1872 . ] 
FRUIT CULTURE.-JANUARY. 
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The form is irregular and bluntly turbinate, a little uneven and bossed on the 
surface, much swollen at the lower end. The skin is rough to the touch, of a deep 
bronzy green, and nearly covered with marblings, tracings, and dots of greyish 
russet. The stalk is thick and short, obliquely set in an unequal-sided shallow 
cavity, by the side of a fleshy lip. The eye is medium-sized, half-closed, and set 
in a deep basin. The flesh is white, fine, and very melting, the juice abundant, 
sugary, and aromatic, with a fine pleasant vinous flavour and slight acidity. The 
tree grows well upon the Quince, and is peculiar in habit, having a fine tomentum 
covering the young branches, and grey dots of a raised oblong form on the 
bark. The foliage is large and handsome, and altogether it is a nice acquisition 
amongst our late autumn fruits.—J. Scott, Merriott. 
FRUIT CULTURE.—JANUARY. 
favourable situations are not general, the culture of fruit-trees has 
oftentimes to be carried on under difficulties. When this happens, great 
skill and experience are required to grow superior fruit. It is a waste of means 
to plant fruit-trees in inferior soils without thoroughly improving them before¬ 
hand—thorough drainage, trenching, and top-dressing with such composts as 
will improve the texture of the soil, being the means to be adopted. The prepara¬ 
tion and improvement of the soil should be completed before fruit-trees are 
planted. Presuming that the ground has been thus prepared in the autumn, Fruit- 
trees may be planted any time during the month, in the absence of frost, if the 
soil be dry. Avoid deep planting ; spread the roots carefully out; fill in the soil 
carefully amongst and over the roots, and press gently with the feet—do not try 
to settle the earth by shaking them ; cover the surface over with a good mulching 
of rotten dung, and secure standards to stakes. Generally this is too cold a 
month for nailing fruit-trees with advantage, but as the frosts of the last two 
months will in most places have prevented much of this from being done, no 
favourable opportunity of pushing on with it should now be lost. The pruning of 
Fruit-trees should also be proceeded with in open weather. 
In-Doors. —Plants of Pine-apples that are swelling off their fruit should have 
a temperature of from 65° to 70° by night, with an increase of 8° or 10° by day; 
they should be well watered when they require it, and should have a tolerabl}* 
moist atmosphere. If the spring fruiters and the succession plants have a 
bottom-heat of about 85°, with a night temperature of from 60° to 05°, and a 
little air whenever the state of the weather permits, it will be all that is neces¬ 
sary for them at present. The Vines started last month will now have broken 
and be advancing into growth, and should have an increase of temperature to 
about 60° by night and 70° by day, which will be sufficient until they are coming 
into bloom, when it should be 5° or more higher; give air at every favourable 
opportunity. Start succession-houses, commencing with a low temperature. 
