214 THE FLOWER. 



Mrs. B. It is a point very difficult to explain. It fre- 

 quently happens that, after blossoming, the fruit perishes 

 from debility. An annular incision of the bark (which 

 you may recollect arrests the cambium in its descent) in- 

 creases the vigor of the blossoms by affording them more 

 nourishment ; but the ring, when made for this purpose, 

 should be very narrow, in order that the upper and under 

 edges of the severed bark may re-unite when this supera- 

 bundance of food is no longer required in the upper part 

 of the plant. M. Lancris makes the ring of such narrow 

 dimensions, that the separation of the bark, lasts only dur- 

 ing the flowering of the plant; at the end of which peri- 

 od, the protuberance at the upper edge of the bark having 

 swelled out, till it reached the lower edge, and being still 

 soft, the contact and gentle friction produced by the con- 

 tinuance of its swelling occasions it to burst: it then 

 amalgamates with the lower edge, when the wound is 

 healed, and the general circulation restored. 



Caroline. That is to say, that the upper edge of the 

 barb grafts itself upon the lower edge ? 



Mrs. B. Precisely so. This operation has been per- 

 formed on the vine with some success ; but these experi- 

 ments have not been sufficiently extensive for their gen- 

 eral results to be relied on. Its effect on fruit-trees, we 

 have already observed, is very precarious : the branches 

 of fruit-trees not being completely lopped every year, like 

 those of the vine in vineyards, they are liable ultimately 

 to suffer from the derangement of the circulation. It an- 

 swers better with fruit-trees whose seeds are pippins, such 

 as the apple and the pear, than with such as have stones 

 and kernels, like the peach and the apricot, because, when 

 the incision is made, the latter exude a gummy juice, so 

 that they are liable to lose more than they gain by the 

 operation. 



There is another cause which frequently prevents the 

 fruit from being formed. It is when water falls upon the 

 stamens : this makes them burst before the due season, 

 and the pollen, instead of being shed upon the pistil, is 



1172. What was done by Mr. Lancris in relation to this subject! 

 1173. With what success ha"ve these experiments been made on vines'? 

 1174. And with what success on fruit trees! 1175. What compar- 



ison is made between different kinds of fruit trees in reference to these 

 experiments! 1176. When water falls on the stamen how does it affect 

 the fruit! 



