JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
October 6, 1881. ] 
311 
that can be published on the, to me, invisible “ Dymond ” Peach. 
—A Hampshire Clergyman. 
Forman’s Excelsior Strawberry. —One can always depend 
upon what Mr. Henry Boothby says, but the statement in your 
last week’s number that the fruit of this Strawberry is “9 |to 
11 inches in circumference ” surprises me. May I ask how the 
measurement was taken, whether the fruit is deeply corrugated, 
and if the line of corrugation was followed to make up the 
measurement ? I have just passed a tape round an ordinary wine 
bottle, and find that is only 10£ inches in circumference ; and if 
this Strawberry is larger than the diameter of a wine bottle it 
must be a monster, and suggest more bites than are usually found 
in Cherries or Strawberries either.—B. L. S. 
Fruit Trees in Hedges.— Attention was recently called in 
the pages of a contemporary to planting fruit trees in hedges as 
a novel idea worthy of attention. The plan is a very old one in 
Sussex, especially as regards Damsons, Bullaces, Plums, Cherries, 
and Apples, all which answer well as standards in this position. 
This is probably owing chiefly to the local custom of planting 
hedges on broad raised banks formed of sods or soil thrown up 
on each hand, so as to make a ditch on each side of the hedge. 
This method affords the trees an unusual amount of good soil, 
and at the same time renders them safe from an accumulation of 
stagnant water. Certainly it has the merit of economy of space 
to recommend it, and excellent crops of fruit may often be seen 
upon the trees. I may add that I obtained my entire supply of 
Damsons from hedge trees this year.— Edward Luckhurst. 
Warner’s King Apple. —What an appropriate name 1 It is, 
indeed, king of culinary Apples in its season, and its noble fruit 
surpasses all other in size. TheJ trees, too, are admirably in 
keeping, with their large stems and sturdy branches, like Keswick 
Codlin always bearing an annual supply of fruit. This year the 
crop is not only unusually abundant, but is especially remarkable 
for the large size oDthe fruit. “ Ah !” said I, when gathering 
some very fine Tower^of Glamis, “ King is beaten this year.” But 
when we “came to the King it was found that his majesty ad¬ 
mirably holds his own.—A Kentish Grower. 
Belle de Septembre and the Czar Plums.— If the fol¬ 
lowing remarks are of any value to your readers I send them for 
what they are worth. I planted a small orchard two years ago 
of standard trees, and among them are a row of The Czar Plum 
and one of Belle de Septembre. While there has been more or 
less fruit on all the other varieties, the two I have mentioned 
have borne such abundant crops that I have been obliged to 
support the trees. In one instance where my man neglected to 
do this effectually a tree of The Czar was so heavily laden that 
one morning I found the stem snapped in the middle. Belle de 
Septembre bears out its name, for during the whole of last month 
it has been like a burning bush all aglow.—H. Heywood. 
Jersey Gratioli Pear.— In reply to “ A Kentish Curate,” 
who inquires as to the origin of this Pear, permit me to inform 
him and the readers of the Journal that the peculiar alliance of 
“ home and foreign ” in its composition arose from a desire to 
correct erroneous nomenclature. When this Pear was first im¬ 
ported from Jersey to the Horticultural Society it was received 
under the name of “ Gratioli” only ; but as this is the name by 
which the Italians designate the Summer Bon Chretien, the Chis¬ 
wick authorities of that day added the specific distinction of 
Jersey to prevent the confusion which was inevitable between the 
two fruits if Gratioli had stood alone.—E. J., Wells, Somerset. 
Cox’s Pomona Apple.—I suspect I am very much like the 
gardener whom a “ A Country Surgeon ” has immortalised in 
your pages as “ They-all-know-that.” I have lived too long 
under the veil of “ they all know that,” and conscience tells me 
that there are many things that other people may think worth 
knowing which I selfishly keep to myself. I feel “ A Country 
Surgeon’s ” reproof, and I hope will profit by it; and not I only, 
but many who are Journal readers. I would like everybody to 
know what a splendid Apple Cox’s Pomona is. I have five trees, 
which are perfect pictures as I look at them from the window of 
the room where I am writing. They are about twelve years old, 
and form handsome umbrella-shaped trees of about 8 feet high, 
and each tree carries over a bushel of the gorgeously painted 
fruit I would advise everybody who is planting this season 
not to rorget a tree or two of Cox’s Pomona.— W. Balchin 
Some rford. 
