260 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ September 2 - 2 , issi 
of Muscat and Frontignan, both moderately pronounced, and, 
perhaps, a trace of the peculiar aroma of the Strawberry Grape. 
Other ordinary varieties do not call for notice. The Ryton 
Muscat is esteemed as the best of the type, but the differences 
between the old Muscat of Alexandria, Bowood Muscat, Tynmng- 
ham Muscat, and Tottenham Muscat are, generally speaking, 
more fanciful than real ; but, however that may be, they are not 
all propagated from the same stock in this nursery. 
Vines in Pots. —These demand attention. No one can see the 
thousands of fine “fruiters” and “planters ” without wondering 
from whence comes the demand for them ; but if the demand was 
not equal to the supply it is certain they would not be provided, 
and so even are they that there is little, if any, advantage to be 
had by picking and choosing. It is instructive to observe, too, 
how unnecessary is the practice of drying the roots for ripening 
the canes. The wood is as hard and brown as possible, yet the 
foliage is perfectly fresh, and so it will remain for some time—a 
sure indication of soundness and health. Two of the Vines of 
last year, a Muscat and Alnwick Seedling, are fruiting in their 
pots plunged in little beds of soil supported with bricks. The 
roots have taken possession of the soil, and are fed wdth liquid 
manure. The Muscat has ripened twenty-three bunches of good 
Grapes, or say 12 lbs., certainly worth from 3s. 6d. to 4,?. per lb., 
so that this mode of culture is profitable. The Alnwick Seedling 
is ripening fifteen full and good buuches that will average nearly 
or quite a pound each. Several varieties of Frontignans are 
fruiting. It is surprising that these delicious Grapes are not 
more extensively grown. They are small, it is true, but for 
quality there is none to equal them, while they bear most freely 
and are early. Very good were the Early Saumur and Early Silver 
Frontignans. but others of the race are equal to them. They are 
not market Grapes, but are worthy of the attention of those who 
regard superior quality of greater importance than size of fruit. 
PEACHES. 
The crops of fruit of these have never been finer, and the large, 
cheaply built, span-roofed orchard houses must have been very 
profitable. The trees are grown in much the same manner as stan¬ 
dard Apples in the garden, and receive little or no more attention 
than Apple trees do in pruning. These houses arc not heated, 
but in northern and cold localities artificial heat is essential for 
insuring crops ; indeed it adds to the value of Peach houses any¬ 
where, and the returns justify the little extra outlay involved. 
Trees on trellises in other houses are also bearing splendid crops, 
one row of 4-inch pipes being arranged round the structures. 
Air is admitted by short lengths of earthenware pipes laid 
on the ground at intervals, one end in the house, the other out¬ 
side, the ventilation being governed by moveable plugs. This 
plan is very simple and efficient. 
The varieties of Peaches are so numerous that it is no easy 
matter to make a selection for securing a succession of fruit of 
good quality. The American variety Alexander must now be 
placed at the head of the early kinds. It is as early if not earlier 
than Early Beatrice, and is large in size, rich in colour, and of 
excellent flavour. Early Louise follows, a rather small but good 
Peach, and may be dispensed with in small collections. Early 
Rivers, larger and a finely flavoured fruit, and is succeeded 
by Hale’s Early, a well-known and approved variety. To this 
Rivers’ Early York, a most excellent Peach, affords a good 
succession. Then come the Early Grosse Mignonne, very good ; 
A Bee; Magdala, fine and distinct in flavour; Dr. Hogg, rich in 
colour, and is proving a profitable market fruit; Alexandra, a 
splendid Peach ; Grosse Mignonne, old and excellent; Bellegarde, 
a well-known good variety ; Royal George ; Noblesse ; Gladstone, 
a great bearer and a valuable Peach ; Albatross ; Princess of 
Wales, very large and good; the Nectarine Peach, and Desse 
Tardive. These are only a few out of a long list of excellent 
varieties, but sufficient have probably been named for the majority 
of cultivators. 
NECTARINES. 
There has been, and indeed is yet, a grand harvest of these, and 
the fruit of some of the newer varieties is remarkable by its size 
and excellence. Indeed Nectarines have been revolutionised at 
Sawbridgeworth and are yearly increasing in popularity, although 
the demand for them in the markets is not nearly so great as for 
Peaches. The best of them have a richness, fulness, and wine¬ 
like flavour which Peaches lack, while they keep better—qualities 
that are becoming more and more appreciated. The earliest Nec¬ 
tarine is Advance. It is large and rich if not gathered until it 
shows signs of shrivelling. Lord Napier follows. It was raised 
by the present Mr. Rivers, and it is certainly not surpassed for a 
combination of good properties, if equalled, by any other variety. 
