plentiful, but of a most singularly rich, poignant, aromatic flavour. One of our most admired dessert apples, in its greatest perfection from Christmas to Lady-day. Switzer, in 1724, says, "The Nonpareil is no stranger in England, though it might have had its origin in France; yet there are trees of it about the Ashtons, in Oxfordshire, of about one hundred years old, which (as they have it by tradition) were first brought out of France, and planted by a Jesuit, in Queen Mary's or Queen Elizabeth's time." it must have been in our gardens above two centuries. The trees are regularly good bearers; and when grafted upon the Doucin stock, upon a good soil, and under judicious management, their fruit has been as perfect as the best of our newest productions. From which it 176. OLD ROYAL RUSSET, of the old Gardens. Fruit above the middle size, rather irregular in its outline, about three inches in diameter, and two inches and a half deep. Eye small, with a closed calyx, deeply sunk in a narrow, oblique, irregular basin, surrounded by blunt plaits. Skin a rough grey russet, upon a green ground, with dull brown breaking through on the sunny side. Flesh greenish white, very firm. Juice not plentiful, very sharp sub-acid, with a slight astringency before fully matured. A culinary apple from November till April. Late in the season, when it begins to shrivel, it eats pretty well; but before that time it is too harsh to bring to table. The trees grow to the largest size, are very hardy, and in all seasons great bearers. The Leathercoat Russet of some country orchards is very different from this, very inferior, and making a very ugly tree, mostly full of disease, and not worth cultivating. 177. PATCH'S RUSSET. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 993. Fruit middle-sized, somewhat ovate, slightly angular on its sides, about two inches and a quarter deep, and two inches and a half or two inches and three quarters in diameter. Eye small, with a long, slender, connivent calyx, placed in a narrow, somewhat irregularly formed basin. Stalk an inch long, very slender, inserted in a funnel-shaped cavity, one half protruding beyond the Skin pale greenish yellow, covered with a thin Flesh pale yellowish white, crisp. Juice base. grey russet. brisk acid, with a rich aromatic flavour. A dessert apple from November till March. 178. PENNINGTON'S SEEDLING. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 778. Fruit above the middle size, round, slightly angular on the sides, and somewhat flattened, broadest at the base, and narrowed at the crown; about three inches in diameter, and two inches and a quarter deep. Eye closed with long slender segments of the calyx, in a rather shallow irregularly formed hollow. Stalk three quarters of an inch long, strong, inserted in a wide uneven cavity, protruding beyond the base. Skin green when first gathered, with numerous small russetty specks on the shaded side; where exposed to the sun, covered pretty thickly with a scabrous warty russet, and tinged a little with pale brown. Flesh yellowish white, firm, crisp, juicy, saccharine mixed with a brisk acid, and of an agreeable aromatic flavour. A dessert apple from November till March. This is a new variety, and appears to be a very valuable apple, the description of which was taken from a fruit grown in the Horticultural Garden at Chiswick in 1830. 179. PILE'S RUSSET. Miller, Ed. 8. No. 17. Fruit above the middle size, irregularly formed, with broad ribs extending from the base to the crown, where it is rather narrow, two inches and three quarters in diameter, and two inches and a quarter deep. Eye closed, with a somewhat long leafy calyx, seated in a narrow, oblique, angular basin. Stalk short, deeply inserted in a wide uneven cavity, not protruding beyond the base. Skin pale green, covered with a good deal of russet, and tinged with muddy orange or dull brown on the sunny side. Flesh very firm, crisp. Juice saccharine, with a sub-acid briskness and aromatic flavour. A dessert as well as culinary apple from November till March or April. Towards the spring, when the fruit begins to shrivel, the Pile's Russet is an excellent table fruit. 