October  10,  1901. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER . 
333  i 
for  Raspberries.  When  the  shoots  have  grown  to  the  top  of 
the  trellis  or  stake  remove  the  points,  and  also  pinch  off 
the  laterals  at  the  third  or  fourth  joint.  When  practising 
bush  culture  pinch  the  shoots  when  they  are  from  3  feet  to 
5  feet  in  height,  and  when  the  plants  have  become  strong, 
retain  from  four  to  six  young  shoots  each  season. 
Like  the  Raspberry,  the  Bramble  responds  readily  to 
liberal  treatment.  For  this  reason  give  a  dressing  of  well 
decayed  manure  each  autumn,  after  pruning  has  been  done. 
3  lbs.  of  kainit  and  3  lbs.  <*f  basic  slag  per  rod  may  also  with 
advantage  be  applied,  after  the  manure  has  been  lightly 
pointed  in  with  the  fork.  Deep  digging  around  the  plants 
ought  never  to  be  practised. 
Warwickshire  is  famed  for  its  Blackberries,  and  in  no 
other  part  of  England  have  I  seen  them  grow  in  such  pro¬ 
fusion.  A  few  days  ago  I  noticed  a  hedge  7  feet  or  8  feet  in 
height  completely  overrun  writh  Brambles,  some  of  the  shoots 
being  from  12  feet  to  15  feet  in  length  ;  and  the  old  canes 
were  simply  smothered  with  delicious  fruits.  This  wild  War¬ 
wickshire  Blackberry  seems  to  me  to  be  superior  to  the 
wildings  often  met  with  in  other  parts,  and  if  crossed 
with  the  American  varieties  would,  I  think,  give  us  an 
improved  type.  On  account  of  the  fine  flavour  of  the 
berries  this  variety  from  the  leafy  lanes  of  “  ancient 
Warwick”  should,  I  think,  find  a  home  wLerever  the  Bramble 
is  cultivated. — H.  D. 
If  there  should  be  any  tendency  to  unfruitfulness  by 
reason  of  a  strong  rooting  power,  a  temporary  check  may 
be  given  the  trees  by  root  pruning  or  lifting.  This  is  an 
important  advantage  with  small  trees  grown  in  a  limited 
area,  where  it  is  a  necessity  that  trees  should  remain  small, 
or  at  least  extend  but  little  after  their  form  is  determined. 
Where  the  soil  is  naturally  shallow,  damp;  or  an  unfavour¬ 
able  subsoil  exists,  Pears  to  succeed  must  be  on  the  Quince. 
Attention  is  required  to  frequently  mulch  the  surface  with 
manure,  and  to  supply  liquid  nourishment.  Twelve  varieties 
which  succeed  on  the  Quince  are  : — Williams’  Bon  Chretien, 
Louise  Bonne  of  Jersey,  Doyenne  du  Comice,  Emile 
d’Heyst,  Beurre  Diel,  Glou  Mor^eau,  Marie  Louise  d’Uccle, 
Durondeau,  Chaumontel,  Beurre  Giffard,  Beurre  Sterck- 
mans,  and  Winter  Nelis. — Practitioner. 
Two  Good  Pears. 
Pear  Stocks. 
The  best  fruiting  trees  are  invariably  established  on 
stocks  of  the  Pear  or  the  Quince.  For  large  standard 
trees  the  Pear  stock  is  undoubtedly  the  best,  because  on 
it  trees  attain  to  the  greatest  vigour  and  are  the  longest 
lived.  Pear  stocks  are  raised  from  seeds,  chiefly  from  the 
wild  Pear  (Pyrus  communis).  The  work  of  raising  stocks 
and  establishing  trees  on  them  may  be  safely  left  to  the 
nurserymen.  The  cultivator  should  simply  know  that  when 
he  is  about  to  plant  Pears  it  is  important  to  have  the  trees 
on  the  stock  best  adapted  for  the  mode  of  growth  and  posi¬ 
tion  they  can  occupy.  Where  there  is  plenty  of  room  for 
root  and  branch  extension,  so  that  no  root  pruning  is 
needed,  nor  branch  pruning  save  thinning  and  regulating 
select  trees  on  the  Pear  stock.  In  gravelly  and  chalky  soils 
splendid  standard  trees  may  be  seen  which  invariably  bear 
fruit  abundantly.  The  long  roots  of  the  Pear  stock  go 
downwards  as  well  as  laterally,  and  gather  food  and 
moisture  over  a  wide  area  and  do  not  suffer  in  dry  periods. 
