522 
[ December 15, 1892. 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
telling effect, and in this way is superior to C. aurea imperial^, in 
which the flowers are large and of a brilliant orange shade. 
Both varieties are now in the trade, and should be noted by all on 
he outlook for showy probably hardy plants. There is no reason, at 
any rate, why they should not be grown much in the same way as the 
Tritomas, and be equally as hardy as those very popular garden flowers. 
They are all increased by division and seeds, and make good plants for 
growing in pots in the greenhouse.— M. 
THE APPLE—VARIETIES AND HOW TO GROW 
THEM. 
[A Paper read by Mr. W. CRUMP, The Gardens, Madresfield Court, near "Worcester, at a 
meeting of the Birmingham Gardeners’ Association.] 
During the last few years the Apple-growing question has been 
an absorbing topic, and an immense amount of both common sense 
and nonsense has been written upon it ; therefore it is no easy 
matter to say much upon the subject without laying oneself open 
to a suspicious charge of plagiarism or copying somebody, an act I, 
in common with all honest men, would scorn to do knowingly. I 
purpose to confine my remarks strictly to such facts that have come 
within scope of my own experience ; at the same time I am fully 
cognisant of the difference betwixt knowledge thus gained and the 
necessary eloquence to explain such clearly to others. 
In the first place there is no hardy fruit grown in this country 
of such national importance, nor so wholesome as an article of diet, 
as the Apple, whether cooked or consumed in its natural but ripe 
condition. Its various uses and value in domestic economy are 
familiar to all of us. It has become a recognised fact, that the 
average Englishman does not consume half enough ripe fruit of 
probably owing to his inability to procure it good and 
CllGcip. 
In the second place we have positive evidence that there i 3 no 
country on the face of the globe that can produce Apples of better 
quality than certain counties and appropriate places in England. 
I particularly wish to emphasise this, as there are pessimists about 
holding contrary opinions, who are ever ready to decry every 
modern move, and to raise obstacles in the path of progress ; in 
this case pointing to the huge annual increasing importations 
fiom the colonies and elsewhere as conclusive evidence in their 
favour. 
I gratefully acknowledge the value to the public of these high- 
class importations, and especially to us as growers, for the object 
lessons thus taught have been the means of arousing us from 
our Rip ^ an Winkle-kind of sleep, and showing us plainly how we 
neglected the cultivation of our Apple trees during the greater 
part ot the past century. Such unpleasant facts have aroused John 
Dull, and doubtless in less than another decade foreign importa- 
nons will decrease, at certain times of the year at all events, for 
now everybody will be growing Apples, and everybody will know 
now to grow them. If they do not know how it cannot be for 
want of opportunity in these days of technical education and an 
educational code which includes rudimentary horticulture. The 
latter I have long desired to see for obvious reasons. Nay, even 
the Lord Mayor’s Show is now considered iicomplete without 
a representation of Apple growing. 
The continued depression in agriculture, and the unprofitable¬ 
ness of corn growing, have also been the means of turning the 
attention of statesmen, landowners, and others to what should 
have been done years ago as regards planting fruit trees. There 
are now estates which have established experimental hardy fruit 
gardens for the purpose of testing varieties suitable to their 
respective districts, and worked in conjunction with the raising, 
planting, and cultivating fruit trees on the most approved methods 
and sound commercial principles. This is done to improve the 
value of properties, as well as stimulate the home fruit growing 
industry amongst farmers, allotment holders, amateurs, and 
cottagers upon these estates—commendable objects surely. 
Circumstances during the past ten years have placed me in 
charge of one of these experimental and interesting plantations of 
some o to 4 acres in extent. We have upwards of 230 varieties of 
Apples under trial, and my remarks are mainly based upon the 
results ot these experiments. It would be tedious to individualise 
these varieties, but I have taken careful notes of their relative 
men s. It I were confined to one Apple only for my own con¬ 
sumption I should choose Cox’s Orange Pippin, but to keep up a 
succession of Apples over a long season I have found those to be 
enumerated well adapted for the purpose. 
Dessert Apples. 
TuJC° r Jr lieSt c J ess 1 crt Purples I prefer the following Beauty of 
> ery early, handsome, a free grower, and good cropper ; 
brisk, juicy flavour. Irish Peach, very similar in quality ; tree of 
rather peculiar habit, always fruiting on the extremity of shoots, 
therefore a careful system of pruning is necessary ; ripens a few 
days later than Beauty of Bath. Mr. Gladstone, a good first early ; 
colour very rich mahogany, crops well, and commands a ready sale ; 
tree a compact and free grower, but rather deficient in flavour. 
