■October  10,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
329 
Currants.  This  mysterious  pest  is  doing  untold  damage  in  the 
country,  and  threatening  the  very  existence  of  the  most  profit¬ 
able  of  small  fruits.  If  any  man  wishes  to  secure  the  undying 
gratitude  of  Kentish  fruit-growers  all  he  has  to  do  is  to  come 
forward  with  a  practical  and  efficient  remedy. 
The  members  of  the  feathered  tribe  are  amongst  the  natural 
foes  of  the  market  fruit-grower.  They  peck  out  the  buds  on  the 
hushes,  and  devour  the  fruit  when  it  is  ripe.  He  has  various 
ways  of  dealing  with  them.  In  the  Cherry  orchards  when  the 
fruit  is  ripe  men  patrol  beneath  the  trees  armed  with  guns,  and 
a  constant  fusillade  is  kept  up  from  early  morn  to  eve.  But 
here  we  have  an  instance  of  co-operation.  Sparrow  clubs  exist 
in  various  centres  (though  sparrows  are  not  the  only  game),  and 
during  the  winter  months  the  members  wage  tvar  against  the 
different  birds  that  injure  the  fruit,  for  the  prizes  offered  for 
the  heads  of  the  evil  doers,  which  are  presented  on  the  meeting 
nights.  In  the  dusk  of  evening  you  may  see  youths  and  men 
going  out  armed  with  nets  and  poles,  with  murderous  intent,  and 
the  roosting  sparrows  meet  their  doom.  Extermination,  did 
someone  say?  Not  a  bit  of  it!  They  seem  to  thrive  under  the 
persecution,  and  every  season  there  are  birds  enough  to  worry 
the  growers  and  get  a  fair  share  of  the  fruit. — IT. 
- <•©•> - 
Mr.  Charles  Ross. 
Some  of  the  best  of  the  recent  varieties  of  the  Apple 
have  been  raised  by  the  old  Scottish  gardener,  Mr.  Charles 
Ross,  whose  portrait  block  the  Messrs.  Horne,  of  Cliffe, 
MR.  CHARLES  ROSS. 
have  kindly  placed  at  our  use  in  the  present  number.  The 
Charles  Ross  Apple,  of  which  he  was  the  raiser,  will  bear  his 
name  to  posterity.  Mr.  Ross  has  long  been  famous  as  an 
exhibitor.  Since  1862  he  has  gained  over  eleven  hundred 
prizes,  including  certificates  for  new  subjects.  Gold  and 
silver  cups,  silver  and  bronze  medals. 
He  is  head  gardener  to  Col.  Archer  Houblon,  Welford 
Park,  Newbury,  Berkshire,  where  we  hope  he  may  be 
engaged  in  his  patient  work  for  many  years  to  come. ,  His 
figure  is  familiar  at  the  Drill  Hall  meetings  of  the  Royal 
Horticultural  Society,  where  he  has  nearly  always  an  exhibit 
of  fruit. 
The  Charles  Ross  Apple  is  proving  a  good  cropper,  which 
is  fortunate,  as  there  is  but  one  bearing  tree  of  this  variety 
in  the  world,  and  that  is  the  mother  tree,  grown  from  a  pip 
sown  by  Mr.  Ross  in  a  flower-pot,  October  14,  1884.  We 
hope  to  see  a  good  dish  of  it  exhibited  on  Messrs.  Horne 
a  d  Sons’  sta'd  at  the  Crystal  Palace  Fru’t  Show,  being 
held  to-day,  to  morrow,  and  Saturday. 
A  Select  List  of  Apples. 
Where  there  is  room  to  grow  a  number  of  trees,  both  dessert 
and  culinary  varieties  should  he  included,  as  both  are  valuable, 
and  by  this  means,  and  growing  early,  midseason,  and  late 
varieties,  the  season  may  be  extended  from  August  to  the 
following  spring.  Of  course,  the  majority  of  varieties  require 
a  room  to  store  them  in,  a  suitable  structure  where  the  fluctua¬ 
tions  of  temperature  are  not  great,  and  which  is  also  perfectly 
dry,  cool,  airy,  clean,  and  sweet.  There  should  be  means  whereby 
the  place  may  be  artificially  heated  during  spells  of  sharp 
weather,  or  when  it  is  necessary  to  drive  off  any  excess  of 
moisture.  Success,  however,  in  keeping  Apples  in  good  condi¬ 
tion  does  not  altogether  depend  on  the  fruit  room.  Much 
depends  on  clean  and  good  culture,  which  ensures  the  best 
examples  of  fruit,  careful  gathering,  and  frequent  examination 
afterwards  so  as  to  dispose  of  unsound  fruit. 
