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blossoms, fertilised with Napoleon pollen, 

 on an average 15 out of the 16 set their 

 fruits. I have since then repeated this 

 experiment with almost precisely similar 

 results, and I can also point to several 

 living examples of trees, that were pre- 

 viously infertile, now bearing good crops, 

 owing to a portion of them having been 

 grafted with scions from another variety. 

 The most striking instance of the success- 

 ful results of cross fertilisation is to be 

 seen in the orchard of Mr Eccleston, on 

 the Bridport road, near Scottsdale. This 

 gentleman has systematically grafted a 

 portion of each tree with scions of another 

 variety, selecting in preference sorts 

 which ripen with pollen about the same 

 time. The results of this treatment have 

 been in every way satisfactory. Without 

 unduly taxing your patience, I should 

 like to mention that, as the period during 

 which such experiments can be carried on 

 is extremely limited, there is all the more 

 reason why we should enlist as many 

 observers as possible. A blossom which 

 expands, say, at 7 o'clock in the morning 

 is fertilised, and has begun to contract by 

 10 at the latest, when, 0( course, nothing 

 more can be done in the way of experi- 

 ment. I will not attempt to detail any 

 more of the subjects which I consider 

 should engage the attention of observers, 

 beyond remarking how little notice has 

 been paid to the first principles of success- 

 ful manuring. The elementary idea of 

 returning back to the soil that which has 

 been extracted from ic never seems to 

 enter into the minds of many of those 

 who year by year expend large sums in 

 applying manures, which in some in- 

 stances are inappropiiate and unneces- 

 sary, while the actual wants of 

 the trees are unconsidered. It 

 would be of immense value to the 

 orchardist if we knew more definitely the 

 exact proportions of the manurial sub- 

 stances which are exhausted year by year 

 by an average crop of fruit. No chemical 

 analysis of the soil will tell us what 

 amount of plant food is available to the 

 trees, for the chemist extracts by his acids 

 in a few moments that wbich it may take 

 the trees years to procure naturally in a 

 soluble condition. Before I close I 

 should like to refer to one more subject 

 about which we practically know nothing, 

 but which must exercise a very marked 



influence on the vitality and vigor of our 

 trees. I allude to the relation between 

 stock and scion. We know that the re- 

 sult of grafting is to perpetuate the 

 variety from which the scion, has been 

 taken, but we do not yet understand how 

 far the scion is influenced by the stock. 

 That it has an influence there is not the 

 least doubt, and it has been shown that 

 by continued grafting and regrafting on 

 stocks of an early or late variety the 

 season of a fruit can be either hastened 

 or retarded. The only authority on this 

 subject that I know o"*^ is the celebrated 

 animal artist, Mr Harrison Weir, who has 

 for upwards of thirty > ears been carrying 

 on experiments which have proved beyond 

 question that the influence of the stock on 

 the scion is more important than is gene- 

 rally supposed. The common idea of 

 grafting is that it makes no difference 

 what kind of stock is used so long as we 

 cars get the scion to take. I need only 

 instance one case to show the fallacy of 

 this idea. The Kentish cherry stock is 

 frequently employed as a stock fer graft- 

 ing ; those who have so used it must have 

 noticed that, while the scion grows freely 

 the stock does not keep pace with it, so 

 that it is no uncommon occurrence to 

 find the scion above the graft fully three 

 or four times the circumference of the 

 stock below. I submit that in this direc- 

 tion there is scope for further investiga- 

 tion. I could go on enumerating many 

 other subjects which are not only inter 

 esting in themselves, but which both 

 directly and indirectly would have an im- 

 portant economic value to the fruitgrower. 

 I have said enough, I trust, to show that, 

 in one branch of agronomical work alone, 

 there is a wide scope for systematic and 

 careful reseaich and investigation The 

 ordinary farmer or fruitgrower has not 

 the time, nor in some instances the 

 facilities, for conducting experimental 

 work, and it is therefore to my mind 

 necessary that this should be carried out 

 by those who have more leisure, and who 

 have better opportunities for conducting 

 such investigations. I am convinced that; 

 if the members of the Eoyal Society see 

 fit to establish a section to deal with 

 matters such as those I have referred to, 

 very great good might be effected, both 

 from a scientific as well as an economic 

 point of view. 



