[ * 3 ° ] 
terror branches of the apple-tree were, in the begin- 
ning of May, of the fize of nutmegs ; whilft the 
bloftbms but juft began to ffiew themfelves on the 
branches without. I fhewed Mr. Du-Tillet, of 
the Academy of Sciences at Paris, on his paftagc 
through this town, the effefts of my experi- 
ments, and likewife communicated to him ano- 
ther obfervation, which chance occafioned, and 
ought not to be omitted. 
I obferved that three of the flower buds of the 
apple-tree had been gnawed off by a fnail in fuch 
a manner, that all the petals and ftamens had dif- 
appeared, being eat up clofe to the calyx. This 
not having been entered by the fnail, the balls of 
the piftillum and the embryo were preferved. 
I took it for granted that thefe flowers would 
bear nothing ; but I was foon convinced of my 
miftake. Almoft all of them bore fruit ; the ap- 
ples were perfe&ly formed, and fix or feven pretty 
large ones too were feen upon each bunch. On 
the other hand, the fnail had fpared fome other 
bunches, (doubtlefs becaufe more difficult to be 
got at ;) but out of ten or twelve flowers, in each 
bunch, not above one or two ffiewed any figns of 
fruit. This fuggefted to me the idea, that, when 
the flowers of trees are full blown, the pre- 
vention of the natural fall of the petals and fta- 
mens gives a greater afliirance of the fruflifica- 
tion ; and on feveral times repeating the follow- 
ing experiment, I convinced myfelf that it did ft>. 
In imitation of the fnail, I cut with my fciflars the 
petals, of apple, pear, plumb, and cherry bloftbms, 
clofe to the calyx, Almoft every one of thofe, 
which 
