440 Food of Plants, and on training Fruit Trees. 



ing trees is impelled by some power that is quite the reverse. 

 We know, such are the powers and resources of nature, that 

 it is not in the power of mankind wholly to prevent her attain- 

 ing her ends ; were it otherwise, and were the obstructing ofher 

 laws to divert her from her purpose, a gardener who cuts his 

 trees after the common manner could have little right to ex- 

 pect a crop of fruit : but, although a crop of fruit can be some- 

 times obtained by cutting and slashing at random, who but a 

 tasteless and graceless ignoramus would prefer such a mode to 

 observing the laws of nature, and regulating all his movements 

 conformably to the rules of order, and thus to assist his trees in 

 assuming those forms of elegant symmetry which are pointed 

 out by nature ? Although I have exhibited trees trained in 

 conformity to those laws, and of such figures or forms as have 

 excited the admiration of all who saw them, and explained 

 the principles and described the manner of doing so, it appears 

 that very few have followed my example. Why they have 

 not, those who have seen and yet neglected my plans can 

 best tell. 



I have noticed in your Magazine some plans of what is 

 called the reverse training, and particularly of some pear 

 trees in the Chiswick gardens. It is evidently a simple and 

 easy matter to train a tree in this manner for a year or two ; 

 but unless the orderly rules pointed out by the laws of nature, 

 which I have explained, be observed, the trees trained in this 

 manner will not be more prolific, and they will assume a much 

 more disorderly appearance, than if left to the course of nature. 

 By those laws, if a branch that is gi'owing in a vertical position 

 be reversed, the sap will no longer flow into it in the same 

 quantity ; and as reducing the sap to the proportion of the 

 leaves, &c., must be tantamount to increasing the surface of 

 leaves, &c., in proportion to the sap, the branch will fructify. 

 But, as by the same laws the sap will force its way through 

 the uppermost buds at the base, and there form 

 the strongest branches in an erect position, these 

 I'will grow up and intermingle with the others 

 above them ; and therefore, unless the orderly 

 rules pointed out by the laws of nature be ob- 

 served, a greater confusion and disorder will be 

 produced than if the tree had not been trained 

 at all. 



By the following plan, it must be obvious, all 

 tne good eifects of this mode of training may be 

 obtained, and all the evil avoided. Suppose a 

 plant to be obtained with four or five strong 

 shoots of 3 ft. or 4 ft. long, on a stem of 4 ft. or 

 more high {fg'76.), then let a small hoop be bent round 



