AGRICULTURE. 28.5 



The intention of interposing the piece of wood in this 

 place is, to prevent the communication of heat, which 

 might be inconvenient to the hand that holds the blow 

 pipe. 



I remain, Sir, 



Your obliged servant, 



WM. 11. WOLLASTON. 



The blow pipe was made by Iloltzapfel, Long Acre. 



VI. 



Experiments on the Growth of fVhite-Thorn, By S&M, 

 Taylor, Esq, of Mostotij near Manchester^, 



o THE Society of Arts, ka. 

 Gentlemen^ 



nil VERY one of yon, I thinli, will allow that fences The most ya- 

 are material objects to be attended to in agriculture ; luablc fence* 

 you must also be convinced that there is no plant in this the white 

 kingdom of which they can so properly be made as the thorn^ 

 Crataegus Oxyacantha Linnjei, or common White Thorn. 

 In consequence of my being convinced of this, I have 

 been induced to make a few experiments to effect the 

 better propagation of that valuable plant ; the result of 

 which, along with specimens of my success, I beg leave 

 to submit to your inspection. 



In the year 1801, I had occasion to purchase a quan- Eipcriment* 

 tity. of thorns, and finding them very dear, I was deter- for its propa- 

 mined to try some crvperiraents, in order if possible to ^'^^^^^' 

 raise them at a less expense, I tried to propagate them 

 from cuttings of the branches, but with little or no suc- 

 cess, I likewise tried if pieces of the root would grow; 



and I cut from the thorns which I had purchased, about a v''"'u^'°^-^i^ 



^ ' branches did 



dozen of such roots as pleased me, and planted them in a not grow; 



border along with those I had bought. To my great *'^°^^ ^f"°"^ ^^? 



astonishment, tixH one of them died ; and in two years 



they became as good thorns as the average of thgse I 



* Society of Arts, Vol. XXIU, 



