enough has been said on the subject; yet I trust you will allow me to vindicate what I had before written, which, I perceive, will be liable to misconstruction. In Mr. Seymour's paper, I observe, he remarks that his young trees are growing in a soil nearly like that complained of by me. I wish he had said how nearly. Has he the same proportion of dung in the soil? Is this soil as sandy as I described mine to be? Is his subsoil as porous and dry? And does he desire excessively luxuriant wood, as a matter of choice? I beg to repeat that my trees not only made the basket-rods (as Mr. Newington calls them) in the centre of the trees, but to the very bottom of the wall; and those shoots averaged in length 3 to 6 ft. Now, the trees having been planted 6 yds. apart only, and the wall being 10 ft. high, I remember saying it was difficult to know how to prune them to provide a nice succession of wood: and so it was; for pruning could not effect what I required, as the extremities of the shoots had already met in many places. Now, I intended to move them all and place them farther apart, but I was requested by a proper authority not to do so; therefore I will describe what I did. I opened a trench before them, at about 6 ft. from the wall, and cut a just proportion of all their straggling roots at a tuft of fibres, which I combed carefully out in a horizontal direction, and replaced the soil. I then removed about 6 in. in depth of the part of the border between their roots and the walk, and dressed it with 6 in. of fat turfy loam, forking it in, and mixing it with the sand 2 ft. deep. Be it remembered, I was placing this fat loam on a bottom exceedingly dry and porous; and those minutiæ must be borne in mind by our critics, for I beg not to be understood as recommending stiff soil on a retentive subsoil. However, to proceed, I cut the trees, leaving every luxuriant leader, just as Mr. Seymour recommends (although I never heard of his system), nearly its full length; having also reserved a pair of laterals in the summer (disbudding towards the base of each luxuriant shoot), and in some exceedingly luxuriant shoots, two pairs. Other wood of a weaker character, and nearer home, I pruned a little closer. I have now to state, that I will show that wall of trees (240 ft. long) against any of the same age; and for symmetry, equalised strength, a just medium degree also, and complete succession of wood without any nakedness, I think they cannot be surpassed. I now beg to offer a few remarks on what I humbly conceive to be either erroneous or immaterial, in plans proposed by a few writers in the Magazine latterly; and hope to give no offence by the liberty taken, as I shall most willingly, in my turn, submit to the lash. Mr. Newington's plan of managing a crop of young spray I entirely disapprove of, as being unnecessary. It might, in trees of a very moderate strength, in the warmer parts of England, answer what may be called decently; but, for the majority of gardeners, I feel convinced it would not be the best plan: its evils would be confusion of wood, and, in the end, too great exclusion of light and heat. Nevertheless, I think Mr. Housman under a mistake in saying it might do for luxuriant wood: for, if he taxes his memory, he will remember that the lowest joint of laterals on very luxuriant wood is generally very long, perhaps from 1 in. to 6 in.; and such wood, if topped, would seldom make bloom spurs. However, I may misunderstand him.. I protest against any very punishing crops, as onions or shallots, on the borders, the roots of which run 18 in. deep. The most legitimate crop I know for the purpose, in my opinion, is the strawberry, on account of that mortal enemy to surface roots, the spade, being so little required in its cultivation. These I would plant in rows 3 ft. apart, leaving a space of 6 ft. next the wall, on which the runners of the respective kinds would extend without mixing, especially by dressing that space in April with leaf mould. They would be rooted early, and ready to clear away in the end of July with the trimmings between the rows. I would plant a portion every year, and after bearing the second time, destroy them. For these borders I would have a net made, which should fit a given number of rows, and I would cover them over with it at ripening time. By these means, and mouse-traps round the exterior, the crop would be as secure as the cherry orchard at Hylands. For, plant how we will here, unless they are covered the birds will have at least half. As crops intermitting between the strawberries, I would advise, with Mr. Housman, spinach, radishes, French beans, endive, lettuce, dwarf peas, pickling cucumbers, remembering always to crop rather thinly; and if any of the borders could be totally cleared through July or August, I have no doubt it would be an advantage. These borders should be always worked with a fork, and not more than 6 or 8 in. deep, if possible; for I think it of more importance to preserve surface roots than to attend to those punctilios about mignonette, &c. I now beg to say, after finding all the fault I can, that all those papers have their merits: at any rate, it is agreeable to see so much testimony from various quarters contrasted. Let those who judge, therefore, bear in mind that almost every situation has its peculiarities; and let us not be condemned without those localities being taken into the question. I should not have scribbled so far, could I have compressed my subject more without mutilation: I must, therefore, ask pardon for its defects, and for the digressions I have made; and shall make up my mind to expect a scolding for my pains, if this be inserted. Oulton Park, Sept. 1830. I remain, Sir, yours, &c. ROBERT ERRINGTON. ART. XXII. Mr. Alexander Diack's Mode of grafting on the large Branches of old Trees, as extracted from the Books of the Aberdeenshire Horticultural Society. Communicated by Mr. A. D1ack, C.M.H.S. Sir, It is with no little degree of surprise that I see announced, in some of the periodical publications for this month, and also in some of the newspapers, as being extracted from the Transactions of the London Horticultural Society, a method of grafting on the large branches of old trees, the merit of which is claimed by Mr. Malone, gardener