40 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



grafter, which would be the cause of their becoming 

 scarce, and, in time, totally lost. We have not presumed 

 to set our judgment in opposition to that of Mr. Knight, 

 who is so justly celebrated for his attention to horticul- 

 tural pursuits ; but it behoves all who may write of this 

 most valuable fruit, to recommend the graftings to be of 

 the best kinds, and to throw out no hint that may cause 

 our nurserymen to neglect its propagation. Gerard, when 

 he published his Account of the Apple in 1597, was a 

 warm advocate for the cultivation of apples. " Gentle- 

 men that have land and living," says he, " put forward, 

 in the name of God ; graffe, set, plant, and nourish up 

 trees in euery corner of your grounds ; the labour is 

 small, the cost is nothing, the commoditie is great, your 

 selues shall have plentie, the poor shall have somewhat 

 in time of want to relieve their necessitie, and God shall 

 reward your good mindes and diligence." 



Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. has, for some years past, 

 been benefiting his country, by creating, if I may be al- 

 lowed the expression, a new variety of fruits ; but before 

 we disclose the ingenious method he has adopted to pro- 

 cure new varieties, it is but justice to departed merit to 

 notice by whom the invention was first deemed possi- 

 ble : and we have great pride and satisfaction in stating, 

 that, after an unprejudiced research, we find this wonder- 

 ful discovery has been left for the perseverance of the 

 English, who, although late in taking up botanical stu- 

 dies, have now surpassed whatever was done by the an- 

 cient world in this science. 



Lord Bacon, who has been called the Prophet of Arts, 

 " and who looked into nature with a most curious eye of 

 inquiry, evidently suspected that it was possible to cross 

 the breed of plants, and so procure kinds, by art, as 

 novel as those which Nature has sometimes produced by 

 accident. 



