BRUSSELS. 309 



to improve, in size and flavour ; particularly if the buds, 

 leaves, bark and wood, possess the characteristics of appro- 

 ved bearing trees. Mr Van Mons added a remark, which 

 we do not recollect to have met with in horticultural writings, 

 — That by sowing the seeds of new varieties of fruits, w T e 

 may expect with much greater probability to obtain other 

 new kinds of good quality, than by employing the seeds 

 even of the best old established sorts. Thus, if he wished 

 to raise still more new pears, he would sow the kernels of 

 the Sinclair, the Marie Louise, or the Diel, in preference 

 to those of the Chaumontelle, the Colmar, or the St Ger- 

 main. He likewise gave it as his opinion, that if the kernels 

 of old varieties were to be sown, it would be better to em- 

 ploy those from other countries, similar in climate ; to sow, 

 for example, the seeds of English and of American apples 

 in Brabant, or those of the north of Germany in Scotland, 

 and vice versa. He mentioned, that he seldom failed in 

 procuring valuable apples from the seed ; for, those which 

 were not adapted to the garden as dessert fruit, were pro- 

 bably suited for the orchard, and fit for baking or cvder- 

 making. With pears the case was different ; many pro- 

 ving so bad, as to be unfit for any purpose. He has chief- 

 ly applied himself to the more difficult department ; for he 

 has many more new pears than apples. We saw several 

 beds of young seedling pear-trees, only in the second year 

 from the pip, but all possessing promising characters. 



Besides numerous seedling trees on their own roots, Mr 

 Van Mons has many new kinds grafted on older stocks. 

 Whenever a seedling indicated, by the blunt shape, thick- 

 ness and woolliness of its leaves, or by the softness of its bark 

 and fulness of its buds, the promise of future good quali- 

 ties as a fruit-bearing tree, a graft was taken from it, and 

 placed on a well-established stock : the value of its fruit 



