Transactions of the London Horticultural Society. 405 



tree at an early stage of its growth, which checks any tendency to over-kixu- 

 riance afterwards ; and to turn the powers of the tree to the formation of 

 flower-buds, and consequent production of fruit. Wall -trees are exposed to 

 a higher temperature and greater evaporation than standards, and require, 

 therefore, a larger body of soil and a more copious supply of moisture for 

 their roots than standards do, 



" Having thus stated his views concerning the proper formation of borders, 

 Mr. Drummond proceeds to notice some other circumstances to be attended 

 to in their subsequent management : and this portion of his memoir is also 

 illustrated by experiment. 



" When the borders have been properly prepared, success in the cultivation 

 of wall-fruit trees depends more, says our author, on a judicious supply 

 of moisture to their roots, than on any other part of the practice. The 

 necessity of moisture to the due preparation of the food of plants, and to its 

 entrance into the vegetable system, is well known ; but if the soil get beyond 

 a certain state of dryness, these necessary operations cannot proceed, and 

 little or no nutriment can be afforded, at the very time, perhaps, when it is 

 required most to assist in the production of fine fruit. The roots also, un- 

 able to find nutriment in a good soil, may penetrate into a bad one, and from 

 thence derive matter not only not nutritive, but perhaps pernicious to the 

 vegetating process. 



" In supplying water, Mr. Drummond recommends that it be taken from a 

 pond in which it has been freely exposed to the sun. If the pond be not 

 more than ,3 or 4 feet deep, the temperature of its water will not differ much, 

 during the summer months, from that of the soil of a border of similar depth. 

 In such circumstances, watering will rather augment than diminish the tempe- 

 rature of the soil ; and will in no degree check the chemical changes by which 

 the food is prepared in the soil, or impede the functions of the living organs 

 destined to absorb it. Water from springs and wells, by reason of its cold- 

 ness, considerably reduces the temperature of the soil, and ought not to be 

 employed till its temperature has been raised nearly to that of the soil. 



" To ascertain the effects respectively produced by spring and pond water 

 of different temperatures, Mr. Drummond, in the year 1826, made the follow- 

 ing experiments : — he selected four peach trees of the same species (grosse 

 mignonne), which grew against a wall. Two of these trees were supplied 

 during the summer with water taken from the spring, and the other two with 

 water from the pond. In the border where the trees grew, and which was 

 12 ft. wide, two thermometers were plunged into the soil to the depth of 

 18 in., and its temperature carefully noted at the two stations before the 

 water was applied ; and also on the next day, or twenty-four hours after the 

 application of the water. The temperature, too, of each kind of water was 

 duly observed. These observations being previously made, the border was 

 watered three times during the summer ; and each time as much water was 

 given as would have formed about a cubic foot of water over the whole sur- 

 face. The author has exhibited, in a tabular form, the times when the ex- 

 periments were made, the temperature of the soil, the kind of water, and 

 its temperature when used ; the temperature of the border twenty-four 

 hours after, and the amount of heat gained or lost by the kind of water 

 employed. 



" The first experiment was made on the 10th of May. At the depth of 

 18 in. the temperature of the border was 64°, and that of the spring water 

 used 46°. In twenty-four hours after, the temperature of the border was 

 reduced to 52°, or had lost 12°. At the same time the temperature of the 

 soil being 64° as above, and heat of the pond water 67°, the soil at the close 

 of twenty-four hours was 66°, or, instead of losing 12°, had gained 2°. 



June 20th, the second watering was given. The temperature of the border 

 at the depth of 18 in. was now 74°, and that of the spring water 32°. In 

 twenty-four hours the border was reduced to 58°, or had lost 16°. At the 

 station where the pond water was used the temperature of the border at the 



