144 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
August  13,  1903. 
Origin  of  Our  Garden  Fruits. 
Like  so  much  that  is  grown  in  our  everyday  gardens,  be 
it  fruit,  flower,  or  vegetable,  Ave  are  indebted  for  their 
origin  in  no  small  degree  to  some  foreign  clime  which  in 
their  pristine  form  has  given  them  birth.  A  few  notes  on 
the  subject  of  the  native  habitat  of  our  chief  garden  pro¬ 
ductions  in  the  first-named  class  may  therefore  be  of 
interest  in  the  present  season,  noAV  approaching  its  zenith 
and  flush  with  a  summer’s  groAvths.  Alas !  that  the  sura 
total  of  ■■  small  fruits  ”  of  this  year  ot  grace  should  be  a 
singularly  dismal  tale  of  Avoe. 
To  begin,  then,  Avith  that  earliest  and  most  useful  little 
pioneer,  the  homely  Gooseberr}^  Avelcome  all  the  Avay  along 
from  early  May  to  Avhen  the  summer  is  djdng  hard  (if  netted 
latterly  from  the  predatory  blackbird),  both  for  its  excel¬ 
lence  alike  in  the  green  state  as  in  the  condition  of  its  many- 
coloured  ripe  maturity.  A  rather  Avide  sphere  seems  to 
represent  its  proper  home,  ranging  from  many  parts  of 
Europe  to  Northern  Asia.  Probably,  hoAvever,  it  is  not  a 
native  of  Britain,  haA’ing  apparently  only  been  in  cultiva¬ 
tion  here  some  tAvo  or  three  centuries.  Its  special  culture 
has  been  chiefly  taken  up  in  one  of  our  northern  counties, 
viz.,  Lancashire,  Avhere  several  varieties  have  attained  to 
such  a  height  of  perfection,  or  shall  aa'c  say  size,  that  exhi¬ 
bition  specimens  have  been  found  to  scale  up  to  tAvo  ounces, 
a  surprising  Aveight  indeed  for  so  small  a  fruit.  One  gar¬ 
dener  of  the  Avriter’s  acquaintance  described  AAdth  pride 
hoAV  by  good  culture  the  Gooseberries  under  his  charge  had 
become  so  gigantic  that  his  mistress  complained  that  she 
could  not  get  them  into  her  mouth,  Avhereupon  he  obtained 
from  a  nurseryman  a  specially  small  kind  Avhich  ever  after 
Avent  by  the  name  of  Mrs.  — — ’s  Gooseberry !  The  seed  of 
the  berry  of  this  little  shrub  takes  root  in  many  an  out-of- 
the-way  and  unexpected  corner.  Besides  frequently  spring¬ 
ing  up  in  Avoods  Avell  aAvay  from  the  abodes  of  men,  it  Avill 
confront  one  in  the  poorest  and  driest  soil,  right  under 
some  shrub  or  tree,  Avhere  .but  a  modicum  of  direct  sun¬ 
light  can  reach,  yet  often,  too,  making  a  brave  shoAA"  of 
small  fruits  thereon. 
As  regards  its  sister  product,  the  clustering  Currant, 
perhaps  this  fruit  derives  its  name  from  Corinth,  Avhere  the 
small  Grape  for  Avhich  it  is  famous  is  so  largely  groAvn. 
It  is  a  denizen  of  the  woods  in  Southern  Europe,  and  may 
be  said  to  be  a  naturalised  native  here,  Avhile  its  black 
confrere  inhabits  moist  Avoods  and  banks  of  streams  in 
Europe  and  Northern  Asia  ;  Avhich  latter  haunt,  too,  the 
Red  Currant  seems  fond  of,  as  Avitness  several  seedling 
bushes  right  in  the  bank,  and  almost  touching  the  AA’ater  of 
my  oAvn  stream  here  in  Warwickshire,  and  bearing  year 
after  year  quite  respectably  sized  fruit,  totally  uncultivated 
and  uncared  for. 
