TENDER Exoric FRUITS.—Notice may here be taken of one or two tender exotic fruits, which have of late years been cultivated in our hot. houses.
The GRANADILLA VINE (Passiflora quadrangula ris) is, in some places in England, particularly at Harewood House, treated as a fruit bearing plant. The fruit, called Granadilla in the West Indies, is of a greenish-yellow colour, the size of a goose-egg, sweet, and of a very pleasant flavour. The tempe rature of the warmest hot-house is necessary for its production. The plant is pruned much in the man ner of the grape-vine. The only peculiar part of the culture seems to consist in annually cutting-in the roots to within six inches of the stem, and giving at the same time a supply of fresh rich loam. (Lord. Hort. Trans. Vol. 1V. Part L) It is proper likewise to assist the fecundation of the germen, by drawing a camel's-hair pencil over the anthers, and applying it to the style.
The PURPLE•FRUITED PASSION-FLOWER (Past& flora edulis) is now to be found in many stoves around London, treated as a fruit-bearing plant. The pro duce, which is ready about November and December, is abundant, and beautiful to the eye ; but we cannot help thinking, that the very large space occupied by the might be better employed. The finest specimens of this fruit scarcely surpass in quality the common red magnum plum, to which they bear some resemblance.
The LO-QUAT (Mespilus Japonica) has for a num ber of years been cultivated as a fruit-bearing tree in the hot-houses at the seat of Lord Begot in Staf fordshire. The mode of culture adopted by his Lord ship is described in the third volume of the London Horticultural Transactions. The plants, which are kept in large pots, and are six or seven feet high, are set out of doors from the middle of July till the middle of October, thus imitating the winter of their native climate. They are then removed into the warmest situation in the stove. They flower in De cember, and ripen their fruit about March. The
fruit is much esteemed in the East Indies ; but a gentleman who had eaten it in Ceylon, gave the pre ference to that produced in our hot-houses. The cultivation of the lo-quat is extending, the plant al ready existing in many collections where it has 'ne ver been treated as a fruit-bearing tree.
The Orangery.
It may be doubted if more attention be now paid to the orangery than in former times. Per haps the number of large orange trees in the coun try has rather declined. Still, however, their cul ture has in some places been improved, and kinds are now cultivated with success which were for merly little known. The Citron and the Lemon are more hardy than the Orange ; and the former is, therefore, preferred for training on trellises, or for covering the back wall of a hot-house. Mr Benham at Islesworth near London, and Mr Hen derson at Woodhall near Glasgow, are; we believe, among the most successful cultivators of the orange tribe, in this country. The Malta orange, or Sweet Philippine orange, has lately been introduced. It is distinguished by its round shape and reddish-yel low rind, but more especially by the crimson colour of its juice. The fruit is small, at least in our oran geries. The Shaddock often attains with us a huge size, the fruit weighing from 4 lb. to 8 lb. or up wards; but it is fit only for making preserves.
By grafting, on small stocks, with cions on which the fruit or flowers are already formed, dwarfish fruitbearing trees are produced, very ornamental in the green-house. For this operation, the Man darin orange is well adapted, the young fruit being more firmly fixed than that of most others. It is necessary, however, to have the air for some time excluded from the grafted plants, by means of large bell-glasses ; and success is promoted, by placing the plants for a few days in a slight hot-bed.