236 
TUE FLORIST. 
Fig. 13 represents a Currant-tree when trained against a wall. 
The number of vertical shoots to each tree must entirely depend on the 
height of the wall. If it be twelve feet high the trees should be 
planted four feet apart, and four .vertical shoots trained to each a foot 
apart; if the walls are not over eight feet train as in fig. 13—then the 
trees are six feet apart—and furnish them with six vertical shoots. 
This fashion of growing Currants will not admit of the leading shoots 
being shortened at the winter pruning, which is the principal cause of 
trained'Currants dying hack before the allotted space is covered. This, 
probably, is owing to the pithy nature of the wood, and when trained in 
an erect position, the wet penetrates into the heart of the shoot, which 
will either destroy a portion of the wood or engender disease ; therefore 
it is better to allow the vertical shoots to grow at will till they reach the 
top of the wall, and stop them during the summer growth. 
Pears will do very well when trained vertically, but require high 
walls for the extension of the shoots upwards. 
{To be continued.) 
Erratum. —At page 182,/or “ covered trellises,” read “ curved trellises.” 
DO FRUIT TREES DEGENERATE? 
In the “ Scottish Gardener ” for June, there is a long article, entitled 
“ Degeneration in the Cultivated Varieties of Fruits and P'lowers.” 
Nearly at the conclus’on of that paper, the writer says, “We have 
already hinted that the history of the varieties of fruit trees has been 
very much neglected in this country; of which a paper by Mr. Saul, 
in the Florist tor May, puts us in possession of a striking instance. 
The original Ribston Pippin tree died not more than twenty years ago, 
and yet the date of its death is not known to Mr. Saul, though he lives 
within three miles of Ribston Hall. One might have hoped that a 
point of so much theoretical interest would have been accurately 
recorded.” The writer of the article in the “ Scottish Gardener ” will 
find the history of the original Ribston Pippin tree in the Florist for 
July; and he will there see this “ point of so much theoretical interest ” 
“accurately recorded.” He will see it stated that, “the old stem of 
the Ribston Pippin was blown down, as shown in the cut (in the Florist) 
during a severe storm in 1815, afler which only one large branch 
remained, which was carefully propped up, and while in this state it 
bore fruit for many years. It lingered until 1835, when it died, and 
was cut down.” 
That is twenty-two years ago. Surely, then, I was not far wrong 
when I said, “ It is something more than twenty years since the original 
Ribston Pippin tree disappeared.” But the writer in the “ Scottish 
Gardener ” will say that the exact date was not recorded, which, as a 
point of so much theoretical interest, ought to have been. The article 
of mine in the Florist for May was written in a few spare minutes 
one evening; I merely wished to make known facts which had 
come under my own personal observation, for the elucidation of truth. 
I have not been always a resident in this place, consequently I could 
