A'ol. X.-No. 20. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



229 



o.-^, bearing sepals and petals instead of leaves. It 

 is, therefore, easily to be understood why, so long 

 as all the motions and secretions of a tre& go on 

 rapidly, with vigor, and without interruption, only 

 rudiments of branches, or leaf buds, should be 

 formed ; and why, on the other hand, when the 

 former become languid, and the parts are formed 

 slowly, bodies of a contracted nature, with no 

 disposition to extension (or flower buds) should 

 appear. 



It will be found that the process of the practi- 

 ces above enumerated, to which the gardener has 

 recourse, in order to mcrease the fenihty of his 

 fruit trees, is to be explained by what has just been 

 said. In ringing fruit trees, a cyhnder of bark is 

 cut from the branch, by which means a return of 

 the elaborated juices from the leaves down the 

 bark is cut ofi", and all that would have been 

 exjiended below the annular incision is confined 

 to the branch aliove it. This produces an accu- 

 mulation of proper juice : and flower buds or 

 fertility, are the result (c) But there is a defect 

 in this practice, to which want of success in many 

 cases is no doubt to be attributed. Although the 

 returning fluid is found to accumulate above the 

 annular incision, yet the ascending sap flows along 

 the alburnum into the buds with nearly as much 

 rapidity as ever, so that the accumulation is but 

 imperfectly produced. — On this account, the 

 second practice of bending branches downioard, is 

 found to be attended with more certain conse- 

 quences. — Theeftect of turning the branches of a 

 tree from their natural position, to a pendulous or 

 a horizontal one, is to impede both the ascent and 

 descent of fluids, in a gradual but certain manner. 

 The tissue of which branches is composed is 

 certainly permeable to fluids in every direction ; 

 and there can be no doubt that the vital action of 

 the vessels of a plant is performed both in the 

 natural and in an inverted position. So long as 

 that erect direction of the branches which is 

 natural to them is exactly maintained, the flow of 

 their fluids being subject to no interruptions, will 

 take place in the freest possible manner ; but the 

 moment this natural direction is deviated fi-ora, the 

 vessels become more or less compressed, their 

 action is impeded, and finally, if the inversion is 

 perfect, it becomes so slow that an accumulation 

 of the profuse juices necessarily takes place 

 through every part of the system, (d) 



One of the objects of training is to produce 

 the same effect. Branches are bent more or le*s 

 from their natural erect position ; their motion, in 

 consequence of the action of wind upon them, 

 ■which is known to facilitate the movement of the 

 fluids, is totally destroyed ; and hence arises the 

 accumulation of proper juice which is necessary 

 to their fertility. Nor is the influence of the stock, 

 of an essentially different nature. In proportion 

 as the scion and stock approach each other closely 

 in constitution, the less effect is produced by the 

 latter ; and, on the contrary, in proi)ortion to the 

 constitutional ditierence between the stock and 

 scion, is the effect of the former important. — Thus, 

 when pears are grafted or budded on the weld 

 species, apples upon crabs, plums upon plums, and 

 peaches upon peaches, or almonds, the scion is, in 

 regard to fertiUty, exactly in the same state as if it 

 had not been grafted at all. While on the other 

 hand, a great increase of fertility is the result of 

 graining pears upon quinces, peaches upon plums, 

 apples upon white thorn, and the like. In these 

 latter cases, the food absorbed from the earth by 



the root of the stock, is communicated slowly managing plants is to conform tiiera to their natural soil. 



and unwillingly to the scion ; under no circum 

 stances is the communication between the one and 

 the other as free and perfect as if their natures 

 had been more nearly the same ; the sap is inqjed- 

 ed in its ascent, and the proper juices are imi)eded 

 in their descent, whence arises that accumulation 

 of secretion which is sure to be attended by 

 increased fertility. No other influence than this 

 can be exercised by the scion U])0u the stock. 

 Those who fancy that the contrary takes place — 

 that the quince, for instance, commimicates some 

 portion of its austerity to the pear, can scarcely 

 have considered the question physiologically, or 

 they would have seen that the whole of the food 

 couununicated from the alburnum of the quince 

 to that of the pear, is in nearly the same state as 

 when it entered the roots of the former. What- 

 ever elaboration it undergoes must take place in 

 the foliage of the pear ; where, far from tlie 

 influence of the quince, secretions natural to the 

 variety go on with no more interruption than if 

 the quince formed no part of the system of the 

 individual, (e) 



(a) Transplanlingand diminishing the system of roots, 

 have also, by lessening the flow of sap, a tendency to in- 

 duce fruit buds. A sizeable tree often shows blossoms 

 the second year after beiqg transplanted, though subse- 

 quently it may not bear for some years. J. B. 



(ft) Knight's opinion in regard to the formation of 

 wood and fruit buds, is this ; That the natural efforts of 

 the mother tree are directed, 1. to the nourishment and 

 perfection of her progeny, the fruit; 2. to the production 

 of new wood buds, essential to the elaboration of food the 

 coming year ; and (these labors being finished) 3. to the 

 production of fruit buds for another crop. But as our 

 seasons do not afford time to perfect all these labors, it 

 happens that many varieties, particularly those which 

 produce great ciops, and 'can-y their fruit late, produce 

 fruit only every other year ; and hence, too, varieties 

 brought from a higher latitude, where the seasons are 

 longer, as the Siberian crab, and the process of vegetable 

 development more rapid, become in warmer climates, 

 annual bearers. The varieties that ripen their fruits ear- 

 ly, as most of the cherries, plums, &c, produce fruit 

 every year ; except that when the crop is heavy, a bar- 

 ren year, and ollen the death of the tree succeeds. 



