36 PHILOSOPHICAL TKANSACTIONb. [aNNO]724. 



N. B. The foregoing papers having been read before the Society 30 years 

 since, were then deposited by their author in their Archives, and not pub- 

 hshed ; he being sensible that he might have adventured ultra crepidam ; and 

 apprehensive lest by some unguarded expression he might incur the censure of 

 the Sacred Order. Nor had they now been printed, but at the desire of a late 

 Committee of the Society, vvho were pleased to think them not unworthy the 

 press. 



Here the reader is desired to observe, that Mr. William Whiston's Book, 

 intitled, A New Theory of the Earth, was not published till about a year and 

 a half after the date hereof, and was not presented before June 24, 1696, to 

 the Royal Society. 



Some new Experiments concerning tlie different, and sometimes conlrari) Motion of 

 the Sap in Plants. By Tho. Fairchild, Gardener at Hoxton. N°384, p. 127. 



Some years since, Mr. Fairchild showed some experiments before the Royal 

 Society, which were allowed to be new and useful. This encouraged him to 

 try further experiments, in order to show the course of the sap; which he finds 

 by experience, will be so useful, that he can make barren trees fruitful, and 

 decaying trees healthful, and render the system of gardening and planting more 

 useful to the public. 



Mr. F. showed the laureola, grafted on the mezereon, and the evergreen 

 oak of Virginia, on the common English oak ; both which hold their leaves 

 all the winter, and are in good state and flourishing, though grafted on plants 

 that drop their leaves in winter; which plainly proves that the juices rise up- 

 wards, in winter, in those plants that drop their leaves, otherwise the ever- 

 greens that are grafted on them would soon perish. 



Mr. F. believes that by grafting the variety of foreign oaks on the English, 

 we might make the timber more firm and lasting, than it is in its own nature, 

 when raised from foreign acorns : for as the crab stock makes the wood of the 

 apple-tree more firm and lasting than that on the apple-stock, and the peaches 

 and almonds, budded on plums, are more lasting than those on peach-stocks; 

 so by the contrary rule, all firm timber, grafted on spongy stocks, would be 

 made worse than it would be on its own bottom. For example, if that which 

 is called the English elm, should be grafted on that which is called the Dutch, 

 it would partake of abundance of the spongy juices of the stock, by which 

 the timber would become unfit for the purposes it is now used for. 



The first experiment Mr. F. oftered, was on the New England cetlar, or 

 rather juniper, grafted on the Virginia ; and it is remarkable, that the branch, 

 which is grafted, is left several inches below the grafting, which part continues 

 growing as well as the upper part above the grafting. 



