113 



limited to two or three years, we have no doubt that 

 many more persons would be tempted to raise seed- 

 lings, and the sure consequence would be a vast acces- 

 sion of new and useful fruits ; for who shall place a 

 limit either as to size or quality ? We do think 

 that the thing may be accomplished in much less 

 time by a due consideration of the conditions neces- 

 sary in order to produce fructification. A sudden check 

 after excessive luxuriance is a well-known promoter of 

 fructiferous habits. We would, therefore, grow the 

 young seedlings for two years in the richest loam ima- 

 ginable, specially prepared. We would, in the third 

 year, transplant them into a poorer soil, giving them 

 plenty of room, and, of course, a perfect exposure to 

 light ; and we would, at the same time, graft some 

 scions from them on the healthiest old trees in the 

 garden ; selecting those known to be great bearers, 

 and placing the scions at the extremity of the principal 

 shoots. 



Mr. Knight states that the width and thickness of 

 the leaf generally indicates the size of the future 

 apple, but will by no means convey any correct idea 

 of the merits of the future fruit. When these have 

 the character of high cultivation, the qualities of the 

 fruit will be far removed from those of the native 

 species ; but the apple may be insipid or highly fla- 

 voured, green or deeply coloured, and of course well 

 or ill-calculated to answer the purposes of the planter. 



I 



