1804] Method of quickly producing Fruit,&c. 319

have derived nouriSchment from new juices. If only Such Shoots be grafted which have the 5kin formed at their base, the roots will Strike out at an earlier period, the Shoots will not be so long deprived of Sap, and they will be Sure to thrive, be- ing only a Short time exposed to the action of destructive matters.

Conformably with this principle in the spring of the year 9, (1801) I grafted Several branches which I had leſt on an apple tree trained as an espalier. In the Spring of the year 10,(1802) the grafts had grown very much, andthe branches bad increased S0 as to be two centimetres in diameter. From the bottom of theearth, I took away the bark for the Space of two centimetres, not wishing the wound to cicatrise. A 5kin of about three mille meters in breadth was formed on the upper edge, aud the Same year the branches bore a great quantity of apples, which would have ripened, bad they not been blown off by a violent wind.

These branches are two metres in length, and have Shoots branching from their tops; I cut them this autumn(1803) be= low the ring, taking care not to injure It, and planted them without taking off any of the small branches. They are very green; the buds are already large; 1 bope they will form Standard trees.

This process of the annular excoriation may be employed with Success to hasten the maturity of grapes a fortnight or three weeks, and to ripen grapes trained on a trellis, which of= ten remain unripened to the end of the Season.

The fruits of trees or branches on which this operation has been performed are always earlier by 15 or 20 days, and larger than those produced by. trees that have not undergone tre operation) May not this be the method empijoyed by the boary philosopher, deseribed by Virgil? He had discovered the Secret of obtaining the earliest roses In the Spring, and the earliest fruits in autumn.

Primus vere rosam atque autumno car pere poma.=-GEORG.

In confirmation of the above statements, 1 Shall reiate Somie of the experiments made by me. As the Subjects of them, I Selected healthy trees fonrteen or filteen years old, planted in open ground 1n a light and rather damp Soil, Some of which had Several times lowered, but never borne any fruit, most of them never having produced buds tor truit.

It was in the spring of the year 9,(1801,)that[ made all the annular excoriations of which I am about to state the results.

Experiment 1. On the'12th Mesidor, year.10,.-(1802,),,1 gathered ten very juicy and perfectly ripe apricots from 4 branch of a tree Submitted to the annular excoriation. At that fiwe the apricots on the rest of the espaliers were still Small and green, and the earliest were not ripe before the 301b Mesidor. The branch from, which I had pared the bark was four ceutimetres in diameter; ic bore twice as many