CUTTING THE LEAVES OF PEACHES AND NECTARINES. 543 
phenomena are comijletely independent of vegetation; (that is, of 
the principle of growth.) "The fruit, as a necessary result of its 
comjjosition, is acted upon by heat, and of atmospheric air, (the 
latter however, considered solely as a mean or medium,) in a way 
which forces it through the several stages of maturation. This 
action is entirely chemical; and that which proves its reality is the 
fact that, the greater number of fruits ripen after they are detached 
from the trees." 
This ripening after separation from the plants is familiarly known 
to most orchardists and fruit growers. I may mention the melon 
as a particular instance : this fruit will become perfectly ripe, if cut 
long before it aifords the slightest odour. Last autumn I had the 
misfortune to destroy two or three fine melon plants, by the intro- 
duction of the rank ammoniacal vapour of fermenting hot dung, 
placed incautiously too near them. Several melons were then in a 
state of growth; that of course was aiTested, because the plants 
perished, and slmvelled to the very roots ; but the melons still went 
on to maturity. With one of them however, in particular, a very 
small fruit, I resolved to try an experiment, in order to ascertain to 
what extent the maturing process might be carried, although the 
mother plant had been dead for weeks. I found that the pulp had 
acquired its proper colour, and possessed its distinctive aroma to a 
certain extent. This was not all ; for as the seeds were sound and 
plump, I thought it possible that they might vegetate ; and therefore 
sowed them all in a shallow box, and jjlaced them on the melonry. 
This was about the middle of September, and in ten days almost all 
the young plants were up. They grew freely till the damps and 
chill of autumn destroyed them. I apprehend, that this spontaneous 
maturing process is effected by that power which M. Dutrochet 
styles Endosmosis ; and that in the instance of fruits, it is excited 
by electric agency, operating, through the stimulus of light, upon 
the membraneous covering or Epidumis in the first instance ; and 
secondarily, between the fluids contained in the cellular pulp, but 
separated by the membraneous tissue of the cells. The effects pro- 
duced, correspond perhaps closely with, and follow in the order of, 
those described by M. Couverchel. 
After what has been said, it may, I think, be inferred that, if the 
ripening of the wood be the chief object of the gardener, he should 
by all means abstain from cutting it, or mutilating a single leaf of 
those branches that he intends to retain as bearers; and therefore, 
if light and air are essentially required to effect the due ripening of 
the shoots, they should be admitted by the timely removal of all 
