July 20, 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
291 
I could name other places. I may also add, that my 
trees are as good as ever, and laden with fruit But for 
kinds, I will say that I, too, am astounded that no new 
seedlings have been brought to our notice, and I do 
hope to persuade some of our amateur friends to take 
! up the case, and try their hands, for it appears it must 
j be made a hobby rather than a matter of business. 
My first point—the raising new fruits from seed. No 
man of sound understanding can for a moment doubt 
that a wide and interesting field would speedily lay at 
the service of any individual or company undertaking 
the matter with skill and enthusiasm. There would 
appear to bo two great essentials on this matter, and 
the eye should be well fixed on them; that is to say, 
tho question resolves itself, in the main, into two points, 
the one how to originate now flavour, with other 
qualities; the other, how to combine or unite existing 
merits, so as to add fresh links to this interesting chain. 
As to the first, I do think it probable that we should 
have to revert to the blood of our “ Wildings ” in ori- 
i ginating fresh flavours. 
What is termed smartness, or briskness, is, as every 
good judge knows, one great essential in fruit; this is, 
of course, opposed to insipidity. Look, for instance, 
j at the briskness of the old Nonpariel Apple. I am not 
I aware that we meet with precisely the same in any 
other Apple. When we look at the smallness of the 
foliage, and the comparative slenderness of the wood, 
as compared with some of our huge dumpling Apples, 
I think it but fair to infer that this kind owes much 
of its smartness to the blood of some wilding, which, 
probably, constituted its parentage on tho one side. 
When I say wilding, however, I do not wish to confine 
the term to the wild Crab in its most original state; 
there are other forms of wildings, just a stage or two 
removed from these Crabs, which, to briskness of juice 
add more pulp, and that, too, of a more tender character 
—or, perhaps, I ought to say, of finer texture. If I 
was going to commence in this way, I would hunt out 
such over tho kingdom, inviting co-operation therein; 
and I should have no doubt of meeting with a recipro¬ 
city of feeling. I am persuaded that tho train is already 
laid; there needs but the spark applied by a judicious 
hand in the right way. 
To pass on to Cherries. Who does not admire the 
smart port-wine character of the Morello, when ripened 
on an east or west wall, and so well fed as to almost 
rival an Orleans Plum in size ? Why not obtain crosses 
between this and our larger and sweeter Chorries? Only 
fancy a Cherry nearly intermediate in character between 
such as the Morello , and the Elton, or even tho Bigar- 
reait! From the Elton cross, however, one of the 
finest late Cherries in the kingdom might be expected; 
and oue possessing much hardihood and adaptability 
for espalier training. 
In Plums, too, it has often occurred to me, that 
the Damson would, used as a cross on one side, 
open up a new class altogether. Only let us fancy a 
cross between this and the Greengage, in which the 
latter predominated. The colour, to be sure, would 
hardly be fair; but why not intermediate grades of 
colour, to give variety to the dessert, or to the exhibition 
I table. But then there is tho chance of obtaining hardi¬ 
hood as well. Again, there are such as the Precoce de 
Tours, the Morocco, &c., which are notorious as good 
setters—a most desirable point to encourage in Plums, 
which are in general rather awkward customers in this 
respect. I do not know how it occurs, but we have a 
regular shoal of uew Plums over from our Yankee 
brethren, and of many of them they would seem to have 
made free use of the old Magnum Bonum, or Egg Plum 
section. Size and robustness of habit havo evidently 
been a leading consideration with our fast friends. If 
Americans can so readily raise riums, why not John Bull? 
As for Pears, it is probable that we should not meet 
with a degree of success equal to some of our conti¬ 
nental neighbours. Our climate scarcely warrants high 
expectations as to the Pear kinds. Still, that is no 
reason why a hardy and superior orchard class should 
not originate here. One of the best of our old Pears 
to use in this way is, I think, the Swan’s Egg. This, in 
its day, has been one of the most generally useful Pears 
in the kingdom for ordinary purposes; and it would 
seem that the late Mr. Knight, of Downton, had an eyo 
to this; for I think this strain may bo clearly traced in 
the Altliorpe Crassanne, and several others which he 
raised from seed. 
In Peaches and Nectarines, we have not, as far as I 
am aware, anything original to fall back on. The only 
chance here would seem to be raising from fruit of very 
superior flavour, pulp, and smartness; and pushing 
forward by selecting fruits possessing peculiarities, if 
not originality. 
As to Stocks, I must make them the subject of another 
paper; for much more maybe said on this head than 
space can be spared for on this occasion. I do not 
know if I can offer any really new ideas; but the very 
raising of the question can do no harm, especially as 
we are shortly promised a genuine Pomological Society. 
If such really take place, I do hope that it will take 
into consideration the propriety of taking up good 
ground, and a sufficient breadth of plan, to allow any 
after advances to be added; for, assuredly, the public 
will not remain stationary many years in the new 
fruit question. Co-operation will, in time, perform these 
things. There is nothing like a public company for 
pushing great matters with speed; not that I would by 
any means daunt our amateur performers, but quite the 
contrary. They can, at least, be first in the field, and 
the occupation of raising seedling fruits will be found 
to bo one of intense interest; it is only making a be¬ 
ginning. 
If any party should at any time attempt a society 
having for its object the raising, proving, and disporsion 
of new fruits, they would need but about a couple of 
acres of good upland, loamy soil, in some situation 
almost midland; say near a railway, about a score miles 
south of Birmingham. I do not see but that such a 
society might be made not only self-supporting, but 
even remunerative, after the first three or four years. 
Our exhibitions might bo the chief test of tho merits of 
seedlings, and proved and registered kinds might be 
propagated forthwith, and sold at high prices, which 
they Would readily command. We should have America 
as our market, as well as Europe in general; there woidd 
be no fear of a deficient demand. Besides new fruits, 
other superior kinds might be cultivated for sale, and for 
breeding from, and vegetable or other culture might be 
made to contribute towards defraying tho expenses. To 
those amateurs, or others, who wish to commence ope¬ 
rations, I would say, look sharp out now for some fruits 
of very superior character to commence on. They should 
be from healthy trees, from superior aspects or situa¬ 
tions, and unless possessed of very superior qualities or 
flavour should be at once rejected. I hope these hints, 
though somewhat of a discursive character, may set 
other minds at work. I must, in a future paper, remark 
on Stocks, for the necessity for advance here is as urgent 
as in the case just handled. 
I may just observe, for tho information of beginners, 
that seedling fruit-trees will not only be earlier proved, 
but their character will be earlier developed, if budded 
or grafted towards the terminal points of established 
treos, whether as standards, or in a trained state. This 
was tho favourite practice of the lato Mr. Knight, of 
Downton, who also found in many casos that seedlings 
did not exhibit their inherent merits on their first 
fruiting, especially if on their own roots. It is ah- 
