The Garden.

Southern Cross, Volume 13, Issue 13, 24 June 1905, Page 6

The Garden.

THE SEEDLESS APPLE. (From The Mblb@urne Leader) The seedless apple boom is at last being estimated at its tiue worth in some of the reputable English papers. Ocr view of the matter is now endorsed by a contributor to the “ Garden,” who writes “ I have noticed several recent references to the Spencer seedless apple in English publications, from which I infer that the Colorado introducers of this fruit are now trying to bring it before the British public. I cannot think that any person with a discriminating palate would eat the Spencer if offered a juicy turnip as an alternative dessert. To my mind it is lower in quality than that rosy cheeked imposter, Ben Davis.” An expert also informs our English contemporary that “ this interesting fruit was shown by Messrs R. Veitch and Sons, of Exeter, before the fruit committee at a recent meeting. The fruits were rather small, had open sunken eyes, and slightly coloured skin ; when cut into halves in each case the core was found, but quite closed up, soft and seedless. Still it was evident its title as ‘ coreless ’ is a misnomer. Tbe quality of the flesh was very indifferent. The assumption is that a coreless variety would be impervious to the attacks of the Codlin moth, but the variety in question has flowers necessarily, and the open eye indicated that tbe blooms did not materially differ from those of any other apple. As a seedless variety is incapable of being improved by cross-fertilisation, it is evident that no development may be looked for unless it should be found practicable some day to secure a seedless sport from such a first class apple as Cox’s Orange Pippin.’ Another English authority, the “ Gardeners’ Chronicle,” states that “the two specimens of this apple which were purchased by Messrs Shearn and Sons, of Tottenham Court-road, some weeks ago, and about which so much has been written, were, as we are informed, cut open, in the presence of several representatives of the press, when is was found that the apples had well matured seeds and quite a hard, woody core. In cutting a Tasmanian apple it was found to have much less core. The above result will not surprise those who understand the subject, bub there are doubtless many who have believed in the phenomenon, and we know there have been a good many anxious to procure trees ; therefore they should be undeceived.” Here is yet another authoritative opinion from the “ Journal of Horticulture ” :—“A party of fruit experts gathered at Messrs B. Shearn and Sons’, Tottenham Court-road, London, on Tuesday afternoon, to see two apples cut. They were the famous Spencer Seedless. The seedless and coreless apple, which grew on a blossomless tree, was going to revolutionise the apple-growing industry, said the boomers in America. Mr Shearn personally had had numbers of applications for plants of the new variety, but wished to test the apples before he imported for clients. Four seedless apples have been sent to England from Colorado, and Mr Sampson Morgan, tbe consignee, sent one to the King and two to the Daily Telegraph West Ham Fund. The two last were put up for auction, and bought by Messrs Shearn for £3. On Tuesday they were cub to see whether the truth was in them. One was laid open. “ And they call that pipleas,” said Mr Shearn. *lt s like their Yankee cheek.’ The seed cases (forming the core) were distinct, each contained a pip, and the core was quite a third of the apple’s bulk. The other apple was just the same. A Tasmanian apple cut for comparison showed far less waste.”