MemarJcs on Rogers's " Fruit Cultivator." 185 



" The practical example set us by the Maidstone pruners confirms two very 

 essential principles in the art of gardening ; viz.j that by counteracting the 

 natural tendencies of a plant, it may be dwarfed, and, by thus dwarfing, made 

 more fruitful. The filbert tree is so constituted, that it is ever extending 

 itself by throwing up a multiplicity of suckers, which exhaust the bearing 

 branches, and render them sterile; but denying the plant its tendency to in- 

 crease itself by suckers promotes its energy to increase itself by seeds. 



" Filberts intended for long keeping should remain on the tree till they are 

 thoroughly ripe, which is easily known by their rich brown colour. They 

 should be laid on a dry floor for a few days, and afterwards stored in jars of 

 dry sand, where they will keep sound for a great length of time," 



The White Muscadine grape, which the author (p. 221.) 

 considers as the Chasselas musque of the French, appears to be 

 rather their Chasselas de Fontainebleau. The berries of the 

 latter are clear, while those of the former are tinged with yellow. 



Millet's mignonne peach forces well in pots or boxes. Mr. 

 Brown, gardener to the late Lord Cremorne, at Chelsea, kept 

 all his trees in tubs or boxes, like orange trees, for years, and 

 supported them chiefly by the use of liquid manure. This was 

 composed of soft water, horse droppings, and a little soot. 

 The sorts Mr. Brown considered best for growing and forcino- 

 in this manner were, the French mignonne, Violette hatif, Earlv 

 admirable. Millet's mignonne; and, for later fruit, the Belle- 

 garde, (p. 279.) 



Of the Scotch pear, the Winter Achan, Mr. Rogers observes 

 that the fruit does not arrive at so great a perfection in the 

 south of England as it does in Scotland, (p. 321.) However 

 paradoxical this may seem, experienced gardeners know it to be 

 a fact. The skin of this fruit is smooth, of a dull brown colour, 

 covered with grey dots. The pulp is melting, juicy, and of a 

 good flavour. 



Speaking of the walnut, we are told, — 



" The nuts should not be gathered till the outer covering parts readily from 

 the shell, which is before the former becomes mealy. There is a critical time 

 at which the covering leaves the shell without staining it, which they are apt 

 to do if allowed to become soft. When shelled, they should be well dried in 

 the sun for a day or two, and then stored away, either on shelves in an airy 

 room, or packed in jars or boxes, among dry white sand, which improves the 

 colour of the shell, and keeps the kernel more moist." 



" A decoction of walnut leaves is sometimes useful in gardens ; it kills 

 earth-worms: and if gooseberry trees are sprinkled with this liquor soon after 

 the leaves are expanded, it defends them from the caterpillar." 



These remarks, should you think fit to publish them, will 

 show that Mr. Rogers's experience is not unappreciated by one 

 of his brethren, who, like him, has seen a good many summers, 

 and is also, like him, a nurseryman. 



