Transactions of the London Horticultural Society. 399 



to the ascent of this causes luxuriant shoots to spring from the lower parts 

 of the tree ; and these are in succession made to occupy the places of the de- 

 bilitated older branches by the process which the gardener calls ' cutting in.' 



" The branches of the apricot, and particularly of the Moorpark varieties, 

 often die suddenly, owing to the same cause, with much more inconvenience 

 and loss very frequently to the gardener; for trees of this species do not usually 

 afford him the means of filling up vacancies upon his wall, as those of the 

 peach and plum do. 



" The pear tree better retains its health and vigour, when trained to a wall, 

 than those of either of the preceding species, or than the cherry tree ; but the 

 proper course of its sap is nevertheless greatly deranged ; and it is difficult, and 

 in some varieties almost impossible, to cause it to flow properly to the extre- 

 mities, or nearly to the extremities, of its branches. Much the larger part of it 

 is generally expended in the production of what are called ' foreright' useless 

 shoots ; and the quantity of fruit which is afforded by the central parts of 

 an old pear tree, when trained to a wall, is usually very small. 



" The vine alone, amongst fruit trees, appears capable of being bound and 

 trained to a great distance upon a wall without sustaining any injury, its sap 

 continuing to flow freely and abundantly to its very distant branches. Owing 

 to a peculiarity of structure and habit, which is confined to those species of 

 trees, from which nature has withheld the power of supporting their own 

 branches, the alburnum of all plants of this habit is (as far as I have had 

 opportunities of observing) excessively light or porous ; and not being intended 

 by nature to support its own weight, or that of any part of the foliage of the 

 tree, does not acquire with age any increased solidity, like that of trees of a 

 different habit, and on this account probably it never, how long soever deprived 

 of exercise, loses in any degree its power of transmitting the ascending 

 sap. The alburnum of those trees which nature has caused to support 

 themselves without external aid becomes annually more firm and solid, and 

 consequently less well adapted to afford a passage to the ascending sap, and 

 as heart-wood it is totally impervious to that fluid. Whenever the branches 

 of such trees are wholly deprived of exercise, too rapid an increase of the 

 solidity of the alburnum probably takes place ; and it in consequence ceases 

 to be capable of properly executing its office, I have, of course, never had 

 an opportunity of examining the character of the alburnum of the Glycine 

 sinensis, of which the garden of this Society contains so splendid a tree ; but I 

 do not entertain a shadow of doubt of its being extremely light and porous, 

 like that of other trailing and creeping plants, which depend for support upon 

 other bodies." 



6. On Forcing Peaches and Nectarines. By Mr. John Mearns, F.H.S., of 

 Welbeck Gardens. Read March 3. 1835. 



Mr. Mearns, having reason to believe that his method of cultivating peaches 

 and nectarines, and especially of forcing them, differs from the general prac- 

 tice, has given an account of it, which we give in his own words, 



" I do not approve of the Dutch method of resting the trees every alter- 

 nate year ; the practice is a bad one, as the tree once forced, when due 

 attention has been paid to the roots, is in the best state for early excitement 

 again ; a tree taken direct from a wall not so, as it is excited two or three 

 months before its natural season. If a judicious attention be paid to the 

 roots, the same tree is far more successfully forced for a great many years. 

 A late gardener to Lord Stafford, on seeing my practice, informed me some 

 years ago of an amateur clergyman near Norwich, who had successfully forced 

 the same trees for more than thirty years. His practice was to take them 

 up every season as soon as they had done growing, and to plant them against a 

 northern aspect till the end of November ; and in the mean time to clear all 

 the soil from his border, and fill it again with well prepared compost. His 

 usual time to commence forcing was the beginning of January, 



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