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JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ December 10, 18 
I have had crops on two-year-budded trees, and although 
such small trees may only bear from two to six fruits, I think 
it gives to young trees a fruitful cast to allow them to bear 
from the very beginning. Some sorts, if healthy, invariably 
form fruit buds on the same growths which bear fruits, and 
the necessity laid on young trees to provide for the finishing 
of fruits would appear to cause the formation of a greater 
number of fibrous roots than would otherwise be the case. 
In light soils canker is the worst enemy to keep under, and 
as a rule the Paradise stock makes no headway against 
canker in light soil. By the simple process of lifting young 
plants biennially for the first six years of their existence, 
and shortening back on these any gross-growing roots, the 
trees may thereafter be left to themselves for several years. 
Then as to the sorts to grow. The two Congresses that 
have been held have helped greatly to show what are the 
kinds which are most reliable. It does not follow, of course, 
that we must rest our judgment entirely on what is seen at 
these _ exhibitions, but anyone who has had a few years’ 
experience with Apples—that is to say, if he has been 
interested in his work—is sure to have had some enlighten¬ 
ment on what is one of the least of the accomplishments of 
the general gardener—a knowledge of Apples. Taking those 
Apples which are certain croppers, produce fruit of a good 
size, and the trees healthy and not subject to canker in a 
harmful degree, I have found the following all that can be 
desired. I take cooking sorts first. The earliest is Early 
Julien, grown largely in Scotland as Tam Mongomery, also 
very often as Juneating. This, as a rule, bears very heavy 
crops, the tree healthy and not a great grower, and the fruit 
excellent for cooking, sometimes, as at Edinburgh last Sep¬ 
tember, shown successfully as a dessert kind. Duchess of 
Oldenbnrgh also does extremely well with us, making a 
strong upright growth, and always crops well, though not 
heavily. Keswick Codlin is still one of our best Apples. On 
trees which are not too old the fruit is good as to size, and 
as a cropper it is, of course, first-rate. Lord Suffield we are 
not increasing, though the stock is not allowed to get down. 
With us the tree is unhealthy, owing, I imagine, to a tender¬ 
ness in its constitution. Very often also the fruit is much 
spotted. The Old English Codlin, erroneously named in 
many places Dutch Codlin, does extremely well as a large 
standard tree. As a dwarf it does not crop so well, and we 
should hesitate to plant it in walled gardens. Nelson’s 
Codlin is very prolific, well worth growing in Scotland. In 
good seasons, when well ripened, it is good enough for 
dessert. The fruit keeps well with us till after Christmas. 
Ecklinville Seedling all Scotch gardeners look upon as a 
friend. It is very common, always crops, and the fruit is 
always of a good size. It does not do well with us on the 
Paradise but splendidly on the free stock, and though subject 
to canker, its free habit of growth compensates for any draw¬ 
back on that account. The shoots, though strong, should 
not be much shortened back, as these produce fruit buds 
their entire length, and I find it a very good plan to keep 
cutting the older branches as they become overcrowded, so 
that these younger ones may have room to take their places. 
With us this is a November Apple. Succeeding it as to 
time of using, but a finer Apple, is Warner’s King, a sort of 
many synonyms. I have seen it as Hawick King, Howick, 
King of British Apples ? Nelson’s Glory, Nelson’s Victory, 
Drumlanrig Castle, Barker’s Seedling, and Cobbett’s Fall, 
and doubtless many more are attached to it. We have about 
three dozen bearing trees of this Apple, and find them 
generally of the healthiest type, though the oldest canker 
rather badly. Thoujh not a large-growing tree, its growth 
is very vigorous in a young state. With Lord Derby and 
Gloria Mundi it divides the honour of being our largest 
Scotch fruit, and as a rule it is the largest. All the fruit is 
of a large size. Cox’s Pomona, though not of the largest 
size, is always a good cropper, the fruit handsome, and the 
tree healthy. We use this variety in December. In good 
seasons it may be used for dessert. 
