402 Pomological Gossip. 



Ill all' cases of dwarfing fruit trees, it is of much import- 

 ance to keep the various kinds classified in the mind's eye. 

 Thus, one section depend almost entirely on the old spur 

 for their fructiferous habits ; another, almost entirely on that 

 of the annual wood ; whilst not a few depend on a combi- 

 nation of both characters of wood. These things should 

 not be lost sight of, as, whatever the root-culture may be, 

 the natural habits of the kind in question should be care- 

 fully borne in mind. As a general maxim, it is well not to 

 allow the mind to be too much biassed by any set plan, (or 

 system, to use a dignified title,) but to combine such wher- 

 ever an eligible opportunity presents itself, reserving the 

 chance of returning to either whenever the age, condition 

 or circumstances of the kind render such a course eligible. 

 Thus a pear, in its earlier stages, may be brought to bear on 

 natural spurs alone ; after a few years, however, most of the 

 spurs towards the centre of the tree will become barren, in 

 spite of cleverly devised pruning systems, and then it will 

 be found good policy to change, in part, the tactics, and to 

 commence tying down those young shoots on which nature 

 has set the stamp of early fructification, evinced by a pecu- 

 liarly short jointed character, and by turning brown betimes, 

 together with an early cessation from growth, as compared 

 with what is commonly termed watery wood. These are of 

 course mere technicalities, and it is to be regretted that more 

 popular terms do not exist by which to express them ; the 

 public mind, however, is fast ripening in these respects, and 

 the day is at hand, in the which a due conception of such 

 terms will not be confined to mere gardeners ; our horticul- 

 tural press, taking the form of the times, will shortly render 

 all these things perfectly familiar, even to the inhabitants of 

 our busy commercial towns. — {Paxtori's Mag. of Bot.) 



Art. IY, Pomological Gossip. 



Notes on several varieties of Cherries, Our corres- 

 pondent, Mr. C. Downing, of Newburgh, has fruited quite a 



