Notes on the One- Shift System, and on Charcoal. 605 



vJ'^ '^, by hurrying the lights off the top of the house ? Is it not 

 most unreasonable to expect such a thing ? Why take the 

 lights off at all ? Is not man wise enough to give the trees 

 what assistance they require without ? 



I find, by taking pains and persevering to ripen the wood, I 

 am saved a wonderful deal of vexation and disappointment 

 afterwards, both with disease and vermin ; and I am perfectly 

 satisfied, were this more attended to, and the trees protected in 

 severe weather, we should not hear much of canker, of the trees 

 blooming so weakly, of the fruit not setting well, or of its 

 falling off after having set. And, again, at the stoning season 

 we should not hear of their falling off in such abundance. 

 Besides, how can a tree make perfect wood for the next year, 

 if the previous year's wood was not ripened and perfect ? I say 

 the remedy lies with ourselves. 



I have seen many gardeners take the lights off both peach- 

 houses and vineries, and I have heard them say it was to ripen the 

 wood. I say, ripen the wood first, and then, if you think proper 

 to expose them for a time, do so; but do not let them stay to be 

 punished and crippled with severe frost, and then, say it is the 

 fault of the border, or the subsoil, or Avant of sufficient drainage ; 

 for I think people will get wise enough, after a time, to know 

 better. I hope to see the time when we shall not see so much 

 badly coloured fruit, so much canker and shriveling. 



I am perfectly aware that there has been a great contention 

 amongst gardeners respecting the cankering of fruit trees ; 

 therefore I hope my humble, but practical, opinion will not be 

 the means of causing any misunderstanding. 



It is my intention, for the future, always to protect wall 

 trees, under ray charge, against severe frost. 



I will endeavour, when treating on the forcing of peaches, to 

 give a recipe for washing them. 



Bicton Gardens, Jan. 9. 1843, 



Letter XXIII. Notes on the One-Shift Si/stem of Potting, and'on Charcoal. 



Many of our most extensive practical men of this country have visited 

 Bicton this season ; and, with much pleasure, I find through them that my 

 method of plant-potting is most extensively and satisfactorily practised. I 

 have read, too, with some interest, this summer, a said to be new method of 

 potting plants : I imagine it is founded on the rough soil and stone system 

 of potting. It was no sooner made known than plants were exhibited, and 

 said to be grown on this so-called one-shift system; although, to an)' experi- 

 enced man, the plants were well known to have been growing for years previ- 

 ously on the old system. For my own part, I think but little merit is due to 

 this system at present ; for I hear, on good authority, from different (juarters, 

 that many valuable plants have been lost through going to the extreme with 

 the one-shift. Notwithstanding it is said to be a more natural treatment for 

 plants, I am at present of a difFereut opinion, more particularly with iiard- 

 3d Ser.— 181:5. XI. r r 



