The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-08-18 00:00:00

TILE FRUIT CROPS.

The Gardeners' Chronicle of last Saturday contains
report. of the condirson of the fruit crops. Bruntnaris.
log these in general terms, it says : Fruits, such as
apricots and strawberries, that ripen early in the
semen have been both abundent in quantity and
excellent in quality alinost everywhere, the early period
of their maturity pre,enting them from experiencing
the baneful effects of the drought, Apples, though
on the whole abundant, are often indifferent as to
quality, falling elf early, and much infested with grub.
Plums are generally a light crop, from the early ohedd-
ing of the fruit. Cherries have been grown in average
is ionic places the trees have suffered severely.
quantities. Peaches and nectarines are on the whole
Inferior;
Bmall fruit., including under that designation currants,
gooseberries, and railiberries, have been plentiful, but
there is a very general complaint all to flavour. Nuts
are abundant and good.
Doesrr.—Mr. T. C. Elliott, of Melbury House,
write.: Though we may not Ix &red so moth here
from drought and heat as in many parts of the country,
still, in the memory of the oldest men, the ;wings have
not been so low, or the excessive beat no oontinumn as
In List July, the mean temperature being 4° above Hist
of the preceding t n year/. Last lear the fall of rain
in July wee 41110 irehi.s, that of the present 0 Ti inch
(not one-cineteentb), or taking the mean average for
ten years back, 24•1 inch** (not one•ninth). Early
potatoes abundant and of excellent quality; but it is
feared late ones in the fields will be found less &slides.
tory, being still small.sized, and some tubers hay.
been found growing out. Garden crops of all blade
have come early to maturity, and go off more qu'okly
then usual, each as pea., cauliflowers, strawberries, ,
respberries, kg., but lettuces are larger and finer than
usual. Some difficulty is experienced in getting for-
ward late nocersional cropping; the water-pot is in
great demand, but we want cloudy weather to corm.
tenet the excessive evaporation. Seeds came up
badly, and altogether we are forcibly reminded of the
value and importance of favourable weather as regards
successful gardening. Apples, plentiful. but not large
in size ; cider orchards well loaded. Pears, fair (crops
generally; some sorts, as Benne Rance, thin. Plums,
plentiful on walls, thin on standards. Strawberries,
abundant, and of fine quality. Cherries, thin. Figs, a
fair sprinkling. Small fruit., not abundant; red
currants not so good flavoured as areal, sharper. Nuts,
average crop. Mr. Anthony Hayter,oltit. Giles gardens,
Cranborne, nays: Apples full crop, but small; pears
under average; plums, all kinds abundant and good ;
cherries, cot good • peaches and nectarines, good
average, but trees sacked with mildew; figs, under
average ; smell fruito—red an I white currants good,
gooseberries good, raspberries bad. Lute, under average.
Mr. Henry Hanel, of Cleveland', Lyme Regis, says :
Apples, partial, trees bloomed profusely but did not
set half crop, some orchards good but small owing to the
! drought; pears, much below average, the blossoms
deetroyed by cold winds and severe fro.ts ; plums, trees
bloomed abundantly and appeared to have vet an
enormous crop, but two-thirds dropped off before
etoning ; strawberries, average crop but deficient in
quality ; cherries, bloomed profusely, the early sorts
swelled well, late ones droppeltwo.thinls of their fruit;
fruit ; peaches and necteriana, in orchard-
houses hero abundant, outdoor crops deficient or
indifferent ; figs, orchatil-house good crops ;
small fruits, gooseberriesabundant, currants inferiorand
below average, raspberries, average ; nun, heavy crops
of hedge nuts and many of them nearly ripe, walnuts
also plentifuL Mr. W. F. Radelyffe, of Okeford
Fitspaine, writes: Apples a fair crop, over average;
pears, same trees very good end some ail ; plums. drop
much ; strawberries, splendid, never had or saw better;
cherries, very good ; Bp, bad crop ; small fruits, much
eaten by birds, half a crop,
Bongagte.—Mr. George Moses, of Orchardleigh•park
Frome, reports : Apples, above an average if ,dessert
and kitchec, cider do; pears, above an average on walls,
average on pyramids, *ill be good ; plums, above
average on pyramid., average on walls, good and fine ;
strawberries, above average, very early, lasting six weeks;
cherries, under average, exeept Morellos ,• peaches am'
neetarines, above an average, in orchard•houses Very
fine, and trees most healthy; figs, average, above in
on:beet-houses ; small fruits, average, but poor
in flavour ; note, good crops; Mr. W. 1/oddlis,
Ashtm Court, Bower Ashton. says: Apples, an
average crop, both in garden and orchard;
pears, very poor crop, scarcely any of the best sorts;
plums, very much below an averaise crop; strawberries,
in 801119plaoes very abundant and fine, in others poor,
the following were planted. Dr. ilogg. Rev. W. Red.
elyffe, Sir J. Paxton, and President; cherries, very poor
crop; peaches arid nectarines, a fair average cents;
figs, a fair crop; small fruits, abundant, owing to long
drought Very ants/1.

Vi Thomas Challis, Wilton House
gardens, report.: Apples, plentiful, and of good quality;
peals, partial, ueezpanded blossoms destroyed by frosty
night., and clear hot days in April ; plums, fair crop,
trees much blighted; strawberries, an abundant crop;
sherries, good crop ; peaches and nectarines, heavy crop,
fruit small ; apricots, heavy crop; figs, fair crop; small
fruit., gooseberries abundant; currants fair; raspberries
very light nuts, abundant. Mrs. A. Johnson, of
Rushmore Lodge, Salisbury, says: Apples, very good;
pears, partial; plums, not so good; strawberries, very
good; °berries, very good ; peaches and nectarines,
generally good; small fruits, very plentiful; nuts,
partial crop.
H.ttrra.—Mr. A. Campbell, Cranbury Park, Win-
(theater, report.; Apples, not an average crop, and
dropping. so few will be left by storing time; pears,
fond; plums, very good ; strawberries, very good;
cherries, good ; peach,n and nectarinee, some plume
very good, others not an average; figs, good ; small
fruits, an abundant crop; note, very good. Mr.
William Wildsmith, The Gardena, Heckfield-plaee,
Winchfield, says: Apples, moderate, bloom injured by
the frost occurring between April° and 14; pears, thin,
but promise to be large and flue; plums, good; straw.
berries, very heavy, fine and well flavoured; cherries
moderate, much injured by drought; peaches and
nectarines, a good crop, which promises to be very flue;
figs, po,r : small fruits, abundance of all kinds, but
inferior in size ; nuts, very large crop, and good.