Stirling Castle is another of those Apples which have 
earned the gratitude of all gardeners. With us it has one 
fault—that it fruits so freely as to stop wood growth. The 
only plan is to feed well and leave as much wood as can be 
left. We use it in December. Bymer, though it cannot be 
always depended on to crop, is at the same time too good to 
be left out. The tree is of a strong spreading habit of growth, 
and in most seasons is a very heavy cropper. It does best 
here with the centre of the tree kept well cut out, as also all 
the older branches and young ones left to take their places. 
It is in use in January. Following in the season of using 
comes Kentish Fillbasket, one of our most reliable sorts, 
though the tree is somewhat subject to canker. Mere de 
Menage is one of our best varieties, and does capitally in our 
light soil, bearing every year, and the fruit always of good 
size and of a fine colour. The tree is of spreading habit, 
healthy, and not of a large growth. The fruit is almost 
without core, and contains more useable material within the 
skin than any other kind I know. Northern Greening is a 
very large oropper, and being a rather poor grower requires 
liberal treatment. The fruit is of medium size, and one of 
the best cooking sorts. Such well-known varieties as 
Cellini, Hawthornden, Blenheim Pippin, and Dumelow’s 
Seedling (Wellington) canker so badly as to be worthless. 
Other kinds, as the Dutch Codlin and Catshead, grow too 
large for a garden; and many others, as Striped Beefing, 
Emperor Alexander, and Yorkshire Greening are too shy 
croppers ; Bess Pool is sometimes good, but very uncertain. 
Good dessert sorts are not numerous here. Margaret and 
Irish Peach are the two best earlier sorts. Yellow Ingestrie, 
often grown under the name of Golden Pippin, is very good. 
Beinette de Canada is very fine just now. Steward’s Seedling, 
dubbed worthless at the Chiswick Congress, is the most pro¬ 
fitable of market Apples. This is the greatest cropping 
Apple I know, and when ripe very sweet; an October fruit. 
Cornish Aromatic is also a great cropper, and very good for 
Scotland. Golden Winter Pearmain, one of the best, but 
extremely bad with American blight; Adams’ Pearmain, a 
large and certain cropper, which needs a good season ; Clay- 
gate Pearmain, very good; Cambusnethan, a very good 
Scottish Apple, Duke of Devonshire, certain and good; Old 
Scarlet Nonpareil, also very good. Fearn’s Pippin and Court 
Pendu Plat are two of the best late varieties. 
We grow many others, but for various reasons I do not 
name them here. The above are all grown in the open 
garden, very superior fruit being obtainable from walls, but 
the fruit is not so well flavoured. I may just add that these 
are selected from a hundred picked sorts, and we have fifty 
others under trial, but we in every case depend on a few 
varieties of which we have a number of trees for our supply 
of fruit.—B., East Lothian. 
ALLOTMENT CULTIVATION. 
“ Politics, politics, politics—nothing but politics. I shall be 
glad 
‘ When the hurlyburly’s done, 
When the battle’B lost or won.’ 
So that we may all get settled down again to more congenial work. 
But nobody can shut his eyes to the fact that the present election 
is destined to bring under allotment cultivation, and consequently 
horticulture, a vast amount of land which is at present agricultural. 
Both parties are bidding for votes on these principles, so that 
throughout the kingdom it must be a great question as regards 
disposing of the vast amount of extra produce or to find a market 
at remunerative prices.” 
Thus writes our correspondent Mr. Hiam in excuse for the delay 
that has occurred in sending notes on the canker of fruit trees. 
These notes will be found in another column. Important as that 
subject may be, the one alluded to above is of far greater moment. 
There cannot be a doubt that an increase in small allotments of 
land will follow the late “hurlyburly”—not by “compulsion,” but 
by the far better way of willing concession on the part of proprietors 
of estates. We know of landowners perfectly ready to grant small 
plots of ground to cottagers who are able and willing to cultivate 
them to their own advantage. We should rejoice if every man 
