140 On the Importance of System in Pruning. 



Epidendrum, Tankervilla, Amomum, &c. have the substantive 

 Lan prefixed, which may be Englished Lily ; and their favour- 

 ite class, containing Thea, Camellia, Pyrus, have always Tcha 

 as the generic name, which may be Englished Tea, and these 

 are distinguished from each other by specific adjectives, as red, 

 white, high, low, &c. But though the Chinese have, it would 

 appear, no scientific list of their plants, it must be owned that 

 no nation possesses a greater number of vegetable blessings, nor 

 have any people on earth turned such to more account. Their 

 silk, their cotton, their various kinds of fruits, grain, pulse, 

 and roots, but, above all, their invaluable Tea-plant, has added 

 to the wealth, the sanative luxury, and dietetic comfort, of half 

 the world. 



Chelsea, January 8. 1827. 



Art. III. On the Importance of adopting and pursuing a proper 

 Plan for pruning and training Fruit Trees ; ivith a Descrip- 

 tion of an approved Method of training the Peach and Nec- 

 tarine. By Mr. Alfred Kendall, Gardener to the 

 Reverend H. Palmer, at Carlton Curlieu Hall. 



Dear Sir, 

 The task imposed by G. P. upon the professors of garden- 

 ing, in the Gardener's Magazine, (vol. i. p. 4<66.) is one particu- 

 larly adapted for this season of the year ; but, at the same time, 

 it is one of the most difficult that could be imposed : not from 

 the nature of the thing itself, but from the various opinions of 

 authors upon the subject, no two of these agreeing in their direc- 

 tions, yet all in the end aiming at producing the same object, 

 viz. a fine healthy tree. Besides, almost every gardener has a 

 method of pruning, from which it is extremely difficult to win 

 him ; and in the limits of a paper calculated for insertion in a 

 work like the one this is intended for, it is impossible to enter 

 into details to meet every exigence connected with the art of 

 pruning. Now as all writers upon the subject agree, that a 

 tree pruned in a masterly manner must possess the following 

 characters, — uniformity as to figure, equal distribution of bear- 

 ing wood all over its surface, and a fine healthy appearance, 

 — it only remains to point out the best and easiest method for 

 producing such a tree. In pruning, as in architecture, the end 

 proposed must never be lost sight of; and whatever system is 

 commenced (unless it be a bad one), it ought steadily to be 

 adhered to. Is it not equally ridiculous for a gardener to 



