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Professor Van Mons, after devoting nearly 

 his whole life to these pursuits, came to results 

 which may be briefly stated as follows : 



THEORY OF VAN MONS. 



The design of nature is to produce a heal- 

 thy plant capable of furnishing seeds for con- 

 tinuing the species. 



The object of cultivation (or rather domes- 

 tication.) is to turn the energies of nature from 

 this end to the enlargement of the size and im- 

 provement of the flavor of the fruit containing 

 the seeds. that is, so far as the vigor and ro- 

 bust health of the tree is affected, it is an enfee- 

 bling process. 



To carry forward this enfeebling work, sel- 

 ect your seeds from a young tree of a garden, 

 not a wild variety, gathering the fruit before 

 it is fully ripe, and suffering the seeds to re- 

 main in it until it is decayed. The words 

 just italicised indicate four sources of ener- 

 vating the breed, (if this latter term is allow- 

 able.) 



The trees from these seeds should be root- 

 pruned and branch- pruned, on purpose to 

 enfeeble and stunt their growth ; and, in order 



