MANAGEMENT OF FRUIT TREES, &c. 2K 



feafon, unlefs the weather fhould prove very bad, as it fome- 

 times happens, whereby whole quarters of fruit-trees mifcarry ; 

 and it is by this method that many kinds of exotic trees are 

 not only propagated, but -alfo rendered hardy enough to 

 endure the cold of our climate in the open air ; for, being 

 grafted upon frocks of the fame fort which are hardy, the 

 grafts are rendered more capable of enduring the cold, as 

 hath been experienced by mod of our valuable fruits now in 

 England, which were formerly tranfpl anted hither from 

 more foutherly climates, and were at firft too impatient of 

 our cold to fucceed well abroad ; but have been, by budding 

 or grafting upon more hardy trees, rendered capable of re- 

 filling our fevereft cold. 



Thefe different graftings feem to have been greatly in ufe 

 among the Antients, though they were certainly miflaken in 

 the fever al forts of fruits which they mention as having 

 fucceeded upon each other ; as the Fig upon the Mulberry, 

 the Pium upon the Chefnut, with many others of the like 

 kind; mofl of which have been tried by Mr. Miller, and 

 found not to fucceed ; therefore what has been advanced on 

 this head by the Antients is not founded on experience ; or, 

 at leaft, they did not mean the fame plants which at prefent 

 are called by thofe names ; though I cannot help thinking 

 that we are apt to pay too much deference to the writings of 

 the Antients, in fuppofing them feldom to be miflaken, or to 

 aflert a falfehood ; whereas, if their works are carefully 

 examined, it will be found, that they have often copied from 

 each other's writings without making experiments to prove 

 the truth of their affertions ; and it is well known, that the 

 ranging of plants before Caefalpinus's time (which is about 

 200 years fince) was, by their outward appearance, or from 



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