October 13,1881. ] JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 331 
Marie Louise Pear.—I can confirm what your Worcester¬ 
shire correspondent says on the subject of stocks for this Pear. 
Twelve years ago I planted three trees of Marie Louise, two on 
the Quince and one on the Crab. For the first five years the trees 
on the Quince gave the most fruit, but they did not grow so 
healthily as I wished, the ends of the shoots turning black and 
dying. One of these trees has died and the other is not satis¬ 
factory ; but the one on the Pear stock is in the best of health, and 
I am sure has given five times more fruit than the other two on 
the Quince.—J. E. Bell, Clifton. 
Cox’s Pomona Apple. —Having seen the inquiry of “ F. D.,” 
on page 285 of your Journal, I write to say that I have tested 
Cox’s Pomona carefully as a kitchen Apple in the last fortnight 
against Small’s Admirable, Hawthornden, and other varieties. 
The verdict is that Pomona is inferior in flavour, although lovely 
in appearance on the tree.—A Kentish Vicar. 
Keswick Codlin Apple. —Always plant one or more trees of 
this according to the quantity of early fruit you require. When 
once the trees commence bearing they never fail to produce a fair 
crop of fruit. The growth is vigorous and sturdy, and the tree 
continues healthy and prolific for many years. Preference is 
sometimes given to Lord Suffield ; but excellent as “my Lord” 
undoubtedly is, he has succumbed to canker, two trees of it being 
almost dead, while another pair of Keswick Codlin growing 
close by in the same kind of soil are “ pictures of health.”— 
E. Luckhurst. 
Forman’s Excelsior Strawberry.— I have had this Straw¬ 
berry on trial at the Girtford Experimental Garden for three 
years, and every year has tended to increase my estimate of its 
value as one of our very finest modern Strawberries. The plant 
is hardy and a vigorous grower; fruit large and nearly globular, 
and of a bright scarlet colour ; flesh firm. It ripened here this 
season on the 15th June, about two days later than Keens’ Seed¬ 
ling. I shall try “ Excelsior ” again, and would recommend its 
being tried under glass.—T. Laxton, Bedford. 
It will be well if this variety does not come to be known as the 
“ Winebottle Strawberry.” “ B. L. S.” has certainly put the sub¬ 
ject of big fruits in a strong light, and Mr. Boothby’s reply will 
be awaited with interest. Would it not be well if the weight of 
the fruit could be named ? Surely a fruit larger round than a 
wine bottle would be placed in the scales and a record kept of 
the result. Strawberry-measuring is not always satisfactory. I 
measured a fruit of James Veitch last year that girthed 9 inches 
round the edge, as if measuring a Cockscomb, but when tested 
with the scales it only weighed 1 ^ oz., as it was a thin fan-shaped 
fruit. Let us have the weight, then, of the specimen above referred 
to.—D. T. 
I thank your correspondent for his remarks last week ques¬ 
tioning the accuracy of my statement the previous week, that 
this Strawberry has measured as much as 11 inches in cir¬ 
cumference ! I wrote from memory, and fully believed in the 
truthfulness of what I wrote. Both fruit and plant are every¬ 
thing that could be desired, but the maximum measurement 
ought to have been given as 9 inches. I think I ought to add 
that what has been achieved in the past might be accomplished 
even now. In the “ Gardeners’ Magazine ” for July, 1863,1 notice 
the following description of Strawberry “Refresher”—“Several 
of the berries weighed 1^ oz. each, and many are 8, 9, and 
10 inches in circumference, and one 11 inches.”— Henry Boothby, 
Louth , Lincolnshire. 
Dymond Peach. —In answer to “A Hampshire Clergy¬ 
man ” in your Journal of October 6th, page 311, I may say 
Dymond Peach is a fine variety, said to have been introduced 
by the late Mr. Veitch of Exeter, and may be had of Messrs. 
Lucombe, Pince, & Co., Exeter.—J. Searle, Crediton. 
