6 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Plums : Rivers' Prolific, Orleans, Belle de Louvain, Victoria, Pond's 

 Seedling, Monarch, Denniston's Superb, Jefferson's King of Damascus, 

 Worcester Damson. 



Cherries : Early Rivers, Waterloo Heart, Black Eagle, Black Heart, 

 Tartarian, The Noble, Baumann's May, Kentish Bigarreau, Bigarreau 

 Napoleon, Kentish Red Cherry, Morello. 



Gooseberries : Crown Bob, Whinham's Industry, Keepsake, White- 

 smith, Lancer, High Sheriff. 



Currants : Knight's Early or Scotch, New Red Dutch, Black, Boskoop 

 Giant, Lee's Prolific, Naples, Baldwin's Black. 



Raspberries : Superlative, Norwich, Hornet. 



Strawberries : Sir J. Paxton, Royal Sovereign, Elton Pine, Eleanor. 



Mr. J. Cheal : What I have to say will be so elementary that it may 

 appear to experienced fruit-growers almost childish ; yet one is constantly 

 observing, even to this day, so many foolish mistakes being made that I 

 am tempted to repeat some of the first principles of fruit culture. 



To meet foreign competition we must grow our trees well, and 

 not attempt to cultivate too many varieties. We must also exercise 

 care and forethought in gathering, grading, packing, and marketing our 

 crops. 



In the first place, as to cultivation, we must select suitable positions, 

 not too high or too low, bearing in mind shelter and drainage, as well as 

 the character of the soil. The preparation of the soil is of the utmost 

 importance. It must in the first place be thoroughly clean, deeply 

 cultivated, and, if at all waterlogged, thoroughly drained with pipe drains ; 

 also a moderate amount of manure should be applied at the time of 

 planting. 



As to the number of varieties, it is better to limit these than to 

 attempt to grow too many. It is well, if possible, to have a continuous 

 supply of one variety, provided it is good, and suits the consumer, as well 

 as one that will thrive in the particular soil of the locality. In planting 

 large breadths of one variety, however, it is better, assuming that bush 

 trees are planted, to separate these with intermediate rows of half- 

 standards. This is the most economical way as regards space, and it also 

 assists in cross-fertilisation. 



It is difficult to give a short list of varieties that will suit different 

 districts and everybody's requirements, as there will necessarily be 

 differences of opinion on this point. I think, however, that the following 

 varieties have proved themselves good and reliable over a wide range of 

 circumstances : 



Dessert Apples, the eight best. — Beauty of Bath, Blenheim Orange, 

 Claygate Pearmain, Cox's Orange Pippin, Duchess of Gloucester, King of 

 the Pippins, Mannington Pearmain, Worcester Pearmain. 



Cooking Apples, the twelve best. — Bismarck, Ecklinville, Lord 

 Grosvenor, Bramley's Seedling, Golden Noble, Lord Derby, Newton 

 Wonder, Potts's Seedling, Lane's Prince Albert, Jubilee, Stirling Castle, 

 Warner's King. 



Pears for Bush Trees on Quince, the ten best. — Doyenne Boussoch, 

 Doyenne du Cornice, Duchesse d'Angouleme, Pitmaston Duchess, 



