ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE SAPOTA AND ZAPOTILLA PLUMS. 107 
nature — while, in the laboratory, the chemist shall pursue, with unremitting assiduity, 
a course of refined and severe experiments, both as respects analytic products and 
their practical results in the cultivation of plants. Causes and effects, and con- 
versely, effects and causes, must be made to bear upon each other ; and this could 
be done in ably conducted horticultural and agricultural elementary schools or 
colleges. Such colleges it is hoped are in progress, but very great watchfulness will 
be required ere they can become nationally useful. Every plant ought to be 
analysed, and its juices and secretions ascertained while in the living state : it is 
not enough to investigate the ashy products of combustion. Each soil should be 
known, and the effects of saline and other products of individual plants, when added 
to the several soils, accurately determined. Could we but know — be certain, what 
any individual plant or plants demand as nutriment, cultivation would be so far 
conducted upon philosophical principles. May the hint be followed up practically, 
till a correct theory be established. 
ON THE CULTIVATION OF THE SAPOTA AND ZAPOTILLA 
PLUMS, AS FRUIT TREES. 
The Sapota, Nispero, or Bully Tree is the Achras Sapota of Linnaeus and other 
authors, and the Anona maxima of Sloane's Jam., vol. ii, p. 172, t. 169, fig. 2. 
In its native woods it grows to a considerable size, having been known to attain the 
height of forty-five feet in the mountainous districts of Jamaica ; but as a general 
rule it rarely exceeds thirty feet, and then only forms a broad spreading shrub. 
Mr. Gibson, who, in 1836, saw it growing in the Calcutta Botanic Garden, says the 
height varies from twelve to twenty feet. It was introduced to this country from 
the West Indies in 1731, but has not yet, that we are aware of, fruited in any of 
our stoves. 
Description. — Plant a tree-like shrub, growing from twelve to fifty feet high ; 
from every part of which exudes a tenacious, viscid, white juice. Wood white ; 
bark brown. Branches numerous, forming a spreading top. Leaves placed in 
clusters at the extremities of the younger branches, three to four inches long, 
coriaceous, shining, elliptical-oblong, acute, glabrous, the midrib prominent behind, 
the lateral nerves numerous, but indistinct : the petioles are more or less downy. 
Peduncles from the axils of the terminal leaves, solitary, single-flowered, about an 
inch long, frequently drooping, rather thick and downy. Calyx divided nearly to 
the base into six rather large, erect, ovate, coriaceous segments, of which the three 
outer are clothed with dense, ferrugineous hairs, the three inner much paler 
coloured. Corolla of one petal, tubular, rather longer than the calyx, white, cut 
one-third of the way down into six oblong, obtuse segments : within (alternating 