to G. S. Foljambe, Esq., of Osberton House, Nottinghamshire. I do not know how long Mr. Malone may have been practising the method; but this much I can tell you, that previously to the year 1826 I myself followed the same practice, and in 1827 laid before the Aberdeenshire Horticultural Society a detailed account of my method and success: a copy of which Í forwarded paper to the London Horticultural Society, by the advice of Alexander Seaton, Esq., one of the Council of the said Society, who visited my grounds in the month of May of that year; and I find the same noticed in your Magazine for December following, as having been read before the Council of the London Society. I may just mention, that my plan has been adopted by several experienced gardeners in this neighbourhood with the most complete success, particularly Mr. Stevenson, late gardener to Charles Bannerman, Esq., of Cremonmagate, upon a number of standard and wall trees in his orchard. Will you, therefore, oblige me by sparing a corner of your valuable publication for the following account of my process, which is nearly the same as that by Mr. Malone? It is extracted from the books of the Aberdeenshire Horticultural Society, under date of August 28. 1827, and is in substance that which was sent to the London Horticultural Society. I am, Sir, yours, &c. ALEXANDER DIACK, C. M. H. S. Mile End, Aberdeen, March 13. 1830. "To the Secretaries of the Aberdeenshire Horticultural Society, Aug. 28. 1827. "I beg leave to submit to your consideration a mode of grafting upon old stocks, branches, &c., of any size. The method is simply this: - Having headed down your tree, take a scion and place it upon that part of the stock where it is meant to insert it. Cut upon both sides lengthways, through the bark to the wood, an inch or more long, directly opposite each other; then cut across between these at the bottom, observing to have it rather too little than too much. Raise now the bark between the incisions, by a bone or ivory wedge, or the handle of a budding-knife, &c., as most convenient; which will be easily done, as the wood and bark will easily separate when the sap has arisen, when the void will appear as a mortise. Prepare now the scion, as in the common way for whip-grafting, by cutting away one side; then paring away the rind or outer bark on both sides of the transverse section, making the lower end square; so that, when placed in the mortise, it may fill the place exactly as a tenon, the end uniting closely with the bark of the stock. "Tie now with matting in the usual way, observing that if there is a vacuity between the scion and bass, in consequence of the bark of the stock being thicker than that of the scion, it will be necessary to place something above that part of the scion, so as the void may be filled up, that the tying press it tight. If the operation is performed on branches rather low horizontal, clay is to be preferred as a plaster; if above, pitch, &c. (or grafting wax), in case capillary attraction is necessary. By capillary attraction, I mean having a bottle or jar for the purpose of holding water; a bit of cord or narrow selvage of cloth, from 24 in. to 36 in. long, as a conductor, the one end immersed in the water, and the other end turned once or twice round the scion; the vessel for the water to be filled as often as necessary. By this mode I have no doubt that cuttings, even from America or India, if kept moderately moist (damp) on the passage, will in most instances succeed. "In the latter end of the month of March last, a cutting of a new particular pear (Duchesse d'Angoulême) was sent me from the Horticultural Garden of London. When received, the buds were 1 in. long, and perfectly blanched from the lateness of the season, and the package having been in damp moss. I cut the shoot in two equal parts, and wrought them in the manner above described. The buds in the course of a day became quite black, and died away; I had then recourse to capillary attraction. By the first week in May, the top or uppermost part began to push from the side where the former bud was; and about the middle of June the lower part also. "This operation, to be denominated mortise-grafting, has been witnessed by the secretaries of our Society at different periods of the season; and the same method was pointed out to Messrs. Stevenson and Fraser, the former of whom, to my knowledge, has adopted the plan with equal success this season. "To the size of your stock may be proportioned the number of your scions, say from half an inch to as much more as you please between. When capillary attraction is had recourse to, it will be most advisable to use the pitch composition, as the constant current of water loosens the clay. I am, &c. Mile End, Aug. 28. 1827. ALEX. DIACK. Read." ART. XXIII. On keeping Fruits, more particularly Apples. Sir, THERE is no subject upon which there seems to be more diversity of opinion among horticulturists, than what is the proper mode of preserving apples and pears through the winter months; and considering the importance of ascertaining, upon scientific principles, the means to be adopted for attaining this desirable object, it is to be wondered that the matter has not been taken up by some one qualified to explain the causes of the good or bad success attendant on the experiments which are yearly made. In the Transactions of the London and Caledonian Horticultural Societies, as well as in other publications, numerous papers occur, stating the successful result of experiments conducted by respectable individuals; but, when these are compared together, the means adopted to obtain the desired end are generally found to be so various and dissimilar, that, in the absence of some theoretical reasoning to enable the reader to form his own judgment, no proper conclusion can be arrived at, and every one follows his own method. In premising these observations, it is not my intention to offer any theory on the subject, which both my ignorance of chemistry and want of opportunity for experiments preclude me from attempting; but I wish to call the attention of your numerous contributors to the question, and I hope to see it handled in some of your future Numbers. In my small experience, however, one thing has occurred to me, |