290 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
July 20. 
which will he gathered most valuable information as to 
the varieties best suited to different soils and localities. 
Nothing can more powerfully show the importance of 
such information than the fact related at the above 
Meeting, that Pears considered worthless in the milder 
districts of England, are among the best-flavoured and 
most melting in tbe colder climate of Scotland. 
As to the classifying and settling the synonyms of 
fruits, the Society has a wide and but partially explored 
field before it. The importance of an arrangement of 
fruits so as to facilitate the discovery of the proper 
names, needs no other evidence than that to the nine- 
lnindred-and-forty Apples enumerated in Mr. Hogg’s 
“ Pomology,’ we have no certain guide. Yet what Mr. 
Hogg has there done for the Apple, would be most 
valuable if extended to tbe Pear, Grape, and other 
fruits. 
It was stated at the above Meeting, that one of the 
leaders of tbe Horticultural Society bad expressed bis 
opinion that a Pomological Society is not needed. An 
opinion requiring no other refutation than tbe deplorable 
state of tbe Society’s own fruit-trees, and the miserable 
defect of knowledge exhibited by tbe recently published 
supplement to its own fruit calendar. 
Whilst we state this, let it be clearly understood that 
“ Tho British Pomological Society ” wishes to be in 
perfect amity and co-operation with the Horticultural 
! Society. It only purposes to concentrate its attention 
| to one branch of gardening which has been too much 
| neglected by the' Horticultural Society, owing to its 
peculiar situation—peculiar as to its funds, the soil of 
its garden, and tbe exclusive floral taste of its chief 
officer. Such concentrated attention is always desirable, 
and is no more antagonistic to tbe general Society, than 
are tbe Entomological, Botanic, and Zoological, to the 
Linneean. 
“ The British Pomological Society” being established 
at the Meeting we have mentioned, a Committee was 
then formed to draw up a code of rules, which will be 
submitted to a general meeting of tbe members, to be 
called on an early-coming day. 
Certain seasons are especially favourable to the breed¬ 
ing of some insects, but opposed to that of others. The 
spring and summer of the present year have been ex¬ 
tremely favourable to tbe production of tbe Aphis, 
Hant Louse, or Green Fly, as it is variously called, but 
these seasons have been very unfavourable to the breed¬ 
ing of all Moths and Butterflies. 
I Never did we see tbe Aphis so universal, and plants 
are attacked by it, the armed and hardy characteristics 
of which seem to defy such invasion. Even the Thistle 
is loaded with a black species, or variety, for we have a 
suspicion that one and the same species often feeds upon 
many plants, and varies more or less in colour accord¬ 
ing to tbe plant on which it feeds. 
The general prevalence of the Aphis has been re- 
I marked upon by more than one of our correspondents, 
I and in one of their letters occurs this passage :— 
“Did you ever see so much blight about? Every¬ 
thing is covered with insects. My Peaches, Cherries, 
Plums, Parsnips, Lettuces, Poses, and even the Ivy, are 
literally smothered with Aphides. The Hops, what I 
have seen of them in Kent, are drooping their leaves; 
the very hedges begin to be affected by them. Whatever , 
is to be tbe end of these judgments ; for they must be 
judgments! First—Potato blight, Vine blight, fruit 
blight, and now everything blight.” 
Whether this “plague of Lice” is sent as a judg¬ 
ment or not, we may be quite sure that it is permitted 
for some good purpose, and it will not have been without 
its use if it induces the gardener, by draining and pro¬ 
tecting bis crops, to secure them from those violent 
transitions from moist to dry, and from beat to cold, , 
which, by causing the exudation and decomposition of ! 
the sap of plants, affords such an excessive supply of 
food to the Aphis. An abundance of food is well-known 
to be tbe best promoter of an increase of population. 
THE POSITION OF HARDY FRUITS IN 
GENERAL.—POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
It is well for even horticulturists to pause and to 
“ take stock,” now and then, like our great commer- 
1 cialists; by so doing we may duly estimate our present 
position, ascertain our shortcomings, and lay tbe foun¬ 
dation for future progress; for progress there must and 
will be. The gist of this question will be found to lie 
in two points, which may be embodied in- the following 
questions:— 
1st. Have w r e progressed in tbe raising new fruits 
from seed in a corresponding ratio to our florists with 
their Geraniums,Cinerarias, Fuchsias, Pansies, &c.? If 
not, how is it? Is it from an inherent difficulty, and is 
it invincible ? 
| 2nd. Do we thoroughly understand the question of 
Stocks, or has it received that consideration which it 
deserves ? 
Now, these two points open a wide case, and since we 
have so many and oft-repeated lamentations about fruit 
failures, it will really be cowardly and most un-English 
to fear approaching the subject; which, indeed, to “ give 
a good account of,” certainly requires what is called 
pluck, and, of course, some experience. 
This question carries, we know, a highly scientific 
bearing, but it will, perhaps, be best for the present to 
take a plainly practical glimpse of it, and thus work our 
way upwards on suro ground. My clever contemporary, 
Mr. Robson, has more than once hinted at the stationary, 
not to say retrogressive, position of tbe fruit question; 
, and 1 freely confess, that his remarks carry too much 
| point to be agreeable. He has pointed to the fact, 
that our Peaches, Nectarines, &c., stand just where they 
did nearly a century ago, as to kinds; whilst be attempts 
to show that in culture they have retrogressed. The 
latter point is somewhat doubtful, inasmuch as I could 
poiut to gardens where as. noble crops of Peaches and 
Nectarines may be seen most years as when I was a 
lad, and trees uniformly clothed from top to bottom. 1 
remember seeing such a wall at Knowsley Hall, the 
seat of Earl Derby, about three years since, and I could 
but congratulate his excellent gardener, Mr. Jennings, 
on the splendid character of his trees ; for trees they 
were, covering walls some twelve to fifteen feet in height. 
Two years since, I found a noble wall of such trees at 
Alnwick Castle, in Northumberland, under tbe direction 
of a real substantial gardener, Mr. Pillans; and, indeed, 