I have several young trees of Cox’s Pomona, and am increas¬ 
ing the number. I would not, however, advise its being grown 
in a small collection in the north. It is a sort which will pay for 
pinching in early August as a means of increasing its fruitfulness. 
R. P. B. 
Baronne de Mello Pear.— In response to “ Country Sur¬ 
geon’s” suggestion in your last week’s issue of the Journal, allow 
me to draw your readers’ attention to the merit of this most 
excellent Pear, which, as far as my observation goes, is but seldom 
met with. It is one of the most valuable dessert Pears I know of, 
with a most distinct appearance, being of a light russety brown 
colour, flesh quite white, flavour of the first order, with a pleasant 
aroma. It must be grown against a wall. With us it is trained 
in upright cordons. It never fails to produce a heavy crop, and 
in favourable seasons the fruit requires thinning severely.— 
Druid, Staffordshire. _ 
Stirling Castle Apple. — I have planted Stirling Castle 
Apple largely, and have budded twenty more stocks with it this 
autumn. I find it one of the freest bearers, though the fruit does 
not grow to a large size here. The trees grow very slowly. It is 
in use here up to the middle and the end of December. Lord 
Sufiield continues into October with us, and is followed by Kes¬ 
wick Codlin and Ecklinville Seedling, all three of which are 
worthy of growing alongside Stirling Castle, and following them 
is Manks Codlin—another never-failing sort. The estimate of 
Stirling Castle as given at page 261 is very near the maik, but I 
do not know whether this variety or Manks Codlin is “ the finest 
and most useful late autumn and early winter kitchen Apple in 
cultivation.”—R. P. B., East Lothian. 
Old Golden Pippin. —An orchard tree of this pretty little 
Apple is bearing abundantly with me this season. For the last 
two years it has fruited very sparingly, which no doubt has contri¬ 
buted to increasing vigour, as, although an old tree, its foliage is 
as green and healthy as any in the garden. It is about 15 feet 
in height, and about five bushels of fruit have just been gathered 
from it. I never noticed before what may perhaps be termed a 
monstrosity, a few twin-fruited specimens—that is, two Apples 
joined together with only one stalk, but two eyes, or calyces, and 
two ovaries. This variety is said to be excellent for Apple jam, 
a preserve much relished by some people. 
Siberian Crabs. —This is evidently a year for these. They 
are good for planting in mixed shrubberies or for single speci¬ 
mens on lawns, and when in bloom will vie with the Apple or 
Pear for beauty. There is a double-blossomed variety that blooms 
the end of May or first half of June (according to season), very 
similar in colour to the majority of Apple blossom, but being 
double it travels well, and is useful as an auxiliary in cut-flower 
furnishing. It has a good crop of fruit this year as well, but 
email—not much larger than Hawthorn berries. The scarlet 
Cherry-fruited kind (Pyrus cerasifera) is very ornamental, and is 
highly prized by some as a preserve. But the most ornamental 
to my knowledge of all, in my estimation, is a yellow-fruited 
kind, sent on Saturday with Golden Pippin, with long s'alks, 
hanging on the tree in bunches, and singly. The fruit is as large 
as the Golden Pippin, but of a very bright yellow. This variety, 
I think, is not very common, and I should like to know the name 
of it. I find from an old work a variety mentioned as Knight’s 
Yellow, would it be that ?—A. Harding, Northamptonshire. 
[The Apple is the Twin or Cluster Golden Pippin, and not the 
true old Golden Pippin. The Crab is the large yellow-fruited 
Siberian, and is highly ornamental.—E d.] 
ADVICE TO YOUNG GARDENERS. 
Will you kindly grant a small space in your valuable Journal 
that I may offer my thanks to Mr. Pettigrew for his much-valued 
advice to young gardeners? Iam a young gardener, and trust 
you will print this, my first attempt at writing, to show Mr. 
Pettigrew our appreciation of his efforts to help and guide us 
upon our way through life. We young gardeners require an 
occasional reminder of our failings, and a few words encouraging 
us to perform our duties faithfully. Such advice as that of Mr. 
Pettigrew’s is both wholesome and stimulating ; it stirs us up to 
renewed efforts, and makes us more determined than ever to con¬ 
tinue and not weary in well-doing. We hope some more sue- 