Humboldt is large and rich, and the Improved Downton and 
Stanwick Elruge are varieties of great merit. Then follows Albert 
Victor, one of the largest of all. A fruit casually gathered was 
inches in circumference and weighed 8 ozs., quality excellent ; 
it will be largely cultivated as it becomes better known. Spencer 
is a large and excellent fruit worthy of notice. Then comes the 
better known and valuable Pine Apple, followed by Victoria, the 
best of all the late varieties, and, grown under glass especially, is 
very superior, and the fruit is very large. A new variety, Dryden, 
will probably take a prominent position when it becomes known 
on account of its full, very distinct, and rich flavour ; it is also a 
large and fine fruit. The older varieties are not specially attended 
to, not because some of them, such as Balgowan, Violette Hative, 
Hardwicke, and others are not good, but because they are suffi¬ 
ciently well known ; but they are not in all points equal to the 
newer introductions. 
PLUM?. 
Many new varieties of these have been raised, several of which 
have not been named. There are large plantations of the best old 
and new sorts, and many trees trained to wire as diagonal cor¬ 
dons are very attractive, convenient, and decidedly profitable. 
The Early Prolific has again been very lucrative, lO.v. per bushel 
having been obtained for the crop. The Czar is proving valuable 
for succeeding it, and the best testimony of its merits is the great 
demand that exists for trees for the Kentish orchards. The 
Sultan, too, is a fine Plum, and the Purple Gage is very useful. 
Large crops were being gathered of that very fine Plum Pond’s 
Seedling, which is larger than Victoria and succeeds it, but is 
not quite such a great cropper. Early Transparent Gage and 
Oullins Golden Gage are meritorious, the last making splendid 
standards. Of the late sorts we have Grand Duke, a valuable 
acquisition, and there i3 quite a plantation in full bearing of 
another fine late variety not yet named ; it will perhaps be the 
Grand Duchess, as it will assuredly be a worthy companion to the 
Duke. The fruit is large, crop full, and although the fruit was 
quite hard it was richly coloured, being covered with a thick 
powdery violet-blue bloom that gives it a beautiful appearance. 
It is singular that, although this appears to be of the Diamond 
type, it was raised from Reine Claude de Bavay. It is a variety 
of great promise, as indeed other seedlings are that, however, have 
not been so fully proved as this. 
CHERRIES. 
Of these the most noteworthy trees are in pots in a house with 
boarded sides and a glass roof, from which a regular supply of 
superior fruit has been maintained since June, and there are varie¬ 
ties not yet ripe. Who with the means for growing the trees 
would be without a supply of this delicious fruit, since it can be 
had so easily, certainly, and inexpensively, and preserved so well ? 
The following is a small and good selection for this purpose— 
Bigarreau Jaboulay, Early Rivers, Governor Wood, Bigarreau 
Noir de Schmidt, Late Black Bigarreau, Monstrueux de Mezel, and 
two valuable late varieties not yet ripe—Emperor Francis and 
Guigne de Winchel. 
PEARS. 
Only a few of the newer varieties can be referred to and brief 
reference made to the trees in pots. They are laden with fruit, 
far finer than that on the ordinary outdoor trees : indeed, wdth 
one striking exception, which will be noticed, it may be said 
that except on the trees in pots the Pear crop is a failure. There 
was an abundance of blossom, but it failed to set outdoors. The 
pot trees have the shelter of glass until the fruit commences 
swelling, and are then plunged in the open air to mature the 
crops, and the results show the advantages of the system. The 
trees, 3 to 4 feet high, are in 9 and 10-inch pots, and as they are 
plunged closely together they occupy little space. The few new 
Pears that demand attention are Autocrat, a very large Pear, 
ripening at the end of October. It was raised from Beuire de 
Capiaumont, and is very hardy, robust and free, and is quite 
distinct in growth and fruit. Princess, raised from Louise Bonne 
de Jersey, the excellent flavour of which it inherits, but the fruit 
is half as large again and ripens at Christmas. But the most 
striking Pear in the nursery is Fertility, not because it is large, 
nor that the fruit is of the highest quality, but because of the 
abundant crop. There is a far greater weight of fruit in a small 
plantation of Fertility than on the trees of all other varieties 
combined, which can only be accounted for by the great hardi¬ 
ness of the blossom of the Pear under notice. Judging by the 
remarkable appearance of the trees Fertility will become of great 
service for orchard culture and for producing a large supply of 
fruit for market purposes. Among the older Pears that have 
resisted successfully the frosts of spring is Marie Louise d’Uccle— 
an excellent variety that Mr. Witherspoon has found of special 
value in the north of England. Of the Pears now in use, or just 