Next  in  order  I  think  the  StraAAEerry  demands  our  atten¬ 
tion,  and  I  believe  I  am  not  incorrect  in  stating  that  many 
of  our  best  kinds  have  their  origin  as  regards  pedigree  from 
Chilian  lineage.  It  flourishes,  hoAvever,  in  very  diverse 
climates,  beirig  a  lover  both  of  Alpine  altitudes,  Avhere  it 
seems  to  assirnilate  to  itself  someAvhat  the  flavour  of  its 
Pine  surroundings,  and  of  loAAdand  AA'Oods.  Still,  in  its 
Avild  state  its  particular  penchant  is  on  sloping  ground  at  a 
good  height,  and  on  very  dry,  AA'ell-drained  soil,  but  much 
shaded.  Judging  by  our  British  Avild  StraAA'berry,  indeed, 
the  cultivated  kind  seems  to  have  not  much  in  common  AA’ith 
the  former,  requiring  for  successful  groAvth  a  good  stiff  soil 
such  as  clay  to  root  in,  and  plentiful  supplies  of  liquid. 
The  Raspberry,  besides  being  common  in  Britain,  is 
found  wild  in  its  A'arious  kinds  pretty  Avell  over  the  AA’hole  of 
Europe,  as  Avell  as  Northern  Asia  and  other  parts,  delighting 
even  more,  perhaps,  than  the  Gooseberry  in  its  unreclaimed 
state  in  dense  shaded  copses. 
And  now  Ave  come  to  the  Plum,  that  fruit  Avhich  many 
regard  Avith  very  mixed  feelings.  In  years  of  plenty  I  fear 
the  poor  groAver  makes  but  a  scanty  thing  out  of  the  bounty. 
Time  and  again  one  hears  the  same  dismal  tale  of  the  fruit 
not  paying  to  gather,  and  the  Avaste  Avhich  consequently 
takes  place  is  deplorable ;  occasionally,  indeed,  the  fruit 
being  alloAved  to  fall  and  rot  on  the  ground.  In  a  manu¬ 
facturing  toAvn  not  a  hundred  miles  from  the  Midland  metro¬ 
polis  I  came  across  the  case  of  an  aspiring  cottager  from  a 
neighbouring  village,  Avho,  like  the  costermonger  in  comic 
rhyme,  “  Avheeled  his  AvheelbarroAv  through  streets  broad 
and  narroAv,”  full  of  luscious  Victorias,  in  his  case  some 
three  miles  to  market,  only  to  find  a  fine  glut  on  ;  and, 
having  no  use  for  them  at  home,  in  despair  cum  a  little 
temper,  perhaps,  he  emptied  his  load  out  on  the  roadway, 
for  Avhich  he  Avas  duly  fined,  poor  fellow,  for  causing  an 
obstruction !  I  Avot  the  insult  added  to  the  injury  sent  him 
home  a  Aviser  though  a  sadder  man.  Beguilecl  from  my 
proper  theme  by  this  digression,  I  may  say  that  the  Plum 
seems  indigenous  over  Lurope  generally  and  central  Asia, 
most,  if  not  all  species  being  derived  from  the  Sloe  (Primus 
domestica),  and  being  the  Avild  Plum  found  in  hedgeroAvs  and 
thickets  over  England  and  in  parts  of  Scotland,  AA’hile  in 
addition  there  are  the  other  varieties  of  Avild  Plum,  such  as 
the  Damson,  Bullace,  Mussel,  and  Wine-sour. 
A  word  here  regarding  the  Cherry,  that  fruit  Avhich  the 
birds  of  the  air  seem  to  consider  as  their  OAA’n  particulay 
prerogative  ;  though  fortunately  the  kind  termed  Morello  is 
not  quite  so  much  to  their  liking.  Its  birthplace  has  a  very 
AA’ide  realm.  In  its  Avild  condition,  in  fact,  it  is  found  in 
several  continents  and  in  many  countries,  the  glorious 
wealth  of  blossom  making  it  more  than  conspicuous  AA'hether 
in  the  hedgeroAvs  and  avoocIs  of  our  OAvn  islands  and  con¬ 
tinental  lands,  or  in  the  Himalayas  and  temperate  parts  of 
Asia  ;  while  those  Avho  have  seen  the  gorgeous  display  of 
bloom  in  the  semi-cultiA^ated  parks  of  merry  Japan,  Avhere 
the  Cherry  is  so  especially  prized  and  groAvn,  not  indeed 
for  the  sake  of  the  fruit,  but  for  its  pure  AA'hite  blossom, 
beloved  by  its  inhabitants,  and  employed  for  decorative, 
social,  and  religious  purposes,  Avill  not  readily  forget  the 
feathery,  cloudlike  effect  produced  in  such  spots  as  the 
Ueno  park  in  Tokio,  and  other  special  districts. 
