062 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AXD  COTTAGE  GARDENER, 
December  17,  1903. 
Profitable  Varieties  of  Bush  Apples. 
(Concluded  from  pofje  o40.) 
A  good  intermediate  Variety,  in  Sea.son  from  October  to 
December,  is  Warner’s  King.  It  was  known  in  the  eighteenth 
century  as  King  Apple,  but  was  discovered,  as  it  were,  and 
brought  into  public  notice  by  the  late  Mr.  Rivers,  of  Sawbridge- 
worth,  Avho  got  it  from  a  Leeds  nurseryman  named  Warner, 
and  called  it  after  him.  It  is  a  strong,  ei-ect  grower,  and  should 
be  given  more  space  than  most  of  the  others  mentioned.  It  is 
a  very  large  Apple — “  Fine  for  Apple  dumplings,”  as  someone 
said  who  saw  it  at  a  show — and  is  produced  very  freely.  I  have 
seen  a  specimen  weighing  l^lb.  A  friend  of  mine  had  a  good 
crop  last  autumn  on  a  standard  tree,  where  Apples  do  not 
generally  grow  as  large  as  on  bushes,  and  five  Apples  together 
weighed  4Jlbs.  It  is  at  its  best  in  October  and  November. 
Fveryone  reading  this  series  will  miss  some  Apples  that  are 
put  in  every  collection.  Those  I  have  mentioned,  as  stated 
before,  po.ssess  four  characteristics — they  are  hardy,  healthy 
growers,  good  bearers,  and  of  very  good  quality.  They  will 
thrive  on  almost  any  soil  that  is  fit  to  grow  fruit  at  all.  Some 
favourite  Apples  have  been  omitted  because  they  canker  on 
wet  soils,  or  are  not  sufficiently  prolific  at  an  early  .stage,  or 
because  I  consider  them  overrated. 
If  one  has  a  fairly  warm  soil — that  is,  fairly  light  and  open 
and  well  drained,  and  not  inclined  to  run  together — there  are 
•Several  others  which  not  only  should  not  be  omitted,  but  should 
be  grown  in  preference  to  many  of  the  preceding.  The  first, 
of  course,  is 
Cox’s  Orange  Pippin. 
too  well  known  to  need  description.  It  is  universally  acknow¬ 
ledged  to  be  the  best  dessert  Apple.  It  makes  a  very  prolific 
bush,  but  is  rather  subject  to  woolly  aphis  and  other  forms  of 
“blight”  unless  the  soil  is  very  suitable.  This  Apple  is  being 
planted  in  enormous  quantities,  and  people  ask  if  it  will  not 
become  as  cheap  as  other  Apples  when  these  trees  come  into 
full  bearing.  Tliere  seems  no  likelihood  of  this,  as  I  am  told 
we  export  large  quantities  of  our  best  samples  to  the  United 
States,  as  they  cannot  grow  it  there  of  such  fine  flavour  as  wq 
can  here.  This  Apple  is  another  example  of  an  Apple  suddenly 
coming  into  notoriety,  as  it  was  raised  as  long  ago  as  1830  by 
a  Mr.  Cox,  a  retired  brewer,  of  Slough,  and  only  during  the  last 
ten  or  twenty  years  has  it  become  really  well  known,  even 
amongst  gardeners. 
King  of  the  Pippins. 
This  is  another  almost  equally  famous  Apple,  though  not 
nearly  so  good,  universally  known  as  King  of  the  Pippins.  It 
needs  a  warm  soil  in  a  favourable  district  to  be  really  first-rate, 
but  in  the  opinion  of  most  connoisseurs  it  is  overrated  at  its 
be.sd,  though  certainly  a  very  good  Apple.  It  is  prolific,  begin¬ 
ning  to  bear  at  an  early  age.  Dr.  Hogg  says  that  the  true 
King  of  the  Pippins  is  ripe  in  August  and  September,  and  that 
the  Golden  Winter  Pearmain  is  perfectly  hardy  and  ivill  grow 
in  almost  any  .situation.  There  appear  to  be  at  least  two 
varieties  of  this  Apple,  one  being  spreading  in  growth  and  not 
very  highly  coloured,  and  another  upright  in  growth  and  very 
highly  coloured.  Certainly  Dr.  Hogg’s  remark  is  not  true  of 
the  latter,  which  in  some  place.s  is  scarcely  worth  eating. 
