Transactions of the Horticultural Society. 1 99 



from twenty to twenty-four inches wide at top, and fourteen 

 inches deep. The trees are taken out of them annually in 

 January, all the younger roots are cut off with a sharp knife; 

 the ball is reduced according to circumstances, and the plants 

 are repotted in rich sandy loam. A bed of dung or leaves 

 is made on the floor of a house, which has vines against its 

 back wall; in this the pots are plunged, and a little fire-heat 

 is given, so as to keep the air from 65° to 70°. The usual 

 routine culture is pursued ; the fruit begins to ripen early in 

 April, and a succession is kept up in the same house until 

 October, after which the plants are plunged in the soil of the 

 house and kept dry till January. The sorts used are the 

 Genoa, the large brown Ischia, the small black Ischia, the 

 Murry, and the black Genoa. The trees are of different ages 

 from three to twenty years. 



33. On the Cultivation of an Early and a Late Variety of the Pear 

 on the same Tree. In a Letter to the Secretary. By Mr. Dun- 

 can Montgomery, C.M.H.S. Gardener to the Duke of Mon- 

 trose, F.H.S. at Buchanan, Stirlingshire. Bead January 17. 

 1826. 



By grafting the alternate branches of late pear-trees with 

 early sorts, and early trees with late sorts, there are two 

 chances of success ; the early sort being very early in blossom, 

 if that fails in consequence of unfavourable weather, the late 

 sort, flowering at another time, may succeed. Farther, the 

 early sort ripens off before much effort is required from the 

 tree to support the late sort ; hence, each sort in its season is 

 brought to greater maturity. This is an ingenious and reason- 

 able practice, and so peculiarly adapted to Scotland, where 

 the best sorts of pears are generally grown on walls, that we 

 think with Mr. Montgomery, " it requires only to be named 

 to be generally adopted" in that country, and in many parts 

 of England. 



34. On the Transplantation of Plants xvith Spindle-shaped Roots. 

 By Thomas Andrew Knight, Esq. F.R.S. &c. President. Read 

 February 7. 1826. 



Carrots were sown in a pot, the soil of which was rich at 

 bottom, and the rest sandy loam. The fibrous roots were, 

 in consequence, chiefly made in the rich soil, which, by a 

 contrivance similar in effect to placing the pot in a saucer of 

 water, was kept more moist than the top. The object attained 

 by this arrangement is a clean straight portion of root between 



o 4 



