THE MAGAZINE OF BOTANY, GARDENING, AND AGRICULTURE, BRITISH AND FOREIGN. ON THE NATURE OF THE VARIETIES OF THIS is a subject in rural economy which ought to be much better understood than it is, in order to enable the planters to judge of the sorts proper to be planted, either as an article of pleasure, profit, or recreation; as much of the credit of the plantation must arise from judiciously choosing trees of the best, new, or middle-aged sorts, and not of the old worn out varieties, which latter cannot, in the planting of orchards in common situations, ever form valuable trees, and must end in the disappointment of the planter. Engrafted fruits, I have before said, and I now repeat, are not permanent. Every one of the least reflection must see that there is an essential difference between the power and energy of a seedling plant, and the tree which is to be raised from cuttings or elongations. The seedling is endued with the energies of nature, while the graft or scion is nothing more than a regular elongation, carried perhaps through the several repeatings of the same variety; whereas the seed, from having been placed in the earth, germinates and becomes a new plant, wherever nature permits like to produce like in vegetation; as in the oak, beech, and other mast-bearing trees. These latter trees, from each passing through the state of seedlings, are perfectly continued, and endued with the functions of forming perfect seeds for raising other plants by evolution, to the continuance of the like species. This is not the case with engrafted fruits. They are doomed by nature to continue for a time, and then gradually decline, till at last the variety is totally lost, and soon forgotten, unless recorded by tradition, or in old publications. Reason, with which Providence has most bountifully blessed some of our species, has enabled us, when we find a superior variety, to engraft it on a wilding stock, or to raise plants from layers and cuttings, or even to raise up the roots, and thus to multiply our sources of comfort and pleasure. This, however, does not imply that the multiplication of the same variety, for it is no more, should last for ever, unless the species will naturally arise from seed. Nature, in her teaching, speaks in very intelligible language, which language is conveyed by experience and observation. Thus we see that among promiscuous seeds of fruits of the same sort, one or more may arise, whose fruits shall be found to possess a value far superior to the rest in many distinguishable properties, From experience, also, we have obtained the power, by engrafting, of increasing the number of this newly acquired tree, can change its country, give it to a friend, send it beyond the seas, or fill a kingdom with that fruit, if the natives are disposed so to do. Thus we seem to have a kind of creative power in our own hands. From the attention lately paid to the culture of engrafted fruits, I hope we are now enabled to continue a supposed happily acquired tree, when we can find it, for a much longer MAGAZINE OF BOTANY AND GARDENING, VOL. III. NO. duration than if such variety had been left in the state of unassisted nature; perhaps I may say for a duration as long again, or something more. After these sanguine expectations I may reasonably be asked, to what does all this amount? For here there is no direct permanency-and why? The why is very obvious-because the kernels within the fruit, which are the seed of the plants for forming the next generation of trees, will not produce their like. I allow they may do so accidentally; but nothing more can be depended on. For example, suppose we take ten kernels or pips of any apple raised on an engrafted stock; sow them, and they will produce ten different varieties, no two of which will be alike; nor will either of them closely resemble the fruit from whence the seeds were collected. The leaves also of those trees raised from the same primogenious or parent stock, will not actually be a copy of the leaves of any one of the varieties or family, to which each is connected by a vegetable consanguinity. I intentionally used the word actually, because a resemblance may be found, though not much of that is to be expected. I beg that what has been last mentioned may not be taken as a discouragement to attempts for raising new varieties. I was obliged to speak very strongly, in order to place the culture upon its true foundation. I think it need not be observed, that there is no acquiring a new variety, but through the means of a seedling plant; and therefore whoever wishes to succeed must attempt it that way, or wait till others in their plantations may more fortunately produce it. In choosing the seeds, that apple is most likely to produce the clearest and finest plants, whose kernels are firm, large, and well ripened. The size of the fruit is not to be regarded; for large apples do not always ripen their fruit well, or rather for cider the small fruits are generally preferred for making the strongest, highest flavoured liquor. And from what I have been able to collect in the cider countries, it is there the opinion, that an apple something above the improved crab promises the best success. This advantage also attends the practice: if there are no valuable apples raised from that attempt, these wildings will make excellent stocks to engraft upon. Gentlemen who actually employ themselves in attempting to acquire new varieties, should remember that they ought to select all the sets from the bed of apple-quick, whose appearance is in the least degree promising, and plant them together, at such a distance as to allow each to produce its fruit, which will happen in about twelve, fifteen, or eighteen years. When the new variety is to be raised from a valuable admired apple, I should recommend the placing these seeds in a garden pot, filled with mould from an old melon-bed; carrying the pot into a retired situation near the water, and giving attention to run the plants to as large a size as is convenient within eighteen months. With this view the pot should be placed in the green-house the first winter; and when the plants are afterwards to be set out in the spots, they should not be placed under the drip of trees, or much exposed to the winds. VI. JUNE 1837. N 80 ON THE NATURE OF THE VARIETIES OF ENGRAFTED FRUIT TREES. Two instances have been mentioned, the improved crab and most admired apple; but prudence says, try all sorts, and something probably will arise; and the process is attended with little trouble or expense to a person who constantly resides in the country: yet, after all this scientific care, the apple may want flavour, and be in other respects nothing better than a common wilding. It is an undoubted fact, and worthy of observation, that all the different trees of the same variety have a wonderful tendency to similarity of appearance among themselves; and that the parent stock, and all engrafted from it, have a far greater resemblance to each other, than can be found in any part of the animal creation; and this habit does not vary to any extent of age. more, As an encouragement in attempting to increase the number of new valuable fruits, we can prove that the golden pippin is native English. The red-streak, a seedling of Herefordshire, if not raised, yet was first brought into notice by Lord Scudaand was for a long time