143 
results described in the beginning of this article. The others 
follow as matters of course. The slip of talc should be rubbed 
as little as possible, in cleaning it, as it is exceedingly liable 
to become scratched, to lose its polish, and to be dull or dis- 
coloured; when either of these is the case, it should be 
exchanged for another slip. 
163. Pear Trees against AValls. It is now no uncommon 
practice for the horticulturist to pave the bottom of his fruit 
tree borders, but as the following observations, written, it is 
evident, by a practical man, possess much good reasoning, we 
co|)y them. They are communicated by Mr. Robert Hiver to 
the Gardener’s 3Iagazine, vol. v. ]>. 60. “ There are few sub- 
jects in horticulture which can be more acceptable to your 
readers than a system by which good crops of fruit may be ob- 
tained from pear trees jilanted against the east and west walls 
in gentlemen’s gardens; the bad crops these trees have afforded 
liave been proverbial ever since I can remember ; and the un- 
natural schemes that are now resorted to, such as strangulation, 
ringing, depressing of the branches, and reverse-grafting, show 
that a good system of cultivation is not yet established. This 
failure has generally been imputed by gardeners to the climate ; 
but as the trees are seldom without fruit at the extremity of the 
branches, the supposition may be considered erroneous. 
It is about twenty years ago since I noticed a brown Beurree 
])car tree, trained against the east front of a farmer’s cottage. 
This tree grew upon a limestone rock, where there was very 
little earth, yet it never failed to yiehl, yearly, plenty of large 
and well-flavoured fruit. From what I observed of this tree, it 
ajipeared evident that the rich and deep border, usually jire- 
pared by gardeners, was decidedly wrong, as the plants in this 
case generated too muchsaj), which always induces disease and 
barrenness; and, I believe it will be found in the tree, as in the 
human constitution, that the state of health consists in the me- 
dium between emptiness and repletion. Sir H. Davy has 
shown the utility of stones in agricultural crops; and I have 
found them exceedingly beneficial in the formation of fruit-tree 
borders; they prevent the accumulation of water in very wet 
weather, and also retain sufficient moisture for the purposes of 
the plant in dry seasons. In 1813, I replanted an old pear 
wall, "240 ft. long : the border for these trees was 12ft. wide, and 
172 ADCTAEIDM. 