180. PINE-APPLE RUSSET. G. Lindl. Plan of an Orchard, 1796. Hardingham's Russet, of the Norwich Gardens. Fruit above the middle size, roundish ovate, with broad obtuse angles on its sides," about two inches and three quarters in diameter, and two inches and a half deep. Eye small, with a very short connivent calyx, placed in a shallow depression, surrounded by ten rather unequal plaits. Stalk an inch long, inserted in an uneven cavity, one half of which protrudes beyond the base. Skin pale greenish yellow, almost covered with white specks on one part, and a thick scabrous yellowish russet on the other, which extends round the stalk. Flesh very pale yellow, crisp, very short and tender. Juice more abundant than in any apple I have ever met with, as it generally runs very copiously as soon as cut open, saccharine, with that just proportion of acid which characterises our most valuable fruits, and of a spicy aromatic flavour, with a high perfume. A dessert apple from the end of September to the middle of October. This most valuable apple has taken its name from its abundance of juice, which somewhat resembles that of a Pine-apple. The oldest tree remembered in Norwich was growing a century ago in a garden belonging to The Mr. Hardingham, who died but a few years ago. garden now belongs to Mr. William Youngman. It is undoubtedly one of the best apples of its season, and is highly deserving of cultivation. 181. PITMASTON NONPAREIL. Hort. Trans. Vol. v. p. 267. t. 10. f. 4. Pitmaston Russet Nonpareil. Ib. Saint John's Nonpareil. Hort. Soc. Cat. 669. Fruit middle-sized, flatly compressed, rather narrowest at the crown, near three inches in its widest, and two inches and a half in its shortest diameter. Eye rather open, in a broad shallow basin, surrounded by slight irregular plaits. Stalk short, not deeply inserted. Skin of a dull green, nearly covered with russet, a little mixed with yellow, and faint red on the sunny side. Flesh greenish, rather more inclined to yellow than that of the Nonpareil. Juice rich, with a high aromatic flavour, and the peculiar perfume of the Nonpareil. A dessert apple of great merit in November and December. Raised by John Williams, Esq. in his garden at Pitmaston, Saint John's, near Worcester. 182. POWELL'S RUSSET. Hort. Soc. Cat. No. 994. Fruit rather small, about two inches in diameter, and an inch and three quarters deep, somewhat flat at both ends, and quite free from angles on its sides. Eye small, open, slightly sunk in a shallow narrow bason. Stalk half an inch long, slender, inserted in a very regular round cavity, twice as deep as the crown. Skin pale yellowish green, partially covered with a thin pale russet, but wholly covered round the crown, and shaded with brown on the sunny side. Flesh firm, of a clear pale yellow. Juice plentiful, saccharine, and approaching in flavour to a well-ripened Nonpareil. A very neat dessert apple from November till January. This a good deal resembles the Acklam's Russet, except in the crown, which is narrower, and the depres sion not quite so deep. It is a very neat and excellent little apple, and may be justly reckoned one of our best Russets. 183. REINETTE DE HONGRIE. No. 908. Hort. Soc. Cat. Fruit middle-sized, round, and somewhat flat, without any angles on its sides, two inches and a quarter deep, and two inches and three quarters in diameter. Eye rather small, with a connivent calyx, seated in a deep basin, surrounded by a few slight plaits. Stalk short, deeply inserted in a knobby cavity. Skin a completely thick, rough, grey russet, with a little faint orange on the sunny side, the whole covered with numerous warty specks, more or less prominent. Flesh greenish white, intermixed with green, firm, crisp. Juice saccharine, of a rich aromatic flavour. A dessert apple from November till April. 184. Ross NONPAREIL. Hort. Trans. Vol. iii. p. 454. Pom. Mag. t. 90. Fruit middle-sized, roundish, not at all angular, about two inches and a half deep, and the same in diameter, but having one of its sides a little longer than the other. Eye small, placed in a shallow depression. Stalk an inch long, deeply inserted, protruding beyond the base. Skin russetty, and stained with red on the sunny side. Flesh firm, greenish white, sweet and rich, with an agreeable perfumed fennel flavour. A dessert fruit from November till April. This is of Irish origin, and is one of the few fennelflavoured apples which are cultivated among us. It is a great bearer, and healthy on all soils, and deserves an extended cultivation. 185. ROYAL RUSSET. Pom. Mag. t. 125. Passe-Pomme de Canada, Reinette de Canada grise, Miller, Ed. 8. No. 15. } of the French, according to the Pom. Mag. |