26 OBSERVATIONS ON THE PROPOSED GARDENERS’ SOCIETY. 
so suddenly exposed,, will receive a very great check, which will cause 
their skins to become tough, and render them pulpless. 
These remarks apply principally to stone fruit and grapes : pears and 
apples being much harder, do not suffer so much. 
Your’s very respectfully. Wm. Mathers. 
Wanlep, 1835. 
[We insert this paper with pleasure, because it contains some very 
excellent remarks on the summer management of trained trees; and 
also because it alludes to two or three points about which there are 
some doubts, we would recommend to the attention of our readers. 
The first point is, whether the attack of insects be the effect or trie cause 
of disease? The next point is, how is it that, if the sun’s rays fall on a 
frosted plant, the destruction is more extreme than if the plant were 
kept shaded by a canvas or bunting covering, or if even thawed off by 
water before the sun shines on it ? Another question may be put con¬ 
cerning the “jir e-blast” and whether it can possibly be caused by any 
accidental combination of vapours floating above the earth ? That con¬ 
stitutional weakness attracts and favours the depredations of insects, 
there is no doubt, and we quite agree with Mr. Mathers, that the cause 
of such weakness should be sought out and remedied as he proposes.— 
Ed.] 
Observations on the proposed Gardeners’ Society. —The 
formation of a society for the diffusion of scientific knowledge among 
young gardeners, is a topic which several of the young men in this 
neighbourhood have for some months past been trying to agitate, and it 
gives me great pleasure to see the subject is now on the qui vive in the 
literary world. The article in your last number, from the pen of Mr. A. 
Walker, is excellent as far as it goes, and it is to be regretted that so com¬ 
petent an individual did not enter more into the detail of his proposition. 
It is a moral disgrace, a kind of general odium on the metropolitan 
gardeners, to think that while the tradesmen and mechanics have been 
forming their reading societies, debating clubs, mechanics’ institutes, &c., 
&c., the gardeners comparatively have been slumbering. But in their 
extenuation, I may be told, there are gardeners’ societies in the vicinity 
of London. True! I believe there are two; one at Acton, and the 
other at Stamford Hill, or somewhere thereabout; and I am also 
informed that there is a reading society connected with the establish¬ 
ment of Messrs. Low, at Clapham. And what have these societies 
done ? Have they published a report showing the advantages of such 
associations ? or have they held out any encouragement for young gar¬ 
deners to become members ? I fancy not, or it is more than probable I 
should have heard of it. 
