42 Art of blooming Fruits. 



Perhaps we shall be blamed for making known the mode 

 of effecting those deceptions, as we have been for printing that 

 part of " Agronome's " letter (Vol. II. p. 165.), in which he 

 states that a market-gardener killed certain ash trees, by 

 laying a quantity of salt at their roots. But this, though 

 unquestionably a well meant, is yet, as we conceive, a very mis- 

 taken view of the duties of the editor of a work which has for 

 its object the progress of science and of mind. Nothing worth 

 trying for will ultimately be gained by concealing the truth. 

 If a matter of fact is to be kept back, because by an evil dis- 

 posed person it may be applied to bad purposes, to what will 

 such a doctrine lead ? At what point must an editor cease to 

 be honest? Is it not by bringing together all the facts be- 

 longing to any subject, that the mind is enabled to compare 

 and judge of the nature of that subject? But it will be said, 

 apply this doctrine to a particular case, and suppose a gar- 

 dener who wished secretly to destroy his neighbour's trees, 

 but did not know till after he had read " Agronome's " letter 

 that he might do so by salt, does so ; would it not have been 

 better that he had remained ignorant? To which we answer, 

 better for him and better for the proprietor of the killed trees, 

 but not better for the public : for the cause of the death of 

 other trees, by salt in the hands of a malicious person, may 

 be detected ; others may be taught to avoid laying salt near the 

 roots of plants, for instance, near box, in salting gravel walks 

 to destroy moss and weeds; and, when the destruction of trees 

 or other plants is a legitimate object, salt may in some cases 

 be used for that purpose more conveniently than any thing 

 else. The accidental evils that may result from the diffusion 

 of knowledge, are not to be counteracted by stopping short of 

 the whole truth, but by counter-truths; by calling in other 

 kinds of knowledge ; by opening more clearly to view the va- 

 rious and certain consequences which result from all actions, 

 according to their natures. If a man is in such a state of 

 knowledge and freedom of action as to be able to commit the 

 greatest crimes with seeming impunity, the same state of know- 

 ledge will remind him that there is such a thing as reputation, 

 and that the laws of society are regular and certain in their 

 course. The more a man's knowledge is increased, the greater 

 will be his sympathies and enjoyments with every thing around 

 him, and the greater his reluctance to disturb the system of 

 harmony in which he feels himself placed. 



But, to return to the subject of decorating fruits, we shall be 

 happy to hear all that has been done, or can be said on the 

 subject. — Cond. 



