maturity, though late in the season, and have of these on their way at present.

When the trees are peeled, they send out numerous young healthy shoots from the trunk and large branches, which will come to bear fruit before the old ones fail, and thus give a constant supply, without the loss of time, as in the common way of cutting down and grafting:

* Fig. 3, a swan egg pear tree, 100 years old, which has been for several years past in a complete state of decay. The young healthy shoots upon the trunk and large branches, as far as peeled, not one of which died in winter; and those of the present year are too numer◄ ous to be represented on a superficies. Some of these of the current year measure 3 feet 9 inches in length, and 2 inches in circumference, and have sent out

whereas unpeeled trees seldom send out young shoots from the trunk and large branches; and when they do, these seldom come to any perfection, but generally die the first winter; because, from the stricture of the bark, they do not receive the proper nourishment, and are festered at the root, or offset, by the vermin and rotten bark of the trunk or branch from which they grow.

These shoots may be very useful for grafting and budding, as the trees produce them in such abundance, and very strong, and as young shoots are often very difficult to be found on old trees.

branches 1 foot 3 inches long. Most of the trees have nearly the same appearance, and making wood at the extremities of the bearing branches.

Some have imagined, that these shoots from the trunk and large branches of peel

ed trees, would hurt the growth on the extremities. This at first sight appears a rational supposition, but experience has shewn the reverse; for these trees which have sent out thousands of these shoots, have grown more on the extremities since, than they had done for many years before.

The reason of this appears to be, that, by removing the stricture of the bark, a freer circulation of the juices is given, to nourish every part; and accordingly I have found those trees sending out innuinerable shoots from the trunk and large branches, growing well at the extremities, and bearing fruit abundantly at the same time.

It is said that all efforts which have

hitherto been made to propagate healthy trees, of those varieties which have long been in cultivation, have been entirely unsuccessful; that the grafts grow well for two or three years, after which they become cankered and mossy.

I have not had time or opportunity to know whether the same consequence will follow the young shoots from the trunk and large branches of peeled trees; but as these shoots are themselves healthy, and the trees from which they are taken rendered healthy by the peeling, it is, I think, highly probable that they will continue to grow healthy when grafted upon new stocks.

If this should succeed, those finer varieties which are said to be wearing out, may be preserved.

K

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If we may be allowed to reason from analogy, we have every reason to believe that the offspring of these trees will be healthy. For we know, that, in the animal system, whilst the parent labours under certain diseases, the offspring will be infected; but after the parent is completely free from the disease, the offspring will be as free as if the parent had never laboured under such disease.

If it is true, which I believe cannot be denied, that the roots of fruit trees are more durable than the trunk and branches, we have every reason to conclude, that the shoots, grafted upon the roots, will be a means of preserving these varieties to a later date than any that has hitherto been

adopted, so far as I know. And I see no