326 Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society, 



68. On Canker in Fruit Trees, depending upon bad Subsoil. By 

 Mr. Peter Campbell, Gardener at Coulston, East Lothian. 



Mr. Campbell agrees with various other gardeners in 

 " thinking that canker is owing to a stintiness that takes 

 place in the trees from a bad subsoil." He found the trees 

 under his care rooting down into a sand mixed with some 

 clay of a reddish colour, and interspersed with veins of sand 

 as black as ink. He found the roots that went into this 

 black sand quite swelled and overgrown ; and, on examining 

 the inner part of the wood of the root, he found it of an iron 

 colour, and very hard. He then set about removing the sur- 

 face soil to the depth of 1 8 in., and for the space 3 ft. all 

 round the tree; he then cut the tap roots that went right 

 down. 



" I then made two cuts opposite each other, as low as the under part of 

 the trunk, so as to place a beam of wood across below the trunk, and to 

 prevent it from sitting down or sinking, owing to its being so much hol- 

 lowed out below. I then cut off all the roots I thought diseased, and 

 cleared the mould out another foot's distance, which was i ft. out from the 

 trunk all round. Having no flags, I floored the pit I made below the roots 

 with bricks and large slates laid close together, so as to prevent the roots 

 from entering into the black sand again ; and formed the flooring of a con- 

 cave form rather than even or level, so as to make the roots or young 

 fibres incline upwards, which is a great means to prevent the roots from 

 entering so soon into the subsoil. I mixed good mould with very rotten 

 cowdung, and filled up the pit with it; at the same time beating in every 

 course below the trunk of the tree with the end of a beater made for the 

 purpose, so as to prevent the tree from sliding down too hard on the beam 

 of wood 



" The second operation is the pruning of the tops of the trees. I com- 

 menced on one side of the trees, and pruned regularly round, cutting off all 

 the cankers, not leaving one branch or bit of wood that had a canker in it 

 on any of the trees. In some of the trees I pruned two thirds of the wood ; 

 others I pruned, leaving only one fifth part of the wood ; which operation 

 was executed according to the state the tree was in. 



" By this treatment, the trees are become quite healthy, and free from any 

 moss or lichen ; and not the least appearance of a canker, where formerly 

 every year's growth cankered the second year, and had done so, as far as I 

 could observe by numbering the growths or shoots, for ten years back. I 

 have done espalier, wall, and standard apple trees in the mode before stated ; 

 and it is to be observed that all the trees, except one, are above forty 

 years old." 



69. On the Germination of Seeds, and subsequent Vegetation, By 



John Murray, Esq. F.L.S. &c. Read June 7. 1827. 



There is no philosopher of the present day more active in 

 his researches than Mr. Murray, and many of these have ended 

 in important practical results. Mr. Murray has the great ad- 

 vantage of being, or having been, a practical man. 



" Mustard and cress were sown on black woollen cloth kept constantly 

 wet. The germination was tardy, the growth exceedingly dwarfish, and 



