514 Foreign Notices. 



come productive. More especially is this the case with pears and apples, 

 when planted either upon walls or as espaliers: it is generally in these sit- 

 uations where root-pruning is found peculiarly effective and valuable. We 

 are not surprised that the subject should attract the attention of our read- 

 ers. Two communications treating on this matter will be found in another 

 part of the paper. By one of these we are supplied with what appears to 

 us the most conclusive evidence in favor of root-pruning that the most scep- 

 tical can require. We therefore refer such of our readers as may be in 

 any way concerned in this matter, to Mr. Drewett's article, given else- 

 where. We insert below a descriptive notice of a sample of fruit sent to 

 us by Mr. Drewett, being pears, and the produce of root-pruned trees. 

 They were clear, handsome fruit, and the subjoined dimensions correspond 

 to the several sorts, measuied by us at the time they were received. The 

 circumference of each fruit was taken round the thickest part, and the 

 length, from the base of the stalk to the eye : — 



Beurr6 Diel, circum. 9^ in., length 5 in. 

 Brown Beurr6, circum. 9,^ in., length 4^ in. 

 Inconnue Cramoisine, circum. 8 in., length 4 in. 

 Glout Morceau, circum. 7.^ in., length 4 in. 

 Passe Colmar, circum. 7^ in., length 44 in. 

 Swan Egg, circum. 8iJ in., length 4 in. 

 Chaumontel, circum. 8 in., length 5^ in. 

 Navarre Beurr^, circum. 74 in., length 35 in. 

 Nothing could exceed the clear and healthy appearance of the fruit. The 

 result, as detailed by Mr. Drewett, is most successful ; it is not, however, 

 other than a most reasonable and natural one. It is merely what, we ven- 

 ture to assert, ^^ill be the result with pears and apples in ninety-nine cases 

 in every hundred, where similar experiments are fairly made ; such are the 

 effects which our own experience, at least, would lead us to expect. As 

 we cannot expect that our own opinions upon any question are to be im- 

 plicitly received by all, however corroborated by the evidence of others, we 

 therefore earnestly invite the consideration of our practical readers to tiiis 

 practical question. A little discussion on so important a matter would nec- 

 essarily lead persons to thought and experiment, and this would tend greatly 

 to a better understanding of cause and effect in reference to the matter at 

 issue. — {Gard. Journal, 1847, p. 24:J.) 



Experiment on Root-pruning Pear Trees. — I beg to furnish you with a 

 statement relative to a successful experiment I have made on some pear 

 trees at this place, growing on a wall fourteen feet high, and about sixty 

 yards in length. The sorts are for dessert. Having been previously in- 

 formed that the trees were never known to produce any thing like a crop, I 

 was resolved to make some alteration in them ; and in Oct. 1813, I tried an 

 experiment on them in loot-pruning. I had a trench dug out the whole 

 length, about four feet from the wall, and three feel deep, when I under- 

 mined them, until I could have foil scope for severing all those roots which 

 had a tendency to go downwards; those I found rather numerous. I had 

 them pruned vvith great care, and as the soil was removed, 1 continued to 



