i8St.] botany for GARDENERS. 87 



tons of it are sent to J^ewcastle market by them in autumn. Moorfowl Egg 

 ranks next as a standard amongst this class of growers. Speaking of Peais 

 generally, I have seen few examples of heavy cropping this year, but the 

 following have invariably had moderate crops : Beurre Ranee, Beurre Diel, 

 Beurre Hardy, Beurre Superfin, Brown Beurre, Citron des Carmes, Easter 

 Beurre, Glout Morceau, Knight's Monarch, Jargonelle, Louise Bonne of Jersey, 

 Williams's Bon Chretien, and Beurre d'Amanlis. The finest example of the 

 last named I saw at Fulton Hall on a wall-tree, the dimensions of which are 

 18 feet by 14 feet. The wall has a southern aspect : the produce, forty dozen 

 large fruit, fit for use from November to January. Of Apricots, a fruit so 

 much esteemed, I have still less to say : a fair crop of these this year has been 

 the exception. The trees in general have been more prolific of dead branches 

 than fruit. Moorpark maintains its character as a bearer, and when it 

 ripens its crop is second to none in quality ; but it is sad to see so many 

 splendid trees dismembered of sometimes their main branches, causing large 

 spices of naked wall. In many instances whole sides of trees have succumbed 

 to the influence of frost. 



Amongst other hardy fruits, I have seen none suffer to the same extent as 

 the Peach. It is a rare exception to meet with a tree unhurt. In scores of 

 cases the gardener's labours of many years have been ruthlessly withered up, 

 leaving only a wreck behind ; and there is only one remedy, which is to up- 

 root them and plant again. 



Plums have not behaved so badly. I have met with a good many moderate, 

 and very many indifferent, crops. Victoria among Plums is what Lord Suffield 

 is among Apples : seldom is it seen without its complement of fruit. It takes 

 rank amongst the kitchen sorts, but a well-ripened fruit is quite fit for dessert. 

 Washington has also borne good crops in some places. It is only in well- 

 sheltered, sunny aspects that crops of Greengages have been gathered. Mag- 

 num Bonum has borne but indifferently this season, owing a good deal to the 

 fact that this variety is always placed in the coldest aspect in a garden. This 

 fine dessert Plum has in some gardens borne heavy crops, and it ought to have 

 a place in every garden furnished with a wall. Jefferson's, one of the very 

 best yellow dessert Plums, has not borne very plentifully. It is a first-class 

 Plum, and generally a certain cropper. A. Keek. 



BOTANY FOE, GARDENERS. 



NO. V. — LEAF AND FLOWER BUDS. 



Leaf-buds consist of rudimentary leaves surrounding a growing vital 

 point, which lengthens upwards and produces leaf after leaf upon its 

 surface, and appear like a collection of scales arranged symmetrically 

 one above the other. These scales are rudimentary leaves, and the 

 centre over which they are placed, or the growing point, is a cellular 

 substance coated with a thin stratum of spiral vessels ; and these two 

 parts answer to the pith and medullary sheath in Exogens : a very 

 excellent example is found in the garden Asparagus (young shoots), 

 which is Endogenous. Leaf-buds which are formed among the tissue 

 of plants, subsequently to the development of the stem and leaves, and 

 without reference to the latter, are called latent^ adventitious^ or abnor- 