If  the  soil,  however,  is 
over-rich,  the  trees  may  at 
first  be  unfruitful,  but  with 
age  and  maintaining  the 
branches  thinly  disposed, 
they  will  eventually  bear, 
and  continue  to  do  so  ex¬ 
cept  when  blossoms  may 
be  destroyed  by  frost  or  an 
exceptionally  heavy  crop 
weakens  the  succeeding 
year’s  prospects. 
For  the  smaller  forms  of 
Pear  trees,  and  those  re¬ 
stricted  in  growth,  the 
Quince  stock  possesses  ad¬ 
vantages  which  make  it  the 
most  generally  useful.  The 
influence  of  the  stock  is  in 
favour  of  a  dwarf  form  of 
tree,  a  surface  rooting  ten¬ 
dency,  and  early  bearing. 
The  roots  are  long,  but 
branching  and  fibrous,  and 
extend  in  the  upper  layers 
of  soil,  where  plenty  of 
food,  air,  moisture,  and 
warmth  exist.  Owing  to 
this  fruiting  is  more  cer¬ 
tain,  while  the  fruit  is 
of  better  flavour,  colour, 
and  size. 
The  two  varieties  are  those  illustrated  on  this  and  the 
opposite  page.  Pear  Gansel’s  Bergamot  is  faii’ly  well 
known  ;  the  other  variety,  Doyenne  d’AlenQon,  is  seldom 
mentioned,  yet  it  is  without  doubt  a  valuable  late  Pear. 
In  all  cold  and  northerly  districts  fine  fruits  of  the  latter 
can  only  be  obtained  from  trees  on  walls,  but  in  the  South 
good  examples  are  afforded  by  pyramids.  The  skin  is 
greenish  yellow  when  the  fruits  are  ripe,  thickly  dotted  all 
over  with  large  dots,  which  are  sometimes  grey  and  some¬ 
times  green,  not  unlike  the  colouring  of  Easter  Beurre.  The 
flesh  is  yellowdsh,  tender,  buttery,  and  melting.  It  is  in 
use  from  December  until  March.  It  closely  resembles  the 
variety  we  have  mentioned,  namely,  Easter  Beurre,  but  the 
flavour  of  Doyenne  d’Alengon  is  much  superior.  The  latter 
is  also  a  noted  bearer. 
Gansel’s  Bergamot  is  held  in  high  esteem  by  all  growers 
of  it.  Unquestionably  it  is  a  variety  of  great  excellence, 
the  fruits  being  large  and  imposing  in  appearance,  and  of 
first-rate  quality.  Where  there  is  a  good  space  on  a  wall, 
Gansel’s  Bergamot  will  occupy  it  worthily.  When  the  tree 
is  older  it  bears  regularly  and  well,  though  in  a  young  state 
it  is  shy.  To  increase  its  fruitfulness  it  has  been  recom¬ 
mended  to  impregnate  the  flowers  with  the  pollen  of  some 
other  variety,  such  as  the  Autumn  Bergamot. 
It  is  generally  believed  that  this  variety  was  raised  from 
seed  of  the  Autumn  Bergamot  by  a  Lieut. -General  Gansel,  at 
his  seat,  Donneland  Park,  near  Colchester,  in  1768.  However, 
the  Bonne  Rouge  and  Brocas’  Bergamot,  which  are  acknow¬ 
ledged  synonyms  of  Gansel’s  Bergamot,  were  cultivated  at  the 
Broughton  Park  nursery  in  1753,  which  would  indicate  that  it 
was  not  a  native  varietv. 
PEAK  GANSEL’  BERGAMO  . 
