34 LIFE OF 



in London. He still received his visitors at the castle, and fre- 

 quently joined the family party at dinner, or in the evening, 

 and the arrangement probably contributed to the comfort of all 

 parties ; for while it relieved the elder brother from the trouble 

 unavoidably attendant on a large country establishment to a 

 bachelor, it afforded many advantages to Mr. Andrew Knight 

 and his family. 



Different as were the characters and dispositions of the 

 brothers, the most perfect good understanding and kind feelings 

 invariably subsisted between them ; and on the death of Mr. 

 Payne Knight, in May, 1824, his loss was acutely felt by his 

 brother. 



The subjects to which Mr. A. Knight chiefly devoted his 

 attention at this period will be seen by a reference to his writ- 

 ings. It is a source of regret that not many of his private 

 letters to his friends have been preserved which would have any 

 interest for the general reader, but a few will be given in this 

 place. 



To JOHN WILLIAMS, ESQ., PITMASTON. 



" Elton, 1807. 



DEAR SIR, 



" I had sooner written to thank you for the information with 

 which you have provided me, respecting your improved method 

 of managing vines, but that I was from home till some days 

 after your letter arrived here, and I have subsequently been 

 every day necessarily engaged much more than suits my eyes, 

 which do not bear very close application. 



" We have long known that pears can live on branches from 

 which a portion of bark is taken in a ircle ; but this operation 

 has always been injudiciously performed, and the improvement 

 you mention is certainly your own. The effect of taking off a 

 circle of bark is to occasion a stagnation of the descending sap, 

 which is probably repelled back into the buds and fruit, and 

 occasions the one to turn into blossom-buds, and supplies the 