Dessert  Apples. — During  August  there  are  some  excellent 
varieties  fit  for  gathering  and  eating.  Mr.  Gladstone,  of  medium 
size,  is  one  of  the  first  ready  for  table  use,  especially  if  grown 
on  the  Paradise  stock.  It  is  most  prolific  on  that  stock.  It 
carries  a  beautiful  bloom,  mottled  red  with  yellow  streaks.  Red 
Juneating  or  Early  Red  Margaret,  of  medium  size,  very  early, 
and  of  good  flavour;  does  well  as  a  standard.  Beauty  of  Bath 
is  a  valuable  Apple  of  medium  size,  handsome  in  shape,  bright 
red  with  white  spots ;  the  flavour  is  brisk  and  sweet.  When 
the  trees  have  become  established,  either  as  standard  or  bush, 
they  bear  freely.  Irish  Peach  is  a  pretty  early  Apple,  colour¬ 
ing  well,  rather  small,  and  can  be  eaten  direct  from  the  tree. 
It  makes  a  very  good  shaped  standard  tree. 
Lady  Sudeley  is  larger  and  finer  Apple  than  the  preceding, 
and  one  of  the  finest  dessert  Apples  for  use  direct  from  the 
tree.  The  fruits  are  very  attractive,  being  beautifully  striped 
with  crimson,  and  the  flesh  i.s  of  a  soft  melting  character.  It 
is  best  grown  as  a  half -standard,  from  which  the  ripe  fruits 
may  be  readily  gathered.  The  fruits  are  not  improved  by  storing. 
Since  its  introduction  by  Bunyards  of  Maidstone  in  1885  it 
has  yearly  advanced  in  favour.  Devonshire  Quarrenden  is  a  good 
variety,  very  attractive  in  appearance,  the  fruit  being  bright 
red,  and  is  especially  handsome  when  free  from  fungoid  attacks. 
It  makes  a  handsome  tall  standard,  but  in  this  form  does  not 
always  bear  every  year.  Fine  fruits  are  produced  on  trees 
grown  on  Paradise  stocks.  Worcester  Pearmain  comes  into 
use  in  September,  and  is  one  of  the  handsomest  and  richest 
coloured  of  early  autumn  Apples.  It  is  of  a  symmetrical  conical 
shape. 
American  Mother  is  at  its  best  in  October,  but  may  be  used 
earlier.  Good  specimens  will  keep  some  time.  The  fruits  are 
tender,  juicy,  and  sweet.  King  of  the  Pippins  is  an  excellent 
variety,  and  an  almost  constant  bearer  of  rich  golden  yellow 
fruits  of  medium  size.  The  best  trees  are  those  of  upright 
growth.  The  fruits  will  keep  until  January.  Ribston  Pippin 
is,  of  course,  a  well  known  variety,  but  does  not  succeed  only  in 
warm  soils  and  aspects.  The  fruits,  which  are  of  medium  size, 
have  an  aromatic  flavour,  and  will  keep  until  January.  Cox’s 
Orange  Pippin  is  a  small  but  a  handsome  .variety,  and  one  of 
the  finest  dessert  Apples  for  use  in  November  to  January.  The 
fruits  should  be  left  on  the  trees  until  October,  and  as  long  in 
that  month  as  possible.  Low  trees  on  Paradise  stocks  are  the 
most  productive. 
Blenheim  Orange  is  one  of  the  best  late  varieties,  either  for 
dessert  or  cooking.^  The  fruits  keep  well  until  February.  They 
are  large,  with  yellow  flesh,  and  are  sweet  and  juicy.  Standard 
trees  are  tardy  in  coming  into  bearing,  but  it  may  be  grown  as 
a  bush.  It  succeeds  on  the  Paradise  stock,  which  brings  it 
earlier  into  bearing,  especially  if  a  little  root-pruning  is  adopted. 
Stunner  Pippin  is  perhaps  one  of  the  best  late  kinds,  keeping 
well  until  June.  Leave  the  fruits  on  the  trees  as  long  as  possible. 
It  has  a  Ribston  flavour,  and  succeeds  well  as  a  standard,  also  on 
Paradise  stocks. 
Kitchen  Apples. — As  an  early  and  first-rate  variety,  which 
is  quite  ready  for  use  at  the  end  of  July  and  early  August,  Kes¬ 
wick  Codlin  is  one  of  the  best.  The  most  profitable  trees  are 
standards,  but  it  is  productive  as  a  bush.  The  fruit  is  yellow. 
Lord  Suffield,  which  is  larger,  forms  a  good  succession.  This  is 
a  profuse  bearer  of  large  green  skinned  fruits,  which  are  excel¬ 
lent  for  kitchen  use,  being  one  of  the  best  during  September  and 
October.  In  damp  situations  the  trees  are  apt  to  canker. 
Lord  Grosvenor  is  the  better  variety  to  plant  when  the  former 
will  not  succeed.  This  is  a  very  large,  free-bearing  Apple  of  the 
Codlin  class.  It  is  similar  in  form  to  Lord  Suffield,  but  is  yellow 
skinned.  Ecklinville  Seedling  is  another  excellent  Codlin  of 
the  free-bearing  kinds.  It  is  in  use  during  September  and 
October,  and  will  keep  through  the  latter  month.  Peasgood’s 
Non°such  claims  to  be  the  grandest  fru  t  grown.  It  is  veri¬ 
similar  to  Blenheim  Orange,  but  larger,  and  has  more  colour. 
It  is  a  November  and  December  fruit  of  first-rate  quality. 
