251. ORD’S APPLE.—Hort.

Fruit, medium sized; conical or oblong, very irregular in its outline, caused by prominent and unequal ribs on the sides, which extend to and terminate in ridges round the eye. Skin, smooth and shining, deep grassy green, strewed with imbedded grey specks, and dotted with brown russety dots on the shaded side; but washed with thin brownish-red, which is marked with spots or patches of darker and livelier red, and strewed with star-like freckles of russet on the side exposed to the sun. Eye, small and closed, placed in a rather deep and angular basin, which is lined with linear marks of rough russet. Stalk, about half-an-inch long, somewhat obliquely inserted by the side of a fleshy swelling, which is more or less prominent. Flesh, greenish-white, tender, crisp, and brittle, abounding in a profusion of rich, brisk, sugary, and vinous juice, with a finely perfumed and refreshing flavor.

An excellent apple, of first-rate quality, and well deserving of more general cultivation; It is in use from January to May, and keeps well.

Some thirty years ago, Ord’s apple was brought into public notice as a variety which was worthy of universal cultivation; and was considered of such importance as to form the subject of a paper in the Horticultural Society’s Transactions, by A. Salisbury Esq. At that time it was received into all the collections in the London nurseries, and was very generally grown; but in the course of years it was again lost sight of, and I believe there are now very few places where it is to be met with. I shall be glad, however, if this notice should direct the attention of some lover of a good apple, to rescue this excellent variety from the oblivion into which it is likely to fall, and to restore it to the position it once occupied as one of our finest dessert apples.

This excellent variety originated at Purser’s Cross, near Fulham, Middlesex. It was raised in the garden of John Ord, Esq. by his sister-in-law, Mrs. Anne Simpson, from seed of a Newtown Pippin imported in 1777. There is another variety called Simpson’s Seedling, raised from the seed of Ord’s apple, to which it is very similar; but being much inferior in quality, its cultivation has been in a great measure discontinued.

252. OSLIN.—Hort.