700 . Oh keeping Fruits, 



uppermost part began to push from the side where the former 

 bud was ; and about the middle of June the lower part also. 



" This operation, to be denominated mortise-grafting, has 

 been witnessed by the secretaries of our Society at different 

 periods of the season ; and the same method was pointed out 

 to Messrs. Stevenson and Fraser, the former of whom, to my 

 knowledge, has adopted the plan with equal success this season. 



" To the size of your stock may be proportioned the num- 

 ber of your scions, say from half an inch to as much more as 

 you please between. When capillary attraction is had re- 

 course to, it will be most advisable to use the pitch compo- 

 sition, as the constant current of water loosens the clay. 



I am, &c. 



(Signed) Alex. Diack. 

 Mile End, Aug. 28. 1827. 

 Read:' 



Art. XXIII. On keeping Fruits, more particularly Apples. 

 By John Ferme, Esq. 



Sir, 

 There is no subject upon which there seems to be more 

 diversity of opinion among horticulturists, than what is the 

 proper mode of preserving apples and pears through the win- 

 ter months ; and considering the importance of ascertaining, 

 upon scientific principles, the means to be adopted for attain- 

 ing this desirable object, it is to be wondered that the matter 

 has not been taken up by some one qualified to explain the 

 causes of the good or bad success attendant on the experi- 

 ments which are yearly made. In the Transactions of the 

 London and Caledonian Horticultural Societies, as well as hi 

 other publications, numerous papers occur, stating the suc- 

 cessful result of experiments conducted by respectable indi- 

 viduals ; but, when these are compared together, the means 

 adopted to obtain the desired end are generally found to be 

 so various and dissimilar, that, in the absence of some theo- 

 retical reasoning to enable the reader to form his own judg- 

 ment, no proper conclusion can be arrived at, and every one 

 follows his own method. In premising these observations, it 

 is not my intention to offer any theory on the subject, which 

 both my ignorance of chemistry and want of opportunity for 

 experiments preclude me from attempting; but I wish to call 

 the attention of your numerous contributors to the question, 

 aud I hope to see it handled in some of your future Numbers. 

 In my small experience, however, one thing has occurred to me, 



