MARCH. 123 



for five or six years before its organs of fructification can 

 be formed. During this interval there is time to ascertain 

 whether the tree is inclined to become a fine dwarf pyramid 

 rather than a tall one. At the end of three or four years we 

 may certainly find out from the more or less vigorous growth 

 of the variety whether it should be classed amongst the sorts 

 which should be trained against a wall, rather than as a pyr- 

 amid, or whether from its strong growth and hardiness it is 

 adapted for a standard, and for being cultivated on a large 

 scale for orchards. 



From what has beeu stated, it appears that from the time 

 when the tree first comes into bearing till that at which a 

 description of the tree and its fruit can be correctly and defi- 

 nitely made, a period of ten years must elapse ; and before a 

 sufficient number of healthy and vigorous trees can be sent 

 out, another interval of five years must be allowed, making 

 altogether fifteen years from the time of coming into bearing. 

 Until then, only the raiser and a few privileged friends should 

 taste the fruits. Before a variety sent out to the public can 

 be generally distributed, tried in different localities and in 

 various seasons, and its merits generally ascertained, a period 

 of twenty years will have elapsed from the time of its first 

 fruiting. It was so with the Passe Colmar, Beurre d'Harden- 

 pont (Glout Morceau), Beurre Ranee, Urbaniste, Beurre Diel, 

 Beurre Bosc, Marie Louise, Conseilleur de la Cour, Josephine 

 de Malines, Soldat Laboureur, Ne plus Meuris, and several 

 others of a more or less recent origin. Such will also be the 

 case with several more modern varieties of which the quali- 

 ties have been ascertained by competent judges, from several 

 years' production. It is much better, we think, to rely upon 

 the results of careful examinations than to adopt hasty con- 

 clusions, not founded on established facts. 



We have, from time to time, cautioned our amateur culti- 

 vators against heading down and regrafting their trees, until 

 reasonable time had elapsed to test each variety. The evi- 

 dence of M. Jonghe will show how important it is to con- 

 tinue this caution. — Ed. 



