594 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 199. 



what they may be made to^teach, is it not probable that what 

 we are asked to call the " running out" of varieties is simply a 

 local yielding to unfavorable conditions of soil, temperature, 

 or certain atmospheric conditions ? May it not sometimes be 

 justly attributed to erroneous methods of culture, or even to 

 neglect ? In the case of the apricot, for instance, is it not now 



for many years, I do not want to put myself on record as en- 

 tirely disbelieving the possibility of the deterioration of varie- 

 ties under even favorable conditions. Some varieties must be 

 weaker than others in constitution. We know this to be true 

 of animals and may reasonably infer it to be so of fruit-trees. 

 For instance, the Fameuse, though so long successfully grown 



Fig. 93. — Viburnum iomentosum. — See page 593. 



plain that the reason why our eastern markets rarely exhibit 

 them, after a hundred years of effort to grow them, is that we 

 were trying to grow them on the wrong side of the continent ? 

 It seems to me that everywhere we must expect that under 

 unnatural conditions no fruit-tree will long be able to main- 

 tain itself in perfection of growth and fruitage. 



While these thoughts have been the direct result of practi- 

 cal experience as a grower of tree-fruits, in different localities, 



on the Island of Montreal, is apparently going back on its rec- 

 ord within the past ten years. Perhaps this may be owing to 

 the growth of the city and the effect of atmospheric vitiation 

 in consequence. We cannot be certain on any of these points, 

 but I would remind your readers that these " run-out " sorts 

 may often be capable of renovation through a mere change of 

 conditions. 

 Newport, vt. 7. H. Hoskins. 



