THE NEW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES OF 1867.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1402, 15 May 1868, Page 4

THE NEW FRUITS AND VEGETABLES OF 1867.

In the department of fruits and vegetables the acquisitions of the past year, if not so numerous as those in the department of flowers, are even more important. Among grapes—that "°P, fruit, in the cultivation of which our British gardeners so much excel, we have torecor very considerable advance. Until a very years ago, we had to trust for addition . . stock of grapes to the introduction ova from other countries. Kow, we have the hvbridiscr at work at home, bringi g varieties without number, with unheard of and undreamt of new and valuable qualities. In this aspect our thanks are at present specially due to Mr. Standish and Mr. Oox. -o Mr. Standish we are under obligations for the Ivoyal Ascot Grape, a variety of much promise, which, thoutrh itself black, is, singular to say, the result of a cross between two white varieties, the berries are large and roundish ovai, with a rich muscat flavour, and the plant is ot a remarkably fiee-growing habit, and a truly wonderful bearer, every lateral shoot, even, showing one or more bunches. To Mr. Cox we are indebted for the Madresfield Court black grape, which is also a large-berried oval black variety, with a high muscat flavour, and 18 we believe, one of tlie finest grapes yet obtained, forming a capital companion to the white muscat of Alexandria, though, unlike it, it is as easy of cultivation as the black Hamburgh, which is the gardener's bean ideal amongst grapes. "With these two last additions, and Mrs. Pince's black muscat and the muscat champion, our wants in respect to black grapes with muscat flavor seem to be well supplied. It is worthy of note that nearly all the efforts ot the hybridiser have been made in this one direction —the producing of grapes with a muscat flavor. We would suggest that there are other tastes which should be studied, borne prefer the sprightliness of Oldaker s TVest St. Peter s, for instance, to the flavor of the muscats, which in the case of invalids is apt to cloy the palate.

Amongst peaches and ncctarines the acquisitions are equally great, thanks to Mr. Rivers, to whom, indeed, we have generally too look for anything new in this class of fruits. For some years back, Mr.Bivershasbeen working amongst them with much assiduity, and he has succeeded in introducing a new race, with qualities so superior that they seem destined to supplant all the old and what we have hitherto considered good varieties that we heve in cultivation. Some are remarkable for their extreme earliness, others for their extreme lateness, thus prolonging the peach season; and all of them have a peculiarly rich and tender flesh, and are of hardy vigorous constitution. Among early varieties of peaches we may mention the early Rivers and early Beatrice, ripening I'u'ly a fortnight earlier than the early Anne or Acton Bcott. Rivers' early York is later, but a decided acquisition, as, having glands, it will prove less subject to mildew than its parent, the old eariy York, which is glandless. It has been before-noted, as a remarkable fact, that those sorts of peach trees which are without glands are very subject to this malady. Lady Palmerston is a very late variety. Amongst nectarines the Stan wick Elruge is a grand acquisition ; the old Stanwick nectarine is well known for its .high flavor and its propensity to crack ; it has therefore long been a desideratum to obtain one that would not crack, and in this Mr. Rivers has now succeeded. Albert Victor is another fine new variety. We also hear of a splendid new late variety of peach, of French origin, the Belle Imperiale, raised by M. Chevalier, of Montreuil. Of apples and pears, although many new ! varieties have been brought forward, none of them, perhaps partly owing to the unfavourable nature of the season, have been considered superior to already existing sorts. In figs we have an important addition in the variety named Grosse Yerte, which is one of the largest and richest of figs, and will ere long become one of the most popular. In cherries wc have Mr. Eivers' late black bigarreau, which hangs well on the trees till the end of August—later than any of the other black cherries. ■ In plums we have Mr. Ingram's Bonne Bouche, an excellent large, yellowish-green sort, ripening in September, the flavour approaching that of a greengage. Of melons, although their name is legion, and the flavouring of tbem so much a matter of judicious cultivation, we may mention Dr. Hogg De nines' green fleshed; the last, exhibited in November, was one of the finest melons we ever tasted.

