REMOVING FRUIT TREES. 147 



woe. I do not profess to be an expert in the matter of 

 vegetable physiology, but this I conceive to be true, 

 that all plants, especially fruit trees, depend upon the 

 number and health of the spongioles, that is, the 

 sponge-like young fibres at the ends of the roots. 

 Now, if these are not healthy, owing to the state of the 

 soil, some bad results will soon arise and show them- 

 selves in the branches, fruit, &c. If the subsoil is un- 

 congenial to these tender fibres — if it is too cold and 

 wet, and impervious to the fertilising rays of the sun, 

 or wet and water-holding, and soured — bad results in 

 the branches will appear. 



It makes no difference even if the ground is manured 

 never so well ; it is even worse than it would be if the 

 land were poor and the other conditions favourable. * I 

 have seen Grape Yines that have been fairly killed by 

 giving them overdoses of rich manure, so much so that 

 the roots were buried quite out of the reach of the sun's 

 rays, and notwithstanding the richness of the soil the 

 Vines pined away, simply because the tender spongioles 

 or fibres at the end of the roots could not consume the 

 surcharge of nutritious matter, and there being no 

 evaporation by the virtue of the sun's influence ; and 

 still more so is this the case with the Peach and the 

 Plum, 



I have been consulted by a gentleman who has wall 

 trees, including the Cherry, Plum, Peach, and Nectarine, 

 which bear scarcely any fruit worth naming. Well, I 

 soon discovered what is the cause — not poorness but 

 coldness of the soil, and too much manure put upon the 

 roots. With Peaches and Plums this is far worse than 

 no manure at all under such circumstances. 



Be it remembered that Peaches as well as Plums 

 send out their spongioles aDd extend them in proportion 

 to the requirements of the branches of the tree, in search 

 of food to supply them with ; and let young gardeners 

 always bear in mind that the extension of these spon- 

 gioles is ever on the advance year by year, for as they 

 get older they become converted into mere channels of 

 a more solid nature, and new spongioles are made on 



