Retrospective Criticism. 49 T 



year's delay. In short, so tedious is the process of getting the young 

 quick fairly above ground, that, if any method could be devised which 

 would accelerate the vegetation of the haws, and cause them to come up 

 the first spring after they are ripened, it would, indeed, be a valuable 

 and important discovery.* With this view, 1 made several experiments a 

 ie,vj years ago ; and, though they were all unsuccessful, it may not be 

 entirely useless here to detail the particulars, as such recorded instances 

 of failure may, at least, prevent a repetition of the same fruitless experi- 

 ments; and may, perhaps, lead to the institution of others which may 

 prove more successful. I had heard (like J. D.), and often, that haws 

 which had passed through turkeys or other birds would germinate more 

 quickly, in consequence of having been submitted to the heat and action 

 of the bird's stomach. I was told, too (though this appeared improbable), 

 that it was the pulp or flesh of the haws that retarded their vegetation. 

 Accordingly, late in the autumn of 1830, 1 had aquantity of haws gathered, 

 which I treated in the following ways : — 



Experiment 1. (Nov. 13. 1830.) I almost entirely deprived the haws of 

 their pulp, by squeezing them and rubbing them together by hand, with a 

 little sand. Scalding water was then poured over them, and they were 

 left to soak. The scalding was repeated on Nov. 15., and half of them 

 sown the same day; the remainder set by in ajar. 



Exp. 2. (Nov. 15.) The haws were simply scalded, without having 

 been bruised or deprived of their pulp ; and scalded again the next day. 

 Part were sown on Nov. 17., and the rest set by. 



Exp. 3. (Nov. 16.) The haws were treated in the same way as in 

 Experiment 1., except that they were soaked in warm (not scalding) 

 water. Part sown on Nov. 17., and the rest set by. 



Of each of the reserved portions of the haws thus treated, a small 

 quantity was sown respectively in three large pots, about the 12th of Feb., 

 and the pots plunged in the hot-bed. The remainder sown in separate 

 beds, in the open ground, on Feb. 22. 



None of the haws, however (as already hinted), vegetated till the spring 

 of 1832, when they all produced fair crops. No material difference was 

 observable between such as had been sown in autumn, in spring, or in pots 

 in the hot-bed ; but, in each case, those produced decidedly the thickest 

 crop which had been treated in the manner of Experiment 3., i. e. such 

 as had been deprived of their pulp, and soaked in warm (not scalding) 

 water. And I may add, that, in the spring-sown bed of these last haws, 

 many did not germinate till the present spring (1833), and are only now 

 making their appearance above ground. 



From the above experiments, I am led to conclude (as, indeed, would, 

 a priori, seem probable), that what retards the vegetation of the seed is 

 not the pulp of the haw, but the hardness and durability of the shell. 

 And could any chemical process or mechanical operation be devised by 

 which the shell might be dissolved or broken, without injury to the kernel 

 within, I conceive that, in this case, the haws would germinate the first 

 year. I have to apologise for troubling you with such a dry detail of 

 unsuccessful experiments ; but the subject is worthy of attention : and the 

 present discussion may, perhaps, serve to stimulate further enquiry. I am. 

 Sir, yours, &c. — W. T. Bree. Allesley Rectory, April 22. 1833. 



Mr. Seymour in reply to Mr. Heyiuarcfs Strictures (Vol. VIII. p. 654.) 

 ore Mr. Seymour's Mode of Training. — Sir, I feel sorry to have to encroach 

 again upon the pages of your valuable publication with the present paper, 



* Would not this form a fit subject for a prize to be offered by our 

 horticultural and agricultural societies ? 

 Vol. IX. — No. 45. ic k 



