January 0. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENEK. 
259 
THE WINTER DESSERT. 
Most of our readers are aware that many of our 
fruits, although excellent in summer, or even autumn, 
I nevertheless, are not adapted for winter purposes, ad¬ 
mitting that they can be procured at that period. Thus, 
the Queen Pine, which is everybody’s favourite from 
May to October, is almost worthless in the dead of 
winter; and, indeed, the same may be said of the Provi- 
j dence, the Euville, and various others. To be sure, 
I they are grown—to sell, somebody will say—yes, and to 
eat; but this does not prove them the most eligible. 
We are led to otter these remarks from observing in a 
contemporary paper [The Gardener's Journal) a list of 
i fruit obtained from various quarters, showing, in a 
j tolerably clear way, which are the most general favourites 
for late autumn and winter use; and as the subject 
I seems quite apropos as to the season, we must beg to 
I place it before our fruit-growing readers. One thing 
I may be observed in the way of preface, that the majo¬ 
rity of those who have given reports are men of no 
small repute in the gardening world; we, therefore, refer 
to their reports with pleasure and with confidence. 
The subjects reported on are Pines, Grapes, Pears, 
Apples, Plums, Raspberries, Currants, Strawberries, 
Guavas, Medlars, the Passijloras Edulis and Quadran- 
gularis, and the shell fruits. As many of the readers of 
this work may not be acquainted with the particular 
kinds, we will point to such as in our judgment deserve 
a marked attention. 
In Pines the Queen kinds muster about eleven, 
whilst the Black Jamaica, almost always confounded 
with the Montserrat —perhaps the best winter Pine in 
England—counts seven. Next, we must point to the 
New Cayennes, which bid fair to become, not only 
popular, but useful: of these we have two of the 
smooth-leaved, and three of the prickly varieties. The 
other Pines we at once pass by, as not deserving, in the 
same degree, the character of winter Pines. 
In Grapes, eleven quote Hamhros, seven have the 
Muscats, and seven the St. Peter’s — “a dead heat.” 
There are besides, our new Black Barharossa, about 
which much fuss has been made, and we are glad to see 
not in vain, for ^tfr. Spencer, of Rowood, Wilts, no 
mean authority, parenthetically observes, “fine, and 
keep well.” Besides these there are several varieties, 
but as they are not at present much in the market, and 
as our business is to point to well-known, profitable 
kinds, we must even pass them by, although some of 
their names are tempting. 
In Pears, the Winter Nelis, Gloiit Morceau, Duchesse 
d’Anyouleine, Beurrii Diel, command a majority; and in 
Apples, our old favourite, the Bibston, is “ head-and- 
shoulders” above all the rest. The King of Pippins 
seems a great favourite; and the Downton and Blen¬ 
heim Pippins come in for a good share of patronage. 
In the Plum way we hear of nothing but the Coes 
Golden Drop. How is this? where are the Coe's Late 
Red, and the Imperatrice section, that were so much 
spouted-up whilst new? Of course some late Currants 
are to be found, and Alpine Strawberries. 
We must now beg to comment on these and other 
fruits adapted for use from the end of November until 
the end of January, when the question assumes a new 
phase; others must supply the gap; of which more on 
another occasion. We will commence with a crowned 
head—the Pine-apple. It is a great pity that the true 
Black Jamaica of the Horticultural Society should be 
constantly liable to be confounded with the Montserrat; 
but so it is. Even in this country, five out of six call 
the Jamaica the Montserrat. Now this should be put a 
stop to ; it points at once to the propriety of referring to 
some one standard authority, and the great need for the 
committees of exhibitions so to plan their awards as 
that all blundering of this kind be disqualified. It is 
silly enough, in these bookish days, to mispel names; 
but to give altogether a false name is decidedly unpar¬ 
donable by the public. Whatever the Cayennes may 
prove, this has hitherto proved the best winter Pine in 
cultivation, and peculiarly adapted to the Hamiltonian 
mode of culture. However, wo find that Messrs. 
Spencer, Tillery, and Turnbull, cultivate the prickly 
Cayenne, and Fleming and Spencer the smooth kind. 
With respect to Grapes, we are glad to find the new 
black Barbarossa spoken highly of by Mr. Fleming, 
and grown also by Spencer. The Trehiana, grown by 
^Ir. Tillery, is new to us. He calls it an excellent late 
white; we will write to him to beg information. The 
black Morocco used to bo esteemed a good winter Grape, 
and we are surprised to find it so seldom grown. How¬ 
ever, wo shall do well to stick close to the West's St. 
Peter s, Muscat, and llambros, for the present, for 
winter use. 
We may now point to some excellent winter Pears 
and Apples; and first, the Pears. Marie Louise, as a 
November Pear, it is well-known cannot be excelled; 
we have them still in use, but they were retarded by 
mat-shading applied the moment they were anyways 
ripe. “ Thomjnon's" is a capital November fruit, and 
so is L’ondante d'Automne, tliough the latter is some¬ 
what earlier, indeed, may be called an October fruit. 
Hacon’s Incompiarable good and hardy; Duchesse 
d'Anyoideme, too, is both good and a gi’eat bearer, 
in use from the middle of October to the early part 
of November. Beurre Diel is a great bearer, and 
highly spoken of in the south, but it takes a second 
rank here (Cheshire) whether on a wall or table trellis. 
Napoleon we have tasted good at times; Passe Colmar 
excellent, and a great bearer, but must have a pretty 
good wall-aspect in the north; anywhere north of the 
Humber, a south aspect. The best of all the Pears is, 
doubtless, the AeZu'd’/Zircr, or Winter Nelis; we have 
never known it equalled; even the Marie Louise cannot 
reach this invaluable pear. It is, moreover, a great 
bearer, and may, by good management, bs had in use 
from the middle of November until the beginning of 
January. This is a most singular pear in regard of 
habit. We could never imagine from what kinds it 
could have been raised, the foliage being so different 
from all other kinds. The wood is peculiarly slender, 
and the leaves almost lanceolate; more like some fine 
willow than a pear. It is not unlikely that the old 
Crassanne is the parent on one side. We have grown 
very fair specimens this summer on an ordinary dwarf 
standard, as also on a little trellis; but the remarks 
applied to the Passe Colmar may be attached to this: 
it is better deserving a south wall than any Peach in 
cultivation, its utility is so great; and we here advise 
those about to commence its culture to graft it on a 
strong pear stock, for it seldom becomes luxuriant; and 
we should bo inclined to doubt the Quince. Beurre bosc 
we can do nothing with in the north; a great bearer, 
and of immense size, but nobody will eat them whilst 
a Marie Louise or a Nelis can be had. 
One caution, however, is requisite here; in some 
seasons neither Marie Louise nor Nelis are to be had, 
and then these second-rate Pears become useful; for a 
middling fruit is better than none. It so happens that 
such Pears as Capiaumont, Beurre Bosc, Beurre Diel, 
&c., seldom or never miss a crop, they, therefore, may 
do to fall back on. We may here observe, that the 
Glout Morceau, although generally treated as a wall 
Pear, fruits here every year as an ordinary standard. 
We liave also a Beurre d’Aremberg on a Quince stock, 
a tree fifteen feet high, and which in bulk covers little 
more ground than a huge Black Currant bush. This tree 
is in form an umbrella, and we gathered this autumn 
nearly six pecks from it; they are amongst our first-class 