J. B. 



(c) I dislike this method. It is robbing one part of the 

 tree of its food to pamper a pet branch. Several branch- 

 es of the plum, experimented upon, died the following 

 year; and branches of the apple broke ofl" with the 

 weigiit of fruit. J. B. 



(d) These axioms in vegetable physiology will find a 

 confirmation in ovir orchards and gardens. The pendu- 

 lous and horizontal branches, will be found to abound 

 most in blossoms, and others much in the ratio of their 

 departure from an upright position — those growing erect 

 pioducing the last. Hence a crooked tree (particularly 

 the apple) bears better than a straight tree ; and a flat 

 spreading top is more beautiful than a tall pyraraidical one. 

 Hence too the practice of nurserymen, of removing the 

 centre shoot of the apple, when it has attained a sufficient 

 height to form a head. J. B. 



(e) In the cultivation of the pear in the London and 

 Edinburgh Horticultural Gardens, advantage is taken of 

 both of these last methods, for a threefold purpose, of in- 

 ducing precocity and fruitfulness, and of saving ground. 

 Such of this fruit as takes freely, is worked upon the 

 quince, and trained en quenoille, that is, the branches 

 which are suHi^red to grow low, are thinned out, and those 

 left bent down so as to assume the form of a distaff, and 

 there fastened. Trained in this way trees are planted 

 four feet apart ; and the product of a given area of ground 

 is said to be greater, from dwarfs, in this, way, than from 

 standards, at the usual distance of planting. 



After all, it would seem to be a law of nature, that the 

 food of the young plant as well as of the young animal, 

 shall go exclusively to enlarge and develope the individu- 

 al, until it has attained to natural puberty, and that the 

 contrivances of art to counteract this law, in inducing 

 precocity, or unnatural fruitfulness, shortens the period of 

 their existence. This also seems to be the tendency of very 

 high feeding and very rich manuring. Temperance is as 

 essential to the vegetable as the animal. The great art of 



temperature and habits. The practice which I would 

 urge from the consideration of the preceding facts, is, 

 that men should plant both dwarf and standard trees — 

 the first for themselves and the last for their posterity. 



J. B. 



From Pii 



! Pomol.igical .Ma"az 



VILLENNES. Pr. cat. 



Cerise de ViUenncs. Guindoux rouge. N. Uuh. 

 Cerisier a gros fruit rouge pale. N. Dub. Roz. 



This tree is one of the very largest of its class 

 of Cherries ; tlie shoots are twice the size of those 

 of the precetling variety, and its leaves are ter- 

 minated by a long acute point. The fruit is 

 eleven lines in diameter, and ten in height, borne 

 on a strong peduncle, from ten to si.xteen lines in 

 length ; the skin is delicate, and of a light red 

 color ; the flesh white, succulent, shghtly acid, and 

 of a very pleasant flavor. This beautiful cherry 

 is one of the best for the table ; and Duhamel 

 remarks that it ought to be preferred to all others 

 for preserves. It ripens at the end of June or the 

 beginning of July. 



COMMON MORELLO. Pr. cat. 

 Black Morello. Pr. Cat. 26th ed. 



This tree attains but moderate dimensions, and 

 forms a round head, with innumerable small 

 slender branches ; the fruit is only of medium 

 size, but its flavor, when fully ripe, is peculiarly 

 sprightly, rich, and highly pleasant to the taste. 

 It is one of the finest for drying, and also for tarts, 

 preserves, and brandy, and when bottled may be 

 preserved for a long period, without spiritsor sugar. 

 It attains its maturity late in July ; is seldom 

 attacked by insects or birds, and often beeomes 

 shrivelled and dry, while still hanging on the 

 branches. It is unfortunate that this variety is 

 more subject than any other cheiTy to the attacks 

 of the same insect which so frequently stings 

 certain varieties of the plum, and which often 

 perforates the branches of this tree to such au 

 extent that they are covered with the numerous 

 knots and excrescences which arise therefrom. 

 The only remedy is to prune off all branches 

 thus attacked at the period when the insect or its 

 eggs are concealed therein, and to burn them 

 immediately, for if they are left to increase annu- 

 ally, they present a most disagreeable appearance, 

 and in time entirely destroy the tree. The same 

 course may be adopted with success for all other 

 trees attacked in a similar manner ; and if it was 

 adopted generally throughout our country, it would 

 in a few years nearly or quite annihilate this for- 

 midable dejiredator on our gardens and orchards. 

 Formerly this variety of the Morello was very 

 common in this vicinity, and frequently met with 

 planted along the sides of the highway ; but the 

 dej)redations of the insect referred to, and a total 

 inattention to all remedies have rendered it at the 

 present period quite a rare tree. 



LARGE MORELLO. Auth. 

 English Morrello. Pr. cat. 26th ed. | Merella. Law. 

 .Morella. Lang. | Morella. Mil. Lond. Hort. cat. 

 Large English .Morello. Milan. 



Griottier du nord. Die. d'Agric. 



This tree attains a moderate size, with a round 

 compact head ; its shoots are stronger than our 

 common Morello, and the branches are never 

 attacked by the insect which so often perforates 

 the common variety, and causes large and numer- 

 ous excrescences to be formed. The fruit is of 

 large size, round, and of a dark red color, almost 

 black, and when perfectly ripe is tender and juicy. 



