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VII. Cn Dfcoriicafion, as a Means for freeing Oi'chardt 

 from Infctis» 



I 



N general, to flrip off the bark of trees, is to kill them ^ 

 and yet it appears, by feme experiments made by Dr. Mit- 

 chill, of New- York, there is a time of the year whea 

 apple-trees (pj'rus malus) may be peeled from their roots to 

 their boughs, on all fides, without fuflaining any damage 

 from the operation. An experiment was made in 1799 upon 

 an apple-tree, the whole body of which was decorticated, and 

 whofe branches neverthelefs retained all their leaves and fruit,. 

 lix two months after an entire new coat of bark was formed^ 

 which invefted the tree on every fide. -The tree was as 

 healthy and vigorous as ever. The leafon for doing this is 

 when the days are at the longeft, that is, towards the end of 

 June. 



A tree peeled in the fummer of 1798 outlived the fucceed- 

 ing winter, which was a very fevere one, without being irt 

 any refpe<Sl injured. Another, which was denuded in 

 June 1799, produced its bark completely before September, 

 and was as full of fruit as if nothing had been done to it. — 

 '' There is no doubt,'* fays Dr. Mitchill, " that an orchard 

 might be treated in this manner with perfeft fafety, if the 

 operation was well-timed. The farmers lay that it will make 

 old trees young again ; but I own, though I have feveral times 

 been witnefs of the harmleflhefs of the pradice, it looks tQ 

 me ftill like a very violent and hazardous remedy. The ex- 

 periment, however, demonftrates a moil remarkable powei" 

 in the vegetable ceconomy. Whether other trees may be 

 thus decoiticali^ I have not yet learned." 



We may juft obferve, that the idea entertained by the 

 Amerjcaa farmers is probably in fome cafes very well 

 founded; for as trees (apple-trees at Icaft) have the power 

 of re-producing their bark, it mud fometimes happen that 

 miliions of iniccls and eggs of infe61:& will thus be inllantar 

 neoufly removed, which otherwife would continue to burro\y 

 , Jn and ^tQ(\ upon the tree. This circumftance will account 

 for the trees appearing as healthy aftei as before the procefs, 



even 



