250 



EFFECTS OF DRAINAGE ON FRUITS. 



tie within the circumference of the stem, whose inte- 

 rior it thus separates into two parts; namely, the barii 

 or the superfieial, and the pith or the central portion; 

 or, in what are called Endogens, ioto a superficial 

 coatiiiff analogous to bark, and a central confused 

 mass of wood and pith intermingled. The effect of 

 this, ia Exogeus, is, to divide the interior of a peren- 

 nial stem into three parts, the pith, the wood, and 

 the bark. 



" As the cellular tissue of the stem is not sensibly 

 lengthened more in one direction than in another, and 

 as it is the only kind of organic matter that in stems 

 increases laterally, it is sometimes convenient to speak 

 of it under the name of the horizontal system; and, 

 for a similar reason, to designate the woody tubes 

 which are plunged among it, and which only increase 

 by addition of new tubes having the same direction 

 as themselves, as the perpendicular system. 



" Wood property so called, and liber or inner bark, 

 consist, in Exogens, of the perpendicular system, for 

 the most part; while the pith and e.\ternal rind or 

 bark are chiefly formed of the horizontal system. 

 The two latter are connected by cellular tissue, which, 

 when it is pressed into thin plates by the woody tubes 

 that pass through it, acquires the name of medullary 

 rays. It is important, for the due explanation of cer- 

 tain phenomena connected with cultivation, to under- 

 stand this point correctly; and to remember that, 

 while the perpendicular system is distributed through 

 the wood and bark, the horizontal system confists of 

 pith, outer bark, and the medullary processes which 

 connect these two in Endogens, and of irregular cellu- 

 lar tissue analogous to medullary rays in Endogens. 

 So that the stem of a plant is not inaptly compared 

 to apiece of linen, the horizontal cellular system rep- 

 resenting the woof, and the woody system the warp.' 



From the above explanation, we see that there is 

 an extensive free communication between the atmos- 

 phere and every internal portion of a plant, and num- 

 berless fiicts similar to those we have presented, prove 

 conclusively that this arrangement cannot be violated 

 with impunity — but that if it is not always fatal to 

 the life of the plant, it is injurious in a very serious 



EFFECTS OF DRAINAGE ON FKTJIT. 



Mr. EniTOR: — The effect of different soils and sit- 

 uations upon the size and the productiveness of fruit 

 frees, as well as upon the beauty and flavor of the 

 fruit, hag often attracted my attention ; and with 

 your leave, I will give you some thoughts upon the 

 subject 



It is a well understood fact that fruit trees do not 

 succeed well upon wet land; — but the particular na- 

 ture of a soil so constituted as to produce the finest 

 fruit in the greatest abundance, is seldom dwelt upon. 

 The present season has been a wet one since the last 

 day of May; during the ripening of strawberries and 

 such varieties of cherries as have already matured, 



we have had constant shower.s — the effect of which 

 h.ts been to destroy the flavor of some fine varieties, 

 and to injure all ; showing plainly that super-abun- 

 dance of moisture, although it may increase the size, 

 really diminishes the value of the fruit When the 

 quantity of water falling is not so great as to reach 

 the roots in abundance, the quality is seldom affected, 

 and the size, particularly of small fruits, like the ber- 

 ries, is often materially increased. If examination is 

 now made of fruits growing upon a cold or damp 

 piece of land, they are found almost without fine fla- 

 vor ; indeed, many varieties of note and justly es- 

 teemed for their excellence, would be pronounced 

 worthless, so insipid are they rendered by the heavy 

 rains. 



The strawberrj', although a plant which is greedy 

 of moisture, and one which will not give its glorious 

 berries without a full supply, when over supplied, is 

 as much offended as any other individual. If planted 

 where the cool bottom and retentive sub-soil refuses 

 to allow water to escape downwards through the soil, 

 it never rewards well the cultivator; — the rampant 

 vines delude and disappoint him. The same is true 

 of the currant, the raspberry, and other small fruits. 



It is a common error to suppose that a loose and 

 mellow soil where the water will drain off readily 

 through surjace drains not far distant, and thus allow 

 the cultivator to work his land soon after rains have 

 ceased, is all that is necessary. This is not so. It is 

 indi.'ipensible for the production of the finest fruit of 

 all and any description that the soil shall be so loose 

 or gravelly, or otherwise so constituted, that water 

 will pass doion readily and rapidly to such a distance 

 below the surface ihat the roots even of quite large 

 trees shall never be afflicted by the presence of any 

 but active moisture, that is, moisture either being 

 drawn up by the heated surface above, whose loss by 

 evaporation must be supplied, or by the rapidly es- 

 caping rains which leave behind only tha fertilizing 

 atoms which they contain, and that healthy amount 

 of water which such soils will necessarily detain. 

 Just in proportion to the depth and distance from 

 the surface where this drainage ceases, and the per- 

 fection of the mechanism, along with the natural ele- 

 ments of which it consists, will its value for fruit cul- 

 ture be. 



It would be interesting to enlarge here and show 

 how color, perfection of form, and uniformity of size, 

 as well as flavor, and productiveness, and vigor in the 

 trees is increased by planting in such localities: the 

 longevity of trees is also greatly extended. Some 

 trees and vines from their constitution cannot go very 



