September 18, 1886. 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
37 
casting about for these other means. Some of them, 
whose grounds are in the neighbourhood of Sitting- 
bourne, have been endeavouring to organise a service of 
fruit barges brought up by steam tugs. The cost this 
way, if it were practicable, would not amount to half 
the railway rates, it is said. 
The first experiments, however, do not appear tp 
have been altogether successful. It is a tidal creek 
that runs out from the Thames towards Sittingbourne, 
and the difficulties of tide have occasioned the loss of a 
market to the first cargo. "With ripe fruit this, it is 
clear, may sometimes prove serious, and may possibly 
thwart this reversion to a mode of transit familiar to 
the days before railways. It does not, however, seem 
to be as yet quite certain that a little scheming and 
contriving as to the time of dispatch may not overcome 
this difficulty. Among growers to whom water carriage 
is not available there are proposals of combination to 
provide means of land transit apart from railways, 
should argument fail to secure fair terms. Meanwhile, 
it would be interesting to know, if some statistician 
would tell us, what sort of a tax Londoners are paying 
on this one item of fruit alone, through the high rates 
of carriage rendered to some extent necessary by the ex¬ 
travagant cost of our railway construction, and the 
enormous sums which were originally paid to the 
landowners along their lines of route in order that 
towns might be planted and industries developed, and 
a fabulous value thus given to the estates of these 
same landowners. It would at least be curious, if not 
startling, to see how large a part of every sixpence we 
spend in Plums goes to help out the dividends on that 
tremendous outlay of capital, to say nothing of the 
fruit that is rotting on the trees because we parched and 
heated Londoners cannot get at it .—Daily News. 
- ~>X<~ - 
HIBISCUS SYRIACUS. 
At this season, few of our hardy flowering shrubs 
present a more attractive appearance than the old- 
fashioned plant, commonly known in gardens under the 
name of Althaea frutex ; and there are few plants better 
worth planting in mixed shrubbery borders. It is per¬ 
fectly hardy, grows to a moderate height, about 8 ft., 
stands pruning freely, has pleasing foliage, and flowers 
with wondrous freedom. In colour the flowers vary 
from pure white to dark purple, and during the last 
few years many handsome double varieties of Conti¬ 
nental origin have made their appearance in collections. 
In this country it is not often seen used as a bedding 
plant, but in most of the Paris parks and public 
gardens very handsome beds are frequently seen, the 
plants being kept low by cutting them hard back every 
season. 
-»>Z-<-- 
A FRUIT-TREE NURSERY IN 
KENT. 
“Kent: the Garden of England.” Is it 1 Well, 
every Kentish man will tell you so, and none more em¬ 
phatically than the guiding spirit of a firm whose head¬ 
quarters are at Maidstone, and whose speciality in 
business is the raising of Fruit trees for the million, in 
a parish not far distant from that old-fashioned county 
town, yet one of the most fertile, in a district as famous 
for its Hops and other produce as the county is celebrated 
for its Cherries and fair women. The line from Sevenoaks 
to Maidstone passes through a country of great interest 
to all concerned in fruit production, and the highest 
class of land cultivation ; but it is when nearing 
Harming that the grand crops on either hand seem to 
claim the largest measure of our admiration. 
Arriving at Banning station one morning at the end 
of August, and on what proved to be one of the hottest 
days we have experienced this season, we were met by 
the “guiding spirit” of the firm aforesaid; none 
other than Mr. George Bunyard, one of the most en¬ 
thusiastic of pomologists, and most courteous and 
kindly of men, and under his guidance we were soon 
in the nursery, and deep into the details of fruit-tree 
propagation. 
Extending their landmarks in various directions, as 
the exigencies of business required, and the land could 
be obtained, the Messrs. Bunyard’s nursery now reaches 
up to Banning station, and the first crop on this piece 
consists of 45,000 stocks of /various kinds, which, at 
the time of our visit, were in the hands of the budders. 
