of Salt in Horticulture. 67 



about eight ounces to each tree ; for the more salts the juices 

 contain which form the young branches, the more compact and 

 smooth their leaves will be, and thereby less subject to the 

 penetration of the honey-dews. If trees are thus ordered at all 

 times, when the honey-dew appears on them, neither it nor the 

 flies can ever do them much injury." The foregoing paragraphs 

 are taken from the chapter directing how to treat trees in new 

 borders. In that " of the honey-dews and smother-flies on 

 fruit-trees growing in old borders," he has the following re- 

 marks : *' If the borders be impoverished, by having either too 

 much kitchen-stuff or flowers growing upon them, the trees will 

 be too weak ; and if the weather be dry, they must be watered 

 plentifully three times a week, with one ounce of salt added to 

 each gallon of water. If the fly be strong, double the quantity of 

 salt, and water the bottom of every tree before the soot or lime 

 is laid on at the time of trenching ; but if there is not an oppor- 

 tunity of trenching, nevertheless water thus mixed (with salt,) 

 must always be used for the above purpose." 



" I have found these methods successful, even when the flies 

 haye been very strong upon the trees, and have in a few days 

 destroyed many of them, and caused the trees to shoot vigo- 

 rously." In obstinate cases, he directs to dissolve two ounces 

 of salt in a gallon of water, and with this mixture to brush the 

 trees all over, beginning at the bottom of the tree, and making all 

 the strokes upwards. This, he says, will cause all the infected 

 leaves to drop off" the trees, but will not injure the healthful ones, 

 but occasion the trees to make good shoots after, even such as 

 will produce fruit the next year on peaches and nectarines.** 

 Pages 279—281. 



On the destruction of fruits by ants, this interesting author 

 gives the following important directions : " The ants," says he, 

 " are much complained of for destroying fruit and leaves ; but 

 when borders are rightly prepared and ordered they cannot live ; 

 nor in old borders, after they have been trenched and watered 

 with the composition mentioned for that purpose. Against old 

 walls, either of brick or stone, they are the most troublesome, 

 for as they lodge in the nail-holes, the watering of the borders 



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