294 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
January 11, I860. 
We have a number of such cases in our mind’s eye, 
where there are many dead trees which should have 
been thriving and well established. — Stirling. 
-- 
THE MYSTICAL APPLE. 
Of all fruits the Apple appears to have had the earliest, 
widest, and most mystical history. In Greece the 
name of the hardy fruit which, having as it is alleged 
appeared on the earth about the same time as man, has 
followed him in his migrations around the globe, became 
the name for sheep, and all manner of wealth ; as in 
Rome, the flock, pecus, became pecunia, or money. 
(Thus it is that a person who is short of money is styled 
impecunious). Theophrastus enumerated the Apple as 
among the more civilised fruits (urbaniores). Tacitus 
says that it was the favourite fruit of the ancient 
Germans, and a shrivelled Apple is among the re¬ 
coveries from the lake dwellings in Switzerland. The 
myth concerning it meets us in every age and country. 
Aphrodite—the Grecian name of Venus—bears it in her 
hand as well as Eve. The serpent guards it; the dragon 
watches it. It is celebrated by Solomon ; it is the 
healing fruit of the Arabian tales. Ulysses longs for it 
in the garden of Atemores ; Tantalus gasps vainly for 
it in Hades. In the Prose Edda it is written, “ Iduna 
keeps in a box, Apples which the gods, when they 
feel old age approaching, have only to taste to become 
young again. It is in this manner that they will be 
kept in renovated youth until Rugnarok (the general 
destruction).” Asrael, theAngel of Death, accomplished 
his mission by holding it to the nostril, and in the 
Northern folk lore “Snowdrop” is tempted to her 
death by an Apple, half of which a crone has poisoned, 
but recovers life when the Apple falls from her lips. 
The “Golden Bird” seeks the golden Apples of the 
King’s Garden in many a Horse story ; and when the 
tree bears no more, “Frau Bertha ” reveals to her 
favourite that it is because a mouse gnaws at the tree’s 
foot. Indeed, the kind mother goddess is sometimes 
personified as an Apple tree. But oftener the Apple 
is the tempter in Northern mythology also, and some¬ 
times makes the nose grow so that the sacred Pear 
alone can bring it again to moderate size. 
A Polish legend, given by Mannhardt, says there is a 
glass mountain, at the top of which stands a golden 
castle, before which is a tree of golden Apples. In the 
castle lives the enchanted daughter of a prince. Many 
vainly try to get on the mountain, but at last the youth 
who has fastened the claws of a lynx to his hands and 
feet is successful; with the golden Apples he calms a 
dragon which he finds at the entrance ; and, finally, 
having broken the spell that bound the princess, he 
must remain with her, and not return to the lower earth. 
In the goddess Holla’s garden the favourite fruits 
are the Apple and Pear—the latter of which fruits 
retained its sanctity in France long after the intro¬ 
duction there of Christianity. A Hanoverian legend 
says that the girl was asked by the dwarfs to be 
godmother to one of their children. On a fixed day 
she was led down a beautiful staircase, which was 
under an Apple tree in a court, to a superb garden, 
whose trees were laden with fruits. She was repaid for 
coming by an apronful of Apples, which, when she 
returned to the earth’s surface, were found to be of 
solid gold. These golden Apples are often met with 
in the Northern mythology. In some legends it is 
related that such may be taken from a tree growing 
over a fountain of holy water, with a rejuvenating 
powder ; all of these myths being traceable to the tree 
and fountain of Urd, one of the Norner. In the Edda, 
Skirner offers eleven golden Apples and the ring 
Dranpuir (from which, on every ninth night, eight 
equally heavy rings drop) to Gerda, if she will return 
Freyr’s love. 
The Apple has been a peallic, or celebrating emblem 
or agent, with many races. In various parts of 
England, where ancient customs have survived, the 
young people join hands and dance around Apple trees, 
and carol their hopes for a prolific year ; much in the 
same fashion as if the trees stood in the place of the 
maypole. The blossoming of an Apple tree in harvest, 
betokens a marriage, or to some, the funeral of the master 
of the house. In many parts of Germany, Apples are 
believed to be oracular in all love matters. On New 
Year’s night it is the custom to shoot an Apple seed 
from between the fingers with an invocation, and in 
the direction of the flight the sweetheart may be looked 
for. In Austria, on St. Thomas’ night, the Apple is 
cut in two and the seeds counted in each half: if they 
are even one will be married soon ; if a seed be cut in 
two, the course of love will not be smooth ; if two seeds 
be so cut, it is a sign of coming widowhood. Modifica¬ 
tion of these experiments survive in the rustic amuse¬ 
ments, quite common in England, of counting the 
.Apple seed with “One I love, two I love,” &c., and 
in sticking them, each being named after some person, 
on the forehead, the right sweetheart being proved by 
his or her seed adhering-longer than the rest. 
