A RADICAL DISCOVERY.
The East Melling Research Station has gone one further than Tennyson, who desired to know all about the flower in the crannied wall, root and all, branch and all." They have extended the desire to a fruit tree. Yet another good- sized apple tree has been dug up so carefully that every fibre of every root is preserved. I saw one of the best examples the other day ; and I believe a yet better is to be shown at the Imperial Fruit Show at Birmingham, with the addition of an indicated ground level. The experiments have revealed two truths. The first is that the root system often extends many feet beyond the branch system (it is a standard superstition that they more or less coincide). The second is that the fibrous roots at the extremities often exceed the fibrous roots near the trunk. I know one splendid old tulip-tree that was recovered from collapse by digging a circle of holes at a great distance from the trunk and filling them with special manures. Probably this is the best system of manuring any tree, and would improve the yield in every orchard.
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