AN AMATEUR'S EXPERIMENTS IN APPLE-GROWING. 395 



The following is the list of varieties planted, with notes of their 

 cropping &c. arranged as near as can be in order of merit, as far as 

 my experience goes :— 



Dessert Apples. 



1. Cox's Orange Pippin. — Has cropped very well and regularly, 

 but does not colour as well as it should do, and the fruits are rather 

 small. 



2. Worcester Pearmain. — Quite the most reliable cropper of the 

 dessert varieties, but lacks flavour and is somewhat tough in eating. 

 Does not keep well, but any surplus finds a ready sale owing to its 

 handsome appearance when well ripened. 



3. Irish Peach. — First-rate in cropping and flavour, but has to be 

 eaten or disposed of almost before it is ripe, as it will not keep at all, 

 and if left on the tree is soon spoilt by the birds or wasps. 



4. White Juneating. — A steady cropper, but of small size and juicy 

 but of poor flavour. Very early, being usually fit to eat in August. 

 Does not need gathering, as it drops when ripe, if not before. 



5. Devonshire Quarrenden. — A little uncertain, but very good at 

 its best, and has proved a fair cropper and keeps well for a mid-season 

 apple. 



6. Red Astrachan.— Good cropper, but trees canker rather badly. 

 Fruit of attractive appearance and good flavour, but will not keep, and 

 deteriorates in flavour very rapidly. 



7. Lord Burghley. — Uncertain bearer, but is very good occasionally, 

 is of good flavour in a good season, and keeps well. 



8. King of the Pippins. — Uncertain and disappointing, and keeps 

 badly. An attractive apple in appearance, but not of first-rate flavour 

 or texture. 



9. Ribston Pippin.— I have had very little success with this, 

 and the present year's crop is the best I have ever had, both in quality 

 and quantity. Probably my land is too cold and damp for it. The 

 trees grow and spur well, but are inclined to canker and drop the 

 fruit before ripe. It is worth growing, of course, on the chance of 

 getting a good crop even once in twelve years. 



10. Blenheim Orange. — Makes too much growth, crops badly, and 

 goes mealy if kept. Too strong a grower for a pyramid. 



Kitchen Varieties. 



11. Bramley's Seedhng. — This easily stands first, both in the 

 growth of the trees and for the quality and quantity of the fruit 

 borne. If well ripened and carefully stored it makes excellent eating 

 after March. My trees scarcely ever produce any small or blemished 

 fruit, and the finest are very handsome and full-flavoured samples. 



12. Warner's King. — This has cropped regularly and heavily, 

 but has one drawback, as it keeps badly, and however carefully gathered 

 and stored it develops a curious decay under the skin early in 



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