710 SYSTEM EMPLOYED BY M. GBEGOIEE-KfiLTS. 



3. ''He then leaves them for two years' in the same place; 

 after that he takes them up again, and again cuts the tap roots 

 [reirancJie encore les pivots). The same operation is repeated 

 every two years, and in this manner lie has succeeded in 

 making them produce fruit so eaidy as in six, seven or eight 



years. 



i» 



It is curious to see on how many points our British, mode of cultiYation 

 corresponds with M. Gregoire's system without having touched it. M. 

 Gr%oire attaches much importance to choosing large seeds. He fiiids^ 

 that large seeds produce healthy strong plants^ and small seed^ weaklings^ 

 orj to use an expression of his own, '^ Gros pepinSj gros sujets— petita^ 

 p^pins, petits sujefcs." So does the- Englisli cultivator. Like M. Gr<?goire 

 also, they adopt the same time for choosing and sowing the seeds. The 

 usual T,vay here is to take up and pot or replant the seedling when it is 

 ahout a year old; and in doing so^ the root ia trimmed either accidentally 

 or by design — a treatment which comes very near to M. Gregoire's cutting 

 off the tap root. Again, the young plants are very commonly transplanted 

 e^very two years, hut the roots are not again cut. The system, however, 

 of encouraging the surface roots and preventing the descent of the tap 



Too\ if not as old as the hills, is at least as old as the monks, who placed, 

 flag stones below the roots to compel them to sj^read. But it does not 

 appear ever to have been applied at the early stages^ and in the stringent 

 fashion adopted by M. Gregoire-Nelis. 



M. Gregoire's experience throws light on a variety of points. For 

 •sample, he finds that the development, si^e, and shedding of the spines 



«r thorns borne by the young pear-tree varies much in different trees, 

 some ceasing to produce them in six or eight years, while others do not do 

 so for double the time, and some cease to produce them so early as even 

 three years. He compares their presence and absence to tie period of 

 puberty in man, only it is shown in a converse fashion. Man gains his 

 beard on his arrival at puberty — the pear-tree loses its spines. 



M. Gregoire's great experience enables him to diminish considerably 

 the period of suspense as to the q.uaHty of his seedlings. In many cases he 

 can tell from the appearance of the young plant whether it is worth giving 

 it a trial or not. If the wood is clear and gray it will probably turn out 

 well. If red or yellow, most likely not. 



M. Gregoire's investigations have also enabled him. to pronounce with 

 authority upon various questions which have agitated the Horticultural 

 world] for example, the system of Van Mons, which found its origin and 

 was mainly supported in the district adjoining the residence of M. 

 Gr^goii e. This, as most of the Fellows know, was founded on the theory 

 that the successive raising of plants by regular descent improved the 

 breed ; that the seed of A produced B, a better kind than A ; that B pro* 

 finced C, which was still better; tiat D^ the produce of C, was an 

 improvement on it, and so on. For a time this fancy met with general 