Mannington’s  Pearmain. 
A  dessert  Apple  of  much  better  quality  than  the  preceding, 
though  we  do  not  hear  nearly  ,so  much  about  it,  is  the  delicious 
Mannington’s  Pearmain.  A  well-drained  soil  and  a  fairly  favourable 
position  otherwise,  are  absolutely  necessary  for  this  Apple.  It  is 
worth  any  extra  trouble  if  by  that  means  it  can  be  got  to  do 
well.  It  is  strange  that  .such  an  excellent  Apple  should  have 
originated  in  a  hedge  where  the  refuse  from  a  cider  pre.ss  used 
to  be  thrown.  It  is  at  its  best  in  January  and  February,  though 
it  will  keep  till  April.  The  flavour  is  remarkably  sweet  ,  and 
rich,  and  to  have  it  in  perfection  it  should  be  allowed  to  hang 
on  the  tree  as  late  as  possible.  Hence  the  advantage  of  the 
bush  form  for  this  and  other  late  Apples.  The  tree  is  dwarf, 
and  the  growth  slender  and  spreading.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
prolific  varieties  in  good  .situations,  young  trees  two  or  three 
years  from  the  graft,  bearing  well. 
Wellington. 
The  last  Apple  to  be  mentioned  is  Wellington,  alias  Dume- 
low’s  Seedling,  alias  Normanton  Wonder.  It  was  raised  by  a 
Mr.  Dumeller  in  a  Leicestershire  village,  and  introduced  between 
1815  and  1820,  when  the  Iron  Duke  was  at  the  height  of  his 
fame.  It  is  a  medium  sized  Apple,  from  a  bush,  sometimes  large. 
It  is  in  season  from  October  to  April,  in  which  latter  month  it 
is  not  bad  eating,  though  always  acid.  In  a  tart  it  is  a  perfect 
sweetineat.  It  is  said  to  be  the  cook’s  favourite.  In  a  cold, 
wet  soil  theiy‘  is  no  .\pple  more  liable  to  canker,  and  it  is  said 
to  be  more  liable  on  the  Paradise  than  on  the  Crab.  It  is  very 
prolific. 
Fven  now  there  are  omis.sions  which  will  .surprise  most  people. 
It  is  amazing  what  differences  there  are  in  the  lists  of  what  the 
author.s  consider  the  best  Apples.  Some  time  ago  Messrs.  Pear¬ 
son,  of  Lowdham,  Notts,  conducted  an  Apple  election,  con¬ 
sulting  thirty-two  Apple-growing  experts  all  over  the  country, 
one  of  the  points  to  be  decided  being  the  best  six  dessert  Apples 
for  bushes,  combining  quality  with  free  bearing.  Twenty  in¬ 
cluded  Worce.ster  Pearmain  amongst  their  li.sts  of  six.  Further 
than  this,  Thompson’s  “  Gardener’s  Assistant  ”  mentioiLs  this 
Apple  as  one  of  three  to  grow,  if  only  three  can  be  grown, 
doubtless  in  order  to  have  an  autumn  Apple.  On  the  other 
hand.  Dr.  Hogg,  usually  very  optimistic,  merely  says  it  is  “A 
handsome  early  kitchen  or  dessert  Apple,  and,  from  its  great, 
beauty,  a  favourite  ”  ;  while  one  nurseryman’s  catalogue  simply 
puts  it  in  the  list  of  select  kitchen  Apples.  Thus  it  is  impossible 
to  make  a  list  which  shall  satisfy  everyone.  I  have  kept  to  the 
conditions  mentioned  at  the  beginning  of  this  review,  and  do  not 
pretend  that  if  judged  for  quality  alone,  I  should  have  mentioned 
all  of  the  above-named.  But  some  of  those  of  the  fine.st  quality 
sometimes  have  to  give  place  when  we  demand  in  addition 
hardiness,  fertility,  and  healthiness  and  freedom  of  growth. 
A.  Petts,  Essex. 
Young  Pine  5tock. 
