116 farmers' and mechanics' journal. 



formed that trees obtained in this way, will bear in three or lour 

 years from the time of planting." 



For tl)e Farmers' and Mechanics' Joiirna). 



METHOD OF PLANTING SCIONS OF APPLE 



AND OTHER FRUIT TREES. 



Take them fresh from the tree, and put a potato on the butt end, 

 and set them in moist ground. The depth should be varied, ac- 

 cording to the size and length of the scion. If it be one foot long, 

 about three inches will do ; if six feet, a foot and a half. Be care- 

 ful, and get as many buds to go beneath the surface of the soil as 

 you conveniently can. I have tried this method and seldom knew 

 it to fail. I will relate one instance, which, I presume, will be 

 sufficient. Some years since, while ploughing in an orchard, a 

 branch was broken (by accident) from a favorite tree. Having 

 heard of this method, I was induced to try it. I accordingly set it 

 out in the manner above described. After the first year it grew as 

 well as any tree in the orchard, and is now a valuable tree. I have 

 since frequently tried the experiment with almost all kinds of fruit 

 trees, and with good success. I have taken a branch that had 

 some small twigs upon it near the bottom, set it in the ground, so 

 as to cover the twigs, and after a short time have found the scion 

 or shoot, supplied with roots from these twigs. The potato seems 

 to not only keep the bottom moist, but probably supplies nutri- 

 ment to it. Yours, &ic. Joseph S. Barber. 



Gardiner, May 19, 1828. 



For the Fanners' and Mechanics' Journal. 



Mr. Editor, — In Willich's Encyclopedia, second American 

 edition, under the article " Bud," it is intimated, that leaf buds 

 may be changed into flower buds, even after their formation. As 

 buds are either leaves or blossoms in miniature or embryo, I do 

 not believe it is in the power of man to convert the one into the 

 other, but that flower buds may be produced by art instead of leaf 

 buds, is capable of demonstration, from the following facts. In the 

 spring of 1826, I cut around a limb of an apple tree in a bearing 

 state, two rings, about one quarter of an inch apart, and from be- 

 tween them took out the bark clean to the wood. It being bearing 

 year, every part of it bore full. In 1827, the limb which I ringed, 

 or girdled, the year before, blossomed and bore so abundantly that 

 it became necessary to support it to prevent its breaking. While 

 on the other parts of the tree, (which were about seven-eighths of 

 the whole,) after repeated and critical examinations not a blossom 

 could be found ; consequently bore no apples. From this and 

 several other nearly similar experiments, I deduce the following 

 conclusions : 1st, That the blossoms of 1 827, were wholly in con- 