Newton’s Seedling Strawberry. —My experience of the 
above variety, which I have grown for several years, and which 
has invariably produced very plentiful supplies of fruit of good 
quality, prompts me to offer a few remarks, as I feel convinced 
that if more generally known it would be much more extensively 
cultivated than it is at present. This is a very distinct variety 
both as regards fruit and foliage, is very hardy, and for preserv¬ 
ing purposes is not surpassed, if equalled, by any Strawberry that 
I am acquainted with. As a market gardener’s variety I cannot 
conceive’anything to surpass it,'as, owing to the firmness of the 
fruit, they are not so liable to injury whilst in transit as most 
sorts are. Another point in favour of this variety is its stout 
fruitstalks, which, in many instances, hold up the fruit well clear 
of the ground. It is a medium-sized Strawberry, and does not 
aspire to the “from 9 to 11 inch in circumference” sorts. I can 
with confidence recommend it as one of the most serviceable and 
reliable.—W. W. 
Useful Apples. —We have here an orchard tree of King of 
the Pippins, which for the past seven years has borne full crops 
of very fine fruit. Another variety which never seems tired of 
bearing is Dutch Mignonne. The above are both useful, and may 
be used for the dessert as well as for kitchen purposes. Lord 
Lennox is also a very reliable variety, and is an excellent market 
and attractive dessert fruit. Court Pendu Plat, the last of all 
Apples to blossom, generally produces a fair crop. Cox’s Orange 
Pippin and Ribston—two grand Apples, the former the most to 
be trusted for a crop—are well worthy of cultivation. Cellini 
bears heavily here every other year, and is a fairly good Apple. 
We have here a fine specimen orchard tree of Bess Pool, which 
is bearing an immense crop of splendid fruit; this is an excellent 
Apple, but I fancy not one that bears freely until the tree attains 
a good age.— Mid-Lincoln. 
Red Warrington Gooseberry.— Such a valuable bush fruit 
as this is shoald always be planted extensively in every garden. 
It is valued here most of all for its delicious ripe fruit, much of 
which is made into jam, and still more is eaten fresh picked from 
the bushes at almost every meal during the long time it continues 
good after it is ripe. Its robust grow’th is somewhat drooping, 
but by judicious pruning the bushes become sufficiently erect to 
keep the fruit from contact with the ground, and they soon become 
handsome in form, and so large that a single bush yields no incon¬ 
siderable quantity of fruit. Plant two or three rows of them side 
by side, so that the fruit may easily be protected from the ravages 
of birds, and you will have an-abundant supply of late summer 
fruit that is as much in demand as Strawberries are in their 
season.—E. L. 0. 
Pearson’s Prolific Nut.—I do like a name that means 
something as this does, for never was the term “prolific” more 
justly applied to fruit or vegetable than it is to this capital Nut. 
It forms a handsome tree quickly, its branches are very robust, 
the foliage large and stout, and the nuts cluster thickly all over 
the branches every summer, which shows, 1 think, that its blossom 
is exceptionally hardy. A neighbour has not more than a quart 
of Red Filberts off the whole, of his trees this year. I have not 
many more, but then I have bushels of Prolific, and sent a basket¬ 
ful the other day, which ought to induce him to plant some of it; 
but he is somewhat stubborn, and says he does not think much of 
those writing fellows.— Sussex. 
The Dainty Apple. —Can any of your readers give me par¬ 
ticulars as to the correct name of the above or the characters of 
the variety ? The fruit is described to me as very beautiful, of 
moderate size, and regularly streaked with crimson from the eye 
to the base. It is said to be a culinary variety of fair quality, and 
ready for use during the present and following month.—X., Surrey. 
I observe in your Journal that one of your correspondents 
regrets Blenheim Orange and Ribston Apples are not now much 
planted. Another justly recommends Pomona. The demand 
here is about in proportion as the names are given—Cox’s Orange 
Pippin, Blenheim Orange, Wellington (Dumelow’s Seedling), 
Cox’s Pomona, Ribston Pippin, and Warner’s King—for the above 
half-dozen kinds.—C. T., Slough. 
ROCHEA FALCATA. 
ALTHOUGH an old inhabitant of our gardens, and of easy cul¬ 
tivation, yet we seldom meet with this plant in good condition. 
Why it receives so little attention it is hard to understand, since it 
is in every way a most useful plant when under proper cultiva¬ 
tion. We confidently assert that few plants will more amply 
repay the gardener for the time and skill bestowed upon it than 
the one now under notice. It is most useful as a decorative plant 
during the months of July, August, and September, when its fine 
large trusses of scarlet blooms, combined with the grey hue of its 
leaves, render it highly attractive amongst other flowering plants 
in the cool greenhouse or conservatory. 
It is readily propagated by cuttings or leaves at almost any 
