JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 399 
the second year, while the others did not bear for three or four 
years. 
Not nearly enough attention is paid to pruning the trees after they 
have become fair-sized. Now and then a raid is made upon those 
that are most bushy, which are hacked and cut about unmercifully, 
and it is not strange that Apple trees of the best sorts, invariably the 
most delicate, decay prematurely. Very few growers prune their 
Apple trees scientifically, or manage them thoroughly in other 
respects. Here and there a plantation may be found where the 
trees have received systematic and proper treatment from the date 
of planting, where good fruit is produced in abundance; and it is 
asserted confidently that the land in Kent really suitable for Apple- 
growing may be made to yield fruit not much inferior in quality to 
the traditional Nonpareils, Scarlet Nonpareils, Golden, and Ribston 
Pippins, and other sorts whose sweet memories linger yet in the 
recollection of Apple-loving octogenarians. 
The chief sorts of Apples grown in Kent are, commencing with 
dessert Apples, the Ribston Pippin —-facile princeps among Apples— 
now unfortunately a somewhat shy bearer. The King Pippin is 
much grown in Mid Kent and the Weald ; this is a handsome Apple 
when well grown, but it is inclined to be specky on the ragstone, 
though doing better on the Weald clay. Joannettings and Summer 
Pippins, early Apples, are also grown and bring good prices. Red 
Qnarrendens, Farleigh Pippins, Pearmains, Nonpareils, Golden Knobs, 
which ordinarily keep well until Apples come round again, bringing 
high prices, are found in most Kentish plantations and orchards. 
The Court of Wick is also grown. The Margil, whose flavour is 
nearly equal to that of the Ribston, is too shy a bearer, and is not 
therefore extensively grown. The Blenheim Orange, a large hand¬ 
some Apple, is much grown near Maidstone and in the Weald. Cox’s 
Orange Pippin has been planted extensively of late. This is a high- 
class Apple for dessert from November to January, supposed to have 
been raised from a pip of a Ribston Pippin. The Sturmer Pippin is a 
most valuable late Apple. 
The principal cooking Apples grown in Kent are Keswick Codlins, 
Gooseberry Pippins, Hawthorndens, Warner’s Kings, Northern Green¬ 
ings, Wellingtons, Winter Queenings—all valuable sorts ; the Golden 
Noble, Lord Siiffield, a very fine-flavoured early-bearing sort, the 
Tower of Glamis, the Manx Codlin, and the Stone Apple, or Lod- 
dington Seedling. 
As many as 500 bushels per acre have been grown in plantations 
where the trees were in their prime. Taking an average of seven 
years of the average Apple-growing land in the county, the crop 
per acre per annum would be about 130 bushels. The average price 
per bushel for Apples home to the grower, for the last ten years, 
has been about 2s. 2; the expenses of picking, packing, carriage, 
commission, and return of sieves, amounting to about Is. 4d. per 
bushel, having been deducted. For the preceding ten years the 
average price, clear of all these expenses, was about Is. 10(Z. per 
bushel. The annual yield per acre of the orchards under grass must 
be regarded as being 20 per cent, larger than that of the plantations 
in respect of Apples; but the average annual yield of both taken 
together amounts to about the quantity of bushels stated above. 
The fruit-growers in Kent do not appear to have tried growing upon 
a large scale Apples and Pears on low bush-trees obtained by working 
upon the Paradise stocks, whose influence tends to dwarf the habit of 
growth and to produce fruit abundantly. These bushes can be easily 
pruned, and root-pruned if thought desirable. There are several plan¬ 
tations of these near London, one notably at Chiswick, belonging to 
Mr. Dancer, who grows quantities of the finest fruit upon this system, 
which is thought might be adopted successfully by the large fruit¬ 
growers in Kent. 
There is much more similarly interesting in the able essay from 
which we have cited. It is published by Effingham Wilson, 
Royal Exchange, London. 
TRITONIA HYALINA. 
Tritonias are well known and valued in many gardens, such 
species as T. aurea and T. crocata with their numerous varieties 
proving useful additions to our conservatory or greenhouse plants ; 
but the one represented in fig. 87 is, when in good condition, 
unquestionably the finest of all, and at the present season it can 
be scarcely rivalled in the brilliancy of its orange-coloured flowers 
by any other plant grown in cool structures. The plant from 
which the specimen sent was taken was grown in the greenhouse 
at Orsett Hall, Romford, the residence of Captain Wingfield Baker, 
and the effect produced by several small examples arranged on 
the side stages as a margin to the larger plants was very bright and 
pleasing. Two or three bulbs are grown in a 60-size pot, ordinary 
light sandy soil being employed with good drainage, and very 
little difficulty appears to be experienced in inducing the plants 
to flower freely. But perhaps Mr. R. Castle, the gardener, may 
give our readers a few notes on the treatment he finds successful 
for such plants. 
The plant was received there under the name of Tritonia aurea, 
but it differs considerably from the finest varieties of that species ; 
and on a specimen being submitted to Mr. J. G. Baker of Kew, who 
is a very high authority on the nomenclature of Iridaceous plants, 
he at once determined it to be T. hyalina, so named by himself 
in his elaborate description of the order, and considered to be 
synonymous with T. fenestrata. Its most marked, character is 
the peculiar transparency of the lower half of the petals exactly re¬ 
sembling thin glass, and to that circumstance it owes the specific 
name hyalina. The upper portion of the petals is rounded and 
of a bright orange hue, five or six flowers being borne on a scape 
8 or 9 inches high sufficiently to raise them above the tapering 
leaves. T. fenestrata, which is said to be synonymous with 
T. hyalina, was figured in the “Botanical Magazine” in 1803; 
t. 704, but appears to differ slightly from the one represented here, 
as the petals are somewhat widely separated, though the peculiar 
transparency is similar in both. Those who desire a brilliantly 
coloured bulbous plant for greenhouse and conservatory decora¬ 
tion at this period of the year cannot err by growing this fine 
Tritonia ; the flowers also last well when cut and the stem placed 
in water, hence are valuable for furnishing vases and using in 
bouquets. _ 
Auricula Classification—Mealed Centres. —In the very 
interesting lecture, which you were good enough to find space for, 
delivered by the Rev. Mr. Horner at South Kensington, there was 
much to interest, and some points that, with his usual courtesy, 
that gentleman I am sure will not object to still further add to, 
especially for the information of amateurs like myself having 
only a few years’ experience in Auricula culture. Mr. Horner 
says, speaking generally, “ Auriculas are divided into two grand 
classes, with mealed and unmealed centres—the former the Auri¬ 
cula Royal of the florist, and the latter Alpines, having the essen¬ 
tial qualities of unmealed centres and heavily shaded petals.” 
Now Ifshould like some information on what may be called a 
