352 



JOUKNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



The following lists* are intended to serve as a guide as to what 

 varieties may be expected to flower at approximately the same time. 

 In addition to the chances of pollination being greater, there are other 

 and obvious advantages, such as facilities for spraying, and so on, 

 attached to simultaneous flowering periods in a block of fruit trees. 



Time of Flowering of Apples. — The time of flowering of apples 

 Varies between rather wide limits, both as to its commencement and 

 as to the period over which the flowering continues. It commences in 

 south-east England about the third week in April in early years, and 

 continues into the second week in June in late years. During the four 

 years 1908-1911 in which records have been kept at Wisley, our earliest 

 apple to open, ' Eed Astrachan,' was in full bloom f in 1910 on 

 April 21 ; in 1911, May 2 ; in 1909, May 3 ; and in 1908, May 7 ; while 

 the most consistently late-flowering variety ' Eoyal Jubilee ' was in 

 full flower in 1908 on May 23; in 1909, May 17; in 1910, May 20; 

 and in 1911, May 19. 



The period during which one variety or other of apple was in full 

 flower (ignoring the few days, about seven or eight, before, and the 

 few, about eight or nine, after full flowering time, during which some 

 flowers were open) was, in 1908, 18 days (May 6 to May 23); in 1909, 

 20 days (May 3 to May 22); in 1910, 35 days (April 21 "to May 25); 

 and in 1911, 18 days (May 2 to May 19). 



Eeference to the table in this Journal (vol. xxxvi., p. 560), drawn 

 up by Mr. 0. H. Hoopeb from the records at Wye, will show that the 

 average time apple trees continue in flower is about eighteen days, 

 while the time of " full flowering " is reached about the seventh day 

 from the opening of the first flower. It is, therefore, obvious that 

 generally the whole of the flowers of the earliest flowering variety of 

 apple will scarcely have fallen before the latest ones commence to bloom. 

 Probably, other things being equal, varieties that continue long in 

 flower would be more likely to be reliable fruit-bearers than those which 

 continue in flower for only a short time. Eeliable particulars upon this 

 point are, however, difficult to obtain, for the weather, the age and size 

 of the tree, and the nature of its surroundings, greatly influence the 

 duration of its flowering. More important is the relative order of 

 flowering. 



Relative Times of Flowering. — As is to be expected no absolutely 

 definite order in flowering time is observable among the different ^'arie- 

 ties of apples. It is no uncommon thing to find one branch of' a tree 

 some days in advance of or behind the rest in flowering, while some- 

 times adjacent trees of the same variety may reach full flowering 

 several days apart, e.g., at Wisley, in 1909, one tree of D'Arcy 



* The Usts may also serve as a guide to those who are fortunately situated 

 in districts where late spring frosts are unknown, for such late-flowering 

 varieties may be selected as will bloom at such a time as renders them likely 

 to escape frosts altogether. Such selection would be unavailing at Wisley 

 where late spring frosts occur every year at about the time the latest apples 

 are in flower. 



t That is, about 50 per cent, of the flowers were open : the same meaning 

 being attached to the expression wherever used in connexion with Wisley observa- 

 tions. 



