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JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



as confidently as I have as to results ; for what I have noticed 

 in my researches is that budding seems to inoculate the tree, 

 and gives it increased vigour ; it seemed to me such a wretched 

 waste of wall to have a grandly trained tree producing fruit only 

 at the extreme end of the branches, and leaving the middle of 

 the tree to produce year after year a perfect plague of breast- 

 wood. I was recommended or encouraged to cut away the great 

 rows and lay in the young wood, but that I found of no use, so 

 I took to budding the willow shoots all along the line of branches 

 wherever I saw a favourable position, and the result has been 

 marvellous ; the mature growth of the tree at once sets the 

 growth from the buds into fruit-bearing power in the course of 

 two or three years, and the crops of fruit have been simply 

 wonderful ; in the case of one tree, an old one, with a west 

 frontage, I have about nine different kinds of noted varieties, and 

 year after year they have a beautiful display of blossom and a 

 fine array of fruit, and last year the parent tree had not a single 

 pear on it. Whereas on the branches by budding there was 

 some beautiful fruit, and it would have been extremely fine 

 quality if it had not been for our wet and sunless season. From 

 my experience I consider it a positive cruelty and waste of years 

 to cut down an old tree— perhaps it is because I am growing 

 old myself — far better to give it back its youth through generous 

 inoculation, and it will reward you with a thorough good array 

 of fruit, and what is more, you most certainly change the 

 character of the fruit, and doubtless with double and treble 

 crossing the method, though simple, will develop varieties of 

 evei increasing productiveness and newness of shape, colour, and 

 flavour. 



'2. But the class of subjects on which the method is applied 

 are, or rather J should say may be, as varied as the known kind 

 of first-class fruits. I would never put in any but the best 

 kind-, and what I am aiming at is to create in known fruit of 

 >i/« and beauty of form, increased good quality and flavour. Of 

 course this can only be obtained by happy chance in first 

 budding, whereas in other cases the change can only come 

 Very slowly, though vastly quicker than raising young fruit trees 

 from leedL I t hink I shall very soon have as fine fruit to name as 

 ii) naiii. tl fruit in the country. The varieties I now possess I do 

 QOi think can he equalled, and given a good season, this spring 



