By Dr. Noehden. 



2<>? 



gentleman states as resulting from his operation of ringing, 

 namely, that you may force young trees to show fruit, be- 

 fore they otherwise would do. This really is exercising 

 great power over nature, if experience should bear out that 

 position. One might doubt it, as it is an opinion commonly 

 received, " that in young trees, which have sprung from 

 seed, a certain period must elapse, before they become 

 capable of bearing." Thus our President thought, ac- 

 cording to what he has expressed in the Transactions of the 

 Society, Vol. I. page 39, where he adds, that he believes 

 that period cannot be shortened by any means. Pruning and 

 transplanting, he says, are both injurious ; whether he will 

 be induced to attribute a more favourable influence to the 

 operation of ringing, must depend upon the degree of con- 

 firmation, which Mr. Hempel's assertion may receive from 

 farther experiments. 



I remain, Dear Sir, 



your obedient Servant, 



George Henry Noehden. 



Albany, Piccadilly. 

 December 16th, 1816. 



P. S. Since I wrote the foregoing Letter, I have, through 

 the kindness of our worthy Secretary, Mr. Sabine, received 

 some additional information, which I will beg leave to subjoin. 

 Mr. Sabine observes, that the mode of stripping a portion 

 of bark, in the shape of rings, from the branches of trees, for 

 the purpose of curing their barrenness, has been known and 

 practised, for some time, in England, and commonly been 

 denominated, by gardeners, circumcision. But he intimates, 



