Defence of the Cropping of Borders. 141 



it is short, say an inch long; because the nourishment is only taken in by the 

 spongiole, or point of the fibre. The whole art of rapid cultivation, both in 

 ligneous and herbaceous vegetables, proceeds on this principle. The Lan- 

 cashire gooseberry grower has recourse to it, when he shortens the roots of 

 his plants at a certain distance from the stem, every two or three years ; thus 

 causing them to emit fibres, for which he prepares a circular trench of rich 

 soil round each tree. (See III. 421.) Mr. Mearns's mode of treating the 

 peach, and other fruit trees, described in the succeeding paper, and the mode 

 of cultivating cabbages, and other plants of that kind, by pricking out from the 

 seed-bed, and transplanting and re-transplanting into rich soil, instead of 

 sowing where the plants are finally to remain, all proceed on the principle of 

 multiplying the mouths, and increasing the supply of rich food, within a limited 

 space. The result of this is, both in ligneous and herbaceous plants, that 

 maturity is obtained with less magnitude than in a natural state, and in a 

 much shorter time. The essential principle is the abundant supply of rich 

 nutriment ; and the same principle produces exactly the same results in the 

 animal kingdom. Hence the small-sized early-fatting varieties of cattle, sheep, 

 swine, &c. 



Where a plant or animal is grown or reared chiefly to be consumed as 

 food, the application of this principle seems desirable and advantageous ; but 

 where the natural character and beauty of the plant or animal are desiderata, 

 a more natural mode of treatment, or one more resembling that which is 

 generally followed, is requisite for attaining the end in view. 



All intricate operations of culture, such as those of the coiling system, the 

 chambering of the roots of trees, taking up and replanting, particular modes of 

 training, ringing, &c, it should never be forgotten either by gardeners or 

 their employers, are only calculated for places where abundance of men are 

 kept, and where also there is considerable skill in at least one or two of these 

 men. When these and similar operations are attempted in places where there 

 are scarcely hands enough to keep a garden in order by the common practices, 

 failure is certain to attend either the new practice or the old ones, and pro- 

 bably both. — Cond, 



Art. XII. A Defence of the Practice of Cropping the Borders in 

 ■which Wall-Fruit Trees grow ; and various Considerations in re- 

 lation to the Culture of Wall-Fruit Trees. By Mr. John Mearns, 

 F.H.S. 



Sir, 

 The practice of preserving the borders in front of wall trees 

 from crops is, I have observed, repeatedly recommended and 

 applauded in your Magazine: I beg to state, however, that, 

 from long and attentive observation, I consider my wall trees 

 to have been benefited rather than injured by a judicious 

 cropping, if a proper supply of water, in the swelling season, 

 where the ground is dry, be administered. But, even if the 

 trees were not benefited by it, I would advocate the cropping of 

 the borders ; because I consider south borders, protected by 

 14-ft. or 16-ft. walls, of much greater importance in producing 

 the supply of vegetables necessary for a family, than any other 

 part of a kitchen-garden. Borders thus protected bring forward 

 so many autumnal, winter, and spring crops, that, if some little 

 sacrifice of the fruit crop should arise from growing vegetables 



