1871.] CURE FOR CANKER IN APPLE-TREES. 325 



established plant of some common scarlet had been tipped each with a 

 cutting or scion of the new favourite. Being in a gentle heat, the 

 union was quick, and the clever propagator soon had the tops off for 

 farther use. 



What nice standards of some of the higher-coloured fancy-leaved 

 sorts could be got in this way ! Many of them are weak growers, but 

 by being worked on vigorous stocks — a scarlet seedling, for instance — 

 strength would be imparted, and a plant of beauty and usefulness 

 would be the result. But, better still, what famous weeping Geraniums 

 could be made by working any of the pretty Ivy-leaved varieties on 

 tall stems ! They could be grown like small Weeping Willows, and for 

 conservatories, or anywhere indoors — for out of doors rough winds 

 would smash them ; but where they would be sheltered, I fancy few 

 plants would be more effective. There are many other plants besides 

 Geraniums on which grafting might be practised with advantage — but 

 with these hints I leave the subject. S. X. 



CURE FOR CANKER IN APPLE-TREES. 



On taking charge of the gardens here in the autumn of 1842, I 

 found many of the Apple-trees in a very bad state from canker. Not 

 knowing very well what to make of them, but, like many a young man 

 on first entering a situation for himself, I concluded to do something 

 that would be taken notice of ; so during the winter I set to work and 

 had many of the worst taken up. They were good-sized trees, that had 

 been planted twenty years, more or less ; however, I thought I would 

 rather want the fruit they might produce than have the ground taken 

 up by such unsightly objects. In order as far as possible to partly 

 replace those dug up, I determined to make a beginning by planting 

 a few healthy young trees wherever there was room for them, without 

 coming too near to where the others had stood ; and as concreting the 

 bottoms of borders for fruit-trees was at that time in vogue, and 

 having fully made up my mind that the subsoil (a ferruginous gravel) 

 was the cause of all the mischief, I set to work in earnest, and had the 

 site where every tree was to be planted thoroughly concreted. After 

 allowing the concrete time to dry, about 4 inches of broken stones 

 was put over it, and on the stones some rough turf, so as to render 

 the drainage as perfect as possible ; then proceeded carefully to plant 

 the trees, giving to each a cart-load of the best turfy loam I could 

 procure, thinking that all had been done to insure success, and that 

 in a few years I would have trees as free from canker as any in 

 this part of the country. Judge of my disappointment when at the 



