J^ Ihe Western Pomologist and Gardener. 1872 



development of the luscious fruit. But what is light ? Is it simply an excessively rare, 

 subtle and elastic ether, or something that illuminates this ether, which fills all space and 

 pervades all material bodies, occupying the intervals between their molicules ? 



The theory is, that the molecules of the ether are susceptible of being set in motion by 

 the agitation of the particles of ponderable matter ; and that when any one is thus set in 

 motion it communicates a similar motion to those adjacent to it, and thus the motion is 

 propagated farther and farther in all directions by meclianical laws as other elastic media, 

 as air and water, thus propagating its vibrations in certain degrees corresijonding to the 

 degree of elasticity. Motion is all that is wanted to develop cell after cell, which works 

 on the crude juices like leaven, expanding, refining and eliminating to the perfection of the 

 fruit ; this stimulus resides in the light and properties of the plant, and is one of the 

 Creator's chief agencies, that is, those powers which are tlie manipulators of all condition 

 of substances, or, in other words, permeating the formating of the Creator ; they take their 

 places, in a regular order of gradation in the scale of progressing attainments, and display 

 simply higher powers of digestive elimination. 



I shall not discuss Newton nor Dr. Youug's theories about light, it is enough to know 

 that with light is associate color, while a beam of light may not only impart its stimulus to 

 the perfection and ripening of the fruit, it also imparts color, variously modified as the 

 rays are diflferently afiected'in passing through refracting and absorbing media, a property 

 inherent in the light itself. It is true we find in the operation of nature certain elements 

 which science calls oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon, etc. These absorbed, digested and 

 elaborated in the vegetable tissue yield substances we call gum, sugar, farina or starch* 

 gluten, albumen, fibrine, extract, coloring matter, tannin, bitter and alkaline principles, 

 acids, oils, wax, resins, camphor, spices, perfumes, caoutchouc, cork, woody fibre, charcoal, 

 together with the sap and proper juices, ashes, alkalies, earth, etc., often mingled and com- 

 bined. How all these wonders are brought about, we can never know, so as to enable us 

 to produce them ; some, indeed, chemistry can imitate and re-combine, and separate 

 the compounds, but the vital principles once destroyed efTectually, cannot be restored to 

 re-animate dead matter by man's wisdom. AVe must remember we are finite and never can 

 comprehend infinity. 



Who can understand the wonderful works of God to perfection ? We may exclaim 

 with the Psalmist, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me ! it is high, I cannot attain 

 unto it." 



Xbe Cherry Crop Next Year— AVIII the " Doctor " Rise to Explain ? 



By H. a. Terry, Crescent City. 



Ed. Pomologist and Gardener : — Meeting my friend Raymond the other day, he very 

 emphatically and positively informed me that the fruit buds on the cherry trees were all 

 killed or nearly so. On going home I made very thorough examination of our trees and 

 find the average about as follows :— Early Richmond, three buds in five killed ; Belle Mag- 

 nifique, one bud in five killed ; English Morrello, two buds in five killed ; Purple Morello, 

 three buds in five killed ; Late Richmond or Kentish so far as examined, all sound. So it 

 seems from this that we are to have only a half crop of cherries next year, but I will be 

 •well satisfied if two-fifths of the buds on my E. Richmond trees shall have a full crop, all 

 that the trees will be able to sustain. My other varieties are are not so full of buds. 



I had always supposed that English Morello was the hardiest in fruit bud of any cherry 

 in cultivation, but it seems that Belle Magnifique, a variety that is frequently much injured 

 in the wood by our hard winters, is almost free from injury in fruit bud in this case. The 

 Late Richmond in this case is all right, and from my experience now and heretofore, I feel 

 disposed to recommend it for general planting. The Purple Morello, which is only a step 

 in advance of our common Morello, is in the present instance as badly injured as any. I 

 should like to have some of the " Doctors " in horticulture rise and explain this killing 

 business, as we have had no unusual weather of either heat or cold. It is true the month 

 of December has been unusually cold, but it has been steady cold, without any 