On New Year’s Eve, in Silesia, the maiden having 
bought an Apple at the exact price first demanded for 
it, lays it under her pillow, and at midnight expects to 
see her future husband in a dream. In Swabia a widow 
who eats half of an Apple on St. Andrew’s Eve, and 
places the other half under her pillow, expects a similar 
vision. In Austria the Apple must be cut in two on 
Christmas Eve in the dark, and without touching it 
with the naked hand, the left half being placed in the 
bosom, the right laid behind the door, the beloved may 
be looked for at midnight near the right half. In 
Hessia, Silesia and Bohemia, the Apple is carried about 
the person as a love charm, in ways indicating very 
plainly the emblematical association of the fruit; 
and the first Apple borne by a tree is thought to be an 
infallible cure for sterility. In Erzgebirge the maiden 
having slept on St. Andrews’ or Christmas night with 
an Apple under her pillow, takes her stand with it in 
her hand on the next festival of the church thereafter ; 
and the first man whom she sees, other than a relative, 
will become her husband. 
The custom of throwing the peeling of an Apple over 
the head, marriage or single blessedness being foretold 
by its remaining entire or breaking ; and that of 
finding in a peeling so cast the initial of the winning 
sweetheart are very old, and both well known in this 
country and that of America. The relation of the 
Apple to health is traceable to Arabia. In various 
parts of Germany it has been deemed potent against 
warts, on which decayed Apples are still rubbed in 
some parts of England. In Hessia it is said an Apple 
must not be eaten on New Year’s Day, as it will pro¬ 
duce abscess. In Swabia it is believed that an Apple, 
plucked from a graft on the white Thorn, will, if eaten 
by a pregnant woman, increase her pains. But gener¬ 
ally it is curative. In Pomerania the Apple is eaten 
on Easter morning to guard against fevers; in West¬ 
phalia (mixed with Saffron) against jaundice ; while in 
Silesia and Thuringia an Apple is scraped from the top 
to cure diarrhoea, and from the bottom to cure costive¬ 
ness. In some regions the custom survives of placing 
an Apple on the hand of a child ivhen it is burned “ to 
play with in Paradise.”— E. D. 
-■=->£<-=- 
GARDENING IN INDIA AND 
CEYLON.’ 
In Mr. McDonald’s English Vegetables and Flowers in 
India and Ceylon, British residents in those far-off 
countries will find a useful guide as to the time and 
manner of sowing, as well as their subsequent cultiva¬ 
tion, with regard to the flowers and vegetables to 
which they have been accustomed at home. The 
book will also interest amateurs intending to take up 
their residence there for any lengthened period of time. 
The volume is moderate in size, and being intended 
solely for amateurs, makes no pretensions to constitute 
a manual for professionals in the art of gardening. It 
might even prove interesting to people in this country 
having a knowledge of gardening, as the directions 
given for the different months are so much at variance 
with our experience here at given seasons of the year. 
The great extent of India, 'with its vast resources, 
difference of soil, climate and capabilities are commented 
upon. Here we speak of digging up the soil to the 
influence of frost; in India it is dug up to expose it to 
the influence of the sun. Frost they have in some 
parts, but over a great extent of territory artificial 
irrigation becomes a prime necessity before success can 
be insured during the dry season. The earthing up of 
Celery and Lettuce is one of the operations for January, 
and at the same time, in northern India, instructions 
are given for the protection at night of flowers in bloom, 
because they should be at their best that month. 
Sowings of Petunia, Verbena, Salpiglossis, Phlox, &c., 
are to be made in February, for flowering in boxes in 
shade during the hot season. Beet, Carrots, Parsnips 
and Onions have to be lifted and stored in March. 
