47 



showed me a variety of 500 kinds of apple- 

 trees, was decidedly of opinion that the ap- 

 parent decay of some trees was owing to the 

 unfavourable springs we have had for several 

 years. 



Mr. Knight, of the King's Road, Chelsea, 

 has also favoured me with his opinion, which 

 perfectly agrees with that of Mr. Ronalds 

 and Mr. Lee. Mr. Knight added, that if this 

 spring and summer should be as favorable as 

 the two last seasons, he should be able to 

 show me this and other old varieties of the 

 apple-tree in as perfect a state as they have 

 ever been known. 



Mr. Knight, the ingenious president of 

 the Horticultural Society, I conclude had 

 watched these trees during the unfavourable 

 wet seasons we have had from the commence- 

 ment of the present century, and finding the 

 disease increase, he attributed it to the old 

 age of the varieties ; for, as the great friend 

 of Pomona, his object evidently was to en- 

 courage the obtaining and cultivation of new 

 kinds, to replace those which he appre- 

 hended would be lost to the country. I have 

 made this digression, to prevent if possible 

 our best apples from being stigmatized as 

 a decaying fruit and unprofitable to the 

 grafter, which would be the cause of their 



