NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



93 



est light. The general rule is, to gird'.'' 

 I the tree is in its most rapid stale ol 

 th, to make the ilecoiticulioii nr rinu- lar- 

 or smaller according to the vigor of the 

 , but so little in all cases as to enable the 

 to close the wound during the same sea- 

 We made a similar experiment on a tlow- 

 ■ plant, the beautit'ul Passillora Alata, nnd 

 ireiv it by this process into flower, at a 

 n m which it never flowers in the ordina- 

 jurse ol" nature, that is, in the month of 

 ist. Its usual time of flowering with us, is 

 .icr and April, 

 t we proceed to experiments out of the 



I house, within the reach of all cultivators. 

 (; tried this plan on 20 young pear trees, 

 le, two and three branches — trees, whicli 

 been grafted from 10 to 12 years, without 

 ^ t'ruit. The spectacle on so extensive an 



iment, is really interesting and instructive, 



wing the power of human art over na- 

 A single branch in a tree is at this hour, 



we are writing, absolutely snowy white 

 owers, while every other branch on the 

 ree is as barren and unprolilic, as it had 

 everv preceding spring, when it had 



ed our hopes. We sported very much in 

 perinicnts. On some, trees we girdled 



iid on others 2 to b branches, hut the ex- 



ent is so jierfect, that before you reach 

 e, you can decide precisely which were 



rdled. The same experiment was made 



ms, with equal success, 

 us here, however, check any disposition 

 may have been excited in lavor of this 

 of hastening early bearing, by saying, 

 r. Knight, from whose theory the oxperi- 

 have been derived, is opposed to it on a 

 ' scale. He thinks it will shorten the lon- 

 of the trees subjected to it ; that it is 

 to the course of nature, and is only justi- 

 >vhen you wish to be certain, whether the 

 fou have bought or grafted are really: 

 ou supposed ihcy u'cre, or when you have 

 edling fruits, to enable you to ascertain 

 ears earlier their qualities, in order to 

 whether you should reject them or not. 

 t carry my apprehensions so far (1 say it 

 ■eat diflidence) as this learned cultivator, 

 ifect of judicious girdling is nearly the 

 ith grafting ; that produces a similar in- 

 lon of Ibe sap, a callous is formed belvr-ecn 

 Tinal stock and the graft, and yet we see 

 nches continue productive, and enjoy ex- 

 health. No doubt great discretion and 

 :e should be exercised in the application 

 Mr. Knight has adopted other modes of 

 ng the early production of fruit on 



Jlrees. Some he raises in pots and boxes, 



I I he fiends down either to a horizontal, 

 Ji to an anti-perpeadicidar forte, if we may 

 4 wed a novel expression. The sap is 



peded in its course, and Mr. Knight has 

 that the principle of gravitation is as 

 ve in the fluids of vegetable life, as in 

 The effects are nearly the same as 

 girdling, producing earlier beating. 

 : iiese are but a part ot Mr. Knight's labors 

 I'kes. Following up the Linnaean theory 

 :exual system of plants, (or to speak in 

 e better adapted lo all classes of read- 

 •oceediiig upon the well established fact, 

 tain parts of the dower, called Anthers, 

 a dust called Pollen, which is indispea- 



sabie to ihe fertilization of the germ or fruit, n 

 let known to he true, before LinnaMis existed, 

 I'ut whicii never received perfect contidencc, 

 ■ill he demonstrated it. Mr. Knight has devot- 

 ;>d 36 years of his life to the jiractical ap|ilica- 

 liou of this theory, which lie has net only de- 

 monstrated by hundreds of experiments, but he 

 m:iy be said to have created many now ani val- 

 uable varieties of fruits hitherto unknown, lie 

 has obtained new varieties of the pear, the ap- 

 ple, the grape, the plum, and the stiawberry. 

 He has demonstrated, that we can correct the 

 detects of one variety of fruit by another, by 

 introducing the farina of a pear tor example, 

 wiiich lias too m!,ich austerity or acidity, into 

 the flour of anuthtir pear, which has too much 

 sweetness, too insipid a sweet, you may give to 

 tlie new product a taste and flavor, winch may 

 be perlectly agreeable. So it has been ascer- 

 tain-ed by Mr. Knight, that by the same process, 

 a tVuit which is defective in vigor, which bears 

 with great reluctance in a cold climate, may, by 

 intermixing it, or coupling it with another tree 

 of the same species of a hardy character, ac- 

 quire the vigorous constitution of one of its pa- 

 rents, and still retain the excellent qualities of 

 ihe other parent. There is, indeed, no end to 

 the changes which have been produced by Mr. 

 Knight and others, not in fruits, hut in flowers, 

 by this process. We are aware, that this state- 

 ment, to those who are ignorant of his exertions 

 and success, may seem to be extravagant ; bu! 

 we can alfiriti, that he has done more lo improve 

 horticulture than any person of whom we, in 

 this western world have any knowledge. 



