MARCH. 
81 
and in a few years more will be numbered with the things that were. 
What is said of the Apple and Pear is also advanced against the 
Dahlia, Potato, &c., on which we shall have something hereafter to say. 
Let us first take the Ribston Pippin Apple, which we are told 
formerly grew and produced fine fruit in East Lothian, as a standard 
tree, but that now it can only be grown as a wall truit, except in some 
favoured spots. The trees named have been long since dead, and the 
scabby specimens of this once-fine fruit now exhibited in the shops of 
the Edinburgh fruiterers are considered by the writer conclusive evidence 
that it has lived its day, and must soon quit the stage altogether; the 
reviewer adding, “ ever since the original tree in Yorkshire was in 
extremis this valuable variety was almost everywhere infected with 
canker.” Thus he completely identifies himself with Mr. Knight’s theory, 
which is, “ that all plants of this species (the Apple) however propa¬ 
gated from the same stock, partake in some degree of the same life, in 
the habits of its youth, its maturity and decay.” Of course, if the 
East Lothian trees, propagated as they must have been directly or in¬ 
directly from the original tree at Ribston, and as a consequence sickened 
with it, it should follow that throughout the breadth of the land trees 
originated in a similar manner from their common parent should be 
equally affected, or at any rate should show some symptoms of 
degeneracy. Unfortunately for this hypothesis, and fortunately for the 
character of this fine old fruit, we have evidence to the contrary under 
our immediate notice. 
In the year 1773, Mr. Miles, a very respectable and intelligent 
gardener of his day, came from the neighbourhood of Leatherhead, in 
►Surrey, to this place, and brought with him one or more young trees of 
the Hibston Pippin Apple, which he had previously obtained direct from 
Yorkshire. One of these trees is now standing in our garden. The 
soil in which it grows is a poor dry sand only a few inches in depth, 
and resting on a sandstone rock ; a soil, you will say, altogether un¬ 
suitable for the Apple ; notwithstanding this it has attained a moderate 
size, and in its time has produced annually many bushels of fine fruit. 
Two years back, this octogenarian gave me two or three bushels of 
produce, nearly all of which were perfect. Half-a-dozen years ago, 
we were compelled to plant a belt of Laurels nearly close to its stem, 
and the roots were then much injured, and have suffered since from the 
Laurels robbing the tree of part of its nourishment, so that it is not 
now so vigorous as formerly, and makes but little wood. Some few 
years back we had to cut down six or seven very large trees of the same 
kind, which it is recorded had been grafted from the tree noticed above. 
These were planted in a quarter of the kitchen garden, in 1775, the 
soil of which was, however, little more than a bed of sand;—at the 
time we mention, these had grown to so large a size as to render the 
quarter unfit for growing vegetables, besides shading a south wall near 
them. It was heart-breaking work to fell such fine trees, which 
})roduced us loads of the finest fruit; but as we had an orchard besides, 
it was done: the boles of some of them were sawed up into planks for 
furniture. The trees at the time were in full vigour, with no indi¬ 
cations of decay about them, and if allowed to remain would doubtless 
VOL. X., NO. CXI. G 
