eral trees, procured of various nurserymen, in our collection, on the Canada plum, and, in a late gale, a large tree was broken off at the junction of the graft, from the overgrowth of the scion. We would recommend the muscle plum to our correspondent, as the very best stock for the apricot.

We have never budded the apple on the pear. Though the apple will undoubtedly grow, it is doubtful whether such a union will be of any utility. Perhaps, to test a new variety as soon as possible, it may be advantageous; but we need experiments to show whether trees will continue to produce fine fruit after they once begin to bear. We shall be happy to learn the results of any experiments of this kind, which our correspondent or his friends may be induced to try.-Ed.

ART. II. Results of the Cultivation of the Pear and other Fruit in the Southern States. By R. CHISHOLM, Esq., Corresponding Secretary of the Beaufort Agricultural Society.

I PROMISED you, last summer twelve months, to communicate my experience in fruit, but the past summer has been so very unfavorable that I have had very little fruit, nearly all having rotted on the trees. Of peaches, nectarines, and plums, I did not get one single good fruit, though my trees were loaded, except from a tree of the Bolmar Washington plum, which bore about fifteen or eighteen, which all came to perfection, the largest being fully six and a half inches in circumference. My apples were generally wormy and rotted before ripening. My pears did rather better, though they too rotted very badly. The Epargne bore well, and, from one or two fruit picked at the right time, I should call it a good, juicy, and sweet fruit; but I allowed most of the fruit to remain on the tree until overripe, when they were mealy and flavorless. The Epine d'Eté, or summer thorn, bore well also, and the fruit was larger than the year before, and probably better, but I thought it only fully second quality. The Grey Butter, St. Germain, Winter Bon Chrétien, Crassane, and Verte Longue Panaché bore well, and their fruits were about equal, though very different,

and I consider them of the first quality. The Echasserie, I should also pronounce first quality, though it bore only a few imperfect fruit. The true Virgouleuse bore a quantity of fruit, but they all were cracked, knotty and utterly uneatable, which is, I believe, the great objection to it, as the fruit is fine when in perfection. The White Butter was knotty as usual with me, and consequently just eatable. The best pear I ate during the season was one of the size and shape of the summer Thorn, but without any color on the cheek, and ripening about one month later, the name of which I do not know, though I am under the impression, from no good reason, that I received it as the Doyenné de la Motte, but I hope to be able to test this point the next summer, as I hope that the tree I have under that name will bear fruit if I can get rid of the bark lice that infest it. Even my orange trees, which bore about 10,000 or 12,000 a year ago, have this season borne only about 200 oranges. My oranges, by the by, were pronounced the last year, by all who tasted them, as the best they had ever tasted, except by one gentleman, who thought that those he had eaten from the tree in Cuba were superior.

The cultivation of fruit, especially of peaches and pears, is extending rapidly hereabouts. Of the apples, plums, and cherries, we are doubtful of success, though some of us are trying them. I mean to graft and bud my apples mainly upon our native crab, which I find on the plantation, and the others upon native or acclimated stocks. I think that when we are fairly under way, the north will get its best peaches and late pears from the south, and the south its best apples, plums, and early pears from the north, at least so says my theory on the subject; Q. E. D. as you will probably say-I am sowing the seed of pears to try.

My small olive trees were loaded with fruit this year for the first time; but, just before the fruit was ripe, it was all blown down by the gale of the 10th and 11th of October. I have several hundred trees just coming into bearing.

If you raise figs in your houses, why do you not try the Celestial, one of the smallest, but a good bearer, and the best fig known here and to the south, and also the Alicante, a very large, very productive, ever-bearing, and fine blue fig? These are our two best figs. Wishing you many

able contributors, and many punctual subscribers, I remain yours.

Near Beaufort, S. C., Dec. 21, 1846.

Will our correspondent be so kind as to forward us, at a convenient opportunity, a tree of each of the figs he so highly recommends? We are now importing some new sorts from Europe with the hope of making a collection of the best; and would be glad to have the Celestial and Alicante to compare with the European sorts, and note their relative merits. The fine pear alluded to of the shape of the summer Thorn may be the St. Ghislain, which resembles that variety in form. Bark lice may be easily destroyed by washing with oil soap about the consistence of common paint.-Ed.

