HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 195 
The plant which -was the subject of the experiments of Pietro Arduino, 
at Florence, in 1766, for the manufacture of sugar, belonged probably to 
the same species, but must have been a different variety, as the seeds are 
represented as of a clear brown, while those of the newly imported plant 
are black, and identical with the black sorghum of old collections. 
The sorghum saccharatum shoots up generally from 2 to 3 metres (6 to 
9 feet) in rich soil, with erect stalks, with flexible reclining leaves; its 
habits are very similar to that of maize, but more elegant. It forms gene- 
rally a tuft composed of six or eight stalks, terminated by a conical or 
rather serrate panicle, green at first, then passing by violet shades into the 
deep purple of ripeness. 
DWARFING FRUIT TREES. 
Most of us have heard of the Chinese modes of dwarfing trees ; how they 
have vines bearing fine branches of grapes almost in thimbles, or tales very 
near as marvellous. One thing, however, is certain : fruit trees can be so 
treated, as to induce them to bear an abundance of fine fruit in a very small 
space of ground, though perhaps we cannot quite compete with John China- 
man in the perfection of the art. 
But may we not inquire whether we have not much room for progress ? 
Whether we may not om-selves improve on our own practice, without seek- 
ing to borrow from the Celestials ? I think we can, we want but a few 
practical pomologists to set about the work in right earnest, — men of 
patience and perseverance; men who can plan out and execute original 
experiments of their own, instead of borrowing their ideas and practices 
from other men and other climes. We have many such amongst us, could 
we but induce them to have sufficient confidence in themselves to go alone. 
Will they attempt it ? 
At present we have dwarf cherries, dwarf apples, and divarf pears, 
rendered such by being grafted or worked on weak growing varieties or 
species. The mahaleb forms the stock for the dwarf cherry ; the quince, 
sometimes tTie mountain ash, and occasionally the thorn (Croetagus) for the 
pear ; and the Doucain and Paradise apples for the stronger growers of the 
same species. 
Whether the latter is as perfect as we might desire, I am unable just 
now to say, but one thing is certain, that " dwarf apples" on these stocks, 
though they have long been so cultivated, have never become very popular ; 
and popularity is not after all such a decidedly bad test of merit, as our 