The nurseiy covers an area of some sixty-six acres, and is 
closely cropped ; the cultivation all through being of 
the most admirable description. Trees and Shrubs 
of an ornamental character, and of the usual 
description, are grown to a considerable extent ; 
but Plums, Apples, and Pears are the staple products, 
and occupy by far the largest acreage. The stock of 
Plums in various stages of growth, from the bud to the 
6 ft. standard ready for orchard planting, numbers, in 
round figures, 100,000. The great and still growing 
popularity of Denyer’s Victoria is testified by the 
number here grown, some 30,000, mostly standards, 
the remainder being fan-trained to meet the demand 
for that class of tree. Belgian Purple, The Czar, and 
Blue Prolific are also held in high repute as market 
Plums, and raised in large numbers. Kentish Bush, a 
local sort, is also in great demand, as it makes a hand¬ 
some tree, and is a grand cropper. As a late variety, 
Mr. Bunyard thinks highly of Rivers’ Archduke, an 
oval-shaped purple fruit, of good quality and a tre¬ 
mendous cropper. The leading Damson is Crittenden's 
or Farleigh Prolific, a local variety believed to have 
been found in a hedge, and of which we gave an illus¬ 
tration in our last volume, p. 73. Whatever may be 
its origin, there is no gainsaying its merits or its popu¬ 
larity among growers for market, for none yield more 
heavily or more constantly. A few years ago this used 
to be budded like the Plums ; but it is now raised from 
suckers, which are allowed to grow freely for two or 
three years, when they are cut down close and then 
make clean, straight stems. The varieties we have 
named by no means represent all that the Messrs. 
Bunyard grow, only those raised in large numbers for 
market growers ; all the choice garden varieties are 
represented in trees of various sizes and shapes, and all 
admirable of their kind. 
Though raised in smaller numbers than Plums by 
some 15,000, the Apples are by far the more interesting 
feature, being represented by a greater number of 
varieties, and held in higher estimation for their longer 
season of usefulness. The stocks in use are Rivers’ 
Nonsuch, the English, the Broad-leaved, and the 
Doucin, the greatest number being worked on the first- 
named, while only a few sorts are budded on the last. 
The various sorts are used for specific kinds, but the 
bulk are budded on the Nonsuch, which Mr. Bunyard 
finds the best, and layers from stools, selecting the 
strongest stocks for the strongest growers, such as 
Blenheim Orange and Warner’s King, &c., and putting 
the weaker growers on the English Paradise. 
Of the varieties that more immediately came under 
our notice, we may mention the Early Strawberry, a 
well-flavoured, early variety of a rich crimson colour, 
not much known in the south but a favourite in 
Scotland, and being a good bearer should be worth 
growing as a market variety. A first-rate poor man’s 
Apple is Potts’ Seedling, an enormous beaVer of large¬ 
sized fruits, even little trees not more than 3 ft. high 
carrying fruits of grand quality. Ribston Pippin on 
the Paradise was very fine, both in growth and the fine 
quality of the fruits, and certainly shows no signs of 
dying out here. Granadier, a variety brought into notice 
a year or two ago, is a very fine Apple, and unlike many 
varieties, bears fruit and makes a good growth at the same 
time. The best early variety is Mr. Gladstone, a new sort 
which originated in the neighbourhood of Kidder¬ 
minster, and which, though small, is wondrously rich 
in colour, and makes a telling dish in a collection of 
fruit in August. Stirling Castle, like Lord Suffield, of 
course, requires no commendation, as, to use an Hiber- 
nianism, “ they speak for themselves”; but Domino, 
a large culinary variety obtained from the midland 
counties, must be noted as an immense cropper. His- 
ton’s Favourite, which seems to belong to the Haw- 
thornden race, is also liked for its free-bearing pro¬ 
clivities. Hormead Pearmain, a Sussex Apple, is 
recommended as a good-keeping culinary variety, not 
large, but good in quality, and a good cropper. The 
Queen, Messrs. Saltmarsh’s new variety, proves to be 
a fine acquisition ; and Cardinal, another new intro¬ 
duction, is of a most lovely colour. Lady Sudeley, the 
fine variety sent out by the firm last year, is seen in 
strong force, and will become a favourite, having high 
quality and richness of colour to recommend it. Such 
recognised good culinary kinds as Ecclinville, Lord 
Derby, Lord Grosvenor, Loddington Seedling or Stone’s 
Apple, Lane’s Prince Albert, one of the very best; 
Keswick Codlin, and New Hawthornden are seen in 
great abundance ; and among dessert sorts not already 
mentioned, Cox’s Orange Pippin, Duchess’s Favourite, 
and Ingestrie Yellow or Summer Golden Pippin were 
specially noted by reason of the fine quarters of thrifty 
plants. 
Pears are grown to the extent of some 40,000, mainly 
as standards, but with a good proportion each of pyra¬ 
mids, espaliers, and cordons, and, like the Apples and 
Plums, show high-class management, the espaliers, 
four years old and upwards, being perfect models of 
Hibiscus Syriacus. 
