410 THE COTTAGE GARDENER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN'S COMPANION.— September 0, 1850. 
Mr. Whiting’s, were considered equal to them in 
flavour. Mr. Paul also produced specimens of Denyer's 
■ Victoria, White Magnum Bonum, which were not suffi¬ 
ciently ripe, and also some excellent examples of the old 
Muscle Plum. Mr. Rivers exhibited specimens of 
Guthrie's Apricot Plum, a very richly-flavoured yellow 
Plum, profusely mottled on one side with crimson; the 
Orange Plum, a singularly-shaped variety, being very 
much compressed laterally, which will be best under¬ 
stood when we say it is of the form of the old-fashioned 
fat-looking W'atches. It is of good flavour, but not re¬ 
markable for any richness, and, therefore, not equal to 
many other varieties in cultivation. The Peine Claude 
d'Oulin is a green Plum which assumes a yellowish tint 
as it ripens. It possesses a rich flavour, but is not 
equal to the Green Gage, with which it is in season. 
Mr. Rivers also exhibited specimens of his new Seed¬ 
ling Pitmaston Nectarine. This was raised from the old 
Pitmaston Orange, which it very closely resembles in 
size, shape, and colour of the fruit, and to which it is 
equal in point of flavour ; but the advantage which 
this new variety possesses over its parent is in the 
greater hardiness and vigour of the tree. Mr. Rivers 
found that in stiff and cold clay soils the old variety 
was subject to mildew and disease, and that it was with 
the greatest possible difficulty he could succeed in culti¬ 
vating it; whereas the seedling grows with the greatest 
luxuriance, and is perfectly hardy. It must not be 
understood, however, from these remarks, that the Pit¬ 
maston Orange is equally as tender in light and loamy 
soils, for there it succeeds to perfection. 
Mr. Paul furnished a large collection of many dif¬ 
ferent varieties of Apples and Pears, the greater portion 
of which were not ripe. One Apple, however, deserves 
particular mention for its large size and beauty, and for 
the length of time during which it is in use. It is 
called the Councillor. It is of a roundish-ovate shape, 
with prominent obtuse ribs; skin of a yellow colour, 
with a blush of red on one side, and the surface covered 
with a network of russet, similar to the Alfriston. It is 
a culinary Apple, comes into use after the Manks 
Codlin, and continues till Christmas. The tree is. an 
abundant bearer; and this season, Mr. Paul stated, 
while among Apples generally the crop is almost a total 
failure, this variety is very productive. 
From the Royal Gardens, Frogmore, there was 
received a branch of a new seedling double-hearing 
Raspberry, which fully exhibited its double-bearing 
character, but which, in the opinion of the Society, did 
not appear to differ essentially from other double-bearing 
varieties. One peculiarity, however, was observed in 
the growth of the plant, the branch exhibited being 
produced not from a sucker, as is usual in Raspberries, 
but from the old shoot of the previous year, and from 
the base of a former shoot, which had been cut back on 
the principle of the spur-pruning of the Vine. On this 
subject the Society requested further information. 
The following gentlemen were elected members :— 
Mr. E. Spary, The Graperies, Brightou. 
Mr. Ceambe, Gardener to Earl Ducie, Tortvvorth 
Park, Gloucestershire. 
Mr. Mark, Fruiterer, Oxford Street, London. 
FRUIT-TREE PLANTING. 
The autumn is now approaching with rapid strides’ 
and although it is not many weeks since it was deemed 
expedient to recommend every attention to newly- 
planted trees, it becomes already a duty, on the part of 
us cottage gardeners, to direct attention to that revision 
of the condition of our fruit-trees which must annually 
recur. For my part, I am, as I have been for years, an 
advocate of early autumn planting. This is open to 
the imputation of prejudice from other quarters, and 
such it may or may not be; but I will exchange the 
opinion the moment 1 can get a better. 
But here I want to chat about soils for fruits; about 
preparations necessary; and once more to inquire 
whether anything more can be done as to the roots of 
trees in our fitful climate. Whatever the course of the 
summer may have been in other counties, we cannotboast 
of it here (Cheshire); and I am obliged to confess to very 
slender crops of Apples and Pears. The latter, as we all 
know, is a thing of the highest consideration, inasmuch 
as a first-rate melting Pear in January and February 
is not shamed on the dessert-table by the finest Jamaica 
Pine, or the best Barbarossa Grapes. Apples, of course, 
are indispensable adjuncts; we may not despise them, 
but everybody can grow a Ribston Pippin without 
the aid of science. Let me here observe, tben, that 
the Pears being clearly exonerated from the charge 
of heavy crops, have “ run to wood ” most fearfully. I 
name this as a necessary preliminary to future planting 
processes. 
Talk about manuring of Pears in a trained condition, 
who dares do it? I was one day chatting with a gen¬ 
tleman who thinks he knows a good deal about garden¬ 
ing, and, for a gentleman, he certainly does. We were 
looking at a table-trellis of Pears, which had produced, 
in general, excellent crops, but which this season is not 
worth notice. The period we were talking over the 
subject was last September, and then they carried a 
full crop. I remarked that they had been planted 
twenty-four years, and had never bad a particle of 
manure, neither had the spade been used amongst them. 
He marvelled much where they got their food from, and 
predicted tbeir falling off if not manured. But he 
should see them this season; shoots in abundance, two 
feet in length, are scarcely an indication of vegetable 
decline. I have actually dubbed or clipped them as a 
hedge, for the labour question has been an awkward one 
this summer. 
I have pointed to these trifles as bearing on the con¬ 
sideration of both depth, extent, and quality in soils; 
and I cannot imagine a better time in which to bring 
my case into court; for where unproductive trees are, 
there, in general, will be the disposition to produce 
coarse shoots. Now, there are at least two distinct 
ways of sustaining fruit-trees as to soil; the one 
shallow soil, of a generous character; the other poor, 
but deep soils. I speak this, for the present, of Pears, 
and irrespective of stocks. But here, again, another 
point for consideration forces itself on our notice. There 
happens to be as much difference between one Pear and 
another as betwixt a Cabbage and a Cauliflower; so 
it may be seen that it is not possible to suit all kinds 
with the same mode of planting. Indeed, the ^argu¬ 
ments now adduced are in part, doubtless, one reason 
for the use of Quince stocks. But whatever may be 
the case with Pears when bearing heavy crops, when 
they rest they have a tendency to run to wood, and this 
extreme tendency should be provided against, or the 
unfortunate cultivator may pinch away half his time. 
Now, the fact is, could gardeners, in general, stop to 
prune the roots of trees when they deemed it necessary 
without prejudicing other business, much advantage 
might accrue from a process of the kind carried out in 