One  other  summer  fruit  must  be  touched  upon — videlicet, 
the  Apricot.  A  native  of  Armenia,  this  grateful  delicacy 
has  been  cultivated  in  England  since  the  sixteenth  century. 
Very  large  numbers  are  groAvn  and  dried  for  home  and 
export  trade  at  Bokhara,  AA'hile  travellers  in  the  near  Orient 
Avill  readily  be  familiar  AAuth  Avhat  is  partly  a  staple  food, 
the  mishmish  of  Arabia  and  other  similar  countries.  That 
accomplished  Eastern  scholar  Canon  Tristram,  if  I  mistake 
not,  holds  that  the  Apple  of  Scripture  Avas  de  facto  the 
Apricot,  Avhich  version,  other  experts  concurring,  may 
probably  be  accepted  as  correct. 
We  come  noAv  to  our  later  or  autumnal  products,  and 
first  of  all  the  Peach.  As  its  name  someAA'hat  implies, 
Persia  is  its  godfather,  perhaps,  though  for  its  real  original 
home  I  troAv  Ave  must  go  much  further  afield — indeed,  to 
mystic  Cathay,  for  presumably  it  came  in  the  first  instance 
from  China,  and,  like  the  Nectarine,  whose  stone  kernels 
are  similar,  it  belongs  to  the  genus  Rosacese.  As  is  well 
knoAvn,  noAvadays  it  is  \'ery  largely  groAvn  in  several  of  the 
Southern  States  of  North  America  and  in  California.  Being 
of  rather  a  shy  nature,  and  requiring  a  quantum  of  its 
natural  element,  the  sun,  it  can  scarcely  be  looked  upon 
as  a  successful  hardy  fruit  in  the  north  of  our  OAvn  country, 
or  even  in  the  Midlands,  as  a  rule  ;  but  in  the  South  and 
W est  of  England  and  Ireland,  against  a  Avail  AA'ith  a  southern 
aspect,  and  a  little  protection  by  a  top  coping  and  herring 
nets  to  guard  from  frost,  it  succeeds  remarkably  Avell. 
Next  comes  the  Pear.  This  is  found  in  many  parts  of 
Europe  and  temperate  regions  of  Asia.  It  may  still  be 
seen  in  Britain  in  its  aaTW  state,  possessing  a  very  thorny 
and  harsh  fruit.  It,  too,  is  largely  groAvn  in  Georgia  and 
other  Southern  United  States. 
The  invaluable  Apple  Avas  probably  introduced  into 
Britain  by  those  pioneers  of  empire-making  and  civilisa¬ 
tion,  the  Romans,  who  cultivated  it  extensively,  though  it 
is  from  the  Crab  tree  native  of  Britain  that  most  of  our 
modern  Apples  are  produced.  It  would  seem  that  the  seeds 
of  this  fruit  are  as  capricious  as  many  other  progenitors, 
Avhether  of  the  animal  or  A^egetable  kingdom,  for  I  have  in 
mv  orchard  a  twelve-vear-old  stripling  sprung  from  a^Wyken 
Pippin  seed  (the  Wyken  is  a  local  favourite  in  W  arAA'ick- 
shire,  and  named  from  the  adjoining  parish,  where 
anparently  it  was  originally  raised).  Noav,  as  all  loA-ers  of 
this  little  favourite  knoAA-^  the  Wyken  Pippin  is  a  \'erv  small 
and  firm  bright  yelloAA’  Apple,  nearly  round,  Avith  a  flatfish 
head,  AA'hereas  the  produce  from  its  seedling  is  an  enormous 