ART. III.

Observations on Root Pruning. By A. H. ERNST.
Cincinnati.

PERMIT me to make a few remarks, through your Magazine, on root pruning as adapted to the culture of trees. This, although a popular measure with some writers and cultivators, I cannot but view as a sort of horticultural heresy, calculated to produce much mischief. This practice will have its day, and then be permitted to slumber among the errors of the times.

The principle of life, growth, and durability of trees, is not unlike that of the animal. To secure these ends to the fullest extent, both must be supplied with good and healthy nourishment, suited to their condition, and just in proportion to the number, capacity and healthy action of the reeciving or absorbing vessels, will the plant or animal be benefited by it: if these are obstructed or crippled, it is clear the plant or animal must suffer just in proportion to such obstruction, however ample or appropriate the food within their reach. The extreme ends and the laterals of the roots are furnished with what are termed spongioles; these answer to the plant as the lacteals of the stomach do to the animal, in absorbing from the digested or prepared substance, in the one from the stomach,

conveying it to the lungs, where it is changed into blood, and is thus prepared to add to the life and growth of the animal: the other from the earth, conyeying it through the sapvessels to the leaves, which are the lungs of the plants: from these it is returned in a suitable condition to add to the growth of the plant. The leaves of a tree are just as essential to its growth and health, as its roots and food, and will as certainly suffer from a want of a sufficient supply as the animal whose lungs are impaired. Trees too, like animals, require and do periodically rest: the tree, being deprived, during this time of rest, of its leaves, ceases to grow, although its functions are only in part suspended: if, during this time of rest, the roots are deprived of moisture any considerable length of time, the tree will die. All this goes to show how essential and important the leaves are to the growth of the tree, and the roots to the supply of the nourishment from the earth for their ability to perform their office. Any culture, then, that has a tendency to prevent the forming of the largest supply of leaves, is a fatal error. This is the effect of root pruning. It is evident, if the spongioles of the roots are cut off or mangled, the plant must suffer just as the animal would, if deprived of the lacteals of the stomach, and is thus deprived from the forming new wood and leaves, until new spongioles can be formed. As often, then, as this is repeated, the plant will lessen in strength until its life is exhausted by this unnatural process.

That the system of root pruning may be successfully applied to stunting and dwarfing trees, and forcing them into fruiting, is an admitted fact, and where the durability of the tree is no object, but a show of fruit of more importance, no better expedient can be resorted to, to effect the object, and where but limited room can be afforded, and a large variety of fruit is desirable, the advocates of this system may have sufficient cause for recommending it. But to those who have not yet been crowded into narrow limits, and deem the duration of their trees of any importance, I should advise against a resort to it by all means.

The practice of root pruning is very simple; nothing more is necessary than a sharp spade: with this, the roots are cut off by forcing it in the ground with the foot, across the roots, a greater or less distance from the body of the tree, accord

ing to its size. The effect is to check the tree in its growth, and to force it to expend all its remaining energies in forming embryo blossom buds and fruit. This it will continue to do until its vital energies are exhausted and life is extinguished, the duration of which will depend very much on the vigorous application of this destructive system.

The above remarks are offered in the hope that some one more capable may be induced to take up the subject and show its mischievous effects.

Spring Garden, near Cincinnati, December 21, 1846.

ART. IV. Descriptions and Engravings of Select Varieties of Pears. By the EDITOR.

In our past volumes, we have given our descriptions and engravings of new pears under the head of Pomological Notices. But, as our information under that head is intended only to contain brief notices of new or choice fruits, previous to a full description of them when better known, we have thought it desirable to give our future descriptions of pears under a distinct head.

We have the drawings of many fine varieties, which we shall endeavor to present in this volume, and, among them, some new and superior kinds, particularly of native origin: among these will be the Onondaga, which we have already noticed, and which we should have presented a description and engraving of before, but for the hope of obtaining a full and correct account of its origin.

The following six varieties are entirely new, and have never yet been figured, part of them having been received from Van Mons without names; but brief notices of some of them will be found in the communications of the late Mr. Manning in a previous volume (VIII. p. 56.) Subsequent experience has confirmed the good opinion which he then expressed of their merits, and they may be enumerated among the best varieties which have been recently added to our collections.