DECEMBER. ' 363 



is fitted to confer. The remedy for these evils is to be found in an 

 eflficient system of drainage. 



The improvement next in importance to that of drainage is altering 

 the texture and com[)osition of the soil. Too sandy soils will be 

 improved by the addition of clay, and the contrary ; and both clay and 

 sand, by the addition of lime ; because without alkaline matter no soil 

 can be permanently fertile. To ascertain the proportion of one soil that 

 must be added to any other soil, so as to make it perfect in texture, 

 can only be determined by experiment. 



The man who has acquired a fund of sound principles and practical 

 knowledge will have little difficulty in adapting his practice to the cir- 

 cumstances he may have to deal with in any locality — not only in Great 

 Britain, but in any part of the globe. 



Now, how stands the majority of fruit tree borders throughout the 

 length and breadth of the land, with respect to draining and their 

 chemical and mechanical properties ? I fear they are very defective. 

 My own observation for the last twenty years leads me to this opinion. 

 If, then, the majority of fruit tree borders is deficient in these respects, 

 is it surprising that we hear so many complaints, year after year, about 

 the failure of crops ? No. It is by no means surprising. The fact is, 

 there are very few fruit tree borders that are properly drained ; nor is 

 their texture what it ought to be ; the consequence is, that during the 

 greater part of the winter months they stand full of water — this rots the 

 rootlets, and in spring, after the buds have begun to grow, and have 

 shot a few inches, they cease to elongate, and then the young shoots 

 soon become a prey to insects, which brings the syringe and tobacco- 

 water into requisition. By the frequent use of these the shoots are got 

 clean, and by INIidsummer they make another effort to grow, after the 

 sun's rays have been expended in evaporating the water from the 

 borders in the early summer months. It is impossible for such wood 

 to get properly ripened in our ordinary summers ; but, even in a very 

 favourable season, if it should get partially matured, the chances are 

 that during the following winter the severe frost injures the buds, and 

 the rains injure the rootlets so much that the prospects of a crop are very 

 uncertain. It may, however, sometimes happen that after a fine dry 

 autumn, a dry winter, and a mild spring, that there is in general a good 

 crop of fruit. When this happens, to ascribe it to our genial spring, 

 solely, is preposterous. Now, though I am perfectly aware what the 

 withering effects of spring frosts are on vegetation, still I cannot believe 

 that all we hear about the failure of fruit crops is owing solely to spring 

 fi-osts. To believe so would be to doubt the evidence of my senses, for 

 all my observations through life lead me to think differently — day after 

 day, month after month, and year after year, have I had facts to con- 

 tradict it. Badly drained borders, improper texture and composition of 

 soil, together with bad management in disbudding, pruning, c^c, these, 

 in my opinion, have much more to do with bad crops than spring frosts. 

 It is the same in plant cultivation ; in fact, in cultivation of anything. 

 If we take two small young specimens of any liard-wooded greenhouse 

 plant, and prepare the same compost for both, if one of them is potted 

 without any drainage, and the other is potted with the greatest care as 



