82 



JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The Best Six Stewixg Peaks. 



Arranged Alphahctically . 



"^'Bcllissimc d'Hiver—Free bearing ; excellent quality ; a useful variety. 

 '^Catillac. — Tree vigorous, hardy, and prolific ; first-rate quality; the best 

 stewing pear. 

 Gilogil. — Hardy and prolific ; an excellent variety. 



Uvedale's St. Germain — Moderate bearer ; large ; good quality ; requires 

 a good season. 



"^Teridam.— Free bearing ; hard and vigorous; of excellent quality. 

 Vicar of Winkfield. — Good bearer ; large and useful. 



CULTIVATION IN JERSEY. 



By Mr. Chaeles B. Saundeks, F.R.H.S., 

 St. Saviour's, Jersey. 



The Island of Jersey, being so noted for the growth and 

 cultivation of fine fruit, especially apx^les and pears, I venture to 

 olfer a few remarks upon the modes of culture, and the varieties 

 cultivated, thinking they might be acceptable to the Conference, 

 and also to the general body of horticulturists interested in the 

 production of these health-giving and palate-pleasing fruits. 



Jersey being the most southerly of the group of islands in 

 the Bay of St. Michael's, and the slope of the land being from 

 north to south-west, enjoys a very favourable climate, the general 

 moisture, owing to its position and the saline air, which almost 

 always may be felt blowing over its surface, renders it peculiarly 

 adapted to the grow^th of pears. The soil is a good loam, upon 

 a substratum of clay retentive of moisture, which suits the 

 Quince stock, upon which most of the pear trees are budded or 

 grafted. There are localities along the coasts of which the soil 

 is much mixed with sand, owing to the continuous drift in stormy 

 weather, whilst some parts of the western side of the island are 

 so much exposed to the Atlantic Ocean as to be entirely unfit 

 for fruit culture, and scarcely worth cultivating, the cereals and 

 root crops growing upon them being very often subject to serious 

 injury from the force of the westerly gales. Now, it is easy to 

 understand why the most protected and best sheltered situations 

 are selected for the growth of the finest and best kinds of fruit. 

 Apples are grown on the higher and drier parts of the island, 

 where the land is stiff enough and the drainage good, hence the 

 orchards, where the more ordinary kinds are grown for the 

 manufacture of cider and general consumption, are generally 

 surrounded by hedgerows from five to eight feet high, and 

 planted with elm and other descriptions of forest trees. The 



* The three best varieties are marked with an asterisk. 



