SECOND EDITION. Xxi 



observe the progress of experiments. As to the 

 idea of Mr. Knight, tliat if such decayed trees 

 have actually put forth new slioots at all, it must 

 have been from the roots only, and from no 

 other part ; the short answer to this is, that he 

 is under a great error ; for every Gardener 

 knows, that if this had been the case, the trees 

 must all have been budded anew before they 

 had come into bearing : Now the fact is, that 

 none of those trees have ever been budded 

 again. 



So far is the operation of budding in this instance 

 unnecessary, that 1 have been obliged to cut over 

 some old trees, particularly one kind of Cherry (of 

 the Heart species), in order to preserve the kind 

 that they bore, w^hich could be obtained no where 

 else, and which were past bearing in their old state ; 

 but they have now plenty of young wood, and are 

 in full bearing. I have, therefore, most certainly 

 to thank Mr. Knight for having induced me to 

 bring forward these strong facts before the public ; 

 which, but for him, I never should have thought of 

 doing. 



From the same consideration, I shall look for- 

 ward with pleasure to the prospect of having other 

 facts of a similar nature investigated upon the spot, 

 by gentlemen who will not be suspected of parti- 

 ality to me, under the watchful care and gui- 

 dance of Mr. Knight, at a meeting proposed by 

 Dr. Anderson j and which I hope notliing will 



a 3 