Amongst strawberries, which, are usually very | prolific of novelties, we liave, singularly enough, but little to record. Souvenir de Kieff is a large and most excellent variety. Mr. Kadclyffe is also very promising. Dr. Hogg worthily holds the place it took up last year as a first-class fruit. The Lady, from which much was expected, has not proved equal to anticipation, j The perpetual pine of Mr. Gleede, although not first-rate in itself is a step in the right direction, from which we may be able eventually to raise a grand race of perpetual bearing strawberries. Mr. Standish and Mrs. Nicholson have both great numbers of seeding under trial, some of ■which are of superior quality, and of which we expect to hear more during the ensuing season. The progress made in the culinary or vegetable department, though, perhaps, it has not been so briliant, has been equally great. Vegetables are not in themselves of so captivating a nature as either flowers or fruits, though they exercise a wider and more powerful influence, and minister more directly to our daily wants, than either of the other two. It is, therefore, extremely gratifying to witness the gradual and general improvement that is being worked out amongst them.' In speaking of vegetables, however, we can scarcely define what are the actual novelties of the past season ; their introduction is, so to speak, so gradual, and it is so difficult to tell what is a novelty, and what is not. jS evertheless, both by the careful selection' and saving of seeds ofthe truest and purest description, as well as by hybridisation, our stocks of vegetables are undergoing a steady annual improvement.

• A. great revolution has taken place in peas during the last few years, and. we have bccome possessed,.,principally through the exertions of Dr. Maclean, of an entirely new race of most ■ excellent dwarf wrinkled marrows, rivalling in earliness and hardiness Sangster's No. 1 itself, one of-tlle best of the onrly frame class,- which claps indeed seems destined to he entirely superseded by the new varieties in question. Of the latent of Mr. Maclean s hybrid s, we may mention Premier, a variety of superior merit, and Wonderful, and another excellent sort. Mr. , . .Laxton has also succeeded in raising some very promising hybrids : in particular, Alpha, a blue ' rinkled marrow as early as Dillisfcone's Early, and Supreme,' a blue marrow, with very long pods. These, however, will require some, years of careful selection before beiug introduced to 'the public. Amongst other acquisitions in this claes, we may mention' 1 Messrs. Carter's dwarf .Waterloo, and Messrs: Nutting's No. 1. We have two additions fo the spinach'family, :• namely, , Lee's'?giant. Orach,, and' _ihe' ( ' new Australian spinach, both commendable in' their • way, since they not only: grow very freely and .rapidly, and - produce an .abundant./supply oi • leaves, but when.cooked, although.not so,tender and:delicate in flavor as the true,spinach,yetithey prove to'be'very wful, substitutes for , ; that vegetable. In Brums'-' sprouts.Scrymger's giant, a variety of EnglisU nrigin,- although not strictly is worthy'of iiofcic.e here as a most-excellent J. . .Sort. In\carilifl.o\v« .;il r|( , 'n!iry'^Va-i'liest > ETfiirt is OTtiecoli we an ... new Alexandra. In cabbage?, the hardy Dreadnought arc useful additions. Tn onions, on which much disi.-ussi.iit hns arisen, although we have gained nothing absolutely new, yet in the Nunebam Park and Stanstead Park selections of the white Spanish we have important •

regenerations of well-known forms. In lettuces, the Moorpark is an excellent hardy white cos. Potatoes, the most important of the productions which mother earth pours into the lap of the •gardener, afford materials to chronicle at least one grand acquisition, in the variety called milky white, which is, perhaps, the most valuable kidney potatoe yet introduced. Smith 8 early, or the Coldstream early, still stands forward as the best early variety. Lastly, we may speak of tomatoes, of which we have learned much during the past season. The orangefield has been found to be the earliest of the large-fruited sorts, dwarf, and excellent in quality. Eeye's early prolific proves a very prolific and excellent sort, while of late American kinds, which produce very large fruits, we have important additions in the Tilden, which has the fruits red, and the Fiji Island, which has the fruits of a beautiful crimson, quite a new color among tomatoes. To these we must add the plum, clierry, pear-shaped, and other smallfruited varieties, which, besides being useful, arc exceedingly pretty when grown as objects of ornament—in fact, on whichever side wo look, there is some improvement to be recorded.- • G-ardentrs' Chronicle, January 18.