PEACH. 101 



too rapid growth of the shoots, and causes the principals to 

 bear the fruit the following season, instead of producing 

 lateral shoots the same season, and causing the tree to be 

 more dwarf; the branches strong and fruitful to the bottom 

 of the shoot, thereby having more fruit in a smaller compass. 

 Secondly. It makes harder and less pithy wood, and enables 

 it the better to withstand the cold ; and this may be easily 

 proved by cutting the branches of each : the shoot on the 

 Plum stock will be twice as hard and firm as the one on the 

 Peach stock ; but, Thirdly, and the most important reason 

 is, that the Plum ceases to send up its sap early in autumn, 

 causing the Peach to perfect its wood befoijs ,tfiB cold weaihetf 

 sets in." 



As the failure of this fruit of lane % ypa,rc has eJjcitsc} a$n^ 

 siderable discussion and observation, which increases in 

 interest annually, I will offer an exposition of my views on 

 the subject, by a comparison between vegetable and animal 

 matter, which I humbly conceive bear a striking analogy to 

 each other. If the reader should deem my arguments vision- 

 ary, or speculative, I would remind him that the grave im- 

 portance of the subject fully justifies this or any othei 

 attempt at elucidation. 



Having, in article Nectarine, shown the error of deep 

 planting all descriptions of trees and plants, I would here 

 observe, that a tree brought into a state of disease, by which 

 the circulation of its nutrimental juices is impeded, and its 

 bark injured, is very similarly situated to a timber post in- 

 serted in the soil ; which every one knows will rot between 

 earth and air, however sound its other parts may be. 



In venturing a comparison between vegetable and animal 

 matter, I would first refer the reader to article Chestnut, 

 where I have shown that a chestnut tree has been known to 

 live over a thousand years ; and that its timber, cut in proper 

 season, is supposed to be in durability commensurate with 

 the age of the growing tree. It is also recorded in history, 

 that animal subjects preserved on the Egyptian principle, 



9* 



