By Mr, Gregor Drummond. 



51 



two French Bergamottes, two Grey Auchans, and one Muirfowl- 

 egg Pear were planted; they were what are generally called 

 " Dwarf Maiden Plants." All these trees shewed fruit in the third 

 year, and bore a beautiful crop in the fourth year after they were 

 planted, and the crops produced every year since have been as- 

 tonishing. The surface of this border every winter, gets a dressing 

 of cow-dung which is dug in about eight inches below the surface. 



In 1822, another border was similarly prepared by mixing up the 

 rubbish of an old wall with the soil of an old border, to which no 

 dung was added, lest it might make the soil too rich ; but this Mr. 

 Drummond has since regretted, as he finds that where stones and 

 rubbish are mixed with the soil, there is no danger in making a free 

 use of rich manure, In the spring of 1823, French Pear trees were 

 planted in this border, and they afterwards came as early into a 

 bearing state, and continued to be as productive as the trees at the 

 cottage-garden. 



By thus mixing stones and rubbish with the soil of the border, 

 and forming the border above the subsoil, we are able to bring 

 French Pear trees into a bearing state at a much earlier period of 

 their growth, and to render some varieties of these trees, hitherto 

 considered as shy-bearers, not less productive than those of the 

 more common kinds. 



Mr. Drummond next points to the analogy between his method 

 of forming borders for Pear trees, and that employed, when plants 

 are cultivated in pots or boxes. In the latter, pieces of pot-sherds, 

 shivers or other substances are laid at the bottom of the pot to 

 drain off superfluous moisture, or are sometimes mingled with the 

 soil of the pot or box, when they are of large size, else the fibrous 

 roots of the plant would probably perish during the winter, when 

 vegetation is suspended. Now the roots of wall-trees, in an arti- 

 ficially prepared border, are in a very similar state, if the soil be 

 deep and no stones or rubbish mingled with it ; for a great body of 



