HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 339 



From this it must appear obvious to every one that, to keep plants in a 

 healthy state, the conditions of endosmose and exosmose must be carefully 

 maintained. Thus in the case of bulbs maturing and at rest, and of plants 

 cut down in the autumn, such as Pelargoniums and Fuchsias, the actions of 

 the leaves being destroyed, the fluid, rising by the force of endosmose, must 

 gradually subside, and the plants languish into a state of semi-vitality, till 

 such time as genial warmth shall expand the fluid within their latent buds, 

 and cause them to open and put forth new leaves. This is the reason why 

 the application of water to plants thus circumstanced should be carefully 

 avoided, excepting, indeed, a few special subjects, whose succulency is not 

 sufficient to keep them from being shrivelled up. Flor. Cabinet. 



THE TIME WHE^ PEARS SHOULD BE GATHERED. 



BY M. DE JONGHE, OP BRUSSELS. 



Formerly, when the varieties of Pears in cultivation were comparatively 

 few, there was little difficulty in knowing the time when each sort ought to be 

 gathered ; but now, when the number of good varieties is so much increased, 

 the proper time for gathering the respective sorts cannot be known without 

 a certain experience acquired during a period of from three to five years, in 

 order that a mean may be obtained. For the maturity of the fruit on the 

 tree depends — 



1. On the individual constitution of the tree, and its liability to change. 



2. On the soil in which the tree is planted. 



3. On the influence of the stock. 



4. On the temperature of the season, whether more or less favorable, for 

 accelerating the maturity of the fruit. 



In order to know exactly the mean period of maturity on the tree of any 

 particular variety of fruit, it is necessary to observe several trees of such 

 variety, planted in different soils and situations. With regard to the varieties 

 of Pears which ripen at the end of summer, or early in autumn, it is not 

 difficult to fix the date when they should be gathered ; for, in the same 

 situation, this, in different years, does not vary more than ten days. 



The influence of soil, of stocks, and of a temperature more or less warm 

 and dry, is not so great on early fruits as on the late autumn, winter, and 

 spring varieties. With regard to the summer and early autumn kinds, they 

 cannot always be left to ripen completely on the tree, grown as a pyramid 

 or standard ; and it is needless to add that these sorts of fruits do not, in 



