at that bigbly concentrated state to which all vegetable action tends when the 

 circumstances have been in accordance with the want. We shall understand by this, 

 that at maturity, nature casts off the fruit in the same way that the leaf falls when 

 it has fulfilled its office ; but there is this difference in the two : the leaf has been 

 forming a bud in its axil which remains behind, and attached to the parent, while 

 each receptacle of the fruit has, in the mean time, been perfecting its bud or buds, 

 according to the structural complexity in the centre of, or upon its own body, and 

 which becomes an independent germ, liberated from the main body when in a fit 

 state to develop itself. It is then evident that injury to one will likewise affect 

 the other. 



Light is the great solidifier of the juices of plants, and the more a leaf or fruit 

 is exposed to it, the more vascular will the progress of growth become. Now, 

 this being the case, as the leaf has to provide for another period of development, 

 it is requisite to expose it to all the influence of light that the plant's constitution 

 will bear ; but, in the fruit, as we want pulpiness and good flavor, we find a par- 

 tial shade the best, so far as may be consistent with the securing of sufficient sac- 

 charine matter, and the particular aroma for which some fruits are so much prized. 

 Generally speaking, nature has provided, in her own economy, for this particular, 

 but there are individual cases where a partial shade would improve the quality, 

 providing it be applied so that the leaves may be exposed. This is more particu- 

 larly feasible when we consider that the leaves exhale a great portion of the fluids, 

 and pass the more solid parts into the increasing bulk of the plant, while the 

 fruit retains nearly all that is absorbed with which to feed and mature the seed. 

 The fleshy part of the fruit, and that for which it is valued, is a complete organiza- 

 tion of cellular formation like all other parts, only that the cellular preponderates. 

 While the fruit is swelling, or increasing in size, these cells are active, and imbued 

 with the principle of life, but, like all other parts, they have only their allotted 

 period of existence, which extends to the ripening of the seed. After this, they 

 become disorganized, chemical action and consequent expansion take place, and, 

 by a beautiful arrangement of elementary particles, the carbonic principle forms 

 sugar in solution with water, and combines with other minor products, so as to 

 establish the varied lusciousness that is so grateful to the palate. According as 

 each individual variety has, during the time of development, received its just mete 

 of necessaries in food, light, and heat, so will the ultimate combination of elements 

 be, and from such proportions will the chemical action be guided. If there has 

 been any undue disturbing cause during growth by excessive shade, heat, cold, 

 dryness, moisture, or sudden transitions, or from one to the other of any of these, 

 so will it act to a disadvantage, and more particularly will this happen at the time 

 of the last " swell." The uneven balance of these nice points is the main reason 

 why grapes, under artificial culture, so often ripen off a bad color, and remain 

 coarse in texture ; the natives rot and fall off prematurely, and many pears become 

 gritty and cracked, from the simple fact of there having been a sudden check to 

 nature's action, the result of which is, the cells do not break up uniformly, the 

 coloring matter is not duly deposited in the right parts, chemical action is arrested, 

 and the flavor is deficient. The blistering of the leaves may be traced to the same 

 origin, and there is little doubt but most of the diseases we have to complain of 

 are the effect from the same cause. 



We have nothing to gain by all cultivators becoming simply theorists, but this 

 does not argue against the necessity for a more general diffusion of physiological 

 knowledge in practical pomology, and the above few remarks are hastily thrown 

 ether with the hope that the subject may be freely discussed in future pages of 

 valuable journal, as the merit of the case demands. 



