Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. 439 



16. On a Method of forcing Cherries. By Mr. Benjamin Law. 



Read June 1. 1829. 



" I put the cherry trees into my houses, giving them but very little 

 water at the close of the year, by which I find them better prepared for 

 blooming strongly in the spring. Their pots have a capacity of from two 

 quarts to two gallons, according to the size of the plants ; but the soil in 

 which they are planted is by no means rich ; for I have observed that 

 highly manured soil is apt to make the shoots too luxuriant, and to cause 

 them to gum. When I begin to force, I continue to water but sparingly, 

 and take care to admit, both by night as well as by day, as much air as 

 the weather will permit : this is particularly necessary ; for there is nothing 

 which is so much calculated to render the cherry impatient of forcing, as 

 alternate ventilation in the day and confinement at night. I open my 

 back lights, in almost any weather, close to the trees. In frosty weather, 

 I increase my fire as much as may be necessary to enable me to continue 

 to give air without actually allowing the temperature to fall to 32°. In 

 this manner I proceed very slowly, until the blossoms are all set; at 

 which time, if the forcing has been well conducted, the foliage should be a 

 deep green, firm, and perfectly well formed. I subsequently raise the tem- 

 perature, at first, to 65°, and afterwards gradually to 70° ; increasing the 

 moisture of the atmosphere at the same time, and always taking care to 

 keep the ventilation as abundant as I possibly can. By this means I find 

 the crop of cherries certain and abundant, without the use of tan, leaves, 

 or any bottom heat." 



17. A Report upon some new Seedling Pears raised by Thomas 

 A. Knight, Esq. F.R.S., President. Read March 15. 1831. 



The names of these pears will be found in the Society's 

 Catalogue of Fruits. Some of them are good, others indif- 

 ferent. 



(To be continued.) 



Art. II. Memoirs of the Caledonian Horticultural Society. Vol. V. 

 Part I. 8vo. Edinburgh, Maclachlan and Stewart. 



1. Account of the Mode of transplanting Evergreens, and also large 

 Deciduous Trees, practised at Pinkie for upwards of Thirty Years. 

 By Mr. James Stuart, Gardener to Sir John Hope, Bart. Read 

 March 3. 1831. 



Evergreens. — The pits are to be prepared from 5 ft. to 

 8 ft. in diameter, and from 2 ft. to 3 ft. in depth ; rather wider 

 at the bottom than at the top ; and the earth, taken out and 

 placed in two heaps : the one, surface, or good soil, fit to put 

 about the fibrous roots ; and the other, subsoil, to be partly 

 used, and partly carried away. Before removing the plants, 

 tie up their lower branches, and draw a circle on the earth, 

 round each plant, in proportion to its size. Plants of 6 ft. or 

 7 ft. in height " will require a circle 3 ft. in diameter ; and 

 taller plants a proportionally larger one. Next, carefully 

 dig a trench about 2| ft. on the outside of the circle, and to 



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