266 THE FLORIST AND 



For the Florist and Horticultural Journal. 



Sir : I feel indebted to you for favoring us with your opinions of the 

 blossoms of Mr. Harper's, apparently barren apricot trees ; you may be 

 right and I wrong about their anatomy, yet the few which I hurriedly dis- 

 sected, were as I stated. When I called to see the trees, I was then on 

 my way to the railroad car to go to the country, and Mr. Harper can tell 

 you that I was only ten minutes on his place : during that time, I climbed 

 both trees, cut the few shoots, labelled, tied them up, and wrote the note 

 you got with them. I sent them to you as I had promised, because I con- 

 sidered your judgment superior to my own ; after this, I expected that you 

 would comply with my request, and give us your opinion through the 

 Florist. I waited several months in vain, and then wrote to the Farm 

 Journal, thinking to excite some other Botanist's curiosity, to examine the 

 trees next spring, when in bloom. 



You say that the blossoms of the barren tree, are perfect with the ex- 

 ception of pollen ; it then appears strange to me, why it never got impreg- 

 nated with the pollen of the fruitful tree, since it was in blossom at the 

 time, and stands so close to it that some of their branches mingle. You 

 attribute the want of fruit to an over-luxuriance in the tree. I should think 

 that such luxuriance would also prevent its blooming, but the fruitful tree 

 appears to me to be the most stately and thrifty, although the other's leaves 

 are much larger. You doubt not that the barren tree will bear fruit, if it 

 were root pruned. I am for leaving the tree to nature, and if it will bear 

 fruit, it falsifies the doctrine that, " all varieties of plants become as their 

 original when left to themselves ; yet I ami for some scions or buds inserted 

 on other stocks, say Plum stocks, and that would show what cross culture 

 can do. You know that the late distinguished Van Mons, has told us that 

 he obtained fruit of his seedling pears, two or three and sometimes four 

 years sooner, by grafting them on other stocks, than he could from the 

 seedling trees themselves. 



Philadelphia, Sep. 22, 1854. Sambucus. 



It is always better to hear both sides of a story ; the Editor has nothing 

 further to say than what was said in the last number, in reply to Mr. Sam- 

 bucus' observations in the Farm Journal ; except to remark that, in order 

 to avoid the renewing of a disagreeable subject, no public notice was taken 

 of the specimens sent. 



