432 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Ronalds, Hooker, and Brookshaw, all produced their best work 

 between 1800 and 1837, and during that period systematic pomology 

 was established in this country. 



The first of the group is Thomas Andrew Knight. This gifted 

 man, whose connexion with our Society is too well known to need 

 repetition, was happy in possessing an enthusiasm for horticulture 

 together with the leisure to indulge it. His work shows, unfortunately, 

 the defects of his qualities. His descriptions of fruits are very 

 slight, and some of his theories did not long survive him. Never- 

 theless, as a fruit breeder and fancier, his work was of the greatest 

 importance. His principal book is the " Pomona Herefordiensis " 

 (London, 4to., 1811). This was designed to depict the old cider 

 and perry fruits of Herefordshire, and the plates are extremely good, 

 being prepared by that great fruit -painter William Hooker. In the 

 preface the author describes his method of cross-fertilizing, which 

 seemed to be unknown in England at that time in so far as fruit -breeding 

 was concerned. The work of Miller had evidently been forgotten 

 or overlooked. The remarks accompanying the plates have reference 

 chiefly to the cider or perry qualities of the fruits. A smaller cultural 

 work was published by Knight in 1797, " A Treatise on the Culture 

 of the Apple and Pear," a second edition in 1802, a third in 1808 and 

 1809, and the fourth in 1813. In this work the author states his 

 famous theory of degeneration or running out " of fruit, which is 

 now disproved. A number of very valuable papers were contributed 

 by him to the early volumes of the " Transactions " of this Society, 

 and these are well worthy of study. 



The next author who merits attention is George Brookshaw, 

 who has the distinction of having published the largest work in size 

 and the heaviest (on the scales) in English pomological literature. 

 This is the Pomona Britannica " (London, 1812), atlas folio, plates. 

 It is an entirely descriptive work, and the text, though not giving 

 the information needed by modern standards, is nevertheless good, 

 and the plates are for the most part quite excellent. Especially may 

 be noted the cherries and pine-apples. It is of great value as a record 

 of the varieties of the day, many of which were grown at the Royal 

 Palace of Kensington. Brookshaw's second work bore the same 

 title, but was a quarto in two volumes, with ninety plates, and is a 

 popular edition of the larger work. The plates are also very well 

 prepared, and the date of publication is 18 17. His last work was 

 called " The Horticultural Repository, containing the best Varieties 

 of the different Species of English Fruits." (London, 1823, 8vo.) The 

 coloured plates in this work are extremely coarse, and the work is 

 quite a worthless production. Copies were also issued with plain 

 plates. 



In the year 1818 was published the " Pomona Londinensis " of 

 William Hooker. The title-page runs : Pomona Londinensis, 

 containing the coloured Representations of the best Fruit cultivated 

 in British Gardens. With Descriptions, in which the author is assisted 