Spare  no  effort  to  keep  growing  plants  from  becoming 
drawn  and  weakly,  by  giving  all  the  light  possible,  and  not  pinch¬ 
ing  them  for  room.  Maintain  a  temperature  at  night  of  65deg 
to  60deg,  which,  with  65deg  in  the  daytime,  will  keep  the  young 
stock  gently  growing,  admitting  a  little  air  at  the  top  of  the 
house  at  C5deg,  leaving  it  on  all  day,  but  do  not  let  the  tern-, 
perature  fall  below  that  point,  an'd  where  the  temperature 
advances  to  75deg  from  .sun  heat  a  free  circulation  of  air  must 
be  allowed.  The  bottom  heat  should  be  kept  steady  at  80deg. 
Avoid  a  damp  atmosphere  ;  an  occasional  damping  of  the  paths 
wall  suffice.  Water  only  ivhen  the  jilants  become  dry,  then 
afford  a  proper  supply  of  weak  liquid  manure. 
Where  a  supply  is  required  in  May  and  June,  and  the  plants 
are  not  .showing  fruit,  it  will  be  desirable  to  select  from  those 
started  last  March,  which  have  completed  growth  and  are  now 
in  a  state  of  rest,  such  as  show  a  stout  base^ — the  best  indication 
of  starting  into  fruit  when  subjected  to  a  higher  temperature 
both  at  the  roots  and  in  the  atmosphere.  The  plants  are  jDe.st 
placed  in  a  structure  to  themselves.  Where  this  cannot  be 
afforded  they  must  have  a  light  position  in  the  house  where  the 
fruiters  are  swelling.  Maintain  a  night  temperature  of  65deg 
in  the  fruiting  department,  5deg  less  in  the  morning  of  cold 
nights,  and  70deg  to  75deg  by  day,  but  in  very  severe  weather 
a  few  degrees  lower  is  preferable  to  extra  sharp  firing. — Practice. 
Early  Muscat  Grapes. 
Where  Muscat  of  Alexandria  Grapes  are  required  ripe  at  the 
end  of  May  or  early  in  June  the  house  must  now  be  .started.  Tlie 
Vines  must  have  the  roots  wholly  in.side,  and  the  soil  be  brought 
into  a  fairly  moist,  but  not  wet  condition.  The  temperature 
should  range  from  55deg  to-  GOdeg  at  night,  65deg  tO'  70dog  by 
day,  the  lower  heat  representing  the  severe,  and  the;  higher  the 
mild  weather  rate.  These  temperatures  should  be  maintained 
until  the  buds  break,  when  the  heat  will  need  toi  be  gradually 
raised  so  as  to  have  it  65deg  to  70deg  at  night  by  the  time  the 
Vines  come  into  leaf,  70deg  to  75deg  by  day  in  dull  weather, 
and  lOdeg  to  15deg  rise  from  .sun  heat ;  the  house,  therefore, 
mu.st  be  well  heated,  and  means  provided  for  admitting  air 
without  causing  cold  currents.  W’ith  these  contrivances  and 
good  management  success  is  assured,  Muscat  of  Alexandria  Grapes 
always  commanding  top  prices,  especially  early  in  the  season, 
but  luiless  they  are  well  done  the  Grapes  are  not  satisfactory 
additions,  considering  that  the  expense  is  much  greater,  taking 
the  cropping  as  compared  with  Black  Hamburgh  into  considera¬ 
tion.  Madresfield  Court  is  an  excellent  companion  in  black  to 
Muscat  of  Alexandria,  and  forces  splendidly. — Vitis. 
Pear,  Beurre  Bose. 
This  week  we  figure  a  fniiting  branchlet  of  this  Pear,  the 
fruits,  of  cour.se,  much  reduced  from  the  actual  size.  The  “  Fruit 
Manual”  says,  “This,  Avhich  is  generally  suiiposed  to  have  been 
a  seedling  of  Van  Mons,  ivas  found  a  wilding  at  Apremont,  in  tho 
Haute  Soane,  and  ivas  dedicated  to  M.  Bose,  the  eminent 
director  of  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  at  Paris.”  The  French  word, 
“  beurre,”  signifies  in  Engli.sh,.  “  buttery.”  From  some  of  the 
nurseiymen’s  catalogues  we  extract  remarks  as  follow  s  : — 
Jieurre  Bose. — Large,  prolific,  requires  warm  situation. 
Medium.  Richard  Smith  and  Co. 
Large,  requires  a  ivarm  soil  and  situation,  a  great  bearer,  does 