These remarks were intended as an introduc- 

 tion to a notice of the elforts which Mr. Knighi 

 has generously made to commuuicHte to Ameri- 

 ca some of his im[)rove(l fruits. In 1822, 1 bad 

 occasion to write to Mr. Knight to procure the 

 last numbers of the Horticultural Transactions, 

 for the College; he replied to my letter in the 

 most friendly manner, appeared to be highly 

 gratified with opening an intercourse with our 

 country, expressed his strong attachment to it, 

 his disgust at the libels on our country in some 

 of the presses of Great Britain, and his inten- 

 tion to send to us the best new fruits which the 

 late improvements had introduced ; declaring at 

 the same lime, that though he should confide 

 them to my care, it was under the full belief 

 and expectation, that 1 should disseminate them 

 as extensively as possible. 1 need not say, that 

 he could not have given me a charge more a- 

 groeable ; and that without the smallest regard 

 for personal interest, 1 shall circulate as rapidly 

 as possible, by buds and scions, every variety of 

 fruit he may send. I shall consider myself stew- 

 ard for the public — but 1 ought to remark, that 

 as he sends but one individual specimen, the 

 progress must be slow, and that I must exercise 

 a discretion in giving scions and buds to such 

 persons as will be most likely to take good care 

 of them ; but I shall do it in all cases on express 

 condition, that the same freedom of circulation 

 shall be practised by all. 



I shall close this article by inserting Mr. 

 Knight's last letter to me, accompanying certain 

 fruit trees sent this spring — 



" Downton Castle, Feb. 15, 1823. 

 " JoHK Lowell, Es(^. 

 " Dear Sir — 1 have this day sent to Messrs. 

 Thoroely, of Liverpool, to be forwarded to 



you, a box containing trees and grnfta of ten 

 next) varieties of pears, which here ripen in suc» 

 cession from October to May, and which 1 con- 

 clude in your waimor summer climate will ri- 

 pen in succession— I could bave sent a larger 

 number of varieties, but those sent are the liest 

 ,ind most productive, and inferior varieties that 

 wouUI ripen at the same seasons,! did not think 

 worth sending. Each tree has a label and is al- 

 so numbered besides, and 1 will now give you a 

 concise description of each variety. 1 bave also 

 sent grafts of each variety from benrivg trees, 

 that you may certainly have each variety. 



No. 1. Cassiomont — a large pear, yellow op- 

 en one side and red upon the other, ripens in 

 October. 



No. 2. Tillington — This is described in the 

 Horticultural Transactions. It is perfectly 

 melting or rather perfectly heurn'e, and very 

 rich, sprang I'rom a seed of the autumn berga- 

 mot, — and the pollen of the Jargonelle, and its 

 form is precisely such as you would expect 

 from such a mixture. It is ripe in November." 



[N. B. by the Corresponding Secretary.] — 

 (This example will sbew our cultivators the 

 process of Mr. Knight and the great changes 

 produced by it. He removed from the flowers 

 of the autumn Bergamot all the anthers. He 

 impregnated Ihe germ with the pollen of the 

 Jargonelle. He took the seeds of the fruit 

 thus obtained, sowed them, and produced a new 

 pear, having a mixed form, between that of the 

 Jargonelle, which is long and eminently pear 

 shaped — and that of the autumn Bergamot, 

 whicli is flattened, and rather apple shaped — 

 and it ripens nearly two months /o(cr than either 

 of its parents. Being a new seedling, it will 

 have strength and vigor andeixlure manv years. 

 Mr. Knight computes the longevity of a new 

 variety of pear at more than 150 years. We 

 may then I'orm some judgment of the value of 

 such an acquisition, when we know and have 

 perceived lor many years the gradual deterio- 

 ration of the St. Germain, St. Michaels, Chau- 

 montelle, &c.) 



" No. 3. Urbaniste — A large and nearly glob- 

 ular pear — coloryellowish green — the flavor of 

 rose water. Season, November. 



" No 4. Beurree Knox — Large, pear shaped, 

 yellow. Season, November and December, an 

 excellent pear. 



''No. 5. Marie Louise — Middle size<l — color, 

 pale yellow. Season, November and December, 

 a most excellent variety. 



•'• No 6. Napoleon — Somewhat smaller than 

 the Marie Louise, exceedingly melting and jui- 

 cy. Season, November and December. 



No. 7. Florelle — Middle size and pear shap- 

 ed, color, bright red, nearly scarlet, with minute 

 dark points, a most beautiful and excellent vari- 

 ety. Season, November. 



" No. 8. Colmar d'Hyver — Shape varying 

 from nearly globular to pear shaped, color, yel- 

 lowish green. Season, January — a melting pear 

 of first rate excellence and very productive. 



" No. 9. Passe Colmar — Large and pear shap- 

 ed, but very broad towards the eye. An es- 

 ceedingly fine melting pear, which by being 

 kept in different temperatures, may here be 

 brought to table in perfection from the beginnmar 

 of January to the middle or end of April. Thi» 

 variety is productive to a fault. 1 inii gi-ucr.aiif 

 obliged to take ofl' 9-Wtlis of Ihe fiuit. 



