gage, Jefferson, and 

 Golden Drop.— G. Trinder, Dogmersfield Gardens. 



King's County.— Plums have borne well, and the heaviest croppers were 

 Blue Imperatrice, Orleans, Victoria — this never fails — Pond's Seedling, extra 

 good ; Prince of Wales, Magnum Bonum, Green Gage, Reine Claude de Bavay, 

 and Grand Duke. — R. McKenna, Charleville Gardens. 



Kirkcudbrightshire.— The plum crop was very poor. Blue Imperatrice, 

 Early Orleans, Kirke's, Victoria, and White Magnum Bonum are the varieties that 

 do best here. — J. Hannah, Cairns more Gardens. 



Monmouth.— Plums are under an average crop, the only variety that is 

 heavily cropped being Victoria. The varieties that have light crops are Rivers' 

 Early Prolific, Pond's Seedling, The Czar, Jefferson, Kirke's, Early Transparent, and 

 Monarch. The latter is a valuable late plum, as is also Grand Duke, which gene- 

 rally bears well. The above are grown with several other vatieties as bush trees. 

 We have very poor crops upon walls ; the wall trees, however, are placed in a 

 position considerably lower than are the bush trees. — Thomas Coomber, The 

 Hendre Gardens. 



Montgomeryshire. — Plums are a very thin crop ; but the best are Victoria, 

 Transparent Gage, Brahey's Gage, Diamond, Early Rivers, Magnum Bonum, and 

 Jefferson.— John Lambert, Powis Castle Gardens. 



Norfolk.— Plums are a 



hood. There is a fair crop of Rivers' Early , , , 



Coe's Golden Drop ; other kinds, like Victoria, Belgian Purple, that seldom 

 fail, are very poor indeed. All trees are suffering from the dryness of the subsoil. 

 Damsons and bullaces are a poor, light crop. — W. Allan, Gunton Park Gardens. 



Northamptonshire.— The following varieties of plums are particularly good 



on walls : Angelina Burdett, De Montfort, Imperatrice, Reine Claude de Bavay, 



Goliath, Magnum Bonum, Jefferson's, Coe's Golden Drop, and Victoria. On 



standards Pond s Seedling, Early Orleans, and Victoria are the best, but far below 



the average. Damsons are a failure throughout.— John Hayes, Castle Ashby 

 Gardens. 



Northumberland.— Plums are much more certain on the walls than as 



standard trees in the open. The latter were a failure this year. We had good 

 crops of Jefferson and Victoria ; also some good Kirke's and Coe's Golden Drop, 

 with Oullin's Golden Gage as a first early dessert, which is very good ; Lawson's 

 Gage and Green Gage are also worth planting. Prince Englebert is good on walls, 

 and so are many other varieties ; but we are satisfied to plant the few that will serve 

 from first to last, and that the best kinds, because wall space is limited. I am 

 told the Orleans is good. The Czar should be planted on walls and in the open. 

 As orchard trees heavy crops are obtained in favourable seasons. Victoria is the 

 greatest cropper ; Pershore a great crop, but poor flavour, Cox's Emperor, Czar, 

 Monarch, and Wyedale are good. The last three are on trial in the open on 

 standard, with many others.— G. Harris, Alnwick Castle Gardens. 



Queen's County.— Plums have been very poor, and the trees have been 

 very much blighted. Pond's Seedling and Nectarine plums are the only two vane- 

 ties that carried a crop. The first-named seems to do very well here, and we can 

 generally rely upon a few fruits every season from it. White Magnum Bonum, 



very partial crop in some gardens in this neighbour- 

 >p of Rivers' Early Prolific, Czar, Pond's, Goliath, 



~ — ..... v/ui F iuiu Liup is jjgnt ana poor, ureen uage is trie oniy variety w*.u; \r \ • v* . cvciy ^o^t. • - ~° A Cf 



that came near an average. The trees have been badly infesfed with aphis. The cJS%$^ Vl ^na Reine Claude de Bavay, Jefferson's preen Gage, and Cc 



flowing are some of the sorts that do well here as a rule : Green Gage, Purple p° Tr f Pt though a mass of bloom, produced no fruit.-W. Begbib, a 



Gage, Denyer's Victoria, Magnum Bonum, Kirke's, Orleans, Jefferson, and Coe's * ^raens. 



mo 



Golden Drop, in some favoured districts the crop is good, 



partial and disappointing. Damsons are a failure.— G. Smith, Vice- Regal Gardens, 

 Dublin. 