Duchess of Oldenburg, not quite so early, but better in quality ; 
beautifully striped fruit, full of sprightly juice and pleasantly 
perfumed. Those varieties do well as open bushes. 
For second early dessert, Worcester Pearmain, one of the hand¬ 
somest Apples in cultivation, excellent for market purposes, but 
deficient in flavour, and, like all the early section, should be used 
immediately after gathering ; tree a good bearer and of shapely 
habit, fruiting freely as a bush or orchard standard. Lady Sudeley, 
new, or little known, but excellent ; beautifully striped, and of 
very pleasant and agreeable flavour ; crops well as a bush. Graven- 
stein, a splendid yellow-fleshed Apple, rich, sweet, juicy, a real 
favourite when in its best condition, rather a shy cropper, best on 
the Paradise stock, unless frequently lifted. American Mother, 
first-rate as a second early, good in flavour and cropping, producing 
medium-sized, handsome fruit, and the tree has a robust con¬ 
stitution. 
For midseason dessert we have dozens of good varieties, but my 
choice commences with Cox’s Otange Pippin, the best of all ; rich 
yellow flesh, having much of its parent’s flavour, the old Ribston ; 
makes a handsome, shapely bush or pyramid ; rather spindly wood, 
and somewhat subject to slight attacks of mildew', a good bearer on 
any stock, having plenty of fibrous roots. Blenheim Orange, hard 
to beat all round, but does not bear well as a bush nor on young 
trees, makes a superb standard orchard tree on the Crab stock ; 
probably this was the greatest prize ever raised from a chance 
seedling, the quality is familiar to all. King of the Pippins, an old 
but unbeaten variety, very handsome ; a good bearer, and keeps in 
good condition over a long season. Claygate Pearmain, excellent, 
and ought to be grown more extensively ; much the appearance of 
Cox’s Orange ; tree rather more vigorous, and fruit a little more 
conical and russety ; crops freely, and keeps well. 
For latest dessert. —May Queen, highly recommended, very 
handsomely coloured, medium size ; an extra good cropper, tree of 
free growth and splendid habit. We have model bush trees of 
this variety which never fail to give us branch cordons of grand 
fruit ; in fact, thinning has to be done every year. Court Pendff 
Plat, the latest to flower, hence its popular name—the Wise Apple 
—may be relied upon to crop well. The fruit keeps well, and is 
of handsome appearance, singularly flat and distinct, flavour brisk 
and good. Sturmer Pippin, a hard fleshed Apple and long keeper, 
dull red cheek on green ground, juicy and good when others have 
vanished. It makes a good standard tree for an orchard. Lord 
Burghley and Allen’s Everlasting are both of rich Pine flavour, and 
may be kept in sound condition until June, succeeding as bushes or 
standards in orchards in Worcestershire. 
Good late keeping dessert Apples are always scarce, consequently 
of the greatest importance. Our friends at the antipodes command 
our markets with them, their samples being often retailed at 3d. to 
6d. each ; but the best flavoured varieties we receive are Calville 
Blanche as grown in France, and Newtown Pippins as grown in 
Canada and the United States. Apples may be kept longer in 
season if stored in barrels away from the air, but the flavour is not 
improved thereby. 
Sixteen dessert sorts may possibly seem a large number for the 
ordinary fruit grower, but it is rarely that all those named succeed 
on any one place. Therefore, to ensure success a trial must first be 
made then those that answer the best may be planted in quantity, 
according to circumstances, for doubtless all of us already know 
something of the subtle influences of soil and climate, as well as 
the evil of planting too many sorts. The same remarks also apply 
to the following sixteen culinary kinds :— 
Culinary Apples. 
For very earliest gathering: I can recommend Old Hawthornden, 
Manks Codlin, Lord Suffield, and Ecklinville Seedling, all pale- 
coloured. The trees are good growers, and enormous and certain 
croppers when grown as bushes. 
Second early : Peasgood’s Nonesuch is the largest and hand¬ 
somest fruit we grow, consequently returns the best prices in the 
market. The tree makes an excellent orchard standard, and is a 
free grower of shapely habit, but a rather shy bearer. Stirling 
Castle, Cox’s Pomona, and Potts’ Seedling are each good bearers, 
and succeed well as bush trees. 
Midseason Varieties: These are best represented by Lane’s 
Prince Albert, a splendid and handsome Apple, a most prolific 
bearer of the best quality ; does best as a bush, the habit of the tree 
being somewhat irregular as a standard. Bismarck, new, promising 
well, so is Bramley s Seedling, giving handsome fruit, which keeps 
