THE LADIES 1 MAGAZINE OP GARDENING. 233 
physiologist as he is a practical gardener. One thing he mentioned 
struck me very much. It was the cause he assigns for the sudden decay 
of apricot trees, a large limb of which will sometimes die off in spring 
without any apparent reason. This apparent phenomenon Mr. Barron 
attributes to the injury the tree receives from frost during winter and 
early spring. The apricot tree blossoms early, and consequently the sap 
is in motion while the weather is very cold : the side of the branch next 
the wall is sheltered; but the other side has its larger vessels frozen and 
lacerated by the cold, to such a degree, that cracks are often seen in the 
bark, and the sap oozes out and congeals in the form of gum. As it is 
well known that nature possesses a wonderful power of adapting herself 
to circumstances, the sap circulates through the smaller vessels, which are 
sometimes dilated to permit its passage; and this circulation continues, so 
long as only a small quantity of sap is produced, without any apparent 
injury to the tree. If, however, the weather should suddenly become 
very hot, and a larger quantity of sap should be secreted, and forced 
through the branch, than the small vessels can dilate sufficiently to 
contain, they are torn asunder, and, the circulation being unable to go on 
any longer, the branch dies, so long after the first injury was received, 
that no one thinks of tracing its death back to the real cause. Mr. Barron 
added, that he had long suspected this to be the case, but that last year 
he proved it, by protecting some of his apricot trees during winter and 
exposing others ; when he invariably found that large limbs of the latter 
died, while the others escaped quite uninjured. 
Derby to Leeds , June 24th.—I cannot say that I am fond of railway 
travelling in general,, but I certainly liked the ride from Derby to Ches¬ 
terfield very much. The country is beautiful, even when seen by the 
transient glimpse afforded by the passage of a railroad train; and I only 
regretted passing so rapidly. After passing Chesterfield, and its curiously- 
twisted spire, the scene changed: the heavens lowered ; and by the time 
we reached Leeds, the storm burst forth. We had no time to lose, as 
we were anxious to reach Manchester that night; and accordingly we 
actually visited the Zoological and Botanical Garden at Leeds in a 
thunder-storm. Nothing could be more unfavourable. Thunder and 
lightning, accompanied by violent rain, may harmonise well with ancient 
ruins and lofty groves, and have a powerful effect on the imagination, 
particularly if mixed with the sullen roar of the sea; but in a pretty, 
newly-made garden, near a manufacturing town like that of Leeds, 
nothing could more completely destroy the effect. In fact, the whole 
garden, with all its beds, flowers, and trees, seemed in imminent danger 
of being swept away by the torrents of rain that were pouring down 
VOL. i.—NO. VIII. 
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