Dumfriesshire.— Among plums Victoria is the best cropper by far; the 

 others grown are Orleans, Jefferson, Caledonia, Green Gage, Magnum Bonum, 

 Kirke s, and Golden Drop, but Victoria, Caledonia, and Magnum Bonum are the 

 only bearers this season. The first two are grown as espaliers and the latter on 

 a wall.-JoiiN Urquhart, Hoddom Castle Gardens. 



Dunbar.— The most productive kinds of plums here are Victoria, Pond's 

 beedhng, Jefferson, and Washington. Green Gages are quite a failure, owing to 

 the very cold winds we experienced during the time they were in bloom.— Grorgb 

 TAYLOR, Br ox month Park Gardens. 



Durham.— All the following varieties of plums have done well, considering 

 the very dry season we have h*H . McLaughlin's Gage, Kirke's, Brahy's 



?en Gage, Transparent Gage, lawson's 

 1 Magnum Bonum, Diamond, Prince 

 r ; u K i^rr, urieans, Loe's Golden Drop, Duke of Edinburgh, Pond's Seedlirg, 

 1 urpie (,age, and Grand Duke. -James Tullrtt, Raby Castle Gardens. 



had a lf crol!lhu7J^ irke,S S ^ ee ^ lin g and Washington are the only plums of which we 

 Cas?leT£t* ieaS ° n ' and thcy were Wow an average.-ToiiN Clark, U'emyss 



season we have had 



Radnorshire.— Green Gages, Victorias, and Kirke's, also Pond's Seedling, 

 carried good crops on west wall ; but standards were a complete failure, owing to 

 the late frosts in the spring. -W. Pallisrr, Norton Manor Gardens. 



Rutland.-Early Prolific (Rivers'), The Czar, Kirke's, Victoria, Pond's 

 Seedling, and Coe's Golden Drop carried good crops on walls. The standard 

 trees had very few fruits this year.— W. H. Divers, Belvoir Castle Gardens. 



Shropshire.— Plums, on the whole, are decidedly under an average crop, 

 hut they are of fine quality. Prince of Wales, Kirke's Black, Jefferson, ana 

 I )ancer s Seedling are fairly well cropped, but others are very thin. Damsons 

 the cottager s friend -are also very much under the average but of fair quality. 



James Louden, The Quinta Gardens. ' 



Somerset—Victoria has a heavy crop on walls facing west, as 

 well covered m spring with fine net. Kirke's is a medium crop, "'celyicoloured I 

 k^nl r? ? Dr °P» medium ; Jefferson, medium ; Brahy's Green Gage, medium , 

 Reine CUude de Bavay, medium. — W. H. Miles, Dillington Park Gardens. 



Staffordshire. 



season 



I'lums, lx>th as wall trees and standards, generally do well 



Forfarshire. 



here, but this yeai 



yd rJL: OoldeTn™ U1 ' n u rop ' Vi «oria, Jetterson, * 



r) ■ X° 9 . m those most grown and the best 



Glamis CastU Gardens * 



tilamorg 



t 7. — » turns nave Deen uimusi a •«"■»■<- — - -~ -,. _ roo 



exception of the trees growing against walls, which have perfected a /«' 

 blo de o,r r K m ; dS a0d Standards were completely denuded of embryo fnnts and 

 1° ".by frosts and cold snowstorms. Plums of all kinds seem to thnjeweu 

 to this neighbourhood. We have over 30 varieties, all of which are very W» 

 factory. Denyer's Victoria, Jefferson, and a local variety called Dovebank «J 

 the sorts that are grown hv L - Okoroe Woodgate, RoIUsKm Hall 



Thomas Wu 



croppers 



Surrey. 



trees 



the 



Plums are all h u t a complete failure in ihis district 



The trees flowered freely, but the fruit 



tne attack, of green aphis beyond anything I have ever seen before. Bryanston 



of tfi* W-j-T t J cners °n- For bearing heavy crops r v«: 

 of the varieties I grow. — W. Higgs, Fetcham Park Gardens. 



