1S70.] 
EARLY APPLES.-ON .ITTDr}TNf4 THE AURTCT^LA. 
■ll 
plant the Potatos—York Regents, Paterson’s 
Victoria, Scotch Blue—leaving all the fanc}- 
2s. Cd. per lb. novelties for those that can better 
afford to plant them. Attend to hoeing and 
general cultivation, and as soon as the Potatos 
are full}^ grown take them up at once, and 
spread them to diy in sheds before storing. 
You will find by doing this you will have a 
good return. This, excepting the selection, was 
Edward Luckhurst’s advice to me three years 
back, and I have proved its value.—R. Gilbert, 
Burglileij. 
EARLY APPLES. 
[Plate 48G.] 
;MONGST the many early dessert Apples, 
there are perhaps none better known, 
and few more relished, or of higher 
merit, than the Oslin (Fig. 1.) More especially 
is this so in Scotland, which seems to be its 
adopted home, for there its qualities are superior 
even to wRat we find them in the south, where, 
however, it is also much prized. The Oslin is a 
very old Apple, and one of a very distinct char¬ 
acter, which can scarcely be confounded with 
any other. There is no very authentic record 
of its origin, but it is sujtposed to have been in¬ 
troduced by the monks of Arbroath from France; 
and this is very likely to have been the case, as 
there are evidences of many fruits having been 
introduced by these people ; still, it is sti’ange 
that no trace of this name or of this apple can 
be found in any French list of fruits. Like most 
good fruits, the Oslin enjoys many synonyms; 
amono-st others, it is often called Arbroath 
Oslin, Arbroath Pippin, Scotch Oslin, Sum¬ 
mer Oslin, Mother’s Apple, Burr-knot, Orglon, 
Orgeline, &c. 
The fruit may be described as of medium 
size, flattish—frequently more so than our 
figure represents—or roundish oblate in shape, 
very evenly and regularly formed; eye large, 
open, prominent; stalk short, inserted in a 
slight cavity. Skin rather thick, pale yellow, 
and strewed with brown dots. Flesh yellowish, 
firm, very rich and sprightly in flavour. In 
warm seasons it is apt to be somewhat dry, 
and at other times it is liable to crack, often 
to a great degree. In use during September. 
The tree is of free growth, of ei-ect habit, with 
large, broad leaves, somewhat liable to canker 
as it grows old, and the branches are frequently 
covered with knobs or burrs, from which roots 
are readily formed, on their being placed in the 
ground. 
Early Julien (Fig. 2). —This is a very 
excellent early Apple, generally relegated to 
the kitchen ; but it is really a very good dessert 
fruit. It is not quite so captivating in appear¬ 
ance as many others, but in quality it is unique. 
The peculiar brisk aromatic flavour of the 
flesh, and its crisp freshness, render it ex¬ 
tremely pleasant on a warm day in August, 
when juicy fruits are scarce. Dr. Hogg, in the 
Fruit ^[anual, compares it to the Ilawthorn- 
den for all its good qualities, and indeed it 
might be called a summer form of that varietjn 
The fruit is of medium size, roundish and 
somewhat angular. Skin smooth, pale yellow, 
having frec{uently a tinge of orange on the side 
next the sun, and strewed with whitish dots. 
Eye large, the segments broad, closed, set in 
an irregular basin ; stalk short, set in a deep 
cavity. Flesh yellowish-white, crisp, juicy, 
brisk, and pleasant. It comes into use early 
in August, and is much esteemed for cooking. 
The tree is a free grower, and succeeds w'ell on 
the Paradise stock as a dwarf.—B. 
ON JUDGING THE AURICULA. 
^^T is now a good many years since I was 
^ (b a grower of the Auricula, though I still 
have a regard for them, and nothing- 
gives me greater pleasure than to visit an 
exhibition of these beautiful spring flowers. 
When at the National Society’s (Northern 
Section) Exhibition last spring, I noticed one 
or two errors of judgment, on which I fully 
expected that some one of more authority than 
myself would have made some remark. 
Notably among the green-edges, a Traill’s 
A/niaw’&s awarded first honours, though it was 
anything but a good flower, the body-colour 
in every pip of it striking through the green to 
the very edge of the petal. Prince of Greens, 
which was placed second, was, in my opinion, 
a far better flower, even and regular in its 
maiking, possessing only one fault—a pale 
tube—which was of far less moment in my 
estimation than a broken body-colour. 
Among the white-edges, first honours were 
awarded to Smiling Beautg, as perfect a grey as 
I ever remember to have seen ; in fact, I could 