April is the hot season, when the operations of digging, 
trenching and fallowing are practised ; the latter is 
said to be of more importance than all the fertilizers 
that can be given. During August and September the 
principal sowings of flowers and vegetables are made, 
* English Vegetables and Flowers in India and Ceylon, 
with useful notes on Roses, Bulbs, Fruit Trees and Lawns, for 
the use of Amateurs. By Donald McDonald, A.R.H.S. Lon¬ 
don : John Haddon & Co., 3, Bouverie Street, Fleet Street. 
and border flowers come into bloom in December. 
Sowing and planting seem to be carried on more or 
less at all times, but little is done in April owing to 
the drought. 
Lists of English vegetables and flower seeds are given, 
with instructions for sowing and the quantity of seed 
required for given spaces of ground. Hill stations and 
Ceylon are treated of separately, but at no great length, 
but reference is also made to them in the text relating 
to different plants. Directions are given for the forma¬ 
tion of lawns and after management, for the cultivation 
of Roses, Bulbs, English Fruits, &c. It is interesting 
to note the difficulties with which cultivators in India 
have to contend with regard to birds, insects and 
vermin of different kinds. The remedies are often very 
similar to those applied here in like cases. The rota¬ 
tion of vegetables is a very important feature. 
-- 
NOTES ON VEGETABLES. 
Celery, Standard Bearer. 
There are a lot of reputedly new varieties now in the 
market, which are all more or less good, but a trial of 
this one has shown that it deserves its name, for it is 
among the best medium sorts that I am acquainted 
with. It is of compact habit of growth, consequently 
the blades are not so wide and pithy as coarser grow¬ 
ing sorts usually are, but crisp and nutty in quality. 
Bibby’s Defiance Solid White Celery. 
This in habit somewhat resembles the above, bat with 
us the type has not been thoroughly fixed ; or at least 
the stock was mixed, as rogues were found here and 
there towering above the rows ; otherwise it is a 
praiseworthy sort. Surplus plants were given to 
gardening friends who are now asking for its name. 
Beet, Middleton Park Favourite. 
Not thirty per cent, of the seed of this variety cams up, 
which is not exxctly the thing required, especially 
when other sorts, close by, came up with great 
regularity. The few plants, however, that did grow 
were of a fine medium oval shape, very smooth and 
even, and the colour and flavour are excellent. The 
foliage is deep bronze. 
Small Compact Brussels Sprouts. 
With something akin to ardent admiration, I quite 
agree with what Mr. A. Dean said in his paper, read at 
Ealing, when he advocated that for ladies we should 
grow medium-sized compact sprouts that will number 
from thirty to thirty-five to the pound, and to do so 
we must cultivate taller sorts, and thin on the stem. 
Large sprouts eighteen to twenty-two per pound are 
certainly too large for private use. The habit, however, 
is in some gardens a matter of consideration, for the 
plants must not average more than 15 ins. in height. For 
market purposes it must be conceded that the masses 
like to bite bigger samples, and the larger sprouts are 
generally the more saleable .—A Kitchen Gardener. 
-- 
HYBRID GREENHOUSE RHODO- 
DENDRONS. 
Cultivators all over the country are now getting 
acquainted with this useful class of plants, which 
increase in popularity from year to year. The time is 
not so far distant, perhaps, when they will he cultivated 
in preference to the hybrids of R. ponticum, R. 
Catawbiense, and others of that class, which are rather 
stiff, formal, and apparently out of place for pot-work 
and forcing. They flower but once a year, whereas the 
class under notice might almost with justice be described 
as hybrid perpetual, for where a collection is grown 
under proper cultural treatment, some or other of 
them will be flowering at any given time of the year, 
or in other words, flowers may be had at any time. 
They are most profuse during spring, summer, and 
autumu ; but even at mid-winter a respectable amount 
of bloom may be had. During winter they require a 
cool stove or intermediate house to flower them, but in 
summer a greenhouse suits them admirably. They may 
also be kept in the latter structure or a conservatory at 
any time when iu flower, provided there is a 
temperature of 45° to 50°. Their continued flowering 
is due to the fact that directly the blooms fade or are 
cut off, short young shoots are made, and these again 
produce flower buds which gradually plump up aud 
come into bloom. 
In looking over the fine collection of Messrs. James 
Veitch & Sons, Chelsea, the other day, we noted a 
considerable number iu bloom. "Without going into 
minute detail, and leaving the species out of question, 