called Scudamore's Crab. The Stire Apple was accidentally raised in the forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, and took the name of Forest Stire. The cider made from this apple was the strongest the country ever produced, according to any living record. The Haglo-crab, the best cider fruit now remaining, was discovered in the parish of Ecloes, on the banks of the Severn; and about sixty or seventy years ago, many scions were taken from this tree by Mr. Bellamy, and engrafted on seedling stocks about Ross. These are now grown old, and, to ascertain the age of the variety, I went with Charles Edwin, Esq., to Ecloes, in hopes of seeing the primogenious of this family. The proprietor of the estate acquainted Mr. Edwin that it had ceased to bear, years ago, and was cut down. Those at Ross are but poor bearers now; and I should suppose the variety must be one hundred and forty years old, though Marshal, who wrote in the year 1786, mentions these trees were prolific, and he supposes the sort to be about eighty years old; but from present experience it must be much more. The Tinton Squash-pear is of Gloucestershire; the Barland and Old-field were near Ledbury, Herefordshire. The two last pears clearly bear the names of the two fields where they were raised. The Barland fell about six years ago, visibly from weight and longevity, which was supposed to have been about two hundred years. There have been many other names of estimation handed down to us, though the realities are now totally worn out, and have ceased to exist. Can any better proof be desired, that engrafted fruits are not permanent, than the regret we feel for the loss of these old valuable fruits ? To make my paper as short as convenient, I have dwelt only on the apple and pear: yet all the engrafted fruits are under the same predicament of the seed not producing its like, and the offspring in time falling into a nothingness of growth and bearing, though that space of time must certainly depend on the natural longevity and hardiness of the sort, soil, position, care, &c. It should be remembered, that as I am now alluding to the state of actual permanency, fifty years are to be accounted as nothing; and as often as we come to that point we are compelled to resort to our first assertion, "That engrafted fruits are not permanent, they being continued from elongations, and not raised as a repetition of seeds." This is the only rational way as yet introduced of accounting for the loss of the valuable old varieties of fruits. Should a better system be introduced, I shall readily adopt it; but this sufficiently answers the purposes of the planter. From the time the kernel germinates for apple-quick, should the plant be disposed to form a valuable variety, there will appear a regular progressive change or improvement, in the organization of the leaves, until that variety has stood, and grown sufficient to blossom and come into full bearing; that is, from the state of infancy to maturity; and it is this and other circumstances, by which the inquisitive eye is enabled to form the selection among those appearing likely to become valuable fruits. But from that time the new variety, or selected plant, compared with all the engraftments which may be taken from it, or any of them, these shall shew a most undeviating sameness among themselves. It is readily allowed, that the different varieties of fruits are easily distinguished from each other by many particulars; not only respecting their general fertility, and the form, size, shape and flavour of the fruit, but also the manner of the growth of the tree, the thickness and proportion of the twigs, their shooting from their parent stem, the form, colour, and consistence of the leaf, and many other circumstances, by which the variety can be identified; and were it possible to engraft each variety upon the same stock, they would still retain their discriminating qualities, with the most undeviating certainty. The proper conclusion to be drawn from the statement in the last paragraph, is this-that were any one to put the thought in practice on a full-grown hardy or crab stock, it would produce an excellent proof that engrafted fruits are not permanent. For if twenty different varieties were placed together, so that each might receive its nurture from the same stem, they would gradually die off in actual succession, according to the age or state of health of the respective variety, at the time the scions were placed in the stock; and a discriminating eye, used to this business, would nearly be able to foretell the order in which each scion would actually decline. Should it also happen that two or three suckers from wilding stock had been permitted to grow among the twenty grafts, such suckers or wilding shoots will continue, and make a tree after all the rest are gone. A further consequence would result from the experiment: among such a number of varieties, each of the free growers would starve the delicate, and drive them out of existence only so much the sooner. It must be observed that this supposed stem is the foster-parent to the twenty scions, and real parent to the suckers; and those the least conversant with engrafted fruits know the advantage acquired from this circumstance. And here is is worth while remarking, that a Gascoyne, or wild cherry, will grow to twice the size that ever an engrafted cherry did. By an experiment we have had in hand for five years, it will appear that the roots and stem of a large tree, after the first set of scions are exhausted or worn out, may carry another set for many years; and we suspect a third set, provided the engrafting is properly done, and the engrafter chooses a new. variety. Now the Ripston pippin, of Yorkshire, is the favourite, as being a free grower and good bearer, with fine fruit. This, however, may be certainly depended on, that when a new apple is raised from seed, if a scion were placed in a retired situation, and constantly cut down, as a stool in a copse-wood, and the apple never suffered to fulfil the intentions of nature in bearing fruit, the practitioners of the following ages may procure scions from that stool, to continue the variety much longer. Hence, though I have written as much as is in my power against permanency, yet I have taken some pains to assure the planters, that forecast, selection, pruning, cleanliness and care, will make the orchards turn to more profit for the rising generations, than what they have done for the last hundred years. To place the nature of varieties in its true light, for the information of the public, I must maintain that the different varieties of the apple will, after a certain time, decline and actually die away, and each variety, or all of the same stem or family, will lose their existence in vegetation; and yet it is a known fact, that after the debility of age has actually taken possession of any variety, it will yet thrive by being placed against a southern wall, and treated as a wall fruit. Who, however, can afford to raise cider at that expense, except as matter of curiosity, to prove, that when the vital principle in vegetation is nearly exhausted, a superior care and warmth will still keep the variety in existence some time longer? It should be understood that the external air is rather too cold for the delicate fruits; which is the reason why I must |