473 THE GARDENER. [Oct. 



FRUIT-CULTURE. 



My reply to Mr Hinds on this subject need not be a long one. I am 

 perfectly willing to discuss the matter with him or any one else who 

 is disposed to meet his adversary on fair grounds, and the arguments 

 advanced against him, without evasion ; but in the present instance 

 this seems to be more than I may expect, and therefore, so far as I am 

 concerned, these few remarks close the discussion. In my last I 

 charged your correspondent with laying down rules of conduct for his 

 neighbours that he was in the habit of violating with impunity himself, 

 in his calendarial writings, where he has the least provocation for doing 

 so ; and also of advocating practices in Strawberry-forcing which, while 

 they were extra expensive and troublesome, had nothing to recommend 

 them, so far as Mr Hinds has yet demonstrated, at least. These two 

 charges he has been unable to refute. 



I next contested his wholly unqualified assertion that large and fine 

 leaves upon Vines showed that they were in the "worst possible condi- 

 tion/' and indicated "just the reverse of superior culture" — furnishing 

 testimony on my side from my own experience, as well as authenticated 

 examples of famous crops of fruit produced in conjunction with foliage 

 of great size and vigour, at Dalkeith and Floors. These examples Mr 

 Hinds says he " fails to see the relevancy of " — and that being so, I have 

 only to say that I despair of making him see the relevancy of any 

 facts, opposed to his own preconceived notions; and I would neither 

 be consulting the patience of your readers nor my own sense of pro- 

 priety in making the attempt. J. S., W. 



SCOTTISH HORTICULTURAL ASSOCIATION. 



At the monthly meeting held in 5 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh, on the 5tb 

 ult., Mr Dunn, president, occupied the chair. After the admission and Domi- 

 nation of new members, the secretary read a communication from Mr John 

 "Webster, Gordon Castle, on "Raising of Eoots of Fruit-trees as a means of in- 

 ducing Fertility. " After adverting to the importance of using every possible 

 means of maintaining the health and vigour of fruit-trees, so as to secure the 

 utmost productiveness, and at the same time the finest quality and flavour, he 

 pointed out that a very frequent cause of sickly trees and poor crops was to be 

 found in the roots penetrating into the cold clayey subsoil, where they were 

 away from the influences of solar heat and the more fertile soil near the sur- 

 face. As a remedy for this, he recommended the forking up again of the roots 

 towards the surface, the removal of as much of the poor soil as was consistent 

 with the safety of the tree, and the filling in of the necessary quantity of fresh, 

 rich, loamy compost. Several of the members took part in the discussion which 

 followed — the unanimous opinion being in favour of the principles advocated 

 by Mr Webster, which, it was shown, might in many cases be acted upon by 

 practical arboriculturists, and others interested in trees and shrubs. Mr 

 William Pirrie, Leith, next read a paper on (i Mushroom-culture," confining 



